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(Archived document, may contain errors)
553 I December 29, 1986 ANTARCTlCA SH0UL.D REMAI N OFF. LIMITS TO UNITED ?lATlONS MEDDLING INTRODUCTION With a surface area covered hy ice and a population composed largely of penguins and scientists, the vast undeveloped continent of Antarctica would seem an unlikely focus of international political co n troversy. Yet a small group of nations, spurred largely by Antarctica's future resource poteiitial, recently has-been trying to direct the United Nations' attentLon to Antarctica. Their goal: to appl-y to Antarctica the principle of the ''common her3tage of mankind the controversial theoretical basis for the U.N. Law of the Sea Convention, and thereby pave the way for establishing a U.N.-sponsored Antarctic regulatory regime.
Such a step could endanger Antarctica's environment seriously and would damage pr ospects for the rational future exploitation of Antarctica's potential mineral wealth: it also would sabotage effectively the 1959 Antarctic Treaty, which raises the ironic prospect of the United Nations undermining one of the most successful achievements of postwar multilateral diplomacy.
The so-called Question of Antarctica was revived at the U.N. in September 1982, when Malaysian Prime MinisFer Dr. Mahathir bin Mohamed called for a "new international agreement" on Antarctica before the U.N. General ASS8 mbly. Since then, both the Organization of African 1 As quoted in Deborah S.hapley, The. Seventh Continent: Antarct ica in a Resource Age Washington, D.C.: Resources for the Future, Inc., 1983, p. 218 m Unity and the Non-Aligned Movement in essence have d e clared the continent "the common heritage of mankind, using rhetoric typical of other New International Economic Order manifestoes of the Group of 77, the umbrella group now cdmprising some 130 developing countries. To complicate the issue, the "consensus " procedure governing previous U.N. discussions of Antarctica has broken down while many members of the Group of 77 continue to urge the expulsion of South1 Africa from the Treaty system.. Some U.N.*Secretariat'officials moreover, have been attempting to e x acerbate potential jurisdictional conflicts between the U.N. Law of the Sea Convention and the Antarctic Treaty while international environmental groups such as Greenpeace bitterly have attacked drafts of an Antarctic minerals3regime being negotiated by t h e Antarctic Treaty Consultative Parties the U.N General Assembly recently joined an attack in which These developments are particularly disturbing given the successes of the 1959 Antarctic Treaty Fn furthering "the ]purposes and principles embedded in the Charter of the United Nations.I1 Sidestepping the delicate question of national sovereignty over Antarctica, the Treaty has demilitarized and denuclearized the continent, promoted international scientific research and environmental conservation, and serve d as a model for sustained international cooperation. Parties to the Treaty likewise have negotiated separate but related conventions and agreements on environmental matters and soon will complete a regime to regulate future minerals exploitation.
The Trea ty also is notable for its openness: any U.N. member state can accede to it freely, and any member state which denionstrates a scientifici interest in the continent can become a consultative, or voting, party. Furthermore, though the U.S USSR, and such pr o minent developing countries as India and Brazil are all consultative parties the consensus decision-making procedure within the Treaty has isolated Antarctica from the East-West and North-South ideological conflicts that dominate the United Nations and ot her international organizations.
Treaty at the U.N., the Treaty parties have taken new steps to assure that the Treaty and its operations are as accessible as possible Recently, largely in response to criticisms levied against the 2. See "Text of Paragraph s on Antarctica in the Non-Aligned Movement Meeting Communique 1983, Paragraph XVIII: 87; and OAU Council of Ministers Resolutions, Addis Ababa Ethiopia, 1985 3. See, for example Antarctic Minerals Regime, Beeby's Slick Solution Q, vol. 23 no 1, 1983 4. A n tarctic Treaty The Treaty," operative paragraph 5. i 2These include allowing nonvoting parties to participate in meetings and negotiations, keeping the relevant U.N. officials and agencies informed of Antarctic developments, and releasing documents from p revious meetings I These and other benefits of the present Treaty System are widely recognized; even the 1984 report of U.N. Secretary-General Javier Perez de Cuellar on Antarctica tacitly 'supports keeping the Treaty in force.
U.N. agenda. Some veteran U. N. diplomats recall that the process leading to the Third U.N. Conference on the Law of the Sea similarly began with a U.N report on the issue, which led-to the establishment in 1967 of the so-called Seabed Committee. Many feel that a U.N.
Vommittee on An tarctica,Il in the words of a West German U.N diplomat, figwould become a slicing machine which would slowly cut the Antarctic] Treaty to shreds Its Nonetheless, efforts to establish such a committee continue Yet attacks on the Treaty persist, as the issu e lingers on the To prevent the shredding of the Antarctic Treaty, the United States and other Treaty parties should tell the Secretary-General that further use of scarce U.N. resources to consider this issue would be wasteful and counterproductive. In par t icular, the U.S. should pursue the two-track policy of 1) introducing a resolution at the upcoming October 1987 meeting of the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Parties tentatively set for Rio de Janeiro) stating that further U.N consideration of Antarctica w o uld be inappropriate and continuing to support the nonparticipation of Consultative Parties in all U.N. votes and inquiries'on the subject, and 2) urging those developing countries concerned about the continent to follow the examples of India, China and B razil and accede to the Treaty.
Congress convenes next month, it should pass a resolution restating U.S. support for the Antarctic Treaty System and recommending that the United Nations take no further action on the subject Furthermore, when the 100th THE ANTARCTIC TREATY SYSTEM: HISTORY AND EVOLUTION Writes George Washington University political scientist Christopher Joyner: IlAntarctica...is a white desert. It is the highest, windiest, coldest, driest, most lifeless of the continents.Il6 With average tem p eratures on all parts of the continent well below freezing, Antarctica is as forbidding as it is 5. As quoted in Louis Wiznitzer Small Nations Protect Bigger-Power Claims to Antarctica's Riches," Christian Science Monitor, November 19, 1984 6. Christopher C. Joyner, International Studies Notes of the International Studies Association, Volume 11, No. 3, Spring 1985, p. 1 3expansive. Nonetheless, before the conclusion of the Antarctic Treaty in 1959, the continent was the subject of political rivalries and l egal battles; at one point, in fact, a party of Argentines fired warning shots above the heads of a British expedition.
Central to these conflicts was the question of national sovereignty over various parts of the continent. Australia Argentina, Chile Fran ce Norway New Zealand and the-United Kingdom all claimed, and continue to claim, sections of Antarctica as their own territory. Some claims overlap. Both the U.S. and the USSR meanwhile, reserve the right to make such claims in-the future.
Although the legal basis for such national claims is in some cases rather exotic--Argentina, for example, bases its claim on a 1493 Papal Bull--the governments concerned continue to stand by them.
The maintenance of'these claims and the current attacks.on the Treaty System are dictated 1.argely by perceptions of Antarctica's scientific, strategic, and economic significance. The continent's value as an "international laboratory," its primary role si n ce 1959 is unquestionable: Antarctic science has made significant contributions to7fields as diverse as meteorology, marine biology, and plate tectonics. Many scientists and diplomats believe that scientific research will continue to be the most valuable h uman activity on the continent for the foreseeable future the continent covers nearly one-tenth of the earth's surface and dominates the South Polar region. As Joyner notes, 'Ithe geostrategic import of this region could assume an even greater criticality for transoceanic shipping: the passageway between the tip of South America and the Antarctic peninsuia provides the most logical alternative route for maritime vessels should the Panama Canal for some reason be closed or otherwise unavailable I8 Should an y nation establish military bases on Antarctica or use it for nuclear testing or deployment, the global balance of power would be affected, perhaps dramatically. Recognition of this contributed substantially, to the conclusion of the Antarctic Treaty, whic h keeps the continent demilitarized Antarctica's strategic value is likewise immediately apparent, as It is Antarctica's economic potential, though, that figpres most prominently in debates about the future of the Treaty System this potential is already be i ng realized: a number of nations operate fisheries in Antarctic waters, harvesting primarily krill, a small Some of 7. See, for example, William F. Budd The Antarctic Treaty as a Scientific Mechanism Post-1GY)--Contributions of Antarctic Scientific Resear c h," in Antarctic Treatv Svstem An Assessment (Washington, D.C National Academy Press, 1986 8. Joyner, 9~. ciL, p. 2 4protein-rich waters crustacean that swarms in large quantities in circumpolar Most in-ernational attention hough, has centered on possible development of Antarctica's mineral and hydrocarbon deposits. The world has speculated about the extent of these deposits since Amundsen's and Scott's.1911-1912 race to the South Pole. It is now reasonably clear that oil 'bnd-gas exist' on and around the continent as do elements of iron, copper, lead, mol'ybdenum, manganese, uranium and chromium.
Thus far, however, the brutal Antarctic climate'and the lack of significant scientific data have precluded large-scale prospecting.
Furthermore, there seems to b e a consensus among scientific experts and geologists that, as University of Southern California professor James A. Zumberge states no mineral deposits likely to be of economic value in the foreseeable future are known in Antarctica. This statement i-s no t to say that Antarctica has no mineral resources, but rather, if they exist, they have no economic significance today or in the near term future Even so, the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Antarctic minerals accord to insure that, if there is minerals expl oitation, it will be rationally and carefully managed Parties want to take no chances and thus are nearing completion of an Political economic i strategic, and environmental concerns prompted the negotiation and signing of the current Antarctic Treaty.
By the middle of the 19508, tensions between claimant nations were mounting.' Example: Great Britain tried three times in that decade to take Chile and Argentina to the World Court over competing claims.
India and New Zealand, meanwhile, were suggesting that the United Nations take up the issue, with a view toward "internationalizing" the continent, a step most claimant nations vehemently oppose.
Ultimately, as Antarctic expert Deborah Shapley notes, NATO and Latin American nations, worried by MOSCOW'S launc h of the satellite Sputnik concluded that only a treaty.could 'forestall a possible Soviet invited the twelve nations participating in.the 1957-1958 International Geophysical Year, which had established bases and transportation facilities on the continent , to Washington. The participants included Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Chile, France;.
Japan, New Zealand, Norway, South Africa USSR, Great Britain, and the U.S Signed in 1959, the Treaty is based in large. part on a- 1948 draft military presence on the continent. As a result, the U.S. in 1958 by Chilean diplomat Jose Escudero Guzman. It is accurately 9. In Antarctic Treatv Svst em: An Assessment, go. ciL, p. 272 5-characterized by Deborah Shapley as a "massive compromise amofig historic Antarctic rival s -and an unfinished political deal.I1 principal features of the Treaty are its provisions for demilitarization,.freedom of'scientific investigation denuclearization and the noninfringement of powers' claims. The Treaty's provisions for demilitarization are particularly notable Article I bans all military measures and weapons testing, while Article V explicitly prohibits nuc1ear"explosions and radioactive waste deposits on Antarctica. Article IV of the Treaty, the crux of the Ilpolitical deal," states that I lnothing contained in the present Treaty" can be interpreted as 'a renunciation of any-claim to Antarctic territory, nor as:a I1dimunition1
of such a claim; Similarly, Article IV states that the Treaty cannot be interpreted as "prejudicing the position of any Contracting Party" toward any other claims, nor can subsequent "acts.and activities" enlarge or diminish existing claims or serve as a basis for any new claim.
The Treaty thus leaves the legal status of Antarctic territorial claims in a position of c arefully calculated ambiguity. The major benefit of this is that, by freezing the status quo with respect' to territorial claims without prejudicing any state's position, the Treaty allows all nations concerned to cooperate in the more constructive tasks o f scientific research and environmental conservation. As Canadian environmental specialist E. Fred Roots observes from the beginnings of discussion leading toward the Antarctic Treaty, science, international cooperation and maintenance of the peace were i n extricably linked. It1l The The benefits of this linkaae have been numerous and far-reaching international exchange of scientific information on Antarctica Freedom of sciencif ic investigation and the mandated under Articies I1 and I11 of the Treaty, have . led to impressive gains in understandins of the Antarctic environment. The griwth of Akarctic scientific programs, moreover, has led to the development of institutional machinery within the Treaty System to process and examine the results of scientific re search under the guidance of the Scientific.Committee on Antarctic Research, an independent'professional body composed of representatives of Antarctic Treaty Consultative Party states.
The Treaty parties also have shown remarkable concern and flexibility i n managing the fragile Antarctic environment conservation measures taken by the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Parties include the Agreed Measures forthe Conservation of Antarctic Flora and Fauna (1964 the Convention for the Conservation of Major 10. Debor a h Shapley, PD. c& p. 91 11. In Antarctic Treatv Svs tem:,An Assessment ob. cit, p. 184. i I 6Antarctic Seals (1972 and the Convention for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (1982 Many areas of the continent likewise have been designated as "Sites of Special Scientific Interest" or I1Specially Protected Areas." Certain other pioneering recommendations have made the first criterion to be applied to a new activity whether or not it will have an adverse effect on the environment-not whether it is profitable or in the interests of one or more governments.
None of these achievements would have been possible, however without the Treaty's provisions for demilitarization of the continent. These are reinforced by the most sweeping provisions for on -site inspection and verification contained in any post-World War I1 treaty, including free access to any area or installation on demand aerial inspection rights, and advance notification of any activities on the continent. Yuri M. Rybakov, a Soviet juris t and diplomat notes The totality of the provisions of Articles I and V prohibiting in particular any measures of a military nature and any nuclear explosions, bestow on Antarctica a status not only of a demilitarized area of the globe, but, for the first t ime in history of a zone free from nuclear weapons.1 i OBJECTIONS TO THE TREATY SYSTEM Those nations currently attacking the Treaty System make a series of distinct but related objections to the Antarctica status quo Among them 1) Antarctica and its resou r ces, such as the seabed bevond national iurisdiction and outer mace. should Dronerlv be considered the "common heritaae of mankind Many international legal scholars argue that there is not much legal basis for this position. University of Wisconsin law pr o fessor Richard Bilder, for example, maintains that "there is as yet no coherent and generally recognized 'international law of common spaces'--particularly one that could persuasively be argued to be ius coaens or superior to all other international rules overriding the Antarctic Treaty or other arrangements If3 thus 12. Ibid p. 36 13. Richard Bilder, "The Present Legal and Political Situation" in Jonathan Charney, ed The New Nationalism and the Use of the Common SDaceS (Totowa, New Jersey: Allanheld Osmun p. 184 7- For.those nations claiming parts of Antarctica, moreover, the continent is definitely not ''beyond national jurisdiction as the seriousness with which these'claims are taken makes clear. In Argentina, explains American University professor Jack Child ItArgentines are taught from early childhood that their nation consists of three interlinked parts: mainland, Antarctic and insular Argentina.
To accept anything less than all. three parts f's to betray-"a: sacred trust to the fatherland Similarly, A ustralia's Antarctic claim has been incorporated into national legislation and is vigorously maintained by the Australian government Even some nations that supported the concept of the ''common heritage of mankind" in the context of the Law of the Sea emp h atically reject its application toiAntarctica. Example L. F. Macedo de Soares Guimaraes, a Brazilian diplomat, stated at an Antarctic Conference that though I Brazil has been a champion of the concept of the common heritage of mankind.applied to the seabe d beyond national jurisdiction it is not a concept to be applied automatically to any area not traditionally' subject to national jurisdiction instance, it should not be applied to Antarcticamtl For 2) The Antarctic Treatv is an exclusive club of nations d etermined to emloit Antarctic mineral resources, to the detriment of other nations' interests and the Antarctic environment.
The Antarctic Treaty is in fact a multilateral treaty to which any U.N. member state can accede. States party to the Treaty, moreov er, are very representative of the international community, both ideologically and geographically In fact, over 80 percent of the world's population is represented by Antarctic Treaty parties sure, the Treaty Consultative Parties have been negotiating a r e gime to regulate future mineral exploitation on the continent doing so, however, mainly out of foresight, to avoid an uncontrolled scramble for resources in the future. Economic gain is no near-term incentive for such a regime, for virtually all Antarctic experts agree that such exploitation is simply not feasible in the foreseeable future To be They are The general outline of this minerals regime, moreover, makes it clear that future commercial activity will be closely and extensively regulated the draft, explains with reference to the Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources The basic As New Zealand diplomat Chris Beeby, a principal author of 14. In International Studies Notes, 9 cit, p. 24 15. In Antarctic Treatv Svste m: An. A s sessment, OD. cit p. 342. 1 a- proposition underlying the CCAMLR--that activity is permitted until restrained-will be reversed: the only mineral resource activities that would confer title on the operator and might confer economic benefit ,will be prohibi ted unless specifically authorized Il1 3) The United Nations could manacre the continent and keeD the peace better than the Dresent system.
There is little if any justification for this view, given the well-documented and now broadly recognized difficulties the United Nations continues to have in managing its own affaire; How can the U.N. meet the chazlenges posed by a huge and complex ecosystem when it is unable to perform efficiently the tasks already assigned to it by its member states Nor d o es the U.N.Is specific record in either environmental affairs or peacekeeping support this contention The U.N. .Environment Program, for instance, has suffered from a politicized decision-making process 'in which the perceived needs oft the impoverished a re made into agenda items for transnational action.
The U.N. likewise has been of limited etffectiveness in keeping the peace and has played almost no role in preventing or settling the roughly 140 conflicts that have taken place since World War
11. In s ome cases, in fact, the U.N. has exacerbated regional tensions by providing aid and support'!.to terrorist organizations, particularly in the Middle East and southern Africa, and by l1globalizingl1 these tensions within the fora of the General Assembly an d Security Council approach is more effectiveh the international management of territories than the universalist approach exemplified by the U.N.
Explains Vanderbilt University law professor Jonathan Charney: Wnless there is a substantial change in the int ernational political picture the maximum opportunity. for creative development. of international law and institutions,will be found within the context of negotiations between limited numbers of nations which have identhfied, specific and direct interests i n the item under negotiation More generally, it is clear that the Illimited multilateral11 16. Ibid, p. 279 17. See George P. Smith 11 The U.N. and the Environment" in Burton Yale'Pines, ed A World Without A U.N Washington, D.C The Heritage Foundation, 19 8 4 18. The New Nationalism QD. cit, p. 231 94) There are serious and irreconcilable conflicts between the Antarctic Treatv and the U.N. Law of the.Sea Convention The Antarctic Treaty applies to the area south of 60 degrees latitude. This area includes part of the South Polar Sea and the deep seabed beneath it. Hence there is some jurisdictional overlap between the two agreements.- The Treaty Parties+have.repeatedly-emphasized however, that the Antarctic minerals regime will apply-only to Antarctica itself a n d'its continental shelf.- The parties even passed a resolution declaring that there will be no encroachment on, the deep seabed. As New Zealandls Beeby states The regime is likely, in fact, to contain .an all-embracing provision requiring.the commission t o cooperate with all interested international organizations, and more specifically, to develop a cooperative working relationship with any international organization having competence in mineral resources in areas adjacent to those covered by the regime 5) The Antarctic Treatv Consultative Parties consistentlv have ianored and refused to cooBerate with the U.N.
Despite their understandable misgivings about U.N. involvement in Antarctica, the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Parties always have acknowledged the legitimate interests of the United Nations. The Antarctic Treaty itself specifically states that the Treaty should further 'Ithe purposes and principles in the Charter of the United Nations" and declares that "every encouragement shall be given to the es t ablishment of cooperative working relations with those Specialized Agencies of the United Nations and other international organizations having a scientific or technical interest in Antarctica.Il This statement was reinforced at the first Consultative Part i es meeting in 1961, which passed a resolution obligating the Parties to establish such working relations. Subsequently, links have been forged with a number of- organizations. Points out Richard Woolcott Australia's permanent representative to the U.N.: I ' Although existing 1inks.are not highly formalized, practical working relations have already been developed with U.N. family organizations, such as the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), the International Telecommunications Union (ITU the Food and Ag r iculture Organization FAO the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP and the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Organization (IOC) of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization UNESCO) I1 20 19. In Antarctic Treatv Svs tern An A s s e ss m e nt OD. cit p. 281 20. Ibid, p. 380.
The Food and Agriculture Organization, for example, has observer status at the Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources; while the Antarctic, Treaty Consultative Parties have committ ed themselves to keeping the Secretary-General of the United Nations informed of Antarctic developments and now do so on a regular basis I I CONCLUSION The Antarctic Treaty is by any measure one of the most successful international agreements of the post- World War I1 era. It has maintained the peace on a continent that was formerly a center of conflict. In so doing, it has made possible significant achievements in science and environmental conservation.
The current attacks on the Treaty System at the Unite d Nations and persistent suggestions of the Treaty's "illegitimacy" are based on a series of ideological assumptions which the United States rightly has rejected, and which cannot in any event be applied to the continent. Jose Sorzano, a former American D e puty Permanent Representative to the United Nations, counsels that it appears Malaysia seeks consensus and compromise only to raise an .issue that cannot be negotiated or compromised. r121 ideological attacks on the system can be expected to continue for a s long as the rhetoric of the New International Economic Order remains the language of the United Nations and for as long as politicization rather than creative institution-building and realistic development is the U.N.'s stock in trade Unfortunately, the The U.S. and its Antarctic Treaty partners thus should encourage other states to accede to the Treaty, while pressing for the removal of the issue from the U.N.'s agenda-before the threats to the Treaty System grow even more serious than they already are Thomas E.L. Dewey Policy Analyst L 21. Ibid, p. 419 11


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The Christian owners of a bakery in Texas claim they've been on the receiving end of threats after refusing to bake a cake for a gay couple.
According to Edie and David Delorme, the owners of the Kern's Bake Shop in Longview, Texas, the trouble started when Ben Valencia and Luis Marmolejo came to the store asking for a wedding cake.
"I was up front with them," Edie told Fox News' Todd Starnes, citing their family's religious convictions. "I said, 'I'm sorry but we don't provide wedding cakes for homosexual marriages."
The bakers say they offered the couple a list of other establishments that could accommodate their request, but say the men simply left without further discussion.
"We don't do cakes that might conflict with our spiritual convictions," Edie told Starnes. "It was not something personal against the two young men. We just need to be able to run our business in a way that honors God."
The business owners say the next thing they knew the gay couple had publicized the incident in the local media.
"It just kind of makes you feel dehumanized," Valencia told the Longview News-Journal Tuesday. "People shouldn't have to worry about going into a business, especially a public business that serves the public, and have to worry about being turned away for something, for who you are."
The Delormes disagreed, arguing a business has the right to conduct itself according to its owners' beliefs.
"If I went to a baker, a homosexual baker, and they didn't want to provide a cake for an event that maybe celebrated marriage between a man and a woman, that would be OK for them to say, 'That's not in line with our values,'" Edie told the News-Journal.
The bakers say after they appeared in the media angry messages began flooding in.
"See you in Hell, lady," one message said, according to Starnes. "Racist criminals."
"This business is run by a homophobic piece of s***," said another message.
Delorme said they didn't single out the couple, as the bakery also refuses other cakes.
"We don't do alcohol-related cakes or risque (ones)," she said, adding the business is still undecided on whether or not to bake cakes for second marriages. "We've turned down cake for, like, 'Can you make a giant Skoal can?' … It's not that we single out one (reason)."
Social commentator Steven Crowder illustrated the hypocrisy of the left in a recent stunt, showing how leftists routinely attack Christian bakers who reserve the right to refuse services based on their religious beliefs, while ignoring Muslim bakers who turn gays away with little to no backlash.
H/T: Todd Starnes

subset: commoncrawl


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Flickr Finds: Showlola 1980's Bathroom Update
Showlola 1980 is looking to Gregory's small, cool bathroom in LA for some design and color inspiration. After week one, she has worked with her empty white canvas and hung this cute polka dot shower curtain, saying she likes the transparency of the curtain because it lets in light (from the shower window). Showlola, can you source this shower curtain for us??
To our Midwest readers, be sure to tag your bathroom photos with apartmenttherapychicago in Flickr and we'll post your inspiring home projects here on the front page.


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How much do Terex employees make? Glassdoor has salaries, wages, tips, bonuses, and hourly pay based upon employee reports and estimates.
"Cheap if you're doing an HSA. Not so much otherwise."
"Fair amount of time off and very easy to take advantage of when desired."
Terex Salaries by Location
Check out the latest Terex Jobs & Careers


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Synthetic ConFusion
The 2006 ConFusion (Ann Arbor) named Synthetic ConFusion. It was held January 20-22, 2006 at the Troy Marriott in Detroit, Michigan. GoHs: Vernor Vinge, Chuck Firment, Steven Stiles, and Mitchell Burnside-Clapp. Toastmaster: Heather Alexander. Chaired by Krysta.
Its website is http://archive.stilyagi.org/cons/2006/
See also ConFusion (Ann Arbor).
|This is a Stub Convention page. Please extend it by adding information about the convention, including dates of each, GoHs, convention chairman, location, sponsoring organization, external links to convention pages, awards given, the program, notable events, anecdotes, pictures, scans of publications, pictures of T-shirts, etc.
page revision: 1, last edited: 19 Nov 2012 02:28


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If you are holding your cellphone and talking or… weaving in and out of your lane while eating a cheeseburger, the California Highway Patrol says it will be handing you a ticket. Officer Adrian Quintero says the department got a grant from the Office of Traffic Safety and figured this weekend would be a good time to put that grant to use.
QUINTERO: "The number one concern we get from members of the community every time we go to one of these meetings is 'What are you guys going to about it. We see all of these individuals on the cell phones nowadays". It's a sense of complacency I think with a lot of these drivers now. So, we're going to be very active.""
Quintero says officers will be focusing on handing out distracted driving tickets today and tomorrow.


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Geoff Smith & the Tonewheels[CD]
~ Geoff Smith
Product Notes
Geoff is really getting around with his catchy 'podsafe' music. Just check out music.podshow.com and see. And now in conjuntion with CD Baby, Geoff Smith is up on iTunes!!! Geoff is a little bit serious and a little bit out of his gourd. He began his career in the music biz as a kid, growing up on the road with his father, also a musician. So it makes sense that writing tunes and playing gigs is what he really digs doing. Geoff originally studied theatre at Boston Conservatory, and it was while Geoff was acting all over the US that he started writing and performing in both his own band and in other groups. Living in Austin, TX led him to gigs in Europe (he lived in Holland for a year) and the Caribbean, which led him to studies at Sir Paul McCartney's Liverpool Institute, which led him back to the states, where he writes, plays, works as a producer, and has a wonderful wife and daughter. Geoff is a proud member of the Podsafe Music Network, and can be heard on countless podcasts. Some of you might know Geoff from his little jingles heard on Adam Curry's Daily Source Code Podcast. Geoff is has actually been doing the theme music for numerous podcasts these days. Geoff has also been an Entertainment Director of the Big Bang Piano Bars for several years now, and is also working as an engineer and producer at Studio East in Charlotte, NC. If you are out at a karaoke bar somewhere, you will probably hear Geoff singing background with you as he is also currently providing his vocal talents to many of the top karaoke tracks out there today.
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Sir Elton John and his partner, David Furnish, already have an absolutely adorable 17-month old son, Zachary (born via surrogate mother). But they confided to The Guardian that they would like to add to their family yet again. John, 65, said he remembers what it was like to be an only child, and that there were definite disadvantages to it: He spent his childhood alone in his room and acknowledged that, additionally, it's quite difficult to be an only child of someone famous. John said, "I want him to have a sibling so he has someone to be with."
Having a rock legend for a dad might sound fun, but I'm sure that it does make you stand out a bit more. Because blending in is nearly impossible, it would be a lot easier to have a sibling there beside you, going through the same thing. John also realizes that since Zachary has two dads instead of a mom and a dad, he's going to have to deal with people who may not be open-minded about that. He wants someone to back his son up in that arena too.
While I may not be famous like John, I surely know how he feels about wanting more than one child. I have two daughters, and tried pretty hard for that second one! I wanted more than anything for my daughter to have a sibling, because there's nothing stronger than a bond that runs blood deep. Sure, you might fight throughout life, steal each other's clothes, knock each other down, and bully each other until the end. But you always know that your sibling will be there for you in the end — that no matter what, they'll stand up for you, and they'll help you up at your lowest point.
I absolutely love watching my girls interact, and while my three-year-old pushes her baby sister down and snatches every toy she possibly can away from her gummy little hands, she also encourages her to crawl and walk. She's the one that runs into her room in the morning yelling, "Good morning sister! I love you!" I know their bond will run true and deep, and because of that, I know the best gift I could have given either of them is each other. So good luck, Sir Elton John and David Furnish! I hope you are blessed with another beautiful child to complete your family.
Did you want your first child to have a sibling? Tell us in the comments section below!


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Generic Pre-Review Wrestling Disclaimer: Long before my affinity for globetrotting documentaries, Martin Scorsese films and The Criterion Collection, I found a soft spot for professional wrestling. Don't ask me how this happened; it just did. Despite this declaration, I shower daily, all my teeth are accounted for, I have a college degree...and, most importantly, I have a wife with the same merits. I'm not alone, of course. The wrestling fans I know aren't slack-jawed yokels; they simply appreciate the spectacle and illusion that this genuine sport creates, in the same way movie lovers enjoy fast-paced fights and thrilling chase sequences. Long story short: we know this stuff is "fake", but we like it anyway. Give us a break.
Sometime during the last 15 years or so (beginning mostly with a series of low-tier events titled "In Your House"), WWE managed to dilute their pay-per-views by offering them on a monthly basis. This isn't quite at the level of having Christmas every day, but you know what I'm getting at: special events just aren't as exciting when they're more frequent. Judgment Day is WWE's May-ish pay-per-view extravaganza, and it gets the distinct honor and challenge of following Wrestlemania. Like the majority of the company's PPVs, it features no regular "gimmick" main events, such as Survivor Series or the Royal Rumble. In other words, it's a series of mid-card and championship bouts, or a larger and longer version of one of their semi-weekly shows. Of course, the frequency of WWE programming ensures that we've seen some of these pairings before, and for free.
That's essentially the main drawback of this year's Judgment Day: it's more déjŕ vu than unpredictable. Held at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, IL on May 17th, this three-hour event isn't horrible by any stretch...but it's not particularly memorable, either. Headlined by four separate championship matches, the actual card certainly looks good on paper. When all's said and done, though, the highlights are few and far between. Without any further delay, Judgment Day 2009 includes the following matches:
Complete Match Listing
CM Punk vs. Umaga
Here's the good news: despite the doom and gloom mentioned earlier, there are actually a handful of passable matches here. Christian vs. Jack Swagger's ECW Championship match is the first to make a good impression; though it runs less than 10 minutes, it's relatively fast-paced and exciting. The same goes for Shelton Benjamin vs. John Morrison (above right): these are easily two of the company's most talented stars, and the actual match is well-executed and gets a good crowd response (unfortunately, it doesn't even warrant a mention on the DVD's back cover!). The last to impress is the main event, Jeff Hardy vs. Edge (at top) in a match for the World Heavyweight Championship. Though it suffers a bit from repetition (how many times have these guys wrestled in the last year?), a handful of exciting moments elevates the experience to greater heights.
Everything else is average at best. CM Punk vs. Umaga is a wasted opportunity; though the former (above left) is a huge hometown favorite, Umaga controls most of the match and slows it down considerably. Openers should be fast-paced to get the crowd going, and this doesn't. Rey Mysterio vs. Chris Jericho's IC title match is another slight disappointment; though both athletes are certainly talented in their own right, they just don't seem to click here. Same goes for Randy Orton vs. Batista, which tends to drag on before an eventual anti-climax. John Cena vs. Big Show is probably the worst of the lot; it's got a decent David & Goliath vibe (assuming David raps and lifts weights), but this sloppy match fails to impress overall. Aside from these general complaints, there's also one more drawback: a few of these title matches end with cheap finishes, which is never a good idea in a pay-per-view setting.
On the technical side of things, this DVD is on par with recent WWE releases: production values are decent enough and all matches are free from edits. Unfortunately, only one bonus feature has been included. This is bad news for those who already spent $40 on the PPV the first time around, though new viewers probably won't mind as much.
Presented in a 1.78:1 widescreen aspect ratio and enhanced for 16x9 displays, Judgment Day 2009 looks to be on par with most current WWE releases...but that's not necessarily a free pass. Notable amounts of pixellation, edge enhancement and compression artifacts can be seen during many entrances and fast-moving sequences, which has been a long-standing problem we've undoubtedly become accustomed to. Colors are generally bold and bright, though reds pop out almost unnaturally at times. Certainly not a five-star presentation overall, but this is probably about as good as we'll get from WWE.
The audio is presented in a robust Dolby 5.1 Surround mix, which does a fine job of recreating the WWE live experience. Crowd noise and play-by-play commentary come through loud and clear, creating a satisfying soundstage overall. A Spanish 2.0 play-by-play track is also available, though it's not quite as dynamic overall. As expected, optional subtitles and Closed Captions have not been provided.
Most "minor" WWE pay-per-views end up being middle-of-the-road, and Judgment Day 2009 is no different. A handful of matches manage to make the grade, but the majority of these are at least somewhat disappointing---and to make matters worse, a few of the championship matches end with cheap finishes. In other words, it's hard to recommend this one on content alone. Unfortunately, the DVD doesn't go all out, either: the technical presentation is roughly on par with modern WWE releases, but a lack of substantial bonus features won't make this an attractive package for those who saw it on PPV already. Overall, Judgment Day 2009 should only be purchased by rabid WWE collectors; everyone else should give this a weekend spin at the most. Rent It.
Randy Miller III is an affable office monkey based in Harrisburg, PA. He also does freelance graphic design projects and works in a local gallery. When he's not doing that, he enjoys slacking off, second-guessing himself and writing things in third person.


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WHAT drives seemingly normal men to suddenly kill their families? And why does it often happen during school holidays?
A UK study offers surprising insight into the horrific actions of such "family annihilators".
The British study, published in the Howard Journal of Criminal Justice, offers the first comprehensive picture of the characteristics behind those who kill their spouses and children - revealing trends such as gender, age, motivation and even the times of year such a tragedy is most likely to occur.
It was released just as one of Australia's most infamous family killers, Robert Farquharson, was today denied a final chance to appeal against his conviction.
"The family annihilator should be seen as a specific category of murderer, for a crime which appears to be increasing," aid co-author Professor David Wilson, Director of the Centre of Applied Criminology at Birmingham City University.
"To begin solving this problem the role of gender must be recognised, acknowledging that it is mainly men who will resort to this type of violence."
While 71 family annihilators were identified by the British study, 59 were male.
Very few of the killers had criminal records, were unemployed or were known to mental health services. Some were serving police officers.
"Family annihilators have received little attention as a separate category of killer," Professor Wilson said.
"Often they are treated like spree or serial murderers, a view which presupposes traits, such as the idea that the murderer 'snaps', or that after killing their partner or children the killer may force a stand-off with the police."
However, social status and gender expectations appear to play a major role.
"The family role of the father is central to their ideas of masculinity and the murders represent a last-ditch attempt to perform a masculine role," the study says. Perceptions of power also seem to be key motivators.
No study has yet been done on how these characteristics apply in Australia, however.
The analysis of characteristics and traits identified four types of family killer:
Self -righteous: The killer seeks to blame the mother who he holds responsible for the break-down of the family. "This may involve the killer phoning his partner before the murder to explain what he is about to do," the researchers wrote. "For these men, their breadwinner status is central to their idea of the ideal family."
Disappointed: This killer believes his family has undermined or destroyed his vision of an ideal life. "An example may be disappointment that children are not following the traditional religious or cultural customs of the father."
Anomic: Here, the father sees family as the result of his success and status, allowing him to display his achievements to his peers. However, if the father's economic and social standings fall, the family no longer serves this function.
Paranoid: The killer believes there is an external threat to the family, such as social services or the legal system. Fearing he will lose his children, the murder is motivated by a "twisted desire to protect the family".
The analysis, in Britain, found that the high-summer month of August was the most common time for such killings to take place. Almost half of all murders were committed over the weekend - particularly on Sundays.
"This is partly because the father had access to his children in the middle of the school holidays when he is not at work," said Wilson. "There may also be a symbolic factor as estranged fathers know that by the end of the weekend they will have to hand their children back to the mother."
The common picture that such family killers were unhappy or frustrated men was also refuted.
"Some had been highly successful in their careers before the murder," the researchers said in a release.
Some 71 per cent of the British killers over the past three decades had been employed in occupations ranging from surgeons and marketing executives through to police and postmen.
Stabbing and carbon monoxide poisoning were the most common murder methods. Most killings took place in the family home.
More than half of the killers identified in the study, 55 per cent, were aged in their thirties; 10 per cent were in their twenties and the oldest was 59.
Almost all of them - 81 per cent - also killed themselves. The research says there were no recorded cases of stand-offs with the law, dispelling the myth that family killers try to get police to shoot them.
The researchers undertook an analysis of three decades of murders as reported in media and official documents, as well as interviews with surviving family members.
"The clearest unifying factor is that this is overwhelmingly a male crime," the researchers said.
January 29, 2009 (Thursday): While not an "annihilation", the case of Arthur Freeman is chilling. He threw his four-year-old daughter off Melbourne's Westgate Bridge on what was to be her first day of school. His ex-wife was waiting to greet her. He then drove himself and his two sons, who were in the car at the time of the incident, to the Federal Court. He has been sentenced to life in prison.
September 4, 2005 (Sunday): Robert Farquharson killed his three sons by driving his family sedan off the Princess Highway between Winchelsea and Geelong and into a farm dam. Farquharson escaped, but Jai, 10, Tyler, 7, and Bailey, 2, were killed. He had been returning them to his estranged wife after a Fathers Day visit. Farquharson suffered depression, had been made redundant and had lost his lawn-mowing franchise. He has been sentenced to life imprisonment and has today lost a bid to appeal his conviction a second time.
March 23 &27, 2004 (Tuesday and Saturday): John Sharpe killed his pregnant wife, Anna. The following Saturday day he killed his disabled 19-month-old daughter Gracie. Both were shot with a speargun in their Mornington, Victoria, home. Sharpe told police investigators he regarded Gracie as a burden and began to resent his wife and the unborn child. He was sentenced to life imprisonment.
January 6, 1991 (Sunday): Police believe Stuart Pearce bound, gagged and killed his wife and three children - Adam, 11, Travis, 9, and Kerry, 2, before setting fire to their house in Parafield Gardens, South Australia. A fourth child, who was visiting friends, survived. Pearce has not been seen since and remains one of Australia's "Most Wanted".
Originally published as What drives dads to kill


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Wikis > Dictionary of Islam > Munkar and Nakir
MUNKAR and NAKIR منكر و نكمر
"The Unknown" and "The Repudiating." The two angels who are said by Muhammad to visit the dead in their graves and to interrogate them as to their belief in the Prophet and his religion.
They are described as two black angels with blue eyes. (Mishkat, book I. ch. v.) [PUNISHMENTS OF THE GRAVE.]
Based on Hughes, Dictionary of Islam


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Credit Advice
Have a question? Have advice to share? The combined knowledge and experience of everyone in the Credit Karma community can help you. Enter your question or help others below to get started!
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Consider Discover-IT Student Cards
I am in the same boat as you, a student who is planning to study abroad with the year and was looking for a good card with NO annual fee and NO foreign transaction fee as well as Chip-and-PIN. The best card for meeting these criteria is the Discover-IT card, which has two variations for students, Discover-IT for Students and Discover-IT Chrome for Students. The primary difference being that the first has the 5% back for quarterly rotating categories and the second has 2% back on gas and restaurants each quarter.
I actually ended up getting the Sallie Mae Mastercard because it is perfect for my personal spending habits, and I am going to be an authorized user on a family member's Discover-IT card, so I will use that card when I travel abroad as it has a security chip and no foreign transaction fee.
Here is a good site that compares the Journey and Discover Student cards:
Also I suggest using CreditKarma's Comparison tool! You can go to Credit Cards, then find both cards and check the box "save to my cards" and then you'll be able to do a side-by-side comparison of them.
And finally, a couple of things I found out in my own research:
(1) I found a lot of people online in several different forum sites posting that they are students and have decent credit scores and were REJECTED for Discover Student cards. CreditKarma shows my approval odds as "FAIR" for the Discover-IT Student card which made me very nervous to apply, at the risk of being denied and having my credit score drop due to a hard inquiry. I found almost nothing but positive posts about being approved for the Journey card.
(2) Although Capital One has said it will be implementing Chip-and-PIN, it hasn't happened yet for the Journey card from I have read, and Discover is in the process of updating their cards. I am still a little confused myself on which cards exactly have Chip-and-PIN or EMV and Chip-and-Signature, from again, from what I've read Discover cards do have a chip right now, and capital one cards do not.
Good Luck!!
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While Vice President Joe Biden was counting sheep during the President's "debt reduction" speech yesterday at George Washington University, Americans were counting dollars–specifically the ones it would take to pay for the President's spending plan. The administration's "solutions" to the deficit are so alarming that Gov. Mike Huckabee joked that Biden wasn't sleeping–he was praying that Americans wouldn't realize how insincere the White House is about cutting costs. In stark contrast to the two conservative proposals, the President is fiercely opposed to slimming down the government. He says, "We will all need to make sacrifices"–but by "we," he means taxpayers. Under his plan, Washington doesn't have to stop spending–it just needs to stick you with more of the tab. Take his idea of a "debt failsafe trigger." Basically, the White House is suggesting that if the government spends over a certain level, an automatic tax increase would go into effect. That would be like your neighbor taking off on a shopping spree and transferring anything above their credit limit to your cards. (I don't know about you, but "debt failsafe trigger" sounded better.) The President is also keeping up his aggressive push toward class warfare by trying to punish successful Americans with more taxes. If Obama succeeds, it would be the largest Tax Increase in American history!! "In December," he said, "I agreed to extend the tax cuts [to everyone], and I refuse to renew them again." Translation: don't get too attached to the tax relief that Congress extended last year. We're going to need that money back to pay for the agenda we promised our base. The House Republican Conference took offense to that idea, saying, "We have debts and deficits because Washington spends too much, not because the American people are taxed too little."
If the President wants to maintain the status quo and try to balance the budget through higher taxes, it would take a 60% across-the-board tax increase!! That would further debilitate families and destroy businesses. "We will make the tough cuts necessary… but I will not sacrifice the core investments we need to grow and create jobs." Investing is just code for more spending. In his plan, the President tacks on more money for the environment, education, infrastructure, and other pet projects. One way he plans to pay for them is penalizing generosity. Once again, the White House is promoting its favorite revenue raising gimmick–decreasing the tax benefits for charitable giving, which would make it harder for all nonprofit organizations to raise money. To Reps. Paul Ryan (R-Wisc.) and Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), who both released budgets that would make the government leaner and more effective, the President hinted at a rocky road to those negotiations. In his more pointed comments, he warned Republicans not to mess with Social Security (which is almost bankrupt), to stop reforming Medicare, and to keep their hands off the health care law. "The way [the GOP's budget] achieves its goals," President Obama said, "would lead to a fundamentally different America than the one we've known." That's what voters are counting on. They're tired of living outside America's means. They want stability for themselves, their families, and their grandchildren. Liberals insist that we can achieve that by doubling the debt and running up the deficit. In the Spirit of Joe Biden:Dream On!!
Starting from Hatch
There are at least three people sleeping and praying for Barak to be real in this video. Biden, the gray haired woman behind him, and the black woman on the LH side. This is how important our nation's economy is to these people….. I guess they assume that we, the taxpayers, will always be there to pay for their wasteful spending.


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THE Orange Volunteers have claimed responsibility for the security alert at the Sinn Fein's office in Cookstown on Monday.
Police received a tip-off that a suspicious device had been located outside the building on the Burn Road and the area was subsequently closed off after 3pm.
A search was initiated and as the police were evacuating residents, a suspicious object was discovered a few feet away from the Sinn Fein office.
An army technical officer was tasked and x-rayed and dismantled the short length of pipe which was sealed at either end with a granular substance.
As the operation was underway, Downtown Radio were informed by a male caller that the Orange Volunteers were claiming responsibility for the pipe bomb device.
Police enquiries are on-going and anyone who noticed anything suspicious has been asked to come forward.


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SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Filling up his big Toyota 4Runner sport-utility vehicle at the 76 gas station in Sacramento, Mike Miller says, "What I'm paying for gas is breaking my heart."
Ricky Smith of Carmichael, Calif., was singing the same tune as he filled up his Audi A6 sedan with pricey premium gas at a Chevron station in Citrus Heights: "Oh, it hurts to look at the price. For the first time in my life, I'm actually thinking about getting a car just because of the price of gas."
Driver interest in saving fuel is rising along with the price of gas, which has hit $4 a gallon in some states and is expected to head still higher by summer.
Just three years ago, American drivers endured a summer with gasoline above $4 per gallon. Now, as then, experts are coming out of the woodwork with gas-saving advice — everything from trading in that gas-guzzler for a new fuel-sipping vehicle to the best time of day to wring every precious drop of gas out of the pump.
A new car is arguably the most radical cure to gas price shock, and even that takes some careful homework. A gas-electric Prius or an all-electric Nissan Leaf will enable you to thumb your nose at gas pumps, but there are other things to consider.
TrueCar.com last month released a study on the 10 most fuel-efficient cars sold in the United States. The Prius, with a combined city/highway fuel mileage rating of 49.6 miles per gallon, topped the list.
With an average purchase price of $22,235, a 2011 Prius driven a typical city/highway mix of 15,000 miles a year would require 302 gallons of gas. At $3.52 a gallon, that would be an annual fuel bill of $1,063. If gas were $5 a gallon, the annual bill would be $1,510.
Yet the ninth most fuel-efficient car, a four-cylinder, gas-fueled Hyundai Elantra, is the better deal economically, by TrueCar's reckoning.
The average purchase price of a base 2011 Elantra is only $15,052, yet it costs only $531 more to fill up annually with a combined city/highway fuel mileage rating of 33.1 mpg over 15,000 miles. Based on $5-a-gallon gas, the Elantra's annual fuel bill would be slightly more than $2,250 based on 453 gallons used.
Beyond hybrids and all-electrics, an increasing number of domestic and foreign cars are high-mileage, traditional gas-fueled vehicles, a byproduct of 2008 gas prices and government mandates for higher-mileage automaker fleets.


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Best Western Pedro Figari Hotel
Montevideo, Montevideo, Uruguay (MVD)
Hotel Specials
Package Specials
Package Specials
Standard Single Room, Jetted Tub
- One Queen Bed
Standard Double or Twin Room, Jetted Tub
- One Queen Bed
- Two Single Beds
Superior Single Room, Jetted Tub
- One Queen Bed
Superior Double or Twin Room, Jetted Tub
- One Queen Bed
- Two Single Beds
Standard Triple Room, Jetted Tub
- Three Single Beds
- One Queen and One Single Bed
Make yourself at home in one of the 25 air-conditioned guestrooms. Conveniences include safes and complimentary newspapers.
Rec, Spa, Premium Amenities
Enjoy recreation amenities such as a sauna or take in the view from a garden. Additional features include concierge services, babysitting/childcare, and tour/ticket assistance.
Enjoy a meal at a restaurant, or stay in and take advantage of the hotel's room service (during limited hours). Quench your thirst with your favorite drink at a bar/lounge.
Business, Other Amenities
Featured amenities include a business center, complimentary newspapers in the lobby, and dry cleaning/laundry services. Free parking is available onsite.
Know Before You Go
- This property's policy is to refuse certain bookings for the purpose of group events or parties, including pre-wedding stag/bachelor and hen/bachelorette parties.
- This property offers transfers from the cruise terminal and airport (surcharges may apply). Guests must contact the property with arrival details before travel, using the contact information on the booking confirmation.
- Reservations are required for massage services. Reservations can be made by contacting the hotel prior to arrival, using the contact information on the booking confirmation.
- One child 3 years old or younger stays free when occupying the parent or guardian's room, using existing bedding.
- Only registered guests are allowed in the guestrooms.
- No pets and no service animals are allowed at this property.
- 24-Hour Front Desk
- Audio/Visual Equipment
- Babysitting
- Banquet Facility
- Barbecue Grills
- Business Center
- Business Services
- Concierge Desk
- Dry Cleaning Service
- Elevator / Lift
- Fitness Facility
- Free Breakfast
- Free Parking
- Hypoallergenic Room Available
- Lounge/Bar
- Room Service
- Sauna
- Secretarial Services
- Shuttle To Airport (surcharge)
- Spa Services
(*) = Free, some restrictions may apply
Based on 247 reviews 0
|Sleep Quality
|Sleep Quality


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Buffett's investment business was wildly successful. As the fifties disappeared and the sixties came into full view, Buffett's place in the finical world was solidified. He was often looked to as a financial prop for some of the nations largest corporations. Such was the case with American Express. In 1963 he invested in the floundering credit company after it lost half its value due to the "salad oil scandal."
A crooked reseller by the name of Tino De Angelis bought and sold ships full of vegetable oil. Along the way he figured out that he could fill the large tankers with a majority of water and just a partial amount of oil, and since oil and water don't mix, the oil would stay suspended on top. Inspectors would test the surface oil and loans would be extended based on the speculation of sale. He used the ships and their cargo to secure loans in excess of $175 million from AMEX. When the story broke, AMEX stock collapsed and Buffet swooped in to save the crippled giant. Buffett saw that the company was operationally sound even though they had been deceived by De Angelis. The reduction to the price of the AMEX stock put the company well within Buffett's scope of investing - buy undervalued stock of a solid company. He sunk $13 million dollars in their stock and restored investor confidence and AMEX flourished.
Soon after, in 1965, Buffett and his partnerships started securing stock in the diversified insurance company Berkshire Hathaway. Buffett soon closed his firm to new investors. His company had been enjoying success at a much higher rate than the stock market at that time, with Buffett's stock increasing over 1,100% while the Dow only rose 123%. By the end of '68, in the midst of the Vietnam War, Buffett's partnerships had over $104 million in assets.


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The late and very great Henry James, in between cranking out epicene masterpieces, prided himself on a rigorous public life, dining out every night with assorted royals, intellectuals, and fellow tortured homosexuals. Bloomsbury was one long feast of high teas, musicales, and petty snits. Marcel Proust sat for eternity in a darkened room, quirky and tortured, but remained focused enough to keep up his connections. Truman Capote, bored in the whirl, badly misjudged the we-love-you-until-we-don't nature of the rich and wound up spending a sad winter on the barren plains of Brickell Avenue, drinking and plugging away on Answered Prayers. The iconography of social reporting, throughout time, is littered with genius and envy, bilious private lives and spite, the necessary ingredients for true art. But then, the legends rode a somewhat more seemly gravy train, and were freed from the tyranny of bold-faced name-dropping. The punishing crunch of Miami might have stymied Boswell himself, the most stouthearted climber in recorded history, accustomed to the gorgeous gall and filthy fray of Grub Street.
Another lost weekend in the trenches of trash journalism, tapping overdrawn reserves of stamina, the rarefied circles of the ancients never more cruelly elusive. It's a dirty job, but it pays clean money, and there's always lots of fun to be had along the way. On the town Friday night in the labyrinth of South Beach, at home in a moral twilight of minor hoodlums and Lite-level stars. First stop, the highly civilized Lua, co-owner Gary James somehow overcoming the natural Irish penchant for nursing grudges -- we're still seething over imagined slights from the sixth grade -- and hosting a weekly "Reunion" party at Mickey's. James putting to rest a long-standing feud with former Spot partner Mickey Rourke and unveiling his valid-once-again friendship tattoo, a lasting memento from the Rourkean rat-pack era. The inner circle, everyone from Matt Dillon to Pinky, initiated into the men's club with identical forearm tattoos, situated where most people would slit their wrists. Each man's legacy equipped with a shamrock, his particular initials, and a number A very tribal, very Celtic. On to more taxing establishments, indulging our own Irish tastes in a river of liquor: blood to a vampire, manna from the gods of the complementary life. Miami, as Capote once found out, is the least suitable place on Earth to heal and take the cure.
Hungover onto death the following day, making a ridiculous entrance at the Jackson Memorial Foundation gala, the Hotel Inter-Continental lobby all money, juice, and pleasantry. The higher up you go, the nicer the people are, at least superficially. Trolling through wonderland, sans formal wear and direction, nearly thrown out by a security officer who mistook us for a deranged stalker of Julio Iglesias, the evening's featured entertainer. The party taking an upswing shortly thereafter, thanks to limitless nerve and the kindness of friends: dodging the press section and having dinner with former football player/Davie mayor Earl Morrall; watching the concert from the fourth row, taking our rightful place between an assembly of Knight-Ridder executives and the Iglesias entourage. A great time all around, the more embattled members of the civic set A Remedios Diaz-Oliver, Maurice Ferre, Carlos Arboleya, Abel Hotz, Jay Weiss A at play in the stratosphere of ballroom society, removed from strife and penetrating publicity. The neo-robber-baron crowd, as always, less compelling than the great warrior women of Miami, brimming with jewelry and sass: "Let's pretend we're all friends and pose for a picture.... Be wicked, but not about me.... That refugee from the Duke fat farm has gotten prettier with success, although the boob job helped."
Into the ballroom on a wave of wonderful ladies, traveling with glamour gals Monica Heftler, Brenda Castellano, and Claudine Smurfit, and absorbing the baroque Iglesias circle: his mother, daughter Chabeli, the young and delectable Miranda Rynsburger. Former wife Isabel Preysler also in the audience, traveling down a long path of trophy husbands. The usual speeches and presentations beforehand, odes to the success of the Ryder Trauma Center, Jose Cancela of Telemundo graciously accepting an award and actually being forthright: "At first it was ego that made me want to be on the Jackson board..." And then it's Julio, Miami's first celebrity resident and a true survivor, covering everything from Patsy Cline's "Crazy" to "Brazil." In between Iglesias doing a tribute to his "half-Arab/half-Jewish" heritage A very credible as both a cantor and a muezzin A and managing to capture the toughest audience imaginable, accomplished people who hold no one above themselves. The show winding down with a treacly salute to Preysler ("I was very young, only sixteen, but I never forget the marriage A and neither will she") and big-finish numbers. The gang immediately launching into gossip about Iglesias's juicy private life, a society friend amused by our predictable middle-class outrage, posing the question that always derails the sanctimoniousness of ordinary people: "Imagine being good-looking, famous, and incredibly rich A how nice and moral do you think you'd be?"
Happy and content, all the irksome personal baggage falling by the wayside, shifting gears in a big way with Warsaw's "Bitch Fight" drag ball, ready to serve on an august panel of judges. Upstairs to the crowded women's bathroom, the various houses-that-drag-built filing in for cosmetic touchups and dishing sessions, the after-hours traveling revue. Truly a summit meeting of drag. Nuns with dominatrix gear and glittering futuristic ensembles A like the Supremes making a guest shot on Star Trek A the arch Madame Woo arriving with two really young and fresh sidekicks, the best possible companions. Chaz as Vixxen, Penny Sometimes and Damian Dee-Vine, the House of Darling, Mother Kibble, Mother Tucker, and just plain Mother, someone noting that Sister Controversial always travels solo: "She walks alone, darling, especially with that cheap fucking Cher perfume on."
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Everyone talking at once and photographing each other, checking the bathroom dispenser for "arouse drops" and feminine products, pageant organizer Varla dashing about like a mother hen and honing her ballad to dark world, "I'm Famous." The twisted scene cozy and generous as Thanksgiving dinner, and judging family -- albeit a very bitchy group of relatives -- suddenly seeming impossible. Suspended for a moment in the complex physics equation of clubs, bodies, and attitude hurtling beyond time and all earthly dimensions, laughing along with the melodramatic rallying cry of a faux Susan Hayward: "Dear God, I'll cry tomorrow, but for now I want to live.


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Zacks Investment Ideas feature highlights: Foot Locker, Bally Technologies and Phillips 66
Mar 28, 2014, 09:30 ET from Zacks Investment Research, Inc.
CHICAGO, March 28, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Zacks Investment Ideas feature highlights Features: Foot Locker (NYSE: FL-Free Report), Bally Technologies (NYSE: BYI-Free Report) and Phillips 66 (NYSE: PSX-Free Report).
3 Best Bargain Stocks for Spring
Despite recent stock weakness, the major indices still trade within just a few percentage points of their all time high.
With valuations stretched, it's been hard to find bargain stocks.
But for those investors interested in value and solid fundamentals, there are still a few hidden gems out there. You just have to know how to find them.
Use the Zacks Rank to Find the Hidden Gems
I screened for companies with a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) or #2 (Buy) recommendation. These are companies that have rising earnings estimates. Rising earnings estimates usually indicates that analysts believe that there's something good going on with the company in the next 1 to 3 months that warrant a more optimistic view on earnings.
With so many companies complaining about the weather dampening sales or a sluggish consumer, I wanted to find companies that aren't using these excuses.
I also looked for companies with a forward P/E under 15.
This may not seem that cheap to those of you who routinely seek out value. Some value investors only consider a P/E under 10 to be a bargain. But with the average forward P/E of the S&P 500 at 15.8, I still consider companies trading below that to be a bargain.
Value AND Growth
My screen came up with quite a few bargain stocks which met my criteria. I was therefore able to narrow it down by looking for some of my other favorite criteria including growth.
Why not get a bargain stock which is also growing? That's the best of both worlds.
I screened for companies expected to have double digit earnings growth in 2014.
Bargains DO exist. You just have to drill down deeper to find them.
3 Bargain Stocks for this Spring
1. Foot Locker, Inc.
2. Bally Technologies, Inc.
3. Phillips 66
1. Foot Locker (NYSE: FL-Free Report)
Not all retailers are struggling. Foot Locker operates 3,473 specialty athletic apparel and shoe stores in 23 countries. It reported 2013 fourth quarter results on Mar 7 and saw comparable sales rise 5.3% during what was, for many, a difficult holiday season. Basketball shoes continued to be big sellers.
But even more impressively, Foot Locker said comparable sales for Q1 were trending up double digits. Who is doing that right now with polar vortices and a reluctant consumer?
Foot Locker also provided strong full year 2014 guidance. The analysts were gushing about the quarter and the company's outlook describing Foot Locker as one of the few retailers at the top of their game. Growth in basketball, women's and in Europe are expected to carry Foot Locker for the rest of the year.
Shares popped on the earnings report but still trade with an attractive forward P/E and other value metrics like price-to-sales and price-to-book.
Its P/S ratio is 1.0. A P/S ratio under 1.0 usually designates value so it's right on the edge. But it's price-to-book ratio is 2.7. A P/B ratio under 3.0 can mean a company is undervalued.
Forward P/E = 14.4
Earnings expected to grow 11.5% in fiscal 2014
Zacks Rank #2 (Buy)
2. Bally Technologies (NYSE: BYI-Free Report)
Bally is a well-known name in gaming. It produces gaming machines, table-game products, casino-management systems, interactive applications and networked and server-based systems for the gaming industry worldwide.
On Feb 6, it reported record Q2 quarterly revenue, helped by the acquisition of SHFL Entertainment in the quarter. Analysts like Bally's diverse business model. Recurring revenue made up 51% of total revenue in the fiscal second quarter, a new quarterly record.
The gaming industry is facing tough industry conditions, but analysts still expect Bally to grow earnings 27% in fiscal 2014 and another 16.5% in fiscal 2015.
Shares have sunk since the earnings report in early February, providing a buying opportunity.
Forward P/E = 14.4
Earnings expected to grow 27% in fiscal 2014
Zacks Rank #2 (Buy)
3. Phillips 66 (NYSE: PSX-Free Report)
Phillips 66 is one of the largest refining companies in the U.S. but it is also diverse with Midstream and Chemical segments. In 2013, refining made up 45% of earnings.
The company has been using its cash flow from refining to grow its more lucrative Midstream and Chemical segments. For now, earnings are still dependent on the ever changing crack spreads. Phillips 66 benefited in Q4 of 2013 from its Gulf Coast refining leverage.
Analysts are optimistic on the earnings outlook for 2014. 7 estimates have been raised for the year in the last 60 days. Earnings are expected to grow 26% in 2014.
Phillips 66 has all the value criteria, plus growth, which is a rare combination. In addition to a low forward P/E, it has a price-to-sales ratio of only 0.3 and a price-to-book ratio of 2.1.
Forward P/E = 10.4
Earnings expected to grow 26.5% in fiscal 2014
Zacks Rank #2 (Buy)
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text:
Now this is juicy. It appears that Tim Gunn, fashion aficionado and all around awesome guy, just filmed a cameo for Gossip Girl. Let's just say he was not impressed with his interactions with actress/The Pretty Reckless frontwoman Taylor Momsen.
Tim described Taylor on E! News, "What a diva! She was pathetic, she couldn't remember her lines, and she didn't even have that many. I thought to myself 'why are we all being held hostage by this brat?'"
Mr. Gunn doesn't want to keep his opinion to himself either. If he had another crack at her, he'd tell Taylor, "You know young lady, there are hundreds of thousands of girls who are just as attractive and even smarter than you. Why are you acting like this show is a huge burden on you?"
He sure told her!


text:
Portland is out there somewhere
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Late evening just before sunset at camp. Thin orange line of sunlight left from Illumination Rock.
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Illumination Rock (Mountain/Rock)
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Object Title: Portland is out there somewhere