text:
Following a bid headed by former Olympic champion Sebastian Coe and then-Mayor of London Ken Livingstone, London was selected as the host city on 6 July 2005 during the 117th IOC Session in Singapore, defeating bids from Moscow, New York City, Madrid and Paris. London was the first city to officially host the modern Olympic Games three times, having previously done so in 1908 and in 1948.
Construction in preparation for the Games involved considerable redevelopment, particularly themed towards sustainability. The main focus was a new 200-hectare (490-acre) Olympic Park, constructed on a former industrial site at Stratford, East London. The Games also made use of venues which were already in place before the bid.
The Games received widespread acclaim for their organisation, with the volunteers, the British military, and public enthusiasm praised particularly highly. During the Games, Michael Phelps became the most decorated Olympic athlete of all time, winning his 22nd medal. Great Britain achieved its highest tally of gold medals since 1908, finishing third in the medal table. Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Brunei entered female athletes for the first time, meaning every currently eligible country has sent a female competitor to at least one Olympic Games. With women's boxing included, the Games became the first at which every sport had female competitors.
The games has been said to be "the greatest games since moderation".
Bidding processEdit
By 15 July 2003, the deadline for interested cities to submit bids to the International Olympic Committee (IOC), nine cities had submitted bids to host the 2012 Summer Olympics. These cities were Havana, Istanbul, Leipzig, London, Madrid, Moscow, New York City, Paris and Rio de Janeiro.
Since the United Kingdom hosted the 1948 Summer Olympics in London, three bids had been made for a British city to host the Summer Olympics – Birmingham for the 1992 Games and Manchester for the 1996 and 2000 Games. Preliminary planning for a possible London bid for the 2012 Olympics began in 1997. The United Kingdom had successfully hosted the 1996 UEFA European Football Championships and the 2002 Commonwealth Games which regenerated a large part of east Manchester. Both events satisfied the IOC that the United Kingdom as a whole could host large sporting events and generated impetus for the country to host many events in the 2010s.
Then-Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone, said his primary motivation for initiating and lobbying for the city's bid was to develop the East End of London, neglected for over thirty years. On 18 May 2004, the IOC, as a result of a scored technical evaluation, reduced the number of cities to five: London, Madrid, Moscow, New York and Paris.
All five cities submitted their candidate files by 19 November 2004, and were visited by the IOC inspection team during February and March 2005. The Paris bid suffered two setbacks during the IOC inspection visit: a number of strikes and demonstrations coinciding with the visits, and a report that a key member of the bid team, Guy Drut, would face charges over alleged corrupt party political finances.
On 6 June 2005, the IOC released its evaluation reports for the five candidate cities. Although these reports did not contain any scores or rankings, the evaluation report for Paris was considered the most positive, followed closely by London, which had narrowed most of the gap observed by the initial evaluation in 2004 regarding Paris. New York and Madrid also received very positive evaluation reports.
Throughout the process, Paris was widely seen as the favourite to win the nomination, particularly as this was its third bid in recent history. Originally London was seen as lagging Paris by a considerable margin; however, the situation began to improve with the appointment of Lord Coe as new head of London 2012 on 19 May 2004.
In late August 2004, reports predicted a London and Paris tie in the 2012 bid. In the final run-up to the 117th IOC Session, London and Paris appeared to be increasingly in a neck-and-neck race. On 1 July 2005, Jacques Rogge, when asked who the winner would be, told the assembled press: "I cannot predict it since I don't know how the IOC members will vote. But my gut feeling tells me that it will be very close. Perhaps it will come down to a difference of say ten votes, or maybe less".
On 6 July 2005, the final selection was announced at the 117th IOC Session in Singapore. Moscow was the first city to be eliminated, followed by New York and Madrid. The final two cities left in contention were London and Paris. At the end of the fourth round of voting, London won the right to host the 2012 Games with 54 votes, defeating Paris's 50. The celebrations in London were short-lived, being overshadowed by bombings on London's transport system less than 24 hours after the announcement.
Bid VotingEdit
|2012 Summer Olympics bidding results
|Round 1
|Round 2
|Round 3
|Round 4
|New York City
Development and preparationEdit
The London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games (LOCOG) was created to oversee the staging of the Games after the success of the bid, and held its first board meeting on 3 October 2005. The committee, chaired by Lord Coe, was in charge of implementing and staging the Games, while the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) was in charge of the construction of the venues and infrastructure. The latter was established in April 2006.
The Government Olympic Executive (GOE), a unit within the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), was the lead government body for coordinating the London 2012 Olympics. It focused on oversight of the Games, cross-programme programme management and the London 2012 Olympic Legacy before and after the Games that would benefit London and the United Kingdom. The organisation was also responsible for the supervision of the £9.3 billion of public sector funding.
In August 2011, security concerns arose surrounding the hosting of the Olympic Games in London due to the 2011 England riots, with a few countries expressing fear over the safety of the Games, in spite of the International Olympic Committee's assurance that the riots would not affect the Games.
The IOC's Coordination Commission for the 2012 Games completed its tenth and final visit to London in March 2012. Its members concluded that "London is ready to host the world this summer".
The 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games used a mixture of new venues, existing and historic facilities, and temporary facilities, some of them in well-known locations such as Hyde Park and Horse Guards Parade. After the Games, some of the new facilities will be reused in their Olympic form, while others will be resized or relocated.
The majority of venues have been divided into three zones within Greater London: the Olympic Zone, the River Zone and the Central Zone. In addition there are a few venues that, by necessity, are outside the boundaries of Greater London, such as the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy some 125 miles (200 km) southwest of London, which hosted the sailing events. The football tournament was staged at several grounds around the UK. Work began on the Park in December 2006, when a sports hall in Eton Manor was pulled down. The athletes' village in Portland was completed in September 2011.
In November 2004, the 200-hectare (500-acre) Olympic Park plans were revealed. The plans for the site were approved in September 2004 by Tower Hamlets, Newham, Hackney and Waltham Forest. The redevelopment of the area to build the Olympic Park required compulsory purchase orders of property. The London Development Agency was in dispute with London and Continental Railways about the orders in November 2005. By May 2006, 86% of the land had been bought as businesses fought eviction. Residents who opposed the eviction tried to find ways to stop it by setting up campaigns, but they had to leave as 94% of land was bought and the other 6% bought as a £9 billion regeneration project started.
There were some issues with the original venues not being challenging enough or being financially unviable. Both the Olympic road races and the mountain bike event were initially considered to be too easy, so they were eventually scheduled on new locations. The Olympic marathon course, which was set to finish in the Olympic stadium, was moved to The Mall, since closing Tower Bridge was deemed to cause traffic problems in central London. North Greenwich Arena 2 was scrapped in a cost-cutting exercise, Wembley Arena being used for badminton and rhythmic gymnastics events instead.
Test events were held throughout 2011 and 2012, either through an existing championship such as 2012 Wimbledon Championships or as a specially created event held under the banner of London Prepares.
Public transportEdit
London's public transport scored poorly in the IOC's initial evaluation; however, it felt that, if the improvements were delivered in time for the Games, London would cope. Transport for London (TfL) carried out numerous improvements in preparation for 2012, including the expansion of the London Overground's East London Line, upgrades to the Docklands Light Railway and the North London Line, and the introduction of a new "Javelin" high-speed rail service. According to Network Rail, an additional 4,000 train services operated during the Games, and train operators ran longer trains during the day. During the Games, Stratford International station was not served by any international services, westbound trains did not stop at Hackney Wick railway station, and Pudding Mill Lane DLR station closed entirely during the Games.
TfL also built a £25 million cable car across the River Thames, called the Emirates Air Line, to link 2012 Olympics venues. It was inaugurated in June 2012, and crosses the Thames between Greenwich Peninsula and the Royal Docks, carrying up to 2,500 passengers an hour, cutting journey times between the O2 arena and the ExCel exhibition centre and providing a crossing every 30 seconds.
The plan was to have 80% of athletes travel less than 20 minutes to their event, and 93% of them within 30 minutes of their event. The Olympic Park would be served by ten separate railway lines with a combined capacity of 240,000 passengers per hour. In addition, LOCOG planned for 90% of the venues to be served by three or more types of public transport. Two park-and-ride sites off the M25 with a combined capacity of 12,000 cars were 25 minutes away from the Olympic Park. Another park-and-ride site was planned in Ebbsfleet with a capacity for 9,000 cars where spectators could board a 10-minute shuttle bus. To get spectators to Eton Dorney, four park-and-ride schemes were set up.
TfL defined a network of roads leading between venues as the Olympic Route Network; roads connecting between all of the Olympic venues located within London. Many of these roads also contained special "Olympic lanes" marked with the Olympic rings—reserved for the use of Olympic athletes, officials, and other VIPs during the Games. Members of the public driving in an Olympic lane were subject to a fine of £130. Additionally, London buses would not include roads with Olympic lanes on their routes. The painting of Olympic lane indicators in mid-July led to confusion from commuters, who wrongly believed that the Olympic lane restrictions had already taken effect (they were to take effect on 27 July). The A4 experienced traffic jams due to drivers avoiding the Olympic lane, and likewise on a section of Southampton Row, where the only lanes available in one direction were the Olympic lane and the bus lane.
Concerns were expressed at the logistics of spectators travelling to the events outside London. In particular, the sailing events at Portland had no direct motorway connections, and local roads are heavily congested by tourist traffic in the summer. However, a £77 million relief road connecting Weymouth to Dorchester was built and opened in 2011. Some £16 million was put aside for the rest of the improvements.
TfL created a promotional campaign and website, Get Ahead of the Games, to help provide information related to transport during the Olympics and Paralympics. Through the campaign, TfL also encouraged the use of cycling as a mode of transport during the Games. However, despite this encouragement to use bicycles, members of the public protested that riding bikes on London roads would be more dangerous due to the blocked Olympic lanes, and also protested against a decision to close the Lea Valley towpath during the Olympics and Paralympics due to security concerns.
The costs of mounting the Games are separate from those for building the venues and infrastructure, and redeveloping the land for the Olympic Park. While the Games are privately funded, the venues and Park costs are met largely by public money.
The original budget for the Games was £2.4 billion, but this was increased almost fourfold to about £9.3 billion ($14.46 billion) in 2007. The revised figures were announced to the House of Commons on 15 March 2007 by Tessa Jowell. Along with East End regeneration costs, the breakdown was:
- Building the venues and infrastructure — £5.3 billion
- Elite sport and Paralympic funding — £400 million.
- Security and policing — £600 million
- Regeneration of the Lower Lea Valley — £1.7 billion
- Contingency fund — £2.7 billion
- VAT — £800 million.
Unpaid volunteers known as Games Makers performed a variety of tasks before and during the Games. A target of 70,000 volunteers was set as early as 2004. When recruitment took place in 2010, over 240,000 applications were received. Sebastian Coe said in February 2012, "Our Games Makers will contribute a total of around eight million volunteer hours during the Games and the Games simply wouldn't happen without them". The volunteers wore Olympic style clothing which includes purple and red shirts, jackets and fleeces. They also have to wear beige socks and trousers with beige-brown shoes. Volunteers also wore photo accreditation badges which were also worn by officials, athletes, family members and media which gain them access to specific venues and buildings around the site.
Organisers estimated that some 8 million tickets would be available for the Olympic Games, and 1.5 million tickets for the Paralympic Games. LOCOG aimed to raise £375–£400 million in ticket sales. There were also free events such as marathon, triathlon and road cycling, although, for the first time in Olympic history, the sailing events were ticketed. Eventually, more than 7,000,000 tickets were sold. Following IOC rules, people applied for tickets from the NOC of their country of residence. European Union residents were able to apply for tickets in any EU country.
In Great Britain, ticket prices ranged from £20 for many events to £2,012 for the most expensive seats at the opening ceremony. Free tickets were given to military personnel, as well as to survivors and families of those who died during 7 July 2005 London bombings. Initially, people were able to apply for tickets via a website from 15 March until 26 April 2011. There was a huge demand for tickets, with a demand of over three times the number of tickets available. The process was widely criticised as more than 50% of the sessions went to a random ballot, and over half the people who applied got no tickets. On 11 May 2012 a round of nearly one million "second chance" tickets went on sale over a 10-day period between 23 June and 3 July 2011. About 1.7 million tickets available for football and 600,000 for other sports (including archery, hockey, football, judo, boxing and volleyball). Although technical difficulties were encountered, ten sports had sold out by 8 am of the first day.
During the closing ceremony of the 2008 Olympics, the Olympic Flag was formally handed over from the Mayor of Beijing to the Mayor of London. This was followed by a section highlighting London. One month later, the Olympic and Paralympic flags were raised outside the London City Hall.
A countdown clock in Trafalgar Square was unveiled, 500 days before the Games. The clock broke down the following day. The countdown to the start of the Olympics began with a ceremony for the lighting of the Olympic flame in Olympia, Greece.
The security operation was led by the police, with 10,000 officers available, supported by 13,500 members of the armed forces. Naval and air assets, including ships situated in the Thames, Eurofighter jets and surface-to-air missiles, were deployed as part of the security operation; the biggest security operation Britain had faced for decades. The cost of security increased from £282 million to £553 million, and the figure of 13,500 armed forces personnel was more than Britain currently had deployed in Afghanistan. The Metropolitan Police and the Royal Marines carried out security exercises in preparation for the Olympics on 19 January 2012, with 50 marine police officers in rigid inflatables and fast response boats, joined by up to 100 military personnel and a Lynx Navy helicopter.
The Ministry of Defense distributed leaflets to residents of the Lexington building in Bow, announcing that a missile system was to be stationed on top of the water tower. This caused concern to some residents. The Ministry said it probably would use Starstreak missiles and that site evaluations had taken place, but that no final decision had taken place.
It emerged in July 2012 that G4S, the firm responsible for supplying security staff for the Olympics, had been unable to recruit enough, so the shortfall would have to be made up by 3,500 UK military servicepeople. There were also media reports that G4S had failed to respond to people applying for jobs as security staff, that recruits were inadequately trained, that some were teenagers, and some were not fully conversant in English.
Approximately 4,700 Olympic and Paralympic medals have been produced by the Royal Mint at Llantrisant. They were designed by David Watkins (Olympics) and Lin Cheung (Paralympics). 99% of the gold, silver and copper was donated by Rio Tinto from a mine in Salt Lake County, Utah in the U.S. The remaining 1% came from a Mongolian mine. Each medal weighs 375–400 g (13.2–14 oz), has a diameter of 85 mm (3.3 in) and is 7 mm (0.28 in) thick, with the sport and discipline engraved on the rim. The obverse, as is traditional, features Nike, the Greek goddess of victory, stepping from the Panathinaiko Stadium that hosted the first modern Olympic Games in 1896, with Parthenon in the background; the reverse features the Games logo, the River Thames and a series of lines representing "the energy of athletes and a sense of pulling together". The medals were transferred to the Tower of London vaults on 2 July 2012 for storage.
Each gold medal is made up of 92.5 percent silver and 1.34 percent gold, with the remainder copper. The silver medal (which represents second place) is made up of 92.5 percent silver, with the remainder copper. The bronze medal is made up of 97 percent copper, 2.5 percent zinc and 0.5 percent tin. The value of the materials in the gold medal was about $644, the silver about $330, and the bronze about $4.71 on the market at the time.
Torch relayEdit
The Olympics torch relay ran from 19 May to 27 July 2012, before the Games. Plans for the relay were developed in 2010–11, with the torch-bearer selection process announced on 18 May 2011. The Olympic flame arrived on flight BA2012 on 18 May 2012 from Greece. The relay lasted 70 days, with 66 evening celebrations and six island visits, and involved about 8,000 people carrying the torch a distance of about 8,000 miles (12,800 km), starting from Land's End in Cornwall. The torch had one day outside of the United Kingdom when it visited Dublin on 6 June. The relay was focusing on National Heritage Sites, locations and venues with sporting significance, key sporting events, schools registered with the Get Set School Network, green spaces and biodiversity, Live Sites (city locations with large screens), festivals and other events.
Environmental policyEdit
The Olympic Park was planned to incorporate 45 hectares of wildlife habitat, with a total of 525 bird boxes, and 150 bat boxes. Local waterways and riverbanks were enhanced as part of the process. Renewable energy also features at the Olympics. It was originally planned to provide 20% of the energy for the Olympic Park and Village from renewable technologies; however, this may now be as little as 9%. Proposals to meet the original target included large-scale on-site wind turbines and hydroelectric generators in the River Thames. These plans were scrapped for safety reasons. The focus has since moved to installing solar panels on some buildings, and providing the opportunity to recover energy from waste. Food packaging at the Olympics is made from compostable materials – like starch and cellulose-based bioplastics – where it cannot be re-used or recycled. This includes fast food wrappers, sandwich boxes and drink cartons. After they have been used, many of these materials would be suitable for anaerobic digestion (AD), allowing them to be made into renewable energy. Buildings like the Water Polo Arena will be relocated elsewhere. Building Parts like Roofing Covers and membranes of different temporary venues will be recycled via Vinyloop. This allows to meet the standards of the Olympic Delivery Authority, concerning environmental protection. Through this recycling process, the Olympic Games PVC Policy is fulfilled. It says that
- Where London 2012 procures PVC for temporary usage or where permanent usage is not assured, London 2012 is required to ensure that there is a take-back scheme that offers a closed loop reuse system or mechanical recycling system for post-consumer waste.
London 2012 are the first Olympic Games whose guidelines include the recycling of PVC.
Cultural OlympiadEdit
The Olympic Charter, the set of rules and guidelines for the organization of the Olympic Games and for governing the Olympic Movement, states that
"LOCOG shall organize a programme of cultural events which must cover at least the entire period during which the Olympic Village is open."
The Cultural Olympiad comprises many programmes, with over 500 events spread over four years across the whole of the United Kingdom, and culminating in the London 2012 Festival.
Opening ceremonyEdit
The opening ceremony of the 2012 Summer Olympics was held on 27 July and called "Isles of Wonder". Oscar-winning director Danny Boyle was its artistic director, with the music directors being the electronic music duo Rick Smith and Karl Hyde of Underworld.
The Games were officially opened by Queen Elizabeth II, accompanied by Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. It was the second Games the Queen had opened personally, the first being the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal. All successive Olympics held in Canada or Australia have been opened by their respective governors-general.
A short comic film starring Daniel Craig as secret agent James Bond and the Queen as herself was screened during the ceremony.
Live musical performers included Frank Turner, Mike Oldfield, London Symphony Orchestra (accompanied by Rowan Atkinson), Dizzee Rascal, Arctic Monkeys and Sir Paul McCartney, who performed the song "Hey Jude" at the end of the ceremony.
Furthermore, there was Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling who read a piece of the story of Peter Pan, followed by an enormous Voldemort figure trying to attack little children, alongside his Death-Eaters. But thousands of Mary Poppins' rose from the sky to stop him.
The official BARB ratings give the opening ceremony a rating of 24.24 million viewers, the highest audience for any British television broadcast since 1996.
Closing ceremonyEdit
The closing ceremony of the London 2012 Summer Olympics was held on 12 August 2012. In addition to protocol, the ceremony featured a flashback fiesta to British music with The Who finishing out the performance. The ceremony also included a handover of the Olympic flag by Boris Johnson, Mayor of London, to Eduardo Paes, Mayor of Rio de Janeiro, the host city of the 2016 Summer Olympics.
External linksEdit
News mediaEdit
- 2012 London Olympics at NBC
- London Olympics Business at The Telegraph


text:
J.K. Rowling's First Post-Harry-Potter Book Is a Funny Story About War
Little, Brown this morning revealed additional details about J.K. Rowling's upcoming post-Harry-Potter "novel for adults," which is set to be released Thursday, September 27th, in hardback, ebook, unabridged audio download, and CD formats.
The book, entitled The Casual Vacancy, is set in the town Pagford, "seemingly, an English idyll," but what seems isn't always what is. Intrigue! The publisher describes the story as "blackly comic, thought-provoking and constantly surprising."
Full synopsis follows:
When Barry Fairweather dies unexpectedly in his early forties, the little town of Pagford is left in shock.
Pagford is, seemingly, an English idyll, with a cobbled market square and an ancient abbey, but what lies behind the pretty façade is a town at war.
Rich at war with poor, teenagers at war with their parents, wives at war with their husbands, teachers at war with their pupils...Pagford is not what it first seems.
And the empty seat left by Barry on the parish council soon becomes the catalyst for the biggest war the town has yet seen. Who will triumph in an election fraught with passion, duplicity and unexpected revelations?
In addition to being Rowling's first non-Harry-Potter-related publication, The Casual Vacancy will also be her first published work since 2008's The Tales of Beedle the Bard.
[Image via Getty]

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Note to Self: Don't book a spa day when you have a cold. No matter how relaxing the massage and facials are, you won't get past the fact that you are so congested that you're gasping for air through your deep cleansing mask. Actually, better yet:
Second Note to Self: Don't let your spa groupon deal come within a week of expiring so there is no other openings available than going to the spa when you're sick.
There. Lesson learned.
It is such a bummer that it has been only a couple weeks since I had a category 4, hurricane of a cold, and now I am dealing with a category 1/2 cold yet again. You would think with all this healthy eating my body would gain some super human strength to fend off these measly germs or something. Isn't that the purpose of trying to find a healthy diet plan to stick with – Impeccable health?
Since I am not thrilled by the idea of drugging myself up, I usually try to go the natural cold remedy route. Here is one that I just started trying, and with this kind of congestion, I'll try just about anything at this point.
I add a little bit of warm water to this mixture to help it go down easier. It actually tastes pretty good! Hope this helps you through this tough cold and flu season.
Do you know of any natural cold remedies?


text:
We always strive to create a show that will keep you entertained all night. This year our Birmingham team along with our resident drag host Trixie have created a brand new show for your entertainment.
Join them at The Hub and enjoy their exciting new show "Cirque De Cabaret" which is a fresh blend of cabaret and circus accompanied with awesome pyrotechnics all performed by our gorgeous boys.
Enjoy the laughs, dance routines, sexy silk performance and the gorgeous male form every Saturday night.
We accommodate all groups at this show from...
Hen Nights - Couples - Gay Stags - Girls Nights Out - Birthday Parties or even Divorce Parties.
Our male strippers/performers will wow you!


text:
Syria's Assad praises Russia's takeover of Crimea as 'wise policy'
DAMASCUS, Syria – Syrian President Bashar Assad says Russia's military takeover of Crimea reflects President Vladimir Putin's "wise policy" and his efforts to restore "security and stability" in Ukraine after an "attempted coup."
In a letter addressed to the Russian president, Assad claims Putin's move in eastern Ukraine prevented "terrorist extremists" from taking power in Kiev.
Assad's comments -- his first since the escalation of the Ukrainian crisis last month -- were carried by the Syrian state news service late on Thursday.
Russia has been an adamant supporter of Assad through the 3-year-old conflict that started as a largely peaceful uprising against his rule but turned into a civil war that has claimed at least 140,000 lives.
Assad says his troops are fighting Islamic extremists who want to destroy Syria.


text:
|Grayston Wheel Nuts
Grayston supply every type of customer in the automotive industry including original equipment and most major alloy wheel manufacturers.
If you are unsure about what type of Nuts you need, please give us a call on 0113 2643231 and we will be happy to advise you.
Have you considered:


text:
Statement by Carolyn Colvin,
Deputy Commissioner for Programs, Policy, Evaluation and Communications
before the Senate Committee on the Judiciary,
Subcommittee on Immigration
February 6, 1996
Mr. Chairman and Members of the Subcommittee:
My name is Carolyn Colvin. I am the Deputy Commissioner for Programs, Policy, Evaluation, and Communications of the Social Security Administration. I am pleased to be here today on behalf of Commissioner Chater to discuss issues relating to the receipt of Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits by noncitizens. As you have requested in your letter of invitation, I will provide information about growth in the numbers of noncitizens participating in the SSI program. In addition, I will discuss the options for addressing concerns about sponsored immigrants who receive SSI benefits and bring you up to date on SSA's efforts to combat fraud perpetrated on the SSI program and the immigrants themselves by unscrupulous middlemen.
Let me begin by describing the basic eligibility requirements in the Social Security Act that noncitizens must meet in order to be eligible for SSI.
To qualify for SSI, in addition to being aged, blind, or disabled and meeting the SSI income and resource tests, a person must reside in the United States and be; (1) either a U.S. citizen, or (2) an alien lawfully admitted for permanent residence, or (3) otherwise permanently residing in the United States under color of law.
Noncitizens who are lawfully admitted for permanent residence are issued either immigrant visas abroad by the Department of State or are adjusted to permanent resident status in the United States by the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS).
The other group of noncitizens who can be eligible for SSI are those "permanently residing in the United states under color of law" (PRUCOL). PRUCOL is a broad categorization that includes 16 specific immigration statuses for noncitizens and a general category that includes noncitizens known by the INS to be present in the country and INS does not contemplate enforcing their departure.
Among noncitizens who are PRUCOL are individuals in three categories who are admitted or are allowed to remain in the United States for humanitarian reasons including refugees, asylees, and individuals who have had their deportations withheld under section 243(h) of the Immigration and Nationality Act. These noncitizens generally do not have sponsors and often arrive in the United States with no income or resources. SSI has been the only form of on-going cash assistance for many aged, blind, and disabled refugees and qualified persons.
Noncitizens present in the United States temporarily as visitors (nonimmigrants) and noncitizens in the United States illegally are not eligible for SSI.
I would now like to give an overview of noncitizen participation in the SSI program. The number of noncitizens on the SSI rolls has grown, reflecting the general increase in immigration in recent years. The number of noncitizens receiving SSI increased at an average annual rate of 14.3 percent in the period 1985 through 1995. Noncitizens currently represent 12 percent of all SSI recipients; 32 percent of the SSI aged population; and about 6.2 percent of the SSI disabled population.
Generally, noncitizen SSI recipients are older than the rest of the SSI population. Currently, 67 percent of the noncitizen recipients are over age 65, and 27 percent are over age 75. In addition, because noncitizen recipients, particularly the aged, may not receive significant income from other sources, such as Social Security, they tend also to be poorer than citizen recipients.
Most noncitizen recipients receive benefits based on age which is not typical of the general SSI recipient population. Only 22 percent of all recipients receive benefits based on age, while 58 percent of noncitizen recipients receive benefits on this basis.
The categories of noncitizen recipients are somewhat more evenly distributed between aged and disabled than is the general SSI recipient population. About 61 percent of noncitizens admitted for permanent residence are aged and 39 percent are disabled. About 51 percent of refugees on SSI are aged and 49 percent are disabled. The percentage distribution that applies to refugees also applies to the group that incudes asylees and all other noncitizen categories.
The number of refugees on the SSI rolls has also grown over the past 10 years. In 1985 24,000 refugees received benefits. By 1995, the number had grown to 138,600. While refugees make up two-thirds of PRUCOL class of noncitizens, they constitute only 18 percent of all noncitizen recipients and just 2 percent of all SSI recipients.
As we stated earlier, the growth in the number of noncitizens receiving SSI mirrors the increase in immigration in recent years. In 1988, 643,000 noncitizens were admitted for permanent residence, the most in any year since 1924. In 1989, this status was accorded one million immigrants followed by 1.5 million and 1.8 million, in 1990 and 1991, respectively. These large increases were due to implementation of the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 that legalized 2.7 million previously undocumented noncitizens. As a result, many of these noncitizens were able to become eligible for SSI.
A contributing factor to the growth may be the effects of conflicts around the world that have led to. the greater admission of refugees.
SSA Verification Procedures
Mr. Chairman, whatever the reasons for the growth in noncitizen participation in the SSI program, I want to make it very clear that noncitizens who are in the United States without the knowledge and permission of the INS and who are not covered by defmed PRUCOL categories are not eligible for SSI.
SSA's regulations and operating instructions that set out the requirements for proof of citizenship or noncitizen status are designed to assure that only those individuals who are legally present in the United States and who meet the other statutory provisions for SSI eligibility are, in fact, found eligible. I would like to outline briefly those requirements.
Every SSI applicant's citizenship or immigration status must be verified before they can be made eligible. To verify U.S. citizenship, our field offices look at birth or baptismal records, U.S. passports, naturalization papers, or other documents reflecting U.S. citizenship. In the case of noncitizens who state that they are lawfully admitted for permanent residence, we require that they provide documents issued by INS as evidence. Our field office employees examine the documents using special equipment and procedures established by the INS. If the documents appear in any way to be invalid, copies are sent to INS for verification.
Many noncitizens in PRUCOL categories also have INS documentation of their status, although some may not. In all PRUCOL cases, we contact INS for verification of the authenticity of the documentation or the fact that the noncitizen is known to INS and that INS does not contemplate deporting the noncitizen. Reverification with INS also is done annually for all PRUCOL noncitizens on the SSI rolls, or more frequently if it appears necessary based on the individual's situation.
In about 160 Social Security Offices with the greatest number of cases involving noncitizens, the Immigration and Naturalization's on-line Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements System (SAVE) is available to assist in verifying the resident status of applicants for SSI benefits.
Mr. Chairman, I now would like to address your concern about sponsored immigrants receiving publicly funded assistance. But again, some background information may be helpful.
Many noncitizens admitted for permanent residence are sponsored by a family member residing in the United States. The affidavit of support that the sponsor signs, which affrrms that the immigrant will not become a public charge, supports the approval of the noncitizen's request to immigrate. However, the courts have ruled that the affidavit is not legally enforceable. The Administration has proposed making the affidavit legally enforceable.
In the late 1970's, as a result of similar concerns about the number of noncitizens entering the country and the impact on publicly funded assistance programs, consideration was given to making the affidavit of support legally enforceable for 5 years as a way of reducing the number of noncitizens receiving welfare shortly after their arrival in the United States. What emerged from that debate was a provision, effective in 1980, that required a part of the income and resources of the noncitizen's sponsor to be taken into account in determining whether a noncitizen is eligible for SSI for a period of three years after the noncitizen's entry into the United States. Exceptions were provided for those who became blind or disabled after their admission into the United States. Also, sponsored noncitizens could become eligible for SSI during the "deeming period" if the sponsor's fmancial situation deteriorated. This provision--generally known as "sponsor deeming"--precludes sponsors from shifting their financial responsibilities to the U.S. taxpayers by requiring that a portion of their income and resources and those of their spouses be counted along with the immigrant's own income and resources in determining the immigrant's eligibility and the amount of the SSI payment.
Sponsor deeming under the SSI program currently applies for a period of 5 years after the immigrant's admission into the United States for permanent residence and applies to all lawfully admitted, sponsored immigrants. Under current law, the deeming period will revert to 3 years beginning October of this year.
Sponsor deeming is very effective at keeping sponsored immigrants off the SSI rolls. The effectiveness of the deeming provision is shown by the fact that in December 1994, the most recent date for which we have data, fewer than 5,000 noncitizens with sponsors came on the rolls before the deeming period ended. This is only about I percent of all noncitizens lawfully admitted for permanent residence currently receiving SSI benefits.
In spite of the demonstrable effectiveness of the sponsor-to-immigrant deeming provision, there is concern about the growth in the number of immigrants on the SSI rolls. In your letter of invitation, you requested that I discuss four policy options intended to address this concern--prohibiting SSI eligibility for a specified number of years, changing current-law deeming provisions, enforcing deportation under the "public charge" provision, and requiring sponsors to purchase health insurance for the immigrants that they sponsor.
In discussing these options, I want to emphasize that the Administration strongly endorses holding sponsors accountable for the support of immigrants that they bring into this country and making the sponsors' commitment of support a legally binding contract. There is concern however that, in crafting ways to hold sponsors accountable, changes might be made in SSI that would adversely affect some elderly or disabled immigrants in situations where they truly need help in meeting basic needs because their sponsors are unable to provide it.
A problem with an outright ban on SSI eligibility for sponsored immigrants for a specified number of years is that it would not be sufficiently flexible to help immigrants when they become disabled or the sponsor can no longer provide support. In these situations, the cost of essential assistance would most likely fall on the State or local governmental entity. Current-law deeming avoids this pitfall by effectively precluding an immigrant's receiving SSI only so long as the sponsor's income and resources are sufficient to provide for the immigrant. It also takes into account situations where noncitizens become too disabled after entry to be able to support themselves and their support would become onerous for the sponsor due to the additional expenses associated with the disability.
However, we recognize that, effective as the current-law deeming provision is, it can be improved. To this end, the Administration would support a proposal to continue deeming the sponsor's income and resources until the immigrant becomes a U.S. citizen, with exceptions for: elderly immigrants aged 75 or older who have resided in the country for many years; those who have worked or served in the military; those who have become blind and disabled after entry; Cuban and Haitian Entrants, and those on the SSI rolls at the time of enactment who have completed their deeming periods. We do not believe that the current-law deeming formula should be modified, because it sets aside some of the sponsor's funds in recognition of the sponsor's own needs and provides flexibility for situations where the sponsor's ability to support the noncitizen may be undercut by deteriorating health or loss of employment. The Administration would also support a proposal that would make the sponsor's affidavit of support a legally binding contract between the sponsor and the immigrant.
The Administration strongly opposes any change that would require deeming of the sponsor's income and resources to an individual after he or she becomes a U.S. citizen. Such an approach would likely be subject to a constitutional challenge as applied to naturalized citizens, who may be ineligible solely because of their former status as noncitizens, for benefits to which other citizens are entitled.
We are unable to assess the impact of the third policy--the enforcement of deportation under the "public charge" option. We would defer to the Immigration and Naturalization Service for an analysis of the effectiveness of this approach as a deterrent because of its experience with this procedure.
Likewise we defer to the health experts in the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) on the issue of requiring sponsors to purchase health insurance as a condition of the immigrants' entry.
I would now like to turn to another issue you asked me to address, Mr. Chairman-allegations of interpreters providing fraudulent information to secure SSI payments for some non-English speaking applicants. I want to assure you that the Administration is committed to taking the strongest possible measures to deal with fraud in the SSI disability program as well as all the programs we administer. We have zero tolerance for fraud. No one should be allowed to defraud the government and take scarce resources away from the needy disabled and elderly who deserve them and depend upon them so much. Fraud makes people, English speaking or not, suffer because it makes all applicants suspect. The program as a whole suffers as its reputation is tarnished in the eyes of the public.
I would first like to provide you with some background on this issue, and then I will discuss our efforts related to this area. I will also address briefly the recent General Accounting Office (GAO) report on interpreter fraud.
Within the last five or so years, we have encountered a small but troubling number of cases of suspected interpreter fraud in the SSI program. These cases were primarily in the states of Washington and California and primarily involved noncitizens from Southeast Asia. Investigation of these cases revealed that the fraud issue generally related to middlemen who solicited applicants, and, for a fee, fabricated a fraudulent disability, and then accompanied the applicants to serve as interpreters during their interviews before SSA (and to medical examinations in connection with their claims). In some cases, medical providers acted as collaborators with these fraudulent schemes by providing false medical information. It is important to note that the mere use of an interpreter is not an indicator of potential fraud. Interpreters are essential fo.r communication between English and non-English speakers and middlemen are routinely used to conduct government business in many non-English speaking communities and cultures. Qualified interpreters fill an important gap when public agencies lack bilingual intake workers or interviewers.
SSA Initiatives to Deter Fraud
Given the difficulties associated with this issue, we believe it is very important to focus on deterring fraud from the outset of the application process. Therefore, to deter interpreter fraud in the SSI application process, SSA has over the past several years implemented significant enhancements to our procedures for handling claims from nonEnglish speaking individuals and possible fraud situations. We think these enhancements have substantially improved the integrity of the SSI disability program compared to only four or five years ago, and we expect this trend to continue.
SSA Efforts to Address Known Cases of Fraud
In addition to deterring fraud, we must be prepared to address the issue of fraud after it has been detected. Let me now discuss how we handle cases of suspected fraud. Whenever fraud is suspected, SSA reviews the case and routinely refers the case to our Office of the Inspector General (OIG). In turn, SSA receives leads from OIG, as well as other law enforcement agencies, that result from their investigative activity.
In California, for example, working from OIG leads, we have completed 622 continuing disability reviews where fraud was suspected. Upon review, about 60 percent of these have proven to be cases of true disability. When taken together with the fact that less than one-third of the OIG leads were receiving SSI, this indicates that the field offices and State di sability adjudicators had done a good job of not allowing fraudulent claims. Of those that did get on the rolls, 40 percent--over 230 cases--have had benefits terminated.
In Washington State, an interagency taskforce (with representatives from SSA, the U.S. Attorney, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS), and several other State and Federal components) has largely completed investigation of 600 Tacoma area cases. The taskforce is now conducting interviews to confront the recipients with the evidence against them. Taking advantage of the additional evidence and the interviews provided by the taskforce, SSA then reopens the original favorable decisions. Out of the 40 cases with completed interviews so far, benefits have been terminated in 30 cases.
As I indicated earlier, cases of suspected fraud are routinely referred to our OIG for a fraud determination and possible referral to the Department of Justice for prosecution. I am pleased to report that, as a result of the investigations undertaken on this issue, over 30 arrests have been made in California and Washington, with at least 15 convictions.
GAO Report Findings
Let me now turn to the recent GAO report which discussed applicant fraud in the SSI disability program when middlemen are involved. Last August, GAO released a report indicating that SSA could do more to combat interpreter fraud and provided three recommendations to help accomplish this.
Mr. Chairman, I share GAO's belief in the importance of this area. In fact, the actions we have been taking over the last two years are consistent with the three recommendations in the GAO report. We do have a program wide strategy for handling this issue, in the form of our agency-wide policies for handling claims of non-English speaking applicants and for preventing and detecting fraud, waste, and abuse. We have in place regional directories of interpreter services, and we are in the planning stages of a comprehensive third-party database that will include ways to identify interpreters and middlemen who have been involved in fraudulent claims. We also have access to information obtained by State Medicaid fraud units and other government agencies, and we are strengthening our cooperative effort with the fraud unit in the California DDS.
We did consider GAO's suggestion that all bilingual interviews be conducted by SSA interpreters. Our basic policy is to use bilingual employees wherever feasible, and the vast majority of bilingual interviews are handled by SSA employees. But to ensure timely and equitable service, our experienced field office interviewers have the discretion to use other alternatives as well, including adult family members as interpreters. Experience has shown that this practice works quite well--the vast majority of non-English speaking claimants are not involved in fraudulent activity. In addition, our employees have the authority to terminate a suspicious or unsatisfactory interview at any time if they believe inaccurate information is being supplied, and to reschedule with an independent interpreter.
Finally, Mr. Chairman, I think it is important to note that the GAO report did not find any new instances of fraudulent activity. Although there continue to be isolated cases of fraud throughout the nation, no new pockets of interpreter fraud have surfaced. We believe our hard work in this area has paid off. Moreover, we think our initiatives will continue to improve the program's integrity, while at the same time treating both English and non-English speaking individuals filing for SSI disability benefits fairly and equitably, and without discrimination or unwarranted inconvenience.
In conclusion, we believe that the sponsors of immigrants should live up to their pledges to provide sufficient fmancial support so that, in most cases, public monies would not be needed to help meet immigrants' basic needs. At the same time, we believe that recognition be given to sponsors and their families' needs so that, if sponsors become unable to provide for the immigrant because of his failing health, accident, or loss of employment neither sponsors nor immigrants would be left destitute. There is ample evidence that sponsor deeming has been effective in preventing sponsors from reneging on their pledges of support that are the basis for the approval of the immigrant's entry into the United States. Extending the deeming period and making these support pledges legally binding contracts would provide even stronger safeguards of the public purse.


text:
Marketresearch.Biz adds International Industrial Salts Market Magnitude, Position and Prediction 2018-2027 new report to its research database. The Industrial Salts report consists of several tables and figures in it.
This thorough Industrial Salts Market research report incorporates shortly on these trends that can assist the businesses operating in the Industrial Salts industry to comprehend the market and build policies for their business extension appropriately. The Industrial Salts research report scrutinizes the market expanse, industry share, development, crucial areas, CAGR and Industrial Salts industry key drivers.
New traders in the Industrial Salts market are facing strong contention from traditional global traders as they strive with technological revolutions, dependability and standard of Industrial Salts product affairs. The report will be liable to project about the current Industrial Salts market evolutions and the magnitude of rivalry, opportunity cost and more.
Industrial Salts Market segment by Regions/Countries, this report covers
Europe, US, China, Japan, India, Southeast Asia, Central, and South America
To get an integrated SAMPLE of the report, please click: https://marketresearch.biz/report/industrial-salts-market/request-sample
Industrial Salts in its database, which furnishes a skillful and deep study of crucial business trends and upcoming Industrial Salts market enhancement anticipations, key drivers and moderation, accounts of massive Industrial Salts market competitors, categorization and foretell. A Industrial Salts Market supplies an immense view of size; trends and shape have been flourished in this Industrial Salts report to recognize elements that will reveal a remarkable influence in enhancing the sales of Industrial Salts Market in the upcoming time.
The chief participants enclosed in Industrial Salts market study
Compass Minerals International Inc.
Cargill Inc.
INEOS Salt
China National Salt Industry Corporation (CNSIC)
Tata Chemicals Limited
Morton Salt
Mitsui & Co. Ltd.
Rio Tinto PLC.
Delmon Salt Factory
Moreover, the research report evaluated Industrial Salts market main attributes, comprised of proceeds, capability employment rate, price, gross, Industrial Salts development rate, depletion, construction, export, supply, cost, Industrial Salts market dimensions & share, industry stipulation, export & import survey, and CAGR
The Industrial Salts market research report yields detailed examination on:
– The appraised development rate along with magnitude and share of the Industrial Salts Market during the forecast period.
– The prime factors anticipated piloting the Industrial Salts Market for the estimated period.
– The vital Industrial Salts market controllers and what has been their business conquering policy for favorable outcomes.
– Remarkable trends molding the extension likelihood of the Industrial Salts Market.
Crucial Industrial Salts market contenders affecting the market are outlined in the study along with their SWOT analysis and Industrial Salts market policies. The report also concentrates on leading Industrial Salts industry players with particulars such as company profiles, products and services offered monetary information, key enhancement of Industrial Salts industry.
For Any Enquire Or Ask For The Complete TOC @ https://marketresearch.biz/report/industrial-salts-market/#inquiry
The report presents a thorough appraisal of the Industrial Salts market. It does so through deeper qualitative insights, historical data, and verifiable prognosis about Industrial Salts market size. The predictions presented in the report have been acquired using evinced research procedures and conclusions. By doing so, the Industrial Salts research report serves as a treasury of survey and information for every facet of the Industrial Salts market, including but not restricted to: Regional markets, technology, types, and applications. Our Industrial Salts business handouts represent the contemporary and the most dependable information essential for businesses to defend a rival verge.
The study objectives of Industrial Salts market report are:
– To examine international Industrial Salts position, succeeding portend, expansion scope, prime market, and prime players.
– To present the Industrial Salts advancement in the United States, Europe, and China.
– To strategically profile the Industrial Salts key players and thoroughly analyze their expansion policies and strategies.
– To define, explain and forecast the Industrial Salts market by product type, application, and key regions.
In this analysis, the years considered to project the market size of Industrial Salts are as follows:
Actual Year: 2017
Estimated Year: 2018
Forecast Year: 2018 to 2027
Revenue In: US$
Customization Available To Ask Click @ https://marketresearch.biz/report/industrial-salts-market/#request-for-customization


text:
Special materials
100C6: standard material for bearing application. Steel can be through hardened or induction hardened. Heat treatment can be tuned according to different bearing operating temperature.
100C6 VAR (Vacuum Arc Re-melted): a special Aerospace specification provides extremely clean structure, resulting in superior rolling contact fatigue and bearing life.
M50: tool steel, with high hardness (>63HRc) and temperature resistance (tempering >450C°). These features result in extremely high resistance to load, wear, and temperature.
Nitrogen steel: this family of steel provide temperature resistance (tempering >450C°), fine structure for long contact fatigue and corrosion resistance.
Other materials are available for case hardening, e.g. when the bearing application requires specific structural toughness.
Light Alloys
Aluminum Alloys: used for machined cages, this material provides a low weight solution, when high temperature and loads require a more robust design.
Titanium Alloys: SKF developed bearing cages machined from this material, providing low weight and high temperature resistance properties together with high component strength, for high acceleration applications, where the bearing cage is subject to high shock loads by the rolling elements. This solution is used in critical gearbox applications, to replace polymer or steel materials.
Polymers are normally used in cage manufacturing. SKF offers include
PA66: Standard material, used in wide application conditions and standard bearings
PA46: higher temperature range and ageing time compared to PA66
PEEK: for superior mechanical and temperature performances. Depending on application, the material can be loaded with different quantities of reinforcement materials as carbon or glass fibers, PTFE, graphite, to tune specific characteristic such as strength, elongation, thermal expansion, friction and operating temperature.
SKF can provide an extensive range of standard or customized polymer bearings, where all or some components can be manufactured using highly engineered polymers, to achieve specific product performances, as low weight or corrosion resistance and compatibility to fuels and other chemicals.
The use of Silicon Nitride as ceramic material for rolling elements (hybrid bearings) provides excellent performance for friction and weight reduction. Moreover, stiffness, high speed, acceleration capabilities, grease life, reduced lubrication needs, anti corrosion, electric insulation, longer bearing life, are among the performances enhanced by the use of this material. SKF can supply ball and roller bearings with ceramic rolling elements. Silicon Nitride rolling elements can be used in almost every application; they are very common on wheel bearing and gearbox.


text:
Inflatable / January 26, 2019 / Iva Gabriaux
Besides the resale of inflatable boats is easy and with good residual prices as well. Advantage No.8: 3-Year Warranty And 30 Days On-Water-Trial On top of these advantages Sea Eagle just offers 3 years warranty and 30 days on-water-trial for all Sea Eagle inflatable boats. You can get a full product refund if you are unsatisfied in any way within 30 days from the date of delivery. Use sea eagle inflatable boats on water and ask for refund if you are not satisfied. Besides 3 year warranty just allows you to send back your inflatable boats for free repair or no-charge replacement.
The large size buoyancy tubes provide a low center of gravity for the boats as well. These designs make inflatable boats sit flat on the water surface making inflatable boats almost impossible to flip over. For example 435ps paddle ski from sea eagle give ultimate stability. Comparing with normal paddle canoe it is mush more stable due to the two separate buoyancy tubes on two different sides. The features of inflatable boats just best suit those who like to stand up fishing and those scuba divers who need to flip backward to the water as well as pulling up themselves from water.
The few hundred dollars you thought you were saving when you bought your China Inflatable has now turned your "Great Deal" into the most expensive Inflatable youve ever purchased! Most of the Inflatable Manufacturers take the easy way out by giving away American jobs and going the cheap route by making our products overseas. And while it would be much more profitable to do so You would pay the price in the form of inferior quality of raw materials and substandard workmanship. You cannot control Safety Quality and Production Times if your products are being made a world away. Most of the US Inflatable Manufacturers start cutting corners by buying cheap vinyl inexpensive thread and single stitching. They cut corners on many exclusive safety features to save even more money. They do not have product liability insurance and so you are left to battle it out yourself in case of an accident for defective products. Before you make the decision on who youre going to buy from you should ask all the right questions then consider all the facts features and benefits of doing business with each company youre comparing and resist the temptation to buy on price alone. Like a trusted advisor once told me "A smart investment is one you still feel good about many years down the road."
About Gemweddingsandevents - Contact Us
Intellectual Property Protection - Privacy Policy - Terms of Use
© 2019 Gemweddingsandevents. All rights reserved.


text:
Events for March 1, 2018
+ Export Events
February 2018
Semeneya Bachata Bootcamp Feb 2018
7:00 pm — 9:00 pm
Semeneya's Bachata Boot Camp!! Are you Ready to take your Dancing to the next level? Maybe you are looking for a hobby? This is a 5 week course Classes are every Wednesday from 7 pm to 9 pm for 5 weeks starting on February 21th, 2018 at Semeneya Dance Studios. Price for this bootcamp…


text:
**I will be doing 6 days of Christmas Giveaways from now up to Christmas Eve. Please come back to enter!**
I haven't had the time or energy to do my usual Christmas Giveaways so this time I will just do 6 straight days for you to try your luck! Here is a lovely set of hair products from Schwarzkopf:
Schwarzkopf Professional BC Bonacure Moisture Kick Shampoo
Schwarzkopf Professional BC Bonacure Moisture Kick Spray Conditioner
Schwarzkopf Professional BC Bonacure Moisture Kick Recharger 150ml
Wanna win?
Answer This Question!
Christmas time is the time to watch lots of films! What films (old and new) do you hope to watch this Christmas?
Me: The classics (like Scrooged and Home Alone) and anything with Ryan Gosling in it.
Winners will be chosen in the New Year. The competition is open internationally. No cash alternative will be offered and prizes will not be 'resent' in they are 'lost'. Proof of postage is always retained. If you do not respond with your address in 2 days another winner will be chosen.


text:
You are currently browsing the tag archive for the 'drinking' tag.
The following quote is from An Adult Child's Guide to What's Normal by John C. Friel, Linda D. Friel
"We try to fix the problem with logic. We become excellent problem-solvers. We make charts of behavior. We make lists. We stay up late into the night with our spouse, lover or friends, analyzing and talking aboutproblems. But the problem doesn't go away. We are in crisis, and we are doing crisis management, but the crisis doesn't go away. It has become unmanageable."
I had to laugh when I read this passage. Of course, my initial reaction was pure astonishment when I first became aware of these books. It was a combination of relief and shock to see my issues so clearly defined.
I have been making lists since I was 10 years old and throughout the years it has become a joke to family and friends how I schedule myself relentlessly, trying to control every minute of my day. Some people who grew up as I did developed eating disorders or other unhealthy methods of coping. I never knew why I felt the need to control my environment at all costs, we just do what we do to survive.
The comical part of it, is to acknowledge that I have been coping this way for twenty years now. Twenty effin years. Torturing myself by trying to adhere to an impossible schedule. I still don't believe that it is necessarily impossible, that is what is unhealthy about it. Deep down, I still think that I can control my environment if I am disciplined enough. Life rarely fits into my little box and it can only be accomplished by rigid isolation, which, is challenging when you have friends and family who care about you.
Currently I cannot deny that I am in a state of crisis managment and have returned to the same coping skills learned as a child. Working from home, I am trying to split my time between three companies while also preparing for a cross-country move. I've cut out, or am trying to control, the unhealthy coping methods recently adopted like drinking alone and other damaging habits.
Square one. I have to do it. Yesterday I implemented a new schedule, and of course, it was too tightly wound to survive a lunch meeting and phone calls that went too long. However, today is a new day and I will try to find the balance between a schedule and the messiness of life. Then, in the next year, I intend to develop new ways of dealing with life and the challenges that come along with it.


text:
I remember SA was playing portland and Portland blew them out of the water...took SA yesterday it was push -10...today UTA to win +1. GL
This is an opportunity giving to you!!! Take UTA!!!! SA just want to see how the 2nd unit do against UTA....UTA wins by 12pts...
The San Antonio Spurs cruised to their 11th straight win in the opener of this home-and-home set against the Utah Jazz. Maintaining the streak isn't important to coach Gregg Popovich.
Popovich continues to reiterate that prioritizing health is his focus in the season's final month as the visiting Spurs try to defeat the Jazz for the seventh straight time Monday night.
San Antonio (40-14) led by as many as 19 points in a 114-104 home victory Sunday over Utah (29-28). The Spurs have matched their longest run of the season from Jan. 30-Feb. 20, and are percentage points ahead of Oklahoma City for the Western Conference's best record.
None of that matters to Popovich, who continues to rest players with starting center DeJuan Blair out Sunday.


text:
Know more about this business than we do? Cool! Please submit any corrections or missing details you may have.Help us make it right
Be the first NOLA.com user to add photos or videos of Flood Co-Emergency Water Damage Restoration Repair Service & Sewage Removal Clean Up Contractor
Metairie Flood Co is the Emergency Water Damage Restoration Contractor I called for flood repair service in my house when it flooded with sewage. They did a nice job and billed my insurance company directly for the sewage damage removal service. They were the right choice for me when I needed sewage water damage help fast.
Water Damage Restoration 24 Hour Emergency Flood Service-30 Min Onsite-We Bill Ins-Flood Water Damage Restoration-Sewage Water Damage Restoration-Wet Basement Water Damage Restoration-Wet Carpet Water Damage Restoration-Wet Ceiling Water Damage-Wet Wall Water Damage-Home Water Damage Removal-Broken Pipe Water Removal-Frozen Pipe Water Removal-Burst Pipe Water Removal-Toilet Overflow Water...


text:
New Forrester Report Offers Insights to Deploying Virtual Network Services
An interesting new report has been issued by Forrester Research that provides a great deal of market research and insight into the challenges of the data center network supporting large-scale virtualization. The report provides a representative view about the types of obstacles organizations are facing and where they are making new investments, along with some recommended best practices. As usual, the application services infrastructure is one of the biggest challenges, i.e., how to replicate the layer 4-7 and security services that mission-critical applications require in a highly virtualized or hybrid cloud environment. While servers and networks have largely been virtualized, relying on physical firewalls or application controllers can undermine or limit the beneficial effects of virtualization.
Forrester starts by pointing out what benefits customers are looking for and where they see the greatest growth in virtualization going forward. Over the next four years, Forrester sees 500% growth in total virtual x86 workloads that will be hosted in private cloud IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service), where virtual servers are isolated between tenants, compared to 170% growth in private cloud pools in organizations' own data centers. Forrester points out that overlooking virtual services can "negate private and public cloud investments", however. 33% of their respondents indicated that they have difficulty integrating public services with internal virtual infrastructures, with 24% specifically citing "frustration with capability, agility and flexibility of traditional application delivery controllers (ADC)". (see next table).
The oft-stated goals of IaaS deployments are to reduce time and costs to deploy virtual solutions, and to do so rapidly to adapt to changing business needs. 24% in Forrester's survey, however, indicated that physical security appliances and ADCs are "too slow and hamper the creation of a complete service". One of the key recommendations that Forrester makes is to invest in virtual network services, like virtual ADCs:
To support the drive toward self-service, cost reductions, and automation, the challenges that organizations encounter can be overcome by introducing and leveraging virtual instances of firewall, ADCs, and WAN optimizers. Sixty-five percent of respondents indicated that virtual appliances helped with reduction of operation costs within the data center. Forrester research has found that virtual appliances:
• Are less expensive to deploy than a hardware-based appliance.
• Enable organizations to recoup their costs faster since the time to deployment is reduced.
• Empower organizations using IaaS to leverage their own tools instead of the ones provided by the cloud provider.
• Standardize processes since the soft form factor is often identical to the physical one.
• Can improve collaboration with application development and testing teams and lead to a faster and smoother rollout of critical applications to production.
Consequently, virtualized application delivery controllers (vADCs) must be one of the fundamental products in any infrastructure toolbox. Since physical application delivery controllers are the closest entity to the application and improve a user's application experience, virtualized application delivery controllers will allow data center teams to deploy IaaS. vADCs can easily follow the application in order to replicate the VM's networking environment in its new location. In addition, they encourage better collaboration because it is much easier and quicker to put a virtual appliance into the hands of a developer than it is to give that developer access to an expensive piece of hardware that is sitting in a production environment.
65% of the survey indicated that the move to virtual infrastructure had overall reduced operational costs to maintain their data center. Between 27-40% listed more specific benefits from virtual services such as "increase the speed of response of the data center", "enable better orchestration", and "enable the infrastructure to leverage cloud providers". (see table below).
While Cisco has had a virtual firewall and virtual WAN optimization solution for some time, Forrester's focus on virtual ADCs is interesting. Cisco demonstrated a virtual version of its ACE application delivery controller recently at Cisco live in San Diego. While not specifying a delivery time frame, it's clearly an important area for Cisco to round out its virtual service offerings and accelerate the integration of public and private clouds, virtual overlay networks and IaaS infrastructures that customers are looking for.
This vendor neutral Forrester report was commissioned by Cisco, and we again had great pleasure in working with Andre Kindness and team who authored the report and provided the market research.
In an effort to keep conversations fresh, Cisco Blogs closes comments after 60 days. Please visit the Cisco Blogs hub page for the latest content.


text:
speakonitgod wrote:
I'm glad your trip out here was safe, SF truly is one of the nicer cities in the country(on sunny days especially)...
And Bernal Heights is one of the most chill neighborhoods in all of SF... there are a lot of cuts where graff writers get up....Whats really dope about Bernal Heights is that the hill at tha very top is home to animals u will not see in any other part of the city......its similar to the broadway/northbeach area (where ur pic is at) becuz there are a couple species of parrots that reside only in that area...SF is a quirky town even for tha animals
Cool, you know a lot about SF!
Yeah, Bernal Heights was a really nice place, and the top of the hill has a great view of the city. My aunt lives right under the hill, so walking from Mission St and up to their house is almost a workout
I've only been in SF during the summer, so I have only been able to watch baseball. My uncle is a big Giants fan. Next time maybe I should celebrate Christmas in SF, so I could go to a Warriors game.


text:
Light Up Wristbands
December 6, 2011 4 Comments
These light up wristbands are an awesome intro to adding lights to your clothes! We're thinking about all the things to do with these, lighting up socks, shoes, shirts, headbands … Don't worry about finding the special supplies for this project. Click here for the soft circuit sewing kit.
Download the instructions for this project here: Light Up Wristband Instructions.


text:
As May Grads Exit Their Grace Period, NASFAA Provides Tips on Selecting a Repayment Plan
Nov. 15, 2012, Washington, DC -- It's fall, and as recent college graduates unpack their scarves and fuzzy sweaters, they should also begin thinking about student loan repayment.
"As May graduates approach the end of their six-month grace period on federal Stafford loans, now is the time to begin thinking about how they will manage loan payments when the bills come due," said Justin Draeger, president of the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA). "Determining the best repayment strategy for you and your family is absolutely critical, because no one benefits from student loan default—not schools, not lenders, not taxpayers, and most certainly not students, who could suffer the negative effects of that credit damage for years to come."
Resources from NASFAA
Repayment Options
To forestall default and encourage successful loan repayment, the U.S. Department of Education offers numerous repayment options for federal student loans, including:
Source: U.S. Department of Education
It's important to remember that these repayment options only apply to federal loans. If you have private or alternative loans—nonfederal loans made by a lender such as a bank, credit union, state agency, or a school—be sure to check with your lender about the terms of your repayment.
Private loans are not eligible for IBR or the other federal loan payment plans, deferments, forbearances, or forgiveness programs. However, the lender may offer some type of forbearance or payment relief. Read your private loan paperwork carefully and then talk to the lender about what repayment options they may offer.
If you aren't sure how you'll make any loan payment at all, don't panic.
"Federal student loans are structured to include many borrower-friendly features. If you're unable to make payments because of medical issues, unemployment, or other financial challenges, there are legitimate ways to temporarily postpone your federal loan payments, such as deferments and forbearance," said Draeger. "Just beware: in some cases interest still accrues, so you may want to consider making interest-only payments if you are able."
For more information on planning and paying for college, visit the "Students, Parents, and Counselors" section of www.studentaid.org.
About NASFAA
The National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA) is a nonprofit membership organization that represents approximately 20,000 financial aid professionals at 3,000 colleges, universities, and career schools across the country. Each year, financial aid professionals help more than 16 million students receive funding for postsecondary education. Based in Washington, D.C., NASFAA is the only national association with a primary focus on student aid legislation, regulatory analysis, and training for financial aid administrators. For more information, visit www.nasfaa.org.


text:
07.22.13 - Monday Workout
by, July 22nd, 2013 at 12:33 PM (718 Views)
Swam w/ Sam, Dave, Dave and Carlile. Cleared a bunch of small trees out of my back yard this weekend. That alone had me pretty sore but last night's pick-up soccer match left my knees in pretty bad shape. Normally, a summer evening match is warm enough for us to slow down a bit and take it a little easier. Last night, a light cool rain fell with temps in the high 70s to low 80s. Nobody needed water so we never took breaks and it seemed like we could run full speed whenever we wanted. My muscles weren't sore this morning but my joints took a beating. Fortunately, my back had no problems.
600 Warm up
6 x 50 - :45
1:30 Rest
Timed 800, open turns @ 200s (2:25, 2:30, 2:30, 2:26)
50 Easy
Not terrible but I can go faster.
4 rounds of:
* 250 Kick - 5:00 (IM Order by round - this really hurt my knees. I used fins for round 2 & 4)
* 6 x 50 - 1:00 (Odds stroke, IM Order by round, evens pull, #5 hard)
6 x 50 Kick w/ fins - :50
(4250 Total)


text:
ChatFlair Online Chat rooms Without Registration
Searching ChatFlair Chat rooms For Decent Chat?? Pakchatting Pakistani Best Online Chatroom Without Registration Now You Can Easily Chat With Pakistani Girs And Boys indian Chatroom Best Decent Chatting Place in The World With Free Live Fm Radio Best Rj's And Dj's Pakchatting.com Most Entertaining Chatroom.
Chat With Pakistani Girls And Boys Indian Chat Rooms uk Chat Rooms Us Chat Rooms Bangladesh Chat rooms English Chat rooms Free Live Fm Radio Best Chatting Place In the World Pak chatting Decent Chatting Place, Pakistani Chatroom Pak Chatting
ChatFlair Online Chat rooms Free Online Chatroom Without Any Registrations
Online Chatroom Online Chat Rooms Without Registration Free Live to Chat with girls and boys, our Chat Room helps you.! Enjoy Chatting With Decent Indian And Pakistani Boys And Girls Without Any Registration
Teens Chat room Without Registration
Teenagers are always looking for their own space, and they may be a little nervous about their safety and what they are looking for. This website is a chat for teens, no registration so that you can keep your identity as private as possible so that you don't have to worry about anything happening. As a parent, this is a website that you can trust your teenagers on – but make sure that you always practice discretion and keep an eye on them.
If you're looking for a chat room that you don't even have to register for, then Pak Chatting is what you need. All that you have to do is go to their homepage, put your name in (and a couple of other details), and check it all out. This will help you to get going. You can register if you want. There are public chat spaces, or you can go ahead and private chat with people that you get a rapport with.


text:
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – The No. 9 Georgia College baseball team (24-5) took two ballgames at Carson-Newman (17-18) Sunday 12-8 and 9-3. The Bobcats now have 14 victories in their last 15 games.
Game one was a barnburner, the two teams combining for 24 hits and 20 runs. The scoring barrage started in the first inning for the Bobcats, as Ryan Sabalaskey (Carol Stream, Ill.) led off the game with a home run, and Steve Hazel (Kentwood, Mich.) later added a grand slam for an early 5-0 lead.
The Eagles got four in the second frame, bringing them within one at 5-4. Five Bobcat runs over the fourth and fifth innings pushed the game back out of reach.
Hazel finished 4-for-4 with five RBI and two runs. First baseman Clay Ardeeser (Loganville, Ga.) added a home run of his own with a 4-for-6 game, driving in three and scoring two more. Sabalaskey was 2-for-5 with two runs scored, while Jake Sandlin (Evans, Ga.) added two hits on four trips, an RBI and a run.
Justin Blue (Mulberry, Fla.) entered in relief for the first time this season, going the final seven innings with four runs on six hits with six strikeouts, improving to 4-2.
Game two started out as a pitchers' duel, scoreless over the first three innings. The Eagles broke the scoreless tie on a Bobcat error in the fourth, leading 1-0.
A Brandon Benson (Loganville, Ga.) RBI single in the fifth scored Taylor Hinshaw (Winder, Ga.) for a 1-1 score, before the Bobcats tacked on three more in the sixth to take the game over. The big blow of that frame was a two-run home run by Hinshaw to left center. Georgia College wouldn't surrender the lead after that.
Lefty starter Josh Taylor (Phoenix) went 6 1/3 innings allowing just one earned run for the win (5-1). Eagle starter Dustin Dunagan (2-4) fanned 12 Bobcats over 6 2/3 innings in the loss.
Hinshaw finished the game 3-for-4 with three runs scored and the two RBI, while Sandlin added a home run amongst his two hits, three runs scored and another pair driven in.
The Bobcats are back in action Wednesday, April 2 at 3 p.m., traveling to Erskine College.
The Georgia College Department of Athletics, two-time winners of the PBC Commissioner's Cup, sponsors 11 varsity athletic programs at the NCAA Division II level. As a Division II program, Bobcat Athletics prides itself on balancing the life of the student-athlete, evidenced by the teams' multiple appearances in post-season competition as well as documented academic success and community-service involvement. Sign up at @GCBobcats on Twitter and Facebook for up-to-the-minute reports, and visit GCBobcats.PhotoReflect.com to purchase photo prints from home athletic contests.


text:
The digital collections of the ODU Libraries include rare and unique images, documents, and oral histories from our archives, special collections, and other campus units. Below is a brief description of each collection. More will be added.
Annual Literary Festival of Old Dominion University
This collection of festival brochures, photographs, audio/video and other materials is a tribute to the many speakers, performers, and organizers who have made each festival a success since 1978.
Contemporary Composers Collection
Digital archive of the first pages of unpublished new music scores, promoting new music through performance and study. The University Libraries is actively pursuing donations.
Over 80 oral histories and several photographs and textual materials were collected in 2011-2012 as part of a travellling exhibit of the DOVE (Desegregation of Virginia Education) project.
Editorial Correspondence of The Independent Collection
Over 100 items from the correspondence of William Hayes Ward, editor of The Independent, a 19th century New York Congregationalist weekly. Approximately 50 items are from a scrapbook.
Majority of items in this collection are civil-war era materials centering on General John Hodges and two of his sons.
National Band Association William D. Revelli Memorial Band Competition Winners Collection
This collection is made up of 30 recordings from winners of the William D. Revelli Memorial Band Composition Contest from 1977-2008.
Norfolk Nineteen Nineteen Photograph Collection
The 46 photographs in this collection show some of the people and businesses of Norfolk, Virginia about one year after war ended on the western front in 1918. Includes 46-page research paper.
Norfolk Public School Desegregation Papers
This collection contains materials from the offices of the Norfolk Public Schools primarily relating to school desegregation, including the 1958 school closing to prevent integration, integration progress in the 1960s, busing to achieve integration in the 1970s and the end of busing in the mid-1980s.
Contains a wide range of print photos relating to the university's history from the 1930s to the early 2000s. Approximately 20,000 photos in all. Born-digital photos will be added in the future.
This collection contains a 35-year history of the Old Dominion University Women's Center through reports, news clippings, brochures, photographs and other primary source materials.
Oral Histories in the Perry Library
While the majority of these materials are interviews with former and present administrators, faculty, and staff of Old Dominion University, the collection includes interviews with politicians, military personnel, prominent local women and many others.
This Norfolk, Virginia newspaper, begun in 1976 by the Unitarian-Universalist Gay Caucus, was one of the nation's oldest gay and lesbian newspapers when it declared bankrupcty and published its last issue in August 1998.
Russell Stanger Photographic Collection
326 photographs from the Russell Stanger Papers.
School Desegregation in Norfolk, Virginia
Primary source materials document the closing and eventual reopening of six all-white public schools in Norfolk, the largest school system in Virginia, in the late 1950s.
U.S.S. Iowa Band: World War I Photograph Album, 1917-1919
Photo album of approximately 120 photographs kept by a Navy band member aboard the battleship U.S.S. Iowa and in France during World War I.
U.S.S. Vulcan (AR-5) Papers, 1898-1984
Contains materials relating to the history of the Vulcan, a World War II-era Navy repair vessel, and the first non-hospital ship to receive women officers (1978).
Virginia Symphony Orchestra Oral History Interviews
Oral histories with musicians and local supporters of the Virginia Symphony Orchestra serve to enrich the archival history of the symphony contained in the ODU Libraries' Special Collections.
Waldo Family Lecture Series on International Relations
This ongoing collection pulls together various materials from each of the lectures in the Waldo Family Lecture Series on International Relations.
WTAR News Collection - Sample
The videos in this collection are from a large collection of news reels from local TV station WTAR.
Copyright and Use of Digital Collections
We have made every effort to determine that information related to copyright and other restrictions is accurate. However, rights in historical and archival collections may be difficult or impossible to determine. For materials not owned by the ODU Libraries, the Creative Commons License does not apply, and permissions for their use must be directed to the owner of the physical material.
If you wish to publish the materials in these collections or use them for commercial purposes, please complete the "Permission to Publish" form.
Users assume full responsibility for any infringement of copyright and publication rights of reproduced materials.
Address questions to:
Head of Special Collections and University Archives


text:
My List:
System of a Down
Marilyn Manson
Avenged Sevenfold :( I just missed their concert here in MI
Rage against the Machine
U know nothing too hard core :)
Views: 219
Those are great bands! I'm a rivethead as well.
I could list a bunch of Industrial Goth bands -- but I think it would bore you all.
Les Athees Napoleoneinne - VikingTrance
Nick Cave
Rotting Christ
New Christs
Joy Division
Radio Birdman
Iggy Pop
Good list there too!
Devo -- awesome!
Mainly: Manson, NIN, Daft Punk, MSI, Combichrist, Children of Bodom, Tool, APC, SOAD, Turisas, Cradle of Filth, Daath, Emilie Autumn.
© 2019 Atheist Nexus. All rights reserved. Admin: The Nexus Group. Powered by


text:
Alumnus Honored For Clinical Practice, Research and Teaching
Dr. Gene Hoyme, class of 1972, chief pediatric medical officer for Sanford Children's Hospital and nationally known expert on clinical genetics and fetal alcohol syndrome, has received the Joseph W. St. Geme, Jr., Education Award by the Western Society for Pediatric Research.
Flat Ole Accepts Friend Request No. 500
It's a milestone day for Flat Ole, Flat Stanley's Norwegian cousin! The one-dimensional world-traveler accepted his 500th friend request on Facebook today. Since his debut in January, Flat has traveled the globe with students, alumni and friends of Augustana College.
Augustana Dance Marathon Raises Money for CMN
Students with the Augustana Dance Marathon took over the Elmen Center on Saturday to raise money for the Children's Miracle Network. The funds will help provide research, treatment, equipment and education for children and families at Sanford Children's Hospital.
April 15 Campus Pilgrimage to Offer Reflections, Insights
Students, alumni, faculty and staff and members of the Sioux Falls community are invited to walk in pilgrimage on Friday, April 15, to celebrate the heritage and gifts of the Augustana experience. Beginning at Old Main, originally built in 1889, the pilgrimage will include poetry, song, sacrament, and scientific experiences.
IN THE NEWS: Alumna Helps Children Manage Type 1 Diabetes
Meet Mary Oyos, class of 1983, a clinical nurse specialist and diabetes program manager with the Avera McKennan Diabetes Center. Oyos created the Virtual Nurse Project, a new initiative to help schoolchildren in eastern South Dakota manage their Type 1 diabetes.
Band Concert Set for April 8 at Washington Pavilion
The Spring Concert will feature the Augustana Band, the Augustana Wind Ensemble, the College/Community Band, student soloists Michael King and Joanna Qualm and a guest performance by the Heartland Handbells. The show begins at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, April 8, at the Washington Pavilion.
Augustana to Host 'Send-off Celebration' for Tour de Kota
Augustana will host the official check-in festivities for the 2011 Argus Leader Tour de Kota, beginning at 3 p.m. on Saturday, June 4, at the Morrison Commons. The "Send-off Celebration" will feature live music, food and other activities. Students, alumni, friends, faculty and staff are also invited to join "Team Augustana."
Northlanders, All-City Middle School, U.S. Army Blues Trombonist to Perform April 5
Jazz Time will feature the Northlanders Jazz Band, the All-City Middle School Jazz Band and special guest Matt Niess, lead trombonist for the U.S. Army Blues Jazz Ensemble. The concert begins at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, April 5.
Seven Students to Receive Scholarships April 9
Seven students will receive scholarships honoring their academic achievements and extracurricular involvement at the 47th annual Friends of Augustana and Augustana Women Scholarship Breakfast on April 9.
Braithwaite, Schoen Awarded NCAA Postgraduate Scholarships
Seniors Matt Braithwaite and Dan Schoen have both been awarded the prestigious NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship, given to student-athletes who excel academically and athletically and who are at least in their final year of intercollegiate athletics competition.


text:
Pakistan's missile technology seems to have come a long way. For example, its ballistic missile inventory includes solid-fuel based systems such as Shaheen II, and it has an arsenal of LACM in the form of Babur and Ra'ad for the Army and Air Force, respectively. However, what else could Pakistan do based on its capacities and, more importantly, its partnerships with countries such as China, Turkey, Brazil and maybe South Africa.
There are a few things I want to note or recall.
1. I'm not sure if Pakistan developed the turbojet (or turbofan) propulsion used by Babur and Ra'ad, i just don't know. But I do know that in 2006/2007 Pakistan signed an MoU with Turkey agreeing to develop turbojet technology for missiles. One way or another, I'd take it as an indication that as far as cruise missile propulsion goes, Pakistan 'has it down' or will secure the technology (for indigenous production) soon.
2. Pakistan seems to have a fairly strong supply-line through China, and as a result, it may not see the need to develop certain systems, especially tactical solutions such as anti-ship warfare, among others. It boggled my mind as to why Pakistan didn't have its own precision-guided-bomb kit for its Mk-series bombs even though every other country in the sun (including UAE) had its own solution, but the existence of China may be the answer. Why commit financial resources for weapons for the sake of having them? Right?
3. With a few exceptions, I think the bulk of Pakistani missile development moving forward will focus on stand-off missiles for use on platforms such as aircraft and submarines. In other words, further development and/or variants of Ra'ad and Babur LACMs. The exceptions to this might be more specialized missiles, especially air-to-surface solutions in the form of anti-radiation missiles, potential H-2/H-4 glide-bomb successors identical to J-SOW, etc.
In any case, here are my specific projections.
Ra'ad is the originator of Pakistan's ALCM capabilities, I see it evolving. For example, it wouldn't surprise me if the Ra'ad airframe were further developed into possessing a lower RCS (i.e. being stealthier). In addition, this could see an increase in range, thereby crossing the 350km mark and possibly touching alarmingly strategic milestones. In parallel, Ra'ad may also find itself watered down to below 300km in range with the benefit of being lighter and smaller, thereby allowing a single JF-17 to load out on multiple ALCMs.
Another develop I see happening is a replacement for H-2 and H-4. Imagine something identical to J-SOW and JSOW-ER. The core capabilities to produce a low-RCS airframe clearly exist, it's just a matter of applying the glide-bomb technology to it. Why? Basically to extend the range and to deal with issues such as weight, so as to make it easy as possible for use on JF-17s and potentially other platforms.


text:
Memories of Christmas in Marion
Editor's note: Karen Burk Watts is a granddaughter of longtime Marion County Record columnist Norma Hannaford, who passed away July 8, 2010.
"Over the river and through the woods, to Grandmother's house we go!"
We sang that song in the car every Christmas while we were driving to Marion. The excitement I felt was almost unbearable, and I'm sure it was a little unbearable for my family. I remember sitting in the backseat, in the middle, leaning over the front seat (before seatbelts) between Dad and Mom, singing at the top of my lungs.
Oh, and then there was the old bridge on the west side of town, before it was torn down and before the road was re-routed. It was a contest each time to see the bridge first, all of us shouting, "I see the bridge, I see the bridge!" Next we took the drive down Christmas-lit Main Street, turned left on Elm Street, up the hill and we were there.
I can still hear the sound of the tires rolling on the brick and smell the local fireplaces. Just past the charming and loved Presbyterian Church … we finally arrived at Gaga's house! We jumped out of the car before it even stopped, racing up the sidewalk and up the front porch, running through the (never locked) front door. There were so many hugs and kisses from everyone in that house. Aunts and uncles and cousins were everywhere ... Hannafords, Exlines, and Burks. And of course, there was the grand dame — Gaga!
I remember stockings hanging all the way across the fireplace. What seemed like hundreds of gifts under the tree spilled out into the entire living room. There was so much joy and laughter in that house on Elm Street.
Where did we all sleep? I am sure some were at Bud and Lavonne's! I know all the cousins were together — Kenny, Kris, Kathy, Karen, Roger, Gayle, Rob, David, and Jean. We could not sleep at all, we giggled and giggled with anticipation of what was to come on Christmas morning. Mother had her kids in matching pajamas, or at least two of us!
We all ate together, it seemed the dining room table extended from the kitchen to the front door! We loved Gaga's delicious pecan rolls, her tasty Chex mix, Uncle Bud's peppernuts, Hershey's candy bars from Edna Shahan, and decorated sugar cookies from Mrs. Mullen.
Oh, and if there was snow, Elm Street would be blocked off and opened for sledding! What fun! We never tired from walking back up the hill and sledding down again and again! I remember Uncle Bud being just as excited as we were! His enthusiasm was so contagious and he loved to see us have fun!
This Christmas, like all the others, brings back special memories of what seemed like simpler and more innocent times, of family and what lengths they went to make Christmas magical for the children. I treasure memories of Gaga, who made everything so special. Every year, we couldn't wait to get to this little town called Marion, in the middle of Kansas.
Merry Christmas, Marion! Gaga and Uncle Bud, we all miss you!
Karen Burk Watts
Colorado Springs, Colo.


text:
Even with unseasonably warm weather this January, it's still a struggle to stay warm and cozy. A mug of hot tea or coffee does wonders, but for an extra special treat, nothing takes the chill off quite like a sip of rich, creamy hot chocolate. Thick enough to qualify as a dessert, my rendition gets an extra boost from bright gingerbread spices, plus the deep, earthy sweetness of molasses.
Gingerbread Hot Chocolate
- 3 Cups Unsweetened Non-Dairy Milk
- 1/4 Cup Molasses
- 1 1/4 Teaspoons Ground Ginger
- 1 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
- 1/4 Teaspoon Ground Nutmeg
- 1/4 Teaspoon Salt
- 6 Ounces (1 Cup) Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
- 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- In a medium saucepan over low heat, thoroughly whisk everything together except the vanilla. Continue to whisk gently until the chocolate melts smoothly and the mixture is hot.
- Mix in the vanilla after taking the saucepan off the heat. Serve and enjoy with someone you love.
Nutrition Information:
Serving Size:1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 243 Total Fat: 11g Saturated Fat: 7g Trans Fat: 0g Unsaturated Fat: 4g Cholesterol: 10mg Sodium: 154mg Carbohydrates: 35g Fiber: 2g Sugar: 32g Protein: 5g