text:
Pile of Crap
Self Deprecating Since 1999
Beer 'n Stuff
Business n' Such
Food 'n Taste
Movies n' Shows
Music n' Concerts
News 'n Media
Political n' Sanity
Scams 'n Spams
Sex 'n Porn
Social n' Digestion
Soft 'n Hardware
Sports n' Games
Travel 'n Wander
Useless 'n Shit
Work 'n Life
Best Of?
June 28, 2000.
Puddle Jumping – The Art Of Not Giving A Fuck
Category: Business n' Such
Coming to a Conclusion – Great Ideas – R.I.P.
August 30, 2017 By: SmartSsa
It seems as though every time I open Evernote I'm about to write down one of my great ideas. When this happens, I get totally distracted by all my other great ideas. I have a lot of them and I … Continue reading →
Posted in Business n' Such | Reply
Why Does Rogers Suck So Much?
January 27, 2012 By: SmartSsa
It's almost impossible to really answer this. But recently Rogers has decided to argue an old consumer-protecting law that requires them to have "adequate and proper" testing before making claims that they're awesome. Rogers claims that this law violates their … Continue reading →
Posted in Business n' Such | Replies: 8
Google Buys YouTube
October 9, 2006 By: SmartSsa
According to Google's official press releases, they've purchased YouTube.com for 1.65 billion dollars in shares. This is by far the biggest and possibly most insane purchase Google has ever made in their competitive lifetime. I'm not sure exactly what to … Continue reading →
Posted in Business n' Such, Work 'n Life | Reply
Recent Crap
It's October! Pumpkin Spice Blahté
Taylor Swift – This Song Sucks
Always Wondering Where You Are
Comments on Crap
Mark Golding on Hello Logitech
Bob Kilo on Canada Post Sucks
Gordon Jenkins on Islam
Rick Stafford on Canada Post Sucks
Srishti Singh on Heh
Like The Crap
pileofcrap.org
Follow The Crap
Follow @pileofcrap_org
Crappy Categories
Beer 'n Stuff (39)
Business n' Such (3)
Food 'n Taste (111)
Movies n' Shows (65)
Music n' Concerts (26)
News 'n Media (72)
Political n' Sanity (43)
Scams 'n Spams (43)
Sex 'n Porn (50)
Social n' Digestion (48)
Soft 'n Hardware (11)
Sports n' Games (1)
Travel 'n Wander (5)
Useless 'n Shit (3,043)
Work 'n Life (32)
Tagged Crap
art awesome beer booze Canada club computers cops dreams drugs england facebook fail France future google history insane internet Iraq life live london love MA music not quite random rant rogers social songs spam sucks toronto travel turn TV UK US video wisdom work wtf youtube
Stale Crap
Stale Crap Select Month October 2017 (1) September 2017 (2) August 2017 (3) June 2016 (1) December 2014 (1) October 2013 (1) January 2013 (1) October 2012 (1) June 2012 (2) May 2012 (6) February 2012 (2) January 2012 (7) December 2011 (3) September 2011 (1) May 2011 (1) April 2011 (2) March 2011 (1) February 2011 (1) January 2011 (3) December 2010 (4) October 2010 (2) September 2010 (2) July 2010 (4) June 2010 (12) May 2010 (13) April 2010 (5) March 2010 (20) February 2010 (14) January 2010 (11) December 2009 (3) November 2009 (5) October 2009 (6) September 2009 (16) August 2009 (6) July 2009 (5) June 2009 (10) May 2009 (8) April 2009 (5) March 2009 (12) February 2009 (7) January 2009 (7) December 2008 (6) November 2008 (5) October 2008 (11) September 2008 (10) August 2008 (6) July 2008 (6) June 2008 (13) May 2008 (10) April 2008 (9) March 2008 (11) February 2008 (12) January 2008 (10) December 2007 (12) November 2007 (12) October 2007 (22) September 2007 (17) August 2007 (10) July 2007 (15) June 2007 (14) May 2007 (15) April 2007 (21) March 2007 (25) February 2007 (21) January 2007 (12) December 2006 (18) November 2006 (20) October 2006 (15) September 2006 (30) August 2006 (11) July 2006 (20) June 2006 (25) May 2006 (26) April 2006 (19) March 2006 (24) February 2006 (13) January 2006 (17) December 2005 (13) November 2005 (19) October 2005 (13) September 2005 (17) August 2005 (31) July 2005 (30) June 2005 (26) May 2005 (31) April 2005 (30) March 2005 (41) February 2005 (38) January 2005 (22) December 2004 (17) November 2004 (30) October 2004 (26) September 2004 (24) August 2004 (18) July 2004 (31) June 2004 (30) May 2004 (41) April 2004 (46) March 2004 (31) February 2004 (25) January 2004 (35) December 2003 (38) November 2003 (32) October 2003 (55) September 2003 (51) August 2003 (58) July 2003 (49) June 2003 (46) May 2003 (73) April 2003 (74) March 2003 (78) February 2003 (58) January 2003 (47) December 2002 (59) November 2002 (71) October 2002 (69) September 2002 (57) August 2002 (64) July 2002 (50) June 2002 (53) May 2002 (56) April 2002 (48) March 2002 (48) February 2002 (29) January 2002 (41) December 2001 (41) November 2001 (56) October 2001 (49) September 2001 (47) August 2001 (22) July 2001 (34) June 2001 (31) May 2001 (37) April 2001 (43) March 2001 (52) February 2001 (33) January 2001 (33) December 2000 (54) November 2000 (54) October 2000 (41) September 2000 (27) August 2000 (38) July 2000 (39) June 2000 (28) May 2000 (24) April 2000 (10) March 2000 (5) February 2000 (8) November 1999 (1) October 1999 (2) September 1999 (3) August 1999 (1) July 1999 (5) June 1999 (2) May 1999 (1) April 1999 (3) March 1999 (2) February 1999 (1)
All content © 2012 pileofcrap.org unless it's clearly not. You know, Youtube, CC stuff, and other things. Please provide links back if you steal our stuff, we try to link to stuff we steal. If one is missing, let us know. ;)
By navigating within or continuing to use the site, you agree to the use of cookies. more information


text:
Our Veterans Expo is Tomorrow
Join me at our third annual Veterans Expo on Saturday, Nov. 18, from 9 a.m. to noon at Central Columbia High School in Bloomsburg. Exhibitors with veteran-related information will be available.
Adoptees Can Now Apply for Original Birth Certificates
Pennsylvania adult adoptees can now apply for and receive a copy of their original birth certificate from the Pennsylvania Department of Health. Act 127 of 2016 reinstated this access for the first time since 1984 to allow these adults to have the same access to the record as everyone else.
The department began accepting early submissions this summer for processing now, and as of Oct. 31, 1,180 adoptees have already applied for a copy of their original birth certificate. Adoptees who submit applications on or after Nov. 3 should allow 45 days for processing.
Under previous Pennsylvania law, adoptees could petition the courts for a copy of their original birth records; however, that request could have been denied by a judge.
For more information on the new law and the application process, click here.
Shop Local This Season
To spotlight the role that small businesses play, Small Business Saturday will be held Saturday, Nov. 25, to encourage residents to shop small this holiday season. Nearly 1 million small businesses in Pennsylvania employ about 2.4 million workers, as of 2014, and make up more than 98 percent of the state's employers.
The House Majority Policy Committee, as part of its fall agenda to "Strengthen Pennsylvania's Middle Class," recently held a legislative hearing to discuss how state government can help small businesses succeed and the challenges small businesses face when dealing with state agencies and complex regulations.
For state resources on starting a small business, click here.
Thanksgiving Wishes to All!
Pennsylvania can claim to be the home of the first recognition of Thanksgiving, when Gov. Simon Snyder was the first to recognize it as an official holiday on the third Thursday of November in 1817. Philadelphia's Gimbels Department Store was also the first to host a Thanksgiving Day parade in 1920.
In honor of the Thanksgiving holiday on Nov. 23, state offices will be closed on Thursday, and my offices will also be closed on Friday, Nov. 24.
From my family to yours, may you all have a safe, healthy and happy Thanksgiving.
Traveling Over the Holiday? Check Traffic Conditions on 511PA.com
Travelers can log onto www.511PA.com to check current traffic impacts from construction, traffic delay warnings, weather forecasts, traffic speed information and access to more than 770 traffic cameras. The service is free and available 24 hours a day.
511PA is also available through a smartphone application for iPhone and Android devices, by calling 5-1-1, or by following regional Twitter alerts accessible on the 511PA website.
Travelers are always reminded to buckle up, put their phones away and stay sober when behind the wheel.
In other PennDOT news, driver license and photo centers will be closed Thursday, Nov. 23, and Friday, Nov. 24. Customers may still obtain a variety of driver and vehicle products and services online through PennDOT's Driver and Vehicle Services website, www.dmv.pa.gov.
Around Our Community
I had the opportunity to speak at the Bloomsburg Veterans Dinner last Sunday. What a great event honoring our veterans!
Last Sunday, we officially dedicated a portion of Route 93 in Berwick as Stuart Tank Memorial Highway.
The American Car and Foundry-Berwick employed thousands of citizens from northeastern Pennsylvania during the World War II era. These workers produced over 15,000 Stuart Light Tanks as their contribution to the Arsenal of Democracy and to the thousands of soldiers, Marines and Allied forces who rode these tanks to victory over tyranny.
Pictured with me are Stuart Tank Memorial Association directors and Dick Donald, a local World War II veteran.
• Our Third Annual Veterans Expo will be held on Saturday, Nov. 18, at Central Columbia High School from 9 a.m. to noon.
• On Saturday, Nov. 18, a 4-H Carnival will be held at the Bloomsburg Fairgrounds from 3-8 p.m.
• Winterfest will be held on Saturday, Nov. 18, at St. Columba from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
• The 106th Run for the Diamonds will be held on Thursday, Nov. 23, at 10:30 a.m.
• The Berwick Santa Parade will be held on Friday, Nov. 24, at 10:30 a.m.
• The Bloomsburg Lights Up the Night Parade will be held on Friday, Nov. 24, at 6 p.m.
• The Berwick Speedo Run will be held on Saturday, Nov. 25.
• Monthly Radio Address: Thursday, Nov. 30, at 8:30 a.m. on WHLM 94.7 FM.
• • Christmas Boulevard begins on Saturday, Dec. 2, in Berwick at 6 p.m. The Christmas lights will be displayed throughout the holiday season.
• On Dec. 2, Christmas Boulevard will be held in Berwick beginning at 6 p.m.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Home Feature From The Shadows
The nation's capital exemplifies a common duality between hockey and pro hockey. Like April's cherry trees, D.C.'s interest in the professional team, the Washington Capitals, has been blooming all over, but the region's hockey awareness tends to stop at the letters N.H.L.
That presented a challenge to the Greater Washington Sports Alliance (GWSA) and the NCAA in marketing the Frozen Four.
The nation's seat-of-government isn't a traditional hockey market, despite its reasonably northeastern location. Its coldest month of the year, January, averages a balmy 34 degrees, and natural sustained freezes are extremely rare. Therefore, the more frigid traditions associated with frozen ponds and backyard rinks are unknown so close to the Mason-Dixon Line.
On the pro side of things, the Caps were borne of the NHL's greatest expansion era, commencing play in 1974. The team was solid and made frequent playoff pushes through the 1980s and '90s, but while their Alexander Ovechkin-led resurgence vaulted them into the playoffs last year, they had missed the postseason each of the previous five years.
Youth hockey has taken hold in the wake of the Caps' reawakening, with nearly a dozen year-round rinks in the greater Washington area. Maryland, Navy, Georgetown, Virginia, Virginia Tech, American, George Mason and George Washington, among others, each boast ACHA club hockey teams, but Princeton is the nearest D-I program.
It's not surprising, therefore, that recognition of college hockey's ultimate event differs greatly, depending on who and where you inquire.
Signage for the event was heavy on the block of the Verizon Center, with lightpost banners, scrolling marquees and multitudes of advertising and merchandise on display in the arena's street-front windows, but apart from bars and restaurants welcoming NCAA hockey business with chalkboard signs on the street, there was little to be seen as few as a dozen yards from the venue. The Washington Mall appeared devoid of flags, signs or banners, despite being a short half-dozen blocks from the arena.
On the other hand, as far away as northern Virginia there was Frozen Four merchandise available at the Kettler Capitals Iceplex, the practice site and headquarters for the NHL organization. While a hotel concierge a half-mile from the games professed to have no knowledge whatsoever about the Frozen Four, the college-aged attendant at the Iceplex on Friday knew all about it, correctly naming the participants and even Thursday night's winners. Perhaps it helped that one of his best friends plays for Rensselaer.
The marketing strategy, according to GWSA vice president Chris Browne, was primarily hockey-centric. The local focus was on hitting area rinks and youth organizations, getting the word out that the D.C.'s first-ever NCAA championship event was going on and that tickets were available. From an attendance perspective, most Frozen Fours are tap-in: only 2,500 tickets were made available for walk-up or local consumption, with the rest going to the participating schools and other NCAA member institutions. Apart from selling those few seats, Browne & Co. were mostly interested in generating awareness of the event.
Side events organized by the GWSA included the annual skills competition on Friday night, but also a youth clinic at the Iceplex on Saturday morning and an open-skate on the Verizon's sheet early that afternoon; both were very well attended.
So what's to be made of this quirky little hockey community? It may not be the most overwhelmingly appreciative and understanding site in the Frozen Four's illustrious history, but the NCAA looking for a return trip to the District would be, well, a capital idea.
Previous articleThoughts on a Fun Friday at the Frozen
Next articleTitle Town


The Slow dance of rebound.
Was I being unrealistic in thinking that the first real life dancer to come into my life would fill all that emptiness that came before? Caught up in the newness of a feeling that was missed for too long may have clouded my normal senses of what was a right fit for me in my new unexamined life as a single woman.
Overlooking all the potential negative aspects of this new person in my life, I ventured forward thinking that I had found perfection. Nothing could convince me otherwise.
A very conservative dance. Mr Slow's ability to react was just that, slow and a bit on the awkward side. Practicing these new steps together initially seemed incredible and the leap to the dance floor of intimacy may have been a bit premature.
Anxious to continue our dance slowly but with respect we soon discovered those natural animalistic urges took precedence even at our age.
A plan to visit the windy city and become that committed couple was exciting, scary, yet met with great anticipation. Hotel room booked. The drive to the city seemed long. After arrival settling into a room together would create the first uncomfortable feeling of being with someone other than that one time life partner I had become comfortable with over the past 30 years.
The thought of having to undress in front of someone new was uncomfortable. Those insecurities of body along with the unrealistic expectations of what was to come would only demystify the moment.
Was I being unfaithful to the one that I had shared a long life with. This was all so surreal. No!!! I would say to myself. I was free to be…. .free to do…. free to desire…. free to act…. without those constraints. Being committed to another for so long it was strange to make that transition.
The night was lovely, but nothing spectacular. Love making was not forced but more of a discovery of sorts, comparisons of those that we used to be with intimately for sure. Absolutely weird !!!
This Slow dance continued for the next months into two years. The intimate moments began to feel less exciting, as if we were an old married couple who became too complacent with one another.
As time slowly moved forward with Mr Slow the newness died. Even with all the terms of endearment, flowers, dinners, and proclamations of eternal love, it was all to good to be true, and too much too soon.I was not ready to reciprocate nor was I prepared for the possibility of a long term partner on this dance floor of love.
The dance seemed to drag on and on. Our lack of common ground in conversation, and education and interests led to boredom. The drag of our feet along this dance floor became cumbersome and agonizing.I could not endure the boredom of the repetitive, slow and expressionless moves of this dance and dancer.
It became clear that we rushed into this relationship. In time you recognize that you are two completely different individuals who have very little in common. The rebound of love. Hands released we departed to separate sides of the dance floor.


Miracle Ranch Labradoodles | Labradoodle Puppies Wagging their Tails into your Heart & Home! Our breeder guarantee!
Welcome to Miracle Ranch Australian Labradoodles. We are located in Winnipeg, Manitoba, right in the heart of central Canada. We breed Australian Labradoodle puppies in three sizes: Miniature, Small Medium and Large Medium. Our labradoodle puppies are born in a variety of colors…. Red, Caramel, Apricot/Gold, Chocolate, Cream, Black & Parti colored. View our Puppies available page. We ship within Canada and United States.
Our goal is to produce outstanding companion dogs, providing you with the very best Australian Labradoodle puppies. The labradoodles' calm, sweet nature, their deep affection for people, and reliable service to individuals with challenges has made them popular. Exceptional temperament and health, combined with the allergy friendly, soft, silky fleece coat is what we breed for.
Enriching lives with Miracle Ranch Australian Labradoodle fun-loving and easy to train puppies.
Puppies are ready to go home April & May 2019.
Red, Apricot/Golden, Cream & Caramel colors available. These Australian Labradoodle puppies are wonderful family pets!


For direct or indirect references to external websites ("hyperlinks"), which lie outside the area of responsibility of the author, a liability obligation would come into force only in the case in which the author has knowledge of the contents and it would be technically possible and reasonable to prevent the use in case of illegal content. The author hereby expressly declares that at the time of linking, no illegal content was recognizable on the linked pages. The author has no influence on the current and future design, content or authorship of the linked pages. Therefore, he dissociates himself hereby expressly from all contents of all linked / linked sides, which were changed after the link setting. This statement applies to all links and references within the own Internet offer as well as to foreign entries in guest books, discussion forums, link directories, mailing lists and in all other forms of databases on whose contents external writing accesses are possible. For illegal, incorrect or incomplete contents and in particular for damages resulting from the use or disuse of such information, the provider of the page to which reference was made, not the one who only links to the respective publication.
The IP address provided by Google Analytics as part of Google Analytics will not be merged with other Google data. You can prevent the storage of cookies by a corresponding setting of your browser software; however, please note that if you do this, you may not be able to use all the features of this website to the fullest extent possible. In addition, you may prevent the collection by Google of the data generated by the cookie and related to your use of the website (including your IP address) as well as the processing of this data by Google by downloading the browser plug-in available under the following link and install.


Hudoberdy Nurmatov, who writes under the pen name Ali Feruz, sits in a court room in Moscow in August.
A Moscow court has rescinded a previous ruling to deport Uzbek journalist Ali Feruz from Russia, opening the way for him to leave for a third country.
A judge at the district court said on February 9 that Feruz must remain at an immigration detention center until all documents needed for departing Russia are filed.
Following the ruling by the Basmanny district court, Feruz's lawyer said his client hopes to leave Russia for Germany next week and has plane reservations for February 15.
Another Moscow court on February 2 ordered the process of deporting Feruz back to Uzbekistan to be halted, and ruled he could leave for another country.
Feruz, a journalist for the independent Russian newspaper Novaya Gazeta, has been held in an immigration detention center since August 2017.
Feruz -- a pen name for Hudoberdi Nurmatov -- was born in Soviet Russia in 1986 but moved to Uzbekistan and took Uzbek citizenship at the age of 17.
He fled Uzbekistan in 2008, saying he had been detained and tortured by the Uzbek security services.
The Basmanny district court in October upheld a decision by immigration authorities to deny Feruz political asylum, saying he had failed to prove he faced danger if returned to Uzbekistan.
In November, the court ruled that he had been working illegally in Russia as a correspondent for Novaya Gazeta and ordered him deported.
But the court suspended the order after an August ruling by the European Court of Human Rights that Feruz should not be deported until the Strasbourg court examined the case.
The Feruz case has sparked an international outcry, with human rights groups among others urging Russia not to deport him.
Paata Burchuladze (center) at Tbilisi City Court on February 9.
TBILISI -- Paata Burchuladze, a prominent opera singer who challenged Georgia's ruling coalition in 2016 parliamentary elections, has been questioned by prosecutors investigating allegations of embezzlement and misuse of funds by his charitable foundation.
Burchuladze's lawyer Soso Baratashvili told reporters on February 9 that his client had returned from Russia several days ago and was ready to answer any questions from prosecutors.
Before being questioned by prosecutors at the Tbilisi City Court, with a judge present, Burchuladze suggested that the allegations were unfair and told journalists that he hopes justice will prevail.
"It is a historic day today as today kindness is punishable and [prosecutors] are ready to interrogate a man of so many kind deeds," Burchuladze said.
Internationally known operatic bass Burchuladze, 62, has performed in leading opera houses in Europe and the United States.
In 2016 he established a political party, called State for the People, to challenge the incumbent Georgian Dream coalition government in elections in October of that year.
Burchuladze's party failed to win seats in parliament.
Since July 2017, Burchuladze has been leading the opera division of the Moscow-based Mikhailovsky Theater, one of Russia's oldest opera and ballet houses.


Why is there so much intrigue over the years whether the Lucas Oil Stadium roof is opened?
The conversation brews before every Indianapolis Colts home game. Sometimes brief. Sometimes lengthy.
On one side, coach Chuck Pagano, general manager Ryan Grigson and chief operating officer Pete Ward.
On the other side, owner Jim Irsay.
Should the roof at Lucas Oil Stadium — the roof, that much-talked-about retractable ceiling that has been criticized, scrutinized and praised — open?
"Jim makes the final decision," Ward said.
Irsay's decision, for 56 regular-season games since the $720 million Lucas Oil Stadium opened in 2008, has been to open the roof 18 times.
That's 32 percent of the Colts' home games played in the open air, a number that pretty closely parallels the opening rates of the NFL's other three retractable roofs. Those stadiums are home to the Dallas Cowboys, Houston Texans and Arizona Cardinals. Under construction now is a fifth NFL stadium with a retractable roof, the Atlanta Falcons' Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
For the Colts, there have been games where fans and opponents wondered: Why isn't the roof open? There was the 50-degree kickoff for Monday Night Football against the Houston Texans in 2010. The roof stayed closed. Questions were asked.
There have been games where players say the open roof caused them trouble. Punter Pat McAfee has bemoaned the stadium as one of the windiest in the league. It was thought that Peyton Manning preferred the roof closed when he played for the Colts. The roof was open when he returned to Indianapolis as a Bronco in 2013.
Whether the roof is open or closed, accusations swirl. The Colts are using the roof to their advantage. They want it closed so crowd noise will be deafening. The roof stays shut on windy days, even when the weather is nice.
Ward discounts all of that. The decision about whether to open the roof at Lucas Oil, he said, isn't as complicated, or as shady, as that.
NFL analyst Jon Gruden of ESPN isn't buying that game strategy isn't involved.
"I would think that's part of the reason why they have a retractable roof," he said.
Gruden, who coached the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to the Super Bowl title after the 2002 season, often finds himself in a stadium scratching his head.
At one point, early on in the design of Lucas Oil, the Colts discussed the possibility of an open-air stadium, since weather and the elements have played such a prominent role in the NFL throughout history, Ward said.
And it's fine to have the roof, Gruden said — just don't close it for football games.
Would opening the roof negatively affect Peyton Manning's performance on Sunday?
Technically, the Colts can't just keep the roof open for all games. Though it may look like a traditional open-air stadium when the roof is open, it isn't. If it's pouring rain, for example, that's a problem: Lucas Oil isn't designed to handle the drainage.
All four teams in the NFL with retractable roofs have had to become weather experts of sorts, said Charlotte Jones Anderson, executive vice president and chief brand officer of the Cowboys.
She and her family, including her father and the team owner, Jerry Jones, spend game days looking at weather reports, scrutinizing the radar and texting each other back and forth about whether to open the roof at AT&T Stadium.
The Cowboys decided to build a retractable roof in 2009 to preserve the tradition of the iconic hole in the roof of Texas Stadium and to make fans more comfortable in what can be miserable heat, Anderson said.
"We wait until the very last moment that we can possibly wait to see what our weather is going to do, because the temperatures can really change throughout a game," she said. And then the family makes the decision.
Never does a player, even quarterback Tony Romo, get to join the discussion on the roof's fate, Jones says.
"Wouldn't that be nice?" Jones said, laughing.
Or maybe, when it comes to football, roofs just don't matter.
Whether the Lucas Oil roof is open appears to have no impact on whether the Colts win or lose, at least statistically speaking.
In the seven seasons the Colts have played at Lucas Oil, the team has won 71 percent of games played with the roof closed and 72 percent of games played with it open.
And while there was always speculation Manning wanted the roof closed, there has been some consistency between quarterbacks: During the Manning era, the roof was closed 16 times and open 8. With Luck, the roof has been closed 16 times, open 8.
The quarterbacks have racked up better passing stats with the roof open, 283 yards, 1.7 TDs, .6 INTs, vs. 255 yards, 1.6 TDs, 1.0 INTs with it closed.
But the team scored more points on average in games with it closed (25 vs. 23). The scoring differential – 5 – is the same.
When you factor in Vegas' point spreads, however, Indianapolis has played better with the roof closed, going 21-16-1 vs. the spread, compared to 9-9 with it open, according to the lines on pro-football-reference.com.
Whether the status of the roof really affects games can be debated, but the Colts did seek to gain more control of their roof.
Carlie Irsay-Gordon, vice chair and part owner of the team, introduced a measure this past spring to NFL owners. The Colts wanted to be able to open a closed roof at halftime. The measure was approved.
Before that rule change, the team had to make the decision to open or close the roof at least 90 minutes before kickoff. If it chose to start the game with the roof closed, the roof had to stay closed.
On Sept. 3, the Colts chose to use the new rule, opening the closed roof during halftime of its preseason game against the Cincinnati Bengals. As it opened, a bolt fell onto fans, injuring three people.
So, as the Colts head into their season home opener against the New York Jets for Monday Night Football, there will be no discussion about the much-talked-about roof. It will be closed Monday and remain closed as an investigation into the cause of the accident continues, Ward said.
But it looks as if it could be a perfect night to have the roof open. Monday's weather at the 8:30 p.m. kickoff time calls for no precipitation, low wind and a temperature hovering in the high 60s.
Aesthetically speaking, it's tough to find anyone who says opening the roof is a bad idea. When it opens, along with the huge window on the northeastside of the stadium, fans get a breathtaking view of Indianapolis' Downtown skyline.
On a night like Monday, city lights would sparkle as a backdrop to the game.
Lucas Oil has garnered plenty of praise as a venue, much of it mentioning the retractable roof. In 2009, it was named Sports Facility of the Year by "Street and Smith's SportsBusiness Journal." For three years, it has been named the No. 1 stadium in the NFL by stadiumjourney.com.
When it opened in 2008, at least $620 million of its $720 million price tag was funded by taxpayers, though how much of that went to the roof wasn't revealed.
Ward says the team was never given a "line item" on how much the roof added to the price of the stadium. Past Star stories have estimated the cost of a retractable roof to be anywhere from $25 million to $40 million.
The roof takes 11 minutes to open and 11 minutes to close. It opens from sideline to sideline, unlike the other NFL stadiums, where the roofs open endzone to endzone. The steel trusses that support the roof are more than 750 feet long, as long as many of the city's skyscrapers are tall. Most important, though?
Nearly perfect when the roof is closed, some players say. Some Colts have alleged over the years that when the roof is open – and the wind is swirling – it's tougher to play in than any other NFL stadium.
The Colts won that game 20-13, but the wind wreaked havoc on players like Griff Whalen, who had multiple mishaps on punt returns that day.
With the roof open in the first half, Whalen misplayed a Baltimore punt that bounced past him for an additional 30 yards. Later, he fumbled on another misjudged punt.
After the game, the Stanford grad thought to delve into the aerodynamics of a stadium with an open roof, but he stopped short to avoid making an excuse.
Dierdorf said it's not the retractable roof that causes wind issues at Lucas Oil.
But not that much different, he said. Plus, the stadium is a perk for players, who never have to play in a torrential downpour.


text:
Weekly Legislative Update
Congressional Outlook
The House and Senate are in recess this week. When the House returns on December 3, it will consider the Insider Trading Prohibition Act (H.R. 2534), which makes it a federal crime to trade a security based on material, nonpublic information that was wrongfully obtained, ending decades of ambiguity for a crime that has never been clearly defined by federal law. For the remainder of December, the House is expected to bring two additional major bills to the floor: the Lower Drug Costs Now Act of 2019 (H.R. 3), which establishes a fair price negotiation program and empower the Secretary of Health and Human Services to negotiate directly with drug manufacturers for the prices of certain drugs that lack competition; and the Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2019 (H.R. 4), which reconfigures the formula in the Voting Rights Act of 1965 that is used to determine if states are committing voting rights violations. Additionally, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD) recently said that the final conferenced FY 2020 National Defense Authorization Act (S. 1790) and the U.S.-Mexico-Canada (USMCA) trade deal are also priorities in December if negotiations wrap up soon.
When the Senate returns, it will vote on the nomination of Dan Brouillette to be the 15th U.S. Secretary of Energy, replacing Rick Perry, who is stepping down from the post on December 1. The Senate will also vote on eight judicial nominees to serve in district courts in New York, Missouri, Ohio, Alabama, Utah, North Carolina, and South Carolina, and one nominee to be a Governor of the U.S. Postal Service.
Negotiations on FY 2020 appropriations hit a milestone this past weekend, with news that House Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Nita Lowey (D-NY) and Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Richard Shelby (R-AL) reached an agreement on the 12 subcommittee allocations. The decision on the funding allocations gives appropriators their guidelines for how to divvy up $1.37 trillion in FY 2020 funds. The agreement on funding levels does not include a bipartisan solution on border wall spending, the thorniest issue facing appropriators and the sole policy dispute that led to a 35-day partial government shutdown last year. Talks between the chairmen and ranking members of the Appropriations subcommittees are expected to continue even while Congress is on recess this week. When lawmakers return to Washington, they will have three weeks to finalize the bills and send them to President Trump before a temporary spending bill expires on December 20 at midnight. If negotiators can reach agreement on the full dozen bills, they will likely pass in two or three packages, possibly on the same legislative day. If appropriators cannot agree to all 12 spending bills by Dec. 20, it's likely that the measures they do reach consensus on will be packaged with a stopgap spending bill for the departments and agencies without full-year funding.
Trump signs short-term spending bill just ahead of shutdown deadline
House, Senate reach agreement on subcommittee spending levels
Congress votes to extend the NFIP until December 20
Trump signs 'CR,' Including Repeal of $7.6B Highway Fund Cut
Deal on defense policy bill proves elusive
House calendar for 2020 includes presidential election year oddities
House passes bills to reauthorize terrorism risk insurance program and CDBG-Disaster Relief program
Senate Passes Bill to Strengthen DHS Cybersecurity Coordination with State, Local Governments
Senate Passes Cornyn Bill to Enhance Cybersecurity Programs at Universities
Thompson, Wittman Bill to Extend North American Wetlands Conservation Act Passes the House
House Committee Approves Far-Reaching PFAS Package
House Democrats float sweeping green energy bill
Full funding of Land and Water Conservation Fund passes key Senate hurdle
Committee sends DOE, Interior, FERC picks to Senate floor
Sen. Harris, Rep. Waters propose bill to invest $100 billion in affordable housing
Rep. Carolyn Maloney wins election to chair House Oversight Committee
House passes bill tackling workplace violence in health care, social services sectors
Trump Accuses Pelosi of Stalling Trade Deal Amid Impeachment Inquiry
Trump Signs Rebuilding Small Businesses After Disasters Act Into Law
Trump's pick for NOAA job withdraws, citing health reasons


Tropical Cyclone 17S, located approximately 515 nautical miles east of the Cocos Islands, has tracked east-southeastward at 11 knots over the past 6 hours.
In the full-sized image, the Indonesian islands of Java (right) and Sumatra (left) are visible north of the system.
The cyclone has a well defined low-level circulation center (LLCC), and Dvorak estimates suggest the 35-knot threshold has been reached. Maximum significant wave height is 12 feet.
An SSMI/S image continues to show the main convection sheared to the southwest of the LLCC.
TC 17S has been tracking east-southeastward in response to a midlatitude trough west of Australia. By TAU 24, this trough will move eastward, allowing an anticyclone to build south of the system. This anticyclone will cause TC 17S to turn back to the West.
TC 17S is currently in a region of moderate vertical wind shear. However, as the previously mentioned midlatitude trough moves out, the wind shear gradient is forecast to relax, allowing for slow intensification through the forecast period.
This warning supersedes and cancels the previous tropical cyclone formation alert.


text:
Review: Let the Right One In
By Siobhan Watters February 20, 2020
Brilliant framing and unknown lead actors make
an uncannily authentic illustration of childhood angst in the guise of a vampire flick. That's not to say that
is not primarily a vampire film. It is. But director Tomas Alfredson and screenwriter John Ajvide Lindqvist aim to do more with the vampire genre, as well as improve on the human-vampire romance conflict made popular in such great vehicles as
and Twilight.
Okay, Alfredson (and this film) is Swedish.
and Robert Pattinson are likely not on his or Lindqvist's radar. And it shows.
is without camp or spectacle. Violent scenes are expertly timed around achingly sweet and understated exchanges between bullied outsider Oskar (Kare Hadebrant) and the undead Eli (Lena Leandersson). Alfredson pulls a one-two punch by telling a vampire tale, with more than a satisfactory amount of blood, that is nonetheless an analog for the experience of the loss of innocence and emotional awakening that comes with adolescence. Â The appropriately awkward Hedebrant and stoic Leandersson were cast from a nationwide audition that took over a year to complete. The young…
Brilliant framing and unknown lead actors make Let the Right One In an uncannily authentic illustration of childhood angst in the guise of a vampire flick. That's not to say that Let the Right One In is not primarily a vampire film. It is. But director Tomas Alfredson and screenwriter John Ajvide Lindqvist aim to do more with the vampire genre, as well as improve on the human-vampire romance conflict made popular in such great vehicles as Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Twilight.
Okay, Alfredson (and this film) is Swedish. Buffy and Robert Pattinson are likely not on his or Lindqvist's radar. And it shows. Let the Right One In is without camp or spectacle. Violent scenes are expertly timed around achingly sweet and understated exchanges between bullied outsider Oskar (Kare Hadebrant) and the undead Eli (Lena Leandersson). Alfredson pulls a one-two punch by telling a vampire tale, with more than a satisfactory amount of blood, that is nonetheless an analog for the experience of the loss of innocence and emotional awakening that comes with adolescence. The appropriately awkward Hedebrant and stoic Leandersson were cast from a nationwide audition that took over a year to complete. The young actors' complete lack of film credentials makes only a positive impact on the film, their naiveté effectively transferring to their characters.
The world that Alfredson has created is a floodlit snow globe, containing the apartment building and tenants where Oskar lives. Beyond this world is only pain and sadness in the form of determined bullies and neglectful fathers. When Eli and her caretaker move into Oskar's apartment complex, the boy finally finds a friend, though a reluctant one at first. Though it is not revealed to Oskar for some time, the audience soon learns of Eli's appetite for human blood, as her caretaker is made to go out on murderous midnight walks to obtain it for her.
Hakan (Per Ragnar) is clearly dedicated to Eli, though it is never elaborated just what the nature of their relationship is. This is one of many instances where Lindqvist opts for subtlety in his narrative rather than spelling it out, for instance, the word vampire is mentioned only once in the film, two thirds of the way through. Hakan is one of the most interesting characters in the film, deliberately impenetrable, so that with his early departure from the film, the audience can know only these last scenes of his life. At once enigmatic and pathetic, you can't help but wonder how his life was spent up until those fateful moments and how he hooked up with a vampire girl.
Vampire lore is treated respectfully but with modern reserve in Let the Right One In. Alfredson draws more on the animal nature of vampires than a demonic one. Eli growls and pounces on her victims like a wild animal and her eyes flash in the dark like a feral cat. But a few well-placed shots trick the eye and make the viewer question the youthful appearance and demeanour of the young girl. Those who keep their eyes open will be rewarded with an image not unlike the demon face that intermittently pops up in The Exorcist.
The supporting cast of adult tenants and their beer-filled meetings offer a contrast to the juvenile subjects on the jungle gym. The two worlds remain separate until Eli kills a tenant out of desperation, leaving his friends scratching their heads about how he died and where the body went. Finally, Eli is caught in the act when she attacks the tenant Virginia (Ika Nord), and the outside world quickly becomes a threat to the innocent relationship Eli has so far shared with Oskar.
Scenes involving the character Virginia after the attack provide more insight into Lindqvist's version of vampirism and make the second half of the film much livelier (though involving a lot more death). Still, the snail-paced beginning is necessary to the building of an insulated world and friendship whose limits are increasingly tested.
Overall Score: 8.35 – Great. (Movies that score between 8.00 and 8.50 are great representations of their genre that everyone should see in theaters on opening night)
Alfredson does the slow build with finesse, putting us one step closer to the true nature of the vampire with every scene. Stellar cinematography and engaging leads make this one of the best vampire movies on record.
Peter's Kung Fu Corner: The Iron-Fisted Monk
16 hours ago 0
Review: Missing
1 day ago 0
Miyazaki Marathon – Lupin III: The Castle of Cagliostro
Peter's Kung Fu Corner: Top Five Sammo Hung Movies


text:
An one-day tour in Ninh Binh, home to VN's most beautiful stone church
(VNF) - Visiting a stone church with unique architecture, an old tile roofed bridge, and enjoy the fresh taste of local specialty, a one-day trip to Phat Diem in Ninh Binh will be a fulfilling experience for any tourist. The Vietnam Net suggests a 24-hour itinerary as followed:
(VNF) - Visiting a stone church with unique architecture, an old tile roofed bridge, enjoying the fresh taste of local specialty, a one-day trip to Phat Diem in Ninh Binh will be a fulfilling experience for any tourist. The Vietnam Net suggests a 24-hour itinerary as followed:
The cathedral with four side chapels (Photo: Phat Diem Arch-bishop)
6am: Departure from Hanoi to Ninh Binh province located over 90 km to the south of Hanoi. Visitors can take a bus or pick up a tour bus within the Hanoi Old Quarter.
(Riding your motorcycle can be interesting, too, since the travel time is only two hours.)
8am: Breakfast in the city center
Ninh Binh is not only famous for goat meat and com chay (rice crust), but also eel vermicelli. The eel vermicelli restaurant located near the Ninh Binh post office in the heart of the city is always crowded.
Choose a comfortable seat, and taste the delicious dish and watch the morning activity of local people.
8:30 am: Departure to Phat Diem
Phat Diem Town (Kim Son District) is home to the famous stone church of Phat Diem. It is nearly 30 km from the city of Ninh Binh. You can catch a bus which costs around VND15,000/person. On the bus, you will see immense rice fields along the road.
9.30am: Visit Phat Diem stone church.
Designed and constructed in 24 years (1875 - 1899), the cathedral is a unique architecture, with a harmonious combination between European and East Asian art.
The architecture is a sucessful combination of oriental pagodas and Gothic Church, which comprises a Cathedral, a pond, a bell tower (called "Phương Dinh" in Vietnamese), four side chapels, a stone church (Chapel immaculté heart of Mary), two caves or artificial rocks, two porches and an ordeal.
As its name suggests, Phat Diem Stone Cathedral was built of stone and wood that are readily available in the mountain area of Ninh Binh. The preparation phase, mainly extracting materials from limestone mountains, took the locals as many as 10 years to finish.
From the Central Road, visitor can catch the view of the statue of Christ the King overlooking a square island in the center of a rectangular pond. It covers an area of one hectare and is known as the "Ao Ho" or "the Pond".
Overview of Phat Diem cathedral (Photo: Phat Diem Arch-bishop)
The cathedral is 74 meters long, 21 meters wide and 15 meters high with four roofs. It was built of six rows of ironwood. Within the cathedral are four small churches of different styles.
Next to the grand cathedral is a church named "Nha Tho Trai tim Vo Nhiem Nguyen Toi Duc Me" . But people usually refer to it as "Stone Church" because its walls, pillars, ground, bars and beams are made of stone.
The inside of the church has many sophisticated carved reliefs, with chrysanthemums, bamboo, fir trees and apricot trees that symbolize the four seasons.
Just cross the courtyard, tourists can begin their tour with a visit to Phuong Dinh (bell house), a masterpiece of the architectural complex of Phat Diem. The architectural work consists of three floors with stars resembling those often seen in Vietnamese pagoda and temple. This architecture is one of the originality of Vietnam which is rarely found in somewhere else.
The cathedral: façade and Father Six tomb (photo: Manh Dan)
In front of the Cathedral, spend time contemplating the meticulous perfection sculptures and carvings, especially with the admirable purity of all lines.
Phat Diem Cathedral is also notable for its original Sino-Vietnamese style, creating an atmosphere of silence and meditation for meditation and prayer.
(With these values, Phat Diem Cathedral was recognized as National Historical and Cultural Relics by the Ministry of Culture and Information (now the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism) in 1987.)
12pm: Lunch in the town of Phat Diem
Nhech fish salad (source: http://vubao.vn)
Nhech fish salad is considered a specialty of the town, with a combination of fresh fish and a variety of fragrant herb such as balm-mint, basil, chervil, chive, cilantro, coriander and flavorful fruits such as starfruit, fig, chili. Eating this delicious dish while drinking Kim Son rice wine are perfect combination.
2pm: Visit the sedge mat village
Making sedge mats is a traditional trade of local residents. With abundant material resources, creative, hardworking laborers, sedge-made products, particularly mats in Kim Son, are very famous.
3.30pm: Visit the famous tile-roofed bridge
Phat Diem tile-roofed bridge (source: baotintuc)
The Phat Diem tile-roofed bridge in Kim Son district recently appeared on Vietnamese postage stamps. The bridge was built in 1902. It spans the An River in the center of Phat Diem Town. The bridge consists of three spans, with four compartments on each span. The total length of the bridge is 36 m and it is 3 m wide. Along the bridge are two banisters and ironwood pillars. The roof is covered by red tiles of the northern plains. This is one of the rare bridges in Vietnam with high artistic value. Along with Phat Diem Church, this bridge is a symbol of the land.
5pm: Return to Hanoi./.
( VNF )
Bac Ha White Plateau Covered with Spring Flowers
After the cold winter, the warm scent of spring rushes to all the villages in the highlands of the Bac Ha white plateau.
Top 5 Best Traveling Destinations For A Spring Trip After Tet Holiday
In this springtime, nothing is better than having a nice spring trip to some of these destinations in Vietnam where you will have an opportunity to relax and discover.
Cherry Blossoms in Ha Giang: A One of A Kind Natural Wonder
Ha Giang is not only beautiful in the buckwheat flower season, but it is also breathtaking in the romantic cherry blossom season. Around this time, a lot of tourists check in here.
7 best road trips in Vietnam attract international tourists
According to Lonely Planet, below are the seven best road trips in Vietnam weaving past mountains, jungles and beaches.
TripAdvisor: Hoi An And HCM City Voted Among World's Top 25 Destinations In 2023
Germany's famous travel site reisereporter.de has run an article highlighting the world's top 25 trending destinations for 2023, including Vietnam's Hoi An ancient city and Ho Chi Minh City, recently voted by readers of TripAdvisor – the world's largest travel guidance platform.
5 Biggest Tourism Trends For You To Discover In 2023
Self-improvement and sustainable development are expected to be top priorities for travelers by 2023, according to the Insider website.
Buy Some Luck at a Traditional, Vietnamese Spring Market
In the early days of the spring season, many localities have the custom of opening unique markets, where tourists from everywhere in Vietnam flock here to do the shopping and ask for luck, happiness, and prosperity in the New Year.
Vietnam's Lunar New Year 2023 Featured in Foreign Media
Vietnamese people's celebration of Lunar New Year (Tet) has been featured in foreign media.


text:
IP Telephony News Wrap-up for Sep, 05 2000
OpenVoB Releases Draft of VoB Interoperable Standards
OpenVoB, an organization pushing for interoperable voice over broadband (DSL, cable and wireless) specifications based on existing and developing technologies, announced that it has drafted a white paper that details the need for a standardized set of technologies, and outlines implementation guidelines and a test plan for a developing compliant products and services. The paper also offers information regarding targeted deployment models, FAQs, online technical discussion groups, and other resources. The group also intends to host a series of conferences, branded CallFest, that will focus on evaluating, testing, developing and benchmarking the OpenVoB compliant solutions.
The organization, which consists of a variety of telecommunications, cable, and broadband wireless companies, is open to members committed to deployment of interoperable, standards based voice over broadband technologies. For information about membership, contact Michael Ares at michael.ares@openvob.org
http://www.openvob.org/whitepaper.pdf
OpenVoB
http://www.openvob.org
Cybertech Deploys Adaptive/Jetstream Solution for Wireless Voice and Data
Cybertech Wireless reported that it has deployed a combination of Adaptive Broadband's AB-Access wireless technologies and Jetstream's CPX-1000 broadband services platform in Rochester (NY) to develop a multipoint fixed wireless network that will support multi-line local and long distance telephone services as well as streaming video and high-speed data services.
The CPX-1000 is a broadband voice services platform that can support multi-line voice services over a WLL broadband access network. It can operate with various vendor's Class 5 switches via a GR-303 interface to support interconnectivity and a variety of traditional telephone feature capabilities. It enables subscribers to use existing telephone equipment including key telephone systems, fax machines, analog telephones and modems, and each unit can support from 200 to thousands of subs. The product is a part of Jetstream's VoDSL solution, which also consists of the IAD-801 and IAD Flex equipment, and the JetEMS (element management system). It can also interoperate with traditional class 5 telephony switches and it is capable of supporting over 100,000 telephone lines over a DSL access network, with the IAD-801 providing 8 ports per device and the IAD Flex providing 24 ports per device.
The AB-Access solution supports data rates of up to 25 Mbps (with plans for 100 Mbps), capable of simultaneously supporting services such as real-time video conferencing, streaming video, web surfing and/or data file transfer. It can provide services in frequencies from 2 to 42 GHz, but has primarily been deployed for applications using the 5 GHz U-NII (Unlicensed National Information Infrastructure) and 2.5 GHz MMDS frequency bands. The company has also recently upgraded the product to support 27.5 to 31.3 GHz LMDS connectivity as well as 3.5 GHz (for the European market). It also provides prioritized services based on ATM mechanisms that assign traffic priority codes on a cell-by-cell basis to prioritize time sensitive traffic such as video over non time critical traffic such as email.
Cybertech Wireless
http://www.cybertechwireless.com
http://www.adaptivebroadband.com
Jetstream Communications
http://www.jetstream.com
Mitel Semiconductor Introduces Echo Cancellation Technology
Mitel Semiconductor has announced the introduction of the MT9300B, its G.168 based voice echo canceller solution designed to improve the clarity and reliability of voice and data in applications such as VoIP, VoATM, VoFR, T1/E1 mutichannel echo cancellation pools and wireless base stations. It implements 32 echo cancellers divided into 16 groups of two each, which can be configured in normal, extended delay or back-to-back configurations that are individually user controllable to provide either two channels at 64ms or one channel at 128ms. It requires 3.3V inputs and ships with the capability to power down groups of cancellers that are not in use.
The solution is currently available for sampling in a 208-pin LBGA package priced at US$93.32 in volumes of 10,000, and a MQFP 160-pin quad flat pack priced at US $91.22 in quantities of 10,000. In addition, the vendor is offering evaluation boards for US$700.
Mitel Semiconductor
http://www.mitelsemi.com
Mitel Corporation
http://www.mitel.com
IPVoice to Team with PacketPort.com to Further Develop Products
IPVoice.com reported that it is negotiating with PacketPort.com to further develop its IP telephony technologies. According to the terms of the deal, IPVoice intends to integrate PacketPort's packet technologies into its billing and network management system, MultiCom, to connect the solution to its back end operations and provide billing capabilities to its VoIP gateway solutions, UltraConnect, SuperConnect and TrueConnect. In addition, IPVoice will continue to deploy PacketPort's gateway and software technologies in its private IP network, and include the technologies in the solutions that it offer to its affiliate providers.
IPVoice's private network has POPs in Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, New York City and Phoenix, with plans underway to deploy an additional operation in Miami. It also offer a partnership program that enables other providers to deploy its equipment to operate independent VoIP services that can provide connectivity via its existing network. The UltraConnect can support up to 384 ports in a T-1 configuration. It is compliant with a compact PCI architecture, and features a SUN CP 1500, 440Mhz engine and 513 MB memory, with two 350 hot swappable AC power supplies. The SuperConnect can support up to 1000 ports of simultaneous voice or real time facsimile transmissions, with H.323 and SS7 signaling capabilities. The TrueConnect VoIP gateway can provide up to 96 ports per unit with T1, E1, ISDN, PBX, and analog connectivity via H.323 protocols. The products can provide real time provisioning, billing, customer service and agent management capabilities via IPVoice's proprietary software technologies. IPVoice has also recently negotiated a deal with Firstnet Telephony Limited, a UK based provider, in which Firstnet deployed its VoIP technology to interconnect its UK based network with IPVoice's U.S. domestic VoIP network, to offer IP telephony services throughout the UK.
IPVoice.com
http://www.ipvoice.com
PacketPort.com
http://www.packetport.com
Tiscali To Deploy Pagoo's Turnkey VoIP Solution
Tiscali, an Italian ISP, said that it is planning to deploy Pagoo's turnkey VoIP solution to offer its more than 2 million subscribers IP telephony services under its own brand, Voispring. According to the terms of the deal, Pagoo will provide Tiscali with a VoIP solution that includes its Trident software, client services applications, systems integration and technical support services. The turnkey solution will enable Tiscali to provide VoIP services, manage its network an provide subscribers with access to additional service capabilities and feature sets including voicemail, caller ID, call forwarding and online account management.
Pagoo offers an array of Internet telephony products and services that enable users to both place and receive calls via an Internet Phone Number, and access capabilities such as voicemail, call forwarding and caller ID. Earlier this year, the company began deploying Cisco's voice gateway technologies to develop VoIP services with PC to PC, phone to PC and PC to phone connectivity. In addition to Cisco's products, its infrastructure is also based on its own IP telephony technology, Trident, and NetCentrex VoIP platforms.
Tiscali has also deployed NetCentric's FaxStorm technology and Cisco's equipment to develop fax and voice over IP services in select European markets. It has also recently deployed Belle Systems' IP based customer care and billing solution, Internet Management System (IMS), to manage and bill for the V/FoIP services that it offers throughout Europe (Germany, Switzerland, Spain, France, Belgium and the Czech Republic).
Tiscali SpA
http://www.tiscali.it
Pagoo
http://www.pagoo.com
NetCentric
http://www.netcentric.com
Telstra to Deploy Cisco's Gear to Expand Capacity
Telstra reported that it is deploying Cisco's 12000 line routers to double its existing Internet capacity between the U.S. and Australia to 1.4 Gbps. The firms have just completed expanding Teltra's capacity in Australia, and are in the process of expanding Telstra's Internet backbone in the U.S., which has new POPs in Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, Palo Alto (CA) and Washington DC.
Last month, Telstra also recently reported that it has executed an LOI with Nortel Networks, in which Telstra is planning to deploy Nortel's New Generation Telephony (NGT) solutions throughout its networks to develop an IP based voice/data infrastructure and services throughout the Australian market. Initial installations are scheduled to begin this winter.
Telstra has also recently teamed with deltathree.com, Rapid Link, iBasis and ITXC to both originate and terminate IP telephony traffic.
http://www.telstra.com
http://www.telstra.com.au
http://www.cisco.com
http://www.nortelnetworks.com
PictureTel & RADVision Expand OEM Agreement
PictureTel said that in collaboration with RADVision, it has extended an existing OEM agreement, which allows PictureTel to private label RADVision's VIU-323 Video Interface Unit, to include the integration of RADVision's V2oIP technologies with its multimedia collaboration systems. According to the terms of the deal, PictureTel intends to integrate RADVision's L2W-323 Gateway and NGK Gatekeeper into the private labeled PictureTel 210 conferencing solution to provide support for conducting interactive conferences over packet based networks, in addition to the solution's existing ISDN connectivity capabilities.
http://www.radvision.com
http://www.picturetel.com
Natural MicroSystems QoS/CoS Solution Certified by Sprint
Natural MicroSystems reported that Sprint's Customer Systems Development Lab has certified its PolicyPoint 1000 traffic classification solution. The product is a multi-purpose traffic classification engine that can aggregate and manage voice, video and data traffic between enterprise Ethernet LANs and public or private IP and ATM based WANs. It offers traffic classification, metering, application-level traffic shaping, reporting and service level management applications that enable users to implement end to end QoS and CoS capabilities across packet based networks that can be managed by customer, user, application type, and enforced by time of day policies.
PolicyPoint 1000
http://www.nmss.com/nmss/nmssweb.nsf/productlist/PolicyPoint%2FcPCI
http://www.nmss.com
http://www.sprint.com
IP Telephony News Wrap-up for Aug, 31 2000


text:
Tag: Local Defence Units
Opinion: Museveni needed to warn the public on his Nomination Day…
"I hear chatter about those who intend to cause chaos. I am a Presidential candidate but I'm still President. I can assure you, nobody is going to threaten our peace. Those who will attempt it will regret it. We don't joke around, NRM fought to bring peace. Nobody has more guns than we do, but we don't go around intimidating people. I hear they are working with foreigners. No foreigner is going to change anything here in Uganda. To Ugandans, if you have information on such stupid acts, report it to authorities. It is possible some Police officers are corrupt, but you can use other channel" – Yoweri Kaguta Museveni on 2nd November 2020 (Nomination Day for Presidency).
The President has today gotten nominated as a "presidential candidate" for the 2021 elections. Though this was just a automatic event for him and the National Resistance Movement (NRM). We all knew this day would come. It has been scheduled since 1986 and was a "non-starter" for the most of us.
It is not he would be annulled or be rejected from standing as a candidate. The President was confirmed and verified by the Electoral Commission first. The old man with the hat is only going through the motions. As he could have been riding in on a donkey or on a electric kick scooter, as he would pass through the suburbs of Kampala. However, we knew the man would never do that. He needed the Presidential Convoy and all of his guns on display.
What we do know and what he did was incite fear and intimidation. That is his steady M.O. and what he has done forever. We know that he has the backing of the army and the police force. That CMI, ISO and other outfits works directly for him. This is common knowledge and isn't new. He even have LDUs ready to aim at the ones standing in his way. Therefore, the cause of fear and stirring the pot. Is so common for this man.
A man that has been in power since 1986. Still has to use these tactics. Shows how far he has come. That he haven't ensured real peace and true popularity with the people. If he had the popularity and the trust in the people. He wouldn't swing out with the guns and the need to speak like this. Because, if he was truly popular. He would feel the love and would bash in it. Not use weapons, the army or the authorities to keep people in check.
However, that is what he does and got too. Because, this is the only way he stays ahead of the curve. This man wouldn't be the President or have power, if it wasn't for guns. That is why he clings on to it and uses it at any means. The guns and the soldiers are his buddies and the ones saving his day. He wouldn't have the audacity or the power, if it wasn't for them.
That's why he had to say it. He wasn't even discreet about it. The man just said it: "nobody have more guns than we do". That is his message. That is his measure and his safety pin. This is what keeps him relaxed and at sleep at night. That he has the guns and the others doesn't. He got the army, the police and everyone else armed to their teeth's. As long as it stays like that.
He feels safe and secure. Not worried about anyone, because he can always aim those guns against the ones standing in his way. That is the memo we can get from today. Peace.
Author nilspeacePosted on November 2, 2020 November 2, 2020 Categories Africa, Army, Development, Election, Governance, Government, Law, Leadership, PoliticsTags Government of Uganda, LDUs, Local Defence Units, National Resistance Movement, National Unity Platform, NRM, NUP, People Power Movement, PPM, President Museveni, Robert Kyagulanyi, Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, State House, Tibuhaburwa, UCC, Uganda, Uganda Communications Commission, Uganda Peoples Defence Force, Uganda Police Force, UPDF, UPF, Violence Suppression Unit, VSU, Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, Yoweri Museveni, Yoweri Tibuhaburwa Kaguta MuseveniLeave a comment on Opinion: Museveni needed to warn the public on his Nomination Day…
The Campaign of Fear 2020 Edition: As Museveni prepares for 2021 Presidential Elections
The National Resistance Movement (NRM and President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni is preparing for the 2021 General Elections. As always the President and his regime is using all means to have access and control ahead of the polls. This giving supplementary budgets to the Uganda People's Defence Force (UPDF).
The red berets ban of the Uganda People's Defence Force (UPDF) is one key component this election cycle. Everything looking alike military attire can cause trouble. This being berets, clothes and even logos. The UPDF will use force and also call in the Police Force to take the goods and charge the ones wearing it. They have even arrested 70 year old lady for wearing red. That is how far they are taking it this election cycle.
One thing they are also doing this year is to re-issuing the Violence Suppression Unit (VSU) at the Uganda Police Force ahead of the Polls. This is a units specifically aimed at the crowds and the gatherings of people, as the state is having "scientific" campaigns. Therefore, the ordinary fashion of campaigning is suspended within this election cycle.
The UPDF have also made use of Local Defence Units (LDUs), which will be used as a tool to incite fear and intimidate the public ahead of the elections. As they are locally trained armed personnel, ready to shoot and kill. If anyone dares to question the authority of the state.
Another newcomer is the joint security and media council, which is issuing guidelines for the Media Houses. One that has barred National Unity Platform (NUP) aspirants across the republic and especially, if they are wearing red berets. The Media Houses have also been warned by the Uganda Communication Commission (UCC) to not host NUP aspirants, as memos have been and possibly loose license to broadcast, if they do. That is the initial campaign strategy of the regime to bar the real opposition from the airways.
The continued pressure now ahead of nomination days is that Uganda Police Force is coming with warnings of processions and gatherings around the Presidential Aspirants. As they have put curfews over several parts of Kampala. They have given out warnings of tear-gas, arrests and said boda-boda's shouldn't gather. Calling groupings of boda-boda's militias even. That is how far the authorities are going these days.
We can see how the state is working on overtime. The UPDF have already stated they are a partisan government entity under the NRM. Civil servants are supposed to be automatically loyal too and so fourth. The State is really using all means to keep the system alive and kicking. This is why the army and police force is coming with intimidating force ahead of the campaigns.
Instead of being there serving everyone equally, the NRM are using the state and its arms to beat the public into submission. The armed personnel and police force is there serving the NRM as an entity and not serving the whole state. That is the brutal reality in all of this.
That is why the State House and the President have ensured they have LDUs, VSU and other ones to ensure total control ahead of the polls and during campaigns. The President is allowed to have much people around his nomination day, while the others are banned from having over a certain amount of people following the convoy of the candidate.
Surely, there will be blood, there will be tears and there will be suffering. As the state will address all opposition with a rough hand. There will no mercy and also fierce retributions towards the public. That is the reality of it all.
There will be more and the next 48 hours will be testing. The state have prepared for this. They are inciting fear, using intimidation and using the joint security apparatus to silence people in their way. That is what they do. They cannot act with humility and give people way. No, they got to shoot and then investigate why they shot later. Peace.
Author nilspeacePosted on November 1, 2020 November 1, 2020 Categories Africa, Army, Development, Election, Governance, Government, Law, Leadership, PoliticsTags Government of Uganda, LDUs, Local Defence Units, National Resistance Movement, National Unity Platform, NRM, NUP, People Power Movement, PPM, President Museveni, Robert Kyagulanyi, Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, State House, UCC, Uganda, Uganda Communications Commission, Uganda Peoples Defence Force, Uganda Police Force, UPDF, UPF, Violence Suppression Unit, VSU, Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, Yoweri MuseveniLeave a comment on The Campaign of Fear 2020 Edition: As Museveni prepares for 2021 Presidential Elections
Opinion: Mzee has to pose with soldiers ahead elections…
This is just like staple food. The President, the Head of State and the Commander-in-Chief Yoweri Kaguta Museveni are always posing with armed personnel, police officers and law enforcement ahead of the polls in 2021.
Soon, he will polish his rifle, wear an AK-47 and say he wants to crush his opponents. That is what this man does. Around the polls, the campaigns and such. He will warn, with stern words and use allegories to explain his position. The old man will use all means to address his opponents. While knowingly scare, intimidate and order force against them.
His allies will call them hoodlums, extremists and rascals. They are the ones who is to blame, when the tear-gas, the arbitrary arrests and extra judicial killings. The armed forces and the law enforcement will go hard towards the citizens who happens to attend or be close to the opposition candidates. That is just the way of life.
So, what the President does with this posing. Is not only to show his army, his soldiers and his police force. But trying to message that your not planning to mess with him and his agenda. You are supposed to listen and obey his command. If you don't, then expect no mercy.
That is why he has the army, LDUs, ISO, CMI and so fourth to gather intelligence, get the wrong people into safe-houses. Ensure the public are silenced and intimidated. So, he can rule for life. Because, he cannot rule on popularity or love, but he can rule by the iron fist. It is with the power of the arms, the bullets and the possible he can run a nation.
Museveni is making sure of this. That is what he has and what he stands for. This is why his posing. Taking pictures and spreading the news of new enforcements. New trainees and officers to the rescue. To prove that the state is not only safe, but he has the force to combat anyone who pose a challenge. He got the guns, the trained personnel and the will to silence you. That is the message he sends.
He has done this before and now done it again. That is what this man does. Especially, ahead of another election. Just to prove a point. He just have too. He live by the guns and will die by the guns. Peace.
Author nilspeacePosted on August 24, 2020 August 24, 2020 Categories Africa, Army, Development, Governance, Government, Law, Leadership, PoliticsTags Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence, CMI, GoU, Government of Uganda, Internal Security Organization, ISO, LDUs, Local Defence Units, National Resistance Movement, NRM, NRM Regime, President Museveni, Uganda, Uganda Peoples Defence Force, Uganda Police Force, UPDF, UPF, Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, Yoweri MuseveniLeave a comment on Opinion: Mzee has to pose with soldiers ahead elections…
Uganda Peoples' Defence Force: Re-Engaging Local Defence Force on Targeted Operations (11.08.2020)
Author nilspeacePosted on August 11, 2020 August 11, 2020 Format ImageCategories Africa, Army, Governance, Government, Law, Leadership, PoliticsTags LDU, LDUs, Local Defence Units, Museveni, National Resistance Movement, NRM, NRM Regime, President Museveni, President Yoweri Museveni, SFC, Special Force Command, Uganda, Uganda Peoples Defence Force, Uganda Police Force, UPDF, UPF, Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, Yoweri MuseveniLeave a comment on Uganda Peoples' Defence Force: Re-Engaging Local Defence Force on Targeted Operations (11.08.2020)
Mityana District Local Government: District Chairperson Joseph Luzige – Press Statement (08.07.2020)
Author nilspeacePosted on July 9, 2020 July 9, 2020 Categories Africa, Army, Development, Governance, Government, Law, Leadership, PoliticsTags GoU, Government of Uganda, Joseph Luzige, LDUs, Local Defence Units, Lt. Kakonge, Mityana, Mityana District, National Resistance Movement, NRM, Uganda, Uganda Peoples Defence Force, UPDFLeave a comment on Mityana District Local Government: District Chairperson Joseph Luzige – Press Statement (08.07.2020)
Opinion: LDU becoming the new SRB?
The more I see, the more vicious, more outrageous and more devastation there is. The Local Defence Unit (LDU) are a paramilitary, trained military outfit in the streets. The thousands of trained soldiers on the beat. Going around "supposedly" to secure the streets and the people in their area.
Instead we are seeing footage, pictures and reports of sudden death. Fatalities, people murdered in cold blood by these LDUs. Old people, students, farmers and roughing up Local Councillors. These LDUs got no nerves and can pop-off at any minute. They can be the judge, the hangman and the undertaker at the same moment.
It is just more of victims of these LDUs across the Republic. From Karamoja to Kampala. There is no place where they don't kill. Where people are not murdered by the state paramilitary organization. Just within the lockdown there been about 60 people dead by the LDUs. While none has still officially been registered as dead as of COVID-19.
This is in 2020, where the only man with a vision. Where the self-styled President for life. The man who took the mantle and made peace. Inevitably have made his own State Research Bureau (SRB). Maybe Hotel Serena isn't a torture house or a "safe house", but there are plenty of other ungazetted "safe houses" throughout the Republic. There is also Nalufenya and Luzira awaiting political criminals any day now.
The LDUs with their potential of death. Could easily be our days SRB, which is profound. As the current day President always claims to be better than Obote and Amin. Still, he commit the same sins as the predecessors. Just think about the killings of Kasese, Muslim Clerics and High Ranking Officials who has died without any follow up in the courts or investigation over the years.
Life was cheap under Amin and Obote, but so it seems also under Museveni. Unless, your part of the Kitchen Cabinet and one of the inner circles. Then your life is more valued the gold minted in Entebbe.
When they easily assault, harm and kill individuals all across the Republic. That sets a bad precedence, but also signals of a starch warning to whom they come across. There is no justification, just being at the wrong place at the wrong time and you life can be ended.
If this so-called revolution of the 1980s was supposed to spark a difference, a fundamental change, why does it smell like the past?
Why does the actions of today's paramilitary group act like the predecessors did?
Shouldn't there be a difference and occasionally see significant change?
No, we are at the same junction. If it wasn't for cellphones and footage of the violence, the extra-judicial killings. We wouldn't know about it this quickly. It would be later in the bulletin in the Daily Monitor or New Vision. It is now for the world to see and its viral.
The same issues of the past. The ones that this administration, this regime was supposed to be different from. Apparently, it was all a lie. A rouse, a mirage, which triggered donors and believers. However, the innocent still dies on the hand of soldiers. They are named LDU, but could have just been the ugly cousin of the SRB. Peace.
Author nilspeacePosted on July 8, 2020 July 8, 2020 Categories Africa, Army, Development, Governance, Government, Law, Leadership, PoliticsTags Idi Amin, Idi Amin Dada, LDU, LDUs, Local Defence Units, Museveni, National Resistance Movement, NRM, NRM Regime, President Museveni, President Yoweri Museveni, SFC, Special Force Command, SRB, State Research Bureau, Uganda, Uganda Peoples Defence Force, Uganda Police Force, UPDF, UPF, Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, Yoweri MuseveniLeave a comment on Opinion: LDU becoming the new SRB?
Opinion: LDUs kill and it's deliberate
"We have started and you have seen on television. For us we shoot to kill. We are not breaking people's legs. We shall shoot to kill; the head and the chest are our target. If you play around with our Ugandans, we shall kill you. If you prepare to come and steal at night, you will lay down in your blood…" – Colonel Felix Abucha (01.01.2020)
In the new-years, on the first 1st January 2020 the orders of shoot to kill orders was given to the Local Defence Unit (LDUs). That order has been followed, every month and nearly every week someone dies at the hands of paramilitary fellow in the LDU. It is like the bullets are in for the bulletin. After that the Police Force is ordered to investigate it and it never gets solved. The victim of the extra-judicial killing isn't returning, but the case is cold.
It is a murder in Oyam. It is a son of a commander in Kampala. A Makerere Student. It is cattle-thieves in Karamoja. Head-teacher in Mukono gets gunned down. Shot an old man in Kakiri Sub-County for playing loud music. They killed one man in Kween district.
People are scorn everywhere. A random bloke breaching the curfew to get some food for his family. His gunned down too. Because no need to reason with him, but shoot to kill. That solves everything. Who can afford "equal before law", when you can kill people at random.
The army or the UPDF calls their mandate of the LDUs crucial. If killing innocent civilians is a crucial task. Then what is the value of law enforcement and the police? When the LDUs can be the hangman and judge without any just cause to enforce the action towards the citizen. The citizen is judged and hanged or shot before it makes any sense.
The LDUs can act a fool. They can be hasty pulling the trigger and end someone's lives without any consequence. Someone can just get taken away. The pubic are just living on mercy. Hoping they are not passing by a hungry and ignorant, armed LDU who can pop-off at any minute. The man with a weapon can end you. There is no need for justification or explanation. The victims doesn't matter and if they do. The LDU might suffer, but that's because of the rank of the victim. If it is an ordinary citizens. The conspiracies and cold cases is the way to let the deaths be forgotten.
The LDUs can kill. It is not like they are well-paid or anything. They are a paramilitary force trained and to ensure the public is intimidated ahead of the 2021 election. The state needs local armed people to get people sensitized and lectured into patriotism. When they say that, the lingo means: "Loyal to the Movement and its President to death do you apart".
The LDUs are allowed, there is no cost to kill. The extra-judicial killings can appear anywhere at any given time. The citizens can be killed for any reason. If not the authorities will make up excuses, justifications and merit for the bullets. They will make the victim seem like Bond Villain. While the killers are walking scot-free.
So, who needs courts and the police investigation criminals, when you can just have loose canons shooting random? That seems like the trick. Instead of pulling a "rabbit out of the hat" and the authorities are pulling a man with a gun. The man can use it and end the criminal case before it begun. Since he shot it to pieces. Peace.
Author nilspeacePosted on July 6, 2020 July 6, 2020 Categories Africa, Army, Development, Election, Governance, Government, Law, Leadership, PoliticsTags LDU, LDUs, Local Defence Units, Museveni, National Resistance Movement, NRM, NRM Regime, President Museveni, President Yoweri Museveni, SFC, Special Force Command, Uganda, Uganda Peoples Defence Force, Uganda Police Force, UPDF, UPF, Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, Yoweri MuseveniLeave a comment on Opinion: LDUs kill and it's deliberate
Opinion: Planning to make it rain on the LDUs
There is dropped an Corrigenda of the Budget for the Financial Year of 2020/21. This is always put adjust after the voting on the original budget and change the placement on funds. We are now seeing the state plans to make it rain on the Local Defence Unit (LDUs). Which is already made to ensure the political pressure and insight fear towards the General Elections of 2021. This is a common thread in the mind and the spirit of National Resistance Movement (NRM). They always have one para-military outfit to secure the public is kept of guard and doesn't challenge a rigged election.
Therefore, the state needs to ensure the para-military organization is fed and has enough equipment. Even if there is legal basis for it and its a ad-hoc idea of the President. He still will implement and use this tool, as it is convenient. That is why suddenly the LDUs getting billions for their work. This is well planned behaviour.
"Vote OO4 – Ministry of Defence and Veteran Affairs: Ushs. 90.6Bn provided to cater for arrears on LDUs food, fuel, clothing, medical as well as maintenance of vehicles" (Corrigenda Report FY 2020/21, 06.04.2020).
This is how suddenly the state needs funds to secure their para-military organization, whose created with one motive and motivation. This group isn't there for securing the borders nor a foreign enemy. Neither for insurgency or terrorism. No, this is to incite fear and secure the elections. They are not there for pickpockets nor anything else, that is the Police work.
Therefore, this funds, these billions is part of the re-election charade of the NRM. Peace.
Author nilspeacePosted on April 16, 2020 April 16, 2020 Categories Africa, Army, Development, Governance, Government, Law, Leadership, PoliticsTags LDU, LDUs, Local Defence Units, Museveni, National Resistance Movement, NRM, NRM Regime, President Museveni, President Yoweri Museveni, SFC, Special Force Command, Uganda, Uganda Peoples Defence Force, Uganda Police Force, UPDF, UPF, Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, Yoweri MuseveniLeave a comment on Opinion: Planning to make it rain on the LDUs
Opinion: Another bad Ad-Hoc Policy from Museveni – 20 Police Officers to 1671 sub-counties!
"President Museveni has directed the police leadership to deploy 20 policemen per sub-county and facilitate them with two motorcycles for patrol and easy mobility. This as he castigated the Uganda Police Force for sticking to the conventional methods of policing amidst dynamic modern crime trends. This as he closed the 25th police council meeting at police headquarters in Naguru" (NBS Television, 19.11.2019).
Before we look into the new directive of President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, we can by the statistics of the Electoral Commission in 2016, estimate that there is 1403 sub-counties, as there is 112 official districts by 2016 alone. There been since then more created and awaiting more before the 2021 general elections.
By this its 1403 times 20 police officers, the grand total of 28,060 police officers. Which should be trained, stationed and paid for. By 2015 statistics there is already, all in all 44,897 police officers. That means half of them will go to sub-county level. Also, in 2015 there was a total of 1399 police posts all across the republic, which there is a lack of enough stations for all the ones whose suddenly deployed elsewhere. As well, as by the 44,897 officers only about 7,000 had supported housing. The Police Force is already underpaid and understaffed for the amount of work it has. With the new directive, the Police Force needs more police posts and more accommodations.
If we follow the Electoral Commission of 2018, then the numbers of districts are 122 and the amount of sub-counties is 1671. By the measure of police officers is then 33,420 who has to be deployed sub-county level. With that in mind, the numbers are even worse. We can imagine the even more lack of housing and police posts for them to be in. Not to think about the movement of them all. Not to imagine all them who are in special units, special training and whatnot. As there are detectives and whatnot in the police force. Not like these wants to end in Kagadi, Serere or in Lira.
With the knowledge of deploying 20 per post, which exists now, there is only capacity of 27,980. That's with the knowledge of the 1399 posts, which exists now. But the ability to build more, must be a priority and also station it sufficiently across the sub-counties. If this policy should make any sense.
Unless, this is a political gamble and a election ploy to gain rural voters. Because, this is not only to combat crime, but show the needed amount of force. From the same presidency, that already lack the funding to pay Local Defence Units (LDUs). The same one that didn't do enough for the Crime Preventers in the previous election cycle. This is a continuation of that.
With that in mind, I have to quote Finance Minister Matia Kasaija:
"We have discovered that many politicians simply agitate for the creation of new administrative units for creations of jobs. We already have 300 new sub-counties and 200 town councils, to get money for them to operate is a big problem" (Wilson Manishimwe – 'Gov't stuck with 300 newly created sub-counties' 18.09.2019).
Seems like the President is busy creating jobs, but not having money to operate them. There are enough things that lacks funding and with this, is yet another government post, which lacks fiscal funding. Unless, the State House breaks the bank and use less on travel expenditure or payments of salaries for any of the Presidential Advisors. The Police Force might have some added funding. I am just smirking, but we know the gist.
The President is acting all out, doing quick-fix orders, ad-hoc without any thought of the budget nor implementation. It is just a snap of a finger and then suddenly things start to move. Peace.
Author nilspeacePosted on November 19, 2019 November 19, 2019 Categories Africa, Development, Ethics, Governance, Government, Law, Leadership, PoliticsTags CP Fred Enanga, Crime Preventers, GoU, Government of Uganda, Hoima, IGP Okoth-Ochola, J.M. Okoth-Ochola, LDUs, Local Defence Units, National Resistance Movement, NRM, President Museveni, Uganda, Uganda Peoples Defence Force, Uganda Police Force, UPDF, Yoweri Kaguta MuseveniLeave a comment on Opinion: Another bad Ad-Hoc Policy from Museveni – 20 Police Officers to 1671 sub-counties!
Opinion: 10,833 LDUs without pay!
"The LDU is not a new force; they are the reserve of the army. The security guards of the ministries are guarding ministries against break-ins. Terrorists are targeting soft targets, they are not bank robbers" (Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, 15.09.2018).
We already knew in January 2019 that there was no money for the Local Defence Units (LDUs) in the budget year of 2018/19 and certainly not there in the 2019/20. Since today's news proves this again. This is a re-issue of Crime Preventers Programme and a way to hire idle youth, but not do the due diligence of the actual needs to do it. That's why the results is armed people with lack of pay, they will do anything to eat.
Look:
The Ministry of Defence has incurred a budgetary shortfall of 130.5 billion shillings as a result of the recruitment of LDU's. This includes a wage shortfall of 40.9 billion for the 23000 LDU's incurred in 2018/2019 and 2019/2020 financial years(Herbert Zziwa, 12.11.2019).
What does it mean:
This means, when they have an annual wage of Shs.2.4mn. Their wage shortfall, which was 14.9bn in 2018/19 means that 6,208 LDUs out of 10,919 are owed wages. Again, in 2019/20, 10,833 LDUs out of 13,000 recruited in 2019/20 don't have their wages either. Meaning many armed and well-trained personnel from the UPDF is out awaiting their salaries (Mary Serumaga, 12.11.2019).
We can see by these calculations how it really is. The realities on the ground and the issues at hand. This is a launch to have back-up personnel for an up-coming election. To ensure the public, that they cannot have a popular uprising nor a revolution. Because, the state has enough armed forces to crush it. If it isn't soldiers, ISO, CMI, Flying Squad, Special Forces Command or the UPDF. They will have something to target you with.
But, they are leaving them high and dry. The State is not properly approaching this. They are not spending the dimes on this as people would see deemed fit. Because, this is trained armed personnel, which can cause havoc, if they decided to do so. Why shouldn't they? They got guns and knows how to aim!
This was a bad Ad-Hoc decision made in the wake of the violence: But he also did it to ensure up-coming elections, because that is what the President does. President Museveni doesn't toy around with this. This is carefully estimated to secure his next term and the times ahead. Because, with these gentlemen with arms, he will have another group of armed personnel at his disposal, that can skirmish and get deployed in haste. There is nothing else too it.
His just misusing funds and the trust of people, in manners, which is extraordinary. However, very common here. As this isn't the first nor the last time, the government lack funds for new projects, new ad-hoc decisions. As it is struggling to pay of gardening hoes from pledges made in 2015. Therefore, don't expect magic, just more of the same. Peace.
Author nilspeacePosted on November 12, 2019 November 12, 2019 Categories Africa, Army, Development, Economy, Ethics, Governance, Government, Law, Leadership, PoliticsTags Crime Preventers, LDU, Local Defence Units, Museveni, National Crime Preventers Forum, National Resistance Movement, National Youth Crime Preventers, NRM, NRM Regime, President Museveni, President Yoweri Museveni, SFC, Special Force Command, Uganda, Uganda Peoples Defence Force, Uganda Police Force, UPDF, UPF, Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, Yoweri MuseveniLeave a comment on Opinion: 10,833 LDUs without pay!


Doctors' illness narratives have a particular power because of the inescapable sense that if it happened to 'one of us, it could also happen to me'. Members of every audience I have spoken to – ranging in size from about twenty to two hundred, have wanted to share their personal stories after the session. At Guys and St Thomas' Medical School in London, where I spoke to about 200 fourth year medical students, we broke out into small groups of about 10-15 students facilitated by members of the student welfare service. We had rich, thoughtful and supportive discussions about their experiences as patients, or relatives of patients or as students in the course of their training. Small groups work best, as people are unwilling to share stories in the lecture theater. Medical students tended to be more concerned about what lessons can be learned about the humanity of patient care and were often quite surprised or skeptical about how bad it can be. Older doctors were more likely to have experienced serious illness, and be concerned about how this affects them as a professional and a colleague and how we look after each other. With the lay public, discussion centred about how to re-humanise medical education and practice and this older audience seemed the most willing to share personal stories.
All asked why there wasn't more teaching for medical students and doctors about patients' experiences, and doctors' experiences as patients. In every audience there have been doctors or students who have been personally affected and they benefited from the shelter of a safe and supportive environment afterwards. Learning and reflecting on the experiences of doctors as patients is a process, best continued within the structure of small groups of peers, initially at least with expert support. We have a lot to learn from each other.
Jonathan, who is studying moral development in medical education and clinical practice, shares thoughts on his own blog and learns a lot on about the relationships between doctors, patients and health policy.


text:
Mariama Sarr (born 4 March 1963) is a Senegalese politician. She is currently serving as Minister of Public Service and Public Service Renewal in the Fourth Sall government.

Career
Sarr served as Minister for Women, Children and Women's Entrepreneurship from 2012 to 2013. She is also mayor of Kaolack.

References

1963 births
Living people
Women's ministers of Senegal
Women government ministers of Senegal
21st-century Senegalese politicians
21st-century Senegalese women politicians
Women mayors of places in Senegal
Mayors of places in Senegal

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Hello! We are Chris and Zahida. We are in our 50s and are looking for a pet sitter(s) to take care of our beloved pets while we go on holiday. We have two rabbits who are very attached to the home and can't be boarded. We also have two elderly hens who are now in a well earned retirement! We both work full time with careers in IT and Education. We love to travel but this has been a bit difficult leaving our pets behind. We are now looking forward to the security of going on holiday knowing that our pets and home will be left in safe and secure hands.
We live in a quiet area in a semi rural part of Gloucestershire near to the Gloucester & Sharpness Canal, the River Severn and the glorious South Gloucestershire countryside! We are in easy reach of Bristol, Cardiff, Monmouth, the Wye Valley and Forest of Dean as well as the Cotswolds. We have great restaurants, cafes and pubs nearby within walking distance or a car ride away. We would be happy to recommend our favourite haunts that do great food. There is a regular bus service into the city, one every 20 mins, so if you don't have a car then there is good public transport. We hope you will enjoy our home and our location as much as we do. During winter our lounge has a real fire and so it is lovely and cosy and and we have a wellness jacuzzi jet spray bath tub for the ultimate soak and relaxation.
The bunnies (Pancakes and Cilla) sleep indoors in the conservatory and the hens have their coop in the garden. Both sets of pets can be left during the day as they are all free range during the day. Fortunately we have a very safe garden. The pets are let out on the mornings and given breakfast. The hens are superb at going to bed at night themselves and just need their coop door secured. The bunnies like to come indoor and watch a bit of TV with us in the evenings before bed time! Other responsibilities will include emptying litter trays and cleaning the hutch and replenishing their food and making sure that the coop is clean and dry with sufficient bedding.
Poultry: Chickens, We have two hens, Lilly and Lydia both aged 6. They are now retired after long careers in egg production!