text:
Military Affairs
Impressions of my time among heroes
I'm not really one of those people who goes to events like Salute Our Troops in Las Vegas and spends his time trying to get interviews. It's not that there's anything wrong with that, it just isn't my style. Maybe it should be if I ever want to go anywhere doing this, but its not what I'm comfortable with.
I'm more of an observer. A listener. Oh I talk and laugh and exchange small talk, but for the most part I'm one who likes to sit back and watch the interaction of a group, see what they're all about and then relate my impressions in writing.
That's not always as easy as I'd like it to be, but it works for me.
The 3 days and nights I spent in Las Vegas at the Palazzo hotel with our wounded warriors was probably one of the more inspiring and satisfying times I've spent in a long time. From the moment I watched them walk into the hotel until I watched them leave 3 days later, I was on a bit of an emotional rollercoaster.
Pride was a dominant emotion. I was extraordinarily proud of how they conducted themselves. The event was very emotional for them as well. You could see the trepidation in their faces when they first got off the busses on day one. A perfectly human reaction. But as they moved through the welcoming crowd, you could see the unease disappear and the wonderful emotion of the moment begin to take hold.
The genuineness of the welcome made the whole experience resonate with the warriors. Remarkably it remained a constant through out the entire visit. It was real. Tangible. The thanks rendered wasn't perfunctory or pro forma, it was heartfelt and always present.
As I watched the wounded warriors begin to interact with the crowd, I knew they felt it too. I wasn't just proud of the warriors, I was equally as proud of the crowd.
Over the next few days, as I got to know the personalities within the group, certain things became obvious to me that might have been missed by those who didn't have the opportunity to spend the time I had with them.
Brotherhood. In this case it's a generic term that includes the wounded women as well. This small group was a brotherhood who in so many subtle and unthinking ways took care of each other the entire time they were there. It wasn't a duty. It wasn't something they had to do. It was what they did. It is who they are. They had a shared experience and shared sacrifice that made them unique. But they also had an entirely human desire to ensure those they had shared that experience with were well taken care of. Nothing was too much for their friend or comrade.
Families. Families by marriage. Families by service. Family by experience. One of the extraordinary things about wounded warriors is they belong to many families and all of them were evident in Las Vegas. All of them were at work as well. It was gratifying to see but not unexpected. Marines checking on other Marines. A wife taking care of her wounded husband. One wounded warrior watching out for another.
Normalcy. One of the more poignant moments for me was overhearing two chaperones talk about a request by one of the wounded. Each of the warriors and their guests had been given a blue t-shirt identifying them as a part of the Salute Our Troops group. One of the wounded had asked if they had to wear them all the time or might take them off. The chaperone relaying the request said, "they just want to be normal, to blend in, to be part of the crowd. They don't want to stand out". I found that request to be incredibly endearing. They just wanted to again, as much as possible, be normal.
As I watched these young warriors interact with others, another impression hit me – quiet dignity. It was how they handled themselves. Their humbleness. Their gratefulness for what the Armed Forces Foundation, Sheldon Adelson and all the other sponsors were doing for them. None of them took it as their due. None thought they were owed this. All of them showed and expressed their appreciation throughout the week in countless ways.
Humor. As you might expect there was plenty of that. Self-deprecating humor. Ribald humor. Ragging. Among military folks nothing is sacred and lord help you if you start feeling sorry for yourself. These men and women kept each other up, took and delivered shots with the best of them and acted like every Soldier and Marine you've ever known. It brought back fond memories of times gone by for me.
Humor was their currency. The night of the Blue Man Group show is a great example. During their show the 3 Blue Men walk through the audience literally moving from arm rest to arm rest as they advance row by row through the theater. At intervals they'll pause, stare, pick something up from the audience, hold it up and examine it. When they got to our group one of the guys handed a Blue Man his prosthetic leg. The place went wild. It couldn't have been more perfect.
But the reality of what these fine warriors face never quite left me. I couldn't forget it. There was a young Marine that who had lost his right leg and wore a prosthesis. He may have been 5′ 4" if you're being kind, and maybe weighed 100 pounds with rocks in his pocket. He was an infantryman. He tried to bluff his way into a club that night but he wasn't old enough to get in (not to worry, being a good Marine, he did a recon, gathered intel and got in the next night).
For whatever reason that incident struck me hard. He had lost a leg in combat in service to his country before he was old enough to buy a drink legally. Next year he'll be legal but he'll also be medically retired from the Marine Corps. At 21.
When I was at Brooke this past year with Cooking with the Troops, I remember one of the people who worked there standing next to me as we watched the wounded moving through the serving line. He said, "what you have to realize is not one of these young warriors you see are working on their "plan A" anymore." That made an impression on me.
You have to imagine yourself in that situation and wonder how you would have coped with having to come up with a "plan B" at such a young age. All the hopes and dreams you might have harbored about a certain way of life are now radically and totally changed forever.
Yet even understanding that, the most important message I gathered from all of them is they aren't victims. And please don't treat them like they are. They're proud of what they did, what they suffered, even what they've sacrificed. They may not like what happened, but they accept it. They understand that what happened to them was a part of the risk of the service they willingly undertook. They knew and understood that risk and yet they volunteered anyway. And since they've been wounded, they've been dealing with the aftermath . But as one amputee told me, "yeah, this happened to me, but others gave their all". Context. Clarity. Strength.
Not one of them was asking for sympathy, just understanding. These were Soldiers and Marines. They are used to adapting and overcoming. And while they still have much to endure, and many low points to weather, there was no question that the spirit was willing.
As one of the chaperones at the event said as we were quietly sharing a drink and watching the group finish a wonderful dinner, "you don't have to worry about the next generation and the future of our country. These guys are that future and the future is bright".
I've thought about that a lot since he said that. He's right. They are our next "greatest generation". They stood up. They answered the call and I've come to firmly believe that the strength of our nation is to be found in those who serve. If what I saw in Las Vegas is any indication, the future is indeed bright. If nothing else, my time with our wounded heroes made that point crystal clear to me.
Twitter: @McQandO
Salute to the Troops: And One-Eyed Jacks …
Thought I'd share this with you folks. I'm in Las Vegas as a part of a group of bloggers invited to blog about a great program called Salute to the Troops where 70 wounded warriors and their guests are flown to Vegas, all expenses paid, put up at one of the plushest properties there (the Palazzo) and treated to 3 days and nights of VIP treatment. On a scale of 1 to 10, this is a 12. It has been a blast so far.
The Palazzo had a Blackjack tournament yesterday for those of our group that signed up. It ended up being a 3 table affair with some very keen competition. The grand prize wasn't chips, but instead round trip airfare for 2 from Southwest Airlines and free accommodations at the Palazzo for the winner and his guest to do this all over again.
The players battled it out over the three tables and you could hear the cheers and groans as lady luck had her way with all. But it all came down to the championship table and the final 15 hands. Here's how the championship table looked as they began.
If you look to the far right, the guy counting his chips and plotting his strategy is Marine Corps Sgt. Ken Fischer. Sgt. Fischer built a nice lead early and then continued to increase it throughout the 15 hands with some aggressive betting. But it was tight at the end, and all the players went for it on the final hand with the dealer cooperating and busting (to cheers all around). Sgt. Fischer prevailed with over $10,000 in total chips.
While they were playing I got to talk with some of the other dealers and managers who were there and supported the tournament. Almost all were veterans. So while they players played, we swapped stories about C-Rats, P-38s and the usual stuff military folks like to reminisce about.
Most impressive, at least to me though, was how into the "Support the Troops" program they were. This wasn't just some extra duty to them, but something they felt privileged to be a part of. I spoke with one of the dealers who'd served in the National Guard with the 42nd Division in NY before moving to Las Vegas. As we spoke and laughed about our most memorable C-Ration meals of the past, she pulled out her dog tags and held up, you guessed it, a P-38. Loved it.
That evening we had a great dinner at Lagasse Stadium (the ultimate man cave). It's a sports book, with fabulous food (yup, that Lagasse as in Emeril) and more flat screen TVs than Korea outputs in a year. Shrimp the size of your fist (yeah, your fist. I swear they were bordering on small lobster size.), roast beef – like I said, a guys place.
We had dinner on a patio which was awesome. It was 97 degrees out, but somehow the hotel kept it cool and pleasant. Treasure Island is across the street and they have a live pirate show every hour. So we'd all be enjoying our feast and fellowship and suddenly we'd hear the pirates attacking the fort across the street. Only in Vegas.
Anyway, here's Sgt. Fischer as he received his prize for the Blackjack win:
There are other bloggers and some special guests here as well. So I'll give you a little pop quiz. Take a look at the next picture, take a look at the glass in his hand and tell me who it is:
Yes that's Stephen Green, aka "Vodka Pundit", originator of drunk blogging and his incredible wife, Melissa. Green is also covering the event for PJ Media.
And finally, someone who I've always wanted to meet but figured I'd never have the opportunity. I watched and cheered him on for years. Hint: I'm from Atlanta and this has to do with baseball. Pay no attention to the ugly guy on the left (that'd be me), tell me who the guy on the right is:
Yes friends, that's future Hall of Fame pitcher, Greg "Mad Dog" Maddux. He quietly took a night to come out and hang with everyone one and salute the troops. It was funny, most of us didn't even know he was with the group until he was announced and then a line literally formed to meet him. Gracious and funny, he took pictures with everyone. Thanks, Greg.
And again thanks to everyone who is making this amazing week possible. I asked one soldier, while we were walking to dinner, what he thought of all this. He sort of smiled and said, "you know, we've been treated to some great things while I've been at BAMC, but this just blows everything away".
There ya go …
Twitter: @McQandO
About spiking the bin Laden football
This does an adequate job of saying what needs to be said:
"Unseemly" describes it best. But when the rest of your record is so abysmal, unseemly is all you have.
The truth is that getting bin Laden was the top counterterrorism objective for U.S. intelligence since well before the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. This administration built on work painstakingly pursued for many years before Obama was elected — and without this work, Obama administration officials never would have been in a position to authorize the strike on Abbottabad, Pakistan, that resulted in bin Laden's overdue death.
Most reasonable people have already figured that out despite the "look I did it" claims of Obama. Critics can trash Mitt Romney all they want, but he was right – even Jimmy Carter would have made the call Obama made. And, had the operation gone wrong, despite what Bill Clinton says, the target would never have been known (until possibly, much, much later). America would have simply believed that one of hundreds of special operations that were conducted monthly, had gone south. It is war. It happens.
And, of course, what was the concern from Clinton? Politics, of course. Nothing more, nothing less.
Twitter: @McQandO
Obama didn't make a "gutsy call" but he didn't cover his rear either
I am on record saying that Joe Biden is full of crap when he tried to sell Obama's decision to okay the raid that killed bin Laden as "gutsy". Biden's claim is that had the raid failed, his presidency would have been over.
Nonsense. We'd have simply never heard about it. There was no risk to Obama or his presidency to okay the raid and tremendous upside (which he continues to try to cash in on) if it succeeded. Most reasonable people know and understand that. It is the usual Biden hubris.
But, this new claim which has been floated by Big Peace is also nonsense. The claim is a memo that authorized the raid also was used to cover the President's rear if it failed. Here's the memo that is being touted as proof:
Received phone call from Tom Donilon who stated that the President made a decision with regard to AC1 [Abbottabad Compound 1]. The decision is to proceed with the assault.
The timing, operational decision making and control are in Admiral McRaven's hands. The approval is provided on the risk profile presented to the President. Any additional risks are to be brought back to the President for his consideration. The direction is to go in and get bin Laden and if he is not there, to get out. Those instructions were conveyed to Admiral McRaven at approximately 10:45 am.
The decision to shift operational command to McRaven is being characterized as a CYA move by the president who, if the raid failed, would or could throw McRaven under the bus.
What was done is exactly what should have been done by standard operating procedure for any operation – unless, of course, you want people who have no situational awareness, haven't been in on the planning and are thousands of miles away, making minute-to-minute operational decisions. You know LBJ designating targets in North Vietnam or Jimmy Carter trying to run the Iranian operation.
Of course you give operational control to the operational commander for heaven sake. He's the guy who has planned, rehearsed and is most familiar with the operation. He knows the operators, he knows the terrain, he has helped configure the force, he knows the best time to go in.
He is the guy best qualified to have operational control and the shift noted at 10:45 am means at that point it was up to the best qualified man to make the call "go".
The sort of nonsense that Big Peace is running is, unfortunately, done out of apparent ignorance. This is not a story. It has nothing to do with CYA. It is how operations are done. When the command authority, who retains the right to make the decision of "go" or "no go", makes the decision to proceed they then hand the operation off to the operational commander.
That's what was done here. It was the correct thing to do.
As anyone who reads this blog knows, I am no fan of Obama's. And I remember when he criticized another campaign for using bin Laden to "score political points". But this sort of attack is just nonsense.
Twitter: @McQandO
No need for Congressional permission to commit troops to combat, international permission will do
Watch this … it's stunning (or it should be):
Twitter: @McQandO
God Speed, CAPT Carroll LeFon (Neptunus Lex)
It's been a tough week. A good friend and neighbor died this week after a year long bout with cancer. He put up a hell of a fight.
Then, last night, I learned that milblogger extraordinaire and retired naval aviator Carroll LeFon had been killed when his F21 Kfir fighter jet crashed near the west gate of Naval Air Station Fallon in Nevada.
Lex, as most people knew him, was probably one of the best writers in the milblog community, bar none. A retired Navy Captain and former carrier squadron commander, he loved flying and detested "life in a cube". After retirement he managed to land a dream job for men of his ilk – flying fighter jets for a civilian company contracted to provide the opposing force for naval aviators at the TOPGUN school. Lex, during his active duty days, had been the Executive Officer at that school.
I had the privilege of meeting Lex at one of the milblog conferences and then, over the years, kept up an on again, off again email relationship with him. I enjoyed our conversations immensely and I was a huge fan of his blog. I mostly lurked because, well, I'm a grunt and that wasn't my world, but I learned more about naval aviation and aviation in general than I would have ever learned elsewhere. I also enjoyed his slant on other topics as well. He had a large and engaged commenting community, the sign of a healthy and well-loved blog.
The stories in tribute to him are just now starting to come out. There'll be more as the days go by. He was a heck of a guy, a brilliant writer, a man who loved and adored his family and died doing what he loved best – flying a high performance aircraft.
His last post at the blog was a bit eerie but pretty much stated his philosophy best when it came to what he was doing. He'd had a drag chute malfunction on landing and had to "wrestle snakes", as he put it, for a bit before finally landing the aircraft safely.
When I taxied back to the line the maintenance guys told me to go away for 10 minutes. Just in case the brakes might, you know: Catch fire. Which they didn't, so no harm done.
It's funny how quickly you can go from "comfort zone" to "wrestling snakes" in this business.
But even snake wrestling beats life in the cube, for me at least. In measured doses.
Every fighter pilot out there, in fact every pilot in general, knows that at some point or other they're going to have to wrestle snakes. And, they also know that the possibility exists that the snakes may, at some point, win.
Yet even knowing that, they'd never trade the opportunity to do what they do for that "cube" of safety.
Lex was a good man doing a necessary and dangerous job training our future naval aviators. He paid the ultimate price. But he did it his way doing what he loved to do.
Fair winds and following seas, CAPT LeFon. You'll be missed.
Twitter: @McQandO
Obama says apology to Afghan President about Koran burning "calmed things down"
But, one has to ask, did it?
President Obama said his formal apology to Afghan President Hamid Karzai for the burning of Korans by U.S. troops last week has "calmed things down" after the incident sparked an outbreak of violence across the country.
"We're not out of the woods yet," Obama said in an exclusive interview with ABC News' Bob Woodruff at the White House. "But my criteria in any decision I make, getting recommendations from folks who are actually on the ground, is what is going to best protect our folks and make sure that they can accomplish their mission."
Of course, the murder of two officers by an Afghan soldier in Kabul came after the apology. And, the riot in which hand grenades were thrown at the gate Forward Outpost Fortitude wounding 7 US Special Forces soldiers did as well. Finally, today's murder of two US soldiers by their erstwhile Afghan compatriots again comes after the apology. The apology took place on or about the 23rd of February. The 4 deaths and 7 woundings afterward.
Hardly "calmed down". But of course, much like the "saved jobs" claim, Obama can always claim the unprovable, and as usual, he has.
This actually points to a larger and growing problem. A problem that has been exacerbated by the President announcing a withdrawal date for our combat troops. The problem? The "green on blue" fratricide such as that seen during these Koran riots.
The growing divide between Afghan soldiers and their mentors has already been stretched to the breaking point after six days of violent and deadly protests over the Koran burning that have left around 30 dead, including four U.S. troops previously killed by Afghan soldiers or men in Afghan-security-force uniforms. The burning of Korans by foreign troops on one side and the killing of foreign troops by Afghan soldiers on the other have pushed the level of alienation between the two sides to what could be an all-time high.
The Saturday murders were only the latest of at least 22 similar killings that have occurred since last April. Smith says there have been at least 35 in the past 12 months, though NATO spokesman Brigadier General Carsten Jacobson refused to confirm that number. The Wall Street Journal reports that at least 77 coalition troops have been killed in the past five years in "green on blue" incidents, with around 57 of those having taken place since early 2010. Smith is not sanguine about improving the situation, even as the allies pour more money and effort into training ever more locals. Says he: "You only ever rent an Afghan, you can't buy one."
The Army published a study in May of 2011 that, if you read the conclusion, points to failure in regards to ever fielding a competent and able indigenous Afghan security force. The study, entitled "A Crisis of Trust and Cultural Incompatibility" had this to say:
The report concludes that "the rapidly growing fratricide-murder trend committed by Afghan national security force [ANSF] personnel against NATO members" confirms the "ineffectiveness [of] our efforts in stabilizing Afghanistan, developing a legitimate and effective government, battling the insurgency, gaining the loyalty, respect and friendship of the Afghans [and] building the ANSFs into legitimate and functional organizations." The report says that these complaints and murders challenge the usefulness of the "partnering" concept. "This is all the more a paradox given [NATO's] assumption of and planned reliance [on] the [ANSF] to be able to take over the security burden before it can disengage from this grossly prolonged conflict."
Much of what is happening can be tied to the absurd notion that announcing your withdrawal well in advance will not have negative effects. Of course, the feeling of abandonment by the Afghan government and armed forces are just one of the many negative effects. And, for the less stable and easily influenced among them, it has translated itself into the murder of American soldiers who are there, ostensibly, to help the ANSF.
What the Obama administration has managed to do in its three years is completely reverse the gains of the previous years in Afghanistan, push the government of Afghanistan toward accommodation with the Taliban and condemned those American troops we leave behind to mentor the ANSF to a very dangerous role in which their lives are just as threatened by their allies as the enemy.
Obama ought to apologize for that.
Twitter: @McQandO
Travel day–in DC for CPAC
Sorry about the lack of posting, but have been on the road since 5am. Got into DC about 2pm and that gave me just enough time to change clothes, grab the Metro and make it over to the Rayburn building to spend about 30 minutes with House Armed Services Committee chairman Howard "Buck" McKeon. Very interesting discussion which I'll be writing up soon. Ed Morrissey from Hot Air was there as well.
I'm interested in the temperature of Conservatives this year so I'm probably going to be doing more talking/interviewing of bloggers than listening to variations on the candidate's stump speeches.
I think there'll be more insight and gold in the interviews with Conservative activists than politicians.
Oh, and apparently Occupy is going to pay CPAC a visit on Friday and Saturday so that ought to be fun.
I'm tired. So, until tomorrow.
Twitter: @McQandO
The defense budget
Here's a little fact to keep in mind when considering the current cuts to spending at DoD (and let's be clear, there is nothing wrong with appropriate cuts to defense spending), besides all the other ramifications it promises:
Defense accounts for less than 20 percent of the federal budget but already exceeds 50 percent of deficit-reduction efforts. And for every dollar the President hopes to save in domestic programs, he plans on saving $128 in defense.
And that's without the looming sequestration cuts (keep in mind, most war fighting costs are not included in the budget) of another half trillion dollars.
Or said another way, the administration has decided that it will attempt to cut spending primarily with cuts to national defense. There is no serious program afoot to cut back the myriad of other government agencies and branches. In fact, many are expanding (see EPA, IRS, etc.).
As for sequestration, Democrats are bound and determined to see it through, because, you know, national defense is less important than winning an ideological struggle.
Charles Hoskinson of POLITICO's Morning Defense reports (btw, if you don't subscribe to it, you should):
BUT REPUBLICANS AND DEMOCRATS are still far apart on one key issue: taxes. We caught up with SASC Chairman Levin at a breakfast Thursday and he said he's counting on public pressure to push the GOP to accept new tax revenues as part of any solution – something they've so far refused to consider. Meanwhile, Levin and other Democrats won't budge on reversing sequestration except as part of a complete package. "The dam has got to be broken on revenues, and what I believe will break it is the threat of sequestration," he said.
Shorter Levin, "we're more than willing to hold national security hostage and see it gutted to get our way on taxes".
It is rather interesting approach for an administration which is hung up on everyone paying their 'fair share'. It seems that the lion's share of what it will surely tout during the upcoming campaign as serious budget cutting, will come from the one Constitutionally mandated duty it has – national defense.
As for all the programs that have a future funding liability of 200 trillion dollar?
Twitter: @McQandO
HASC Republicans: A common sense solution to sequestration and national defense
The DoD is presently working through a half trillion dollars in budget cuts mandated by Barack Obama which is going to see a much weaker military despite what any of the madly spinning politicians claim.
But the real meat axe is hanging just over the horizon in what is known as "sequestration" cuts, i.e. cuts which will be made across the board because the debit committee was unable to reach a deal on the cuts in the budget (by the way, Harry Reid, it's now been 1001 days since you, Mr. Majority Leader, passed a budget out of the Senate) for the future. That would mean an additional half trillion in cuts to DoD, the result of which, would simply be disastrous to our national security.
Here, in this video, a group of Republican House Armed Services Committee members make a pitch for a common sense solution that would absorb the need for those sequestration cuts. In short, cut the Federal workforce by 10% – but do it over time and strictly through attrition.
Someone, anyone, tell me we couldn't get along without 10% of the Federal workforce:
Twitter: @McQandO


text:
Company news
The partnership FD role, plus those of Waitrose and John Lewis stores, have new incumbents as the retailer looks to the future
19 Jun 2015
Government faces pressure to take action to prevent HSBC moving its HQ overseas
10 Jun 2015
British Land launches convertible bond to fund acquisition of two central London properties
02 Jun 2015
New FD; new audit committee chair; a payout to shareholders; and more conservative accounting policies - the 'new' Quindell looks to move forward
01 Jun 2015
Jean-Marc Huët to step down after nearly six years as Unilever CFO - Graeme Pitkethly makes another step up, this time into the top finance role
19 May 2015
Subscriptions continue to drive Sage growth after strong second-quarter figures
07 May 2015
Suppliers have had their cover reduced or withheld by credit insurers over concerns about new owners' plans
27 Apr 2015
Novo Nordisk CFO Jesper Brandgaard on growing insulin maker's market cap from £10bn in 2000 to an eye-popping £80bn in 2015
24 Apr 2015
Introduction of IFRS 10 forces London property developer to delay publication of its annual accounts
16 Apr 2015
Consultant working on behalf of Quindell joins troubled insurance claims processor as FD
14 Apr 2015
easyJet raids Halfords for CFO Andrew Findlay as bike maker loses second senior exec this year
13 Apr 2015
Long-standing Hiscox CFO Stuart Bridges leaves Lloyd's of London insurer to join interdealer broker ICAP
13 Apr 2015
Divisional finance director at recruiter Hays quits for CFO role at global pharma business
02 Apr 2015
As the bulk of Quindell's business is sold off, PwC's unfinished review finds policies that will require recalculated historical reporting
31 Mar 2015
Morgan Stanley's Ruth Porat to join Google as CFO
25 Mar 2015
Investing in road safety has benefits beyond financial, finds Catherine Chetwynd
23 Mar 2015
Fleet managers are risk averse, but operating electric vehicles requires a change of mindset, writes Ashley Martin
23 Mar 2015
Brompton CFO Lorne Vary talks about travel – both on and off the bike – and expanding the reach of the Queen's Award for Export-winning company, which currently stands at 43 territories outside the UK
20 Mar 2015
White, currently VP, Global Finance for Smiths Medical for the past six years, will replace Peter Turner until a permanent replacement is in post
19 Mar 2015
Among the most damning statistics to emerge is that 80% couldn't name a single large business which they believed made any positive contribution to their local community
18 Mar 2015
Sign up for Financial Director email alerts
Former Odeon CFO replaces Andrew Findlay as Halfords CFO, who left to join easyJet earlier this year
Our panel of experts explore the major pension pain points and discuss what actions finance professionals should be taking in order to alleviate them
To secure alternative sources of funding, mid-market companies will need to address investors' need for greater transparency
Measurement of culture is turning from soft to hard. Now would be a good time to do something about it
Nothing moves a business in a direction as powerfully as corporate culture; current governance rules are too prescriptive
Companies should be open about their tax arrangements. In short, they need to own the debate rather than become embroiled in it, writes Jonathan Riley
Our panel of experts explore the major pension pain points and discuss what actions finance professionals should be taking in order to alleviate them
The European Commission's consultation on raising capital through the EU could have major implications for future AIM admissions, reports Charles Romaine
European Court's ruling in landmark 'Woolworths' redundancy case provides welcome relief for UK businesses
1 comments
1 comments
1 comments
1 comments
1 comments
Join Financial Director and Concur to discuss how the cloud and mobile is transforming the way companies manage employee expenses
Sue Nind, a UK practice director at Frontera, explains how companies can use technology to improve growth and innovation
Email Newsletters
Email Newsletters
Please enter your email below to receive your profile link
Search by job title, salary, or location - we only list senior financial roles
Our panel of experts explore the major pension pain points and discuss what actions finance professionals should be taking in order to alleviate them
This Financial Director web seminar with Anaplan, the planning cloud for sales, finance, operations, and HR discusses how businesses can use enterprise data
This article focuses on CFO's top priorities for process improvement and highlights how CFOs can win approval for change programs.
The Autumn Statement contained a surprise announcement that the "last 3 years" exemption for principal private residence relief will be reduced to 18 months for disposals on or after 6 April 2014. This article looks at how significant the change could be with a 'back to basics' look at three situations which will be affected.
Financial Director and Accountancy Age are delighted to celebrate our Young Professionals Day. Here are the 35 brightest talents, under 35, in business

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Self-Taught Artist Layers Glass Sheets Together To Form Ocean Waves
74K views
Community member
Sydney-based artist Ben Young creates astonishing glass sculptures that look just like ocean waves. Young puts layer upon layer of hand-cut laminated glass sheets and then hand-carves them into waves and other water forms.
The artist turns the glass sheets into water by hand, drawing, cutting and crafting them from the beginning to the end without the use of any computers. The planning and sketching are the longest and most difficult parts.
Young has spent most of his life by the sea so he has always been inspired by the ocean. It comes with no surprise, then, that he focuses on the sea, trying to capture what he has seen during all those years near the ocean. "I love watching the two dimensional shapes evolve into three-dimensional creations and the different way the light plays inside the glass," writes the Young. "I love the liquid qualities the glass brings with it. It enables me to play with lighting and watch the glass react."
More info: Website | Gallery (h/t: laboiteverte, colossal)
74K viewsShare on Facebook
Click to get our top posts
Popular on Bored Panda
You May Also Like
What do you think ?
Facebook comments
Like what you're reading?
Subscribe to our top stories.


text:
Tech Mahindra
|Traded as
|IT services, IT consulting
|Pune, Maharashtra, India[1]
Area served
Key people
|Anand Mahindra (Chairman & Founder)
Vineet Nayyar (VC)
CP Gurnani (CEO & MD)
|IT, business consulting and outsourcing services
|$3.7 billion (2015)[2]
|$675 million (2015)[2]
Number of employees
|103,281 (2015)[3]
|Mahindra Group
Tech Mahindra Limited is an Indian multinational provider of information technology (IT), networking technology solutions and business support services (BPO) to the telecommunications industry.[4] Tech Mahindra is a part of the Mahindra Group conglomerate. Anand Mahindra is the founder of Tech Mahindra. Earlier it was known as Mahindra-British Telecom. It is headquartered at Pune, Maharashtra, India. Tech Mahindra was ranked #5 in India's software services (IT) firms and overall #111 in Fortune India 500 list for 2012.[5] Tech Mahindra, on 25 June 2013, announced the completion of a merger with Mahindra Satyam.[6]
The combined entity has 103,281 employees, as of 2015, across 51 countries, servicing 767 customers globally.[3] It has 15 overseas offices for BPO (business process outsourcing) operations and software development. Its revenue for 2012-13 was put at $2.7 billion (Rs. 162 billion).[7][8][9][10] Tech Mahindra has operations in more than 51 countries with 40 sales offices and 72 delivery centres. Assessed at SEI CMMi Level 5, its Software headcount stood at 72,952, BPO at 22,693 and Support at 7,636 at the end of the financial year 2015.[3]
Tech Mahindra's activities spread across a broad spectrum, including Business Support Systems (BSS), Operations Support Systems (OSS), Network Design & Engineering, Next Generation Networks, Mobility Solutions, Security consulting and Testing. The "solutions portfolio" includes Consulting, Application Development & Management, Network Services, Solution Integration, Product Engineering, Infrastructure Managed Services, Remote Infrastructure Management and BSG (comprises BPO, Services and Consulting). Tech Mahindra has implemented more than 15 Greenfield Operations globally and has over 128 active customer engagements mostly in the Telecom sector. The company has been involved in about 8 transformation programs of incumbent telecom operators and an array of service offerings for TSPs, TEMs and ISVs.The major clients of Tech Mahindra are AT&T and British Telecom(BT).
Mahindra & Mahindra started a joint venture with British Telecom in 1986 as a technology outsourcing firm. British Telecom initially had around 30 percent stake in the Tech Mahindra company. In December 2010, British Telecom sold 5.5 per cent of its stake in Tech Mahindra to Mahindra & Mahindra for Rs 451 crore.[11] In August 2012, British Telecom sold 14.1 per cent of its stake to institutional investors for about Rs 1,395 crore. In December 2012, British Telecom sold its remaining 9.1 per cent (11.6 million shares) shareholding to institutional investors for a total gross cash proceeds of Rs 1,011.4 crore. This sale marked the exit of British Telecom from Tech Mahindra.[12]
Acquisition of Satyam Computer Services Ltd.[edit]
After the Satyam scandal of 2008-09 Tech Mahindra bid for Satyam Computer Services, and emerged as a top bidder with an offer of Rs 58.90 a share for a 31 per cent stake in the company, beating a strong rival Larsen & Toubro.[13] After evaluating the bids, the government-appointed board of Satyam Computer announced on 13 April 2009: "its Board of Directors has selected Venturbay Consultants Private Limited, a subsidiary controlled by Tech Mahindra Limited as the highest bidder to acquire a controlling stake in the Company, subject to the approval of the Hon'ble Company Law Board." Through a subsidiary, it has emerged victorious in Satyam sell-off, a company probably two times its size in number of people. This was one of the largest merger deals in India's tech industry.
Merger with Mahindra Satyam[edit]
Tech Mahindra announced its merger with Mahindra Satyam on March 21, 2012, after the board of two companies gave the approval,to build a 2.5-billion $ IT Company in India.[14][15][16] The two firms had received the go-ahead for merger from the Bombay Stock Exchange and the National Stock Exchange.[17] On June 11, 2013, Andhra Pradesh High Court gave its approval for the merger of Mahindra Satyam with Tech Mahindra,after Bombay high court already gave its approval.[18][19][20][21] Vineet Nayyar said that technical approvals from the Registrar of Companies(RoC) in Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra are required which will be done in two to four weeks,and within 8 weeks,new merged entity will be in place,a new organisation chart would also come into force led by Anand Mahindra as Chairman, Vineet Nayyar as Vice Chairman and C. P. Gurnani as the CEO and Managing Director.[22][23][24] On June 25, 2013,Tech Mahindra announced completion of Mahindra Satyam's merger with itself to create nation's fifth largest software services company with a turnover of USD 2.7 billion.[25][26] Tech Mahindra got the approval from the registrar of companies for the merger late in the night at 11:45 pm on June 24, 2013. July 5, 2013 has been determined as record date on which the Satyam Computer Services ('Mahindra Satyam') shares will be swapped for Tech Mahindra shares under the approved scheme, which was approved by both the boards.[27] Mahindra Satyam (Satyam Computer Services), was suspended from trading with effect from July 4, 2013, following its merger with Tech Mahindra .[28] Tech Mahindra completed share swap and allocated its shares to the shareholders of Satyam Computer Services on July 12, 2013.[29] The stock exchanges have accorded their approval for trading the new shares effective July 12, 2013. Tech Mahindra posted net profit of Rs 686 crore for the first quarter ended June 30, 2013, up 27% compared to the corresponding quarter last year.[30][31][32]
- 1986 - Created as a joint venture of Mahindra & Mahindra and British Telecommunications (later BT Group).[33]
- 1993 - Incorporation of MBT International Inc., the first overseas subsidiary
- 1994 - Awarded the ISO 9001 certification by BVQI[34]
- 1995 - Established the UK branch office
- 2001 - Incorporated MBT GmbH, Germany incorporated. Re-certified to ISO 9001:1994 by BVQI[citation needed]
- 2002 - Assessed at Level 2 of SEI CMM by KPMG. Incorporated MBT Software Technologies Pte. Limited, Singapore
- 2005 - Merged MBT with Axes Technologies (India) Private Limited,including its US and Singapore subsidiaries.Assessed at Level 3 of SEI CMMI by KPMG
- 2006 - Name changed to Tech Mahindra Limited. Assessed at Level 4 of SEI People-CMM (P-CMM) by QAI India. Raised Rs46.5 million ($1 million) from a hugely successful IPO to build a new facility in Pune, to house about 9,000 staff. Formed a JV with Motorola Inc. under the name CanvasM.
- 2007 - Acquired iPolicy Networks Private Limited. Launched the Tech M Foundation to address the needs of the underprivileged in our society.Assessed at Level 5 of SEI CMMI by KPMG
- 2009 - Tech M wins bid for fraud-hit Satyam Computer Services at Rs 58.90 per share outdoing Larsen & Toubro, the other player in the fray, which bid at Rs 45.90. Rebrands the company to Mahindra Satyam.
- 2012 - Tech Mahindra acquires Hutchison Global Services for $87.1 million
- 2012 - Tech Mahindra buys 51% stake in Comviva
- 2012 - Tech Mahindra acquires vCustomer BPO for $27 million
- 2013 - Tech Mahindra acquires Sweden-based Type Approval Lab. The lab was part of Sony Mobile Communication's internal test function and after acquisition it has become first European test lab of Tech Mahindra.[35]
- 2013 - On June 25, Tech Mahindra and Mahindra Satyam merging process completed and the name of the parent company was retained for the merged entity with a new logo and motto.[36]
- 2014 - Tech Mahindra acquires Lightbridge Communications Corporation (LCC), the largest independent telecom services company in the world with local presence in over 50 countries: http://www.lcc.com
- 2015 - Tech Mahindra acquires SOFGEN Holdings, a 450-employee Swiss IT firm serving the financial services industry[37][38]
Tech Mahindra offices[edit]
Tech Mahindra has offices in more than 30 countries.[39][40]
- India: Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Bhubaneswar, Chandigarh, Chennai, Gurgaon, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai, Noida, Pune, and Visakhapatnam
- Abroad: Asia, Americas, Australia and New Zealand, Africa, Europe, Middle East
See also[edit]
Tech Mahindra Technology Center at Bahadurpally, Hyderabad
Tech Mahindra Development Centre Visakhapatnam
- ^ Satyam is history: Mahindra Group merges Satyam with Tech Mahindra
- ^ a b http://www.techmahindra.com/media/press_releases/Tech-Mahindra-FY15-revenues-at-22621-crore-up-20-YoY.aspx. Missing or empty
- ^ a b c http://www.techmahindra.com/media/press_releases/Tech-Mahindra-FY15-revenues-at-22621-crore-up-20-YoY.aspx
- ^ "Tech Mahindra's bid price for Satyam was expected: JR Varma — CNBC-TV18". Moneycontrol.com. Retrieved 2012-10-01.
- ^ "Ranking of Top 500 Companies".
- ^ "1:8.5 swap for Tech Mahindra, Mahindra Satyam merger". The Hindu (Chennai, India). June 25, 2013.
- ^ http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/industry-and-economy/info-tech/satyam-is-history-merger-with-tech-mahindra-complete/article4848975.ece
- ^ http://www.hindustantimes.com/business-news/CorporateNews/Tech-Mahindra-formally-swallows-Satyam-label/Article1-1082364.aspx
- ^ http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/industry-and-economy/info-tech/there-was-a-risk-element-attached-to-the-mahindra-satyam-name/article4850354.ece
- ^ http://www.techmahindra.com/sites/resourceCenter/Financial%20Reports/Annual%20Report%20FY13-14.pdf
- ^ "BT Group to exit from Tech Mahindra, directors resign". Economic Times. 24 December 2011. Retrieved 4 July 2015.
- ^ "BT exits Tech Mahindra". The Hindu. 12 December 2012. Retrieved 4 July 2015.
- ^ Tech Mahindra wins Satyam bid
- ^ "Mahindra Satyam's merger with Tech Mahindra next year". The Times Of India. 10 November 2011.[dead link]
- ^ Rising wages can harm Indian IT companies: Vineet Nayyar, Vice-Chairman, Tech Mahindra
- ^ /Tech Mahindra, Satyam get nod to merge
- ^ Mahindra Satyam-TechM to take 150 top leaders to Bangkok
- ^ "Mahindra Satyam, Tech Mahindra merger gets AP High Court's nod — The Times of India". The Times Of India.
- ^ "Andhra Pradesh High Court clears merger of Mahindra Satyam with Tech Mahindra". The Times Of India. June 11, 2013.
- ^ "Mahindra Satyam waits for Court order for merger". The Hindu (Chennai, India). May 17, 2013.
- ^ http://www.deccanchronicle.com/130612/news-businesstech/article/decks-cleared-end-satyam
- ^ http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/m-satyam-tech-mahindra-hope-to-merge-in-four-weeks/1/279629.html
- ^ http://www.moneycontrol.com/news/business/will-complete-tech-mah-satyam-merger8-weeks-nayyar-_896218.html
- ^ "MSat-Tech Mahindra merger gets court nod". The Hindu (Chennai, India). June 11, 2013.
- ^ http://zeenews.india.com/business/news/companies/mahindra-satyam-merges-with-tech-mahindra_78656.html
- ^ http://www.moneycontrol.com/news/business/tech-mahindra-satyam-computer-complete-merger_905059.html
- ^ http://www.deccanchronicle.com/130626/news-businesstech/article/satyam-history-mahindra-group-merges-satyam-tech-mahindra
- ^ http://www.moneycontrol.com/news/market-news/tradingmahindra-satyam-to-be-suspendedjuly-4_908200.html
- ^ http://www.business-standard.com/article/companies/satyam-is-no-more-to-live-on-as-part-of-tech-mahindra-113071400336_1.html
- ^ http://www.rediff.com/business/report/tech-mahindra-completes-share-swap-issued-capital-goes-up/20130712.htm
- ^ "Tech Mahindra completes share swap — The Times of India". The Times Of India.
- ^ http://www.business-standard.com/article/companies/tech-mahindra-q1-net-up-27-y-o-y-113081200500_1.html
- ^ Daniel Thomas (29 Aug 2012). "BT set to reduce stake in Tech Mahindra". Archived from the original on 2 Oct 2012.
BT founded Tech Mahindra as a joint venture with Mahindra & Mahindra, the Indian vehicle group, in 1986.
- ^ http://www.techmahindra.com/company/corporate_history.aspx
- ^ "Tech Mahindra acquires Sweden-based Type Approval Lab". The Economics Times. Retrieved 2012-04-24.
- ^ http://www.business-standard.com/article/companies/tech-mahindra-goes-for-growth-by-acquisition-113101500020_1.html
- ^ http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2015-01-09/news/57883595_1_tech-mahindra-lightbridge-communications-gurnani
- ^ http://www.techmahindra.com/media/press_releases/Tech_Mahindra_Augments_Its_Core_Banking_Expertise.aspx
- ^ "Tech Mahindra > Location Details". Retrieved 2012-10-01.
- ^ "Tech Mahindra". Retrieved 2012-10-01.
- ^ "Contact Details & offices are in Asia, Africa, Americas, Europe & Australia". Tech Mahindra. Retrieved 2012-10-01.
External links[edit]


text: "Physicians and social scientists are aware that individual pain is complex and elusive—an aggregate of physiology, cultural context, and idiosyncrasy. Wailoo has added a significant analytic dimension to this understanding of pain by incorporating the domains of ideology and politics as they are reflected in policy. A highly original and persuasively argued contribution by one of America's most prominent historians of medicine and society, Pain will attract a wide and thoughtful readership."


text:
How to Understand Israel in 60 Days or Less - Sarah Glidden
This wonderful book follows the journey of Sarah Glidden as she explores the life-changing land of Israel only to find that she must begin to explore herself. Read more
In accordance with our shipping policy
Product Description
Take a trip with author Sarah Glidden through the Holy Land as she did on her government funded "Birthright Israel" tour around the country. This book is the true story of how the constantly changing land of Israel would change Glidden's life forever. As Sarah treks across the political landscape of Israel, the things she sees challenge everything she thought she knew and believed. As she strives to understand this world about her, Sarah realizes that to do so, there is an inner journey she must take to understanding herself.
This book makes an excellent birthday gift to help encourage a friend or family member to see Israel for themselves.
General Information
Similar Products
- $21 Traveling with the Bible - Galit Doron View Product
- $22 Hebrew-English Siddur, Nusach Ashkenaz Pocket Sized (Grey Softcover) View Product
- $23 Hebrew-English Tanakh: The Jewish Bible (eBook) View Product
- $18 Chumash with Shabbat Prayers View Product
- $23 Doctrine of the Messiah in Medieval Jewish Literature – Joseph Sarachek (eBook) View Product
- $21 Chumash with Commentary of Rav Kook: Vayikra (In Hebrew) View Product
- $21 Chumash with Commentary of Rav Kook: Bereshit (In Hebrew) View Product
- $21 Chumash with Commentary of Rav Kook: Shemot (in Hebrew) View Product
- $24 The Return of Anti-Semitism – Gabriel Schoenfeld (eBook) View Product
- $23 Exegesis in Perpetual Motion – Elazar Touitou (eBook) View Product
Recommended Products
- $150 Women's Tallit Set with Pink Floral Print in Viscose by Ronit Gur View Product
- $155 Tealight Candle Holders with Lotus Design in Turquoise Enamel View Product
- $115 Slim-Shaped Mezuzah with Mosaic Design & Crowned Edges View Product
- $193 Mezuzah Pendant with Magen David & "Ana Bekoach" Inscription View Product
- $16 Aluminum Mezuzah in White with Pewter Shin and Figs View Product
- $22 Knitted Kippah with Swirling Rainbow Design View Product
- $12 Gold Plated Mezuzah Scroll Pendant with Inscribed Text View Product
- $59 Dog Tag Pendant with Customized Hebrew Name and Star of David Cut Out in Sterling Silver View Product
- $21 David Ben-Gurion Action Figure View Product
- $6 Blue and White Knitted Kippah with Star of David View Product
Customers Reviews
Popular Searches that include this item:
- Contact Our Judaica Experts 24/7 1-800-818-8394
- Live Chat
Judaica Products
Yair Emanuel
View all Yair Emanuel»
- New Judaica Brands
- New Candlesticks & Candles
- New Havdalah Sets and Candles
- New Kiddush Cups
- New Kippot
- New Mayim Achronim
- New Menorahs
- New Mezuzahs
- New Shofars
- New Sterling Silver
- New Synagogue Items
- New Tallit Items
- New Tefillin
- New Tzedakah Boxes
- New Tzitzit
- New Washing Cups
- New Yair Emanuel
Jewish Occasions
- New Shabbat
- New Hanukkah
- New Passover
- New Purim
- New Rosh Hashanah
- New Sukkot
- New Wedding
- New Bar Mitzvah
- New Bat Mitzvah
- New Bris
- New Israeli Independence Day
From Israel
Body Care & Dead Sea
View all Body Care & Dead Sea»
- New Israeli T-Shirts
- New Israeli Kosher Food
- New Israeli Artists
- New Handmade Leather Sandals
- New Books
- New CDs
- New DVDs
- New Hebrew Learning
- New Armenian Ceramics
- New Israeli Cleaning Supplies
- New Israeli Brands
- New Israel Coins & Medals Corp.
- New Israel Museum Products
- New Megemeria by Yvel
- New Body Care & Dead Sea
Jewish Jewelry
- New Our Jewelry
- New Necklaces and Pendants
- New Bracelets
- New Rings
- New Earrings
- New Brooches
- New Accessories
- New Kabbalah Jewelry
- New IDF Jewelry
- New Name Jewelry
- New Choshen Jewelry
- New Magic Touch Jewelry
- New Adina Plastelina
- New Marina Jewelry
- New Ben Jewelry
- New Jerusalem Pearl Collection
- New Megemeria by Yvel
Jewish Home
- New Apparel
- New Blessings
- New Bookmarks
- New Children's Items
- New Decorative Plates
- New Figurines
- New Hamsa
- New Home Decor
- New Jewish Calendars
- New Jewish Pictures
- New Kitchen
- New Linens
- New Shot Glasses
- New Snow Globes
- New Stationery
- New Chabad
Featured Items
- New New Arrivals
- New Popular Jewish Holiday Items
- New Artist of the Month-Megemeria
- New Souvenirs From Israel
- New Rockets into Roses
- New Ben Jewelry
- New Photographs by Duby Tal/Albatross
- About World of Judaica
- About Us
- Why Buy World of Judaica
- Contact us
- Customer Testimonials
- Judaica Web Stores Blog
- Learn About Judaism
- Website Policies
- Privacy Policy
- Terms of Use
- Secure Shopping
- Return Policy
- Warranty
- Sitemap
- Newsletter Sign Up Now!
- United States / All prices in $ (USD)
- Change your country or language
- Change selected currency


text:
stillwater mining co (SWC:New York)
Last $11.34 USD
Change Today -0.26 / -2.24%
Volume 1.6M
SWC On Other Exchanges
As of 8:04 PM 07/6/15 All times are local (Market data is delayed by at least 15 minutes).
Article not found.
|Recently Viewed
Industry News
Canada Newswire - 07/06/2015 7:49 PM ET
Marketwire - 07/06/2015 4:15 PM ET
Canada Newswire - 07/06/2015 3:36 PM ET
Crocodile Gold Corp. Announces Results of Shareholder Meeting and Anticipated Closing of the Arrangement With Newmarket Gold Inc.
Marketwire - 07/06/2015 2:02 PM ET
Newmarket Gold Announces Results of Special Meeting of Shareholders and Anticipated Closing Date of the Arrangement with Crocodile Gold Corp.
Canada Newswire - 07/06/2015 2:00 PM ET
Sponsored Financial Commentaries
Sponsored Links
Report Data Issue
To contact STILLWATER MINING CO, please visit . Company data is provided by Capital IQ. Please use this form to report any data issues.
Please enter your information in the following field(s):
Your requested update has been submitted
Our data partners will research the update request and update the information on this page if necessary. Research and follow-up could take several weeks. If you have questions, you can contact them at email@example.com.


text:
Comment: Re:Is this really what everyone wants? (Score 1) 169 169
A value that fluctuates every single second (e.g. an exchange rate between Euro and USD for instance)
A value that decreases over time (inflation, etc.)
Do you understand sharing billions among the governments so that every country owes every other country money and vice versa? Because I sure as hell don't.
Do you understand Quantitative Easing? I don't.
Do you understand quite a lot about any currency whatsoever beyond you earn a number, you have that number in your bank, and at some point you "cash out" that number for physical goods that may, or may not, be the same price as last time you did that?
How much is billions of Euros of Greek asset worth at the moment? How about Zimbabwean dollars?
Bitcoin is no different to anything else. Your USD or GBP or Euro means NOTHING except by common agreement between all parties as to what it means.
So don't give me that shit.


text:
The Giant Beastcast: Episode 06
Become Premium to Watch
Her Story is a bold and largely successful experiment in interactive crime fiction.
Rocksteady's gorgeous-looking third Arkham game refines its open-world format a bit and lets you drive a whole hell of a lot of Batmobile.
It's squid kids and ink blasting abound in Nintendo's exceptionally fun new online shooter.
Object »
A country located on the Indian subcontinent, the main language is Bengali and the principle religion is Islam.
The Caribbean/West Indies is a region that consists of the Caribbean sea and its Islands.
Home of cricket and location in many cricket video games. First cricket match played there in 1818, with first test match played in 1884.
Located in Louisiana, USA. Known for high strangeness.
Home of Surrey county cricket club, and home to the traditionally last Test match of the english summer.
This edit will also create new pages on Giant Bomb for:
Until you earn 1000 points all your submissions need to be vetted by other
Giant Bomb users. This process takes no more than a few hours and we'll
send you an email once approved.
Because you're new to wiki editing, we sent your
submission off to our moderators to check it over. Most
changes are approved within a few hours. We'll send an
email when it is.
Once you've earned over points you'll be able
to bypass this step and make live edits to our system.
Until then, gain points by continuing to edit pages.
No changes were submitted, nothing was done! Please make changes to the wiki!
Thanks for continuing to improve the site. Some of your changes are
now live. However, some of your changes were sent to moderation because you do not
have enough points to make those live edits. You need points to
live edit the changes you commited.
For the changes that went through, our robot math gave you points for this
Thanks for continuing to improve the site. Your changes are
now live. Our robot math gave you points for this
Use your keyboard!
Log in to comment


text:
On Tap for Today: Bluegrass, Bucks and theater in the bar
You know how they play out speakers with music when they've gone on too long? You can play out Monday with the sounds of bluegrass music. There's a Bluegrass Jam from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Mukwonago Community Library.
They have music during the Bucks games, too. Tonight the Bucks take on the Utah Jazz. Game time is 7 p.m. »Read Full Blog Post
Bad Religion; Jimmy Eat World; Trampled by Turtles; the Mavericks; VENA
Bad Religion
Rough estimate, by the critic's watch, of when Bad Religion began playing, hard, at the U.S. Cellular Connection Stage Sunday night: 10:01. Rough estimate of when the SoCal punk-rock band finished off its fourth song: 10:08. »Read Full Article(1)
Eagles take it easy at Marcus Amphitheater
The news flash from the Eagles' closing-night gig at Summerfest's Marcus Amphitheater on Sunday night is that Bernie Leadon appears to be at least partway back in the band.
Eagles' historians will remember that Leadon, an original band member, exited the group in rather definitive fashion way back in 1975 when he poured a bottle of beer over Glenn Frey's head. »Read Full Article(9)
Video: Tap Milwaukee music writers recap Summerfest 2013
Well, that's a wrap. Another Summerfest has come and gone.
What rocked, what didn't at Summerfest
After 11 days of concerts and crazy crowds, Summerfest becomes a bit of a blur. But there are a few clear takeaways from Summerfest 2013:
Favorite crowd observation: Watching a stern security guard, arms folded, grimace on his face, bobbing his head ever so subtly to New Kids on the Block. »Read Full Article(16)
Exclusive Video: Bachata supergroup VENA performs "Sangre De Mis Venas" at Summerfest
Last but certainly not least, Tap Milwaukee has one more exclusive video performance to share with you from Summerfest 2013, courtesy of bachata supergroup VENA.
On Tap Today: Summerfest rundown for July 7
Journal Sentinel music writer Piet Levy gives you the rundown on what to look forward to today at Summerfest. »Read Full Blog Post
Going for a swim? Check out guide to Milwaukee-area beaches, pools
It's warming up in a hurry this Sunday morning. Might be a good day for a swim — before storms roll in later today.
If you're in the mood for some waves, or just a trip to the beach, go to Tap Milwaukee's guide to area swimming spots, with hours and other info on southeast Wisconsin beaches and pools. »Read Full Article
Three to See: Suggestions for July 7
Something known: Eagles (7:30 p.m. Marcus Amphitheater). It's hardly a news flash to say the Eagles are a great band. But an extensive new documentary has brought a renewed sense of appreciation, transforming concerts from mere gigs to victorious events. »Read Full Article
Theatre open house; Runway sneak peak; Inspired art
Curtain up
In Tandem Theatre is giving patrons and future-patrons a chance to get a taste of its season for free Wednesday at the 7th Annual Sneak Peek & Open House. The troupe will perform tidbits from "Burying the Bones," "A Cudahy Caroler Christmas," and other plays while noshing on snacks and partaking at the cash bar. The peek takes place from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at its performing space, the Tenth Street Theatre, 628 N. 10th St. »Read Full Article


text:
All Whats New
- Today
- Past 7 Days
- Past Month
- Past Year
- Specific Date Range
- Date
Transport against HIV/AIDS : synthesis of experience and best practice guidelines
The transport sector is especially vulnerable to HIV/AIDS. Transport workers including long distance truck drivers, seafarers, airline crews and infrastructure cons... Show More +
Lessons and experiences from mainstreaming HIV/AIDS into urban/water (AFTU1 and 2) projects
The rationale for mainstreaming HIV/AIDS into projects is twofold: 1) From a national and global perspective, it increases the reach of targeted HIV/AIDS interventi... Show More +
Poverty reduction strategy papers: do they matter for children and young people made vulnerable by HIV/AIDS?
It is widely agreed that HIV/AIDS should be prominent in the Poverty Reduction Strategies (PRSPs) of African countries in light of the challenge the pandemic poses ... Show More +
HIV/AIDS in the workplace
This Good Practice Note is an introduction to the issue of HIV/AIDS in the workplace, and is targeted at the private sector in developing countries. As part of the ... Show More +


text:
Begin New Search
Refine Last Search
Cemetery Lookup
Add Burial Records
Help with Find A Grave
Find all
s in:
Greenlawn Cemetery
Calhoun County
Find A Grave
Top Contributors
Success Stories
Discussion Forums
Find A Grave Store
Log In
Capt Kyle A. Comfort
Oct. 17, 1982
Alabama, USA
May 8, 2010, Afghanistan
Capt. Kyle A. Comfort, 27, of Jacksonville, Ala., died May 8 in Helmand province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit using an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, Fort Benning, Ga. Capt Comfort leaves to cherish his memory, his wife, Brooke and their daughter, Kinleigh of Jacksonville; his beloved mother, Ellen Comfort of Anniston; his sister, Karena (Dave Sayers) Comfort of Birmingham; his brothers, MAJ Kevin (Linda) Comfort of Dixon, MO and Kenny Comfort of Anniston; a niece, Kaitlyn Comfort and his in- laws, Phyllis, Mike Clopton and Taylor Clopton and a host of relatives that span the states of Texas, Nevada, Florida, New York, Michigan and Alabama. Honorary pallbearers will be David Buckner, CPT Chris Hopes, CPT James Nifong, CPT George Morris, CPT Chris Lucas, and CPT John ST. John and 1LT Joshua Mathews, both currently deployed to Afghanistan. Reflected in the many friends, literally world-wide, who have offered comfort to his family, Kyle never met a stranger; only someone yet to be a friend. Of those, he had a special mentor and father-figure in Fred Bremer (Ret. MSG) of Gillsville, GA, who said Kyle was "the son he never had". Kyle loved many things; his family foremost, but also AC/DC, his motorcycles, his four wheeler, his truck, his dog, Ace, the New York Yankees and Alabama Football. He loved the Army and his soldiers. Being a Ranger was the fulfillment of a dream. Kyle was preceded in death by his father, 1SG Kenneth A. Comfort, and his grandparents, Merrill and Alice Comfort of Elmira, NY and Charles and Virginia Draper of Clifford, MI.
Greenlawn Cemetery
Calhoun County
Alabama, USA
Created by:
Elizabeth Reed
Record added: May 10, 2010
Find A Grave Memorial# 52221435
Added by:
Elizabeth Reed
Added by:
Elizabeth Reed
Added by:
D Bo
There are 2 more photos not showing...
Click here to view all images...
Photos may be scaled.
Click on image for full size.
thank you for your sacrifice.
Amy Wolfe
Added: Jun. 22, 2015
Remembered in our hearts and minds forever.
Added: May. 10, 2015
Added: Nov. 11, 2014
There are 226 more notes not showing...
Click here to view all notes...
This page is sponsored by:
Privacy Statement
Terms of Service


text:
- Mark Garrow, Fantasy Racing
- 0 Shares
- Comment
Editor's Note: Mark Garrow provides driver trends for Sunday's UAW-Dodge 400 at Las Vegas Speedway.
• A.J. Allmendinger must race his way into Sunday's race based on his qualifying time. It would be his first race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway (LVMS), and he better get in or he could be in real trouble in 2008.
• Andretti must race his way into the race Sunday based on his qualifying effort.
• In seven starts at LVMS, Andretti has an average finish of 28.1.
• In addition to Biffle's Cup stats at Las Vegas, he also has five Nationwide Series top-10s and one Craftsman Truck Series win.
• In four Cup starts here, Biffle has two top-10s. In six NNS starts at LVMS, Biffle has five top-10s and three top-5s.
• The "Biff" was 15th at California, but I expected a little bit better. I see him, again, this week as a guy who could finish eighth to 15th.
• Blaney has made seven Cup Series starts at the 1.5-mile speedway during his career, starting as high as 10th (2002) and finishing as high as 13th (2005). He has scored two top-20 finishes in Cup Series competition at the speedway and has qualified inside the top 11 twice.
• Blaney was one of the guys I was touting to start the year that would show big improvement over last year, especially with Joe Gibbs Racing helping Toyota ramp up its program. Blaney, however, has been a bust in the first two races and 30th-place run at California was really disturbing.
• Clint Bowyer will pilot Chassis No. 241 from the Richard Childress Racing (RCR) NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) stable. This is a brand new Jack Daniel's Chevrolet Impala SS and this weekend will be the first time it will see time on the race track.
• The Jack Daniel's Racing Team tested at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Bowyer and company posted the second-fastest lap (30.293 seconds -- 178.259 mph) of the 76 cars at the test during the morning session on Jan. 28 and the ninth-best lap (29.775 seconds -- 181.360 mph) later that afternoon. The following day, Mr. Jack's Crew posted the 17th-fastest lap (29.532 seconds -- 182.852 mph) during the morning warm up and 16th-fastest time (29.337 seconds -- 184.068 mph) of the afternoon shakedown.
• Bowyer has two starts at LVMS with finishes of 36th and 15th, respectively.
• Bowyer is yet to get his first top-10 of the season and after limping home 19th at California this past Monday, I really don't know what to think about the Kansas driver. Then again, none of the RCR cars were stellar in Fontana and they seem to lack the speed of Hendrick, Gibbs, and Roush.
• Burton won the 1999 and 2000 Cup Series races at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. In 10 NASCAR Cup Series starts at the speedway, he has claimed three top-5 and six top-10 finishes. In addition, the South Boston, Va. native has posted one pole, three wins, five top-5 and six top-10 finishes in seven Nationwide Series starts at the track.
• The 19-time Cup Series winner currently holds an 18.4 starting average coupled with an 11.0 finishing average and has completed 2,474 of 2,554 total laps (96.9%) at the 1.5-mile track.
• Burton is the NASCAR Cup Series' third-best Quality Passer -- a statistic derived from the number of positions gained while running in the top-15 under green-flag conditions. Burton has gained an average of 45 spots over the past three events held at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The South Boston, Va. native has also logged 644 of the last 801 laps (80.4 percent) running in the top 15.
• As we just talked about with Bowyer, Burton is lacking overall speed. He's been decent in the first two races otherwise he wouldn't be 12th in the points. Burton, though, seems a long way from being a top-five contender or a potential winner.
• Busch's career record at LVMS sports one top-5 finish and two top-10s in seven races. His best start to date was second in 2004 and his best finish was third in the 2005 season. Busch started 10th and finished 26th in last year's race.
• Busch has an average finish of 17.6 in seven career races on the 1.5-mile Las Vegas track.
• His average finish over the first two races this year is 7.5 and I think that is the area in which he'll finish at Vegas. It seems teammate Ryan Newman has found a little more speed, but Busch will be money in the bank as a potential top-10 driver not only at Vegas but Atlanta, Bristol, and Texas too.
• Busch has three consecutive top-10 finishes at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
• Busch's career-best finish of second came in his second Cup start in 2005 at LVMS.
• The boy is "money" right now. He's led 100 laps in the first two races in grabbing a pair of fourth-place finishes and has speed to burn. He's one of my favorites to win this weekend. He always gets up on the wheel in his hometown of Las Vegas and given he's got one of the fastest cars on the planet right now he could go triple 7s Sunday.
• Carpentier will drive chassis No. 232 this week; which was tested at Las Vegas but has never been raced. Carpentier and crew also tested at Rockingham earlier this week in preparation for Las Vegas.
• Being outside the top-35 in owner points, Carpentier will have to qualify on time.
• Dale Earnhardt Jr. will be making his ninth NASCAR Sprint Cup Series start at Las Vegas Motor Speedway this Sunday. In his eight previous starts, Earnhardt has led 145 laps and recorded one top-5 finish and two top-10s. His best finish was second place, which he achieved in the spring 2003 race.
• Earnhardt will race Chassis No. 88-488, a brand new car, during Sunday's race. The team tested another car at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, but decided to build a new one for the race based on data accumulated from the test session. The test chassis will serve as the primary backup.
• I was waiting to see how Junior did at California to get a real feel for what he's got right now with Rick Hendrick. Unfortunately, getting sucked into the early wreck with teammate Casey Mears messed that all up. Still, I think Junior had an outstanding test in Vegas and he's top-10 material in the UAW-Dodge 400.
• Carl Edwards will make his fourth NASCAR Sprint Cup Series start at Las Vegas Motor Speedway this weekend in the UAW-Dodge 400. In his previous Cup starts at the 1.5-mile tri-oval, Edwards has one top-10 finish. Edwards captured sixth place in last year's UAW-Daimler Chrysler 400 at LVMS.
• Edwards' average start at LVMS is 18th, his average finish is 15.3. The Columbia, Mo., native has completed 100% of the laps he has attempted at the 1.5-mile track.
• The No. 99 Dish Network team will be unloading chassis No. RK-558, this a brand new car that is identical to the car Edwards raced last weekend at Fontana.
• Edwards is another guy who is "money" right now. He's on top of his game and Roush has clearly caught up to Hendrick and Gibbs when it comes to the "Car of Today". Edwards is a potential winner or at least top five this weekend in Las Vegas. Forget about what Edwards has done at Vegas in the past, he'll get his first top five there this weekend.
• Franchitti is making his first-ever NASCAR start at Las Vegas. He has raced here in the IRL. Franchitti's only Cup Series starts have been this year at Daytona and Fontana.
• He is guaranteed to make Sunday's field as his team finished in the top-35 in owners' points in 2007.
• Chassis No. 506 is the chassis the No. 38 FreeCreditReport.com team will be running this weekend for the UAW-Dodge 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. This is the same chassis the team tested with earlier in the year during the preseason testing sessions at Las Vegas Motor Speedway January 28th and 29th.
• Honestly, I was shocked to see Gilliland finish 17th at California and I would be hard pressed to see him finish in the top-20 again at Vegas.
• In 10 starts at the 1.5-mile track, Gordon has one win (2001) and five top-5 finishes including a current streak of three in a row. He only has three top-10 starts and an average starting position of 14.5. Last year, he started 36th but led a race-high 111 laps en route to a second-place finish.
• Gordon will be competitive this weekend, but I haven't see the daytime speed from him to contend for the win. It was scary under the lights at California, but fell off noticeably on Monday afternoon. They could have been locked into a chassis set for night that couldn't quite cut the mustard with warmer temperature. I can see him finishing third to seventh this Sunday.
• Gordon has eight starts at Vegas with an average finish of 25.6 with one DNF. He has led eight laps here and completed 88.5 of all the possible laps.
• I feel like Robby's 18th place finish at California indicative of the area he'll finish in Las Vegas.
• Hamlin has two previous starts here with two top-10s.
• Hamlin has three NNS starts here with one top-10 and an average finish of 10th.
• Hamlin has speed to burn and had a great test at Vegas. That said, I'm staying away from him until he can get the bad "mojo" out of his system. Going beyond the two disaster races this year, in the Chase last fall Hamlin's average finish was 18.4 and was 20th or worse five of the 10 races. He could pop up and run in the top five or six at Vegas but he continues to give me an itchy feeling.
• In 17 starts in NASCAR's top-three divisions at Las Vegas Motor Speedway (LVMS), Harvick has one win, five top-5 and nine top-10 finishes. Additionally, "Happy" has led 276 laps and completed 99 percent of laps attempted.
• Harvick has not recorded a Did Not Finish (DNF) in 46 consecutive races. Harvick's last DNF was at Dover in September (2006). Additionally, he has run 85 consecutive point-paying races without crashing out of a single one. Combined, Harvick has gone 150 points races in NASCAR two top-divisions without crashing out.
• The Shell Chevy driver was eighth at California and is probably the quickest of the RCR cars right now. That does not, however, make him any better than top-10 potential. You just get the feeling the RCR boys are down a little horsepower and they're getting whipped down the straightaways.
• Hornish, driver of the Penske Racing No. 77 Mobil 1 Dodge Charger, will make his NASCAR Nationwide and Sprint Cup Series debuts at Las Vegas Motor Speedway this weekend.
• The three-time IndyCar Series Champion earned his first podium finish in IRL competition at Las Vegas Motor Speedway with a third-place result in April 2000.
• Dale Jarrett has 10 starts here with three top-10s and a top-5 with an average finish of 18.9 and two DNFs. He also has two pole positions here and has led 82 laps, completing 92.6 percent of all possible circuits.
• It's winding down for D.J. and it's not pretty. He'd be happy with a top-25, but I doubt he gets it.
• In six Cup Series starts at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Johnson has completed all 1,605 laps of competition. He owns three victories (most of any drivers), three top-5 and four top-10 finishes. His average starting spot is 13.7 and average finish is 6.0.
• Johnson has won at least three races a season since he posted his first victory in 2002. He is the only driver in the modern era to win at least three races in each of his first six full-time seasons.
• Going for four straight at Vegas you have to think the odds have to eventually catch up with Johnson. Fact is he could win again Sunday and is certainly top-5 potential. This team is so consistent a top-10 is a bad day.
• In his previous four starts at Las Vegas, Kahne has earned two top-5 finishes, with his best performance at the track being a second-place finish. Kahne earned the runner-up spot during his Las Vegas Sprint Cup Series debut in 2004. Kahne has finished no worse than fourth at Las Vegas during the races in which he finished. He does have two DNFs at Las Vegas.
• I'm beginning to be a believer that Kasey Kahne may be back. He's one of only four guys who opened the season with a pair of top-10 finishes. More importantly, he is clearly finding his stride again. California showed that team is definitely heading in the right direction and on the upswing. I don't think he's ready to contend for a win, but he's edging towards the top five and it seems like this yea he's ready to knock down a steady diet of top-10s.
• Matt Kenseth has led 368 laps for his career at Las Vegas in Cup competition, 110 laps better than any other driver. Kenseth's average finish at Las Vegas in the Cup Series in 7.6; second among all drivers with at least six starts at the track (Jimmie Johnson 6.0).
• Kenseth recorded back-to-back wins at Las Vegas in 2003 and 2004. His 2003 win at Vegas was his only win during Kenseth's 2003 NASCAR Cup Championship season.
• Kenseth is racing RK-473, the car he ran at Dover last year and led 192 laps. He also tested this car here earlier this year.
• Mark Matt down for a potential top-five this weekend. I don't think he's as fast as teammate Carl Edwards, but he'll be there at the end having something to say about who goes to victory lane. Kenseth got off to a quick start last year and it looks like he's doing that again.
• Kvapil has an average starting position of 19.5, and an average finish of 32.5 at Las Vegas. Kvapil has completed 482 of 537 career laps at Las Vegas (89.8 percent) and has led for nine laps with a best finish of 26th.
• He ran better than teammate David Gilliland at California, but Gilliland finished 17th and Kvapil 36th. Yates is still rebuilding and the best you can hope for out of their two cars at this point is a top-20 run.
• Labonte has 10 starts here with four top-10s, four top-5s, and an average finish of 16.6 and one DNF. Labonte has two poles here and has led 32 laps while completing 89.9 of all the possible laps.
• This team is lacking speed and it really showed up in Fontana. Bobby finished 25th and top-20 is about all he can hope for at Vegas.
• Lamar must make Sunday's race based on his performance in qualifying as his team was outside the top-35 in owners' points in 2007.
• Martin has been hot in Vegas, finishing inside the top 10 in 80 percent (eight) of his starts at the 1.5-mile track. He won the inaugural Cup event there in 1998, and has finished in the top five in 50 percent of his 10 Cup starts at LVMS. Martin finished fifth at Vegas last season and sixth there in 2006.
• Martin has led 258 laps (second most) at Las Vegas, including 72 in the last two races there.
• I'm really concerned about Mark for this weekend's race. He tested better at California than he did Vegas and told me he expected big things in Fontana, but wound up 16th. Could it be a flip? So-so Vegas test turning into better finish? Maybe. I think with the RCR-DEI engine deal Mark is getting hurt by the lack of speed down the straights. He could finish top-10 at Vegas, but wouldn't be surprised to see him top-15 instead.
• Mayfield has nine starts here with two top-5s and an average finish of 18.1 with one DNF. Mayfield has led 39 laps here and has completed 90.6 percent of the total possible laps.
• Mayfield better get it in gear or he's going to be in danger of missing the top-35 cut when we switch qualifying to 2008 points. Top-25, though, is about all he can hope for.
• In five career Cup starts at the 1.5-mile speedway, Jamie McMurray has one top-5 and two top-10 finishes. McMurray has completed all but nine laps (1,329/1,338) at LVMS, a 99.3 percent laps completed record.
• McMurray has a career starting position average of 18.0 and an average finishing position of 16.8 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
• This guy is really hard to figure out. The Roush Fenway equipment is good enough to run up front, but McMurray is by and large nowhere to be found. It looks like David Ragan has put him fifth on the totem pole at Roush.
Casey Mears
• Casey Mears will make his sixth NASCAR Sprint Cup Series start at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Sunday. In his five previous starts at the track, he has earned three top-10 finishes, most recently finishing ninth in 2006.
• Crew chief Alan Gustafson has chosen Hendrick Motorsports Chassis No. 418 for Sunday's race. This particular chassis last was used at Dover (Del.) International Speedway in Sept. 2007 where it finished fifth.
• I expect Mears to come back and make a run at a top-10 this weekend at Vegas. His first two races have been disasters but not because he wasn't fast. Mears is underrated and this weekend he'll remind people there is a fourth driver at Hendrick Motorsports.
• Menard will make his second NASCAR Sprint Cup start at the 1.5-mile superspeedway. In his previous start at the track, he turned in a memorable qualifying performance, including an air born ride through the grass on the front stretch in route to a 19th place qualifying effort. Menard finished 32nd in the race.
• Don't see much happening here this weekend. Menard is in a tough place because if Truex and Martin don't have the muscle to contend, he has no hope to even run top 15.
• Montoya is making his second Cup Series start here. He finished this race 22nd last year.
• Montoya is a tough guy to figure this week. Top 15 is about all you can expect if things go well and if not he'll be glad to take a top-20 back to the house.
• Nemechek has 10 starts here with two top-10s and an average finish of 23.3 with one DNF. Nemechek has led six laps here, completing 91.9 percent of the total possible circuits.
Ryan Newman
• Newman has four top-10s to his credit at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in seven starts. His best finish was a fourth-place run in 2002.
• Newman comes to Las Vegas ranked second in the Cup Series point standings after winning the 50th running of the Daytona 500 prior to Monday's finish at California . It is the best start for Newman since 2002 when he finished seventh at Daytona followed by a 14th-place result at Rockingham in the first two races of the season.
• Mark Newman down for another top-10 this weekend. He had a good Vegas test and this team has found a groove that goes back to the end of last season.
• Petty has eight starts here with an average finish of 25.8, having led 10 laps at LVMS and completing all but 13 possible laps.
David Ragan
• In addition to his one Sprint Cup start, Ragan also has one start in the NASCAR Nationwide Series at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. In 2007, Ragan started 41st and finished 24th.
• The young Georgia driver was 14th last week in California and I think he can go top 15 again in Vegas. Ragan has moved ahead of McMurray in the pecking order at Roush Fenway and now he's pressuring Biffle for the third spot. No doubt in my mind, Ragan is heading in the right direction.
• Reutimann is must qualify for Sunday's race based on time as his team was outside the top-35 in owners' points in 2007.
• He is attempting to make his first Cup Series race here. He has one previous NNS start, finishing 31st here last year.
• I like David to finish 14th to 18th at Vegas. That would be a nice payoff considering where he's ranked in our fantasy games. When Waltrip's team really figures it out, Reutimann is going to surprise some people. This guy can drive.
• Riggs has four starts here with an average finish of 27.8.
• He was 21st at California and all he can hope for is another top-25 at Vegas.
• Sadler has made nine starts at the 1.5-mile track earning one top-10 finish. He's been running at the end of all but one race. Best start was second in 2005 and best finish was sixth in 2004. He has led 24 laps in four races completing 2090 of 2287 laps. Last year, Sadler started third and finished 14th leading 17 laps.
• With teammate Kasey Kahne running in the top 10 at California, I was really disappointed to see Sadler 24th on the final rundown. If he doesn't show improvement at Vegas this weekend, you'll have to start asking what's going on? Why isn't this team picking up speed like Kahne?
• Johnny Sauter has two previous starts here, finishing 24th and 39th, respectively.
• He'll probably get the Wood Brothers car into the show, but he's not a miracle worker. Could sneak a top-25 though.
• Schrader must make Sunday's race based on his performance in qualifying as his team was outside the top-35 in owners' points in 2007.
• In nine starts at LVMS, he has an average finish of 26.8 with one DNF.
• The No. 27 Bill Davis Racing team plans to utilize chassis No. 40. This was one of two Toyota Camrys the team tested last month at the 1.5-mile speedway with Jacques Villeneuve.
• Skinner has made six Cup Series starts at the 1.5-mile speedway during his career and has scored one top-10 finish in Cup Series competition. Skinner has had a great deal of success in Las Vegas behind the wheel of a NASCAR Craftsman Truck. In six starts, the veteran driver has scored three poles and one victory. Skinner has only qualified outside the top five once in Truck Series competition and has scored four top-10 finishes. He has also competed in three NASCAR Nationwide Series events at Las Vegas.
• Smith is making his first Cup start at LVMS this weekend. He has three Nationwide Series starts here with an average finish of 32nd.
• This young guy was the top finishing rookie last Monday in Fontana, but finished 31st. It's going to be that kind of struggle for him in the early part of the season.
• Sorenson has two previous Cup Series starts at LVMS with finishes of 40th and 31st, respectively.
• This guy is still a great value and early wreck in California set him back. I'm still high on Sorenson and think he's top 15 or better.
• For Stewart, Las Vegas is one of only four Sprint Cup venues where he has yet to win. The others are Fontana, Darlington and Talladega. In nine starts here, Stewart has six top-10s, four top-5s, and an average finish of 11.2, leading 179 laps here.
• Tony is a potential winner this weekend. I think he'll run better than the seventh place finish in Fontana. Stewart is going to be a top-10 machine this year.
• Truex is coming off a sixth-place finish last weekend in California and is currently 12th in the Cup Series points. Truex has two prior starts here, with finishes of 20th and 12th, respectively.
• I was pleasantly surprised by his sixth-place finish in Fontana, but don't see it happening again at Las Vegas. I see Truex really struggling to finish in the top 10. Like last week I see him potentially eighth to 13th at the checkered flag. Again, I think he's lacking horsepower to keep up with the Hendrick and Gibbs gang.
• In three starts here, Vickers has an average finish of 29.3 with one DNF.
• Put down on your scorecard another top-15 run for Brian Vickers. This team is beginning to hit its stride. Now, they are still playing it conservative so they can be top-35 at the cut and can stop having to qualify on speed. Imagine how good these guys will be when they can go to the track and concentrate on nothing but race setup.
• He will attempt to start in his 10th Las Vegas 400, 692nd career start. His best start at the 1.5-mile track is second (March 7, 1999) and best finish is third (March 2, 2003).
• During his career at the 1.5-mile oval, Waltrip has earned one top-5 and one top-10 finish. His average start is 15th and average finish is 22nd. Waltrip has completed 2,173 of 2,287 laps (95%) at the track and has led a total of 18 laps in competition.
• Entering this week's NASCAR Sprint Cup Series event, Waltrip is 29th in the driver and owner points standings. The NAPA AUTO PARTS team will need to qualify for the Las Vegas 400 on time since the No. 55 car was outside the top 35 in owner point standings in 2007. A total of 48 cars are entered in the Las Vegas race. Of the entrants, 13 are go-or-go-home teams. Waltrip will be competing for one of eight qualifying spots, one of which may be used as a past champion's provisional by Kurt Busch, Dale Jarrett or Bill Elliott, if needed. Waltrip looked so bad last Monday in California, he'd take a top-25 at Vegas and be really, really happy.
• After disappointing finishes at Daytona (25th) and California (29th), the DLP team will look to reverse its fortunes and hopefully finish near the front.
• Yeley has two Cup Series starts at Vegas, with finishes of 18th and 17th, respectively. He has led one lap and has finished all but one lap of total competition.
• Changing drivers and manufacturers has certainly not helped this Hall of Fame Racing Team. Yeley struggled in the 18 with Joe Gibbs, but when Kyle Busch jumped in that car, it headed to the front with same crew chief, same basic team. It makes you wonder about Yeley.
Mark Garrow covers fantasy racing for ESPN.com.
NASCAR pulls banquet from Trump's resort
3hBob Pockrass
NASCAR offers swap of Confederate for U.S. flags
23hBob Pockrass
Changes made at site of Busch crash at Daytona
1dBob Pockrass
Oreovicz: IMS aims to gather no moss
1dJohn Oreovicz
Daytona to offer Confederate flag exchange
3dBob Pockrass
1 Related
Daily fantasy: Best buys for Daytona
3dMatthew WIllis
Bowman will drive for Baldwin through 2016
3dBob Pockrass
Pockrass: Busch a step closer to Chase
5dBob Pockrass
1 Related
Franchising? Licensing? NASCAR, owners talking
4dBob Pockrass
Dale Jr. proposed at distant ancestors' church
7dBob Pockrass
Smith: Fatherhood latest step in Kahne's growth
9dMarty Smith


text:
Be Careem: 6 Ramadan initiatives the car hire app is supporting
How will you make a difference this Holy Month?July 2, 2015 3:00
Register for our free newsletter
Abu Dhabi's TAQA drops 5.4 pct after saying no merger talks
Qatar's Doha Bank raises 2 bln riyal Tier 1 capital-boosting bond
Dubai's Drake & Scull increases GCC ownership limit to 100 pct
Abu Dhabi's TAQA says not holding merger talks
Gold languishes below $1,170 ahead of U.S. jobs data
Kuwait parliament approves budget with $27 billion deficit
Saudi's Mobily to reissue 2014, Q1 2015 results after regulator probe
Dubai Holding appoints new managing director, CEO
HSBC Bank Oman agrees to sell Pakistan business to Meezan Bank
European tour operators evacuate thousands from Tunisia after attack
With Abu Dhabi's The Nation Tower's Skybridge becoming the world's highest skybridge, Kipp takes a look at the skybridges of the world
April 10, 2011 3:37 by Ben Flanagan
Kipp opened the newspapers today to read reports of the world's highest skybridge successfully being installed in our very own capital. The Nation Tower's Skybridge, which connects the 50th and the 54th levels of the Nation Tower 1 and the Nation Tower 2 together replaces the Petronas Towers for the title of the highest sky bridge at an impressive height of 202.5 metres.
Kipp absolutely loves this bridge: The Langkawi Sky Bridge is 700 metres high above sea level and crawls across Mount Mat Cincang. Built in 2005, this 125 meter long bridge looks like more than a walk in the park.
Connecting what was at a point the two tallest towers in the world, the Petronas Towers Skybridge helps connect the 41st and 42nd floors of the two towers. The bridge is 170 m (558 ft) high and 58 m (190 ft) long, weighing 750 tons.
Kipp's heart is beating just a little faster thinking about this one; this horseshoe-shaped transparent bridge is roughly approximately 4,000ft above the ground and covers 65ft beyond the edge of the Grand Canyon. Because the bridge is constructed of glass walls, pedestrians can get a view, sorry to use the cliché, to remember.
Located 3,000 meters above sea level at the Stubai Glacier in Tyrol, Austria, allows pedestrians to be able to stand 9 metres away from the mountain and consequently get a perfect view of Stubai glacier.
It is getting hotter and hotter in the UAE and as Kipp writes about Minneapolis skyways magnificent Skyway system we have to admit we are really jealous. The Minneapolis' Skyway system links 69 city blocks through a climate controlled skywalk which extends for 8 miles, making it the largest in the world.
Pedestrians using Mumbai Suburban Railway stations use this brightly yellow coloured network of skywalks which will approximately consist of 36 skywalks. Fun fact for you: the average daily foot count for 23 skywalks in August 2010 was estimated at about 565,000.
Located at Knights Hill, the 500 meters long Illawarra Fly Tree Top Walk allows visitors to walk among the rainforest canopy 25 metres above the ground.
The appeal of this skywalk is pretty obvious: the Iguazu Waterfalls-who's spray one can feel and see when on the skywalk.
2 Comments
This is by far the coolest one…and one that I'd be most scared to use!
i nedd picthers for all
The UAE's precarious property trapeze
April 10 2011


text:
Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt's Son Turns Into a Teenager
Watch Miley Cyrus Fall Down on Stage Wearing a Fake Butt
Did You know These Stars Were Born Rich?
Celeb Kids Who Look Just Like Dad
Weighing in on 8 Celebrities Weight
Caitlyn Jenner Shows Off Her Tomboy Side
You Won't Believe How Brad and Angie Travel
12 Fascinating Transgender Celebrities
'Naked Dresses' in Red Carpet History
Famous Kids: Where Are They Now?
The Science of Willow & Jaden Smith
Hollywood's Weirdest Couple Is Staying Strong
Halle Berry Can't Keep it Together: The Latest Drama Unveiled
Celebrity Kids: They're Just Like Us
Selena's Scandalous Selfie Sparks Drama
Shiloh Jolie-Pitt's Mini Suit May Change Fashion Forever
Best Celebrity Beach Bodies of 2015
Jennifer Love Hewitt's Baby Boy's Name Will Surprise You
Teresa Giudice Comes Clean About Posh Prison Life
10 Celebrity Eccentricities
Watch Ellen Shut Down Bethenny Frankel's Ignorant Comments
Beyonce Isn't as Flawless as We Thought
Halle Berry Just Dropped Major Surgery News
Ariana Grande's Insane Diva Demands Revealed
Separated at Birth! People Who Look Like Celebs
How to Cut Glass Underwater Using Scissors
14 Celebrity Moms Who Breastfeed in Public
Celebrities with Diseases: You'll Be Surprised by Who Has Been Diagnosed
Duchess Kate's Huge Allowance is Mind Blowing
Caitlyn Jenner Shares Magnificent Father's Day Photo


text:
Haw River Assembly Wins Injunction on Fracking Permits by North Carolina Mining and Energy Commission
May 20 , 2015 Wake County Superior Court today stayed a constitutional challenge to the state's Mining and Energy Commission by the Haw River Assembly and a Lee County landowner pending a decision in the appeal of McCrory v. Berger or until further order of the court. During the stay, the MEC is enjoined from accepting or processing permit applications for drilling units and from creating any drilling units. This effectively reinstates the moratorium on fracking in North Carolina. Read the full PRESS RELEASE about the injunction. Read the full Haw River v. MEC court order.
The lawsuit against the MEC charges that the commission violates the separation of powers provision of the North Carolina Constitution because a majority of the commission's members are political appointees by the legislature, and that the fracking rules, created by an unconstitutional commission, are therefore null and void. (Read the press release concerning the lawsuit and the full legal complaint)
"Today's decision stopped any immediate harm to North Carolina residents from a commission formed by the state legislature in violation of the separation of powers firmly established in our state constitution pending further court deliberations," said John Suttles, the senior attorney at the Southern Environmental Law Center who represented the Haw River Assembly and Lee County property owner Keely Wood Puricz before the court.
Comments Due to State May 16 on Coal Ash Dumps in Chatham and Lee
Get Talking Points for information you can use in your comments.
Two public hearings were held by the state Dept. of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) in April to gather comments on all state-required approvals for Duke Energy's plan to landfill coal ash in Chatham and Lee counties. Hundreds of people showed up to dispute the safety to our health and environment for these planned coal ash dumps. Permits include the 401 water quality certificate, structural fill permits and mining permit modifications.
Written comments are due May 16. Make your voice heard!
Read HRA Comments on the Mining Permit and on the Structural Fill Permit Send your comments to email@example.com For more information on the permits and sending your comments, use this link
Read HRA Comments on the the 401 Certification Permit. Send your comments to: email@example.com For permit documents go to http://its.enr.state.nc.us/Weblink8/0/fol/257726/Row1.aspx
Duke Energy and their contractor, Charah, plan to move 12 million tons of coal ash from across the state to Chatham and Lee counties near Moncure and Sanford. The clay/shale pits that would be be turned into ash pits near Brickhaven are in the Cape Fear watershed close to the Haw River. The Chatham County Board of County Commissions has passed a resolution opposing Duke's plan.
Thanks all - it was a great Haw River Festival in Saxapahaw!
We had a GREAT 26th Haw River Festival!
With Very Special Thanks to:
The Bands who played as a benefit to us!
The Bucket Brothers (see them on Facebook)
The Magnolia Collective www.magnoliacollective.com
Honey Magpie www.reverbnation.com/
To the Silent Auction Donors:
Jim Hood, Brenda Featherstone, Haw River Canoe and Kayak Co. Fair Game Beverage Co., Clyde Jones, Saxapahaw General Store, Mark Hewitt Pottery, Judith Brooks, Eliza DuBosc, Ken Moore and Kathy Bucks, Chris Carter, Haw River Ballroom, Wanda Sundermann, Frog Hollow, Katherine Nunn, Lea Clayton, Virgil Johnson, Emma Skurnick, The Eddy, Roy Girolami, Culture Mill, Esther Rogers, LaShauna Austria, 32 Jonathan Davis Blown Glass
And to:
Crystal Honeycutt for the herbal plant walk, Paperhand Puppet Theater for the parade, Twig (Chapel Hill) for the store coupons, Great Outdoors Provision Company for the Pereception Kayak we raffled (won by Jason Ackerlay),and to Saxapahaw General Store for displaying it/
And to the wonderful folks of Saturdays in Saxapahaw for hosting us!!!
Hike and Paddle the Haw!
Go to our Recreation page to find out about paddle access and hiking trails – and enjoy this beautiful river!
The 2015 Haw River Clean-up!
Our 25th annual Haw River clean-up was held under rainy skies on Saturday March 14 – some teams waited until Sunday's sunshine! It was another great effort – and we thank all the volunteers who came out and helped, including youth groups, communities along the river and intrepid paddlers! 15 teams tool part this year with 254volunteers that picked up 518 bags and 153 tires, along with lots of other junk.
The Clean Jordan Lake team postponed until March 28, and had a terrific day with 110 volunteers that picked up 300 bagts of trash and 140 tires Go to http://www.meetup.com/helpcleanjordanlake/ to see more on their efforts.