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JIMMY Phillips is looking to tap into some Olympic spirit in his effort to get Wanderers' stumbling season back on course.
Before his first big test against Bristol City at the Reebok this afternoon, the interim Whites boss has sought inspiration from the man who masterminded Team GB's incredible golden summer of cycling, Dave Brailsford.
Phillips and his coaching team of Sammy Lee and Julian Darby have wasted no time putting their stamp on the training ground following the departure of Owen Coyle last week. And although the Bolton-born boss is reluctant to pitch himself as a candidate to fill the job, he revealed his inspiration for taking the reins in the short term has come from the progress made by Jason Kenny and the like in the Velodrome at London 2012.
"Aspiring to be a first-team manager is wrong," he said. "You've got to improve yourself as a person, as a coach, and look at all the different ideas that are available. I remember going to a talk by the Team GB cycling team and hearing about "marginal gains".
"They said they'd made 200 gains from taking over five years ago to what it is now after the Olympics, and it interested me.
"There have been lots of technical improvements in football – pitches, boots, balls, shin pads etc. But we need to use what we can as coaches to get the best out of players – the whole sports science side of things, the GPS, and I've embraced all that.
"How far it takes me as a person won't be for me to decide. That's for other people."
Even though much has been made of his 'appliance of science' since taking over temporary charge last Wednesday, Phillips insists he is not overloading the squad with information.
"The skill is picking out the right details at the right time, and making sure you are going to improve the players," he said.
"There's no point saying we're going to be sports science-oriented when you are giving players the wrong feedback or the wrong training.
"Through our experience, we're using methods we think will affect the team."
All eyes are on what improvements Phillips and his staff can encourage this afternoon from a Wanderers side that has struggled to adapt to Championship football thus far.
But while critics of the former regime often lamented a lack of 'Plan B' - Phillips is keen to add more flexibility by making sure his players have researched their opponents in-depth.
"I believe the more good information a player has, the more they can adjust their game on a Saturday," he said. "They won't be surprised.
"Obviously we hope the players perform well but we're leaving no stone unturned.
"The performance analysis department, through the use of video, do a lot of in-depth work and there's no point in them working hard all week if you're not going to use them.
"We'll decide how much – and what is of benefit to the players – and definitely our support staff have been really professional by providing the best service they possibly can."


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On January 9, at this December 7, 2006 post on asbestos lawsuit double-dipping ("the process by which lawyers file claims at many different bankruptcy trusts on behalf of a single plaintiff"), I received this comment from Brayton Purcell (#11 if your browser doesn't take you directly to it), the law firm that attempted a fifth dip on behalf of one of their clients, and was caught in the act of doing so by Judge Harry Hanna of the Cuyahoga County (OH) Court of Common Pleas.
The comment is a reprint of the response the law firm sent to the Wall Street Journal in response to Kimberly Strassel's OpinionJournal.com column in early December on the situation.
The Journal updated in a Monday, January 22 subscription-only editorial, and the results reported make a mockery of the comment referred to above:
The judicial hammer finally came down last week on the California law firm of Brayton Purcell, one of the giants of the asbestos bar. All the firm had done was file a false claim, lie in court and obstruct discovery. But hey, everyone has a bad day once in a while.
The ruling came from Ohio Judge Harry Hanna of the Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas, as he barred Brayton Purcell from practicing in his court. In the process, the judge exposed one of the darker corners of tort abuse: asbestos trusts, or funds set up by bankrupt companies to pay legal claims.
The judge is overseeing a suit brought by Brayton Purcell, which claimed Lorillard Tobacco's cigarettes had caused the late Harry Kananian's mesothelioma. What emerged in court, however, is that Brayton Purcell and other firms had previously filed numerous claims to other asbestos trusts claiming that Kananian had developed his asbestos cancer for different reasons.
This is called "double dipping," and because trust payouts are confidential the public rarely learns of these abuses. Our Kimberley Strassel exposed the Kananian scam last year on these pages, reporting on court records showing that Brayton Purcell and its lead attorney, Christopher Andreas, had gone to extraordinary lengths to hide these facts.
In his opinion, Judge Hanna found that Brayton Purcell disobeyed court orders and lied to the court about it; that it had filed a false claim to an asbestos trust, because "this fiction, of course, improved chances of recovery from the trust"; that Mr. Andreas had lied to the court about what he knew about the claim forms and when and had encouraged trusts to resist discovery; and that the lead counsel had shown a "shocking" lack of "respect" during his deposition.
"The record before this court indicates that Brayton Purcell institutionally and Christopher Andreas individually have failed to abide by our rules. They have not conducted themselves with dignity. They have not honestly discharged the duties of an attorney in this case. Therefore, they have forfeited their privileges to practice before this court," the judge wrote.
Cuyahoga County has long been a mecca for asbestos lawsuits, and tens of thousands are still pending. Judge Hanna and two of his colleagues are charged with overseeing that docket, which means that Brayton Purcell's banishment is a serious sanction that hurts its pocketbook.
The editorial goes on to hope that the Ohio Bar Association sees fit to take disciplinary action, and that other judges start scrutinizing the documents submitted to them in asbestos-related matters more thoroughly.
The law firm's comeuppance is a single but significant hard-fought victory over particularly egregious form of legal malpractice, and Judge Hanna deserves the thanks of all remaining legitimate asbestos victims, who may find there is actually money left for them not illegally raided by the likes of Brayton Purcell.
It is also a classic "good guy exposes bad guy's corruption" story that you would ordinarily expect the formerly Mainstream Media to jump on. But as you can see from this Google News search that located fewer than 20 results (and a few of those are unrelated PR releases), the story has received very little national exposure, and none in the Old Media "newspapers of record," namely the NY Times, Washington Post, or LA Times (links are to searches on "Brayton Purcell," in quotes, at each paper, all of which contain no results).
So why isn't this news? Could it be that anything that doesn't fit the riding-to-the-rescue template that Old Media seems to favor when covering the plaintiff's bar really isn't worth reporting?
Cross-posted at BizzyBlog.com.

subset: commoncrawl


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Several hours ago, the Official Xbox Magazine tweeted about an upcoming Fallout: New Vegas interview with Bethesda's Pete Hines to be featured in their podcast just after the new issue of the magazine, where New Vegas is the cover story, goes on sale.
The podcast is apparently to be available on iTunes. I don't use iTunes myself, but hopefully someone will send us a summary any new info once it's out. Too bad it's Pete Hines, though, and not any of the Obsidian developers that are actually working on the game.


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Commercial Property Insurance Disputes
Locate a Local Business Lawyer
What is Property Insurance in a Business Setting?
In a business setting, property insurance may protect the business from losses associated with company property, buildings, and other assets. This is usually designated as "commercial property insurance." Commercial property insurance is one of the two major types of commercial insurance, with the other being general liability insurance.
What Does Commercial Property Insurance Usually Cover?
In most cases, commercial property insurance covers most real property, and other items that are associated with normal business operations. They usually cover losses to such items that occur as a result of reasonably foreseeable circumstances, such as theft, vandalism, and some natural disasters like earthquakes, storms, and fires.
Commercial property insurance usually covers the following types of business property:
- Buildings owned or rented by the business, which are being used for business operations
- Trade fixtures like lighting systems or heating/ventilation systems
- Machinery and equipment used for business operations
- Office furniture
- Computers and other electronic devices like printers, laptops, etc., used by the business
- Various items in inventory, stockrooms, and supplies
So, commercial property insurance packages usually cover these and other items that are used in the normal course of business operations. The insurer and the insured business can also negotiate for the coverage of more specific property items like company cars.
What are Some Common Commercial Property Insurance Disputes?
Commercial property insurance disputes can arise if the parties aren't clear as to some of the different terms or policies. For example, some common commercial property insurance disputes may involve:
- Pricing: There may be disputes as to how much the insurance company will cover for damaged items. For example, the insurance company might only be willing to pay for the market value of the item at the time of the damage, whereas the insured business may be expecting coverage for the full purchase price of the item.
- "Fixtures": As in many property disputes, there can be dispute as to what actually constitutes a "fixture". In most cases, the term "fixture" means any apparatus or equipment that can't readily be removed without causing some damage to the property. However, in practical terms, this can raise many disputes
- Non-Covered Items and Events: Most commercial property insurance plans don't cover floods. Other natural disasters or specific types of property damage may not be covered as well
Thus, one of the main sources of dispute with regards to commercial property insurance is the expectation of what will be covered and what won't. In most cases, such disputes can be avoided by a thorough review of the insurance contract, with necessary edits being made as needed before signing. This may require the skill and expertise of a lawyer.
Do I Need a Lawyer for Help With Commercial Property Insurance Disputes?
Commercial property insurance disputes may often have to be resolved in court through a civil lawsuit. In most cases, the advice of a lawyer is needed to deal with the various laws and items of evidence involved in such a case. If your business is involved in any commercial property insurance disputes, you should contact a business lawyer immediately. Your attorney can help instruct you regarding your legal options, and can represent you and your interests in a court of law.
Consult a Lawyer - Present Your Case Now!
Last Modified: 05-07-2014 11:32 AM PDT
Link to this page


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In this edition of my guest post for the Genealogy Insider I'm reporting from the Who Do You Think You Are? Live event in London, which runs Friday, Feb. 25, through Sunday, Feb 27.
While I could spend time telling you about the huge booths and displays of the genealogy giants like Ancestry.uk, FamilySearch or Find My Past, I think it would miss the mark on conveying what is truly unique about this particular event. It's the "little guy" – the local society, volunteer organization and fledgling online start-up – that fills the vast majority of the exhibit hall. Here are just a few that stood out as I made way up and down the aisles:
Discover Ireland"Genealogy butler" and professional genealogist Helen Kelly sat down with me at the Discover Ireland booth to talk about the countless number of people they have helped trace their Irish ancestors and then make the journey to the homeland. Their free booklet "Tracing Your Ancestors" in Ireland walks family historians through doing research on their own in the U.S, heading online to tap into digital records, hiring professional help as needed, and tips for making the trip and walking the green grass of Ireland in person."We have to be quiet sometimes," says Kelly, "…we have to sit in the landscape and then the stones can speak to us." Kelly made a compelling case for making the journey "back to the community that nurtured your ancestors." While many things have changed, you can still experience the accents, landscape and culture that enveloped your ancestors. Kelly summed it up this way, "We are not just part of our people, we are also part of our landscape." Stay tuned to my Genealogy Gems podcast, where you will hear my entire conversation with this inspirational expert on discovering Ireland.
Western Front Association
If you have an ancestor who served during the Great War, the Western Front Association may have just the resources and expertise you are looking for. Founded by historian John Giles in 1980, the association has grown to include thousands of members around the world. Their historical information officer is available to help with research questions, and their publications and unique record holdings make them an ideal resource.
War Memorials TrustAs I approached their booth, a woman named Nancy welcomed me and explained the simple yet vital purpose of the War Memorials Trust: to monitor the condition of war memorials and to encourage protection and conservation when appropriate. They also strive to provide expert advice to war memorial projects across the UK, to act as the specialist organization for war memorial conversation issues and to facilitate repair and conservation through grants. I was pleased to see organizations in attendance that play a vital role in empowering all of us to help preserve our precious history.
Friends of the MPHCDo you have a bobby in your background? If so, the Metropolitan Police have a resource for you! The Met Collection encompasses artifacts previously hidden from view. The permanent public display at the Met Collection heritage center rotates from the 17,000 items that make up the collection including uniforms, photos, police equipment and a vast database of records. You can visit the collection in person at The Annex, Empress State Building, Empress Approach, Lillie Rd., London SW6 1TR (a 2 minute walk from the Brompton tube station) or visit them online at the Friends of the MPHC website.
With such a variety of fascinating topics and experts to learn from, it's no wonder that over 17,000 people have bought tickets to attend the three-day event. Next week I'll have a complete wrap up for you on the Who Do You Think You Are? Live event.
So what's the prize? Four lucky winners will get Discover Your Roots Kits, which include a bookazine for genealogy beginners, a Family Tree University course, a subscription to Family Tree Magazine, our State Research Guides CD and the Family Tree Pocket Reference eBook—a $205 value!
You can enter each week in February, by doing one or both of the following things:
We'll pick a winner each Monday and post their name here and on Facebook.
With all the anticipation of the first ever RootsTech
conference, it's hard to believe it's already come and gone. Here are some highlights from
this year's conference that I hope inspire you to attend next year. (Block out
February 2-4, 2012 on your calendar!)
Microfilm Distribution:
As a member of the media, I had the rare opportunity to see how hundreds of
thousands of microfilm rolls make their way around the world each year. The Family History Library distribution center is
the size of 19 football fields and stores 725,000 film copies, each copy averaging
100 feet in length. Films
are stored in huge automated shelving systems holding trays of film that are
tracked and accessed by computer. Even though there is a goal to digitize all microfilms held by the
FHL, there will always be a need for microfilm distribution because of copyright restrictions.
Inside the microfilm distribution center at the Family History Library.
Flip-Pal Mobile Scanner: One of the winners at this year's conference was the Flip-Pal Mobile
Scanner. Many a happy genealogist
clutched their new portable workhorse, and those that didn't already have one were muttering
quietly that they really needed one. Having acquired a Flip-Pal scanner myself not long
ago, I can say that the buzz was warranted. Look for the Family Tree Magazine review of the Flip-Pal scanner in our May issue, on newsstands March 8.
The Media Center: I felt a bit like Maxwell Smart
in the Cone of Silence from "Get Smart," as I conducted interviews in the glass cubicles at
the center of the exhibit hall. The cubicles weren't sound proof, but they provided a convenient place to record
audio and video while still capturing the ambiance of the place. One of my first interviews was with
Patricia Van Skaik of the Cincinnati Public Library, who won the Most
Distinguished Presenter award for her Saturday presentations. The media center was a stroke of genius
on the part of the organizers. It
gave podcasters and bloggers the room and tools we needed to get the word out.
Lisa interviewing Patricia Van Skaik in the media center.
Interviews: Curt
Witcher, manager of the genealogy deptartment at the Allen County Public Library in
Fort Wayne, Ind., also sat down with me for an in depth interview. He
sees technology converging with genealogy, and his keynote address was quite a hit from sounds of
between-session banter. Watch our conversation below:
You can see more from RootsTech at the Genealogy Gems
YouTube channel.
Click subscribe while there and you can receive email notification as they are
Virtual Presentations Roundtable: I wrapped up the whirlwind three-day conference
as a panelist in the Virtual Presentations Roundtable. Thomas MacEntee pulled together a panel of experienced webinar
presenters, including editor of Family Tree Magazine Allison Stacy,
Photo Detective Maureen Taylor, DearMYRTLE, Geoff Rasmussen
and Marian Pierre-Louis. Not only
did we provide tips on how societies can hold their own virtual presentations,
but the session itself was a virtual webinar. And to top it off, the RootsTech folks streamed the session
live on the RootsTech website!
RootsTech made a bold leap onto the conference scene, and
from every indication, it's here to stay.


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The International Festival of Arts and Ideas kicked off this weekend and will continue through Saturday, June 27th. The Festival is a great opportunity for families to enjoy world-class entertainment, cultural and learning programs right here in New Haven. For a full list of this year�s activities, please visit: www.artidea.org.
Here�s what else is happening in New Haven:
Green Energy Tax Credits Press Conference
On Wednesday, June 17th at 2 p.m., I will be holding a press conference to celebrate the recent legislation establishing a tax credit for taxpayers who construct �green� buildings. To qualify for these state tax credits, projects must meet certain energy and environmental standards, such as utilizing less energy and installing Energy Star standard equipment and appliances. Please join me on Wednesday at 360 State Street to learn more about the green energy tax credit program.
Youth @ Work Orientation
The Youth @ Work summer program will begin this week with a weeklong orientation. Through this program, approximately 1200 youths will work in the public and private sector over the course of 5 weeks, where they will learn valuable skills and gain professional work experience.
Summer Reading Challenge
The Summer Reading Challenge begins Saturday, June 20th at 11 a.m. in the Children�s Room on the second floor of the Ives Branch Library. The New Haven Public Library sponsors this summer offering, encouraging participants to �Be Creative at Your Library.� Kids from birth to 16-years-old are invited to explore their creativity through a variety of programs that highlight artistic expression and feature community talents. Kids receive a reading log when they sign up for the Summer Reading Challenge and are eligible to win prizes for the number of hours spent reading. For more information, call the Children�s Room downtown at 946-1839.
Green Tip
Conserve water by washing dishes by hand instead of running a less-than-full dishwasher load or waiting until it is full. This can save 10-20 gallons of water per day. If you are purchasing a new dishwasher, look for the Energy Star label.
The following events are taking place in the New Haven Public Schools this week:
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 17, 2009 8:15 A.M. - 9:15 A.M.: NATHAN HALE AUDITORIUM, 480 Townsend Ave., Setting Sail Into 2nd Grade: Bring a beach towel, sunglasses and your favorite flip flops for a special reading "send off" into 2nd grade. Local children's author, Lisa Fieldler will be our guest reader. Together we will pretend we are on vacation on a tropical island. As we imagine that we are basking in the sun, let's read our favorite books. This will be a great chance to read together with your child and his or her friends. The 1st grade students would love to show off their reading skills and all they have learned this year. Contact: Lucia Paolella, 946-8669.
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 17, 2009 AT 6 PM: HILL REGIONAL CAREER HIGH SCHOOL, 140 Legion Avenue, Davis St. Arts and Academics Magnet School is sponsoring The Davis Street 21st Century Band and String Ensemble Concert featuring award-winning soloists, Jamar Wright, Baritone Horn and Emily Adji, Violin. Davis Street will also be presenting the National Honors Induction. Donations will be accepted at the door. Contact: Lola Nathan @ Davis Street Arts and Academics Magnet School: 946-8660
FRIDAY, JUNE 19, 2009, 10:00 A.M. - 11:00 A.M.: NATHAN HALE LIBRARY, 480 Townsend Ave., Volunteers make a difference!: To acknowledge the collaboration of the JCL volunteers and the Nathan Hale students, we would like to invite you to a special end of the year ceremony. Our volunteers and students have developed relationships, worked together and promoted literacy, making reading fun and exciting. Contact: Lucia Paolella, 946-8669.
Is someone you know interested in receiving the Mayor's Monday Message? To join this list, please send your name and email address to: email@example.com. An opportunity may exist down the line to receive messages specific to your neighborhood. For this purpose, in your email, please tell us what ward you live in.
The Mayor's Monday Message list is not shared with any outside groups and is used solely for the purpose of delivering timely information about issues and events in the City from the Mayor's office to your inbox.
I hope you have a happy and healthy week!
Very truly yours,
John DeStefano, Jr.
Contact Name: Jessica Mayorga
Contact Email: email@example.com
Contact Phone: 203-946-7660


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Articles tagged takashi itani
24 Jun 2013 // 11:04 PM
One band ends, another one begins. Oh, the sweet sorrow their albums bring.READ more
//Mixed media
Legendary Shack Shakers "After You've Gone" (audio) (premiere) // Music
Brad Peterson "What the Open Heart Allows" (audio) (premiere) // Music
//Pm Picks
'Doctor Who': Casting a Woman as the Doctor Offers Fresh Perspectives and a New Kind of Role Model
// Channel Surfing
"The BBC's announcement of Jodie Whittaker as the first female Doctor has sections of fandom up in arms. Why all the fuss?READ the article


text: I live in Milano (I am born here and I live here sicne then ) What I suggest is: _Wake up and make brekfast at COVA (Via Montenapoleone). It is an institution. You'll findo that in many cafes breakfast COULD seem god but croissants quality in Milan had dropped to death. Cova's still amazing. Cappuccino there is also very good: creamy and not boiling hot like those ones at Starbucks. _Since you're in Montenapoleone, you'll find brands that are available all around the world (Gucci, Etro ecc) and other that aren't. You're not going to spend a lot of time here, besides getting yourself in the Milanese Atmosphere. What I really suggest to see is: Lorenzi (in front of Cova) in which you will find lots of interesting products for shaving, hair and so on and so forth. Larusmiani Tanino Crisci Sabbadini. Then, you have Rubinacci of course; and another very talented tailor who's atelier is in Via del Gesù. His name is Tindaro de Luca and he's at the same level of Rubinacci for me. You move around Monetapoleone a bit and you find a great shop nearby, Castellani in Piazza Filippo Meda (5 minutes from Montenapoleone). There is also Eddy Monetti in Piazza San Babila which is very good and Saintandrews Showroom in Via Bagutta 8. If you're hungry, you can stop and eat at a very good restaurant in Via Montenapoleone12 which is called Il Salumaio. If you're lucky (or unlucky, it depends if you enjoy the company) you may find Lapo Elkann there, Luca Rubinacci or Mariano, and other people like this. What about a nice shirt? You can move to Camiceria Siniscalchi, in via Carlo Porta. Beaoutiful shirt. While reaching via Carlo Porta, stop by A. Caraceni (the real one, togheter with Tommy and Giulio in Rome, the others are "seconds") in Via Fatebenefratelli 16. You can spend all three days in Caraceni, or in camiceria Siniscalchi taliking with Mr. Alessandro. Then (or if you don't want to go that way) you should absolutely walk into via Torino and find a little street called via Soncino: a very surprise because via Soncino is like 20 meters and you have a bespoke shirtmaker, Camiceria Ambrosiana and a bespoke shoemaker (friend of mine) Antonio Pio Mele. Pay a visit to both because it's worth it, in my humble opinion. But to make a suit or a shirt you need fabrics, right? Fort shirting, you can go to Clerici in Via Dante, or Spadari in Via Spadari. You'll find yourself passing in front of the worldwinde famous and expensive Peck Gastronomy. Wait, you said you needed suiting fabrics? There is Guenzati in via Dante: you'll easyli find coverts over 1 kg/meter and a rainbow of Harris Tweeds and many other fabrics. Or, if you prefer (I prefer!) Il Vecchio Drappiere in Via Meravigli. Those shops are run by the same familys from generations. While in via Meravigli, get a coffe in one of the oldest and best cafès in Milan: Marchesi. In Dicember, they make the best Panettone in my opinion. And now? There is a fork in via Meravigli: if you go straing you go to Marchesi Cafè, if you go left there is Marinella Ties, if you go righ you find a lot of shops also: starting from another Lorenzi shop, you'll find M. Bardelli. Three floors of made to measure tradition. You'll be like a child into a toys game there. Well, this is what came to my mind at first. I hope it's enough; if you like or have more time, you'll get more. Enjoy my city. Lo Zingaro


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UHURU is a safe, fast and very comfortable passage maker. Built for world sailing, UHURU features a fantastic specification and equipment list.
Still in her original ownership since new, UHURU has been carefully owned and operated and benefits from a recent winter refurbishment programme, which will ensure the boat is in super condition and ready for her next owner.
Viewing is highly recommended.


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Environmental Alternatives, Inc., through its affiliated companies, C&D Recovery (Clarksburg), C&D Recovery (Manassas), Ritchie Land Reclamation, and the under construction Dower House Road C&D Recovery Facility, provide off-site recycling services for our customers in "state of the art" facilities with "state of the art" construction and demolition (C&D) debris recycling, and processing equipment.
EAI is positioned to deliver all commingled construction and demolition (C&D) roll-off containers for processing of recyclables to our Virginia and Maryland State Permitted Solid Waste Processing Facilities where recyclables are separated from debris, processed and shipped to market.
Through this close affiliation, EAI is able to provide its customers a complete Waste and Recycling Assessment of their entire construction and demolition project, to include reports and documentation.


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In this article
What is Edwards' syndrome?Edwards' syndrome is a very rare condition caused by an abnormal amount of chromosomes in the cells of the body.
Babies are normally born with 46 chromosomes, which are arranged in 23 pairs. A baby with Edwards' syndrome has three copies of chromosome 18, rather than the usual pair. The condition is also known as trisomy 18 (Willacy 2011).
Edwards' syndrome is a very serious condition. Sadly, most babies who are born with Edwards' syndrome only survive a few days, weeks, or months. Those who survive longer than a year have a wide range of complex medical problems (NHS Choices 2014).
Babies with Edwards' syndrome don't grow as well as they should in the uterus (womb) and so have a low birth weight. Their hearts and kidneys don't develop properly. They have problems with feeding and breathing and they have severe learning difficulties (Chen 2014, Willacy 2011).
How common is Edwards' syndrome?Edwards' syndrome is very rare. About one pregnancy in every 1,500 is diagnosed with Edwards' syndrome (SOFT UK nd). Screening tests, such as the combined screening test, or private non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) (NHS Choices 2014), will tell you your risk of having a baby with Edwards' syndrome.
Diagnostic tests, such as amniocentesis or chorionic villus sampling (CVS), diagnose the condition.
Most women who are pregnant with a baby affected by Edwards' syndrome will experience a miscarriage. The chromosomal abnormality means the pregnancy simply can't develop properly. Alternatively, because of the seriousness of the condition, parents-to-be may make the difficult decision to go through with a termination. Only one baby in 6,000 is actually born with Edwards' syndrome (SOFT UK 2011, Willacy 2011).
What causes Edwards' syndrome?The causes are not known, but the risk of having a baby with Edwards' syndrome increases slightly as you become older. It is usually caused by a genetic abnormality in either the egg or sperm that created your baby.
Where can I get help and support?
- SOFT UK offers support and advice to families affected by chromosomal disorders.
- Contact a Family provides support and advice to the families of disabled children.
- Antenatal Results and Choices provides support and advice to parents throughout the antenatal screening and testing process, and afterwards.
Last reviewed: June 2015
Next review: June 2018
ReferencesChen H. 2014. Trisomy 18. Drugs and diseases. Medscape. www.emedicine.medscape.com [Accessed June 2015]
NHS Choices. 2014. Introduction: Edwards' syndrome (trisomy 18). Health A-Z. www.nhs.uk [Accessed June 2015]
SOFT UK. 2011. Patau's and Edwards' syndromes. Publications: Your Baby. www.soft.org.uk [Accessed June 2015]
SOFT UK. nd. Trisomy 13 & Trisomy 18. Info for Families. www.soft.org.uk [Accessed June 2015]
Willacy H. 2011. Edwards' syndrome (Trisomy 18). Professional reference. Patient UK. www.patient.co.uk [Accessed June 2015]


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These authors contributed equally to this work.
This article is an open-access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/).
Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) has been implicated in preventing the fetus from undergoing maternal T cell-mediated immune responses, yet the mechanism underlying these kinds of IDO-mediated immune responses has not been fully elucidated. Since the CD4 molecule plays a central role in the onset and regulation of antigen-specific immune responses, and T cell is sensitive in the absence of tryptophan, we hypothesize that IDO may reduce cell surface CD4 expression. To test this hypothesis, an adenoviral vector-based construct IDO-EGFP was generated and the effect of IDO-EGFP on CD4 expression was determined on recombinant adenoviral infected C8166 and MT-2 cells, by flow cytometry and/or Western blot analysis. The results revealed a significant downregulation of cell membrane CD4 in pAd-IDOEGFP infected cells when compared to that of mock-infected cells or infection with empty vector pAd-EGFP. Further experiments disclosed that either an addition of tryptophan or IDO inhibitor could partly restore CD4 expression in pAd-IDOEGFP infected C8166 cells. Our findings suggest that downregulation of CD4 by IDO might be one of the mechanisms through which IDO regulates T cell-mediated immune responses.
Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) is predominantly expressed in parenchymal tissues such as lungs, gut, and the fetal-maternal unit during pregnancy, as well as in the male epididymis and thymus [
Currently, two theories have been proposed to explain how IDO mediates immune tolerance. One theory is that by catabolizing tryptophan, IDO starves T cells of this essential amino acid which is indispensable for their proliferation and survival in the local microenvironment [
The CD4 molecule is a type I transmembrane glycoprotein with 58 kDa molecular weight and consists of an extracellular region with 370 amino acids, a transmembrane region with 25 amino acids and a cytoplasmic tail with 38 amino acids at the
There is no evidence that human T cells can express IDO, however, the immuno-modulatory effects of IDO on T cells are related to the pericellular degradation of tryptophan [
MT-2 cells were susceptible to the adenoviral infection. GFP expression could be visualized by fluorescent microscopy within 12 h of the addition of recombinant adenovirus (data not shown). The efficiency of infection was determined by fluorescent microscopy and flow cytometry (
The effect of IDOEGFP on the cell surface CD4 expression was evaluated in MT-2 cells at 60 h post infection. The CD4 expression was monitored by staining CD4 with PE-labeled antibody followed by flow cytometry analysis. As illustrated in
To test the possible mechanism through which IDO mediates the downregulation of CD4 expression on the cell surface,
The agarose gel electrophoresis of extracted RNA from each cell group show that the 28S, 18S, 5.8S (5S) rRNA bands were clearly visible (
Antibodies and Chemicals—Antibodies used in Western blot, flow cytometric analysis and reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) are as follows: the purified mouse monoclonal anti-GFP antibody was obtained from Clontech Inc. (USA); the purified mouse monoclonal anti-human CD4 antibody was obtained from R&D Systems (USA); the rabbit polyclonal anti-IDO antibody was obtained from Santa Cruz Biotechnology, Inc. (USA); the rabbit polyclonal anti-β-actin antibody was obtained from Beijing Boisynthesis Biotechnology Co., Ltd. (China); the polyclonal horseradish peroxidase-conjugated swine anti-rabbit immunoglobulins, and rabbit anti-mouse immunoglobulins were purchased from Dakocytomation (USA); PE-labeled anti-CD4 monoclonal antibody was purchased from BD Company (USA); the Western blot detection ECL kit was purchased from Pierce (USA); protease inhibitor cocktail,
Cell Culture and Transfection—Human embryonic kidney 293T cells were maintained in DMEM supplemented with 10% FBS. The CD4+ C8166 T cells and CD4+ MT-2 cells were cultured in RPMI 1640 medium containing 10% FBS.
The human IDO cDNAs were cut from pEGFP-IDO plasmid [
Recombinant adenoviruses were used to infect MT-2 cells or C8166 cells at a multiplicity of infection (MOI) of 100. Cells were harvested after 60 h of infection. The efficiency of infection was determined by flow cytometry (FACScan; Becton Dickinson Co., USA) measuring the GFP protein expression and fluorescent microscopy using a Nikon inverted microscope equipped with an FITC filter to view GFP. Images were captured by a digital camera.
The expression of CD4 and the efficiency of infection on the cell surface were determined by flow cytometry. After direct immunofluorescence staining using PE-labeled anti-CD4 monoclonal antibody for 30 min, nonspecific binding was removed by washing the cells twice with cold PBS and two-color flow cytometric analyses were performed. A total of 10,000 events were collected by the FACScan, and the data were analyzed using the CellQuest software (Becton Dickinson Co.).
To detect the expression of IDOEGFP and cellular protein β-actin, the cell extracts were prepared from normal or infected cells lysed in RIPA buffer supplemented with protease inhibitor cocktail. Extracts were centrifuged at 14,000 rpm for 10 min. Then the supernatants were run onto SDS-PAGE gel and the proteins in acrylamide gel were transferred to a polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) membrane. Immunoblotting against IDOEGFP and β-actin was carried out. Blots were initially incubated with mouse monoclonal anti-GFP antibody at a concentration of 1:1000, or with rabbit polyclonal anti-β-actin antibody at a concentration of 1:300, followed by incubation with HRP-conjugated secondary antibody respectively. To check the expression of cell surface CD4 molecule, the plasma membrane fraction from normal or infected cells was obtained using a Plasma Membrane Protein Extraction Kit according to the manufacturer's instructions. The plasmatic membrane proteins were fractionated by SDS electrophoresis on 8% acrylamide gel and electrotransferred onto PVDF membrane, then the membrane was incubated with 1μg/mL mouse monoclonal anti-human CD4 antibody, subsequently with HRP-conjugated rabbit anti-mouse antibody. Protein bands were visualized by using the ECL Kit followed by autoradiography.
Total RNA in the C8166 cells of each group was isolated by Trizol reagents (Invitrogen, USA). The purity and quantity of RNA were determined with a UV spectrophotometer with A260/A280 ratio >1.8 and the integrity of extracted RNA was tested by agarose gel electrophoresis. cDNA was generated from 3 μg of total RNA by utilizing a cDNA synthesis kit (Promega, USA) and oligo d(T) primers according to the protocol recommended by the manufacturer. The sequences of primers of human CD4 gene were designed according to the gene sequences and synthesized by Shanghai Genecore Biotechnologies, Shanghai, China. 5′ Oligonucleotide primers used for amplification were as follows: for human CD4, sense 5′-GTATGCTGGCTCTGGAAACCT-3′ anti-sense 5′-GAGACCTTTG CCTCCTTGTTC-3′; for human glyceraldehyde-3-phosphatedehydrogenase (GAPDH), sense 5′-AGAAGGCTGGGGCTCATTTG-3′ anti-sense 5′-AGGGGCCATCCACAGTCTTC-3′; for human β-actin, sense 5′-TGGCACCACACCTTCTACAATG-3′, anti-sense 5′-TCATCTTCTCGCGGTTGGC-3′. One microgram of the total cellular RNA extracted with Trizol Reagent (Invitrogen, USA) was subjected to reverse transcription by utilizing a cDNA synthesis kit (Invitrogen, USA): incubated at 70 °C for 5 min, 37 °C for 5 min, then 42 °C for 60 min, and finally cooling. The real-time quantitative RT-PCRs were performed using the ABI Step One Plus Sequence Detection System (Applied Biosystems) and analyzed with GeneAmp Ster One Plus SDS software. RT-PCR reactions were performed with the Universal TaqMan 2× PCR mastermix (Applied Biosystems, CA, USA) in a 20-μL reaction volume containing primers for human CD4 or GAPDH. The thermal cycling conditions were 2 min at 50 °C and 10 min at 95 °C, 40 cycles at 95 °C for 15 s and 60 °C for 1 min. The software was used to analyze data and calculate Ct (threshold cycle) values. The CD4 and GAPDH transcript levels were estimated using the formula 2−ΔCt where ΔCt represents the difference in Ct values between target and housekeeping assays. To confirm the specificity of amplification, melting curve analysis was carried out after the last cycle of each amplification. To know the PCR efficiency the standard curves were constructed using serial dilution of cDNA from each group (each concentration in triplicate).
Statistical analysis was conducted using SPSS version 10.0, and results were shown as means ± standard deviation (SD) and were analyzed statistically by using Student's
In a set of seminal studies, Munn, Mellor
By using MT-2 and C8166 cell lines that express the cell surface CD4 molecule, we showed for the first time that IDO downregulated the cell surface CD4 expression in these cells infected with pAd-IDOEGFP. Further analysis revealed that the downregulation of CD4 expression was partly due to the depletion of tryptophan. Because CD4 exerts a subtle influence on the natural status of immune responses, by influencing the sensitivity of antigen recognition and the precise nature of the response [
In conclusion, the data suggest a novel mechanism of immune regulation, of which IDO induces cell surface CD4 downregulation. Depletion of local tryptophan seems to be one of the reasons that IDO downregulates the expression of CD4. This observation strongly suggests that IDO may regulate T cell-mediated immune responses by downregulation of cell surface expression of the CD4 molecule.
We thank Xiaoping Wu for her help in experimentation.
enhanced green fluorescent protein
indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase
multiplicity of infection
adenoviral vector carry EGFP, or recombinant adenovirus containing EGFP gene
adenoviral vector carrying IDOEGFP, or recombinant adenovirus containing IDOEGFP gene
The expression of IDOEGFP in MT-2 cells. MT-2 cells were infected with either pAd-EGFP or pAd-IDOEGFP at MOI of 100 for 60 h. (
IDO downregulates CD4 protein in MT-2 cells. MT-2 cells were infected with either pAd-EGFP or pAd-IDOEGFP for 60 h. At 60 h post infection, the cells were harvested and stained with PE-conjugated anti-CD4 monoclonal antibody. FACS analysis was used to determine the efficiency of infection (
Addition of tryptophan and IDO inhibitor partially restored IDO induced downregulation of CD4 expression. C8166 cells were infected with either pAd-EGFP or pAd-IDOEGFP and added with either 200 μM tryptophan or 800 μM 1-MT at the time of infection. At 60 h post infection, the cells were harvested and stained with PE-conjugated anti-CD4 monoclonal antibody. FACS analysis was used to determine the efficiency of infection (
The expression of human CD4 mRNA in IDO expressing C8166 cells. C8166 cells were infected with either pAd-EGFP or pAd-IDOEGFP, and at 60 h post transfection, the total RNA was extracted and the cDNA was synthesized as described in the Materials and Methods section. Panel
CD4 copy-number analysis by real time PCR.
|β-actin Ct (Mean ± SD)
|CD4 Ct (Mean ± SD)
|GAPDH Ct (Mean ± SD)
|CD4 Ct (Mean ± SD)
|30.35 ± 0.10
|32.44 ± 2.63
|31.34 ± 0.06
|32.33 ± 2.51
|31.03 ± 0.46
|33.58 ± 2.40
|1.04 ± 0.05
|32.34 ± 0.21
|33.42 ± 2.55
|1.02 ± 0.07
|30.89 ± 0.27
|33.02 ± 2.25
|1.08 ± 0.09
|31.86 ± 0.42
|32.78 ± 2.10
|1.05 ± 0.02


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- 5 Rocket Stocks for Gluttonous Turkey Day Gains
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Income Investors Love These 5 REITs -- and So Should You - views
BALTIMORE (Stockpickr) -- If you're an income investor, real estate investment trusts (better known as REITs) probably hold a special place in your heart. After all, this special class of stock is basically purpose-built to generate investment income. That's saying a lot in an environment where rates are effectively zero.
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But with around 220 REITs floating around on public exchanges, knowing which ones to buy and which to ignore can be quite a chore. That's why today we're taking a closer look at five favorite REITs for income investors.
As the name implies, REITs own real estate (or real estate-related assets like mortgages). But don't think of these stocks as a way to get exposure to the real estate sector. Instead, most are better thought of as a pure-play income generation tool. That's largely because of a tax law passed in 1960 gives REITs the ability to skip paying taxes by passing on earnings to investors. The caveat is that they have to distribute 90% of their earnings to their owners. As a result, they typically sport very big dividend yields.
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2013 has been a stagger-start year for REIT investments. By and large, these trusts have failed to match the breakneck pace of the S&P 500. But with relative strength coming back into the sector this summer, that could be about to change.
There are many different flavors of REITs on the market right now; here's a look at five that offer a best-in-class combination of high yields, gain potential, and niche business appeal.
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These REIT names are worth owning in 2013.
Equity Residential
Apartment landlord Equity Residential (EQR) owns more than 550 communities spread across some of the most attractive markets in the United States. That positioning gives EQR some important advantages with properties centered around large metro areas, occupancy rates are high, multifamily inventories are low, and barriers to entry keep that arrangement from getting thrown off-balance.
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Zeroed out interest rates have helped spur home buying again, but they haven't eroded the benefits of being a renter in urban areas where EQR's target demographic of younger, often mobile, professionals live. While February's $9 billion acquisition of Archstone is still getting shaken out in shares of EQR, the firm looks well positioned to post impressive increases in sales and profitability once the dust settles.
Typically, residential REITs offer fewer benefits than their commercial peers. That's because shorter standard leases coupled with regulations that favor residential tenants. Despite that fact, EQR's solid demographics and attractive portfolio gives it returns that few other residential REITs can claim. At last count, the firm pays out a 3.4% dividend yield.
HCP (HCP) is a healthcare REIT that owns hospitals, medical office buildings, and senior housing/nursing facilities. That niche exposure makes HCP more attractive than your typical trust especially as aging baby boomers ramp up their healthcare and senior living needs. Right now, HCP pays out a hefty 4.6% dividend yield.
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Because HCP is the landlord, not the service provider, it's able to take advantage of the increased demand for healthcare services without being subjected to regulatory headwinds. Even if legislation squeezed margins for hospitals, for instance, it doesn't change the fact that those facilities still need physical locations.
Like most commercial operators, HCP leases properties on a triple-net basis. That means that the tenant, not HCP, is on the hook for real estate taxes, insurance, and maintenance costs. That means that HCP just collects a regular, predictable rent check from its tenants, along with a pre-set price bump each year for inflation. For income investors, that's a winning combination.
Realty Income
They call Realty Income (O) the "monthly dividend company." The $10 billion retail REIT has been paying out a monthly dividend for the last 44 years, making it an especially attractive name for investors who need faster-paced income streams. It's a hefty payout too: Those monthly dividend checks add up to a 4.5% yield at current price levels.
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Realty Income has interests in more than 3,600 properties, the vast majority of which are freestanding single-tenant retail units. Like HCP, Realty Income signs long-term triple-net leases with its tenants, a necessary component of being able to pay out consistent income each month. The long-term nature of Realty Income's tenants is another key to its financial health on average less than 3% of tenants are up for renewal each year, which means that occupancy rates have a pretty strong floor built-in.
Financially, Realty Income is in excellent shape just don't compare the firm's balance sheet outside of the sector. Obviously, the REIT business is capital intense, and since REITs have to pay out the vast majority of income to investors, it's very difficult to build up a war chest. That said, Realty Income sports relatively low leverage and plenty of untapped credit. This trust is a good go-to for any income investor's portfolio right now.
Plum Creek Timber
Plum Creek Timber (PCL) isn't your typical commercial REIT. Instead, the firm is a niche trust that operates in the timber business, one of the less conventional businesses allowed by the REIT Act signed in 1960. PCL owns 6.6 million acres of timberlands in 19 states.
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Only the timberland business falls under REIT rules, with logging operations treated as a traditional taxable corporation. For all intents and purposes, though, PCL's bread and butter remains its timberland; the firm earns more money through recreation, development, and conservation efforts than through logging. That could change as the housing market heats up, especially as supply constraints push timber prices higher. Either way, Plum Creek's combination of tax-advantaged REIT income and conventional business makes the firm a unique name to own right now...
Financially, PCL is in strong shape, with more than $350 million in cash offsetting a reasonable $3 billion debt load. While PCL resorted to liquidating land to fund its dividend in the wake of the Great Recession, recent acquisitions should help calm investors' concerns. For the moment, this stock pays a 3.5% dividend yield. While Plum Creek isn't a conventional REIT by most measures, it does make a great non-core holding for income-seekers in 2013.
Digital Realty Trust
Last up is $8 billion specialty REIT Digital Realty Trust (DLR). With a 5.7% yield, DLR sports the biggest dividend payout of today's names right now.
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Digital Realty trust is unique because of its technology focus. The firm owns 16.8 million square feet of datacenters, internet gateways, and tech firm office buildings spread across the country. Exposure to such an in-demand, specialized type of properties presents a major tailwind for DLR right now -- particularly in the datacenter business, which has been growing at a fast pace as consumers' appetites for hosted data continues to grow.
That also means that DLR's tenants are generally sticker than most. There aren't big barriers preventing an office from moving, but the huge investments tech firms make to customize their datacenters help to keep them in one place. Tenants who move have to bear the additional switching costs of replicating their previous setups. Data trends are unlikely to abate anytime in the foreseeable future as consumers carry around more data-hungry smartphones and tablets than ever before, capacity at phone carriers, ISPs, and cloud storage services will continue to go for a premium. And DLR's shareholders should continue to benefit.
To see these short squeezes in action, check out this week's REIT portfolio on Stockpickr.
-- Written by Jonas Elmerraji in Baltimore.
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Follow Stockpickr on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook.
At the time of publication, author had no positions in stocks mentioned.
Jonas Elmerraji, CMT, is a senior market analyst at Agora Financial in Baltimore and a contributor to TheStreet. Before that, he managed a portfolio of stocks for an investment advisory returned 15% in 2008. He has been featured in Forbes , Investor's Business Daily, and on CNBC.com. Jonas holds a degree in financial economics from UMBC and the Chartered Market Technician designation.
Follow Jonas on Twitter @JonasElmerraji


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Easy Melon and Ham Appetizer – Recipe
Got family or friends coming over and nothing to serve? Here's a delicious and easy snack that will definitely please the crowd, melon and ham starters. The mixture of the sweet melon with the salty ham, tangy lime and spicy cayenne is unique and has a surprising 'kick.' Don't worry, this dish is light enough so you'll still enjoy the main entree! Be sure you let me know when you try 'em. Enjoy!


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Bootleg software, file sharing sites and programs, USB flash drives, memory cards, networks, email attachments, instant messengers, the Web – If you use any of these, then you may have some kind of malware infection in your computer.
Since anyone using a computer will have to end up using those items I mentioned, then, yes, virtually everyone using a computer is under threat of a malware infection. Malware like viruses, adware, trojans, and spyware can now easily get into computers because of all the connectivity and popularity of portable storage devices.
The Effect Of Malware On Your System
Once a single computer is infected by malware, it is highly possible that all other computers that have some kind of (direct or indirect) interaction with it through the items mentioned will also be infected eventually. The infected computers will then experience a deterioration of their systems' performance. In the case of adware, victims will be constantly pestered by annoying ad pop-ups.
The Best Way To Remove Malware
Now, while different kinds of malware have different ways of wreaking havoc in your computer and driving you mad, we're lucky the most efficient way of removing all of them or blocking their entry is also the easiest to use. To remove malware without having any technical expertise whatsoever, you can employ user-friendly programs like Spyware Doctor.
The best malware removal programs are always equipped with malware-blocking features so as to prevent their unauthorized entry. These features normally run in the background, so you can continue working, viewing videos, listening to music, or playing games as usual.
Often times Malware can hang out in hard to reach places like the Windows registry and start up commands. With Spyware Doctor you can reach these areas that other malware removers cannot access. Once a threat is found, it can get rid of malware automatically within minutes.
What Are You Waiting For?
It is extremely important to have a malware removal program that is constantly updated to combat the latest threats. Spyware Doctor reacts daily to new infections and will always keep you on the cutting edge of malware removal. Scan your system for free and see for yourself what is lurking in your computer.


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Ergo: A Bogus Reel, A Mission Accomplished
The definition of fascism to me is a political system based on a very powerful leader, state control and extreme pride in country and race, and in which political opposition is not allowed. Fascists tend to create a religious nationalism and exceptionalism for government, country and party policy. They are efficient in using a state-run propaganda machine to create a consensus acceptance of their philosophies and the state eliminates those who question their motives through the use of a militarized police force.
Pull out an encyclopedia and you get this definition of fascism: "Totalitarian philosophy of government that glorifies the state and nation and assigns to the state control over every aspect of national life. The name was first used by the party started by Benito Mussolini who ruled Italy from 1922 until the Italian defeat in World War II. However, it has also been applied to similar ideologies in other countries, e.g., to Nazism in Germany and to the regime of Francisco Franco in Spain. The term is derived from the Latin Fasces."
I guess you can console yourself into thinking that we aren't that bad off in the United States, and yet others may see the definition and apply it to "big brother" posturing by the state. Celebrity status is being doled out to our president as he sharpens his smile while squashing of the will of the people when they try to govern themselves.
In the United States it is amazing to see how the majority don't we see the similarities of fascism with the antics of the aggregate of people in the high positions of government and power.
We have a propaganda machine that sells out every day for the sake of entertaining the flocks with television shows and movies that water down the ugliness of man's inhumanity to man. We wrap it in 'love' and 'sex'. We twist history for the sake of not offending the home team and take liberties in painting others that are different, who speak different, or look different with an ugly brush.
We throw it together in a heavily consulted and scrutinized script.
We give it to the square-jawed actor who is trying to kick his narcotics habit and an actress who has successfully cured her food habit and appears to be malnourished like a Jew in a concentration camp.
We are allowed to have choice in this country to try and avoid the "no spin" zone or the "no propaganda" mix; however, the message that needs to get out will find its way to you. Choice that really isn't a choice is now becoming the norm for many people who wish to get their information from sources that have not been compromised and continually praise the empire no matter how out of control they appear.
When faced with the reality of "no good choice" people tend to dismiss it as "conspiracy theory" or a "paranoid delusion." They think "Why is it that I never hear of this in the media?" or "It is not in my bible" or "Our leaders would never let this happen in the United States." In 1996, a random telephone survey of 800 American adults found that 74 percent – or nearly 3 out of four citizens – did not trust the decisions made by our government officials.
In the year 2001, all that started changing rapidly. Through a series of well-thought-out propaganda ads, books, news reports and movies there was a new nationalism being pushed. The nationalism was disguised as patriotism for our new Republican wunderkind George W. Bush.
During the Memorial Day weekend of 2001, there seemed to be an outpouring of curious retrospectives on the attacks at Pearl Harbor on December 7th, 1941. Back then I thought it was odd and did a show about it. I came down hard on the film 'Pearl Harbor' that starred Ben Affleck and Kate Beckinsale. I pointed out how it was an inaccurate history of 'Pearl Harbor', I had many guests say the same thing and it also made the Japanese, especially Japanese-Americans, look bad.
I also was curious as to why that out of the blue we were being bombarded with this "America attacked" propaganda. It was a horrible film and yet 30 million people saw it. At the 2001 Golden Raspberry Awards, 'Pearl Harbor' was nominated for six awards: Worst Picture, Worst Director, Worst Actor (Ben Affleck), Worst Screenplay, Worst Screen Couple, and Worst Remake or Sequel. It had a budget of 150 million dollars. Looking back we can determine that the movie 'Pearl Harbor' had only one purpose: To spread the 'Pearl Harbor' meme in the public mind in preparation for 9/11.
When reality imitates cinematic fiction, cinema no longer functions as the 'prosthesis for memory' but as an intact body for what is to come in the future. Rather than just preserving history, film instead furnishes a syntax and lens through which reality is being fore-structured.
The film medium has always had the potential for mesmerizing and creating a way to convey a message through magical means. Aleister Crowley once commented film and optic projection fulfill the "mystic fire" or "magic lantern" ritual.
Flashing colors and symbolism prepare the initiate for shamanistic truth.
In 2002, I remember a book that was written by Bob Woodward called 'Bush At War'. The narrative was very telling about what was being talked about in Washington D.C. planning rooms just prior to the attacks on September 11th, 2001. George W. Bush's presidency had been beset by numerous problems. Not only was it in many people's eyes invalid, very few people took him seriously as a world statesman. In the book there was a narrative about Donald Rumsfeld that indicated that in Rumsfeld's first eight months back in the Pentagon, he pushed two major agendas. First, he felt the military needed to be beefed up and prepared for some nebulous "transformation." Rumsfeld's second agenda was promoting a book about Pearl Harbor.
He routinely handed out or recommended a book called 'Pearl Harbor: Warning and Decision' by Roberta Wohlstetter. He often would point out that Pearl Harbor was our greatest military blunder and would often read the forward of the book by Thomas Schelling that says "There is a tendency in our planning to confuse the unfamiliar with the improbable."
It is interesting to note that Wholstetter's book advocated preemptive strikes around the world, taking out possible threats before they can exploit our susceptibility to surprise attacks.
This is also curious because the year prior to this "The Project for the New American Century" was published. PNAC was first written in Israel. It was put together by Paul Wolfowitz, Richard Perle, Lewis (Scooter) Libby, Douglas Feith, Bill Kristal , Elliot Abrams, Aaron Friedberg, Donald Kagan Robert Kagan, Stephen Rosen , Eliot A. Cohen Paula Dobriansky, Fred C. Ikle, and Norman Podhoretz.
Dick Cheney along with Donald Rumsfeld, Paul Wolfowitz and Lewis Libby had compiled "Rebuilding America's Defenses" as an 90 page addendum to PNAC. What it entailed was a plan that many Americans did not know about. These men had secretly plotted a major imperial expansion of American power that included a greatly increased military budget and invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq, primarily to secure oil supplies, but also to control the region generally.
But they believed that the American people would not have the will for such actions without some devastating attack or a "new Pearl Harbor" from outside the country that would galvanize them through fear and anger to support it. In short, they had already envisioned facilitating a major attack on the United States in order to gain the public support for their policy goals.
It's not at all uncommon for criminals to tell you exactly what they're planning to do; Hitler wrote 'Mein Kampf', Mao, Stalin, and others wrote extensive manifestos on their ideology and future vision.
People have questioned whether the attacks of September 11th, 2001 were part of some inside job or elaborate secret plan. If intent is any indicator, then we have in writing the evidence needed for an investigation. If the movie 'Pearl Harbor' with Ben Affleck was a propaganda film to sell the American people on a future attack scenario then who knew what was truly happening — was Affleck aware? Was Kate Beckensale?
Rumsfeld's and Affleck's Pearl Harbor propaganda campaign set the stage for the chorus of Pearl Harbor comparisons on September 11th, 2001. On Air Force One, as Bush flew from Florida to Nebraska, the event was already being framed as a new Pearl Harbor. Henry Kissinger quickly echoed the Pearl Harbor comparison. Zbigniew Brzezinski pronounced, "9/11 is more murderous even than Pearl Harbor, and the psychological impact is the same." On the evening of September 11th, 2001, George W. Bush reportedly confided to his diary, "The Pearl Harbor of the 21st century took place today."
You may be asking yourself why I'm pointing all of this stuff out now and why should you be aware of it?
Because of another propaganda film that Ben Affleck was involved in called 'Argo', the very same film that garnered him the Oscar and had it presented to him by the first lady Michelle Obama literally giving it her blessing and also the President's.
'Argo' is about the storming of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran in 1979. Iranian revolutionaries took 52 Americans hostage, but six were able to escape. Those who escaped hid in the residence of the Canadian Ambassador. The CIA developed a covert operation to get them out of Iran by using a fake movie as the cover story. Affleck stars as CIA officer Tony Mendez.
It seems that the obvious relationship between Affleck and the CIA has made a few people curious and now the rumors are flying that Ben Affleck maybe a CIA agent. Conspiracy theories and rumors fly about Hollywood all the time, but this particular rumor seems to be getting the attention of the newspapers and may even reach the mainstream news as Iran plans to sue Hollywood and the producers of 'Argo' for misrepresenting the people of Iran throughout the entire film.
Iran cultural officials talked to an internationally-renowned French lawyer Isabelle Coutant-Peyre over filing a lawsuit against Hollywood during a meeting held in Tehran's Palestine cinema. The meeting was held alongside a conference titled 'The Hoax of Hollywood' organized by the Iranian Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance. 'The Hoax of Hollywood' conference was programmed to review Hollywood's plans for the production of anti-Iran movies which promote Iranophobia. Many critics believe that 'Argo' is an attempt to describe Iranians as "overemotional, irrational, insane, and diabolical while at the same, the CIA agents are represented as heroically patriotic."
Made on a budget of about 44 million dollars by Warner Bros., Ben Affleck's 'Argo' is replete with historical inaccuracies and distortions in cinematic representation of the 1979 US embassy incident in Iran. Not only is it historically inaccurate, but it also treats the viewer to a violent Iran and that the timing of the release of this film is to get Americans ready to hate the Islamic country again as we prepare to team up with Israel and go to war against them.
With the track record of 'Pearl Harbor' and Affleck's role and what it eventually led up to, conspiracy theorists and statisticians are now making the claim that war with Iran will be inevitable by early summer and that 'Argo' was the CIA's attempt to get people to see Iran as a hostile threat.
Iran's PressTV ran a story written by 9/11 conspiracy theorist and author Kevin Barrett that raised the possibility that 'Argo' is a "covert operation disguised as a movie." Barrett cites Barbara Honegger, a researcher and political analyst for Ronald Reagan and author of "October Surprise." She also makes the bold claim that Affleck may very well be a war criminal. She also stated that 'Argo' is the propaganda project of an intelligence agency or agencies, and that its purpose is to convince the American people to go along with Israel's plan to drag America into a war on Iran.
Once again this is another example of how the media and Hollywood are used by the alphabet agencies. If you recall a really bad film about Muslims was somehow linked to the September 11th, 2012 attacks in Benghazi. It was later revealed that the film probably had nothing to do with the tragedy. The mainstream media however milked the story and confused the event in order to distract people from asking for accountability about why American citizens were killed there.
We now have to admit that the corporate media and Hollywood want to shape public opinion. In the U.S. there are 1,500 newspapers, 1,100 magazines, 9,000 radio stations, 1,500 TV stations, 2,400 publishers all owned by just three corporations.
We would have to surmise that there are agents working for these corporations and that a lot of what he hear, read and see is propaganda to get us to believe the spin on stories of criminal behavior and malfeasance. All the rest of the so-called independent reporters are called conspiracy theorists by the corporate-owned media.
Does anyone want to believe that what the networks and Hollywood does is honest journalism or an unbiased portrayal of history? Not only that but many people believed that 'Argo' did not deserve the Oscar. Movie critics said it was one of the best films and yet audiences found it to be boring.
'Argo' may be the most self-congratulatory film Hollywood and the CIA has ever made and now it seems it is the most obvious piece of propaganda since the 'Pearl Harbor' film that was released prior to 9/11.
This says a lot about how Obama will go to great lengths to push his imperial agenda. Hollywood marches in unison with the empire, and now aim to blatantly misinform, manipulate public sentiment, and manufacture consent. We believe what is fed to us because it is always about how they say so.
[…] As the Obamessiah prepares to visit Israel, we begin a very para-political week with the news that Iran may sue the creators of the film 'Argo'. Now we told you months ago that the awards would go to the military industrial complex, but what if 'Zero Dark Thirty' was meant to take all that heat and criticism while 'Argo' coasted to victory? It's a deep story with tentacles to 9/11, PNAC, predictive programming and much more. Tonight on Ground Zero, Clyde Lewis has a magic ticket for you to see 'Ergo: A Bogus Reel, A Mission Accomplished'! […]
The movie remake of "Rd Dawn" that came out awhile ago has "North Korea" invading midwest USA.( with support from USSA. Original film was "Cuba" with support of USSR. The theme of the remake, had EMP Bombs, and hacking, taking down all of the USA's ability to put up a defense.
Fascism is Corporate-ism.. in the USA.


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July 26, 2017
Currently: 99° — Complete forecast
Stephen Sylvanie / Special to the Sun
Las Vegas Wranglers center Chris Francis takes a shot against the Idaho Steelheads during the third period of play on Saturday, March 1, 2014, at Orleans Arena. The Spiderman-style jerseys were to be auctioned off during the game with proceeds benefiting UMC Children's Hospital.
© Las Vegas Sun, 2017, All Rights Reserved


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Sun Dec 2, 2012, 06:26 PM
struggle4progress (92,363 posts)
Bradley Manning trial postponed amid debate over pre-trial confinement
Source: The Guardian
As defence looks to get charges thrown out over treatment, judge says trial will not begin until March at the earliest
Matt Williams and agencies
Sunday 2 December 2012 13.21 EST
... Military judge Colonel Denise Lind announced Sunday that Manning's trial, which had been set to begin on 4 February, would now take place from 16 March at the earliest.
Lind is currently hearing evidence relating to restrictions placed on Manning during a nine month stint in military cells in Quantico, Virginia. Defence lawyers have claimed that the extreme custodial regime he was placed under which included being confined to a 6ft-by-8ft cell for all but 20 minutes every day and being deprived of his clothes at night amounted to unlawful pre-trial punishment ...
The article 13 hearing current taking place is just one of several ways in which Manning and his defence team are seeking to reduce the severity of any possible sentence. Under the most severe of the 22 counts he faces "aiding the enemy" he could be detained in military custody for the rest of his life.
In the hope of avoiding that fate, Manning has effectively admitted that he transferred government information to WikiLeaks while he was working as an intelligence analyst in Iraq.
Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/dec/02/bradley-manning-trial-postponed-march
22 replies, 3706 views
|22 replies
Bradley Manning trial postponed amid debate over pre-trial confinement (Original post)
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Response to struggle4progress (Original post)
Sun Dec 2, 2012, 06:47 PM
grantcart (43,012 posts)
1. I am somewhat confused by this.
Wasn't Manning transferred to Leavenworth over a year ago?
Is there any charge of mistreatment there?
Isn't the charge that he was mistreated by guards (including taking his clothes) cover a period of a few weeks and that he was then transferred to a federal prison.
It was probably not a great idea to have the Marines hold Manning at Quantico but I was under the impression that he was transferred as soon as the mistreatment was reported and no further mistreatment has been reported.
Am I missing something?
Response to grantcart (Reply #1)
Sun Dec 2, 2012, 07:47 PM
struggle4progress (92,363 posts)
2. this is pre-trial hearing stuff, which lays groundwork for the trial
The defense alleges treatment of Manning in Kuwait and later at Quantico was punitive and wants the judge to rule that Manning, if convicted, gets (say) twenty or twenty-five days off any possible sentence for every day of alleged punitive treatment
So the court will need to determine if there was illegal punitive treatment of Manning in Kuwait and at Quantico; and if the court determines there was illegal punitive treatment, the court will need to determine how to penalize the government for such behavior -- whether (say) by outright dismissing charges or granting some credit against any possible future sentence
These determinations will take a while, so the judge has once again moved the trial date back
Response to grantcart (Reply #1)
Sun Dec 2, 2012, 09:01 PM
JackRiddler (24,862 posts)
3. Yes, you seem to be missing a lot of something.
The solitary confinement of Manning lasted for nine months. The mistreatment such as being held naked under a bright light at all times and having sleep disrupted constantly (classic interrogation torture techniques) was reported repeatedly and continued. The motion is based on the concept of pre-trial punishment, and if that happened, it doesn't matter that it has in the meantime ended. Because it would be a violation, and it happened. All this is made clear already in the quoted matter in the OP, so it's weird that you say you missed it.
Response to JackRiddler (Reply #3)
Sun Dec 2, 2012, 11:11 PM
msanthrope (37,549 posts)
7. That's not what Manning's lawyer describes as a 'typical day' for his client---
The guards at the confinement facility are professional. At no time have they tried to bully, harass, or embarrass PFC Manning. Given the nature of their job, however, they do not engage in conversation with PFC Manning.
All of the cells at Quantico brig are single, max security. Are you suggesting that Manning should have been given a cellmate, or been in close contact with other maximum security prisoners?
Response to msanthrope (Reply #7)
Mon Dec 3, 2012, 12:56 AM
freshwest (53,661 posts)
9. Is there any difference between that and solitary, in the legal sense? Solitary is punishment.
A single cell with no visitor could be psychologically dangerous for anyone and I think that is what is being called torture here.
It's one thing to choose to be alone of one's own will. Another to be kept apart when one needs or wants company.
Perhaps it was for security matters (although I don't see that he'd be a risk to anything under observations) or perhaps the other inmates would have done him harm.
Response to freshwest (Reply #9)
Mon Dec 3, 2012, 12:00 PM
msanthrope (37,549 posts)
16. I want to direct you to my post number 15...
I do think that Manning should have been transitioned much quicker 2 medium security pretrial confinement. But the evidence I listed that has come out of the pretrial hearing Indicates that you had a vulnetable inmate who should not have been mixing with other maximum security prisoners.
Response to msanthrope (Reply #7)
Mon Dec 3, 2012, 08:39 AM
JackRiddler (24,862 posts)
13. Your selective and abusive use of facts is noted.
Nine months. Twenty four hours. Under bright light. Woken up at arbitrary hours, several times a night. Forced to assume upright seated position without leaning on on anything for nine hours. Forced to sleep naked without covers. If such treatment were accorded by foreigners to John McCain in Vietnam, you'd call it torture. You wouldn't be selectively noting whether the mien of the guards was said to be professional. What difference does it make if they're business-like as they carry out the torture prescribed by the institution.
The denial is disgusting.
Response to JackRiddler (Reply #13)
Mon Dec 3, 2012, 11:54 AM
msanthrope (37,549 posts)
15. Nonsense...Manning's lawyer is far more believable on this issue than
Assange's lawyer. Bradley Manning was not on suicide watch for 9 months. He was on suicide watch after he commented to a guard about hanging himself with the waistband of his underwear, shortly after another brig prisoner had hung himself.
He was on POI restrictions for a lot longer--- this according to his attorney who I linked to. There is no doubt whatsoever that the PO I restrictions were extensive. There's no doubt whatsoever that the maximum security restrictions of the Quantico brig are tough. But Bradley Manning and his attorney aren't claiming torture.
What we know from hearing testimony is that Manning fashioned two nooses while in custody... those were produced by the prosecution in court. We also know that at some point shortly after another prisoner had committed suicide, Manning claims to have "joked" about hanging himself with the waistband of his underwear. We also know ----from defense elicited testimony--- that Manning showed up to the Quantico brig insisting that he be called Breanna Elizabeth Manning. While I fully support his efforts to transition, I cannot imagine that this would be taken in stride by the psychiatric and guard staff at the Quantico brig.
He sounds to me like a very vulnerable prisoner. It would have been cruel to put him in a general population with other maximum security prisoners. He should have been transferred to Leavenworth pretrial confinement, which is medium security, much sooner than he was, and the government will have to answer to the judge for that.
Response to msanthrope (Reply #15)
Mon Dec 3, 2012, 12:22 PM
freshwest (53,661 posts)
17. Thanks for referring me to this reply. Was he given psychological counseling on the suicide issue?
It just seems something better than being naked and the lights on all the time would have been more humane.
But I can see the reasoning, and in one report he says that if he turned on his face, they came to see if he was alive, might be construed as caring, or just not wanting to be reprmanded for another death on their watch. From some comments here, there is some hostility towards him by those who served.
We aren't talking about a rehabilitation or mental health care facility. And most people don't want their minds to have to go to what could have happened to him with rest of the inmates. I have no idea what a person does to get put into the 'brig' or military prison system. But they might be violent individuals. So he should have been kept away from them.
The issue I guess gets back to the idea that many feel that Manning did not commit any crime at all. That he was answering a higher calling by giving information to Assange and Wikileaks, that supercedes the law or the oath he agreed to follow to have his position with the data he was assigned to handle.
Some may make the argument that Manning actually was doing his duty as a soldier to follow the military code about not abusing prisoners or the other things that are said to be part of his actions. So it's going to be hard to get some to agree that he should be in custody, period, or that the government has any right in this.
Response to JackRiddler (Reply #3)
Mon Dec 3, 2012, 04:08 PM
grantcart (43,012 posts)
22. No I got that.
What I was responding to was the meme I had read elsewhere (i.e. Greenwald) that seemed to suggest that his mistreatment was continuous and not limited to a particular period of time which ended in his latest transfer last year.
Response to struggle4progress (Original post)
Sun Dec 2, 2012, 10:23 PM
freshwest (53,661 posts)
4. This phrase in the article '...has effectively admitted...'
Is this just a long way of saying he confessed to doing something illegal?
It would seem he expects to do time, not to be freed as a whistleblower.
Or is does it mean they simply caught him at it?
That would mean they have to prove -- unsure of the term -- how bad his actions were.
The defense is within their rights to bring up anything they want to help him. I wish Wikileaks had contributed more than $15K to his defensewhen they were taking in $50+M.
Perhaps naively, I still see this as a young man who was used, but the chances he'll just be released seem slim. Hopefully the amount of time he's waited to go to trial will be reduced from his sentence. I'm obviously not an attorney, but imagine it falls under time served, even without a conviction.
I'm not a vet and have seen some comments here who have very strong opinions about Manning breaking his oath, the same one they took. Do you think what he did was really that bad, that he should be in prison for life?
Johnny Jihad didn't get life. AFAIK, people died from what he did. As much as I didn't want anyone over there, I felt he got special treatment because of his family.
One of you can fill me in on it if you have time. These threads are always instructive.
Response to freshwest (Reply #4)
Sun Dec 2, 2012, 10:34 PM
struggle4progress (92,363 posts)
5. I believe that is a reference to the fact that the defense has requested (and has been granted)
permission to plea to certain substitute charges, which would apparently include an admission of some transfers to Wikileaks
It seems that not all charges would be covered by the plea to substitutes, so the object of the plea, if made, is conjectured to be reduction of the complexity of the defense on the remaining charges, which would still be tried
Apparently the fact that the court has granted permission to such pleading does not require the defense to so plead. But it is difficult to imagine why the permission might be sought, if the defense did not seriously contemplate the plea, and the fact that the defense seriously contemplates the plea is hard to understand as anything except an admission that Manning released documents to Wikileaks. On the other hand, it is my understanding that if the defense having been granted permission to offer such a plea) never actually offers such a plea, then the court may not draw any legal conclusions whatsoever from the request for permission to offer such plea
Response to struggle4progress (Reply #5)
Sun Dec 2, 2012, 10:38 PM
freshwest (53,661 posts)
6. Wow. Thanks, s4p. I wonder if military folks would chime in on how *bad* his actions were.
Last edited Mon Dec 3, 2012, 02:12 AM - Edit history (2)
Because some see nothing criminal in his actions at all, that he is answering a higher good, that should be rewarded. And as I said, that's not my world.
Response to freshwest (Reply #6)
Mon Dec 3, 2012, 12:19 AM
snot (10,225 posts)
8. Many have argued that leaking US's war crimes is actually required
under international law, and would trump any violation under US law.
I don't know if that's true; but I know I think it should be so.
Response to snot (Reply #8)
Mon Dec 3, 2012, 12:31 PM
hughee99 (14,847 posts)
18. That argument might carry a lot more weight if he were being tried in an international court
instead of a US military court. I'd be shocked to hear a military court announce that international law takes precedence over US law.
Response to snot (Reply #8)
Mon Dec 3, 2012, 02:47 PM
Ash_F (5,861 posts)
21. Constitution>treaties>Federal law>state law
That information was classified by federal law, which is trumped by treaties, and not the constitution. So yes, you are right. They are trying to get him on the technicality that he did not go to a Senator with the information first and is therefore not protected by federal whistle-blowing laws which require it.
In reality, they are just furious that someone tried to break through the morass of propaganda about the government's unfaltering benevolence.
Response to freshwest (Reply #6)
Mon Dec 3, 2012, 12:59 AM
USMCMustang (109 posts)
10. Over In The Badlands
They don't know who he is.
Response to struggle4progress (Original post)
Mon Dec 3, 2012, 02:19 AM
hrmjustin (71,135 posts)
11. I hope the courts throw out the case because of how they treated him.
Response to hrmjustin (Reply #11)
Mon Dec 3, 2012, 02:43 AM
Angleae (2,555 posts)
12. Don't hold your breath. n/t
Response to hrmjustin (Reply #11)
Mon Dec 3, 2012, 08:40 AM
JackRiddler (24,862 posts)
14. It's not in the courts.
It's in the military's own "courts."
Response to struggle4progress (Original post)
Mon Dec 3, 2012, 02:18 PM
sally5050 (151 posts)
19. This Manning Trial is PURE Military Kangaroo Court at it's heart, the details are of no Consequence
Kangaroo Court = a mock court in which the principles of law and justice are disregarded or perverted.
This is what the Bradley Manning trial is at it's heart, a Miltary Kangaroo court. They are using this man's valuable life time, and delaying a further month of his right to justice, for the Army to selfishly figure out how better to administer torture without the world reacting quite so badly. This is a disgusting global window into the blackest of America's soul and her need to demonstrate without apology, how badly america has become a military dictatorship with no citizen oversight in matters of great concern such as US citizen safety at the hands of her military.
I sat personally in the trial against the first Iraq conscientious objector, Sgt. Kevin Benderman. That too was a very obvious kangaroo court. The judge (a female) knew from square one what her job was, to guide the trial to a conclusion so they could give him the pre-determined 15 months in jail for doing what his commanding officer told him and going home instead of boarding the plane after he made it clear he'd do any other job duty for the military including training in Iraq if he didn't have to go back into combat. The judge "Col. Donna M. Wright" many times in the trial scolded her own Army lawyers for being unprepared, stupid and downright idiotic. Even with all the missing information and lack of true evidence to convict Sgt. Benderman he got the same amount of months that would have been his tour in Iraq, so that 15 months was determined at the outset to show other army folks thinking of being conscientious objectors that they will be severely punished rather than the Army taking that trial as wonderful new time to allow folks who have objections to killing little Iraqi girls (which was Kevin's 2nd tour objection, he just couldn't handle being on a vehicle where his other sgt.s' were gunning down iraqi children or being asked himself to do the deed.) Other militaries around the world have a very proactive way for soldiers to participate (Be trainers, cooks, medical or military police) instead of fighting, but apparently not the US. I send you this link so you can see the very real pain of Benderman's wife on hearing that she would have to live without her husband for 15 months, for a really silly reason for his incarceration. They knew Benderman's trial had to be a 'symbol to other officers who would act that way.'
But at least in Benderman's situation, the jail experience was not torture.
When we engage in the detailed analysis of "Did Manning complain about his torture" or "Could the torture of have been a nicer version of torture or was the torture 100 on a scale of 1 to 100 or was it a 45" .. we are condoning the very serious lack of habeus corpus, we are supporting the detention of US citizens without a trial and worse, we are condoning military courts which are known for their much more harsh and lack of evidence or judicial based reasoning as Seen in the Benderman trial, the judge all but got up and smacked her own attorneys because they made it clear that she as a judge would rule 15 months without sufficient evidence or a sufficient argument against Benderman. I remember the consternation on Col. Donna Wright's face when administering the sentence. This one woman knew she was the abiter of a kangaroo court.
I wish the discussion would be about how the US Citizens can lobby the White House, Obama, Biden, Hillary Clinton to give this poor boy leniency and drop all future time served because he has suffered enough and lobby them to ask their military arm to get a fucking grip and stop torturing US citizens or run the risk of losing funding. If there is no punishment to our military for such egregious failures the same ole generals and same old white male ignorant structure of leadership will do the exact same thing next time ... only next time it may be YOU who is in that 6 x 8 cell because of a facebook post, or because of a link on youtube or whatever.
No more 'but manning didn't complain." I would have done the same thing as Manning, I'd have been super nice to the guards and everyone in hopes that got me less torture and out of jail sooner. His reaction to the torture should not be one IOTA of the evidence of whether it was torture and severe or not.. we need merely look at what acts were conducted against Manning to know the detailed level of humiliation this poor boy was subjected to. Instead, Poor manning is being held yet another month of his valuable life, while the Army throws up on itself and dissects the contents of the putrid disgusting history of this fucking sordid Fucking American fucking embarrassment of cruel and inhuman treatment of one of its citizens.
Folks should be ashamed for even discussing that man's life without having deep reverence for his stalwart intelligence, resilience and brave handling of his own very painful life choices..
I am proud of Bradley manning, I am proud he's a gay man, I am proud he is an American citizen and I for one, believe he has served all the time necessary, and deserves to be set free of his time behind bars. Do what you do when folks hack the pentagon or banks, give him an ankle bracelet (or better yet just let him go entirely free) but by all means, the 'example to other soldiers' has been CLEARLLY made in the last 900 days of inhumane and humiliating treatment. I don't know any other soldiers who would risk releasing sensitive information at the risk of having this hell that manning has suffered.
LET MANNING GO HOME FOR GOD'S sake and for the folks on this thread.. stop dissecting the army's throw up!
Response to struggle4progress (Original post)
Mon Dec 3, 2012, 02:24 PM
Sunlei (19,212 posts)
20. He's been punished enough for his rule breaking. Give him a bad discharge and VA healthcare.
Go after the management, they should have noticed people downloaded classified material.


text:
State V. Justice
Prosecutor Gardner Lawson is pitted against his fiercest enemy, defense attorney Kent King, when he tries to convict convicted child molester T. J. Justice for the murder of the son of a Russian diplomat. Reprint. NYT.
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text:
Well, we made it through the holidays. We are on the other side of the new year and 2016 is before us. People are setting (and already breaking) resolutions left and right, Christmas trees are left on curbs and everyone is back to school and work. There is a vague sense of holiday hangover around, not a literal one necessarily, but a sense of being both glad in the normalcy and dismayed by the stretch of winter that lies ahead of us.
The Goat family holidays were good. There was time with some family, though we missed heading to Wisconsin to see my side of the family – there was just not enough time off. Our kids were spoiled rotten of course, by Santa and grandparents and aunts and uncles. Though we don't spend a lot, a bunch of family members conspired to get E1 just what he wanted – which involved a new video game system too. It took a team effort but the look on his face Christmas morning was priceless.
I love to give gifts at Christmas time, but I do like receiving them too. Beyond the great gifts from my family (Dr. Who legos, clothes $$, books, etc), were a few unexpected treasures from unexpected places that related to this weight journey that I am one. I wanted to share those with you.
- Smaller Size Bigger Life – early in November I got an email from Heather, a dietician who stumbled upon Prior Fat Girl and read about my struggles with binge eating and my relationship with food. As it turned out, she has been there herself in the past, struggling with eating addiction, eating disorders and excess weight. My story touched her and she reached out to me and offered me a scholarship into the program. This was not a blog deal, but a gift from a stranger who related to my story and offered a way of helping stem the tide and turn the ship. The program opened in January and I have been slowly working through the first steps which begin in the mental realm. I confess I am often slow at it due to some fear of failing at this again, but the generosity of the gift and her confidence that I can and will succeed in mental and physical health with food and weight give me such a sense of hope.
- Reiki with Margo from Fitbloggin – a friend from Fitbloggin, Nacho Mama, is licensed in Reiki and a unique version that specializes in long-distance Reiki. Reiki is a form of healing that deals with healing energy. Honestly it sounds a little weird but it is a compelling concept and I have seen several Christian practitioners of it during my time as well. This distance Reiki was new to me as I didn't know it was happening at the time but Margo provided a transcript of what she sensed and gathered during her time in communication with…me? It sounds so weird, but what I got was uniquely personal, very much me, and definitely related to my inner voices around my own struggles. It was so spot on and specific in places that it made me shocked. It was an unexpected gift to see myself and to "hear" myself from that point of view. It is hard to say but it provided a sense of perspective I was missing.
I started this post at the beginning of the year and it is now the last day of January. Life continues to be busy but the scale creeps its way downward rather than upward. There is no great weekly numbers, but there is progress and that is a gift in and of itself. Slow is ok so long as I am healthy in body, mind and spirit as I do it. So I carry on.


text:
Former Dallas Cowboys scout Bryan Broaddus, who is now working for the team's website as an analyst, made a great point the other day on KRLD-FM about how the Cowboys screwed up a trade from the 2009 draft.
If you don't remember, the Cowboys traded their second-round pick to the Buffalo Bills for a third and fourth rounder. So that's the 51st overall selection gone.
The Cowboys made the move when guard Max Unger was taken 49th overall by the Seattle Seahawks. According to Broaddus, the Cowboys had a first-round grade on Unger and wanted to get him. When Unger was off the board, the Cowboys made the trade. However, the team had a first-round grade on running back LeSean McCoy, according to Broaddus. McCoy went to Philadelphia at the 53rd overall pick. So who did the Bills select at 51? Guard Andy Levitre.
Bypassing McCoy wasn't the end of the world because at that time the Cowboys had Marion Barber and Felix Jones as their main running backs, but leaving talented players such as Levitre, tackle Phil Loadholt, defensive end Paul Kruger and tackle Will Beatty on the board hurt. Flozell Adams was past his prime and upgrading the tackle position should have been a priority if the team lost out on Unger. McCoy is an outstanding player and he would have made an impact as well by challenging Jones and Barber at running back.
So when the Cowboys finally drafted in 2009, they selected Western Illinois' linebacker Jason Williams who never made an impact. So, what did the Cowboys do with the two picks from the Bills? Tackle Robert Brewster (75th overall) and Victor Butler (110 overall) were drafted. Brewster never played and Butler was inconsistent during his time with the Cowboys and is now a unrestricted free agent.
When the Cowboys dealt with health issues at linebacker and defensive back in 2012, the backups were street free agents instead of draft picks who could have produced.
The Cowboys selected four linebackers in 2009, including TCU's Stephen Hodge, who was coming off major knee surgery and never played a game. There were three defensive backs selected as well and only safety Michael Hamlin made the team after he was drafted.
But the core special teams players from that 2009 draft didn't make an impact and weren't around to play a reserve role on defense.
The Cowboys improved from that terrible draft class with solid picks in 2010 (Dez Bryant, Sean Lee), 2011 (Tyron Smith, Bruce Carter, DeMarco Murray and Dwayne Harris) and 2012 (Morris Claiborne, James Hanna and Tyrone Crawford).
When it's time for the Cowboys to pick up the phone and call New York with their draft selection, they can't mess up like they did in 2009 because that draft haunted them in 2012.