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114 – Decision on hosts for club competition finals 2008 and 2009
The next meeting of the UEFA Executive Committee will take place on Wednesday 4 and Thursday 5 October 2006 at the Grand Hotel Union, Miklosiceva 3, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia.
The meeting will finish at approximately 12:00 local time on Thursday and will be followed by a press conference.
The main items on the agenda include:
• Appointment of venues - UEFA Champions League Final 2008 and 2009
o Candidates are: Estadio Olímpico in Sevilla, Luzhniki in Moscow, Olimpico in Rome, Olympiastadion in Berlin, Wembley in London
• Appointment of venues - UEFA Cup Final 2008 and 2009
o Candidates are: Arena in Hamburg, City of Manchester, National in Bucarest, Ramat-Gan in Tel-Aviv and Sükrü Saracoglu in Istanbul
• Gibraltar FA application for membership
• Montenegro FA application for membership
• Appointment of hosts for the UEFA European Under-21 Championship 2009
Media representatives wishing to attend the press conference are kindly requested to ask for accreditation via email to firstname.lastname@example.com prior to Monday 2 October midday.
For further information
UEFA Media & Public Relations:+41 848 04 27 27
©UEFA.com 1998-2017. All rights reserved.


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Flexible Positions Audrey Bitoni Picture
When we started filming Flexible Positions, the first girl that came to mind was Audrey Bitoni. If you haven't seen her big tits in action before, she's a petite brunette powerhouse built for speed and stamina but she still has really amazing flexibility as well. We let her work-up a sweat on the universal machine and she does some sexy grunting with free weights in her hands as well, before laying back over the pink balance ball so we could start pumping her with some Iron of our own!
Flexible Positions Audrey Bitoni Pictures and Movies
- 1 Free Flexible Positions Audrey Bitoni Flash:
Flexible Positions Audrey Bitoni
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Tight body girl bounces her big tits in gym sex
- 12 Free Flexible Positions Audrey Bitoni Pictures:
Sexy brunette in gym shows off her big tits
More From Audrey Bitoni
Friday, October 02, 2015
Busty Brunette Fucking And Sucking Guy
Wednesday, February 25, 2015
Tyler Nixon doesn't like to lose, so when Audrey Bitoni starts pulling ahead of him in sales, he's furious! Lo and behold, as he's coming out of the washroom one day, he discovers that busty slut's dirty little secret: she's been using her big tits to ...
Sunday, October 26, 2014
Dr. Frankenslut has finally created his masterpiece: the ultimate slut, Audrey Bitoni. When he wakes the busty beauty, though, he realizes that he's done the unthinkable and created a monster! His assistant Mick Blue decides to take advantage of the ...
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There's nothing like a good game of baseball to get the heart pounding, but when Keiran Lee hit the field for a little batting practice, the big-dicked Brit was having some trouble mastering America's pastime. Audrey Bitoni saw him struggling, and decided ...
Monday, September 08, 2014
Adrianna Nevaeh and Adurey Bitoni are having a little girl fun munching on each others sweet snatches
Thursday, July 24, 2014
Audrey Bitoni is pissed that Christian is overstaying his welcome at the house she shares with his sister, but she knows how he can make it up to her: give me an orgasm every day for a month, and then get the fuck out.
Friday, February 07, 2014
Adrianna Nevaeh & Adurey Bitoni are having a little girl fun munching on each others sweet snatches
Thursday, February 06, 2014
The two busty ladies are in their room talking about their friend's fiance wondering if he's a freak in the sheets because he is just too nice of a guy. Johnny comes in to pick up some stuff for the night and the girls wondered if he was going to go ...
Thursday, December 05, 2013
Wild lesbo Victoria Sinn and her sexy friends play with shaved cunts and sextoys in this threesome
Thursday, November 14, 2013
Audrey Bitoni thinks that the new guy at the office, Johnny, is really cute. She's in luck because Johnny thinks that Audrey isn't too bad looking herself. When they run into each other after hours in the office the two start lightly flirting. The flirting ...
Thursday, November 07, 2013
Wild lesbo Victoria Sinn and her sexy friends go for a threesome and drill toys in their cooters and assholes
Thursday, October 24, 2013
Sexy lesbian Victoria Sinn go for a kinky threesome and plunge sex toys in all of their holes
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Sexy lesbian Victoria Sinn and her friends pleasure pussies and fuck it with toys in this threesome
Friday, August 30, 2013
Wild lesbo Victoria Sinn and her sexy friends go for a threesome and plug their holes with adult toys
Thursday, August 29, 2013
Audrey Bitoni is one lucky clients hot fantasy for the night and they have hot sex in his room.
More Flexible Positions Links
Link To Flexible Positions Audrey Bitoni

subset: commoncrawl


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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 26/6/2014 (1149 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
Travel Manitoba's flagship visitor centre at The Forks is getting a $2.9-million makeover that will see stuffed animals and other static tourism displays replaced with state-of-the-art, interactive displays and some new office space.
Details of how the Forks North Portage Corporation (FNPC) and Travel Manitoba plan to redevelop the 7,500-square-foot, single-storey building were unveiled Thursday at The Forks.
FNPC chief executive officer Jim August said FNPC and Travel Manitoba officials agreed two years ago the approximately 20-year-old facility, which is located next door to the Johnson Terminal, needed to be modernized and reimagined.
'It (the new centre) is just going to be much more flexible, informative and attractive'-- Jim August
What they came up with was a plan that will see the building gutted and all of the existing displays either returned to the organizations that donated them or turned over to the Red River Exhibition.
FNPC will then add a new mezzanine level to house new offices for Travel Manitoba, which currently leases space in an office tower at 155 Carlton St. A new information counter will be installed on the main floor, along with a host of state-of-the-art, interactive displays visitors of all ages can use.
"The displays right now are very tired," August said in an interview. "It (the new centre) is just going to be much more flexible, informative and attractive. It will have a very contemporary look and feel."
Travel Manitoba president and CEO Colin Ferguson said the new centre, which will open next March, will provide information about all of Manitoba's key tourist attractions.
"This building will not only welcome visitors, but bring these experiences to life," he added.
August said FNPC also benefits by landing a secure, long-term tenant that will provide additional rent income for the next 20 to 25 years. And Ferguson said Travel Manitoba will realize cost savings and new operational efficiencies by having all staff at a single location.
While Ferguson, August and Tourism Minister Ron Lemieux all gushed about the pending changes, one Winnipegger who was visiting the centre Thursday with her husband and two young daughters was dismayed to learn all of the existing displays will be disappearing at the end of the summer.
"I'll be sad to see some of these go. Especially the (stuffed) polar bear and buffalo," Catherine Glass said.
Glass said her family visits the centre often, and her six-year-old and eight-year-old daughters enjoy playing on the antique, steel-wheeled, tractor and on the overhead footbridge.
While she agreed new photographs on the walls and some interactive displays would be welcome additions, she also would have liked to see most of the existing displays retained.
"I like it (the way it is). It just needs refreshing," she said. "But maybe I'm not like everyone else."
August conceded that refreshing rather than replacing the existing displays was an option, but said it would have been a costly one. They also needed to create room for the new Travel Manitoba offices.
"This works for everyone. It will be a new... contemporary, information centre with the (Manitoba Travel) staff all there. And it works for us because we can do the development and get a return on a long-term lease."
August said the existing centre will remain open until after the Labour Day long weekend in September. The centre's staff will then be moved to a temporary location in The Forks Market building until the new centre is ready.


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Sides, combo meals and even small equipment purchases can take your foodservice program from blah to booming. By Erin Rigik, Associate Editor. The International Dairy Deli Bakery Association's (IDDBA) "What's in Store 2012" report revealed consumers are buying more prepared meals at convenience stores that provide quality and variety to shoppers. Just being on top
Take Your Deli to the Next Level
Publix Lets Consumers Order Deli Online
Publix c-stores tests the online sale of deli products at one of its stores this August. Publix Deli Online Easy Ordering plans to launch at a Lakeland, Fla., store on Aug. 3 and is expected to rollout in 50 additional stores later this year. Customers will be able to order custom deli subs, wraps, meats
Romney Raves About Wawa
Mitt Romney talks hoagies and touchscreens in Pennsylvania. Republican Presidential Nominee Mitt Romney, while on the campaign trail, visited a Wawa convenience store and polled the crowd at the Cornwall Iron Furnace, in Cornwall, Pa., about where they buy their sandwiches. The question touched on a local state divide: Wawa or Sheetz, Yahoo News reported.
Doing Deli the Right Way
Convenience store operators have plenty of help when it comes to investing in a foodservice program. By Jim Callahan. I recently read that China's convenience stores are experiencing double-digit growth in deli sales primarily driven by hot dog sales. But let's be frank, nobody does hot dogs better than Americans. From the quality of the
Investing in a Foodservice Future
It's time for all convenience store owners to recognize the overall value of a good deli program. By Jim Callahan. While a solid deli program is part of the convenience store industry's present, it is destined to play an even larger and more critical part of our future. Whether you are a small chain or
The Growing Demand for Fresh Foods
In today's health-conscious world, convenience stores are expanding their menus to include more healthy snacks and meals. By: John Lofstock, Editor. While cash-strapped consumers are cooking at home more often to help ease tight budgets, a new study by the International Dairy Deli Bakery Association (IDDBA) found that these shoppers are on the lookout for
Hot Stuff Foods
Hot Stuff Foods unveils a new format, name, look and incentive for its SmashHits Deli program. Formerly known as Smash Hit Subs, the new SmashHits Deli has an expanded menu including sub sandwiches, wraps, soups, salads, fresh baked cookies and Italian ciabatta bread sandwiches and the new Phat Burrito. A removal of franchise fees for
Quiznos Looks To Grow Within C-store Channel
Quiznos sandwich chain has plans to increase its presence within convenience stores in 2010. In the recession, customers are busier and thriftier and have been increasing their visits to convenience stores while reducing their visits to restaurants. Restaurant visits began slowing in 2007 and then fell 3% last year while trips to convenience stores to


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Nairobi -
The father of an Australian Al-Jazeera journalist jailed in Egypt says he respects the integrity of Egypt's courts but knows his son is the victim of injustice.
Juris Greste told a news conference in Kenya on Thursday that he and his wife "passionately and absolutely" know that a "grave and serious" injustice has taken place in the case of son Peter Greste.
Peter Greste is appealing his seven-year prison sentence after a court in June found that he and two other Al-Jazeera journalists aided the Muslim Brotherhood, which Egypt classifies as a terrorist organisation.
Juris and Louis Greste travelled to Nairobi, where their son was based and is honorary co-chair of the Foreign Correspondents Association of East Africa. Journalists in Nairobi have tried to shine a spotlight on the jailings. - Sapa-AP


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Posted on July 5, 2013 by: acid stag
What does a Friday MixTape mean to you?
Posted on March 15, 2013 by: acid stag
Your disco needs you.
We claim no credit for any images, music and/or videos posted on this site unless otherwise noted. All audio and visual content is copyright to its respectful owners. We are also in no way responsible for, or have control of the content of any external web site links. This website was created as a promotional tool. Please support the artists and purchase their work.


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Ithaca College English majors at the Frederick Douglass Academy, New York City, in February 2006.
L-R: Vanessa Graniello and Tiffany DePeralta with friends in a Manhattan bookstore.
L-R: Emily Christensen, Tiffany DePerralta, Mark Ciampa, and Vanessa Graniello at the entrance to the Frederick Douglass Academy.
© Copyright Ithaca College. All rights reserved; unauthorized use prohibited. All material on this server is produced by our community but, except for designated pages, is neither approved nor verified by Ithaca College.


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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 9/2/2012 (2021 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- As pivotal moments go, this one has the potential to change a lot of outlooks.
A game that looked lost after 57 minutes changed on a pair of power-play goals from the suddenly surging Winnipeg Jets, who rallied to defeat the Washington Capitals with two goals late in regulation time and then two more in the shootout, for a 3-2 win that stunned Verizon Center on Thursday night.
Instead of falling six points back of the Southeast Division-leading Capitals, the Jets today are just three back of that top rung in their division. The Caps and Florida, winners Thursday night over L.A., share the top at 61 points, with Winnipeg at 58 after winning four of the last six.
"I think it's good that you're down 2-0 and you come back," said Jets coach Claude Noel, who had goals from Evander Kane at 17:45 and Dustin Byfuglien at 17:57 of the third period. "I don't know that our team would be completely satisfied with the way we played for the 60 minutes. The way we played in the first, we were lucky to get out of it 0-0. Their chances came off our lack of composure and turnovers."
The game began as a chess match of defensive systems and turned into a wild third period with seven power plays.
The Caps cashed two of theirs, with goals by Alex Ovechkin and Alex Semin to grab a two-goal lead by 12:30 of the final frame.
But when Roman Hamrlik and Brooks Laich were sent to the penalty box in short order, Noel pulled goalie Ondrej Pavelec and used the six-on-three advantage to get Kane's rebound goal, his first in 12 games.
A few seconds later, with a power play still in effect, Byfuglien brought the puck to centre and fired a hard, long shot into the Caps zone. The blast clipped the stick of Washington defenceman Karl Alzner and eluded goalie Tomas Vokoun, who was moving the wrong way and in just 12 seconds, the Jets were back on even terms.
Blake Wheeler and Bryan Little scored shootout goals to offset Ovechkin's and the Jets had suddenly evened their extra-time record this season to 6-6.
Lady Luck certainly played a part in the outcome, something the Jets can easily claim they haven't had, given all their trouble scoring goals lately.
"It's what a team always needs, good luck and some bounces," Byfuglien said. "I thought we've worked hard lately and haven't really got a nice bounce. We got one tonight."
Pavelec, who made 32 saves through the 65 minutes, plus two more in the shootout, endorsed the smile of luck on Thursday.
"We need those goals," he said. "We drove to the net, stayed in front of the net and we got the rebound there (on Kane's goal). We need those bounces. We have been struggling a little bit to score goals."
Little said he liked his goalie a whole lot on Thursday.
"I don't think we really deserved to be in it because they outplayed us and Pav had our back," Little said. "We stayed with it and had a pretty good third period, kept coming and got that good bounce.
"It's great to see when the team battles back like that and gets a win."
Kane, who just returned to the lineup on Tuesday, endorsed Pavelec as well.
"He's been playing like that all year," said Kane, who now leads the team with 19 goals. "He's probably been one of our best players if not our best player."
jets report C3


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BBSRC MRes/PhD Studentship: Nutrient modulation of gut inflammatory responses to microbial challenges, Newcastle University
Funding and Finance
BBSRC MRes/PhD Studentship: Nutrient modulation of gut inflammatory responses to microbial challenges
- Doctoral Training Partnership (DTP)
- Reference Code: CB070
Name of the supervisors
Prof J Hesketh
Dr J Hall
This studentship is sponsored by BBSRC as part of the Doctoral Training Partnership (DTP).
Duration of the award
4 years (MRes Medical and Molecular Biosciences followed by a three year PhD)
Project description
Chronic disorders of the gastrointestinal tract such as inflammatory bowel disorders and colorectal cancer are associated with a dysregulated inflammatory response to microbes. Diet has an important role in maintaining health and inflammatory homeostasis in the gut; however the precise food components involved, their relationships with the gut microbiome and the immune signalling pathways associated with inflammation are not known. This project will investigate how micronutrients and phytochemicals, which are often reduced in diets, influence cell inflammatory mechanisms, particularly the responses of the gut colonic epithelial cells to microbial challenges.
Key components of the innate responses of the host gut epithelium include the TLRs that that sense inflammatory inducers ie microbes, and activate through the unfolded protein response, as well as the NF-κB and Nrf-2 signalling pathways, distinct inflammatory pathways that release effector elements; these effectors include the inflammatory cytokines TNF and interleukins, and the defensins. Our hypothesis is that a combination of the micronutrient selenium and phytochemicals such as quercetins influence the response of colonic epithelial cells to microbial challenges by modulating inflammatory signalling pathways through effects on the inter-linked pathways that include miRNA, unfolded protein response, Nrf2 and NF-κB signalling pathways.
The student will test this hypothesis in the Caco-2 cell model by using functional genomic approaches to identify the signalling pathways affected by nutrients after an in vitro microbial challenge, and then investigate the changes using realtime PCR, western blotting and reporter gene assays. The student will receive training in cell culture and general molecular techniques, RNA expression analysis as well as analysis of gut cell-microbe co-culture.
Value of the Award and Eligibility
Depending on how you meet the BBSRC's eligibility criteria, you may be entitled to a full or a partial award. A full award covers tuition fees at the UK/EU rate and an annual stipend of £13,590 (2011/12). A partial award covers fees at the UK/EU rate only.
Person Specification
Candidates should have or expect to achieve a 1st class or 2:1 Honours degree in a relevant biological science subject.
How to Apply
You must complete the University's postgraduate application form. Select "Master of Research/Doctor of Philosophy (Medical Sciences) – Cell and Molecular Biosciences" as the programme of study. Only mandatory fields need to be completed (no personal statement required) but you must attach a copy of your CV and a covering letter, quoting the title of the studentship and reference number CB070.
Closing date for applications
Prompt application is advised as this post is only available until a suitable candidate is appointed
Further Information
For further details, please contact:
Prof J Hesketh, email@example.com, +44 (0) 191 222 8744


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RIAA Drops Suit Against AllofMP3.com
That apparently satisfied the Recording Institute of American Artists (RIAA), which said late last week that it has dropped its copyright infringement lawsuit against MediaServices, the site's owner, according to Bloomberg. As TorrentFreak noted, the RIAA essentially declared victory and withdrew.
Unfortunately, that still leaves a host of Russian music sites that say they're willing to pay royalties to the artists under Russian law, but whose fees place them substantially under the rates charged by American and European vendors of downloadable music. Case in point? AllTunes.com, which sells tracks for just 15 cents apiece, or MP3Sparks, which suspiciously emerged just as AllofMP3.com was shutting down. The latter site advertises Madonna's latest, Hard Candy, for 18 cents per track or $2.34 for the album (in 192-Kbit/s quality, unprotected.)
Will the RIAA turn its attention to "knockoff" sites like MP3Sparks? It's certainly aware of them. But I'd bet that they quietly flourish, now that the figurehead AllOfMP3.com has been forced out of business.
Originally published on AppScout.


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- Released: Aug 27, 2013
- Sound: 10
- Lyrics: 10
- Overall Impression: 10
Users' score:
(1 vote)
Sound — 10
Your first thoughts on playing this album will be: "is Rebecca St. James recording incognito?" No, I'm serious! Jodi King's melodic alto voice is very resemblant to Rebecca's. Two people thought two different Love & The Outcome songs were Rebecca songs. Chris Rademaker's (her husband) background vocals sound striking to Jon Steingard (Hawk Nelson) which is interesting because L&TO is also from Canada. A good mix of pop/rock in a variety of styles, ranging from the upbeat pop anthem "When We Love" to the more folksy, acoustic sound in "No Mistaking (It's You)" to the slow pop ballad "The Story You're Building in Me." A variety of instruments, including a lot of percussion and keyboards. I love the keyboard intro to "He Is With Us." And I would be crazy if I didn't mention the bass too, Chris plays the bass and does a very good job of it too.
Lyrics — 10
What happens when you combine a whole bunch of talented songwriters? A great album! More than just Jodi and Chris, this album also features the songwriting talents of Dave Barnes, Jason Ingram (One Sonic Society), Matt Hammitt (Sanctus Real), and Ed Cash (producer: Chris Tomlin, Crowder, Laura Story, etc.). The down-to-earth lyrics of all the songs are really powerful. Especially the moving lyrics of "The Story You're Building in Me"; a personal song with a widespread message. "Closer to You" is a profoundly simple, yet profoundly meaningful song: "every healing and heartbreak is bringing me closer to You." And I can't forget to mention "King of My Heart," it is true that "You are, bigger than any battle I'm facing and You are, bigger than anything I've been chasing, Savior and royalty, the only hope in me..." A perfect finale to the album is "What a Promise"; a reassurance of God's promises to us.
Overall Impression — 10
My Dad got this album for me because I was (and still am!) a crazy fan of the hit radio single "He Is With Us." I have loved every song on it and played it a ton of times. You could call me a biased reviewer; I love this type of music and my singing voice is very, very similar to Jodi's; but overall it is amazing. It's a very well produced, written, and recorded first album. I have other artists' first albums, but this one stands out. At least try to find some of the songs on YouTube, you just might get hooked!


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Faux-fur coats, alternative modes of transportation, and heavy gold jewelry are all things that principally define me. So it shouldn't come as a surprise that nine seconds into the music video for Macklemore's chart-topping track "Thrift Shop," I felt completely connected to the Seattle-born rapper. In the video, Macklemore, Ryan Lewis, and a crew of ethnically ambiguous young people parade around Seattle, Slurpees in hand, searching for the perfectly salvaged Louis Vuitton fanny pack. Macklemore was practically screaming my name as loudly as he could over the muffler of Lewis's DeLorean.
Ben Haggerty is a rapper, a talented one at that. His first studio album The Heist, a collaborative effort with photographer-turned-producer Ryan Lewis, dropped last October, and ever since that fated fall Tuesday, white upper-middle class twenty-somethings have been sitting in the pews of the Church of Macklemore. You won't find these believers fanning themselves with church programs or wearing wide-brimmed Sunday hats, because the church is air-conditioned and the only hats in sight are snapbacks. I was there, with my Raiders fitted and shiny Jordans. In his singles he was preaching anti-consumerism, gay rights, and atheism. Through his mention of these issues in his lyrics, Macklemore is able to connect to like-minded individuals.
In the world of Macklemore, I was surrounded by people who looked like me and thought like me. We were all singing along, singing hymns of individualism and nonconformity. I felt like some kind of prophet, telling people, "having the same [shirt] as six other people in this club is a hella don't." My cheetah print muumuu is a source of pride, not exclusively because of its silky nature, but also because no one else has one. Sometimes originality trumps content.
To me, Macklemore was doing something crazy. He was exposing my crippling fear of being ordinary by building a fanbase out of all the other people in the world who felt the same way. Macklemore's self-released The Heist featured language of revolution. But his revolution was not without motive. He seamlessly appeals to free-thinking and -dressing, anti-consumerist, whatever young people as a way to access a large, affluent market group. But for Macklemore, this tailor-fitted connection between lyrics and image seems too calculated, incongruous to the individualism he moralizes. I felt, as he himself says, "swindled and pimped, shit / I call that getting tricked by business."
But so goes the way of the media. I was part of his target audience, and I had taken the bait. Macklemore was talented no doubt, but his art was cheapened in my eyes. His whiteness, which I had previously looked past, was now bothering me. Not only was he acting as something of a messiah for "individuals" (white college kids), he was also appropriating a culture that he couldn't claim as his own to do it. It was only when I listened to his song "White Privilege", released in 2005, that I saw his true place in the system. And as any good artist does, by telling his own story, he questioned the very institutions that allowed him to make his music.
As the first full-length song on his album The Language of My World, "White Privilege" can be seen as a preface to the rest of his work. The beauty in the song is in Macklemore's honesty and self-awareness; his flow and rhymes have since improved.
Nonetheless, he addresses contentions I didn't even know I had with him. Through "White Privilege," Macklemore explains the problematic nature of making hip-hop as a white man who grew up in the suburbs. He doesn't rap about the "block [he's] never been to" or the "struggle he's never been through." The "Egypt" of hip-hop, the South Bronx, was the birthplace of a revolution. Unlike Wu Tang, Dre, and the Hieroglyphics, his cause is not institutionalized racism, black-on-black crime, or an inner-city crack epidemic. Macklemore's creative convictions are a product of his come-up.
The mainstream nature of hip-hop today has turned a once subversive medium into something that longs for depth. And Macklemore is no exception. Macklemore wears his feelings on his tiger print sleeve. He laments, "we want what we can't have, the commodity makes us want it." Maybe Macklemore wishes he could rap about the struggles of growing up black in Compton, but he chooses not to. Macklemore doesn't claim to be anything he's not. Unfortunately his fans, myself included, cannot all share in his righteousness. My fear of being seen as common is a fear of being revealed as something I'm not: a fear of being misunderstood. This fear is a manifestation of a disregard for Macklemore's primary tenet. "I'm gonna be me so please be who you are / This is something that's effortless and shouldn't be hard." Unfortunately, being oneself is harder than putting on a pair of Pro Wings—Velcro is for kids who can't tie their own shoes anyway.


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It doesn't include the name plate. It's #9 in mint condition. No dings, dents, or scratches.
I'm guessing $2.5K plus $140 or so - right? If that is the case he can cut shipping cost if he gets and old guitar box from GC.
That's actually a good price in that condition and if everything is legit. I couldn't compete; b/c I'd ship from Germany. JH-1 are getting rarer.....
Post to thread


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Sony Opening E-Bookstore in Japan
(Reuters) - Sony Corp said on Thursday it would launch an e-reader and online content distribution service in Japan by year-end, taking on rival Apple Inc whose iPad hits shelves in the country on Friday.
The maker of PlayStation games and Bravia flat TVs said it also plans to launch its e-book operations in China, Australia, Spain and Italy this year.
Sony's Reader electronics book reader, which vies with Amazon.com's Kindle and Barnes & Noble's Nook, is available in the United States, Canada, Britain, France, Germany, Austria, Switzerland and the Netherlands.
The debut of the iPad, a computing and entertainment system that also functions as an e-reader, is expected to boost Japan's still-small e-book market, which Chimera Research Institute expects to double to about $1 billion in four years.
Sony has partnered with telecoms operator KDDI Corp, printing firm Toppan Printing Co and the Asahi Shimbun newspaper to set up a planning company to prepare for the service, which will offer book, comic, magazine and newspaper content.
Asked about the time lag between iPad's Japan debut and the launch of the planned contents distribution service, Sony said the breadth of available content is more important than time to market.
"An e-book business does not make much sense if it does not come with enough content in terms of both quantity and quality ... You have to build a system first to ensure that," Sony Electronics Senior Vice President Fujio Noguchi told a news conference. "I don't think we are running behind."
Sony Electronics is Sony's U.S. electronics sales division.
Although the planning company will be owned a quarter each by Sony, KDDI, Toppan and Asahi, the content distribution business will be open for other firms to join, and there will be multiple types of e-reader terminals from different companies, Sony said.
"Will the new operating company offer contents to iPad or Kindle? It is not for me to decide. But this is going to be an open system. I don't deny the possibility," Noguchi said.
Sony attempted to create an e-reader market in the past when it launched reading devices only to pull them from shelves after a few lackluster years due to a lack of content.
Before the announcement, Sony shares ended up 2.1 percent at 2,788 yen, outperforming a 1.2 percent rise in the benchmark Nikkei average.
(Reporting by Kiyoshi Takenaka and Sachi Izumi; Editing by Joseph Radford and Sharon Lindores)
($1=89.94 Yen)
© Thomson Reuters 2010. All rights reserved. Users may download and print extracts of content from this website for their own personal and non-commercial use only. Republication or redistribution of Reuters content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters. Reuters and the Reuters sphere logo are registered trademarks or trademarks of the Reuters group of companies around the world.


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The upper assembly comes equipped with a non-chrome lined, diamond fluted 4140 chrome moly steel barrel with 1 in 7" twist rifling and M4 feed ramps. This unique barrel profile is complemented by YHM's lightweight, free floating rifle length Diamond handguard. At 12.58" in length, the Diamond forearm bridges the gap between the barrel nut and the upper receiver's flat top rail for a clean, monolithic look, and also accommodates any number of tactical accessories via its 4 full length Picatinny rails at 12-, 3-, 6-, and 9-o'clock. Additional features include an effective Phantom 5C2 flash hider, a set of flip up iron sights, a low profile gas block at the carbine gas position, a commercial bolt carrier group, charging handle, forward assist, brass deflector and ejection port door. Made in the USA.
- Upper Receiver: A3 Flat-Top, Forged 7075-T6 Aluminum
- Barrel Length: 16"
- Barrel Contour: Medium, Diamond Fluted
- Barrel Material: 4140 Chrome Moly Steel
- Muzzle Thread Pattern: 1/2"-28
- Chrome Lined: No
- Barrel Finish: Parkerized
- Twist Rate: 1 in 7"
- Chamber: 5.56x45mm NATO
- M4 Feed Ramps: Yes
- Muzzle Device: YHM Phantom 5C2 Flash Hider
- Gas System Length: Carbine
- Gas Block Diameter: 0.750"
- Handguard: YHM Diamond Series, Rifle Length, Free Float
- Sights: YHM Handguard Mounted Flip-Up Front, YHM Flip-Up Rear
- Weight: 4.8 lbs


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Will you be coming to the Great Barrier Reef Film Festival 8-10 September 2017?
(629 votes)
Whether you live on Magnetic Island or you're just visiting,
sometimes you just need someone to look after the
children and have a break.
Baby Sitters:
Trui Van Neck
Trui has over 10 years experience and a teaching degree. Please contact her directly for additional information.
Kerrianne Byrnes
Kerrianne has 27 years childcare experience, Bluecard and CPR.
Annelise Pretzsch-Kalsgaard
Affordable and experienced babysitter with bluecard certification, CPR and First Aid certificate.
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If you're not already a baby sitter but you would like to be, we'd advise you apply for a Blue Card here, and then send us an email with your details.
Please note: If you are enlisting the services of a babysitter or childcarer, please check their details before employing them. This website is a listing service only and takes no responsiblity in any circumstances for this transaction of services.


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Chevrolet SSR for Sale
Selected Filters:Type of Ad: Vehicles for Sale Make: Chevrolet Model: SSR Remove All
2004 Chevrolet SSR Pickup
Stratford, NJ
2004 Chevrolet SSR Just 6,216 miles!!! Just arrived from a private collection With only 6,216 MILES!!! This is a rare highly Collectable Classic It's... More
2003 Chevrolet SSR Pickup
Houston, TX
For sale in our Houston showroom is a first model year 2003 Chevrolet SSR. Chevrolet went with a retro design for the Super Sport... More
Advertiser since 2012
2004 Chevrolet SSR
Grand Rapids, MI
GR Auto Gallery is pleased to offer the clean, 2004 Chevrolet SSR. This future collectible debuted at the Detroit Auto Show in 2000 and... More
Advertiser since 2009
2004 Chevrolet SSR
Wixom, MI
Chevrolet is no secret on building fast and powerful vehicles that provide a ton of muscle for little money. The SSR is one that... More
Advertiser since 2009
2004 Chevrolet SSR
Lutz, FL
We already know the Chevrolet SSR is a future classic. After all, it has V8 power, sportscar handling, and a unique retro-style design... More
2004 Chevrolet SSR
Lutz, FL
The Chevrolet SSR was a fascinating experiment the likes of which we may never see again. It handles like a Camaro, capable of hauling... More
2005 Chevrolet SSR Truck
Linthicum, MD
2005 Chevrolet SSR6.0 liter 390 hp LS26 speed manual transmission (rare)Beautiful no hit bodyGorgeous 2 tone black and silver paintGray leather interiorFeatures includeP/S, 4... More
2004 Chevrolet SSR SSR
Batesville, MS
Like new, 12,000 miles with chrome SSR Wheels and 5.3 liter engine with supercharger... More
2004 Chevrolet SSR Two Door
Shelby Township, MI
**** Ask About FREE Shipping to YOUR Doorstep **** $$$$$$$$ FINANCING Available $$$$$$$$Rates As Low As 5.99%Terms Up To 120 Months 2004... More
2004 Chevrolet SSR Standard Cab
Shelby Township, MI
**** Ask About FREE Shipping to YOUR Doorstep **** $$$$$$$$ FINANCING Available $$$$$$$$Rates As Low As 5.99%Terms Up To 120 Months 2004... More
2004 Chevrolet SSR Pickup
Freeport, ME
2004 Chevrolet SSR pick up/sport utility,a fully equipped car,with the 5.3 engine,and modest miles.This car is clean,sharp,and ready to enjoy.... More
Advertiser since 1978
2004 Chevrolet SSR
Nashville, TN
2004 CHEVROLET SSR. THIS IS A BRAND NEW CAR, ONLY 10 MILES ON THE ODOMETER, STILL IN THE WRAPPER, NEVER BEEN DEALER PREPPED, RUNNING... More
2003 Chevrolet SSR
Seattle, WA
This is one of those retro vehicles made by Chevrolet from 2003 to 2006. I have heard Chevrolet lost money on these trucks?... More


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by Kevin Martin, Executive Director
Yesterday, Congress showed once again it is tone-deaf to the wishes of the people, with the Senate voting down an amendment to cut off funding for the Iraq war by March 31, 2008 and the House failing to adopt an amendment to send a strong NO WAR ON IRAN message to Bush. Clearly, much more pressure, in many forms, needs to be brought to bear on Members of Congress who remain timid when they ought to be aggressively promoting peace.
On Iran and Congress, the current issue of Mother Jones features good analysis by Jonathan Schwarz at http://www.motherjones.com/news/outfront/2007/05/plan_for_iran.html
On Iraq, Win Without War (a coalition of which Peace Action is a founding member) features an interesting interview with Iraqi Parliamentarian Mohammed al-Daini on its Stand Up Congress website at http://www.standupcongress.org/content/index.php


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We are Utah's best source for rentals of any kind! We are located in American Fork, Utah and rent to customers from all over Utah and those visiting our beautiful state for recreation and fun. Birthday parties, family reunions, company parties, anniversaries, or any get together can be enhanced with one of our rentals. We have everything from camping trailers to bounce houses, sound systems, inflatable movie screens, shave ice machines, cotton candy machines, zorb soccer balls, utility trailers and much more. Get away for a weekend and take advantage of our great Utah mountains with one of our many items like: travel trailers, water trampolines, snowshoes, paddle boards, 15 passenger vans, limousines, and more! You can rent all that and more at Plan-it Rentals. Please take some time and browse through our website and let us know if you have any questions about our rental services. We would be happy to answer them! Call or text us at 801-319-5524
Why Choose Us
Price is usually everyone's #1, and we've found creative ways to keep our costs low. It is finally time a rental company thinks outside the box and provides the right products at the right price. We are confident we'll beat anyone's prices!
Our goal is to make every customer happy! We'll do everything we can to ensure your interaction with us is memorable, so you'll use us again and again.
We want repeat customers, so we are committed to providing a large variety of products. We want to provide what you need, when you need it. Plan-it Rentals: We rent everything under the sun!
We firmly believe that our new approach to the rental world will change the way you look at planning parties, events, reunions, or trips. With our rock bottom prices, it just makes sense to rent!
Too often we hear the horror stories of renting equipment. Our extensive product research, inspection, and maintenance will ensure your event is a success. We take all of the hassle out of your event by becoming a one-stop shop for all your needs. Planning a party? Call us up and see how we can help you out. You can guarantee we have the lowest prices, so you don't have to spend countless hours shopping at multiple places! If you Plan-it, they will come!


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Lindsay Lohan The Prostitute Tried To Talk Shit On Jennifer Lawrence The Oscar Nominee
When Jennifer Lawrence won her Golden Globe for Silver Linings Playbook she joked at the podium, "I beat Meryl!" a line from The First Wives Club which everyone made a big deal about because Meryl Streep's name can only be mentioned in hushed whispers under a sheet. Surprisingly, one of those people was Lindsay Lohan who suddenly holds acting in the highest reverence which makes sense because she's always so professional about it. Here's what she tweeted and people only just now noticed because a knocked-up redneck from North Carolina's Twitter has been more fascinating:
Words cannot express how much I LOVE Kristen Wiig. And no1 should ever mess with a legend, such as Meryl Streep
Fortunately because (her breasts tell me) she's awesome, Jennifer Lawrence shut that shit down on Letterman. Via TooFab:
"It was so perfect and I said it and I had no idea Lindsay Lohan would take to the Twitterverse … Twitter is very upset," she added.
"All of a sudden I hate Meryl Streep," says the 22-year-old actress. "I wanted to make a public statement like "Hey idiots, it's a quote from a movie!"
On that note, Jennifer Lawrence is single and clearly loves calling Lindsay Lohan an idiot, so seeing how the stars are aligning here, let me send this out there, and if she doesn't like it, she can send it right back: If we went on a date, is your acting good enough to pretend you died from leukemia? I've always wanted a Heisman trophy.
Photo: Bauer-Griffin, Fame/Flynet, INFdaily, Pacific Coast News, Splash News, WENN


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If you're looking for something cozy, this Hot Pumpkin Spice Drink is exactly what you need! It's delicious in the morning as a coffee substitute, and comforting in the evening when you need to wind down and relax. You can think of it as a hot chocolate made with pumpkin, or a pumpkin spice latte without the espresso. In either case, don't skimp on the whipped cream ;)
Lately, Hygge is a new concept that I am obsessed. The most common translation of this Danish word, pronounced "hoo-ga" is "coziness", but from what I can gather, it doesn't quite fully capture the meaning. Think of sitting by the fireplace while wearing thick socks, or a dinner gathering with friends drinking hot stew around a rustic table. Hygge is encapsulated in those moments.
It's something I've been trying to create at my own home lately. As I write this, the puppy is snuggled on my lap against my baby bump, and I'm sipping on a mug of this Hot Pumpkin Spice Drink.
We've lit a scented candle, so there's a bit of yellow glow in the corner of my eye and the faint sweet smell of pine. It's all quite perfect, though I think I might need to just shut down the computer, relax and enjoy the hygge.
Don't worry, before I do that, I"ll leave you with the recipe for this Hot Pumpkin Spice Drink. You can think of it like a hot chocolate, but made with pumpkin. Or as a pumpkin spice latte, but without the espresso. Or you can think of it as it's own thing – a Hot Pumpkin Spice Drink that's sure to bring hygge to your home.
It's perfect for this time of year. If I were only still young enough to go trick-or-treating, I am sure I'd love a mug of this when I was done running around the neighborhood (hint hint from all the kiddos out there)! ;)
Hot Pumpkin Spice Drink (Vegan option)
- 2 cups milk (use a dairy-free milk alternative for a vegan option - oat milk, soy milk, almond milk, etc.)
- 1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree
- 2 tablespoons light brown sugar (use more or less depending on your taste)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin spice
- whipped cream - for topping (use a dairy-free alternative for a vegan option)
- pumpkin spice - for sprinkling on top
In a small saucepan, heat the milk, pumpkin puree, brown sugar and pumpkin spice on medium heat, until it is just about to boil, stirring frequently.
Pour into cups and top with whipped cream and a sprinkle of additional pumpkin spice.


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Figma Buffalo Bell Previews
I didn't think Max Factory would make baseball mascots again after the other three mascots. Well it's here and there could be a bunch of ideas put in with this figma (like swaping the head off for another figma's head, as if it's wearing the mascot suit).
Retail Price: 3200
Release Date: 2012/08


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A Descent Into Darkness
Credits & Info
- Uploaded
- Mar 12, 2008 | 5:36 AM EDT
- File Info
- Song
- 2 min 21 sec
- Score
- 4.11 / 5.00
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- Score:
- Rated 4.11 / 5 stars
- Plays & Downloads:
- 2,249 Plays | 169 Downloads
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- Easy Listening - Classical
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Author Comments
Rated 4.5 / 5 stars
The drumming reminded me of a military group entering a enemy infested jungle. Awesome! could have been a little louder and a little longer though
Rated 5 / 5 stars
Hmm ...
I kept getting the impression that Myan spear chuckers were hunting down a terrible, terrible beast. You know, until the aliens came and gave them the crystal skull thingy. I tend to agree with Unzippedfate though. It definitely has some spec ops charm.
Rated 5 / 5 stars
Very Good
I listen to this while playing Operation Flashpoint Dragon Rising.
Cool, thanks! :)
Rated 5 / 5 stars
Woah! that is kickass
I don't really think it would go good for a vampire game, when i heard it i started having visions of covert-ops doing their job in some remote jungle, kicking ass with only a hand full of soldiers with nothing but knives.
Thanks for the review, always appreciated!
I've had a few friends comment that that the taiko drumming reminded them of jungle combat of some sort, or tribal combat. Suppose it could go either way ;).
Rated 4.5 / 5 stars
That was very nice.
Though the opening was a bit to quiet, and so was the closing.
I could see the Legacy of Kain Soul Reaver style behind some of this music, a good style especially if you are planning to make something with Vampires. The drum and the instrument behind it works perfectly together. The main problem is how the opening and start does last to long.
I enjoyed it overall.
Thanks for the review. Glad it at least conjures up images of blood sucking monsters! ;).
The intro and outro are indeed long, they're intended to establish a desolate sounding mood prior to the introduction of the drums. I realize it won't be to a lot of peoples taste, but I like trying to meld soundscapeish ambient sort of stuff into other styles of music. Experimentation is how one learns!


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After the likes of Ashley Olsen and Mary-Kate Olsen, Teri Hatcher is the latest celebrity model to work for Badgley Mischka.
Guess what? Teri Hatcher's latest role besides actress and author is fashion model. The Emmy-nominated and Golden Globe Award-winning actress is working on a new career as she's been signed to be the latest celebrity model to work for Badgley Mischka.
It is Teri's appearance on the red carpet of the "American Idol" finale back in May, during which she wore their collection, that prompted the fashion label to invite her to be their latest celebrity model after the likes of Ashley Olsen and Mary-Kate Olsen.
"She was one of our first celebrities," Mischka said recalling on their becoming the first to create a gown for the actress when she starred in the '90s TV series "Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman." "She's a beautiful, smart woman, and I think our customer can relate to her."
Concerning her new role, the Desperate Housewife posed in lingerie and swimwear for the ad for the fashion line's new collection which will appear in September issues of Vogue, InStyle and Vanity Fair, among others, and be featured online and outdoors.
Enjoy Teri's poses for Badgley Mischka below.


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|23.01.2009, 10:40
|◄ last page
The Montenegrins reinforce their team on the left wing before the main round.
Grozdanic in Buducnost
After Croatian goalkeeper Sanela Knezovic, coming from Dunaferr, Buducnost T-Mobile will reinforce with a left winger before the Main Round.
The new player is Sladjana Grozdanic coming from the Serbian club Radnicki NIS Petrol, where she played the first part of the season.
Her former club Radnicki withdrew form the Serbian Super league due to financial reasons and she was close to move to Knjaz Milos. But the call of Buducnost changed everything and Grozdanic signed a contract until the end of the season.
"It's an honour and pleasure to be a player of Buducnost, especially to play in the Champions League. It's a big challenge for me to be playing in Podgorica. It's not necessary to talk about the quality of my new team; my ambitions coincide with the club's, so I believe I will help Buducnost to keep doing well in CL," said Sladjana Grozdanic.
Grozdanic was born in Montenegro, Niksic, where she began her career. After that she played for Serbian Crvena zvezda and Lasta. Because of the shoulder injury Grozdanic was out of the court for a while, but came back successfully this season. She was member of the Serbian national team at the European Championship in Sweden in 2006.
TEXT: Saša Jončić


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Security regionalisms: lessons from around the world
This paper analyses developments in regional security governance since 1945. It argues that regional organizations around the world have come to play increasingly important roles in security provision, often in conjunction with the United Nations whose charter makes ample provision for such cooperation. It tracks the histories of regional organizations and considers points of similarity as well as difference. While acknowledging the important role of European institutions in encouraging regionalisms around the world, the paper's principal focus in on non-European organizations, like the African Union, ASEAN or the Arab League. Three security arenas are explored in some detail: peace operations, non-proliferation and anti-terrorist measures. While far from exhaustive these three high profile security issues provide a good illustration of the robustness and resilience of security regionalism, its agenda setting capacity and its interface with evolving global security structures.
If you experience problems downloading a file, check if you have the proper application to view it first. In case of further problems read the IDEAS help page. Note that these files are not on the IDEAS site. Please be patient as the files may be large.
|Date of creation:
|25 Jul 2013
|Contact details of provider:
| Postal: Via dei Roccettini, 9 - I-50016 San Domenico di Fiesole
Web page: http://www.eui.eu/RSCAS/
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What do you call it when you put someone's head in the toilet? Well that's what Scarlett (13 months) was doing to her baby doll when I walked into the bathroom this morning. Bad supervision! Bad mommy!
Previous Post
Enjoy some link love
Enjoy some link love
We called it a "swirly-swirly." Via my uncle, who apparently administered them in college.


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It's Brad Paisley's 'Whiskey Lullaby' Video!
Subscribe to Taste of Country on
Brad Paisley took the next step toward superstardom with 'Whiskey Lullaby' in 2004. The mournful track was written by Bill Anderson and Jon Randall, featuring a haunting guest guest vocal by Alison Krauss. The video was directed by — and stars — former child star Rick Schroder.


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Great New Year's Cruise with A Few Hic-Ups: Eurodam Cruise Review by larsenbiz
Overall Member Rating
Great New Year's Cruise with A Few Hic-Ups
Destination: Southern Caribbean
Embarkation: Fort Lauderdale (Port Everglades)
Embarkation: We arrived at the pier by hotel shuttle. The porters quickly took our luggage and we were off to get in line for check-in. There was a little line and we were checked in an on the ship within 15 minutes. As we were returning guests, we were able to enjoy lunch in the Main Dining Room instead of fighting the crowds in the Lido. As usual, the cabins were ready around 1:30.
Stateroom: We were in stateroom SY5096, a Superior Suite, midship. This was our first experience in a suite with HAL, and we really enjoyed it. This cabin is just over the lifeboats, so there was some obstruction when looking directly down. The balcony was a good size, with 2 chairs, 2 ottomans, and a round dining table. More Although the Veranda staterooms are a nice size, the extra room in the Superior Suite made a huge difference, especially in the bathroom. The dual sinks were great and the Jacuzzi tub and extra shower were nice. The entrance area is wider than in a Verandah, and there is more room around the bed overall. There was a vanity as well as a desk area. I found that the area around the table and sofa were a bit cramped with the chairs, so I moved them. No problem. Dining: We had As You Wish Dining. We never had difficulty getting seated right away as we were agreeable to dining with other guests and we enjoyed good conversation most nights. We found the food generally to be quite good and beautifully presented. We made a few choices that we could have lived without, and the desserts seemed to be lacking, so I had the fruit plate most nights. Although AYWD is convenient, we missed the personalized service that comes with set dining times. We may return to set dining in the future. There was no Master Chef's Dinner on this trip, which was a plus for us. We thoroughly enjoyed our dinner in Tamarind and a cocktail in the beautiful Silk Den. We did not dine at Pinnacle Grill this time, nor were we able to get reservations at Canaletto when we thought about it several days into the cruise. The food in the Lido and Terrace Grill was good for lunch. We did not eat in the Lido for breakfast, as we had room service daily. The room service arrived at the time that was indicated on the door card; however, the order was incorrect EVERY SINGLE DAY. As usual, the pizza was lousy, but a quick bite late in the evening. I can say that the man working at Slice always appeared unhappy and I had the feeling that I was inconveniencing him. We nicknamed him "Angry Pizza Guy."
Other Guests: There was a wide variety of ages on this cruise, including multi-generational groups. People seemed to be very well travelled as well, which made for good conversation.
Daytime Activities: We didn't participate in the scheduled activities. We were not fans of the new daily program. It is set up by overall type of activity, rather than chronologically. Also, there was no more perforated portion to put in your pocket. Who wants to carry around some big ol' daily program? Not us. We would have liked to have attended the demonstrations in the Culinary Arts Center, but we weren't able to for some reason. We attempted to go to the movie theatre one afternoon, but found it completely full. We enjoyed the Crow's Nest, Explorations Cafe and library. We spent time at the aft pool, as this was away from the little ones playing in the Lido pool. On sea days, the aft pool was the place to be. That being said, things got pretty intense between passengers for lounge chair space. There were the Lido Cabanas; however, they were located at the Lido pool, and did not seem relaxing/appealing to me, as they were near all of the kiddos playing and they were inside, so no breeze. Also, they took up a good amount of space on the deck, which made it a bit challenging to walk around when it was crowded. There were cabanas on deck 11 as well, which may have been more relaxing as they were away from the buzy-ness of the Lido. We didn't play Bingo. Service: As we have come to expect from HAL, the service was really good overall. The crew were smiling, friendly and helpful, with a few exceptions. The service in the dining room was efficient, but we found that the service staff did not take time at the table to talk with the guests. Perhaps this was because we had AYWD. One thing that really bothered me was trying to get into Tamarind for lunch one afternoon. We didn't have reservations, so we knew it would be a craps shoot to get in. We waited for about 20 minutes to see if any reservation was cancelled or if there was a no-show for a reservation. We bumped into a couple we had been talking with regularly who had a reservation. Later in the day, they told us that they were seated at a table for 4 and indicated to the Maitre-D that my husband and I could join them. They were told that it was not possible. I had a photographer make a very rude comment to me and then offered to take my picture! The other thing that bothered me was attempting to take advantage of the in-port spa specials. We were told that the spa was "pretty much booked." I never knew exactly what that meant. Did that mean fully booked or mostly booked? The staff member did not even attempt to offer any alternative appointment dates or times. Too bad. I would have enjoyed some spa treatments. It seemed that if you did not have all of your reservations/appointments scheduled on embarkation day, then you might be out of luck. Evening Entertainment: We absolutely enjoyed the jazz trio in the Ocean Bar and listened to them nightly. If you enjoy jazz standards and dancing, then this is the place to be. There was a string quartet in the Explorer's Lounge and although we did not sit down and listen to the music, we did enjoy it when we walked by the lounge. The entertainment is the show lounge was so-so. I didn't find the comedian particularly funny, but other passengers did. I enjoyed the magician even though I had seen him previously on another cruise. We did not attend any of the HAL production shows because we haven't had great luck with them in the past. This is not an issue for neither my husband nor I. The casino was hopping at night! But, if you are sensitive to cigarette smoke...Beware. The piano bar was always full and passengers really enjoyed the pianist/singer, Les. We did not go to the Northern Lights disco.
Special Events: We attended the Captain's cocktail party in the Crow's Nest, which was lovely. I enjoyed meeting Captain Mercer, and I must say, his hands were really soft! The Eurodam staff did an excellent job with New Year's Eve. The dining room was festively decorated, there were hats and tiaras to wear all night, and the food was excellent. There was a big to-do in the Show Lounge to ring in the new year, but we opted to stay in the Ocean Bar with the jazz trio, where we rang in the new year with champagne and happiness! The atmosphere was so festive and joyful. There was a beautiful New Year's Day brunch in the dining room.
Ports: The ports for this cruise were Half Moon Cay, Aruba, and Curacao. The only tender port was Half Moon Cay. The Noordam was also anchored in Half Moon Cay. We had the large tender boats, but it still seemed chaotic getting off the ship. It was a free-for-all. At one point, there was an announcement that there was no line for the tender. We immediately went down and found a gigantic line without any type of order and it took almost 30 minutes to get off the ship. So much for no line! The island was beautiful and the beach was incredible, with powder soft white sand. It was misty most of the day, but that was o.k. with us. We did the Stingray Swim and rented a clamshell for the day. We booked a catamaran/snorkel trip in Aruba which we really enjoyed and we booked a private tour in Curacao, which was also quite nice.
Disembarkation: We were in the Expedited disembarkation group, as we could carry off our luggage and had a relatively early flight. We were off the ship by 8:00 a.m. and passed through customs without a hitch. This was, by far, the easiest disembarkation process I have experienced. Less
Published 01/07/10
Cabin review: SY5096 Signature Superior Verandah SuiteSignature Superior Verandah Suite (SY) Reviews >>
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Thanks to Bit Rebels for sharing these images. They are done by Swiss artist and comedian Ursus Wehrli. You can click over to Visual Journalism to see his TED talk from a few years ago. He is coming out with a new book next month called The Art of Clean Up.
It's the end of a busy week and these seem to calm my spirit, ready for the weekend :)


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Hannah Kitchen finished in fourth place at the British Senior Elite Olympic Distance Triathlon Championships in Windsor.
The Rickmansworth based athlete faced off against 27 competitors and started strongly in the swim.
Kitchen had opened up a lead but a navigational error proved costly as Kimberly Bell took advantage and exited the water two seconds in front.
However, Kitchen managed to regain the lead on the transition and worked with Katie Synge to establish an early advantage.
The chasing pack eventually caught the duo and eight athletes went into the final transition together.
On the 10k run Emma Pallant was in top form and opened up a lead. Kitchen's feet began to blister but she maintained her challenge and crossed the line in fifth place in a time of 2.09.00.
Pallant was ineligible for the British title as she is racing under the International Triathlon Union so Kitchen finished fourth in the UK's standings.


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Photodex Discount Code
Here is a Photodex 20% off discount code that will be good for new units or upgrades for both Proshow Web, ProShow Gold and ProShow Producer.
Simply enter this code in online during checkout to get the discount.
Discount Code: P21KNE5R
Last used 23 Aug 2012
If it worked for you, please leave a comment so that others can benefit. Thanks!


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Attempt to repair furnace leads to house fire in Bell
A Bell man's efforts to fix a problematic furnace somehow sparked a fire Tuesday that severely damaged the home that he and his wife had shared for 30 years.
Brian and Tracy Dudley, along with their dog Harley, escaped unharmed from the fire at their home at 234 McDivitt Road, which is off Route 819 in the southern reaches of the township. The fire was reported to Armstrong County 911 at 5:16 p.m.
Brian Dudley said he was working on the old, oil-fired furnace in the center of the home, trying to get it to run, when it caught on fire.
"It's been giving me headaches off and on all winter," he said.
Tracy Dudley said they had just gotten food delivered from Fox's Pizza when the fire started.
"It was such a massive ball of flames from the furnace," she said, sitting in a car to keep warm with Harley, a Pekingese-Maltese mix. "It looked like the whole entire hall was on fire."
Bell fire Chief Steve Master said there was heavy smoke showing when firefighters arrived. The Dudleys were outside.
Master described the home as a trailer conversion, possibly a trailer with an addition. Firefighters went inside and had the fire under control in about 40 minutes, he said.
No firefighters were hurt.
Master described the house as a 60 percent loss, and rendered uninhabitable.
He said half the damage came from the fire, and the rest from firefighters having to tear down the ceiling inside. With temperatures outside hovering around 10 to 12 degrees, Master said firefighters didn't use that much water, only about 3,000 gallons. In addition to water, they also used compressed air foam.
Brian Dudley said they had insurance. They have family in the area, and were considering staying at a hotel. Master said the Red Cross was called to help them.
Tracy Dudley said she ran outside without a coat, but her husband got it for her from a chair in the living room. "It was a good thing it wasn't put away," she said.
That they had just had food delivered made making finding Harley easy — he was in the living room with the food, Tracy Dudley said.
"Nobody had to hunt him down," she said. "He was right there with the food."
Brian C. Rittmeyer is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. He can be reached at 724-226-4701 or email@example.com.


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Eyewitnesses recount Sugumar's final hour
As dusk approached on Jan 23, the body of 40-year-old C Sugumar lay still in the bushes by the road side, his hands bound behind his back.
His faced was covered in custard-yellow-looking powder but appeared peaceful. The youngest son of four siblings was no more.
Just an hour earlier, Sugumar had finished having a drink at a nearby food stall in Taman Sri Nanding, Hulu Langat.
He rode his motorcycle and parked outside a sundry shop along Persiaran Intan. The time was around 5.15pm.
He then walked into the shop and began muttering to himself in Bahasa Minangkabau, a Negri Sembilan dialect.
The shop assistant there paid no heed as the family which runs the sundry shop had become accustomed to Sugumar's eccentric behaviour.
"We all knew that he had mental problems. But even though he is a little crazy, he does not disturb others. He is the warm type and will never fail to greet us," said the 18-year-old youth, who helps out his father who owns the shop.
He was speaking to Malaysiakini yesterday about the events surrounding the most recent case of death in custody that took place in Hulu Langat, Selangor last week.
The shop assistant's 52-year-old father requested the family's names to be withheld. The father expressed concern as some 30 police officers from the Shah Alam Contingent Headquarters descended on their town on Jan 26 to record statements from several people.
"They (police) questioned people, drafted the statements, then asked people to sign them," he said. At this moment, two plainclothes officers were seen taking photographs outside his shop from across the road.
His son explained that after briefly stopping by the shop, Sugumaran walked out and got onto his motorcycle.
'Behaving strangely'
"But then he got off his motorcycle again and slammed his helmet onto the ground. I don't know whether he was angry or he was just doing it on purpose," he said.
Not surprised by Sugumar's strange behaviour, the teenager ignored him and departed after loading his motorcycle with a cooking gas tank for delivery to a customer nearby.
"When I came back to the shop at around 5.30pm, I saw him (Sugumar) across the road," he explained.
Sugumar had moved his motorcycle to the T-junction of Jalan Nilam 1/1, just 50m away from the sundry shop.
There, he had frightened away a Burmese immigrant collecting used metal on a trishaw.
He then retrieved what appeared to be a hammer from the abandoned trishaw and began hitting a 'Stop' sign at the T-junction and also a nearby car.
'He was a good boy'
Despite this behaviour, the shop assistant's father insisted that little damage was done and described Sugumar as a "good boy".
"Yes, he is unstable but he shouldn't need to die like that. What if it were our own son? He was a good boy.
"He always greets me when he sees me. Even when I deliver gas to his family house, he knows I am Muslim and would lead the family dog away," he said.
After the hitting incident, Sugumar, who had a strong build, carried his motorcycle and placed it onto the trishaw's cargo area before pushing it to the intersection of Jalan Nilam 1/1 and Jalan Intan.
There, he took a left turn and proceeded to push the trishaw along the length of houses along Jalan Intan, which was 300m long.
Halfway through, the shop assistant said a police vehicle appeared from behind, at the other end of Jalan Intan. This was when Sugumaran abandoned the trishaw as he was pursued by the police.
It is unclear what happened during the pursuit, but Sugumar is believed to have ran until the end of Jalan Intan into Jalan Nilam where he took a right turn onto the main road, Jalan Hulu Langat.
He crossed the main road and continued running in the direction of Taman Perkasa, at which point a police motorcycle had joined in the chase.
After about 400m, members of the public in the shops along Jalan Lagenda Suria 1, a parallel road adjacent to Jalan Hulu Langat, witnessed the commotion and decided to join in to stop what appeared to be a fleeing criminal.
Directly across the main road of the scene was a bus stop and a KK mart.
'Handcuffed and beaten'
"The police were chasing him (Sugumur), so people may have thought him to be a criminal.
About 15 people then ran across the road (to where they were) and helped restrain him together with the police," said eyewitness T Panirselvam ( right) , 46.
Panir had rushed to the site ( photos below ) from a shophouse Hindu temple behind a Petronas station less than 200m from the incident after he was alerted to it.
"When I arrived, he (Sugumar) was already in handcuffs but the crowd continued to beat him," he said. The time was around 6.15pm.
However, contrary to previous reports, Panirselvam said three police officers were at the scene and only one had joined in the beating with the public.
Asked why Sugumar was still being beaten despite already being in handcuffs, he explained that the victim was still struggling at that time.
"After that another officer rubbed something on his (Sugumar's) face, I didn't know what powder it was then but I later found out it was turmeric powder," he said.
Asked if he was certain this was done by the police, he replied, "Yes, I saw the officer carrying a packet of the powder."
He described this police officer as short, bald and with a potbelly.
However, the reason behind the turmeric powder remains a mystery.
"After that, a third officer came and stepped on the back of his (Sugumar's) neck until he stopped struggling.
"I'm not a doctor to declare him dead, but I think he was no longer alive (at that point)," he said Panirselvam.
Following Suguram's death, the police after a post mortem at Serdang Hospital declared that a blockage in the heart as the cause of death.
However the family was unconvinced and is seeking a second autopsy . They also reject the police's latest statement that an inquest will be held.
They want the suspects arrested and the case be investigated for murder.


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Forums: Index > The Wizengamot archive > Lemon drops
lemon drops
should i start a harry potter wikia page having to do with lemon drops? they have been the password to get into the headmasters office once and Dumbledore seems quite fond of them? and how do you make such a page??? (maybe i should have put this in help) --Meena96 18:26, 29 December 2008 (UTC)
- No, there's no need. The Lemon drop page already exists and redirects to Sherbet lemon. --Cubs Fan2007 (Talk) 18:36, 29 December 2008 (UTC)
thank you. i guess you peoples have thought of everything. --Meena96 18:39, 29 December 2008 (UTC)


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Eat This Not That: Thousands of Simple Food Swaps That Can Save You 10, 20, 30 Pounds-or More!
Handy book that tells you what you can eat at fast food restaurants and save 10-30 pounds. Normally get a banana bran muffin at Starbucks? You might want to have one of their breakfast sandwiches instead if you want less calories.


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Anne Hathaway On For Laggies
With Chloe Grace Moretz & Sam Rockwell
Anne Hathaway has taken her time choosing a follow-up to Les Miserables. Aside from a small role in Joseph Gordon-Levitt's Don Jon, she hadn't lined up any committed acting jobs. But that's changed as she's now making a deal to star with Chloe Grace Moretz and Sam Rockwell in Lynn Shelton's Laggies.
Shelton's latest film finds Megan (Hathaway) as a young woman who refuses to grow up. When her boyfriend (Scott Pilgrim's Mark Webber, assuming he signs) proposes, she freaks out and tells him she's going on a career retreat.
Instead, she hides out for a week with 16 year-old Annika (Moretz), her new bezzie mate, with whom, we assume, she gets into scrapes and japes and dabbles in smoking, or steals a horse. You know, youth stuff.
As for Rockwell, Deadline's report has him playing a guy named Craig in the film, but offers no details beyond that. We're just glad to see him, and hope he gets to dance at some point.
Shelton, who directed Your Sister's Sister, was at Sundance with her latest, Touchy Feely. Hathaway has one other confirmed project in the works, reprising the role of Jewel in Blue Sky's Rio sequel. Moretz is back as Hit-Girl in Kick-Ass 2 (due 19 July) and will then be seen in the new Carrie, out November 29.


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Archive for November, 2010
Moonkin Guides Update: Balance Tier 11
by Sunfyre on Nov.30, 2010, under Cataclysm, Gear Discussion
Now that the Cataclysm database has been merged with the live Wowhead database, I was able to include proper itemlinks for the new Tier 11 gear, and a "Balance Tier 11″ page can be found under "Moonkin Guides" for quick reference.
Gripe of the Week: Shooting Stars, Blizzard
by Sunfyre on Nov.30, 2010, under Gripe of the Week
Special edition: Two part Gripe of the Week!
First off, if you've been following me on Twitter, you'd know I've been leveling a warlock. (The post Shattering level changes are pretty amazing, and leveling is both easy and fun). One of the neat talents that a Destruction Warlock has is [spell]34939[/spell]. Basically you have a chance on melee strike to proc an instant shadow bolt or incinerate. Neat, right?
Here's the even NEATER part. If this procs while you are casting shadow bolt, the current shadow bolt does NOT consume it! Awesome! Now why can't they do that for [spell]93399[/spell]?
Also, I've been all excited and as soon as I saw Lissanna re-tweet that the [item]68619[/item] was available on the US Blizzard Store, I hopped on over there and bought my own little moonkin. Here's the problem. It's my "time of the month". That's right. 11/29 happens to be my "renewal day", and in the eyes of Battle.net, my account is "Pending" and not "Active", which prevents me from doing basically any sort of account maintenance, which includes adding a digital item! I have to wait until Blizzard actually renews my subscription automatically tomorrow for my account to be "Active" again, and add my (already paid for) Moonkin Hatchling!
I will hopefully have a cool screenshot of my new troll druid with his (sigh) Tauren Moonkin Hatchling soon.. as well as another neat screenshot I took.
Question of the Week: Starsurge
by Sunfyre on Nov.27, 2010, under General
What is your highest post 4.0.3a Starsurge crit? Also, note if it was on a buffed target (such as Blood Queen, etc).
My highest standard starsurge crit was 69.8k against Deathbringer Saurfang this week.
Moonkin Guide Revamp
by Sunfyre on Nov.26, 2010, under Cataclysm, Gear Discussion
I've revamped much of the Moonkin Guides, and with The Shattering here, I've removed the Cataclysm preview pages.
Pages to note:
I've created a Moonkin Pre-Raid BiS Gear list, as well as updated the Rating Values for level 85.
Happy Thanksgiving!
by Sunfyre on Nov.24, 2010, under General
Greetings from 30,000 feet!
I'm currently flapping my wings, (okay, not really, cramped in a coach seat on a Delta flight) back home for the holidays. I hope you all have a great holiday weekend.
On another note, thank you for all the support, comments, and visits! As of today, the Nest has received over 200,000 page views!
Mounting from Moonkin Form
by Sunfyre on Nov.24, 2010, under Cataclysm, General
There's currently a bug or a "feature" that prevents mounting directly from moonkin form.
To circumvent this, a simple macro may be used. Here's the one I use:
#showtooltip/cancelaura Moonkin Form/cast Crusader's Black Warhorse
Update: Chaotic Skyflare Diamond
by Sunfyre on Nov.23, 2010, under Cataclysm
Shout out to @gage006 who tipped me off to this:
"The current design has been reconsidered, so we're planning to revert gems that now require more blue than red gems back to their original requirements. Such a change can't be accomplished via a hotfix though, so we'll have to wait to revert these in a future patch."
4.0.3a is live today! Who let the Trolls out?
by Sunfyre on Nov.23, 2010, under Cataclysm, General
As I'm sure you're already aware, 4.0.3a is live today! For instant notification of when Race Changes will be available, follow me @SunfyresNest on Twitter!
Also: With the change to the meta requirements for the [Chaotic Skyflare Diamond], you may want to consider the [Bracing Earthsiege Diamond].
4.0.3a live this week: New PVP change!
by Sunfyre on Nov.22, 2010, under Cataclysm, PVP Discussion
While the other changes I announced did not make the patch notes (they were in previous beta builds that got rolled into 4.0.3a), the following change was made to the 4pc PVP set.
- PvP set bonus redesigned. While not in an Eclipse state, critical attacks against the druid restore 5 Solar or 7 Lunar energy, whichever is more beneficial. This effect can only occur once every 6 seconds.
I must admit I'm a bit underwhelmed. 5 Solar or 7 Lunar energy every 6 seconds? That's really not enough.
Personally, they need to somehow make a glyph, or an ability, that allows you to instantly proc an Eclipse. Give it .. say, a 3 minute cooldown. Even a 5 minute cooldown. You just need it once in arena.
Also, give me threat reduction on barkskin. Thanks.
Warning! Danger, Will Robinson! Faded Wizard Hat!
by Sunfyre on Nov.21, 2010, under Cataclysm
***If you plan on obtaining the Faded Wizard Hat, and you plan on race changing, make sure you race change first. When I race changed from Troll to Tauren, (and then back to Troll), I lost the Faded Wizard Hat. Most likely because it was a Quest Item***.


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Melese's Departure: A Watershed Moment for the Democratization of Ethiopia
Melese's Departure: A Watershed Moment for the Democratization of Ethiopia By Fereda Molla
August 18th, 2012 Print Email
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It has now been almost two months since Ethiopia's strongman Melese Zenawi has disappeared from office. Despite the government's obfuscation and theatrics to hide the truth from the public, Melese is either incapacitated or dead. If he were in a better state, a short audio or video message from him or a statement from his doctors would have calmed things down. In the absence of such evidence and with the passing of each day, the chances of his returning to office in his former self is diminishing fast. Ethiopians of all stripes and persuasions would be well-advised to think through the consequences of his departure and engage in the deliberations that are necessary to bring back the country on to the democratic path it once started and to embark on the long arduous process of healing the wounds that have been festering for far too long.
The first step is to recognize that with Melese's possible departure Ethiopia has experienced a monumental political shift and that it is already in a transition to an era without him. Those controlling state power within the minority TPLF/EPRDF are busy scheming behind closed doors on how to perpetuate the incorrigible system that is benefiting them to the detriment of the large majority of Ethiopians. It behooves those in control and the powerbrokers around them to recognize that the system is unlikely to survive without Melese. This is simply because the TPLF/EPRDF, despite assertions to the contrary, has been a one-man show hinged on the extraordinary talents (though mostly used for the wrong purposes), intrigue and strategy of Melese as well as due to the external stature he assiduously built for himself. Even if Melese was to miraculously return, the status quo is unsustainable because the system is irreparably broken and reform is way overdue on its own merits.
Let us face it, Melese was the best ideologue, CEO and salesman that the TPLF/EPRDF ever produced, and there is no one in sight within the party's hierarchy to replace him and maintain TPLF's/EPRDF's dominance and perpetuate the system ad infinitum. Melese outwitted longtime guerrilla colleagues and serious contenders in the TPLF and emerged as the uncontested supreme leader of the TPLF/EPRDF using his shrewdness, street smarts, and decisiveness. He used Machiavellian divide-and-rule tactics and brute force to emasculate and eviscerate the opposition. He used similar underhand tactics to decimate the budding civil society and free press, which are so critical to building an accountable, democratic system.
As is always the case with dictatorships, the TPLF has no heir apparent to guide the TPLF/EPRDF ship in treacherous waters ahead. Confused and in fear of losing power, the party has resorted at what it knows best — scheming in reclusion and away from public scrutiny. This demonstrates that the TPLF has no succession plan and there is no singular figure that members and supporters could easily coalesce around and continue business as usual. Melese indeed had the potential and the historic opportunity to unify the country and put a system in place that could have survived his demise. But that was not meant to be. Sooner or later history will render its verdict on his legacy, but Melese was shackled by engrained personal hatred for the history of Ethiopia and strong prejudice against those outside of his ethnicity to emerge as a visionary unifying leader for all Ethiopians. His dogged championship of parochial ethnic/tribal dogma in a multiethnic and multi-religious society and intolerance to descent impeded what he could have accomplished by way of charting a democratic course for Ethiopia and attaining that rare coveted place for himself in the country's history.
Melese used his charm, wit, and intellectual prows to ingratiate himself to the West as a pragmatic and visionary leader with a penchant for crushing descent. He further solidified his indispensability to the West by presenting himself as a staunch ally in the fight against terrorism, promoting continental peace through regional interventions, and by producing a measure of economic success. Melese was extraordinary at glossing over the party's misdeeds at home and trumpeting its perceived successes abroad. He infatuated quite a few Western leaders and thinkers alike by lucidly expounding the theories of economic development, the impacts of global warming, and the need for food security. He marshaled his cadres and sacrificed quality to achieve some of the benchmarks for the Millennium Development Goals in health, education, and poverty alleviation. The West loved it, leading to their often heard refrain – that although Melese was an autocrat he made inroads in the fight against poverty in a difficult neighborhood. And more importantly they saw no viable alternative to him either within the party or outside.
Melese had such an uncanny ability to read the minds of his supporters and foes alike. He was almost certain where the priorities of the West were when it comes to choosing between vital interests and human rights. How else would you explain his committing of reprehensible atrocities at home and immediately thereafter appearing on the world stage and lecturing the world about the virtues of good governance, democratic principles, and development? For example, following elections-related unrest in 2005, Melese declared a state of emergency and took command of security forces that killed around 200 and arrested tens of thousands of people, and shortly thereafter, appeared at a G-20 submit in Gleneagles, Scotland and basked in the glow light of the forum without flinching an eye or displaying any remorse.
Melese routinely denied food aid to non-supporters and was invited as a worthy contemporary to a world summit on food security. He arrested or exiled independent Ethiopian journalist and received largely glowing reviews in the international media about how he was changing the country for the better. His Western patrons knew of his crimes, but sadly chose not only to look the other way but showered him with accolades, diplomatic and financial support. Firmly in control at home and perceived as an indispensable ally abroad, Melese became the critical conduit for Western largess flowing to the coffers of the TPLF/EPRDF. In Melese's time, Western aide skyrocketed from a few hundred million U.S. dollars to over $4 billion a year.
At the same time, Melese artfully cultivated ties with emerging power China and managed to secure significant loans and infrastructure support for projects at home. Melese firmly controlled a large and disciplined armed and security forces, giving him almost total control at home and allowing him to play influential role in the region. Despite well-documented repressions at home, the flow of aid, economic assistance, and political and diplomatic support continued unabated for over two decades, making his government the powerhouse of the Horn of Africa. Given Melese's relative youth (only 57 years old) and lack of any threat to his grip on power, many supporters at home and abroad concluded and banked on his staying at the helm for the foreseeable future. No wonder Melese was emboldened and tightened the leash even further, shattering completely the door for a negotiated reform. But the assumption that Melese would be around for a long time is now in serious jeopardy and many are in no doubt scrambling to maintain their influence and/or privileged status by somehow maintaining the status quo.
Granted Melese lately talked about retiring from politics in 2015 but no one took that seriously. Most suspected he were likely to try what Valdimir Putin did in Russia – putting a trusted and malleable underling in power and then resurfacing at the helm reinvigorated after a term or two. That is why his permanent exit should be seen as an omen and a watershed point in Ethiopia's quest for democratization.
As said before, the problem for the TPLF/EPRDF is that there is no viable successor of Melese's conniving caliber and intrigue to manage the ship at a time when domestic politics is boiling up and outside challenges remain as critical as ever. Without such a figure, the party is unlikely to keep the lid on the festering domestic discontent while at the same time maintaining the flow of aid, economic development assistance, and foreign investment so critical to maintaining the system in place. Given this reality, the pragmatists within the party could be persuaded to vote for desperately needed reforms. Most importantly the pressure for such reforms should come from the opposition as well as from the public. But equally the pressure should also come from the party's rank and file. Simply parroting the official line in complete denial of the negative consequences of a corrupt one-party system is untenable and in the long-term a recipe for the disintegration of the party as we know it today. In the eye of the Ethiopian public, voting for reform could be the single most important accomplishment progressives within the party could achieve at this critical point in Ethiopia's history. Given the complex reality and the stakes at hand, it is imperative for Ethiopians to conduct a sober assessment of the current situation as well as the interests of the various groups vying for influence and develop a viable practical course for the future.
The view from the Inside
The domestic situation is rife with tensions, including rising inflation, daily violations of human rights, rising youth unemployment/underemployment, rampant corruption and nepotism, lingering resentment against a minority system, religious interference, and the winds of the Arab Spring and the palpable awakening they have engendered within the public (the ongoing Muslims' quest to assert their religious freedom is perhaps the most visible sign). Melese's possible sudden departure and the political uncertainty it has created is likely to dampen business activities and foreign investment. There are low-level insurgencies in the Ogden, Oromia, and Amhara regions. On top of these, Ethiopia is always a single missed rainy season away from the next natural disaster. These are not good signs of a rather stable country. One hopes a responsible leadership would work to use the historic opportunity at hand to introduce needed reforms and to defuse and/or tackle these tensions/challenges.
The opposition is not free from the blame. It is fragmented and disorganized, lacks a coherent alternative vision, and needs to restore its shattered credibility with the Ethiopian people. It should first put its house in order and must be flexible to work with the TPLF/EPRDF to create a better Ethiopia for all. It should acknowledge the good work that has been accomplished by the TPLF/EPRDF, especially in the economic front and desist from witch-hunting their opponents in the ruling party. Of course, those that have abused power and committed gross human rights violations and amassed fortunes through corrupt practices should face charges at the appropriate time.
External Factors
Melese reportedly is half-Eritrean and rightly or wrongly is perceived as an Eritrean stooge. He has championed and fought for Eritrea's separation. He has authored a book justifying the Eritrean cause and glorifying its struggle for independence. He (his party) has provided critical material support for Eritrea's secession. He has glowed in intoxicating public celebration when Eritrea finally seceded. He is accused of policies favoring Eritrean nationals after separation. Add to these the unresolved border conflict with Eritrea, relations with that country post-Melese is going to be tricky. Understandably, many Eritreans and their sympathizers within the TPLF/EPRDF are nervous about what could follow next.
Relations with Sudan and South Sudan are going to be tricky as well. The TPLF/EPRDF, during its guerilla days, enjoyed Sudan's hospitality and support. Sudan allowed TPLF/EPRDF safe heaven as well as critical supply lines to defeat the Mengistu regime. Mengistu returned the favor by supporting South Sudan against the North. Melese has paid back Sudan handsomely by ceding fertile sovereign Ethiopian territory to the latter and by refusing to execute an International Criminal Court arrest warrant against Omar Al Bashir for his alleged crimes against humanity. Melese no doubt did not also want to help set the precedent by arresting Al Bashir as himself may have faced similar charges on account of atrocities he reportedly committed in the Gambela, Ogaden, Oromia, and Addis Ababa. Sudan and South Sudan will no doubt be watching closely as Ethiopia has also helped broker peace between them and has a committed peacekeeping force separating the two foes on the ground.
Egypt would also be worried due to its interest in the waters of the Nile and the threat of an emerging power in the region. However, it is consumed with its own internal strife to pause a serious threat at this point. Kenya in the south would also be watching as any instability in Ethiopia could have negative repercussions in terms of security in its border region and the flow refugees. The unstable situation in Somalia and the serious extremist threat emanating from there has to also be looked at very carefully and kept in check no matter what form of government emerges in Ethiopia after Melese.
The way Forward
No doubt, Ethiopia is slowly moving into the grips of a crisis and it is up to the incumbent TPLF/EPRDF and the opposition to break that grip by starting the difficult but arduous journey of reconciliation and healing that Ethiopia so desperately needs. This would require the will and determination to transcend narrow ethnic, religious and/or regional differences by leaders and the courage to forge a brighter future for all. Ethiopians need to reform the one-party system instituted by Melese, which is inimical for a diverse country such as Ethiopia, and replace it with a genuine multiparty system. The West also needs to make a paradigm shift and support efforts toward genuine reform. In the long term, the West's best interest is advanced by helping build democratic institutions and by fostering lasting friendship with the people of Ethiopia. The most important role the West could help at this juncture is by applying a concerted and meaningful pressure on the TPLF/EPRDF to open up the closed political space and to suspend the assault on the opposition, the press, civil society, and the rule of law. Given the ethnic venom and hatred that has purposefully and irresponsibly been spewed for the last 21 years (recall Meles's Interahamwe speech after he lost the elections in 2005), especial care should be given not to fan inter-ethnic or religious animosity among the people. Ethnic or religious demagogues should have no place in today's Ethiopia.
Once again, given the quagmire the country finds itself in and significant risks ahead, the best solution is for the TPLF/EPRDF and the opposition to find a common ground in building a shared peaceful, equitable and fair future for all Ethiopians. The incumbent TPLF/EPRDF party, in the interest of the country and its own future, should come out and inform the Ethiopian people on the true health status of Prime Minster Melese Zenawi and end the wild speculations; release all political prisoners and journalists; stop interference in religious affairs; suspend the stifling societies and charities laws; and cease inappropriately applying the anti-terrorism law to suppress press freedom and political descent. Taking such steps requires confidence and has risks but the alternative is too grim to contemplate. Only open, honest, and forward looking deliberations would make redemption possible for all.
Will the TPLF/EPRDF and the opposition rise to the occasion and answer the call of the people for freedom, justice and equality this time around? Only time will tell, but let us all do our part by nudging, supporting, and pushing them to do the right thing at this historic moment in our history!!!
God Bless Ethiopia!
PS: As I concluded this writing this morning, I heard a news report announcing the death of Abune Paulos, the patriarch of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church. He was a core supporter of Melese and the ruling party. The demise of the patriarch is likely going to create another headache for the TPLF/EPRDF and further complicate matters. The timing is particularly noteworthy and one wonders if there is indeed a divine intervention at work in Ethiopia these days.


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RICHARD de Carpentier was always confident his Warriors trial would work — and now he will be going hammer and tongs to nail down a regular place in the side.
The former Leicester Tigers number eight was invited to train with Worcester at the beginning of October and has impressed the Sixways coaching staff to such a degree he has been handed a contract until the end of the season.
The 22-year-old ex-England Students captain, who has also played sevens at international level, will start tomorrow's LV= Cup opener against the Scarlets at Sixways and is eager to show Warriors were right to give him a deal.
"I'm very happy to sort my future out and sign the deal at Warriors," de Carpentier said. "It was a tough month and it was all about me getting my head down and working hard, so I'm happy to get the reward at the end.
"I've had one game in the Aviva 'A' League to show what I could do in match action, most of it has been on the training field, showing the right attitude and trying to let the coaches know what I am capable of.
"I guess there is an added pressure in that with not having any first team exposure, but I have enjoyed knowing I had that month to do it and really putting everything I have into sessions.
"I've felt like I have fitted in quickly and the boys have been great in showing me around and settling me in. I've had a couple of late tackles from Percy (James Percival), but I guess that is part of the induction process here!"
Meanwhile, de Carpentier says he has relished working with the Warriors coaching team, particularly forwards chief Nigel Redman.
He continued: "I've really enjoyed working with Nigel, he has been really good with me and helped me out with the line-outs and let me run a few defence sessions.
"I'd never met Nigel before but he has backed me and is a really good coach. Everyone rates him highly and we know he will get the pack of forwards here really firing."
De Carpentier added: "My first game at Sixways for the first team will be special.
"I've settled into the area and have a flat with the missus. She is already spending all the money I don't have, but seriously it's great that we can put roots down here now and I can look to be a success at Warriors.
"Running out tomorrow will be something that stays with me. A win over the Scarlets would be ideal and I will be doing everything I can to give a good impression of myself to all the fans."