text:
Tag Archives: Anonymous
'Integrity Initiative' c/o Institute for Statecraft — the UK government's own troll farm
Update: Inside the Integrity Initiative
On Boxing Day, independent journalists Max Blumenthal and Ben Norton invited propaganda expert Professor David Miller from the University of Bristol to discuss the scandal surrounding UK government-funded think tank The Institute for Statecraft and its 'Integrity Initiative' on their podcast Moderate Rebels (E32).
Last week I received a response to a parliamentary question I'd tabled asking the government if the 'Integrity Initiative', a so-called think tank dealing in disinformation, had received government funding. The response was stunning. I was met with the admission that in the last 18 months or so, some 2.2 million has been awarded by the Foreign Office to this organisation.
Staffed by former security and military personnel, its agenda seems to include the denigration of the Labour Party and Jeremy Corbyn. Their approach is to connect media with academia and politicians to influence policy in certain countries.
Leaked documents revealed numerous examples such as Pedro Baños, an army reserve colonel and author, who the Spanish Socialist Party wanted to make the country's Director of National Security. That was before the Integrity Initiative's Spanish cluster for involved, putting a stop to the appointment altogether.
That's right a Foreign Office-funded British think tank stopped the appointment of a public official in a fellow European democracy. And these are the people defending freedom?
Now it seems similar tricks are being played here at home. Ben Nimmo, a core member of the Integrity Initiative's UK cluster was even quoted in The Sun newspaper saying Russia was supporting Corbyn against his opponents both in the Labour Party and outside it. The newspaper used this to support its assertion, which had no other evidence, that "a twisted Russian cyber campaign which has back Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn is aiming to sow division across the UK".
How many other stories like this have been entirely fabricated, and with government funding too? Well we don't know, because after I submitted a follow-up question, Minister of State Alan Duncan refused to provide any further information claiming it could "disrupt and undermine the programme's effectiveness".
Effectiveness at what? Interfering in the politics of other countries while undermining the leader of Britain's opposition? Because that's precisely what it's doing. That's why I'm calling for a public enquiry into the Integrity Initiative and similar information war efforts being funded by our government.
Their approach of silencing and suppressing aspects of public debate doesn't strengthen democracy, it debases it. — Chris Williamson MP
Click here to watch a video presentation of the statement on Chris Williamson's facebook page uploaded on December 11th.
Even the mainstream media has been forced to give a few paragraphs to the outrageous Integrity Initiative, under which the MOD-sponsored Institute for Statecraft has been given millions of pounds of taxpayers' money by the FCO to spread covert disinformation and propaganda, particularly against Russia and the anti-war movement. Activities include twitter and facebook trolling and secretly paying journalists in "clusters of influence" around Europe. Anonymous helpfully leaked the Institute's internal documents. Some of the Integrity Initiative's thus exposed alleged covert agents, like David Aaronovitch, have denied any involvement despite their appearance in the documents, and others like Dan Kaszeta the US "novichok expert", have cheerfully admitted it. — Craig Murray
Click here to read Craig Murray's full article entitled "British Security Service Infiltration, the Integrity Initiative and the Institute for Statecraft" published on December 13th.
Did Jeremy Corbyn mutter words to the effect that Theresa May is a "stupid woman"? I don't know because I'm not a lip-reader. Neither do I care.
May is a woman and she was (as is increasingly her manner) behaving stupidly. As for the buffoons behind her, 'stupid' fails to do justice to their infantile efforts to divert attention from the irremediable divisions within their own ranks and the shambolic failures of this callous and inept Tory government. Given the seriousness of the current political situation, Wednesday's Commons pantomime was more than a national embarrassment, it was an unspeakable disgrace, and ought to have been reported on as such. But what we got instead were the feeble rumblings of another smear campaign against Jeremy Corbyn.
The BBC led the way as they so often do. Thus sham allegations of misogyny against Corbyn made during the Commons debacle became headlines to every news bulletin and in the 24 hours since featured in no less than three articles. So today if you google "stupid woman BBC" you will find a full page of hits:
On the other hand, if you search for "integrity initiative BBC" a mere four of google's hits are actually linked to the BBC and just one of those links reaches an actual article:
The reason for this disparity is straightforward. Since the release of the leaks at the beginning of November and the ensuing 'Integrity Initiative' scandal, the BBC has only ever published one article on the matter. An article it has since revised on no less than four occasions.
The article in question published back on December 10th is headlined "Russia hack 'bid to discredit' UK anti-disinformation campaign – Foreign Office" and credited to Diplomatic Correspondent James Landale, however, an earlier version was in fact released four hours prior and entitled "Foreign Office probes Russia campaign over 'anti-Labour tweets'". The difference between these twin versions is striking:
The original piece centres attention on the FCO's investigation into the Institute and quotes Sir Alan Duncan saying "he would 'totally condemn' any UK-backed organisation 'involved in domestic politics in that way'". This is strong language for a government minister. The updated version opens instead with a strident assault on "Russia state media" and asserts that it is "trying to discredit a government-funded body that works to counter Kremlin disinformation". In this new telling the serious charges levelled against the IfS are neatly brushed over and an organisation that in different circumstances would be decried as a troll farm is instead recast as the more or less innocent victim of Kremlin villainy!
Click here to compare versions at News Sniffer.
In the Commons earlier, I asked Alan Duncan why taxpayers money had been used by the so-called 'Integrity Initiative' to disseminate political attacks from its Twitter site (1/2). pic.twitter.com/zQNOPeQOMn
— Emily Thornberry (@EmilyThornberry) December 12, 2018
So the Institute for Statecraft (IfS) is what precisely? It declares itself "independent" and somehow holds Scottish charity status (this is finally under investigation too). If it were not for the current scandal it would have surely remained just one of a burgeoning multitude of so-called "political charities". But as its "Integrity Initiative" has suddenly been exposed (by whoever was behind the hack – Anonymous have claimed credit) what we discover with each fresh tranche of leaked documents is how UK government money is being diverted for nefarious purposes: not only to smear the Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, but to meddle in democracies abroad. We learn in fact that "clusters" of its agents are embedded throughout Europe and beyond:
One such cluster operates in Spain, where the II [Integrity Initiative] successfully obstructed the appointment of a reservist colonel, Pedro Baños, who was preferred by the socialist government as the country's next head of national security. Despite his strong resume – Baños was once head of counterintelligence and security for the European army – his admission on Twitter that Spain 'would not gain anything from provoking Russia' was apparently a stretch too far.
writes Aaron Bastani in an excellent piece for Novara Media. He continues:
The operation itself was named 'Operation Moncloa' and proved successful in less than 24 hours. Around midday on 7 June 2018, the Spanish cluster learned that Baños would soon be appointed to the role. […]
By 19.45 the Spanish cluster noted the campaign had raised significant noise on Twitter, with contacts in the Socialist party confirming the matter had been brought to the attention of prime minister Pedro Sanchez. Not long after the Partido Popular and Ciudadanos asked the prime minister to halt the appointment. They were successful.
Listed as the operatives working within its UK "cluster" we find Ben Nimmo, a fellow at the Atlantic Council – home also to Eliot Higgins of Bellingcat notoriety – and usual suspects including Edward Lucas and Anne Applebaum. Another name on the list is that of Labour MP, Ben Bradshaw:
Alongside military personnel the bedrock of the cluster are individuals working in think tanks, with Demos, RUSI, Chatham House, and the Henry Jackson Society all represented. Among the military names are high ranking officials including a captain in the Royal Navy and a colonel. On Twitter the II is followed by some interesting names, including Tom Watson, Luke Akehurst and Mary Creagh.
writes Bastani in the same piece for Novara Media, continuing:
Among the organisation's top three 'deliverables' to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the first is to develop and prove 'the cluster concept and methodology, setting up clusters in a range of countries with different circumstances'. The II is essentially a proof-of-concept in how to exert influence in an era of hybrid war where information can be a critical variable. Subsequently, its model should be viewed as mirroring that of Russia, the morphology of influencers, narrativistic 'poles of attraction' and the leveraging of backchannels (WhatsApp groups, text messages and email) to coordinate a front-facing response: this being composed of a 'swarm' on social media which synergises with legacy formats in broadcast and print.
That such an approach is being applied by a British organisation to the politics of a European neighbour is cause for grave concern – and by itself merits an enquiry. What's worse, however, is the possibility that the same approach has been used against Corbyn's Labour. One only need look on the II's Twitter feed to see the low regard it holds Corbyn and his leading advisers in. Intriguingly, the organisation was founded in the autumn of 2015 – the same time Corbyn became Labour leader.
Click here to read Aaron Bastini's full article entitled "Undermining Democracy, Not Defending It: The 'Integrity Initiative' is Everything That's Wrong With British Foreign Policy" also published on December 10th.
The list of individuals associated with the UK-based cluster also includes the names of seven journalists (see update below for further information on this):
Deborah Haynes, David Aaronovitch and Dominic Kennedy all from The Times.
Natalie Nougayrède from the Guardian.
Neil Buckley from the FT.
And (like the final piece of a jigsaw fitting inevitably into place) Jonathan Marcus who is a Diplomatic Correspondent at the BBC…
As Craig Murray writes:
[But] One of the activities the Integrity Initiative sponsors happens to be the use of online trolls to ridicule the idea that the British security services ever carry out any kind of infiltration, false flag or agent provocateur operations, despite the fact that we even have repeated court judgements against undercover infiltration officers getting female activists pregnant. The Integrity Initiative offers us a glimpse into the very dirty world of surveillance and official disinformation. If we actually had a free media, it would be the biggest story of the day.
Click here to read Craig Murray's full article entitled "British Security Service Infiltration, the Integrity Initiative and the Institute for Statecraft".
And here to read Tim Hayward's article "Integrity: Grasping the Initiative".
Update: on UK journalists named in documents
The following is republished from the "Briefing note on the Integrity Initiative" published by the Working Group on Syria, Propaganda and Media on December 21st.
7.1 UK journalists named in documents
The Times – Deborah Haynes (now with Sky News), David Aaronovitch, Dominic Kennedy
The Guardian – Natalie Nougayrede, Carole Cadwalladr
The Economist – Edward Lucas
FT – Neil Buckley
BBC – Jonathan Marcus
Paul Canning – blogger with a focus on Ukraine, who has contributed to The Guardian
David Leask – Chief Reporter, Herald Scotland
Borzhou Daragahi – The Independent – appears as the only individual listed under 'Turkey' in the document xcountry.pdf that tabulates countries and election dates.
We have asked journalists listed in the documents whether they have had any contact with the Integrity Initiative. It may be relevant that the Integrity Initiative Handbook states that members of clusters are 'to sign code of conduct & non-disclosure'.
Their responses can be grouped into four categories
7.1.1 I know nothing
David Aaronovitch – When asked over Twitter whether he knew of or had had contact with Integrity Initiative, Institute for Statecraft or the UK Cluster, Aaronovitch replied
I have never heard of any of these three exotic entities. I think you have been hoaxed.
Jonathan Marcus (BBC) – the BBC provided a statement to the Scottish Sunday Mail (print edition 16 December 2018) that
neither Marcus nor the BBC knew of the list of journalists, nor did he or the BBC consent to be part of any so-called cluster.
7.1.2 I attended a meeting or was on an email list, but was not involved
Borzou Daragahi:
'I do receive their emails'
'it goes to my junk email account'
'I systematically subscribe to think tank email newsletters'
7.1.3 I am proud to be associated with them, there was nothing improper
Edward Lucas – has written a commentary with title 'West is Once Again Failing the Test Set by Russian Aggression'. published on the Integrity Initiative website on 26 November 2018. In an article on RT on 23 November 2018, he was quoted as writing:
I have not been paid by the institute. But I applaud their work in dealing with the Chekist regime's pernicious information and influence operations.
He did not confirm or deny the existence of a network, responding to questions on Twitter with:
I don't see why one lot of people have to explain being on lists compiled by another lot of people
David Leask – has been open about working with the Integrity Initiative. He has published two articles quoting "a spokesman for the Integrity Initiative", one on the visit of Andriy Parubiy and one on Russian media coverage of the Salisbury poisonings. He has endorsed the output of the twitter account @initintegrity and others associated with the Integrity Initiative such as Nimmo. He responded to the release of documents with a 12 tweet thread on Twitter., acknowledging contact with the Integrity Initiative but denouncing Sputnik for 'insinuation that I work for for or with a Nato/UK black ops'.
Leask's description of the Integrity Initiative as 'a network of researchers and journalists seeking to counter Russian propaganda and boost media literacy" confirms the existence of a network. In response to further questions, Leask asserted that government funding of the Integrity Initiative was 'hardly a secret'. On this he was mistaken. The official summary of the Russian Language Programme does not list the recipient 'implementing organizations' stating that 'Information has been withheld from publication on security grounds'. Although the government funding of £1.96 million for the Integrity Initiative in the current financial year is now a matter of public record following a parliamentary question, this information was not in the public domain until the documents were released on 5 November 2018. The source of funding for the Integrity Initiative was not mentioned on its public website. It would have been possible for a diligent researcher to infer the total FCO spending on the Institute for Statecraft by going through the monthly expenditure tables for the FCO, but this would not have revealed the specific funding for the Integrity Initiative programme. The accounts filed at Companies House show FCO funding of £124,567 for the year ending 23 November 2017, but not the £1.96 million awarded for the current financial year.
The Integrity Initiative documents include notes of a meeting with Leask on 27 March 2018, allegedly taken by Guy Spindler, Chief Operating Officer of the Institute for Statecraft. The main focus of the interview is on Leask's assessment of the prospects for the Scottish independence movement. The meeting finishes with a briefing on the misuse of Scottish Limited Partnerships as vehicles for money-laundering, which Leask's own investigative reporting has helped to expose. It is not clear whether he is aware of the unusual use of this business structure by the founders of the Institute for Statecraft.
7.1.4 No response or refusal to answer
Deborah Haynes – no response.
Three of Haynes' stories between 2016 and 2018 can be linked to internal documents of the Integrity Initiative:
For the visit of Ukrainian special forces officers organised by the Institute of Statecraft, a one-hour meeting with Haynes was scheduled at the Institute of Statecraft's office in 2 Temple Place on 11 July 2016. Haynes wrote a story based on this meeting that appeared in The Times on 11 August 2016. Haynes was the only journalist scheduled for a meeting with the Ukrainian officers: all their other meetings were with military officers except for one with the House of Commons Defence Committee.
The draft application for MoD funding dated 20 March 2017 lists under 'Success so far' (for the Integrity Initiative) the lead front-page story by Haynes in The Times on 17 December 2016 with title 'Russia waging cyberwar against Britain'.
A document entitled 'Representative selection of Integrity Initiative staff 2018 presentations and media interviews on Russian disinformation and malign influence' lists under the outputs of Victor Madeira a report in the Times on 9 March 2018 by Fiona Hamilton, David Brown and Deborah Haynes with the title "Spy mystery: Sergei Skripal's contact with MI6 in Spain suggests links to Litvinenko case'. Victor Madeira is briefly quoted:
Victor Madeira, a senior fellow at the Institute for Statecraft in London, said yesterday that links with organised crime were entirely possible. Russia was a mafia state where organised crime and the authorities overlap, he said.
It may be relevant that Haynes is listed as an honorary member of the Pen & Sword club, whose main mission is "the promotion of media operations as a necessary and valued military skill in the 21st century." This may be an appropriate aspiration for military officers, but not for journalists. The club has 334 members, including Steve Tatham (listed in the UK cluster), Paul Tilley and the former BBC correspondent Mark Laity. Almost all other members have a military background or are NATO officials.
Dominic Kennedy – In response to an email asking whether he had heard of or was involved with the Integrity Initiative, Kennedy stated that he had not read the leaked documents, but did not answer the question.
On 14 April 2018 Haynes and Kennedy launched an attack on members of the Working Group on Syria Propaganda and Media in the Times, including a front-page article, a two-page spread and an anonymous editorial. Two members of the Working Group hold posts at the University of Edinburgh. Unable to find anything tying them to Russia, Kennedy attempted to suggest that the university was under Russian influence (based on a grant from the Russian cultural institute Russkiy Mir), and even that the city of Edinburgh was a base for Russian influence (based on the presence of Sputnik's office).
Neil Buckley (FT) – No response when asked over Twitter whether he had had contact with the Integrity Initiative.
Carole Cadwalladr – Identified in the third tranche of leaked documents as scheduled to talk at an event at the Frontline Club in early November 2018, co-organised by the Integrity Initiative and Foreign Desk Ltd. She confirmed that she had spoken at the event and did not receive a fee, but did not answer a question on whether she had been involved with the Integrity Initiative or its parent the Institute for Statecraft.
Natalie Nougayrede – No response when asked over Twitter if she was involved with the Integrity Initiative. She appears also in the French cluster list. In the same list, with a note that he is Nougayrede's partner, is Nicholas Roche, whose current post is Director of Strategy at the Directorate of Military Applications of the French Atomic Energy Commission. It may be relevant that in May 2013, when she was editor of Le Monde, Natalie Nougayrede had a role in information operations in Syria. Under her direction, two Le Monde journalists acted as couriers to transfer samples provided by the opposition, allegedly from chemical attacks, to French intelligence agents in Jordan. Le Monde was then given the scoop of reporting that these samples had tested positive for sarin at the French chemical weapon detection lab at Le Bouchet.
Click here to read the full briefing note at the Working Group on Syria, Propaganda and Media website.
On December 22nd Afshin Rattansi interviewed John Pilger for a special end of year Going Underground episode. In the first half they discuss the Integrity Initiative and what it reveals about the lack of true integrity in journalism. In part two topics range from the genocide taking place in Yemen, the "canonisation" of George Bush Sr., and Donald Trump:
Filed under Britain, Craig Murray, John Pilger, Spain
Tagged as Aaron Bastani, Alan Duncan, Anonymous, Atlantic Council, BBC, Ben Bradshaw, Ben Nimmo, Ben Norton, Chris Williamson, David Aaronovitch, Edward Lucas, Emily Thornberry, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), Guardian, Henry Jackson Society, Institute for Statecraft, Integrity Initiative, Jeremy Corbyn, Labour Party, Max Blumenthal, Pedro Baños, Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), The Sun, Twitter
June 7, 2013 · 11:21 am
Charlie Skelton reports from behind the ring of steel at Watford
Firstly, a few pertinent words from Adam Smith:
People of the same trade seldom meet together, even for merriment and diversion, but the conversation ends in a conspiracy against the public, or in some contrivance to raise prices. It is impossible indeed to prevent such meetings, by any law which either could be executed, or would be consistent with liberty or justice. But though the law cannot hinder people of the same trade from sometimes assembling together, it ought to do nothing to facilitate such assemblies; much less to render them necessary.
Taken from Adam Smith's Wealth of Nations (1776) 1
At one point in the meeting, during a tense exchange about contingency plans for dog-walkers, [police Chief Inspector] Rhodes let slip that Operation Discuss (the codename for the Bilderberg security operation) had been up and running for 18 months. Residents and journalists shared an intake of breath. "Eighteen months?" The reason for all the secrecy? "Terrorism".
After 59 years of Bilderberg guests scuttling about in the shadows, ducking lenses and dodging the news, that's the rationale we're given? The same rationale, presumably, is behind the Great Wall of Watford, a concrete-and-wire security fence encircling the hotel. As ugly as it is unnecessary, it looks like the kind of thing you throw yourself against in a stalag before being machine-gunned from a watchtower. Appropriately fascistic, you might say, if you regard fascism as "the merger of corporate and government power", as Mussolini put it.
The same threat of "terrorism" was used to justify the no-pedestrian, no-stopping zones near the venue. The police laid out their logic: they had "no specific intelligence" regarding a terror threat. However, in recent incidents, such as Boston and Woolwich, there had been no intelligence prior to the attack. Therefore the lack of any threat of a terror attack fitted exactly the profile of a terror attack. The lack of a threat was a threat. Welcome to 1984.
So writes Charlie Skelton, who is again one of the only mainstream journalists reporting from this year's Bilderberg meeting which officially opened yesterday. Skelton, who also has a career as comedy script writer, adding with typically understated irony:
The audience was an odd mix. Half were residents from around the venue worried about the possibility of tyre-damage to a strip of lawn; the other half were journalists from around the world worried about the geopolitical implications of a conference at which BAE, Stratfor and General Petraeus will be discussing "Africa's challenges".
Both halves were worried about the funding for the gigantic security operation. The police assured sceptical residents that the conference would be "cost-neutral" for Hertfordshire, thanks in part to a "donation" from the conference organisers. This "donation" will have come, in part at least, from the Bilderberg Association, a registered UK charity that takes "donations" from BP and Goldman Sachs.
So, in a sense, the Herts police are doing charity work for Goldman Sachs. Which must be a comfort for the executives of Goldman Sachs attending the conference: the vice-chairman, a director and the chairman of Goldman Sachs International. They've got their charity team out patrolling, keeping the lenses at bay.2
Click here to read his full article entitled "Bilderberg 2013: welcome to 1984" published by the Guardian on Wednesday 5th.
Here is Skelton again reporting a few days earlier on his same Bilderblog, and on this occasion delving deeper into Bilderberg's wonderful and little known works of charity whilst also pointing out how the timing of this year's get-together happens to coincide with a long overdue scandal about political lobbying:
If you've been wondering who picks up the tab for this gigantic conference and security operation, the answer arrived last week, on a pdf file sent round by Anonymous. It showed that the Bilderberg conference is paid for, in the UK, by an officially registered charity: the Bilderberg Association (charity number 272706).
According to its Charity Commission accounts, the association meets the "considerable costs" of the conference when it is held in the UK, which include hospitality costs and the travel costs of some delegates. Presumably the charity is also covering the massive G4S security contract. Fortunately, the charity receives regular five-figure sums from two kindly supporters of its benevolent aims: Goldman Sachs and BP. The most recent documentary proof of this is from 2008 (pdf), since when the charity has omitted its donors' names (pdf) from its accounts.
The charity's goal is "public education".3
Public education! From an organisation that hides its face in shame behind armed guards and steel cordons. Skelton adds:
If you are concerned about transparency or lobbying, Watford is the place to be next weekend. Whether the delegates reach out to the press and public remains to be seen. Don't forget, they've got their hands full carrying out the good works of Bilderberg. The conference is, after all, run as a charity.
A charity which specialises in helping those most in need of a little corporate lobbying:
It's a remarkable spectacle – one of nature's wonders – and the most exciting thing to happen to Watford since that roundabout on the A412 got traffic lights. The area round the hotel is in lockdown: locals are having to show their passports to get to their homes. It's exciting too for the delegates. The CEO of Royal Dutch Shell will hop from his limo, delighted to be spending three solid days in policy talks with the head of HSBC, the president of Dow Chemical, his favourite European finance ministers and US intelligence chiefs. The conference is the highlight of every plutocrat's year and has been since 1954. The only time Bilderberg skipped a year was 1976, after the group's founding chairman, Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands, was caught taking bribes from Lockheed Martin.
Here is the definition of "bribe": Something, such as money or a favor, offered or given to a person in a position of trust to influence that person's views or conduct. So surely then, every form of lobbying is a kind of bribery.
Just imagine, for example, if my college discovered that I or any of my colleagues were accepting cash payments (or other 'gifts') from students – they would rightly sack us on the spot. Would it make any difference if I told them that the students were only "lobbying me" about their coursework, or would it be deemed more acceptable if I had "registered their interests"? Of course it wouldn't! So in what way is lobbying not bribery?
That said, some kinds of bribery are more prosecutable than others. So was Prince Bernhard ever criminally charged after accepting a $1.1 million bribe from Lockheed? Of course not, after all he's Prince Bernhard. Although apparently he was forced "to step down from several public positions and was forbidden to wear his military uniforms again."4 Rough justice.
Back to Skelton's comparative analysis of the current goings on at the Grove hotel to the on-going parliamentary scandal:
It may seem odd, as our own lobbying scandal unfolds, amid calls for a statutory register of lobbyists, that a bunch of our senior politicians will be holed up for three days in luxurious privacy with the chairmen and CEOs of hedge funds, tech corporations and vast multinational holding companies, with zero press oversight. "It runs contrary to [George] Osborne's public commitment in 2010 to 'the most radical transparency agenda the country has ever seen'," says Michael Meacher MP. Meacher describes the conference as "an anti-democratic cabal of the leaders of western market capitalism meeting in private to maintain their own power and influence outside the reach of public scrutiny".
But, to be fair, is "public scrutiny" really necessary when our politicians are tucked safely away with so many responsible members of JP Morgan's international advisory board? There's always the group chief executive of BP on hand to make sure they do not get unduly lobbied. And if he is not in the room, keeping an eye out, then at least one of the chairmen of Novartis, Zurich Insurance, Fiat or Goldman Sachs International will be around.
Click here to read Charlie Skelton's full article.
Charlie Skelton is doing an excellent job again this year, and when, later today, I finally make it down to Watford myself, perhaps I'll happen to run into him. If not then I'd certainly like to express my gratitude to him here before I leave.
I must also say that it is quite pleasing to see others in the media finally picking up the gauntlet and taking serious note of this most extraordinary annual general meeting for globalisation. There was even a surprisingly balanced report on Channel 4 news broadcast yesterday. You can watch it here:
http://www.channel4.com/news/the-bilderberg-group-a-meeting-of-minds-video
Finally, here is Charlie Skelton talking to Max Keiser on Tuesday's Keiser Report:
This year's official list (which is reliably unreliable) has been released and includes amongst many the following names of particular interest:
George Osborne – Chancellor of the Exchequer
Ed Balls – Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer
Tim Geithner – Former US Secretary of the Treasury
Christine Lagarde – Head of IMF
Peter Sutherland – Chairman of Goldman Sachs
Mario Monti – Former appointed Prime Minister of Italy
Ken Clarke – who is listed merely as "Member of Parliament"
Peter Mandelson – listed as Chairman of Global Council and also Lazard International
José Barroso – President, European Commission
Richard Perle – neo con, veteran warmonger and well known member of PNAC
Henry Kissinger – listed only as "Chairman of Kissinger Associates"
last, but certainly not least, I notice the recently disgraced Gen David Petraeus – why he, we might wonder?
And so to Watford… I'll definitely be keeping an eye out for Mark Carney who has attended previous meetings at St Moritz (2011) and Chantilly (2012) and is about to replace Mervyn King as the next Governor of the Bank of England.
Various livestream broadcasts of the event can also be found here.
1 From Adam Smith's Wealth of Nations, Chapter X, Part II, p. 152.
2 From an article entitled "Bilderberg 2013: welcome to 1984" written by Charlie Skelton, published in the Guardian on June 5, 2013. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jun/05/bilderberg-2013-goldman-sachs-watford
3 From an article entitled "The week ahead: Bilderberg 2013 comes to… the Grove hotel, Watford" written by Charlie Skelton, published by the Guardian on June 2, 2013. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jun/02/week-ahead-bilderberg-2013-watford
4 At least according to wikipedia. Read more here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lockheed_bribery_scandals#Netherlands
Filed under Britain, campaigns & events, Charlie Skelton, Max Keiser
Tagged as "Wealth of Nations", Adam Smith, Anonymous, Bilderberg, Bilderberg 2013, BP, Christine Lagarde, Edward Balls, Gen. David Petraeus, George Osborne, Goldman Sachs, Henry Kissinger, Kenneth Clarke, Mario Monti, Michael Meacher, Peter Mandelson, Prince Bernhard, Richard Perle, Watford
ACTA is a treaty drawn up by pirates and for pirates
With SOPA and PIPA kicked into the long grass, another attempt to close down free speech on the internet is now coming under scrutiny. ACTA, the "Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement", is yet another draft of legislation that is ostensibly for the purpose of enforcing intellectual property rights, although unlike SOPA and PIPA, ACTA is an international treaty. (And apologies for such an obfuscation of acronyms — I presume that's the correct collective noun).
ACTA, which establishes its own governing body outside existing international institutions such as the WTO, the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) or even the United Nations, was originally signed by countries including Australia, Canada, Japan, and the United States back on October 1st 2011.
When, last Thursday [Jan 26th], twenty-two of the European Union member states including the UK also signed the agreement, French Member of the European Parliament, Kader Arif, was so angered by "manoeuvres" used to get the bill approved, that he immediately resigned in protest from his position as rapporteur:
Negotiations over a controversial anti-piracy agreement have been described as a "masquerade" by a key Euro MP.
Kader Arif, the European Parliament's rapporteur for the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (Acta), resigned over the issue on Friday.
He said he had witnessed "never-before-seen manoeuvres" by officials preparing the treaty.1
And Kader Arif made the following statement:
"I condemn the whole process which led to the signature of this agreement: no consultation of the civil society, lack of transparency since the beginning of negotiations, repeated delays of the signature of the text without any explanation given, reject of Parliament's recommendations as given in several resolutions of our assembly."
Click here to read the full BBC news article.
In Poland, tens of thousands of demonstrators also voiced opposition to their own government's signature to the ACTA agreement:
Crowds of mostly young people held banners with slogans such as "no to censorship" and "a free internet".
Earlier in the week, hackers attacked several Polish government websites, including that of Prime Minister Donald Tusk.2
Russia Today reported that the Anonymous group had earlier sent out 'a stern warning' to the Polish authorities, issuing what was little short of a blackmail note:
"Polish government – we are more powerful than you. We have a lot of your files and personal information. We warn you to exercise caution" which was published on pastebin.com.
The scope of ACTA is more expansive than SOPA and PIPA, not merely geographically, but because it aims to establish and enforce global standards in many other areas. Here's analysis of how the new legislation will affect the lives of people across the world, published in Forbes:
Worse, it appears to go much further than the internet, cracking down on generic drugs and making food patents even more radical than they are by enforcing a global standard on seed patents that threatens local farmers and food independence across the developed world.
Despite ACTA's secrecy, criticism of the agreement has been widespread. Countries like India and Brazil have been vocal opponents of the agreement, claiming that it will do a great deal of harm to emerging economies.
I'll have more on the agreement as it emerges. But to briefly sum up, according to critics of the agreement:
ACTA contains global IP provisions as restrictive or worse than anything contained in SOPA and PIPA.
ACTA spans virtually all of the developed world, threatening the freedom of the internet as well as access to medication and food. The threat is every bit as real for those countries not involved in the process as the signatories themselves.
ACTA has already been signed by many countries including the US, but requires ratification in the EU parliament.
ACTA was written and hammered out behind closed doors. While some of the provisions have been taken out of the final US draft, plenty of unknowns still exist. It's not nearly clear enough how the agreement will affect US laws.3
Click here to read more details in Forbes.
With regards to the internet, the tightening of control on websites will automatically lead to the closer scrutiny of all internet users:
Under ACTA, internet service providers are virtually obliged to monitor all user activity for possible copyright violations. It also gives trademark owners and officers of the law great authority to violate privacy while investigating suspected infringements.4
Rick Falkvinge, the founder of the Swedish Pirate Party, told Russia Today that the ACTA copyright protection treaty is an "excellent example of abuse of power by the corporate industry":
"This legislation about putting people in jail was negotiated by corporations and the lawmakers just got it in their lap," he explained. "That is not how a democratic society should work, quite regardless of what this law says."
Click here to read the full Russia Today article.
Jonathan Swift famously said that "laws are like cobwebs, which may catch small flies, but let wasps and hornets break through." ACTA is a perfect example of Swift's observation, drawn up in order to serve the interests of the biggest pirates of our economies. The pirates at the helm of the megabanks who continue to force whole nations to surrender their wealth to bail them out on the basis of threats from their pirate buddies at the credit rating agencies. And the multinational corporate pirates who refuse to pay up their modest contribution in taxes, preferring to bury their treasures in offshore havens.
We already have laws to bring many of the major pirates to justice, but these laws are rarely used for such purposes. Regulations that haven't so far been axed are increasingly being ignored. Meanwhile, bills like SOPA, PIPA and ACTA have been drawn up to further choke opposition, opening the way for greater corporate control over our lives. All of this so-called 'anti-piracy' legislation is nothing but humbug, and poisonous humbug at that. The signing of ACTA, which is clearly designed to squeeze out the little guy and stifle the independent voice, represents just another miserable step towards a globalised corporate tyranny. In short, ACTA was written by the pirates and for the pirates.
1 From an article entitled "European Parliament rapporteur quits in Acta protest" written by Dave Lee, published by BBC news on January 27, 2012. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-16757142
2 From an article entitled "ACTA action: Poland signs up to 'censorship' as 20,000 rage", published by Russia Today on January 26, 2012. http://rt.com/news/acta-poland-internet-government-745/
3 From an article entitled "If You Thought SOPA Was Bad, Just Wait Until You Meet ACTA", written by E.D. Kain, published by Forbes on January 23, 2012. http://www.forbes.com/sites/erikkain/2012/01/23/if-you-thought-sopa-was-bad-just-wait-until-you-meet-acta/
4 http://rt.com/news/acta-poland-internet-government-745/
Filed under analysis & opinion, Australia, Britain, Canada, Europe, internet freedom, Japan, Uncategorized, USA
Tagged as ACTA, Anonymous, European Union, Kader Arif, PIPA, SOPA, WTO
is America moving towards the brink of martial law? — an update
As the mainstream media focuses on the economic collapse in Europe, especially on today's credit rating attack on France, there are also hugely significant events taking place in America that are receiving next to no coverage.
It is less than a fortnight since Obama signed the NDAA 2012 which opened the door for indefinite detention without trial of those 'suspected' of 'association' with 'terrorist groups'. Now that clampdown on freedom looks set to tighten further, the likelihood growing that these new 'anti-terror' measures, which are in clear breach of The Constitution, could soon be used against ordinary American citizens:
When Barack Obama inked the National Defense Authorization Act on New Year's Eve, the president insisted that he wouldn't use the terrifying legislation against American citizens. Another new law, however, could easily change all of that.
If the Enemy Expatriation Act passes in its current form, the legislation will let the government strike away citizenship for anyone engaged in hostilities, or supporting hostilities, against the United States. The law itself is rather brief, but in just a few words it warrants the US government to strip nationality status from anyone they identify as a threat.
What's more, the government can decide to do so without bringing the suspected troublemaker before a court of law.
Click here to read the full report from Russia Today.
A summary and the full text of H.R. 3166: Enemy Expatriation Act can be found on GovTrack.
The group Anonymous have already issued a statement against the new act:
THE ENEMY EXPATRIATION ACT – A STATEMENT FROM ANONYMOUS
H.R. 3166: Enemy Expatriation Act (#EEA)
The Enemy Expatriation Act is yet another treasonous bill similar to the National Defense Authorization Act that was signed into law by President Obama on New Years' Eve. The NDAA, which authorizes the indefinite detention of American citizens on U.S. soil, was met with outrage from the American public. The media largely refused to cover the NDAA until it was too late, and the bill had been signed into law. We are now faced with a similar situation. The Enemy Expatriation Act has been introduced in the House, and again, the media refuses to cover it. The American public have the right to know about a bill that could revoke their United States citizenship, and the continuing media blackout poses a serious threat to the freedoms this country pledges to provide its citizens. […]
In order to stop the Enemy Expatriation Act and all future acts of the U.S. government which revoke our freedoms and attempt to shred the last remnants of our Constitution, it begins with you – with all of us. The media refuses to provide us with the information we need to play a part in our own futures. The government refuses to allow any consideration of the direction we, the people, wish for this country to go. We must be the ones to inform the people. We must play an active role in our future. We are trained to be divided by the media, by the government, told that it's all about petty issues when it's not. Occupiers, Tea Partiers, Democrats, Republicans, Independents, this is not a partisan issue. The issue at hand is our future, and the reality of the present is that the government is slowly revoking our freedoms and our voice. Inform everyone you know about these acts of Congress, and the government as a whole. Make sure they are getting the information they NEED, and not just what they want us to know. Knowledge is power, and the freedom of information is the key to uniting all of us around the issues that really matter. Spread this message to everyone you know. Speak out against these acts, contact your representatives, senators, congressmen and make sure that they know that these injustices will not be tolerated. United, we will restore the power back to the People.
Click here to read the full statement from Anonymous.
Click here to read my earlier post on the NDAA 2012 "indefinite detention act".
Additional — Here is Jon Stewart, in a recent episode of his satirical news programme The Daily Show, giving his own take on Obama's decision to sign into law the "indefinite detention bill":
Filed under France, police state, Uncategorized, USA
Tagged as Anonymous, Barack Obama, credit rating agencies, Enemy Expatriation Act, NDAA 2012


text:
The year that Zahara 'beat the bottle'
By Kyle Zeeman - 23 December 2019
Zahara went on a journey of sobriety.
Image: Via Instagram
Musician Zahara reached a personal milestone this year after embarking on a journey of sobriety.
The star told TshisaLIVE in April that she felt like she was stuck in a black hole where she would turn to alcohol to help her find happiness, but after prayer and support she did not touch alcohol.
She claimed her problems came after certain people in the industry allegedly took advantage of her.
"It was not a nice place to be in. I was frustrated and so I drank a little to find happiness. It wasn't that I needed it or that I was addicted. But I got to a point where one night I finished a whole bottle of wine by myself. I knew then that I needed to speak to someone and deal with this.
"I don't want to be part of the statistics of those who kill themselves. People need to know that we are struggling and that sometimes we aren't okay. Sometimes you have to ask for help. I was scared of talking about it at first but I am not any more."
She said she felt relief after going home to be with her mother and sisters, who fasted and prayed for her.
"It really helped. I was able to get clarity and now I am sober since October. I haven't touched alcohol since and I don't miss it because I don't think it was a problem for me before."
She also slammed rumours that she was a drunk.
"I want to show people that those stories weren't true and that there was never a problem."

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Where to Shop in Hendersonville, NC
GOODWILL WNC
2111A Asheville Highway, Hendersonville, NC
Goodwill Industries of Northwest North Carolina was founded in 1926 by Centenary United Methodist Church in Winston-Salem to provide a means of employment for the community's residents with disabilities. Clothing and other items were gathered from community members and then repaired and sold by citizens with disabilities.
Over time, Goodwill expanded its mission to include individuals with socioeconomic barriers to employment. The philosophy of "a hand up, not a hand out" was the impetus for the founding of Goodwill and the organization remains committed to that concept today.
Goodwill relies on donations of goods from individuals and businesses to carry out our mission.
Look for our ad on the free Discovery Map® available in the Hendersonville area or buy a map before you get there.
1731 Brevard Road, Hendersonville, North Carolina
1717 Four Seasons Blvd., Hendersonville, North Carolina
3530 Hendersonville Road, Fletcher, North Carolina
1731 Brevard Road, Hendersonville, NC
1717 Four Seasons Blvd., Hendersonville, NC
3530 Hendersonville Road, Hendersonville, NC
Continue exploring Hendersonville
Back to Where to Shop Page
Back to Hendersonville Page
Start Discovering
Get Travel info, Tips, and Inspiration sent to you. Sign up for our newsletter.


text:
Reading: Hands on: Vivo X21 is first phone with in-screen fingerprint scanner in Singapore
Techgoondu > Blog > Mobile > Hands on: Vivo X21 is first phone with in-screen fingerprint scanner in Singapore
Hands on: Vivo X21 is first phone with in-screen fingerprint scanner in Singapore
Wilson Wong
PHOTO: Handout
The Vivo X21 launched in Singapore today will be the first smartphone here with a breakthrough technology that has eluded the likes of Apple and Samsung – an in-screen fingerprint sensor.
This means users no longer have to find the sensor either at the front or back of the phone. They simply tap on a part of the screen, which is more convenient.
A prototype of the X21, out in Singapore on May 5, was first shown at the Mobile World Congress show in Barcelona in February. It had taken many by surprise then for being the first phone to showcase the in-screen fingerprint sensor.
This will help phone makers shift the fingerprint sensor to an accessible location while turning to bigger screens and slimmer bezels. In other words, more attractive designs.
On the X21, you get a 6.28-inch screen in 19:9 format. It is a Super AMOLED display with Full HD resolution. More importantly, it takes up a good 90.3 per cent of the front surface area.
That means the X21 is svelte despite the large screen. It measures just 7.37mm at the thickest, even with a 3,200mAh battery pack. Having said that, it can be quite worrisome holding on to the phone for the first time because it is so thin.
Seems like the notch won't be gone anytime soon. At least it has expanded the usable display area on the phone. I can't place a black bar to hide it, unfortunately. PHOTO: Wilson Wong
Vivo in-display fingerprint scanning technology in detail. PHOTO: PRNewswire/Vivo
Setting up the login security using your fingerprint is the same as with any smartphone. From the settings menus, simply access the fingerprint enrollment page and let the smartphone sample your fingerprint.
Instead of putting your finger on a scanner, just press your finger on a dedicated area on the screen to begin. Notably, during my quick test today, the sampling took longer than expected when compared to other smartphones. It even asked me to press my thumb harder onto the screen to get more surface area scanned.
Once this was done, however, unlocking the phone was pretty quick. My only wish is that the sensor is moved higher up, to the centre of the screen, so I can have a firmer grip of the phone.
The fingerprint scanner is now behind the display. It frees up more space for sleeker designs but the soft buttons for Android are still there at the bottom. PHOTO: Wilson Wong
https://www.techgoondu.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/VID_20180502_161554.mp4
The X21 has 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage space which is more than sufficient for a typical user. If that's not enough, there's a microSD card slot to expand the memory – something I am glad is still around, along with the 3.5mm headphone jack.
For photography, we have a front-facing camera with a 12-megapixel sensor and an f2.0 lens. We get a dual-lens setup for the main camera, which sports a 12-megapixel sensor with an f1.8 lens and a 5-megapixel sensor with an f2.4 lens for close-up shots.
I didn't have much time with the camera during the launch so I'd wait for the review unit from Vivo to check it out more. Do look out for our phone review soon.
You get two sensors – 12 megapixels and 5 megapixels – for the main camera. PHOTO: Wilson Wong
Professional mode for the camera. PHOTO: Wilson Wong
Having some fun with the augmented reality stickers. Such stickers are also readily available on third-party apps now. PHOTO: Wilson Wong
With such hardware, you'd think the X21 should be seen as a bonafide flagship phone. For some reason, Vivo has gone with a decent but not top-end processor in the shape of Qualcomm's Snapdragon 660, so this could be an issue for folks looking for a no-holds-barred phone.
Is it that bad? Okay, this is not the Snapdragon 845 common on flagships, but the Snapdragon 660 still has the Artificial Intelligence Engine (AIE) to help with photography by setting the camera up for different shooting scenarios.
This is something that Huawei and Asus have on their latest offerings. To be fair, I don't think the Qualcomm 660 should have major problems dealing with daily computing tasks.
No matter how thin, a 3.5mm stereo jack is still around. Kudos to Vivo! PHOTO: Wilson Wong
At S$799, the new phone from Vivo doesn't come cheap. Yes, it has a world-first in the in-screen fingerprint sensor, but will it be enough for users to cough up that much for a relatively unknown brand here?
Don't forget top-end phones such as Huawei's Mate 10 Pro is priced around $820 on online retailers now and budget phones such as the Asus Zenfone 5 can be bought at $499. So, the Vivo X21 will have to prove it's not just a one-trick pony.
We will have more on the X21 when we get to try it out more for a review.
A very Techgoondu gadget wishlist for Christmas 2022
Applied Materials to open S$600 million factory in Singapore, doubling manufacturing footprint
TAGGED: price and availability, Price and availability Singapore, Singapore, Vivo, X21
Wilson Wong May 2, 2018
By Wilson Wong
Wilson is a self-taught photographer whose passion started with his father's old Canon L Rangefinder camera. He now leads the 1,500+ strong Singapore Photography Interest Network group and his photos have won acclaim from Nikon and Fujifilm, as well as featured in various books and exhibitions.
Previous Article Goondu review: Xperia XZ2 impresses with camera, marred by questionable design decisions
Next Article Cartier Women entrepreneurs create immediate impact
jane brewer says:
Vivo X21 is launched today on Flipkart for shopping.
as here i read that it's awesome feature is in-build screen finger print scanner.
Thanks for info.
Wow, Vivo creating a phone with in-screen fingerprint scanning has completely changed the industry. I can't believe with Apple domination, Vivo was the first company to start it. If the X21 proves itself to be more than a one trick pony, it could become huge internationally.


I enjoyed being in Nome so much earlier this summer, I thought I'd see what it was like in late August/early September. I arrived today about noon and spent the day out on Council Road.
I saw three loon species – Red-throated (1 only), Pacific (2) and Common (3)(no photo).
For ducks, there were a few Greater Scaup and a few Northern Pintails (no photo), plus eiders (Common and Steller's (s)).
There were about 80-plus Tundra Swans.
For shorebirds, I saw many Long-billed Dowitchers, a couple of Sharp-tailed Sandpipers, zillions of Dunlin, and Black-bellied and Pacific Golden-Plovers. If anyone sees some other species in these photos, let me know please.
There also were about 40 Sandhill Cranes.
Tomorrow I'll explore another road.
Previous Article August 26 – A Sunny Day!


The story of Larabar is simple. Lara wanted a good energy bar to eat that is delicious and healthy, so she created one. She mimicked the popular cookie and dessert flavors, decided on five, tested them out on her friends and family and then introduced them to the world.
The first 500 she sold, she had to seal them all by hand. She stuck with it, however, and now she has 21 flavors of the original bar and different bars with super greens, nuts and seeds, fruits and greens, and bits added to her product line.
Her purpose in creating these energy bars was to help people enjoy wholesome foods that satisfy their needs of delicious snacks that are convenient but made with minimal ingredients that are non-GMO.
There aren't any strange and complicated words that I have to explain to you in this ingredient profile. Larabars contain only whole foods that you will recognize. They do, however, have powerful healing properties. Each ingredient was chosen to make the bar delicious, healthy, and of good texture.
No two bars have the same ingredients, but many use some of the same. I will discuss a few ingredients that are used in many of the bars, why she chose them, and how they will benefit you.
Larabars' main sweetener and binding ingredient is dates. Dates have been used for centuries in the Middle East for their amazing nutritional value. They come with an onslaught of health benefits.
First of all, dates are an energy booster. They contain natural sugars that the body can use for energy. They also contain many energy-boosting vitamins and minerals. They are a good source of carbs, 18 grams in a single date in fact.
Dates are also proven to help with digestion. They do this because they have so much dietary fiber. Each date contains almost 7 grams of fiber. You would have to eat a whole cup of berries to get that much fiber. This fiber aids to get things moving through the intestine well and relieve constipation.
This fiber also helps to lower cholesterol levels which is good for the heart by keeping plaque out of the artery walls. Eating dates also helps to lower triglyceride levels, another boost for heart health.
Dates are also great for strengthening bones and preventing osteoporosis. Their phosphorus and calcium content is the key to this health benefit.
Overall, dates are a superfood that will help the body be in the best health that it can be in.
Walnuts are an ingredient used in many of the Larabar flavors. This nut is known for many health benefits, mostly for the heart and the brain. The power of walnuts lies in their omega 3 fatty acid content. In fact, walnuts are over 65% fat.
These healthy fats are responsible for supporting memory, aiding in the movement of neurotransmitters that make us happy and reducing the decline of cognitive skills. They also benefit cardiovascular health by keeping blood flowing well throughout the arteries and by reducing inflammation.
Walnuts have also been proven to help combat metabolic syndrome. Walnuts are also a good source of copper, manganese, phosphorus, vitamin E, and vitamin B6.
Cinnamon is a common ingredient in Larabars. This spice has been used for centuries for its medicinal powers. Cinnamon is high in polyphenols, antioxidants that are strong fighters against inflammation and free radicals in the body.
This helps to combat any inflammation-related diseases as well as cancer. Cinnamon also helps to reduce insulin resistance, making it great for diabetes patients because it helps lower blood sugar levels. Cinnamon also has powerful antibacterial, antimicrobial and antifungal properties. Studies show that cinnamon is the most powerful combatant of the HIV virus.
Another ingredient used in these energy bars is unsweetened coconut. Although this food is full of fat and sugar, it can also help to increase the nutritional value of some foods because of the vitamins and minerals it provides.
Coconut provides a small dose of protein and fiber with each serving but its value is really in the content of iron and zinc that coconut has. One serving of coconut can fill about ¼ of the daily dose of iron and zinc for men and about 1/8th of women's.
Nuts are popular ingredients in Larabars. Cashews are another example of this. They have fewer calories than walnuts but provide many of the same benefits like being good for the heart and help support brain function.
Cashews are 46% fat but they are the good fats that keep you satiated and help the body stay lubricated. These nuts also contain vitamins A, D, and K along with the minerals calcium, magnesium, and potassium. This makes cashews great at preventing osteoporosis and increasing bone health.
I'm sure that a quick look at the ingredients in Larabar will help you see that these bars are indeed very healthy to eat but will they provide what you with all the ingredients that a protein bar should?
First of all, these bars don't boast a lot of protein and we are talking about protein bars. That's a big ding in the nutritional value of this bar. Yes, everything is completely natural and plant-based but if your goal is to get protein, you should be looking elsewhere.
Larabars contain a measly 4 grams of protein per bar. That is less than half of the standard of most bars and many protein bars have five times that much protein. That begs the question, is this really a protein bar? It's more of an energy bar. It will definitely give you plenty of energy because of all the fat and natural sugars they contain.
Each bar has about 200 calories and 10 grams or more of fats, some being saturated fats. These fats are the healthy omega 3s but the big downfall is the sugar content. These bars contain upwards of 20 grams of sugar. They are natural sugars so they won't give you a spike and crash but too much sugar is still too much sugar.
Many of these bars contain huge amounts of minerals and some vitamins which is a plus, especially when it comes to repairing tired muscles. They have a little bit of fiber and a little bit of carbs. Nothing to make too much of an impact on the nutritional value of the bar.
Since Larabars have no protein powder in them, they don't have that strange chalky aftertaste to worry about. The two main ingredients of all the bars, some nuts, and dates, makes for a pleasantly chewy and crunchy bar.
Larabar started out with only five main flavors but they have branched out since with plenty to choose from. Here are some of our favorites.
This bar has a lot of the taste of an actual apple pie with the cinnamon and cloves. It also tastes like apples, of course, and it is definitely sweet.
You can definitely taste the strong banana flavor in this bar. It doesn't taste like a moist cake bread but with dates and almonds what can you expect?
This one definitely has a veggie texture to it with all that carrot but it also has a nice cinnamon flavor with a little sweetness.
This bar doesn't have quite enough chocolate flavor to count as a brownie but it tastes good. There are chocolate chips in it to up the chocolate flavor but the dates are too prominent.
This bar will definitely pucker you up. The lemon flavor is intensely sour and sweet and the icing on top makes it even sweeter.
You can definitely taste the pumpkin in this flavor and the dates aren't quite as present as with the other flavors. The texture is less chewy without the dates but it is a nice change from the rest.
This bar has a thicker consistency but not much flavor to back it up. It also doesn't have much chocolate flavor but the coconut is nice. It's pretty bland otherwise.
This seasonal flavor has a nice spicy cinnamon flavor with sea salt and cashews. It doesn't taste like a cookie but it is edible none the less.
This one starts out tasting like your childhood memories of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich but something happens along the way that just makes the flavors taste weird. The aftertaste is horrible.
These energy bars are extremely affordable. Most places you can buy them at just under a dollar each in a five pack. You might even find them cheaper if they are having a sale. However, the price per gram of protein isn't worth it.
It seems pointless to try and save money with this bar when you can pay just a little more and get triple the protein. When you do the math, it just seems logical to go for a more expensive bar with more protein because, in the long run, it is results that we are paying for and I'm afraid to say that these bars won't produce much results.
Minimally processed and natural ingredients that you recognize and know as real foods.
Affordable at just around a dollar per bar.
Full of vitamins and minerals due to the fruit and nuts as the main ingredients.
The high content of omega 3 fatty acids makes these bars great for the heart and brain.
These bars are high in sugar compared to most other bars.
The taste of these bars is very bland because of the limited ingredients used.
Here's the big one folks: There are only 4 grams of protein in each bar.
I guess Larabars never claimed to be protein bars and they fall flat when compared to the other bars being reviewed because of their extreme lack of protein. They focus more on being a natural energy bar than anything else, in which they certainly achieve their goal.
If you are reading through these reviews, I'm assuming you want to increase your protein intake in a delicious and convenient way with minimal processed ingredients. Larabars are convenient, they are minimally processed, and somewhat tasty. However, they won't help you increase your protein intake, at least not enough to make any real difference. Think of Larabar as energy bar if anything.
Larabars are a great choice to add to a snack to get you through a rough afternoon when you can't seem to get going. They are a great breakfast option. They are perhaps a good swap for some of your favorite desserts, but they are not a good choice for those seeking higher amounts of protein.


text:
Is the term 'tonc' an acronym or a derogatory term for migrants?
A Border Patrol agent texted "Toncs in the barn" moments before agents raided a facility and arrested three people. Is "toncs" a derogatory term?
Is the term 'tonc' an acronym or a derogatory term for migrants? A Border Patrol agent texted "Toncs in the barn" moments before agents raided a facility and arrested three people. Is "toncs" a derogatory term? Check out this story on azcentral.com: https://azc.cc/2rR2aHa
Daniel Gonzalez and Rafael Carranza, The Republic | azcentral.com Published 6:00 a.m. MT May 19, 2018
A humanitarian aid group accuses Border Patrol agents of systematically vandalizing water aid stations left for migrants in the Arizona desert. Wochit
Scott Warren, a volunteer leader of the humanitarian group No More Deaths, heads out June 23, 2017, with other volunteers to search for the remains of migrants who died in the remote rugged terrain after crossing the U.S. border illegally through the Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument near Ajo.(Photo: Nick Oza/The Republic)
"Toncs in the barn."
A Border Patrol agent texted that message on Jan. 17, moments before agents, assisted by Pima County sheriff's deputies, swarmed a building in Ajo known as "the Barn" in southwestern Arizona.
The authorities arrested No More Deaths volunteer Scott Warren and two immigrants suspected of being in the country illegally, according to court papers.
The term "tonc" is not a well-known, but the text suggest the term is routinely used by Border Patrol agents. But what does "tonc" mean? Is it simply an acronym, as some say?
Or is it a derogatory slur used by Border Patrol agents to refer negatively to immigrants in the country illegally?
Claims of retaliation
Scott Warren (center) is a volunteer leader of the humanitarian group No More Deaths. He and fellow volunteers Irineo Mujica (left) and Rafael Larraenza Hernandez look at a map to determine where they will go to search for the remains of migrants who crossed the U.S. border illegally through the Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument near Ajo, Arizona. (Photo: Nick Oza/USA TODAY NETWORK)
Warren is charged with harboring undocumented immigrants after he was arrested along with two immigrants found inside a residence known as the Barn used by the humanitarian group No More Deaths to provide humanitarian assistance.
The arrests took place hours after No More Deaths released a report accusing Border Patrol agents of destroying water jugs left by volunteers in the remote desert in southwestern Arizona. The water jugs are intended to help prevent deaths along a deadly corridor used by migrants who have entered the U.S. illegally. The timing prompted accusations by humanitarian groups that the Border Patrol arrested Warren in retaliation for the report.
Warren earned a doctorate in geography from Arizona State University, where he also works as an adjunct instructor. He wrote his dissertation on Ajo and the surrounding area and now lives in the community. Separate from his ASU job, Warren has served as the volunteer coordinator for No More Deaths' operations in Ajo for several years.
ASU Prof Scott Warren's work with No More Deaths
Scott Warren (seen in a June 2017 photo), an Arizona State University geography instructor and a volunteer with No More Deaths, was arrested Wednesday by Border Patrol agents on charges of harboring undocumented immigrants. Nick Oza/The Republic
Scott Warren, a volunteer leader of the humanitarian group No More Deaths, heads out June 23, 2017, with other volunteers to search for the remains of migrants who died in the remote rugged terrain after crossing the U.S. border illegally through the Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument near Ajo. Nick Oza/The Republic
Scott Warren, a volunteer leader of the humanitarian group No More Deaths, takes a snapshot of bones to analyze whether they're human or animal remains. He and other volunteers search for the remains of migrants who died in the remote rugged terrain after crossing the U.S. border illegally through the Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument near Ajo. Nick Oza/The Republic
Scott Warren heads out June 23, 2017, with other volunteers to search for the remains of migrants who died in the remote rugged terrain after crossing the U.S. border illegally through the Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument near Ajo. Nick Oza/The Republic
In addition to placing water jugs in the desert, Warren-led No More Death teams conduct searches for missing migrants in the Ajo area. In June 2017, The Arizona Republicdocumented a No More Deaths search led by Warren on the Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument as part of its Pulitzer-prize winning series exploring the untended consequences and untold stories of President Donald Trump's proposed border wall.
On Jan. 17, Border Patrol agents were conducting surveillance on the Barn when they saw Warren drive up in his car and enter the building, according to a criminal complaint. The agents then saw Warren exit while talking to two people. The two people with Warren matched descriptions given of two lost "illegal aliens," the complaint said.
After their arrest, the two migrants said they learned they could get food and water at the Barn while researching online the best ways to cross the border illegally, the complaint said. After finding their way to the Barn, the migrants said Warren met them outside and gave them food and water for three days, the complaint said.
What does 'tonc' or 'tonk' mean?
It's unclear whether the term "tonc" — which sometimes is also spelled "tonk" — is an official acronym or a derogatory slur for undocumented immigrants.
"It is used to describe an individual who has not yet been intensively interviewed by the Border Patrol to determine his or her country of origin. ... Let me be very clear: 'Tonk' is not a term or racial derision; it is a temporary geographic description."
a self-described retired Border Patrol agent who blogs anonymously under the name "Agent Nowhere Man," who says the term "Tonk" is an acronym that stands for "Territory of Origin Not Known"
Border Patrol agent Chris Sullivan, a spokesman for the Border Patrol's Tucson Sector, which includes Ajo, said the agency could not comment because the term is part of an ongoing court case.
However, the term has been debated unofficially on the internet for years.
According to a self-described retired Border Patrol agent who blogsanonymously under the name "Agent Nowhere Man," the term "Tonk" is an acronym that stands for "Territory of Origin Not Known."
"It is used to describe an individual who has not yet been intensively interviewed by the Border Patrol to determine his or her country of origin," a 2011 blog post says. "As everyone knows, ethnicity is not a reliable indicator of nationality. Just because a person is of obvious Latin extraction it does not necessarily follow that the person is Mexican."
In the same blog, the retired Border Patrol agent insists the term is not derogatory.
"Let me be very clear: 'Tonk' is not a term or racial derision; it is a temporary geographic description," the blogger wrote.
Another person who identified himself as a Border Patrol agent on the online forum Reddit said the term is commonly used, after a reader asked if he ever uses the word "tonk."
"It's a common term. And really it's 'tonc' and it originated from the acronym Temporarily Outside Native Country. Agents just sorta made it mean something else," the agent wrote in a Reddit feature titled, "I Am A … Border Patrol Agent … Ask Me Anything."
In response to another question, however, the agent gives a different answer.
"Read an article online saying border patrol agents nickname illegals 'tonks' because 'that's the sound a maglite flashlight makes when it (hits) the back of their head.' How accurate is this?" the agent is asked.
"It comes supposedly from the sound of a person´s head being hit by a flashlight. ... It is derogatory. Implies people against whom one exercises violent force."
Josiah Heyman, director of the Center for Inter-American Border Studies at the University of El Paso, on the term "tonk" or "tonc"
The agent responds, "we don't carry the big maglites anymore, now we carry smaller 'Stingers' … not tonks anymore, now they're 'tinks'."
Maglite is a brand of flashlight.
Josiah Heyman, director of the Center for Inter-American Border Studies at the University of El Paso, thinks the latter definition is more accurate based on what he said Border Patrol officers have told him in the past.
"It comes supposedly from the sound of a person´s head being hit by a flashlight," Heyman wrote in an email. "Their explanation. It is derogatory. Implies people against whom one exercises violent force. That is my interpretation but pretty clear."
Heyman doesn't believe the term "tonc" is an acronym that stands for something else.
"I was specifically told by several BP agents that it is the sound of a flashlight hitting a head," Heyman said in a separate email. "I was never told either of those acromyms (or any others). I suspect that those are after-the-fact rationalizations of a disturbing word, but I cannot prove that (I do not directly have evidence). What I do have evidence of is that is was described to me by agents as the sound of a flashlght blow to the head."
TALKING POLITICS: Listen to our Arizona politics podcast, The Gaggle, on Apple Podcasts, SoundCloud, Stitcher or Google Play.
Lawyers representing Warren pro bono have filed motions in federal court arguing that Warren's arrest was unconstitutional because Border Patrol agents did not have a warrant to enter the Barn's property, countering the Border Patrol's claim that agents approached Warren as part of a legal "knock and talk." They also argue that evidence based on the migrants' statements should be thrown out for the same reason.
As part of the motion to suppress, Warren's Tucson-based lawyers, Gregory Kuykendall and Amy Knight, submitted copies of text messages exchanged by Border Patrol agents as evidence that the agents went to the Barn for the express purpose of arresting Warren, and therefore needed a warrant. The text messages submitted as evidence are also intended to show the court that Border Patrol agents have a negative bias against undocumented immigrants, which led them to assume the two men they saw in the barn were in the country illegally based on their appearance, not on any actual evidence.
In one series of text messages, an agent identified as Brendan Burns writes, "Toncs at the barn" followed by "Get ready to roll this way all who are available," followed by "Came out of the house."
"10-4," an agent, identified as Albert Ballesteros, responds.
"Scott Warren pointing out terrain to them," Burns writes.
Later, Burns sends a text directed at another agent: "Sandoval make sure those toncs are isolated so we can get good mat wit interviews," using shorthand for material witness interviews.
THE WALL | A USA TODAY NETWORK PROJECT
Journey reveals reality of the border — and roadblocks to a wall
We looked at every mile of the U.S.-Mexico border. Now you can, too – right here.
Border crossers, and the wall that won't stop them
A human smuggler, and the wall that will make him rich
Border vigilantes, and the wall they might be watching
Border crossers, and the desert that claims them
Border violence, and the families in its wake
Border homes, and the wall that would tear them apart
A border tribe, and the wall that will divide it
Drug smuggling, and the endless battle to stop it
A community, and its holy ground at stake
Border ranchers, in a world without a wall
Border commerce, and who will really pay for the wall
Endangered species, and the wall that could silence them
Border agents, and the risks at the edge of the line
'Mass disaster' grows at the border, but Washington doesn't seem to care
A moving border, and the history of a difficult boundary
Read or Share this story: https://azc.cc/2rR2aHa
Man arrested in connection to double hit-and-run
State: Fire PSPRS director who harassed employee
1 killed, 2 wounded in shooting at central Phoenix condo complex
Salary database prompts officials to address concerns of 'woefully underpaid'
Missing Northern Arizona man found dead in Wyoming river
Flake calls on GOP to condemn Trump's 'vile and offensive' tweets


Increase your websites traffic, SEO and online credibility with Google Plus Ones!
We can understand that most businesses want to spend less time managing their sites ranking in the ever-changing landscape of the search engines. Our objective is to create trusted, unique and customized SEO programs for our customers, which in-turn, help to provide them with more time to work directly on their core business strategies.
Google plus ones are another way of saying, "I like this!". The more plus ones your web pages have, the better your online credibility, traffic and search engine rankings.
Plus Ones on the Rise!
Google plus ones are on the rise as a way to judge the popularity of your website and get ranked higher in the search engines. Get it while the getting is good and before your competitors do.
How It Works to Buy Google Plus One?
We can provide any amount of google +1s as we have large network to promote your site to get the Goolge Plus ones and they all will be from real peoples.
All G+1s will be from real peoples and they all will stay forever on you webpage/website and they will be from worldwide with the majority of the peoples form USA.
All G+1s will be from real peoples and they all will stay forever on you webpage/website and they will be from the targeted countries which you will ask.
You will get 100% refund if you will not satisfy with our services.
You can ask all G+1s at once or in drip feed and drip feed you will get few G+1s daily.
Just make the payment over my Paypal that is rajbirkohli@gmail.com and send the transaction ID with your link and the targeted Country ( if any ) .
Price May Increase SOON. So GRAB your copies NOW!!!


India's Most Preferred Branded Atta. Annapurna Farm Fresh Whole Wheat Flour (atta) is made from premium quality wheat grains. These grains are ground using advanced technology so that the flour: Absorbs more water while kneading, makes rotis stay soft for a longer time and contains the full nutrition of vitamins and minerals of wheat grains.


Over the last few months we've been listening to your feedback, and after much thought and analysis we've migrated to a new platform that will make your home search even better.
One of the most exciting features this new site provides is the Suggestive Search Bar. Whenever you type in a search query, the search toolbar will "suggest" a list of possible terms you're looking for. It's extremely helpful in case you've forgotten how to spell a keyword or simply want to find related terms. Search results are also further divided into subcategories, which include: areas, neighborhoods, keywords, and schools. This way, you can identify what you're looking for in more detail and not be directed to results that don't pertain to your search.
Do you absolutely need a walk-in closet? Don't want to deal with a Homeowners Association? Or maybe you only want homes that are over 1,200 Square Feet. You can search as broadly or specifically as you want now with these our powerful new search options, built to help you find just the right home.
Agent Assistance – If and When You Want It!
Not seeing everything you need to know about a listing, wondering about the neighborhood, or ready to go take a look? Help is just a click away! Connect with an agent instantly to request a showing, ask a question about a home, or find out more about the home buying process.
Considering selling your home? We can help. Go to the "Sell" button at the top of the page and provide us a few details about your home. We can help you find out how much your home would be worth in the current market, and tell you all about our comprehensive marketing plan. Our team has sold over 100 homes so far in 2013, and 30% of our listings are sold by our team. Let us share the secret to our success!
Enjoy all this and more in one convenient website featuring all the things you loved about www.FindHomesInKitsap.com, and then some.
Sign up today and give it a try!


YOUMARES 3 was organized in close cooperation with EMB Fraunhofer Research Institution for Marine Biotechnology and its local head Prof. Dr. Charli Kruse. The Institute concentrates on fields of cellular technology, aquatic biotechnology and cell-based medical techniques.
The Hanseatic City of Luebeck is, situated at the river Trave, Germany's gate to the Baltic. The Brick Stone Gothic gives the Queen of the Hanse a unique flair of maritime modernity with historical memory. Niederegger Marzipan is probably as well known as Thomas Mann's first novel "Buddenbrooks".
The conference venue was at "Die Gemeinnützige" in down-town Lübeck and we were happy to welcome 170 participants to this event and listen to 10 sessions and various workshops.
The aquatic climate archive: tracking the rise and fall of ancient civilizations.
Lessons from the past, for the present and the future?


Could the increased surcharges for Velocity redemptions be good for members?
The recently announced increase in redemption surcharges for Velocity Frequent Flyer has left many reassessing whether the Velocity program is still worth participating in, especially given that this announcement came hot on the heels of the devaluation in the transfer rate between Velocity and KrisFlyer.
While it is easy to see the negative in surcharge hikes, this guide takes a look at the contrarian arguments in favour of the surcharge increase.
From 1 January 2019, Velocity Frequent Flyer will be introducing a 'Carrier Charge' on all Virgin Australia-operated flights and Delta Air Lines-marketed and -operated flights between Sydney and Los Angeles. The Carrier Charge is on top of the current taxes and fees that are applicable.
Why could this be a good thing for members?
At the risk of having e-tomatoes thrown at my screen, I believe that these carrier charges could well become a welcome addition for Velocity members. While frequent flyer programs were once a mechanism for rewarding customer loyalty, those days have long past us.
Today, frequent flyer divisions of airlines are a business, and a serious business at that, with many airlines' loyalty divisions representing one of the most, if not the most, profitable divisions of airlines. Velocity Frequent Flyer is no exception, with the division's financial results positively helping the Virgin Australia Group's bottom line in the 2017-18 financial year.
However, one of the most frequent complaints leveled against Velocity over the past 18 months has been the dramatic reduction in award availability, especially in relation to international long-haul routes. While there may be a number of reasons for this, including the limited supply of Airbus A330 and Boeing 777 planes flying these routes with an increasing membership base, this is by far the sole reason, especially given the lack of long-haul award availability with Velocity's partner airlines like Singapore Airlines and Etihad Airways when trying to redeem through Velocity as well.
How can increase in surcharges improve award availability?
I would argue that Velocity's historically low award fees and taxes have played a part in the decline of award availability and that surcharges may assist in improving this availability.
Adding surcharges to award bookings will see the gap in revenue that Virgin Australia receives from a full-fare-paying customer versus one redeeming for an award fare narrow, given that an increased surcharge in effect means that a member redeeming a reward seat will be forking out a higher 'co-payment' for the seat.
Think of the surcharge like an excess that is payable when you make an insurance claim. This decrease in the revenue gap due to the higher surcharge may well entice Virgin Australia to start releasing more award seats, given that they face a decreased cost if they miscalculate forecast demand and release too many award seats.
The surcharge hike may well deter some members from seeking out these limited award seats, thereby reducing the competition for them. Less competition means a greater chance of snagging that reward seat.
As hard as it may be given Velocity's exceptional financial performance, it pays not to lose sight of the fact that profit is never guaranteed, and that these surcharges may provide an 'economic buffer' to secure the longevity of the Velocity Frequent Flyer program, especially in times of economic weakness that will invariably arise at some point in the future.
What can you do to mitigate these charges?
It is clear that the impact of the carrier charges is skewed towards international long-haul destinations. Therefore, avoiding long-haul award seats may be your best bet in minimising the impact of these charges.
While this may not be a suitable option for many of you reading this guide, some within the Point Hacks Community suggest that given the seat availability issues, plus the fact that Velocity's surcharges no longer represent exceptional value as compared to Qantas and other competitors, they are looking to redeem their Velocity Points for domestic bookings and reserve their Qantas Points for international flights where availability is better.
For those adamant on using their Velocity Points for long-haul flights, you can proceed to transfer your points to Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer miles at the current rate of 1.35:1, which opens yourself up not to just Singapore Airlines flights but flights on all Star Alliance and other airline partners. However, be aware that from 1 January 2019, the transfer rate between Velocity and KrisFlyer will devalue to 1.55:1.
Now, let me be clear—if availability does not improve as a result of these surcharges, then this is a very unwelcome impost on Velocity members. However, while none of us like to pay more fees and taxes, if it results in greater award availability, then this may take some of the sting out of the charges.
A frequent flyer program with no fees, taxes and charges and no seat availability is in my view a program with no value.
Will you be looking at changing your Velocity redemption strategy as a result of these changes? Share your thoughts in the comments below.


text:
Patty Wight
Maine Public
Patty is a graduate of the University of Vermont and a multiple award-winning reporter for Maine Public Radio. Her specialty is health coverage: from policy stories to patient stories, physical health to mental health and anything in between. Patty joined Maine Public Radio in 2012 after producing stories as a freelancer for NPR programs such as Morning Edition and All Things Considered. She got hooked on radio at the Salt Institute for Documentary Studies in Portland, Maine, and hasn't looked back ever since.
State Senate President Unveils Bill To Increase Access To Child Care In Maine
By Patty Wight • 14 hours ago
Patty Wight / Maine Public
Maine Senate President Troy Jackson announced a new bill Friday that he says will increase access to quality child care for Maine's most vulnerable families. It has the backing of several educators, child advocates and businesses, who say that improving child care is critical for both Maine families and for the state's economy.
Merger Between Mayo Regional Hospital And Northern Light Health Clears Major Hurdle
By Patty Wight • Jan 16, 2020
A merger between Mayo Regional Hospital and Northern Light Health has cleared a major step in the process after being granted approval by the state of Maine.
Record Number Of Lyme Disease Cases Reported In Maine Last Year
Flickr Creative Commons
Maine saw a record 2,079 Lyme disease cases in the state last year. The Maine Center for Disease Control (CDC) says that number could continue to climb as more reports come in.
Proposal Would Create State-Run Retirement Program For Maine Workers
Democratic Assistant Senate Majority Leader Eloise Vitelli is urging support for a bill she's sponsoring that would establish a state-run retirement savings program for Maine workers who don't have access to one through their employer.
Report Details Continued Struggles In Maine's Child Welfare System
Maine's child welfare system is still struggling despite improvements that have been implemented since the abuse deaths of Marissa Kennedy and Kendall Chick two years ago, according to the latest annual report from the state's Child Welfare Services Ombudsman.
Long-Time Portland News Anchor Stepping Down To Focus On Healing From Brain Injury
From Kim Block's online statement.
A long-time news anchor at Portland's CBS affiliate is stepping down. Channel 13 WGME's Kim Block says she's leaving her job of 39 years so she can focus on healing from a traumatic brain injury.
House Passes PFAS Bill Sponsored By Maine Representatives
The U.S. House has passed a bill sponsored by Maine's two House members that would regulate PFAS, a group of forever chemicals that have been linked to health issues such as cancer.
Pingree And Golden Co-Sponsor Bill That Would Regulate 'Forever Chemicals'
By Patty Wight • Jan 9, 2020
Maine Public File
Maine's two Democratic Representatives to Congress say they want federal agencies to better regulate a group of forever chemicals known as PFAS.
Mills Proposes Bill She Says Will Improve Health Insurance And Cut Costs
Steve Mistler / Maine Public
Maine Gov. Janet Mills and Democratic legislative leaders unveiled a new bill at the State House Wednesday that they say is aimed at improving health insurance in the individual and small group markets. They say the bill is designed to reduce out of pocket costs, stabilize premiums, and move closer to a state-run marketplace.
6 Flu-Related Deaths Reported As Virus Spreads Throughout Maine
Influenza is now classified as widespread across the state, according to the Maine Center for Disease Control.
Maine Gets $5 Million For Opioid Affected Babies, Mothers
Maine is one of 10 states that's been awarded a federal grant to help mothers and babies affected by opioid use.
Police: Bath Man, 88, Attacked By Fox Suspected Of Having Rabies
An 88-year-old Bath man was attacked on Friday by a fox suspected of having rabies.
Maine Hospitals Are Tasked With Figuring Out How To Implement The State's Death With Dignity Law
Elaine Thompson / AP Images
Maine's new Death with Dignity law went into effect last fall, but some hospitals have delayed participation in the system it created. Now some Maine hospital systems have policies in place that allow physicians and other medical staff to take part.
MDI Lab Receives Grant To Monitor Arsenic Levels In Well Water
The MDI Biological Laboratory has received a $160,000 grant to monitor arsenic in well water.
We've Been Underestimating Puffins, And They've Been Using Tools
By Patty Wight • Dec 31, 2019
BRIAN BECHARD / Maine Public
New research published this week documents evidence of puffins using tools. Study authors say it's the first known use of tools in seabirds, suggesting their cognitive abilities may have been previously underestimated.


text:
Райзинг Старз () — нигерийский футбольный клуб из Акуре. Выступал в Премьер-лиге Нигерии. Домашние матчи проводит на стадионе «Акуре Стэйдиум», вмещающем 15 000 зрителей.

История
Клуб был первоначально фарм-клубом основной команды Саншайн Старз. Они перешли в 2009 году в Национальную лигу и заняли второе место в дивизионе в 2011 году. В сезоне 2011/12 заняли 19-ое место и вылетели в Национальную лигу.

Известные тренеры
 Родолфо Запата

Футбольные клубы Нигерии

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Cinema
Wet Paint – cortometraggio del 1911 prodotto dalla Charles Urban Trading Company
Wet Paint – film del 1926 diretto da Arthur Rosson
Paperino e l'usignolo (Wet Paint) – cortometraggio di animazione del 1946 diretto da Jack King
Tinta fresca (Wet Paint) – documentario del 2005 diretto da Paula Alzugaray e Ricardo Van Steen

Televisione
Wet Paint – episodio del 1992 della serie televisiva Banane in Pigiama
Wet Paint – episodio del 1992 della serie televisiva Kinsey
Wet Paint – episodio del 1993 della serie televisiva Bodger and Badger
Wet Paint – episodio del 1996 della serie televisiva Bodger and Badger
Wet Paint – episodio del 2010 della serie televisiva Nina and the Neurons: In the Lab
Wet Paint – episodio del 2010 della serie televisiva LA Ink


Loulé is a large town set 18km to the northwest of Faro and has a long standing tradition of local hand craft trades, from tin and copper beating, to ceramics and cane furniture, to mention a few. On Saturdays there is a great influx of visitors for the Municipal Market, which sells fresh fruit, vegetables and cakes, amongst other local comestibles and produce.
For those interested in religious culture, there are the churches of St. Clement, St. Francis and Our Lady of Mercy to visit. There is also a Museum of Modern Art, the museum and archaeological site of Cerro da Vila and the Jardim dos Amuados.
Well known throughout the country is the Loulé Carnival, which annually attracts visitors from all over Portugal to celebrate the days of revelry with a parade of many carnival floats, dancing and street animation. But, in order to dance the Samba, as they do in Brazil, the climate needs to be warmer. So, in August, Loulé and Quarteira stage their second carnival - the Summer Carnival.
A variety of modern art exhibitions and musical recitals are held in Almancil, more specifically in the Cultural Centre of São Lourenço. For the more adventurous – there is a chance to do some circuits on the Karting Tracks in Almancil.
The municipality of Loulé also includes Vilamoura, Quarteira, Quinta do Lago and Vale do Lobo, all set on the coast, with luxury tourist developments that offer a wide choice of accommodation for a dream holiday. It is also here that you find the best golf courses in Europe, as well as many varied and excellent top quality restaurants.
The internationally famous Casino and impressive Marina at Vilamoura offer inviting attractions for an evening's entertainment. It is also possible to visit the Roman ruins or have an exciting game of miniature golf. A family day out can be spent in Semino, near Quarteira, at the various water parks. In any one of the town's restaurants, at the end of the day, you can savour Quarteira's well known prawns.
The Barrocal (hinterland) serves as a passageway to the hills, where you can enjoy the scents of the countryside and loose yourself in the spectacular greenery that surrounds the town of Loulé. The Popular Feast Days are celebrated in Boliqueime in June, with parades and samples of local culinary arts.
Alte has been considered one of the most typical villages of Portugal, with its splendid view over the Hills of Caldeirão. Many tourists who are looking for the traditional, hand made arts and crafts visit here. The region holds its Gastronomy, Handcraft and Cultural Fair at the end of April into the beginning of May, followed by a Folklore Festival in August. As local tradition dictates, Salir and Querença also have celebrations in May. On the Dia da Espiga (ear of corn) folk make up garlands with an olive branch, corn ears, daisies and poppies, amongst others. An act full of symbolism, it is said that whoever keeps the garland until the following year, will always have happiness in the home. It is also in May that folk start to eat the small country snails, with wild marjoram and toasted home made bread – a delicacy much appreciated by the nationals.
Don't miss a visit to Querença, a magnificent place, surrounded by greenery, with its beautiful church, superb view over the hills and some restaurants where you can eat traditional dishes like Cockerel "Cabidela" or Xarém (corn porridge, an Algarve speciality). The Fair for garlic sausages and black puddings, or the "Festa de Folares" (Easter cakes) are other reasons to visit the village. It is also the on the way to the Salustreira Grottos, almost 80 metres long, with a ceiling height of 12 metres. Nearby is the Benémola Font.