text:
Australia's foreign player influx essential for the West
By Matt Hodgson, 14 Jun 2012 Matt Hodgson is a Roar Expert
- Tagged:
- Rugby Union, Super Rugby, Western Force
In recent history, the Australian Rugby Union changed the rules to allow foreign players and developing foreign players to join Australian teams in the Super Competition.
There have been a number of players come and go, and only a few that have left a lasting impression on Super Rugby history.
The Emirates Western Force has had a number of 'marquee' foreigners, but has rarely received a return on the field to match the hype that initially surrounded their signings.
Injury has plagued the Force's marquee signings, preventing some from ever pulling on a game-day jersey.
Andre Pretouris, the former Springbok, came to the Force as the answer to the problems at 10. The jersey is surely jinxed. The Sea of Blue was never to see him perform, as he was struck down in the first captain's run of the year, tearing his hamstring clean off the bone.
Pretouris spent his year-long contract on the sidelines, in a Force suit and in training kit only during rehab and visits to local schools. The Force struggled through without the benefits of a top 10 or a marquee for the year, and the rugby community never got to witness how well a South African 10 could slot into an Australian team.
High hopes were placed that the talent of Willie Ripia would inject his magic into our backs. While he did play a few games for the Force, he was in far from career-best form, and left right before round one this year due to well documented personal demons.
To date, David Smith is probably the Force's only marquee player to show his potential, and was a huge contributor during the 2011 campaign. A player and crowd favourite who was justly rewarded with the club's best and fairest award in 2011. David is currently playing well with former Force and Wallaby great Matt Giteau at Toulon in the French Top 14 and has indicated that he would like to return to the Force in the future.
Napolioni Nalaga is the current marquee player, and although troubled with injury and lack of quality ball, he is showing signs of why the Force went after him. He played his best game of the year against the Lions, and showed what can happen when he is involved and the ball is in his hands.
Since their introduction, the Melbourne Rebels were fortunate to be able to recruit a larger number of international players on their roster than any other team in Super history.
They had the opportunity to recruit some of the biggest names on the international market, and some younger developing players from both New Zealand and South Africa.
Of these internationals some have made it regularly into their match day 22. The most notable signings were Danny Ciprani and Gareth Delve.
Gareth Delve has become a strong leader and one of the team's most valuable players on and off the field. As captain, Gareth has stood tall in a Melbourne forward pack and has revamped his career; he must have been close to getting a recall into the Welsh team after his consistent form.
English international Danny Cipriani has showed highlights of what he can do on a field, highlighted by his comprehensive kicking talent. We unfortunately only saw glimpses of his true potential, and read more about his off-field antics rather than his on-field brilliance. This is truly unfortunate as he, of all the European players, was suited to the Super style of Rugby.
The other Rebels international worth mentioning is Ged Robison, who has been a quiet achiever but wonderful for the club following injury dramas around the hooker position. Hopefully he will stay in the competition for some time and further prove his worth.
While the Waratahs, Reds, and Brumbies haven't in my mind used international options as much as the previous teams, two names stand out: Sarel Pretouris for the Waratahs, and Daniel Braid for the Queensland Reds.
Sarel has been in and out of the Waratah team, which appears to be struggling to establish its identity in recent times. He is one of the quickest halfbacks around, and was a try-scoring machine for the Cheetahs before heading to Australia.
Unfortunately he has lacked the consistency that saw him as one of the form halfbacks of 2011. I think Sarel will only improve the longer he stays with the Tahs, once he forms a solid relationship with the team, particularly the No. 10.
Daniel Braid had a most difficult task, and that was to fill the void left by David Croft at the Reds.
Crofty was one of the toughest competitors around, and excelled at Super Rugby. His passion and pride for Queensland was second to none. Daniel was able to fill those shoes and play some of his best footy while he was in the Reds jersey. This form saw him become an All Black again once he returned to New Zealand's shores.
So we can see how many international players have reached our shores, and played for our Super teams with mixed results. Some have played their best football and gained representative honours. Others have enjoyed our sun, sand, and laid-back lifestyle too much, not producing their best football.
There has been some media speculation that the Force require recruitment concessions in the form of more international players, similar to those enjoyed by the Rebels, to become a strong consistent performer in Super rugby.
This argument is based on the challenging recruitment environment that the Western Australian franchise has always faced. Perth is the most isolated city in the world, not just in Australia.
The shortest flight for an away game is four and a half hours, while teams on the east coast have three away games within two hours. This also means that Force players and their partners are at least four and a half hours away from family and friends on the east coast.
WA is also a well-established AFL state, with rugby union generally mentioned a dozen pages in to the local sports section. WA also has limited funding for community development compared to east coast states, meaning this is unlikely to change any time soon.
Perth does not have the club rugby stocks and structure to draw upon to develop our own players in the numbers that are required.
Unfortunately at the moment we are also without a head coach, and our captain, David Pocock, is yet to commit for 2013. I suggest that he could hardly be expected to commit when the coaching position is still not filled.
I am from the central coast of NSW, but having been in Perth for seven years, and married a local, I feel that this is my home. I can tell any prospective player the positives of the club, lifestyle, fans, and the many other benefits of my adopted home, but they do not necessarily mitigate the points I mentioned earlier.
The environment in WA is unique within Australian rugby, and the standard approach employed by the ARU is not conducive to the success of this franchise.
Additional mature-aged foreign players would do wonders for the performances and development of all players within the club. Five strong franchises are surely what is best for Australian rugby, allowing the Wallabies to draw top talent from five teams who all know how to win, and how to play beside and against the best.
Recruitment concessions for the Force need to be considered to assist the club to develop into a competitive base for rugby. To date the Force have enjoyed limited returns for their internationals, largely due to injuries, but their potential contribution to the team cannot be underestimated in small-town Perth.
The development of rugby in WA would definitely advance rapidly if the Force was a consistently successful, competitive team. The first Force home game at the 43,000-seat Subiaco Oval nearly sold out, and the Force had the highest number of members of any Super rugby franchise in the competition at the time.
There is support for rugby in Perth to make it viable. But how long will the loyalty of the Sea of Blue be sustained without success?
Membership numbers drop each year, as do crowds.
An analysis of the WA situation is needed, and something needs to be done to change the trend, ensuring the Force thrives, not just survives.
I will be in Perth long after I retire, and I hope to be at Force games supporting a competitive team that is in the hunt for a premiership like the other four Australian teams.
With some strategic concessions from the ARU, that success could be a reality sooner rather than later.
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The Crowd Says (41) | Page 1 of Comments
June 14th 2012 @ 2:08am
Johnno said | June 14th 2012 @ 2:08am | Report comment-Good article Matt Hodgson .
-NZ has a really good rule. Where if they can not find a local who they believe is up to super 15 standard in specific positions, to cover for lackof depth teams can sign pacific islander players and not have them be judged as imports.
-So exmaple Samoan 5/8 tusi pusi at wellington hurricanes
-Mo Schwalger at waikato chiefs , and Sona Taumalolo waikato chiefs prop
-Good way to get quality pacific islander players into the system and create depth. In europe teams under the kolpak rule can sign unlimited pacific islanders in there teams.
-I would bring in an Argentina rule. 2-5 argentina players allowed per team.
-Squads will soon increase from 30 to 35 as super rugby seasons will go longer and also injury list worries this year eg waratahs
-But yes we need to allow 2-3 marquee players in the business model of super rugby teams.
-Becoz if the teams are better coz of imports , that means crowds and tv ratings go up, and then ultimately more money of the profits made go to grassroots rugby which develops the next wallabies.
-So a win win situation for Australian rugby more money in the sport via tv ratings $$$$ and crowds$$$$ means more money grass roota development and the creation of a 3rd tier new remodelled ARC, or club rugby in WA, QLD, or the shut shield in sydney NSW.
June 14th 2012 @ 8:48pm
Chris said | June 14th 2012 @ 8:48pm | Report commentHi
Refer to this article from February: http://www.theroar.com.au/2012/02/28/pacific-islands-being-shut-out-of-super-rugby/
There are very few PI-born players who also have represented their country in NZ Super rugby -the three you mentioned (are there any others?)
Mahonri Schwalger – he played club and provincial rugby in NZ in1999, starting with 2nd division Hawkes Bay, for six years before being offered a Super contract. Pisi is similar – five full seasons at provincial level for Nth Harbour before a Super contract. Sona Taumalolo played four years provincial rugby (another from 2nd division Hawkes Bay), he's lived in NZ since 2001.
So these three at least were not 'imports' just for Super rugby.-
June 14th 2012 @ 9:29pm
Johnno said | June 14th 2012 @ 9:29pm | Report commentmarika Vunibaka Fiji, rupeni thau thau fiji.
And anthony perinesse Samoa, khan foutali. But those men were eligible for NZ, and chose Samoa so thats why.
Some call Samoa ALl blacks B team, coz 15 out of 30 born there from world cup squad and countless of them also did schooling in NZ or at least played in the ITM cup.
But i see your point also coz so much depth in NZ, and alsp the PI players still most go to Japan or Europe as better money,.
June 14th 2012 @ 4:11am
The Werewolf said | June 14th 2012 @ 4:11am | Report commentI agree with the sentiment that overseas talent should be used to prop up our 5 franchises.
I read a relatively similar article by Gordon Darcy about the benefits that overseas players bring to the game.
He said "I've been lucky enough to play with Felip Contepomi and Rocky Elsom, two name two players of incredible calibre. They have contributed to my development as a rugby player…"
This sharing of player and or coaching development should be going both ways. For example we should be targeting overseas players that can hold up our scrums so that players get used to using that as a platform.
June 14th 2012 @ 4:45am
Football United said | June 14th 2012 @ 4:45am | Report comment"emirates western force' gee thats cringe worthy but moving right along on a very important issue.
5 Australian teams are never going to be able to have a real crack at super rugby unless imports are embraced. with the real quality of youth coming out of NSW and QLD, Vic and WA are always going to be disadvantaged. ARU needs to stop being dinosaurs on this and realise that if a young player is unable to challenge with a international player for their spot at SR level, than they are unlikely going to be an international player in the future. There is so much untapped rugby talent that would go cheaply for SR teams to exploit. Japan, North America, Eastern Europe, Argentina and even Namibia and Kenya have shown either at the last world cup or on the sevens circuit that they have athletes that can compete with the best. why aren't we using them then?
June 14th 2012 @ 8:35am
Blue Blood said | June 14th 2012 @ 8:35am | Report commentAs a Force player I am certain that he is contractually required to use the full name including the sponsor who paid for naming rights. Just a thought
June 14th 2012 @ 11:25am
Johnno said | June 14th 2012 @ 11:25am | Report commentKPM thanks mate.
Some points to you make.
Adealide has to be looked at further. 1.2 million, plus a new 50,000 Adealaide oval redevelopment, and a greater populationof 1.7 million in South Australia just can't be ignored.Some facts on adeiiade KPM and others.
-Adeliade is closer to eastern states than Perth.
-And this point Matt Hodgson made about family and friends and geographic distance problems, away from east coast.-Matt Hodsgon has settled in well to Perth WA. Married a local lady, and settled down there he seems to have adapted to Perth and WA well.
-others for multiple reasons have not, and 1 suspicion as echoed by Matt Hodgson who is actually in the force set up, is geographic isolation problems being a factor
-Adeliade much closer than Perth to sydney,canberra, Brisbane,and Melbourne.
-And big population who do love sport and have a history of getting behind winning sports teams in adeialide not just afl.
Basketball, soccer, F1 grand prix, cricket teams.
JON O'neil is one hell of a negotiator but he is one hell of a terrible bloke when it comes to developing grass roots rugby union in OZ.
-For those that don't know JON O'neill went to the prestigious st josephs college high school, more commonly known as joeys.
-Produced more wallabies than any other school in Australia.
So he is used to being in rugby factories , the rest of OZ is not so privileged and need grass roots money and good development models,, so JON'S rugby union view of the world is a bit ignorant.-And joeys rugby does not just magically happen they put in the time and money into it, but JON should really put more money into west sydney.
-Im happy JON is leaving in 2013 he comes across as elitist and ignores grass roots , and ignore potential new markets.
-JON is as muc to blame as Deans is for the ARU failings.
June 14th 2012 @ 2:45pm
Johnno said | June 14th 2012 @ 2:45pm | Report commentKPM I agree it is pathetic there view on reality some of the rugby hierarchy in Australia.
-They have this absudist born to rule colonial outlook on life, and look down on the middle class or lower middle classes and developing the poor means nothing to them. Very fickle view coz they could make millions of dollars out of making rugby union a true global sport.
-Some of these people especially in the home unions KPM genuinely still want the world cup to be stopped.
And are purely happy in fact that is what they want only these teams play rugby
Home unions, england,wales,scotland, irleand, plus france, and the 3 SH giants , and the pacific islands for a bit of amusement to laugh iat by that meaning they know there talented but get there rocks off them being poor and disvangteged coaching wise and logistic wise.Pathetic.
Some of these same home union dinosaurs are still today unhappy Italy a massive population size country is in the 5 now 6 nations.
Pathetic that they really genuinely want rugby to stay small, test cricket has had the same attitude too with the same types running it.
-I actually went to a private school like where these types went to but was not rich and did not want to become a banker or a lawyer , nothing wrong with those jobs, but the outlook of some of them is awful this colonial born to rule outlook, and happy for rugby to be a jolly pastime rather than a multi million dollar pro sport , in fact sickens me KPM.
-I am happy the french bloke who is chairman of the IRB is being proactive, and he kept his job just beating one of those dithering types from the home unions.
-And i hope USA/Russia continue to develop as while these countries do have a class system they are happy for a sport to go global and don't have all this keep the sport to a few nations rubbish.
- A good article on USA rugby KPM today on the usa rugby website, i don't see the ARU or JON doing anything remotely like this
-And in russia every high school will now be made compulsory to have a 15 a side rugby team as it is now an Olympic sport, great commitment to rugby union wish australia and the ARU would apply the same commitment KPM to rugby union.
-We will drift further afield over the next 10 years KPM rugby in australia if the ARU don't work out a business model to combat AFL and NRL, i really worry about the 2019 and 2023 world cup and really worry if we will even qualify for say the 2031 world cup in 20 years time if we don't address the problems now, think west indies cricket happening to the wallabies.
June 14th 2012 @ 11:47pm
mattamkII said | June 14th 2012 @ 11:47pm | Report commentLiam Gill, Brock James and Seuteni all played most of their jnr rugby in Adelaide.
The are countless others who have played 1st grade in NSW and Qld. Some even have played NPC or had Super or NRL contracts.
Untapped talent over there in spades
June 15th 2012 @ 12:18am
Johnno said | June 15th 2012 @ 12:18am | Report commentmattamkill I agree.
Adelaide is a natural rugby union city.
Just needs the work it has so much potential
New 50,000 Adelaide Oval renovation being completed
1.2 million people and growing in size over next 20 years
history has shown Adelaide sports teams are natural winners won many national titles
Closer to east coast cities than Perth
It is a well planned city tonnes of playing fields
big ex pat populations NZ,ENGLAND,STH AFRICA
A strong middle class who can afford registration and junior developmentAnd a hunger to watch more big time sport and a big middle class who can afford foxtel pay tv subsrictipions so that equals tv ratings$$$$
June 14th 2012 @ 11:47pm
charles (from Adelaide) said | June 14th 2012 @ 11:47pm | Report commentI can't believe anyone would schedule rugby at Adelaide Oval, even Sevens. Great place for cricket or AFL but useless for rugby. It has to be Hindmarsh Stadium.
Spectators raised on AFL and used to watching sport on TV will never get into the game when they're so far from the action. Might have worked in the old days but, really, if you're in Sydney would you rather watch a match at the SCG, ANZ or SFS?
SFS for mine! AAMI Stadium in Melbourne is even better, with steep tiers of seating in the European style that make you feel like you could touch the game.
June 15th 2012 @ 11:16am
mattamkII said | June 15th 2012 @ 11:16am | Report commentHi Charles (from adelaide),
Hindmarsh stadium would be the more likely choice for a venue. Its square and holds about 12-15k. They play NRL fixtures there every so often and they used to play the state union games there too.
Adelaide oval isn't actually that bad if you sit on the side rather than the goal lines. Remember its a very narrow ground. I've been to a few test there and didn't think it was bad at all. Wouldn't want to be sitting behind the post mind you – long way from the action.
Also, its not all about converting AFL fans.
Its not a huge number but my guess would be a team in Adelaide would pull about 10,000 people to a game every week.
Matt (Lived in Adelaide and played rugby there for 30 years)
June 14th 2012 @ 8:45am
Blue Blood said | June 14th 2012 @ 8:45am | Report commentAnother ripper Hodgo. I'm glad he has chosen this topic. We have speculated about this need for more internationals before but it means more when it comes from an established player like Hodgson. I hope the ARU reads it and takes it into consideration for next year. The sooner the better for the struggling Force. I'd like to see all the teams have more but the Force need recruitment concessions that advantage them in recruitment over the east coast teams (Rebels different case) for the valid reasons Hodgson identified.
I also wanted to note that Hodgson obviously has respect for his fellow rugby peer. Only a secure, mature man can heap praise on his peers (including current opposition). On the flip side he is also quite measured in his critique of team mates. Something even established journalists seem to at times struggle with. A class act.
June 14th 2012 @ 9:26am
Wilson said | June 14th 2012 @ 9:26am | Report commentI can only assume this article was written before Gareth Delve was infact called up to Wales. Looks like Hodgson is spot on the money.
Another great read Hodgson. The Force need a coach first. Then that coach needs to be able to build a team for next year with the benefits of more internationals. And boy are the Force slow on getting that appointed! Vern Reid and Mitch Hardy are the worst business men I have ever had the displeasure to see in action. (Or inaction as the case often is.) The Force Board need to assess their performances and move them along; 2 years ago ideally.
I disagree with Hodgson on one point. Pocock should not need the coach to be able to sign on for the long term. Pocock needs to show that he has faith in the Force and act like a leader, a captain. If he didn't want to stay long term he should have declined the captaincy. A captain for one year is a terrible thing for the Force. In accepting the captaincy you commit yourself to be a committed leader; so be a leader and motivate your team through your actions Mr Pocock. Sign and commit. Otherwise the captaincy should have gone to Hodgson. Who is committed to the Force past retirement. At least if he does leave they have a great man to take over the reins. I hate to link The Brand O'Connor to Pocock but I am getting a faint whiff of the brand's KPIs coming into play here. If you don't have this, that or whatever then I am not signing (read as this coach, this 9, that 10 and 12). This was appalling from the Brand but I would hope for far more from the Captain. Certainly Pocock should be playing where he is going to get results and enjoy his rugby. But as the captain you have agreed to lead a team to that success. Is he giving up after 1 year in the top job? I hope not.
June 14th 2012 @ 11:59am
Force Fan said | June 14th 2012 @ 11:59am | Report commentWell said..couldn't agree more…….to accept the captaincy is to stamp one's commitment to the club…Hoever, the Club needs to acknowledge this commitment with an intial "fair" and competitive offer rather than trying to get a top player cheap.
June 14th 2012 @ 4:44pm
Wilson said | June 14th 2012 @ 4:44pm | Report commentI completely agree. But hash out a deal. Spell out what you want money wise if you have to (as Vern Reid and Mitch Hardy are hardly master minds); then sign the deal. Don't let it turn into a media circus that it is increasingly becoming. Surely better players are more likely to commit if Pocock is already signed on for the next few years. How can he work to build a playing list for next year when he isn't even on that playing list yet? Richard Graham was walked for wanting to do the same only 2 months ago.
June 14th 2012 @ 4:58pm
formeropenside said | June 14th 2012 @ 4:58pm | Report commentCommitment to the club….hmmm, like then Qld-captain Sharpe when he left for the Force in 2005?
June 14th 2012 @ 6:30pm
TRH said | June 14th 2012 @ 6:30pm | Report commentSharpe never captained the reds Full time – Flatley was captain in 2005.
June 14th 2012 @ 9:20pm
Blue Blood said | June 14th 2012 @ 9:20pm | Report commentExactly. Roe took over as captain in April 2005 when Elton Flatley was forced to retire and stand-in captain Nathan Sharpe announced he was leaving the side.
So the Sharpe situation was completely different to the of Pocock as it stands today. Surprising that Reds fans and the media beat that situation up as much as they did and still bring it up at all.
Have Your Say
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- Rugby Union, Super Rugby, Western Force


text:
I always get people making fun of me because I carry a "murse" (Man-Purse)! I think it is time to explain why I carry one, IT CARRIES ALL OF MY CRAP!
I have a sony Vaio laptop that fits perfect. I also carry the New York Times electronic version of Sudoku - I am an addict, It passes alot of time when I need it, an Ipod nano with the awesome Boston Redsox skin, a Canon powershot A85 for those quick shots, biz cards - you never know who you will run into and a book that I started to read a couple of weeks ago, it is called "How to win friends & infulence people" by Dale Carnegie. I first read about this book by a very talented photographer by the name of [b]ecker! Becker thank you for posting this book, it is a must for anybody that is starting a business in customer service!
Well that is it - So no more jokes or snickers when I walk by with my murse!
P.S. I like shopping for new shoes too (Skate shoes really)! Here are the new pair!
Friday, March 30, 2007
Ok, Ok here it is......"The Murse"
Sunday, March 25, 2007
Saturday, March 24, 2007
April & Jason
This was such an amazing session to shoot. These two are so totally in love with each other. I literally had to pull them apart a couple of times! Anyway, it really shows in their photos and I can't wait to shoot the wedding!
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
Who are you? - Andrea Deschaine
Photo by the amazing Josie Kern
My Name –
Andrea Deschaine
Branches & Twigs
Kim Ho with You're Invited. This is one organized lady! I also have two favorite cake ladies – Phyllis Hildebrant and Michelle Rice with Iced Art.
Dinner alone with my husband at J.Alexander's or Carmen's!
I Play with barbies, polly pockets or Littlest Pet shop with my 2 daughters or if I have a sitter, shopping all by myself!
Microdermabrasion. It's my new favorite thing to do!
Mine of course, just kidding, I love copykat.com You can find all of the recipes for your favorite dishes from restaurants locally and nationally.
I absolutely cannot live without chocolate or coffee. I don't drink coffee all day, just one cup in the morning. Now chocolate is a different story.
I like anything that sounds like it's just a guy with a guitar. I like Jon Mayer. I like Johnny Cash. I also love Dwight Yoakam and Jack Johnson. I also like Michael Buble!
Travel the
My friends would say that I am crazy (for taking on so many things at once) and my family would probably agree. I guess I just think better with 2 million things going on at once!
Someone who has one great idea or vision, but then let's me run with it. They are by far the most pleased with my work!
Nothing really, except September and October. They are my busiest months and come November, I need to rest.
I truly think that I love it all. I'd say the obvious drawback is working too many Saturdays, but everything else makes it so worth it! I feel like I get paid to do something fun!
A stay at home mom in need of a major creative outlet, so I would probably be a scrapbooking queen or something!
Watching movies and eating popcorn with my family.
My daughters. They are more amazing and precious than anything on this earth.
Monday, March 12, 2007
"Admired by Beckstead"
I just wanted to share this with everyone! I had one of my photos chosen to be on an inspiring website created by David Beckstead! This website was designed just to showcase some amazing photos, and I am honored that David chose one of my photos to display.
Thank you David,
Here is the link to the photo image 1
Here is the link to the main site Admired by Beckstead - You should book mark this website. David changes it often.
Ooh la la!
Ok, people. You have all been asking what the big secret is. Well, here it is. We have decided to offer a new package to our fabulous clients....boudoir sessions. This has recently become a very popular thing for women to do as gifts for their husbands/boyfriends/significant others, and we think it rocks! I mean, what guy wouldn't love to get photos like these of his beautiful lady, and what woman wouldn't feel sexy and empowered seeing herself like this. We can't wait to hear from those of you who want to schedule a session with us. Trust us, your lover will love it!
Sunday, March 11, 2007
Me Working (sort of)
Well the other night you all know I got a chance to shoot My Chemical Romance! I had a really good friend with me that night - Matt Kocourek. (He was actually the reason I got in) I normally do not like photos of myself, which is why I am behind the camera...... but I love these shots!
Monday, March 05, 2007
Sunday, March 04, 2007
The Big 3 0.......
That's right....I've officially joined the "not in my 20s anymore" group. It's never really bothered me to think about getting older. I honestly like myself better with each passing year. I feel like the older I get, the more comfortable I am in my own skin, the less I care about what other people think, and the more I learn about what's really important in life. I have grown so much spiritually and intellectually in the past few years, and I finally love where I am instead of always thinking about what could be better. I have stopped thinking about the future all the time, and have started living in the moment more. I know my two beautiful children have probably helped with that more than anything, and I am in a place where I now believe I am only limited by what I believe is possible. Sure, it's a little weird saying "I'm 30", but I am so blessed to be where I am. Here's to the next 30.....and I hope you will still be reading about our fascinating life when I'm 60. Ok.....seriously....let's just not go there right now.
Check out the fab card Jay made me.
Here's the inside.
The amazing flowers he brought me. In the 11 years we've been together, this is truthfully the most beautiful flower arrangement I've ever received (and my sweet hubby brings me lots of flowers). This picture really does not do them justice. FYI...these were done by The Village Flower Company in Prairie Village for any of you brides who might still be searching for a florist.
My new toy. Since I am now working out regularly, I decided I finally needed to become cool and get an iPod. I just never really cared about having one, but having the right tunes to keep me energized when I'm on the treadmill (and the fact that there is now this super cool pink one) was reason enough to convince me.

subset: commoncrawl


text: Abul Fazal H block residents blame newly-elected councilor for bad roadOT, July 8, 2012 05:25 IST Shamsuddin Altamash During the municipal corporation of Delhi elections, many aspiring politicians came to our doorsteps promising developmental work. Ameeruddin whose wife Ishrat Beghum won the councilor election from the women reserved ward number 206, was also one of them. He had promised to get things fixed in our street (H and G blocks of Abul Fazal Enclave) and we believed in him. The first thing he did was to lay the sewer line in our street before the election. We were thankful to him as water logging came to an end. The residents returned back the favour by voting his wife to power. In Ameeruddin we found a promising and people leader. At that time Ameeruddin had assured residents that the incomplete work (the construction of the road) will be done once election was over. But three months have passed since and Ameeruddin and the newly-elected councilor have never come back. The road has been lying in a deplorable state. Many residents don't know what to do and where to go. Some people have tried to send a message to Ameeruddin that the street should be repaired to avoid further problems, but all in vain. With the pre-monsoon rain on Friday and Saturday lashing the city, the whole stretch of road has become unused with mud and stones piling up everywhere. Residents are finding it extremely difficult to even walk on the street without dirtying their clothes. Driving too has become difficult. Now residents have to deal with water logging. And there are fears that if the road is not build soon with the onset of monsoon, mosquito borne diseases will spread fast and create havoc. Will Ameeruddin and his wife look into the matter and keep their promises? (Altamash is a resident of AFE and voted for Ameeruddin's wife in the MCD election) Post a comment |


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Did anyone go to Alcon (Anime League Convention) in England this year?If so, how did you find it?I went, it was awesome.Continue
Tags: 2011, Alcon, Convention, Anime
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Legend of Zelda's Triforce, or Sonic's Chaos Emeralds, which is better?
Tags: emeralds, video, games, chaos, triforce
Started this discussion. Last reply by Cavalier Apr 2, 2011.
For my entire life I have maintained the view that normality doesn't exist, as in everything is unique and therefore there cannot be a normality. However, a couple of weeks ago an aquaintence of mine…Continue
Started this discussion. Last reply by Bethan King Sep 9, 2010.
Well my anime related blogs didn't do very well, I did about two and then stopped, but I do have a reason. I have recently been getting a few new games and so have been spending a lot of time on my Xbox, also it might be that I wasn't getting much interest in my anime blogs. This has resulted in me falling very far behind in my anime and I'm too into my games to catch up. To solve this problem I am going to be blogging game reviews until my anime interest returns. Hopefully these gaming ones…
ContinuePosted on October 20, 2010 at 4:11pm — 5 Comments
Argh! Completely forgot to do a blog last week due to school work and some other stuff… Oh well, I can't really be bothered to do the episodes for both weeks so I'm gonna leave last week out… Sorry… Anyway here is Bleach #288 and Naruto Shippuden #178.
Bleach #288
"He may really be our trump card, someone who…
Posted on September 16, 2010 at 1:30pm — 1 Comment
Well, here it is, my first anime blog. I'm going to be covering Bleach Episode 286 and Naruto Shippuden Episode 176. And remember: Spoiler Alert!…
Posted on September 2, 2010 at 12:00pm
Hi, I'm Zac, I am just going to give you some info about a 'thing' I might be doing.
I have a YouTube account called ZacOfAnime, (Don't bother checking it there is nothing on there, the reason for this will be explained shortly) on which I plan on doing weekly vlogs talking about my views of that weeks anime releases. However, currently I don't have a camera. (That explains the lack of videos on my account.) I plan to get one as soon as possible but until then…
ContinuePosted on August 20, 2010 at 7:58pm — 4 Comments
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Children across the country are suddenly rushing over to hold a door open or spontaneously helping with the dishes thanks to two Kamloops women.
Dozens of kids from Toronto to Nanaimo have downloaded the Club Kindness app founded by former Kamloops Booster Juice franchise owner Natalie Peace and her former general manager Carrie Neal.
Random acts of kindness have reached the digital age thanks to the smartphone app, which they hope will transform children into thoughtful, grateful, helpful, giving individuals.
The app challenges kids to do one good deed a day for 22 days with encouragement from seven different cartoon animals, each with its own benevolent characteristic of helpfulness, friendliness, thoughtfulness, leadership, gratitude, generosity or courage.
The owl, monkey, giraffe, lion, elephant, dolphin or dog grows older with each act the child does that relates to its defining trait.
The game provides 120 challenges such as helping a friend or younger sibling with homework or brushing the family pet.
"I'm just hoping that this is something that gives kids a break from all the games that are violent," said Peace. "And it's a tool for parents to talk to their kids about what was their challenge today and how did it feel."
Peace is no stranger to random acts of kindness. She once paid each Booster Juice staffer's entire shift to do nothing but good deed for others.
They spent the day washing neighbouring businesses' windows and handing out flowers to passing motorists, among other actions.
"The goal was to use my business to make a contribution," said Peace. "They loved it. They were just saying, 'It feels so good to give.' "
That idea evolved when the challenge went out to the community. Booster Juice provided paper cutouts with a pledge to do good deeds for 22 days, which were signed and posted on the storefront windows.
Peace drew on an oft-touted concept that 21 days of routine can instil enduring behaviour.
By encouraging at least 22 days of benevolence, she hoped to create lifelong kindheartedness in participants.
"The 22nd day was just symbolic of the fact that now that's just the way you operate," said Peace. "I get goose bumps even just talking about it."
Soon Peace had partnered with Neal, the former general manager of all three Kamloops Booster Juice locations, to bring the challenge to kids.
Peace and Neal were inspired by a January 2013 Psychology Today magazine article stating that being kind to other people earns children acceptance among peers, and that well-liked tweens exhibit more positive, less bullying behaviours when they become teens.
The app also allows Club Kindness acts to be recorded on the accompanying website, clubkindness.com. So far, 21 good deeds have been logged from Toronto to Nanaimo.
Additionally, the website provides a guide for parents, teachers, school groups or youth organizations to talk about the acts.


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Carlton ruckman Robbie Warnock shows his disappointment at missing a goal against Geelong. Photo: Paul Rovere
Perhaps one of the biggest statements about Carlton's improvement this year came not during the Blues' gallant attempt to inflict Geelong's first loss of the season on Friday night, but in the rooms afterwards.
Not all that long ago, such an effort would have been the cause of some satisfaction. But this is a group demanding more of itself, and after not getting the result their effort probably deserved, the Carlton players were filthy.
"I think in the past we might have been pleased with a performance like that," mused old hand Andrew Carrazzo after the game. "But I think everyone's expectations have gone up, so it's really disappointing to work so hard, have so many chances, and not take the game when it was there."
The "ifs" and "buts" will hurt for a couple of days yet. In the frantic finish to a game the quality of which underlined we were watching two bona fide top teams, there was a catalogue of opportunity.
The Blues kicked 3.6 in the final term, notable at least for providing the first time in the past 30 games that Geelong had lost a third or fourth quarter. There were close shaves everywhere, Jarrad Waite's shot touched on the line, Dennis Armfield hitting the post, right up till a dazed and confused (thank you Led Zeppelin) Robert Warnock shanked what would have been the match-winner from 15 metres. Geelong, for its part, as coach Chris Scott pointed out afterwards, never looked quite "on", and did pretty well in the end to scratch out a win.
Composure was probably the difference in the end. Plus Carlton not making the most of the first quarter, when its dominance of the game everywhere bar the scoreboard was even more pronounced.
"I reckon the biggest trend in footy at the moment is when you've got the momentum, you've got to score," Carrazzo said. "You spend so much energy winning the ball back, and if you're not able to score on the end of it, you almost use all your tickets and the opposition is in the box seat."
Carrazzo had certainly done his part. Shifted on to Geelong heartbeat Joel Selwood after half-time, the former Geelong reserves player was able to keep the Cats midfielder to 10 disposals after 19 in the first, with just three touches in the final term. Carlton's midfield depth is now almost as impressive as its quality.
"Ed Curnow didn't play tonight, but he's given us more depth, Brock [McLean] has had to wait seven or eight weeks in the reserves, and his form there's been amazing, [Marc] Murhpy's taken his game to another level, and Juddy's just playing like he always has," Carrazzo said.
It's in defence, however, where Carlton's most obvious gains have been made. Michael Jamison's trumpet is being blown belatedly, and recruits Nick Duigan and Jeremy Laidler were terrific against the Cats. The Blues are beginning to win, or at least emerge square, from those one-on-one defensive contests which have traditionally caused them no end of trouble.
You can clearly see the pieces of the jigsaw puzzle coming together. For someone like Carrazzo - who joined Carlton at its lowest ebb, is into his eighth season and is still yet to taste finals success - it's becoming an enjoyable ride. One which on Friday night, simply lacked a final flourish.
"In the past, we've had flashy performances. But I think most people would agree we're playing the right sort of footy at the moment, similar to Collingwood or Geelong, that high-pressure style that's going to really help in finals," Carrazzo said.
The comment in itself a statement on the new, improved Blues. Talking about September as early as May might sometimes be considered taboo for an aspiring team. In this case, it's fair enough. We're more than three months out from the finals, but Friday night's effort from Carlton was a clear indicator the Blues are likely to be playing a very big role in them.


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Liberro Christmas Quiz answers
Here are our answers to saturdays Christmas Quiz. The Spice Girls had 3 Christmas Number Ones in a row during the 1990s – what were they? '2 Become 1', 'Too Much', 'Goodbye' 'Viscum Album', native to the UK and Europe, … Continue reading
Liberro Christmas Quiz!
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The holidays are coming…
It's is getting to feel a bit Christmassy in these parts, the tree is up and the mulled wine on the hob in the evening.
All I want for Christmas….
I know maybe it is a little early to talk about Christmas and of course we don't think we need an excuse to think about something for ourselves and what we want for ourselves in the year 2013.
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If you follow film festival news you know that there's been a movie (ahem) rolling around for some time called Rubber. It is about a sentient abandoned tire leaving a path of bloody destruction through the California desert. It is also a striking expose on voyeurism and audience expectation. it's bloody, it's shocking, it's hilarious and anyone who ever got a kick out having a bizarre, useless argument just to hear themselves talk HAS to see it.
It finally makes its way to theaters in select cities this Friday (info here) and is also available on VOD.
I had an opportunity to speak to the man behind the mayhem Quentin Dupieux, who is better known in the DJ community as Mr. Oizo (funky sample here). Here are highlights of that conversation.
Jordan Hoffman: I saw Rubber and I loved it. It was at Fantastic Fest, a non-stop film festival, so I was a little tired when I saw it. But it has sort of a dream-like quality to it.
Quentin Dupieux: Yeah, you need to be in a good disposition to watch it. If you are expecting too much you will be disappointed, so we should ask everybody to be tired.
Jordan Hoffman: Did set out to a achieve a stream-of-consciousness, or is that something that occurred in the writing and you just rolled with it?
Quentin Dupieux: I started to write the story about the Tire. Then I got bored. It was not enough. Like, I don't want to do 90 minutes around the Tire. So I had an idea to create some kind of layer, something to play with. I had this idea of people watching this thing going on...it was a good way to make fun of myself. It was a good way to insist on the absurdity. Because, yes, it was an absurdity. A living tire with psychokinetic powers – that's absurd. But suddenly, it was even more absurd if people were watching with binoculars in the desert.
Jordan Hoffman: You knew that you wanted an inatimate object that came to life and was evil. Was it always going to be a Tire?
Quentin Dupieux: Yeah. I'm saying this now because I've had time to think about it and everybody's been asking me. The tire was good because it has motion. It's supposed to roll. The same movie with a TV – ok it's absurd, but you have to deal with how it is going to move? It's not incredible – it's a tire, rolling.
Jordan Hoffman: It didn't look like there were many computer-generated effects.
Quentin Dupieux: No. There was no CGI, nothing with a computer.
Jordan Hoffman: So there must have been people with wires pushing that tire back and forth. Are there outtakes of the tire going where you didn't want it to go?
Quentin Dupieux: We had one puppeteer. The guy was always operating the tire to appear on frame. And we had other people for the wide shots. The first two guys that did the explosion, they were terrible. Each time they were moving it was a drama. The head explosion was so bad that you cannot imagine. The first explosion was so funny and everyone was excited for the first day of shooting, everyone was waiting for the head explosion, it was so exciting. And the for the head explosion, once they had the dummy in the car, it was like, "1...2...3!" and nothing happened.
Jordan Hoffman: You didn't just direct, you also wrote and were the cinematographer, the editor, and even did part of the music. Don't like to let other people do the work, eh?
Quentin Dupieux I enjoy doing all of it. Like taking care of the cinematographics, that's just pure joy. You know, finding the right angles to shoot a scene, and then writing a line of dialogue. I just enjoy it. I did a few commercials, and that was two days of shooting, and it was like extremely boring. It was really boring, being on the shoot. You cannot touch the camera, and you have 3 technicians...
Jordan Hoffman: Are you surprised that directors don't shoot and edit their own work? It's not all that common.
Quentin Dupieux I think some directors just like to make final decions. That's a different way, you know. You can direct movies just being seated and answering questions. "This one or that one?" "I choose that one." You can direct a movie just like that, and you can make a great movie just like that. I'm just suggesting I need to be in the action. I need to push the camera, I need to be close to everything. I don't want to wait. That was part of the excitement around Rubber, and that's quite funny actually. Everybody told me, the technicians and the actors, that we love it because we never wait. We are just doing it.
Jordan Hoffman: How many days was the shooting?
Quentin Dupieux Fourteen days.
Jordan Hoffman: It's not just a comedy, there's some intelligence to it. How would you describe the film?
Quentin Dupieux For me, it's a bit like a movie that is trying to forget about all other movies.
Jordan Hoffman: It definitely has that "beamed down from somewhere else" quality. It's a text about movie-making in general, but not in a pretentious way.
Quentin Dupieux No. In a very humble way. I honestly, when I was shooting Rubber, I was lying on my knees in the dirt with my camera. I was ten years old with the purpse of, "OK, make the tire drink water! Funny!"
Jordan Hoffman: Do you have a definitive point of view on the society's culpability toward violence? Or let the film speak for itself?
Quentin Dupieux I'm not that specific about violence. I think people cheat and they ask for more, and I think I was just making fun of this. I don't want to. . . . you know . . . I want some tasty, nice yoghurt (trails off.) I recognize your voice now. You were the one who filmed yourself in the hotel room?
Jordan Hoffman: Yeah, those videos are usually 90 seconds, but that one went about 4 minutes, I was so excited.
Quentin Dupieux We were very proud of your video. That was one of the first screenings in America, it was super-exciting for us to see that other people in other countries were excited by this.
Jordan Hoffman: Is it a success over in Europe?
Quentin Dupieux The buzz around it is usually good, but it's still slow. We are not Spider-Man. The movie exists and it's already a miracle.
And if you want to see some of Quentin's day gig as the turntabalist Mr. Oizo. . .


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- You have to be on at least twice a week, if you're not on for like 2 weeks and you don't tell anyone you're character will be re-opened.
- If you have to leave for a while just tell someone that way you're character won't be re-opened.
- You have to follow every character unless we say not to follow them.
- Please no occ drama.
I think that's all, have any questiones just ask! :)
Theme By: Jahrenesis


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The '32 McGowan Brothers' A-V8 was built in 1955-56 by Bobby and Frank McGowan from Branford, CT. Bobby was interviewed on October 6, 1995 and describes the car. "I started with a '31 roadster that my brother, Frank and I bought from Edward's Welding Shop in Stoney Creek, CT for $7.50 apiece. I also bought a wrecked '40 Ford coupe for $7.00. At that time, I was in the Cam Carriers car club and we had a club project for a '32 Ford pickup. I bought the project for $20.00, but had to give the body back. A guy named Charlie Hilde Z'd the chassis and made the nice wishbones. Jack Crump from Guilford, CT did the body work. I bought the brand new 59AB factory relieved truck block and a used McCulloch Supercharger for power. I used the '40 Ford 3.78 rear end, transmission, brakes and dash. The radiator came from the pickup and the clutch was GM type. I bought the dropped axle from an ad in one of the little Hot Rod books. The master cylinder and clutch cylinder were from '54 Fords and the steering box was from a straight axle Chevrolet. I used '50 or '51 Pontiac taillights. The paint was '53 Buick Tahitian Red and pin striping was done by Jim Tyrell. I raced and showed the car a little bit, but mostly it was my driver. It was in one regional magazine with my redheaded sister standing by the car." In 1997, the "McGowan Brothers' Roadster" was one of the nine restored nostalgia Hot Rods shown on the lawn at Pebble Beach. In 2003, it was one of the featured 1950's Hot Rods in the book Hot Rod Chronicle by Don Prieto and forwarded by Ken Gross.
Price: $119,900


text: Marcy & Nguyen made the drive up from Orlando to St Augustine to have their engagement session with me last week. They are one of my 2012 couples and I'm really excited about their Hammock Beach Resort wedding being planned by April Dorsey of The D-Tales. It's apparent that they've got great chemistry between them which made them a joy to shoot. Since they hadn't been to St Augustine before, I enjoyed getting to know them better while showing them around the city. Here are a few of my favorites from the day!


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Bless the beautiful game of soccer
The football season came to an end on Saturday afternoon, but that doesn't mean the soccer stops.
It never does, but then rugby and cricket have also long since abandoned the quaint concept of "seasons".
As for the football, there's a meaningless under-20 tournament on the go in Cape Town (meaningless, that is, except for those taking part and a few sycophants taking it seriously), Bafana's first step to Brazil 2014 is just around the corner, Banyana are heading for yet another training camp, and Euro 2012 kicks off next week.
The European football championship always means getting used to names you've never heard of before and discovering that Yulia Tymoshenko is not a dazzling midfielder but the imprisoned former prime minister of Ukraine, who has become a divisive figure of the tournament.
Ukraine is a host country along with Poland and will be officially snubbed by the European democracies.
Tymoshenko - she's the one with the elaborate Heidi hairstyle - has been jailed on some dodgy charges. You won't hear a peep out of Michel Platini or Sepp Blatter about her incarceration but, as a limp protest, no VIPs from the EU will watch matches in the Ukraine. That will only mean more tickets for the oligarchs.
As for the tournament itself, things don't look good for Germany, who are one of the favourites. Switzerland (the country that invented the Heidi hairstyle) beat them 5-3 on Saturday with Eren Derdiyok (see the bit about unfamiliar names above) scoring a hat-trick. Die Mannschaft were without the Bayern Munich mob, so the outcome of the weekend's friendly might be misleading. But we watch in hopeful anticipation that the Germans won't prevail in Poland again.
In other preliminaries to Euro 2012, Roy Hodgson won his first match in charge of what is now, according to Simon Kuper, a middle-class England team. (The Financial Times man was making a social observation; on the football level England will remain lower-class.)
Closer to home, it was a good end to a week that started badly for Gavin Hunt. Bullied by Irvin Khoza for something he didn't say, Hunt found himself out on a limb after his Supersport colleague Jose Ferreira questioned the still-secret and probably cheaper than the reported R1-billion sponsorship of losers Kaizer Chiefs and winners Orlando Pirates by Vodacom.
Hunt was worried that his team might lose players, while Ferreira justifiably questioned the distortion of resources that the sponsorship would create.
Hunt and Ferreira probably still believe that football in this country is about scoring goals and winning matches. It isn't. It's about selling replica jerseys, hospital plans, funeral policies (if the hospital plan doesn't work out), caps, flags, bags and, of course, cellphones.
The soccer is incidental. It's how much money club owners can make out of it that's really important. Which is why there was much pleasure to be taken from Supersport United's cup win over Mamelodi Moneybags.


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its bothering me that idk how to do it.. Thanks in advance,
add me user:luhrmann
how do i add my game loft live friends to my mib game? they're not apearing on my friends list in the game
Game loft = afroman1404


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Jack Wu isnt shy about his beliefs.
Topeka is evil. Harry Potter promotes witchcraft. Christmas trees are pagan idols. Cancer is a judgment from God. And the teaching of evolution should be rooted out of Kansas schools because its a satanic lie.
He also believes that Americas public schools are cultivating a culture of liars, thieves, murderers and perverts.
Outside the mainstream? It doesnt matter to Wu, running for a seat on the Kansas Board of Education.
A northern California transplant, Wu is seeking to defeat first-term Democrat Carolyn Campbell of Topeka in an admittedly uphill battle for the 4th District seat on the state school board. Uphill because he only received $5 in contributions through July, the most recent reporting period.
But Campbell is taking her Republican opponent seriously.
I want to make sure the folks that dont know Carolyn Campbell and her record will try to get to know me and understand who my opponent is and what he stands for, Campbell said.
The 4th District covers six northeast Kansas counties and takes in parts of Topeka and Lawrence. Campbells district became a little more Republican this year when she picked up parts of Jefferson and Pottawatomie counties when election boundaries were redrawn to adjust for the census.
Teachers union officials also worry that voters who cast ballots along straight-party lines might be unaware of Wus background.
Wus campaign, small as it is, comes at a time when the state school board is expected to consider new science standards, raising the prospect of revisiting the evolution debate that consumed the board in 1999 and again in 2005 an issue about which Wu has strong views.
Yet the 29-year-old Wu says its better to be loved by God and live in heaven than be loved by man and rot in hell.
The truth matters more than the opinion of other men and women, said Wu, clutching his green cloth-bound King James Bible during a recent interview on the grounds of state Capitol about a block away from the Kansas Department of Educations offices.
The Bible says if youre hated by other people for taking a stance thats not popular, its like a sign youre chosen by God, almost, added Wu, who describes himself as a reality television fan who works as a self-employed computer programmer and designer of video games.
His last-minute decision to file for the seat in June is drawing attention because he also attends Topekas Westboro Baptist Church, which has gained national notoriety for picketing military funerals with signs that read, Thank God for dead soldiers, God hates the USA and God hates fags.
Last year, the church, led by the Rev. Fred Phelps, won a Supreme Court case blocking a civil lawsuit seeking damages for intentionally inflicting emotional distress at a soldiers funeral in 2006. Wu said he has joined the congregations pickets in California and Topeka, but to the best of his recollection hasnt participated in a protest at a military funeral.
Born in Taiwan and raised in a San Francisco suburb, Wu moved to Topeka in 2008 after learning about Westboro on an Internet message board.
Wu said he was drawn to the churchs all-or-nothing message of obey God or else. Westboro stands apart, he said, because its congregation confronts issues of heaven, hell and eternal fate. He believes Westboro preaches the Bible accurately and hasnt watered down its message.


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October 28, 2012 · 0 Comments
Above: Site of a US drone attack in the capital city of Mogadishu (Source: Press TV)
By Stephen Roblin:
Fiction can function as a mirror by helping us see things in ourselves that natural perspective obscures. The mirror effect can take place on a social level too. A good example is the classic HBO drama, The Wire. As anyone familiar with the drama should expect, whatever it may reflect about U.S. society and institutions is bound to be grim.
Fans may remember Maury Levy, the corrupt lawyer who willingly aids his drug-kingpin clients in their criminal activity. His role in "the game" is characterized nicely by a West Baltimore hoodlum, who sees the choice of weapon as the primary distinction: Levy wields "the briefcase," whereas the thug wields "the shotgun."
The distinction is not merely symbolic. Wielding the briefcase differs in that it falls within the rule of law. Moreover, the briefcase typically is used in the service of the shotgun (less so the other way around). This is what the hoodlum gets at in his response to Levy's questioning. He understands that criminals have to get away with their crimes if they are to repeat them.
Through the course of the series, Levy pulls the wool over the eyes of juries through the use of common defense tactics. Two key ones are the careful omission of incriminating facts and the clever portrayal of his clients as upstanding citizens. The same tactics are used by those committed to the defense of crimes of nations.
The New York Times applies them skillfully in covering up for crimes that emanate from Washington. Its coverage of the UN Monitoring Group for Somalia and Eritrea's most recent findings – the topic of this article – offers a good illustration.
Two Monitoring Group reports were released, the leaked and official. As one might expect, the points of emphasis in the reports differ radically. So far, the New York Times has discussed the findings in two articles, but has omitted the major finding of the leaked document.
According to the leaked document, violation of the long-standing Somali arms embargo "has become a growing problem." The "pattern of arms embargo violations," however, "has changed little over previous years," with Washington and its regional allies, mainly Kenya and Ethiopia, being the most egregious violators.[1]
On July 18, the New York Times printed a Reuters brief that ignored entirely the major finding, focusing instead on "the 'climate of impunity' enjoyed by pirate kingpins in Somalia and abroad." In my review of the brief for the NYT eXaminer, I show how any reasonable reading of the leaked report (as well as previous reports) indicates that primary responsibility for what the Monitoring Group has called the "international norm of non-compliance" should be assigned to the U.S. and its allies.
On October 5, the Monitoring Group's findings entered the New York Times' pages again in a report by Mark Mazzetti and Eric Schmitt. This time, attention was drawn to the "brazen, large-scale and protracted violation[s]" of the private militias hired to "defeat the pirates terrorizing the shipping lanes off the Somali coast." Again, there's no mention of the major finding. Instead, attention is given to the more marginal violators, like the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
The Dubai-based Sterling Corporate Services performed "large-scale military training" for the Puntland Maritime Police Force, the "private army" of the president of the semi-autonomous state of Puntland.[2] The UAE bankrolled Sterling without receiving UN Security Council authorization. For this reason, the nation "drew the ire of United Nations arms monitors, who repeatedly pressed the emirates to shut down the mission," writes Mazzetti and Schmitt.
The journalists present the company's defense, which they paraphrase as: "Somalia already is a playground for clandestine operations, with the C.I.A. now in the midst of an extensive effort to arm and equip Somali spies. Why, they ask, is Sterling Corporate Services singled out for criticism?" Of course, neither Sterling nor the UAE have been singled out by the arms monitors. Mazzetti and Schmitt chose to ignore this obvious fact. A good defense attorney knows how to evade incriminating evidence.
They then turn their attention to portraying Washington as an upstanding global citizen. In presenting the Obama administration as concerned with the integrity of the arms embargo, State Department official Hilary Renner is quoted saying, "We share the monitoring group's concerns about the lack of transparency regarding the Saracen and Sterling Corporate Services' train-and-equip program for the Puntland Maritime Police Force, as well as the abuses alleged to have occurred during the training."
This was followed with no challenge.
Honest journalism, on the other hand, would have noted moments when U.S. concern for the integrity of the arms embargo was on full display. One moment was on the sidelines of the London Conference on Somalia in February 2012 during a press briefing by Secretary of State Hilary Clinton. When asked whether she supports the U.S. conducting airstrikes in Al-Shabaab-controlled areas, she answered with, "airstrikes would not be a good idea," adding that "we have absolutely no reason to believe anyone – certainly not the United States . . . is considering that."
In reality, the question had been considered and decided.
Five months before Clinton's remarks, in September 2011, the Washington Post reported a new development within the CIA. "Within the past year, the agency has created an equivalent" to the Pakistan-Afghanistan Department (PAD) "for Yemen and Somalia in the hope that it can replicate the impact of PAD." The "impact" of the CIA drone program in the region, with the help of Obama's "private assassination squad," the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC), has been impressive. More than two thousand people in Pakistan have been murdered, with complete impunity.
Unsurprisingly, Pakistanis don't share U.S. officials' enthusiasm over the performance. In fact, a recent Pew poll found that ninety-seven percent of Pakistanis aware of the program disapprove of it. They would, however, agree with officials on at least one point: thanks to the addition of the drone the CIA has been transformed into "one hell of a killing machine," as put by a former senior U.S. intelligence official.
Eight months before Clinton informed journalists that there was "no reason" to expect U.S. airstrikes in Somalia, the "killing machine" had already been turned loose on the country. Starting in June 2011, the same time when famine conditions spreading rapidly through the country,[3] U.S. airstrikes and covert operations became a regular occurrence. This record is beginning to be pieced together by the Bureau of Investigative Journalism. But even by only reading the New York Times, one could easily detect Clinton's lie. One month prior to her press briefing, the paper ran an article entitled, "U.S. Drone Strike Kills Foreign Commander Fighting for Militants in Somalia." A day after the briefing (February 24), a U.S. official confirmed a drone attack that killed four "militants," according to an Associated Press wire posted on the New York Time's website.
The paper committed zero words to Clinton's deceit at the time. Nor was it mentioned in Mazzetti and Schmitt's piece, despite its relevance in gauging the administration's expressed concern over "lack of transparency" as it relates to the arms embargo. Indeed, no skilled defense attorney draws the court's attention to inconsistencies in her clients' testimonies.
To be fair, Clinton's deceit was considered unworthy of coverage by the U.S. press overall (to my knowledge). So perhaps it flew past the New York Times' radar. In any case, the journalists could have followed Renner's statement with the Obama administration's apparent refusal to admit to the Monitoring Group that it had been carrying out airstrikes in Somali territory. Interestingly, the words "airstrikes" and "drone" don't even appear in their report. Honest consideration of available facts can't get in the way of cultivating an image of the good citizen.
The journalists do mention that the U.S. has "relied on proxy forces and armed private contractors to battle pirates and, increasingly, Islamic militants." But this fact is not discussed in the context of the arms embargo. Instead, they point to how the "strategy has had some success," despite its "inherent dangers." The example given is the "recent offensive by Kenyan and African Union troops to push the militant group Al Shabab from its stronghold in the port city of Kismayu."
It's true that the illegal intervention has enjoyed military successes, but they've come with dire humanitarian consequences.[5] Mazzetti and Schmitt restrict their reporting to the former, which is consistent with the New York Times' broader coverage of Somalia.[6] This journalistic decision is not due to scarcity of evidence. To the contrary, a steady flow of reports by UN agencies and aid organizations documenting the devastating humanitarian consequences of the U.S.-backed intervention can be found on the Somalia page on ReliefWeb.
There's agreement among many of the reports that during Somalia's epic famine and its ongoing post-famine humanitarian catastrophe, the intervention has been a primary cause of restricted humanitarian access, mass displacement, disruption of planting and crop production, hampered economic activity (including the vital livestock trade), and more.
Many of these conditions are predicted to persist due to the "[e]xpected intensified conflict," according to USAID. If past coverage is any indication, one should not expect New York Times journalists to temper their enthusiasm over the military success with concern for the plight of Somalis. A skilled attorney knows better than to show sympathy and indignation when doing so threatens the defense effort.
It's difficult to take seriously the New York Time's "duty" to present "complete, unvarnished truth" when its coverage can easily be compared to a corrupt defense attorney representing thugs. And when we consider where the comparison departs, this expressed duty appears even more fraudulent.
For one, attorneys have legal obligations to those whom they defend, even the plainly guilty. Journalists in the U.S. are bound by no legal obligation to serve the interests of government. Also, prosecutors in the U.S. legal system have tools at their disposal to effectively counter the narrative puts forth by defense attorneys. The playing field is nowhere near this even for those working to expose the bias and deceit so common to U.S. corporate media performance.
In this case, reality is much worse than what fiction reflects.
Stephen Roblin writes for NYT eXaminer.
[1] UNSC, Report of the Monitoring Group on Somalia and Eritrea pursuant to Security Council resolution 2002 (2011), Advanced Copy – Confidential, 7 and 24. From here, the documented is cited as "Leaked Report." For a copy of the report, see www.somaliareport.com/downloads/UN_REPORT_2012.pdf.
[2] Leaked Report, 22.
[3] For a discussion on the U.S. role in creating the conditions for Somalia's "epic famine," see my "War and famine, the only option?," Parts I and II, ZNet, http://www.zcommunications.org/war-and-famine-the-only-option-part-i-by-stephen-roblin, and http://www.zcommunications.org/war-and-famine-the-only-option-part-ii-by-stephen-roblin.
[4] Leaked Report, 225. For more on the Monitoring Group's findings regarding "unmanned aerial vehicles" (drones), see pages 20, 232-233, and 295.
[5] For a discussion on the legal status of the multi-national intervention, see my "Kenya's Criminal Assault on Famine-Stricken Somalia," Truthout, December 18, 2011,http://truth-out.org/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=5492:kenyas-criminal-assault-on-faminestricken-somalia. See also my previous article for the NYTExaminer, "Somalia's 'Climate of Impunity' Enjoyed by More Than Just Pirates," August 1, 2012, http://www.nytexaminer.com/2012/08/somalias-climate-of-impunity-enjoyed-by-more-than-just-pirates/.
[6] I have observed this pattern from reading the coverage of Somalia. I will provide a detailed, evidence-based analysis of this blindspot in a future article.


text:
It's September and back-to-school stories--and the Community Rights Campaign!--are in the news.
At the same time as we celebrate what we've achieved, these stories focus almost exclusively on truancy ticketing and remind us that our work is far from done. Stopping truancy ticketing is only the beginning, not the end, of our struggle to decriminalize all student conduct and discipline and end all pre-prison conditions in our schools.
In her must-read feature article, "The Truancy Trap [3]", investigative journalist and author of Lockdown High Annette Fuentes surveys zero tolerance truancy policies across the country, takes us inside families' experiences inside the courtroom, and interviews experts who raise concerns that the policies don't work.
The article goes into detail about our work in LA as a place where policies are changing because of community pressure. "The crackdown [in LA] hasn't managed to improve attendance, but it has sent thousands of kids and their parents to court and incited a student revolt against the policies."
Fuentes closes the article by quoting our lead organizer Manuel Criollo:
The Community Rights Campaign's broader agenda is to improve the quality of L.A.'s public schools to entice students to attend, not avoid, class. Truancy is a symptom of schools' failure, not the students', says campaign director Manuel Criollo. "Officials say if you don't go to school, you're going to end up in jail. The automatic assumption is that you're up to no good, and that's the wrong response to what's happening in public schools," he said. "What is the responsibility of the school? If they have a 50 percent failure rate, it should indicate something is wrong."
in "Should Kids Be Fined for Skipping School? [5]" Time Magazine mentions our work in LA as part of a story on a Connecticut school district that is weighing a new fine and ticketing policy for truancy. The story compares US policies to those in Britain and raises the growing national debate over what policies are needed to keep students in school.
In her full-length story, "LA Schools Moving Away from Zero Tolerance Policies [7]," Teresa Watanabe lays out how LAUSD, the Probation Dept, and LASPD are changing their policies in response to our movement. The new approach is to support rather than punish students, to provide counseling rather than give citations.
The story does a good job highlighting a part of our February victory that has not received enough attention. The policy changes we won in February not only reduce the ticketing but created new resources to help students having problems attending school. In particular, our work led to the funding of 13 new youth centers--called Youth WorkSource Centers--where students who are stopped for truancy will be sent instead of receiving a citation and being sent to court. At these youth centers, "a school district specialist will evaluate the students and connect them with services to get them back on track." Watanbe cites a a 2006 study by Gary Sweeten, an Arizona State University associate professor of criminology, which found that a high school student's first arrest and court appearance quadrupled the likelihood of dropping out of school.
The story also interviews CRC legal advocate Zoe Rawson and quotes CRC Taking Action member Kieta Perez, who received a citation for "disturbing the peace" when she got into a fight at Crenshaw High School:
"The ticket was eventually dismissed, but Kieta said she missed three days of school to deal with it and was never given a chance to work out tensions with the other student. 'We should be getting counseling to find the root causes of our problems instead of getting tickets,' she said."
In her blog, "Rally Calls for Fewer Police Citations of LAUSD Students [8]," Watanabe drew attention to our call for an equal protection plan to protect students from all forms of criminalization, not limited to truancy and tardy ticketing:
Criollo said his group is discussing with Chief Zipperman plans for school police to reduce citations involving curfews, tobacco possession and disturbing the peace –- generally school yard fights and offensive words. But the group is also urging district officials to craft a concrete plan that specifies alternatives to citations for misbehavior, restricts the role of school police in dealing with discipline cases and lays out strategies to reduce racial and ethnic disparities in ticketing practices.
In her story in the local African-American weekly, "State of the School District: Deasy sees improvement [10]," Cynthia Griffin has CRC organizer Ashley Franklin countering the LAUSD's assertions:
The LAUSD followed the CRC rally with a statement accusing CRC of citing old data, and stating that the district police department "has not, and will not engage in any form of biased or discriminatory enforcement activities based on race, ethnicity, gender, sexual preference, student disability or geographic location."
CRC countered that its finding are based on the latest figures LAUSD has released to them. The district also said it has significantly reduced the number of truancy citations since 2011, with a 54 percent reduction since last school year alone.
Ashley Franklin, a CRC spokesperson, said the reduction in truancy citations is tied to a change by the Los Angeles City Council in the daytime curfew laws. But the organization wants a reduction in all citations—vandalism, possession of tobacco, disturbing the peace (fighting on campus).This, Franklin said, will decriminalize student conduct and discipline.
As our truancy ticketing victory captures national attention and shapes the national debate, we want to remember the tremendous collaboration it took to get here.
For their leadership, we thank Councilmember Tony Cardenas and his staff, Judge Michael Nash, and LAUSD Board President Monica Garcia. We also appreciate the support of all the LAUSD board members and city councilmembers who supported and voted for the amendment, and the role played by the LA School Police Dept and LAPD, with their openness to principled negotiation and to following the community's lead.
And we especially thank our partners ACLU (SoCal), Public Counsel, and our allies in the LA Chapter of the Dignity School Campaign—CADRE, Children's Defense Fund and Youth Justice Coalition, who we continue to work with to monitor and enforce the restructured policies.
But most importantly, we want to thank again the hundreds of young people, parents, teachers, organizers and leaders who ARE the Community Rights Campaign. We will not stop until all student conduct and discipline is decriminalized! Hey LAUSD, I'm Pre-Med, Pre-Job, NOT Pre-Prison!
[1] http://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2012/09/should-kids-go-to-jail-for-skipping-school/261937/
[2] http://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2012/09/should-kids-go-to-jail-for-skipping-school/261937/
[3] http://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2012/09/should-kids-go-to-jail-for-skipping-school/261937/
[4] http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-citations-20120904,0,6846698.story
[5] http://moneyland.time.com/2012/08/23/should-kids-be-fined-if-they-skip-school/
[6] http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-citations-20120904,0,6846698.story
[7] http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-citations-20120904,0,6846698.story
[8] http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2012/08/lausd-rally-citations.html
[9] http://www.ourweekly.com/education/state-school-district-deasy-sees-improvement
[10] http://www.ourweekly.com/education/state-school-district-deasy-sees-improvement


text:
LONDON – London authorities say they have rescued 30 people from the River Thames after a Duck Tour boat caught fire near the Houses of Parliament.
Police and fire services said in statements that the boat carried 28 tourists and two crew members. Many of the tourists jumped into the river after the blaze broke out Sunday, but passing tourist boats rescued them.
A woman and a child were taken to the hospital due to suspected smoke inhalation. Other passengers were seen warming themselves with tea by the riverside.
Duck Tour boats can travel on land and in the water.
Television footage showed black smoke billowing from the yellow vessel near London's Lambeth Bridge.
The London Fire Brigade said six fire engines and a fire boat helped put out the blaze.


text: Orloff v. OrloffDownload as PDF Loading PDF... NOT FINAL UNTIL TIME EXPIRES TO FILE REHEARING MOTION AND, IF FILED, DETERMINED IN THE DISTRICT COURT OF APPEAL OF FLORIDA SECOND DISTRICT LOUIS STANLEY ORLOFF, ) ) Appellant, ) ) v. ) ) JOYCE LYNN ORLOFF, ) ) Appellee. ) ___________________________________ ) Case No. 2D09-5513 Opinion filed April 8, 2011. Appeal from the Circuit Court for Pinellas County; Jack R. St. Arnold, Judge. Timothy W. Weber and Joseph P. Kenny of Battaglia, Ross, Dicus & Wein, P.A. St. Petersburg, for Appellant. Michael J. Park of Park, Ossian, Barnaky & Park, P.A., Clearwater, for Appellee. CASANUEVA, Chief Judge. Louis Stanley Orloff appeals the trial court's order finding him in contempt and awarding a monetary judgment in the amount of $76,249.60 to his former wife, Joyce Lynn Orloff, for his failure to transfer certain assets that were awarded to her as equitable distribution. Based upon the pleadings, the record, and the representations of the parties at oral argument, we reverse the finding of contempt. The facts proven by Ms. Orloff did not amount to contemptuous conduct. We must also reverse the monetary judgment because it is based upon the equitable distribution scheme which we have reversed in the related appeal of the final judgment of dissolution. See Orloff v. Orloff, 2D09-3059 (Fla. 2d DCA Mar. 30, 2011). Reversed and remanded. DAVIS and WALLACE, JJ., Concur. -2-


text:
Cashahoma CASH CAINE
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- Dream On (Prod. by Blue Jones)
- My Hometown (Prod. by RiviEra)
- Lady (Prod. by RiviEra)
- Champagne SupaHangover (Prod. by Cash Caine)
- Deff Dope [Cashahoma mix] (Prod. by Don Trap)
- Wanna Be Us feat. Lou Hef (Prod. by RiviEra)
- SAMO (Prod. by Don Trap)
- Screens Fall (Prod. by Blue Jones)
- 4 The Hater N U (Prod. by Cash Caine)
- Bad Nerves feat. Co2 and Moneyy Baggs (Prod. by Ri
- Goodness Gracious!!! (Prod. by Static Vision)
- HeartBreaker (Prod. by King James III)
- What You Want (Prod. by RiviEra)
- Workin' For The Weekend (Prod. by RiviEra)
- Dreams N2 Reality [Short Version] (Producer unknow
First release of the year from underground artist Cash Caine. 15 all new, all original tracks with features from Lou Hef, Co2, and Moneyy Baggs. Includes singles Screens Fall and Deff Dope. Also includes the street banger and hustler's anthem Bad Nerves. It's a must have for all music lovers to bang this year!!!
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text:
Latest Anchorman 2 Trailer Features Sound Advice from Brick Tamland
The latest trailer for Anchorman 2 is basically the same as the first trailer
The latest trailer for Anchorman 2 is basically the same as the first trailer
Ever since Jim Carrey spoke out of his asshole in the Ace Ventura films, the world has (rightly) put its faith in his comedic stylings. Lately, it seems that movie audiences have grown tired of Carrey's elastic face, which is a shame because it's a national treasure. For Canada. The first trailer for The Incredible…
Katy Perry — now dating Ghostbuster Dan Florence + The Machine guitarist Robert Aykroyd — is taking a break from showbiz after her doc Katy Perry: Part Of Me is released, in order to let her heart and/or cupcake boobs heal after Aldous Snow poured Malibu rum all over them and devoured them en flambé. If she spends more …
After 25 years of everything from exaggerated speech patterns to under-the-seat prize winnings, the end of Oprah Winfrey's phenomenally successful show is nigh. Oprah's production company revealed that the show, which originally premiered in 1986 and currently airs in 145 countries worldwide, will air its final episode …
It's big news that this is Steve Carrell's last season on The Office. But to us, it's bigger news that Mindy Kaling is leaving! [An update on that below.]
Right-wing women, said Tina Fey last night, are great for all women, "unless you don't want to pay for your own rape kit...[or] you're a lesbian who wants to get married to your partner of 20 years."
[Studio City, August 19. Image via Bauer-Griffin.]
Date Night got fairly good reviews, but that really only proves how funny Tina Fey and Steve Carell are. While the script is filled with weak gags and absurd hijinks, the stars save the movie from becoming a complete dud.
Tina Fey, Steve Carell, and Tracy Morgan were on Oprah today and we were pretty excited. Though apparently not as excited as Tina, who prepared by making out with a cardboard cutout of Oprah.
[Los Angeles, March 7. Image via Getty]
It's been eighteen years (!) since Marky Mark posed for his iconic Calvin Klein underwear ads, but 38-year-old Mark Wahlberg's chiseled body is still the number one punchline in this clip from Tina Fey and Steve Carell's Date Night.


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text:
Thursday 20th October, 2011
10:30am to 11:00am
Many enterprises want to take advantage of cloud computing but do not want to give up their own datacenters. The solution may be a hybrid cloud strategy bridging between public and private clouds. Hybrid clouds present some challenges, including application complexity, IT silos and secure private connectivity. Come to this session to learn how to make cloud-hosted applications and resources appear as though they are running on the enterprise network
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text:
WORKOUT – Ran in Dana Point 10.3 miles/1:21 some hills, no music
This morning Jabe had a work meeting over in Dana Point. on a Saturday. who does that?! Linda Evangelista and I don't even wake up for less than $10,000 a day…. which explains why I spend most of my weekends in bed.
Anyways, so I went with him and ran while he worked. a winning combo.
I ran by the beach for awhile and then ran some hilly trails too. I don't drive over to DP to run that often so it was a nice change of scenery. If you're bored with your running, try running somewhere new or a slightly different route. or even the same route backwards.
Follow my 140 characters of dumb and you'll know that A) I'm so not funny and B) My husband was in Vegas for work all week and traded in our pension for Pai Gow. super, just super.
Regardless, Marni and I were so excited to see him yesterday we both peed on the driveway when he drove up. And then we had a raging slumber party…
For some reason, Jaymo decided we should sleep in the guest bedroom?! I guess he thought the sheets on our bed were clean so he didn't want to dirty them. what a strange, strange little man.
Before we did the bed swap, I spent yesterday in Calabasas (outside LA) doing some volunteer work with my good friend Reese who works for Ameriprise.
She's our CFP and yes, she wholeheartedly supports us putting our retirement funds into Texas Hold 'Em. It's really working out great for us… if we wanted to rub two nickels together, we'd have to borrow one.
At least I got a sweet free shirt out of the deal.
You were probably unaware, but I didn't make the final cut for the Sexiest Man Alive. It's ok because I can't wait to see the winner of the Sexiest Man Not Alive.
What do you think of the choice? Are you protesting like some people are? I really don't think Bradley Cooper's that attractive in this picture.


text: Hello Jeff, I do not think that Mk would be secondary to Mt and Luke. In contrary, I believe that Mk was a source of both. (Maybe not exactly the same Mk that we know, but a not much different edition.) But your question was about the purpose of the gospel. Let us see: I can interpret "purpose" on two ways. First about the use, setting or function of Mk in the life of the marcan community. I would agree those, who claim that 1. Mk was a kind of christian paschal haggadah, a text to be read (recited) in the night of pesach for the entire community; 2. this event had an initiative function for the catechumens, who had been baptised than , probably at dawn. The text has several hints into both directions. You can consult for ex. the book of Benoit Standaert: L'Evangile selon Marc. Not a brand new book (early 80ies), but very detailed in this regard. "Purpose" of Mk can mean the particular bias of the author, in the sense that he (I think he was male) wanted to form his community, react onto conflicts and challenges experienced by the community and its members. The marcan scholarship provides numerous possible answers. Some of them: 1. Inner conflict of christians. Mk wants to side with one of the groups. (ex.: Weeden, Kelber) 2. Inner conflict of christians. Mk wants to mediate. (ex.: Betz, Robbins) 3. Christians in the situation of persecution. (Maybe related with the Jewish War.) 4. A rather peaceful period, after persecution - temptation of being like others. etc. Combinations of these are also possible, maybe needed. I would say: yes, there were hardships in the recent past of the community. I think the conflict had to do with the antijudaist tendencies of Rome in the late 60ies. The members of the community reacted on different ways, some toook on more conflicts and suffering, some less. Mk tries to encourage the christians in their threatened existence, (see 8,31ff) and changing social sitaution (3,33), but wants a kind of openness toward those who failed: 14,66ff. Besides we can detect the traces of a conflict on authority within christian circles. I think Mk is not a friend of James and his followers, neither wants to accept a full authority of the 12, but this is not his main point. I also think that the texts discussing the issues of Jewish law and customs were not burning, actuel problems of the marcan community. If you follow the Griesbach-hypothese, you can still take any of these answers (,only that you need to explain, why was Mt and Lk unsufficient for these purposes). I hope it helps. Eszter Andorka


text:
- July 8, 2009
- 11:20 a.m.
- Suggest removal
- Reply to this post
JMCampbell writes:
in response to LUGNUT:
Yeah those fireballs would also be cool. I got a visual image of Jerry pulling his strap down then Barbara pulls her strap down and then Wanda pulls her strap down, Fullilove takes a snort THEN Jerry throws a fireball at Myron. Excellent!!!
That would be worth the $35 PPV price.
And we can't forget Jimmy Hart coming in from God only knows where and hitting someone with a shoe.
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text:
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