text:
Watch Property8A Gowrie Street, Newport-on-Tay DD6 8ED
3 Bed Detached Bungalow - Offers Over £275,000
Beautifully presented detached bungalow positioned within the heart of desirable Newport-on-Tay
Detached Bungalow
1/2 Public Rooms
3/4 Bedrooms
Shower Room & Mst Ens
Triple/Double Glazing
Grdns, Drive, Garage
Beautiful Views
Viewing: Contact Solicitor
Newport, Tayport, Wormit, Gauldry, Balmerino
The opening of the Tay road bridge in 1966 ensured Dundee became easily accessible from north-east Fife.
Tayport, Newport-on-Tay and Wormit are strung along the estuary's southern bank hillside, enjoying spectacular views over the river and the two bridges. Away from the waterfront are villages like Gauldry and Balmerino, with the latter's beauty and ruined 13th Century abbey celebrated in verse by William McGonagall. It enjoys Conservation Area status.
Newport was briefly christened "New Dundee" by Guildrymen who financed development plans. The pier and inn date back to 1715 with a Telford-designed harbour built in 1820.
Tayport rubs up against the Tentsmuir Nature Reserve and is home to Scotscraig Golf Club. In times past it was known as Ferry-port on Craig, before the Victorian railway line arrived in the 1850s.
These communities may look towards Dundee for "big city" amenities but easily accessible Cupar and St Andrews also provide secondary school educational and shopping options.
TSPC Legal Firms listed 2969 properties last year.
Over 8,800 registered users on the TSPC website.


Find the best UX design company in California for you. Narrow down your search by size, team, budget, reviews and more.
Top user experience design companies in California offer cutting edge digital services that drive brand awareness and promote sales. They conduct effective market research to learn what your users want and give it to them.


text:
Keyword Analysis & Research: 2018 cadillac escalade awd
2018 cadillac escalade awd 0.42 1 4539 24 26
2018 0.01 0.7 8326 53 4
cadillac 1.1 0.7 1799 9 8
escalade 0.87 0.5 3476 89 8
awd 1.69 0.9 9270 92 3
Keyword Research: People who searched 2018 cadillac escalade awd also searched
2018 cadillac escalade awd platinum 1.48 0.3 7901 67
2018 cadillac escalade awd premium luxury 0.23 0.6 326 86
2018 cadillac escalade awd platinum specs 0.86 0.4 2070 93
2018 cadillac escalade esv awd premium luxury 0.21 0.6 5795 35
What is the reliability of Cadillac Escalade?
The Cadillac Escalade Reliability Rating is 2.5 out of 5.0, which ranks it 5th out of 19 for luxury fullsize SUVs. The average annual repair cost is $1,025 which means it has poor ownership costs.
What is the MPG of a Cadillac Escalade?
EPA estimated fuel economy for the standard-length Escalade and extended-length Escalade ESV is the same: 15 mpg city/22 mpg highway with rear-wheel drive and 15/21 with four-wheel drive.
What does Cadillac Escalade mean?
The Cadillac Escalade is a full-size luxury SUV engineered and manufactured by Cadillac. It was Cadillac's first major entry into the popular SUV market, and is called a SUV even though it meets all the specifications to be considered a truck.
Where is the Cadillac Escalade built?
Cadillac Escalade. The Escalade was introduced for the 1999 model year in response to German and Japanese competitors and to Ford's 1998 release of the Lincoln Navigator. The Escalade project went into production only ten months after it was approved. The Escalade is built in Arlington, Texas.
Search Results related to 2018 cadillac escalade awd on Search Engine
2018 Cadillac Escalade AWD Platinum Specs and Features
https://www.msn.com/en-us/autos/cadillac/escalade/2018/specs/awd-platinum/sd-BBHmcW4
2018 Cadillac Escalade. All trims 2WD AWD 2WD Luxury AWD Luxury 2WD Premium Luxury AWD Premium Luxury 2WD Platinum AWD Platinum. MSRP. $96,795. FUEL ECONOMY (CITY/HWY) 14 / 21 mpg. Get quotes ...
2018 Cadillac Escalade AWD Platinum Features and …
https://www.msn.com/en-us/autos/cadillac/escalade/2018/technology-features/awd-platinum/sd-BBHmcW4
2018 Cadillac Escalade Review & Ratings | Edmunds
https://www.edmunds.com/cadillac/escalade/2018/review/
Nov 21, 2017 · The 2018 Cadillac Escalade is a full-size, body-on-frame luxury SUV available in four trim levels: base, Luxury, Premium Luxury and Platinum. The base trim comes with a dizzying array of equipment,... Produced on: 2018 Manufacturer: Cadillac
Produced on: 2018
Manufacturer: Cadillac
2018 Cadillac Escalade Review, Pricing, and Specs
caranddriver.com
https://www.caranddriver.com/cadillac/escalade-2018
Since the fourth-generation Escalade debuted back in 2015, there have been only minor changes to the lineup. Perhaps the biggest update for 2018 is the adoption of an all-new 10-speed automatic transmission that replaces the previous eight-speed unit. Cadillac designed the updated transmission to shift quicker and help the engine consume a bit less fuel. Inside, Platin… Produced on: 2022 Manufacturer: Cadillac Published: Apr 12, 2021
Since the fourth-generation Escalade debuted back in 2015, there have been only minor changes to the lineup. Perhaps the biggest update for 2018 is the adoption of an all-new 10-speed automatic transmission that replaces the previous eight-speed unit. Cadillac designed the updated transmission to shift quicker and help the engine consume a bit less fuel. Inside, Platin…
Published: Apr 12, 2021
Used 2018 Cadillac Escalade for Sale - CarMax
carmax.com
https://www.carmax.com/cars/cadillac/escalade/2018
Description: Used 2018 Cadillac Escalade Premium Luxury for sale - $53,998, 72,569 miles with Head Up Display, 4WD/AWD, Leather Seats, BOSE Sound System, Satellite Radio Ready, Parking Sensors Transmission: Automatic Color: Blue Interior Color: Brown Average Vehicle Review: (4.333333333333333 reviews)
repairpal.com
https://repairpal.com/reliability/cadillac/escalade
consumerguide.com
http://consumerguide.com/best-buys/premium-large-suv/2016-cadillac-escalade/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cadillac_Escalade_Hybrid
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cadillac_Escalade

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Make sure you choose the right kind of contents cover for you.
If you're a tenant or homeowner, contents insurance can be a really good idea for protecting your belongings. Homeowners are expected to take out buildings cover in order to get a mortgage and tenants don't need this insurance – landlords will pay for buildings insurance for them. But your belongings are only covered when you take out contents cover.
Your contents can often include some of the most valuable things you own – a high-end smartphone, expensive carpets or a games console. Now imagine how devastating it would be to lose these in a burglary, a flood or a house fire. Would you have the money to replace all these possessions and fork out for them if you didn't have insurance? That's why it's important to have the right home insurance for you.
In order to take out contents cover, you need to know what your possessions are worth. You might be tempted to undervalue your home contents to cut the cost of the premium. But if you do this, you might find that you don't get enough of a payout if you ever need to claim.
There are a number of different ways to work out the amount of cover you need. One option for your contents policy is bedroom-rated home insurance. This is where the amount you want to cover is worked out for you based on the number of bedrooms in your property. It typically covers you for a lump sum between £40,000 and £50,000. This is the most straightforward type of contents insurance as you don't need to work out how much your contents are worth.
For most tenants and homeowners, a bedroom-rated contents insurance policy will provide enough cover. And in fact, if you don't have a lot of high-value belongings, you might be over-insured. This could mean that bedroom-rated insurance isn't necessarily the cheapest home insurance policy for you.
What else do you need to cover?
Some items may require extra cover if you want to make sure they're protected outside the home, or because they're worth a lot and you want to make sure are listed. When you apply for home insurance, ask your insurer about personal possessions insurance to find out how much it would cost to cover items individually. You should also consider if you need accidental damage insurance – this means you can get your money back for any item damaged or destroyed, even when you're away from home.
thinkmoney insurance will search deals available from a panel of insurers to help find you the most suitable cover for your contents and buildings insurance. You can decide if you want to add any extra features and search the best deals available to find one that's right for you.


Please feel free to arrive at 3:00 pm and fill your plates for a light snack. This is an open meeting so general membership is welcome to attend (please let FBA Executive Director know you will be coming by emailing fbamich@fbamich.org).
Actual meeting starts at 3:30:00 sharp and should end by 4:30 pm.


Roof mounted ski and snowboard racks allow you to carry your gear securely on your roof, freeing up the interior of your vehicle. They come in a variety of designs and sizes, with the flat style being the most popular. Browse the products below to find the best solution for you.


Gain Greater Flexibility With Dynamic Messaging In An Electronic Message Signs.
Since our start in 1952, Eddie Edwards Signs has been about invention. We've watched technology take off in the 21st century and consistently update our technology and practices to stay current and be industry leaders in our area. Video and text are no longer just reserved for television and stadiums. Dynamic messaging is found in more and more businesses each day.
One Size Doesn't Fit All And We Design To Your Specific Needs.
We start the design process with your needs. We come on-site to see exactly what you need. Legibility is critical to the success of your electronic message signs, and our expertise delivers clarity, visibility, and crispness in regard to the distance and travel speed of your customers riding by. Your sign solution is driven by what you're trying to communicate and your business location. For businesses that are ready for a multiple sign solution, we can incorporate electric signage options into your sign package.
Support Your Marketing With Customized, Changing Messages.
We bring expertise and technology to your solution to offer a wide range of options and additional services that add to the integrity of your electronic message sign. We've learned that customization is the key. When you have the right equipment to convey your brand in new ways, you can tailor your message to an individual customer or service in a way you can't with only static signage. You get to develop a unique and personal relationship with your customer.
Warranties Give Peace Of Mind For Your Investment.
Eddie Edwards uses leading American made products that give you 5-year product warranties for peace of mind. To cover workmanship, Eddie Edwards Signs also offers labor warranties. As electronic sign centers become more widely used, they are becoming more affordable. Eddie Edwards Signs offers payment options to help you make the most of the sign package that works best for you.


Three Steps North & Other Lot (United Artists, 1957). Overall: Very Fine-. Lobby Card Set of 8 (11" X 14") with Original Studio Envelope & One Sheets (2) (27" X 41"). Drama.
Starring Lloyd Bridges, Lea Padovani, Aldo Fabrizi, and William C. Tubbs. Directed by W. Lee Wilder. Included with Three Steps North are folded one sheets for The Children's Hour (United Artists, 1962) and From the Terrace (20th Century Fox, 1960). Unrestored items with bright color and clean overall appearances. They may have general signs of use, such as slight edge and fold wear, mild fold separations, light creases, pinholes, including torn pinholes, a small chip, moderate tears, or unobtrusive smudges and stains, including tape stains. The one sheets show the majority of the wear. The original studio envelope for the lobby card set is included. Overall: Very Fine-.


Originated from Tyrol, Austria, the Haflinger horse has a light chestnut coloured coat as well as a very abundant white mane and tail. This height is between 14 and 15 hands and he weighs between 800 and 1100 pounds. Intelligent in nature, the Haflinger distinguishes himself from other races by his extreme calmness, his kindness and his legendary patience with children. Further more, his exceptional endurance and versatility makes the Haflinger an excellent family horse.
Here at Grison farm, we make it our job to bre e d Haflinger s according to specific criterions. Our new objective in reproduction is to create a Haflinger horse of larger size while keeping a solid skeleton, calm temperament, robustness, and elegance that is his.


Lou's Bunches, originally uploaded by J Mark Dodds a shadow of my future self.
Lou always has flowers on the kitchen table. They're almost always worth a photograph. Simple and striking. There's nothing to stand them on for a pic without something in the background though.


LG Lucid 3 available on Verizon, free with contract | Future 2 tech.
The latest LG Lucid handset for Verizon sports a 4.7-inch display, a quad-core processor, and is available for free after users sign a two-year carrier agreement.
This durable wireless speaker is one of the better budget Bluetooth micro speakers.
It's this sous vide machine's ability to keep your food cold that justifies its smarts.


Inspirational Grey Upholstered Headboard Bedroom Ideas – Gray is a color that, is utilized excessively, can effect is a depressing, frosty décor. It's why it's not so popular. However, it starts off to get votes because of its modern appearance.Grey is a color that is particularly suitable for bedrooms also. That's because it's neutral and soothing. Frequently, it's used for accent walls. However, it may also be used to check a black accent wall and lessen the transition towards white.
Of course, you can use gray for more than the walls. Use it for the bedding as well, though it should also have a contrast color. though it must have a contrast color also. As for the furniture, white would be a nice color. The ensuing décor shall be soothing and soothing.


text:
Gaspar Gregori (País Valencià, ) fou un arquitecte i escultor valencià, amb forta influència en la construcció de la segona meitat de segle i introductor de l'estil renaixentista en les terres valencianes.

Va ser responsable de la reconstrucció després d'un devastador incendi de l'Hospital d'Innocents de València on va substituir els sostres de fusta per un sistema de voltes de rajola en les quals es prescindeix per complet dels nervis, que ni tan sols se simulen amb algeps o pintura. Totalment nus aquesta successió recau directament sobre columnes, que substitueixen als inicials entorxats inservibles després de l'incendi de l'any 1545.

Gregori també va estar vinculat a nombroses obres d'enginyeria hidràulica, civil, militar o religiosa; com a ebenista, a la direcció d'obra o com a tracista el que el va situar com a un dels millors experts en qualsevol tipus de construcció.

També destaca el disseny de l'Obra Nova de la Catedral de València, una galeria amb arcades de l'any 1566 que oculta el presbiteri gòtic de la Seu i des d'on els canonges assistien als actes públics que es celebraven a la plaça de la Mare de Déu. Com a ebenista va ser responsable del Palau Reial i de la reforma del teginat de la Sala Nova del Palau de la Generalitat.

Referències

Arquitectes valencians històrics
Ebenistes

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
`Home <index.html>`__ OpenStack Ansible Installation Guide

Configuring service credentials
-------------------------------

Configure credentials for each service in the
``/etc/openstack_deploy/*_secrets.yml`` files. Consider using `Ansible
Vault <http://docs.ansible.com/playbooks_vault.html>`__ to increase
security by encrypting any files containing credentials.

Adjust permissions on these files to restrict access by non-privileged
users.

Note that the following options configure passwords for the web
interfaces:

-  ``keystone_auth_admin_password`` configures the ``admin`` tenant
   password for both the OpenStack API and dashboard access.

-  ``kibana_password`` configures the password for Kibana web interface
   access.

Recommended: Use the ``pw-token-gen.py`` script to generate random
values for the variables in each file that contains service credentials:

.. code-block:: bash

    $ cd /opt/openstack-ansible/scripts
    $ python pw-token-gen.py --file /etc/openstack_deploy/user_secrets.yml

To regenerate existing passwords, add the ``--regen`` flag.

--------------

.. include:: navigation.txt

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


I've been drinking water from a bottle that says "Drop by Drop." During Lent, the students at Trevecca Nazarene University took up the cause of clean water for the masses who do not have it. The university students in our J. V. Morsch Center for Social Justice won an award from Nazarene Compassion International for the campaign idea. We are now field testing it for others to use. We are drinking water instead of tea and soft drinks and coffee. OK, I cheated on the coffee. The idea is that we donate the difference to the cause of wells in villages where good drinking water is not available. There are lots of Drop by Drop bottles around.
Pray when you tip a cup to your lips on this #WorldHealthDay. Good health begins with clean water.
This cause hits my family in the heart. Anna Ryan, our granddaughter, has personally earned enough money to place two wells in Central American villages. One time she made bracelets out of rubber bands and sold them. The other time she did chores and made some more bracelets. We bought a lot. I don't wear them, but I have lots of extra rubber bands if you need any. I hope I have not caused a worse human crisis over a dwindling supply of rubber bands.
So on this World Health Day 2015 (this year highlighting the theme of food safety), I encourage you to also consider the importance of safe water.
Love it! I smile every time I'm reminded of what Anna did to inspire others at her church to fund 56 wells the year she made the bracelets!


text:
The Garden of Evening Mists
By Tan Twan Eng
Snappy Review
Pure poetry and prose.
A remarkable read that cries out for more time to be savoured, than the ready world we live in gives us.
The International Bestseller
Winner of the Man Asian Literary Prize 2012
Winner of the Walter Scott Prize for historical fiction 2013
Shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize 2012
Shortlisted for the 2014 International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award
In the highlands of Malaya, a woman sets out to build a memorial to her sister, killed at the hands of the Japanese during the brutal Occupation of their country. Yun Ling's quest leads her to The Garden of Evening Mists, and to Aritomo, a man of extraordinary skill and reputation, once the gardener of the Emperor of Japan. When she accepts his offer to become his apprentice, she begins a journey into her past, inextricably linked with the secrets of her troubled country's history.


A former underground coal miner, Chris Harris was first elected to the Kentucky House of Representative in 2014. He represents the 93rd legislative district of Kentucky, serving Martin and Pike counties. Chris is a member of the Committees on Tourism, Small Business, and Information Technology, Transportation, and Veterans, Military Affairs, and Public Protection. Prior to his election to the Kentucky General Assembly, Chris served in local government as a Pike County Magistrate for 12 years. During his tenure, he was elected by county officials from across the Commonwealth as the President of the Kentucky Association of Counties, a bipartisan organization dedicated to serving all of Kentucky and advocating for legislative solutions for issues affecting county governments around the Commonwealth.
When the General Assembly is not in session, Rep. Harris works at his private law practice. Chris is licensed to practice law in Kentucky and West Virginia and has argued cases before the Supreme Courts of both states. He and his wife Leslie have three children, Corbin, Wilson, and Emma, and live in Pike County, Kentucky.
The steady decline of the coal industry led to a growing number of dilapidated and dangerous abandoned homes in Pike County, Kentucky. As the population decreased, many homes were left unoccupied and became dangerous eye sores in their communities. These abandoned and dilapidated homes lowered property values for other home owners in their communities.
As a county official, Rep. Harris sponsored and passed a "Dilapidated Housing Ordinance" which provided a method for the County Solid Waste Department to remove dilapidated structures from property. Upon receipt of a complaint from a neighboring land owner, the County Solid Waste Department provides notice to the owner of a dilapidated structure and affords them a reasonable period of time to either repair or remove the structure from the premises. If the structure isn't removed within the time period allowed under the ordinance, the County Solid Waste Department may then take steps to remove the structure and place a lien covering the cost of removal upon the real estate. The Dilapidated Housing Ordinance removed countless dangerous eyesores from communities all across Pike County and improved safety and property values for those living near these abandoned structures.
Open records laws allow citizens to be privy to what their local, state, and federal governments are doing with taxpayer money. They also provide transparency so that citizens can see whether or not elected officials are performing appropriately. During his tenure as a Magistrate on the Pike County Fiscal Court, Chris's attempt to obtain records regarding a public water district was denied. Legislation passed in the 2012 General Assembly had left a loophole that allowed private companies operating in governmental capacities and paid with taxpayer dollars to keep their records private.
In an effort to increase transparency in state and local government, Rep. Harris sponsored legislation which would narrow the open records exemptions for private firms providing public services. The bill would require entities offering services traditionally performed by government agencies, and receiving at least a quarter of their revenue from taxpayers, to comply with the same open records laws as their government counterparts.


text:
Builders Furniture Ltd
Winnipeg, MB R2k 1m4
Competitors of Builders Furniture Ltd
Canada's Best Store Fixtures
Canada's Best Store Fixtures (CBSF) specializes in the design, manufacturing, and execution of store fixture programs. It provides retailers around the world with retail interior furniture, fixtures, merchandising aids and support services, including: gondola shelving; custom millwork and custom... Read More
RCS Innovations
RCS Innovations Provides complete services for retail store design and build outs, with strong client relationships and unsurpassed quality. Founded in 1988, with thousands of projects completed, RCS is uniquely suited to leverage our experience with value engineering to create and execute your... Read More
ImagiCorps
ImagiCorps is an experiential marketing firm that specializes in the design, fabrication and execution of retail displays, interactive kiosks, permanent and temporary exhibits and promotional events for some of the world's leading brands. Please visit our website for more info. Read More
Rate and Review Builders Furniture Ltd
Thanks for submitting your review of Builders Furniture Ltd. We'll email you as soon as it's published, (typically within 48 hours). We really value your contributions, and so does our community of business professionals. They count on honest reviews like yours.
Thanks for submitting your review of Builders Furniture Ltd.
Rate and Review Canada's Best Store Fixtures
Thanks for submitting your review of Canada's Best Store Fixtures. We'll email you as soon as it's published, (typically within 48 hours). We really value your contributions, and so does our community of business professionals. They count on honest reviews like yours.
Thanks for submitting your review of Canada's Best Store Fixtures.
Contact Canada's Best Store Fixtures
I saw your company in the design:retail Buyers' Guide and would like to have someone contact me.
Rate and Review RCS Innovations
Thanks for submitting your review of RCS Innovations. We'll email you as soon as it's published, (typically within 48 hours). We really value your contributions, and so does our community of business professionals. They count on honest reviews like yours.
Thanks for submitting your review of RCS Innovations.
Contact RCS Innovations
Rate and Review ImagiCorps
Thanks for submitting your review of ImagiCorps. We'll email you as soon as it's published, (typically within 48 hours). We really value your contributions, and so does our community of business professionals. They count on honest reviews like yours.
Thanks for submitting your review of ImagiCorps.
Contact ImagiCorps


text:
'Godzilla 2' Photo Teases Connection To Original 1954 Film, But What Does It Mean?
Posted on Monday, August 14th, 2017 by Ben Pearson
Director Michael Dougherty is hard at work directing Godzilla 2, the next movie in Warner Bros. and Legendary's MonsterVerse. But while this film will set up an eventual conflict between two cinematic titans in 2020's Godzilla vs. Kong, it will first turn to villains of the past and feature battles between Godzilla and iconic characters like Mothra, Rodan, and King Ghidorah.
Thanks to Dougherty, we know Godzilla 2 will also feature a connection to the 1954 original film that started it all. But what does that link mean for this sequel?
Dougherty took to Twitter this morning to share a set photo from day 41 of his shoot:
Day 41. @GodzillaMovie pic.twitter.com/n1YpMzE81G
— Mike Dougherty (@Mike_Dougherty) August 14, 2017
That's a device known as the Oxygen Destroyer, a weapon of mass destruction that first appeared in the original Godzilla movie. In that film, it was invented by Dr. Daisuke Serizawa, who inadvertently discovered a chemical reaction that could be harnessed in a hugely powerful weapon. After Godzilla destroys Tokyo, Dr. Serizawa decides to use it as a last resort and detonates the device underwater, which serves two purposes: it kills Godzilla, and it also kills him in the process, ensuring that no one could ever use that destructive power again. (He previously destroyed his own research so no one else could replicate it.)
Godzilla originated in the wake of the horrors of the atomic bomb, so the use of the Oxygen Destroyer strikes me as a sort of a wishful retelling of history in which something that powerful is destroyed on screen, never to be used again. But the weapon actually showed up in subsequent Godzilla movies, and it remains unclear how it'll be used in Godzilla 2. Could it possibly be a way to make the first film canonical in this new MonsterVerse? That seems unlikely, because in the 2014 Godzilla, people's reactions made it seem as if that was the first time any of them had seen or heard of the giant lizard. Unless this sequel gets into some mind-wiping nonsense, that doesn't make a ton of sense. The more likely option is that it'll just be an easter egg for fans, much like the way the name "Mothra" was written on a cage in the 2014 Godzilla film.
But one thing's for sure: if The King of Monsters "dies" because of this device in Godzilla 2, he's definitely getting resurrected quickly, because Godzilla has a Kong to fight in a few years.
Godzilla 2 crashes into theaters on March 22, 2019.
TOHO Studios is Giving 'Godzilla' an Entire Booth at San Diego Comic-Con
How 'Godzilla: King of the Monsters' Draws from the Tradition of Toho's Creature Features
'Godzilla: King of the Monsters' is King of the Weekend Box Office But Not a Monster Hit
'Godzilla: King of the Monsters' Spoiler Review: A Chip Off the Old Blockbuster
Action/Adventure, Easter Eggs, Images, Legendary Pictures, Sci-Fi, Warner Brothers, Godzilla, Godzilla 2, Michael-Dougherty


From NHS To Climate Mismanagement.
The picture above highlights the secret forecast paid for by us and provided only to a select few. As shown in this "pitiful" effort these people at the Met Office, who claim to be leading experts in the "science" of climate change, formerly known as "man made global warming", were yet again exposed as charlatans.
Sadly, once a member of the inner circle of Quangoland, competence is no longer an issue. As the genocidal boss of the NHS well knows, incompetent and socialist economics, leading to deaths, come last to nepotism and personal wealth.
As with Nicholson, soon to step down with a massive payout and pension, so we have "rainmaker" and daughter of Canute, Dame Julia Slingo. A woman as steeped in her own vacuous self importance as to never deign to visit any other considerations.
Like all such self important individuals nothing ever gets close to bringing them to book. Their very existence, costs us all not just untold billions in wasted and vanity driven management but also lives. Under NHS slavish obsession to put money before people and the Met Office's reliance on useless, flawed and crony supplied computer systems, missing dangerous and life taking floods, we have good cause to feel aggrieved.
Unfortunately the same undemocratic nastiness furthered by the EUSSR meas we are seeing a more accurate forecast of the long term future than anything we get from Dame Slingo. After all ,like so much of our governance today, keeping the EU masters' and their handouts of our money flowing, you aren't going to produce any science which contradicts these tyrants or might diminish your own personal wealth. Untouchables indeed.


Development planners in Arlington and D.C. have an idea to use gondola cars on high wires to combat the traffic congestion on the Key Bridge, and a study is underway to see whether the plan could work.
WASHINGTON — Overhead gondolas are probably best known for their use at ski resorts, but many cities are turning to them as another mode of transportation for residents.
Development planners in Arlington and D.C. have an idea to use cars on high wires to combat the traffic congestion on the Key Bridge, and a study is underway to see whether the plan could work.
"It's a very innovative technology and it is definitely something that we thought was interesting enough for our communities to explore," said Mary-Claire Burick, with the Rosslyn Business Improvement District.
With contributions from the public and private sector, an architecture firm has been hired to decide on the feasibility of the idea.
Otto Condon, with ZGF Architecture, is leading the study and said part of the task is proving the systems isn't going to be just a toy for tourists.
"That's going to be our charge — to prove that it can be transit and it can be a great experience," Condon said.
Initial renderings have the cars running from the Rosslyn Metro station along the Key Bridge to a yet-to-be-determined point in Georgetown. The size of the cars also hasn't been determined. Gondolas can hold eight to 12 passengers, whereas the bigger aerial tram cars can hold 50 to 200 passengers.
"Georgetown is the largest employment center in the District of Columbia that doesn't have a Metro station, so this would essentially be Georgetown's Metro station for the foreseeable future," said Joe Sternlieb, with the Georgetown Business Improvement District.
Sternlieb said the initial discussion calls for cars coming through the stations continuously, every 10 to 12 seconds.
Big questions still need to be answered, including how much it would cost to build and sustain it, and who will pay for and operate the system. Also, the study aims to determine whether it will be an effective mode of transportation which can support economic development. Finally, at least 13 local and federal agencies must sign off on it, so the study needs to figure out whether the system can be approved.
Condon says his team will also examine how the project can be built to complement the architecture in the area.
"Part of the study will be the visual aesthetics of what the station may look like, what the whole system may look like," Condon said.
An additional sticking point could also be with D.C.'s L'Enfant Plan, which forbids high wires in the District, Condon added.
At the Spectrum Theater, in Rosslyn, residents gathered Thursday night to hear from the firm conducting the study and to learn about and weigh in on the system.
"My basic interest here is to free my wife from that deepest inner circle from hell, which is the Georgetown Hospital parking garage," said Dave Schutz, of Arlington, Virginia.
Omar Nasery, from Falls Church, Virginia, said he believes taking Gondola could be an option for his frequent trips between Georgetown and Virginia — depending on the cost.
"In my mind I'm seeing this more as an entertainment and tourist attraction, and this is being put in a high-density area with no parking availability," said Nicole Merlene, of Rosslyn, Virginia.
The plan remains in the very early stages and this initial study is expected to finish this fall.


Our apologies for the late carnival, but it appears that the regularly scheduled hosts, Samantha and Clementine, are just having too much fun trashing the house while their human is away for a few days.
2. Over at CatSynth...Luna gets in a little sunbathing.
3. Over at Animal Shelter Volunteer Life...Elmer is taking it easy, and enjoying some lap time while he waits at PAWS for his forever home.
4. Over at StrangeRanger = Maddie protects some new shoes!
5 thru 7. I had 3 entries this past week.


The 2019 will be a very innovative year for the smartphone: the mobile market will see the introduction of many new and the arrival of more and more advanced devices with Apple, Samsung and Huawei at the forefront.
There are few new features put in place since 2019, a year that could in the future be remembered as an important test for the smartphone world: the 5G, the fifth generation of connectivity, the folding screens capable of transforming our normal phone in a tablet, increasingly tight notches and much more.
The innovations planned for next year promise to seriously change the way we communicate from mobile, with a series of revolutionary smartphones capable, already only with the few anticipations emerged, to warm the hearts of fans and future buyers. What should we expect from this 2019 mobile? Let's find out together.
The new Samsung Galaxy S10 is definitely one of the most anticipated smartphones in the 2019 price list, with an upcoming release scheduled for mid-April and an official presentation of stability in mid-February.
The new top of the range Samsung could arrive in three models, different for price range and performance, and should rely on a fingerprint reader located below the screen (borderless) and with Super AMOLED 4K technology.
Triple camera back and double for the front of the phone, a design that should follow that of Galaxy Note 9 and the absence of the notch, the hated/beloved cleat on most current devices. The rumors see in fact Samsung Galaxy S10 with an Infinity O screen, with a hole for the camera, as the next and expected Galaxy A8s (always expected for 2019).
The mysterious heir to Huawei P20 is still a great secret to the Chinese house, but we know that the project exists and that the new smartphone will debut next year.
Huawei P30 and P30 Pro will take the reigns of their lucky and beloved predecessors, with some characteristic sources of persistent rumors such as the curved OLED screen with notch, Kirin 980 processor and in its PRO version as many as five rear cameras. Huawei, after the Mate 20, seems to want to impress its users by focusing on mobile photography, with the main sensor featuring 38 megapixels. Regarding the release date, not much is known, although a global launch is likely between February and March, anticipated by an official presentation at the Mobile World Congress 2019.
Great battle is also about the new full-screen smartphones, with only the camera hole: the protagonists of 2019, at least at the beginning, will undoubtedly be Samsung Galaxy A8s and Huawei Nova 4.
The full-screen smartphone of the Chinese house aimed at users of mid-range, with a 6.4-inch display and 2310 x 1080 megapixel, without notch and with the brand new front camera hole (25 megapixel, next to the front 48-megapixel). The price should vary between 490 and 450 dollars.
Samsung Galaxy A8s will be equipped instead of 6.3-inch Infinity-O display, with a resolution of Full HD+ 2340×1080 pixels. The front camera, also enclosed within the full-screen smartphone, will be 24 megapixels combined with the triple rear camera with 24, 10 and 5 megapixel sensors.
The plans for Apple's 2019, with the alleged iPhone XI model, are still a mystery: after the sales flop of the iPhone Xs and XR, which disappointed expectations, Cupertino now looks forward to the first details of the new iPhone.
The rumors offer some interesting data: the new iPhone coming out next year will not support the 5G and could see the return of the Touch ID next to the now appreciated Face ID. The fingerprint sensor could be mounted below the screen, which should see reduced the much criticized notch cleat. An interesting patent has also recently come out, filed by Apple for some time, which features an iPhone with a folding screen (able to close itself up like a notebook).
It is unlikely, however, that the 2019 sees the debut of the first iPhone with folding screen: Apple will have to focus on new and substantial news, able to buy back that slice of the market burned in the last quarter of 2018, returning to offer unique features compared to an Android competition increasingly stratified and fierce.


Bella Union are truly thrilled to announce the signing of one of our all-time favourite bands The Flaming Lips.
The Flaming Lips' first release for the label will be a project that's shaping up to be one of the most talked-about releases of the year: "The Flaming Lips And Heady Fwneds".
In between one-off shows scattered around the world over the past several months The Flaming Lips still found time to record a series of unique and experimental sessions for an album featuring a diverse cross-section of heavy friends from every corner of the musical cosmos. One of the most anticipated albums of the year, "The Flaming Lips And Heady Fwneds" sold out instantly at retail outlets around the world when it was released in limited edition vinyl in honour of Record Store Day this past April 21st, though unfortunately the record was not available in the UK. Now, due to overwhelming demand, Bella Union Records have made the album available on physical CD and vinyl!
"The Flaming Lips And Heady Fwneds" just may be the Lips' most adventurous recorded experience to date. The album see the Lips embracing vocal and musical assistance from such disparate playmates as Yoko Ono, Nick Cave, Erykah Badu, Bon Iver, Ke$ha and many more.


The Pedro Arrupe World Association was created in 1986 at the World Congress of Jesuit Alumni in Versailles, in response to a specific appeal of Father Peter-Hans Kolvenbach, then Superior General of the Society of Jesus, who wished that the Alumni formed for themselves the instruments that will enable them to act for refugees. The Association is named after Father Pedro Arrupe, former Superior General of the Society of Jesus, as a tribute to his action towards refugees, which he wanted to serve and to accompany by creating the Jesuit Refugees Service in 1980.
Under the umbrella of WUJA, the Association became its means of action (its "social arm", after the expression of Fabio Tobon, former President of WUJA, passed away in 2013) for its social work around the world towards "refugees, poor, excluded people" and victims of humanitarian catastrophes.
Its resources come from donations made by Alumni individually or through their Associations and Federations within the "Arrupe Dollar Campaign", launched ever year, on 5th February, anniversary of Fr. Pedro Arrupe's death.
Every Alumnus is individually invited to pay $ 1 (or € 1 in Europe) to the Pedro Arrupe World Association. Local associations are also invited to contribute $ 1 (or € 1) out of every paid membership that they received and to donate the sum of these amounts to the Pedro Arrupe World Association.
Associations which cannot give such a sum may decide to donate an adapted amount, in order to participate in a symbolic way to this worldwide campaign.
Check the status update on our 2015 Campaign.
Please donate 1€ or more to support this campaign!


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Tik-Tok Star Bio
How old is Hasbulla Magomedov and how tall is he?
Social Media PersonalityTik-Tok Star Bio
After his name became known as Mini Khabib after he went viral on TikTok and is pals with the UFC's top fighters, Magomedov became known. But who is he, and what is his age? Here is everything you need to know about him.
Who is Hasbulla Magomedov?
How old is Hasbulla Magomedov?
How tall is Hasbulla Magomedov?
How many fights has Hasbulla been involved in?
Hasbulla is a blogger and TikTok star from Makhachkala, Russia. He has a genetic disorder that gives him childlike characteristics such as stunted growth and a high voice.
Although it has not been officially confirmed, it is believed that he has a form of dwarfism.
Hasbulla has been posting content to Instagram since November 2020 but only went viral on TikTok in 2021.
The Russian native is believed to be 18 years old.
An exact date of birth is not known but many websites claim he was born in 2003.
What is Hasbulla Magomedov's net worth?
It has not yet been revealed what Hasbulla's net worth is just yet.
However the 18-year-old's wealth has grown considerably with his newfound fame.
According to an interview that Hasbulla did with SportsKeeda, he is 3ft 4inches.
The average height for an adult with dwarfism is 4ft with the general defined height being 4ft 10inches.
Why has Hasbulla Magomedov gone viral on Tik Tok?
Hasbulla became a cult hero in the MMA community after several videos of the blogger went viral.
He gained the nickname Mini Khabib after he recreated Khabib Nurmagomedov's iconic UFC weigh-in.
His pre-fight "press conference" with fellow social media personality Abdu Rozik is one of his most popular videos.
Rozik, 17, has a similar growth disorder which is believed to be GHD – Growth Hormone Deficiency.
Due to the two men's popularity online, Chechen MMA fighter Asxab Tamaev is reported to be organising a mixed martial arts fight between them.
However, Uliana Podpalnaya, head of the Russian Dwarf Athletic Association described the fight as "unethical and wrong".
She said in a statement that the fight was merely planned to make people laugh and that it would only be taken seriously if martial arts with dwarfism is made a Paralympic sport.
It's currently unknown whether Hasbulla has been involved in any previous fights, however he is known to be a close friend of UFC fighter Khabib Nurmagomedov.
The pair have often been seen in videos with one another on TikTok and have reportedly struck up a friendship. His subsequent relationship with the UFC ace has sparked questions about Hasbulla and his ambitions in the boxing world.
During a video released by Asxab Tamaev, Hasbulla was asked who he'd like to fight between Logan Paul, Conor McGregor, and American mixed martial artist Henry Cejudo.
Hasbulla answered, "I want to punish this one [Conor McGregor]. He talks too much."
Reed Woehrle (TikToker) Wiki, Bio, Age, Height, Weight, Girlfriend, Net Worth, Facts
BMF: Is Terry Flenory Arrested? Wife Kids & Net Worth
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's net worth and salary in 2021 explored


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The cool gadgets list – November 2017
The chilly nights are here and the smell of Christmas is on the horizon, so check out the latest gadgets and gizmos to lust over in the coming months.
30th November, 2017 at 00:00
Qoobo pillow
Cat and dogs are lovely, aren't they – but they do cost a bit, and they need walks, and smell. Wouldn't it be so much easier if you could get all the love and attention, comfort and warmth from something that didn't demand scooping unidentifiable meat from a tin to make them happy? The Qoobo pillow is a bizarre invention from Japan, which has a robotic tail that responds to your strokes like a pet would – perfect for healing your heart and relieving stress apparently. That is, we guess, unless you accidentally sit on it and fear you may have squished poor Tinkles the kitten.
¥10,000 (approx £70), kickstarter.com
Sony Aibo
While we're thinking about replacement pets, Sony's robot dog was an instant hit when it launched in 1999, and went on to sell over 150,000 units. Production ceased in 2006, but now it's back – with greatly improved robotic movement, enhanced 21st Century AI smarts and a camera in its nose. It goes on sale in Japan from January.
¥198,000 (£1,300 approx), aibo.sony.jp
nCube smart home hub
What do Albert Einstein, Marie Curie and Watson & Crick have in common? Nope, not Nobel Prizes (although they do all have them), but brians! Yes, it comes as no surprise that smart people have brains, and the same goes for a smart house. The nCube is one such smart brain, which supports over 100 devices and connects over Wi-Fi, LAN, Z-Wave and Bluetooth. Once everything is plugged in, you control your devices from your phone and automate them using simple commands. Best of all, because it acts as its own server it works offline, so if the internet goes down your house will still pop into life when it needs to.
£149, ncubehome.co.uk
Razer Phone
Razer are particularly good at making top-end computer rigs packed to the gills with features and components that make your gaming buttery smooth and graphically glorious. So it makes sense that they have put the same ethos into their first foray into mobile gaming. The snappily titled Razer Phone has a 120Hz, 5.7-inch screen screen with Dolby ATMOS and THX certified audio, all powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 with a whopping 8GB RAM – this is not a phone you would want to limit to Candy Crush.
Gaming aside, it also comes with all the other wizardry you would expect from a modern phone including dual 12MP cameras, expandable storage and a monster 4,000 mAh battery. Still no headphone jack though…
£699.99, razerzone.com
Studio19 SOLO 600XEQ premium Wi-Fi speaker
Portability and premium-quality sound rarely go hand in hand when it comes to speakers, but the Studio19 SOLO are about as close as you can get. Aside from looking like it would fit comfortably in the chicest Bauhaus flat (it even has a physical EQ built into the top!), the 600XEQ 200w speakers offer Dual Pressure Air Compression super-bass technology for, well, super bass, and Enhanced 360° Optimised Sound, which will spread your music not only 360 degrees from left to right, but also top to bottom giving you a glorious globe of superior spherical sound.
£TBC, www.studio19.london
Unihertz Jelly
Want a cheap and lightweight phone to take on your travels in place of your smartphone? The tiny, slimline Jelly runs on Android 7.0 Nougat, and packs in 4G reception, up to 2GB of RAM, a 2.45-inch screen, dual cameras, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and GPS.
From $79 (£60 approx), unihertz.com
Amplifi HD WiFi Router
It wasn't that long ago that we were running cables around our house if we wanted to be hooked up to that there high-speed internet, but thankfully wi-fi has sorted out the problem of potential trip hazards. But along with it comes another, potentially even more perilous concern – wi-fi dead spots. Ok, it might not be as serious as a sprained ankle but the thought of buffering during Star Trek: Discovery is enough to make any of us throw our laptop out the window.
This AmpliFi's router pumps out a 802.11ac signal at speeds up to 867 Mbps, almost as fast as the zippiest of ethernet cables, and paired with the AmpliFi Extenders means no corner of the house should be spared from the battle between the Federation and the Klingon Empire. It also has an LCD screen to show you the strength of the signal – and the time, which is nice.
£157.02, amplifi.com
GoBag 2
The euphoric highs of knowing you're off on a short weekend break are swiftly crushed when the thought of packing all your shirts, pants and socks in a carry-on sized bag kicks in. Rather than uncomfortably jamming everything in, the GoBag 2 solution is to pack it all in a special vacuum-compression bag, so you can suck out all of that pointless, space-hogging air that collects around your undies. Once you've squished out all the air you'll have plenty of space left over for the integrated wash bag and 15-inch laptop pocket – you might even be able to bring a souvenir home!
From £125, kickstarter.com
Vespa Elettrica electric scooter
Mamma Mia, now that's a nice scooter! It's taken a while for the iconic Vespa to join the electric revolution but now it's here we're giddy about getting on this one. With a peak power of 4kW, the new electric Vespa should easily out perform your gas-guzzling 50cc and can get 100km on a four-hour charge. Should you want to go further the hybrid Elettrica X can take you a full 200km before running out of puff.
£TBC, vespa.com
Buzzfeed Tasty One Top
Buzzfeed's first foray into hardware is a Bluetooth-enabled hotplate that links to their Tasty app, enabling even those who've been known to burn a tin of beans to cook over 1,700 dishes to perfection. Perfect for students heading off to uni!
$149 (£115 approx), tastyonetop.com
Amazon Kindle Oasis 2017
It's hard to believe that the Amazon Kindle is 10 years old now, which makes it even more staggering that it is only on its ninth generation that it finally has waterproofing (IPX8 to be precise, good for two metres of fresh water for up to 60 minutes). That said, the new premium Kindle Oasis looks worth the wait, with an aluminium body toting a 7-inch, 300 ppi screen. As you expect from the Kindle, it has a huuuuge book library, of which you can cram on 32GBs-worth, and with Audible you can pair with bluetooth speakers for audiobooks.
From £229.99, amazon.co.uk
The fully autonomous Travelmate robotic suitcase will happily roll along behind you through the airport (no more lugging bags for you!). It navigates crowds, and comes with a built-in weighing scale, LED lights, fingerprint security and GPS tracking.
From $499 (£385 approx), travelmaterobotics.com
SteelSeries Arctis 3 Bluetooth headset
We love the fact we can play Zelda on the way to work with the Nintendo Switch, but we're less enthusiastic about the lack of Bluetooth headset support. If only there were a way to play and use our commute time to speak to mum…
Fortunately gaming accessory specialists have released the Arctis 3 Bluetooth headset, which as well as having ultra-low distortion sound, class-leading microphone audio and a ski goggle headband for comfort, can play Bluetooth and wired sound simultaneously! No excuses for not making that call anymore…
£134.99, steelseries.com
Smart home gadgets can live or die by their simplicity to set up and their effectiveness. You would hope that the Nuki smart lock is suitably effective at keeping your house locked when you're not there, but its setup is one of the easiest we've seen yet – you simply mount it over your existing key, tighten a few bolts and you're good to go (quite literally).
Once you've installed the battery-powered lock (lasts about six months) and downloaded the app, it'll automatically detect when you're home or away and unlock accordingly, as well as connecting to Alexa or Google Assistant for completely hands free interaction. If you buy the Nuki Bridge you can unlock the door via the internet.
£199, Nuki.io/en
LG K7i mosquito repelling phone
One thing we've always felt missing on our modern smartphones are mosquito-repelling cases. Praise be that LG have heard our prayers and furnished us with the K7i. It's only available in India, where disease-carrying mosquitoes are actually a problem, and the science behind it is dubious at best, but hey, LG are thinking outside the box when it comes to new smartphone features…
Rs.7990 (approx £90), lg.com
Gooseberry Poppins
We live in a world where our mobile phones consider the humble headphone socket redundant, but alas, not all of us have caught up with such a modern trend and are still toting practically prehistoric headphones with, horror of horrors, a wired cable. Gooseberry's chief goal is to rejuvenate old tech, and the funky little Poppins is a Bluetooth receiver that wirelessly connects to your phone (or other audio device) and physically connects to your headphones. It comes in four groovy colours and attaches to your closes using a magnetic clip, and two Poppins can connect together to listen from the same audio source.
Shipping from Feb 2018, $19, indegogo.com
There is little that we can say about the HTC Vive Focus, other than it exists, but then a wirefree VR headset from the people that give us the excellent Vive is always welcome. It's going to be available in China, and there is no indication of cost or even specs other than having a Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 chip, an AMOLED screen and uses inside-out positional tracking. Sadly HTC have abandoned all hopes of having a Daydream branded headset, raising the pressure on the Focus to be a success. On a personal level, we're already fans of the name…
£TBC, vive.com
ZTE Axon M
Flipping heck, is that a new smartphone with a genuinely novel and potentially useful feature? The ZTE Axon M is a flip phone with a difference (because we're not in the 2000s any more, perhaps?), in that it flips out horizontally to give you two full HD screens, which you can either extend to one 6.75-inch screen, mirror what's seen on both or simply use with two different apps. It's not going to blow away other Android phones from the likes of Samsung or Google, but in terms of specs, but they are decent enough for a phone of this calibre – but then that's not why you'd buy this one is it…
$725, zteusa.com
Mui smart wood
Out of sight until needed, out of mind until utilised. Nope, these are not the thoughts of a Victorian headmaster about children, but the way more zen mantra of this glorious mix of tech and nature. This Internet of Things connected block of timber has all the appearance of an elegant piece of wood, until you caress the front, at which point it comes alive and controls your lights, reads your mail, sends you messages and tells you the weather. A welcome return to the elements in a world where we're surrounded by screens.
£TBA, mui.jp
Follow Science Focus on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Flipboard
The cool gadgets list – March 2018
The cool gadgets list – May 2018
The cool gadgets list – June 2018
3Doodler Create+: a 3D printing pen for potential Picassos


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Оттервілл — місто, штат Іллінойс
 Оттервілл — місто, штат Міссурі


Have you noticed a pattern with widely publicized media reports of construction defect settlements? They almost always seem to involve high end condo associations, with owners that can afford to hire the best attorneys to go up against prominent developers and architecture firms.
Settlements in the millions create good publicity for construction defect attorneys, after all.
But what about owners of modest means, or low-income owners of affordable housing? How well do they fare when they discover their homes and common areas are defective, possibly even posing health and safety threats?
Let's take a look at two recent reports on opposite ends of the spectrum.
Yet another group of luxury condos plagued by construction defects. Attorneys have recently worked out settlements with developers and architects for more than $8 million.
Barker Block HOA is a 6-building, 310-unit complex of loft style condos in converted warehouses in Los Angeles' Art District. The Kor Group completed most of the units in 2006. City View developed the final phase of 68 units, which opened in 2014.
Beginning in 2013, owners and residents noticed water leaks from common plumbing and leaky windows. Notice that it took more than three years to obtain a financial settlement from developers. That is a long time to live with water leaks, especially considering that some units exceed $1 million.
But at least these owners were able to make temporary repairs, and obtain a substantial settlement to offset their costs to repair and rebuild as necessary.
DTLA – Residents of the Arts District condominium complex the Barker Block have received more than $8 million to settle lawsuits that allege construction defects. Building occupants had long complained of problems including leaks and plumbing shutdowns.
The first settlement, of $7.3 million, comes from insurance companies representing project developers the KOR Group and City View.
By contrast to Barker Block, Fairway Oaks is a community of small, modest cottages. They were constructed by Habitat for Humanity volunteers at the turn of the century, on cheap land, and with cooperation and grants from the City of Jacksonville.
Owners did not receive free homes – they are still paying small mortgages, as well as HOA fees.
Within a few years, homeowners noticed large cracks in their concrete slab foundations, and soil movement beneath and around their homes. For nearly a decade, both Habitat for Humanity (known as HabiJax) and City of Jacksonville Housing Authority have been denying problems and pointing fingers at the homeowners for failing to maintain their properties and common areas.
Francesca Amiker of News 4 Jax began delving into the matter in 2016. Her investigative reporting has finally led to some movement by the City of Jacksonville, HabiJax and Jacksonville Legal Aid to look into apparent defects at Fairway Oaks. According to the most recent report, each group agreed to hire engineers to evaluate the homes, and then try to hammer out a compromise to resolve the problems.
But the City and HabiJax still refuse to test the soil upon which 85 homes have been built. So progress remains stalled.
Why won't the City and HabiJax agree to soil testing? Is it because they do not want to uncover any inconvenient facts, which just might confirm that owners of Fairway Oaks have been living on top of contaminated soil?
Yes, Legal Aid has been helping owners, but their funding is very limited.
Where is the high-powered, pro bono legal assistance for disadvantaged owners who really need it?
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Residents of the Fairway Oaks neighborhood who have been fighting for years to get repairs to what they call "poorly built HabiJax homes" are finally seeing results, but one issue still remains.
For months, the News4Jax I-TEAM has been digging into reports that show the area in Northwest Jacksonville, in which HabiJax chose to build the 85 homes in 2000, is located near a landfill that may not have been lined in the 1950s.
Within five years after the homes were built by HabiJax and 10,000 volunteers in 17 days, residents said that they noticed their homes were shaking and unsettled, and homeowners also began complaining about cracked slabs, sinking, mold and termites.
This entry was posted in affordable housing, Developer Control & Construction Defects, Health and Safety issues, Hidden Costs of HOAs, HOA Community Association Disputes & Legal Matters, Homeownership, Local Government Influence and tagged construction defects, HabiJax by deborahgoonan. Bookmark the permalink.


Soon after his taking over as Chief of Army Staff, General Deepak Kapoor caused consternation by favouring conscription for the Army. The government had to sternly contradict his stand. The chief of an army as large and responsible as that of India is not expected to shoot his mouth off. But that is what General Deepak Kapoor seems to be doing of late, as reported in the Indian Express. That has caused great embarrassment to the country forcing the government to issue clarifications more than once. In the process, he has ruffled feathers in Nepal, China and Pakistan alike. In Kathmandu, opposition leader Pushpa Kamal Dahal "Prachanda" is going to town over his reported comments on the issue of Maoist cadres joining the Nepalese army, accusing India of "naked interference" in Nepal. India's Ambassador in Kathmandu Rakesh Sood had to issue a press statement that "we have seen media reports attributing certain remarks to the Indian Chief of Army Staff General Deepak Kapoor on the issue of 'PLA integration' in the Nepal Army which are highly distorted and do not reflect Government of India's position on the issue".
He had caused similar consternation in Islamabad recently by his comment that "there is a possibility of a limited war under a nuclear overhang". Prime Minister Manmohan Singh himself had to do some damage control in Washington by stating that "any other statement distorted out of context should not carry the weight when I have stated categorically that Pakistan faces no threat whatsoever from our side". Despite this, the Army chief later spoke in a similar cavalier fashion that India was revising its war strategy to prepare for a two-front war with China and Pakistan.
The General would do well to leave the domain of policy statements to the political masters while engaging himself in defending the country to the best of his ability. He should have realised by now that his statements are prone to be "misunderstood". Even now it will not be too late.
In a setback to Indian Air Force's (IAF) plans to expand its capabilities, the Defence Ministry has cancelled a tender worth around Rs 6,000 crore for procuring six air-to-air refuelling aircraft.
The contract was cancelled after the Finance Ministry had raised objections over the price of the aircraft recommended and chosen by the IAF after an over two-year-long process, Defence Ministry sources said.
The IAF had recommended the government to buy the Airbus A330 multirole transport tanker aircraft as it believed that the European aircraft was technologically more capable than the Russian IL-78 aircraft in the fray, they added.
The price quoted by Airbus for its aircraft was more than what the Russians were asking and as per the Defence Procurement procedure (DPP) norms, the government must buy the cheapest item that satisfies the qualitative requirements of the forces.
Airbus and Ilyushin were the only two contenders in the race. The IAF already has a fleet of six mid-air refuellers, which are based in Agra and are used for increasing the endurance of its fighter aircraft.
Four years ago, the Defence Ministry had sent request for proposal to American Lockheed Martin, Boeing, European EADS and Russian Ilyushin. Lockheed Martin and Boeing did not respond to the tender.
Do not approach VVIPs and VIPs for postings. This is the message of the Indian Air Force to its officers and air warriors.
In a recently issued circular, the IAF has told its personnel that they should not approach VVIPs and VIPs to influence matters pertaining to their postings in the service.
When contacted to know the reasons behind issuing such a circular, IAF spokesperson Flight Lieutenant Priya Joshi said, "this is a routine general advisory issued by the IAF.
It was not instigated by any particular incident in the recent past."
"Such things are even discussed and conveyed to officers and troops at the welfare meetings that take place at unit level," she added.
The IAF spokesperson said there were well-established procedures in the service for "redressal of grievances for putting across one's view to higher echelons".
She added that writing directly to VVIPs for seeking favours was deemed to be an unauthorised channel of approach and seeking such direct interventions amounted to bypassing laid down channels and exerting undue pressure on decision-making authorities.
Blaming non-state actors for tensions between India and Pakistan, visiting Pakistan National Assembly Speaker Fehmida Mirza today pitched for the resumption of bilateral talks, saying that dialogue was the only way to tame disruptive forces and cull "consensus out of conflict".
During her references on the Speaker's role as a mediator at the 20th Conference of Speakers of Commonwealth nations, which concluded today, Mirza said absence of democratic institutions in the region had enabled the non-state actors to "act on their own and aggravate tensions".
"This can only be curtailed if we allow the chosen representatives of people to engage in the dialogue on a regular basis, understand each other's positions, dare to cross over the rigid governmental positions and seek consensus out of conflict," Mirza said in obvious though veiled references to the composite dialogue process between India and Pakistan, which was stalled post 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks last year.
India said it would resume dialogue only after Pakistan took concrete action against perpetrators of the terror attacks.
The Pakistan Speaker had yesterday discussed with Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar the need for greater parliamentary exchanges, particularly between India and Pakistan, and South Asian region in general.
Kumar today reacted positively to the suggestion, especially for establishing a regional women's parliamentary caucus, saying that: "If I and the Speaker of the Pakistan Assembly do it together, we will certainly do well. I will look at the suggestion."
Fehmida quoted India's first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru to say Speakers, as the symbol of national freedom, could be "assets in seeking sustainable solutions to the disputes between various nations as well." She earlier quoted Nehru, as having said: "The Speaker represents the freedom of the House and because the House represents the nation, in a particular way, the Speaker becomes the symbol of the nation's freedom and liberty."
Going a step further to push for the role of parliamentary diplomacy in the resolution of Indo-Pak dispute, Mirza said: "If cricket diplomacy can work in this region, so can and should the parliamentary diplomacy. As fellow Speakers, we must speak the language of our people, which is the same everywhere - the language of love."
The case relating to allegations in land scam, near Darjeeling, against Military Secretary Lt Gen Avadesh Prakash is likely to be decided next week. Sources of the Army headquarters said action was expected next week as Defence Minister AK Antony had taken a very strict view of the matter and called the Army Chief General Deepak Kapoor to discuss the same.
In case the Adjutant General agrees with findings of the Court of Inquiry (COI), then General Prakash will be issued a show-cause notice as to why the action should not be taken against him. The COI ordered by the General Officer-in-Chief Commanding (GOC-in-C) Eastern Command Lt Gen VK Singh.
The Army is under pressure to maintain its clean image and so is Antony, who has been ruthless against any case of corruption. Antony has already told the Army that such cases "not only damage the Indian Army's image", but also "adversely affect the ability of senior officers to measure up to the expectations of the men they lead".
Lt Gen Prakash retires on January 31 and can be punished after that also, however, the minister wants to be seen as taking action.
Other than Lt Prakash, Deputy Chief of Army Staff-designate Lt Gen P K Rath, 11 Corps Commander Lt Gen Ramesh Halgalli and Major General P C Sen were found culpable for issuing a No-objection Certificate to a private institution, which "falsely" claimed that it would set up an affiliate of the famed Ajmer-based Mayo College adjacent to Sukhna military station.
engine of growth for the rest of the world or the region marred with war and threats of war, depends on the leaderships of the countries of the region. When army generals start issuing policy statements and do not watch their words, the consequences could be disastrous. The unveiling of the 'two-front' strategy by Indian Army Chief, General Deepak Kapoor, during a closed-door seminar targeting China and Pakistan simultaneously sounds rather overambitious. His prattle included: "The armed forces have to substantially enhance their strategic reach and out-of-area capabilities to protect India's geo-political interests stretching from the Gulf to the Malacca Straits." The plan now is to launch self-contained and highly-mobile 'battle groups', with Russian-origin T-90S tanks and upgraded T-72 M1 tanks at their core, adequately backed by air cover and artillery fire assaults, for rapid thrusts into enemy territory within 96 hours. The question arises as to whether the war would last 96 hours between two nuclear states?
General Kapoor's claim of taking on Pakistan and China simultaneously needs an honest and objective analysis whether it is rhetoric or what he says is achievable. So far as conventional weapons are concerned, India has only quantitative edge over Pakistan but falls short in qualitative terms. As regards nuclear capability, Indian scientists had confirmed that at least the test of a thermonuclear device had failed because shockwave readings recorded were those of a conventional nuclear device and certainly not of a Hydrogen Bomb. After the Mumbai attacks, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had toyed with the idea of limited war or surgical strikes, and even the Americans were of the opinion that India should be allowed to hit a specified area in Pakistan to give vent to India's anger. However, General Kapoor had then expressed his inability to attack on the pretext of lack of sophisticated and quality equipment.
According to a newspaper report, the Indian Army is now revising its five-year-old doctrine to effectively meet the challenges of war with China and Pakistan, deal with asymmetric and fourth-generation warfare, and enhance strategic reach and joint operations with the IAF and Navy. The new war doctrine is being worked out at Simla-based Army Training Command headed by Lieutenant-General AS Lamba, who boasted that a massive thrust in Rawalpindi could quiet Pakistanis within 48 hours of the start of the assault. The Indian Generals should bear in mind that when it comes to war it is not doctrines that determine its course but fighting assumes its own momentum that determines the course. There is a perception that General Kapoor's rhetoric of a two-front war strategy is meant to threaten the insurgents and terrorists in India. According to South Asia Terrorism Portal's report 2007, at least 231 of the country's 608 districts were afflicted by various insurgent and terrorist movements in differing intensities. In addition, wide areas of the country appear to have 'fallen off the map' of good governance, and are acutely susceptible to violent political mobilisation, lawlessness and organised criminal activity. In this backdrop one can conclude that India is awash with home-grown terrorist organisations and can implode from within without any outside effort. Coming back to India's 'two-front strategy', one has to remind the Indian generals that it had failed when Germany prepared a two-front strategy — Russia and Europe. The US's two-front strategy — Iraq and Afghanistan — is also doomed to failure. The question is, can India be successful, especially when it has deployed 700,000 troops in Indian-Held Kashmir (IHK), and has started military operations against the Maoists?
Whereas India has been trying to prove itself as a responsible nuclear state, its Generals' statements have caused tremendous embarrassment to the government. Ahead of General Kapoor's first official visit to Nepal, the Indian government distanced itself from the controversy raked up by his reported statement about the Maoist army in Nepal, saying it did not reflect the government's position. On January 4, 2010, the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu said: "We have seen media reports attributing certain remarks to the Indian Chief of Army Staff General Deepak Kapoor on the issue of the integration of the (Maoist) People's Liberation Army (PLA) in the Nepal Army. These do not reflect the government of India's position on the issue." The Maoists condemned the Indian general's reported statement as naked intervention in Nepal's internal matter. General Kapoor was reported as saying last month that the PLA should not be merged with the Nepal Army as it would lead to the politicisation of the state army. China is also determined to retrieve the land occupied by India in Arunachal Pradesh. Many defence analysts are of the view that Arunachal is a flashpoint like or even more than Taiwan.
As recently as January 3, 2010, Indian External Affairs Minister SM Krishna in an interview emphasised that China's continued supply of weapons to Pakistan and activities of Chinese companies in Azad Kashmir were a matter of concern, and India was talking about all these issues with China. Explaining why India sees these activities in Azad Kashmir as 'illegal', Krishna said: "Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of the country; neither Pakistan nor China has a locus standi there." But it is not true because the Kashmir dispute is still pending in the UN awaiting implementation of UN Security Council resolutions whereby the Kashmiris had been given the right to decide about joining Pakistan or India through a plebiscite to be held under the aegis of the UN. Whereas the US seems to have invoked its policy of containing China in a subtle manner, Beijing is also making preparations for any eventuality and building up its military strength to project power not only regionally but also to contend with the US as a major player in global politics. Nevertheless, the Chinese leaders hope that frictions can be contained and overwhelmed by the two nations' shared interest in prosperity. The Chinese leadership also understands that economic power is the most important and most essential factor in comprehensive national power, which is why China has all along focused on increasing its economic strength keeping in mind that its military strength depends on the former.
China and India yesterday resumed its annual high-level bilateral talks on defense issues - the first time ever that the Indian defense secretary has visited Beijing for the military dialogue between the Asian neighbors.
The People's Liberation Army Deputy Chief of General Staff Ma Xiaotian and Indian Defense Secretary Pradeep Kumar jointly presided over yesterday's negotiations, which are expected to last through today.
Senior defense officials from India have accompanied Kumar on his trip.
The neighbors agreed on many issues of mutual concern, including "regional security, and relations between the two militaries", according to a press release issued by the Ministry of National Defense yesterday.
The dialogue is a good platform for both sides to "clarify concerns, deepen mutual trust and coordinate stances," the release quoted Ma, while Kumar said India was keen to expand the scope of defense and security cooperation with China. No further details were released.
Chinese defense experts and the Indian media said the annual talks this time round would touch upon the sensitive border issue and India's concerns over the Chinese naval presence in the Indian Ocean.
This is the third such annual dialogue between the Asian powers.
The first was held in 2008 amid escalating tensions over infrastructure construction along both countries' border.
The border issue stretches back to colonial British rule. China and India share a nearly-2,000 km border and disputed areas cover about 125,000 sq km on both sides.
A leading Indian economic daily, the Financial Express, this week quoted unnamed sources as saying that the previous dialogues had been exploratory in nature, with both sides not touching upon the boundary question or other controversial claims.
"In fact, there was hardly any conversation even on new confidence building measures. The focus, rather, was on maritime cooperation in and around the Gulf of Aden to combat piracy, with the Chinese side using the opportunity to repeat their concerns over Tibetan political activities in India," the newspaper said.
Last year was a turning point in military exchanges between the two neighbors - for the first time, Indian military commanders in charge of border defense visited Tibet, as well as the Chengdu Military Command.
Following the trip, the Chinese military commander in charge of Tibet visited India and was taken to the Eastern Army Command.
Border security is highly likely to figure during the ongoing talks, said Fu Xiaoqiang, a scholar of South Asia studies with the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations.
"It's a good opportunity. Trust building between the two militaries is key to easing border disputes," he said.
Indian sources told the Financial Express that the talks have raised hopes about improved coordination along the Line of Actual Control, which will better address differences in perception regarding the border until a permanent solution is reached.
The sources also said the annual forum would touch upon India's concern over China's naval presence in the Indian Ocean. The Chinese Navy has sent some ships to waters off Somalia to protect its and foreign merchant vessels from attacks by pirates.
During the visit, Kumar is also expected to meet top officials of the PLA.
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's political and military leadership on Wednesday decided not to adopt any soft posture towards India, saying that no one should underestimate Pakistan's capacity to safeguard its sovereignty.
The decision was taken in a meeting of the Defence Committee of the Cabinet (DCC) in connection to the recent remarks of the Indian army chief Deepak Kapoor about pursuing a proactive strategy to simultaneously wage wars against China and Pakistan. The remarks of Indian army chief produced uproar in local media while the country's military and political leadership responded by making bunt statements.
According to official sources, the meeting of DCC, the country's highest forum for defence policy consultation and coordination, decided to bring Pakistan's diplomatic and military policies in line with India's aggressive stance towards the country. The committee said that Pakistan's defence forces and its strategic and conventional capabilities would continue to be strengthened, the sources added.
The committee was also briefed on the latest security situation in the troubled North and South Waziristan tribal regions by the top military officials.
The briefing coincided with US drone strikes in North Waziristan, killing four militants and injuring two others, on Wednesday, local security officials said. "The missiles hit a militant compound in Datta Khel area of North Waziristan which was believed to be a training camp of militants. We have reports that four people have been killed," an intelligence official said. It was the third drone strike this year in the lawless Waziristan region while 51 strikes were carried out in 2009, according to a Reuters tally.
The US has been pushing Pakistan to take action against other Taliban groups in North Waziristan, particularly the Haqqani network. North Waziristan on the Afghan border is a well-known sanctuary for al Qaeda and Taliban militants.
The DCC meeting decided, the insiders said, that Pakistan will not declare military offensive in North Waziristan under external pressure.
The participants of the meeting agreed that the final decision regarding a military operation in North Waziristan would be taken only after assessing ground realities.
The meeting was informed that the Nato commander in Afghanistan, General Stanley McChrystal, during his recent meetings with Pakistan's top military leadership, had agreed to re-establish military posts along the Pak-Afghan border near the Waziristan region.
There is no doubt that while fighting against the occupying forces, the Taliban have been conducting ambush assaults and suicide attacks on the NATO forces and claim responsibility. Last year, western commanders and high officials have admitted that level of insurgency has increased in Afghanistan.
In fact, Indian intelligence agency, RAW has been availing this golden opportunity of perennial militancy�to target the NATO troops and military installations in Afghanistan. Such acts of sabotage are also being conducted inside Pakistan, which also include attacks on the NATO's supply-trucks and containers passing through Pakistan.
Question arises in the mind of people as to how RAW can conduct subversive activities against the US-led NATO interest both in Afghanistan and Pakistan. The reply is quite clear, which can better be understood by students of international relations.
All the developments in Afghanistan cannot be seen in isolation because they have a co-relationship with Indian other regional designs. India is determined to become a greater power of Asia, and wants to go even to the extent of war with nuclear power like Pakistan and China. In this context, Indian Army chief General Deepak Kapoor vocally said on December 29, 2009 that Indian Army "is now revising its five-year-old doctrine" and is preparing for a "possible two-front war with China and Pakistan."
No country can ignore its defence, while its enemy has aggressive designs. In response to New Delhi's open threat, on January 2, Pakistan's Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (JCSC) Chairman Gen. Tariq Majid stated, "The Indian Army Chief's statement exhibits a lack of strategic acumen. He further said that such a path could "fix India on a self-destruct mechanism." A day ago, Pakistan's Chief of Army Staff General Ashfaq Kayani warned that the situation would get out of control in case of any dangerous adventurism of New Delhi.
It is notable that in the recent past, although the US President Obama has announced that he will send an extra 30,000 US troops to fight the war in Afghanistan, yet his revised strategy also includes withdrawal of forces, which will start in July 2011. In this context, on November 15, last year, US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton had already revealed, "We're not interested in staying in Afghanistan" for a long time and set a start date for military withdrawal.
It is mentionable that during his trip to the USA in 2009, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh left no stone unturned in convincing Washington by raising alleged concerns regarding Pakistan and Afghanistan in connection with militancy. In his interview to the Washington Post and Newsweek, Singh remarked that India "wants to resolve all outstanding issues with Pakistan", while accusing the latter of "sponsoring terrorism." He called for the US pressure on Islamabad to rein in extremists. He also said that he would encourage the American leadership to stay in Afghanistan. Besides, Singh warned that Afghanistan could fall into a civil war if the US exited.
On the other side, frustrated in achieving their aims, NATO countries have seriously been considering withdrawal of their troops from Afghanistan in future owing to growing domestic pressure coupled with daily casualties of their personal and rising cost of war. Particularly, America has been bearing huge losses, amounting seven trillion dollars in the total cost of war against terrorism, increase in defence budget and acute financial crisis inside the US homeland.
If US-led NATO forces pull out of Afghanistan, Karzai regime will fall like a house of cards due to the Taliban insurgency. Hence, India has planned to entrap the US permanently in Afghanistan in order to achieve its secret designs against Pakistan and China�in the Indian-held Kashmir by damaging American global and regional interests, and thus wants to get further benefits from the US and other developed countries so as to become a superpower.
Notably, American dependence on Pakistan for war against terrorism and for close economic cooperation with China, and in future, withdrawal of foreign powers from Afghanistan will roll back Indian clandestine agenda which is part of its regional ambition against Islamabad and Beijing.
Sometimes surprises happen in world politics which is an arena of great complications, and states' shrewd strategies are followed by all unfair means. In this respect, renowned thinker, Morghenthau, while echoing the thoughts of Machiavelli indicates that sometimes rulers have to act upon immoral activities like falsehood, deceit and theft. In this connection, India is determined to obtain its inter-related aims to dominate other regional countries. Particularly, it considers Pakistan an obstacle in its way.
Under the pretext of Talibinisation of Afghanistan and Pakistan, Indian secret agency, RAW with the support of Israeli Mossad has well-established its networks. Particularly, India has been running secret operations against Pakistan from its consulates in Mazar-i-Sharif, Jalalabad, Kandhar and other sensitive parts of the Pak-Afghan border. It has spent millions of dollars in Afghanistan to strengthen its grip. And from there, Indian RAW has been sending well-trained militants along with arms to Pakistan so as to attack the security personnel including western nationals. New Delhi which wants to get strategic depth against Pakistan has not only increased its military troops in the counry, but has also decided to set up cantonments. In this respect, puppet regeme of Hamid Karzai encouraged India in using the Border Roads Organisation in constructing the ring roads by employing Indo-Tibeten police force for security.
Meanwhile, admiting Indian activities in Afghanistan, on September 20, NATO commander, Gen. McChrystal in his report on the Afghan war had admitted: "Indian political and economic influence is increasing in Afghanistan including significant development efforts…is likely to exacerbate regional tensions."
Worried about withdrawal of the US-led allies from Afghanistan, India with the covert support of Indo-Israeli lobbies has already started a propaganda campaign in the west to implicate Islamabad.
Nevertheless, with its ambitious policy including development and acquisition of sophisticated arms from the most developed countries, New Delhi tries to achieve its secret goals, coupled with its size at any cost. For this purpose, RAW has been given a carte blanche to target the US-backed forces in Afghanistan. In this context, with the help of Indian so-called Muslim scholars, RAW has set up a number of secret mudrassas in India from where well-trained agents of RAW are being sent to Afghanistan to join the ranks and files of Taliban�and are conducting various activities such as plantation of roadside bombs, deployment of mines and suicide attacks on NATO's personnel and installations so as to distort the image of Pakistan in the eyes of America and Europe.
In this context, RAW has also intensified subversive activities in Pakistan where Afghan-like militancy is continuously being supported by RAW agents. This agency has also been given a free hand by New Delhi to attack NATO's supply vehicles in Pakistan.
While in case of both Afghanistan and Pakistan, sometimes Taliban claims responsibility for their acts of sabotage. But fact of the matter is that in most of the cases, RAW's technical experts arrange video movies and tapes to show that Taliban have accepted the responsibility in order to conceal the real face of India.
Besides other assaults on NATO troops and bases, on December, 2009 a well-planned suicide attack killed seven CIA officers at a highly-protected military base in Afghanistan. In this regard, The Washington post reported, "the suicide attack was one of the deadliest blows ever against the CIA…a bomber managed to penetrate the defences of the 'forward base', detonating an explosives belt in a room described as a gym."
American military officials are worried as to how this base became vulnerable to insurgents' target. Although the Taliban have claimed responsibility for the incident, yet the authenticity of this message is either not clear or the same is fake. In fact, hired Muslim agents of RAW have conducted this suicide attacks in the guise of the Taliban. Same is also true regarding Pakistan where similar pattern is being adopted by the agents of RAW, who sometimes kill the foreigners including Chinese nationals. Other subversive activities and targeted killings of Pakistanis by RAW in our country are not only to create instability, but also to confuse the massacre of westerners in order to hide the real identity of the Indian agents.
At a closed door seminar in the last week of the last decade, the Indian Army reviewed its doctrine. Presumably, it is gearing up for facing the challenges of the current decade and beyond. This is apparent from the sound bytes of the Chief on the occasion in which he referred to preparing for a 'two front' scenario. Armies as institutions cater for the 'worst case'. A 'two front' scenario being the 'worst case' for India, the Army is evidently in the midst of thinking through how it would cope. Its earlier largely Pakistan specific 'Cold Start' strategy has been perfected over the past half decade. Over the same period, the Army in conjunction with the Air Force had moved towards a more offensive stance even against China with the IAF moving additional air assets towards that front and the Army raising two mountain divisions as part of a mountain strike corps. The new posture was termed 'active deterrence' as against the 'dissuasive deterrence' that was practiced earlier. The two distinct postures are perhaps being amalgamated to cater for the 'worst case' scenario.
This is part of periodic updation of the doctrine of 2004 being conducted by the Army Training Command. As mentioned in the preface to the 2004 Indian Army Doctrine by the then Army Commander, 'Part I will be reviewed every five years and updated, as necessary.' This 'main part' was earlier accessible on the Army's website; but is now available on the website of Headquarters Integrated Defence Staff. The second part is classified and is only for restricted circulation. As a whole, the doctrine is to be re-issued every ten years. It is likely that the open document is currently under review, though news reports let on that the 'Cold Start' strategy is also under review. Interestingly, the Cold Start strategy does not find mention in Part I and can be presumed to have been dwelt with in the restricted Part II. In effect, both parts are likely being dealt with in the ongoing review, though only the revised Part I would be placed in the public domain eventually.
The Army's commendable initiative is expectedly as per schedule. The 'two front' aspect is prompted, as the Times of India defence correspondent has it, by a 'reconfiguration of threat perceptions and security challenges'. The backdrop to this is possibly the friction in India-China relations played out in the media late last year, particularly troublesome from the military point of view being border intrusions and the asymmetry brought about by Chinese military modernisation and infrastructure improvements in the Tibetan plateau. The Army Chief has been sanguine in his comment on the Pakistan front, stating as per Pandit's report: "A major leap in our approach to conduct of operations (since then) has been the successful firming-up of the cold start strategy (to be able to go to war promptly)."
The point of significance is that even as the Army in keeping with its social responsibility of provision of security prepares for the worst case, it would be a political-diplomatic-strategic exercise to ensure that such a scenario does not arise. Logically, a 'two front' strategy comprises first knocking Pakistan down by a blow from a Cold Start and then transferring the centre of gravity to the relatively slower paced, but more portentous conflict in the eastern Himalayas. As called for in the Draft Nuclear Doctrine of 1999, India's conventional forces are to be of the order as to negate any call on India's nuclear capability. Therefore any doctrinal and organisational moves of the military to cater for conventional capability to take on the worst case are mandated. However, despite growing defence budgets, the capability requirement of prevailing on both fronts may be an onerous strain. Therefore, it is a political call as to what level the Army needs to tread down this route.
A response to the Army's initiative in terms of political direction from the Cabinet Committee on Security, with input from the National Security Council Secretariat, is called for. This would help assimilate the Army initiative in a 'whole of government' approach to the problem to the levels warranted. The "proportionate focus towards the western and north-eastern fronts" referred to by General Kapoor at the seminar was restricted to force levels and capabilities distribution by the Army to both fronts. Instead, it needs to be widened through such direction to include diplomacy, the relative weight between the three services and between conventional capability and strategic deterrence.
Rajat Pandit, attributing his information to 'sources', indicates that 'The (Cold Start) plan now is to launch self-contained and highly-mobile `battle groups', with Russian-origin T-90S tanks and upgraded T-72 M1 tanks at their core, adequately backed by air cover and artillery fire assaults, for rapid thrusts into enemy territory within 96 hours.' He states that this is in keeping with the lesson of Operation Parakram and is to undercut any delay that would enable Pakistan to shore up its defences and outside powers to intervene diplomatically. The launch from a standing start is operationally useful in that it would be against limited opposition and would facilitate more options for the subsequent deep-battle. Strategically, it has the advantage of heightening conventional deterrence directed at influencing Pakistani proxy war.
However, it is politically problematic in that it restricts the time window of examining non-military options. In the event of a grave provocation for instance in the form of another 26/11, pressures to proceed on militarily sensible timetables arise. The resulting situation would be reminiscent of the The Guns of August. While preparedness to furnish the political head with options in the circumstance is the Army's prerogative, care needs to be taken against being stampeded. Second, though the Cold Start strategy is reportedly cognizant of the nuclear overhang, a second opinion is necessary. This is not to second guess the Army, but since the judgment is at the interface between the conventional and nuclear planes, it is one best taken jointly between military and civilian principals.
Part I under revision is sketchy on limitation in conflict. Having a section on limitation has the advantage of placing the Army on one page and informing the nation how the Army intends engaging with the nuclear overhang. Communication being useful for deterrence, knowledge of this with the enemy also helps in staying any itchy nuclear fingers. The current doctrine has rightly accepted that 'victory' can be 'defined in other terms such as reconciliation, stabilisation (acceptance of the status quo) or acceptance of an agreed peace plan.' The nuclear backdrop implies that military action supplement diplomacy, and not the other way round, though both are instruments towards the same political ends.
The Army therefore needs to build in suitable 'exit points' in the unfolding of its operation, such as prior to launch of pivot corps offensive resources, prior to launch of strike corps, prior to break out of enemy operational depth and prior to developing a threat to terminal objectives. These would act as cues to maximising diplomatic pressures on the enemy leadership to concede legitimate and reasonable aims. In this conceptualisation, the military threat of incremental coercion brings Schelling's concept of deterrence i.e. 'the threat that leaves something to chance', into the equation. The onus for things getting out of hand, resting with the enemy, serves to deter. That there would be no pauses at these junctures entails getting national political resources in concert. This necessitates explicit inclusion in doctrine after due consultations.
This brings one to the issue of doctrinal formulation and promulgation in India. The absence of a Chief of Defence Staff leads to each service formulating and promulgating respective doctrine on its own. While admittedly this would be after due formal and informal networking with other services, yet organisational theory informs that this cannot be without the contaminating element of inter-service rivalry. The Joint Doctrine released earlier can serve to inform fresh doctrinal reflection, but not much more. The Ministry of Defence, which in the view of critics is by default exercising de-facto CDS functions, cannot be expected to adjudicate. Any faultlines that arise will then await the harsh test of conflict before being dispensed with. This is self-evidently untenable and requires attention at the political level.
Understandably, Pakistan's Foreign Office spokesman Abdul Basit has said that the Army's deliberations "betray a hostile intent as well as a hegemonic and jingoistic mindset which is quite out of step with the realities of our time." It appears that even the routine exercise, announced well prior, of doctrinal review has deterrence value. It remains to be seen how the final document addresses what Bernard Brodie described as the principle challenge for militaries of the nuclear age – that of deterrence rather than war fighting.