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"The stabilizing part played by the E.U. has helped to transform most of Europe from a continent of war to a continent of peace," (Thorbjorn Jagland, chair of awarding committee)
"The leader of the E.U. is Germany, which is in an economic war with southern Europe, I consider this war equal to a real war. (Comment of Mr. Polychronopoulos, Greece)
The Norwegian Nobel Committee awarded its 2012 peace prize to the European Union, lauding its role over six decades in building peace and reconciliation among enemies who fought Europe's bloodiest wars. So far I have noticed this selection described as scandalous, parody, joke, sarcastic and bizarre act and late April fool. Also timing has been seen wrong as Europe is facing "increasing violence and division, the EU now appears to critics impotent amid a debt crisis that has widened north-south divisions.
I can agree that the origins of peace in Europe lie in the alliance made between France and Germany it gave birth to the European Coal and Steel Community, a forerunner of the EU. However in my opinion it is questioned whether the EU's track record in the Balkan wars of the 1990s justified a Prize for spreading peace. However I hope that Peace Prize will give some self-confidence to EU to develop this content so that the block could increase its role in relation of conflict prevention and crisis management.
There are hundreds of worthwhile grass roots organisations and individuals for whom the award of the Nobel Peace Prize would have made a huge difference. For EU the Prize probably will be only one lucky event and photo-opportunity. Interesting but trivial alltough describing detail will be which EU president should collect the prize – Mr Barroso, Mr Van Rompuy or Martin Schulz as none of them or their institutions during their time has done nothing to solve conflicts or build peace. In my opinion the right address of this years Nobel award in EU would be "spiritual father" of EU, Mr. Robert Schuman, for creating peace by making former Nazi Germany a "member of the family," in the European Community.
Nobel's Will questioned
There probably never was a finer gift donated to 'the greatest benefit of mankind' than the prize that the Swedish inventor and tycoon Alfred Nobel (1833-96) established for 'the champions of peace'. When, on November 27th, 1895, Nobel signed his last will he had concluded that his desire for global peace required global disarmament founded on global law. He intended his prize to promote a systemic change in international relations.
Many years there has been debate are peace laureates reflecting Nobel's last will. Norwegian lawyer and Nobel historian Fredrik S. Heffermehl claims the Norwegian Nobel Committee isn't following Alfred Nobel's wishes. His interview in The Local (Swedish news in English) highlights the orginal idea of Alfred Nobel.
Nobel's will states that the prize should be given to "the person who shall have done the most or the best work for fraternity between nations, for the abolition or reduction of standing armies and for the holding and promotion of peace congresses". According Heffermehl the reason might be that "the military sector in Norway is a strong sector and the reality today is that a majority politicians favoring a strong military defense are in control of a prize, which was initially meant for their opponents."
There is justified doubt that the Norwegian Nobel Committee's decision does not comply with Alfred Nobel's mission statement, which sets out to reward peace activists' efforts throughout the preceding year. Nobel did not meant the prize to be a reward or recognition of civil right movements, social reforms and taming of ethnic conflict, but precisely and exclusively for substantial achievements on behalf of demilitarization in the world. This and nothing else was – and is – the exclusive intention of the prize.
EU has sadly done little for the demilitarization of Europe. Whilst the EU imposes severe austerity measures upon many EU countries, it simultaneously supports the growing militarization of Europe through support for US/NATO (guilty of war crimes in Iraq, Afghanistan, etc.). It continues to support the policies of American nuclear weapons deployed to six EU States.
Degradation of Nobel Peace Prize
"Ahtisaari does not solve conflicts but drives through a short-term solutions that please western countries". (Johan Galtung)
The best example of Nobel peace prize degradation during last decade could be President Obama who has ordered hundreds assassinations with drones, has accepted serious war crimes and human right violations e.g. in Guantamo, Afghanistan, Libya, Yemen … and who has continued promoting interests of Military-Industrial-Complex.
Because Obama is too obvious choice in "worst selections category" I would take other example which is No 119 peace laureate Mr. Ahtisaari. Personally I lost my respect to Nobel Peace Prize after his selection as laureate. No doubt that formally he has worked with many conflicts – Namibia, Yugoslavia(Bosnia and Kosovo), Indonesia – as "peace broker".
My critique is based first to his record and second to his methods and values behind them.
- Ahtisaari, after consulting South African Foreign Minister Pik Botha and British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, agreed to a South African Defence Force "hunt and destroy" mission, which led to the deaths of some 300 SWAPO fighters. SWAPO leader Sam Nujoma condemned the massacre saying, "At this crucial and critical hour for Namibia's freedom, [Ahtisaari's] action betrayed our cause and resulted in the deaths of many civilians." Despite calling Ahtisaari "very much a collaborator with the US and pro-British [and] more concerned with his career at the United Nations than with his responsibilities to the oppressed people of Namibia". Now Namibia keeps white landownership and black misery.
- The role of Ahtisaari in Bosnia was insignificant; anyway after him the bloodiest war since WWII started. The compromise solution in Dayton can be described as temporary one as it never respected the Croat wish to join Croatia and the Serb wish for independence (also of Beograd).
- In 1999 he was the envoy who persuaded the Serb state to give in after NATO's 78 days of bombing, the most brutal event in Europe since 1945, which also lacked a UN Security Council mandate. .He then was appointed as the "architect" of the plan behind the separation of now "quasi-independent" Kosovo which, following this bombing, broke off from Serbia. Kosovo bypassed the Security Council and set a dangerous precedent.
- Aceh was one lucky strike due to a tsunami washing the arms into the ocean. Ahtisaari himself recalled how the 2004 tsunami in South Asia was one factor that came to help open talks he facilitated between the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) and Indonesia resulting in the August 2005 deal.
About peace broking methods of Mr. Ahtisaari the following quote gives good idea from2nd June 1999 when it was the task of Ahtisaari and Chernomyrdin visited President Milosevic to deliver NATO's final terms to end bombings against Yugoslavia:
"Ahtisaari opened the meeting by declaring, "We are not here to discuss or negotiate," after which Chernomyrdin read aloud the text of the plan. Ahtisaari says that Milosevic asked about the possibility of modifying the plan, to which he replied, "No." Milosevic took the papers and asked, "What will happen if I do not sign?" In answer, "Ahtisaari made a gesture on the table," and then moved aside the flower centerpiece. Then Ahtisaari said, "Belgrade will be like this table. We will immediately begin carpet-bombing Belgrade." Repeating the gesture of sweeping the table, Ahtisaari threatened, "This is what we will do to Belgrade." A moment of silence passed, and then he added, "There will be half a million dead within a week. (Source "How the Nobel Peace Prize Was Won" by Gregory Elich at CounterPunch)
The result with Kosovo I have summarized following: "Kosovo … a Serbian province, occupied and international protectorate, as quasi-independent pseudo-state has good change to become next "failed" or "captured" state; today's Kosovo is already safe-heaven for war criminals, drug traffickers and international money laundry". When Kosovo unilatarally declared intependence only less than half UN memberstates recognized it many of them after some pressure from U.S. Ahtisaari was not worried, describing to his values is following comment: "It really doesn't matter if Paraguay hasn't recognized," Ahtisaari said. "Well over 65 percent of the wealth of the world has recognized. That matters." This is in line with Ahtisaari's role as messenger boy of U.S., if one doesn't have money that opinion doesn't matter.
I agree with Johan Galtung, who noted that "Ahtisaari does not solve conflicts but drives through a short-term solutions that please western countries". My conclusion: Mr. Ahtisaari – an unofficial spokesperson of U.S. State Department and Nato who repeatedly functioned as "peace fixer" for Western power elites – good example of degradation of Nobel Peace Prize.
EU's role with crisis management now and hopefully in the future
Putting Mr. Nobel and his Will aside, taking creative interpretation of peace award criteria of Nobel Committee as such I like to put focus on EU's role with crisis management. The arguments given by the Norwegian Nobel Committee are not entirely false. I agree that "The stabilizing part played by the E.U. has helped to transform most of Europe from a continent of war to a continent of peace," The EU has played the historical role that it describes. Degradation of Peace Prize described above might have a positive follow-up; to avoid total devaluation of Prize the further selections should have more original content. I hope that Peace Prize will give some self-confidence to EU to develop this content so that the block could increase its role in relation of conflict prevention and crisis management.
Earlier The League of Nations and then The United Nations were created to prevent one nation-state from invading another nation-state and going to war with that other nation-state. Today most wars are intrastate ethnic conflicts. Current peacemaking, peace-building or crisis management structures are not designed to cope with this type of conflict.
U.S. itself has experience in Iraq and Afghanistan, that old military strategy is not effective. The integrated counterinsurgency, or COIN, strategy was strategic development from military alone approach. COIN has been applied last years in Afghanistan and it has many components: protecting Afghan civilians, rapidly expanding the Afghan army and police, reforming government, providing economic development assistance, weaning Taliban fighters and leaders away from Mullah Omar and al-Qaeda, reconciling them into the new government, and targeting those who refuse. This makes it a demanding strategy, maybe too demanding for U.S. However the good idea of COIN is that it emphasises a "population-centric" over an "enemy-centric" approach.
The events on Arab Street are reflecting also another problem with U.S. Strategies for dominating the rest of world. For similar reasons as the failure of COIN strategy in Afghanistan in Arab Street the strategy might be good in Theory but the Americans can not implement them. It seems that the Americans don't understand deeply the operational theatre, they are unfamiliar in another cultural environment, in this case with Muslim world.
Hard vs. Soft Power
Hard Power Soft Power
Spectrum of behaviors Command, coercion and inducement Agenda-setting, attraction and co-opt
Most likely resources Force, sanctions and payments Institutions, values, culture and policies
EU has applied a bit similar approach. At theoretical level the European Security and Defence Policy (ESDP), launched in 1999, exemplifies the EU's commitment to the so-called "comprehensive approach" – a strategy that emphasises the importance of combining civilian and military tools when dealing with external security challenges.
Crisis management in the future -by EU hopefully
I think that the conflict resolution by peacemakers is an ad hock fire department activity, important but secondary question. The primary issue from my viewpoint is prevention of problems and their causes, or at least awareness of them. Also important is to put single conflicts in wider context such as game between great powers, struggle over global energy resources and their supply routes, economic profits of military-industrial-complex etc. So in my view peace mediation is one part of handling conflicts.
The new approach should in my opinion cover the whole crisis cycle, from prevention to crisis management to post-crisis stabilization and capacity-building measures. The European Union prides itself on being able to deal with fragile and failing states outside its borders, from Kosovo to Kabul, through what it believes to be its distinctive combination of "hard" power – coercion by military or other means – and "soft" power – persuasion through trade, diplomacy, aid and the spread of values.
The key question is how to replace U.S. hard power with EU soft power. In Eastern Europe U.S. controls crucial foreign and/or domestic policies of another nation through ties with its military and intelligence institutions. EU's military, political, and corporate elites have already increasingly become dependents or confederates of the US military-industrial complex. To take step forward EU must work to establish its own security structure in order to free itself from tactics which are now used under the current US-dominated Alliance. EU should stop outsourcing its strategical planning to U.S. The key question is focusing on EU civilian capabilities.
EU already has remarkable financial resources for capacity building measures. The EU accounts for half of all global aid. Last year, it donated €53.1bn (£42.8bn). The European commission by itself is the world's second largest bilateral donor after the US, providing €12.3bn of external aid in 2011. Aid constitutes about 9% of the EU budget. EU is a formidable player in global development.
Replacing U.S. Cowboy policy by EU's soft power in conflicts and crisis management is possible, if EU can find a common vision, strategy and position with its external relations. Even better would be if the OSCE could make this. It can be argued that the OSCE has a much better claim to represent all the states of Europe, (and possibly a better candidate for Peace Prize) since it has 56 States from Europe, Central Asia and North America – compared to the EU's 27 — a "Europe with the windows open" rather than the "Fortress Europe" image associated with the EU. Ihope that Nobel Peace Prize can help with this even in EU.
More e.g. in my related articles:
Civil Crisis Management: Filling the Gaps Between the Aims and on the Ground Effectiveness of a Mission
Nobel: "Do you hear Mr. Nobel rolling in his grave" – and more specific about Ahtisaari's mediator tactics in my article "500.000 bodies or sign" -headlines are describing quite well the content and my shock after his selection
Interventions in general: R2P vs Facades of Interventions, Multifaceted Intervention Practices , Is Peace more than absence of the War? , Could EU lead the 3rd Way out from Confrontation? , Quality Peace? and Peacemaking – How about solving Conflicts too?
About U.S. strategy in Afghanistan: Will COIN work in Afghanistan? andAfghanistan – to be or not?
U.S. practising intervention first in the Bosnian War 1992-95 and selecting terrorist/OC-groups to U.S. alliese.g. Srebrenica again – Hoax or Massacre? and Krajina – Victory with Ethnic Cleansing and the outcome Bosnia on the road to the EU, sorry to Dissolution
Racak fabrication and "humanitarian intervention" aka since WWII first ever full scale bombing operation in center of Europe 1999 High pressure to fabricate Racak reports and 10th anniversary of Nato's attack on Serbia
Other related articles: Libya Intervention is creating problems instead of solving them and Some framework to Syrian crisis
Article (short version) first published as Devaluation of Nobel Peace Prize to be Continued on Technorati.


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MyPriority Silver 2500 - St. Joseph Mercy Health System Network
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- Limited virtual care: 24/7 access to a doctor with a Spectrum Health On-Demand Video Visit
- Prescription drugs: $5 copayment for Tier 1a and $20 copayment for Tier 1b drugs, before deductible
- Primary doctor visits: $30 primary care doctor visits, before deductible
- Urgent care: $75 urgent care visits, before deductible
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Members who choose a St. Joseph Mercy Health System Network plan are required to receive care in the St. Joseph Mercy Health System network of doctors and hospitals and their affiliated clinics, outpatient facilities, labs, etc.
The network includes:
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Physician network
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Members must receive care in the St. Joseph Mercy Health System Network system of doctors and hospitals and their affiliated clinics, outpatient facilities, labs, etc. Care received outside of the St. Joseph Mercy Health System Network will not be covered and members will be required to cover the full cost of out-of-network care.
Emergency services are covered at the in-network level. Use our Find a Doctor online directory to see if your doctor is in the St. Joseph Mercy Health System Network.
Metal level
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subset: commoncrawl


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XVII.8 The Secretariat provided the following justifications for the selection:
- Tourism - growing threats on World Heritage sites from tourism which, if sustainably managed could offer socio-economic development opportunities;
- Forests - since close to 60 of the natural sites on the World Heritage List are forests and that the lessons being learned from the large-scale UNESCO-UN Foundation projects in the tropical forest sites in the Democratic Republic of the Congo can serve as case studies to enrich the programme;
- Cities - since close to 200 of the cultural sites on the List are historic centres or entire cities, and because 20% of the Fund's international assistance have served to address the challenge of urban heritage conservation;
- Earthen structures - since some 30 of the cultural sites on the List are included in this category, and due to the particularity of conservation of earthen heritage, and threats.
XVII.10 The Committee expressed its appreciation for the clarity of the presentation and the justifications provided. Indicating strong support for the overall programming approach, the Committee however indicated the need for the programme to respond to the priorities established by the Committee and to create strong links with the results of the Global Strategy actions and Periodic Reporting. The Committee approved the four proposed themes of the programmes in this first series of initiatives and authorized the Centre to proceed in their development.


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The Nokia EOS we have managed to get our hands on is big, black, and makes a bulge in our shorts when its in our pockets. It has a nice feel to it, solid, smooth, a bit weighty and we feel like the ultra hi-res snapper has a lot to do with this but we'll pick up in that area later. It feels cool and metallic, although not sure if it is actually metal or whether its a premium polycarbonate plastic, either way, it feels great in the hand.
Looks wise, we reckon it looks similar to the rest of the Lumia line-up apart from the 'flagship' Lumia 925, from the front and sides people can even mistake it for a Lumia 920, until you turn it back just enough to see the raised camera, the main focus point of this phone. The button layout is also left pretty much the same, with the left side bare, and the right side lining up the volume rocker, power/lock, and the camera/shutter key.
The bottom contains a drilled speaker grille, a micro USB socket, followed by a lanyard u-port.
The back contains nothing but 2 little metal contacts for the wireless charging covers similar to how the Lumia 925 will have. And the main focus point; a massive camera with a short pulse red eye/led flash and a room filling xenon flash. The Camera is marked with XX Megapixel, however we don't think this is some new quirky marketing lingo, instead, its to further keep the phone specs undercover or they haven't decided how many megapixels to market it with yet; 33? 40? 41?
Now although we've managed to get our hands on one, the specs are still a bit of a mystery as we weren't allowed to connect it up to a PC and just got some snaps at our meeting with our insider, even going through the menu and settings, all the specs are hidden. We have got some screen shots of the software and settings page, but information may be omitted to protect our insider from getting traced, we know you guys will understand. The specs on the web do pretty much some this phone up, we believe GSMArena.com has the closest match to the specs.
More info will soon be posted here and our twitter page @vizileaks you can expect some screen shots and a new piece of software that gives you control of the camera's features to the fullest...also it wouldn't be fair to talk about the camera and not show you some true examples huh? ... stay tuned...
Update: Here is a sneak peak of the camera in action, you can see for sure it has optical focus and image stabilization...
ViziLeaks Team


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Acts 16
1Then he came to Derbe and Lystra: and, behold, a certain disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a certain woman, who was a Jewess, and believed; but his father was a Greek: 2Who was well reported of by the brethren that were at Lystra and Iconium. 3Him would Paul have to go forth with him; and took and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in those quarters: for they all knew that his father was a Greek. 4And as they went through the cities, they delivered to them the decrees to keep, that were ordained by the apostles and elders who were at Jerusalem. 5And so were the churches established in the faith, and increased in number daily. 6Now when they had gone throughout Phrygia and the region of Galatia, and were forbidden by the Holy Spirit to preach the word in Asia, 7After they had come to Mysia, they tried to go into Bithynia: but the Spirit allowed them not. 8And they passing by Mysia came down to Troas. 9And a vision appeared to Paul in the night; There stood a man of Macedonia, beseeching him, saying, Come over into Macedonia, and help us. 10And after he had seen the vision, immediately we endeavoured to go into Macedonia, assuredly gathering that the Lord had called us to preach the gospel to them. 11Therefore loosing from Troas, we came with a straight course to Samothracia, and the next day to Neapolis; 12And from there to Philippi, which is the chief city of that part of Macedonia, and a colony: and we were in that city abiding certain days. ▼▼the chief: or, the first
13And on the sabbath day we went out of the city by a river side, where prayer was accustomed to be made; and we sat down, and spoke to the women who resorted there . ▼▼sabbath: Gr. sabbath day
14And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, who worshipped God, heard us : whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended to the things which were spoken by Paul. 15And when she was baptized, and her household, she besought us, saying, If ye have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house, and abide there . And she constrained us. 16And it came to pass, as we went to prayer, a certain maid possessed with a spirit of divination met us, who brought her masters much gain by soothsaying: ▼▼of divination: or, of Python
17The same followed Paul and us, and cried, saying, These men are the servants of the most high God, who show to us the way of salvation. 18And this she did many days. But Paul, being grieved, turned and said to the spirit, I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And he came out the same hour. 19And when her masters saw that the hope of their gains was gone, they caught Paul and Silas, and drew them into the marketplace to the rulers ▼▼marketplace: or, court
20And brought them to the magistrates, saying, These men, being Jews, do exceedingly trouble our city, 21And teach customs, which are not lawful for us to receive, neither to observe, being Romans. 22And the multitude rose up together against them: and the magistrates tore off their clothes, and commanded to beat them . 23And when they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast them into prison, charging the jailor to keep them safely: 24Who, having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks. 25And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises to God: and the prisoners heard them. 26And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one's bands were loosed. 27And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword, and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had fled. 28But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here. 29Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas, 30And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? 31And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. 32And they spoke to him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house. 33And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, without delay. 34And when he had brought them into his house, he set food before them, and rejoiced, believing in God with all his house. 35And when it was day, the magistrates sent the officers, saying, Let those men go. 36And the keeper of the prison told this saying to Paul, The magistrates have sent to let you go: now therefore depart, and go in peace. 37But Paul said to them, They have beaten us openly uncondemned, being Romans, and have cast us into prison; and now do they thrust us out privately? nay verily; but let them come themselves and bring us out. 38And the officers told these words to the magistrates: and they feared, when they heard that they were Romans. 39And they came and besought them, and brought them out, and desired them to depart out of the city. 40And they went out of the prison, and entered into the house of Lydia: and when they had seen the brethren, they comforted them, and departed.
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Big Ten M5: 04.03.14 Edition
Posted by Jonathan Batuello on April 3rd, 2014- Frank Kaminsky wasn't always a star at Wisconsin, so it's easy to forget that he rarely saw heavy minutes behind a loaded Badgers' frontcourt in his first two seasons. This year the junior burst on to the scene when he set the school's single game record with 43 points against North Dakota. His progression into a star didn't surprise his athletic family that knew it was just a matter of time before he got there. He has now certainly reached their expectations, as he won the West Region's Most Outstanding Player award last weekend. Kaminsky's on-court success lies in his ability to play both inside and outside the paint, causing nightmares for opposing teams and representing a big key to Wisconsin's potential of winning a national championship this weekend.
- One of the Big Ten teams facing the most turnover this offseason is Michigan State. Sparty is for sure losing two starting seniors in Adreian Payne and Keith Appling, and is likely to also lose Gary Harris to the NBA. Add in the potential of Branden Dawson also going league and the Spartans could be looking at four new starters next season. This makes starting lineup projections interesting, with Travis Trice, Denzel Valentine, Kenny Kaminski, Matt Costello and probably Javon Bess or a three-guard lineup if Dawson leaves. Michigan State will be a very interesting team next season, having lost a great amount of talent and on paper appearing to be a middle of the pack conference team. Then again, while all the injuries hurt Tom Izzo's team this season, it gave these reserves minutes that they wouldn't have otherwise gotten.
- Another team facing plenty of questions right now is the other major school sharing the state. Michigan has three potential guys who could bolt to the NBA this spring, which creates quite a distinguishable best and worst case scenario for next season for the Wolverines. If Nik Stauskas, Glenn Robinson III and Mitch McGary all return, John Beilein's team won't just be a favorite to win the Big Ten, but also a national title favorite. If all three leave school, Michigan will still be solid and likely to battle for a top four spot in the conference standings, but its national contender status would certainly be very different barring huge jumps from the remaining players.
- The Big Ten had three players in the McDonald's All-American Game last night. With this in mind the Big Ten Network's Shawn Merriman evaluated the top former Big Ten players who participated in the game. Players were rated solely based on their collegiate careers and the winner is none too surprising. Not only is Michigan State's Magic Johnson the best former Big Ten McDonald's All-American to play in the game, but he could easily be argued as the best Big Ten player of all-time. Others on the list include plenty of big names like Purdue's Glenn Robinson and Indiana's Isiah Thomas and then some college stars like Michigan State's Mateen Cleaves and Illinois' Dee Brown. Will any of this year's three participants have careers similar to what these guys accomplished? Probably not, but you never know until they show up on campus.
- Northwestern may have not gotten to play in the postseason again this year, but senior Drew Crawford still has another game to go. Crawford will play for the West in the Reese's Division I College All-Star Game in Dallas this week. He is one of two Big Ten players invited to the game along with Indiana's Will Sheehey, who will play for the East. It is a solid career-ending honor for two seniors who were major contributors for their teams this season. Neither may have made the NCAA or NIT this season, but getting one more game will be good for them to showcase their skills.


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A small scale 'charfia' fisher in Tunisia
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This group of conditions, which can affect infants, children, and adults, continues to be a source of concern and confusion for patients and their families, despite having been described for hundreds of years. One of the principal problems is in making the proper diagnosis, which then dictates which tests and procedures should be done. Most medical practitioners see these problems so infrequently that they are unsure as to the best course of action. In many cases, once the proper diagnosis is made, nothing more need be done beyond assuring the patient and family that the condition will follow a benign course.
A look through the medical literature (and now the internet) will reveal a wide range of terminology, including hemangioma, vascular birthmark, port wine stain, vascular malformation, arteriovenous malformation, venous malformation, cavernous venous malformation, Klippel Trenaunay Syndrome, Parkes Weber Syndrome, hemangioendothelioma, and lymphatic malformation, among many others. Many of these terms are equivalent or are no longer considered accurate. After 25 years of dealing with these problems, I find that it is helpful to simplify things by dividing these conditions into only five groups: Hemangioma, Arteriovenous Malformation, Arteriovenous Fistula, Venous Malformation, and Lymphatic Malformation. Each of these conditions is distinct in terms of diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment. Let's consider each of these individually.
This term is commonly (and mistakenly) applied to all vascular lesions, but it actually describes a very distinct condition which is confined to infants and children. This is the lesion commonly seen in infants and referred to as a "strawberry birthmark". It is quite common in the general population, occurring in up to 12% of infants. It is significantly more common in premature infants, females and in the Caucasian population, and may be present at birth or appear shortly thereafter. It is a single lesion in most infants, but can be multiple on occasion. This is not a malformation or "birthmark" per se, but a benign tumor of endothelial cells (the cells which normally form the walls of blood vessels). What makes these conditions unique is their characteristic of going through three distinct stages: appearance (at birth or shortly thereafter), the proliferative stage (weeks to months) and the involution stage (the lesion spontaneously resolves by itself, usually by the age 7 or 8 years). This course of events is quite unique biologically, making hemangiomas a subject of intense interest to researchers in conditions where blood vessel development plays a major role, ranging from atherosclerosis to cancer.
Diagnostically, most hemangiomas have such a typical appearance and follow such a predictable chronological course that the diagnosis is easily made clinically and no further diagnostic testing is required. On occasion, a lesion located more deeply and appearing as just a soft tissue mass may require imaging studies (CT, MRI) or rarely a biopsy to confirm the diagnosis. While CT and MRI scans are "non-invasive" tests, they will generally require sedation or anesthesia in infants and children, so that their use is reserved for lesions which are of indeterminate nature clinically or when treatment is required. When would treatment be required in this condition? This is a controversial area, but most experts would agree that those hemangiomas which interfere with breathing, feeding, or visual development should undergo treatment. There are also hemangiomas which grow so rapidly during the proliferative stage that they can present with painful ulceration and bleeding requiring intervention. On occasion, hemangiomas can occur in the liver, where they can be so large and have such high flow that they put a strain on the heart; these lesions will also require more aggressive treatment. Finally, there is a rare variant called Kaposiform Hemangioendothelioma, which tends to occur over the trunk, thigh, or shoulder, and has an unusual diffuse reddish or purple color with thickening of the skin which resembles inflammation. This specific type of hemangioma has a tendency to consume platelets from the blood (the cells which are part of the normal clotting mechanism), which can in turn lead to bleeding complications (referred to as Kasabach-Merritt Syndrome).
If treatment is required for hemangiomas, it usually consists of a combination of local care (topical treatment) combined with systemic therapy, generally oral steroids. Steroids have been used for decades in treating hemangiomas and are still considered the mainstay of therapy when it is required. Steroids should be administered by pediatricians with specific expertise in treating hemangiomas, as dosage, timing, and duration of therapy must be judged and monitored closely, due to potential side effects, including suppression of the immune system. Other drugs, including interferon and cytotoxic drugs, are used less frequently now due to their much greater potential toxicity. Radiation treatment was used in the past but has no current role in the management of hemangiomas due to the risks of local tissue damage as well as the potential for long term carcinogenesis (tumor formation).
Until very recently, surgery was felt to play little role in the treatment of hemangiomas, due to their tendency to resolve spontaneously over time. Aside from the unusual situation where surgery is required for hemangiomas involving respiratory, digestive, or visual structures, there has been a resurgence of interest in lesions causing cosmetic deformity, particularly on the face. While it is true that small lesions will disappear over time leaving almost no trace, extensive lesions may leave behind pale, atrophic skin after involution, in some cases requiring plastic surgery to achieve an acceptable cosmetic appearance. Some plastic and head and neck surgeons feel that earlier surgical removal in these cases may be preferable, not only achieving an immediate improvement in
appearance but also avoiding the psychosocial difficulties which may be encountered by patients (especially children) with a cosmetically disfiguring condition.
In summary, hemangiomas are benign blood vessel tumors which occur in infants and children. They typically progress through a proliferative stage where they may show rapid growth, and then tend to involute (or resolve) spontaneously in early childhood without treatment. Due to this typical benign, self-limited history, management is conservative in most patients. When treatment is required, it should be under the care of physicians with specific expertise in this area.
Arteriovenous Malformations
Arteriovenous malformations, also referred to as vascular malformations or AVMs, are congenital abnormalities in the local development of the blood vessels, usually confined to a single anatomic area. In the normal development of the circulatory system, there is initially a primitive system with poorly defined vascular "lakes". As the embryo and fetus develop, there is a progressive complex process of refinement (still not completely understood) where these primitive structures develop an organization into arteries (carrying oxygenated blood away from the heart), capillaries (tiny networks where the oxygen is actually delivered to the tissues), and veins (which carry the deoxygenated blood back to the heart). A vascular malformation represents the localized failure of this process, resulting in a disorganized structure where arteries and veins connect without the normal tapering of vessels into a capillary bed. The size of the abnormal direct connection between arteries and veins will determine the amount of flow "short-circuited" through the malformation. If the malformation is small or deeply located, it may be of little or no clinical significance. If the malformation is larger or in a more critical location, it can have significant effects locally or even on the entire body.
Since these are not tumors but just abnormal areas of tissue development, they tend to grow along with the individual. Unlike hemangiomas, they do not resolve spontaneously; this is why it is critically important to make the specific diagnosis and not lump all vascular lesions under the term "hemangioma".
Depending on where they are located and the amount of abnormal flow through them, they may show up at any time in life from infancy to adulthood. One common but poorly understood aspect of vascular malformations in female patients is their apparent increase in size and symptoms at times of increased hormonal activity, specifically puberty and during pregnancy. We commonly see the first complaints related to the malformation when a young girl reaches puberty or is in her early teens; these patients may also note that symptoms are worse at certain points in the menstrual cycle.
Arteriovenous malformations can occur anywhere in the body and are usually isolated abnormalities in otherwise normal, healthy individuals. They are congenital but not genetic (with rare exceptions), meaning that there is little likelihood of passing them on to one's children, little likelihood of siblings having the same problem, and rarely any family history of vascular malformation. There are rare genetically transmitted familial syndromes (such as Rendu Osler Weber Syndrome) where multiple family members will have multiple AVMs, but most affected families will already be aware of this condition. Unlike hemangiomas, there is no tendency for them to occur in females and they seem to occur with equal frequency in all races and ethnic groups.
Depending on where in the body they are located, their size, and the amount of abnormal flow through them, AVMs can range from being asymptomatic lesions requiring no treatment to life-threatening problems in rare cases. If they are near a skin surface they may present as a soft tissue mass with or without changes in the overlying skin. If the flow is rapid enough, a pulsation may be felt over the area, and the blood vessels leading to and way from the malformation may be enlarged and pulsatile. They usually cause no pain and are not tender to the touch. If the flow is very rapid, it may cause blood to flow through the short-circuit, where the pressure is lower, rather than to the normal tissues in the area. This can lead to the seemingly paradoxical situation of having excessive blood flow to the general region but signs and symptoms related to the lack of flow to the normal structures beyond the malformation (localized ischemia). When the malformation is located in an extremity, this may be manifest by pain on exercise, atrophy of tissues in the hand or foot, or even breakdown of the skin integrity (ischemic ulceration). In some patients, their major presenting problem is this distal ischemia, rather than at the site of the malformation itself. The veins draining the malformation are also subjected to flow and pressure they were not designed to handle, resulting in dilation and thickening of the veins, eventually leading to secondary changes of "venous hypertension". The veins under pressure can cause localized thickening and eventual deterioration of the overlying skin similar to that seen in patients with severe varicose veins, sometimes resulting in ulceration. Treating the underlying vascular malformation will usually reverse these changes to a great extent.
If the abnormal flow through an arteriovenous malformation is extremely high, there can be generalized effects on the entire cardiovascular system. These effects can include increased blood volume, elevated heart rate, and in rare cases, heart failure. These changes, while mentioned in every text book and often mentioned by pediatricians and internists as a concern, are actually quite rare in practice. Out of over a thousand patients treated with vascular malformations in 25 years, I have seen only a handful of patients with this problem. It is generally seen in the setting of a small child with a very large shunt (short circuit) or in the rare adult with an extremely high flow AVM. In these cases, treatment of the malformation can be life-saving.
Another concern is that of bleeding or hemorrhage related to the malformation. Major bleeding is exceedingly rare, and is usually associated with ulceration of the skin or internal involvement of the gastrointestinal or urinary tracts. The risk in other patients is so low that I never limit a patient's activities, whether child or adult, with the possible exception of such activities as swordfighting.
When vascular malformations are located in certain parts of the body, specific issues and concerns arise. Vascular malformations in the pelvis can involve the bladder, colon, or uterus, potentially causing bleeding from any of these organs. I have treated many women with pelvic AVMs, and the question of fertility and risk of pregnancy is always raised. The normal changes which occur during pregnancy cause enlargement of the AVM and an increase in flow through it, sometimes increasing symptoms. Unless the AVM involves the uterus itself, fertility is generally not adversely affected and a normal delivery is possible in most patients, although involvement of a specialist in high-risk pregnancy is advised.
Two other anatomic locations which pose unique problems are pulmonary AVMs and those involving the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord). Pulmonary AVMs are unusual in that they represent a short circuit in the lung blood vessels where blood from the veins is directly shunted into the arterial circulation. This has two potential effects – the oxygen level in the blood may be reduced, causing shortness of breath and decreased exercise tolerance, and the filtering function of the lung is partly lost, allowing blood clots from the venous system to reach the arterial circulation. This can result in a condition called paradoxical embolism, with the possibility of stroke. Vascular malformations involving the brain or spinal cord are complex management problems; they may be asymptomatic but can cause bleeding or a mass effect (like a tumor) in the closed space of the skull. Vascular malformations involving the nervous system should be managed by physicians with highly specialized expertise in this area (certain neurosurgeons and interventional neuroradiologists).
The treatment of arteriovenous malformations depends on the size, location, and clinical problem resulting from the lesion. Small, asymptomatic lesions which are discovered incidentally do not require specific treatment once the diagnosis has been confirmed by imaging studies or angiography. In the majority of patients, the diagnosis can be confirmed on non-invasive imaging studies – ultrasound, CT, or MRI scans – and angiography is only performed if the diagnosis is in doubt or if endovascular (embolization) treatment is planned (see below).
When treating vascular malformations, two things must be kept in mind – first, they are generally benign conditions which show little or no progression once growth stops, and two, it is difficult or impossible to "cure" or eradicate them completely, as they have a strong tendency to recur regardless of the type of treatment performed. Therefore treatment should be directed at eliminating symptoms with a minimal degree of risk and
invasiveness. Surgical removal is generally not possible except in very localized malformations; since these are benign lesions, heroic "cancer type" surgery is inadvisable, as it is not necessary and may replace a relatively minor problem with significant scarring or disability.
Embolization treatment has assumed a major role in treating vascular malformations, as it combines minimal invasiveness with a significant reduction in symptoms. The principle involves passing a small catheter through the arterial system into the specific arterial branch supplying the malformation; an embolic agent is then injected through the catheter under fluoroscopic (x-ray) guidance into the center of the malformation (the nidus). A range of materials has been specifically developed for this purpose, including certain polymers, acrylic adhesives, microspheres, ethanol, and platinum coils. Each embolic agent has advantages and disadvantages, the choice being made on the basis of the type of malformation and the experience and preference of the physician performing the procedure. The procedure is performed under IV sedation or general anesthesia; there is no incision – the only entry point is a needle puncture in the femoral artery at the top of the leg. The patient is generally observed overnight and goes home the following morning. Depending on the size and location of the malformation, one or a series of treatments may be required.
In terms of treatment results, approximately 80% of patients can expect marked improvement or elimination of symptoms following treatment; 15% of patients can be "cured" completely, meaning there is no evidence either clinically or radiologically that there is any residual malformation. Again, as these are benign conditions, resolution of symptoms rather than complete eradication should be the goal. Potential complications of embolization treatment are of two types – those occurring at the arterial entry site (bleeding, hematoma or bruise, damage to the artery), and those related to the actual embolization, where too much blood flow is stopped, the wrong artery is blocked, or the embolic agent passes through the malformation completely and reaches the vein or pulmonary circulation. In experienced hands, the significant complication rate should be less than 1%.
Arteriovenous Fistula
An arteriovenous fistula is a direct abnormal connection between an artery and a vein, allowing blood to shunt directly from the high pressure artery to the low pressure vein. This problem is usually related to a penetrating injury, which can be traumatic or iatrogenic (the result of a medical procedure). A small fistula may close by itself without treatment, but larger ones will enlarge over time, eventually resulting in the same kinds of problems seen with congenital vascular malformations (increased flow, enlarged vessels in the area, stealing of flow away from normal tissues, and increased cardiac work).
Fistulas have been described since antiquity, usually related to war-related injuries. If treated early, before the surrounding blood vessels become abnormally enlarged, arteriovenous fistulas can usually be completely cured by either surgery or embolization. It is essential that the actual point of connection between the artery and vein be closed, or other blood vessels in the region (collaterals) will be drawn into the process, making subsequent treatment more difficult. Since the anatomy of a fistula is much simpler than a congenital malformation (single hole versus tangle of abnormal connections), the likelihood of complete cure is much greater.
Congenital fistulas (present at birth) are rare but do occur, both in the brain and elsewhere in the body, such as the lung and kidney. Due to the very high flow through these vessels, treatment can be technically difficult but a complete cure is possible in most cases.
Venous Malformations
Venous malformations are the commonest type of malformation occurring in the general population, probably five times more common than arteriovenous malformations. Other terms applied to this condition are cavernous venous malformation and cavernous hemangioma (the latter a misnomer, as hemangioma should refer only to the benign vascular tumor of infancy). These malformations can range from a superficial skin lesion, sometimes referred to as a "port wine stain", to abnormal development of the entire deep venous system of an extremity. Like congenital arteriovenous malformations, these are problems of vascular development present from birth, congenital but not genetically transmitted. By definition, they are purely venous with no arterial component, meaning they are slow-flow, low pressure venous spaces. If they are in an area which is near the surface, they will present as a soft fluid-filled mass which can be emptied by manually compressing it or, if it is in an extremity, elevating the extremity above the level of the heart. In infants and children, the lesion may change in size or shape depending on position or even when the child is crying, which increases venous pressure. Since they are low flow, they will not have pulsation, nor will they show enlargement of the vessels in the area. They are nearly always painless to the touch, although when they become distended with blood following activity or when in dependent position, aching, heaviness, or a feeling of pressure may be experienced.
When a cavernous venous malformation is accessible to physical examination, the diagnosis is usually obvious. Ultrasound examination will show fluid-filled spaces with little or no flow, while CT and particularly MRI can confirm the diagnosis with certainty.
As in arteriovenous malformations, these lesions will grow along with the child until maturity; unlike hemangiomas, they will not go away by themselves. If symptoms are absent or minimal, treatment is not required, nor is any limitation of normal activities. The patient may periodically experience episodes of localized pain in the malformation with associated signs of inflammation (redness, swelling, warmth); this is nearly always due to localized clotting (thrombosis) within these slow-flow spaces (blood tends to clot when it is not flowing). These are benign localized clots, not the type of blood clot which put the patient at risk for pulmonary embolism or stroke; treatment consists of warm soaks and anti-inflammatory medication. The symptoms can be expected to resolve in one or two weeks.
Treatment should be directed at relief of symptoms, rather than complete eradication of the malformation, which is often not possible without disfiguring (and unnecessary) surgery. Local measures such as support stockings, ace bandages, or elastic sleeves may show a significant reduction in venous distention and pain when used during strenuous activity. Surgical removal may be indicated when the malformation is localized and accessible without excessive loss of normal tissue; it is essential for detailed imaging studies (CT, MRI) to be obtained prior to any planned surgery, as the visible or palpable mass may be the "tip of the iceberg", and a simple operation can quickly become
Direct embolization, a form of sclerotherapy, can be effective at shrinking these venous malformations and reducing or eliminating symptoms. Under sedation or anesthesia, the malformation is entered directly with a small catheter and radiographic contrast (x-ray dye) is injected while observing under fluoroscopy. This will show the true extent of the lesion and whether it connects to the normal veins in the region, an important piece of information for planning a safe procedure. Once the size and volume of the malformation is determined, the embolic agent (ethanol or sodium tetradecyl sulfate are the commonest) is directly injected, again under visual x-ray guidance. Often a venogram, or radiologic study of the normal veins in the region, will be performed prior to the embolization. In some patients with venous malformations, an associated congenital abnormality is an absence or underdevelopment of the normal venous system in the area, meaning that the only route for blood draining from the extremity is through the malformation. Blocking off the malformation with embolization would then make the symptoms much worse.
Following a direct embolization procedure, the area will likely appear enlarged and possibly more uncomfortable for a period of two to three weeks. This is due to the inflammatory process deliberately caused in order to clot the abnormal venous spaces.
As the clot is reabsorbed and replaced with connective tissue, the malformation will typically show shrinkage over a period of six to eight weeks. It is common for multiple procedures to be required to achieve a maximum effect in shrinking the malformation and
eliminating symptoms of pain and swelling. In certain parts of the body, particularly the calf and forearm, treatment must be staged in order to avoid excessively increasing pressure in the closed tissue compartments found in these locations (compartment syndrome). Other possible problems following direct embolization include skin ulceration and bleeding, both usually minor and controlled with topical treatment.
One of the commonest forms of venous malformation, despite its exotic-sounding name, is Klippel-Trenaunay Syndrome, which generally involves a singe extremity (usually the leg), and includes over- or undergrowth of the involved limb, varicose veins, and a port wine stain (capillary venous malformation) over the involved part. There is a wide range of signs and symptoms ranging from minimal, with unilateral mild varicose veins, to severe forms which can cause significant disability. Like the other malformations, this condition is congenital but not genetically transmitted, and is rarely seen in other family members. Treatment is usually for symptoms only, and usually includes support stockings and local skin care over large superficial veins. In some children with significant limb length discrepancy, carefully timed fusion of the growth plate (epiphysis) at the knee is performed in order to minimize the length discrepancy when full growth is attained. One important caution in treating patients with this syndrome is to determine the status of the deep venous system either by MR venography or contrast venography prior to considering the stripping, removal, or ablation of symptomatic veins. Approximately one third of patients with this syndrome will have abnormalities of the deep veins which would make vein stripping inadvisable or even dangerous. An unusual variant of Klippel Trenaunay Syndrome is one in which there is an arterial component to the malformation; this is termed Parkes Weber Syndrome, and these patients may benefit from arterial embolization to reduce the pressure in the abnormal veins. MRI studies will generally allow this diagnosis to be made accurately.
Lymphatic Malformations
The lymphatic system is part of the body's circulatory system, but rather than carrying blood, it picks up the tissue fluid that normally escapes into the tissues and returns it to the general circulation through a series of tiny channels. In addition to scavenging this fluid, it serves an important immunologic function by delivering bacteria and other pathogenic agents to the lymph nodes, where the cellular immune response is initiated
Lymphatic malformations may occur alone or in combination with venous malformations. The three broad categories of lymphatic malformation are the cystic type (cystic hygroma), usually seen in infants and children, more diffuse malformations which often have superficial skin involvement, and syndromes involving underdevelopment of the lymphatic system in an anatomic region (congenital lymphedema syndromes). The cystic malformations usually occur in the neck and present as a soft tissue mass;
treatment is by excision or by drainage and injection of a sclerosing agent. The more diffuse form is more commonly seen in adults, who develop small blister-like lesions (vesicles) which can leak clear lymphatic fluid and tend to develop multiple episodes of infection and inflammation (cellulitis). Treatment is difficult and consists of sclerotherapy, local care, and in some cases surgical removal. Congenital lymphedema syndromes are uncommon, but may be seen in association with some genetic abnormalities such as Turner's Syndrome. There is no specific treatment other than compression garments and lymphatic massage.
If you've read this far, you now know more about hemangiomas and vascular malformations than 95% of practicing physicians. As you have seen, these represent a wide range of conditions which can affect all age groups and range in severity from trivial to extremely serious. The key points to remember are that proper diagnosis is essential, treatment should be by individuals with specific expertise in this field, and that these are generally benign conditions in otherwise healthy individuals, so that any proposed treatment should be directed at treating symptoms with a minimal degree of risk and discomfort.
If you have any questions regarding these conditions in general or about yourself or a family member, please feel free to contact me:
Robert J. Rosen, M.D.
Lenox Hill Heart and Vascular Institute
130 East 77th Street
New York, N.Y. 10021
Tel. 212 434 2606
Email: email@example.com


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The deal is for 23 GW87 1.5MW turbines for the Negrete Cuel development in central Chile. It follows on from Mainstream's deal with Goldwind to co-develop the 109MW Shady Oaks project in the US.
Finance has been provided by China Development Bank with Mainstream maintaining 100% ownership of the project.
Speaking about the deal, Mainstream chief executive Eddie O'Connor said: "Our goal is to deliver low cost, high quality projects and by partnering with Goldwind and the China Development Bank we can achieve this. We're developing over 15,000MW of projects across four continents and working with Chinese partners is very much central to our strategy. Earlier this year we established our office in Beijing and we're fully committed to these relationships for the long term."
There are a number of projects in the pipeline in Chile. Vestas is currently developing the country's largest project, the 100MW Talinay Oriente wind farm in Limari province.
Negrete Cuel is Goldwind's second project in South America. In August, it has signed a deal with Ecuador's electricity corporation (CELEC) to build the country's first wind farm.


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But we might wish it were not quite so difficult.
We begin with the report on the Gaza war of 2014 prepared by the UN Human Rights Council Commission of Inquiry (COI), which was headed by Mary McGowan Davis. It was released yesterday, and while not as flagrantly outrageous as the Goldstone report had been, it is very bad in several respects.
What is outrageously off the mark is its reach for even-handed moral equivalency:
"The commission was able to gather substantial information pointing to serious violations of international humanitarian law and international human rights law by Israel and Palestinian armed groups. In some cases, these violations may amount to war crimes." (emphasis added)
And please consider this, which is jaw-dropping (emphasis added):
"The United Nations Human Rights Council report on the 50-day Gaza conflict said there was no indication Hamas's cross-border tunnels were constructed to attack Israeli civilians, since the terror group exclusively targeted 'legitimate' Israel Defense Forces positions during the summer war.
"The commission, headed by American jurist Mary McGowan Davis, said that the network of tunnels reaching into Israel did not conclusively prove a threat to Gaza border communities and were used legitimately.
"'The commission cannot conclusively determine the intent of Palestinian armed groups with regard to the construction and use of these tunnels,' the report said. 'However, the commission observes that during the period under examination, the tunnels were only used to conduct attacks directed at IDF positions in Israel in the vicinity of the Green Line, which are legitimate military targets.'
As I recall, a tunnel was found dug adjacent to a kindergarten in a community in the south – which made the blood of many of us run cold. And the commission cannot determine the intent of Hamas???
"In October 2014, the IDF confirmed a report in Vanity Fair that Hamas had planned to carry out a massive assault by penetrating Israeli communities via tunnels under the border from the Gaza Strip, and then killing or kidnapping as many civilians as possible.
"IDF Spokesperson Peter Lerner said the terror group planned to use the tunnels to attack civilian areas in Israel and 'inflict mass casualties.
"'Hamas had a plan,' Lerner added. 'A simultaneous, coordinated, surprise attack within Israel.'"
The response by the Israeli Foreign Ministry:
"It is regrettable that the report fails to recognize the profound difference between Israel's moral behavior during Operation Protective Edge and the terror organizations it confronted. This report was commissioned by a notoriously biased institution, given an obviously biased mandate." (Emphasis added)
Our prime minister noted that (emphasis added):
"Israel does not commit war crimes. Israel is defending itself from a murderous terrorist organization that calls for its destruction and which has perpetrated many war crimes. Any country that wants to live would have acted this way… We will continue to take strong and determined action against all those who try to attack us and our citizens, and we will do so in accordance with international law."
The UN Human Rights Council, charged Netanyahu, has a "singular obsession with Israel.
"It has passed more resolutions against Israel than…against all the countries of the world combined.
"So Israel treats this report as flawed and biased and urges all fair-minded observers to do the same."
NGO-Monitor has released a preliminary response to the report (emphasis added):
"[The Report] quotes extensively from biased and unreliable political advocacy non-governmental organizations (NGOs). Although these groups lack credibility and do not employ professional fact-finding standards, the COI repeated the NGOs' unverifiable factual claims and allegations of Israeli 'war crimes.'
"European government funding enables these NGOs, as does funding from private foundations such as the New Israel Fund (NIF). Without the financial support and public backing from their donors, these fringe advocacy organizations would not have a platform to disseminate their propaganda.
"An initial review of [the report] shows that the unverified claims of NGOs were referenced, cited, and quoted at a high volume, in contrast to accepted international fact-finding standards…"
We will, undoubtedly, be returning to this subject. Especially as the next stop may be the international courts.
Then we have the situation with the Druze, which has now become even more complex and problematic than it had been.
Last night, an IDF ambulance in the Golan transporting two wounded Syrian soldiers to a medical facility in the north for treatment was stormed by some 150 Druze, who pelted the ambulance and managed to get inside. One of the injured Syrians was left in critical condition and required surgery. The other died on the way to the hospital. Two IDF soldiers were lightly injured as well.
Credit: Yeshiva World News
Prime Minister Netanyahu was very clear on this: "We will not let [residents] interfere with IDF soldiers' duty to carry out their missions."
While IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot declared, "It's inconceivable that IDF soldiers and [Syrian] wounded are attacked by Israeli citizens."
Inconceivable, but it happened. General Eisenkot has called an emergency meeting to discuss the situation.
Sheikh Moafaq Tarif, religious leader of the Druze community in Israel, lamented that, "This is not our way, and we are hurting over the criminal act done by lawbreakers, and call on authorities to act." He will be calling a meeting of Druze leadership to discuss the matter.
This attack was actually the second of its kind in 24 hours, although the earlier attack had less serious consequences.
The charge by the Druze is that Israel is treating and sheltering jihadis from the Nusra Front who threaten their fellow Druze inside of Syria.
IDF spokesman Motti Almoz said Israel "has not provided aid to the Nusra Front over the past four years, since the civil war in Syria began…
"We help wounded Syrians who arrive at our border and give them medical treatment."
A bit of background on the Druze situation: Druze policy (or ideology, perhaps) requires them to be loyal to the authority of the area in which they live. Most of the Druze inside of Israel are loyal Israelis and deeply Zionistic; many serve in the IDF. There is, for example, Col. Rasan Alian (below), first Druze commander of the Golani Brigades. After being seriously wounded last year, he could not wait to get back to his men.
And MK (Likud) Ayoub Kara, who boasts that he is more Zionist than the Jews.
Some in the Golan, however, express ambivalence. Before Israel took the Golan in 1967, they were loyal to Assad, and those still in Syria have remained so. Some on the border, on the Israeli side, are fearful that Israel might yet relinquish the Golan, and so have been uneasy about assuming Israeli citizenship; they are tacitly loyal to Assad.
Yesterday I spoke with one of my key analysts – an Arab speaking Israeli journalist with significant knowledge of what is going on in the Arab world. It is his opinion that Israel absolutely should not get involved inside of Syria in order to protect the Druze. What Israel should do, he says, is provide them with the weaponry that will allow them to defend themselves.
If Assad goes, they will find it near impossible to shift loyalty to jihadis, even if they should wish to do so, he tells me. For these extremists would demand they follow their Islamic line. (The Druze religion is syncretic and not shared readily with outsiders.) By default, Druze loyalties would become pro-Israel, he predicts.
As to Israel providing a safe zone in Syria, at the Golan border, he points out with some logic that a good part of Syria would run to be in that safe zone, not just Druze, and Israel would be left with an untenable situation. Israel should thus not rush to institute such a zone now, he believes, but rather consider doing it slowly and judiciously, and with Jordanian cooperation.
Speaking of loyalty: how about on the part of all those in the Knesset?
Israel is facing the possibility of another flotilla incident. Like we need this now. In May, a trawler, the Marianne of Gothenburg, carrying a small crew, left from Sweden – the first in what is said to be a flotilla in formation. It has been stopping at a number of ports before heading for Gaza, and at some point is supposed to be joined by three or four other ships.
Credit: demotix
Overtly declaring intention of trying to break Israel's sea blockade of Gaza (a fully legal blockade); the organizers of the flotilla are seeking as much international press attention as they can garner. They may be carrying some minimal supplies (ostensibly solar panels and medical supplies), but I think they have more or less abandoned the charade that their action is about bringing "humanitarian assistance" to the people of Gaza. (Note: large quantities of humanitarian aid and other supplies enter Gaza from Israel routinely via land crossing points.)
Said Foreign Ministry spokesman Emmanuel Nachshon, "if the so-called helpful Gaza flotillas were really interested in the welfare of the population in Gaza, they would send their aid via Israel. The fact that they insist on a flotilla demonstrates this is an unnecessary provocation."
Israel has already declared unequivocally that the boats of this flotilla will not be permitted to enter the territorial waters outside of Gaza: "The navy intends to treat the ships [of this flotilla] just as it would any vessel that tries to enter Israel's territorial waters without authorization."
While understanding that other methods may be necessary, Israel is attempting to use diplomatic channels to stop the flotilla.
And the Israeli NGO Shurat Hadin -The Israel Law Center is approaching the issue in its own fashion. On Sunday Shurat Hadin's president, Nitsana Darshan-Leitner, sent a warning letter demanding that the Swedish bank Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken AB (SEB) "cease providing financial services" to the groups Free Gaza and Ships to Gaza, which are "helping to arrange a flotilla to breach Israel's lawful naval blockade of the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip." The letter noted that "SEB holds a maritime lien on the Marianne av Göteborg, the lead ship in the planned Gaza flotilla."
That flotilla ship, continued the letter, "might be destroyed or confiscated" by the IDF and warned that the Stockholm-based bank "is at serious risk of losing its collateral: The boat."
Such tactics have worked in the past.
What has caused a furor here in Israel is the announced intention of Arab MK (Balad) Basel Ghattas to join the flotilla. I believe the vessel is now docked in Palermo and will be moving on to Athens, and then heading towards the Gaza coast in just days.
Ghattas declared that those on board, including several others who are going to join him, will not be carrying weapons. But, "If the IDF wants to kill, then shoot." As if the IDF routinely shoots unarmed persons. False bravado – words he wouldn't dare utter to an authority that does shoot.
Any action to take over the vessel, warned Ghattas, would "complicate Israel with another international crisis."
There are furious charges from members of the Knesset that Ghattas is a traitor and provocateur, along with demands that his Knesset immunity be lifted and that he be otherwise investigated.
What is happening here with Ghattas is a problem we have faced on several occasions, regarding Arab MKs who are not loyal to Israel and eager to utilize Israeli democracy to weaken our state.
And good news, which is so badly needed:
"Scientists at Israel's Weizmann Institute reported the results of their Personalized Nutrition Project. They discovered that bacteria in the stomach of different people reacts differently to the same food. Some even lost weight from ice cream and buttered bread."
"There is no sign of the Palestinian Authority's BDS policy in Bethlehem. During Kay Wilson's visit, she saw plenty of Israeli products in the supermarkets. She saw some Arabs driving cars that the rest of us could only dream of. Kay's Facebook post went viral."
Seems Abbas is eager to promote BDS in order to weaken Israel, but not so eager so that he deprives Palestinian Arabs of Israeli products they seek.
"An Israeli-developed smart flight helmet will detect emergency situations in which pilots are about to lose consciousness, and take control of the plane in order to prevent disasters. Tel Aviv's Lifebeam developed the Cannary system with sensors measuring the pilot's vital signs."


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According to WGN News, the management of a Colorado Springs sporting goods store has decided to stop selling Nike merchandise after the company featured Colin Kaepernick in a new marketing campaign, KRDO reports.
Prime Time Sports in the Chapel Hills Mall has a sign that reads: "Still choosing to stand / All Nike 1/2 price / "Just doing it."
The Nike campaign has produced an enormous amount of debate on social media. One ad image features the former San Francisco 49ers quarterback's face with the text: "Believe in something. Even if it means sacrificing everything."
Kaepernick was the first NFL player to not stand during the national anthem at the beginning of the 2016-17 season. He did so to protest police brutality and racial inequality. His actions sparked a national conversation about the importance of the anthem and First Amendment rights.
Stephen Martin, the owner of Prime Time Sports, said he knows he is jeopardizing his business, as a large part of his inventory is Nike NFL jerseys, according to KRDO. Martin told the news station that he called Nike "the mother of all harlots" for the campaign and criticized their use of the term "sacrificed everything."
"According to me, he has sacrificed a salary," Martin posted in a note in the store's window, KRDO reported. The note was surrounded by images of fallen service members. "Nothing compared to what every soul on our 'Honor the Flag' memorial wall that was built a few years ago has suffered and died for."
The Colorado Springs station said Martin's sale began Tuesday in an effort to clear out all existing Nike inventory.
Kaepernick is suing the NFL, saying its owners conspired to keep him out of the league because of his protests that spread to teams nationwide.
On Wednesday, Nike posted one of it's commercials featuring Kaepernick, called "Dream Crazy."
Source: WGN News


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CAUTION: SPOILERS INCLUDED – With Team Rashad up 5-0 on The Ultimate Fighter: Heavyweights with three first round fights remaining, all Team Rampage can do is try to save face and get one of their three fighters into the quarterfinals. Is this the week?
CAUTION: SPOILERS INCLUDED – With Team Rashad up 5-0 on The Ultimate Fighter: Heavyweights with three first round fights remaining, all Team Rampage can do is try to save face and get one of their three fighters into the quarterfinals. Is this the week?
Team Rashad's Darrill Schoonover is getting a reputation in the house for his drinking, but he won't get any reprieves in practice, especially with Kru Phil Nurse coming in as a special guest Muay Thai coach. Nurse is known for his soul-sapping workouts, and this session is no different as he puts the fighters through their paces. Schoonover especially is having trouble keeping up, especially in sparring with Brendan Schaub.
"I'm thinking, 'what's wrong with this dude,'" said Evans. James McSweeney fills his coach in, and Schoonover responds, "Everybody's real interested in what I'm doing instead of worrying about themselves. They think less of me, but I'm ready to kick some ass."
Evans confronts the fighter. "You can't forget why you're here. You don't want to come all this way just to get on TV."
Schoonover agrees to tone things down to help his team continue to win.
"Schoonover is a diamond in the rough," says Evans. "He gets no respect from Team Rampage and there's something about him they just don't know."
What they don't know about is his fighting spirit, and after a confrontation with coach 'Rampage' Jackson, Schoonover tells him that he'll cut down to 205 and beat the former UFC light heavyweight champion as well.
"You'd make my day if you'd come to 205," replies Jackson. "That would be an easy payday."
"Why don't we have a sparring session?" said Schoonover, and you can tell that both fighters are starting to get agitated.
After cooler heads prevail, it's time for this week's fight announcement, and Evans picks Schoonover to fight Team Rampage's Zak Jensen. As the two square off, Jackson keeps talking smack and Schoonover moves towards 'Rampage'. Schoonover gets pulled back, with Jackson saying "Walk up on me again, and you'll be in trouble." After a few tense moments, Evans intervenes and gets into it with Jackson himself.
"A joke is joke until it's not a joke anymore," said Evans afterwards. "If you don't want a confrontation, then don't call him the name."
Schoonover's opponent, Jensen, isn't getting an easy run in the competition either, but what makes it worse is that he's getting abuse from his own teammates.
"If Shrek had a little brother," said Kimbo Slice, "it would be him, and his name would be Linderman. It's just a matter of time before this cat loses his mind and tries to kill everybody in the house because he gets caught with a lot."
"I just try to mind my own business, and maybe they think that's a weakness, but I just think that's being a good person," said Jensen.
Wes Sims is even running a pool to pick which day Jensen loses it in the house.
In the gym, Evans sees a positive change in Schoonover, and he's all business as he gets ready for the fight. Over with Team Rampage, the mood is a little lighter when assistant coach Tiki Ghosn brings in a caricature of Evans and his team, called "Team Cocky". When things get more serious, Jackson focuses on Jensen, but while training with Wes Shivers, Jensen gets cut over the right eye. Kimbo immediately raises his hands in the hopes of getting back into the competition – "I get to bang again."
Jensen still wants to fight and will fight – "it's just blood," he says, drawing the praise of Jackson and assistant coach Hector Ramirez, and he's a new fighter in the gym in the ensuing practice time.
Before the next session for Team Rashad, Evans and his coaches get a laugh out of the caricature that's hanging on the wall of the gym.
"It's funny," said Evans. "They've definitely got some jokes."
At the same time though, Evans doesn't want Schoonover getting distracted by the picture, so he has it taken down.
Schoonover (10-0) weighs in at 251 for the fight; Jensen (7-2) checks in at 263. Of course before the fight, Jackson and Tiki have to get in one more joke before the fight, as they write an insulting message on the name plate of his locker room.
Schoonover gets the last laugh though, as he follows the gameplan perfectly, getting in close and unleashing a barrage of hard strikes. Jensen survives the initial storm and gets a takedown, but Schoonover locks in a triangle choke that eventually puts the game Jensen to sleep, bringing in referee Steve Mazzagatti to halt the bout.
With the win, Team Rashad's winning streak is extended to six. Here's how the teams stand after episode five:
James McSweeney 1-0
Brendan Schaub 1-0
Justin Wren 1-0
Jon Madsen 1-0
Roy Nelson 1-0
Darrill Schoonover 1-0
Matt Mitrione
Mike Wessel
Kimbo Slice – Eliminated on episode three by Roy Nelson
Abe Wagner – Eliminated on episode one by Jon Madsen
Demico Rogers – Eliminated on episode four by Brendan Schaub
Wes Sims – Eliminated on episode five by Justin Wren
Scott Junk
Wes Shivers – Eliminated on episode two by James McSweeney
Marcus Jones
Zak Jensen – Eliminated on episode six by Darrill Schoonover
For weekly recaps of The Ultimate Fighter, as well as fighter profiles, stay tuned to UFC.com.
Jamahal Hill Talks UFC 300 Main Event
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The fourth season of "Adventure Time" starts Monday, April 2, at 8:30 p.m. on Cartoon Network.
Latest Article|September 3, 2020|Free
::Making Grown Men Cry Since 1992
3 min read
Television is a vast wasteland filled with discarded husks of sitcoms, endless reality shows and the occasional oasis of entertainment. It's a lot of territory to cover. As a result, I can't always be there on the ground floor to alert people about the coolest, hippest shows about to premiere. I have, for example, only recently discovered the joy and wonder that is Cartoon Network's "Adventure Time." I'd browsed the occasional episode since its debut in 2010 and found it interesting enough—but I recently hit some sort of critical mass and am now a rabid, proselytizing fan.The rainbow-colored, notebook doodle of a cartoon relates the adventures of Finn (a gung-ho, sword-loving 13-year-old hero) and Jake (a magical, shape-shifting yellow canine). Together, they roam the princess-filled Land of Ooo goofing off and performing various good deeds. Watch more than a few episodes, however, and you'll start to realize "Adventure Time" is filled with offbeat humor, bizarre characters and a deep backstory.I believe I hit my critical mass on the series upon realizing—after my fifth or sixth full episode—that the entire thing is set on a postapocalyptic Earth. Yes, those are collapsed buildings, rusting tanks and mangled street signs scrolling by in the background. That means that all the strange candy people, grass ogres, whywolves, rainicorns and talking animals aren't simply whimsical flights of fancy—they're hideous nuclear mutants run amok. "Adventure Time"—the singular creation of animator Pendleton Ward ("The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack")—rarely speaks directly about its setting or characters. Watch several in a row (or log some time on the "Adventure Time" wiki), and you'll start to piece it all together.Over the course of three seasons, Ward and his writers have created a rich fantasy world filled with rambunctious heroes, enjoyable villains, complex interpersonal relationships and gobs of surreal humor. Sure, it's aimed mostly at tweens and young teenagers, but its mythology is dense enough to inspire a dedicated following—even among the non-target demographic. The episodes are mostly fun, stand-alone adventures with Jake and Finn fighting monsters and solving puzzles. But each appearance by a major character adds a little more to the expanding tapestry. Finn, for example, really likes brainy and compassionate Princess Bubblegum (but she's 18 and not all that interested in a 13-year-old). Although he's not quite old enough to actually want to kiss a girl, there's some interesting emotions between Finn and abrasive-but-cool undead musician Marceline the Vampire Queen as well (although, she's a thousand-year-old monster and way too sophisticated for naive little Finn). Then there's the ongoing question of whether Finn is actually the last human left on Earth—a weird and morose question to ask about the hero of a kids' cartoon.Cartoon Network has been smart/stingy enough to release just two meager DVD samplers over the last couple of years, forcing fans to watch this cult phenomenon exclusively on CN. If you aren't already doing that, then perhaps it's time. Adventure time!


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This track - from Machine Head's album, Unto The Locust - is played in drop B tuning (low to high: B F# B E G# C#). This is the same as drop D tuning, but a minor third lower.
After a Metallica-esque clean intro and a catchy octave riff, Machine Head wheel out the big guns with a bone-crushing riff that combines single notes with natural harmonics. Playing the natural harmonics cleanly is undoubtedly the toughest part of the riff.
The first set of harmonics requires you to quickly skip to the fourth string, while the second set requires you to skip two strings to the third string. Start slowly and focus on keeping your pick movement to a minimum. This stops you wasting time and energy on unwanted movement and helps you get this riff up to full speed.
Get the sound
A guitar fitted with a humbucker is best for Locust. Use the bridge pickup to get some bite and stop the sound becoming too indistinct. You need plenty of distortion. Wind up the gain and then set your EQ control to produce the classic 'scooped' metal sound. Boost the treble and the bass and then lower the middle. Metal rhythm sounds usually have little or no reverb.


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For all those who need some decor for 4th of July, check out this Pledge Allegiance Sign I just whipped up – – and I have a quick tutorial for ya!
First off, a few weeks ago we went to a swearing in ceremony for new citizens. It was really powerful and I think everyone should attend one at least once in their life. So glad we got to go and I thought it was a great thing for our kids to experience.
A few days after we got back, I saw this post on Poppies at Play – – and with our recent experience, I knew we just NEEDED it!
I loved the design of the Pledge of Allegiance and I knew if I tried to make something similar, it just wouldn't turn out – so I purchased the vinyl from them and it was sent to my home super quick.
I painted a spare board I found in the garage white – then I attached the vinyl – – at this point I liked it as it, but I was going for more (I think that Trevor thought I was going to ruin it…)
Now, I've mentioned this before on my post about how to leave stained letters (see it HERE) – – the secret to crisp lines when painting over vinyl – – MOD PODGE!!!
Because – – when you paint over vinyl, some of it inevitably seeps under the vinyl . So when you paint on a layer of Mod Podge, IT is seeping under your vinyl. But it's clear. And it seals the seeping point.
So paint on a layer of Mod Podge and let dry. THEN paint on your color. Let that dry.
And watch like magic when you peel your letters – the lines are so crisp and clear, revealing the original layer of paint (in my case, white):
See how nice and crisp those lines are:
If you have never tried the Mod Podge trick, I highly recommend it!! Go give it a try!