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Defense Department Background Briefing on Quadrennial Roles and Missions Review
Presenter: Senior Defense Official
May 08, 2008
MODERATOR: Well, we didn't know that we would be so popular with this briefing actually. But I'm glad that you've all showed up for it today.
This is a very important endeavor that the department is undertaking. It's one that's required. It's congressionally mandated. And it is important to the department that we do this right and with as much transparency as we can.
So we're very much on the front end of this. It is about the process going forward though. There's no conclusions or recommendations to be briefed today, which is why we're kind of doing this on background, so that you can understand the process going forward that the department will use to do the Roles and Missions Report that's required.
We've got some slides that we'll be passing out to you. So as they're going through their discussion, you'll have a copy of these slides. And unfortunately we are limited on time to 12:45 today.
Because it is on background, I don't think there's anybody that isn't familiar with these two individuals, if you need their titles afterwards. But we will transcribe it and we'll provide a transcript. So please refer to either the senior defense official or the senior military official when asking your questions. Okay.
With that, I don't have anything else. Unless there's any other administrative notes, we'll get right into it.
(Cross talk.)
SR. DEFENSE OFFICIAL: Okay. So we're passing out paper copies. We just put this together so that we could have a structured way to go through it.
The first slide just lays out the legislation. It's a two-phased legislation, with the chairman doing an assessment of roles, missions, and assigned functions. These are all terms of art within the military bureaucracy. And then he's supposed to provide recommendations to the secretary. Then the secretary, the way the legislation would read, has looking at core mission areas, competencies, capabilities, and then coming up and putting together a report to Congress.
And looking at that and dealing with the congressional committees, we felt that we could certainly meet the intent with that but we might be able to come up with a process that would have a higher probability of delivering something useful rather than doing them necessarily in separate camps. We feel that during the two terms of this administration, we've learned a little bit about productive work between the uniformed military and the secretary's staff. And so we'll talk a little bit on how we'll work that. But this is the tasking that comes out of the National Defense Authorization act.
SR. DEFENSE OFFICIAL: So on the core mission areas, kind of what we're looking at is what are the key military activities required to support the strategic objectives that are laid out in the national security strategy, the national defense strategy and the national military strategy, and how are we organized to be able to accomplish those key strategic objectives, what are the activities, and then what are the departments -- how do each one of the military departments play a role in that. But really trying to stay focused on the key aspects of the national security and the national military strategy.
SR. DEFENSE OFFICIAL: Okay. Slide two is guiding principles. And there were some things we did specifically want to get out there. You can take these taskings from the Congress a number of different ways.
We felt that it was best to look to look at it as an opportunity to continue some of the things that we've learned in this administration, as far as organization and construct and things that could perhaps be of value to the next administration.
So that's the way that the secretary and the chairman look at it. And after a meeting we had a week or two ago with the senior leadership, the key leaders in the department are also taking it that way.
One of the things that we can do in avoiding parochial stovepipes getting into loggerheads over details and nuances was to have this leadership-driven. We think that we've modeled this somewhat successfully in the Quadrennial Defense Review in the development of capability portfolio managers and most recently in the development of two major documents inside the department that talk about future employment and development of the force. And so we wanted to replicate that as we went forward in this. So that's how the leadership-driven -- we've got a wiring diagram somewhat we'll show you.
We have so much time to do this. Many of the civilians that will be involved in this will be departing shortly after another 257 days, shortly after the report is done with. And so we wanted to make sure that we didn't bite off more than we can chew. So we're looking at what we think is achievable within the timeframe of the report.
If something isn't broken, then we're not interested in looking to try to fix it. We're just trying to look at areas where we think -- where we feel still need work. The roles, missions functions and how one thinks through that and how one aligns the supply side and the demand side of the activities the department does -- we thought would be good to put some effort into that, have a special team look at that, address these somewhat theoretical issues and develop a construct to leave for future administrations to use. And so we will have a specific framework team that is looking at those issues.
And then this is supposed to be something that is supposed to be cost neutral.
SR. DEFENSE OFFICIAL: And we think we'll also learn a lot during this process as we get ready to do the Quadrennial Defense Review, which will kick off, as you know, after the next year and be due the following year after that. So we would want to be able to build on this as we move towards the QDR.
SR. DEFENSE OFFICIAL: So on page four, there's seven specific areas that we're going to look at. One is specifically in the legislation itself, unnecessary duplication of capabilities and efforts across the department's components, so we will have a team looking at that. Two issues that have appeared in some of your publications and areas that we want to finely and clearly differentiate on how we're going to handle those; those are unmanned aircraft systems, with the possibility of looking at some broader intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance type of mission areas, but for sure the unmanned aircraft systems and then intertheater lift and how we handle that.
An emerging area for the department and a lot of the government is the cyber-world and how do we posture ourselves there. So that will be the fourth effort. We will continue, as we did in the QDR, post-QDR, some of the roadmap teams for irregular warfare. That is an area we continue to refine on how we approach that. What we've come to refer to as IRG, internal -- role --
SR. DEFENSE OFFICIAL: IRG. Institutional reform and governance.
SR. DEFENSE OFFICIAL: Institutional reform -- he and I are the co-chairs, and we never say the words. (Laughter.)
Q (Off mike.)
SR. DEFENSE OFFICIAL: Yeah. Institutional reform and governance. But basically, are there better ways and processes by which to manage a large organization like this and to tee up key decisions in an effective way? So we'll continue to look at that. And then again, these are areas that we've gone over with the Congress, who gave us the legislation, to make sure that -- because that wasn't necessarily addressed, nor was the broader concept of what can we do in the interagency to look at roles and missions and capabilities there.
And we might come up with some ideas there.
So these are the areas that we've had discussions with the Congress, and I wanted to make sure, before we started out, that we were fulfilling the spirit of the law that was given to us.
SR. DEFENSE OFFICIAL: So we're really trying to look at it from a perspective of what do we need, capability-wise, to deliver to the warfighter in order to be able to execute the missions that are laid out, again, all the way back to the strategic documents that are in the National Military/National Defense Strategy, and trying to look at it holistically, not just from a material perspective, but in each one of these cases, look at it from the perspective of doctrine, organizational, training, logistics, really the whole DOTMLPF discussion. Are we properly organized to get those capabilities to the warfighter to be able to take advantage of them from a joint perspective? Because, as you look across the list, they'll all very much joint capabilities that we need. What are the responsibilities of each one of the services? Are there unnecessary duplication among the services in a certain area that if we appointed someone that says: Okay, for training responsibility in this area, you've got the entire -- you know, the entire spectrum for that particular capability to be able to bring forward to the battlefield. And so that's how we're trying to -- really, the question I think we're trying to answer is how to best organize and govern in order to be able to get these capabilities out there and to develop future capabilities in each one of these different areas.
SR. DEFENSE OFFICIAL: Page 5 finally addresses the structure put together. In looking at this chart, I realize it's not entirely accurate. The -- but let me talk to the teams down there on the joint roles and missions teams. In each one of those, those will be led by a Senate-confirmed civilian who's co-chairing with a joint three- or four-star, either a combatant commander or a senior member of the Joint Staff. And they will put together their teams and work their specific issues.
On the framework and generically looking -- roles, missions, functions, core competency, core mission areas, the framework group up there that'll report in to the executive secretariat -- the executive secretariat's going to be run by the director and myself.
But we are not doing the substance work. We're just managing the process so that we get a product that comes together, a product that looks coherent and holistic.
And the groups will work -- any group is open to any element in the department that wants to participate in that, to be involved. All the meetings, within the department and for members of the department, are open. There's a total transparency in the process.
When -- there will be periodic reports that they will report to senior groups. The tank going to the chairman, for the line of independent military advice, which he'll put his inputs into the secretary. And then a parallel line into the term we use, of the dog, which is the deputy's group, with vice chiefs and undersecretaries. And when necessary up to the secretary's group of service chiefs and service secretaries and combatant commanders.
So at different periods, there will be reports. At other times, when there is not an agreement on a way to go forward, and a decision needs to be made, then the co-chairs will bring that forth, to one of the appropriate bodies, to get a decision made.
So in broad brushes, that's what we're doing. I think we're --
(Cross talk.)
SR. DEFENSE OFFICIAL: The only other thing to add is that obviously the seven little boxes there for the specific issues relate to the previous page.
The roles and missions framework again is to try to lay out a structure of, you know, what are, in our core and supporting mission areas, what are the capabilities we need, in order to be able to execute those core missions? How does that relate to competencies that are needed in each one of the departments? And what are the specific functions and roles of those departments, in order to be able to provide those capabilities, in order to be able to accomplish the roles and the missions that are laid out in the national defense and the National Military Strategy?
So that's what that roles and missions group will be working on. And again I think all of this, but that in particular, is also going to help us think through some issues, as we get ready for the Quadrennial Defense Review.
SR. DEFENSE OFFICIAL: I talked to a problem with the graph. I guess it's subject to misinterpretation because it doesn't clearly delineate that there is a path of pushing these products up the senior leadership, which is a combined military-civilian path. But there is also a path of independent military advice that goes up the tank, the chairman up to the secretary. And so we kind of have both of those merged together there. I just don't want to be subject to misinterpretation that there's only one way to get it to the secretary.
Q On the seven issue areas that you list here, are these seven that were required by legislation? Are you -- is it possible you could expand those to other areas as you go along, or is it limited by -- and also, could you explain a little bit on the -- particularly the irregular warfare, what it is you're looking at to clarify to who -- what organization within the defense establishment should be in charge of that effort or is it something more specific?
SR. DEFENSE OFFICIAL: Yeah, let me try two quick responses to that and then turn it over to -- (other official). The only one that's required by the legislation is the first of the seven. Beyond that, it's up to the department to make the determination on where they think we need to look. Again, this is something that's required every four years. So we're not trying to look at everything this time. Plus, it's coming at the end of an administration, so we tried to hit what we think were pressing issues along with what the legislation requires us to do.
And in the area of irregular warfare, the way you characterize it -- and I guess this is the way a lot of people are looking at this -- is there's going to be winners and losers coming out of this. That could be the case. That's not the approach and the thinking that we're going into. We're trying to make the department more effective.
We've taken jointness from interoperability to interdependency, where we realize that one service can put another service on their critical path. They don't have to be able to every single thing within their mission space. They can be relying on partners to do it and they can focus in on where their particular strengths are. And we think that that could be one of the things that come out of this, is how do we do interdependency better rather than who's given this authority or this set of programs and who's given another set of programs. My gut feel is it will be more of the former, is how do we work better together, rather than let's pick winners and losers.
SR. DEFENSE OFFICIAL: So for irregular warfare, among the many things that they'll look at really is kind of what capabilities do we need, looking at it from a special ops perspective versus a conventional perspective. You know, what task can be accomplished and where do you need to have the majority of that priority go, and also from an active Reserve perspective, because, you know, we have got a lot of, you know, civil affairs, different types of capabilities right now in the Reserve and looking at it from that perspective also.
Q Thank you, sir. Could you tell us how this nestles under or fits with or complements the QDR? Because there's a lot of overlap and I know it's mandated by Congress to be done as part of the FY '10 budget, but clearly with a change of administration, a lot of these strategic documents and reviews are subject to the views of the new political masters. So, how do you account for that?
SR. DEFENSE OFFICIAL: So it goes up with the budget, which is -- I mean, it has to go up not later than when the budget goes up. It can go up earlier. So there is the option to do it next -- send it up next administration, this administration. Current timelines show us wrapping this up and packaging the report sometime in the November -- late November timeframe, which presents the secretary and this administration during December to determine how they want to work with transition teams and exactly how the document and when the document might go forth. So the study work and everything will be done, obviously, completed this administration, packaged, and then exactly how it's delivered, what manner is used and what parts are delivered, what parts stay internal, will be something that will be determined after the election.
Q And the QDR itself?
SR. DEFENSE OFFICIAL: The QDR -- this is legislated every four years, the year prior to the QDR. It's meant to be figure out your roles and missions, then go into your QDR. But you bring out before -- that it kind of gets done either straddling terms of an administration or administrations. Clearly, when you're doing the work there's going to be an election going on. And, you know, whether that's the best way to do it long term or not I think is something to be understood in coming years.
Q You know, when you talk about roles and missions, you were talking about resources. And we talked about the degree to which the current allocation of resources across the department will be used kind of as a template from which you may walk back to do this or you throw the deck of cards up in the air and start all over.
SR. DEFENSE OFFICIAL: Yeah. I think the construct you have is different than the one we have.
I mean, resources are derivative at some point in time of this, but the thing is -- to get right is how do you deliver military capability to the warfighter, and how can we best do that. So we've taken some steps already in that it's not just about what services get, but we have these horizontal portfolio managers, nine of them, to look at how do we harmonize across portfolios that are working in separate mission spaces. And so we think that -- again, we're not going to dictate how this gets done, but a lot of the people involved in this have been involved in the process of understanding that vertical, picking winners and losers, and horizontal, looking across the whole force and what you're delivering to the warfighter, that you want to be able to look at things in both ways.
And so -- anyway, I do not think it will be looking at current accounts and then how do they template over. It's more looking at joint capability areas that we have and how do we best deliver those to the warfighter.
SR. DEFENSE OFFICIAL: Who's got responsibilities for that --
SR. DEFENSE OFFICIAL: Yeah.
SR. DEFENSE OFFICIAL: -- making sure that, again, from a DOTMLPF -- doctrine, organization, training -- perspective, that they are being delivered.
Q Thank you. This sort of issues -- is it accurate to say that these are issues where the Defense Department feels it needs improvement?
SR. DEFENSE OFFICIAL: I think it's accurate to say that these seven -- I mean, obviously you've been able to read in the press on number two and three that there's -- different parts of the department have seen this different ways -- so I mean, those were clearly ones that come together -- and to make sure that we have a unified approach how we're going to go forward.
Cyber is clearly an emerging area. Technology, if nothing else, is pushing it forward. We -- I mean, other countries have announced how they have been subject to cyberattacks. It wouldn't be unreasonable to think that we've experienced a similar type of challenges.
Irregular warfare is an area that, you know, the military -- since 9/11, the military has been moving into. It is a new -- well, we've had counterinsurgency for a long time, but to be able to have irregular warfare, something that the entire department is concerned about, is something that we're still in the learning process of.
So I think that those three areas are -- four areas are areas that the department thinks that this study can help us a lot.
The last two are ones of continuing the momentum internal to DOD.
And what we've learned is that the structures we had, interagency, to fight the Cold War, are not necessarily the exact same structures or processes we need, both in the executive and legislative branch, that we need to optimize for the long war that's ahead of us.
Q And if I could follow up, how exactly were these issues chosen?
SR. DEFENSE OFFICIAL: Interactive process between getting nominated ideas from senior leaders, normally at the four-star level, and then presenting them to what we refer to as the big four -- the deputy, the secretary, the chairman and the vice -- and then going in and having discussions, group discussions at the four-star level. So I guess the answer would be a collaborative process at the senior leader level.
Q The unnecessary duplication of capabilities -- there's lots of opinions of what constitutes duplication. So do you have an objective standard, what's really duplication?
SR. DEFENSE OFFICIAL: I think we're kind of clear on -- (inaudible) -- unnecessary where the -- where people --
Q Yeah, but how is that going to be determined. It seems like everybody you talk to has a different opinion that. Every service is going to have a different opinion. So is somebody going to have --
SR. DEFENSE OFFICIAL: We tried to look at it from a warfighter's perspective. And you know, I think that's one of the things that we're going to get out of this whole effort, is to be more definitive as to what becomes unnecessary, what becomes redundant, versus what you do need to have in order to be able to have flexibility to be able to accomplish the mission across all the services.
To answer your question specifically, that's one of the goals out of here, is to be able to define specifically what unnecessary means. And how do we measure that within the department?
Q (Off mike) -- warfighter perspective, is that the commanders, combatant commanders? (Off mike) -- represents the warfighter in this case?
SR. DEFENSE OFFICIAL: The combatant commanders represent, well, in some cases, the combatant commanders are actually leading some of the teams that are out there.
In other cases, the combatant commanders, through the Joint Staff and the chairman, who are represented on each one of the different panels, that are out there, are representing what the combatant commanders need now and in the future. Plus the combatant commanders will be part of this as we go through the different review processes that you saw on that chart.
SR. DEFENSE OFFICIAL: But some combatant commanders for some of the teams will actually be putting people here in the D.C. area so they can participate. Other combatant commanders -- they all of have permanent reps here to be able to attend the meetings. And there's different issues different combatant commanders will be involved in. But this is much more than just a Pentagon effort.
SR. DEFENSE OFFICIAL: Right, yeah. For example, STRATCOM obviously is going to be greatly involved in the cyber one; SOCOM is going to be greatly involved in the irregular warfare one.
Q Sir, how does the interagency play in this whole thing? I thought you said there was a broader concept of the interagency that isn't going to play, but what did you say is going to play?
SR. DEFENSE OFFICIAL: This will not be an interagency product. We will look at what we have learned about how we can improve the interagency. And that's what one of the panels will look like.
When they start to come up with their recommendations, then obviously they would go to the different affected elements in the interagency and sit down to discuss with them and coordinate, you know, exactly what the findings are they're coming up with before the secretary would sign it out to go back up to the Hill.
But again, we just -- we think that we've learned a lot of things in Iraq and Afghanistan and the broader global war on terrorism of how we -- it's a whole of government approach which is needed. The idea of a military approach very, very rarely -- a very small percentage of the time is the way to go. You need to think about what the whole of government can do, of which we're a part. And so we have to have better ways to work in the interagency.
SR. DEFENSE OFFICIAL: Yeah. Look at it from that perspective and also from the perspective of the core mission areas versus some supporting mission areas, where we're kind of looking at core mission areas as the ones that Department of Defense is the predominant -- (inaudible) -- that our primary responsibility to be able to do that with other agencies helping us, and with the supporting being just the opposite. So taking a look at what capacity we need on both sides, you know, us and other agencies and are there things that we in the Department of Defense can do to help other agencies get the capability and capacity they need for the ones they lead in and vice versa back here.
And again, as (other defense official) said, we think we've learned a lot over the last eight years. And to be able to kind of write that and give recommendations back to Congress -- where this report ultimately goes to -- is the goal of that group and really throughout the whole thing.
MODERATOR: We got time for only one more.
SR. DEFENSE OFFICIAL: Yes, sir.
Q Initially, there was some talk of having an information operation in with the cyber topic and that was taken out.
What was the thought process?
SR. DEFENSE OFFICIAL: Yeah. Well, information operations get into the areas like OPSEC (operation security) and psychological operations, you know, if you're familiar with the five pillars. And we just didn't -- we didn't feel like we needed to look across the five pillars. It was more the cyber domain where we think the most churn's going on right now, and it would do the best to do a deep dive and think about how the department postures itself with that.
So electronic warfare, which is part of IO, is not a compelling issue for this. So that's why we went to that.
SR. DEFENSE OFFICIAL: I mean, it is -- you know, it's the newest capability that we really want to take a hard look at -- how do we deliver it to the warfighter, who's got what responsibilities.
Q If I could just ask one quick follow-up, the director of the Joint Staff is listed as one of the members of the secretariat. If that billet goes unfilled for some time because of a nomination dispute with Congress, could that have -- are you concerned that could have an effect on the study, or --
SR. DEFENSE OFFICIAL: Well, it will be an acting --
SR. DEFENSE OFFICIAL: That will be an acting director
SR. DEFENSE OFFICIAL: Yeah, somebody will be performing that function, Roger. Yeah.
Q Okay.
SR. DEFENSE OFFICIAL: We're not going to leave that office vacant.
Q Thank you.
SR. DEFENSE OFFICIAL: Thank you.
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text:
Jan. 14, 2010
NORTHRIDGE, Calif. - Former Matador defender Chad Borak became the latest Matador selected to compete at the professional level when he was selected by the Colorado Rapids with the 40th overall pick in the third round of the 2010 Major League Soccer SuperDraft.
"It was a nerve-wracking experience watching the draft take place," stated Borak. "But it was worth it once I saw my my name and found out that I was chosen by Colorado. My dream to become a professional took place before my eyes today."
Borak is now the second Matador in the last three years to make the transition from the NCAA to Major League Soccer as former MLS Rookie of the Year Sean Franklin was selected by the Los Angeles Galaxy in the 2008 SuperDraft.
During his time at Northridge the Palmdale, Calif. native anchored one of the most feared and respected defenses in the Big West Conference, and posed a constant threat for opponents on both sides of the pitch.
In total Borak competed in 73 games, scored two goals, earned five assists, and was a key contributor on both the 2005 team that advanced to the third round of the NCAA Tournament and this season's squad that earned a spot in the Big West Conference Postseason Tournament.
For his success on the field, Borak was named to the 2008 All-Big West Honorable Mention team, and earned additional All-Big West honors in 2009 as he earned a spot on the conference's First Team.
"It was an honor to have him in our program," exclaimed Men's Soccer Head Coach Terry Davila.
"He worked hard every day in an effort to maximize his potential and become the best soccer play he could be. I'm thrilled for him, he deserves everything that he gets, and I am confident that he will be able to create a long and successful career in the MLS."
After a successful weekend in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida at the 2010 adidas Player Combine, Borak felt confident about his performances in front of the litany of scouts and team personnel and anxiously awaited to see the results of his efforts.
"I performed solidly in the three games that I participated in. I was able to show everyone my athleticism as a potential professional, displayed my ability to move up and down the field and succeed in the 1 vs. 1 battles that took place, and felt that my overall performance helped strengthened my case - especially as a player from the west coast since a lot of invitees came from the ACC and other conferences back east."
The newest member of the Colorado rapids will have a short amount of time to revel in, process, and digest the events that took place on draft day as Borak will begin preparing for training camp in Colorado which is scheduled to take place at the end of the month.
"Even though I have a long road ahead of me, I cannot explain how excited I feel about the events that took place today," explained Borak.
"I am just going to enjoy the events that took place today, and then get ready to work."

subset: commoncrawl


text:
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text:
Scott Pianowski
Rapid React: Yoenis Cespedes hits the Big AppleScott Pianowski at Roto Arcade 1 day ago
I had a lot of pointed things to say about Yoenis Cespedes in the preseason. I called him overrated, a sucker play. I ranked him lower than just about anyone.
Thus far, Team Cespedes is having the last laugh, an extended last laugh. He's currently the No. 10 outfielder in Yahoo 5x5 value, enjoying a strong .293-62-18-61-3 season. So long as you didn't pay a ridiculous price in March, this has been a fun profit season for you.
[Friday Daily Fantasy contest: Turn $5 into $5K]
Everyone knows that NL baseball is shaded by the lack of a designated hitter, while AL baseball enjoys the DH and a freer scoring environment. The average AL club slugs .405 and has 432 runs for the year; in the NL, it drops to .391 and 404.
Cespedes isn't just going to any offense of course, he's going to the Mets – the lowest-scoring club in baseball entering Friday's action. He's not going to get a lot of help here.
Closing Time: Alex Wilson steps into the Detroit voidScott Pianowski at Roto Arcade 1 day ago
For most of the season, the Tigers didn't look to Alex Wilson for holds. But in the new world order Thursday at Baltimore, the club decided the 28-year-old righty was worthy of a handshake.
Wilson only had two holds on the year through his first 38 appearances, despite a pretty set of ratios (1.84 ERA, WHIP under 1). With that in mind, it wasn't clear if he'd be part of the closing chase after Joakim Soria was dispatched to Pittsburgh. Bruce Rondon had the big strikeout rate and seemed like someone who would get a chance, despite other flaws. Al Albuquerque also strikes guys out, though he has a walk problem. Blaine Hardy is generally a lefty specialist. Neftali Feliz has been horrendous since joining the Tigers; that's the first name I eliminated.
[Friday Daily Fantasy contest: Turn $5 into $5K]
[Yahoo Sports Fantasy Football Pro Leagues are open: Sign up today!]
Five mistakes even good fantasy football owners makeScott Pianowski at Roto Arcade 2 days ago
We're bringing back five tips from last year to help you prepare for drafts in the coming weeks.
I'm not going to list off the common and inane "mistakes to avoid" that are regularly trumpeted in this kind of piece; let's try to be better than that. Everyone knows not to draft off last year's stats. Everyone knows not to rely on a magazine cheat sheet that was created several months ago. Everyone knows not to show up at the draft reeking of Old Milwaukee. Everyone knows to monitor the waiver wire like a hawk.
No new tale to tell there.
Here are five mistakes I see even smart fantasy owners make, the second-level of leakage. Consider them, make of them what you will. Add your own ideas in the comments.
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The league changes too quickly. No sport reshuffles as thoroughly as the NFL.
Play For Today.
But these things need to be constructed with a pencil, not a pen. You don't want to be locked into anything.
Opening Time: Aaron Hicks would like your attentionScott Pianowski at Roto Arcade 2 days ago
The Minnesota Twins, for all their fine play this year, are not an attention-grabbing franchise on the national landscape. Perhaps that's why Aaron Hicks is still kicking around free-agent wires despite a strong rally this summer.
Although Hicks is just 25, he's already had his share of ups and downs during his pro career. He was the 14th overall pick in the 2008 draft, and was ranked favorably in prospect circles for the ensuing four years. But the star quickly faded when Hicks flopped with the Twins in 2013 and 2014. Over what's essentially a full-season sample, he posted a putrid .201/.293/.313 slash, along with nine homers and 13 steals, in those two campaigns.
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Hicks is ready to add in 95 percent of Yahoo leagues. He might just make it after all.
Opening Time: Bullish on J.T. RealmutoScott Pianowski at Roto Arcade 3 days ago
Catcher is the most physically-demanding position on the sandlot, and maybe that explains why the position has been such a fantasy mess this year.
Consider all the big names disappointing us. Carlos Santana hasn't returned what we expected. Yadier Molina's power might be gone for good. Yan Gomes got hurt, hasn't hit since. Devin Mesoraco also got hurt, and basically punted the year. Wilin Rosario isn't in the mix in Colorado. Matt Wieters has been so-so since his injury return.
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With all that in mind, we savor the players who have panned out, and the surprises that emerged from nowhere. Russell Martin is no hoser in the YYZ. Yasmani Grandal is an OBP machine in L.A. Francisco Cervelli is here to help your batting average. Buster Posey remains one of the most bankable and reliable players around.
And very quietly in South Florida, rookie J.T. Realmuto is making his mark with the Marlins.
Opening Time: Jays and Rockies make a roto trade, swap Tulowitzki for Reyes (and prospects)Scott Pianowski at Roto Arcade 4 days ago
While it's a seismic move in the real baseball world, the Troy Tulowitzki-Jose Reyes deal isn't nearly as important to fantasy owners. The two key players are universally owned and their values don't change much. Nonetheless, we should offer up a few thoughts before we move onto subtler things.
I've been out on Tulowitzki for a few years now, worrying about his injury risk and whatnot. You know what you're signing up for with him. I give his fantasy value a minor boost in Toronto, now that he's in the hitter's league and with a better lineup around him (the best lineup in baseball, of course).
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This summer, Tulowitzki didn't make it into Cameron's Top 50. And no, Reyes and some prospects is not a Walker payday.
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Daily Dime: Chris Heston, Kyle Hendricks, Mike Napoli, Nelson CruzScott Pianowski at Roto Arcade 5 days ago
Here are some thoughts as you get ready for Monday's DFS slate. As always, be sure to check the weather and the final lineups before you lock things in.
Chris Heston, SP, vs. MIL (Lohse), $45: The Regression Police had their fun after Heston's surprise no-hitter in early June, but guess what? The music keeps playing. Heston has a tidy 2.20 ERA in his last seven starts since the gem at Citi Field, and if you look at all of his non-Colorado starts (thin air ruins everything), we're looking at a 2.50 ERA. The Giants have been sizzling since the break, and I certainly expect them to have some fun against Kyle Lohse on the other side.
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Daily Dime: Cooney, Kluber, Coors, two guys named IanScott Pianowski at Roto Arcade 8 days ago
Yahoo Daily Fantasy is fun, especially when all the teams are in play. Here are some names to consider as you do your Friday shopping. Make sure you check out the weather and lineups before you make final commitments.
Tim Cooney, SP, vs. ATL (Williams), $25: You're hoping for six innings from Cooney, an ordinary lefty, but also take note he's the second-biggest favorite on the Friday card. Those win points sure come in handy. Atlanta's offense isn't much without Freddie Freeman; the Braves are the NL's lowest-scoring team for the second half.
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Ian Desmond, SS, at PIT (Locke), $14: Is his nightmare summer finally turning around? Desmond has seven hits and two homers over his last four games, and now he draws the platoon advantage against a soft-tossing lefty. Sounds good to me.
Closing Time: Zack Greinke, guaranteed no-hitters, and outliersScott Pianowski at Roto Arcade 8 days ago
Back in the middle of 1990, the wacky Seattle Mariners came up with a fresh promotional idea: Guaranteed No-Hitter Night. If the June 16 game between the Rangers and the Mariners didn't produce a no-hitter, all fans in attendance received a free ticket to a future game.
The timing seemed right. Nolan Ryan, fresh off his sixth career no-no, was pitching for the Rangers. Seattle had the second-worst offense in the American League that year. Alas, no one threw a no-hitter that evening, and Mariners lefty Matt Young wound up stealing the show with a three-hit gem. (Guaranteed Shutout Night doesn't generate the same buzz.)
All-Hitter Shuffle Up: Where does Joc Pederson go from here?Scott Pianowski at Roto Arcade 16 days ago
Normally we shuffle the hitters by segments - outfielders, corners, middles, that sort of thing. But with a break in the action, it's a good time to take a look at the entire landscape. Enjoy.
The usual rules apply. We're trying to figure how the players will perform from here on out. What's happened to this point is an audition, nothing past that.
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When I do these lists, they're composed completely from scratch. I don't look back at old ranks.
You're going to have some disagreements, and that's good. That's why we have a game and why it's fun.
The injury ranks are for courtesy. I will not debate them. If you're a better doctor than I am, that's fine. I'm generally very cautious with hurt players and it's served me well over the years, but you are welcome to play differently. If you know when Stanton and Cabrera will come back and what they'll do, good for you.
I didn't rank players in the minors. I never do. They're worth whatever you want.


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Moods Affected by Weather
We were sitting in the front porch of my sister's doctor's office. As we sat, a light wind blew, and since we drove to this place in Tepoztlan we were kind of tired already, so this wind was making us feel sleepier. Since we arrived early, the doctor's secretary asked us if we wanted to go for a walk that we could because the doctor was going to arrive within an hour or so. The sun was really hot, made me kind of sleepy, and it also put me in a bad mood. Moods are affected by weather whether it is blazing hot, rainy, or windy.
When someone goes to a place that is really hot, he might end up in a bad mood, and make him not want to go outside, and he might not want to do anything later on. Hot weather can create headaches and usually people will end up just wanting to be in bed. There are others who enjoy the hot weather because they can go out and get a sun tan. But there are also those who get irritated and hate it when it is really hot.
When it is raining outside, people usually just want to stay inside. When people go out, they get wet even when they take an umbrella or a poncho, so usually that is why people do not go out during rainy days. Rainy days create muddy lawns, and they might end up slippery, and people might fall, and to prevent from falling or having any other accident they prefer to stay at home where they might be safer. If they go out and fall that would put them in a bad mood and might have a bad day for the rest of the day. When things are planned out and it starts to rain, that usually puts some people in a bad mood because that ruins it for them. On the other hand, there are those who end up in a good mood towards the rain, especially if they plant vegetables, fruits, or plants because their crops will get the water they need.
When there is that light wind outside, that creates a good sensation to someone. Some like those days because they can go outside and lie on their hammock and swing gently and let the wind blow swiftly through them. Others when they have a very rough day in front of them they do not like those days because it makes them feel sluggish and that ruins their day, yet when they get home they can relax outside on their hammock and just lie their. Moods can vary also depending on the day that will come eventually. Some people enjoy those days by going to the parks with their children and flying kites. With the kids, it creates a good sensation because they are free to go outside and play.
Mood is usually affected by weather in some way. Some people are affected in a good way but then there are those who are affected in a bad way, depending on the day. The mood affected by weather sometimes has a little to do with the seasons because it might be rainy and ruin it for him, too cold to go outside, or to hot that she might even sweat in a very important event of hers and can create a certain odor if not careful. People's moods are affected when it is hot, rainy, or windy outside depending on their schedule for that day.
|Back to 1101 essays


text:
Judging Judges
|Your courts, their secrets - the cases your judges are hiding from you
Can You Afford "Justice?"
What makes the biggest difference to how your day in court will go? The facts? Your lawyer? The jury?
None of the above.
The single biggest factor on whether you receive justice is simply the judge presiding over your case. The news is full of stories of justice delayed or denied because of the whims of the judge. Although sometimes as in the case of one Court in Nevada, the judges are too busy fighting amongst themselves.
People should remember judges are people too, and like most people - can be influenced. Unfortunately the judicial commissions which exist solely to address judicial misconduct, often protect judges, instead. For the few cases where judicial misconduct is addressed, sadly, they are often not adjudicated in a timely manner.
This is separate from the occasional case of bribery that visited much of the Oklahoma Supreme Court. But, apparently, bribery is an ongoing issue on the court, as reported by the New York Times on four New Jersey judges.
As one California case demonstrates, a San Benito County judge is allowing previously-declared vexatious litigants now facing over 150 felony criminal charges, to continue harassing their victims. This would make anyone think twice before visiting Hollister, California. Judicial commissions? Hopefully, the Commission on Judicial Performance is investigating - but that's small comfort to the hundreds of people already and continuing to be adversely impacted by the Defendants.
And yet, it's the lowly traffic ticket that continues sticking to the heel of judges. Catherine Gallagher is the Presiding Judge of Santa Clara County. Gallagher is married to former judge, now disbarred attorney William Danser. Danser was removed from the bench for his ticket fixing proclivities.
For larger crimes USAjudges.com announces the twin, judicial indictments out of Louisiana for Racketerring.
Most attorneys know which judges uphold their oath to be impartial as well as those who do not. (But they don't always share this information with clients). But overcoming judicial bias is one reason attorneys hire trial consultants. California attorneys can file a pre-emptive challenge to get rid of a biased judge, but this common sense remedy is not available in most states. As such a pre-trial report from a judge USAjudges.com on a judge is useful, and especially so during judicial elections.
USAjudges.com addresses the need people have to learn about current judges who want to retain office. Now people have the ability to a little more about their judge, or how a particular judge has ruled in the past.
Don't expect your lawyer will necessarily tell you what you need to know. Don't roll the dice when you've got your finances or even your freedom on the line. Get the edge you need by getting the information you lack.


text:
August 1, 2015
BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. -- The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has approved a change in the nominations process that will allow between five and 10 best picture nominees.
The board voted Tuesday to approve the change.
The number of nominees won't be announced until the best picture nominees are announced in January.
Ten best-picture nominations were announced for this year's and last year's Oscars. In previous years it was five.
Says retiring Academy Executive Director Bruce Davis: "If there are only eight pictures that truly earn that honor in a given year, we shouldn't feel an obligation to round out the number."
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text:
PSU names director of strength training
Michael Bauer, Sports Editor
Matt Nelson may have been lining up against PSU while playing for Northwest Missouri State on the football field just a few years ago. But now, he'll be assisting Pittsburg State's athletes in the coming school year.
Pittsburg State has named Matt Nelson as the director of strength training and nutrition for the Gorillas.
The graduate from NWMSU is transitioning from William Jewell College in Liberty, Mo. He served as the Cardinals' head strength and conditioning coach last year. Before that, he was an assistant strength and conditioning coach at fellow Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) school Northwest Missouri State. He also served strength and conditioning internships at Texas Christian University and the University of Missouri during the past three years.
Nelson's job will be to provide help and training in strength development, physical conditioning, injury rehabilitation and nutrition for PSU athletes. Nelson will also conduct and monitor strength and conditioning programs for all athletic teams and monitor and advise student athletes on proper nutrition in addition to provide oversight and management of the strength and conditioning facility.
"We are excited to have Matt Nelson join the Pitt State family as our director of strength and nutrition," said Jim Johnson, athletic director on the PSU athletics page. "It became obvious in the search process that Matt's previous experiences and talents are a perfect fit to help him come in and help our student athletes and our teams succeed."
Nelson's education includes a bachelor's of science degree in corporate recreation and wellness in May 2009. He earned a master's of science degree in applied health/sports sciences from NWMSU in May 2011. Nelson is a certified strength and conditioning specialist.
While he was at NWMSU, Nelson was a three-year starter for the Bearcats, playing from 2006-08. In addition to facing the Gorillas in the regular season each year, Nelson also faced PSU in the national play-offs in 2007 and 2008.
"In addition to being a young, energetic individual, Matt has a good level of knowledge in his specialty areas," said PSU head football coach Tim Beck. "He connected very well with our athletes during his day on campus and his knowledge of the MIAA certainly is an added bonus as well."


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This project is about making the most of the unused things you have lying around your home. I had bought secondhand lamp from a thrift store for $2. It had this opaque glass shaped like a cone, power cord, bulb...
I wanted to use it for one of my project but could figure out how or where to use it, until one day I looked at a wooden frame on my terrace, and I thought "why not put the opaque cone in some kind of a wooden frame.
I had to decided what kind of frame would be best to incorporate the cone. I decided on a cube form with four bars on the sides.
In hindsight, I think that trapezium form would have worked better for this project.
Step 1: What you need is...
wood slats
light bulb (G 9)
bulb socket (G 9)
contact paper
various drill bits
sandpaper (100, 250, 400)
Step 2: Drill, sand and paint.
Step 3: Attaching the glass cone to the top of the frame.
Step 4: Assemble the pieces.
Second, glue the side bars to the bottom.
Third, attach the top part.
Step 5: There you have it.
Love the modern look it has about it!
I used LED G9 light bulb because the emit less heat and on top of that consume very little amount of electricity, the only disadvantage is that they cost more that the halogen ones.
Thank you, M3G and dtousey.


text:
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Category Archives: Cuba
Health Care in Cuba
In a sidebar titled Health without Wealth the Lonely Planet travel guide to Havana gushes about the impressive achievements of the Cuban health care system. Not to just pick on Lonely Planet, Michael Moore in his documentary Sicko presents Cuban health care as greatly superior to American health care—at far less cost.
As a self-employed person with four kids I've naturally had trying moments dealing with health insurance bureaucrats in the United States, not to mention figuring out how to pay for coverage. My personal view is that anything other than a single payer medical system is ultimately unworkable, and we are nuts to interpose health insurance companies with a profit motive between ourselves and our medical needs. Tying health insurance coverage to employment is also crazy in my opinion.
So I'm no fan of the American health care system. Before leaving for Cuba, I tried to figure out how health care could be as good as some sources indicated in a third world country with material shortages so bad that soap, toilet paper, and analgesics (such as aspirin) are in short supply. I would love to be able to report that the Cuban health care system is as good as Michael Moore says it is—but it just ain't so.
My family has two premature kids (Julian and Katie Rose) and we've had four high-risk pregnancies. So I was very interested to visit the high-risk pregnancy ward shown in the photo in Trinidad, Cuba. I brought a duffle bag of baby clothes and Tylenol to Cuba. After giving these to the director, I was able to look around and snap a few photos.
High Risk Pregnancy Ward in Cuba, photo by Harold Davis. View this image larger.
If you look at the photo, you'll see that things are reasonably clean (not apparently true of all Cuban hospitals). However, there are no medications, no IV drips, no monitoring equipment and not even a thermometer. The ward provides iron bed frames, you bring your own sheets. The only thing on offer is bed rest.
None of my children would have survived in Cuba.
It seems true that Cuban medical schools produce numerous doctors (many of these trained physicians are exported to Venezuela in exchange for oil). It's free for Cubans to visit a doctor, but there's a grave shortage of anything one of these doctors might prescribe.
In the Moore film, several 9/11 clean-up workers who were dissatisfied with their medical care were invited to Cuba to be treated "like average Cubans." In fact, these workers were taken to one of the exhbition wards in a Havana hospital reserved for the elite, or for foreigners with hard currency.
There is some medical tourism to Cuba (particularly from South America) and the clinics available to foreign tourists are clean, with doctors and nurses waiting for tourists to show up. But these are not the facilities the average Cuban sees. Nor are even the most basic medical necessities available in drug stores, making the fancy asthma inhaler purchased cheaply at a Havana drugstore in Sicko quite a miracle indeed.
In a CNN interview, Moore suggests that people should get off his back regarding the Cuban segment in Sicko because the success or failure of the Cuban medical system is not as important to his premise as the success of health care in Canada, France or the United Kingdom. He's got a point, but Sicko is a film that cost nine million dollars to make and has taken in more than twenty-four million dollars. Moore was snookered or is lying, or both—and it's just business that he is sticking to his guns and not admitting he erred.
The Cuban government boasts of preventive care, longevity, and low infant mortality rates. It's hard to place much faith in claims of preventive care in a country in which smoking is rampant, and more-or-less officially condoned. The claims of longevity are essentially unverifiable and based on statistics from a government that is notorious for its propaganda machine. The low infant mortality per live birth rate is probably a skewed statistic, with a built in bias because of the practice of aborting all fetuses with any signs of trouble, and because of the way live births are counted. (My daughter Katie Rose, born at 24 weeks gestational age, probably would not have counted as a live birth in Cuba.)
It's great that there is universal health care in Cuba, and it is also great that there are so many trained doctors available. It must be incredibly frustrating for these doctors not to be able to provide even the most basic health care needs because of material shortages.
Related story: Fifty Years after the Revolution.
Looking Up
Looking Up, photo by Harold Davis. View this image larger.
This is looking up the spiral staircase in the Edificio Cuervo Rubio in La Habana, Cuba. Here's the view looking down the same staircase.
Map of a Life
Map of a Life, photo by Harold Davis. View this image larger.
I don't know very much about this old woman. I photographed her in Las Terrazas, Cuba—part ecology preserve and part Potemkin village attempting to show off the "wonderfulness" of Cuba 50 years after the revolution.
I don't know much about her, but it seems to me that the lines on her face and the look in her eyes comprise a map of her life. She has seen many things, not all of them happy.
Edificio Cuervo Rubio
Edificio Cuervo Rubio, photo by Harold Davis. View this image larger.
This is a fisheye shot looking down the staircase in the Edificio Cuervo Rubio, an art deco apartment building at Calles 21 y O in the Vedado section of Havana, Cuba across the street from the Hotel Nacional. Like most of the housing stock in La Habana, this gourgeous building has seen better days. But the elegant design of days gone by remains, and it is in far better shape than many other apartment buildings I photographed. There's a marble statue in the lobby beneath a circular shaft heading up to the roof; I'll be posting a photo at some point.
If you look carefully, you can see a chained bicycle at the bottom of the spiral staircase.
Other Cuban staircases: Back Stair, Twisted Stairs; related images: Endless Stairs, Endless Doors.
Exposure data: Nikon D300, 10.5mm digital fisheye, 15 seconds at f/20 and ISO 100, tripod mounted.
Cover Model
Cover Model, photo by Harold Davis. View this image larger.
In Cuba, posing for tourist photos is a desirable profession—and a good way to get convertible pesos. All it takes is to be "sweetly picturesque in rags" and official permision. The government license comes with a special plastic ID card that savvy photographers make sure is tucked out of sight when they take those "authentic" photos of Cubans. Of course, almost everyone will pose for you on the black market even if they are not licensed.
You can see that this Lonely Planet cover model found in La Habana Vieja may be sitting down; but he is not resting on his laurels.
Malecon Moon
Malecon Moon, photo by Harold Davis. View this image larger.
I shot this view of the Malecon in Havana, Cuba from the small bluff that the Hotel Nacional sits on. (More about the Hotel Nacional later.)
The two minute exposure gave the clouds a chance to spread out and show their colors in the moonlight. This exposure would have blown out the Malecon itself in the foreground of the photo, so I used a layer mask and a gradient to combine in a darker version shot at 20 seconds.
You can see a row of people living their life along the Malecon sea wall. But the long exposure has "flattened" them in some strange visual way—so even the people seem to be merely accessory to the landscape.
Twisted Stairs
Twisted Stairs, photo by Harold Davis. View this image larger.
This is a fisheye shot looking up from beneath the bell tower stairs at the Revolutionary Museum in Trinidad, Cuba.
At the entrance to the empty museum, I asked the guard—who had been sitting out in the plaza—whether I could go up the tower before I paid my one C.U.C. (convertible peso) admission. I had no interest in another set of rooms filled with memorablia from the revolutionary era. I did want to climb the tower. But when I got the to point shown in the photo there was a barrier across the stairs. So I went back down and asked for my money back. The guard came up and removed the barrier, asking me to be sure not to ring the bells.
The view in this photo has definite shades of Escher, but stay tuned: Playing with the image is in my plans.
Check out A Spiral Model of Creativity, the final article in my Becoming a More Creative Photographer series on Photo.net. Next month I start a creative Photoshop Darkroom column on Photo.net.
Fifty Years after the Cuban Revolution
Museo de la Revolucion, formerly the Presidential Palace. View this image larger.
Prologue to a Revolution
On a humid and unseasonably hot day in March of 1957, forty-two men armed with sub-machine guns, carbines and automatic pistols crammed into the back of a small delivery truck. Two other vehicles, a Buick sedan and a Ford roadster, each with four armed men in shirt sleeves, accompanied the van. The assault on the Presidential Palace was on.
Inside the dark and hot van the men debated about contemporary art. One was a painter of realistic scenes. Another painted only abstracts. Comrades in revolutionary arms, they could not agree about the goals or methods of painting and bitterly fought the academic battle between realism and modernism. Another pair of men played chess on a small set by the dim light filtering in through the crack between the rear doors, with onlookers kibitzing in whispers.
At the Presidential Palace, dictator Fulgencio Batista waited in the Salon de los Espejos (the Hall of Mirrors), reading The Day Lincoln was Shot by Jim Bishop to pass the time. Brutal tyrant and pawn of the American crime syndicate, Batista knew the attack was coming, if not exactly when (he expected a night assault). In the corrupt climate of Havana it was impossible to keep a secret, and an informer had given the outlines of the conspiracy away in the torture chambers of Batista's secret police.
Salon de los Espejos (Hall of Mirrors). View this image larger.
Through sheer shock and surprise, the first wave of the assault overpowered the guards at the gates of the Presidential Palace and proceeded up the marble stairs to the Hall of Mirrors on the second floor. But Batista had fled to the upper reaches of the Presidential Palace, sealing the way behind him. Meanwhile, the guards regrouped outside the palace. Most of the rebels died on the marble stairs of the Presidential Palace. The blood ran down in streams into the neighboring park, where bullets chipped nearby buildings and accidentally killed an American tourist. Of the thirty-five men who made it into the palace, three made it out alive.
By the way, Fidel Castro had nothing to do with the assault on the Presidential Palace. At the time, Fidel was doing his guerilla thing in the mountains listening to the news on his scratchy short-wave radio. "Comrades," he announced, "Something big is happening in La Habana." He later deplored the action as a useless waste of human life.
The Granma Memorial
Today, fifty years after Fidel toppled Batista from power, the elegant Palacio Presidencial, with interior decoration by Tiffany, has become the Museo de la Revolucion. Inside the Museum of the Revolution there's no sign of the brutal struggle that raged on the symmetrical marble stairs beneath the Tiffany dome. But out the backdoor is the second half of the Revolutionary Museum, with artifacts from the revolution treated with the reverence normally reserved for relics associated with holy saints. Here you'll find the delivery van the rebels used in their attack on the Presidential Palace, each bullet hole lovingly coated and painted to preserve them against the oxidation that is normal to the climate.
Preserved bullet holes in the delivery truck. View this image larger.
You'll also find an entire ship preserved behind glass. This is the Granma, the boat that brought the Castro brothers, Che Guevara, and other revolutionaries to Cuba from Mexico in 1956. Purchased for $15,000 from an American couple, the Granma left Tuxpan, Mexico with 82 men and a cache of arms.
It was a terrible trip, plagued with confusion about which way to go, sea-sickness and overcrowding. The engine broke down, and needed an overhaul at sea.
Arriving later than expected, the Granma missed the expected rendezvous point, and landed in a swamp. The beached Granma was spotted by a government plane, and the expedition was betrayed by the party's guide. The few survivors tried desperately to stay alive. Guevara attempted to extract water from a puddle with his asthma apparatus. Castro, alone with two of his men, sucked sugar cane stalks and hid in a cane field for several days.
It is nothing short of a miracle that from this inauspicious beginning came a successful revolution. Miracles are associated with beatitude, and beatitude with holy relics. It fits the pattern to see the Granma at the Revolutionary Museum, polished to the nines—one of the few things in Havana with fresh paint that isn't deteriorating—sitting under a crumbling roof near the bullet-pock-marked delivery truck, the tank Castro used during the Bay of Pigs invasion, and other relics. The truth is that the level of organization shown in both the Granma expedition and the assault on the Presidential Palace was pretty Keystone cops. Woody Allen had it about right in Bananas.
Che and Camilo
The exhibits in the Museum of the Revolution start on the third floor, in the former Presidential suite that Batista fled to when the rebel assault came. Behind glass cases you'll see documentation of the incredible brutality of the Batista regime, and detailed diagrams of the battle plans of various rebel operations. Some cases include guns the rebels used, the boots they wore, and the radios they used. Captions are in Spanish and (very) fractured English.
In one open room there's a life-sized diorama of Che Guevara and Camilo Cienfuegos in the Cuban jungle. I had the feeling that if the technology had been available and affordable this would have been animated with the sounds of the jungle and distant Batista aircraft bombardment, smoking pistols and all, like something Disney would do.
Diorama of Che and Camilo in the "jungle". View this image larger.
Castro seems to have had a penchant and knack for converting his military commanders with prestige that might rival his own into martyrs. It's well known that Che went (or was sent) to Bolivia, where he was ambushed. What are purportedly Che's bones now rest under a monument near Santa Clara, Cuba.
Che's visage is a visual constant in modern Cuba, and each year a new Che calendar is seen everywhere. The hagiography of both Castro and Che benefits greatly from the great photography of Alberto Korda, Castro's staff photographer; although Che does not rate highly in my book as pin-up material, apparently there are those that think otherwise.
Camilo is less well known outside of Cuba than Che. One day in Havana I witnessed long lines of school children and soldiers marching down to the harbor to drop white flowers in the ocean in memory of this martyr, one of the most important revolutionary warriors, dead more than fifty years.
The story I heard in Cuba was that Camilo had been ordered in 1959 to fly to return with a traitor [presumably Hubert Matos]. Camilo disappeared without a trace, despite a massive search for any trace of the hero or his plane.
You don't have to be a student of Jungian archetypes, Bruno Bettelheim on fairytales or the purges following the Russian revolution to recognize this story as familiar and inherently implausible. As Hugh Thomas puts it in Cuba, "Speculation about Cienfuegos' death has continued. …No doubt this is one of the many matters that history will elucidate…"
Why the continued emphasis on revolution?
A revolutionary government that has been in power for fifty years is oxymoronic, and one has to ask oneself about the point of this particular example of Orwellian doublespeak. The label may have made a little sense during the years when Castro had the world's third largest standing army and was attempting to export revolution to other third world countries. But now the continuous epithet of "revolutionary" applied to the authoritarian government in Cuba, along with the hagiographic iconography of the revolutionary generation, can only be seen as an attempt at justification for the regime's existence and an attempt to rationalize the failures of the society the regime has spawned.
Cuba is a beautiful country with warm, welcoming and educated people. It's also a land of contradictions, a place of food shortages and bread lines where vast acres of fertile land lie uncultivated.
Cuba is a banana republic with a back story of gangsterismo and an overlay of dysfunctional Stalinism.
As an American, I feel bad about missed opportunities—and the substantial role that ignorance, avarice and greed have played in America's long relationship with Cuba. On the other hand, it's clear that the problems in Cuba run far deeper than the American embargo.
Havana Panorama
Havana Panorama, photo by Harold Davis. View this image larger.
This is a panoramic view of Havana and its harbor taken from the huge statue of Jesus that overlooks the city. I stitched together 18 captures using Photomerge in Photoshop CS4 to create this panorama. The level of detail that it shows is best appreciated in a larger size.
Related story: check out this panorama of San Francisco and the Golden Gate.
Milk Scam
Milk Scam, photo by Harold Davis. View this image larger.
Across the street from the Cuban capitolio nacional under a dark and crumbling arcade a mother and two daughters watched me. She asked me if I wanted to take their photo. I wasn't very interested, but snapped a few frames to be polite. Then I offered her a little money.
"No, no," she said. "Buy my girls some milk." Before I knew it I was a milk scam victim.
The scam was well organized. The mother marched me into a nearby store, they produced one bag of powdered milk for each of the girls, I paid ten times the market cost of the milk, and girls and mother (if indeed she was their mom) swiftly disappeared with the milk. All this took place a breakneck speed before I could stop to think.
This occurred on my first day in Havana. I was hot, tired and disoriented. I probably would not have fallen for the ploy later in my trip. I also might have remembered that Cuban children seven and under are entitled to subsidized milk as part of their rations, and that inexpensive powdered milk is widely available for older kids.
It's hard for me to turn down anything that involves kids—which is probably why I didn't just say no. But I also think the story of this milk scam is interesting in terms of the social corruption it implies.
I'd suppose the store split the proceeds with the mom, with the store getting the lion's share. But this occured in a store right across from the capitolio. There's a pretty big police presence, and it is hard to imagine they don't know what is going on. So there's a chain of graft and corruption that goes up from my milk scam towards the top of Cuban society. Every Cuban has some kind of racket going on the side, because their salaries from the government in combination with rations are simply not enough to survive on.
I'd like to believe in the best ideals of socialismo, but this kind of thing makes it hard indeed. Very, very sad.
Capitolio Nacional
Capitolio Nacional, photo by Harold Davis. View this image larger.
The dome of the capitolio nacional is a landmark that can be seen from many parts of Havana, Cuba. The building sits between Centro Habana and Habana Vieja (the partially restored old city).
The area immediately surrounding the capitolio nacional is a locus of tourist scam activities. Jinteras (female escorts) ply their trade. Boxes of counterfeit Cohiba cigars are sold as supposedly swiped from the factory in dark rooms across the street from the capitol. In all fairness, I was badgered by people whispering "Psst! Want to buy a cigar?" everywhere I went in Cuba—so it is not just the capitol area that is awash in these counterfeits.
The capitolio nacional was built by American-backed strongman Gerardo Machado in the late 1920s. In tribute to those who kept him in power, the exterior mimics the capitol building in Washington. Inside the building, you can wander the aisles of the senate and house of representives chambers. My sense is that there was never any serious attempt at bicameral representative democracy.
Today, the capitolio nacional is mostly an empty tourist attraction. You can see in my photo of the Salon de los Pasos Perdidos (Great Hall of the Lost Steps, so named because of its acoustic properties) that someone waxes the floor and keeps the place clean. A large diamond used to sit in the entrance hall to mark the zero point for all Cuban travel distances. The diamond has been replaced with a facsimile. Rumour has it that the real diamond sits in Fidel's office.
Exposure data: Nikon D300, 10.5mm digital fisheye, two exposures (0.25 of a second and 0.6 of a second) combined in Photoshop using layers and masking, each exposure at f/13 and ISO 100, tripod mounted.
Back Stair
Back Stair, photo by Harold Davis. View this image larger.
This is a back staircase in the rundown Palacio Ferrer in Cienfuegos, Cuba. Built by sugar baron Jose Ferrer Sires, the Palacio housed one of the leading families of Cuba's colonial sugar oligarchy in great style.
Today the dilapidated Palacio is a so-called cultural center, although the only evidence of culture I could see was a much worn piano, probably last tuned at about the time Fidel took power.
Exposure data: Nikon D300, 13mm, six exposures combined in Photoshop using masks and layers with exposure times between 20 seconds and 1/2 of a second, each exposure at f/22 andf ISO 100, tripod mounted.
El Malecon
El Malecon, photo by Harold Davis. View this image larger.
Night comes to El Malecon, the boulevard that runs along the ocean. Old Havana glimmers in the distance. Soft light and surf spray in the air soften decrepitude. Lovers meet, music plays. You'd never know this isn't the good life.
Exposure data: Nikon D300, 65mm, 30 seconds at f/11 and ISO 200, tripod mounted.


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Blacks and Gun Registration
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The midfielder scored against Olympiakos on Tuesday night but it was to no avail as Arsene Wenger's side surrendered the lead to lose 2-1 in Greece.
Defeat followed the weekend loss in the Premier League to Swansea City, when fans at Emirates Stadium did not hold back in letting their feelings be known.
Arsenal will therefore have to try and win back the respect of their followers when they host West Bromwich Albion on Saturday and Rosicky thinks the current volatile atmosphere is damaging.
The Czech said in the Evening Standard: "I can understand the frustrations, I am an Arsenal fan as well when I am not playing.
"It is understandable but we have some young guys and this is not helping. We have to all stick together, which is what we did last season when everyone was writing us off.
"The performances we produced against Tottenham and AC Milan [in last season's Champions League], you could feel the great atmosphere at the Emirates. Without doubt that was the best atmosphere I have ever played in.
"We have to win the people again, that is the challenge. It will be difficult but we are capable of doing it again. If we are all on board, Arsenal is a great place to play football."
Don't miss any live and exclusive football coverage this festive season. Click here to visit Sky Sports' Festive Calendar


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Company History – Transportation Charter Services (TCS) has been operating in the Los Angeles market since 1984 providing passenger transportation services for Charter for the past 28 years. The company has built a strong base of customers both local and abroad that have created a stable and sustainable business model.
TCS also developed an in house tour division operating under Daytours whereby the company developed and marketed tours for both retail and receptive services for local seniors groups, church group and travel clubs.
TCS was acquired from the original ownership in January 2012. The new regime is committed to maintaining the solid foundation of business and customers developed over the company's history. TCS focused primarily on the Educational and Religious market segments historically, but the new ownership brings a new dimension with many successful years in the Tour and Travel market as well as over 25 years industry experience. Loyalty to an established TCS ideal, passion for the industry and sheer commitment to innovation will provide the energy for an exciting future for the organization.
Company Location and Facility – TCS is located in Orange County California at 1931 Batavia Street in the city of Orange. The property is situated on approximately 2 acres with a large facility that houses a 3 bay CHP certified full service maintenance shop, administrative offices, and spacious parking for 35 coaches.


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|Embassy Suites Taylor hotels are listed below. Search for cheap and discount Embassy Suites hotel rooms in Taylor, MI for your group or personal travels. We list the best Embassy Suites Taylor venues so you can review the Taylor Embassy Suites hotel list below to find the perfect place.
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Welcome to All Saints Catholic AcademyLocated in Ironwood, Michigan
Note: For holidays, vacation days, inservice days, snow days, etc.we follow the Ironwood Public Schools.When they have school, we have school!When they don't have school, we don't have school!
We are a pre-Kindergarten (three-year-old) through grade six school in Ironwood operated by Our Lady of Peace Catholic Parish. Additionally, we are excited to announce that 7th through 12th grade are now available (on-site) through Catholic Virtual School http://www.csk12.com/. We offer a dynamic learning environment to help develop confident children in mastering the skills that will assist them in discovering their gifts and help them discern their place in our complex and ever-changing world. While we stress a Catholic education, children of all faiths are welcome to attend All Saints Catholic Academy.
We are proud to report that we are accredited by the Michigan Association of Non-Public Schools (MANS) and as such, we meet all the criteria and regulations established by MANS to function as an accredited school.
All of our teachers have current teaching credentials and certifications required by the State of Michigan and the Diocese of Marquette, Michigan.
Please, take a moment to explore our web site! This site will enable you to become familiar with our school, as well as keep parents and community members informed of the most recent information and classroom activities happening at All Saints Catholic Academy. If you are interested in learning more about our school, please feel free to contact us! We'd love to hear from you!
Diocese of Marquette
Ironwood, MI Chamber of Commerce


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Born: August 25,1988 Nagpur, India
Spouse: Nitin Sahrawat
Zodiac: Virgo
Biography: Vaishnavi dhanraj (born vaishnavi bhoyar) is an indian television actress who started her acting career with a cameo in kasautii zindagii kay of balaji telefilms. then she bagged the role aastha in another soap of balaji karam apnaa apnaa. after this she roped in to play the role tasha from sony's popular and long-running show c.i.d. which brought her fame and popularity. later she decided to quit the show as she had bagged the lead role of jhanvi in colors' na aana iss desh laado.See full bio Read on Wikipedia


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A couple of days ago, I told you about the BookBook case for the iPhone 4 and how it made your smartphone look like a leather-bound tome passed down through the ages. Well, it turns out you can go much bigger, because there's a BookBook case for the MacBook too. ...Read More »
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routes du bonheur Suggestions for itineraries to discover the world
Restaurant in town. Luxembourg,Luxembourg
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Unique in the world: Eight-course set menu of pasta dishes.
Ilario and Simonetta Mosconi, Maîtres de Maison, present their property:
An Italian in Luxembourg… Originally from Lombardy, Ilario Mosconi takes his country's culinary reputation to new heights. His key to success can be summed up in one word: authenticity. "From veal from the Piedmont to Sicilian tomatoes, not to mention white truffles from Alba, 90 per cent of his products come directly from Italy", explains Ilario's wife Simonetta Mosconi, who takes the same care over the restaurant and the guests that Ilario does of his cooking. Discover what can be done with simple products like basil and ricotta at this restaurant on the banks of the River Alzette, with its magnificent eight-course set menu of pasta dishes.
Disabled access
Valet parking / Car park
Children not allowed
Lift / Elevator
13, rue Munster
Tel.: + 352 54 69 94
Fax: + 352 54 00 43
E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com and Maîtres de Maison: Ilario and Simonetta MosconiChef Relais & Châteaux: Ilario Mosconi
DirectionFrom Strasbourg, motorway A 4-E 25, towards Metz. After Metz, motorway A 31-E 25, towards Luxembourg. In Luxembourg, towards Grund center.
AirportsLuxembourg-Findel (Intl) 5 km
Train stationLuxembourg 1,5 km
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