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Overview and Observation;
"Grasping at straws." Investors spent market session hours searching frantically for a reason to buy or sell equities, Treasury bonds, currencies and other dollar and interest rate based criteria on which to develop a trade. Technicians got "whipsawed" as they had to quickly maneuver to expand their projected "range" and determine where their "stops" should be. The "program" of "buy high, sell low, or sell low then buy back high" apparently did not work well for account valuations. Without definitive direction by the U.S. Federal Reserve, frequent "comments" by some of the Fed area Presidents move markets and until which time as Fed Chairman Bernanke makes that "definitive" statement on his economic projection and subsequent rate decision we will continue to experience wide price swings. Now for some actual information to help my readers "navigate" through the "jungle" of news and reports…
Interest Rates:
September 30-Year Treasury bonds closed at 140 07/32nds up 16/32nds on Friday as the money made the "trip" from equities back to the "safe haven" of Treasuries. The University of Michigan/Thomson Reuters index showed a decline to 82.7 from the May 84.5. Once again analyst expectations were incorrect as they projected a reading of 84.7. That, as well as the flat May U.S. industrial production lent concern about the so called "economic recovery" and prompted the selloff in equities and the rally in Treasuries with the corresponding decline in yields. The U.S. Federal Open market Committee scheduled for June 18 and 19 should emphasize a "calming effect" but with the expected reduction in the bond buying program could produce additional market activity. Fed Chairman Bernanke is expected to indicate that any reduction in bond buying would not necessarily mean the Fed is ending the quantitative easing program. We expect the weak U.S. economy to impact yields and produce further price gains in bonds. Hold those calls we recommended recently and add on any further price decline.
Stock Indexes:
The Dow Jones industrial average closed at 14,070.18, down 105.90 down 0.7% and for the week lost 1.16% even against the triple digit gain on Thursday. The S&P 500 closed at 1,626.73, down 9.63 or 0.59% and for the week lost 1.01%. The tech heavy Nasdaq closed at 3,423.56, down 21.81 and for the week lost 1.32%. The Thursday rally was prompted by the better than expected first time unemployment number but at over 330,000 still remains a problem. Once again the concept of a "jobless recovery" is a fallacy in my opinion since an unemployed "consumer does not consume." The producers of those "unconsumed products" will be next to lay off workers. As I have been stating for some time, any reduction in the first time unemployment number is not a sign of recovery, but merely an indication that companies have no more employees to lay off without "shutting their doors." I would not take solace in any reduction in the weekly number on that basis. I reiterate, implement hedging strategies for holders of large equity positions. The use of futures and options can provide some protection against what I see as a 2008 type decline. Don't get "caught again."


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IU East faculty present at national conferences
Indiana University East faculty present papers at national and international conferences throughout the year, sharing their wealth of knowledge and expertise with several colleagues and students.
School of Nursing
Karen Clark, dean of the School of Nursing, Paulette Humphries, lecturer in nursing, and Diana Stanforth, clinical assistant professor, recently had an article published in the January edition of the Nurse Educator. The article is "Teaching undergraduate nursing research: A collaborative approach."
Read more on IU East faculty present at national conferences…

subset: commoncrawl


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Find Our Latest Video Reviews on YouTube!
If you want to stay on top of all of our video reviews of the latest tech, be sure to check out and subscribe to the Gear Live YouTube channel, hosted by Andru Edwards! It's free!
Monday February 6, 2012 1:32 pm
Chevy calls out Ford in Super Bowl ad
Posted by Andrey Malskiy Categories: Transportation, Videos
Last week we showed you a few sneak peaks at Super Bowl ads focused on cars. Now that the Big Game is over, we wanted to hand it to Chevy GM for making a commercial worth viewing.
The spot takes place in a post-apocalyptic world. The Chevy rises from the ashes, unscathed, and drives away. The end of the commercial is what made us laugh. Chevy had the guts to take a blatant stab at Ford. Though that's a ballsy move on its behalf, I'd suggest they take a closer look at the competition before calling them out. I'd like to draw your attention to the Ford video below. You can watch a Chevy drive away from a CGI apocalyptic hell, or you can watch a Ford drive away after being tossed around in a hurricane. You be the judge.
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WASHINGTON (AP) — The beleaguered fire and EMS department in the nation's capital is adding new paramedics and ambulances to its ranks, but the new hires and equipment still leave the District of Columbia well short of the staffing levels in similar-sized cities.
Mayor Vincent Gray and Fire Chief Kenneth Ellerbe announced Tuesday that nine new paramedics and 30 new ambulances will be on the streets by year's end. In addition to the paramedics, the department will bring on 60 new firefighters by the end of 2013 from its recruit and cadet programs. Seventeen are military veterans.
The department has 35 paramedics working at any given time, 14 of them on ambulances, and has struggled to provide timely emergency medical care. The Associated Press has reported the district is trying to make do with less than half the paramedics employed by urban departments that respond to similar numbers of medical calls — more than 130,000 a year in the district.
"Earlier this year, the department's ability to respond to emergency medical calls was at a tipping point," Ellerbe said. "We're now in a position to turn the corner."
Despite the new hires, the department has no plans to increase the number of paramedics deployed at any given time. Union leaders say the new paramedics, whose start dates have not been set, will merely allow the department to downgrade its advanced life support ambulances less often. An ambulance is downgraded when it's staffed with only EMTs, who lack the training to administer drugs or intervene in complex medical emergencies.
Firefighters' union president Ed Smith said the department has been downgrading roughly five ambulances a day because of absences and short staffing. Firefighter-paramedics have frequently been asked to work 12 hours of overtime after their 24-hour shifts because the department is so thin, union leaders say.
Before the new crop of paramedics, the department had hired just two since 2011. More than 40 have left the department during that time.
The new paramedics will ride only on ambulances. The department had not hired these paramedics in nearly a decade. In 2007, a task force recommended the department move toward cross-training all firefighters as paramedics, and vice versa, but as of now, fewer than half of the department's 200 paramedics are firefighters. Advocates of cross-training say it promotes departmental unity and allows employees to respond to any emergency.
Paul Quander, the city's deputy mayor for public safety, said the new paramedics will be given an opportunity to become firefighters, but with the need for paramedics so pronounced, the department didn't want to limit itself to those who are also interested in fighting fires.
Although there will be no immediate changes to how paramedics are deployed, Ellerbe said Tuesday he would resubmit a plan that has already been rejected by the D.C. Council. Under the proposal, more paramedics would work during the day, when call volumes are highest, but the city would be left without a single paramedic on an ambulance in the overnight hours.
"I think that once they see that we do have the ability to provide employees and vehicles, that they may take another look at the plan," Ellerbe said.
The new ambulances will help refurbish the department's fleet, which has fallen into disrepair. Earlier this month, two ambulances caught fire on the same day, and the department has been using ambulances that are more than a decade old. Also, a faulty fuel gauge caused an ambulance that was supposed to travel with the president's motorcade earlier this month to run out of gas at the White House.
Smith said he welcomed the new hires and vehicles, but he said the chief has not proactively addressed the department's problems.
"Buying apparatus and hiring people should be part of everyday business," Smith said, "and this wouldn't even be a newsworthy event if that was the case."
Follow Ben Nuckols on Twitter at https://twitter.com/APBenNuckols.


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|2012-01-21, 10:51
|Link #1
Haro Pwned U!!!!
Join Date: Dec 2005
changing IP address
i am noob at IT stuff
I have a desktop and a laptop. Desktop[far from my router] is linked to router, for laptop its been link to router too but i can direct link to modem using ethernet cable.
so I decided to use my laptop to do it,here are the some of the things i need to know.
using laptop direct link to modem using ethernet cable
1) if i change the IP address using ipconfig/renew ,does it affect my Desktop internet connection?
2) how do i change back to old IP address?
Before: IP address X.X.X
After: IP address Y.Y.Y
since my current IP address is Y.Y.Y,how can i change back to X.X.X and vice versa??
help appreciated thanks.
|2012-01-21, 14:48
|Link #2
AS Oji-kun
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: In your bloodstream
Age: 68
Wouldn't it be easier to connect the laptop to the router via wifi?
What's wrong with the setup you have now? What specific problems are you trying to resolve? Maybe we can help you better if we know what you are trying to accomplish.
|2012-01-21, 19:52
|Link #4
Haro Pwned U!!!!
Join Date: Dec 2005
|2012-01-21, 20:07
|Link #5
Love Yourself
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Northeast USA
Age: 32
For that matter, your computer should automatically take an IP address from your router, as well. I'm not exactly sure why you're manually setting IPs for the computers.
Some routers give you more control over IPs, and you can designate a specific IP address for specific computers. If you do that, the computer will automatically take on the IP that you set when it connects to that router. But that control is set through the router; it doesn't need to be set through the computer.
Lastly, it's worth mentioning that there's a difference between the IP that the computer takes from the router and the IP from the model. The IP from the modem is the IP that the internet sees. When your router is connected to the modem, it holds that IP. Any devices that connect to the router receive an IP from the router, but only the router and the computers on the router see those IPs; to the rest of the internet, the router and everything behind it is one device, and it is identified by the modem's IP.
The only case where that's not true (and where you really would need to manually set the IP per computer) is if you purchased a block of static IPs from your ISP. That's a very unusual thing to do as a standard consumer, though.
|2012-01-21, 20:10
|Link #6
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Philippines
Age: 41
@TS: An ISP can use either static or dynamic addressing. Most ISPs use the latter, for reasons of ease of installation and to accommodate new customers, but you can request your ISP to set the IP address assigned to you to static in order to prevent your connection from being cut off or if you're running a public server. But since you're not doing that, read on.
Now reading the original post, I suppose that you're using a wireless setup. If your desktop is in another room far away from the router, and the router has wired sockets for the RJ45 plugs, I suggest getting a good length of pre-crimped CAT5 data cable (but before that, measure the distance between your desktop and the router, adding a few more meters for some slack), and you (or a hired technician) may have to punch in a few holes in the wall.
If you don't mind spending more and if you're not comfortable with manual wiring, you can buy a wireless LAN dongle (can be plugged into the USB port), and a repeater will extend the signal of your router into farther areas of the house.
And oh, unless you know your original IP address, don't try to change it; just leave it as it is since the router assigns addresses by DHCP.
EDIT: Reading further, you must be worried about having your bandwidth being eaten up. Are you and your brother downloading, playing online games, or watching streamed video?
|2012-01-21, 23:15
|Link #7
Haro Pwned U!!!!
Join Date: Dec 2005
|2012-01-21, 23:42
|Link #8
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Philippines
Age: 41
What's your router then? If so, how old is it?
I mean, the brand/type of router. Details are very helpful in deciding what we could do to help fix your network.
Last edited by sa547; 2012-01-22 at 00:10.
|2012-01-22, 08:09
|Link #10
AS Oji-kun
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: In your bloodstream
Age: 68
However the "hiccups" may be happening upstream from you depending on how fast your connection to the Internet is, and how reliable an ISP you have. In that case there's nothing you can do to fix this, other than changing to a different ISP.
|Thread Tools


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This year, pocketbook issues seem to matter more than pulpit preaching among cultural conservatives and at least some are willing to embrace Republican presidential contender Mitt Romney, who many have long looked at skeptically for his reversals on some of their priorities and his Mormon faith.
"No one's perfect," says Larry Smith of Newport Beach, Calif., one of thousands of conservatives gathering in Washington this weekend to hear from the slate of GOP candidates at the annual Values Voters Summit. Smith cast the choice before him as a compromise, and says he's leaning toward the former Massachusetts governor. Even though Romney has strayed from conservative orthodoxy on some social issues in the past, he still posts a strong record as a businessman.
"He has the skills to help us on this particular issue, at this particular time," Smith said.
By that, he means the economy, with its stubbornly high 9.1 percent unemployment rate and sluggish growth.
If interviews with conference attendees are any indication, that's what is giving Romney his best shot at winning over some of the social and Christian conservatives who he failed to attract in his first campaign in 2008. He couldn't overcome skepticism of his Mormon faith and his record of reversing himself on issues like abortion rights and gay rights.
Both subjects are starting to percolate in this campaign.
In a speech to the conservatives Friday, Texas Gov. Rick Perry criticized Romney for his shifting position on abortion, without ever using his chief rival's name.
"For some candidates, pro-life is an election-year slogan to follow the prevailing political winds," Perry said in a speech that at times felt more like a sermon than a political pitch.
Later, the pastor who earlier had endorsed and introduced Perry spoke to reporters _ and called Mormonism a cult.
"Rick Perry's a Christian. He's an evangelical Christian, a follower of Jesus Christ," said Robert Jeffress, senior pastor at First Baptist Church in Dallas. "Mitt Romney's a good moral person, but he's not a Christian. Mormonism is not Christianity. It has always been considered a cult by the mainstream of Christianity."
Perry quickly distanced himself from the comment.
Asked by reporters Friday night in Tiffin, Iowa, whether Mormonism is a cult, Perry replied, "No."
Romney was speaking Saturday to the gathering.
It came same week that former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie both announced they would not run for president, leaving donors and grass-roots conservatives up for grabs _ and giving Romney an opportunity to try to cast himself as the candidate who can appeal to a broad swath of the GOP.
The cultural conservatives gathered here aren't a natural fit for him with others like Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann and former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum _ who have long championed their causes _ in the race.
But many of the roughly two dozen interviewed indicated that because the GOP field lacks a candidate that perfectly fits their wish list, they were willing to consider backing someone who doesn't stack up perfectly but who may have the strongest chance at beating President Barack Obama. Many said Romney may well fit the bill.
"If you go with your gut, that's fine. But I would lean toward the person who is more electable," said Johnny Lee, a 57-year-old federal worker from the Washington area. He is considering backing Romney, as well as Georgia business executive Herman Cain and Santorum. Among Lee's many considerations is who would fare best at the ballot boxes against Obama.
"If you're going with your values and there aren't enough people who share those values, you're not going to win the change in leadership this country needs," Lee said. "And we need a change."
At this venue at least, it seems that activists aren't heeding Bachmann's warnings not to settle for a candidate who isn't rock solid on their issues.
"It's time for the Republican Party to nominate someone who will lead the whole country," said Chris Balkema, a 40-year-old Caterpillar employee from Channahon, Ill. "We don't need to settle. But we need someone will lead the left, right and center of this country, while defending the Constitution."
Balkema said that could be Romney, although he wasn't ruling out others.
Even so, Bachmann _ who is a favorite of tea partyers, home schooling parents and grassroots activists _ pitched herself as a pure conservative voters need, and urged them not to choose a moderate candidate who might not share their values.
"Conservatives, we can have it all this year because Barack Obama will be a one-term president," she said, bringing the audience to its feel late Friday evening. "Let's finally have one of us in the White House."
She then hinted at Romney's changing shape on abortion rights and gay rights.
"You won't find YouTube clips of me speaking in support of Roe vs. Wade. You won't find me hemming and hawing when it comes to defining marriage as between one man and one woman."
Some agree with her.
"We chose someone last time who was willing to cross the aisle on anything," said Dwayne Owens, a 67-year-old from Southside, Ala., pointing to 2008's unsuccessful presidential nominee Sen. John McCain. "We can't nominate someone whose sole message is compromise. We need someone who is willing to get in a dogfight."
Associated Press writer Kasie Hunt contributed to this report.


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What options strategy would allow you earn profit from a range bound market?
A time value call spread short the near-term and long the further out contract can create value in a narrow range market.
When deciding which foreign currency would be the best to trade options on, taking a look at their liquidity should be the major factor in your decision. The most liquid contract by far is the euro, which has an open interest of 300K. The open interest in the Japanese yen (NYBOT:EJM14) checks in at 150K, the British pound (CME:E6M14) at 130K and the Australian dollar (CME:A6M14) at 100K. Meanwhile, the Canadian dollar (CME:CDM14) is at 80K.
We're going to focus on the Australian dollar (AUD). Let's take a look at its price level over the last five years, (see"Boomerang currency," right). On Mar. 2, 2009 in the midst of the global, über-recession, the AUD was trading at 0.6433.That means that a $100,000 is equivalent to $64,330. Just seven months later on Oct. 4, 2009, AUD settled at 0.9036. After the global freeze in economic activity thawed out the world was demanding Australian commodities again. AUD backtracked to 0.8173 on May 31, 2010. AUD has been on a steady upward trend since then until the middle of 2013. On July 25, 2011, AUD was trading above par at 1.1000. On Apr. 8, 2013, AUD was still above par at 1.0549. On Jan. 19, 2014, AUD settled at 0.86940. By Mar. 4, AUD had risen to 0.89410.
The initial margin requirement for the Australian dollar is $2,035. The maintenance margin is $1,850 in U.S. dollars. That means that if your initial position in one futures contract goes against you for at least $185 you need to add money to your account to bring it back to $2,035. So when you are long the June futures at 0.89410 and it opens the next day at 0.89110 you would need to wire $300 to your account or your clearing firm could liquidate your position. The initial margin works out to be 2.3%. That works out to be a greater than 40 :1 margin. That's terrific when the position moves in your favor. It can be a painful process of throwing more money into your position when the opposite occurs.
Looking at AUD's price chart during the past five years there is obviously room for it to go down substantially. That is not likely to happen, however, unless there is another black swan event. For AUD to far exceed the value of USD, the USD would have to lose its status as the world's reserve currency.
Trading options on the AUD can remove the margin bogeyman from equation. We'll look at a time value spread. This strategy works best in a period of congestion. It is the AUD May-April 90 call spread. The May options expire in 93 days and the April options expire in 65 days (as of March 6). The May 90 call is trading at 0.01310 ($1,310) and the April 90 call is trading at 0.01050 ($1,050). Both options derive their value from the June 2014 futures contract and are out of the money. That means that their premium consists entirely of time value. If they were in the money then their premium would consist of both time value and expiration value (or intrinsic value).
The trade works out to be a debit of $260 for each time it is established. If the AUD stagnates over the next two months then the trade is a big winner. Whenever you short an option you want it to go out worthless at expiration. Whenever you establish a long position in a call option you want the futures contract to go much higher. Obviously when your long position goes higher then your short position will go in the money. That means that both options would lose all of their time value and be so deep in the money that their premiums would be identical and the value of the time spread would shrink to zero. What price, then, would be the perfect nexis for this spread? That would be 90. At 90 the expiring April option would go out worthless and you collect $1,050. At 0.6433 the April option would go out worthless but your May option would have lost all but a nominal amount of value even though it has another five weeks of life. So the optimal price point is when the short call is still worthless and the long call is at its maximum value given that requirement. The closer the spread is to 90, whether it happens to be above or below 90, the better.
Dan Keegan is an instructor with the Chicago School of Trading. Reach him at firstname.lastname@example.com.


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My Church~ On the Eve of St. Patrick's Day
Photo credit: Alessandro Bianchi/Reuters New York Times
The question is asked in so many of the quarters of my life. "What's happening to my Church?" They don't really mean the Universal Church. They don't mean the people of God. They don't think of the Church as the dedicated community of men, women and youth who dedicate their lives to the call of Jesus in service of justice and compassion. By the Church they mean the Vatican, the Pope and the scarlet robed hierarchy.
When I'm asked, "What's happening to my Church?" my first answer is, "I have no idea! I'm watching this drama with you; but I do believe the Holy Spirit is in charge."
That is an accurate answer, but not completely honest. With the exception of Pope Benedict's untimely withdrawal, nothing else surprises me. Although in retrospect, I see his Sede Vacante as part of his plan. The Holy Father Benedict spent his pontificate doing what he does best, writing theology. Benedict XVI is an exceptional theologian and I am in awe of his insights.
He left the chair of Peter, Pope Benedict said, because he lacked "strength of mind and body." The only other Pontiff to abandon his chair was the hermit, St. Celestine V, who in 1294 left his office due to overwhelming Vatican corruption. Like our own Holy Father Benedict, Celestine abandoned his office to commit to a life of prayer. This was the same Celestine, whom Dante recognized in the abyss. The cowardice of this Great Refusal placed him –in Dante's fantasy-in the deepest hell in his Inferno.
I saw and recognized the shade of him
Who by his cowardice made the great refusal.
—Inferno III, 59–60
In 2009, Benedict XVI proclaimed a worldwide year of St. Celestine. Surely, his Holiness saw the actions of Celestine as not only moral, but honorable. It is with the greatest humility and magnanimous courage that the Holy Father released his power and authority.
I hear Jesus saying "Blessed are the Meek, Blessed are the poor in spirit." So I bless Pope Benedict in his journey into sanctuary, to pray, reflect, and wait for sister death to lead him into eternity. With him I trust that Divino Afflante Spiritu will lead Mother Church.
With that said the nightmare of priest scandals, and the Vatican's full fledged attempt to sinkhole the world's chronology back a few centuries is beyond disappointing. It's actually heart-wrenching. I'm a dedicated fan of Vatican II and believe that it was the Lord who called us to reform and enter the Modern Age. And my people have been Christians since before St. Patrick– who interestingly was sent to Ireland by Pope Celestine I.
I hear people say that we have lost credibility, our shepherd left his post. Yet I'm proud of our fragile old Pope who lived through Nazi Germany, wars, famines, upheavals too many to name. I couldn't miss the theatrics as we watched as our pope ascended out of the Vatican Gardens (in a helicopter). He's gone, but I know that our tabernacle is not empty.
I'm a realist. On one hand my expectations on an organization that is more than 2,000 years old and represents some 1.2 billion of the earth's population, is that it's human. Yet in my soul I know that we as church are called to be the people of Christ, to be Christ to the world. Yet, as I ponder the plague that has struck both my personal and ecclesial family, I also see the healing. I see this reversal of tradition as a call to conversion.
And now we welcome the pontificate of Cardinal Bergoglio, the Jesuit from Argentina, His Holiness Pope Francis I. There is new hope, revived trust that we as a family of faith will face the mounting stress of the 21st-century's issues together.
Yes, Pope Francis is a conservative in his theological and doctrinal positions as well as his thoughts on orders of discipline, but he is outrageously passionate about his commitment to the disenfranchised. I love his radical humility. When he called for all of us to bless him before he spoke, I wept. When he chose the Our Father and the Hail Mary for his opening message, I wept. But then of course, I am Jesuit educated and have committed myself to incarnating the Gospel in all my activities -my commitment to academics, my art, in my relationship with my friends, students, my role as wife, mother, sister, aunt and grandmother. In style and vocation I am Dominican- Third Order territory actually since 78, but in essence most simply, I am a follower of Jesus and his Mum.
I prefer to stand in the light, to celebrate this man's refusal to play royalty. I've heard that in his directives to his cardinals, he ordered them to come to his meetings in "black cassocks, and not red with white lace surplices".
Don't get me wrong, I love embroidery and lace. I love wearing great fabrics, but outside of Mass and official activities, I think our church men could follow the example of our Sisters and dress in ways that make us feel like family.
In times of confusion, fear and disappointment, I hold the words of Jesus close as he promised, "I am with you always, (Matthew 28:20). And almost daily, I think of St. Peter when so many of the followers had run away from Jesus in fear. In essence our first Holy Father Peter said, "Where would I go Lord, you have the words of eternal life (John 6:68)?
So I say, let's welcome this new Pontiff. Let's commit to changing the world one day at a time, one person at a time, starting with ourselves.
I invite you to clink onto the link to The New York Times. They offer a most informative article.


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Most of the countries in the past had been colonized by more powerful countries. But, in today's time, all countries are independent. Each country has its own independence day and the citizens of each country rejoice and commemorate the day in their unique ways. Special celebrations are held in all nations on their day of independence. It is indeed an exciting festive bonanza to witness the culture of a country when it celebrates its independence in which the whole nation is engulfed in merrymaking despite the differences of caste, creed and religion.
123independenceday makes an attempt to unravel the stories of the past and brings forth the glorious moments of various countries, their struggles, and the difficulties faced by the freedom fighters in the past. While going through the independence day of a country on our site, you can procure information regarding demographics, places to visit, economy, art & culture and much more. We, at 123indpendenceday, make our readers aware of a country's journey towards its developments and struggle for freedom. We also present the independence regalia of the countries which include their national flags, symbols, and national anthems. 123indpendenceday aims to enrich your knowledge and enlighten you by providing a glimpse of the independence journey of a country.
We may call ourselves global citizens today; however we are still inadequately informed about other countries. While travel or books may bring about acquired knowledge about customs, traditions or culinary preferences, we rarely get to know the story behind a country's independence movement apart from a few glimpses in its architecture.
This basic aspect is a key influencer to a country's culture and is reflected highly in its people and its day-to-day life. It is indeed exciting to know about a country's glorious moments, its independence struggle and its war heroes who fought and earned this for their people.
123independenceday is an attempt to unravel the stories set in the past, which will bring you closer to the independence movement of many great countries across the globe. While this may be a reading adventure it would also open a whole new world for you. 123independence day also provides information about demographics, places to visit, economy, art& culture and much more.
The most integral part of this unique podium is to make its readers well aware about many aspects of a country's independence regalia that include its national heroes, national anthem, national flag and national symbols.
So hop on an exciting new journey, that will not only enrich you with knowledge on one hand but will also make you squeal with elation at the same time.
Independence Day of various Countries Argentina Australia Belgium Brazil Canada Columbia Costa Egypt France Germany
Question. Which is the only country to have no Independence Day?
Question. What are the 5 countries that celebrate their independence on September 15?
Question. Which was the first country to gain its independence in the world?Converse Chuck B072BFRM54 Taylor All Star Sezónní Taylor plátno High Top 11740 Tenisky Černá 21f1a53
Answer. Africa
Question. Which was the last country to gain independence?
Answer. Sudan
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The Walrus Says
Kellie Brown: Family and friends.
Andrea von Hohenleiten: All my boys are home.
Alice Dunn: Having made it to Nov. 16 and celebrating another birthday.
Suzanne Bickford: Family and job.
Sandra Paterson: Best opportunity to have turkey.
Eric Bieler: My lovely wife.
Katrina Westall: Family, job and a boyfriend.
Betsy Hamil: My family.
Grandson Tom: A great year of off-shore fishing aboard Stella.
Laura Brown: Just being here.
Paula Noll: My family and the good health of my students at school.
Kathy Brownell called to say last week's poser is "Send in the Clowns" from "A Little Night Music" by Stephen Sondheim and sung by Judy Collins. "It is my very favorite song," she said.
Peter C. Pemantell e-mailed to say the song "just happens to be one of my favorites and is also sung by one of my favorite singers, Judy Collins." The song was also sung by others, including Frank Sinatra and Barbra Streisand.
"In some secluded rendezvous that overlooks the avenue..."
Kudos to islanders who purchased 499 tubs of Otis cookies from eighth graders raising money for their spring trip to Washington, D.C. Also, Maryann Toppa reported that as of last weekend, some 70 orders for Thanksgiving pies had been placed.
Next on the list of fundraising activities: The class will host an open house at the Teen Center during the tree lighting on Friday, Dec. 5. From 4 to 8 p.m., the students will offer Christmas cookies, brownies and cider for donations for their trip.
It will also be the time for parents to sign up for a special childcare program to be held at the Teen Center from noon to 4 p.m. on Dec. 20. Parents, a teacher and eighth graders will watch your children while you shop, wrap gifts, run errands or just goof off without the kids. Activities for the youngsters will include movies, arts and crafts, and gym time. Sign up early.
A tough one from John A. Murphy: What was the theme song of the radio program aired every evening in the '50s and '60s by DJ Joe Thomas? For diehard fans: What was Joe's real last name?
We'd give our eye teeth for a big bowl of Westall's orange ice.
Our favorite drive-time radio station, LITE 105, went to all Christmas music on Nov. 16. Goodbye LITE 105, hello B101. HO, HO, HO!
Our mention of "Rat Patrol" in last week's column rang a bell with Matthew Clarke.
"I oddly have a few memories of the show "Rat Patrol." When it originally was on, being the youngest in my family, I was not allowed to watch this show, but my older brothers could. I guess that it was too violent, or perhaps it was on after my bedtime. The second memory involves when "Rat Patrol" was on as a re-run. When I first came to work at Meredith & Clarke, I lived in North Kingstown. At lunchtime, I would go to my parents' house in Jamestown to have lunch, and I would turn on the TV. It ended up that "Rat Patrol" was on at lunchtime and soon, both me and my dad (Fred) got hooked. I eventually moved to the island, but I do not remember watching Rat Patrol after the move."
Bob Kinder called to say "Rat Patrol" was about American and British troops fighting the Germans in the African desert.
Peter C. Pemantell asks if anyone can tell him the name of the Jamestown highway superintendent who rode around in an old pickup truck during the '50s.
Former islander Phyllis Anderson tells of the sometimes perils of swimming near a ferry slip in the '40s.
"After the West Ferry was no longer in use, the beach there became a popular place. One day, and I don't remember if it was a dare, I climbed up to the 'monkey' of the ferry landing. It looked from there a long way down to the water! I held my nose and jumped into the water towards the beach. I thought I would never see daylight again. Thank goodness I did and when I came out of the water, everyone was talking at once. According to them, I had just missed being killed. The style of bathing suits in those days was one piece, with the skirt part flaring out. The story they gave me was the skirt part of my bathing suit had flared over a large thick wooden pole, which was just beneath the surface. Never again did I try any more dares!"
To think Phyllis, we might never have known you.
Give thanks tomorrow and every day.
If you're thinking of giving someone a rabbit for Christmas, check out this Snapple cap moment: In 1859, 24 rabbits were released in Australia. Within 6 years, the population grew to 2 million.
*** Be true!
Call in your stuff to 423-0383 or 829-2760 or e-mail us at jtnwalrus@ hotmail.com.


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The assisted living wing at Providence Brookside Manor was dedicated in honor of Dorothy and Wilson Appelgren on Monday in a ceremony at Brookside that included the unveiling of a new sign near the manor's lobby. The sign, made of etched glass, was created by Hood River artist Ken Tatyrek.
Wilson was on hand for the ceremony and performed the unveiling honors. Dorothy, his wife of nearly 60 years, died in December of 1999.
Wilson recently made a substantial donation to the Providence Hood River Foundation's Brookside Manor Endowment Fund -- fulfilling a request made by Dorothy before her death.
"She left this to Brookside Manor," Wilson said. "The honor is really in Dorothy's name."
The fund, which totals more than $88,000, ensures that people who have lived at the facility for more than two years will never have to leave because of financial difficulties. Brookside has been open only a year, so the fund has not been used yet.
Wilson, who retired as comptroller of Duckwall-Pooley Fruit Company in the early 1990s, was a 30-year member of the hospital board. He also was a charter board member of the Down Manor Corporation, and he and Dorothy were the first residents to move into the manor when it opened in 1988.
Dorothy, a life-long resident of Hood River, suffered from Parkinson's Disease and Alzheimer's during her last few years. When Wilson could no longer care for her, she moved to the Hood River Care Center.
"She would have loved this," said Marge Talley, Dorothy's sister. "She always liked to help, whatever it was. She liked to be in the middle." Other family members were also at the dedication, including Dorothy's brothers Dick and John Duckwall and half-brother Fred Duckwall.
Jonathan Emerson, executive director of the Providence Hood River Foundation, said the dedication was a way to "express our feelings and gratitude for a couple who exemplifies what this community is about."
Emerson said that Wilson had given the money to Brookside with instructions to the Providence board to do with it as the trustees saw fit. After "much thought," he said, the board decided the money would be best used in the endowment fund.
"(The fund) is here to take care of people who can no longer take care of themselves," Emerson said. "These dollars will stay here. These dollars will take care of our people in our town."
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"We have heard many times from President Barack Obama how he plans to raise taxes on 'millionaires and billionaires,' but not on the middle class. Apparently, if you don't happen to be a millionaire or billionaire, you don't have to worry.
But the numbers say otherwise -- and say so big time."


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Shoot for the Stars!!!
Students at RES are recommended to receive a star if they have behavior that goes above and beyond teacher expectations. For example, we had one student who took it upon herself to create a crossword puzzle for her whole class with the class spelling words, and we had another student who gave up his time every morning to support a younger student. These students are given a "STAR". The STARS are read at the morning announcements and then the stars are mounted on the bulletin board outside the office. Once a week a STAR student's name is pulled from the jar and this student is given a chance to have lunch with a favorite teacher, or extra gym or art time. We even had a student who wanted to spend time with his former kindergarten teacher!! Stop by and look at the STARS!!
Kaylee Lacasse autographs The Frog Pond Trail sign that she designed!. Come walk our Frog Pond Trail, it is beautiful and open to the public.
Putting leaves into what will soon be a Scarecrow for Kindergarten Fall Festival.


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Eumelia receives Tripadvisor's Greenleaders Platinum Award
Tripadvisor awards Eumelia with the Greenleaders Platinum Award for our efforts in sustainable tourism. We are honnered that our efforts are recognized by Tripadvisor and our guest from around the world. We pledge to continue to improve our effort and spread the importance of green, sustainabe, natural practices in tourism as well as in organic farming.
"The TripAdvisor GreenLeaders Program identifies hotels and B&Bs that are committed to green practices like recycling, water efficiency and alternative energy. GreenLeaders have achieved one of four levels: Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum. The higher the level, the greater the impact of a property's green practices."


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Feb 22, 2012 at 2:31 am
Great cars, great garage.....
Apr 13, 2010 at 10:18 pm
You got some sweet rides, man! Check out my car. I'm going to post some pictures once it's done at the body shop. BTW, wish I could get Playmates to have photoshoots with my car.
Jan 11, 2010 at 7:50 am
Ur garage is amazing


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No agreement between Napoli, Red SoxBy JOHN TOMASE
Boston Herald
January 09. 2013 10:12PM
Mike Napoli is running out of places to play, and the Red Sox are running out of players with which to replace him. At some point, the sides should reach an agreement, but that day wasn't Wednesday.
Napoli has remained unsigned since agreeing in principle to a three-year, $39 million deal on Dec. 3 at the winter meetings in Nashville, Tenn. Two introductory press conferences were canceled, and word soon leaked that Napoli's physical had revealed a hip issue.
Details then get murky, but what we do know is that Napoli - who technically remains a free agent - hasn't been linked to any other teams, nor have the Red Sox been strongly associated with any other first basemen.
One player who drew tangential interest signed yesterday. Gold Glover Adam LaRoche agreed to a two-year, $24 million deal to return to the Nationals. The Red Sox had expressed some interest in LaRoche, but did not want to part with their second-round pick to sign him, which they would've had to do, since he had received a qualifying offer of roughly $13.3 million from Washington.
LaRoche wasn't a perfect fit here for other reasons. The left-handed hitter did not project to produce as much power in Fenway Park as the right-handed Napoli, and at age 33, he's two years older, though he's proven to be far more durable.
Team officials were once again mum on Napoli's status yesterday. If the two sides fail to reach an agreement, one potential trade target, ironically enough, could be Nationals first baseman/outfielder Mike Morse, who was made expendable by the LaRoche signing.
Like Napoli, however, Morse is a right-handed hitter, so it's unlikely the Red Sox would acquire both of them.
Bullish on bullpen
New closer Joel Hanrahan got his first look at Fenway Park yesterday, touring the park before meeting the media.
Despite being a big leaguer since 2007, the former National Leaguer counts Fenway as one of four AL parks he has never played in (Anaheim, Minnesota, and Chicago are the others). Needless to say, that will change in April.
"I thought this place was amazing," Hanrahan said. "A lot bigger than I thought it was. Obviously, a ton of history here. I got to go up on the top of the Monster and see what it's like from that angle. I know my wife is going to be begging me to sit out there one day. But it looked great. I got to go in the clubhouse for the first time and see where my new office is. I'm excited. It looks great."
Hanrahan, who was acquired from the Pirates on Dec. 26 for a package that included reliever Mark Melancon, can't wait to feel the adrenaline of a Fenway crowd.
"Any baseball fan wants this chance to play here," he said. "They want a chance to play in that other place in New York. As a baseball player and a fan, you want to experience that, and I'm excited to get that feeling every day this year."
Hanrahan has not spoken to former closer Andrew Bailey yet, but he did touch base with Bailey's former teammate Brandon McCarthy for a scouting report.
"(McCarthy) said he's going to be a great guy," Hanrahan said. "He thinks we'll get along great. All you can do is root for each other to have success and pull for the team. He was in a tough spot. Any time you injure your hand in spring training, that's not fun, especially coming over to a new team. I'm sure he's got a lot to prove this year."
Hanrahan's equally excited about the bullpen as a whole, noting that on the flight out, he saw an MLB Network special ranking baseball's top five bullpens, which didn't include the Red Sox.
"We'll have to work our way onto it," Hanrahan said. "I think we belong there.
"I was looking at it. Andrew Miller's been a guy that's always been one to watch for and see what he's going to do. I remember watching him as a starter coming up through Florida. He's got a big arm. (Franklin) Morales has another big arm. I feel like (Craig) Breslow's been getting people out for 12 years now. (Koji) Uehara's had a great career. Andrew Bailey, if he comes back healthy, I think he's got a lot to prove this year. He's going to be coming back strong. I'm not sure what the plans are with (Daniel) Bard, but that's another big arm down there."


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By Jennifer Saba
(Reuters) - Discovery Communications Inc <DISCA.O> reported a bigger-than-expected drop in quarterly earnings, overshadowing a rise in advertising sales at its cable channels.
Discovery said on Thursday that fourth-quarter net income fell 33 percent to $224 million, or 61 cents per share. Analysts on average were expecting 76 cents per share, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.
Shares of Discovery fell 2.4 percent to $69.78 in morning trading.
The company attributed the decline to higher taxes, equity-based compensation and costs due to its acquisitions, such as Germany's ProSiebenSat.1 Media AG's <PSMG_p.DE> 12 Nordic television stations for $1.7 billion.
Still, the company, whose cable networks include Discovery Channel, TLC and Animal Planet, said total revenue rose 8 percent to $1.2 billion, in line with analysts' expectations.
Discovery forecast 2013 revenue of $5.58 billion to $5.70 billion. Analysts are expecting $5.43 billion.
The company's partnership with entertainment mogul Oprah Winfrey in the OWN Network - a high-profile and expensive joint venture - is on track, executives said on a call with analysts.
"Oprah is doing a great job," said Discovery Chief Executive Officer David Zaslav. "Everything is moving in the right direction."
Winfrey, who dominated daytime talk TV for decades, is trying to replicate her winning formula on cable. OWN scored a two-part interview with disgraced cyclist Lance Armstrong, but it failed to break its own viewer record with its most-watched show involving an interview with the family of the late Whitney Houston.
TV ratings were a popular topic on the call. Executives and analysts noted that some of Discovery's most talked-about shows, like "Gold Rush," "Finding Bigfoot" and "Breaking Amish," are not drawing as much money from advertisers as traditional broadcasters are getting for their programs.
"We are always making the argument that we are delivering bigger audiences and we should be getting more money," Zaslav said.
Generally the ad rate for a commercial running on Discovery is about 33 percent lower than what rivals get, he said.
Advertising revenue rose 9 percent to $397 million in the fourth quarter at the company's U.S. channels and increased 16 percent to $185 million at the international cable networks.
"If anything, people were expecting they would outperform," Macquarie Research analyst Amy Young said about ad revenue.
Discovery said it expects advertising revenue to rise at a high single-digit percentage rate in the first quarter.
One area where Discovery remains on the sidelines is the initiative known as TV Everywhere, which allows cable subscribers to access content on several devices, like smartphones and tablets. The company is looking at how to value such deals.
"The big risk to the ecosystem is that online video distributors like Netflix <NFLX.O> have a better product than traditional television," said Gabelli & Co analyst Brett Harriss. "TV Everywhere is a way to respond, and Discovery is taking a more measured approach."
(Reporting by Jennifer Saba in New York and Sayantani Ghosh in Bangalore; Editing by Maju Samuel, Chizu Nomiyama and Lisa Von Ahn)


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Friday Video – San Sebastian, "Baby"
Click here to listen to San Sebastian's Relations on Spotify
Behold, the societal plague of the 2050s: aging hipsters.
Actually, this Ontario quintet has some fun with the idea of an older guy getting his swerve on as he leaves his wife at home for the night, steps out with the band, shots are downed and, well, we all know that no good comes from multiple rounds of shots. Especially if you can't pay the bill. Is the PBR reference innocuous, or a sly dig? We like to think it's the latter.
Remember when bands used to smile for photographs?
While the video is cute, we would not be featuring it here if we didn't really dig the song the clip is promoting. "Baby" beats Brooklyn-by-way-of-Madison garage poppers Locksley at their own game, deftly blending crunchy guitars with super-catchy melodic hooks. Singer Mike Veerman sounds a bit like Caleb Followill as well, which makes us wonder how much more we'd like Kings of Leon if they wrote songs this tight and fun.
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Tags: Baby, Friday Videos, Happy Hour, Ontario, Relations, San Sebastian, video of the week


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The National Right to Life Committee presented the Proudly Pro-Life Award last night to Fr. Frank Pavone, National Director of Priests for Life, and Mr. Lawrence Garvey, a businessman from New Orleans who has been a major benefactor of the National Right to Life Committee.
Both honorees spoke in terms of hope for the pro-life cause.
Priests for Life thanks National Right to Life for an outstanding event, held at New York's Waldorf Astoria hotel. Archbishop Renato Martino, the Holy Father's Permanent Observer to the United Nations, was present and praised the honorees.
Fr. Pavone spoke about the fact that the pro-abortion leaders "are very much afraid -- and with good reason."
"The days of legal abortion in this country are numbered," he declared. "Public opinion at every level is shifting in our direction, abortion mills around the country are shutting down, abortion providers are leaving the industry in great numbers, and young medical students are simply not replacing them."
Fr. Pavone introduced Norma McCorvey and Sandra Cano, who were the plaintiffs in the Supreme Court's twin abortion decisions Roe vs. Wade and Doe vs. Bolton. "They are both pro-life, they both say they were used by the pro-abortion forces, and they say they are sorry. They renounce the decisions that legalized abortion."
He also introduced Donato Dalrymple, the man who rescued Elian Gonzalez out of the Atlantic ocean. Donato has become a friend of Priests for Life, and now speaks up for the unborn babies.
While these events were taking place inside the Waldorf, a group of pro-abortion demonstrators gathered outside to denounce Fr. Pavone, Priests for Life, the Catholic Church, National Right to Life, and the pro-life movement. These demonstrators used their usual worn-out accusations about "fostering violence," even while acknowledging that we denounce violence. The National Conference of Catholic Bishops, among others, issued a press release defending the non-violent record of Priests for Life and the pro-life movement.
Priests for Life congratulates the co-honoree, Mr. Lawrence Garvey, and congratulates the National Right to Life Committee and the hundreds of pro-life heroes who were in attendance last evening.


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Clark specializes in nutrition for exercise, wellness, and the management of eating disorders. Her counseling includes teaching gymnasts how to lose weight healthfully, triathletes to eat for endurance, mountaineers to choose appropriate high-altitude foods, high school football players to bulk up, and recreational exercisers to eat healthfully on the run. Her more renowned clients have included the athletes at Boston College; members of the Boston Red Sox, Celtics, and Bruins; and many elite and Olympic athletes from a variety of sports: Kitty Carruthers (gold-medal figure skater), Tim Mayotte (Wimbledon tennis player), Brad Faxon (PGA golfer), Kathy Ellis (1991 winner of Bike Race Across America), and Dana Rosenblatt (champion boxer). She has been the nutritionist for Bill Rodgers' & Joan Benoit Samuelson's running camps. She currently is the sports nutrition consultant to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's National Team in Training Marathon Training program and is also a member of the Mizuno Advisory Board. Her photo and sports nutrition advice have even graced the back of the Wheaties box.
Clark writes a monthly nutrition column called The Athlete's Kitchen, which appears regularly in over 100 sports and health publications, including New England Runner, Adventure Cycling, and Rugby. She is frequently quoted in the popular press (Shape, Runner's World, Men's Fitness, and Woman's Day). Clark has been the nutritionist for the Sports Illustrated for Kids' website www.sportsparents.com, senior nutrition editor at www.FitForAll.com, and columnist for the Boston Globe's sports pages and The Physician and Sportsmedicine.
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Strange how americans find it hard to swallow a good sized cock, us brits dont have any trouble
LeatherLiam Feb 25, 2014
oh man. so big. i like it...
pennybone Dec 14, 2013
tout ces beaupenis me rede folle cmme une tapette que je suis je cherce un maitre pour me battre et enculer
homomasturb Jun 01, 2013
belle teub juste pour mon petit trou
rencontre Dec 20, 2012
lol wtf are you two going on about? this video is hot, that's all i can say!
erosvalut Oct 13, 2012
I am in a tough position. I am well into middle age and realize I want to suck hard, hot cock. I am 8 plus, thick and am getting tired of working myself of to the fantasy, I want cock down my throat. I am bi and married. I would love to watch several guys taking turns fucking my wifes hot cunt, and then swallow their hot loads.
mrdann4001 Oct 12, 2012
since i decide the live as an homo my sexual lifwe are 10 timesw better and i love get sodomized
homomasturb Oct 12, 2012


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Zero Punctuation: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
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ha, I got stuck on the same bit as him, was proper infurating
They are suspended because of low content posts and probably not watching video fully me thinks so just make sure you add more than 1 line to your posts you you don't get suspended for the same thing.
Fantastic game. Short (but fun) campaign, spec ops was great and amazing multiplayer.
And if I may.... why does everyone keep saying the story isn't realistic... it's a video game. It doesn't have to be. But it's fun. Isn't that what matters? Just sayin'
The only part that annoys me about the ridiculousness of the whole setting is the game's title. "Modern Warfare 2." I'm all for insane, ridiculousness in games, but the game's title led me to believe it would be a (somewhat) realistic take on modern warfare (I never played the first one, so I didn't really know).
It was all good fun. Running across the rooftops unarmed in that one mission was probably my favorite part of the game. It's still a tad frustrating though.
Also, yes. The killing of the main characters was ridiculous. They even pull some of the same stunts to kill the main characters ("oh, good job on completing your mission," your leader figure replies with his back turned "let me turn around and shoot you square in the face.") It got old fast.
Dude, Keith David is in every high profile videogame now... http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0202966/ ...I will always remember him as the dude saying, "...it ain't out fer' air!" *shudder*
Seriously though, love that guy even though he was in Walo.
A well-reasoned and comprehensive critical review with plenty of humor and some good points on society's reaction to the game.
Definitely makes YZ seem more like a critic and less like just a comedian...
Pretty much summarized my feelings on the game right there. The single player sucks and feels like it was tacked on and re-hashed from MW 1, and the MP is cheap.
I had to laugh about the "You fucking robots" comment, something I also whole-heartedly agree with.
Well multiplayer really depends on what platform you get it for as that makes a big a diffence and having a short campaign is pretty shit if it can be good it can be decent length too.
Could be one of your best reviews ever.
Darn, part of me was hoping he would review the new Ratchet and Clank. Seriously, the series has good humor, outrageous weapons of increasing ridiculous overkill, and the ability to smash a lot of stuff, you would think he would do that series already. How can any game where you fire thousands of missiles to the 1812 Overture be so neglected? Oh well, good review anyway
I do not think it is worth buying, I was lucky enough to be able to Craigslist it for only five dollars less than I paid. I would say it was worth the five dollars I lost, but nothing more. Fun Factor is enough, but my gripe is not with realism, but I just did not enjoy it. It was not *fun*.
Ah the game of a million review requests is back for round 2, now I personally will get around to playing this soon but I can't understand the sheer hype this had... I can actually see some people being disappointed even if it is deserving of praise.
Reviewing Call of Duty without the multiplayer is like reviewing a Big Mac without mentioning what the meat tastes like.
...a game for the multiplayer fanatic..no surprise there.
im starting to get worried that yahtzee looks TOO far into a game and forgets that it IS just a game. i agree that it didnt top cod4 but it is still pretty fun. if you just put those niggling thoughts to one side and play a game to have fun. but i guess its all down to how people veiw it themselfs.
And now the final credit reminds me that once again I forgot to go out and buy a warm hat for the winter.
yeah, infinity ward is nothing more than a brand that generates rubbish.
You know, the modern warfare games are a kind of stepping stone in what I want in a game in that the protagonist will die, but that's not all I want.
he probably doesn't want to play multiplayer because 1. the annoying screaming fucktards that scream at the top of their lungs everytime they die say "WHAT! HE SO DIDN'T HIT ME! THE FAGGY NOOB!" and 2 it has nothing to do with the actually game it's just something so you can play with your friends and have a good time.
any nice review as always
Modern warfare 3:Solid Soap LOL
Sounds like a terrible game.
Before MW2, everyone was singing their praises with the first one (but not before telling me off for buying Treyarch's CoD:WaW). Why the sudden switch? I haven't played either MW, so I wouldn't know.
this game has a really good single player...yeah its only 6 hours but each second of this 6 hours is an "oh shit" moment and the story is great, and its a given that the multiplayer is great.
One of Yahtzee's closing comments actually caused my withered sack of filth that is my brain to make a connection to another person/place/thing without it being explicitly stated.
MW2 is the Halo 2 of the xbox 360. Both are the sequels of smash megahits that for all intents and purposes were accidental successes at best as illustrated by the "how far can they go-pulling away from writing desk" story modes. Neither came to the "greatness" they've been so touted for by critics and children alike entirely on purpose because if they did they would have had some greater intentions for what to do with the sequel. Instead of a carefully constructed development ark, incrementally building the players up through gradually introduced and improved upon game mechanics, content, plot lines, and overreaching themes to some sort of grand finale of the concept that is the third game in the series, both Halo and MW both opted to go bat shit bonkers and take things, in the campaign, as far as they could go as soon as they could, thus leaving the third installment, one in practice and one in potential, with a set of unrealistic expectations for the growth and development of the franchise which will ultimately contort it form the grand experiences that it was in the begining to a fanboy distopia, desperately trying accomidate for it's now grotestque form to reignite the fires that made it the success it accidently turned out to be through sole dedicated to multiplayer fan service. Thus, the franchise is killed, growth is stymed under the oppressive, and obstinant, whims of the fans, and the world returns it to the mediocrity from whence the franchise came.
/tangental rant.
And to each their own. Admittedly I would not have purchased MW2 (or any previous CoD game) if it were not for the multiplayer. But any game that can keep me from boredom for any excess of 50 hours deserves my money and the multiplayer will likely fulfill that quota much like its predecessors.
Good review as always. And I completely agree.
There's a fine line between Too Realistic and Not Realistic Enough and this line is where the good games are made. Cod4 is standing proudly on this line. Rainbow Six Vegas 2 has tripped and just fallen a tad into Too Realistic. Operation Flashpoint is so far into Too Realistic it can't even see the line. And Modern Warfare 2 has fallen behind the rest of the pack and is now somewhere between Die-Hard and Rambo.
At least that's my opinion anyway.
One thing that really pisses me off about MW2 (besides the ludicrous storyline, getting killed every 5 seconds, bad guys appearing behind your back all the time, my superior constantly yelling at me to hurry up and the pathos and drama) is the inability to JUST TURN THE FREAKIN MUSIC OFF.
Seriously, the missions playing in DC with the *heartbraking* "oh-no, America is being attacked!" music in the background almost drove me insane.
They could have just made this game an expansion pack if there's not a whole lot to add.
Pretty much what I thought it was going to be... Lots of flash'n'glam but not a whole lot of story
And the solid gold P.O.S goes too...
Yahtzee has pretty much summed up the problem I have with shooters on the Xbox consoles. They have extremely good graphics, control, and gameplay; but it's all going to the multiplayer. It makes me wonder if they didn't include the single-player campaign solely for the opportunity to spark controversey and, as Yahtzee said, generate free advertising from the subsequent media outrage.
I miss Quake II and Starsiege Tribes.
No Imp in the credits? What?
Why THE FUCK does Yahtzee not play the multiplayer sections of these games? Its a first person shooter and seriously, removing a bunch of ai's brain fluid through a .44 caliber hole in their face gets old after a while, you gotta move on to beating the shit out of some twelve year old in Germany. He did this with Halo 3 as well; yes the singleplayer was lacking but come on, you can't say you have reviewed something if you skip more than half of the game. Also, I would like to point out that the multiplayer in Modern Warfare 2 is the single best example of first person shooting that I can point out. Its polished, its entertaining, the rpg-level-up elements add replay value out the wazoo, and its just a lot of fun.
I'm greatly disappointed. I was expecting glorious trashing of this overhyped shit.
Shit, sorry for the double post
Why THE FUCK does Yahtzee not play the multiplayer sections of these games? Its a first person shooter and seriously, removing a bunch of ai's brain fluid through a .44 caliber hole in their face gets old after a while, you gotta move on to beating the shit out of some twelve year old in Germany. He did this with Halo 3 as well; yes the singleplayer was lacking but come on, you can't say you have reviewed something if you skip more than half of the game. Also, I would like to point out that the multiplayer in Modern Warfare 2 is the single best example of first person shooting that I can point out. Its polished, its entertaining, the rpg-level-up elements add replay value out the wazoo, and its just a lot of fun.
Well, I wasn't expecting that. I was actually wondering what ZP was gonna be on, since DAO seemed like the big review for the time being.
He liked it! YAY!...well, ok most of it.
Favorite line, "sneaking around in the tall grass together and watching eachother's backs. NOT GAY!" HAHA! I laughed at that so much.
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text: One are a one man army in a tank and your task is to take out an army of tanks one level at a time! In this sequel of Awesome Tanks you will receive bigger and longer lasting power-ups. Here is the breakdown of how the levels play out. You start out in a small area with fog of war everywhere and as you move the turret or move your tank the area begins to be uncovered. At that point you will come up to tanks and begin combat, destroy them and shoot open crates to collect the spoils of war to fund your tank upgrades.


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Gated Chemical Transport through Vertically Aligned Carbon Nanotube Membranes
Published on
A promising architecture for ion-channel mimetics is a composite membrane structure containing vertically aligned carbon nanotubes, with inner core diameters of 7 nm, passing across a polystyrene matrix film. Plasma oxidation during the fabrication process introduces carboxylic acid groups on the CNT tips that are modified using carbodiimide mediated coupling between carboxylic acid on the CNTs and accessible amine groups of the functional molecule. The entrances to CNT's cores were thus functionalized with aliphatic amines of different lengths, charged dye molecule and an aliphatic amine elongated by spacers containing poly-peptides. The transport through the membrane of two differently sized but equally charged molecules, ruthenium bi-pyridine [Ru-(bipy)3+2] and methyl viologen [MV+2], was studied in a U-tube permeation cell with flux quantified by UV-vis Spectroscopy. Relatvie selectivity of the permeates was seen to vary from 1.9 to 3.6 as a function of tip-functionalization chemistry. Anionic charged functional groups are seen to sharply increase flux of cationic permeates. This effect is reduced at higher solution ionic strength consistent with shorter Debye screening length. Using a hindered diffusion to model observed selectivities was consistent only with a geometry of only CNT tip functionalization, not along the length of CNT core. Biologically active desthiobiotin was also shown to be reversibly coordinated to stretavidin, showing a reduction in ionic flux through CNT. Pressure driven flux of a variety of solvents (H2O, hexane, decane ethanol, methanol) are largely found to largely inversely proportional to viscosity as expected for Hagen-Poisson model. However there were experimental indications of the ordering of polar solvents inside CNT pores.
Cite this work
Researchers should cite this work as follows:
Burton Morgan Entrepreneurship Center, Room 121


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Gallery: The Best And Worst Of H&M's Fall 2012 Collection
Tantalizingly cheap fast-fashion chain H&M has just released their fall 2012 lookbook, and as usual, it contains a mixture of things I would fight someone for and things you couldn't pay me to wear, weighted heavily towards the latter. (There are also a bunch of boring pieces to which I react neutrally, but those aren't as fun to blog about.) Here are the best and worst looks from their upcoming collection.
(Via FabSugar)[ITPGallery]


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Artist description:
after a wonderfull photo I found! :D "It's autumn again /Leaves whisper the sound of our past /In loss they pay a descent /To the ground we fall /It's autumn again/Our song is sung by the wind /Echoes of loss and grief /Through chilled air we wade"
Java Draw Created Nov 01, 2009 470 x 338px Unless noted Copyright 2009 _Teodorika_.
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This is truly Wonderful! Faves
wow........sunt profund impresionat de realismul peisajului ...si culorile de toamna...extraordinar!!!!
Ah fantastic
Fantastic!!! I love to be on that road!!!
Teo,this drawing is a @ true ARTIST @ work.. it is beautiful & serene.. I love it 5/5 coll
This is so calming
Love it 5h!
I always love the Autumn colors and forest paths, and this drawing has both of them! I absolutely admire all of the little details in here, like the grass/small red plants/leaves on the ground and such. It really looks remarkable real!! 5/5 and faves
Wow. What a wonderful artist you are. I just got to see all your work. Awesome


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WASHINGTON — After weeks of increasingly dire warnings, the White House scrambled to adjust to the political and economic reality of deep and indiscriminate spending cuts that kicked in Friday and would, over time, hinder the economic recovery.
In a sign that the warnings may have gone too far, President Obama sought to dial back some of the rhetoric. Most Americans, he said, won't immediately feel the effects of the complex process known as sequestration, which is expected to unfold like a slow-motion budgetary car crash.
"The longer these cuts remain in place, the greater the damage to our economy — a slow grind that will intensify with each passing day," Obama said after meeting congressional leaders for less than an hour in the Oval Office. "This is not going to be an apocalypse.... It's just dumb. And it's going to hurt."
The pain of $85 billion in across-the-board cuts will kick in next month when agencies are forced to order air traffic controllers, food inspectors, prosecutors, janitors and other federal workers to take one or two days of unpaid leave for every two-week pay period. Most federal agencies are required to give workers at least 30 days' notice of any furloughs.


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CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A system of thunderstorms across western North Carolina stalled on Saturday and dumped about a foot of rain on the area, causing power outages and flash floods that swamped homes and washed out roads and bridges.
More than a dozen people were rescued from flooded vehicles in the region. No injuries were reported.
Hickory Mayor Rudy Wright urged residents to stay indoors and away from flooded roads, The Charlotte Observer reported (http://bit.ly/1buP7OY).
"This is a time for all of us to be very careful and patient," he said. "The cleanup is going to take a while."
Parts of Catawba and surrounding counties were under water Saturday. Catawba County officials said some of the worst flash flooding in decades followed a nearly stationary weather system that dumped 10 inches of rain in about six hours.
High Shoals Lake in Catawba County rose nearly five feet over a 10-hour span. Officials said high water will move down the Catawba River later Saturday, possibly causing more flooding. The rain had stopped by Saturday afternoon.
Several miles of Interstate 85 in Cabarrus County was closed for a short time due to high water. Traffic moved at a crawl along both I-85 and Interstate 77 north of Charlotte as drivers navigated water several inches deep in spots. In Lincoln County, there were reports of up to three feet of water covering roads.
Duke Energy reported about 5,000 power outages.
It is at least the fourth major flash flooding event in the Charlotte region in the past month. Highway officials already are working to repair more than a dozen Charlotte-area roads damaged by previous flooding.
Information from: The Charlotte Observer, http://www.charlotteobserver.com


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Cancer immunotherapy, SEM
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Keywords: abnormal, adoptive cell transfer, anticancer, apoptosing, apoptosis, apoptotic, artificial t cell receptor, attacking, blue background, breast cancer, cancer, car t-cell, car-t, cell, chimeric antigen receptor t-cell, chimeric immunoreceptor, coloured, condition, cultured, destroying, disease, disorder, dying, false-coloured, genetically engineered, genetically modified, genetics, human cell, immune cell, immunological, immunology, immunotherapy, living drug, medical, medicine, no-one, nobody, oncology, programmed cell death, scanning electron micrograph, scanning electron microscope, sem, suicide, t cell, t-lymphocyte, therapy, treatment, tumor, tumour, unhealthy, white blood cells
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4 Cool Acorn-Themed Bowls For Fall
Themed bowls? Seriously? If you're anything like me, you're saying, "Wait! Theme tabletops can get cheesy in nothing flat!" Nonetheless, the autumn season gets me all giddy and I can't resist a little something special on the table in acknowledgement. These acorn bowls would do the trick without going over the top in the seasonal theme department:
In wood, metal, ceramic, and glass, each of these would add a pretty autumnal touch to the tabletop:
• 1 Teak acorn bowl by Richard Nissen on Ebay (sold)
• 2 Pewter acorn lidded bowl at Didrik's
• 3 Mid-century vintage teak and ceramic acorn bowl at Etsy
• 4 Amber brown glass acorn dish at Etsy
Related: Fruit Bowl Alternative: The Autumn Harvest on Display
(Images: as linked above)


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Atomic Spectra Databases
The database contains data for transitions and energy levels in atoms and atomic ions, including transitions of 99 elements and energy levels of 51 elements.
Max Born
Max Born (1881 - 1970) work, for which he received the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1954 with Walther Bothe, improved the laws describing the movement of electrons around the nucleus in the centre of ...
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What are atoms made of? What is keeping a nucleus intact? What happens if you try to separate two quarks? Are quarks fundamental? Read the illustrated and animated story about the interior of matter ...
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What is atomic mass
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The key to classifying a galaxy as a Seyfert Galaxy is the presence of broad emission lines from the bright, star-like nucleus. They are often strong radio and infrared sources. The first such active ...
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Shu'luuk Wind project
The Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for the Shu'luuk Wind project has been released. The project is proposed by the Campo Band of Mission Indians and leading clean energy company Invenergy Wind California LLC. The DEIS analyzes a proposed wind power generation facility capable of generating up to 250 MW of electricity. One alternative in the document includes the production of solar energy from PhotoVoltaic solar panels. The proposed facility will enable the Campo Band to diversify its economy and will benefit the greater San Diego region by generating enough clean energy to power approximately 40,000 homes.
The DEIS release by the Bureau of Indian Affairs is an important milestone for the project, as it analyzes the construction, operation, and decommissioning of the project with regard to the environment. The DEIS is available here: http://shuluukwind.com/
FACT SHEET: Shu'luuk Wind Project
DESCRIPTION The Shu'luuk Wind project ("Shu'luuk") is a wind energy generation project proposed in partnership by Invenergy Wind California LLC and the Campo Band of Mission Indians.The project involves the development and installation of wind turbines on the Tribe's Reservation. The project may also include solar energy generation.
Ancillary facilities include a project substation to collect the power generated, a new overhead 138 kV transmission line, new access roads, an operations and maintenance facility, and up to three permanent meteorological towers.
The project is undergoing strict environmental evaluation according to the guidelines of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and Campo tribal law in order to create an environmentally-responsible project.
LOCATION Shu'luuk is located within the boundaries of the Campo Reservation in southeastern San Diego County, California, approximately 60 miles east of the city of San Diego. The site is in the vicinity of the unincorporated communities of Campo, Boulevard, and Live Oak Springs.
CAPACITY (MW) 160 MW to 250 MW
TYPE OF TURBINES Turbine selection for the project has not been finalized.
HOMES POWERED The 160 MW project would generate enough power for approximately 40,000 homes, and would displace approximately 250,000 tons per year of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases that otherwise would be emitted by fossil fuel-powered electric generation sources.
JOB CREATION During construction, the project will employ approximately 150 workers from various construction trades. Upon completion, approximately twelve full-time staff members will operate and maintain the wind farm.
LOCAL ECONOMIC Shu'luuk Wind offers many benefits to the Campo Band, as well as to the
IMPACT broader community in East San Diego County. The wind project will help the Tribe create a more diverse, sustainable economy, and contribute revenue for essential governmental services for the Campo Band and will provide for expanded programs and services for Campo people. In addition, restaurants and other local places of business will benefit from the positive economic impact of the project.
PROJECT SCHEDULE The public review period for the Draft Environmental Impact Statement ("EIS") will be 45 days. There will be two public hearings, one on January 29, 2013, the other on January 30, 2013 (each from 6:00-9:00 pm). It is anticipated that the Final EIS will be available for review in 2013, with a decision on the project by the Bureau of Indian Affairs possible within 30 days of filing the Final EIS.
If approved, project construction could be completed – with commercial operations potentially commencing – in 2014.
ABOUT INVENERGY Invenergy and its affiliated companies develop, own and operate large-scale renewable and other clean energy generation facilities in North America and Europe. Invenergy's home office is located in Chicago and it has regional development offices throughout the United States and in Canada and Europe.
The nation's largest independent wind power generation company, Invenergy and its affiliated companies have developed and placed in service thirty-five wind farms, and currently have nearly 7,000 MW of wind, solar, and thermal projects under contract, in construction, or in operation. www.invenergyllc.com.
wonderful points altogether,
wonderful points altogether, you simply gained a new reader.
What may you recommend in regards to your post that you just made some days
in the past? Any certain?
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text:
The best news from a cotton industry analyst speaking at the Southwest Crops Production Conference and Expo was the possibility that cotton prices could increase by a dime this spring.
"We expect to see some dramatic acreage adjustments in 2002," said David Stanford, Plains Cotton Cooperative Association, during the Southwest Farm Press-sponsored conference in Lubbock, Texas. "The Southern Hemisphere has already planted," Stanford said, "and acreage is down 13 percent, overall. Heavy cuts are likely in other areas, as well."
Those cuts should lower worldwide production to around 87 million bales, compared to 96.6 million bales from the 2001 crop.
Stanford said consumption should hit 92 million bales.
But, and it's a big but, world stocks remain burdensome, close to 45 million bales.
"We have not had an oversupply of cotton in the United States since 1995," Stanford said. "We've been able to move cotton, even though prices were low. But this year, we added to the carryover."
China holds a big chunk of the world cotton stocks. Estimates place China's stocks at 10 million to 12 million bales. "The question we have to ask," said Stanford, "is do the stocks exist if they are not available to the market?"
Currently, China's stocks are not. Stanford said the Chinese government has not been willing to divest itself of the stocks at world market prices. Nor has the government permitted mills to buy cotton at current prices.
"China produced a big crop last year and could get a big chunk of the world market, if they were willing to sell."
Stanford said China appears to be building its textile industry and "plans to consume more cotton."
China's abdication of the world market leaves a gap that U.S. cotton can fill.
"We have a good start on exports for the 2001 crop," Stanford said. "We've already hit 9.9 million bales, and the USDA estimate for the year was 9.8 million. We still have until July to move this crop. Also, shipments are in great shape."
Stanford says the United States has a dubious advantage of being able to accept the price necessary to move cotton in the world market.
Prices hit bottom this year, even though stocks have been out of kilter since 1995, when the United States reverted to a market-oriented farm policy. "Prices remained stable because China stocks were not available," Stanford said. "But this year, U.S. production added to the surplus."
The strong dollar also plays havoc with U.S. cotton. "Our strong dollar creates an advantage to competitors," Stanford said. "But we are beginning to see some changes. The U.S. economy is not as strong. Interest rates are down; consumer spending is off; we see some advances of foreign currency against the dollar."
Reduced acreage, China's unwillingness to play in the world market for the past few years and the transition to a weaker dollar provide "room for upward movement in prices." Stanford concedes that a 10-cent jump will do little to improve cotton farmer's equity.
He said China's entry into the World Trade Organization should change the Chinese marketing strategies. Production likely will decline, "but not by 50 percent," Stanford said. "We have no clear understanding of what those cuts will be, so the answer to the question of whether stocks exist if they are not available will not come this year."
What Stanford does expect for 2002 is:
- Stable currency
- Slow economic growth
- Continued pressure on U.S. textiles from imports
- Higher exports than projections
- A price increase
"Also, if we get new farm legislation in place for the 2002 crop, farmers will have an improved safety net and will save some cotton acreage for 2002 and 2003. Under the current law, we will see significant acreage reduction."
Southwest Farm Press, Plains Cotton Growers, Inc., the Texas Cooperative Extension Service, the Texas Agricultural Experiment Station, Texas Tech University, and USDA-ARS sponsor the Southwest Crops Production Conference and Expo.
e-mail: [email protected].


text:
Anne Elizabeth, author of SEAL at Heart, is visiting the virtual offices today. Please give her a warm welcome! After the interview, enter for your chance to win a copy of SEAL at Heart!
[Manga Maniac Cafe] Describe yourself in 140 words or less.
[Anne Elizabeth] I'm a romance writer, comic book creator, monthly columnist, wife, step-mother, mother-in-law, grandmother, godmother, daughter, sister, friend, and adventurer.
[Manga Maniac Cafe] Can you tell us a little about SEAL at Heart?
[Anne Elizabeth] Being a SEAL means everything to Petty Officer First Class John Roaker. So when a head injury coupled with a bout of amnesia takes him out of the action, he has to find a way to heal his wounds and recover his lost memories. Enlisting the help of beautiful physical therapist Laurie Smith, he heals his body and discovers that his unlocked memories hold a dangerous secret about his last mission that threatens his life, his country, and the woman he's starting to fall in love with.
[Manga Maniac Cafe] How did you come up with the concept and the characters for the story?
[Anne Elizabeth] One night, my husband and I were sitting around the dinner table with a friend talking about SEALS and romance. The idea popped out of my mouth and I knew it was the one. BTW, my husband is retired from the Teams.
[Manga Maniac Cafe] What three words best describe Laurie?
[Anne Elizabeth] Courageous, passionate, and determined.
[Manga Maniac Cafe] If Jack had a theme song, what would it be?
[Anne Elizabeth] Queen, WE WILL ROCK YOU
[Manga Maniac Cafe] Name one thing Laurie won't leave the house without.
[Anne Elizabeth] Laurie would never leave the house without her purse. It holds all the magical things she cannot live without during the day–from lipstick to a small first aid kit.
[Manga Maniac Cafe] What three things will you never find in Jack's bedroom?
[Anne Elizabeth] Collectible figurines, framed photographs, and large pieces of furniture—Jack doesn't have any of those things. Instead, he can pack and be out the door in under an hour with everything he owns packed in duffel bags.
[Manga Maniac Cafe] What are your greatest creative influences?
[Anne Elizabeth] I have a lot of creative influences. From my husband's presence to the nature surrounding us, I draw it all in and it ends up in my stories.
[Manga Maniac Cafe] What three things do you need in order to write?
[Anne Elizabeth] In order to craft, I need a strong connection with my story and characters, support from my family and friends, and my laptop. I also need time–an opportunity to research, think, and type.
[Manga Maniac Cafe] What is the last book that you read that knocked your socks off?
[Anne Elizabeth] I read a lot of books. I am huge fan of Cathy Maxwell, Suzanne Brockmann, and Anne Rice. I've loved all of their latest books!
[Manga Maniac Cafe] If you had to pick one book that turned you on to reading, which would it be?
[Anne Elizabeth] Dante's THE DIVINE COMEDY—I've read that book at least a hundred times.
[Manga Maniac Cafe] What do you like to do when you aren't writing?
[Anne Elizabeth] I love adventures! Kayaking on the ocean, biking or hiking in the mountains with my husband and our dog, cooking for family and friends, flying, or reading a book—these are some of my favorite activities.
[Manga Maniac Cafe] How can readers connect with you?
[Anne Elizabeth] Fans can contact me through my website and I'm on facebook and twitter, too.
Link to website: www.AnneElizabeth.net
Twitter: http://twitter.com/aeanneelizabeth
Link to personal Amazon page: http://www.amazon.com/Anne-Elizabeth/e/B002BX3M7C/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1
Link to book on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/SEAL-at-Heart-Anne-Elizabeth/dp/1402268904/ref=la_B002BX3M7C_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1353888262&sr=1-1
I have a monthly column in RT BOOK REVIEWS magazine on comics, manga, and graphic novels. I also attend the Comic Cons in New York and San Diego as well as the RT BOOK LOVERS CONVENTION.
[Manga Maniac Cafe] Thank you!
Ready to enter for a chance to win SEAL at Heart? Just fill out the widget below for your chance to win! Earn extra entries for following.
You can order SEAL at Heart from your favorite bookseller or by clicking the covers below. Available in print and digital.
About the book:
Being a SEAL means everything to Petty Officer First Class John Roaker. So when a head injury coupled with a bout of amnesia makes him undeployable, he has to find a way to heal from his wounds and recover his lost memories. Enlisting the help of beautiful psychoanalyst Laurie Smith, he discovers his unlocked memories hold a dangerous secret about his last mission that threatens his life, his country, and the woman he's starting to fall in love with.


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WASHINGTON (AP) — Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel delivered an aggressive defense Wednesday of the secret prisoner exchange of five Taliban detainees for a U.S. soldier, telling Congress that the risks were too great and the situation too uncertain for the administration to tell lawmakers about the plan.
In a nearly five-hour Capitol Hill hearing that was at times contentious, House members accused Hagel and the White House of not trusting them enough to follow the law and fill them in on the decision to exchange Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl for five detainees at the U.S. facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
An equally combative Hagel said the deal provided "the best possibility that we had to get him out, and we were concerned we might lose it." He said officials discussed the law requiring that Congress get a 30-day notice of detainee exchanges but said the Justice Department told them that in such extreme circumstances President Barack Obama had the constitutional authority to forego the notice.
The Justice Department declined to comment on advice it gave the White House.
The first Obama administration official to testify about the prisoner swap, Hagel acknowledged up front that the matter could have been handled better. But he offered no apology for keeping Congress in the dark, insisting that Qatari officials negotiating the swap between the U.S. and the Taliban made it clear that "time was not on our side."
U.S. officials said last week that intelligence suggested that the captors might have killed Bergdahl if word of the swap leaked out.
Calling the operation an "extraordinary situation," Hagel said there were concerns about Bergdahl's health and safety, the last-minute arrangements over where to pick up the soldier and persistent fears the Taliban may have been negotiating in bad faith. He said the deal only came together in the final 96 hours, and that the commandos sent to retrieve Bergdahl only knew the exact location an hour before the exchange.
"As the opportunity to obtain Sgt. Bergdahl's release became clear, we grew increasingly concerned that any delay or any leaks could derail a deal and further endanger Sergeant Bergdahl," Hagel told the House Armed Services Committee. "We were told by the Qataris that a leak, any kind of leak, would end the negotiation for Bergdahl's release."
Republicans and Democrats questioned the wisdom of releasing the five Taliban members, saying they could return to the battlefield. Administration officials have told Congress that four of the five Taliban officials will likely rejoin the fight.
Opening the hearing, Rep. Howard "Buck" McKeon, R-Calif., the committee's chairman, described the agreement with the Taliban as the "deeply troubling" result of "unprecedented negotiations with terrorists."
McKeon, who has launched a committee investigation, said the deal could spark kidnappings of American personnel. And he described White House explanations thus far about the potential national security implications as "misleading and oftentimes blatantly false."
Hagel called the former Taliban government officials "enemy belligerents" but said they hadn't been implicated in any attacks against the United States. He said Qatar, which has promised to keep the former Guantanamo detainees inside the country for a year, committed to sufficient security measures that led him to decide the risks weren't too great. He said details of those assurances are classified, but were being provided to the lawmakers.
At the same time, Hagel said, "if any of these detainees ever try to rejoin the fight, they would be doing so at their own peril."
Hagel, who received two Purple Hearts for his Army service in Vietnam, faced sometimes scathing criticism, provided a sharp contrast to what many had described as a lackluster showing at his nomination hearing last year. He was most animated when one lawmaker questioned why Bergdahl was still in a hospital in Germany and not in the U.S. for questioning.
"We have seriously wounded soldiers that are returned to the United States immediately after they are stabilized," said Rep. Jeff Miller, R-Fla. "You're telling me he is being held in Landstuhl, Germany, because of his medical condition?"
"Congressman, I hope you're not implying anything other than that," Hagel snapped back, his voice rising as each tried to speak over the other. "He's being held there because our medical professionals don't believe he's ready. ... This isn't just about a physical situation, congressman. This guy was held for almost five years in God knows what kind of conditions. ... This is not just about can he get on his feet and walk and get to a plane."
Lawmakers also noted that the administration had told lawmakers about the secretive military operation to go after Osama bin Laden, and questioned why this was different.
"It's not just about somebody having their feelings hurt," said Rep. Mac Thornberry, R-Texas. "This decision undermines a lot of the working relationship in all these areas of national security. And I think it's important that the whole administration understands some of the ramifications of this."
Hagel, however, contended that in some ways the prisoner exchange was more risky because the U.S. had less control over the plan, largely because many of the details of the exchange came out only in the final days and hours.
Hagel said Washington only engaged in "indirect negotiations." He said a logistical agreement was released May 27, four days before the exchange, and only then did Obama make a final decision to move forward.
Bergdahl, an Idaho native, was taken captive in 2009. The Taliban detainees had been at Guantanamo for more than a decade.