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Source: The Friday Times , Pakistan | Khaled Ahmed
General (Retd) Javed Ashraf Qazi is counted among the rare competent heads of the ISI. His tenure, beginning 1993, was professional and non-idiosyncratic. He had to clear up the mess created by his idiosyncratic predecessor who had undergone a pathological change called the 'born again' phenomenon, an affliction that was to claim General Mehmood too later on. Compared to General Hameed Gul, who paraded before the nation as a prime example of 'reverse indoctrination', General Javed Ashraf Qazi remained true to the national agenda. On 19 March 2002, President Musharraf announced that he planned a revamp of the intelligence services of the country, which has raised hopes for the revival and reform of this much neglected and misused agency]
No single state organisation is as discussed and argued over 'unofficially' as the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). People have a vague impression that the ISI conducts the covert war in Indian-occupied Kashmir while also doing 'political work' for the incumbent government inside Pakistan. The politicians think the ISI watches over them and at times punishes them for stepping out of line.
On 18 March 2002, for the first time in the career of the ISI, the PTV decided to discuss the organisation with an ex-boss of the ISI, General (Retd) Javed Ashraf Qazi, currently railways minister in the Musharraf government. The general was in an aggressive mood thinking that the ISI had been unfairly treated to false accusations while it could not defend itself. He said the task of the ISI was to gather strategic intelligence and do counter-intelligence in the districts of Pakistan with 90 percent of its employees coming from the army. He claimed that army officers could not become entrenched in the ISI because their tenure was restricted to three years, unless they were re-posted. He said the politicians lied when they said that they had been toppled by the ISI.
Both Ms Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif have complained about the interference of the army. Ms Bhutto's accusation is worth paying attention to because her party has never found favour with the army. In her first tenure she chose a retired general of her liking to head the ISI but the ISI officers ignored him and in fact isolated him in the organisation. General Qazi says that the ISI boss can fire his officers if they are insubordinate. But officers Brigadier Imtiaz Billa and Major Amir took it upon themselves to side with Nawaz Sharif and topple Ms Bhutto through the rigging of a vote of no confidence in the National Assembly. The officers were caught red-handed. Ms Bhutto was likewise able to prove to the army chief General Aslam Beg that the ISI chief Hameed Gul was involved in a conspiracy to topple her, whereupon the culprit was actually promoted as he was removed from the ISI command. That army officers posted again and again to the ISI tend to misuse it is proved by the likes of Brigadier Imtiaz Billa and Major Amir, as mentioned in Brigadier Tirmazi's memoirs, Profiles of Intelligence. The other proof of the dereliction of duty of the ISI is that three ISI chiefs were prematurely retired from the army and two others went under a cloud of suspicion.
General Qazi said that Pakistani journalists were of two categories. The left wing liberal journalist could be bought by India for two bottles of whisky while the right wing journalists were patriotic. The job of the 'purchased' journalist was to pick up disinformation published in India and print it in Pakistan as his own investigative work. The ISI did not meddle in journalism and there was nothing that Pakistani journalists could do for the ISI in the field of intelligence gathering. He said that the special number of an English monthly in Karachi reported that India's fugitive terrorist Daud Ibrahim (not named) was in Karachi, thus damaging Pakistan's prestige. He did not appear sure whether Daud Ibrahim was really living in Karachi and running his underworld business there.
The bias of General Qazi is the bias of his profession, the army. All armies in the world are right wing and do not like people who violate the unwritten law of patriotism. The charge against the left wing journalist is too sweeping, just as it would too sweeping to damn the right wing journalists by pointing to some of them who drink themselves under the table on foreign whisky. In fact, a right wing journalist hides behind his patriotism even when he is caught trying to molest a cleaning woman in America. The special issue of Newsline that published the story of Daud Ibrahim was purely investigative and took the lid off a ham-handed operation by the ISI. What the general implies is that certain investigative stories should be shelved in the name of patriotism. This would be difficult to do anywhere in the world. It would be impossible to suppress information about an underworld gangster simply because he had been a part of an ISI operation. If Pakistan was damaged in the process, and General Musharraf was wrongly compelled to tell Vajpayee in Agra that he was unaware of Daud Ibrahim's residence in Pakistan, the blame must not go to the 'liberal' journalist.
General Qazi was at pains to explain that the ISI did not dabble in politics and that the army officers did not break the line of command to push their personal agendas. He was however forced to admit that three ISI chiefs were removed and prematurely retired because they erred in the line of duty. His explanation was that the ISI was forced into becoming a political trouble-shooter because of the 'tasking' by the prime minister. Sometimes this 'tasking' came from the president and the army chief. This challenges the moral authority of not only the prime minister but also the president and the army chief. He admitted that the ISI chiefs like Hameed Gul did something wrong by pushing their own agendas, but then they had been punished and, once removed, had no influence on the ISI.
The general's defence of the ISI falls to the ground when he admits that three ISI chiefs were retired prematurely by the army chiefs because they violated the charter of their duties. If the tenure is three years for each chief then nine years in the life of the ISI should be considered lost. General Kallu was not a serving general when he was made the ISI chief but in his tenure the ISI was in a state of revolt and there was rampant insubordination by the likes of Brigadier Imtiaz Billa and Major Amir. That should take another three years from the life of the ISI. During Nawaz Sharif's last tenure, General Ziauddin as the ISI chief, fell foul of the army and thus hamstrung the ISI in the same manner as General Kallu. After him, General Mahmud misused the ISI and ran counter to the policy of the army chief, till his rebellion and administrative tantrums could no longer be tolerated. It is in his tenure that psychopath terrorists like Sheikh Umar, already in the open after the Kandahar hijack, were allowed to roam free. The report about his 'freedom of movement' was not planted by a left wing journalist but was a fact for anyone in Lahore who saw Sheikh Umar running an al-Qaeda office in the city. General Mahmood's offer of insult to the Pakistani diplomats in an envoys' conference is now well known. The man had a personal agenda and would not listen to an objective assessment of his Taliban policy. The phenomenon of Hameed Gul is so blatant in Pakistan that the ISI will have to do more than just give verbal denials about his influence among the ISI hierarchy.
General Qazi was most upset over the charge that the ISI ran the Afghan policy and was deeply involved in the running of the Taliban government, provided assistance in the various victories of the Taliban in the North of Afghanistan. He said no ISI agent was ever caught by Ahmad Shah Massoud although he had prisoners taken from among the private Pakistanis who had gone to fight alongside the Taliban out of religious conviction. He said if a retired ISI officer linked himself to the Taliban and fought their war it was no concern of the ISI. The general did not reply to the question as to why the ISI took no action against ex-ISI officers who turned 'rogue' after their service in the ISI was over.
Ahmad Shah Massoud had insisted that at least over a dozen officers he had caught belonged to the Pakistan army and the ISI. Pakistan's response was that they were not serving officers but had actually retired from service. General Qazi would be hard put to resolve the dilemma about officers who developed their personal agendas while in service then took them forward after retirement. The biggest examples of this were General Hameed Gul, and General Javed Nasir. How can an intelligence organisation survive if so many of its officers turn rogue through reverse indoctrination? How many officers of RAW have turned rogue and followed their own agenda? When General Qazi took over in 1993 he found that his predecessor Javed Nasir had kept ISI's foreign exchange in the controversial Mehran Bank. It goes to his credit that he rescued his organisation through some daring and honest initiatives, but nothing was done about punishing the earlier deed. The Supreme Court has taken cognisance of a similar embezzlement in which the ISI chief General Asad 'Mad' Durrani was implicated. How many of the RAW chiefs speak in the open after retirement? Why is it that all the ISI chiefs who choose to become public figures after retirement display very poor level of personal IQ? How can an intelligence agency survive if it is run consistently by people of low intelligence? Why is the Pakistani citizen compelled to name the ISI in local incidents of terrorism while the Indian citizen does not suspect RAW? If the Pakistani citizen has been undermined by the propaganda of the enemy, whose fault is it anyway? The left wing liberal journalist could not have achieved this defeat of the ISI single-handedly.
General Qazi was quite strong in his condemnation of the jehadi organisations after their role against the Soviet Union in Afghanistan had come to an end. He called them terrorists and, barring one or two organisations who fought inside Indian Kashmir, considered them all fake. Here there was only implied criticism of the ISI. Why did the ISI not take action against the fake jehadi organisations that did terrorism in Pakistan and committed other crimes? The general seemed to think that the ISI was not to blame for this and saw no dereliction of duty on the part of the ISI in this regard.
Now that General Qazi has accused the jehadi organisations of being terrorists, one must study the attitude of some of his predecessors. Both General Hameed Gul and General Javed Nasir are committed to these jehadi organisations. General Gul was a member of the cross-the-board jehadi council doing advocacy for what are now perceived as terrorist organisations. General Javed Nasir is organising the Deobandi mother organisation Tableeghi Jamaat. The current chairman of Kashmir Committee, Sardar Qayyum, as reported in Khabrain of 19 March 2002, seems to be blaming the ISI for pampering outfits like Jaish and desperadoes like Masood Azhar. Once Masood Azhar was released from the Indian jail, who gave him training facilities for the raising of Jaish Muhammad? Was the ISI innocent in this case? When Masood Azhar was issuing threatening statements against the army chief, General Pervez Musharraf, why was the ISI trying to shelter him? Why was the ISI 'escorting' Masood Azhar in Sindh where his entry was banned? Deputy Commissioner Larkana discovered that the warriors guarding Masood Azhar were actually ISI agents.
Also read:


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Contact Information About KRISTEN JEANNE PETRELLA, CSW
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subset: commoncrawl


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This numbered edition Acrylic Glass Print, designed by rob art | illustration, comes with a numbered and signed certificate of authenticity. Printed on archival-quality photo paper mounted on the back of a 1/8" thick, clear acrylic substrate, this artwork comes ready to hang on a wire attached to a wooden frame fixed on the back.
This is a wonderful little ditty, based on a "Storyteller" song by REM. Michael Stipe mentioned going to a petting zoo in Australia, and being told that Koalas only eat eucalyptus. This is a mild hallucinogen, plus it smells nice! So, these koalas are in a great mood all day, and their piss smells great!!! What a drag!!!!
Thessaloniki, Greece


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MAC Cult of Cherry Swatches
First Row: Creme Cerise, O, Lightly Ripe, Russian Red, So Scarlet
Second Row: Rapturous, Kirsch, Bing, Chock-ful
Third Row: Cherry Blossom, Liqueur, Cult of Cherry, Rich & Ripe, Jampacked
As promised, Cult of Cherry swatches bright and early! 🙂 And just in time – class starts in four minutes, LOL. (Unfortunately, Honolulu's MAC store (in the airport) did not have the launch in at all.) I didn't even have time to buy anything this morning – I'll head back after class to get a few things.
See the rest!
First Row: Rapturous, Kirsch, Bing, Chock-ful
Second Row: Cherry Blossom, Liqueur, Cult of Cherry, Rich & Ripe, Jampacked
Left to Right: Plum du Bois, Blossoming
First Row (Shadowy Lady Quad): Lightfall, Smudged Violet, Dark Truth, Shadowy Lady
Second Row (Spiced Chocolate Quad): Nanogold, Brash, Sweet Chestnut, Spiced Chocolate
Third Row (Tempting Quad): Next to Nothing, Tempting, Sharp, Dark Edge


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Song titles, perhaps? Or chapter titles? Write a novel based around them. Essay titles? Band names? If a band emerges called 'Particle Hat Committee' my lawyers will be in touch...and we can settle out of court...
Chrome Twist Leg Marathon
Anti-Gravity Adding Machine Equation Tornado
Sketch Breath Cauterised Enigma
Inside Porn Table Leg Defence
Tottenham Hale Religion 41 Escape
Versace Creed Angina
Cloud Torso Debate X5
Ant Sand Airline Disaster Manifesto
Particle Hat Committee
Multiple Osmosis Warning Door
Hair Flesh Anxiety Marathon
Trigger Pen Nausea Whiplash Catalogue
Mock Tudor Skull Jukebox
Plastic Water Bored Momentary Lapse
Blood Cake Mission Statement
African Time Jog Auto-Breath
Dead Bend Stetson Time Trial


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My achievement today ( OK, it's just a small one )
I wanted to have no separator in my list activity...
After some moment parsing all the documentation in every possible way, here what I found :
public class ScorePage extends ListActivity
Score mScore;
/** Called when the activity is first created. */
public void onCreate(Bundle icicle)
this.getListView().setDivider( null );
By the way, is the DividerHeight set necessary ?
I added it because of a very stressful comment on the SetDivider method...
(One test later )
It is by no way necessary !!
But I find that adding a non zero height was what I was wanting for, ie adding a blank space between two entries !
Next step tomorrow !
A blog from an Android developer.
Developing since the start of the platform, and constantly improving my applications, I share my experience developping with Google OS for smartphones.
Saturday, November 8, 2008
List with custom or no separator
3 comments:
- Localtone, LLC said...
Thanks for this tip! I had been having a tough time finding this in the documentation myself. Came across your blog and it makes sense now.
- January 11, 2009 at 8:11 AM
- Android Blogger said...
Thank you for your comment !
It's always nice to know that this blog is useful !
- January 15, 2009 at 11:24 AM
good tip.
But on xml, there are no way, isn't it?
- May 13, 2012 at 8:44 AM
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


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Moray John Low was praised by his fellow Scotland players for his rock-solid scrummaging and contribution in open play as Scotland began their 2010 summer Tour with a famous win against Argentina.
Moray followed up international appearances at under-21 and A levels by making his Scotland debut as a replacement in RBS 6 Nations Championship match against France in Paris in February 2009.
His second cap followed a month later as a replacement in the Calcutta Cup match against England at Twickenham, and in November that year he made such an impression on his first start for Scotland that he was named Man of the Match in the 23-10 win against Fiji in the Bank of Scotland Corporate Autumn Test at Murrayfield. He also started in Scotland's two other matches in that series, including the 9-8 win against Australia.
Moray played for Scotland under-21 in 2005 and was a member of the Scotland squad for the club international match against the Irish at Donnybrook in March 2006. His Scotland A debut followed in February 2007 in victory against the Italians at McDiarmid Park, Perth. He also made a replacement appearance for Scotland A in the Churchill Cup match against Ireland A at Twickenham in June 2007, and he was again in the starting XV in February 2008 in the wins against Italy A (37-15 at Mogliano) and Ireland A (67-7 at McDiarmid Park).
Two weeks after his international debut in 2009 he was back in the Scotland A team in the 22-all draw with Italy at McDiarmid Park, Perth. Three more Scotland A appearances followed in the IRB Nations Cup success in Bucharest in June 2009.
Moray was a member of Scotland's 2011 Rugby World Cup party but did not play in any game. On the 2012 Scotland summer tour of Australasia, Low was called up as an injury replacement for his Glasgow Warriors team-mate Jon Welsh, but again he did not see any action in any of the Tests. He returned to international duty off the bench for the 2013 RBS 6 Nations Championship victory against Italy and featured off the bench in all three matches on Scotland's 2013 summer tour.
After a successful 2013 and 2014, in which he made 14 appearances – five of which in 2014 were as the starting tghthead – the competition in the position intensified and saw Low miss out on selection the following year (2015).
Credit to the north east man, who was also establishing himself in the Exeter Chiefs front-row, he battled back into contention in 2016, featuring in three of five RBS 6 Nations games.
He made his Scotland under-21 debut in the world championship match against Wales in Mendoza, Argentina, in June 2005 and went on to play in Scotland's three other matches in that tournament, scoring a try in the 43-25 victory in the second game against Wales and another against Argentina.
The Lossiemouth High School former pupil has played club rugby for Moray, Aboyne (now Deeside), Highland, Aberdeen Grammar, and Wellington Redbacks in Australia as well as representative rugby for Caledonia at under-18 and under-21 levels. Moray enlisted as an apprentice by Glasgow Warriors in summer 2006, making his debut as tight head in the Magners League match against Leinster at Donnybrook in November that year.
His European debut followed in Glasgow's next match, when the Warriors beat Narbonne 51-7 at Hughenden. Awarded a full contract in summer 2007, he immediately went on to establish himself as first-choice tight head for Warriors, filling the vacancy left by Euan Murray's departure to Northampton Saints. His performances for Glasgow earned him selection for Scotland's December 2007 training squad and subsequently for preparation for the 2008 RBS Six Nations.
After playing in all of Glasgow's Heineken Cup and Magners League matches in 2007/08 he earned selection in Scotland's squad for the June visit to Argentina, but injury in his club's final league match, Warriors beating Munster at Cork, forced him to miss that South American trip.


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We had a low key birthday party on his actual birthday. Kevin had to work that day and Kip normally goes down for bed at 8pm so we knew the party wouldn't last long but he still had a great time with both sets of grandparents.
Here are some pictures from his big day:
Another special memory that happend on his birthday was that he started walking!
He had taken a few steps here and there but TODAY was the day. How special!
Enjoying some grass walking :)
Both of my boys. Brothers are so sweet
Waiting for the grandparents...
Happy Birthday to Kipton
I know this is going to sound REALLY boring of me..
BUT I am really not into the whole cake smashing thing. I am always so worried
they will get a belly ache and be up all night so he got just a PIECE of cake. But still enjoyed
it just as much. He was in heaven!
By the expressions of his face he had a great birthday.
He enjoyed all of the extra attention and loves his new toys.
We love our little boy!


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In order to limit financial liability after losing a credit card, it is important to cancel the card immediately, reports Nerd Wallet. Cardholders are not liable for expenditures made after cancellation of their cards.
As of 2015, federal law limits a cardholder's liability to $50 for purchases made with a lost or stolen credit card before the cardholder reports the card lost or stolen. Some individual card issuers limit liability further and do not charge cardholders for any unauthorized purchases, states Nerd Wallet.
The cardholder should also contact TransUnion, Equifax, or Experian and place a fraud alert on his credit report upon discovering that a card is missing, states IdentityHawk.


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Nominate Someone for an Award
Do you know an EXCELLENT contributor to education in Ontario?
Click here for details for each award:
- Face of Mercy award- Awarded to a student in our schools who is a consistent sign of mercy in every aspect of school life.
- Father J.D. Mazerolle award is presented to a religious or layperson that supports the aims and goals of OAPCE.
- Glorya Nanne award is presented to a person who supports the aims and goals of OAPCE, and has substantially contributed in fostering a better understanding of Catholic Education in Ontario though the use of various forms of media.
- Monsignor B.W. Harrigan award is given to a Priest, Bishop, Deacon, or School Chaplain tho supports the aims and goals of OAPCE, and has substantially contributed to the Catholic School system in the community.
- Volunteer Parent of the Year award is given annually to a parent volunteer that goes above and beyond to support their child's school and/or school board and supports the aims and goals of OAPCE
Sending Supporting Documents
While not required, if you are submitting supporting documents, please email them to firstname.lastname@example.com with the subject line formatted as follows "Supporting Docs <award name> <nominee's name>"


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Looking a the last week of school
rolls of tape used; 2
bags of trash removed from house; 9
trips to storage; 12ish, Lars does most of them now
Today is the last Monday of school, they are done this thursday. As always mixed feelings from all of us. Vacation is always nice, no worries about carpool or mean kids at school and endless 'free time' but they always miss their friends and structrue of the day every day. We have a busy summer planned, it was busy even before we decided to sell and buy a house so now it is packed. (lol). I hope that they mellow into the endless weekend of summer and don't drive me crazy with fighting or taking the house apart.
Speaking of house, we have turned a corner in the staging thing. I've gotten to every room in the house, even the laundry room, and most of the major re arranging is done. There is still tons to do but the house is looking really nice now instead of a dissaster zone of painting and packing. It has been tons of work but that isn't a surprise to anyone. We even managed to have our kid triple birthday yesterday and because our house is 2/3 empty it was really easy to tidy up before and after. The party yesterday also reinforced how we need more central space because all 15 people crammed into our kitchen space was really hard. Yes, we have 2 other floors, but like a pack nobody really wants to be the one to stray into a different room. Eventually, people spread out and the weather broke so our deck was useful (it was 90 degrees the past few days) and it was a nice party in general but we really really need more gathering space.
This week I have a scholarship presentation, a well child check, a Moms club board meeting, the last day of school picnic, and friends coming to stay because we are all going to the same wedding this Saturday. I also need to finish the house, get the pictures done, and pack to go to NY next Tuesday!
I'm out of time in my pre-wakeup office hours and we need to get the kids ready. Niamh is going to the state capitol for her school trip and I have coached her to reply to them asking "any questions" with "since there was a budget surplus why didn't you choose to fund school better?" I really hope someone has to look at a group of 3rd graders and tell them why they have to have an underfunded school that has to lay off teachers yearly because whey I tell them my only answer is "I don't know".


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Pax Franconia?
Beyond political calculus, the French-led intervention in Libya marks a fundamental shift in how the international system works
From Washington, the enthusiasm of the French for intervention in Libya is seen with a mixture of relief and puzzlement. The Americans do not want the job and are happy that someone else does. Indeed, President Nicolas Sarkozy's willingness to intervene (alongside British Prime Minister David Cameron) helped close a dangerous gap between the world of "values," which would call for direct American intervention against Muammar al-Qaddafi, and the world of "interest," which impelled President Barack Obama to restraint.
America's strategy seems to be to squeeze Qaddafi's regime out of power through a combination of financial, economic, and even "psychological" pressure aimed at isolating the Colonel from his sources of support within his own inner circle. That is a wise approach, one that may ultimately work. But it will likely take a lot of time to produce results.
While Americans are relieved by France's display of determination, they cannot refrain from expressing a sense of bemusement: Do the French really know what they are up against? What has happened to them? We know what war means, but they seem to have forgotten!
Indeed, France and the United States seem to have switched roles from just a few years ago. Listening to Obama's reflexive and distant speeches on Libya, one can nearly hear French Foreign Minister Dominique de Villepin's flamboyant intervention at the United Nations on the eve of the invasion of Iraq in 2003. And, though the circumstances and the "legal" environment are very different – there is a UN resolution for the Libya intervention, and a vague declaration of support by the Arab League – Sarkozy's stance reminds some of George W. Bush's enthusiasm for war.
The British, too, seem to be regarding the French with some perplexity. Even though they are fighting side-by-side in Libya, with their armies expressing a deep confidence in each other, there are distinct nuances in each country's position on military intervention. The view from London contains the same element of "distance" – if not slight apprehension – found in the view from Washington.
To explain this difference in perspective, perhaps one should venture further into the past than the Iraq War and consider the divergence that already existed traditionally between the United Kingdom's pragmatic approach to its imperial role and the French Empire's missionary zeal. A duty to accumulate wealth catalyzed the former; a duty to civilize inspired the latter.
The spectacular inversion of the French and US roles on the issue of intervention has different causes. Some are linked to the personalities of Obama and Sarkozy; others reflect the nature of their political imperatives. Obama's priority is not to be dragged into another conflict. Afghanistan is already such a costly quagmire. Sarkozy's goal is to "exist" as much as possible on the global stage.
But, beyond personalities and political calculus, what we are witnessing is a fundamental shift in the international system. It is a shift that raises a major question: if those who are willing to act prove incapable of doing so "successfully," what happens to global stability unless those who are capable are also willing to step in?
At the crossroads of this question stands NATO, an organization perceived as American by Europeans and international (i.e., not American) by the average US citizen. But if NATO is – for better or worse – in command on the ground in Libya, it is the UN that has given the necessary green light to French action there.
It is this specific "marriage of reason" between France and the UN that is essential to understanding the French position on Libya. Indeed, the same relationship between France and the UN that led to the country's resistance to intervention in Iraq in 2003 has now pushed France to intervene in Libya in 2011.
Yet it is dangerous to believe that the world has found in this new-model Coalition of the Willing the solution that it was seeking in today's increasingly chaotic post-American order. Neither France nor Britain – not to mention the European Union, which is more divided than ever when it comes to military interventions – can be seen as substitutes for the US. Despite Sarkozy's exceptional activism, they have neither the means nor, in reality, the will.
Confronted with the world's increasing complexity and America's decreasing appetite for international responsibilities, the need for adequate rules – and for a referee to enforce them – is greater than ever. In the face of growing risks of global anarchy, the courageous but risky activism of France and Britain should not be seen as a substitute for an engaged US. But does such an engaged America still exist? The answer is probably no.
Dominique Moisi is the author of The Geopolitics of Emotion.
Copyright: Project Syndicate, 2011.
For a podcast of this commentary in English, please use this link: http://media.blubrry.com/ps/media.libsyn.com/media/ps/moisi65.mp3


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EC: Sinamics DCM Base Drive
As a result of increasing demand for base drive panels using the Sinamics DC Master converter, the Sinamics DC Master (DCM) Base Drive offers end-users and third-parties such as system integrators and Siemens solution partners a pre-wired solution that comes complete and tested with all of the necessary components mounted onto a back panel. Sinamics DC Master Base Drives are an extremely flexible and cost-effective solution for new installations and retrofits where space is limited. Sinamics DC Master Base Drives offer more power per panel in the same footprint as compared to the previous two generations of base drives and are rated from 15 A-850 A continuous current. Standard features of the new Sinamics DCM Base Drive include input fuses, output dc fuses (regen only), control transformer, ac line contactors, Profibus, BOP20, UL508A Certification and 65 kA SCCR rating.


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"Don't go to Thailand" – another Chinese social media firestorm
PHOTO: Thai Rath
Thai Rath is reporting that officials from the Tourist Assistance Centre have made a visit to the female Chinese blogger who lost her left arm in a road accident on the way from Bangkok to Koh Chang.
The story has produced another firestorm of criticism in Chinese social media with headlines like "Don't go to Thailand".
The woman was on a trip in a rented passenger van with a driver provided by a tour company. Yesterday the TAC officials were at the woman's bedside with other state officials.
"The tourism officials visited me with flowers and asked me about the accident. They had seen the news online. Thanks to everyone".
"I hope they investigate these rental companies to stop such accidents in the future".
Police say the company and its driver and the family of the victim would all be getting together to discuss compensation. Officials say they hope some good could come of the investigation to improve road safety and communications.
SOURCE: Thai Rath
Read more headlines, reports & breaking news in Bangkok. Or catch up on your Thailand news.
Bangkok smog: Police on the lookout for dirty exhaust from vehicles
by Khanathit Srihirundaj
It's either a knee-jerk reaction, media stunt or something we hope to see a lot more of.
Checking vehicles with plumes of dirty smoke coming out of their exhaust.
To help curb fine-particle dust pollution in Bangkok, traffic police have increased the number of checkpoints where they will check vehicles spewing black exhaust smoke.
The number of checkpoints was increased on Tuesday to 20 from the previous 12, leading to 1,000 vehicles being cited and fined, traffic police commander Pol Maj-General Jirasan Kaewsang-ek said on Wednesday.
Jirasan said diesel-engine vehicles were the main culprits, along with too-old engines, and they together made a large contribution to the 60 per cent of the polluting PM2.5 particulates that were attributed to vehicle engines.
Police are putting an emphasis on removing the exhaust-spewing vehicles from the most pollution-prone areas such as Bung Kum and Chatuchak districts.
As there was insufficient staff for the checkpoints, police would ask that some officials from the Pollution Control Department be assigned to aid them during this period, Jirasan said.
In future, police may impound the vehicles or suspend the vehicle's use as a more severe punishment, he added.
SOURCE: The Nation
Bangkok smog: Chatuchak school closes for the rest of the week
A kindergarten in Chatuchak, to the north of central Bangkok, has suspended classes because of air pollution that has landed Bangkok in the top 10 list of worst-polluted cities.
Bangkok still lags far behind some of the world's most polluted cities, including the Afghani capital Kabul (at 576), Delhi in India (306) and Mongolia's Ulaanbaatar (300). But the Top 10 worst air-pollution list is not the list Bangkok wants to be in.
Bangkok and Pattaya remain in the 'unhealthy' or 'unsafe' levels today whilst some cities in northern Thailand are also suffering with poor air quality.
Surang Khamneungnet, director of Jananan Kindergarten in Chatuchak, said pupils had been kept indoors in recent days and the grounds sprayed with water three times a day, but the children had become listless and were eating less.
The school is closed for National Teachers Day today anyway but will remain closed tomorrow and Friday because of the air pollution, she said.
Chulalongkorn University logistics expert Manoj Lohatepanont at a seminar on Tuesday advised schools to consider closing temporarily to reduce health risks for students and curb the number of cars on the roads, one source of PM2.5.
PM Prayut Chan-o-cha separately said the Education Ministry should use its discretion in deciding whether "at-risk" schools should be closed.
SOURCE: The Nation | aqicn.org
Crisis meetings in Bangkok today over smog solutions
PHOTOS: The Nation
Urgent meetings are being held in Bangkok today to address the acute smog problems in the capital.
The Pollution Control Department and Bangkok Metropolitan Administration are gathering today in their latest efforts to battle with the persistent smog while dust particles continue to blanket the capital with smog levels alarming locals and causing tourists to cancel their holidays.
The meeting was organised after the authorities concerned rushed rushed to find solutions to help ease the problem, including cleaning roads more often, spraying water over Greater Bangkok's sky (useless), trying to produce artificial rain with cloud-seeding and enforcing strict laws against vehicles emitting excessive exhaust fumes.
PM General Prayut Chan-o-cha "has instructed relevant authorities to introduce additional measures to deal with this situation", Government Spokesman Puttipong Punnakanta said.
The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) and the Army's efforts to spray water to ease the pollution on Monday night and yesterday morning did not appear to help much.
For instance, pollution was marginally brought down to 90 from 96 on Monday and to 71 yesterday on Phaholyothin Road in the capital.
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The latest version of Citroën's city car is available in both 3- and 5-door versions, as well as a new open-top body style called Airscape.
A car with a strong personality, delivering an upbeat response to urban mobility requirements, the New Citroën C1 reflects the bold renewal of Citroën's C-line.
The front end features the key characteristics of the new brand models, with the C1's two-part headlamps and round inserts creating a smiling front end.
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The New Citroën C1 features intuitive, easy-to-use technologies. It is available with a 7" Touch Drive interface, grouping together all media functions (radio, telephone, video player, on-board computer).
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Once installed, the motorist can take full advantage of the complete range of smartphone apps from the 7" Touch Drive interface: navigation, telephone, address book, music, web radio… and any other useful driving-compatible apps.


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After three hours of deliberations, the jury hearing the case against two former Vanderbilt football players in Nashville has returned a verdict and found them both guilty of rape. This trial was for the first two of four defendants accused of rape in a 2013 incident which stunned the Vanderbilt football program and has seen a lot of publicity. Brandon Vandenburg and Cory Batey faced seven counts each of aggravated rape and sexual battery, with Vandenburg adding evidence tampering and unlawful photography to his total.
The trial has taken 12 days of arguments, but the deliberations were relative swift. The defendants were both found guilty on all counts and charges. Given the massive amount of coverage this case has received, there is likely to be a lot of discussion of what punishment they should and will receive leading up to the March 6 date set for sentencing in this case. Once complete, attention will shift to the trial of the other two former players also charged in connection with this incident.
By Jim Malone
Image courtesy of Jimmy Emerson, DVM – Flickr License


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Located in Charlotte (Ballantyne), The Ballantyne, A Luxury Collection Hotel, Charlotte is within a 15-minute drive of Quail Hollow Club and Carowinds Theme Park. This 4-star resort is 8.5 mi (13.6 km) from SouthPark Mall and 13.1 mi (21.1 km) from Billy Graham Library.
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text: AiNi, whose name is Anna Yakimenko, was born in Kazakhstan. She relocated to Chicago, US in 2006 to complete her Art and Design degree internationally as well as continue to pursue her professional career as an artist. She has been painting and drawing for as long as she can remember. AiNi graduated Childrens' Art School in 1994 and completed her Bachelor's degree in Art and Design at the South Kazakhstan State University in 2001. She participated in many art exhibitions as well as multiple group art and design events in Kazakhstan and USA. Currently Anna is a proud member of the National Artists Association and a successful professional artist.Painting is a major part of Anna's life. She has solid skills in painting cityscapes, portraits, nature, funny characters, as well as modern, contemporary, and abstract paintings. In addition, Anna has a great experience in murals art and design. She has a professional knowledge in many mediums and styles. When creating her new artwork Anna's idea is to capture something new, beautiful, enjoyable, colorful, and pleasant in the world…something different and unique that nobody can accomplish. Anna paints what cannot be photographed or imagined, or dreamed of. AiNi's inspirational art motivates others and creates joy and happiness in people's minds.


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This post is more of a reflection upon myself more than it is to generalize an idea for everyone. This is purely my own thought and my own reflection that I wanted to share on my blog, Against the Chris K. I also started with this blog post a while ago and I just got the chance to finish it off.
Well, I've been through a lot in the past few months and I would love to talk about the main thing that occurred to me. In general I have transformed into someone different, someone with different interests than staying up all night to talk to friends. I stopped caring about people's opinions or their analysis of my actions with them, while some of these people where actually changing in a way that I didn't even feel any difference while talking to them. It kept the same vibe and the same overall mood between me and many people. Now, enough blabbering. What DID change in me?
Let's start off with the obvious one; I started my college life. As an only child who is somewhat an introvert, it is kind of tough to kick start a smooth first year in college. I'm coping with it as much as I can but it still isn't the best I can do. Other than that, coming from a modest family with savings that are just the right amount, tuition fees are a real pain in the ass. I'm not working and paying off my tuition fees on my own, but I can feel my parents' pain when I tell them that my college posted my payment slip and the deadline is in a few weeks. I've become more conscious of my spending of money and I am trying to save as much as I can to just feel like I'm helping my parents out in some way.
Next up; not being sure about my future. Now, I'm pretty sure I won't use my degree (it's an engineering degree, call me crazy), but honestly I'm really into engineering because I have a love for Mathematics and physics in general (mostly mathematics). What I REALLY want to do for the rest of my life is play and write music for people to enjoy. Coming from a very uptight background and a very strict community which believes that 'if you're not a doctor, engineer, lawyer or architect, you will be jobless and live a miserable life', it's very tough to tell your parents that. I honestly think that this is complete BS because one is miserable only when they're doing something knowing their efforts are in vain. If you can't do what you feel most comfortable doing, then what's the point of it? Okay sure, I love solving differential equations and finding if a series converges or diverges. But I don't see myself doing that years from now. I see myself hugging fans and playing some good music to people who would sing back to me the lyrics I put from my own heart.
And as stated previously, I'm an introvert. I have an undying fear of rejection and of not fitting in. I'm not good with talking to people I never chilled with before (it sounds confusing but really it's very simple). I would rather stay aside and not talk to anyone rather than socialize with a random person. I hate crowded places. I'm overall not good with people I don't know (or barely know). It's hard for me personally to get out of my comfort zone (although compared to previous years, I've improved greatly when it comes socializing). Being in a place where I know absolutely nobody will be a place that I utterly hate. Now, don't get me wrong. I made friends in college, but we don't have the exact same schedules so I barely see them. I'm working on bettering my social skills but this will take a long time to get to.
That's all for now. Stay awesome and Keep Blogging!
-Chris K.


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Red Thread Theatre is happy to announce that we are recipients of a 2018 NYSCA DEC grant for the development of The Opiate Project. Based on candid interviews, this original, devised play will give voice to individuals from our community, who have been impacted by the opioid crisis. The play will premiere at the Jim Bush Studios in the Fall of 2018, and as part of our outreach program, tour to schools and community centers throughout Western New York. If your school, place or worship, or community center would like to be included in our touring schedule, please complete the form below for details and information.
THE OPIATE PROJECT is funded by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature; administered by Arts Services Initiative of Western New York .
All performances will take place at the Jim Bush Studios, an urban space that operates as a unique site-specific venue for exciting theatre, located at 44 17th Street, Buffalo, NY
STREET PARKING: 17th and RICHMOND AVENUE
RESERVATIONS: (716) 445-4653 / firstname.lastname@example.com
Tickets: $25.00 regular, $15.00 senior & $10.00 student. Group rates are available.
In the last decade of the twentieth century, a beautiful young woman in 19th century clothes is found floating on an iceberg in the middle of the north Atlantic. When rescued, she says only one word: Titanic. Winner of the 5th annual Lois and Richard Rosenthal's New Play Prize, Scotland Road wraps a suspenseful package of intrigue and psychodrama.
This Gothic psychological thriller is not to be missed!
Eileen Dugan and Pamela Rose Mangus in Snake in the Grass
Josephine Hogan in Vivien
Kelly Meg Brennan in The Unfortunates
Red Thread Theatre would like to thank Patricia Ryan-Dudek and Edward S. Dudek for their generous support!


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Are all Ashkenazim partly Sephardi? April 20, 2009Posted by ethnicgenome in Jews.
Tags: ashkenazim, dna, genetics, jew, jewish, sephardim
2 comments
I theorized before that Ashkenazi Jews must be related to the original Sephardim. People who don't know Jewish history think of the Sephardim as Jews from Islamic countries. That is wrong. Those Jews are Mizrachi Jews who merely adopted Sephardic traditions. The real Sephardic Jews are West Europeans, and the Ashkenazim are Central and East Europeans (from Germany to Russia).
When Sephardic Jews were expelled from Spain and Portugal, they went to Turkey and Holland. There are still a lot of Sephardim in Turkey, but what happened to all the Dutch Jews like the great philosopher Benedict de Spinoza?
Ashkenazi Jews originated on the Rhine River, somewhere near Cologne and Düsseldorf. The region is right next to Holland, so it's impossible that the two communities wouldn't intermarry with each other.
The sudden disappearance of Sephardic Jews in Holland and the simultaneous skyrocketing of the nearby Ashkenazi population could be a coincidence, but that's far-fetched. Why would the Dutch Jews disappear? Do we really think that the Rhine Jews all had historically unheard of number of children per woman to grow their population so quickly?
It is more likely that the two communities just united.
Take a look at this map from wikipedia (http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/e/e3/Cohanim_DNA_migration_.jpg)
It shows Jews migrating to Spain and Portugal, then from there into Central and Eastern Europe. In Iberia, there were no Ashkenazim. In Central and Eastern Europe, there were no Sephardim. If family was in Spain first, then went to Poland, then they must've started out as Sephardim and then became Ashkenazim. Not as a matter of genetics, but as a matter of religious tradition.
Today we think of Mizrachi Jews as Sephardim because they adopted their religious traditions. But genetically, Ashkenazi Jews must have more Sephardic blood than do Mizrachi Jews. This is because both Sephardim and Ashkenazim were European Jews who lived right next to each other, while the Mizrachi were in the far-away Middle East and Central Asia.
The last names of people who originated from Iberia are some of the more common Ashkenazi names: Kaplan, Garfinkel, Mazer, Katz, Kohn, Kovacs, Cowan, Coyne, Kahan, Kagan, Cohen, Shapiro. Many of these names originated when the families were already in Central and Eastern Europe (or the British Isles), but the family history lays with Portuguese and Spanish Sephardim.
The Race of Sephardic Jews March 4, 2009Posted by ethnicgenome in Genetics (General), Jews.
Tags: ashkenazi, ashkenazim, dna, genetics, sephard, sephardi, sephardim
6 comments
There are a lot of people interested in race issues who suggest that Sephardic Jews are not-white. They do so without any understanding of Sephardic DNA. In fact, it is this kind of talk that leads Noel Ignatiev to write books about the Irish becoming white and that being white has nothing to do with biology, but is instead a political category of people we like and people we dislike. Either a race is to be defined based on genetic information or race is a social construct that doesn't exist. Inadvertently, these "race realists" are actually promoting the idea that race is nothing more than a political classification.
There is simply no genetic basis for their claim. There is just an emotional desire to classify those we like at the moment as an "in-group" and others as an "out-group".
Race is determined by genetic clusters.
Looking at haplogroups, we find the same mtDNA (materinal) haplogroups in both Europe and the Middle East with similar distribution patterns. H is most common haplogroup in Europe. It's a less common in the Near East, but is still the most common one there as well. When it appears in lesser numbers, it is "replaced" by a higher distribution of other haplogroups which are also very common in Europe and not found anywhere else outside Europe and the Middle East.
The exception here are the Arabs because 38% of their mtDNA comes from haplogroups outside those common among whites, so they should be classified as mixed race people. But let me repeat it once more: this is done not because of the slight variations within Caucasian haplogroups, but because of such a significant outside gene flow into Arab communities.
In Y-DNA, the haplogroups do tend to bunch up in certain parts of Europe, but again, southern Europe (J2) is more like the Near East (J1) than to I and R haplogroups in other parts of Europe. (additionally, the mostly East European I is closer to the mostly Mediterranean J than to the mostly West European R.)
Were the Near East something other than white, then so too should be the Roman Empire and Ancient Greece (both known to be J2), as well as parts of Portugal, Spain, France, Serbia, Bulgaria, and so on. Needless to say that would be revolutionary conclusion.
Those Middle Easterners, therefore, who do not have significant amounts of DNA outside the Caucasian haplogroups should be classified together with other whites.
It is only a completely uneducated person who is governed by his emotions and not by facts who would classify two people with, for instance, H1 haplogroup mtDNA and R1b haplogroup Y-DNA, as members of separate races. Even if H haplogroup in Europe and in the Near East have slight variations, and they do, these variations pale in comparison to the differences with haplogroups common among blacks, Orientals, Amerindians, native Australians.
An ethnicity is classified within a particular race based on which haplogroups they belong to.
When it comes to the Y-DNA, the profile of most Sephardic Jews is very similar to that of Ashkenazi Jews and other Mediterranean Europeans.
Depending on a study, 30%-40% of Sephardim are in haplogroup J (according to Wikipedia, 12% J1 and 29% J2) and another 30% in haplogroup R1b (most common in Portugal and Spain). About 11.5% are haplogroup I, a northern European group. And a small amount is the mostly East European and Scandinavian R1a.
Another 19% is haplogroup E1b1b which is observed in significant frequencies in Europe and western Asia. It is particularly common in southern Europe and the Balkans. We find it in both northern and southern Italy, all of Spain and Greece, and southern France, as well as in smaller amounts all throughout Europe as far north as the Scandinavia.
Haplogroup E probably originated in the Near East, but most of it migrated back into Africa, both north and south of Sahara. E1b1b, however, stayed in the Near East or migrated into Europe. Rather than being an African influence onto the Middle East, it is the opposite: E is the Middle Eastern influence on Africa.
According to Wikipedia, "Most Sub-Saharan Africans belong to subclades of E other than E1b1b, while most non-Africans who belong to haplogroup E belong to its E1b1b subclade." (Citing Fulvio Cruciani et al, Phylogeographic Analysis of Haplogroup E1b1b (E-M215) Y Chromosomes Reveals Multiple Migratory Events Within and Out Of Africa, Am. J. Hum. Genet, p. 74)
We therefore see the Sephardic Y-DNA profile to be very similar to Europeans along the Mediterranean, as well as to the Ashkenazim. The only major difference with the Ashkenazim is that rather than having about a third of their Y-DNA in haplogroup R1b (Western Europe), the Ashkenazim are about evenly split between R1b and R1a (Eastern Europe and Scandinavia).
This difference hardly seems significant enough to classify Sephardim and Ashkenazim as different races. Most West Europeans would presumably be very surprised if they were told that having more of their (R1b) than East European (R1a) Y-DNA makes someone non-white.
But what about the mtDNA.
Here the differences between Sephardim and Europeans are even less stark.
The primary Caucasoid mtDNA haplogroups are H, J, K, T, V and U (all of which derived from haplogroup R), as well as I, W and X. These are relatively evenly split throughout Europe and the Near East. Though some haplogroups are more (or less) common among certain ethnicities, the differences are merely in proportion of the same mtDNA haplogroups.
Studies of Sephardic mtDNA conducted among several communities revealed that most to have Caucasian mtDNA. We may discuss the proportions of various haplogroups, but that they are the same haplogroups is an established fact.
The obvious exceptions are Ethiopian and Indian Jews, who are almost definitely just converts to Judaism. Ethiopian Jews have the same profile as other Ethiopians. Indian Jews have a small amount of H and U haplogroups, which may be from the original Jews who converted these Indians to Judaism.
Yemenites also seem to be a mix of various groups, including Negroids. Over 8% are part of the predominantly African L haplogroup, which explains their darker skin and often times curly hair.
While the Yemenites are recognized as Sephardic Jews, neither Indians nor Ethiopians would normally be classified as such, except by the people who use the term Sephardic to mean any non-Ashkenazi Jew.
The other traditionally Sephardic-Mizrahi groups belong to the same haplogroups as do the Europeans (with no more than usual non-Caucasian gene flow).
Azerbaijani Jews are predominantly (59%) haplogroup J, which is evenly spread in same numbers in both Europe (12%) and the Near East (11%).
Georgian Jews are predominantly (58%) part of haplogroup HV, which originated in southern Italy and now common in Western Europe. It is the ancestor haplogroup of H (and also V), which is the most common one among Europeans.
Iranian Jews are more diverse in their genetic makeup, but it is still Caucasian, with H, J, U and T being the most common groups.
Iraqi Jews are similar, but have 7.4% of their population in the W haplogroup. This is not uncommon for Europeans either, however, despite the fact that this haplogroup is more common in South Asia.
Libyan and Turkish Jews are mostly H and X haplogroups. X is present in Europe so much that Bryan Sykes included it as one of the 7 Daughters of Eve for the white race. It is not a strictly white haplogroup, however, and is found in Asia as well as in the Americas. The founders of the group were likely Israeli Druze.
Moroccan Jews show high frequency of H, just as Europeans, though in slightly lower numbers.
Of course all of these haplogroups could be further subdivided and people belonging to the same haplogroup could look somewhat different.
But if race is to be defined as by genetic clusters, then it would only make sense that people in the same haplogroups are part of the same race. After all, if I and R Y-DNA haplogroups are part of the same race, it's hard to argue that J1 and J2 are different races.
Sephardim are not the same kind of "white" as Hungarians or Irishmen. But Hungarians and Irishmen themselves aren't identical either.
The lack of significant non-Caucasian haplogroups makes people white. By that standard, Sephardim are white.


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New Music: James Brown x 2Pac - "Unchained (The Payback/Untouchable)"
Departed musicians 2Pac and James Brown get resurrected for an ill collaboration.
The two deceased legends get mashed together for the Django: Unchained soundtrack, and the result is a pretty jam-worthy banger. The funky soul instrumental paired with Pac's hard "Am I wrong 'cause I want to get it on till I die" looped lyrics will undoubtedly get you in the mood for what's guaranteed to be a cinematic experience.
Django: Unchained hits theaters on Christmas Day.
Listen to the heavenly mashup "Unchained (The Payback/Untouchable)" below:


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Does the Russian mafia deserve the Nobel prize for economics?
Edward Luttwak
It is now conventional wisdom that mafyia extortion and official corruption of every sort are inflicting much damage on the Russian economy. In a widely cited estimate, crooked officials and plain gangsters are said to have sent as much as $100 billion into their foreign bank accounts since 1990, depriving the Russian economy of much more hard currency than the sum total of post-1990 Western aid. Countless newspaper articles have profiled the unappealing beneficiaries of the new economic order, from violent thugs with platinum-blonde molls and BMWs who do their showing off in restaurants, to sleek ex-officials in Armani suits with Vienna bank accounts, Manhattan apartments and good friends in the Kremlin, who show off in New York Times interviews.
Far more numerous are the less obviously criminal and much less glamorous 'bizness-men' – thousands of them – who traffick in state-owned raw materials diverted for entirely private export, who help thieving state managers transfer public property to personal ownership, who collaborate with foreign adventurers to smuggle consumer goods in and weapons out, or who simply buy and sell without bothering to pay taxes. Most visitors to Russia have encountered specimens of the type in the hotel lobbies that are their favourite places of business; some earn just enough to get by from day to day while waiting for their big hit, but quite a few have become seriously rich very quickly.
There is no doubt that the pervasive criminalisation of the Russian economy imposes real costs. The purchasing power of an impoverished population is further reduced, because mafia 'protection' fees increase prices. Efficient private-enterprise firms suffer from the unfair competition of less efficient rivals backed by corrupt officials. And, as anywhere else, tax evasion must ultimately be offset by inflationary money-printing, or higher taxes inimical to growth. Moreover, the intense popular resentment of both gangsters and tycoons certainly threatens Russia's economic liberalisation very directly: at the next opportunity, a majority of the electorate may decide to vote for go-slow Communists, or even hardline Stalinists – though even they could only stop further privatisations, not reverse the process.
The political threat is real enough, but in purely economic terms the conventional wisdom is all wrong. To begin with, it overlooks the natural evolution of the capitalist animal. The fat cows that populate advanced economies – stable, highly capitalised firms which offer good employment, pay their taxes in full, invest in new plant, develop new technology and contribute to charities and culture – were not born as such. It was as lean and hungry wolves that they originally accumulated capital, by seizing profitable market opportunities – often by killing off competitors in ways that today's anti-monopoly commissions would not tolerate – and by cutting costs in every way possible, not excluding all the tax avoidance they could get away with. But when countries and their economies undergo truly drastic transformations, as Germany, Italy and Japan did because of the destructions of World War Two, and as Russia is now doing, conditions are too harsh even for wolves. Only ruthless hyenas can survive and prosper in the chaos: by trafficking in whatever can be profitably sold, legally or otherwise; by buying up valuable real estate for pennies from desperate owners or corrupt officials; by the improvised manufacture of sub-standard products for deprived consumers; or by the simple theft of abandoned, semi-abandoned, or just poorly guarded property.
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The human body builds red blood cells through the mediation of a protein called erythropoietin, claims the American Society of Hematology. This protein is made largely in the kidneys.
Red blood cells are made in the bone marrow, says the American Society of Hematology. An immature red blood cell is large, round and has a nucleus. When a red blood cell is mature, it loses its nucleus and leaves the marrow for the bloodstream.
As the cell matures, it takes on hemoglobin, which is a pigment that gives it its red color, posits the American Society of Hematology. Hemoglobin is also a protein that lets the blood carry oxygen from the lungs to the other cells in the body, and lets it carry carbon dioxide from the cells back to the lungs. Erythropoietin also stimulates the production of hemoglobin, says MedicineNet.
The red blood cell is one of the few cells in the human body that doesn't have a nucleus, claims the American Society of Hematology. This allows it to change shape and squeeze through narrow capillaries.
It takes about seven days for a red blood cell to mature, and it has a life span of about 120 days, says the American Society of Hematology. After this, it leaves the blood cell and is destroyed. This short life span is the price the red blood cell pays for its flexibility.


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The Bastrop Advertiser (Bastrop, Tex.), Vol. 54, No. 20, Ed. 1 Saturday, August 11, 1906
Description: Weekly - and some times semi-weekly - newspaper from Bastrop, Texas that includes local, state and national news along with extensive advertising.
Date: August 11, 1906
Creator: Cain, Thomas C.
Item Type: Refine your search to only Newspaper


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Kiteboarders and windsurfers prepare for the 2009 Langebaan Downwind Dash in South Africa
- 25 December 2008 | Kiteboarding
The 2009 Resolution Langebaan Downwind Dash will be held from Saturday January 17 to Sunday January 19 2009 at Langebaan, South Africa.
The regatta gives points for the annual ranking of the IKA world ranking.
The event will be organised by Saldanha Beach Sailing Club as the LOA, for and on behalf of the IKA. The event will be based starting from Langebaan Beach.
During January, the weather conditions are usually: average wind of 15 to 25 knotts sout/south west water conditions: average temperature 17 Celsius.
The winner of the event scores 100 points, others are ranked accordingly. The maximum size of the fleet is 300 competitors, including women and all wildcards.
This event shall be a single discipline event. Divisions are: Kite, Windsurfer, Catamaran. Only the Kite division counts for the IKA world ranking.
The registration will take place on the beach at the parking area Langebaan.
The Downwind Dash is the longest running windsurfer event in South Africa. With the popularity of kite surfing in recent years, the event has been opened up to kite boards as well. It is believed to be the only event where windsurfers and kites go head to head.
Catamarans are also invited to take part.
Sailed from Langebaan to Saldanha, the event relies on the prevailing South East wind.
The Dash is a reaching course over 17 km. The Start is a le Mans start off the beach at Langebaan, across the entrance to the lagoon to the Donkergat peninsular, then a starboard reach back to the beach near Leentjiesklip just South of Club Mykonos, screaming port reach to the end of the iron ore terminal, then a semi reaching run down to the beach in the corner of Saldanha Bay, jibe round and along the beach to round Dial Rock and in to the finish on the beach in front of the Saldanha Beach Saling Club house.


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Believe it or not, wiper blades are the third highest reason for a car failing an MOT in the UK. Source UK Government Website.
Most people don't check their wiper blades before taking their car for an MOT and then are disappointed to learn there car has failed. This normally means the inconvenience of making another appointment to have the car retested at a later date meaning more time of work or a wasted afternoon taking your car to the test station and waiting for the test to be completed.
If you car does fail on it's wiper blades, the garage may offer to replace them for you. That's great you may think, but be warned you will pay over the odds for this convenience. Garages will charge 50-60% extra to provide and fit the wiper blades for you and that's if the have stock or you are prepared to wait for them to be delivered from the local motor factors.
Save time and money, do it yourself!
Why not save yourself all this hassle and check your wiper blades before the MOT. It's simple to do and may save time and money. Remember wiper blade MOT failure is the third most common reason for a car to fail an MOT. Buying you wiper blades online will save you money. Don't be tempted to go to your local car parts store, again you will be paying close to £40 for a set of wiper blades that could be purchased for around £20-£25 online. Most dedicated wiper blade online retailers offer fast delivery and some even next day but expect to pay a bit extra for next day delivery, hey, but still much cheaper than on the high street.
This is great, but how do I know if my wiper blades will fail or not?
The guidelines for the MOT tester is to fail the vehicle if the wiper blades fail to clear the screen. They will do a visual inspection of the blades to ensure they are not hanging off and clearly do not provide contact across the screen.
The first thing to do is to check your blades are clearing the screen adequately to provide clear vision. If its not raining, simply use you screen wash and ensure there are no areas of the screen that are missed due to the blade not making contact across the entire length of the wiper blade. Also check that there are no streaks or splitting and that you can't hear and see the blades skipping across the screen, if you do then it's probably safer to replace them as they have the potential to fail your car's MOT.
Remember, even if your wiper blades are old and don't look great, but they clear the screen fine, then they will not fail the MOT.
OK Great, but how do I know what wiper blades to buy and how do I fit them?
Don't worry about getting the right blades and fitting is easy when you know how.
Choosing the right blades for your car can be done on most online websites by select the make, model and year of the vehicle click go and you are normally presented with either single blades or a twin pack of wiper blades for both the drivers and passengers side. It's normally a good idea to replace both at the same time and normally it's not that much more to purchase the twin pack as opposed to just the one. Some websites allow you to enter you registration number and then returns the wiper blades for you car. Sites that offer this facility are normally larger car spares websites that are not a price competitive as the dedicated wiper blade websites. You could always use a site that allows you to enter your registration and find the model number for the wiper blades and then do a Google search for the specific model number. ie Bosch A016S.
Wiper blades come with many different types of fitting, but don't worry, you don't need to know what one you need as this is all taken care of when you select your make, model and year.
Once you have your new wiper blades you will need to fit them or you could just ask the garage who is doing the MOT to fit them for you. It only takes a few seconds and I'm sure they will be happy to do this for no charge. Alternatively, this is so easy to do yourself once you see how to do it. Firstly you need to identify the connector type and head over to YouTube to see how it's done. The best YouTube channel that shows very clearly how to fit all the different types of connector is Bosch wiper blades themselves, click the link below to see just how easy it is.
Bosch wiper blade fitting videos
So in summary, yes you car can fail it's MOT for wiper blades that do not clear the windscreen and frequently do. So, save yourself the hassle and check them before hand, if in doubt replace them before the MOT to save yourself time and money.
If you have your own experience or advice or would like to comment please feel free to do so below.


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Peppered lamb & minty butter bean mash
Nutrition and extra info
Nutrition: per serving
- kcal498
- fat32g
- saturates9g
- carbs18g
- sugars0g
- fibre6g
- protein36g
- salt1.5g
- 2 x 410g cans butter beans, drained and rinsed
- 6 tbsp olive oil
Olive oilol-iv oyl
Probably the most widely-used oil in cooking, olive oil is pressed from fresh olives. It's…
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
- juice of 1 small lemon
Oval in shape, with a pronouced bulge on one end, lemons are one of the most versatile fruits…
- small handful mint leaves, roughly chopped
There are several types of mint, each with its own subtle difference in flavour and appearance.…
- 4 leg of lamb steaks, weighing about 140g/5oz each
A lamb is a sheep that is under one year old, and is known for its delicate flavour and tender…
- 1 tbsp coarsley ground black pepper
Also known as capsicums, bell peppers, sweet peppers or by their colours, for example red and…
- 85g bag watercress, to serve
With deep green leaves, and crisp, paler stems, watercress is related to mustard and is one of…
Put the butter beans, 4 tbsp of the oil, the garlic and 3 tbsp of water into a pan and heat through. Smash the beans with a potato masher until you have a rough mash, stir in the lemon juice and mint, season to taste and keep warm.
Season each lamb steak with the black pepper and a sprinkling of salt. Heat the remaining oil in a large frying pan until really hot. Add the lamb steaks and cook for 3 minutes on each side for pink meat or until cooked to your liking. Spoon the mash onto four warm serving plates and top each with a lamb steak. Quickly stir half a cup of water into the lamb pan, boil to make a sauce and spoon over the lamb. Add a handful of watercress to each plate and serve.


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Direct Care Worker
We are seeking caregivers to join Genesis, a fast growing organization with opportunities for personal and professional advancement in the in-home non-medical healthcare industry serving persons with special needs and disabilities. As a caregiver you will provide direct care to individuals with disabilities served by Genesis in a residential setting.
• New Caregiver BONUS - $200 (payable after one month [160 hours] of employment
and after training requirements are fulfilled)
• Full time and part time opportunities.
• Excellent advancement potential with a growing company!
• Health insurance available for full time employees after three months.
• Paid training
• Referral Bonuses ($200 per referral - payable after one month [160 hours] of referrals employment
and after training requirements are fulfilled)
***A valid drivers licenses is required for this job***
Training is a plus but we are willing to train (CPR FIRST AID MORC VCE CMH TTI)
A full job description will be provided to candidates who interview for a position.


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Pizza Bombs
Modified from Buzz Feed
2 cans (7.5 oz) biscuit dough (they used the 16.3 oz can and divided each into two pieces)
Pizza sauce
mozzarella, cut into cubes
2 tbsp butter, melted
2 cloves garlic, minced
pepper, to taste (I didn't use the salt they said because cheese is so salty)
1 tbsp. Italian seasoning
Shredded parmesan cheese
Press each biscuit into a circle. Place a small dollop (seriously small!) of pizza sauce, 1 pepperoni and 1 cube of mozzarella on each biscuit round. Press edges together to seal in filling. Lay the pizza bombs on a baking sheet lined with greased parchment paper. Combine melted butter, garlic, pepper and Italian seasoning in a small bowl. Brush the butter mixture over the pizza bombs and top with parmesan.
Bake at 375 for 15-20 minutes.
Makes 20 bombs.


text: WindyCalcPro is an easy and very handy aviation wind triangle calculator, featuring a real flying intrument design combined with a functional magnetic compass. Perfect visualising tool for pilots, instructors, students.Two modes are available for setting the flight course or the heading.Set the WD direction and speed. And, according to the mode chosen, set the intended flight course, or the heading, and get the resulting heading, or course, and the ground


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Hello Friends!!
Today I am sharing a layout that I created using my January 2017 Counterfeit Kit Challenge kit. I started with a sketch from Stuck Sketches Dec 27, 2016.
The photo is of me.
I used some of the color mist to spray behind the photo cluster. I tucked in a wood veneer tag with a little burlap o it behind the photo. I tucked in some doilies and even some of the acetate flowers from Freckled Fawn in each embellishment cluster.
On the inspiration sketch the artist branded it ton the lower right corner. I liked it and added a piece of washi tape that says life is a journey.
I've added phrase stickers, label stickers, and arrow brads here. along the bottom I've layered up 2 different washi tapes. The title is a combination of the cork alpha and one of the basic grey alpha's, the ampersand is actually stamped on using a CTMH stamp.
Thanks for visiting my blog today!!!


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Glowing Butterflies Shine With Natural LEDsPublication: National Geographic News Date: November 17, 2005 View Article
For 30 million years African swallowtail butterflies have dazzled their mates with glowing splashes of color on their wings. And the process they use to control the flow of light in their wings is strikingly similar to a technology that humans only recently developed, physicists report.
From the lasers used to read information on CDs and DVDs to the data carried across oceans along optical fibers, the control of light is essential to modern living.
Related Posts
Seven signs of evolution in action
Conservationists Name Nine New "Biodiversity Hotspots"


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Our success as a Foundation and as a community, depends upon you and we welcome you to join us. Your contributions, whether through volunteer time or funding, help inspire dreams and broaden the horizons of those of us who live and work in Crook County.
There many ways to get involved:
- Join as a contributing member – to contribute, click here.
- Serve on a project committee
- Setup a scholarship
- Participate in an event, such as What's Brewing? or Picnic in the Park.
- Have an idea to strength our community? Partner with us.
The Crook County Foundation brings People, Resources and Inspiration together for the enrichment of the Community. We focus on building positive futures for our children, families, businesses and civic groups by fostering investment in leadership, education, and the arts.
For more information, or to volunteer, please contact us at:
Email or Call 541-362-1210
We extend our sincere appreciation to:
OUR FOUNDING PARTNERS – City of Prineville, Crook County, Crook County Parks and Recreation District, Crook County School District and The Prineville-Crook County Chamber of Commerce.
OUR COMMUNITY VOLUNTEERS – Your countless hours make CCF programs a success.
OUR VALUED DONORS – We wouldn't be here without you! See our annual report for a full list of our current supporters.


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Mini-Minions: New Collection
The film, which serves as a prequel/spin-off to the hit Despicable Me series, focuses on the backstory of those lovable little yellow guys: the minions. As creatures that have existed since the dawn of time, the minions sole purpose is to serve all the biggest villains of the world, from Genghis Khan to Dracula. However, the minions find themselves accidentally destroying all of their masters, one-by-one, until the notorious female super-villain Scarlet Overkill comes along and the minions must compete to become her henchmen.
Whether you're buying for a toddler or an early tween, we have styles and patterns to suit every minion loving young one. With clothing starting at $4, you can definitely indulge the Minion Mania sweeping the younger generations this month.
We didn't just stop at clothing though – you'll find a wide range of children's accessories within the range – from hair-clips, to jewelry, to beach sandals and backpacks. If that wasn't enough, you can also find toys and swim gear so they can truly sport their love for the characters, regardless of where they happen to be.


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NYPD Steps Up Dirty Bomb Precautions
The controversy: Arab-American civil rights groups swiftly criticized a New York City Police Department report that warns of a potential threat of "radicalization" among young, legal, male immigrants from the Middle East who grow disillusioned with life in America.
The groups accused the NYPD of stereotyping and of contradicting recent federal warnings that the chief terror threat remains foreign.
The NYPD report released Wednesday concluded that homegrown terrorists in the making _ a mounting threat as grave as that from established terror groups like al-Qaeda _ were shown to have particular traits. Source: Newsday
Here is the link to the report: NYPD: Radicalization of the West. Homegrown Islamic Terrorism
Bos'un's observation regarding the matter. The criticism is Baloney. The truth hurts but must be addressed. The brothers and sisters who criticized the release of the report must become proactive in solutions to the problem.
The safety of America is in ALL of our hands, Muslim, Christian, atheists, conservative, liberal, socialists, Americans.
I mean EVERYONE.
Wake up America. You may find yourself in a Déjà Vu experience thinking you are in Tel Aviv.


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In the Matter of
The Securities and Exchange Commission ("Commission") deems it appropriate in the public interest that public administrative proceedings be instituted against Stephen G. Donahue ("Donahue") pursuant to Section 15(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 ("Exchange Act") and Section 203(f) of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 ("Advisers Act").
In anticipation of the institution of these proceedings, Donahue has submitted an Offer of Settlement ("Offer") which the Commission has determined to accept. Solely for the purpose of these proceedings and any other proceedings brought by or on behalf of the Commission, or to which the Commission is a party, and without admitting or denying the Commission's findings contained herein, except as to the Commission's jurisdiction over the respondent and over the subject matter of the proceeding and as to the Commission's findings set forth in Paragraphs III.A., III.B. and III.C., which are admitted, Donahue consents to the entry of this Order Instituting Proceedings, Making Findings and Imposing Remedial Sanctions Pursuant to Section 15(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Section 203(f) of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 ("Order").
Accordingly, IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that proceedings pursuant to Section 15(b) of the Exchange Act and Section 203(f) of the Advisers Act be and hereby are instituted.
On the basis of this Order and Donahue's Offer, the Commission finds that:
A. Donahue was the president, a registered representative and a person associated with Donahue Securities Inc. ("DSI"), a broker-dealer registered with the Commission from 1989 through the present and an investment adviser registered with the Commission from 1992 through the present.
B. Donahue was the president and a person associated with SG Donahue & Company, Inc. ("SG Donahue"), an investment adviser registered with the Commission from 1996 through January 2001.
C. On February 26, 2001, in the case of SEC v. Stephen G. Donahue and Donahue Securities Inc., (Civil Action No. C-1-01-116), the Honorable Sandra S. Beckwith, United States District Judge for the Southern District of Ohio, Western Division at Cincinnati, entered an Order of Permanent Injunction against Donahue, pursuant to his consent and without Donahue admitting or denying the allegations in the Commission's Complaint, enjoining Donahue from violating Section 17(a) of the Securities Act of 1933, Section 10(b) of the Exchange Act and Rule 10b-5 thereunder and aiding and abetting violations of Section 15(c) of the Exchange Act and Rule 15c1-2 thereunder. The Order also froze Donahue's assets, ordered the appointment of a receiver over Donahue's assets and ordered Donahue to, among other things, pay disgorgement and pay a civil penalty, if any, in amounts to be determined by the Court.
D. In its Complaint, the Commission alleged that from approximately 1989 through February 2001, Donahue misappropriated at least $6 million from approximately 200 to 250 investors who were his brokerage customers. The Complaint also alleged that Donahue first represented to the investors that he would invest their money in a DSI money market fund, and later in the scheme, in a DSI tax free bond fund, both of which would purportedly pay interest ranging from 5% to 6%. The Complaint also alleged that neither the DSI money market fund nor the DSI tax free bond fund existed and that Donahue knew that neither fund existed. The Complaint also alleged that Donahue obtained checks from the investors purportedly to invest in the fictitious funds. However, the Complaint alleged, Donahue used the investors' money for both business and personal expenses instead of investing the investors' money as represented. For example, the Complaint alleged that Donahue used the investors' money to: pay his personal taxes; buy a condominium in Florida; renovate the condominium; buy a vacant lot and building supplies for a personal home; and open a brokerage account and purchase mutual funds in Donahue's own name. Finally, the Complaint also alleged that Donahue used investor funds to fund the business operations of DSI and SG Donahue.
In light of the foregoing, it is in the public interest to impose the sanctions specified in the Offer submitted by Donahue.
Accordingly, IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that Stephen G. Donahue be, and hereby is, barred from association with any broker, dealer or investment adviser.
By the Commission.
Jonathan G. Katz
|Home | Previous Page
Modified: 07/23/2001


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I arrived in Damascus VA in the early evening for check in at the center of the town at a large open-air pavilion. While checking in I ran into Dr. David Horton, ultra running pioneer and at one time holder of the record for the fastest running of the Appalachian Trail, all 2,181 miles of it, Pacific Crest Trail and one of the fastest crossings of America. I am running the Lynchburg Ultra series that he directs, and while he no longer runs, he is a wealth of advice. He cautioned me against running too heard with the upcoming Grindstone 100 only 5 weeks away. After a dinner of mediocre pizza I set up my camp site at the home of a local runner who had offered his yard up to the racers. I found myself camping beside Dr. Horton so I took the opportunity to learn as much from him as I could. I was already awake before my alarm at 530 a.m. and after a quick breakfast of coffee, left over pizza and a granola bar, I took an Imodium (a tip from Dr. Horton) and headed out to the starting line.
The race director gave a short pre-race brief most of which consisted of reminding us of the difficulty of the course and the fact that the time cut-offs would be strictly enforced. There were about 72 runners starting the fifty mile, but there were also quite a large number of runners competing in a 32 mile and a 16 mile race simultaneously. This meant that the start was quite a madhouse and with all of us starting together, it was very easy to get pushed into a too-quick pace by someone who was only running 16 miles. Fortunately the color coded race bibs made it pretty easy to identify. I took off a decent pace, trying to heed Dr. Horton's advice, but feeling good I began to push it a little and soon met up with a another runner and after we got to talking I discovered that he had run Grindstone last year and was running it this year as well. One thing lead to another and we continued to talk and before I realized it we were nearing the aid station at 29 miles. That is not to say that the route had been particularly easy. There were quite a bit of hills and I was practicing with my trekking poles in preparation for G.S., but the miles had slipped away as we talked and I discovered that we had been keeping a pretty quick pace and were, at that time, on track for a 10 hour finish.
Shortly after 30 miles things began to take a turn for the worse. This not coincidentally coincided with the point when we began running almost straight uphill in the steepest climb of the course. While felt as though I was eating and drinking sufficiently, but became nauseous and couldn't shake it for most of the nest 15 miles. I slowed down a bit to try to overcome the nausea, and by the time I reached the final aid station at mile 43, I was feeling a bit better, but now had exactly 2 hours to make it the last 7.3 miles to the finish. Normally that would not be a problem, but after 43 miles of running on loose rock, most of it either up or down my quads were definitely feeling it and my left ankle was aching a bit. The final 7.3 miles consisted of 6 miles of single track switchback trails all seemingly straight downhill. I was incredibly glad for the poles during this section as I really had to watch my footing. I kept a steady pace, watching my GPS and soon realized that I could take it relatively easy (as Horton has advised), and make it in under the cutoff. I was incredibly happy with a mile to go when I finally hit the bottom of the hill and was dumped out onto the roads of Damascus. The route brought me back to the VA Creeper trail and into the finish in 11:53. Out of the 72 that started, 50 finished within the time limit.
The finish was a party atmosphere with all of the runners remaining around the pavilion for the cookout. I always have trouble eating immediately after running, so I had some ice-cream and water and finally made my way (very slowly) back to my truck for a sponge bath before the 2 hour drive to my hotel in Greensboro NC. Overall it was a really great race. The area is incredibly beautiful. I am sure it is even more incredible in the fall, and I think it set me up well for Grindstone in 5 weeks (now 4).