Our Undead Recovery (Musical Tribute)

The following chart shows the 12-month moving average of annualized production and nonsupervisory death care services employee minutes worked per capita.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKR9GklTfRO9xPJFKN3hpVxEUKBSK2tXGWFHK5xAZiLhHtuXo8su1_zDmWgKMIrCq9DONx4k5n_sIztmEscn_shVPKLpK9vKmjd3J7hyM0Aon8szf1Yv7_YAU2K0xAiVWLbLdNVtQ16zY/s1600/Our+Undead+Recovery.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKR9GklTfRO9xPJFKN3hpVxEUKBSK2tXGWFHK5xAZiLhHtuXo8su1_zDmWgKMIrCq9DONx4k5n_sIztmEscn_shVPKLpK9vKmjd3J7hyM0Aon8szf1Yv7_YAU2K0xAiVWLbLdNVtQ16zY/s320/Our+Undead+Recovery.jpg" /></a><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;">Click to enlarge.</span><br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/iP-jYiuDD9g" width="420"></iframe><br /><br /><b>Source Data:</b><br /><a href="http://www.bls.gov/data/#employment">BLS: Employment</a><br /><a href="http://research.stlouisfed.org/fred2/series/POP">St. Louis Fed: Population</a>

Our Undead Recovery (Musical Tribute)

The following chart shows the 12-month moving average of annualized production and nonsupervisory death care services employee minutes worked per capita.Click to enlarge.Source Data:BLS: EmploymentSt. Louis Fed: Population…

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Try using this very useful tool, Padlet, to collect student responses

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiea-QFwmeLN_ssrt7J8wkpR83EN0VbDyqTqy7p0MVstCBHhlC6BeJVpqOB3L22gSQdJRvU97nRgo_ToWMrXyIyn3q7bWSv1IFS0J0Lh91lY_aFZ_ii13ItAvAyh1G7CydAXwH8Ypllgr0/?imgmax=800" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /><img alt="image" border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiea-QFwmeLN_ssrt7J8wkpR83EN0VbDyqTqy7p0MVstCBHhlC6BeJVpqOB3L22gSQdJRvU97nRgo_ToWMrXyIyn3q7bWSv1IFS0J0Lh91lY_aFZ_ii13ItAvAyh1G7CydAXwH8Ypllgr0/?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="image" width="190" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In the past I loved using Wallwisher for students to write responses to various questions in various lessons. The creators of Wallwisher recently felt that the name Wallwisher did not live up to their mission of having an online virtual surface that has all the benefits of being digital and the simplicity of a notepad. So the name was changed to Padlet (<a href="http://padlet.com/">http://padlet.com</a>) </span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Padlet can be described as an ‘<i>online graffiti wall where teachers and students can have discussions, share web links, post notices, collect feedback, or watch and share videos</i>’. </span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">(</span><a href="http://classroom21.ncdpi.wikispaces.net/Padlet" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">http://classroom21.ncdpi.wikispaces.net/Padlet</a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">)</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A teacher poses a question or thought on the padlet they have created, and students’ responses appear like little sticky notes scattered around on the padlet.</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> The biggest plus is that students do not need to sign in to write on the wall.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><strong><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">How to create a Padlet for your class to write on (by Fiona Beal)</span></strong><br /><strong><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></strong><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Here are some step by step instructions to help you get started.</span><br /><strong><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></strong><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><iframe allowfullscreen="true" frameborder="0" height="389" mozallowfullscreen="true" src="https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1qxZvVSu_M-vuiRYB1UgM2C18gf5CxvFBI69XZOnQw1E/embed?start=false&loop=false&delayms=60000" webkitallowfullscreen="true" width="480"></iframe></span><br /><strong><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></strong><strong><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Great new features in  Padlet</span></strong><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Richard Byrne on Free Technology for Teachers points out some great new features:</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1. You can moderate all notes before making them public</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">2. A new <a href="http://www.freetech4teachers.com/2013/03/padlet-streams-simple-way-to-create.html">group blog option was added</a>. </span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">3. Padlet offers an option to download the contents of your walls as PDFs, images, Excel, or CSV files. Once downloaded you can print the contents of your walls. </span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">4. <a href="https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/padlet-wallwisher/ppckapbnfhikdajgehibjapcohbaomhd?hl=en-US">Padlet has a Chrome app too</a>.</span><br /><strong><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></strong><strong><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">How can a Padlet be used in a classroom setting?</span></strong><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1. <u>Use Padlet for introductions</u><br />I recently used Padlet for students to introduce themselves and say what they are hoping to learn. It worked really well.  There are a myriad of uses for this application.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">2. <u>Use Padlet as a KWL chart</u><br />Ask students to share anonymously what they know and what they want to know about a topic.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">3. <u>Use Padlet for group research</u><br />Let the students add videos and notes about their research on a particular topic.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />4. <u>Use Padlet as a showcase of your students’ work</u><br />Let your students add links to their various online creations</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">5. <u>Use Padlet as a book review platform</u><br />Let students write their comments on a chapter they have read. </span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">6. <u>Use Padlet as a thankyou wall</u><br />Let your students thank speakers or a special teacher or anyone you choose to and email them the link. </span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In fact here are 32 ways to use Padlet in the classroom (started by Jen Hughes). This was created when Padlet was still called Wallwisher. </span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><iframe allowfullscreen="true" frameborder="0" height="429" mozallowfullscreen="true" src="https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1tJ9TjzQGGiVWjiSrW9RZJhTupqkVXPqPbFWle4ovHa4/embed?start=false&loop=false&delayms=60000" webkitallowfullscreen="true" width="533"></iframe></span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Try Padlet - you'll love its simplicity and versatility. </span></div>

Padlet Web tools Try using this very useful tool, Padlet, to collect student responses

In the past I loved using Wallwisher for students to write responses to various questions in various lessons. The creators of Wallwisher recently felt that the name Wallwisher did not live up to their mission of having an online virtual surface that …

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Www.uc.pa.gov - Pennsylvania Unemployment Website - How to Get PA Unemployment Compensation

Go to Www.uc.pa.gov  the Pennsylvania unemployment website for finding out about Pennsylvania unemployment compensation.<br /><br /><b>Are you eligible?</b><br /><br />Unemployment Compensation " is for people who lost a job because of something that wasn't their fault. If you're out of work because your employer had to make cutbacks, close an office, went out of business or something you couldn't control, it's possible that you will be eligible to collect UC"<br /><br /><b>What do You need to File a Claim?</b><br /><br />Are you opening your unemployment claim account? Is it the first time you will be filing for unemployment compensation? It is called filing an initial claim. Here is a checklist for you  from the PA UC website<br />----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /><div>**<a href="http://www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt?open=514&objID=1053280&mode=2" target="_blank">PA Unemployment Compensation Checklist to File Initial Claim</a></div><div>YOUR INFORMATION:</div><ul class="checkboxlist"><li class="checkbox"> Social Security Number *</li><li class="checkbox"> Home address, mailing address (if different than your home address) and telephone number</li><li class="checkbox"> Alien registration number, if you aren't a U.S. citizen or national</li><li class="checkbox"> DD Form 214, if you were on active duty in the U.S. military during the last two years</li><li class="checkbox"> Information from Standard Form 8, Standard Form 50, W-2s and or pay stubs, if you worked for the federal government in the last 18 months.</li></ul><div> EMPLOYER INFORMATION:</div><ul class="checkboxlist"><li class="checkbox"> Name of your last employer, or the employer where you're currently working less hours</li><li class="checkbox"> Complete mailing address of your last employer (name, street address, city, state, Zip Code)</li><li class="checkbox"> Date you started working for that employer</li><li class="checkbox"> Date of the last day you worked for the employer</li><li class="checkbox"> Reason you left, or the reason you are working less hours</li></ul><div> EMPLOYMENT HISTORY:</div><ul class="checkboxlist"><li class="checkbox"> Names of all employers where you worked in the last 18 months (name, street address, city, state, Zip Code)</li><li class="checkbox"> Start and end dates for all employers where you worked in the last 18 months</li><li class="checkbox"> Wages you earned for all employers where you worked in the last 18 months, and how you were paid (hourly, weekly, monthly)</li></ul><div> DIRECT DEPOSIT INFORMATION (Direct deposit isn't required to be eligible for or to receive UC benefits, but it is - by far - the easiest and most convenient way to get your money.)</div><ul class="checkboxlist"><li class="checkbox"> Bank name, street address, city, state and Zip Code.</li><li class="checkbox"> Bank telephone number</li><li class="checkbox"> Bank account number</li><li class="checkbox"> Bank account routing number</li></ul>------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ <br />** - As found at the PA Unemployment Compensation official website<br /><br />For more details about the PA Unemployment compensation visit the FAQ page. <br /><br />Pennsylvania Unemployment compensation is paid bi-weekly.<br /><br />Go to<a href="http://www.uc.pa.gov/" target="_blank"> http://www.uc.pa.gov/ </a>to file a Pennsylvania Unemployment Compensation claim, know your eligibility for claims, check a claim status, reopen a claim, check your payments, etc

claim unemployment pa http://www.uc.pa.gov/ pa unemployment pennsylvania unemployment benefits Www.uc.pa.gov Www.uc.pa.gov - Pennsylvania Unemployment Website - How to Get PA Unemployment Compensation

Go to Www.uc.pa.gov  the Pennsylvania unemployment website for finding out about Pennsylvania unemployment compensation.Are you eligible?Unemployment Compensation " is for people who lost a job because of something that wasn't their fault. If you're…

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Four Years Later.....

Nothing like <a href="http://www.aljazeera.com/video/americas/2013/10/obama-renews-promise-close-guantanamo-201310905314198859.html">rushing to get something done</a> ya know.<br /><br /><blockquote>The Pentagon has named Paul Lewis as its special envoy for closing the US military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.<br /><br />Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel announced the appointment on Tuesday.<br /><br />It was part of President Barack Obama's renewed push to close the prison, <i>which remains open despite his 2009 pledge to shutter the facility within a year.</i><br /><br />Lewis has been an attorney for the Democratic minority on the House of Representatives Armed Services Committee, where he deals with Guantanamo-related issues.<br /><br />"Special Envoy Lewis brings a wealth of experience from his previous position," the Pentagon said in a statement. <br /><br /> In his new position, he will work with the State Department on transferring Guantanamo detainees to other countries. He will also oversee efforts to transfer third-country nationals held by the US in Afghanistan.<br /><br />He is to take up his position on November 1.</blockquote><br />I thought the government was out of money?

Four Years Later.....

Nothing like rushing to get something done ya know.The Pentagon has named Paul Lewis as its special envoy for closing the US military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel announced the appointment on Tuesday.It was part of Pre…

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The Washington Redskins Name Should Not Go up in Smoke!!

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Cheeeeeeeeers and Happy Hump Day Chuckleheads!!<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih2JmbKfVK5zsQ4FUxN861kspdmxdhRKQSfYUcA1SPOS_29s1cSQrFa64Vx2zS_bPc-RcVfVbkZuDG7Qhdmyldy8cXrOEM62LNmoOXSPNsHh4d7l8rfPR3ejXvXFalxH60uHMwHhV7BpJT/s1600/Washington+Redskins+Cheerleaders+Sexy+Hot+Naked.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih2JmbKfVK5zsQ4FUxN861kspdmxdhRKQSfYUcA1SPOS_29s1cSQrFa64Vx2zS_bPc-RcVfVbkZuDG7Qhdmyldy8cXrOEM62LNmoOXSPNsHh4d7l8rfPR3ejXvXFalxH60uHMwHhV7BpJT/s400/Washington+Redskins+Cheerleaders+Sexy+Hot+Naked.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Whether you are a sports fan or not, or more particularly, a football fan or not, you probably have heard that once again as happens every so often, that some folks want the Washington Redskins to change the name of their NFL franchise.<br /><br />Every few years or so, this Native American sports moniker issue comes up, and has upon occasion come up with other sports teams from the High School level up to and including the professional level.<br /><br />Well…As typical, the Washington Redskins are on the hot bench again as they are being attacked and ambushed through every media outlet known to man, by the heap big Oneida Indian Nation of upstate New York.<br /><br />The Oneida Nation has spent much wampum buying ads that tout their outrage over the name “Redskins”, and are demanding that Washington Redskins majority owner Dan Snyder, change the name of his team…a team and business, that he owns…to something else.<br /><br />Some members of Congress and other elected officials have even decided to walk down the Anti-Redskins political correctness Trail of Tears and have sent letters and smoke signals to Snyder asking him to change the name.<br /><br />Hell, just the other day, even President Obama was asked whether the Redskins should change their name. The President replied that if he was the owner, he would consider changing it…perhaps…maybe mull it over.<br /><br />Translation?<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjL5m13Bdb3dfnFuUl1zuGr3SdMV8zagNp_J1lHcfDwQUaKBOd6WngzoWLg6KhO1bsp4Kadnd_gI6uSoQitw0q4E6cYu0Dbkk3F9zCkc2fnUAZs2ZApLZ77PStQdegkP_UXAaqFKO8OlRm/s1600/obama-redskins.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="227" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjL5m13Bdb3dfnFuUl1zuGr3SdMV8zagNp_J1lHcfDwQUaKBOd6WngzoWLg6KhO1bsp4Kadnd_gI6uSoQitw0q4E6cYu0Dbkk3F9zCkc2fnUAZs2ZApLZ77PStQdegkP_UXAaqFKO8OlRm/s400/obama-redskins.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><i>“I probably would, but since Northern Virginia and D.C. are bluer than hell electoral wise, love their Redskins, and don’t want a name change, Ima gonna do a rain dance around this issue.  Now pass me the Peace Pipe because the government shutdown and the looming debt ceiling crisis make me want to smoke.”</i><br /><br />Listen…<br /><br />I am sure to some Native Americans, the word may be offensive, but the word in its origin (nearly 400 years ago) was not, and was only made derogatory for a short period of time by a couple of authors in the early 20th Century.<br /><br />Like most Americans, and most Native Americans, when I hear the term, the Washington Redskins, I don’t think of rabid American Indians on a scalping binge, I think of a lackluster NFL football team, and that’s all.<br /><br />On the other side of the argument, I hear folks say…<br /><br /><i>“Well, you’d be up in arms if they were called, The Washington Niggers!!”</i><br /><br />To which I say…Yes, I would be up in arms, and I wouldn’t watch them…and neither would most other Americans, and the franchise wouldn’t survive, because that term connotes nothing but hate.<br /><br />Redskins on the other hand?  Eh…Look at the logo…It’s not a disrespectful logo.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAwul_sO88Q4b-AQz_3ahTnUEXVSHyRahz2kNFixHMhZ7Mxeb4xyidO6T4P_B27lG_asSPpjX4yT-A7fifjdiWFV5GFfnl5bjCszVv3RKBt01SFL9P5hdBJd7Y0N3EZ_bgNmMzAATH-h5d/s1600/Washington_Redskins_logo.svg.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAwul_sO88Q4b-AQz_3ahTnUEXVSHyRahz2kNFixHMhZ7Mxeb4xyidO6T4P_B27lG_asSPpjX4yT-A7fifjdiWFV5GFfnl5bjCszVv3RKBt01SFL9P5hdBJd7Y0N3EZ_bgNmMzAATH-h5d/s320/Washington_Redskins_logo.svg.png" width="293" /></a></div>At least here in West Central Ohio where I have grown up and spent my entire life, Indians are revered. And I say Indians because we don’t call them Native Americans much.  We call them Indians and their people are a rich ingredient of our history.<br /><br />This area is the cradle of the Shawnee, the Miami, the Ottawa, the Delaware, and the Wyandot tribes among others.  It’s home to Tecumseh, to Cornstalk, and to Blue Jacket, and that is why the Columbus Blue Jackets of the NHL are thusly named.  Great leaders of men, one and all.  And we respect them here in Ohio, and...<br /><br />I am pretty sure that Washington Redskins fans have no ill will against “the Red Man” either.  Win or lose, they love their Redskins.<br /><br />Dan Snyder can do whatever he wants, which of course knowing Dan Snyder he will, but I say keep the name the same.  It’s a nickname and the logo is much more respectful than that of the Cleveland Indians…<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5RTJmxq0yrOtOLmzoYKuakzZ-EcgGMRL1siBSK3WMNFI9vwNxfopneZVQSI6UvSQspM7dX3bDbQxC4Hl5xC9IMhT77wR1tk7uyDPKgeQr8t6NYTN3uVcVRVPNRGpkUPMInxm_8q3oo0sW/s1600/chief-wahoo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5RTJmxq0yrOtOLmzoYKuakzZ-EcgGMRL1siBSK3WMNFI9vwNxfopneZVQSI6UvSQspM7dX3bDbQxC4Hl5xC9IMhT77wR1tk7uyDPKgeQr8t6NYTN3uVcVRVPNRGpkUPMInxm_8q3oo0sW/s320/chief-wahoo.jpg" width="244" /></a></div>However, if pressure comes to bear and Snyder can take it no longer, he could always change the Redskins name to something else that involves animals or nature, and do it with a big ol' screw you to the PC Police…<br /><br />Something like...<br /><br /><i>The Washington Sitting Bulls.</i><br /><br /><i>The Washington Red Clouds</i>, or…my favorite…<br /><br /><i>The Washington Crazy Horses!!</i><br /><br />Of course, if RG III gets hurts again, Snyder could always name his team…<br /><br /><i>The Washington Wounded Knees.</i><br /><br /><i>Cheers!!</i><br /><br />Matt-Man<br /><br /><a href="mailto:mattmaniws@ymail.com">mattmaniws@ymail.com</a><br /><a href="https://twitter.com/MattMan_IWS" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">@mattman_iws</span></a><br /><a href="https://www.facebook.com/mattmaniws" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">My Facebook Page</span></a></div>

The Washington Redskins Name Should Not Go up in Smoke!!

Cheeeeeeeeers and Happy Hump Day Chuckleheads!!Whether you are a sports fan or not, or more particularly, a football fan or not, you probably have heard that once again as happens every so often, that some folks want the Washington Redskins to change…

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Undercover cop charged in SUV attack

<a href="http://nypost.com/2013/10/08/biker-cop-in-beatdown-could-be-busted-as-early-as-tonight/">From the tone of this article</a> they are serious about throwing his ass in prison too.<br /><br />Good.<br />Motherfucker.<br /><br /><blockquote>An off-duty undercover cop was charged with felony criminal mischief Tuesday after smashing the window of a Manhattan driver’s SUV in a fit of rage during a biker-mob attack, sources said.<br /><br />“He totally lied when he said he did nothing [to help the victim] because he didn’t want to blow his cover,’’ a law-enforcement source seethed.<br /><br />Wojciech Braszczok, 32, was awaiting arraignment in Manhattan Criminal court on the rap, which could land him up to four to seven years behind bars if convicted, depending on how much financial damage he did to Alexian Lien’s Range Rover when he bashed in the glass.</blockquote><br />If it's over $1500 it becomes a Class D felony.<br /><br />That would mean the bastard could be staring at 7 years in a two star PMITA Graybar Motel.<br /><br />The prosecutors were trying to nail him on a much more serious charge,Gang assault, which carries a maximum sentence of 25 years.<br /><br />This guy is a dirt bag undercover detective and he was trying to claim he didn't try to help the driver because he didn't want his cover to be blown.<br /><br />I could insert a disgusting line here but I will resist the temptation just this once.<br /><br />The video doesn't lie though and it shows the puke breaking out the back window of the SUV with his hands.<br />Unknown to our hero though, the victim's two year old daughter was right behind that glass, he couldn't see her because it was tinted.<br /><br />They already have one other guy in custody and he is facing the gang assault charge.<br />They are also looking for six more suspects.

Undercover cop charged in SUV attack

From the tone of this article they are serious about throwing his ass in prison too.Good.Motherfucker.An off-duty undercover cop was charged with felony criminal mischief Tuesday after smashing the window of a Manhattan driver’s SUV in a fit of rage …

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I Didn't Know Tim The Tool Man Worked For The NSA!

Next up on the Black Budget Agenda, a small nuclear power plant.Do we have any bids?<br /><br /><br /><blockquote><a href="http://gizmodo.com/is-the-nsas-data-center-melting-down-because-its-spyi-1442280675">This is embarrassingly funny</a>. The WSJ reports that the NSA's new Utah data center has suffered 10 meltdowns in the past 13 months because of electrical surges. The NSA is basically using so much power in its spying efforts that it is poetically killing its data centers. Seriously, the surges have destroyed hundreds of thousands of dollars in machinery.<br /><br />The WSJ got access to project documents that detail the problems of its Utah data center and it's unsympathetically brutal. Apparently, arc fault failures—described by an official who spoke to the WSJ as "a flash of lightning inside a 2-foot box"—are causing fiery explosions, melting metal and destroying circuits inside the center.<br /><br />The power chugging of the data center is no joke: it spends $1 million a month for power and uses 65 megawatts, enough to power a city of 20,000 people. All in the name of spying! It seems like officials are unsure how to fix the power problems as backup generators have failed tests, the cooling systems are untested and the government and contractors are disagreeing about "the adequacy of the electrical control systems".</blockquote><br />Good.<br /><br />Burn Baby Burn.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgviV9m4LufrzmjXDc00Gk_YvJKYnOxsa0k-_GUrol9e-mL2jpnfBBteXUnqRZNNAIe8HiDiOA5R0dk2dhD3cGLrn4cDH8wvucKAmJ2h7KINSt4vVJuqkMXX4T_Pd0sMAI7HNfOEcHdOGRH/s1600/hqdefault.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgviV9m4LufrzmjXDc00Gk_YvJKYnOxsa0k-_GUrol9e-mL2jpnfBBteXUnqRZNNAIe8HiDiOA5R0dk2dhD3cGLrn4cDH8wvucKAmJ2h7KINSt4vVJuqkMXX4T_Pd0sMAI7HNfOEcHdOGRH/s640/hqdefault.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><br />For a more detailed article from the WSJ, <a href="http://online.wsj.com/article_email/SB10001424052702304441404579119490744478398-lMyQjAxMTAzMDAwNzEwNDcyWj.html?mod=wsj_valettop_email">click on this link</a>.

I Didn't Know Tim The Tool Man Worked For The NSA!

Next up on the Black Budget Agenda, a small nuclear power plant.Do we have any bids?This is embarrassingly funny. The WSJ reports that the NSA's new Utah data center has suffered 10 meltdowns in the past 13 months because of electrical surges. The NS…

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Cotton candy clouds ... sunset over Elliott's Knob

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaXgfoqYSuVJ-_8YMHO2BGeWnyOhZWtJd4235uC_9ML2NbpUcgEj_9bzJpKcKu1Z_AzVERai6KDnZPElfxWqvb_3nfo4-HT2nCP8G0zv8oSStcS5cMqbIWvCjRoABjbu4qvLGMkLJQEPBM/s1600/1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaXgfoqYSuVJ-_8YMHO2BGeWnyOhZWtJd4235uC_9ML2NbpUcgEj_9bzJpKcKu1Z_AzVERai6KDnZPElfxWqvb_3nfo4-HT2nCP8G0zv8oSStcS5cMqbIWvCjRoABjbu4qvLGMkLJQEPBM/s400/1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVHiufQ9tHy8xumK04DFbts5hCNVZSbhn3Jae1GimH_k60_LfxriVwjOKLXkTaXHun9xjnjwXGFbmVf6-ERwBmS_rvzJYXayFfn6-Z7_Tw_llREd_DEJy3d88ka6FFbRCDSZXQvWkn5eGa/s1600/2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVHiufQ9tHy8xumK04DFbts5hCNVZSbhn3Jae1GimH_k60_LfxriVwjOKLXkTaXHun9xjnjwXGFbmVf6-ERwBmS_rvzJYXayFfn6-Z7_Tw_llREd_DEJy3d88ka6FFbRCDSZXQvWkn5eGa/s400/2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Sunset over Elliott's Knob ... Appalachian Mountains, Augusta County, Virginia</div><br />Photo by Lynn R. Mitchell<br />October 8, 2013

Appalachian Mountains Augusta County Elliott's Knob sunset tourism Virginia Is For Lovers Cotton candy clouds ... sunset over Elliott's Knob

Sunset over Elliott's Knob ... Appalachian Mountains, Augusta County, VirginiaPhoto by Lynn R. MitchellOctober 8, 2013…

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The Signs of Recovery

The following chart shows the 12-month moving average of annualized production and nonsupervisory sign (durable goods) employee minutes worked per capita.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvLMLyUr-C7GnjnvLS4zf1onO352DBGo0ZMOftQjmzdQmv-Xd5N_Qt4w7rwe-AiABWvzvcjAn260Inhk4SrKVJ3nypS5YVNPXgBbzgMMpD2U49TjBEUEqFvi-Oc5DdfaVbFRc14OVCMwU/s1600/The+Signs+of+Recovery.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvLMLyUr-C7GnjnvLS4zf1onO352DBGo0ZMOftQjmzdQmv-Xd5N_Qt4w7rwe-AiABWvzvcjAn260Inhk4SrKVJ3nypS5YVNPXgBbzgMMpD2U49TjBEUEqFvi-Oc5DdfaVbFRc14OVCMwU/s320/The+Signs+of+Recovery.jpg" /></a><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;">Click to enlarge.</span><br /><br />New businesses need signs. Right?<br /><br />The signs aren't looking so good, both short-term and long-term.<br /><br /><b>Update:</b><br /><br />After further review, I noticed that the chart's data was per capita and not per 1,000 people. That's been fixed.<br /><br /><b>Source Data:</b><br /><a href="http://www.bls.gov/data/#employment">BLS: Employment</a><br /><a href="http://research.stlouisfed.org/fred2/series/POP">St. Louis Fed: Population</a>

The Signs of Recovery

The following chart shows the 12-month moving average of annualized production and nonsupervisory sign (durable goods) employee minutes worked per capita.Click to enlarge.New businesses need signs. Right?The signs aren't looking so good, both short-t…

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Robert Morris Lays Down the Law: Non-Tithers are "Arrogant" and "Thieves" And Subject to Demon Possession

<div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="263" mozallowfullscreen="" src="//player.vimeo.com/video/76311562?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="350"></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy9Sr7sTZCuKNXiZUYyol2F6fiwJyW5LRyLsIpDi0FbAF0eILRrD1bCQaYFLUMg2_t42ZoWdWVmCTmYE8kHmLhoXfgRMpi2Poix79f5Eacc28bZlhMTWtBEsWYTM0FyQlg0NFj0AiWG6SV/s1600/MorrisSerious.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>"Listen to me carefully, I'm going to say something very strong: Any person that doesn't tithe is arrogant, because you believe you can make it your way and not doing it God's way. And you HAVE to be arrogant to steal from God. You have to be extremely arrogant to steal from God. <u><span style="color: red;">And please understand if you don't tithe, that's an open door to demons</span></u>...and I don't say that to make you feel condemned or to argue about tithing. And no matter how many doors you close in your life, if you're not a tither, you've got an open door to the 'enemy'."  Robert Morris 9/30/13"</b></i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>------------------------------</b></i></span></div>If it wasn't bad enough already with Robert Morris telling Christians everywhere they must tithe to "rebuke the devourer", to avoid divorce, to protect your kids - now Robert Morris has thrown down the gauntlet. Now non-tithers are thieves - they're arrogant, AND they are subject to demon possession.<br /><br />Yes, demon possession. You know, an "open door" to demons. Makes perfect sense, doesn't it?  <br /><br />This sort of nonsense from Morris - this abuse, really is what it is - declaring Christians at his church to be thieves, that they are arrogant (look at the video and his finger pointing - just who is the most arrogant person in his massive auditorium?) - that no matter how good they are in other areas of their Christian life if they don't fork over 10% they are still subject to little devils ruining their lives - is so laughable given that <u>Gateway markets themselves as being "all about people"</u>:  <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvBCVlPOMH-nzXIS3Sk4zfe0AUfvRUQTiPHEIL24SpsBJviOMlrANp33J4PzogpX9mNcVO12zd2PwkMMsN3VLtNyuEbhQ2KZUkL0NfFzCL9zq1b_WndvVg6LztAxgdS4aaSKN84Ga9oeos/s1600/wereallaboutpeople.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvBCVlPOMH-nzXIS3Sk4zfe0AUfvRUQTiPHEIL24SpsBJviOMlrANp33J4PzogpX9mNcVO12zd2PwkMMsN3VLtNyuEbhQ2KZUkL0NfFzCL9zq1b_WndvVg6LztAxgdS4aaSKN84Ga9oeos/s1600/wereallaboutpeople.png" /></a></div>  <br />Really? "All about people"? Robert Morris loves "people"? What sort of a man tells his congregation that the 80% of them that don't tithe (probably more) are arrogant and criminals and will have opened themselves to demons entering their lives? That isn't love. What sort of a madman tells Christian people looking for spiritual hope that because they can't give 10% of their income that their resources will be consumed by some unseen "devourer"?<br /><br />And his finger-pointing, and his emphasis:<i> "Listen to me very carefully, I'm going to say something very strong..."</i> And his emphasis of the primacy and urgency of this single matter of tithing in a person's life by saying <i>"No matter how many doors you close in your life, if you're not tithing..."</i><br /><br />To Robert, there is nothing more important in a Christian's life, nothing that will determine your life's outcome, than how much money you give.<br /><br />Robert, let me tell you something. Read carefully, this is very strong: You are abusing the people of your church. You should be ashamed. I wished that people just heard you and laughed it off and smiled and dismissed your claims as fairy tales. But I hear grown men on the video amen'ing your nonsense so I know many are taking you seriously.<br /><br />You've turned the "good news" into very, very bad news. <br /><div><br /></div><div>Robert, that morning you were the most arrogant man in the church building.  Look in the mirror, Robert. YOU are the arrogant one.<br /><br />And I dare say perhaps YOU and your family members who draw fat salaries from the offerings of these people you are abusing with your yarns are more apt to be seen as thieves.<br /><br />But I will stop short of claiming your false teaching has opened a door to the devils and demons and devourers - I wouldn't ever stoop that low, Robert.</div>

Robert Morris Lays Down the Law: Non-Tithers are "Arrogant" and "Thieves" And Subject to Demon Possession

"Listen to me carefully, I'm going to say something very strong: Any person that doesn't tithe is arrogant, because you believe you can make it your way and not doing it God's way. And you HAVE to be arrogant to steal from God. You have to be extreme…

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Investment Advice Insanity

The following chart shows the 12-month moving average of annualized production and nonsupervisory investment advice employee minutes worked per capita.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgypawriVCS8MfnnD7q03aXQp0gmts4hCqWIvT4Qqn1SvkMqUuIaEF6BzC_OSy_QLH_FfS9p-hCvXx9xyDwoijOvycEMusM4I51-ONY4UH1Z8MrOF0-j4ONuwTsUNz9BsD1oK_N8u1APwc/s1600/Investment+Advice+Employee+Time.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgypawriVCS8MfnnD7q03aXQp0gmts4hCqWIvT4Qqn1SvkMqUuIaEF6BzC_OSy_QLH_FfS9p-hCvXx9xyDwoijOvycEMusM4I51-ONY4UH1Z8MrOF0-j4ONuwTsUNz9BsD1oK_N8u1APwc/s320/Investment+Advice+Employee+Time.jpg" /></a><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;">Click to enlarge.</span><br /><br />As seen in the long-term trend, the "expert" advice is spewing exponentially. It's as if the floodgates have been opened. That said, it looks like we're starting to run out of greater fools again though. Oh oh.<br /><br />The next chart shows the 12-month moving average of how much these financial "experts" are paid per hour in inflation adjusted terms.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjycEPJArLQ9Q-KMu1kb9G0ILn1eQwWx4OKgcebES4ZiqMKJPGW7ZQiVruPOGKcJvqpGM6-IuZTO5zcHDlMrNVTqYHGQDoLtVCo-BvTF_ewSPqw5xL6rt00W7ovsLxlneN6aSRqOFVuhEg/s1600/Real+Investment+Advice+Employee+Pay.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjycEPJArLQ9Q-KMu1kb9G0ILn1eQwWx4OKgcebES4ZiqMKJPGW7ZQiVruPOGKcJvqpGM6-IuZTO5zcHDlMrNVTqYHGQDoLtVCo-BvTF_ewSPqw5xL6rt00W7ovsLxlneN6aSRqOFVuhEg/s320/Real+Investment+Advice+Employee+Pay.jpg" /></a><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;">Click to enlarge.</span><br /><br />Is it any wonder they are so optimistic? Stocks for the long run, blah, blah, blah. Now cough up $38.20 (February's recent peak) or forever be priced out!<br /><br />As a side note, who really believes the advice is nearly twice as good as it was in 1991? We might need to hedonically adjust that advice inflation to factor in dotcom bubbles, housing bubbles, subprime fiascos, debt crises, higher unemployment, $100 oil, perma-ZIRP, and what not. Few "experts" could have seen that coming! Can't blame them for the <a href="http://www.despair.com/perseverance.html">perfect despair storm</a>. The view out the rear view mirror looked fantastic!<br /><br />This is not investment advice.<br /><br /><b>Update:</b><br /><br />After further review, I noticed that the first chart's data was per capita and not per 1,000 people. That's been fixed.<br /><br /><b>Source Data:</b><br /><a href="http://www.bls.gov/data/#employment">BLS: Employment</a><br /><a href="http://research.stlouisfed.org/fred2/series/CPIAUCSL">St. Louis Fed: CPI</a><br /><a href="http://research.stlouisfed.org/fred2/series/POP">St. Louis Fed: Population</a>

Investment Advice Insanity

The following chart shows the 12-month moving average of annualized production and nonsupervisory investment advice employee minutes worked per capita.Click to enlarge.As seen in the long-term trend, the "expert" advice is spewing exponentially. It's…

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AUSTRALIA: Second Doctor Who Pop Up Shop Opens This Weekend

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5uxR5cvRqlE6dFIxk_Pulc2jvRxFudkzCHVe7r2M3qKSjHJroXhCDaikxU7OYHCh5dzT7elTGWouGNmL9h6PG6AsRTjLRgt1zVmjw0S8urx9rUvyjQXQiz2DpxOCUXHo_1quMCoebRMI/s1600/popup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5uxR5cvRqlE6dFIxk_Pulc2jvRxFudkzCHVe7r2M3qKSjHJroXhCDaikxU7OYHCh5dzT7elTGWouGNmL9h6PG6AsRTjLRgt1zVmjw0S8urx9rUvyjQXQiz2DpxOCUXHo_1quMCoebRMI/s1600/popup.jpg" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Fantastic news for Australian Doctor Who fans: following the success of the first ever Doctor Who pop-up shop in Sydney back in May, BBC Worldwide Australia & New Zealand will be opening a second store in Brisbane this weekend. </span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The store will be jam-packed with exclusive merchandise not currently available in Australian stores. There’s the Who Home range of homeware including, teapots, mugs and notebooks, womenswear from cult US fan-girl designers Her Universe, a new range of men’s t-shirt designs from the UK, replica coats from Canada, costume jewellery from the US and a new range of kids’ stationery. Extra special limited edition items will also be in stock, such as the special edition Tenth Doctor in tuxedo Titan figurines and the covetable silver collectible coin from the New Zealand Mint. Of course there will also be the ever popular range of toys, DVDs and books and as a special treat, fans can get up close to a TARDIS and a K-9.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The store opens at 9am on Saturday 12 October, and to celebrate, fans are invited to dress up as their favourite Doctor Who character. A small gift will be given to the first 20 fans to arrive in costume. The store will stay open until the end of November or until all stock is sold.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Address:</b> Shop 13A, <st1:street w:st="on">23 James Street</st1:street>, <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Fortitude</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Valley</st1:placetype></st1:place>, Brisbane QLD, 4006</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Opening hours</b><br />Monday – Friday: 10am – 5pm<br />Saturday: 9am – 5pm<br />Sunday: 11am – 4pm</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"> </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div>

Australia Doctor Who Doctor Who 50th Anniversary shop AUSTRALIA: Second Doctor Who Pop Up Shop Opens This Weekend

Fantastic news for Australian Doctor Who fans: following the success of the first ever Doctor Who pop-up shop in Sydney back in May, BBC Worldwide Australia & New Zealand will be opening a second store in Brisbane this weekend. The store will be jam-…

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Long overdue

Happy Tuesday Folks!<br /><br />Sorry I haven't posted in almost a week.  Not much to post.  My liver acted up again this weekend causing me to be ill.  Other than that, I am still doing what I do best.  <br /><br />I am loving the cooler weather.  I am taking advantage of it by getting out and walking longer and exercising.  <br /><br />I'll post more later this week, but I just wanted to give you a heads up that I haven't dissappeared!!!<br /><br />XOX<br />Ellie

Long overdue

Happy Tuesday Folks!Sorry I haven't posted in almost a week.  Not much to post.  My liver acted up again this weekend causing me to be ill.  Other than that, I am still doing what I do best.  I am loving the cooler weather.  I am taking advantage of …

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Essential Facts About Weight Loss Bracelets

<div style='font-style:italic;' class='uawbyline'>By Marla Mills</div><br /><br /> <div class='uawarticle'>Recently, wristband products have increased in popularity among various consumers. Manufacturers of such items claim that weight loss bracelets and other products can help individuals to lose unwanted pounds. However, eating less and exercising is always a wise course of action, regardless of which diet or fitness products one chooses to use.<br /> <br /> Hologram wristbands are an example of such a product that is currently very popular. Hologram discs are embedded in these rubber bracelets, which are thought to harmonize the body's energy flow. In turn, this is thought to enhance strength, flexibility, and balance. Certain companies that make such products state that they can even prevent metabolic disease and help individuals to spot reduce. However, no products of this type should be used in lieu of conventional healthcare procedures.<br /> <br /> Other types of bracelets that manufacturers report will help dieters to lose weight include those that have been impregnated with certain fragrances. "Scent technology" is the name for this process, and many manufacturers of such products claim that certain aromas can suppress the appetite. They state that by adding specific fragrances to such wristbands, one can withstand cravings for unhealthy fare.<br /> <br /> There are also metal bracelets available on today's holistic market. The theory behind these devices is that magnetized copper, and other specific metals increase circulation and energy. This can lead to greater stamina when one is exercising or participating in some other routine for the purpose of losing weight.<br /> <br /> Some weight loss bands are designed to assist individuals to modify their behavior. For example, they may feature sayings aimed at encouraging individuals to stick to their dieting and exercise routines. Other products, such as multicolored bracelets that represent various food groups, are designed to remind individuals to eat healthy. However, such products are only effective if one wears them consistently and adheres to the tips with which they are embossed.<br /> <br /> There is a broad range of such bracelets from which to choose. Certain individuals must try several designs or brands prior to finding the one that is most effective. Not surprisingly, results vary considerably from one individual to another, depending on his or her specific goals and circumstances.<br /> <br /> Although additional research is necessary to determine whether or not such bands can actually help individuals with their health and fitness goals, many consumers have written positive reviews about products of this type. It is important to understand that such items should not be used in lieu of following a healthy diet and exercise program. Rather, they work best in conjunction with the latter.<br /> <br /> <A href="http://www.poundpuncher.com">Weight loss bracelets</A> can be purchased online or in certain holistic shops. It is wise to review several options before making a final decision. Although most manufacturers do not guarantee specific results, many offer to return the consumer's money if he or she is not satisfied with the outcome. For this reason, it is a good idea to discover such details in advance, prior to finalizing one's purchased. As one would suspect, it is always in one's best interest to discuss fitness and weight loss products with one's physician prior to using any new product or other device.<br /> <br /> </div><br /> <div class='uawresource'><br /> <div style='font-style:italic;' class='uawabout'><br /> About the Author:<br /> </div><br /> <div class='uawlinks'><a href="http://www.poundpuncher.com">Read more about</a> Important Information Regarding Weight Loss Bracelets visiting our website.</div><br /> </div><br />

Essential Facts About Weight Loss Bracelets

By Marla Mills Recently, wristband products have increased in popularity among various consumers. Manufacturers of such items claim that weight loss bracelets and other products can help individuals to lose unwanted pounds. However, eating less an…

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Angry about the shutdown? There's an app for that!

A free app designed to let you express frustration about travel delays to U.S. senators and members of Congress can also be used for something else: telling the electeds you're frustrated with the government shutdown.<br /><br />Here, for example, is something to be frustrated about: Military death benefits are being held up by the shutdown. <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/story/nation/2013/10/08/shutdown-casualties-combat-benefits-unpaid-pentagon/2941809/" rel="nofollow">USA Today</a> reports:  <br /><blockquote class="tr_bq">The government shutdown is denying families of troops killed in combat, training or by other causes in the military from receiving an array of financial benefits. </blockquote><blockquote class="tr_bq">Families of four soldiers and a Marine killed in Afghanistan since the shutdown last week are not receiving a $100,000 death gratuity or any unpaid income due their loved ones, or being reimbursement for burial expenses, the Pentagon says. </blockquote><blockquote class="tr_bq">"Unfortunately, as a result of the shutdown, we do not have the legal authority to make death gratuity payments at this time," says Navy Lt. Com. Nate Christensen, a Pentagon spokesman.</blockquote><a href="http://www.bafuture.org/" rel="nofollow">Building for America's Future</a> Educational Fund, which promotes infrastructure investment, says the app is needed now more than ever.<br /><br />CQ Roll Call's Executive Briefing explains.  <br /><blockquote>Way back in August, when the Oct. 1 government shutdown seemed like a distant possibility and the focus remained on what Congress might actually achieve once it returned from a long summer recess, Building America's Future released its <a href="http://www.bafuture.org/">"I'm Stuck" mobile device app</a>. It lets users tell Congress about knuckle-whitening traffic backups, pothole alleys on Interstates, airport or train delays, worrisome bridges and other infrastructure problems. Nearly 11,000 downloads later, travelers have already tapped the software to send 3,000 such notes to lawmakers. Well, that same app has built-in features that can now let users sound off to Congress about the budget battles and disruption of federal services. </blockquote><blockquote>BAF President Marcia Hale tells us that "with the government shutdown, it is more important than ever before for people to tell their members of Congress just how unhappy they are with the state of our roads, runways, rails and bridges in this country." She adds: "The app has always allowed users to modify the email they’re sending to their representative and senators, so users can send a message about their feelings on gridlock in Congress and on our roads.”</blockquote>Click for the free <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/im-stuck/id657757666?mt=8&ign-mpt=uo%3D4" rel="nofollow">iOS</a> and <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.kiwi.stuck&feature=search_result#?t=W251bGwsMSwyLDEsImNvbS5raXdpLnN0dWNrIl0" rel="nofollow">Android</a> download.<br /><br />

government shutdown Angry about the shutdown? There's an app for that!

A free app designed to let you express frustration about travel delays to U.S. senators and members of Congress can also be used for something else: telling the electeds you're frustrated with the government shutdown.Here, for example, is something t…

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Great Advice For A Good Nutrition Diet

<div style='font-style:italic;' class='uawbyline'>By Dr Pj Prakash</div><br /><br /> <div class='uawarticle'>Good nutrition can be so very important to the human body. Babies won't fully develop when deprived of it and adults won't survive long without it either. The positive (and often hidden) effects that nutrition has on the human body can't be over-emphasized. This article can help you to understand more about nutrition and how to make sure that you are getting it.<br /> <br /> Smoothies are a great diet drink that can also act as a meal or desert. All you need to make it is a blender, along with any ingredients necessary for the smoothie of your choice. Fresh fruit, yogurt, and milk are the main ingredients and all of those are exceptionally healthy foods.<br /> <br /> Eat a Mediterranean-style diet to help prevent heart disease. This includes lots of healthy fats like olive oil, vegetables, whole grains, beans and seafood. Eating these foods keep your weight and blood pressure down, while supplying your body with fiber and other nutrients it needs to be healthy.<br /> <br /> When shopping for food, try to stick to the perimeter; or around the edges of the store. This is usually where the fresh produce is, as well as the meats and dairy products. These are the things to stick to in a healthy diet. By sticking to the perimeter, you'll only buy things that support a healthy diet.<br /> <br /> MSG is added to many processed foods to enhance taste. But MSG adds no nutritional value and it has been found to have many negative effects, including depression and headaches. Some people are more sensitive than others, but you should avoid MSG even if you are not hypersensitive. It may have long-term, cumulative effects.<br /> <br /> Foods marketed as health foods are not always as healthy as you may think they are. Be sure to always check the nutritional information on the packaged or prepared foods that you eat and pay attention to the serving sizes as well. A snack food may have small amount of fat per serving, but if you eat several servings at a time, the small amounts of fat can add up.<br /> <br /> To ensure that one has the best nutrition, careful thought must be given to one's diet. By eating more healthy foods such as fruits, vegetables, and fish, one will have more positive nutrients in their diet. The proper diet is not beyond the reach of anyone if they have put the thought into it.<br /> <br /> A great nutrition tip when you are trying to gain muscle is to make sure you're eating enough calories. You need to determine how many calories it requires to maintain your weight and then you must eat a bit more than that, in order to gain muscle.<br /> <br /> Boost your pregnancy nutrition with a handful of nutritionally dense and delicious almonds. Besides being a good source of fiber, almonds add potassium, calcium and iron to your daily intake. They make a wonderful snack without adding empty calories to your diet and they help satisfy your appetite between meals.<br /> <br /> In addition to eating healthy foods regularly, you should try taking vitamin supplements. Vitamin supplements provide you with all the essential vitamins and minerals that your body needs to function and to maintain itself and its immune system. You can find vitamin supplements at any local drug store.<br /> <br /> Nutrition involves keeping track of the foods you're consuming. Nutrition leads to proper health, and correct nutrition is crucial for a healthy life. Using what this article presents, you should be able to live a lot longer while being more healthy.<br /> <br /> </div><br /> <div class='uawresource'><br /> <div style='font-style:italic;' class='uawabout'><br /> About the Author:<br /> </div><br /> <div class='uawlinks'>About author: Dr. PJ Prakash has a Ph.D. in Nutrition from the Univ. of Rhode Island (USA). Stop by his site to learn all about <a href="http://goodnutrition.mobi/">good nutrition</a>, or how to become a <a href="http://goodnutrition.mobi/losing-weight-made-simple-with-these-tips/">nutrition coach</a>. </div><br /> </div><br />

Great Advice For A Good Nutrition Diet

By Dr Pj Prakash Good nutrition can be so very important to the human body. Babies won't fully develop when deprived of it and adults won't survive long without it either. The positive (and often hidden) effects that nutrition has on the human bod…

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Hot for New Years Challenge 2013!

<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">This is my second year running the Hot for New Years challenge and i am beyond excited! </span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">HFNY's is a 3 month challenge that runs from October 1st to December 20th. The challenge is to basically get as <b>healthy, happy and comfortable</b> as possible BEFORE new years.<br /><i>(So now we don't have to make those bound to fail 'get into shape' resolutions) </i></span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>-Don't worry if you see this late, you can join in up until December 1st!</b></span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Each month i will come out with a new calendar with all the challenges for that month. So for example, we're in week 2 now and the challenge is the Perfect Imperfections challenge. Each week i will <b><a href="http://www.youtube.com/strawberryripples" target="_blank">upload a video</a></b> explaining each challenge and then at the end of the week I will be announcing the winners over on my <b><a href="https://www.facebook.com/ScolaFitness" target="_blank">Facebook page </a>. </b>And at the end of the whole challenge Hot for New Years challenge there will be an overall winner(s) who will win some awesome prizes!</span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Check out the October calendar: </span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK-ySsDzeGYOwmf6TXcgQasJAB2JQ7C7Z6QVs8priS1mf6D3GtTSxKgTSRI2pUQ8WyoWYdkjjyuxfiVOPW_hJ-EEhzluz62zP326AJo8JPVd81IjSUBpHbg891KA1tg3TUcIw-TaOa744l/s1600/Hot+For+New+Years+october-2013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK-ySsDzeGYOwmf6TXcgQasJAB2JQ7C7Z6QVs8priS1mf6D3GtTSxKgTSRI2pUQ8WyoWYdkjjyuxfiVOPW_hJ-EEhzluz62zP326AJo8JPVd81IjSUBpHbg891KA1tg3TUcIw-TaOa744l/s640/Hot+For+New+Years+october-2013.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">For more details about the Hot for New Years challenge Watch this video:</span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="266" mozallowfullscreen="mozallowfullscreen" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/jnsjVVX5EdA?feature=player_embedded" webkitallowfullscreen="webkitallowfullscreen" width="320"></iframe></div><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Let's get healthy!</span><br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">x</span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>

challenge fitness HEALTH Hot for New Years Weight Loss Hot for New Years Challenge 2013!

This is my second year running the Hot for New Years challenge and i am beyond excited! HFNY's is a 3 month challenge that runs from October 1st to December 20th. The challenge is to basically get as healthy, happy and comfortable as possible BEFORE …

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Another Teamster organizing victory in Georgia!

<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPrQGeKZvBe2BNc38lDl6OKWFrnY3QKucIBcw4rHIggnrwlM68k9UnEvdJbjAIen263klP5LX0N6OSshhgt1r_REEDhsqh6cOLzlGVpKdbL-Eq7Afa6wNxK4I9uO_FVFRRHdq9zMWUD4t1/s1600/dekalb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPrQGeKZvBe2BNc38lDl6OKWFrnY3QKucIBcw4rHIggnrwlM68k9UnEvdJbjAIen263klP5LX0N6OSshhgt1r_REEDhsqh6cOLzlGVpKdbL-Eq7Afa6wNxK4I9uO_FVFRRHdq9zMWUD4t1/s400/dekalb.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">DeKalb County workers celebrate.</td></tr></tbody></table>Please give a warm welcome to hundreds of soon-to-be new Teamster brothers and sisters who work as sanitation workers for <a href="http://www.co.dekalb.ga.us/" rel="nofollow">DeKalb County, Ga</a>.!<br /><br />Although the future <a href="http://www.teamsterslocal728.org/" rel="nofollow">Teamsters Local 728</a> members had the support of their company’s CEO and county commissioners, it took months to find a solution to the state’s No Rights at Work laws. State law does not give public sector workers the right to collectively bargain. Today, DeKalb County Commissioners unanimously passed an ordinance allowing county employees to organize.<br /><br />Commissioners essentially voted to recognize the <a href="http://teamster.org/" rel="nofollow">Teamsters</a> as the workers' union representative. The ordinance takes effect Jan. 1.The 400 workers who have already signed membership applications will become members of Teamsters Local 728 that day.<br /><br />Dejuan McDaniel, an organizing committee member and front-end loader driver for 13 years at DeKalb, is excited for the future.<br /><blockquote class="tr_bq">We have been without a serious voice for so long. We had safety issues that have been unheard. We had pay issues, mistreatment of employees. It was long overdue.</blockquote>Eric Robertson, Teamsters Local 728 business agent, said they've been talking to the workers for more than seven years. "It's been a long time coming," he said.<br /><br />The new ordinance will allow about 4,000 other DeKalb County workers to join unions.<br /><br />

728 organizing victory waste Another Teamster organizing victory in Georgia!

DeKalb County workers celebrate.Please give a warm welcome to hundreds of soon-to-be new Teamster brothers and sisters who work as sanitation workers for DeKalb County, Ga.!Although the future Teamsters Local 728 members had the support of their comp…

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LIBYA - THE WILD WEST OF NORTHERN AFRICA

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font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} </style><![endif]--> <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiP-Ky1Et5_03cYABjQGhGgHktRpZE5Wd2Co5eS8rFPU9LhUWuJLhHpm113SpI7DQ8guzcdG8AOMp4FilFm_bMD_XHQaAdlA4YKFmi07hR_HGq2_1wPIGZHFUMehiKJ_txBqamQjtOSe2A/s1600/images.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiP-Ky1Et5_03cYABjQGhGgHktRpZE5Wd2Co5eS8rFPU9LhUWuJLhHpm113SpI7DQ8guzcdG8AOMp4FilFm_bMD_XHQaAdlA4YKFmi07hR_HGq2_1wPIGZHFUMehiKJ_txBqamQjtOSe2A/s320/images.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #134f5c;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">AFTERMATH OF THE </span></b><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">2011 <span>MILITARY INTERVENTION IN LIBYA</span>?</span></b></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">When coalition forces decided to intervene in LIBYA they did not consider the consequences such intervention would have on the geopolitical landscape. With the aim to gain control of the oil reserves WESTERN coalition forces thought they could outwit CHINA and RUSSIA who also invested heavily in LIBYA’S lucrative oil industry. By voting in favor of the UN resolution which in the end paved the way for Military Intervention in LIBYA, RUSSIA and CHINA expected to receive their fair slice of the “energy cake”, instead they were left out of the equation. Subsequently RUSSIA and CHINA decided to revenge this shortcoming by vetoing a UN resolution on military intervention in SYRIA. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxF97HyiHlzIHNs-gYKcqWadVkOb-X34QvAqFe0_JUPWKYWxpvz1y8PHB-vnctzeFb_p-IgepcyVQhAxH8npDUZtJYjfpbecAZCO_DILHqnTI-Rtuc_j-EOo_XicnsvLxK4F862gOgZMgq/s1600/_58771635_libya_mali_niger_1011.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxF97HyiHlzIHNs-gYKcqWadVkOb-X34QvAqFe0_JUPWKYWxpvz1y8PHB-vnctzeFb_p-IgepcyVQhAxH8npDUZtJYjfpbecAZCO_DILHqnTI-Rtuc_j-EOo_XicnsvLxK4F862gOgZMgq/s320/_58771635_libya_mali_niger_1011.gif" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Aside from the LIBYAN “energy sector” quarrel among WESTERN and EASTERN powers, the toppling of the Gaddafi regime unleashed another unpredicted problem. Namely that of Islamic extremists who previously trained in LIBYA, “fleeing” WESTERN forces and thus infiltrating and spreading into the Sahel Region and beyond, setting up bases in CHAD, MALI and ALGERIA, all of which have historically close ties to EUROPE. Thus causing a serious security problem for EUROPE, because in these countries jihadists are able to train and recruit undisturbed due to political instability, lack of law and order or government “control” (As was the case in LIBYA during the dictatorship of Gaddafi) and last but not least, Africa’s geographic vastness, making it difficult to locate training camps. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Subsequently EUROPEAN coalition Forces had and will need to continue their military engagement in the region in order to prevent an Al Qaeda spillover to EUROPE and its fast growing Muslim population.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-element: para-border-div; padding: 1.0pt 4.0pt 1.0pt 4.0pt;"> <div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: normal; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-padding-alt: 1.0pt 4.0pt 1.0pt 4.0pt; padding: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #444444;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Background Information:</span></b></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></b><span style="color: #cc0000;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">WHY THE SAHEL IS CRUCIAL TO EUROPE'S NEIGHBORHOOD – AND ITS SECURITY STRATEGY </span></b></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: normal; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-padding-alt: 1.0pt 4.0pt 1.0pt 4.0pt; padding: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com/2013/07/eu-involvement-in-mali.html">http://news-these-days.blogspot.com/2013/07/eu-involvement-in-mali.html</a></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: normal; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-padding-alt: 1.0pt 4.0pt 1.0pt 4.0pt; padding: 0in; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: normal; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-padding-alt: 1.0pt 4.0pt 1.0pt 4.0pt; padding: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">MILITARY INTERVENTION IN LIBYA</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: normal; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-padding-alt: 1.0pt 4.0pt 1.0pt 4.0pt; padding: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_military_intervention_in_Libya">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_military_intervention_in_Libya</a></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieBdQfL68RNk9vpRseG4eYvY512Du12SEcw3NbBEtQs8YNqZm2HrJCqlbl1i6L1CFe3dEulUi3ewwJ5Q5fG38DO34ajfToMJosbfYenQBrA77AUiRgW85pWxOILnCQgbOHMVATii2Niri3/s1600/s1.reutersmedia.net.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="287" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieBdQfL68RNk9vpRseG4eYvY512Du12SEcw3NbBEtQs8YNqZm2HrJCqlbl1i6L1CFe3dEulUi3ewwJ5Q5fG38DO34ajfToMJosbfYenQBrA77AUiRgW85pWxOILnCQgbOHMVATii2Niri3/s400/s1.reutersmedia.net.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #134f5c;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">POROUS BORDERS TURN LIBYA INTO RADICAL SANCTUARY</span></b></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Source: DW</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">LIBYA has morphed into the Wild West of northern AFRICA just two years after the fall of the Gadhafi regime. In particular, the LIBYAN Desert has become a sanctuary for radical forces.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">In the middle of nowhere in the SAHARA DESERT in the town of Isseyen, time seems to stand still. Now that voter registration is over for the upcoming municipal elections, tranquility has returned to the simple offices of the town hall. Visitors only come by for the satellite Internet connection, one of the very few public services provided in this remote area of post-revolution LIBYA.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">But the calm is deceptive. Located southwest of the Tuareg town of Ghat, Isseyen is the last outpost before the ALGERIAN border, a route used to enter the country by smugglers and <a href="http://www.dw.de/malis-tuareg-rebels-suspend-peace-talks-with-government/a-17118174" target="_blank">Tuareg</a> fighters from Mali, including members of AQIM, Al Qaeda of the Islamic Maghreb.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“I saw al Qaeda vehicles there, but the authorities don’t want to have anything to do with it,” says Hassan Massafer, who belongs to an army unit stationed in Ubari, 400 kilometers further inland.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Locals in Isseyen are skeptical. “Recently there were rumors going around that a heavily armed al Qaeda convoy was moving north. But when we looked into it, it turned out to be a local border patrol,” says tour guide Abishini Aissa, adding that “as soon as people see Tuaregs with turbans they get scared.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">For the people of southern LIBYA Islamists are not the problem, but rather criminality and turf wars between the drug gangs. “In the desert, it’s the rule of the strongest, but in our communities, it is usually safe because we know each other,” say several residents of Ghat.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">TENSE SECURITY SITUATION</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">On the other hand, nobody contradicts the general assessment that the security situation in the region is a disaster and that the LIBYAN authorities have no control over the border region.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Mohamed Abdelkader, the mayor of Ghat, does not beat around the bush when he says, “The borders are wide open. Drugs and weapons flow in and out and the army has no capacity to catch smugglers or extremists.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">An army, in the conventional sense, does not exist in LIBYA anyway. Out of fear there could be attempts to overthrow him, Gadhafi, when he was alive, kept the army weak. Currently, national security forces are still in the process of being built up. The transitional government chose to incorporate rebel forces into the military in an effort to demobilize revolutionaries. For the fighters – mostly untrained youngsters – this has brought prestige and a government salary, but they are still not capable of dealing with the demands of the job.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“There are not enough men for border guards and patrols. Normally, passports are not even checked,” notes Abdelkader.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">FAILED SECURITY STRATEGIES</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7JZFBw1t6__ihgRw5kL_jGAEVINk8HwZ99C8iGKfTjAL5FpQPsse6SlEZ4nFggiONNEQuPsZJI9K3Rx7RyQ3NannypEEwdQtqw3-eSeTNc3PoQAoVvkzHAm1PC-_pQ-Qw0FsOGLqwBxWk/s1600/0,,17134086_404,00.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7JZFBw1t6__ihgRw5kL_jGAEVINk8HwZ99C8iGKfTjAL5FpQPsse6SlEZ4nFggiONNEQuPsZJI9K3Rx7RyQ3NannypEEwdQtqw3-eSeTNc3PoQAoVvkzHAm1PC-_pQ-Qw0FsOGLqwBxWk/s320/0,,17134086_404,00.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Furthermore, the national government lacks authority. Most of the <a href="http://www.dw.de/libyan-militias-fight-to-maintain-power/a-16879090" target="_blank">former rebels</a> feel obliged to follow the orders of their direct superiors and the interests of their tribe, their clan and their community.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“The way the army was formed was a big mistake,” says Barka Wardougou, who heads the military council in Murzuk in southwestern LIBYA. He argues that a core forces should have been trained abroad and then distributed across the country to create a professional armed force.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">But Wardougou does not only represent LIBYA; he also represents the interests of his tribe, the Tubu. Because of their cross-border family connections – most of them live in CHAD – the Tubu are viewed by most LIBYANS as dangerous interlopers and often face harsh discrimination.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">INCREASED EU INVOLVEMENT IN SAHEL REGION: A SUBSEQUENCE OF THE LIBYA INTERVENTION?</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Colonel Wardougou spent decades fighting a rebellion in the SAHEL region and was even the commander of the so-called Sahel Liberation Army in NIGER. In his view, the government in Tripoli is a farce because radical forces from Benghazi, the second largest city, are pulling all the strings.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“They have sent us more Islamists [as reinforcements],” says Wardougou. “They want us to believe that they have the border region to CHAD and NIGER under control. But actually we are the only ones who provide a degree of order and root out the drug smugglers.” They never stay long anyway, he adds, because of the harsh conditions in the desert.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The frustration of the local government is palpable and, in Wardougou’s view, the national security strategies Tripoli likes to talk about are not worth the paper they’re printed on by the time they’ve reached southern LIBYA.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" 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Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} </style><![endif]--> </div><div style="border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-element: para-border-div; padding: 1.0pt 4.0pt 1.0pt 4.0pt;"> <div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: normal; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-padding-alt: 1.0pt 4.0pt 1.0pt 4.0pt; padding: 0in;"><span style="color: #444444;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="DE-AT" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: DE-AT; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Background Information: </span></b></span><span lang="DE-AT" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: DE-AT; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: normal; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-padding-alt: 1.0pt 4.0pt 1.0pt 4.0pt; padding: 0in;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">DEMOCRATIC RECESSION: 9 OF THE 11 TOP CRUDE EXPORTERS ARE LABELED AS DICTATORSHIPS</span></b></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: normal; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-padding-alt: 1.0pt 4.0pt 1.0pt 4.0pt; padding: 0in;"><span style="color: #134f5c;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">There are currently 22 states in the world which earn over 60% of their respective GDP from oil (and gas), and are ruled by non-democratic, authoritarian regimes. </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></span></div><span style="color: #134f5c;"> </span><div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: normal; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-padding-alt: 1.0pt 4.0pt 1.0pt 4.0pt; padding: 0in;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="color: #134f5c;">Read entire article at:</span> </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2012/12/europe-and-arab-spring-that-never-sprung.html"><span style="color: windowtext;">http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2012/12/europe-and-arab-spring-that-never-sprung.html</span></a>and</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: normal; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-padding-alt: 1.0pt 4.0pt 1.0pt 4.0pt; padding: 0in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-padding-alt: 1.0pt 4.0pt 1.0pt 4.0pt; padding: 0in; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="color: #cc0000;">SEVEN ECONOMIES IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA ARE EXPECTED TO BE AMONG THE TEN FASTEST GROWING ECONOMIES IN THE WORLD. </span>Read entire article at:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: normal; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-padding-alt: 1.0pt 4.0pt 1.0pt 4.0pt; padding: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2012/04/africa-forgotten-and-underestimated.html"><span style="color: windowtext;">http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2012/04/africa-forgotten-and-underestimated.html</span></a></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: normal; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-padding-alt: 1.0pt 4.0pt 1.0pt 4.0pt; padding: 0in;"><br /></div></div><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2012/04/africa-forgotten-and-underestimated.html"><span style="color: windowtext;"></span></a></span>

LIBYA - THE WILD WEST OF NORTHERN AFRICA

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