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SYRIA : A NONSENSICAL "PIPELINE-TRIGGERED" WAR THEORY DEBUNKED
Posted on 16 January 2017 by Cédric MAS
THE TRUTH ABOUT THE ORIGINS OF SYRIA'S CIVIL WAR
It is time to put an end to stories that can still be heard about the possible secret origins of Syria's civil war that plunged it into a bloodbath for more than 5 years – hidden by Western media of course – and should be sought deep down in those souls corrupted by money and vice that you might encounter in abundance under Qatari's turbans or Texas cowboys' hats.
Once this said then, it all boils down today to a conspiracy over oil and gas where "big money" is involved and a question of geopolitics over depleting carbon energy resources[1] according to the ultimate avatar of Judeo-Masonic conspiracies which have been agitating neurotic spirits from the beginning of the twentieth century (until the horrors we have come to know in the 40s).
In other words, the 2011 Arab Spring, which affected Syria as well as Tunisia, Bahrain and Egypt, would be reduced to a banal "revenge" of Qatari emirs and Turkish Islamists, supported, of course, by the CIA, and motivated by the lure of profits that escaped them due to the resistance of the "legally elected" president of Syria, Bashar Al-Assad.
"The Pipeline that explains ALL"
(Excellent map by @KarlreMarks)
The story continues to spread, easily understood, and benefiting especially from a "post-truth" hidden by Western leaders and media and that "free" enlightened minds have undertaken the task to reveal to all.
The best way to react would be with disdain and amusement yet when "serious minds" and especially political leaders succumb with disconcerting, and above all, disturbing ease, it is worrying for the future of countries led by such gullible people.
We propose to analyze this story, its evolution over time, and then show that not only the story is false but even dangerous for understanding events in Syria and, on a wider scale, throughout the world.
The Syrian Natural Gas Pipeline Legend and its Different Avatars:
As far back as we can go, this Natural Gas pipeline theory seems to have originated (though we have no certainty about that) in a short article, by Pepe Escobar, an Asia Times correspondent, and author of controversial books on Obama and the USA, published by Al Jazeera on August 6, 2012 and called "Syria's Pipelineistan War"[2].
The confused and unsubstantiated story was originally intended to explain the origin of the 2011 uprising in Syria by an operation of destabilisation of Turkey against Assad in order to defeat plans for gas pipelines competing with the Nabucco pipeline projects, even though Turkey was included in some of the projects in question.
The Theory becomes even more complicated in order to integrate a Qatar designed pipeline project (the "Arab" project) which would be in conflict in Syria with the Iran-led pipeline. As Assad preferred this latter project to the Qatari one, the CIA and the Gulf Monarchies would then have triggered operations piloted from outside Syria to bring down the Assad regime and replace it with a 'friendly' Sunni leader, with the success we know.
The story thus focuses on two rival natural gas pipeline projects, one proposed by Qatar and the other by Iran. As the first one was refused by Damascus who preferred the other, it set off a Turkish-American-Qatari revenge[3] leading to the 2011 demonstrations implying they were neither spontaneous nor of internal origin[4].
Analyzing how true this story is, which is presented as a unique and secret explanation for the origins of civil war in Syria, requires fact checking by noting the different gas pipeline projects, their chronology, and then identify the improbabilities, before checking where this story stands in Assad regime's propaganda, and finally, to conclude how dangerous this explanation is, as it is not only ineffective but misleading as far as the complexity of Syria's situation in 2016.
One Pipeline Can Hide Another: Natural Gas Pipeline Projects in the Region in March 2011[5]
It must be remembered that prior to 1999, Syria was the main natural gas producer in the Levant, from huge onshore fields East of Homs and North of Palmyra (most were held by Islamic State on 31 December 2016). This explains why natural gas is an important component of Syrian energy consumption (25.6% in 2009)[6], with natural gas producing 63.5% of electricity consumed in the country[7]. In 2010, Syria was one of the main producers and consumers of natural gas in this Region of Middle-East[8].
Other Levant countries have recently identified important offshore gas fields off Palestine and Cyprus (discovered from 1999[9] onwards and will focus on high potential fields since 2009).
The development of natural gas in the Syrian economy took off slowly in the 1980s, to bear fruit from the years 2000 and on. Despite the gas reserves and investments, production failed to cover the needs of a country in full economic and demographic development, and from 2008 on, natural gas imports were on the increase, mainly from Egypt through the AGP Pipeline[10].
The natural gas requirements of the region, especially in Syria, continued to increase and since 2009 Damascus has been looking for different ways to increase its imports, eventually leading it to enter into talks with Turkey (to transit Azerbaijani gas), Iran, and even Iraq.
As for gas pipeline projects, it is essential to determine the date to establish whether "competing" projects could have played a role in triggering the war in Syria.
The Syrian "Arab Spring" began in March 2011 (the Syrians themselves do not agree on the exact date between 15 and 18 March 2011[11]).
To date, an important gas pipeline in the Levant region is the AGP one linking Egypt and Syria to Israel and Lebanon[12] and two major pipeline projects[13] which are known to be at a standstill at the moment for different reasons:
the Qatar Project[14]: this project was designed on the basis of a European Commission feasibility study in 2005[15], in order to increase imports from Qatar, shipped previously by LNG tankers. Two routes were considered: one (Plan B – with an inaccurate path) by Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Iraq to Turkey and the other (Plan A on the map) by Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Syria to Turkey. The first route is the most economical but requires a stabilization of the situation in Iraq, the second one was planned in 2008 but refused by Syria and Saudi Arabia.
the Nabucco project (Iran and Transcaucasia): it is an older and more important project, since it dates back to 2002 and has had several versions. It was initially intended to bring gas from Iran to Europe but due to the tension linked to the Iranian nuclear program, it led Europe to reorient its project towards gas from Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan. Once the international consortium was formed[16], talks were conducted regularly until Russia's competing projects short-circuited its advance and blocked any progress as early as 2010[17].
A pipeline project from Iran, the Islamic Gas Pipeline (IGP)[18] formalized in a tripartite agreement between Iran, Syria and Iraq in July 2011 should be added. Although this occurred after the beginning of the Syrian Revolution, it seems, although not certain, to have been the result of negotiations begun before the Revolution broke out and should be taken into account for the sake of complete transparency.
All these projects have one main objective: to diversify Europe's gas supply, to break its energy dependency away from Moscow[19], by notably favoring imports from Qatar, or Iranian or Azerbaijani gas fields[20].
It should be noted that beyond this main goal, Syria also had to meet its own natural gas needs. The gas pipeline projects studied will concern not only those transiting the country but also those supplying it.
When it definitely does not fit: dates & chronology
The simple chronology of events shows that nothing can relate the outcome of these various projects – all at a standstill today – with the events that began in Syria in 2011.
Spring 2009: Damascus refused (under Russian pressure[21]) the Qatari project proposed with Turkey's backing, even despite favorable conditions for Syria, which led to favoring another route via Kuwait and Iraq[22].
June 2009: Azerbaijan granted Russia[23] access to its resources and the South Stream project[24] to the detriment of the Nabucco project which lost much of its feasibility
June 2009: Turkmenistan signed a gas supply agreement with China which eliminated de facto the possibility of supplying the Nabucco project[25]
March 2011: Demonstrations began throughout Syria, violently repressed and which would lead as early as June 2011 to the first armed clashes in Deraa[26], the beginnings of the civil war
July 2011: Iran, Iraq and Syria announced the signing of their agreement for the IGP project[27]
This chronology will include Azerbaijan's decision in 2013, for its exports to Europe, to dismiss definitively the Nabucco project, which was suspended.
Linking the outbreak of demonstrations in March 2011 with foreign destabilization maneuvers aimed at bringing down Assad's dictatorship with the twofold objective of undoing Damascus's refusal to accede to the Qatari project that had been rejected two years earlier and blocking an agreement in July 2011, cannot be taken seriously then from the point of view of dates.
The Improbabilities of Gas Pipelines Explaining the War in Syria
Beyond noting dates which are difficult to challenge, it is essential to analyze the chain of events that led to these three projects, even though not one of them has materialized so far.
First, it should be noted that Iran's announcement of an agreement in principle on an IPG pipeline project through Iraq and Syria in July 2011 cannot be taken seriously. This project involved building a pipeline in Iraq, a country undergoing a civil war, and in Syria, a country plagued by high instability, and even in areas beyond Baghdad's control, namely Islamic State and the Kurdish controlled territory.
Besides, beyond the technical feasibility of the IPG project that has never been seriously studied – even in 2016 – the project has no funding as two of the three signatory countries are subject to international financial sanctions making its funding from abroad impossible[28].
Therefore, this project cannot be considered a "rival" to either the Nabucco project or the Qatar project but rather a simple announcement allowing Iran to exert pressure on the international community. It is obvious that none of the signatories seriously believed in this project, where no advance has been seen, even from a strictly legal point of view since 2011.
Finally, it should be added that if this project were to be implemented, it is with Russia above all that Iran would be in competition.
As for the Nabucco project, it is faced with difficulties due to the international context as can be seen when Europe decided to cease participation in the project with Iran. Then Russian maneuvering succeeded in gaining supply sources that had been intended for the project (Azerbaijan), some of which were also strongly engaged towards the East and to China (Turkmenistan).
Nothing in the non-implementation of the Nabucco project can reasonably be attributed to Bashar al-Assad and explain an effort to destabilize his dictatorship.
In theory, the Qatari project would be the ideal motive for destabilising Assad's regime, but the theory does not hold when facts and details are examined..
According to Syrian sources (no sources from Qatar confirmed it), this project was rejected by Damascus in 2009, two years before protests started. Therefore, there is nothing indicating a link between these two historical events so distant from each other, especially when the latter is a part of dynamics that affected several Arab countries in 2011 in a very different way and far removed from the contingencies of the geopolitics of natural gas.
In actual fact, it should be remembered that the Qatar project had two optional routes:
Option 1: the shortest (2900 km) and the most economical: Qatar / Bahrain / Saudi Arabia / Kuwait / Iraq / Turkey
• Option 2: the longest and least profitable: Qatar / Bahrain / Saudi Arabia / Jordan / Syria / Turkey
The cost of the project varies according to options between $ 8 and $ 10 billion.
In any case, as it is faced with several major political obstacles, Damascus's 2008 refusal has little weight.
First of all, the shortest route crosses Iraq from South to North, from Basra (a Shiite area) to Kurdistan, in regions where the situation is particularly unstable and Baghdad's power is disputed.
This is the only map showing the exact layout of this project in its preferred version as it is more economical:
We found only one map on the exact layout of the route favoured by both Qatar and Turkey and concerns Syria in no way whatsoever.
Then, and this is the main obstacle, whichever route is chosen, the pipeline must pass either through territorial waters or through Saudi territory.
However, Saudi Arabia today is now in direct rivalry with Qatar, and opposes any project that would see an increase in Qatari exports. For example, the Al Khaleej gas pipeline project between Qatar and Kuwait was blocked by Riyadh from 2002 on.
Thus, even if Damascus had accepted the Qatari (and Turkish) project, it would not have been implemented because of the Saudi blockade.
So the argument that by overthrowing Bashar al Assad a project that had been constantly vetoed by Saudi Arabia for several years could have been undone is not valid.
It could be added that the situation of Turkey, which is involved in most of the projects and particularly interested in an extension of the AGP pipeline from Homs to Killis following a formal agreement with Damascus as early as 2000, excludes any destabilization of the Assad regime based on gas pipeline motives[29], without even taking into consideration the Kurdish question.
It is also interesting to note that this theory ignores the reality of the particularly complex decision-making process for investments in oil and gas infrastructure, which places criteria such as technical feasibility, financing and profitability of the pipeline project well ahead of those related to the geopolitical context[30].
Finally, it cannot be ignored that the construction of a gas pipeline, especially a project abandoned as early as 2009, could not even be envisaged due to the current situation in Syria, and in Iraq.
Some of the above details on the various projects, from technical or specialized studies, cannot be found in the "general public" presentation of these projects, notably in Wikipedia records in French or English[31], a sign of the stakes for regime propaganda and its allies, Russia and Iran, behind this story and making it available to as many people as possible..
A "foreign hand": a recurring theme in Assad's propaganda.
All dictatorships have a natural tendency to try and dismiss political protests as merely a foreign led destabilizing maneuver.
Yet Assad's dictatorship, which has lasted for more than 40 years, has taken this fundamental formative disposition of its propaganda a step further: a "true" Syrian would never question the Assad-Makhlouf clan's domination over the whole country unless he was an agent from abroad.
The story behind the Iranian-Qatari pipelines conflict, dating from 2012, provided a "plausible" motive to an already well-oiled speech at the beginning of the popular protest.
As early as March 2011, confronted with a general political challenge all over the country and in all communities (including the Alawis, Druze and Christians), Bashar al-Assad saw in this agitation an operation by a foreign enemy[32].
However, the scale of the protest could not be the result of a destabilizing maneuver orchestrated by a secret service, however powerful it might be. The demonstrations affected every city in the country, repeating themselves with remarkable consistency, and with slogans intimately linked to domestic issues concerning Syrian society, its aspirations and daily needs.
The longevity of the movement is due both to Syrians' profound aspirations and regime blunders which mingled violent arbitrary repression and targeted concessions, even causing criticism within its own security force[33].
Admittedly, Syria with its actions in support of terrorists, including jihadists in Iraq, for example, has long been on the list of countries (like North Korea and Iran) considered hostile by the US administration. Even more so, in 2006, the United States openly assumed this hostility, even though it did not exclude ad hoc collaboration in the fight against terrorism, and remains committed to supporting all initiatives to change the regime and put an end to the dictatorship.
The confidential telegrams revealed by Wikileaks are clear on the subject, and indicate the classical positions of a great power anxious to defend its interests[34].
However, this stance, adopted in 2006[35], and subsequently revised by the US administration, was followed up by little effect. There is no established link between these intentions in 2006, subsequently in question, with the events of March 2011.
The mobilization of Syrians was based first and foremost on internal causes and was not manipulated from abroad: an economic crisis linked to a succession of droughts that hit the country from 2006 to 2011[36], and to Bashar's failed liberalization policy, associated with an enormous population pressure (the population rose from almost 13 million in 1990 to more than 22 million in 2011) with a strong representation of young people (average age of 21.7 years old in 2010 for men and 22.1 for women).
In 2011, the social situation in Syria had been explosive for several years, with an important rural exodus, an increasing religious communitarianism[37], a sharp rise in inequality, and a discrepancy between the expectations of a large youth population and reduced economic integration capabilities. The blunders of a particularly violent repression against young people and even children, such as Hamza al-Khateeb[38] triggered the outbreak of the revolution.
The study of revolutions in history shows that these factors are quite sufficient to explain a political crisis where leaders are challenged. Destabilization operations will have no effect on such cumbersome trends, particularly from the demographic and economic point of view.
There is, therefore, no reason to give credit to regime propaganda, which has not ceased since the beginning, denouncing a foreign conspiracy.
Even more so, the chain of events shows that in reality the protest movement arose in Syria and emanated from Syrians living in their country and not from exiles or outside groups.
Indeed, groups of Syrians living abroad, and taking advantage of the events of the Arab Spring[39], tried several times to mobilize demonstrations hostile to the regime, especially via social networks. These efforts proved complete failures, as at the beginning of February 2011 when a call to protest was launched on Facebook[40] and led to NO demonstration[41].
The foreign plot thesis to explain the war in Syria is simply not serious, at least seen in the framework of a scientific approach. Hence, the question of a hypothetical motive to this plot linked to gas pipeline projects becomes moot.
Conclusion: the danger when you don't respect the Occam razor rules
When one is confronted with these arguments, some of which do not require much analysis or research[42], it is surprising to see how the pipeline explanation of the war in Syria is still thriving, even though put into perspective, in all serious publications[43].
This false and far-fetched thesis says as much about the cognitive deficiencies of its defenders as it does about the reality of well-documented historical events, and incidentally about the collective disasters to which this period of excessive media coverage is associated with a loss of intellect.
The issues at stake and energy choices, access to scarce oil resources are obviously essential elements to the understanding of geopolitical and historical events.
Evidently there is no question of denying it here.
One just has to remember that the American-Saudi Arabian partnership symbolized by the meeting between Roosevelt and King Ibn Saud on the "Quincy" on February 14, 1944 was a formative element for the entire Middle East[44].
Tensions between Russia and Ukraine can also be evoked over Crimea and for the rest of the country where the link with gas pipeline projects is obvious[45], or tensions in the Caucasus between Russia and Azerbaijan[46].
It is worth noting that Russian meddling, motivated by gas pipeline projects, is ignored by the very ones who denounced an alleged action of the CIA conducted by Qatar in Syria in 2011.
However, it is clear that the stakes of the war in Syria are first of all Syrian, and the regionalization of the conflict will occur later. The interventions of the foreign supporters of the regime date from 2012 and much more important than those backing the rebellion[47].
The danger of spreading the story of gas pipelines as an explanation for the war in Syria lies as much in the ignorance of the origins and reasons for the political protests against the regime as in the denial of foreign interventions without which Bashar al-Assad would no longer be in power.
It denotes a particularly disparaging vision of the Syrian people unable to claim their rights themselves, and without being manipulated by foreign services, for more freedom and a better sharing of the country's wealth.
Finally, seeking a conspiracy for natural gas or oil in any political crisis is an easy way for leaders in difficulty, to avoid assuming their responsibilities and drawing the consequences of their failures, two essential aspects of a political mandate in a democracy, already too often forgotten by our current leaders.
Article first published in French here
Translated by @dlockyer
Special thanks to her and also for @lmgaveriaux and @Aquila2407
[1] We must remember that the Pipeline and Oil Theory was also used as an explanation for the War in Afghanistan in 2001: Afghanistan: The Pipeline War? http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/1626889.stm
[2] http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2012/08/201285133440424621.html
[3] An example of incredible conspiracy delusions : http://yournewswire.com/wikileaks-cables-reveal-usa-signed-death-warrant-for-assad/
[4] The focus of this theory is attributable to a series of articles here: ANSAMED 01/10/2012 http://www.ansamed.info/ansamed/en/news/nations/turkey/2012/10/01/Syria-new-markets-Qatarien-gas-Al-Assad-analyst_7560833.html
[5] One among many references : very good job by Hakim Darbouche, Laura El-Katiri & Bassam Fattouh, East Mediterranean Gas : What Kind of Game Changer ?, NG71, December 2012, Oxford Institute For Energy Studies : https://www.oxfordenergy.org/publications/east-mediterranean-gas-what-kind-of-a-game-changer/
[6] Compared with15% in Israël or 0,6% in Lebanon (datas for 2010)
[7] Compared with 36,6% in Israël and 0% in Lebanon (datas for 2010)
[8] Syria's natural gas consumption in 2010 was 9.63 Bcm out of a total of 14 in the entire Levant's zone (Cyprus – Israel – Lebanon – Syria) – for Syria, 8,94 Bcm from local production and 0,7 Bcm imported.
[9] "Noa" was the first offshore natural gas field discovered in Israel in 1999, followed by many others in waters between Palestine and Cyprus in 2000.
[10] Arab Gazoduc Pipeline (AGP), a natural gas pipeline from Egypt to Western Syria on a South-North axis: from Deraa to Homs via Damascus
[11] 15th March 2011 is the beginning of the demonstrations in Deraa after several young boys were arrested on 13th March; 18th March 2011 sees the first "Friday March" all over the country, called "the Friday of Dignity" which was violently repressed by Police and security forces, with the first 4 deaths and hundreds of civilians arrested.
[12] The AGP Pipeline is frequently targeted by ISIS in the Sinaï and has ceased regular production regularly since 2011
[13] Turkey has concerns in many different natural gas pipeline projects but we have only written about projects with links concerning the origin of Syria's war in 2011.
[14] Is the Qatar-Iraq-Turkey-Europe Natural Gas Pipeline Project Feasible ? Report Nr. 23 – January 2011, ORSAM – Ankara 2011
[15] This project is led by the Qatar Petroleum and Exxon-Mobile East Marketing Limited Company.
[16] The International consortium is a complex system: 5 different national companies under the Nabucco International Company.
[17] Quelles perspectives pour Nabucco et South Stream?, Report for the French Energy Council, Under Zaki Laïdi, IEP Paris – July 2010
http://www.wec-france.org/DocumentsPDF/RECHERCHE/Contrat56_Rapportfinal.pdf
[18] Called "Friendship pipeline" in some sources
[19] In 2011, there were three major countries with natural gas reserves: Russia (1st), Iran (2nd) and Qatar (3rd)
[20] For natural gas issues, Iran with its Fars gas fields is clearly a rival with Qatar and Russia and cannot be considered a reliable sustainable ally for the latest.
[21] The refusal was officially motivated by the objective of preserving the partnerships between Syria and Russia, especially Russian interests : https://www.rt.com/op-edge/syria-russia-war-oil-528/
[22] http://www.thenational.ae/business/energy/qatar-seeks-gas-pipeline-to-turkey#full
[23] agreement signed with Gazprom the 25th of june 2009.
[24] The South Stream gas pipeline project ceased in December 2014 and replaced by the Turkish Stream, a Russian-Turkish project in common.
[25] China, Turkmenistan seal long-term energy deal , AP 25 juin 2009, https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1A1-D991I3P80.html
[26] The first clashes in Deraa didn't involve foreign fighters but Syrian army deserters who defected in whole units, refusing to repress peaceful demonstrations in Deraa.
[27] The exact date of the July agreement is not certain but some Russian sources gave another date opportunely advanced to March 2011, which is wrong : https://www.rt.com/op-edge/syria-russia-war-oil-528/
[28] ibid. Hakim Darbouche, Laura El-Katiri & Bassam Fattouh, East Mediterranean Gas : What Kind of Game Changer ? p. 17
[29] On Turkish Strategy on Natural Gas in 2011 : Ahmet K. Han, Turkey's Energy Strategy and the Middle East: Between a Rock and a Hard Place, in Turkish Studies, 12:4, 2011
[30] http://www.jacobs-university.de/sites/default/files/downloads/decision-making_for_supplying_energy_projects_a_four-dimensional_model.pdf
[31] Notice Wikipedia in English on Qatari's project : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qatar-Turkey_pipeline and on Iranian's project : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran-Iraq-Syria_pipeline
[32] 30th march 2011 Speech: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2011/mar/30/syrian-protests-assad-blames-conspirators
[33] http://mobile.lemonde.fr/syrie/article/2016/12/01/le-chef-du-renseignement-syrien-regrette-un-manque-de-fermete-au-debut-du-soulevement_5041756_1618247.html?xtref=https://www.google.fr/
[34] The problem is the same people who denounce US or CIA interventions as unacceptable find Russia's attitude in similar circumstances totally acceptable.
[35] The mostly frequently quoted text is from december 2006 : https://wikileaks.org/plusd/cables/06DAMASCUS5399_a.html
[36] The water situation in Syria began deteriorating from the end of the 90s. 5 consecutive years of drought followed from 2005 when Syria was in a very weakened situation.
[37] Religious communautarism in Syria can be explained by regime choices, Iran's influences, and also the loss of traditional structures after the rural exodus as a consequence of the water and economic crisis.
[38] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_of_Hamza_Ali_Al-Khateeb
[39] The Arab Spring began in December 2010 in Tunisia and January 2011 in Egypt
[40] for example : http://www.france24.com/fr/20110204-syrie-facebook-mobilisation-manifestation-appel-calme-damas and http://www.rtl.be/info/monde/international/en-syrie-un-appel-a-manifester-contre-la-monocratie-pas-suivi-212868.aspx and : https://www.opendemocracy.net/arab-awakening/hamzeh-moustafa/social-networks-in-syria-between-mediation-and-mobilisation
[41] Generally speaking, unlike others Arab Springs, Internet and social networks – closely monitored by Security services and not so widespread – was less important at the start of the Syrian uprising of 2011: http://ijoc.org/index.php/ijoc/article/viewFile/3527/1436 and http://www.arabmediasociety.com/articles/downloads/20120407120519_Khamis_Gold_Vaughn.pdf
[42] Numerous articles debunked this pipeline theory, unfortunately without gaining the same audience as those who propagated it: http://www.thenational.ae/business/energy/robin-mills-syrias-gas-pipeline-theory-is-a-low-budget-drama ; http://www.lecommercedulevant.com/economie/petrole-et-gaz-liban/le-conflit-syrien-serait-il-lie-des-projets-de-gazoducs-regionaux/2349 ; http://www.truth-out.org/news/item/37685-the-war-against-the-assad-regime-is-not-a-pipeline-war
[43] for example the excellent french work of David Rigoulet-Roze "La variable énergétique dans la crise syrienne – La question stratégique du contrôle d'un futur gazoduc méditerranéen" in Confluences Méditerranée, 2014/4, N° 91, pp. 95-106 : http://www.cairn.info/revue-confluences-mediterranee-2014-4-page-95.htm
[44] Even if historians know in reality that the oil question had already been settled between the Saudi Kingdom and the USA before this meeting, where the main debate was on the Palestine issue : http://orientxxi.info/magazine/la-legende-du-pacte-du-quincy,1213
[45] for example : Pasquale DE MICCO, IN-DEPTH ANALYSIS : Changing pipelines, shifting strategies: Gas in south-eastern Europe, and the implications for Ukraine, Policy Department, Directorate-General for External Policies, UE, 2015 :
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/IDAN/2015/549053/EXPO_IDA(2015)549053_EN.pdf
[46] http://www.laender-analysen.de/russland/rad/pdf/Russian_Analytical_Digest_56.pdf
[47] Concerning the unconditional russian backing of Assad since 2011 : "La Russie face aux révoltes libyenne et syrienne – des enjeux jugés majeurs, une politique défensive" de Anne de Tinguy, in LES ONDES DE CHOC DES RÉVOLUTIONS ARABES, Presses de l'IFOP – 2014, Chapitres 4 pp. 85-103 : http://books.openedition.org/ifpo/6930?lang=fr
About Cédric MAS
Juriste - Passionné en histoire militaire, il écrit depuis 2009 sur les guerres modernes en Méditerranée (Première et Seconde guerre mondiale). Son dernier ouvrage est une biographie de Montgomery parue en 2014 chez Economica. Depuis 2011 (et la guerre en Libye), il suit et analyse les évènements qui concernent les mouvements jihadistes, et particulièrement L'Etat Islamique et la guerre en Libye, Egypte, Syrie, et Iraq, surtout du point de vue militaire. sur twitter @CedricMas
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One Response to SYRIA : A NONSENSICAL "PIPELINE-TRIGGERED" WAR THEORY DEBUNKED
Shro says:
31 January 2017 at 15 h 58 min
Merci. Beau travail.
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The inauguration of the new SIES Complex at Nerul in Navi Mumbai in 1996 highlighted the fact that SIES had gone global. It had entered the international phase of its already remarkable growth. Quite fittingly, too, for this was the time of liberalization in communications and business in India, and exchange of expertise with other countries. The Nerul Complex is a consequence of SIES commitment to higher education and is a giant step in its continuing search for fresher disciplines, professional methods and wider frontiers in education.
This was the fifth stage of SIES growth. The previous four were its inception in 1932, the inauguration of a new building for its High School in 1954, the founding of Arts, Science and Commerce College in 1960, and the College of Commerce and Economics in 1989. All these events, marked by the presence of prominent public figures and arousing much media attention were also take-off points of vigorous growth in new academic direction. But they had been confined to one locality of intense activity, the Matunga-Sion area of North Mumbai the birthplace of the society.
SIES three institution here are within walking distance of each other. The academic experience in Nerul, Navi Mumbai, marked a new interpretation by the society of its educational mission to suit this rapidly changing times, and its realization of the need to venture into new disciplines to meet new challenges. With much foresight and bold initiative, the Nerul Complex was set up to meet the insistent demands of the business world for trained managers and economists.


The Continuous advancement of switching power supplies suggests well organized and modest power line filters. Passive power line filters are currently introduced in all domestics and modern applications. One main reason behind introducing a filter directly at the power passage point is the concealment of the led discharges that would some way or another is infused specifically onto the electrical cables. Another reason is to stifle commotion entering the gear from the power lines. This article presents a detailed detail and assessment of these "standard" passive filters.
To start with, suppress of the noise generated by the device, conducted emissions, which could be injected directly onto the power lines. The force of such emission is controlled by government organizations in numerous nations in place not to bring about obstruction with other gear. All manufacturers must regard the principles issued by IEC. The controlled gear basically falls into the general classification of advanced gadgets or those that utilization digital techniques for any reason.
The execution of a filter in a specific application may be better understood from its basic mode and differential-mode equivalent circuits. The inductors and capacitors utilized as a part of a filter are complex components with their effectiveness being reliant on material properties, development, arrangement, and method for association. Comparative filters may not perform the same in a given application due to subtle component differences and parasitic parameters. The technique used to introduce a channel in the hardware can have a critical impact on its execution.
A general power line filter is a basically low-pass filter that gives no attenuation to the power frequency yet gives large (perfect limitless) attenuation to RF energy. Hence, an EMI power line filter comprises of arrangement of inductors and shunt capacitors. The inductors may take two structures. The most well-known inductor found in all low cost power line filters is a solitary attractive center structure twisted with two coupled windings, one arrangement in one line and the other arrangement in the other line.
The execution of a filter, in a specific application, may be better understood from its common mode and differential-mode equivalent circuits. The inductors and capacitors utilized as a part of a filter are complex segments with their effectiveness being subject to material properties, placement and method for development.
Comparable filters may not perform indistinguishably in a given application due to subtle segment differences and parasitic parameters. Many of the parasitic parameters exist in any filter, which are not determined by estimations. All of these in addition to the properties of the materials in the parts will probably make two obviously indistinguishable filters carry on differently in any given application.
Electrical power line filters utilized as a part of switching power supplies are presented to over-voltages which can bring about harms particularly to the filter capacitors.


After our Intro event we conducted a highly scientific survey and have based our sessions on your feedback. We brought in another one of those "experts" we had mentioned. This time it was Fee-For-Service Advisor (see the pros & cons of the sources of advise on the Adulting Intro page) Liz Schieck from the New School of Finance.
How to break the cycle of guilt around managing money and life.
What specifics Liz would have us consider to understand why we overspend, and how to banish unhappy spending from our lives.
Interesting pieces of overall guidance from Liz on getting our money under control, along with some thought-provoking tips & quotes.
As a bonus you'll find your glamour shots at the bottom!
Spending Money: Money left over! SPEND ON WHATEVER YOU WANT!


text:
Marjaniwka (; ) ist ein Dorf im Westen der ukrainischen Oblast Dnipropetrowsk im Rajon Pjatychatky mit 730 Einwohnern (2012).

Das Dorf wurde im späten 18. Jahrhundert oder im frühen 19. Jahrhundert gegründet. Es liegt im Westen des Rajon Pjatychatky am linken Ufer der Schowta 3 km südlich der Stadt Schowti Wody und 25 km südwestlich des Rajonzentrums Pjatychatky, in dem auch der nächste Personenbahnhof liegt.
Die demographische Entwicklung des Dorfes ist negativ. Während bei der Volkszählung 2001 noch 1016 Einwohner gezählt wurden, sank die Bevölkerung bis 2008 auf 775 und bis 2012 auf nur noch 730 Bewohner.
In zunehmendem Maße beklagt sich die Bevölkerung des Ortes über Folgen der Umweltverschmutzung in ihrem Dorf.

Gemeindegliederung
Marjaniwka ist das administrative Zentrum der gleichnamigen Landratsgemeinde. Diese grenzt im Westen an den zur Oblast Kirowohrad gehörenden Rajon Petrowe, im Nordwesten an die Stadt Schowti Wody und im Südosten an die zum Rajon Krywyj Rih gehörende Gemeinde Tscherwone.
Die gesamte Fläche der Landratsgemeinde beträgt 42,837 km² und die Gesamtbevölkerung beträgt 733 Einwohner (2012).
Zur Landsratsgemeinde gehören, neben Marjaniwka noch das 3,5 km südlich von diesem gelegene Dorf Wolotschajiwka (ukrainisch , russisch /)  mit 3 Bewohnern (2012).

Quellen

 administrative Unterteilung des Rajons auf der Seite der Werchowna Rada (ukrainisch)
 offizielle Seite der Landratsgemeinde auf der Webpräsenz der Oblast (ukrainisch)

Weblinks
 Geschichte der Städte und Dörfer in der Ukraine (russisch)
 Geschichte der Region Dnepropetrowsk (ukrainisch)

Ort in der Oblast Dnipropetrowsk
Rajon Pjatychatky

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Who's Buying What?
DHL Supply Chain Singapore Supports Business Expansion, Supercharges Agent Retention with Avaya OneCloud™
December 16, 2021 Sam Heggie-Collins
DHL Supply Chain, the world's leading contract logistics provider, has accelerated its business expansion to meet a boom in demand for its services, while simultaneously increasing agent retention to a record high, with the help of a suite of Avaya OneCloud™ solutions.
Based in Singapore, DHL Contact Centre Services provides logistics solutions across a range of industries, including service logistics, technology, and public agencies. The Covid-19 pandemic created more opportunity to better support its customers' increasing demand for fast and cost-effective contact centre services.
"As many businesses found during the pandemic, the last 18 months were characterized by a huge spike in demand for high-quality customer experience services. Between 2019 and today, alongside the rollout of Avaya OneCloud, our number of concurrent agents has increased 300 percent," said Jerome Gillet, CEO, Singapore Cluster, DHL Supply Chain. "Retention in the contact centre industry has been a challenge for several years. With the support of a comprehensive, cloud-based collaboration tool, and an AI-powered contact centre, our retention rate has significantly increased to become the best-in-class in the industry."
"The security and scalability of the product means we can replicate this customer service environment in other markets, enabling contact centre agents to log in from anywhere, at any time, and gain access to the communication and collaboration capabilities," Gillet added. "In the near future, we will be scaling our contact centre offering to Japan, Korea, Australia, Malaysia and the Philippines."
"DHL Supply Chain is oiling the wheels of businesses during an essential time, allowing it to meet demands that have only accelerated during and after the pandemic," said Stephen Spears, Avaya Chief Revenue Officer. "Cloud-based customer service capabilities, automation and knowledge management are combining to deliver these offerings at a much quicker rate while supporting those charged with providing the service."
About Avaya
Businesses are built by the experiences they provide, and everyday millions of those experiences are delivered by Avaya Holdings Corp. (NYSE: AVYA). Avaya is shaping what's next for the future of work, with innovation and partnerships that deliver game-changing business benefits. Our cloud communications solutions and multi-cloud application ecosystem power personalised, intelligent, and effortless customer and employee experiences to help achieve strategic ambitions and desired outcomes. Together, we are committed to help grow your business by delivering Experiences that Matter.
Learn more at http://www.avaya.com
Previous PostQuiq Announces Integration with Microsoft to Enable Digital Messaging on Dynamics 365Next PostTravelopia Takes Next Steps On Customer Experience Journey With Talkdesk

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
#include <linux/module.h>
#include <linux/kernel.h>

#include "comedi_pcmcia.h"

/**
 * comedi_to_pcmcia_dev() - Return PCMCIA device attached to COMEDI device
 * @dev: COMEDI device.
 *
 * Assuming @dev->hw_dev is non-%NULL, it is assumed to be pointing to a
 * a &struct device embedded in a &struct pcmcia_device.
 *
 * Return: Attached PCMCIA device if @dev->hw_dev is non-%NULL.
 * Return %NULL if @dev->hw_dev is %NULL.
 */
struct pcmcia_device *comedi_to_pcmcia_dev(struct comedi_device *dev)
{
	return dev->hw_dev ? to_pcmcia_dev(dev->hw_dev) : NULL;
}
EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(comedi_to_pcmcia_dev);

static int comedi_pcmcia_conf_check(struct pcmcia_device *link,
				    void *priv_data)
{
	if (link->config_index == 0)
		return -EINVAL;

	return pcmcia_request_io(link);
}

/**
 * comedi_pcmcia_enable() - Request the regions and enable the PCMCIA device
 * @dev: COMEDI device.
 * @conf_check: Optional callback to check each configuration option of the
 *	PCMCIA device and request I/O regions.
 *
 * Assuming @dev->hw_dev is non-%NULL, it is assumed to be pointing to a a
 * &struct device embedded in a &struct pcmcia_device.  The comedi PCMCIA
 * driver needs to set the 'config_flags' member in the &struct pcmcia_device,
 * as appropriate for that driver, before calling this function in order to
 * allow pcmcia_loop_config() to do its internal autoconfiguration.
 *
 * If @conf_check is %NULL it is set to a default function.  If is
 * passed to pcmcia_loop_config() and should return %0 if the configuration
 * is valid and I/O regions requested successfully, otherwise it should return
 * a negative error value.  The default function returns -%EINVAL if the
 * 'config_index' member is %0, otherwise it calls pcmcia_request_io() and
 * returns the result.
 *
 * If the above configuration check passes, pcmcia_enable_device() is called
 * to set up and activate the PCMCIA device.
 *
 * If this function returns an error, comedi_pcmcia_disable() should be called
 * to release requested resources.
 *
 * Return:
 *	0 on success,
 *	-%ENODEV id @dev->hw_dev is %NULL,
 *	a negative error number from pcmcia_loop_config() if it fails,
 *	or a negative error number from pcmcia_enable_device() if it fails.
 */
int comedi_pcmcia_enable(struct comedi_device *dev,
			 int (*conf_check)(struct pcmcia_device *, void *))
{
	struct pcmcia_device *link = comedi_to_pcmcia_dev(dev);
	int ret;

	if (!link)
		return -ENODEV;

	if (!conf_check)
		conf_check = comedi_pcmcia_conf_check;

	ret = pcmcia_loop_config(link, conf_check, NULL);
	if (ret)
		return ret;

	return pcmcia_enable_device(link);
}
EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(comedi_pcmcia_enable);

/**
 * comedi_pcmcia_disable() - Disable the PCMCIA device and release the regions
 * @dev: COMEDI device.
 *
 * Assuming @dev->hw_dev is non-%NULL, it is assumed to be pointing to a
 * a &struct device embedded in a &struct pcmcia_device.  Call
 * pcmcia_disable_device() to disable and clean up the PCMCIA device.
 */
void comedi_pcmcia_disable(struct comedi_device *dev)
{
	struct pcmcia_device *link = comedi_to_pcmcia_dev(dev);

	if (link)
		pcmcia_disable_device(link);
}
EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(comedi_pcmcia_disable);

/**
 * comedi_pcmcia_auto_config() - Configure/probe a PCMCIA COMEDI device
 * @link: PCMCIA device.
 * @driver: Registered COMEDI driver.
 *
 * Typically called from the pcmcia_driver (*probe) function.  Auto-configure
 * a COMEDI device, using a pointer to the &struct device embedded in *@link
 * as the hardware device.  The @driver's "auto_attach" handler may call
 * comedi_to_pcmcia_dev() on the passed in COMEDI device to recover @link.
 *
 * Return: The result of calling comedi_auto_config() (0 on success, or a
 * negative error number on failure).
 */
int comedi_pcmcia_auto_config(struct pcmcia_device *link,
			      struct comedi_driver *driver)
{
	return comedi_auto_config(&link->dev, driver, 0);
}
EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(comedi_pcmcia_auto_config);

/**
 * comedi_pcmcia_auto_unconfig() - Unconfigure/remove a PCMCIA COMEDI device
 * @link: PCMCIA device.
 *
 * Typically called from the pcmcia_driver (*remove) function.
 * Auto-unconfigure a COMEDI device attached to this PCMCIA device, using a
 * pointer to the &struct device embedded in *@link as the hardware device.
 * The COMEDI driver's "detach" handler will be called during unconfiguration
 * of the COMEDI device.
 *
 * Note that the COMEDI device may have already been unconfigured using the
 * %COMEDI_DEVCONFIG ioctl, in which case this attempt to unconfigure it
 * again should be ignored.
 */
void comedi_pcmcia_auto_unconfig(struct pcmcia_device *link)
{
	comedi_auto_unconfig(&link->dev);
}
EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(comedi_pcmcia_auto_unconfig);

/**
 * comedi_pcmcia_driver_register() - Register a PCMCIA COMEDI driver
 * @comedi_driver: COMEDI driver to be registered.
 * @pcmcia_driver: PCMCIA driver to be registered.
 *
 * This function is used for the module_init() of PCMCIA COMEDI driver modules
 * to register the COMEDI driver and the PCMCIA driver.  Do not call it
 * directly, use the module_comedi_pcmcia_driver() helper macro instead.
 *
 * Return: 0 on success, or a negative error number on failure.
 */
int comedi_pcmcia_driver_register(struct comedi_driver *comedi_driver,
				  struct pcmcia_driver *pcmcia_driver)
{
	int ret;

	ret = comedi_driver_register(comedi_driver);
	if (ret < 0)
		return ret;

	ret = pcmcia_register_driver(pcmcia_driver);
	if (ret < 0) {
		comedi_driver_unregister(comedi_driver);
		return ret;
	}

	return 0;
}
EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(comedi_pcmcia_driver_register);

/**
 * comedi_pcmcia_driver_unregister() - Unregister a PCMCIA COMEDI driver
 * @comedi_driver: COMEDI driver to be registered.
 * @pcmcia_driver: PCMCIA driver to be registered.
 *
 * This function is called from the module_exit() of PCMCIA COMEDI driver
 * modules to unregister the PCMCIA driver and the COMEDI driver.  Do not call
 * it directly, use the module_comedi_pcmcia_driver() helper macro instead.
 */
void comedi_pcmcia_driver_unregister(struct comedi_driver *comedi_driver,
				     struct pcmcia_driver *pcmcia_driver)
{
	pcmcia_unregister_driver(pcmcia_driver);
	comedi_driver_unregister(comedi_driver);
}
EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(comedi_pcmcia_driver_unregister);

static int __init comedi_pcmcia_init(void)
{
	return 0;
}
module_init(comedi_pcmcia_init);

static void __exit comedi_pcmcia_exit(void)
{
}
module_exit(comedi_pcmcia_exit);

MODULE_AUTHOR("http://www.comedi.org");
MODULE_DESCRIPTION("Comedi PCMCIA interface module");
MODULE_LICENSE("GPL");

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Dan Dunleavy (born September 27, 1965) is a Canadian sportscaster for the Buffalo Sabres of the National Hockey League.  He was formerly a sportscaster with Sportsnet 590 The Fan, and Rogers Sportsnet.

Career

Hockey
Dunleavy is currently the play by play voice for the Buffalo Sabres on MSG Western New York and WGR 550 radio in Buffalo. From 2016 until 2022, Dunleavy rotated with Hall of Fame announcer Rick Jeanneret, who was to retire after the 2016-17 season. Rick changed his mind about retiring despite the agreement he and the Sabres signed with Dunleavy, leaving Dunleavy to work on a year by year time table with the hope of eventually taking over as was offered by the NHL franchise. To partially compensate, Dunleavy's role was also expanded to include filling in as studio host for Brian Duff when not substituting for Jeanneret.

Dan was about to call his third season of Toronto Maple Leaf radio play by play on The FAN590 and TSN1050 in the 2013-14 NHL season, when Buffalo approached him about taking over for Jeanneret. Dunleavy accepted, mainly because of his concerns about being split between the two Toronto stations, each owned by two of Canada's biggest multimedia conglomerates (Bell Media and Rogers Communications), both of whom also held ownership stakes in the Leafs. The Sabres signed Dunleavy to a five-year contract that expires in 2018; Dunleavy has turned down other offers during his time with Buffalo and remains in negotiations for a contract extension. On May 9, 2021, unsure of whether or not he would return to the Sabres, he posted a potential farewell message in the event that he did not renew his contract. The Sabres publicly stated that they were interested in renewing Dunleavy's agreement.

Since the last update, Dan has renewed once again as the voice of the Buffalo Sabres indefinitely.

From December 2004 through January 2011, Dan called the World Junior Hockey Championships on The FAN Radio Network, alongside Jack Miller. That run included five straight gold medal wins for Canada, two gold medal wins for the United States and one gold medal win for Russia.

In 2008 Dunleavy called the World Hockey Championships on the Fan Radio Network, working alongside former NHL'er Mark Osborne. The tournament was held between Halifax and Quebec City.  Russia won gold, while Canada was the runner up.

In 2010, Dunleavy called his first NHL game for the Buffalo Sabres who were playing in Anaheim, substituting for the vacationing Rick Jeanneret; Dunleavy called his first NHL TV game for The Sabres on MSG TV in Ottawa in January 2011 and becoming a permanent rotating announcer in 2013.

In 2010, Dunleavy called his first Olympic hockey games, including the men's bronze medal game and the women's gold medal game at Canada Hockey Place (GM Place) in Vancouver.  Dunleavy was the host for every Team Canada game on the FAN radio Network. Dan has also called Canadian Hockey League, American Hockey League, and National Lacrosse League games on Rogers Sportsnet.  Dunleavy was the radio play by play voice for the Toronto Rock from 2000 to 2008.  In 2009 Dan also served as their public address announcer during their home games.

Football
Dunleavy also served as the public address announcer at the home games for the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League.

Soccer
Dunleavy was the voice of Toronto FC of Major League Soccer on Sportsnet TV until the 2015 season.

Dunleavy served as the TV play by play voice of the Toronto Lynx of USL Soccer.

Olympics
Dunleavy was The Fan 590's Summer Olympics reporter since the 2000 Olympics, having traveled to Sydney, Australia and Athens, Greece in 2004. In 2010, Dunleavy worked the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver with The FAN radio network.

Other
Dan has also served as a part-time host for Sportsnet's FIS World Cup Skiing coverage. Dunleavy's work includes being the play by play announcer for Rogers Sportsnet and Rogers TV's coverage of the Men's provincial Curling Championships. TSC Stores Tankard. on The Fan 590.

Dan joined The FAN1430 back in the summer of 1993, working part-time on weekends while working five days a week at DC 103.5 FM in Orangeville Ontario. Dunleavy was part of Bob McCown's morning show, before working alongside John Derringer and Mike Richards in the morning. In 2001 Dunleavy took over the afternoon drive Sportscasters role from Scott Ferguson, who left The FAN to join The TEAM1050 radio in Toronto. Dan would remain in that afternoon drive slot with The FAN590 until he joined the Toronto Maple Leafs to become their play by play voice alongside Joe Bowen in time for the 2011-12 season on TALK640 Radio. His run at The FAN lasted 19 years.  To this day he continues to join the station to call TFC MLS soccer from time to time, as is the case with TSN1050 Radio, alongside Gareth Wheeler.

Personal
Dunleavy was born in Toronto and grew up in Georgetown, Ontario. His radio career started in Welland, Ontario in 1985 at CHOW country radio. He is an alumnus of Niagara College, where he was classmates with Rick Jeanneret's son, Chris Jeanneret.

Dan is married to 2 rescue dogs, Bandit & Timmy, and resides in Eden, New York. He met his wife, Brenda on the Sabres broadcast where she was the graphics coordinator/operator for MSG Network.

References

External links
Dan Dunleavy's Fan 590 Blog page

1966 births
Buffalo Sabres announcers
Canadian soccer commentators
Canadian bloggers
Canadian radio sportscasters
Canadian television sportscasters
Curling broadcasters
Lacrosse announcers
Living people
Major League Soccer broadcasters
National Hockey League broadcasters
People from Burlington, Ontario
People from the Regional Municipality of Halton
People from Toronto
Toronto Maple Leafs announcers


Rural security specialists covering the south coast.
Mark and track plant machinery and other high value items with the latest DNA security marking. Unique DNA codes identify the owner in the event of a theft. Used by numorous Police forces across the county.
We supply and fit overt & covert CCTV and alarms allowing remote locations such as gate entrances to be remotely monitored alerting you to any intruders. You can be alerted and access images from anywhere in the world.
Working directly with the Police we can ensure any crime reports are presented fully with CPS compliant evidence and full statements produced to ensure a speedy investigation. We also provide covert and overt patrols noting down and challenging any suspicious person or vehicles on or near to your land.
Every year at harvest season a farm in Hampshire was continuously plagued by poaching & hare coursing. Illegal poachers used the same bridleway track and entered the land numourous times causing damage to crop. ANPR cameras were utilised which caught the culprits in the act. Statements and footage were handed to Police and a conviction under the Hunting Act, Criminal Damage and various vehicle offences were handed down by the court.
We aim to respond to web enquiries within 24 hours.


text:
Goose Glass "Make A Splash" #33 NS Yellow Splash w/ Rust Faucet *SOLD*
Goose Glass "Make A Splash" #33 NS Yellow Splash w/ Rust Faucet *SOLD* - is currently on backorder. You may still purchase now though and we'll ship as soon as more become available.
Make A Splash # 33 with matching carb, carb stand & mood mat - NS yellow splash that exhibits hues of amber through the water droplets with a rust faucet.
14mm male to 10mm female reducer stem (suits a 55 degree 10mm male banger)
29.7cm tall x 13cm at the widest point (the handle)
This piece will be going to auction on Friday 2nd July at 4.20pm Australian EST. on our Instagram page. The auction is open to all worldwide. Bidding starts at $1500 AUD with a reserve of $2000 AUD. Bidding must be in increments of $20+. Shipping is set at a flat rate of $70 AUD for international and $50 for domestic (within Australia). The auction ends at 2pm Australian est. on Sunday 4th July. The winning bidder must be able to either call and pay via credit card over the phone or via direct bank transfer. Bank transfer will take a few days to clear. Shipments wont be sent until funds are cleared.
Artist Profile:
Goose first started on the torch back in 2012. Shortly after, he gave up his corporate job and moved across the country to the Bay Area of California to study glass art full time. Goose was warmly welcomed into the Californian glass blowing community by skillful and creative artisans.
Some years later Goose married and moved his family to Salt Lake City, Utah, where he opened a full-time studio as a base for creating his unique and highly sought after works of art.
Goose Glass is world renowned for his signature "Make A Spash" functional glass, works of art- masterfully combining exceptional craftsmanship, awe inspiring aesthetics and flawless function into each and every unique sculpture he creates.
Goose is also revered for his signature Pineapple Pendants. If you follow Goose Glass you'll often read or hear him say "Live like a pineapple". This motto encapsulates his artistic philosophy; We are all connected so it benefits all to inject positivity into all you do, and all that you meet. Be a leader and use your head. Its his take on the popular phrase "Be Like a Pineapple"- Stand tall, wear a crown, be sweet on the inside.
In 2017. Goose embarked on a year long project, committing to making a new pineapple every day, for 365 days. In this time, he battled through self-doubt and scepticism, proving to himself, and indeed the world, that he has an undeniable capacity for greatness and artistic expression. He ultimately achieved artistic freedom, having lost track of time midway through the project and feeling effectively unplugged from the societal status quo. This project laid the foundation and paved the way for the development of a truly world class artist and gentleman.
At A Friend Indeed Australia we have the utmost respect and admiration for creative artistic expression and a passion for perpetuating positivity. With this in mind, we feel honoured and privileged to showcase and offer, in an Australian first, Goose Glass' art. "Make A Splash" #33 will go to auction on our Instagram page on Friday 2nd July at 4.20pm Australian Eastern Standard time.
In Gooses' own words-
I believe the human consciousness connects us all, and the actions we take in this life echo through each other whether we want them to or not. With that in mind I have chosen to devote my life to creating visual art in the hopes it makes a positive impact on the world around us. If each of my pieces can spark a conversation, or inspire someone to make a change, or even brings out a single smile it was all worthwhile.
While I hope my art lives on long after I'm gone it's not about being remembered, it's about continuing to encourage the positive aspects of the human experience that I feel are most important.
You can visit Goose on Instagram @gooseglass or on his website www.gooseglass.com
ROOR Custom - Precious Pearl Dealers Cup 7.0 55cm
Pho Sco Glass UV Glass Rings
Pho Sco Glass UV Beads


On Friday evening, we went shopping for bifold closet doors to replace the set that's been wobbly and broken for nearly two years. Later, we enjoyed the first cool evening of the year by grilling burgers with Tammy on the back porch. Even the mosquitoes were reasonably calm.
On Saturday morning, we met up with Jonathan, Michelle (previously of Reston), and Stu at the Lake Anne Farmer's Market. Michelle and Stu were in town for a wedding, having moved to Berkeley last summer. Rebecca and Maia ate nitro ice cream and then we all had brunch at Cafe Monmartre. In the evening, we had dinner on the patio at Chuy's and then let Maia enjoy the "greens" at Cascades Overlook.
On Sunday, I mowed the portion of the lawn that wasn't the consistency of jello, and did some optimization of storage spaces in the house. In the evening, Michelle stayed with us to be close to Dulles for her return flight and we had a little gathering of her old yoga friends.


This year, our School Plans reflect the use of a Spirals of Inquiry framework to articulate school improvement. Through the framework of inquiry, the plans allow school communities to tell their unique stories, while continuing to have each school's focus fall within one of the three District goals of Literacy, Numeracy and School Completion.
What is going on for learners?
While these plans provide a snapshot in time, they are intended to be living documents that will continue to evolve to capture student, staff and parent voices as they reflect school growth, challenges and goals. School Improvement Plans are ultimately intended to illustrate how students are being supported to be successful learners that embody the attributes of an Educated Citizen. These attributes include (but are not limited to): students that are able to think critically and communicate clearly; are self-motivated, creative and have a positive self-image; are cooperative, principled and respectful of others; and are skilled and able to contribute to society generally, including the world of work. We are excited to share the stories of our schools with you through these plans.


Bristows is a London-based law firm, well-known for its IP practice and roots going back as far as 1837, when the firm was first established. Today, the firm employs around 270 people and though based in a single office in London, at least 80% of its revenues come from international clients, many of whom are in the Life Sciences and Technology, Media and Telecoms sectors.
Bristows is a London-based law firm, well-known for its IP practice and roots going back as far as 1837, when the firm was first established. Today, the firm employs around 270 people and though based in a single office in London, at least 80% of its revenues come from international clients, though the firm also has a significant base of domestic clients.
Bristows focuses on working with clients in a variety of innovative sectors such as life sciences and TMT. Whatever practice area a trainee is based in, be it IP litigation, Corporate, real estate or competition, they will be working with clients from these sectors.
Bristows recruits trainees from all degree backgrounds, but due to the technical nature of the work at firm, a training contract here can be an exciting alternative career for students with a scientific background.
The firm inducts ten trainees on an annual basis. Trainees are guaranteed a six-month seat in the IP litigation department, with other seats being allocated in each of the firm's core practice areas. These may include seats in commercial IP, real estate, competition, employment, commercial disputes, regulatory and corporate. In each seat, the trainee solicitor sits with a partner who allocates work and monitors performance.
Trainees can also expect client secondments for a period of three months.
The firm runs a number of two-day workshops throughout the year which offer attendees the chance to find out more about Bristows. These are a great opportunity to assess whether both a legal career and the firm itself, are the right fit for the individual.
Over the two days, attendees take part in case studies, receive presentations from all core departments, and have the opportunity to get involved in a range of social events to enable them to get a real sense of the firm and find out first-hand what life is like as a lawyer at Bristows.
Bristows do not offer an apprenticeship scheme.
Bristows do not offer a school leaver programme.
The firm pays course fees for the GDL and LPC and provides a maintenance allowance of £8,000 for each year of study. Trainees receive a salary of £38,000 and £41,000 during the two years of the training contract and £60,000 on qualification.
The benefits package includes season ticket loans; 23 days of annual vacation; pension scheme; private health insurance; and discounts on several retail goods.
The minimum requirement for training contact applications is for a 2:1 degree in any discipline, but given the rigours of an IP practice, outstanding academic and extracurricular achievements are the norm, rather than an exception.
We place great importance on having a diverse and inclusive workforce and the firm welcomes applications from all disciplines, with the current trainees having degrees ranging from History and Politics, to Physics and Biochemistry. However due to the sectors our clients work in, a significant percentage of employees come from backgrounds where they've earned degrees in science, technology and other technical disciplines.
Application forms for training contracts and vacation schemes are accessible at apply4law/bristows; the deadline for training contracts is 31 July for those who wish to attend the interviews in August and September, and 31 January for interviews in February and March.
Workshop applications should be submitted by 22 November 2017 for the Winter Workshop, and by 31 January 2018 for workshops in spring and summer 2018.


One Step Inside aims to fuel you with motivation to help you see your true potential, to gently immerse you in the realisation that you are so much more than you envisage you are today. This is a place we can move together; a place where your everyday concerns and troubles gently fade in the awe-inspiring light of a loving universe.
If this sounds like a place you would like to explore, settle in and enjoy the journey. In this space, we will share with you a range of time-tested methods and practices that will help you reach a way of life that embraces inner enduring life fuel.
It begins here. Take One Step Inside with us.
One Step Inside was founded by Erika Garcia. Erika is an activator of higher motivation and brilliance.
After ten years running fundraising campaigns for a variety of non-profit organisations, she's refocused on what she loves the most: inspiring and educating others on their spiritual journey. You'll find her approach refreshing and empowering, one that leads you to your optimal self in body and mind.
If you would like to notified of Erika's upcoming training and courses, all you have to do is enter your details below.


The heavenly taste of this Choco mate Cake will even leave the hardest-to-please chocolate addicts tranquil in every sense. Prepared with three layers of relishing chocolate cream filled in between the soft stacks of chocolate cake, and adorned with beautiful chocolate icing and rich glaze chocolate coating.
Send birthday cakes, anniversary cakes, flowers, gifts online to your special ones in jhajjar.


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Letter to Obama: Support Justice for 1984 Anti-Sikh Massacres
November 3, 2014 (Washington, DC) – The Sikh Coalition, in partnership with Ensaaf and Human Rights Watch, sent a letter today to President Barack Obama, urging him to support justice for the 1984 anti-Sikh massacres, which claimed the lives of thousands of Sikhs throughout India 30 years ago.
Click here to read the letter.
Noting that the architects of the premeditated violence have escaped justice, the letter calls upon the Obama Administration and the State Department to prioritize this issue in its engagement with India.
As the survivors of the 1984 anti-Sikh pogroms continue their struggle for justice in India, we encourage Sikh Coalition supporters to take action in support of justice and remembrance.
Here are four actions that you can take:
Support the Widows and Orphans who Lost Loved Ones in 1984
Tell Your Members of Congress to Support Justice for 1984
Record Your Story on the 1984 Living History Website
Apply for a "Connecting with 1984" Small Grant (U.S. only)
Thirty years ago, Indian government and police officials attempted genocide against the Sikh minority in India. The 1984 massacres occurred within our lifetimes, but with each passing year, the likelihood of securing justice grows dimmer, and the world remains largely ignorant about what happened. In this context, the Sikh Coalition urges its supporters to continue raising this issue in every possible forum – in the classroom, in the media, in the halls of the U.S. Congress – so that we ensure that these crimes are never repeated, forgotten, or left unpunished.
As always, we encourage Sikhs everywhere to fearlessly maintain their articles of faith.
1984 Op-Eds:
50 Broad Street Suite 1537 New York, NY 10004


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Holidays in Nicaragua: Family Tour
March 11-19 (Spring Break)
June 10-18 (Summer Vacation)
A special family holiday designed with the kids in mind.
Join other like-minded families and make new friends. We will slide down volcanoes, climb towers, and hike in search of nocturnal creatures. We will surf, paddle, swim and zip. We'll even include some learning activities that won't feel like school at all!
Kids travel at a reduced rate to make it affordable for the whole family.
Space is available for 15 people. Make your reservations now so you can be a part of this one-of-a-kind family adventure!
Recommended age for activities on this tour is 8 years or older. If children younger than 8 are unable to participate in the volcano hike, zip line or surfing they will still have fun cheering on siblings and parents. It's all about the journey!
During the weeks surrounding both Easter and Christmas, Nicaragua is at its best, alive with color, music and tradition. We will include special opportunities to experience these festive occasions in a very intimate way with your family.
We begin by traveling from the international airport in Managua to the liberal capital of León. The city of León is a living reminder of the revolution. Vivid murals appear around every corner depicting sentiments and heroes. From the top of an UNESCO World Heritage Site, the León Cathedral, you will be able to see Volcano San Cristóbal (the highest in Nicaragua) down to Volcano Momotombo. The clean and tidy local market will impress and the quirky Museum of Myths and Legends will no doubt keep the kids guessing as to which of the stories are true and which are told just to keep them in their beds at night.
Nicaragua is the Land of Lakes and Volcanoes. Active volcanoes. None as active and young as Cerro Negro. A hike up in the late afternoon will offer a spectacular view of the sun setting over the volcanic chain and an easy "run" back down. One young boy once compared it to being like the Incredible Hulk as he bounded down the volcanic slope taking giant leaps that just aren't possible on level ground.
We head south to pineapple country. The undulating countryside is prolific. We'll take you to visit with a local farmer and his family making their living off this sweet fruit. See how three generations are living in el campo (the countryside). You will get to taste the culmination of its challenges and rewards in a bowl full of the fragrant fruit.
Volcán Masaya National Park was established in 1979 as Nicaragua's first national park. We'll spend time exploring the park's several craters, peering into one of the country's most visibly active volcanoes.
The steep climb to Coyotepe, built as a fortress in 1893 to protect Masaya, later used as a prison, now a national landmark, offers a view that gives us some idea of just how much water and how many volcanoes make up this, the largest country in Central America.
View all other tours
In the conservative capital of Granada you will be enchanted by the colorful colonial architecture that abounds. This historical city will keep all your senses alert, especially "smell" and "taste" during our chocolate making class, where you will learn, hands-on, how to turn the cacao bean into a a chocolate bar. Kids will roll up their sleeves and get dirty in the best possible way.
From the bustling city streets of Granada we will go in search of peace and quiet. We'll spend the afternoon swimming, kayaking, or simply floating in the thermal, crystalline crater lake waters of Laguna de Apoyo. The kids will keep entertained with open air bocce ball, ping pong and billiards. The howler monkeys may even come by for a close up look at the action.
A visit to a private island in Las Isletas includes a homemade lunch with fish fresh from the sweet waters of Lake Nicaragua, swimming, kayaking, stand up paddleboard (SUP), or just lounging in a hammock in the shade of the island's natural canopy. There's something for everyone and the views from this rocky islet and tranquil bay will inspire.
Volcán Mombacho rises nearly 4,400 feet above sea level, its summit hidden in a dense cloud forest. We'll hike around one of its forest-lined craters through an amazing ecosystem, home to colorful orchids and bromeliads, curious wildlife, fascinating insects, and over 160 species of birds. After the sun goes down we'll follow the light of our headlamps in search of red eye tree frogs, owls, and the Bolitoglossa Mombachoensis salamander endemic to Mombacho. You'll also get a first-hand look at a shade-grown coffee farm and processing plant.
We head out of the city and we're off to the beach! Nicaragua is home to four species of sea turtles. More than 100,000 olive ridley nests are laid on La Flor beach each year between July and December. With luck we will see some as they emerge from the water and make their way up the sandy incline. And when we are not on land observing these magnificent creatures we will be in the water riding the magnificent Pacific waves. Surf lessons for all those interested will provide instructions for a safe and fun water experience on a beach with waves appropriate for beginners.
The kids will find themselves at home swinging from the tree tops on our zipline adventure. For those a little less inclined to swing freely, no worries, there are plenty of local guides who will do it for you, all you need to do is hold on enjoy the ride.
Really, that's the purpose of this tour... to enjoy the ride!
Eight nights of accommodation (up to four family members in a room)
Activities as specified on the itinerary
NOTE: The conditions on this tour can be difficult due to the nature of the developing world. While accommodations are upscale for Nicaragua, there may still be issues with electricity, water, access to the internet, and Nicaraguan culture continues to run on its own schedule - that's why we adore it!


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How Does Egg Donor Anonymity Work?
If you're seeking an egg donor to help build your family, you probably have a lot of questions regarding egg donor anonymity — how it works, what exactly it means, and what parameters are in place to protect both you and the donor.
While there are other options for egg donation — "known," which means all donor information is shared with the intended parent(s); "semi-known," which serves as a middle ground between anonymous and open, with only some information shared — anonymous donation is the most common route at this time.
Anonymous donors do not receive any identifying information (such as name and address) about the person or couple receiving the eggs. Likewise, you will not be given any identifying information about the donor.
Who Makes Use of Anonymous Egg Donation?
Egg donation, which involves a fertile woman donating eggs to another woman to help her get pregnant, has helped millions of people achieve their dreams of building a family.
Egg donation solutions are used by both same-sex female couples and opposite-sex couples to help the intended mother get pregnant. Poor egg quality, premature menopause, cancer, age, endometriosis, ovulation disorders and damaged fallopian tubes can all affect a woman's ability to conceive.
Same-sex male couples hoping to build a family also turn to anonymous egg donation, as do single women who are unable to conceive and single men looking to start a family on their own.
When using the egg donation method, the intended parent(s) can choose to work with only the egg donor, who then serves as a traditional surrogate, carrying the pregnancy to term, or with an egg donor and a gestational carrier, who undergoes artificial insemination using the donor's eggs.
What Does the Anonymous Egg Donation Process Involve?
Searching for the ideal anonymous egg donor for your unique needs can be a daunting task, but keeping a few things in mind can make the process a lot easier.
First, after deciding upon a fertility clinic to work with, you will look through the clinic's egg donor database. As mentioned, the people in this database will not provide their identity. However, you will typically be able to learn quite a lot about donors, including their physical appearance, religion, ethnicity, medical history, education, occupation, blood type and personality.
When searching for an egg donor, some people may focus more on finding a donor who has similar interests, while others might be more concerned with finding a certain physical, racial or ethnic match. Some biracial or mixed-ethnicity couples, for example, might want to find a donor who shares physical attributes with both partners. All of this information can give great insight into a potential egg donor.
What Does Egg Donor Anonymity Mean?
While most people understand that egg donor anonymity means no identifying information will be shared regarding either the donor or intended parent(s), there's still a lot of confusion surrounding the details of anonymity.
People who sign up to serve as anonymous donors do so under the condition that the intended parent(s) will not be able to identify or contact them. Once a donor is chosen, an agreement is drawn up between the intended parent(s) and the donor.
This agreement outlines all the stipulations involved in the donor process and must be signed by both parties. Typically, these agreements are signed before the donor begins to take any kind of injectable medications.
It is best practice for both the donor and intended parent(s) to have separate legal representation when signing this agreement, which can be catered to meet both parties' needs and desires. Some donors may allow for the possibility of being contacted once a child conceived with their eggs reaches the age of 18, for instance. In some cases, the desires of both parties may change over time, and the contact can be updated to allow for alterations.
All of these possibilities should be discussed in depth with the egg donor at the beginning stages of the process.
Navigating anonymous egg donation may seem complicated at first, but a trustworthy medical team and knowledgeable legal support will make the process as smooth and stress-free as possible.
To receive a free legal consultation or learn more about any of the topics discussed above, contact Falletta & Klein, California's leading surrogacy and egg donor lawyers.


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Sphoeroides nephelus е вид лъчеперка от семейство Tetraodontidae. Видът не е застрашен от изчезване.

Разпространение и местообитание
Разпространен е в Американски Вирджински острови, Ангуила, Антигуа и Барбуда, Бахамски острови, Белиз, Британски Вирджински острови, Венецуела, Гваделупа, Гватемала, Доминика, Доминиканска република, Кайманови острови, Колумбия, Коста Рика, Куба, Мартиника, Мексико, Монсерат, Никарагуа, Панама, Пуерто Рико, САЩ, Свети Мартин, Сейнт Китс и Невис, Синт Мартен, Тринидад и Тобаго, Хаити, Хондурас и Ямайка.

Обитава крайбрежията и пясъчните дъна на полусолени водоеми, морета, заливи, лагуни, рифове и реки. Среща се на дълбочина от 1 до 11 m, при температура на водата от 22 до 24,6 °C и соленост 36 – 36,2 ‰.

Описание
На дължина достигат до 30 cm.

Източници

Литература

Външни препратки
 Sphoeroides nephelus в National Center for Biotechnology Information
 Sphoeroides nephelus в  Global Biodiversity Information Facility
 Sphoeroides nephelus в  FishBase
 Sphoeroides nephelus в World Register of Marine Species

Sphoeroides


Apprenticeships have entered the spotlight as a promising solution to the shortage of skilled workers, especially for manufacturers.
Engineer teaching apprentices to use computerized lathe.
When President Donald Trump, former host of the reality show The Apprentice, signed an executive order in June designed to boost apprenticeship programs nationwide, he followed in his predecessor's footsteps in embracing a workforce development tool that until recently has received relatively scant attention and resources in the United States.
For the past 80 years in this country, labor unions and the building trades have figured out how to develop high quality apprenticeship programs to create really good jobs with really good wages. But everybody else has sort of ignored apprenticeships. Eric Seleznow, senior adviser, Jobs for the Future Carolyn Lee, executive director of The Manufacturing Institute, says the U.S. manufacturing industry has about 30,000 registered apprenticeships, but also untold unregistered programs implemented by organizations that declined to go through the government's registration process. Lee says the Executive Order's advocacy for third-party credentialing for registered apprenticeship programs — instead of requiring programs to be credentialed through the federal government — could, if enacted, spur improved creativity and interest in apprenticeships and accelerate growth, even to the ambitious levels Trump has cited.
"Allowing for custom solutions for the programs to fit regional and local needs could create an environment where five million registered apprenticeships is not an impossible goal to attain," Lee explains.
Seleznow and Lee say they hear from employers who lament the difficulty of identifying and hiring sufficiently skilled workers for their operations. Each agrees that apprenticeships can play a major role in addressing that shortage. In addition to increased government support, Lee says, companies will need to strengthen their resolve to implement apprenticeships and seek out regional partners, such as community colleges, technical schools and other companies.


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Clients must sign up here.
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Please email natdrive2018@gmail.com with any questions or concerns.


Pretend you're the Democratic Party. You've controlled both houses of Congress since 2007 and the White House since 2009. You came to power during a recession which, most voters agree, you only made worse. You also inherited a budget with a huge deficit, and you made that worse, too. You rammed through an unpopular stimulus package that paid off your political supporters but did nothing to improve the economy, and an even more unpopular health care package that will make us all pay more for health care while giving us less of it. Despite overwhelming voter demand to do something about illegal immigration, you refuse to secure the border, and when a state acted to do what the Federal government won't do, you sued.
You can't run on this record. Six in ten Americans no longer trust you to govern, and an even larger number think you're taking the country in the wrong direction.
So what do you do? You change the subject, that's what you do.
This is the only way to understand why the Left and their media allies have been heaping so much abuse on the Tea Party movement. When citizens gather in huge rallies around the country to protest out-of-control government spending, then just accuse them of RACISM!
Unfortunately, this tactic seems to be working.
The Left and its media allies have maintained a drumbeat of slanderous accusations of racism against the Tea Party movement almost since it started more than a year ago. This drumbeat reached a crescendo in March following a Tea Party demonstration on the Capitol grounds against Obamacare when a member of the Congressional Black Caucus claimed he heard racial epithets shouted at members of the caucus as they made their way through the crowd, and another member supposedly was spit on.
It also didn't stop the NAACP last week from citing these made-up incidents in their "unanimous" resolution condemning the Tea Party for not confronting the "racist elements" in its ranks.
And this is precisely the effect the bogus racism charges have had. Late last week, Mark Williams, a talk radio host who serves as a spokesman for Tea Party Express, took the NAACP's bait and posted a racially offensive letter on his web site. The "letter" was actually intended to be satire. It was addressed to President Abraham Lincoln from "Colored" people, and accused him of racism for setting them free and making them responsible for their own lives. Critics have called the letter "racist", but I think "racially insensitive" is a better description.
I understand the point Williams was trying to make — that the Democratic Party and its NAACP allies support a bloated welfare state that has kept many African Americans in a dependent class as slavery once did. But the "letter" was stupid and in extremely poor taste. Williams quickly took it down, but the damage had been done.
The result of this is that Tea Partiers are now fighting among themselves, and some candidates have rejected Tea Party endorsements. The National Tea Party Federation, a sort-of umbrella group of 61 Tea Party organizations across the country, expelled Williams and the Tea Party Express. Even this, however, was not enough for MSNBC's Chris Matthews. "Reach over, grab the [racist] sign and tear it out of the guy's hands, then I'll believe you," said Matthews. Oh, so the only way Tea Partiers can satisfy Chris Matthews is to commit assault and battery.
So, now the Left has the Tea Party arranged in a circular firing squad shooting at each other and arguing about racism instead of focusing on getting the big taxers and spenders out of Congress.
The demand that the Tea Party purge its alleged "racist fringe" is disingenuous, anyway. It is not an organized movement. Tea Party rallies are big, public affairs held in big, public spaces. Anybody can come, and anybody can carry any kind of sign he wants. That's their First Amendment right. The demand that the Tea Party purge its ranks is just a way of changing the subject so that, instead of protesting the uncontrolled growth of government, its members waste their time trying to prove they're not racists.
My guess is that the Democrats WILL run on their record because it is far better than the record the Republicans and the Tea Partiers have to run on (none).
You claim the stimulus was a failure, yet many economists have insisted that the stimulus brought about the end of the recession and would have been more effective if it had been even larger. They contend that the only way out of a recession is for the country to spend its way out, and with the financial institutions not willing to lend, the only source of capital is the federal government. Those economists believe deficit spending is acceptable and even essential in the short term in order to keep the recovery from stalling out.
As for the healthcare package, time will tell how well it is received by the public… most of its provisions haven't even gone into effect yet. But for those people who couldn't afford or couldn't get health insurance coverage, it will be a life-saver. And for those on Medicare, they still have their Medicare, so they aren't going to fuss too much. This is not going to be the damning issue you think it is.
Regarding illegal immigration, what do the Republicans or the Tea Partiers have to offer? Arizona's new law does nothing to secure the border, so how is it doing anything to solve the problem? Even if the state law is not found to be unconstitutional, it will have little to no effect on the problem. Therefore, this also will not hurt the Democrats.
As for he charges of racism among the Tea Partiers, who have they got to blame besides themselves? The Democrats certainly didn't plant that incredibly offensive letter on Mark Williams's website. What was he thinking? You can "spin" it all you want by claiming it was intended to be satire, but clearly it crossed the line in talking about a highly-charged subject in an inflammatory way. Besides, how do you know what Williams was thinking when he wrote it? Maybe he is a racist.
Despite the lingering charges of racism, the 2010 and 2012 elections will be decided by one issue only: the economy. Because unemployment is high and the economy is still sluggish, the Republicans will likely make inroads in 2010. Some Tea Partiers may even get elected. But, if the economy starts to pick up and the unemployment numbers start coming down before the 2012 elections, the Democrats will get the credit for it and the Republicans and Tea Partiers will get nada because they haven't contributed anything. Under those circumstances, look for Obama to be re-elected.
Oh, which economists said THAT? Got news for you: the recession hasn't ended, not with an unemployment rate of around ten percent.
Yeah, they have their Medicare. They just don't have as many doctors to go to. Doctors are dropping Medicare patients, and those who still take them have waiting lists.
Besides, how do you know what Williams was thinking when he wrote it? Maybe he is a racist.
Oh, so now one has to prove he is NOT a racist or else be called one? BTW, I did not "spin" anything. I reported on the "letter", and I said it was stupid and in poor taste. Stupid is not evil.
Unfortunately the "Tea Party" hasn't really done a good job of communicating what principles they actually stand for. That makes it harder to deny any accusations (racism or otherwise.) They have also been co-opted to a large degree by the current Republican establishment, further muddying the waters.
Until the Tea Party actually has a defined identity they're going to continue suffering these kind of attacks.
Paul Krugman for one. And there are others who share his view that the economy is on the road to recovery. Unemployment will always be the last element of an economy to reflect a recovery. The very last thing businesses do when they have suffered through a downturn is start expanding. It could be a decade before unemployment returns to an acceptable level.
The healthcare reform legislation has nothing to do with the shortage of doctors or the refusal of doctors to accept new Medicare patients. Most provisions of the bill don't go into effect for a few more years. The problem goes back more than a decade when congress passed legislation to ensure that annual Medicare payments did not exceed a pre-determined sustainable growth rate (SGR). If they did, the law required that they be automatically reduced the next year by an amount equivalent to the amount they exceeded the SGR by in order to keep payments on track with the SGR. The problem is that annual Medicare payments have exceeded the SGR almost every year since the legislation passed, and the SGR gap has risen to 21%. The "Doc Fix" bill with funding to cover the gap for the next 6 months was passed and signed by the president last month, but a permanent fix that resets and re-calibrates the SGR curve is needed. I don't believe the healthcare reform bill, as enacted, adequately funds the necessary correction, and that is one of its many flaws. Of course, the fact that annual Medicare costs have exceeded the SGR with regularity goes to illustrate how fast the cost of medical care has been rising in this country.
Do you really believe Williams's letter was an innocent attempt at satire without any racist overtones whatsoever? Now that's spin! The letter conveyed his personal views that blacks are lazy, inferior to whites, and would rather live on welfare than work for a living. And since he is not talking about a specific individual but rather an ethnic group as a whole, that's racism.


My primary responsibility as assessor is to assess fair market value for both personal property and real estate for residents and businesses of Hancock County. However, this office takes our responsibility as a public service very seriously. We are here to serve the residents of Hancock County in a fair, friendly and professional manner.
I want to personally invite you to stop by our office or call me directly if you need assistance with your property taxes.
The Assessor does not set your property tax. Your tax bill is determined by multiplying a tax rate (levy rate) against your assessed value (60% of market value). The assessor determines your assessed value, and the board of education, the county commission, and the municipalities determine the levy rate. Levy rate information may be obtained in the Assessor's office.
The Assessor's office provides values to each levying body. Once this is completed, the levying bodies (county school board, county commission, etc.) approve their levies. It is at this point in the process that taxes are determined. Levy rates may rise or fall depending on the amount of funding that each levying body requires.
Assessor - Establishes a fair market value for all real and personal property and provides it to the levying bodies.
Levying Bodies - West Virginia Legislature, Board of Education, City Councils, and County Commission all provide the components that make up the total levy rate to be applied to assessed values.
Sheriff - Mails all tax statements, collects all tax money except for dog taxes, and disperses to each levying body its portion of the total levy.


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The Majority Of Harvard's Admitted 2021 Class Is Nonwhite — But Is That Something To Celebrate?
U.S. universities smudge their diversity statistics with the inclusion of international students.
Tasbeeh Herwees
Photo by Caroline Culler/Wikimedia Commons.
I went to college at a school that advertised itself as one of the most diverse in the country. When I arrived on campus, however, I realized that what amounted to "diversity" for this school was the recruitment of wealthy international students — and there rarely seemed to be any meaningful interaction between the international student body and the domestic one.
This is what came to mind when I saw a news story about Harvard's incoming class. According to the admission numbers, Harvard's accepted class was majority nonwhite (a previous headline on the original Boston Globe story mistakenly noted that it was the first time to happen — it's, in fact, the second time. A correction clarified that Harvard has not yet "seated" a majority nonwhite class). Here's the CNN breakdown:
"Of the 2,056 students accepted for the class of 2021, 50.8% do not identify as white. Of the admitted students, 22.2% are Asian-American, 14.6% are African-American, 11.6 are Latino, 1.9% are Native Americans, and Native Hawaiians are 0.5%. First-generation students make up 15.1% of the admitted class."
These numbers, unfortunately, give no insight into the economic demographics of the admitted students, nor do they offer any insight into nationalities (we know of at least two wealthy women of color who made the cut — Harvard freshmen Malia Obama and Yara Shahidi). According to the Harvard website, international students comprise 12.4% of the newly admitted students, a significant portion (a Harvard representative we reached out to could not offer more information).
In 2011, writer Cord Jefferson wrote that it was the Ivy League's " dirty little secret" for inflating diversity statistics. "While America's most elite colleges do in fact make it a point to promote ethnic diversity on their campuses, a lot of them do so by admitting hugely disproportionate numbers of wealthy immigrants and their children rather than black students with deep roots — and troubled histories — in the United States," he wrote. While many universities have programs like Harvard's Undergraduate Minority Recruitment Program, low-income students, for example, suffer from structural disadvantages that prevent them from entering schools like Harvard — economic struggles that keep them from being able to afford application fees and tuition or tutors and study aids.
The discussion on what qualifies as diversity is an important one to have, especially in light of recent events. Last week, the Trump administration announced it was pursuing an inquiry into "race-based discrimination" in college admissions, an investigation supposedly impelled by a complaint filed in 2015 by 64 Asian American groups who accused U.S. universities of imposing higher standards of entry for Asian students. It's a development that has many social justice and equality advocates worried that the Department of Justice is using this complaint to justify a possible attack on affirmative action initiatives. It's a misguided target, given that affirmative action policies benefit white woman more than any other demographic group.
Anytime I see a news story about diversity, I remember a talk by Angela Davis I attended at USC. "I have a hard time accepting diversity as a synonym for justice," Davis told the audience back then. "Diversity is a corporate strategy. It's a strategy designed to ensure that the institution functions in the same way that it functioned before, except now you have some black faces and brown faces. It's a difference that doesn't make a difference."


Product description	Item No. 161010156..
Product description	Item No. 58958_150..
Kestral2 By Carvela Kurt Geiger In Suedette.
Kestral2 from Carvela Kurt Geiger is a court set on a slim 105mm heel and finished with an elegant pointed toe.