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Paul Sperry: Another spying scandal at Gitmo
By Michelle Malkin • December 1, 2009 09:01 AM
When will we learn? Paul Sperry, veteran investigative journalist, Hoover Institution fellow, and author of the explosive "Muslim Mafia," reports on yet another security-undermining scandal at Gitmo.
Must-read in the NYPost today:
A number of Arabic and Pashtu interpreters at the terror-war detention center at Guantanamo Bay are under active investigation for omitting valuable intelligence from their translations of detainee interrogations, among other security breaches. This could taint some of the evidence at the "9/11 trial" in New York and proceedings against other detainees.
Remarkably, the Pentagon never cleaned up the "mole infestation" at its highest-security facility after the FBI busted a Muslim spy ring at Gitmo in 2003.
The 2003 probe involved at least two Arabic interpreters with high-level security clearance. Senior Airman Ahmad al-Halabi, a Syrian native, and former Army linguist Ahmed Mehalba, an Egyptian native, were later convicted of stealing or mishandling classified documents.
Six years later comes a new problem with Muslim personnel who have virtually unfettered access to detainees and intelligence at Gitmo. Professional military security and intelligence officials at Gitmo did the preliminary probe, then prepared a classified summary and are now briefing top officials and members of Congress in Washington. An active FBI criminal probe is also under way.
The possible new spy ring involves several Arabic linguists, some also Egyptian and Syrian immigrants. They're suspected of, among other things:
* Omitting valuable intelligence from their translations of interrogations.
* Slipping notes to detainees inside copies of the Koran.
* Coaching detainees to make allegations of abuse against interrogators.
* Meeting with suspects on the terror watchlist while back in the United States.
Officials say some of the suspected "dirty" linguists — who met privately in a locked mosque at Gitmo — have had access to 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheik Mohammed and other high-value al Qaeda detainees.
"Three years of investigations have revealed the presence of pro-jihad/anti-Western activities among the civilian-contractor and military-linguist population serving Joint Task Force Guantanamo," states a copy of a classified Gitmo briefing, prepared in May for the FBI, CIA and Congress' intelligence committees.
CAIR, you won't be surprised to learn, sued "Muslim Mafia" co-author David Gaubatz and demanded that documents obtained by his son (who worked undercover at CAIR) be returned. Late last week, a judge ordered the documents returned — but the FBI intervened and now wants the docs:
FBI agents swooped in last night on attorneys representing the co-author of the top-selling controversial book, Muslim Mafia, as they prepared to comply with a federal court order to return documents obtained from the Council on American-Islamic Relations in an independent undercover operation.
FBI agents, who served a warrant at a Washington, D.C., law office, want to see the thousands of pages of documents and audio and video recordings that P. David Gaubatz, and his son, Chris Gaubatz, gathered in a daring undercover penetration of CAIR where Chris Gaubatz posed as an unpaid intern. The material appears in Muslim Mafia: Inside the Secret Underworld that's Conspiring to Islamize America, which the elder Gaubatz co-authored with investigative journalist Paul Sperry.
"Obviously, we were prepared to honor the court order," said Joseph Farah, chief executive officer of WND and its subsidiary, WND Books, who has been raising money for the defense. "Now we will have to confer with the attorneys to determine what happens next. Which takes precedence – a federal court order or an FBI warrant? … Personally, I would like to see these papers in the hands of trained FBI investigators. The revelations raised about CAIR in Muslim Mafia have clearly piqued the agency's interest."
…CAIR–whose litigious history includes suing American citizens for reporting suspicious activity on a commercial flight–claimed the material recovered in the investigation was obtained without consent or stolen by Chris Gaubatz. As an unpaid intern, Chris was frequently tasked with shredder duty. Realizing the sensitive nature of the information, he salvaged it instead.
Garbus said Americans have an interest in seeing the CAIR documents, because they are relevant to federal law enforcement officials' concerns about the group's ties to terrorist operatives that threaten the nation's security.
"The more information you have, the better able you are to form a judgment about the organization," he said.
This isn't the first time the FBI has turned a close eye on CAIR. It cut off ties to the organization, which lauds itself as a Muslim civil-rights group, in January after CAIR was named an unindicted co-conspirator in the Holy Land Foundation case in Texas, the largest terrorism-finance case in U.S. history.
Related: Frank Gaffney has much more on CAIR at BigGovernment.com. See the IRS and CAIR for the latest.
Posted in: CAIR,Gitmo,Islam
Obama's CAIR-kowtowing, soft-on-jihad CIA Director nominee
January 7, 2013 08:27 AM by Michelle Malkin
CAIR: Realistic homeland security drills are raaaaaacist
Two men removed from plane at LAX. CAIR lawsuit in 3, 2, 1…
CAIR takes credit for Specter no-show
Breaking: Holy Land jihad defendants convicted on all terror-related charges
November 24, 2008 04:25 PM by Michelle Malkin
Categories: CAIR, Homeland Security, Jihadists


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Shanghai loses one to New York as Zaim asks for bump-up
SHANGHAI - Carat China CEO Adil Zaim (郑亚迪) has confirmed rumours he has taken a new global role in the network's New York office, reporting to Euan Jarvie who is executive director of global clients.
Adil Zaim
It is understood that Zaim's new job responsibilities include continuing to serve core client Mondelez out of the US as well as setting up an e-commerce offering for the market.
No successor has been named, but Carat Asia-Pacific CEO Sean O'Brien will temporarily take over. Zaim indicated the company is in the final stages of a decision.
Zaim told Campaign Asia-Pacific in an exclusive interview that Carat has been looking for a replacement while he travelled back and forth between New York and Shanghai during an ongoing transition period that started early this year.
"I actually have two jobs now, and personally it's very taxing on me," he said. "My China job ends at 6 pm and my New York one starts then."
Having been in the mainland Chinese market for nearly 10 years, Zaim said he initiated his own career advancement in January 2015. "I need to move out now, not later, to benefit my career," he said. The condition was to look for his own successor before leaving China.
Zaim became CEO of Carat China in March 2012. The business has grown by 120 percent since then, he claimed, adding that China is now Carat's third largest revenue-contributor globally.
Last July, Carat China lost a decade-long client, BMW China, said to be worth US$450 million in billings, to Starcom China. Clients remaining on the roster include Adidas, British Airways, Disney Shanghai, Ferrero, Lego, Mondelēz, Nippon Paint, Pernod Ricard, Red Star Macalline, Wyeth, Pfizer and Tinghsin International Group.
Given the market's importance, filling Zaim's shoes is crucial. "I'll be honest, the CEO task is more challenging than in 2012 since we are now growing from a larger base than before," he said.
Carat's management team is not in favour of hiring a "typical media-agency person who holds a traditional mindset", he said. However, existing second-in-commands at Carat China seem to fall into that category and are not a good fit, he said.
"The talent in the market is still very traditional," he said. "The first option, after looking internally as a rule of thumb, was to look for senior agency leaders from other media agencies, which we quickly decided within the first six months, this is not the route to take. The second option is to bring in someone with a slightly different background who will be more suitable for Carat."
The way Carat structures its operations is different from other international media agencies, Zaim said. "None of the other big media agencies have e-commerce divisions like us," he said. "When we set it up, we took a different wheel. E-commerce to us is still media: transactional media. So we went ahead and hired people from Taobao and other e-commerce platforms for this division."
"Our guys in our various specialisms have never been in a media agency before," he added. "They are not media guys rebatched to be a social or e-commerce specialist, for example, otherwise you can only talk superficially about it; the moment you deep-dive, you crash."
Carat's management will be receptive to a new person who may take exception to the conventions of running a media agency, he predicted. Except that Zaim doesn't want his successor to call Carat a media agency anymore. "We need to set ourselves up as a solutions company delivering convergence with the objective of driving business for clients," he said. "We must think about convergence for the next 10 years."
Dentsu names Carat China CEO
Gabey Goh
Mondelez, Carat and Tencent form joint business ...
Benjamin Li
Adil Zaim succeeds Seth Grossman as CEO of Carat China
Shauna Lewis
Carat bolsters strategy with pair of senior hires

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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LooLa and sustainability - philosophy and eco/customer awards
We start with ...
a proud display of our (inter)national Eco awards and customer awards !
Responsible Tourist Award – Finalist
Responsible Tourism Award – Winner
World Travel & Tourism
Sustainable Business Award – CSR
Sustainable Business Award
Dutchcamp
Global Youth Travel
World Responsible Tourism
Singapore Apex
Sustainable Business Awards 2017
Weblinks to LooLa's awards
2012 Winner Asia's Most Inspiring Tourism Operator Award
2013 World top 3 WTTC Community Tourism Award
2014 Winner Singapore's Sustainable Business Award – CSR
2014 Winner Singapore's Sustainable Business Award – Environment
2015 Winner Eco Action Day – Most Inspiring Eco Initiative
2015 World Top 3 Global Youth Travel Award – Social Responsibility
2013 – 2017 TripAdvisor World Top 1% Family Resort
2015 World #1 Responsible Tourism Operator – Best Overall Tourism Operator
2015 World #1 Responsible Tourism Operator – Beach Tourism
2016 Winner Singapore Apex Corporate Sustainability award
2017 Winner Singapore's Sustainable Business Award – Best SME
On the modern definition of ``eco``
Not so long ago, "Eco" used to refer exclusively to "green", meaning, roughly, nature conservation of animals, plants, rivers, lakes, the planet – in short, the natural world separate of human existence.
More recently, a realization has taken hold that in practice, it is difficult to conserve nature if the local communities in the area do not support the idea. In other words, the key for an eco-conscious business is increasingly understood to be this: to construct a business that is sustainable, meaning that the interest of all stakeholders (owners, staff, local communities, local government, clients, and the nature around us) align to produce an outcome that is good for each stakeholder.
The modern definition of Ecotourism is, therefore, "responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment and improves the well-being of local people." (TIES, 1990)
In more detail, Responsible tourism is defined in the 2002 Capetown Declaration as tourism which…
minimizes negative economic, environmental, and social impacts;
generates greater economic benefits for local people, enhances the well-being of host communities, improves working conditions and access to opportunities;
involves local people in decisions that affect their lives and life chances;
makes positive contributions to the conservation of natural and cultural heritage, to the maintenance of the world's diversity;
provides more enjoyable experiences for tourists through more meaningful connections with local people, and a greater understanding of local cultural, social and environmental issues;
provides access for physically challenged people; and
is culturally sensitive, engenders respect between tourists and hosts, and builds local pride and confidence.
Connection to the awards
All the awards listed in the logos above thus evaluate businesses on their performances in these criteria.
The WildAsia awards, for instance, evaluate (and issue awards to) tourism businesses on its performance in the following four categories:
Community Engagement and Development
Protecting natural areas and/or wildlife
The World Responsible Tourism awards use the following criteria:
Evidence of positive impact
Replicability – can the ideas be adopted by others?
Innovation – new ideas that should become common practice
Influence – does the operator use its influence to inspire others to follow suit?
Sustainability – is the operator's model is made for the long run?
Overall commitment to Responsible Tourism
In the year 2012, WildAsia featured an overall award called Most inspiring Responsible Tourism Operator (in Asia), for the (Asian) tourism operator who does best in all of its four categories.
LooLa is extremely proud to have received this fantastic award for the year 2012, and even more proud to follow this up with being honored World # 1 in the World Responsible Tourism Awards in London, 2015.
We aim to demonstrate that LooLa is deserving of these awards by a continued commitment to sustainability – refer to some of the details below.
What does Eco mean for LooLa?
On this page, we explain how LooLa is trying to be a sustainable business, and what role all stakeholders play in this.
History of LooLa and our local staff
The name LooLa was suggested by our local staff, because it is the name of a typical local sea shell as well as a combination of the names of the founder/owner teacher couple Marc van Loo and Isabelle Lacoste.
LooLa has attempted from the outset, when we started in 1996, to ensure that all stakeholders would benefit. We bought the land from a local family, and we employed them rightaway to make the sale a long-term mutual beneficiary act. The (still quite deep-rooted) prevailing wisdom at the time was that no international business can succeed with strictly local staff, but we set out with a firm conviction to prove this idea wrong: not only is it possible to work with purely local staff, but it can work very well, combining the natural Indonesian hospitality with the expectations of the modern traveller.
Indeed, for many of our (return) guests, our local staff is seen as one of our best assets! (refer to our feedback page, Facebook page, and Tripadvisor reviews)
We opened the resort in the year 2000, building with strictly local materials and strictly local labor, and contracted all our staff from Bintan itself, mostly from the local village in which we operate. Our village, Galang Batang, is spread out over a radius of 5 km, and counts only 79 families with around 370 people. It was generally regarded as one of the least developed areas in all of Bintan. Indeed, NONE of our local staff had ever visited the capital of Bintan, Tanjung Pinang, just 40 km away, when we first met them! Only one of the villagers had completed highschool, the rest had either primary school or no schooling.
In 2015, more than 30 of our 50+ full-time staff still hail from our own small village, while the rest hails from villages and towns less than 40 km away (the owners reside in Singapore to head the sales team). More than half of the staff are speaking English now – an incredible achievement given the educational background – and more than 20 of them own company-subsidized laptops and smart phones and are conversant with office applications, dropbox, Google docs, Facebook and the like.
Our staff also run their own shop and drinks/coffee sales on sight, as well as other client services such as massage. So our guests know that if they buy things at the shop, they are directly benefiting the local community. The owners strongly feel that it is in our very best interest if our staff are our business partners, rather than our employees, so we're very happy to see this shop doing well!
There has been virtually no turnover of staff; instead, the staff force has steadily grown over the years. This means that our staff doesn't quite feel like staff but more like part of the family …
Indeed, LooLa opened in the same year as our first son, Igor, was born, and our 3 sons certainly regard our staff as part of their family. We endeavor to continually develop LooLa and our staff to make sure we can continue to rely on their experience.
Connecting our guests to the local community
We engage the guests and the community around us in a win-win scenario as follows: we invite our guests to set aside a little bit of money as well as some of their time to engage in meaningful community projects that allow for real interaction with the local community and environment.
This win-win partnership, just to give some examples, has seen the construction of local roads, volleyball and basket ball fields, and children's play grounds. At the level of individual local households, there are housing upgrades, construction and placement of beds in local homes, placement of mosquito nets, and the construction of waste water gardens and water filters.
Furthermore, there are plenty of interactions between visitors and local schools and orphanages (arts, sports and educational exchanges), and altogether our guests have planted more than 10 hectares of forest land, mangrove reforestation, and local village farms.
If any of our guests has any idea of their own to engage in a meaningful community project, we are delighted to make it happen.
In short, community work is one of these beautiful examples where everyone is happy to participate and everyone benefits – clear and simple.
Initial approach of LooLa to resource conservation
In terms of the resource aspects of a responsible business, while we believe there is merit in new green technologies, we believe that the most obvious key to a sustainable use of resources is to simply limit the use of water and electricity. We do this by appealing to our guests to give up a little comfort: apart from our new luxury eco villas, LooLa's rooms offer sea-breeze and fans rather than air-con and there is only sun-warmed water. Our guests are, on the whole, supportive of this philosophy and are quite happy to give up these creature comforts in exchange for a rustic natural feel and so as to do their part for conservation.
We continue to expand on these ideas. In 2012 for instance, we introduced a chemical-free method to combat mosquitos, and we installed WiFi in order to assist our staff's IT development and to plug them more firmly into the wider world. In 2012 we also overhauled our electricity systems and started reviewing our waste management systems to see where we can improve. This process of improvement won't ever stop, and that is a good thing: the key is to continually improve things so as to keep all stakeholders excited and engaged.
Our post 2014 steps towards resource conservation
Following our WildAsia and WTTC awards, we realised that we could broaden and strengthen our overall sustainability by addressing matters concerning resource management (water conservation, waste water, waste management, and renewable electricity).
As such, we embarked in 2013 on the construction of
– Rain water collection systems;
– Biological waste water processing systems (following a UNICEF-endorsed formula that came out of the Aceh post-tsunami relief efforts) that can be adopted by the local community;
– Solar power systems;
– Two brand new luxury eco villas
– The world's first residential green aircon that uses solar freezing of ice during the day
Early 2015, the rainwater collection system was ready, and we're now learning how to make the most out of it, and become a nett contributor to the water table.
Our waste water gardens, now called Safe water Gardens have become one of our greatest success stories. Our guests have helped us bring these systems to over 300 local households and schools (as of Dec 2018), saving these households about $ 300 per year (about 10% of household income) in terms of reduced medical costs and agricultural income (for more details, see the section below).
Our solar power panels (70 of them, covering an area of 120 m2) are powering the entire resort during the day, plus they power the aircons of our new luxury eco villas. We aim to be 100% green powered before mid 2019, in partnership with SERIS, when our solar power system will be connected to the central grid and we can do net-metering (pass back our excess solar electricity to the grid and hence build up electricity credits).
A world-first completely green aircon system!
The aircon systems in our 2 new luxury eco villas operate completely chemical-free and purely using sunlight: the sun freezes a block of ice during the day under each villa, and we use this block of ice subsequently to cool the villa at night!
As far as we are aware, the LooLa aircon systems, designed by a Bali-based company, are a world-first, and at a cost of under $ 50,000 per villa, it shows that the system is not just great for the environment, but that it makes economic sense too, since powering aircons by conventional means would consume $ 50,000 in generator fuel within 5 years.
We may be the world's first, but we shall campaign to promote these systems and see them adopted throughout Asia through continued development of these systems in an Open source manner.
We are delighted that SERIS (Solar Energy Research Institute of Singapore) is so impressed by the potential of LooLa's cooling concept that they decided to commit to a 2 years joint research programme with LooLa which started in March 2016.
The intention of this research is to
– Display all relevant data for everybody to see
– Use data analysis to determine optimal settings
– Refine the systems and come up with new, robust prototypes that are ready for wide-scale adoption.
A global dream: safe sanitation for all Indonesian villagers and beyond
In partnership with WBCSD, three world top universities, global corporate backers, and schools in our region, LooLa started a research project late 2016 in order to optimize the UNICEF-endorsed wastewater gardens. This project has resulted in a (cost)optimized version, called the Safe Water Garden or SWG for short
At a material cost of around € 250 (similar to the cost of the traditional systems) the SWG is affordable to everyone, and its benefits are immediate. Provided users are informed of –and act on– the simple maintenance rules, the SWG:
prevents diseases resulting from open-air contact with human waste
lifts social status – the houses no longer smell and feature a beautiful garden
improves life quality – the system is maintenance-free and children can safely play in the garden
enhances spiritual well-being – a clean environment and clean public facilities speaks to religious beliefs
generates a steady income – the garden pays itself back within 2 years on account of cash crops
imparts household-savings of 3–10 % – from garden income and reduced medical/maintenance bills
positively impacts the global environment – the system reduces the release of organics and nutrients
Companies, schools, and active and eco-conscious families are continuing to help powering this project along, as you can see from our video page.
Below are a number of key documents relating to the Safe Water Gardens:
A comprehensive 2 page SWG factsheet
A powerpoint showing companies why SWG is the perfect CSR activity
A PDF document showing why the SWG is the perfect school project
A 5 year vision timeline – towards 100 million SWGs by 2023
LooLa's sustainable Tourism policy and LooLa's vision.
LOOLA VISION:
To show that it is possible to run a successful tourism business built on the following principles:
– It is good for business to fully empower local staff and let them run the business
– It is good for business to engage and encourage guests to interact with – and help develop – local communities
– It is good for business to act as a test-bed for eco solutions (rainwater collection, waste water gardens, solar power, sun-powered cooling, chemical-free insect control).
LooLa maintains a sustainable tourism policy, which keeps track of where we are and where we would like to go (we are supposed to update this file continually, but in practice, this webpage is more likely to be current). Should you like to see a copy, you can download the Nov 2014 version here.
List of awards and media exposure
We are very proud to say that in recognition of these efforts, we received the following prestigious business sustainability accolades – and we fully intend to continue to show that we deserve them!
Below is BBC's Stephen Sackur presenting LooLa with our awards
International eco awards:
2011: WINNER: Asia's Most Inspiring Eco Resort Story
2012: WINNER: Asia's Most Inspiring Eco Resort
2013: WORLD TOP 3: Best Community Tourism Operator
2014: WINNER: 2 Sustainable Business Awards (Singapore)
2015: WINNER: Singapore's EcoActionDay
2015: SILVER: Global Youth Travel Awards
2015: WINNER: World's Best Responsible Beach Tourism Operator
2015: WINNER: World's Best Responsible Tourism Operator (Overall)
2016: WINNER: Singapore APEX Corporate Sustainability Awards
International newspaper coverage (mostly following LooLa's World # 1 WRT Awards):
2015, 28 Jan prominent write-up in the Straits Times, reprinted by AsiaOne.
2015: The Independent on Sunday (UK major national paper)
2015: TTG (Travel Trade Gazette – major UK travel trade magazine)
2015: TTG MENA
2015: National Geographic Traveller (UK) Magazine
2015: Green hotelier
2015: Mashable.com
2015: BatamToday.com
2015: DetikTravel
2015: Incentive Travel Magazine
2015: Rebubblica.Italia
2016: WildAsia follow-up stories on their last 10 years of award winners
2016: WRTM Magazine follow-up write-up on the activities of their past World Responsible Tourism winners
WTM is also working on an hour long BBC-hosted video of the award event (the LooLa relevant portions are in the video above), but they are currently sorting out an issue with the sound:
2015: WRT Award Video, LooLa's Mr Karno interviewed by BBC's Stephen Sackur
Other media coverage of LooLa and our Safe Water Garden Project:
Gaia Discovery
Musim Mas on the Safe Water Garden project at LooLa
Eco-business on Safe Water Gardens at LooLa


Implementing feedback from its predecessor, this updated second edition features exercises graded on a three-point scale according to their level of difficulty and cross-referencing to the Modern Italian Grammar for each. Also containing a comprehensive answer key for checking progress, this is a complete reference work suitable for both class-use and self-study.
This Italian reference grammar provides students, teachers and others interested in the Italian language with a comprehensive, accessible and jargon-free guide to the forms and structure of Italian.


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Martin Brodeur
When Did We Become Such Cold Weather Crybabies?
January 27, 2014 New York Rangers, NFL, NHLDenver Broncos, Derek Stepan, Martin Brodeur, New Jersey Devils, New York Rangers, New York sports, NHL, Seattle Seahawks, Stadium Series, Super Bowl, Super Bowl 48, Super Bowl SundayCoop View all 2 comments
I think it started during the football game in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Green Bay is not exactly known for its balmy weather and tropical beaches. It's the midwest. It's frickin cold out there. Even fans of the Packers joke about how many layers they need to wear. I wish I could find it, but the point has been moot for me, there was an article in the New York Times a few years back about a fan who wore several layers in preparation for late seasons and playoffs games. It's a ritual, and something accepted amongst football fans in cold weather climates. Think: Buffalo, Green Bay, Chicago.
Prior to their playoff game on January 5th, everyone was beside themselves. OOOOOH, it's gonna be freezing…in Wisconsin…in January.
Is it really that big of a deal that it's cold in Green Bay today? It's January in Wisconsin. Guess what? ITS COLD THERE
— The Coop (@Coopz22) January 5, 2014
I was surprised. I mean, isn't it a given that it's an occupational not to mention a spectator "hazard" that if you work or watch an outdoor sport, unless you are in a dome, you're going to be exposed to the elements? I mean, shit, football doesn't even have postponements or delays related to rain (unless, of course, there is lightning). You play through that shit.
The beginning of 2014 hasn't exactly been boastful of an unseasonably warm climate, especially in the northeast, where we've had the phrase Polar Vortex become an essential part of our lexicon. It's snowed quite a few times, and I've even joked around with my friends about how the cold isn't so bad, but factor in wind and snow elements, I'm over it.
We chat about the weather with total strangers. We joke about not wanting to be outside in the elements. People buy dog booties for their dog walks. We get bundled up to walk to the corner store or even to drive somewhere. It goes with the territory.
But I draw the line at people complaining about it being cold at a voluntary outdoor sporting event. Really? I mean, REALLY, guys? It's January, and it's in the northeast.
IT'S GONNA BE COLD HERE.
I will give fans who attended the game credit: I didn't see many people complaining on that end about the Stadium Series on Sunday. Most of the folks there are die hard. They do get the fact that one needs to bundle up to enjoy the game. Yet, I see tweets like this that get my blood boiling.
@coutinho9 it's voluntary. It's also January and outdoors in the Bronx. Guess what? ITS COLD THERE
— The Coop (@Coopz22) January 26, 2014
Every single person in that stadium yesterday was there voluntarily. Each person presumably bought a ticket, and attended on their own free will.
The players, however, get paid a very handsome salary to play these games. The night before, a game was played in Los Angeles, not exactly a hotbed (pun not intended) of perfect outdoor ice hockey activity. We didn't hear one problem with the "ice." But in the Bronx in January by the goddamn Harlem River, Devils goalie Martin Brodeur blames the ice on his poor performance (The Rangers scored 6 goals against him before he was taken out of the game…mind you the Devils also scored 3 goals in the first period…no one had a problem with the ice before then??)
Martin Brodeur says Yankee Stadium's rink was "the worst ice I ever played hockey on." Sure, Marty. http://t.co/Qe2adm3x33
— Deadspin (@Deadspin) January 27, 2014
Brodeur after pregame warmups: "My vision is fine, the ice is fine, the conditions are not a problem at all" wha happened? #NYR
— Mike (@MikeNYR2) January 27, 2014
Someone needs to give Uncle Daddy a WAAAHmburger. STFU
Oh, but there's more. This week, Super Bowl XLVIII will be held at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ. Now, all the cold weather crybabies are reporting on the nonstory that "WAHHH! It's gonna be COLD and elemental in New Jersey IN JANUARY. WAHHHHHHHHH!"
This time around, it's not Uncle Daddy or any of the players crying about the weather or potential hazard of it. It's mostly the sportswriters who all of a sudden have a sympathy for the players who get paid millions of dollars to play on the big stage…in the snow, rain, or sleet. Shit, I've seen frickin beautiful days here with low temps. Has anyone considered that the Super Bowl could be played in something like THAT??!
The Denver Broncos and the Seattle Seahawks kind of corner the market on playing in the elements. Denver gets snow. Seattle gets rain. The only people I see "inconvenienced" with the weather are people who have to sit in the stands (who are paying around $2,000 for an upper bowl seat) and the writers who are subscribing to some of the laziest journalism I have ever borne witness.
Their headlines are akin to chatting about the weather. Is this the state of sports writing today?
I just have a tough time believing that when New York/New Jersey was chosen as the Super Bowl venue, that no one considered weather factors.
It's January in the Northeast. Guess what?
It's cold here.
September 7, 2012 New York Rangers, NHLDonald Fehr, Gary Bettman, Henrik Lundqvist, Kontinental Hockey League, Lokomotiv, Los Angeles Kings, Martin Brodeur, New Jersey Devils, New York Rangers, NHL, NHL 2012-13 Season, NYR, NYR 2012-13, Ryan CallahanCoop One comment
I was at a baseball game a few weeks ago with my husband, and we met up with two of our friends, BlondeBombKels and ItsThat1Guy (aka Alvin). Not only do we share the same baseball allegiances, we have the same hockey allegiance (my husband only by osmosis, since he wasn't into hockey before he met me). My ticket rep with the Mets is also a Rangers fan. We talked about the season, and preseason, and I guess I was in denial with the fact that there was still a slight possibility of a lockout.
See, last year, Alvin got a bunch of us tickets for a Rangers/Devils preseason game at the Pebble. It was fun, it was raucous. We had a good time.
Alvin shook his head when we chatted about the preseason game, which the same crew was still interested in doing this year, and said, "It's not looking good." At first, I thought it was the possibility of us all getting together to see the game. Then I realized, he was referring to the lack of an agreement.
It then became a distinct possibility that in a year where I'm expecting my team to rebound from a great run yet disappointing end to last season that I might not see hockey for awhile. I mean, keep in mind that during the last time this shit happened, I had all but given up on hockey for good. Thank goodness, I suppose, for Mets late season collapses in September, when I needed an outlet besides a once a week fill for football.
So I was back, and I had a lot to look forward to as a Ranger fan. The emergence of Captain Callahan and King Henrik becoming one of the best goalies in hockey, let alone Ranger history. Looking forward to the passionate fan bases and going deep into the playoff season. I was right last year, that anything less than a visit to the Eastern Conference finals would be a failure, it was just too goddamn bad they lost to the Devils.
Barring all that, most Ranger fans were optimistic and eager to get their team returned to the ice.
What's more though, outside of being a Ranger fan is that another large market team, the Los Angeles Kings, finally went all the way and won the Cup. This was a feat for themselves, their fans, and even the passionate hockey fans who followed certain players on the team. Yes, 2011-12 was a fun season for most fans. Even for Phoenix Coyotes fans, who saw their team actually go deep into the playoffs. Even for Devils fans, who may have seen a last hoo-rah for Fat Uncle Daddy Marty.
So I say to the NHLPA, the NHL, the owners, Gary Bettman, Donald Fehr, the hockey gods…while you're nickel and diming each other (and hey, I'm a supporter of Unions, but these asses are just arguing about pennies while they're letting diamonds go away in the form of fans), remember to take some perspective.
One year ago today, the hockey world was rocked with news of the Lokomotiv Yaraslavl plane crash that took the lives of the entire Kontinental Hockey League team. Scott Burnside writes on ESPN today: "Friday, Sept. 7, marks the first anniversary of the crash and marks an opportunity to reflect on the men whose collective impact on the hockey world cannot easily be summed up."
Meanwhile, back at the ranch, a bunch of horses' asses are arguing about MONEY.
I don't know what the deal is with the KHL, if there were collective bargaining agreements or unions or ability to get paid the way they do in here where the NHL exists. What I do know is that several players, including a former 1994 Ranger Alexander Karpovtsev, died while traveling to play a game they loved.
A game I'm sure most players would have said back when they were kids, they love it so much they'd play for free.
But they're not playing for free. They're playing for real money, and real dollars, and owners and players and the league are arguing about who gets more.
It's a shame really.
Like I said, I'm all for unions, I'm all for collective bargaining tools. I'm all for what makes workers' unions strong and beneficial.
But being a fan of a sport that is about to embark on its third lockout in 18 years, the first one took half a season, the next one took out an entire season…what's next? Take out TWO seasons?
I'm not saying I'm most fans. I remember when hockey came back after the last lockout, a few of my friends were pumped it was returning. By then, I had checked out. Some of it was devoting more time to my baseball fandom (even became a season ticket holder during that time). A lot of it had to do with my team at the time. I was not happy with the directions of the Rangers at the time, and thought devoting time and energy to having Glen Sather as the General Manager was nuts. But sticking with him turned out to be a good thing, I'm rooting for a hard working, blue collar type of playing team that makes Rangers fans proud.
The same blue collar types that made Unions strong.
But my question to everyone involved in…what the FUCK is taking so long?
My answer is to put things into perspective. Count your blessings that you live in a society that you can bargain for this and take your sweet damn time with it.
Then look at the past year, of losing fellow hockey players in a tragic crash, and saying, what the fuck are we arguing about now?
I'm not saying one side is more at fault that the others. But what are CBAs for anyway. TO COLLECTIVELY BARGAIN.
Get your shit together, both sides, and figure this out already.
Bargaining over lost dollars won't matter when you alienate another generation of hockey fans once again.
That Was Yesterday
May 14, 2012 New York Rangers, NHLAdam Graves, Brian Leetch, Henrik Lundqvist, John Tortorella, Mark Messier, Martin Brodeur, Mike Keenan, Mike Richter, New Jersey Devils, NJD, NYR, NYR 2011-12, NYR 2012 Playoffs, NYR PlayoffsCoop Leave a comment
A lot can transpire in 18 years. A newborn then can now not only possess a license but can vote and is graduating high school. That same child's parent may be wondering where the time has gone, as they give their child the keys to the family car or signs the first tuition check. Someone may be planning their 20 year reunion from high school. A loved one may have passed away, you may be pulling six figures in a job where you were a lowly analyst 18 years ago. You may be living in a different part of the country. Or you may have just stayed put from where you grew up, but you don't recall having a 36-inch waist 18 years ago.
Eighteen years ago, the New York Rangers ended their 54-year Stanley Cup drought by defeating the Vancouver Canucks in a heated seven-game series. Prior to that, the Rangers defeated the rival New Jersey Devils, also in a heated seven-game series, in the Eastern Conference Finals, where the word "Matteau" is a dirty word to most Devils fans to this day, though they themselves have had success in winning three cups in response while the Rangers have won none. In that time period, the rivalries shifted from Rangers/Flyers and Rangers/Isles to Rangers/Devils.
Tonight kicks off the Rangers and Devils duking it out in the Eastern Conference Finals again, where winner continues to the Stanley Cup finals, and the other team goes home to shave.
To this Ranger fan, the only thing that remains similar to that series 18 years ago is that Martin Brodeur is still the goalie for the Devils. And even he's 18 years older. And that's about it. The ownership has changed for the Rangers, the coaches have changed, the team has certainly changed.
Sure, there are similarities. But it's NOT the same.
The Devils have won three cups since the last time these two teams faced off in the finals. The storied guys that helped them on those runs with names like Scott Stevens and Ken Daneyko are long since retired. The last cup was in 2003. That was 10 years ago. Eighteen years ago, the Devils were playing in the Swamp. Now they play in a nice new arena called Prudential Center.
The Rangers have visited the Eastern Conference Finals one other time since then, and it was lackluster. They've since had their storied guys not only retire, but their numbers are now enshrined. Names like Richter, Messier, Leetch and Graves are now hanging from the rafters at the Garden, where the Rangers have stayed but the refurnishing of it makes it seem like a brand new arena.
The 1994 team was full of mercenaries and then there was Brian Leetch and Mike Richter, who came up with the team. Neil Smith, then-GM, thought it prudent to trade away the future and try to recapture some of the Edmonton Oilers success. This ultimately led to changes at the top, such as Glen Sather coming in and trying to do the same recipe. Until he realized it no longer worked.
Apparently, there is some pact with Sather and James Dolan that we're not privy to that will only happen if the Rangers make the "big" finals. Because of that, Sather started to focus less on the free agent mercenaries and allowed the growth movement to start from within. Guys like Lundqvist, Callahan, Girardi, sprinkled with guys like Brad Richards and Marian Gaborik. It's no longer Mike Keenan but John Tortorella. Dave Checketts isn't pissing off his talent, but it's now
True, those guys in 1994 were very hard working. But they were mostly established. Messier had won several championships. He was the Captain of all Captains. Callahan wears his "C" with pride, but he believes in the team work ethic that clearly trickles to the rest of the team.
To think that this is some sort of "revenge" match-up, to think this is something of a "torch passing" of a fat overrated goalie to the future of goaltending, diminishes what this series is all about. To call this is a revenge series is laughable because, I don't know call me crazy, isn't three cups in an eight year span one that says, "Hey, we're not so bad either guys."
These are two teams that have worked very hard to get to the finals, and will work harder to get to the next level.
To me, the differences are clear. Yet most of all, 18 years ago was a long long time ago. Nine years ago was long long time ago. Then was then. This is now.
Take Those Rings And Shove 'Em
February 14, 2012 MLB, New York Mets, New York Rangers, NFL, NHLChampionships, Charles Barkley, Dan Marino, Derek Jeter, Eli Manning, Greatness, Henrik Lundqvist, Jim Kelly, John Stockton, Karl Malone, Ken Daneyko, Mariano Rivera, Martin Brodeur, New England Patriots, New York Yankees, Rings, Scott Stevens, Tom BradyCoop One comment
There's a curious thing happening here in New York City.
The Rangers are playing some stellar hockey, to the extent that it's time to think about playoffs, and I mean *deep* into the playoffs.
Then there's the Jeremy Lin phenomenon on the Knicks, where it's all anyone is talking about. Even lay people who aren't into basketball (like yours truly) have been jumping on the #LINning tweet hash tags and wondering what this kid can't seem to do.
The Rangers are getting their due respect. Henrik Lundqvist is finally coming into his own as an elite goaltender, Ryan Callahan is proving to everyone why he was named Captain of the team and these guys would take a bullet for one of their own teammates. The Knicks are making their fans believers again, to the extent that people who had given up on them a long time ago are coming around again.
That's not to say everyone is thrilled with these happenings. I'm sure Devils, Isles and Flyers fans don't care much about how the Rangers are performing (or Bruins fans, for that matter). Is anyone outside of New York following Jeremy Lin-sanity?
So then when anyone brings up the fact that Henrik Lundqvist is a frontrunner for the Hart, Vezina and any trophy that can be anointed to any hockey player not a defenseman, or that anyone is a great player in New York…those who don't care? Those who like New York sports?
"How many rings does Henrik have again?"
"Has Jeremy Lin won any championships?"
Yes, folks, there are those people who want to piss all over the success of individual players by pointing out their shortcomings in the championship arena.
I could go the shorthand route and say, "Well it's a team sport and any rings earned is based on team performance."
But it's something that any fan goes straight to, regardless of sport. I mean, has everyone turned in Yankees fans to use their team's overall success to diminish the greatness of a few individual players?
Look at the Devils' Martin Brodeur. Uncle Daddy Fatso has won three Cups under my watch and he was the star goaltender of those teams. Yet, those teams won as a UNIT with the likes of Scott Stevens and Ken Daneyko leading the way. Without those players, I doubt you get to fully appreciate how good Brodeur was for those teams. And yet, when we all point and laugh at Marty, any of their Devils fans are all, "Well, how many Cups has Henrik won?"
Are you FUCKING SERIOUS?
Then there's the whole Eli Manning ballwashing that has occurred. Not to diminish any of his accomplishments because I'll even admit that he has shown the capacity to really come through for his team when they need him most. Yet, a few months ago, weren't his fanbase and the local media throwing him under the bus for…well…whatever reason? Look, mad respect for him…but does he win those rings with any other team? Maybe not.
But then, does that mean he's one of the best? That remains to be seen. But then we can look at the careers of Jim Kelly or Dan Marino and see that sometimes, life isn't fair in sports. Some of the best QBs haven't won ONE ring, let alone two. Then Tom Brady is known for his failures to lead his team to two Super Bowl title when he already has earned THREE with the New England Patriots.
Football is strange though, because there are smaller margins of error in a season, and most games are more critical because there are fewer to play.
Basketball also has those great players who never won a championship. I was a fan back in the day when John Stockton and Karl Malone were the core unit of the Utah Jazz. They're both Hall of Fame players, and don't have a ring to their accomplishments. Does this mean they were horrible players? True, they're not Michael Jordans, but even Dirk Nowitzki won a championship last year with the Dallas Mavericks, when the Miami Heat were all but anointed champions before a game was even played.
And don't get me started on baseball. I live in New York City, where I have to bear witness to the Yankee ballwashing that goes on a daily basis, 162 games a year, and 365 days a year when it's all anyone harps on. Forget the "Miracle" 1969 Mets. Forget the Amazin' 1986 Mets that we still haven't gotten over. It's Derek Jeter – BEST SHORTSTOP EVAH according to their fans and local media. How about Mariano Rivera? All-time saves leader and has five rings. But look at the teams they played on. Wouldn't it stand to reason that those teams won because of the TEAMS and not because of one or two players? Look at the Jazz again. If it were up to one or two players, championships would be easier to come by. Even the 1980s Mets were faltered because of the game of chance.
Which is all some championship seasons are. Chance.
But then, look at the Rangers. If they win the Stanley Cup this year, IF Henrik Lundqvist wins the Vezina or Hart (or that may be one of his teammates, Marian Gaborik), IF IF IF IF…
When someone talks about how great of a season and improbable run as Henrik Lundqvist has had, they'll say, "Yeah…but he doesn't THREE CUPS."
To that, I only have one response.
TAKE THOSE RINGS AND SHOVE 'EM STRAIGHT UP YOUR ASS KID!!!
To take a team accomplishment and make it into an individual accomplishment defeats the purpose of sports. But hey, it's a game of one-upmanship for fans to participate in. But it's a flawed argument and I hope that "real" fans understand the difference.
September 26, 2011 New York Mets, New York RangersDancin Larry, Fans, Martin Brodeur, Mets 2011, New Jersey Devils, NYR 2011-12, Prudential Center, Uncle Daddy MartyCoop View all 2 comments
As a sports nut, I have many rooting interests, sometimes conflicts of interest (especially regarding what game I need to prioritize if multiple events are being shown) and mostly conflicting seasons. Meaning, end of summer isn't just about beginning of football or baseball wrapping up, but it also means that hockey is in my cross hairs.
What's also interesting is how many people seem to think the same way I do about these events. It's tough to find many Mets and Rangers fans. It's a lot easier to find say, Mets and Jets fans, even Mets and Giants fans, but Mets and Rangers are usually as far apart as I don't know, Yankees and Mets. See, the Mets were an expansion team, and the Rangers are an Original Six. While both have their unique and sometimes quirky history, they are as far apart on the spectrum as any team's history can expect. However, the way they operate is very similar. They both have clueless front office and ownership is family-oriented, meaning sometimes the best decisions are not necessarily made and it's done more to protect the family than of making their investment better.
Yet, when Alvin, a Mets friend of mine, suggested a few of us get together and see a Rangers preseason game in New Jersey versus the hated Devils…I couldn't say no. Preseason games usually aren't my thing (ESPECIALLY when I have to travel for it), but the people I went with are really good folks and I wanted to see them too since it had been awhile.
Preseason games usually don't mean anything to me, but when I'm with such good company, it makes the trip worthwhile.
Now first things first, the moment we enter the place, it was like we owned it. Ranger fans are very territorial, and I would say even with the success the Devils have had in recent years, the population is 50/50 at most Devils/Rangers games, and I would even venture to say the over goes to Ranger fans (it's typically more economical to visit the team on the road in NJ, and especially convenient to the NJ portion of the Ranger fanbase). In fact, when we walked in, a Swedish news reporter asked us about Henrik Lundqvist and why we followed the Rangers. Of course, we all offered our opinionated views on why we love the Rangers.
The arena, Prudential Center, is much nicer than the previous hole the Devils used to play in, the Swamp, er uh…Meadowlands "I'm Calling It Brendan Byrne" Arena. Of course, I am biased with it because while I think The Rock is a nice place, it's nowhere near as cool as MSG. The thing I will give it over MSG is that a) it's newer and b) is easier to navigate than MSG. During the playoffs last season, I was claustrophobic walking around the Garden. This place has never given me the shrinking walls syndrome that MSG always does. The food is also marginally better at Pru too. Yet, I feel like I am at high school gymnasium when I attend games there, with their Devils Dancers and the overall homage to Jersey they have. I'm from freaking Jersey, and I hate that this is the representative "Jersey team" and that it's crammed down my throat.
Nice arena, but certainly not my cup of tea.
Anyway, back to the matter at hand which is the game itself…
Well, Not Henrik played, Uncle Daddy Marty (aka Martin Brodeur) did. We got to see Ryan Callahan and his Sweet C. Even some role guys like Mike Del Zotto showed up.
Some aspects of history were brought up, some sad, some kind of interesting. One thing was that we heard most NHL teams had a dedication to those we've lost this summer, most specifically the plane crash that took the lives of the Lokomotiv Russian team. It was a tearjerker for sure, and even highlighted one of the '94 Rangers, Alexander Karpovtsev.
For the interesting part…not many people know that prior to his now synonymous #30, Brodeur was #29 at the first point of his career. I bet this chick thought she was all hard-core wearing not only her fugly red and green originals, but that she was on board with #29 before everyone else.
As legend has it, the Rangers won in the 3rd period with a go-ahead goal and all was right in the world. Well, I was annoyed and a bit bored since Pru did not get the memo that a) I was there and b) would like to be served immediately if not sooner between periods (especially when all I want is a goddamn soda). Plus, I had to run 10 miles the next morning and needed to get a good night of sleep. Trust me, this stuff doesn't happen during the season. Plus, it was kind of entertaining to see the Devils fans treat this game like a Stanley Cup playoff. I just had fun hanging with the people who make it worthwhile for me to root for a team and be an active participant as a spectator.
Some other observations I made, albeit quickly and with a watered-down preseason team: Passing looked smoother, they took more shots (no la-la-la pretty set-up dancing) and their power play looked at least a bit tighter. Clearly, the boys did their homework over the summer break.
Yet, the same night, the Mets were supposed to play, and did not because of a rain out. Typically, we are going out all out trying to keep up with the scoreboard watching, even though the Mets game meant nothing, even though it's a meaningless game in September. But for all intents and purposes, we were also sitting at a meaningless game.
It took more meaning with the people I was with, who also have active interests. This is what happens when my sports worlds collide.
Oh and not only did my sports worlds collide, my arena worlds collided when the only true dancer of hockey, the Blue Seats' own Dancin' Larry, came and regaled us with a few moves at one point in the game!
Preseason games aren't always to warm the teams up, it's to warm the fans up too. Judging by the turn out for this particular game, I think it's shaping up to be a fun season.


text:
Allentown, Pennsylvania is the home for the global and U.S. corporate headquarters of several companies, such as Air Products, PPL Corporation, Norfolk Southern Railway, and others. The largest employer in the Lehigh Valley is Lehigh Valley Health Network with almost 8,000 employees.

Tourism and activities

The arrival of two professional athletics teams in the 21st century have bolstered the Allentown economy. In Center City Allentown, PPL Center, an 8,500-capacity indoor arena, opened in September 2014 as the new home for the Lehigh Valley Phantoms of the American Hockey League, the primary development team of the National Hockey League's Philadelphia Flyers. PPL Center also hosts major concerts and entertainment events. In East Allentown, Coca-Cola Park, a 10,178-capacity baseball stadium, opened in March 2008 as the new home for the Lehigh Valley IronPigs of the International League, the Triple-A-level Minor League affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies of Major League Baseball.

Previously established attractions include the Allentown Art Museum, which completed a $15.4 million expansion projected in 2010-11, and the Baum School of Art, the city's primary art school. Several Allentown-based universities universities, including Cedar Crest College and Muhlenberg College, attract scholars and academics from all over the country.

Shopping
The city and its suburbs have several shopping malls, including Lehigh Valley Mall (the largest in the region) and Whitehall Mall, both located in Whitehall Township, South Mall on Lehigh Street in Salisbury Township, and The Promenade Shops at Saucon Valley in Center Valley.

Companies and corporations
The following is a list of corporations based in Allentown and the surrounding area:

Air Products (Trexlertown)
Buckeye Partners (U.S. headquarters) (Breinigsville)
Crayola (Easton)
Just Born (Bethlehem)
Lehigh Valley Hospital–Cedar Crest (Allentown)
Norfolk Southern Railway
Olympus (U.S. headquarters) (Center Valley)
PPL Corporation (Allentown)

Former corporations
The following is a list of companies formerly headquartered in Allentown and the surrounding area:

Bethlehem Steel
Hess's
Mack Trucks

See also
Allentown, Pennsylvania
Lehigh Valley

References

Allentown
Allentown, Pennsylvania

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
[![Build Status](https://travis-ci.org/DanielKeep/rust-scan-util.svg?branch=master)](https://travis-ci.org/DanielKeep/rust-scan-util)

This is the runtime support library for the [`rust-scan`](https://github.com/DanielKeep/rust-scan) package.  If you want to *use* the `scan*` family of macros, go read the documentation there.  You only need to worry about this package if you intend to:

- Implement a `Scanner` for a type manually, *without* using the `scanner!` macro.
- Implement a custom `Tokenizer`, `Whitespace` or `CompareStrs` type for use at runtime (you sadly cannot provide a custom implementation of these at compile time).
- You want to use one of the utility routines this package happens to have.

## License

This package is provided under the MIT license.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Q: Why isn't my MacBook running 64 bit mode?
Possible Duplicate:
My mac has 64-bit EFI, but it only boots with 32-bit kernel

Why isn't my MacBook running 64 bit mode? It's a mid-2010 model, "MacBook 7,1" , with a Core-2 Duo. why would it run in 32-bit mode? Could it be because I've only got 2GB of RAM?

A: I don't think these machines booted into 64bit. (the new macbook pros do).
You can hold down 6 and 4 whilst rebooting for a temporary 64bit boot (if available)
If that works, you can try this in terminal and then reboot
sudo defaults write /Library/Preferences/SystemConfiguration/com.apple.Boot 'Kernel Flags' 'arch=x86_64'

This will make the mac boot in 64bit mode by default.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


The list was compiled by the Tech London Advocates (TLA), a private sector-led coalition of over 5,000 expert individuals from the tech sector and broader community. It is aimed at highlighting the potential for London and other UK cities to become world-class hubs for createch businesses, as well as celebrating the achievements of rising stars in the creative and technology industries.
Founded in 2012, Festicket has established itself as a key player in the live music experience industry. The innovative web platform specialises in packages for festivals, including accommodation, transfers and extras alongside normal ticket sales. It also serves as a go-to guide for all things festival, with an online magazine and Festival Finder, which uses Spotify to help discover new festivals.


Facilitating FPM courses can be complex for a number of reasons. Facilitators commonly struggle with balancing the content of the model, the unique demands of participants that arise from such a training intervention, and explicitly modelling the Family Partnership Model in their facilitation.
This afternoon workshop provides an exciting opportunity for FPM facilitators to share and explore issues that arise in the facilitation of FPM courses with other facilitators and the co-author of the model.


text:
Explore the range of opportunities MI5 offers.
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MI5 really is a great place to work where you will experience a fascinating career.
We welcome people from all walks of life as this brings different perspectives in making sure we keep the country safe.
Jobs & My Application
Intelligence Collection
Current page Intelligence Collection
Introduction to Intelligence Collection
Without covert intelligence we cannot investigate the threats facing the UK. Getting a key piece of intelligence from a phone call, a surveillance report or from a human source can illuminate a threat or change the course of an investigation, at times making the difference between a bomb going off or not. There are a range of roles at the forefront of our intelligence collection effort. Some require specific skills such as a language or technical aptitude; others are open to anyone who wants to join MI5 for an exciting and fast-paced career.
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Our Agent Handlers work covertly with agents who provide information critical to protecting national security. Agents are not employees of MI5 but people who have information relating to threats facing the UK that we would not otherwise have access to.
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Our Mobile Surveillance Officers follow subjects who have been identified as potential threats to national security. They observe people and places in a wide range of environments, so it is vital that they are able to blend into the background at all times.
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Our Covert Technical Operations Specialists take the lead in deploying a wide range of advanced MI5 technical capability to enable intelligence collection in fast paced and high profile investigations. They play a key role in progressing investigations helping to develop methods that allow us access to the computers and devices used by terrorist groups that pose a serious threat to national security.
Find out more about Covert Technical Operations Specialists
My team and I collected the key piece of intelligence that led to a terrorist attack being stopped
Why Join MI5
A career at MI5 is like no other. Not only is it rewarding and unique but the variety here is like no-where else. It is this variety that means most people stay at MI5 as they are able to fulfil all their career ambitions here without ever having to leave. We are also committed to rewarding the people who work for us and demonstrating our appreciation for their vital contribution by offering an excellent range of benefits. And due to the nature of our work it means you can't take it home with you, so when you leave the office you really do leave your work behind you, providing you with an excellent work-life balance. Whatever role you perform, you will be directly contributing to keeping the country safe.
Join us as a Mobile Surveillance Officer at MI5 and help keep people across the UK safe.
As a valued member of a diverse team, you'll follow subjects of national security investigations by foot and by car. Your observation skills, quick thinking and ability to fit into your environment mean you'll be able to make a big contribution.
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MI5 joins Instagram
MI5 has joined Instagram with the aim of lifting the lid on what it's really like to work at the Security Service.
MI5 didn't 'officially' exist until 1992
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I can't remember which movie it was, but I was talking to good friend David Jennings in Vancouver about how no matter how disorganized we may be in other areas there are some things we like to keep ordered- like our music collection.; – and he told me of the film where one geek explains to his awe-struck friend, how his music collection was organized not alphabetically, or geographically or by sub-genre- but autobiographically. I have to confess being quite impressed by this. So as I reach my 55th I'll take up an idea I got from good friend Andrew Smith which he did for his 50th, and choose 55 records that mark the soundtrack of my life. Some of them only gaining significance for me years after their release.
These are not arranged in the order they were released, but in the order in which they intersected with my life. They are not necessarily my 55 favourites, nor the 55 best in my opinion, (although I like them all). They are simply the tracks that have, sometimes for quite obscure reasons, drawn the contours of my life these past 55 years.
There are of course notable omissions: No Beatles or Stones or Dylan (though one of his songs does appear), there is probably a clear bias to Celtic bands and singers; and, with only 2 exceptions, I tried to stick to one song per artist. And if I could have found anything from Harvey and the Wallbangers circa 1985 that would definitely have made it. There is also hardly anything from the past 15 years- possibly demonstrating that my taste for the new has diminished with age, but also due to the fact that in this context it takes time to earn significance.
My first single. As a kid growing up in a family of orchestral fans, ELO provided the natural bridge. I could have chosen half a dozen tracks from this album which won the first ever Brit Awards Album of the Year.
The sax and the vocal sound effects captured me. A great album- the only one Gwen and I owned in common when we got married!
A unique sound – love the flute, and saddened by the bizarre court case that led to the demise of the band member concerned. The song is maybe a cliché now if you're an Aussie- but what a classic!
Probably preferred "Souvenir" but this was the first song I danced to at my school formal (sorry if the mental images are distressing).
I think this is the only musician on the list who we've had the privilege of hosting in our home. A truly unique voice- and the Irish lament that was such a perfect vehicle for Maire's voice and that made them famous.
Saw them a few times while at Uni in Stirling when they were on the rise. Feel-good Galllc Rock. Would love to have been at this year's farewell concert at Stirling Castle.
One of the two repeat artists on the list: I could have chosen anything from Brothers in Arms, but picked this for its simplicity and sheer chill-out factor.
Again I could have picked anything from this album, but YCCMA always stood out for its weird lyrics, and interplay of brass, flute and apparently a bass riff that is almost impossible to play. Plus that video with Chevy Chase!
Great song, rag piano, and even better animated video. Watch it!
One of those pub quiz questions about three songs of the same title being in the charts. But for me, there was only ever one. Kind of spoiled by its association with the Back to the Future movie, since Lewis and the lads are a great band, and since I'm an extremely rare concert-goer, they get the nod 'cos I actually did see this one live and the video link is from the same tour with the same brass section.
Haunting melody from an under-rated artist. Lyrics beautiful in irony. I've often hummed it around the house changing the first letter of the second word to W.
Requested it (and arranged it) for a few carol services over the years. The middle section, the brass! That is all!
Could have been anything from the magisterial Sunshine on Leith but this is the one that got them noticed. Unintelligible Celtic accents, powerful harmonies, emigration theme, Highland place names… Perfect. I later heard them perform this in Vancouver the night after the Canuck's epic Stanley Cup final. Great couple of days.
Any song that pulls off an oboe riff as the dominant motif deserves a place in any list. When it first came out, this song grabbed my attention and never let go. Superb first line, something of a personal motto for me, borrowed from author Maya Angelou.
Another of the few I heard live- the pick of the bunch from a band that featured prominently on my car sound system along the roads of Ireland in the 80s; and possibly the first live concert I went to with Gwen.
Also on that car repertoire. Would love to have heard these guys. Always a sucker for a strong piano line. Love the plaintiveness of this one.
I Remember it's poignant performance in the movie Stella; and the Californians singing it at the International Evening at Regent; and catching it on MTV once and being gobsmacked by the outfits; and singing it at the piano bar on a ship in the Arctic. We do a good counterpoint in our own carpool karaoke.
I was introduced to this Canadian band while in Vancouver and their 'Best Of' was one of my most-played albums, but it is this live version of a lesser-known ballad that I love, and it is a perfect example of Steven Page's vocal skills.
One of my increasingly small repertoire on the piano. Also played it on numerous occasions with my own words- most memorably at my Vancouver farewell party.
Gwen discounts any song with whistling, but there is so much else in this song, not least how it marked the era of perestroika. Introduced to me by a member of my first youth group.
Everyone's gotta have a feel good summer song. One that immediately lifts the spirits. That's all it needs to do and it does it well!
The use of the vocal line as just another instrument in the greater whole; the poetic contrasts in the lyrics- well constructed and foot-tappingly joyous.
Mary Black makes her second appearance. This time with her version of Billie Holiday's heart-wrenching plea of an unloved woman. Chose this version because of the plaintive sax line and characteristic guitar (Declan Sinnott, I imagine). Gwen sang this as a support for Maire Brennan circa 2000.
She's never sung it, but if there ever was another talent night we were involved in I would try to get Gwen to sing this. She's got the lungs and the passion for it and I think she could still pull it off.
When I first heard this I thought "What is this about?" but what I imagined to be a twee lyric somehow was animated by the phenomenal vocal undulations and contrapuntal guitar of the tragic Cassidy. When I realized she was playing as well as singing, it's place in my top 50 was guaranteed.
Paul Heaton is one of the cleverest lyricists I've come across. I could have gone for numerous Housemartins tracks but think TBS took his writing a bit further. I'm glad there's a clean version of this song – the explicit version was totally unnecessary but it brings back hilarious memories of a parishioner who lent me the uncensored album having never listened closely to the lyrics, and the embarrassment that followed.
I guess this is a double appearance, if you count Chicago. The only time I've had a request played on the radio. On one of my long night drives home, around 2006, knowing Gwen was waiting at home I phoned in on a whim and this was the first song I thought of. She has actually referred to me as her knight in shining armour, so who am I to disagree.
Introduced to this while leading a team to Ukraine in 2008 and it has been my Go To video at the end of an evangelistic service on many occasions since. For some reason the Spotify version is nowhere near as good as this youtube ones with the stronger piano line.
The pick from a beautiful album that I thought was the only thing stolen when we were broken into in 2009, only for a friend to own up several years later to having borrowed it. Getting it back was like being reunited with an old friend.
Probably one of the surprises in the pack. On Sabbatical in BC in 2013 there was just one CD left lying in the car we were graciously lent for the months we were there. So we got introduced to Canadian trad folk singer Stan Rogers. I love this one for the unusual backing vocals and for the tale it tells of Arctic exploration: something that always fascinated me. The video intersperses the song with some documentary and commentary about Rogers and his music.
Always loved this song with its syncopated keyboard, anthemic chorus and theme of intergenerational angst. Remember playing it a lot when my father passed away in late 2013- though thankfully without too much of the regret of the lyricist.
Not much needs to be said about this that hasn't already been said: It's in here purely because Gwen and I raised a few eyebrows by singing it at my first student conference talent night.
A good song which makes it onto the list because of one of those rare quirks of fate. One summer afternoon in 2015 I found myself hearing this song coming out of a nearby building while I was – yes – walking in Memphis.
I'm probably not alone in my generation in that the music that impacted us dates from 20 years and further back. But these guys aren't too bad! Thoughtful, melodic, and memories of Gwen sight-reading it with a pop-up choir during the Belfast Culture night in 2018.


text:
Beatrix Sassen (* 17. April 1945 in Vinsebeck) ist eine deutsche Bildhauerin, Bühnenbildnerin und Malerin. Sie lebt und arbeitet seit 2002 in der Künstlersiedlung Golzheim, Franz-Jürgens-Straße 6 in Düsseldorf.

Leben
Sassen interessierte sich bereits in Jugendjahren für die Bildhauerei. Vaterlos wuchs sie mit zwei Schwestern und ihrer Mutter, die eine Damenschneiderei betrieb, in Düsseldorf auf. Nach der Realschule wurde sie 1962 an der Kunstakademie Düsseldorf aufgenommen, wo zunächst Joseph Beuys ihr wichtigster Lehrer war und sie zu dessen erster Schülergeneration zählte. 1965 brach sie das Studium ab. Sie lebte in einer Kommune, heiratete und bekam drei Kinder. Unter Erwin Heerich nahm sie in den Jahren 1975 bis 1978 wieder das Studium an der Düsseldorfer Akademie auf. 1981 begann sie ihre Ausstellungen. Unter anderem schuf sie gegenständliche Figuren, oft Statuetten von Köpfen und Torsi, deren Formen zurückhaltend gestaltet sind und fragmentarisch wirken. 2014 wurde sie vom Verein für die Veranstaltung von Kunstausstellungen Düsseldorf für ihre "jenseits aller Tendenzen in der Kunstszene" gehaltene Bildsprache mit dem Kunstpreis der Künstler geehrt.

Kopfstreit
Im sogenannten Kopfstreit versuchte sie in den Jahren 2002/2003, eine Urheberschaft an einer Kopfskulptur von Beuys gerichtlich durchzusetzen. Zum Sachverhalt trug sie Folgendes vor: Während des Sommersemesters 1963 hatte sie in der Kunstakademie Düsseldorf die Büste einer Bacchantin mit halblangem Haar und Früchtekranz aus Äpfeln und Birnen gefertigt. Von der Büste entfernte sie dann die Haare und den Früchtekranz. Außerdem trennte sie den Kopf ab, wodurch ein "männlicher Kopf" entstanden sei. Beuys zeigte Interesse an diesem Resultat. In dessen Gestaltung griff er ein, indem er den Mund der Plastik etwas öffnete und die Mundwinkel des Kopfes leicht nach oben zog. Den Kopf hätte er schließlich an sich genommen und ihn in Form eines Gipsmodells und von Abgüssen für sein eigenes Schaffen weiterverwendet, insbesondere in den Installationen Straßenbahnhaltestelle und Palazzo Regale. 1985 machte sie Norbert Tadeusz, ein ehemaliger Mitschüler, auf den Kopf aufmerksam. Daraufhin besuchte sie ein Exponat im Museum Abteiberg in Mönchengladbach und erkannte dort den Kopf wieder. 1992 wurde sie von Armin Zweite, damals Direktor der Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen, zur Entstehungsgeschichte des Objekts befragt.

In den Jahren 2002/2003 verklagte sie Eva Beuys, die Witwe und Erbin des verstorbenen Künstlers, bei Ausstellungen, Veröffentlichungen, Stellungnahmen und Verkaufshandlungen zu dem Objekt ihre Urheberschaft bzw. Miturheberschaft ausdrücklich zu erwähnen. Sowohl in der ersten Instanz beim Landgericht Düsseldorf als auch in der zweiten Instanz beim Oberlandesgericht Düsseldorf scheiterte sie mit diesem Antrag, weil sie nicht beweisen konnte, wie der Kopf ursprünglich ausgesehen hatte. Somit konnte auch der maßgebliche schöpferische Beitrag der Klägerin nicht geklärt werden.

Werke (Auswahl)

Skulpturen
 zusammen mit Helmut Rhode: Marktbrunnen, Brunnen aus treppenförmig abgestuften, konzentrischen Steinkreisen, umgeben von einer vierteiligen Anlage aus Sitzbänken, Granit und Basaltlava, Düsseldorf-Benrath, 1981
 Paare, Holzskulptur, 1991
 Geschwister, Außenskulptur, Museum Schloss Moyland, Bedburg-Hau, 1996
 Torso, Außenskulptur, Coburg, 1998
 Licht im Kopf – meine dunkle Schwester, Aluminiumskulptur, 2000, 2002 aufgestellt, Lörracher Skulpturenweg
 Schreitendes Tor, Außenskulptur, Erholungspark Volkardey, Ratingen, 2002
 Erde/Fuß, Bronze, 2002
 Kopfbüste ohne Titel, Holz und Farbe, 2006

Bühnenbilder
 1995: Venezianisches Credo, Staatstheater Darmstadt
 1996: Winterreise, Staatstheater Darmstadt
 2012: Le Sacre du Printemps/Verklärte Nacht, Ballett, Landestheater Eisenach

Malerei und Grafik
 Händchen, 1997, Bleistift und Asphaltlack
 Zeit, 2005, Farbschichten auf Papier

Ausstellungen (Auswahl)
 1999: Künstler und Künstlerinnen aus NRW, Bundesrepublik Deutschland, Yan-Huang Art Museum, Peking
 2014: Große Kunstausstellung NRW Düsseldorf

Auszeichnungen
 2014: Kunstpreis der Künstler

Literatur
 Petra Richter: Mit, neben, gegen. Die Schüler von Joseph Beuys. Richter Verlag, Düsseldorf 2000, ISBN 978-3-93380-707-6
 Adolf Smitmans (Hrsg.) Körperzeichen: Geurt van Dijk, Hans Rath, Beatrix Sassen, Sam Szembek, Marianne Timander-Korth. Veröffentlichungen der Städtischen Galerie Albstadt, Band 54, Albstadt 1988, ISBN 978-3-92364-423-0
 Museum Moderner Kunst (Hrsg.): Werkstatt Kollerschlag präsentiert Tony Cragg, Felix Droese, Anselm Glück, Erwin Heerich, Jene Highstein, Matt Mullican, David Rabinowitch, Klaus Rinke, Beatrix Sassen. Verlag Museum Moderner Kunst Wörlen, Passau 1992
 Beatrix Sassen: Skulpturen. Ausstellungskatalog der Städtischen Galerie "Villa Aichele", Lörrach 2002, ISBN 978-3-87909-785-2

Weblinks

 Homepage

Einzelnachweise

Bildhauer (Düsseldorf)
Maler (Düsseldorf)
Bühnenbildner (Deutschland)
Deutscher
Geboren 1945
Frau