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Islamabad: An explosive material packed in a black bag recovered from underneath of senior journalist and anchor person Hamid Mir's vehicle .
According to a Geo News, the explosive was planted inside Mir's vehicle and it has been defused by the Bomb Disposal Squad.
Hamir Mir while talking to the television said that the driver of his neigbours pointed out the presence of a suspected black bag inside his vehicle. He said that he called the BDS to defused the bomb.
The BDS said that about 1/2 kilogramme explosive was used in making of the bomb. "We have also recovered ball bearings, batteries and detonators from the bag."
He is also a news anchor, terrorism expert, and security analyst who regularly participates in international conferences.

subset: commoncrawl


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Home » Directory » Delhi » New Delhi » Business » Automotive » Parts & Accessories » Steering
Steering in New DelhiDirectory on steering is an information resource on the companies in India engaged in the manufacture and supply of steering part such as steering pitman arm, ball joints, shaft components, drag links, etc. Here under the online web guide of steering parts get valuable information on the exporters and importers of steering parts components operating from India. Also view a listing of websites which will provide further insights into the many steering parts manufacturing companies of India.
Latest Website Listings
- Arora Udyog ARORA UDYOG one of leading manufacturer of wide range of steering and suspension parts with brand name VXL established in1982.Product range include tie rod end ,ball joint, drag link and tie rod assembly and gear shift ball joint of all Indian Vehicles.
- Emdet Jamshedpur Private Limited Manufacturer & supplier of steering wheels, engine fans, bumper corners, covers, horn covers, wheel rim covers, engine cowl and fan shroud.
- Classic Exports Exporting automotive suspension & steering parts including ball joints, tie rod ends, sway bar links, track control arms and idler & pitman arms.
More Categories
Steering - ALL INDIA
@ All India (42)
© SurfIndia . All Rights Reserved.


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This property is no longer available.Search for Available Property.
11.94 acres in White County, Arkansas
We have just a few lots left in this amazing community, with a front gated entrance that has a waterfall and landscaping like something out of "Home and Gardens" a back gate off of Country Club Rd. The lots are spacious starting at 1.50ac and upto 11.94ac. Strict Covenants with minimum sqft of 3000 H/A. POA due are $110.00 monthly
Driving west on Beebe Capps, turn left onto Honey Hill Road, turn right onto Country Club Rd, follow for 1.10 miles look to your left for back entrance to Club Quarters'. This is a gated community, please contact your agent for instruction to preview.
Tax Data (Show Tax Data)
Tax data is not available for this listing.
Contact the Seller for more information.
Other Land for Sale in White County
NOTE: The information contained herein is provided as general information only and has been obtained from sources deemed reliable. It is provided without any guaranty, warranty or representation, expressed or implied, made by Lands of America, or any related entity, as to the accuracy or completeness of the information. The information is presented subject to errors, omissions, change of price or conditions, prior sale or withdrawal without notice. Prospective purchasers should make their own investigations, projections and conclusions concerning the information.


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Paper Flower
http://www.mintfingers.com Add deBecause mi madre lives about 400 miles away, I took the hassle-free route and called a florist to deliver flowers for her special day. But a cool, crafty and inexpensive alternative would have been to make her some of the Crafty Chicas traditional south-of-the-border tissue paper flowers.The supplies are minimal and include:Tissue paperA scissorsPipe cleanersCraft GlueFor complete and easy instructions, visit the Crafty Chicas website. And for the 'corporate' version, you might want to check out this kit from Martha Stewart Crafts.


text: Century has this stuff on sale for $350/1000 rounds. It came today and appears to be in very good condition; 1959 dated. It has all been repackaged in nice 20 round boxes with a foam block to hold the rounds in place. Why would someone go to the trouble and expense to do this rather than leave it loose? Thirty five cents a round seems a very reasonable price. Now I can have some fun with my MAS 49 and 49/56. Carl


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June 21, 2012
Russell Simmons Calls For Peace In The Middle East...
Increase the peace, y'all. Sacramento Bee:
To hip hop and fashion mogul Russell Simmons, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is like "a rap beef" that can be resolved through dialogue and understanding.
"A little trust, and it's over," he said…
In Israel, he's focusing on interfaith trust. He said creating dialogue should be as simple as a mediating a rap battle, were it not for the political deadlock between Palestinians and Israelis.
Muslims and Jews "have the same aspirations and goals that are much greater than the things they call differences," Simmons said.


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Due to copyright restrictions you cannot buy this product in your country
played by:
Commodore 69 (Hot N Heavy)
Hyperdub's year of excellence continues apace with the release of Playing Me, the long awaited debut album from Cooly G. Emerging as a key figure in the UK funky scene some four years ago via some highly prized Dub Organiser CDrs, Cooly's musical progression has been charted via a series of EPs for DVA Music and Hyperdub. On this thirteen track album what is most apparent is the confidence this South London producer has in her own singing, a voice that sounds dipped in pain and anguish at times. At others Cooly utilises her vocal delivery as an integral part of the music, which draws from all manner of UK music history of recent times whilst very much sounding part of her modern house template. Oh and there's a Coldplay cover to end the LP too...
DJ-friendly full length tracks
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Considering I'm not restarting my game, I'll let you know the stats that I have right now. This is for my pokemon Platinum game.
I chose the girl and named myself Eryes. I chose Chimchar as my starter because it is the only fire fight type that I like. I named him Lucifer, I l41ike to give some of my pokemon names from Mythology. Though I did trade in a piplup and turtwig through GTS. Right now I beat the sixth gym, with my lvl 38 traded empoleon versus a lvl 41 Bastiodon, Empoleon, when traded had Hydro Pump on it.
My team as it stands is: I don't really care for the natures but it makes for better listings.
Lucifer: Lvl 41 adamant Infernape
Chomper: lvl 39 Impish Gabite
Empoleon: lvl 38 Bashful
Lucario: lvl 39 timid, I got him in trade with one of my other games.
Luca: lvl 16 lonely Riolu, the only in game Riolu that I got.
Banshee: lvl 19 lonely duskull that I caught out of randomness. I might want to train her up some before ditching her. Yes it's a female.
That's all I have right now.


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A Guide to Psychiatric Medications for Young People
Parents, teachers, relatives, friends -- anyone seeking information about psychiatric medication for children and young people -- read our site. Feel free to respond and contribute to our growing library of experience from families who have considered or used psychotropic medication for their children.
We are not a substitute for medical advice. We are a parents' resource.


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Contractors silences 'critics,' equipment noise
Krohn Refrigeration, located in Manalapan, NJ, does some air conditioning work, but only for its refrigeration customers. Founded in 1951 by Hans Krohn, CM, the Krohns are members of the Refrigeration Service Engineers Society (RSES).
The plan originally called for typical rooftop heating and cooling package units, and refrigeration condensing units on the ground outside. The architect had drawn the plans out this way and Krohn Refrigeration was ready to begin the work.
However, Sickles Farm Market, located in Little Silver, NJ, was having trouble getting final approval from the zoning board. The reason? Several residents living nearby raised concerns about noise from the air conditioning and refrigeration condensing units. That's when the job got interesting.
Did you enjoy this article? Click here to subscribe to The NEWS Magazine


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A Snupper Tagret is a sad sad fool with far to much time on his hands, Snupper Tagrets are American only and this word is only normally used by a Brittisg person to mock his inferior brother yanks.
by yar12 September 06, 2004
The Urban Dictionary Mug
One side has the word, one side has the definition. Microwave and dishwasher safe. Lotsa space for your liquids.Buy the mug


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The pressure for natural food preservation is on!
Following the current trends in the food market, you need to preserve your food in the most natural way possible without compromising on taste. Purac has developed the portfolio to do just that!
Ivo van der Linden
Category Manager Preservation
Jane Barnett
Trends & Innovation Consultant


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What is Google Helpous?
Google Helpouts is a new service offered by Google designed to match experts and those seeking their advice. The best way to understand it is to watch the promo' video:
So if you want to learn a new language, the theory is that you can log on to Helpouts, search for experts and sign up for a Helpout.
How does Google make money from Helpouts?
Experts set their hourly rate and Google takes a massive 20% of that as a commission.
How does payment work?
When you sign up for a helpout you pay by credit card and the expert must have a Google Wallet account to accept the payment.
Couldn't I just find an expert online and meet him/her on Skype?
Of course you could and you would save the 20% fee which Google charges the provider who in turn will pass this onto you!
So why would anyone use Helpouts?
If you research online, you may find that a so-called expert is in fact a bluffer. Google's claim to check and vet every provider is a bit disingenuous; do they have an in-house handyman specialist that asks the handyman expert how to fix a leaking tap before they will let him register as an expert? They do claim that they contact every expert before allowing them live on the site but one would have to question the value of this. However, Google offers all users of Helpouts a 100% money-back guarantee which offers great peace of mind. In addition, over time, experts will build up a history. Presumably those with poor reviews will be pushed to the bottom of the list and those with consistently high reviews will be pushed to the top. Those seeking expertise will be able to check the reviews of previous customers. Over time, the good providers will become easy to identify. For example, one would be pretty confident that the expert below is a high quality person based on previous reviews and so a bad experience is very unlikely.
I'm an expert, how can I give Helpouts?
Simply sign up here: https://helpouts.google.com/pwelcome I believe that a Google rep' will be in touch to vet you and if you pass, you can go live on the site!
Will this "take off"?
It's hard to say at this point. It almost depends on how badly Google wants it to. For example, if Google decided to push Helpout results to the top of the search engine results page when people searched for phrases like "learn Spanish" or "how to fix a leaking tap" etc, then it certainly would receive vast traffic. Of course, experts could even bid on their keywords and send the traffic to their Helpouts page. Google would love this as it makes money helping the expert win new business and once won, Google takes 20% on an ongoing basis! If I did use Helpouts, I would ask the expert can we do the remaining sessions on Skype and ask him to reduce his hourly rate by 20%. I can't imagine many people would be foolish enough to keep coming back to session after session paying Google 20% each time when Skype provides a free alternative. So, for ongoing training, I can't see it being used. Where I see value is in one-off tasks like setting up email accounts on mobile phones, making a PC run more quickly etc. A company such as DPFOC could set up a team of IT experts offering IT Helpouts at $15/hr for example. We would use Google as if we get lots of good reviews, then we can leverage these to win more clients and so we'd be happy to pay 20%. However, this would be dependent on Google actually pushing traffic to this site by, among other things, promoting it in search results as described above.
I think this will be around to stay as Google does add value as a trusted market maker between experts and would-be students. How big it becomes depends on how aggressively Google pushes it. Regardless of whether it goes well or not, one has to admire the entrepreneurial zest that still burns within such a large business. The temptation to rest on its laurels and count the cash generated from paid search is one that Google is resisting fiercely and initiatives like this show that the search giant is continually looking to improve the Internet…….and charge 20% in the process!


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MILAN (Reuters) - Italy's Roberto Cavalli has appointed Norwegian designer Peter Dundas as creative director as the luxury brand prepares for a possible sale of a majority stake to private equity firm Clessidra.
Dundas has been creative director at Emilio Pucci, another Florentine label famous for its vibrant colors and patterns, since 2008 and previously worked at Cavalli between 2002 and 2005.
"This is a homecoming for me," Dundas said in a statement.
He will present his first collection in September in Milan, taking over the designer role from 74-year-old Roberto Cavalli and his wife, Eva.
The company's Chief Executive Daniele Corvasce said last month that he was confident talks with Milan-based Clessidra would lead to an agreement being announced around the end of March.
Clessidra, which controls high-end Italian jeweler Buccellati and was in the final round of bidders for a stake in fashion house Versace last year, started exclusive talks with Cavalli in December.
Reporting by Valentina Za; Editing by David Goodman


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Click here for printable template
Version 2.1 – October 8, 2012
The workshop provides an excellent opportunity for emergency planning stakeholders from individual communities or local jurisdictions to address the issues relevant to their specific agricultural vulnerabilities. The Host Site Coordinator (someone identified by the EDEN Point of Contact for your state – refer to the Host Site Guidance document for more information about the responsibilities of the Host Site Coordinator) should recruit Community Agrosecurity Planning (CAP) teams for participation in the workshop that include representation from the following stakeholder groups:
The team recruitment approach provides an opportunity for networking and sharing of ideas between jurisdictions. Creative solutions to local planning challenges will emerge as the teams continue to work on their local agrosecurity issues when they return home from the workshop.
The workshop utilizes a capabilities‐based planning approach to incorporate agricultural issues into local emergency operations plans. Critical local agricultural infrastructure assets are identified and prioritized. Threats to the farm‐to‐fork continuum are defined and community agricultural vulnerabilities are identified.
Multiple activities throughout the workshop enable participants to begin construction of an agricultural component (e.g., Emergency Support Function [ESF] #11 Agriculture and Natural Resources) of their emergency operations plan, standard operating guidelines, and emergency resource list. The method for developing ESF #11 that is taught during the workshop can be used to update other components of the local emergency operations plan as well.
Participants receive comprehensive educational materials at the workshop, including a participant manual, sample emergency operations plans, and worksheets to guide development of plans customized for their jurisdiction and a sustainability plan. Participants also develop sustainability plans to ensure productive outcomes to develop or enhance their agricultural emergency operations plans.
Another key feature of the S‐CAP workshop is the accompanying Train‐the‐Trainer program, which is an excellent tool to facilitate the training of all communities in a state. Certifying a team of individualsto conduct workshops in additional locations enables states to enhance local planning efforts through a comprehensive instruction program with state instructors trained by the National S‐CAP Teaching Team. States are strongly encouraged to enroll trainees in the S‐CAP Train‐the‐Trainer program to takeadvantage of this opportunity.
Learning objectives outline the skills participants will take home as a result of attending the S‐CAP workshop:
The following agenda provides an outline of the two‐day workshop. The total number of participant contact hours is 16.
8:00am – 9:00am Registration and Continental Breakfast
9:00am – 9:20am Welcome and Opening RemarksLocal speaker – Host Site CoordinatorLocal speakers – such as local elected official, state emergency management planner, Extension administrator, etc.
9:20am – 10:45am Lesson 1: IntroductionImportance of local agriculture and emergency preparedness; planning and response needs; types of local agricultural responders; incident command system
10:45am – 11:00am Networking Break
11:00am – 12:00noon Lesson 2: Effects of Agricultural EmergenciesEconomic effects of agricultural disasters; threats to agriculture and natural resources; physical and mental health issues for victims and responders
12:00noon – 1:00pm Working LunchLesson 3: Planning Considerations Uniqueness of agricultural emergencies; agrosecurity planning guidance
1:00pm – 2:30pm Lesson 4: Capability‐Based Emergency Planning Agrosecurity planning using capabilities, tasks, and resources to address vulnerabilities
2:30pm – 2:45pm Networking Break
2:45pm – 5:00pm Lesson 5a: Asset Scoring Identification and prioritization of agricultural assets and vulnerabilitiesLesson 5b: Donning the "CAP" Agrosecurity planning exercises
7:00am – 8:00am Registration and Continental Breakfast
8:00am – 9:15am Lesson 6: Community Agrosecurity Planning (CAP) Team: Roles and Responsibilities Composition, roles, and responsibilities of a sustainable CAP team
9:15am – 9:30am Networking Break
9:30am – 10:45am Lesson 7: Emergency Support Function (ESF) #11: Agriculture and Natural Resources ESF form, purpose, and development; locally relevant agricultural and natural resource components
10:45am – 11:00am Networking Break
11:00am – 12:00noon Lesson 8: Dirty Details of Response: Standard Operating Guidelines (SOGs) SOPs versus SOGs; using tasks to create SOGs
12:00noon – 1:00pm Working Lunch Presentation: Local Emergency Planning Local speaker; format of the local emergency operations plan; extent of agrosecurity planning in the current document
1:00pm – 2:30pm Lesson 9: Resource Management Agrosecurity resource management and categorization; gap analysis
2:30pm – 2:45pm Networking Break
2:45pm – 4:00pm Lesson 10: "CAP"ping it Off Workshop goals; community agrosecurity planning concepts; sustainability plan for CAP teams
For more information about hosting an S‐CAP workshop, contact:Billy DictsonDirector of the Office of BiosecuritySouthwest Border Food Safety and Defense CenterCollege of Agriculture Consumer and Environmental SciencesNew Mexico State UniversityEmail: firstname.lastname@example.com Phone: (575) 646‐4402
orAndrea Higdon Agrosecurity Program CoordinatorAg ProgramsCollege of Agriculture Cooperative Extension ServiceUniversity of KentuckyEmail: firstname.lastname@example.com Phone: (859) 257‐7868


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Plan to Provide Illegal Immigrants with Driver's Licenses Stirs Debate
[Sorry, the video for this story has expired, but you can still read the transcript below. ]
- Farmers in Colorado Struggle with Labor Shortage
- Senate Fails to Move Forward on Immigration Bill
- Senate Votes to Revisit Contentious Immigration Bill
- President Bush Pushes Senators to Revive Immigration Bill
- Senate Torn on Immigration Bill
- Senate Debates Family Ties Provision in Immigration Bill
- Immigration Debate Resonates Throughout U.S.
RAY SUAREZ: Next, driver's licenses for illegal immigrants, the arguments for and against, after some background.
New York Senator Hillary Clinton seemed to be caught off-guard Tuesday during the Democratic debate in Philadelphia, when "Meet the Press" moderator Tim Russert asked her about a plan by New York's governor, Democrat Eliot Spitzer, to give driver's licenses to illegal immigrants.
TIM RUSSERT, Host, NBC's "Meet the Press": You told the Nashua, New Hampshire, editorial board "it makes a lot of sense." Why does it make a lot of sense to give an illegal immigrant a driver's license?
SEN. HILLARY CLINTON (D), New York: We know in New York we have several million at any one time who are in New York illegally. They are undocumented workers. They are driving on our roads. The possibility of them having an accident that harms themselves or others is just a matter of the odds.
RAY SUAREZ: Spitzer's plan is a means of complying with the Real ID law, which Congress passed in 2005 in response to the 9/11 attacks. The law insists that states require Social Security numbers to obtain a driver's license.
Spitzer wants to create a three-tiered system of driver's licenses, with one class reserved for illegal immigrants who can't legally obtain a Social Security number. The license would allow them to drive and secure car insurance, but it could not be used as a federally approved ID.
Last weekend, Homeland Security Chief Michael Chertoff gave Spitzer's plan his qualified OK.
MICHAEL CHERTOFF, Homeland Security Secretary: I do not endorse giving licenses to people who are not here legally, but federal law does allow states to make that choice. What we can do is insist that licenses that do not meet federal requirements be clearly so labeled. New York has agreed to do that.
In sum, that clarification, along with implementing Real ID enhanced driver's licenses, represents a major step forward for security, both for New York and for the country.
The cost of implementing IDs
RAY SUAREZ: Meanwhile, legislatures in more than a dozen states have already voted not to comply with the Real ID Act, calling it an unfunded federal mandate that would cost millions of dollars to implement.
Now, two different views of the driver's license issue from Mark Krikorian, executive director for the Center for Immigration Studies in Washington, and from Clark Kent Ervin, he served as inspector general for the Department of Homeland Security from 2003 to 2004. He is now director of the Homeland Security Program at the Aspen Institute in Washington.
And Clark Kent Ervin, do you support the idea of giving people who are living and working in this country illegally the ability to get a driver's license?
CLARK KENT ERVIN, Aspen Institute: I do, Ray, and that's because that's really reality. There's no question but that illegal aliens will continue to reside in this country contrary to law; there's also no question that they will continue to drive.
So the only issue is whether it's in our interest as a counterterrorism measure to know as much about them as possible. This plan would encourage illegal aliens to give information about themselves, their names, their addresses, their photographs. And experience has proved, after 9/11, that the more information we have about terrorists, the more likely we are to discover them after the fact and, for that matter, head off potential terror attacks.
RAY SUAREZ: Mark Krikorian, do you support the idea of giving people who are residing or working in the country illegally the ability to get a driver's license?
MARK KRIKORIAN, Center for Immigration Studies: Absolutely not. Our national identification system is not centralized like in most countries. It's decentralized. The states run it. The driver's license is our national ID system.
And what we do by giving illegal immigrants any form of official government ID, a driver's license, however it's qualified, is we incorporate them into our national ID system. We essentially almost legalize their presence, if you will, not in a formal sense under immigration law, but we recognize and officially give them the stamp of approval of the government.
This helps them embed themselves in our society, because you can't live in a modern society without being part of the ID system, and it makes it impossible, or much more difficult, to deter future illegal immigration and to encourage people to give up and deport themselves, if you will, which is an important goal of immigration enforcement.
Three-tier system in New York
RAY SUAREZ: But in the particular case of New York, the three-tier system gives a credential that acknowledges up front the illegal status of that person, but it also gives them a road test. It checks whether they can drive. Wouldn't you want both those things?
MARK KRIKORIAN: No, I don't, because what it does, in the final analysis, is formally accepts their residence in the United States. Just because it says "Not for Identification Purposes," which is what the ID would say, doesn't mean that it won't turn into a regular ID.
You won't be able to use it to board a plane, that's true, under federal law. But Tennessee tried this several years ago. And before the first license came out of the laminating machine, the state police there said, "Yes, but we're going to take it for ID anyway." Once the government gives you an ID, you have an ID. You are able to borrow into society legally.
RAY SUAREZ: Clark Kent Ervin, what about that, that the card, even if it is issued, it's, in effect, saying this person is not here legally, it would gradually, through mission creep almost, become a legal ID and an acknowledgment of someone's presence in the country?
CLARK KENT ERVIN: Right. Well, actually, you know, it really is just a parade of horribles argument to argue that that, on its face, it would say essentially that this person is not here legally and would bring those people out of the shadows. You know, Mark said that it would actually embed them, as a practical matter, in our national ID system. That's exactly right.
And then he said that they would kind of burrow in. It's really quite the opposite. They would come out of the shadows. Again, they'd have an incentive, because they wouldn't be deported, to essentially declare themselves as illegal. This would not allow them to board an airplane; this would not allow them to cross a border. It would simply allow them to drive when, in fact, they're going to drive anyway.
And the question is, as I say, do we want information about them if, God forbid, some minority of them prove to be terrorists?
RAY SUAREZ: Well, what about that out-of-the-shadows argument? Respond to that specifically.
MARK KRIKORIAN: What shadows? Several senators recently sponsored an event in the Capitol building itself with illegal immigrants speaking about why other senators should support an amnesty. This idea of shadows is really not all that accurate.
There's two claims being made here. One is that the illegal alien license will identify illegal immigrants but, at the same time, that it will encourage people to come forward if they're illegal and be signed up. Both of those things aren't going to happen.
In fact, a lot of the immigrant advocacy groups have spoken out against this most recent version of the proposal, because they're afraid the list of people getting these illegal alien IDs would then be a starting point for enforcement.
Identifying illegal aliens
RAY SUAREZ: We'll get to that later, but on your point that this wouldn't be out of the shadows, the people in the New York legislation, as I understand it, who would get that third-tier license would have to provide a passport from the foreign nation they come from and other forms of identification in order to clear the bar in New York state. Wouldn't knowing who they are and where they're from be better than not knowing where they are or where they're from?
MARK KRIKORIAN: As long as the next step is their detention and deportation from the United States, yes. But there's a tension there. No one's going to provide that information if the result is the law is now going to be enforced and they're going to be made to leave.
But at the same time, if we are registering them and signing them up, we are essentially saying, "We're not going to deport you." It's a kind of de facto amnesty. So we can't have it both ways; it's one or the other. If it's a way of finding out who the illegals are and removing them, I'm OK with that, but then that defeats the purpose, because they're not going to be driving.
RAY SUAREZ: Well, respond to that point directly, that if people show up in a government office and say, "I'm in the country illegally," the next step should be to get them out of the country.
CLARK KENT ERVIN: Well, we've had that debate already this year, and the decision was made for the foreseeable future that we're not going to deport illegal aliens. And, frankly, as a political matter, I don't see that changing. It's a question of whether it should change or whether it shouldn't, but the question is that it won't.
And furthermore, as a practical matter, there's no way we could, even if we wanted to -- even if there were a consensus in this country, which there isn't -- to deport all 12 million to 14 million, however many illegal aliens there are in this country.
So the question is, given that they're going to be here, at least some huge percentage of them, for the foreseeable future, what do we do about that as a counterterrorism measure?
And as you say, they will have to give tremendous amount of information about themselves, much more than is typically the case for driver's licenses now, a foreign passport that's machine readable with biometrics. They will be scanned, and they will be reviewed by people who are trained in fraud detection. So we'll know a tremendous amount about these people if, as I say, a small minority of them turn out to be terrorists after the fact.
RAY SUAREZ: What about housekeeping matters? States are jurisdictions that have to run certain functions inside the state, checking the people know how to drive, know how to signal a turn and signal a lane change, that they can operate a vehicle safely on the roads and can obtain insurance. Should the state interest of New York State supersede that of the federal interest of getting people out of the country who are here illegally?
MARK KRIKORIAN: There's clearly responsibilities that Washington needs to and is appropriate to leave to the states; there's no question about it. But there are matters where Washington has to use its power and try to get the states to do what is in the national interest rather than in specific political interests of that state.
There are a lot of things the federal government has done that probably shouldn't, like try to get the states to raise drinking ages or lower drinking ages or change speed limits. Federal government has not been shy about using its power, for instance, over highway funding, that sort of thing, to get states to kind of get in line on matters like that, that, frankly, personally, I think are none of Washington's business.
This is Washington's business. It is not something that is parochial to New York, because once you have a New York driver's license, you then have an official government ID to drive to North Dakota and Arizona, as well. So, no, the states can't say, "This is simply our business, and Washington can't tell us what to do."
Insuring drivers
RAY SUAREZ: Is the alternative having people operating a vehicle inside the state who don't have a license from anywhere?
CLARK KENT ERVIN: Absolutely, and that, as a practical matter, is often what we have in the state of New York and in states all around the country. So there really are two public policy purposes that are served by this policy change.
One is encouraging people to get driver's insurance in case they injure themselves or others. And the second, as I say, is getting more information about them for counterterrorism purposes.
Furthermore, the federal government has spoken about this plan. I think it's telling that Secretary Chertoff appeared with Governor Spitzer with regard to this program. And while he expressed as a policy matter a preference that New York not issue driver's licenses to illegal aliens, the net effect of this three-tiered system that the governor has implemented, according to the secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, is to enhance New York's security.
And I'm quite confident that Secretary Chertoff would not have made that conclusion, would have not done so publicly if he thought there was a net security detriment.
RAY SUAREZ: A response on the security issue specifically?
MARK KRIKORIAN: This is a political decision on the part of the administration to bail out Governor Spitzer. In other words, the way it's presented is that Homeland Security got concessions from New York that would improve security. That's not what happened.
What happened is the administration agrees with Governor Spitzer's goal of helping illegal immigrants burrow into society, and they have essentially bailed him out by providing him the kind of political cover for what both he and the administration want to do, which is give illegal aliens driver's licenses as a kind of consolation prize for having lost the big amnesty fight over the summer in the Senate.
RAY SUAREZ: To be continued, gentlemen. Mark Krikorian, Clark Kent Ervin, thank you both.
MARK KRIKORIAN: Thank you.
CLARK KENT ERVIN: Thank you, Ray.


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Hit Oregon Bounty's Tasting Trail
Ok, foodies. We know what you are up to. Always on the hunt for what's fresh — local veggies or just-plucked fruit, wild caught fish and forest foraged mushrooms.
But it's hard to always be the trailblazer, isn't it? So we've cooked up something special just for you — Oregon's Tastiest Trails: A Bounty of Farm-to-table experiences. Created by Oregon Bounty and the experts of nosh at Tasting Table, the trails are food-focused itineraries highlighting the best tastes of Oregon.
Here's a sampler:
Along Bend's Ale Trail in Central Oregon, you can check out nine craft breweries — like Bend Brewing Co., Deschutes Brewery and Cascade Lakes Brewing Co. — all within walking or biking distance of each other.
Out east, stop in at Bellinger Farms and Gourmet Shoppe, family-owned and operated since 1941. The farm stand serves up famous Hermiston watermelon, Oregon marionberries and huckleberry honey along with the freshest produce of the season.
The cuisine at the Altitude restaurant at The Resort at the Mountain features the wild ingredients of Mt. Hood's backyard — wild mushrooms, huckleberries, cherries, hazelnuts and Columbia River salmon.
The exploration of food is hands-on at The Culinary Center in Lincoln City, with Chef Sharon Wiest. Learn how to make your own pasta, perfectly prepare ocean fresh fish and can the bounty of Oregon's summer and fall harvests.
Clyde Common's bar in Portland's Pearl District is the place for contemplation over a handcrafted cocktail. Sit, sip and consider the personalities of these drinks — Bourbon Renewal, East of Eden and Irish Goodbye.
Creamy, firm, sweet and savory are all on the plate at the award-winning Rogue Creamery in Southern Oregon. Try the Oregonzola, Rogue River Blue or Crater Lake Blue, and discover why Rogue is the big cheese.
At The Joel Palmer House you are in for a mushrooming discovery of taste. With nearly every dish on the menu featuring locally foraged fungi, this Willamette Valley restaurant has fine dining like no other.
about author Eileen Garvin
Eileen Garvin lives and writes in Hood River. When she's not hunched over her keyboard or digging in the garden, you can find her mountain biking, kiteboarding, hiking, skiing or camping somewhere in Oregon.
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Thomson is a city in Carlton County, Minnesota, United States, located along the Saint Louis River. The population was 159 at the 2010 census.
On November 5th, 2013, a vote to authorize the consolidation of Thomson and nearby Carlton passed with a 95% approval.
Thomson is adjacent to Jay Cooke State Park and is located on the Willard Munger State Trail.
Minnesota Highway 210 and Dalles Avenue are two of the main routes in the community.
Thomson is located seven miles southeast of the city of Cloquet; and 18 miles southwest of the city of Duluth.
Research Tips


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Work for you seminar
If you apply for a benefit, you'll need to attend a Work for You seminar if it's part of your pre-benefit activities.
Work for you is a one hour seminar where you'll find out about:
- job searching tips
- our employment services
- jobs in your area
- what you need to do to prove you're looking for work
- creating a Jobseeker Profile so we can promote you to employers
- financial help while you look for work.
Take your CV along to the seminar if you have one.


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Giant log on display at Gumdiggers Park
Press Release
7th December 2011
Giant log on display at Gumdiggers Park
A new giant kauri log display is now open to the public at Gumdiggers Park in Awanui, in the Far North. The kauri log was found earlier this year while excavating three smaller kauri logs buried beneath a sandstone layer at the park. The ancient tree has a girth of 9 metres and is 12 metres long. The kauri log is estimated to be around 100,000 years old and was on the same level as other buried preserved trees which were once part of a vast kauri forest on the Aupouri Peninsula. Ongoing study at the park has revealed that two cataclysmic events occurred on the peninsula 100,000 years ago. The park continues to attract scientists from New Zealand and around the world as part of studies on climate change.
Owner John Johnston is very excited about the new addition to Gumdiggers Park: "Over the years we keep improving the park. This year only we have built a new viewing platform and, expanded our video hut, to enhance the story of the gum diggers and the ancient kauris. This new giant log display will allow our visitors to get up right close to one these ancient giants. People can actually touch the tree'.
Gumdiggers Park site was purchased by the Heath family in the late 1890's with the plan to farm. The family changed their mind when they realised there was money to be made from the flourishing kauri gum industry. The family dug for the gum themselves as well as opening the land up to other diggers. The area was worked until 1937 and then left mostly untouched until the land was inherited in the early nineties. After research by scientists the family decided to develop the unique landscape and with the help of Kaitaia and Auckland archives and the local descendants of the gum diggers pieced together the history of the area also known as the Kaikino Swamp gumfield.
In some of the excavations there was timber
buried one or two metres beneath the ground, under an
ancient sandstone layer which proved to be a unique
situation. A team of Auckland University scientists examined
the find and were amazed at the age of the kauri. Scientists
have been studying the site ever since. John Johnston
developed walkways around some of the old excavations and
opened the area up to the public on a donation basis to gage
whether there was enough interest to establish a small
tourism venture that would cover the expenses on the
property and enable the historic site to continue to be
The business has grown every year and any profits are used to develop new displays.


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JERUSALEM (May. 26)
The two official Israeli investigations into the government's role in the Pollard espionage affair both reportedly blamed top political and intelligence leaders for grave mishandling of the episode. But they did not recommend that anyone resign.
The Cabinet-appointed commission of Yehoshua Rotenstreich, a prominent Tel Aviv attorney, and former Chief of Staff Gen. (Res.) Zvi Tsur presented its report to Premier Yitzhak Shamir Tuesday morning. The Inner Cabinet was to convene late Tuesday to discuss it. According to a source close to Shamir, the Premier will "recommend to the Inner Cabinet that the report be adopted."
Israel Radio reported that the commission severely censured Defense Minister Yitzhak Rabin and former Defense Minister Moshe Arens for lax supervision of the intelligence unit known as Lekem which recruited Jonathan Pollard to spy on the U.S. for Israel.
But it found that neither man in his official capacity was aware that Pollard, an American Jew employed by the U.S. Navy as an intelligence analyst, had in fact been hired as a spy. Pollard and his wife are now serving prison terms in the U.S. for espionage on behalf of Israel.
In addition, a parliamentary intelligence subcommittee chaired by Abba Eban of Labor, which also reported on the affair Tuesday, specifically blamed top ministers, in particular Foreign Minister Shimon Peres, according to initial reports on Israel Television.
The subcommittee pointed out, according to Israel Television, that Peres, as Premier at the time of Pollard's arrest, was "first among equals" and therefore recipient of the gravest burden of blame.
Israel Television also reported that the subcommittee had criticized both Rabin and Arens as well as Shamir, then Foreign Minister, for his role in Israel's handling of the Pollard affair after Pollard war arrested in December 1985.
Eban said prior to presenting the report to Knesset Speaker Shlomo Hillel Tuesday night that it was "for the Knesset and the nation" to draw the political conclusions from the findings of his subcommittee's report.
Political observers felt the relatively mild findings of the Rotenstreich-Tsur report would tend to counterbalance the much sharper language used in the seven-man Eban subcommittee report.
The Rotenstreich-Tsur report said that "ministerial responsibility" fell on the entire Cabinet under Israel's system of Cabinet responsibility. But Minister-Without-Portfolio Yitzhak Modai of Likud and outgoing Communications Minister Amnon Rubinstein of Shinui disagreed, contending that the top ministers had consistently withheld information on the affair from the full Cabinet. The Rotenstreich-Tsur report was scathing toward Rafael Eitan, head of Lekem, and Air Force Col. Aviem Sella, who supervised Pollard. The report also strongly criticized their subsequent promotions, Eitan to the director-generalship of Israel Chemicals and Sella to head a major Air Force base.
The Eban subcommittee comprises Laborites Simcha Dinitz and Micha Harish in addition to Eban; Likud MKs Eliahu Ben-Elissar, David Magen and Ehud Olmert; and Yosef Burg of the National Religious Party.
According to Israel Radio, no political crisis is likely over the affair since the Rotenstreich panel stopped short of recommending any action.
It will be up to the Cabinet to decide whether any or all of the commission's report will be made public, legal sources said Tuesday.


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By Jamie McAllister
Joe Lauzon comments in an interview with Yahoo Sports.
Lauzon was originally set to face the Brit Terry Etim however Etim withdrew from the bout due to injury and was replaced by Jamie Varner.
At UFC 146 back in May Varner stepped in to face the highly touted Edson Barboza in place of the injured Evan Dunham on short notice. Varner upset the odds and finished Barboza in the first round however Lauzon has no plans to make the mistake Barboza did and allow the former WEC Champion to make a name off him.
"It is much easier for me to have better training partners to prepare for [Jamie Varner] than for Etim, who is long, rangy, and an awkward striker. It was hard to find guys to spar the same way as him, all herky jerky. But I have a bunch of guys at my gym who are 5'9, 5'10 and are good wrestlers and good boxers. Varner is a higher ranked guy, the former WEC champ and Barboza is a huge name to have a win over. Varner had a huge win where he stepped in on short notice. I don't want him to make another name off of me."
For all the latest MMA news and fight updates stay tuned to BJPENN.COMTags: featured, Jamie Varner, Joe Lauzon, mma, MMA NEWS, ufc, ufc news


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High School Football
Matchup: Redlands (4-4, 3-0) vs. Redlands East Valley (4-4, 3-0)
When: Today, 7 p.m.
Where: Dodge Stadium, Redlands HS
Preview: Today's game is the 17th installment of the Smudge Pot series. Redlands heads into the game with ownership of the Smudge Pot trophy, won during last season's 41-37 win over REV. Overall, Redlands holds a 9-7 lead in the series. At stake in today's game is the top spot in the Citrus Belt League as both teams are currently tied for first place as well as ownership of the Smudge Pot. Redlands has salvaged its season after opening with losses in four of its first five games. RHS has relied heavily on its ground game, utilizing its version of a Winged-T offense, which has been anchored by the power running of Zach Lindsey (47 carries for 654 yards and five touchdowns). Lindsey heads into the game as the No. 4 rusher in the CBL. RHS is averaging just over 200 yards a game on the ground and has utilized 14 ball carriers. Defensively, Redlands has been toughened up by the duo of DJ Biggers and Cardell Palmer. Both Biggers and Palmer were in and out of action because of injuries. The are the Nos. 1 and 2 tacklers in the CBL, Cardell at No. 1 with 9 tackles and Biggers at No. 2 with 75 tackles. Redlands East Valley fought its way through a brutal nonleague schedule and is marching toward its fifth straight CBL championship. Freshman quarterback Armando Herrera is the No. 1 quarterback in the CBL with 69 completions, 112 attempts and 1,154 yards. He has thrown 13 touchdowns and only four interceptions. Herrera has a talented stable of wide receivers in Malik Lovette (15.6 yards a catch, 6 touchdowns), CJ Harris (15.5 yards per catch, 5 touchdowns) and Anthony Grayson (19.2 yards per catch, 4 touchdowns). On the ground, Alonzo Anderson has emerged as the CBL's top rusher with 517 yards and three TD runs. Defensively, Matteo Biscotti is tied for the CBL lead with five quarterback sacks.
Matchup: Citrus Valley (3-5, 1-2) at Rim of the World (6-2, 2-1)
When: Today, 7 p.m.
Where: Rim of the World HS
Preview: Citrus Valley has its back against the wall. The Blackhawks produced a season saving win over Notre Dame last week and needs another to remain in contention for a playoff spot. Citrus Valley sits in the middle of the Mountain Valley League pack, behind MVL leading Jurupa Hills (3-0), Rim of the World (2-1) and Rubidoux (2-1). Rim of the World lost to Jurupa Hills last week and went into that game with a six game win streak.
Matchup: Arrowhead Christian (6-2, 1-2) at Western Christian (8-0, 3-0)
When: Today, 7 p.m.
Where: Western Christian HS
Preview: Arrowhead Christian has had a rough couple of weeks. The Eagles dropped a game to Ontario Christian two weeks ago and last week dropped a last second loss to Linfield Christian. This week it gets no easier as ACA plays at undefeated Upland Western Christian.


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Pritchett's Transportation Co., Inc.5426 Handley RoadCambridge, MD 21613ph: 410-228-2327fax: email@example.com
Pritchett's Transportation Co., Inc. is a full service regional trucking company operating out of Cambridge, MD. Founded in 1937, we are an experienced and capable carrier offering reliable truck load (TL) and less than truck load (LTL) freight services at competitive prices.
Since 1937 Pritchett's Transportation Co., Inc has offered dependable trucking services. We offer pickup and delivery services to areas within 200 miles of Cambridge including Maryland, Delaware, District of Columbia, Southern New Jersey, Eastern Pennsylvania and Eastern Virginia including the entire Delmarva Peninsula. All our drivers are subject to background checks including finger printing.
We offer experienced drivers and support staff. We are fully insured and have on site preventative maintenance and repairs through a full service affiliated company.
Pritchett's is also a long term contractor to the United States Postal Service providing mail delivery services to and between points on the Delmarva Peninsula.
We listen to each customer and provide a custom solution for their trucking needs.
Please contact us anytime! We look forward to hearing from you. Our phone number is 410-228-2327 and ask for the General Manager. Or email us at email@example.com for a prompt response
Copyright 2012 Pritchetts Transportation Co., Inc.. All rights reserved.
Web Hosting by Yahoo!


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So how are we doing in efforts to combat poverty in America?
One perspective can be gained by looking back.
It was 50 years ago our nation first seriously began to tackle the issue. That was after Michael Harrington, the socialist and former Catholic Work, published The Other America, a book that revealed to us that a full 25 percent of Americans were living in poverty. Harrington had attended Holy Cross, had been influenced by the Jesuits, and had experienced poverty first hand, beginning in 1951 serving as a Catholic Worker among the homeless in New York's Bowery district.
Harrington's book, which eventually sold over a million copies, came to the attention of then President John F. Kennedy and later, according to some reports, played a role in moving President Lyndon Johnson to declare his "War on Poverty. In the years that followed our nation witnessed the introduction of unprecedented federal and state anti-poverty programs, including Medicaid, Medicare, food stamps and expanded social security benefits. Arguable all these are traceable to Harrington's conscious altering book, listed in 1998 by Time magazine as one of the 20th century's most influential books.
Fast forward five decades:
Medicare in 2010 was providing health insurance to 48 million Americans - 40 million of these people age 65 and older; an additional eight million younger people with disabilities.
Medicaid had become the largest funding source for medical and health-related services for people living at and below U.S. poverty levels.
Food stamps in 2012 were assisting 46.4 million Americans by an average $133 per month.
Today, the percentage of Americans living in poverty has been reduced to 15 percent from the 25 percent in the 1960s. (The official poverty line for a family of three—one parent with two children—is $17,568.)
While 15 percent is an improvement, such a poverty level in America continues to be a disgrace.
The 15 percent figure, meanwhile, doesn't tell the whole story. Up to 43 percent of Americans currently live in what is called "liquid asset poverty," meaning they live on the edge of poverty and could fall into poverty within three months were they to lose their jobs. These are hardly reassuring numbers.
So if the bad news is we tolerate far too much poverty and have not found the will to eliminate it altogether, the good news is government programs, cavalierly on the cutting blocks by many conservative politicians, have made serious inroads into cutting back poverty in America.
Were in not for Medicare, Medicaid and food stamps programs U.S. poverty numbers would be much higher than they are today – and possibly higher than they were 50 years back.
Who has benefited most from these programs? Our elderly and our children have.
Consider this. Nearly half of all American children receive food stamp benefits at some point before they reach the age of 20. Among African-Americans the figure is much higher: 90 percent! One in seven Americans is currently enrolled in the food stamp program. This number has nearly doubled, to 18 million, from pre-2009 recession figures.
Bread for the World, the food lobbying organization states the moral case clearly: "We live in the world's wealthiest nation. Yet 14.5 percent of U.S. households—nearly 49 million Americans, including 16.2 million children—struggle to put food on the table.
"In the United States, hunger is not caused by a scarcity of food, but rather the continued prevalence of poverty. Both issues must be addressed in our continued efforts to help those Jesus called "the least of these" (Matthew 25:45)."
I wonder if the issue of poverty makes it into the presidential debate this week?
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Tina Frimpong; A Soccer Mom of a Different Kind
At the age of 18, Tina Frimpong thought her goal of playing for the U.S. Women's National Team was gone. But what had seemingly ended her dreams, actually played a major role in achieving them…that being a baby girl. In 2006, a mother on the U.S. Women's National Team is no longer a novelty, but as the youngest mom ever to play for the USA, Frimpong's story is certainly unique.
She was eighteen, pregnant and unsure. Of a lot of things.
She was two weeks from leaving for pre-season camp at one of the top college soccer powers in the United States. A great education and the American rite of passage -- the college experience -- awaited. It might even be a stepping stone to the U.S. Women's National Team.
Then, in a flash, it seemed all that was gone.
But what happened next is a story that inspires.
While it is true that U.S. defender Tina Frimpong took a road less traveled to the U.S. Women's National Team, her ability to overcome the kind of adversity that has derailed the plans and lives of many a teenage girl, and turn her life into something entirely positive for herself and her daughter, has been a true inspiration to her family, friends and teammates.
It was mid-August, 2000. Soon, she would be leaving her sleepy hometown of Vancouver, Wash., for California and Santa Clara University.
And then, a mistake in judgment, some bad timing perhaps, and her life was changed in an instant.
"I was scared in the sense of 'this wasn't how it was supposed to be,'" said the now 23-year-old Frimpong. "I was scared of not knowing what the future was going to entail. A child is a huge responsibility. I was scared of my parents wrath, scared of what people would think, scared that my soccer career was over. Just scared of everything."
With her life seemingly turned upside down, and with serious issues to consider that she previously had never even imaged, Frimpong turned toward two things that she knew would always be there; her family and her faith.
It was her parents Joe and Eka, both of whom emigrated from Africa, that helped her get over the initial shock and start making the hard decisions.
While Frimpong had initially contemplated adoption, there was really never any doubt that she would have the baby, but to find the answers that she needed, she had to look within.
"I asked myself, 'What I am I going to do?' I just fell back on my faith. I knew I had gotten myself into this situation and now it was a matter of doing what I needed to do to get through it. I was 18 and I really didn't know what that was, but I thought I would find a way."
While her life plans were altered, as her pregnancy progressed and with her family's support, she decided that the baby was not going to derail her goal of playing college soccer.
After informing Santa Clara that she would not be enrolling, she attended a junior college during her pregnancy. It was during that time that she reached out to University of Washington head coach Lesle Gallimore.
"She knew that I was pregnant, but said that she would love to have me come and that they could help me with the challenges of having a child," said Frimpong. "She told me that there was no scholarship available so late in the process, but that if I came in and earned it, I could get some help the next year. They also helped me out a lot with financial aid. Being so close to home, and with my parents helping out so much, it seemed like the best path to take."
On March 8, 2001, MacKenzie Frimpong was born. That August, Frimpong reported to pre-season camp as a freshman.
"Over that four-year period, Tina Frimpong defined what earning something really means. She worked at everything," said Gallimore, who saw Frimpong earn a 3.5 GPA in her economics major, become the first, and so far only, two-time Pac-10 Player of the Year, go the first part of her college career without receiving an athletic scholarship and raise a well-mannered and extremely bright daughter. "There is not one part of her life that she didn't absolutely work her tail off in."
With the help of her parents, her teammates, and her boyfriend, now fiancé and the father of MacKenzie, Brad Ellertson, Frimpong worked her way through four years at the University of Washington with something that few student-athletes have, a little baby.
"The first year, when she was an infant, was definitely the hardest," said Frimpong. "I look at (U.S. defender Christie) Rampone, (who had a baby about four months ago) and I just want to hug her and high-five her. What she is doing right now is hard. The first few months as a mom are the toughest. I just remember no sleep, and having to train for the first time in seven months, and then playing Division I soccer. All those adjustments, being a full-time student, making sure I was getting good grades…it was all very difficult, but my support system made it a lot easier. It could have been a lot worse."
She would go on to score 42 goals in her college career as a forward, finishing her career as the
|Brad, MacKenzie and Tina pose for a family picture.
Huskies all-time leading scorer. She was a two-time Pac-10 Player of the Year, earning the honor as a junior and senior.
"I wouldn't be here right now if it wasn't for my mom and dad," said Frimpong, whose parents met at Southern Oregon University. "I wouldn't have played college soccer and I wouldn't be on the national team if it wasn't for my family. My family has been my rock."
The daughter of a Ghanaian father and a Nigerian mother, both of whom have Masters degrees, Frimpong's genetics feature both of Africa's women's soccer powers. The Super Falcons of Nigeria have been in every Women's World Cup and the Black Queens of Ghana qualified for the 1999 Women's World Cup, their first women's world championship.
"We're a very prideful family," said Frimpong, who has a twin sister Crystal that played with U.S. forward Abby Wambach at the University of Florida. "My parents came from Africa wanting to make a life for themselves in America. They've instilled the qualities in us to go to college and accomplish things in life. They wanted to set me up the best way to deal with this fork in the road. They took MacKenzie during finals and during the first two weeks of pre-season. My parents came up on the weekends and when I needed help. They were huge."
After she finished playing for Washington, Frimpong was pretty sure her soccer career was done. She always dreamed of playing for the national team, but with MacKenzie growing, and kindergarten on the horizon, she thought perhaps it was time to settle down and become a real soccer mom.
Oh, she became a soccer mom, all right - Joy Fawcett style. But it was certainly not a smooth road to the Women's National Team.
She was invited into several U.S. Under-21 Women's National Team camps in 2004, and admittedly struggled playing at forward. Perhaps this was truly the end of the soccer road? But it was at those camps that U.S. head coach Greg Ryan saw qualities that he liked…no, loved.
"Her athleticism is off the charts," said Ryan. "What she's got is genetically unusual. She's just a uniquely gifted athlete. Her ability to change directions is incredible, she's great in the air and has a natural aggressiveness to win the ball."
Ryan decided to give her a shot with the full national team at defender. Saying that was a "good idea" is a bit of an understatement. No player, from the USA or any other country, has been able to find a way past Frimpong since. She just might be the best athlete ever to play for the United States.
Her challenge has been adjusting to the intricacies of defending in a flat back four, the antithesis of playing as an attacker. She took a huge step forward, however, in China at the Four Nations Tournament in January, playing well in the center of the defense in all three games, as Norway, France and China got a bitter taste of what it's like to battle against her. She even got to be on the field for Kristine Lilly's historic 300th cap.
"No one beats her one-on-one, and if they do, she always recovers to win the ball back," said Ryan. "She's just got to learn the tactical side of defending. All the qualities she has are the qualities that you see in great defenders in the men's international game, where you can't get by with an average athlete in the back anymore because the forwards are so amazingly athletic. It's getting to be that way in the women's game as well. If you don't have great athletes in the back, you can't stay with Marta, Cristiane (of Brazil), Anja Mittag (of Germany) or Marinette Pichon (of France). It's just not going to happen anymore. I think Tina has the potential to become a great defender."
As Frimpong grows into her new role with the national team on the field, her daughter has become more comfortable off it. Adored by the U.S. players, and overflowing with personality, the almost 5-year-old MacKenzie has become the darling of the U.S. team.
Every day Frimpong marvels at the gift she's been given.
"When you have a bad game, or things don't go right on the field, you come home to someone who could care less," said Frimpong, who is best buddies with MacKenzie and will be only 32 when she enters high school. "She shows you there is so much more to life. Her personality is just amazing, and it's awesome just to be a mother. She changed me and made me a better person. She made me more responsible, and more compassionate, all the great things that motherhood brings. It's been so rewarding. She's been a blessing."
U.S. goalkeeper Hope Solo, a teammate of Frimpong's at Washington, has also seen her grow through her early struggles as a teenage mom.
"Throughout the whole time, Tina always had a great outlook on things," said Solo, who played two seasons with Frimpong. "I think MacKenzie brought a different outlook and allowed her to enjoy the game more. Seeing McKenzie every day at practice helped us come together as a team as well. It helped us realize what Tina had been through. She had to study, take care of MacKenzie and play Division I soccer. She was greatly admired by all of us. At the same time, she was still a teammate that needed to be pushed like all of us and we treated her like that. She wouldn't have it any other way."
Now, Frimpong sets her sights on making the squad that will attempt to qualify next November for the 2007 FIFA Women's World Cup, and perhaps get to play against one of her parents' homelands. With a deep pool of defenders all fighting for positions, it won't be easy, but her first steps into the international game have been positive ones.
"She's just fun to be around," said Ryan. "Her determination and the things she's overcome are admirable. When she stepped into this team, she didn't come with the attitude to 'see if I can do this,' she came in with the attitude that 'I can do this.' She's strong and determined and those are the kinds of people that make it."
So much has happened so fast for Frimpong, she is taking it one practice, one play session with MacKenzie and one game at a time. Brad proposed on December 16, 2005, and they will marry on December 23, 2006. She also starts Residency Camp with the U.S. team this coming April. And through the inspiration of her daughter, she has a belief in achieving goals that perhaps was absent five years ago.
"I just think, you may put yourself in a bind, but you have to believe in yourself and that you can get through anything," said Frimpong, who has brought Brad on the road with her to serve as the 'team nanny' while she is at training and meetings. "There was a time when I couldn't believe this situation I was in, but if you have faith and a great support system, you can achieve anything. That's what's gotten me to where I am today."
It has become clear that obstacles in life, much like an opposing forward, have very little chance of beating her.
ussoccer.com is the official site of U.S. Soccer, the governing body of soccer in the United States.