text:
In a blistering op-ed last Wednesday in Spain's most important newspaper, El País, the country's former drug czar, Araceli Manjón-Cabeza, called for an end to drug prohibition. Manjòn-Cabeza's call for legalization comes just a week after former Spanish Prime Minister Felipe González also called for drug legalization.
Manjón-Cabeza is the former director general of Spain's National Drug Plan, a former judge in the criminal chamber of the Audiencia Nacional, Spain's equivalent of the Supreme Court, and is currently professor of criminal law at Complutense University in Madrid.
"Prohibitionism, installed in the United States at the beginning of the 20th Century, and imposed by that country on the rest of the planet, has failed," Manjòn-Cabeza wrote. "There are multiple law enforcement and public health reasons that recommend legalization."
Citing a list of pro-legalization luminaries ranging from economist Milton Friedman to novelist Mario Vargas Llosa, author Paulo Coehlo, and Latin American ex-presidents Henrique Cardoso, Ernesto Zedillo, and Cesar Gaviria, and the 17,000 people who have signed the Vienna Declaration calling for science- and evidence-based drug policies, Manjón-Cabeza argues that the bloodshed in Mexico as "the clearest proof" of the futility of drug prohibition.
"Mexico provides the clearest, but not the only, proof of the failure and unbearable costs of continuing [drug prohibition]," she wrote. "Since 2006, President Calderon's war on drugs has provoked two wars -- one unleashed among the drug traffickers and one by the state against organized crime -- and 30,000 dead (900 were minors under age 17)."
While drug use might go up temporarily under legalization, that must be weighed against other "beneficial effects," she wrote: "Quality control for the substances, which would prevent the ills associated with consumption of illegal poisons that exist today; reductions in price, which would drastically reduce the indices of drug-induced delinquency; delivering consumers from especially unhealthy and dangerous markets, in order to lead them to a legal and controlled market."
But there is more, Manjón-Cabeza wrote: "It would deprive organized crime of its favorite and most profitable activity, deprive it of part of its ability to corrupt public and private wills and infiltrate the licit economy, it would dispense with the legal exceptionality demanded by the persecution and repression of the drug trade, which, at times, brings us to the limit of what the state of law is able to support; it would make vanish the pretext of the United States that an effective struggle against the drug trade justifies its intervention in the affairs of other countries punished by that whip."
Many so-called "drug problems" are really the "children of prohibition," Manjón-Cabeza wrote. The US's prohibitionist crusade beginning a century ago was not inspired by public health concerns, but by "racist motives... economic motives... political motives," including "finding one of the pretexts -- others have been communism and Islamic terrorism -- to legitimize the intervention of a great power in the evolution of other countries."
She ends her op-ed thusly: "Launching whatever legalizing option inspires vertigo, overthrowing prohibition won't be easy, but maintaining global drug prohibition is madness."
One more voice in the growing anti-prohibitionist chorus. And a highly respected one at that.
Former Spanish Drug Czar Says Legalize Drugs
Government-Sponsored Murder in the Name of Prohibition
Frustrated that people continued to consume so much alcohol even after it was banned, federal officials had decided to try a different kind of enforcement. They ordered the poisoning of industrial alcohols manufactured in the United States, products regularly stolen by bootleggers and resold as drinkable spirits. The idea was to scare people into giving up illicit drinking. Instead, by the time Prohibition ended in 1933, the federal poisoning program, by some estimates, had killed at least 10,000 people.
It's a nightmarish tale of prohibitionist lunacy that's worth reading in its entirety. Government officials were viciously calculating in their actions and callously blamed naïve drinkers for the consequences.
Today, prohibition kills people in different, yet equally abhorrent and unnecessary ways. Its advocates continue to deny responsibility for the predictable and inevitable consequences of the policies they defend and the death toll has grown to incalculable proportions, spanning the globe. The drug war leaves sickness and murder in its wake at every turn, yet many among us remain blind to the lessons learned nearly a century ago.
Prohibition: Contaminated Drug Supply Threatening Cocaine Users in North America, Heroin Users in Europe
Problems with contaminated drug supplies reemerged on two fronts this week, with health authorities in Scotland announcing another case of anthrax among heroin users and health authorities in Quebec warning that cocaine continues to be contaminated with levamisole, a veterinary de-worming agent.
"There is no way to tell if your heroin is contaminated and there is no way to take heroin which we can advise is safer or less likely to result in illness or death if it has anthrax contamination," warned Dr. Colin Ramsey, consultant epidemiologist for Health Protection Scotland. "Drug users are advised that the only way to avoid the risk of anthrax in this outbreak is not to take heroin. While we appreciate that this may be extremely difficult advice to follow, it remains the only public health protection advice possible due to the nature of anthrax infection."
Such advice dismays harm reductionists, who have called for more informational campaigns and the prescribing of pharmaceutical heroin to addicts.
Users should seek urgent medical attention in the event of symptoms such as redness or swelling at or near an injection site, or other symptoms of general illness such a fever, chills or a severe headache, as early antibiotic treatment can be lifesaving, Health Protection Scotland said. Marked swelling of a limb which has been used as an injection site is a particularly important sign of possible anthrax infection.
Meanwhile, in Montreal, the National Public Health Institute of Quebec has issued a report on levamisole contamination in cocaine (sorry, French only) in the province. According to that report, eight out of 10 blood samples taken from known cocaine users in Quebec contained the cutting agent.
When ingested by humans, levamisole can cause nausea, dizziness, and diarrhea. Chronic use can lead to neutropenia, a potentially lethal blood disorder, or a related condition, agranulocytosis.
The US DEA first reported the presence of levamisole in cocaine in 2002 and its use is on the rise. In November 2009, Center for Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services published a survey indicating that 70% of cocaine seized in the US contained levamisole.
Tainted Supply: Cocaine Laced With Levamisole Keeps Turning Up
Back in September, we reported on the appearance of cocaine cut with levamisole, a veterinary de-worming agent, and its links to at least three deaths in the US and Canada from a disease caused by levamisole, agranulocytosis. At that time, the DEA reported that levamisole was turning up in about 30% of the cocaine it sampled.
Levamisole suppresses immune function and the body's ability to fight off even minor infections, and people who ingest levamisole-tainted cocaine can be faced with quickly-developing, life-threatening infections. Agranulocytosis is a condition of suppressed immune systems. Its symptoms include chills or high fever, weakness, swollen glands, painful sores, sudden or lingering infections, skin infections, abscesses, thrush, and pneumonia.
Cocaine contaminated with levamisole, although not users with agranulocytosis, has also popped up in the last few days in Maine and Ohio. Samples of crack cocaine in Mansfield, Ohio, tested positive late last month. And public health officials reported Tuesday that 30% to 50% of Maine cocaine samples tested positive.
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) put out an alert late in September warning of the tainted cocaine, but federal authorities have done little publicly since then.
Given the geographically widespread reports of cocaine contaminated with the veterinary drug, it is assumed that levamisole is being added as a cutting agent either in source countries or in transit countries, not by local dealers.
Europe: Anthrax Heroin Toll Rises as England Marks First Death
English authorities announced Wednesday that a Blackpool heroin user died of anthrax, making him the first fatality in England from what is apparently a batch of heroin contaminated with anthrax. The bad dope has been blamed for nine deaths in Scotland and one in Germany since the outbreak began in December.
The spate of anthrax cases among heroin users is baffling police and health experts, who have yet to actually come up with any heroin samples containing anthrax spores. There is speculation that the heroin could have been contaminated at its likely source in Afghanistan, perhaps from contaminated soils or animal skins, or that it was present in a cutting agent added there or at some other point on its transcontinental trek to northern Europe.
The cases in Germany and England have no known link to those in Scotland, leading to fears that tainted dope could be widespread. On the other hand, the numbers so far reported as being infected remain relatively small.
Although harm reductionists and drug user advocates have called for measures including public information campaigns among users, swift access to drug treatment, and making prescription heroin more widely available, British health officials continue to do little more than tell users to quit. Dr. Arif Rajpura, director of public health at NHS Blackpool, was singing from the same official hymnal this week.
He repeated warnings for users to stop using and advised them to be on the lookout for symptoms of anthrax, including rashes, swelling, severe headaches, and high fevers. "Heroin users are strongly advised to cease taking heroin by any route, if at all possible, and to seek help from their local drug treatment services. This is a very serious infection for drug users and prompt treatment is crucial," he said.
Europe: Anthrax Heroin Toll Rises as England Marks First Death
Europe: Anthrax-Tainted Heroin Death Toll Up to Ten
The death toll from anthrax-tainted heroin in Europe has risen to 10 as Health Protection Scotland confirmed that a heroin user who died in the Glasgow area on December 12 was infected with anthrax. Nine of the 10 deaths occurred in Scotland; the other occurred in Germany.
At least 19 drug users -- 18 of them Scottish -- have been diagnosed with anthrax since the outbreak began. A pair of heroin deaths in Sweden turned out to be unrelated, and a cluster of deaths in Portugal has not been confirmed as being linked to anthrax.
While Scottish authorities have yet to find any anthrax-tainted heroin, they believe either the heroin itself or cutting agents have been contaminated with anthrax spores. They said there is no evidence of person-to-person infection.
"While public health investigations are continuing to attempt to identify the source of the contamination, no drug samples tested to date have shown anthrax contamination, although a number of other types of potentially harmful bacteria have been found," said Colin Ramsay, an agency epidemiologist. "It must therefore be assumed that all heroin in Scotland carries the risk of anthrax contamination and users are advised to cease taking heroin by any route. While we appreciate that this may be extremely difficult advice for users to follow, it remains the only public health protection advice possible based on current evidence."
As noted in our earlier story linked to above, harm reductionists have called for other measures, ranging from informational campaigns to liberalized prescribing of pharmaceutical heroin.
Infected patients typically developed inflammation or abscesses around the injection site within one or two days and were hospitalized about four days after that. In some severe cases, the lesions developed necrotizing fasciitis, a flesh-eating disease.
Feature: Anthrax-Tainted Heroin Takes Toll in Europe, Prompts Calls for Emergency Public Health Response
European heroin users are on high alert as the death toll rises from heroin tainted with anthrax. At least eight people have died -- seven in Scotland and one in Germany -- since early December, and another 14 Scottish heroin users have been hospitalized after being diagnosed with anthrax. Meanwhile, drug reform and drug user activists are reporting a cluster of nine suspicious heroin-related deaths in Coimbra, Portugal, although it is unclear at this point whether they are linked to anthrax-tainted heroin.
The first four Scottish deaths were in Glasgow, but after one person died in Tayside and one in the Forth Valley earlier this month, Health Protection Scotland epidemiologist Dr. Colin Ramsay said: "The death of this patient in NHS Forth Valley indicates further geographical spread of the cases, meaning that heroin users all across Scotland need to be aware of the risks of a potentially contaminated supply. I would urge all users to stop using heroin immediately and contact local drug support services for help in stopping. If any heroin users do notice signs of infection, for example marked redness and swelling around an injection site or other signs of serious infection such as a high fever, they should seek urgent medical advice."
The French government has also reacted, with the General Directorate for Health issuing a statement Tuesday warning that contaminated heroin may be circulating in France and other European countries. Noting the rising death toll, the statement said "the likeliest source is heroin contaminated by anthrax spores."
Heroin users should be alert, the French statement said, because heroin contaminated with anthrax is indistinguishable from other heroin. "There is no outward sign or color enabling the user to tell whether the heroin has been contaminated by anthrax, and contaminated heroin dissolves or is used in the same way as uncontaminated heroin," it said.
Anthrax is a potentially lethal bacterium that exists naturally in the soil and can also occur among cattle. It is also a potential bio-terror weapon.
The vast majority of heroin consumed in Europe comes from Afghanistan, and while so far evidence is lacking, speculation is that anthrax spores may have been present in bone meal, an animal product sometimes used as a cutting agent. Another possibility is that containers used in the heroin production process were contaminated with anthrax spores. And, given fears that Al Qaeda and its Taliban allies could resort to biological warfare against the West and given the Taliban's role in the Afghan opium and heroin trade, a bio-attack cannot be completely ruled out.
"The anthrax-infected heroin hasn't decreased use, whether people are injecting it or chasing [smoking] it," said Tam Miller, chair of Chemical Reaction, an Edinburgh drug user group, and a member of INPUD (the International Network of People who Use Drugs). "People are scared -- you can be sure of that -- but I think they're more afraid of withdrawing. The Scottish government's advice was for people to stop using heroin, but that won't happen."
Instead, Miller said, heroin users are doing what they can to protect themselves. "Users feel there's not much they can do personally and, as usual, they feel isolated," he said. "A lot are looking up the effects on anthrax on the net and passing on information to people with no internet access. We think the powers that be should put out information on how to spot signs if someone has been in contact with access. Basically, mate, the Scottish government wants little to do with it."
The Scottish government's response so far has drawn a harsh rebuke from the United Kingdom's harm reduction and public health community. In a Tuesday letter to the Scottish government, the International Harm Reduction Association, the drug think tank Release, the Transform Drug Policy Foundation, the UK Harm Reduction Alliance, and individual public health experts called on the government to put in place an emergency public health plan to deal with the crisis.
The letter said the government's advice to heroin users to stop using and enter treatment was "reckless in light of the fact that waiting times in Scotland for opiate substitute treatment (OST) are the longest in the UK. Many of those accessing services are informed that it is a condition of their treatment to engage with the service for a minimum period of time, before they will be entitled to a prescription offering an alternative substitute medication, usually methadone. In some areas of Scotland we have been informed that waiting times for OST can be up to 12 months."
[There is another potential issue with methadone, as well. The antibiotic drug Cipro, used to treat anthrax, interacts with methadone, leading to the possibility of methadone overdoses.]
Given the reality of treatment shortages and delays, it is "unacceptable" for the Scottish government to just tell users to stop or to go to treatment that isn't there, the letter said. "It is clear that this kind of approach can only lead to the death of more vulnerable people."
Instead, the Scottish government must immediately implement a public health plan that includes rapid access and low-threshold prescribing of alternatives to street heroin, the letter-writers advised. They recommended prescribing dihydrocodeine, a synthetic opiate approximately twice as strong as codeine. It is sold in the US under brand names including Panlor, Paracodin, and Synalgos.
"Such an approach will go some way to prevent any more loss of life and will provide greater protection to the public as a whole," the letter said. "Failure to adopt such a policy would mean that the Scottish state would be failing in its duty to its citizens."
Joep Oomen of the European Coalition for Just and Effective Drug Policies (ENCOD) had another suggestion. "The only decent reaction to this kind of episode is to immediately open facilities where people can test their heroin and where they can use in safe conditions, supervised by people who can help if anything goes wrong," he said.
"Hopefully, in the longer term, because of these incidents, authorities will start to see the need for introducing heroin maintenance programs, not as a trial for a limited group of people, but as a permanent service for all those who cannot abstain from heroin for a longer period of time," he added.
Ultimately, said Oomen, prohibition is the problem. "Adulteration is a practice that belongs to the illegal market," he said. "It happens because the people who control the heroin market have no interest at all in the health of their customers."
Dr. Sharon Stancliff of the US Harm Reduction Coalition agreed with her colleagues' assessment of the Scottish government's response. "Telling people to stop is not useful information," she said. "Maybe some occasional users will have a glass of wine instead, but if people are sick and treatment is limited, telling people that heroin is bad for them isn't going to have much impact," she explained.
"At this point, the European harm reduction people should be getting the word out, and the medical people over there need to be on the alert," she added.
Stancliff said she had seen no sign of heroin contaminated with anthrax on this side of the Atlantic, but she was worried. "I hope the DEA is out there buying heroin to see what's in it," she said. "If there is any hint of it here, physicians should be alerted by the Centers for Disease Control as they were with levamisole-tainted cocaine."
If the anthrax-contaminated heroin is coming from Afghanistan, as most heroin consumed in Europe does, US heroin users may catch a break. Most heroin consumed here is of Mexican or Colombian provenance.
But on the other side of the Atlantic, adulterated heroin is killing drug users.
Harm Reduction: Drug-Related Deaths Rose Dramatically in Recent Years, CDC Says
In a report released Wednesday, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has found that drug-related deaths -- the vast majority of them overdoses -- increased dramatically between 1999 and 2006, and that drug-related deaths now outpace deaths from motor vehicle accidents in 16 states. That's up from 12 states the previous year and double the eight states in 2003.
More people died from drug-related causes than traffic accidents in the following states: Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, Illinois, Colorado, Utah, Nevada, Oregon and Washington.
The news comes even as harm reductionists and public health advocates seek to gain support on Capitol Hill for passage of H.R. 2855, the Drug Overdose Reduction Act, sponsored by Rep. Donna Edwards (D-MD). The bill would create a federal grant program to support both existing and new overdose prevention programs across the country.
"Patients and their families could receive written instructions on how to recognize and respond to an overdose. In addition, college campuses could utilize overdose prevention money to educate students on how to recognize and respond to an alcohol overdose," advocates for H.R. 2855 wrote in a letter to Reps. Henry Waxman (D-CA) and Frank Pallone (D-NJ), chairmen of the House Energy and Commerce Committee and the committee's Health subcommittee, respectively.
Something like H.R. 2855 is desperately needed. According to CDC researchers, who examined death certificate data from around the country, some 45,000 died in traffic accidents in 2006, while 39,000 people suffered drug-related deaths. About 90% of the drug deaths were classified as overdoses, but researchers also included in that figure people who died of organ damage from long-term drug use.
Researchers reported a sharp increase in deaths tied to cocaine and to the opioid analgesics, a class of powerful drugs, used medically for pain treatment (as well as for non-prescription drug-taking via the black market), that includes fentanyl, methadone, morphine, and popular pain relievers like Vicodin and Oxycontin. Cocaine-related deaths jumped from about 4,000 in 1999 to more than 7,000 in 2006, but methadone-related deaths increased seven-fold to about 5,000, and other opioid deaths more than doubled from less than 3,000 to more than 6,000. Interestingly, heroin-related deaths actually declined slightly, hovering just below 2,000 a year throughout the period in question.
And despite all the alarms about young people dying of drug overdoses, the 15-24 age group had the lowest drug-related death rate of any group except those over 65. Only about three per 100,000 young people died of drug-related causes in 2006, compared to six per 100,000 among the 25-34 age group, eight per 100,000 in the 35-44 age group, and 10 per 100,000 in the 45-54 age group.
CDC researchers did not discuss causes for the increase in overall drug-related deaths or the rate of drug-related deaths.
Public Health: Feds Finally Issue Warning on Tainted Cocaine
Three weeks ago, Drug War Chronicle reported on cocaine cut with the veterinary agent levamisole and asked what the federal government was doing about it. Ten days later, the feds responded to the situation, with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMSHA) issuing a public health alert on September 21.
Despite being first noticed by forensic scientists at least three years ago and by the DEA late last year, there has been little public awareness of the public health threat. SAMHSA expects the number of cases to rise as public and professional awareness spreads.
"SAMHSA and other public health authorities are working together to inform everyone of this serious potential public health risk and what measures are being taken to address it," said SAMHSA Acting Administrator Eric Broderick, DDS, MPH.
The addition of levamisole to cocaine is believed to be done by Colombian drug traffickers. Ingesting the tainted drug can seriously reduce a person's white blood cells, suppressing immune function and the body's ability to fight off even minor infections. People who snort, smoke, or inject crack or powder cocaine contaminated by levamisole can experience overwhelming, rapidly-developing, life threatening infections, SAMHSA warned. Other serious side effects can also occur.
The DEA is reporting that levamisole is showed up in over 70% of cocaine analyzed in July, and authorities in Seattle are reporting that 80% of persons testing positive for cocaine are also testing positive for levamisole.
In its alert, SAMHSA warned that:
THIS IS A VERY SERIOUS ILLNESS THAT NEEDS TO BE TREATED AT A HOSPITAL. If you use cocaine, watch out for:
- high fever, chills, or weakness
- swollen glands
- painful sores (mouth, anal)
- any infection that won't go away or gets worse very fast, including sore throat or mouth sores; skin infections, abscesses; thrush (white coating of the mouth, tongue, or throat); pneumonia (fever, cough, shortness of breath).
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is also getting in on the act. CDC will shortly publish a case report analysis in its Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report and will be working with state public health authorities to collect information on the phenomenon. That information will be "used to guide treatment and prevention initiatives to address this public health concern."
One thing the feds are not doing is coming up with a test kit that would allow users to detect the presence of levamisole in cocaine. That's too bad, said Dr. Michael Clark, assistant professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science at the University of Washington Harborview Medical Center. "I thought to myself, why isn't there a test kit? It is easy to test for," he said. "It would be like testing your hot tub for its chemistry. Take a sample, mix some chemicals together, add a reagant, and see what turns what color."
Clark is working on developing just such a test kit. "It could be used at street level, and it could be used by a lot of public health and harm reduction groups. You want to identify levasimole before people ingest, very much like the Ecstasy testing. You could do the same thing with cocaine and levasimole," he said.


text:
Get an overview of this hotel3.5-star motel in New Plymouth with free parking
Collect 200 points
Simply enter your Nectar card number when prompted. Your points will be credited 30 days after you return from your trip.*Offers may apply
Situated in New Plymouth, this motel is within a 15-minute walk of TSB Stadium and Pukekura Park. Bowl of Brooklands and Centre City Shopping Centre are also within 1 mi (2 km).
Property Features
Along with a fitness center, this motel has dry cleaning and laundry facilities. Free WiFi in public areas and free self parking are also provided. Additionally, tour/ticket assistance, a garden, and barbecue grills are onsite.
Room Amenities
All 24 rooms provide free WiFi and free wired Internet, flat-screen TVs with satellite channels, and conveniences like refrigerators and microwaves. DVD players, coffee makers, and free newspapers are among the other amenities available to guests.Information missing or incorrect? Tell us!Opens in a new window
Pukekura Motor Lodge141 Coronation Avenue New Plymouth 4310
Hotel Amenities
Hotel Amenities
Pukekura Motor Lodge features a fitness center, tour/ticket assistance, and barbecue grills. Public areas are equipped with complimentary high-speed wireless Internet access. This New Plymouth motel also offers a garden, laundry facilities, and dry cleaning/laundry services. Complimentary self parking is available on site.
- Total number of rooms - 24
- Barbecue grill(s)
- Dry cleaning/laundry service
- Fitness facilities
- Tours/ticket assistance
- Free WiFi
- Laundry facilities
- Garden
- Luggage storage
- Safe-deposit box at front desk
- Free self parking
- Free use of nearby fitness center
Family Friendly Amenities
- Family Hotel
- Free Wi-Fi
- Laundry facilities
- Refrigerator
- Microwave
- DVD player
Available in all rooms: Free WiFi , Free wired high-speed Internet
Available in some public areas: Free WiFi
Free self parking
Room Amenities
- DVD player
- Air conditioning
- In-room climate control (air conditioning)
- Free newspaper
- Phone
- Refrigerator
- Coffee/tea maker
- Microwave
- Daily housekeeping
- Hair dryer
- Iron/ironing board
- Desk
- Satellite TV service
- Flat-panel TV
- Free WiFi
- Free wired high-speed Internet
- Cribs/infant beds (surcharge)
Nearby Things to Do
Recreational amenities at the motel include a fitness center.
Hotel Policies
Check-in time starts at 2 PM
Check-out time is 10 AM
Payment types
You need to know
Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy.
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card or cash deposit are required at check-in for incidental charges.
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges. Special requests cannot be guaranteed.
Optional extras
- Breakfast fee: EUR 12 per person (approximately)
Hotel Name
- Pukekura
- Pukekura Lodge
- Pukekura Motor
- Pukekura Motor Lodge
- Pukekura Motor Lodge New Plymouth
- Pukekura Motor New Plymouth
National Rating
This property does not have a Qualmark® rating. For the benefit of our customers, we have provided a rating based on our rating system.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
realmagick.com The shrine of knowledge.
- Dalit engineering student hacked to death in suspected honor killing
- He married 19-year-old Kausalya who was from an upper caste despite the contention from her family and continued living together. Shankar met Kausalya while at college in Palani, where she was as his junior.
- Tamil Nadu: Dalit man hacked to death in full public view for marrying Thevar
- The police identified the victims as 22-year-old V Shankar from Chavadi Street in Kumaralingam village (15 km from Udumalpet) and 19-year-old Kausalya from Palani in Dindigul district, according to the report. Eight months ago, Shankar had married ...
- Lower-caste man hacked to death after marrying upper-caste woman
- The pair had married eight months earlier but some of Kausalya's family, who are from the politically dominant Thevar community, objected to the marriage. Footage of the killing was captured on CCTV cameras and onlookers' mobile phones. The assailants ...
- Student hacked to death in 'honour killing ordered by wife's parents because
- Kausalya's father C. Gopalasamy today turned himself in saying he was scared, but denied responsibility for the killling. He was remanded in custody till March 21.
- TN 'honour' killing: girl's father surrenders
- Shankar and his wife Kausalya, 19, were attacked by a gang with deadly weapons, while they came out of a shop. Shankar died in the attack while Kausalya escaped with severe injuries. Six police teams have been formed to arrest the killers, Tirupur ...
Kausalya is described in multiple online sources, as addition to our editors' articles, see section below for printable documents, Kausalya books and related discussion.
Suggested News Resources
Great care has been taken to prepare the information on this page. Elements of the content come from factual and lexical knowledge databases, realmagick.com library and third-party sources. We appreciate your suggestions and comments on further improvements of the site.
Kausalya Topics
Related searcheshair androgenic hair
the medium characters
tata consultancy services history
syrian brown bear
Related books
About - Contact - Advertising
© 2000 - 2016 Realmagick.com, All Rights Reserved.
© 2000 - 2016 Realmagick.com, All Rights Reserved.


text:
Upcoming Events
And we're back...
Date Posted: 2016/07/19
New single in the wings, new shows in the offing, and looking forward to seeing y'all soon!
Batten down the hatches
Date Posted: 2014/07/08
All has been reasonably quiet and all through the house not a creature was stirring not even a reasonably sized mouse. We're keeping it all reasonably mysterious, like a lego toy with no instructions. x
Date Posted: 2014/04/15
We're heading off on a short Spring tour in the coming weeks in support of our new 'tour' EP. The EP will only be available in physical form at the shows mentioned below and will contain two new tracks, exciting times.
Dates are as follows:
The Underground, Draperstown, 19-04-14
McHugh's Basement, Belfast, 21-04-14
Electric Circus, Edinburgh, 23-04-14
Pivo, Pivo, Glasgow, 24-04-14
Lomax, Liverpool, 25-04-14
SoFar+, London, 26-04-14
State Faces, Dublin, 07-06-14
See ya soon!
RT @DrEmmaJWalker: Great night of music at @OhYeahCentre celebrating the life of a good friend Stephen Lynn with @DukeSpecial @AmidshipsNI …
12:16 AM Nov 23rd via Echofon
.@Stendhalireland site looking brill, wellies out for the annual festival run, see ya shortly! http://t.co/8mDwx6Gbv3
12:55 PM Aug 8th via Echofon
Stendhal Festival tomorrow! See y'all at the Woodtown Stage at 22:30! @Stendhalireland #stendhallions
10:09 PM Aug 7th via Echofon
Thanks to everyone who came down to Doyle's in Dublin last night, super crowd & atmosphere, got to… http://t.co/E4Mpdbe0mf
2:39 PM Apr 29th via Instagram
Thanks to everyone at @rubysessions & @Doylesintown sooper dooper night @orlagartland @SaramaiMusic @DavidKeenanmuso were fab too, brill.
1:58 PM Apr 29th via Echofon
RT @raidysmisc: 6 months living in Dublin & finally made it to @rubysessions! @AmidshipsNI @orlagartland @SaramaiMusic @DavidKeenanmuso wer…
12:02 AM Apr 29th via Echofon
RT @rubysessions: Doors 9pm tonight and its a cracker! @AmidshipsNI @orlagartland @SaramaiMusic @DavidKeenanmuso We cant wait! @Doylesintow…
2:00 PM Apr 28th via Echofon
DUBLIN! Ruby Sessions tonight in Doyle's at 9pm! Mon down!
1:58 PM Apr 28th via Echofon
Dinosaur plaster defeats string cut http://t.co/Exg9zLO6A6
8:39 AM Apr 6th via Instagram
Full kit in the back of a mini, if you build it they will come... http://t.co/G4etcWAlqW
10:43 AM Mar 29th via Echofon
@metaboatchris aw cheers Chris, it all helps x
9:23 PM Mar 28th via Echofon
@metaboatchris Lost, for the new season of 6 Degrees.
9:21 PM Mar 28th via Echofon
Wowser, a nice surprise to hear our wee bawnd on a BBC1 ad after the Voice tonight.
9:12 PM Mar 28th via Echofon
Hey there! BELFAST, TOMORROW. Acoustic show @OhYeahCentre at 13:00, all ages too! Bring some sangiches and a flask! #yum #nimusic
1:25 PM Mar 27th via Echofon
Jeff Stelling has serious eyebrows
9:40 PM Mar 18th via Echofon
Thanks Ralph, see ya soon! @RalphMcLeanShow @bbcradioulster @PortSongFest
8:54 PM Mar 18th via Echofon
RT @RalphMcLeanShow: The mighty fine @AmidshipsNI are in session on my @bbcradioulster show right now. They play @PortSongFest on Friday.
8:53 PM Mar 18th via Echofon
We'll be on @RalphMcLeanShow tonight on @bbcradioulster from 7pm, tune in for a few acoustic tunes and a bit of topical chit chat! Yum!
1:39 PM Mar 18th via Echofon
9:33 AM Mar 9th via Echofon
RT @FiFiSG: #TBT @Sofarsounds @AmidshipsNI: Sofar London (#618) http://t.co/RpQkUMH2K4 #np http://t.co/sxxHhlXXFG
9:40 AM Mar 5th via Echofon


text:
The only problem with Barista, Cafe Coffee Day and Costa are that they are formulaic, cookie-cutter clones of each other and that while their coffee quality is Show Full Review
its a nice & cool place, different from the conventional chain cafe chains..
Cafe Qahwa is awesum.huge menu. Ive been going there for over a yr.my fav are ginger honey coffee,hot choc w/ cinnamon sauce & breakfast (all day!!).I also like their pastas & what they call desi classics like adrak or elaichi wali chai & flavoured las.
Qahwa - Dinercafe Menu, Qahwa - Dinercafe Location Map, Qahwa - Dinercafe in SDA, Qahwa - Dinercafe Deals and Discounts, Qahwa - Dinercafe Reviews
Smoking Area, Air Conditioned, Bill Upload, Outdoor Seating, Cafe


text:
Skip to comments.Under new rules, GOP would have no say in Obama pick for Homeland Security
Posted on 07/12/2013 3:44:21 PM PDT by markomalley
If Harry Reid gets his way, President Obama wont have to worry about appointing a new Homeland Security secretary that is acceptable to Senate Republicans.
Napolitanos resignation from the department on Friday comes as the Democratic majority leader is threatening to invoke the nuclear option and change the Senates rules to allow administration appointees to sail through confirmation without threat of Republican filibustering.
Under that scenario, Napolitanos replacement would likely be the first major appointment made in the post-nuclear option era where Republicans would have no ability to stop the confirmation of a nominee they find unacceptable.
The selection of her replacement could be the first test of a scaled-back check on the Presidents power, John Ashbrook, a spokesman for Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell, told The Daily Caller.
When it comes to appointing cabinet officials, the Constitution says the president shall nominate a candidate with the advice and consent of the Senate.
If Democrats actually do the nuclear option, it would reduce the confirmation process to one party rule, Ashbrook said. President Obama could install controversial nominees with a complicit Democrat majority and no real input from the opposition.
It was announced Friday that Napolitano, the former governor of Arizona, will leave office in September to become president of the University of California system.
The nuclear option means Senate rules would only require 51 votes to end a filibuster on administration nominees, instead of 60.
The Senate is currently made up of 52 Democrats, 46 Republicans and two independents, meaning Obama could nominate virtually anyone despite Republican opposition if all Democrats supported his pick.
Reid has argued the rules need changing because of Republicans are blocking too many nominees. It is a disturbing trend when Republicans are willing to block executive branch nominees even when they have no objection to the qualifications of the nominee, Reid said Thursday.
But McConnell says Reid has concocted a phony crisis over certain nominees in order to push through the changes.
Senate Democrats are gearing up today to make one of the most consequential changes to the United States Senate in the history of our nation, McConnell said Thursday. And I guarantee you, it is a decision that, if they actually go through with it, they will live to regret.
Under new rules, GOP would have no say in Obama pick for Homeland Security...
Why do we need a new rule? The GOP wouldn't have said or done anything anyway. Even if they did, who in the admin would bother listening?
Do it.
In 2014, don't change the rule.
Van Jones (or equivalent) will head the DHS then!
Obama does as he pleases. He tells the GOP to go to hell anyway.
Homeland Serenity Dept
Van Jones (or equivalent) will head the DHS then!
That's right.
Don't they still have a rule that any senator can put a hold on any nominee?
When is it the nuclear option and when is it the constitutional option?
So that's why Reid went 'nuclear'?
Obama and his posse ignore most of them anyway.
Perhaps the timing of Harry and Janet is not the coincidence it might seem to be.
No such thing as coincidence in this evil administration. It is all planned to a tee!
I was looking forward to a transgendered Muslim.
Do you suppose that Harry Reid knew that Napolitano was about to resign, so decided to change the rules?
Choose a commie who will make all the federal employees spy on each other and report on their supervisors. Call THAT security.
We need to repeal the 17th Amendment.
Choose a commie who will make all the federal employees spy on each other and report on their supervisors. Call THAT security.
Don't worry, the next time the Republicans gain control of the senate, they'll change it back right away.
Do you suppose that Harry Reid knew that Napolitano was about to resign, so decided to change the rules?It might be worse.
Consider the possibility that the Administration has been given a "heads up" about a Supreme Court Justice retiring. Then the cheese would get really binding.
Doesn't matter. 0bama can make a recess appointment anytime he feels the Senate is in recess, which is anytime.
Well who could be worse than incompetanto?
I wonder if the new secretary will be...... BLACK? GAY? or BOTH?
I under stand that Perez Hilton is being seriously considered....
You're not paying attention: When Democrats are the Minority, they run to the USSC with complaints of "Un-Constitutional"....When Republicans are in the Majority, they kiss the Majority Leader's ass, and vote with the other Side.
Thanks markomalley.
Reid sets up Senate showdown, calls for votes on seven Obama nominees
Harry Reid Moves to Destroy the Senate Rules that are Blocking Passage of Gun Control
Harvey Whittemore, former Nevada powerbroker,
guilty in (Dingy Harry Reid) contribution case
Ok, now I understand why the nuclear option story was floated yesterday...
But seriously, why doesn't 0 just appoint a golf cart as head of DHS for all the opposition that anyone is going to give. It doesn't matter. At this point, every move the regime makes is just a giant adolescent middle finger to the nation.
Oh Mitch,I think you protest too much,we all know what the Republicans would do with such a rule if they were to regain the majority in the Senate,the FIRST thing they would do is Change it back before they could use it,REPUBLICANS HAVE NO BALLS,yo have to hand it to the Democrats,they have as their goal to destroy the country and they set out to do it and they do! Republicans huff and puff and fold like cheap cameras.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.


text:
We've changed things around and turned our website into an information hub for computer tips, tricks, and basic info. If you need help with something, we hope to be able to provide it for you!
Here is a helpful video about some computer tips we feel everyone should know about. Take a look and let us know if you have any questions on it.
Tips To Help Lock Your PC Down From Hackers
Are you afraid of getting hacked? Unsure of what safety measures you can take while using your computer? Worried about keeping your private, personal data secure? We now live in the digital age where everyone is online and we all make purchases and do business online as well. However, despite the convenience and ease of using the Internet, you still run the risk of getting your computer hacked. If your computer, laptop, or smart phone is hacked, the hacker can gain access to your computer history, files, personal information, bank account, credit card information, and much more.
1. Be Wary Of Open Wi-Fi Connections
Anybody can create a wifi hot spot in public. When you access this network unknowingly, your data can be transferred to anybody else on the network. To avoid this, whenever you are in public and want to gain access to an open wifi portal, you should re-confirm the validity of the wifi hot spot with an employee. For example, if you are in Starbucks and want to log into their public wifi, simply verify the exact name of the network with the clerk before logging on.
2. Set Devices To Automatically "Forget" Networks
Next, once you have logged onto the network and you're finished using it, make sure to disconnect from it. Also, you should set all of your devices to "forget" the network so that your laptop or smartphone doesn't automatically connect to it the next time you visit. This should be done with all public networks that you use to reduce your risk of getting hacked.TIP: Learn how to fix Desktop Windows dwm errors.
3. Watch Emails Closely
In addition to the above wifi safety tips, you also need to pay close attention to the emails in your inbox. This is especially true when you receive emails from unknown senders that contain an attachment. If you do receive this type of email, make sure that you don't open the attachment as this usually has a virus or other malicious application that may pose a direct threat to the security of your device.TIP: Learn how to "forget" a wireless network.
4. Use Different Passwords And Improve Password Strength
Avoid using the same set of passwords over and over across different sites or online services. If you do, this makes it easier for hackers to gain access to more of your personal data and those passwords are easier to crack. Make sure to change your passwords at least once per month and to use different passwords for all of your online accounts.TIP: Learn how to create a strong password.
In closing, when it comes to your computer safety, it is essential that you follow the above tips to reduce your risk of getting hacked. Of course, these are not foolproof, but following this general set of principles will keep you much safer when using your technology.
UPDATE: Windows Operating System Error With Rundll32.exe File
We've had some users comment with issues on the rundll32.exe file on their Microsoft Windows system. After doing some research on this file, it looks as though it has a chance of being infected. While it doesn't seem to be common, if you are getting an error, it may be malicious. When these errors occur, we strongly recommend for you to fix rundll32.exe virus errors as quickly as possible to prevent long-term damage to your system.


text:
Cellulite is definitely one of the most frustrating body problems that women experience. They are defined as fat deposits that create significant and unsightly wrinkles on the skin, usually found along the thighs and buttocks. They can be very tough to remove and requires very specific techniques to melt them completely.
There are currently several items today that promise cellulite relief. One of those products with excellent cellulite treatment reviews is the Truth About Cellulite system. This particular program offers to reveal the underlying cause of cellulite and how to get rid of the problem quickly and permanently.
How it Works
Truth About Cellulite is an impressively comprehensive program that tackles the reason for cellulite and what you are doing that is likely causing the problem. With the system, you'll get an all-around guide on what workouts to use, what food to eat, and what products to apply for the cellulite to disappear. Just from the preliminary cellulite treatment reviews, you can tell that Truth About Cellulite is not a quick-fix scheme but a well-researched method backed up by scientific fact. This makes it effective for women of all types, size and ages.
The Author
Truth About Cellulite's author is Joey Atlas – a renowned fitness trainer. His years of research and experience with health and fitness enabled him to compile the book and present a systematic and never-before-seen system for removing cellulite.
Product Benefits
Cellulite treatment reviews have revealed that the product offers an easy-to-understand system involving step-by-step instructions. These directives involve proper body maintenance, allowing you to get rid of cellulite and ensure that it never comes back. Aside from diet suggestions, women also get a list of target exercises and cardio workouts against cellulite.
Truth About Cellulite is an all-natural method and perfectly safe. Once you make the purchase, the product becomes available through a digital download, letting you to immediately access the information. Joey Atlas actually offers up several cellulite treatment options in his book, letting you choose the method you find most convenient. Availing the product also makes you a member of the monthly newsletter containing useful information about diet, exercise, and cellulite.
Available at a reasonable price, the product comes with a 60-day money back guarantee. If you're not happy with the results, you can easily get a refund with no questions asked! All buyers will also receive bonuses that can help with their fight against cellulite.
Some Drawbacks
Although the product has been proven to work, your dedication is an important factor to success. The biggest drawback of this product is that there are few motivational content to help you stay on course. If you want to get rid of cellulite permanently, then you need to be deeply invested to the program since the book will not do it for you.
Client Cellulite Treatment Reviews
Reviews on Truth About Cellulite have been pouring in ever since the product was launched in the market. truth about cellulite ebook Majority of its buyers were pleased with the results and sent 5-star feedbacks for the product content. The merchandise is currently available online and can be obtained using different payment processors.


text:
Ocean Power Technologies, Inc (NASDAQ:OPTT)
Q2 2012 Earnings Call
December 09, 2011 10:00 am ET
Charles Frederick Dunleavy - Chief Executive Officer and Director
Brian M. Posner - Chief Financial Officer, Principal Accounting Officer, Secretary and Treasurer
Gerard Adams
Robert Littlehale
Robert W. Stone - Cowen and Company, LLC, Research Division
Good day, ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to the Ocean Power Technologies' Fiscal Year 2012 Second Quarter Conference Call. [Operator Instructions] As a reminder, this conference is being recorded and webcast. I will now turn the call over to the Chief Financial Officer of Ocean Power Technologies, Mr. Brian Posner.
Brian M. Posner
Thank you. Welcome to Ocean Power Technologies' earnings conference call for the second quarter ended October 31, 2011. OPT issued its earnings press release earlier today, and this coming Monday we will file the company's quarterly report on Form 10-Q with the Securities and Exchange Commission. All public filings can be viewed on the SEC website at sec.gov, or you may go to the OPT website, oceanpowertechnologies.com. With me on today's call is Chuck Dunleavy, our Chief Executive Officer.
Please advance to Slide 2 of our presentation. During the course of this conference call, management may make projections or other forward-looking statements regarding future events or financial performance of the company within the meaning of the Safe Harbor provision of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. As indicated in this slide, these forward-looking statements are subject to numerous assumptions made by management regarding future circumstances over which the company may have little or no control and involve risks and uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results to be materially different from any future results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. We refer you to the company's Form 10-K and other recent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission for a description of these and other risk factors.
I'll now turn the call over to Chuck Dunleavy, OPT's CEO.
Charles Frederick Dunleavy
Thank you, Brian, and thanks to everyone for being with us today.
First, turning to Slide 3. Let me briefly review our major accomplishments of recent months. It's been a very active period. We deployed our unique autonomous PowerBuoy for the Navy's Littoral Expeditionary Autonomous PowerBuoy or LEAP program off the coast of New Jersey in August. Having performed very well, including surviving Hurricane Irene, the LEAP PowerBuoy represents an exciting stage in the development and delivery of our autonomous PowerBuoys. The ocean trials of our PB150 PowerBuoy in Scotland came to a successful conclusion in October as planned. As previously discussed on our conference calls, we are very pleased with the performance of the PB150 and are now speaking with various potential customers and government entities, who may wish to utilize the PowerBuoy for commercial applications in the future.
Most recently, we announced an important collaboration with Lockheed Martin, plus significant progress in Spain as I'll review further momentarily. OPT will shortly retrieve its PB40 PowerBuoy device, which has been deployed at the test site of the U.S. Marine Corps Base at Oahu, Hawaii, following the successful completion of this demonstration project. During its 2-year period of deployment, the buoy became the first-ever wave energy device to be connected to the U.S. grid, survived tsunami wave conditions and achieved over 5.5 million cycles in operation.
In addition, the system features our new direct drive power take-off system, which is a major technology upgrade from our previous hydraulic power take-off. The U.S. Navy remains a valued OPT partner, and we are in discussions regarding the next stage of prospective commercial-scale wave power stations in Hawaii.
We ended the quarter with a backlog of nearly $9 million as compared to $7 million at July 31, 2011, and also with cash-on-hand of approximately $40 million. We are very optimistic about the future of Ocean Power Technologies and what 2012 will bring. But now let me go into a little more detail on our major initiatives.
Turning to Slide 4. I'm happy to say that our LEAP autonomous PowerBuoy performed well during its ocean demonstration, providing persistent power in all wave conditions, withstanding the 50-foot high waves of Hurricane Irene. The LEAP PowerBuoy which was taken out of water several weeks ago at the completion of its ocean trials, as provided under our contract with the U.S. Navy. We're very encouraged by the potential market for our autonomous PowerBuoy product.
As a reminder, the autonomous PowerBuoy operates totally independently and can generate power in all wave conditions using OPT's proprietary power management system. This includes persistent power generation in the ranges needed for sophisticated vessel detection and tracking systems for maritime surveillance along coasts. Systems currently being used for remote power is the often utilized diesel generators, which require frequent maintenance and fuel replenishment and can be very noisy.
The autonomous PowerBuoy is also appropriate for oil and gas platforms, offshore fish farming and desalination. Consider the number of oil and gas platforms worldwide that could benefit from a clean, quiet and persistent source of power right from the waves where they operate. Given its smaller size and variety of applications, the autonomous PowerBuoy is seeing increasing interest and we're marketing it aggressively. We believe there's a bright future for such buoys across a multitude of markets.
Turning to Slide 5. I'd now like to provide an update on our project in Reedsport, Oregon, and the latest on our collaboration with Lockheed Martin. This agreement with Lockheed is an important step for the commercialization of our PowerBuoys. Working on the Reedsport project, Lockheed will provide their expertise in the areas of design for manufacturing and systems integration to enhance our proprietary technology. We're committed to improving power conversion efficiency, reliability, manufacturability and lowering the cost of marine operations and maintenance. Lockheed's expertise in large-scale manufacturing and supply chain management will greatly assist us in reaching these goals in a timely manner thus making our applications more attractive to our potential partners and customers.
We have worked with Lockheed very well in the past and expect this latest agreement will further cement the strong relationship between our 2 companies.
With regard to our progress with the Oregon project, land testing of the power take-off and control system is now in process. OPT is working on a rigorous land testing program, and we expect the buoy to be deployed in mid-2012. The PowerBuoy's direct drive, power take-off device will be more durable, involve less maintenance and provide better long-term efficiency than the previous hydraulic power take-off design. It's our expectation that this first PowerBuoy in Oregon will lead to the second phase of the Reedsport project, in which we plan to build and deploy 9 additional PB150s and then connect all 10 buoys to the Oregon power grid using an undersea substation pod, for a total power output of 1.5 megawatts. The development of the complete wave power station is subject to the receipt of final licensing from the U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, and additional project funding which we are currently pursuing.
Now let me give you an update on developments in Europe, as shown on Slide 6. We recently announced that we would begin work under the European Union's WavePort project under the auspices of the EU's Seventh Framework Programme for research and innovation. We were awarded in 2010 a grant worth approximately $3 million as part of a total $6.2 million award given to a consortium of firms, including OPT, to deliver a wave power device for that project.
More specifically, OPT will be responsible for the design, supply and deployment of the PowerBuoy and related systems for that WavePort project. In addition, we will work to advance the energy conversion system of our PowerBuoy through the development of the new wave assessment model. This model will be able to assess the characteristics of each incoming wave before it reaches the buoy, thereby providing more time for OPT's proprietary electronic tuning capability to react. Such technology is expected to significantly boost the power output and reduce the cost per megawatt hour of energy produced. Our belief is that this will enable more energy to be delivered per ton of steel used for fabrication than many competing renewable energy systems. This new technology will then be showcased in the PB40 PowerBuoy to be installed at an existing mooring site off Santoña, Spain on the North coast. This site was previously developed by OPT under a contract with Iberdrola and other partners. The WavePort PowerBuoy will draw an experienced gain to the development and grid connection of our PB40 in Hawaii, as well as the successful in-ocean operation of our PB150 deployed off Scotland.
While we are not yet providing a precise timeline with the regard to when the Waveport PowerBuoy will be in the water, we do expect the grant to expedite the development of this next-generation energy conversion system during 2012.
Turning to Slide 7. I'd like to give an update on our overseas initiatives in Japan and Australia. Starting with Japan. We're seeing an increase in business development activity and are working hand-in-hand with our partner there, Mitsui Engineering & Shipbuilding. We've already conducted engineering in connection with initiatives to develop a new mooring system for our PowerBuoys customized for wave power stations off Japan, and have also performed tests at Mitsui's wave tank facilities. Our relationship with Mitsui is expected to provide the basis for the development of a commercial scale OPT wave power station in Japan, which would be conducted in stages. These phases would commence with site development and planning work, progress to a technology demonstration and proceed to a power station with an initial capacity of several megawatts, scalable to 10 megawatts or more.
The Japanese government remains very interested in our technology given the impact of this year's earthquake and tsunami, and we are optimistic that we will be able to report progress here in 2012.
With regard to Australia, it is important to note that the Australian government passed a new Carbon Tax Law in November. The initial carbon price is set at $23 per ton. Revenue from this tax will fund $10 billion for investment in renewable energy, low pollution and energy efficiency technologies; another $3.2 billion to fund R&D, demonstration and commercialization of renewable energy; and $200 million to support business development of clean technologies. We believe this development will provide added momentum to the special-purpose company, Victorian Wave Partners, or VWP, or VWP, formed by Leighton Contractors. VWP was awarded the AUD 66 million grant by the Commonwealth the government for the purpose of building a 19-megawatt wave power station using OPT PowerBuoys. This project is expected to be off the coast of Victoria, providing enough energy to power up to 10,000 homes. We continue to explore strategic alternatives that could expedite commercialization and also project financing.
I'll now turn the call over to Brian Posner, who will discuss our financial performance in detail.
Brian M. Posner
Thank you, Chuck. As noted on Slide 8, OPT reported revenues of $1.5 million for the second quarter of fiscal 2012, as compared to revenues of $1.9 million for the 3 months ended October 31, 2010. This decrease primarily reflects lower revenues related to the company's PB150 PowerBuoy being prepared for deployment off Reedsport, Oregon, and reduced revenues for the U.S. Navy's LEAPs and DWADS programs compared to the second quarter of fiscal 2011, as these programs are near completion.
OPT's contract backlog as of October 31, 2011, was $8.8 million compared to $7.1 million as of July 31, 2011. This increase -- the increase is due primarily to the contribution of a $3 million grant tied to the company's WavePort project in Spain as Chuck discussed.
The operating loss for the 3 months ended October 31, 2011 was $4 million, as compared to an operating loss of $5.7 million for the 3 months ended October 31, 2010. The reduction in operating loss year-over-year was due primarily to a decrease in product development costs, principally for the PB150 system. The net loss was $3.9 million for the 3 months ended October 31, 2011, compared to $5.5 million for the same period in the prior year. This decrease in net loss was due primarily to the decline in operating costs, partially offset by a decrease in interest income and a lower foreign exchange gain. Interest income for the quarter decreased to approximately $126,000 compared with $161,000 for the same period last year. This decrease was largely due to the decline in average yield and in the total invested cash from marketable securities.
For the 6-month period ended October 31, 2011, OPT posted revenues of $3.4 million as compared to revenue of $3.2 million for the 6 months ended October 31, 2010. This increase primarily reflects revenue recorded for the U.S. Navy's LEAP program, the development of the company's next-generation PowerBuoy, the PB500, and commencement of the WavePort project off the coast of Spain. The revenue increases in these projects were partially offset by decreases in revenue from the company's PB150 in Oregon and the U.S. Navy's DWADS program.
The operating loss for the 6 months ended October 31, 2011 was $9.2 million, as compared to an operating loss of $12 million for the 6 months ended October 31, 2010. The favorable reduction in operating loss year-over-year was due primarily to a decrease in product development costs, principally for the PB150 system off the coast of Scotland and the company's Hawaii project with the U.S. Navy, as these projects neared completion, an increase in gross profit and lower SG&A expenses.
Gross profit for the prior year 6 months ended October 31, 2010, was negatively impacted by a reduction in revenue of $231,000 due to a change in the company's estimated revenue, recognizing connection with OPT's project off the coast of Spain.
The net loss was $8.9 million for the 6 months ended October 31, 2011, compared to $11.8 million for the same period in the prior year. This decrease in net loss was due primarily to the decline in operating loss and lower foreign exchange losses, partially offset by a decrease in interest income. Interest income for the first 6 months of fiscal 2012 increased to just under $250,000 from nearly $400,000 in the prior year period, reflecting the decline in our yield and in the total invested cash and marketable securities.
OPT recognized the foreign exchange gain of $20,000 for the 6 months ended October 31, 2011, as compared to a foreign exchange loss of approximately $170,000 for the same period last year. The difference was due to the relative change in the value of British pound sterling, Euro and Australian dollar, as compared to the U.S. dollar during the 2 periods.
Turn to Slide 9. On October 31, 2011, total cash, cash equivalents, restricted cash and investments were $39.9 million. Net cash used in operating activities was $7.9 million for the 6 months ended October 31, 2011, compared to $9.4 million for the same period last year. As previously stated, OPT expects the rate of its cash outflows to decrease in fiscal 2012 reflecting completion of Ocean trials for its PB150 off the coast of Scotland.
Now I will turn the call back over to Chuck for some closing comments.
Charles Frederick Dunleavy
Thanks again, Brian. And now turning to Slide 10. In the coming months, we expect our momentum to continue in several fronts. First, we expect to complete land testing of the PTO, the power take-off for the PB150, to be deployed off the coast of Oregon. Second, we plan to report progress on the PowerBuoy system for the WavePort project in Spain. Third, we'll release data from the LEAP PowerBuoy deployment. And finally, we look forward to report on favorable results from our ongoing business development efforts.
Before opening the call to questions, I want to also mention that we recently announced 2 new members of our Board of Directors, David Davis and Bruce Peacock. David, the Vice President of PJM Grid Development for an independent power producer, NRG Energy, brings strong relationships with regulators, legislators and other stakeholders within both the renewable and conventional energy sectors, with over 20 years of applicable experience.
Bruce, currently the Chief Business Officer of Ophthotech, a bio-pharmaceutical company, has over 30 years' experience at companies with international operations, bringing new products to commercial status in regulatory-driven markets. We welcome to Ocean Power Technologies both of these individuals who have already played active roles in shaping our strategy for 2012 and beyond.
As always, we thank our investors for their continued interest and support, and we remain very excited for OPT's future within the wave energy sector. With an active business development pipeline, strong relationships with industry leaders, such as Lockheed Martin and Mitsui Engineering & Shipbuilding, the future looks bright. We remain focused on the fundamentals, commercialization of our PowerBuoy products, new market opportunities and cash management, and we look forward to reporting progress in 2012.
This concludes our prepared statement for the second quarter review and we'll now open the call for questions. Please go ahead, operator.
Question-and-Answer Session
[Operator Instructions] And our first question will come from the line of Rob Stone with Cowen and Company.
:p id="26858707" name="Robert Stone" type="A" />
I wanted to dive a little deeper into the LEAP market opportunity. Can you give us some sense of how to think about sizing the market, would be the first part of the question. And second, in your preliminary explorations, how would you rate the criteria that would lead operators of facilities that would use the product to choose it versus diesel? Is it mainly the reliability and fueling issues associated with diesel? Or how do they think about the tradeoffs?
Charles Frederick Dunleavy
This is Chuck speaking. First of all, with respect to the initial part of your question about market size, we view the total worldwide market for autonomous, our autonomous PowerBuoy, as being an up to $10 billion market for equipment. Remember that this encompasses not only oil and gas, which would be driven generally by rig count, which are very significant worldwide. Also in addition to the oil and gas, we believe that maritime security, homeland security, is also a very large burgeoning market. One that we view as addressable, not just with respect to the United States, but also U.S. has a number of very strong defense partners with reciprocal defense agreements. And another area is with respect to aquaculture and fish farming as increasingly such activity is driven off the coast to avoid pollution. And that creates a problem with respect to power out there in deeper oceans. So we view it as a very large and substantial market. And one that is of the size that I mentioned and articulated at the outset of my response. With respect to the criteria that some of these prospective customers might use, one thing that is really neat about the success of our LEAP system is that we were able to demonstrate power production in very wide range of wave conditions, which include not only the Hurricane Irene, but also nonexistent waves. And that in that latter case, we have an onboard power management and storage system. So the bandwidth of performance time or just availability, the time within which we're producing power is very, very wide and extremely close to baseload power. So one criterion that they're looking at is with respect to just baseload power production. They can achieve that for diesel as long as they have enough in the way of redone diesel systems. So one interesting advantage to our power solution for them, and I think an important criterion, is the fact that on a cost basis for the -- to meet the total amount power needs, we believe it could be less cost associated with ours than the redundant diesel systems that in addition will require frequent repairs and also, of course, the refueling of them. Other aspects that are very important to oil and gas is that if you think of any individual platform, it has a certain amount of activity that occurs on platform, directly below it, that is to say, and then within a rather small -- relatively small radius outside or around that platform. With our system, we are able to extend that radius of operations because they are no longer limited by power lines that extend to whatever activity may be undertaken away from the platform. And all of a sudden, they can go a lot further out because the power source is right out there at wherever the operations may occur. So that's another very crucial criterion I think that is being looked at very actively, and certainly is part of the good feedback that we're getting in an initial basis in -- as we note of our business development activity with the oil and gas industry. So I hope that gives you a little more color about how we see some of the advantages and just the pure criteria that I used to assess us versus diesel.
Robert W. Stone - Cowen and Company, LLC, Research Division
That's extremely helpful. Do you have a sense of what the average nameplate would be for this kind of installation? I imagine it would vary quite a bit from something smaller for surveillance versus something bigger for an active operation like an oil rig.
Charles Frederick Dunleavy
Well, you're exactly right. For some of the activity that may be taking place again to that climate about the radius emanating from the hub or from the main platform, the power requirements for much further out, which includes such things as bathymetric surveys, also some of the heating systems that might be required to facilitate the flow of liquids, and also the defense or security measures. Those would be lower power, and to answer your question a little more specifically, would be up to a massive 10 kilowatts. Then as we focus instead right at the platform and the power needed at the platform, our PB150, the 150-kilowatt rated system, would be well-suited to the power needs of, especially the smaller autonomous platforms, of which there are many out there them now. As you might consider the power requirements for larger platforms than several PB150s would be apt for that. And again it underscores the point that the same core PowerBuoy technology that we sell into the utility grid connected markets is virtually identical to that which we're selling in these autonomous markets.
Robert W. Stone - Cowen and Company, LLC, Research Division
Great. A final question if I may, related to the PB150. I think on prior calls you've said the CapEx might be something approximately $4 million a megawatt. With the improvements to the direct drive, do you have a sense of what as a -- O&M might look like for that system?
Charles Frederick Dunleavy
The O&M? The way we've approached that is that starting with that $4 million per megawatt, which is in large production volumes of 400 buoys per annum, by the way, the related cost per kilowatt hour target is $0.15. Of that $0.15, Rob, about 20% of that is represented by O&M. So I'm answering your question not in absolute dollars but in terms of the portion of the total cost of energy.
And our next question will come from the line of Gerard Adams with the National Inflation Association.
Gerard Adams
I just wanted to first congratulate you on the new grant, and I can't believe how undervalued the company is right now. I was wondering if you can just touch base on how you plan on cutting cost to get the burn rate down, and just the timeline on some of the upcoming projects?
Brian M. Posner
It's Brian. First of all, we've taken a hard look at our fixed cost structure. We're not a build-it-and-hope-they-come type of company. We've reduced costs, such as the A market, we've looked at our legal fees, we looked at our insurance costs. So I think we've done a very prudent job. In fact, our headcount is slightly down from about a year to 18 months ago. In terms of margins, it's basically about increasing production efficiency and effectiveness and growing our business, which obviously will help us absorb overhead. And so we have a very keen eye on both our cost structure, and obviously, our cash flow and will continue to do that.
Charles Frederick Dunleavy
I would add as well, Gerard, that one of the major progenitors of our cash burn in prior years has been from the R&D spending. And going forward, the majority, in fact virtually all of the ongoing developments associated with our PB500, would be externally funded from grants, other funded development contracts. And we've been very successful to date so far having brought in, USD $6.2 million towards the PB500 development. Also, we see, as we kind of look out for this year and then the next few years, in addition, what had been in prior years, a major a source of burn associated with the development of the PB150, will realize or result in a far decreased amount of spend related to our PB150, as we completed the Scotland PB150. And then in addition, and this kind of goes to your second question about the timeline of projects, as we look to complete the PB150 for Reedsport in 2012 that too would result in a significant decrease in any R&D spend related to that particular 150. So in a nutshell, reduced R&D spending would be one way in which we see a very significant reduction in cash burn as it might be compared to prior periods. And then again, on a timeline of projects, I addressed that part of your question with respect to the Reedsport system. Also the WavePort system, we haven't given specific guidance on when we expect that to go in the water, but we're really going all out during calendar 2012 to bring that whole project well along to a point of completion. So on our near-term buoys in the water target certainly include both Reedsport as well as that WavePort system.
And our next question will come from the line of Robert Littlehale with JPMorgan.
Robert Littlehale
Just a couple of quick questions. PB500 -- is the direct drive take-off system going to be utilized on the PB500? Is that clear?
Charles Frederick Dunleavy
Yes, indeed. In fact, just to add one point. Also we have a lot of work on-going to significantly modularize that direct drive system. And we're already going to be implementing that on the WavePort project. So the PB500 will really benefit heavily from not only direct line but also this modularization that I just mentioned.
Robert Littlehale
And then as it relates to -- is there any way to determine just in terms of FERC's decision as it relates to Reedsport? Is there a certain amount of time that you envision that they'll finally come back and make a determination?
Charles Frederick Dunleavy
Well, very broadly, we do expect a final decision on that during calendar 2012. But we really are hopeful that it will be in the first half of calendar '12. We, and also FERC, as well as a number of the other agencies at both federal and state levels are, as you know and I think we've talked about it in the past on some of our calls, we've really done a lot of homework on this, and sought to build -- and take an extra time to build a strong consensus among a lot of different stakeholders on this. And we think that as a result, that's being well-regarded by FERC and some of the other agencies. So at any rate, a quick answer to your question is we hope to see some -- a decision on this during the first of calendar 2012.
Thank you. That concludes our questioning period. Mr. Dunleavy, you may now proceed with any closing remarks.
Charles Frederick Dunleavy
Thank you, all, once again for attending today's call. And if you do have any further questions, please don't hesitate to contact either Brian or myself, and otherwise, we look forward to speaking with you all next quarter.
Thank you for your participation in today's conference. This concludes your presentation. You may now disconnect. Good day, everyone.
Copyright policy: All transcripts on this site are the copyright of Seeking Alpha. However, we view them as an important resource for bloggers and journalists, and are excited to contribute to the democratization of financial information on the Internet. (Until now investors have had to pay thousands of dollars in subscription fees for transcripts.) So our reproduction policy is as follows: You may quote up to 400 words of any transcript on the condition that you attribute the transcript to Seeking Alpha and either link to the original transcript or to www.SeekingAlpha.com. All other use is prohibited.
If you have any additional questions about our online transcripts, please contact us at: email@example.com. Thank you!


text:
I've got to say the Scott boys are right on the money with their call for the roof at Etihad Stadium to stay closed during every match, night and day, rain, hail or shine.
Chris and Brad made their call in the wake of a thrilling Geelong-North Melbourne battle which was marred by the open roof and an unforeseen final quarter deluge of rain.
I'm sure the twins spoke for the vast majority of fans when they queried why the AFL "don't just shut the roof".
I don't know anyone who thinks the current policy is a good idea.
Only overcast days work! Bright and sunny makes watching the game on TV, playing or even trying to read the giant scoreboard on the city side of the ground a real adventure.
Sunday's controversy came just a day after goal umpire Courtney Lai sustained a serious knee injury at the same venue.
The unsuspecting Lai, a doctor himself, suffered a rupture to both the anterior cruciate and medial ligaments in his left knee when Bulldog Liam Picken arrived like a sack of anvils.
The lack of an adequate medical response was cause for real concern.
The good doctor showed admirable courage as he waited for several minutes before being carried from the ground on a stretcher. Stretcher? A credible source identified a "flat battery" for the absence of an automated cart normally used to transport injured players from the ground.
Regardless of the cause, the time spent waiting was jaw-dropping.
Had Lai had a serious hit to the head one wonders how the AFL could expect not to face litigation.
Fair to say, just for the moment at least, the country's most envied sporting body is looking decidedly human.
Coming off a summer of controversy, the AFL needs to take a deep breath and get a grip!


text:
Luxury condominium available! This affordable condo has a great split bedroom floor plan, vaulted ceiling and a gas fireplace. There are granite counter tops and hardwood floors and lots up upgrades. Everything on one level! The association takes care of outside maintenance, so you can go enjoy life!
School information not availble at this time. Try again later.
This is a completely basic popup, no options set.


text:
Home » Pen Brands > Visconti Pens > Visconti Rollerballs » Visconti Michelangelo Rollerball Navy
FREE shipping on all orders over $35!
Engraving $12 for the 1st line - $3 for the 2nd - View Sample Engravings
Accessorize your pen with a leather pen case
Send a Gift certificate
Questions? Call us at 800.766.7367


text:
Our 2016 Empowerment Celebration was a success, thanks to your support! To view pictures from this event, please click here.
Many thanks for supporting the inaugural Night at the Fights! For photos of this exciting, one-of-a-kind fundraiser, click here.
We are working with employers eager to hire diversity candidates. Check out our Hot Jobs!
Ready to buy your first home? Let us help you, click here for more information.
Unemployed? Underemployed? Interested in being trained for a high-paying job? For more information, click here!
We are the Urban League of Philadelphia.
From the President's Desk
Since 1917, we have helped African Americans in the Philadelphia region improve their lives. We continue to reach our goals by creating connections through collaborations, from ensuring that our Board of Directors is made up of the top minds in the region, to creating opportunities for our clients to achieve financial empowerment through entrepreneurial and job training programs.Read More
What's Happening
Partner Highlight
Thank you for your
continued support.
Bank of America has been a partner and supporter of the Urban League of Philadelphia since arriving in the Philadelphia market in 2005. They've invested more than $400,000 in our workforce development and education programs, on top of countless volunteer hours. The Urban League was proud to honor Bank
of America with the 2015 Vision Award at the Empowerment Gala.


text:
olympictrivia I love the Olympic Games, and I'm a super nerd about it. Check out my blog for more interesting facts and trivia!
SHARE THIS PAGE View Viral Dashboard ›
Drag to highlight one or more parts of the screen.
We got your feedback, and we'll follow up with you at
Sadly, an error occured while sending your feedback. Please contact firstname.lastname@example.com to let us know.


text:
The following is a guest post from regular contributor, Sharon at Mom of 6.
On our weekends, we spend a fair amount of time as a family hanging out at sports fields. And while our main reason for being there is to cheer on our son or daughter who is playing soccer (as well as for their entire team)… the reality is that I will also need to simultaneously keep a gaggle of siblings happy as well. So aside from tossing $20 bills to the ice cream man to keep my kids content, and sending them off to the playground for yet another hour…. I need to have a back-up plan. Preferably one that sits in my car, just waiting for the right moment to be called into action. Perhaps you do too….
Which is why it is good to have your car organized for the start of the kids' sports season!
Some things in the back of this car are basic necessities- a few chairs to sit on, a couple of blankets with water-proof bottoms for the kids to lay on, and sunscreen. And some things are for emergencies- an extra pair of shin guards and soccer socks, an extra sweatshirt for a parent or a child that is chilled, an umbrella or two, some paper and crayons to entertain the kids who are bored, a few bottles of water in the event that your child or a teammate has forgotten theirs at home, and of course a first aid kit to bandage sports injuries and playground boo-boos.
And then there are items in here for EMERGENCIES! Snacks for tired and grumpy kids. Candy when they've eaten all the snacks and you need to keep them happy for just a little while longer. A deck of cards, a stashed-away game (ours is "left-right-center") that you can pull out when you've reached the end of your rope, and it feels new and exciting to the kids.
And of course if you are fortunate enough to drive an oversized Mommy bus as I do, you can just tuck everything underneath the back row of seats, and leave plenty of cargo space available for the 47 bags of groceries that I need to pack in here after my weekly run to the store!
But the same idea also works for my husband's car- an SUV where we put into action the 3rd row of seats which leaves us with mere inches of trunk space!
So what did I forget? Are there any other items that you like to tuck into the back of your car during the kids' sports season? Please leave a comment and share!
If you get a chance, I hope you'll stop by to see me at Momof6 – a place where I write about organizing your home, using a family calendar, creating household routines, hosting at-home birthday parties, and holding a DIY summer camp! You can also find me over on GreatFamilyRoadTrips– where I share ideas and itineraries to inspire you to hit the road!
Linking up: Your Homebased Mom, A Bowl Full of Lemons
You may also like -


text:
Democrats in Arizona, Idaho and Utah went to the polls Tuesday, March 22, to select a presidential candidate. This post was updated throughout the day with exit-poll information, analysis and results. For Republican contest analysis and results, follow this link.
Update (March 23, 6 a.m. PT): Final results
"Western Tuesday" winners
Arizona: Hillary Clinton (58%)
Utah: Bernie Sanders (80%)
Idaho: Bernie Sanders (78%)
Update (March 22, 8:40 p.m. PT): The battle continues
With her victory in Arizona, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton maintains momentum for her campaign, regardless of how the final results turn out tonight in Utah and Idaho. Next up for the Democrats: caucuses on Saturday in Alaska, Hawaii and Washington state. Then comes the Wisconsin primary on April 5. Clinton holds a negligible lead in the polls in the Badger State. If Sanders is going to have any chance of catching Clinton in the delegate hunt -- and that appears increasingly unlikely -- he must win in Wisconsin.
Update (March 22, 8:27 p.m. PT): Clinton wins Arizona
Hillary Clinton wins the Arizona Democratic primary, multiple news sources project. Arizona is the biggest prize of the night, but Bernie Sanders still could score victories in Utah and Idaho.
Update (March 22, 8:12 p.m. PT): Early results in Arizona
Hillary Clinton leads Bernie Sanders 61 percent to 36 percent with just under half of the ballots counted in Arizona.
Update (March 22, 6:50 p.m. PT): Results on the way
Arizona polls close in 10 minutes; the Idaho Democratic caucuses have ended and results will be available soon. Caucuses are continuing in Utah.
Update (March 22, 4:20 p.m. PT): What Bill Clinton meant
Hillary Clinton's campaign said Tuesday that former President Bill Clinton was talking about the do-nothing Republican Congress, not President Barack Obama, when he said Monday at a campaign rally that it was time to "put the awful legacy of the last eight years behind us and the seven years before that."
Clinton campaign press spokesman Brian Fallon said on social media that Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders "is the only Dem in race who actually attacks" President Obama.
Update (March 22, 3:15 p.m. PT): Elizabeth Warren takes on Donald Trump
Elizabeth Warren was the great progressive hope last year. But the senator from Massachusetts declined to run for president, leading to the rise of Bernie Sanders.
Warren is still in the thick of things, however. She's been floated as a possible vice-presidential candidate on a ticket with Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton. She hasn't said if she's interested in the number-two slot, but in recent days she has exhibited a key Veep attribute: a willingness to attack the other side and the ability to do it well.
"Let's be honest -- Donald Trump is a loser," Warren wrote on social media this week. "Count all his failed businesses. See how he kept his father's empire afloat by cheating people with scams like Trump University and by using strategic corporate bankruptcy (excuse me, bankruptcies) to skip out on debt." She continued:
"Trump seems to know he's a loser. His embarrassing insecurities are on parade: petty bullying, attacks on women, cheap racism, and flagrant narcissism. But just because Trump is a loser everywhere else doesn't mean he'll lose this election. People have been underestimating his campaign for nearly a year – and it's time to wake up."
Let's be honest – Donald Trump is a loser. Count all his failed businesses. See how he kept his father's empire afloat...Posted by Elizabeth Warren on Monday, March 21, 2016
Update (March 22, 2:20 p.m. PT): Clinton on terrorism response
Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has weighed in on the terrorist attacks in Belgium today by calling for a greater effort to defeat the Islamic State (ISIS) in their home bases in the failed states of Iraq and Syria.
"First of all, I think we do have to have a clear objective of defeating ISIS, of defeating the tactics and activities of terrorists," she told NBC News' Savannah Guthrie. "That's something I've been talking about for some time. I think the way to do that is to deprive them of territory in Syria and Iraq to stop the flow of foreign fighters, arms, weapons, and to take them on on the Internet, which they use in a quite sophisticated way. That means we've got to work with other countries. We have to work with our European friends and allies. We have to work with Middle Eastern and Muslim nations. And that means also that we've got to be smart about protecting us here at home."
Unlike Republican presidential candidates Donald Trump and Ted Cruz, Clinton is not calling for stopping Muslims from entering the U.S. or for patrolling Muslim neighborhoods. "I think there are a lot of things we have to do to intensify our efforts," she said. "I think closing our borders is not one of them. I think that even if we were to build a tall wall around the entire continental United States, the internet would still get over it. And so our challenge is to have a united effort to defend our country, to protect against terrorist attacks, to encourage everybody who sees or hears something suspicious to report it to law enforcement and to intensify our cooperation with other nations who have bits and pieces of information that can be helpful to us."
Her response to the comments from Trump and Cruz: "I don't think we want to be inciting more fears. I don't think we want to be playing to people's concerns so that we turn against one another."
Arizona, Utah, Idaho election preview (March 22, 10 a.m. PT)
Early this month, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton admitted something we all already knew. She said she wasn't a "natural politician" like her husband Bill or President Barack Obama. By which she meant she wasn't very good at campaigning, at presenting herself for public consumption, at crafting an image.
This simple fact became obvious way back in 1992 when Americans were first being introduced to her. "I suppose I could have stayed home and baked cookies and had teas," she said, referring to the fact that she had pursued her legal career while Bill was governor of Arkansas rather than settling into the traditional first lady role. This was the tetchy defensiveness of a put-upon 1970s feminist, not the rousing "We've come a long way" triumphalism that she was going for. A few years later she again showed she had a tin ear for public perceptions when she complained about the "vast right-wing conspiracy" that was attacking her and Bill. She was roundly mocked by the conservative media, though it's difficult to deny she had a point.
In this reality-TV and Instagram age, Hillary Clinton is finding that her pragmatic, thoughtful, well-briefed approach to politics might bring bureaucratic and legislative successes but it just doesn't play on the stump. MSNBC talker Joe Scarborough and others scolded her last week for her tendency to yell her speeches and the fact that she doesn't smile naturally when the spotlight is on her. She remains the front-runner for the Democratic presidential nomination, but Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, though for months widely viewed as nothing more than a protest candidate, has proved to be a surprisingly strong and relentless opponent.
Clinton had a big night last Tuesday, dramatically extending her delegate lead with a series of victories, but Sanders made clear he's marching on. Three more states vote Tuesday: Clinton has a big lead in the polls in Arizona, but Sanders could win Idaho and Utah.
Clinton has done well so far at the polls, particularly in the South, but of course Sanders has pulled off some impressive upsets along the way, such as in Michigan. And he insists the primary calendar is now moving into states more suited to his calls for free college education, expanded Social Security, single-payer health care and a "political revolution" to address income inequality.
"She creamed us in Mississippi and Louisiana and South Carolina," Sanders said last week. He added: "As we head to the West Coast, which is probably the most progressive part of America, I think as you go forward you're going to see us doing better and better."
Is he right? That's hard to say. The biggest remaining prize is June's California primary, and polls show Clinton up by an average of 13 percentage points in the Golden State. (On Saturday, Democrats in Alaska, Hawaii and Washington vote in caucuses.)
Also working against the long-shot Sanders campaign is that Clinton, trying to be a "natural politician," has shifted to the left in response to the Vermont senator's challenge. Sanders sees that as a victory for him: "Hillary Clinton has moved over the last 10 months to the positions I've been advocating for the last 20 or 30 years," he said recently. "Our history in politics is very different and I think the people of this country deserve to know that."
Voters might not take his point, seeing only that Clinton and Sanders have similar messages while Clinton also has the powerful cloak of invincibility that every high-profile front-runner wears. But though the delegate math is against the Sanders campaign, Sanders senior adviser Tad Devine says anything can still happen -- starting Tuesday. "We're closing very hard," he told MSNBC over the weekend. "Bernie closes very well."
-- Douglas Perry


text:
Greetings Guest!!Dismiss Notice
In order to combat SPAM on the forums, all users are required to have a minimum of 2 posts before they can submit links in any post or thread.
Greetings Guest! Tonights Maintenance is complete and the Stratics Community Wiki is now live. Please see this thread for more details.Dismiss Notice
(PvP Event) 'Last Player Standing'
Discussion in 'UO Origin' started by Intoxication, Jan 15, 2009.