text:
ICBA Announces Promotions and Changes
Staff Adjustments Part of Association's Realignment
Staff Adjustments Part of Association's Realignment
Washington, D.C. (June 22, 2005) - The Independent Community Bankers of America (ICBA) announced several senior management promotions and changes as part of a broad organizational realignment. "These key management promotions and assignments," said Camden R. Fine, ICBA president and CEO, "will strengthen ICBA and build upon the association's effectiveness in representing the many interests of our member institutions."
Mark A. Raitor, ICBA's executive vice president, corporate secretary and manager of the association's office in Sauk Centre, Minn., was promoted to executive vice president and chief operating officer. Raitor's responsibilities include oversight of technology, human resources, education and convention/meetings operations, as well as the administration of ICBA's Sauk Centre and Western Regional offices. He will be relocating to ICBA's headquarters in Washington, D.C. He joined the association in 1980.
Karen Thomas, director of ICBA's regulatory affairs group and an executive vice president, was promoted to executive vice president for government relations and given responsibility for the association's entire legislative and regulatory operations and staff. Thomas previously oversaw ICBA's regulatory, lending and payment systems activities. Before joining ICBA in 1992, she was a founding partner of a Washington, D.C. law firm.
Karen Tyson was named senior vice president and director of communications. Tyson will oversee the association's overall communications efforts, including media relations, marketing, publications and information resources. She comes to ICBA from the National Association of Mortgage Brokers, where she was vice president of communications. Prior to that, she was director of communications and meetings for the Association for Advanced Life Underwriting.
Paul McGuire, ICBA's senior vice president of state relations and member strategy, was named senior vice president of member relations. McGuire oversees the association's membership operations. Since joining ICBA in 1997, he has fostered stronger relations with ICBA's affiliated state and regional associations.
Gregory E. Martinson, ICBA's director of education, was promoted to senior vice president and director of the Sauk Centre operations. His new responsibilities include managing the Sauk Centre office. He continues to be responsible for the research, development and management of educational seminars and products.
Monica A. Schulzetenberg, ICBA's director of membership, was promoted to vice president and director of member services. She will focus on membership retention and membership customer service.
Julie Feuling, formerly ICBA's director of specialty groups, was promoted to vice president and director of membership development and sales. She will develop membership recruitment strategies and coordinate ICBA's regional calling officers' efforts.
In announcing the management changes, Fine congratulated each individual on his or her new responsibilities and said he looked forward to working with each one. "ICBA is blessed with a wonderful staff," he added. "The experience and talent of our employees is unmatched. They are all dedicated to helping ICBA be extraordinarily responsive in serving the needs of our nation's community banks in a rapidly changing financial services industry."


text:
Eating Mice Can Be Rather Nice
There are some very interesting meats available for consumption in Southeast Asia. I've seen bugs, ostriches, dogs, snakes, bats, and even cats for sale. While I draw the line at domesticated animals and insects, I'll pretty much eat everything else, just as long as it was prepared with love, looks appetizing, and smells good. With the year of the rat in full swing, a group of friends and I recently ventured outside our comfort zones to try a Mekong Delta specialty—mouse. The breed of mice served in local restaurants are not native to the city and are in fact from the countryside. These mice resided in rice fields and feasted on whole grains prior to meeting their makers. If... More

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Forgot Password? | Not a User? Sign up
Your browser does not support iframes.
A fire on Monday destroyed the home of well-known local musician Antonia Apodaca, the same place where she was born, her son said.
Apodaca, who performs around the area with her accordion, was at her house around 11:30 a.m. Monday when high winds apparently broke off a stovepipe, causing the blaze.
The 88-year-old fell trying to save some of her property, hitting her head, her son, Max Apodaca, said. She also reportedly suffered some smoke inhalation.
Las Vegas City Schools Associate Superintendent LeeEtte Quintana says she got a rotten deal from the school board as she was left out of any discussions concerning the replacement of Superintendent Rick Romero.
"I have not been treated with the dignity and respect that I deserve," she said in an interview.
"I feel that I was disrespected by the board. I have dedicated much of my career and education to Las Vegas City Schools, not for anything more than to do good," Quintana said.
The Las Vegas City Council last week approved a west-side subdivision, reversing a decision from a year ago.
The council did so on the advice of its attorney, who reported that District Court had sided with the developer, who had filed a lawsuit over last year's rejection.
In a public hearing in November 2009, some residents said they opposed the proposed four-lot subdivision of modular homes in the 2300 block of New Mexico Avenue because it would consist of low-income homes that would attract a "criminal element."
A retired educator plans to run for the Las Vegas City Schools board. Filing day for candidates is Tuesday.
Gloria M. Lovato Pacheco, 52, a native of Watrous and a resident of Las Vegas for 36 years, is a retired Robertson High School special needs teacher and transition specialist.
"I think the primary task and focus of a board member is to assist the greater community in taking ownership of its school system," she said in a statement.
West Las Vegas residents have made one thing clear: Don't close any schools.
That's what West Las Vegas Superintendent Ruben Cordova recently reported to the school board.
He said public hearings have been held as part of the district's effort to draft a new master plan.
By David Giuliani and Don Pace
Las Vegas Optic
The San Miguel County Commission put off a decision on a proposed law for wind farms Tuesday, after hearing public comment for much of the day.
It will reconvene Monday.
More than 100 people showed up in the commission's chambers for the early-afternoon meeting on the county's proposed wind ordinance. That was way more than the capacity of 67, so the county moved the meeting to the much larger Ilfeld Auditorium.
The city of Las Vegas, which is organizing next year's Fiestas de Las Vegas, wants to involve local merchants and attract more children to the annual event.
Last month, the city took over the July event from the Fiesta Council, a nonprofit group that endured a number of high-profile controversies over the last few months.
In recent times, the Fiesta Council hadn't put out a public call for volunteers. Indeed, its president, Mathew Martinez, terminated six of the group's 18 members in July, saying they were conspiring against him.
The captain in charge of the state police stations in Las Vegas and Raton is retiring.
Capt. Toby Dolan, who joined the state police in 1989, will officially retire on Dec. 31, but he has been taking vacation and sick leave since the beginning of the month.
"It's time for me to do something different and let someone else have the reins," he said.
Dolan said he had been "hit and miss" the last year and a half while he has suffered from a shoulder problem and he has cared for his father, Mike Dolan, who died in October.
Two Las Vegas men accused of robbing a local convenience store reportedly got an unusual reaction from the victim.
The clerk laughed.
That's because one of the suspects came in wielding a stick at the Sav-O-Mat, 502 University Ave. After the clerk laughed, Anthony Valdez, age unavailable, 518 Columbia, pulled out a knife, according to police.
The other suspect, Timothy Solano, 31, 703 Socorro St., who allegedly held a knife, later told police that they then got scared and left the store, police said.
Copyright © 2015
The Las Vegas Optic is your source for local news, sports, events, and information in San Miguel County and Las Vegas, NM, and the surrounding area.


text:
Opinions please, is this teacher over reacting?(20 Posts)
Whitewineformeplease Tue 14-May-13 10:18:34
macreturnofthe Tue 14-May-13 09:09:59
TheOriginalSteamingNit Tue 14-May-13 09:00:24
Vivacia Tue 14-May-13 08:56:39
scaevola Tue 14-May-13 08:35:12
senua Tue 14-May-13 08:27:20
sandyballs Tue 14-May-13 07:51:56
sandyballs Tue 14-May-13 07:50:57
ThreeBeeOneGee Tue 14-May-13 07:49:06
Branleuse Tue 14-May-13 07:48:59
Branleuse Tue 14-May-13 07:47:32
sashh Tue 14-May-13 07:45:14
BackforGood Mon 13-May-13 22:49:59
MomOfTomStubby Mon 13-May-13 22:42:59
tiggytape Mon 13-May-13 22:28:06
scaevola Mon 13-May-13 21:56:22
Ilovegeorgeclooney Mon 13-May-13 21:55:05
AuntieBrenda Mon 13-May-13 21:41:25
CatelynStark Mon 13-May-13 21:38:03
sandyballs Mon 13-May-13 21:33:16
Join the discussion
Registering is free, easy, and means you can join in the discussion, get discounts, win prizes and lots more.Register now
Already registered with Mumsnet? Log in to leave your comment or alternatively, sign in with Facebook or Google.
Talk: Customise | Unanswered messages | Getting started | Acronyms | FAQs
Threads: Active | I'm on | I'm watching | I started | Last 15 minutes | Last hour | Last Day
Please login first.


text:
The Walt Disney Company
- Employees 137,000
- Established 1923
- Sector Entertainment
- Headquarters Burbank
- Stock Symbol DIS
Internships at The Walt Disney Company
Imagine a career with an organization that brings smiles to millions around the world everyday. Imagine working with people whose passion for what they do is simply indescribable. At The Walt Disney Company, it's our people who carry the torch and ensure that our innovation and excellence in entertainment lives on. And you see it in all we do: from thrills on the high seas to the adrenaline rush of a coaster ride; from the action on the big screen to the action of the big game, every day someone is being touched by a Disney brand. And you can be too. Isn't it time you bring your unique talents to Disney?
Ask The Walt Disney CompanyFull Q&A
Register to ask a question.
|Back to Top
Sorry, something went wrong!
We're sorry, something went wrong. We've been told about this error and are working on a fix. In the meantime, you can try the action again or contact us.


text:
Join schools across the country that are implementing the award-winning, student-designed "Disrespect: It's Not Okay!" initiative. Use these products to help build a culture of respect that enables your school's students to thrive. Let us help you get started! Just click the button guide to download your free copy of the INOK implementation guide.
let's keep in touch


text:
Oh, how pretty it is to fly this pretty airplane!
For all hobby pilots, the Playsam Jetliner is the ideal toy and/or accessory. The flat and glossy Playsam Jetliner is manufactured out of massive wood and seems playful and elegant with its round and flat forms. The Jetliner fascinates as well as to really fly, young and old and can be an extravagant gift for babies, birthdays or customers. The Jetliner is perfectly suitable as toy or as elegant decoration.
Not adapted to children less than three years of age.
More details:
- Length: 175 mm
- Colours: black, red and silver
- Material: wood
Do you have questions about the product? Contact us!


text:
There are multiple programs and services set up specifically for the 2000 Aboriginal students on campus.
Visit the Aboriginal Students' Centre (ASC) or the ASC website to learn what they have to offer. The staff of the ASC annually compiles an extremely helpful student guide, with comprehensive information on campus-wide programs and services.
The ASC provides you with a warm and inviting cultural space where you can share your ambitions with other students and talk to the Outreach Ambassadors, a team of upper-year students whose goal is to help you become more comfortable in your surroundings.
The ASC now has a Facebook page, where you can see what they do and keep track of upcoming events.
There are also opportunities to meet with Elders and for soup and bannock on certain dates during Term 1 and 2.


text:
Oklahoma 74129
hi, i'm in my mid 40's and have had lupus 5 years (that was diagnosed) I have good and bad days and for over a month now i've felt like crap. i'm a grandma of 5. we are in the same state as the oldest. SHE'S ALMOST 4! she is staying with us and her dad for a bit, while her mom is going through a rough time. now i know why i stopped in my 20's having kids.


text:
Nature Wars
Fatal auto accidents involving wildlife and humans happen thousands of times a day. Tens of thousands of fish and marine mammals die every year in areas of public recreation. Are we in the midst of a cohabitation crisis? Acclaimed journalist Jim Sterba relays a slightly less than apocalyptic view of the colliding interests of humans and wildlife, which is also the thesis of his new book, "Nature Wars: The Incredible Story of How Wildlife Comebacks Have Turned Backyards Into Battlegrounds." DeBordieu (pronounced Deb-Bah-Dew) is a picturesque South Carolina community with an 800-acre wildlife preserve and scenic beaches that have recently become the graveyard for an estimated 40,000 fish. Mel Bell, director of the Office of Fisheries Management for the state's Department of Natural Resources, tells us what he knows thus far.
Music: "Animal Dreams" by Bob James; "Slipstream" – Bela Fleck
Related Items
Please familiarize yourself with our Code of Conduct and Terms of Use before posting your comments.
We should do something about this kind of issue. There are a lot of fish dies everyday. We need to discourage everyone to use the dynamite fishing. - Rich Von Alvensleben


text:
Call (888) 784-1722 Mon-Sat 8:30-5:00 PST
Thanks for Subscribing!
Use Code: at Checkout!
Hurry! Expires !
Want to be notified when this item becomes available?
Bean - Dry Hutterite - Phaseolus vulgaris
Tender annual Bush. Dry. Heirloom. The Hutterites moved to North America in the 1760s, bringing this valuable bean as a staple food. It is an early variety and well adapted to northern climates. Vigorous and productive, it cooks up in record time needing only 20 minutes (if soaked over night) to turn into a delicious, creamy chowder.
Soil & Water: Legumes like well-drained soil rich in organic matter and a moderate amount of nutrients. Water lightly at planting, medium at flowering, and heavily throughout harvest time. Overhead watering can promote disease.
Planting & Growing: Sow directly in garden when soils have warmed and danger of frost has passed. Keep seedbed evenly moist.
Harvesting & Storage: Bush beans will produce all of their fruit over a few weeks' time. Leave the pods on the plant until they have completely dried. Store dry, shelled beans in an airtight container.
Did You Know? Legumes are a good source of calcium and iron and add nitrogen to soil.
Soil Temperature: 60-85F
Planting Depth: 1"
Germination: 6-12 Days
Height At Maturity: 2'-3'
Days To Maturity: 75-85 Days
Sun/Shade: Full Sun
Spacing After Thinning: 4"-6"
Approx Seeds per 1/2 lbs: 696
Peaceful Valley Farm & Garden Supply brand vegetable seeds from packs are guaranteed to germinate. Once the seeds have sprouted, please understand that Peaceful Valley cannot be held responsible for the many uncontrollable growing and climatic conditions that must be met to insure the success of your crop(s).
Peaceful Valley brand vegetable seeds are all non-GMO and Certified Organic.
Buy with confidence and plant the best!


text:
Pearisburg, Virginia Bed and Breakfasts
Home > Virginia Bed & Breakfast > Pearisburg, Virginia > Inn at Riverbend
View more photos at our web site: www.innatriverbend.com
Inn at Riverbend
- Your host(s):
- Jeanne Jeffers & John Dush
- Web Site:
- www.innatriverbend.com
- Email:
- email@example.com
- Address:
- 125 River Ridge Dr.
Pearisburg, Virginia 24134
- Phone:
- 540-921-5211
- Guest Rooms:
- 7Bathrooms: 7
- Rates:
- $190 - $264
- Check In/Out:
- 3:30 pm to 6:30 pm - Late arrival with prior notification. - 11:00 am
- Extra Person Fee:
- $35
- Social Media:
Inn at Riverbend
Relax at this mountain getaway, known as Inn at Riverbend, centrally located between Blacksburg, VA and Princeton, WV.
You'll awaken refreshed after a restful night in one of our seven beautiful guest rooms, all opening to decks and terraces overlooking the New River.
Huge, wraparound decks provide plenty of space to enjoy the panoramic views, bird watch and even spot a deer or two in the lower meadow.
It's the perfect place to escape the rigors of work or to celebrate a special occasion! So think of a good reason to be pampered, check our availability online, and send us your requests. We look forward to seeing you!
Our luxury rooms are complete with queen beds, whirlpool tubs, satellite TV and DVD players, clock radios with CD/MP3 connections, and wireless internet. On the terrace level twin, queen, or king rooms, all with private baths, satellite TV,clock radios with CD/MP3 connections, wireless internet, and soaking tubs, are ideal for families or corporate retreats.
In the morning, enjoy a full breakfast in the dining room or on the deck. Specialties include
Apricot, white chocolate chip pecan scones, Bacon & Egg Casserole, and Bananas Foster French Toast with home baked breads, fresh fruit, juice, coffee and tea.
60 minutes west of Roanoke airport
25 Minutes from Virginia Tech, just off 460. 40 minutes to Radford University
Only 2 miles from the Appalachian Trail
An outdoor activity heaven
Sore muscles from hiking the mountains? Enjoy a massage in the privacy of your room! Please reserve at least 48 hours in advance.
The Riverbend Basket - 75 Plus Lodging
Want to have a little something special waiting for you in your room? Includes an assortment of cheeses, crackers, nuts and decadent chocolates!
An Outing on the Vine Wine Tour - 180 per person plus lodging
Winemaking has been a thriving industry in Virginia since 1607 when Jamestown was established with wine in mind! Thomas Jefferson believed that Virginia could be a great state for growing grapes and attempted to bring European grapes to Monticello. To let you enjoy a few of these Virginia wines, we've created a guided tour from Inn at Riverbend to two wineries located just off the Blue Ridge Parkway. Your guided tour includes a Virginia winery map, all transportation to and from Inn at Riverbend, fuel charges, wine tasting fees, lunch and beverages. Available 7 days a week with 72 hour notice
"It's My Birthday and I Want a Party" Package - 50 plus lodging
Celebrating a birthday? We'll be happy to surprise the birthday boy or girl with a small cake, Inn at Riverbend mug of candy and balloons. 48 hour notice required.
Bubbles, Berries and Blossoms - 75 Plus Lodging
Surprise your loved one with a bottle of Virginia Alpen Glow Apple sparkling cider or Freixenet Brut Blanc du Blanc sparkling wine, chocolate dipped strawberries and a bouquet of fresh flowers of your choice. A bouquet of helium filled balloons can be substituted for the flowers! The perfect treat to celebrate a birthday, honeymoon, anniversary or even a "babymoon!"
Deposits will be refunded, less a $25 processing fee, if notice of cancellation is received at least 14 days prior to arrival date.
For cancellations received within 14 days prior to arrival date guest will forfeit their deposit unless the room is rebooked.
For cancellations and postponements, for any reason, made within 72 hours of arrival 100% of the total stay will be charged unless the room is rebooked.
A 30-day cancellation policy applies to all holidays, and all reservations relating to Virginia Tech or Radford events. Deposits are not transferable or refunded for any cancellations within 30 days of these events.
Group reservations for weddings and family gatherings require a 90-day cancellation to insure a refund of the deposit.
We are a small inn and cancellations adversely affect us. For this reason our cancellation policy is strictly enforced.
|Bookmark Us!
|Print brochure
|Visit our website
Area Activities
Food Service
Geographic Setting
Inn Amenities
Inn Policies
Minimum Stay Required
Room Amenities
Well Suited For


text:
The salary graph below is a comparison of global salary survey data for a local accountant working in Argentina, Argentina and the National Average,
as provided by the Global Salary Calculator.
These salaries are reported in the local currency of Argentina.
If you are a professional who requires compensation survey data for your work in the United States, Canada or the UK, please consult ERI Economic Research Institute's Assessor Series products.
Accountant Position, Salary in Argentine Pesos


text:
New Student Trustee Announced for San Bernardino Valley College
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (San Bernardino, CA)—Tiffany Joy Guzman, a Redlands native, has been elected Student Trustee representing San Bernardino Valley College students on the San Bernardino Community College District Board of Trustees. Her installation took place on Thursday, June 12th.
Ms. Guzman graduated from Redlands High School, where she played on the women's varsity golf team and took classes in health and nutrition. She is a Liberal Arts major at Valley College and was elected Campus Events Director for the Associated Student Government (ASG) during the 2013-14 school year. During her term she served as assistant moderator for the ASG's 31st Congressional District candidate forum.
In addition to her new role on the Board of Trustees, she is active in a newly established chapter of Student California Teachers Association (SCTA) at Valley College, serving as the group's secretary.
For more information, contact Greg Zerovnik, Interim Director of Marketing and Public Relations, at 909-384-8978.


text:
London (PRWEB) December 04, 2013
Animal vaccine sales amount in China was about CNY 7.11 billion (excluding net imports); the sales amount of swine vaccine and poultry vaccines were CNY 3.51 billion and 3.01 billion respectively, accounting for 49.4% and 42.3% of the total sales amount respectively. The market scale of China's animal vaccine is nearly CNY 10 billion in 2012.
Although there are nearly 60 animal vaccine manufacturers in China, the market share is concentrated in the hands of a few corporations. CAHIC, Qingdao Yebio Bioengineering Co. Ltd., Dahuanong, TECON and Chengdu TECBOND are the representatives of China's animal vaccine industry. The five enterprises accounted for 37.9% of China's animal vaccine market in the first half of 2012.
Among the key animal vaccine manufacturers in China, China Animal Husbandry Industry Co., Ltd (CAHIC) obtained the highest business income in the first half of 2012—CNY 964 million, accounting for 14.3% market share. TECON, Dahuanong and Jinyu Group also had more than 5% market share respectively. The sales of these companies mainly came from the national mandatory vaccine procurement policy. The proportion of the national mandatory vaccine procurement accounted for 82.7% of CAHIC's total income in the first half of 2012.
In recent years, animal mandatory immunization coverage is gradually expanded in China. Restricted by the economic conditions, compulsory vaccination epidemics only cover five kinds of animal disease. While there are about 17 kinds of animal diseases; other diseases also have great hazard. With farming enterprises and farmers enhanced emphasis on the prevention and control of animal diseases, the demand of conventional vaccine at their own expense will be further improved in the future. Swine and poultry are the main species in China's livestock breeding, newcastle disease vaccine and porcine circovirus vaccine will be the two convention
|Source: PRWeb
Copyright©2012 Vocus, Inc.
All rights reserved


text:
Brighton VT236 Fishing Village Road
Est. Mortgage: $/month
MLS Number 4383187
- Multifamily Multi-Family
- Units 4
- Square Feet 3072
- Acreage 6
Four Lake Front Cottages, know as "the Fishing Village", 375' frontage on Spectacle Pond, 4 extra wooded building lots (on Lake Shore Drive) with beach rights on 6 total delightful acres. Located at the end of the road, Drive into a relaxing paradise of level, open and mature trees, a "village" with the summer cabins, a garage for toy storage, a playground, big fire pit, dock, floating raft, sandy swimming area and views. Currently owned by an extended family for summer vacations. Would make a perfect cottage rental business with room to build on the four extra lots too. There are not many properties of this type existing, don't let this pass by.
Listed by Annette Dalley of Burke Office
Virtual TourSave FavoriteSchedule A VisitAsk A QuestionMore Details
|Down Payment
|Interest Rate
Est. Mortgage: $/month
Federal 30-year interest rate: 3.87% last updated on 2015-06-04
This product uses the FRED® API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis.


text:
Ratings based on 10 Verified Reviews
They paid and stayed. We double-checked.
4.9 Room cleanliness
4.8 Service & staff
4.8 Room comfort
4.9 Hotel condition
They paid and stayed.
We double-checked.
We double-checked.
for Business Travelersby Brian from Kent
Excellent food qualityPosted Oct 24, 2014 on Hotels
The location was not ideal for me, but that was my fault! I don't really know the area. The staff were very friendly, the hotel was very comfortable, but above all, the meals were excellent.
for Personal Eventby ND from London
Simply brilliant!Posted Jul 29, 2014 on Hotels
This is a brilliant 4-room B&B with high quality, excellent service. We were (very) late with our check-in but this was no problem when we rang through to the B&B to let them know. The breakfast was excellent - great and quick and filling!! I would not hesitate to rebook if I ever needed to come up to the area again.
for Everyoneby ellise from reading
Lovely place to stayPosted May 21, 2014
Wonderful hotel,clean and tidy.staff very friendly. Food was outstanding not badly priced excellent all round. Booked to stay again.
Recommendedby Donald from Argyll
great viewsPosted Oct 3, 2013 on Hotels
we only stayed one night, but the staff were very helpful and friendly, the food was excellent, and the views were stunning of the surrounding landscape - i would recommend this hotel to anyone. i would like to return for a longer stay in the near future
for Personal Eventby Stephen from Manchester
Lovely place to stayPosted Sep 17, 2013 on Hotels
The room was clean and welcoming, with very pleasent staff. Only stayed one night but nothing to complain about, superb breakfast.
for Everyoneby T & M from West Yorkshire
Lovely for over night stay!Posted Apr 8, 2013
We stay at The Anchor Inn when visiting the area for a family wedding. The room was clean, modern and well laid out. The staff were pleasant and friendly and the food was lovely. We had everything we needed and would not hesitate to stay there again. Thank you
for Couplesby A verified traveler from enfield
great b and bPosted Feb 19, 2013
Pros: very comfortable bed in room and really nice friendly bar
Cons: slightly musty smelling bathroom
Location: very remote spot but lovely views
friendly staff and comfortable room. En suite bathrooms were a little stuffy as it did not have a window but overall the rooms were very good standard. Lovely cooked breakfast too. And in a beautiful quiet location
for Overnight Stay Before Destinationby Sarah
Loved the Anchor InnPosted Nov 25, 2012 on Hotels
We stayed in the Hadrian Room, it was spacious, comfortable and spotlessly clean. We loved it, the food is also great - we'll be back :)
for Couplesby A verified traveler from Kinross, Perth and Kinross KY13, UK
good stopoverPosted Sep 16, 2012
Pros: bedroom
Cons: only there two nights
Location: quiet
lovely room and bed food was great also the beer .third visit for us so that should be a recommend on its own
Recommendedby A verified traveler
Posted Aug 28, 2012 on Hotels
We really enjoyed our stay and the staff could not have been more accommodating. Room was clean and facilities in the room were excellent. We had two meal at the hotel and enjoyed both meals very much. The only adverse was the cost of taxi services but this was inevitable given the location of the hotel. I would certainly stay there again and would recommend this hotel to my friends. Thank you to all concerned for makig our stay relaxing and enjoyable.


text:
Custom Search
Generic charcoal-sorbitol information
|Generic cetrorelix information
Generic celecoxib information
Generic chloramphenicol fibrinolys desoxyribo topical information
Generic ceftizoxime information
Generic chloramphenicol HC polymyxin B ophthalmic information
|Generic chloramphenicol otic information
Generic cefotetan information
Generic chlorcyclizine topical information
Generic cefoperazone information
Generic chlorophyllin copper complex topical information
Custom Search
Tag lists & equivalent terms: drugs, medications, names, brand name, market, online, meds, identify, equivalent, information, dictionary, medicinal, pharmaceutical, list, definition, medication, search, popular, pharmacy, legal
|The OnlineDrugTest.info database was created by modifiying the Multum™ Lexicon by Cerner Multum, Inc. All rights reserved.
By using this service, you accept our Terms of Use. By accessing information on OnlineDrugTest.info, you expressly acknowledge and agree that the use of the files is at your own risk. The information is provided "as is." There is no warranty, expressed or implied, including any warranty of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. There is no warranty that information presented will be error free.
|© 2015 www.OnlineDrugTest.info


text:
1. Warm
March is a murderous month, its chill penetrates bone. Mufflers, upturned collars, fur-lined gloves, earlaps are of no avail. Oh, they help a bit. We shiver, seek warmth, and what is so warm as a symposium on a bitter March night? It is the hall of the Workmen's Circle, there is the preparatory hum (the speakers not yet on the platform), so warm and sociable, there are familiar faces (the Slaners, the Engelsteins, the Pankens), we forget all that rawness outside, midst the lively chatter, the smiles and recognitions, the waving from afar, the pointing out ("there's Meyer Schapiro"). The audience is liberal/socialist/ex-Trotskyist, remnants of battered causes, even battered remnants of battered causes. And the subject for the evening: The Writer as Jew.
2. Joke
There is a lively group in front of us, one tells a joke:
A husband finds his wife in bed with a stranger. "Aaah," she says, "here comes Blabbermouth. Now everyone will know."
And they roar at this old joke, while my wife and I grin that such a well-worn joke should be surviving.
3. 1st Speaker
The first speaker is Irving Howe. He compares the Jewish culture to that of the American South. He means mostly the East European Yiddish-style culture, and he means the Southern culture which flowered before the Civil War. He strikes a rather gloomy note, he is talking of the end of cultures. He speaks directly, in a polemical style. He sees the doom of Yiddishkeit in America—the press is losing its readers, the new generation does not understand the language, the old customs lose meaning. There is no way of transplanting the marvelous old culture of the small towns of Poland and Russia, that image becomes fainter and fainter.
("He is striking a pessimistic note," whispers my wife, "but it is a long-range optimism; he implies the death of anti-Semitism, the end of separatism, of the ghetto, a genuine assimilationism in a world without economic depression.")
4. Question
Later in the evening, as we were walking home, I first formulated my question:
Wouldn't you say there was a significant difference between the dying of Southern culture and that of Yiddish culture? The culture of the old South was doomed by history, in a given place, and transformed by the loss of a civil war, by vast industrial changes, and so on. The Southerners cannot take this culture and bring it to another land, to revive it there—that place and those circumstances are needed. But the Jews, living in one style of sufferance or another, have developed varying kinds of cultures according to the time, place, circumstance. The death of the East European Yiddishkeit is one cultural death in a series of cultural deaths. Do you see [and here I echoed my wife's whisper] a total acceptance of the Jews in the West, an ultimate disappearance of the Jews?
But the fact is that Howe had in mind the death of the East European Yiddish style, something so close to us, and so abruptly destroyed, so suddenly and monstrously destroyed, and saw nothing to take its place, here in America, no sign of a separatist culture. That was hard to deny.
5. 2nd Speaker
But Isaac Bashevis Singer denied it. He was the next speaker. "I respect Mr. Howe," he said (my quotations, by the way, are from memory), "but that Yiddish culture will die—is it not perhaps wishful thinking?" And he proceeded to strike an optimistic note. It was Mr. Singer's contention that we are on the verge of a great Renaissance in Yiddish culture. He advised us to send our children to cheder and synagogue, to observe the holidays, and so keep alive, revitalize, this Jewishness. He spoke not so much about the end of an epoch as about the beginning of a new one. There was a kind of fervor in his remarks, he looked forward to a flowering. The Six Million so recently slaughtered (the Hagadah song—Who Knows One?, etc, now has a gap to fill between thirteen and six million), and already there is a rebirth. A truly optimistic, forward-looking note. The audience was carried away, the way it is when a man, no longer young, talks hopefully of the future, it is a kind of promise of immortality. And yet, solemnly considered—what Renaissance, what rebirth? Who? Where? I felt like Mr. Cohen of East Broadway who picked up the ringing phone, and when a voice inquired whether this was the residence of the Vanderbilts, answered: "Who am I? What am I?" I see no sign of a Jewish Renaissance. There is a grim holding, a coming to grips with the horrors still fresh, a kind of tentative boldness in playing on the world's guilt. And if we send the children to the Talmud Torahs and the synagogues (many of them are there), will that create something new and marvelous? Or are all the particularities being homogenized in what used to be called the Melting Pot? We now refer to the Mix. But our speaker (he is a writer speaking) is full of excitement and hope, we are carried away, sober considerations and all. Why not a Renaissance? But the mind, the rationality, does not surrender so easily. If it is going to happen, shouldn't there be signs of it happening now? Where are the signs? We are puzzled.
6. 3rd Speaker
So was Harvey Swados. He was the next speaker, and puzzled. Something was finished. Of that he was sure. And something had to take the place of what was finished. Of that he was sure. He is a novelist, a Jew, who writes in English; Singer is a novelist, a Jew, who writes in Yiddish. Then Swados points out something he finds of interest. It seems that young people, in their twenties, even early twenties, are writing about the East Side ghetto of fifty and sixty years ago; they are recapturing the lives of their grandfathers, bypassing their fathers altogether (I mean in the literary way). That is a strange thing, and the speaker couldn't explain it. He saw this as a curiosity. And it certainly is a curiosity. If the young people can write about what it is they have not experienced in America, why cannot they write about what it is they have not experienced on the other side? Were we on the verge of a shtetl Renaissance, the way the Europeans of four hundred years ago revived the Classical glories? True, the Europeans waited many centuries before embarking on this revival. But we are in the jet age, the time-sense is hopped up. Why cannot we revive what is dead only a few decades? But Mr. Swados was making no predictions, he saw the themes of these young writers as a curiosity, and let it go at that. (There is nothing unusual about writers choosing a historical period that interests them, but the oddity is that the youngsters bypassed their parents and chose the period of their grandparents. I repeat for emphasis: that is only one generation from the shtetl.) The speaker was making a sociological comment, not particularly passing a literary judgment (T. Solotaroff later blasted some of these nostalgic works in a telling review in COMMENTARY, but might not other novelists do the job better, the past is forever open, we only have to seize it with feeling and artfulness, and then who knows?). We did not have the sober sense that we were on the verge of this kind of revival. But it could happen. That made the matter puzzling.
7. Problems
In looking at the title of this symposium, I set down the following list:
Jewish writers who write in Yiddish about Jewish matters.
Jewish writers who write in Yiddish about non-Jewish matters.
Jewish writers who write in the language of their country (or any language) about Jewish matters in a Jewish style.
Jewish writers who write in the language of their country (or any language) about Jewish matters in a non-Jewish style.
Jewish writers who write in the language of their country about non-Jewish matters in a Jewish style.
Jewish writers who write in the language of their country (parenthesis taken for granted) about non-Jewish matters in a non-Jewish style.
Problems. Problems.
8. Questions
After the set pieces came the Question & Answer period. The questions came at a fairly rapid rate, interspersed by the long speeches, some of them rambling, the ex-cathedra comments and the soliloquies which sometimes turn out to be questions after all ("Wait, Mr. Chairman, I'm getting to the question"). Swados responded in a laconic manner. His answer on one occasion was "no." Was he deeply distracted, bored, or was this his everyday manner? Howe responded in a kind of virtuoso style, bore down heavily on a man who questioned his coupling of the cultural prospects of the Jews and of the South, the questioner seeing the South as full of reactionary, if not fascistic, forces. In these questions and answers, Singer was at his best; he carried the crowd with him by his enthusiasm for a cause, Cultural Renaissance. A man in the audience pointed out that he had a nephew who, without any particular Jewish background or upbringing, was doing very well indeed in the academic world, was forging a brilliant career for himself. "You have a nephew," said Singer, "I have a niece." The crowd roared. The comment had the overtones of one of those matchmaker jokes. . . . A questioner asked Singer whether his work lost in translation. "I have no complaints about my translators," he said. Then he added: "Sometimes translation hurts the author, in one case I know where it helped." Laughter at the infighting. . . . A young woman made a long, intelligent speech, drawing on an extensive knowledge of Jewish history, emphasizing and documenting the point that the end of East European Yiddishkeit did not mean the end of Jewish history, it was a chapter in a long story whose end had not yet come. She spoke eloquently, a groundswell of handclapping started up. Singer ran to the microphone. "Don't applaud yet." Was he not on the speaker's side? Had he said that the world from which he came was going to last forever? Only to raise your children as Jews, teach them their history, take them to synagogue, Talmud Torah. "Don't applaud yet." The applause rang out.
9. Germany
Germany had been overlooked, the discussion had centered on Poland/Russia. At least that was my orientation, though unquestionably other lands were involved—Rumania, Hungary, and all those countries destroyed and reborn, divided and absorbed, in two world wars were part of the Yiddish flowering. But I imagine that for most of us in this room, the Russian/Polish area was in the foreground—Minsk, Lodz, and all those Gibernias. But Germany had a different ring, a quality of exceptionalism. What kind of Yiddishkeit from Germany? I remember, as a boy, the hostility of the Russian toward the German Jews (the feeling mutual). The German Jew was considered to be arrogant, to hold himself aloof. He was Jewish, but not Yiddish. There was intense national hostility. Germany, the land of assimilationism. True, the three great Jews of the last hundred years—Marx, Freud, and Einstein—came from Germany, and all Jews were proud of them, including, even especially, the East European Jews. They were proud of all Jews who made their marks in the outside world; even Germans, who somehow lost their Germanness in the world's acclaim and became the more Jewish. It was questionable whether Marx, Freud, or Einstein knew a word of Yiddish. So what? They were Jews who had made their way in the Gentile world. Nevertheless, the Germans were not considered exactly Yiddish, and so it came as no surprise (only shock), that the scourge of Hitlerism, the mass exterminations, should have originated precisely in the country of the assimilationists. So in this discussion of Jews and literature, the Germans were included out. The name of Heine was not even mentioned. But Germany was in the mind and heart of the audience. Now and then (even parenthetically), the Six Million were mentioned, they were part of what was being said, an overpowering invisible presence.
A joke told by one of the pranksters in front of us (they were certainly a bunch of cards) brought the Six Million to my mind in a curious way:
Someone asks a Jewish woman about her son.
"My son. From him I have tsores and nachis."
"Is that so?"
"Yes, tsores is that he is a homosexual."
"Is that so? And the nachis?"
"The nachis is that he is going with a doctor."
Again, here was an old joke, not exactly a classic, but with a certain classic ring to it, in the curious economy, the wild unexpectedness of it. We grinned. Is there any subject from which the Jews will shy in the way of self-criticism, self-mockery, any subject that is sacred? Yes, the Six Million. I am an inveterate hearer of jokes, but on this subject there is a silence, as of the grave. As of the grave is a fine way to put it. There has been a peripheral joke:
A distraught man is pounding the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem, crying:
I want to be with my people, I want to be with my people.
He carried on so violently that a crowd gathered, and an elderly man, of grave mien, approached him, and asked, in a kindly voice:
"What is it, my son?" and one could see that he had in mind the charnelhouse of Europe.
I want to be with my people.
And where are your people, my child?
In Miami Beach!
Without doubt a vulgar joke, doesn't hit home, and then there is the apocryphal inscription on the entrance of one of the concentration camps:
In the gate, out the chimney.
But that too has a hollow ring. There is now a subject about which we Jews do not dare to joke. "It is not a laughing matter." There were even jokes about the Czarist pogroms (also a laughing matter):
Buy your pogroms here. Names and numbers of all the slayers.
And we know the story of the grandma who was locked in a room, when the Black Hundreds assaulted the house. "Who is in that room?" "Nobody," answers the daughter. The grandma cries out: "Becky, open the door. A pogrom is a pogrom."
That old joke has come to be in bad taste. Yes, Germany has committed unbelievable crimes against the Jews. And it may even be responsible for the beginning of the end of our self-mockery, as the blood guilt for the Six Million sharpens, exacerbates the conscience of the world. And so Germany may be responsible for the beginning of the end of the Jewish joke, one of the most consummate of the miniature art forms, for these jokes, these stories, rank with the masterly work of Sholem Aleichem, of Mendele, of Peretz, of all the East European whizzes (for readers with little Hebrew and less Yiddish, these writers are to be found in translation in A Treasury of Yiddish Stories, edited by poet Eliezer Greenberg and critic Irving Howe). Better we should have had the Six Million and the jokes.
10. Israel
Israel, too, had been overlooked in the symposium, though for different reasons. It is my understanding that Yiddish is discouraged in Israel, and that leads me straight into a joke:
A mother and a son are riding in a bus in Tel Aviv. The mother talks Yiddish, the child answers in Hebrew, and the mother says:
Talk Yiddish.
She repeats this every time the boy answers in Hebrew, and finally a bystander (happens to be an American), asks the mother:
Why do you ask him to talk Yiddish?
I don't want him to forget that he's a Jew.
It is a good joke. Despite Bialik, Agnon, it is a meaningful joke. We are more Jews than Hebrews. It is the power of the Vulgate, of Dante's Italian (when he wrote it) over the dying Latin. Is Hebrew dying? Not in Israel, but probably in America. As an American, as a Jew, as a writer, as an American Jewish writer, as a Jew who writes in English, as an American who writes in English about mostly non-Jewish matters, with I suppose a Jewish undercurrent, I know that I have forgotten my Hebrew (read without—mostly—understanding), but will never forget Yiddish, the tongue in which I spoke to my mother, and speak to her still, for the Lord who gives and takes, has taken, and took her some six weeks before this symposium on the Writer as Jew, which could also have been called the Jew as Writer. I learned Hebrew for my bar-mitzvah, and then my knowledge faded, but my Yiddish stays alive, I talk it to my father, my uncles and aunts, to myself, to my mother (Oleha Ha'Shalom, that is Hebrew), and hope she hears, the way I hear her, in her lovely Yiddish, ever so Americanized.
But in Israel Yiddish is discouraged, Hebrew is the language of the land, the children learn it, read it, speak it, write it, and so presumably it will become the language of the Jews in Israel, although the mama, East-European, says:
I don't want him to forget that he's a Jew.
Yiddish is a young language (couldn't be more than a thousand years old), and maybe will die young. In that case the Renaissance of which Mr. Singer spoke will be in Hebrew, if there is to be a Renaissance. It will be an Israeli phenomenon (the Yiddish fights on), though some believe it is taking place in the West and that leads us to:
11. America
and not so much America, as the role of the Jewish writer in America (sounds like the title of a symposium). The situation of Mr. I. B. Singer is, if not unique, certainly unusual. It is my understanding that he was born in East Europe, spent roughly half his life there and the other half (again roughly) in America. That is all I know about his biography (except that his late brother, I. J. Singer, was a Yiddish writer, and that he, I. B. Singer, has a niece). I have read a number of his stories, which either take place in Europe, or if in America, have the East European tone (it was the same with Sholem Aleichem, whose style was surely fully formed by the time he came to America. He is said to have wheeled my baby carriage, I mean the carriage in which I spent time as a baby, or pushed it, or maybe just touched it, in the northwest reaches of Central Park, across from the Great Circle on 110th Street. The reader will excuse the irrelevancy, it is just that I wanted to get into the act). Then there are the very young writers mentioned by Swados—they write about their grandfathers' New York ghetto life. That's kind of odd. That leaves my generation, whose fathers were the immigrants. If we were to be touched by the grandfather complex (we don't write much about our fathers' ghetto life) we would be writing about the small-town life of East Europeans (we descendants of East Europeans would). But I know of no such work. Does such a work exist—written by an American-born Jew about the East European life of his grandfather, to say nothing of his father? I suppose such a work does exist—it is difficult to exclude subject possibilities. But the tendency of the American-born Jewish writer is to write about life in America, maybe Jewish life in America, but pretty much to avoid the Ghetto as subject. But now the generation behind us (or is it two generations?) begins to write about the ghetto. And if the American ghetto, why not the European ghetto? The great grandfather complex-will that be in the nature of the Renaissance? Our generation fought more to achieve an American style, or an international style, and it is probably too late for a Jewish style. But what about the generation behind the one that is behind us, our children's children? Will they go deeper into the Jewish past, when the history of the shtetl will be four times removed? And another question, Mr. Chairman, which relates to the remarks of Mr. Howe. Are there any Southern Jewish writers? If so, are they involved in a double decline?
Still talking of America, it is said by some that the Jewish cultural Renaissance is here, and a group of a half-dozen or so writers, all of whose names are no doubt familiar to my readers, is adduced in evidence. These are American Jews, writing in English, about subjects Jewish and non-Jewish, appealing to Jewish and non-Jewish readers. In my opinion these writers, some more accomplished than others, constitute a phenomenon rather than a Renaissance. They write mostly in the tradition of American letters, in an American idiom (in some cases with an admixture of Yiddishisms, even a Yiddish tone). The fact of this grouping is in part a reflex of the Hitlerian horrors—the Western world (or part of the Western world, or certain psychic layers in part of the Western world) want the Jews to succeed. These writers (good, bad, and indifferent) are considered as a group by the Christians as well as by the Jews. Under other circumstances they would be considered only on their merits as individual writers. The sense of Jewishness is more intense, but that is subsumed in the American tradition, the American language and style. We do not have a ghetto situation in America; there are memories of such a situation, mostly historical, in some cases personal, but those who exploit these memories are making an as-if situation. The unusually favorable situation of the Jews in America makes a Jewish Renaissance difficult. It is better, much better, a thousand times better, that way—good life is more important than the most dazzling parochial literature, than the most dazzling universal literature. Of course, you can't have one without the other. Maurice Samuel has written of "two thousand years of creative exile experience." That sense of exile is not so much alive in the third- and fourth-generation Jews in America. Disastrous circumstances will easily awaken it. Howe's optimism (the death of Yiddish culture, and of anti-Semitism, in a profoundly democratic society) is perhaps in order. But America is only one country. (In Soviet Russia today, Yiddish language and culture are under fire. The government is forcing an assimilation. That is altogether different from an assimilation freely arrived at, has an anti-assimilationist effect, reinforcing the Jews' sense of themselves as Jews. But even when the assimilation is not imposed, as was the situation, for example, in Germany in the hundred years before Nazism, the Jew can at any time be de-assimilated, to a l/64th fraction.) Danger in one land spells the possibility of danger everywhere. So there is a constant wariness, an unease securely founded in the substance of world history.
12. Future
The Question & Answer period was over. Sometimes a foolish question was rewarded by a wise answer. Sometimes a wise question was depreciated by a foolish answer. It was getting late, wrist watches were being glanced at, furtively, openly, a certain restlessness developed. It was cold outside. The popular song (of another year) said it this way: Baby, it's cold outside. It was warm and pleasant in the room, but time to go. Oh, not immediately—there was the usual milling, people gathered round the speakers' platform to ask more questions, to shake hands, to straighten out one of the speakers, or just to hang around. Then there were coats to be picked up, and meetings with friends, or acquaintances, little groups at the exits, little groups outside in the street, waiting (for friends, or just waiting), discussing the highlights of the symposium, praising and criticizing the speakers. The ex-audience shivered, bundled up, looked for warmth in corners that did not exist, or existing, did not provide warmth. The crowd faded from the doorway. We were in the streets of an American city. Here Jewish kids were not picked up and slammed against the wall. No Yiddish was being spoken. The city opened up to us—so many places to go, even home. Seldom, if ever, since the Dispersion, have so many Jews had so much freedom, for so long a time, as in this land. We are suspicious, cautious, we look for the possibilities of trouble, anti-Semitism lurks everywhere, bad times will bring it out, there are various types of exclusion, Americans are not immune, there is even a small Nazi organization, nobody knows what the future will bring, situations change quickly, but the Jews have had it very good here for a very long time. That in itself is a cause for worry. How long can such good fortune last? The Jewish writers should be interested, are interested, in these matters. Are we living on sufferance, the world's guilt for the extermination of the Six Million? How is it possible not to worry? We move off. Where to? Smith's Bar & Grill? Luchow's?


text:
The Leading eBooks Store Online
for Kindle Fire, Apple, Android, Nook, Kobo, PC, Mac, BlackBerry...
New to eBooks.com?Learn more
- Bestsellers - This Week
- Foreign Language Study
- Pets
- Bestsellers - Last 6 months
- Games
- Philosophy
- Archaeology
- Gardening
- Photography
- Architecture
- Graphic Books
- Poetry
- Art
- Health & Fitness
- Political Science
- Biography & Autobiography
- History
- Psychology & Psychiatry
- Body Mind & Spirit
- House & Home
- Reference
- Business & Economics
- Humor
- Religion
- Children's & Young Adult Fiction
- Juvenile Nonfiction
- Romance
- Computers
- Language Arts & Disciplines
- Science
- Crafts & Hobbies
- Law
- Science Fiction
- Current Events
- Literary Collections
- Self-Help
- Drama
- Literary Criticism
- Sex
- Education
- Literary Fiction
- Social Science
- The Environment
- Mathematics
- Sports & Recreation
- Family & Relationships
- Media
- Study Aids
- Fantasy
- Medical
- Technology
- Fiction
- Music
- Transportation
- Folklore & Mythology
- Nature
- Travel
- Food and Wine
- Performing Arts
- True Crime
- Foreign Language Books
Churchill's HourSourcebooks 2008; US$ 14.95
From Michael Dobbs, author of the book that inspired the smash hit Netflix series House of Cards , Churchill's Hour is a stunning novel that brings Prime Minister Winston Churchill to life during the midst of WWII. It is 1941, a year of desperation for England as it is battered by the war. Churchill has only one hope, that the U.S. will come... more...
Saint Theresa and Sleeping with StrangersThe American University in Cairo Press 2010; US$ 9.99
In these two short novels, Bahaa Abdel Meguid displays the impressive range of his narrative imagination. Set in the lower-class Cairo district of Shubra, Saint Theresa tells the story of two young women, Budour and Sawsan, childhood friend who come of age following the 1967 war. Budour marries a humble tailor named Girgis, but begins an extended affair... more...
The Poet GamePicador 2000; US$ 18.99
In the wake of the first World Trade Center bombing, New York City is the center of an intricate web of betrayals and double-crosses in the shadowy world of Muslim radicals. Sami Amir arrives in Brooklyn via Iran, and into a world of militants, arms suppliers, and spies. He is a counter-intelligence agent from a branch of the Iranian Ministry of Security.... more...
Anthills of the SavannahDoubleday Canada 2010; US$ 19.95
Achebe writes about the political and social problems facing newly independent African states. Anthills of the Savannah transports the reader to the West African country of Kangan, a fictional Nigeria, in the wake of a revolutionary coup that overthrew a dictator. Achebe discusses the strict balance of power that must be maintained in order to sustain... more...
Things Fall ApartDoubleday Canada 2009; US$ 16.95
THINGS FALL APART tells two overlapping, intertwining stories, both of which center around Okonkwo, a ?strong man? of an Ibo village in Nigeria. The first of these stories traces Okonkwo's fall from grace with the tribal world in which he lives, and in its classical purity of line and economical beauty it provides us with a powerful fable about the... more...
Anthills of the SavannahKnopf Doubleday Publishing Group 2012; US$ 14.00
In the fictional West African nation Kangan, newly independent of British rule, the hopes and dreams of democracy have been quashed by a fierce military dictatorship. Chris Oriko is a member of the cabinet of the president for life, one of his oldest friends. When the president is charged with censoring the oppositionist editor of the state-run newspaper—another... more...
A Man of the PeopleDoubleday Canada 2010; US$ 17.95
By the renowned author of Things Fall Apart , this novel foreshadows the Nigerian coups of 1966 and shows the color and vivacity as well as the violence and corruption of a society making its own way between the two worlds. In the landscape of Western Africa, two political traditions collide: the old bush politians against the new intelellectual... more...
Anthills of the SavannahPenguin Books Ltd 2013; US$ 17.58
DemocracyNuVision Publications, LLC 2003; US$ 4.99
This is the famous novel by Henry Adams about political power, it acquisition, use and abuse. The main character, Madeleine Lee leaves New York to go to the Capital to be in the hub of politics. She soon discovers that the government is full of people corrupted by greed, money and power. more...
DemocracyReadHowYouWant 2006; US$ 4.99
One of the greatest written political novels. It is about a widow who wishes to unearth the mystery of American democracy and to achieve political power. What is bound to take place is disillusionment and a great dose of reality. The corruption behind the power scene is revealed in these pages. more...


text:
PPG Industries and Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium Renew Partnership
(Pittsburgh) (August 16, 2011)—PPG Industries (NYSE: PPG), PPG Industries Foundation, and the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium announced today that they have renewed their partnership, which was initiated in 2001 and scheduled to expire in 2012.
During a ceremony this morning at the Zoo, PPG Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Charles E. Bunch announced a $6.9 million contribution over 10 years and introduced the PPG Conservation and Sustainability Fund. This fund awards grants to help support a variety of field studies and projects with a multidisciplinary approach to conservation. It will enable the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium to support research and conservation work around the world, especially in countries where PPG operates.
Bunch said, "PPG and the Pittsburgh Zoo are both long-standing, sound and deep-rooted Pittsburgh institutions. At PPG, we believe that this partnership helps to underscore our commitment to the Pittsburgh area – a place that we have called 'home' for more than 127 years."
"PPG Industries is more than a sponsor; they are our partner, and together we are pioneering new and exciting efforts to support wildlife conservation around the world," said Dr. Barbara Baker, president and CEO of the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium. "In the past 10 years we have developed the PPG Aquarium into a world-class marine environment, reached a benchmark of 1 million visitors, built the state-of-the-art Water's Edge habitat and now are one of the top 10 zoos in the country."
The new 10-year agreement also supports expansion projects at the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium, such as the Animal Health and Education Center slated for completion in 2012, and a new Top of the World reptile and mixed-species habitat to be built on undeveloped land at the Zoo.
"By supporting the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium, we believe that we're clearly enhancing the region's value," Bunch said. "The Zoo plays a key role in educating all of its visitors, and notably children, about the importance of preserving and protecting the world in which we live. As such, our partnership also underscores a shared commitment to sustainability, conservation and education."
In addition to supporting conservation efforts, PPG Industries and PPG Industries Foundation also sponsor the Zoo's annual PPG Party for the Planet and PPG Festival of Water events and are naming sponsors of the PPG Aquarium.
More than 10,000 Western Pennsylvania Girl Scouts were invited to participate in today's celebration, thanks to PPG Industries. Girl Scout troops volunteered to help at the press conference and are leading activities throughout the Zoo all morning.


text:
Bryan Adams' Hit-Heavy Fox Show
By Jeremy Essig
Lightning Bolt's Sharp New Sound
By Jason Robinson
Fleetwood Mac Back with Classic Lineup
By Hans Morgenstern
Here's Who's Making STL Noisy This Spring
By Joseph Hess
Beatles Sister Louise Harrison Departs the Midwest
By Peter Gilstrap
By Julia Burch
Working Class Dogs to Honor Rick Springfield
By Jeremy Essig
Torche Gets Back Into Its Heavy Groove With Restarter
By Nathan Smith
Late last May, the first annual St. Louis Underground Music Festival (S.L.U.M. Fest) took place at Atomic Cowboy. The twelve-hour affair featured more than 75 performances by area emcees, DJs, B-boys and graffiti artists. S.L.U.M. Fest 2010 might have been a mess, what with so many artists doing so many different things at one venue, but the event went off without a hitch.
The success of last year's fest had much to do with the hard work put in by the event's various organizers and board members. We spoke with a few of the minds responsible for the fest, including John Harrington and So 'n' So (of the Midwest Avengers), Lyfestile and Nato Caliph (of Plan B), and Robert "Rob Boo" Ford, about their future plans for S.L.U.M. Fest and what to expect at this year's installment.
Calvin Cox: How did the idea for S.L.U.M. Fest come about?
4140 Manchester Ave
St. Louis, MO 63110
Category: Bars and Clubs
Region: St. Louis - Forest Park Southeast
Rob Boo: The idea actually came from a conversation me and a couple of the guys were having on Facebook one day. Myself, Lyfestile and Fresh Voice were talking about putting together a showcase. After we kicked the idea around for a couple of weeks, we decided to call a meeting. That's when we reached out to other people we knew, like John and [So 'n' So]. At the meeting, while we were shooting out names of who we'd like to see on the bill, the list started to get so long that we realized we could never fit all those people in one show. John had the idea that we could do it more like a festival — that was the start of S.L.U.M. Fest.
John Harrington: I've got a history with festivals like the Vans Warped Tour and OzzFest. We used to travel to Scribble Jam in Cincinnati all the time, but everybody knows that Scribble Jam's shut down now. I figured: "Why can't St. Louis be the new home for underground hip-hop?" We need to get a solid following in St. Louis first, and then start inviting in others in the future.
What makes S.L.U.M. Fest so unique?
JH: For me, it's all about unity. We're bringing in people in from all walks of life. We've got all the different styles, all the different genres of hip-hop.
So 'n' So: Hip-hop isn't just street, it's not just backpack, it's not just conscience — it's all of that. It's even weird. It's strange at times. We bring all those things together.
Lyfestile: And it's all the elements. There's a lot of rap, but we try to showcase the DJing and graffiti, the B-boys and B-girls, so it's not just a rap show. We're encouraging the culture as a whole.
S.L.U.M. Fest 2011 is billed as an all-ages event. What accommodations are being made for those who will be bringing their kids?
LS: The lineup on the Made Monarchs stage from 2 p.m. up until about 6 is all people who are giving positive messages. Dynasty Hip Hop and Teen Swag are organizations that deal directly with the youth in St. Louis. We've got Mirage, Ciej, Dharma Jean, JJ Trooth — so if you're bringing kids, there will be stuff there specifically for them. As a parent, I don't know that every artist on the bill is going to be appropriate for my children, but we have to respect the artists enough to allow them to do what they do.
What are some of the specific challenges in putting something like this together?
RB: The first one would be trying to narrow down the list of performers. We had about 500 people send in submissions this year, so we're talking about going from over 500 [down] to our goal of 60.
JH: Another part of it is trying to roll with the punches and adapt, because every day something changes. The logistics change, the lineup changes — we all just have to stay in constant contact so everybody knows what's going on.
Have your expectations changed at all from last year's event to this year's?
LS: Personally, I look at it more like a continuation of last year. We're just trying to learn from what happened last year so we can keep making it better.
Nato Caliph: With anything, you want it to be a little bit bigger and better than the year before. The biggest growth for us has been internally — [in terms of] organization, lining up ducks in a row, that kind of thing. As far as presentation and entertainment, we won't have anybody skydiving into the event or anything like that, but there have been improvements.
What would you like to see in terms of attendance this year?
JH: Realistically, I know we can do 1,000, because that's about what we did last year. But with the quality of the event, the promotion we're putting behind it, the vibe on the street — I'd like to see double or triple that amount this time.
As far as marketing, what steps are you taking to make sure the word gets out?
Sponsor Content


text:
two more lady gaga FAME fragrance commercials by steven klein + a harrods appearance
Two more incredibly Steven Klein directed, Ridley Scott produced 30 second spots for Lady Gaga's FAME have landed. The second even features the track Sheiße (and unsurprisingly the top comment on YouTube is a request for it to be the next single #nevergoingtohappen). The fragrance is available now officially in the US & UK and worldwide on September 1st. In addition, it was just announced that Gaga will be appearing in store at Harrods London on 7 October at 6pm.
Post Tags: fame, harrods, lady gaga, Steven Klein
Browse Timeline
- « mykki blanco by emily hope for juke magazine
- » music video: nicki minaj – i am your leader directed by colin tilley + B.O.B. ft. nicki minaj – out of my mind directed by benny boom


text:
Mr. Bacon: Good afternoon.
First, I'd like to welcome some guests. The first is Bruce Harter, the Director of National Security and Foreign Affairs for the Veterans of Foreign Wars. Welcome. Also there's a group of journalists here from China -- ten journalists from various parts of China who are here as part of a two-week USIA-sponsored study program. We welcome you as well.
A note on Guam. As you know, a typhoon of ferocious strength -- winds approaching 300 miles an hour -- struck Guam and inflicted a considerable amount of damage. In response, the Defense Department has sent five C-5 transport planes, or is in the process of sending five C-5 transport planes of equipment to Guam. Three are carrying equipment, primarily electrical-generating equipment and communications equipment such as portable telephones to replace the infrastructure that has been destroyed by the typhoon. Two other planes are carrying 100 tons of blankets, water, and food, mainly in the form of Meals Ready to Eat. They should arrive within 48 hours. Earlier, the Coast Guard sent some food and water in some C-130s.
Two other announcements here. The first is to call your attention to the fact that the Air Force is declaring the initial operational capability of the Joint STARS system, which is the Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System plane. Three of these aircraft have been assigned to their wing and ten more are currently projected for delivery. As you know, this is a plane that sort of does on the ground what the AWACS does in the air. It tracks activity on the ground to give us a good look at activity on the ground in all weather conditions.
Finally, let me bring you up to date on travel plans for Secretary Cohen and Deputy Secretary Hamre over the Christmas holidays. Secretary Cohen will leave for Bosnia on Tuesday, the 23rd of December and he will make several stops along the way. He will go first to Naples. The morning of the 24th of December he will visit several ships and have breakfast with 150 sailors and marines from the ships, the USS GUAM, the USS SOUTH CAROLINA, and the USS APACHE.
He will be accompanied on this tour by the singer, Mary Chapin Carpenter, who will give performances along the way, including one morning performance on the day before Christmas -- Christmas Eve day -- in Naples, and then performances at the two other stops he plans to make.
After he leaves Naples, he will go to Macedonia where he will have lunch on Christmas Eve day with the soldiers in Task Force Able Sentry who are protecting peace and stability in Macedonia.
Q: How many are there now?
A: I'll get the exact number, but I think there are about 500-600 now. But we'll get the precise number. 350 -- it's down to 350 -- it's been coming down.
So he'll have lunch with the forces there. There will be another performance by Mary Chapin Carpenter.
Then he'll go on to Tuzla. He'll arrive in the evening and have dinner with the troops. Mrs. Cohen will travel with him. They will both have dinner with the troops. Mrs. Cohen may participate in some activities with the troops at local orphanages or other institutions working with programs that troops have already established in the area. We're still working out the details of that part of the schedule.
Then on Christmas morning he will have breakfast with the troops, attend a non-denominational church service in Tuzla, and return on Christmas day.
While he is in Bosnia, Macedonia and Naples visiting troops, the Deputy Secretary, John Hamre, will visit U.S. forces at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba, and also in Haiti. He will do that on Christmas Day and return. He'll visit approximately a thousand troops on his trip.
I want to remind you and everybody else, that on Christmas day, there will be approximately 106,000 soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines on deployment away from home.
Q: (inaudible)
A: He leaves on the 23rd, returns on the 24th, so he'll do this just before Christmas. We can give you the precise... The details here are that he will go to Haiti and visit members of the U.S. Support Group there on the afternoon of December 23rd. He'll stay overnight in Haiti -- I believe that's correct. Then he will travel on to Guantanamo Bay in Cuba the next morning, the 24th, and return on that day.
With that I'll take your questions on this travel or anything else.
Q: Is there any indication from the SACEUR and the NATO Military Committee yet on whether the new force in Bosnia is likely to be smaller than the one that's there now? And do you expect the proportion of U.S. troops will be about the same percentage-wise as the current proportions?
A: I think it's too early to talk about that right now because NATO is working on the details.
The President said this morning that he anticipated that the U.S. participation in the follow-on force after June would be smaller than the current participation. There are now about 8,000 American troops in Bosnia.
Q: Out of 31,000 which is...
A: The total mission is now 31,000. The authorized limit is 32,000 -- slightly below that. The authorized U.S. participation is 8,500, and we're down close to 8,000 at this stage?
Q: So you would expect it to be less than 25 percent, which is about where it is right now? U.S. participation.
A: I think it's too early to tell right now what the U.S. share of the new force will be. This will be worked out in the next five or six weeks by NATO and in the various capitals as we review what the NATO military authorities come up with.
All I can tell you is that the President anticipates that the U.S. share of the new NATO force will be smaller than it currently is.
I should point out, as you all know, this is not just a NATO force, it's a NATO-led force, but there are troops there from a number of other nations. The Russians have indicated that they plan to participate in the force beyond June of 1998, and a number of other non-NATO countries have indicated that as well. I would fully anticipate, for instance, that Poland, the Czech Republic and Hungary will remain actively involved in the Bosnia peace mission.
Q: About Secretary Cohen's visit to Bosnia, how did it come about that Mary Chapin Carpenter is going on the trip? Is Secretary Cohen a fan of her music, or did she volunteer, was she approached? How did that come about?
A: Well, he's definitely a fan of her music. I believe he knows her. I will get the exact details. She's actually performing in Europe and is going to meet Secretary and Mrs. Cohen on their plane in Shannon and fly from Ireland down to Naples and then the rest of the trip.
Q: About the follow-on force, is there a name for this force yet?
A: No, not that I know of. The same people who named the President's dog can come up with names for the follow-on force. This will be a contest for the next several weeks. (Laughter)
Q: Would it be the Luke force, by any chance?
A: I think I wouldn't speculate on any name right now.
Q: But seriously, this follow-on force, to what extent is there a concern as the mission for this force is drawn up, that it would possibly involve U.S. troops in functions that should be handled by a police force? Is that one of the concerns as planners start developing this next mission?
A: One of the main concerns that Secretary Cohen has, and he fully supports this decision by the President. One of the main concerns that he has and that other members of the administration team have, is that we have to have a clear, coherent transition strategy.
As the President made clear today, he does not anticipate that we are going to have forces in Bosnia for a long period of time. He does not see this as an extremely lengthy deployment or mission. We have been talking -- we in the Administration have been talking over the last several weeks about the need, for instance, to develop a new police infrastructure in Bosnia to help take over some of the law and order missions, or to perform law and order missions and therefore relieve pressure on SFOR.
So one of the things the President, General Clark, Secretary Cohen, General Shelton and others will be looking at, will be how that infrastructure gets factored into the plans -- the transitional strategy gets factored into the plans that NATO is drawing up.
Q: Is there pressure for the NATO troops to perform functions that the United States believes should be done by police forces rather than military forces?
A: I think that SFOR has been quite clear on the dimensions of its mission and it's worked very hard to perform, primarily, a mission that involves separation, disarmament, and maintaining general area security or to prevent a resumption of fighting in Bosnia. SFOR has worked hard to avoid very specific tasks such as escorting refugees back to their homes. We think that is a job that should be performed more appropriately by police forces, local police forces.
What SFOR does do is provide broad area security in cases such as refugee return. That will remain, I believe, one of the signal concerns of the policymakers as they look for the new mission of the follow-on force that comes after June.
Q: The President said also one of his concerns, he's going to insist that the force that is there is able to protect itself. What does that say about the type of force, then, that is needed to be there?
A: Force protection has been one of our primary goals, has been a primary goal from the very beginning. It suggests that we won't move down to a tiny force, certainly, in the next phase. It suggests that we will continue to pay an awful lot of attention to maintaining the security of the forces we have there. But I don't think right now it's possible to extrapolate from that statement what the size of the next force will be.
Q: If not the size, what does it say about the composition of the force? What type of force?
A: We'll have to have a number of combat soldiers -- they'll be well armed, well trained, well led, that they will continue, to presumably, dress for danger as they do now, and they will continue to be alert through their own patrols and also through the intelligence they get to the local situations and to respond to them as necessary.
Q: The President at his news conference was asked how Secretary Cohen was brought on board with this decision, and he didn't answer it. I wonder if you could, given the Secretary's past concern about keeping his deadlines,...
A: First of all, the Secretary has never believed in setting deadlines. He said that when he was a member of the Senate. He inherited a deadline for this mission.
His concern for the SFOR force, and U.S. participation in particular in this force, has always been that we not stay there forever, that we have a strategy for getting out of Bosnia. He has always wanted to perform the mission and to get out as soon as possible. That's still his goal. What's changed is his realization of when possible is. Why did he change? Why does he think it's going to take longer than June of '98? I think there are a number of reasons.
The first is, he's been to Bosnia twice; he's spent a lot of time talking with General Clark and other military commanders; he's met extensively with his colleagues from our fellow participants in SFOR, most recently with George Robertson the UK Defense Minister, he's met with Alain Richard in France, he's met twice with General Marshal Sergeyev of Russia. As I said, the Russian forces plan to stay. All of them stressed the need for SFOR to remain, some SFOR type force to remain in Bosnia, and all of them stress the need for U.S. leadership of that force. So I think those had a...
I think his personal observation led him to believe that we are making great progress in Bosnia, but there's a lot of room left for progress. We aren't there yet. We need more time.
I think he paid a lot of attention to the calls he got from his colleagues for continued American leadership. He saw that it was necessary. I think there's one other factor. Yesterday he talked with nine members of Congress, including Senator Warner, with whom some of you spoke earlier today, and briefed them on what the President was planning to do, and found that these members from both parties were generally supportive of the President's decision to continue in Bosnia beyond June of 1998. He's always felt that congressional support for continuation was absolutely crucial. I think he realizes, after his conversations, that that congressional support will probably be there.
A: I'll see if we can do that.
Q: Will U.S. troops undertake any new missions past June of '98, or will they be limited to the mission they currently have now.
A: That's exactly the type of issue that the NATO military authorities are considering now and will make recommendations on in mid January. Then the governments will have to decide.
Basically, our goal is to try to shrink the size of the force and the mission of the force as much as possible as we create transitional strategies and structures to take the place of the military force. That's not going to happen immediately.
I think the question of defining the mission will be one of the crucial questions -- there will be two crucial questions. One is defining the mission. Is the mission the same, is it less, or is it broader? I don't anticipate it will be broader than the current mission. Two, sizing the force to fit the mission.
Because one of our primary points throughout this has been to send a force that was adequate to do the job and adequate to protect itself while it was doing the job, and those two goals will remain.
Q: Has the Secretary kind of ruled out anything like policing functions or escorting refugees like you mentioned? Or are those things now on the table?
A: Secretary Cohen does not believe those would be appropriate, but he will look at the facts as they develop from the military authorities. I think that there's a lot of room for debate on what the needs are in Bosnia and what the role of the force should be right now, but I do think there's general agreement and unity among the allies in SFOR that our goal is to get out of Bosnia eventually. That eventually the Bosnians have to be responsible for their own future. The U.S. certainly doesn't anticipate leaving a garrison force there forever. I think the President made that very clear this morning, and I don't believe that our fellow participants in SFOR envision leaving a garrison force there forever, either.
Q: The President did say the benchmarks were nebulous, were going to be nebulous for some weeks, as you have already mentioned. Does the Secretary favor making those benchmarks very specific and defining the parameters then whereby troops would be withdrawn? Since there's not going to be a deadline.
A: We will strive -- I think the U.S. Government will strive for as much specificity as possible. I can't predict right now how much that will be, but, I will take you back to the initial mandate for IFOR, the implementation force that went in, followed by the current force, SFOR, the stabilization force. This is a point that General Joulwan has made many times in briefings from this platform, and others have made it as well. That the tasks of that force were very carefully laid out in the Dayton Peace Accords. We wanted to make sure that everybody was clear about what this force was supposed to do. I wouldn't anticipate any muddling of that clarity. I think everybody wants to have a clear mandate for this force and a clear division between what the military is supposed to do and what local authorities are supposed to do. Our goal is to grow the number of tasks that the local authorities can perform on their own so there can be a compensating reduction of what the military force has to do.
Q: You said a minute ago you felt the mission would be broader.
A: No. I did not say that. I said I did not anticipate it would be broader. I said there are three possibilities -- that the mission will be the same, it will be narrower, or it could be broader, and I said specifically I don't anticipate that it will be broader. But just to make sure, I'll repeat it again. I do not anticipate that the NATO military authorities or their political directors will accept a broader mission.
Q: Earlier Senator Warner mentioned that he believed that Karadzic and others have been a major stumbling block to implementing the rebuilding of the country and getting the people to cooperate with the allied forces and with the non-governmental organizations, and he even suggested that the United States and others put prices on their heads to get rid of them.
Would our new mission involve some kind of action to get the indicted war criminals out of the way since they do seem to be a stumbling block?
A: First of all, the international community is completely unified behind the proposition that indicted war criminals should be brought to trial in the Hague. I think we've seen some good progress in that regard in just the last couple of months. Two war criminals were captured in Prijedor; one was captured, one was killed in Prijedor in July; ten war criminals -- these were indicted war criminals, alleged war criminals -- turned themselves in October in Vitez, the so-called Vitez 10. This was done largely because of good, solid work by Robert Gelbard who is the special State Department assistant for Bosnia. And just, as you know, last night, two more were detained by Dutch forces in Vitez and a nearby town. So there has been... There are now, I believe, 22 indicted war criminals under detention in the Hague, and of that number, 13 have been sent there since July. So there's been considerable progress on this.
Q: Are we going to put on more pressure to get at people like Karadzic?
A: I think the lesson of what's happened so far is pretty clear. The international community is serious about getting indicted war criminals to trial at the Hague, and it is working hard to do that, and beginning to succeed. I think all indicted war criminals who remain on the loose should look at what's happened over the last couple of months.
Q: Did the latest arrests signal an intensified campaign by SFOR to get war criminals?
A: I think they signal the ability of SFOR to react when they run across war criminals in their normal course of business, and to detain them in a way that is prudent and effective.
Q: Senator Warner suggested that we ought to put a price on some of those folks' heads. Does Secretary Cohen think that would be a good idea? Does the Department think that would be a good idea?
A: Well, that's a suggestion that I've just heard from you, recounted by Senator Warner. I can't comment on that right now.
Q: Was there any U.S. participation in this operations?
A: There was U.S. support most primarily in terms of communications, providing a communications infrastructure for the operation. We also provided some logistics support, primarily transportation. It was in U.S. C-130s that the detained indicted war criminals were transferred to the Hague.
Q: Any helos or special ops?
A: There was a British helicopter involved in the operation at one point.
Q: Do you also have a readout on the figures of the support for the Bosnia operation that's in Hungary? The number of aircraft in Aviano? Do they still...
A: We can get you all that stuff. I'm not sure I have the number of aircraft in Aviano. But I can tell you right now that we have 8,064 troops in Bosnia; 593 in Croatia; and another 2,583 in Hungary and Italy. Now a group of those, of course, would be at Aviano, would be connected with the Air Force in Aviano. So that totals, if they've added correctly here, 11,240 involved in the whole mission right now. But of those 8,000, slightly less than 8,100 are in Bosnia.
Q: Are they still flying air patrols...
A: Yeah. I'll get you a complete update on that. I don't have the exact figures on the number of planes or exactly what their operating tempo is out of Aviano.
Q: I wanted to ask about the report that was done on gender integrated training. Can you clarify for us that under the recommendations of this special advisory panel, if they were implemented, to what degree it would result in segregating training that now is integrated? Is there some way to clarify or quantify that for us?
A: It's difficult to do, but let me approach that from the other direction. Some of the reporting on this, I think, has leapt to an unwarranted conclusion. Let me read you the lead in a newspaper account from yesterday. "A civilian panel's unanimous recommendation Tuesday that the armed forces keep men and women separate for most of their basic training drew a barrage of criticism." That's not what the panel recommended. The panel's recommendation would not lead to separating men and women in the Army, Navy, and Air Force for most of their basic training.
According to calculations that were done by the panel, and you should probably talk with panel members or their staff to get these, but we can actually hand out some charts that were prepared and maybe weren't handed out on Tuesday, but according to their calculations, this is what their recommendations would mean.
In the Army, approximately 70 percent of the training would be mixed gender -- if their recommendations were enacted. In the Navy, that figure would be around 60 percent mixed gender training. In the Air Force, because of the way the training is currently structured, it would be in the 40-50 percent range mixed gender training. That's in part because, I believe, a comparatively larger section of the Air Force training actually takes place in the barracks, so to the extent that the barracks separate the sexes, and they're separated now either by floor or by wing in the Air Force as they are in the other services, but to the extent they're separated and you do a lot of the training in the barracks, then by definition that training will be separated.
Now this could all change depending on how the services react to the report, and it could change depending on how the services would implement -- if they bought the recommendations, how they would implement the recommendations. But I think the bottom line is that there's plenty of opportunity, and in fact a very strong expectation that there would be a lot of mixed gender training, even if men and women were to live in separate barracks.
Q: You say that some of the reporting leapt to an unwarranted conclusion. It would also seem from what you've just said that some of the statements made by the panel members to the effect that they were only talking about segregating housing and not training, also don't seem to be...
A: I thought that Senator Kassebaum was pretty clear when she pointed to the chart she had up here, that there would be some changes at the bottom level of training, and that, in the Army, is the platoon; in the Navy the division; and in the Air Force the flight. These are the smallest units into which people are grouped.
In the Army, the four platoons of about 60 people each come together to make a company. Most of the training in the Army is done on a company basis rather than in platoon formations. So to the extent that you brought together several platoons of men and a platoon of women, you would have, to some extent, mixed gender training.
Now you can ask yourself, and it's a very legitimate question: Okay, you have one platoon of men and three platoons of men, how much do they actually mix together? Do you have the women at one end of the rifle range and do you have the three platoons of men in the rest of the rifle range? Those are details that can be worked out by the service, and the services have plenty of flexibility to work those details out. But I don't think we can be clear on exactly what the format would be, if it would change at all, until we hear how the services respond to the report.
Q: On Sunday, voters in Okinawa are going to be participating in a referendum on whether or not to build a heliport in Nago, Okinawa. If that fails, what will that do to our relationship with the Japanese military?
And on Korea, Kim Dae-jung is declaring victory in the presidential election there. Any comments on that?
A: First, in Japan, our relationship with the Japanese military is extremely strong and I would anticipate that it would remain strong, despite the vote. I can't predict, I'm not an expert on Japanese politics and I can't predict, how that vote would come out, but I think the government of Japan very strongly supports the proposal to move the Futenma Air Base to an off-shore facility as a step toward reducing the American footprint in Okinawa. I think the government's working hard to win that vote.
In terms of Korea, I'm not going to make a prediction on how the election will come out.
Q: What do you plan in the way of briefings for the next two weeks?
A: I haven't decided yet. Obviously I'm not going to brief on Christmas day, a week from today. Sorry. And I have not decided yet on Tuesday. We should take a vote. Who wants a briefing on Tuesday? Who doesn't?
I think, actually, I'll probably respond more to the news than to this vote. I will make a decision on Monday and let you know.
Q: Europe and the United States (inaudible) qoute, unqoute Macedonia instead of (inaudible). Which is the (inaudible) name. Any comment or clarification?
A: Sorry?
Q: In your opening remarks, you said twice, Macedonia instead of (inaudible) which is the (inaudible) name as you know.
A: I, of course, was speaking in understandable and abbreviated terms.
Q: Any information on the upcoming exercise among U.S., Israel and Turkey? Where and for how long?
A: The final details of that exercise, which has the wonderful name of Reliant Mermaid, have not been announced yet. But my understanding is the exercise is likely to take place in January; that it will involve naval forces from Israel, Turkey and the United States. The focus will be a humanitarian search and rescue operation, and it will be structured on a real life scenario or set of facts. The exercise will be of fairly short duration.
Q: Did you sign any agreement for those exercises? There will be I think eight of them in 1998?
A: I don't know the answer to that, but we'll try to find out.
Q: Could you comment on a report that came from the deployment of U.S. troops in the Greek Island of Rhodes or (inaudible) Islands?
A: You keep asking me that question. Rhodes, of course, is a beautiful island and many Americans would like to visit Rhodes, but the fact is we have not deployed or stationed U.S. troops in Rhodes. It is true that, from time to time, American ships dock at Rhodes or make port calls at Rhodes. I can tell you that in December -- to date there have been two visits -- one by the USS ASHLAND which is one of the ships that will have some sailors dining with Secretary Cohen next week; and the USS BARRY have both made port calls to Rhodes, and in November, three American ships made port calls there.
Q: ...In the next two hours that Secretary Cohen is going to meet the Turkish Prime Minister here in the town, and I wonder if you have any kind of the agenda?
A: They'll talk about a broad range of U.S. and Turkish concerns. Operation NORTHERN WATCH will be one, certainly. Turkey's continued support and important support for the continued sanctions against Iraq, until Iraq complies with the UN resolutions. I think they'll talk about a number of other issues of mutual concern.
Q: Will the U.S. recommend to the UN, to Mr. Butler, to go ahead and test the access that's being denied the UN inspectors by the Iraqis? Have you heard anything from Butler on that?
A: We're not in favor of tests, per se. We're in favor of complete access. We've made it clear and the Security Council has made it clear. Foreign Minister Primakov made it clear the other day, that we expect Iraq to comply with the UN Security Council resolutions and that is to allow inspections of its weapons of mass destruction sites.
Q: Is it clear that access is denied, formally denied?
A: Well, certainly, Mr. Butler issued a fairly discouraging report. It's available from the UN and he is now discussing that report with the Security Council. That report is available to I'm sure anybody who asks for it. It's publicly available, and I think it was made available to the press this morning.
Q: Has the posture of U.S. or Iraqi forces changed since that report came out?
A: No. It has not changed.
Q: Any violations?
A: Not that I'm aware of. The U-2 flew successfully last night without incident; spent four hours over Central Iraq on a seven hour mission.
Press: Thank you very much.


text:
Czech Absinthe - What is Czech Absinth?
The Czech absinthe drinking ritual originated in Prague in the 1990s, where the alcoholic drink is spelled absinth (drop the e). This ritual picks up on the French drinking ritual where you place a sugar cube on the absinthe spoon. You can either dip the sugar cube into the absinth or squirt a dropper of pure alcohol onto it. You then place the sugar cube on the slotted spoon and put flame to it. The flame first has some yellow and orange in it, then settles into a blue glow as the sugar melts and drips into the glass. Just as the flame goes out, while the sugar is still gooey, you pour water over it and it dissolves into the absinth.
Absinthe La Grenouille
The idea behind La Grenouille was to create an Absinthe with a southern and Mediterranean connotation. It has a classic backbone of wormwood, green anise, fennel, lemonbalm and hyssop, but is completed with other unique southern herbs to achieve a warm, velvety character. The color of this Absinthe is a natural green. 65% alcohol. 0.5 liter / 16.89 fl. oz.
Absinthe St. Antoine
This Absinthe is one of the first Czech Absinthes that really can be called "Absinthe" not "Absinth". It is distilled after a traditional French recipe. The coloration is natural and the Absinthe has a nice melissa and veronica aroma. The louche sets in slowly, so be sure to use ice cold water. This Absinthe has received high ratings in US Absinthe forums. Try it out, you will be amazed how a Czech Absinthe can taste, when it´s made the right way. 70% alcohol. 0.5 liter / 16.89 fl. oz
Mead Base Absinthe
The "honey" Absinthe: Mead Base Absinthe uses a distillate of 3 years old mead (honey wine) as an alcohol base.
It is interesting to note that part of the modern revival of Absinthe really has its origins in the collapse of the Iron Curtain, and Czechoslovakia's 1987 "Velvet Revolution." Sales of absinth took off in the early 1990s, especially in the United Kingdom where an innovative publicity campaign soon made Czech absinth a must-have drink in trendy nightclubs and bars. Manufacturers in Czechoslovakia and elsewhere soon followed, and today this style of "absinth" is made by many eastern European and German brands. While some of these manufacturers present their products honestly, a regrettably high percentage sell their wares on the basis of dubious claims of drug like allure, or supposed aphrodisiac effects. The brands listed above are legitimate.