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A jaunt through the juice-laced jungles of San Francisco's exotic drink scene
> firstname.lastname@example.com [1]
The quality, consistency, and creativity of cocktails in San Francisco (and of the bartenders who mix them) has been improving by leaps and bounds over the past couple of years, unbeknownst to people who actually go to restaurants to eat. When I sit down at a bar and ask for a menu, the last thing I expect to see on it is food. Drinking is the new eating.
Our expectations increase along with the caliber of our cocktails, and we demand that our mixologists do more work than a performing chef at Benihana, twisting, infusing, and muddling fresh and trendy ingredients into our drinks. My assignment was to investigate the latest in liquor-slinging calisthenics and hunt down the most exotic cocktail ingredients in the city. It's dangerous work, but I was up for it.
My first stop was the Redwood Room (495 Geary, SF. 415-775-4700, www.clifthotel.com [2]). The drinks on the menu revolve around house-made simple syrups infused with floral flavors like lavender, elderflower, and hibiscus. And though simple syrups are the salad dressings of cocktails, it's not fair to expect bartenders to defoliate the floral arrangements every time I'm thirsty. (I think I just came up with a great new idea for a theme bar!) I purchased an Elderflower Collins made with syrup, gin, and muddled blackberries and raspberries and topped with soda water that nullified most of the flavor in the drink. So I recommend one of the other cocktails instead. I mentioned the nature of my quest to the lovely bartender, who asked if I'd noticed all the pomegranate drinks on bar menus lately. Pomegranate? Let me just grab my iPod and I'll meet you down at the Ultra Lounge for pomegranate cosmopolitans because it's obviously still 2005.
No, baby, this is the Summer of 'Six and all the cool kids are cuckoo for yuzu.
I popped over to Ponzu (401 Taylor, SF. 415-775-7979, www.ponzurestaurant.com [3]), where they have two(!) yuzu cocktails on the menu. The Sultana, made with yuzu juice (it's a Japanese fruit), vanilla vodka, and mint, is surprisingly together. The excessive sweetness of vanilla is cut short by the tart yuzu and cooled by the mint that floats on the top of the drink (and then gets stuck in your teeth). But the aptly named Yuzu has caused me to reconsider my pledge to give up vodka (the new schnapps). It's got vanilla vodka along with yuzu and ginger juices, served up. The interplay of the vanilla with the two juices is so interesting and well balanced that you'll be too busy thinking about the magic happening in your mouth to mind that you're drinking it out of one of Ponzu's aluminum martini glasses. (For real.)
The Lobby Bar at the St. Regis Hotel (125 Third St., SF. 415-284-4000, www.stregis.com [4]) is a post-2000, sleek, grand room (ultra-lobby?) where you can still get a seat because the XYZ crowd hasn't discovered it yet. The yuzu lemon drop doesn't sound good at all, but I'm starting to think this fruit can fix anything. It's made with vodka, Cointreau, sugar, and yuzu juice and is served in a martini glass with a sugared rim. Everything is wrong with that sentence except for "yuzu" and "glass." Sugar rims are the fake boobs of cocktails, but it still turned out great. Go yuzu! Also on the menu are a margarita with yuzu, a kaffir lime gimlet (the new martini), and a blood orange cocktail. Also note: The bar snacks rock.
Over at Cortez (550 Geary, SF. 415-292-6360, www.cortezrestaurant.com [5]), the soon-to-be rotated seasonal drink menu boasts two elderflower cocktails. I ordered the Elderflower No. 10, made with elderflower syrup, Tanqueray No. 10 gin, lemon juice, and orange bitters, the last of which gives this drink a surprising level of complexity. Superb. At Rye (688 Geary, SF. 415-786-7803), the most exotic ingredients used are blackberries and cucumbers (the new strawberries), which just aren't freaky enough for the purposes of this safari, although they do make a mean basil gimlet.
After waking the next day reeking of elderflower and ginger, I changed my shirt and hit Aziza (5800 Geary, SF. 415-752-3056, www.aziza-sf.com [6]), the Moroccan restaurant on Geary at 22nd Avenue. Aziza uses überdramatic cocktail ingredients like smoked almonds, kumquats, thyme, and nutmeg. I started with the tarragon caipirinha, which has cardamom pods muddled into the drink along with the eponymous ingredient. Then I tried the rhubarb one with strawberry, wild fennel, and vodka, and followed it with the celery one muddled with vanilla vodka and dusted with crushed peppercorns. All three drinks were too sweet for my taste (probably to match the sweet and savory flavors in the food), and it appears the rest of the menu is too. The rhubarb was my favorite of the three, as the plant gave the drink a creamy, clean texture. The pepper atop the celery was another nice touch (and I'm seeing this done with watermelon cocktails at other venues), but overall the unique ingredients used in the cocktails seem more fancy than functional.
At Solstice (2801 California, SF. 415-359-1222, www.solsticelounge.com [7]), most of the drinks involve the latest standard fresh ingredients, like raspberries, pomegranate, ginger, and lychee, made into preprepared purees, juices, and flavored syrups. (I'm sure it saves time muddling.) One drink uses fresh lemongrass (the new basil), but I went with the Sol Provider, made with vodka, maraschino liqueur (the new triple sec), and ginger, muddled with cucumber and mint. It was a fresh, crisp cocktail that didn't need as much syrup as was used, but invites exploration of the rest of the drink menu.
After stopping into a few other venues not worth mentioning except that they all served basil or cilantro gimlets, I hit the Mission's Bissap Baobab (2323 Mission, SF. 415-826-9297, www.bissapbaobab.com [8]), which uses fresh house-made hibiscus, tamarind, and ginger juice in its specialty drinks. I started with the Salaan, a tamarind margarita that's one of three on the menu. It was deliciously different and avoided the usual margarita maladies — too sweet or too salty. The Sedeem uses all three juices along with white rum and tastes like a rum punch, except it's a smooth and interesting drink instead of the usual headache-inducing Kool-Aid. Baobab also features rums infused with coconut, pear, pineapple, and other flavors, served on the rocks. Everything here tastes like summer.
From there I walked over to Noe Valley's Fresca (3945 24th St., SF. 415-695-0549, www.frescasf.com [9]). All three outlets of this Peruvian restaurant use the same drink menu, which highlights eight variations of the pisco sour (the new caipirinha), as well as pisco sangria and the old caipirinha. Fresca no longer offers the chirimoya colada that's still on the menu, because it can't acquire any more of the chirimoya fruit. How's that for exotic? The Cojita is a mojito made with coca leaf–infused rum that imparts only a subtle dried-leaf flavor to the drink. It was tastier for its innate mojito qualities than for the added flavor of the coca leaves. Maybe it needed more of them. The chicha sour is a pisco sour with added chicha morada, a sweet dark purple juice with a hint of clove made from boiled purple corn in Fresca's kitchen. It was also a solid and well-mixed drink (frothy egg white cocktails, we don't have enough of), but very straightforward. These might make better sense accompanying a spicy meal here than on their own. If you're into the whole eating thing.
At this point, I'd overspent my drink stipend and had to end my adventure. I'd skipped the bars already well known for their creative specialty cocktails (Orbit Room, Frisson, Absinthe — all tropical drink bars) because they're too easy, and my quest for exotic cocktails would have been less like a hunting safari and more like shooting zoo animals. This still leaves plenty of unexplored bars with "in"-gredients like lemongrass, balsamic vinegar (the new Worcestershire), and cayenne pepper on their drink menus. Hunting them down is left as an exercise for the adventurous drinker. SFBG
Camper English is the new Purple Hooter and the author of Party like A Rock Star: Even When You're Poor As Dirt. Share the adventure at www.cramper.com [10]. Got a favorite local exotic cocktail? Spill it: firstname.lastname@example.com [1].
[1] mailto:firstname.lastname@example.com
[2] http://www.clifthotel.com
[3] http://www.ponzurestaurant.com
[4] http://www.stregis.com
[5] http://www.cortezrestaurant.com
[6] http://www.aziza-sf.com
[7] http://www.solsticelounge.com
[8] http://www.bissapbaobab.com
[9] http://www.frescasf.com
[10] http://www.cramper.com


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With rate increase requests ranging from 8.6 to 17.9 percent, the four health insurance companies in Rhode Island will be hearing soon from members of the public how they feel about the requests. more
By PBN Staff
The governor's Working Group for Health Care Innovation is calling for a health policy office to be created to help coordinate health policy decisions affecting all Rhode Islanders. more
By Lori Stabile
The University of Rhode Island's pharmacy program ranked 10th among 127 pharmacy schools for its residency-program placement rate for the year 2014. more
By PBN Staff
Gov. Gina M. Raimondo's Working Group to Reinvent Medicaid will hold its sixth group meeting on Wednesday at the Providence Marriott Downtown on Orms Street. more
By Nicole Dotzenrod
Gov. Gina M. Raimondo signed an executive order Thursday establishing a group that will restructure Medicaid in Rhode Island. The move is part of an effort to reduce the state's per-enrollee costs, which she says are consistently among the highest in the nation. more
By Eli Sherman
Rhode Islanders saved $45.2 million since the Affordable Care Act was enacted in 2010, according to information from the federal Department of Health and Human Services. more
By PBN Staff
HealthSource RI may not have chosen a new vendor to operate its call center at Royal Little Drive yet, but Optum is proceeding with plans to lay off the 60 employees who work there in April. more
By Lori Stabile
(Updated, 9:10 p.m.) An East Greenwich health and wellness program provider has been cited for nine serious violations by the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration for inadequately protecting its employees against exposure from contaminated needlesticks and blood-born pathogens. more
By PBN Staff
Hospitals are a major economic engine in the Ocean State, generating 41,000 jobs and $6.9 billion in economic contributions, according to the Hospital Association of Rhode Island's annual economic impact report released Tuesday. more
By PBN Staff
Gov. Gina M. Raimondo's working group to "reinvent Medicaid" on Thursday delivered a report containing proposals to cut $91.1 million from the state program, largely at the expense of hospitals and nursing homes. more
By Eli Sherman

subset: commoncrawl


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How much diff does Seat/Head Tube Angle Make in terms of reach from the seat to the bars? For example, if the top tube length was the same between two bikes, but the head tube angle and/or seat tube angle was different, how much difference would there be in reach to the bars between the bikes. In other words, if the angle of a head tube or seat changes by 1 degree, how much does that increase/decrease the reach from seat to bars?
I ask this because . . .
I have narrowed by choices down to a 2010 Novara Randonee or a 2010 Jamis Aurora in size 57. The Head Tube Angle is 69 for the Randonee and 72 for the Aurora. The Seat Tube Angle is 72.5 for the Randonee and 72 for the Aurora. The top tube size is 555 for the Randonee and 560 for the Aurora. How much difference in reach from the seat to bars will there be between the Randonee and Aurora due the the head and seat tube angles?
I ask this question because I cannot find a size 57 in the Aurora to test ride.


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Famille de Cullen WIP by burdgeWatch
©2008-2016 burdge
aw, so presh...
anyways, i'm not really that satisfied with this
one, but alas, it's okay.
anyways, i'm not really that satisfied with this
one, but alas, it's okay.
i'm literally favorite-ing every twilight piece you ever drew
OMG! It...eez...perfect! Is so totally my fave Renesmee fanart out there...except maybe your grown-up Renesmee pic!
This is beautiful, I love it!
This is soo cute!
i got my dad to order me the breaking dawn book, and so when it came i was so happy i filped through a couple pages, it was in anougher language and i thought it was just quoting some one, then i fliped through the rest and it was ALL in italian i think
he said he was going to return it back to amazon
he forgot to rebuy it in english
i would rather of used google translate
he said he was going to return it back to amazon
he forgot to rebuy it in english
i would rather of used google translate
I don't normally like Twilight, but your art work of them is amazing. I just love it <3
i doubt this will ever get finished
i love the baby is how it was described in the books as more "adult shaped" than baby-ish love the accurcy!!
I love this! I love your colored version as well! can I color this? I'll give you proper credit and all
I looove this¡¡¡¡it's soo beautifuul
lovely - could I color this - I've been trying to find some good looking Twilight lineart but none are in the color me club - its okay if you don't want people to color it though
aww happy family
oh my gosh such an adorable pic minus the fact it's twilight, now if you did this pose with harry and ginny and one of their kids at that age now that would be amazing to the nth degree!!
omigursh!! That's very sweet!! extremely touching!
aww soo cute!
i loveth dis
i loveth dis
precious and beautiful
*can't stop faving!*O.o
you gots hardly any more twilight fan art. alas...i am not nearly as big of a fan as i used to be, and never really loved the series that much to begin with. so i'm not TOO beat up about it.
LOVEEE this piece though. breaking dawn was my favorite.
LOVEEE this piece though. breaking dawn was my favorite.
really cute! i love your characters of twilight!
so cute <3
This is just awesome!!
so cute!
So cute!!!
This was the very first time I found DA you know? I was googling some twilight images and I saw this and foun DA...then I foun your gallery and created an account....your art is awesome
I LOVE HOW YOU DRAW HANDS!! and faces. and hair. BUT ZOMG THE HANDS!!!
this is quite lovely!
Could I please color?
awwwww very cute luvs it
Oh! I know who Resemee Is now. She is Bella and Edward's baby. Oh yea!
But..... aren't Vampires not able to have kids? I just don't get that...
Who is Renesmee? (Is still on Eclipse)
i can't spoil it for you!
i can't spoil it for you!
This is the best Renesmee I have seen, Love it
Wow! This is lovely and so sweet
I didn't know this story but I made a (small) search in internet and find the summary in french. And ... tomorrow I will buy the books !!! If you loven I'm sure it will be great !!!
Are you kidding? I Love this! Nessie looks so cute! +fav
oh so cuute!!! i think you got the fact that renesmee is bigger than her age thing really well.
this is brilliant!
this is brilliant!
renesmee and bella looks so perfectly like their characters.


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|Commander's Posture Statement
Introduction: We are in the midst of one of the most tumultuous periods in history. There is growing unrest throughout much of the world, while a vast array of malevolent actors seek to capitalize on the increasing instability to promote their own interests. This trend is especially pronounced in the Central Region, where state and non-state actors are in conflict, and the resulting turmoil impacts the affected countries and also directly affects the global economy and the security of the United States. In light of this, the U.S. must continue to exert strong leadership and act vigorously to protect our core national interests in this strategically important region. An effective 'whole of government' approach is essential. At U.S. Central Command (USCENTCOM), our aim is to see a positive transformation of the region over time, achieved by, with, and through our regional partners. Despite the challenges that exist in our area of responsibility (AOR), we do see progress being made in some areas, along with many opportunities. We are confident that our actions in pursuit of these opportunities will continue to produce positive results in the coming days.
Looking ahead, our partners will need to assume a larger share of the burden for providing improved stability in the region. Given the stakes involved, we must keep on assisting them in their efforts. At the same time, we have to find additional methods for dealing with the convergence of compound threats under increasing budget and resource constraints. We must be judicious in our decision-making. Particularly during this volatile period, we cannot afford restrictions or reductions that would degrade our military posture and put our core national interests at greater risk. Simply stated, if we hope to achieve improved security which provides for greater stability and prosperity around the globe, then the Central Region must remain a foremost priority.
A Retrospective Look: This past year has been especially busy for USCENTCOM. In Afghanistan, we completed our transition from combat operations to our train, advise, and assist (TAA) and counter-terrorism (CT) missions. The Afghans are now in the lead for all security operations. They continue to demonstrate significant capability and a strong desire to build upon the progress achieved over the past 13+ years. In recent months, we also saw significant advancements made on the political front as a new unity government was established. President Ashraf Ghani and CEO Abdullah Abdullah have indicated a strong desire to work closely with USG leadership in pursuit of shared objectives. While much work remains to be done in Afghanistan, I am optimistic that developments will continue to trend in the right direction. At the same time, we are focused on the situation in Iraq and Syria. We responded quickly and effectively to the rapid expansion of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) in the early summer of 2014. We continue to take the necessary measures to counter this barbaric enemy which operates out of ungoverned and under-governed spaces in both countries. We are currently executing our regional campaign plan to degrade and ultimately destroy ISIL, and we are doing so with the support of a broad Coalition consisting of 62 other countries and organizations. However, as was clearly stated at the outset, this will take time and we must maintain strategic patience.
We also continue to closely monitor Iran's actions. Our diplomats are working diligently to negotiate an acceptable agreement with respect to Iran's nuclear program, and we hope that they will be successful. But, regardless of the outcome of the P5+1 discussions, our relationship with Iran will remain a challenging one, as we are very concerned by their unhelpful behavior in a number of areas. We also are paying especially close attention to the situation in Yemen.
Recent actions by the Huthis and also al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula coupled with the resignation of President Hadi and the subsequent upheaval in the government are cause for significant and growing concern. If the situation continues to erode, and it remains on a negative trajectory now, Yemen could fracture and we could end up losing a key partner in our counter- terrorism (CT) fight and cede additional ungoverned space for our adversaries to operate out of. Meanwhile, we are also watching with interest what occurs in Lebanon, Egypt, Pakistan, and other parts of the region.
Without a doubt these are challenging times. There is a great deal at stake for the U.S. and our partner nations. At USCENTCOM, we remain confident that we have the right strategy in place to safeguard our interests, to effectively address challenges and pursue opportunities, and ultimately to accomplish our mission on behalf of the Nation. That said, we depend upon the authorities and funding provided by Congress to execute our strategy and to do what is required to defend our core national interests at home and around the globe. Without question, our ability to do so and our overall readiness are put at grave risk by the continued reductions made to the defense budget, and specifically as a result of the Budget Control Act. We are in the midst of a tumultuous and unpredictable period. We are constantly responding to unforeseen contingencies and facing multiple threats from a wide range of actors that include nation states and transnational extremist groups. We cannot afford to constrict our ability to do so effectively by maintaining across-the-board spending cuts that severely limit our flexibility and authority to apply critical defense resources based on demand and the current security environment. If Sequestration goes back into effect in FY 2016, we will be increasingly vulnerable to external threats.
USCENTCOM's Mission. USCENTCOM's mission statement is: "With national and international partners, USCENTCOM promotes cooperation among nations, responds to crises, and deters or defeats state and non-state aggression, and supports development and, when necessary, reconstruction in order to establish the conditions for regional security, stability and prosperity."
Strategic Environment. The Central Region is an area rich in history, culture, and tradition. It is one of the most strategically important regions, holding well over half of the world's proven oil reserves and plentiful natural gas deposits, which are crucial to the global energy market.
The U.S. and our partners have core national interests in this part of the world; interests that include the free flow of resources through key shipping lanes; the prevention of the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction; and, the defense of our homeland against the very real and persistent threat of terrorism and extremism. Unfortunately, it also is an area that is plagued by violence and instability, political discord, economic stagnation, resource shortages (e.g., water), ethnic and religious tensions, and wide expanses of ungoverned or under-governed space. Alone or in combination, these provocative factors often make for a volatile environment that puts our interests and those of our partners at risk. Indeed, when things go badly in the Central Region, it has a clear and sizeable impact on the affected countries and other parts of the globe. For this reason it is an area of the world that merits our continued focus.
Of note, more so than in the past, individuals and groups today are coalescing around ethnic and sectarian issues, rather than national identity. This is fracturing institutions (e.g., governments, militaries) along sectarian lines and creating factional rifts within populations. This growing strain, coupled with other "underlying currents," fuels much of the tension and conflict that is present today across the USCENTCOM AOR. The principal currents include the growing ethno- sectarian divide; the struggle between moderates and extremists, particularly Islamist-based extremists; rejection of corruption and oppressive governments; and, the "youth bulge," which reflects the many young, educated, unemployed or under-employed and disenfranchised individuals in the region who are ripe for recruitment by extremist groups. To be effective, our approach in dealing with the challenges that exist in the region must address these complex root causes. In particular, the governments and people of the region must bridge the growing ethno- sectarian divide, elevate the voice of moderates, rid governments of corruption, guard against ungoverned and under-governed spaces, and make sure that young people have better opportunities and are able to contribute to society in meaningful ways.
Of course, change will not occur overnight. It will take time to adjust peoples' mindsets and to counter deeply-engrained prejudices. But, it must be done by the governments and people in the region. Only they can bring about enduring, positive change, with our engagement and support. Indeed, we do have a critical role to play in this important endeavor and we must take action where necessary to counter exigent threats. We are helping our partners to build additional capacity and also foster stronger military-to-military relationships. The goal is to enable them to assume a greater share of the responsibility and do what is required to bring about improved stability in the region.
There are a number of challenges present in the Central Region that require our engagement to mitigate the potential negative effects. These include ongoing operations in Afghanistan, our activities in Iraq and Syria in support of Operation Inherent Resolve, and our efforts in a host of other locations in USCENTCOM's AOR. Ultimately, our goal in all cases is to move things in the direction of greater stability and to ensure assured access and freedom of movement, recognizing that a secure, stable, and prosperous Central Region is in the best interest of the United States and our partners and allies.
USCENTCOM Priorities. Looking ahead, USCENTCOM will remain ready, engaged and vigilant—effectively integrated with other instruments of power; strengthening relationships with partners; and supporting bilateral and multilateral collective defense relationships to counter adversaries, improve security, support enduring stability, and secure our core interests in the Central Region. In support of this vision, the command remains focused on a wide range of issues, activities, and operations, including our priority efforts:
Critical Focus Areas. While we remain focused on the broad range of challenges present today in the Central Region, there are particular areas that merit a sizeable portion of our attention and resources. These areas are strategically important because of the potential impact on our core national interests and those of our partners. Below are descriptions of the current critical focus areas, along with a listing of some of the key opportunities that we are actively pursuing in an effort to improve stability in USCENTCOM's AOR.
Protection of Nation States. Historically, nation states have been the dominant players globally. However, in recent years we have witnessed the emergence of transnational extremist groups that desire and, in some cases, demonstrate the ability to operate as major players with unfavorable intentions. In many ways they are attempting to behave like nation states and, in so doing, they threaten the structures, rules, norms, and values that define the sovereignty of our nation-state based international system.
These transnational violent extremist organizations (VEO) are ideologically opposed to and target the nation states of the Central Region. They conduct attacks and terrorize local populaces in an effort to gain power and influence. This, in turn, weakens the nation states and generates increased instability. This is of obvious concern to us, given that nation states are typically anchors for stability across the globe, with some exceptions (e.g., Iran, Syria). Thus, the U.S. has a vested interest in buttressing our partner nations in the Central Region when necessary as part of a larger 'whole of government' effort to build regional stability through effective security assistance and support for inclusive governance.
As directed, we intervene to counter external threats, such as al Qaeda and ISIL. While our primary purpose for doing so is to protect U.S. interests, we also take action to allow time and space for the nation states in the region to build sufficient capacity to protect their own sovereignty. And, we support them through our planned regional engagements, our training and exercise programs, and foreign military sales (FMS) and foreign military financing (FMF) programs; all of which are designed to further enhance our partners nations' military capacity.
One of the key opportunities that exist amidst the challenges posed by transnational VEOs is to persuade our partners in the region of the urgent need to build their military capacity so that they are better able to defend their own sovereign territory against such threats. Our regional partners are very concerned about the threat posed by ISIL and other VEOs. More importantly, many in the region recognize that if they do not do something to address the root causes of the growing instability, they can all but guarantee continued political upheaval and anarchy. Again, transformational change can only be achieved by the governments and people of the region.
They must decide that the instability caused by the "underlying currents" merits greater action on their part, and they must do more to address the root causes of many of the problems that exist in their region. We can and will support them; but, they must lead the effort.
Iraq-Syria (Operation Inherent Resolve). We remain highly focused on the crisis in Iraq and in Syria. Since launching its major offensive from eastern Syria into Iraq in early June, ISIL, which is commonly referred to by our partners in the region as "DA'ESH," has largely erased the internationally recognized boundary between Iraq and Syria and has sought to establish a proto state in the deserts of eastern Syria and western Iraq. ISIL's goal is to spur regional instability in order to establish an Islamic Caliphate. To achieve this end, ISIL has employed three primary lines of effort: 1) instill fear and shape the operational environment using unconventional warfare and traditional terrorist tactics; 2) seize and hold territory; and 3) influence, shape, and define the conflict using sophisticated information operations. Importantly, although significantly degraded in recent months, ISIL still possesses the resources and organizational structure to pose a credible threat to the Government of Iraq (GoI). The erosion of Iraqi and regional stability caused by ISIL places extreme political and economic strain on Jordan, Lebanon, under-governed border areas, and, by extension, the broader Gulf and Levant sub- regions.
That said, ISIL is not a monolith; rather it is a symptom of the larger problems that continue to threaten the Central Region. In particular, the growing divide between ethno-sectarian groups and between religious moderates and radical Islamists, have created ideal conditions for a group like ISIL to take root. Over a period of years the previous government alienated important segments of its society, notably the Sunni and Kurdish populations, which resulted in growing disenfranchisement among these groups. ISIL capitalized on this opportunity and launched a successful blitz into Iraq absent much resistance and with support from local Sunnis who viewed ISIL as a means for bringing about a change in their government. The Sunnis simply refused to fight; and, in so doing, they facilitated ISIL's offensive. The remaining Iraqi security forces were largely incapable of mounting a credible defense against ISIL. After we departed Iraq in 2011, the leadership of the country made a series of poor decisions. Among them was the decision to stop training the security forces, to stop maintaining their equipment, and to assign leaders based on sectarian loyalty rather than competence, merit, and experience. As a result, the security forces' skills atrophied and the condition of their vehicles and weapon systems deteriorated. This precipitated a number of defeats early on in ISIL's push towards Baghdad.
This past September, President Obama announced to the American people that the United States, with the support of a broad Coalition, would take action to degrade and ultimately destroy ISIL through a comprehensive and sustained counter-terrorism strategy. We are currently in the early stages of our counter-ISIL campaign, Operation Inherent Resolve (OIR). Our military campaign plan is comprised of five key elements. They will be achieved in a logical progression; although many of the efforts will occur simultaneously or near-simultaneously. First, we must counter ISIL in Iraq and Syria. Our intent is to employ a Coalition effort in Iraq to halt the advance of ISIL and to enable the Iraqis to regain their territory and reestablish control over their border. Once we've halted ISIL's advance in Iraq, which we have done, we said that we would need to contain ISIL, and we are doing so with the assistance of our Coalition partners, including Jordan, Turkey, and Lebanon. We are working with them to ensure they have the capacity to secure their sovereign borders. We also said that we would need to enable the moderate Syrian opposition forces through our train and equip efforts. Our goal is to develop a reliable partner that can assist in countering ISIL on the ground inside of Syria. Eventually we want to eliminate ungoverned spaces out of which ISIL and other terrorist groups have been operating by enabling the indigenous security forces to defend their own sovereign territories. Once we do all of these things, we will have defeated ISIL through a combination of sustained pressure, a systematic dismantling of ISIL's capabilities, and by effectively expanding our regional partners' CT capacities.
Our military campaign is having the desired effects. Iraqi security forces, to include Iraqi Army and Counter-Terrorism Services (CTS) forces, Kurdish Peshmerga, and tribal elements, with the support of U.S. and Coalition air operations, have halted ISIL's advance in Iraq. The enemy is now in a "defensive crouch," and is unable to conduct major operations and seize additional territory. We can expect that ISIL will continue to conduct ineffective counter-attacks and leverage their information operations to amplify the significance of these attacks. However, they are unable to achieve decisive effects. The effort in Iraq continues to represent our main focus. The actions that we are taking now in Syria against ISIL are shaping the conditions in Iraq. Specifically, our precision air strikes are disrupting ISIL's command and control, attriting its forces and leadership, slowing the flow of reinforcements from Syria into Iraq, and interrupting the resourcing of their operations. The more than 2,600 total air strikes conducted in Iraq and Syria over the past several months have been extremely effective.
Of course, the United States is not doing this alone. Our efforts are intended to enable the broader, 'whole of government' approach that is currently underway among various departments and agencies in the U.S. government. Equally important are the contributions being made by our Coalition partners. Indeed, the Coalition represents the strength and cohesion of our campaign. In particular, the active and public involvement of five Arab-led nations, specifically Saudi Arabia, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Qatar, has greatly enhanced the fight and sends a clear message to ISIL and other VEOs that their actions will not be tolerated.
Ultimately, the intent of our regional campaign is not simply to destroy ISIL, although that is a primary objective. Even more importantly, we want to do what we can to help change the conditions inside of Iraq and Syria so that what we see happening there now, does not happen again in the future. The key to doing so is enabling indigenous forces to defend their own borders and provide for the security of their sovereign territory. This is the goal of our advise and assist and build partner capacity efforts currently underway in Iraq, and soon in Syria. We are also working with the Government of Iraq (GoI) to train Sunni tribal elements. Equally important, we are providing, in coordination with the GoI, support for the Kurds who continue to play a significant role in the fight against ISIL.
All that said, the effects of our military efforts will be short-lived if the Iraqis do not effectively address their political problems. The crisis in Iraq will not be solved through military means alone. The Iraqis have a new government and Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has vowed to be more inclusive of the Sunnis and the Kurds and other minority groups. We are encouraged by the early steps he has taken to reach out to the Sunnis and Kurds and we are urging him to follow through on pledges made in the near-term. This is not a minor issue, as the government cannot succeed long-term without that support. National reconciliation is absolutely critical to the success of the counter-ISIL campaign.
A key opportunity that exists amidst the challenges posed by ISIL is to create conditions that reduce ungoverned spaces and allow for inclusion, security, and good governance in both Iraq and Syria. We pursue this opportunity, in part, by training, advising, and assisting the Iraqi Security Forces, helping them to re-build their capacity, and restructuring them to ensure greater inclusiveness. With your support, we have also have established a program to train, equip and sustain elements of the Syrian moderate opposition. We anticipate that these forces will make important contributions toward degrading and defeating ISIL, and they also will help to guard against ungoverned spaces, protect local populations, and help to create the conditions for a negotiated political settlement to the conflict in Syria that leads to more responsible and responsive governance.
Afghanistan (Operation Freedom's Sentinel). The engagement in Afghanistan remains a top priority. We conducted a successful transition from combat to stability operations, and we continue to help the Afghans to build and mature a capable and sustainable Afghan National Security Force (ANSF). Today, the ANSF consists of approximately 326,000 Afghans. They, not us, are in the lead for all security operations and they are managing to keep the levels of violence comparatively low across the country.
It is also worth noting that the Afghan National Army (ANA) consistently ranks as the country's most respected institution. This popularity largely reflects the improved quality of life that many Afghans are experiencing now as the country becomes increasingly safer and more stable. In recent years, life expectancy rates for Afghans have improved and the infant mortality rate has declined. Opportunities for Afghan women also have expanded; women now represent one- quarter of the labor force and 28% of the National Parliament. And, education and literacy levels have increased. In 2001, 900,000 Afghans were enrolled in primary and secondary schools. Today, there are more than 8.0 million students enrolled in school; and, 39% of them are females. Unemployment or underemployment has also decreased from 50% to 35%. By almost all metrics, progress in Afghanistan has been significant over the past 13+ years. Numerous polls conducted in 2014 indicate that the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan (GIRoA) enjoys tremendous popular support. Polling reports have shown that more than 80% of Afghans believe their lives are improving. This is positive news; however, there is still much work to be done and the Afghans will need to continue to build upon the progress achieved thus far. They recognize this and clearly demonstrate their intent to do the right things going forward.
The Afghans have the capability to provide for the security of their people and they demonstrate this on a daily basis. However, they do still need some help with sustainment; and, that includes resupply operations, particularly to remote or mountainous areas. They need help with fixed- wing and rotary-wing aviation; and also with intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance support. Additionally, due to the delay in government formation, some key leaders who will see the Afghans through the upcoming fighting seasons have only recently assumed their new positions. We will need to work closely with them to enable their success and aid them in building additional needed military capacity. We cannot afford for Afghanistan to once again become a safe haven for extremist groups. Increased instability and diminished security would not only affect Afghanistan, but also the Central Asia region as a whole.
Of course, enduring stability in Afghanistan will not be achieved through military means alone. There must be a credible, reliable, and responsive government in place. Fortunately, after a challenging election, Afghanistan has begun to move forward politically under the National Unity Government led by President Ashraf Ghani and CEO Abdullah Abdullah. Both leaders share similar priorities and beliefs, and they have signaled a strong desire to see the government succeed. They also are actively countering corruption, which represents a principal inhibitor of GIRoA success. Theirs is not an easy undertaking; however, I do believe that they can be effective together.
There is challenging work ahead for the government and people of Afghanistan. However, as I look at the country, I remain cautiously optimistic that developments will continue to trend in the right direction. We have been in Afghanistan for more than 13 years, representing the longest period of continuous conflict fought by our Nation's all-volunteer force. Together with our Afghan and Coalition partners, we have invested many lives and other precious resources with the goal of improving stability in that country, and we want to do all that we can to preserve those hard-earned gains.
Amidst the challenges posed by the current situation in Afghanistan is the opportunity to foster a strong relationship between the United States and Afghanistan and with other partner nations in the Central and South Asia (CASA) sub-region. In particular, this would contribute to improved Afghanistan-Pakistan relations, which would allow for increased counter-terrorism cooperation in the region, along with possibilities for reconciliation. President Ghani, CEO Abdullah, and their new government have indicated their strong desire to work with us and to continue to strengthen our partnership in the coming days. Looking ahead, our intent is to maintain a close relationship with the Afghan government and military as we work together to preserve improved security and stability in the region. At the same time, while the size of our footprint will decrease in the coming years, our continued presence in Afghanistan will allow us to maintain much-needed pressure on al Qaeda and other extremist groups.
Countering Terrorism and Violent Extremist Organizations (VEO). As I travel around the region, I routinely hear from senior military leaders that they do not necessarily fear groups like ISIL's military prowess so much as they fear the groups' ideologies. These groups clearly demonstrate their ability to inspire extremist behavior and to recruit individuals in support of their causes.
In recent years, VEOs have increasingly exploited ungoverned or under-governed spaces in USCENTCOM's AOR. The extremists' use of these areas threatens regional security, as well as U.S. core national interests. They are able to plan and launch attacks, undermine local governments, and exercise malign influence from these spaces. At the same time, VEOs and other militant proxies continue to exploit security vacuums in countries experiencing political transitions and unrest, namely Iraq and Syria, Yemen, Egypt, and Lebanon. Chronic instability, disenfranchised populations, and weak regional governments provide new footholds for a resilient and expanding global jihadist movement and an ideal environment for Iran and its allies to aggressively undermine U.S. regional goals.
Of note, ISIL's rise as a competitor to al Qaeda (AQ) has significantly impacted the jihadist landscape. The two groups are now competing for recruits, resources, and publicity. This will likely result in increased terrorist attacks in the near-term as ISIL, AQ, and other elements attempt to out-do one another.
Meanwhile, the AQ movement is becoming more diffuse and decentralized as compared to pre- 9/11. The risk of affiliates and allies operating in more areas and increasingly collaborating and coordinating with one another as a transnational loosely-confederated 'syndicate' is cause for concern. The AQ ideology remains persuasive, attracting and radicalizing susceptible individuals in the region. Thus, it is critical that we maintain our vigilance in countering the group and its narrative.
We must also continue to look for ways to effectively counter ISIL. As noted earlier, ISIL seeks to broaden its reach beyond Iraq and Syria, and will try to leverage regional instability to revive a caliphate stretching from Europe to North Africa to South Asia. ISIL has already received pledges of allegiance from smaller jihadist groups in Yemen, Egypt, Libya and Algeria, and they have inspired lone-wolf attacks in Algeria and the West.
Other extremist groups have leveraged Syria's security vacuum, including the AQ-affiliated Al Nusrah Front (ANF). As the civil war in Syria continues, ANF will threaten neighboring states, particularly Israel and Lebanon, where the group has launched anti-Hezbollah attacks. The ongoing Syrian conflict has also created a safe haven for the Khorasan Group, a network of veteran AQ operatives, providing them with territory to plot and train for attacks against the West and the U.S. homeland.
The Iraq-Syria area of operations is the premier destination for jihadist foreign fighters, with over 15,000 coming from around the globe, and particularly Africa, Europe, Asia, and North America. The majority of these fighters are joining ISIL's ranks, although some have joined ANF and other Syrian opposition groups. As these conflicts carry on, returning battle-hardened foreign fighters will pose increasing risk to their home countries, including the United States. We must sustain our active measures to address this growing threat.
An important opportunity that exists in the Central Region is to limit the overall reach and effectiveness of VEOs, while also reducing the amount of ungoverned or under-governed space in which these groups typically operate. To do so, many of our partners acknowledge the need to counter radical extremists' ideologies, in part by helping to amplify the voice of moderates in the region. They also recognize the need to limit access to ungoverned and under-governed spaces; thereby diminishing the reach and effectiveness of violent extremists operating in the region. By setting the right conditions and helping to promote the efforts of moderate and influential regional leaders, we may achieve significant and lasting improvements. And, these improvements are likely to have pervasive positive effects on the global security environment.
Iran. Iran represents the most significant threat to the Central Region. Our diplomats have been hard at work, trying to reach an agreement with Iran with respect to its nuclear program. The most recent extension allows for continued negotiations through 1 July 2015. While we remain hopeful that the two sides will eventually reach an acceptable deal, it is presently unclear how things will play out. We have to be prepared for what comes next. We will be prepared.
In the meantime, we remain very concerned about Iran's behavior in other areas. Iran continues to pursue policies that threaten U.S. strategic interests and goals throughout the Middle East. In addition to its nuclear program, Iran has a significant cyber capability, as well as the largest and most diverse ballistic missile arsenal in the Middle East. With ranges up to ~ 2,000 km, Iran is able to strike targets throughout the region with increasing precision using creatively adapted foreign technologies to improve its missile arsenal. It also has increased its anti-access area- denial air defense capabilities. Iran is improving its counter-maritime capabilities (e.g., mines, small boats, cruise missiles, submarines), which serve to threaten the flow of global commerce in the Strait of Hormuz. Perhaps most concerning, Iran routinely engages in malign activity through the Iranian Threat Network (ITN) consisting of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps- Qods Force, the Ministry of Intelligence and Security, and its surrogates, businesses, and logistics support. Iran also engages in malign activity through support to proxy actors such as Lebanese Hezbollah and Hamas which threatens the sovereignty and security of Israel.
During the past year, the ITN primarily focused on Sunni groups in the Iraq and Syria-based conflict (including the moderate opposition in Syria) by bolstering the Syrian and Iraqi governments and overseeing engagements involving its own militant forces. Iran also maintains the ability to expand the scope of its activities. This is troubling as Iranian malign influence is enflaming sectarian tensions that are all too often exploited by violent extremist elements in the region. Needless to say, our relationship with Iran remains a challenging one. We will continue to pay close attention to their actions, and we will remain steadfast with our regional partners and do what we can to help improve their capacity to counter Iran and mitigate the effects of their malign activity.
One of the key opportunities that exist with respect to Iran is the prospect of an acceptable agreement regarding Iran's nuclear program. If the P5+1 are able to reach a long-term resolution, that would represent a step in the right direction and may present an unprecedented opportunity for positive change in the Central Region.
A Regional Perspective. In many ways our military-to-military relationships continue to represent the cornerstone of America's partnerships with the nation states in the USCENTCOM AOR. Below are synopses of the status of those relationships, along with the current state of affairs in each of the 20 countries, minus Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria, and Iran which were addressed in the previous section, "Critical Focus Areas" (see pages 8-21):
The Gulf States – The Gulf States have proven to be valuable Coalition partners, engaging in and supporting offensive operations against ISIL and providing the indispensable access, basing and overflight privileges that are critical to the conduct of operations in the region. In recent months, we have seen some improvement in relations between and among the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Qatar after a period of increased tensions. A convergence of interests, namely the need to counter the increasing threat posed by ISIL and other violent extremists groups, has afforded a unique opportunity to strengthen the Coalition and also contribute to improving stability and security in the broader Middle East region. In many ways, ISIL's expansion in Iraq has forced the Gulf States to take more seriously the threat posed by ISIL and other violent extremist groups. As a result, they have begun to take a more proactive approach to countering extremist financing and foreign fighter facilitation. They must maintain their focus and continue to make much-needed progress in these areas. At the same time, we are strengthening our partners' military capacity as part of a collective security architecture designed to deter and, where necessary, counter Iranian hegemonic ambitions. Going forward, we will play a key role in making sure that our partners remain united on common interests and security challenges.
In late January of this year, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) saw a smooth transition of power, as King Salman bin Abdulaziz ascended to the throne after the death of his brother, King Abdullah. King Salman comes to power during a very challenging period. The threat from ISIL, particularly along Saudi's northern border, and from al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) and the Huthis in the south, has led KSA to take a more proactive role in safeguarding the Kingdom's interests in the region. In particular, KSA's prominent role in the campaign against ISIL, to include its participation in air operations in Syria and in support of the Syria Train & Equip program, has paved the way for other Arab nations to join the Coalition efforts to counter ISIL. Recognizing the need for enhanced maritime security in the Gulf, the Saudis assumed command of the Gulf Maritime Security Task Force for the first time this year. Their leadership is critically important in demonstrating the cohesion of the Combined Maritime Forces generally and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) nations in particular. Of note, the Saudis have taken a lead role in reconciling the Gulf States. Looking ahead, our continued support of advanced Saudi defense competencies and further improvements in U.S.-Saudi military interoperability are expected to yield positive impacts, which will in turn contribute to greater stability in the region and beyond.
Kuwait remains a long-time partner and strong and reliable ally in the region, providing critical support for U.S. and Coalition troops, vehicles, and equipment deployed in support of Operation Inherent Resolve. In addition to providing a permissive environment for our deployed forces in the USCENTCOM AOR, Kuwait plays a significant role in the retrograde of equipment from Afghanistan. They also continue to provide critical basing and access for U.S. forces and capabilities needed to address future contingencies. The Kuwaitis are committed to advancing regional cooperative defense efforts as evidenced by their role as a key interlocutor between Qatar, Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Bahrain in response to recent tensions, as well as the extensive preparation they have done to host the Eagle Resolve multi-national training exercise in the spring of 2015. The Kuwaitis also have made significant progress towards reconciling the sub- region's long-standing issues with Iraq, leading Gulf Arab diplomatic outreach efforts with the Government of Iraq. The Kuwaitis remain committed to accommodating all segments of their population to preserve internal stability, particularly Sunnis and Shia; and, this has made them typically measured in their support for Gulf Arab regional initiatives. Overall, Kuwait continues to provide critical support to the U.S. and partner nations while managing these internal political challenges.
Our military-to-military relationship with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) continues along its historically positive trajectory. UAE's growing concerns regarding the spread of extremist ideologies and the threat that they pose to UAE's internal security and regional stability prompted the Emirates to take an active role in the counter-ISIL campaign. They continue to demonstrate their value as a strategic partner by proactively addressing some of the region's toughest problems. Their military capability is arguably the best among the GCC states. UAE's is also the most expeditionary military, deploying forces in support of operations in Afghanistan and Syria. In addition to their participation in the ongoing air operations in Syria, UAE also has offered to send forces and personnel to support the military advise and assist mission and one of the four training sites in Iraq. Of note, the Emirates have a much broader definition of extremism and they want to expand the counter-ISIL military campaign to include a wide range of groups they perceive as extremist, from Islamist political groups to Salafi jihadist groups. Going forward, we will look to further strengthen our security cooperation partnership with UAE through continued engagement and through our FMS program.
Qatar remains one of our most stalwart partners in the Gulf, hosting three of our forward headquarters (USCENTCOM, U.S. Air Forces Central Command, Special Operations Command Central) and facilities and providing us with unimpeded access to the region. The Qataris were among the first to offer a site for the Syria Train & Equip program, along with a place to host the now-established Combined Joint Inter-Agency Task Force (CJIATF) headquarters. Qatar also continues to play an active role in the counter-ISIL campaign. Unlike KSA, Bahrain, and especially UAE, Qatar makes a distinction between Salafi jihadist and political Islamist groups, which creates a challenge in terms of how we approach countering extremist groups in the region. That said, the Qataris' relationships with a wide range of groups, including more moderate elements, could present potential opportunities.
During the past 12 months, the Qatari Armed Forces have concluded extensive FMS equipment purchases and submitted additional requests. All told, 2014 saw the Qataris allocate billions of dollars to arm their forces with cutting edge American weaponry. This show of renewed and expanding cooperation with the U.S. defense industry clearly reflects the Qataris' drive for greater military interoperability with the United States. Future collaboration with Qatar may see the genesis of a partner force that reflects the United States in organization, arms, and training.
We have a long history of cooperation with Bahrain, to include hosting the headquarters of the United States Fifth Fleet and Combined Maritime Forces in Manama. Amidst boycotting by opposition members, the Bahraini government held elections in November and December of 2014, which resulted in additional Shia representation. However, there is still significant distrust between the Shia majority and Sunni-led government. The government perceives a direct threat from Shia opposition groups, which it believes are deliberately de-stabilizing the country by attacking the security forces and undermining the economy. The government believes these same Shia opposition groups are influenced and supported by Iran, and that Iran intends to eventually overthrow or supplant it with a Shia government.
Bahrain has been a strong member of the Coalition to counter-ISIL, participating in the initial air strikes into Syria in September of 2014. However, the historically strong relationship between the United States and Bahrain is showing significant strain as the U.S. FMS-hold carries into its third full year. Despite this political challenge, Bahrain continues to pursue the re-supply of munitions for some of its aviation systems, and it remains firm in its support for U.S. assets at Naval Support Activity Bahrain.
Combat Camera
CENTCOM Photos
Carter: Saudis to contribute more in fight against ISIL
Feb. 8: Military airstrikes continue against ISIL terrorists in Syria and Iraq
Feb. 7: Military airstrikes continue against ISIL terrorists in Syria and Iraq
Feb. 6: Military airstrikes continue against ISIL terrorists in Syria and Iraq
Feb. 5: Military airstrikes continue against ISIL terrorists in Syria and Iraq


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Busted! 'Obama And Kerry Were Warned About ISIS And Paid No Attention!' [DAHBOO7]
- Uploaded by Ur_lnner_Voice on Jul 4, 2014
- Views: 455
Fox News reported that the intelligence community has been warning the Obama Administration about the growing threat from Sunni militants since January. The Administration was aware of The Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham's (ISIS) uprising in Iraq. This directly contradicts Secretary of State John Kerry's claim that nobody expected the routing of Iraqi security forces by Sunni lead ISIS. ISIS was assisted by Iraqi Sunnis, embittered by the loss of power to the Shia majority. It's very likely this cooperation has allowed the insurgents access to the weapons of mass destruction that the American press claimed to have never existed.


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jo and cum at my office
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Poll: Which Sam and Cat fanfiction should I work on next? Vote Now!
Author has written 97 stories for SEGA Superstars, Doraemon, Crayon Shin chan/クレヨンしんちゃん, Misc. Games, Ninja Hattori-kun/忍者ハットリくん, Prince of Persia, Slam Dunk, Kid vs Kat, Phineas and Ferb, SpongeBob SquarePants, Drake & Josh, Dora the Explorer, iCarly, Sam & Cat, K-ON!/けいおん!, Sonic the Hedgehog, and Romeo and Juliet.
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Prices, specials, features and availability subject to change.
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Twin Lake Towers Apartments in Westmont, IL 60559 is 30 minutes from downtown Chicago and just 25 minutes from Chicago OHare and Midway Airports. We are a smoke free community. Remodeled apartment homes have eat in kitchens, new countertops, Italian ceramic tile and breakfast bars! GE appliances, built in microwaves, walk in closets, formal dining area and private patios/balconies. Pet friendly community has 24 hour fitness center, swimming pool, business center, on site recycling, card operated laundry facilities on each floor and outdoor patio with fireplace and grill. Located only one mile from the Westmont Metra Station with easy access to I 355 and I 55, next to Twin Lakes Golf Club, community parks and walking and biking paths. Guarantors welcome!
Our lease terms are: We offer 7-15 month leases. Guarantors welcome. (Please note that lease terms may vary, are subject to change without notice, and are based on availability. Inquire with property staff for complete details).
Dog Policy: 300 Pound Weight Limit. Maximum 2 dogs per apartment. $25.00 pet rent. $350.00 non-refundable pet fee. Restrictions: Our pet-friendly apartments welcome most breeds of dogs. However, because certain dogs do not thrive in a community environment, we cannot accommodate the following breeds, dogs resembling these breeds, or mixes of these breeds: Akita, American Staffordshire Terrier, Bull Terrier, Chow, Doberman, German Shepherd, Husky, Pit Bull, Presa Canario, Rottweiler and Wolf Hybrid.
Cat Policy: 300 Pound Weight Limit. Maximum 2 cats per apartment. $25.00 pet rent. $350.00 non-refundable pet fee.
Dogs Allowed. Cats Allowed. Pets Accepted. Call for service animal policy.
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In the past when I did ask for assistance or help it was provided to me in a very timely manner and also with Read Morefollow-up emails which I always appreciated. The staff at our community office are all wonderful people with exceptional people skills. So much so that I know the first names of the entire staff members both, old & new. My experience here at twin lake towers spans almost 6 years and I have totally enjoyed my tenancy here. I love all the amenities like the pool, the social area, the tennis courts, and the basketball courts that are accessible to us as tenants. I think the term apartment homes for Twin lake towers is very accurate in it's description, because the units live more like condo's than mainstream or typical apartments. I look forward to residing here for many years to come. sincerely Ms. S. Whitfield
March 04, 2015
Twin Lake Towers is a nice, quiet and safe place to live.
November 25, 2015
Nice community, staff and management are responsive and helpful and always remember your name no matter how lo Read Moreng it's been since you've been to the main building. This is the first large apartment complex I've lived in where I walk in and they greet you by first name, it's nice knowing they take the time to remember who you are and where you live! The maintenance staff is always very helpful as well! They respond in a timely manner and go above and beyond to make sure you understand what the problem may be and how they will go about fixing it.
November 13, 2015
I love and enjoy living in the Twin Lakes Apartment Homes community! It's clean And quiet. The surroundings; t Read Morehe pond, wild life & plants, and flowers are spectular to view from my balcony.
November 04, 2015
So far,so good. Nice, quiet.
October 07, 2015
Monday-Friday: 10:00am-7:00pm
Saturday: 10:00am-6:00pm
Sunday: 12:00pm-4:00pm
OP Property Management, LP
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Search for '{{search_term}}'
Perl tutorials and courses
- Perl Tutorial just a plain Perl tutorial. Nothing fancy.
- Beginner Perl Maven video course slidecast of the training material.
- Advanced Perl Maven video course mixed slidecasts, screencasts and plain articles.
- Test Automation using Perl for people who really want to sleep well.
Modern Perl Web Frameworks
- Mojolicious light-weight web framework with rainbows and unicorns.
- Perl Dancer light-weight web framework to rock.
- Catalyst The MVC web framework of Perl.
- PSGI/Plack, the low-level superglue between Perl web application frameworks and web servers.
- CGI, the Common Gateway Interface, for old-school web applications.
Object Oriented Perl
- OOP, the classic way to write Object Oriented Perl code.
- Moo, the Minimalist Object Oriented system for Perl.
- Moose, the 'post modern' Object Oriented system for Perl.
Other Series
- Perl and MongoDB, the NoSQL database used in Perl programs.
- AnyEvent, asynchronous programming.
- Net::Server the framework to build TCP/IP servers.
- MetaCPAN - articles for CPAN users, CPAN authors, client developers, and MetaCPAN developers.
- Perl Maven TV Show is a collection of interviews wit Perl developers.
- SVG - Scalable Vector Graphics
Projects and Collections
- The search.cpan.org cloning project - Implementing a CPAN search engine using Plack/PSGI with MetaCPAN back-end.
- Command line phonebook with MongoDB and Moo
- Indexing e-mails in an mbox
- Counter Examples Various solution on the simple task of building a counter.
- Becoming a co-maintainer of a CPAN module - refactoring a CPAN module
- Perl::Critic lint-like static analyzer for Perl.
Code-Maven series
- Angular JS
- Handlebars the HTML templating system written in JavaScript.
- JavaScript
- NodeJS
Recent Articles
Pro: Record editor in Angular for fixed list of values
Earlier we have started to build an editor in Angular to edit a record. In the first article we have prepared and editor for a simple input box for free text.
This time we'll add an editor for a record where the user must choose from a fixed list of values.
use Path::Tiny instead of home-made ReadFile and WriteFile
Now that we have made the Perl code look nice, we can start cleaning up the constructs in the code and convert them to beetter expressions based in the current best practices. For this we are going to use Perl::Critic.
Run Perl::Tidy to beautify the code
When contribution to the code of someone else we are supposed to stick to the same layout that was used by the original author, but when you take over a module and start to maintain yourself you might feel more freedom to change the layout.
In this case the source code already had a mix of style, or at least a mix in the indentation. Some lines used tabs some used spaces. This make the code very hard to read an maintain.
It is far better to stick to a well defined layout that can be easily generated.
Hence we use Perl::Tidy to beautify the code


text:
13 search results for The Hypnotist
Lasse Hallström on 'Safe Haven,' 'The Hypnotist' and his dream reunion with Leonardo DiCaprio
Type: Post | Date: Monday, Mar 11, 2013We chat to the Oscar-nominated director at the Miami International Film Festival
Miami Diary: 'The Hypnotist,' 'Miguel San Miguel' and an invitation to brunch
Type: Post | Date: Wednesday, Mar 6, 2013Lasse Hallström returns to Sweden, and Chile turns up another gem
Australia enters foreign-language race with German-language WWII drama 'Lore'
Type: Post | Date: Saturday, Sep 8, 2012Meanwhile, two-time Best Director nominee Lasse Hallstrom represents Sweden
Will Reese Witherspoon and Nicole Kidman's new TV series be their 'True Detective'?
Type: Article | Date: Tuesday, Nov 25, 2014David E. Kelley to pen limited series adaptation of Liane Moriarty's 'Big Little Lies'
Checking in at the Miami International Film Festival
Type: Post | Date: Saturday, Mar 2, 2013The fest kicked off last night with Sundance hit 'Twenty Feet from Stardom'
'Argo,' 'Life of Pi,' 'The Hobbit' and 'Skyfall' lead with MPSE nominations
Type: Post | Date: Friday, Jan 18, 2013'Zero Dark Thirty' passed over
Eminem and Rihanna have created a 'Monster' in video tease for their No. 1 single
Type: Article | Date: Sunday, Dec 15, 2013What's in the box?
The Year in 'Howard Stern': 11 memorable moments from 2015
Type: Article | Date: Friday, Dec 18, 2015A superfan-centric look at the past 12 months
Recap: 'Saturday Night Live' - Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Mumford & Sons
Type: Post | Date: Sunday, Sep 23, 2012Would the 'Looper' and 'Dark Knight Rises' star sing and dance again?
Dead Again - DVD
Type: Event | Date: Tuesday, Sep 15, 2009Set in contemporary Los Angeles as well as the Los Angeles of the 1940s, Dead Again explores a romance between two star-crossed lovers -- and the doomed passion they shared in their last lifetime. Los Angeles detective Mike Church (Kenneth Branagh) comes to the aid of mute, amnesia-victim Grace (Emma Thompson) and falls in love with her. He sets out to discover her true identity and the source of her terrible nightmares. Mike is aided in his investigation by hypnotist/furniture dealer Franklyn Madison (Derek Jacobi) who discovers that in a past life Grace was Margaret Strauss (also played by Thompson), who may have been mudered by her husband Roman (Branagh). ~ Linda Rasmussen, All Movie Guide


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LED Round Rocker Switch
- Plain/Regular (No LED. Does not light up)
- Blue (LED lights up when switch is on)
- Red (LED lights up when switch is on)
- Green (LED lights up when switch is on)
- White (LED lights up when switch is on)
- Amber (LED lights up when switch is on)
- Pink (LED lights up when switch is on)
- On / Off / On (A 3 position switch. No LED)
The maximum current load is about 16 amps at 12 volts, so you can safely power plenty of LED tubes, thousands of individual LEDs, plus an underbody kit.
For your convenience, the switches come pre-wired with about 4 inches of wire crimped on.[1] The LED switches use 3 wires, and the regular switches use 2 wires.
Very easy wiring. To hook up the LED switches: The black wire goes to ground, the red wire directly next to the black wire (this is the red wire in the middle) goes to your constant power source, and the other red wire on the end goes to the circuit you are powering. Check out a wiring diagram.
Hole size? Use a 3/4" hole saw to drill a cutout[2]
[1] Wire is included on all except the "On / Off / On" style.
[2] Depending on the thickness and type of material you're mounting the switch to, the hole size may have to be a little bit larger than 0.75 inches. But somewhere between 0.75 and 0.8 should work. If you're mounting it to a somewhat flexible material like plastic or wood, you can still make the hole larger by "wobbling" the drill bit around until the hole gets larger.
Customer Questions?
Our customers have asked 58 questions about this product.
→ Read common questions and answers.
Customer Reviews
A+ FAST Shipping
Reviewer: Evan (PA)
Item: Round Rocker Switch
I ordered this switch along with a battery holder and LED flush mount no lens, it got here in 1 day AND I ordered it on the weekend, if I ever need anything else LED or electrical switches etc I will be ordering from you again! easy to navigate through your website, good prices and fast shipping.
Liked it at first...
Reviewer: Sean Tinnish (North Olmsted, OH)
Item: Round Rocker Switch
i had this switch for three day and it worked great then on the third day it got stuck in the on position. so i am having a new on sent to me. i hope this one will work.
Great Switch!
Reviewer: Adam (Americus, GA)
Item: Round Rocker Switch
This switch is perfect. I ordered one to kill the power to my led's on my motorcycle. The switch arrived fast, was easy to install, looks great, and functions flawlessly. Im here today to order two more! Thank you Oznium!
Reviewer: Thomas Talbot (Owens Products) (Colon, MI)
Item: Round Rocker Switch
GREAT customer support. Really shows when you have an issue and the owner takes the time to respond back you your issue. Had a problem with the switches fitting in the 3/4" hole but after a few e mails back and forth with Phil the problem was solved and a solution was put on the web site same day! Couldn't be happier! Plan to do lots of business in the near future!
great customer service
Reviewer: Teo (Canada)
Item: Round Rocker Switch
I never seen such a quick customer service anywhere else . My replacement issue for this LED switch has been solved within the last 10 min by just email. Thank you. Will do business with this company. No doubt what so ever.
They don't get any better
Reviewer: Benjamin Sawyer (Milwaukie, OR)
Item: Round Rocker Switch
These switches work flawlessly! If you want a professional look, but are concerned about cutting a hole in your dash, get these. They fit tight in the whole, just like the diagram on the specs page. Drill the hole, one small notch, and some pressing pops these into place and they look like it was done at the factory!
Only place I found with PINK switches!
Reviewer: Mikeal McDaniel - RMAS Owner (Colorado Springs, CO)
Item: Round Rocker Switch
I have a lot of requests for pink accent lighting - the problem is it is so much harder to find pink lighting than other more common colors! And then when I want to make the ultimate distinction between my lighting projects and other shops that do vehicle lighting, the switch is an easy place to differentiate myself from my competition. It was real awesome to find a 12V switch with a PINK LED! well done!
On a side note, I timed shipping, and much credit to Oznium.com for getting my order here faster than ANYBODY EVER HAS! 25 hours from payment to picking up the order from my mailbox! Incredible!! Will absolutely do business again!
A+++ product and customer service.
Reviewer: David Forbus (Bowdon, GA)
Item: Round Rocker Switch
Got the switches and they are prefect for what i need them to do. One was defective when i got it but they are sending another one to me free of charge. That's great customer service. Thanks.
Great Company!
Reviewer: Brandon White (Centerton, AR)
Item: Round Rocker Switch
I purchased 4 of these rockers with a green LED and I am happy with the product but I am beyond excited about Oznium! Not only was it fast shipping but they actually called me the day USPS dropped off my order just to make sure everything was okay!! I have never experienced such customer care!! Great product - even better company!!
great switches.
Reviewer: Brian Dodds (Topeka, KS)
Item: Round Rocker Switch
I absolutely love these switches! great price and very fast shipping. Thank you and i will be doing business with you for a long time!
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