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Create a Website Account - Manage notification subscriptions, save form progress and more.
Show All Answers
In addition, late fees and fees for non-compliance from alarm principal and alarm businesses may be assessed. Each alarm will receive one "free" false alarm response per year.
Nothing. The city has contracted with PMAM Corporation in Irving, Texas to work with your alarm company to identify all alarm system users in the City of Papillion. Once identified, you will receive a registration notice on behalf of the city from PMAM Corporation. PMAM Corporation's notification will provide instructions on how to properly register alarms. All other communications regarding applicable false alarm fees will also be made in writing and will be mailed to you. City of Papillion - PMAM Alarm Registration Website
Here is a list of projects. If you do not see what you are looking for, please call us at 402-597-2072.
Complaints or questions may be submitted through one of the following methods:
Your property's floodplain designation is determined by a Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) issued by FEMA. A property's floodplain designation indicates the likelihood of a flood event. For example, a property with a floodplain designation of AE has a 1% annual risk of flood. Floodplain designations are used by lenders to determine if flood insurance is required. They are also used by the Planning Department to enforce the Floodplain/Floodway Overlay District regulations.
Floodplain designations can be viewed online through the Sarpy County Internet Map Service. Please note that the information provided through this resource may not reflect recently issued Letters of Map Amendment or Revision. If you believe that a Letter of Map Amendment or Revision has been issued please utilize the Planning Department's map information service.
The Planning Department provides a map information service to assist citizens with determining their floodplain designation. It is important to know your flood risk. Our staff is dedicated to assisting you with your floodplain inquiries. If you wish to utilize our service, please fill out the Mayor's Hotline Floodplain Information form or contact the Planning Department at 402-597-2077. Additional floodplain resources are available at the Sump Memorial Library.
An elevation certificate is a detailed survey of an existing structure that shows whether a structure is above, at, or below the base flood elevation. The base flood elevation is the elevation indicated in the official Flood Insurance Study as the elevation of the one-hundred-year flood. Elevation certificates are required for lenders to determine if flood insurance is mandatory as well as the insurance premium. The Planning Department has copies of some elevation certificates available through our office. Please click here to view available elevation certificates or contact us at (402) 597-2077 to request copies.
The local flood hazards are the Big Papillion Creek, West Papillion Creek, Walnut Creek and Midland Creek. Both the Big Papillion Creek and West Papillion Creek have a history of flooding. The Big Papillion Creek flooded in August 1959 leading to the evacuation of six families. The two largest floods of record occurred in 1964 and 1965. In 1964, the flood level reached 45,900 cfs (cubic feet per second). Seven people were killed and $5 million in damage occurred (excluding losses to personal property). In 1965, the flood level reached 31,200 cfs. In 1993, flood damages were recorded in the Big Papio Creek watershed due to heavy downpours. The damages including bowed or collapsed foundations and retaining walls.
The West Papillion Creek flooded in 1948. The flood had a 59-year recurrence interval at 25,500 cfs. In 1959, the West Papillion Creek flooded at a 35-year recurrence interval at 25,500 cfs. Another flood in 1964 led to a 100-year discharge (31,500 cfs) at the mouth of the creek with a 40,800 cfs discharge at Giles Road.
Learn more about the
Please see our list of flood safety measures that should be taken before, during, and after a flood event. Additional resources are available through www.ready.gov and FEMA.
In 1968, Congress created the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) to provide insurance to assist citizens with the financial losses related to floods. Individual communities must participate in the NFIP for citizens and businesses to qualify to purchase flood insurance. It is important to know that standard homeowners insurance policies do not cover damage related to flooding. Purchase flood insurance if your property is at risk for flood. Standard homeowners insurance policies do not cover damage related to flooding. Purchasing flood insurance is important because there is a 26% chance of experiencing a flood event in the life of a 30-year mortgage. Flood insurance is available to protect the building and its contents. Additional information regarding building coverage versus contents coverage is available at FloodSmart.gov. Please note that there is a 30-day waiting period before coverage goes into effect so insurance should be purchased in a timely manner. Contact your insurance agent or call 1-888-379-9531 for agent referrals or visit FloodSmart.gov. Papillion participates in the Community Rating System (CRS) so discounted flood premiums may be available.
Please see our list of property protection measures that can be taken to protect your property from flood damage. More detailed information regarding retrofitting is available through FEMA.
Floodplains are the low areas adjacent to rivers, lakes, and oceans. They are dynamic ecosystems that provide flood water conveyance and storage, fertile soil for agriculture, groundwater recharge, and sediment control. Floodplains are characterized as either riverine or coastal. The floodplains within the City of Papillion are riverine floodplains. Riverine floodplains that are still in their natural state have an important impact on flooding. Flood waters are able to spread over a large area when the floodplain is free of encroachment. Spreading flood waters across a large area reduces the flood velocity and reduces the peak flows downstream. The reduction of velocity reduces both flood damage and flood related erosion. Preservation of the floodplain also improves water quality because the natural cover filters impurities and nutrients from runoff. This minimizes sediment loads and impurities. Floodplains also moderate water temperature which reduces the possibility of negative impacts on aquatic plants and animals. Floodplains can also act as recharge areas for groundwater by promoting infiltration and aquifer recharge. They provide habitat for diverse species of plants and animals, which may not be able to live in any other location. Floodplains are important as both breeding and feeding grounds.
Help protect the natural function of the floodplain. Do not dump grass clippings, leaves, garbage, or chemicals into streams and creeks. They need to be kept clear of debris to carry and store floodwaters. Dumping chemicals disrupts the ecosystem of our creeks and streams. If you see illegal dumping or polluting, please fill out the Mayor's Hotline Illegal Dumping form or contact the Planning Department at 402-597-2077.
Additionally, silt fences on construction sites help keep streams and creeks free by keeping silt on the work site. If you see broken silt fences, please fill out the Mayor's Hotline Illegal Dumping form or contact the Planning Department at 402-597-2077.
The flood warning system starts with real-time monitoring of river gage data by the Papio-Missouri NRD. The river gage information is provided to the National Weather Service. The National Weather Service is responsible for issuing flood watches and warnings. Tune your weather radio to KIH-61 (162.400 MHz) to receive National Weather Service alerts. Notices are also publicized via television channels KPTM 3, WOWT 6, KETV 7, and KPTM 42.
Floodplain Development Permits are required for all development within the Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA) per Article XXVII of the Zoning Regulations. Obtain a Floodplain Development Permit before you build a new structure, renovate an existing structure, or grade a property in the SFHA. Floodplain Development Permit applications are available online. If you have questions regarding Floodplain Development Permits, please contact the Planning Department at (402) 597-2077. If you suspect that the floodplain is being modified without a permit, please fill out the Mayor's Hotline Suspicious Floodplain Activity form or contact the planning Department at (402) 597-2077.
The NFIP requires that a damaged structure meet the same construction requirements as a new building if the cost of reconstruction, rehabilitation, addition, or other improvements to a building equals or exceeds 50% of the building's market value. Any new construction or substantial improvement must meet the requirements of Section 205-158 of the Papillion Municipal Code. Substantial improvement is defined as "any reconstruction, rehabilitation, addition, or other improvement of a structure, the cost of which equals or exceeds 50% of the market value of the structure before "start of construction" of the improvement."
For residential properties, this means that the lowest floor (including the basement) must be elevated one foot above base flood elevation. For nonresidential properties, this means that the lowest floor (including the basement) must be elevated one foot above base flood elevation or it shall be floodproofed so that the structure is watertight with walls substantially impermeable to the passage of water and has structural components that have the capacity of resisting hydrostatic and hydrodynamic loads and the effect of buoyancy. Additionally, Section 205-161(B-C) provides that residential and nonresidential uses located in the floodway cannot be reconstructed if the reconstruction cost exceeds 50% of the market value prior to the damage occurring. These provisions are enforced at the time of application for a Floodplain Development Permit, which is required prior to approval of a building permit.
For additional information on FEMA's requirements, click here.
It is a violation of §195-16 to pollute any stream or source of water supplied to the Municipal Water Department. In 2006, the Stormwater Management Regulations were adopted to establish minimum requirements and procedures to control the adverse impacts associated with increased and altered stormwater runoff. It is important to maintain the drainage system because any blockage of the system can lead to flooding. Please refrain from dumping grass clippings, leaves, or garbage into streams, creeks, and drainage areas. The drainage system must also be protected from chemicals and vehicle fluids. Make sure to dispose of household chemicals appropriately and keep your vehicle well maintained to prevent fluid leakage.
If you see illegal dumping or polluting, please fill out the Illegal Dumping for available through the Mayor's Hotline or contact the Planning Department at 402-597-2077.
Visit www.papillion.org/HR to view and apply for City of Papillion job openings.
Use your 14-digit library card number as your login and your last name (in lower-case, no caps) as your password. (If your card doesn't have a 14-digit number, please stop by the library to get it relabeled.) If you have problems, please call us at 402-597-2040.
On the my summary screen, click on the underlined Renew for the item you want to keep longer or click on the Renew All button to renew everything you have checked out. Items can only be renewed once and items another patron has placed a hold on cannot be renewed. To renew, view our
- You can login directly to the catalog or click on the Catalog link.
- Use your 14-digit library card number as your login and your last name (in lower-case, no caps) as your password. (If your card doesn't have a 14-digit number, please stop by the library to get it relabeled.) If you have problems, please call us at 402-597-2040)
- Type in the title you want to place on hold in the Search box under the library photos and click the Go button.
- Click on the underlined Title of the item you want.
- Click on Place Hold on the right-side of the Item Details screen.
- Click the Place Hold button on the Hold Confirmation screen.
- You will be taken to your Holds screen showing the Hold has been placed.
- You can cancel or suspend Holds on this screen too.
- If you are going to be away, consider suspending your holds until you return so you don't miss out on the item you've been waiting for.
- You will get an email and/or a phone call when your hold is ready to be picked up depending on how you've instructed the library to contact you.
- The item will be held for pickup for 7 days.
- You must have the library card the item was placed on hold for to pick it up.
- If you want to place a particular item on hold like a specific DVD from a TV series, please contact us and we can place that hold for you.
All those wishing to check out materials must have a valid library card with them. A photo ID and a secondary proof of address are required for registration. Residents of the City of Papillion are taxed for library services and may receive a card without an additional charge. Those living outside Papillion city limits (including those in a SID, even with a Papillion address) are not taxed for library services and therefore must pay an annual $50 for the household. An option for a four-month non-resident card is also available for $20. Replacement cards are available for $1.
Members of the Library Board of Advisors are appointed by the Mayor with the consent of the City Council. The positions hold a 4-year term. If interested, please submit a letter of interest with a resume and the Trustee Application to Mayor David P. Black, at:
Papillion City Hall
122 E 3rd Street
Papillion, NE 68046
- Books: 3 weeks
- Audiobooks on CD: 3 weeks
- Music CDs: 3 weeks
- DVDs and Board Games: 7 days
- Magazines and Comic Books: 7 days
- Books & Magazines: $0.10 per day
- Audiobooks: $0.10 per day
- Equipment: $1 per day
- DVDs and Board Games: $1 per day
The fee for lost or damaged materials is the replacement cost of the item. Items are considered lost when they are more than 3 weeks overdue. If a lost item is returned, the lost fines will be replaced with an overdue fine.
Stop by the library and fill out an InterLibrary Loan (ILL) Request. The library will then attempt to borrow the item from another library for you. All requests are placed in a nationwide search and are filled at the discretion of the lending library. Requests may take a few days to several weeks to be processed. A fee equivalent to the cost of postage is charged for each received interlibrary loan request.
Fines for overdue materials are $1 per day and materials that are not picked up will be charged the cost of postage. Lost or damaged materials will be charged according to the fees set by the lending library.
To request to have your artwork displayed in the library, please complete and return this application.
InvoiceCloud is the company we have partnered with to handle our online payments.
You can pay your bills in person at City Hall, by mail or online through InvoiceCloud. We do accept credit or debit card.
Not at all. You can pay in person at City Hall or by mail. We offer online bill pay as an one option for our customers convenience.
Please e-mail your question to firstname.lastname@example.com, or call the Utility Billing Clerk at 402-827-1677
Click on this link, City of Papillion InvoiceCloud, and choose "Sign up for water/sewer service", or you may call the General Clerk at 402-597-2020.
There is a $50 application fee for all applicants, and an additional $25 deposit is required for applicants who are renting.
Please make your requests for final readings at least 24 hours in advance through our online termination form, or call the General Clerk at 402-597-2020.
Contact Dylan Fuchs at the Papillion Recreation Department at 402-597-2073.
Please feel free to contact the Farmers Market Manager, Dylan Fuchs at 402-597-2073.
View the
Check the zoning map. Then go to Zoning Regulations and select the chapter containing the rules for your district. If you have questions, call the Planning Department at 402-597-2077.
Some areas have "overlay" districts that impose additional restrictions on the use of the land. These districts include Floodplain/Floodway, Highway, and Public District. Citizens may call the numbers listed above to ask which overlays may apply to their property.
Sometimes lenders require zoning "verification" or "certification" letters when you are selling or financing property. The information required can vary from a simple statement of the current zoning classification on the property and what uses are permitted in that zone to a detailed evaluation of the conformance of the uses and improvements on the property to the zoning rules. The City may, in some cases, prepare letters of this type; to determine if this is possible contact 402-597-2077.
For plowing or sidewalks, call 402-597-2043. All emergency maintenance requests after normal working hours can also go to 402-597-2043.
Please call the Sarpy County Dispatch Non-Emergency Line at 402-593-4111 for vehicles parked on City streets during a snow emergency.
City ordinance requires property owners to shovel their sidewalks. We follow through on all sidewalk complaints. If you see an unshoveled walk that is dangerous to pedestrians, call us at 402-597-2043.
Frequently Asked Questions Links 1
Frequently Asked Questions Links


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Название mp3: Despicable Me
Исполнитель: Pharrell Williams
Добавлен: 2015-12-09
Просмотрен: 568
Длительность: 04:13
Im having a bad bad day
its about time that I get my way
steam rolling whatever i see, huh
despicable me
I'm having a bad bad day
if you take it personal thats ok,
watch this is so fun to see, huh
despicable me
Verse 1
Why ask why better yet why not
Why are you marking x on that spot
Why use a blow torch isn't that hott?
Why use a chainsaw is that all you got
Why do you like seeing people in shock
But my question to you is why not
Why go to the back and stand in line
Just use a freeze gun it saves me time
Verse 2
Why ask why when this is just art
Why parallel when I can just park?
Why does vector think that he's smart
And does his dad know I know his part
Why did I have to live with my mom
Why do you think that I should be calm
Why want the moon, the World in my palm
Is it crazy you think I've gone?
Verse 3
Excuse me if you will
You look like you have time to kill
Can you chill
Cause (?) Got the speakers and the trunk to make you
Bounce, bounce, bounce, bounce, bounce, bounce, bounce
To make you bounce, bounce, bounce, bounce
Despicable Me (repeated)

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Dr. Morita's lab work currently focuses on antigen recognition by γδ T cells, purification of nonpeptide antigens recognized by T cells, T cell-mediated immunity to infection, development, chemotaxis, and functions of memory γδ T cells, CD1 presentation of glycolipids to T Cells, the role of γδ T cells in cancer immunotherapy, and boosting γδ T cell bridge immunity in tularemia.
Links of Interest
- Division of Rheumatology
- Dept. of Internal Medicine
- Immunology Graduate Program
- UI Carver College of Medicine
- The University of Iowa


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Create a Website Account - Manage notification subscriptions, save form progress and more.
Transfer Station Permit Fee
Show All Answers
Pay-As-You-Throw (PAYT) is a system much like electricity, gas or telephone under which the user pays a basic amount (sticker) that covers fixed costs and then a user fee (bags) for the amount used.
You buy Town approved bags at stores where you usually shop. You put your trash in those bags and bring them to the Transfer Station to dispose of as you currently do with your trash.
The program began on July 1, 2011.
The Town implemented PAYT to offset the increasing costs of trash disposal. PAYT allows each household to control their volume of trash disposal and the associated costs with excess disposal. PAYT encourages recycling which benefits everyone.
No, many communities in Massachusetts currently utilize a PAYT program.
Pay-As-You-Throw Bag Fees
Our PAYT bags will be BLUE and will be imprinted with the Town Seal and Town specific information. The bags will be 1.25 to 1.5 ml in thickness with drawstrings.
Yes. Everyone bringing their trash to the Transfer Station will have to purchase the PAYT bags.
Residents may purchase bags at many local stores.
You will not be able to dispose of your trash at the Transfer Station until it's in the proper bag.
There is no limit on the amount of PAYT bags you bring to the Transfer Station each week for disposal. The PAYT bag program is designed to offset the cost of trash disposal. Each resident controls how much they spend for their own trash disposal.
The Town regularly monitor areas which have historically had dumping issues. We use whatever means necessary to identify the offenders and fine them in accordance with Massachusetts State Law and Town Bylaws. We would encourage all citizens to report offenders as well as engage the cooperation of our citizens for the success of the program.
No. Standard recycling items (e.g., cans, plastics, bottles, paper) will remain free.
Non-routine items (e.g., refrigerators, TV's, mattresses) can be dropped-off at the Transfer Station. A fee for each item will be charged to offset disposal costs.
Practice the 3 R's:
Board of Health regulation requires private haulers to provide curb-side recycling.


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by Greg Fulton
Raw Story
A recently proposed but little-noticed Senate bill would allow the federal government to shut down the Internet in times of declared emergency, and enables unprecedented federal oversight of private network administration.
The bill's draft states that "the president may order a cybersecurity emergency and order the limitation or shutdown of Internet traffic" and would give the government ongoing access to "all relevant data concerning (critical infrastructure) networks without regard to any provision of law, regulation, rule, or policy restricting such access."
Authored by Democratic Sen. Jay Rockefeller of West Virginia and Republican Olympia Snowe of Maine, the Cybersecurity Act of 2009 seeks to create a Cybersecurity Czar to centralize power now held by the Pentagon, National Security Agency, Department of Commerce and the Department of Homeland Security.
While the White House has not officially endorsed the draft, it did have a hand in its language, according to The Washington Post.
Proponents of the measure stress the need to centralize cybersecurity of the private sector. "People say this is a military or intelligence concern," says Rockefeller, "but it is a lot more than that. It suddenly gets into the realm of traffic lights and rail networks and water and electricity."
Snowe added, "America's vulnerability to massive cyber-crime, global cyber-espionage and cyber-attacks has emerged as one of the most urgent national security problems facing our country today. Importantly, this legislation loosely parallels the recommendations in the CSIS [Center for Strategic and International Studies] blue-ribbon panel report to President Obama and has been embraced by a number of industry and government thought leaders."
Critics decry the broad language, and are watchful for amendments to the bill seeking to refine the provisions. According to opencongress.com, no amendments to the draft have been submitted.
Organizations like the Center for Democracy and Technology fear if passed in its current form, the proposal leaves too much discretion of just what defines critical infrastructure. The bill would also impose mandates for designated private networks and systems, including standardized security software, testing, licensing and certification of cyber-security professionals.
"I'd be very surprised if it doesn't include communications systems, which are certainly critical infrastructure," CDT General Counsel Greg Nojeim told eWEEK. "The president would decide not only what is critical infrastructure but also what is an emergency."
Adds Jennifer Granick, civil liberties director of the Electronic Frontier Foundation, "Essentially, the Act would federalize critical infrastructure security. Since many systems (banks, telecommunications, energy)are in the hands of the private sector, the bill would create a major shift of power away from users and companies to the federal government."
Source: prisonplanet.com


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<< Back
3.0 Kilo per square meter hand woven traditional flokati rugs, available in rectangles and rounds in natural off-white, Flokati Rugs are a plush and soft shag rug and with a natural beauty suitable for any decor. Flokati is a hand crafted wool shag rug that is made from the finest wool for elegance, comfort and durability. The Flokati wool shag Rug is beautiful, durable and luxurious. Imported from Greece, and made from 100% New Zealand Wool, these 3.0 kilo flokati rugs are approximately three inches in pile height. Flokati rugs are naturally stain and soil resistant. The high moisture content of the fiber, along with wool's protein constituents, gives Flokati rugs excellent flame resistance too. Small rugs can be machine washed in cold water with Woolite and air dried. Larger rugs can be washed and dried outdoors or professionally washed .The flokati rug is known for it?s amazing durability and a quality flokati can last with moderate traffic for as much as 25 years if properly cared for.
With this Flokati rug, you can be assured of unsurpassed comfort and luxury. Nothing compares to the luxuriousness and durability of wool. A Flokati wool rug is naturally beautiful, luxurious and comfortable. Wool breaths and is static resistant, and their durability is unsurpassed by other natural fibers and woven wool alternatives. The structure of wool allows the body to be supported by resilient and springy fibers, providing support and comfort. And a wool is a great insulator. Wool traps air, which insulates you against cold and heat. These 3.0 Kilo Flokati Rugs area available in designer colors, and Custom Flokati Rugs are available in any color, shape or weight. Please call us at 877-LOVE RUG to discuss your custom Flokati Rug Needs.


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By Tom Hays
Associated Press
NEW YORK — A hidden website operated by a San Francisco man using an alias from "The Princess Bride" became a vast black market bazaar that brokered more than $1 billion in transactions for illegal drugs and services, according to court papers made public Wednesday.
A criminal complaint in New York accused Ross William Ulbricht of being the mastermind and charged him with narcotics trafficking, computer hacking and money laundering. A separate indictment in Maryland accused him in a failed murder-for-hire scheme.
The website, Silk Road, allowed users to anonymously browse through nearly 13,000 listings under categories like "Cannabis," "Psychedelics" and "Stimulants" before making purchases using the electronic currency Bitcoin.
One listing for heroin promised buyers "all rock, no powder, vacuum sealed and stealth shipping," and had a community forum below where one person commented, "Quality is superb."
The website, whose other categories included "Erotica" and "Fireworks," protected users with an encryption technique called onion routing, designed to make it "practically impossible to physically locate the computers hosting or accessing websites on the network," court papers said.
Federal authorities shut the site down and arrested Ulbricht on Tuesday afternoon in a branch of San Francisco's public library. Ulbricht was online on his laptop chatting with a cooperating witness about Silk Road when FBI agents from New York and San Francisco took him into custody, authorities said.
A library system spokeswoman, Michelle Jeffers, said she was told by staffers that on Tuesday afternoon they heard a loud commotion in the science fiction section of the library and saw a young man, who appeared to offer no resistance, pushed up against a floor-to-ceiling window by plainclothes FBI agents as they handcuffed him.
Ulbricht, 29, made an initial appearance in a San Francisco court on Wednesday, authorities said. A bail hearing was set for Friday. There was no immediate response to messages left with Ulbricht's attorney.
A criminal complaint said Ulbricht "has controlled and overseen all aspects of Silk Road."
He announced in a website forum last year that to avoid confusion he needed to change his Silk Road username, court papers said. He wrote, "drum roll please … my new name is: Dread Pirate Roberts," an apparent reference to a swashbuckling character in "The Princess Bride," the 1987 comedy film based on a novel of the same name.
The court papers cite a LinkedIn profile that says Ulbricht graduated from the University of Texas with a physics degree and attended graduate school in Pennsylvania.
It says he has focused on "creating economic simulation" designed to "give people a firsthand experience of what it would be like to live in a world without the systematic use of force."
Along with drugs, the website offered various illegal services, including one vendor who offered to hack into Facebook, Twitter and other social networking accounts and another selling tutorials on how to hack into ATMs.
Under the "Forgeries" category, sellers advertised forged driver's licenses, passports, Social Security cards and other documents.
As of July, there were nearly 1 million registered users of the site from the United States, Germany, Russia, Australia and elsewhere, the court papers said.
The site generated an estimated $1.2 billion since it started in 2011 and collected $80 million by charging 8 percent to 15 percent commission on each sale, it said.
Undercover agents in New York made more than 100 purchases of LSD, Ecstasy, heroin and other drugs offered on the site, the papers said.
In July, customs agents as part of a routine search intercepted a package from Canada that contained counterfeit identifications, all with Ulbricht's photo, the papers said.
When confronted by agents at a San Francisco address where he was renting a room for $1,000 a month, he "generally refused to answer questions … however volunteered that 'hypothetically' anyone could go onto a website named Silk Road and purchase any drugs or fake identity documents the person wanted."
The Maryland indictment alleges Ulbricht told an undercover investigator posing as a drug dealer this year he would pay the undercover to "beat up" a former employee he believed had stolen money from Silk Road. Later, it said, he wrote to ask whether he could "change the order to execute rather than torture" and agreed to make two payments of $40,000 each to get the job done.
The New York complaint cites messages from Ulbricht it says showed he plotted to kill another person who was trying to extort him.


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Viking Invaders Brought Armies of Mice
Spread of rodents mirrors Viking conquests, DNA study says.
Photograph by Kalle Pahajoki, Alamy
Christine Dell'Amore
Published March 21, 2012
Vikings who conquered new lands unwittingly brought with them another sort of invader, a new DNA study says—mice.
Scientists studying the evolution of house mice already knew about a DNA pattern found only in mice in what's now Norway, a Viking homeland, and northern Britain, which Vikings colonized, said study leader Eleanor Jones, a population biologist at Uppsala University in Sweden.
The finding suggested to Jones and her team that the two populations, despite being separated by the sea, were related and that Vikings had possibly brought the mice to northern Britain.
The new study tested modern and ancient mouse remains from the sites of known Viking colonies and found the same telltale pattern, adding weight to the idea that the mice were brought by Viking colonizers.
Intimately Connected
Between the eighth and the mid-tenth centuries A.D., Vikings settled new colonies in several regions, including Scotland, Ireland, Iceland, the Faroe Islands, Newfoundland, and Greenland.
House mice likely stowed away in grain and hay stores on the big, deep-bellied boats that Vikings used to conquer these new areas, Jones said.
In general, as their name implies, house mice tend to prefer human company and may have even co-evolved to live among people. The first records of house mice living with people come from the Mideast's so-called Fertile Crescent and date to around 8,000 to 6,000 B.C.
With the new research, we can "we can follow [their] genetic story, which is tied very intimately to our own genetic history," she said.
(See "Vikings Navigated With Translucent Crystals?")
Studying Mice and Men
For the study, Jones and colleagues first took DNA samples from wild house mice in nine sites in Iceland, one in Greenland, and four near the Viking archaeological site of L'Anse aux Meadows in Newfoundland. The team compared this DNA with ancient samples from mouse bones found at four archaeological sites in Iceland and a few in Greenland.
Researchers then zeroed in on a small fragment of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), which is passed down by mothers to their offspring. By comparing this fragment to mouse mtDNA from all those different sites, the scientists figured out which mice were related and which weren't. (Get a genetics overview.)
From this data, the team pieced together a family tree, which showed how house mice spread across Europe over the past few thousand years. That lineage matched with the path of the Vikings' expansion, she said.
House mice, Jones said, "carry the genetic signature of human history."
It's unknown whether the Vikings were aware of their hitchhikers, although there are records that the settlers brought cats on the ship, noted Jones, whose study was published March 19 in the journal BMC Evolutionary Biology.
"Once you get to Iceland and Greenland, there are no other small animal pests—they must be taking cats with them to deal with this mouse pest," she said.
Once on land, the hardy species would've had no problem establishing themselves in the new Viking communities, Jones added.
Viking-Mouse Study "Convincing"
The new study offers a "very convincing application of ancient DNA analysis" of mice to trace how people settle new territories, Fabienne Pigière, of the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences in Brussels, said by email.
The research also "opens new perspectives of research for the study of human-settlement history," said Pigière, who was not involved in the research.
For instance, the team found no evidence of house mice in Newfoundland during the Viking period, which suggests Vikings may have lived in the area for only a short time, she said.
Elizabeth Reitz, an zooarchaeologist at the University of Georgia in Athens, noted that smaller animals such as house mice are often found in archaelogical collections, but "many people ignore them in favor of emphasizing larger, domestic, animals—those used for food, traction, and raw materials."
"Yet small, incidental animals, such as house mice, can tell us a great deal about the human-built environment," Reitz said via email. "As this article shows, they can also provide us additional insights into the process of human colonization and trade."
The study is also a reminder of how people can alter new environments, study leader Jones added.
"As we move around, we unintentionally move animals with us. Once we get to a place, we're creating a new type of habitat—we're creating new environments for them to live in."


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Hendrick Motorsports likes things neat and clean and organized. NASCAR's top team works hard to avoid drama, and its way of doing business is a huge part of the organization's success.
It's fairly standard for Hendrick to tie its sponsors, drivers and crew chiefs into tidy packages of concurrent contracts.
That didn't happen, though, last week when the team announced Farmers Insurance had signed a three-year extension of "its sponsorship of Hendrick Motorsports' No. 5 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series." There was no mention of the driver also getting a new deal tied to a sponsor that will be on the car through the 2017 season.
Kasey Kahne's contract runs through 2015, about the same time Chase Elliott will be ready for a promotion from the driver development program to the big leagues. Hendrick Motorsports has got to put Elliott somewhere, and there's no guarantee Jeff Gordon is going to smile his way into retirement and hand his seat over to Elliott. Gordon may be about to turn 43, but the four-time NASCAR champion is currently leading the Sprint Cup standings and has 11 top-10 finishes through 15 races.
It's easy to read too much into Kahne being left out of the Farmers announcement, to turn a simple sponsorship extension into much ado about nothing.
But there are some obvious facts that make it hard not to wonder just how safe Kahne is with the organization:
— A seat eventually has to open for the 18-year-old Elliott, who has two wins and is thick in the Nationwide Series title race.
— The team eventually must put a plan together to replace Gordon, occupant of the No. 24 since the 1992 season finale.
— There could be a crop of free agent drivers coming available in the next few seasons, including Kyle Larson, a budding superstar that Hendrick could try to lure away from Chip Ganassi Racing. A matured Kyle Busch could be interested in returning to Hendrick, where he started his career, and Denny Hamlin has always been interested in being Gordon's replacement.
— Most glaring, though, is Kahne's performance: Four wins in 87 races dating to 2012. He was a career-best fourth in the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship in that debut season with Hendrick, but he was 12th last year. Kahne is so far winless this season and is 19th in the standings. His teammates, Gordon, Jimmie Johnson and Dale Earnhardt Jr., have combined for six victories, rank 1-2-3 in the standings and are all locked into the Chase.
Nobody at Hendrick Motorsports has given any indication Kahne is on the hot seat. But he's not talking about a contract extension with management just yet, either.
"Mr. Hendrick is always trying to help me as a driver; as a person and he gives us every opportunity. So, I want to be there a long time," Kahne said last week at Michigan International Speedway. "We still have a year-and-a-half before my deal is up. So I think (it's about) performance, and sponsors that want to be part of them, and just getting our team back where it needs to be. We've struggled some this year for really no reason. We can't have that. If we can get rid of some of those struggles, I would hope that I would be at Hendrick Motorsports for a long time."
Kahne had a fifth-place finish Sunday at Michigan. It was only his second top-five of the season, but it came on a day that Hendrick Motorsports routed the field. Johnson won for the third time in three weeks, Gordon was sixth and Earnhardt seventh as all four HMS entries landed inside the top seven.
Asked after the race if his finish silenced his critics, Kahne was blunt.
"Probably not all of them," he said. "And they probably don't all need to be silenced after one good run. We were way too bad the first 14 or 15 races, and hopefully this will get us going and we can get strong from here and make some points up and get in the Chase."
Team owner Rick Hendrick tried and failed to get Kahne into his cars early for the 2011 season. It landed him at Red Bull Racing to wait out the 2011 season. Although he won once for Red Bull and finished 14th in the standings, it was never before than a holding place until he could finally execute the Hendrick contract he'd signed almost two years earlier.
Amid much fanfare, he finally joined the organization. But it's tough to shine at HMS, where Johnson has been the most dominant driver of the decade, Gordon is an icon and Earnhardt gets the lion's share of the attention no matter what.
And Earnhardt is winning right now, which really makes Kahne lost in the shuffle.
He wants to stay at Hendrick and is ready to discuss a future with the organization.
"I don't know when that date is, but I think we have a lot of really good things going on, and with a little bit of performance here and there, maybe it will come up sooner than later," he said. "I would love to be there for a long time, so we will kind of have to see how that works out."


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Here's a good site to get your Company set up and a registered Agent in the State where your new Studio is located.
The Game Attorney's GameDevKit.
If you just want to make games and give them away, you probably don't need what's in the Kit...but if you are serious about making and selling your own games you have to be serious about making your own game studio. And that is a business venture.
The first thing you need to understand before you try to sell that first game is that you can't sell what you don't own! So, you will need to obtain ownership of all of the assets in your game. And under the law in most countries, including the US, intellectual property ownership can not be conveyed unless it is done in writing. The Kit provides the basic legal tool you need to get that done, a Contributor Agreement. A contract of that nature would normally cost over a thousand dollars, even when done by an inexperienced local attorney. The Contributor Agreement in the Kit was prepared for you by an attorney with many years of game industry experience and alone is well worth the cost of the entire Kit. But there is a lot more to the Kit than just the Contributor Agreement.
The Kit has sections dealing with the why and how of forming your own game company, communicating with third parties and the appropriate times and ways to use unilateral and mutual Non-disclosure agreements with the NDA's included, a basic primer on copyrights and why and how to obtain them, complete with the forms from the Library of Congress, and links to some of the best sources for information on development, including technical, artistic and business matters as well as the entire series of articles for start-up developers from the creator of the Kit, Game Attorney Tom Buscaglia.
Quite a package and quite a deal for under $300 - less that the cost of one hour of a competent attorney's time!
Take some time to look around this site and learn more about What's in the Kit, Who Made the Kit and Why you should Get the Kit. Then, if you agree that this is the best deal around for any start-up game developer who wants to get started in the game industry...you too can Get the Kit!
GL & HF! Tom Buscaglia, Esquire The Game AttorneyGameAttorney.com


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This page has been archived and is being provided for reference purposes only. The page is no longer being updated, and therefore, links on the page may be invalid.
Read the magazine story to find out more. |
Inventors Offer Ecofriendly Substitutes for Polystyrene
By Marcia WoodSeptember 17, 2009
Rigid, custom-fit foam pieces like those that keep computer monitors firmly in place inside cardboard boxes during shipping could be made with eco-friendly starch from potatoes, wheat or corn, instead of from petroleum, according to Agricultural Research Service (ARS) research plant physiologist Gregory M. Glenn. Opting for starch in place of petroleum-derived polystyrene would lessen America's dependence on petroleum.
Glenn works at the ARS Western Regional Research Center in Albany, Calif. For nearly two decades, he has been developing and patenting innovative, "green" techniques for transforming commonplace plant starches—like the silky white cornstarch kept in kitchen cupboards everywhere—into convenient, biodegradable foamed goods like shipping liners, dinnerware and more.
Co-inventor Simon K. Hodson collaborated with Glenn in developing two recent technologies. Both approaches yield strong, durable, and versatile biofoams that look like familiar polystyrene foam goods. Like those conventional foams, the biofoams can be manufactured to a range of densities and can be die-cut or molded into a seemingly limitless array of shapes, sizes and thicknesses.
Both patent-applied-for technologies for making biofoams rely on an extruder—a standard piece of equipment—to heat and mix starch and other all-natural compounds. With one option, the extruder squeezes out long strings, called "thermoplastic melt," that are later cut into small beads about half the size of a marble.
At various points in the process, the beads puff and expand, such as when they are put into the cavity of a heated mold to press them into the desired shape. Expanded beads eventually touch one another, creating a strong matrix that's much like the bead matrix of polystyrene foams.
The biofoams aren't waterproof, but a moisture barrier, made from plant sources such as corn, can be added, ensuring that the finished foam is still derived exclusively from renewable, biodegradable resources.
Read more about the research in the September 2009 issue of Agricultural Research magazine.
ARS is the principal intramural research agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.


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Khanh Ngoc Hotel
Get your trip off to a great start with a stay at this property, which offers free Wi-Fi in all rooms. Conveniently situated in the District 7 part of Ho Chi Minh City, this property puts you close to attractions and interesting dining options. Don't leave before paying a visit to the famous War Remnants Museum.
Bicycle rental
Valet parking
Free Wi-Fi in all rooms!
Front desk [24-hour]
Luggage storage
Room service [24-hour]
Laundry service
Room service


text: Robert Seymour Bridges was an English poet noted for his technical mastery of prosody and for his sponsorship of the poetry of his friend Gerard Manley Hopkins. Born into a prosperous family, Bridges went to Eton College and then to Oxford, where he met Hopkins. His edition of Hopkins' poetry that appeared in 1916 rescued it from obscurity. From 1869 until 1882 Bridges worked as a medical student and physician in London hospitals. In 1884 he married Mary Monica Waterhouse, and he spent the rest of his life in virtually unbroken domestic seclusion, first at Yattendon, Berkshire, then at Boar's Hill, devoting himself almost religiously to poetry, contemplation, and the study of prosody. Although he published several long poems and poetic dramas, his reputation rests upon the lyrics collected in Shorter Poems (1890, 1894). New Verse (1925) contains experiments using a metre based on syllables rather than accents. He used this form for his long philosophical poem The Testament of Beauty, published on his 85th birthday. Bridges was poet laureate from 1913 until his death in 1930.


text: Tricia Edwards is the Lemelson Center's education specialist. She develops the conceptual framework for school and family programs centered on both historical and contemporary topics related to invention and the creative process such as the award-winning Innovative Lives program. She also develops instructional materials, evaluation instruments, and leads teacher training workshops on invention education for both local and national audiences. Edwards developed the Lemelson Center's Spark!Lab, a hands-on invention activity center at the National Museum of American History. Access Session Recording, Topic Discussion, and Additional Resources Bill Fitzhugh Curator of Archaeology Director, Arctic Studies Center National Museum of Natural History William W. Fitzhugh directs the Arctic Studies Center in the Smithsonian's Department of Anthropology and has spent more than thirty years studying arctic peoples and cultures. His primary field is arctic and subarctic archaeology and paleoecology. Broader aspects of his research feature the evolution of northern maritime adaptations, impacts of climate and environmental change, and culture contacts. Recent research has been on circumpolar cultural connections and the origins of Eskimo culture and art. Dr. Fitzhugh's films and exhibitions include Crossroads of Continents: Native Cultures of Siberia and Alaska; Ainu: Spirit of a Northern People; and Vikings: the North Atlantic Saga. Access Session Recording, Topic Discussion, and Additional Resources Edward E. Geary Director GLOBE Program Edward E. Geary is director of the Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment (GLOBE) Program, an international environmental education and science program in more than 100 countries and 20,000 classrooms. In addition to his geological research and publications, Dr. Geary has developed and led several dynamic science education programs including a systemic U.S. effort to transform how we teach and learn about Earth (1999-present). A past president of the National Association of Geoscience Teachers (2003), he is currently working on a worldwide initiative to engage more than 1 million students, teachers, and citizens in inquiry-based climate research between 2011 and 2013. Access Session Recording, Topic Discussion, and Additional Resources A. Mark Haddon Director of Education Smithsonian Environmental Research Center Mark Haddon has been working at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC) in Edgewater, Maryland, since 1984. Starting out as a research technician in the Estuarine Ecology Lab, he studied populations of fish and blue crabs and the health of the Chesapeake Bay. In 1989, he became director of education at SERC and incorporated many of his research skills into the education programs for students and teachers. Now he designs environmental programs at SERC that integrate research methods and data collecting. He has a bachelor's degree in biology and teaching, and a master's degree in secondary education. Access Session Recording, Topic Discussion, and Additional Resources Stanley Heckadon-Moreno Director of Communications and Public Programs Coordinator, Galeta Point Marine Laboratory Smithsonian Tropical Research Center Heckadon-Moreno, a pioneer of the environmental movement in Central America, joined the Smithsonian Tropical Research Center as a research associate in 1983. As coordinator of its Galeta Point Marine Laboratory, he has helped to place the preservation of Panama's mangroves on the national agenda. In the early 1990s, with the end of military rule, he became director general of Panama's National Institute of Natural Renewable Resources (RENARE). He is a founding member of the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) and has lectured extensively to policymakers on issues of development and conservation. He has published several books, including Naturalists on the Isthmus of Panama (2004). Access Session Recording, Topic Discussion, and Additional Resources Doug Herman Senior Geographer National Museum of the American Indian Douglas Herman is senior geographer for the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian and adjunct associate professor at Towson University, Maryland. An early architect of NMAI's Indigenous geography project, he went on to create Pacific Worlds, a web-based indigenous-geography education project for Hawai'i and the American Pacific. Both projects focus on indigenous cultural knowledge and environmental understandings. He has published several articles and given numerous scholarly presentations regarding the representation of Indigenous cultures and the importance of Indigenous knowledge. He earned his doctorate in geography from the University of Hawai'i in 1995. Access Session Recording, Topic Discussion, and Additional Resources Leonard P. Hirsch Senior Policy Advisor Smithsonian Institution Leonard P. Hirsch is Senior Policy Advisor at the Smithsonian Institution where he supports the scientific programs of the Smithsonian, with emphasis on global environmental concerns. Len is a member of the White House Committee on Environment and Natural Resources of the National Science and Technology Council where he works on issues of biological diversity informatics and facilitating the coordination of government research on land and seascape change. He is active on the subcommittees and workgroups on Earth observations and ecosystem services. He is active in work with the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (as part of the US delegation), and participates in the coordination processes of the Conventions on Combating Desertification, and Climate Change, and the UN Commission on Sustainable Development. Access Session Recording, Topic Discussion, and Additional Resources Nancy Knowlton Sant Chair for Marine Science National Museum of Natural History Dr. Nancy Knowlton holds the Sant Chair in Marine Science, the first endowed chair at the National Museum of Natural History. This position provides leadership for the Smithsonian's Ocean Initiative, an interdisciplinary enterprise to foster greater public understanding of ocean issues. As a coral reef scientist, she studies the ecology and evolution of these diverse and threatened ecosystems, including the impact of climate change. She was also the founding director of the Center for Marine Biodiversity and Conservation and a professor at Scripps Institution of Oceanography of the University of California at San Diego. Access Session Recording, Topic Discussion, and Additional Resources Don Moore Associate Director for Animal Care National Zoological Park Don Moore is associate director for animal care at the Smithsonian's National Zoological Park. As a zoo-based wildlife biologist, animal behaviorist, and educator, he has helped to renovate and manage several zoos, and has assisted in the creation of conservation management plans for wild animals in nature, for more than 30 years. Dr Moore has published more than four dozen papers or manuals on animal husbandry and behavior, and also contributes to and authors publications for the general public and children. He has received national and local awards for excellence in interpretation of natural history and wildlife behavior. Access Session Recording, Topic Discussion, and Additional Resources Scott Richardson K-12 Program Coordinator, Learn and Serve America Corporation for National and Community Service Scott Richardson is the K-12 Program Coordinator for Learn and Serve America at the Corporation for National and Community Service. He is responsible for Learn and Serve's programmatic and grant-making activities in school-based service-learning. Formerly, Scott was the Director of Research and Design at Earth Force and Director of Curriculum at the Close Up Foundation, where he conducted civics and service-learning workshops for teachers and students in the US, Russia, Palau, Micronesia, and the Marshall Islands. Access Session Recording, Topic Discussion, and Additional Resources Joe Sacco Associate Director of Education, Friends of the National Zoo National Zoological Park Joseph M. Sacco is the Smithsonian's National Zoo's associate director for education. He oversees all public education programs provided by the Friends of the National Zoo, including public demonstrations, curriculum for K-12 students, teacher workshops, and community outreach initiatives held throughout the year at both the Zoo and its Conservation and Research Center in Front Royal, Virginia. Sacco has 32 years of education experience including teaching science, writing curricula, counseling students, serving as a middle-school principal, and leading graduate courses in team building and group dynamics. Access Session Recording, Topic Discussion, and Additional Resources Scott Wing Curator of Fossil Plants, Department of Paleobiology National Museum of Natural History Scott Wing has worked as a research scientist, curator, and educator in the National Museum of Natural History's Department of Paleobiology since 1984. He studies fossil plants and past climate change, emphasizing periods of globally warm climate 50-70 million years ago. For the last 10 years his research has focused on a geologically short period of extreme warmth called the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum, or PETM. Like the warming being caused by humans, the PETM was the result of a large release of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, and had strong effects on ecosystems and the chemistry of the atmosphere and oceans. Access Session Recording, Topic Discussion, and Additional Resources


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Estimated read time: 4-5 minutes
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JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) - A Florida school board has decided to end a decades-long controversy and rename a high school now named for a Confederate general and honorary Ku Klux Klan leader that some historical records say ordered the execution of hundreds of black Union soldiers.
The Duval County School Board said it was following the will of its students Monday when it voted unanimously to change the name of Nathan B. Forrest High in Jacksonville. The change will take place next year once a new name is chosen, said Superintendent Nikolai Vitti.
"What I want is for students at Nathan Bedford Forrest to use this as a civics lesson," Vitti said. He said he hopes students realize that they can make a difference.
Vitti said a majority of students surveyed voiced support for dropping Forrest's name, given his history as a slave trader and some accounts that blame him for issuing an order to execute captured black Union soldiers during the Civil War.
Vitti said he will now conduct a survey to decide the school's new name. The school board is expected to decide the new name early next year.
"Everybody is glad about it," De'jia Boatwright, a 15-year old 10th grader at the school.
About half of the faculty and a majority of alumni surveyed disagreed with the name change, but 64 percent of students at the black-majority high school were in favor of dropping the name. The school board said it based its decision on what the students wanted.
The name of the school has been a source of controversy for decades, with school officials continuously refusing to change it despite numerous protests.
Forrest High opened as an all-white school in the 1950s. Its name was suggested by the Daughters of the Confederacy, who saw it as a protest to the U.S. Supreme Court ruling that eventually integrated the nation's public schools.
Born poor in Chapel Hill, Tenn., in 1821, Forrest amassed a fortune as a plantation owner and slave trader, importing Africans long after the practice had been made illegal. At 40, he enlisted as a private in the Confederate army at the outset of the Civil War, rising to a cavalry general in a year.
Some accounts said Forrest ordered black prisoners to be massacred after a victory at Tennessee's Fort Pillow in 1864, though historians question the validity of the claims.
In 1867, the newly formed Klan elected Forrest its honorary Grand Wizard or national leader, but he publicly denied being involved. In 1869, he ordered the Klan to disband because of the members' increasing violence. Two years later, a congressional investigation concluded his involvement had been limited to his attempt to disband it.
After his death in 1877, memorials to him sprung up throughout the South.
Opponents of the name change told the school board said the name change is a waste of money, based on history that may be inaccurate.
"This issue happened 150 years ago," said Jim Taylor, a 1978 Forrest graduate. "We have to move on. Let the issue go . if you guys change the name, this could be a waste of taxpayer money."
The Florida Times-Union quoted Vitti as saying it will cost about $400,000 to change the name on signs, sports uniforms and the gym floor.
Proponents of the name change said the issue would not go away until the board agreed to it.
"If you do not, this issue will come back again and again and again," said Audrey Moran, a former prosecutor and mayoral chief of staff.
Keith Ivey, a 1990 Forrest graduate, told board members that when he played in the school band nearly 25 years ago, several members sat down and refused to participate in the school's traditional song, "Dixie," which the band played every time its football team, the Forrest Rebels, scored a touchdown.
"It does carry a black cloud over the city of Jacksonville," Ivey said.
The removal of the names of key Confederate figures, some of whom participated in the early days of the Ku Klux Klan, is trending through the South and other parts of the country.
For years, communities have been trying, sometimes successfully, to change names of schools, parks and other facilities because they represented Confederate leaders and ideals.
In Memphis, Tenn., the City Council voted in February to change a local park's name from Nathan Bedford Forrest Park to Health Sciences Park, though a statue of Bedford on a horse remains. It also voted to rename Confederate Park as Memphis Park and Jefferson Davis Park as Mississippi River Park.
In Lee County, Fla., NAACP officials have been lobbying for years to change the county's name because it was named for Gen. Robert E. Lee, considered the leading Confederate general of the Civil War, but city officials have refused the request.
(Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)


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CyberAlert -- November 13, 1996 -- Huang on ABC
Five items today:1. The Commerce Department launched a new investigation of John Huang's conduct, but only ABC reported it.2. An ABC reporter noted that the Republicans suffered attacks on their Medicare proposal, but seconds earlier he charged that they wanted to "cut" Medicare. 3. MSNBC's Brian Williams tossed softball questions to White House aide George Stephanopoulos. 4. The Washington Post corrected one error, but still has a winner cited as an example of an NRA-backed loser.. 5. God sent Diane Sawyer a pillow to sleep upon -- another woman's "sumptuous bosom."
What the records show is not known, Judd relayed, "but congressional investigators looking into Huang's tenure at the department want to know if he raised money for the Democratic Party during that time and whether he violated an agreement to cut off all business dealings with his former employer, the Indonesian conglomerate, the Lippo Group."
Zelnick should know. As noticed by MRC analyst Gene Eliasen, Zelnick had begun his story by himself falsely characterizing the Republican Medicare proposal: "Bob Dole's disappointing campaign and Newt Gingrich's unpopularity make the Republicans a party without a head. The GOP House freshmen of two years ago underestimated public resistance to cuts in programs like Medicare...."
A nice start, but as MediaWatch Associate Editor Tim Graham pointed out to me the Post had also listed "Vince Snowbarger, Kansas," as "among the other NRA favorites who lost." In fact, Snowbarger won his House seat race 50 percent to 45 percent for his Democratic opponent. Maybe next time the Post should fact-check the Handgun Control Inc. press release before running it as an editorial.
-- Brent Baker |


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I've been working on a M14/M1A build for a few years now. At the 2014 National Matches I picked up a "blemished" M1A receiver from the Springfield Armory shop at commercial row. Over the winter I found a deal on a rack grade TRW GI parts kit. Then this summer Springfield Armory had a package deal on a mid-weight NM barrel and bolt installed while I shopped on commercial row that. I couldn't it pass up.
After some tinkering and trying to figure out how to put these rifles together, the "Blonde Bomber" was born. If you haven't guessed she gets her name from her very yellow blond birch stock which is a stock I picked up at the CMP north store.
The GTB Shooting Team headed up to the Poconos to Wilkes-Barre Rifle & Pistol Club with our M14s. It was in the mid 60's and just a bit overcast up in northeast PA.
WBRP runs a reduced 200 yard CMP National Match Course walk and paste match. It's a nice club to shoot at with luxurious covered firing points. Since it's a CMP match all stages start from standing which is good practice for EIC matches. This format is also nice for trying new things since it doesn't count for EIC points and it doesn't affect NRA classification.
Shooting the M14 is interesting. In off-hand I like it better than the Garand but not as much as I like my A2. I weighted my stock which helped me slow my wobble a little. It also has a long magazine which is nice because I have short arms and this hold helps me keep get a better cheek weld in off-hand.
Sitting. Oh boy did the Blonde Bomber push me around in sitting. I gave up a far too many points in sitting because of this. That said, I think with some time I can clean up the sitting position.
Rapid prone when fairly well. Both my shooting buddy and I kept 9 rounds in the black and popped a 6 each… not sure what that was about. Reloading these things might be harder than a Garand or at least I have trouble with rocking in a mag. It otherwise handled like a Garand in rapid prone.
The 20 rounds of slow prone went better than I expected. I got sloppy on the last round and popped that 7. "That little guy, I wouldn't worry about that little guy."
I haven't set up to handload for 308 and I wasn't impressed with the box of PPU I had shot to check function. Creedmoor sports 30-06 served me very well in my bolt guns at Camp Perry so I picked up a case of it for this match. Just as it had at Perry this ammo didn't let me down. I continue to be impressed with Creedmoor's ammo.
In the end I am happy with my performance and the performance of the Blonde Bomber. It was a great match I look forward to going back to WBRP next season. As far as the Blond Bomber, I'm not ready to give up my White Oak AR and take the Blonde Bomber to the NTI in 2016 but for sure I'll give it a try at the M1A match at Perry.


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The June Daring Bakers' Challenge was hosted by Jasmine of Confessions of a Cardamom Addict and Annemarie of Ambrosia and Nectar. They chose a traditional (UK) Bakewell Tart….er….pudding that was inspired by a rich baking history dating back to the 1800's in England.
This month's Daring Bakers' Challenge, at first glance didn't have me all that excited. It is a tart consisting of a simple shortbread crust, a layer of jam and frangipane (almond cream). Bakewell is a classic style of tart I've made lots of times and perhaps seemingly dull because I know it so well. But, after a good nights sleep, a cup of coffee and a burst of inspiration, I had renewed longing for the Bakewell tart. It is one of those challenges where you are basically given a blank canvas and told to paint a picture. This tart can take on the personality of the fruit or filling you introduce. I decided to play with many different flavors and add a bit of texture to the filling by adding fresh fruit, that compliments the jam.
In honor of the 4th of July I decided to make Red, White and Blue tarts; Cherry, Coconut and Blueberry.
Shortbread crust by Jasmine and Annemarie:
225g (8 ounces) all-purpose flour
30 g (1 ounce) granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
110g (4 ounces) unsalted butter, cold (frozen is best)
2 egg yolks
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1-2 tablespoons cold water
Frangipane (almond cream) by Jasmine and Annemarie:
125g (4 1/2 ounces) unsalted butter
125g (4 1/2 ounces) icing sugar (baker's superfine sugar)
3 eggs
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
125g (4 1/2 ounces) ground almonds
30g (1 ounce) all-purpose flour
About 1 cup of Jam for filling (I used the blue ribbon cherry jam by my friend Barb Schaller)
Fruit for top of tart, depending on the jam you choose. Or, you can top of the tarts with shredded coconut or sliced almonds.
To make the crust:
Combine the flour, sugar and salt in a large bowl and set in the freezer.
Grate the unsalted butter with box grater. (If the butter starts to soften while you are grating, throw the whole thing, including the grater in the freezer for several minutes.)
Add the grated butter to the cold dry ingredients. Rub the butter between your fingers until it looks like…
breadcrumbs. If the mixture is getting too soft and butter seems like it is starting to melt, place the bowl in the freezer for several minutes, before adding liquids.
Combine the yolks, extract and 1 tablespoon of the water. Add the liquids to the dry ingredients. If it still is not coming together add the last tablespoon of water.
Form the dough into a disc and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate for at least an hour. Dough can be made the day before.
Once the dough is chilled, roll it out on a well floured surface, until it is 1/16-inch thick. Use your tart ring/rings to figure out how large to cut the dough with a Pastry wheel. Fit into tart ring/rings (I used my English Muffin Rings) to make individual size tartlettes).
Trim the excess dough off the top of the ring and freeze the dough while you prepare the filling.
To prepare the filling:
I chose to use cherries in some of my tartlellets, so I had to cut them in half and pit the cherries. I like to use gloves so I don't stain my fingers.
To make frangipane (almond cream):
In a stand mixer or food processor, cream together the butter and sugar, until is light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and then add the eggs one at a time, scraping down after each. (The batter may appear curdled until you add the dry ingredients.) Add the extract. Add the ground almonds and flour, mix until well combined.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Remove the tart crust from the freezer. Fill the tart with a layer of jam, about 1/8-inch thick. Spoon on the frangipane filling, it should be just below the top of the crust. I used cherry and blueberry jam for the fruit tarts. (For the coconut tart I mixed shredded coconut to the frangipane. About 2 tablespoons shredded coconut per 1/2 cup of frangipane.)
Add fruit to the top, to match the jam that you have used.
Bake for about 20-30 minutes, depending on the size of your tart/s.
They will be slightly puffy and golden brown. Remove, run a knife around the edge, to loosen any stuck filling from the molds and allow to cool.
Serve at room temperature with absolutley nothing at all or a scoop of ice cream or dollop of cream. I'm in love with this tart all over again. I have to say that the cherry was my favorite. *If I make the coconut one again I will put a layer of German chocolate coconut icing as the layer of jam.


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I was wondering if anyone had suggestions on how to store one's hops pellets after having opened the sealed package (... in case one is not using the whole lot at once of course). Also, if you have experience with that, what is the longest storage time before the product starts losing quality?
Thank you!


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Our Pet Odor and Stain Eliminator contains a plant-based cleaning agent instead of a chemical one. This means it is much gentler to use without losing its powerful stain and odor removing capabilities. Our 3-In-1 formula is safe to use on any and all water-safe surfaces, including pet bedding. It's your go-to-cleaner for odors coming from urine, feces, vomit, and blood. Simply mix 4 fl oz of the Pet Stain and Odor Eliminator per gallon of water. Need something more aggressive? Mix 8 fl oz per gallon of water. Try it to see the amazing results for yourself.
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Additional fees, such as customs fees, may apply for international orders and we are not responsible for such fees.
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Payment of these charges and taxes is the responsibility of the recipient and will not be covered by us here at Charlie & Max®. For further details of the charges, please contact your local customs office.
You are responsible for checking your local postal regulations for restricted items, as we cannot be held liable for any items that are not accepted into the specific country.
If your credit card account is in a currency other than US Dollars, you may be charged at a different exchange rate than what is quoted on our website. You may also be subject to a foreign currency transaction fee. These fees are determined by your bank's pricing and transaction fee policies. We are not responsible for the exchange rate of any charges your bank or issuing credit card company may charge you. For further details of foreign transaction fees, please contact your bank.
Our store prices are shown in your local currency, but in USD when you checkout. All transactions will be handled in USD through Paypal or Stripe at the checkout page.
We are not responsible for products returned incorrectly or in error.
If any item(s) are returned outside of the Refund Policy terms, they will not be shipped back and will not be refunded.
Refunds (if applicable)
Once your return is received and inspected, we will send you an email to notify you that we have received your returned item. We will also notify you of the approval or rejection of your refund.
If you are approved, then your refund will be processed, and a credit will automatically be applied to your credit card or original method of payment, within a certain amount of days.
Late or missing refunds (if applicable)
If you haven't received a refund yet, first check your bank account again.
Then contact your credit card company, it may take some time before your refund is officially posted. Next, contact your bank. There is often some processing time before a refund is posted. If you've done all of this and you still have not received your refund yet, please contact us at email@example.com
Exchanges (if applicable)
We only replace items if they are defective or damaged. Please send us an email to firstname.lastname@example.com
Shipping for Returns
IMPORTANT: You will be responsible for paying for your own shipping costs for returning your item. Shipping costs are non-refundable. We do not refund shipping charges. Please be aware that international return shipping costs to our US facilities can be higher than the actual product cost.
If you are shipping an item over $75, you should consider using a trackable shipping service or purchasing shipping insurance. We don't guarantee that we will receive your returned item.
A. You can choose from several payment methods. We accept payment from all major Credit Cards such as Visa, Mastercard and American Express. You can also pay using Paypal. We currently do not accept cash on delivery payments.
A. If you have any question regarding your order status or delivery status please feel free to contact us any time at firstname.lastname@example.com We are more than happy to help.
IMPORTANT: Unfortunately, we cannot be responsible if a package is undeliverable because of missing, incomplete, or incorrect address/destination information. We do our best to avoid errors by verifying the shipping information with every customer in the order confirmation sent immediately after ordering. Costs to reship the package will be invoiced to the customer.
We are also not responsible for failed deliveries due to the addressee not being home during the time of delivery.
A. Our standard Shipping costs for deliveries in the US (LOWER 48 US ONLY) are based on the weight of the items of the order. We do not offer FREE SHIPPING. Please check shipping rates to Alaska, Hawaii, Guam, and Puerto Rico at the Checkout.
A. We are currently accepting orders from the US, Canada, Australia, and the United Kingdom. Additional fees, such as Import taxes, duties and related customs fees may apply for international orders and we are not responsible for such fees.
A. Most U.S. orders get delivered within 3-5 business days. Orders to Alaska, Hawaii, Guam, Puerto Rico & International Orders can take up to 15 Business Days.
A. You can place your order directly on our website when you browse through our products. Just add the product and the quantity that you want in your shopping cart. After you have included all the products you can proceed to the checkout over the shopping cart menu. You will be asked to fill in your shipping and billing information and after that, you can place your order by clicking on the buy button.
A. Unfortunately, please note that we are only able to make changes to your order if it has not been fulfilled yet.
If you wish to change anything about your order, please contact us or write to us at firstname.lastname@example.com within 24 hours of placing your order. If the order has already been shipped, we can no longer make any necessary changes to it.
A. We adhere to highest industry standards to protect your personal information. Your credit card information and personal details are encrypted during transmission using SSL (secure socket layer technology), which is widely used on the Internet for processing payments. Your credit card information is used automatically to complete the requested transaction and is not stored or viewed by us.
A. We always try our best to serve our customers with the best quality products. However, there might be several factors which result in your products to be damaged. If you have received a defective or a damaged product, please contact us or write to us at firstname.lastname@example.com Let us know the problem and don't forget to attach a photo or video so we can address the issue clearly. Once we receive your email and verify the issue, we will get a replacement sent to you right away.
A. Yes, we do. Please click here to check out our Refund Policy for more details. Please be advised that certain conditions may apply.
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text:
By Lira Tskhovrebova - The Christian Science Monitor.
Tskhinvali, South Ossetia - In a speech before the United Nations last month, Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili implored world leaders to set up an international investigation to find out the truth about the war in South Ossetia.
I couldn't agree more. But I think the results of an honest investigation would reveal a very different "truth" than what President Saakashvili claims.
I know this because I was in Tskhinvali, the capital of South Ossetia, on Aug. 7 when Georgian troops marched into the city and killed my friends and neighbors. I huddled with my family in terror for three nights while Saakashvili's tanks and rockets destroyed hundreds of our homes, desecrated cemeteries, gutted schools and hospitals.
I also have good reason not to trust what Saakashvili says. For three days before the attack I had been getting calls from many Georgian friends warning me to get out. They said Saakashvili was planning an attack. Most of the Georgians living in South Ossetia left because they knew what was coming.
On the night of Aug. 7, Saakashvili went on television and assured the frightened civilian population of South Ossetia that he would not attack us. This was long after the time Saakashvili now claims Russians had begun "invading" Georgia.
Ossetians went to bed relieved and thankful for a peaceful night.
Less than two hours later, according to credible international accounts, his artillery, bombers, and three brigades of ground troops unleashed what I can only describe as a fierce hell on our city. In the moment, we knew only our fear as we hid. Afterward I spoke with hundreds of Ossetians to find out what was done to us.
My friend's elderly father tried to douse the flames set by Georgian fire on the home he had built with his hands. His leg was severed by shrapnel from Georgian weapons. He bled to death while his disabled wife crawled from their burning home.
Ossetians saw Georgian tanks firing into basements where women and children hid for safety They saw fleeing families shot down by Georgian snipers. We learned that the Georgian military had used Grad rocket systems and cluster bombs against Tskhinvali.
Yes, I would very much like to see an international commission investigate the truth of what happened.
When I came out from hiding, thanking God that the Russians had saved our lives, I was dismayed by the reaction of the international media to what had happened. There was nothing about Ossetian deaths and the unprovoked horrors inflicted by Saakashvili's military. It made my heart sick.
The truth has been crushed by Georgia's powerful public relations machine as mercilessly as Georgian tanks rolled over the defenseless civilians of Tskhinvali.
I know that Americans are a generous and fair people. But Americans haven't been told the truth about what happened to us. Americans don't understand that Ossetians are an independent, Christian Orthodox people with a deep history in our land. The world talks only about Georgian freedom. What of freedom for my people? Does our suffering, do our voices, mean nothing?
I don't blame the Georgian people for what happened to us. The vast number of Ossetians and Georgians want to live in peace. I blame Georgia's leaders.
Saakashvili has persuaded the world that he is a "beacon" of democracy and openness. But he won't even tell his own people the truth. My Georgian friends weren't allowed to see any Russian news sites during the conflict because all of those sites were blocked by Saakashvili's government.
I know we are a small people, and I make no claim to understanding the experts in geopolitics with their theories and pronouncements about the great powers. But I have fought for women's rights in Ossetia for 12 years and I believe in the truth.
In a recent article, Saakashvili cynically dismissed Ossetian suffering and deaths because, he said, Russia had "lied" about how many of my people were killed by the Georgian military.
It breaks my heart to even engage in this discussion. No one – including Saakashvili – knows how many Ossetians were killed by his Army. I have friends who buried loved ones in their backyards because there were no alternatives. Many people are still missing.
Does Saakashvili believe his vicious attack on a civilian city was justified if he only killed a few hundred rather than a few thousand? Do Americans realize that a military trained and equipped by the US government attacked a civilian population as they slept in their beds? Can they justify sending another billion dollars to Georgia and nothing for those Georgia attacked?
I have made an urgent appeal to the world for humanitarian relief for our people at the website helpossetianow.org. I beg the United States and the world to find out the truth. Please hear our voices.
• Lira Tskhovrebova is the founder of the Association of South Ossetian Women for Democracy and Human Rights and has worked for more than a decade to improve relations between people of Georgian and Ossetian descent in the Caucasus.
- I survived the Georgian war. Here's what I saw. By Lira Tskhovrebova - The Christian Science Monitor.


text:
By KEN THOMAS, Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — Vice President Mike Pence used a private email account to conduct public business as Indiana's governor, according to public records obtained by the Indianapolis Star.
The newspaper reported Thursday that emails provided through a public records request show that Pence communicated with advisers through his personal AOL account on homeland security matters and security at the governor's residence during his four years as governor.
The governor also faced email security issues. Pence's AOL account was subjected to a phishing scheme last spring, before he was chosen by Donald Trump to join the GOP presidential ticket. Pence's contacts were sent an email falsely claiming that the governor and his wife were stranded in the Philippines and needed money.
The governor moved to a different AOL account with additional security measures, Pence spokesman Marc Lotter said, but has since stopped using the new personal account since he was sworn-in as vice president.
Lotter said Pence "maintained a state email account and a personal email account" like previous governors in the state. At the end of his term Pence directed outside counsel to review all of his communications to ensure that state-related emails were transferred and properly archived by the state, the spokesman said.
As Trump's running mate, Pence frequently criticized rival Hillary Clinton's use of a private email server as President Barack Obama's secretary of state, accusing her of purposely keeping her emails out of public reach and shielding her from scrutiny.
Lotter said "the comparison is absurd" because Clinton had set up a private server in her home at the start of her tenure at the State Department and, unlike Clinton, Pence did not handle any classified material as Indiana's governor.
The newspaper reported that the office of Pence's successor, Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb, released more than 30 pages from Pence's AOL account, but declined to release an unspecified number of emails because they were considered confidential.
Public officials are not barred from using personal email accounts under Indiana law, but the law is interpreted to mean that any official business conducted on private email must be retained to comply with public record laws.
The state requires all records pertaining to state business to be retained and available for public information requests. Emails involving state email accounts are captured on the state's servers, but any emails that Pence may have sent from his AOL account to another private account would need to be retained.
At the end of his term, Pence hired the Indianapolis law firm of Barnes & Thornburg to conduct a review of all of his communications and that review is still ongoing, Lotter said. Any correspondence between Pence's AOL account and any aides using a state email account would have been automatically archived, he said.
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text:
Cat fishing an addictive casual game.
Your task is to help the cat get as much fish as you can.
It's not so easy for fishing these day as the environment become worse.
The sea is full of garbage and dangerous bombs.
How to play:
Touch the screen to help your cat move the boat left or right.
Hold to drop the hook down and release to pull up.
Hauling as many fish as you can.
Don't hook the sexy garbage and be careful of the bombs!
Very bad app. Don't bother.


text:
Last week, I finished "The Sisters Brothers" by Patrick DeWitt, a novel from the American Library Association Notable Books List.
Charles and Eli Sisters are hired guns from the Gold Rush era of the 1850s. Eli tells this story of their final job for a man called The Commodore. As the story progresses, Eli makes up his mind to leave the killing business.
I'm trying to find a way to describe the tone of this book–it's picaresque, in introducing a series of odd somewhat shallow characters. It's often droll. And it is full of killing. I had to move my mind into a place where I didn't take all that murder too seriously.
Eli clearly has a bigger heart than his brother. Eli reflects on how he might want to find a woman to marry and love, might want to return to see their mother. Charles seems not to reflect much at all, he thrives on heavy drinking and the adrenaline of taking a good shot.
Why is this notable? DeWitt creates clever scenes and dialogue, and he gives us a whole new sense of the Gold Rush. There's an inherent irony in a hired killer pining for love and a comfortable home. The stark heartlessness of lives lived solely in pursuit of gold remains visible behind the humor. Hired killers see many people face their final moments, DeWitt makes the most of that opportunity.
My reservation is this–I don't think that DeWitt's idea for the Sisters Brothers' story creates enough momentum to propel a whole novel. It'd be a brilliant short story, and perhaps overall more effective as a short story collection. I'm open to the idea that this may simply be a case of not matching my sense of humor. While I finished "The Sisters Brothers," it never deeply resonated with me and seldom had me laughing out loud. And yet, there's something about it that I respect. I expect that I'll recommend this to people who seek something that is unusual, edgy and clever, and that points up people's foibles while it reveals their behavior under pressure.


text:
The Community Development Department includes the following areas.
Building and Safety is responsible for reviewing plans, issuing building permits, performing field inspections, and monitoring building code enforcement activities to ensure compliance with local and state mandated regulations related to building construction, maintenance, rehabilitation, and accessibility.
Code Enforcement is responsible for the enforcement of those City Ordinances under the purview of the Community Development Department.
Planning includes planning for the City's future development and maintaining the City's General Plan, while also providing information to the public and processing applications related to planning permits, zoning, and development requirements.
We are here to help! The answers to many general questions can be found on our website. Look under Planning for Land Use Code, Maps, Forms, Commission and Committee Information, and more.
Willits Municipal Code
Mendocino County Hazard Mitigation Plan and Survey - May 2020


text:
Radiative PrimarismThe emerging electronic radiative medium is the
logical extension of Primary
Micropointillism. Twenty years ago, I discovered the
human mind is quite capable of separately manipulating
the three primary colors to create desired color and
imagery. Over the years I have performed workshops
covering the entire age and ability spectrum. The results
of these convince me that the ability to work with the
primary colors is "hardwired" into the human
brain, not unlike the ability to ride a bicycle. How does one create work using Radiative Primarism? In
these early days of the medium, it would be presumptuous
of me to state that there is only one way, so I will
merely explain how I do it: Although I will always come back to Micropointillism, Radiative Primarism is presently an exciting and evolving medium. |