text:
|Confidence is high for Spurrier as he prepares for the upcoming SEC campaign. (AP)
HOOVER, Ala. -- Steve Spurrier knows something. You can see it in those 67-year-old eyes. They're twinkling again.
"That's probably why I'm still coaching," South Carolina's celebri-coach said. "Our teams are getting better."
|More on SEC
|Related links
|More college football coverage
How much better is the question. Once you get past Alabama, LSU, Arkansas and Georgia in the SEC, Carolina is one hell of a fifth option. Not just for the conference, for the national championship.
Spurrier knows it, he just won't say it. At least not in front of 1,100 credentialed media on Tuesday. The eyes, for now, speak for themselves. Along with that semi-smirk, they scream, "We're good and we know it". It's only taken him until his eighth year with the Gamecocks.
Of course, there are those who thought it would never happen. He followed up a 2010 East division title with a school-record 11 wins in 2011. The old Spurrier would have let you know it. Coach Comedy practically turned into normal everyday Podium Drone on Tuesday at the SEC media days.
The man is coming off perhaps the best coaching job of his career. Forget any single season at Florida. In 2011, the quarterback situation was a mess that was cleaned within the context of an 11-2 season. As Stephen Garcia was playing his way off the team, current junior Connor Shaw was quietly becoming a competent dual threat. Spurrier lost his best player, running back Marcus Lattimore, to a knee injury and still swept Florida, Georgia, Clemson and Tennessee for the second year in a row.
"I think we'd have a week celebration if we beat one of those four 10 years ago," Spurrier said.
"But we realize we're not favored like we usually were those years at Florida. We've got some teams ranked ahead of us. That's OK."
Which in Spurrier-speak means it isn't OK, not at all. It means sophomore defensive end Jadaveon Clowney is poised to become the most fearsome defensive end in the league. Lattimore is fully recovered from the knee injury. Georgia comes to Columbia on Oct. 6.
But this is still Carolina where old ladies call in to sports talk shows and tell the head coach they're scared about the upcoming season.
"Ma'am," Spurrier shot back, "I'm scared right along with you."
This is still the place they used to politely applaud the effort at sold-out Williams-Brice Stadium -- after losses.
"Please don't do that again. Please don't clap when you lose a game," Spurrier said recalling an '06 loss to Auburn. "There's not moral victories in any sport."
This is also the SEC where the fifth option can be the best option. Anyone recall LSU coming from No. 14 in the preseason to win it all in 2003? These Gamecocks are going to start the season hovering around the top 10 after finishing in the top 10 for the first time in their history.
"You never know who can emerge," receiver Ace Sanders said. "Who would have guessed Cam Newton would take his team to be undefeated? No one saw that coming from a mile away. Any team, anything is possible."
They've been saying that kind of thing for only the 120-year history of the program. Still ...
"A lot has changed at South Carolina in seven years," said the coach known formerly for his quick wit and laser-armed quarterbacks.
Now it's all modesty, quick-off-the-edge defensive ends and plodding tailbacks. Thing is, no one here at the media days has the patience to listen to it. They're busy worshipping Nick, questioning Les and giggling at the insight of SEC newcomer T.J. Moe.
"They say girls are prettier here, air's fresher and toilet paper is thicker," said Missouri's receiver.
Not bad, kid, but you've got a long way to go to beat the master. It's been 20 years now for Spurrier in the SEC -- two decades of bustin' Bowden, chops and quarterbacks. Coach Comedy is now an elder statesman -- mellow, bordering on boring. We gave him plenty of opportunities Tuesday to bask in the afterglow of his school's first 11-win season, to expand on our fawning. Last season really was the best coaching job of his career, right?
"I don't really rank 'em," Spurrier said.
Is it possible that as a gum-flappin' football genius, isn't one anymore? Entirely. Saban is younger. Les Miles is quirkier. And maybe that's the way Spurrier wants it. He's sooo 1996. But what he has done is make South Carolina matter. Clowney and Devin Taylor may be the best pair of defensive ends in the SEC. That old quarterback magic returned when Garcia was finally booted off the team. Shaw, a 500-yard rusher, completed 74.5 percent in his final three games while throwing for eight touchdowns.
Quite possibly, the junior gets it. Quite possibly, that's the first time any South Carolina quarterback under Spurrier has gotten it. That's OK. South Carolina changed as Spurrier changed with it.
"Yeah, it is a little bit of peace of mind," the coach said.
Look in those twinkling eyes. They focus as Spurrier recalls the inequity of his conference schedule. South Carolina went undefeated in the SEC East last season and still lost out to division champ Georgia, after winning in Athens. This season the Gamecocks play LSU and Arkansas. Georgia doesn't.
Spurrier informally proposed in the offseason that only division games count in the standings. We all laughed including, probably, CBS. That Carolina-LSU game on Oct. 20? Just an exhibition. Uh, no.
"If I made the schedule," Spurrier said. "Georgia would be playing LSU and we'd be playing Ole Miss."
You take your bling where you get it. On Tuesday, Sanders wore a jewel-encrusted monster on his left hand Tuesday signifying the 2010 East title. Shaw sported a similar piece of ice handed out for the 11-win season.
"I want two rings," Sanders said.
That would require winning the East and SEC title, but why stop there?
"Yep, we could get three rings this year," he suddenly remembered.
East, SEC and national championship.
If you haven't figured it out, that's why Spurrier is still coaching.


text:
There may be some slick spots if you head out early this morning. A Freeze Warning remains in effect until 8 a.m. The National Weather Service (NWS) has also issued a Freeze Watch in effect for late tonight until tomorrow morning, as temperatures drop down below freezing again tonight. Be sure to bring in potted flowers and cover your young plants or planted flowers.
Celebrate National Poetry Month at the Lancaster Public Library today. The Library will hold a Book Spine Poetry Contest today. There will be three times: 10:30 a.m., 1 p.m. and 6 p.m.
Enjoy the sounds of the Symphonic Strings and Chamber Ensemble tonight. The performance will be at 7 p.m. at the Trust Performing Arts Center, 37 North Prince Street.
An Amber Alert was issued last night after a mother took her 20 month old child from their home in Shillington, Berks County. The two were found safe and unharmed in Lancaster. The mother had left a suicide note. The Amber Alert was cancelled once the two were in custody.
Lancaster Public Works is continuing the flushing of the water distribution system. The flushing will be done from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. through 30 May. If your water appears cloudy, let it run for a moment. If the problem continues, call the Water Quality Lab at 717-291-4818.
Stop by Tellus360 this evening as DJ Sallinger leads Wirelessless Wednesday, beginning at 10:30 p.m. Earlier, at 8 p.m., WXPN welcomes David Wax Museum with Dietrich Strause at Tellus360. The cover charge is $13. The pub is located at 24 East King Street.
Each Wednesday the Mulberry Art Studio holds an Artist Open Studio. Artists (18+) may draw, sketch or paint a live nude model. Artists should bring their own art supplies. Chairs and tables will be provided. The instructor is fine oil painter and graphic designer Beth Bathe. The Studio is located at 19-21 North Mulberry Street.
Leads is looking for volunteers to hang flowered baskets along the streets of Downtown Lancaster. For more information, or to volunteer, email firstname.lastname@example.com.
The Fulton Theatre will present Buddy – The Buddy Holly Story next week! The official opening night performance is Thursday, 24 April at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday will be the Fig Preview Night and Tuesday is the "pay what you will night". Ticket prices range from $25 to $90 and are available through the Fulton Box Office at 717-397-7425 or online at www.thefulton.org.
The City is full of things to do and see and therefore the events above listed are by no means a comprehensive list. Subscribe to receive updates on events and happenings that keep Lancaster City Buzz-ing!

subset: commoncrawl


text:
So, Goodell isn't reinstating him today. So no Brett this weekend. Packers get to breathe a bit and allegedly have a chance to move things forward with Favre – be it the package or convincing him to agree to a trade or whatever.
Here's an interesting thing though. Because while I think Favre has really misplayed this top to bottom (although he isn't alone of course), he faxed his papers in what – four days ago?
Does anyone find it interesting that the NFL delayed reinstating him until after this weekend – until after the Hall of Fame induction?
That's a savvy group. Why risk having Favre show up to camp during a huge weekend for the League?
Interesting thought huh? Just conjecture of course, but seems off to me.


text:
TCM Perspective on Recurrent Miscarriage
August 26, 2010 in Infertility, Women's Health by Deborah Valentin | No comments
Recurrent miscarriage is when three or more consecutive miscarriages take place. With recurrent miscarriages, there is a consistent factor that is not enabling the pregnancy to go full-term. A full medical diagnostic review is needed in order to diagnose the cause of recurrent miscarriages. These may include:
- Thyroid Disorder
- Thrombophilia
- Antiphospholipid Syndrome
- Chromosomal Abnormalities
- Infections
- Uterine Anamolies including polyps, uterine fibroids and a malformed uterine septum
- Unexplained Conditions
Those cases in which western medicine is unsuccessful at treating recurrent miscarriages are an area where Chinese Medicine can help. There are different diagnoses in Chinese Medicine that cause recurrent miscarriages.
Kidneys Yin and Yang Deficiency
In Chinese Medicine, the kidneys hold the body's essence. The kidney energy is what makes up our body's constitution. These organs are responsible for development and reproduction and therefore the health of the kidney qi, or energy, is vital for a healthy pregnancy to ensue. If the kidney's yin or yang is deficient, the body is unable to hold a pregnancy.
Qi and Blood Deficiency
The spleen qi, or energy of the spleen, enables the closing of the cervix and helps create blood to nourish the fetus. If the cervix does not properly close, repeated miscarriages may take place. In this case, it's necessary to help increase the spleen's energy. A lack of energy may cause a blood deficiency, which leads to small babies and a lack of malnourishment to the embryo. Blood deficiency can show up as a scanty menstrual flow and a thin uterine lining.
Heat in the Blood
This can be due to an insufficiency of kidney yin, or stress, which creates heat. Heat can also be due to infection. A female's Basal Body Temperature (BBT) chart will often be in the high 98's even in the 99's. Because heat causes agitation, too much of it does not create an optimal environment for pregnancy.
Blood Stasis
For a pregnancy to take, the uterine lining needs to be fresh and have ample blood flow to the embryo. A sure sign of blood stasis is cramps during a female's period. Endometriosis also falls into the blood stasis category. Women who are diagnosed under this category show up with blood clotting disorders and are given heparin or aspirin during pregnancy. In Chinese Medicine, blood stasis can also mean actual obstructions in the uterine lining that can lead to miscarriage. Herbal medicine is helpful to encourage blood flow and remove stasis.
Herbal Medicine and Recurrent Miscarriages
In treating recurrent miscarriages, it is important to help strengthen the body's reproductive health by treating pathological symptoms. Treatment is most commonly given in the form of herbal prescriptions. Herbal medicine is comprised of different herbs that have a certain therapeutic effect on the body. Each formula is specifically tailored to the individual patient and targets the pathology in the reproductive tract that is causing pregnancy loss to take place.
Tags: Basal Body Temperature, Chinese Medicine, herbs, kidney yin, miscarriage, pregnancy, qi, spleen
No comments
Trackback link: http://sage-wellness.com/blog/2010/08/tcm-perspective-on-recurrent-miscarriage/trackback/
Reply Cancel reply
139 Fulton Street, Suite 1012
New York, NY 10038


text:
Zhengzhou Hotel - Zhengzhou
- Location:
- Address: 8 Xinglong Street, Zhengzhou, Henan Province
- Tel: 0371-66760222 (Book this hotel, call 800-2682918)
- Hotel Name in Chinese: 郑州大酒店
- Lowest Price: $31
Located right in the heart of downtown Zhengzhou, this 29-story 3-star hotel overlooks the whole city.
- Prices not include 18% service fee and tax.
- Payment Method: pay using our secure online payment service or pay at the hotel at some hotels.
- Triple/quad occupancy may require an extra bed at extra cost.
Hotel Amenities
|Hotel Services
|Luggage service, Car rentals, Laundry service, Room service, Wake Up Call, 24hr Reception, Permanent English-speaking staff, Business Centre, Copy Service, E-mail, Translation Service, Fax Service, Typing Service
|Room Amenities
|Air conditioning, AM/FM radio, Alarm clock, Color Television, Coffee/tea maker, Telephone, Hair dryer, Iron and ironing board, Refrigerator, Bath and Shower, Free for Internet
Hotel Amenities: Elevator, Parking, Air-Conditioned Facilities, Beauty Salon, Business Center, Gift Shop, Meeting Room, Deposit Box at Front Desk, Fire Detector
Dining Facilities: Chinese Restaurant, Western Restaurant
Print the Taxi Directions
- Please drive me to Zhengzhou Hotel - Zhengzhou, thank you!
- 请送我到郑州大酒店,谢谢
- Address: 8 Xinglong Street, Zhengzhou, Henan Province
- 地址: 8 Xinglong Street, Zhengzhou, Henan Province
- Tel: 0371-66760222
Similar Hotels as Zhengzhou Hotel - Zhengzhou
Haitian Hotel Zhengzhou
From: $ 31
The West Lake Hotel - Zhengzhou
From: $ 31
Huang He Business Hotel - Zhengzhou
From: $ 31
Check out the list of all 103 hotels in Zhengzhou


text:
Local artist and author Stephen Yaeger, who writes the "Drawing on Science" column monthly in The Wave wanted to honor Richard Feynman, the Far Rockaway High School graduate who won the Nobel Prize and worked on the atomic bomb project during World War II Feynman was recently honored with a stamp and with a street renaming nearby his former Far Rockaway home. For that event, Yaeger drew a cachet to go with the stamp. The stamp cancellation bears the date of Feynman's birth as well as the place where he was born and grew up. Pictured, Yeager's cachet.
Copyright 1999 - 2016 Wave Publishing Co. All Rights Reserved


text:
* Click HERE to see a photo gallery of action pix.
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. -- The top-ranked University of Oregon men's golf team has advanced to the final four of the NCAA Championships after defeating the University of Washington, 3-2, in match play at The Honors Course.
The opening match of the single-elimination tournament came down to the final pairing on the 18th hole with UO's Eugene Wong (North Vancouver, B.C.) holding a one-hole lead over UW's Nick Taylor (Abbotsford, B.C.). The sophomore All-American pushed his tee shot right, but recovered to match his fellow Canadian's par and lift the Ducks, seeded fifth after the stroke-play portion, into Saturday's semifinal against top seed Oklahoma State, which defeated No. 8 Stanford.
The stage was set for Wong's heroics after victories by Jack Dukeminier and Andrew Vijarro offset wins by Washington's Darren Wallace and Chris Williams. Like the Wong/Taylor duel, Dukeminier and UW's Charlie Hughes were forced to play 18, but their match was all square heading down the final fairway. Dukeminier made par, while Hughes three-putted for bogey.
Dukeminier, who equaled the competition course record with a 66 Thursday on the final day of stroke play, actually trailed by one hole with two to play, following a bogey on 16. An eagle on 17 brought the junior from Eugene back to all square before taking the final advantage on the last hole.
Vijarro downed Richard Lee, 2-and-1, drawing or winning every hole after the first. The sophomore from Bend sealed the deal with birdies on Nos. 15 and 16 before a clinching par on 17.
All-Pac-10 sophomore Daniel Miernicki (Santee, Calif.) got off to a strong start, leading by three holes with nine to play, but Williams took skins at 10, 12, 14, 15 and 17 to take the match 2-and-1.
Junior Isaiah Telles was Wallace's victim. The Tualatin product could not recover after dropping four of the first five holes and eventually bowed out 2-and-1.
Oregon's semifinal match will start at 9 a.m. Eastern with the winner advancing to Sunday's championship at 12 p.m. ET. Saturday's other semifinal will second-seeded Florida State vs. No. 6 seed Augusta State.
QUOTES: Oregon 3, Washington 2
Oregon Head Coach Casey Martin
On the preparation for match play against Washington:
"It was kind of a crazy night, but everybody knew they would have to play great golf. The respect our team has for the Huskies is off the charts because we played with them for a number of years. My guys were motivated. They knew what was at stake. They were pumped."
On Andrew Vijarro:
"You could see Andrew Vijarro running around. He was really ready for today. You could count him to bring a lot of passion, and he did and amazing job, as did the other guys."
On Eugene Wong and the team's play:
"I am drained. It is way more nervous to be out there watching. I was glad that (Eugene) Wong had the putter at the end. He is a heck of a player and had an amazing year. If anyone you wanted to put it on the line, you want Eugene doing it."
On the Nick Taylor and Eugene Wong matchup:
"It was an incredible start, I mean, Nick Taylor (Washington) left it hanging on the lip for eagle. I mean like a centimeter away, then Wong birdied on top of him. They both hit great shots on the par five and birdied, and then, Nick Taylor hit it to within six inches on a 220-yard par 3. (Eugene) Wong had a look at it, and I am thinking 'Bring it on baby, you are going to have to play great.' I think that actually got the best out of him. Eugene (Wong) just adores Nick Taylor, and looks up to him like you can't believe. Eugene (Wong) knows how good he is. It was just a reminder that this is show time. Just to see the guys battle it out is a credit to their institution and to Canada to see two British Columbia kids battles it out."
On not having to play another match today:
"Extremely glad. We need to rest. We didn't get much sleep last night. We need to go relax and soak it in."
On: Winning first group in match play:
"Jack (Dukeminier) has been huge. He had it up, lasted, got an eagle, and won it on the last hole to win. We have had many guys step up. We are having a special year and we want it to keep going. It is just going to get harder down the wire here."
On: Taylor-Wong matchup coming to 18th hole:
"It was just a dogfight. No one was up by more than one all day. It was just classic golf back and forth. That was PGA level golf being played out there
Oregon Junior Jack Dukeminier
On his play today:
"I was up for about the first 12 holes and I was 2-up through 13, actually. He made a couple of birdies and I made a bogie on 16, so I lost the next three holes and was 1-down going into 17. I hit a really good shot on 17, to a couple of feet and made eagle. Fortunately, he three-putted on 18 and you don't really want to see it end like that, but I'll take the win."
On the eagle on 17:
"I hit a nice drive in there. I had, like, 235 in. I used a hybrid cut, sliced it around the trees and landed on the right side of the green and it just kind of kicked close to the hole and I had about a three foot putt for eagle."
On advancing to the next round and how to prepare:
"I don't know. We're excited. We'll probably just take it easy, go get some dinner, do some homework, study a little. Finals are next week."
Oregon Sophomore Eugene Wong
On the last hole:
"I knew I had to get it close on the green or at least close around (the green). I knew he was going to at least two-putt or make it. So I got in my mindset to just make birdie on that hole."
On the 50-foot birdie attempt that you put close on 18:
"I was trying to get it as close as I can to give myself a good chance for a par putt."
On playing against Washington senior Nick Taylor:
"I know he is a great player. For me to beat him, I just had to play really solid and play within myself and don't just get after it."
What hole was the turning point in the round?
"The 10th hole. I didn't hit a very good shot in...Found the greenside bunker on the right. I think I left it was short again. He chipped it pretty close to six-feet. I had a 15-18 foot slider and once I made that, he missed to the left. Then I said, OK I am 1up now so I just need to stay this or get a little better."


text:
Frida Bistro, a classy Salt Lake City restaurant named for Mexican artist Frida Kahlo, is providing you an excuse for a night out on the town next week with the High West Whiskey Dinner.
On Oct. 3 at 6:30 p.m., Frida will offer a four-course meal of chef originals paired with High West Whiskey from the High West Distillery & Saloon. Available seating is limited and reservations are required, so be sure to make a reservation as soon as possible.
Take advantage of this unique deal for an all inclusive price of only $55 per person. Vegetarian options are available upon request.
To make a reservation, call Frida Bistro at 801-983-6692.


text:
This question already has an answer here:
I have to run this command
sudo sh -c "echo 'nameserver 18.104.22.168' >> /etc/resolv.conf" to append a line
nameserver 22.214.171.124 into
/etc/resolv.conf file. I know, it could be possible only through subshell.
My questions:
Is that it could be possible without running the command in subshell?
On which cases, a command should be runned in subshell?


text:
I am The Faithful One and I see.
I have seen your hard choices. I have seen your sacrifices made in the dark hours of the night. I have seen your surrendered heart humbled before Me, as your strong will melted to that which I required of you. I have seen the agony of soul in the hours of temptation tried. I have observed with delight your heart that so yearns continually to please Me.
I see. I have seen. I will continue to keep My eyes upon you as I have done in the past to My delight. You are a joy to Me. You give great pleasure to My heart in a world where sin abounds.
It is the faithful that I make able.
It is the loyal ones watching over their words to perform them that I take pleasure in. To the faithful, I will show myself faithful To those who watch over their words to perform, so shall they reap that which they have sown, as I reciprocate the same. Blessed is the man that sweareth to his own hurt and changes not.
I am a rewarder and I will reward.


text:
NWTEMC Proudly Announces This Year's
2014 1st Annual National Joint Tribal Emergency Management Conference
Dear Emergency Management Friends,
Are you ready for this year's biggest event? The National Tribal Emergency Management Council is proud to bring you the 1st Annual NTEMC Joint Tribal Emergency Management Conference, a partnership of Tribal Nations, Tribal Organizations, Federal, State and Local agencies from all across the U.S. With a full five days of offerings, this year's conference will be a showcase of some of the best Tribal Emergency Management work and Best Practices in Indian Country.
This year, our first two days, August 11th and 12th, are reserved for training and hands-on workshops for our emergency managers and emergency management partners. FEMA will also be joining us for the first two days of this year's conference providing the Emergency Management for Tribal Leadership Course. Other workshops will include NIMS, THIRA, GRANTS and the development of EM/HLS Plans and Documents.
On August 13th, our honored guests, distinguished speakers and featured vendors will join us for three full days of fun presentations, educational opportunities, and networking events that are guaranteed to keep you talking about this conference all year long. Steve Golubic, the Executive Director of the National Tribal Emergency Management Council will join the Board of Directors in providing updates, current news and future goals of the NTEMC. Guest speakers will present information on planning, preparedness, mitigation, response and recovery. FEMA, the US Department of Homeland Security, EPA, US Health and Human Services and the Department of Justice are just a few of our partners that will be joining us again this year.
To make our registration process easier than ever before, we have gone live, on-line, with the following application. Quick and easy! Simply click on the following link and fill in the attendee information, and you are on your way.
Then, book your room at the beautiful Northern Quest Casino and Hotel. A special block of rooms has been reserved for all conference attendees. Call (509)242-7000 or (877)871-6772 to reserve your room. Please mention you are with the "NTEMC Emergency Management Conference" to get the special rate of $88.00 per night.
TheNTEMC will also set up a block of rooms at the Holiday Inn Spokane Airport to be used as the overflow hotel for the conference this year. The Holiday Inn is located within close proximity of the Northern Quest at 1616 South Windsor Drive, Spokane, WA 99224. The hotel will also arrange for a shuttle back and forth to the conference. Reservations can be made at (509)789-1255 or (509)838-1170.
Aug. 11th-15th, 2014.
Stay tuned here for more conference updates. To get a sneak peek at the FINAL AGENDA click here now.
2013 10th Annual NWTEMC Tribal
Emergency Management Conference
Our Corporate Sponsors and Valued Partners
2013 Attendees List
Final Agenda
2012 9th Annual Tribal Public Health Emergency Prep Conf.
Little Creek Casino Resort
August 14th & 15th
2011 NWTEMC/NPAIHB/AIHC Joint Conference
Little Creek Casino
August 16th &17th, 2011
2010 NWTEMC/NPAIHB Joint Conference
Great Wolf Lodge
Grand Mound WA
2009 NWTEMC Conference
Coeur D'Alene Casino
Worley, ID
2008 NWTEMC Conference
Grand Mound, WA
2007 "Building Systems through Partnerships" Conference
Bellevue, WA
2007 NWTEMC Spring Conference
Tulalip, WA
2006 First Annual NWTEMC Conference
Skagit Valley Casino Resort


text:
The Climate Group Australia announcement
- Date
- 04 June 2013
From June 7, 2013, The Climate Group will transfer management of its Australia partnerships to its international offices. As part of this move it will close its two-person Melbourne office.
This decision has been made in the light of the increasingly challenging political environment for action on climate change in Australia, despite the exceptional efforts of our local representatives.
We acknowledge the Government of South Australia for their ongoing support for our work and our goals. As a state particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change, South Australia has emerged as a global leader in the development of low carbon, high opportunity initiatives and has set an example that is being followed by many other states and regions around the world.
As co-chair of our International States and Regions Alliance, Premier Weatherill has embodied this leadership and we look forward to continue working with him and his government in the months and years to come. There is no doubt that South Australia provides clear evidence of the low carbon opportunity that is within Australia's grasp and that can be realized when the right political leadership and policy frameworks are in place.
We are also proud to have worked with a number of climate leader companies and cities in Australia - including Philips, Arup, GE, Sydney and Adelaide - on a range of projects and we are grateful to them for ongoing their leadership and support.
We look forward to continuing work with South Australia and other Australian leaders to advance, inspire and catalyze leadership for a 'Clean Revolution': a low carbon future that is smarter, better and more prosperous, for all.
For further information, please contact us.


text:
Click any image to view larger.
Meet Skippy. This fun loving little guy will entertain you for hours. Don't let his size fool you – he has a huge personality and loves to show it off. Skippy has house manners and is great around other dogs, kids and cats. Skippy will continue with training until adopted.
BREED/DESCRIPTION: Miniature pinscher
SEX: Male
NEUTERED/SPAYED: Yes, neutered; shots up to date
AGE: 1-2 years old
ADOPTION FEE: Dependent upon amount of training. Please emali for more information.
ORGANIZATION: Cosmo's Buddies
CONTACT: email@example.com
WEBSITE: www.cosmosbuddies.com
For more pets seeking homes, check out the Critter Chronicles column every Sunday in The Chronicle-Telegram. If you work or volunteer for a nonprofit pet adoption agency and would like to see your pets included in Critter Chronicles, please email firstname.lastname@example.com.


text:
Businesses often find hardships with products and competition.
Don't let the legal issues that arise in business cause you concern.
Let our experienced Maryland business law attorneys help you obtain
peace of mind. Whether it is starting a business, creating or reviewing
contracts, or collecting money owed to you, our attorneys have the
experience to get the job done. Please review the text below for
just some of the areas that we can handle for you. Please feel free
to call (410) 761-6800 for more information.
Contracts - As they say, the devil is in the details. Let
us help you with the details of your business contracts. From creation
to review and execution, we know where the rubber meets the road.
Employees - Having employees is essential to a growing business
but employees are human and often make mistakes that could affect
you or your business.
Example: Employer A sent employee B to pick up some money. Hours
after the pick up, the employee quit and the money was no where
to be found. Years later when employee B was applying for a job,
employer A was asked to provide a reference. Employer A was subsequently
sued by employee B. Murnane & O'Neill successfully represented
Employer A in the suit.
Entity Creation - There are various types of business entity
choices depending on the type of business you want to run, the type
of tax situation you have and how you wish to manage your business.
We can help you choose the right entity for your situation, get
the business up and running and help you manage your legal issues
that arise throughout the life of the business.
Buying & Selling Businesses - If you are looking to
get into business or get out of one, we have the requisite experience
to help you with this transition.
Licensing - The administrative process that comes along
with licensing in Maryland can be tricky. Whether you are looking
to start a restaurant or you want a liquor license, we can help.
We have helped others through this process and know what is needed
to get your through the system.
Disputes Among Business Partners - Businesses often start
out with a great flurry of optimism and hope. Unfortunately, not
all ventures are successful. Often times the business partners find
that they have many differences of opinion and many issues arise
such as non-compete agreements and splitting of profits. Murnane
& O'Neill has successfully represented partners who were interested
in winding down their business and wanted to keep their partners
from taking clients and competing with them.


text:
Other Resources
Check out the National Trust for Historic Preservation's page on Commercial Funding
For those restoring or preserving income-producing properties, there are several publications available to help with your restoration. The National Trust's Historic Building information sheet can help you get started, along with publications from Preservation Books, including A Guide to Tax-Advantaged Rehabilitation.
Funding and tax incentives may be available for your restoration project at the federal, state and local level. To begin your search, contact your state historic preservation office (SHPO) and your statewide preservation organization.
The National Trust has prepared a state-by-state list of tax incentives detailing state tax incentive programs for historic preservation; however, the most up-to-date information will be available from your SHPO. You may also be able to find assistance at the local level by contacting your local preservation commission and your local planning, community development, or housing offices. In addition, please review the following programs.
National Trust Loan Fund
The National Trust Loan Fund (NTLF) has more than 35 years of experience in supporting preservation-based community development projects across the country. As a certified Community Development Financial Institution, it has a mission of providing financial and technical resources to organizations that use historic preservation to support the revitalization of underserved and distressed communities.
NTLF specializes in predevelopment, acquisition, mini-permanent, bridge and rehabilitation loans for residential, commercial and public use projects. Eligible borrowers include not-for-profit organizations, revitalization organizations or real estate developers working in certified Main Street communities, local, state or regional governments, and for profit developers of older and/or historic buildings.
National Trust Community Investment Corporation
The National Trust Community Investment Corporation, the for-profit subsidiary of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, makes equity investments in the rehabilitation of historic properties eligible for the 20 percent federal historic rehabilitation tax credit, and where available, state historic tax credits and the New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC). NTCIC invests in projects that have at least $6.0 million in total development costs and that generate at least $1.5 million in historic tax credit equity. Smaller deals will be referred to the Small Deal Fund for equity investment consideration. Tax-exempt nonprofit organizations and public-sector developers may be eligible for an NTCIC equity investment by creating a limited liability partnership. NTCIC has a special interest in those projects with a high community benefit.
NTCIC pays a referral fee to National Trust Advisors, Regional Offices, Statewide and Local Partners and Main Street programs who refer deals that ultimately result in an equity investment by NTCIC.
Federal Rehabilitation Tax Credit
Federal law provides a federal income tax credit equal to 20% of the cost of rehabilitating a historic building for commercial use. To qualify for the credit, the property must be a certified historic structure—that is, on the National Register of Historic Places or contributing to a registered historic district. (Non-historic buildings built before 1936 qualify for a 10% tax credit.) A substantial rehabilitation is necessary, and the work must meet the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation. Applications for the credit are available through your state historic preservation office, and the final decisions are made by the National Park Service. For more information, take a look at our take a look at our Rehabilitation Tax Credit Guide, prepared by our for-profit subsidiary, NTCIC. In addition, the National Park Service's website offers helpful information on this tax credit. (At present, individuals rehabilitating a historic property for their primary residence do not qualify for this tax credit.)
Transportation Enhancement Funding
Since 1991, states have dedicated over $2 billion in Federal-aid highway funds to thousands of transportation-related historic preservation projects; historic resources have also benefited from transportation enhancement money for landscaping, land acquisition, historic bridge and road activities, and streetscapes in historic commercial districts. For more information on transportation enhancements funding, download Building on the Past, Traveling to the Future, a free guide prepared by the National Trust and the Federal Highway Administration, or visit the Transportation section of this website.
Other Resources
A quick search of the Internet using "historic preservation" and "funding" will bring up a number of other websites that will be useful, including those of the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, the Foundation Center, and Cornell University. These sites include listings of private foundations and other groups that offer grants for historic preservation.
For more information on funding for historic buildings, please contact the National Trust's Resource Center.


text:
Beauty Is Embarrassing Showtimes and Tickets
Read Movie Reviews about Beauty Is Embarrassing Write a Movie Review for Beauty Is Embarrassing
Release Date: 2012-09-07 (NY/LA)
Genre: Documentary,
Rating: NR
Duration: 1hr 28min
Raised in the mountains of Tennessee, Wayne White started his career as a cartoonist in New York City. He quickly found success as one of the creators of the TV show, Pee-wee's Playhouse, which led to more work designing some of the most arresting and iconic images in pop culture. The film chronicles the vaulted highs and the crushing lows of a commercial artist struggling to find peace and balance between his work and his art.
Cast and Crew
- Starring
Wayne White, Mimi Pond, Woodrow White, Lulu White, Gary Panter
- Directed by Neil Berkeley
- Produced by Morgan Neville, Neil Berkeley, Milan Erceg
- Written by Chris Bradley, Kevin Klauber
Search For Theaters
Write a review for Beauty Is Embarrassing
Login to write review:


text:
Setting up AMP Stack within OpenSolaris
By sriram on Jan 12, 2009
With the first release of OpenSolaris - OpenSolaris 2008.05 - I wrote this and this and this blog on how to use AMP stack for this platform. Well, these blogs very much holds true for the latest release of OpenSolaris - OpenSolaris 2008.11 .
However, OpenSolaris 2008.11 includes a nice GUI application known as Package Manager is available which further simplifies the process of downloading and configuring software applications that are available within its software repository.
Let us use this application in this blog to see how easy it is to get an AMP (Apache, PHP and MySQL) stack going on your OpenSolaris 2008.11.
Assuming you have successfully installed opensolaris , let us start Package Manager as shown here
Now, you will need to choose whether you need either
- amp - only the Apache
18.104.22.168.9, PHP 5.2.6 and MySQL 5.0.655.0.67 runtime
- amp-dev - complete development environment and its tools like cvs, subversion, netbeans along with amp runtime
and any other software packages that you are interested and click on Install / Update.
Before Package Manager actually installs the packages on your system, you will get another chance to review your selection like below.
Now, click on Next should start the installation process. That should all be required to complete the installation of AMP runtime stack for OpenSolaris.
Finally, if you are a GUI person and would prefer a GUI way to start/stop Apache and MySQL services as well as to edit your Apache configuration files then you might want to initialize the Web Stack environment as shown below
and will need to enter your 'root' password for the initialization to complete.
Now, if you are a command line person - like myself, you can manage your Apache and MySQL SMF service as below
For starting Apache and MySQL service, open a command line window and run the following command
pfexec /usr/sbin/svcadm enable http:apache22
pfexec /usr/sbin/svcadm enable mysql:version_50
Similarly, for stopping these services, run the following command:
pfexec /usr/sbin/svcadm disable http:apache22
pfexec /usr/sbin/svcadm disable mysql:version_50
If in case, you wonder what is SMF - you might wanna check out Service Management Facility project page for more information on how this is useful to you.
Finally, if you run into any issues, you can check out our Getting Started Guide or our Web Stack wiki or feel free to post your issues at our Web Stack forum page.


text:
"We are not going to kill or capture our way to victory." - Robert M. Gates, Secretary of Defense (July 16, 2008)
"Often, PRTs have been left on their own, with little strategic guidance, minimal funding, a lack of staff and overly restrictive security requirements. The arrival of PRTs in Iraq may be too late to be of real value, and their presence in Afghanistan may lack critical mass to make a difference. PRTs will need to change to its order to fulfill their promise – and too much should not be expected of them." - Frederick Burton, Center for Strategic and International Studies, HASC Oversight and Investigation Hearing, (September 5, 2007)
This article is a shortened version from the original published in Small Wars Journal.
The counterinsurgency (or COIN) in Khost province was supposed to represent the "crown jewel" in American COIN doctrine and tactics. Afghan President Hamid Karzai called Khost a "provincial model of success," and former CENTCOM commander ADM William J. Fallon described it as "a wonderful example" for the entire country. (Armed Forces Press Service 2007) Anne Marlow (2008) wrote a glowing review of recent efforts in the province in 2008 for The Weekly Standard, suggesting that the forward positioning of small platoons at "Force Protection Facilities" or FPFs, which are located in the district centers of the province, along with the substantial increase in the number and scope of reconstruction projects through the provincial reconstruction team, had "cracked the code" for American counterinsurgency efforts. Within a couple months, as the security situation continued to deteriorate, she was backtracking on her assessment of American counterinsurgency strategy in Khost province by suggesting that that it had more to do with the "role of commanders' personalities may be larger than we want to acknowledge." The previous commanders were "brilliant and personable," leading one to deduce that the individuals who replaced them were less so. (Marlowe, In War Too, Personnel is Policy 2008)
If only it were that easy, then we could merely charm our way to victory. But any knowledgeable assessment of the counterinsurgency effort in Khost would not have concluded that the war was going well. Hype and publicity cannot hide the fact that the situation was growing dire, both in Khost and throughout the country.
Provincial Reconstruction Teams
It is not an overstatement to note the challenge that Coalition Forces faced in Afghanistan after the fall of the Taliban, and even today. Capstick (2007) remarks, without embellishment:
"Thirty years of conflict had not only destroyed the basic structures of the state and much of the physical infrastructure, it had also inflicted serious damage to the social fabric of the country. This is the kind of damage that is almost impossible to see but it is probably more significant than the kind of damage that can be photographed and measured. Massive population movements have all but destroyed many of the traditional methods of social regulation and conflict resolution, and constant fighting has left the population with a collective case of psychological disruption."
In order to address the need to conduct stability operations centered around governance, reconstruction and development, the United States developed "Provincial Reconstruction Teams" (PRTs) which were designed to be joint civil-military units. By 2008, the U.S. had 34 PRTs in Iraq and Afghanistan total – 12 U.S. led PRTs in Afghanistan and 22 in Iraq. (Overall, there are 50 PRTs in Afghanistan under NATO command and headed by other nations such as Germany, Great Britain and Canada.) To date, PRTs have been an integral part of the Allied counterinsurgency strategy. However, they have been criticized on their mixed effectiveness, "overemphasis" on military objectives, lack of coordination with the United Nations and other non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and incoherent mission objectives and haphazard staffing. (Abbaszadeh, et al. 2008, 47) PRTs in Afghanistan are considered "military driven" while those in Iraq more balanced in their approach, being civilian led. (Drolet 2006, 14) PRTs have also proven to be unable to address the dominant drug economy which funds the insurgency, and have little to do with establishment of the rule of law. (Gauster 2008, 10)
The design and number of PRTs has grown since they were first introduced in 2002 into Afghanistan. American PRTs are approximately 80-90 personnel headed by a commander at the O-5 level, usually a Navy Commander or Air Force Lieutenant Colonel. PRT members are drawn from the Army, Navy, Air Force and National Guard as well as respective Reserve components. Typically, members have a variety of backgrounds and specialties that are not necessarily related to their normal military occupation. Co-located with the PRTs are civilian representatives from the Department of State, USAID, U.S. Department of Agriculture and Army Corps of Engineers as well as contracted local nationals serving in a variety of capacities, from linguists and laborers to cultural advisors and specialists in law and health care.
While the PRTs are the primary civil-military relations tool in both Afghanistan and Iraq, they are directly mentioned only once in the new Army/Marine Corps Counterinsurgency Field Manual FM 3-24. They are described as "a means to extend the reach and enhance the legitimacy of the central government" into the provinces of Afghanistan beyond the capitol in Kabul. While in more secure areas, they are to keep a lower profile, but in areas of conflict they are to "work closely with maneuver units and local government entities to ensure that shaping operations achieve their desired effects." The Field Manual described the PRT lines of operation as "pursue security sector reform, build local governance, or execute reconstruction and development" – though they are supposed to be given "tremendous latitude" to create their own strategy. (2006 2-12)
Khost Province, Afghanistan
When considering America's response to the terrorist attack of September 11th, 2001, one must first begin in Khost province, Afghanistan. Sometimes spelled as "Khowst," (an "Americanized" version of the spelling that Khostis do not recognize, according to the natives who live here), this province was home to two of the three al Qaeda training camps where the terrorist attacks were planned. Situated in the southeast region of the country, the province is currently part of Regional Command East (RC-East), made up of Ghazni province, Paktya province, Paktika province and Khost province.
It shares a common border with Pakistan, along the troubled region known as the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA). Khost principally borders the area known as North Waziristan. The tribal areas today in Pakistan represent the lawless safe haven for Taliban and al Qaeda affiliated groups that remains a critical security issue for Afghanistan, Pakistan and India. The border is approximately 184 km in length, almost entirely mountainous and covered with forests. While there are border checkpoints along some of the main roads between Khost and Pakistan, the border itself is largely porous, difficult to defend or monitor. Afghan Border Police (ABP) units are undermanned and ill-equipped, and are being asked to do the impossible – secure a long border of rough terrain which provides easy cover for enemy infiltration.
The major ethnic groups in Khost province are Pashtuns, who mostly do not recognize the artificial border between Afghanistan and Pakistan. The designs of foreign powers tend to run smack into the fierce ethnic and tribal pride of Afghanistan's many tribal groups, and the Pashtuns more so than the rest. They easily cross between countries to see family, go to school, trade, and recently, to learn to make jihad on the infidel foreigners who have come to their land – first the Soviets, and now the Coalition.
This is not to suggest that all Pashtuns are Taliban, bent on retaking Afghanistan after their brief reign of terror from 1996-2001. Most Pashtuns feel no love for the Taliban, al Qaeda or any terrorist organization. They appreciate the help and assistance of the international community and NATO security forces. But family ties and tribal customs run deep. The tribal code of "Pashtunwali" is far older than the introduction of Islam, and carries more weight determining behavior and interaction among individuals and villages. They view the radical Islamists as trying to overturn their traditional way of life, and chafe under their imposition of Sharia law.
Recent estimates put Khost's population at 639,849. There are 87,199 households which have, on average, 8 family members living there. Almost 98 percent of the population lives in rural districts, with the remaining 2 percent in the urban core of Khost City. Nearly half (46 percent) of households rely on agriculture as their source of income, and over half (54 percent) own or manage farmland or plots. Overall literacy is projected around 28 percent (44 percent of men versus 7 percent of women) though 52 percent of men age 15-24 are literate. There are 157 primary and secondary schools and 2,205 teachers working to educate 107,732 boys and girls in Khost. Khost is also home to a university – Shaik Zayed University – which had 687 students as of 2005. The vast majority of villages do not have health care facilities readily present. (Program for Culture and Conflict Studies 2007)
PRT Khost Organization
Beginning operations in 2005, Joint Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) Khost is currently comprised of approximately 80 U.S. military service members. Also attached are civilian and military personnel from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Department of State, USAID and the Department of Agriculture. The overall command of the unit is a Navy Commander of O-5 rank.
The PRT is conceptually organized as a joint civil-military unit operating under a "board of directors" concept. The military, however, retains ultimate control of PRT operations. The guidance is that civilian agencies and military units coordinate activities and programs aimed at complementing the governance, reconstruction and development mission of the PRT.
The PRT is organized around four lines of operation: Civil Affairs (CA), Engineering, Operations and Security Force Protection (SECFOR). The CA unit is split into teams, with small teams located at district centers in the province. Each CA team has responsibility over a geographic area of the province (North, East and West). A command team element is located with the main PRT. The CA teams coordinate project identification, development and funding through a process created with the provincial government. Projects are identified through district sub-governors and then approved and ranked in order of priority to the entire province by the Provincial Development Council (PDC), headed by the Provincial Governor. Once approved by the PDC, the project proposals are submitted through the CERP (Commander's Emergency Response Program) process for funding. CA teams are also responsible for humanitarian supply distribution, and have on hand a supply of foodstuffs, school supplies, medical supplies and radios.
Engineering assets are used to oversee and manage the contracting process of approved projects. They are responsible for the quality assurance and quality control over construction, working closely with the provincial and district government officials and tribes in order to ensure that building requirements are being met.
The Operations element covers a wide array of support areas, including personnel administration, intelligence analysis, operations, supply and logistics, communications, information operations, public affairs and medical services. The SECFOR team – a unit from the Pennsylvania National Guard – provides all security and force protection for the forward operating base as well as for all convoy missions and units stationed at the district centers.
It is important to note that all areas support one another. Intelligence provides support to the SECFOR for mission planning. Information operations enhance public diplomacy efforts, Civil Affairs and medical outreach. Communications ensures all offices and vehicles have radio, satellite and electronic communication connectivity. But not only do elements support one another, but they jointly conduct missions and amplify programs. For example, the engineering staff hire university engineering students from Khost University to conduct quality assurance and control at sites, thereby increasing not only the number of projects that they can better manage but also helping develop long-term human capital – a component of both public diplomacy and information operations – by providing necessary training and experience to future engineers. Along a similar vein, USAID and USDA work together to develop programs that improve not only farming techniques and alternatives to poppy crops, but also ways to bring goods to local market to meet ever increasing demand rather than having them taken across the border to Pakistan.
The PRT in the Khost Counterinsurgency Mission
The Provincial Reconstruction Team is the military's answer to addressing the security sector reform, reconstruction, development and governance in counterinsurgency operations. The PRT faces significant challenges in being a practical component of COIN strategy. Operations by the PRT in Khost province have received a great deal of attention in the media, yet the "ground truth" is often a different story.
The objectives of Coalition Forces and the international community in Afghanistan can largely be stated as follows: improve security conditions in the country while developing the capacity of the Afghan national government to provide the basic functions of the state within its territory. and assisting the Afghan people in creating the tools necessary for economic sustainment and growth. These are summarized along three general domains: security, governance and development, which can be viewed as concentric circles. This correctly suggests that all three domains are interrelated and connected, as well as mutually dependent. However, security is the most important of the three in the sense that a government which is unable to defend itself or its people will lack legitimacy and credibility. The existence of security permits the improvement in governance and development, which is why it is shown surrounding governance and development.
From January 1, 2008 through this writing, the PRT has completed construction of 31 schools and started on another 23. 189.4 km of road have been finished or are under construction. Five local government district centers have been completed, and another 2 have been started. Construction has finished on nine diversion dams, and started on 15 more. A prison complex, a new headquarters for the National Directorate of Security (NDS – similar to the American FBI), a new Governor's complex and an electrical power grid for Khost City have all started construction. More than $31 million in new projects have been built since 2008, and $44.8 million in new project funding has been requested. These new projects will include upgrades and repairs to more district centers, the construction of new Centers of Excellence (a government alternative to madrassas), building of eight new bridges, and a small-scale international airport linking Khost province to the UAE as well as transport around Afghanistan. By the end of 2008, total spending in Khost province alone on reconstruction and development will top $76 million.
Perhaps the hardest lesson of the PRT experience in Khost has been that no amount of development will improve security conditions. In fact, security has largely deteriorated to almost alarming levels despite the substantial increase in funding of projects and development. From January 1 through July 13th, 2008, attacks by the Taliban and their allies (HQN) have increased by 20 percent over 2007 levels for that same period to a total of 301. (Radin and Roggio 2008) In 2007, there were 107 "clashes" – actual engagements between the Taliban and NATO/Afghan security forces. As of August 31, 2008, there were already 115. (McCreary 2008) Some spectacular Taliban attacks on the major U.S. installation in Khost province – FOB Salerno, located just outside Khost City – give pause to any previous speculation that U.S./NATO efforts in Khost represented a "model counterinsurgency" as some suggested. (See Marlowe for example.) A day after a double car bombing at the gates of FOB Salerno which killed 10 civilians and injuring 13 others, approximately 30 Taliban fighters and suicide bombers attempted to storm the base in order to set inflict significant American casualties. In late July, nearly 100 heavily armed Taliban fighters attempted to overrun the district center in Spera district, in the southern portion of the province. In March, a Turkish-born German who was recruited by the Haqqani network detonated a truck bomb at the Sabari district headquarters, killing two U.S. soldiers and dozens of Afghan security personnel. (Long War Journal 2008)
It should therefore come as no surprise that as the level of violence rose, public perception of the provincial government's effectiveness waned considerably. Where once the major issue on a local Khosti's mind might be whether their village can get a new school, now it quickly became a matter of survival. Not surprisingly, people began making the rational choice of supporting the Taliban, if in name only. Whatever accommodations needed to be made in order to keep the Taliban out of their villages would be made.
Khost province is a microcosm of the collapse of governance in Afghanistan. A promising, well-educated leader is made governor, yet after a few years of service, the situation within his political jurisdiction has grown worse. There are a number of factors which have contributed to the degradation of governance. First, the arcane political system established at the national level is not conducive to expanding power and legitimacy into the rural provinces. The provincial governor has no direct authority over the line ministers in his province, such as Education, Public Health, Rural Reconstruction and Development and Tribal Affairs. Nor does the provincial governor have any direct control over the Afghan security forces within his area, such as Afghan National Police, Border Police or Army. Each department answers to national ministries in Kabul, creating a convoluted chain of command.
Second, in Khost province the governor is believed to have questionable ties to criminal and even insurgent elements (not unlike most in the national government and other provinces). This appears to have led to the appointment of district sub-governors in the province who seem to have been selected on the basis of their ties to criminal or insurgent elements rather than for competence. Of the 12 district sub governors appointed by the Khost provincial governor, perhaps only two or three could be considered fully supportive of the Afghan government and work actively to perform their duties. The others spend only a few days a month in the district they are supposedly governing, expect bribes from the local population who come to them for aid and assistance, steer Coalition funded reconstruction projects to companies they own (or their family member owns) and conduct secret negotiations with insurgent elements to permit passage and safe haven in their districts, some even going so far as to provide intelligence and support. They consistently request funding and personal items from the PRT, such as televisions, computers, cell phones and vehicle rather than going to the government. These items invariably end up as their personal property.
In performing its mission to build and sustain governance capacity, the PRT is directed to coordinate all functions and projects through the provincial government. Yet what can reasonably be expected when the government itself is systemically corrupt? The PRT becomes an unwitting partner in crime, sustaining culture of graft because there is no other alternative. In order to ensure transparency and maintain quality, it is almost always in conflict with those in the government and contracted businesses who seek to enrich themselves at the expense of the Afghan people and American taxpayers. The local population, growing weary of having to bribe officials in order to have their issues addressed, seeks to come directly to the PRT with their concerns, and are subsequently turned away and told to work through their government – a government which is corrupt. We can be little surprised that the population simply throws its hands up in disgust and walks away.
Security Sector Reform
The PRT has Navy rated Masters-at-Arms, and the SECFOR team from the Pennsylvania National Guard unit has correctional and law enforcement officers. Security sector reform, which includes training for both the Afghan National Police (ANP) and Afghan National Army (ANA), is actually handled by an Enhanced Training Team (ETT) located at a different installation in the province. Therefore, these PRT assets are not being utilized for security sector reform.
Reconstruction an d Development
The vast majority of activities conducted by PRT Khost have centered on reconstruction and development. Projects are supposed to be tied to the overall Afghanistan National Development Strategy. However, the funding process remains the critical stumbling block. There are multiple sources of funding, such as CERP, Local Governance and Community Development (LGCD) Program Funds through USAID, Title 22 funding (Foreign Relations and Intercourse), O&M funding (Operations and Maintenance) and "Quick Impact Funds." These funds each have their own set of restrictions, overlap or contradict each other. CERP funds cannot be used for "food or transportation," or for "training, equipping or operational" costs of Afghan security organizations. LGCD funding is notoriously slow, with some project requests languishing for months. (U.S. House of Representatives, Committee on Armed Services, Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations 2008, 22) The military units charged with administering contract payments in Khost province were so dysfunctional that during the entire deployment of the current PRT, not a month went by where one or more contracts were not paid on time or in full. Regular briefings on the status of project funding requests were never held, despite repeated requests. The myriad of bureaucratic and legal hurdles a project must go through meant that it might be months before the PRT might receive word whether a project could or would be funded. If the project was rejected because it did not meet the narrow funding definition, then it would have to be rewritten and submitted to an entirely different funding source. This had a significant impact on the ability of the PRT to fulfill its mandate and discouraged innovative projects which fell outside the typical "bricks and mortar" concept, especially those which emphasized human capital development.
At the strategic level, PRTs find it easier to focus on reconstruction and development projects. As the old engineering saying goes, "What gets measured, gets done." PRT leaders find it advantageous to emphasize the bricks and mortar aspect of their mission since that is what is most readily visible. This creates a natural tendency to gauge progress in a counterinsurgency by dollars spent, the miles of road paved, number of schools built or number of homes now able to receive power through a microhydro dam. However, other projects or programs which focus on human capital development are more difficult to have approved, funded and implemented because it is harder to measure success or failure. So there is often less emphasis on human capital programs, which tend to be more difficult to measure, and a tendency to look for quick-impact projects on a large number of people.
No strategic plan was developed at the brigade level for integrating how the PRT in Khost would fit within the larger objectives of the brigade. Often, the PRT was left with the sense of "doing its own thing." Coordination of operations usually consisted of merely informing the battle space commander in advance that a PRT convoy was moving through the area. While weekly meetings were held between the battalion commander, PRT commander, Afghan security forces and the Governor, those meetings were devoted to security issues. There was no coordination between maneuver operations or Special Forces operations, Afghan security forces and follow up by the PRT to address development or governance in an area recently affected by security operations. However, the PRT was often called upon for crisis management issues, such as the killing of a local national or the destruction of property by Coalition Forces.
Who Are We? And Why Are We Here?
One of the most fundamental problems for Provincial Reconstruction Teams is that there is no clearly defined strategic mission, no concept of operation and no standard operating procedure. (U.S. House of Representatives, Committee on Armed Services, Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations 2008, Perito 2005, USAID 2006) It is unclear how the PRT fits within the broader counterinsurgency effort in Khost province, and there is no unity of effort between the PRT and the other Coalition units in the province. For example, there are separate Coalition units to deal with police and Afghan National Army training (ETT Teams), IED detection and defeat, kinetic operations, counterterrorism operations, reconstruction, development and governance. These Coalition units vary, from mixed service joint commands such as the PRT to Army battalions, civilian agencies and Special Forces units. Some of these units answer to a brigade level task force, while other fall under a completely different combatant command and do not fall under the control of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), the NATO command.
Even if one could easily identify the overarching strategic mission of the PRT, it would be almost impossible to measure its effectiveness. One could count dollars spent, miles of road, numbers of schools or vaccines administered. But those represent outputs, not outcomes of a strategy. How does the building of a new school in Tani district or the paving of a road in Jaji Maidan district support the counterinsurgency effort or fit within the larger strategic plan? In theory, reconstruction efforts should be guided by the Afghanistan National Development Strategy, but the Development Strategy is not tied to an overall counterinsurgency plan. (Capstick 2007) No metrics exist with which to measure success and effect. (U.S. House of Representatives, Committee on Armed Services, Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations 2008, McNerny 2005, Abbaszadeh, et al. 2008) It has been reported that some PRT teams actually counted "smiling children" and "local cooperation" in attempting to define their measure of success. (McNerny 2005, 39)
Based on the experience of serving on a PRT team in Afghanistan, several recommendations can be made for consideration. These should not be considered all-inclusive, nor can they substitute for a review of the larger strategic goals and objectives of the Coalition in Afghanistan. Recently, Congress issued a report on PRTs in Iraq and Afghanistan which outlined a number of recommendations as well, including better interagency coordination, a less-convoluted funding mechanism for PRT projects and better training and staffing. Other agencies, including USAID, the Marshall Center, and the Woodrow Wilson School have also compiled reports on the performance of PRTs and made similar recommendations. (Abbaszadeh, et al. 2008, U.S. House of Representatives, Committee on Armed Services, Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations 2008, USAID 2006, Gauster 2008) Reforming provincial reconstruction teams without addressing the entire counterinsurgency effort in Afghanistan will do little to meet U.S. national security interests.
Unity of Effort
Provincial Reconstruction Teams are the linchpin to counterinsurgency success because they are designed to address the entire COIN spectrum of operations. At present, maneuver battalions and counterterrorism forces are considered equal elements within the force structure. Their activities often undermine the work of the PRTs, many times requiring the PRT to engage in consequence management actions, diverting resources and time from its core purpose. (Sedra 2005, 8) Unlike maneuver and counterterrorism units, PRTs are civil-military units and have a leadership structure that follows the guidelines of American counterinsurgency doctrine found in FM 3-24. They are better equipped to conduct full-spectrum operations, from security training to reconstruction, governance and humanitarian relief. PRTs are geared toward interacting with the local population, and receive cultural and language training which is designed to facilitate cross-cultural communication. Maneuver battalions are designed around warfighting – something which they do extremely well. Military efforts are essential – but secondary to "a comprehensive strategy employing all instruments of national power." (U.S. Army; U.S. Marine Corps 2006, 2-1) Therefore, the PRT should be the lead unit in managing the counterinsurgency.
Civilian lead
Because PRTs in Afghanistan are military led, they have a natural tendency to examine issues from a military perspective. However, counterinsurgency is widely recognized to be as much a political and law enforcement issue as it is military. Counterinsurgencies which bend toward being solely military operations have historically proven to be less effective and ultimately fail. (Sepp 2005, 10) PRT teams in Afghanistan should be led by the civilian agencies, much like those in Iraq are headed by Department of State Foreign Service Officers.
Secure the Population
Recommending that PRTs lead counterinsurgency operations and be civilian led should not be mistaken for suggesting that security issues do not lie at the heart of COIN operations. Security is the paramount concern, but not necessarily through the deployment of conventional force or mirroring the tactics of insurgents. (Payne 2008, 42) Millen (2008) states "the attainment of security must be the first stage of hearts and minds. Without a solid foundation of security, the other incentives will crumble on a bed of sand." Security first begins with the training and expansion of host national forces, with a primacy of police and not military units. PRTs have a natural comparative advantage in security sector reform, much more so than on the more humanitarian functions in which they become involved. They must be the lead effort on security force training. There is a natural connection between governance and security, because in an environment like Afghanistan, governance only extends as far as the security forces are present. It should be police forces which are emphasized, however. Police corruption is probably the single largest obstacle between the population and the government. PRTs must be adequately staffed and equipped to take charge of police and Army training. The embedded training teams are currently too small and cannot conduct the regular training on a consistent basis in order to address a culture of corrupt, unprofessional police. A more robust PRT team, supplemented with the ETT personnel, could ensure that security training was integrated into an overall governance and development plan.
Develop Human Capital
It is natural to focus on those things which can easily be measured: schools built, miles of road paved, etc. But the long-term future of a nation depends on investment in human capital, especially the knowledge and skills which enable civil society. This is a tricky thing to accomplish however, especially in Afghanistan which is organized around tribes. It is important to resist the temptation to attempt to reorder local culture around our Western values. The rural Pashtun tribes of Afghanistan have no love for the Taliban, but they have no desire to Westernize either. (Johnson and Mason 2008) Therefore, human capital development must take place within the framework of the local culture and values. Its focus should especially be on children and young adults – those most easily vulnerable to the insurgent ideology. It would be wise for counterinsurgency planners to circle on the map of Afghanistan the location of every university, technical school, madrassa and public school (including girls' schools) and target resources and time toward building their capacity. They can be given the basic tools to teach literacy and mathematical skills, along with their own cultural history and literature. But there is more to human capital development than schools and education programs. PRTs must implement training programs for local public administrators focusing on the basic skills necessary for the technical, professional administration of government. There is a great need for provincial administrator training and civil society development. This should also include media training, not only for members of government but also for the new crop of journalists who put out information on television, radio and in newspapers each day. Importantly though, PRTs can look for ways to invest in human capital at the local level in ways that support cultural paradigms.
Focus on Districts
The vast majority of Afghanistan's populations are in the rural provinces, and within the provinces, in the far-flung districts. In Khost, a province with a relatively large urban center, most inhabitants live outside the city, its rugged terrain means that it can take hours just to travel a few kilometers. It is there, in the mountains dotted with villages of a few hundred to a few thousand that the insurgents can move about with impunity, demanding support from a local population who has no alternative. What is needed are District Development Teams – smaller units composed of Coalition and Afghan forces who are located in the districts, able to interact with local villages daily. PRT Khost, for example, would be lucky to go to the same district two or three times in one month, let alone the same village. CA teams located in three of the districts for a period of a couple months during the deployment were able to interact at the village level more often, but there numbers were so small (three to four members) and they had to rely on the co-located maneuver units in order to venture outside the district center compound. Some CA teams would go for weeks, unable to leave the compound, for lack of manpower. Johnson and Mason (2008) suggests that the District Development Teams would "provide a steady security presence, strengthen the position of tribal elders, and bolster the district police" and "serve as the primary organization for Afghan rural development." They note that currently, PRTs have had no discernable impact on the counterinsurgency environment. Counterinsurgencies must separate the local population from the insurgent. In order to do so, the counterinsurgents have to be located among the population, able to provide a reasonable level of security, presence and reconstruction.
Staffing and Time in Country
Currently, PRT teams are drawn from all service branches, both Active and Reserve components. These individuals are selected on availability, and not necessarily for a specific skill sets, such as foreign language or cultural or regional expertise. Units are given a three month training program which is designed to cover everything from basic language training (a few key phrases and a crash culture course), to force protection and convoy operations. Once they arrive at their home station, they should have approximately 10 to 14 days to conduct a turnover (often far less) with the unit already stationed there.
With a mission as culturally complex and sensitive as counterinsurgency, it is remarkable that we have had any level of success given the inadequate preparation. On top of training requirements, units have to develop cohesion, since team members are drawn from all services all over the world. The men and women of the U.S. military have always proven highly capable at adapting to a new environment, and it is a testament to their professionalism that within a few short weeks, PRTs can gel into remarkable teams.
However, it is clear that military planners should begin thinking long-term. The current method of team selection resembles an ad hoc approach taken to address the inadequacy of the Army to staff them. PRTs should become self-contained units, with substantially more preparation. If the Navy and Air Force are going to continue to lead PRTs in counterinsurgencies, then they should be built around two-year tours, with a minimum of six months cultural and language training and 18 months in country. It normally takes at least six months before the new team has become acclimated to a province or district, developing a keen understanding of the local and regional players. Currently, PRTs train for three months and spend nine months in country. By the time the unit has gotten to know the human terrain as well as the geography, they are sent home and a new team arrives, meaning that the ramp up time starts all over again. No doubt there would be other issues to consider, but in general, having PRTs composed of individual members assigned "temporary duty" for 12 months puts units at a disadvantage.
One tour in Afghanistan does not make one an expert on the country, or on counterinsurgency. Yet serious deficiencies are easily seen in how PRTs are structured and the role they play in America's larger COIN strategy. It is hoped that this analysis and recommendations will elicit further discussion and research. Without question, American national security planners, military planners and policy makers all want to do right by the people of Afghanistan.
We have an opportunity in Afghanistan to assist a nation and its peoples in developing to the point where they are better able to resist the radical Islamic elements that would once again turn their land into a terrorist safe haven. Doing so, we will make mistakes along the way. It is a frustrating and tedious process, where one moves the ball toward the goal line inches at a time. But a far greater mistake would be throwing up our hands in exasperation and abandoning Afghanistan's people.
Provincial Reconstruction Teams are designed to assist the host nation in developing its governance capacity, improve its security sector and cooperate in reconstruction and development of the infrastructure. By looking at how we can hopefully do things better, we improve our chances of success.
ENS Bebber is an Information Warfare officer stationed at Navy Information Operations Command, Maryland. He served as the Information Operations officer for PRT Khost from March to November 2008. He holds a doctorate degree in public policy from the University of Central Florida.
Works Cited
Abbaszadeh, Nina, et al. Provincial Reconstruction Teams: Lessons and Recommendations. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Relations, 2008.
Armed Forces Press Service. CENTCOM Commander Attends Khost Leadership Conference. November 5, 2007. http://www.defenselink.mil/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=48048 (accessed September 21, 2008).
Barno, David W. "Fighting the "Other War" - Counterinsurgency Strategy in Afghanistan, 2003-2005." Military Review, September-October 2007: 32-44.
Capstick, M.D. Mike. "The Civil-Military Effort in Afghanistan: A Strategic Perspective." Journal of Military and Strategic Studies 10, no. 1 (2007): 1-27.
Drolet, John D. Provincial Reconstruction Teams: Afghanistan vs. Iraq - Should We Have a Standard Model? Carlisle, PA: U.S. Army War College, 2006.
Dziedzic, Michael J., and Michael K. Seidl. Provincial Reconstruction Teams and Military Relations with International and Nongovernmental Organizations in Afghanistan. Washington, DC: United States Institute of Peace, 2005.
Feith, Douglas J. War and Decision. New York City: Harper Collins, 2008.
Gauster, Markus. Provincial Reconstruction Teams in Afghanistan. Vienna, Austria: George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies, 2008.
Gerard, Dave. "Strategic Recommendations for Democratic Afghanistan." In Strategic Challenges for Counterinsurgency and the Global War on Terrorism, by Williamson Murray, 259-275. Carlisle, PA: Strategic Studies Institute, 2006.
Johnson, Thomas H., and M. Chris Mason. "All Counterinsurgency is Local." The Atlantic.com. August 2008. http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200810/afghan (accessed September 21, 2008).
Jones, Seth G. Counterinsurgency in Afghanistan. Santa Monica, CA: RAND Corporation, 2008.
Jones, Seth G. "The Rise of Afghanistan's Insurgency: State Failure and Jihad." International Security 32, no. 4 (2008): 7-40.
Long War Journal. "FOB Salerno Withstands 2-Day Taliban Onslaught." The Long War Journal. August 19, 2008. http://longwarjournal.org/archives/2008/08/fob_salerno_withstan.php (accessed August 19, 2008).
Marlowe, Ann. "In War Too, Personnel is Policy." The Wall Street Journal. June 14, 2008. online.wsj.com/article/SB121340075723773801.html?mod=djemEditorialPage (accessed September 7, 2008).
—. "A Counterinsurgency Grows in Khost." The Weekly Standard, May 18, 2008: 19-26.
McCreary, John. "Nightwatch Special Report 19 September 2008." www.afcea.org. September 19, 2008. http://www.afcea.org/mission/intel/nightwatch.asp (accessed September 21, 2008).
McNerny, Michael J. "Stabilization and Reconstruction in Afghanistan: Are PRTs a Model or a Muddle?" Parameters, no. Winter (Winter 2005): 32-46.
Millen, Raymond. "Thinking Small: Applying Hobbes to Counterinsurgency." Small Wars Journal. August 5, 2008. http://smallwarsjournal.com/mag/docs-temp/81 - millen.pdf (accessed August 5, 2008).
Payne, Kenneth. "Waging Communication War." Parameters, no. Summer (2008): 37-51.
Perito, Robert M. The U.S. Experience with Provincial Reconstruction Teams in Afghanistan. Washington, DC: United States Institute of Peace, 2005.
Program for Culture and Conflict Studies. Khost Provincial Profile. 2007. www.npu.edu (accessed June 27, 2008).
Radin, Chris, and Bill Roggio. "Afghanistan: Mapping the Violence." The Long War Journal. August 6, 2008. http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2008/08/afghanistan_mapping.php (accessed August 6, 2008).
Ryan, Mick. "The Military and Reconstruction Operations." Parameters, no. Winter (Winter 2007): 58-70.
Sedra, Mark. "Civil-Military Relations in Afghanistan: The Provincial Reconstruction Team Debate." The Asia Pacific Research Foundation. 2005. http://www.asiapacificresearch.ca/caprn/afghan_project/m_sedra.pdf (accessed June 8, 2008).
Sepp, Kalev I. "Best Practices in Counterinsurgency." Military Review, no. May/June (2005): 8-12.
U.S. Army; U.S. Marine Corps. FM 3-24/MCWP 3-33.5 Counterinsurgency. Washington, DC: United States Army, 2006.
U.S. House of Representatives, Committee on Armed Services, Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations. Agency Stovepipes vs. Strategic Agility: Lessons We Need to Learn from Provincial Reconstruction Teams in Iraq and Afghanistan. Washington, DC: U.S. House of Representatives, 2008.
USAID. Provincial Reconstruction Teams in Afghanistan: An Interagency Assessment. Washington, DC: United States Agency for International Development, 2006.


text:
Jul 19, 2012 10:05 AM
We've all been there: wishing we had a piece of paper and a sharpie so we could scribble a quick message to one of our follow drivers (generally something along the lines of, "%#$@ you, you stupid piece of $@#$!!"). The Drivemocion LED Car Light ($42) doesn't come with a profanity setting, but using its remote control to activate one of a series of messages - from a smiley face to "Back Off" - is a lot safer than writing or trying to moon someone while steering.
Oh goody. Let's give drivers something else to fiddle with. Radios and cell phones aren't enough.
If you've got a product or service that you'd like to promote on Outblush, click here to find out about our advertising opportunities.
Outblush is a blog for girls who love to shop. Our staff digs up the best clothes, home stuff, beauty items, and more. New items are posted every day — bookmark us and check out:


text:
CBRE Hotels is dedicated to being the hospitality industry's premier provider of sale advisory, finance, market research and valuation services to meet the needs of investors and individual owners of hotel properties.
The group understands the unique challenges and opportunities that come with investing in and divesting hotel properties. Our professionals choose to specialise in this sector and devote their careers to following the properties, investors and owners that trade in this space. We know the hotel market inside and out and we strive to build client relationships that endure.
CBRE Hotels is comprised of over 150 dedicated professionals, all of whom have significant hotel real estate experience, located in offices worldwide.
In North America alone, over 67 professionals are located in all major markets throughout the United States, Latin America, and Canada. Our EMEA (Europe, Middle East, and Africa) team is based in London and consists of approximately 50 professionals strategically located throughout seven countries. Our Asia Pacific team of 50 professionals reside in Singapore, Japan, Hong Kong, China and Australia, and offer comprehensive valuation and investment sales services that are unmatched throughout the region.
The Australia / New Zealand team includes over 30 professionals who have the track record and experience that can leverage off of the substantial global reach of the CBRE Hotels worldwide group
We are able to:
Ken SmithRegional DirectorCBRE Hotels Australia & New ZealandT +61 2 9333 3422F +61 2 9333 email@example.com
Capital Flows in Asia Pacific for Hotel Investment (October 2013)


text:
The pool across the street from Heritage Elementary School, operated by the local homeowners' association, is a summer gathering place for students and their parents.
But the topic of conversation isn't the usual vacation plans or neighborhood gossip. All everyone is talking about is the possibility that the school might close in the 2014-15 school year.
"A lot of people moved into this neighborhood because of the school," said Lauri Walburn, former Heritage Parent Teacher Organization president. She sat outside Thursday afternoon, watching her 5-year-old daughter, Ashleigh, play with friends.
Ashleigh will start kindergarten at Heritage this fall.
Walburn has started a group called Friends of Heritage Elementary with the goal of campaigning for a November levy that would preserve neighborhood schools in Medina.
At Monday's Medina City Board of Education meeting, interim Superintendent David Knight announced that if the 5.9-mill levy on the November ballot fails, he would recommend transforming the district's traditional neighborhood schools using a "banded elementary school concept."
Instead of each school having five grades, there would be no more than two grades in six schools and Heritage, the district's seventh elementary school, would close.
Knight said the drastic change was aimed at avoiding a $1 million shortfall in the 2014-15 school year.
So far, Walburn's group has about 140 fans on Facebook. She plans to collaborate with Friends of Medina City Schools, the official levy campaign committee.
Walburn said she feels frustrated that years of failed levies — five since 2008 — have led to the possibility of closing Heritage.
"If the school were to close, what is that going to do to property values?" she said.
At the same time, she fears elementary students throughout the district will lose the sense of community.
Carol Starrick, principal of Heritage Elementary, had similar thoughts.
"It's not just the loss of Heritage as a neighborhood school," she said. "It's the loss of every neighborhood school because of the restructuring. The loss of that is heartbreaking."
She said two-thirds of the staff at each elementary school, along with students, would have to move. "It's really not a building issue, it's a citywide issue," she said.
Another Heritage parent, Kim Brightbill, agreed, saying the change "really destroys community."
"I'm appalled," she said. "I don't know what other word to use. I understand the fact that resources are limited and that money needs to come from somewhere."
Delaney Crean, 10, who graduated from Heritage this year and will be a sixth-grader in the fall, had high praise for Heritage.
"It's the best school ever," she said. "They have amazing teachers."
Heritage's own traditions
All of Heritage's students live within two miles and most either walk or bike to school. Every day at 8:25 a.m., the entire school gathers around the media center, which is in the center of the building, and says the Pledge of Allegiance and sings a patriotic song.
"Like any building in Medina, there's such a culture at Heritage," Meuler said. "There's a feeling of family at all the elementaries. It's not just a place to come learn, it's a place to feel safe and comfortable and loved."
Crean's younger sister Kennedy, 7, will be going into first grade in the fall at Heritage. She's heard about the plan, too.
"I would miss the school because I didn't even get to see all the teachers," she said solemnly.
The closure would also mean staff cuts for a principal, teachers, secretaries and custodians.
Michelle Meuler, a fourth-grade teacher at Heritage, was at Monday's board meeting when Knight said Heritage would be closed.
"I ended up having to leave because I'm a very emotional person," she said.
"I was trying not to cry in public."
Contact reporter Kiera Manion-Fischer at (330) 721-4049 or firstname.lastname@example.com.


text:
OKLAHOMA CITY?-Seven former Wildcats will participate in the National softball team selection camp at the U.S. Olympic training center in Chula Vista, Calif., this September. The Women's National Team Selection Committee will evaluate the athletes for three days before selecting the 17-member Pan American Qualifier team.
The Amateur Softball Association and USA Softball invited 35 athletes to the camp, which will be led by UA coach and U.S. National team coach Mike Candrea. Also named to the USA Coaching Pool to lead the September selection camp program is former UA catcher and coach Stacy Iveson, now coach of Pima Community College in Tucson.
Wildcats picked for the tryoutare 2004 Olympic gold medalists Jennie Finch (pitcher) and Lovie Jung (infielder), Olympic team alternate Nicole Giordano (outfielder), former catcher Mackenzie Vandergeest, and current players Alicia Hollowell (pitcher) and Caitlin Lowe (outfielder). All played earlier this summer in international competition for Team USA or the Elite Team.
The chosen team will compete November 26-December 5 in Guatemala City, Guatemala, at the qualifier tournament for the 2006 World Championships in Beijing, China and the 2007 Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro. An official roster announcement will be made on Monday, September 12 identifying the selected athletes. Following this camp, the Women's Selection Committee will also announce the 2006 National Training team (22 members) that will train together during selected weeks from January- May of 2006.
All USA Softball events in the next two years are part of the process toward the eventual tryouts to determine the roster for the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, although other players yet to be identified may have later opportunities.
Candrea will lead the team in Guatemala this fall assisted by Ken Eriksen of South Florida, John Rittman of Stanford and Teresa Wilson of Texas Tech. Iveson's new role in September gives her a shot at more subsequent USA Softball coaching assignments.


text:
Sluggish Sooners Grind Past TCU
- Details
- Source: KWTV Channel 9, Oklahoma City
(by Luke McConnell) After a grueling start to conference play, including three road games, No. 25 Oklahoma was thankful to be back at Lloyd Noble Center Wednesday night, facing Big 12 cellar-dweller TCU. However, the Sooners almost relaxed a bit too much against the Horned Frogs...Read more


text:
It doesn't take much driving to notice that many in-car infotainment [1] systems are custom-built and locked down tight. The Linux Foundation [2] sees it differently and wants our cars to embrace the same notions of common roots and open code that we'd find in an Ubuntu [3] box. Its newly-formed Automotive Grade Linux Workgroup is transforming Tizen [4] into a reference platform that car designers can use for the center stack, or even the instrument cluster.
Read more at Engadget [5]


text:
In Windows 7 you can pin a document to a program in the taskbar. I pinned an .xls document to Calc, but when I click on the shortcut I get the following error:
soffice.bin - System Error
The program can't start because sal3.dll is missing from your computer.
Try reinstalling the program to fix this problem.
I got the same error when I pinned a .txt file to Writer.
I tried repairing Open Office, as suggested by the error, but that didn't fix the problem.
Any ideas? Is sal3.dll part of something that isn't installed by default?


text:
Many families are struggling to make ends meet and the added financial struggle of making sure children get an Easter basket and buying Easter decorations can make for a stressful Easter. Instead of buying Easter decorations, print Easter basket, bunny and other Easter related coloring pages.
You probably already have paper on hand, especially if you are a mom who prints coupons to save money on groceries. Make sure your black ink cartridge is full and that your printer is working. Print out these free Easter coloring pages. Not only do you save money, but it is a great activity to keep the kids busy. You can even join in the fun and spend some quality time with your children.
If you have a home daycare, printing and coloring these free printable Easter pages is a great way to get kids involved in a project they can take home to mom and dad.
Free printable Easter basket, bunny and other Easter-related coloring pages:
Easter bunny with basket coloring page
Happy Easter basket coloring page
Easter basket with chicks coloring page
Boy with Easter basket coloring page
Easter basket coloring page
Color and fill in the Easter basket coloring page
Easter basket with Easter bunny coloring page
Suggested Links
- Best free printable Easter bunny, Easter eggs and other Easter coloring pages
- Budget Easter decorations: Dollar Tree offers several inexpensive options
- Easter brunch on a budget: Shop Aldi sales and everyday low prices
- Free printable Mother's Day coloring pages for families on a budget
- Mothers Day: traditional English tea or English Sunday dinner


text:
When juicing fruits and vegies a lot of "solid" pulp are left over. I was wondering if they contain significant nutrients that might be better eaten instead of drinking pure juice?
Physical Fitness Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for physical fitness professionals, athletes, trainers, and those providing health-related needs. It's 100% free, no registration required.
Sign up
Sign up
Here's how it works:
- Anybody can ask a question
- Anybody can answer
- The best answers are voted up and rise to the top
A good juicer gets a fair amount of skin, though how much nutrition is lost would depend a lot on the juicer. But it's not just about nutrients, it's about fiber. Fiber serves many purposes, including slowing the absorption of those nutrients and sugars (less insulin spike), and fiber is something the body needs.
I don't see anything wrong with juicing, and it's tasty. But IMO it shouldn't be the sole source of fruit and vegetable consumption, because you're missing a lot of what they have to offer, in terms of both nutrients and fiber.
All this said, not really a fitness question.