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JLO Latin Billboard 2017: Jennifer Lopez Shows Some Skin Amid Engagement Rumors
James Hanlon
Jennifer Lopez is certainly no stranger to showing some skin, and the star turned heads flaunting her trademark curves in a sheer dress at the Billboard Latin Music Awards in Miami on Thursday. Lopez, who walked away from the awards with wins for Social Artist of the Year and the Star Award, also used the occasion to perform her new Spanish language single "Mirate." The performance was very well received, resulting in a standing ovation from the crowd, including Lopez's ex Marc Anthony.
Jennifer Lopez arrives at the 2017 Latin Billboard Awards on Thursday, April 27 in Miami, Fla. [Image by Wilfredo Lee/ AP Images]
On the red carpet, Lopez had jaws dropping as she rocked the cleavage bearing, sheer dress by designer Julien Macdonald. The sheer paneling, combined with the thigh high slit and strategically placed cutouts made the dress all the more daring. Chatting to Billboard about the inspiration behind Lopez's look, the star's stylists Rob and Mariel said they wanted the dress to say she is "confident, bold and glamorous. Though we love pushing the envelope and experimenting with different colors, textures, and shapes, everything circles back to Jennifer's iconic style."
This is far from the first scandalous outfit Lopez has worked on a red carpet. The musician rocked equally revealing numbers dating as far back as the 2000 Grammy Awards. More recently, Lopez stunned in a floor length, sheer lace Zuhair Murad gown at the 2013 Golden Globes, before again donning a daring mostly sheer Charbel Zoe dress for the 2015 Billboard Music Awards.
Meanwhile, Lopez finds herself defending engagement rumors with her New York Yankees boyfriend Alex Rodriguez. Since rumors the pair were dating first started to circulate in early March, things have reportedly been going well for the couple, with sources close to the couple confirming they are getting very serious about each other.
Jennifer Lopez pictured after accepting the Star Award at the Latin Billboard Awards in Miami on Thursday. [Image by Wilfredo Lee/ AP Images]
In the face of persistent rumors of a relationship between Lopez and Canadian rapper Drake, Lopez finally confirmed that the couple was not together on an episode of The Daily Show in March when she told host Trevor Noah "let me clear this up. I am not with Drake. Maybe that's all I need to say."
Soon after, Lopez announced her blossoming relationship with Rodriguez during a game of "spin the bottle" on a March episode of the Today show where the star had to answer particular questions depending on where the bottle landed. Soon after, New York Daily News reported that the couple had been dating for four months, and while they didn't yet live together, they made time to see each other several times a month. While the relationship is still relatively new, Page Six report that the couple looked very in love during a recent dinner at Miami's Prime 112 steakhouse.
"It's a way more serious relationship than most people think. He was being a gentleman. He wanted to walk in front of her on the way out to protect her."
Engagement rumors should come as no surprise to fans of Lopez, considering her relationships with ex's Marc Anthony and Ben Affleck tell us that the star favors a short courting period.
Speaking to ET on the red carpet at Thursday's Billboard Latin Music Awards, Lopez was asked her opinion on the nickname "J-Rod" that has been coined to refer to the new couple.
"It's fine. We kind of thought that would happen … because people who knew us were already [saying] it. So, you guys, it's not like you were original or anything."
[Featured Image by Wilfredo Lee/AP Images]

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


This Cat on a moon String Art has been handcrafted for all the football fans out there. Are you looking to decorate your room with a rustic piece of art? Presenting a handmade representation of a cat sitting on the moon, crafted on wood using colorful string.


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Bajrang Punia Does India Proud As He Fights Back To Clinch Gold At Asian Wrestling Championships
3.3 K Shares
Hindol BasuUpdated on Apr 24, 2019, 11:44 IST
Before leaving for Xi'an, China for the Asian Wrestling Championships, star Indian wrestler Bajrang Punia had told TOI that he had honed his technique and perfected some new moves under the guidance of his personal coach Shako Bentinidis, and he would showcase that at the championship at an opportune time.
That time came on Tuesday, in the 65kg men's freestyle final of the championship against 2018 Asian Games bronze medallist Sayatbek Okassov of Kazakhstan.
Bajrang was trailing 2-7 with just 70 seconds to go in the contest, a loss looking imminent. What followed was a thrilling counter-attack by the Indian. The 25-year-old brought out a spectacular leg attack, then combined three different types of gut wrench moves and finally scored with an exposure move to race ahead to 12-7 which remained the final score in the end. Bajrang's famous second-period stamina came to the fore during the final. In the end, the Kazakh wrestler was too tired, having failed to sustain the first period's momentum.
"I had to bring out all my experience during the final. The pre-tournament training that I had gone through helped me. This kind of win really boosts your confidence and gives you the belief that you can come back from any situation. Now the next target is to win at the world championship. That'll help me to qualify for the Olympics," Bajrang told TOI.
"Whenever Shako is at the arena watching my bout, he tells me to maintain my intensity till the end. He constantly motivates me and tells me to be aggressive on the mat."
Bajrang had also won gold in the 2017 edition of the championship but had to settle for bronze in 2018. This was his eighth gold in last nine international tournaments he has participated in. His golden run includes top positions at the 2018 Commonwealth Games and the 2018 Asian Games. On his way to the final, Bajrang had conceded just one point. He comfortably defeated Uzbekistan's Sirojiddin Khasanov 12-1 in the semifinals. He began the day with a technical superiority win over Charles Fern of Sri Lanka and then a 6-0 win over Peyman Biabani of Iran.
On Bajrang's win, his mentor Yogeshwar Dutt said, "This has been a spectacular performance by Bajrang. I am proud of him. He is well on course to win a medal for the country at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. He is known to last the distance and is one of the best wrestlers in the second period. That was on show in the final."
In other results on Day 1 of the championship, Parveen Rana won silver while Satyawart Kadian clinched bronze. In the 79kg final, Rana went down 0-3 against 2017 World Championships bronze medallist Bahman Teymouri of Iran. Kadian lost in the semifinals, but came back to win the 97kg bronze medal playoff against Gao of China 8-1.
In the 57kg weight division, Ravi Kumar lost the bronze medal bout to former world champion Yuki Takahashi of Japan 3-5. The 70kg category saw Rajneesh bow out of the tournament early.
Remember Jugaadu Kamlesh From Shark Tank India? Here's How Peyush Bansal Helped Him Scale Up


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Goal for 2018 Nissan Leaf: double sales of new electric car
John Voelcker September 8, 2017 Comment Now!
After lavish launch events around the world, the 2018 Nissan Leaf electric car will go on sale next month in Japan and early next year in North America.
The second generation of the world's best-selling electric car, however, faces a very different landscape than did its predecessor in December 2010.
For one thing, the 2011 Leaf was the sole mass-priced four-door all-electric vehicle on sale anywhere when it launched.
DON'T MISS: 2018 Nissan Leaf debuts: 150 miles for $30,875, 200-plus miles in 2019
That's hardly the case for the 2018 Leaf, which faces off against compact hatchback electric cars from BMW, Chevrolet, Hyundai, Kia, and Volkswagen, with more on the way in the next three years.
Then there's the Tesla Model 3 sedan, for which Tesla says it has taken 455,000 reservations, each accompanied by a $1,000 deposit.
Nissan, bruised by its rosy sales predictions for the first Leaf in 2011—which launched with an EPA range rating of 73 miles, raised to 84 miles in 2013 and 107 miles in 2016—may be more cautious with the 150-mile 2018 Leaf.
2018 Nissan Leaf pricing
Its goal, according to an article from Bloomberg on Tuesday, is to double sales of the new model over its predecessor—or better—which would mean 100,000 units a year or more.
Nissan sold 49,000 Leafs globally in 2016, of which just over 14,000 were delivered in the United States, putting the Leaf behind the far more expensive Tesla Model S in global sales.
The Nissan Leaf electric car is built at three locations around the world: Smyrna, Tennessee; Sunderland, England; and its original plant in Oppama, Japan.
READ THIS: 2018 Nissan Leaf electric-car prototype driven: first impressions
Over almost seven years, the first-generation Leaf sold more than 280,000 copies, and the Renault Nissan Alliance has delivered more than 400,000 electric vehicles in six different model lines over that time.
The U.S. was the largest single market for the first Leaf, with 112,000 units since December 2010.
Japan took 81,000 Leafs, and Europe as a whole took a further 80,000. The final 8,000 were sold in tiny numbers in more than a dozen other markets.
The 2018 Leaf, rated at a projected 150 miles of range in the U.S., will be joined next year by a version with 200 or more miles at a higher price.
The year after that, however, will likely see roughly a dozen different models with 200 miles of range on sale in the U.S. from almost that many makers.
CHECK OUT: Nine things you should know about the 2018 Nissan Leaf electric car
"All these competitors coming to the [electric-car] world [are] more than welcome," Hiroto Saikawa, Nissan's chief executive officer, told Bloomberg in an interview in Tokyo on Wednesday.
"This is what we have been waiting for," he continued. "Otherwise, EV is not going to be a major trend in the automotive industry."
2018 Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV) Electric Cars Green Cars New car sales Nissan Leaf News Nissan News plug-in cars sales
New 'EVs are better' ads: how electric-car marketing should be done
Nine things you should know about the 2018 Nissan Leaf electric car
2018 Nissan Leaf debuts: 150 miles for $30,875, 200-plus miles in 2019
2018 Nissan Leaf: does it pioneer the 'mid-range' electric car?


1010110 – Company in Ottawa, ON – 3003 Jockvale Road, Ottawa, Ontario. Read verified and trustworthy customer reviews for 1010110 or write your own review.
Customer ratings and consumer reports on 1010110 – company in Ottawa, ON.


While quarterback Tom Savage (ribs) and running back Joe Martinek (ankle) were listed as probable on the injury report Rutgers released Thursday, Scarlet Knights coach Greg Schiano announced that freshman linebacker David Milewski is out for the season with a knee injury.
Since he has yet to play this season, Milewski can use this as a medical redshirt campaign. Still, it was quite possible that Milewski was going to play this season, considering the Sayreville War Memorial High School product had shown enough potential to be promoted to second-team defense this summer.
Schiano said the 6-4, 225-pound Milewski, the Home News Tribune's Defensive Player of the Year last fall, suffered the injury late in Wednesday's practice during Rutgers' developmental-team sessions.
""It's sad," said Schiano, who also listed blocking tight end Evan Lampert (lower body injury) as probable versus Tulane.
Posted in Uncategorized. Tags: Brandon Renkart, Brian Leonard, D.C. Jefferson, David Milewski, Devin McCourty, Devon Watkis, Evan Lampert, Fabian Ruiz, Greg Schiano, Jason McCourty, Joe Martinek, Malcolm Bush, Paul Carrezola, Teddy Dellaganna, Tom Savage on September 30, 2010 by Keith Sargeant.
PISCATAWAY — Devon Watkis has a simple explanation for why it took him three years to get into position to contribute along Rutgers' offensive line.
Posted in Uncategorized. Tags: Art Forst, Desmond Stapleton, Devon Watkis, Greg Schiano on September 29, 2010 by Keith Sargeant.
Rutgers' two biggest injury concerns were alleviated somewhat Wednesday, as quarterback Tom Savage (ribs) and running back Joe Martinek (ankle) both practiced.
Martinek, too, anticipates playing when Rutgers plays host to Tulane on Saturday (2 p.m., ESPN3).
Posted in Uncategorized. Tags: Devon Watkis, Greg Schiano, Joe Martinek, Tom Savage on September 29, 2010 by Keith Sargeant.
Rutgers released its injury report Thursday, with backup left tackle Devon Watkis (ankle) the most significant of the fuve players listed as out for the FIU game.
While Schiano didn't say who would serve as Desmond Stapleton's backup, one possible scenario should Stapleton need to be replaced would be for left guard Desmond Wynn to move to left tackle and either Antwan Lowery or Betim Bujari to step in for Wynn.
Running back Casey Turner, who is out indefinitely after undergoing surgery for what Rutgers termed a ""lower body injury," wideout Quron Pratt (shoulder), wideout Phil Lewis (upper body injury) and fullback Robert Joseph (knee) are also listed as out for the FIU game.
True freshman wide receiver J.T. Tartacoff (leg), who was sidelined for the opener, is listed as probable, as are third-string quarterback Steve Shimko (shoulder) and backup defensive end Sorie Bayou. Backup right tackle Matt McBride (lower body injury) is listed as questionable.
Posted in Uncategorized. Tags: Antwan Lowery, Betim Bujari, Desmond Stapleton, Desmond Wynn, Devon Watkis, J.T. Tartacoff, Matt McBride, Phil Lewis, Robert Joseph, Sorie Bayou, Steve Shimko on September 9, 2010 by Keith Sargeant.


Villa Chi is one of an elite collection of private villas managed by Cape Sienna resort, perched just above the sea on the west-coast headland in Kamala known as Millionaires' Mile. Total privacy is offered with its oceanfront position and the high stone wall dividing it from its neighbouring villa. The terrific restaurants, spa, fitness centre and other shared facilities of Cape Sienna are just seconds away across the road, with more fine dining within a few minutes' walk.
Kamala is the nearest swimming beach, less than a kilometer away, so it can be reached easily by car or on foot. Surin Beach, home to some fantastic beachfront cafes and a number of high-end bars and shops, is a 10-minute drive north along a scenic winding road. The vibrant Patong Beach and its wide range of dining, nightlife and shopping choices is 15 minutes south by car.
Villa Chi is located in the Cape Sienna development, along Millionaires' Mile in Kamala, Phuket. From Kamala Town, head south. At the bottom of the hill leaving Kamala, make a sharp right. Then follow the road for about a kilometer. The Cape Sienna Hotel is on the left, and Villa Chi (Villa 9) is the first villa on the right, facing the ocean.


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Princess Chelsea interviews Ed Pie
Chelsea: How does it feel to be Lil' Chief's 3rd oldest artist?
Ed: Fucking hell.
Chelsea: That's true. How old are you?
Ed: I'll be 35 in August. At least I'm honest about my age. How old is JB these days?
Chelsea: He'd be really upset if I told that. All I can say is that he's older than 25.
Ed: Ha. You wait till you're 35 Chelsea – you'll be all miserable and shit, hanging out drinking Sauvignon Blanc's with your other miserable 35 year old girlfriends – wondering was happened to your dreams. Just kidding – don't ever be miserable Chelsea, it's depressing. I have episodes of depression, but I'm not a miserable person. Anyway, do I look like the oldest person on the label?
Chelsea: No Ed, you look fine, you look a bit like James Blunt. Anyway, didn't you say in the last interview that you were 37? Whatever. You're also very creative – do you come from a creative family?
Ed: I sound like James Blunt too. Yes, my family was very creative actually. My dad was very creative when coming up with racist names for brown skinned people. He was also very creative at the T.A.B, he could choose all kinds of horses to put bets on. He was also very creative with his chosen method of self-inflicted death.
Chelsea: Shit, sorry Ed.
Ed: It's fine; I've got a great shrink at the moment. He's says it's ok for me to laugh about my Father's death. Everyone has terrible things that have happened in their lives, if we can't make gags about them, then there'd be nothing to laugh about.
Chelsea: Moving right along…what are you're dreams and aspirations Ed? Have you achieved everything you want in your music?
Ed: Man, what is this interview? I'm not dying or anything!
Chelsea: Of course not (perish the thought) but what is there left that you want to do musically?
Ed: Well it's unlikely that I've got many good songs left in me. Songwriters tend to peak in their mid-twenties anyway. My engineering and producing is getting better – but I'm probably just imagining that. My singing voice isn't improving. I'm still pretty uncomfortable on stage. I've 'outed' some of my personal politics on the Pie Warmer album – whenever music artists do this there's always some kind of backlash, so it's doubtful whether that's a good artistic path. I've always wanted to study medicine, but it's a bit late for med school, and they don't accept loonies anyway. I really love sailing. Maybe I'll just get myself a little place by the sea and an old boat to fix up; like that Tim Robbins character in The Shawshank Redemption.
Chelsea: Ed you're sounding kind of miserable?
Ed: Well I felt fine this morning.
Chelsea: You shouldn't feel miserable Ed, you've just finished a fascinating new album. The album was reviewed in yesterdays Sunday Start Times – Grant Smithies awarded it 4 stars. Are you ok with 4 stars?
Ed: I'm pretty sure Grant operates the 4 out of 4 star system. Either that, or he sensibly leaves an extra star up his sleeve for proper overseas reissues like Jimi Hendrix, or The Smiths. Do you think Morrissey likes Hendrix? he must eh. Anyway, do albums get called 'fascinating'? Isn't that a word you'd use to describe an autobiography? Or some crazy statistics about how horny and perverted Christians really are?
Chelsea: I guess so. I think you'll find that people will have trouble with defining the Pie Warmer album. They won't really know what to say about it, in case they say the wrong thing. I could be wrong, but it appears that you've set up a series of 'traps' in the album whereby if a reviewer hadn't listened to the album carefully, they may find themselves saying something really idiotic about it.
Ed: Mmm, fascinating. I think maybe you've listened to the album a bit too 'carefully'. However, if I have inadvertently set a series of 'traps' to make album reviewers look idiotic, it may well be the best (and critically least sucessful) thing I've ever made! Seems kind of unlikely though…
Chelsea: Time will tell. Have you done any other press so far?
Ed: Bits and pieces. God, I'm getting paranoid now...
Chelsea: Don't worry, and it's ok to be paranoid, just don't be miserable, right?
Ed: I've just put the album on.
Chelsea: Ok, cool. Maybe you can give us a blow by blow while you're listening to it?
Ed: A what? Alright.
Chelsea: So you're on the first track, The Fearsome Feeling right?
Ed: Yup, it's 1 minute in.
Chelsea: There's a bit of paranoia going on in that song?
Ed: Yeh, well love is scary shit.
Chelsea: Do you think that recreating a woman being attacked is an appropriate way to frame the fear that encompasses love?
Ed: Hey, a guy gets attacked later in the song as well. Fear in love knows no gender boundaries.
Chelsea: I see.
Ed: I've taken the album off, I don't really want to listen to it.
Chelsea: That's not a very good advertisement for the album Ed?
Ed: No, I guess it isn't. I think a good many people might be doing the same thing when they get the album!
Chelsea: Fingers crossed Ed!
Ed: I just hope my album is cool enough.
Chelsea: Do you think it's important for albums to be cool?
Ed: Well, I was reading the NZ Musician magazine the other day, and there was a feature article on some retarded band. In the article they were dribbling on about how they weren't trying to be cool, and how making pop music wasn't about being cool. And I started thinking: are you sure you guys have chosen the right profession? I mean, in my estimation, pop music has everything to do with being cool. Whether being cool means 'x factor cool' like Michael Jackson, or 'so uncool they're cool' like The Carpenters. I was thinking, if these guys think pop coolness is unimportant, maybe they should give up music and become Physiotherapists or something? Pop music has everything to do with being cool. Whether pop music SHOULD be this way is an entirely different question - you're fighting millions of years of human evolution; Ug the caveman thinks Og the caveman's club is cool because it's swamp green and it's got sharp spikes and a cool blood splatter on it.
Chelsea: So where do you put yourself on this coolness scale Ed: Michael Jackson, or Richard Carpenter?
Ed: Sadly I fear that I fall in the no-mans-land in the middle somewhere - just like most pop musicians out there. Pop music is defiantly a young persons game, and it's a testament to my unwavering delusions that I still even release material! I think my future might be in Children's music.
Chelsea: What, children's music filled with obscenities?
Ed: Ahhh, possibly. My youngest son Jim Jupiter (he prefers to be known as Tom) has started saying 'fucking ho' all the time – we're actively trying to discourage him from doing this, he's only just turned five. He's really into Linkin Park – I'm hoping it's just a phase. I reckon he'll be over it by the time he's six. Most kids stop listening to Linkin Park by the time they're six, don't they??
Chelsea: Yeh, actually most smart kids get over Linkin Park by the time they're 3 or 4.
Ed: Shit, do you think Jim's got some developmental issues?
Chelsea: Nothing to worry about - girls generally mature a bit faster than boys. By the time girls are five, they're usually finished with Linkin Park and on to Slipknot, or even Metallica's back catalogue.
Ed: Do you think I should get Jim a Slipknot album?
Chelsea: No. Don't get him any Gangsta Rap either. It sounds like his mouth already needs to be washed out with soap! Chelsea: No Slipknot Sux - they're from Iowa. I'd suggest that if you were going to buy him an obscene album that you would better off going for some early Wu-Tang Clan or Dr Dre so as to broaden his cultural horizons while also broadening his x rated vocabulary. Also I felt I should drop that in in case any overly PC (excuse the pun) people reading this interview think we are racist. On a different note - you'd be better off still washing his mouth out with soap.
Ed: You don't hear that expression very often any more.
Chelsea: Oh, I think you'll be hearing that a bit more often, especially in reviews of the Pie Warmer album
Ed: That's a great idea for a press album photo – me washing my mouth out with soap!
Chelsea: Ewww, would you use real soap?
Ed: I guess so. I'd have to find some nice hippy soap made from oatmeal and mango or something. Are we finished yet?
Chelsea: Yes. Well done Ed, I look forward to the soap photo!
Ed: Thanks.
Chelsea: What are you watching on Youtube?
Ed: Everybody has probably seen this already. I think the song and the production is incredible. The video is amazing too – don't be fooled by the title!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OE2l6CPna4M
Ed: And every man and his dog has seen this too. The creators of this deserve a Grammy!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lj-x9ygQEGA
Ed: My new favourite band. THE COMPLETE. Incompetent Texan Acid Improv – live on a PBS channel.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ukjnrXTTvPY
Posted by Ed Cake at 10:54 AM
Brian June 16, 2014 at 11:48 PM
Chelsea is a little spooky, isn't she?
김제출장샵
천안출장샵
횡성출장샵
세종출장샵
평창출장샵
울산출장샵 서울출장샵 January 31, 2023 at 1:59 AM
영암출장샵
순천출장샵
아산출장샵
영주출장샵
경산출장샵
심심출장마사지 총판출장마사지 January 31, 2023 at 8:33 PM
강원도출장안마


We've been hearing a lot about a 1080p display coming from LG in Korea however, now it looks like Japan is ready to get in on the game as well. Thanks to the Japan Display joint venture between Sony, Hitachi and Toshiba mass production on these stunning displays has now started. The display itself with come with the 16:9 resolution of 1920x1080 that carries 403ppi. Far and away blowing any other display close to that size out of the water, including the fabled iPhone "Retina Display" which comes with 326ppi and the Galaxy S III display that features 306ppi. When it comes down to color reproduction you can expect to see less AMOLED and more IPS thanks to this being a true LCD display. As well as this the display from JDI will feature 500cd/m2 luminance, 1,000:1 contrast ratio and come in a package so thin that it measures just 0.05 inches. That's the sort of technology of the future.
The display is firmly aimed at the smartphone market and we should see it in phones next year. Whilst it's unclear what phones we'll see with the new displays, I wouldn't be surprised if we saw it in a future Xperia smartphone from Sony. This could mean something really big for the smartphone industry as a display that thin would enable manufacturers to put bigger, longer lasting batteries in phones without effecting the overall thickness. Making the RAZR MAXX of the future a whole lot thinner.


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Bac Si : a Green Beret medic's war in Vietnam, Jerry Krizan & Robert Dumont, (electronic resource)
The Resource Bac Si : a Green Beret medic's war in Vietnam, Jerry Krizan & Robert Dumont, (electronic resource)
The item Bac Si : a Green Beret medic's war in Vietnam, Jerry Krizan & Robert Dumont, (electronic resource) represents a specific, individual, material embodiment of a distinct intellectual or artistic creation found in University of Missouri-St. Louis Libraries.
Krizan, Jerry, 1945-
"During the Vietnam War, U.S. Army Special Forces A-Teams were deployed to isolated outposts or "camps" in the remote areas of South Vietnam. Their job was to recruit, train, and house members of the indigenous population while molding them into combat-ready fighting units. A-Teams consisted of up to 12 Green Beret soldiers who were experts in both combat and their individual military specialties. The role of the indigenous units, in conjunction with their American advisors, was to provide border security, counter the Viet Cong insurgency in the countryside, provide intelligence on enemy troop-strength and activities, and when necessary engage elements of the invading North Vietnamese Army. Bac Si (the Vietnamese term for "medic") is the story of Sgt. Jerry Krizan who was assigned to Special Forces Camp A-331 in the III Corps tactical zone, only 10 miles from the Cambodian border. Because of its proximity to a major north-south NVA infiltration route, there were constant enemy troop movements through the camp's area of operations and A-331 itself came under attack on more than one occasion. The author meantime needed to accompany patrols and probes into enemy territory, not only prepared to provide aid but fight as a soldier if the squad was ambushed, or itself chose to attack. In this small-unit warfare against an expert enemy, U.S. soldiers had to survive as best they could, with their only succor a Huey, and meantime on the ground by themselves against unknown opposition..."--Publisher description
Philadelphia | Oxford, Casemate Publishers, 2014
Bac Si : a Green Beret medic's war in Vietnam
Bac Si
a Green Beret medic's war in Vietnam
Jerry Krizan & Robert Dumont
Special forces (Military science) -- United States
Special forces (Military science)
United States, Army | Special Forces
Armed Forces -- Medical personnel
United States -- Armed Forces | Medical personnel
Vietnam War (1961-1975)
Vietnam War, 1961-1975
Krizan, Jerry
959.704/3
UA34.S64
(WaSeSS)bookssj0001374497

 Data from Bac Si : a Green Beret medic's war in Vietnam, Jerry Krizan & Robert Dumont, (electronic resource) - University of Missouri-St. Louis Libraries

Data Citation of the Item Bac Si : a Green Beret medic's war in Vietnam, Jerry Krizan & Robert Dumont, (electronic resource)
http://link.umsl.edu/portal/Bac-Si--a-Green-Beret-medics-war-in-Vietnam/dXosMn32m8Y/
http://library.link/portal/Bac-Si--a-Green-Beret-medics-war-in-Vietnam/dXosMn32m8Y/


The Edmodo user interface was recently updated and my initial impression is that the home screen looks more like Facebook than ever before.
VIDquik is a service that I tried out five months ago. At that time it offered video calling.
Join.me is a web conferencing service that makes it easy to share your screen and talk with others in realtime.
Many of you probably know of ePals, a global classroom community for collaborating on projects with others worldwide.
Teaching Kids News is a news site developed for use in elementary school and middle school classrooms.


Have you ever come across a glass house? Not those ones which poses just huge glass walls or chambers but an apartment made completely of glass. Well, here is one! This is no movie set or any kind of art object; it is in fact a residence. I can imagine your amazement.
As you can see, everything single thing in this house is made of glass including the floors, ceilings as well as the staircases — yes you're reading it right, glass staircases. Even the book cases, the tables and the cabinets are made of glass. The only things we could find not being made out of glass are the bed and the fancy couch. Actually the bed frame and the couch frame ARE made of glass, but there's a nice mattress in there to accommodate your body — after all, who would want to sleep on glass?!
This glass concept home is created by Italian design firm Santambrogio. Carlo Santambrogio and designer Ennio Arosio have said that it was the desire of the client to build it completely out of glass. Located in Milan, the house sits in the middle of a wood clearing. The glass material used for its construction is 6 to 7 mm thick. The material can be specially heated during the winter, which is one of the best and most demanded characteristic feature. It is simply awesome to behold and looks like a perfectly cut and polished glass cube from outside, with a blue tinge to it. But I really wonder how one could live inside such a building.


Most women do not want or dare to have breast surgery for fear of their risks and seek alternatives other than surgery. For example, follow a specific diet; undergo massages or exercise, which is the case at hand.
You can find numerous articles on the internet that affirm the possibility of increasing the size of the breast without the need for pills, surgeries or creams of any kind, only with techniques or natural remedies.
If you are interested in increasing your breasts, you should know that surgery is not the only way to increase them. The idea of costly surgical procedures always comes to mind when, in fact, there are other ways to achieve it.
Here are some of the tips for breast augmentation.
Gain more weight: Occasionally, there are women who are well below their proper weight, which causes a very negative effect if what you are looking for is to show off more full breasts. This excessive thinness tends to happen mainly with girls who are in their teenage years and do not want to gain weight. The breasts are formed mainly by fatty tissue so that, if body fat is not gained, it is very difficult to increase the size of the bust.
Do not wear bra: Some publications mention a French study carried out for more than 15 years that concluded that, despite what had always been thought, the use of the bra does not help to avoid flaccidity or helps to hold breasts, so they recommend not using bra to increase their elasticity and size. This is not true and the only thing that will cause is that the breasts are more fallen with the clothes that are used.
Perform exercises: The practice of certain exercises on a daily or regular basis can be useful to achieve a small increase in the size of the breasts. They are the exercises of weights, cardiovascular exercises, as well as performing chest contractions. We are going to analyze these exercises and their possible results.
We must bear in mind that muscles are a fundamental part of our body, of which they occupy a large part of their volume and their main function is to support the bone structure and generate movement. Exercise helps maintain and grow muscles. The more exercise is done; the more possibilities there are for the muscle to grow. A well-done exercise routine can eliminate body fat and transform it into muscle.
Improve your posture: If you walk with your head high and your shoulders back, you will make your breasts look bigger. As soon as you learn to put your abdomen in an imaginary belt inside your body, you will automatically improve your posture.
Strengthen the deltoid muscle: In this part of the body, your bust is supported and reaffirming it, you will be firmer, which will increase the breasts very easily.
Ideal lingerie: Buying a bra that has push-up technology will help to increase the breasts naturally; it will also make them look firmer and rounder.
Natural products: Some medical studies have shown that there are certain herbs that have properties to increase the breasts. However, finding the best bust firming & enhancing cream can be a tedious process. Thus, looking for the properties in a product that can be compared with the female hormone of estrogens, responsible for the development of the breasts during puberty or pregnancy. Is the best option to know the efficiency of the product.
When you use natural methods to increase the breasts without doubt also improve your general well-being and take care of the health of your pocket. Do not forget to moisturize the skin of your bust to avoid physical problems such as stretch marks. And you, do you want to increase the volume of your breasts, or are you satisfied with their size?


DO I WANT TO GO TO A BUCS GAME !?!
Yes, someone asked me the question, and I gave the only answer I could give and avoid serious emotional distress. YES! I haven't found out the specifics yet, nor have I confirmed that we will be able to go. But the possibility has thrust itself upon us and I am just fine.
Working my fingers to ground round stumps.


Applications are being sought from SMEs within the North East LEP (Local Enterprise Partnership) area that could benefit from resource and research to drive innovation.
GX, a two-year business innovation programme forming part of the Great Exhibition of the North and its 2019 activity, comprises two key strands: a grant funding scheme; and Collaborate, a research and development scheme.
Carol Bell, director of major events and festivals at NewcastleGateshead Initiative, said: "Innovation is key to the success of any business, as well as the landscape and society in which it operates.
"During round one of the grants scheme, we made a total of 13 grants across a range of sectors including the creative, digital, software and tech sectors.
The grant scheme is now open for its second wave of funding that will support SMEs looking to develop new products or services.
Grants of up to £5,000 are available in this strand.
Meanwhile, Collaborate will broker research partnerships worth up to £11k between SMEs and research institutions to work together on innovation projects.
Carol added: "To be successful, applicants should have a strong understanding of the problem or need and an outline approach of how to solve it.
The closing date for GX expressions of interests for both schemes is February 15.


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Send Me Hearts and Flowers—But Please Hold the Vinegar...
In 1860, the New York Times declared them "vulgar, degrading and filled with indecent impertinence." It's hard to believe that these strong words were used to indict, of all things, Valentine cards. But it's true; Cupid didn't always shoot arrows of love. Throughout most of the late nineteenth century and early 1900s, he shot caustic barbs and insults, instead.
Dubbed "Vinegar Valentines" or "Penny dreadfuls" these cards were sent to annoying neighbors, harsh schoolmasters, slave-driving bosses, unappealing suitors and domineering wives. Few dandies, floozies, politicians, or ne'er-do-wells escaped the biting stings.
During the Civil War, these insulting cards found their way to soldiers accused of chicanery, martial posturing or shirking duties. (Can't you just imagine the North and South firing paper insults at one another instead of cannons?)
Vinegar Valentines lampooned everyone, including the Irish, but mostly targeted women and were designed to insult a person's looks, intelligence and profession. They were usually sent anonymously, but nonetheless provoked fistfights and feuds. To add insult upon injury, the cards were often sent "postage due" forcing the recipient to pay.
Some cards were so offensive as to be confiscated by postmasters. In the late 1800s the Chicago post office banned 25,000 cards deemed to be "not fit" to send.
Detroit's Postmaster Charles C. Kellogg was quoted in the The Detroit News in 1928: "Why, every year, after St. Valentine's Day, we get angry communications from people who have received these things, asking us to trail down the senders and have them put in jail. Then, too, our carriers are subjected to a lot of undeserved abuse and rebukes as a result of the so-called comic valentines. Just as though he had anything to do with it!"
One restaurant cook received a vinegar card and, according to her employer, didn't take it well. He was quoted in New York notes:
"Our cook got one [a valentine] that didn't make her happy one bit. It represented a woman weighing about 1,500 pounds toasting an enormous heart on a kitchen stove…. She isn't an ill-natured woman either, this cook of ours. But the valentine touched her on a raw spot and she just broke loose and tore around like a mule in a colony of hornets!"
Fortunately, these spiteful cards fell out of favor after the 1920s but a few can still be found on eBay.
Whew! Aren't we glad that cupid mended his ways?
eBook now only $1.99
She's an outlaw; he's a preacher. Both are in need of a miracle.
Posted by Margaret Brownley at 1:00 AM
Vickie McDonough February 24, 2015 at 10:39 AM
Yes, I'm glad cupid had an attitude adjustment. I haven't heard of this bad Valentines before. Very interesting.
Margaret Brownley February 24, 2015 at 11:36 AM
Hi Vickie, It's hard to believe that people can be so unkind. Now instead of sending bad Valentine cards some people send caustic remarks through the Internet.


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First Bubba
As the presidential election approaches (only 30 months away!) and the possibility increases that Hillary will run, the possibility also increases that her husband will become the First Spouse.
Andrew Sullivan commented on this unsavory scenario the other day, as did New York Post columnist John Podhoretz, although not favorably. Obviously, a male first spouse would be a historic first — Bill would be a trailblazer. Hopefully he had watched ABC's "Commander in Chief" during its extremely short run and picked up some lessons on how a First Gentleman should behave. If not, he could ask guys whose wives are governors, such as the hubbies of Michigan's Jennifer Granholm or Louisiana's Kathleen Blanco, or he could read a biography on that other manly first spouse, Eleanor Roosevelt. If he were to become First Gentleman, Mr. Clinton would have to have a signature cause, because in recent years every First Lady had a pet project, whether it was Lady Bird Johnson with highway beautification, Nancy Reagan's "Just Say No" campaign, or Barbara Bush's promoting literacy.
What would be Bill's cause?
Probably obesity, especially as he has lost a significant amount of weight and his foundation recently got all public schools to stop selling soda to children. But if he is looking for other feel-good issues to take up, maybe he could fight against sexual harassment in the workplace or teach young people to always be honest ("Youth for Truth" could be his slogan).
Boehner, Limbaugh Love Human Events
She Doesn't Care About Health Care


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Premiere: Margaux Avril – Drifting (Vanna Remix)
June 11, 2018 Darren Ressler Leave a Comment
After releasing her 2013 debut album, Instantanés, French-American pop singer/songwriter/artist Margaux Avril (a.k.a. Margaux de Fouchier) made a welcome return at the end of 2016 with her emotive offering "Soon."
In April the multi-hyphenate dropped "Drifting," a pop gem crafted along with Dennis Brown of Postaal, French electro producer Fhin and house music stalwart Alex Gopher on mastering.
"Drifting" has now been placed in the capable hands of Paris-based Vanna (a.k.a. Supa! Never Smiles), whose CV includes winning the French Red Bull Threestyle Champion in 2011 and playing Paris clubs including Rex Club, Social Club, Yard and Colette parties. His remix ably bridges hip-hop, pop and electronic.
We're thrilled to world premiere the remix of "Drifting," which maintains the somber je nes se qua of the original version.
Says Vanna of the re-rub, "The idea was to gather the best of both worlds, electro and pop with gentleness and lightness. I wanted to enhance the melancholic side of the original track and to make it timeless."
Margaux is 100 percent onboard with Vanna's interpretation: "Mysterious, addictive and solar, Vanna's remix breaks everything you'd know about the original song but still respects its ambiguous mood and makes you want to have a drink under the sun."
Image by by Adeline Mai Drifting
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Cloudadic provides a complete set of cloud computing services accessed through the internet to help you build and run those applications. At, they provide compute, database and storage services which enable your organization to quickly provision IT resources it needs without significant capital investment. The logo design for cloudadic was made with the idea of rendering the cloud with a concept of golden ratio and the analytic of growth symbolized. The portal is given a professional touch in design and look.
provides a complete set of cloud computing services accessed through the internet to help you build and run those applications. they provide compute, database and storage services which enable your organization to quickly provision IT resources it needs without significant capital investment. The logo design for cloudadic was made with the idea of rendering the cloud with a concept of golden ratio and the analytic of growth symbolized. The portal is given a professional touch in design and look.cloud with a concept of golden ratio and the analytic of growth symbolized. The portal is given a professional touch in design and look.
Cloudadic provides a complete set of cloud computing services accessed through the internet to help you build and run those applications. At Cloudadic, they provide compute, database and storage services which enable your organization to quickly provision IT resources it needs without significant capital investment. The logo design for cloudadic was made with the idea of rendering the cloud with a concept of golden ratio and the analytic of growth symbolized. The portal is given a professional touch in design and look.


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Valley Reality
Virtual Views of Appalachia (and beyond)
VR Community Profiles
ITDI in Ecuador
Valley Reality in the News
Community Profiles, VR
Albany, Ohio: Virtual Reality Community Profile
Albany, Ohio, is a place of food, football and family, and one stoplight. Located 11 miles southwest of Athens, Albany's population is just 907 people. It is the Alexander School District home to the Spartans and the most educated school in southeastern Ohio. For this virtual reality project, we focused on local sites that give the village much of its charm. Albany Cafe is a staple for after-church lunch and a place to just gather with friends, located in the old Alexander Consolidated School on Washington Road. Deputy's Pizza is claimed to be the "best pizza on earth" as described by our interviewees, and the Spartans' football field is where…
Community Stories, VR
Experience new band 90'S KIDS and their genre busting music
After interviewing local Athens band, 90'S KIDS, the only word I can come up to describe them is humble. Consisting of three members, Corey Mouch, Robby MacAskill, and Matt King, they ooze a sense of casual confidence. 90'S KIDS brings a sense of nostalgia for any kids born in the 1990s but goes beyond stereotypical imagery and references. From incorporating inspiration from their own family and friends, the band's lyrics are actually relatable and far from the angsty grunge that seemed to dominate the '90s decade. "Instead of playing video games, and doing stuff like that, we get to do band things," MacAskill said. "Looking at it as less of…
Beads (and Things) in Athens' Backyard
When other little girls were playing with dolls, Jo Merkle played with beads. "They all have stories, and they all have memories," she said. "People have adorned themselves since they walked on two legs." In 1990, Merkle turned her passion into profit and opened what is quite possibly the most culturally diverse craft store in Appalachia: Beads & Things. At first glance, the store is an explosion of color: beads and stones of every shape, size and shade hang from display racks, sit in baskets on the floor, and in small bowls on every available surface. As dazzling as it is, the true emphasis is on the "things," as there…
Ohio University Professor Uses Virtual Reality to Help Athletes Back to Sport
ATHENS, Ohio – Virtual reality is leading to better ACL recovery, researchers at Ohio University say. Associate professor Dustin Grooms , who specializes in biomechanics, has researched how an athlete's brain changes after a ligament injury during sport. With goggles, cameras, two plates and a six-inch drop-off, Grooms can measure a lot what the eye can't see. "(The plates) take advantage of Newton's Third Law of Motion, which is based on if you hit the ground, you get an equal and opposite reaction force that comes and hits you," Grooms explained. "So we actually measure the force that the ground hits you with, but you hit the ground with the…
The Athens Farmers Market, a Community Experience
Ironically set between a chain steakhouse and a movie theater on East State Street, the Athens Farmers Market has developed into a community staple and a destination for foodies throughout Appalachia. When the market opened in the early 1970s, it was comprised of only three farmers. Since then, it has grown tremendously. Click HERE for a virtual representation of the farmer market with interviews of vendors A study conducted by the Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Affairs perfectly portrays the popularity of the market. When the study took place, the population of Athens was 23,832, and the average Saturday attendance to the farmers market was over 2,500 people. The…
Ohio U Builds Pilot Community with its Graduates
"I can't see doing anything else," Ohio University Aviation Instructor Eric Lee said, "I love it." Lee, 34, grew up in Athens, Ohio, and after dabbling around in a few other occupations, fell in love with flying. The university and its aviation program seemed like an easy fit, and he doesn't see himself leaving anytime soon. Many aviation graduates instruct to accumulate flight hours toward being certified to fly commercially, but Lee enjoys instructing. "I like passing on knowledge and the thought of building the next group of pilots," he said. Kevin Farrell, 29, is an OU aviation student from Dayton, Ohio. He bounced between careers before choosing aviation.…
Tweets by Valley_Reality
The Scoop on the Town Store
The 'Dog Pound': A Home for Athens Bulldog Fans
How does Athens County handle athletic records from consolidated schools?
A Community for Gamers
ValleyRealityOU1804@gmail.com


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CMW Review: The Dandy Warhols, May 9, Danforth Music Hall
Posted on May 14, 2019 by Paul	in Canadian Music Week | Leave a comment
Midway through The Dandy Warhols' set at The Danforth Music Hall as part of Canadian Music Week, the band, and singer Courtney Taylor-Taylor in particular, faced a bit of criticism in the form of a heckle when some random fan shouted out, "Make your vocals higher!"
No, he didn't mean that he wanted Taylor-Taylor to sound more like Geddy Lee, though that would have undoubtedly been very amusing. Rather, he felt that the vocals needed to be higher up in the mix. Apparently it wasn't the first time the band had faced such a critique.
"Every single night – 'turn your vocals up!' … nope." replied Taylor-Taylor. His feeling was that it was the heckler and not the band who needed to change things up, suggesting that the fan should "smoke more pot" and change his mood to suit the music rather than the band changing anything to suit him. That's fair enough – for much of their set the Dandys were all about setting a certain mood through their music, which would certainly qualify as stoner friendly as the band put out a psychedelic vibe that was kind of heavy yet also kind of mellow. And despite the fact that the band taking the stage about twenty minutes past their announced set time got me in a less than gracious mood from the outset, that mood quickly changed once the band got things going.
Though the Dandy Warhols just released their tenth studio album Why You So Crazy earlier this year, their current tour is being billed as a 25th anniversary tour and accordingly, the band played selections from the new album as well as songs from throughout their career. Highlights included "We Used To be Friends", "Get Off", "Godless" and of course the big crowd singalong during "Bohemian Like You." "Highlife," one of the tunes off the new album also stood out as keyboardist Zia McCabe took the lead on the krautrock meets country number.
And while it's kind of weird to consider that the Dandy Warhols have been going for 25 years now, it's still not as weird as the fact that Hanson has somehow been a band for even longer than that, and they're all still only in their mid to late 30s. Just something to think about.
Anyways, here's the video for "Forever":
CMW Review: It It Anita, May 10, Supermarket
Playing as part of the early evening Bonsound Booking Bash show at Supermarket, Belgian noise rockers It It Anita put on a show that was hard to ignore. I don't just mean that their performance was brash and in your face, alternately noisy and melodic, (it was) but also that it was literally hard to ignore – these guys play loud.
The Liege-based band lists the likes of Fugazi, Metz, Sonic Youth, and Pavement as influences and the sonic touchstones of all of those acts were definitely there in their sound – the way that the members traded off vocals within songs especially brought Fugazi's live dynamic to mind – though there was also a definite Sabbath-meets-post-rock vibe to one extended number they did near the end of their set.
With the band setting up onstage in a configuration wherein all the members were facing each other as they played, it was almost like you were sitting in on an intimate session in the band's practice space rather than a show. That intimacy worked in their favour and made for a memorable show.
CMW Review: Japanese Breakfast, April 20 & 22, Silver Dollar
Posted on April 24, 2017 by Paul	in Canadian Music Week | Leave a comment
On the first night of their three night residency at the Silver Dollar, Japanese Breakfast put on a thoroughly entertaining show, playing various tracks from their latest, Psychopomp, along with a number of new songs from the band's upcoming album, reportedly due out this summer and described by Michelle Zauner as a failed concept album. Of the new stuff, the best of the bunch was the closing number, a song about falling in love with a robot that featured a spoken word intro and autotune effects throughout. As sci-fi concepts go, it puts the band in the company of the likes of ELO or The Alan Parsons Project, which is a good thing in my books.
That first show was impresive enough that I ventured out a couple of days later for their final night at the Silver Dollar and while the setlist was similar, featuring favourites such as "In Heaven" and "Everybody Wants To Love You" ("This song is about oral sex. Pay attention.") as well as the aforementioned robot love song, the band also ended their set with a version of The Cranberries' "Dreams," described by Zauner as "a cover for the old people."
Earlier that night, Zauner gave a shoutout to opener Liam Betson, who she referred to as her favourite Toronto musician. "Drake is my second favourite," she added, describing how she tries to imitate his swagger, specifically the way he calls audience members out with an "I see you." While she claimed she wasn't at that level yet since she gets too shy, Zauner is nevertheless an engaging, energetic frontwoman, commanding the crowds' attention.
Though Zauner admitted that it was "a lot of pressure to play three shows in the same place," it was clear that by the end of their three night run, the band had made a memorable impact. Mentioning how they had come through twice before as an opening act at the Horseshoe, she asked if anyone there that night had been to those shows. "Thank you for coming out again," she said. "It's our time to fucking shine."
CMW Review: Zoobombs, April 18, Silver Dollar
The Silver Dollar will be closing at the end of this month, making this weeks round of CMW shows one of the last gasps of the storied Toronto venue. It's a sad moment for Toronto's music scene and fittingly, Zoobombs singer Don Matsuo was getting a bit emotional over the impending closure.
Addressing the crowd a few songs into their set, he praised the venue and it's booker Dan Burke and explained how sad he was that the Silver Dollar is closing, Describing the venue as kind of like home, he added that the band hoped to find a new home in Toronto in the future. Rather than mourning the loss of the venue too much though, Zoobombs were there to make sure we enjoy it while it lasts.
Sure, the loss of the Dollar is sad, but with a high energy show that had a certain manic element to it at times, Zoobombs were determined to make the night a celebration.


The Dark Winter Tale is now truly over and it's time to announce some winners!
Please follow the rules at the bottom to claim your prize!
To claim your prize, please fill the form below using the name & email addy you used to enter the giveaway.
You have until January 2nd to do so.
That was a wonderful time.
YAY! Thank you so much for such an awesome giveaway. Can't wait for this to happen again the story and giveaways. Happy New Year!
OMG!!! yayyy!!! I'm sooo excited!! Thank you so so much!!!
Woohoo! Thanks again for the giveaways! And congrats to all the other winners!
Happy (almost) New Year, Tynga!
Hey hon! just letting you know that I received my package today!!! Thank you!!!


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Diagnosis of cleft and breaking the news
Diagnosis of cleft and impact on pregnancy
Telling other people about a diagnosis of cleft lip and/or palate
Causes of cleft
Late diagnosis of cleft
Cleft and other associated conditions (syndromes)
Birth & early years
Birth and Bonding
Feeding a baby born with a cleft lip and/or palate
Emotional impact and support
Treatment for cleft lip and/or palate
Cleft treatment pathway
Pre –operative care and surgery
Dental and orthodontic treatment for cleft
Speech, language and hearing with a cleft
Impact of cleft clinic appointments
Cleft treatment for adults
Communication with Health Professionals
Growing up and living with a cleft
Perception of self and appearance with cleft
Social interaction and public awareness of cleft
Social interaction and relationships
Education, career and lifestyle
Advice and support for others
Positive experiences of cleft and advice to others
Advice for health professionals
Diagnosis of cleft lip
Diagnosis of cleft palate
Cleft and associated conditions
Adults with cleft
Diagnosis of cleft lip and palate
A child born with a cleft palate is more likely to experience problems with speech development than other children. These problems are mostly related to the structure of the palate and the way it closes with the walls of the throat and can also be due to other structural differences such as missing teeth or the position of the upper and lower jaws. Another factor can be reduced hearing which affects most children with a cleft palate at some point. A child born with a cleft palate will have regular hearing checks with an audiologist and will receive appropriate treatment as necessary.
Depending on the cause of speech difficulties, further surgery may be appropriate and/or a Speech and Language Therapist (SALT) will be able to help your child with the pronunciation of words by giving them speech exercises during clinic sessions which can be practised at home. Sometimes the clinic sessions are provided within the school environment, but most families have to travel for speech and language therapy.
Michelle's son is having regular speech and language therapy and hearing tests.
But the only other help he's really had is speech and language therapy, and we have regular hearing tests. And then we met with the surgeon, again for him to assess [son's name].
So in terms of his hearing, is that affected at all?
We... the first few times, because we were having them every three months at one point, the first few times they were concerned that he might have glue ear, however, the last time we went they came to the conclusion that he didn't have it at all and that actually he doesn't need grommets or anything, which is good. Because we were worried about him having another operation, mainly on the basis that he's older now so he's going to be more aware of it.
Yeah sure.
So, yeah, we're just kind of... we're kind of, we've hit a plateau at the moment until we have the next operation, which is probably when he's about 8 or 9.
OK and would that be another repair of the palate?
It's the bone graft for his gum.
No we've been really lucky. He there are some things that he can't pronounce properly, but I think that's just normal really for his age.
The speech and language therapist seems to be very happy with him. The last time we saw her I think was about a year ago. We're due a session with her in January.
OK great.
So that's how happy she is with what's happening. I think because he was the only child, and I think because he was the only grandchild as well, people would talk to him a lot.
So there was a lot of interaction.
Yeah and he... he was making the right noises fairly quickly. And obviously there were things that we needed to look out for, like my dad taught him how to growl, and then when we went to go and see the speech and language therapist she said, "Don't do that with him," [laughs] so, you know, had we have known we wouldn't even have started it. However, it wasn't an issue because he hadn't been doing it for very long, and we just stopped doing it and then he stopped doing it. But, so it may have been a bit helpful to have known beforehand what things to do or not to do with him, but luckily for us it didn't... really affect him.
But I think it's just we were aware that he might have speech issues so we really... tried to help him with that and do what we could. Having now had a second baby [laughs] had he have been the second baby, I'm not sure we would have had as much time to be able to do that. So you know, we were just lucky that it was our first and we could spend the time that we needed to with him.
One of the most common reasons for hearing loss is 'glue ear' which results from an overproduction of mucus in the middle ear. This occurs because the Eustachian tube (the tube that connects the middle ear to the throat) does not work as well in children with cleft palate and so mucus can build up in the middle ear. It is common for children suffering from glue ear to have grommets fitted through surgery – the excess mucus is first removed and then small ventilation tubes known as grommets are fitted in the ear drum, which help keep the middle ear aerated. An alternative treatment for hearing loss caused by glue ear is hearing aids.
Jenny's daughter was born with a cleft palate which affected her speech and hearing. It was difficult for health professionals to know if the loss of hearing interfered with speech development or whether speech difficulties were due to the hole in her pal
We had, yeah, they, they started testing her hearing when she was about nine months old. So that was kind of the routine screening that they do for cleft palate babies. And at that stage she had mild to moderate hearing loss. And then they tested her hearing every sort of three or so months. And for the first three or four hearing tests she consistently had kind of mild to moderate hearing loss, so it looked like we were going down the grommets route.
And then her hearing seemed to... get better, and she's mostly managed to maintain that. There have been kind of... some blips here and there, but so... between ENT and audiology they've kind of... they've kept quite a close eye on it. and then we used to go and see the ENT doctors about every four months, and then one would say, "She needs grommets," and then we'd say, "Well do you know what, we're really not... convinced," because her latest hearing test would... would seem OK. And then the next doctor would say, "Actually I think she's alright. We can just... kind of just keep monitoring it for a while." And now it seems that... and my objection to grommets was just kind of more surgery.
And sort of I would rather have gone for hearing... hearing aids
Yeah and they're quite controversial, aren't they, grommets?
About how effective they are.
Yeah I mean obviously I don't want her having... more, you know, surgery that she doesn't... yeah I don't want her having surgery if there is another option. They fall out. And glue ear can be a really persistent... problem for cleft palate babies, and you don't want to kind of keep doing grommets. And I thought, you know, because this was when she, this was like a couple of years ago, so I was thinking, "Well she's not going to be kind of stigmatised by wearing hearing aids at that age." …And in a way it's a bit of a test: if we see a massive difference then it might make us feel more like... "Actually she really needs grommets."
But by the time we kind of, so we were kind of grappling with all of that… and then it's just sort of happened that she... her hearing has improved and we've not needed it.
OK hmm.
But we had... quite a bit of frustration with ENT doctors who didn't seem to join up the E and the T in ENT. But they'd be saying, "Well, you know, you've said that her speech is delayed, and that must be because she can't hear properly." And I'm saying, "But she's got a cleft palate. That means that the roof of her mouth wasn't made properly."
Is it the hard palate or the soft palate, do you know?
It's not clear actually from the correspondence we've had.
OK, OK.
Some of it ... possibly it was just the soft palate. There's kind of, there's been different things written at different times so, yeah, I don't know. ...But yeah, so the ENT doctor would be putting all of her speech problems down to the glue ear and not seeming to take into account... the palate. ...So we kind of... yeah we had quite a few appointments with different... because it was all sort of quite junior doctors, you know, we'd see a different one at each appointment.
And some of them really seemed to get it and seemed to understand, and some of them just... just seemed to want to put grommets in for... no clear reason, which was quite frustrating.
Suzi and Kendal discuss how Kendal's hearing problem was treated with grommets.
Kendal: And have they ever linked my cleft palate with my hearing? Because I do know it is common…
Suzi: Yes, yes.
Kendal: …for people with cleft lip and palate to be…
Suzi: There's, there's a definite link, there's a definite link.
Suzi: And the, and the operation that you had to, to cure or to put right your cleft added to your hearing problem.
Kendal: Hmm.
Suzi: Because you, you had glue ear, because remember you had grommets, do you remember?
Kendal: Yeah, they fell out.
Suzi: I didn't want grommets. I couldn't understand... why.
OK can you explain a bit more about the grommets?
Suzi: Yes.
Yeah thanks.
Suzi: There are... different... types of grommets. And grommets are basically they usually fit grommets, I don't know whether it's popular anymore, it tends to go in and out of fashion, grommets.
Well they're still widely used.
Suzi: Are they?
Yeah, yeah.
Suzi: Well they, they actually put, it's like putting... Kendal was... produced a lot of mucous.
Suzi: And whether that was... because of her palate or not, I don't know.
Suzi: The operation she had foreshortened her Eustachian tube, which is the little tube which links together, which meant that because she produced sort of gluey, thick mucous, and she only had little bits of tubes for it to clear through, she was forever having ear infections and throat infections and, and whatever. Even when... you know, I used to have in my fridge door the powdered antibiotic stuff so I could make up antibiotics.
Oh really? Hmm.
Suzi: Because she used to, and she used to, what used to happen as well, her eardrum used to perforate.
OK yeah.
Suzi: And she used to have... sort of she'd wake up screaming and have sort of…
Yeah, was that quite painful?
Suzi: Oh... well I don't know: it's never happened to me.
Kendal: Yes it is very painful. I haven't had one probably since I was... I want to say... maybe 15; I think the last one I had was when I was 15.
Kendal: I haven't had one yet, touch wood. Actually my ears generally... have been quite good. But you were saying about grommets.
Suzi: Yes, yeah I mean she had grommets. Do you know, I can't remember how old she was when she had grommets. I remember fighting against it.
Are grommets visible from the outside?
Suzi: No, no, no, no.
Or are they deep in?
Suzi: Yeah deep inside the ear. And basically they put a little ... it's a little plastic tube, like a little tiny, tiny, tiny straw.
So it helps to dissipate the mucous, I believe?
Suzi: Yes it's meant to, it's meant to sort of act as a sort of drain.
Yeah, drain it off.
Kendal: Just drains mucous really
Suzi: Yeah only with Kendal what happened is that she had the grommets put in and she carried on producing the mucous.
Is that a surgical procedure?
Suzi: Yes it's a day.
Oh is it?
Suzi: Yeah it's a day. You go in, you have the pre-clerking is ...is more ...traumatic. May- I don't know, maybe I say it's more traumatic than the operation because I'd already had a three month old baby... with a... big operation: that was traumatic. The grommets wasn't. It was... I, because I'd already had a baby... that had had general anaesthetic.
Suzi: and that was horrible, that was horrible.
Kendal: I don't remember it being a big operation though.
Suzi: Well grommets isn't, no.
Kendal: No, it was just a ...
Suzi: No. And within, within a couple of days the, the glue had formed again in her ears and glued, glued.
Kendal: Well it forced them out.
Suzi: Yeah it glued right through the hole and both her grommets popped out.
Kendal: Just popped out.
Suzi: I was lucky enough to find them.
Kendal: I think they did it twice, didn't they?
Kendal: And then they went, "No," kind of thing.
Suzi: Well no, no I said, "No, no, no, no." Yes it was, I didn't, it made no difference at all. And it was, then it was very fashionable, and it was like it was going to cure.
Kendal: But no, it's just my hearing problem was more than just glue ear.
Suzi: They were still talking in terms of... her needing surgery in her ears.
Most parents we spoke to who had a child born with a cleft palate had taken their child for speech therapy. Speech therapy can take place from the age of 3 normally and may continue for some time. If speech and language therapy alone does not encourage sufficient improvements for a child born with a cleft palate further surgery may be needed. This might include a re-repair of the palate, a 'Furlow' repair which also lengthens the palate or a "pharyngoplasty" which can alter the shape of the throat to help speech. Speech is assessed following all surgical procedures and further therapy might be required if the child has orthognathic (jaw) surgery. Opportunities for speech therapy will be available through the 'Cleft treatment pathway'
Natalie's son was born with a cleft lip and palate and he had lots of speech therapy. His speech continued to improve following further surgery as he got older.
Yeah he's had... he had grommets, he's had what's called a Furlow operation on the soft palate, I think, is that, I think they call it a Furlow. And he's had his bone graft to repair the gap in the gum.
OK, sorry, I hadn't heard of the Furlow before.
Yeah that was to help his speech.
Because he was quite nasal.
Right yeah.
…and it helps, you know, to be able to use the muscle a bit better to control the air escaping back down the nose.
Does he still have help with speech?
He doesn't. I'm hugely fortunate really, we are with him, and he is himself, because his speech is really good.
OK that sounds really positive.
Absolutely, definitely, definitely. I mean we were offered all the speech and language that was necessary.
And when they thought he would benefit from this Furlow operation, we went and had this moving x-ray done. You know, the surgeon could tell then, I guess, whether the operation would be of benefit or not, decided it was, had the operation, I think he was about 4, he was just about to go to school.
And it wasn't immediate that you could tell the difference, but within sort of a couple of months he wasn't sounding so nasal.
OK that's interesting.
And he occasionally will sound nasal now when he gets tired and he whines and whinges a bit, because then he's, I'm told, I didn't appreciate but, you know, he's being lazy then and not using the muscle to close it or whatever. And it's not bad, but you think, you know, and I'll say it to him now because he's 13, I'll say, tell him that, you know, "You're sounding nasal, you're whining, [laughs] you're not sounding good." But other than that, I mean his speech is, is absolutely ...spot on really.
The child's speech development was very important to the parents we spoke to particularly with regard to social relationships with other people. It was considered to be as important as the child's physical looks.
Becky and Mark's son was born with a cleft lip and palate and his speech was the next priority after his lip surgery.
Becky: I just... well there's no now actual concerns at the moment. I think it'll be interesting sort of when he has the... you know, because the lip is cosmetic, but in terms of speech, you know, development etc., you know, that'll be quite interesting now to see as time goes on you know, how, how that sort of, you know, develops really. But I mean he's just like any other seven month old isn't he?
Mark: Yeah and whatever comes across now we can overcome, we know it's not an issue now.
Becky: Yeah I just don't think it's ... you know, anything major, you know, if there are speech problems, you know, they're things that can be, you know can be sorted really, you know.
Becky: And I just think, you know, there's nothing major so far, is there, at all?
Mark: No.
Becky: You know, in terms of…
Mark: The main concerns we had firstly was the cosmetic with the lip, because that is something which is always seen.
Becky: Hmm.
Mark: And obviously if there were any other problems, wasn't it?
Becky: Yeah.
Mark: But now we've gone through that initial stage, we feel more settled don't we?
Becky: Yeah I think, you know, we're hoping he…
Mark: We feel more that, look, whatever comes now we can overcome. And if it is speech therapy, well we can go through that.
Mark: There's no issue with that.
Becky: You know, and…
Mark: Our other son will talk for him for a bit [laughs].
Becky: [laughs] Yeah definitely. Yeah and I just think, you know, the further operation with the gum, you know, we just, it's just something, OK, you know, we'll deal with.
Mark: We didn't want but…
Becky: We'll deal with it at the time. Because I think sometimes you can just take one thing at a time, and yeah.
Mary Y explains how she and her husband were encouraged to review their sons' speech development before deciding to go ahead with further palate surgery.
We knew that you know, if you have a cleft of the palate you might have a speech impediment or problem. And... he did have he was he was monitored by assessed, assessed regularly by the speech and language therapist. He, he had a regular speech and language therapy but his speech wasn't very, it wasn't very good. ...He had quite strong sort of what's the word? He couldn't pronounce most of his front sounds; it wasn't very clear. It was very…
Right, which sounds were those?
Like front sounds, like 'f', 'th', 't', all the front sounds he couldn't really pronounce them. So when he was, you know, maybe…
How old was he when he first received speech therapy?
He was actually quite early, very early. We are very, very fortunate actually because we saw his... they started early. ...Oh just after his first surgery for his lip, you know, he saw the speech and language therapist, and they were telling us already to use as you know, how to, how to speak to him as a baby you know, those bubbling sounds. So, you know, you know, I think we are very, very fortunate under [Hospital name] because they did you know, we had a speech therapist very early. As a baby, like after four months we saw we saw them, you know, they were coming here in [place name] yes.
That's quite early, isn't it, yeah?
So it was fantastic. But just it wasn't enough, wasn't good enough because of his cleft was very wide. And I think when he started maybe when he was about 4, they were assessing him and they were telling us that he will probably need to have another surgery on his palate: I think it's called a speech correction surgery.
Because his, his speech... delay or impediment was quite severe. But we were able to understand him, because we just got used to it, isn't it, the way he was speaking. But the team was concerned that he's going to suffer at school and they wanted him, you know, because speech is so important, isn't it, so they, you know, they wanted him... they first tried with the speech therapy and then after we talked to them and they said to us that he will probably need to have this this ...this surgery to correct his speech. I think they had to sort of extend his palate because there was a gap. There was too much air coming at the back of his throat you see. The palate wasn't closing properly so ...too much air was escaping. And he had a special x-ray, I can't remember now what it's called, to x-ray his palate, to see how the palate is working.
Oh really? Yeah.
Yeah very, very, very clever machine. I can find it, I think on the, on the, on the website, on the CLAPA [place name] website there is information about this, this special x-ray if you need to know the name. So they x-ray your palate and while he is speaking, I think he was maybe about 4, and they can see that the palate is not working properly, you know, and…
That's very clever.
Very clever. And he needed to have the surgery. That was…
So he had further surgery at what age?
Well he was... about when he was 4, 4 or 5 when they told us he needed to have. We, I think we weren't ready for another surgery because we knew this is going to ...this is quite a probably big surgery. So we saw the team and we asked them if we can sort of just wait and see when he is a little bit older if he can have it a bit later.
And did you feel confident to be able to talk to them?
Definitely yeah, yeah definitely. That's I mean... I we were worried, you know, because this surgery is sort of we were worried if it was going to be successful, what's going to happen if it's not successful? You know, I mean so I have to say, you know, they recommended to have the surgery when he was probably about 5 years old. We just wanted more time.
You know, we went, we went back to them and they were, they were fine. They were very, very good. They said, "That's OK if you need more time, if you think that maybe he will improve, you know, we are happy to wait for another year and to see, to reassess him again." And they will talk. There wasn't any, any pressure like, "Oh no, you know, this is what we think needs to be done," you know, they always, you know, it was like partnership considering, you know, how we feel…
…how [son's name] feels, and then let's find what is the best for [son's name].
Hannah recalls her experiences of speech therapy and how she has benefitted from it.
Hmm, hmm so speech therapy I had I think definitely when I started school, if not before.
And I used to go to a group
Thing, which I used to hate. And I went with a friend of mine who has got a cleft palate, and I just found it really frustrating that we were all sitting there and going round in a circle, he's saying this sound, you're saying this sound and, do you know what I mean, it was really intimidating.
And then... I don't know whether they picked up on that or whether the system changed, but someone came to my house and I had a one to one.
And ...yeah, that went on for a number of years, probably ten years I would say. And that was a really good relationship that I felt often it was someone that I felt comfortable with and trusted.
With one therapist?
Yeah, so it was good.
OK thanks. And would you say you benefited from the speech therapy?
Yeah I mean... like I do have to put the effort in to make sure I'm being clear for people and, you know, even now there's still times when people say, "Well like I didn't get that," and, you know, that's just part of it. You have to be gracious for that to happen. ...But I'm quite happy, I would say, and confident in the way that I speak.
But, yeah, really beneficial I think to have.
Iona engaged in speech and language therapy as a child and has assessments throughout her life. It is likely that she will re-engage with speech therapy following jaw surgery.
And what kind of help have you had with your speech over the years?
I have had... when I was younger speech and language therapy quite a lot actually. Kind of as I got older I have, I have speech assessments every now and again. But in terms of... treatment-wise they're not always keen, it wasn't seen, they weren't keen to do speech and language therapy and speech assessment. But it's something that I'll be looking into again in the next year or so; I'll probably readdress the issue yeah.
Yeah, yeah I had been told that by moving the top jaw forward it would give more of a better proportion of my jaws in terms of facial appearance. So facial appearance would become more proportionate and just the fullness in my... my face would improve, like improve. I was told that speech could be... speech could go either way: it could be improved or it could have a negative effect.
Really hmm?
I've had a bit of both [laughs]. I'm a lot less nasally than I was previously.
But the strength to my voice.
Less nasally now but?
Yeah uhuh but the strength of my voice, sometimes I struggle to kind of pronounce like certain sounds. But again that'll just... that's something else later down the line that can be fixed.
OK so that's a longer term…
…outcome?
Once you, because you said you're going to re-engage with speech therapy?
Yeah, yeah and so it'll maybe be another... so speech and language therapy, perhaps another operation later down the line, I'm not sure, but it can be addressed, so that's fine.
So you're confident?
Yeah, yeah I'm not too worried about it.
Sorry?
I'm not worrying about it, so its fine.
Last reviewed June 2017.


text:
Country profile: Myanmar
Preeti Jha profiles the Southeast Asian nation, two years on from its military takeover.
Sunset in the capital, Yangon.
SNAPT PHOTOGRAPHY/ALAMY
Almost two years after the military seized power, the determination of Myanmar's resistance movement has only grown. 'We will never give up,' says a deposed lawmaker-turned-revolutionary who remains in the same jungle camp he fled to last year, taking up arms after junta forces viciously crushed peaceful protests against the coup.
Just six years ago Myanmar was celebrated as Asia's fastest-growing economy. Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi was the country's de facto leader. After years of isolation under repressive military rule a slew of political and economic reforms were under way. The country was firmly back on the tourist trail, investors rushed in, and it appeared as though Myanmar was on a path towards democracy.
But beneath the veneer, its parliament was still stacked in the military's favour under a junta-era constitution. Outside the urban heartlands, security forces were fighting ethnic minority militias, their atrocities against civilians mounting. None of this caught the world's attention – unlike the mass exodus of the Rohingya Muslim minority into Bangladesh as a result of a horrific military campaign of massacres, rape and arson. That Suu Kyi herself would go on to personally defend the military at the International Court of Justice was unconscionable for her former global supporters. For many at home, however, she was still a hero.
But in spite of the military's continued stranglehold on power, the February 2021 coup caught many by surprise. After another overwhelming defeat at the polls, the generals executed the illegal takeover that has thrust Myanmar into even deeper crisis. More than 2,200 civilians have been killed and over 12,000 detained – including Suu Kyi and other opposition leaders. Tens of thousands have been displaced. Food insecurity, poverty and inequality are all growing. According to a UN estimate a quarter of the population will need aid during 2022.
A jade seller in Mandalay.
GRAHAM PRENTICE/ALAMY
After Myanmar, then called Burma, won independence from British colonial rule in 1948, it was roiled for years by political feuds and ethnic conflicts. The 1962 army coup forced it under the rule of successive military juntas for nearly half a century.
But this latest power grab has set the country on an altogether new trajectory. Elected lawmakers formed a government-in-exile – the National Unity Government (NUG) – within weeks of the coup. It is led by the most diverse cabinet to date – including anti-coup protest leaders and ethnic minority members – aiming to establish an inclusive federal democracy. There has also been an unprecedented wave of solidarity between Myanmar's Bamar majority and minority groups, and thousands of young Bamar have trained with ethnic armed organizations since the coup. Fighting has spread countrywide, propelling Myanmar into a full-scale civil war.
'People's Defence Forces' – a loose network of civilian militias mostly, but not all, aligned to the NUG – have sprung up across the nation. They are co-operating closely with several existing ethnic armed organizations but there are other ethnic militias, also fighting the military, that remain suspicious of Bamar politicians. By one estimate, the junta's basic administration is not enforced in at least 50 percent of Myanmar.
As the junta escalates its violence to stay in control, Myanmar's people persist with non-violent protest and armed resistance. Some analysts fear an eventual fragmentation of the country, and ethnic minority militias could become the kingmakers. But the NUG is also gaining ground despite a far better equipped adversary, and international recognition of its legitimacy could change the course of a conflict with no obvious end in sight. What is clear, as every activist has told me, is that there's no turning back.
A street market in downtown Yangon.
ROB ARNOLD/ALAMY
LEADER: Duwa Lashi La, acting president of the National Unity Government. Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, chief of the ruling junta.
ECONOMY: GNI per capita: $4,230 (Thailand $7,260, UK $49,420).
Monetary unit: Myanmar Kyat (1 MMK = $0.0004).
Main exports: Natural gas, rice, refined copper, garments, dried legumes and gems. Unofficially Myanmar is the world's largest producer of synthetic drugs and the second-largest producer of opium.
POPULATION: 54.8 million. Annual population growth: 0.7%. Population density: 84 people per square kilometre (Thailand 137, UK 278).
HEALTH: Under-5 mortality rate: 44 per 1,000 live births (Thailand 9, UK 4). Maternal mortality per 100,000 live births: 250 (Thailand 37, UK 7). Healthcare is poorly funded and doctors are unevenly distributed throughout the population, leaving the rural poor especially impacted by out-of-pocket medical expenses.
ENVIRONMENT: Myanmar is a treasure trove of biodiversity. Vast mountains and hills define the north, east and west. It is also home to coastal mangroves, fast-flowing rivers, freshwater lakes and a fertile delta region in the south. Myanmar is widely considered one of the countries in the world most vulnerable to climate change, at frequent risk of tropical cyclones and flooding.
CULTURE: The state recognizes 135 'national races' in Myanmar but there are many other groups in this hugely diverse country that have not been given official status, including the persecuted Rohingya.
RELIGION: Nearly 90 percent of the population follows Theravada Buddhism, though there is no official state religion. Christians and Muslims make up the two biggest minorities alongside smaller communities of animists, Hindus and others.
LANGUAGE: Myanmar is one of the world's most linguistically diverse nations with more than 100 spoken languages including Burmese (official), Mon, Shan, Rohingya, Arakanese and Jinghpaw.
HUMAN DEVELOPMENT INDEX: 0.583 (Thailand 0.777, UK 0.932), rank 147 of 189 countries.
INCOME DISTRIBUTION ★✩✩✩✩
About 40% of the population are living below the national poverty line after Myanmar's economy effectively collapsed following last year's military coup. Many now rely on charity for food, and inequality is set to become more entrenched.
LITERACY ★★★✩✩
The literacy rate is 89% (females 86% and males 92%), but the relatively high figure conceals the stark disparities in educational attainment between rural and urban areas.
LIFE EXPECTANCY ★★✩✩✩
At 67 years (Thailand 77, UK 81), life expectancy in Myanmar is the lowest among its neighbours. Low state spending on healthcare is further threatened by the fallout of the coup and pandemic.
POSITION OF WOMEN ★★★✩✩
Military rule and the pandemic have pushed back recent gains in women's rights. Rapidly shrinking incomes and the fear of violence prevent many from leading a normal life.
FREEDOM ★✩✩✩✩
Myanmar has a long history of persecuting religious and ethnic minorities. UN investigators have said the military crackdown against the Rohingya has had 'genocidal intent'. Since seizing power last year junta security forces have conducted mass killings and arbitrary arrests.
SEXUAL MINORITIES ★★✩✩✩
LGBTQI+ people have routinely faced stigmatization, discrimination and abuse in Myanmar, where homosexuality is criminalized under the colonial-era Section 377 of the penal code. A 2020 survey suggested support for decriminalization but there are no hopes for any reform under junta rule.
POLITICS ★✩✩✩✩
Myanmar's military has ousted the country's elected government but it would be wrong to say it controls the country's politics, with large swathes of territory now under NUG control. Still, the junta has instigated widespread chaos and for this reason the rating is one star. The NUG is far from perfect and remains untested, but it has made important commitments including citizenship for the Rohingya. It already commands popular support in Myanmar.
This article is from the November-December 2022 issue of New Internationalist.
Preeti Jha
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WASHINGTON, D.C. – Nov. 28, 2016 – CNN will air War in Space: The Next Battlefield – an in-depth CNN Special Report on the arms race in outer space – at 9 p.m. EST on Tuesday, Nov. 29.
The one-hour documentary explores the belief by many in the military and civilian experts that war in space is inevitable. The American way of life depends on satellites in space, such as daily commutes, to withdrawing money from a bank, to the soldiers and intelligence agencies defending the U.S. abroad and at home. U.S. adversaries, like China and Russia, are pushing an arms race in space, taking aim at America with a dizzying array of weapons seemingly borrowed from science fiction, from lasers to kamikaze and kidnapper satellites.
With rare access to classified U.S. military command and operations centers, CNN showcases the devastation that would be caused by space warfare and how the U.S. military is preparing for the alarming prospect.
CNN's chief national security correspondent Jim Sciutto interviewed more than 10 national security, defense and high-ranking military personnel for the documentary including the entire chain of command for space warfare – Robert Work, Deputy Secretary of Defense; General John Hyten, then-commander of Air Force Space Command and current commander of U.S. Strategic Command; Admiral Cecil Haney (Ret.), former commander of U.S. Strategic Command; Lieutenant General David Buck, commander of the Joint Functional Component Command for Space; and the first interview with Defensive Duty Officer, 1st Lieutenant Andrew Engle, a newly created position to monitor threats in space.
CNN was also the first network to have access inside the Advanced Missile Warning and Battlespace Awareness Operations Floor at Buckley Air Force Base and Lockheed Martin's facility where it is building the next generation satellite, the GPS III.
The special report will also be available On Demand the day after the linear premiere on cable VOD and on CNNgo via iPad, Roku, AppleTV, Amazon Fire, and desktop at www.cnn.com/go.
War in Space: The Next Battlefield is reported by Chief National Security Correspondent Jim Sciutto, senior produced by Ken Shiffman, and produced by Jennifer Rizzo. The executive producer is Jennifer Hyde.