text:
The Bush White House has been upping the rhetoric about going to war with Iran, and a sure-fire way to know the Bush administration is secretly planning on attacking IRAN is to watch FOX NEWS where all day long the anchors and pundits are talking about war with IRAN.
Everyone knows FOX NEWS is the Bush White House propaganda machine and FOX NEWS is living up to their moniker by selling the American public on the need to go to war with IRAN.
General Petraeus also put in his two cents about IRAN.
The table is being set.
War with IRAN is just around the corner.
Editorial comment by BILL CORCORAN, editor of CORKSPHERE.
All the talk is about Iraq, but concern about Iran is mounting
Warren P. Strobel McClatchy Newspapers
last updated: April 10, 2008 07:56:17 PM
WASHINGTON — The hours of congressional testimony, the speeches and the press conferences this week were all, nominally, about Iraq.
But another, equally explosive question — what to do about Iran — loomed over the presentations by Army Gen. David Petraeus, the American military commander in Iraq, over U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Ryan Crocker and over U.S. strategy for the Middle East.
Petraeus and Crocker, arguing that there's been progress in stabilizing Iraq since President Bush ordered a troop build-up there last year, fingered Iran's support for Shiite militias in Iraq, which they called "special groups," as the No. 1 threat to Iraq's security.
"Unchecked, the special groups pose the greatest long-term threat to the viability of a democratic Iraq," Petraeus told the House Armed Services Committee.
Iran also announced this week that it's begun installing 6,000 high-speed centrifuges to enrich uranium that could be used for nuclear weapons. While U.S. officials cast doubt on the claim by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the announcement underlined Tehran's refusal to abide by U.N. Security Council demands that it suspend uranium enrichment.
Concerns also have been growing over the unpredictable consequences of a possible attack on Israel by the Iranian- and Syrian-backed Lebanese terrorist group Hezbollah. The militant Shiite Muslim group blames the Israelis for a car bombing in Syria that killed one of the group's longtime leaders, and anti-terrorism experts in the U.S., Israel and Western Europe think that some attempt at retaliation is almost inevitable.
Friday, April 11, 2008
The Bush White House has been upping the rhetoric about going to war with Iran, and a sure-fire way to know the Bush administration is secretly planning on attacking IRAN is to watch FOX NEWS where all day long the anchors and pundits are talking about war with IRAN.
Posted by Bill Corcoran at 4:46 PM 0 comments Links to this post
When the local elections are held in October in Iraq, there could be a major power shift that would put Muqtada al-Sadr, who hates the United States, in charge of Iraq when the full election is held in November.
Observers expect a fierce battle on the streets of Iraqi cities prior to the local elections.
ANALYSIS-Iraq's local elections could reshape power structure
Mariam KarounyReuters North American News Service
Apr 10, 2008 09:04 EST
BEIRUT, April 10 (Reuters) - Iraq's provincial elections will be the battleground for a fierce power struggle among sectarian and ethnic parties that could redraw the country's political map.
Iraqi officials predict violence will spike ahead of the October elections, which will be seen as a referendum on the performance of mainly Shi'ite and Kurdish parties who took part in the last provincial polls in January 2005.
Major players -- such as the movement of populist Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr and Sunni Arab tribal groups -- will be competing for the first time and are expected to make gains at the expense of those now in power.
"New alliances will form, old ones will fall. Everything will change. It will redraw the political map of Iraq," said a senior Shi'ite government official on condition of anonymity.
The results will provide early clues on how parties will fare in parliamentary elections scheduled for 2009 -- polls that will determine if Shi'ite Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki retains power or another leader takes his place.
"These groups and political parties will be doing a major rehearsal for the parliamentary elections," Shi'ite Vice President Adel Abdul-Mahdi told Reuters last month.
The first salvos in the provincial power struggle were fired late last month, many experts believe, when Maliki launched a crackdown on militias in the southern city of Basra.
His security forces faced stiff resistance from Sadr's Mehdi Army in pitched battles that killed hundreds. The Sadrists accused Maliki of trying to weaken the movement ahead of the elections. Maliki said he was targeting criminal gangs.
Washington says the elections will foster national reconciliation, focusing on how they will boost the participation of minority Sunni Arabs in politics. Sunni Arabs, who boycotted the last local polls along with the Sadrists, are under-represented in areas where they are numerically dominant.
But many fear conflict in the Shi'ite south, where the Sadrists and the Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council of Shi'ite leader Abdul Aziz al-Hakim are vying for influence in a region home to most of Iraq's oil production.
The council backs Maliki and controls nearly all nine provincial governments in the south, but there is widespread unhappiness at its performance in delivering services.
While Sadr's movement snubbed the provincial elections in 2005, it took part in parliamentary polls later that year.
His movement and the council formed the backbone of the Shi'ite alliance which won the most seats, and eventually agreed to install Maliki, a member of the smaller Dawa Party, as prime minister. Sadr's movement quit the alliance last year and relations with the council have deteriorated.
"What happened in Basra was just the beginning. We will witness a lot like it," said a Shi'ite MP in the alliance.
Joost Hiltermann, an Iraq expert at the International Crisis Group think tank, said he expected a big shift to take place.
He said existing parties established by former exiles -- both Shi'ite and Sunni Arab -- would lose ground.
Posted by Bill Corcoran at 3:40 PM 0 comments Links to this post
Conflict of Interest Redefined: U.S. Politicos Invested in Iraq, Afghanistan
By Abid Aslam, IPS NewsPosted on April 11, 2008, Printed on April 11, 2008
Members of Congress invested nearly 196 million dollars of their own money in companies that receive hundreds of millions of dollars a day from Pentagon contracts to provide goods and services to U.S. armed forces, say nonpartisan watchdog groups.
Lawmakers charged with overseeing Pentagon contractors hold stock in those very firms, as do vocal critics of the war in Iraq, says the Center for Responsive Politics (CRP).
Senator John Kerry, the Democrat from Massachusetts who staked his 2004 presidential bid in part on his opposition to the war, tops the list of investors. His holdings in firms with Pentagon contracts of at least five million dollars stood at between 28.9 million dollars and 38.2 million dollars as of Dec. 31, 2006. Kerry sits on the Senate foreign relations panel.
Members of Congress are required to report their personal finances every year but only need to state their assets in broad ranges.
Other top investors include Representative Rodney Frelinghuysen, a New Jersey Republican with holdings of 12.1 million - 49.1 million dollars; Rep. Robin Hayes, a North Carolina Republican (9.2 million - 37.1 million dollars); Republican Rep. James Sensenbrenner Jr. of Wisconsin (5.2 million - 7.6 million dollars); and Rep. Jane Harman, a California Democrat (2.7 million - 6.3 million dollars).
Sen. Jay Rockefeller, the Democrat and former governor of West Virginia who chairs the Senate Select Intelligence Committee, invested some 2.0 million dollars in Pentagon contractors, CRP says.
Other panel chiefs who invested in defense firms include Sen. Joseph Lieberman, the Connecticut Independent who presides over the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, and Rep. Howard Berman, the California Democrat who heads the House Foreign Affairs Committee.
In all, 151 current members of Congress -- more than one-fourth of the total -- have invested between 78.7 million dollars and 195.5 million dollars in companies that received defense contracts of at least 5.0 million dollars, according to CRP.
These companies received more than 275.6 billion dollars from the government in 2006, or 755 million dollars per day, says budget watchdog group OMB Watch.
The investments yielded lawmakers 15.8 million - 62 million dollars in dividend income, capital gains, royalties, and interest from 2004 through 2006, says CRP.
Not all the firms deal in arms or military equipment. Some make soft drinks or medical supplies and military contracts represent a small fraction of their revenues. Many are leaders in their industries and, as such, feature in the investment portfolios of millions of ordinary people who invest at least a portion of their savings in mutual funds, which in turn hold stocks in up to hundreds of companies.
Click on link to read the full story.
Posted by Bill Corcoran at 3:19 PM 0 comments Links to this post
101st Airborne Moves Into Afghanistan; Troop Levels Reach Record High Since Invasion
JASON STRAZIUSOAP News
Apr 10, 2008 14:39 EST
The 101st Airborne Division took command of American forces in eastern Afghanistan on Thursday, helping to boost U.S. troop levels in the country to their highest number since the 2001 invasion.
Marching in step, paratroopers from the 82nd Airborne retired the unit's flag during a ceremony under a light rain beside the main runway at Bagram Air Field. Then 101st paratroopers unfurled their flag, officially marking the start of their 15-month tour.
The 101st has 7,200 troops in Afghanistan, several hundred more than the 82nd. Its arrival, coupled with the deployment of some 3,500 Marines to the country's south, has pushed the total number of U.S. troops in Afghanistan to over 32,000, part of a steady rise in force levels as violence has increased over the last two years.
The top American commander in Afghanistan has requested three more brigades — about 7,500 more troops — and the Pentagon has promised that more troops will be sent next year.
Following the 2001 ouster of the Taliban, the U.S. had fewer than 10,000 troops in the country, and no real presence in the volatile south.
"What has become clear as the insurgency has picked up steam over the last year or two is that an increasing number of forces are needed to clear and hold territory," said Seth Jones, an analyst who follows Afghanistan for the RAND Corp. "In fact, I think a significant number more are needed. I would like to see those U.S. numbers come up."
In late 2006, on the five-year anniversary of the U.S.-led invasion, Afghanistan had 40,000 international troops. Today, that number is almost 70,000.
The buildup follows several recent reports warning that Afghanistan risks becoming a failed state because of deteriorating international support, spiraling opium production and the growing insurgency. U.S. intelligence officials have reported that al-Qaida is getting stronger in the Afghan-Pakistan region.
Last year was the deadliest in Afghanistan since 2001. The U.N. says more than 8,000 people died in insurgency-related violence, including more than 1,500 civilians.
Unlike in Iraq, where the U.S. provides the vast majority of troops, a 40-nation alliance in Afghanistan contributes half of the overall military force, though only British, Canadian and Dutch troops engage in heavy fighting.
A suicide car bomber targeting a U.S.-led coalition convoy in the south killed eight civilians and wounded 25 other people Thursday, including three coalition soldiers, officials said.
The 82nd, based at Fort Bragg, N.C., spent 15 months in the country after the Pentagon extended tours an additional three months in Iraq and Afghanistan.
An outgoing U.S. commander said he's seen a significant reduction in Taliban and al-Qaida operations over the last year in the six provinces he commanded along the Afghan-Pakistan border.
Click on link to read full account.
Posted by Bill Corcoran at 2:38 PM 0 comments Links to this post
The Palestine Hotel in Baghdad is where many of the journalists who are covering the Iraq war stay. Earlier today a missile struck the hotel and early reports are there have been three deaths.
Missile hits landmark Baghdad hotel, kills three
REUTERSReuters North American News Service
Apr 11, 2008 08:33 EST
BAGHDAD, April 11 (Reuters) - A missile ripped a hole through the second floor of Baghdad's Palestine Hotel on Friday, Reuters witnesses said, and police said three civilians were killed and seven injured.
The hotel, across the Tigris River from the Green Zone diplomatic and government compound, houses some international media.
Source: Reuters North American News Service
Posted by Bill Corcoran at 1:54 PM 0 comments Links to this post
The already volatile situation in Iraq just became more serious with the murder of one of rebel cleric Muqtada al-Sadr's top aides.
A curfew has been ordered for Najaf, and all American military personnel have been told to be doubly cautious when they go out on patrol.
There are fears that Iraq is about to erupt into violence like they have never seen before.
IRAQ WRAPUP 4-Curfew on Iraq's Najaf as top Sadr aide killed
REUTERSReuters North American News Service
Apr 11, 2008 11:24 EST
By Khaled Farhan
NAJAF, Iraq, April 11 (Reuters) - Iraqi police imposed a curfew to prevent an outbreak of violence in the southern Shi'ite holy city of Najaf on Friday, after a senior aide to anti-American cleric Moqtada al-Sadr was shot dead.
Police set up road blocks and drove through the city with loudspeakers ordering shops closed and people off the streets after Riyadh al-Nuri, a top Sadr aide whose sister is married to the cleric's brother, was gunned down.
Sadr blamed the United States and the U.S.-backed Iraqi government for the slaying.
"This is the hand of the occupier and his successor reaching out traitorously and aggressively against our precious martyr," the cleric said in a statement. "It is my vow that I will not forget this precious blood."
Dozens of angry followers gathered at Shi'ite Islam's main cemetery in the holy city to to bury Riyadh.
In a speech to mourners, Sadr aide Abdul-Hadi al-Mohammedawi quoted the cleric as saying followers should remain "calm and not to drift into strife".
A struggle for power among Shi'ites in the south has involved frequent assassinations over recent years. But the death of someone so close to Sadr risks inflaming those tensions at a time when his militia has been at the centre of an upsurge in violence in Baghdad and throughout the south.
Posted by Bill Corcoran at 1:38 PM 0 comments Links to this post
The following is a complete roundup of news from Iraq, Iran and Afghanistan with each story sourced and in "Blue" or "Green" so you can get further details by clicking on the color part of the lead.
04/11/08 AP: Gunmen kill senior Sadrist official in Iraqi holy city of Najaf
Iraqi officials say gunmen have killed a senior aide to anti-U.S. cleric Moktada al-Sadr near his home in the Shiite holy city of Najaf....He was shot dead as he was driving home from Friday prayers in the adjacent city of Kufa.
04/11/08 Reuters: Airstrikes in Iraq kill 12 in Baghdad, Basra
U.S. and British forces killed 12 gunmen in airstrikes on Iraq's southern oil-hub of Basra and the eastern Baghdad militia stronghold of Sadr City overnight, military officials said Friday.
04/11/08 UPI: British officer denies snub in Basra
British troops had a "significant" role in the Basra military operation, despite claims Iraqi forces sought U.S. assistance first, a British commander said.
04/11/08 Reuters: Iran cleric rejects Bush's accusations on Iraq
An influential Iranian cleric on Friday rejected President George W. Bush's accusations that Iran was arming and funding Shi'ite militias in Iraq to kill American soldiers, state radio reported.
04/11/08 AP: US shifts focus to Shiite 'special groups'
The top U.S. commander has shifted the focus from al-Qaida to Iranian-backed "special groups" as the main threat to a democratic Iraq — a significant change that reflects both the complexity of the war and its changing nature.
04/10/08 UPI: Three die in Mosul car blasts
Two car bombs targeting checkpoints in Mosul, Iraq, exploded, killing three people and injuring as many as 30 others, U.S. military officials said.
04/10/08 doncasterfreepress: Amputee soldier takes on the slopes
Sergeant Mick Brennan, 28, a former pupil of North Border Comprehensive School in Harworth, lost both of his legs when a car bomb exploded when he was working as part of a bomb disposal squad in Baghdad in 2004.
04/10/08 Reuters: Roadside bomb kills one civilian and wounds 4 others
A roadside bomb targeted a police patrol, killing one civilian and wounding four, including two policemen, in central Baghdad, police said.
04/10/08 Reuters: Roadside bomb wounds 3 policemen, 3 civilians in central Baghdad
A roadside bomb wounded six people, including three policemen, on patrol near al-Shaab National Stadium in central Baghdad, police said.
04/10/08 Reuters: U.S. soldier wounded by IED attack
A U.S. vehicle in Sadr City, eastern Baghdad, was struck by an improvised explosive device on Wednesday night and one U.S. soldier was wounded, the U.S. military said.
04/10/08 Reuters: U.S. Soldiers kill person at checkpoint in Sadr City
U.S. soldiers manning a checkpoint in Sadr City, eastern Baghdad, with Iraqi police killed one person on Wednesday when they were attacked by small-arms fire, the U.S. military said.
04/10/08 Reuters: U.S. soldiers kill 4 people in northwestern Baghdad
U.S. soldiers killed four people in two different locations in northwestern Baghdad after they were attacked with small-arms fire late on Wednesday, the U.S. military said.
04/10/08 Reuters: Gunmen in army uniforms attacked home in Hawija
In the town of Hawija near Kirkuk, 250 km (155 miles) north of Baghdad, gunmen wearing army uniforms attacked a house, killing two boys and wounding the mother and father.
04/10/08 Reuters: U.S. soldier wounded by RPG
A U.S. fighting vehicle took a rocket-propelled grenade round in northwestern Baghdad on Wednesday night, wounding one U.S. soldier, the U.S. military said.
04/10/08 AFP: US air strikes kill six in Baghdad Shiiite bastion
Two US air strikes in Baghdad's embattled Sadr City district on Thursday killed six people as fighting raged for a fifth straight day between Shiite militiamen and security forces, officials said.
04/09/08 turnto23: Soldier Injured By IED Awaits Test Results
Army Specialist Matthew McCool is in a military hospital in Palo Alto and is undergoing testing for his brain injury suffered while on tour in Iraq. McCool 's family said he is doing well and they are waiting for a prognosis...
04/09/08 TheNation: Iraq's Ruined Library Soldiers On
Five years ago this month, US troops stood by as looters sacked the Iraq National Library and Archives (INLA)--one of the oldest and most used in the world. In Arab countries the old expression was "Cairo writes, Beirut publishes, and Baghdad reads."
04/09/08 AP: US commander says he will not request fresh troop buildup for Ira
America's war commander in Iraq says he is unlikely to endorse any fresh buildup of troops even if security in the country should deteriorate, a signal that the limits of the U.S. military have been reached for now.
04/09/08 AP: Military strained by suicides, long deployments
U.S. soldiers are committing suicide at record levels, young officers are abandoning their military careers, and the heavy use of forces in Iraq has made it harder for the military to fight conflicts that could arise elsewhere.
04/09/08 theaustralian: Super sniper kills six Brits in Basra
SIX British soldiers serving in Iraq were killed by the same Western-made rifle within three months last year, an inquest was told yesterday.
04/09/08 whnt: Soldier Killed in Green Zone had Huntsville Ties
Scott lived for the Army and lived for running. Sunday, he took a jog with a buddy in Baghdad's Green Zone. But he didn't expect to be attacked. "He had just got off work. Which is normal. He went for a normal run with a friend which is normal," ...
04/09/08 MCT: Iraqi detainees languish uncharged in crowded jails
Barefoot in his yellow jumpsuit, the young detainee's eyes welled up as he described in a shaking voice how he landed in an Iraqi army detention facility on the outskirts of Baghdad.
04/09/08 Reuters: Blockade on Iraq's Sadr City to be lifted Saturday
A two-week old ban on vehicles in Baghdad's eastern Shiite slum of Sadr City will be lifted on Saturday, the Iraqi military said on Wednesday.
04/09/08 MNF: Iraqi Police checkpoint attacked, 3 killed, 33 wounded
An Iraqi Police checkpoint was attacked by two vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices, killing three IPs in Mosul, April 9.
04/09/08 AP: AP photographer granted Iraqi amnesty
An Iraqi judicial committee has dismissed terrorism-related allegations against Associated Press photographer Bilal Hussein and ordered him released nearly two years after he was detained by the U.S. military.
04/09/08 Reuters: 23 people killed, 83 injured in Sadr City
23 people were killed and 83 injured in the eastern Baghdad slum of Sadr City on Wednesday, Iraqi security sources said.
04/09/08 Reuters: Gunmen kill civilians and policeman near Kirkuk
Gunmen killed a civilian in Tal al-Hadeed village near Kirkuk, 250 km north of Baghdad, police said...Gunmen killed a policeman and a civilian in Tuz Khurmato, south of Kirkuk, police said.
04/09/08 Reuters: Car bombs kill 3 policemen, 1 civilian in Mosul
Two successive car bombs killed three policemen and a civilian and wounded 20 people including three policemen when they targeted a police patrol in central Mosul, 390 km (240 miles) north of Baghdad, police said.
04/09/08 Reuters: Two bodies found in Baghdad on Wednesday
Two unidentified bodies were found in Baghdad on Wednesday, police said.
04/09/08 AP: Violence kills 16 in Iraq's Sadr City
Iraqi security forces and Shiite militiamen clashed Wednesday in Baghdad's Sadr City neighborhood, where attacks killed 16 people on the fifth anniversary of the U.S. capture of the capital.
04/09/08 AFP: Australia offers residence to Iraqis who helped troops
Australia said Wednesday it would offer permanent residence to hundreds of Iraqi employees when Canberra pulls its combat forces out of the strife-torn country later this year.
04/09/08 AP: More assaults reported
A woman who worked as a paramedic for a contractor in Iraq has testified she was raped in February by a soldier and co-worker. The assault on Dawn Leamon came a little more than a month after Congress began investigating other similar assaults.
04/09/08 AFP: Top Qaeda militant arrested in western Iraq
Iraqi police on Wednesday arrested a senior militant and close aide of Al-Qaeda in Iraq chief Abu Ayyub al-Masri in western Iraq's Anbar province, the provincial police chief said.
04/10/08 NPR: Assessing Iraq's Security Forces
The top U.S. commander in Iraq, Gen. David Petraeus, emphasized the growth of Iraq's security forces in his opening statement to a House committee Wednesday. Steve Inskeep talks to Bing West...about assessing the Iraqi security forces.
Posted by Bill Corcoran at 9:35 AM 0 comments Links to this post
Here is a list of casualties from the war in Iraq with an update on their rehabilitation process. You can click on each name in "BLUE" and get further details.
Casualty Reports:Wellesley's Sean Bannon came home this week after being injured in Iraq. Bannon's legs were shattered two months ago in Iraq.
Spc. Michael Williams, 22, plays a waiting game at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, where he faces surgery to repair the knee he wrecked when he jumped from a truck to take cover during a mission in Iraq. Sent to Iraq in December, he was injured shortly after arrival. "I was in the back of an open truck when we got into some bad stuff, and I didn't want to be a target, so I jumped off," he says. "I just landed wrong. As soon as I hit the ground, I knew I was in trouble." From Baghdad, he was taken to a U.S. military hospital in Landstuhl, Germany, and then to Walter Reed, where he has been since early January. Because his leg muscles had atrophied, Williams has spent the past three months in physical therapy. He gets around on his own legs now, but will face weeks in a wheelchair, then graduate to crutches and physical therapy after his April 17 operation.
Spc. Anthony Hardy, 27, a lifelong Fairbanksan, had been injured by a roadside bomb in Iraq. Anthony is suffering from multiple broken bones in his chest and shoulders, he awoke and was able to say a few words to his father. He was eventually stationed at Fort Stewart, Ga.,. as part of the 7th Cavalry, 3rd Infantry division before shipping out to Iraq. He and two other soldiers were on patrol in an M113 Armored Personal Carrier — nicknamed "the pillbox" because of its rectangular shape — when the bomb went off in Sadr City.
Rifleman Michael Wilkinson, 18, said: "I was on top cover on a vehicle patrol in Lashkagar when we came to an ANP checkpoint. "He pointed his weapon at us but we gave him a warning and he put it down."At the next checkpoint the ANP was being a lot more aggressive. "He actually took aim at me and I initially opened up on him, shot him and that's when rounds started flying. "A bullet passed through the lightly armoured Land Rover, fragmented and caught the young soldier in both legs."I'm okay," said Rfmn Wilkinson, who is now back on Wearside. "I'll make a full recovery."
Private Simon Peacock, 22, nearly died after he was showered with shards from the rocket propelled grenade as he defended his comrades in war-torn Helmand Province in Afghanistan last year. The shrapnel lodged in his knee, hand, as well as his heart and lungs where it remains after doctors said it was too risky to remove it. The attack happened last year (2007) when the soldier, from South Woodham Ferrers, Essex, was defending other soldiers trying to take a Taleban-held compound in Kajaki.
Posted by Bill Corcoran at 9:13 AM 0 comments Links to this post
Even though the site we use to bring you the latest casualties from the Iraq war has been maliciously attacked, we are still able to circumvet the site and bring you the latest information of US casualtes from the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.
Here is an update on casualties from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Click on part in "BLUE" or "GREEN" to obtain further details.
Latest Coalition Fatalities
04/10/08 DoD Identifies Army Casualty
Sgt. Shaun P. Tousha, 30, of Hull, Texas, died April 9 in Baghdad, Iraq, from wounds suffered when his vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 66th Armor Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team...
04/10/08 DoD Identifies Air Force Casualty
Tech. Sgt Anthony L. Capra, 31, of Hanford, Calif., died April 9 near Golden Hills, Iraq, of wounds suffered when he encountered an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to Detachment 63, 688 Armament Systems Squadron, Indian Head City, Md.
04/10/08 MNF: Coalition force Soldier attacked by IED
A Coalition force Soldier was killed when an improvised explosive device struck his vehicle during convoy operations in central Baghdad April 9.
04/09/08 DoD Identifies Army Casualty
Maj. Mark E. Rosenberg, 32, of Miami Lakes, Fla., died April 8 in Baghdad, Iraq of wounds suffered when his vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 29th Field Artillery Regiment...
04/09/08 MNF: MND-B Soldier dies of non-combat related cause Multi-National Division
A Multi-National Division - Baghdad Soldier died from non-combat related injuries at approximately 6:30 a.m. April 9.
04/09/08 MNF: MND-N Soldier attacked by IED (Salah ad Din Province)
A Multi-National Division – North Soldier was killed in an improvised explosive device attack in Salah ad Din Province, April 9.
04/09/08 MNF: MND-B Soldier attacked by IED
A Multi-National Division – Baghdad Soldier was killed by an improvised explosive device attack at approximately 2 p.m. in northeastern Baghdad.
04/09/08 DoD Identifies Army Casualty
Sgt. Timothy M. Smith, 25, of South Lake Tahoe, Calif., died April 7 in Baghdad, Iraq of wounds suffered when his vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the 4th Brigade Special Troops Battalion, 4th Brigade Combat Team..
04/09/08 DoD Identifies Army Casualties (2 of 2)
Sgt. Michael T. Lilly, 23, of Boise, Idaho...died April 7 in Sadr City, Iraq, when enemy forces attacked using a rocket propelled grenade. They were assigned to the 1st Squadron, 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment, Vilseck, Germany.
04/09/08 DoD Identifies Army Casualties (1 of 2)
Spc. Jason C. Kazarick, 30, of Oakmont, Pa...died April 7 in Sadr City, Iraq, when enemy forces attacked using a rocket propelled grenade. They were assigned to the 1st Squadron, 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment, Vilseck, Germany.
04/09/08 MNF: MND-C Soldier attacked by IED
A Multi-National Division - Center Soldier was killed in an improvised explosive device attack while conducting operations east of Baghdad in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom April 8.
04/09/08 DoD Identifies Army Casualty
Staff Sgt. Jeremiah E. McNeal, 23, of Norfolk, Va., died April 6 in Baghdad, Iraq, of wounds suffered when his vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the 237th Engineer Company, 276th Engineer Battalion...
04/09/08 MNF: MND-B Soldier dies of non-combat related cause
A Multi-National Division – Baghdad Soldier died from non-combat related injuries at approximately 5:30 a.m. April 9. The name of the deceased is being withheld pending notification of the next of kin and release by the Department of Defense.
04/10/08 DoD Identifies Army Casualty
Staff Sgt. Jeffery L. Hartley, 25, of Hempstead, Texas, died April 8 in Kharguliah, Iraq, of wounds suffered when his vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 10th Field Artillery Regiment...
04/10/08 DoD Identifies Army Casualty
Spc. Jeremiah C. Hughes, 26, of Jacksonville, Fla., died April 9 in Balad Iraq, of injuries sustained in a non-combat related incident in Abu Gharab, Iraq. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team (Stryker)...
Posted by Bill Corcoran at 3:46 AM 0 comments Links to this post
This blogger uses a number of news websites which unlike the American press tell the truth about what is happening in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Earlier today, we started experiencing problems logging on to one news site and as of now it is still down.
Another site we use is the Iraq Casualties website which gives information on US troops killed in action in Iraq and Afghanistan or wounded.
We just tried to access the site and this is the message they are posting:
Special Note: Due to a malicious attack on our web server we have removed most of the content from this site. The attack caused users to be redirected to random sites that have no affiliation with iCasualties. After a good deal of effort we think that we have identified problem and hope that we will soon return the site back to it's proper state. Please accept our sincerest apologies for any inconvenience this has caused you. Michael White iCasualties.org
Posted by Bill Corcoran at 3:21 AM 0 comments Links to this post
Actress Angelina Jolie appeared on a panel earlier this week for the Council on Foreign Relations to discuss the plight of Iraqi refugees, and in particular the Iraqi children who have been left orphaned by the war.
This is a brand new video and was just released Thursday, April 10, 2008
Posted by Bill Corcoran at 12:37 AM 0 comments Links to this post
President Bush and General Petraeus just spent the past few days painting a rosy pictures of how well things are going in Baghdad.
But are they?
Not at all according to the UN Humanitarian organization which oversees critical humanitarian problems in various parts of the world.
Here is what they found in Baghdad.
Source: United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs - Integrated Regional Information Networks
Date: 10 Apr 2008
Iraq: "Acute shortages" in clash-hit Baghdad suburbs
BAGHDAD, 10 April 2008 (IRIN) - A humanitarian crisis is looming in two sprawling Shia suburbs in Baghdad, as clashes continue between government forces (backed by US soldiers) and Shia militants, members of parliament and residents said on 10 April.
"Sadr City and Shula are in a very tragic humanitarian situation as residents are suffering acute shortages of food and medicines," Iraq's parliamentary committee on human rights said in a statement.
"Just as we demand that everyone respect Iraq's constitution and laws and the government's authority to impose law and order, so we also demand that the government respect human rights and not neglect the humanitarian side," said committee member Amer Thamir, a MP from the eastern from Baghdad's eastern constituency of Mashtal, in the statement.
He said the prices of food, medicines and services in the two suburbs had soared and that the government "must offer humanitarian aid and facilitate the distribution of food and medicines to all people".
Fighting in the suburbs erupted on 25 March and has exacerbated the plight of locals, many of whom are poor people from southern Iraq who came to Baghdad to find jobs.
Father-of-five Khalil Murtadha Amer was paying a visit to his parents' house in Sadr City when the fighting started: "I can't leave the neighbourhood on foot as my wife can't walk more than 200-300 metres due to surgery she had a few months ago, and we are running out of food."
Bread prices have tripled, he said.
He said the hospitals had been swamped with people hurt in the clashes, and were now offering limited services: they had, for example, stopped receiving pregnant women.
Local midwives had doubled their fees to nearly US$200 per birth.
Posted by Bill Corcoran at 12:18 AM 0 comments Links to this post


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FERNDALE, Md. (WUSA9) -- Anne Arundel County Police are looking for a man involved in a shooting that happened at the Royal Farms store located in Ferndale early Saturday morning.
Police said the incident happened at 1:12 a.m. in the 7200 block of Baltimore Annapolis Boulevard.
When deputies got to the scene they found a 20-year-old man from Severn suffering from multiple gun shot wounds, authorities said.
According to the investigation the victim and suspect got into an argument and the victim was then shot.
Police said the suspect is described as a black man. He fled the scene on foot in an unknown direction. Deputies searched the area, however had no luck finding him.
The 20-year-old victim was taken to the hospital for treatment. Authorities said the victim's injuries are non-life threatening at the time.
Authorities think this was a targeted incident.
The investigation is still going on. If you have any information on this incident please call the Northern District Detective Unit at 410-222-6135 or Metro Crime Stoppers.
If you have information on the above incidents, please call, email, or text your tip to Metro Crime Stoppers Hotline Available 24-Hours A Day Toll Free at 1-866-7LOCKUP or Text "MCS plus your message" to CRIMES (274637)

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Homosexuality and the Catholic Church
These signs are being posted around the neighborhood. It made me smile to see a Catholic Church (which is also a school) actively involve gay/lesbian people.
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Daniel Milliken, a junior tennis player at Christian High, was the victim of a crime.
Inside his bedroom, among the posters of tennis stars Novak Djokovic, Martina Hingis, Lleyton Hewitt and Rafael Nadal, near his tennis trophies, tennis bag and tournament T-shirts, his bookshelf's most prized possession went missing a few weeks ago.
In an act of petty theft, Daniel's hardback copy of Andre Agassi's autobiography, "Open," was taken without his knowledge.
The initial search for the book came up empty, but Daniel later learned the culprits. No charges will be filed.
"My sisters actually took it away from me because they wanted to read it," Daniei, 16, said with a laugh. "I thought I had lost it. I told them to keep my place where I was last reading. I hope they did."
The occasional spontaneous book borrowing is the price Daniel pays for growing up in a tennis family.
His sisters, Leanne, 21, and Margie Anne, 19, used the book to pass the time on their trip to the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells.
The family has attended the tennis tournament regularly, and that's apparent at Daniel's matches. He often wears a hat he had autographed by Nadal at Indian Wells.
Among the family's other tennis ties, Daniel's mother, Margie, played at USC before a brief professional career in Europe.
Not to be outdone, her brothers, Buzz and Skip Strode, competed in multiple Grand Slam tournaments, including the Australian Open, Wimbledon and the U.S. Open. They also have helped train Daniel, who competes in tournaments year-round and is undefeated this season.
"They're very encouraging because they've been there before," Daniel said. "They know what it's like."
So does Agassi, which helps explain Daniel's interest in the eight-time Grand Slam singles winner's autobiography.
Daniel said he already has been affected by Agassi's words in the 386-page book, published last year.
Page 201: "Finally, my upper body and gut pleading for mercy, we go outside and run up and down the hill behind Gil's house. Gil Hill. Quick bursts of power and speed, up and down, up and down, I run until my mind begs me to stop, and then I run some more ignoring my mind."
After reading about Agassi's work ethic, Daniel began independent training.
For the past few weeks, he has been traveling to local tennis backboards to take hundreds of shots. The practice helps his consistency and return serve.
"He has a great work ethic, a great attitude," Christian coach Mike Folsom said. "We've gotten nothing but good comments from other coaches."
Page 252: "We ain't continuing like this. You're better than this. At least, you used to be better. You either need to quit — or start over."
At age 12, Daniel had doubts as to why he was playing tennis. Like Agassi, he started over by rededicating himself to the sport. He found meaning.
The primary meaning for Daneil, who carries a 3.7 grade point average, is earning a college scholarship. To improve his chances, he wants to earn at least a Top 60 ranking in Southern California and a 200 ranking nationally at the under-18 level.
But first, he just wants his book back.
"I'm going to ask (my sisters) where it is, then just take it," Daniel said. "If they want it back, well, I'm going to have to finish reading it, so they better encourage me to read faster.
"I just want to see what else he has to say."


text:
by Phancy Products
Product Type
Carbonated Soft Drink: Regular
16oz Can
Nutritional Info
Nutritional information is not available for this product.
Ingredients are not available for this product.
Review: Vietnamese Sparkling Limeade
Posted: Aug 21, 2013 at 12:00 AM (Last Updated: Sep 13, 2013 at 11:34 AM)Phancy's "Soda Chanh" is a packaged version of the classic Vietnamese drink of the same name. Unlike the original, which is made with salted, pickled limes, this product appears to be a fairly run-of-the-mill lemon-lime soda (with perhaps a bit more lime flavor than usual). While it's a perfectly nice tasting beverage, it certainly doesn't feel "authentic" as the label suggests. Plus, it's full-calorie (180 per 16 oz. can), which makes us wonder just how big the market is for a product like this. Visually, the product looks and feels like something that should be in the natural channel, although it doesn't really feel like a Vietnamese product per se. It has a clean and positive vibe, which is certainly a fine approach to a product like this. However, the brand really lacks anything that the average consumer can latch onto, making the product feel somewhat like a store brand. That said, we feel as though Soda Chanh needs to commit to one direction or another. As it stands right now, what you see on the outside and what you get on the inside don't seem fully in synch.


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A ZF Power Steering Pump is built for Audi A6s from 2002, 2003 and 2004. A faulty Power Steering Pump can make steering more difficult and will definitely be a substantial problem with safety. Your car or truck's Power Steering Pump can be located near the front of the vehicle and is powered by a belt. Your Power Steering Pump comes from a pump created for steamships in the 19th century, in response to a need for superior ease in handling. Your car or truck's Power Steering Pump operates by creating hydraulic power which assists in turning the vehicle. Audi A6s from the years '02, '03 and '04 can use this replacement part. Different makes and models may not be compatible, so this part should not be used in those models.
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text: Hi Everyone, We flew from Boston to Orlando for a long weekend stay in early December and stayed at the POLY. Typically we take the first flight of the day down, but this trip we changed it up a bit and I wanted to share our experience because I would highly recommend it to others. Since this was a super-quick trip I didn't want to factor in a "travel day." My family consists of myself, DH, DS7 and our twin DDs3. An early flight would have meant getting up at 4:30 to get to the airport and I knew the day would be wasted so we decided to work on Friday and fly out in the late afternoon (I'm a teacher and Hubby left a few hours early). Our flight was scheduled to land at 7:10 p.m. which would have meant that after the whole Magic Express and hotel check-in procedure, getting settled, etc it would be way past their normal bedtimes by the time they got to sleep and would effect the next day. SO.... What we did was flew down and stayed at the Hyatt that is built into the airport. The rate was over $300.00 cheaper than the POLY would have been. We were in our room less that 15 minutes after walking off the plane and the kids were asleep by 8:00. We went to sleep soon after which was an awesome way to end a workweek and transition into vacation mode. The next morning we woke at 6:00, headed downstairs, grabbed a Starucks coffee and bananas for the kids and went straight to Magic Express. There was NOBODY there except staff. Literally not another person. I am so use to long lines, waits, crowded buses and multiple hotel stops. Instead we walked straight onto the waiting bus and our driver immediately drove our family of 5 to the POLY. He said mornings are typically like that and he usually serves as a private chauffeur until around 8 or 9. We checked in, dropped off our bags and had breakfast at the hotel. We were at the park for rope drop at 9. I will purposely plan travel like this on future trips. Normally we lose an entire 1/2 a day traveling, dealing with lines at Magic Express and check-in and then waiting around for our room because it's typically too late to go to a park. Plus the fact that we saved so much on the hotel for the 1st night was great. The airport Hyatt was very nice and the staff was friendly. They have a nice rooftop pool and there are tons of shops and restaurants. Anyway I just wanted to share because I don't know if I would have thought to do this or even elected to do it if we were on a longer trip, but it was a great way to save some $, save some time and start our trip refreshed and ready to take on Disney.


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The following commentary does not necessarily reflect the views of AgWeb or Farm Journal Media. The opinions expressed below are the author's own.
Paul is now part of the fourth generation in America that is involved in farming and hopes the next generation will be involved also. Through his blog he provides analysis and insight to farmer tax questions.
The IRS just released Revenue Procedure 2013-35 last week updating all of the income tax items that are affected by inflation. Each year right after September 30 the IRS will release these items updated to reflect the annual inflation rate for the year ended September 30. The government is on a fiscal year that ends on that date, so inflation is based on that period, not the calendar year.
The release is 22 pages long and this post will highlight the major changes pertinent to farmers:
All of these inflation amounts are applicable with 2014 returns and/or dates beginning January 1, 2014.
No comments have been posted to this Blog Post


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by Marc Bastow | July 13, 2012 2:15 pm
With government regulators, investors and shareholders gnashing their teeth over the state of the U.S.'s biggest banks, it's time for investors to look beyond New York City's Citigroup (NYSE:C[1]) and JPMorgan (NYSE:JPM[2]), San Francisco's Wells Fargo (NYSE:WFC[3]) and Charlotte's Bank of America (NYSE:BAC[4]) toward smaller venues and institutions.
You know the litany when it comes to the big boys: continued concerns over "Too Big to Fail" or "To Big to Be Governed" behavior that results in massive lawsuits; "clawbacks" over multibillion-dollar losses; stress-test measurements that some, but not all, can pass;[5] and a more limited appetite for lending.
In response, some smaller players are starting to take great advantage of those problems, marketing themselves as regional and in some cases local champions of consumers and small businesses. Lending is up for most of these players, as are deposits and, well, confidence.
On the investment side of the ledger, according to a report on MarketWatch[6], "regional bank stocks have outperformed the 'big banks' in recent months as they have been less affected by the current euro crisis and stricter regulatory environment. The SPDR KBW Bank ETF (NYSE:KBE[7]) has fallen over nearly 6 percent over the last three months while the SPDR KBW Regional Banking ETF (NYSE:KRE[8]) has seen a 1.3 percent fall over the same period."
Take a lesson from the data and get to know some superregionals (yes, they're the biggest of the small fry) that are not only outperforming the money-center majors, but are making mincemeat out of the S&P 500's 6.20% year-to-date return as well.
I've screened 10 of the largest regionals, and come up with four solid keepers as you jettison the "Too Big to Be Bothered" crowd and look for better places to put that money.
BB&T (NYSE:BBT[9]) stands for Branch Banking & Trust Co., and that Winston-Salem, N.C., company operates approximately 1,800 financial centers in 12 states and Washington, D.C. It offers a full range of consumer and commercial banking, securities brokerage, asset management, mortgage, and insurance products and services.
What's even nicer is that BB&T is consistently recognized for outstanding client satisfaction by the U.S. Small Business Administration. Imagine that! A nice place to bank.
With $174.8 billion in assets and a market capitalization of $21.9 billion, BBT has earnings, deposits and loan growth that are all on the rise — and have been for the last three years running. The bank's diverse sources of revenue include about half coming from community banking with another 15% from insurance services.
The stock has climbed nearly 25% year-to-date, and it carries a 2.6% dividend yield.
U.S. Bancorp (NYSE:USB[10]) is a Minneapolis, Minn.-based institution with $341 billion in assets, which actually makes it the country's fifth-largest bank, although you wouldn't know that by its low-profile approach.
USB operates 3,080 banking offices and 5,061 ATMs in 25 states, offering banking, brokerage, insurance, investment, mortgage, trust and payment services products to consumers, businesses and institutions.
Like many of its regional brethren, USB also garners citizenship awards, like the 2011 Spirit of America Award, the highest honor bestowed on a company by United Way.
USB generated $17 billion in revenue and pumped out $10 billion in profit last year, with an outstanding 14% return on equity, to boot. Quarterly year-over-year growth of 28% portends continued strength in the market, and with a 20% year-to-date increase in the stock price and a steady 2.43% dividend yield, USB is a solid player.
Comerica (NYSE:CMA[11]) is a Dallas-based financial services business that operates in Arizona, California, Florida and Michigan, as well as in Canada and Mexico. With a market cap of just under $6 billion, assets of $61 billion and deposits of just under $48 billion, Comerica is more of a middle-of-the-pack regional — but it carries a big wallop.
Comerica had a bit of a down year in 2009 but has recovered nicely, increasing earnings per share and dividends in every year since. At the same time, it has lowered its loan-loss provisions to reflect stronger operational efficiencies.
Investors have taken notice, with the stock up 18% year-to-date, and the dividend yield is at 2%.
Atlanta based SunTrust (NYSE:STI[12]) has 1,651 retail branches and 2,914 ATMs located primarily in Florida, Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia and the District of Columbia. With total assets of $178.2 billion, it has the size and scope to offer financial products across the board.
While SunTrust's region includes areas where foreclosure and delinquency rates are high, like Florida and Georgia[13], analysts focus on the idea that refinancing opportunities provide upside potential.
SunTrust got a nice boost earlier this month when Goldman Sachs (NYSE:GS[14]) raised the stock to an outperform rating for the second quarter, according to The Street[15]. SunTrust's $7 billion in revenue turned into $700 million in earnings, and first-quarter earnings growth ran at nearly 39% year-over-year.
SunTrust will need to improve on a fairly weak 0.42% return on assets. The dividend could use a jump-start, too, as the yield now stands under 1%.
Investors are overlooking the negatives however, as the stock has returned nearly 40% year-to-date. This one might need a little more time, but appears worth the effort.
Marc Bastow is an Assistant Editor at InvestorPlace.com. As of this writing he did not hold a position in any of the aforementioned securities.
Source URL: https://investorplace.com/2012/07/4-regional-banks-where-you-can-put-your-money-wfc-c-jpm-wfc-sti/
Short URL: http://invstplc.com/1ftR2m2
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Richard Corpolongo
Rich Corpolongo has performed
with many of Chicago's top jazz musicians and groups including the Chicago
Symphony Orchestra, the Civic Opera House Orchestra, the Grant Park Orchestra,
the Auditorium Theatre Orchestra, the Candlelight and Forum Theatre Orchestras.
played solo clarinet under Tom Fabish at St. Mel High School, DePaul University
Concert Band, and Chicago's C. Y. O. Band. His formal training continued at Roosevelt University where
he acquired a Bachelor and Master of Music Composition degrees. His private
studies included: saxophone improvisation with Joe Daley; clarinet with Joe
Daley and Walter Wollage; flute with Ralph Johnson; composition with Karl Jirak
and Robert Lombardo; arranging
with Lane Emery; and electronic composition with Don Malone.
jazz group have played extensively around the Chicago area, and have been
showcased at most all of the Chicago Jazz Festivals starting with 1983 and
finishing most recently in 2006. Besides playing and composing for local talent,
Corpolongo has given clinics at most high schools and colleges in and around
the Chicago area such as: Niles West High School, Rolling Meadows High School,
Elk Grove High School, Wheeling High School, Hersey High School, Waubansee
College, Wright College, Vandercook College, Roosevelt University, Arizona
State University, the Music Educators' National Conference Convention,
Northwestern University, Illinois State University, the ICA Clarinetfest at
DePaul University in Chicago and the Northern Illinois University Clarinet
Cornucopia in Dekalb Illinois. He also has written four books on improvisation,
"217 Sequences For The Contemporary Musician" and
"Improvisation" a set of three books (Beginning, Intermediate and
has performed with many legendary jazz musicians such as: Joe Daley, Eddie
Harris, Herbie Hancock, James Moody, Oliver Nelson, and vocalist like: Frank
Sinatra, Mel Torme, Nancy Wilson, Billy Ekstine, Tony Bennett, Lena Horne, and
musical shows like: Gypsy, Applause, I Do I Do, Coco, Irene, How To
Succeed In Business, Hair, Beatlemania, The Wiz, A Little Night Music,
Sophisticated Lady and many more.
Rich can be heard on these albums:
Composition" - Rich Corpolongo / Doug Lofstrom / Paul Wertico - (Spoco
"Sonic Blast" - Joe
Daley / Rich Corpolongo - (Coda Label)
"Look What they've
Done" - Les Hooper - (Creative World Label)
"Chicago Jazz" -
Roger Pemberton - (Original Label)
"Music" - Doug Lofstrom - (Little Miracles
"Jazz Inside Out" -
Guy Fricano - (Forever Jazz
Public Rehearsals" -
Destiny Quibble And The Street - (Destiny Quibble)
"How Do You Like It So
Far" - Barrett Deems Big Band
(Delmark CD)
"Just Found Joy" - Rich Corpolongo Quartet Plus Two -
(Delmark CD)
"Smiles" - Rich
Corpolongo Quartet - (Delmark CD)
"Swingin In The Big
City" - John Burnett
Orchestra/Buddy DeFranco - (Chicago Lakeside Jazz)
"D'Rone And DeHaas Sing
Anka" - Frank D'Rone and Geraldine DeHaas - (Phonograph)
"Burning In F and
G" - Doug Blake - (Blake 'N' Blue)
"John Roothaan and Terry
Sullivan" - (Acapulco Stomp)
"The Playground" -
Doug Blake - (Blake 'N' Blue)
Trinity" - John Moulder Ensemble - (Origin-Records)


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How many of you have made your own Bicycle Art? I just moved to AZ with my gf and have bare walls so I created my own piece. I only used a few different colors of spray paint, check it out! I wanna make more asap! I call this one "The Bicyclist's Universe"
- Home
- Bike Checks
- Photos
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text:
At Gemvara, we believe that the jewelry you wear should be as unique as you. Every beautiful Gemvara rose gold multistone peridot jewelry design will be made just for you. It's jewelry for all life's occasions, from a wedding or Mother's Day to your own personal milestones and celebrations. Celebrate her graduation with a brilliant gift of jewelry that she can enjoy for the rest of her life. Gemvara uses only the highest quality materials to craft your rose gold multistone peridot jewelry with meticulous attention to detail. Our precious metals are recycled or responsibly mined. Peridot is a gem that was formed deep in a volcano. Fashionable 14k rose gold adds a fresh new look to the fine jewelry palette. It owes its warm flattering color to extra copper alloyed with the gold. Our wide selection of rose gold multistone peridot jewelry by Gemvara Essentials, Randy Dixon, Ruzanna Davtian, and other talented designers means you can find rings, earrings, and necklaces that are exactly your style. You can also shop by style, choosing our Vintage-Inspired, Knot, or Gemstone Halo Collections. Every gem in our lovely multigem styles is selected to perfectly complement the other gems in the design. When our work is done and you open that box, you'll see your design is even more beautiful when brought to life in the finest precious materials.
We can help right away. Chat with a jewelry expert now!


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Steelers WR Plaxico Burress to have Surgery on Shoulder, Out Indefinitely
Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Plaxico Burress will have surgery to repair an injury in his right shoulder and is out indefinitely.
Coach Mike Tomlin called the damage to Burress' shoulder "significant" but declined to specify the exact nature of the injury. ESPN and NFL.com reported Burress has a torn rotator cuff.
Burress landed awkwardly while trying to haul in a pass over cornerback Da'Mon Cromartie-Smith near the end of practice at Saint Vincent College. The 35-year-old Burress remained bent over on the ground for several moments before getting up and walking to the sideline. He was carted off the field and sported a sling over his right shoulder.
The Steelers had hoped Burress would become the big red zone target they need while tight end Heath Miller recovers from knee surgery.
Burress signed with Pittsburgh last November and caught three passes in limited action. He was battling Jerricho Cotchery, David Gilreath and rookies Markus Wheaton and Justin Brown for a spot behind starters Antonio Brown and Emmanuel Sanders.


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Single adults seeking shelter in San Francisco, from City and County contracted agencies, can call 311 or go to a CHANGES reservation location at one of the resource centers.
Beginning in February 2014, clients seeking 90-day reservations can call 311 to be placed on the wait list. For information on how 311 works, please review the instructions here (English and Spanish).
Clients who do not have a current reservation at a shelter can go to a CHANGES reservation location For a list of locations, please click on the link here.
For families seeking shelter in San Francisco, they can contact Compass Connecting Point at Compass Connecting Point, 995 Market Street, 6th Floor, San Francisco or call them at 415.442.5130. For emergency shelter, please call Hamilton Family Emergency Center 415-292-5228 at 11:00 am and 5:00 pm to request an Emergency Bed. You can also go directly to First Friendship Family Shelter located at 501 Steiner @ Oak Street. This site operates from 3:00 pm to 7:00 am. Families may seek shelter on a first come, first serve basis at the Providence Shelter, located at 1601 McKinnon Avenue @ Mendell. This shelter operates from 9:00 pm to 7:00 am.
For a full list of all the city funded single adult homeless shelters, please click on the Single Adult Matrix English/Single Adult Matrix Spanish.
San Francisco Free Shelter, Food, and Services Lists can be accessed from this site or by going to http://freeprintshop.org/. For additional resources regarding homeless services, please refer to SF Homeless.
If you have been given a denial of service from a City-funded shelter, you have the right to an advocate. Please contact the Shelter Advocates at 415.346.7685 or visit their office located at 468 Turk St., San Francisco.
For more information on housing and homeless services in San Francisco, you can contact the Human Services Agency, the Department of Public Health, the Mayor's Office on Housing, and Project Homeless Connect.


text:
Comments Thread For: Mayweather on The Future, SHO, Guerrero, Jabs Top Rank
View Single Post
Interim Champion
Join Date: Jul 2011
Posts: 850
Quoted: 45 Post(s)
Rep Power:
Points: 52,971,734.17
Bank: 0.00
Total Points: 52,971,734.17
Originally Posted by
Miguel Cotto, came from beating a really damaged Margarito = Career defining win?
Image View Removed. Please Click
Victor Ortiz and Guerrero = Beating Andre Berto is a career defining win?
Image View Removed. Please Click
And in the last part, before Pacquiao being KO'd, the excuse was "If Mayweather fights Pacquiao and wins, pac fans and floyd haters will say "Floyd is too big, Pacquiao is too small, Floyd was supposed to win"
So it's obvious you always have an excuse for Mayweather not fighting Pacquiao. Why don't you use the same logic when he fights a guy like Guerrero? Hypocrites.
The point is, Pacquiao is coming off of 2 losses. Guerrero is coming off of 2 wins. You guys want him to fight Pacquiao right now, just so you can say "Pacquiao was washed up and damaged goods, got knocked out by Marquez prior." Don't tell me you won't. Judging by the posts I see on this board, even you have to admit that you among others are going to say that. And another reason why the Pacquiao fight didn't happen and the Guerrero fight is happening is because unlike Pacquiao, Guerrero accepted the drug testing and the biggest purse of his career and comes off of a win. As a matter of fact, the difference between everyone Mayweather faced starting from the Mosley fight to now and Pacquiao is that they accepted the drug testing and Pacquiao didn't. But these aren't even the biggest obstacle for that fight. There are actually some people on this board that doesn't believe that the GB and TR feud is real. They actually ignore this huge obstacle as if it isn't there. Sh*ts crazy.
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text:
Last Activity: 08-06-2013 06:24 PM
About Me
- About Aqua_Man
- Biography
- My names Chance. Im a Florida born redneck who loves anything with a motor as long as it's made in America. I love country music but play in a blues/rock band as a drummer. Go America!
- Location
- Florida
- Interests
- Drummer in a band named Circle 4, old stuff (especially car/truck related)
- How did you find F150Forum.com?
- My Truck
- Make
- Model
- f-150
- Year
- 1989
- Engine
- 302
- Modifications
- 6 inch superlift, 33 inch cooper discovery tires, 2 kc daylighters, new rough country shocks, jvc radio with kicker speakers and a cb radio. Also, the front fascia is off a 92 f-150
- 1989 f-150 supercab with 6 inch lift on 33's
Growing up Southern is a privilege, really. Its more than where youre born, its an idea and state of mind that seems imparted at birth... We dont become Southern, were born that way. -Anonymous
- 1989 f-150 supercab with 6 inch lift on 33's


text:
The most versatile pro camera strap in the world. Anchor Link quick-connectors let you wear Slide as a sling, neck or shoulder strap. Seatbelt-style webbing with internal padding has smooth and grippy sides, letting it glide over any clothing or stay put exactly where you want it: back, hip or front.
• Works with any camera: Sturdy and padded for use with full frame DSLRs with large lenses, but low-profile enough for smaller mirrorless cameras. Attaches to any camera's strap loops or tripod socket using included ARCA-compatible tripod plate.
• Sling Strap: Connect Slide to Anchors on the strap lug and tripod socket and wear it as a quick-cinching sling strap that glides over your clothing.
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• Slide
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• 4 Dyneema Anchors
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• SKU/Part Number: SL-1, SL-T-2, SL-L-2
• Number of Anchors: 4
• Included Plate: Standard Plate: die-cast, powder coated aluminum. Arca compatible.
• Weight: 171g (281g as packed)
• Max Length: 137 cm (54")
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• Strength rating: Dyneema®-corded Anchors can withstand over 200 lbs (90 kg), making Slide safe for use with the largest of professional cameras
The mission of Peak Design is to enable photographers, adventurers and outdoors enthusiasts to better capture the beautiful world around them. We do this by designing and building innovative, thoughtfully composed, ultra-durable products that are easy to use and versatile. Right now we are helping people better transport and physically manage their cameras, and providing new ways to shoot action video. In the future we will continue to tackle other pain points that photographers and outdoors enthusiasts face. We believe that wherever you go and whatever you do, your camera should be right there with you.


text:
Food fight!
|Publication: Waukesha Freeman (Conley);
|Date: Dec 9, 2010;
|Section: Opinion;
|Page: 8A
Food fight!
Agriculture Department fighting terrorists and bake sales
We fight a constant battle over food in our house. Children being children, their sense of what is good for them is clouded by visions of chocolate and candy. Sugar is pharaoh to my children and the food pyramid is best observed in the breech. Meanwhile, I find myself talking like my parents. "No dessert until those green beans are gone." "Daaaaad!" "No candy after school if you didn't eat your lunch." "Daaaaad!" "How can you have any pudding if you don't eat your meat?" Oh wait, that's Pink Floyd. As a parent I do my best to find something nutritious that the kids will eat. I confess I am not always successful, but I do try. So far boneless chicken, corn and potatoes are the house favorite, and well within Dad's limited culinary abilities.
But like most parents, we like to spoil our children just a little. Instead of the shredded wheat I was subjected to as a child, my children get to have Fruit Rings or Magic Stars. (I buy generic.) Considering how much sugar my brother and I used to make the shredded wheat palatable, the kids are coming out ahead nutritionally.
That didn't stop my son's school a few years ago from engaging in some silly food censorship. My wife, the lovely Doreen from Waukesha, decided to send some dry cereal with my son to school for his snack. Unfortunately the cereal contained dried tiny marshmallows.
The horror, the horror.
My son's snack was sent home with a note explaining that sugary cereals are not an acceptable snack. However, the school did not object when she sent a cereal bar made from the same cereal held together by some sugary marshmallow concrete.
For all the school's supposed concern about my child's nutritional welfare, all they did was force my wife to provide a less nutritional option at a greater financial cost. But rules are rules, right?
That's why I get skeptical whenever someone proposes some new law that is supposedly to my children's benefit.
The latest is First Lady Michelle Obama's school nutrition bill recently passed by Congress. The new law spends $4.5 billion (fresh off the printing press) to provide more meals that are healthy for students.
The new law even allows the Agriculture Department to set the number of bake sales at your local school. This is the same Agriculture Department that thought ethanol was a good idea.
Say bye-bye to popcorn sales to send your kid to summer camp. Instead, your kid will spend the summer at home eating popcorn in front of the television.
First we banned prayer in the public schools and now we're banning bake sale brownies. But the kids can still get free condoms. I don't know about us but our schools are certainly evolving.
According to Congressman Tom Petri, this bill may even have the perverse effect of forcing schools to serve less cranberry juice. Cranberry juice actually has less sugar than other fruit juices, but because the sugar is added instead of naturally occurring schools may not be able to offer the cranberry juice.
Who would have thought a federal food program would do more damage to the cranberry industry in Wisconsin than the Department of Natural Resources?
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack actually said the bill's passage was important to national security. "Our national security, economic competitiveness and health and wellness of our children will improve as a result of the action Congress took today."
If only Attorney General Eric Holder were as aggressive in protecting national security in pursuing Wikileaks. Perhaps if Julian Assange released a secret document showing the donut-munching habits of President Barack Obama whenever Michelle was not around, the Secret Service would be forced to take Assange out.
In the meantime, I finally have a way of getting my kids to eat all of their vegetables. I'll tell them, eat your green beans, or the terrorists will have won.
(James Wigderson is a blogger publishing at http://www.wigderson.com and a Waukesha resident. His column runs Thursdays in The Freeman.)


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What Is a Cause and Effect Essay?
Cause and effect essay is a common technique of arranging and discussing ideas. In this pattern of essay, a writer normally discusses the reason (cause) or reasons (causes) for something to happen, and later discusses the result (effect) or results (effects) of it.
For example:
Title: Traffic accidents in Malaysia
In determining the cause, we need to ask, "Why did the accident happen?". In determining the effect, we need to ask, "What happened because of this accident?".
There are many ways of writing the essay.
* One cause can contribute to one effect
or example:
- rapid growth in population
- increase in the number of vehicles owned
* Many causes may contribute to a single effect
For example:
- increase of road network
- increase of vehicle's specification
- increase of new vehicle
- motorists exceeding speed limit
* Single cause could contribute to many effects
For example:
- rapid growth in industrialisation
- high traffic volume
- increase in construction of new roads and highways
- increase in the number of registered vehicles
Organisation and Transitional Signals in Cause and Effect
(a) Organising the essay
In writing this pattern of essay, there are at least two methods of organisation which a writer can follow. The first is called the block organisation, and the second is known as the chain organisation.
In block organisation, writers usually discuss the cause or causes of a topic before continuing with the effects. In other words, the causes are 'blocked' or separated from the effects. Writers are encouraged to provide supporting details for each of the cause or effect which is being discussed. The supporting details can be in the form of testimony, statistics or anecdotes. These supporting details help to justify the reasons for the issue to happen and the consequences of the issue. The pattern of this block organization can be seen in the following diagram:
In the above diagram, the causes of the topic were discussed separately from the effect. A transition which is in the form of a sentence or a paragraph can appear at the end of the cause paragraph with the aim of informing the reader about the end of the causal paragraph and the beginning of the effect paragraph. The above diagram indicates that there are at least two causes of the topic and one effect. In contrast, the diagram below has at least one cause but two effects.
Based on the topic, some essays will only discuss the causes of a topic as in the diagram below.
Other topics however will only discuss the effects as shown in the diagram below.
In chain organisation, writers usually follow the format of discussing both the cause and effect in the same paragraph. This is repeated in all the other paragraphs. The purpose of having the cause and effect together in the same paragraph is to ensure that readers will able to see the connection between the two more closely. In terms of how the ideas are arranged, writers can choose either to arrange them according to order of importance (i.e. the more important ones are mentioned first) or according to chronological order (i.e. by time).
Road Accidents in Malaysia: Some Contributing Factors
Malaysia aims to become a developed country by 2020. This aim is achievable due to its rapid development especially in its economic growth. With the current development in economy, the country continues to experience an increase in the population which has now stood to 27.7 million people (according to the Department of Statistics Malaysia, 2009). The population expansion has eventually increased the number of people who owned vehicles, and at the same time has unfortunately experienced a permanent increase in the number of road accidents. There are at least three contributors for traffic accidents in this country and they are motorcyclists, vehicle occupants and alcohol use.
The first cause of road accidents in Malaysia concerns the motorcyclists. It is recorded that the number of accidents between 1990 and 2007 involving motorcycles is the highest i.e. about 111,598 or 56% of the total number of road accidents in Malaysia in 2007 (Majlis Keselamatan Jalan Raya Malaysia, 2004-2008). In any road accidents involving motorcycles, the chances of motorcyclists and pillion riders of getting hurt like head injuries, are great. This could be avoided if the motorcyclists wear motorcycle helmets which are of certified quality such as helmets certified by SIRIM. In addition, motorcycle riders should also strap their helmets correctly to ensure that their heads are well protected in the event of a crash. Furthermore, the use of full face helmets could also avoid injuries to the face during accidents. Thus, it is important that motorcyclists follow all the safety guidelines for the purpose of protecting themselves from road accidents.
The second cause of road accidents involves the vehicle occupants. This group consists of the drivers and the passengers. Between January and July 2008, the number of deaths involving car driver and passenger in Malaysia is 786. There are many reasons for the deaths among car drivers and passengers during accidents. One of them is because many drivers and passengers did not wear seat belts when they are in the car. Statistics have shown that seat belts could reduce the chance of injury if they are worn properly. Furthermore, air bags installed in a car could also save the lives of vehicle occupants since they inflate automatically in the event of collision. Because of this, the Malaysian government has made it compulsory for new vehicles to be installed with this safety kit.
Drunk driving or driving a car while the driver is drunk is the third cause of road accidents. When drivers have high blood alcohol content after taking alcoholic drinks, they normally are not capable of driving safely. The probability of drunk drivers involved in car accidents and injuring other road users is high. The Malaysian government considers drunk drivers as posing risks to other road users. Thus, the law in this country provides a stiff penalty i.e. serving a jail term, to those caught driving under the influence of alcohol. With this punishment and other stiffen and harsher sentences, road users will be deterred from repeating this behaviour and will help to protect the cost of someone's life.
In conclusion, the major contributors to road accidents in this country are the motorcyclists, vehicle occupants and drunk drivers. The government and non-governmental organizations have continuously organised many nationwide campaigns such as exhibitions and road shows to encourage road users to learn about road safety measures. Besides focusing on the adults, the campaign also aims at educating young road users i.e. school children and also their parents and teachers on road safety. By having such campaigns, it is hoped that the total number of deaths involving road users will be reduced each year.
Relative Clauses are used in essay writing with the purpose to provide additional or extra information about something in the same sentence. By using a Relative Clause, writers are able to join sentences and at the same time avoid repeating certain words.
Relative clauses are formed by using Relative Pronouns. Relative Pronouns are words that are used to join two statements. These two statements are usually about the same person or thing. When we refer to people, we use the Relative Pronouns WHO, WHOSE and WHOM. We use WHICH and THAT to make statements about things.
For example:
· The policeman knows the driver who drove recklessly on the highway yesterday.
· The motorist whose car was involved in the accident was injured and sent to the hospital.
What happened to the child whom you knocked down by accident?
The road that we usually use to return to our parents is slippery during rainy seasons.
Relative Clause can be divided into two types: defining and non-defining.
Defining or Restrictive Relative Clause is used to identify a noun.
We do not separate the clause from the rest of the sentence by commas.
For example:
Police have caught the gang of thieves who have robbed several motorists along the highway.
The car which was reported lost a week ago was found abandoned in a lonely street.
Non-defining or non-restrictive relative clause is used to provide extra information about the noun. A comma is usually placed after the noun.
For example:
PUSPAKOM, which is responsible in inspecting all vehicles, has succeeded in ensuring only well-maintained vehicles are allowed to be driven on the public road.
All driving schools, which provide training to new drivers, will be encouraged to include safety driving techniques in their syllabus.


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Drinking buddies
Drinking buddies
Place Published:
New York
Magnolia Home Entertainment
1 videodisc (90 min.) : sound, color ; 4 3/4 in.
Title from container.
Special features: deleted scenes/outtakes - with optional writer/director commentary ; actor interviews ; AXS TV: a look at Drinking Buddies ; Featurettes: All things drinking with Joe Swanberg and Drinking made easy hosted by Zane Lamphrey ; Behind the scenes at Revolutionary Brewing ; Commentary ; trailer.
Art director: Akin McKenzie; cinematographer: Ben Richardson;
Luke and Kate, co-workers at a Chicago brewery, spend their days drinking and flirting. They're perfect for each other, except that they're both in relationships. Luke is in the midst of marriage talks with his girlfriend of six years; Kate is playing it cool with her music producer boyfriend Chris. Beer makes the line between 'friends' and 'more than friends' really blurry.
MPAA Rating: R; for language throughout. OFRB Rating: 14A.
Subject Headings:
Reviews for Drinking buddies


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The How-To Lounge: Asking For Help
Although being independent is great, if you happen to have a stubborn streak, your determination may hinder you from reaching out for help when you need it. For whatever reason, asking for help has become synonymous with not being tough enough, but I'll be the first to say, that's just not true. So if you're one of those girls who has to do everything herself, read my tips for how to reach out for help when you really do need it when you
- Recognize that there's nothing wrong with needing help. In fact, being able to acknowledge that you don't know how to do something shows good judgment.
- Try by yourself first, but know when to admit defeat. When you're wasting time trying to do something that another person could have helped you accomplish already, then it's time to reach out. You don't want to wait until it's too late.
- Go out of your way to ask someone whom you feel comfortable with. Knowing that you won't be judged for your question and that they won't lead you astray can make all the difference in the world.
- Make sure you know what you're asking for. Most people are better at helping when they can advise on a specific problem.
- And finally, once you make your big break and ask, don't forget to say thank you.
Are you comfortable with asking for help?


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Tantei Opera Milky Holmes Episode 7 English Subbed
You are watching Tantei Opera Milky Holmes Episode 7 English Subbed from the Tantei Opera Milky Holmes I Anime Show. Watch or Download Tantei Opera Milky Holmes Episode 7 MP4 English Sub and other episodes of Tantei Opera Milky Holmes I Streamed for Free.
"The Sun's Playful Play"
Stream Tantei Opera Milky Holmes Episode 7
Episode Summary: Milky Holmes, along with Genius 4 visit a beach where it is rumored Baskerville hid his various treasures and researched a way to retrieve lost Toys. As the Gentlemen Thieves were also there planning to rob the place, Arséne joins them as Henriette. When it starts raining, they take shelter in a cave and decide to explore it, but get separated when they trigger some traps. After getting separated by a couple more traps, Sherlock and Nero learn what could possibly be the solution to regaining their Toys. However, they only end up finding a bunch of dolls in a vault which triggers another trap which fills the manor with cold water. With encouragement from Sherlock, Nero manages to get temporary control of her Toys, which heats up the water to hot spring temperature and reunites them with the others.


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Hawaiian Airlines and Air China Sign Codeshare Agreement
- Published by Ozgur Tore
Hawaiian Airlines announced the signing of a codeshare agreement with Air China.
The new partnership takes effect following Hawaiian's launch of its three-times weekly nonstop service to Beijing yesterday.
"Following the launch of our inaugural service to Beijing, we are delighted to partner with Air China to extend our network beyond the capital city, giving customers the ability to easily explore additional domestic destinations within China on a single ticket from Honolulu," said Mark Dunkerley, Hawaiian Airlines president and CEO. "We also look forward to introducing new customers to our friendly hospitality and the culture, people, and Aloha Spirit of the Hawaiian Islands."
Through this comprehensive and multi-phase partnership, Hawaiian Airlines will place its two-letter "HA" booking code on Air China-operated flights from Beijing to Shanghai, Hangzhou, Guangzhou and Shenyang. Likewise, Air China will place its two-letter "CA" booking code on Hawaiian Airlines-operated neighbor island flights from Honolulu to Kahului, Līhu'e, Kona and Hilo.
Future cooperation between both carriers is expected to include additional codeshare cities in both China and North America. Both Hawaiian Airlines and Air China are also negotiating a reciprocal partnership that will allow their respective frequent flyer members to earn and redeem miles for travel on either carrier.


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A spokesperson for Labelle-Fannett and Cheek volunteer firefighters says the fastest growing areas of Jefferson County could be in jeopardy of losing fire protection in as little as two years. That is the motivation of supporters of a resolution before voters in the upcoming election.
Currently fire departments must rely on fundraisers, like barbecue sales and occasionally government grants to keep operating, but they don't have a guaranteed revenue base.
The resolution, if passed by voters, would create an emergency services district which would provide tax money to help fund the firefighters.
The Cheek Volunteer Fire Department recently re-started operations after being closed for eight years.
Hurricanes Rita leveled the fire station and Hurricane Ike destroyed the equipment.
Cheek Fire Chief Ken Duhon says neighboring LaBelle-Fannett firefighters kept his community safe.
Chief Duhon says the Bush-Clinton Recovery Fund helped them rebuild.
Chief Duhon says the grant money will not last forever. Having to depend on LaBelle-Fannett might not be an option anymore because that department also faces financial struggles.
Firefighters from both communities are looking to voters this Saturday to pass a resolution that would create Emergency Services District #4. They say such a district would provide a reliable source of funding to the fire departments in the district.
If voters approve it, the tax cannot exceed ten cents per $100 of property valuation.
A board appointed by Jefferson County Commissioners will oversee the spending of the funds.
It is estimated that the taxing entity could generate up to $400,000 a year.


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Iranian agent arrested for al-Qaida ties
Connects Tehran to Osama bin Laden's terror network
An Iranian agent was arrested yesterday in Kuwait for ties to recent al-Qaida-related attacks in several Middle Eastern countries, according to a popular Mideast radio network.
Sawa Radio, which broadcasts throughout the Middle East, reported the unnamed Iranian agent was apprehended by Kuwaiti security forces after intelligence implicated his involvement in an al-Qaida terror network with prior information on recent attacks in Saudi Arabia.
Earlier this week, two Kuwaiti security forces were killed and two injured in street-battles with suspected al-Qaida operatives, the Kuwaiti Interior Ministry said. Following the incident, Kuwaiti intelligence and security forces have reportedly been on heightened alert, cracking down on agents working for or conspiring with the al-Qaida network.
Al-Qaida last month bombed two Interior Ministry office buildings in Saudi Arabia, injuring more than 120. Suicide bombers tried to storm the offices, but blew up their car prematurely. It wasn't clear if the arrested Iranian had been involved in these attacks.
Security sources told WorldNetDaily they suspect Iran-financed Hezbollah serves as a conduit between Tehran and contacts within al-Qaida. They say Iran has stepped up coordination with al-Qaida and with insurgents in Iraq to destabilize America's efforts to rebuild Iraq and hold elections at the end of the month.
If the report proves accurate, the arrest would connect the Iranian regime to al-Qaida and would likely result in increased international pressure against Tehran, which the U.S. has accused of trying to develop an illicit nuclear weapons arsenal.
The European Union recently announced it brokered a deal requiring Iran to freeze nuclear projects, but the U.S. and Israel expressed skepticism.
"They (Europeans) achieved an agreement now with Iran. We do not like it very much but still it is much better than it was before," Israel's Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom said at a Jerusalem conference yesterday.
"We believe that [Iran] should be moved, should be transferred to the [U.N.] Security Council, in order to stop the Iranians from what they are doing," Shalom said.


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The charrette ended on Friday and the next chapter of my adventure began. I stood on the corner of Broad and Pine for about thirty minutes (the humanity that passes a busy street corner of a huge city is quite interesting to one who spends most of his time in a small room in front of a computer or out in the field at first light) waiting for David Soll to scoop me up for a trip to Cape May. If I have known Rick for decades, my time with David amounted to a few hours at a conference three years ago. David is an environmental historian who is currently teaching at Lafayette University in Easton, PA, about 50 miles from Philly, but will be starting a tenure track position at the University of Wisconsin (Eau Claire) next fall.
There are some places where the roadside signs of solicitation promote gambling, gentlemen's clubs, and fireworks. A drive through Cape May yields information on birding tours. It surely ranks as one of the continent's great destinations for birders- it has both the birds, vast numbers of birders, and bird identification being conducted at the very highest level. And this visit even coincided with Cape May's annual Lima Bean Festival: where else can you sample the pureed legume sweetened, heavily spiced with nutmeg, and served in a pie crust.
Saturday morning we headed out to Higbee Beach towards the end of Cape May. The bird flight was weak but Tom Johnson was counting what there was of it. Tom is a joy: highly personable, he is one of those amazing young birders whose skill level epitomizes Cape May. He was identifying warblers flying overhead including Connecticut (long yellow undertail coverts), blackpoll, and parula. (Of such performances, Rich Horwitz joked they leave the rest of us wondering what we have been doing the past forty plus years) The ability to know the subtle differences, process that information and to actually discern how they apply to the bird under observation during a mere speck of time is remarkable. Sometimes the identifications are aided by chip notes, and some birds are not possible to nail down with certainty. And I have not the slightest doubt that Tom is scrupulous. Digital photography, samples of which Tom generously shared, allow confirmation and study. It was an honor to witness this.
Now, unfortunately, for those who actually want to see birds well, the dike that morning did not provide a lot of opportunities. So David and I visited several other locations including a fruitless search for what would have been a lifer, a salt marsh sparrow. With the all the details required to make this trip work, I plumb forgot about this bird whose split into speciesdom occurred after my last visit to the east coast. Tom gave us a place to look but we failed to find it.
The area around the hawk watch was next on our agenda. First, we went in search of a long-time local hawkwatching friend Liza Gray. She and a group, who call themselves the Riff-Raff, scan the skies just behind the official observation platform. The day before she had observed a white pelican, a noteworthy bird on the east coast. There they were, and indeed it was one of her cohorts who provided samples of the lima bean pie. Hawks were not gushing overhead but birds were milling about constantly. Sharp-shins and red-tails were always in view. We also saw Coopers, a few broad-wings, merlins, peregrines, black vultures, and bald eagles. A delightful array of raptors without feeling overwhelmed by endless torrents.
Sunday we rejoined Tom for a brief period and then headed back to Philly where David was going to drop me off at John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge at Tinicum. Tinicum has been a place on my radar since the early 1970s when Ted Parker used to tell stories of birding there. Rich agreed to meet us there and I was once again in his hands (I imagine him feeling like the custodian of an unwanted third cousin). We took a three mile hike around the site, with the highlight being my first black-throated blue warbler of the year. Rich also pointed out some fruiting wild rice which I have never seen before.
He dropped me off at the airport in plenty of time.


text: Hi All..I just returned home after enquiring price of SGS in few mobile stores in HSR and Outer Ring Road. The shops I checked are Univercell, Sangeetha, Mobile Store, etc. All of them quote the price as 29000 incl. of taxes. I saw earlier that people in Bangalore have bought it for 27.5K in Akshar Telecom. What is the exact price of SGS and is it available for 27.5K in any shop around Koramangala, HSR, ORR? I could not go till Akshar Telecom as it is far. Any advise would be of great help. Thanks.