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By Gordon Duff STAFF WRITER/Senior Editor
Republicans and "Tea Party" candidates are expecting to take over congress in a very few days, a "big win" totally underwritten with drug money. There is no secret about it.
By June, $200 million in "foreign" contributions had already come into the GOP and Tea Party and not one cent of it is accounted for. It is "corporate" money, money that doesn't have to be American, doesn't have to be legal, money that would put any normal American in prison for years if they had one cent in their pockets.
The $200 million is laundered drug money, much from Afghanistan but much also from Mexico, those drug money cartels that are buying America's Southwest, the same cartels that did so well during the Bush years when the border with Mexico was open and totally unwatched.
You didn't know that?
Those photographs showing backpacks and trash, abandoned by drug money "mules" and other illegals, the massive flow across the border, you didn't know those photos were taken between 2001 and 2008? You didn't know that, in 8 very long years, the 8 years of the "W" Bush presidency, the number of illegal aliens in the United States doubled?
Now you wonder why the Mexican drug cartels are sending millions into America, all legal and proper "corporate" contributions, nice and clean, laundered just the way the Supreme Court wants it, drug money to keep their business growing, reopen the border, money to guarantee them favorable courts, friendly "law enforcement" and a return to "business as usual."
The majority of the cash, however, originates from Afghanistan. Not from the country itself, but from the $65 billion dollar a year heroin industry created from nothing after the US invasion of Iraq. America joined with the drug money cartels of the Northern Alliance to remove the Taliban. You remember the Taliban, the group that wanted too much of a percentage from the American oil companies who were planning a pipeline through Afghanistan, the same Taliban that eliminated opium production entirely?
Drug Money Made from American Fertilizer
Now the opium is being processed right there in Afghanistan, heroin made from opium grown with American fertilizer in fields protected by American soldiers, fields controlled by war lords working closely with the CIA and America's military commanders in the region who make sure Russia, Europe and America have that needle in the arm and stay hooked for another generation.
Vietnam was a drug war as were the Reagan era phony wars in Central America. You can't turn on the TV without seeing it in a movie. Movies aren't always right but whenever you see Stephen Seagal or Chuck Norris stomp a drug money baron, we only wish they were doing it for real.
What is this election going to create? Never in American history has foreign money been allowed this freely into the United States. Japan, Saudi Arabia, Germany and Israel have typically spent the most and bought the most power. Then came China. They began buying politicians too, a million here, a hundred thousand there.
There is a lot of reasons to invest in a new congress. If the war in Afghanistan ends, drugs won't move freely. If torture and rendition end, those planes that fly prisoners around won't be able to carry the tons of heroin around the world too. Isn't part of the plan to make heroin so cheap that millions of Russians will be addicted? Isn't this part of the secret CIA plan also?
Drug Money War Being Taken Over By Terrorists
Isn't all that drug money keeping Afghanistan from being taken over by terrorists? This is what Ambassador Richard Holbrooke keeps telling us, keep the drugs flowing and America will be safe, safe except for that addict who just kicked down your door.
Over $1.2 billion will be spent on the upcoming election, over a billion to fund the jobs of 200 legislators whose income wouldn't cover two days interest on that money. Can you smell that smell, that rotten "government" smell? Money used to come from big oil, crooked banks, pharma and nutty billionaires with names like Buffett and Scaife or perhaps DeVos.
Now the money is from drug cartels, mercenary armies and huge drug money laundering banks, brought in by the carload, open and free, no laws can control it. All that is needed is a corporation, and that can be done in some states for 15 bucks. Corporations can take foreign assets, send them to the United States, assets from any source, legal or illegal, and transfer those assets to a political party.
This year 90% of the drug money is going to the Republicans. I wonder what is is buying? I suspect Americans will eventually find out.
Posted by Gordon Duff, Senior Editor on October 18, 2010, With Reads Filed under WarZone. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.
57 Responses to "GORDON DUFF: HOW DRUG MONEY IS BUYING OUR NEW CONGRESS"
in California the liberal left loons will use drug money to get more liberals into office to make sure the whole state is drug legal…
it is not gaining here, as there are still enough sane people to say no to legalizing drugs..
it's just to bad there are too many liberal nuts who continue to vote in the worst of the worst liberal nuts..
g, "Judicial Watch" NOT U.S. Judicial Foundation…don't know who that is. JW is Tom Fitton's organization…I especially appreciated JW's work on exposing the corruption in California's Superior Court System…I've seen the cronyism there first-hand…so I'm headed to appellate…superior court are a bunch of double-dippers (probably triple!)
Fitton needs some lessons on Israel, but has a handle on immigration, corruption (corruption county florida, etc.)…
And yes, a fair number of those in the group(s), especially at the highest levels are Luciferian (the "Torch Bearer", Angel of Light, etc.) by conviction. Thus the often mocked notion of the "Illuminati" (the "Enlightened Ones"). They perceive supremacy in fields of earthly knowledge as illumination, while their souls are steeped in darkness and self-delusion.
What they know is group collusion and according to each or each "faction" whatever specializations they determine necessary to the furtherance of their ideological goal (One World Government, One World Finance, One World Medical/Eugenics/et al, One World Law Enforcement/societal control, Media perception management, etc).
As technology advances, they with the means at their disposal are able to groom appropriate "experts" in a field (or establish the field altogether) and let it grow to achieve calculated systemic ends.
Sure they have known that those in the ongoing process at any one moment in time may not live to see its culmination, but they reap the fruits of its progression nonetheless and live in luxury/impunity, so what do they care so long as the agenda progresses. For the ideologue, the individual means nothing, the agenda is paramount. Take the detailed injunctions set out by Mayer Amschel Rothschild to his sons before his death as prime example of this legacy thinking.
This is the advantage they have over the masses who, thinking only in the moment, cannot fathom that others could think in such far reaching fashion simply because neither they nor anyone they might know thinks that way (to their knowledge).
This is also why the marginalizing label of "conspiracy theorist" has such uncritically accepted purchase in the public psyche. Unless one has experienced life amongst the aspirants to power, one takes at face value the rhetoric of concern expressed so often by this or that elite. But the sociopathy that drives the aspirant to power becomes evident through their narcissism and periodic wreckless arrogance, if one waits and watches.
Sufficient numbers have not watched nor do they watch even now, making it so easy for powermongers to further their goals in plain sight.
Exactly…like the frog in pot of boiling water simile.
But tell me. WHO functions this way? It seems somehow not human, this multi-generational, incremental conspiracy. The players take actions during their lifetime that contribute to the ultimate goal of one world government that won't be achieved until long after they are gone.
Are they proud of playing their part in keeping humanity down…in creating this evil dystopia? Do they do it because they think their dark lord will reward them in the afterlife? They are extremely intelligent in a diabolical way. Makes you wonder what they know that WE don't?
BTW, I had to look it up. Dystopia: a society characterized by human misery, as squalor, oppression, disease, and overcrowding.
Such is the power of concerted incrementalist subversion. What would cause immediate uprising if imposed in the moment is otherwise ignored if carefully inculcated into the public psyche as "business as usual" over generations.
This has been the hallmark of dynasties like the Rothschilds, Rockefellers, Carnegies, et al. to undermine and eventually down the road overturn the founding precepts of this nation (indeed all nations) with the unwitting masses cheering it on all the way. That is, until the real end game becomes painfully obvious as it begins to kick in the doors of those same masses.
Welcome to the dystopia.
Holy Moly. That is depressing enough. I clicked on the first link and after reading the article, I felt about as outraged as I did when the truth about the Federal Reserve sunk in. They really got us by the blls don't they.
Ron, I just can't imagine "they'd" let it out of their sight. What do you know about Brown-Brown? "They'll" have to get those lazy shits up and moving like mad-men somehow.
Didn't Judicial Watch prove Acorn-guilty?
g, O is merely dubyaII.
…"criminal drug dealers"…just threatened me via email…on a phony wecogitate email…
Did the Rockefellers steal the gold in Ft. Knox?
Quote: "It's a long time ago, and it hardly can be found in the archives of the Los Angeles Times (Owner Zell*) or anywhere on Internet, but on Friday, July 19 in 1974, the Los Angeles Times published an article on the probably disappeared gold in Ft. Knox, making the 'gold reserve' one of those US american 'great illusions'… It turned into 'fiat gold'!"
And you can read the rest at Url.: http://disc.yourwebapps.com/discussion.cgi?disc=234999;article=2369;
I refer to the District of Columbia Organic Act of 1871. This began the process of incorporation of what was intended to be a voluntary federated body of Sovereign States into Corp USA, owned by foreign banking interests and fully indentured through debt to their will.
the original organic Constitution wasn't destroyed in the process but it was superseded by a similarly worded (albeit with subtle differences) corporate charter. Getting back to an understanding of the switch that was pulled in this process will help to make clear why the system has consistently failed to serve the people despite campaign promises and sworn oaths of office through the generations from then till the present.
Thank you Fayyaz.. It is good to know that it is a National Plant of Pakistan. I believe, also, all drugs should be decriminalized.. and treated not as a legal but as a health issue. At least some democracy is at work in the USA, this November California is having a referendum vote to legalize and tax marijuana, which would help that state and impact criminal drug dealers in a significant way. This is why the Obama justice department is fighting against this state-rights act.
Check the Washington Post concerning the issue of the money situation. I remember distinctly the Am Legion magazine, the VFW magazine mentioning the issue of the disabled veteran issue or the question by Obama about charging for prescriptions. Are you also stating that Acorn was lilly white and shaky things were not going on with them and could you prove that they were clean of no wrong doings regardless of the phony people who posed as a pimp and hooker?
It is the go-betweens that help launder the drug cartels profits in both Mexico & AFGN that make tracking the flow of money difficult for the average investigative reporters. People disappear. Private security firms are getting more work than they can handle ensuring some AFGN officials and warlords are kept away from public access. The CIA got extremely good at this sort of thing in the golden triangle during the IndoChina Cultural Exchange Program. The system in place was SO good,
that its been repeated in Mexico and for the last several years in AFGN.
People should not be surprised that the net excess profits are going into those candidates who look the other way when it comes to who is making their donations.
Yes even worse. Thanks for the update.
Penumbra, I've seen you reference the year 1871 before in your comments as to marking the beginning of the end for America and I searched it once and came up with "The Force Act" which gave the prez the power to use the military to combat domestic terrorism…if I got that right. I assume that is what you were referring to?
Actually, wolf, what FDR did was NOT by means of any bill (i.e. Congressionally debated and enacted legal process), but rather by unilateral Executive Order 6501. This made it even more an act of outright treason against both the people and the Constitution insofar as Executive orders, by nature, are neither law nor are they to have any direct bearing upon the citizenry, being as they are orders purely for agents and officers directly employed by the Federal Government.
This was a dictatorial act of theft pure and simple.
"Our power has been created through the manipulation of the national monetary system. We authored the quotation. 'Money is power.' As revealed in our master plan, it was essential for us to establish a private national bank. The Federal Reserve system fitted our plan nicely since it is owned by us, but the name implies that it is a government institution. From the very outset, our purpose was to confiscate all the gold and silver, replacing them with worthless non-redeemable paper notes. This we have done!"
"Prior to 1968, the gullible goy could take a one dollar Federal Reserve note into any bank in America and redeem it for a dollar which was by law a coin containing 412 1/2 grains of 90 per cent silver. Up until 1933, one could have redeemed the same note for a coin of 25 4/5ths grains of 90 per cent gold. All we do is give the goy more non-redeemable notes, or else copper slugs. But we never give them their gold and silver. Only more paper," he said contemptuously. "We Jews have prospered through the paper gimmick. It's our method through which we take money and give only paper in return."
–Harold Rosenthal
(from an interview with Walter White Jr. 1976)
Yes vinnie I think you are correct. It looks like they made off with it in another well orchestrated multi-generational scam.
In 1933 new President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed a bill forcing all the American people, to hand over all their gold at base rate, with the exception of rare coins. He disowned himself from the bill claiming to not have read it and his secretary of the treasury claimed this was "what the experts wanted".
Bought at bargain basement prices with money produced from nothing by the Federal Reserve, the gold was melted down and stacked in the newly built bullion depository called Fort Knox. Once collected in 1935 the price of gold was raised from $20.66 up to $35 per ounce, but only non American gold qualified to be sold. This meant those who had avoided the crash by investing in gold they had shipped to London could now nearly double their money while the rest of America starved.
But that's not all folks. By the end of WWII Fort Knox did hold 70% of the world's gold, but over the years it was sold off to the European money changers while a public audit of Fort Knox reserves was repeatedly denied.
In 1981 President Ronald Reagan was convinced to have a look into Fort Knox with a view to re-introducing the Gold Standard. He appointed a group called The Gold Commission. They found that the US Treasury owned no gold at all.
All the Fort Knox gold remaining is now being held as collateral by the Federal Reserve against the national debt. Using credits made from nothing. The Fed had robbed the largest treasure of gold on earth.
Absolutely correct. The basis of all value is labor. In fact money equals labor in value. But thus is not how the federal reserved money system is designed. It is designed so that a cadre of 'experts' can 'manage' the economy and, essentially, force the free market to become subject to them. Money is paper. But people work for it, kill for it. There is the power.
AS, if you read G. Edward Griffin's "Creature from Jeckyll Island" he argues that when the standard has been reestablished throughout history, even in cases where the particular nation had previously been divested of gold, the gold stocks returned quickly.
So long as the nation demands gold payment for its transnational commerce, the balance of payment is restored fairly quicker.
Wouldn't it be prudent to first make sure that we actually have gold in our treasury vaults before we start talking about returning to the gold standard?
Another thing Dan, The Washington Post reported in their paper that the Democrats received more money for campaign issues from overseas sources than the Republicans did. But yet his highness Obama, who can't prove a bloody thing, say the Chamber of Commerce gets all kinds of money from foreign sources.
what article are you reading? he states that all political parties are receiving laundered drug money, but the gop, and tea party are getting a bigger cut. you are living in a naive world if you think any movement, any revolution is being financed by the chumps standing there holding the signs, the same ones soon to be holding the bag.
Except for the MONEY the Federal Reserve PRINTS out of the blue… Drugs-Bubbles-Financial Frauds-Arms Deals: all provenue from said activities goes into lining the pockets of the Zion Talmudic Mafia Dons. Same do the taxes, we pay. It's the perfect racket, feeds the same tribe and its assets-agents in Gov- Congress-Senate-Pentagon-Academia-Agencies… As long as the FED is in the hands of the banksters, same vicious circle will prevail…
Patrick, without backing by gold, money is what you say it is. Being backed by labor assumes that the unit of currency has some stability, such that the due from one's labors is not diluted through inflation. At present, the true rate of inflation is 8.5%. The fact that the government says it's 1.7% proves they are cheating all of us blind.
The purchasing power of the dollar you earned just one year ago is worth about ninety-one cents today. By the end of next year, and barring some dramatic turnaround, it is reasonable to anticipate a dollar earned today will only purchase what eighty-five cents does today. The point is often made that only half of wage earners pay any federal income taxes, but this is totally misleading because of inflation. With inflation in prices of, say, 15% by this time next year, even those at the bottom of the wage scale will be paying the "stealth tax," a flat tax of 15%–and that's before they pay any regular income tax, state tax, sales tax, and the hundreds of other consumption taxes that fall hardest on the lower middle class.
To Fayyaz, RE: marijuana legalization…California hates competition!
Money without labor can be used for paper training puppies.
Money plus labor can be used for paper training politicians.
As soon as labor gets its head straight, it will return the power to issue money to the people; where it rightly belongs.
Without labor, money is colored paper with pretty pictures and funny symbols on it.
If you want to eradicate Opium legalize Marijuana after all its the National Plant of Pakistan growing just about everywhere and let the countries that have already legalized order directly from farmers who have substituted.
The rotten smell of the "Governments" installed by the Republicans in Pakistan and Afghanistan can be felt in the Middle East. This is when the labor intensive Drug trade has suddenly gone industrialized.
It's an attractive premise about which to write, but there's no proof that the hundreds of millions in cash is from drug money. There's no proof about most of the money going into the GOP's fundraising, thanks to the Citizens United ruling, is from anywhere at all. So, on the one hand, Duff is engaging in irresponsible journalism. But he raises an important question about accountability. It SHOULD be up to the election process to identify donors, but the process has deteriorated, thanks to a hapless Congress and a downright destructive Supreme Court.
I hope that Duff's article doesn't get very far, because its poor journalism can be used as a red herring by the monied interests who want to continue to rake in millions from unidentified sources. Right now, only our feeble Congress can initiate a disclosure law. And if it doesn't get passed before January, it will never happen. And if it never happens, good bye America, because after that, it will all be about sustaining an empty myth, of hoping that all of us will live with the lie that the Constitution is the law of the land.
I really belive you Mr. Duff are an extreme left wing democrat, and personally If the GOP and the tea party are recieving money from outsiders then you can bet your butt so is Obummer and the left wing Democrats. And the proff of the pudding is in "Why is Obummer and staff fighting the Az law on illegals" the bill is based on present federal law, yet the Obummer administration is using our tax dollar to go after AZ and is stating through folks such as you that AZ is wrong in what they are doing. So I ask you why are the Democrats trying to lay off that the Rep and the tea party are using drug money, when its very evident that they are not likeing the idea of sharing the money that they are recieving and using to destroy the country and the american way of life.
I've looked over his platform, he plays a tricky word game when it comes national defense and Israel. I wouldn't go as far as to say he has his nose up Israels ass, it's to soon to tell.
Clearly he is not his father, but he is closer to the real Tea Party platform than most. There are always going to be subtle variations. I'm curious to see what his real voting record would be if he gets elected.
If he sucks we'll just kick him out on his ass.
More likely it's in Dubai, but speculation is not something I like to engage in.
The Nationalist Times:
And another fine article by Mr. Paul Craig Roberts:
"The Ecstasy of Empire" you can google it…while we still have internet acccess…
Originally, I read this in "The Nationalist Times", August 2010 edition, page 9.
Subscription rates are:$39.00 for one year, $75.00 for two years, $110.00 for three years; payable to The Nationalist Times; 10161 Park Run Drive, Suite 150; Las Vegas, NV 89145.
If you're short on time, scroll to Mr. Robert's last line…for instruction.
Hell, just lable me "one of those unpatriotic dissenters"…And, proud of it!
OK, While googling "California Statute on Cronyism" this presented first:
Congressional Record-House, vol. 151, Pt. 18; November 03, 2005; pages 24832-3.
…"We were Federalized when we were elected. So, if folks feel, oh well, I am here or here, and I do not need to worry about that, you are a Member of the United States Congress. You are a Member of the 109th Congress, and you have a responsibility to lead."
"If you do not want to lead, I am going to tell you something, as sure (as) my name is Congressman Meek. I feel that the American people Democrat, Republican, Independent alike, and even going back to what the gentleman was talking about. 224 years of individuals that were fiscally responsible, the Whig Party, okay, THESE INDIVIDUALS WILL RISE UP TO MAKE SURE THAT WE PROTECT OUR COUNTRY (THE CAPS ARE MY INCLUSION)."
"Mr. Ryan of Ohio. Do you know why? Because the kids have to pay this debt, that $8 TRILLION (CAPS-MINE), they are not just Republican kids, they are not just Democratic kids, they are kids born in the United States of American."
"Mr. Delahunt. Do you know what the tragedy of this is? Let us put aside for a moment indictments and discussions of who might be indicted in the future or misconduct that violates criminal statutes."
"What is truly unfortunate here is that we have reached a point where there is a culture that exists here in Washington where if there is disagreement, if there is dissent, that it is described as unpatriotic."
"We have heard that I think earlier this evening on the floor, the inference being that if there is any dissent or disagreement, somehow motives can be inferred that that courageous individual, in my judgement, who speaks out in opposition is somehow unpatriotic."…
…"But what has happened is no, let us design a plan to impugn that individual's integrity. Let us try to destroy that individual. Let us try to discredit him or her. That is not what democracy is about. In fact, today I read the White House had prepared a series of talking points attacking the former National Security Advisor, Brent Scowcroft, who recently went public in saying that the policies of this Bush Administration as it relates to Iraq and the Middle East are a failure."
Dan, don't be naive. Wall Street is propped up by NARCO DOLLARS AND NARCO DOLLARS ALONE…THERE IS NO OTHER MONEY TO BE HAD…DO YOU UNDERSTAND THIS? NO OTHER MONEY, NONE, NADA, NOTHING…
Dan, thank you for your comment, you're right we are missing the bigger picture of things and that is Americas debt. THERE IS SUCH A THING AS THE END OF THE ROAD CONCERNING DEBT! And this will be catalyst that brings down the "house of cards" of our once great nation.
Ron, sorry to burst your bubble…Rand's got his nose up israel's ass.
So far, his father seems "resolved". Except for the "earmarks", Ron Paul's constitutionally-driven.
Ron, how much you wanna bet that "10 year stockpile of opium" is sitting next to "gold that was never mined"; ALL behind a "hidden wall" at Dimona.
The only person that comes close to the real Tea Party is Rand Paul and maybe 1 or 2 others.
The rest are just Neocon infiltrators.
Sorry to shatter your reality.
You said:
"If the war in Afghanistan ends, drugs won't move freely."
True, but there is an estimated 10 year stockpile of opium already, I doubt it's still in Afghanistan.
Secondly, considering Jeb Bush is the man behind the scenes doing Republican fund raising this article is not surprising.
Gordon, I don't see there's evidence of a trail of drug money into the coffers of the Tea Party, of all things, or to Republicans, particularly as opposed to Democrats. As bad as both parties are, there's is more than enough money stolen the old fashioned way on Wall Street, or through payoffs to political groups, to buy off the narcissists who float to the top of the human sewage in party politics.
The headline that should be screaming from the Internet these days is that the United States of America is totally bankrupt and its debt about to implode, taking us all down with it. Mark Englund has a very good article today on Lew Rockwell with a simple table of the federal government's balance sheet. It is staggering to look at, that the bastards in Congress and this and the past administration have betrayed the American people to this extent. I keep trying to do my part, as laughably inconsequential as it may be, by pointing out that our government is counterfeiting the money to pay our armies. The mechanism is straightforward accounting gimmickry. The Federal Reserve is buying the Treasury's debt. I don't think people realize this means our government is destroying our country, with the full complicity of Congress. The demand for this toilet-paper grade paper crap called Treasuries is insufficient to float it, so the government, via the Fed, simply counterfeits the dollars to buy up the slack. Inflation will skyrocket, and there's no amount of lies about it that will be contained with bogus economic reporting. I hope our troops, who must already know they're fighting and dying for Israel, finally wake up and realize they're being paid with money that is in every respect being stolen from the very families and communities they mistakenly believe they're protecting. I say stolen because countless millions of those families have lost every bit of equity in their houses, not due to market dynamics, but entirely because of government and Wall Street theft. To the extent that food prices have gone up a minimum of 7% this year, some say more, that increase in price is due to a decrease in the purchasing power of those dollars, also due to government and Wall Street theft.
While I look forward to your unique insights into the gov's involvement in the production and trade in drugs, we need to focus on that out-of-control fire that's raging in our basement, which most of us don't see or smell, which will burn down our house with us inside. This is the end game. We are going down. The best scenario has our standard of living reduced to Depression era levels with modest civil unrest over several years, like the frog-in-boiling-water simile. The likely scenario is a total collapse of the demand for Treasury debt and collapse of the dollar, as the Fed desperately counterfeits dollars to keep the government and military afloat until we have been used up and thrown under the bus. An attack on Iran could be the trigger, as China, Japan, and the other Asian nations, which are totally dependent on Gulf oil, sell their Treasuries and dollar holdings to buy oil at any price to avoid going down with us. The trigger is in Asia, while those holding the insurance policy and who will collect big time when the dollar implodes are right here in this country, working in DC and on Wall Street. Soros, for one, bet big time on a Marxist-like takeover, trying to recreate the enslavement of our country as was done in Russia nearly a century ago. He now sees that bet was lost and has turned to saving himself by betting against the dollar like there's no tomorrow–because there isn't unless the Republicans can reverse the policies of this and the past administration. Fat chance of that.
And thanks again to Michael Leon for posting the latest article by Paul Craig Roberts.
in part yes.. but also the drug trade is financing black operations.. those special operation military missions that go off the books, and enable the shadow government (and contractors) to betray our nation and world in all sorts of (sic) ways.
I hear talk of a big march this July 4th to unite Muslims and those aware of the 9/11 crimes and cover-up to call for truth..
Drugs huh? Drug money? I hate drugs and drug money. I left Texas in part because of it and came to Washington State six years ago without any real delusions that it would be all that much better there. The government and that 'rotten government smell'? When did it EVER smell all that great folks? The 'Great American Dream'? I kinda gave up on that after my general LIFE (for all practical purposes) WAS CONFISCATED back in 85 in a small chickens__t Texas town. It had nothing really to do with drugs but everything to do with Politics. Politics? Oh yeah, that REALLY ROTTEN GOVERNMENT SMELL…POLITICS. Republicans? Democrats? Tea Partiers? Yeah, that REALLY ROTTEN POLITICAL SMELL… POLITICS? GOVERNMENT? CORRUPTION? AVARICE? GREED? FASCIST COMPETITION EVEN FOR McDONALD JOBS? Man, pursuit of the AMERICAN DREAM is All but Dead unless one is a GATES, SOROS, BUFFET, PICKENS, or another comparable AMERICAN BILLIONARE. I wonder who'll be the first TRILLIONARE?
Even if one does not believe in God the Biblical Scriptural Texts (and not only the Christian, Judaistic, or Muslim works but others as well) a person can actually glean some WISDOM out of some of it. We pride ourselves as the Most Educated and Informed People on Earth with our INTERNET ACCESS which is True however, having All of that Knowledge WITHOUT HAVING WISDOM Won't do Us any GOOD. When was the last time that AMERICA (Collectively) EXHIBIT TRUE WISDOM as a SOCIETY? Somehow I don't recall this ever really happening in a Truely Lasting Way. Oh,…and the Remember, "The Love of Money (Power) Is the ROOT of ALL what?"
Leave it to a Liberal to blame the teaparty now for using drug money. Outrageous as it is at least you aren't calling them rascist drug money peddlers. I think you are digging deep into your own sewage pit by claiming teapartiers are buying congressmen/women with drug money, I personally know plenty of teapartiers and if you think they are what you state, well then you must be doing too many drugs yourself. Ur Barking up the wrong poppy field here.
I agree that there will be a new government soon, same old corrupt seatwarmers as before but just more of the rightwing than the left.
The Republicans will have lost power for just 2 years and a lost a president for just 4 years.
All we need right now is another Bush/Cheney cabal.
The scenario about the drugs and the content of this article by Gordon must be right. How come every time you see a picture of the US troops in Afghanistan they are close to or walking through a field of poppies. And from these crops come the money that enables the Taliban to buy weapons and power in the region to kill your Nato soldiers.
Surely, they must know that as well? Now that would be an interesting question for Gordon to ask with his connections. How many soldiers know what is going on? How many know the big picture of drug growing, distribution and military protection?
If so, how do their superiors represent it to the soldiers satisfaction? How can their be any satisfactory explanation for the troops?
I am not arguing with Gordon. This has seemed obvious to me for some time. But, what do the soldiers think is going on?
I am certain that it would not be considered unreasonable for any soldier to know for what his life is worth to his country.
If this new money is "unaccounted for", then the new folks don't know where it came from and thus wouldn't feel they were bought with drug money. So, they have no reason to feel they owe anything to the heroin folks.
So, I guess I'll just leave my usual question: "what will Obummer change in regard to this?"
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She Can't Actually Be 52
Get out!!
Julia Louis-Dreyfus continued to defy age at the season 2 premiere of Veep on Tuesday, at which she arrived looking better — not to mention younger — than ever before.
The 52-year-old beauty (yes, she's somehow 52) stunned in a black dress by Talbot Runhof, which she matched with a pair of Jimmy Choo shoes. (I don't know who Talbot Runhof is, but thank you, anyway.)
Seriously, how does she do it? Was the Fountain of Youth secretly hidden inside Peterman's cake? The muffin tops? Or is this just what happens when you are the daughter of a billionaire?
Whatever the case is, good on ya, Julia.
Check out more photos from the Veep premiere below — and please, for the love of God, watch the season 2 premiere Sunday night at 10 on HBO. That show is awesome.
Images courtesy of Getty Images

subset: commoncrawl


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[5/14/09] It is hard to describe things when they come to an end. How do you describe that one of the best players in the history of Southwestern Lacrosse is sitting in a hospital in intensive care when he should be out on the field suited up playing his last game ever. How does a senior suit up for a last game knowing this will be the last time he will ever play with this team and in this uniform, and probably play organized lacrosse for the rest of his life. How does a team approach a game knowing it is the last game ever to be played this season, for this program, in this league, and more?
How does someone who has been with the program since its inception 26 years ago deal with "the last time"? Is the book done differently? Do you have special words to say to the team in timeouts? Do you simply take it all in and savor every last second?
It doesn't really matter if many cared about the game early in the morning against Stonehill College (MA) in what was to be a consolation game at the 2009 MCLA D 2 National Tournament. The only ones who would even care about the result would be the players and those involved with the two teams playing the game. But to them, specifically the guys wearing the Black and Gold, it meant so much more.
All year the Bucs had known that this would be the last year of the 26 year history of the Southwestern Club Lacrosse Team. Next year, the Bucs will be Varsity effectively ending the history of the club program. While several returners would make the leap to Varsity Lacrosse next year, so much would be different. From opponents, to funding, to experience, the move to varsity and falling under the realm of Athletics would present a different atmosphere by necessity.
So when the guys hit the field, and the coaches roamed it aimlessly (at least some of us did), there was so much to be valued, so much to be remembered, and so much to play for one last time.
Without Webb even on the sidelines, the Bucs knew they had a mental block they had to overcome. Someone who we were able to rely on at anytime, and who really opened so much up for us through the years, was not available. This meant the Bucs had to do something they were very good at. They had to come together and play as a team and find a way to use their individual strengths to win.
The game started with both teams "feeling each other out" in the first quarter before Titus, who never came off the field with his tank on anything but empty, shot a change-up past the goalie for the first Buc goal of the game. Stonehill had drawn first blood a little earlier until the Bucs went on a scoring spree through the second and third to take a several goal lead.
This was accented by the stellar defensive play of the Bucs as they continually pressured Stonehill everywhere they went once they got the ball down on offense. The pressure worked and did not allow them to get into any type of rhythm or get many shots, much less ones that were dangerous. The team played great, and were able to take a 7-2 lead late into the third.
Stonehill did not stop fighting, however, and was able to crawl back into the game with three goals that made it a 7-5 game with a lot of time left in the fourth before the Bucs, on sheer grit and determination refused to give this lead away. Thompson, who refused to let the game get any closer, took things into his own hands and placed a rocket wormburner shot past an exceptional goalie with several minutes remaining to give the Bucs the separation they needed, and to ultimately break Stonehills' back and end any hopes it had of stealing the victory.
A few short minutes later, the Bucs saw the final seconds tick of the game clock and realized they had left it all on the field each for his own reasons, and had won the last game EVER played by the Southwestern Lacrosse Club team 8-5.
Everyone stepped up and played with an intensity that really was the calling card of Southwestern Lacrosse for so many years. Thompson stepped up in Webb's absence and not only did face-offs, but ran x at attack. Irish, who was still working his way back from a very tough injury, played more than he should have, and ran more than he had since before the injury. He was all over the field and no one was going to keep him off the field in his last game ever. Lange showed signs of great hustle and skill, something the Varsity Squad will hope to see continue to develop as next year rolls around. Marsh did as well. Howe contributed to the shut down defense with his quick feet and good on ball stick work all day as well.
Although Lex Luther did not hit the scoreboard, he did what he has come to be known for by me all year, make the plays that don't show up in the book, but that without them, you don't have a chance at winning the game. Mock sprinted everywhere and Carney moved so well all day to fill the gap left by Webb.
Then there was Connor, who was playing his last game for the Bucs, and whose family, for the first time ever, had the chance to see their son play the game of lacrosse. Tomasz, transferring next year, and thrust into the starting role after only one year under his belt, played on a banged up ankle and every time was able to step up the intensity, especially today when the defense clamped down and allowed the big lead to happen. I won't mention that he made the third team LSA in Defense.
Fletch, the stoic senior anchor of the defense really managed the game and the young ones as he always did. He made plays when needed, jump started transitions, and kept the opponent at bay all game. McDonough played one of his best games in his last game. The best goalie I have ever had the honor of coaching, was not going to allow Stonehill to win.
Sample also ran all over the field in transition, on defense, and made the other team tired just watching him. Like Luther, his stats were never a big part of the game he played or what he contributed to the team. However, without a doubt, he did so many things on the field between the boxes that allowed us to win. The same can be said for Walker, doing anything and everything we ask of him. He stepped in at attack and his presence was recognized immediately, giving other members of the team openings to move around.
Parker and Jesus, both first years were able to get in and really show that there is so much potential for next year with these two. For everyone, the tiredness of the game before did not phase the Bucs on this day. Somehow it was different knowing that this was it.
You never, ( or at least I couldn't) script how this last game should turn out. I simply hoped for these guys to play their best, for a win, and for everyone to many years down the road remember (with stories that get bigger and better with distance) this game and this team and this program.
Having the chance to meet Connor's family, and seeing Mr. Webb make it out to the last couple of minutes of the game to tell us that Webb was getting out of the ICU and getting to go home was icing on the cake. Each person will take away their own memories, their own take, if you will, of this game and season.
As for me, I know we did "it" right. We were always a classy team on and off the field. We were always a team that never stopped learning or playing. Most importantly, we always found a way to have fun, often at times when not expected, but was definitely needed or warranted.
The stability of Monty and Stacy behind the scenes and on the sidelines has been unfathomable. They are truly synonymous with everything that is Southwestern Lacrosse. The time, effort, heart and soul they have left with the team over the years, has single handedly made a difference in the lives of so many young men. To say that Southwestern Lacrosse is and has been special without understanding where they fall in its glorious history, is to acknowledge the program but not its heart and soul.
Southwestern Lacrosse took the field for its first ever game against the Baylor Bears in a loss. Twenty-six years later, however, the Bucs walked off a field in Denver with the majestic Rockies in the background with a win in their final game ever.
In between, the script was written, and the roles were cast, and lacrosse in numerous forms was played. Perhaps most importantly, a good time was had by all and memories that will last a lifetime were created, as were friendships, records and lessons about life and everything in between.
In its final season, Southwestern finished 12-6, with an undefeated conference record. They played 4 out of conference games and won 2 during the season, played three LSA D1 teams and won 1, and played an NCAA DIII Varsity team. The Bucs also went to their 5 consecutive National Tournament and went 1-1. The 18 games played were one of the highest totals ever. All in all, a fitting way to go out.
- Bill Bowman


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My dividend retirement plan will be achieved at the time when my dividend income exceeds my monthly expenses. In a previous post I mentioned that I am close to covering approximately 50% of my expenses from my portfolio distributions. While achieving financial independence is important, maintaining and growing your dividend income for several decades after that, is even more important.
In order to achieve and maintain financial independence, I generally try to follow these 7 common sense principles.
- I try to purchase quality dividend stocks at attractive valuations
- I try to purchase quality dividend stocks which have sustainable distributions
- I try to purchase quality companies that will grow earnings and dividends
- I try to diversify my portfolio by holding at least 30 companies in as many industries as possible
- I have an exit plan for each stock I purchase
- I continuously study the lists of consistent dividend payers and analyze potential portfolio additions regularly
- I analyze the companies I own at least once per year in a great detail
I define quality companies as those that have some sort of competitive advantages or wide-moats with strong pricing power. The companies typically have strong brand names, are market leaders in their niches, have patents or geographic monopoly in certain areas, or are the lowest cost provider of goods/services. Other characteristics of quality companies include high switching costs to move to a competitors.
I typically try to acquire such companies when they have achieved at least a decade of consistent dividend growth and trade for less than 20 times earnings. If their dividend yield is above 2.50% and they have a sustainable dividend payout, that makes me determined to study the company's financials more in depth. I essentially try to determine whether the company would be able to achieve earnings growth over time, whether organically or through acquisitions.
There are several companies in my portfolio such as Clorox (CLX), ONEOK Partners (OKS) and Coca-Cola (KO) which have outlined strategies to hit specific earnings targets within a defined period of time. Once I learn as much as possible about a company, and I have determined that it is a quality company that has a great chance of growing earnings and dividends and which is also attractively priced at the moment, I log on to my brokerage account and buy shares.
I would then hold on to these shares until one of these three events happens.
The event that typically makes me want to sell stock has been dividend cuts or eliminations. I automatically sell after an event like that, and try to reinvest proceeds into another company that is attractively priced. This is where my continuous research of the list of dividend growth stocks comes in handy, because it enables me to have a list of 20 – 30 stocks at all times that could fit my criteria for inclusion in my portfolio. The average retirement could last for two – three decades.
Over the course of this period, one could reasonably expect that the composition of their income portfolio would be different in year 31 in comparison with the portfolio composition in year one. If a company that I own is not in buy territory anymore, I do not sell its shares, but hold on to them.
I would only consider selling a dividend stock if the company is severely overvalued and I have found similar prospects that would provide me with a better income growth over time. One such example was when I replaced most of my position in Con Edison (ED) with shares of ONEOK Partners (OKS).
I try to maintain a portfolio of at least 30 individual dividend stocks, which should be spread out between as many sectors that make sense. However, I would not add stocks in a dying sector such as newspapers or cyclical stocks such as General Motors (GM) or Ford (F) just for the sake of diversification.


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Mental Health
Have Mental Health Questions? Ask a Psychiatrist Online
Hello there and thanks for asking JA. Is this young lady your daugther or relative? I think there is a posibility to help her see herself but it is a very limited one. She will need to realize that she has problems with relationships and find a threapist to help her change her behavior. I think the best thing a relative can do is to be honest on how the things she does and said make you feel. Set and bounderies and protect yourself.. Trauma makes someone feel like they can't trust anyone and make them angry. Anger leads to bad treatment of others and then people leave her and prove her fears that nobody cares. This makes her very angry and makes her not trust. What you can do is to tell her that you love her nomatter what. You do not like her behavior sometimes but you still love her
Our relationship would take a long time to explain. In a nut shell I was a teacher who saw an all alone kid, lost my career, savings, and pretty much everything in the attempt to show that SOMEBODY in the world cared. No good. This "affliction" can give this girl the appearance of unbelievable coldness to the point of seeming cruel. It seems that for those who have given the most, less is given. I'm talking simple little things that just don't go out of her. She has been her own "boss" pretty much all her life. She's a runner when things get real bad. She refuses to see any of her behavior being at fault, and doesn't see the pattern that I see. A start, a slight rise, and a crash. This is jobs and relationships. I finally pieced together why it always fell apart. I think that at the point that there MUST be some reciprocity for a relationship to continue,she can't give it. People get away from those who take and never give. This has gotten very bad and if I could I would force some professional help. I also think this is a shell or shield formed from early abuse/neglect. Part of this neglect was letting her just go on her own, with only herself for guidance at about age 13. I fear it is too late and I have seen her at the bottom more than once and no revelations were found. Is there a name for this "shielding" that gets this severe. I think it is the cause of her APPEARING -selfish,cold,stupid,immoral, she has a quick and frightful temper, can't accept any kind of criticism, just walks from any truth telling, and has become someone that has an excuse for everything and everything is someone or something else's fault. Is there a name for this? This is a though nut to crack and has always been way above my pay-grade. A name for this like reciprocity syndrome or something? That is usually with autistic kids. She can be bright about some things and is not autistic. I'm afraid I will have to "bail" too. I have gone thru enough that it would take a long time to relate. Enough to be embarrassing . Hopeless?
A. Qualitative impairment in social interaction, as manifested by at least two of the following: that is what you are noticins (1) marked impairment in the use of multiple nonverbal behaviors such as eye-to-eye gaze, facial expression, body postures, and gestures to regulate social interaction (2) failure to develop peer relationships appropriate to developmental level (3) a lack of spontaneous seeking to share enjoyment, interests, or achievements with other people (e.g., by a lack of showing, bringing, or pointing out objects of interest to other people) (4) lack of social or emotional reciprocity.
This is seeing in every person with this disorder. The person does not understand emotions and how to reciprocate.
B. Restricted repetitive and stereotyped patterns of behavior, interests, and activities, as manifested by at least one of the following: (1) encompassing preoccupation with one or more stereotyped and restricted patterns of interest that is abnormal either in intensity or focus (2) apparently inflexible adherence to specific, nonfunctional routines or rituals (3) stereotyped and repetitive motor mannerisms (e.g., hand or finger flapping or twisting, or complex whole-body movements) (4) persistent preoccupation with parts of objects
C. The disturbance causes clinically significant impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning.
D. There is no clinically significant general delay in language (e.g., single words used by age 2 years, communicative phrases used by age 3 years).
E. There is no clinically significant delay in cognitive development or in the development of age-appropriate self-help skills, adaptive behavior (other than in social interaction), and curiosity about the environment in childhood.
F. Criteria are not met for another specific Pervasive Developmental Disorder or Schizophrenia
What helps those students is to explain to them the social rules in an intellectual maner. You will notice that social cues do not mean much to this person. A social group helps so much. If you can refer him to a therapist that works with this disorder this will help


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The Swedes were the first Europeans to settle permanently in the Keystone State in the 1640s. Although they came in small numbers, they were well-documented, especially in Peter Stebbins Craig's 1671 Census of the Delaware (Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania). Perhaps the most ethnically diverse Colony, Pennsylvania also became home to English, Welsh, Irish, Germans, Scots-Irish, Swiss and French Huguenots in the 1700s; and Slavs, Poles, Italians, Jews, Russians and Greeks in the late 1800s. Passenger arrival records (mainly for the 1800s) for Pennsylvania ports are available on microfilm at the Family History Library (FHL) <www.familysearch.org> and the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) <archives.gov>. You also can search passenger lists in Ancestry.com's <Ancestry.com > US Deluxe Collection ($155.40 per year).
Conflict among Colonial powers left the region in British hands in 1681, when King Charles II chartered the land to William Penn, the son, heir and namesake of the British admiral to whom he owed a huge debt. The king dubbed the colony Pennsylvania (Latin for "Penn's Woods").


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It says in the m0n0 documentation "m0n0wall does not support
NAT-Traversal (NAT-T) for IPsec, which means if any of your client
machines are behind NAT, IPsec VPN will not work."
Is that only the case for workstation to m0n0, or also for m0n0 to
m0n0 or in my case, m0n0 to netscreen?
Specifically, at a remote location in a foreign country, we only have
NAT'ed internet access, but would still like to create a VPN back to
the main office.
If the m0n0's WAN has the NAT'ed IP, will IPsec not work?


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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/).
A recent meta-analysis provides evidence supporting the universal application of school-based prevention programs for adolescent depression. The mechanisms underlying such successful interventions, however, are largely unknown. We report on a qualitative analysis of 109 Grade 9 students' beliefs about what they gained from an evidence-based depression prevention intervention, the Resourceful Adolescent Program (RAP-A). Fifty-four percent of interviewees articulated at least one specific example of program benefit. A thematic analysis of responses revealed two major themes, improved interpersonal relationships and improved self-regulation, both stronger than originally assumed. A more minor theme also emerged—more helpful cognitions. It is postulated that both improved interpersonal relationships and improved self-regulation are likely to enhance one another, and more helpful cognitions may express its contribution through enhanced self-regulation. These findings broaden our understanding of the impact of depression prevention programs, beginning to illuminate how such programs benefit participants.
Depression prevention interventions are particularly appropriate for use with adolescents, with depression considered one of the most common mental health problems of this developmental phase [
There are both benefits and difficulties associated with applying interventions in a universal or targeted manner. One key advantage of universal approaches is the population health benefits; many people exposed to a low risk (e.g., sub-clinical depressive symptoms) can ultimately generate more clinical cases than a group of fewer individuals exposed to a higher risk [
Despite these positives, universal programs do have their disadvantages. It has been suggested that some universal programs may be unappealing to the public and politicians, and may be unnecessarily expensive [
Compared to universal interventions, targeted programs have the advantage of potentially addressing problems earlier, and it has also been argued that it may be most efficient to direct available resources towards high risk groups [
The most recent meta-analysis exploring the effectiveness of depression prevention interventions in children and adolescents reported positive findings regarding universal programs [
Despite the evidence supporting prevention interventions, it remains unclear whether program outcomes are attributable to assumed mechanisms of change. Collins and Dozois [
A few studies have attempted to investigate mechanisms of change in depression prevention program for adolescents, although with mixed results. Horowitz and colleagues [
Pössel and colleagues [
The program investigated in this study is RAP-A, a resilience program that has been researched systematically since its development in 1997 e.g., [
We report on a qualitative analysis of what participants believe they gained from a universal depression prevention program, RAP-A. We examined the lived experience of program participants by conducting brief individual interviews. We propose that there is value in extending our understanding of universal interventions and that exploring an integrative program such as RAP-A will broaden our knowledge of the underpinnings of efficacious and effective universal programs. We also propose that there is more to be gained from universal interventions than the quantitative data has shown us thus far.
Participants in the current study were a sample of Grade 9 students who received the intervention condition in a larger study. The larger study included three intervention schools where students participated in RAP-A as part of the school curriculum, and three comparison schools where students engaged in lessons as usual (N = 1,003). Of the 522 students who received the intervention in this larger study, 109 students were selected to participate in the current qualitative study. These participants were selected by a year level coordinator at each school, who was asked to randomly select approximately one-fifth of the students who participated in the RAP intervention. It is noted that this method of participant selection was unlikely to be truly random; but was selected to ensure ease of recruitment for the involved schools. Participants attended one of three Catholic secondary schools (one co-educational, one all-girls, and one all-boys) in Western Sydney, Australia. Sixty males and 49 females were included, with an average age 13.98 years (
This research received the appropriate ethical clearance from the University Human Research Ethics Committee and complies with the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council ethical standards.
All participants in the current study participated in RAP-A, an eleven-session universal program for 12 to 15 year olds that promotes resilience and positive coping for the prevention of depression. It is designed to be implemented as part of the school curriculum in classroom groups of approximately 15 students. In the current study each group included 12 to 15 students. The content and process of each session of RAP-A is specified in a Group Leader's Manual [
The schools participating in the larger study requested that the program be delivered over five double periods (
Short structured interviews (5 to 10 min duration) were conducted with each participant three months after completion of RAP-A. The interviewer was not previously known to the students, thus reducing the likelihood of students' need to please the interviewer. The taped interviews were transcribed. Responses to the following questions were analysed in this study: "Can you give me specific examples of when you have used skills from the RAP program?" and "Have other people noticed any changes in you?" These questions were selected as they elicited the perceived changes resulting from program participation. The interviewer also asked briefly about what the participants liked most about the program, what they didn't like and would change, and what they remember RAP-A being about.
The transcribed interviews were analysed using thematic analysis, see [
Students were able to identify a range of changes they have experienced following participation in RAP-A, with 54% of participants able to nominate at least one specific change they have encountered as a result of their participation. Slightly more girls (61%) than boys (47%) were able to nominate a change. A further 8% stated that the program was beneficial but were unable to nominate specific examples. More boys (13%) than girls (2%) fell into this category. Approximately 25% of participants were either unsure whether they had experienced any changes following their participation in RAP-A or stated that they had not used the skills much or at all. The remainder comprised 7% who stated they had not encountered a situation requiring the use of RAP-A skills and 3% who claimed to possess relevant skills prior to RAP-A participation.
Identified changes that were attributed to program participation were analysed further and themes extracted from the data are summarized in
Themes and sub-themes of perceived changes attributed to participation in RAP-A.
A very commonly identified theme was improved relationships with peers and/or family members. This theme captures changes such as an increase in empathy, the acquisition of skills promoting calm and effective discussions, and greater utilisation of social support. Given the wide variety of responses comprising this broad theme, sub-themes were developed.
Many participants reported that they now have greater consideration for others' feelings, experiences, and perspectives. For example, "
Number of interviews with adolescents during which themes were identified as specific outcomes of RAP-A participation.
|Considering others more
|"Talking it through"
|Staying calm in conflict
|Increased use of social support
|Improved self confidence
|Managing difficult emotions
|Beneficial but no specific example
|Had skills prior to RAP-A
|Haven't needed skills
|No/Not much/Don't know
A better developed ability to "talk it through" was reported by many students following RAP-A participation. Talking it through refers to the respondent's ability to effectively and constructively work through a conflict with another individual. Participants gave many examples of being able to talk an issue through with their parents. For example:
Other examples include "
Comments reflecting talking it through with peers were also common and the following examples illustrate the benefits of using assertive rather than passive or aggressive communication to talk an issue through: "
This latter response demonstrates an overlap with the following sub-theme, staying calm in a conflict. It also highlights that belief that skills learnt during RAP-A were perceived as personally relevant and easy to use.
Related to the ability to talk it through is the capacity to stay calm during a potential conflict. Many examples were given of the respondent managing to stay calm rather than behave aggressively when faced with conflict. An example of this that also captures some pertinent inner dialogue is, "
This final example again shows overlap with the previous sub-theme of talking it through.
The theme of improved interpersonal relations also includes the important capacity to identify and utilize social support. Some respondents referred specifically to a RAP-A activity of identifying possible supports, for example, "
The second major theme identified in the data was improved self-regulation; defining self-regulation as a process by which the self modifies its inner states and/or responses in a goal-directed manner [
Responses appear to indicate that the strengths-based nature of RAP-A enhanced participants' views of themselves, as illustrated by the comments, "
An enhanced ability to manage stress and stay calm was noted by a significant proportion of respondents. Respondents reported that participating in RAP-A assisted them to find alternate ways of coping with problems and difficult emotions in order to stay calm, for example: "
These two comments capture the important ability to regulate one's own emotions through engaging in a calming activity (e.g., listening to music). For the sake of clarity, we note that responses specific to interpersonal situations are not included in this sub-theme and are instead captured in the sub-theme, "staying calm in a conflict".
Better management of anger was another common response, particularly amongst male respondents. Although this theme overlaps somewhat with "keeping calm", these themes were separated out to recognize their high frequency. A number of participants reported having developed new ways of responding to anger and/or aggressive impulses, for example, "
Although considerably less prevalent than the previous two themes, a third theme was identified in the data—more helpful cognitions. A number of participants gave responses indicating that they have developed the ability to "find the positive" in potentially difficult situations. For example, "
This study used qualitative methodology to explore a range of perceived benefits of adolescents' participation in RAP-A, an evidence-based depression prevention program. Over one-half (54%) of interviewed adolescents could articulate specific examples of program benefit in their daily lives. The two major themes that arose in analysis of the data were improved interpersonal relationships and improved self-regulation, in addition to one minor theme—more helpful cognitions. Nested within the theme of improved interpersonal relationships were the sub-themes improved empathy, "talking it through", staying calm during a conflict, and increased use of social support. Sub-themes included within improved self-regulation were improved self-esteem, keeping calm, and managing anger.
It seems important to reflect upon the potential relations between the themes and sub-themes. During analysis a degree of overlap was noted amongst a number of the sub-themes and across the broader themes. This was deemed unsurprising considering a strong reciprocal relationship appears to exist between the two major themes. Indeed, the evidence to date suggests that interpersonal relationships impact upon an individual's ability to successfully self-regulate [
The two major themes that were identified are particularly interesting in light of assumed mechanisms of change in such universal programs. Many programs include CBT components, as does RAP-A. However, RAP-A also includes components drawn from interpersonal approaches and interestingly, one of the major themes uncovered in this study echoes this. Although there was a minor theme reflecting cognitive changes, a much greater proportion of responses were about relationships with others and an ability to better manage these. This was somewhat surprising given the program included a strong CBT component. Interpersonal difficulties play a significant role in depressive disorders e.g., [
Future research of universal prevention programs may benefit from exploring changes in self-regulation and improved relationships with others, in addition to typically evaluated outcomes such as depressive symptoms. In broadening the range of outcomes we assess, it is necessary to consider the measures that may best measure the impact of these interventions. It may prove difficult to find appropriate psychometric measures to tap into the range of program benefits as currently used measured may be unsuitable or assess too narrow a range of outcomes. Broadening our measurement of program outcomes will also allow exploration of potential mechanisms of change. Further research exploring potential mediators, such as the themes identified in this study, are likely to advance our understanding of these important interventions.
Several limitations are present in the present study. The selection of participants to this qualitative part of the study was unlikely to be truly random as it was carried out by year level coordinators at each school, and is likely to have been influenced by matters of convenience. With regard to the conduct of the interviews, a lack of asking probing questions following responses that were short, unclear, or lacking in detail may have contributed to the considerable percentage of participants (46%) who were unable to articulate a specific benefit of the program. For example, students who indicated that RAP-A was beneficial but did not refer to a particular benefit may have been able to give more detailed responses with further probing. Another limitation is the lack of data triangulation; it would also have been valuable to obtain convergent information from significant others such as parents, teachers and peers. It is also important to consider whether participants' responses were influenced by a desire to please the interviewer with "correct" answers. Indeed, it is plausible that the extracted themes reflect the content of RAP-A, which might be expected given the underpinnings of the program. However, the interviewer was unknown to the participants and reassurance was given that both positive and negative feedback would be useful.
In conclusion, students appear to acquire a range of skills from universal depression prevention programs and make use of them in different situations. As such, we do a disservice to adolescents if we restrict our interest in program outcomes to a reduction in depressive symptoms. In the current study improved interpersonal relationships and improved self-regulation appear to encompass the most significant perceived program benefits in adolescents' daily lives, and it is suggested that these variables have a reciprocal relationship. It seems important to continue exploring such potential mechanisms of change of depression prevention programs in order to inform best practice interventions.
Ian Shochet had the supervisory and leading role in every phase of the project, including the project planning, data gathering, data analysis and write up. Roslyn Montague had the major role in the inception of the project, the data collection, the organization of the delivery of the interventions, the data analysis and the editing of the write-up of the publication. Coral Smith had a major role in the data interpretation and write-up. Mark Dadd served as a mentor on all phases of the project, including the editing of the write-up.
The authors declare no conflict of interest.


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Instant messaging applications give users a quick, convenient way to chat online through real time text conversations that include contact lists and attachment options. AppAppeal ranks all instant messaging apps based on worldwide popularity.
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Colossians-Philemon. Word Biblical Commentary. O'Brien, Peter. "The Word Biblical Commentary delivers the best in biblical scholarship, from the leading scholars of our day who share a commitment to Scripture as divine revelation. This series emphasizes a thorough analysis of textual, linguistic, structural, and theological evidence. The result is judicious and balanced insight into the meanings [Continue Reading…]
The Maranatha Pastor's Library
1 and 2 Thessalonians, Edmond Hiebert
1 and 2 Thessalonians. Hiebert, D. Edmond. "This commentary's wide application of the original Greek and the author's confident use of other commentaries and studies make this a handy tool for pastors and other church leaders. Yet, this work is not so exhaustive that the layman cannot benefit from it." – Amazon.com Here are some [Continue Reading…]
Exposition of Ephesians, Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Exposition of Ephesians. 8 volumes. Lloyd-Jones, David Martyn. Here are some other books on Ephesians that might interest you. The Epistles to the Colossians, to Philemon, and to the Ephesians. New International Commentary on the New Testament. Bruce, F. F. In the Heavenlies: A Commentary on Ephesians. Custer, Stewart. Ephesians: An Exegetical Commentary. Hoehner, [Continue Reading…]
Philippians, James Boice
Philippians. Expositional Commentary. Boice, James Montgomery. Here are some other books that might interest you. The Books of Philippians and Colossians: Joy and Completeness in Christ. 21st Century Biblical Commentary Series. Gromacki, Robert. Basics for Believers: An Exposition of Philippians. Carson, D. A. The Epistle to the Philippians. New International Greek Testament Commentary. O'Brien, Peter [Continue Reading…]
Historical Commentary on Galatians, William Ramsay
Historical Commentary on Galatians. Ramsay, William. Here are some other books that might interest you. The Freedom of God's Sons: Studies in Galatians. New Testament Studies. Kent, Homer A., Jr. Galatians. The New American Commentary. George, Timothy. Epistle to the Galatians. The New International Greek Testament Commentary. Bruce, F. F. Saint Paul's Epistle to [Continue Reading…]
Second Corinthians, Dan Mitchell
Second Corinthians. 21st Century Biblical Commentary Series. Mitchell, Dan. "LIKE A MOTIVATIONAL SPEAKER or a couch in the locker room at halftime., Paul addresses the Corinthian believers as a friend, a mentor, and a apostle. At a point where others trying to manipulate them as a sect of Judaism, denying the gospel of grace, Paul's [Continue Reading…]
The First Epistle to the Corinthians, Gordon Fee
The First Epistle to the Corinthians. New International Commentary on the New Testament. Fee, Gordon D. "Gordon Fee's work on I Corinthians is a contribution to The New International Commentary on the New Testament. Prepared by some of the world's leading scholars, the series provides an exposition of the New Testament books that is thorough [Continue Reading…]
Commentary on Romans, Frederic Godet
Commentary on Romans. Godet, F. Here are some other books on Romans that might interest you. The Epistle to the Romans. New International Commentary on the New Testament. Moo, Douglas. The Righteousness of God: A Commentary on Romans. Custer, Stewart. Romans: The Gospel of God's Grace. McClain, Alva J. The Epistle to the Romans. Pillar New Testament Commentary. Morris, [Continue Reading…]
The Acts of the Apostles, David Peterson
The Acts of the Apostles. Pillar New Testament Commentary. Peterson, David G. "Fifteen years in the making, this comprehensive commentary by David Peterson offers thorough exegesis and exposition of the Acts of the Apostles, drawing on recent scholarship in the fields of narrative criticism and theological analysis, incorporating insights into historical-social background, and investigating [Continue Reading…]
The Gospel According to John, Leon Morris
The Gospel According to John. The New International Commentary on the New Testament. Morris, Leon. "Recognizing the central importance of the Fourth Gospel in any series on the New Testament, Morris devoted more than ten years to preparing this volume. Written with considerable acumen and a thorough knowledge of the previous scholarly work on [Continue Reading…]


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To Divinity, and Beyond! Wisdom
By: Candace Chellew-Hodge
Preached May 8, 2011 at Jubilee! Circle, Columbia, SC
Psalm 16: "You show me the path of life."
John 20:19-29: "I will not believe."
1 Thessalonians: 5:15-24: "hold fast to what is good."
Hear this sermon at the Jubilee! Circle Web site.
Peter Kenneth Frampton was born in England in 1950. He went to school with David Bowie, and one of his early school bands opened for one of Bowie's early bands. He joined the band Humble Pie in 1969, but went on to a solo career in the early 70s. Our first song this morning is one of Frampton's biggest hits. "Show Me the Way," hit number 6 on the Billboard charts in 1976. Let's try it.
I wonder how you're feeling there's ringing in my ears.
And no one to relate to 'cept the sea.
Who can I believe in? I'm kneeling on the floor.
There has to be a force. Who do I phone?
The stars are out and shining. But all I really want to know
Chorus Oh won't you show me the way
I want you show me the way
I finally got a chance, recently, to see Toy Story 3. I know, I'm way behind in my movie viewing. But, it occurred to me while watching the movie, that while Buzz Lightyear may be the inspiration we need to go to Divinity and Beyond, it is really Sheriff Woody - the talking cowboy - who is the best guide for exploring our journey to claiming our divine nature of Wisdom.
In the third installment of Toy Story, we find Andy, the owner of all these toys, all grown up and ready to go off to college. Before he goes, however, his mother insists that he do something with his toy collection - either donate them to a nearby daycare center, or box them up and put them in the attic.
Some of the toys, though they know their time in the attic will be boring, root for that option, because at least they'll be someplace safe - someplace they know - and they'll be together. Rex, the dinosaur toy however, is distraught over the whole situation. "We're NEVER going to get play time!" he wails.
Woody, though, is the voice of wisdom crying out over the chaos. "It's NOT about PLAY TIME!" he counsels them. "It's about being here for Andy!"
All the dinosaur could think about in this time of crisis was himself. All he was concerned about was whether someone would play with him or not. Woody, however, is wise. He understands that life is not all about him - it's about being there for someone else. The truly wise understand that our lives are only fulfilled when we live not for ourselves, but for others - even for those who hate us or persecute us.
It is ultimately this wisdom, this knowledge that the needs of the community outweigh the needs of the individual, that ultimately saves all the toys - even the evil toys - in this story.
Breathe deeply.
Well, I can see no reason
you living on your nerves
When someone drops a cup and I submerge
I'm swimming in a circle ... I feel I'm going down
There has to be a fool to play my part
Someone thought of healing..
But all I really want to know
Chorus Oh won't you show me the way
I want you show me the way
I want you day after day
I bless the Lord who gives me counsel;
in the night also my heart instructs me.
I keep the Lord always before me;
because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.
Therefore my heart is glad, and my soul rejoices;
my body also rests secure.
For you do not give me up to Sheol,
or let your faithful one see the Pit.
You show me the path of life.
In your presence there is fullness of joy;
in your right hand are pleasures for evermore.
This ancient Hebrew poem speaks of the wisdom of keeping the Holy at the center of our lives. Now, I don't know if Sheriff Woody believes in a higher power, but he does trust his heart - and as we have learned in this series - our heart and God's heart are one in the same - because we have the Holy dwelling inside of us at all times. Our hearts will instruct us if we will only take the time to ask it to show us the way to live in the fullness of joy - and then take the time listen when it responds.
It is Woody's heart that instructs him as a mix-up sends the toys not to the attic but to the daycare. Andy had chosen to take Woody to college with him and had tossed him into his college box. When Woody realizes the other toys are not going into the attic, he goes after them. All the while he is torn. He was so relieved to be going with Andy and not to the attic or the daycare - but as he sees his family carted off to an unknown fate, he couldn't turn his back on them.
He tries to save the toys - but they end up donated to the daycare - which, at first, seems to be heaven. They are greeted by a purple teddy bear named Lotso - a seemingly sweet leader who runs the place in the toy world.
They see a multitude of toys being played with, loved on, doted on, and cared for. The dinosaur, Rex, is so excited. "I'm finally going to be played with!" he exclaims.
To their horror, however, they are put in a room, not with the kids who lovingly play with the toys - but in the toddler room where they are not so much played with as tortured. Their heaven quickly turns into a living hell.
Before they fully understand their fate, however, Woody has managed to escape and is heading back to Andy's house to reclaim his spot in his college box. He believes he has left his friends in a better place, until he comes upon some toys on his journey home who tell him the truth about the daycare.
Again, Woody is torn. He desperately wants to do what's best for himself and get back to Andy - but in his wisdom he knows that a life well lived, is a life lived in service to others. So, he puts aside his own needs and wants and goes back to rescue his friends.
When he gets back he finds that his friends have been imprisoned for their rebellion and are now being guarded by Buzz, who has been switched to a demo program and has lost all memory of his life with the other toys.
Escaping the daycare again, with all of his friends, will not be an easy task, Woody is told by an older toy. The older toy promises to show Woody the way - the path to true freedom and wisdom, but it's not going to be easy. In fact, the wisdom that this toy shares with Woody is the wisdom we all need if ever want to fully embrace our own divine wisdom and go to divinity and beyond!
"You want to get out of here?" the old toy asks. "GET RID OF THAT MONKEY!"
I wonder if I'm dreaming
I feel so unashamed
I can't believe this is happening to me.
I watch you when you're sleeping
And then I want to take your love
Oh won't you show me the way
I want you show me the way
I want you day after day
"Get rid of that monkey." Those are the wise words I want you to take with you tonight. In the movie, the monkey is the security guard - the one watching the security cameras. When something isn't right, the monkey goes berserk, clashing his cymbals together to warn the others of danger.
We've all got that security guard monkey in our heads - the one that tells us to take care of just ourselves, the one that says it's every man woman and child for themselves, the one that says we are not our brother or sister's keeper, the one that clangs the cymbals in our heads when we even think of stepping out of our safety zone to help anyone but ourselves.
You want to get out of here? You want to find true wisdom and go to divinity and beyond? GET RID OF THAT MONKEY!
Breathe deeply.
Our second song comes from a singer songwriter named Susan Werner. She grew up on a farm in Iowa and initially dreamed of being an opera star - until she saw singer Nanci Griffith perform - and she decided to become a folk singer instead. In 2007, she released an album called "The Gospel Truth" which is where our next song comes from. It's called "Probably Not" and could be considered an agnostic person's theme song. Here's how it goes.
[Verse] Well I've travelled far and wide,
'Cross hills and countryside
To answer the questions troubling me
And one day out of the blue, I realized I knew
And the answer was simple as could be
[Chorus] Is there a god above? Is there eternal love?
Probably not, Probably not
Is there a home up in the sky? Will we be there by and by?
Probably not, Probably not
In our Jesus story, we find the resurrected Christ appearing to his disciples. All the doors were locked as the grief stricken disciples hid out from the authorities who might round them up and execute them for following Jesus. Suddenly, he appears in their midst, bidding them peace and showing them his wounds.
Not everyone got to see the show, though. The disciple Thomas wasn't in the room when Jesus showed up the first time and when they told him about it - Thomas' reaction was, "Oh, sure you did!" He doubted what they told him and said, "Look, unless I see it with my own eyes, and touch his wounds myself, I won't believe it."
Poor old Doubting Thomas, he so often gets the short end of the stick whenever sermons are preached on this passage. His doubt is seen as some sort of weakness, since even Jesus said, "Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe."
But, just like Woody, it is Thomas' doubting that leads him to his own divine wisdom and takes him to divinity and beyond! Just as Woody's path to wisdom led through community - Thomas' path to wisdom comes through doubting, through questioning, and coming to know the truth within himself instead of accepting other people's truth as his own. In short, both Thomas and Woody hold the key to getting rid of that monkey.
We defeat what the Buddhists call "monkey mind" when we realize wisdom lies in being both seekers and doubters. Wisdom comes when we make it a practice to say, "Probably not," when faced with life's questions. Wisdom also lies in being dedicated to our community and its wisdom - but also dedicated to finding our own wisdom as well.
As both seekers and doubters, living in a both/and world instead of an either/or world, we soon realize our divine Wisdom comes from that Holy within us all - and if we'll trust in the Holy, She will show us the way - the path of life. Seeking and doubting is what the path of wisdom is all about. Jesus tells us to seek and we will find - but Jesus never tells us exactly what we will find. He doesn't say we'll find exactly what we're looking for, or the answers we seek. Instead, what we often find when we go out seeking the path of life is more questions than answers, more conundrums than solutions, more mystery than certainty, and more frustration than assurance.
What we find is, when we claim our divine characteristic of Wisdom, we need more, not less faith. We rely more and more on the Holy to show us the way, to guide us in life's paths, because as we seek, we learn more, but we also learn that there is much, much more to be learned. What we learn is that we are forever on the path, because true wisdom knows that the journey is the point of life, not the destination.
Just because we have faith, however, doesn't mean we won't ever have doubts - but our doubts are what make our faith stronger. In the end of the movie, Woody and his friends find themselves within melting distance of the trash incinerator at the landfill. Woody has done everything right. He has put aside his own desires to run off to college with Andy and leave his friends behind. He has put himself in harm's way for the sake of his community. He even risks his own life to save the life of their arch enemy Lotso the teddy bear who put them in this predicament after Woody saved him. He's faced danger and betrayal, and finally - he is facing his own death. He begins to doubt whether it's all been worth it.
As each of the toys join hands to face their final destiny, however, his faith is restored and he makes peace with his fate. Even if they are going to die, they are going to die as a community - together - bonded in love and service to one another. This, I submit, is the full message of Easter. These toys, headed to their date with death are still not defeated, because they know that their love for one another is solid and eternal.
They have made the ultimate sacrifice to each other out of love and even death will not overcome that.
[Verse] Think of that Easter day,
When they rolled the stone away
And the apostles said they'd seen Jesus by the city wall
Well Saint Thomas' heart was pure,
When he said, "o right yeah sure"
That's why Saint Tom was the grooviest apostle of all
[Chorus] Is there a god above? Is there eternal love?
Probably not, Probably not
Is there a home up in the sky? Will we be there by and by?
Probably not, Probably not
Just when all hope was lost, when Woody and his friends believed that there probably was not a god above - they are saved. A giant metal claw descends from the heavens and scoops them up and away to safety. The tiny alien toys who had disappeared earlier in the scene are at the controls. Again, this unwavering dedication to community has saved the day! In the end, Woody gets to go off to college with Andy, and Andy gives the other toys away to the child of a neighbor who he knows will take good care of them and play with them.
As he hands her Woody he tells her: "Now Woody, he's been my pal for as long as I can remember. He's brave, like a cowboy should be. And kind, and smart. But the thing that makes Woody special, is he'll never give up on you... ever. He'll be there for you, no matter what."
In the Buddhist tradition, this would make Woody a Bodhisattva - someone who is on the verge of reaching nirvana - which to Woody was going to college with Andy - but turns back because they know they can't enter Nirvana while others are still suffering. Instead, all beings must be set free for a Bodhisattva to really enjoy Nirvana.
To go to divinity and beyond, we must embrace our role as Boddhisattvas - because this is the heart of divine wisdom, Jubilants - none of us are free until all of us are free.
Breathe deeply.
[Bridge] But what if I've been wrong
And God's been up there all along
All along ... all along
And He hands me a heavenly crown,
Would I dare to turn Him down
Probably not, No, probably not
And if He sends me down to hell,
Would I smile and say oh well
Probably not, no Probably Not
Oh, Yeah!
Candace Chellew-Hodge is a recovering Southern Baptist and founder/editor of Whosoever: An Online Magazine for GLBT Christians. Her first book, Bulletproof Faith: A Spiritual Survival Guide for Gay and Lesbian Christians, published by Jossey-Bass is now available at http://www.bulletproofbook.com. She currently serves as the pastor of Jubilee! Circle, a progressive, inclusive community in Columbia, South Carolina. She is also a spiritual director and is currently taking on new directees. She blogs regularly at Religion Dispatches. She can be reached by email at editor-at-whosoever.org or by using the suggestion box.
Copyright © by the author All Rights Reserved


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|"Howard Watson" <howa...@esgw.org>
|Re: An error occurred at line: -1, Unable to compile class for JSP(Netware)
|Tue, 01 Apr 2008 18:01:44 GMT
Thanks. I did not find the bug listed when I searched. >>> Rainer Jung <email@example.com> 4/1/2008 11:33 AM >>> It's a known bug, which has beend discussed on the developers list only very recently. See http://marc.info/?t=120667098200003&r=1&w=2 Your workaround (using ant 1.5) seems fine. The final solution is still pending, but it's quite possible, that Mark does a fix for the future 4.1.38. This still needs some clarification though. Regards, Rainer Howard Watson schrieb: > This is an upgrade from Apache2.0.59/Tomcat4.1.31/mod_jk 1.2.15 to Apache2.0.63/Tomcat4.1.37/mod_jk 1.2.36 on Netware 6.5 sp7. Except for JSP compiles, everything including HTML, servlets and precompiled JSPs works. > > Ant.jar is there in CATALINA_HOME\common\lib. The problem is with Ant v1.7 introduced in Tomcat4.1.36. If I use Ant v1.5 from Tomcat4.1.34 all works for me including JSP compiles. The current functioning environment Apache2.0.63/Tomcat4.1.37/Ant1.5/mod_jk1.2.26. I use configuration as here: http://archive.apache.org/dist/tomcat/tomcat-4/archive/v4.0.3/bin/netware/i386/Tomcat-on-NetWare-HowTo.html > As an experiment: > > When using Tomcat4.1.37 and Ant v1.7 without an explicit envset (default) CATALINA_CLASSPATH=$CATALINA_HOME;\common\lib\ant.jar in Tomcat.conf I get error: [antlib:org.apache.tools.ant] Could not load definitions from resource org/apache/tools/ant/antlib.xml. It could not be found. > > When using Tomcat4.1.36/.37 and Ant v1.7 with an explicit envset CATALINA_CLASSPATH=$CATALINA_HOME;\common\lib\ant.jar in Tomcat.conf I get NoClassDefFoundError: org/apache/tools/ant/launch/AntMain > Short story: Ant.jar from Tomcat4.1.34 compiles JSPs in Tomcat4.1.37. Ant.jar included with Tomcat4.1.37 errors. I saw this with Tomcat4.1.36 also. I am simply copying .conf files from older Apache/Tomcat to current versions. > > How would I troubleshoot this further? > --------------------------------------------------------------------- To start a new topic, e-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com To unsubscribe, e-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com For additional commands, e-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com Any views or opinions presented in this email are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of the company. Employees of Easter Seals-Goodwill Northern Rocky Mountain are expressly required not to make defamatory statements and not to infringe or authorize any infringement of copyright or any other legal right by email communications. Any such communication is contrary to company policy and outside the scope of the employment of the individual concerned. The company will not accept any liability in respect of such communication, and the employee responsible will be personally liable for any damages or other liability arising. If you are not the intended recipient you are notified that disclosing, copying, distributing or taking any action in reliance on the contents of this information is strictly prohibited. Please report any inappropriate or abusive use of this email system to firstname.lastname@example.com
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Monthly Archives: March, 2012
- Sing-a-long-a-Peninsula Festival
- Has Boris sounded the Woolwich Ferry's death knell?
- What's happening at Greenwich's Thames Path?
- Greenwich Park: Police recommend raising speed limits
- Delays hit Boris's Greenwich cable car
- At the Guardian: Boris, Ken, and a wasteland in Charlton
- Greenwich's Labour councillors back Roberts once again


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Buffalo Ridge Golf Course
A Golf Experience Unlike Any Other
Located a few miles from Top of the Rock, Buffalo Ridge Springs Golf Course is an 18-hole championship course designed by renowned architect Tom Fazio.
Named the #1 Public Course in Missouri by Golf Magazine and one of the Top 10 Missouri Courses by Golf Digest since 2001. Buffalo Ridge includes challenging approaches, water features and bunkers while incorporating indigenous natural-like native grasses and free-ranging buffalo from nearby Dogwood Canyon Nature Park.
Buffalo Ridge Address:
1001 Branson Creek Blvd.
Hollister, Mo 65672
Coming in Spring 2017- Gary Player World-Class Short Course
Gary Player and Johnny Morris are pleased to announce a partnership to create a world-class short course at Big Cedar Lodge in Ridgedale, Missouri.
Johnny Morris, Bass Pro Shops founder and noted conservationist, and golf icon Gary Player share a similar passion for nature and golf. Through a joined pioneering spirit to create a renowned golf experience, Morris and Player seek to deliver a special offering for the guests of Big Cedar Lodge, which is ranked as one of the top resorts for families in America.
To learn more about the exciting announcement from Bass Pro Shops founder Johnny Morris and Tiger Woods, click here!
Tee Times
Pro Shop
Explore all of the Stay and Play Packages Available at Big Cedar Lodge!
Call the golf shop at 417-339-5430 to schedule a lesson with one of our PGA professionals today.
View Course Layout
View Scorecard
Call Big Cedar Lodge at 1-800-225-6343 or the Buffalo Ridge Clubhouse at 417-339-5430 to reserve tee times.
Watch Buffalo Ridge and Top of the Rock on Michigan Golf Live
Buffalo Ridge Springs Golf Course Facts
Buffalo Ridge Springs Course is an 18-Hole, Par 71 public golf course situated in the heart of the Ozarks.
The golf course measures 7,036 yards from the back tees to 5,032 yards from the forward tees.
Fairways are a rich Zoysia grass while greens consist of lush Bentgrass. First cut rough is Bermuda while second cut is made up of Fescue.
Branson Creek Golf Club was originally designed by Tom Fazio in 1999 and has undergone a major renovation by Tom Fazio, along with new owner, Johnny Morris, to revitalize the course with new water features, bunkers and other enhancements, which include free ranging bison from nearby Dogwood Canyon Nature Park.
In June 2014, Buffalo Ridge Springs and Top of the Rock hosted the first annual PGA TOUR's newly renamed Bass Pro Shops Legends presented by Bass Pro Shops.
Public Rates: April 1 - October 31
Friday – Sunday | (7:00am-11:00am) $125 | (11:00am - 3:00pm) $110
Monday – Thursday | (7:00am-11:00am) $110 | (11:00am - 3:00pm) $95
Daily |(Twilight, After 3:00PM) $80
Public Rates: November 1 - March 31
7 Days a week | $70
Golf Fees Include:
Range balls
Dress Policy: Collared shirts are required and soft spikes only.
Rental Clubs are available through the pro shop.
Call Big Cedar Lodge at 1-800-225-6343 to reserve your tee time.
Buffalo Ridge Clubhouse: 417-339-5430
Play both courses on the same day!
9-Holes at Top of the Rock & 18-Holes at Buffalo Ridge
April - October
Combo Rate
Monday – Thursday | $195
Friday - Sunday | $210


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NRCC offers GED and career prep classes in Radford
|GED preparation and career and computer preparation classes are in session in Radford at the Virginia Workforce Center inside the Radford office of the Virginia Employment Commission (206 Third Avenue) and at the Radford Public Library (30 1st Street). Students may enter the sessions anytime throughout the semester.
The GED prep classes will cover math, social studies, science and language arts (reading and writing) topics necessary to prepare students to take the official GED test.
Career and computer preparation classes help students gain basic computer skills, learn how to prepare a resume and perform job searches in order to become better prepared for employment.
Class schedules are:
GED Preparation:
Virginia Workforce Center (Radford VEC Office): Mondays and Fridays, 9 to 11:15 a.m., through May 25.
Radford Public Library: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 6 to 8:15 p.m., through May 24.
Career and Computer Preparation:
Virginia Workforce Center (Radford VEC Office): Tuesdays and Thursdays 9 to 11:30 a.m., March 27 through May 10.
NRCC is also an Official GED Testing Center and has multiple testing dates available in March, April, May and June at the campus in Dublin and the colleges site inside the New River Valley Mall in Christiansburg. In 2011, over 200 individuals chose New River Community Colleges GED testing services on their pathway to earning a GED diploma.
More information on GED prep, GED testing and career education is available from the Office of Transitional Programs at NRCC at 674-3682.
Other Options: