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Stratfor.com Intel Briefing
GHOST: Confessions of a Counterterrorism Agent
Fred Burton, Stratfor.com
June 10, 2008
Editor's Note:
This week's Stratfor.com Intelligence Briefing is the first chapter of Fred Burton's new book, GHOST: Confessions of a Counterterrorism Agent. Burton is vice president for counterterrorism and corporate security at Stratfor. He is the former deputy chief of the counterterrorism division of the U.S. State Department's Diplomatic Security Service.
Chapter One: The Buried Bodies
February 10, 1986
Bethesda, Maryland
On my morning run through February's chilly darkness, my chocolate Lab, Tyler Beauregard, sets the pace. This is our routine together, though we always vary our route now. At agent training, which I just completed, they drilled into us the notion that in our new lives, routines will get us killed. When you join the Dark World, you must become unpredictable. Erratic. We must strip away all the conventions of our old lives and fade into the background. We've been trained. We've practiced. Today, I begin my life as a ghost.
These morning runs will be my one tip to the old life I'm leaving behind. Still, today I take new precautions, such as the snubby Smith & Wesson Model 60 .38-caliber revolver tucked away under my belt.
I love these morning runs with Tyler. She is a remarkable animal, my familiar, a canine that intuits more about loyalty and honor than most of the people I encountered as a police officer in Montgomery County, Maryland. She pads along, tongue lolling, breathing steady. She's a pro. She could run marathons of her own.
My footfalls echo across the empty Bethesda neighborhood. The tidy brick houses and apartments are dark. In my new life, I'll be spending a lot of time in darkness. I've learned to be paranoid. I've learned to look around corners and watch my back. Our instructors warned us that the KGB opens a file on every one of us new agents as soon as we graduate. Then they probe our lives and backgrounds in search of weaknesses, skeletons, or any sort of leverage by which to exploit or co-opt us. Sooner or later, they will make contact with an offer. Or a threat.
I glance behind me, half expecting to see some Eastern Bloc thug in a trench coat shadowing me. But all I see is a thin layer of fog and an empty suburban block.
I look behind me a lot these days. It goes with the job. Situational awareness is essential if we are to stay alive. I don't run with a Walkman banging out Springsteen's Born to Run anymore. My ears are unbound and tuned to the street. Every little sound, every shuffle or distant downshift of an automobile on MacArthur Boulevard registers with me. I file each new noise away in my mind, cataloging it so I'll notice anything out of the ordinary. I've been trained to be an observer. Since I started my training last November, I hone and refine this skill on every morning run.
Tyler picks up the pace. She's taking me toward Glen Echo, a small town on the Potomac. We reach a little jogging trail that runs along Reservoir Road. Here, we escape the suburbs and plunge into the woods. Just before we enter the tree line, I steal a sidelong glance behind me again. I practice this move every day; it is something we learned in training. The trick is to be unobtrusive, to not reveal that you're clearing your six. It has become automatic for me now.
No tails. We're not being followed.
Today my life changes forever. I have no idea what is in store for us new guys. I just know that a year ago, I was a Maryland cop. I protected my community. I loved law enforcement, but I wanted something more. So I applied for federal service, and the Diplomatic Security Service offered me a job. Until last fall, I'd never even heard of the DSS.
I started my training in November 1985, just a few weeks after terrorists hijacked the cruise liner Achille Lauro and executed Leon Klinghoffer for the crime of being an American citizen-and a Jew. They shot him then dumped him overboard in his wheelchair.
The world needs more cops.
Only three out of every hundred who start the training get to the finish line. I felt lucky just to be there. After the ceremony, we stood in alphabetically arranged lines waiting to receive our first assignments. Our class coordinator, Special Agent Phil Whitney, began reading off our names and telling us what we'd be doing for the next phase of our lives. Some of us picked up overseas assignments in our embassy field offices. Some landed protective security tours, guarding our diplomats and the secretary of state. Whitney told a few they'd be assigned as diplomatic couriers, where they would carry our nation's most-guarded secrets from one place to another all around the globe.
When he got to me, Whitney paused. He stared at his clipboard for a moment before saying, "Burton, Counterterrorism Branch."
I'd had no idea what that was. When Whitney reached the middle of the alphabet he called out, "Mullen, Counterterrorism Branch."
Now I'm counterterror. Whatever that means. I suppose like every American who watches the evening news, I've seen Americans abroad fall victim to political violence.
I looked down the rows of agents to John Mullen. His flaming red hair was easy to spot. I could see him searching me out. We were the only two to be sent to this puzzling assignment. We exchanged confused glances. What had we gotten into?
At least I'd be going into it with a rock-steady veteran. Before he joined the DSS, Mullen had been an agent with the Drug Enforcement Administration, battling the growing narco-criminal element and cocaine cartels on the streets of New York City. Legend had it that he'd been in a nasty shoot-out and had run out of ammunition in the midst of the fray. After that, he always carried two guns. One he tucked away in a shoulder holster. The other he wore strapped to his ankle. He prepared for the worst and trusted in firepower. I swear we all thought he slept with those weapons. They were his pacifiers.
A light rain drizzles down on us now. Tyler shakes her coat in midstride, sending water droplets flying. I wish I could do that. We're still on a course that is taking us away from our little redbrick apartment, a fact that I sense is starting to disappoint my dog. I hurry forward until I'm even with her and bend down to run my hands through her damp fur. She looks up at me with pure love. I've already told my wife that when I die, Tyler's ashes will be buried with me.
Back home, my wife, Sharon, is probably just getting up to face her own Monday. We were high school sweethearts and have known each other most of our lives. Up until now, we've lived an average DINK life (Double Income, No Kids). She's an accountant, a damned good one. She's aggressive and driven and works long hours. Now, I'm a spook. Secrecy is our watchword. I realize with a grin that we'll have nothing to talk about at cocktail parties.
Tyler Beauregard dashes ahead of me again until she reaches a narrow footbridge. She waits for me to catch up. She knows this bridge. We've investigated it before. It is top on the list of Dark World sites to see in Washington, D.C. Of course, there are no plaques or markers noting this piece of spy history. To the average workaday American-guys like me until four months ago-it was just a little bridge over a small creek.
But now I know its dark side. This was Kim Philby's dead-drop point. Philby was the KGB's first true superspy, a British intel operative who embraced Communism while at Oxford in the thirties. He compromised hundreds of agents, destroyed scores of operations, and sold out the lives of countless patriots. When his cover was finally blown in the sixties, he escaped to Moscow and got what he deserved: a hellish life under the regime he had helped sustain. In the dingy concrete apartments he later called home, he devolved into a bitter, broken alcoholic given to frequent bouts of complete incoherence. His conscience became his enemy. He died in shame, his name a byword for treason.
In the late 1940s, Philby was posted to Washington, D.C. It was said that he somehow learned the true size of our atomic stockpile, which was not large at the time. He passed that vital tidbit of national security on to the KGB by taping a tube full of documents under this bridge. Legend has it that the information the Russians retrieved here emboldened Stalin to blockade Berlin in 1948.
This is my world now. The days of chasing speeders, driving drunken high school kids home, and taking down burglars is over. At least for me.
I fold the creds up and tuck them into my left jacket pocket. I'm agent number 192. Last, I strap on my belt holster. It holds two speed loaders for my Smith & Wesson Model 19 .357 Magnum.
Tyler senses I'm brooding and sets off again. This is her way of telling me it is time to return to the warmth of our apartment. I trail along behind her, my breathing easy. As I watch her galloping for home, it strikes me that she too has a connection to the Dark World. She's from Winchester, Virginia. I bought her from a breeder there in town when she was just a pup. That's John Mosby country. He was a Confederate colonel, a renegade guerrilla nicknamed the "Gray Ghost" who struck terror into the hearts of Union rear-area types during the height of the Civil War.
Now I'm counterterror. Whatever that means. I suppose like every American who watches the evening news, I've seen Americans abroad fall victim to political violence. One terror attack after another has darkened the nightly broadcasts-the Achille Lauro, plane hijackings, car bombings, Beirut. We're a nation still scarred by the Iran hostage crisis and that 444-day nightmare. Will I be fighting against this sort of criminal now? I'm not sure, but I hope so.
Time to find out. We run through the morning, never retracing our steps. Periodically, I check my rear. No KGB agent picks up my tail. When we reach the apartment, we're still alone. A half hour out in the neighborhood and we never saw another soul. It is refreshing to have such privacy.
A quick shower and a hastily downed breakfast soon follow our arrival home. I dress carefully. I toss my Casio watch onto the nightstand. I use it only for running. In its place, I strap on a black-faced Rolex Submariner. There's no way I could afford such a luxury at retail price on my salary. A government special agent makes $22,000. But on our honeymoon to the Virgin Islands a few years ago, I snagged this one for $750.
In the closet, I find my Jos. A. Bank suit. Brown. Standard spook issue. The company gives us agents a discount. I button up a white dress shirt and throw on the one thing that will give me any distinction among my colleagues: a duck-patterned Orvis tie. No sense in totally obliterating my identity with my government threads.
Finally, I reach down to find my Johnston & Murphy lace-up shoes. I used to wear loafers when I wore a suit, but that's a no-no in the Dark World. Our instructors taught us to always wear lace-up shoes. Why? If you have to kick someone while wearing loafers, chances are your shoe will fly off. Lace-ups stay on through hand-to-hand combat.
I wonder who I'll need to kick in the months to come.
I slip a Parker rollerball into my shirt pocket, then check my briefcase. Inside is a small black pouch with the Holy Grail of our business: five little pins designed to be affixed to our left lapels. Each one is color-coded: black, red, blue, green, and gold. Depending on the day and the mission, they denote to other agents that the wearer is on protective security duty. That's basically bodyguard detail, like what the Secret Service does for the president. In agent training, we were told that if we lose these pins, it would automatically trigger an internal affairs investigation.
In the briefcase next to the pouch is my custom-made radio earpiece. It was molded specifically for me and my left ear. When in the field, this will be my lifeline to my fellow agents.
I pull my credentials out of the briefcase. They look like an average wallet until you open them. Inside, they're marked "This special agent holds a Top Secret clearance and is worthy of trust and confidence." Our gold badge sits next to those words. I fold the creds up and tuck them into my left jacket pocket. I'm agent number 192.
Last, I strap on my belt holster. It holds two speed loaders for my Smith & Wesson Model 19 .357 Magnum. I slide the ebony weapon into its sheath and snap the strap in place. With the two speed loaders, I've got eighteen rounds. That should be enough. If you can't get the job done with eighteen shots, you'd better run.
I'm ready for work. Well, almost. It's a cold day and I'll need a jacket. Inside my closet hangs a green Barbour Beaufort. This is a standard-issue piece of cold-weather gear for the British MI5 and several other intelligence services. They're warm and have inner pockets that are perfect for hiding an extra revolver or a small radio. The pockets are lined and keep hands toasty, even on a snowy day. This allows us to forgo gloves, making it easier to draw our weapons.
Or so the veteran spooks have told me.
Back in the day, special agents preferred tweed. Look around D.C. in the sixties and seventies, and the spooks from Langley and the Hooverite FBI agents all wore brown tweed with elbow patches. They looked a bit like college professors, only cooler and in better shape. And well-armed.
That's old-school now. We new guys go with the Barbour Beauforts. One of my instructors told me just before graduation that in a pinch, if you need help while out on the street during an assignment, look for the Barbour Beaufort jackets. Chances are they'll be keeping a spook warm.
But for which side?
By now it's almost six. Sharon's coiffed and ready for work. We kiss and both of us depart, leaving the apartment to Tyler. She'll take good care of it.
My gold Jetta awaits. It is not James Bond's Aston Martin, just the best we could do on our salaries. I climb aboard and head for MacArthur Avenue. I check my rearview mirror every few seconds, memorizing the cars behind me. Are any following? I merge onto Canal Road and pass along the outskirts of the Georgetown University campus.
It seems like such a normal commute in an average part of America. Yet I know that today is going to be different. The life here on the surface, the life 90 percent of us lead, is going to be a mere reflection from now on for me. Already there have been changes. I have a false driver's license. I'm Fred Booth to people in the normal world. We keep our first names so we respond naturally when somebody uses it. I stole my uncle's last name for my pseudonym.
There's another distinction. The plates on my Jetta are standard- looking Maryland issue, but they are blanks in the state's computer system. If anyone runs a trace on them, the Maryland DMV will alert our office. If the KGB wants info on us newbies, our license plates will be a dead end.
Through the predawn darkness, I drive and watch my tail in the light traffic. Seventeen minutes later, I reach the Harry S Truman Building. This is the State Department's home base. Located a short ways off the National Mall, it is an imposing edifice.
I flash my creds to the guard. He nods. I'm new; he recognizes it. I ask him where the Counterterrorism Branch is located. He shrugs. Even the guards don't know where it is. It takes me a few minutes to find my way down to the investigations section, located deep inside the bowels of the building. I find myself underground. No windows, poor air circulation. Government-issued desks abound. Someone takes pity on me and leads me to a narrow corridor, past a set of restrooms, where I am left in front of an oversized wooden door, painted blue. Embedded inside the wood is an S&G combination lock. I knock tentatively.
I try not to stare by keeping my eyes on the file cabinets. It takes me a minute to realize that stacked around us are piles of plastic explosives, some of which are labeled in Russian Cyrillic.
The door opens, and I come face-to-face with ... not James Bond. Medium length, salt-and-pepper hair, mustache, ruddy, rugged features make this man look more like a patrol sergeant than James Bond. For a moment, I'm rooted in place with astonishment. All I can do is stare as he swings back out of the doorway and sits behind a weather-beaten old desk, cigarette dangling from his lips. He ignores me and picks up two phones, sticking one in each ear. Piled on the desk in front of him are stacks of paper. He seems to be reading as he talks. Using a red pen, he scribbles something across a piece of paper even as he shouts into one of the phones. Then he slams it down, takes a long drag on the smoke, and stares up at me.
I look around the room. The walls are bare. The office is tiny, made even smaller by the fact that there are three oversized wooden desks in it. Not Bond's sits slightly off to one side, but the other two are back-toback. Mullen is perched in an ancient chair that looks like it could have gone government surplus sometime before the Spanish-American War. He appears completely dumbfounded. He's already surrounded by stacks of paperwork and file folders. He's gamely making an effort to read something, but I can tell his attention is really on Not Bond, who has returned to chewing somebody out over the other phone while crushing his cigarette out in an overflowing ashtray. He nods at me and points at the remaining desk. Apparently, I get to sit face-to-face with Mullen all day. Privacy is not a luxury we will enjoy here.
A couple of fans blow the dusty air around. Already, it carries a whiff of body odor, tinged with that musty smell yellowing documents give off. They mingle to create a totally new sort of odor, one part locker room, one part dingy, dank document repository, like a high school football team has set up shop in the basement of the National Archives.
Mullen gives me a weak grin, as if to say Welcome to Oz, Burton.
I step to my desk. Around it, in every nook and cranny, tan burn bags are stacked and double stacked. Apparently, we'll be turning much of the paperwork in here into ashes at some point or another. More burn bags slump against a series of five paint-flecked, industrial gray file cabinets. I wonder what those contain. I glance over at Not Bond. He waves at me and points to my chair. Dutifully, I sit in it. He's jabbering a mile a minute. Words spill out of his mouth, but I can't understand what he's saying. He seems to have his own language. I hear him use Fullback, POTUS, Eagle 1, LIMDIS, and NODIS all in the same series of sentences. Is this English or is Not Bond a Navajo code talker? And will I have to learn all this stuff, too? Who starts a new job that requires a new language?
I try not to stare by keeping my eyes on the file cabinets. It takes me a minute to realize that stacked around us are piles of plastic explosives, some of which are labeled in Russian Cyrillic.
Not Bond lights another cigarette and sticks another phone in his ear. I wonder if smoking around stuff that blows up is all that wise of an idea.
One of the fans blows a big waft of tobacco smoke across my desk. I try not to cough. Mullen studiously avoids eye contact. He looks like a frazzled redheaded college student cramming for a midterm.
Not Bond slams one of his phones down onto its cradle. It's an old rotary, like something from the seventies. Minutes later, he cradles the other one.This is a mixed blessing.Now all his multitasking attention is riveted on me.We stare at each other. I try not to look panicked, but the truth is I can already see I'm in way over my head. I'm in an office full of bombs.
"Steve Gleason," says Not Bond. "Sorry about that. Talking with the Folks Across the River."
I give him a blank look.
"The CIA. This is an unsecured line. We have to talk around things." He guffaws, takes a deep drag on his smoke, then adds, "As if the Reds couldn't figure out who the 'Folks Across the River' are."
I stay silent. It seems like the prudent thing to do.
"See those cabinets?" He points his cigarette at the line of gray boxes on the far wall.
I nod.
"That's where the bodies are buried."
I hope that's not literal. At this point, given the plastique, the burn bags, the smells, all bets are off.
He reaches over his desk and grabs a couple of files. He tosses them at me. They slide across my desk. "Beirut I and II. Read them." I look down. The files are coded with numbers and letters. They offer me no clue as to what they contain.
He lunges for more paperwork. "Open a case number on these two. Then go draw some travel money. We take turns running to FOGHORN to pick up the latest cables."
I don't understand any of this. I want to ask what FOGHORN is, but I decide it would be more prudent to remain silent.
"Look, what we do here is very secret. Hardly anyone here at State knows what we do. Keep it that way. What we do here stays in this room, clear?"
"Read these." He launches a raft of diplomatic cables my way. The top ones are marked "SECRET" in red letters. I'd never read a secret document in my life. Now, I'm trapped in a blizzard of them. It'll take me hours to read this stuff.
"Check out the cold cases. Dissect them. Find ways we can keep our people alive in the future, okay?" He stabs the air with his cigarette, pointing at the file cabinets again.
His phone rings. He snatches it up, his attention on me broken. It is time to get to work.
I look down at the pile of paper and wonder where to start.
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text:
category and POWER8 Extras category have more items compatible with the
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subset: commoncrawl


text:
The national public television and radio broadcaster in Canada, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) produced Sesame Park, a Sesame Street co-production. It was also a first-run broadcaster of Fraggle Rock. The Muppet Show, Muppets Tonight and many other productions had also originally aired in Canada on this network.
Their production studios CBC Studios and later the Canadian Broadcasting Centre, were host to Fraggle Rock (1983-1987) and Basil Hears a Noise (1990), as well as Sesame Park (1996-2002).
The Muppets have been guests on programs like The Hour and Q with Jian Ghomeshi.
The Sesame Park characters have appeared in general CBC station promotions. (YouTube)
On March 18, 2014, reporter Eli Glasner interviewed Miss Piggy about Muppets Most Wanted (2014).[1]


text:
The 2013 Customer Experience Leadership Conference KeyNotes Report
- Authors:
Publication Date:
April 2013
As retail gives way to online or "etail" shopping, sellers need more than ever to concentrate on the customer. Companies should take advantage of new technologies to amass "big data" on their audiences and target current and future customers, but they should also stay "old school" in the area of employee-customer interactions. If you teach employees how to treat customers and treat both populations well, you will have employees and customers that are loyal for life.


text:
New York Coasters
$ 33.00
This product is currently sold out.
One set of four New York coasters.
You drink stuff. Because, you know, you're a human. Maybe you're strictly a water person. Maybe an occasional coke. Or pop. Or whatever you prefer to call it. On Fridays, an old fashioned, perhaps? Listen, what you drink is your business. But what you set your drink on is ours. And we get it. They're "just" coasters. But think of it this way. Every time you put your drink down, you'll smile, remembering where you come from. Hey, it's the simple things.
Made from Chicago's world famous Horween leather.


text:
Sunday, February 23, 2014
Salon de l'Agriculture 2014
20 comments:
- Carolyn1:44 AM
OK, I love mushrooms, but I cannot even imagine a liqueur made from them though. Maybe a little splash of it in the leek-mushroom soup??ReplyDeleteReplies
It was trés DELISH!Delete
I was surprised too..that's what I love about this show - you get to taste lots of strange stuff.
It's why the French have such elevated taste buds. They start the training early.
The French could make a liqueur out of grass...
The Alsacienne pizza looks super.ReplyDelete
Do they deliver?
What a wonderful exhibit! I particularly like the carafes filled with the aromas in wines. Such a helpful vis-aid! I can never isolate the "flavors" in many wines. x KatieReplyDeleteReplies
Wish you were coming earlier to Paris.Delete
I didn't buy a single kitchen gadget this time.
I didn't even see any being demoed
- Dolly12:43 PM
I love Bella and I don't think she is a Holstein. The Tarentaise or Tarine cows probably came from two bloodlines Bos taurus Jurassicus and Bos taurus Alpinus, both descendants of tawny or brown populations which had come from the Indo-Asiatic continent via Central Europe. Holsteins are large and produce lots of milk and I don't think they share much ancestry with the Tarines. By the way, the Tarines captured the attention of Pliny the Elder - what an insatiable curiosity he had and he kept a blog - much like yours. :-)ReplyDelete
Thank you for taking me to Paris via "Paris Breakfast." Keep up the great work.Replies
Yes I indeed misread the information wrong in the English translation handbook they gave press.Delete
Bella is a Tarines (Tarentaises) from a national herd of 13,500 cows.
The Holsteins (in France) make up over 2 MILLION cows.
I must change the text.
Thank you Dolly !
Oh I love Beaufort!Delete
Who doesn't.I didn't know she was responsible.
No wonder she was wearing an Alpine decorative collar...
- Bonnie L5:48 PM
This Salon looks SO fabulous! I can't even imagine the delight of finding delicacies from so many regions of France, all in one place! Our next vacation in Paris will have to be the end of February...ReplyDeleteReplies
A Huge Burgundy wine area to taste for you!!Delete
I have a special favor to ask of you: Please do not ever tell me you skipped the kouign amann. Even if you do manage to skip it, please pretend you ate the whole thing. For my sake. I beg of you.ReplyDeleteReplies
If you wanna survive living in France you've got to learn to WALK ON BY a lot of stuff or you'll be toast in no time at all!Delete
- Alli8:57 PM
great cow sketches. Love' em, and aggie fairs, too. I used to sell amusement ride tickets at the Essex County Fair near where we livedin Topsfield, Mass..My father was frequently called on to handle the difficult horses. It was the oldest agricultural fair in the state, and it still goes on.ReplyDelete


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Latest Features
16 weeks 3 days ago
15 weeks 5 days ago
27 weeks 3 days ago
29 weeks 4 days ago
29 weeks 5 days ago
Contract Status
Event tag that describes a prospect being signed, re-signed, or denied a qualifying offer.
More Prospect Signings Coming?Submitted by pete on August 1, 2005 - 17:58
Erik Erlensson of the Tribune [url=http://sports.tbo.com/sports/MGBGE7D5UBE.html]suggests the Lightning may move to sign some of their college prospects like Matt Smaby, Brady Greco and Jay Rosehill [/url]to build up their minor league depth at the position. Lightning GM Jay Feaster has made it known he thinks the NCAA ranks are too soft for his taste and [url=http://www.nhl.com/futures/features/prospects_tam040705.html]hinted strongly to NHL.com a Smaby signing may be in the offing.[/url] When Andreas Holmqvist's return to Linkopings in Sweden freed up a roster spot in Springfield it all but sealed the deal that the Lightning would attempt to get Smaby to go pro.
- Read more
- 2191 reads
Boutin/Hrdel SignSubmitted by pete on July 28, 2005 - 20:02
As expected, [url=http://www.tampabaylightning.com/prdetail.cfm?pressreleaseID=1099&category=3]the Lightning have announced the signing of G Jonathan Boutin and LW/C Zbynek Hrdel to three year standard entry level deals.[/url] Boutin will now battle with [url=http://www.boltprospects.com/node/145]yesterday's signee Gerald Coleman[/url] to see which prospect be next in line behind Brian Eklund. Hrdel adds some desperately needed potential scoring punch to a Lightning organization which is extremely threadbare for skill at the forward position at the minor and junior level.
- 1946 reads
Coleman SignsSubmitted by pete on July 27, 2005 - 21:50
[url=http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/story/3833156] The Associated Press and FoxSports.com are reporting the Lightning have signed prospect goaltender Gerald Coleman [/url] to a standard three year entry-level contract. The Lightning have yet to issue a press release on Coleman's signing. Given the Lightning generally like to announce the signings of multiple prospects jointly and the deadline for signings is 5pm tomorrow, expect a press release some time tomorrow announcing Coleman's signing along with Boutin and/or Hrdel.
- 2200 reads
Feaster Hopes to Sign Three by ThursdaySubmitted by pete on July 26, 2005 - 22:54
A quick blurb from the Sunday paper: [url=http://bolts.tbo.com/lightning/MGBBW98RIBE.html]Jay Feaster intends to sign three of the team's 2003 draft picks by Thursday[/url]: G Jonathan Boutin, G Gerald Coleman and LW/C Zbynek Hrdel. All would be elligible to re-enter the draft if not signed by that time, although the new CBA will be less favorable economically for prospects if they choose to go that route. Speaking about the goaltending prospect situation earlier this season, Feaster had hinted only one of the prospects might sign. But Boutin and Coleman both showed the ability to dominate their respective junior leagues at times last season and with the Lightning becoming part owners of the Johnstown Chiefs of the ECHL there should be plenty of room for new arrivals.
- Read more
- 2077 reads
Glukhov Signs With ECHL ClubSubmitted by pete on January 15, 2005 - 12:21
Lightning prospect Alexei Glukhov, who was selected in the 9th round (286th overall) of the 2002 entry draft [url=http://www.echl.com/cgi-bin/mpublic.cgi?action=show_news&cat=1&id=3665]has signed with the Victoria Salmon Kings of the ECHL[/url] The 20 year old Glukhov has spent much of the past two seasons with Khimik of the Russian Superleague notching 0 points and 16 penalty minutes in 38 games. The 6'3" 176 lb RW/C made his ECHL debut last night going scoreless in Victoria's 3-2 loss to Las Vegas. The Salmon Kings will be back in action tonight at 10pm ET against Long Beach.
- 2553 reads


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Southwestern Ontario Digital Archive
Welcome to the Southwestern Ontario Digital Archive, a multi-faceted resource hosted by the Leddy Library at the University of Windsor. It is dedicated to assisting faculty, students, and other researchers in their exploration of southwestern Ontario history and culture.
This region is one of the oldest settled areas in Ontario and has a very rich history. This history encompasses settlement by First Nations groups, early French settlement led by Cadillac, the Jesuit mission to the Huron Indians, Black fugitive settlement, and the vital role of the underground railway. In the later 19th and early 20th centuries, the region was a hub for industrial development and an important area for the study of management/labour relations in Canada.
For further information, to give feedback, or to contribute, please contact:
Katharine Ball
Leddy Library
University of Windsor
401 Sunset Avenue
Windsor, Ontario, N9B 3P4
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Tel.: (519) 253-3000 ext. 3852
Free Related Online Historical Resources
Essex County Newspapers Database


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Natasha Giggs: I'm giving up blokes for good!
SEXY Natasha Giggs is finished with fellas after her fling with brother-in-law Ryan finally killed her marriage.
Ha! I'm giving up bullsh*t for lent! Oh n the opposite sex, but I may make that a permanent thing.
The 29-year-old Celebrity Big Brother star says her decision to ditch blokes is "a permanent thing".
She Tweeted the news from her sunbed in Egypt, where she is holidaying with her kids after splitting from husband Rhodri.
Natasha said she was looking forward to a summer of parties with girl pals after declaring herself a "singleton".
Natasha and Rhodri had planned to go to Sharm el-Sheikh together in a bid to save their marriage following her eight-year affair with his brother, Manchester United star Ryan, 38.
But Rhodri, 34, pulled out at the last minute, leaving Natasha to fly out with their two sons. In a series of Tweets, Natasha hinted that the experience had left her disillusioned with men.
She Tweeted: "Ha! I'm giving up bullsh*t for lent! Oh n the opposite sex, but I may make that a permanent thing."
Earlier she wrote: "Love the bones of my 2 adorable children. They give me jokes.
"But I do miss a bit of adult convo of an evening. Singleton!"
Last night, one of her pals told the Daily Star: "Rhodri was meant to go with her to Egypt but they realised that it was not going to work out.
"Natasha doesn't want to get into a tit-for-tat war of words.
"But she does not want to get back together with him.
"She wants to put everything behind her and focus on the future with her sons."


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At the turn of the twentieth century, Albert Sawin and his wife Elizabeth (nee Young) lived on Taylor Street in Holyoke, Massachusetts, with their three children, Allan, Ralph, and Alice. Elizabeth's brother, also named Allan, traveled in the west during the 1880s, looking for work in Arizona, Utah, and Montana.
The bulk of the Sawin-Young Family Papers consists of letters exchanged between Elizabeth "Lizzie" Sawin, her sisters, and Jennie Young of nearby Easthampton. Later letters were addressed to Beatrice Sawin at Wheaton College from her father Walter E. Sawin, who contributed to the design for the Holyoke dam. The photograph album (1901) kept by Alice E. Sawin features images of the interior and exterior of the family's home, as well as candid shots of family and friends and photographs of excursions to nearby Mt. Tom and the grounds of Northfield School.
- Subjects
- Holyoke (Mass.)--Social life and customs
- Montana--Description and travel
- Sawin family
- Utah--Description and travel
- Young family
- Contributors
- Sawin, Alice E.
- Sawin, Beatrice
- Young, Allan
- Young, Elizabeth
- Types of material
- Letters (Correspondence)
- Photographs


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Alumni and Friends
Alumni Ambassador Program : Alumni Directory : Alumni Portal : Alumni Association : Class Newsletter : Continuing Medical Education (CME) : Events : iconnect news portal : Support ATSU-KCOM
KCOM Class Newsletter
In years past, a newsletter was prepared each year for ATSU-KCOM classes celebrating their anniversary class reunion events in Kirksville. The newsletter provided classmates with an opportunity to share information and reconnect with each other.
This year A.T. Still University (ATSU)-Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine (KCOM) is hosting a reunion website celebrating the anniversaries of the classes of 1961 and 1986. The reunion website will provide classmates with a great opportunity to connect with each other. Reunion Class's participation in the reunion website will make it valuable for all classmates, so please enjoy making connections with your classmates.
(Please note the information provided in the reunion website is password protected and only viewable by reunion classmates.)
If you have questions or need more information, please contact Alumni Relations by email (firstname.lastname@example.com) or call 866.626.2878, ext. 2307 (toll free).


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Brief SummaryRead full entry
The overwhelming majority of described fungal species are members of the subkingdom Dikarya (Hibbett et al. 2007), which is composed of the two phyla Ascomycota and Basidiomycota. The life cycles of most basidiomycetes include long-lived dikaryotic hyphae (i.e., hyphae in which cells contain a haploid nucleus from each parent rather than a single haploid or diploid nucleus), with the periodic production of fruiting bodies known as basidiocarps (the basidiocarps of many species are commonly referred to as "mushrooms"). Basidiomycota includes around 32,000 described species (Kirk et al. 2008).
Basidiomycota is divided into three subphyla:
1) Pucciniomycotina: Most of the species in this group are parasitic plant rusts (Aime et al. 2006).
2) Ustilaginomycotina: The vast majority of species in this group, often known as smut fungi, are parasites of angiosperms [flowering plants], mainly grasses and sedges (Begerow et al. 2006).
3) Agaricomycotina: This group includes around a third of the described species of Fungi, including mushrooms, jelly fungi (Millanes et al. 2011), and basidiomycetous yeasts (Fell et al. 2000; Scorzetti et al. 2002). There are around 21,000 described species of Agaricomycotina, which is around two thirds of known Basidiomycota (Kirk et al 2008). The Agaricomycotina includes many wood decayers, litter decomposers, and ectomycorrhizal fungi, along with relatively small numbers of important pathogens of timber, vegetable crops, and humans. Some Agaricomycotina are highly poisonous to humans, while others are hallucinogenic or edible. Edible species include cultivated saprotrophs (e.g., Agaricus bisporus and the Shiitake, Lentinula edodes) and field-collected mycorrhizal species (e.g., the chanterelle Cantharellus cibarius, the bolete Boletus edulis, and the Matsutake Tricholoma matsutake). Some species produce enormous fruiting bodies (e.g., the polypores Bridgeoporus nobilissimus in the Pacific Northwest of the United States, Fomitiporia ellipsoidea in China, and Rigidoporus ulmarius in Europe) or vast and long-lived underground mycelial networks (e.g., Armillaria ostoyae). (Hibbett 2006 and references therein)
Zhao et al. (2008) provide an overview of recent work on understanding phylogenetic relationships within the Agaricales, a major group within the Agaricomycotina that is the largest clade of mushroom-forming fungi (Matheny et al. 2006 and references therein).


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All the boys from One Direction are taking a couple...
MIND GAMES [One Direction fanfiction] - 13 and up
- by JacquelineBoa
- Rating:
- Published: 7 May 2014
- Updated: 7 May 2014
- Status: In Progress
Harry Styles was just a normal teenage boy, a normal teenage boy who had a happy life and was quite content to live it the way nature had intended: completely normally, with no weird happenings or crazy adventures. Yet some things, it would seem, are destined to be, and it would appear that Harry's fate was to be abducted by insane strangers intent on experimenting on him, and their four other hand-picked victims. Harry sometimes feels so alone, even when his best friends are only a few metres away - and he can't seem to help but be afraid, because there are so very few things left in his life for him to control…
Join MovellasFind out what all the buzz is about. Join now to start sharing your creativity and passion
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Italy to rest top players vs US in Fed Cup
ROME (AP) — Defending champion Italy will rest its top players when it faces the United States in Cleveland next month in the first round of the Fed Cup.
The Italian tennis federation says in a statement that Sara Errani, Roberta Vinci, Flavia Pennetta and Francesca Schiavone asked to skip the Feb. 8-9 matches.
Instead, Italy captain Corrado Barazzutti will probably rely on Camila Giorgi, Karin Knapp, Nastassja Burnett and Alice Matteucci. Says Barazzutti: "We decided to accept the request of our veterans."
The top players cited a travel schedule that over 16 days would have taken them from the Australian Open to a tournament in Paris, then Cleveland, then to another tournament in Qatar.
Errani and Vinci won the Australian Open doubles title Friday.
The team will be announced Wednesday.


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Next: select expref Up: select Previous: select chip
select event
Select data from the event lists.
xsel > select event <event_sel>
To select data from within a circular region centered on (X,Y)=(125,125) with a radius of 10.0..
xsel > select event "Sqrt((X-125)\^2 + (Y-125)\^2) < 10.0"
Note that for region selection and timing selection, it is quicker to pass the criteria as filters to the extract command.
Next: select expref Up: select Previous: select chip Keith Arnaud
HEASARC Home | Observatories | Archive | Calibration | Software | Tools | Students/Teachers/Public
Last modified: Monday, 19-Mar-2012 14:16:44 EDT


text:
Designing a website does not need to break your budget, Geoden Solutions can custom design an affordable website for you and your business.
Customers are using more than the phone book to find businesses, we can help them find yours with a professional and affordable website.
World class data centers, customer support 24/7 99.9%, up time guarantee, low monthly fees, Windows or Linux. Start your affordable website hosting today.


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I have a .edu, but I dont know how to log into it haha and im in high school so i guess i don't count oh well
Can't it just be Christmas already?
Crunchyroll Store Manager
WOO DAVIS ANIME CLUB! Thanks for all of the support CR! We're looking forward to an awesome year of animangos!
Most of my memories of DAC are good memories. We've had our tough times, but last year we worked so hard and we're one of the largest anime clubs in the country now! And with our own con taking off, we're going to have a lot more fun (and tears and blood)!
Oh Cal Animage~ <3
Maji Love 3000%
So I can enter a false one?
I shall GB...Sorry not enough of it apparently. My word will be made better....
Wait... Anime clubs exist?! Wish there was one near me I could join.
Arm me with harmony
The closest thing my school had to clubs was when the teachers accused us of being a gang.
D&D gets such a bad rap.
Content Overlord
MoonSunCircle wrote:
So, getting a premium membership for my anime club would be great but I want to know if it's free or not. Anyone know? Or is it like a discount thingy?
For clubs we offer a premium membership at no cost. We just ask that clubs check in with us once a month or so and let us know how the screenings are going, and post our banner up on their webpages if they have one.
If you're interested, please feel free to reach out to us here http://www.crunchyroll.com/help?topic=contact or send an email to [email protected]
Thanks for the support, Crunchyroll. I'll be sure to bug my minion/Vice President to take a picture for our first big meeting of the year and share it with you.
do what i did find a way round filters by either completely disabling them like i did :)
or you proxies
or a better way get an andriod phone
or you could buy a psp cheap off someone then buy a couple memory cards and watch it off that.
there are always ways around filters its just finding them
Be happy your still young once you get out of school you'll see the "real" grownup world isn't all that fun.
"You don't want the Voodoo mon"
Wait how about if you are a 6th grader??? Cause I am an ULTIMATE OTAKU and I really want to get this please please please send me a coupon code!!
Imma READY FOR WATCHIN ANIME!
If you get this, can you get it again down the road (like next year)? Out of curiosity.
I'd join the anime club but unfortunately I value my life. I already have a veiled death threat and I'd rather not have it go past the threat stage.
I, the supreme god, am omniscient and omnipotent. Bow down to me, peons.
*sadFace* my animé club consists of 4 people XD
BAUUUM...retards and lolipops
that's some pretty sweet stuff.. i don't have an anime club though i like how you guys are so supportive of them, cool.. and too bad my addiction to CR will drop my grades T.T lol.. or mb not .. *an idea pops into my head*
♪♩♩♬ ~sʜɪɴᴇ ᴏɴ ᴍᴇ~ ♫♩♬♩
we tried to start an anime club at my school, but weren't allowed because it was a "bad influence", then again i live in the hills of the southeast
some call it a bad influence i disagree greatly x10 +50
vlad295 wrote:
we tried to start an anime club at my school, but weren't allowed because it was a "bad influence", then again i live in the hills of the southeast
Wow that sucks sounds like ignorant people to me. I've learned tons of things watching anime about Japan and some of its history. I guess these are the same people that said "Rock n Roll is the devils music" or "Rap music is going to make you do drugs and shoot people" so close minded but yet theres tons of BAD movies and shows on Tv everyday made right here in America land of the... free?
"You don't want the Voodoo mon"


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It's a simple question but one with a complex answer: What is Occupational Therapy?
That's the topic Ithaca College graduate student Seth Werlin recently tackled in a short video detailing the breadth of occupational therapy. The video won third place in the American Occupational Therapy Association's student video competition which was announced at a national conference in April.
Going beyond the textbook definition, Werlin's 96-second video discussed different groups of people impacted by occupational therapists and the methods used to help them.
"Seth did a great job of creating a simple yet powerful video," Ithaca College professor Kimberly Wilkinson said. "Our field has so much diversity. We work with people across the lifespan and in a huge range of settings. This is a wonderful thing, but sometimes it makes it hard for the public to understand who exactly occupational therapists are and what kind of work we're doing."
The contest called for entries aimed at increasing awareness of the profession and ones that could be used for outreach and recruitment purposes. Videos were judged for their creativity, impact, and ability to reach diverse audiences.
"Seth's video is a great addition to the promotional materials that our national organization can use to help get this message across so we can reach more people and help them live their lives to the fullest," Wilkinson said.
Werlin wasn't the only member of the School of Health Sciences and Human Performance community at the AOTA conference. Ithaca College had a strong presence in San Diego with several professors and recent graduates contributing to presented materials.
Julie Dorsey co-authored a poster titled Preventing and Managing Computer Vision Syndromewhich was presented by colleagues at the conference. Also, Melinda Cozzolino was a contributing author of masters theses presented by Ithaca College alums Christine Slocombe and Taryn Michelitch. Slocombe's thesis was titled Transitions in the Elderly: Changes when entering a long-term care setting and Michelitch's was titled Occupational imbalance in activity-restricted pregnancy.


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43 members18 Comments 3 Likes
11 members18 Comments 0 Likes
Colin O'flanagan Leahy has not received any gifts yet
Posted on January 5, 2013 at 5:22pm 1 Comment 0 Likes
In fact even an evil spirit or anything supernatural will do so that I can have positive reason to believe. I'm searching for the truth. My prayer: Dear God I'm asking you in public. Not because I want to make a show of it but because the evidence that you only exist in the minds of men is evident to me and I would like all your faithfull around the world to pray and ask you to help me in this matter. All I'm asking for is a small morsal of evidence like what you had given to your faithfull…Continue
Hey, Colin!
Your kudos are much appreciated, THANKS! The tract post I wrote includes a tract I made from the points in my blog, plus some enhancements. You might want to give a look if you think about it.
Welcome, Colin! Glad you could join us. :D
Please consider joining a group to meet people and talk about anything that's on your mind, Hang With Friends. You might also want to look at Geek and Nerd Haven and Psychology. After you've searched for stuff that interests you in "Groups" above and in the "Forums", don't forget to look at recent activity which hides along the right margin of the page all the way at the bottom.
© 2018 Atheist Nexus. All rights reserved. Admin: The Nexus Group. Powered by


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Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science degrees with a major in mathematic. Graduate programs leading to the Master of Science in Education and Master of Arts in Teaching degrees in mathematics also are available through the School of Education.
Students majoring in mathematics are able to plan programs appropriate for careers that require understanding of structures and patterns and analysis of data, or for further graduate study in theoretical or applied mathematics or related fields, such as other scientific disciplines or economics and MBA programs in business administration. Opportunities for mathematics majors arise in computing or high-technology firms, chemical and pharmaceutical manufacturers and with government agencies, financial institutions and the insurance industry.Students who desire a more scientific emphasis will complete the Arts and Sciences College requirements for a BS degree; the mathematics requirements for the BA and BS degrees are the same.
Students must complete the following core of mathematics and related courses:
Qualified students may omit some of these upon consultation with a departmental adviser.
In addition, a student must take at least 21 hours of upper-division coursework in mathematics and related areas. At least six of these 21 hours must be in applied mathematics courses chosen from the following courses in mathematics and statistics: 110, 120, 121, 125, 131, 132, 150, 165; at least 6 hours must be in pure mathematics courses chosen from the following courses in mathematics: 150, 153, 155, 156, 157, 176, 184, 185, 187. These courses should be chosen with an adviser to ensure the requirements are satisfied. The remaining upper-division hours are to be selected to meet the objectives of the student. These remaining courses may be other upper-level mathematics courses (not Mathematics 140 or the mathematics tutoring course) or approved courses in computing, statistics, quantitative methods, actuarial science, econometrics or other areas approved by the adviser.
Mathematics majors should also develop competencies in one or more areas of application of mathematics such as the physical sciences, life sciences, social sciences or business.
The student must have a departmental minor adviser and complete the following mathematics and related courses: (1) Mathematics 50, 70, 80, 101, (2) two additional upper-level mathematics courses that must be approved for the program by the adviser (Mathematics 140, Cooperative Education, may not be one of these), and (3) Computer Science 65.
[ back ]


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Up North Jerky Outlet products and Gander Mountain are a natural combination. Folks who love the outdoors also tend to like beef and game jerky.
Troy, Michigan (PRWEB) November 16, 2012
Up North Jerky Outlet beef, turkey and wild game jerky are a holiday tradition at Michigan Gander Mountain outdoor sporting goods stores. Up North Jerky Outlet is a distributor of premium Michigan jerky made in the old time smokehouse tradition. Jerky lovers in Michigan have been fortunate to have local producers of gourmet quality beef, turkey and wild game smoked meat products. Premium jerky from Up North Jerky Outlet is now available nationally in over 40 Gander Mountain stores.
Up North Jerky Outlet was the first distributor to offer Michigan made USDA approved premium jerky to a wider range of consumers. Starting back in 2004, Gander Mountain became the first big box retailer to feature Up North Jerky Outlet products in a few select stores. Gander Mountain customers can now choose from premium beef, turkey and wild game jerky, along with tasty hunters sausage in a wide variety of flavors and sizes.
"Up North Jerky Outlet products and Gander Mountain are a natural combination. Folks who love the outdoors also tend to like beef and game jerky. Our products are special because there is no compromise when it comes to quality," according to Scott Christ, Up North Jerky Outlet National Sales Manager. "Many of our customers make their own jerky, but they buy ours for the quality and the variety of flavors."
What started out as a local tradition in Michigan has now gone national. After setting up a smokehouse style display in the Gander Mountain Utica, Michigan store, Up North Jerky Outlet moved on to Novi, Flint and Taylor. Now there are displays in Lansing, Coldwater, Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, Saginaw and Traverse City. In a short time Up North Jerky Outlet products were in stores from Ohio to Florida. Jerky lovers across the nation soon came to appreciate the quality of authentic Michigan made jerky.
Up North Jerky Outlet jerky is made with whole muscle meat with no fillers. Real beef rounds and turkey breast are used, along with authentic venison, elk and buffalo. Scott says, "Gander Mountain customers know that they are getting the best when they buy Up North Jerky Outlet products. When you buy jerky in an outdoor store you expect to get better product than in a gas station or convenience store."
Scott adds that the placement of Up North Jerky Outlet displays at checkout gives Gander Mountain customers an opportunity to pick up a quality snack as they complete their shopping. "Beef Jerky and premium meat snacks are the perfect last minute impulse item for a retailer to place at checkout. The customer gets a tasty treat and the store gets a bottom line boost. Everybody wins."
Gander Mountain customer can select from the most popular Up North Jerky Outlet flavors. There are five flavors of beef jerky, including honey barbeque, peppercorn, teriyaki, blazin' hot and cherry maple. Turkey jerky is available in honey barbeque and cherry maple flavors. Wild game jerky is available in 3 oz. packs of buffalo, venison and cherry maple elk.
In addition to jerky, several flavors of hunters sausage are on the Gander Mountain menu. One of the most popular products is the mini hunters sausage, a small jerky sausage stick available in five tasty flavors including original, hot & spicy, garlic, jalapeno and teriyaki. "The mini hunters just fly off the shelves," says Scott. "The combination of pocket size packs and great taste make these a natural for any outdoor activity." Also popular are the larger king size hunters available in original and jalapeno flavors. These are also available in very popular larger bulk packs.
Paul Lyons, Up North Jerky Outlet founder and CEO, says, "Many of our original flavors come out of an authentic "Up North" smokehouse tradition of the northern lumberjacks and early settlers." Paul is not surprised at the success in the Gander Mountain stores. "Up North Jerky Outlet is more than just a distribution company. We are a motivating force bringing high quality jerky to a larger market. There is a market for jerky made to a higher standard. Gander Mountain customers are aware that beef and game jerky is a traditional American delicacy. They want a higher standard." Up North Jerky Outlet products are also available online at http://www.upnorthjerky.com for delivery via UPS or USPS, with orders over $75 shipped free.
Up North Jerky Outlet
1437 Rochester Rd., Troy MI 48083


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Chuck Hagel on Principles & Values
Republican Sr Senator (NE)
A: Well, I have 16 months left on this term. First, I had said even before I was elected in 1996 that 12 years was probably enough. I think it is. There are other ways to make the world better
Q: One of those ways would be to run for president of the United States. Are you ruling that out right now? I just want to be precise on that.
Q: Well, I'll sign a certification or anything that you want me to sign. I don't see any circumstance where I would be a candidate for any office next year, including the presidential office.
Q: Because there's been a lot of speculation, along with Mike Bloomberg. Is that any basis in fact?
A: Well, I have never, along with Mayor Bloomberg, as far as I know, come to any conclusions or worked our way towards that kind of outcome or applied any focus on that. I don't really see that happening.
A: I don't know. You know the difficulty of a third-party candidacy, but one of the things that Mike Bloomberg would bring--and I'm not here to promote Bloomberg, but you brought him up--is you have to have financing, and you must have resources. There's probably $100 million that you would need. I would hope that as we work our way through next year & into 2012 that some alternatives could emerge in the presidential race, and I think that's where we are tracking here politically in this country. The fact is, when you look at these poll numbers and the disconnect with our country with those of us in Washington, what the people of America are saying, they've lost confidence in our leadership, they've lost confidence and trust in what we're doing that we cannot build a consensus to go forward & really resolve the great problems and issues of our time.
A: I'll make that decision in the next couple of months. If there might be a place for me along the presidential road somewhere, then I'll look at that.
Q: Were you to run, would you run as a Republican or as an independent?
A: I have no intention of changing parties. And that doesn't mean that I don't think an independent does not have some renewed possibilities next year to be president.
Q: Are you ruling out running as an independent?
A: For right now I am, and what the world looks like next year, I don't know. But I have no plans to change parties or run for president as an independent.
Q: But you're leaving both of those options open.
A: You try to keep as many options open for yourself as you can.
A: Two things. One, I do think some of us who hold real jobs now have some responsibility to focus on those jobs. I think this presidential race got started absurdly too early. It's a sad, sad commentary on our system when the focus is on who can raise the most money, not who is best qualified, who has the best solutions for the future of our country. I wasn't going to put myself in that situation early on. I think someone should be paying attention to Iraq, should be paying attention to entitlements, to immigration reform, some of the things that we should be focused on. Now, I understand the political realities. I can't change those. But what I do control in this business, I'll keep that control.
Hagel made the suggestion after sharing a meal with Bloomberg durin the mayor's most recent visit to Washington. "It's a great country to think about--a New York boy and a Nebraska boy to be teamed up, leading this nation," he said.
Bloomberg has said repeatedly he will not enter the presidential race. Nevertheless, Bloomberg has fueled speculation about his ambitions with a schedule that has frequently taken him outside NY. He has also relaunched a Web site, www.mikebloomberg.com, to keep backers abreast of his governmental and philanthropic work, Bloomberg says.
In a later paragraph, these words were underlined and boldfaced: "We need to return our culture to the values that have made America great." The values listed were personal responsibility, hard work, self-discipline, honesty, and respect for others, part of Hagel's Nebraska legacy and a nice fit with his conservative political philosophy.
Hagel didn't set out to sandbag McCain when he first offered [his own CFR proposal in1999 as a compromise]. Unlike McCain, he had an independent streak and hadn't been especially popular with the Senate Republican leaders; they believed he spoke his mind a bit too much in party conferences.
Hagel saw up close what happened to McCain when he ran against the party structure. If Hagel was to run for national office in the future, he'd have to find a different way. More than one close observer of Hagel--people who like him--began to see his pursuit of his own campaign finance proposal as one that would help him "get well" with the establishment of the Republican Party.
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Such factors as religious service attendance, belief, practice, familiarity with doctrine, belief in certain creeds, etc., may be important to sociologists, religious leaders, and others. But these are measures of religiosity and are usually not used academically to define a person's membership in a particular religion. It is important to recognize there are various levels of adherence, or membership within religious traditions or religious bodies. There's no single definition, and sources of adherent statistics do not always make it clear what definition they are using.
|Other candidates on Principles & Values:
|Chuck Hagel on other issues:
Incoming Trump Administration:
Outgoing Obama Administration:
Pres.Barack Obama
V.P.Joe Biden
State:John Kerry
HUD:Julian Castro
State:Hillary Clinton
Staff:Rahm Emanuel
Former Bush Administration:
State:Colin Powell
State:Condi Rice
Former Clinton Administration:
HUD:Andrew Cuomo
V.P.Al Gore
Labor:Robert Reich
A.G.:Janet Reno
Civil Rights
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Govt. Reform
Gun Control
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Linked by Thom Holwerda on Sun 23rd Jun 2013 18:39 UTC
"Apple's new iOS 7, which the company unveiled last week at its Worldwide Developer Conference, says a lot about the future of mobile devices because Apple owns the future of mobile devices." If you're an Apple fanatic, you're going to love this article. If you're not an Apple fanatic, you'll be shaking your head in disbelief that the once great AppleInsider runs stuff like this these days. Hey, there's always MacRumors - the last great bastion of proper Apple rumour reporting.
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Boy, have we...
by MatsSvensson on Tue 25th Jun 2013 05:20 UTC


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5 German Artists You Should Know, on View in Galerie Thomas's Art Basel Booth
Artsy Editorial
Image rights: Nolde Stiftung Seebüll
A wood carver and draftsman, Emil Nolde studied arts and crafts early on and eventually took up painting and printmaking as a full time profession at the age of 31. His intensely colored, gestural oil paintings of urban nightlife, biblical scenes, flower motifs, and landscapes are considered among the best examples of German Expressionism and admired for their intense psychological power. Traces of Primitivism are evident in his incorporation of exotic figures and masks, especially in his later watercolors inspired by a journey to the South Pacific. Likewise, among Die Brücke, a group of German Expressionists with whom he was associated, Nolde was considered the preeminent intaglio printmaker. He achieved rich tonal effects and textural results with a unique treatment of the copper plate.
German, 1867-1956, Nolde, South Jutland, Denmark


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Before I left for my latest vacation – this time in the Baltic region – I promised members of my community and readers of my monthly newsletter on inter-generational relations to relate my observations on 3 cities in this interesting region. So here are a few highlighted general impressions from my recent trip to Helsinki, St. Petersburg and Tallinn.
Helsinki, Finland
- People love their cakes and pastries, and ice cream is popular, but few people look overweight. Clearly they don't have the U.S. obesity problem.
- They drink a LOT of coffee (but no Starbucks there) – I guess they need something to go with the pastries.
- Beautiful Music Center, and concerts are sold out.
- Scarves are the dominant fashion statement. (Well the weather is typically cold).
- As the 2012 World City of Design, it is obvious that Finns are very design-conscious, including how food is served.
- It's a very comfortable and lovely city.
- And it's VERY expensive.
- Finns speak 3 languages: Finnish, Swedish and English.
Tallinn, Estonia
- A sense of a young, optimistic, friendly population, positive about the economy (which is pretty good) and jobs.
- Young people never experienced life under the Soviet regime.
- Proud of Estonia being the home of Skype and a tech industry.
- Food in restaurants is very good. And Tallinn is striving for culinary recognition.
- Tallinn has a long and fascinating history and was dominated by Denmark, Finland and Russia but has retained it's own identity.
- The language is quite unusual and is related somewhat to Finnish,
St. Petersburg, Russia
- People are very fashion conscious. Women favor pantyhose and tights, including textured ones, even in warm weather. (I was the only woman I saw with bare legs.)
- There is a strong effort to keep Russian dominant as a language and culture, unlike the other 2 cities where many people spoke English or another language and information was printed in other languages. But the Internet precludes walling off the rest of the world anymore, and it has led to the changed mindset of the young, unlike many of their parents who got comfortable with the Soviet ways.
- Young men especially seemed very involved with their children: carrying, playing, and enjoying being with them in the parks, streets and cafes.
- No dominant auto manufacturer was apparent. There were many brands from many countries.
- Other than the hospitality industry and related (maintenance, construction, the arts, etc.) ones, there seemed to be limited career opportunities. St. Petersburg is full of history, arts and great beauty in architecture, parks and the waterways, but I wondered what "real life" was like.
- It was a very expensive city, though not on the Euro (and not as expensive as Helsinki).
A note about the music in all 3 cities:
We had wonderful experiences at the ballet and opera in St. Petersburg and concerts in Helsinki. Those were classical music. Otherwise, we heard almost exclusively American music everywhere – music from the 1920s through today. Since most tourists were not from the U.S., it just indicates how pervasive the American songbook and jazz is. One "Finnish" restaurant in Helsinki had a jazz station from the U.S. playing from over the Internet.
I'd love you to share your impressions if you have visited these places, and I'm happy to answer your questions. Please share on the blog.
Phyllis Weiss Haserot www.pdcounsel.com


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1000 Windows
Carolyn M. Fletcher 7/4/2002 10:58:51 AMI meant to ask you the first time I saw this...did you count them??? LOL.. Congrats on finals.. #6450
Rick G. Vincent 7/5/2002 10:07:45 AMFortunatly I am not that anal. The same question was asked of me at another site. The title is just an expression of the high volume of windows that fill our city skylines. I think the title works well with this image of three buildgings that are packed together so tightly that not even a sliver of daylight sky can be seen between them. #9458
Piper Lehman 7/5/2002 2:09:01 PMDon't listen to him, Carolyn. He IS that anal. Ha. Just messing with you, Rick. This is an awesome shot. Really brings that claustrophobic feel of the big city home. Nice work. #9484
Architecture in Downtown Atlanta
Uploaded on 6/26/2002 2:54:20 AM
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|2008-08-27, 03:01
|Link #224
Secret Society BLANKET
Graphic Designer
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: 3 times the passion of normal flamenco
More Advanced GN-X:
Mechanic File
Story and Glamour Shot
Model One
Model Two
Model Three
Model Four
|2008-08-27, 05:42
|Link #225
Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: California
|2008-09-05, 21:51
|Link #229
Join Date: Apr 2004
|2008-09-18, 06:02
|Link #231
Secret Society BLANKET
Graphic Designer
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: 3 times the passion of normal flamenco
Kyrios Gust translated profile by Zeonic-Corps
So if this profile is to be believed... Flags and Enacts in fact don't have inherent transformation abilities, and that midair transformation was only possible because of pilot skill? And the maneuver is officially known as...
"The Graham Special" XD XD XD
|2008-09-18, 06:49
|Link #232
You are Dominated!
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Earth
Age: 29
Oh. I thought it's just extremely difficult to transform a Flag mid air, instead of pilot 'forcing' it to transform
The mission file about Kyrios Gust interesting, and Dynames participated in it as well with its big cannon. Really hope we would see that in the anime
|2008-09-18, 08:15
|Link #233
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2008
One thing I dont get:
While Torpedo and Gust are suited for specific mission conditions,thus explaining why they are rarely used,I dont understand the case with Avalanche.That pack just massively boosts Exia's mobility and doesnt limit Exia in what it normally does.So why not use it a little more often?
P.S Excuse me if I am mistaken.Its been a while since I rad first 00V.
P.S.S Lol,I thought Graham Special was the name for his Comet Kick variation.
|2008-09-18, 10:25
|Link #234
Join Date: Dec 2005
simple it need one hour time to recharge it's GN condensor and it could only be use for 10 minutes (since it's acceleration power is so great it's impossible for human to use it more than that)
great power come with great price in this case it makes avalanche isn't really practical don't you think?
tough I'm pretty suprise that 'Graham Special" is an official name (he didn't lied when he said people call this manuver "Graham Special")
|2008-09-20, 14:26
|Link #237
Senior Member
I like Fon Spaak,i hope he gonna get his gundam tune up.Why don't he appear in S2 Gundam 00,coz it will ruined the story. He don't have a rival to fight with since Thrones brothers are dead(except for Nena).Hope he will appear in Gundam Meister the ps2 game with his Astraea type F Kai.
|2008-09-22, 02:25
|Link #238
Secret Society BLANKET
Graphic Designer
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: 3 times the passion of normal flamenco
While this may have been posted in Discussion and News, felt it right to have this in its proper thread:
GN-004/teA02 Gundam Nadleeh Akwos
Spoiler for Size:
Last edited by LoweGear; 2008-09-22 at 03:01.
|2008-09-22, 04:36
|Link #239
Senior Member
What a strange looking gundam.Why don't Tieria use it in the anime,it would make a difference in ep 24-25. I guess good thing always come later.
Maybe if Tieria just throw that gundam head sword to make it like a decoy to fool the enemy.(make it eyes glow sure made those guys panic)
|2008-09-22, 08:00
|Link #240
Secret Society BLANKET
Graphic Designer
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: 3 times the passion of normal flamenco
As noted by LightningZERO in the discussion thread (and also confirmed by resident Gundam Guru Mark Simmons), the bio on the Akwos states that it was never used in actual combat, because by the time enemy Gundams have appeared as a threat to CB, Veda had been overrun, thus rendering the Trial System useless.
And no Trial System, hence no reason the Akwos, which was equipment meant to enhance the Trial System, would ever be used.
|Thread Tools


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Just taking a quick look at the Senate seats that changed hands in 2008, I'm not sure there's going to be any more support for Congress to lead the Detroit bailout than there is today.
President-Elect Obama: the ball's in your court, by the looks of it.
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The Volunteering Page of Joe Montz
In support of Habitat for Humanity Greater Birmingham.
About This Campaign
Home Builders Blitz is an exciting one-week house building event in partnership with professional home builders, experts in the home building industry, area sponsors, and hundreds of volunteers.
Up to 50 volunteers are needed each day - October 12 through October 19 (except Sunday). Workday is from 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Up to 50 volunteers are needed each day - October 12 through October 19 (except Sunday). Workday is from 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Breakfast served daily at 7:00 a.m. Construction starts at 7:30 a.m. Lunch will be served between 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Work resumes until 4:00 p.m.
On Site Provisions: Water, portable toilets, construction materials, hard hats, and work supervision provided.
Minimum age to volunteer is 14 years old. VOLUNTEERS MUST WEAR CLOSED TOED SHOES.
Clothing & Safety Precautions: Clothing must be appropriate for construction activities. Do not wear open-toeshoes or sandals, large earrings or over-sized clothing. Habitat reserves theright to remove any volunteer from the worksite if, in the opinion of a Habitatstaff member, the volunteer acts in a manner that creates risk of injury orharm to that volunteer or others.
hours pledged
Location / Venue
- Address:
- 6815 2nd Avenue South
- Birmingham, AL 35212
Habitat for Humanity Greater Birmingham
- 4408 Lloyd Noland Parkway
- Fairfield, Alabama
- habitatbirmingham.org
- Registration #630962910


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Get Started with Senior Living
The Crossings at Independence stands out when compared to other communities. Not only is it the newest senior living community Virginia Beach, but its continuum of care offers quality lifestyle options without a large up-front financial commitment.
If you are having trouble making the transition to a senior living community, you aren't alone. In fact, many people struggle with this impactful life decision. When it comes to the transition to senior living, lots of questions can arise. When is it the right time? How will my adult children respond? Will I receive the care I and/or my spouse need(s)? Will I be comfortable and happy?
Experiencing the realization that it is acceptable to have these questions is a logical first step. After you've accepted the topic, you can have a sensible conversation with yourself (and your family).
Start By Being Realistic
Before you can answer any of the vitally important questions about senior living, it's critical to be realistic with yourself and your situation. For example, if you and your spouse aren't feeling physically or emotionally secure at your home, perhaps it's time to start thinking about independent living. Independent living offers the freedom and independence of home with the security and lack of responsibility of an apartment.
Consider What's Next
Another aspect of making the decision about senior living is weighing what could happen. Beyond the attraction of a simpler life, one of the best aspects of moving to an independent living community like The Crossings is the security of being covered for what's next in life on one campus.
Sometimes, people's health can decline quickly and without warning. Feeling confident that you or your spouse will be cared for in an assisted living situation is something no one should take lightly. Even if you (or your parents) are past the independent living stage and currently in an assisted living environment, it's important to consider what could happen. Memory loss can occur quickly, so take advantage of living in a senior community with memory care services readily available. Forward thinking could play a role in a seamless transition when it counts the most.
Find the Community that Fits Your Needs
If you do decide to make the move to a senior living community, do your best to find one that suits you and your family's needs. Communities come in all shapes and sizes, and offer varying levels of services and amenities.
Is The Crossings at Independence the Answer?
If you're looking for a senior living community in the Virginia Beach area, The Crossings at Independence is your best option. In fact, The Crossings offers a wide array of services and easily accessible amenities to make senior living rewarding. To learn more about what The Crossings at Independence has to offer, feel free to contact us to schedule a visit.
Come see our Senior Living Community and what we have to offer. Schedule My Visit


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Precautionary measures older travelers must consider
Whether retired or simply an empty nester, older men and women often love their increased opportunities to travel and see the world. Without kids to cater to or college tuition to pay, men and women approaching retirement age, or those who have already passed it by, find themselves with more free time to take to the highways and skyways and experience other cultures.
Before setting out to see the world, older travelers should consider a host of factors.
Older travelers tend to travel abroad more than they do domestically, so be sure all documentation, including passports for each traveler, is up-to-date. If you're traveling for an especially long period of time, be sure your passport is valid beyond the length of the trip. The United States Department of State also notes travelers must determine if the country they plan to visit requires a visa to enter.
In addition to passports and any visas you might need, make sure your driver's licenses and auto insurance policies are current and will remain so through the trip.
Climate & Geography
It's also important to consider geographical conditions before establishing any travel plans. Older men and women tend to have more health issues and might even be on prescriptions that can make it challenging to travel to certain areas. Before committing to a trip, consult your physician about the possible effects a certain climate might have on you personally. Some people might be sensitive to altitude and therefore unable to travel to high-altitude locations without putting themselves at serious risk.
Luggage & Wardrobe
When traveling, it might be comforting to overpack because it can give you the feeling you're prepared for any situation that might arise. But don't pack so heavily that your luggage becomes a nuisance to take from place to place. If you're traveling to especially tourist-friendly regions, keep in mind such locales often have all a traveler needs should he or she have forgotten something or experiences an emergency.
Contact Information
While a vacation is an escape for many people, you don't want to escape from the world entirely. Make sure loved ones back home have your itinerary and know where you will be staying should an emergency occur. If traveling abroad where you won't have cell phone service, choose resorts or hotels with Internet access and ensure friends or family members you will check in periodically via e-mail. While staying in touch might not be reminiscent of the carefree travels of your youth, doing so will help your loved ones rest easy and will prove invaluable should something unexpected occur.


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Posted at 5:03 AM
I know it's tough to build a business and keep it growing through the years, because I've done it. Don't forget that good business planning can help a growing business stay focused and efficient, even as you manage the daily routine and changing markets. Here are my three favorite easy ways to get back on track with business planning. These are all things I've done myself.
Listen actively to a few of your customers
I mean this as exactly what it says. I'm not saying you do a market survey or a focus group. I'm saying you really talk to a few (aim for 10 or 15) customers. Get on the phone, tell them you're the owner or manager, make an appointment, and talk to them about what they think about your business. Make it interesting for them. Ask them interesting questions. Ask them what you do well and what you do poorly. Ask them what else you could be doing. Ask them about other businesses they like and don't like, even if not related. Ask them what they think about trends, social media, organic food, green technology … make it a real conversation.
And the talk isn't what's important here – it's the listening that matters. You spark conversation, and then you shut up and listen. And have the good sense to listen well to criticism, not block it out, and learn from it. And do it as the owner of the business, or trusted top managers only. Don't pay somebody else to do it. You need to see people's faces, or at least (if you're on the phone) hear voice inflection. You need to do the listening. The goal is to refresh your sense of what your business is really doing for whom, and why they care.
We always hear about doing customer surveys or focus groups, which can be valuable when done right, or if they are taken with healthy skepticism. Unfortunately, they are rarely done right and are almost always given too much importance.
Retell and refresh your core story
Do some creative thinking to break up the cobwebs to tell a believable story about what happens when your ideal customer decides to buy from your business. Start the story with describing as much as you can about that ideal customer – how old, what gender, likes and dislikes, media use, car, job, family, vacations- all of it. Then create the detailed story of how your business comes to mind and why they go to you to solve some problem or get something they need.
Don't settle for generalities. Tell a real but imagined story about a real but imagined ideal transaction.
And in some cases you'll have more than one core story. Maybe a restaurant serves college students for dates and baby boomers whose kids have left the nest, so that one has two core stories.
The goal is to revise and review your vision of your market and your marketing, with fresh stories that reflect what's really going on and how it's changed since the last time you did it (if you ever did it before). Keep your business vision fresh.
Do a SWOT analysis
SWOT stands for strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. I love the SWOT, especially in groups, because it almost automatically kick starts strategic thinking. Even if you're alone it helps, and with a small group, it's very powerful. Come up with bullet-point lists for each of these four categories, and you can't help but be thinking about strategy.
Strengths and weaknesses are internal. You gain lots of vision just recognizing what they are, and then, with long-term efforts, you can capitalize on the strengths and minimize the weaknesses.
Opportunities and threats are external. You try to see them before they hit full force, and adjust your strategy to take advantage of opportunities and avoid threats.
The goal is good, and possibly refreshed strategy, as you pull yourself away from the details and look at the bigger picture.
Good management is steering your business correctly over the long term, managing constant change, setting goals, and taking meaningful steps towards achieving them. These three suggestions can help you get going with the kind of planning that can make that happen.
Tim Berry, President and founder of Palo Alto Software, founder of bplans.com, co-founder of Borland International, author of books including 'the Plan-as-You-Go Business Plan' and '3 Weeks to Startup'