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Our Members
The New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC) Coalition is a national membership organization founded in 1998 to advocate on behalf of the NMTC program. The Coalition is managed by Rapoza Associates, a public interest lobbying, policy analysis and government relations firm located in Washington, DC that specializes in providing comprehensive legislative and support services to community development organizations, associations and public agencies. Advanced CapAccess Advantage Capital Affirmative Investments, Inc. (Wainwright Bank & Trust Company) Affordable Equity Partners Alaska Growth Capital AMCREF Community Capital Applegate & Thorne-Thomsen Ariel Ventures, LLC Atlanta Emerging Markets, Inc. Baker Tilly Ballard Spahr LLP Bank of America Beech Capital Venture Corporation Bocarsly Emden Cowan Esmail & Arndt LLP Boston Community Capital Breckenridge Consulting Services, Inc. Bridgeway Capital, Inc. Bryan Cave LLP Building America CDE, Inc. Butler Snow California Statewide Communities Development Corporation (CSCDC) Capital Impact Partners Capital Link, Inc. Capital One Capital Trust Agency CDE, LLC CEI Capital Management LLC Central Bank of Kansas City Central Valley NMTC Chase Chicago Community Loan Fund Chicago Neighborhood initiatives, Inc. Chickasaw Nation Community Development Endeavor LLC Cincinnati Development Fund Cinnaire City of Dallas/Dallas Development Fund Civic San Diego Clearinghouse Community Development Financial Institution Cleveland Development Advisors CoBank CohnReznick LLP Colorado Growth and Revitalization Fund (CHFA) Commonwealth Cornerstone Group Community Affordable Housing Equity Corporation Community Development Finance Alliance Community Loan Fund of New Jersey Community Reinvestment Fund Community Ventures Corporation Corporation For Supportive Housing (CSH) Craft3 Crenshaw, Ware & Martin, P.L.C. Dakotas America Dayton Region New Market Fund DC Housing Enterprises Dentons Development Fund of the Western Reserve Dinsmore & Shohl LLP Dudley Ventures Enhanced Capital Partners Enterprise Community Investment, Inc. Enterprise Financial CDE, LLC Excellent Education Development Fifth Third Bank First-Ring Industrial Redevelopment Enterprises (FIRE) Florida Community Loan Fund Forward Community Investments Future Unlimited Law PC Genesis LA CDE, LLC Ginsberg Jacobs LLC Greenline Ventures Greenville New Markets Opportunity Habitat for Humanity International Hampton Roads Ventures, LLC HCDG, LLC Heartland Renaissance Fund Holland & Knight Honigman Miller Hope Enterprise Corporation Housing Vermont IFF Invest Detroit CDE Iowa Business Growth Company Jones Walker LLP Kennedy Sutherland LLP Kutak Rock LLP Lathrop & Gage LLP LISC Los Angeles Development Fund Low Income Investment Fund M&S Development LLC Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP Mark Foster Law Office Massachusetts Housing Investment Corporation MassDevelopment Maynard, Cooper & Gale P.C. MBE Urban Initiatives CDE, LLC (McCormack Baron Salazar, Inc.) McManimon, Scotland & Baumann, LLC Metafund Corporation Midwest Minnesota Community Development Corporation Milwaukee Economic Development Corporation MoFi MuniStrategies National Alliance for Public Charter Schools National Cooperative Bank National Development Council National New Markets Fund, LLC National Trust Community Investment Corporation Nelson & Nelson PLLC New Markets Redevelopment, LLC New Mexico Finance Authority Nixon Peabody, LLP NJ Redevelopment Authority Nolan Sheehan Patten LLP Nonprofit Finance Fund Northern CA Comm. Loan Fund Northwest Side Community Development Corporation Novogradac & Company, LLP Ohio Community Development Finance Fund Opportunity Finance Network Opportunity Fund People Incorporated Financial Services Phoenix Community Development & Investment Corporation PIDC Community Capital Corp. Pierce Atwood LLP Pittsburgh Urban Initiatives, LLC Plante & Moran, PLLC PNC Financial Services Group Primary Care Development Corporation Raza Development Fund River Gorge Capital/AKA Bright Bridge Rock Island Economic Growth Corporation Rockland Trust Company Rural Development Partners Rural Enterprises of Oklahoma, Inc. Ryan LLC S. B. Friedman & Company Self-Help Smith NMTC Associates, LLC Squire, Sanders & Dempsey, LLP St. Louis Econimic Development Partnership Stinson Leonard Street LLP Stonehenge Community Development, LLC SunTrust Community Capital LLC T. Brown Consulting Group, LLc TD Bank TELACU Texas Mezzanine Fund The Community Builders, Inc. The Housing Partnership Network The HWH Group The Reinvestment Fund Inc. The Valued Advisor Fund Travois New Markets, LLC Trufund Financial Services, Inc. U.S. Bancorp Community Development Corporation United Fund Advisors Uptown Consortium, Inc. Urban Action Community Development LLC Wells Fargo Community Lending and Investment WesBanco Bank, Inc. Wisconsin Housing and Economic Dev. Authority


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That's it.
I found the best dive bar in Nijmegen. It took me a while, but finally I found it.
To find the best dive bar in a city is like to find your partner, you know right away that he/she is the one. At least temporarily.
This place really looks like the Silhouette Lounge in Allston. Smokey, crappy, with a bartender who seems some sort of alien from Men in Black.
Yesterday with some friends we played darts there for a few hours.

subset: commoncrawl


text: On Sun, Apr 27, 2008 at 09:18:25PM +1200, Craig Whitmore wrote: > I am using vlc which uses ffmpeg for the FLV muxing and my source is > samplerate 48K but the flvenc.c only allows 44.1K. > > Since flash 126.96.36.199? you should be able to use any samplerate so I > tested it and allowed in flvenc.c a 48K sample rate to be used and it > works fine now. My Audio no longer is low pitched (what happens when you > go from 48K -> 44.1K and it seems to work 100% when I stream to > flowplayer and other flv players. > > should flvenc.c be changed to allow any samplerate? Upload the spec that specifies how other samplerates are to be muxed. Or provide us with a url where we can download the spec. [...] -- Michael GnuPG fingerprint: 9FF2128B147EF6730BADF133611EC787040B0FAB Dictatorship naturally arises out of democracy, and the most aggravated form of tyranny and slavery out of the most extreme liberty. -- Plato -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: application/pgp-signature Size: 189 bytes Desc: Digital signature URL: <http://lists.mplayerhq.hu/pipermail/ffmpeg-devel/attachments/20080427/3d60222a/attachment.pgp>


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About LeChase Construction Services, LLC
Established in 1944, LeChase prides itself on offering the capabilities of a large firm while maintaining the personalized service of a small firm. Now in its 75th year, the company ranks among the nation's top contractors – providing general construction and construction management services in a wide range of industries and on projects of all sizes. With a team of more than 750 talented professionals striving to deliver excellence, the firm has earned a reputation for quality, safety and integrity and has doubled its annual revenue over the past decade. In addition to operations across New York State and in North Carolina, LeChase can provide resources to meet the unique needs of clients no matter where they are located.
© 2019 LeChase Construction Services, LLC.
All rights reserved.


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State of Tobacco Control 2019:
Proven Policies to Prevent and Reduce Tobacco Use
Did YOUR state make the grade?
State of Tobacco Control
The 17th annual American Lung Association "State of Tobacco Control" report evaluates states and the federal government on the proven-effective tobacco control laws and policies necessary to save lives. The report serves as a blueprint for what state and federal leaders must do to eliminate the death and disease caused by tobacco use. This year's report focuses on the failure of states and the federal government to act to fight tobacco use, and the consequences of this, including an epidemic of youth e-cigarette use.
Did YOUR state make the grade?
Key Findings
Read the executive summary to learn about how the failure of states and the federal government to act are placing the lung health and lives of Americans at risk.Learn more
State Grades
Grades for state report cards are based on five areas that have been proven to prevent and reduce tobacco use and save lives.Learn more
Federal Grades
The federal government is graded in four key areas where federal policymakers must take action to prevent and reduce tobacco use and save lives.Learn more
By the Numbers
See lists of the impacts from tobacco use and secondhand smoke, from 10 of the worst diseases smoking causes to the most appalling facts about tobacco, including e-cigarette, company misdeeds.Learn more
For the Media
Journalists can access press releases, experts available for interview, b-roll, the full "State of Tobacco Control" report and more.Learn more
Help Fight Tobacco Use
Join our efforts to eliminate tobacco-caused death and disease. By taking action to prevent and reduce tobacco use in your state, you are standing with the American Lung Association to advance the fight against lung disease.Take Action
Tobacco Facts
Get key stats and facts about tobacco use and tobacco control policies.Learn more
Tobacco Control Milestones
View some of our victories and milestones in the American Lung Association's and our country's efforts to fight tobacco use.Learn more


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New Airbus Daytrip CalendarPosted On: 06/01/2014
Hello Travelers!
In the summertime, when the weather is fine, you can stretch right up and touch the sky.
- Mungo Jerry
And how true it is in Santa Barbara! It's no wonder the song about the carefree days of summer is one of the best-selling musical singles of all time. I hope you are able to appreciate and enjoy the beautiful days of summer we have in front of us. There's no better time for adventure and travel! And in that spirit, I am excited to present our New Calendar of Daytrips & Adventures!
We have some great offerings this summer and fall. Summer is the perfect time to catch a baseball game, and the Airbus has a full schedule of Dodger games through the rest of the season. We do have a few seats left to see Jersey Boys at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts. We don't have many tickets left. And don't forget about our trip out to the International Balloon Fiesta in Albuquerque in October. You must sign up soon.
Click here to view our new trips or see the links below. You can also visit our website at www.sbairbus.com. If you have any problems, give me a call or send me an email. Thanks everyone - we'll see you on an adventure soon.


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Music Sensation Mister Malachi Talks About Life and Success
Thanks for joining our business blog here in the United States. Where we talk to startups and established businesses. Our blog is completely organic and we have a very loyal following.
In the beginning:
Q: Please tell our readers about what got you started and what keeps you striving for more?
A. What got me started is just listening to music all the time and knowing that I love to do it what keeps me the most motivated to strive for more juice. Always feel like I can be some great in life but I really only see that happening with music so I have to make it.
Q. Everyone has life lessons we change from. What is one of the biggest challenges you've faced and how did you overcome it?
A. I can't really say which they specifically was like something that I had to overcome that really changed my life but I mean I would say more than anything you has to be the most recent which one's the incarceration for 12 years that time gave me time to mow my craft as far as music become a musician learn how to play the guitar I learn a lot of things about people so it puts me in a great position to make it succeed and not be one of those people who believe that they have to take care of everybody around them because people most definitely didn't take care of me when I needed them so it's all about myself right now you know in my in my family you know the family that I chose so it's it.
Q. If you can perform anywhere in the world, with anyone, who would it be and where?
A. If I can perform anywhere in the world in with who I would like to perform with Dru Hill I don't even know where I say like London or something like always wanted to go to London so yeah I will say with Dru Hill in the biggest venue in London
Q. What advice would you give yourself as a kid?
A. The advice I would give myself as a kid would be to stay in school learn everything that I can about music theory learn as many instruments as possible when I was in my room doing nothing instead of hanging out with the wrong people just be doing music and to not be a follower not feel the need to be accepted by anyone or anything but myself
Q. Tells us about your products, and the services you offer. Include social media.
A.My products well right now I got a project soon-to-be-released hopefully soon call guitars and bars this is my first project my career was put on hold for 12 years and I just was released from prison April 27th 2017 so you know how short of a time it is to try to get a career jumped off what I offer as an artist is number one The Listener to have multiple different aspects in different sounds when they hear my music there will be a lot of music that you know you would think starting out that is R&B and then you think like all this is hip hop but then you can hear it being played on the different type of radio station so I offer versatility and its highest form I also write songs so I am aspiring to be a songwriter as well and not can write about anything give me a Melody Beat song topic and I can write that the ways to view some of my material is by visiting prophetofrb.com you can connect with me on facebook @ Malachi Allen I'm also on SoundCloud @ Mister Malachi, I do appreciate you guys taking the time and having us on your business network. It's been a pleasure.


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- Main article: Spells (Morrowind)
Great Feather is an Alteration spell in The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind that temporarily decreases the caster's Encumbrance, resulting in a slower loss of Fatigue and an increased capacity to carry items.
- Feather – 100 less for 10 seconds on self.
The following people use and/or sell this spell:
Great Feather can be purchased from the following spell merchants:
* This person provides services to faction members only. A sufficient rank may be required.
See alsoEdit
Community content is available under CC-BY-SA unless otherwise noted.


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Segmentation and reassembly
This article does not cite any sources. (December 2009) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)
Segmentation and reassembly (SAR) is the process used to fragment and reassemble variable length packets into fixed length cells so as to allow them to be transported across asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) networks or other cell based infrastructures. Since ATM's payload is only 48 bytes, nearly every packet from any other protocol has to be processed in this way. Thus, it is an essential process for any ATM node. It is usually handled by a dedicated chip, called the SAR.
The process is conceptually simple: an incoming packet from another protocol to be transmitted across the ATM network is chopped up into segments that fit into 48-byte chunks carried as ATM cell payloads. At the far end, these chunks are fitted back together to reconstitute the original packet.
The process is analogous to the fragmentation of IP packets on reaching an interface with a maximum transmission unit (MTU) less than the packet size and the subsequent reassembly of the original packet once the fragments have reached the original packet's destination.
Since different types of data are encapsulated in different ways, the details of the segmentation process vary according to the type of data being handled. There are several different schemes, referred to as ATM adaptation layers (AAL). The schemes are:
- AAL0 – Raw cells with no special format
- AAL1 – Constant bitrate, circuit emulation (T1, E1, etc.)
- AAL2 – Variable bitrate synchronous traffic, eous traffic, e.g. Frame Relay transport
- AAL5 – Used for most data traffic, such as IP


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Frank L. Madla Early College High School Sophomore, Mireina Ramirez was featured on KSAT12 on September 16, 2015. She spoke with KSAT news reporter, Stephanie Serna, about the importance of college access and the upcoming Community College Fair. Go Lobos! #ksatnews
http://newfrontierspublicschools.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/ECHS_student_ksat124.jpg 635 958 wpengine http://newfrontierscharter.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/Rebrand-Logo-NFCS-Public-Schools-LOGO-300x121.png wpengine2015-09-16 20:22:262016-09-09 14:30:22Frank L. Madla ECHS on KSAT 12


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Soma Institute-The National School of Clinical Massage Therapy 55 E. Jackson Boulevard - Ste 300 Chicago, IL 60604 Phone: (312) 939-2723
General Information About Soma Institute-The National School of Clinical Massage Therapy
The Soma Institute is committed to excellent teaching and to the personal and intellectual growth of its students. We are continually building on our mission to promote innovation in massage therapy education and clinical practice. Soma is dedicated to preparing clinical massage therapists who will be successful practitioners providing exemplary health care and demonstrating commitment to lifelong learning and community service.
Institutional statistical data was gathered from the U.S. Department of Education - Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics, 2009-2010.
Institution Type
- 2-year, Private for-profit
Special Learning Opportunities
- Weekend/evening college
Student Services
- Remedial services
- Academic/career counseling service
- Placement services for completers
Religious Affiliation
- Not applicable
Federal Aid
- Eligible students may receive Pell Grants and other federal aid (e.g. Direct Loans).
Degrees/Certificates offered
- Less than 1 year certificate
- 1-2 years certificate
Campus Setting
- City: Large
Disability Services Student
- 3% or Less
Admission Total Applicants
Student Demographics Total Enrolled 571 Native American 1.0 Asian 16.0 African American 153.0 Hispanic 98.0 Enrolled FullTime Undergraduates Enrolled FullTime Graduates


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Everything Parents Need to Know About Taxes
Don't put off filing taxes. Try these suggestions for getting the most out of deductions that parents can take.
You probably have a to-do list the length of the Constitution.
And, speaking of Uncle Sam, one of the things that probably keeps getting bumped down the list is your taxes.
We're here to help. When it comes to your taxes, LearnVest has you covered with
- a five-day Ace Your Taxes Boot Camp (it's free and you get a free tax filing package from H&R Block for subscribing!)
- a Tax Center chock-full of information
- a story on the 10 tax must-knows (see Resources, below)
We'll share some of the most crucial tax information relevant to parents, including what you need to know to get all the credits and deductions you deserve in your exalted position of Mom. Then you can get your taxes done and turn your attention back to the fun things, like planning family game night.
More LearnVest.com Resources
Which Status to Take
If your child is living with you and you are taking care of him financially, you'll never want to file as single (which has the fewest tax benefits), even if you're a single parent. You should file as "head of household" or as a qualifying widow, two statuses that recognize the financial and emotional support you're giving your child. If you're married, you should file as married filing jointly or married filing separately. Find out which filing status is for you by checking out our flow chart (see Resources, below).
More LearnVest.com Resources
Which Exemptions You Get
Each exemption you qualify for means a lower tax bill. If you have any children under 19 (including stepchildren and legally adopted children) living with you, you most likely can take an exemption for each of them, along with your spouse and yourself. If your child was permanently and totally disabled at any time during the year, she should be claimed as your dependent, regardless of her age.
Of course, the IRS wants to know that your kids are actually dependent on you. So you cannot claim your child as a dependent if:
- Your child is over 19 and not a full-time student
- Your child is age 24 or older at the end of the tax year
- Your child provided more than half of her own support
- Your child didn't live with you for half the year (except in cases of illness, education, business, vacation, or military services, or the child was born or died during the year)
- You're separated or divorced, and your child spends more time at your ex-spouse's home. Learn more about this at the IRS Web site (http://www.irs.gov/faqs/faq/0,,id=199708,00.html)
Find out what other tax exemptions you qualify for, see below.
More Related Features:
- Understanding Taxes, If You're a Parent
- Checklist: Insurance, Taxes, and Wills
- Organize Family Finances: Sign Up for a 10-Day Budget Bootcamp
Which Credits You Could Get
If You Have a Child or Children Under Age 17...
You could claim the Child Tax Credit, which can reduce your taxes by up to $1,000 per child. If the amount of your Child Tax Credit is greater than the amount of income tax you owe, you may be able to claim the Additional Child Tax Credit, which will refund you the difference even if you don't pay any taxes.
To claim the Child Tax Credit, your answer must be "yes" to all of these questions:
- Was your child 16 years old or younger as of December 31, 2011?
- Did you provide more than half of his support?
- Did he live with you for more than half of 2011?
- Was your adjusted gross income (AGI) less than $75,000 if you're an individual, less than $55,000 if you're married filing separately, or less than $110,000 if you're married filing jointly? (If this is the only "no" from the questions above, consult a tax advisor. You may still qualify for a portion of the credit! The credit is reduced by $50 for each $1,000 that the taxpayer's AGI exceeds these thresholds.)
If the answer to all of these questions is "yes," you can take the Child Tax Credit.
If Your Child Is a Student or Taking Classes...
You could claim either the American Opportunity Credit or the Lifetime Learning Credit.
Education credits are claimed on the IRS form 8863 (www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f8863.pdf). It's important to note that you cannot claim the Lifetime Learning Credit and the American Opportunity Credit for the same student, even if she qualifies for both. What you can do is mix and match credits if you're paying for more than one student, choosing one credit for one, another credit for the other, and then switch the next year.
If you're choosing between the two, we suggest taking the American Opportunity Credit. With it you can claim more expenses, and the credit can go up to $500 higher. Read more about how to get these credits.
More LearnVest.com Resources
If You Had a Caretaker for Your Child?
You could claim the Child and Dependent Care Credit. You can claim this credit if you paid someone to care for your child under 13, or your spouse or dependent who was physically or mentally incapable of caring for themselves. You'll have to provide the taxpayer ID of the care provider. You can take the credit if:
- You're married and filing jointly with your spouse
- You (and your spouse, if married) were either looking for work, earning an income, or a full-time student for five or more months of the year (meaning, if you were hanging out at the house, you can't deduct the price of a caretaker)
- The dependent for which you paid for care lived with you for more than half the year
You cannot take the credit if:
- The care provider was someone you or your spouse can claim as a dependent
- The payment for the care was made to your spouse or the parent of the child
If You Adopted a Child
You can claim an adoption credit for up to $13,360 in adoption-related expenses, including:
- Reasonable and necessary adoption fees
- Court costs
- Attorney fees
- Traveling expenses (including amounts spent for meals and lodging while away from home)
- Other expenses that are directly related to adoption
To claim the credit, you need to file jointly with your spouse, if married, and cannot have a modified adjusted gross income of over $225,210. Learn more at the IRS Web site (http://www.irs.gov/taxtopics/tc607.html).
Originally published on LearnVest.com; republished with permission.
Copyright © 2012 Meredith Corporation.
More Related Features:


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You may want to disable DXVA2 hardware acceleration for MPEG2 video in Windows Media Center, for example if the hardware decoding provided by your graphics card is unstable when it encounters discontinuities in the video stream (e.g. interference from passing vehicles with OTA broadcasts).
In the registry, go to
If those keys don't already exist, create them.
Next, create a DWORD within MSDVD called
DXVA2, and set its value to


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Toothache While Pregnant: The Main Causes And How to Deal with It?
Pregnant Women undergo hormonal change. That is among the many changes pregnant women have to endure aside from getting morning sickness and increasing their waistline. Each one reacts to these changes in a lot of different ways and that you just could not imagine how. What then if there is a hormonal change?
An occurrence of a toothache while pregnant is one common effect of hormone change. This is what is known as a pregnancy toothache which includes pregnancy gingivitis. As hormone levels change, a woman's body is prone to swelling and inflammation. This includes gum swelling too. There are over 50% of expectant mothers that experiences symptoms of this during the period.Continue reading


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A couple of interesting updates for iOS devices recently . . .
The Flickr app has some performance enhancements and a new "group card" feature that makes it easier to follow what's going on in your favorite groups. Probably the most significant update is that you no longer need a Yahoo email address to create an account in Flickr. Any email address will do.
Evernote 8.0 for iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch includes a complete redesign focused on speed and simplicity. I've just played with it on my iPhone for a few minutes, but it definitely is a lot easier to move around now. Other features include:
a new notes list which makes it easy to browse through your notes
- you can now filter notes by tags or reminders
- the + button you see is a multi-function button which creates a new note when tapped or you can press and hold to see other options
- search withing a notebook by tapping the search box at the top of the note list or search your entire collection from the search tab
- text formatting options have improved too with the ability to change font size (small, medium or large), change text color and text style (bold, italics, etc.)
- if you use shortcuts, you can access them in the tab bar.


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Companies put a lot of effort into finding out the reasoning behind certain business trends and expenses, continuously striving to utilize analytics and past data to make better decisions in the present and future. When payroll data is left out of this picture, it can leave a big piece of the puzzle missing. There are many ways that payroll data can be used to improve business processes and outcomes, but these may not be obvious at a glance.
Pinpointing Causes of Staffing Shortages
Spikes in overtime can indicate a staffing shortage that may eventually lead to bigger problems such as drops in productivity and decreased revenues. While the spikes in overtime may be a small piece of payroll data that indicates an issue, payroll data can also be used to solve the mystery of why there are staffing shortages. By bringing up historical data, it may be possible to determine whether the staffing shortages are seasonal, a result of call-outs, or a result of a larger issue.
By taking payroll data and splicing it into reports with other HR data, it may be possible to determine whether a slow hiring or training process is behind staffing shortages or if there is a problem with retention. By pinpointing the exact reason for staffing shortages, it may be possible to correct the issues for better futures outcomes-such as decreased overtime and increased retention.
Bringing Performance Data and Payroll Data Together
While compensation is not the only driver of employee performance, performance and pay are undeniably linked. Using performance reviews to support pay increases is common practice, but reviewing performance information side-by-side with payroll information can help take compensation decisions to the next level. By optimizing the processes used to determine pay raises, employee satisfaction may be increased and the business may benefit from greater productivity.
In addition to pay raises and base pay, it may help to review how well bonuses work as an incentive. Are there obvious spikes in performance, better customer service reviews, or other improvements that correlate to bonuses that were given? Reviewing this information in one place can help to give you an idea of how well bonuses are working to drive desired outcomes and if they are not working, can help you to justify dropping them from the plan and trying other drivers.
Using Payroll Information for Budgeting
In many organizations, HR budgets are drawn up using data from the previous year in an effort to see how close actual results came to forecasts. This process is not completely useless, but it is flawed when pay raises and other payroll data is not taken into account. Using current payroll data to justify budgetary increases over the previous year can help to prevent going over budget and can bring actual results closer to predictions.
Using payroll data to determine why things are happening within an organization can give a better-rounded view of how the company works and can optimize decision making. By using the HRIS to its full potential and integrating payroll data with other data, you also help to ensure that your company is receiving the best return for the HRIS investment.
Request Free HR Software Demos
Find the best HRIS vendor for your company right now!


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Didn't have limes, but had a bag of tangerines, so decided to give it a try:
Juice from 4 fresh-squeezed tangerines
2 oz. Blanco tequila (I used Cuestión)
1 oz. TripleSec
1 tbsp Agave Nectar
Add a little water.
Shake over ice and serve. Strain if you don't like pulp.
Garnish with slice of tangerine.
It is very sweet,, I might try some bitters or sour mix next time.


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The "Safe Abortion Act, 2015, has stalled somewhere between Parliament and State House. The Act will change the 150-year old colonial "1861 Abortion Law" to allow women and girls to terminate a pregnancy in any circumstances up to 12 weeks. The Bill would also allow abortion in cases of incest, rape and foetal impairment up to 24 weeks.
In Sierra Leone, the country with the world's worst maternal mortality, abortion is illegal in nearly all circumstances and unsafe abortion is estimated to account for 10% of maternal deaths. The World Health Organization estimates that Sierra Leone has the world's highest maternal mortality ratio at 1,360 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2016.
Thousands of adolescent girls become pregnant in Sierra Leone every year and account for almost 50% of all births. In 2013, the country had the 7th highest teenage pregnancy rate in the world, 38% of women aged 20-24 had their first baby before the age of 18. Teenage mothers are estimated to be 40-60% more likely to die in childbirth. Their babies are 50% more likely to be stillborn or die shortly after birth than babies born to mothers in their 20s. According to the WHO, unsafe abortion accounts for about 13% of maternal mortality globally. The rapporteurs said Sierra Leone's high maternal mortality rates are largely due to unsafe abortions and lack of access to lifesaving treatments.
Only an estimated 16% of women in Sierra Leone use contraception and this figure falls to 7.8% for teenagers.
Lawmakers in the Sierra Leone House of Parliament unanimously passed the "Safe Abortion Act, 2015", on 8 December 2015. The Bill was presented by Hon. Isatu Kabia (APC), who is now the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and was meant to replace the 150-year old colonial law. The Bill seeks to allow Sierra Leonean girls and women unimpeded access to what they labeled as 'safe' abortion.
After MPs passed the Bill, the Act was sent to President Koroma for assent.
On 6 January 2016, the Inter-Religious Council told the President that they were not consulted in the drafting of the Act. Under considerable pressure, the President sent the Act back to Parliament. He was quoted, "Religious leaders represent a huge constituency. I will ask Parliament to put a hold on the bill pending discussions on the issue. I will not give assent now," President Koroma assured.
The President sent the Bill back to Parliament. MPs returned the Bill to the President less than a month later without any changes.
Bishop Archibald Cole, one of the representatives of the IRCSL, said at the time, they were not sufficiently educated on the Abortion Bill because "we are dealing with the inalienable life of man to live. A Bill that would tend to take that life will have serious implications for our generational landscape," he told the President.
Human rights groups, including 50/50, AdvocAid, CARL, Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, and five other Sierra Leonean organisations, wrote to President Koroma in February 2016, urging him to give the bill his assent.
The African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights has also recently raised concern. The organization has launched a campaign to decriminalize abortion across the continent.
The African Women's Development and Communication Network (Femnet) wrote: "We applaud the Parliament of Sierra Leone for saying definitively through the safe abortion bill that it cannot sit by while women die needlessly from unsafe abortion. Though opposed by a few loud voices, members of parliament have had the courage to stand firm in protecting the people of Sierra Leone from harm. We urge you to sign the bill into law and begin saving lives now."
Dr. Aisha Fofana Ibrahim, former President of 50/50, a women's rights group, said that having abortion legalized would make the practice safer. Sierra Leone has one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the world, and that is partly due to unsafe abortions, she said. According to a report from the Ministry of Health and the nongovernmental organization Ipas, one in every 1,000 women giving birth in Sierra Leone dies from pregnancy-related causes. The World Health Organization estimates that over 6 million unsafe abortions occur annually in Africa.
By law, the President cannot veto the Bill because it received a majority vote of more than two-thirds in Parliament. The Speaker of the House can give the Bill his assent, but he has refused to do so.
Tuesday July 25, 2017.


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MXlarge's Geoff Meyer checks in with Kiwi Ben Townley following his GP return at Valkenswaard.
Watching Ben Townley rolling around in 16th position at last weekend's Grand Prix of Netherlands wasn't a great feeling. I don't think anyone could have taken pleasure from it.
We all recall the grand old days of his intense battle with Marc De Reuver in the 2004 GP of Netherlands, or his mastery of Stefan Everts, Joel Smets and Mickael Pichon throughout the 2005 MX1 Championship.
Townley might be back in Europe, but it's going to be some time before he is back to the Ben Townley of 2004 and 2005. Will it happen? You can count on it.
The New Zealand has been one of the true hero's of the sport in the last ten years and once he recovers from his present issues you can be sure he will once again be riding at the front of a Grand Prix pack and hunting for GP victories.
We caught up with Ben at the gym this week and while he sounded a little down you could tell he is working hard to get back to the level he had at last year's AMA Nationals and Motocross of Nations. Here is what he told us.
Ben, I can't even imagine how bad you feel at the moment. That couldn't have been much fun riding around in 16th place.
I underestimated it a little bit, but I felt pretty good riding the last couple of weeks, but just going to the Grand Prix, the length of the races and how rough the track was, it took its toll on me.
It wasn't as bad as people might think, I just wanted to be realistic and I am coming back from a couple of injuries and I haven't had much time on the bike. I went into it just wanting to get out there and start building up and I realized that I wasn't in the position I wanted to be.
Riding around in that position sucks, but it was nice to get out there and ride. I just wanted to get out there and ride.
What is the main problem is your condition just not good, or you're mentally not focused?
No, it's my condition. When I had the injury when I broke my jaw and had the concussion I was advised by some really good doctors to take eight weeks off the bike and the first six weeks just nothing at all.
Take all the strain off my head to give it a mental rest. I wasn't able to do any training at all and that has obviously taken its toll. That amount of time sitting on the couch I have lost a lot of physical strength and fitness.
Coming back to Valkenswaard where you won in 2004 and you always rode good in the sand. There is also a positive side from the weekend?
It is nice to be back and frustrating I guess, but that is also something I am trying to change, I want to make good decisions and that is why I didn't push in the weekend, but it was nice to be back with my team and start moving forward.
Although a lot of people might have not seen a lot on the weekend it is nice to start that process of being where I want to be. It's been a long time since I achieved what I want to achieve and that is the biggest thing I am trying to achieve and be realistic at the same time.
How was Valkenswaard, because it was obviously very rough, but it was also a little like hard pack?
The number of wheels turning laps over the track made it a lot different. I mean with the Europeans and the vets it was a lot different to what it was like when I used to race there before.
In saying that the conditions with it being really dry made the track a lot different sand track, we had more choppy bumps rather than nice rolling bumps; the whole track condition was different.
I talked about that in the press conference, with the slower riders and not taking anything away from the Europeans or the vets, but the track formed up totally different to if you just have MX2 and MX1 riders on the track. The track was put to the test.
That is your first European GP since 2005, what are for you the positive and negatives in Grand Prix Motocross since you were here in 2005?
I was asked this question on the weekend as well, and to be honest I don't believe it's changed a lot and that isn't a bad thing, because it was already a great level when I left in 2005.
I don't believe it's grown a lot, it obviously hasn't changed a lot, but the things I did notice were the amount of work they do on the track and the obstacles they have, also the pit lane section is a huge difference from when I was here, and adds the professional side of it.
So there are not huge changes, but it was at a good level when I left.
What level are you looking for in France, I mean how much can you do in six weeks?
It's not something I am putting a hell of a lot of attention to. I don't see why I shouldn't be a lot higher, it's just now putting in time into building my body up and Valkenswaard was a wake-up call to where I am at the moment.
Obviously I have the next five weeks to try sand put some more strength in, and while it doesn't seem like a lot of time, it will help a lot and it is my main aim. As far as results, that is hard to put a placing on, but for sure I want to be a lot higher than I was in Valkenswaard.
It is possible to tell the level of the Grand Prix guys now?
Well, because I wasn't even near the level of the front MX1 guys at the moment it's impossible to tell, but what I can say is that the level of the two or three MX2 riders, those guys are riding at a good level and I don't expect the MX1 class to be any different.
I was racing at the back of the field, so it is hard for me to give a comment on that.
Will you race in the next month?
I would like to do some national championship races, be it Belgium, Holland or England. I am not sure yet, I haven't set anything in stone yet. First I want to work on my strength and condition.
That was my plan to get in some races, like I did the British Championship races, like I did that British round, I mean the results didn't show it, I pulled out in one race, I wanted to get in some racing, just build up to a better level.
Obviously the Grand Prix level was too high for me at this moment. That is why I made the decision to not go to America and Brazil, to build up to my level.
I mean there is a British Championship round this weekend. Would you do that?
I have some more testing this week, before I start racing again. That is another thing, I have missed out on all the pre-season races, so I am growing into my bike and I haven't had time to make it feel my own yet.
I want to focus on that also. I need to build it up again.
Obviously when we heard the news that you would race in Europe again we all got excited with the expectations of you and Antonio [Cairoli] racing again, your USGP and MXoN results showed you are fast enough. To be riding like you did in those two events is the goal I guess?
I mean my plans have changed dramatically and that is as clear as mud now, but I want to go out there by the end of the season and perform like I know I can and start building myself up.
I didn't sign the deal to just be here in 2011, I signed to get my career back on track and spend the next few years here and hopefully be in contention to win a world title, or even more and if I can do that then I will be stoked.
I am not just here for one year, it's more than that, and I want to be a champion again. It's hard at the moment, and for a lot of people it's hard to realize, but it's good for me and it helps me grow into a better person.
The result in Valkenswaard wasn't worth writing home about, but there is a big picture.


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Bonito-dashi ramen with egg
Ramen is a delightful soup served piping hot with wheat noodle and lots of vegetables — a perfect dish that you can prepare quickly for a healthy autumn dinner or a light lunch. You can customise it almost indefinitely with ingredients you like: eggs, meat, vegetables and rice cakes. I will show you how to prepare a simple, but very tasty ramen based on bonito fish stock (bonito dashi) and eggs.
Plain muffins
Nothing says "hello autumn" like a batch of fresh muffins or cupcakes! :-) With this simple recipe, you gonna whip them up in no time, and they will be a perfect base for more fancy muffins with fruit (I love muffins with dried plum bits), chocolate chip muffins, caramel-stuffed ones or double-or-triple-chocolate ;-) Or savory ones: paprika, tomato, herbs, sunflower seeds, etc. It all starts with this recipe.
Fancy tamagoyaki bento
Oh my, this one is both a looker and tastes amazingly! :-) This bento idea is based on the basic tamagoyaki recipe, so feel free to use your favorite ingredients: champignons or chanterelle mushroom, herbs, different kinds of onion, bacon bits, ham shavings etc. Go crazy! :-) It's also a very good side dish!
Marinated beef and pasta bento
Bento is not only rice, but also other ingredients, like... pasta. This recipe came to life when I had some uncooked beef left-overs and just wondered what to do with them. Cooking them as a part of bento was a great idea!
Quick teriyaki beef donburi
You can buy thin beaf slices in some grocery shops or butchers. They may be called minute steaks or quick steaks and are a great ingredient that you can use to make a quick donburi (a rice bowl with meat and vegetable toppings). It's so fast to prepare, that you can do everything in the time it takes to cook the rice!


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BENEFITING: St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
ORGANIZER: Robert
Robert Blaskiewicz came up with the brilliant idea to raise money for research into cures for childhood cancers. The goal is to raise as much money as it takes to enter a clinical trial of antineoplaston treatment at the Burzynski Clinic. We will then ask the Clinic to match our donations to St Jude.
If we raise $5,000 toward Robert's goal amount of $30,000 before JANUARY 23, Rebecca Watson, Rhys Morgan, and various prominent skeptics will face-off on Team Fortress 2 and live-stream the whole thing.
The Team: $15,747 TOTAL RAISED SO FARJOIN THE TEAM
Donor Comments
I would have joined the Pharyngula team if there was one (that's where I saw the link), but this is an excellent second choice :) 7 years ago
Happy 10th Birthday Stevie, thanks to the real Doctors who kept you alive with real medicine. 7 years ago


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Christopher Clinton Conway is an accomplished and globally engaged nonprofit leader serving iconic nonprofit institutions and high-net-worth individuals in pursuit of meaningful impact and lasting change.
Mr. Conway launched his career assisting Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and First Lady Rosalynn Carter pursue an innovative global health agenda at The Carter Center of Emory University, and has built his practice as a fundraiser and legal advisor across healthcare, international development and high profile cultural non-profits. Immediate past President & Executive Director of The Joffrey Ballet, Mr. Conway also held key development positions at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), and, most recently, with the internationally renowned Doheny Eye Institute in forging a new, strategic affiliation with the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).
Mr. Conway is the founder and principal of Philanthropic Counsel, LLC, with offices in Los Angeles and Paris, France. Mr. Conway's practiced agility as legal counsel in complex major gift transactions and incisive business acumen directs transformative change.
A sought after speaker and consultant, Mr. Conway is well known for equal emphasis on outcomes, efficiency and style. He is oft-quoted on questions of tax and complex gifts, most recently featured on Bloomberg Television and in publications including The Wall Street Journal, W Magazine, Town & Country and The International New York Times.


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Neil Boortz writes that Saddam Hussein is not impressed with American attempts to torture him:
Having witnessed what he called "the Americans' half-baked, slipshod attempts at torture," the deposed Iraqi president said he feared for the future of state-sponsored cruelty in post-Saddam Iraq.
"Toppling my government, that was the easy part," Saddam told the court. "But as for maintaining the high standards of torture that the Iraqi people grew accustomed to under my regime? Clearly, there was no plan or strategy for doing that."
And the gem:
Speaking to reporters at the White House, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld was dismissive of the former dictator's critique of the United States' torture techniques, calling Saddam's outburst "a cheap shot."
"We don't do torture," Rumsfeld said. "Having said that, when we do torture, we do it in a way that is second to none."


text: Holland's leading role in the superyacht industry has created a special relationship with the Monaco Yacht Show. Each year the Dutch pavilion is packed with visitors keen to see what our members have to offer, and the quays also have many Dutch superyachts on the show. We look forward to seeing you in our Dutch Pavilion to give you all the information you need about our members!


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July 11, 2017
Barton Malow Wins Big at the Engineering Society of Detroit Annual Dinner
When it comes to taking on projects, we at Barton Marlow know that the key to success is our team's winning mentality. That quality was on full display recently at the Engineering Society of Detroit (ESD) Annual Dinner, where we took home three awards. From at-large projects to individual recognitions, Barton Malow is built with the spirit of innovation and impact.
Innovating a Difference
Being recognized for hard work is always a phenomenal feeling. That's especially the case when the recognition is for making a difference. To further reduce toxic air pollutants like mercury, arsenic and hazardous metals, we worked on project for DTE Energy to used innovative technologies like Dry Sorbent Injection (DSI) and Activated Carbon Injection (ACI) to improve outgoing air quality. The project finished under budget, on schedule and—above all—with an exceptional safety record. For the project's success, the ESD awarded us with one of the Construction and Design Award.
Alex Ivanikiw: Making His Mark
Making a mark on an industry as big as construction is undoubtedly difficult. But in Alex Ivanikiw, Senior Vice President at Barton Malow, leadership and impact are part of the package. With over 27 years at Barton Malow and 40 years in construction and design, it's not hard to imagine the amount of hard work he has put into the industry. Is should then come as no surprise that Alex was inducted into the ESD College of Fellows for his incredible career achievements.
Lauren Bukowski: Outstanding Young Engineer of the Year
At Barton Malow, we're always keeping one eye on the future. Well, thanks to Project Manager Lauren Bukowski, the future is at our doorstep. A homegrown talent, Lauren graduated from Lawrence Technological University with a degree in Civil Engineering. She then went on to get her Masters of Business Administration in 2012. Lauren got her start in the industry early with a Learning Practicum for Students internship with Barton Malow. Her continued passion to lead, plan and execute serve as a testament to her recognition as this year's Outstanding Young Engineer of the Year.


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I have four common lilac shrubs planted in a row and, really, there's nothing common about them! I am always amazed that there are so many shades of purple and pink in their blooms. Really gorgeous. They are planted at the side of the house that doesn't have any windows so I need to go outside to see them. Their scent reaches our back door though and provides a strong incentive to walk around the side of the house and visit them often.
They were planted almost fourteen years ago now and have grown to be so tall and majestic. Their habit of sending up suckers in surrounding flower beds is a little annoying but a small penalty to pay to enjoy their beauty.
In honour of my lovely lilacs, I am giving away a pair of my lilac cards (one each of my Lilacs and Lilac Sprig images). All you have to do is leave a comment below and I will choose one winner here on June 1st (noon EDT). Because the lilacs' scent has gone to my head, I'm also giving away pairs on Instagram and Facebook. So you can increase your chances of winning by commenting there too.
Giveaway results (June 1, 2014):
I think it is so nice that the random number generator I used for my giveaway happened to pick locations around the world. :)
Blog winner: Jessica in the United States
Facebook winner: Maribel in Spain
Instagram winner: Sharon in Australia
Thank you to everyone who entered. Thanks especially for your lovely comments. Here's to lilac love!
|If my hand looks a little awkward in this photo, it's because I took the photo with my iPad.
I had my iPad steadied on my outstretched arm. Artist and acrobat.
❤ ❤ ❤
In the dooryard fronting an old farm-house near the white-wash'd palings,Stands the lilac-bush tall-growing with heart-shaped leaves of rich green,With many a pointed blossom rising delicate, with the perfume strong I love,With every leaf a miracle - and from this bush in the dooryard,With delicate-color'd blossoms and heart-shaped leaves of rich green,A sprig with its flower I break.
From Walt Whitman's 'When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom'd' (Leaves of Grass)


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My added tips:
- Take advantage of your local gym or club that specializes in cross training. The Vault
- Find a local park and get busy. Some parks even have stations set up!
- Practice running in dirt and mud BEFORE the event so you know the feel and are ready for it.
- Hydrate hydrate hydrate
- Get adequate rest the day before
- get over trying to be "pretty" out there
- Read this book (amazon link, just click the cover)
- If you are inclined, there is a pretty bad ass routine here


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PUERTO MORELOPHILIA: [proper noun] abnormal appetite for, or liking of, Puerto Morelos, Mexico
Saturday, May 29, 2010
Puerto Morelos Fishing Tournament and Navy Day Celebration! Today thru Tuesday!
Boats leave today (Saturday) morning at 8 a.m. from the P.M. Dock. They must return by 5 p.m. So be to the docks around 4:00 to start seeing the amazing weigh-in of their trophy catches. Tomorrow (Sunday) boats must be back by 2:00 p.m.
Meanwhile, there are LOTS of events going on Saturday, Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday! Beach Volleyball, Beach Soccer, Sand Castle Building, Swimming Contests, Biking Contests, and lots more. Dances are in the square at night!
See more info and event schedules at PuertoMorelos.com
See you there!
Twitter and Facebook Readers can view the original post and leave comments at: http://www.PuertoMorelosBlog.com
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


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Project Description
Sutton Hoo Chicken
When you rear chickens better than any one else how do you achieve recognition, a premium proposition and increased sales when "free range" has become so commoditized and meaningless? Sutton Hoo have been leading the way in properly free range chicken for over 20 years since Charlie and Belinda Nash first started out on their farm in Suffolk.
We are working with the team to help them make more of their wonderful story and utterly delicious chicken and satisfy the UK appetite for great provenance, and great tasting food.
With new branding and an array of new marketing activity our first step is to recruit more artisan butchers and quality farm shops, introducing more people to properly free range slow grown Suffolk chicken.
Immediately upon working with Steve, it is obvious that he is highly experienced. Steve has really helped Sutton Hoo clarify what we wanted and which direction we needed to go in in order to drive sales forward and more clearly define our brand. We particularly loved how Steve respected our original branding and understood the importance of keeping some of our original identity whilst also helping us to move into a new chapter for our brand. We are very grateful to Steve and the team as ultimately they have helped us realise Sutton Hoo's full potential as a brand.


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Dirt is good for you... Not gossip dirt. That stuff's totally toxic. But good, honest, from-the-soul-of-the-Earth DIRT is fantastic for you (I think). All those hand sanitizers, and "disinfecting" soaps do a great job at nuking bad bacteria, but they also have the same effect on good bacteria; the stuff that helps keep our immune systems strong and build up resistance to diseases, bugs, and other general heebie-jeebies.
Thanks for stopping by,
PS: I'm not sure who the guy is that originally spread the rumor that raised beds were weed-freed gardens, but he's a turd.


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"Islamic Imperialism" (2006) is the title of Efraim Karsh's illuminating book on Islam's relentless, global ambition.
One doesn't have to read very far into Professor Karsh's book to see the validity of his thesis. The first page of the Introduction begins with the following quotes:
● "I was ordered to fight all men until they say 'There is no god but Allah.'"
Prophet Muhammad's farewell address, March 632
● "I shall cross this sea to their islands to pursue them until there remains no one on the face of the earth who does not acknowledge Allah."
Saladin, January 1189
● "We shall export our revolution throughout the world …until the calls 'there is no god but Allah and Muhammad is the messenger of Allah' are echoed all over the world."
Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, 1979
● "I was ordered to fight people until they say there is no god but Allah, and his prophet Muhammad."
Osama bin Laden. November 2001
Karsh goes beyond those who, like Bernard Lewis and Samuel Huntington, correctly interpret Islam's 9/11 attack on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon as symbolic of a "clash of civilizations."
As for the legions of commentators who portray Islam as a "religion of peace" hijacked by Muslim extremists, Karsh's study shows this is sheer nonsense. This nonsense, however, leads pundits to think that the terrorist attack on 9/11 was merely an Islamic reaction to American foreign policy in the Middle East in general, and to its allegedly pro-Israel stance vis-à-vis the Palestinians in particular. This apologetic view of Islam is actually tainted by anti-Americanism and anti-Semitism.
Karsh brilliantly reformulates the dynamism of Islam going back to Muhammad himself. He shows that in contrast to the gradual development of Christianity and its doctrine of separating the church from the state, the birth of Islam was initially and ideologically linked to the creation of a world power. Karsh boldly states that "Muhammad used God's name to build an earthly kingdom"—the goal of Islam to this day.
By rejecting the dichotomy of God and Caesar, Islam rejected the very concept of independent nation-states. For Muhammad and all true believers, there is only the Arab nation, the umma, and it has no borders. A world empire has thus been the logic of Islam since its inception. This is what pan-Arabism and pan-Islamism is all about.
Moreover, whereas Western imperialism maintained political and cultural separation from its colonies in Africa, the Middle East, and Asia, Islamic imperialism spread throughout these continents by converting the inhabitants to the creed of Muhammad. And insofar as Islam tolerated, when it did not slaughter, these "infidels," the surviving victims were reduced to a condition of "dhimmitude," which, according to Bat Ye'or, was often worse than slavery.
On the other hand, and as Karsh explains, some Muslim rulers "were less interested in the mass conversion of the conquered populations than in enjoying the material fruits of their subjugation. For them the triumph of Islam was not so much a cultural or civilization issue as it was a territorial and political matter. The lands they occupied became an integral part of the House of Islam whether or not most of their inhabitants became Muslims."
Islamic imperialism, never simply political, remains the driving force of the Middle East. Even a "secular" pan-Arab leader like Saddam Hussein had to "brandish his religious credentials" to justify his invasion of Kuwait. Karsh adds: "For all its professed secularism …pan-Arabism has not only been forced to claim allegiance to the religious beliefs …to which most Arabs remain attached to date, but has effectively been Muslim in its ethos." Even Christian Arabs have been urged to preserve Islam as "the most precious element in their Arabism."
The inescapable logic of Islamic doctrine, fortified by a lust for Islam's lost and lamented glory, is the inexorable reason why no Arab or Muslim ruler has ever recognized, except for tactical reasons, the land called "Palestine" as separate from the House of Islam. Arab rhetoric about a "Palestinian" state is intended solely for Western consumption—yes, and it also prompts the US and the EU to bankroll the Palestinians and their supremely cunning terrorist leaders.
Karsh quotes the eminent Arab-American historian Philip Hitti, who in 1946 described the common Arab view: "There is no such thing as Palestine in history, absolutely not."
It was never "perceived as a distinct entity deserving national self-determination but as an integral part of a unified regional Arab order, no element of which should be conceded at any cost."
As late as 1974, ten years after the formation of the Palestine Liberation Organization, Syrian president Hafez Assad still referred to Palestine not only as part of the Arab homeland but as a basic part of southern Syria. There is no
evidence that his son and successor, Bashar Assad, has renounced the power-lust of Islamic imperialism.
Syria is particularly revealing. Its multi-ethnic and multi-religious character facilitates the presence in Damascus of a variety of terrorist organizations linked to diverse Arab or Muslims regimes. This linkage confirms that Middle Eastern leaders and ideologues have remained under "the spell of the imperial dream." In the words of the senior Hamas leader, Mahmoud al-Zahar: "Islamic and traditional views reject the notion of establishing an independent Palestinian state …[Hence] our main goal is to establish a great Islamic state, be it pan-Arabic or pan-Islamic."
These would-be Saladins may have delusions of grandeur; but they now have within their reach weapons of mass destruction. This makes the world-conquering aspiration of Islam in the past Islam's vision of the future.
Even now al-Qaeda has terrorist networks in England and Europe. Even now Muslims have in sight the conquest of England and Europe where, in a few decades, they may outnumber the native populations. And this is not all.
Even now, with more than a thousand mosques in the United States, imams are preaching anti-Americanism, anti-Semitism, and Islamic imperialism. Even now, with all this in front of his nose, an American president insists on the establishment of an Arab Palestinian state along side Israel—a fantasy embraced by Israel's prime minister! Yes, and there is not a single party in the Knesset that stands up and calls for an end to this appeasement of Islam—nay, an end to this cowardice.
What statesman has the courage to call upon his country to go on the offensive against Islam—a "culture of hate" now spreading throughout the world? Islamic imperialism is animated by a political religion that denies the sanctity of human life, the foundation of Judeo-Christian civilization. Throughout the world Muslims cheered and chanted "Allahu Akbar" when Muslim kamikazes murdered 3,000 innocents on 9/11.
Infinitely more is needed of America than a military "surge" in Iraq and negotiations with Iran. Islam has declared war against America as well as against Israel. Yet neither country has truly identified the enemy, let alone developed a strategy for defeating this deadliest of foes—the overriding issue and challenge of our century.
As I read Karsh's exhaustive study of Islamic history, the only rational response to Islamic imperialism is a war strategy whose goal is victory. Needed to achieve this victory is the realism and ruthlessness that animated Franklin D. Roosevelt and Harry S. Truman in the Second World War. One does not negotiate with Nazis or their Islamic successors.
Oprah's SA luxury school 'too strict'
Mon, 12 Mar 2007Rules at Oprah Winfrey's posh school at Henley-on-Klip near Johannesburg apparently make a reformatory look like a holiday resort, the Witness reported on Monday.
Its website said that was the word from upset parents, who felt the school rules made it difficult for them to keep contact with their children.
They would have aired their concerns during a satellite link-up with the chat show queen a week ago, but that was cancelled at short notice by the school's management body.
Meanwhile, the school appeared to have made the rules even stricter. Until now, the girls could receive visitors every fortnight, but parents could now only visit once a month.
Frances Mans, foster-mother of pupil Gweneth Mulder, said cellphones and email correspondence were out of bounds during the week.
Girls were only allowed to phone their parents at weekends.
The maximum number of visitors per pupil was four, and visits had to be approved by the school at least two weeks in advance.
Parents were not allowed to smuggle junk food in to the girls past the matrons.
"Then the girls lose points," said Mans.
Angela Conradie, whose daughter Michelle is at the school, was just as upset about the strict visiting times.
"Michelle phones me in tears sometimes, and then I don't know what to say to her," says Conradie.
John Samuels, the executive head of the school, confirmed only one visit a month would be allowed in future.
He said: "We have the security and well-being of the girls at heart, in every respect. They are our priority. If there's too much movement on the premises at the weekend, it disturbs the school spirit."
The United States talk show host opened the school at the beginning of the year to give less privileged South African children an opportunity to receive a first-class education.
"Islamic extremists 'infiltrate Oxbridge'," by Roya Nikkhah for the Sunday Telegraph:
Leading universities including Oxford and Cambridge have been targeted by Islamic extremists who remain widely active on campuses, a prominent academic is warning.
The claim calls into question the Government's attempted crackdown on Islamic extremism in universities and casts doubt on claims by Bill Rammell, the Higher Education Minister, that the problem is not widespread.
Prof Glees will warn the Association of University Chief Security Officers (Aucso) next month that the disbanded extremist group, al-Muhajiroun, claims to have infiltrated "the main campuses such as Cambridge, Oxford, the London School of Economics and Imperial College".
His speech on "radicalism in universities" also states that at its peak before the July 7 bombings in 2005, al-Muhajiroun had a presence at "more than 48 universities and faculties", and that Omar Bakri Mohammed, the group's founder, claims it is "still operational" in several campuses.
Prof Glees, the director of Brunel University's Centre for Intelligence and Security Studies, said: "We must accept this problem is widespread and underestimated. Unless clear and decisive action against campus extremism is taken, the security situation in the UK can only deteriorate."
Following a report from Prof Glees showing that 31 universities and colleges had hard-line Islamic groups within their campuses, the Department for Education and Skills last year issued guidelines on dealing with any extremism.
Student Islamic societies have faced growing scrutiny after it emerged that one of 12 men charged in connection with the alleged plot to blow up transatlantic airliners was president of the Islamic Society at London Metropolitan University. Last year, Aucso launched a "counter-terrorism" group to tackle the spread of Islamic fundamentalism on campuses.
Prof Glees called on the Government to provide extra investment in campus security and urged university officials to interview undergraduates to ensure that they were bona fide students.
A spokesman for Oxford University said: "We always take any extremism seriously and work closely with the police on any form of extremism that might affect our students or staff." A Cambridge University spokesman said he was not aware of any current extremist activity but that the university "remained vigilant". The Government's controversial guidance asked university staff to "monitor" student Islamic societies and report any "Asian-looking" students they suspected of extremism to the security services. Student groups attacked the move as "bearing on the side of McCarthyism".
Other critics suggest that the guidelines are widely ignored. Chris Pope, an associate fellow of the Royal United Services Institute for Defence and Security Studies, said: "My understanding is that this problem is ongoing and expanding in some campuses."
A spokesman for Universities UK, the umbrella group for British vice-chancellors, said: "In the rare event of such problems, universities work very closely with the police and other authorities."
In a recent report from a London-based Arabic newspaper, Anjem Choudary, the former head of al-Muhajiroun in Britain, who joined the group as a student at the University of Surrey, confirmed that while the movement officially disbanded in 2005, "the students of Omar Bakri continue to preach on campuses".
Last year, Dhiren Barot, said to be al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden's "UK general", was jailed for 40 years for planning terrorist attacks. Barot, 34, faked his identity in order to study at Brunel University.
The London School of Ecomonics and Imperial College were unable to comment.
Mr Rammell said: "Our assessment has not changed. Violent extremism in the name of Islam is a real, credible and sustained threat to the UK and there is evidence of a serious, but not widespread risk of violent extremism in the name of Islam on our university campuses."
Hmm. Define "widespread."
Diana West, who is consistently perceptive, has written what may be her most outstanding column yet. (Thanks to PRCS for the link.)
Only one faith on Earth may be more messianic than Islam: multiculturalism. Without it — without its fanatics who believe all civilizations are the same — the engine that projects Islam into the unprotected heart of Western civilization would stall and fail. It's as simple as that. To live among the believers — the multiculturalists — is to watch the assault, the jihad, take place un-repulsed by our suicidal societies. These societies are not doomed to submit; rather, they are eager to do so in the name of a masochistic brand of tolerance that, short of drastic measures, is surely terminal.I'm not talking about our soldiers, policemen, rescue workers and, now, even train conductors, who bravely and steadfastly risk their lives for civilization abroad and at home. Instead, I'm thinking about who we are as a society at this somewhat advanced stage of war. It is a strange, tentative civilization we have become, with leaders who strut their promises of "no surrender" even as they flinch at identifying the foe. Four years past 9/11, we continue to shadow-box "terror," even as we go on about "an ideology of hate." It's a script that smacks of sci-fi fantasy more than realpolitik. But our grim reality is no summer blockbuster, and there's no special-effects-enhanced plot twist that is going to thwart "terror" or "hate" in the London Underground anymore than it did on the roof of the World Trade Center. Or in the Bali nightclub. Or on the first day of school in Beslan. Or in any disco, city bus or shopping mall in Israel.
Body bags, burn masks and prosthetics are no better protections than make-believe. But these are our weapons, according to the powers that be. These, and an array of high-tech scopes and scanners designed to identify retinas and fingerprints, to detect explosives and metals — ultimately, I presume, as we whisk through the automatic supermarket door. How strange, though, that even as we devise new ways to see inside ourselves to our most elemental components, we also prevent ourselves from looking full-face at the danger to our way of life posed by Islam.
Notice I didn't say "Islamists." Or "Islamofascists." Or "fundamentalist extremists." I've tried out such terms in the past, but I've come to find them artificial and confusing, and maybe purposefully so, because in their imprecision I think they allow us all to give a wide berth to a great problem: the gross incompatibility of Islam — the religious force that shrinks freedom even as it "moderately" enables or "extremistly" advances jihad — with the West. Am I right? Who's to say? The very topic of Islamization — for that is what is at hand, and very soon in Europe — is verboten.
A leaked British report prepared for Prime Minister Tony Blair last year warned even against "expressions of concern about Islamic fundamentalism" (another one of those amorphous terms) because "many perfectly moderate Muslims follow strict adherence to traditional Islamic teachings and are likely to perceive such expressions as a negative comment on their own approach to their faith." Much better to watch subterranean tunnels fill with charred body parts in silence. As the London Times' Simon Jenkins wrote, "The sane response to urban terrorism is to regard it as an avoidable accident."
In not discussing the roots of terror in Islam itself, in not learning about them, the multicultural clergy that shepherds our elites prevents us from having to do anything about them. This is key, because any serious action — stopping immigration from jihad-sponsoring nations, shutting down mosques that preach violence and expelling their imams, just for starters — means to renounce the multicultural creed. In the West, that's the greatest apostasy. And while the penalty is not death — as it is for leaving Islam under Islamic law — the existential crisis is to be avoided at all costs. Including extinction.
This is the lesson of the atrocities in London. It's unlikely that the 21st century will remember that this new Western crossroads for global jihad was once the home of Churchill, Piccadilly and Sherlock Holmes. Then again, who will notice? The BBC has retroactively purged its online bombing coverage of the word "terrorist"; the spokesman for the London police commissioner has declared that "Islam and terrorism simply don't go together"; and within sight of a forensics team sifting through rubble, an Anglican priest urged his flock, as The Guardian reported, to "rejoice in the capital's rich diversity of cultures, traditions, ethnic groups and faiths." Just don't, he said, "name them as Muslims." Their faith renewed, Londoners soldier on.
This is the problem, isn't it? That nice smiling "Paul Hall" who then takes the name "Hassan Abujihaad" (or is the other way round? And does it really matter what name he goes under, or is it the underlying beliefs that matter?) may smile, and smile, and even sign up, a stout patriot, for the armed services — but for his fellow Americans, if they are Infidels, there is only murder in his heart. And we have no good way of telling who, among those Muslims allowed to arrive on these shores, shares that hatred, or who, while not actively participating in violent Jihad, will support it with money, with political maneuvering, with civil agitation, or with sowing propaganda to swell the ranks of other Muslims. Those other Muslims, meanwhile, are also conducting Jihad using the various instruments that are available — and mere presence, and procreation, constitutes use of the instrument of demographic conquest. Some are merely Muslim-for-identification-purposes-only Muslims, shunning entirely the central tenets of Islam that require the world be viewed as divided between Believers and Infidels, and a permanent state of war between the Dar al-Islam and Dar al-Harb must exist until the latter succumbs entirely, but there is no way to tell which ones these are.
"Paul Hall" or "Hassan Abujihaad" or one grading into the other, or one using the life experience of the first to protect the other? Nice "Mike" Hawash, Little League father and Intel engineer with a $360,000 annual salary, co-author of a book on computers, or Maher Hawash, buying his ticket, inspired as he was by the 9/11/2001 attacks, that he hoped would take him to Afghanistan where he would take the side of Al Qaeda and kill his fellow, but Infidel, Americans?
Why should we take a chance? We know, from all of the evidence, that a very great number of Muslims in the West become not less but more radical. We know that a very great number of Muslims everywhere, including the West, support Al Qaeda, or Hamas, or Hizballah, or Lashkar-e-Toiba, or Gemaa Islamiyya, or the Ikhwan al-Muslimun, or a thousand other groups (their separate names hardly matter).
Why do we continue to admit them into our countries? Why do Infidels believe they have some kind of duty to make their own lives, and those of their children and grandchildren, far more unpleasant, far more expensive, far more physically dangerous, than they would otherwise be, without a large-scale Muslim presence? Can't they look and see, at least in this country, at Holland and France, at Great Britain and Germany? Can't we learn from the horrible immigration mistakes of others? No? Just not possible?
From a posting I put up on February 2, 2007, one will see in the last sentence of the second paragraph mention of "other stories, less-publicized, of a Muslim sailor, on a ship in the Persian Gulf, through an intercepted communication offering to reveal secrets about the ship to make it more vulnerable."
Quaere: is this Abujihaad ("Father of Jihad") that sailor, or is there yet another Muslim sailor out there?
Here is that post (lightly edited for clarity):
Several points:
1. The fact that some Muslims say it is all right to "join the army" should not be a source of Infidel satisfaction, but worry. "Joining the army" in order to find out about how the enemy (that is, the Infidels whose Infidel army it is) operates, or to learn certain skills that be applied against Infidels, or even to commit acts of sabotage and betrayal while in the army, might be the motivation.
We have every evidence of this, from the American Muslim soldier who threw a grenade into a tent of sleeping American soldiers, killing two to the Marine who slipped away, apparently to Lebanon (but who knows exactly what he was doing, or what information he gave out, or secrets he betrayed?), was caught, in America gave a press conference in which he declared his complete innocence, ending "Semper Fi" (quite a performance it was, like so many Muslim performances), just before somehow eluding capture and making it out of the country, presumably back to Dar al-Islam. And still the American government has been unable to locate him or bring him back, or perhaps isn't really trying. There are other stories, less-publicized, of a Muslim sailor, on a ship in the Persian Gulf, through an intercepted communication offering to reveal secrets about the ship to make it more vulnerable.
Then there is the evidence of a lack of patriotism of an identifiable group that, one would think, under all the circumstances, would be moving heaven and earth to prove itself patriotic, yet has done nothing of the kind. A few years ago, while happening to be at Fort Jackson, South Carolina, I visited its military museum. On the desk at the entrance there are bound volumes of World-War-Two era copies of "Stars and Stripes." I opened one volume at random and read all about the unit we all know about –the 442nd Regiment, the one in which Senator Inouye served, during World War II, and about its exploits. The contrast struck me then, and has struck me since: where are the Muslims clamoring in the United States, in Western Europe, to prove themselves? If, despite the constant efforts to recruit, the British government can only come up with 330 Muslims out of 180,000 people in the armed forces, that is, approximately 1/500th of the force, while Muslims make up 1/30th of the population, then this tells us something.
But it shouldn't surprise us. Islam teaches that loyalty is owed only to Islam and to fellow Believers. The danger is twofold, for Infidels. One is the absence of any feeling of loyalty to the Infidel nation-state, and a belief that the land on which Muslims live by right, by Allah's divine right, belongs in the end to them. The Infidels are merely temporarily in charge, sojourners who have no permanent right to any part of the world. The world belongs to Allah and therefore to the best of people. The refusal on the part of our leaders to take Muslim ideology seriously, the refusal to study it in depth and to accept the most transparent and flimsy of apologetic versions, whether offered by Muslims or by the non-Muslim apologists who are all about us, is doing us active harm. The Muslim apologists are full-time practitioners of every kind of evasion and lies and half-lies and half-truths, of taqiyya and tu-quoque, and we can see examples of this every day, on talk shows and in the press all over the Infidel lands. It takes a while, it takes experience and practice, to detect and then to be able to see through, and then to be able to piercingly reveal and at the same time answer, such a fog and pettifog of nonsense and semi-nonsense.
Why is there so much of it? Many reasons. Some do it out of some blend of leftist hatred of The System, of the West, of the White West, of Amerika, of Kapitalism, and find that Islam is now the vehicle of choice to express resentment. Some, like Karen Armstrong, resentful of Christianity and suffering long-term mental desarroi and of course terminal stupidity, find the fantasy of Islam — she hasn't a clue about the reality of Islam — soothing. Many are apologists out of cupidity: so many are on the Arab take. So many academics are supported directly or indirectly by Arab money for their "centers" and their "chairs," and so many want to ensure that they do nothing to antagonize their Muslim colleagues, who are eternally vigilant in monitoring their work, and can cause them all kinds of trouble. And others are ignorant, willfully or lazily ignorant, and do not want to think for themselves. They do not want to connect the dots of observable Muslim behavior by abandoning their false model, their Ptolemaic model of a "few extremists" for the true, Copernican theory that can not only explain all the data, in Bangladesh, Sudan, Nigeria, Thailand, and also Paris, London, Amsterdam, and Beslan, but also has predictive value. It could and did predict, for example, what would happen, necessarily, in Iraq, and what will happen, necessarily, in Iraq if the Americans withdraw (hint: it won't be good for the Camp of Islam, and will give America that "victory" about which Bush and Cheney prate without ever understanding, or recognizing, in what such a true "victory" for the West would consist — nor do any of their critics).
Muslims and Western Armed Forces: what a paradox. What do we want? We know Muslims are taught not to offer any loyalty to the legal and political institutions of the Infidel nation-state. Don't expect it. Don't squander resources trying to make Muslims forget, or never know, what Islam is all about, because it will not work. They will find out. The Infidel states — England, France (Sarkozy is disastrously intent on "affirmative action" for Muslims in the organs of the state –he is not nearly well-versed enough in Islam, even if he appears, by optical illusion, to be sufficiently comprehending of the matter, and appropriately sober in his supposed "hard line" that is not nearly hard enough) — have to give up pious hopes for "integration" that rely on a shared game of Let's Pretend: Let's Pretend that Islam does not inculcate what Islam inculcates. Let's Pretend that Islam is not Islam.
The numbers of Muslims in the British Armed Forces are telling. They tell us what, if we knew about Islam, would come as no surprise.
But what if the British government manages to increase the number of Muslims in the army, and the police, say five-fold or ten-fold or twenty-fold? Would that be good? Would that be considered a "success"? Not if one understood Islam. Not if one understood the reasons why people were joining up at this point — not out of a sudden loyalty (the time for that was five, four, three, two years ago) but out of something which those with long experience of the problem (J. B. Kelly, for example, to me just a week ago) have worried about: the slow and steady infiltration into the army, security services, and police, all over Europe, of Muslims intent on what, by their Total System, they should be intent on.
Worry, every which way.
By Joseph Klein
FrontPageMagazine.com | March 12, 2007
Islamic fundamentalism is the global terrorists' driving ideology. Sadly, there are no influential Muslim voices with the will and the power to move the focus of the Muslim world toward purging itself of the barbaric tendencies that spring from the dark dogma of reactionary Islam.
We see regular paroxysms of rage directed at the West all over the Muslim world. They are in reaction to satirical cartoons, a critical speech by Pope Benedict XVI, or other perceived verbal slights that dare to call into question the peaceful nature of Islam. But where was the outrage from any influential Muslim clerics, political leaders or the Muslim masses on the streets against the Sunni suicide bombers who snuffed out the lives of 118 Shia pilgrims last week, including innocent women and children? As usual, there was none.
The few brave Muslim reformers who dare to decry what has gone wrong in the Muslim world are routinely ignored. For example, a "summit" of self-described intellectual "secular" Muslims held in Florida last week to denounce the tyranny of Muslim orthodoxy received virtually no notice in the mainstream press. The secular leftists in the West dismiss such critiques as inauthentic pandering to Westernized values. They believe in cultural diversity for its own sake and in moral equivalency, even if between a world view that uses its religion to justify suicide bombings and subordination of women and a world view that emphasizes the value of innocent life and the equal right of all individuals to live in freedom. For their part, the reactionaries who dominate the centers of power in the Muslim world have, as expected, ignored what the Muslim intellectual reformers had to say. Indeed, a fatwa justifying the killing of Muslim intellectuals as being apostates was issued three years ago and, as far as we know, remains in effect.
The Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC), with a membership of 57 Sunni and Shia Muslim countries and headquartered in Saudi Arabia, purports to represent the "moderate" voice of Islam to the world but in reality it is a façade for Islamic propaganda. It is the second largest inter-governmental group in the world after the United Nations, where it has official observer status on a reciprocal basis. Other than some general appeals for the end to sectarian violence in Iraq and condemnation of terrorism in the abstract, the OIC is silent on putting the blame for the slaughter of innocent Muslim pilgrims precisely where it belongs – on other Muslims. Instead, the OIC squanders most of its energy condemning the West for defaming Islam whenever terrorism is in any way linked with adherents of their religion.
At the United Nations, the Organization of Islamic Conference member states usually vote in unison, controlling about 30 percent of the total votes in the General Assembly. While as a group they pay less then 3 percent of the regular annual budget of the United Nations, they have managed to exercise an outsized amount of influence in the General Assembly and its subsidiary bodies over how the UN deals with such issues as Palestine, terrorism and human rights. Next on their agenda is a permanent Islam seat on the Security Council. Iran has already been designated as the OIC's preferred candidate for election to the Security Council in 2008. In their eyes, the Iranian president's threat to annihilate another member state does not disqualify Iran from representing Islam on the one UN policy-making body that is supposed to protect international peace and security.
The UN Human Rights Council, which the OIC members dominate directly or indirectly through their ideological allies, singles out Israel for a raft of trumped up human rights violations. At least six UN bodies spend considerable time on Palestinian issues, spewing forth a stream of resolutions and investigations meant to vilify Israel.
The OIC members have succeeded at the UN in redefining terrorism to exclude acts by suicide bombers who are said to be freedom fighters resisting Zionist or Western "occupation."
With their handpicked representative from Bahrain who was elected president of the current session of the General Assembly, the OIC members also continue to press their demands for the passage of a resolution that criminalizes insults of their religion. They are on their way to reaching their goal with the adoption last year of their draft resolution on Combating Defamation of Religions by the Third Committee of the General Assembly. That resolution emphasizes that the right to freedom of expression should be exercised within limitations as prescribed by law.
In short, the Organization of Islamic Conference bloc has been able to manipulate the UN's machinery to turn the liberal Western vocabulary of racism, oppression, genocide, tolerance and multiculturalism against the critics of reactionary Islam. Indeed, while our secular left campuses have become playgrounds for the Islamists' propaganda, the United Nations has turned into the Islamists' favorite stage to act out their conspiracy drama of imagined Zionist and Western crimes against them. It is a sequel to The Protocols of the Elders of Zion, the forged Russian tract which purported to describe a Jewish plot to achieve world domination and is still believed in many parts of the Muslim world, particularly the Middle East. Zionist Israel and its protector, the United States, are cast at the UN as the arch villains who are conspiring to take control of the world. The defenders of the Islamic faith are cast as the saviors, fighting against the Zionist conspiracy and for the right of the poor downtrodden Palestinians and other victims of Western-inspired oppression to resist their oppressors by any available means including violence.
The denouement, as scripted by the Islamists, would be the eventual triumph of Sharia over Western values in which the UN Charter and human rights treaties are reinterpreted to fit within the framework of Islamic divine law. The Islamists would victoriously raise their crescent moon and star flag over the headquarters of the United Nations, which for all intents and purposes should then be renamed UNistan.
This could well be the path on which the UN is eventually headed unless the Western democracies that make up a minority of the UN's membership today wake up and fight back with the unambiguous support of Secretary General Ban Ki-moon. One hopes that the new Secretary General will prove to be more independent than Kofi Annan, who turned into the Islamists' marionette. The early signs are mixed. Ban Ki-moon did strongly condemn the slaughter of the Shia pilgrims. He has taken a more positive stance toward Israel than Annan did, and he made it one of his first orders of business upon assuming office to sternly rebuke Iran for its rhetoric on the Holocaust and its call for the elimination of Israel. However, the OIC is trying to exert its influence on Ban Ki-moon behind closed doors. He was scheduled to meet with OIC representatives last week in New York, but the outcome of the discussions has so far been kept under wraps. Meanwhile, the UN's bureaucrats continue in a business-as-usual mode to cover up for the Islamists. For example, at this year's annual meeting of the UN's Commission on the Status of Women, the American delegation's suggestion of a panel on the subject of "State-Sanctioned Mass Rape in Burma and Sudan" was rejected. A senior advisor to Ban Ki-moon asked the U.S. delegation to move any such panel away from the UN. The deputy director of the UN's Division for the Advancement of Women opposed the panel idea outright because it "would be perceived as offensive to named member states."
If the Organization of Islamic Conference members want any meaningful influence at the world body, then they should pay commensurately for the privilege rather than continue to get a free ride. If not, then their collective General Assembly vote should be recalculated to reflect their relative contribution to the UN's regular budget. Only then can the U.S. and a handful of other democracies that are keeping the UN financially afloat be able to prevent the inmates from running the asylum. We should also support the intriguing proposal of a group known as The Free Muslims Against Terrorism to have the UN Security Council set up an international tribunal for the purpose of prosecuting clerics or other religious leaders who issue fatwas that are calculated to incite violence.
Unfortunately, the United States will have few supporters in this battle for what little is left of the United Nations' soul. Most of our European allies are too afraid of the Islamists or too economically beholden to them to take a moral stand. Indeed, some are in danger of being done in by their own large Muslim populations who have taken advantage of their hosts' liberal political and social welfare systems to foment trouble – the same tactic the Islamists are using at the UN.
Without real reform soon to restore a measure of sanity to Turtle Bay, we should just cut our ties altogether with UNistan and try to start all over again with a new organization of like-minded democratic states.


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Former Presidential Office deputy secretary-general Lo Chi-chiang (羅智強) yesterday said that he would sue the Chinese-language Liberty Times (the Taipei Times' sister paper) for inaccurate reporting about him.
Lo resigned on Thursday night, adding that he would not be accepting any other government position nor would he make a run for Keelung mayor in the next year's seven-in-one elections.
In a posting on his Facebook account yesterday morning, Lo complained about an article in yesterday's Liberty Times, headlined "[Lo's] quitting compresses news coverage for [legislative speaker] Wang [Jin-pyng (王金平)]," saying that "[the paper] should not assume inaccurate reporting is a privilege of the media; [I] request that the Liberty Times apologize immediately."
The Special Investigation Division (SID) alleged that Wang took legal pressure off Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) caucus whip Ker Chien-ming (柯建銘) by allegedly using his influence with former minister of justice Tseng Yung-fu (曾勇夫), High Prosecutors' Office Head Prosecutor Chen Shou-huang (陳守煌) and High Prosecutors' Office Prosecutor Lin Shiow-tao (林秀濤).
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) convened its Central Evaluation and Discipline Committee on Wednesday morning, which revoked Wang's KMT membership.
However, the Taipei District Court yesterday ruled in favor of Wang's request of an injunction against the party measure.
According to the article, "Lo had said since his boss had retired, he had nowhere else to go," but Lo wrote on his Facebook page that he had never made such a statement.
"It is not surprising for the paper to carry inaccurate reportage, but since it has named myself in particular, I would like for the paper to provide proof of where, when and to whom such words were spoken," Lo said.
"It is not the first time the paper had carried untrue stories about me, but considering my official post, and the inevitability of becoming familiar with some of the reporters, I had heeded my colleague's suggestions not to litigate against the paper; but I have left my office and [the post] is no longer a factor in the equation, so I have decided to act to protect my own reputation," Lo said.
"Vilifying me by putting words into my mouth, words that I have never said, has not only damaged my own reputation, but also the credibility of the media," Lo said.
Out of respect of the media's function to provide criticism, Lo said he would do nothing about how the Liberty Times presented him in "political commentary," adding that subjective criticism must be based on objective truths.
This country is a democracy, which means that when you are elected to office, you have a time limit before you need to leave, Lo said, adding also that relations between employers and employees are contractual and have nothing to do with who you are, or what class you are from.
The paper's critique of who was allied to whom, and its suggestion that one person could not survive without the another, was passe and only showed how the paper was stuck in an antiquated mindset, Lo said.


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Benefits & Services
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Members will:
- Enjoy the use of various school facilities such as the swimming pool and the basketball court.
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Marvel at the magnificence of Snowdonia's mountains, enjoy the tranquillity of the lakes and national parks, and explore the lush green valleys as you tour Wales. Read more...
It may be small, but Wales punches well above its weight. This is the land of Celtic culture and castles. Some are in ruins, others have been home to the same family for generations or been transformed into hotels. Cardiff Castle watches over the city, while Carreg Cennen Castle sits of a cliff overlooking the River Cenne in the village of Trapp.
The coastline is among the most beautiful in the British Isles. Walk part of the 1400-kilometre Wales Coast Path that runs through national parks, along golden beaches and hidden coves, passes even more castles and takes in fishing villages and thriving cities.
Among its most beautiful regions is Snowdonia stretching from the northwest coastline inland to rocky mountains, oak forests, sparkling lakes and rushing rivers.
One of the country's most memorable features though has nothing to do with the landscape. Here, many people still speak the traditional language and you'll hear it across the country.
History and myth are entangled in this ancient land and the language is treasured. Discover the intricate country roads, marvel at the magnificence of Snowdonia's mountains in the north, and wander through historical castle grounds.find out more
Enjoy spectacular scenery, historic castles and prominent visits to five capital cities on this in-depth exploration of Britain & Ireland.find out more
Experience all the highlights of England, Scotland and Wales on a 15 days self drive tour – giving you the freedom to stop and explore at your leisure.find out more