text:
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Professional 4-piece band performing awesome party music for weddings & events in the UK and abroad!
Are you looking to book a stylish, fun and exciting function band for your wedding or event? If the answer is yes then Gravity are the band for you!
The four band members are top professional musicians with a host of performance and recording credits with major recording artists as well as live shows at the likes of Glastonbury, Isle Of Wight Festival, V Festival and X-Factor! They have now come together to form a fresh looking and sounding band with an awesome live show that will make your party one to remember!
Gravity's repertoire features the best dance floor fillers from 60s to current chart, including classics by the likes of The Beatles, Fleetwood Mac & Elvis Presley, as well as recent chart toppers by Kings Of Leon, Bruno Mars, Sam Smith, Justin Timberlake and many more!
Available in Oundle
from £1374. Based in London
Welcome to Smith & Sons – London & The South's ultimate Mumford & Sons & festival style wedding band!
Smith & Sons perform live covers of dancefloor fillers in a Mumford & Sons style which is great for vintage-themed weddings and blitz the later evening with an electric set more in the style of Arctic Monkeys & Two Door Cinema Club – perfect for bringing the sound of your favourite festival headliners to your wedding, party or event!
We also offer the option of a 60-minute Acoustic Live Lounge set which is great for during drinks reception or meal!
Smith & Sons are a stylish & professional 4-piece band that features some of the best young musicians in the UK, who have performed at major festivals such as Glastonbury, and now perform their unique live covers sets at weddings and events in the UK and abroad.
The modern sound, fresh image and awesome live show has seen Smith & Sons become one of the most sought after UK wedding & functi...
Available in Oundle
from £1653. Based in London
Mariachi Rey.
Mariachi Rey, is a group of musicians with over 15 years of experience. Currently run by Xavier Infante. It is a group of young and professional musicians who create the best music "pure Mexican style". They are dedicated exclusively to entertain the best way to each audience and spread Mexican music, also including other Latino and English songs but with the corresponding Mexican flavor genre.
They will have you clapping, singing along with "La Bamba" and shouting Arriba! They are a genuine, warm and friendly group that will definitely cheer you and even make the crowd dancing and feeling like they are in the heart of South America, enjoying well known songs like: Guantanamera, La Cucaracha, Sway, La Macarena, and more.
These lively Mariachi boys, based in London, England, create an authentic Mexican atmosphere to suit your next event but all in the name of pure entertainment. If you are looking for enjoyment, excitement...
Available in Oundle
from £350.00. Based in London
Fire Show -A dazzling Fire show to wow your audience and leave a lasting impression!
Stilt Walking - Great for greeting and mingling with your guests, it also provides the perfect photo opportunity.
All costumes will be tailored to your event. Individual and group fire shows available on request.
PLI and risk assessment included in price.
Available in Oundle
from £250. Based in Hertfordshire
Caribbean bbq food cooked on charcoal drum bbq,s menu include jerk chicken, cajun chicken wings , stuffed sea bass or stuffed salmon, curry mutton, stuffed cous cous peppers , rice & peas , corn on the cob and many other great dishe
Available in Oundle
from £500. Based in West Midlands
Looking for an outstanding singer for your event?
You've just found it!
Jessica is a talented Italian/American singer with over 15 years of International experience on big stages, festivals, 5* hotels, functions and weddings.
With her retro and classy repertoire Jess is the ideal choice for moments requiring stylish background music - the arrival of guests, the drinks reception or at dinner. She pays homage to the first ladies of Jazz performing all the classics by the likes of Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Julie London and Nina Simone.
And if you're planning a '50s - 60s themed party Jess will make you and your friends have a ball with the best hits of those golden years such as 'Reet Petit'; 'Rock Around The Clock', 'Great Balls of Fire' and many more!
Drop Jess a line and she will tailor the perfect set for your event
Available either with High Quality backing tracks or with live musicians. Please enquiry for details.
Off-Peak ...
Available in Oundle
from £149. Based in London
Quality entertainment at a good price.
available sat 2nd dec on afternoon and sat 9 dec daytime
over 20 years experience.
read my reviews on this site.
clown show/magic show /wizard or clown /balloon modelling/mix n mingle as clown or magician
choice of disco and games if required
live rabbit appears in show and another surprise animal.
circus skills workshop /punch n judy shows
adult close up magic/ table magic/street magic/family magic show for all the family
please note I travel to all areas distance no problem
Available in Oundle
from £50. Based in Birmingham
La Belle Assiette are the UK's leading chef service with over 300 chefs across the country. Through their platform you can browse menus from local chefs and book your chosen chef for a dinner party at home. Menus vary from £39 to £89 per person, all-inclusive: the chef sources fresh ingredients, cooks in your kitchen, serves each dish, and does the washing-up before leaving.experience.
Available in Oundle
. Based in London
I am a professional, talented and experienced caricature artist & DIGITAL CARICATURIST/CARTOONIST, based in the South West.
I have delivered top-quality art and entertainment to hundreds of clients in the UK and abroad. These included the Royal Military Academy, numerous casinos and many prestigious hotels. I specialize in a wide range of events - from friends-and-family events such as birthday parties and wedding receptions, to business events and music festivals. I can also offer LIVE DIGITAL CARICATURES.
Live DIGITAL caricature drawing is a new and unique idea for virtually any event; CHRISTMAS PARTIES, birthday parties, end-of-school parties, or big family events (weddings, gatherings, anniversaries), CONFERENCES ..... It requires minimal equipment, and so it can be set up speedily anywhere and at any time, whilst not taking up a lot of space. An iPad or a Wacom Cintig 22HD/Wacom Cintiq Companion 2 tablet would be connected to a TV s...
Available in Oundle
from £150. Based in Bristol
As the highest rated, and most booked magician here on poptop, Ed Sumner is a smart, popular professional magician, and Member of the Magic Circle. He is an experience professional magician, who performs across the UK for some of the most prestigious events, and would love to attend yours next. He specialises in close up magic and stand up magic and his passion lies in creating shared moments that will be impossible to forget. His unique and lively approach to magic means he is there to interact, engage, and to make you and your guests laugh. Ed's magic is perfect for weddings, parties, family gatherings, corporate events and much more too.
Ed is fully insured through Equity, has spent time training as an actor, stand up comedian and in professional performing arts, so if you are looking, for a quality magician and entertainer who is reliable, reputable and able to help you make the best impression for your event, then look no further than E...
Available in Oundle
from £200. Based in Birmingham
Socharo take pride in bringing a dynamic performance infused with elegance to every event. Not just a dance company, but a professional cabaret act with a flair for innovative choreography and bringing the wow factor to every event!
Having our very own in-house choreographer, music editor and costume designer ensures a perfectly tailored show for any event.
We take our professionally choreographed Bollywood shows worldwide! It is in our greatest interest to be on a personal level with each and every client making their journey before and during the event, one to remember by sharing our Socharo Sparkle !
Available in Oundle
from £194. Based in Leicestershire
The colour, the atmosphere and the beauty that is bollywood is presented for your pleasure and enjoyment by the vibrant and glamorous Bollywood Belles.
If you want exhilarating and energetic entertainment then look no further. Bollywood Belles offers you the ultimate in authentic Asian dance entertainment.
The Bollywood Belles have proven to be one of the most successful Bollywood groups in its field with performances at Weddings to Royal Command performances.
Our Shows are unique and original, choreographed to an exceptionally high standard from the UKs most talented choreographers, adding to that a team of costume designers and top music editors who work hand in hand to produce totally amazing results.
We pride ourselves in being one of the UKs most professional and high energy non asian bollywood groups only using the highest calibre of dancers, which enables us to maintain a very high standard through every performance and have devel...
Available in Oundle
from £240. Based in Leicester
parTpees offers a unique adult and children′s Bell Tent hire service, based in Rutland, covering England. You can can hire one of our beautiful tents for your special day complete with all of the trimmings. From garden parties, corporate Events, parties, festivals, weddings from single Bell tents to Village Accommodation we have you covered!
All our Tents are Top of the Range, 100% canvas, fully waterproof with heavy duty groundsheets, giving you complete comfort and luxury. We pride ourselves on giving you the best quality tents unlike many of the copies out there, our tents are European tested to BS5852 standards. To host your outdoor bell tent party, your venue needs to have a footprint of six metres in diameter for a four-metre tent, seven metres in diameter for a five-metre tent and eight metres for our 6 metre tent.
Lets Create Magical memories for your event with our Bell Tents and decor...
Look forward to speaking with you soon.
Available in Oundle
from £200.00. Based in Langham
Mikado Grande are the Ultimate Party Band. They guarantee a performance packed with floor-fillers from each decade to make your special event one you will never forget.
The 4-piece group formed 2 years ago and built a name for themselves on the local music scene. It wasn't long before the bookings started coming in.
From modern mashups to classic rock, Mikado Grande have a wealth of experience turning up the fun dial and bringing parties to life! They have been invited to play at festivals, weddings and birthdays all over the UK.
This band can cater for any crowd with their extensive repertoire from 1960's to the present day. Mikado Grande need no extra equipment so no stress at your event. Just sit back and let the lads take care of the entertainment. They are pros at creating a fun party atmosphere that's sure to get your guests singing and dancing!
Contact them today for a quotation. Now taking bookings for Spring 2018
Available in Oundle
from £675. Based in West Midlands
A self-taught saxophonist (soprano, alto and tenor) who 'plays by ear'. Can provide highly skilled and professional performances in: jazz classics, smooth jazz, chart (past and present); blues, gospel/Christian, club/dance.
Available or all event types.
Offering professional live saxophone music in many genres, including jazz, pop, soul, blues, jazz classics, contemporary and classical styles. Samantha-Jayne's musical expression and improvisational skills mean that each time she performs a song it takes on a unique feel. Her ability to 'play-by-ear' and quickly pick up melodies and riffs also makes Samantha-Jayne an ideal choice for sax studio session work in many diverse musical genres.
Invite Samantha-Jayne to help you create a unique and memorable event ... your Wedding, Anniversary or Birthday Party. Also available for Christmas and Company celebrations, Corporate Events, Brand and Product Launches, Bars and Restaurants, Clubs, ...
Available in Oundle
from ££100. Based in Walsall
A photo booth is a must have for any Prom or Wedding... or any occasion at all for that matter!! We have some great deals and packages for you.. and our luxury silver booth is available on selected dates. Get in touch for more information.
Available in Oundle
from £100.00. Based in Birmingham
Giardino Strings was founded in 2000 by David Giardino who studied under Italy's leading violinists Riccardo Brengola at the Accademia Chigiana in Siena and Alberto Fiore at the Conservatoire in Rome. David has extensive professional experience and his credits include Rome Opera House, London Concert Orchestra, Birmingham Royal Ballet, London Soloists, Cunard Cruise Liners and he is also a session musician for the BBC.
Giardino Strings is a distinguished ensemble composed of highly regarded professional musicians who have played extensively in concert halls across Europe. The group specialises in professional music engagements, weddings, corporate and Bollywood events, parties and Jewish celebrations including Bar Mitzvahs and weddings. The group is especially versatile and can perform as a solo, duo, trio, quartet, quintet, sextet, octet or chamber orchestra depending on your request or budget requirements. The group's repertoire of strin...
Available in Oundle
from £350. Based in London
Rosettas Variety Entertainment offers the very best services for meet&greet, mix&mingle, and themed dance performances.
With varying styles such as the Cancan, Charleston, Cabaret, or Bollywood, our shows are vibrant and entertaining. Or for something more classical we have Ballerinas and Masqueraders, elegant and beautiful.
All you need to do is dream up your perfect theme, and we will do the rest!
Popular events include:
*Birthday Celebrations*
*Wedding Receptions*
*Hen Parties*
*Corporate Events*
*Award Ceremonies*
*Open-air Carnivals*
*Vintage Fayres*
*Steam Rallies*
and much more.
Popular themes include:
*LAS VEGAS: beautifully costumed with glitz and feathers, our Las Vegas sets use the famous classics by Elvis Presley, or alternatively we can add an upbeat twist and get the party started with the likes of Jennifer Lopez.
*MOULIN ROUGE: an extravagantly themed show starring...
Available in Oundle
from £200. Based in Nottinghamshire
Trifonics is an outstanding flute and strings trio with unimaginable performance skills. Being in the UK's premier league of classical musicians, these three ladies have performed on stages all around the world. Not only is this trio what you would imagine a classical performance to be, Trifonics have a specialist skill in being able to sing, dance and interact whilst playing bringing a classical music to a new level. Brought together by meeting whilst busking in the historic Covent Garden, Trifonics have performed regularly in venues around London including 'Villa Di Geggiano' - Chiswick where their rendition of the Can-Can went down a storm. "It was something quite outstanding to watch them dance the Can-Can whilst playing so in tune, including the cellist!" - Elizabeth Rennie. Trifonics also have an extensive repertoire of background music where the harmonious melodies of the flute and strings serenade quietly in the background while people...
Available in Oundle
from £200. Based in Greater London
Offering professional Face Painting, Caricatures, Balloon Modelling & Glitter Tattoos for all your entertainment needs.
Birthday parties, Corporate promotions, Weddings, Family fun days, Festivals & more.
After many years experience we can also coordinate nationwide coverage for corporate promotions and brands, offering unique themes to fit your needs.
Available in Oundle
from £70. Based in Derby
We are PS Videography and Photography, let me tell you about us, what we do and why we do it. We are Birmingham based wedding professionals with lots of experience in our field, our team hold a BA (degree) and MA (masters) in both Documentary Film making and Media Production (Photography and Film).
The thing that inspires us most at PS Videography and Photography is the chance to capture memories for couples. We are always capturing moments you might miss and shooting all the laughter, happiness tears and emotion that goes with the wedding day.
A wedding is a single day that you will always remember, years of planning, months of preparation and it's over in an instant. We are on hand to make sure you have a visual memory to relive that special day over and over again. It's the one physical memory you will have of your wedding day and it's important for us to capture the moments that will make you laugh, smile and cry. Once we have finis...
Available in Oundle
. Based in Birmingham
London ceilidh band The Spring Heeled Jacks is an exciting five-piece band delivering healthy doses of energising dance tunes from England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales and beyond. Drawn from a number of experienced dance musicians and callers, The Spring Heeled Jacks are guaranteed to make your event a memorable one.
From foot-stomping jigs to elegant waltzes, their repertoire draws on both traditional tunes and their own compositions, with a style and rhythm which is irresistibly danceable. Whether you're looking for a traditional Scottish wedding ceilidh, a fun birthday party English barn dance or even a Welsh twmpath for your community fundraisers, the Spring Heeled Jacks would love to hear from you. We are a London ceilidh band but are happy to travel.
Edward is a professional tribute to Michael Jackson that has been seen all over the UK and beyond.
Edward was voted best act of 2016 personally by poptopuk and received amazing reviews and is classed and has achieved more bookings that any other michael jackson act on poptopuk.
Edward uses The highest quality equipment which includes a full light show and projector video introductions and interactive projection screen show.
If you're looking for a Michael Jackson Impersonator act to be part of your event, whether it is a wedding, birthday party, barmitzah, club, dinner show, corporate event, concert, or any other function, Simply Jackson is the act for you.
Edward has featured in world leading concert venues and productions these include, Indigo At The O2 London, USA, and Many International shows.
Edward had the honour to hear Exclusive news about his upcoming This Is It Tour plans back in 2008 From The Man Himself Michael Jacks...
Available in Oundle
from £210. Based in London
We combined our passion for quality customer service with our love of events to create one of Kent's most successful mobile bar hire companies. Still young at five years old and not stuck in our ways, we love hearing what our clients want to achieve for their events and this has been the root of our innovation from day one.
What makes us a great company is our willingness and enthusiasm to respond to our clients' requirements. If you want something, we give it to you at great value and with a great service.
Now, we enjoy suppling mobile bar hire, mixologists & cocktail bartender hire and cocktail workshops to Kent events & the surrounding counties. We love our industry. We love our product. We love our clients.
Available in Oundle
from £100. Based in Dartford
2016 'Take Me Out' star Ben Dali is a naturally gifted entertainer and among the most powerful Mind Readers and Hypnotists in the country.
A highly accomplished International Mind Reader, Ben has spent 12 years perfecting a number of unbelievable effects and has successfully deduced when Sir Ian McKellen was telling a lie to identify his card.
He has been touring his Hypnosis show 'Strictly Come Trancing' across social clubs, bars and theatres throughout the world since 2012, including performances for Google, Middle Eastern royalty and 2 full runs at Edinburgh Festival. 'Strictly Come Trancing' is a fascinating, modern and hilarious showcase of hypnosis, featuring volunteers from around your event and the opportunity for the rest of the audience to interact with them. It can be tailored for a family or adult audience, or any other criteria specific to your night.
Master hypnotist Ben Dali has a special combination of humour, comma...
Did not attend
Totally unreliable
Kept me wondering right up until 2 weeks before our wedding
Confirmed via email and text but didn't attend
I hope no one treats you like that in your wedding day
Thanks for nothing
"Couldn't have been any happier with how David played at our wedding. It was absolutely perfect and everything we were hoping for. A fabulous saxophonist and a very lovely man! Thank you again!"
Just wanted to say a huge thank you to Amber and the team for all the lovely Pizza's at our Star Wars themed party last Saturday. The Pizza's were amazing and catered for everyone's tastes and needs. The Van was so impressive and many photos where taken. Thank you so much Sarah x
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Gertrude Johnson-Hoefer
- 59 years old
- Date of birth: Mar 29, 1942
- Date of passing: Dec 26, 2001
|Let the memory of Gertrude be with us forever
This memorial website was created in memory of our loved one, Gertrude Johnson-Hoefer, 59, born on March 29, 1942 and passed away on December 26, 2001. We will remember her forever.
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subset: commoncrawl


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Google's Star-Searching Bacon Number Tool Makes Your Brain One Degree Less Necessary
Do you know how many movies Kevin Bacon has been in? Like, seventy. He's so prolific that the the world's intellectuals widely accept the theory that every single person in Hollywood is removed from Kevin Bacon by no more than six direct associative on-screen links.


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Turnberry House has planning permission in place for change of use back into a private dwelling house although it could still be run as a guesthouse.
A well presented six bedroom semi-detached house which is positioned within this popular location close to local amenities, good schools and transport links.
Benefitting from many fine features, the accommodation comprises modern facilities including a spacious, welcoming lounge, an attractive fitted kitchen, contemporary style bathroom and good size bedrooms. There is ample garden space also.
Please see the floor plan and photographs for further information and why not book an appointment to view?
17'8" x 6'0"
(5.39m x 1.85m)
5'10" x 2'7"
(1.80m x .80m)
8'6" x 5'10"
(2.60m x 1.80m)
5'10" x 3'6"
(1.80m x 1.08m)
10'4" x 9'5"
(3.15m x 2.88m)
Breakfast Room
16'1" x 10'4"
(4.91m x 3.16m)
15'3" x 7'1"
(4.65m x 2.18m)
5'7" x 3'11"
(1.71m x 1.20m)
Dining Room
14'5" x 14'1"
(4.40m x 4.30m)
21'3" x 13'5"
(6.48m x 4.09m)
Sitting Room
20'2" x 18'11"
(6.17m x 5.79m)
Bedroom 3
14'4" x 12'4"
(4.38m x 3.76m)
5'10" x 4'8"
(1.79m x 1.43m)
Bedroom 4
8'5" x 6'7"
(2.58m x 2.03m)
6'9" x 3'1"
(2.07m x .94m)
Bedroom 2
14'6" x 14'0"
(4.42m x 4.29m)
7'3" x 4'11"
(2.22m x 1.51m)
Bedroom 1
16'4" x 14'7"
(4.98m x 4.46m)
33'3" x 17'4"
(10.14m x 5.30m)
Bedroom 6
13'5" x 6'11"
(4.11m x 2.11m)
13'5" x 6'2"
(4.11m x 1.89m)
14'8" x 6'4"
(4.49m x 1.94m)
6'10" x 4'9"
(2.10m x 1.45m)
Bedroom 5
16'3" x 12'1"
(4.96m x 3.69m)
Approximate Floor Area
107.31 sq. ft
(9.97 sq. m)
Ground Floor
Approximate Floor Area
1172.51 sq. ft
(108.93 sq. m)
First Floor
Approximate Floor Area
920.52 sq. ft
(85.52 sq. m)
Second Floor
Approximate Floor Area
517.85 sq. ft
(48.11 sq. m)
Book a viewing online in minutes. Just click below to choose the days and times
you're able to view the property and you'll receive an email and SMS as soon as the owner confirms one of your options.
With our fees at just £795, you can save thousands selling with the UK's best rated online estate agent.


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Tiled 0.14 is out now, with several nice new features and enhancements! Here are the highlights, followed by the full change log below.
This feature was requested a long time ago and came up many times since then. Now, each layer can be set at a custom offset, which primarily enables emulating height and stacking of tiles.
Tiled-Layer-Offset.webm provides a short video of editing with this feature.
The graphics I've used for these examples are by Yar (CC-BY 3.0).
While it was always possible for plugins to add custom map formats, the same wasn't true for tileset formats. This was especially unfortunate for those wanting to use external tilesets in combination with the JSON map format, which necessarily always embedded the tileset in the map file. Now, the JSON plugin adds a JSON tileset format and will no longer embed tileset information in the map file for external tilesets.
In Tiled 0.12 the object name labels went missing since they interfered with the resizing improvements and did not work well with rotation either. They also did not display for polygons and tile objects. Now, the object names labels are back:
You can choose to disable them, to have them only for the selected objects or to show them always. They won't be elided, scaled or rotated like the old labels, making sure they are always readable.
In the future I'd like to make it possible to configure what it shows on the label, but for now it will just show the name of the object.
The selection of the tile palette now synchronizes when tiles are captured from the map. This also provides quick access to tile properties by right-clicking them on the map. Similarly, when selecting a tile object (on an object layer), the tile animation and collision editors will update to show the associated tile.
The active brush is no longer reset when switching between maps, so the right-click capture feature of the stamp brush is now also a quick way to copy/paste an area from one map to another.
Many thanks to all who contributed!
That's right, I'd like the next version of Tiled to be 1.0! It'll probably take a bit longer than this version since there are a large number of issues to address before I'm ready to call it "complete". But I want to finish it this year, which is possible because of many awesome people supporting me with a donation each month. Thanks for that!
Of course, this is not to be seen as the end, but rather a beginning. This milestone is about providing a solid base upon which to build future changes. For changes planned beyond 1.0, check out the Tiled roadmap.
woohoo! this release looks awesome!
BTW, does tiled have a facebook page? I looked but couldn't find one.
I can't set one up because I don't have a Facebook account. There's a page on Google+ though.
IMHO it'd be worth it to create a fb account just to make a page. Increase your reach and all. Yeah, I get your notifications on G+, I'll go see if I'm subscribed to the page too.
Any chance we get can get 64 bit windows version
I take it the only change to TMX file is a layer's offsetx / offsety attributes, right? Would be nice to have the TMX format changes/additions in the changelog as well.
You knew I was already working on it! Anyway, I just pushed it to master so that the daily builds for Windows now also feature a 64-bit version. Unfortunately they still don't support Python, but for the rest it should be the same.
Yep, that's the only change. The documentation has been updated now. Thanks for the reminder!
Haha you are the man! Thanks so much!
TilemapKit supports the layer offsets, will be in v0.93.


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Liverpool's creative midfielder Philippe Coutinho believes Jurgen Klopp is a perfect fit at Anfield and is making him a better player.
As the build up to the first silverware of the season starts to gather pace, Coutinho has spoken out about the positive atmosphere that Klopp has brought to the squad and the difference he is making to his game.
"He (Klopp) created a highly successful side at Dortmund and it is great for Liverpool to have him," Coutinho told World Soccer magazine.
"In training, we are working hard and enjoying his methods, which are helping to make us better players.
"Little by little, it is translating to matches and I think everyone has seen how effective his philosophy can be if we adapt it in the right way.
"It feels like we are moving in the right direction under him and we believe we can fight for the big prizes and enjoy some special moments with the fans."
The Reds will be hoping to create a special moment with the fans this weekend when they take on Manchester City at Wembley in the Capital One Cup final.


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Tag: smooth jazz
Gato Barbieri
by Randy on Jul.30, 2009, under concerts
Gato Barbieri plays jazz, latin jazz, spiritual jazz, and smooth jazz music on his tenor saxophone. He has 30 albums as a leader from 1960-2002.
Earl Klugh
by Randy on Jul.22, 2009, under concerts
Earl Klugh has been a smooth jazz/jazz fusion guitarist since 1970. He has numerous solo albums plus collaborations with some of the best in the business including Bob James, George Benson, and Hiroki Miyano
Dianne Reeves
by Randy on Jul.06, 2009, under concerts
Dianne Reeves is one of the most important contemporary jazz singer today. She has 4 Grammys from 2001-2006.
David Sanborn
by Randy on Jul.02, 2009, under concerts
David Sanborn is the most successful sax player since the 80s. While you may hear him on smooth jazz his favorite genres are jazz, instrumental pop, and R&B.
David Benoit
by Randy on Jul.02, 2009, under concerts
David Benoit plays jazz fusion and contemporary jazz music. He's got the nod for a Grammy 5 times.
Dave Grusin
by Randy on Jul.02, 2009, under concerts
Dave Grusin has worked in many genres but his preference is jazz and smooth jazz. He's won numerous awards for his soundtracks and his music has appeared in about 100 films.
Craig Chaquico
by Randy on Jun.26, 2009, under concerts
Craig Chaquico has 3 decades of music experience. He played with Jefferson Starship in the 70s and 80s. In the 90s he has played smooth jazz as a soloist.


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Unusual McGill/McHale Trio to play Music at Hillwood recital at Tilles Center
WHEN | WHERE 3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 4, Tilles Center's Hillwood Recital Hall, LIU Post campus, Brookville
TICKETS $43; 516-299-3100, tillescenter.org
You're in for an "extraordinarily rare" experience at Sunday's Music at Hillwood matinee recital.
The McGill/McHale Trio performs a program including works by Dvorak and Saint-Saens and two pieces arranged by pianist Michael McHale. While the performance may be extraordinary, it is the players — specifically two of them — that make the occasion so rare.
In 2014, clarinetist Anthony McGill became the first African-American named principal player of any instrument in the New York Philharmonic since its 1843 founding. His brother, Demarre, was the first African-American principal player for the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, now acting principal flutist for the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra. "We're neighbors now," says Demarre, who works at the Met Opera House while his kid brother by four years plays at Geffen Hall across Lincoln Center Plaza. "The trio," he says, "is the first time we've worked regularly together professionally."
While black musicians are vastly underrepresented in symphony orchestras, they're even rarer in chamber ensembles, says Caroline Stoessinger, host and artistic director of Music at Hillwood. Even the Harlem String Quartet now has only one African-American player, violinist Melissa White. In September, an African-American, cellist Astrid Schween, joined the Juilliard String Quartet.
"If you can't think of an African-American concert pianist besides Andre Watts," says Stoessinger, "it's because they don't exist.
"Prejudice still exists on some level," she says. "But it's also lack of opportunity. A child needs a great teacher and a fine instrument by age 4 or 5, maybe a bit later for a woodwind player. They need parents to get them to lessons and encourage them to study and practice. Then they need a mentor who'll find the right competitions to enter, the right auditions."
Anthony McGill says he "feels proud" of being the first African-American principal player for the Philharmonic. "But I realize there were a lot of people who came before me who were not allowed the opportunities I was. When someone comes to a concert and sees one person who looks like him, that's important. . . . Art crosses cultures."
Stoessinger is writing a novel about diversity, or its lack, in classical music, based in part on Jeannette Thurber, an early patron of classical music in the United States who opened a conservatory that accepted minorities, women and people with disabilities. One of her notable African-American students, Harry Burleigh, later a composer, sang for Dvorak while he was director of Thurber's National Conservatory, possibly inspiring passages from the Czech composer's Symphony for the New World. So it is fitting, Stoessinger says, that a piece by Dvorak, an early champion of African-American music and musicians (Burleigh became his conservatory assistant), is part of Sunday's recital. Watts' champion was Leonard Bernstein. He gave the pianist his big break when Glenn Gould canceled a performance with the New York Philharmonic. Watts substituted and never looked back.
"We need more champions for diversity — now perhaps more than ever," Stoessinger says.
Emerson Quartet at Staller
WHAT The Emerson String Quartet, resident chamber ensemble of Stony Brook University, opens its 40th anniversary season with a Staller Center recital Tuesday night. The quartet, which has won nine Grammy Awards, includes three original members — violinists Philip Setzer and Eugene Drucker and violist Lawrence Dutton. Cellist Paul Watkins joined at the start of its 37th season. Tuesday's program, all quartets, of course: Beethoven's in F Minor, Op. 95 "Serioso," Shostakovich's No. 4 and Greig's in G Minor, Op. 27. "You can't ask for a better gig than playing great music with great partners," says Setzer, adding, "How did it get to be 40?"
WHEN | WHERE 8 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 6, Staller Center Recital Hall, Stony Brook University. Two more Emerson concerts Jan. 17 and April 4, also in the Recital Hall
TICKETS $48; 631-632-2787, stallercenter.com


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First of all, I'd like to thank each and every one of you for your positive thoughts, prayers, vibes, facebook messages, and kind words, in regards to my post the other day. Words really cannot express how thankful I am, to have your support.
Now. Let me tell you what's going on with me.
On October 12th, I found out I was pregnant. Jared and I were beyond thrilled. We've been officially trying for baby #2 since June. Based off my calculations, my estimated due date would be around June 21, 2013. However, because I would be having another scheduled c-section, I would have the baby at 39 weeks, which would be June 14th…my grandparents anniversary, and my grandfather's birthday. Perfect!
I called my OB's office, and my first prenatal appointment was scheduled for November 6th. I would be about 7 weeks pregnant at that time.
Because we were going to Florida for my aunts wedding, we told my parents and brother immediately, and a few other family members that would be traveling with us. They were all thrilled! My sweet boy Lincoln, was going to be a big brother!!
Before I knew it, November 6th had arrived, and it was time for our appointment! I was a bunch of emotions… excited, anxious, nervous. All to be expected, of course.
My OB practically bounced into the room with excitement. He delivered Lincoln, and I actually ran into him at Target last March, where he asked me when we'd be trying for #2! It was like a reunion. Sounds a bid weird, perhaps, considering he's my OB and all, but he's really a great doctor.
Because he already knew my previous medical history, we could basically cut to the chase, and get started with the highlight of the visit. The ultrasound!!!
Because I was estimated to be about 7 weeks, he had to do an internal ultrasound, which I was fully prepared for, and yes, as awkward as it seems, I think you eventually just get used to it. Or maybe I'm just weird 😉
I grinned at my husband next to me, as we waited the anticipation of seeing our baby for the first time.
Then my doctor asked, "How sure are you of your dates?"
My heart sank.
I was more than sure of my dates. I received my positive test on October 12th. I knew at the very earliest I could be is 7 weeks.
He told me to get dressed, and he'd be back to chat.
I felt like I was going to throw up.
When he came back into the room, he pulled up a chair. He said he'd like me to come back the following week for another ultrasound. Right now the only thing visible, was a gestational sac, and at this point in pregnancy, they can normally see the fetal pole and detect a heartbeat. He hoped that the following week, we would see the sac grow, and the fetal pole would be visible.
Okay. I was still pregnant. Nervous, indeed. But, still pregnant.
That week was one of the longest weeks in my life. I am a very optimistic person by nature, however, I think once you experience a miscarriage firsthand, you lose that carefree sense when you find out you're first pregnant. You check the toilet paper for blood each time you wipe. You do this the entire 9 months you're pregnant. When I first told my parents, the first thing out of my mouth was, "but it's REALLY early, so …"
Going into my second appointment on Tuesday, I was exceptionally nervous. Thankfully when my doctor came into the room, he immediately went for the ultrasound machine. He noted that the gestational sac has grown, but I could clearly see there was still nothing inside.
He finished up his measurements and again told me to get dressed, and he'd be back.
I looked at my husband and just shook my head.
When my doctor arrived, he pulled up his chair. He told me I could possibly have something called a blighted ovum. Basically what this means, is while the gestational sac grows, there is no fetal development inside.
However. He said because the sac did grow, and I am not showing any signs of miscarrying naturally, he'd like to perform another ultrasound the following Monday. He also wanted to have my HCG levels checked that day, and for me to go again before my appointment on Monday, so he could compare the numbers.
I straight out asked him, "Is there any hope? I received my positive test on October 12th. I know that the very minimum pregnant I could be is 8 weeks."
My doctor placed his head in his hands. That's something you don't expect to see. My doctor was showing emotion and compassion towards me, his patient. I could genuinely see the care and concern in his eyes.
I apologized for asking that question, but I just didn't understand scientifically speaking, how there was even a possibility.
He told me that, yes, while there is normally something to see at this stage of pregnancy, sometimes medicine is a tricky thing, and there are no explanations as to why something happens the way it does. He said he has witnessed miracles happen firsthand. He said he has had cases exactly like mine where there should very well be a baby there, and then the next week, there's a heartbeat. He said he likes to give each and every pregnancy a chance, because sometimes, that's all that is needed. He doesn't believe in ending things before he 100% believes they are not viable.
He told me to be prepared for the worst, and hope for the best.
He scheduled me an appointment for first thing Monday morning at 8am. By that time, based on the ultrasound, and my HCG levels, we should have an answer.
So now, we wait. The unknown is the hardest part.
While I know I should stay far away from google, I found this website the other day. The site has tons of stories just like mine, where there is a positive outcome.
While I know the odds are not in my favor, these stories give me hope. My doctor not giving up, gives me hope. Right now those are the things I need to hang on to.
But in all reality, all I can do is wait. And pray for a miracle.


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Speedwav Car Twin 3D Bonnet Graphics Black and Chrome
Simple and elegant design, attractive and durable.
Installation :
1.Select the place you need to install, clear the dust above the oil-water or other dirt.
2. Removal of a layer of adhesive tape of the back of the product, and paste it into the place you want to install.
1.Do not use additional strong glue
2.paste to have the possibility of shedding of the items of the following materials. Fluoride surface, two spraying surface, propylene, etc. the surface of the resin material.
3.the paste surface handle or obvious difference in the level of the case, it may be unable to install.Within 24 hours. Paste, do not car wash, being careful not to drop it.
Package Contents:
1 x Speedwav Car Twin 3D Bonnet Graphics Black and Chrome


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Game 25: Astros at Red Sox
Good morning. Here are the lineups:
Ellsbury CF
Nava RF
Pedroia 2B
Ortiz DH
Napoli 1B
Carp LF
Saltalamacchia C
Middlebrooks 3B
Drew SS
Pitching: RHP John Lackey (0-1, 4.15).
Grossman CF
Altuve 2B
Castro C
Pena 1B
Cedeno DH
Martinez LF
Dominguez 3B
Ankiel RF
Gonzalez SS
Pitching: RHP Bud Norris (3-2, 4.13).
Game time: 1:35 p.m.
TV/Radio: NESN / WEEI
Red Sox vs. Norris: Drew 5-9, Victorino 2-5, Gomes 1-5, Pedroia 0-1, Ross 2-3, Salty 1-2.
Astros vs. Lackey: Pena 8-30, Cedeno 0-1.
Stat of the Day: Norris, at $3 million, is the highest-paid Astros player this season. There are 16 Red Sox players who will make more.
Notes: The Sox start the day with the best record in baseball and a two-game lead in the division. They have won four straight and five of six. … Lackey returns to the mound for the first time since April 6 when he strained a biceps muscle. He pitched well that day (4.1 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 8 K) before the injury. Lackey is facing the Astros for the second time in his career, the first time since 2007. … Norris faced the Sox on July 1, 2011 and allowed four runs over six innings. He did strike out 10. … The franchise record for wins in April is 18 (1998 and 2003). … Ortiz has hit safely in all seven games he has played this season (14 of 27) and in 19 straight going back to last July (31 of 66). That matches the longest hitting streak of his career. Ortiz has nine RBIs in seven games this season. … Middlebrooks is 5 of 11 with three extra-base hits in the last three games. … The Sox are 10-5 at Fenway. … The Sox were 11-14 after 25 games in each of the last three seasons. … Pedroia is 8 of 16 in the last four games with three doubles. … Sox starters are 14-4, 3.14. … The Sox are 22 of 28 in steals. They leads the majors in swipes. … The Sox have scored 22 runs in the series on 40 hits, 18 of them for extra bases. … Sox pitchers have struck out 37 in the three games against the Astros so far. … The Sox have 244 strikeouts this month. The major league record for strikeouts in a month is 264 by the 1964 Cleveland Indians in July. … The Sox are 10-2 against the Astros all time. … Remember when Napoli had bad hips and everybody was worried about how he would play in the field? He has played 195 of a possible 214 innings at first base so far this season and has one error. …It's Autism Speaks Day at Fenway and Maine Day, too.
Song of the Day: "Back In The Saddle" by Aerosmith.


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Ever since man first learned to walk upright and use the computer to make funny pictures, there have been competitions where people try to make the most humorous scenes. Then man discovered sharpened sticks and started to kill each other with them. But now, those two classic hobbies have found a way to come together in an upcoming game called Photoshop Wars.
Coming this November, Photoshop Wars is a website that will allow users to take part in image-editing competitions. One player will pick a title for the battle (the promotional video, posted below, suggests "The llamas are taking over!") and then send a challenge to one of their Facebook friends (or any other Photoshop Wars user). Both combatants will then use an image-editing program of their choice to create a picture that best captures whatever the pre-decided title was, at which point they will submit their entries to the Photoshop Wars community. Whichever image receives the most votes will determine the winner. The victor gets experience points that go toward earning new ranks and special profile badges, effectively turning the average Photoshop competition into something more akin to the multiplayer mode in a Call of Duty game.
The two Iceland-based developers, who call themselves The Bluth Company, are hoping to raise $15,000 with crowdfunding site Indiegogo to pay for a better hosting service, new equipment, and the opportunity to work on Photoshop Wars full-time.
While the game hasn't launched yet, future Photoshop Warriors can go to the official site and sign up to receive updates and more information on the upcoming beta.
In the spirit of the game and Photoshop competitions in general, I have created my own entry for "The llamas are taking over." I'm pretty sure it would win.


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Excerpts from opening statements of Senator Pat Roberts, chairman of the Senate Select Intelligence Committee, and Senator John D. Rockefeller IV, vice chairman of the committee, at a news conference on Friday, as recorded by Federal News Service Inc., and the text of the committee's report:
Comments by Senator Roberts
A year ago, the Senate Committee on Intelligence made a commitment to the Congress and the American people that we should examine the quality and the quantity of intelligence that led to the war in Iraq. Now, the debate over many aspects of the United States liberation of Iraq will likely continue for decades, but one fact is now clear: before the war, the United States intelligence community told the president, as well as the Congress and the public, that Saddam Hussein had stockpiles of chemical and biological weapons, and if left unchecked, would probably have a nuclear weapon during this decade. Well, today we know these assessments were wrong, and as our inquiry will show, they were also unreasonable and largely unsupported by the available intelligence. The report the committee is releasing today seeks to explain how that happened.
And I want the American people to know -- we both want the American people to know -- that the committee's 12-month inquiry into the United States intelligence community's prewar assessments with regard to Iraq is without precedent in the history of the committee. The committee has looked behind the intelligence community's assessments to evaluate not only the quantity and quality of the intelligence upon which it has based those assessments, but also whether or not those assessments themselves were reasonable.
The report contains a detailed and a meticulous recitation of the intelligence reporting and the evolution of the analyses. From the details, a report emerges that is very critical of the intelligence community's performance. This has not been a pleasant task, but it is based on fact.
Now, while criticism is never easy to accept, I think professionals understand the need for self-examination. And let me emphasize, the men and women of the intelligence community are first and foremost true and dedicated professionals.
Now this report is long and detailed. I encourage all of you to take the time to digest as much of it as you can. Obviously while it is too large for either one of us to summarize, I can point out some of the highlights.Continue reading the main story
First of all, most of the key judgments in the October 2002 National Intelligence Estimate on Iraq's W.M.D. programs were either overstated or were not supported by the raw intelligence reporting. Here are some examples of statements from the key judgments:
Iraq is reconstituting its nuclear program.
Iraq has chemical and biological weapons.
Iraq was developing an unmanned aerial vehicle, a U.A.V., probably intended to deliver biological warfare agents.
And all key aspects -- research and development and production -- of Iraq's offensive biological weapons program are active and that most elements are larger and more advanced than they were before the gulf war.
Now these are very emphatic statements. Simply put, they were not supported by the intelligence which the community supplied to the committee, and they should not have been included in the N.I.E.
Second, in the committee's view, the intelligence community did not accurately or adequately explain the uncertainties behind the judgments in the October 2002 National Intelligence Estimate to policy makers, both in the executive branch and here on Capitol Hill. Intelligence analysts are charged with interpreting and assessing the intelligence reporting and with clearly conveying to policy makers the difference between what they know, what they don't know, what they think and then making sure that the policy makers understand that difference. As the report details, they did not do this with respect to the October 2002 N.I.E.
Third, the committee concluded that the intelligence community was suffering from what we call a collective groupthink, which led analysts and collectors and managers to presume that Iraq had active and growing W.M.D. programs. This groupthink caused the community to interpret ambiguous evidence, such as the procurement of dual-use technology, as conclusive evidence of the existence of W.M.D. programs.
While we did not specifically address it in our report, it is clear that this groupthink also extended to our allies and to the United Nations and several other nations as well, all of whom did believe that Saddam Hussein had active W.M.D. programs. This was a global intelligence failure.
Fourth, the committee concluded that in a few significant instances, the analysis in the N.I.E. suffered from what we call a layering effect.
Assessments were built or were based on previous judgments without carrying forward the uncertainty of those judgments. This is what we have termed the ''intelligence assumption train.''
Layering is a necessary tool for analysts. There's no question about that. However, if ongoing underlying questions and uncertainties are not incorporated into the subsequent intelligence products, then the subsequent assessment can be -- unbeknownst to the policy maker, become increasingly inaccurate; in other words, the assumption train simply becomes longer.
Fifth, the committee concluded there was a failure by intelligence community managers to adequately encourage analysts to challenge their assumptions, to fully consider alternative arguments, to accurately characterize intelligence reporting, and to counsel analysts who had lost their objectivity.
Sixth, the committee concluded that there were significant shortcomings on almost every aspect of the intelligence community's human intelligence collection efforts against the Iraqi W.M.D. target. Most alarming, after 1998 and the exit of the United Nations inspectors, the C.I.A. had no human intelligence sources inside Iraq who were collecting against the W.M.D. target. In addition to this lack of good source reporting, the C.I.A. did not share its sensitive human intelligence reporting. Most if not all of these problems stem from a broken corporate culture and poor management, and cannot be solved by simply adding funding and also personnel.
Seventh, the committee concluded the C.I.A. abused its unique position in the intelligence community to the detriment of this nation's prewar analysis in regards to Iraq's W.M.D. programs. In a number of cases, the C.I.A. sequestered significant reportable intelligence and prevented information from being shared with all source analysts at other intelligence agencies. This problem also plagued the terrorism analysts as they examined Iraq's links to terrorists. But with respect to Saddam Hussein's regime and his link to terrorists, the committee did find that the C.I.A. judgments were reasonable, based on the available intelligence.
The agency was also more careful to inform policy makers about uncertainties with their analysis.
Finally, the committee found no evidence that the intelligence community's mischaracterization or exaggeration of intelligence on Iraq's weapons of mass destruction capabilities was the result of politics or pressure. In the end, what the president and the Congress used to send the country to war was information that was provided by the intelligence community, and that information was flawed.
So the question now is, where do we go from here? As I have said before, this report cries out for reform. However, it is incumbent on the committee and the Congress to think responsibly and carefully about the most effective reforms. We must base whatever recommendations we ultimately make on the facts and considered judgment, not on expediency or media-generated momentum.
I intend, we intend for the committee to examine closely all proposals for change, keeping in mind that we should first do no harm, and avoid as best we can the law of unintended consequences. Congress should not legislate change merely for the sake of change. We should really direct our actions only against identifiable problems that lend themselves to legislative solutions. With these thoughts in mind, we intend to work with the executive branch, with our counterparts in the House of Representatives, and yes, with the people who are doing good work in the intelligence community, to construct an intelligence capability worthy of this great nation and the men and women who perform this difficult and often dangerous work. . . .
Comments by Senator Rockefeller
There is simply no question that mistakes leading up to the war in Iraq rank among the most devastating losses and intelligence failures in the history of the nation. The fact is that the administration at all levels, and to some extent us, used bad information to bolster its case for war. And we in Congress would not have authorized that war -- we would NOT have authorized that war -- with 75 votes if we knew what we know now.
Leading up to Sept. 11, our government didn't connect the dots. In Iraq, we are even more culpable because the dots themselves never existed. Tragically, the intelligence failure set forth in this report will affect our national security for generations to come. Our credibility is diminished. Our standing in the world has never been lower. We have fostered a deep hatred of Americans in the Muslim world, and that will grow. As a direct consequence, our nation is more vulnerable today than ever before.
We found the intelligence judgments regarding Iraq's weapons of mass destruction were not supported by the underlying intelligence. And here my words will parallel, in many respects, what Chairman Roberts has said. They were not supported by underlying intelligence. The judgments overstated what analysts knew and then failed to explain the uncertainty or uncertainties behind those judgments -- in other words, the judgment with the caveats of ''We generally feel this way, but there are those in the State Department, the Department of Energy, or whatever, who feel differently.'' Aluminum tubes was an example of that.
The report points out the intelligence community began with a presumption, as Chairman Roberts has said, that Iraq had the weapons, never questioned the assumption that Iraq had the weapons, and viewed virtually every bit of ambiguous information as supporting the fact that the weapons were there.
I just interrupt myself to point out that the head of Unscom, Rolf Ekeus, always had as a theory -- and still does -- that those so- called weapons of mass destruction, which we are still looking for, were in fact left over and simply a result of the 10-year war with Iran, and that all of the rest of it was what United Nations inspectors and others and us tried to find.
Our human intelligence collection, as Pat Roberts has pointed out, was inadequate. Not only did we not have people on the ground in 1998 -- after 1998, when the inspectors left; but we relied, when they had left, too much on the fragmentary reporting from years before, from the early 90's, from the post-Iran-Iraq war situation, and were never able to pin anything down.
Our report found that the intelligence community's judgments were right on Iraq's ties to terrorists, which is another way of saying that the administration's conclusions were wrong, and that is, of the relationship, the formal relationship, however you want to describe it, between Iraq and Al Qaeda, and no evidence that existed of Iraq's complicity or assistance in Al Qaeda's terrorist attacks, including 9/11, which, through the device of Mohammed Atta and others, the debate continues almost up until two months ago, at least on the part of the vice president
Our report underscores the need for reforming the intelligence community . . . we have to have people whose job it is to specifically challenge the assumptions that analysts have come up with; that is their work, to challenge the assumptions on whether it's W.M.D. or whether it's the National Intelligence Estimate; that there are those who are there who are contrarian analysts, so to speak, to try and pick apart and challenge what those assumptions might be.
Do I feel a sense of frustration together with Chairman Roberts that we have not been able to do that because of the weight of 511 pages and the time that that required, which is almost total? Yes, I think we both feel that frustration.
But we've got to do it right. We can't just do it for the sake of doing it. But we've got to do it fast.
This business that went on yesterday about threat levels and what's going to happen at conventions and other things, all of this simply is a way of saying time has run out. The 9/11 victims have a right to be frustrated, and their families have a right to be frustrated by the fact that we have not actually come up with and legislated, where we could, the reforms of intelligence. But we've not been able to do that because of the nature of this report and the investigation required of it, and the paucity of our staff, which has to be another intelligence reform, that the nature of the Intelligence Committee itself changes.
Now, the report does an excellent job of pointing out the intelligence community's shortcomings. I have to say, it is only an incomplete picture of what occurred during the national debate over the decision to invade Iraq.
The report we are releasing today is the first phase of the two-part committee investigation. Regrettably, whereas I consider reform incredibly important, I also consider the nature of the interaction, or the pressure, or the shaping of intelligence by endless numbers of public statements emanating from all levels high up in the administration, virtually saying that time has run out; you know: ''mushroom cloud,'' ''grave and growing,'' ''imminent'' by some, evidence supports the fact that they are developing their nuclear weapons program -- all the rest of it. That whole aspect is being relegated to the second part of our report, and I regret that. I felt that we should and could have addressed all of these matters as a single matter, because under the rules of the committee, we can do that. But that was not possible. And so we moved forward, we moved forward and produced a very good piece of work.
The central issue of how intelligence on Iraq was -- in this senator's opinion, was exaggerated by the Bush administration officials, was relegated to that second phase, as yet unbegun, of the committee investigation, along with other issues.
We've done a little bit of work on the No. 3 guy in the Defense Department, Douglas Feith, part of his alleged efforts to run intelligence past the intelligence community altogether; his relationship with the I.N.C. and Chalabi, who was very much in favor with the administration, wanting them to come on in; and was he running a private intelligence failure, which is not lawful.
As a result, the committee's report fails to fully explain the environment of intense pressure in which the intelligence community officials were asked to render judgments on matters relating to Iraq when the most senior officials in the Bush administration had already forcefully and repeatedly stated their conclusions publicly. It was clear to all of us in this room who were watching that and to many others that they had made up their mind that they were going to go to war. And I believe to this day, and I always have and I've said so publicly many times in regretting my vote, that there was a predetermination, even going back to 1998 and the letter to Bill Clinton, saying the time for diplomacy has ended and now is the time for military force -- use of military force.
So the justification for the pre-emptive invasion of Iraq was: 1, that Iraq had stockpiled weapons, chemical and biological; 2, that they were actively pursuing a nuclear weapon; 3, that Iraq might use its alliances with terrorist organizations, including Al Qaeda, to use these weapons to strike at the United States. And in one part of our report, I believe we use the word even the use of this in the homeland, the United States.
The N.I.E. -- I'm sorry.
The first two administration points, the case for invasion, the committee details, as Chairman Roberts has indicated, how these key pillars were not supported and should not have been there. The National Intelligence Estimate was given to us at our request -- at the request of the Senate Intelligence Committee -- about 10 days before the vote came.
It was done in three weeks. It was thrown together. It was based upon fragmentary intelligence, ancient intelligence.
And then there was this enormous difference between the classified version, where all kinds of doubts and caveats were included, and then the white paper, which was the unclassified version, which all of a sudden, everything moved in one direction -- towards they've got them, they're ready to use them and watch out. I don't think that was an accident.
Let me just finish by saying -- again, an emphasis on this relentless public campaign prior to the war which repeatedly characterized the Iraqi weapons programs in more ominous and threatening terms than any intelligence would have allowed. In short, we went to war in Iraq based on false claims.
So in conclusion, during a critical time in our nation's history -- 18-month period spanning the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, to the invasion of Iraq on March 20, 2003 -- the credibility of the intelligence community, which is the spear tip of all actions, and particularly under a doctrine of pre-emption, was significantly compromised.
Excerpts From the Report
1. Most of the major key judgments in the intelligence community's October 2002 National Intelligence Estimate, Iraq's Continuing Programs for Weapons of Mass Destruction, either overstated, or were not supported by, the underlying intelligence reporting. A series of failures, particularly in analytic trade craft, led to the mischaracterization of the intelligence.
2. The intelligence community did not accurately or adequately explain to policy makers the uncertainties behind the judgments in the October 2002 National Intelligence Estimate.
3. The intelligence community suffered from a collective presumption that Iraq had an active and growing weapons of mass destruction program. This groupthink dynamic led intelligence community analysts, collectors and managers to both interpret ambiguous evidence as conclusively indicative of a W.M.D. program as well as ignore or minimize evidence that Iraq did not have active and expanding weapons of mass destruction programs. This presumption was so strong that formalized I.C. mechanisms established to challenge assumptions and groupthink were not utilized.
4. In a few significant instances, the analysis in the National Intelligence Estimate suffers from a ''layering'' effect whereby assessments were built based on previous judgments without carrying forward the uncertainties of the underlying judgments.
5. In each instance where the committee found an analytic or collection failure, it resulted in part from a failure of intelligence community managers throughout their leadership chains to adequately supervise the work of their analysts and collectors. They did not encourage analysts to challenge their assumptions, fully consider alternative arguments, accurately characterize the intelligence reporting, or counsel analysts who lost their objectivity.
6. The committee found significant short-comings in almost every aspect of the intelligence community's human intelligence collection efforts against Iraq's weapons of mass destruction activities, in particular that the community had no sources collecting against weapons of mass destruction in Iraq after 1998. Most, if not all, of these problems stem from a broken corporate culture and poor management, and will not be solved by additional funding and personnel.
7. The Central Intelligence Agency, in several significant instances, abused its unique position in the intelligence community, particularly in terms of information sharing, to the detriment of the intelligence community's prewar analysis concerning Iraq's weapons of mass destruction programs.
8. Intelligence community analysts lack a consistent post-Sept. 11 approach to analyzing and reporting on terrorist threats.
9. Source protection policies within the intelligence community direct or encourage reports officers to exclude relevant detail about the nature of their sources. As a result, analysts community-wide are unable to make fully informed judgments about the information they receive, relying instead on nonspecific source lines to reach their assessments. Moreover, relevant operational data is nearly always withheld from analysts, putting them at a further analytical disadvantage.
10. The intelligence community relies too heavily on foreign government services and third party reporting, thereby increasing the potential for manipulation of United States policy by foreign interests.
12. Until October 2002 when the intelligence community obtained the forged foreign language documents on the Iraq-Niger uranium deal, it was reasonable for analysts to assess that Iraq may have been seeking uranium from Africa based on Central Intelligence Agency reporting and other available intelligence.
16. The language in the October 2002 National Intelligence Estimate that ''Iraq also began vigorously trying to procure uranium ore and yellowcake'' overstated what the intelligence community knew about Iraq's possible procurement attempts.
19. Even after obtaining the forged documents and being alerted by a State Department Bureau of Intelligence and Research analyst about problems with them, analysts at both the Central Intelligence Agency and Defense Intelligence Agency did not examine them carefully enough to see the obvious problems with the documents. Both agencies continued to publish assessments that Iraq may have been seeking uranium from Africa. In addition, C.I.A. continued to approve the use of similar language in administration publications and speeches, including the State of the Union.
21. When coordinating the State of the Union, no Central Intelligence Agency analysts or officials told the National Security Council to remove the ''16 words'' or that there were concerns about the credibility of the Iraq-Niger uranium reporting. A C.I.A. official's original testimony to the committee that he told an N.S.C. official to remove the words ''Niger'' and ''500 tons'' from the speech, is incorrect.
22. The director of central intelligence should have taken the time to read the State of the Union speech and fact check it himself. Had he done so, he would have been able to alert the National Security Council if he still had concerns about the use of the Iraq-Niger uranium reporting in a presidential speech.
25. The Niger reporting was never in any of the drafts of Secretary (Colin) Powell's United Nations speech and the committee has not uncovered any information that showed anyone tried to insert the information into the speech.
26. To date, the intelligence community has not published an assessment to clarify or correct its position on whether or not Iraq was trying to purchase uranium from Africa as stated in the National Intelligence Estimate. Likewise, neither the Central Intelligence Agency nor the Defense Intelligence Agency, which both published assessments on possible Iraqi efforts to acquire uranium, have ever published assessments outside of their agencies which correct their previous positions.
27. After reviewing all of the intelligence provided by the intelligence community and additional information requested by the committee, the committee believes that the judgment in the National Intelligence Estimate, that Iraq was reconstituting its nuclear program, was not supported by the intelligence. The committee agrees with the State Department's Bureau of Intelligence and Research alternative view that the available intelligence ''does not add up to a compelling case for reconstitution.''
28. The assessments in the National Intelligence Estimate regarding the timing of when Iraq had begun reconstituting its nuclear program are unclear and confusing.
29. Numerous intelligence reports provided to the committee showed that Iraq was trying to procure high-strength aluminum tubes. The committee believes that the information available to the intelligence community indicated that these tubes were intended to be used for an Iraqi conventional rocket program and not a nuclear program.
30. The Central Intelligence Agency's intelligence assessment on July 2, 2001, that the dimensions of the aluminum tubes ''match those of a publicly available gas centrifuge design from the 1950's, known as the Zippe centrifuge'' is incorrect. Similar information was repeated by the C.I.A. in its assessments, including its input to the National Intelligence Estimate, and by the Defense Intelligence Agency over the next year and a half.
31. The intelligence community's position in the National Intelligence Estimate that the composition and dimensions of the aluminum tubes exceeded the requirements for nonnuclear applications, is incorrect.
32. The [material deleted] intelligence report on Saddam Hussein's personal interest in the aluminum tubes, if credible, did suggest that the tube procurement was a high priority, but it did not necessarily suggest that the high priority was Iraq's nuclear program.
33. The suggestion in the National Intelligence Estimate that Iraq was paying excessively high costs for the aluminum tubes is incorrect. In addition, 7075-T6 aluminum is not considerably more expensive than other more readily available materials for rockets as alleged in the N.I.E.
34. The National Ground Intelligence Center's analysis that the material composition of the tubes was unusual for rocket motor cases was incorrect, contradicted information the N.G.I.C. later provided to the committee, and represented a serious lapse for the agency with primary responsibility for conventional ground forces intelligence analysis.
37. Iraq's persistence in seeking numerous foreign sources for the aluminum tubes was not ''inconsistent'' with procurement practices as alleged in the National Intelligence Estimate. Furthermore, such persistence [material deleted] was more indicative of procurement for a conventional weapons program than a covert nuclear program.
38. The C.I.A. initial reporting on its aluminum tube spin tests was, at a minimum, misleading and, in some cases, incorrect. The fact that these tests were not coordinated with other intelligence community agencies is an example of continuing problems with information sharing within the intelligence community.
42. The director of central intelligence was not aware of the views of all intelligence agencies on the aluminum tubes prior to September 2002 and, as a result, could only have passed the Central Intelligence Agency's view along to the president until that time.
43. Intelligence provided to the committee did show that Iraq was trying to procure magnets, high-speed balancing machines and machine tools, but this intelligence did not suggest that the materials were intended to be used in a nuclear program.
44. The statement in the National Intelligence Estimate that ''a large number of personnel for the new [magnet] production facility, worked in Iraq's pre-gulf war centrifuge program,'' was incorrect.
45. The statement in the National Intelligence Estimate that the Iraqi Atomic Energy Commission was ''expanding the infrastructure -- research laboratories, production facilities, and procurement networks -- to produce nuclear weapons,'' is not supported by the intelligence provided to the committee.
46. The intelligence provided to the committee which showed that Iraq had kept its cadre of nuclear weapons personnel trained and in positions that could keep their skills intact for eventual use in a reconstituted nuclear program was compelling, but this intelligence did not show that there was a recent increase in activity that would have been indicative of recent or impending reconstitution of Iraq's nuclear program as was suggested in the National Intelligence Estimate.
47. Intelligence information provided to the committee did show that Saddam Hussein met with Iraqi Atomic Energy Commission personnel and that some security improvements were taking place, but none of the reporting indicated the I.A.E.C. was engaged in nuclear weapons related work.
48. The assessment in the October 2002 National Intelligence Estimate that, ''[W]e judge that all key aspects -- research & development, production, and weaponization -- of Iraq's offensive biological weapons program are active and that most elements are larger and more advanced than they were before the gulf war'' is not supported by the intelligence provided to the committee.
49. The statement in the key judgments of the October 2002 National Intelligence Estimate that ''Baghdad has biological weapons'' overstated what was known about Iraq's biological weapons holdings. The N.I.E. did not explain the uncertainties underlying this statement.
50. The statement in the National Intelligence Estimate that ''Baghdad has mobile transportable facilities for producing bacterial and toxin biological weapons agents,'' overstated what the intelligence reporting suggested about an Iraqi mobile biological weapons effort and did not accurately convey to readers the uncertainties behind the source reporting.
51. The Central Intelligence Agency withheld important information concerning both CURVE BALL's reliability and [material deleted] reporting from many intelligence community analysts with a need to know the information.
52. The Defense Human Intelligence Service, which had primary responsibility for handling the intelligence community's interaction with CURVE BALL's [material deleted] debriefers, demonstrated serious lapses in handling such an important source.
53. The statement in the key judgments of the National Intelligence Estimate that ''chances are even that smallpox is part of Iraq's offensive biological weapons program'' is not supported by the intelligence provided to the committee.
54. The assessments in the National Intelligence Estimate concerning Iraq's capability to produce and weaponize biological weapons agents are, for the most part, supported by the intelligence provided to the committee, but the N.I.E. did not explain that the research discussed could have been very limited in nature, been abandoned years ago, or represented legitimate activity.
55. The N.I.E. misrepresented the United Nations Special Commission's 1999 assessment concerning Iraq's biological research capability.
58. The statement in the key judgments of the October 2002 Iraq Weapons of Mass Destruction National Intelligence Estimate that ''Baghdad has . . . chemical weapons'' overstated both what was known about Iraq's chemical weapons holdings and what intelligence analysts judged about Iraq's chemical weapons holdings.
59. The judgment in the October 2002 Iraq Weapons of Mass Destruction National Intelligence Estimate that Iraq was expanding its chemical industry primarily to support chemical weapons production overstated both what was known about expansion of Iraq's chemical industry and what intelligence analysts judged about expansion of Iraq's chemical industry.
60. It was not clearly explained in the National Intelligence Estimate that the basis for several of the intelligence community's assessments about Iraq's chemical weapons capabilities and activities were not based directly on intelligence reporting of those capabilities and activities, but were based on layers of analysis regarding [material deleted] intelligence reporting.
61. The intelligence community's assessment that ''Saddam probably has stocked at least 100 metric tons and possibly as much as 500 metric tons of chemical weapons agents -- much of it added in the last year,'' was an analytical judgment and not based on intelligence reporting that indicated the existence of an Iraqi chemical weapons stockpile of this size.
62. The intelligence community's assessment that Iraq had experience in manufacturing chemical weapons bombs, artillery rockets and projectiles was reasonable based on intelligence derived from Iraqi declarations.
63. The National Intelligence Estimate assessment that ''Baghdad has procured covertly the types and quantities of chemicals and equipment sufficient to allow limited chemical weapons production hidden within Iraq's legitimate chemical industry''was not substantiated by the intelligence provided to the Committee.
68. The intelligence community assessment in the key judgments section of the National Intelligence Estimate that Iraq was developing an unmanned aerial vehicle (U.A.V.) ''probably intended to deliver biological warfare agents'' overstated both what was known about the mission of Iraq's small U.A.V.'s and what intelligence analysts judged about the likely mission of Iraq's small U.A.V.s. The Air Force footnote which indicated that biological weapons delivery was a possible, though unlikely, mission more accurately reflected the body of intelligence reporting.
69. Other than the Air Force's dissenting footnote, the intelligence community failed to discuss possible conventional missions for Iraq's unmanned aerial vehicles (U.A.V.) which were clearly noted in the intelligence reporting and which most analysts believed were the U.A.V.'s primary missions.
72. Much of the information provided or cleared by the Central Intelligence Agency for inclusion in Secretary Powell's speech was overstated, misleading or incorrect.
73. Some of the information supplied by the Central Intelligence Agency, but not used in Secretary Powell's speech, was incorrect. This information should never have been provided for use in a public speech.
74. The Central Intelligence Agency should have alerted Secretary Powell to the problems with the biological weapons-related sources cited in the speech concerning Iraq's alleged mobile biological weapons program.
75. The National Imagery and Mapping Agency should have alerted Secretary Powell to the fact that there was an analytical disagreement within the N.I.M.A. concerning the meaning of [material deleted] -- activity observed at Iraq's Amiriyah Serum and Vaccine Institute in November 2002. Moreover, agencies like the N.I.M.A. should have mechanisms in place for evaluating such analytical disagreements.
77. The intelligence community relied too heavily on United Nations [material deleted] information about Iraq's programs and did not develop a sufficient unilateral collection effort targeting Iraq's weapons of mass destruction programs and related activities to supplement U.N.-collected information and to take its place upon the departure of the U.N. inspectors.
78. The intelligence community depended too heavily on defectors and foreign government services to obtain human intelligence information on Iraq's weapons of mass destruction activities. Because the intelligence community did not have direct access to many of these sources, it was exceedingly difficult to determine source credibility.
79. The intelligence community waited too long after inspectors departed Iraq to increase collection against Iraq's weapons of mass destruction programs.
80. Even after the departure of United Nations inspectors, placement of human intelligence (HUMINT) agents and development of unilateral sources inside Iraq were not top priorities for the intelligence community.
81. The Central Intelligence Agency continues to excessively compartment sensitive human intelligence reporting and fails to share important information about HUMINT reporting and sources with intelligence community analysts who have a need to know.
82. [material deleted] The lack of in-country human intelligence collection assets contributed to this collection gap.
83. The committee did not find any evidence that administration officials attempted to coerce, influence or pressure analysts to change their judgments related to Iraq's weapons of mass destruction capabilities.
84. The committee found no evidence that the vice president's visits to the Central Intelligence Agency were attempts to pressure analysts, were perceived as intended to pressure analysts by those who participated in the briefings on Iraq's weapons of mass destruction programs, or did pressure analysts to change their assessments.
90. The Central Intelligence Agency's assessment that Saddam Hussein was most likely to use his own intelligence service operatives to conduct attacks was reasonable, and turned out to be accurate.
91. The Central Intelligence Agency's assessment that Iraq had maintained ties to several secular Palestinian terrorist groups and with the Mujahedeen Khalq was supported by the intelligence. The C.I.A. was also reasonable in judging that Iraq appeared to have been reaching out to more effective terrorist groups, such as Hezbollah and Hamas, and might have intended to employ such surrogates in the event of war.
92. The Central Intelligence Agency's examination of contacts, training, safe haven and operational cooperation as indicators of a possible Iraq/Al Qaeda relationship was a reasonable and objective approach to the question.
93. The Central Intelligence Agency reasonably assessed that there were likely several instances of contacts between Iraq and Al Qaeda throughout the 1990's, but that these contacts did not add up to an established formal relationship.
94. The Central Intelligence Agency reasonably and objectively assessed in Iraqi Support for Terrorism that the most problematic area of contact between Iraq and Al Qaeda were the reports of training in the use of nonconventional weapons, specifically chemical and biological weapons. [material deleted]
95. The Central Intelligence Agency's assessment on safe haven -- that Al Qaeda or associated operatives were present in Baghdad and in northeastern Iraq in an area under Kurdish control -- was reasonable.
96. The Central Intelligence Agency's assessment that to date there was no evidence proving Iraqi complicity or assistance in an Al Qaeda attack was reasonable and objective. No additional information has emerged to suggest otherwise.
97. The Central Intelligence Agency's judgment that Saddam Hussein, if sufficiently desperate, might employ terrorists with a global reach -- Al Qaeda -- to conduct terrorist attacks in the event of war, was reasonable. No information has emerged thus far to suggest that Saddam did try to employ Al Qaeda in conducting terrorist attacks.
98. The Central Intelligence Agency's assessments on Iraq's links to terrorism were widely disseminated, though an early version of a key C.I.A. assessment was disseminated only to a limited list of cabinet members and some subcabinet officials in the administration.
99. Despite four decades of intelligence reporting on Iraq, there was little useful intelligence collected that helped analysts determine the Iraqi regime's possible links to Al Qaeda.
100. The Central Intelligence Agency did not have a focused human intelligence collection strategy targeting Iraq's links to terrorism until 2002. The C.I.A. had no [material deleted] sources on the ground in Iraq reporting specifically on terrorism. The lack of an official [material deleted] United States presence in the country [material deleted] curtailed the intelligence community's HUMINT collection capabilities.
102. The committee found that none of the analysts or other people interviewed by the committee said that they were pressured to change their conclusions related to Iraq's links to terrorism. After 9/11, however, analysts were under tremendous pressure to make correct assessments, to avoid missing a credible threat, and to avoid an intelligence failure on the scale of 9/11. As a result, the intelligence community's assessments were bold and assertive in pointing out potential terrorist links. For instance, the June 2002 Central Intelligence Agency assessment Iraq and Al Qaeda: Interpreting a Murky Relationship was, according to its Scope Note, ''purposefully aggressive'' in drawing connections between Iraq and Al Qaeda in an effort to inform policymakers of the potential that such a relationship existed. All of the participants in the August 2002 coordination meeting on the September 2002 version of Iraqi Support for Terrorism interviewed by the Committee agreed that while some changes were made to the paper as a result of the participation of two Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy staffers, their presence did not result in changes to their analytical judgments.
104. None of the portrayals of the intelligence reporting included in Secretary Powell's speech differed in any significant way from earlier assessments published by the Central Intelligence Agency.
109. The Intelligence Community should have produced a National Intelligence Estimate-level assessment of the overall threat posed by Iraq in the region prior to the start of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Such a document would have outlined -- in one place and in a systematic fashion -- the complete range of factors comprising Iraq's threat to regional stability and security.
110. Between 1991 and 2003 analysis of Saddam Hussein's human rights record was limited in volume, but provided an accurate depiction of the scope of abuses under his regime. The limited body of analysis was reasonable, given the difficulty of intelligence collection inside Iraq and the demands on collection resources that were primarily targeted on other priorities. Those competing priorities included weapons of mass destruction, terrorism, regime stability and regional security. There was no indication that the intelligence community's analysis was shaped or manipulated in regards to analysis of human rights abuses.Continue reading the main story