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5 tips for Downsizing your Home
Downsizing your home is ideal in a number of situations, from simply wanting to move into an apartment or condo to wishing to reduce your monthly expenses. Regardless of your reason for downsizing, it is imperative that you are well-prepared for the transition. The following tips for downsizing your home are excellent to follow when that smooth, simple downsize is what you desire.
Time for Lists
Creating lists is one of the most helpful things that you can do for yourself. Make a list of items in your home that have sentimental value, those that you cannot live without, and another list for items that are necessities. Also make a list of items you'd like to take with you. Stick to these lists and your transition will be amazing.
Ahead of Time
Do not procrastinate and begin sorting, boxing, and clearing out well-ahead of time for your move. It is advisable to start this process no less than three months ahead of the scheduled move. This gives you ample time to do everything without added stress or the need to rush.
Pass it Along
Once you've accumulated items that aren't traveling to your new destination, plan to pass them along rather than toss them in the garbage. Have a garage sale, donate it to a charity, or give to family or friends.
Color-Coded System
Using a color-coded system for your boxes and totes will make things much simpler when it is time to unbox and set up your new place. This system enables you to find what you want without digging through endless boxes so you always have what you need!
Make use of your new Space
What seems to be a little can actually be a lot; it is all in how you use it. Take advantage of every inch of space and opportunity that you have.
Why choose Mars Hill Retirement Community
Mars Hill Retirement Community is one of several in the area but it is one of the best. Over the years this facility has proven itself as a dedicated, trustworthy facility time and time again. Today it serves as a community that is involved and inspiring to its residents.
Why choose Mars Hills?
There are so many reasons why there is not a better retirement cater for you to choose. Let's take a look at some of the awesome highlights that come along with this particular facility.
- Caring and Professional Staff: The staff here are not the usual staff members who seem all too eager to clock out and go home. These are people that honestly care for residents and their safety and happiness.
- Upscale Facility: If luxury living is something that you enjoy, this facility has you covered. It is elegant from the first moment you enter and it is definitely something that you will appreciate.
- Costs: Some communities for senior's charge so much that many are unable to afford the service. This is not the case with this facility. The price is reasonable priced so more seniors can live here.
- Other Resident: You will be surrounded by other people of the same age bracket who share the same desires for living.
- Activities: There is never a dull day at this facility. Scheduled activities are always available, whether it is playing a card game or knitting. Choose what you want to do and avoid the rest.
These are just some of the highlights that you can enjoy when you choose the areas number of community for seniors. There is a reason why this facility has become a name that so many people trust. Do not make the wrong decision when Mars Hills center is here.
Why choose Hunziker Realty?
Buying a home is the American dream and there is no better place to start your new life than in central Iowa. Small, quaint and friendly towns combine to make Central Iowa. The people in these communities are welcoming and warm to newcomers. If you are ready to buy, consider talking to Hunziker Realty and make it happen sooner.
There are so many qualities that Hunziker offers that make them a winning company. Some of the things that keep them standing above the competition:
- There is a large selection of homes available for sale with this realty company. With this massive selection it is so easy to find the perfect home to call your home.
- Homes are available in all price ranges. No matter what your budget may be, you can find a beautiful home that you will love to buy!
- Experienced realtors offer professionalism when you need it the most. These agents rea available to make your move and home buying experience more pleasurable. You can learn more about neighborhoods through your agent and so much more.
- Virtual tours are available on the web. You can view the homes now available for sale and feel like you are already stepping inside of your new place.
- Homes and commercial properties are both available through this real estate agent. So, whether you want to find a place to call home or are ready to start your new business venture, our can din the perfect property to accommodate your needs.
Choosing your real estate agency is simple when you stick with a trusted name that is not going to disappoint. Are you ready to make your Iowa home truly your own? This is the best company to work with when you are ready.
Furnished weekly apartments are a great choice
During the course of a lifetime, many of us are forced to relocate temporarily or to seek a temporary home. Lodging with relatives is often the first choice. But it is not always a good choice. Who wants to live for a week on the couch of Uncle George who loves to eat raw onions and garlic?
There is a better solution.
It comes in the form of Furnished Weekly Apartments.
Whether a person needs to find a comfortable temporary home during a business or vacation trip, has become displaced by termites, short-term apartment rentals are there to solve the problem. Business travelers find them a fantastic solution while attending extended training seminars or protracted sales meetings. Weekly apartments offer all the comforts of a well- furnished home in convenient metro locations. They are well enough equipped to even allow entertaining if a person's mind so desires.
And the advantages of a temporary apartment?
- No application fees;
- Prepaid rental;
- Security deposit refundable;
- Move in the day of renting;
- Move out anytime;
- Gated communities;
- High-speed Internet connections.
Yet, more advantages and conveniences come with this type of temporary dwelling. Many of the apartments have full kitchens. They all have wide-screen TV; some even have a second TV in the bedroom. Laundry facilities are in the building, and much, much more. Size, layout and amenities vary somewhat from location to location.
The term furnished weekly apartment is not quite accurate. Do not interpret it as the outside limit of a stay. In fact, these units are available on a monthly basis as well. Moreover, there is actually no limit to the length a person can rent them.
A furnished weekly apartment is available at reasonable prices. They start at just under $200.00 for a studio or a one bedroom apartment. That is not much more than a good motel might charge for a night.
Choosing a Leader for Real Estate Services in Salem
Whether you are buying or selling real estate in Salem, it is mandatory that you hire a real estate agent to help with the transaction. Buying and selling real estate requires knowledge and know-how, or it could easily turn into a nightmare that you do not want to experience. By finding a leader for real estate services in Salem, you are securing a smooth and meaningful transaction ahead.
The Importance of a knowledgeable Agent
You want to get the most money from your transaction. If you're selling, you obviously want to give potential buyers a good deal but you also want to make money. If you are buying you are in the market for that deal. With the assistance of a real estate agent by your side you can definitely find that your money is always right, whether you're gaining it or spending it.
But that's not all that a real estate agent can do for your needs. Real estate agents take care of the paperwork, help with finances, and help you choose the best neighborhoods and best deals and so much more. A real estate agent is a friend indeed!
Choosing the best Real Estate Agent
Not all agents are going to gout of their way to provide you with exceptional service and education. When choosing your real estate agent, make sure that you look for someone that is experienced in handling the type of transaction you have as well as someone that is licensed and familiar with the area. Those who know the neighbors are most likely to help you get the perfect home for your needs!
Ensure that the real estate agent has a good reputation in the community as well. It might be a good idea to ask family and friends to direct you toward a good agent. Those with a good reputation have that for a reason!
How to make your new Adashun Jones FDL Home your Own
Of course the house is yours after the paperwork is signed and dated and the financing has been sealed. But, it takes far more to make a house a home than simply signing a few papers. It'll take a bit of time to get accustom to your new home, but there are quite a few steps that you can take to make it feel more homely. Adashun Jones FDL homes are even more riveting when you want a place that you can really call home and not just a place that you live.
Once you're ready to move into your newly purchased home, make sure that you have plenty of wall additions to hang. Whether it is photos of the kids, works of art or shelves, these additions allow you to give your home the personalization that you need and help the home feel more inviting and comfortable.
You should also add a couple of rugs to the new home, even if it is carpeted throughout. Rugs help protect the carpeting, but that is far from their only job. They also add bright color and design to your floor so it gets attention. They're definitely lovely!
Host a housewarming party for yourself. Yes, it is okay to o this just do not expect guests to bring a gift (even though it is a lovely gesture if they'd like.) This gathering can help you better acquaint with the new neighbors, give family members and friends the chance to see your new home and best of all; it is some of the most awesome fun that you will ever have!
These are just some of the many ways that you can make your new house feel like a home so put them to good use!
Acadia Homes & Neighborhoods Make it Easy to Call Atlanta Home
Acadia homes & neighborhood feature gorgeous homes designed for all lifestyles. You'll find small and quaint homes perfect for singles and couples. You'll find great family homes and of course those newly built delightful dream homes. Homes Atlanta through Acadia is available for sale to qualified homeowners. Selecting the Acadia brand ensures that you get a hoe built to your specifications and well within your budget.
Reasons to live in Atlanta
Atlanta, known as Hotlanta by many, is the best city in Georgia if you ask most people. Atlanta is home to some of the best night clubs and bars in the U.S., along with some of the best soul and southern food restaurants. Music is yet another reasons that Atlanta is so prominent. Several notable acts hail from the ATL, including Outkast, Gladys Knight, Xscape and T.I. And, there's an abundance of great art found in Atlanta. Museums are plentiful as well. There's plenty of professional sporting teams in Atlanta if that is your thing and of course the neighborhoods top it all off.
Homes in Atlanta
Homes in Atlanta are designed to meet the lifestyles of all. When you trust Acadia to build your home, your dreams can come true before your very eyes. These homes are designed to your exact specifications and certainly allow you to live it up no matter what your budget. And, since you are in the heart of Atlanta, you are never far away from something to entertain your time. There isn't a better place in the state of Georgia to call your home than Atlanta that is for sure!
If you're looking to rent or to buy a home in beautiful Atlanta, Georgia, make sure that you have an awesome real estate agent on your side. With the services offered by a real estate agent, you'll find the perfect home to call your own!


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Open AccessThis article is
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Buildings 2013, 3(3), 532-544; doi:10.3390/buildings3030532
Wind Load Test of Earthbag Wall
1 Glenn Department of Civil Engineering, Clemson University, 310A Lowry Hall Box 340911, Clemson, SC 29634, USA 2 RMS Risk Management Solutions, Newark, CA 94560, USA 3 Barrels of Hope, Gainesville, FL 32601, USA
* Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Received: 7 June 2013 / Revised: 3 July 2013 / Accepted: 22 July 2013 / Published: 7 August 2013
View Full-Text | Download PDF [1479 KB, uploaded 7 August 2013] | Browse Figures
AbstractEarthbag construction is a sustainable, low-cost, housing option for developing countries. Earthbag structures are built of individual soil-filled fabric bags (i.e., sand bags) stacked in a running bond pattern. Once stacked, earthbags are compacted and the soil inside the bags is dried in-place to form earthen bricks. Barbed wires are placed between each course to affect shear transfer within the wall. Results of an out-of-plane load test on a full-scale earthbag wall are presented in this paper. The wall was subjected to out-of-plane pressure up to 3.16 kPa, which resulted in plastic deformations up to 50 mm. The wall did not collapse during loading. Wall behavior and force transfer mechanisms are discussed.
Keywords: earthbag; housing; sustainable construction; adobe; earthen construction; wind
This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 3.0).
Share & Cite This Article
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Ross, B.E.; Willis, M.; Datin, P.; Scott, R. Wind Load Test of Earthbag Wall. Buildings 2013, 3, 532-544.View more citation formats
AMA Style
Ross BE, Willis M, Datin P, Scott R. Wind Load Test of Earthbag Wall. Buildings. 2013; 3(3):532-544.Chicago/Turabian Style
Ross, Brandon E.; Willis, Michael; Datin, Peter; Scott, Ryan. 2013. "Wind Load Test of Earthbag Wall." Buildings 3, no. 3: 532-544.
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subset: commoncrawl


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- Report: #1086600
Report - Rebuttal - Arbitrate
Complaint Review: Gray Taxidermy
Gray Taxidermy712 NW 12th ave Pompano beach, Fl pompano beach, Florida USA
Gray Taxidermy Fraudulent and deception-buyer beware pompano beach Florida
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This company is fraudelent and deceptive. The final mount is of poor quality and they charge you money along the way before they even start. You can't cancel your order and the straw that broke the camels back was the $500 crating charge that was nothing but a cardboard box. I also was able to pay my own freight and found it for $250 less than they would charge. This place is a joke.
This report was posted on Ripoff Report on 09/23/2013 07:54 AM and is a permanent record located here: http://www.ripoffreport.com/r/Gray-Taxidermy/pompano-beach-Florida-33069/Gray-Taxidermy-Fraudulent-and-deception-buyer-beware-pompano-beach-Florida-1086600. The posting time indicated is Arizona local time. Arizona does not observe daylight savings so the post time may be Mountain or Pacific depending on the time of year.
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Definition of Wordsworth, William in English:
Wordsworth, William
(1770–1850), English poet. Much of his work was inspired by the Lake District. "Lyrical Ballads" (1798), which was composed with Coleridge and included "Tintern Abbey," was a landmark in romanticism. He was appointed poet laureate in 1843. Other notable poems: "I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud" (1815) and "The Prelude" (1850).
For editors and proofreaders
Syllabification: Words·worth, William
Definition of Wordsworth, William in:
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New Cumberland, W.Va. (AP) -- A new cumberland woman has apologized for leaving her baby alone in a hot car while she went shoplifting at a Wal-Mart.
Twenty-three-year-old Elizabeth Marie Lancaster says she made a huge mistake she'll never forget.
After appearing at a preliminary hearing Wednesday in Brooke County, she told a tv station she is mortified by her actions and will accept whatever punishment is necessary.
Lancaster is charged with child neglect causing injury and shoplifting.
Police say the baby had been left alone in Lancaster's car for at least 20 minutes last month in the Weirton Wal-Mart's parking lot.
The car was running and the windows were down, but it was an 85-degree day.
(Copyright 2009 by the Associated Press. All rights reserved.)


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A superb range to refresh your room for summer
Quality materials combined with exceptional design
A wide range of styles and finishes
Embrace the sunshine with our new garden range
Bags of character, for fun-packed school dinners and snack storage
Revitalise your floors with a wide range of colours, patterns and indulgent textures
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• Only £3.95 delivery under £49 (applied in basket)
• Delivered in 3-5 working days
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• £9.95 for orders under £299
• Delivered in 7-10 working days
Cooking and dining in the home can be an enjoyable experience for the whole household, whether you are in the kitchen preparing meals or sat eagerly awaiting a freshly prepared feast. To make meal times even more enjoyable, Dunelm has a fantastic variety of cooking utensils, table decorations, crockery and cutlery to meet all of your dining needs.
Our wide range of bakeware, ovenware, kitchen accessories and roasting equipment presents a wonderful opportunity to expand your culinary repertoire at great value prices. Quality cooking equipment such as pots and pans, kitchen knives and utensils can last for many years and are a fantastic investment when it comes to mealtimes and leisurely cooking.
In recent years, recreating exotic dishes from faraway cultures has become a household phenomenon. In response, the culinary equipment available to use at home has changed dramatically. Dunelm has a wide range of products to help us with this, including tagines, bamboo steamers and grill pans, to get those exotic flavours just right. No modern home is complete without a gadget or two, and while you may be quite happy with the basics (kettle, toaster, weighing scales etc.), our variety of kitchen gadgets can help you turn difficult or time consuming kitchen activities into simple everyday tasks.
Dinner parties have become very fashionable again recently, and this fact has resulted in a rise in the popularity of high quality and stylish dinnerware collections. Our range of dinnerware products will help you to create the perfect ambiance for your dinner party, meaning all you have to worry about is the food. Quality table linen and glassware help set the mood at any dinner table, whether you are entertaining guests or sat with the family.


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Sri Lanka Green Alliance
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Sri Lanka Green Alliance (SLGA) is the only green political movement in Sri Lanka, officially started in late 2009 by Sanka Chandima Abayawardena, a leading green activist, and convenor of SLGA. It is a network of green groups and green activists in the country. Its youth wing is the federation of Ceylonese Young Greens.
SLGA is a collective initiative of people who describe themselves as greens. They are people who believe in the Global Greens Charter. The charter is the driving force of green inspiration for political as well as non-political movements for green initiatives around the world.
SLGA is an associate member of the Asia Pacific Greens Network; Abayawardena was elected to its Coordinating Committee at the APGN Congress in Taiwan in 2010. The secretary of the organisation Kalpana Rasangika Ambepitiya is also a member of the Global Young Greens steering committee, the youth wing of global Greens.
SLGA holds training and capacity building programs in different parts of the country for its membership and other interested groups. It is not affiliated to any political coalition in the opposition or the government.


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Aishwarya, Kareena, Katrina: Top Bollywood actresses caught in smoking acts!
Gone are those days when women would weep and play 'abla naari' kind of roles onscreen. Today, actresses portrayed onscreen are no longer unrealistic and stereotypical. The 21st century concept of women empowerment has helped the female stars of today to attain that dream position, which was once just a mere dream.
Apart from skin shows and intimate scenes, the new age Bollywood actresses have shed shackles and inhibitions by smoking cigarettes onscreen. Though onscreen smoking acts have always been slammed by the Censor Board committee, it never compelled the filmmakers to go the other way. For instance, the latest smoking controversy from the film Heroine that took the entire tinselville by storm.
We have come up with the list the top-notch actresses like Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Priyanka Chopra, Katrina Kaif, Deepika Padukone, who had done some onscreen smoking acts in the past. As for all the readers out there, which of these listed actresses do you think looks the hottest or sexiest while smoking?


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R/C aircraft: re-imagined.
- Smartphone controlled
- Magically simple
- Connects instantly
- Crash-proof
What makes it so amazing?
Intuitive control
Forget big bulky remote controls. You can now fly with a flick of your hand. Just use your phone to control the plane. Simply slide your thumb on the app, for the SmartPlane to go up and down or just tilt the phone to turn. Better control equals more fun!
The SmartPlane is a unique flying gadget! It understands your commands, analyses the situation and automatically adjusts accordingly to assist your flying. Simply open the SmartPlane app on your phone, connect the plane and you are ready. Using your phone to fly a plane has never been so easy!
New-age tech
The SmartPlane works with the latest BluetoothSmart wireless technology to enable a long flight time over a longer range. We ensure the pairing between the plane and the phone is as smooth as possible. Simply hold the phone close to the plane and it is ready for take-off!
Gorgeous flying app
Designed for all types of pilots
- Stunning airplane cockpit look-and-feel
- Bottom half: slide up/down to control engine speed
- Top half: artificial horizon that responds to tilt
- Gauge dials: battery level, signal strength, engine power
- Fun features: air traffic control sounds, compass direction
- Watch a video about the app
Tour in Bremen, Germany!
We went on a tour in our hometown Bremen, Germany. You can see the famous Roland, the Schnoor and the town hall. And of course, the SmartPlane flies everywhere!
Click the image to play.
Hold on! We've got more.
Bluetooth Technology
A "smart" plane needs smart technology and that is why we went one step ahead and integrated the latest BluetoothSmart standard, with long range (up to 60 m / 200 feet), and extremely low power consumption. No clumsy dongles needed!
With Touch & Go there is no pairing, no waiting! Simply open the SmartPlane app, touch the plane with your phone, and you are connected within seconds. Flying with friends? It's very easy to choose which plane you want to connect to.
Slow flying
The result of 2 years of aerodynamic optimisation: the SmartPlane flies sloooowly, and yes that's an advantage! You no longer need laser-sharp reflexes and a football field sized area to enjoy flying. You are still very much able to do fast maneuvers - use the wind and throttle lever to your advantage.
Super precise rudder
We built-in a 256-level proportional rudder with logarithmic correction – the most advanced in its class – so your hand movements get translated to very natural turn angles. The FlightAssist™ feature makes full use of this extended range to give you a stable flight without compromising maneuverability.
Powerful battery
The SmartPlane is powered by a state-of-the-art Lithium-Polymer battery which weighs just 1 gram. You can enjoy flying your plane up to 15 min on a single charge (tip: soar and glide!), and recharge in 15 min using a standard micro USB cable (included in packaging). Even at full throttle, the battery lasts at least 7 minutes.
Durable construction
Flying the SmartPlane is pure fun, so crashing it is inevitable. It is built with durable foam material which retains its shape even after being bent. The engine and propeller are offset inside the plane's nose, so any head-on collisions will not cause severe damage. We've included an extra prop, just in case!
Infinite possibilities, expandable and always up-to-date.
The smartphone advantage
Although the SmartPlane has a little microprocessor of its own, the real brain behind it lies in the smartphone app. This lets us continuously improve the plane by adding more features to the app. For example, the FlightAssist™ feature, which dramatically improves the flying experience, was added as an app update during development. The possibilities are endless.
Wireless updates
We take app updates one step further. Using state-of-the-art technology, we can wirelessly push updated firmware to the plane even after it's out of the factory. This means your SmartPlane is always up-to-date with the latest bug fixes and feature enhancements. All you need to do is install the latest app update. The next time you connect to your plane, it will be automatically updated.
You know you want it. Make it yours.
Smartphone controlled plane
- All prices include 19% VAT.
- Sales tax not included.
- In stock, ships same day
- Coupon codes can be entered during checkout.
Buy Now
Package contents
1x SmartPlane™ | 1x Quick Start Guide | 1x MicroUSB charging cable | 1x Extra propeller | Smartphone is not included in the packaging
Help & Support
Frequently Asked Questions
We have collected the most frequently asked questions in one place and answered them for you. Please visit our FAQ page.
Contact Support
Do you have any queries, comments or suggestions? We would like to hear from you. please email us at [email protected] and we will get back to you as soon as we can.
User manual
User community
Want to talk with fellow SmartPlane owners? The SmartPlane User Community is the right place. At the user community website, you can:
- Discuss flying techniques
- Find solutions to common problems
- Give us some praise!
- Report a bug


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I have installed the Standard Theme by 8Bit, and everything was fine until I added the social influence widget.
Basically no matter what I do it does not add the counting for the twitter account. Feel free to check here - http://smartjedi.com.
Maybe there is a code error, but can't do anything that will add my twitter numbers and the URL is correct.


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2013 Nissan Frontier - Consumer Review
3 of 3 people found this review helpful
It's a real work truck and I traded it
By heiliner on
Vehicle2013 Nissan Frontier S 4dr King Cab 6.1 ft. SB (2.5L 4cyl 5M)
ReviewI just purchased my 4th Nissan Frontier. I traded in a Nissan D21 that I had for 25 years. My 2013 is a 4 cylinder, 5 speed, S model King Cab. It was priced about $3000 below a similar Toyota Tacoma.
The truck has crank windows, no power locks, and no Bluetooth. The first tank of gas I got almost 28 mpg in city and rural driving. On the second tank full I got 25 mpg. The secret is to shift around 2200 rpm. The truck is clunky and dated and simple transportation. For every 100 miles I drive this Frontier I save about $8 over the Tundra parked next to it in fuel costs.
UPDATE: My real work truck developed a cab leak and filled with water. The passenger side of the cab was never sealed from the factory. I purchased a new 2015 Frontier SV 4x4 crew cab and traded in the 2013 as after the leak the smell never went away. MY ADVICE, before buying check carefully the seams of the cab to be sure they are fully factory sealed.
Best Features
Worst Features
Recommend (3) (0)
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Comments (1) Post a Comment
By robert_bell
on 05/26/14 19:24 PM (PDT)
on 05/26/14 19:24 PM (PDT)
Crew cab is more dog-friendly. I made a platform out of 3/4" plywood and covered it with carpet. I fold the seat bottoms UP and place this on the cargo compartments, with a prop in the front. The dog's head is just at window height this way. You might be able to replace the rear window with an aftermarket slider from JC Whitless or something for like a hundred bucks or so, but your dog would prefer the side windows, I think.Report it
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- Please call us for FREE help:
- (866) 873-0030
Highland Ridge Rehab Center
Po Box 1087 5872 Hanks Street, DUBLIN, VA
- Nursing Home
- Short Term Care: Rehabilitation
Payment Options
- Medicare Yes
- Medicaid Yes
- Veteran's Benefits No
- Long Term Care Insurance No
- Subsidy Available No
Are You the Community Manager?
If you are associated with Highland Ridge Rehab Center , click the Claim Listing button to contact a representative about a free listing with our referral program.
- Nationwide Network of Care Advisors
- Work with 25,000 families each month
- Market your community with Photos, Videos, FAQ
User Reviews
Description of Highland Ridge Rehab Center in DUBLIN, VA
Number of Beds : 132
Highland Ridge Rehab Center, located in Dublin, Virginia provides the following services: Nursing Home and Short Term Care: Rehabilitation. It accepts the following payment methods: Medicare and Medicaid. Highland Ridge Rehab Center has received 5 stars from Medicare and an average user review rating of 3 stars. Accommodations at Highland Ridge Rehab Center, start at $4,505 a month. Highland Ridge Rehab Center has a very good hospital, Pulaski Community Hospital, located nearby, which scored a 87 out of 100 in its most recent Medicare review. The Highland Ridge Rehab Center's nearest hospital is 5 miles away. The zipcode (24084) in Virginia, where Highland Ridge Rehab Center is located, has an above average safety rating based on recent crime statistics. A more detailed description of the types of care for Highland Ridge Rehab Center can be found here.
Highland Ridge Rehab Center is a nursing home. It provides medical nursing service for seniors with serious illnesses or disabilities twenty-four hours a day, delivered by registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, and certified nurse aids.
Nursing care facilities cater to several types of patients: some patients require short-term rehab while recovering from surgery; others require long-term nursing and medical supervision. In addition, some nursing homes offer specialized care programs for Alzheimer's or other illnesses, or short-term respite care for frail or disabled persons when a family member requires a rest from providing care in the home. Please note that you can help compare nursing homes by looking at the Medicare ratings of a given facility (Medicare has a 5-star rating system for comparing nursing homes). There are various ways for paying for care in a nursing home. Make sure you know your loved one's Medicare and Medicaid eligibility, and understand how you can use tools like long term care insurance to pay for nursing home care.
Source: SNAPforSeniors, Inc.
Demographic Profile for DUBLIN, VA, 24084
Cost Of Living
Compared to the National Average
Provided By EPA; Closer to 100 is better
Annual Crime
Nearby Hospitals
Pulaski Community Hospital2400 Lee Highway
Pulaski VA 24301
Nearby Drug Stores
Wal Mart Stores East Lp5225 Alexander Rd
Distance: 0.5 miles
(540) 674-5745
Virginia Cvs Pharmacy Llc100 Giles Ave
Distance: 0.5 miles
(540) 674-4816
Dublin Pharmacy703 Broad St.
Distance: 0.5 miles
(540) 674-5693
Nearby Churches
First Church Of God6330 Courtney Ln
Dublin, VA
Distance: 2.9 miles
(540) 674-0100
Abundant Life Ministries3050 Lee Hwy N
Pulaski, VA
Distance: 4.8 miles
(540) 980-5506
First Church Of Brethren1749 Newbern Rd
Pulaski, VA
Distance: 5.1 miles
(540) 980-3798
Nearby Parks
Dublin ParkDublin, VA
Distance: 1.1 miles
New River Valley FairgroundsDublin, VA
Distance: 1.1 miles
Randolph ParkDublin, VA
Distance: 2.0 miles


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Article: Classification and treatment of pooling of contrast material on computed tomographic scan of blunt hepatic trauma[Show abstract] [Hide abstract] ABSTRACT: Pooling of contrast material on computed tomographic (CT) scan represents free extravasation of blood as a result of active bleeding. For patients with blunt hepatic injury, aggressive management such as angiography or celiotomy is usually indicated if this sign is detected. The purposes of this study were to further categorize this CT scan finding and to correlate its characteristics with clinical outcomes. This CT scan classification might be helpful for the selection of appropriate management. During a 42-month period, 276 patients with blunt hepatic injury were treated. Two hundred twelve of them were hemodynamically stable after initial resuscitation and underwent abdominal CT scan examination. Pooling of contrast material was detected on the CT scans of 15 patients. The CT scans and medical records were reviewed. Special attention was paid to the presence, location, and character of the extravasated contrast material. The finding of pooling of contrast material on CT scan was categorized into three types according to its location and character. Type I showed extravasation and pooling of contrast material in the peritoneal cavity (six patients). All patients with type I CT scan findings became hemodynamically unstable soon after CT scan examination and required emergent laparotomy. Type II findings showed simultaneous presence of hemoperitoneum and intraparenchymal contrast material pooling (six patients). Four patients with type II CT scan findings required laparotomy for hemostasis. Type III findings showed intraparenchymal contrast material pooling without hemoperitoneum (three patients). All patients with type III CT scan signs remained hemodynamically stable. With the use of a high-speed spiral CT scanner, it is possible to predict the necessity of operative management or angiography for patients with blunt hepatic injury before deterioration of hemodynamic status. The presence of pooling of contrast material within the peritoneal cavity indicates active and massive bleeding. Patients with this CT scan finding show rapid deterioration of hemodynamic status. Most of these patients might require emergent surgery. Pooling of contrast material in a ruptured hepatic parenchyma indicates active bleeding. Close monitoring and emergent angiography should be performed. Deterioration of hemodynamic status in these patients usually requires prompt surgical intervention. Intraparenchymal pooling of contrast material with unruptured liver capsule often indicates a self-limited hemorrhage. Patients with this CT scan finding have a high possibility of successful nonoperative treatment.
- [Show abstract] [Hide abstract] ABSTRACT: Many publications recommend nonoperative treatment for stable blunt hepatic injury patients. Unstable hemodynamic status is the only indication for surgery. When operation is indicated, controversies exist regarding which operative procedure will be more beneficial to the patients. The purposes of this study are to compare the results of operative and nonoperative management of patients with blunt hepatic injuries and to identify the optimal surgical approach when surgery is indicated. Different prospective protocols of treating adult blunt hepatic injuries were conducted. From 1992 to 1993 (group I), urgent surgery would be performed in the presence of hemoperitoneum. The policy shifted to aggressive nonoperative approach between 1996 and 1997 (group II). The patients from each period were divided into three subgroups. Group A included the patients who received nonoperative treatment in either period. Group B consisted of the patients who received surgery in the first period and nonoperative management in the second period. Group C included the patients who were operated on in either group. Comparisons were made between matched groups. Groups IA and IIA patients had minor injuries and could be successfully treated nonoperatively. The results of groups IB and IIB were similar concerning hospital stay, morbidity, and mortality. Transfusion requirements of group IIB patients were significantly higher (2.2 vs. 1.1 units,p = 0.01) than those of group IB. However, 25 (58%) celiotomies of group IB patients were nontherapeutic. When surgery was indicated, group IC patients had significantly higher liver-related mortality (14 of 49 vs. 3 of 55, p = 0.002). Anatomic resection was performed more frequently in that period. Nonoperative treatment significantly decreased the rate of nontherapeutic laparotomy but carried the risks of higher transfusion requirements and delaying operation. When surgery was indicated, the policy of minimal intervention positively affected the patients' outcomes. The goal of surgery should be hemorrhage control rather than resection of the injured liver tissues.
- [Show abstract] [Hide abstract] ABSTRACT: The neurologic outcome of comatose patients has a wide variation from complete reawakening to death. Methods of predicting the outcome of coma caused by either head injury or cardiac arrest have been the subject of much discussion in the literature. However, prediction of neurologic prognosis in comatose trauma patients without head injury has rarely been discussed. We reviewed our experience in treating patients with presumptive hypoxic-ischemic coma after trauma and tried to identify factors relating to their neurologic outcomes. Thirty-six patients with normal brain computed tomographic scans, who remained comatose 10 minutes after stabilization of their hemodynamic status, were studied. Serial motor response, verbal response, pupillary light reflex, presence of spontaneous breathing and seizure, and blood glucose level were recorded to evaluate their roles in predicting neurologic outcomes. There were five deaths (mortality rate, 14%) and 11 patients (31%) with neurologic deficits. An absence of spontaneous breathing, a blood glucose level greater than 300 mg/dL during resuscitation, and a presence of seizure signified a poor prognosis. Initial neurologic evaluation at 10 minutes after stabilization of hemodynamic status was not accurate in predicting outcome. A motor response worse than withdrawal from painful stimuli at 24 hours after injury and an absence of pupillary light reflex at 48 hours after injury predicted a poor neurologic outcome, with a 100% accuracy rate. Hypoxic-ischemic coma in patients sustaining major trauma yielded a significantly better survival and neurologic outcome than that induced by cardiac arrest or head injury. Decision-making in the first 24 hours after injury should not be affected by the patient's neurologic status at that time. A motor response worse than withdrawal at 24 hours after injury and an absence of pupillary light reflex at 48 hours after injury predicted a poor neurologic outcome.
- [Show abstract] [Hide abstract] ABSTRACT: Controversies regarding how urgent bowel perforation should be diagnosed and treated exist in recent reports. The approach for early diagnosis is also debatable. The purposes of this study were to evaluate the relationship between treatment delay and outcome of small bowel perforation after blunt abdominal trauma and to determine the best assessment plan for the diagnosis of this injury. One hundred eleven consecutive patients with small bowel perforations caused by blunt abdominal trauma were retrospectively reviewed. The patients were divided into four groups according to the time interval between injury and surgery. Hospital stay, time to resume oral intake, and mortality and morbidity rates were compared between groups. Physical signs, laboratory and computed tomographic findings, and the results of diagnostic peritoneal lavage were analyzed to find the most sensitive and specific test for early diagnosis of small bowel perforation. Delay in surgery for more than 24 hours did not significantly increase the mortality with modern method of treatment; however, complications increased dramatically. Hospital stay and time to resume oral intake increased significantly when surgery was delayed for more than 24 hours. Abdominal tenderness was a common finding, but it was not specific for bowel perforation. Only 40% of the computed tomographic scans were diagnostic for bowel perforations: 50% of them showed suggestive signs, and 10% were considered as negative. Persistence of abdominal signs indicated peritoneal lavage. By using cell count ratio in diagnostic peritoneal lavage and/or increased lavage amylase activity, presence of particulate matter and/or bacteria in the lavage fluid, all patients with intraperitoneal bowel perforation were diagnosed accurately before operation. Small bowel perforation has low mortality and complication rates if it is treated earlier than 24 hours after injury. The principle of "rushing to the operation suite" for a stable blunt abdominal trauma patients without detailed systemic examination is not justified. The priority of treatment for the small bowel perforation should be lower than the limb-threatening injuries. Diagnostic peritoneal lavage provides high sensitivity and specificity rates for the diagnosis of small bowel perforation if a specially designed positive criterion is applied.
Article: Retroperitoneal laparostomy: An effective treatment of extensive intractable retroperitoneal abscess after blunt duodenal trauma[Show abstract] [Hide abstract] ABSTRACT: Delay in surgical treatment and duodenal wound dehiscence are two major causes of extensive retroperitoneal abscess formation after blunt duodenal injury. This complication is traditionally treated with primary repair of the duodenal wound and drainage of the abscess through anterior laparotomy. Pyloric exclusion is sometimes added as an adjunctive procedure. The anterior approach, however, may result in inadequate drainage, and repeat surgery is sometimes needed. We reviewed our experiences and evaluated the effectiveness of retroperitoneal laparostomy for the treatment of retroperitoneal abscess with continuous soiling. There were 52 blunt duodenal injuries during a 7-year period. Eleven patients developed extensive retroperitoneal abscesses. All 11 patients were treated with anterior laparotomy initially. Five patients recovered after this procedure. Six patients continued to have retroperitoneal abscesses and were under septic status. Two patients received another anterior drainage, and had recurrent abscesses later. Retroperitoneal laparostomy was performed for these six patients. After retroperitoneal laparostomy, daily wound care, and antibiotic treatment, all six patients recovered. Only two patients developed incisional hernia. Retroperitoneal laparostomy is effective in treating extensive intractable retroperitoneal abscess after blunt duodenal injury. Patients with the complications of duodenal leak and extensive retroperitoneal abscess should be treated with pyloric exclusion and drainage through anterior laparotomy first. If the duodenal wound does not heal after pyloric exclusion and retroperitoneal abscess persists, retroperitoneal laparostomy should be performed without further attempt to repair the wound.
Article: Fang JF, Chen RJ, Wong YC, Lin BC, Hsu YB, Kao JL, Kao YC. Pooling of contrast material on computed tomography mandates aggressive management of blunt hepatic injury. Am J Surg. 176: 315-319[Show abstract] [Hide abstract] ABSTRACT: Nonoperative management of blunt hepatic injury is currently a widely accepted treatment modality. Computed tomography (CT) is an important imaging study both for diagnosis and follow-up of these patients. There is, however, no reliable predictor of failure of nonoperative treatment other than the ultimate development of hemodynamic instability. Previous reports mostly were based on the data obtained from low-speed dynamic incremental scanners. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the value of a high-speed helical scanner in predicting the outcome of patients managed nonoperatively. During a 30-month period, 194 patients with blunt hepatic injury were treated, 150 of them were hemodynamically stable after initial resuscitation and underwent abdominal CT examination. All CT scans were performed with the High Speed Advantage Scanner. The CT scans and medical records were reviewed. Nonoperative management was successfully applied to all patients with grade I and II, 93% of grade III, 87% of grade IV, and 67% of grade V liver injuries. Twelve patients required liver-related celiotomy. Pooling of contrast material was detected on the CT scans of 8 patients. Six (75%) of these patients developed hemodynamic instability and required liver-related celiotomy later. Pooling of contrast material can be detected in 50% of the patients receiving liver-related celiotomy. The presence of pooling of contrast material within the hepatic parenchyma indicates free extravasation of blood as a result of active bleeding. In patients with blunt hepatic injury, if this sign is detected, nonoperative treatment should be terminated and angiography or celiotomy undertaken promptly. With the increasing use of high-speed spiral CT scanner and improvement in scanning technique, pooling of contrast material may become a sensitive sign for active bleeding and may be used as a guide for the selection of treatment modality.
Article: Selective application of laparoscopy and fibrin glue in the failure of nonoperative management of blunt hepatic trauma[Show abstract] [Hide abstract] ABSTRACT: Most blunt hepatic trauma patients can be managed nonoperatively. The current failure rate in adult blunt hepatic trauma is reportedly 0 to 19%. We wished to evaluate the applicability of laparoscopy and fibrin glue as a minimally invasive alternative to laparotomy in these unsuccessfully nonoperative cases. All adult patients with blunt hepatic trauma managed nonoperatively at Linkou, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan, over a 2-year period from July 1, 1994, to June 30, 1996, were eligible for the study. A laparoscopic examination was performed on those who failed conservative care before undertaking an exploratory laparotomy. Fibrin glue was sprayed over the wound surface if ongoing hemorrhage was evident from any liver laceration. The clinical data, operative and laparoscopic findings, operative methods, and outcomes of these patients were studied. Of the 61 patients, 55 patients were successfully treated without operation. Of the six failures (10%) all were liver related. After the introduction of laparoscopy, the nontherapeutic laparotomy rate would have decreased from 100% (6 of 6) to 50% (3 of 6), and with the adjunctive use of fibrin glue, the laparotomy rate went down to 0% (0 of 6). There were no deaths among the six patients receiving laparoscopy and fibrin glues; and only one developed a liver abscess, for a morbidity rate of 17% (1 of 6). The selective use of laparoscopy and fibrin glue can effectively reduce the nontherapeutic laparotomy rate among blunt hepatic trauma patients who fail nonoperative management.
Article: Delayed splenic rupture[Show abstract] [Hide abstract] ABSTRACT: To evaluate the features and outcomes of delayed splenic rupture in the hope of developing a strategy to avoid future delayed diagnoses, all splenic injury patients treated over a 5-year period (1988-1992) in Chang Gung Memorial Hospital were reviewed, and 10 patients were found to meet the criteria for delayed splenic rupture. The average period of delay was 11.2 days. Eight had histories of trivial trauma, while the other two had histories of alcohol abuse and seizures. The diagnosis was made by abdominal ultra-sound in five, abdominal computed tomography in three, by diagnostic peritoneal lavage in one and on clinical grounds alone in the other. The average period of preoperative evaluation was 9.3 hours (4-17 hours). All underwent surgery and all required splenectomy. The average intraperitoneal blood volume at the time of laparotomy was 1870 ml. The average intraoperative blood loss was 110 ml. Differential diagnosis of left upper quadrant abdominal pain is limited. A history of trivial or questionable trauma, such as inebriation or seizure within the previous month, should always be elicited, followed by abdominal sonography or computed tomography whenever in doubt. The early diagnosis of delayed splenic rupture, allows for early surgery to reduce the amount of blood transfusion required.


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This folder contains memoranda between the office of President John F. Kennedy's secretary, Evelyn Lincoln, and Paul A. Samuelson. Topics include unemployment rate predictions and an article on economics titled "The Revised Outlook," written at the request of the London Financial Times and sent to the President.
This folder contains background material collected by the office of President John F. Kennedy's secretary, Evelyn Lincoln, for the President's News Conference of April 11, 1962 (News Conference 30). Materials primarily consist of department and agency reports and briefing papers for the President on domestic and foreign affairs and national securit...
This folder contains menus for various luncheons and dinners held at the White House.
This file contains memoranda regarding National Security Action Memoranda number 144 (NSAM 144) titled, "Assignment of Highest National Priority to the APOLLO Manned Lunar Landing Program," to Vice President Lyndon Johnson, Secretary of Defense Robert S. McNamara, Secretary of Commerce Luther H. Hodges, Administrator of the National Aeronautics and...
This folder contains a briefing book compiled in preparation for a state visit by Shah of Iran Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. The briefing book contains talking papers for President John F. Kennedy and Secretary of Defense Robert S. McNamara, an itinerary, background materials on aid to Iran and Iran's foreign relations, and biographical profiles of Irania...
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SculptFest kicks off SaturdaySeptember 10,2013SculptFest kicks
off Saturday
WEST RUTLAND SculptFest brings an examination of historical markers to the Carving Studio and Sculpture Center this weekend.
The center will hold an opening reception for the festival from 5 to 8 p.m. Saturday. The festival runs through Oct. 27. The public is invited to view the installations and meet the artists at the event, which will also feature refreshments, live music and, at 7 p.m., the drawing for winners of the 2013 Fine Art Raffle.
Guest curator Phil Whitman of Barre selected nine sculptors to do work on the theme of historical markers, placing site-specific installations in the former quarry and manufacturing area.
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Health Insurers Want You To Keep Smoking, Harvard Doctors Say
Health insurers want you to keep smoking, Harvard doctors say
By Brendan Borrell | Scientific American
Health and life insurance companies in the U.S. and abroad have nearly $4.5 billion invested in tobacco stocks, according to Harvard doctors.
"It's the combined taxidermist and veterinarian approach: either way you get your dog back," says David Himmelstein, an internist at the Harvard Medical School and co-author of a letter published in this week's issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
The largest tobacco investor on the list, the 160-year old Prudential company with branches in the U.S. and the U.K., has more than $1.5 billion invested in tobacco stocks. The runner-up was Toronto-based Sun Life Financial, which apparently holds over $1 billion in Philip Morris (Altria) and other tobacco stocks. In total, seven companies that sell life, health, disability, or long-term care insurance, have major holdings in tobacco stock.
Why is it a big deal? "If you own a billion dollars [of tobacco stock], then you don't want to see it go down," says Himmelstein, "You are less likely to join anti-tobacco coalitions, endorse anti-tobacco legislation, basically, anything most health companies would want to participate in." Read more.
Why Is Paul Minor Still Behind Bars?
Why Is Paul Minor Still Behind Bars?
By Brendan DeMelle | Huffington Post
In a recent unanimous decision, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals overturned federal bribery charges against prominent Mississippi trial attorney Paul Minor, offering a ray of hope that Minor will soon be a free man.
Minor has spent the past three years a political prisoner, left to rot in jail after partisan operatives in the Bush administration targeted him for being the top funder of Democratic candidates in Mississippi...
Over the past three years that Minor spent in prison, he endured the loss of his wife Sylvia to brain cancer, a painful ordeal in which he was repeatedly denied release to be by his wife's side by the Bureau of Prisons, a subordinate arm of the DOJ. Paul's right to comfort Sylvia, to say goodbye in her final hours, and even to attend her funeral to deliver the eulogy he wrote about their 40-year marriage together, was stripped by the DOJ. Minor also remained behind bars when his son Paul Jr. was married in October, yet another important family moment this proud father will never get back.
Why was Paul Minor left rotting in jail while Sylvia passed away and Paul Jr. married? And now, with the federal bribery charges tossed out, why is he still behind bars today?
Attorney General Eric Holder had barely gotten his office set up when he ordered the Justice Department to drop charges against former Alaska Senator Ted Stevens based on prosecutorial misconduct, vowing to send a message that misconduct would not be tolerated in President Obama's DOJ.
Yet the American justice system's abhorrent treatment of Paul Minor has often been far more absurd, consistently unjust and shockingly inhumane. So why is Paul Minor continually left to rot in Pensacola federal prison camp? Read more.
CCR Denounces Blanket Decision Not to Release Guantánamo Detainees to Yemen
CCR Denounces Blanket Decision Not to Release Guantánamo Detainees to Yemen | Press Release
Dozens of Yemenis Cleared for Release By Review Task Force in Limbo
January 5, 2010, New York – In response to news that President Obama has decided to suspend all transfers of detainees from Guantánamo to Yemen, the Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR) issued the following statement:
Dozens of men from Yemen who have been cleared for release after extensive scrutiny by the government's Guantànamo Review Task Force are about to be left in limbo once more due to politics, not facts. Many are about to begin their ninth year in indefinite detention.
Halting the repatriation of Yemeni men cleared by the Task Force after months of careful review is unconscionable. It will also effectively prevent any meaningful progress towards closing Guantánamo, which President Obama has repeatedly argued will make our nation safer.
As we approach the eighth anniversary of Guantánamo and the president's failed deadline for its closure, it is important to remember that the vast majority of the men at Guantánamo should never have been detained in the first place, and that over 550 have been released and are peacefully rebuilding their lives. Most of the nearly 800 men who were brought to Guantánamo were not captured by the American military on any battlefield, but seized in broad sweeps during the chaos of the Afghan war or in other locations around the world and sold to the U.S. in exchange for substantial bounties. We know from the military's own records that most of the detainees at Guantánamo have no link to terrorism.
When he accepted his Nobel Peace Prize, President Obama said, 'We lose ourselves when we compromise the very ideals that we fight to defend. And we honor those ideals by upholding them not when it's easy, but when it is hard.' What he said in December should be just a true a month later.
CCR has led the legal battle over Guantanamo for the last seven years – sending the first ever habeas attorney to the base and sending the first attorney to meet with a former CIA "ghost detainee" there. CCR has been responsible for organizing and coordinating more than 500 pro bono lawyers across the country in order to represent the men at Guantanamo, ensuring that nearly all have the option of legal representation. In addition, CCR has been working to resettle the approximately 60 men who remain at Guantánamo because they cannot return to their country of origin for fear of persecution and torture.
Activist: Farmer Suicides In India Linked To Debt, Globalization
Activist: Farmer suicides in India linked to debt, globalization | CNN
Thousands of poor farmers in India have committed suicide over the past decade as changes in India's agricultural policy set off a widening spiral of debt and despair, one environmental activist said Tuesday.
"The farmer suicides started in 1997. That's when the corporate seed control started," Vandana Shiva told CNN's Christiane Amanpour. "And it's directly related to indebtedness, and indebtedness created by two factors linked to globalization."
For Shiva, who works with farming communities across India, those two factors were the ceding of control of the seed supply to the corporate chemical industry -- leading to increased production costs for already-struggling farmers -- as well as falling food prices in a global agricultural economy.
An estimated 200,000 farmers have taken their own lives in India over the past 13 years, according to Indian government statistics.
"The combination is unpayable debt, and it's the day the farmer is going to lose his land for chemicals and seeds, that is the day the farmer drinks pesticide," Shiva said. "And it's totally related to a negative economy, of an agriculture that costs more in production than the farmer can ever earn." Read more.
Counterterrorism In Shambles; Why?
Counterterrorism In Shambles; Why?
By Ray McGovern and Coleen Rowley
Yesterday, a blogger with the PBS' NewsHour asked former CIA analyst Ray McGovern to respond to three questions regarding recent events involving the CIA, FBI, and the intelligence community in general.
Two other old intelligence hands were asked the identical questions, queries that are typical of what radio/TV and blogger interviewers usually think to be the right ones. So there is merit in trying to answer them directly, such as they are, and then broadening the response to address some of the core problems confronting U.S. counter-terror strategies.
After drafting his answers, McGovern asked former FBI attorney/special agent Coleen Rowley, a colleague in Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity (VIPS) to review his responses and add her own comments at the end. The Q & A is below:
Question #1 – What lapses in the American counter terrorism apparatus made the Christmas Day bombing plot possible? Is it inevitable that certain plots will succeed?
The short answer to the second sentence is: Yes, it is inevitable that "certain plots will succeed." A more helpful answer would address the question as to how we might best minimize their prospects for success. And to do this, sorry to say, there is no getting around the necessity to address the root causes of terrorism or, in the vernacular, "why they hate us."
If we don't go beyond self-exculpatory sloganeering in attempting to answer that key question, any "counter terrorism apparatus" is doomed to failure. Honest appraisals can tread on delicate territory, but any intelligence agency worth its salt must be willing/able to address it.
Delicate? Take, for example, what Khalid Sheik Mohammed, the "mastermind" of 9/11, said was his main motive. Here's what the 9/11 Commission Report wrote on page 147. You will not find it reported in the Fawning Corporate Media (FCM):
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Number of Democrats Thinking of Not Voting in 2010 Up to 45%
Number of Democrats thinking of not voting in 2010 up to 45% | Ian Welsh
How to (not) win elections and motive the base:
the highest percentage of Democrats to date (45%) indicated this week that they are either unlikely to vote, or certain not to vote.
Once more, doing things badly (health care "reform", an inadequate stimulus, refusing to properly take on the banks) or doing things the base opposed (escalating in Afghanistan) has a price.
In 1994 Clinton lost Congress. He lost it in large part because of NAFTA, failing at health care reform and the the Don't Ask, Don't Tell fiasco. Democratic base voters stayed home and Republicans were motivated. Doing "moderate" things didn't make Republicans not vote against Democrats, but it did make Democrats not vote Democrats.
Clinton may have gone on to win re-election in 1996, but after losing Congress, he did very few truly progressive things and did or signed off on many non-progressive things, like Welfare "reform" and gutting Glass-Steagall (a major reason for the financial crisis.)
Obama stands to repeat. Read more.
Yes, It Was Torture, and Illegal
Yes, It Was Torture, and Illegal | NY Times Editorial
Bush administration officials came up with all kinds of ridiculously offensive rationalizations for torturing prisoners. It's not torture if you don't mean it to be. It's not torture if you don't nearly kill the victim. It's not torture if the president says it's not torture.
It was deeply distressing to watch the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit sink to that standard in April when it dismissed a civil case brought by four former Guantánamo detainees never charged with any offense. The court said former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and the senior military officers charged in the complaint could not be held responsible for violating the plaintiffs' rights because at the time of their detention, between 2002 and 2004, it was not "clearly established" that torture was illegal.
The Supreme Court could have corrected that outlandish reading of the Constitution, legal precedent, and domestic and international statutes and treaties. Instead, last month, the justices abdicated their legal and moral duty and declined to review the case.
A denial of certiorari is not a ruling on the merits. But the justices surely understood that their failure to accept the case would further undermine the rule of law.
In effect, the Supreme Court has granted the government immunity for subjecting people in its custody to terrible mistreatment. It has deprived victims of a remedy and Americans of government accountability, while further damaging the country's standing in the world. Read more.
Questions for John Yoo
Questions for John Yoo
Power of Attorney
By Deborah Solomon | NY Times
Are you implicitly comparing the Civil War with the war in Iraq, in order to justify President Bush's expansion of executive power?
The idea is that the president's power grows and changes based on circumstances, and that's what the framers of the Constitution wanted. They wanted it to exist so the president could react to crises immediately.
Do you regret writing the so-called torture memos, which claimed that President Bush was legally entitled to ignore laws prohibiting torture?
No, I had to write them. It was my job. As a lawyer, I had a client. The client needed a legal question answered.
When you say you had "a client," do you mean President Bush?
Yes, I mean the president, but also the U.S. government as a whole.
But isn't a lawyer in the Department of Justice there to serve the people of this country?
Yes, I think you are quite right, when the government is executing the laws, but if there's a conflict between the president and the Congress, then you have to pick one or the other. Read more.
Tom Dispatch: An American World of War - What to Watch for in 2010
An American World of War
What to Watch for in 2010
By Tom Engelhardt and Nick Turse | Tom Dispatch
According to the Chinese calendar, 2010 is the Year of the Tiger. We don't name our years, but if we did, this one might prospectively be called the Year of the Assassin.
We, of course, think of ourselves as something like the peaceable kingdom. After all, the shock of September 11, 2001 was that "war" came to "the homeland," a mighty blow delivered against the very symbols of our economic, military, and -- had Flight 93 not gone down in a field in Pennsylvania -- political power.
Since that day, however, war has been a stranger in our land. With the rarest of exceptions, like Army psychiatrist Major Nidal Hasan's massacre at Fort Hood, Texas, this country has remained a world without war or any kind of mobilization for war. No other major terrorist attacks, not even victory gardens, scrap-metal collecting, or rationing. And certainly no war tax to pay for our post-9/11 trillion-dollar "expeditionary forces" sent into battle abroad. Had we the foresight to name them, the last few years domestically might have reflected a different kind of carnage -- 2006, the Year of the Subprime Mortgage; 2007, the Year of the Bonus; 2008, the Year of the Meltdown; 2009, the Year of the Bailout. And perhaps some would want to label 2010, prematurely or not, the Year of Recovery.
Although our country delivers war regularly to distant lands in the name of our "safety," we don't really consider ourselves at war (despite the endless talk of "supporting our troops"), and the money that has simply poured into Pentagon coffers, and then into weaponry and conflicts is, with rare exceptions, never linked to economic distress in this country. And yet, if we are no nation of warriors, from the point of view of the rest of the world we are certainly the planet's foremost war-makers. If money talks, then war may be what we care most about as a society and fund above all else, with the least possible discussion or debate.
In fact, according to military expert William Hartung, the Pentagon budget has risen in every year of the new century, an unprecedented run in our history. We dominate the global arms trade, monopolizing almost 70% of the arms business in 2008, with Italy coming in a vanishingly distant second. We put more money into the funding of war, our armed forces, and the weaponry of war than the next 25 countries combined (and that's without even including Iraq and Afghan war costs). We garrison the planet in a way no empire or nation in history has ever done. And we plan for the future, for "the next war" -- on the ground, on the seas, and in space -- in a way that is surely unique. If our two major wars of the twenty-first century in Iraq and Afghanistan are any measure, we also get less bang for our buck than any nation in recent history. Read more.
Iraqi Prisoners 'Were Sexually Humiliated By Female British Soldier'
Iraqi prisoners 'were sexually humiliated by female British soldier'
Fourteen new cases of sexual abuse have been made against a secretive British Army interrogation unit
Tom Coghlan and Alice Fordham in Baghdad | Times Online
A female British soldier is accused of sexually humiliating and abusing prisoners in Iraq in a series of claims about British troops in Basra, The Times has learnt.
Five former detainees have made specific allegations against a female interrogator they knew as "Katy".
The claims are among 14 new cases brought against a secretive British Army interrogation unit. These bring to 40 the total of pending British court cases by former Iraqi detainees.
Sexual abuse was routinely practised by the Joint Forward Intelligence Team (JFIT) between 2003 and 2007, it is claimed, when the unit ran the Divisional Temporary Detention Facility based at the Shaibah Logistics Base near Basra. Among the allegations is at least one case of male rape.
Interrogators are also accused of coercive practices outlawed in Britain, including threats and actual violence, the use of stress positions, sleep deprivation, exposure to heat and cold, hooding and threats to rape and murder detainees' families. Read more.
Witness Against Torture Releases Events Schedule To Insist on Justice, Human Rights & the Rule of Law
Eight Years Too Many - Join Us to Insist on Justice, Human Rights and the Rule of Law - Say NO to Guantánamo, Bagram, and a "Gitmo North" in Illinois
Witness Against Torture, in coalition with other groups, launches The Fast and Vigil for Justice on Monday, January 11, 2010 — the eight-year mark of the opening of the prison at Guantanamo. The Fast and Vigil for Justice will features actions at the White House, Congress, and additional sites in Washington, D.C. where decisions about the lives of men at Guantánamo and other detainees are made. It will be preceded by a Bagram vigil on January 7 and a film screening on January 10, and begin with a rally at the White House on the 11th.
For updated information on the daily schedule of the Fast and Vigil and to sign up, visit www.witnesstorture.org
Thursday, January 7, 2010 - BAGRAM PRISONERS CASE IN DC COURT
8:30 a.m. Vigil outside the Court (Located at: 333 Constitution Avenue, NW@ 3rd St. NW)
Backward, Into Fear
Backward, Into Fear
by Missy Comley Beattie
I know with certainty that Uman Farouk Abdulmutallab, charged with attempting to take down Flight 253, is not responsible for the confiscation of a can of black-eyed peas I was trying to slide past airline security. That rule—the one about liquids—was already in place. Incentive to slip the beans through was derived from information I learned from a prior flight, one taken with my best friend who decided she didn't want to remove her computer from her carryon. Nor did she put her must-haves in clear plastic for public scrutiny. No one said a word as her bag was scanned. In fact, she easily retrieved her luggage, while I grappled with my laptop, trying to balance it and put it back in its case as I struggled to step into my shoes and, finally, reach for my cell phone, jacket, and plastic bag filled with lots of little bottles.
The young Nigerian is, however, the reason my plane (the same trip the peas were seized) was delayed this week. Because when passengers lined up to board, anyone with a bottle of water, cola, or juice, was pulled aside to have their beverages tested for explosives. One woman asked if her water would still be safe to drink after the strange strip of white whatever was magically waved over the open bottle by an agent whose hands were imprisoned in surgical gloves. How styoopid, I thought. But, then, she had a point—those gloves must have been transferring an accumulation of microbes from container to container.
Okay, I've digressed. I really meant to write about the event—you know, the one to scare Americans and highlight the gaping holes in our security. Because there were some missed opportunities. For example, the father of the "terrorist" had alerted authorities that he was concerned about the behavior of his extremist son. That's seriously reliable, like delivering him to a detention center and saying, "Our bad seed wants to blow up a passenger plane over the United States."
But certain links weren't made by people trained to make sure certain links are always made.
Officials who consistently speak on condition of anonymity now agree with 20/20 hindsight that given all the information they had about Abdulmutallab, he should never have been allowed on that aircraft.
I bet he could have gotten a can of black-eyed peas into Detroit. But I've digressed again.
Where I'm going with all this is to an analysis of Obama's brilliant revelation: "A system failure occurred and I consider that totally unacceptable."
You see, our Deciders and those we label "the bad guys" have a symbiotic relationship, the basis of which is both real and imagined: real because they are trying to knock each other off and imagined because they rely on propaganda.
Courage To End Total War
Courage to End Total War
By Bruce Gagnon | Organizing Notes
It's a brilliant strategy if you think about it. Make the public afraid of each other. Every person could be a terrorist - everyone is suspect. There is no better way to defeat an organized anti-war opposition than to make the people terrified of each other.
The corporate oligarchy is now doing under Obama what it could not accomplish under Bush. Total war. The anti-Bush movement in the US and worldwide was gaining too much ground. So the oligarchy let the air out of that balloon. In Bush's place they put in a magician who has proved very effective at keeping the left off balance and thus unable to pump new life into the reeling anti-war movement.
So now it's Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan. Somalia and Yemen. Next could be Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan. National Public Radio (NPR) reporter Tom Gjelten did a story called "Afghan War Could Spill Over Into Central Asia" on December 31 that upped the fear meter and brought back the Vietnam-war era worry of the "domino theory". You must watch the slight of hand...the modus operandi in action again.
Bush, or John McCain for that matter, would have been resisted at every step of this new escalation. But many "progressives" are frozen into place by the handiwork of the magician and a deferential Congress under the control of the other war party. The "execution" of this masterstroke has worked as well as the insides of an expensive Swiss watch.
The oil and military industrial oligarchy have created a situation where the public is so primed for fear by the slavish media that they are ready to strip their constitutional rights down to the bare bone in order to be "protected" by big daddy.
Exclusive: CIA Attacker Driven in From Pakistan
Exclusive: CIA Attacker Driven in From Pakistan
Suicide Bomber Was a Regular CIA Informant, Had Been to Chapman Base Multiple Times
By Aleem Agha and Nick Schifrin | ABC News
The suicide bomber who killed at least six Central Intelligence Agency officers in a base along the Afghan-Pakistan border on Wednesday was a regular CIA informant who had visited the same base multiple times in the past, according to someone close to the base's security director.
The informant was a Pakistani and a member of the Wazir tribe from the Pakistani tribal area North Waziristan, according to the same source. The base security director, an Afghan named Arghawan, would pick up the informant at the Ghulam Khan border crossing and drive him about two hours into Forward Operating Base Chapman, from where the CIA operates.
Because he was with Arghawan, the informant was not searched, the source says. Arghawan also died in the attack.
The story seems to corroborate a claim by the Taliban on the Pakistani side of the border that they had turned a CIA asset into a double agent and sent him to kill the officers in the base, located in the eastern Afghan province of Khost.
The infiltration into the heart of the CIA's operation in eastern Afghanistan deals a strong blow to the agency's ability to fight Taliban and al Qaeda, former intelligence officials say, and will make the agency reconsider how it recruits Pakistani and Afghan informants. Read more.
US Aid Tied to Purchase of Arms
US Aid Tied to Purchase of Arms
by Anne Davies | Common Dreams
Just before Christmas, the US President, Barack Obama, signed into law one of his country's biggest aid pledges of the year. It was bound not for Africa or any of the many struggling countries on the World Bank's list.
It was a deal for $US2.77 billion ($3 billion) to go to Israel in 2010 and a total of $US30 billion over the next decade.
Israel is bound by the agreement to use 75 per cent of the aid to buy military hardware made in the US: in the crisis-racked US economy, those military factories are critical to many towns.
For the first time the US is also providing $US500 million to the Palestinian Authority, including $US100 million to train security forces, under the strict proviso that the authority's leadership recognises Israel.
For many years Israel has been the largest recipient of US foreign aid, followed by Egypt ($US1.75 billion), which also receives most of its assistance in tied military aid.
The Congressional Research Service says that the US spent 17 per cent of its total aid budget - or $US5.1 billion - on military aid in 2008, of which $US4.7 billion was grants to enable governments to receive equipment from the US. Read more.
Lawyer Questions Plan to Tear Down Afghan Prison
Lawyer Questions Plan to Tear Down Afghan Prison
By Associated Press | NY Times
A Pentagon plan to demolish its prison at Bagram, Afghanistan, amounts to destroying evidence in the cases of detainees who say they were tortured there, an attorney said Thursday.
Ramzi Kassem, counsel for a number of Guantanamo and Bagram prisoners, was responding to notification of the planned demolition filed a day earlier with the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.
The Defense Department plans to finish moving all prisoners by Jan. 19 from the Bagram facility to a new one built nearby, according to the notification filed Wednesday by the Justice Department. Then the Pentagon ''intends to immediately begin the necessary steps for the demolition,'' the document said.
Kassem, also a professor of law at the City University of New York, said the site should be preserved as evidence and as a crime scene.
''What took place at Bagram is at the heart of many, if not most, Guantanamo cases,'' he said in an e-mail. ''That facility is relevant to accounts of torture and coercion raised by many (Guantanamo Bay) prisoners -- and by present Bagram prisoners -- in their various cases before the military commissions and in criminal and habeas proceedings in federal court.'' Read more.
National Coordinated Campaign Unites To Revoke Corporate "Constitutional Rights"
National coordinated campaign unites to revoke corporate "constitutional rights"
ReclaimDemocracy.org and a broad alliance of grassroots pro-democracy groups are preparing to make 2010 a breakthrough year for the Democracy Movement. To accomplish this, we're building the broadest coalition yet to confront and revoke runaway corporate power. The focus: amending the U.S. Constitution to overturn the Court-created notion of applying constitutional rights to corporations.
While we have been calling for this action for almost the entire decade of our existence, we now find the idea reaching a "tipping point" among many other organizations.
A Teachable Moment
The Campaign to Legalize Democracy will debut publicly the day the U.S. Supreme Court announces a ruling in the potential landmark case, Citizens United v Federal Election Commission. Despite enormous anger over public subsidies, systematic credit card rip-offs, and more, it's widely expected the Court will give corporations even greater power over our government by allowing company funds to be spent in efforts to elect or defeat political candidates. If this happens, we will work quickly to channel anger where it needs to go: overruling the Court.
And after campaigning to bring "change" to Americans that included public health insurance and taking on Wall Street, President Obama and Congress have demonstrated they either are unwilling or unable to challenge the power of pharmaceutical, insurance, and financial corporations to correct our nation's most urgent problems.
We don't celebrate this failure, but we recognize the opportunity created by this disillusionment. When people believe in illusions, they are not receptive to confronting reality. One year ago, millions of Americans believed democracy could thrive and some of our worst crises improve if we elected Barack Obama and shifted control of Congress. That illusion is dead, but its demise gives birth to great opportunity.
We provoked debate over corporate "free speech" and personhood in dozens of media outlets that never had previously explored the issue when the Nike v Kasky case reached the Supreme Court. This time, however, we'll have a broad alliance amplifying the message, with a collective reach many times greater than ReclaimDemocracy.org alone.
Within 24 hours of the Supreme Court's Citizens United ruling (the second week of January is the next potential time for a ruling), we'll post news on the new campaign, as will a dozen or more organizational partners. When we do, we'll be looking to our readers to also jump into action with a barrage of calls to talk radio shows, letters to the editor of your local news outlets or favorite web outlets, and more. Stay tuned!
For more on the Citizens United case, click here.
Read more on the underlying issue of Corporate Personhood.
2010: U.S. To Wage War Throughout The World
2010: U.S. To Wage War Throughout The World
Rick Rozoff | Stop NATO | Blog site
January 1 will usher in the last year of the first decade of a new millennium and ten consecutive years of the United States conducting war in the Greater Middle East.
Beginning with the October 7, 2001 missile and bomb attacks on Afghanistan, American combat operations abroad have not ceased for a year, a month, a week or a day in the 21st century.
The Afghan war, the U.S.'s first air and ground conflict in Asia since the disastrous wars in Vietnam and Cambodia in the 1960s and early 1970s and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's first land war and Asian campaign, began during the end of the 2001 war in Macedonia launched from NATO-occupied Kosovo, one in which the role of U.S. military personnel is still to be properly exposed [1] and addressed and which led to the displacement of almost 10 percent of the nation's population.
In the first case Washington invaded a nation in the name of combating terrorism; in the second it abetted cross-border terrorism. Similarly, in 1991 the U.S. and its Western allies attacked Iraqi forces in Kuwait and launched devastating and deadly cruise missile attacks and bombing sorties inside Iraq in the name of preserving the national sovereignty and territorial integrity of Kuwait, and in 1999 waged a 78-day bombing assault against Yugoslavia to override and fatally undermine the principles of territorial integrity and national sovereignty in the name of the casus belli of the day, so-called humanitarian intervention.
Two years later humanitarian war, as abhorrent an oxymoron as the world has ever witnessed, gave way to the global war on terror(ism), with the U.S. and its NATO allies again reversing course but continuing to wage wars of aggression and "wars of opportunity" as they saw fit, contradictions and logic, precedents and international law notwithstanding.
Charges Dismissed Against Iraq Contractors
Charges dismissed against Iraq contractors | CNN
A federal judge dismissed manslaughter charges Thursday against five Blackwater security guards in the 2007 deaths of Iraqi civilians in a Baghad square, finding that prosecutors wrongly used the men's own statements against them.
The September 2007 shootout in Baghdad's Nusoor Square left 17 Iraqis dead and two dozen wounded. The killings led Iraq's government to slap limits on security contractors hired by Blackwater, now known as Xe, and other firms.
U.S. District Judge Ricardo Urbina found that the government's case was built largely on "statements compelled under a threat of job loss in a subsequent criminal prosecution," a violation of the Fifth Amendment rights of the five men charged.
"In their zeal to bring charges against the defendant in this case, the prosecutors and investigators aggressively sought out statements the defendants had been compelled to make to government investigators in the immediate aftermath of the shooting and in the subsequent investigation," Urbina wrote in a 90-page decision.
Federal prosecutors "repeatedly disregarded the warnings of experienced, senior prosecutors assigned to the case" in doing so, he found. Read more.
What a Hell of a Year! Good Riddance to It!
By Dave Lindorff
You know, the year 2009 started out kind of nicely. We watched Barack Obama take the oath of office, serenaded by the awesome Aretha Franklin (wearing her awesome hat), after first hearing Pete Seeger sing the real Woody Guthrie verses to "This Land Is Your Land" on the steps of the Lincoln Monument.
And we saw Congress pass the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, to correct a scum-sucking decision by the US Supreme Court's conservative woman-hating, corporation-loving majority that said women (and minorities and the elderly) couldn't sue for pay discrimination unless they acted within six months of the initiation of the violation, even if they didn't learn about it until years later.
Great stuff.
If power corrupts-are the powerful absolutely hypocritical
Why Powerful People -- Many of Whom Take a Moral High Ground -- Don't Practice What They Preach
ScienceDaily (Dec. 30, 2009)— 2009 may well be remembered for its scandal-ridden headlines, from admissions of extramarital affairs by governors and senators, to corporate executives flying private jets while cutting employee benefits, and most recently, to a mysterious early morning car crash in Florida. The past year has been marked by a series of moral transgressions by powerful figures in political, business and celebrity circles. New research from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University explores why powerful people - many of whom take a moral high ground - don't practice what they preach.
Researchers sought to determine whether power inspires hypocrisy, the tendency to hold high standards for others while performing morally suspect behaviors oneself. The research finds that power makes people stricter in moral judgment of others - while being less strict of their own behavior.
Crony Capitalism Unchanged & Wall St.: More Complicated Means More Profitable
Crony capitalism unchanged
Wall St: More complicated means more profitable - Click "Read more" to watch second video.
Kucinich Questions Treasury's Assistance to Fannie and Freddie
Kucinich Questions Treasury's Assistance to Fannie and Freddie | Press Release
Is lifting the cap on assistance a back door TARP?
Washington DC, December 29--Dennis Kucinich, Chairman of the Domestic Policy Subcommittee of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, announced today his Subcommittee will launch an investigation into the Treasury Department's recent decision to lift the current $400 billion cap on combined federal assistance to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, opening the way for additional, unlimited funds through the end of 2012. Kucinich's investigation will include the role played by Fannie Mae chief executive Michael J. Williams and Freddie Mac chief executive Charles E. Haldeman in the decision, if any, and will seek to ensure that the additional assistance is used for homeowners and not Wall Street.
"Many questions remain unanswered regarding this move by the Treasury. Why suddenly remove the cap?", Kucinich asked. "Indications are that Freddie and Fannie, even as millions of Americans lose their homes, have used just $111 billion of the $400 billion previously available to them."
"Additionally, I want to determine whether Fannie and Freddie have a cohesive plan to buy up the underperforming mortgages that remain on the books of the big banks, at appropriate prices, and undertake a massive reworking of the terms of the mortgages so as to stem the foreclosure crisis that continues to plague our country," Kucinich said. "This new authority must be used responsibly and for the benefit of American families. This cannot be used simply to purchase toxic assets at inflated prices, thus transferring the losses to the U. S. taxpayers and acting as a back door TARP.
As a result of a curiously-timed Christmas Eve announcement by the Treasury Department, the mortgage giants will have access to unlimited funds without having to come back to Congress. Since the federal government is the majority owner of both companies, their operations will remain under Administration control.
"This relationship between Treasury and Fannie and Freddie bears inspection, particularly in the wake of reports that the mortgage giants' chief executives will now receive $900,000 each in annual compensation, bonuses of up to $6 million each, and an additional $42 million in special compensation will be spread among a dozen other executives."
The Problem with the Revolving Door - It Brought Us Too-Big-To-Fail
The Problem with the Revolving Door - It Brought Us Too-Big-To-Fail
By Tiffiniy Cheng | Bankster USA
Bailouts and political connections go hand in hand according to a just released academic study. The study, which was conducted by the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan researchers, shows concretely that lobbying, campaign contributions, and the finance/federal government revolving door has helped the most damaging banks despite the dangers they pose to our economy.
In the age of the bailout, blaming the revolving door between corporate lobbying and politics is so obvious that it has become almost cliche. But the reason why it is one of the greatest handicaps to our political system is critically important. The revolving door turns "survival of the fittest" on its head by masking failure, propping up underperforming companies, and hiding inefficiencies in the markets. The new study shows the extent to which political connections influenced how TARP bailout funds were paid out.
The researchers found that there was a 31% increase in the likelihood of receiving bailout funds at financial companies whose executives had served on the board of the Federal Reserve. Banks that had connections with members of Congress who serve on key finance committees were found to be 26% more likely to receive bailout funds than banks without those kinds of connections. It is the revolving door between lobbyists and politicians that undermine a fair and accurate system for determining healthy policy.
But the research hits just the tip of the iceberg. Zach Carter at The Nation recently reported on a much deeper case of how the revolving door shapes U.S. policy. Our "too-big-to-fail economy" was developed in large part by one of the country's current top bank regulators; someone who has major conflict of interest with the banks he is supposed to regulate, Carter reports. Read more.
Are Presidents Afraid of the CIA?
Are Presidents Afraid of the CIA?
By Ray McGovern
In the past I have alluded to Panetta and the Seven Dwarfs. The reference is to CIA Director Leon Panetta and seven of his moral-dwarf predecessors—the ones who sent President Barack Obama a letter on Sept. 18 asking him to "reverse Attorney General Holder's August 24 decision to re-open the criminal investigation of CIA interrogations."
Panetta reportedly was also dead set against reopening the investigation—as he was against release of the Justice Department's "torture memoranda" of 2002, as he has been against releasing pretty much anything at all—the President's pledges of a new era of openness, notwithstanding. Panetta is even older than I, and I am aware that hearing is among the first faculties to fail. Perhaps he heard "error" when the President said "era."
As for the benighted seven, they are more to be pitied than scorned. No longer able to avail themselves of the services of clever Agency lawyers and wordsmiths, they put their names to a letter that reeked of self-interest—not to mention the inappropriateness of asking a President to interfere with an investigation already ordered by the Attorney General.
Three of the seven—George Tenet, Porter Goss, and Michael Hayden—were themselves involved, in one way or another, in planning, conducting, or covering up all manner of illegal actions, including torture, assassination, and illegal eavesdropping. In this light, the most transparent part of the letter may be the sentence in which they worry: "There is no reason to expect that the re-opened criminal investigation will remain narrowly focused."
Obama's Outrageous Christmas Gift to Fannie and Freddie
Obama's Outrageous Christmas Gift to Fannie and Freddie
By Dean Baker | Comment Is Free | Alternet
After throwing the economy into the worst downturn since the Great Depression, the financial industry has used its political power to become stronger than ever.
On Christmas night in 1776, George Washington led a surprise attack on a group of Hessian mercenaries employed by the British to suppress the American revolution. This was one of the biggest military victories of the Revolutionary War.
In the same spirit of surprise, the Obama administration announced on Christmas eve that it was removing the $400bn cap on Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac's access to the U.S. Treasury. The new draw is limitless. It also announced that the chief executives of the two government-controlled mortgage giants would be getting compensation packages worth $6m a year. This was another big blow for the financial sector in its effort to sap every last cent from the productive economy.
After throwing the economy into the worst downturn since the Great Depression and bringing the whole sector to the edge of collapse, the financial industry has used its political power to succor itself back to life. It is now stronger than ever.
In the last quarter, the financial sector accounted for 34% of all corporate profits, dwarfing the share reached in the mad days at the peak of the housing bubble. The economy might look bleak on Main Street, with double-digit unemployment rates and nearly 200,000 foreclosures a month, but they were dividing up $13bn in bonuses at Goldman Sachs this Christmas. Read more.
House Backers of Public Insurance Option May Yield
House backers of public insurance option may yield
They say focus is on keeping the costs down
By Calvin Woodward, Associated Press | Boston Globe
Some House Democrats who favor a government insurance plan, a central element of health care legislation passed in their chamber, acknowledged Sunday that it might have to be sacrificed as negotiators work out a final agreement with the Senate.
Representative James Clyburn of South Carolina, the number three Democrat in the House and one who had appealed to President Obama not to yield on the public plan, set out conditions for yielding himself.
Asked during rounds on the Sunday news shows whether he could vote for a final bill that does not embrace a public plan, Clyburn said: "Yes, sir, I can.''
Clyburn added: "We want a public option to do basically three things: Create more choice for insurers, create more competition for insurance companies, and to contain costs. So if we can come up with a process by which these three things can be done, then I'm all for it. Whether or not we label it a public option or not is of no consequence.'' Read more.


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