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THE leader of Worcestershire County Council has defended his stance on youth funding - and is blaming the economy for making cuts.
Councillor Adrian Hardman has also hit out at the county's Liberal Democrat leader, saying her glass is half empty.
As the Advertiser previously reported the council has delayed a plan to cut £500,000 from youth activities in 2015/16.
But the following year the spending, currently set at a total of £1 million per annum, is scheduled to reduce to zero.
The authority wants outside organisations like district councils, the police and schools to pick up the slack and believes delaying the initial £500,000 cut will give providers time to prepare.
Earlier this month Lib Dem group leader Councillor Liz Tucker said she was "deeply worried" about it and is trying to get assurances some of that cash will still be saved.
The county council used to spend more than £3 million on youth funding as recently as 2011, with 20 centres reducing to just 12 since then.
The Conservative leadership says repeated surveys have placed youth funding low down the priority list for residents, and has refused to guarantee any cash will remain in two years time.
The £1 million is handed to 23 different organisations which provide youth activities, reaching 10,000 young people.
Cllr Hardman said: "I can understand why Cllr Tucker wants absolute certainty over the future, but 20 months is a fairly long period from now to give guarantees over a non-statutory service.
"We still have an enormous amount of heavy lifting to do to get the economy back to stability.
"The fact is, we are putting £500,000 back in so we can take our time to talk to our providers - we are delaying taking that money out so we can provide some stability."
He said Cllr Tucker was being too negative, saying her glass is only "half-full" whereas his is full.
Cllr Tucker said youth workers can't live on fresh air and is concerned they will walk away if the money dries up.
"It's not just about playing cricket, it's about having access to youth professionals," she said.


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Jocelyn Wildenstein looks really really good
Don't know who Jocelyn Wildenstein is? She's a New York socialite who's reportedly spent over $4,000,000 on plastic surgery over the years to keep her husband (God knows why it didn't work). And yeah, I know what you're thinking: "Only $4 million?" Shocking, isn't it? Look at that craftsmanship. I would've guessed work that good would be worth at least double that. Wait, did I say double that? Because I meant a half eaten Hot Pocket. It'd be worth exactly a half eaten Hot Pocket. If I got within a hundred feet of this woman, my only thought would be to shoot her with a tranquilizer, throw her in a cage, and sell her to a zoo.
To see all 32 photos of the Cat Woman's Chow Down, visit BauerGriffinOnline.com.
NOTE: What would compel anybody in the world to look at that face and think, "I must touch those breasts." My guess is he lost a bet, and it was either this, or put his penis in a garbage disposal. I still think he made the wrong choice.

subset: commoncrawl


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Military: Recently Added Listings
This Library of Congress Project collects and preserves "first-hand accounts" of U.S.veterans who served in World Wars I and II, Korean War, Vietnam War, Persian Gulf War, and Afghanistan and Iraq conflicts.
This site contains news, job boards, scholarship information, online communities and other resources directed toward those in the military, including active duty, reservists, guard members, retirees, veterans, and family members.
Official site of the U.S. Air Force. Includes news, letters, Air Force TV news, history and career information.
Official site of the U.S. Army. Includes news, photos, Army newspapers, live radio, press releases, speeches and more.
Official site includes news, photos, career information, descriptions of ships and aircraft, personnel locator and more.
Official site of the Marine Corps. Includes information on recruiting, units and careers as well as news, publications and more.
Official site contains news, photos, career information, directory of ships, biographies of Naval officials.
Official site contains news, feature stories, contact information for Guard departments, news archives, photos and more.


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Porter Classic 2010 Spring/Summer Collection
Not long ago one of our favorite luggage label, Japan's Porter, has launched Porter Classic. Taking their high quality approach, Porter creates a brand that has vintage americana at its core. From the store build-out to the product, both quality and attention to detail are stunning, not that we expected anything else. The store features a lot of wood, vintage luggage and vintage photography. The collection consists of both clothing and luggage.


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NetWellness is a global, community service providing quality, unbiased health information from our partner university faculty. NetWellness is commercial-free and does not accept advertising.
Wednesday, August 23, 2017
Low Estradiol and Infertility
Dear Doctor I am a 37 year old single woman . About a year ago,shortly after a death in the family, a very stressful phase, I noticed a reduction in the duration of menstrual flow from 4 days to 2 days and also reduction in amount of flow. Also a gradual increase in hair growth on the thighs and vaginal dryness.My cycles continued to be regular at 27-30 days . I got my hormone levels checked last may- my thyroid profile was normal,FSH 6.7,LH 8.7,prolactin 15.7, progesterone 5.22nmol/l ,estradiol 66pmol/l,testosterone 0.6nmol/l,,s.cortisol 195 nmol/l. The normal reference range given by the lab for estradiol in follicular phase was 97-592pmol/l and for progesterone as 0.44-6.4nml/l. A pelvis ultrasound showed bilateral polycystic pattern, One ovary 3 by 2 cm, other 4 by 2cm.
Checked again last week and the results are thyroid profile normal,FSH 6.6,LH 5.9,prolactin 23, progesterone 3,0nmol/l ,estradiol 51.2 pmol/l,testosterone 0.8nmol/l,,s.cortisol 301 nmol/l.DHEAS is 144.
I am distressed by the very low estradiol level of 51.2 pmol/l, , The normal reference range given by the lab for estradiol in follicular phase was 97-592pmol/l. They seem low even for the post menopausal reference range of 19-141…does this indicate perimenopause.or that menopause will occur very soon. Is there is a possibility of conceiving naturally and a successful pregnancy with such levels. My gynac has suggested I start Metformin,but from what I could gather from the internet, Im not sure I qualify as PCOD.
I am likely to get married quite soon and would like to discuss with my partner beforehand my chances of conceiving if any.
Thank you for visiting NetWellness. On this site, NetWellness experts try to answer general questions about health. Only a health professional performing a thorough clinical exam is able to evaluate your symptoms. However, NetWellness may have some general information available that you can access through our search feature. Feel free to write back if you still have questions or need an explanation.
NetWellness Staff


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Davis Colloquium
Wheaton students present at conference on Russian and Eurasian Studies.
Four Wheaton students presented research at the 17th Annual Undergraduate Colloquium on Russian and Eurasian Studies sponsored by the Davis Center at Harvard University.
The colloquium is an annual event that provides a forum for calling attention to the best undergraduate work on Russian and Eurasian political and social culture. Undergraduates from Wheaton, Wellesley and Harvard are invited to participate in the yearly symposium.
The presentations made by Wheaton's students this year covered timely topics, such as a comparative examination of Russian and Chinese conceptions of democratization, the status of a Buddhist ethnic group in Russia, and Central Asian migration to Russia.
The students who presented their work at the conference were:
- Stephanie Antetomaso '12, a resident of Woburn, Mass., presented her research in a paper entitled, "A Computational Analysis of Nabokov's Works." An independent major in Linguistics and a major in Russian Studies who graduated magna cum laude, Antetomaso has won a Fulbright scholarship to Estonia to pursue further study of linguistics.
- Ke (Frances) Feng '13, a double major in international relations and political science who is from Beijing, China, presented a paper entitled, "Perceptions of Democracy in Post-Communist Era--A Comparison between Russia and China."
- Katie A. Mosher '12, a resident of Bow, N.H. who graduated magna cum laude with a double major in International Relations and Russian Studies, presented "Managing Migrantophobia: The Human Security Approach and Central Asian migration to the Russian Federation."
- Krista Williamson '12, a Camden, Maine resident who graduated with a double major in International Relations and Russian Studies, presented a paper entitled, "Buddhism in Siberia."
Antetomaso and Mosher drew their presentations from their senior honors theses; Feng and Williamson extended work done in classes taught by Prof. Wilson for the symposium.


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Altuzarra Spring 2013
Sally Potter's magical 1992 movie adaptation of the Virginia Woolf classic Orlando, starring Tilda Swinton in the title role as the ageless Elizabethan courtier who changes sex and romps across the world and through the centuries, led Joseph Altuzarra on a design odyssey to explore masculine and feminine sartorial codes and marry them in intriguing and uncliched ways.
For his imaginative and inventive show, Altuzarra took a man's old-fashioned canvas work-wear jacket, for instance (with the traditional identity information tag on a breast pocket now providing the season and date of the collection), and suavely recut it to feminize it with a peplum suggesting a Tudor doublet. An underarm opening meant that the arm could be slotted through and the sleeves hung loose—a modern take of those seen in stately Elizabethan portraits that managed to remain resolutely un-costumey.
These jackets might be layered over a railroad stripe cotton shirt coruscating with crystal-drop embroidery and a skirt seemingly improvised from an exotic fringed scarf (unearthed by Orlando in the souks of Constantinople, perhaps?).
Those scarves reappeared draped as the collars on chic smoking jackets and cocktail dresses, suggesting the insouciant gesture of a Gatsby-era man protecting himself against the nighttime chill. This simple effect became ever more elaborate as Altuzarra wrapped and draped up a frenzy of those jewel-fringed fabrics to create the illusion of a houri readying herself to dance the dance of the seven veils. The palette, too, suggested the Middle East in the pistachio greens and the piercing blues of a desert sky at night or of a Tuareg warrior's robes—crowning glories of a show that deftly married fantasy with reality.


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The "Elvis" Phenomenon
from R.C. Sproul Aug 16, 2017 Category: ArticlesToday is the 40th anniversary of the death of Elvis Presley. This post from our archives was written by R.C. Sproul and published in the Decemeber 1977 issue of Tabletalk magazine. Shockwaves of grief went around the world when Rudolf Valentino succumbed to appendicitis at the pinnacle of his... Keep Reading
Is There a Moral Law Against Polygamy?
from R.C. Sproul Jr. Jun 11, 2011 Category: ArticlesThe Bible never condemns polygamy or having concubines. Is there a moral law against them? Keep Reading
Doctrine of the Last Things: Recommended Reading
from Keith Mathison Jun 10, 2011 Category: ArticlesApart from the sacraments, there is probably no division of systematic theology that is the source of more controversy than eschatology (the doctrine of the last things). Among believing Christians, one finds amillennialists, postmillennialists, and premillennialists. Among premillennialists, there are disputes over the relationship between the "rapture" and the "great tribulation." Keep Reading
$5 Friday: Prayer, Repentance & the Trinity
from Karisa Schlehr Jun 10, 2011 Category: Ligonier ResourcesGet $5 Friday resources on prayer, suffering, repentance, Ephesians, the Trinity, Apostles' Creed & more. Sale starts Friday at 8 a.m. and ends Saturday at 8 a.m. EST. Special thanks to Reformation Heritage Books for partnering with us this week. Keep Reading
Repenting and Continuing to Repent
from R.C. Sproul Jr. Jun 09, 2011 Category: ArticlesCan someone be damned if they repented and continue to repent of their sins? Keep Reading
Photoshopping God
from Stephen Nichols Jun 08, 2011 Category: ArticlesMaybe because I think they don't get enough attention, I find myself often drifting to the minor prophets. A few verses in Amos 9 strike me. They stand out because they seem to be playing off of Psalm 139. Keep Reading
Keeping the Lord's Day
from Burk Parsons Jun 07, 2011 Category: Tabletalk MagazineBurk Parsons begins this month's editorial introduction to Tabletalk magazine with a story. "In the summer of 1999, I was studying the Lutheran Reformation in eastern Germany with a group of fellow American graduate students. After attending a Sunday morning worship service at the Stadtkirche in Wittenberg, where Martin Luther often preached, we made our way south to Halle, the birthplace of G. F. Handel and seventeenth-century German pietism. Keep Reading
The Right Work
from Richard Phillips Jun 06, 2011 Category: ArticlesWorldly people assess the value of a job by the amount of money it pays or the prestige it offers. Surely, Christians will think differently. Our concerns should be: Keep Reading
Twitter Highlights (6/5/11)
from Nathan W. Bingham Jun 05, 2011 Category: Ministry NewsHere are some highlights from the various Ligonier Twitter feeds over the past week. Keep Reading
from Eric Watkins Jun 03, 2011 Category: Book ReviewsThis is a fine little book. I would happily recommend it to lay people, pastors and elders. It is written with both ordained and lay people in view. The style of the book is conversational rather than academic. The book communicates well and includes a number of catchy phrases and memorable anecdotes. Leeman is clearly a good story-teller. He writes from a Reformed-Baptist perspective, as is evidenced by the majority of the book's endorsers, citations, and especially his doctrine of the church. Keep Reading
$5 Friday: Reformed Theology, Preaching & More
from Karisa Schlehr Jun 03, 2011 Category: Ligonier ResourcesFind $5 Friday resources today on predestination, marriage and divorce, preaching, John Calvin, and more. Why Johnny Can't Preach provided courtesy of P&R Publishing, and What Is Reformed Theology? appears thanks to those who voted on Challies.com. Sale starts Friday at 8 a.m. and ends Saturday at 8 a.m. EST. Keep Reading


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Sheriff's Office Applauds Jail Volunteers
"It feels so good to thank you face-to-face for what you do," said Fairfax County Sheriff Stan Barry at an April 20, 2011 luncheon to recognize the 275 active volunteers who work in the county jail. "You may never be thanked by the people you help the most, but don't think that means they don't care. What you do as a volunteer has a profound effect on inmate behavior. The gift you give them is priceless, and one day they will have a defining moment and know that."
Barry told the volunteers that Sheriff's deputies ensure that inmates know the rules and the consequences of not following the rules. "At the same time," he said, "we need someone to say to the people in jail, 'I believe in you. You are a valuable person.' That's what a volunteer does."
The Sheriff's Office gave special recognition to an outstanding volunteer in each of four service areas: Education - Bill Ritchey; Opportunities, Alternatives and Resources – Linda Rule; Chaplain's Office – Norman Bacon; and Alcohol and Drug Services – Nate Trager.
Congressman Gerry Connolly presented a copy of a page from the Congressional Record to the Sheriff's Office and the four honorees. "The selfless commitment of these individuals helps to provide enumerable benefits to our community and life-changing services to the inmates they serve," said Connolly.
Sheriff's Office volunteers provide inmate programs at the Adult Detention Center and the Pre-Release Center, including life skills, job skills, parenting, personal improvement, drug and alcohol addiction recovery, educational advancement and spirituality. In 2010 volunteers contributed more than 12,000 hours and presented more than 4,600 classes.
With partner organizations—including the Fairfax-Falls Church Community Services Board; Fairfax County Public Schools; Good News Jail & Prison Ministry; and Opportunities, Alternatives & Resources of Fairfax—the Sheriff's Office offers inmates the opportunity to make a difference in their future.
If you or anyone you know is interested in becoming a Sheriff's Office volunteer, please call 2nd Lt. Patty Chartak, 703-246-2845, or e-mail the Sheriff's Office.


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Yankees zapped late, take step back in WC chase
McCann, Prado power club, but Robertson loses control in ninth
NEW YORK -- Before Tuesday night's disappointing 7-4 loss to the Astros, Yankees manager Joe Girardi was quick to deflect the importance of having long winning streaks at this point in the season. As the Yankees -- riding two straight wins -- stared down six home games with two fourth-place opponents, the focus was merely on winning both series.
But as David Robertson threw ball after ball in the ninth inning of the opener, the urgency both on the mound, in the dugout and in the stands didn't seem to indicate that broader perspective. Eventually, Robertson's lack of command gave in, and he gave up a tiebreaking and decisive three-run homer to Chris Carter.
"My thought process is the same," said Robertson. "It's make a quality pitch, just repeat, repeat, repeat, and I wasn't repeating anything tonight. I struggled out there tonight, and I blew it for our team."
With Tuesday night victories by the Mariners and Tigers, the Yankees dropped to four games back in the American League Wild Card chase.
The ninth inning started out well when Robertson induced a lazy popup to center field by Marwin Gonzalez. But then he couldn't find the plate, walking two straight batters that warranted crescendoing nervous groans from the crowd. Carter worked a 3-0 count and then was given the green light to unload, sending the blast to left. Robertson entered the game having allowed just four earned runs in his last 27 appearances.
"I didn't make any pitches," said Robertson. "I walked two guys. You can't do that with a tie ballgame in the ninth inning. ... I threw it right into his bat path, and he put it 30 rows deep."
"You know that he's swinging there," Girardi said of Carter. "You can't just groove one, and I'm sure if he had it back ... he wasn't trying to throw it there, but [it's] just kind of the way the night went for him."
Rich Hill recorded the final two outs with K's to give the Yankees a chance in the ninth, but the offense, which hasn't scored more than four runs in a game since Aug. 8 against Cleveland, continued to sputter. The Yanks rode Brian McCann's fourth-inning two-run homer and Martin Prado's two-run double two innings later, but couldn't produce anything around them.
"Our guys come to work every day," said Girardi. "They work at their trade, and they work really hard, and they grind it out, and they try to get better every day, and that's all you can really ask for. Sometimes it works really well, and sometimes it doesn't, and it's been inconsistent this year. ... I think we had seven or eight guys that hit early today."
Yankees starter Chris Capuano began the game strong, striking out four of his first seven hitters and relying on his unsolvable changeup for most of the night. But after completing at least six innings in his first four Yankees starts, he couldn't do it a fifth time, finding trouble as he approached 100 pitches.
Dexter Fowler led off the sixth inning with a standup triple to left-center field and quickly scored on an RBI grounder by Jason Castro, which tied the game at 2. After back-to-back singles, Capuano -- who finished with eight strikeouts while allowing eight hits -- was relieved by Adam Warren, who allowed a go-ahead two-run single to pinch-hitter Gonzalez.
"It's frustrating," said Capuano. "We're right there in the game, it just hasn't gone our way. The command wasn't as sharp as I would have liked it to have been in those last two innings. I started leaving some balls out over the middle."
The Yankees responded immediately off starter Brett Oberholtzer. Jacoby Ellsbury led off the bottom of the sixth with a single, Carlos Beltran walked and Martin Prado lined a full-count two-run double into the left-field corner to even the game at 4. Reliever Tony Sipp then stranded Prado at second, retiring Brian McCann and Chase Headley.
"I don't think there's any magic formula," said Mark Teixeira, speaking on behalf of the offense that went 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position. "We've just got to get more hits. Two-run lead in the fourth inning doesn't mean much. You've just got to keep adding on."
The bright spot might have been that early cushion due to McCann's blast, which came on a flat Oberholtzer knuckleball, whacked into the second deck for the catcher's 14th homer of the year, his 12th at Yankee Stadium.
The need to win the next two games, though, now seems necessary for the Yankees to keep within striking distance in the Wild Card race. As Girardi stated, "there's not a ton of room for error."
"This is a crucial point in our season and not the way we would have liked to start off the homestand," said Capuano. "But we still have every chance to go out and win the series in the next two days, and that's what we've got to focus on."
Jake Kring-Schreifels is an associate reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


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M.S. Thesis Defense: Adam Bernstein
Thursday, November 21, 2013, 1:00-3:00pm
MacLean 132
"Optimization Modeling of U.S. Renewable Electricity Deployment Using Local Input Variables"
Thesis Committee:
Mark Borsuk, Ph.D. (Chair)
Stephen Powell, Ph.D.
Michael Gerst, Ph.D.
Abstract: For the past 5 years, state Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) laws have been a primary driver of renewable electricity (RE) deployments in the United States. However, four decreasing variables: (i) natural gas prices, (ii) growth in electricity demand, (iii) ease of transmission grid balancing of intermittent RE, and (iv) suitable sites for RE development, may limit the efficacy of RPS laws over the remainder of the current RPS statutes' lifetime. An outsized proportion of U.S. RE build occurs in a small number of favorable locations, increasing the effects of these variables. A state-by-state analysis is necessary to study the U.S. electric sector and generate technology specific generation forecasts. We used LP optimization modeling similar to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) Renewable Energy Development System (ReEDS) to forecast RE deployment across the 8 U.S. states with the largest electricity load, and found state-level RE projections to Year 2030 significantly lower than those implied in the Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2013 Annual Energy Outlook forecast. Combined with the tendency of prior research and RE forecasts to focus on larger national and global scale models, we posit that further bottom-up state and local analysis is needed for more accurate policy assessment. Current optimization software eliminates much of the need for algorithm coding and programming, allowing for rapid model construction and updating across many customized state and local RE forecasts.
For more information, contact Daryl Laware at firstname.lastname@example.com.


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Strong HoldI love this Victoria's Secret styling product because it has a super hold and it lasts all day. The mousse has a great floral scent and works great. It doesn't weigh your hair down or make it feel sticky and it is great for styling. — 8 years, 9 months agoStef42678 | 500 reviews
Not badGood volume, a little strong on the scent but not bad at all! — 8 years, 3 months agobrassa | 447 reviews
This review is: Helpful | Not helpful | Inappropriate | 0 of 1 people said helpful
Really great stuff!I never use mouse for my hair but I decided to give this one a try after using their shampoo and conditioner line which is also amazing .I put this on after getting out of the shower and I let it dry and believe me it works wonders making my hair last for days. — 3 years, 5 months agolove.yourself.right | 96 reviews
This review is: Helpful | Not helpful | Inappropriate | 0 of 0 people said helpful
So SoftI tried this after seeking a yummy smelling product that will soften and make my hair look full of body. Love this mouse, I used an egg sized dollop and blew dried my hair, OMG my hair is full bouncy and smells like heaven. I think this mouse is really cool. Definitely a keeper. — 8 years, 5 months agoLlisa2 | 204 reviews
NOT for curley hair!Not for your hair if you like soft curls-this will really give a lot of hold, and will make hair crunchy. Nice, pleasant smell, and better left for those who blow-dry/style their hair! — 9 years ago1955Nurse | 234 reviews
Did not holdI used this with the hope it would hold alittle as well and not get sticky and hard. It didn't hold at all and was very sticky. — 9 years, 8 months agoalissa929 | 219 reviews
This review is: Helpful | Not helpful | Inappropriate | 0 of 1 people said helpful
Gahhh, love this!This stuff smells sooo good. It makes my curls more defined but I can't say it does anything for the frizz, but then again it doesn't say it's supposed to. It doesn't make my hair crunchy unless I use an enormous amount, but that doesn't ever happen anyway. I'm definitely going to repurchase this when mine runs out. — 6 years, 5 months agojuicycouture | 22 reviews
Best volume I've found!I have straight hair that is very flat without product. This mousse gives AMAZING volume and smells really good (it's strong, but I've gotten good comments on how it smells, and it does dissipate). You need to figure out the right amount to use for your hair length because using a little bit too much can make your hair a bit too stiff feeling. I try to put the mousse only in the roots because it c...read morean makes for dry ends, although blow drying well will fix that dry look. Overall, this mousse gives great volume, but you can definitely feel that you have product in your hair. — 7 years agotangy4115 | 4 reviews
Love It!!!I love this product. I bought it in bulk and now I noticed they changed the bottle its more like a pump now. I'm afraid to try it because I don't think it will work the same. I think that the strong hold is good. I put it on wet and dry it with a diffuser, My curls come out looking very soft and healthy of course I also add some hair serum for the dryer parts. Has anyone tried the new bottle and do you like it? — 7 years, 4 months agoVSMousseLover | 1 reviews
Victoria's Secret So Sexy Volumizing MousseI really love this stuf! I have limp, fine hair that will not hold curl unles it is permed. This stuff gives me the volumn I need to have a full, look. It holds great and is priced resonably also. — 8 years agotikilife2 | 2 reviews
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My Reasons for Reporting This


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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 22/6/2013 (1523 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
Taylor Swift made sparks fly at a sold-out show at Investors Group Field Saturday night.
The Winnipeg stop on America's sweetheart's megawatt Red tour, in support of her 2012 album of the same name, was the first concert to be held at the new stadium.
And what a show it was.
Don't let Swift's rosy-cheeked, aw-shucks act fool you; as she proved with her lavish two-hour show Saturday night, she's a commanding, confident performer. Taylor Swift is a bona fide pop star.
As an artist, she's also a bit of an chameleon, a point that's well-documented on Red. The album is a brave, bold stylistic departure for Taylor, and the accompanying stage show, which draws heavily from the record, is equally as bold-strokes with no shortage of thrilling choreography, double-digit costume changes and killer vocal acrobatics. The was no lip-synching here, folks, although it'd be easy to be fooled by her spot-on, seamless performances.
Opening with an appropriately stadium-sized track of the latest album, the anthemic, fists-in-the-air State of Grace, appearing in silhouette behind a red curtain before the big reveal. It was a spectacle — you gotta love pyrotechnics seven minutes into a show — and it set the bar high. Clad in a bowler cap, a white button down shirt, black leather hotpants and bright red loafers, she mugged to the jumbotrons, flashing a steely gaze before breaking into a wide "oh my gosh I can't believe you're here" grin.
OK, so she's still the adorkable pixie whom birds possibly help get dressed in the morning.
See, the thing about Swift is that she really, really wants you to like her. Her stage banter was self-effacing and charming, but it was more than little scripted. "The craziest emotions are red," she said with a spectacularly well-timed flick of her hair before grabbing a sparkly red guitar to rock out the title track.
From there, it was a veritable hit parade. Swift donned a sparkly cocktail dress and red elbow-length gloves to do a cute, Supremes-esque version of her super hit You Belong With Me, complete with backup dancers. It wasn't the night's only bit of winking theatricality; she wore a plunging screen siren to walk a red carpet while old-timey news reporters tried to grab a shot during Lucky One (a hat-tip to Britney Spears, perhaps?). She sat on an antique trunk, plucking a banjo while talking about being picked on before launching into one of the night's few countrified numbers, Mean. For that one, she temporarily transformed IGF into the Grand Ole Opry, her backing band alongside her.
Then Swift shifted gears and went totally Top 40. She did Stay, Stay, Stay, which broke down into a clap-along sample of The Lumineers' Ho Hey, before slipping on a letterman jacket (costume change number six, for the record) for a fun, lighthearted rendition of the hipster-mocking earworm 22, which was easily the night's biggest crowd-pleaser. She made full use of the gridiron, her catwalk extending almost the length of it.
The frenetic, dubstep-inflected I Knew You Were Trouble, another radio dominator, was absolutely electrifying. Swift went uncharacteristically sexy for that one, her hyper-stylized white Victorian gown ripped off by her dancers to reveal a slinky black bodysuit.
Some of the show's best moments came when she stripped things down and just let her soaring voice hit its glorious highs. The dusk performance of All Too Well, one of Red's most stunning ballads, was the evening's best showpiece for her stunning pipes — but when she stopped playing to gaze, eyes full of real or put-on tears, out at the crowd, the moment was lost. Taylor, you don't have to try quite so hard. We already really, really like you. The screams during the epic show finale, We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together, were deafening.
English wunderkind Ed Sheeran opened the show to thousands of screaming fans. It's more than likely you've heard Sheeran's name a lot as of late: His 2011 debut, +, went quintuple (yes, quintuple) platinum in the U.K. and he's blown up big in North America. Accompanied by only his looping pedal, his 40-minute set, which included a soulful rendition of Nina Simone's Feeling Good, felt intimate despite its stadium setting. The A Team made for a soaring set closer, Sheeran's voice as clear as the sky overhead.


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Some days back, I had blogged about the two sample projects that come with Adobe RoboHelp 9. While the primary purpose of these projects is to demonstrate some of the new and old features of RoboHelp, these projects also exemplify some cool best practices for authoring in RoboHelp.
Use of cross-hatching to indicate that a topic/text has CBTs applied
Using the View > Show > Conditional Areas option, the sample projects display CBT-applied topics or text with cross-hatch shading.
See Hide and view conditional text for more information.
Use of DHTML drop-downs to reveal information on demand
The sample projects include several tips. Some of the tips are "hidden" in the output by using DHTML drop-downs. Only the tip icon appears in the output to minimize distraction, and users need to click the icon to reveal the information. The same technique has been applied to show information about entitlement, procedure, and disputes related to dependants' leaves.
See Dynamic HTML and special effects for more information.


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You won't be able to dismiss this by usual means (escape or click button), but you can close it programatically based on user choices or actions.
Your wedding day is coming up and you're putting all the details together. Don't forget about tying up all the loose ends for your rehearsal dinner. While rehearsal dinners are typically laid back and simple, it is still crucial for you to plan ahead and get everyone invited. Use these unique rehearsal dinner invitations from Wedding Paper Divas to set the tone for a thoughtful wedding celebration.
The most important elements of your rehearsal dinner are friends, family, food, and fun! While you shouldn't stress out too much, there are some guidelines to follow for rehearsal dinners. Here's a quick look at some ideas you should keep in mind:
Thank-You Gifts
It is traditional for the couple to give gifts to their parents and the wedding party. Whether you want to do this after the toast or in private, you can accompany your gift with personalized thank you cards. You can also create your own custom napkins for the rehearsal dinner. Remember–this day is all about you and your supportive loved ones! Make every detail special by being prepared.
Wedding Paper Divas is dedicated to helping you be prepared with the necessary invitations, stationary, and decorations to make your wedding as special as it can be.
"This design was just perfect for our dinner. It was pretty and elegant, but casual, and it allowed enough space for all the wording we needed, without looking crowded. I was looking for something that highlighted the couple's names, rather than the dinner itself. We used the space on the back of the postcard for listing the entree options for guests to choose from."
"Loved this card - and i loved that it was a post card for our rehearsal dinner. I changed the font colors and boarder to pink with a white card background and it's just perfect! Thank you. Turn around was quick and efficient and the changes I needed made before printing were changed quickly and accurately."
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"The concept of a postcard for this invitation is unique, and I loved the color scheme! Once again, excellent customer service and turnaround. Because this is not a formal rehearsal dinner, I was glad to be able to write my own words to describe what we want to do. I am so impressed with your products and service, I'm sure I'll keep using you when I set up my event planning business!"


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In My Pocket is a new weekly feature where J9 and I share some of the links we've collected in Pocket. (To find out what Pocket is and how to use it, check out my tutorial on Pocket.) Some links will be book-related while some may be off-topic. Who knows what you'll find in our Pocket ;) And if you use Pocket, we invite you to share what's in your Pocket as well.
In J9's Pocket:
- I have a slight girl crush on Thea Harrison and have read everything she's written (usually on release day!) I'm super excited about this new "duology" and she had a cover reveal for the April release of book one. (via USA Today)
- I love to eat raw greens and am always prowling for recipes. Kale is an easy, cheap winter green so I was excited to find and try this raw kale salad recipe. It was totally yummy! (via Slate)
- Brianna and I have joined our blogging friend Samantha Cycles in a twitter challenge, #20minaday. It's been a great way to do a little something for ourselves ever day this month. Please join us! Samantha explains on her blog. (via Samantha Cycles)
- I've always been curious why we romance readers give so much rope to our heroes but are tough on heroines. This was an interesting exploration of the topic, not that I agree totally but it's still an insightful commentary on the subject. (via Kirkus Reviews)
- The Simpsons are my gospel. I quote them constantly and never fail to laugh even after all these years. When I heard Mr. Burns has a PSA explaining the fiscal cliff I *had* to watch, and then die of laughter. (via YouTube)
In Brianna's Pocket:
- Samantha has raved about IFTTT but I've been too intimidated to check it out. I get the impression that it can do A LOT and I'm afraid my OCD side will short out. But I've saved this article on IFTTT to read for later. (via Lifehacker)
- When I saw the Book Blogger Confessions topics for 2013, I mentioned it to J9 and she's interested so we're going to do it! (via For What It's Worth)
- I like getting to know more about the
moobsmen that grace romance covers and found this interview with cover model Jason Aaron Baca. (via Laura Kaye)
- Movie rights for the Hush, Hush saga by Becca Fitzpatrick have been optioned. I've read the first 2 books so far. It'll be interesting to see it on the big screen. (via EW)
- The Goodreads Choice Awards winners have been announced. Fifty Shades Freed won best Romance. Are you effin kidding me? And the runner up (Bared to You – which was WAY better than 50, granted I only read the first 50 book) was 14K votes behind. FOURTEEN THOUSAND. I'm very disappointed. (via Goodreads)
Because I'm nosey as hell and 'sharing is caring' and all that, leave us a comment and tell us what's in your Pocket.


text:
By James Barrett
Carshalton Athletic boss Tommy Williams was disappointed but not disheartened following his side's 3-1 defeat against rivals Kingstonian on Saturday.
The defeat sees the Robins remain at the bottom of the Ryman Premier League but those around them also failed to pick up any points, keep Williams' hopes of survival alive.
"I thought we deserved more from this game as we both started and finished it the better team," he said.
"If we had taken one of the several chances we created before they got theirs on the half hour, the outcome could have been different."
Kingstonian scored that opener following a fine break and added what Williams called "defensively a sloppy second" on 50 minutes, with the third arriving within two minutes just two minutes later.
Carshalton striker Ola Sogbanmu headed his seventh goal of the season from a Luke Pigden free kick on 74 minutes, before Williams threw caution to the wind by changing his side's system, and it almost paid dividends.
"When we got the goal, I brought on two extra forwards and went to three at the back as Kingstonian tried to flood the midfield," he said.
"We could have won it 4-3 with the amount of decent chances we created."
Sonny Ayres had a neat turn and shot blocked by Ks keeper Rob Tolfrey's feet and Sogbanmu put a header over from three yards before Ryan Gardiner, played in one-on-one with Tolfrey by a perfectly weighted Pigden pass, beat the goalkeeper but put the ball narrowly past the wrong side of the post.
"Ryan was disappointed with himself afterwards, but his overall contribution was good," Williams said.
"If we keep creating the chances, I'm confident all the lads will start to get more goals under their belt."
Carshalton welcome fellow strugglers Hendon to Colston Avenue on Saturday, February 2, kick-off 3pm.


text: ALLAH MADE US LOVE THE FEELING OF LOVE THE MOST. A PLEASANT FEELING, A SORT OF A SEVENTH SENSE. LOVE DOES EXIST AS THE SEVENTH SENSE. No one can describe it. We cannot describe it. It is just very pleasant. Love is a feeling you cannot explain; it is a feeling that Allah gives, and it surrounds you completely. That is love.2013-01-23 19:27:22


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Check Out Our Favorite Tweets from Jeff Musial – Animal Guy
Giraffe selfie !! #lovemylife #zoolife #animalseverydayallday pic.twitter.com/EWWPqYJB4N
— Jeff Musial (@JeffAnimalGuy) July 31, 2014
@EHMshopping it was a packed house ….#thatshowwedoit pic.twitter.com/XhRpMyJEdq
— Jeff Musial (@JeffAnimalGuy) July 19, 2014
Ahhhhh this was a good time …..http://t.co/cjhJTq8q7d"
— Jeff Musial (@JeffAnimalGuy) July 16, 2014
Sweet Dreams……….. pic.twitter.com/RBd85kAFvS
— Jeff Musial (@JeffAnimalGuy) July 14, 2014
You have Never been loved til u feel the love from animals !! #mylifeisadream #zoolife #mylilman pic.twitter.com/9QgLAu2iTX
— Jeff Musial (@JeffAnimalGuy) July 4, 2014
Take a walk on the wild side with Jeff Musial and his exotic friends! From kangaroos to a baby spider monkey and reptiles galore get ready for an unforgettable experience. As seen on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon and many appearances on The Today Show, iCarly, VH1 Big Morning Buzz and more, Jeff is the go-to for educational entertainment!
Tickets are $15 for reserved seats and $30 for VIP (premiere seating and a photo with Jeff and one of the animals post-show).
Read More: Jeff Musial, The Animal Guy! [Evansville, IN


text:
Personal Details
Afghanistan War 1
Looking for more information about THOMAS JEFFERSON BUTLER?
Search through millions of records to find out more.
About this Memorial Page
Anyone can contribute to this page. Please sign in or sign up—it's free.
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- U.S. Casualties From Iraq and Afghanistan Conflicts, Oct 2001 - Mar 2009
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- None
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Insurance industry underwriting is a challenging field: with the third-largest insurance industry in the world, UK insurance employers need to know that they will be able to recruit only the highest quality of insurance underwriters available, so that their organisations can not just remain competitive but also gain the upper hand.
Professionals in the field of insurance underwriting will be highly trained, educated and experienced specialist employees, who have the potential to help lift a business' performance. Employing the services of a recruitment agency that specialises in the provision of underwriting staff for the insurance industry can often be extremely beneficial to insurance industry employers. This is because a specialist recruitment agency in this field will have a portfolio of many years' evidence of their success in providing underwriters. Not only will such agencies be able to provide excellent underwriters, they will also be able to assess which staff will best match specific departments/teams in a company. Specialist recruitment agencies will be able to provide professional underwriting employees such as assistant, bonus and casualty underwriters, commercial, development, and group risk underwriters, household, liability and major risk underwriters, mortgage, motor, PI, property, regional, and senior underwriters, as well as underwriting managers.
View your closest or specialist recruiters by using the Agency Search above.
Recruiter tip provided by Agency Central Ltd
Although customer service skills may not be deemed essential for an Underwriting job, there may be instances where staff have to interact with clients. This means that employers should assess job applicants for attributes relating to communication and amiability.
Jobseeker tip provided by Agency Central Ltd
The Chartered Institute of Insurance (CII) offers career progression for Underwriting professionals. Although there's no initial barrier to entry for an Assistant Underwriting job, Chartered Underwriter status can only be achieved by becoming an associate member of the CII and having five years of industry experience.
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It's a well known fact that credit card companies are greedy. They appear nice, loaning you money whenever you need it, just by handing over your card whenever you need a quick cash fix, but when the bill comes in you quickly see why. Extortionate interest rates are not the only way that they make their money though, they have their cake and they eat it too. When you use your card, a percentage of the total transaction is also payable to the card issuer by the retailer.
Actually, a portion of the total is payable not just to the card issuer, but also to the payment processor. In fact, when you make a card payment there are a whole bunch of different companies benefiting, out of the money that had you paid cash, would all have gone to the retailer.
Although costs do vary between providers, on average a retailer will pay around 4% of the total transaction value on a card payment to the payment processor. There are often monthly costs associated too, and then there can be an amount payable to rent any chip & pin machines. Accepting cards can be very costly.
If this is so, then why do so many small businesses choose to accept cards? Well, simply because they have to. Over the past 30 years, the past 15 especially, paying by card has become the norm. Card issuer Maestro even had a campaign in 2007-2008 telling us that "cash is dead", which is totally in their interest to do, since for every payment made with their card instead of cash, they make a healthy profit. There is very much the perception now that if you don't accept debit or credit cards, then your customers will go elsewhere.
When I ran a retail business, the profit margin was very low since we were trying to compete in a very hostile industry. The profit margin we worked between was generally 6-10% over cost price. It was an online business, so we had no choice but to find a payment processor and accept debit & credit cards. After some shopping around, we had to settle with a provider that charged a £15/month fee and 4% on every transaction – this was the best we could find, and there were big limitations. All of a sudden our profit margin fell from 6-10% to 2-6%, a mighty drop when you consider how little we were making anyway. You won't be surprised to learn then that this business is now defunct.
Another drawback is payment times; again, terms vary, but the time between you making the transaction and the beneficiary receiving the money can be up to three months. In fact, that's how long most have to wait for the funds to be sent to them. This is generally to do with fraud; giving time for fraudulent use to be reported and investigated.
But what do you care? Well, you shouldn't really have to. What I'm getting at is this; there's a lot of talk about supporting local businesses, and a lot of us are. Shopping with independent supermarkets or snubbing Starbucks and going to a local coffee house.
Your local deli, coffee shop or corner shop probably survives profit margins similar to those in the case above, meagre amounts, and although they may have the chip and pin machine for you to pay with, they're secretly scowling every time that you do, because that split second decision between cash or card can make one heck of a difference to them and their survival. So choosing to hand over the wonga will go some way to making sure they're still there next week, next month or next year. Think of it like "Gift Aid", would you leave that box unchecked if you didn't have to?
tl;dr: Try to pay by cash with small business, especially for small amounts, because credit card companies take a big chunk of their profits.


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• pandemic •
Pronunciation: pæn-dem-ik • Hear it!
Part of Speech: Adjective & Noun
Meaning: Widespread, affecting everyone; spreading throughout an entire population, country, or the world.
Notes: This Good Word is not to be confused with epidemic, which means "spreading rapidly and extensively by infection". Like epidemic, this word may be used as a noun, too. However, you may speak of the extent of a disease's pandemicity, if it pleases you. To convert it to an adverb, use the usual suffix, -ly.
In Play: Our long-time word-suggester, Susan Lister, thought we should look at today's word because it has become so topical recently. "The avian influenza is threatening to become pandemic this winter," is a popular sentiment expressed in the news these days. However, this is a word that begs wider application: "Hip-hop rap has become a pandemic epidemic in the U.S." Inarticulate speech is fast becoming pandemic, too. I wonder if the two are related?
Word History: Today's wonderful word came to us from Late Latin pandemus, a borrowing from Greek pandemos "of all the people", a compound based on pan "all" + demos "people." Pandemonium (pan- + daimon "demon" + ium), a gift of the poet John Milton, originally left the listener with an image of a mischief of demons ripping about. Panoply is another word based on pan, from Greek panopli pan- + hopla "arms, armor". Demos, of course, also appears in democracy, demography, and demagogue (watch the [a] in dema-), originally just "a leader of the people".
Use this forum to discuss past Good Words.
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text:
PINEROLO, Italy -- Scored the touchdown. Missed the convert.
Canada finally won Olympic gold in men's curling at the Olympic Winter Games in a game which will be remembered for Brad Gushue having the whole house to shoot at to make it a seven-ender only to come up heavy to settle for six.
"I thought we might be looking at two or three. Then I looked up and we were sitting six! I thought 'No way can we lose now,' '' last rock-thrower Gushue said of the gold medal game, which turned into a 10-4 rout when Markku Uusipaavalniemi of Finland crashed on a guard in the sixth end.
"Physically I had so huge an adrenaline rush it's a miracle I didn't bang it off the back boards,'' Gushue said of having six rocks scoring and one left to throw knowing he had just won the Olympics.
Skip Russ Howard, whom the Newfoundland rink recruited to join the team to call the games and throw second stones, said it was such a strange way to win the gold.
"It was real weird. It was surreal.
"We've won. Now what do we do?''
Teams in the final are required to play at least eight ends. "It was hard to know what to feel,'' lead Jamie Korab said. "After Markku crashed, we just won the gold medal but we still had to keep playing.''
While Canada lost to Russia in hockey in what a lot of people back home seem to be forgetting was a great game, Canada won in curling in something less than that. But chances are, not just because there was a gold medal to go with it, it'll be remembered for ages.
You don't, in the final of the Brier, the worlds and especially the Olympics expect to see a seven-ender. And you never expect to see - anywhere - a skip coming up heavy on last rock to end up settling for six.
That's what Gushue was looking at in the sixth end. He had all the rings to work with and sent it through them all, ending up a couple inches through the 12-foot on the centre line.
Third Mark Nichols made a brilliant double or triple takeout, depending on how you score two rocks sent out of the house, and another to an outside ring where it was later removed.
"Nichols made a perfect triple takeout and after that we must make a freeze on my first shot,'' Uusipaavalniemi said.
"It was heavy and it didn't curl.
"The last one we thought would be the same. It curled.''
Nichols had the biggest game of his life in the biggest game of his life.
"Nichols, in the last two games was huge. He wasn't himself all week, but boy, oh boy, the last two games ... he was the difference in the semifinal and he was the difference today.''
Nichols curled an incredible 97% in the final. He was 94% in the semifinal. But his round robin with the 6-3 team was so unimpressive - even with the two medal round games thrown in - that he could only get his Olympic overall percentage up to 80.
"After the last game of the round robin, we had a practice. He made eight straight runbacks,'' Korab said. "We've always believed he was one of the great thirds in the world but this game put him on the map. I'm proud of him.''
Nichols said the raise takeouts are his specialty. And they were the shots he wasn't making in the round robin.
"It was frustrating. I didn't feel I was throwing bad but I wasn't getting the results.''
The Finns lavished praise on him as well.
"They did a great job, especially the third,'' said lead Teemu Salo. "After that end, we were finished.''
It was a game with an amazing number of rocks in play, right from the first end when Uusipaavalniemi hit for two.
"We were relaxed and ready to play today and really showed it,'' said coach Toby McDonald.
"It was a group of competitive people prepared to do anything to win. That's why picking up Russ Howard worked. They accepted that every once in a while they were going to clash. But it always came back to being prepared to do anything to win.
"A lot of people didn't believe we could do this but we believed in each other and we did it,'' said Nichols.


text: Leisure Craft introduces a new line of tables. Designers choice of round, square, oval or other shapes are available. The recent acquisitions of some high-tech cutting and forming machinery allow Leisure Craft to custom fabricate tables out of metal with an eye on design. Personalization and special designs permits the customer to get more for


text:
DETROIT - Several years ago, as Monique Marks contemplated law school her soon to be husband, Attorney Bertram Marks told her "You would make a fine lawyer, but you are really a social worker. You should get a Masters Degree In Social Work."
Monique took his advice and has been social working ever since.
In 1997 she applied to be a social worker at Franklin Wright Settlement, a multi-service social agency on Detroit's eastside.
She got the job.
Each year she got a promotion and after 4 years time, Marks was the CEO of the organization.
Now about 1,500 folks come through her doors weekly. Marks has worked with one generation after another, grandparents, adults and children.
All types of people come to her daily, children, seniors citizens, parents and community folks.
They come for food or programs.
Marks and her organization offer early childhood development, mentoring, tutoring, sports and special programs just for seniors.
For example, several years ago there was a rash of crimes geared towards seniors on social security check day.
"We got to do something about this," said Marks.
So she got a van and scheduled pick-ups for seniors.
Marks took them to the bank, took them to the store, to pick up medicine and she brought them back to the center for a meal before taking them home.
The Problem went away.
Now you might think, yeah that is good but, isn't that is part of her job?
Marks is a social worker at heart and that does not stop when she leaves her job.
Through the past years Marks has taken into her home, at least 15 young people who need help.
She has feed these children, clothed them, helped them into college and kept them there.
Marks even helped one young person buy a car.
During this period of helping others, she has not forgotten about their parents.
She has helped the parents with the struggles of keeping communication going between the family and their children.
Not all has not been smooth sailing.
One of her, "children" went astray.
He ended up on the streets, becoming the dope man.
Marks knows where he is, she tracks him down everyday, checking on him.
She brings him food and love.
"I won't give up on him, one day he will come around," said Marks. "He knows that I still love him and will be there for him."
If that was not enough, every year she sponsors bus tours to colleges.
Marks fills up the buses with high school students and takes them to visit colleges, which helps keep the kids on the road to becoming college students by getting them in the mind-set that education is key to their success.
Monique Marks with the support of her husband, Rev. Bertram Marks, has transformed countless lives.
If ever you go to a Tiger's game and you see lots of children surrounding a particular couple, you can almost bet it's Marks and her husband, doing what they do, "making a difference."
Monique Marks is truly an "Everyday Hero, Making a Difference."
On a daily basis in spite of life's struggles and challenges, there are people who reach out and make a positive impact on the lives of others.
That is why Local 4 and a prominent local clergyman, Rev. V. Lonnie Peek, Jr. have teamed up to tell their stories.
Do you know an everyday hero in your life? E-mail us and tell us about them.
About Rev. Lonnie Peek, Jr.
Rev. V. Lonnie Peek, Jr. located to Detroit in 1975. After teaching 2 years in DPS, he went to WSU receiving a Masters of Social Work, an activist on campus he created the Association of Black Students. He is an entrepreneur and serves on such civic boards as New Detroit, Inc, Detroit Riverfront Conservancy and the Detroit Economic Growth Corporation. With extensive radio background expanding 25 years, he writes a weekly column for the Michigan Chronicle. He has been a regular on local/ national television shows dealing with political and social issues An ordained minister and seminary graduate, he serves on the executive committee and is the public relations chairman for the Council of Baptist Pastors of Detroit and Vicinity and is Assistant Pastor at Greater Christ Baptist Church.


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Successful May 2012 Livestock Summit Spreads Word to Schedule Cattle Exports through the Port of Galveston
Successfully moving livestock onto vessels for ocean transport involves coordination of many processes and stakeholders. Export shipments of cattle from Kansas, Nebraska and Oklahoma moving through the Port of Galveston, Texas, to Russia in 2011 proved very productive. In fact, a national record for live cattle in one port shipment was set on one of those 2011 shipments last September under the expert handling of Suderman Contracting Stevedores, Inc., the newest member of the Nautilus family of companies. The MV Ocean Drover, Suderman's second vessel load out, handled a total of 5,584 Holstein and Angus heifers, plus approximately 300 pregnant heifers.
Live cargo requires careful handling and special attention to detail. A team of USDA veterinarians monitored the cattle throughout all phases of the operation. Multiple holding pens were constructed in the warehouse for resting, feeding, and watering the cattle before loading to the vessel. Suderman's superintendents and wranglers displayed great skill in safely and humanely moving this precious cargo through the warehouse and terminal alleys, where the vessel's crew took over moving the cattle to their final place of rest in the pens of a large, purpose-built livestock carrier.
Several new terminal, vessel and ground transport improvements are being planned for the continued success of the export process. These include facility pens that enhance the livestock de-stressing and resting process, improved truck receiving experience for livestock and truck control operations for long-haul drivers, updated vessel loading and emergency unloading processes, and upgraded inspection areas for USDA to ensure health and safety for personnel and livestock.
To communicate the details of this improvement project, Suderman Stevedores and the Port of Galveston recently held the first Texas Livestock Summit in Galveston. The objective of the meeting was to solicit stakeholder expertise to evaluate and discuss current livestock export practices to improve port processes and logistics, with the goal to mitigate logistical and regulatory constraints to develop Galveston into the premier livestock port in the United States. Attendees included the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, Texas A&M University, American Genetics International, Wellard Shipping, U.S. Coast Guard, West Gulf Maritime Association, County Judge of Galveston County, Texas Veterinarian & Diagnostic Lab, Texas Animal Health Commission, livestock brokers, feed yards and cattle producers.
This emerging cattle market is expected to create a demand for multiple vessels per quarter for years to come. Suderman Stevedores intend to play a leading role in exporting U.S. cattle. To schedule livestock exports through the Port of Galveston, contact Suderman Stevedores' Director of Business Development Charles Tillotson (832.622.4381) for terminal-handling details. www.metroports.com.


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DETROIT - 9AM Kwame Kilpatrick and Bobby Ferguson enter an already full courtroom together moments before session is due to start.
9:02AM Judge enters the courtroom. Sidebar is called.
9:03AM Jurors are seated.
9:04AM Government calls Charles Robert Berg to the stand.
Michale Bullotta questions for the government. Currently owns a PR firm in Detroit. Owned it over 14 years. Berg Muirhead and Associates- do pr, community relations for a variety of organizations. also work with political candidates. Prior to this, worked as press secretary for Coleman Young for 11 years and former governor Miliken. Worked in media for UPI.
In April 2001, Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick called and asked for his help in Kwame's mayoral run. PR, political strategy and media relations for the campaign. His fee was $15,000 a month. worked May through October.
9:08AM KCF 5- invoices from Berg's firm to Kilpatrick for Mayor campaign.
KCF 6- 2 checks. Made out to Berg Muirhead and Associates. Went to pay for invoices shown.
Checks cut from Kilpatrick Civic Fund, dated July 24 2001. Amount is $5,000. signed by Christine Beatty and Kwame Kilpatrick. Beatty was very active in the campaign says the witness.
2nd check for $5,000 also from Kilpatrick Civic Fund. Dated August 21st 2001. Witness not quite sure what the Civic Fund was or involved in.
Berg helped with media relations, speechwriting, worked with advertising agencies and overall strategy. Overall goal to have Kwame elected.
Familiar with Lake Snell and Perry- got involved with campaign when Berg called Celinda Lake of the firm and asked them to get involved. Lake is highly respected nationally.
Pollsters hired to get feel for public opinion, to identify issues that public is interested in.
Berg worked with Daniel Gotoff. didn't meet him until last Friday. But spoke to him several times on the phone in 2001. They did several polls and initially identified fact that there was opening for Kwame to be mayor.
There were several polls done and some focus groups.
Other payments made to Berg Muirhead. Can't remember which entity paid them.
Berg did not do work for the Kilpatrick Civic Fund.
9:15AM Jim Thomas for Kwame cross-examines.
Thomas asks when he first started working for Kilpatricks? His mother's first campaign for congress in 1996. A successful campaign.
Berg first met Kwame during mother's campaign. Started mayoral election for him around April 2001.
Berg believes announced for running of mayor in May 2001.
Fees generated were approximately $90,000? Berg says think so but didn't start work in April.
Thomas asks if billings were in excess of $50,000. Berg says he thinks so.
Thomas looks at 2 checks submitted by government this morning.
Berg says generally checks were given to them in an envelope. To him or Muirhead but doesn't specifically remember receiving those checks.
Berg says main point of contact either Kwame or Beatty.
The decision to give 2 checks for $5,000 each from KCF, Thomas asks if Berg was involved in the decisions to cut those checks? No.
Berg says he didn't have contract with Civic Fund.
Thomas asks if government asked for other checks that came. No says Berg.
Thomas says wasn't Kwame's image for Civic Fund important? Yes says Berg.
Thomas says as PR wouldn't you be involved in promoting his image? Yes.
Do you remember any issues that arose late spring with John Rutherford. Yes, it was long time ago. Newspapers began asking about contributions that Rutherford made to Civic fund. Rutherford owned homeless shelter.
Thomas says media concerned about propriety for that? Yes.
That would have related to Kilpatrick, Civic Fund and image? Yes.
What would a PR person do when it relates to something negative? Berg says they ended up meeting with reporters in question.
Thomas says you had to get up to speed on what was being said and come up with an explanation why it was appropriate for money to go to Civic Fund? Yes says witness.
Berg doesn't remember dates this would have happened- Thomas had asked if it was late spring or early summer.
Thomas approaches witness with 2 documents. Asks Berg to look them over, which he does.
9:28AM Does that refresh your recollection about timeframe of Rutherford matter? This is dated August 29th says witness.
Thomas says would you agree with me that the issue was mixed, related to Civic Fund and campaign? Berg says yes.
Thomas says you told jury you worked on Civic Fund and timeframe.
Bullotta objects. Judge asks Thomas to restate question.
Did you do work on Civic Fund issue? In my mind, we were doing work on the campaign.
Didn't you meet with Beatty about Civic Fund? Met with her but I don't remember specifics.
Do you remember William Phillips and meeting with him about Rutherford matter? Remember him but don't remember those meetings.
Thomas says these checks clearly made out from Kilpatrick Civic Fund and deposited into your account and funded? Yes.
You didn't go back and say you gave me check from wrong checking account? No.
Berg says normally when you receive check like that you give to to accountant and don't care what account it is drawn from.
You devoted time and energy to that issue? Yes.
Do you know if Civic Fund had Board of Directors? Yes but don't remember who was on it.
Did you know Gregory Terrell? Yes.
Did you know if he was on the board? No.
What about William Phillips asks Thomas? Don't remember any specific conversations about this issue says Berg.
Thomas asks if Berg understands distinction between survey and tracking poll? Yes.
Thomas relates back to Kwame's image and how Civic Fund impacts that. Thomas references exhibit KCF A. Berg says he recognizes it, looks like the beginning of first survey done by Lake Snell. Berg was involved.
Thomas says Lake Snell involved as early as May 1st or 3rd of 2001. Yes says Berg.
Thomas asks if it appears to be candidate or issue specific. Issue specific says Berg.
Thomas points out page in survey with public officials which checks for favorability- at least 13, right? Yes says Berg.
What is purpose asks Thomas? To gage public opinion on the public officials.
You want to know what people think of other people to educate them about issues involved? Yes.
There were people not running for mayor listed? Yes say Berg.
Thomas asks if Berg knows purpose of Civic Fund? Not in any detail.
Already told us you don't know distinctions between 501 c3 and 501c4? Right.
Did you interact with Conrad Mallett? Yes he was campaign Chair.
How many people involved from your firm? 5 or 6.
Could a non-profit hire a pollster? Yes says Berg.
When you were advising on Rutherford wouldn't that have related to a non-profit? Yes.
And you were paid by non-profit? Yes.
9:44AM Bullotta redirects.
Did you know about Rutherford issue before press reported it? No says Berg.
First article that came out? August 29th 2001.
When is first checks dated? July 24th.
And second check also came about 8 days before article appeared? Yes.
So in your mind where you being paid these checks to somehow assist Civic fund? No our focus totally on the campaign.
In the surveys being done by Lake Snell questions? The questions are pretty standard for any candidate. Need to know that for voters you will be appealing to.
As part of Lake Snell work did they do focus groups? Yes.
Did they test out advertising? Don't remember but pretty normal thing to do.
If they did, why would they? To see if they are effective.
Would they be candidate specific? Yes.
9:47AM Thomas redirects.
Thomas says someone else other than you decided to pay out of Civic Fund? Yes.
Thomas hands out documents to witness and asks him if he recognizes check? No.
Do you recognize signature? No.
Who is John Rutherford? Owner of Homeless Shelter.
Do you remember issue coming up in close proximity when check was issued? No I don't remember how far before August 29th issue came up.
Could have been months? Doubt it because newspapers don't tend to wait months says Berg.
Well wasn't it extensive article that might have involved research? Yes.
It was an issue you were aware of in summer of 2001? Yes.
Berg says where check came from isn't something he spent a lot of time on.
Thomas ends.
Berg excused by judge.
9:52AM Government calls Tracy Walker. Judge swears her in. Witness takes her seat.
Currently an information officer at Wayne State University for the Medical School. Over the years, worked with Pistons in community relations from 1991-2000, had her own business and worked for Carolyn Cheeks Killpatrick from January 2006 to December 2010.
Bullotta asks if she met Kwame in 2001? Yes. children went to the same school, A Step Ahead.
Walker says she saw him there but met him at another meeting.
At some point did you learn Kwame wanted to run for mayor? I did because he told me.
In 2001 sometime? Yes.
What were you doing in 2001? Had my own firm, Contact sports. Mostly did PR for non profts and sports organizations.
At some point were you hired by candidate Kilpatrick? Yes. My partner had met someone who heard that he was interested in setting up a meeting. Sandra Ware was her partner. Walker was hired and there was a contract.
Walker was charged with helping raise his profile and create a favorable impression. To make a person more known and the issues known. Involved in getting him more media exposure.
Walker says her goal was to make sure he got elected.
What did you do to raise his profile? We wrote press releases and pitched stories to the media, Ebony, the Today Show, Savoy. Also Tom Joyner's syndicated radio show- the Sky show.
Were you able to get him in those magazines? Yes.
Before he was mayor? Yes.
Did you prepare media kit? yes.
What's in it? Head shot, a biography some career highlights.
Was that part of the work you did? Yes.
Want to show you KCF 7- do you recognize it? Yes an invoice from Contact sports to Kwame Kilpatrick.
Do you recognize 2 checks one for 7k and the second for a little more than 7k? Yes.
Looking at invoice on overhead. Dated March 4th 2002 from Contact Sports. It was Past Due.. Description lists work to the amount of $21,000. $14,000 had been received and balance due $7,975.95.
Was it paid off on November 05 2002 was for $7,975.95? Yes.
Who is the check written from? Kilpatrick Civic Fund.
Did you get another check on August 28th 2001 for $7,000 also from Civic Fund? Yes.
Looks like it was deposited? Yes.
Did you ever do work for the Kilpatrick Civic fund that you know of? I don't know.
But your goal was to raise his profile to get him elected? Yes.
One of the checks indicates "Hold for discussion for mayor"
10:07AM Jim Thomas cross examines.
What does Contact sports do? Well we "did" because company no longer exists. coordinated special events, got more media exposure through press releases, media kits, pitches. Every once in awhile cold calling.
Did you know that other PR firms also worked with mayor? Yes.
Did you work with them? Mostly worked on our own.
Walker says they were engaged January 2001.
Contract provides for payment of funds over a year? Yes.
Looks like you split up in 3 payments. Yes.
Did he tell you he wanted to raise his image? Yes.
10:11AM Thomas asks Walker to look at document. Do you recognize it? Yes.
Is it the contract from January 8th 2001? Yes.
Thomas puts document on overhead. Document dated January 8th but made effective January 1st 2001.
Services were to provide 20 hours of PR services to Kwame Kilpatrick including handling speaking requests. The contract agreement with Contact Sports clearly states "The services include but are not limited to, creating and distributing press packages, researching speaking opportunities, handling speaking requests, scheduling speaking engagements and assisting with coordination of promotions and community relations efforts related to the Kilpatrick Civic Fund and/or Democratic Caucus as needed."
Did you provide services for the Civic Fund? We may have. That's what the contract says.
In the media kit, did you talk about things you thought were important for Kilpatrick? Yes.
Who put it together? My partner and I.
Was it extensive? Yes.
Do you remember putting together a "Go TV" message script? No I don't.
Do you remember putting out a PR initiative as relates to that? I don't remember but it's possible.
When did you finish working for Kilpatrick? December 2001.
Not April 2001? No.
Do you remember anything you entered as relates running for mayor? No says witness.
10:20AM Bullotta redirects.
Was the highlighter there when you signed contract? I can't say that could have been there.
Was yellow highlighting there asks the judge? As in the marker. Oh no says witness.
Did you ever do press releases for Kilpatrick Civic Fund? Not that I recall.
The media kit, did that include a description of the Civic Fund? Not that I remember.
What was your ultimate goal asks Bullotta? Originally when he first hired us, it was to raise Kwame Kilpatrick's profile. Then when he announced candidacy for mayor, it was to help get him elected.
10:23AM Thomas redirects.
Contract says nothing about running for mayor but says Kilpatrick Civic Fund? Yes.
There is a spill over effect because you can't separate Kwame from his image? Yes.
Was most of the work between months of January and June? Not necessarily.
The bulk of work with articles to ebony and Savoy before June? Yes.
Thomas says he is done. Witness is excused and Judge call for 20 minute break.
10:45AM Nearing end of the break. Courtroom has filled up again as everyone awaits the judge.
Kwame, in yet another bow tie, talks to defense lawyer Gerald Evelyn as Bobby Ferguson scribbles notes.
10:48AM Judge re-enters courtroom.
Government calls Virginia Harvey.
Jennifer Blackwell for the government.
Judge calls for everyone to be seated. Witness is sworn in.
Harvey works at Peter Hart Research, public opinion polling, in DC. Been there nearly 20 years and is Chief Financial Officer. Financial management, lease negotiations.
Hired in 2005 by Kilpatrick for Mayor Campaign? Yes.
Witness did surveys and focus groups.
What did surveys consist of? Telephone surveys of voters. about 500.
As a result, a report was generated. Senior analyst Frederick Yang generated it. the survey was of voters in the Detroit area.
Exhibit KCF 36- memorandum from Mr. Yang to the Kilpatrick Campaign. Witness turns to page 5- it's the invoice. Page prior is email from witness to the campaign, it went to the Kilpatrick for Mayor campaign. Next page is attached invoice to the campaign. Then it is an email from Yang to witness and controller. The next page is email from witness to Christine Beatty and revised invoice.
Looking at page 2 of KCF 36- dated September 13th 2005. Regarding findings fo poll in 2005. Memorandum from Mr. Yang.
Memorandum finding says difficult time for mayor. "The road to November 8th. Beating Hendrix will be very tough given the candidates' profiles, the electorate's devastation and relatively short time frame until the general election."
"But the positive can only take us so far given the numbers...."
Recommendations from Yang: 1- set positive edge. Shows him fighting against foe and winning.
Blackwell asks for page 5 of the exhibit. Witness says it's an email from her to the campaign for $26,500.
Invoice for $26,500.
Email dated October 12th 2005. Asks client to resubmit and send it to Kilpatrick Civic Fund.
Another email from witness to Christine Beatty with revised invoice. Client listed as Kilpatrick Civic Fund. For $26,500.
Has Peter Hart research done work for Kilpatrick Civic fund? No.
KCF 35- check of the payment received. Dated October 19th 2005 from Kilpatrick Civic Fund. signed by Christine Beatty and Derrick Miller.
Other services done for mayor? Yes.
Who paid for those? Kilpatrick for Mayor.
11:02AM Thomas cross-examines.
Who was your main contact when you worked for them? I never contacted them.
Never met Christine Beatty or Miller? No.
What is Darren Hart Yang- internal group that does research at Peter Hart.
Do you know why anyone would want to do a poll other than a political campaign? Witness says there are commercial clients, associations, unions and non-profits.
Witness says we do have non-profits as clients.
Do you understand the subtle distinctions between 501c3 and 501c4? No. I'm the Chief Financial Officer.
Decision on who it was who was going to pay that bill not yours? Yes.
Invoice was in some fashion changed? Yes.
Did you change it? Yes.
Did you think that strange? No.
You said that's not unusual and happens on occasion? Yes.
You had no reason to believe you were perpetuating a fraud? No.
Why does someone do polling? Is there such a thing as candidate or issue polling? Witness says again my expertise is in finances.
Blackwell redirects.
Do you know why Mr. Yang asked you to re-invoice client? No.
11:07AM Thomas redirects.
Witness says polling was for the campaign for mayor.
Witness excused.
11:08AM Government calls agent Carol Paszkiewicz.
Mark Chutkow for government.
Traditionally investigates environmental crimes typically in Michigan. Got B.A. at Michigan Sate. Went to EPA since 1997. Been a special agent for them.
Called in at the beginning of 2009. Looking at various contracts executed by water department.
Witness says investigative team got text messages in Excel format. they were uploaded into a searchable database.
We as investigative team reviewed them to see what was allowable evidence. Narrowed them down.
Authorized for text messages relating to bribery, extortion, racketeering, fraud.
Did you find text messages in those categories? Yes we did.
Witness says if I was interviewing individuals, could enter the names in database and see if they were involved in text messages.
Witness narrowed down to 200 messages that would be used in this trial. Took them out of Concordance into Word Perfect, made font bigger and bolded it to delineate it from the original.
Some of the exhibits will be singular message but most are exchanges, a conversation.
Was there any alteration of spelling or punctuation? No there was not.
Received a subpoena with pin numbers and users. Made lists and charts of pin numbers and users for correlations. Sometimes pin numbers changed.
Witness reviewed pin numbers to make sure they were accurate.
Exhibit TXT 18- witness reviewed it. Summary chart of pins used.
Pins are SKYTEL. Carrier is Verizon Wireless.
Ist 3 entries are for Bobby Ferguson, then Bernard Kilpatrick. Then Victor Mercado information.
Remaining entries are other individuals.
Not all of them were SKYTEL? No.
Exhibits TXT 9 and 10- Chutkow asks witness to look at them. Witness says it's text message that is a dual text to 2 people.
TXT 9- Sent from Kwame Kilpattrick to Bernard Kilpatrick and Derrick Miller on July 21st 2003. Sends his V card with all his information. His address, phone number are all on it. Time stamped 3:05PM.
TXT 10- SKYTEL text from Kwame to Bobby and Victor Mercado. Another v card, electronic business card.
Exhibits TXT 14 and 15- 14 is another text message from a later PIN of Kwame to Derrick Miller on July 23rd 2004. Next one same date to Bernard and Bobby.
14: V card sent to Derrick Miller.
15: Text between Kwame and Bobby and Bernard reflecting his new pin.
Now looking at TXT 5- from Bobby Ferguson to Kwame Kilpatrick on August 8th 2002.
11::27AM Looking at an exchange between email@example.com - Mahlon clift-and Bobby Ferguson on February 16th 2005. Regarding new blackberry number for clift. at the end, Bobby announces his new pin. Bobby did not continue to use his SKYTEL after this.
TXT 12: Witness looks at text message exchange between Victor Mercado and Derrick Miller and Kwame Kilpatrick. First entry is Victor announcing his new two way address. Kwame responds. Got it. can't wait to talk with you. see you later."
RC 11: Text message on August 3rd 2004 between Bernard and Kwame. Reply from Bernard: cool! We need to have one of our meetings.. you, nme zeke and Bobby... (Zeke is Derrick miller.)
Reply from Kwame is Cool.
RC 12: Text message on August 4th 2004 between Bernard and Kwame." we (me) need that meeting i was talking about...me you and zeke... my crib late. Don't Sweat the Small Stuff...It's all small stuff... ZIZ (Bernard's nickname). (08/04 4:40PM EDT)
Reply from Kwame Cool (08/04 3:42PM CDT)
Reply from Bernard "Let me know after you talk to him (08/04 4:43PM EDT).
11:34AM Thomas cross examines.
Thomas says many different ways to say cool. Tries different intonations for witness.
Cool means a lot of different things like pivot? No I wouldn't say pivot.
Cool might mean different things? "Well it also means temperature," says witness
RC 12 referred to by Thomas. Which is first conversation?
Thomas says cool can mean many different things.
You eliminated many different exchanges? No that's not true.
Witness says let me clarify something. In Concordance, I can run a search and sort them chronologically to see if something was in between. I know when we isolated this one, anything going on between these 2 people is reflected in this exhibit.
Thomas says you can't see who is being communicated before and after that? Witness says I can.
Thomas says but jury can't? Witness says I can tell jury that there wasn't anything before and after.
Witness says this document does not reflect if for example he asked to pick up his dry cleaning.
Thomas says you are determining what is important? Correct.
Thomas says there may have been other things going on? Not in terms of conversation.
11:42AM John Shea for Bernard Kilpatrick cross-examines.
Shea says the defendants didn't limit texting to just each other? Correct.
You wouldn't be surprised that these gentlemen communicated contact info to other people as well? Oh I know that to be true.
Don't sweat the small stuff could be standard sign off? Correct.
You didn't intend for that to be the substance of the text message. No I didn't.
11:44AM Gerald Evelyn for Bobby Ferguson cross examines.
Looking at TXT 17- a purported communication between Bobby and Mahlon clift? Yes sir.
How many other Mahlon clift to Bobby do recall seeing? None says witness.
Witness steps down.
11:45AM Government calls Brian Lang.
Mark Chutkow for government. Judge swears witness in.
Witness works for Spy Ops on Southfield Rd. in Lathrup Village, Michigan. Surveillance store selling spying gadgets for checking on cheating spouses.
Sells covert cameras, custom make cameras, overt (regular security) cameras. Recording equipment.
Custom make a lot of stuff. Give him an item and they will take a look and build a camera in a hidden location. Could be a Kleenex box, or coffee pot pointing in front of him. "I'm hoping not!" says Judge Edmunds.
"It's hilarious the stuff we come across!" says the witness.
Also sell counter-surveillance so finding someone who has planted covert surveillance. One of the services witness provides.
It's a lot more of corporate individuals protecting secrets. Sometimes with spouses but mostly corporate.
Judge asks witness to slow down.
Witness says 70 to 80% business is corporate, the rest mostly spousal cheating.
How much of you business would be a charitable organization? "My gosh I can't think of any."
In 2007, did someone from the mayor's office visit you? Yes, Bob/Rob Gibson looking for counter surveillance.
Did he tell you who he was working for?
Thomas objects. Judge sustains.
What did Mr. Gibson say he wanted? Witness showed me his credentials, worked for the city. Specifiucally wanted to look for covert cameras.
Did Mr. Gibson ask why he wanted it? Witness says mainly for mayor's office, all the principals offices of the city.
Did he tell you why he needed to get this material? Witness says Gibson told him there was some controversy amongst people in the office. Some distrust going on and wanted to do sweeps for protection of the staff working there.
Sidebar called.
Judge calls break for 10 minutes. seems a female juror may not be feeling well.
12:06PM According to a Local 4 producer who has dealt with the Spy Ops witness currently on the stand, he hands out business cards where he refers to himself as "Little Bear."
Still waiting for session to resume. It all depends on how the sick juror is doing.....
For the first time since witness testimony in this trial began, former water boss Victor Mercado was mentioned. He was referenced in terms of text messages isolated for the case.
12:15PM Judge enters room. Witness retakes the stand.
Judge makes mention about security officers and the press. Judge says she has rule that media shall not talk to anyone related to the case, including lawyers, in the courtroom or on the 8th floor. There is no prohibition talking to the press anywhere else. Please observe that reporters and lawyers. Marshalls don't know what you're talking about it- doesn't matter. It's important to maintain a semblance of propriety and not an inappropriate exchange of info.
Jury called back in.
12:18PM Chutkow shows something to witness. It's a receipt from our store. Maybe from 10/17/07ish for merchandise purchased by Mr. Gibson with check from the Kilpatrick Civic Fund.
Invoice for: technical surveillance kit, wireless camera finder, UHF/VHF tester, pelican case .
Sky Ops invoice lists Kilpatrick Civic Fund as client. check for $1,397.08.
KCF 9B on overhead: device will find anything transmitting on low or high frequencies. If someone planted a device transmitted signal, this would find it.
Witness says a person would plant covert camera or audio device. Once you come across the device, it will start vibrating. "Ultimate game of cat and mouse basically" says Little Bear.
Most dangerous ones are the ones that leech off power already in the room. Good to build into that so you don't have to switch out batteries. so in electrical socket or lights.
Majority of covert equipment constantly transmits. Some have burst bug device where bug records for 30seconds and sends out signal every 2 minutes.
Chutkow asks witness to look at KCF 9A: second device purchased by Gibson. "Spyfinder" can find any camera, overt or covert. Little red bulbs with flashing lights, you'll see a distinct flashback when you come across camera. Hand held device.
This guy loves his job.
KCF 9C: The wireless camera hunter. Gets its own 007 acronym. Once it receives a signal, it'll put a picture on the screen. It takes signal and breaks down frequency band.
Only works on wireless cameras. Can set it on a counter. Wireless cameras more dangerous.
Witness says when they build kits, they build kits for teaching.
KCF 9E: picture of 2.4 gigahertz camera receiver. "Basically it's the virus and the other devices are the cure."
Wireless camera with proper receiver to pick it up.
KCF 9D shown to witness: "Looks like a battle ship" murmurs witness. A VHF/UHF detector. Device can lock on to any transmitting bug, finds the frequency transmitting and demodulates it.
KCF 8: check that paid for all the items says witness. From Kilpatrick Civic Fund on October 15th 2007 for $1,397.08. Signed by C. Beatty.
Chutkow asks if he has ever met Christine Beatty? No.
Do you know what the Kilpatrick Civic Fund is? No clue.
Witness says he talked Gibson through the items and told them how to use them.
Chutkow did you help install or train on the items besides Mr. Gibson? No.
Ever selling this equipment to Mr. Gibson, did he ask for any more counter-surveillance? Yeah. Shortly after, we got a called to go to Chief of Police Evans office. Witness says it was coordinated by EPU.
Witness says it was late, 9 or 10PM and everyone was gone. witness was met outside building by Gibson and member of EPU. They were in burgundy police car.
Went up back way to offices. Took a couple of hours to do job.
Was subcontracted out by RSIG says witness.
Witness says TSIM search was of sheriff's office.
Witness says they walked by back way and he saw statue of Coleman Young.
Gibson and EPU showed witness old and dated equipment.
Witness ended up selling them this equipment after the threat assessment.
12:38PM Thomas cross-examines
Never met Kwame? Never.
Never talked to him about surveillance equipment? Never.
Never talked to Christine Beatty? Never.
Invoice made out to Kilpatrick Civic Fund? Yes.
Did you tell agent Sauer in a meeting on April 5th 2010 that the Officer-Gibson- told you that he wanted the equipment for training? Yes.
Witness says I trained Gibson, who he trained I have no clue.
Thomas says you went out to a place to search out electronic surveillance, when was that in relations to equipment? Did it before equipment was purchased.
Thomas says you described an auditorium with a statue of Coleman Young. Yes
"I don't anything down here but Lafayette Coney Island. I want to be left alone and go back to my hole." says witness.
Witness says he remembers a picture of Godbee with Barack Obama.
Witness says he swept office and outside office.
Thomas says do you know if Warren Evans was chief of police at the time? Don't know.
Thomas says did you know you were sweeping Evans office? "Dead giveaway was the name plate that said Warren Evans," says witness.
Did you find anything? No.
RSIG: Retail Services Investigations the witness subcontracts from.
Have you seen Gibson since purchase? Ironically, I ran into him a few months back.
Are they still using your equipment? I have no idea.
The idea of training police officers for surveillance, why is that important? Witness says he brought idea, when SWAT would run raids and not know about surveillance there when people took off their masks.
Did you discuss this with Gibson? Yes.
12:48PM Chutkow redirects.
When Gibson came in did he tell you that he was buying it to keep his officers safe from narcotics raid? No.
Thomas objects.
Why did he say he was buying it? He did security for mayor's mansion and wanted equipment to protect powers-to-be.
No further questions for government.
12:49PM Thomas redirects.
You had conversation with Gibson? Yes.
About sweeping mayor's mansion? No Gibson does that, not me.
Didn't he tell you that he swept Coleman Young's when he lived at mansion? Yes.
Not Kwame Kilpatrick? He told me he swept Coleman Young's office and he was going to sweep Kwame Kilpatrick's office.
Gibson told witness he was EPU officer.
Did he tell you he was in charge of office's electronic equipment? Witness says he wired offices with alarms and other stuff.
Did he indicate to you he was in charge of electronics for police? Yes.
Did he tell you equipment was for training? No.
Did you tell agent Sauer that equipment was bought for training purposes? Yes.
Witness says bottom line equipment is to test.
Witness excused. Judge excuses jurors. Tells sick juror she hopes she feels better.
Apparently a female juror, one of the alternates, had earlier put her hand over her mouth and said she had to be sick. Thus the abrupt break earlier.
Jurors loved Little Bear, the last witness. So did I- guy was pure comedy. Reminded me of Silent Bob without the silent part....
Court resumes tomorrow at 9AM.
RECAP: Jurors heard testimony today about public relations consulting services and surveillance equipment that were paid out of the non-profit pockets of the Kilpatrick Civic Fund.
The charity was purportedly established to benefit children and promote community well-being within the city of Detroit.
Charles Robert Berg testified that his Public Relations firm Berg Muirhead & Associates was contracted in 2001 to help with political strategy and media relations in Kwame Kilpatrick's mayoral run. Berg stated that he worked for the campaign between May and October 2001 and that his monthly fee was $15,000.
At least $10,000 of that was paid by the Kilpatrick Civic Fund, in two separate checks of $5,000. The first check was dated July 24th 2001 and the second was August 21st 2001.
Jim Thomas, Kwame Kilpatrick's defense lawyer, argued that the Kilpatrick mayoral campaign had to contend with an issue in that time period that was directly related to the Civic Fund. Media outlets had begun questioning the propriety of Detroit homeless shelter operator John Rutherford's contributions to the Civic fund in the summer of 2001.
"When you were advising on the Rutherford matter wouldn't that have related to a non-profit?" Thomas asked the witness. Berg responded yes.
However on redirect, the government pointed out the since the first article on the subject was published on August 29th, 2001, both of the checks were issued on earlier dates.
"So in your mind were you being paid these checks to somehow assist the Kilpatrick Civic Fund?" asked U.S. Attorney Mark Chutkow.
No, answered Berg, "our focus was totally on the campaign."
Wayne State employee Tracy Walker testified that in 2001, her now defunct firm Contact Sports was also enlisted to provide public relations services to the former mayor. Of more than $21,000 invoiced, $14,975.95 was paid from the Civic Fund.
On cross examination, however, Thomas demonstrated that the contractual agreement with Contact Sports did include the stipulation "to assist with coordination of promotions and community relations efforts related to the Kilpatrick Civic Fund."
Another witness, Virginia Harvey with public opinion pollsters Peter Hart Research, testified that her company was made to resubmit a revised invoice for $26,500 listing the client as the Kilpatrick Civic Fund instead of Kilpatrick for Mayor campaign.
The most humorous testimony on the day came from Spy Ops employee Brian Lang, aka "Little Bear". The witness testified that he sold almost $1,400 worth of surveillance equipment in 2007 to Bob Gibson from the mayor's office. Gibson told the witness that he wanted to run a sweep of the former mayor's offices. The payment for the equipment also came from the Kilpatrick Civic Fund.
Lang recounted how he was called by Gibson to run a counter-surveillance sweep of some offices in downtown Detroit. When asked where the offices where, Lang was hazy in his recollections remembering only that he was led up a back way, past an auditorium-like room and a bust of Coleman Young's face.
"I don't do anything down here but Lafayette Coney Island," said Lang in response to not being able to pin down exactly where he was.
Thomas asked Lang if he knew he was sweeping former Detroit Police chief Warren Evans's office.
"Dead giveaway was the name plate that said 'Warren Evans',"said Little Bear.
Testimony resumes tomorrow at 9AM.
About the author:
Alexandra Harland is a Princeton undergrad and has a masters degree in International affairs with Columbia. A Montreal native, she worked with the Daily Telegraph newspaper for a few years before transitioning to TV, when she worked at ABC News with Peter Jennings. Alexandra has also worked in newsrooms in both Detroit and Boston.
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