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By Catholic Online (NEWS CONSORTIUM)
7/10/2014 (11 months ago)
Catholic Online (www.catholic.org)
Militants from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS) set about destroying centuries old Iraqi tombstones and graves in the north-west city of Mosul, Iraq's second largest city, in Ninevah province, and their actions were caught on video.
By Catholic Online (NEWS CONSORTIUM)
Catholic Online (www.catholic.org)
7/10/2014 (11 months ago)
Published in Middle East
Keywords: International, Middle East, Iraq
LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - The men wore balaclavas and black coats, the signature color of ISIS, as they devastated the burial sites with sledgehammers. One of the desecrated tombs belonged to the Prophet Jonah, who is revered by Christians and Muslims.
Help bring the gift of God's peace to this war-torn area.
Jonah is the central figure in the Hebrew Bible's Book of Jonah, and is best known for being swallowed by a fish or whale, depending on the translation.
The sacrilegious attack is simply the latest bout of violence in ISIS's rampage across Iraq. Earlier in the week, images were revealed which showed the destruction of almost a dozen Shia and Sunni and religious shrines in Mosul and Tal Afar, by ISIS militants.
ISIS believes that venerating tombs and relics is against the teachings of Islam, and so they must be destroyed.
Ninevah official Zuhair Al-Chalabi spoke about the attacks. "The elements of ISIS [have] controlled the mosque of the Prophet Younis (which is Jonah's name in Arabic) in Mosul since they invaded the city," he said. "[ISIS] enged in the process of tampering with the contents of the Mosque. It is still held by them until now."
Reports also revealed that the shrine of the Prophet Seth was also destroyed by rebels.
These attacks came before the discovery of more than 50 bodies in an agricultural area outside the major city of Hillah, just south of Baghdad by Iraqi authorities.
An Iraqi military spokesman said many among the 53 dead had been found blindfolded and with their hands bound. The men were shot to death by ISIS in the predominantly Shiite city, which has raised concerns about possible sectarian killing amid the battle against the Sunni Muslim group.
St. Barbara
St. Brigid of Ireland
St. Florian
St. Isidore the Farmer
St. Mark
St. Benedict
St. Jude
St. Francis of Assisi
St. George
St. Joseph
St. Clare
St. Joseph of Cupertino
St. Christopher
St. John the Baptist
St. Anthony
St. Ann
St. Matthew
St. Gerard
By Nikky Andres (NEWS CONSORTIUM)
Islamic State militants were captured and slaughtered on camera by a rebel group in Syria. The members of the rebel group were clad in orange jumpsuits, usually worn by ISIS prisoners and led 13 shackled jihadis to their deaths. MUNTINLUPA, PHILIPPINES (Catholic ... continue reading
By Catholic Online (NEWS CONSORTIUM)
It was a heinous new low for the terror group Islamic State. There are reports from Syria that the jihadists have now beheaded two women for acts of what they describe as "sorcery." LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - These heinous acts are reportedly the first ... continue reading
By Atarah Haely (NEWS CONSORTIUM)
The ancient, fortified city of Hippos-Sussita in Israel, located in the eastern shore of the Sea of Galilee, has surprised archeologists with a new addition to their host of history-defining discoveries. Director Michael Eisenberg, the excavation's director announced ... continue reading
By Nikky Andres (NEWS CONSORTIUM)
ISIS is known all over the world for their radical cruelty and use of rapid executions. Now, the jihadi militants have carried out yet another act of brutality, beheading two women in Syria, who they accused of "sorcery," according to activist reports. MUNTINLUPA, ... continue reading
By Catholic Online (NEWS CONSORTIUM)
Vatican Foreign Minister Paul Gallagher along with Palestinian counterpart, Riad al-Malki, signed a peace treaty recognizing the "State of Palestine." Signed in a ceremony in the Vatican, the goal is that the recognition will promote peace with Israel - as well ... continue reading
By Catholic Online (NEWS CONSORTIUM)
Re-entering the Syrian city of Kobane, long held up as a symbol of Kurdish resistance, Islamic State indiscriminately shot and killed dozens of women and children in a 24-hour period. The death toll hovers around 120, but that number may rise. LOS ANGELES, CA ... continue reading
By Matt Waterson (NEWS CONSORTIUM)
An Indonesian Islamic State fighter who was infected with AIDs has been executed by the Islamic State after he was accused of knowingly passing on the disease through blood donations. LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - The currently unknown Indonesian man ... continue reading
By Catholic Online (NEWS CONSORTIUM)
Two men accused of breaking the fast during Ramadan are shown being brutally flogged by Islamic State soldiers in a new series of shocking photographs. LOS ANGELES, Ca (Catholic Online) - As released by the Islamic State Information Office of the State of the ... continue reading
By Linky C. (NEWS CONSORTIUM)
A Summer in Syria online campaign, using the hashtag #SummerInSyria was meant to gather positive images of experiences in the country, despite four years of gruesome civil war. However, instead of gathering positive feedback from social media users, the #SummerInSyria ... continue reading
By Matt Waterson (NEWS CONSORTIUM)
While Kurdish militia units have had some recent success in their fight for survival against the Islamic State in northern Syria, a leader with the militia says they have no intention of attacking the Islamic State's capital of Raqqa, and such an offensive should ... continue reading


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"When location counts"
ATLANTA — Officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are creating a system to allow health officials and first responders to access geographic information to aid in the response to a bioterrorist attack.
The Health Informatics Office is finishing the final phase of the geographic information system (GIS) architecture that will soon bring maps and geospacial data to emergency workers and epidemiologists in the field. The Web-based system, to be completed in early December, will tap into CDC's data bank and analysis tools.
"We must think of our technology as being usable by those who can make the best use of it," Nabil Issa, associate director for the health informatics office in CDC's National Center for Environmental Health. The system would give "nontech-savvy" people a chance to access critical data about time and space in real time, he said.
This final phase is known as the Spatial Epidemiology and Emergency Management (SEEM) system. The system draws on data from the environmental public health spatial data repository at CDC, which includes census data, maps, aerial and satellite photos, and locations of landmarks such as schools and hospitals.
For example, if state and local health officials respond to a chemical spill in a river, the system will immediately display maps of the area, identifying population concentration along the river and schools in the area. First responders can quickly assess the incident and determine the appropriate use of resources.
SEEM is one of three components for retrieving information through the GIS architecture. Another part is the Environmental Public Health Geography Network application, which provides a one-stop portal for spatial data for use by health officials with the appropriate GIS software and knowledge. It enables local and state officials to overlay their information to the data in the GIS architecture without having to give that often sensitive information to CDC. The third part is an Internet GIS application for the publishing of general geographical information.
Issa said about 80 percent of the architecture is in place, and building and organizing the data repository is the project's most complex piece.
Also by December, officials plan to have handheld devices that will transmit data from the field back the GIS data store. First responders in the field would download a questionnaire created during the incident and enter data, relaying information relevant to the particular incident.
"You don't know what data you need until you need it," Issa said. "You need to know the progress and the feedback. That would complete the cycle of the GIS system."
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Meet 100 women and men who are doing great things in federal IT.
Click here for the full list
Three-time Federal 100 winner is leaving government in July.
Members of Congress heaped hard questions on federal IT leaders at a June 16 hearing and suggested strongly that somebody needs to be fired.
Senate bill carves out exemption for supercomputing and other lab IT; an earlier version of the measure would have exempted the entire Department of Energy.
OPM is partnering with CSID to try to manage the fallout from a massive breach of some 4 million federal personnel records.
Steve Kelman applauds the OMB's move to make career employees "goal leaders" for performance management initiatives -- but wishes it had come far earlier in the administration.
In an exclusive interview, Jimaye Sones, who was Defense Information Systems Agency comptroller from 2005 to 2013, says he was reassigned after revealing questionable accounting practices at the agency.
Through computer forensics training and internships, veterans are helping Immigration and Customs Enforcement tackle a backlog in child exploitation cases.
After two months on the job studying DOD's cybersecurity and IT needs, Secretary Ashton Carter is set to unveil a new Pentagon cyber strategy in Silicon Valley.
The failure of massive federal IT projects can usually be traced to poor management. The solution is as multilayered as the projects themselves.
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subset: commoncrawl


text:
PDA Caught On Tape
by GiggleSugar
Like us on Facebook
Blah, blah, blah, boring golf coverage, but keep watching and you'll spot a couple caught having a squeeze-tastic good time at the British Open. Who says the players are the only ones getting any play at these events?
POPSUGAR, the #1 independent media and technology company for women. Where more than 75 million women go for original, inspirational content that feeds their passions and interests.
PinkNC 7 years
Now THAT was probably the best part of the day. I liked that one, they never saw it coming.
katygirlthing 7 years
Lindsb 7 years
Lindsb 7 years
guineapiggin9 7 years
LOL the commentators make it all that much better. :)
lorenashley 7 years
:ROTFL: those commentators are so lame.
lorenashley 7 years
:ROTFL: those commentators are so lame.
Pink_Lipstick 7 years
LOL I love what the commentators say.
tooq2love 7 years
too funny :rotfl:
tooq2love 7 years
too funny :rotfl:
SweetDream 7 years
Maybe she just wanted to make sure that his diper wasn't full
jhuck 7 years
Maybe next time he should dress more low-key. Then he can get all his action and privacy!
anaisethenry 7 years
Maybe he asked her to scratch an itch?


text:
Environmental Issues: Water
Water Main Page
All Documents in Water Tagged California
- Restoring the San Joaquin River
Revitalizing communities, resurrecting salmon populations, and catalyzing change in California water management
- In the 1940s, a giant dam nearly killed California's San Joaquin River and its legendary salmon run. A court ruling could bring the river back to life, restoring the salmon fishery, providing clean irrigation water for farms and improving drinking water quality for millions of Californians.
- Regional Water Supply Solutions Generally More Cost-Effective than New Dams and Reservoirs
Fact Sheet
- Investments in water conservation and regional water supplies (Integrated Regional Water Management, or IRWM) have consistently been far more cost effective and less environmentally damaging than investments in new, large reservoir projects in California.
- The Untapped Potential of California's Water Supply
Efficiency, Reuse, and Stormwater
Issue Brief
- California is suffering from a third year of drought, with near-record-low reservoirs, mountain snowpack, soil moisture, and river runoff. As a direct result, far less water than usual is available for cities, farms, and natural ecosystems. There are far-reaching effects that will intensify if dry conditions persist. Several response strategies are available that will provide both near-term relief and long-term benefits.
- California Snowpack and the Drought
Fact Sheet
- Snowpack, vital to California's water supply, has long replenished the state's reservoirs naturally in advance of the dry summer and fall months. Snowpack normally provides one-third of the water used by California's cities and farms each year. But if drought conditions persist, 2014's April snowpack measurements could be among the lowest since state snow surveys began in 1930.
Documents Tagged California in All Sections
- West Coast Tar Sands Invasion
- The West Coast could soon become a destination for huge volumes of tar sands crude oil -- one of the world's dirtiest fuels -- setting back efforts to combat climate change and exposing communities to significant new health and environmental risks. Call it a tar sands invasion.
- Achieving Clean Fuels Success: How to Meet California's Low Carbon Fuel Standard
Fact Sheet
- Over the next ten years, California's Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS), a program requiring the oil industry to cut its carbon pollution and to increase the use of clean fuels, could triple the use of alternative fuels from today's levels.
- Unmasked: The Oil Industry Campaign to Undermine California's Clean Energy Future
Millions Spent on Front Groups, Lobbying, and Scare Tactics to Keep Californians Dependent on Oil
Issue Brief
- California's climate and clean energy policies reduce dependence on oil. By 2030, they will enable Californians to save more than $2,000 per household on gasoline and avoid the need to drive 14 billion miles each year. With the petroleum fuels sector scheduled to begin paying for its portion of climate pollution in January 2015, oil companies have intensified their campaign to undermine the clean energy policies that will reduce their market share.
- It Could Happen Here: The Exploding Threat of Crude by Rail in California
Fact Sheet
- In the rush to transport land-locked unconventional new crude oil sources, old rail lines running through communities across America are now rattling with thousands of cars filled with crude oil. Federal regulators have few safeguards in place to protect communities and the environment from accidents, spills and explosions resulting from the race to move millions of barrels of crude by rail.
For additional policy documents, see the NRDC Document Bank.
For older publications available only in print, click here.
Get Updates and Alerts
Water on Switchboard
NRDC experts write about water efficiency, green infrastructure and climate on the NRDC blog.
Recent Water Posts
- Latin America Green News: Climate change pushes migration in Nicaragua , deforestation rises in Bolivia, renewables grow in Honduras and Uruguay
- posted by Maria Martinez, 6/29/15
- Building a Tar Sands Resistance
- posted by Robert Friedman, 6/11/15
- More water-saving turf removal? Coming right up! But let's not forget our other water needs
- posted by Johanna Dyer, 6/5/15
NRDC Gets Top Ratings from the Charity Watchdogs
- Charity Navigator awards NRDC its 4-star top rating.
- Worth magazine named NRDC one of America's 100 best charities.
- NRDC meets the highest standards of the Wise Giving Alliance of the Better Business Bureau.


text:
President Barack Obama on Wednesday offered a budget meant to compete with Republicans' proposals to shrink the deficit and empower the middle class. As the ensuing charts indicate, there's a considerable gulf between priorities, ensuring an intense debate this spring and summer over taxes and spending.
-- Robert Schroeder and Ruth Mantell
Obama would spend more over 10 years and take in more in taxes than would the budget passed by the Republican-controlled House of Representatives. In Obama's fiscal 2014 budget, he proposes spending $46.5 trillion over 10 years, nearly 12% more than the $41.7 trillion authored by House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan. On taxes, Obama plans to reap $41.2 trillion, compared to the $40.2 trillion sought by the Ryan budget. A major difference between the budgets: Obama does not propose to balance within 10 years and instead projects a deficit of $439 billion in 2023. Ryan's plan forecasts deficits in the next 10 years, but by 2023 projects a surplus.
Obama proposes greater spending on items including health care, veterans' benefits and income security – which includes Food Stamps, unemployment benefits and federal employee disability – than does Ryan. By 2023, for example, Obama would spend close to $800 billion on health programs including state Medicaid grants and food inspections. (Medicare is a separate category.) Ryan would spend about $450 billion.
For income-security programs, it's a similar story. Obama would spend more than $620 billion, versus the $511 billion sought by Rep. Ryan's budget.
The White House's budget is just a blueprint for the president's agenda, and expectations can turn out to be wrong, for better or worse.
For example, the actual deficit in 2012 was almost $1.1 trillion, $14 billion narrower than the budget's estimate. That difference equates to a fraction of a percentage point of U.S. gross domestic product -- a small, but positive turn of events. But there can be nasty surprises, too. For 2009, the actual deficit was more than $1.4 trillion, about $1 trillion wider than the budget's estimate, due to the stimulus, the weak economy and Iraq and Afghanistan spending.
Going back to 1982, the average difference has been $129 billion, according to the Office of Management and Budget. What's behind these misses? Policies can differ from original proposals, and the economy's actual performance can differ from assumptions, among other factors.
• Summer movie fun: prequels, sequels and more
• 10 most valuable comic book movie franchises
• 6 movies that spectacularly destroy S.F.
• 9 'American Idol' stars who raked in most cash
WealthThis is Bill Gates's idea of summer reading list
• 10 richest newcomers on billionaire list
• Meet the richest person in each U.S. state
• 5 celebrity money mistakes we can learn from
• 10 business schools that churn out billionaires
• The best college for every major
• 10 states where college is most affordable
• 10 states where college is most expensive
Money and Investing Robo advisers vs. human investment advisers
• 5 things you don't know about Vanguard
• 10 ways to lower your health-care costs
• 5 reasons you are poor
• How much to tip everyone
workJobs where women make much less than men
• 10 jobs robots already do better than you
• 5 blue-collar jobs that pay $100,000 a year
• 10 best-paying jobs without a college degree
5 once-prestigious jobs that are now B-List
• 7 reasons some shoppers hate Costco
• 5 things NOT to buy at Costco and Sam's Club
• What not to buy on Amazon
• Oreo has a new, all-around-the campfire cookie
• 10 retail tricks that make you spend more
• California may really be the best place to live
• What a $1 million home looks like across U.S.
• Best places in U.S. to buy a vacation home
• 5 countries for buying a second home
• Biggest surprise among 10 greenest U.S. cities
• The 10 smartest cities in America
• 10 most miserable cities in America
• Are these 7 remodeling projects worth it?
• 10 states with best bang for taxpayers
• 10 states with the worst bang for the buck
Retirement• 10 of the prettiest places to retire
• 5 tips to help you retire early
• 10 coastal towns where you can afford to retire
• The 10 best states to grow old in
• The 5 best cities for aging well
• The best places to retire abroad — with friends
• Great mountain towns for retirees
• 10 most popular U.S. cities to retire in
• 10 budget cities where you can retire in comfort
TRAVELWorld Trade Center's observation deck opens
• Which passports are best (and worst) to have?
• 5 places in Europe deal hunters should visit
• 12 money-saving travel secrets from experts
• 4 things NOT to buy in duty free shops
• Airlines with the best economy seats
• 8 must-see sites for fans of Nikola Tesla
• 10 safest cities in the world
cars7 cars that people can't wait to trade in
• 10 cars that could actually go up in value
• The 10 most obnoxious car features
• Now taking orders for sexiest supercar
• Your flying car is finally here…almost
• Arctic Circle: best place to drive a Lamborghini
• 10 classic car beauties
• 10 surprising myths about gas mileage
• New cars, trucks with the worst gas mileage
technology6 unexpected places to find solar power
• 5 cool gadgets coming to consumers
• 8 technologies that will change everything
• 6 drones you need to see


text:
Sure Apple is awesome. But shares are down more than 20% from their 2012 highs. There's got to be an easier way to make money in tech.
Following are stocks that the Fast Money traders like a little better.
Sure Apple is awesome. But shares are down more than 20% from their 2012 highs. There's got to be an easier way to make money in tech.
Following are stocks that the Fast Money traders like a little better.
Tim Seymour, founder of EmergingMoney.com
As you might expect, the Ambassador suggested an overseas play – Baidu. He called the company "a great value at 15 times earnings." And although he said Baidu faces the same challenges as Google, that is capturing more of the mobile market, he thinks Baidu will likely be successful. "They dominate in the market." And to top it all off he added, "the chart looks great!"
Pete Najarian, co-founder OptionMonster.com
Fast Money's Pit Boss recommended putting Nokia on the radar – that's right Nokia. "I think this stock is fascinating," he said. "I like their new 920 phone –and they have a monster contract with China Mobile with over 700 million subs." And there's icing on the cake. "I've been seeing unusual bullish activity in this name for quite some time," he said.
Brian Kelly, founder of Shelter Harbor Capital
BK is bullish on Oracle – largely as a play on mobile. "We're hearing how mobile is changing the landscape for companies ranging from Domino's to Saks," said Kelly. "Oracle has the whole back-end needed." Also Kelly likes the technicals. "If the stock can pierce above $32.50 I think we could be looking at a break out."
Dan Nathan, editor and co-founder of RiskReversal.com
Nathan is bullish on Qualcom. He sees this stock as a play on the secular trend in smartphones. And the trend is so strong that even a big cap like Qualcomm continues to generate serious growth. "They expect to grow earnings next year at 16% and sales at 23%," Nathan said. And there's another appeal. "A quarter of the market cap is in cash."
Trader disclosure: On December 17, 2012, the following stocks and commodities mentioned or intended to bementioned on CNBC's "Fast Money" were owned by the "FastMoney" traders; Pete Najarian is long AAPL; PeteNajarian is long BAC CALLS; Pete Najarian is long GS; Pete Najarian is longCALLS; Pete Najarian is long INTC CALLS; Pete Najarian is long SBUX; PeteNajarian is long FB; Pete Najarian is long MSFT; Pete Najarian is long NOK; Dan Nathan is long BAC DEC 9.5PUTS; Dan Nathan is long WFC JAN 38 CALLS; Dan Nathan is long RIMM DEC 12 PUTS;Dan Nathan is long MSFT JAN 26/24 1X2 PUT SPREAD; Dan Nathan is long QCOM JAN62.5/65 CALL SPREAD; Dan Nathan is long SDS; Dan Nathan is long QQQ DECQUARTERLY; Tim Seymour is long BAC; TimSeymour is long INTC; Tim Seymour is long CSCO; Tim Seymour is long SBUX; TimSeymour is long BIDU; Brian Kelly is long GLD; BrianKelly is long SLV; Brian Kelly is long QQQ; Brian Kelly is long JJG; BrianKelly is long EWI; Brian Kelly is long EWP; Brian Kelly is long EWG; BrianKelly is short XHB
In honor of America's birthday, traders pick companies to own that could be around for the next 239 years.
"Fast Money" traders discussed how to play the results of Sunday's Greek referendum on whether to accept a bailout package.
Your first trade for Monday, July 6
Wall Street is missing one fundamental point about the McDonald's story, according to Deutsche Bank analyst Karen Short.
The "Halftime Report" traders give their final trades of the show.
CNBC's Steve Liesman gets an exclusive interview with the man behind the Grateful Dead's final encore, Peter Shapiro, Fare Thee Well promoter.
Jens Nordvig, Nomura Head of fixed income research Americas & global head of currency strategy, discusses his Greece strategy and predictions on the Fed.


text:
Hey, What Happened to This Jockey's Pants?
We don't know about win or place, but we do know this jockey managed to show.
We don't know about win or place, but we do know this jockey managed to show.
Here is another hilarious video of Californians trying Cajun foods for the first time.
While you wait with baited breath for the Floyd Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao bout, let this hold you over for awhile.
If you can figure out what 3 songs Michael.Scott is attempting to play on guitar in this video, then could win yourself a big ole stack of C.D's with "Who's Your Ditty?"
If bacon is good and Oreos are good then bacon wrapped Oreos deep fried in a sweet yet savory batter has got to be off the charts good right?
It has been quite the gloomy day here in Acadiana, but that won't stop the Classic Country Saturday Night party! The country music time machine is fired up and ready to go.
Yuck! Another wet weekend in Acadiana, but has that ever stopped the party? Heck no! And there are a ton of great events happening this weekend so let's get to it!
Here is your chance to win a pair of tickets to Hopefest tomorrow in downtown Lafayette.
It's Thursday so it's time to throw it back to a simpler time. Hello 1991. The home of bad pop music, big hair, Z Cavariccis, and awesome promotional Sizzler videos apparently.
Videos of armed forces members returning home are practically all over the internet. If you search them on YouTube, you will be scrolling through videos for days. And all them will give you the goose pimples and evoke some kind of emotion from all of us.


text:
ASHEVILLE, N.C. — Ruth Webster Kromer, 71, died
Sunday, Jan. 1, 2012, at Memorial Mission Hospital of respiratory
Having grown up in Arkansas and Mississippi, Ruth lived in
Ms. Gloria Wall Davis, 72, died Friday, Dec. 23, 2011, at the Carrington Nursing Center in Starkville.
Mrs. Mary Adams, 85, died Monday, Dec. 26, 2011, at North Miss. Medical Center in Eupora.
MONTPELIER — Billy Wayne "Wild Bill" Eaton, 50, died Dec. 16, 2011, at his home, in the Montpelier community.
Karalee Lambert, 84, of Purdin, Mo., died Tuesday, Dec. 20, 2011, at her home.
Ms. Bertha Mae West, 80, died Thursday Dec. 15, 2011, at her home in Glendale, Calif.
EUPORA — Syble Arlene Heath, 68, of Maben, died Wednesday, Dec. 21, 2011, at her residence.
Ms. Martha Sue Ward, 89, died Sunday, Dec. 18, 2011, at her residence in Starkville.
Mr. Harold G. Glover, 58, of Starkville, died Saturday, Dec. 17, 2011 at the Sanctuary Hospice House in Tupelo.
Mrs. Mattie Florence Josey Phillips, 91, died Thursday, Dec. 15, 2011, at Select Specialty Hospital in Houston, Texas.


text:
An audio recording of the track of a railway station. A train pulls into the station. Recorded with ZOOM H2n ...
Loud schoolyard of children screaming, singing, and shouting on a spring day, with songbirds in the mix.
Children play 'hide and seek' (verstoppertje in Dutch) in a suburb neighbourhood. I's evening and a beautiful weather, late October ...
object dropping on table
knocking to wooden doors using index finger and Shure BG 5.1
Summer storm in a mediterranean village. ZoomH6 xymic
knocking on a door
I recorded the sound at my door when it was windy and the wind houls in the door.
whistling wind around a building.
A train driving by at a Berlin train station.
Passing train recorded close to Bratislava train station. Recorded with Zoom H6 XY capsule.
A light rain fall.
Knocking on my door and opening it.
Slamming big wooden door in very large room. Rec by zoom H2
Unlocking and opening a squeaking door then closing and locking again. OKM binaurals, preamp, into Marantz PMD671.


text:
SARASOTA, FLA — — Assuming there are no additional health concerns involving the starting rotation, the Orioles have set their 25-man roster, which includes young pitchers Chris Tillman and Brad Bergesen but not left-hander Zach Britton, the talk of this camp.
The 23-year-old Britton was optioned Tuesday to Triple-A Norfolk with catcher Craig Tatum, who lost the backup backstop battle to Jake Fox. Also, infielder Brendan Harris was assigned to minor league camp Tuesday, and right-hander Justin Duchscherer (left hip soreness) was placed on the 15-day disabled list with the hopes of returning by April 20.


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You can now invite anyone to meet at your favorite Starbucks.
Limited-time feature
41 year old woman | Sun City, AZ, USA | Seeking men 35-42 within 50 miles
Active within 24 hours
Courage does not always roar!
My family/friends and my two beautiful (but very rambunctious) dogs are the two dearest things to me. I will do anything and everything for close friends and family, even if it means sitting in a hospital waiting room for hours or cleaning up after the best party ever!! I do believe in karma, but I feel it comes around when it is needed not necessarily when you want it. I enjoy hanging out with friends - movies, happy hours, dinners and "pajama parties" (yes they still exist). One of my true passions is traveling. Vegas is always a great weekend. I love longer trips whenever I can get away. One of the most unique and interesting experiences while traveling was sitting on a beach in Australia while hundreds of penguins beached themselves and walked up the sand all around me to their nesting areas. I am willing to try (almost) everything once. I am a very grounded person. I look at the whole picture and can view it from lots of angles. I also understand no one is perfect and mistakes happen. Often I am very reserved when I first meet people but once I get to know you then all bets are off. Growing up with five brothers has made me an extremely independent person (I can change my own flat tire). It would be nice to have someone who enjoys traveling to new places, New Orleans is at the top of my list because of the history, music, and voodoo dolls :) Another plus would be a man who would like to experience and explore new restaurants or hole in wall type places, but also know his way around a kitchen. Having a spontaneous side is great, but a man that can just relax on the couch in their pajamas would be just as impressive too. A man that can have honest conversations even the hard ones would be great. My ideal relationship would be two people sharing experiences and the future based on trust and respect for one another.
Cooking , Dining out , Hobbies and crafts , Movies/Videos , Travel/Sightseeing , Wine tasting
Running, VolleyBall, Walking / Hiking
I exercise 3-4 times per week.
I have Cats, Dogs
Middle of the Road
I enjoy hiking and being outdoors. Trying new restaurants is at the top of my list of things to do, I appreciate the adventure of finding new foods. I am always looking for new places to explore and experience!
Currently I am reading the Game of Thrones series, before that I read Inferno by Dan Brown and Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy.
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In just the last two weeks, congressional calls to #EndFamilyDetention have turned the tide of momentum significantly.
AILA Doc No. 11081961 | Dated August 19, 2011 | File Size: 49 KDownload the Document
ICE press release announcing that NY immigration attorney Hak Tung Lam and two other individuals were charged with conspiracy to commit alien smuggling for their alleged facilitation of a human smuggling operation that brought hundreds of Chinese nationals into the U.S.
[[To print the PDF on this page please use the print function in the PDF reader.]]
Cite as AILA Doc. No. 11081961.Open the Document
American Immigration Lawyers Association
1331 G Street NW, Suite 300
Washington, DC 20005
Copyright © 1993-2015
American Immigration Lawyers Association.


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7/11/2014 (11 months ago)
Catholic Online (www.catholic.org)
How amazingly providential, then that we now have two popes: Pope Francis and Pope Emeritus Benedict! Pope Benedict following the Benedictine way by retiring to a life of prayer, study and work while Pope Francis steps on to the world stage to live the life of activity, reform and renewal. The two popes are meeting today, and I am convinced that when Pope Benedict moves to his hermitage in the Vatican, that the two of them will meet on a regular basis to support one another as brothers in arms.
Catholic Online (www.catholic.org)
7/11/2014 (11 months ago)
Published in U.S.
Keywords: Fr. Dwight Longenecker, Benedict, Francis, John Paul, St Francis, St benedict, Fr Dwight Longenecker
GREENVILLE, SC (Catholic Online) - (From the Editor in Chief: Popular writer Fr Dwight Longenecker provides a
free weekly newsletter on the practical practice of the Catholic faith.
FaithWorks! has articles on prayer, resources for the spiritual life
and advice on how to walk more closely with Christ. Go here to subscribe)
The long papacy of John Paul II means that many of us have not lived with a variety of popes. Now, within eight years we have gotten used to three popes, and with the retirement of Pope Benedict, some Catholics are finding it difficult to accept Pope Francis.
It's therefore helpful to remember that in the divine economy the saints all have different parts to play according to their own charisms and personalities. St Therese of Lisieux wrote, "How different are the variety of ways through which the Lord leads souls! Souls are as different as faces!" The variety of saints are like different flowers, trees and shrubs in a garden. Studying the saints helps us understand God's wonderful ways of working in the world. Therefore looking at St Benedict and St Francis will help us see how Pope Benedict and Pope Francis complement one another.
St Benedict was born into a society in chaos. At the end of the fifth century the Roman Empire was crumbling. The Roman world had drifted into decadence, despair and pessimism. The armies had been pulled back and the barbarians were invading. In the midst of the encroaching darkness Benedict established little core communities of radical disciples. Men withdrew from the world with Benedict to live quiet lives of prayer, study and work. Those core communities became the seeds of what flowered into the great civilization we know as medieval Christendom.
As we understand St Benedict we will understand Pope Benedict. Joseph Ratzinger has always been a reserved and scholarly person. When he was elected pope he admitted that he had been looking forward to retiring to a little house to live with his brother in obscurity. When he took the name "Benedict" Joseph Ratzinger was doing more than identifying with his predecessor Benedict XV. He was also doing more than identifying the great saint who is the patron of Europe and the founder of the Benedictine order.
By taking the name Benedict, Joseph Ratzinger was also embracing a monastic way of looking at the world. Despite being on the world stage as pope, Benedict XVI was always essentially a reserved, scholarly and retiring man. We should not be surprised that he made history by retiring from the papacy. With hindsight we can see that it was on the cards from the beginning of his papacy.
What gifts did Benedict XVI bring to the Petrine Office? He brought the Benedictine love of beauty and tradition in the liturgy. He contributed the Benedictine love of study, scholarship and teaching. He brought a quiet, studious and prayerful mood to the papacy. He brought reverence and respect and a depth of dignity to the celebration of Mass and the church's work in the world. Anyone who has visited a Benedictine monastery will notice this same mood reflected in the papacy of Benedict.
What about St Francis? Francis was also born into a church in chaos. In the twelfth century the Catholic Church was besieged by corruption from within and threatened with persecution from without. St Francis came on the scene with his famous vow of poverty, a life of joyful simplicity and an outgoing personality. Francis also followed the religious life, but it was lived out not in a Benedictine monastery, but in the burgeoning cities and in wandering through the world.
As we saw St Benedict alive in Pope Benedict, so we are already seeing, (and can expect to see more of) St Francis alive in Pope Francis. The two are not contradictory, but complementary, and the way to see how they work together is to see the big picture of the different gifts these two saints bring to the church, and therefore the different gifts each Pope will bring to the church.
As a friar, Francis represents the active religious life. As a monk, Benedict represents the enclosed life of prayer. They're like the two sisters of Bethany: Francis is the busy Martha. Benedict, the contemplative Mary. If the church is going to work she needs both. The body of Christ needs both.
How amazingly providential, then that we now have two popes: Pope Francis and Pope Emeritus Benedict! Pope Benedict following the Benedictine way by retiring to a life of prayer, study and work while Pope Francis steps on to the world stage to live the life of activity, reform and renewal. The two popes are meeting today, and I am convinced that when Pope Benedict moves to his hermitage in the Vatican, that the two of them will meet on a regular basis to support one another as brothers in arms.
Finally, there is a lesson for the whole church in the two popes: we all need to run on the path of God's commandments on these two legs: the contemplative and the active. We desperately need more time in prayer, more time in contemplation, more time with God. Then we also desperately need to get up off our knees and move forward to not only "talk the talk" but to "walk the walk" in the great adventure of following Christ the Lord.
Fr Dwight Longenecker is the parish priest of Our Lady of the Rosary church in Greenville, South Carolina.Visit his blog, listen to his radio show, subscribe to his weekly newsletter and be in touch at dwightlongenecker.com Join Fr Longenecker during Lent for a Blobble Study. That is a Bible study on a blog. On his blog, Standing on My Head he will lead readers through a study of Mark's gospel. There will be a reading from the gospel each day with a short reflection. Then the combox is open for comment and discussion. His latest book is The Romance of Religion --Fighting for Goodness, Truth and Beauty
St. Joseph
St. John the Baptist
St. George
St. Gerard
St. Benedict
St. Ann
St. Isidore the Farmer
St. Clare
St. Francis of Assisi
St. Florian
St. Brigid of Ireland
St. Matthew
St. Barbara
St. Anthony
St. Joseph of Cupertino
St. Jude
St. Mark
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By Ken Blackwell
This is Ground Zero for the war on religious liberty. The political left-including gay-marriage activists-are saying that your First Amendment rights concerning same sex 'marriage' are limited to what you say in church or in your private home. You can't live it ... continue reading
By Matt C. Abbott
There have been numerous statements and articles written about the very disappointing (but not surprising) gay "marriage" ruling handed down by the U.S. Supreme Court. Most notable was the excellent statement issued by Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz of Louisville, ... continue reading
By Nikky Andres (NEWS CONSORTIUM)
A New Black Panther Party affiliate group is planning to stir up a rally in the state of capitol of South Carolina on July 18. On that same day, a protest is also planned by a KKK white power group. Heat is brewing as a possible face-off is developing in Columbia, SC. ... continue reading
By CNA/EWTN News
An effort to remove the statue of Bl. Junipero Serra from the U.S. Capitol has been set aside for the time being. Los Angeles (CNA/EWTN News) - A statue of Franciscan missionary and saint-to-be Father Junipero Serra has stood in the U.S. Capitol since 1931. However, a ... continue reading
By Deacon Keith Fournier
The Declaration of Independence was the birth certificate of the United States of America, a Nation often called the American Experiment because of the very fact that it was founded upon principles. The words are still memorized by schoolchildren and can bring a ... continue reading
By Deacon Keith A Fournier
What conclusion, dear brethren, do you come to? Surely it was not by chance that this chosen disciple, was missing in the first place? Or that on his return he heard, that hearing he doubted, that doubting he touched, and that touching he believed? It was by ... continue reading
By Matt Hadro, CNA/EWTN News
As bishops warn of current threats to religious liberty in the United States, Catholics can take heart that such challenges have faced them before, and they have persevered, one Church historian says. Washington D.C. (CNA/EWTN News) - "It's okay to realize that ... continue reading
By Catholic Online (NEWS CONSORTIUM)
It was bound to happen. After the Supreme Court ruled same-sex unions legal in all 50 states, other proponents of non-traditional arrangements are clamoring for equality under the law. Nathan Collier, along with his wives Victoria and Christine have applied at ... continue reading
By Talia Ramos (NEWS CONSORTIUM)
To kick off the summer break and celebrate Father's day, a family went aboard a cruise that ended with a traumatizing accident. As the cruise started to sail back to the harbor, a group of dolphins started to swim alongside the boat. However, as the passengers started ... continue reading
By Catholic Online (NEWS CONSORTIUM)
Episcopalians voted overwhelmingly this week to allow religious weddings for same-sex couples. The Episcopal Church has long been on the forefront of equal rights for homosexuals, ever since electing it first openly gay bishop 10 years ago. LOS ANGELES, ... continue reading


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We are a communication design studio based in Melbourne. We don't just do one thing, but everything we do (and make) is committed to being beautiful, articulate, incisive, relevant to our client's and their market.
We ask questions like 'Why?' rather than 'What?'. We help our clients to reconcile their heads and hearts, helping them get what they want, by making what they need.
Recent work
Studio Constantine has been working with British-Japanese designer and ceramicist Reiko Kaneko on a new visual identity system. More details to follow over coming months...
Friends and owners of Arthur Radley Bistrôt engaged us to develop the identity, signage, packaging and brochure site for a new Italian-style Kitchen in Maling Road, Canterbury — Uncle Johnny's. Authenticity and simplicity led the aesthetic; from the monoline script logotype, to supporting typography, materials and processes.
Tractor Design School commissioned Studio Constantine, and fellow studio Design by Bird to design their student awards for graduating classes of 2014. Our solutions utilised both 3D printing and cast ceramic tiles; superbly framed by our friends at United Measures.
James Money is an award-winning Australian artist and Archibald finalist. Studio Constantine worked with James in the planning, documenting, editing and production of a limited edition monograph with which to launch him into the Hong Kong art market during Art Basel / HK.
Photography. Flore Diamant
The Studio Papers are a periodical collection of themed words and pictures by thinkers and makers. Guild specifically looks at the importance of storytelling for artisan products and people, and the opportunities that come with the rise of online content curators and platforms.
When The Design Kids asked us to be part of their 2014 event 'Fourplay', we were very happy to oblige. The studio worked with Holly Le on the design of an interactive poster, titled 'Fade', to be exhibited in cities around Australia.
Monash Views Estate is a premium land release in Victoria's Gippsland region. Studio Constantine worked with MV Est. to develop an identity, sales materials and regional advertising campaign fit for a premium, lifestyle focussed offer.
Arthur Radley (Bistrôt) stands for a tradition of food and drink as being greater than simply sustenance; it is theatre, relationship, community and ultimately a statement of personality and values. As some of their earliest diners, we were thrilled to be invited to take that vision to the online space.
Photography. Andrew Schweitzer Foto
© 2011– Studio Constantine | ACN. 154 817 517


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Articles tagged kadee strickland
8 Apr 2005 // 1:00 AM
Fever Pitch is something more complicated than a paean to the Red Sox mystique.READ more
24 Feb 2005 // 1:00 AM
Precisely composed frames of urban and ancient architecture give way to Karen's face, deftly shadowed and shot from low angles, as Karen struggles to decipher the symbols that set her course.READ more
22 Dec 2004 // 1:00 AM
Amid all the overreaching, expensive, mostly tacky ambition of the summer's movies, it's good to see a B-movie that knows what it is.READ more
22 Oct 2004 // 1:00 AM
Karen's quintessential 'American' identity -- blond, do-gooding, intrepid -- makes her sense of dislocation especially acute.READ more
27 Aug 2004 // 1:00 AM
There's some odd cosmic poetry in the fact that Dwight Little, director of Anacondas, also directed Free Willy 2.READ more
//Mixed media
Colette Carr "Static" (video) (Premiere) // Music
House of Blondes "First of July" (audio) (premiere) // Music
Digisaurus 'No More Room For Love' (EP stream) // Music
Eszter Balint 'Airless Midnight' (album stream) (premiere) // Music
//Pm Picks
PopMatters is on a short summer publishing break. We resume Monday, July 6th.
// Announcements
"PopMatters is on a short summer publishing break. We resume Monday, July 6th.READ the article


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Bear Cub Wanders Into Oregon Rite Aid [VIDEO]
Poor little guy! Maybe he could smell the aisles of Halloween candy?
Poor little guy! Maybe he could smell the aisles of Halloween candy?
Two unpredictable things, animals and live television, came together last week when TV station Edmonton Global presented their pet of the week, Ripple.
This bulldog puppy is going to win your heart.
This puppy runs right into the room...to the tiger. What happens next will blow your mind.
For serious dog lovers ONLY. We went a little overboard. Woof.
Here's the poop. So to speak.
If you're a fan of the infamous chicken fights from "Family Guy", you'll get a 'kick' out of this one!
For some reason, young kids can't see the problem here. But grown up, yet immature men and women have no problem finding the flaw!
This brings new meaning to "calling the cows home!"
It would appear that the animal rights group P.E.T.A. has an emotional, delusional little cousin.
This is my DREAM. I love animals. She's like Snow White!
This is what happens when I get a new phone. I clearly can't handle it.


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Stores »
I don't have to use mapquest then find a printer then still get lost.
We are a community of shoppers sharing our best finds from across the web.
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Create your own free digital magazine at our new site Glossi.com


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Gunmetal Black Ep 01
episode 14.26 / 5.00 5,004 Views
Lucina's First Day
A look at the first day of Lucina in Super Smash4.24 / 5.00 16,109 Views
BATMAN v SUPERMAN final showdown
SPOILERS!!4.19 / 5.00 14,631 Views
killliiinnng sppprrrrrrreeeeeeeee!
Yus. Thanks for 5*
holle si eres latinoAmericano... por que no los ases en castellano ?? eres buen animador. Espero mas animaciones tullas XD
PD: buenisimo el final
xD man I really dont understand you... You should try to write english next time.
reminds me very much of the guy hank had to save and use as hostage in the incident series
really?? but how?? because those guys look another than hank.. doesnt matter.. thanks for 5*
nice fps, tricks and verry cool!
nice 5/5 verry good keep it up :D
Thank you very much... those reviews make me happy :)
Pretty good.
Pros:Facial expressions were cool, and i did enjoy the action and traditional that is contained within any madness animation. The music was decent too, but not great. Drunk mode was ****ing awesome too.
Cons: Lacks alot of different action, just the same old thing, shoots some guys. Get weapunz. Shoot others. Grab their ****. shoot other dudes. someone's behind me, FACESTAB! Be creative, add some sort of violence that's never been seen before. Shove a grenade in corpse's corpse, and use it as a means of destruction. That sort of thing.
All in all, it was enjoyable and worth watching.


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Short walk to tube station.
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Erik Douglas a.k.a Enimii is a versatile rapper from the southside of Oklahoma City,Oklahoma.He has many styles and doesn't cater to a specific one.Always wanting to be a jack-of-all-trades,he delves into Hip-Hop,Dubstep,R&B,House and Rock influences.He's been putting it down in the underground scene for quite awhile and been rapping since the age of 7 yrs.old.He had many hobbies so he shifted between rapping,drawing,and breakdancing.Throughout high school he met up with his close friend/producer Kevin Posey and would drop flows along with him in the courtyard at lunch gaining much respect.Now he wants to show the world what he's capable of,and show the everybody how the South put it down.


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I was lucky enough to work on this small one page project with the Yellow team. I did the front end development for this amazing design done by @tylerhenke.
View the site here. http://www.scholarslofts.com/
More info on the Yellow team. http://www.yellowdoes.com/about
I'm also posting this because Tyler never posts enough of his work and more of you need to see it!
More Aaron White
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Well it's not boring. Nicola is First Minister with a gender balanced cabinet. Alex looks set to return to London to open up a second front and Jim will lead Scottish Labour and try to find a seat in Holyrood. Added to this all of Scotland's civil society; the unions, the media, the parties, the churches, culture and citizens have had a democratic shake up like never before. Now we need to look to the future.
Posted in Political analysis | Leave a Comment »
Here is a message from Stuart Fairweather:
"Tomorrow 97% of people over the age of 16 living in Scotland have the right to vote. We should encourage and support all friends, family, neighbours and workmates to use their vote. Democratic Left members and supporters will be amongst those that take part in this huge democratic event.
DL members have been involved in the campaign in many different ways. We are unlikely to all vote in the same way. Accordingly Perspectives has given coverage to the Yes and No positions.
A Yes vote looks likely to many to provide the potential for progressive change. For other a No vote is seen as a route to equally important outcomes.
DL's National Council plans to meet on September 20th to discuss the result of the vote and consider the possibilities it creates. All members and supporters are welcome to use the e-mail group to express their views and contribute to what will be an ongoing discussion."
Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a Comment »
In 2012 Democratic Left Scotland commissioned Sandy Moffat to paint a portrait of Scottish political theorist Tom Nairn. It was unveiled at the launch of a collection of his work "Old Nations, Auld Enemies, New Times, Selected Essays" on Monday 15th September 2014 in the Martin Hall, New College Edinburgh. The collection was compiled by Pete Ramand and Jamie Maxwell and is available here.
There's a drawing for the portrait currently on show in Peacock Visual Arts. Aberdeen as part of Sandy's exhibition "Paintings as Arguments".
Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a Comment »
After Falkirk and Grangemouth, where next?
The article below should be seen as a contribution to an ongoing discussion. It draws on discussions with members of Democratic Left Scotland and others in late 2013. Any comments would be very welcome.
"… we represent the only real organised challenge in society to the values and views of our bankrupt establishment." States Len McCluskey in relation to the events of 2013. Events we are told that help illuminate 'the nature of power in society today'. A telling assertion that suggests that the Labour Party, as it is now at least, offers little in terms of taking on neo-liberalism and the interests of capital. Additionally Unite's General Secretary also states that globalisation renders our politicians and governments weak in the face of the 'almost unlimited power of private ownership to act as it pleases'.
Few on the Left would take issue with the general thrust of these comments and it is easy to see how they were informed by the events at Falkirk and Grangemouth but given the outcome some discussion is required.
Falkirk: At one point Falkirk was represented by the popular and effective MP Denis Canavan. That was before New Labour and boundary changes. Then the disastrous Eric Joyce prompted a selection battle. Unite unlike other unions Public Commercial and Services (PCS), Fire Brigades Union (FBU) and Rail Maritime Transport (RMT) have emphasised the recapturing of the Labour Party. Unison and GMB are more agnostic. This leaves Unite alone with an active strategy of ensuring more working class and anti-austerity MPs get elected to Westminster. A strategy that means taking on the Labour Party career machine where Lord Sainsbury supported candidates are pushed up the ladder of patronage. Interestingly many in Falkirk and elsewhere within the Labour Party opposed this challenge from Unite. For many in Miliband's Labour Party Unite are seen as 'the other'.
Conversely the fact that our biggest trade union feels the need to open up this second front to take on the bosses as a class, not just as employers, is remarkable. This is because Labour are considered, as suggested above, as ideologically and practically redundant when it comes to supporting legislation and action that will allow workers to challenge the power of private ownership.
In Falkirk this saw Stevie Deans, Unite's leading lay official, divide his time between defending workers at INEOS and as he saw it promoting their interests via a changing Labour Party. Whilst the likelihood of Westminster passing laws that can effectively challenge globalisation can be debated the tactic of a 'political' as well as industrial strategy is understandable. Working to raise people's political consciousness in a way that supports them to take part in the democratic process is a desirable proposition. Whether that is entirely what was happening is another question. However what is apparent is where the Labour Party establishment are challenged in selection battles for relatively safe seats; things can become very competitive and very mucky. More energy and money would appear to get spent on securing a favoured candidate rather than building political understanding and engagement of new and potential members.
All this effort is premised on Unite's belief that the Labour Party is the only realistic potential political vehicle for change with all other options being considered fanciful or unworthy of consideration, this side of the UK general election in 2015. In this context Unite's actions on the electoral front seem understandable. The connection between workers and all political parties is distant and becoming increasingly so. Labour retains a historic link to working people in realms of recoverable memory but the reality is different particularly out with the public sector.
Grangemouth: The private sector is different. As for all workers it is hard to hold onto gains but in the private sector asserting 'moral guardianship' over the relationship between the production process and a community is fiercely contested by the need for ever growing profit. In spite of this and the dirty and dangerous aspects of the work at INEOS the workforce were considered well organised and relatively well rewarded. The recent attacks by the owners on the workforce's pensions had been resisted back in 2008; wages this year were increased against a background of erosion elsewhere.
But nothing stays the same. Changes to the ownership, access to raw materials, competition, the balance sheet, and scope of future production were taking place. This impacted on the workforce's leverage over the manufacturing processes. Labour could still be withdrawn but INEOS had repositioned itself in relation to the chain of effects. It could control the turning on and off of the tap, the timing of this and to a degree the consequences.
Given Stevie Deans involvement in events in Falkirk they went for him too. Whether this provocation was simply vindictive or calculated is largely academic (except of course for Stevie as an individual). INEOS created a situation where a straight-forward strike was of little consequence to them. They were challenging the UK government, Holyrood and the workforce to fund the costs of the modification of the plant and their continued and increased profit margins. A bi-product was further reducing the terms and conditions of the workforce and taking on the union at the plant.
At that juncture retaining the jobs was important. INEOS had argued that Grangemouth without investment was becoming a liability. Its threat to close the refinery needed to be taken seriously. By the end of October it was too late to call their bluff, irrespective of the reality of Jim Ratcliffe's bank balance, without having adequate local and national alliances in place to do so.
Where next: Hindsight is a wonderful thing and it is perhaps too easy for those at a distance to ask what if? But it is important that learning takes place.
Governments in London and Edinburgh had already agreed in principle at least to fund Jim Radcliffe and INEOS in their venture to re-fit Grangemouth with the capacity to process shale gas shipped from the USA to the Forth. The environmental and economic rationale for this only makes sense in the context of supporting the globalised tax avoiding pursuit of ever increasing profit. Whilst the media and others to some degree acknowledged the questionable moral position of Jim Radcliffe and INEOS they did little to fundamentally challenge his position. The plant have morally been 'ours' But the profit was Ratcliffe's.
David Cameron compounded this by attacking, Unite, Ed Miliband and Stevie Deans. Labour in London appeared largely compromised by its electoral ambitions. Johann Lamont said nothing. Attempts were made by Unite to ensure the 'bad bosses' had nowhere to hide but the alliance between Britain's political class and INEOS remained intact. Ideologically, globalised profiteering might not be considered pretty but right to exploit Grangemouth was not contested. Whilst people spoke about employment and the local community, the Scottish economy, or with Britain fuel needs no concrete alternative people's alliance was formed.
For Unite, and other unions, industrial relations are informed by the right to withdraw labour. But little seems to be done to strengthen control and influence over the productive forces when advances have been made and negotiations are taking place. Jim Ratcillfe would appear to have been in sole control of the information and decision making relating to the future of Grangemouth. Does direct workforce involvement in the management and ownership of manufacturing needs considered? Limitations need to be taken into account but waiting for reluctant politicians to effectively legislate equally seems like a long haul. Strikes, occupations and work-ins must remain part of the equipment of challenging exploitation but ways need to be found to consolidate and expand control over wages, conditions, but also the means of production as part of the wider economy. However controversial this would appear to be, a more direct route to limiting and transforming relations with global capitalists is not on the horizon.
The European elections, the referendum and the 2015 general election result could provide us with a renewed political landscape upon which to build the strength of our movement. This will take hard work and imagination. However there also remains the need to find an effective political party that does not prioritise profiteering. It would be welcome if the Labour Party as an institution could be moved in that direction. Working people however cannot remain still whilst real wages are being reduced and the economy and environment are being continually exploited for the needs of the few. Unite needs to connect to this resistance if it wishes to contribute to an effective challenge to the values and views of our bankrupt establishment.
Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a Comment »
In the debate about whether Scotland should be an independent country, three major topics have proved to be both predictably contentious and genuinely problematic:
- Scotland's relationship with the EU in a context where the institutions of the EU are being reshaped in response to the ongoing crisis in the euro-zone, and where, once a new settlement emerges, an in/out referendum on EU membership seems likely to be held, either in the UK as a whole or, if Scotland is independent by then, in the rest of the UK;
- The monetary and financial options open to an independent Scotland and their implications for fiscal policy;
- The defence and foreign policies of an independent Scotland, with particular reference to nuclear weapons, the intelligence services and membership of NATO.
In the current issue of Perspectives, we review the first of these topics. In the autumn and winter issues, we shall cover the other two. Thereafter, we plan to commission an article setting out the constructive case for maintaining the Union and to convene a roundtable discussion on the substance, conduct and quality of the referendum debate, inviting participants to reflect on what it tells us about the state of our society and the condition of our democracy.
Independence in Europe: a reality check
Until last year, Alex Salmond and his ministers repeatedly claimed that an independent Scotland would automatically inherit all the UK's ties and treaty obligations. By analogy with the "velvet divorce" between the Czech Republic and Slovakia, they assumed that once the Union had been dissolved, Scotland and the residual UK (rUK) would inherit the same legal status as successor states. At a press conference in September 2012, José Manuel Barroso, president of the European commission, confuted both claim and assumption, explaining his views at greater length in an interview for the BBC given in December.
Barroso's intervention should not have come as a surprise: he was merely repeating the position set out by his predecessor Romano Prodi, who in April 2004 told the European parliament that:
"When a part of the territory of a member state ceases to be part of that state – for instance, because the territory has become an independent state – the treaties will no longer apply to that territory. In other words, a newly independent region would, by the fact of its independence, become a third country with respect to the Union, and the treaties would, from the date of its independence, not apply any more."
The legal basis of Prodi's view is unclear, but this hardly matters. There are no precedents for the Scottish case. The velvet divorce occurred in 1993, long before the Czech Republic and Slovakia applied to join the EU as separate states. No existing member state has ever split into two, so the question of what happens if both parts want to stay in the EU or if one wants to stay and the other to leave, has never arisen. The political reality is that an independent Scotland would not automatically be a member, but would have to go through the same accession process as have all but the original six member states, and would need to gain the approval of all 27 existing member states (28 after Croatia joins on 1 July).
After some initial huffing and puffing, the SNP sought to play down the difference between their previous assurances of a seamless transition to "independence in Europe" and the prospect that now beckoned of potentially fraught three-way negotiations between Edinburgh, London and Brussels, followed by formal ratification in each member state. John Swinney, for example, declared:
"Assuming there is a yes vote as a result of the referendum, Scotland will still be at that stage a part of the UK. We have always accepted that there has to be negotiation about the details and terms of Scotland's membership of the EU. Crucially, that would take place at a time when we are still part of the EU, of which we have been members for 40 years."
(The use of the plural "members" in Swinney's final sentence reveals his reluctance to accept, or at any rate admit, the difference between being part of a member state and becoming a new state, the central point – of law or Realpolitik, as you prefer – that Barroso, and before him Prodi, had insisted on.)
A timetable for transition
In a bid to restore credibility and regain the initiative, on 5 February 2013 the Scottish government unveiled a timetable that begins immediately after a presumed yes vote in the referendum – then still expected to be held in October 2014, but subsequently set for 18 September – and runs through to independence day on 31 March 2016, followed by the Holyrood election in May. A decision about whether Scotland would participate in the Westminster election due in May 2015 will be taken after the referendum. This schedule raises two questions: Will the EU authorities be willing to open talks with Edinburgh before Scotland achieves formal independence, while Edinburgh and London are still haggling over the terms of independence? And if so, could both sets of negotiations be concluded in the space of 18 months (in practice, only 17 months, allowing one month off for the Westminster election campaign)?
The answer to the first question is almost certainly yes. Neither London nor Brussels will address any of the issues to be settled by negotiation as long as they remain hypothetical, so the Scottish government cannot expect to start talks prior to the referendum, a fact of political life that voters, demanding more information before making up their minds, will simply have to live with. But assuming a yes vote, there is nothing in EU law that precludes a territory that has voted for independence negotiating its accession, while still sorting out the terms of a divorce settlement. And it would clearly be in the interests of all member states to avoid the legal and commercial disruption that would ensue if, on independence day, Scotland were to be removed from the EU until its application to join is approved. Provided everyone co-operates, much of the groundwork could be done before secession. But formally, Scotland would have to be a state before it could accede. Thus, a gap opens up between secession and accession. The formalities take time: accession negotiations with Croatia, for example, were completed in 2011, but national ratification, which is entirely a matter for individual member states, took two more years.
Complications and delays could also arise from the fact that during the transition period, Scotland would continue to be represented in the European Council by the UK government. Barring his unexpected demise or defenestration, at least until May 2015 that government will be headed by David Cameron, whose policy of "less Europe, not more" runs counter to the efforts of EU leaders to resolve the crisis in the eurozone by pressing on with further integration in the form of a banking union and a fiscal union. Negotiations over Scotland's accession could fall foul of attempts by London to secure a revision of the EU treaties or to start the process of withdrawing from the EU after an in/out referendum in the rUK. I shall return to this problem later.
Whether the trilateral negotiations could be completed on the timescale envisaged no one knows. In their legal advice to the UK government on the consequences of Scottish independence, Professor James Crawford of Cambridge University and Professor Alan Boyle of Edinburgh University express scepticism, opining that three years would be a more realistic estimate. Certainly the scale of the challenge is considerable. The Scottish government would be negotiating with London over Scotland's share of the UK's national debt, public assets and oil and gas revenues, along with currency and financial regulation, pensions and social security, defence and foreign affairs, energy and telecommunications, and other, lesser matters At the same time, it would be negotiating with Brussels over the terms of Scotland's accession to the EU. That said, since the UK has been a member state for forty years, Scotland is clearly not in the same position as Croatia or Turkey, so presumably its commitment to democracy, the rule of law and human rights could be taken as read.
The road to accession
How difficult would accession negotiations be? As John Kerr points out, much would depend on the stance of the Scottish government itself. It would be unwise for Scotland, as a prospective new member, to seek changes in, say, the Common Agricultural and Fisheries policies, however desirable such changes might be from Scotland's point of view. The best course would be to stress from the outset that its sole aim is to reinstate the rights enjoyed and obligations accepted when part of the UK. This would make it difficult for EU governments uneasy about Scotland's accession – notably, Spain, wrestling with the aspirations of Catalans and Basques – to raise objections or cause delay.
But there would still be problems over UK opt-outs from the acquis communautaire, the accumulated legacy of EU policies which new members are required to adopt. In ascending order of difficulty, the three main stumbling-blocks are: the Schengen Agreement on border controls, originally organised outside the framework of the EU, but incorporated into EU law under the Amsterdam Treaty of 1999, with opt-outs for the UK and Ireland; the budget rebate secured by Mrs Thatcher at Fontainebleau in 1984; and the opt-out from monetary union negotiated for the UK by John Major at Maastricht in 1992.
The borderless Schengen Area operates very much like a single state for international travel purposes, with external border controls for travellers entering and exiting the area, and with common visas, but no internal border controls. The UK has not signed up, but neither has Ireland, which maintains a separate travel area with the UK. So Scotland could follow the Irish precedent, thereby avoiding border checks at Gretna Green, and could signal its willingness to fall into line with continental member states as soon as London and Dublin do so.
The UK's budget rebate repays two thirds of the difference between the UK's contribution to the EU budget and EU reciprocal payments to the UK. Over the past thirty years it has saved the UK some £70 billion at today's prices, or roughly £2.3 billion a year. The UK now contributes 10% of the budget, far less than Germany, which contributes 20%, and somewhat less than France and Italy. The rebate, originally secured by strong-arm tactics and regarded ever since by the Tory right and the tabloid press as a symbol of national virility, is deeply resented by other member states, not least because the EU budget is a zero-sum game: the less the UK pays, the more all the rest must pay. There is little chance that Scotland would be able to retain the Thatcher rebate, even if it wanted to. Better, therefore, to offer to give it up as a gesture of goodwill. This is, in effect, the price to be paid for joining the club.
New members of the EU now take on a commitment to join the euro when they have satisfied the conditions for doing so. This is not an insuperable barrier to Scotland's accession. Sweden has no formal opt-out, but retains its own currency and though still committed in principle to joining the euro, is unlikely to do so any time soon. Most Swedes, like most Britons, want to keep their own currency and central bank. For a while, after the successful launch of the single currency between 1998 and 2000, Swedish opinion shifted from "No, not now" to "Yes, but not now", but since the financial crash of 2007-8 exposed deep flaws in the design of the euro, dividing the northern "core" of the euro-area from its southern "periphery" and plunging half of Europe into depression, the issue has died. In the more benign global conditions of the early 1990s, Sweden made a full and relatively rapid recovery from its own financial crisis and has weathered the recent storm better than most other European countries. Thus, until the euro-area resolves its crisis, no Swedish government would dream of holding another referendum on whether to join it.
So is a commitment to join the euro at some "appropriate", but unspecified juncture a token gesture, with no real consequences for Scotland? Not entirely, for it sits uneasily beside the SNP's current policy of retaining the pound and seeking to form a currency union with the rUK. This might be presented as an interim arrangement, to be superseded one day, if and when Scotland and the rUK jointly decide to give up the pound and embrace the euro, presumably after a referendum in both countries. But what if Scotland votes for independence in 2014 and the rUK subsequently votes to leave the EU? The tension between membership of the EU and protecting Scotland's ties with the rUK would then become apparent, as the prospect of bureaux de change along the Tweed passed from the realms of fantasy to the horizon of possibility.
More generally, in the hurly burly of the referendum debate, even the formal admission that Scotland might some day switch from one currency union to another gives SNP policy a provisional, makeshift appearance, adding to the irreducible uncertainty that the prospect of secession poses for business and financial interests. (The same applies to the proposal that, after a suitable interval, an independent Scotland should create its own currency. This proposal also carries the further risk of provoking conflict with the EU. It is one thing to retain your historic currency, pending a switch to the euro, but quite another to introduce an entirely new one, in preference to the euro).
An invidious choice?
Until now, the working assumption has been that an independent Scotland and the rUK would both remain in the EU. All Scottish parties, pro- and anti-independence, take it for granted that Scots are committed to Europe or, at least, have no wish to leave it. Bizarrely, this includes the Eurosceptic Scottish Tories, who try to scare voters with the threat that an independent Scotland would be forced out of the EU. But with the rise of Ukip in England and the growing likelihood of an in/out EU referendum in the next Westminster parliament, Scots now have to reckon with the possibility that they might end up there alone. Indeed, the SNP has started urging people to vote for independence in order to stay in the EU.
According to Angus Roxburgh, a former BBC Europe correspondent:
"Scots now face an invidious choice: vote next year for independence (and, it is assumed, membership of the EU) and risk the collapse of links with England if it then votes to leave the EU; or vote to stay in the UK and risk being taken out of the EU anyway, courtesy of voters down south."
This dilemma, he notes, falls into a familiar pattern in British politics. In 18 general elections since the Second World War, the Conservatives have won a majority in Scotland only once (1955), yet they have formed the government at Westminster nine times. Despite voting consistently for the left, Scotland has been governed by Labour for only 30 years out of 68.
How serious is the danger that if Scotland votes to stay in the UK, it could end up outside the EU? Asked how they would vote if an in/out referendum were held today, the British public is evenly divided. According to a Guardian/ICM poll conducted in mid-May, a majority of 43-41 favours withdrawal, with the rest undecided, and this at a time when Europe is in the doldrums and hardly anyone has a good word to say for it. Moreover, only one voter in ten regards Europe as the most pressing issue facing the country.
The meteoric rise of Ukip as an English nationalist party has spooked the Tories because it threatens to split the right and let Labour back into government, whether alone or in coalition with the Lib Dems, just as thirty years ago the rise of the SDP split the left and handed Mrs Thatcher a landslide victory in 1983. But the root cause of Ukip's success is less antipathy to the EU – 40% of Ukip voters want to stay in Europe – than general disgruntlement with the political class and the decline of Britain. In this respect, their views are a more extreme version of attitudes held by English voters as a whole. Indeed, while the Ukip threat to the Tories is real, it may have been overstated, for though the Tories have suffered most from defections to Ukip, England's fourth party has also taken votes from Labour and the Lib Dems.
As an "island-race" that once ruled a global empire which has left its mark on the UK's constitutional arrangements, foreign policy, military posture, trade links and financial system, Britons have always been reluctant Europeans. However, recent history suggests that when questions of geo-political alignment are seriously debated, British voters have no time for "splendid isolation". In 1975, only months before the referendum on whether to accept the terms of a cosmetic "renegotiation" conducted by Harold Wilson for reasons of party management, opponents of the "Common Market", as it was then generally known, were well ahead in the polls. In the event, they were decisively defeated by a majority of 2 to 1.
By calling a national referendum at a time of intractable economic crisis – with recurrent strikes, double-digit inflation, dwindling profits and rising unemployment – the wily Labour leader managed to rout his critics on the left, who shared with the Tory right the illusion that Britain could somehow solve its problems by going it alone as a sovereign power, free from continental entanglements and constraints. David Cameron may be hoping to emulate Wilson's example. It is, however, salutary to recall that though the Labour government of 1974-9 won this particular battle, it went on to lose the war. Just over three years later, its Herculean efforts to manage industrial conflict, control inflation, restore profitability, boost investment and reduce unemployment on the basis of a social contract with the unions, fell apart in the "Winter of Discontent". With this disaster, responsibility for tackling the crisis passed to the neo-liberal right, which seized the opportunity to emasculate the unions, dismantle the post-war settlement and establish a "free economy" under the aegis of a strong state.
The crisis we face today is different from that of the 1970s, but no less daunting. Besides recovering from depression and rebalancing our economy, we need to repair the fabric of our society and regenerate our democracy within the framework of a new constitutional settlement that gives greater responsibility and fiscal powers to local authorities, as well as extending and strengthening the powers of devolved national governments. And beyond these shores, the historic nations of the UK should all be actively involved in efforts to reform the EU, helping it to regain popular legitimacy. For the moment, this is a project in search of agencies with the will, strength, patience and skill to see it through in the face of organised resistance, structural bias and institutional inertia. In broad outline, we know what needs to be done. The problem is to work out how to get it done and who is going to do it. Nevertheless, in thinking about the coming spate of parliamentary elections and national referendums – in Scotland, the UK and the EU – we should do well to keep both project and problem in mind.
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Saturday 29th June 2013, 2pm. Augustine United Church, George IV Bridge, Edinburgh.
"The Counting of Votes is Only the Final Ceremony of a Long Process" – Antonio Gramsci
We believe that the political situation in Scotland offers a real opportunity to change the way in which our country functions, whatever the outcome of the referendum next September. The long process of the campaign is as important as the outcome of the referendum.
We have three speakers who will spark a discussion about what Scotland we want and how we can create it.
Sign up on Facebook here. Or through Eventbrite here.
Maggie Chapman – Scottish Green Party lead MEP candidate
Maggie Chapman is Green Councillor for Leith Walk and is the top European candidate for the 2014 European election. Maggie also teaches cultural geography and environmental philosophy at Edinburgh Napier University and is an EIS representative. Originally from Harare, she has worked in environmental management and community care.
Janet Paisley – Poet, Playwright, Author
Janet Paisley is an award-winning writer, poet and playwright from Scotland writing in Scots and English.
Her first play Refuge won the Peggy Ramsay Award in 1996. She was awarded a Creative Scotland Award to write Not for Glory a collection of interlinked short stories in Scots. set in a small village in Central Scotland. Not for Glory was one of the ten Scottish finalists voted for by the public in the 2003 World Book Day 'We are what we read' poll. The short film Long Haul, written by Paisley, won a Bafta nomination in 2001.
Robin McAlpine – Director: Jimmy Reid Foundation
Robin McAlpine is amongst other things the editor of Scottish Left Review and the founding director of The Jimmy Reid Foundation. Previously he worked as a journalist and as press officer to George Robertson, then Leader of the Scottish Labour Party and Shadow Secretary of State for Scotland. He was Deputy Director of Universities Scotland and is the author of "No Idea: Control, Liberation and the Social Imagination."
This will be an opportunity to discuss the type of Scotland we would like to see and how we get there.
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by Willie Thompson
Eric Hobsbawm, who died at the beginning of October aged 95, was the last representative of the remarkable generation of Marxist historians who comprised the Communist Party Historians' Group of the late forties and early fifties. An article to appear in a forthcoming issue of Perspectives will examine his remarkable achievement as a political, economic and social historian as well as commentator on historical theory, and also discuss his life history and autobiographical writing, along with his often controversial politics. The latter revolved around his unyielding attachment to Marxism and the Communist Party – for which he was excoriated by the right – and his critique both of labourism and romantic leftism, which drew fire from the further left.
The Perspectives article will take as the centrepiece of his historical legacy the series of four volumes covering the years from the French Revolution to the end of the Soviet Union, The Age of Revolution, The Age of Capital, The Age of Empire and Age of Extremes, but also consider his other historical writings. It will deal also with the the media reactions since his death, both sympathetic and hostile, and conclude with an overall evaluation of the great historian.
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Milwaukee + Lake Michigan Area
Milwaukee + Lake Michigan Area Travel Guide
Milwaukee doesn't always get credit for its cultural offerings, but it should. Here are some of the best things to do in Milwaukee:
Check out the natural wonders. During the pleasant summer months, you can stroll along the downtown River Walk for nearly three miles, taking in the sights along the Milwaukee River. The Mitchell Park Horticultural Conservatory, meanwhile, features glorious displays of plants and flowers throughout the year.
Dip into beer history. Visit the Pabst Mansion and see how one of Wisconsin's first brewery barons lived, then tour one of the many actual working breweries—still one of the most popular things to in Milwaukee.
Get revved at the Harley-Davidson Museum, which houses more than 400 classic motorcycles (including Elvis Presley's orange-and-white bike from 1956).
The Milwaukee Art Museum. This lakeside museum houses over 20,000 works, with an emphasis on 19th and 20th century American and European art.
What to do in Milwaukee with kids? Check out the Milwaukee County Zoo, or the Milwaukee Public Museum, which is considered one of the best natural history museums in America.
And if you're wondering what to do in Milwaukee on those chilly winter days? Take in a show at the Victorian-era Pabst Theater, and marvel at its ornate décor, or catch the latest concert of the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra.
Experience iron mining in an underground train tour of 2,600 feet of drifts and tunnels—400 feet below the surface.
Play a round at the world's fastest permanent road course, in operation since 1955.
In winter, hit the slopes at The Mountain Top at Grand Geneva Resort, which also has snowboarding, snowshoeing, and night skiing.
The soaring Santiago Calatrava design is unforgettable.
As a United States Olympic Team training site, Milwaukee's Pettit National Ice Center has hosted speed-skating stars like Bonnie Blair and Apolo Anton Ohno. But the arena also operates one of the largest skating schools in the nation.
Book an excursion on one of five full-time boats.
Explore this re-creation of working farmsteads and settlements.
Snag a swing chair and beer at Brown Baer.
Warm up or cool off at the indoor/outdoor Moose Mountain Falls Waterpark.
Housed in an 1840's barn, check out this shop for 19th- and 20th-century American paintings and estate jewelry.
Why It's Cool: Stretching three miles along the Milwaukee River, this wooden-plank-and-concrete bike-and-walkway features such local haunts as the Wisconsin Cheese Mart, which stocks 175 state cheeses; its Cheese Bar sells beer-and-cheese flights pairing Wisconsin blue Affinée, G
View the area's lighthouses and miles of shoreline on a 37-foot, award-winning, historic sailing vessel.


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Moss admits smoking marijuana since entering NFL
Updated: August 18, 2005, 10:58 PM ETESPN.com news services
NEW YORK -- Oakland Raiders receiver Randy Moss admits he has used marijuana since entering the NFL seven years ago and still smokes it "every blue moon."
"I have used, you know, marijuana ... since I've been in the league," Moss said in an interview for HBO's "Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel" scheduled to air Tuesday night. "But as far as abusing it and, you know, letting it take control over me, I don't do that, no."
When pressed whether he still smokes marijuana, the star
receiver ...
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Procrastination is common as we all live busy lives, and time can get past you in a hurry
Tax Hikes: The Clock Is Ticking Procrastination is common as we all live busy lives, and time can get past you in a hurry. If you have been planning on discussing your situation with a good Central New Jersey financial planning lawyer this year you may want to take action because we are already well into 2012. It is always a good idea to review your existing plan on an annual basis because things change. Events can take place in your life that are relevant, and things sometimes happen throughout the society as a whole that can impact your financial plan. Changes to the tax code would be one of these events, and there are in fact some tax hikes scheduled to take place at the end of this year. The long-term capital gains rate is going up to at least 20%, and the dividend tax rate is set to rise from 15% to match your overall income tax bracket. In addition to these changes, the estate tax exclusion is going down to $1 million and the maximum rate of the tax is scheduled to rise to 55%. These parameters will be in place for the gift tax as well. It should be noted that it is possible that the above stated parameters will be altered via some new legislation, but there are no guarantees. There is a lot to take into consideration this year and action may well be necessary. The best way to proceed is to discuss these pending changes with an experienced and savvy central New Jersey financial planning lawyer. Your attorney will take stock of your unique situation, apprise you of your options, and take the legal actions that are necessary to preserve your wealth. Experienced estate planning attorneys Warren NJ of the Augulis Law Firm offers estate planning and business planning resources to residents of Warren, NJ. To learn more about these free resources, please visit www.augulislawfirm.com/ today.
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Break celebrates 4th of July the American Way: by laying the smack down on ...
With the 4th of July around the corner, we celebrate the most kick-ass USA ...
Dude, are you drunk AND high? Or are you just being PRANKED?!
dino doggy style
Catch and Nyquil don't mix.
Wakeboarders hate the boats that race up and down the lake and make the wat...
in aus they have graphic images to stop ppl smoking
Those bright white spots in the sky? That was lightning hitting pelicans.
I guess that's something?
hot girl in fishnet stockings with a great ass
Just something i made, cuz i think there are some similarities
Can't we all just get along?
Or don't.
He's Upset The Color Of The Bike And Pants Don't Match
Me in the summertime catching the biggest catfish I've ever seen!!!
Football dog wants to play catch
Rough night. what friends are for
photo shoot in tall grass
girl in bikini
She Just Lit A Candle In My Heart