text:
Struggling Chicago, DCU square off at Toyota Park
Bridgeview, IL – A pair clubs hoping to end their disappointing runs of form will meet at Toyota Park on Sunday when the Chicago Fire host D.C. United.
The Fire ended their three-game losing streak last weekend with a 1-1 draw at Real Salt Lake. Chicago's goal, scored by Quincy Amarikwa, was the club's first since April 20, snapping a 361-minute goalless drought. The Fire have scored seven goals this season, just one more than Ben Olsen's men, who have the fewest goals in MLS this term.
"It's difficult when you don't score goals in six games to get a positive result," said Fire head coach Frank Klopas. "The good thing is that in those matches we created opportunities.
"We just got to concentrate and our focus has got to be better in the final third. I think any time you can score, even coming from behind shows a lot of character."
To aid Chicago's shortcomings in front of net, the club acquired Mike Magee from the Los Angeles Galaxy in exchange for the rights to Robbie Rogers. Magee, who appears set to line up as an out-and-out strike for the Fire despite predominantly occupying a wide position for the Galaxy, has notched six goals so far this season.
"He's done extremely well," Klopas said of Magee. "He's a quality player, someone that's going to add to more quality in the final third for us."
It may be the perfect storm for Chicago's offense to regain its form as the club will come up against a D.C. United defense that has conceded a total of 15 goals in its last six matches.
D.C. saw its winless streak extended to 10 games with a 2-0 home loss to the Portland Timbers, which matches the club's record set in 2002.
"It's embarrassing how soft we are, everywhere around the field," said Olsen. "The lack of anger that a few of our guys play with, the lack of a chip on some of our guys' shoulders is mind-boggling to me."
There is plenty to be angry about for United, though. The club enters the weekend with an MLS-low five points from its 12 matches.
This has led Olsen to deploy different combinations in his starting lineups of late, exemplified by Carlos Ruiz's partnership with Chris Pontius up front against Portland.
"Surprised is not the word," Dwayne De Rosario said of his reaction to being left on the substitutes' bench for the first time since April 13. "(Olsen) didn't think that me and Carlos can play on the same field together, so that's what it is. I think if you look at our track record as goal scorers, as creators, I think it's not a bad problem to try at least once."


text:
Tax dilemma for Christie?
Chris Christie may have a bit of a tax problem.
With the Republican governor of New Jersey set to stroll to reelection Tuesday, political strategists are calling him a potential formidable force in the 2016 presidential campaign.
Story Continued Below
But the hot-headed statesman is saddled with something no GOP presidential hopeful wants: exorbitant taxes in his home state, with some trying to tag him with a poison-pill phrase of tax hiker. That could mean trouble in a Republican primary, where taxes are a bread and butter issue.
( QUIZ: How well do you know Chris Christie)
"They'll basically go pound Christie on anything that looks like a tax increase or fee increase," said veteran GOP strategist Ed Rollins, Rep. Michele Bachmann's presidential campaign manager. "What he has done as governor will matter."
One of Christie's first actions as governor was to scale back tax breaks that effectively hiked property taxes on hundreds of thousands of residents, after he pledged to do the opposite.
Four years later, Christie has capped property tax hikes and provided some business tax relief. But levies on homes have risen at about the same rate as under his Democratic predecessor, keeping New Jersey the highest property tax state in the country.
"Call it what you want, but he took money away from a tax rebate — I call that a tax increase," said Charles Sobel, a Fort Lee-based insurance salesman who benefits from one of several tax breaks Christie gutted.
( PHOTOS: Chris Christie's career)
It's a potential weakness for a Republican popular for cutting spending, taking on teachers' unions and fixing the state's bloated pension system.
The Christie administration denies it's raised taxes. Spokesman Michael Drewniak, says Christie "cuts taxes," "doesn't do gimmicks" and "has already provided structural property tax relief to local governments and New Jersey taxpayers."
They're planning to push for more tax cuts if reelected.
The conservative Club for Growth wouldn't comment specifically on Christie's tax policies since he hasn't declared himself a candidate. But spokesman Barney Keller told POLITICO that "if you just eliminate [tax] loopholes and deductions without lowering [tax] rates, that's anti-growth."
The group has become a major force in "primary-ing" Republicans not conservative enough for its taste.
Americans for Tax Reform's Grover Norquist doesn't call Christie's changes a tax hike. Still, he says there's "no doubt" Christie will face criticism if he runs, as 2012 hopeful Mitt Romney did for increasing fees as Massachusetts governor.
Norquist says it comes with the territory for a Republican governor of a blue state.
"He'll say, 'Here is what I've been able to accomplish with a Democratic Legislature,' which is not going to be the same list of things that [Gov. Rick] Perry in Texas can talk about or [the] governor of Wisconsin [Scott Walker] can talk about — because they have Republican legislatures."
Christie could be facing off against someone like North Carolina's Gov. Pat McCrory, who this year signed a historic tax cut; or Gov. Bobby Jindal, who backed eliminating the income and corporate tax in Louisiana.
To be sure, New Jersey was a high tax state before Christie. The income tax is the fifth highest nationally; its corporate tax, sixth. Property taxes average about $8,000 or 10 percent of average income. They rose 70 percent between 1999 and 2009.
One-third of residents in a September poll conducted by Monmouth University gave Christie a D or F on property taxes and 56 percent disapproved of his overall tax policies in a separate Rutgers University-Eagleton Institute of Politics study.
In 2009, Christie on the campaign trail criticized Democratic predecessor Jon Corzine for scaling back the tax rebate program to offsets the cost of property taxes. Originally awarded to those making as much as $250,000, Corzine limited it to those earning less than $75,000 and seniors. Christie said it was bad policy to curb such breaks during a recession.
But upon assuming office with a multibillion-dollar state budget deficit, Christie backtracked.
"There was a threat that we wouldn't even make payroll," Christie spokesman Drewniak said, arguing that tax rebates come and go with available funds.
Christie gutted the rebate program by about 75 percent, according to state Office of Legislative Services, and changed it from an annual check to a credit. Nearly 1 million residents who received an average $1,035 in property levy relief in Corzine's last year saw their next credit dip to about $269 in early 2011, OLS said.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Even the robots don't have any faith left.
The Verge said it best when they note that robots that are "being more human" are taking it too far.
Bilal Farooqui on Twitter
Our D.C. office building got a security robot. It drowned itself. We were promised flying cars, instead we got suicidal robots.
The K5 unit decided to take a plunge, but most likely, he just probably rolled off the steps that lead right into the fountain. The Verge says that it's unknown at this time whether the robot survived it's swim, but there have been multiple errors for bots like these, from a drunk man getting into a fight with one, to knocking over a toddler.
Greg Pinelo on Twitter
It's a fun day here at @gmmb. The super high-tech security robot at our office complex has had a mishap.
K5 seems like a primitive R2-D2, but I would be fine with hanging out with K-2S0 anytime.
K2SO Best scenes: Star Wars Rogue One
Uploaded by The Cantina Scum and Garbage on 2017-04-01.
Amy Cooper is the type of journalist that when asked "What do you bring to the table," she replies "I am the table.


text:
If you are looking for sex online, friend sex, adult friends or married dating then you've come to the right page for free Virginia adult dating! TS Affair is the leading site online for adult dating on the web. If you are visiting or live in Virginia and are dating for sex, we can get you connected with other adult friends fast. have sex and meet for sex, as our adult site is the best place you will get it on and find sex online, friend sex, adult friends, married dating and more. free.tsaffair.com just happens to be packed with singles and amateur swingers looking for free online dating hookup sex. As you're probably excited to find a booty call and other adult friends, get started today on our adult match site. Sex and dating offerings on this Virginia page help you hook up for hot sex quickly with sexy swingers, singles, housewives, MILFs and sluts in and around Virginia. Find adults for sex today >>
Virginia Adult Members Dating for Sex (10 of 95,305,929 Members)
- juicietitties 39/F Virginia, United States Curious in the interesting....
- spicy_flame18 18/F Virginia, United States More To Love!!!
- kittymskat 50/F Virginia, United States Ms Juicy69 looking for fun.
- BoldMistress 42/F Virginia, United States i am a bisexual looking for a woman iam femine i like femine ladies
- needingyouhere2 24/F Virginia, United States Looking for a fun woman or couple~NO SINGLE MEN!~
- VASSEXICHIC 25/F Virginia, United States ALL ABOUT ME HE.HE.HE.
- kshego 40/F Virginia, United States Looking for love in all the wrong places
- bybigcuty 40/F Virginia, United States bybigcuty in search of
- victoria0885 25/F Virginia, United States athletic chick for athletic chick
- marame444 36/F Virginia, United States Just Looking For Fun
Join Now for FREE!
Virginia Cities: Find Single and Swinger Sex in Popular Virginia Cities
- Alexandria
- Annandale
- Arlington
- Ashburn
- Baileys Crossroads
- Blacksburg
- Burke
- Cave Spring
- Centreville
- Chantilly
- Charlottesville
- Chesapeake
- Dale City
- Danville
- East Hampton
- Fredericksburg
- Hampton
- Harrisonburg
- Herndon
- Hopewell
- Jefferson
- Lake Ridge
- Leesburg
- Lincolnia
- Linton Hall
- Lynchburg
- Manassas
- McLean
- Mechanicsville
- Newport News


text:
Find Your Perfect Home.
Sand Lake Real Estate
Sand Lake is located in Michigan. Sand Lake, Michigan has a population of 521. Sand Lake is less family-centric than the surrounding county with 31.75% of the households containing married families with children. The county average for households married with children is 33.22%.
The median household income in Sand Lake, Michigan is $34,444. The median household income for the surrounding county is $52,716 compared to the national median of $53,482. The median age of people living in Sand Lake is 36.5 years.
Sand Lake Weather
The average high temperature in July is 82.9 degrees, with an average low temperature in January of 17.2 degrees. The average rainfall is approximately 36.6 inches per year, with inches of snow per year.
View Homes for Sale in Sand Lake
Sand Lake Map
Real Estate Near Sand Lake
Nearby Cities
Nearby Cities Homes for Sale
Sand Lake Zip Codes


text:
Pharmacists are health professionals who distribute prescription drugs to individuals. They also advise their patients, physicians, and other health practitioners in disease state management and on the selection, dosages, interactions, and side effects of prescription medications.
Pharmacists also monitor the health and progress of those patients to ensure that they are using their medications safely and effectively.
As a pharmacist, you can be expected to work in any of the following settings:
- Hospitals
- Drug stores, or grocery stores
- Pharmaceutical manufacturers
- Health insurance companies
- Government agencies
- Public health care agencies
- Colleges and universities (in teaching and research positions, or in on-campus pharmacies)
Most full-time pharmacists work 40 hours per week. Pharmacists should plan on being available to work some evenings and weekends, as many pharmacies are open during these hours.
Training and Education
Pharmacist and Pharmacy Technician training programs are offered by many institutions including hospitals, the military, proprietary schools, vocational schools, technical colleges, and community colleges. Many pharmacies offer on-the-job training programs, and school training programs usually work in conjunction with pharmacies to provide real-word experience through externships.
Technician training programs offered both online and on campus prepare students for entry-level positions in the pharmacy field.
Pharmacist Licensing
A license to practice pharmacy is required in all 50 states. To obtain a license, you must successfully complete an accredited PharmD program and pass the North American Pharmacist Licensure Examination (NAPLEX) and The Multistate Pharmacy Jurisprudence Examination (MPJE).
Pharmacy Schools in New Jersey
- Sanford Brown Institute
The Pharmacy Technician program at Sanford-Brown Institute, Monroeville (SBI) provides students with the technical and practical training necessary for work as an entry-level assistant to a licensed pharmacist.
For more information on healthcare degree programs in New Jersey, visit Healthcaredegrees.org
For more information on Careers in Pharmaceuticals in New Jersey, visit Monster.com.


text:
Of course you find pedophiles and rapists in all communities, but these are nearly always loners operating in secret, because pedophiles are despised and hated by normal people.
However Islam is different. Pedophilia is socially acceptable in Islam because the Muslims' role model and 'perfect man', the false prophet Mohammed, was a particularly perverted pedophile.
In addition, pedophile attacks on 'kuffar' (non-Muslim) children are seen as a legitimate form of jihad, inflicting humiliation, degradation and demoralisation on the children and their parents, as required by the Koran.
The Islamic invasion of the West is one huge razzia (raid of rape and pillage) and Western children are war booty. Pedophilia is widespread in Muslim communities, with Christian children being the main targets. The pedophiles operate in well-organised gangs and networks. They are protected and encouraged by their wider communities and enjoy immunity from prosecution so as not to damage 'Community Cohesion'
Children murdered
Islamic pedophile child abduction and gang-rape is a tactic of Sexual Jihad and is being increasing used against infidel children in Western countries. Some of the children are gruesomely murdered when they become a threat to the Muslims.
Boys as well as girls are being pimped, because although homosexual acts between adult men are forbidden in Islam, pre-pubescent ('beardless') boys are regarded as females, and it's OK to use them as 'Bacha Bazi' - sex toys.
Although originally observed among Muslim Moroccans and Pakistanis in Europe, the phenomenon of organised pedophile jihad against non-Muslim children has now appeared among Muslim Somalis in America. It seems to be a potential problem wherever Muslims are allowed access to infidel children.
Muslims get Child Sex Documentary banned on 'Racial' Fears
"The producers of this documentary spent a year working with Bradford Social Services and the troubled people they help. "These are the neighbours we don't want to know whose problems we don't want to see," said the producers. How right they were.
LONDON (Reuters) - A British television documentary which shows Asian men grooming under-age white girls for sex has been shelved because of fears it could incite racial violence ahead of elections, Channel 4 said Friday. The broadcaster said the decision to pull "Edge of the City" was taken after discussions with police.
Bradford, the northern city where the program was filmed, was rocked in 2001 by race riots between Asians and whites. "The police feared that the timing of the broadcast would increase community tensions in Bradford...with the risk that it would lead to public disorder," the broadcaster said in a statement. The program, which was to have been screened earlier this week, explores what it calls an explosion of child abuse whereby Asian men in the city have been targeting young girls for sex -- one as young as 11 -- by plying them with drugs.
The Muslim Political Affairs Committee (MPAC) is crowing:
Success: 'Edge of the City' Stopped. It was a last minute rush to get this biased documentary postponed, but we did it. MPACUK readers rushed to register their dismay at linking race with paedophiles; the police registered their concern by stating that it could cause racial tensions and MPAC contacted 5 MPs and a Lord to ask them to raise this with Channel 4. Here is MPAC's story on what we did, who we talked to and the one guy who we got to. This is why lobbying works and why Muslims need to know their MPs. http://www.jihadwatch.org/2004/05/uks-channel-4-pulls-child-sex-documentary-on-racial-fears.html
A gang of muslim men has been convicted of systematically grooming and sexually abusing teenage girls in Derbyshire.
A gang of men from Derby has been convicted of systematically grooming and sexually abusing teenage girls.
Many of the victims were given alcohol or drugs before being forced to have sex in cars, rented houses or hotels across the Midlands.
One girl described a sexual assault involving at least eight men.
The nine men were convicted during three separate trials, culminating in the convictions at Leicester Crown Court of the two ringleaders.
Reporting restrictions had been in place until the end of the third trial.
Twenty-seven girls came forward to say they had been victims, the youngest of whom was 12 and the oldest was 18. Convictions have been achieved for 15 of those.
Abid Mohammed Saddique, 27, and Mohammed Romaan Liaqat, 28 - both married with children - were said to be the leaders of the gang.
Saddique, of Northumberland Street, Normanton, Derby, was convicted of four counts of rape as well as two counts of false imprisonment, two of sexual assault, three charges of sexual activity with a child, perverting the course of justice, and aiding and abetting rape.
Liaqat, of Briar Lea Close, Sinfin, Derby, was found guilty of one count of rape, two of sexual assault, aiding and abetting rape, affray, and four counts of sexual activity with a child.
Both pleaded guilty to causing a person under the age of 18 to be involved in pornography.
They will be sentenced on 7 January.'Complex investigation'
Derbyshire Police said they believed no money changed hands between those involved, and said such instances of abuse were a growing problem in the UK.
Detectives said it had been the most horrendous case of sexual exploitation they had ever faced.
The undercover investigation by Derbyshire Police, Operation Retriever, was split into three trials which have run since February.
Speaking after the hearing, Det Insp Sean Dawson said: "These convictions have brought an end to a lengthy and complex investigation that has been brought to court thanks to the bravery of the victims in this case.
"These two men are predatory sex offenders who, with their associates, have systematically abused and raped teenage girls.
"We are shocked by the scale of abuse we have uncovered and the impact it has had on the girls who were the victims of these callous men.
"Child sex exploitation is something that parents and carers across the country should be aware of.
"Parents and carers should talk to their children, take an interest in what they are doing and warn them not to go off with strangers, no matter how tempting it might seem."
Thirteen men were charged in relation to Operation Retriever and 11 stood trial for a string of charges, not all sexual, relating to the case.
Of the original 13, a total of nine have been convicted of offences against vulnerable girls ranging from rape to false imprisonment.
Other defendants already convicted and sentenced were: Akshay Kumar, 38, he admitted one count of causing a person under the age of 18 to be involved in pornography and was jailed for two years and 10 months.
Faisal Mehmood, 24, pleaded guilty to sexual activity with a child before trial and was jailed for three years. He has now been deported to Pakistan.
Mohammed Imran Rehman, 26, was jailed for seven-and-a-half years after being found guilty of rape, while Graham Blackham, 26, was given a three-year sentence after he was convicted of two counts of breaching a sexual offences prevention order.
Liaqat's brother Naweed Liaqat, 33, and Farooq Ahmed, 28, pleaded guilty to perverting the course of justice and were both jailed for 18 months.
Ziafat Yasin, 31, was cleared of sex charges but pleaded guilty to being concerned in the supply of cocaine. He was jailed for three years. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-derbyshire-11799797
Charlene Downes abduction, rape, murder and mincing
English child allegedly pimped, raped and murdered by Muslim pedophile gang then minced into burgers and fed to holidaymakers. http://crombouke.blogspot.com/2010/01/charlene-downes-pimped-raped-murdered.html
Grooming of white girls for sex is exposed as two 'Asian' men jailed
"A hidden world in which Asian men "groom" young white girls for sex has been exposed with the jailing yesterday of two men for child-abuse offences. Zulfqar Hussain, 46, and Qaiser Naveed, 32, from east Lancashire, were each jailed for five years and eight months after exploiting two girls aged under 16 by plying them with alcohol and drugs before having sex with them.
Both men pleaded guilty at Preston Crown Court to abduction, sexual activity with a child and the supply of a controlled drug. Despite being told explicitly by police and social services that both girls were under-age and should be returned to care, the men picked up one girl from a children's home in Blackburn and then drove on to collect her friend who was living in temporary foster care in North Wales.
Naveed, from Burnley, gave one girl the first of five Ecstasy tablets at a motorway service station before having sex with her on the back seat of the car while the group drove back to Lancashire. The court was told that the two men later took the girls to an address in Blackburn where Hussain, from Blackburn, had sex with the second girl and gave her a total of ten Ecstasy tablets.
Yesterday Judge Andrew Gilbart, QC, jailed the two Asian men under new sex laws designed to protect youngsters from being groomed for sexual activity. Judge Gilbart said: "This is a truly shocking offence. You knew them. They were exploited for sex by the two of you. No other description is possible. They were under-age girls who you knew it was your responsibility to protect and not exploit." The trial came amid growing concern at the attitudes of some Asian men towards white girls which campaigners for women claim few people wish to address. Parents have complained that in parts of the country with large Asian communities white girls as young as 12 are being targeted for sex by older Asian men yet the authorities are unwilling to act because of fears of being labelled racist. Ann Cryer, a Labour member of the Commons Home Affairs Select Committee, has been at the forefront of attempting to tackle the problem after receiving complaints from mothers in her constituency about young Asian men targeting their under-age daughters. Although campaigners claim that hundreds of young girls are already being passed around men within the Asian community for sex, she said that attempts to raise the problem with community leaders had met with little success, with most of them being in a state of denial about it. After the case, the mother of one of the girls, who cannot be named for legal reasons, welcomed the jail terms. "This will hopefully act as a warning to others," the woman said. She had had to leave the court as details of the men's sexual relations with the teenagers were read out. After the trial, Ms Cryer said that young Asian men were caught between two cultures having been brought up in a Western society in families while retaining the cultural values of the Asian sub-continent.
She said: "The family and cultural norms of their community means they are expected to marry a first cousin or other relative back in a village in Mirapur or wherever the family comes from. Therefore, until that marriage is arranged they look out for sex.
"At the point in their lives when they are ready for this sort of activity, Asians cannot go to Asian girls because it would be a terrible breach of the honour of the community and their family to have sex with an Asian girl before marriage." She said that the reason Asian men targeted very young white girls was because older white girls knew that a relationship with an Asian youth was unlikely to last as the community would seek an arranged marriage with someone from the Asian sub- continent. Police and groups campaigning to protect women insisted that the grooming of youngsters is not segregated along race lines, though there is concern at the attitudes of some young Asian men towards white girls. Parents claim that criminal networks are able to prey on young girls because the authorities are reluctant to tackle the issue for fear of upsetting race relations in areas of the North West with large ethnic minority communities.
However, Ms Cryer added: "I think there is a problem with the view Asian men generally have about white women. Their view about white women is generally fairly low. They do not seem to understand that there are white girls as moral and as good as Asian girls." http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/crime/article2237940.ece
Muslims abduct and rape Christian toddler and leave her to die
A seven-year-old Pakistani girl and her family have been given asylum in Canada after reports the child was raped and left to die when her Christian father refused to convert to Islam. The identities of Baby Neeha and her family are being protected by immigration officials, said human rights lawyer Chantal Desloges and One Free World International, a church that was instrumental in getting the family here.
The family arrived in Canada on Dec. 12 after a three-year battle by organizers to spirit them out of danger in Pakistan. They are living in the Mississauga area and will be visited next month by Immigration Minister Jason Kenney, who was so touched by the family's plight that he doled out a ministerial permit, of which he has only issued two.
Church founder Rev. Majed El Shafie said the family of seven have been hiding from extremists in Pakistan for about three years. Baby Neeha, at the age of 21/2, was raped by the son of her father's employer and left to die by the roadside, he said. No one was arrested for the crime. "These horrific events took place because her father, who was Christian, refused to give in to pressure from his Muslim employer to convert to Islam," El Shafie said. The family went underground in Pakistan to hide from Muslim extremists who were seeking revenge for their non-conversion, he said. "The family has lived for years in hiding and in constant fear of being discovered by the employer's family or Islamic extremists," El Shafie said. "We are thrilled that she's finally in Canada." Organizers said the case touched Kenney who decided to help the family. "This case truly broke his heart and he (Kenney) considers himself lucky to have it within his powers to intervene," Kenney's spokesman Alykhan Velshi said yesterday. "Fortunately, they are now safely in Canada." http://crombouke.blogspot.com/2010/02/muslim-rapes-christian-toddler-for.html
Police fear Muslim riots over prosecution of Islamic pedophile networks
"I was told by one police officer that he did not 'want to start a race riot' by arresting Pakistani men for sexual offences," Maureen said. During the six months that Jo was in the clutches of these men, they raped, beat and abused her to the point where, says her mother, she did not even know who she was any more. Eventually, after she was attacked by Hussain and Naveed with an iron bar, Jo somehow found the courage to report them to police, and they were arrested. The case took 16 months to come to court. In the meantime, other pimps, undeterred by the impending trial, continued to go about their business.
So what are the police doing? Lancashire police say that in the past few months they have sent letters to 70 men who were believed to be spending an unusual amount of time with young girls. The letters warn the men that the girls are underage; the men are required to sign the letter, confirming they have received and read it.
The details are left on file – but there is no guarantee that the police will take any further action if the grooming continues.
Blackburn, in common with many northern towns, is experiencing a huge upsurge in pimping, and it is an unpalatable truth for the authorities – and indeed the police – that many of the newest wave of pimps come from within the Asian community. Research, conducted in 2005 and involving 106 families seeking help from the Leeds-based campaigning organisation Coalition for the Removal of Pimping (Crop), found that in Yorkshire alone more than 30 girls were sexually exploited, with some being forced into prostitution, by what Crop says are predominantly Asian networks. As many as 200 families have gone to the organisation for advice.
Many affected parents are unhappy with the police response. As this piece goes to press, the families are meeting lawyers to discuss possible action against the police. This could result in the biggest civil action ever brought against police for failing to protect children from sexual predators. http://isupporttheresistance.blogspot.com/2007/09/asian-paedophile-prositution-network.html
Mother tells how her daughter was pimped
"Like other mothers in the North West area, Jackie believes the ethnicity of her daughter's abusers – predominantly Asian – makes the subject more difficult to tackle. She said: "They are committing a crime; it doesn't matter what colour or religion they are. People are scared it will start a race riot but it is this perception of racism that is putting up a barrier. It is so frustrating. Why should it be swept under the carpet? This is destroying people's lives. They need prosecuting."It started with some new female friends – Asian girls whom Mandy got to know. Within a year, she had accelerated through the pattern of truancy and drug-taking into full-scale sexual exploitation.
"She began wearing low-cut tops, and horrible heavy make-up," Jackie recalled.
Then came the drugs. "She would come home from school, her eyes rolling, pupils dilated."
The socialising took place in the park, the railway station, the street corner. Mandy, once a normal chatty schoolgirl, became a stranger whom her mother would glimpse circling the local shopping centre, accompanied by more than a dozen Asian boys aged from 14 into their twenties. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article2237941.ece
Rampant kuffar child sex-slavery in Jihadist infested areas of the North of England
"Among the most disgusting examples of dereliction of duty on the part of our 'law enforcement' apparatus is that which pertains to the pimping of underage white girls. Of course, the usual disclaimers must be made here: it is not only Muslims that pimp out these unfortunate white girls, and not all Muslims do pimp them out. However, insofar as one can discern from the limited amount of information that makes its way into the mainstream media, there are certain groups of Muslims who appear to be particularly culpable in this regard. We acknowledge the uncertainties here, and the great difficulty in trying to develop any accurate picture of exactly what is going on. As we will see, however, this lack of information is unlikely to be an accident.
Though we use the term 'pimping' to describe the practice under examination here, the fact of the matter is that it consists of the dragging of underage white girls into a life of sexual slavery and violence. Those who are interested in learning about it in more detail are invited to read the September 2007 Times article Mothers of Prevention by Julie Bindel4 and to watch the March 2008 edition of Panorama, 'Teenage Sex for Sale'.5 We urge all those who read this document to familiarize themselves with the relevant material, the better to understand the nature of the multicultural paradise and glittering rainbow nation that is modern Britain.
Here, we will content ourselves with a brief summary of the essentials. Pakistani drug-dealing gangs concentrated in the north of England are orchestrating a system in which underage white girls 'just happen' to make friends with Pakistani boys of roughly their own age. They are then introduced to older 'cousins' of these boys, who are the actual pimps, and who, in time, become their new 'boyfriends'. These men use a wide variety of techniques to control the girls and induce them to prostitute themselves out to the Pakistani community. These techniques include, but are not limited to, pretending to need money, threatening the girls, drugging them, and beating them with iron bars. Through a combination of a reluctance to appear 'racist' and fears of race riots of unspecified type, the British police seem to have devoted rather less than their full energies to this matter, with the result being that the Pakistani Muslim criminals in question are essentially engaging in all these criminal activities with impunity. " More at http://gatesofvienna.blogspot.com/2010/11/muslim-crime-in-uk-part-2.html
Muslim religious leader's fawa encourages Muslims to rape non-Muslim women and children
On October 28, 2011, the jihadi forum Minbar Al-Tawhid Wal-Jihad published a fatwa by Sheikh Abu Humam Al-Athari, a member of its shari'a council, in which he unequivocally permits mujahideen to capture the infidels' women and have sexual intercourse with them, even those who are married, on the claim that their marriage bonds to infidels are dissolved as soon as they are taken captive.
Following are the fatwa's main points:
The inquiry in response to which Al-Athari issued the fatwa reads as follows:[1] "Is it permissible for mujahideen in jihad fronts to kidnap the infidels' women and hold them as their captives? What is the ruling regarding a captive in our times? How should they be divided [among the mujahideen]? Is it permissible to imprison [an infidel woman who has been taken captive] in an infidel land, or must she be brought to Dar Al-Islam [the abode of Islam]? How much time must one wait before having sexual intercourse with her, regarding both one who is a virgin and one who is not?"
Al-Athari replies: "There is no doubt that taking the women of the combatant infidels captive – whether they are from Ahl Al-Kitab [i.e., Christians or Jews] or pagans – is permitted according to the shari'a... That being said, it must be done only after [the spoils] has been divided by an imam in Dar Al-Islam; if there is no imam at hand, prisoners may not be taken..."
Al-Athari emphasizes that before deciding to take infidel women captive, "one must consider the gains and losses that will result from this deed, which is to say that if the imam of the Muslims in a given country believes that taking the infidels' women captive will lead the infidels to band together and rape the Muslims' women, and that the Muslims are in too weak a state to prevent this, he should forbid taking [infidel women] captive..."
Al-Athari notes that "there are too many proofs of the permissibility of taking the infidels' women captive to enumerate here, but we can divide them into two categories: 'general proofs' and 'concrete proofs.'" He explains that the "general proofs" are those which clarify that it is forbidden to violate the honor of Muslim women, but that this does not hold true regarding the infidel women, except in cases where they are assured protection. Al-Athari claims that the permissibility is absolute and anchored in the principles of the shari'a. Therefore, he says, it does not necessitate proof, and it falls rather on those who forbid taking infidel women captive to prove the legitimacy their claims.
In his discussion of "concrete proofs," Al-Athari quotes Al-Qurtubi, who says: "Most scholars, including Malik [ibn Anas], Al-Shafi'i, Abu Hanifa,[2] and others, thought that taking [infidel women] captive removes the protection [they previously enjoyed], and permits whoever is holding them to have sexual intercourse with them." Al-Athari also quotes another scholar whose interpretation of Al-Qurtubi's ruling says that the latter uses the word "protection" to refer to married women, who are forbidden to men other than their husbands. That is, when these women are taken captive, their marriage contracts with their infidel husbands become void, and they become permissible to their captors. Al-Athari adds that the amount of time a captor must wait until having sexual intercourse with a captive infidel woman depends on her condition: if she is pregnant, he must wait until after she gives birth; if she is menstruating, he must wait until after her period is over; and if she is young and has not yet begun menstruating, he must wait a month from her capture. http://www.jihadwatch.org/2011/12/islamic-cleric-misunderstands-islam-issues-fatwa-permitting-jihadis-to-kidnap-imprison-and-rape-infi.html
Child Rape - The Spoils of War
But the rapes on our children are "spoils of war." Although on a smaller scale than the above examples, the rapes of British children have the same basic motives; the hatred of one ethnic group for another. They are perpetrated on one people (our children) by a different group of people(older Muslim men).
The orthodox assumption is that Muslims rapists are like British rapists - acting as individuals (or a couple), but this is a whole community based on extended families raping the children of a different community. This is where treating each case an as individual case breaks down. It is guerilla warfare: fighting by unconventional means within areas occupied by the enemy (us).
In Huddersfield, Muslim men were telephoning young girls and threatening to burn down their homes if they did not meet them. The Mother of one of the raped children, said that she there many case's of child rape by Muslims in Huddersfield and took reporters to meet some of the Mothers, all had the same experiences - multiple offences, and the police allowing Muslims to get away with it. These child- rapes by Muslim communities are only exposed after heroic relations fight the police who fear a race-war starting so they cover it up.(2) http://isupporttheresistance.blogspot.com/2009/04/child-rape-spoils-of-war.html
Narcotics as multi-pronged weapons of jihad.
One of the means of doing this is by pushing heroin to the hated non-Muslims ('najis kuffars' as they call us). Jihadists control the heroin trade in Britain and many other European countries, and it serves to further the growth of Islam in four ways:
(1) To disrupt and sabotage kuffar society by encouraging drug-addict criminality.
(2) To kill kuffars. According to Islamic theology the jihadists are doing nothing wrong by killing non-Muslims, as normal ethical standards only apply within the Ummah - the brotherhood of Muslims. Allah approves of the rape, pillage and slaughter of non-Muslims.
(3) To fund jihad. Much of the earnings of the heroin trade is used to fund terrorism.
(4) To ensnare addicted kuffar children into a net of paedophilic prostitution, which raises money, keeps the soldiers of Allah sexually satisfied, and wreaks further havoc on the host society with alledgedly lethal results for the children.
The British police have been infiltrated by corrupt Muslims who protect the drug-dealers and pedophile rings. Like pedophilia, drug dealing is an Islamic community activity
The heroin trade epitomises the parasitic existence of jihadists in the West, that their value to our societies is considerably lower than worthless.
From http://crombouke.blogspot.com/2010/01/narcojihad-chemical-jihad-and-muslim.html
Don't mention the M-word!
TWO more men have been arrested by police investigating a child sex ring said to have lured young girls into a world of exploitation and rape. Police caught up with a 23-year-old Clifton man last Friday and a 28-year-old from the Eastwood area on Tuesday to take the total number of arrests to nine.
All nine men, aged between 19 and 29, have been released on police bail while enquiries continue. Initial arrests of those suspected of involvement in the child sex ring took place last Wednesday when the Advertiser joined officers on a dawn raid in Oxford Street, Clifton. Detectives and uniformed officers paid simultaneous visits to addresses in Clifton, Broom and Masbrough following a two-month police investigation into the allegations by four girls, aged between 11 and 14, who claim that they were plucked from the streets of Rotherham and exploited for sex. A 25-strong team of officers made their way to suspects' homes in a fleet of unmarked cars after leaving Main Street Police station at around 7am.
Det Sgt Dave Walker, who led the operation, said: "We will be looking to gather mobile phones, digital cameras, diaries and camcorders—anything that could potentially provide evidence."
Front page of the Rotherham Star updates the news about the raids though still no mention of the fact in the paper that the people running the child prostitution gang were Muslims and the victims all white under age school girls. http://leejohnbarnes.blogspot.com/2009/04/more-paedophile-raids-in-rotherham.html
The OPPRESSION of Islam, and the victimization of Muslims in the INFIDEL lands never ends!
Now word has come, that a brother in Islam is being persecuted for his pious behaviour as a Muslim, and following in the foot steps of the Apostle of Allah! We all know the beauty of man / child sexual relations, as we have throughly discussed the Prophets perfect example of molesting children! Thus for the INFIDELS to OPPRESS Muslims by denying them the ISLAMIC RIGHTS that were practiced by the Prophet it BLASPHEMY! Please witness yet more Oppression brothers, and our need to collectivly issue a FATWA of JIHAD against the infidels for these transgressions against the RIGHTS of MUSLIMS!
Suspected sex beast sought
Attif Hussain: are investigating allegations that Hussain seriously sexually assaulted a 10-year-old girl.
...Anyone who knows of Hussain's whereabouts should call police on 0161-856 8962 or the Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800-555 111...
.We know that NO MUSLIM would ever turn against a brother and turn him over to the INFIDELS for only following the perfect example of the Apostle ! Praise Allah! And the Rights, and benefit package he has bestowed upon believers! http://thechroniclesofislam.blogspot.com/2009/05/oppression-of-islam-sex-beast.html
Girl, 13, in Leeds sex attacks horror
A MAJOR police inquiry was launched today after a 13-year-old girl was reportedly raped after being forced into sex acts with a group of at least a dozen men.
The girl is believed to have told police she was raped by one man in the Chatsworth Road area of Harehills at about 7pm on Saturday after being forced to engage in sexual activities with at least 12 others. The girl was found wandering in a traumatic condition the following morning at about 5am. Five men were later arrested by police in connection with the allegation and it is understood that more suspects are being sought by officers investigating the horrific report.The five detained were later released on bail pending further enquiries. Two areas believed to be linked to the incident were sealed off by police in the Hovingham Park and Chatsworth Road areas of Harehills and forensic experts scoured the ground seeking evidence. After initial inquiries by detectives from the North East Leeds divisional CID, the investigation was taken over by the West Yorkshire Police specialist rape unit Operation Topaz. The victim of the assault was being cared for by officers specially trained in dealing with victims of sex attacks. http://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/news/Girl-13-in-Leeds-sex.5323714.jp
Islamic child abduction
Two men have been charged with sexual offences and abduction by Oldham's Messenger team.
Imran Esham (03/02/88) of Derby Street, Oldham was charged with inciting a child to commit a sexual offence and abduction. Mohammed Sajid (22/02/86) of Chester Street, Werneth was charged with abduction. Both are due to appear at Oldham Magistrates' Court on Friday 12 June 2009. At 1am on Thursday 11 June 2009 police stopped a white Subaru Impreza on Yorkshire Street in Oldham. A 21-year-old man and a 23-year old man were in the car, along with two girls, aged 13 and 15, who had previously been reported missing from home.
I can't imagine this making many front pages - particularly with the news that Ronaldo may have pulled Paris Hilton so recent. Seriously though, this grooming of under age white girls by Muslim men is not a new phenomenon - and neither is the mass media completely ignoring it for fear of being accused of racism and waking some natives from their deep slumber. Those wondering why Nick Griffin is now an MEP might wish to look up Oldham on a map - there is a correlation between the two. http://thelambethwalk.blogspot.com/2009/06/more-muslim-violence-against-british_13.html
Girl, 14, forced to be prostitute in Greater Manchester
A 14-year-old was forced into prostitution and sexually abused by a series of men after going missing from her home in Greater Manchester.
"Nine men were convicted in connection with the abuse, which took place in February and March 2008. The girl, described as vulnerable, was "used as a commodity" for sexual activity with the men, police said. Supt Paul Savill, of Greater Manchester Police (GMP), said she had been through an "absolutely horrifying ordeal".
Police said the girl, who first went missing on 16 February 2008, had been abused by a number of different men "as she went from one vulnerable situation to another" In each case the men identified her vulnerability to take advantage of her...
- Aftab Khan, 31, of Tarporley Avenue, Fallowfield pleaded guilty to one count of controlling a child prostitute and one count of sexual activity with a child. He was sentenced to nine years in prison. This was later reduced to seven years on appeal
- Abid Khaliq, 30, of Shrewsbury Street, Stretford was sentenced to eight months in prison after admitting perverting the course of justice
- Noorzai Ahmed, 29, of Royce Court, Hulme was sentenced to four years in prison after he was found guilty of paying for the sexual services of a child
- Mohammed Anwar Safi, 29, of no fixed address, was sentenced to 31 months in prison after admitting paying for the sexual services of a child
- Mohammed Khan, 26, of Royce Court, Hulme was sentenced to four years in prison after he was found guilty of facilitating child prostitution
- Najibullah Safi, 33, of Reabrook Avenue, West Gorton was sentenced to two years in prison after admitting to sexual activity with a child
- Asad Yousaf Hassa, 28, of Rivington Street, Rochdale was sentenced to two years in prison after admitting two counts of sexual activity with a child
- Mohammed Basharat, 28, of Prospect Street, Rochdale was sentenced to two years in prison after he pleaded guilty to sexual activity with a child under 16
- Mohammed Atif, 29, of Rivington Street, Rochdale was sentenced to two years in prison after admitting to sexual activity with a child "
Taken away her teenage years
A shocking miscarriage of justice occurred during the recent sex grooming trial of seven Muslims in Yorkshire when the jury was quizzed on whether or not they were members of the British National Party — and the judge forbade the media to report this fact. The shocking intrusion — based purely on political grounds — was made before the trial started when the jury was asked if they had any connections to the BNP. To make matters worse, Judge Peter Benson then made a court order forbidding the media to even report that the questioning took place — evidence by itself that he knew it was completely out of line.
The trial of the seven Muslims, who are unrepresentative of their community, resulted in three of them (pictured): Mohammed Zackriya, 21; Mohammed Taj, 37; and Mohammed Shabir (Snr), a 36-year-old, father-of-five, all of Yorkshire, being found guilty of 28 sexual offences against an underage white girl. They were sentenced to a total of 18 years in jail. One of the other accused, Shafaq Hussain, 21, pleaded guilty and will be sentenced at a later date. The case against one, Shahid Iqbal, 25, was dismissed in court, while the remaining two, Abid Ali, 27, and Raj Mohammed Shabir, 32, were found not guilty. Shabir Snr was given an additional six months in jail for contempt after swearing at and insulting a witness who gave evidence against him.
The victim, now 18, gave evidence in court how she was targeted by the seven Muslims when she was 14 years old and how they carried out a series of sexual offences. Speaking to a local newspaper after the trial, the unnamed girl said that the trial had allowed her to "start smiling again now. They have taken away my teenage years but they can't take away the rest of my life. Being in court was a horrible experience — it was like being raped and abused all over again but ten times worse. "I was being called a liar hour after hour; it was the worst thing I have ever had to go through — it was a nightmare and I can't believe I did it "But I was determined to see justice done. I had an inner strength, somehow — though there were times when I wanted to walk away. http://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/news/4500139.Sex_gang_jailed_for_abuse_of_girl__14/
Muslim pedophile gangs now operating across Yorkshire
Shazad Akbar, 22, was charged with raping a woman aged over 16; Adil Hussain, 20, was charged with raping a girl aged 13 to 15; Saeed Hussain, 28, was charged with inciting a girl aged 13 to 15 to engage in sexual activity; Shaizaad Hussain, 21, was charged with two offences of raping a girl aged 13 to 15; Mohsin Khan, 21, was charged with four offences of raping a girl aged 13 to 15, and one offence of rape of a woman aged over 16; Zafran Ramzan, 21, was charged with three offences of rape of a woman aged over 16, and one offence of raping a girl aged 13 to 15; Razwan Razaq, 29, was charged with two offences of rape of a girl aged 13 to 15; and Umar Razaq, 23, was charged with raping a woman aged over 16 and engaging in sexual activity with a girl aged 13 to 15. Some of the parents had co-operated with Mrs Guest to the point of going to BNP meetings to make sure that all the facts of the case were properly collated and laid out. Mrs Guest pursued the evidence in the face of individual police apathy and it is without any doubt the result of her hard work that the charges were finally brought against the gang. http://www.thestar.co.uk/news/eight_men_charged_with_sexual_offences_1_306444
Also now operating in Shropshire
Yet another Muslim paedophile gang has been uncovered in the county of Shropshire, local media have reported. Five Muslims in Shrewsbury have been arrested in connection with a child sex ring involving nine teenage girls. The men are alleged to have been part of a gang who groomed girls aged between 13 and 15 for sex with other men. Three of the Muslims were named during their appearance in Telford magistrate's court at the end of last week. They were Mohammed Ali Sultan, 23, from Victoria Avenue, in Wellington; Mohammed Younis, 57, and Abdul Rous, 33, both of Kingsland, Arleston, Wellington. The official charges against the men were listed as "conspiring with others to cause or incite a child to engage in sexual activity between January 1, 2008, and December 7, 2009, in Shrewsbury or elsewhere in the country." Sultan is also charged with intentionally arranging and facilitating travel for a person carrying out a relevant offence in Telford or elsewhere in the country. http://www.shropshirestar.com/news/2009/12/11/charges-over-child-sex-ring/
Forced to drink urine, raped and murdered
The ways in which they were treated I will abbreviate . Children were shot for crying. Teachers and parents were shot for trying to calm the hostages. Young girls were gang raped. Young girls were raped with gun barrels and other objects. Many young girls did not survive these rapes. Children were forced to drink their own urine before being executed. The list of inhuman acts committed by these Muslim animals is as nothing I have ever heard before.
Predatory cult
The difference between predatory cults such as Islam and real religions, is that a true religion attempts to bring out the best in people, whereas a predatory cult does the opposite.
Muslims inhabit a different moral universe from the rest of us, where good is evil and evil is good, if it serves the purposes of Islam.
While other religions teach goodwill to mankind, Islam teaches hostility to all non-members of the cult.
Jesus, in the parable of the Good Samaritan, taught his followers to help all people in need, irrespective of their religion. Jews are commanded to be a light unto the nations. The Buddha taught compassion for all suffering beings.
But in Islam, charity applies only to fellow Muslims, and in fact many Islamic charities are money-launderers for jihad.There is no Golden Rule in Islam. There is no place for conscience in Islam. Peel away the thin veneer of religiosity, and all you find is vicious, primitive, predatory tribalism.
As well as the various forms of organized premeditated jihad, Muslims are psychologically primed to be opportunist jihadists, spontaneously attacking their prey like packs of hyenas as soon as they sense they have the numerical advantage. Islam legitimizes and encourages predatory attacks on infidels.
This kind of spontaneous, opportunistic jihad is exemplified by the 'Street Jihad' attacks in Europe, and Islamic gang rapes such as that of Lara Logan.
Most religions have a restraining influence on anti-social behavior, but Islam has precisely the opposite effect due to deliberate destruction of the conscience.
Islam incites and excuses crime against infidels. Because of their arrogant sense of supremacy and automatic entitlement, Muslims regard infidels not as fellow human beings, but as walking opportunities for plunder , parasitism and rape .
Islam is not a religion. It is an international criminal conspiracy like the Mafia .


text: Is Bankruptcy Right For You Ian Leavengood speaks about circumstances in which bankruptcy may be the right for your financial situation. More Bankruptcy Videos Bankruptcy Myths Mr. Leavengood discusses some of the many myths about bankruptcy. Chapter 7 Attorney Ian Leavengood explains Chapter 7 bankruptcy. Chapter 13 Mr. Leavengood explains Chapter 13 bankruptcy. Stop Foreclosure Attorney Ian Leavengood discusses how he may be able to stop a foreclosure on your home. Will I Lose My Car? Ian Leavengood speaks about the different ways you can keep your car when filing for bankruptcy. Asset Exemptions Mr. Leavengood speaks about assets and personal property that may be exempt from bankruptcy. Handling Your Creditors Attorney Ian Leavengood speaks about how his firm will deal with your creditors after a bankruptcy filing. Life After Bankruptcy Mr. Leavengood discusses your future after a bankruptcy.


text:
Product Information
Large Impression Headboard
A lavish headboard designed with richness in mind. The large upholstered headboard will enrich the decor of any bedroom style.åÊ
Headboard height: 36"
Use Mattress Mick's size guide to choose the right size mattress/bed for you.
Small Single (2'6")
Single (3')
Small Double (4')
Double (4'6")
King (5')
Super King (6')
Delivery Locations, Delivery Rates?
Zone One
|Dublin, Wicklow, Meath, Kildare, Louth
|Zone Two
Home Delivery: €40
|Kilkenny, Carlow, Laois, Offaly, Westmeath, Longford, Cavan, Louth, Monaghan, Wexford
|Zone Three
Home Delivery: €60
|Waterford, Tipperary, Galway, Roscommon, Leitrim
Zone Four
|Kerry, Cork, Limerick, Clare, Mayo, Sligo, Donegal
Mattress And Beds Removal
There is an option at our checkout for mattress and bed removal which costs €25 . Please ensure all beds are fully dismantled before we arrive.
How Long Will Delivery Take?
In most cases we deliver within the week. However, delivery times are also subject to products being in stock – we have a wide stock, though sometimes products in high demand are not always in stock. You can check if a product is in stock by calling us at 016772485 or Live Chat
How To Select A Delivery Day/Time?
When you have made your order, our delivery team will contact you to arrange a day and time for delivery.
On Arrival
Our delivery team will bring your order in the door of your building and put it where you need it – Please ensure that the area is clear.
Assembly Service
For your furniture assembly:
We recommend PAT FLACK, professional assembly service - 0861511451
Questions & AnswersAsk a Question
Do you have these in stock? Single bed
Yes, we have these in stock.
Customers also viewed


text:
When you're starting a company, there's a decision to make:
- Do you do everything in super-secret "stealth mode" -- to avoid tipping off potential competitors, and make more of a splash when you launch?
- Or do you do everything in public, under the assumption that it's the way you execute your ideas that will determine your eventual success or failure, and not your top-secret idea?
Well, here's a new data point: Stealth mode is back, if it ever went away.
"New early-stage start up trend: get big quietly, so you don't tip off potential competitors," NYC-based angel investor and entrepreneur Chris Dixon just tweeted.
Bay Area investor and startup advisor Chris Sacca concurs: "@cdixon Agreed. As of this morning, I have four companies who don't want investors mentioning that they've been funded."
So, stealth? Anti-stealth? What's working these days? We'd love to hear your thoughts.


text:
TEL AVIV (MarketWatch) -- Goldman Sachs Group Inc., GS, +2.17% the New York investment bank, reported that fourth-quarter net income nearly tripled on 53% higher revenue. Earnings reached $2.89 billion, or $5.60 a share, from $1.01 million, or $1.84, in the year-earlier quarter. Net revenue reached $9.24 billion from $6.05 billion. A survey of analysts by FactSet produced consensus estimates of $3.71 a share of profit on $7.98 billion of revenue. In a Wednesday statement, Goldman cited revenue increases of 64% in investment banking and 8% in financial advice, and a more than doubling of revenue in underwriting, including increases in both debt and equity underwriting.
Goldman Sachs Q4 net nearly tripled; revenue up
Quote References
+4.15 +2.17%


text:
From Eden to the New Jerusalem: An Interview with T.D. Alexander
Tabletalk: Describe how you became a Christian and how God called you to work in the academy. T.D. Alexander: I grew up in a rural community in the northeast of Ireland, strongly influenced by Ulster-Scots culture, where almost everyone …Read More
Christ in the Old Testament
The relationship between the Mosaic covenant and the new covenant remains one of the most controversial and difficult topics in theology. As the notable American theologian Jonathan Edwards said, "There is perhaps no part of divinity attended with so much …Read More
Ancient Promises
"The new is in the old concealed; the old is in the new revealed." This famous statement by Saint Augustine expresses the remarkable way in which the two testaments of the Bible are so closely interrelated with each other …Read More


text:
The following commentary does not necessarily reflect the views of AgWeb or Farm Journal Media. The opinions expressed below are the author's own.
Comments, questions, opinions...this is your chance to speak out regarding anything and everything reported on AgDay. Viewer feedback updated regularly.
Past experience in nearly every industry shows that once the federal government becomes involved in an industry, their role does not shrink. It grows like a malignant cancer that in best case scenarios strangles the industry and the business owners in that industry. In the worst case, it paralyzes the industry and eliminates the indivdual business owner. I farm and work in the insurance industry. My time spent with state and federal regulation grows each year. It has to stop.
Just when I think I have seen it all, I see something even more ridiculous coming out of Washington. This proposal on the cage situation with chickens is about the limit of senselessness. Mr Vilsack needs to step up and voice his opinion on how ridiculous some of these proposals are. We obviously need more people in D C that know what farming is all about, or we might as well close down all farming and import everything like Japan does.
What is next ? - maybe 3 bedroom, 2 bath homes for all cattle ? Or maybe we can propose that all fish must live in distilled water - no impurities allowed.
Kurt Bachman
If this country wants to see another entire industry "exported" or chased away from this country, then just keep thinking you can 'deal' with yet another loud, persistant and obnoxious activist group!
Adopt another "NRA v. gun grabber" attitude and never N-E-V-E-R grant the first crumb to these people….otherwise, soon--sooner than you think--the activists will have the whole 'cake' (or at least enough of it so as to make the remainder worthless to fight over).
I like my food grown HERE!
Dick House (former farmer)
Arthur, IL
Dear people of AgDay:
I'm 17 and live in central Illinois and been around the farm with my grandpa ever since I can remember. I don't have the years on most people but I firmly believe that this new proposed regulation for laying hens could lead to bigger problems in agriculture. When USHS starts to influence its ideas in an already self productive industry it will lead to a Pandora box. While we don't have laying hen operation , we are cattle and hogs ,I still believe this could lead to major tug-of-war between activist groups and the American farmer. American farmers are the most productive in the world and need freedom to operate. While I remain positive for my future.I also still worry where the industry is heading at times. Its easy for someone to sit down and say "this, this,and this needs to change" when in reality they don't know what they are talking about to begin with.
No comments have been posted to this Blog Post


text:
You tell us what you need once and we provide technicians and equipment to create the same experience in every city.
You tell us what you need once and we provide technicians and equipment to create the same experience in every city.
Meeting Tomorrow does over 600 productions a year in venues around the country. We can coordinate all of your AV and technology needs, including power, internet and union labor.
We'll handle the sound, video, and more. Our experienced techs are reliable every time — meaning you can focus on running a successful meeting.
We regularly produce massive events with precision and creativity. We take care of every detail of AV & technology, while never losing sight of the big picture.
Stress free webcasts at last. Whether you're hosting a webinar or streaming a live event, we take care of the entire virtual experience.
"Win/win!! They were my ally the entire time when negotiating with the hotel. During the event, the team was always available but never in the way of all the craziness. Because of Meeting Tomorrow, we saved 40k and the event went off without a hitch!
Meet our dedicated team and go behind the scenes of AV production to learn how we helped four different customers put on successful events.
In addition to servicing every Oakland office, hotel, and meeting location, we also deliver to every convention center in the Oakland area, including the following:
94612, 94621, 94607, 94618, 94610, 94606, 94611, 94605, 94609
Meeting Tomorrow is the leading full-service, nationwide AV and event technology partner to Fortune 500 companies, agencies, and associations.
Contact Us Today


text:
A.C.T. to Premiere STUCK ELEVATOR, 4/4-28
In the spirit of the beloved hit The Black Rider, American Conservatory Theater (A.C.T.) continues the tradition of introducing eclectic, unforgettable musical projects to the stage with the world premiere of Stuck Elevator. A visionary musical work, Stuck Elevator is based on the true story of Gu?ng (?), a Chinese deliveryman who was trapped in a Bronx elevator for 81 hours.
Sounding the alarm will open the doors to freedom, but calling for help also means calling for attention-with dire consequences for this undocumented immigrant. Suspended between the upward mobility of the American dream and the downward plunge into an empty abyss, Gu?ng delves into memories of his past and into nightmares of present predicament, all within the confines of a 4′ by 6′ by 8′ metal box. Inventively staged by internationally acclaimed artist Chay Yew-and introducing the prodigious work of composer Byron Au Yong and librettist Aaron Jafferis-Stuck Elevator unleashes an evocative collision of stories, sounds, instruments, and ideas. Stuck Elevator will run April 4-28, 2013, at A.C.T.'s Geary Theater (415 Geary Street, San Francisco). Press night is Tuesday, April 16, 2013. Tickets (starting at $20) are on sale now and may be purchased online at act-sf.org or by calling 415.749.2228.
Featuring a hybrid of musical theater, opera, and solo performance, Stuck Elevator will feature Julius Ahn (Madame Butterfly at Nashville Opera; Turandot at Seattle Opera) in the tour-de-force role of Gu?ng. He is joined by an extraordinary ensemble of performers-all of whom play multiple roles-including Raymond J. Lee (Anything Goes and Mamma Mia! on Broadway) as Wáng Yuè (??), Gu?ng's 8-year-old son; Marie-France Arcilla (Jesus Christ Superstar at North Shore Music Theatre; Shout! The Mod Musical at off-Broadway's Julia Miles Theatre) as Míng (?), Gu?ng's wife; Joel Perez (In the Heights , 1st national tour; Fun Home at The Public Theater) as Marco, the wisecracking Mexican deliveryman; and Joseph Anthony Foronda (Pacific Overtures and Miss Saigon on Broadway) as Zh?ng Yi (??), Gu?ng's brother-in-law.
Says A.C.T. Artistic Director Carey Perloff: "I discovered this remarkable piece at the Sundance Playwrights Lab, where it leapt to the fore because of its astonishing originality. Who would have thought you could turn the true story of a frightened Chinese deliveryman stuck in an elevator into a hilarious and heartbreaking musical about hunger, immigration, family, dreams, and duck sauce? This richly imagined piece of musical theater is a wonderful tribute to San Francisco's vibrant Chinese culture and a thrilling example of a commitment to new work that defies the boundaries and uses all the tools of theater to create something entirely new."
A.C.T. will offer numerous InterACT events-many of which are presented free of charge-in association with Stuck Elevator that will give patrons opportunities to get closer to the action while making a whole night out of their evening at the theater:
• Audience Prologue: Tue., April 9, at 5:30 p.m.
Before the curtain goes up, get behind the artistic process at this fascinating preshow discussion with the director and artistic staff.
• Theater on the Couch: Fri., April 12, following the 8 p.m. performance
Led by Mason Turner, chief of psychiatry at San Francisco's Kaiser Permanente Medical Center, this exciting postshow discussion series explores the minds, motives, and behaviors of the characters and addresses audience questions.
• Audience Exchanges: Tue., Apr. 16, at 7 p.m. | Sun., Apr. 21, at 2 p.m. | Wed., Apr. 24, at 2 p.m.
After the show, stick around for a lively Q&A session with the actors and artists who create the work onstage.
• OUT with A.C.T.: Wed., April 17, following the 8 p.m. performance
The best LGBT night in town! Mingle with the cast and enjoy free drinks and treats at this popular afterparty. Visit www.act-sf.org/out for information about how to subscribe to OUT nights (and other InterACT events) throughout the season.
• Wine Series: Tue., April 23, at 7 p.m.
Before the show, raise a glass at this wine tasting event featuring leading sommeliers from the Bay Area's hottest local wineries.
• PlayTime: Saturday, April 27, at 12:30 p.m.
Before this matinee performance, get hands-on with theater with the artists who make it happen at this interactive workshop.
The creative team for Stuck Elevator includes scenic designer Daniel Ostling (Endgame and Play and Once in a Lifetime at A.C.T.; Clybourne Park on Broadway), costume designer Myung Hee Cho (Lackawanna Blues at A.C.T.; Emotional Creature at Berkeley Rep); lighting designer Alexander V. Nichols (Endgame and Play at A.C.T.; Hugh Jackman Back on Broadway and Wishful Drinking on Broadway); video designer Maya Ciarrochi (Sweet Bird of Youth at The Goodman Theatre; Arthur Miller's All My Sons at the Huntington Theater Company); and sound designer Mikhail Fiksel (Black n Blue Boys at Berkeley Rep; In the Next Room (or the Vibrator Play) at St. Louis Repertory).


text:
We service Brooklyn, Queens, and
Long Island!
Our Food
worksheet helps you
keep track of your
meals and activities!
Click here to
download in PDF
5 squares™
is a leading diet food delivery service.
Imagine never having to cook
again! Grilled filet mignon with new potatoes and flame-grilled
vegetables, horseradish-crusted tilapia with fingerling
potatoes & fennel salad; the freshest of ingredients
without an ounce of guilt. Imagine reaching your goals – without having to
think…plan…count. With 5 squares™…all you have to do is eat!
We provide freshly
prepared, customized healthful meals delivered right to your home. For
gourmet meal delivery in New York or
Connecticut turn to 5 squares™.
Whether you are looking for a gluten-free menu, a low-carb meal
plan, or a paleo diet-friendly plan, let us take all of the work
out of eating right.
5 squares™
provides nutritionally sound and delicious tasting foods
to satisfy and help you lose the desired weight. 5
healthy eating plan consists of freshly prepared meals
that are never frozen, free of artificial preservatives,
additives, wheat, dairy, and refined sugar
– all conveniently
right to your door. Learn
more about us or better yet
sign up online for
a subscription or a one-week trial plan.
sitemap |
contact us |
privacy policy


text:
Organize your folders
Easily manage your files by creating a simple folder structure.
Dropbox isn't like traditional file solutions - so you don't have to structure your folders the traditional way, either. There's no "right way" to set up your Dropbox, but here are some best practices to keep you and your team organized.
Understanding folder types
When stuff is stored in your Dropbox, you can access your work from anywhere and easily share it with others.
These are the types of folders you'll see inside your Dropbox:
- Unshared: By default, all folders are unshared. Only you can see these folders.
- Shared: A shared folder is a community space where members can collaborate together on the same files.
- Team: A special type of shared folder that only Business admins can create, these automatically appear in your Dropbox when you join a team.
Sharing folders and sub-folders
With Dropbox, you can share either a top-level folder or its sub-folders, but not both. Check out the diagram above for some examples. The third example will not work because the "Holiday Party" folder and the folders inside it are both shared.
Organizing your folders
In general, it's easiest to organize files based on who needs access. Here are two folder structures based on common workflows:
Organize by team
Organize your folders by department, so team members only see the documents related to their work.
Organize by project or client
Creating a shared folder for each project or client lets team members coordinate with specific members without worrying about giving the wrong person access.


text:
Amelia Earhart continues to inspire Purdue University students today just as she did more than 70 years ago when she coached young women about careers and flew above campus with the plane that would eventually disappear with her over the Pacific Ocean.
"Before Amelia Earhart climbed in the cockpit and captured the world's attention when she embarked on her flight around the world, the famous aviatrix was inspiring hundreds of Purdue students to pursue their dreams and careers," said Purdue President France Córdova. "She continues to captivate millions, and interest in her has been renewed because of the movie opening this month."
"Amelia," starring Hillary Swank, opens Friday (Oct. 23). The biopic focuses on her life, specifically her career in aviation and relationship with George Palmer Putnam.
Purdue is home to the world's largest compilation of Earhart-related papers, memorabilia and artifacts, which also is available online. The collection includes documents related to Earhart's 1932 solo Atlantic flight, her second and fatal attempt at a world flight in 1937, and items related to her time at Purdue.
In April 1936 an Amelia Earhart Fund for Aeronautical Research was created with the Purdue Research Foundation. The fund purchased the $80,000 Lockheed Electra that became known as Earhart's flying laboratory. With navigator Fred Noonan, Earhart disappeared July 2, 1937, near the tiny Howland Island in the Pacific Ocean while attempting an around-the-world voyage.
"Researchers, authors and fans from all over the world have contacted Purdue for information about Earhart," said Sammie Morris, associate professor of library science and Purdue University archivist. "Of course, many focus on the mystery surrounding her disappearance, but scholars are finding that elements of her life are just as captivating."
As head of the Division of Archives and Special Collections at Purdue University Libraries, Morris oversees the George Palmer Putnam Collection of Amelia Earhart Papers. Earhart's prenuptial letter to Putnam is a favorite piece in the collection, as well as the flight log she kept for her 1932 solo flight across the Atlantic, Morris said. The collection has been digitized and placed online for sharing with the world and to protect fragile original documents and artifacts from repeated handling.
Earhart, who was a Purdue career counselor and adviser to the Department of Aeronautics from 1935-1937, was recruited by then-President Edward Elliott, who was impressed by her sprit of adventure and her message to women. "Yes, her passion was flight, but she was devoted to inspiring others to find their callings in life," said Robin Jensen, an assistant professor of communication who studies Earhart. "She spent more time writing about her flights and what she hoped they meant for others than she ever spent in the sky."
Earhart continues to have a presence on campus: a residence hall and a café in the Neil Armstrong Hall of Engineering both bear her name. A larger than life-size statue was dedicated in 2009 in her honor. In March 2010 key items from the Earhart collection will be on display in Archives and Special Collections as part of Women's History Month.
For more information: Purdue.edu


text:
According to the National Institutes of Health, the average American gains one to two pounds during the holiday season. In addition, those extra pounds tend to become permanent baggage. But this year can be different! Remember, it takes 500 calories per day (or 3,500 calories per week) extra to gain one pound. It's all about creating a balance of food, activity, and fun.
An easy way to save some calories on your favorite holiday dishes is with simple swaps to healthier ingredients. Most of the time you can't even taste a difference.
Switch out the usual ingredients for low-sodium broth, fat-free yogurt, light cream cheese, low-fat milk, or low-fat cheeses. Or try substituting applesauce for oil or butter in muffins and breads.
To reduce the fat in gravy, refrigerate it to harden fat and then skim off the excess. Eating turkey without the skin can cut down on the saturated fat. Using two egg whites in place of one egg reduces the cholesterol without changing the taste.
For dressings, use less bread and more vegetables and moisten it with low-fat or low-sodium broth or applesauce. Top the green bean casserole with almonds instead of fried onion rings. Opt for skim milk, garlic powder, and Parmesan cheese instead of whole milk and butter in the mashed potatoes.
For desserts, try making a crustless pumpkin pie or replace heavy cream with evaporated skim milk in cheesecakes and cream pies.
Another trick is to take the focus off of food at get-togethers.
Turn cookie making time into non-edible projects like making wreaths, art decorations, or a gingerbread house. Try serving a holiday meal to the community, playing games, or going on a walking tour of decorated homes.
Make sure you move away from the food at events to socialize so you won't be tempted to eat while you talk. Conversation is calorie-free, and the holidays are a great time to catch up with family and friends.
Activity is an important part of the balance to avoid the bulge during the holidays. Make exercise a priority. Set a personal goal to squeeze in at least one workout a week, no matter how busy you get.
If you don't have 30 minutes at one time, you can break it up into 10-minute bursts of exercise throughout the day to reach the recommended 30 minutes a day. This can be just as effective at maintaining overall fitness as one continuous workout. For everyday errands and activities, parking farther away in parking lots or taking the stairs instead of elevator can also make a big difference.
Larry Jones, MPH, is the director of the Independence Health Department.


text:
Latest from Samsung : Galaxy camera Unboxing video.
Smartphone cameras are good, great even. In a lot of cases, they've replaced point-and-shoots because they offer quality in a hyper-connected package. Snap a photo, and instantly upload it to a social network of your choice. What if, to compete, a company mashed up the guts and OS of a popular smartphone, and put it into a point-and-shoot body? That's basically Samsung's new Galaxy Camera.
This is essentially a Galaxy S III combined with a point-and-shoot: 1.4GHz quad-core processor, 1GB of RAM, Android Jelly Bean, LTE/Wi-Fi, and 4.8-inch LCD display. It looks remarkably like Samsung's Smart Camera, with a few obvious differences. One being no interchangeable lens, which is expected for a point-and-shoot. As for the camera itself, it comes with a 1/2.3-inch, backside-illuminated image sensor, 16-megapixel, and 23mm, 21x optical zoom lens.
We're really interested to see if the point-and-shoot experience is heightened with a popular smartphone OS onboard. It's an intriguing mashup, one that'll no doubt cater to those who want to snap pictures and get them up onto a social network as soon as possible. For $500 through AT&T, it might be hovering in that realm where it's just too expensive for most consumers to pick up.
Check out the video for a full unboxing and quick impressions, and stay tuned for a review soon.


text:
Theaters (The Marquee)
Theaters and the Movies They Are Playing
Looking for showtimes by movie? Try Movies (formerly Now Showing)
|4 Star Cinemas
|Garden Grove, CA (< 1 mile)
|Regency Westminster 10
|Westminster, CA (~2 miles)
|Regal Garden Grove 16
|Garden Grove, CA (~4 miles)
|Century Huntington Beach and XD
|Huntington Beach, CA (~4 miles)
|Edwards Long Beach Stadium 26 & IMAX
|Long Beach, CA (~4 miles)
|Krikorian Buena Park Metroplex 18
|Buena Park, CA (~5 miles)
|UA Marketplace - Long Beach 6
|Long Beach, CA (~5 miles)
|AMC Marina Pacifica 12
|Long Beach, CA (~5 miles)
|CGV Buena Park 8
|Buena Park, CA (~5 miles)
|Edwards Cerritos Stadium 10
|Cerritos, CA (~6 miles)
|Harkins Cerritos 16
|Cerritos, CA (~7 miles)
|AMC Anaheim GardenWalk 6
|Anaheim, CA (~7 miles)
|Pacific Theatres Lakewood Center 16
|Lakewood, CA (~8 miles)
|AMC Orange 30 (AMC 30 At The Block)
|Orange, CA (~8 miles)
|AMC Classic La Mirada 7
|La Mirada, CA (~8 miles)
|Art Theatre of Long Beach
|Long Beach, CA (~8 miles)
|AMC Dine-In Fullerton 20
|Fullerton, CA (~8 miles)
|Regency Norwalk 8
|Norwalk, CA (~9 miles)
|AMC Norwalk 20
|Norwalk, CA (~9 miles)
|Picture Show @ Main Place
|Santa Ana, CA (~9 miles)
|Century Stadium 25 and XD
|Orange, CA (~9 miles)
|Cinemark at The Pike
|Long Beach, CA (~10 miles)
|The Frida Cinema
|Santa Ana, CA (~10 miles)
|Regal La Habra 16
|La Habra, CA (~10 miles)
|Folino Theater - Chapman University
|Orange, CA (~10 miles)
|Edwards Metro Pointe Stadium 12
|Costa Mesa, CA (~10 miles)
|Regency South Coast Village 3
|Santa Ana, CA (~10 miles)
|Paramount Drive-In Theatres
|Paramount, CA (~11 miles)
|Bianchi Theatre
|Paramount, CA (~11 miles)
|Cinemark Downey and XD
|Downey, CA (~11 miles)
|Edwards Brea Stadium 10 - West
|Brea, CA (~12 miles)
|Triangle Square Cinemas
|Costa Mesa, CA (~12 miles)
|Edwards Brea Stadium 12 - East
|Brea, CA (~12 miles)
|Brea Plaza 5 Cinemas
|Brea, CA (~12 miles)
|Studio Movie Grill - Downey
|Downey, CA (~12 miles)
|Regency Historic Lido Theatre
|Newport Beach, CA (~13 miles)
|AMC Tustin 14 at The District
|Tustin, CA (~13 miles)
|Whittier Village Cinemas
|Whittier, CA (~13 miles)
|Edwards South Gate Stadium 20 & IMAX
|South Gate, CA (~14 miles)
|Cinemark Carson & XD
|Carson, CA (~14 miles)
|Edwards Marketplace Stadium 10
|Irvine, CA (~14 miles)
|Edwards Westpark 8
|Irvine, CA (~14 miles)
|Cinema City Theatres
|Anaheim, CA (~15 miles)
|Edwards University Town Center 6
|Irvine, CA (~15 miles)
|The LOT - Fashion Island
|Newport Beach, CA (~15 miles)
|Edwards Big Newport 6
|Newport Beach, CA (~15 miles)
|AMC Classic Woodbridge 5
|Irvine, CA (~15 miles)
|Warner Grand Theatre
|San Pedro, CA (~15 miles)
|Cinepolis Pico Rivera
|Pico Rivera, CA (~15 miles)
|AMC Puente Hills 20
|City of Industry, CA (~16 miles)
|Change Location
|50 Theaters Found
This page displays a list of movie theaters near Garden Grove, California. You can view showtimes for movies playing near Garden Grove, California by selecting a theater in the list above. To change the distance range covered in this list, select a new range below.
|Save Your Settings
|View a New Location
Select an option below to change your current location or to select your favorite theaters and save your settings.
Home - About Us - Ad Info - Feedback
Journal/Blog - The Marquee - Movie Links - News and Events - Now Showing - Reader Reviews
Customize - VIP Service
Journal/Blog - The Marquee - Movie Links - News and Events - Now Showing - Reader Reviews
Customize - VIP Service
|The BigScreen Cinema Guide is a service of SVJ Designs LLC. All graphics, layout, and structure of this service (unless otherwise specified) are Copyright © 1995-2019, SVJ Designs. The BigScreen Cinema Guide is a trademark of SVJ Designs. All rights reserved.
'ACADEMY AWARDS®' and 'OSCAR®' are the registered trademarks and service marks of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.


text:
Texas Gov. Rick Perry deleted a post from his Twitter account Sunday that highlighted the drunken driving arrest of Travis County Dist. Atty. Rosemary Lehmberg, who figures in the saga leading to the governor's recent indictment by a Travis County grand jury.
Perry's account tweeted an image featuring the logo of the conservative Patriot Post. The image depicted Lehmberg seated at a table with beer bottles. Text accompanying the image read, "I don't always drive drunk at 3x the legal blood alcohol limit ... but when I do, I indict Gov. Perry for calling me out about it. I am the most drunk Democrat in Texas."
The tweet from Perry's account was retweeted more than 600 times.
In a subsequent post, Perry said that the Lehmberg tweet was "unauthorized" and that he did not condone it. Perry's office did not immediately reply to requests for comment about who manages his Twitter account.
Perry, a potential 2016 Republican presidential candidate, was indicted in August on two felony counts of abusing his power by eliminating funds for the state's public integrity unit, which works under Lehmberg's office in the capital, Austin. A special prosecutor handled the case against Perry.
The bad blood between Perry and Lehmberg, a Democrat, dates from at least 2013, when Lehmberg was arrested for driving under the influence. Perry demanded that she resign, saying that if she refused, he would veto $7.5 million in funding for the public corruption unit in Lehmberg's office. He said he could not support continued funding "for an office with statewide jurisdiction at a time when the person charged with ultimate responsibility for that unit has lost the public's confidence."
Lehmberg served about three weeks in jail but refused to quit, prompting Perry to follow through on his veto threat.
At the time, the public integrity unit was investigating a state agency, the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas, which was one of Perry's pet projects. Questions have surfaced regarding institute funding and money given to some of the governor's close allies; a former institute official has been indicted over the disbursement of an $11-million state grant.
The left-leaning government watchdog group Texans for Public Justice filed a complaint against Perry, which resulted in the appointment of a special prosecutor, who presented his case to the grand jury.
James Ferguson, who was convicted of 10 charges surrounding a scandal at the University of Texas, was the last governor to be indicted in 1917.
Follow @kurtisalee for the latest political news and send tips to firstname.lastname@example.com.
Times staff writer Mark Z. Barabak contributed to this report.


text:
In a speech today to the IHS CERAWeek energy conference in Houston, TX, GM Chairman and CEO Dan Akerson calls for immediate work on a 30-year national energy plan.
There is no more fitting city to host a discussion about the future of energy, and the role of companies like General Motors in securing that future.
After all, this region was the birthplace of the modern petroleum industry. And we sell more vehicles to retail customers in Texas than in any other state.
Being in Houston brings to mind a quote from Larry L. King, the late author and playwright. "For a few precious moments, I am back in Old Texas under a high sky, where all things are again possible and the wind blows free."
I don't share these words out of nostalgia. I share them because past is prologue.
From the Spindletop gusher all the way through the mid-1960s, abundant, domestically sourced energy made all things possible for the United States and the winds blew free.
Since then, we have continued to move forward as a nation. But our "high sky" started to close in while I was a midshipman at Annapolis in the late 1960s.
We became constrained and, therefore, less free because demand outstripped supply and America became dependent on imported energy.
The first warning shot came in 1967 during the Arab-Israeli war, but the message wasn't received until the embargo of 1973.
Ever since then, our vulnerability has been underscored every time a war or a natural disaster spikes prices or interrupts the flow of energy.
Nearly every president since Richard Nixon has grappled with these issues and their solutions have been remarkably similar: Curb demand using moral suasion and regulatory pressure, provide incentives to speed the adoption of alternative energy, and ask the scientists to invent a magic bullet.
But none of it amounted to a cohesive, long-term national energy policy. We were reactive, lurching from crisis to crisis. And before you knew it, we were all wearing sweaters and driving 55 mph (89 km/h).
To be sure, we have made progress. For example, the energy intensity of the U.S. economy declined 21% between 1980 and 2011. However, no president has been able to balance supply and demand.
Now, quite unexpectedly, the United States is on the cusp of achieving long-term energy security thanks to the rise of fuel-efficient vehicles, more energy-efficient homes and factories, and the revolution in domestic oil and gas production.
You all have seen the statistics. The U.S. Energy Information Agency reports that we could become a net exporter of natural gas by 2020, and net imports of energy could be cut roughly in half on a percentage basis by 2035.
The impact on our trade deficit could be enormous. According to Citigroup, achieving energy self-sufficiency could reduce the current account deficit by up to 2.4% of GDP.
At the same time, energy-related CO2 emissions, which peaked at 6 billion metric tons in the 2005 to 2008 timeframe, have fallen and may never again reach that level according to the EIA.
Then there is the impact on working men and women.
Our host, Dr. Daniel Yergin of (consultant) IHS, reports that the unconventional oil and gas industry now employs about 1.7 million people directly and indirectly – a number that could increase to 3 million by 2020.
During the same period, federal and state revenues from unconventional energy could increase more than 80% to $113 billion.
This kind of stimulus suggests to me that "all things may be possible" once again – if we play our cards right.
The question before us now is this: What should the public and private sectors do to ensure that this extraordinary energy gain pays dividends for generations to come?
Let's start by looking at the role of GM and the auto industry.
Our industry rightfully should play a central role because light-duty vehicles account for about 60 percent of total transportation energy usage in the United States.
Much has already been accomplished. Since 1975, the EPA-estimated real-world fuel economy of cars and trucks has increased from about 13 mpg (18.1 L/100 km) on average to almost 23 mpg (10.2 L/100 km) today.
Consumer demand, competition and the corporate average fuel economy, or CAFE, laws all played a role. But CAFE, at least early on, was onerous for American auto makers.
It was a reactive policy that tried to kick-start the domestic auto makers into building lots of small cars before enough of our customers really wanted them.
It's no secret that our small cars back then weren't built to the standards of our other vehicles.
Mercifully, those vehicles have since been recycled into Energy Star refrigerators and other useful goods.
Now we are challenged to meet a new 54.5 mpg (4.3 L/100 km) CAFE standard. But this time around, past is not prologue, because we are deploying technology that will satisfy customers and make an enormous contribution to energy security at the same time.
I don't want to tip my whole hand to our competitors, but I would like to share some highlights of our fuel economy plan through the 2016 model year.
First, we will reduce vehicle mass. A good rule of thumb is that a 10% reduction in curb weight will reduce fuel consumption by about 6.5%.
Our target is to reduce weight by up to 15%. But if you're worried that we're going to throw safety, comfort and performance out of the window to get there, you can breathe easy.
We are doing a much better job optimizing mass efficiency. For example, the new Cadillac ATS – the brand's first North American Car of the Year – is actually lighter than a comparable BMW 3-Series.
We are also aggressively investing in advanced materials, including nano-steels, carbon fiber and resistance spot welding for aluminum structures.
Next, we are deploying clean diesel engines where they make business sense. For example, we will compete head-to-head with Volkswagen with our new B20-ready Chevrolet Cruze diesel.
We are also improving the thermodynamic efficiency of our gasoline engines using a suite of technologies, including turbocharging, direct injection, variable valve timing and cylinder deactivation.
The good news for Corvette, Camaro and GM pickup fans is that technologies like these mean the death of the V-8 engine has been greatly exaggerated.
It's counterintuitive, but as our Corvette chief engineer explains, when one of GM's all-new V-8s runs as a 4-cyl., it produces enough torque to stay in that mode for a very long time, which helps return better fuel economy than smaller engines.
This is a very big deal, especially for our truck customers who want the power of a V-8 when they need it for acceleration, hauling or towing, and the fuel efficiency of a smaller engine when they don't.
Another major contributor will be vehicle electrification. You know, it's a sport in some circles to poke fun at electric vehicles, especially at this early stage of their commercialization. But the era of using electricity to help improve performance and fuel economy is already here and the trend is only going to grow.
In fact, we expect to have an estimated 500,000 vehicles on the road with some form of electrification by 2017.
Our plan includes pure electric vehicles like the Chevrolet Spark, extended-range EVs like the Chevrolet Volt and Cadillac ELR and eAssist, a light-electrification technology that allows large cars like the Buick LaCrosse to achieve up to 36 mpg (6.5 L/100 km) on the highway.
So what does all of this mean for energy security? GM's commitment will save 12 billion gallons (45.4 billion L) of fuel over the life of the vehicles we build between 2011 and 2017.
That's 675 million barrels of oil we won't need – a figure nearly equal to our oil imports from the Persian Gulf in 2011.
Importantly, these investments will make us a much more formidable global competitor because fuel economy and CO2 regulations are converging across mature and emerging markets.
Our contributions to energy security don't end with the vehicles we produce. How we build them matters too, and we're proud that just yesterday the EPA gave GM its 2013 Energy Star Partner of the Year "Sustained Excellence" award.
From 2005 to 2010, we reduced our energy intensity per vehicle produced by 28%. Going forward, we have committed to achieving a 20% reduction per vehicle in our global CO2 footprint by 2020.
We're also going to expand our leadership in reuse and recycling. Worldwide, 90% of GM's manufacturing waste is reused or recycled, and our goal is to have 125 landfill-free facilities by 2025, up from 104 today.
Through these activities we generate $1 billion in annual revenue, and in 2011 alone we diverted 2.5 million metric tons (2.8 million tons) of waste from landfills, which is the equivalent of 38 million garbage bags.
Before I move on, I'd like to say a few words about natural gas as a motor fuel, because I think it represents a huge and largely untapped opportunity for commercial fleets and long-haul truckers to save money and contribute to cleaner air.
The bigger the truck and the more it's driven, the bigger the savings. For example, a typical 5,000-vehicle light-duty fleet could save $10 million or more annually by switching to compressed natural gas.
That's a powerful demand stimulus, and a key reason why we recently expanded our portfolio to include three-quarter ton bi-fuel pickups and dedicated CNG-powered vans.
By contrast, a typical Class 8 operator could save $2,500 to $3,500 per month by switching to liquefied natural gas. That means the ROI can turn positive in as little as a year or two despite the higher cost of the equipment.
Companies will line up for savings like this – provided the fuels are accessible. For example, there are only about 1,200 CNG stations nationwide and half of them are in just five states. LNG is even scarcer: there are only about 66 stations in 10 states.
It's very encouraging to see companies like Clean Energy Fuels take the initiative to build a nationwide LNG refueling infrastructure, because it's going to encourage faster adoption.
But more work needs to be done to ensure that CNG and LNG aren't relegated to niche status.
That would be a tragedy because big rigs burn some 25 billion gallons (94.6 L) of diesel annually, which require 2.5 billion barrels of crude to produce. That's an amount equal to about one-third of our total crude imports.
Everywhere you look, there are opportunities to seize the energy high ground. Indeed, our leaders have been presented with an historic opportunity to create a national energy policy from a position of strength and abundance.
The pillars of such a plan must include energy diversity, so we do not become dependent on any one fuel or energy source. In other words, we must continue to develop all forms of domestic energy, including renewables.
Energy efficiency must remain a core component so we can absorb the impact of prosperity and population growth.
And we must continue to make meaningful, long-term investments in nascent technologies to drive CO2 emissions even lower.
GM's own experience shows these pillars work. Enshrining them in a cohesive national energy policy would help the United States build a sustainable, long-term competitive advantage, just like it's doing for GM.
How then should the country proceed?
I believe the president should immediately appoint a blue ribbon commission to develop a 30-year energy policy framework with checkpoints every five years.
The commission needs to include a broad cross-section of energy producers and energy consumers, and they should be given a straightforward charge: Develop a plan to improve our standard of living by extending the duration of the natural gas and tight oil "dividend" for as long as possible.
In my lexicon, "standard of living" means affordable energy with certainty of availability, cleaner air and water, lower CO2 emissions, a significantly lower trade deficit and balanced budgets.
As I have tried to stress here today, we are making progress on some of these fronts.
But imagine what could be accomplished if the oil, gas and mining industries, renewable energy companies, utilities, labor groups, and producers of consumer durable goods like GM worked together to negotiate the necessary trade-offs and emerged with clear targets and a timeline to advance our national energy agenda.
It would create our first sustainable consumer-driven energy policy, which in and of itself would raise the odds of success exponentially.
But even more than that, a 21st century energy policy would give us the freedom to focus on the needs of customers and the planet, under a high sky where all things are again possible and the wind blows free.
Thank you very much for your attention.
Daniel F. Akerson is Chairman and CEO of General Motors. He joined GM's board of directors in July 2009 and took his current role in 2010.