text:
|Diaphragm pump, particularly for the generation of vacuum
|Fluid operated prime mover
|Fluid compressor
|Rice et al.
|Diaphragm pumping system
|Carr, Jr. et al.
|Arrangement for injecting water into a boiler operating under forced circulation conditions
|Air expansion dispenser with metering means
|Kogan et al.
|Chemical feed pump
|Schulze et al.
|Injector for injecting caustic or acid fluids
|Fuel pump
pumping apparatus coupled for pumping fluid from a reservoir to a destination along a flow path comprising a passageway means, a volume defining pumping chamber in the passageway means, the pumping chamber having a predetermined volume, and a diaphragm means for defining at least a pumped fluid portion of the pumping chamber, the diaphragm means comprising:
a first diaphragm having a first surface area against which the variable gas pressure is applied; and
a pressure increasing means which comprises a first member having a member surface with a raised region whose cross-sectional area in the plane of the member is smaller than the first surface area, the raised region having a shape substantially the reciprocal of the shape of the pumping chamber surface in the pumped fluid portion, and a second diaphragm positioned for defining an enclosed volume comprising the pumped fluid portion of the pumping chamber, the second diaphragm positioned adjacent to the raised region for being depressed by the raised region to decrease the volume of the pumped fluid portion of the pump chamber in response to an increase in the pressure of the pumping fluid;
heater apparatus comprising a quantity of pumping fluid, a heating chamber for containing said quantity of pumping fluid, the heating chamber coupled for applying a force to the diaphragm to decrease the volume of the pumped fluid portion of the pumping chamber when the pressure of the quantity of pumping fluid increases, and a heater in the heating chamber for heating the quantity of pumping fluid and thereby increasing the pressure and volume of the quantity of pumping fluid; and
heater control means for providing electrical pulses for intermittently energizing the heater.
The present invention relates to pumps and, in particular, to pumps having accurate pumping rates and pumping volumes.
Fluid pumps are typically based upon the use of a rotating or reciprocating device such as an impeller which is bearing mounted and driven by some motive means such as an electric motor. Such mechanical pumps, while reasonably efficient, uniformly suffer from the problems of wear of the moving parts as well as significant levels of audible noise. In order to solve the problems of wear, a pump having essentially no moving parts was developed and is disclosed in my U.S. Pat. No. 3,898,017, issued Aug. 5, 1975. In that patent, the heater ribbon is placed in the chamber containing the pumped fluid. This allows the fluid being pumped to come in contact with the heating ribbon. Such direct contact may not be desirable in some medical applications where it is desired to pump fluids having a delicate or fragile structure or which are subject to breakdown in the presence of high temperature. In addition, it is frequently necessary to keep the pumped fluid separated from a reusable heater to maintain a sterile environment for the pumped fluid. Such was not possible in the prior patent.
The present invention in meeting these problems provides a pump which incorporates a movable diaphragm for separating the fluid being pumped from the heating ribbon or element so that the pumped fluid is not affected by the heat from the heating element, and further will not be contaminated by contaminants which may exist around the heating element or in the chamber in which the heating element is placed. The pumping of the pumped fluid thus occurs in response to the expansion and contraction of a pumping fluid which is different from the pumped fluid and which preferably has a high expansion ratio and low specific heat. Although such a pumping fluid is preferably a gas, it may be a liquid or may be a fluid which changes state, for example, from a liquid to a gas upon heating and then back to a liquid when the heater is cool. In addition, the present invention in using a diaphragm in a pumping chamber with a fixed volume provides a means of very accurately defining the pumped volume of the fluid. This occurs by causing the diaphragm to be displaced by the pumping fluid upon its expansion against the sides of the pumping chamber thereby expelling all of the pumped fluid in the chamber. Thus, the volume of the fluid pumped on each cycle of the pump is accurately defined by the volume of the pumping chamber. The present invention also provides a means for easily adjusting the flow rate, as well as providing increased fluid pressures. The pump of the present invention may be a positive displacement type pump or may incorporate a variable displacement feature by controlling the amount by which the pumping fluid expands due to heating by the heater. Finally, the present pump invention is free of audible noise.
In U.S. Pat. No. 2,884,866 issued May 5, 1959, a pumping mechanism is disclosed which attempted to provide accurate pumping volumes. However, in that patent, no fixed volume chamber was provided to define an accurate per cycle pumped volume. Finally, the interior of the sock-type flexible member defining the cycle pumping volume could not be accurately evacuated on each cycle thus resulting in additional inaccuracy in pumping volume and rate. It will be appreciated that in many I.V. pumping applications, pumping accuracy unachievable by the above-cited patent but easily obtained by the present invention, is a necessity.
Various other apparatus using pistons (which have undesirable friction and sealing characteristics), manual or independent valve operation, single-cycle rather than continuous multiple-cycle operation, inter-mingling of the pumped and the pumping fluid, no volume-defining pumping chamber, and various other disadvantages are described in various of the U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,389,067; 2,576,282; 2,867,224; 2,884,866; 3,045,874; 3,074,596; 3,099,222; 3,149,754; 3,604,821; 3,645,649; 3,859,012; 3,901,629; and Re. 27,740.
The present invention comprises a pumping system having a pump apparatus coupled between a reservoir and a destination for pumping fluid from the reservoir along a flow path in which a pumping chamber is placed. A diaphragm bifurcates the pumping chamber into a liquid portion and a gas portion. A heater apparatus is coupled to the pump apparatus and comprises a heating chamber for containing a quantity of gas. The heating chamber is coupled by a passageway to the gas portion of the pumping chamber. An electrical heater is also provided in the pumping chamber for heating the quantity of gas. Finally, a heater control means is coupled to the electrical heater and provides intermittent electrical pulses for energizing the heater and thereby heating the gas to cause the gas to expand which, in turn, causes the diaphragm to expand forcing the fluid from the fluid portion of the pumping chamber.
Additional features of the present invention may be provided and include one or more potentiometers or other control devices known in the art which may be incorporated in the heater control circuitry to allow the pulse repetition rate or the pulse duration of the electrical pulses energizing the electrical heater or both to be varied.
Also in the preferred embodiment, two one-way valves are utilized, one in the input passageway and a second in the exit passageway to assure that the fluid is not pumped back toward the reservoir from which it came.
It will also be appreciated that the pump may be of either the positive-displacement or the variable-displacement type. In one embodiment of the invention, a feedback control loop may be provided by incorporating, for example, a flow rate sensor in the hydraulic circuit of the pump. The sensor generates a signal proportional to the flow rate which may be fed back and utilized to vary the amplitude, period, or duration of the electrical pulse provided to the heater to thereby vary the amount of heating and, thus, expansion of the pumping fluid in the pumping fluid chamber. Such a feedback control loop is particularly useful in a variable displacement pumping embodiment.
Another embodiment of the present invention provides a means of unloading an exit valve means so that pumped fluid under a nominal head pressure will flow through the pump without the action of the diaphragm to thereby allow air to be easily bled from the pump. A load on the exit valve may subsequently be replaced, with fluid flow thereafter occurring only under the action of diaphragm movement in response to increased and decreased pressure of the pumping fluid.
Yet another embodiment of the present invention provides a means for increasing the fluid pressure in the exit passageway by providing a first, large surface area diaphragm which expands and contracts in response to increased and decreased pumping fluid pressure. A member with a decreased surface area is then coupled to the first diaphragm. This decreased surface area is positioned against a second diaphragm with the equivalent force. Thus, since the second diaphragm has a smaller surface area and the same total amount of force is applied, the force in units of pounds per square inch is thereby increased resulting in increased fluid pressure in the exit passageway.
Of course, it will be appreciated that many other variations and modifications of the present invention and its various components are possible such as replacing the valves in the input and exit passageways with an egress restriction means or ingress restriction means to induce flow in a single direction by providing less resistance to flow in one direction than in the other. Such a modification is disclosed in my patent No. 3,898,017. Also it will be appreciated that the fluid utilized in the pumping fluid chamber may be air or a gas such as argon or helium which have greater thermal expansion per unit of heat energy than air.
The invention will be better understood from the detailed description below taken in conjunction with the drawings wherein like reference characters refer to like parts throughout and in which:
FIG. 1 is a simplified representation showing a cross-section of a pump apparatus and the associated control unit for varying the frequency and pulsewidth of the signal applied to the heater.
FIG. 2 is a simplified representation of a second embodiment of the present invention showing a separate input port and exit port and incorporating a feedback control loop for varying the amplitude, pulse width, or frequency of the electrical signal to the heater.
FIG. 3 is a detailed cross-sectional view of one embodiment of a pump apparatus which may be utilized in conjunction with the present invention.
FIG. 4 is another embodiment of a pump apparatus in which the pumping chamber has a separate input port and exit port.
FIG. 5 is a detailed cross-sectional view of a pump apparatus which provides a means for unloading the exit valve.
FIG. 6 is a detailed cross-sectional representation of a pump apparatus which may be utilized to increase the pressure of the pumped fluid to a higher level than that provided directly by the gas in the heater chamber.
The pump system of the present invention may be generally understood by reference to FIG. 1 which shows a pump apparatus 44 electrically coupled to a control means 10 for pumping fluid 22 from a container 20 to a destination 46. In the preferred application of the various embodiments of the present invention, the pump introduces a fluid or drug from a pouch or other container into the blood stream of a patient who would typically be the destination for the fluid.
More specifically, the pump apparatus 44 generally has an enclosed chamber 30 which contains a pumping fluid which may be air or some other gas, which is connected by a port or passageway to a pumping chamber 32. The pumping chamber 32 is bifurcated by a membrane or diaphragm 36 which moves back and forth within the chamber 32 in response to increases and decreases in the gas pressure in the chamber 30.
Fluid is introduced into the pump from the reservoir 20 along an input passageway 24. A one-way valve 38 is interposed between the passageway 24 and an internal passageway 42 to assure that the fluid 22 will not be pumped back into the input passageway 24. Connected between the internal passageway 42 and an exit passageway 26 is a second one-way valve 40 which prevents fluid expelled from the pump apparatus 44 from returning to the internal passageway 42.
In operation, once all of the air has been bled from the input passageway 24, a fluid portion 33 of the pumping chamber 32, and the internal passageway 42, an increase in gas (or fluid) pressure in the chamber 30 causes the diaphragm 36 to be displaced in the direction of the fluid portion 33 of the pumping chamber 32 thereby decreasing the volume of the fluid portion 33 forcing fluid out into the internal passageway 42. Because the valve 38 prevents the fluid from flowing back into the input passageway 24, the displaced fluid is forced from the internal passageway 40 through the valve 40 into the exit passageway 26.
When the gas pressure in the chamber 30 again decreases, for example when the heater is deenergized, the diaphragm 36 contracts toward the chamber 30 causing a volume increase in the fluid portion 33 causing fluid to enter through the valve 38, the internal passageway 42, and into the fluid portion 33. No fluid enters through the valve 40 because the pressure causes the valve 40 to close.
Although various methods may be utilized to increase and decrease the gas pressure in the chamber 30 to achieve the pumping action required, the preferred method is to intermittently or periodically heat the gas in the chamber 30 by periodically applying an electrical current through a ribbon heater 18 which is connected by the leads 16 to the control unit 10. The periodic pulses of electricity through the heater ribbon 18 cause the expansion and contraction of the gas in the chamber 30 necessary to periodically displace the diaphragm 36. Numerous circuits are available which provide periodic power pulses and may, for example, be a power circuit such as that described in my U.S. Pat. No. 3,898,017, issued Aug. 5, 1975, or may be one of the various circuit arrangements disclosed in literature provided by National Semiconductor Corporation in conjunction with their ML-555 timer/pulse generator.
In one embodiment, the circuit described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,898,017 may be modified by providing a potentiometer whose adjustment can change the pulse repetition rate provided to the heating ribbon 18. In such an embodiment, the control unit 10 is provided with a frequency control knob 12 coupled to the potentiometer whereby the frequency of the pulses may be varied. The control unit may also incorporate a second variable resistor connected to a control knob 14 for controlling the duration of each pulse. Such modifications in circuits to provide periodic pulses whereby the pulse rate and the pulse width may be controlled by inputs provided to electrically control an oscillator circuit such as that described in accordance with the circuits shown in various brochures illustrating applications of the No. 555 timer available, for example, from National Semiconductor Corporation. More specifically, both frequency and pulse width can be controlled by applying a voltage to the proper pins on the 555 timer.
Referring to FIG. 2, the present invention is shown incorporating a feedback control loop for controlling the rate at which fluid flows through the exit passageway 26. Such a system is particularly applicable when the pump apparatus 44 is of a variable displacement type where the diaphragm 36 expands only partly into the pumped fluid portion. Thus, by controlling the amount of heating in the chamber 30, and thus the amount of increased pressure pushing against the diaphragm 36, a very precise pumping volume can be achieved for each cycle of pumping. Further, since the amount of heat energy supplied by the heating ribbon 18 to the chamber 30 is related to the amount of power flowing through the heating ribbon 18 supplied by the control unit 10, it can be seen that a voltage amplitude setting provided by a third knob 56 which controls a third potentiometer, pulse width control, or frequency control may be utilized to precisely set the volume and, thus, the flow rate of fluid through the pump. Of course, any other control mechanism to control the pulse width and frequency may be utilized.
In order to implement such a representative control system, a flow rate sensor 50 may be provided in the exit passageway 26 to sense the rate of flow or the pressure or any other relevant parameter indicative of the pumping volume, rate, or pressure and generate a substantially constant voltage output proportional to that flow rate pressure or volume sensed. This voltage value is subtracted from a voltage value which is set by the amplitude potentiometer controlled by the knob 56 at a summing junction 52 to provide an error signal output. Of course, it will be appreciated that the sensor 50 and the voltage output from the amplitude potentiometer will be calibrated so that when the flow rate sensed by the sensor 50 equals the values set by the knob 56, then the error will be zero and, thus, the error signal from the summing junction 52 will be zero.
The error signal from the summing junction 52 is then utilized by the pulse rate and duration control circuitry controlled by the frequency control 12 and the duration control 14 to thereby provide feedback control for the amplitude or duration of the pulses utilized to heat the heating ribbon 18. Of course, various other techniques and control configurations may be used for automatically sensing and controlling the amount of energy utilized to heat the gas in the chamber 30. For example, a direct feedback control for the pulse repetition rate or pulse duration without the need of an additional amplitude potentiometer may be incorporated.
Referring particularly to the pump portion of FIG. 2 as compared to the pump portion of FIG. 1, it will be seen that in FIG. 2 an input passageway 43 and an output passageway 45, each with separate ports to the pumping chamber, may be provided rather than the single port of FIG. 1, without departing from the spirit of the present invention.
Referring now to FIG. 3, a detailed cross-sectional view of one embodiment of the pump apparatus of the present invention is illustrated whereby fluid enters through an input passageway 24 and exits through an exit passageway 26. Between the input passageway 24 and the exit passageway 26 is an input valve 116 comprising a spring 118 fixed at one end to one wall of a pump casing 104 and connected at its other end to a valve poppet 120. When fluid is caused to enter an internal passageway 108 of the pump member 104, fluid pressure causes the valve poppet 120 to open against the spring 118 allowing fluid to flow around the valve poppet 120 and into the internal passageway 108.
In a similar fashion, an exit valve 110 is provided with a spring 112 and a valve poppet 114 which opens when pressure provided by the movement of a diaphragm 128 forces fluid out from a pumping chamber 124.
The pumping chamber 124 is coupled by a passageway 106 to the internal passageway 108 to define a continuous internal volume of the pumping member 104. The pumping chamber 124 may be defined by a concave impression in one surface of the member 104 with a diaphragm 128 placed across the mouth of the concavity. The diaphragm 128 and the member 104 are then inserted into a circular, recessed region with a substantially planar surface 103 in a second member 102 so that the member 104 and the member 102 fit tightly together with the diaphragm 128 therebetween to provide a substantially airtight joint between the member 102 and the member 104. The diaphragm thus separates the fluid on one side of the diaphragm from the gas or other pumping fluid having a periodically increased pressure on the other side. Of course, it will be appreciated that the planar surface 103 may be concave such as the planar surface 171 shown in FIG. 5, particularly when the pumped fluid has a positive bead pressure.
In practice, it is preferable that the pumping chamber 124 be defined by a generally concave surface against which the membrane 128 presses when the gas pressure in the chamber 120 is high and a substantially flat surface opposite to the concave surface against which the member 128 returns when the gas pressure in the chamber 130 is relatively low. In addition, while the passageway 106 may have a single orifice or port in the pumping chamber 124, it is preferable that smaller, multiple orifices be provided in order to maintain the accuracy of the volume since the diaphragm will extend into a larger orifice and thereby cause a larger volume to be displaced. Such an increased displacement can result in a significant and unacceptable error when accurate pumping volumes and desired. Of course, other methods may be utilized to prevent the diaphragm from protruding into the orifice by which the pumping chamber is connected to the internal passageway 108. For example, referring momentarily to FIG. 4, porous surfaces 158 and 159, such as a fine screen or other similar surface, may be placed on the surfaces of a pumping chamber 150 to cover the orifices from the input port and the exit port 160 and 162 respectively and the input air port 164. The porous surface thus allows the fluid to flow through but prevents the membrane from distorting into either the input, the exit, or the air input ports. An alternative method of preventing such distortion is shown in FIG. 3 where the pumped fluid port and pumping fluid ports are multiple, smaller cross-sectional area ports.
Returning to FIG. 3, an air passageway 126 connects the pumping chamber on the gas chamber side of the membrane 128 to a gas chamber 130. Another passageway 122 may also be provided having a very small cross-sectional area to allow the pressure inside the chamber 130 to be equalized with the outside pressures over a relatively long period of time. Such a small passageway is preferable to prevent distortions in the membrane 128 caused by unequal pressures which, in turn, may cause pumping errors. It will be appreciated, of course, that the time required for the pressure inside the chamber 130 to be equalized with the pressure outside the chamber 130 through the passageway 122 must be greater than the pulse width of the electrical signal applied through the electrical leads 132 and 134 to the heating ribbon apparatus 136. If this were not the case, then the increased pressure produced by heating the gas in the chamber 130 would be dissipated through the passageway 122 rather than causing the diaphragm 128 to expand into the fluid portion of the pumping chamber 124. The gas chamber 130 may be made a part of the member 102 or may be a separate member which is firmly attached to the member 102 with the connection made airtight by a seal 138.
Referring to FIG. 4, an alternative embodiment incorporating the principles of the present invention is shown having an input passageway 24 leading into an input valve 142 which is coupled by a passageway to a port 160 in a pumping chamber 150. An exit port 162 is provided approximately in the center of the concave surface of the pumping chamber 150 which leads to an exit valve 144. Heading from the exit valve is an exit passageway 146 which empties fluid into a drip chamber 156. A gas passageway 154 has an orifice 164 in the flat surface of the pumping chamber 150 which is provided by the member 152. A diaphragm 161 bifurcates the pump chamber 150 between the concave surface with the input and exit ports 160 and 162 and the flat surface with the port 164. As previously described, a porous surface or member 158 may be placed to cover the input port 160 and exit port 162. Of course, a similar membrane 159 may be placed over the gas port 154.
In operation, the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 4 causes fluid to first enter through the first input valve 142 into the pumping chamber 150. The fluid is then expelled through the exit port 162 and the exit valve 144 into the exit passageway 146 and the drip chamber 156. Thus, in the embodiment of FIG. 4, fluid is actually pumped through the fluid portion of the pump chamber 150 utilizing an input and an exit port, while in the prior embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 3, fluid entered and was expelled through the same port. As previously discussed, the valves are preferably one-way valves, although there may be egress and ingress restriction means which induce flow in one direction without completely preventing fluid from flowing in a direction opposite to the desired direction of flow. Such an arrangement is disclosed in my U.S. Pat. No. 3,898,017. The embodiment of FIG. 4 illustrates that numerous arrangements of the various passageways and valves are possible without departing from the teaching of the present invention.
Referring now to FIG. 5, another embodiment of the present invention is illustrated having a pump chamber 170 bifurcated by a diaphragm 182 into a gas portion 181 and a fluid portion 179. The pumping chamber 170 is coupled by a connecting passageway 183 to a passageway 186 between an input valve 174 and an exit valve 176. The volume of the connecting passageway 183 and the pumping chamber 170 define a pump chamber volume while the volume defined by the passageway 186 defines a passageway volume. In operation, it is preferable that the pumping chamber volume be greater than the passageway volume to insure passage of entrapped air from the system when the pump is operating.
In the embodiment shown in FIG. 5, the exit valve 176 may be either loaded or unloaded to facilitate bleeding air from the system. Thus, the spring 177, which is a part of the exit valve 176, is attached to a second membrane or diaphragm 192 so that the valve 176 is in the unloaded condition when the diaphragm 192 is not displaced. When in the unloaded condition, the valve 176 permits a relatively small value of fluid pressure in the input passageway 24 to open the valve 176 thus allowing fluid to enter through the valve 174 and exit through the valve 176 without requiring pumping action by the diaphragm 182. In order to load the valve 176, a support member 190 may be provided with a screw or lever apparatus 196 which has a pressing member 194 positioned adjacent to the diaphragm 192. Thus, by appropriately positioning the screw or lever apparatus 196, the pressing member 194 moves inward relative to the support member 190 causing the diaphragm 192 to depress thereby loading the valve poppet 176 by compressing spring 177. Thereafter, the valve 176 opens only in response to pumping action provided by the diaphragm 182. Of course, other means for loading the valve may be incorporated without departing from the spirit of the present invention.
In FIG. 6, there is illustrated a means by which the pumping pressure in the exit passageway 126 may be increased utilizing hydraulic principles. Thus, a gas chamber 200 is provided with a first diaphrgam 202 placed across one of its ends whereby the increased gas pressure due to heating the gas is applied across the total surface area of the diaphragm 202. Adjacent to the diaphragm 202 on the side opposite the gas chamber 200, a member 204 may be placed having a convex region 206 on a surface opposite to that placed against the diaphragm 202. A pump member 208 is then provided having an input passageway valve 212 and an exit passageway valve 210 connected by an internal passageway 214. A concave region is provided in the member 208 which is connected by a coupling passageway 220 to the internal passageway 214. A diaphragm 218 is placed across the mouth of the concave portion of the pump member 208 to thereby define an enclosed pumping chamber 216.
In operation, the pumping member 208 is placed adjacent to the member 204 which is adjacent to the diaphragm 202. The convex portion 206 of the member 204 is positioned opposite to the concave portion of the member 208. It is preferable that the convex portion 206 be substantially the reciprocal of the concave portion in the member 208. The member 204 is initially positioned to be immediately next to and possibly touching the diaphragm 218 when the gas in the chamber 200 is cool. When the gas is heated, causing the pressure to increase in the chamber 200, the diaphragm 202 expands causing the member 204 to push against the diaphragm 218 causing the fluid in the chamber 216 to be pushed out into the passageway 214 and out through the exit passageway 26. When the gas in the chamber 200 is cooled, the member 204 returns to its quiescent position and the diaphragm 218 returns to its initial position causing fluid to again enter the pumping chamber 216 through the input valve 212.
As taught by the principles of hydraulics, the pressure in the chamber 200 is applied against the total surface area of the diaphragm 202 causing the member 204 to push outwardly with a given force. The entire force is concentrated by the convex portion 206 and is applied to the much smaller surface area of the diaphragm 218. Thus, the force per unit area is increased which results in an increase in the pressure with which the fluid is pumped through the pump member 208. The above embodiment is particularly useful since it has been discovered that there is a practical upper limit on the pressure which may be provided against a surface utilizing the heated gas technique herein disclosed.
It will be appreciated, of course, that the pumping member 208 may be placed next to the diaphragm 202 and, thus, be removable therewith and the member 204 fixed to a stationary location opposite the pumping member 208.
The present invention, thus, provides a very accurate apparatus for pumping small quantities of fluid from a reservoir to a destination and is particularly applicable in intravenous applications where the rate and quantity of fluids introduced into a patient are critical.


text:
A leading Iranian cleric said on Friday that a Palestinian-style uprising by the Iraqi people would eventually force out US-led forces
A leading Iranian cleric called on Iraqis to rise up against occupying US troops Palestinian-style and carry out human bomb attacks to drive out forces, in a Friday sermon.
"The Iraqi people are finally coming to understand that the solution is an uprising and they have no other choice but to rise up and stage martyrdom operations," said Ahmad Janati, Secretary General of the Guardians' Council.
Janati called on Iraqis to rise up
"This is the only solution; they are learning from the experience of Palestine," he added.
The cleric charged that the Americans want to "feed (Iraqis) democracy from their gun points and if they fear from death, they will have to surrender."
The United States has accused Iran of seeking to use Iraq's Shia Muslim majority to push for an Islamic state, undermining Washington's designs to instil its brand of democracy.
Tehran has categorically rejected US accusations that it is meddling in Baghdad.
Janati, whose country fought a bloody eight-year war against Saddam Hussein's government in the 1980s, charged that the Iraqis were not any better off now.
"The Iraqi people were released from the claws of one wolf and have been caught by another wolf," he said.
Janati also lashed out at a ceasefire concluded between US forces and the Iraq-based armed Iranian opposition group, the People's Mujahadeen, which has been using Iraqi soil to battle Tehran's government for over a decade.
"The hypocrites (Tehran's standard term of abuse for the group) were servants of Saddam and now have become servants of the Americans," he said.
A spokesman of the group was quoted last month as saying that under the deal the group would be allowed to keep its arms, stay in Iraq and continue to wage its armed struggle.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
After your Basic Racing School learning,
the next step in your driver development is more seat time and an introduction to the data that is all-important in modern motorsports. Three 30-minute sessions on track per day, combined with coaching and one-on-one data debriefing, help you find those elusive last few tenths and prepare you for the Lucas Oil Formula Car Race Series. Advanced Racing School programs run in conjunction with our Basic Racing School programs, and utilize the same treaded Cooper street tires.
Note: Lucas Oil School of Racing offers an included limited liability damage policy for all programs. Click here to read our policies.


text:
If you want to see a change, remember others are fond of their own views.
Hostility changes nothing.
Militancy does nothing but alienate.
Empathy and walking in someone else's shoes opens the mind and enables compromise, forward momentum and allows ideas to flow. No one is all right or all wrong.
The fool is one who can not cross the divide, who chooses judgement, and who can not see the good in all, who can not listen to a different view.
Inspire and lead, do not try to control and coerce.


text:
Typically when the Cat's away, we mice get to play but that sure wasn't the case during the Cat's Christmas Vacation! The Cat went to Dallas to visit her Kitten and prior to her leaving, she scheduled a HUGE end of the year sale. That completely removed any opportunity we mice had for play time. The lines were out the door and the mice nearly starved to death due to the lack of even a lunch break! In fact, the poor man shown in the photo below made the fatal error of coming in to shop with his wife, and when we saw him sitting idle in the back room, we gently encouraged him to get involved... and the rest is history!
A Note From the Cat:
It came, perhaps before we were ready, but then Christmas has a way of doing that. Now it's time to move ahead into 2013.
But first, I really want to thank all of you who helped make our year-end sale such a huge success. The Christmas and Bali prints moved well and the fall-type fabrics really surprised us.
Keep an eye on your calendar and attend some of the 2013 Quilt Shows. First up is the Florida Cabin Fever Quilt Show. It is February 1st and 2nd in Orlando at the Central Florida Fairgrounds. This is the largest quilt show in central Florida and we will be there with bells on and hope to see you there!


text:
Kenneth Cline, who visited Yemen in the 1980s has a new e-book out called Tracking the Queen of Sheba: A Travel Memoir of Yemen.
The author's account of a journey of exploration he took with a group of archaeologists to one of the most remote and exotic regions of the world, Yemen. In ancient times, Arabia Felix, or "Happy Arabia," was home to a wealthy and advanced civilization that sent one of its rulers, the Queen of Sheba, on a famous expedition to visit King Solomon, her camels laden with gold and spices. Today, the country is an impoverished backwater, riven by civil war and tribal feuds. In this memoir, the author recounts the trip he took in 1984 to the Wadi al-Jubah, in the far eastern part of Yemen bordering Saudi Arabia's "Empty Quarter" Desert. The archaeologists were on a quest to discover more about the ancient civilization known as Saba, which was almost certainly the equivalent to Biblical "Sheba." Come along on the journey as the group struggles to conduct their research among heavily armed tribesman notoriously suspicious of outsiders — to the point where village boys will pursue a lone foreigner with a hail of rocks. And learn too what conclusions the group reached about the power of ancient Saba (Sheba) and the story of its famous queen. Highlighting the contradictions and ambiguities in the existing archaeological data, contrast the very different interpretations reached by two of the most eminent South Arabian scholars of their day, Albert Jamme and Gus Van Beek, regarding the identity and role of the mysterious queen. And learn too how this particular group of archaeologists was directly following in the footsteps of explorer Wendell Phillips, author of Qataban and Sheba, whose legendary 1950-52 excavations in Yemen could have served as the plot for an Indiana Jones movie. Things had calmed down a bit by 1984, but Yemen still remained a place where westerners ventured at their own risk.


text:
Today you are seven months old. That seems so.grown to me for some reason. You have had a big month! Your first solid foods, settling into a great sleeping routine, and your first ODU v. VCU game today.
(We lost.) But, we still had a great time. You are wearing your game day outfit in your photos - it was a white out game, so that's why you are rocking your white onesie instead of your ODU one. Daddy's friends and fraternity brothers from college reserved a party box for the game so you had quite the VIP experience. Along with all the other little babies there...times sure have changed for those boys since college.
You did so well, and only got scared when the place went wild after the first shot. You were in the Ergo with your dad and looked out the side right at me and your face crumpled into tears after the look of shock wore away. it was...adorable actually. I grabbed you and cuddled you and you calmed down really fast. You were so happy the rest of the game and even napped int he Ergo with your dad a little bit later. I wish your first big rivalry game could have been a win, but alas, it was not. A really close game though, down to the last few seconds. So that's cool too.
Onto your bigger month long things. Let's see...food! You like food. What a surprise, considering your gene pool - ha! So far you have eaten all sorts of veggies, fruit, bread and meat. Fruits and Veggies - cauliflower, broccoli, spinach, greens, sweet potato, rutabaga, squash, zucchini, green beans, avocado, tomato, pears, peaches, bananas, potatoes, nectarines, cucumbers, celery, oranges, carrots...all sorts of stuff. But, I think that covers most of it. You have also had bread, pasta, eggs, chicken, pork and steak. Look at you. You are a pretty adventurous eater, and Baby Led Weaning (letting you feed yourself with bigger pieces of food instead of purees) has been going really, really well for you!
You have been sleeping so well and trying to crawl all over the place, which is so crazy. You sit up on your own like a champ and stand when leaning against things still. You haven't quite mastered pulling yourself into either position from straight off the floor, but you are getting there. Your teeth are so close to coming through (post edit: both bottom ones poked out mere days later!) and I think that's why you have been such a serious little baby lately.
All this food certainly had you getting bigger. You are not only growing in length, but you are also getting a little heavier - how much, we don't know until your 9 month appointment - but you are still a pretty skinny baby! You have started drinking some water with your food, but you don't really like it so far. (Neither do I, baby girl, but water is a must, so we deal.) You are still nursing on demand during the day, and loving it, so we are still on the full swing of all of that. I was sort of worried when you liked solid food so much that you would start weaning yourself a bit, but no way jose.
We have had some really nice weather here and there this month, and you love being outside, so I absolutely cannot wait for summer to play outside with you. I am thinking of signing us up for a Mommy and Me swimming class at the Y, so we shall see if that happens. You like singing along with, well, anyone singing really and have really found your voice even more this month - and you LOVE being loud. Despite all my attempts to say Mama to you eight million times a day, you haven't said that - or anything really - yet. You also dance along to inning, by beating your feet on the floor and grooving around, and you are also sometimes even on beat! Look at you.
You do make this funny little hooting noise when you see your puppy though, and you only make it for him. I like to think it is your impression of his pitiful little noises when he is waiting for you to feed him off your high chair (of which you do plenty). You have definitely realized that when you hold food down to him, he comes to lick your little hands - and you love it. So, we are dealing with that right now, but you think it is hilarious, so I don't know how much headway we will make.
It's really pretty cute.
You are getting so big, and loud. You are becoming such a little person, our little Evelyn. I cannot wait to hear all of what is going on inside of your head. Soon enough. Soon enough.
All my love,
Oh hey Mom, just chilling here, eating my hands.
Oh, haaaaaai paper!
Get over here!
But, Mooooom! You are the meanest.
Look, I promise, Ill be nice over here.
Look, chewing on my fingers again...
HA! You fell for that crap. Can't believe it.
Evelyn Rae is seven months old
...and I call that last one "Baby in Motion"


text:
Family Cycling Tours in Switzerland
Our family cycling tour in Switzerland explores the lovely lakeside routes of Europe's third largest lake, Lake Constance. Created by a glacier and surrounded by meadows, this lake offers a great insight into the country's beautiful countryside and our cycling trip here offers the ideal way to explore. We truly believe that Switzerland is one of the best destinations to take the kids on a cycling tour, mixing perfect scenery, exciting cycling and lovely locals to create one of the best family friendly trips that we offer.
Found trips
Explore Lake Constance on this self-guided family cycling vacation designed for those looking to ride at a leisurely pace and enjoy lots of fun-filled activities along the way. This is a cycling classic taking in three countries in the heart of Europe; Austria, Switzerland & Germany - each of which add their own special mark to this idyllic region. Lake Constance enjoys a mild climate and plenty of sunshine making it a great summer cycling destination. You'll be following the sandy shores of the lake and winding through ...


text:
My god did I have some annoying Internet problems today. I hope I can switch my ISP before the end of the year. This is getting really frustrating. My speeds slow down to ridiculously low levels at seemingly random times of the day. Usually it's fine, and it has been for the most part for a couple years now, but the last month or so it's been slowing down.
Anyways, hope all my fellow Canadians had a terrific Thanksgiving. I had a couple fantastic meals this weekend. I really want to thank everyone that was involved, and all my family that I spent time with. I will cherish the leftovers for days!
Finished up my eyeball dude with my nieces today. They gave me a lot of inspiration on what direction to go in. He ended up looking quite silly. However, I like him. Not as creepy as I was hoping for, but there's always tomorrow!
Help support my creative habit by liking, sharing, or commenting on my posts! Visit me on the Facebooks! Or, if you like, click right here! to help support me and my creative habit financially. Any and all assistance is greatly appreciated! 🙂


text:
Looking for No Boyfriend Quotes for Girl Status? Here is the page containing "Girl Status" no boyfriend no problem quotes to share for free and to express your status. These No Boyfriend Quotes for "Girl Status" are free to download, print and share through any social networking media such as Whatsapp, Facebook, Instagram, etc. Browse, select, share and express.
Would you like to let your dear ones know your relationship status? Do it with these beautiful no boyfriend no problem girl status pictures, images, quotes which say about the feelings of a girl being single. With these pictures let your dear ones know that you are happy to be single.
Every single day is a happy day when you are with your dearest person. But when there arises differences in your relationship, you decide to continue in the relationship or get separated. This page shows some attractive no boyfriend no problem girl status pictures, which you can use to express your hearty feelings about your status of being single.
Being single is amazing. You can do what, you want when you want, for as long as you want to. Being single opens you up to so many opportunities. This page contains some beautiful no boyfriend no problem quotes which helps a girl to announce her single status in a lovely way. Share and express your feeling about being single and without a boyfriend.


text:
Icelandic singer Bjork has undergone successful surgery to remove a polyp from her vocal cords.
In a note posted on her website Wednesday, Bjork told her fans she had been battling with throat problems for years and at first attempted to quell the issue by changing her and working out but it just wasn't enough.
The final straw, according to the 49-year-old eclectic singer, was when she was forced to cancel shows "and Biophilia residencies in Argentina, Brazil, Spain, and Portugal due to having inflamed vocal cord nodules."
At that point, Bjork knew it was time to take more extreme measures.
The "Hyperballad" singer wrote:
"Few years ago doctors found a vocal polyp on me chords… i decided to go the natural way and for 4 years did stretches and tackled it with different foods and what not. Then they discovered better technology and I got tempted into hi tech lazer stuff and I have to say, in my case anyway: surgery rocks! I stayed quiet for 3 weeks and then started singing and definitely feel like my chords are as good as pre nodule! It´s been very satisfying to sing all them clear notes again. im sorry i had to cancel stuff earlier in the year, didn't want to talk about this until i knew for sure if it would work."
"So looking forward to singing for you in 2013 all the warmth," she added.
UPI notes that Bjork is the latest major singer to undergo vocal cord surgery. Adele and Keith Urban both underwent the procedure last year.


text:
Tomb Raider Legend/Anniversary and Underworld Triplepack
Suitable for the Xbox 360.
Designed specifically to take advantage of the l more...
Suitable for the Xbox 360.
Designed specifically to take advantage of the latest technologies, Tomb Raider: Underworld represents a new advancement in exploration-based gameplay. As fearless adventurer Lara Croft, explore exotic locations around the world, each designed with an incredible attention to detail resulting in breathtaking high-definition, visual fidelity that creates a truly believable world and delivers a new level of challenge and choice.
Celebrate and commemorate ten years of Tomb Raider and Lara Croft with Tomb Raider: Anniversary, an entirely new gameplay experience inspired by the first ever Tomb Raider adventure. Play the living Lara Croft, the world's greatest action heroine of all time - use all of Lara's guile, athleticism and gadgets in her quest to conquer the unknown and uncover ancient artefacts.
Gaming's most famous heroine makes her triumphant return in Tomb Raider: Legend. Travelling to several continents in search of a mystical ancient artifact, Lara Croft is pitted against corrupt forces forces led by a figure from her past.


text:
New York: Strategy consulting firm Booz & Company has joined forces with Axon Advisory Partners, a Los Angeles-based digital advisory team, to launch Booz Digital.
Booz says that with the addition of Axon Advisory Partners, it becomes the first global premier strategy consulting firm to offer end-to-end digital solutions, from strategy to design to execution. Booz Digital is a full-service team of strategists, designers, and technologists who help companies turn ideas into transformational digital businesses.
"Digital solutions are among the critical capabilities that are necessary to succeed in today's world. Axon Advisory Partners has the strategic and operational expertise to design world-beating digital businesses, and they are as passionate about helping clients win as we are. Strategically and culturally, it's a great fit," said Les Moeller, Booz & Company managing director of North America.
Rapidly evolving technology is leading to digital transformation across every industry and elevating digital issues to the CEO agenda. In fact, market research company Gartner predicts that by 2015 a new C-suite executive will have emerged--the chief digital officer. Digital solutions, once merely an afterthought, have risen to be a strategic component of every function, at every level of business.
"Creating the right digital solutions affects every aspect of the value chain. Booz & Company has a unique mix of strategic and functional expertise. We believe that by combining strategy, design, and execution, Booz Digital offers a fundamentally new approach, and is the first global premier strategy consulting firm to deliver end-to-end digital solutions," said Jeff Schumacher, founding partner of Axon Advisory Partners; former executive vice president, chief marketing officer, and chief strategy officer for Sports Authority; and former partner at McKinsey & Company.
Since 1965, Moore's Law has held fast and true--with little sign of slowing. Although no industry has been immune to disruption, the mind-blowing growth of Internet-connected devices and custom digital experiences offers companies the opportunity to take leadership positions.
Typically, companies designing and implementing digital solutions manage the project across multiple vendors. The strategists create the digital solution and then hand it off to designers, who feed the developers or systems integrators.
"As an EVP at Sports Authority, I saw first hand the mounting disruption in the retail industry from digital technology. We made several significant digital investments and experienced the challenge of multiple handoffs between providers, which increased costs, risks, and diluted accountability," said Schumacher.
"Having had to solve this complexity at Sports Authority, we have the know-how at Booz Digital to solve these issues for our clients. By fielding a multidisciplinary team of strategic thought leaders, customer experience designers, and functional business experts with real-world operator experience, Booz Digital partners with clients through the entire value chain to capture incremental value and deliver an end-to-end digital solution. In short, we bridge the strategy-to-execution gap."
Booz Digital is launching in North America, anchored in Los Angeles. However, companies may contact any Booz & Company global office for access to this service offering.


text:
Wow. I'm 47 years old. Like, right now.
That's pretty amazing.
To be honest, 47 feels pretty, well, old…but in a good way, given that I'm not someone who worries about getting older day by day and year by year as it happens.
I mean, I do worry about long term oldness, as in the kind where I might not be able to walk or use the bathroom by myself. And sometimes I still worry about "the final day," aka the day my body finally calls it quits and the rest of me (if there is anything such thing) goes somewhere else super-secret you don't get to find out about until you get there.
But I don't worry about getting older in the short term, and especially not in the sense of feeling older today at age 47 than I felt yesterday at age 46 and nine-tenths.
I actually feel exactly the same today as I did yesterday, except that today I get birthday cake.
To me, a birthday is that one day each year when I absolutely, positively know I will not feel guilty for doing nothing productive all day long. It is a day when even people whose birthdays I never remember or never knew to begin with often send me cards and texts telling me to have a happy day.
It is a day when I get to choose the menu and it truly can be anything I want, not just anything I want that isn't too unhealthy or unbalanced.
But other than that, it truly is "just another day" in the strictest sense of the word, especially considering I could goof off, eat whatever I like on any of the other 364 days as well. I just never do.
Perhaps I should start. In lieu of having a birthday party, a truly frightening event where everyone notices me and takes pictures of me and then gathers around and stares at me as they sing and watch me blow on the cake they are about to consume, I could just designate one day a month as "my birthday day" and do birthday-related things.
This will work, provided I can convince my mom to make me birthday cake every month all year long.
Today's Takeaway: How do you feel about birthdays – yours or anyone's? Do you like having a party and feeling like the "it" gal or guy in your circle for a day? Or do you duck and run like I do…at least until the scent of baking birthday cake wafts in your direction? What do you like to do on your birthday, and do you ever do that on a day that is not your birthday? Why or why not?


text:
Different Purposes of Janitorial Software
These days, you could actually find different janitorial softwares which are being sold in the market and are also being utilized by janitorial businesses. With this thing in mind, you should consider one that's best for the business.
Trying to confirm on the compatibility of the janitorial software in fact is something which you need to do first in order to see whether your business is going to benefit from it once that you have bought the software. Commercial bidding software's needs to have regular maintenance so you are able to get guarantees that you have the resource on investing with it.
Through this article, it will be able to help you in knowing more about the best types of janitorial software which are available today.
Provides the Equipment System and Supply Inventory
If ever your business includes a system for equipment and likewise for supply inventory, you likely will need this kind of janitorial software to help make things easier. You could actually find some companies that are providing this kind of janitorial software. Another thing is that when you want to know the specifications about the janitorial software that you are using, it's crucial to be sure that you will visit their website so you are able to know more about it.
Quality Inspection Systems
Such janitorial software actually is there in order to give aid at managing your business's data entry. Also, this software could be run through handheld devices. It is also reliable enough in making sure that you don't need to worry on putting error on the data entry. Janitorial software for quality inspections in fact have its own presets, which means that it's best for basic operations. Acquiring a customized janitorial software for quality inspection likewise is possible because it's common for businesses to possess various specifications.
Estimate Packages
Bidding and estimations are actually common for a lot of small businesses, which in fact is why it's best for them to have a janitorial software to which focuses for such function. This is on estimating the cost of the price which is needed. It is essential that you also do some checks if the janitorial software is functional because you could potentially end up wasting time and effort if you avoid verifying it. In the current market to which we have today, the price of the estimation should compute by the software based with the local rates.
Cleaning Management Systems
Such janitorial software like this is going to be there to aid you and make sure that your client will be satisfied on the services to which you will provide them.
Learning The Secrets About Programs
The Best Advice on Options I've found


text:
We're on call
Operating Hours
Mon-Sat 11AM-6PM
For us, success is more than mere statistics. It is steered by our passion for excellence. We believe in long term business relationships that are based on mutual goals, ethical business practices and the single minded pursuit of delivering the extraordinary.
Take no exception in quality that's what make us TIES.
TIES is a customer focused company . We take care of every requirements precisely and support our clients with large inventory & after sale services.
You can expect all major resources from us in our field.
We are taking care of Valve since decades.
Hydro Testing
PMI Testing


text:
Buy 2 and save £10 *
The Lofty Star Magnetic Acrylic Frame A5 15 x 21cm (6 x 8")
This unobtrusive acrylic frame was desiged to ensure the focus is on the elegant and subtle frosted na'layn, and not on the frame:
"A likeness representing a sandal of the noblest of Prophetic Messengers, wishing for the place of its dust are the loftiest stars, as co-wives to it, are all the seven heavens altogether, jealous and envious, as are the crowns of Kings."
* Offer applies to any frame priced at £35 each. Discount will be applied at the checkout once you have selected the postage region and completed the "where did you hear about us" section.
Product descriptionElegant and stylish;Freestanding clear acrylic panels;Panels snap together with magnets.
Delivery Information
FREE DELIVERY within the UK!
Delivered within 3–5 working days (UK only). PLEASE NOTE: Due to COVID-19 restrictions, there have been minor delays where receipt of packages have been slowed by 1-2 days, with some delays stretching up to 5 days.
We hope you are satisfied with all of your purchases but if you ever need to return
an item, you can do so within 14 days from the date your parcel was dispatched.
For more details please review our Returns Policy.


text:
Far East Movement have released the official remix of their single "The Illest" from their upcoming album "KTown Riot". The hip hop track premiered on Thissongissick.com, and is available to watch on Youtube.
The hip-hop collective joined forces with Riff Raff to create this new energetic offering. The track, which was pulled from Far East Movement's new GRIZZLY tape, features an unmistakable electronic-friendly vibe combined with hip hop and dirty beats, and is guaranteed to be huge in nightclubs around Britain.
This dancefloor-ready single finds Kev Nish showcasing his studio-tweaked flows over a currently-unknown beatsmith's springy synth production. Houston buzzmaker Riff Raff delivers a dirty, off-the-wall closing verse, completing the bassy hip hop tune perfectly.
The Los Angeles based quartet have released the official video on Youtube, which is filmed in an office and features ass slapping, chemistry and some interesting dance moves. However, the whole vibe of the remix (and video) make you want to get on a chair and do some questionable dancing of your own. While "The Illest" is slightly different to the normal club anthems, it's sure to be a hit.
Watch "The Illest" here.


text:
It only takes one dose
Opioid Addictions.
2.1 million people are currently dealing with opioid use disorder, which results in over 40,000 deaths each year. The opioid epidemic has never been more dangerous, and we're here to help.
Since 2009, heroin has been responsible for over 3,000 fatal overdoses each year. Those numbers have only continued to rise, especially among those who regularly use, making heroin one of the most dangerous opioids for addicts to use.
As a synthetic drug that is 50 times more potent than heroin, fentanyl is an inexpensive alternative to natural opioids that can have devastating consequences when consumed.
Prescription Opioids.
There is a reason why doctors limit the number of doses in an opioid prescription. While prescription opioids can help those suffering from severe bouts of acute or chronic pain, they almost always lead to a host of other mental and physical issues when one becomes dependent on their effects.


text:
Legends at Walkers Bluff
Top Tags:
Legends at Walkers Bluff is located in the Carbondale area of Chicago. It is modern dining in a beautiful destination setting. The Walkers Bluff resort houses The Tasting Room and a beautiful hotel and resort area along with the Legends restaurant. Internationally influenced gourmet cuisine makes its way onto the menu every season, and Chef King's culinary staff takes a one-month sabbatical every January in order to learn a new dish and bring it back for the enjoyment of guests.
Legends at Walkers Bluff serves lunch and dinner Thursday through Saturday, and also offers a Sunday brunch. On Thursdays, couples can order a three-course meal with appetizers, main dishes and dessert. Guests can order popular dishes such as the baked red snapper, braised lamb shank, Legends burger or the wild mushroom & asparagus risotto.
Location is a bit hard to locate. Once there it is very nice. Decorated for Christmas and it was beautiful. Reservations were handled A+. 1. service was spotty. Hard pressed to meet average. We had to ask for bread, salt and pepper. The only thing good was the server who kept our water glasses filled. Food was delivered to our table by a food runner. Had to be auctioned off once it arrived, as he didn't have a clue who got what. NOT GOOD FOR A RESTAURANT CHARGING THESE KIND OF PRICES. 2. Food was just ok. Not terrible but not outstanding. Average to say the least. Pork rib-eye was a cut of pork loin grilled without the bone-in, with mashed potatoes. We had a special menu for graduation at a local university. (not the regular menu) 3. Prices were inflated for this special menu. Prices reflected something in Chicago or New York and not out in the country in Southern Illinois. Two lobster tails $75.00.....The owners have spent a ton of money building this place and it shows, as it is very very nice. The food, the service is just average at best. It would push it to meet the average stage. The prices are quite high for the service and food that you get for your dollar (s)......
A little pricey for the region but great dining experience!
It was the best place I have taken her too...the food was great along with the service the atmosphere was especially amazing...I plan on proposing to my girlfriend their....good job to the staff and cooks
We were seated promptly. However, we waited at least 20-25 minutes before I decided to go to bar and get myself and my wife a drink.(no server was assigned to our table evidently). Wonder why! People who came after us were served before us.
Giving us free drinks does not solve the problem.
The salmon I chose was incredible I will never eat it anywhere else because it does not even compare to legend's.
Ate Sunday brunch. Service good, Food good, At 1 P.M. place was almost empty, When we left a small party came in. Don"t know how they can stay open with so few diners. Shame it"s a beautiful place.
Our 22nd wedding anniversary dinner wasn't so special at Legend's. The service was very slow, they didn't have the expensive wine I had ordered, the entrees that we had were all very, very salty (ribeye steak, scallops, and strip steak). Our son is a senior at SIU and we had been anticipating visiting Legends for almost 4 years and were very disappointed with the over salty food and slow service. Our waiter Adam wasn't to blame it was the nature of the restaurant. After returning home I had read some reviews of the restaurant and I'm kick my self for not reading them before having dinner at the restaurant. Based on the reviews I have read these issues have been issues for a long time.
This was our first visit to Walker's Bluff. His prime rib was tough and full of gristle. It was poor quality meat and should have been used for stociklnThe server brought him a second steak which took forever to receive. The quality was even worse. I ordered the pasta of the day. The pasta was overcooked and had the texture of paste.
Every time we have visiting family or friends we take them there topically for brunch.... It is definitely the nicest place to celebrate in southern Illinois
My wife and I drove 2 hours to take 2 other couples to this restaurant for Sunday brunch because we thought is would make a great start to a day of visiting wineries in Southern Illinois. It didn't start out good from the get go. On my Open Table reservation I requested a table in a corner because of our tendency to get a little loud. The maître de did not know about it. Of course, the one table for 6 that fit that requirement was being used by three people.
Then the food took one hour to be served and all of our omelets were not made right and they were cold. On the plus side, the deserts on the desert buffet were pretty good and the salad was very good. Also, the prices are reasonable.
WE were a party of four we had drinks, appetizer and dinner.It took quite a while to get appetizer,even longer to get salad,I ordered my steak well done and it was quite pink - red I had to send it back to get it well done.After dinner we ordered dessert we all wanted the choc cake ,they were out!! So we each had something different and it was not good.Quite surprised !
good food however the service is bad. They make you wait too long to get your food.
The food and service did not meet the standards of previous visits, considering the $170+ amount of our check, and we did not have the "fine dining" experience we had anticipated with our special guest from Miami, FL.
Our waiter was AWESOME.......the restaurant was very nice, the overall service was AWESOME.....the food on the other hand wasn't what I thought it would be. You could have knocked out a window with the bread we were served, the salad was good, my steak was good but not near as good as what I can get at any local steak house, my wife had the spinach linguine with chicken, the chicken was very good but the sauce and the spinach linguine was nothing to write home about.
Thanks, Legends. A welcome relief from the rest of the Southern Illinois scene. We love this place. Marvelous tapas.
Repeat visit. Perfect as usual. Brunch @ Legends, drinks & blues @ The Tasting Room. Wonderful ending to a long week. Will be back.
Table wasn't ready at reservation time so waited in bar. Took over 30 min to get a drink.
It took a little over an hour from time seated to get our food.
I think the time was unjustified. Neither the bar or restaurant was full.
We were there nearly three hours! When our meal was finally served, steaks had been resting so long that they were overcooked. Was starving, but sent them back, because when you pay top dollar for a steak, they should be properly cooked. Same thing happened second time. Ate the steaks and even though they were over-done, they were excellent. Filet was extremely tender and tasty. Would return if they had better service. On their behalf, it was July 5 and they had a fireworks show going on later that evening and perhaps their staff was spread too thin?
We had great food and service. It was cold in the room. We wish we had eaten outside.
good. not great. apps, drinks and salad were better than the main course. desert was not impressive at all. had a few different servers. all were pretty good.
Adam was a great server and the food was wonderful. We have never had a bad experience at Legends.
Nice facility good staff nice experience a little pricy on entree's
We have limited options for upscale restaurants in the area; this one is nice. For the price, though, I would pretty much love to see perfection. Air conditioning was on high when we arrived, and I was very uncomfortable. Next time will bring a warm sweater. It was fairly noisy. Service was good but not as attentive as top restaurants I have been to. My pasta with chicken was on the edge of too salty, but portion was very generous. Dessert was ephemeral, and the wine the waiter recommended was very good indeed. I'll go back for special occasion dining.
Had a great time ...food was excellent...alittle pricey... Great for special night out
My wife and i was very pleased with our dinning experience as it was our twenty fourth wedding anniversary so we chose to try the legends and was not disappointed.We have had the privilege of dinning at many upscale establishments and found yours to be a top the list and look forward to coming back very soon.
The food and atmosphere was okay. We went for the wine ansd was unable to taste. That was disappointing to me.
Ambiance was beautiful. Dinning room decorated for Spring was lovely. Enjoyed the Prime Rib Brunch. Loved the quiet and soft music for easy conversation during our meal. Our company was very impressed with Walker's Bluff. Personally, the pitcher of mimosa was a nice touch. Choices for the brunch was limited but we were all able to find something we liked.
Restaurant setting just gorgeous. We had reservation for graduation dinner and although we had reservation, table was not ready for 15 minutes. Lots of tables were open. Not as though the place was packed.
Food quality good, priced high for quality, though.
Service was great. We had requested in advance a special dessert plate with our son's name and grad details. It was served flawlessly!!
We had a limited graduation menu. It was not advertised. Didn't know we would have limited menu. Was looking forward to other menu items.
It was graduation weekend, and they were very busy. In spite of a few service hiccups, our server (Shane) did a nice job taking very good care of us. Both the Salmon and Chicken with pasta were delicious. I appreciated that the bartender actually brought my first cocktail out to the table himself just to make sure it was satisfactory. Nice to see that kind of attention to detail. I've already selected several other entrees that I look forward to enjoying.
After being called not once, not twice, but 3 times to confirm my reservation, and told to arrive early if possible, we were 15 minutes early, and had to wait in the foyer while 2 other couples who had arrived after us were seated,[ mine was not a large party only 5 members] we were finally seated 10 min after our reservation time, only to sit for 30 min before anyone acknowledged our presence or even bring us ice water. As it was a special occasion, my birthday, and mothers day, my fiance, daughter, mother, and grandmother accompanied me to where i was sure they would be impressed and delighted. Instead we were disappointed and the only highlight was the waiter, Ken, who tried to make up for the distressing first impression we received.
When I visit my family in the area we always go to Legends. I was very pleased to find an updated menu with a great selection of tapas. What a wonderful way to share the experience and enjoy conversation over a glass of wine and tasty tapas.
This was the worst restaurant for service and food. This was for prom and the service was very slow, our order wasn't right and the food was cold. For the price of our meal I expect more. Will not be back
After ordering a $50 steak and biting into a lot of gristle, I asked to return it. I was met by a very defensive evening manager who did nothing to solve my problem, but let me know that this would be kitchen waste and that I was causing an issue. My problem was not taken care of and I ended up paying for a dinner I did not even eat. She even had the nerve to return to my table later and ask if I wanted some bread while the rest of my table finished their meals.
Our birthday celebration was a wonderful and perfect evening! We were given special attention by all, service was great, and our entries for four were all delicious, just outstanding! Thank you for giving us this wonderful evening. We did forget to mention it was the women's birthdays--don't know if you served a special dessert for this occasion. We did forget to mention this--- perhaps the waiter could have asked if it was a special occasion. Just a suggestion! Thanks again. We will be happy to dine again. Joyce
I took my husband here for a nice date night. The atmosphere was wonderful and staff was excellent. They were able to accommodate that I wanted to dine outside and the food was exquisite. Next time I will be trying the Kobe Beef.
We had a group for the sunday brunch. The restaurant is a gem in an otherwise backwoods area. The facilities were beautiful and the service was good. What I was disappointed in was the food itself. The highlight of the meal was the wonderful salad that was chill and quite delicious. The rest of the meal was a disappointment. The omelette was greasy and I didn't even get what I had ordered. The potatoes were hard and cold. The most disappointing part of brunch was the dessert buffet. Cold hard cinnamon rolls, sliced fruit, blueberry cupcakes (looked from the local Wal-Mart), and peach pastry. We all would like to try one of the other restaurants, but agreed we would not be returning to Legends anytime soon.
Always have an excellent wait staff and food is delicious!
I took my sister in law out here for her birthday meal and we had a great time. The service was good and the food was excellent. All around nice evening and she enjoyed herself.
The food, service, and atmosphere can't be beat Great place to go to dine or just for music and drinks
Walkers Bluff is an enjoyable place for an up-scale evening out. A place where you can have a full course relaxing meal, drinks, and a great time. Walkers Bluff itself is stately, with beautiful scenic views all around, along with other attractive venues on the grounds (Seasonal Decorations added a nice warm touch). Our dinners are consistently cooked to our liking, the wines are all so tasty, and the deserts (which you must have) are all so rich and full of flavor. Brandon is our server and he is, as always, a very attentive friendly young man. The manager takes time to ensure her patrons have a pleasurable dining experience. Legends at Walker's Bluff is a place you want to visit and you will surely return.
Legends at Walkers Bluff is rated 4.3 stars by 419 OpenTable diners.


text:
Chester Bennington's Home Available for Rent
January 26, 2018
The home where late Linkin Park singer Chester Bennington lived with his wife and kids has been listed for rent. Related: Mike Shinoda Has 'Every Intention' Of Continuing Linkin Park The Palos Verdes estates house in California is where Bennington took his own life on July 20th of last year. His family has since moved out of the home. The singer bought the home in may 2017 for $2.4 million dollars, according to Redfin.com. The house has five bedrooms, four bathrooms, gourmet kitchen, pool and a spa. The rent on the space is $8,800 per month. Earlier this month, Bennington's widow, Talinda, reminded fans to leave all memorials for her husband at Warner Brothers Records office in Los Angeles instead of at the home.


text:
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) today applauded action by the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) aimed at defending American auto jobs—including jobs in Toledo and Marysville, Ohio—against unfair Chinese trade practices. The Obama Administration's enforcement against China at the World Trade Organization (WTO) comes in response to unfair duties China has placed on more than $3 billion in auto exports from the U.S. In December, Brown sent a bipartisan letter to United States Trade Representative (USTR) Ron Kirk asking him to take action against China's decision to apply unfair tariffs on American-made vehicles.
"American autoworkers can compete with any in the world, but they deserve to do so on a level playing field. The auto industry is helping turn our economy around by reviving manufacturing facilities across the nation. But we're at risk of this progress being undercut if we allow China to continue to cheat and break trade laws," Brown said. "Today's announcement is the type of aggressive approach we need to address the unlevel playing field American automakers are facing."
Duties placed by the Chinese government affect more than 80 percent of American auto exports to China, including vehicles like Jeeps and Acuras made in Toledo, Ohio and Marysville, Ohio, respectively.
According to a 2010 study by the Center for Automotive Research, more than 792,000 Ohio jobs depend on the auto industry; this figure includes 120,285 direct employment (people employed directly by auto industry: 39,685 by automakers and 80,600 by parts suppliers); 276,330 indirect employment (jobs indirectly employed by automakers or parts suppliers: 167,891 by automakers and 108,439 by parts suppliers); and 395,981 spin-off employment (expenditure-induced employment resulting from spending by direct and intermediate employees; 221,018 by automakers and 174,963 by suppliers). A 2011 study by the Center for Automotive Research found that 164,654 jobs in 2009 would have been lost in Ohio if the auto industry had not been rescued.
Brown is the author of the Currency Exchange and Oversight Reform Act, legislation that represents the biggest bipartisan jobs bill—at no cost to U.S. taxpayers—passed by the Senate last year. The legislation would allow the U.S. government to stand up for American jobs when China cheats by manipulating its currency to give its exports an unfair advantage.


text:
The Veterinary Centre Whitehorse Big Easy encompasses five separate events:
- Individual mountain bike categories - 5km, 13km, 20km, 27km
- Individual walk or run categories - 18km, 12km, 5km
- 1.5km run or bike course for younger kids
- Team Challenge or Solo Elite Challenge - run 18km, MTB 27km, and fundraise!
- Duathlon - 12km run and 20km MTB
Our venue - Victoria Park is a 5 minute walk from the centre of the Waimate township, behind the painted silos. All event courses are loop tracks starting and ending at beautiful Victoria Park, except for the 5km MTB which will start in a different location and will finish at Victoria Park.
Courses for all ages and abilities, from the serious competitor to the Sunday stroller. Bring the whole family and have a fun day!


text:
This page is a listing of businesses such as garden centres, nurseries and places to buy garden products. We do not carry adverts directly from businesses on these pages, so please do not submit your website to us for this free service.
It also lists businesses for the UK and USA of companies that do various tasks - such as tree surgeon, garden maintenance and the like.
If your business is not listed on our pages then please see details of our free local gardening businesses here - and how to submit you business. We do not accept any website advertising, but are happy to list your business free of charge.
Bona fide garden-related businesses based in the UK and USA only.


text:
Thursday, 7 January 2010
On my shelves
16 comments:
now this is much more user friendly!ReplyDelete
and its great to see more marbling and paste paper - my dear friend cecilia is a fine paste-paper (amongst other things) artist - you might already know her calligraphy and booky website: http://www.cecilia-letteringart.com/
which has lovely paste paper headers throughout the site.
heck for all I know you might be bestest mates with cecilia (she would thoroughly appreciate your spiders - she has a bit of a thing for bush rats.... it takes all kinds I say!)
I love seeing your booky treasures - I hope you share some more with us
Lovely books, Carol. I've never been to Oamaru, but now there's another reason to go. Thank you for showing us your books.ReplyDelete
- Anonymous7 January 2010 at 20:01
I've been to this precinct in Oamaru but it was some years ago when it was quite new. I will have to be sure to make another trip next time I go to NZ. It's only about an hour's drive. Very interesting.ReplyDelete
thanks for the blog references...I will go there next!ReplyDelete
I find the book binding info very interesting...I had no idea! LOL
Beautiful examples of books! I especially like the first one.ReplyDelete
These are wonderful! I am so in love with them! ALL OF THEM :-) (being a fanatical collector of journals! :-)ReplyDelete
Thanks for posting this. Your knowledge is really appreciated.ReplyDelete
I met Michael O'Brien when I was passing through Oamaru a couple of months ago. When I mentioned I was a letterpress printer in need of a press he tried to persuade me to move to Oamaru where there is a whole print shop just waiting for someone to move in and use it as part of the historic precinct there.ReplyDelete
Carol, dear, you really do collect some of the most gorgeous book! Love that first one by O'Brien that's sewn on tapes.ReplyDelete
Carol this paste paper is so gorgeous! Also, I answered your question in the comment section on my blog about the iridescent paint.ReplyDelete
warm regards
Well, I made it over here from DJ PETTITT's class....and I am so excited to come back when I can just read and read your most interesting blog. I have a love of old books as I had an antiques shop for eighteen years until 2003, when I THOUGHT I retired...I do calligraphy,but my own silly style, and old books with beautiful discoveries on their brittle pages! I WILL be back!! Fondly, sherry peckReplyDelete
Carol, I too am getting all the notes for later....as I have many children I'm involved with and may get behind. Also wanted to thank you for coming to my blog and commenting....such encouragement. And again I sent a few people recently to your blog to see your passion of books.....I can't wait to have more time to read it!ReplyDelete
First time to your blog, Carol. Such an interesting post - very informative and the books are exquisite. Thanks for stopping by my blog and leaving your kind comment.ReplyDelete
Those are some beautiful books Carol - real treasures. I'm so pleased to have found your blog and now it's in my RSS feed, there'll be no hidingReplyDelete
I was sorry to hear that you're suffering with the migraine but pleased you're taking it easy and letting it take its course. Photoshop will still be there when you're ready to roll - as will I!!
It amazes me the creativity, attention to detail and patience that bookmakers/bookbinders must have! Those are truly beautiful books - works of art in themselves. And yes, Judy's assemblages are incredible. I've been lucky to meet her in person and to see one of her books up close. She puts so much thought and research into her work.ReplyDelete
I am wondering if I once met Michael. His shop was wonderful and he was in need of an apprentice at the time. Though I have little experience, I sometimes wonder what my life would be life if I had been able to take the position~ You have shared gorgeous books here.ReplyDelete
I love to read your comments and I do reply to each. I've turned off word verification and comment moderation for the moment but will see how that goes.


text:
A common mistake that a lot of newbies do when they get into Kratom is that they buy only one strain and reuse it over and over. At first it works quite well, but eventually, they'll notice that the effects get weaker.
Rotating strains of Kratom is important for one very important reason only, and it is to keep your tolerance low. It's also good so you can try out other Kratom strains as well.
We also discuss Kratom rotation in our Kratom Beginners Guide.
If you take the same strain day in and day out, your body will get used to that specific strain and the effects won't be as strong as it used to be.
Imagine working out and doing the same exercises every day. It's hard at the start, but your body will eventually find a more efficient way to perform them. If you don't do that movement every day, then your body won't be so used to it. Your tolerance to Kratom is like working out. With constant exposure to the same thing, the body will find a better way to handle it or get use to it.
When I first started Kratom, rotating the kratom strains was one thing that I did right. Most of the time, I would have good aromas from taking Kratom unless I overdosed.
Although I did rotate strains correctly, I was also curious and broked the rules just to see what would happen. I would experiment and try one kratom strain and continued taking it the following days, and what I notice was the Strain's effect worked well for 2 days. On the third day, the same Kratom strain wasn't as potent as when I had rotated the strains properly.
For some crazy reason, as my tolerance for the specific strain increased, so did my tolerance for the rest of the other Kratom strains. As a result, I had to go cold turkey for about a week.
It sucked, but good thing you found this guide before you start burning one specific strain and complain about Kratom not working for you anymore. 🙂
To rotate strain you should consume a different type of kratom strain every day. Preferably 5-7 strains should be in your rotation.
If you want to take the same strain again then you should give it roughly around 3 days to take that same strain again. The more times you take the same strain without proper rotation, the more your tolerance builds up, thus makes that specific strain much much more difficult to take effect.
One thing you can do is take the same strain on the same day, but do know that you will have to take a slightly larger dose than you did earlier. We say take it again after 3-4 hours from the last time you took it.
This depends on the individual. If you aren't set on taking Kratom every day (beginners), then 3 is the minimum. But to effectively keep tolerance down you should have, like said previously, around 5-7 strains.
Each strain has its own speed, and we usually tend to prefer a different speed every day. Monday could be moderate, Tuesday could be fast, Wednesday could be slow, Thursday could be back to moderate, Friday could be fast, Saturday could be slow, Sunday can be moderate.
We don't believe the different rotation of speed would have much effect on tolerance, it's just how we prefer to do it. We've also gone from one fast strain to another fast strain the following day. An example would be taking Hyper Hippo (Maeng Da) on Monday and then taking Red Hot Hippo (Red Thai) on Tuesday.
So for most people, if you are planning to live the Kratom lifestyle then we would recommend 5 to 7 strains so you can rotate them properly.
For a beginner start out with 3. There is a Happy Hippo Starter Pack with three great strains for some rotation practice.
You can lower your tolerance by going off of Kratom (cold turkey) for a week. The better way is to properly rotate your Kratom strains. If done correctly, you will always need the exact same amount of Kratom to hit your sweet spot, no more, no less.
Those who have been taking only one strain should go off Kratom for one whole week then after that, you can go ahead and take Kratom again while properly rotating strains.
Pros and Cons of Rotating:
Let's talk about the pros and cons of having a rotation schedule. If you are a daily user of Kratom it is best to decide and plan ahead on your Kratom rotation schedule.
Pros of having a Kratom rotation:
- You are able to keep your Kratom tolerance down by allowing your receptors to refresh to a certain strain for 3 days or up to a week while getting an effect from a different strain.
- You are able to try out many different types of strains and know which Kratom strains work best for what days you are using it for.
- Your Kratom effects will always be strong as they were the first time you've tried it.
- Having multiple strains will allow you to experiment by combining strains to get different effects. (We are currently trying this out and some combination are duds and some are amazing).
Cons of having a Kratom rotation:
- Having many strains, around 5-7, can get quite expensive, and not a lot of people can't do that due to their financial situations.
- Some strains may not be best for you. (try strains before you add them to your rotation).
- You are a Kratom fanatic/freak :).
There you have the pros and cons of having a Kratom rotation.
For beginners, you should definitely not buy 5-7 strains your first time, unless you're super-rich. We suggest you get three strains and try them out, and then try different trains the next time. The reason for this is because you shouldn't invest your money in strains that may not work for you in the future.
For the first six months, beginners should experiment. Until you find the right strains for you, and until you have decided that you want to take Kratom daily is when you should begin taking rotation seriously.
If your financial situation doesn't allow you to rotate 5-7 strains, we suggest having on 3-4 strains and have some days where you don't take Kratom at all.
Remember that to take a specific strain again, it should be 3 days apart from the time you last consumed it.
Don't take the same strain on consecutive days.
If you already have built up a high tolerance to Kratom, you can simply go off kratom for a week to lower your kratom tolerance.
For beginners, you should give yourself some time, roughly around 6 months, to experiment with Kratom before they decide to make Kratom a part of your life. By doing this you save money and be able to experiment with kratom without fully investing in the idea of making it a lifestyle.
Until next time.
.-Ben and Chihao
P.S: If you're looking for a great vendor we recommend checking out Happy Hippo Herbals. They have the best Kratom and we have personally been using them for almost three years now.


text: Curtis Alan Jones (born April 26, 1967, in Chicago, Illinois) is an American electronica and house music singer, songwriter and producer. His style of house music has been compared and inspired by the likes of Kraftwerk, Prince, Gary Numan, and Nitzer Ebb. Jones is also known as Geo Vogt, Green Velvet, Half Pint, Curan Stone, and Gino Vittor… Read More


text:
The purpose of Steller Parent Group is to enrich the lives of Steller students through the financial support and leadership from all active parents. The Steller Parent Group was established as part of the whole Steller Community. The mission of this group is to promote parent involvement in school activities, to solicit, address, and make recommendations regarding issues facing the Steller Community, and to support fundraising activities and facilitate the disbursement of (those) funds.
All parents and guardians of Steller students are automatically members of the Steller Parent Group. Your participation, your voice, and your vote are all essential to the health and effectiveness of this community group. Students are always welcome to attend and may wish to bring a proposal, a funding request, or to communicate student ideas or concerns.
Steller Parent Group meets in Ken's room on the second Tuesday of each month for an hour and a half from 6:00pm to 7:30pm. Watch for e-mail announcements via The Flash or watch our website for any updates to our schedule. You are highly encouraged to come join in the discussion and participate in helping shape our school for the benefit of all our students.
All e-mails for Steller Parent Group should be sent to: email@example.com
All officers of the group automatically receive e-mails forwarded from this address. For a list of current officers, see page 3 of this FAQ document.
The school office maintains a physical mailbox for the parent group. You're welcome to drop donation checks, letters, or any other matters pertaining to the group in this mailbox. Mail is generally picked up by the Treasurer every other week. If it is a time sensitive mail, please email the group to let us know.
Steller Parent Group uses MySchoolAnywhere.com to maintain an active directory of students, parents and staff and asks members to update this list each year to aide in the communication and coordination for our events and activities. Your willingness to share your contact information with the group is greatly appreciated. Please take the time to enter your families contact information by following this link http://www.stellerschool712.org/main/online-forms/ . Your information will not be shared outside of our school community.
Steller Parent Group maintains this website: www.stellerschool712.org
This site is separate from the official website maintained by ASD staff (steller.asdk12.org). We maintain our own website to allow greater parent access, flexibility of content, and greater ease of updating information. Need to add or change something to our website or post an update to The Flash news feed? E-mail the webmaster at: firstname.lastname@example.com
The Flash (News)
Get news and post news using "The Flash". Steller uses "The Flash" in addition to ASD's School Messenger system. Parents and staff both submit news and school information to be delivered via this daily email update. To subscribe, visit our website stellerschool712.org and enter your email address on the left hand side of the page. You will get a confirmation e-mail. To post school related news, email your article to the webmaster firstname.lastname@example.com
Bulletin Board
We now have a dedicated bulletin board space on the wall right next to the Library. There you will find things like: Meeting Minutes, Financial Reports, Agendas, and a notice for upcoming meetings. Check it out the next time you visit.
We are now on Facebook
Our facebook group is not only intended to help spread important information but to help facilitate communication between parents and organizers. We encourage you to join and invite fellow parents at: https://www.facebook.com/groups/stellerparentgroup
The bylaws of the Steller Parent Group is part of the larger Steller Community Bylaws and can be found by clicking here.
Steller Parent Group is a 501(c)(3) Non-profit organization and we accept donations to help fund school programs and support our students in many ways. Checks can be made out to Steller Parent Group and dropped off in the school office. Credit card donations can be made on our website (stellerschool712.org) or by using the store in your directory account (MySchoolAnywhere.com). Your donations are tax deductible.
Co-Chairperson Randy Gibbs (firstname.lastname@example.com)
Co-Chairperson: Karen Gillis (email@example.com)
Treasurer: Kevin Hedin (firstname.lastname@example.com)
Co-Treasurer: Vacant Position
Secretary: Angie Southwould (firstname.lastname@example.com)
Co-Secretary: Vacant Position
Communication Director: Vacant Position
Fundraising Director: Kari Hall (email@example.com)
Webmaster & Flash News: Judy Francis-Woods (firstname.lastname@example.com)
Facebook Admin: Vacant Position (currently administered by Kevin Hedin)
Additional contacts:
Souper Steller Program Lead: Emma Kramer (student) and Kari Hall (parent)
Community Service Program Lead: Vacant Position (prior lead Victoria Weindel)
Corporate Donations Lead Contact: Vacant Position
Auction Event Coordinator: Judith Davis (email@example.com)
Directory organizer: Kevin Hedin (email@example.com)


text:
Govt reassures Tanzanians living in Rwanda
Amid massive expulsions of Rwandans from Tanzania on the orders of President Jakaya Kikwete, Kigali has moved to reassure Tanzanians that they have no reason to fear – even as relations between the two countries are at all time low.
Since June, more than 1,000 have been forced out often without anything – even when many of them were born in Tanzania. The most affected areas are the Kagera region bordering Rwanda. President Kikwete issued a 14-day ultimatum last late last month which he said was meant to flash out criminals and undocumented foreigners.
However, critics have charged that Tanzania is targeting Rwandans – specifically those who fled persecution as previous Rwanda governments targeted them for being Tutsis. Following his stance that Rwanda's government negotiate with FDLR genocidal rebels in eastern DRC,President Kikwete is also siding with those who he associates with them in his country, critics also charge.
However, the expulsions have been going on since 2005 – when the mass evictions began. Thousands have been resettled in eastern Rwanda and are only beginning to restart their lives because they lost everything they had worked for all their lives.
Back in Rwanda, the Tanzania community – like many other foreigners have been expressing anxiety, fearing the worst from Rwanda authorities. Foreign Affairs Minister Louise Mushikiwabo was on hand to their support yesterday.
"I want to reassure Tanzanians living in Rwanda that no harm will come to them,†said Mushikiwabo, at a press conference. "We are all part of the East African Community and as such any Tanzanian should feel welcome.â€
On the Rwandans evicted from Tanzania, Minister Mushiwabo said that while these things are usually discussed among countries, Kigali was not consulted on the expulsions. She however, added that Rwanda is ready to receive any Rwandan who crossed the border.
The minister also discussed about a request for extradition from the government of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) for four former members of the M23 group who sought refuge in Rwanda earlier this year. Among them includes Jean Marie Runiga and his close commanders.
"Rwanda is abiding by international standards but the process takes time,†said Mushikiwabo.
"The Ministry of Justice has received the papers and is currently reviewing the documents to see if they are complete. Extradition is not a simple matter where you send a letter and then the people are sent over. It is a serious legal procoess and we must make sure that everything is done right. One of the challenges we must address is how to extradite people to a country that still has the death penalty when we abolished it. However, rest assured that we are abiding by international law,†said Mushikiwabo.
On wider discussions on the DRC, Mushikiwabo said that the International Conference for the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) Summit held last week called on the DRC government to resume Kampala peace talks as well as naming FDLR, a negative force. This combined with individual country commitments in the UN Peace, Security and Cooperation Framework for the DRC and the Region showed that regional efforts and as well as a commitment to addressing root causes gives hope of a lasting solution for sustainable peace in the region.
"As we do our part, Rwanda requests that that there are no other threats to our territory," said the minister.
Rwanda's top diplomat was also pressed about relations with fellow East African Community member Tanzania. "We are neighbours and so we have to live in peace,†said Mushikiwabo.
"We are in the same block and much is to be gained from this. However, the tension that arose from the suggestion to Rwanda negotiate with FDLR would be met with the same reaction were it from anyone else. FDLR committed genocide in Rwanda. They should be the whole world's enemy. That's how serious crimes of genocide are; we are not talking of a mutiny or a rebel group. They committed genocide in Rwanda and have continued their deadly work in the DRC. Some say most FDLR are too young to have been in the genocide but the ideology, indoctrinated since birth, has no age. Rwanda will never sit at a table with them and rejects any suggestion to do so. FDLR should disarm, reject genocidal ideology and return to Rwanda.â€