Larry Thorne was born Lauri Allan Törni in the Viipuri Province of Finland on May 28th, 1919.
In 1938, Törni joined the military and was assigned to the 4th Independent Jaeger Infantry Battalion. From 1939 to 1940 he saw action against the Soviets in the Winter War, where he was promoted to 2nd Lieutenant.
After Finland allied itself with Nazi Germany in 1940, Törni went to Vienna and trained with Hitler's elite and dreaded Waffen-SS. He was given the rank of SS-Untersturmführer, a rank equivalent to his Finnish Army rank.
In 1941, Törni used his military skill in the Continuation War between Finland and Russia. In 1943, he was given command of his own unit, Detachment Törni, which worked behind enemy lines and gained a reputation for its combat effectiveness. For his bravery and prowess in battle, Törni was awarded Finland's highest military honor, the Mannerheim Cross. Aware of his fearsome reputation, the Soviets put a 3,000,000 Finnish Mark price on his head.
Törni led his unit until the Continuation War ended in 1944, at one time commanding a young Mauno Koivisto, a future President of Finland. With the Soviet-Finnish Peace agreement signed, the Finnish Army was demobilized and its soldiers sent home. Törni decided to keep fighting and volunteered for the Waffen-SS.
By 1945, realizing the war was lost; Törni made his way west and surrendered to the British. He soon grew tired of life as a British POW and escaped. Back in Finland, Törni tried to rejoin his family but was arrested by the Finnish Police. He escaped but was re-arrested and tried for treason for joining the German military. In January 1947, he was sentenced to six years in prison but was released one year later after receiving a Presidential Pardon.
In 1949, with his wartime executive officer, Holger Pitkänen, Törni went to Sweden, crossing the border at Haparanda. From Haparanda, he went by rail to Stockholm and stayed with the Baroness von Essen, who kept many fugitive Finnish officers after the war. Although Pitkänen was arrested and repatriated to Finland, Törni remained in Sweden.
In 1950, Törni posed as a Swedish seaman on the SS Bolivia and sailed for Caracas, Venezuela. From Caracas, Törni crewed on the MS Skagen, a Swedish cargo ship bound for the United States. Törni jumped ship near Mobile, Alabama and traveled to New York City where he was aided by the Finnish-American community in Brooklyn and worked as a carpenter and cleaner.
In 1953, by an Act of Congress, Törni was given a residence permit through the help of the law firm of "Wild Bill" Donovan, former head of the Office of Strategic Services or OSS. In 1954, he joined the US Army as a Private and changed his name to Larry Thorne. He befriended other Finnish men serving in the US Army and joined the Special Forces. Thorne became a qualified paratrooper and taught skiing, survival, mountaineering, and guerrilla tactics. He was commissioned an officer in 1957.
By 1960, Larry Thorne was a Captain in the 10th Special Forces Group in Bad Tölz, Germany, where the Germans had trained their SS men almost twenty years before. In 1962, he led a Special Forces team to recover bodies and classified documents from a crashed US airplane in Iran's Zagros Mountains.
In November 1963, Thorne was sent to South Vietnam with Special Forces Detachment A-734. While there, he received two Purple Hearts and a Bronze Star Medal for valor. He served a second tour in Vietnam with the 5th Special Forces Group. On 18 October 1965, while on a clandestine mission, his helicopter crashed in the mountains killing all on board. Larry Thorne's body was not recovered until 1999. Formally identified in 2003, he was buried in Arlington National Cemetery.
Lauri Allan Törni was a Finnish Hero, Waffen-SS man and a US Green Beret. He was highly decorated by the Finnish, German and American governments. He lived a life that a Hollywood screenwriter would be hard pressed to make up and died doing what he loved, being a soldier.


We are pleased to introduce the FlexiFit™ 431 Full Face Mask, one of our latest additions to the FlexiFit™ family of CPAP masks. Our under chin design provides maximum stability and seal even with jaw movement. The proven FlexiFit™ Technology and Glider Strap remain, providing a full face mask that is extremely easy to fit straight out of the box.
Easy to release strap - no adjustments required.


Garh signifies a small fortress or feudal territory a complex with residence.
Govind means supreme personality of lord Shri Krishna.
Garh Govind is located on the outskirts of the city in the high end is a unique stone's work with a lush green gardens and 24/7 room facility with unmatched services. It is ideally located on Jaipur and Jaisalmer Bypass at Chopasni in Jodhpur. Garh Govind is an multi-purpose resort. 'Garh' signifies a small fortress or feudal territory – a complex with residence. Garh Govind is an artistically developed properly for hassle free holiday, Family functions, Group outings and Weddings and many more. It resorts princely ambience and presents an eco friendly haunts for Bird-Watchers. Here at Garh Govind there are many birds like Red Wattled Lapwing, Rock Pigeons, Collared Doe, Indian Rollers, Kingfishers and many more. This resort is essentially an abode for a luxurious experience for traditional hospitality "Marwar" is widely known for.
It offers a serene shelter of comfort and hospitality where Rajasthani tradition and modern services blended. The resort has now become one of the landmarks of The Suncity with its highly professional and delightful services. The place provide you an eco friendly environment which helps in attaining the supreme milieu out of it.
Garh Govind is a soothing place with tranquil solitude, charming environment an all amenities. Its lush Green Gardens, Luxury Pool and a Sprawling Parking – lot within its premises add a unique feature too. The huge garden area provides the enchanting solitude making it more enjoyable by the chirping of birds within the flowering trees exclusively for our honorable guests. There are many plant species including Herbs, Shrubs and many more where you can see a bird making it's nest which provides you a great feeling.
Special recreational lovely evenings with folk and cultural touch and for you there is many more, which makes your experience better and memorizing here at Garh Govind.


text:
Our 23/24 Broadway Season
Including 5 Cincinnati Premieres.
Check Out the Season
Feb 7 – 12, 2023
Mar 7 – 19, 2023
Jagged Little Pill
Find out what current health and safety protocols will be in place at the theatre for your upcoming show.
Sorry, there are no results for your search. Please try a different search.
Feb 7 - 12, 2023
Holding onto hope when times are tough can take an awful lot of determination, and…
Buy TicketsLearn More
Mar 7 - 19, 2023
It's "far and away the funniest musical of the season" (Daily News).
Mar 28 - Apr 2, 2023
You live, you learn, you remember what it's like to feel truly human… at Jagged…
Apr 18 - 30, 2023
HADESTOWN is a haunting and hopeful theatrical experience that grabs you and never lets go.
May 17 - Jun 4, 2023
Baz Luhrmann's revolutionary film comes to life onstage, remixed in a new musical.
Sep 5 - 17, 2023
The music. The moves. The icon. MJ offers a rare look at the creative mind…
A new musical that reimagines 20 legendary songs of Bob Dylan.
Discover a whole new world at Disney's ALADDIN, the hit Broadway musical.
Dec 5 - 17, 2023
Everyone's favorite Scottish nanny is headed to town in an internationally acclaimed new hit.
Jan 16 - 28, 2024
He earned his stripes on Broadway… now the ghost-with-the-most is coming to your city. It's showtime!…
Come witness the new definitive version of a story that never grows old.
This new original musical is the global sensation that everyone is losing their head over!
Based on the iconic 1985 Paramount movie adaptation of the classic Hasbro board game.
Join the eClub
Be the first in line for single tickets, new and special offers.
Book your group of 10+ today!
Plan a night out with each venue's restaurant deals, parking and hotel offers.
Anthony McCarten on Creating 'Inspired Speculation' with The Collaboration & A Beautiful Noise
Anthony McCarten has an affinity for writing about real-life legends. He is a four-time Oscar nominee known for writing The Theory…
Dates Announced for National Tour of Marianne Elliott's Tony-Winning Company Revival
Dates have been revealed for the previously announced touring production of Marianne Elliott's Tony-winning staging of Stephen Sondheim and George…
Broadway Grosses: The Phantom of the Opera Welcomes 20 Millionth Guest
Audiences have been flocking to the Majestic Theatre to say goodbye to The Phantom of the Opera before its final performance…

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Ethernet-switching revenues rose slightly worldwide in the third quarter, compared with the previous year, according to a report released Tuesday by research firm Dataquest. Total industry revenue rose to $2.9 billion in the quarter, up 1.3 percent from year-ago figures.
Unit shipments for Ethernet ports, meanwhile, climbed to 39.5 million units--a 21.7 percent increase over last year. increased its market share during the quarter, accounting for nearly 73 percent of the industry's revenue versus 63 percent last year. 3Com followed with 3.9 percent of the market share, up slightly from 3.1 percent a year ago.


The Proposed Chandrika-Ranil-Maîtree Constitution Greatest Betrayal of the Sinahala Nation ?
Thom Hartmann thinks it's impossible for unregulated capitalism and the Declaration of Independence to co-exist. If you liked this clip of The Thom Hartmann Program, please do us a big favor and share it with your friends… and hit that "like" button!
ජේම්ස් පැකර් නකර නම් ජොර්ජ් සොරොස් දහස් ගුණයක් නරකයි.. මෙන්න දන්න සිංහලෙන් සෝරෝස්ගේ පැටිකිරිය..
End of the road for high speed internet in SL?


text:
Shelby Steven McEntire Blackstock (Nashville, Tennessee, 23 februari 1990) is een Amerikaans autocoureur. Hij is de zoon van countryzangeres Reba McEntire en haar man en manager Narvel Blackstock.

Carrière
Blackstock begon zijn autosportcarrière op een raceschool van Bob Bondurant. Hij verliet zijn normale school om een fulltime autocoureur te worden. Hij maakte zijn eerste significante starts in Skip Barber-kampioenschappen in 2010 en 2011. In 2011 maakte hij tevens zijn professionele autosportdebuut in een Ford Mustang in de Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge. Tevens werd hij dat jaar vijfde in het Skip Barber National Championship.

In 2012 maakte Blackstock de overstap naar de U.S. F2000, waarin hij uitkwam voor het team Andretti Autosport. Hij eindigde als achtste in het kampioenschap met een vierde plaats op Road America als beste resultaat. In 2013 bleef hij voor Andretti rijden, maar stapte over naar het Pro Mazda Championship. Hij eindigde achter Matthew Brabham en Diego Ferreira als derde in het kampioenschap met één overwinning op Mosport Park en zes andere podiumplaatsen. In 2014 bleef hij in de Pro Mazda rijden voor Andretti, maar viel terug naar de vierde plaats in de eindstand en behaalde geen overwinningen.

In 2015 maakte Blackstock met Andretti de overstap naar de Indy Lights.

Externe links
 Officiële website
 Statistieken op Driver Database

Amerikaans autocoureur

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


I confess. Iris wasn't the first project I bought to take on holiday with me.
It's Katia from the Rowan Lenpur collection.
The Lenpur yarn is lovely – soft and very drapey – although it is one of those annoying yarns made of several threads held together that can split easily if you're not paying attention.
Before I knew it, I'd done the back and one side and the holiday was a couple of weeks away!
The stitch pattern is a breeze. Two rows and one of those is all purl!
Then I screwed up – I had decided I'd finish Katia to wear on holiday – putting myself under pressure to finish it. That's always a mistake.
I nearly finished the second front and counted my rows they were out. Bugger!
By this stage, Katia had become my commuting knitting and I was trying to work this out on the tube.
When I got home, had a coffee, calmed down and looked at it again I realised the horrible truth. I had made a small mistake on the first front then carefully followed my own notes and made the same, matching mistake on the second front!
It was a small mistake and didn't matter – in fact I NEEDED to make that same mistake on the second front for it to match.
I'd pulled out a couple of days of perfectly good knitting!! Oh POO!! I was never going to finish before the holiday now.
Somehow, Katia now felt tainted and I didn't want to take her on holiday to finish so she got thrown on stitch holders and stuffed in the knitting bag.
Hence going and buying the lovely Iris.
It won't take much to finish…once I'm done with Iris, it's back to Katia…then the Flower blanket, then the See Through Jumper..
Oh My! How many WIPs has this one WIP girl got!!
I freely admit I'm a multiple WIP kinda gal. Its easier not to be beat myself up about it! Just tell yourself you are simply ensuring you have a project for every possible occasion – hey it works for me.
It's just as well you can't see my quilting wips – some go back to the 1990s!! Only 3 knitting things on the go – fingerless mitts (forgot they were in the bottom of the knitting basket) squares for a throw (bored sewing them together) and the one that is getting worked on – a baby shawl.


IBP helps you to get your website on the first result page on Google, Bing/Yahoo and other major search engines.
Most Internet users find new websites through search engines Search engine users are some of the most qualified and motivated visitors to your website you will ever have. After all, they have taken the initiative to hunt for online resources on a certain topic. Then they clicked your link to learn more.
IBP is fully compatible with Google's new October 2012 algorithm.


> > least as far as I can see.
> >       John rdf:type Student .
> >       John rdf:type Employee .
> >       John rdf:type _:x .
> >       _:x intersectionOf _:l1 .
> >       _:l1 owl:first Student .
> >       _:l1 owl:rest _:l2 .
> >       _:l2 owl:first Employee .
> >       _:l2 owl:rest owl:nil .
>   :John a :Student .
>   :John a :Employee .
>   :C owl:intersectionOf ( :Student :Employee ) .
>   :John a :C .
Next message: Jos De_Roo: "Re: revised version of semantics document"
Previous message: Jos De_Roo: "Re: revised version of semantics document"
In reply to: Jos De_Roo: "Re: revised version of semantics document"
Next in thread: Jos De_Roo: "Re: revised version of semantics document"


The Cinderella murder is the second book in the Under suspicion series that began with I've got you under my skin by Mary Higgins Clark. While you can read this book on it's own, there are some ***SPOILERS*** if you have not already read I've got you under my skin. I recommend reading the first book in the series before reading any others.
After the success of her first television special for the Under Suspicion series, producer Laurie Moran us under pressure to find the next unsolved crime to feature. The series has a very specific type of crime it focuses on, and while there are lots of unsolved crimes out there, not everyone is willing to take their chances with a trial by media. Laurie has already chosen the next story for the series, but it may be tricky to get all those involved in the original case in front of the camera.
Twenty years ago college student Susan Dempsey rang her parents to tell them she wasn't going to make it home for her fathers birthday because she had an audition for a role in a new movie - it was disappointing for her to miss the birthday party, but when the Police called to say they had found her body her parents were devastated. Because Susan was found lying in a park with one shoe on and one shoe off the case was dubbed the Cinderella murder by the press - a name that stuck much to her mothers disgust.
In a surprising turn of events Laurie and her team are able to bring together all the people involved in Susan's life at the time of her disappearance, and as the filming progresses it becomes clear that everyone has secrets. It is up to Laurie and her team to break through all the secrets and lies to uncover the truth, and hopefully bring some peace for Rosemary - the mother who has mourned her daughter for twenty years. Laurie and her team are playing with fire though, some people don't want their secrets to come to light, and once you have killed someone it easier to do it again, and again.
This is a well written series that keeps you guessing right up until the end of each book - with little hints and clues that you have to unravel to try and stay ahead of Laurie and her team. I like it when an author challenges you to think about what you are reading, and Mary Higgins Clark and Alafair Burke have managed to do that time after time. These books also have a deep understanding of what makes people 'tick', and the authors use chapters told from the perspective of the different characters to flesh out the story without distracting from the 'real' story. Using different perspectives and short chapters helps keep this story moving while also allowing us to see the people behind the story.
I accidently read book three before book two but it did not spoil the story at all - but in recommending this series it is really important to read the first book in the series first. I have also found that it pays to read book three before starting book four! This series is lots of fun to read because it is challenging to figure out whodunit before Laurie and her team can figure it out, and the switching perspectives means that you get a full reading experience because you get to experience the story from all sides with all the motivations and secrets that keep things very interesting indeed. Hopefully there are many more books to come in this series because it has become one of my favourite series of all time.


The new typology of neighborhood market?
The A&C Corner site is located on a strip of open land in East Leagon, a residential suburb east of Accra city centre in Ghana. While some restaurants are located in shopping malls across the city, in general most are based in renovated houses. This project seeks to create a greater presence for food-related businesses in a more formal configuration.
To do this, the scheme comprises a new food precinct that hosts a collection of restaurants and food stores in a single location. The design incorporates a large public veranda that suits the tropical climate. The building configuration encourages interaction from visitors who can enjoy the open garden area, covered dining area and children's playground. Restaurants around the veranda are designed to be double volume, with mezzanine spaces.
Minimalist materials, including raw concrete, wood paneling and glass, combine in clean lines that reduce visual clutter, focusing the visitor's attention on the food experience.


In the event that St. Rose does not offer a team, follow the instructions below to get registered with Our Lady of Greenwood.
Please login to the website with your personal login.
Payment ($80.00) is due in order to finalize your registration. OLG accepts payments online ONLY. You can't send payment to SRS please pay online.


text:
Q: Password best practice when stdin is in use I have a script that makes of stdin.  It also includes internal calls to curl, that are constructed based on the stdin data, and that require password authentication via form variables in the url.
I'd like to be able to type my password when I run the script, rather than storing it somewhere, but stdin is "taken".  What's a good way to write a script like this?  I'd be interested in either a good way to keep it in the filesystem or if there's some conceivable way to get it as live input without fouling up the incoming pipe.

A: Read it from the TTY:
if terminal=$(tty < /dev/tty || tty || tty 0<&1 || tty 0<&2) 2> /dev/null
then
  echo "Enter password: " > "$terminal"
  IFS= read -r password < "$terminal"
else
  echo "There is no terminal to read a password from." >&2
  exit 1
fi

This tries to get the terminal associated with /dev/tty, or stdin/stdout/stderr if the OS doesn't support it, and uses it to read and write directly to the user.
If it doesn't have to be portable, e.g. when using use Bash on Linux or FreeBSD, you can simplify and improve this:
if ! IFS= read -rs -p "Enter password: " password < /dev/tty 2> /dev/tty
then
  echo "Password entry failed"
  exit 1
fi

A: At risk of muddying the question, I needed to switch over to perl and thought it might be useful to some people who find themselves here if I posted a perl translation of "that other guy"'s answer.  (Don't know if this is the cleanest way, but it worked for me.)
open (TTY, "+< /dev/tty" )
  or eval 'sub Term::ReadLine::findConsole { ("&STDIN", "&STDERR") }';
    die $@ if $@;

print TTY "Enter your password: ";
use Term::ReadKey;
ReadMode('noecho', *TTY);
my $password = ReadLine(0, *TTY);
chomp $password;
ReadMode('normal', *TTY);
print TTY "\n";
close (TTY);

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


The greatest discovery a person can make, second only to salvation itself is the discovery of fellowship with the Person of the Holy Spirit! The Holy Spirit has been given to the Church and every believer in order to do everything that Jesus would do, if He was here on the earth physically. The only difference is that He is here NOW to do more!


text:
Host a Conversation
Climate Chats
Climate Conversations Facilitator Bootcamp
Climate Conversation Guide
Workplace Conversations
Climate C.A.F.E.
How to Engage With Your MPs
MP Engagement Groups
Apply to Our Fellowship
Zoom MP Engagement Groups
Regular Giving Portal
Join our Giving Circle
Take Action /
Writing to MPs
Calling MPs
Visiting Your MP
FAQs & Extra Information
Why call?
Visiting and writing are the most common ways people engage with MPs , but calling can also have a strong influence. This is particularly true when an important climate issue is in the spotlight – being debated in parliament, in the media, or in your community.
The advantage of calling is it's immediate. You can pick up your phone and do it straight away! This means your MP will get your message sooner rather than later.
Like letters and emails, calls are taken very seriously and counted! As with written correspondence, it shows that you care strongly enough to take the time to call, and for everyone who calls, they know there are many more people who feel the same way. Some organisations (like ACF and GetUp) run targeted calling campaigns to government ministers or other MPs on specific issues where hundreds of people will call during a given period of time. One local MP said they value calls more highly than emails or letters - because if a constituent cares enough about something to pick up the phone, it must be important to them.
However, you are unlikely to speak directly to your MP when you call. Usually one of their staffers will answer the phone and offer to take a message. The staffer will write notes and your message will be passed on.
How to make your call:
It's always useful to write a (very short) script for yourself so you deliver your message clearly and succinctly. In your call, explain why the issue matters to you and ask for the MP to commit to an action at the end of your call.
It'll probably go a little like this:
(ring, ring….)
Staffer: Hello, [MP's name] office. Tom speaking. How can I help you today?
You: Hello, my name's ….. I'm a voter in (name of electorate) and I'd like to speak to [the Prime Minister/Minister/MP's name].
Staffer: I'm sorry they're not here/unavailable at present. Can I take a message?
You: Yes please. Would you tell [MP's name] I'm very unhappy about/feel very strongly about (…….) and I want to ask them to (…..) if they want my vote in the next election.
Staffer: Thank you for your call. I'll make sure [name] gets your message.
Sometimes the staffer might ask you questions or engage you in a conversation to find out more about your concerns, so you need to be prepared for that. It's also possible (although very unlikely!) you'll be put through and get to speak to the MP. But usually you're asked to leave a message and the whole experience will be over in less than a minute.
You can view sample calling scripts here
If this is your first time and you're nervous, you can practice by calling one evening or on a Sunday and leaving a message on the answerphone. Otherwise, just do it!
Don't forget to let us know how it goes! Send a brief account (your script would be great too!) to [email protected]. We'll remove any personal details before uploading it to the collection.
Climate for Change · ABN 25 774 689 267 · Registered Association A0060135Y, 1 Tripovich Street, Brunswick, Victoria 3056, Australia · Naarm, Kulin Nation
We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia, whose sovereignty was never ceded. We acknowledge that Indigenous peoples around the world are at the forefront of climate change, both in experiencing its effects and leading solutions for change. We pay our sincerest respects to all Elders, past and present.
If you are a facilitator, sign in with Facebook, Twitter or email.


Lose fat first then tone up or vice versa?
You've just GOT TO understand that your body type means everything when you engage in any training program; it will save a lot of head/heart ache up front, provide understanding in the middle, and an embracing of exactly what you are truly made of in the end!
There are 3 "main" types of body types and I italicize "main" because since we are a diverse people, we are made of many gene pools, creating not just 3 specific body types but a mix of many. This will become clearer in a second.
The ECTOMORPH: The narrow shouldered, very lanky-limbed, long-legged, long-armed, no- amount-of-food-seems-to-make-this-person-fat, EVER. VERY misunderstood by the "outsiders" in that, these ectomorphic people have a VERY hard time gaining weight, they have to eat almost till they puke to gain, and they want to slap every single person who says, "Man I wish I could eat like you, you can eat anything you want and never gain a thing!" They just smile and stare back at you envisioning them grabbing you by your neck and shaking you like a chicken. Really. This is the biggest fear of boys into manhood: being the skinny kid. Men HATE being called skinny. Skinny = wimp, wuss, p*ssy, not a "man." Think: Twiggie, Gwyneth Paltrow, Kate Moss, Steve Ercole.
The ENDOMORPH: The one who gains weight at the drop of a hat. Very "fatty" all over the body. Thick around the joints: knees, ankles and wrists. Seems to take FOREVER to lose weight in comparison to "everybody else." Think: Sumo wrestler or on the line of a professional football team.
If you're a Kate Moss or Steve Ercole, weight-gain or "toning up" (AKA: lean muscle), it will take you a bit longer, because of your long, lengthy muscle-type. You respond best to endurance exercise and lengthening exercise like distance running and Pilates/Yoga. You are the graceful gazelles, the ballerinas. You'll definitely get there muscularly like "those other people," and it will take a bit longer than a…..
Mary-Lou or The Rock. These body types (where I personally fall in), are made to move, heave, ho, push, pull, drag and get the "heavy" done. Because of our thicker muscle-build we can also be very quick in speed, jump powerfully and burn a TON of fat because we can handle a lot of brut work. WE WERE MADE to do this kind of work. Now for the ENDOmorphs…..
What amazing creatures YOU are! Just like the long-limbed, you too will take a bit longer to change in body physique, because there must be a complete shaking up of the physical body, and this takes work. You are amazingly physically strong people, but aren't that "cool" with physical movement- -because its work! Add in the longer amount of time it takes to change, the commitment falls short. But when you get it in gear man-oh-man, I do NOT want to be the one in front of you when you're running. You're like a freight train, power-packed and will destroy anything in the path!! You are the ones we want to pave the way in the front line of a battle. Push, push, push, create the way for the muscular/quick ones to forge through, jumping over the mess and getting the job done, while the long-limbed run to let the next country know of the battle coming.
IT IS A TEAM EFFORT AND WE ALL HAVE A PLACE TO EXERCISE OUR STRENGTH!
So back to the point: Lose fat first then tone up or vice versa? My answer….
The training format I use will benefit anybody and everybody who comes out to play, it just may take a bit longer for you depending on body type, or it may take less time for the same reason. It is the gold standard to get both at the same time…and without having to be at the gym for 6 hours a day!
If you're long-limbed, you will not look exactly like Mary Lou or the Rock.
If you're the ENDOmorph, (easy weight-gainer X 5), you will not be a Kate or Ercole- -just not gonna happen.
If you're the muscular type you will not be an Ercole either, but you "could" get to the ENDOmorph, (easy weight-gainer X 5) and easily, if you have zero control over food and stop or p*ssy-foot the cardio.
Everybody changes for the better, and it's a BONUS when you understand where you start. If you don't know what your body type is, have a look at your parents' high school pictures. That's you. If you don't have any pictures, ask your trainer, they'll tell you!
P.S. I mean really, even at her thinnest, Jessica Simpson during the Dukes of Hazard filming, ribs protruding and all, couldn't keep that weight. She's a muscular-leaning-on-fatty, so is Brittney Spears, so is Queen Lahtifa, so is Serena Williams. Dara Torres (42 yr old Olympic medalist in swimming), she's a muscular-skinny, she's a long-limbed gal to begin with. Ya' getting it?
I have lost a lot of weight in a period of about 9months, I believe to be a mesomorph. I feel as thought I am now struggling to loose more weight I currently weigh about 75 kilograms. I have crazy celulite on my thighs and it seems as though the stretchmarks are increasing rather than decreasing. Is it possible for me to loose the celulite and become well toned as well as attain a better boDy size?
I have lost a lot of weight in a period of about 9months, I believe to be a mesomorph. I feel as thought I am now struggling to loose more weight I currently weigh about 75 kilograms. I have crazy celulite on my thighs and it seems as though the stretchmarks are increasing rather than decreasing. Is it possible for me to loose the celulite and become well toned as well as attain a better boDy size? Do I just continue excercising? What do I do?


Crack experts in the US military said that Britain will have Siberian climate by 2020, cities will drown and nuclear war will break out.
And the idiocy continues today.
Does the Military believe they can combat climate change?
Or do they plan to adapt to it?
This is why when someone asks the definition of oxymoron, the first example that comes to mind is "military intelligence".
While they are beating back the threat based on 'actionable science' fiction, they should incorporate an additional level of bureaucracy to confront the threat of climate change invaders from Barsoom (Mars) due any time riding their mighty steeds to unleash their wrath upon all Earthlings. Climate change is a terrible thing, here, and on the Red Planet, er, so they say.
Maybe the Navy is worried that sea level rise will mean that their ships will have less freeboard .
Either less freeboard, or that Guam might be even more liable to tip over. I think both are equally likely. I am just waiting for warmunists to claim lack of sea level rise in certain places on the west coast, is because those places on that side happen to be floating. Of course if they really are floating, then maybe they COULD tip over.
Russia, today, just sold MILLING QUALITY WHEAT into N. Africa for $170 US delivered. It is to be used as animal feed. We are so oversupplied in wheat in the world today that we are feeding bread quality to goats. Russia has nukes and they are shoveling food out the door.
2020 is 3.5 years away. There are enough nut-jobs in the world that I wouldn't bet against some nukes flying, but it won't be about food or weather.
OT, but another steep drop in UAH global.
Every US military unit will have a climate commissar who will report directly to the Whitehouse.
Any military officer stupid enough to question the paradigm will be denounced by the commissar and cautioned about imperialistic thoughts. A second infringement will see the officer court martial led for climate treason.
When in action, the commissars will ensure that the troops kill the enemy in a sustainable and environmentally appropriate way.
Battle tanks will be solar powered and both sides must agree to a cessation in hostilities whilst charging is taking place.
Global Warming is "World War lll" !!
It just goes to show ya, and "who" could have thought, (Besides Al Gore and the Little Hay-Hoe of Texas?), Global Climate/Warming/Cooling/Ocean/Lake/Mountain/Desert/Valley/Tropics/SubTropics/Arctic/Antarctic/Himalayan/Alps/Rockies/Coastal Range/Indies/Alaska Range/Wasatch/Cascades/Sierra/Pinatubo/Urals/Kilimanjaro lack of snow and ice would cause World War lll ?
And to think of it, all this caused the uprising of ISIS (An Egyptian God), all because off, oh, just see the above ???
Good enough for Me, Good Night America, Sweet Dreams !
Oh and, Sleeping at least 3ft underground will help protect you from Radiation Poisoning, but that's just Me ?


text:
Bathytroctes is een geslacht van straalvinnige vissen uit de familie van gladkopvissen (Alepocephalidae).

Soorten
 Bathytroctes breviceps Sazonov, 1999
 Bathytroctes elegans Sazonov & Ivanov, 1979
 Bathytroctes inspector Garman, 1899
 Bathytroctes macrognathus Sazonov, 1999
 Bathytroctes macrolepis Günther, 1887
 Bathytroctes michaelsarsi Koefoed, 1927
 Bathytroctes microlepis Günther, 1878
 Bathytroctes oligolepis (Krefft, 1970)
 Bathytroctes pappenheimi (Fowler, 1934)
 Bathytroctes squamosus Alcock, 1890
 Bathytroctes zugmayeri Fowler, 1934

Gladkopvissen


Air photograph issued for operation dickens. The road to the monastery winds up towards the top of the picture.
Boeing plant aerial photo taken from around 5000 feet. This was taken in either 1944 or 1945. You can see the B-29s on the tarmac and other aircraft around the field.
In 1937, 450,000 square feet of disused gypsum workings next to Peter Ford's plaster works were purchased by the Air Ministry for weapons storage during the Second World War. The RAF venture into underground storage was one of disaster and tragedy.
Fine-screen halftone reproduction of an annotated vertical aerial photograph, apparently prepared on 17 April 1942, while the base was still in use by the Royal Australian Air Force. Seized by the Japanese in early May, these islands were captured by U.S. Marines on 7-8 August 1942.
The small island in the upper right center is Gaomi.
Annotated vertical aerial photograph, prepared for planning purposes shortly before the island was captured by U.S. Marines on 7-8 August 1942.
"Beach Blue" was the Marine landing area during that operation.
Smoke rising from Mount Suribachi as it is hit by aircraft bombs and ships' guns on 19 February 1945, probably just before U.S. Marines landed on Iwo Jima.
Photograph taken on 28 June 1944, after hitting the railway bridge and yards of Migennes.
This picture was taken on 23 April 1945 and shows the moonscape like island. The large craters are from the 5 tons Tallboy bombs, which where dropped in the air raid.
In the lower part of the picture, the german cruisers Prinz Eugen and Nurenberg can be seen.


weatherbys furniture image 1 weatherbys furniture santa maria california.
amazon shower curtain curtains curtains amazon com splash home shower curtain by inch image inspirations plastic shower curtain hooks amazon.
fiberglass dutch door farmhouse dutch doors fiberglass dutch exterior door.
best night light for toddler medium size of battery operated lamps nursery floor best nightlight for toddler night light projector portable nightlight for toddler afraid of the dark.
barn house inside barn interior design barn interior design farmhouse decor barn wood.
cheapest storage awesome cheapest storage sheds with good cheapest storage sheds with additional storage sheds beautiful cheapest cheapest clear storage totes.
black and white shower curtain at home polyester get naked shower curtain black white black and white striped shower curtain with flowers.
box rail barn door hardware charming box rail barn door hardware sliding barn door hardware sliding barn door sliding barn doors stanley barn door hardware kit.
digital kitchen scale walmart digital baking scale digital general purpose mini scale digital food scale target digital baking scale kg digital kitchen mainstays digital kitchen scale walmart.
duraflame fireplace electric fireplace styles duraflame infrared stove heater reviews.


text:
Gross impiety it is that a nation's pride should be maintained in the face of its poor
W Penn Quaker Faith and Practice 5th Edition: 20.29
Quakers have been part of Swansea life for over 360 years. John Ap John, one of the first Welsh Quakers, came to the town in 1655 to spread the new ideas of the 'inner light' developed by Quaker founder George Fox, who also visited Swansea in 1657.
Friends met from 1656 in the house of William Bevan who, in 1692, gave the Meeting what was to be the site of their first meeting house and burial ground. This was located on High Street, near the later High Street railway station. It is likely that the first meeting house was an existing house which was adapted. It burnt down in 1720 and was rebuilt. but by 1798, it was deemed inconvenient and a new meeting house was erected on the other side of the burial ground in 1808-09.
It was replaced in 1876 by a new, larger meeting house which was able to cater for the whole range of activities including bible classes and adult school. Its construction cost £1,200. This was followed by extensions in 1899, 1909 and 1929. The meeting house was destroyed by bombing in 1940-43. In 1960, the site was sold and redeveloped with a Post Office.
In 1967 Pagefield House had been part of the Swansea estate sale of R.J. Nicholls and was purchased by the family of local estate agent and prominent Quakers, Jno. Oliver Watkins and opened as a meeting house in 1968. The detached, Victorian house, built in 1858 as the only, surviving dwelling of its type, was designated as a Grade II listed building.


Our straight edges are precision cut from 5mm thick steel and then hand ground and lapped to a flatness of 0.01mm in a meter. This is flatter in fact than most commercial straight edges and guaranteed with the Crimson Guitars seal of quality and durability.
All standard Straight Edges that are used in woodworking workshops all over the world have a bevel ground on the side, this reduces the surface that makes contact with your wood and gives you a much better chance of actually seeing any errors. NO Straight Edges other than ours offer the same feature, to give you the best chance of a straight neck and offer you what is simply the very best tool for the job, made in the UK by Crimson Guitars.
The Straight Edges are finished with a 2K automotive spattered matte finish. This is to give the tool a textured surface, reducing the risk of dropping the tool on a guitar. It allows you to see the gaps much more clearly and helps make your job that much easier.
This is cheaper with shipping than the other places and its way better made. Its perfectly flat with a great paint finish on it. Provides a better grip which is great because its pretty damn heavy. I love this thing and I keep it on a hook as an easy to grab reference to check if something is flat. I wish I had bought the longer one though. Get the next size up from what your thinking and you'll be happy.


I've been run off my feet for the last few days - rushing between embassies and internet cafes, telephones and post offices. Fingers crossed, it's all been worth it. If it has, I might have a nice surprise to reveal here soon!
지난 며칠 동안 저에게 할 일이 쉴새없이 있어 온 거 같은데 대사관들과 PC방들, 전화, 우체국 사이 서둘러 갔다. 노력할 가치가 있을 건 기도한다. 만일 운이 좋으면 여기 드러낼 기분 좋게 놀라운 일이 곧 있을지 몰라.
"Today is the youngest day..."


As Finance & Accounts Manager, you will be responsible for cash flow statement preparation, maintaining accounts, preparation of payments of vendors, bank reconciliations, loans, insurances, leasing and activities relating to finance & accounts as assigned by AGM Finance & Accounts.
The ideal candidate will be responsible for planning, coordinating, and implementing all above activities within timeline, and scope. This candidate will also monitor and present accounts and finance updates to relevant AGM Finance & Accounts.
Ensure timely renewals of insurances and other renewables matters.
Develop team members to achieve future requirements.


As a symbol of freedom and peace, the delicately designed feather that hangs on this beautiful ring makes this piece the perfect gift for a friend to say thank you and show your appreciation.
Or it can make a wonderful addition to your own jewellery collection, to act as a reminder for something in your life that you're thankful for.
Made from sterling silver, hand-polished and finished to perfection, our silver rings with mini feather charms look amazing on their own or stacked with other rings.
Size: Our feather charm rings are available in the following sizes: J, K, L, M, N, O, P, Q, R, S and T.
Your silver ring with mini feather charm will be made bespoke to your specifications here in our Belle & Bee family workshop.
We can't wait to begin crafting your silver ring with mini feather charm and it's our pleasure to be able to help create this wonderful keepsake for you.


text:
Google's 'Pay Per Gaze' and the Future of Connected Advertising
Google may currently have no plans to insert advertising into its nascent Glass product, but the patent the company was recently granted for "pay-per-gaze" technology hints at an ad platform that elevates pay-per-engagement to a whole new level.
While Google has played down the notion of rolling out anything soon (it will take years until Glass builds up enough users to make it worthwhile), marketers can't stop buzzing about the possibility of paying for ads in the physical world based on user engagement and reactions. The patent even details how a device like Google Glass could infer a user's emotional response to an ad — whether they were happy, sad or indifferent — and adjust pricing accordingly.
See also: 14 Google Tools You Didn't Know Existed
But Google Glass is just one of many connected devices that could transform advertising. Wearable gadgets like Nike FuelBand and Jawbone Up send data on our activity levels, sleep schedule and more to the cloud, so it's not hard to imagine a world in which ads are targeted based on health across each platform we engage with. Not getting enough sleep? Here's an ad for Red Bull on your Internet TV!
This was the topic of Mashable's segment on Bloomberg TV earlier this week. Check it out in the video below and be sure to visit the Mashable Brand Lab for more of our team's perspectives on ad innovation.
Image: Mashable, Meghan Uno
Topics: Advertising, Business, Gadgets, Google, Google Glass, pay per advertising


As we head into the weekend, we thought the perfect way to enjoy our Friday is with a recap of our favorite party of the year: The Cream Event.
If you haven't ever been, here's how it works. The genius team behind The Cream Event sets a mood/theme for all the vendors–and for you! This year, the color scheme included tons of whites and creams–so everything from decor to fashion was all in these hues!! All sorts of killer wedding vendors are invited to show off their wares for you–the attendee. What is amazing is that you can see how one inspiration board can be interpreted in so many different ways! What a killer way to check out wedding pros in the actual context with which you'd use them!
Not only do you get to meet and chat with killer designers, but you also get to sip fab cocktails and munch on insanely delish food, and learn more about all kinds of amazing options to make your wedding gorg–think exquisite linens, bespoke bow ties, venue resources, stunning cakes, vintage furniture, gilded tableware–the list goes on!
Lady Grey made an appearance with a little station to show of her Mrs. Box collection with special thanks to Bloom Babes for our fab flowers and Found Vintage Rentals for our furniture!
After plenty of oogling at all the pretty, entertainment and dancing kicks off (with plenty of cocktails to go around for everyone!).
If you didn't know, Wanderable is a super fab online resource for the chic, modern couple who values experiences over things. Their site allows you to register for custom experiences, rather than the standard gift, and we love the idea! In fact, Wanderable is offering a $20 credit if you sign up by clicking here! So great, right?
For an even better feel for the action at The Cream Event, check out the videos below, which give you a little taste of all the fun we had!
The Cream – Butter Pictures from Butter Pictures on Vimeo.
"Family. That is the heart of rehearsal dinners. Weddings celebrate a new marriage, a union of two individuals, while rehearsal dinners celebrate past, present, and future families. They are an exciting beginning and a bitter-sweet end; a last hurrah and a joining of families that happens over a table filled with food, anticipation, and love." We couldn't think of a more perfect introduction for today's post, so we had to share with you the words of Meredith Speer, mastermind of today's feature and creator behind Bristol Lane Florals.
The couple arrived to a gorgeous banner created by Whitney Farnsworth, a stunning table set up by Southern Social and a yard of their closest friends (including their sweet pup, Molly).
Meredith and her team worked to make this rehearsal look elegant and cozy with touches of pecans and bourbon, two of the couple's favorite southern things. A chef brought in a slew of amazing dishes, including grits, pecan-planked figs, and roasted acorn squash with pecan-honey butter. Having the dinner in the bride's parent's backyard and bringing in a caterer allowed the family to fully focus on one another and celebrating the upcoming marriage of Sarah and Marshal.
Michelle Boyd Photography and Clayton Stringer Productions captured every sweet moment as the group mingled, ate, and toasted to the past and future of this amazing couple. It was a special and moving night. Instead of worrying about last minute details, there was an overwhelming peace and thankfulness as the family settled in for dinner. As the sun set, Sarah's father welcomed Marshal into their family with a toast and open arms.
Marshall + Sarah // A Styled Autumn Rehearsal Dinner from Stringer Productions on Vimeo.
The luncheon fully sparkled from the glasses, to the runners, to the desserts. Angela also incorporated her grandmother's china, which was a surprise! Each maid had a super cute bag from Wedding Chicks full of goodies from the bride. The coral peonies were gorgeous with David Austin roses, hydrangeas, and other beautiful pink florals!
A gold fringe backdrop with hearts hung with gold twine was displayed behind the desserts, while tassels from Snooty Blooms hung in front of the drink table. The southern tradition of "cake pulls" were incorporated into the cake with a topper by Proper Prints that said, "Love my ladies" and the cake backdrop was full of homemade tissue flowers and paper poms. Each guest enjoyed a St. Germain cocktail for cocktail hour and then enjoyed a tasty cup of shrimp and corn soup, a choice of a salad, and many sweets to nibble on–perfect southern inspired treats for this southern bride.


The above photo is probably the best picture we've seen all year. During the opening ceremonies at the Presidents Cup in South Korea, the American team was joined by President George W. Bush, who posed for plenty of photos.
The most memorable moment occurred when Patrick Reed and Bush raised an index finger to their mouths to recreate the infamous "shhhh" gesture that Reed made during last year's Ryder Cup in his singles match against Henrik Stenson in Scotland.
Scare Tiger? Afraid not. Well, turns out Lindsey Vonn attempting to scare boyfriend Tiger Woods is a game they play, as the Olympic skier explains in the video above.
Kimberly Webster, now infamously known as the "Presidents Cup streaker, showed her patriotism when she stripped and streaked past Steve Stricker and Ernie Els on the 18th tee, while yelling, "Streaking for Stricker," "Baba-booey," "Team America," "USA, USA," and simply whatever came out of her mouth.
How did this idea all come about? Well, it started as a joke, of course. After all, wouldn't it be funny and wouldn't it add some excitement to the dreary, weather-delayed Presidents Cup if someone went streaking at Muirfield Village?


If we need a checkup on our health, our finances or our cars, we can find doctors, accountants or mechanics. But who checks up on our digital lives? There's no such thing as 10,000-mile scheduled maintenance for your hard drive or an oil change for your smartphone. You're on your own. Some people go years without giving their data much thought. As we start a new year, here's one more item to wedge onto your New Year New You list: a comprehensive checkup on your own data.
The downside, of course, is paying that fee forever. For that reason, some people prefer backing up their stuff onto a second, external hard drive. Wirecutter suggests the 4-terabyte Western Digital My Book, which costs about $100. Once it's connected, you can set up the Mac's Time Machine feature or Windows's File History feature to do the backing up, quietly and automatically. The drawbacks of this system: First, your backup isn't offsite, so a local disaster can take down both the original and the backup. Second, no backing up takes place unless the external drive is plugged into your computer — something to remember if you're a laptop lugger. There's a third option, by the way, that's ideal for a household with several computers. For about $300, you can buy a huge hard drive that connects to your Wi-Fi network and backs up all of your machines wirelessly. In order to scare off novices, the industry calls these drives NAS (network-attached storage) devices. They're usually not simple to set up, but the result is free, wireless, continuous backup of all the computers in your house.
Ask a hundred people what they'd rescue first from a burning house, and you'll hear a lot of "my photos." Dropbox, Flickr, Apple's iCloud and other companies can back up your phone's photos and videos, wirelessly and automatically. But they're free only if you have a tiny photo collection. If your picture collection is of real-world size, you'll have to pay. (It's $36 a year for 200 gigabytes for iCloud, for example.) But two excellent services, Google Photos and Amazon Photos, can back up your complete photo collection for free, with a footnote apiece: Google's promise: Unlimited, free backups of all the pictures and short videos on your phones, tablets and computers, with spectacular searching and sharing features once they're online. The catch: Google's algorithms compress your photos to take up less space. Now, unless your camera takes photos larger than 20 megapixels, it's impossible to see the difference between the downgraded copies and the originals. Still, deep down, it may bug you to know that you haven't uploaded exact copies. (Google Photos can back up the exact originals for a fee: $36 a year for 200 gigabytes, for example, or for free if you buy a Google phone.) Amazon Photos offers the same free service without compressing your photos. It can automatically back up either your computer's photo stash or your phone's (iPhone or Android). The catch: It's part of Amazon Prime, the $119-a-year service that offers free two-day shipping, streaming movies and music, discounts at Whole Foods and other features. If you're among the 100 million Americans who are already Prime members, great! It's a good bet that you didn't even know about this feature.
iOS: On the iPhone or iPad, tap Settings, General, and then iPhone Storage. You're now facing iOS's cruft-removal options: Offload Unused Apps, Review iTunes Videos (enormous TV and movie files), plus an app-by-app listing of space gobblers. Music, Photos, Podcasts and TV usually top the list. To delete the individual songs, videos, photos and other files that are eating up your space, you still have to open the corresponding app. But at least now you know where to begin.
Every year, Apple, Microsoft and Google offer free updates to their phone and computer operating systems. Each update generally makes your machine more secure, less buggy and more richly featured. The operative word, of course, is generally. Grizzled computer veterans are full of stories about the time some upgrade fried their PCs, introduced bugs or took away beloved features. Maybe that's why some people avoid installing the updates, which do, after all, take time to install and learn. But here's the thing: Software companies don't create these updates to make your life miserable, or even to make money. (The updates are usually free.) Their primary motivation is making your machine better so you'll love it enough to buy the same brand the next time. Thanks to better (and more public) testing, it's been a long time since any of these companies introduced a disastrous operating system release. By all means, study the reviews of the latest update. But if it seems fine, make the jump. You generally wind up with a computer or phone that runs faster, feels newer and does a better job at resisting internet nastiness.


text:
COST Jul 2023 620.000 call
You can scoop up a two-pound container at Costco so there's plenty to go around. Instead, you can score almost three pounds of pizza to heat up in your oven when the time is right with this Costco find. You can purchase a 1.38-pound bag of Tostitos Scoops at Costco -- or two, if you're having a larger number of people over.
Costco Wholesale Corporation Reports January Sales Results
ISSAQUAH, Wash., Feb. 01, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Costco Wholesale Corporation ("Costco" or the "Company") (Nasdaq: COST) today reported net sales of $16.84 billion for the retail month of January, the four weeks ended January 29, 2023, an increase of 6.9 percent from $15.76 billion last year. Lunar New Year/Chinese New Year occurred on January 22, 10 days earlier this year. The shift negatively impacted January's Other International and Total Company sales by approximately 2% and 0.25%, respec
Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST) is Attracting Investor Attention: Here is What You Should Know
Costco (COST) has received quite a bit of attention from Zacks.com users lately. Therefore, it is wise to be aware of the facts that can impact the stock's prospects.


Recently I was searching for an extension for Magento to enable us to automatically switch customers to new customer groups based on the ordered product history and on specific membership products.
I found a great Magento extension that allows to do both these tasks and more!
The Magento Automatic Customer Group Switcher extension by Plugin Company is a flexible rule based customer group switching system. It works similar to the familiar shopping cart price rules which we all know pretty well of course. A big difference is that you can also choose aggregated attributes for defining the customer group switching rules, like the sum of order totals or the sum of invoice totals.
Because the group switcher extension is rule based, it is of course a must to have a lot of attributes to choose from. On this aspect the extension also delivers the full 100%. You can use almost any customer attribute, like gender, age, account age and newsletter subscription status, Besides that you can create Magento group switching rules based on cart attribute combinations like product sku or category, total, grand total, tax etc, similar to the shopping cart price rules. Like I mentioned above, a great feature is that you can use aggregated values like total customer turnover, or turnover for a specific product by the customer.
We had to create a membership products for a customer of ours, which after being bought would give members a discount percentage on all feature orders.With the Magento Customer Group Switching extension, this can be easily done by automatically switching a customer to a new group once the membership SKU has been purchased. A great thing is that you can specifcy exactly with which order or invoice status the rule should be triggered, preventing unpaid orders form being counted as a valid order for the rules.
Looking at all the functionalities we got with this extension, I would definitely recommend it.
What are your experiences with this extension? Let me know in the comments below!


text:
Business / Canada & the Atlantic / Education / Europe / Featured / International News / Middle East / National / Politics / U.S. News
Pentagon chief says NATO members must boost defense spending
Posted on 02/15/17 by kharrison71473
U.S. Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis waits for the start of the North Atlantic Council at NATO headquarters in Brussels on Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2017. For U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, the next few days will be a reassurance tour with a twist. He is expected to tell allies the U.S. is committed to NATO and is also hoping to secure bigger defense spending commitments. (AP Photo/Virginia Mayo)
BRUSSELS (AP) — U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis on Wednesday issued a sharp ultimatum to NATO Wednesday, telling allies they must start increasing defense spending by year's end or the Trump administration will "moderate its commitment" to them.
He did not detail what the United States might do if NATO members failed to fall in line.
Echoing a demand made repeatedly by President Donald Trump, Mattis said NATO must adopt a plan this year that sets milestone dates for governments to meet a military funding goal of 2 percent of gross domestic product.
The Pentagon chief called it a "fair demand" based on the "political reality" in Washington.
"No longer can the American taxpayer carry a disproportionate share of the defense of Western values," Mattis told the alliance's 27 other defense ministers, according to a text of his remarks. "Americans cannot care more for your children's future security than you do."
Attending his first NATO defense ministers' meeting, Mattis tried to make his case by citing the threat from Russia. The gathering came at an awkward time for the United States, after Trump fired national security adviser Michael Flynn over Flynn's communications with Russia before President Barack Obama left office Jan. 20.
Mattis noted Russia's 2014 annexation of Ukraine's Crimea region and the Islamic State group's hold over parts of Iraq and Syria, and said that "some in this alliance have looked away in denial of what is happening."
"Despite the threats from the east and south, we have failed to fill gaps in our NATO response force or to adapt," he added.
The warning reflects Trump's wish for greater sharing of military costs. Trump has rattled European nations by suggesting the U.S. might not defend allies unwilling to fulfill their financial obligations as NATO members.
Mattis didn't go as far.
British's defense chief, Michael Fallon, said Mattis told NATO members that "Congress will not continue to tolerate unequal burden-sharing." But Fallon said Mattis also appeared to welcome a British proposal to create a road map for increased spending by other countries.
Along with the U.S. and Britain, the other countries that also reach NATO's benchmark for military spending are Estonia, Poland and debt-ridden Greece.
"I have called today in the plenary session for those countries that haven't met 2 percent to agree to at least increase their budget annually," Fallon said. "An annual increase that we're asking them to commit to would at least demonstrate good faith."
The United States is by far NATO's most powerful member. It spends more on defense than all the others combined. The U.S. spent 3.61 percent of American GDP last year, according to NATO estimates — a level that has somewhat tapered off in recent years.
Germany, by contrast, spent 1.19 percent of its overall budget on defense. Ten countries spend even less, and seven — including Canada, Italy and Spain — would have to virtually double military spending to reach the target. One, Luxembourg, would require a four-fold increase to get close.
Mattis recognized Europe's worries and the desire for clarity on America's commitment to NATO. Trump has criticized the alliance as "obsolete" and repeatedly praised Russian President Vladimir Putin, stoking fears of a new U.S. approach to Moscow that includes lessened support for European allies near Russia's border who worry about being the next target.
In a brief public statement, made while standing alongside NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, Mattis called the alliance "a fundamental bedrock for the United States and for all the trans-Atlantic community."
The allies' interest and concern about the latest furor in Washington was evident as officials crowded around televisions at the NATO meeting to watch Mattis' initial appearance with Stoltenberg. Ministers immediately clustered around the retired Marine general as he entered the meeting room.
Stoltenberg said he has spoken to Trump twice by telephone, and received similar reassurance from Mattis and U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson.
"They have all conveyed the same message," he said, adding: "That is, that the United States will stay committed to the trans-Atlantic partnership."
Associated Press writer Lorne Cook contributed to this report.
Copyright 2017 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed
Tags: Brussel, Canada, Donald Trump, education, Germany, government, Middle East, NATO, North Atlantic Treaty Organization, Obama, Politics, president, Trump, U.S., United States. Bookmark the permalink.
Previous post ← Coast Guard suspends search for missing kayaker
Next post Democratic candidate apologizes for Sept. 11 comparison →


When Gandalf strolled up the Bagshot Row towards Bag End, Bilbo Baggins was far from pleased.
He might have owed the wizard a favour, sure, though the old coot himself never even mentioned payback of any kind, but a suicidal quest to reclaim a homeland and slay a dragon with only thirteen dwarves, and not thirteen of the brightest at that, was a bit too much.
Then there was, of course, the issue of him being a dragon. Kind of. And even bigger issue of Goldlust that could only be controlled by a Tamer. But Bilbo's people were long dead and gone, and his potential Heart with them.
So why is his spirit all but purring at the sight of a certain pigheaded Dwarf King?


text:
Eviction is not end
Ordering the NYPD to clear out Zuccotti Park in the dead of the night, when no legal observers or media could witness police procedures, made Mayor Bloomberg look more like a provocateur than a leader seeking to promote public safety.
By conducting the evacuation in such a clandestine manner, the NYPD instead ran the risk of endangering public safety. Perhaps City Hall hasn't realized, but Occupy Wall Street has gained supporters in communities around the city – particularly in Latino and African American neighborhoods.
Evicting the heart of the protest, arresting hundreds –several journalists included – is a questionable move that raises civil rights concerns.
In a press conference yesterday justifying his decision, the Mayor –clearly citing critics of Occupy Wall St.- said that the "First Amendment is not an absolute."
We completely disagree. When it comes to speaking up against government policy and denouncing the growing inequalities which have come to define American society, the 1st Amendment is absolute.
As challenging as our 'occupier' guests may be, they have the right to assemble and express their concerns and discontent.
The Mayor, however, promised he would allow protesters to go back to the park and stay 24 hours, 7 days a week, so long as they do not camp or lay down. That is tough to pull off and suggests that police presence will increase so as to monitor protesters. We expect the Mayor and the NYPD to respect demonstrators and avoid use of excessive force and unnecessary arrests. We also expect demonstrators to accept the court rule, avoid camping out at the park, and find ways to continue their protest peacefully.
As we stated on this page on November 4th, if Occupy Wall St is to end, it should happen organically, just as it started. Given today's response to the eviction and plans for a major 2nd month anniversary march tomorrow, the movement has clearly yet to arrive at its end point.


Have you given any serious thought to your legacy? I'm not talking about the material things you'll leave behind, that relatives are subject to fight over, if you don't leave a will. The legacy to which I'm referring consists of all things that comprise your reputation. Will people say good things about you after the funeral service and the repast have become history. I've written social media posts in the past about writing your story on life's pages. That is, doing all the good things that will make it natural for people to talk about you in the most complimentary of terms. To be honest, I often wonder if it makes a difference how well we write. There always seems to be someone who dislike you regardless of how gregarious you may attempt to be. Some people are just lemons by nature.
We're all, at some stage in life, set adrift in the sea of human interaction, expected to learn by trial and error how to get along. What did you do when you had your first encounter with that elementary school bully? Had anyone really given you any sound advice about how to negotiate your way through such a situation? Chances are some primordial instinct kicked into high gear; fright, flight, or attack. If you were able to handle yourself in such a manner that no violence occurred, and you and your nemesis walked away being the best of friends, years later stories would be told of just how diplomatically gifted you were.
I watch warriors on the battle field of politics regularly. I know they're called politicians, not warriors. Come on isn't the term politician more appropriate for a time long gone by? These people we elect to office now tend to start drawing first blood long before the first ballot is cast. The idea seems to be to paint the worse picture one can of your opponent, knowing that they will try to do the same. It seems that no matter how pristine a person's reputation might be before she decides to enter politics, one campaign just might turn them into one of the most foul and un-trustworthy creatures on the planet. I often wonder if the truly trustworthy of qualified people, who would be great at service as a politician, choose to not subject themselves to the political shooting gallery we see in operation today.
Okay, let's say you've been a sterling student throughout all your years of schooling. You've also been a faithful servant to family, church, community, doing all you can to lay a solid foundation upon which you can build a good reputation. There just might be someone out there, who will throw some dirt your way, not because there's dirt to be thrown, but because envy has soured their opinion of you. I've heard of people experiencing this kind of assault within their church group. This should be the one place where individual achievement should result in group accolades.
Do all you can to build a good legacy and let God be the finisher.
Have you ever heard the saying, "The eyes are the windows to the soul?" There are other old adages that are assigned some communicative quality to parts of the body. Recently, as I sat in my mom's hospital room, a few days before she took benefit of her last breath, I noticed her hands. They were gnarled, yet soft and characteristically old in appearance from four score and five years of journeying. My mom was a lefty, and amazingly, as she fought her last battle, her left hand continued to be dominant. It was the one extension from her frail body that continued to move, grasp, and show some signs of conscience maneuverability. My siblings and I were certain she still had somewhat of a grip on life by the action of that left hand.
As I looked at my mom's hands, I also looked at mine next to hers. At three score and seven, my hands also seemed worn, more so than just a few years ago. From the tips of my digits to where they connect with my arms, the aging process had unmistakably done its job. From the forearm upwards, the dermal layer seemed less aged. I had never noticed this before. A few days later, I was watching an episode of the British detective mystery titled Vera. I don't want to sound too morbid; however, Detective Chief Inspector Vera heads up a special squad that investigates murders. In this episode, she had just arrived at the scene of a murder. She estimated the age of the murder victim to be mid-thirties. The forensic specialist on the scene corrected her by saying the victim's hands indicated that she was in her mid-fifties. The hands told the true story.
Hands. Do you ever really notice them? They are usually the first to arrive at a destination, depending on the position of the feet, of course. They extend outward to open doors, communicate greetings, execute hugs, hold babies. They're also washed incessantly, drying whatever natural lubricants the body may produce to moisturize them. They are used; they are worn to such a degree that they can't but project life's weight of experience. I had a great-uncle, who died years ago. He spent all his life working on a farm. I don't remember very much about him; however, I do remember his hands. They were strong and rough, as if carved from stone. I don't ever remember him wearing gloves. The insides of his hands were dark, discolored from years of being exposed to who knows what chemicals and grime. He would come in from a day of exhaustive labor, wash his hands, and they would show no signs of ever being exposed to soap and water. Those were hands that showed age beyond the chronology they represented.
I'm at a point in my journey where I can compare my hands to multiple generations in my extended family. Whenever I hold my five-month old granddaughter, I'm amazed at just how out-of-the-box fresh and soft her hands are. The softness seems almost unreal. Though soft as they are, they are quite durable against the wrinkled hardness of mine. Our hands together tell the story of how generations, existing in God-given harmony, are connected.
Yes, the eyes may be the windows to the soul, but look at the hands of the people with whom you have contact. I'm not asking you to be so obvious that folks might become self-conscious, but subtlety observe the hands; they just might speak loudly of each person's experience.
Can life be without judgment?
You might have looked in the mirror this morning and weren't satisfied with what you saw. Why weren't you? There's a better than good chance you made a judgment based on some message that has subliminally programmed you to think that you should look a certain way. Have you ever taken note of just how many commercials are directed at you while watching television? Product pushers have no qualms about telling you how to make yourself the most appealing human being on planet earth: how your hair should look, your skin, your face. They even delve into intimate subjects, by telling you what products you should use to ramp up your love life. The bottom line seems to be that if you don't use these products, there's something askew; you can in no way live a fulfilling life. I wonder what people did before all these life-altering products hit the market? And so, some over-paid marketing expert equips you with the information necessary for you to quietly, with your inner voice, judge your fitness for presentation to the world.
To live a life without judgment, being judged and judging others is next to impossible. How many times have you passed someone on the street, in the mall and quietly said, "Why in the world is he wearing that?"; "Why would anyone let her out of the house with that on?" I'm using the term "judge" here; however, I'm not so sure it's an accurate phrase. Aren't judges the officers of the court who decide sentencing? There has been an indictment and a decision about guilt before judging occurs. Maybe what we're doing when we quietly, or boldly pronounce to someone else that John should never force himself into a pair of skinny jeans is indicting. Maybe what were doing is charging John with some socially criminal misdemeanor that he should have had the common sense to not commit?
Why do we judge, oh sorry, I mean indict others, when our attempts at perfection fall at a point where the mark is no where in sight? Could it be that we're insecure about our own presentation to the world; that we sorely need to ratchet others a few rungs downward, so we'll be on top; that we're just mean at heart? It's probably all the above and a few more to be honest. Why instead, do we not let compliments and praise flow freely from our very soul, elevating each other to points of joy and happiness. Most people we meet need a little charge of positivity in their lives. Truth be known, so do we. Knowing that we do, should be enough to put us in the frame of mind of being the continual encourager. But instead, many of us carry around a mixed bag of negativity, waiting to freely shower petals of discouragement on that person who dared to wear polka dots, stripes and plaids together.
I was sitting in a Sunday school class recently, listening to the facilitator discuss Jesus' indictment of the religious leaders during His time on earth. He called them hypocrites. This was a harsh characterization Jesus used to describe the religious leaders, whose job it was to serve and encourage. Listening intently, I couldn't help but feel strongly that I should never stand in front of the mirror whenever I think or talk about the word hypocrite. How could I objectively think about the word "hypocrite" without feeling a sense of self indictment? The late Mother Angelica, founder of EWTN (the Catholic TV Network) told a story once of a conversation she had, as she tried to evangelize a man. The man was resistant about coming to church. His stance was that the place was full of hypocrites. Her retort was that's okay, come on, one more won't hurt.
Maybe the answer to the question, "Can life be without judgment?" should be: Probably not, but wouldn't it be great to try. Don't we owe each other at least that much?
Sometimes it seems you've struggled your whole life. You were born in 1932, three years after the start of the great depression. The circumstances into which you were born would be considered more than a "little to be desired." However, the family into which you were born was held together with a strong bond of love. There were eight of you altogether, father, mother, three boys and three girls. This was a small rural, poor farming family, by any stretch of the imagination, in rural Cross County, Arkansas. Being African-American and living in the heart of the Jim Crow South, placed horrendous limits on just how much justice, equality and humanity you could expect.
I can recall, though at the time I wasn't aware, the various kinds of separate and unequal treatment you received. Unequal though it might have been, you were persistent in providing a home and care for your children: Larry, William, Terri and me. You never seemed to be so discouraged that care for your children was placed on a back burner. As I got older, I could discern the weight of the struggle under which you reared all of us. Somehow, though surviving in dire poverty, you would bring laughter into our ram shackled, no-running water, wood-stove heated abode. I can recall many times when joy would abound. How did you do it, knowing that there would be times when we had doubts about from where our next meal would come?
You only had a ninth-grade education. I think that had a lot to do with you making sure your children received as much education as we wanted and desired. Although you didn't always know how to support us, academically, your emotional support was always strong and invaluable. All your children went beyond high school in their educational pursuit. Your support was instrumental in making that happen.
You've been struggling the last fourteen years with Alzheimer's. We've seen this vicious invader of your body slowly chip away at your ability to remember acts performed just minutes after you initiated them. Conversely, you would have detailed conversations about events that happened fifty years ago. The hard drive would playback randomly and with such eloquent detail. Oftentimes, the struggle under which you were operating was obvious, as we all saw you slowly retreat into some dark corner of your being that we couldn't reach. Somehow, we all knew you were there, you just couldn't find a crevice to peek out beyond the darkness. Fourteen years, that's a long time to struggle with losing your connection to self and all that you love.
Yesterday, your struggling came to an end. You are no longer navigating in an imperfect world with imperfect skills by which to exit. You are with your Lord. Yes, I do believe you're in a better place. I'm convinced that where you are now is far better than where you've been these last few years. Looking over your life (what I've witnessed and been told about), I'm still left with the question: How did you do it? I'm sure the answer is obvious to you, and it's one to which I cannot argue: God's grace.
Rest peacefully, mom. We all love you.
I'm old and blessed…. hope you will be too.


text:
WesTech News
WesTech Announces Change in Leadership
Share on Twitter Share on LinkedIn Share on Facebook Share via Email
The Board of Directors of WesTech Engineering, Inc., is pleased to announce that Ralph Cutler, PE, has been appointed as the new CEO. Cutler is currently serving as the president of WesTech, and he will begin his responsibilities as CEO on May 20.
Ralph Cutler
Cutler, who holds civil engineering and MBA degrees from the University of Utah, joined WesTech in 1982. He designed, managed, and implemented municipal and industrial water solutions for clients globally. He went on to supervise both industrial sedimentation and filtration groups before being appointed Vice President of Industrial Products and Sales and then company president. In his role as a leader at WesTech, he has mentored many young engineers and dedicated his time to improving employees' well-being.
Board Member Randy Emery said: We chose Ralph Cutler as our next CEO with confidence in his commitment to WesTech. Ralph has always demonstrated the ability to drive our company's strategy forward by providing quality products, excellent customer service, and constant improvement all while embracing new opportunities. He is a terrific example of how to build a quality organization with quality people and a strong reputation of meaningful customer relationships.
Rex Plaizier
Rex Plaizier, the current CEO, has stepped down for health reasons. Plaizier has been serving as WesTech's CEO since 2013, and he will continue on as Chairman of the Board. His career at WesTech has spanned 33 years, beginning as a project engineer and continuing as a leader in many areas of the business with his trademark can-do attitude. Under his leadership, WesTech has experienced record growth, having surpassed $200 million in annual sales. While serving as the public face of the company, he has increased WesTech's visibility locally, nationally, and internationally.
Rex is leaving his CEO position after a remarkable career at WesTech, said Brittany Garza, WesTech employee and member of the Board. On behalf of the Board and WesTech employee owners, we are so appreciative of his leadership and visionary role in guiding the company to new ventures in the water industry. As President and CEO, Rex has always held employees' and customers' best interests at heart, which has been constantly evident by not only his words but his actions. The Board and WesTech employee owners are thankful he will continue on as chairman.
Rex has been a well-loved leader at WesTech, guiding the company through years of global expansion while maintaining warmth and a personal connection with all employees, said Cutler. His influence on WesTech will be very much missed, but we wish him all the best.
For media inquiries, please contact Communications Specialist Michele McFee at media@westech-inc.com or by phone at 801-265-1000.


Description or summary of the audiobook: For years, Douglas Stuart's Old Testament Exegesis has been one of the most popular ways to learn how to perform exegesis-the science and art of interpreting biblical texts properly for understanding as well as proclamation. Completely updated and substantially expanded, this new edition includes scores of newer resources, a new configuration of the format for the exegesis process, and an entirely new section explaining where to find and how to use the latest electronic and online resources for doing biblical research. Stuart provides guidance for full exegesis as well as for a quicker approach to provide information specifically tailored to the task of preaching. A glossary of terms explains the sometimes bewildering language of biblical scholarship, and a list of frequent errors guides the student in avoiding common mistakes. No exegetical guide for the Old Testament has been more widely used in training ministers and students to be faithful, careful interpreters of Scripture.


text:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<openerp>
    <data>
        <record id="view_project_issue_report_graph" model="ir.ui.view">
            <field name="name">project.issue.report.graph</field>
            <field name="model">project.issue.report</field>
            <field name="arch" type="xml">
                <graph orientation="horizontal" string="Project Issue" type="pivot" stacked="True">
                    <field name="project_id" type="row"/>
                    <field name="create_date" interval="month" type="col"/>
                    <field name="nbr" type="measure"/>
                </graph>
            </field>
        </record>

        <!-- Custom reports (aka filters) -->
        <record id="filter_issue_report_delay" model="ir.filters">
            <field name="name">Delay</field>
            <field name="model_id">project.issue.report</field>
            <field name="user_id" eval="False"/>
            <field name="context">{'group_by': ['project_id'], 'measures': ['delay_close', 'delay_open']}</field>
        </record>
        <record id="filter_issue_report_responsible" model="ir.filters">
            <field name="name">By Responsible</field>
            <field name="model_id">project.issue.report</field>
            <field name="user_id" eval="False"/>
            <field name="context">{'group_by': ['project_id', 'user_id']}</field>
        </record>

        <record id="view_project_issue_report_filter" model="ir.ui.view">
            <field name="name">project.issue.report.select</field>
            <field name="model">project.issue.report</field>
            <field name="arch" type="xml">
                <search string="Search">
                    <field name="project_id"/>
                    <field name="user_id"/>
                    <field name="partner_id" filter_domain="[('partner_id', 'child_of', self)]"/>
                    <field name="version_id"/>
                    <field name="stage_id"/>
                    <filter string="My Issues" domain="[('user_id','=',uid)]" />
                    <filter string="Unassigned" name="unassigned" domain="[('user_id','=',False)]"/>
                    <separator/>
                    <filter string="New" name="new" domain="[('stage_id.sequence', '<=', 1)]"/>
                    <group  expand="1" string="Group By">
                        <filter string="Assigned to" name="Responsible" context="{'group_by':'user_id'}" />
                        <filter string="Project" name="project" context="{'group_by':'project_id'}" />
                        <filter string="Task" context="{'group_by':'task_id'}"/>
                        <filter string="Priority" context="{'group_by':'priority'}" />
                        <filter string="Stage" context="{'group_by':'stage_id'}"/>
                        <filter string="Company" context="{'group_by':'company_id'}" groups="base.group_multi_company"/>
                        <separator/>
                        <filter string="Create Day" context="{'group_by':'create_date:day'}" help="Create Date"/>
                   </group>
               </search>
            </field>
        </record>

        <record id="action_project_issue_report" model="ir.actions.act_window">
            <field name="name">Issues Analysis</field>
            <field name="res_model">project.issue.report</field>
            <field name="view_type">form</field>
              <field name="view_mode">graph</field>
              <field name="context">{'search_default_year':1,'search_default_This Month':1,'search_default_project':1,'group_by_no_leaf':1,'group_by':[]}</field>
            <field name="view_id" ref="view_project_issue_report_graph"/>
            <field name="search_view_id" ref="view_project_issue_report_filter"/>
            <field name="help">This report on the project issues allows you to analyse the quality of your support or after-sales services. You can track the issues per age. You can analyse the time required to open or close an issue, the number of email to exchange and the time spent on average by issues.</field>
        </record>

        <record model="ir.actions.act_window.view" id="action_project_issue_report_graph">
            <field name="sequence" eval="2"/>
            <field name="view_mode">graph</field>
            <field name="view_id" ref="view_project_issue_report_graph"/>
            <field name="act_window_id" ref="action_project_issue_report"/>
        </record>
        <menuitem action="action_project_issue_report" id="menu_project_issue_report_tree"
            parent="base.menu_project_report"/>

  </data>
</openerp>

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
package java.lang

import scala.scalanative.native.stdlib

class Runtime private () {
  def availableProcessors(): Int = 1
  def exit(status: Int): Unit    = stdlib.exit(status)
  def gc(): Unit                 = ()
}

object Runtime {
  private val currentRuntime = new Runtime()

  def getRuntime(): Runtime = currentRuntime
}


Our design firm is located at our Jeanne Marie Imports showroom. Jeanne Marie Imports is Hawaii's premier design showroom, featuring over 11,000 square feet of hand selected treasures from Indonesia and Morocco. Jeanne Marie Imports has been features in numerous publications, including Architectural Digest.
Please contact us today to set up a complimentary design consultation!


text:
Fredrik Persson-Lahusen (Fredrik Persson), född 7 januari 1976, är svensk historiker och kulturskribent. Hans forskning har främst handlat om historiebruk och kollektiva identiter. Persson disputerade 2008 vid Lunds universitet på avhandlingen Skåne, den farliga halvön. Historia, identitet och ideologi 1865-2000. Därefter var han gästforskare vid Universitetet i Berlin. Parallellt med forskningen har Persson-Lahusen skrivit kulturartiklar för företrädesvis Sydsvenskan och Aftonbladet. Sedan 2011 är han verksam som kulturskribent på heltid där historia, nationalism, fotboll och Tyskland är återkommande teman.

Externa länkar
 Fredrik Persson-Lahusen i Libris
 Fredrik Persson-Lahusen i Aftonbladet

Svenska historiker
Födda 1976
Levande personer
män


text:
مقالة رأي
نزاعات
Why do peace deals fall at the final hurdle?
James Bean
A PhD candidate with Australian National University's College of Asia and the Pacific, James also works with an NGO specialising in private diplomacy and mediation
جنيف، 26 أكتوبر 2016
In the lead-up to the Colombian peace referendum on 2 October, Colombian president and Nobel laureate Manuel Santos said, "I don't have a Plan B because Plan B is going back to war." Colombian voters rejected the 297-page peace deal put to them barely 40 days after it was signed. Why?
Conflicts don't really end after a peace accord has been reached – they just change venues.
A peace accord should transform a violent engagement into a political engagement, which very often means the parties commit to contending with one another in the scrappy arena of national politics. This transition is the Achilles heel of peace negotiations, sometimes ignored, often avoided.
The lesson from Colombia, after more than 30 years of start-stop negotiations between the government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), is that peace processes too often face harsh political realities after a deal is signed. Another process on another continent could have shown the pitfalls to avoid.
Throughout my 10 years working with rebels – however not with the FARC nor the Colombian peace process – I have learned how armed groups' political calculus is all too often the same. Alienation, disaffection, suspicion, in-fighting, arrogance, and sheer bloody-mindedness usually overwhelm their intellectual appetite for political engagement. It is hard to overstate how repulsed rebel leaders are by anyone suggesting that their planned pathways to victory are affected by real-world constraints. Mediators, experts, and advisors in peace negotiations have to persistently confront non-state armed groups with realism – anything less is a disservice to the peace process.
"Now the Philippines' new president, Rodrigo Duterte, like his Colombian counterpart, will have to pick up the pieces."
In the endgame of a peace deal, rebels suddenly find themselves drawn into a political world of tight timeframes and brinksmanship and aren't prepared for it. Moreover, unlike their government counterparts, they simply don't have the chops to operate in specific settings like caucuses, parliament, or on the campaign trail – these skills need preparation and time to cultivate. These political skills cannot and should not be held over until after the final peace deal is signed – which is what happened in Colombia and the Philippines.
The upset in Colombia has parallels to the outcome of peace talks between the Filipino government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). After 15 years of formal and informal negotiations, the two sides finally inked a framework agreement in 2012 and a comprehensive peace agreement in March 2014. But between 2012 and 2015 the MILF put off establishing a political party, or rolling out a party structure, or preparing candidates for the senate, or raising campaign finance. And yet they explicitly agreed to a form of autonomy falling well short of statehood, meaning they would have to take part in the national political arena.
The plan was for the deal to culminate in legislation that would glide through the national legislature, paving the way for a new autonomous region in Mindanao and a transitional regional government led by the MILF. Just as in Colombia, the parties refused to countenance a plan B.
In the Philippines, the passage of the bill was quickly derailed. In January 2015, a botched counter-terrorism operation led to 44 police troopers, 17 MILF combatants, and three civilians being killed. The incident energised a hostile parliament that ultimately denied then-president Benigno Aquino the political capital he needed to push the bill through. Now the Philippines' new president, Rodrigo Duterte, like his Colombian counterpart, will have to pick up the pieces.
The final hurdle
The Colombia-FARC and Philippines-MILF deals are, in terms of words on the page, some of the longest peace accords in modern history. Also, neither process could be described as having taken shape in any great haste. It is therefore somewhat curious, if not altogether surprising, that local politicians eviscerate the process at the 11th hour.
What next for Colombia?
Could Colombia's faltering reintegration programme doom the peace process?
Amid a bloody drug war, hopes for peace in the Philippines
Rebels need to be politically active during negotiations, but typically the state makes political participation conditional on the final peace accord. It should have been apparent in 2012 when the Philippines government and the MILF signed a framework agreement – just as Colombia and the FARC did in same year – that the rebels would eventually be engaging in national politics and would therefore need more political clout. Neither the FARC nor the MILF could afford to simply rely on the good offices of the president to shepherd the peace process along, let alone the broader political transition that would follow. In both cases the rebels should have known that they needed a functional, strong political platform through which to legitimately reach out to their constituents.
The result in Colombia was clear-cut: a minority of Colombians – half of the 38 percent who turned out (only 19 percent of registered voters) – scuttled what seemed to be a viable resolution to South America's longest-running war. The result tells us two things; that the government alone couldn't persuade its constituents, and that the final peace accord in its current form isn't politically viable. If the rebels had the capacity to campaign for the "Sí" vote, and were willing and able to do so, would the result have been different? I strongly believe that it is entirely possible that the "Sí" vote could have carried the day, in which case President Santos' Nobel Peace Prize might make a bit more sense.
To learn from the Colombia-FARC and Philippines-MILF peace processes, it is important to firstly understand that one side (usually both) is unequipped to politically engage their adversary, having only ever faced them on the battlefield.
"We should be much clearer about the costs of denying rebels earlier political access and recognition."
Secondly, exposure to the 'outside world', and showing rebels why blanket amnesty, perceptions of justice by everyone, inclusivity, and respect human for human rights are so important, are absolutely necessary.
Diplomats and 'experts' have an equally important duty to make the parties see that their objectives do not exist in a political vacuum, but are a moving part of a much more complex system (whether they like it or not). Whatever the parties agree to in terms of substance, they have to be willing and able to sell it to their constituents before the ink has dried on the peace deal.
We should be much clearer about the costs of denying rebels earlier political access and recognition. Armed groups like the FARC and the MILF should be encouraged to form political entities and pull their own political weight during negotiations, instead of turning political participation into a concession. Rebels are denied access because the state doesn't want to "recognise" them. Recognition is, after all, valuable political currency. By doing this, however, we also deny everyone the possibility of resolving the conflict. In Colombia's case, the parties risk slipping into brinksmanship.
In the referendum aftermath President Santos initially appeared to reaffirm the permanent end to hostilities through the standing ceasefire. However, he then changed tack by declaring the ceasefire would end on 31 October. To which the FARC leader Rodrigo Londoño replied by Twitter, "And after that, the war continues?" A bilateral ceasefire has now been extended until 31 December, but to what end?
(TOP PHOTO: Voters line up before polls opened for Colombia's plebiscite on the peace deal in Necoclí, Antioquía. CREDIT: Erika Piñeros/IRIN)
jb-bp/ag
أم محمد الدراج، العراق كان علي أن أتخلى على شرفي لإنقاذ زوجي""
2 أغسطس 2007 مقابلة
الشريعة الإسلامية وقواعد الحرب
24 أبريل 2014 تحليل
عشر قصص إنسانية ينبغي ترقبها في عام 2017
2 يناير 2017 تحليل