text:
An Expert Offers an Opinion on Expert Opinion
January 17, 2014 January 17, 2014 M. Noonan
And, as you might guess, he's in favor of the experts:
…I fear we are witnessing the "death of expertise": a Google-fueled, Wikipedia-based, blog-sodden collapse of any division between professionals and laymen, students and teachers, knowers and wonderers – in other words, between those of any achievement in an area and those with none at all. By this, I do not mean the death of actual expertise, the knowledge of specific things that sets some people apart from others in various areas. There will always be doctors, lawyers, engineers, and other specialists in various fields. Rather, what I fear has died is any acknowledgement of expertise as anything that should alter our thoughts or change the way we live…
The author, Tom Nichols, presents himself as, "…an expert. Not on everything, but in a particular area of human knowledge, specifically social science and public policy." The first question that leaps to my mind is, "how do you attain 'achievement' in public policy?". I know that when I go to a doctor that I'm going to get some doctoring done – a blood pressure test, a cut stitched up, or some brain surgeried upon. How do I know I've got some "public policy" when I go to an expert in public policy? Now, don't get me wrong, Mr. Nichols is clearly an intelligent and well-informed man and his article well repays reading – but the one thing certain about Mr. Nichols is that he's no democrat. He's an elitist – someone who has gathered a certain amount of knowledge attached to a credential and thus thinks his views should carry more weight than people without the certain knowledge and, especially, the credential. Here's the worst thing I read:
...There was once a time when presidents would win elections and then scour universities and think-tanks for a brain trust; that's how Henry Kissinger, Samuel Huntington, Zbigniew Brzezinski and others ended up in government service while moving between places like Harvard and Columbia…
While Mr. Nichols is clearly well-informed, I doubt that he's really thought the matter through. The lauding of Kissinger, alone, reveals that. What are Kissinger's greatest achievements? Detente with the USSR, opening relations with the People's Republic of China and negotiating the end of America's involvement in Vietnam. Somewhere on a trip between Harvard and Columbia, I guess, Kissinger decided that the USSR was eternal and had to be kowtowed to, that Mao's China could be a partner for us and that scuttling the Republic of Vietnam were in our best interests. Fortunately, shortly after Kissinger stopped being our national expert, we managed to get that bone-headed, non-expert Ronald Reagan who at least managed to dismantle the USSR, even if he couldn't undo our defeat in Vietnam, nor turn our policy towards China in a rational manner (which would be to have nothing to do with that beastly, anti-human government).
Experts brought us the United States Federal Reserve. Experts decided that we should enter full-blown, provide-them-everything-we-can-even-if-we-stinted-our-own-forces alliance with the USSR against Germany, without a reciprocal requirement of the USSR to immediately enter in to the war against Japan. Experts shoved us in to the Korean War and then settled for a stalemate with enemies who disposed less than a 10th of the power of the United States. Experts got us in to Vietnam (and experts lost us Vietnam). Experts brought us Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, affirmative action, the EPA and $17 trillion in debt. Had the experts consulted the average American on any of these things, none of them would have come out as they did. Think about it – ok, American people, I want you to decide: 33,000 dead over three years for a stalemate in Korea, or 10,000 dead in a year for complete victory? You pick. The experts picked the former.
If a thing is worth doing, it is worth doing badly. That was from Chesterton, explaining that in the very important things in life – whether to marry, to bear children, to fight a war – it is of no use going to an expert. The expert won't know the right answer because he lacks sufficient knowledge to decide. No matter how much time he spends in Harvard and Columbia, no matter how many credentials he acquires, he simply will not know enough. The most brilliant economist ever produced in a university won't know the answer to even the simple question of how much spaghetti should be produced next month. And yet he'll propose to tell us how to organize our whole economy.
This does not mean the average bumpkin will get it right, either, of course. But if the average bumpkin is making his own decisions, then he's likely only to affect – for good or ill – himself and those around him. The expert proposes to decide for society and thus it is all of society which pays the price if the expert gets it wrong, as he almost invariably does for lack of sufficient knowledge. But, also, I think the bumpkins will more often get it right than wrong. A bumpkin, for instance, instinctively knows that if you're going to fight a war, you fight it all the way with everything you've got. It is true that a bumpkin might be demagogued in to a war – but he won't be demagogued in to a war where he's forbidden to use all of his power to fight it…or that he's got to be more careful about offending opinions than the lives of his comrades.
I do understand the distaste Mr. Nichols has for the opinions of the ignorant and the way they can be shouted so loud because of the internet. They irritate me, as well. Nothing quite gets on the nerves so much as to listen to people who clearly know nothing making absurd statements about an issue. But some of the most absurd statements these days come from people with the credentials from the prestige universities. I understand the desire that the terms of the debate be set by just a few and that we all argue only within those parameters. This is called adhering to the party line. But patient people, people with a bit of love for the people; leaders who are any good, at all, learn how to humor people and get their views across even in the face of the most mind-boggling idiocy. No great king, President or Prime Minister of the past worked with a collection of geniuses. He worked with people, which means a certain percentage were fools and some of them quite destructive fools, at that. There is an appeal in exiling the fools but we face two insuperable obstacles: we can't define "fool" with sufficient precision and without the fools the truly great cannot achieve their highest potential. Paradox of human life – it is only by the frictions of dealing with a wide variety of people, some of whom seem to go out of their way to deliberately hamper action, that we can find the leaders who will be able to thread their way through crisis to victory.
Is there, then, no place for an expert? Depends. When I'm heading in for brain surgery then I very much want an expert. Same thing when I want the leaking faucet fixed. But in the grand scheme of things and in the largest issues of life, then the experts must just join the argument and do their best with everyone else. If an expert feels he isn't getting his way, then it might not be so much a flaw among the morons, but a flaw in the expert's argument.
In the end, I trust to democracy – the rule of the people. This is not an arrogant assumption that I know better than the man with more education, but that I know what's best for me – and even if I'm wrong, it is still vastly better for me to decide for myself than to supinely accept some allegedly expert opinion in contravention of my own sense of the matter. Experts, after all, vigorously assured me that we had to bail out the banks in 2008-2009 in order to save the economy – my common sense rebelled against it back then and my common sense has been proven correct in the event. The banks were bailed out, but the economy didn't get better. I felt instinctively that if someone made a bone-headed investment decision and faced bankruptcy, then he'd better just deal with his bankruptcy and work for the best. I'll bet that if the question were put that way in 2008, the vast majority of the non-experts would have agreed that the failures must endure the results of their actions. Experts disagreed and they won the argument. How is that working out for us?
Here we are in 2014 and our nation is a wasteland, brought to this state of affairs by experts bamboozling us in to accepting a load of nonsense about how things work. To be sure, we average dimwits played our despicable role in this – too many of us, too many times, were eager to accept an expert opinion if it was couched in terms of "no pain, lots of gain". But the con artist is not let off because his mark is a sucker. As we move forward and try to find the ways and means of fixing the problems and restoring America, I think our best course of action is to just go with plain, old common sense – the sense of the average person, even if he's at a TEA Party demonstration with a misspelled sign. He might not be educated, might not know all the nuances of the issue, but if his basic thrust is "leave me alone to take care of me and mine", then I think he's on to something…and his desire should take precedence over even the very best written policy paper from a credentialed expert.
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One thought on "An Expert Offers an Opinion on Expert Opinion"
Amazona January 17, 2014 / 7:48 pm
I think many "experts" are really just intellectuals. That is, they produce ideas.
The problem is, it doesn't really matter if the ideas are correct. Once you have met the criterion of producing some ideas, you are credentialed, as an "expert" or as an "intellectual",
no matter how ridiculously, awfully, painfully, or even tragically wrong you may be.
It's really all just about the word.
Expertise, on the other hand, is quantifiable.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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"If you are still looking, let me know.....I live in the Tanasbourne area and am a toltal beginner. I would rate myself 2.0-2.25. Since you were a beginner 2 years ago, I wondered if you'd be someone who could coach and get me going to your…"
"Hey Ali, I just started playing a few months back as well. contact me and we'll get together sometime. I work four ten's so I can pretty much play anytime on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday. Wed-Saturday, I can play before 1:30pm depending…"
"Hey Ali, If you are still looking, let me know.....I live in the Orenco Station Area"
If you are still looking, let me know.....I live in the Tanasbourne area and am a toltal beginner. I would rate myself 2.0-2.25. Since you were a beginner 2 years ago, I wondered if you'd be someone who could coach and get me going to your level.


text:
Alston Ridge Band
home about band band handbook directors calendar
resources virtual band camp band blog pay your tuition
Welcome to Alston Ridge Elementary Band Online!
Welcome, and thanks for visiting the online home of the Alston Ridge Elementary Band in Cary, NC.
Great First Week!
Thank you, everyone, for an excellent first week of band! Now, we want to make sure to get into a regular practice routine--15 minutes per day, 5 days per week!
Beginning Band Homework
Please complete Virtual Band Camp by Tuesday, July 16. When you turn in your completed Skill Sheets, you will be allowed to begin playing in class!
Continuing Band Homework:
Please count and play the rhythms on page 43. Use one pitch when you play, and make sure you're tonguing every note and using a long stream of air!
Our band director, Ms. Thompson, will be happy to help!
E-mail Ms. Thompson at christina@summerglen-music.com.
Alston Ridge Band Calendar
Here's where you'll find Alston Ridge Band's upcoming appearances and other band-related events. Rehearsal-related events and changes are listed in purple.
Regular Rehearsals:
Regular band rehearsals are held from 4-5pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays in the music room at Alston Ridge. Any changes will be listed below.
First Band Rehearsal of 2019-20 School Year
Tuesday, July 9 from 4-5pm
NC State Homecoming Parade for Continuing Students
Early November, date and time TBA
Hillsborough Street, Raleigh
Fall Concert for all students
Late October, date and time TBA
Alston Ridge Gym
Winter Concert for all students
Late February, date and time TBA
Live & Local Springfest 2020 (optional gig)
Mid-April, date and time TBA
NC State; Raleigh
Spring Band Extravaganza
An afternoon of food, fun and music--featuring bands from Alston Ridge, Hortons Creek, and Parkside Elementary Schools
Tentatively set for Saturday, May 30
Learn More about the Alston Ridge After-School Band Program
Quality music education is a valuable experience for young people. Learning to play a band instrument helps children learn the value of effort and perseverance, make new friends, and develop an understanding of their unique strengths and capabilities. The Alston Ridge Band is designed to empower students to build their musical skills and develop talents they can be proud of.
Benefits of Band at Alston Ridge
Band helps students develop self-discipline, independence, and teamwork in a fun, upbeat atmosphere.
In band, our learning is experiential. We don't watch movies or do worksheets to learn about music--we MAKE music!
Our band will study music of many different cultures. As we learn music, we'll also gain a better understanding of the world around us.
Playing music helps expand students' sense of possibility. As students practice and improve their musical skills, they begin to realize the great things they're capable of achieving.
Learning music connects and expands upon topics from students' other classes. Reading, writing, math, and social studies take on a whole new meaning in band!
Instruments in the Alston Ridge Band
How does the Alston Ridge Band work?
The Alston Ridge Band is an afterschool band program for students in 3rd-5th grade. Our band meets after school during the school year for rehearsals, and holds several public performances each year. Because the band isn't funded by the school system, bandmembers' families pay tuition to cover the cost of the band directors, sheet music, and rehearsal space. Band tuition is $460 per child, per year. The tuition may be paid all at once, quarterly, or monthly. For families facing financial hardship, we offer a scholarship program to help defray the costs of participating in band.
Who can join the Alston Ridge Band?
Any third, fourth, or fifth grade student is eligible to join our band. Beginning Band is reserved for students who have never played a band instrument before, while Continuing Band is designed for students who have had one or more years of band instruction.
When and where do we rehearse?
Our bands rehearse every Tuesday and Thursday from 4-5pm in the music room at Alston Ridge.
Does Band require a practice commitment at home?
YES! To truly understand the musical concepts and techniques presented in band, your child must repeatedly experience how it feels to play them on his/her own. This experiential learning is accomplished via individual practice at home. We ask that all band students practice a minimum of 15 minutes per day, 5 days per week.
How do I join the band?
Registration for band takes place in April-May, and is currently closed for the 2019-20 school year. If you are new to Alston Ridge, however, we can accept your child anytime until July 30. Please e-mail Ms. Thompson for more information.
How do rent an instrument from the band?
Our band offers name brand, precision-refurbished used instruments for rental or purchase. The rental fee is $25 per month, and includes any maintenance needed due to regular wear and tear. You can rent for any duration of time, and you can also choose our Rent-to-Own option, which will apply 100% of your payments toward the payoff price of the instrument (generally $450 for saxophones, $225 for percussion, and $300 for all others.)
If you would rather purchase an instrument outright, you can do so for a reduced price (generally $375 for saxophones, $175 for percussion, and $200 for all others). If you start out renting, and pay the balance of the purchase price when your second rental payment is due, you will be eligible for the lower purchase price.
Once you have registered for band, Ms. Thompson will contact you about rental instruments. However, if you'd like to go ahead and reserve one, please complete our Instrument Rental Agreement and e-mail it to Ms. Thompson.
Meet Your Band Directors
Christina Thompson, Head Director:
Christina is an active professional musician who lives in Raleigh. She has been playing trombone since 1992, and holds a Bachelor of Music degree from East Carolina University and a Master of Music degree from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.
Sharing music with young people is the cornerstone of Christina's career. Christina has taught thousands of people the joy of making music, while on tour, in schools, and in private lessons. Christina's teaching approach is centered on building good habits and having fun! Students learn to use critical thinking and good practice skills to overcome problems in their playing, and develop ways to better understand both their instruments and themselves. At Alston Ridge, Christina's top priority is to create a culture of encouragement that empowers students to grow both as musicians and as people.
Andrew Munger, Assistant Director:
Andrew Munger is a music educator, composer, and multi-percussion artist living in Raleigh, NC. Since earning his Artist's Diploma from the Atlanta Institute of Music in 1993, Andrew has done extensive work with symphonic percussion, West African percussion, drumset, mallet instruments, and electronic media. He currently serves as Principal Percussionist with the Raleigh Symphony.
Andrew understands the far-reaching benefits of music education, and is committed to sharing his musical expertise with students of all ages. At Alston Ridge, Andrew strives to help all band students develop strong technique and expressive playing skills.
Helpful Resources for Alston Ridge Band Families
Articles for Band Students and Parents
Starting Band Successfully - Helping Your Child Succeed in Beginning Band
Choosing Your First Band Instrument
Playing Music in a Healthy Way
Improve Your Practice by Improving Your Space
A Parent's Guide to Private Music Lessons
Practice Resources for Young Musicians
Beginner Review Videos: Flute, Clarinet, Saxophone, Trumpet, Trombone, Percussion
Private Music Teachers in Wake County
Free Online Metronome
Staff Paper for composing your own music
Teoria.com, a place to practice note reading, rhythm reading, and music theory skills
Helpful Information for Specific Instruments
FluteInfo - A site with, well, flute info. ;)
Clarinet-Now.com - An awesome site for clarinet players with free lessons, articles, & more!
Sax Station - Helpful stuff for sax players
The Woodwind Fingering Guide - Detailed fingering charts for all woodwind instruments
International Trumpet Guild, Jr. - Just for young trumpet players
Just for Beginner Trombonists
Percussion FUNdamentals - Beginner percussion help from percussionist Mark Wessels.
All contents © 2010-2019 Christina Thompson


My wife's grandfathers are brothers making my wife's parents first cousins. How do I enter the brothers' common parents in the RM data base? No matter how I do it, my wife's pedigree chart eventually splits into two identical/duplicate charts, one corresponding to each of her grandfathers. Is there a best way to do this and avoid the duplication?
My grt grandparents were first cousins. I do Pedigree/Ancestor Charts from my grand mother a child of the first cousins and do not have two charts. So I don't have a problem. Do a chart from a child or grand child and see what happens.
Went back and set up Ancestor Charts from my grandchildren and yes it does set up separate pages. But I do not think that is a problem at least for me. AS I very seldom use the Pedigree/Ancestor Chart unless it is for a special reason. My index for my hard copy/electronic files is the Family Group Sheet for each person.
My comment is not to worry about dup copies for those brothers. Mine are sisters and in their parents file, the FGS tells the story. In their spouse files, the FGS tells the story.
I always ask my self before making a copy of any chart, Why? What for ____? Which chart is the best? Do I really need it?
The cascading Pedigree Chart will truncate when the lines merge and reference where it was listed earlier. It does complete the duplicate line until continued on another page. That's when it references the earlier line.
Does "page" refer to the next "screen" moving to the right?
OK. I think I follow this. My problem relates to the printing, not the viewing, of the complete Cascading Pedigree Chart. If I were to print my wife's complete Cascading Pedigree Chart, going up more than three generations, would I not see duplicates in the chart, beginning with the parents of the brothers?
You could answer your question by printing or saving the chart to pdf, open the pdf and use the reader's find tool to look for instances of a given ancestor.
The answer is yes, there will be duplicates until it references the page the line is continued on. Then it refers back to the page number where the line was first printed.


The US dollar dropped after the release of Fed's minutes of its meeting last December.
The US dollar recovered after it made losses for four consecutive losses.
Yen dropped in battling against the dollar. Meanwhile, Yuan climbed amid hopes of progress in the upcoming US-China trade talks.
Yen advanced against the dollar amid cautious ambiance on global growth concerns.
The US dollar slipped on US Federal Reserve's fourth rate hike this year.
The dollar moved a little on Tuesday as investors await the expected Fed rate hike decision on Wednesday.
Yuan dropped on Thursday as Chinese data weakened.
The US dollar was flat. Meanwhile, the British pound inched down as PM May survived a no-confidence vote.
The US dollar was flat amid the Fed's plan to consider a wait-and-see approach on its rate hike decision.


Kate Moss is fashion's favorite chameleon for a reason: The ever-prescient model wore the blanket as a coat well before it became a must-have moment, the bomber jacket just as the runway collections were filled with modern iterations of the classic, and the pajama suit as dressing down became de rigueur. Most recently the model who just celebrated her 41st birthday last week has been spotted in a series of statement coats. At her home in London, Moss sported a mash-up of fur textures and colors, breathing new life into the concept of fuzzy outerwear. Earlier this week, she slipped back into a blanket, but a more exaggerated, floor-length version with a leather buckle for a country-meets-city effect. But it was today's daring fur featuring pelts and suede trim, unifying Southwestern, bohemian, and tribal concepts in one piece, that rises above the rest. Delicate, yet impactful layering necklaces and hoop earrings complete the look which will no doubt trickle down onto the runways soon.


Ask Dan! about DSS - What are common data mining tools?
What are common data mining tools?
As it became possible and affordable to store large amounts of data, managers wanted to access and analyze the proprietary data gathered by their company to identify patterns that would be useful in making decisions. Sometimes data is analyzed as part of a special study; in other cases the analysis is conducted periodically or routinely. Patterns that are identified may be incorporated into a DSS or may inform a specific decision. The data mining process involves identifying an appropriate data set to examine or sift through to discover data content relationships. Data mining tools include case-based reasoning, data visualization, fuzzy query and analysis, genetic algorithms, and neural networks (cf., Greenfield, 1999). Let's briefly review each of the common data mining tools.
According to Wikipedia, "Case-based reasoning (CBR), broadly construed, is the process of solving new problems based on the solutions of similar past problems." Case-based tools find cases/records in a database that are similar to a specified pattern. A user specifies how strong a relationship should be to identify a case match. This approach has also been called memory-based reasoning. Software tries to measure the "distance" based on a measure of one record to other records and cluster records by similarity. In general, CBR is an empirical classification method.
These tools graphically display complex relationships in multi-dimensional data from different perspectives. Visualization is the graphical presentation of information, with the goal of providing the viewer with a qualitative understanding of the information contents. Data visualization tools are data mining tools that translate complex formulas, mathematical relationships or data warehouse information into graphs or other easily understood models. Statistical tools like cluster analysis or classification and regression trees (CART) are often part of data visualization tools. Analysts can visualize the clusters or examine a binary tree created by classifying records. In marketing, an analyst may create "co-occurrence" tables or charts of products that are purchased together. A good visualization is easy to understand and interpret and it is a reasonably accurate representation of the relationships in underlying data.
Fuzzy data mining tools allow users to look at results that are "close" to specified criteria. The user can vary what the definition of "close" is to help determine the significance and number of results that will be returned. This category of data mining tools is based on a branch of mathematics called fuzzy logic. The logic of uncertainty and "fuzziness" provides a framework for finding, scoring, and ranking the results of queries. Examples of fuzzy criteria include AGE = "VERY YOUNG" or SALARY = "MORE OR LESS HIGH".
Genetic algorithms are optimization programs similar to linear programming models. In general a genetic algorithm (GA) is a search technique to find a solution. Genetic algorithm software automatically conducts random experiments with new solutions while keeping the "good" interim results. A example problem would be to find the best subset of 20 variables to predict the stock market. To create a genetic model, the 20 variables would be identified as "genes" that have at least 2 possible values. The software would then select genes and their values randomly in an attempt to maximize of minimize a performance or fitness function. The performance function would provide a value for the fitness of the specific genetic model. Genetic optimization software also includes operators to combine and mutate variables.
Neural network tools are used to predict future information by learning patterns and then applying them to predict future relationships. According to Berry and Linoff (1997), neural networks are the most common type of data mining technique. Some people even think that using a neural network is the only type of data mining. Vendors make many claims for neural networks. One claim that is especially questionable is that neural networks can compensate for a lower quality of data. Neural networks attempt to learn patterns from data directly by repeatedly examining the data to identify relationships and build a model. The algorithm builds models by trial and error. The network guesses a value that it compares to the actual number. If the guess is wrong, the model is adjusted. This process involves three iterative steps: 1) predict, 2) compare, and 3) adjust. An artificial neural network involves a network of simple processing elements that can exhibit complex behavior, determined by the connections between the processing elements and element parameters. Neural networks are commonly used in a DSS to classify data and, as noted, to make predictions. The various inputs are transformed by a network of simple processors. The processors combine and weight the inputs and produce an output value.
Data mining techniques and tools are NOT fundamentally different from the older quantitative model-building techniques. The methods used in data mining are extensions and generalizations of analytical methods known for decades. Neural networks are a special case of what is called projection pursuit regression, a method developed in the 1940s. For example, classification and regression tree (CART) methods were used by social scientists in the 1960s. The computing technology used to implement these underlying methods has however greatly improved.
Berry, Michael J. A. and Gordon Linoff. Data Mining Techniques for Marketing, Sales, and Customer Support. New York: Wiley Computer Publishing, 1997.
Greenfield, Larry. Data Mining. LGI Systems, Inc. January 12, 2000.
Power, D., What is data mining and how is it related to DSS? DSS News, Vol. 2, No. 25, December 2, 2001.
Power, D. J. Decision Support Systems Hyperbook. Cedar Falls, IA: DSSResources.COM, HTML version, Fall 2000, accessed on 12/06/2009 at URL http://dssresources.com/dssbook/.
Thearling, Kurt. Data Mining and Advanced DSS Technology, an on-line Data Mining Tutorial. (URL http://www3.shore.net/~kht/dmintro/dmintro.htm).
Wikipedia. "Case-based reasoning". URL http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Case-based_reasoning.


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Mad for Markers blog: Beautiful Baby!
A friend of mine had a Beautiful baby girl in August and this is the card I made for the gorgeous Miss Skylar! I have to say new babies are always sooo adorable and cuddley!
Anyway hope you get a chance to color over the weekend, I have to start a card for my Wedding Anniversary...nothing like leaving it to the last minute...haha!


text:
Death toll rises to 17 in India cyclone
Bikas Das
Indian men with their bicycles make way through uprooted trees fallen during Cyclone Phailin on a road in Berhampur, India, Sunday, Oct. 13, 2013. An immense, powerful cyclone that lashed the Indian coast, forcing 500,000 people to evacuate and causing widespread damage, weakened Sunday after making landfall. Several people died in the rains that fell ahead of the storm, most killed by falling branches, Indian media reported, but the situation on the ground in many areas was still unclear after Cyclone Phailin slammed into the coast Saturday evening in Orissa state, where power and communications lines were down along much of the coastline.(AP Photo/Bikas Das)
BEHRAMPUR, India (AP) — India began sorting through miles of wreckage Sunday after powerful Cyclone Phailin roared ashore, flooding towns and villages and destroying tens of thousands of thatch homes, but officials said massive evacuation efforts had spared the east coast from widespread loss of life.
The storm, the strongest to hit India in more than a decade, destroyed hundreds of millions of dollars' worth of crops, but more than 20 hours after it made landfall in Orissa state, authorities said they knew of only 17 fatalities.
The final death toll is expected to climb further as officials reach areas of the cyclone-battered coast that remain isolated by downed communication links and blocked roads, but the evacuation of nearly 1 million people appeared to have saved many lives.
"Damage to property is extensive," said Amitabh Thakur, the top police officer in the Orissa district worst-hit by the cyclone. "But few lives have been lost," he said, crediting the mass evacuations.
In Gopalpur, where the storm made landfall, power lines sagged nearly to the ground and a strong surf churned off the coast. Power and electricity were out on Sunday, but by afternoon some shops had opened to brisk business selling bottled drinks and snacks.
A mermaid statue remained standing on the seaside city's boardwalk, where most decorative street lamps still stood along with most of the city's buildings.
"Everyone feels very lucky," said Prabhati Das, a 40-year-old woman who came from the town of Behrampur, about 10 kilometers (7 miles) inland, to see the aftermath at the coast.
A cargo ship carrying iron ore, the MV Bingo, sank Saturday as the cyclone barreled through the Bay of Bengal, and its crew of 18 — including 17 Chinese and one Indonesian — went missing for a day, coast guard officials said. They were being rescued Sunday afternoon after their lifeboat was found about 185 kilometers (115 miles) off the Indian coast, coast guard Commandant Sharad Matri said.
The storm weakened significantly after making landfall early Saturday night, with some areas reporting little more than breezy drizzles on Sunday, but meteorologists warned that Orissa and other states in the storm's path would face heavy rains, strong winds and rough seas for another day.
"Its intensity is still strong, but after crossing the coast it has weakened considerably," Sharat Sahu, a top official with the Indian Meteorological Dept. in Orissa, told reporters.
Indian officials spoke dismissively of American forecasters who had warned of a record-breaking cyclone that would drive a massive wall of water — perhaps as large as 9 meters high (30 feet high) — into the coastline.
"They have been issuing warnings, and we have been contradicting them," said L.S. Rathore, director-general of the Indian Meteorological Department. "That is all that I want to say."
"As a scientist, we have our own opinion and we stuck to that. We told them that is what is required as a national weather service — to keep people informed with the reality without being influenced by over-warning," he said at a news conference in New Delhi, the capital.
The Indian government had faced immense public criticism after its slow response to a series of deadly floods and mudslides in June in the northern state of Uttarakhand, where more than 6,000 people were killed.
But officials took few chances with Phailin, especially given memories of a 1999 Orissa cyclone that devastated the coastline and left at least 10,000 people dead.
Nearly 1 million people were evacuated from the coast ahead of Phailin, including more than 870,000 in Orissa and more than 100,000 in neighboring Andhra Pradesh.
Still, many people either missed the evacuation or chose to ride out the storm near the coast, for fear of losing their homes and livestock to possible looting.
Carpenter Pitambar Moharanat, 65, said he spent a terrifying night stuck in his employer's seaside building in Gopalpur, where for six hours he listened to screaming winds shake the bolted wooden shutters until the winds eased at around 3 a.m.
"I am thanking God for sparing us," he said.
Officials in both states had been stockpiling emergency food supplies and setting up shelters. The Indian military put some of its forces on alert, with trucks, transport planes and helicopters at the ready for relief operations.
Electric utility authorities in Orissa switched off the power in 12 districts in the path of the cyclone after scores of electric pylons toppled from the torrential rain and high winds.
The storm wreaked havoc in Behrampur, with the wind shattering windows, blowing down trees and electrical poles, and terrifying residents. But only three people died in the town, a security official said.
"The trees and the buildings could not be saved, but the people have been evacuated, so the human toll was contained so far," said Naresh Sharma, a commander with the Indian Central Reserve Police Force.
For the people living along the coast, many of whom live as subsistence farmers in mud-and-thatch huts, the economic toll will be immense.
Heavy rains and surging seawater destroyed more than 500,000 hectares (1.23 million acres) of crops worth an estimated 24 billion rupees ($395 million), according to Orissa's disaster minister, S.N. Patro.
British Prime Minister David Cameron described the damage as "shocking," and said in a Twitter message that Britain would do "what it can to help."
With some of the world's warmest waters, the Indian Ocean is considered a cyclone hot spot, and some of the deadliest storms in recent history have come through the Bay of Bengal, including the 1999 cyclone.
U.S. forecasters had repeatedly warned that Phailin would be immense, and as the cyclone swept across the Bay of Bengal toward the Indian coast Saturday, satellite images showed its spinning tails covering an area larger than France.
Associated Press writer Manik Banerjee contributed to this report from Kolkata, India.


John 1:3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
YOU DESIRE TO BE IN CONTROL. YOU GET FLUSTERED. REFUSE AND STOP , SEEK THE FACE OF GOD. OTHERS ARE NOT GOING TO BEHAVE JUST AS YOU HAVE PLANNED. JESUS IS OUR SAVIOR, AND WE ARE HIS FOLLOWERS. RELAX IN HIS SOVEREIGN CONTROL, TRUSTING THAT IN HIS GREAT UNFAILING LOVE, HIS WILL IS BEST FOR YOU TODAY.


Plz Help i need 2 GAIN weight!!!
Do a Search on this Website with 'To gain weight' to access the articles I have written about this problematic subject. You will find that you may need to eat more snacks and even include products such as Ensure or Nutren (ask at the chemist) to boost your food intake. If you are very highly strung or active, then it may help to do relaxing exercise like yoga and deep breathing.
a supplement twice a day. Sustagen worked the best and fastest.


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"Gurri watharrigu magaragu makes a valuable contribution to the revitalisation of Yinhawangka language and culture..""
Julie Walker, Manager Wangka Maya Pilbara Aboriginal Language Centre
June Injie
Indigenous languages of Western Australia are on the path to digitisation with the help of an Australian Government Commonwealth Grant.
The Wangka Maya Pilbara Aboriginal Language Centre has launched a series of four immersive apps produced in the Digital Innovation Hub the Centre has established with the funding. Designed to preserve the Pilbara region's indigenous languages, culture and history, the apps communicate traditional stories and knowledge with a unique indigenous perspective.
Gurri watharrigu magaragu (The girl is looking for her little brother) tells the story of a young girl who goes looking all over for her little brother.
This story is told in the Yinhawangka language with English translation.
Yinhawangka is a severely endangered language from the Pilbara region of Western Australia. The Yinhawangka People traditionally lived in the area containing the Angelo, Ashburton and Hardey Rivers, Kunderong Range, Mount Vernon Station, Rocklea and Turee Creek. There are currently a limited number of people who speak Yinhawangka.


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Instituto Universitario de Investigación en Gestión Forestal Sostenible
IUGFS - Capítulos de Monografías
Forest carbon sequestration:the impact of forest management
Bravo Oviedo, Felipe
Río, María del Carmen del
Bravo Oviedo, Andrés
Montero, Gregorio
Ruiz Peinado, Ricardo
Peso Taranco, Carlos Emilio del
Bravo, F., Jandl, R., & LeMay, V. (Eds.). (2017). Managing forest ecosystems: the challenge of climate change. New York: Springer. pp. 251-275
In this chapter, we describe alternative ways in which forests and forestry can help to mítigate climate change, along with the potential impact of these activities. The three carbon storage compartments should be considered inall impact estimates. Carbon content in living biomass is easily estimated via species-specific equations or by applying factors to oven-dry biomass weights (e.g.,lbañez et al.,2002, Herrero et al.,2011,Castaño and Bravo, 2012).Litter carbon content has been analysed in many studies on primary forest productivity, though information regarding the influence of forest management on litter carbon content is less abundant (Blanco et al., 2006). In the last decade,efforts have been made to assess soil carbon in forests, but studies on the effect of forest management on soils show discrepancies (Lindner and Karjalainen,2007).Hoover (2011), for example,found no difference in forest floor carbon stocks among stands subjected to partial or complete harvest treatments in the United States.
Materias (normalizadas)
Bosques-Gestión-Aspecto del medio ambiente
Ecología forestal
Instituto Universitario de Gestión Forestal Sostenible
978 3 319-28248-0
Version del Editor
http://www.springer.com/gp/book/9783319282480#otherversion=9783319282503
IUGFS - Capítulos de Monografías [4]
13_Bravo-Silviculture_and_Carbon_sequestration.pdf


Fourth Row Center: Film Writings by Jason Bailey: #TallgrassX Review: "Beauty is Embarrassing"
So, as you can see, he's not a guy who takes himself too seriously, and one of the many pleasures of Berkeley's giddily enjoyable film is the degree to which it works itself onto his wavelength—the style and pace of the film captures (and, at its best, replicates) his dry, disarming wit. A bearded, free-wheeling dude with more than a trace of his Southern accent intact, he went from cartoons and comic books to designing sets and puppets (and voicing some of the latter) for Pee-Wee's Playhouse, a gig which won him three Emmys. Home movies shot behind the scenes of that series, and the twisted puppet shows they'd do to kill time during production, are genuine highlights of the film (least surprising revelation: the minds behind the show enjoyed the occasional joint).
He had trouble replicating that experience elsewhere, however; there were occasional highlights, like his work on the Smashing Pumpkins' "Tonight, Tonight" video, but most of his post-Playhouse gigs were exhausting and depressing, and his experiences trying to pitch projects were best summed up by a later word painting: "All that Fake Laughin' for Nothin'." He said to hell with it, and started painting. And sculpting. And making giant puppets. And parading around in an oversized LBJ head.
Berkeley shot Beauty is Embarrassing over a couple of years, originally intending it as a documentary short, but continuing to come around, he says, because it was just fun to hang out with White. You get a sense of that, in the delight the picture seems to take in its subject. It's a kick to watch him go. The jokey-ness of White's work, and his disarmingly comic persona, have kept him from getting the love his work deserves in the art world, where work that is fun is not "serious," or worthy of serious consideration. (Funny, that prejudice seems to pop up in movies, too.) But they'll come around, and Berkeley's terrific documentary may help get that job done just a little bit quicker.
"Beauty is Embarrassing" is playing this weekend at the Tallgrass Film Festival, and is out in limited release.


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Walmart explains why it offers fewer items for next-day delivery compared to Amazon
By Katherine Lam Published June 09, 2019 WalmartFOXBusiness
Walmart will deliver groceries straight to your fridge
Walmart will begin to deliver groceries inside customers' homes soon. FBN's Cheryl Casone with more.
Walmart isn't looking to match Amazon on the number of items with next-day delivery anytime soon — and there's a reason why.
The retail giant announced last month it was offering next-day delivery — with no membership fee — for about 220,000 items on its website to customers in Phoenix and Las Vegas first, with plans to expand to reach about 75 percent of U.S. customers by the end of the year. Walmart said it also plans to add hundreds of thousands of items for next-day delivery in the future.
Walmart's speedy delivery is only available for a small pool of items compared to Amazon, which announced last week that Prime members — who pay a yearly membership fee of $119 — will be eligible for free one-day delivery on more than 10 million products.
Despite the large difference, it seems like Walmart isn't rushing to match Amazon's next-day delivery. Walmart e-commerce CEO Marc Lore said Friday at the company's annual shareholders meeting in Bentonville, Arkansas that it would be too expensive to offer next-day delivery for all of its products.
"Certainly we think the breadth of assortment is critical," Lore said in response to a question. "…We think that offering now the 200,000, but growing to hundreds of thousands more represents a really high percentage of sales done. And if we can offer that next-day experience in a consistent way with no membership fees we think that's a very compelling value proposition."
MORE FROM FOXBUSINESS.COM...
WALMART'S NEW GROCERY HOME DELIVERY SERVICE GIVES CUSTOMERS UNIQUE OPTION
AMAZON PRIME MEMBERS NOW ELIGIBLE FOR FREE ONE-DAY DELIVERY ON MORE THAN 10M ITEMS
HOW WALMART WILL EXECUTE NEXT-DAY DELIVERY FOR CUSTOMERS
Lore said it's a "trade-off" to offer fewer items for next-day delivery.
"After you get past the top, let's say, hundreds of thousands, or top million SKUs, with overnight or next-day delivery, it gets exponentially more expensive," Lore said.
"There's a limited pool of dollars and you have to decide where to invest in the value prop," Lore added. "Do you invest beyond the top 80 percent of sales? Do you go for speed there? Or do you take those dollars and put it into same-day delivery of grocery?"
Walmart announced Friday it was taking its same-day grocery delivery a step further by giving customers the option to have an associate place the groceries in their refrigerator when they're not home. The retailer said the service, called InHome Delivery, will be rolled out this fall for more than one million customers in Pittsburgh, Kansas City, Missouri and Vero Beach, Florida.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX BUSINESS APP
Meanwhile, Amazon said it began offering one-day shipping on a trove of products in April and will continue adding millions of items, but the exact date of the complete rollout of its delivery plan was not revealed. Prime members aren't required to meet a minimum purchase amount for the new next-day delivery option. Amazon previously offered one-day shipping on select items and free same-day delivery for those whose orders were $35 or more.
Walmart customers have to meet a $35 minimum on purchases to qualify for next-day delivery.


Memcpy over Grappa global arrays.
Arguments dst and src must point into global arrays (so must be linear addresses) and be non-overlapping, and both must have at least nelem elements.
Helper so we don't have to change the code if we change a Global pointer to a normal pointer (in theory).
Definition at line 145 of file Array.hpp.
Definition at line 150 of file Array.hpp.
Asynchronous version of memcpy, spawns only on cores with array elements.
Synchronizes with given GlobalCompletionEvent, so memcpy's are known to be complete after GCE->wait(). Note: same restrictions on dst and src as Grappa::memcpy).
Definition at line 160 of file Array.hpp.
Initialize an array of elements of generic type with a given value.
This version sends a large number of active messages, the same way as the Incoherent releaser, to set each part of a global array. In theory, this version should be able to be called from multiple locations at the same time (to initialize different regions of global memory).
base Base address of the array to be set.
count Number of elements to set, starting at the base address.
Definition at line 60 of file Array.hpp.
Type-based memset for local arrays to match what is provided for distributed arrays.
Definition at line 168 of file Array.hpp.
Definition at line 66 of file GlobalVector.hpp.


Lubricant is an important product that plays a significant role in providing safe operations of a vehicle.
Many people find that driving at night is one of the most awkward times for them to be on the road.
Envision a broken car glass; it can ruin your day.
Lubricant is an important product that plays a significant role in providing safe operations of a vehicle. By lubricating a car, friction in various parts is reduced. It also minimizes the amount of wear and tear that happens when a car is being used. Lubricants also reduce the operating temperature of a car as well as lessen the corrosion of metal surfaces. Although different types of lubricants may be required, there are key parts of a car that should be lubricated regularly for smooth and safe operations.
Notably, these parts can easily wear and tear out if the y are not lubricated regularly. Apart from that, they make squeaking sounds that are not appealing to vehicles. To avoid such problems, a car owner should spray these parts with the best lubricant after every 3-4 months. After doing this task, it is important to prevent grease build-up by using a cloth to wipe away the excess oil. Mostly, automotive experts advise car owners to abstain from using lubricants based on petroleum since many car door latches have resin and plastic parts that can be damaged when sprayed or applied with oil.
Most people are under-using and under-maintaining these parts since some vehicles have remote entry systems. Many car owners use hard keys until the battery of a car or sentry systems stops working. As such, these parts might be difficult to open if they are not used, and they can even start to rust as well. However, experts recommend using the best lubricants and spraying the parts in small amounts after every 3-4 months.
Some vehicles have windows that open and close manually, and it can be challeng ing and tiresome to run them without the use of lubricants. However, for easy and quick closing and the opening of such windows, it is advisable to spray the best oil into the channel that the glass keeps running all over it. Besides, it is crucial to treat the area of this channel where the glass runs down into the door to prevent it from freezing unexpectedly.
All in all, liftgate hinges, latches, door, decklid lock cylinders, and manually operated windows are the key parts of a car that should be lubricated regularly to avoid experiencing frustration when operating them. Although some other parts like air condition systems, automotive cooling, transmission, and engines have their lubrication sources, it is crucial to make sure a car benefits greatly from regular lubrication.
Many people find that driving at night is one of the most awkward times for them to be on the road. The lack of daylight causes many driving difficulties. Things get even worse when your lights do not work properly. Without them, you just won't be able to drive anywhere. In this article, we will look at some common headlight problems and what you can do about them.
Older drive rs often complain that their vehicle lights do not seem bright enough. It is hard to see the road in the dark if there is not enough light for your eyes. This might not be the fault of the lights but just that your eyes are becoming weaker as you age.
Lighting manufacturers have understood this, and there are now extra-bright headlight kits available featuring high-quality LED and Xenon bulbs. However, be aware that you cannot just use the brightest bulbs you can find because that may dazzle other road users. You will have to stay within your country's driving laws for vehicle lighting.
Another common problem is when headlights do not work at all. Usually, this is caused by a bulb burning out. This is simple enough to fix. Just check your owner's manual for the correct bulb to buy and replace it. Sometimes swapping out bulbs can be a fiddly process and the manual should also be able to guide you through doing it.
If changing the bulb does not fix the problem, there may be more something more serious going on. An electrical fuse may have blown within your vehicle's lighting circuit. Alternatively, it could be that there is a bad or loose connection to the bulb. Do a quick check around the wires leading to the failing bulb and look for anything unusual. If you cannot see anything obvious, it might be time to call a mechanic.
If you find you cannot turn your headlights off even when your engine is off, this is most likely a fault with the electrical system. Often, it is related to the ground connections within your vehicle. If you have some experience with motor repairs, you might be able to check these connections for yourself. If not, you can always ask in an online forum, or check out some problem-solving videos on YouTube. If there doesn't seem to be anything wrong with the wiring, then you will probably have to get a professional to help.
In this article, we looked at the three most common headlight problems and what to do about them. The next time you experience any difficulties with the lights on your vehicle, you should have some basic knowledge to help you.


If you're one of the lucky ones, you might get to travel over winter break. Here are some style ideas for every region you find yourself in this winter!
Winter break can mean lots of food, crazy family members, and chaotic holidays at home. However, a lot of families travel for the holidays, and if you're one of the lucky ones, you might find yourself looking out over a crystal clear beach this New Years!
While it may be below freezing, lots of people enjoy vacationing in breathtaking winter areas, such as Colorado or Canada. With such cold temperatures, it's crucial to protect your body from harsh weather. Pack everything warm and fluffy, and be sure to monitor — and minimize — how much skin is being exposed to the air.
This outfit is perfect for a ski resort lobby, hanging out with friends and family and talking about your adventures, or a quick venture to an outdoor resort area to grab some hot cocoa. Uggs are a must have for the winter, despite the stigma of the boots! Anything fleece or fur lined will be your best friend, and a thick sweater paired with quality leggings is comfortable, warm, and stylish. Top it off with a double-pom hat, a silly and chic addition to the look.
If you have family in Europe, there are parts of the continent that stay beautiful and warm-ish in the winter season, and have such lovely wildlife and nature to explore. Going for an outdoorsy/adventurous vibe, this countryside look is great for moving around and snapping tons of great pics.
In this look, a traditional overall, typical of the country, is paired with a pink paisley scarf (for a pop of color), flat sneakers, and a thick gray sweater. The weather can change rather quickly, and it's always best to be prepared for whatever comes your way.
If you're lucky enough to have planned a getaway to a tropical island, packing should be a cinch. Just bring out the summer favorites you tucked away a few months ago and enjoy soaking up the rays!
For this tropical look, think summer! Pull out all of your stored clothes and pack your bags. With brown sandals that go with everything, you'll be set for lots of walking with the thick straps for support. Classic jean shorts, a fun and light yellow colored tank, and of course a straw hat for hair and face protection are necessary for the ultimate day-time tropical look.
If your go-to vacation spot in the winter is a city, spend some time going store to store and enjoying the people-watching! With so many options for a city outfit, it's still important to dress warm for all the outdoor commuting you'll be doing from building to building.
In this classic and simple look, pack your favorite pair of jeans, fresh white Filas, a babydoll white top, and a navy blazer. This look is classy and ideal for traveling around in the city!
If you have a scheduled cruise or beach trip planned for this break, prepare to dig through your drawers for your swim suit. You can't pass up an opportunity to rock a bikini while everyone else is shivering in thick coats and boots! Another good thing about going to a beach over winter break is that most retail stores have their summer gear on sale, and you can score really good deals.
With a tube top and high waisted bikini, this suit is super cute and on-trend! Pair it with a floral and tropical themed cover up, matching light blue sandals that are sure to get sandy, and a large straw hat, and you'll be enjoying every second of the warm weather!
Where will you be traveling this winter? If so, where are you headed? Where do you wish you were going this winter? Comment your thoughts below!


Energy Minister Questioned Ukraine's Ability to Pay for Russian Natural Gas.
Russia's energy minister on Friday questioned Ukraine's ability to pay for Russian natural gas and said state-controlled OAO Gazprom will ask that deliveries scheduled in June be paid for upfront, which he said poses a risk of supply disruption to European customers.
Ukraine owes more than $3.5 billion for Russian natural gas, said Energy Minister Alexander Novak after meeting his Ukrainian counterpart, Yuriy Prodan and European Union energy Commissioner Günther Oettinger.


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首页/新闻与政治/Pretoria News
Pretoria News 2022-10-14
Pretoria News is a newspaper appearing in the city of Pretoria, in the Tshwane Metropolitan area, every day from Monday to Friday. The Pretoria News offers comprehensive coverage of local news, as well as national and international news, comment and analysis by experts, sport, entertainment and lifestyle. The daily Tonight supplement highlights what's happening on the entertainment front. Other popular regular features include Consumer Watch, Metro Watch, Food for Thought, What's On and a weekly Motoring supplement. Business Report, South Africa's national financial daily, is an important addition for decision-makers. The Classifieds include the popular Workplace on Wednesdays, and the weekly Thursday Motoring supplement is not to be missed.
253 期号
本期
Mining output shrinks in August as sector could remain depressed for the remainder of the year
MINING activity in South Africa has been plunged into a crisis by more than a week-long strike at Transnet, and could remain depressed for the remainder of the year weighed down by deteriorating domestic and global economic conditions. This comes as mining output in the country shrank for the seventh months in a row year-on-year in August, dragged down by heavy-weights platinum group metals (PGMs), gold and iron ore. Data from Statistics South Africa (StatsSA) yesterday showed that mining production fell by 5.9% year-on-year in August, slowing from a downwardly revised 8.2% slump in July. This subdued mining print in August marked the seventh consecutive month of falling mining activity, with January being the only exception since the beginning of the year. Although this was the softest contraction observed so…
Rand takes drubbing on dollar rise and fears of looming US interest rate hike
THE RAND took a hammering on the markets yesterday, breaching the R18.50 mark to the dollar as the greenback strengthened on the back of an expected interest rate hike as US inflation remained elevated. The annual inflation rate in the US slowed for the third month running to 8.2% in September, the lowest in seven months, compared with 8.3% in August, but above market forecasts of 8.1%. As the latest US inflation print came in above expectations, investors feared this might fuel further hawkish rhetoric by US Federal Reserve officials to keep up with hefty rate increases. This saw emerging markets currencies suffering losses in the financial markets yesterday, as these fears drove risk-averse investors to safer havens, with the dollar again approaching its highest levels in 20 years. The…
Long-term damage predicted from Transnet strike Minerals council, business leaders warn of serious reputational damage to South Africa as a reliable supplier
SOUTH Africa's already-tarnished reputation for logistics risked long-term damage if the Transnet strike dragged on, the Minerals Council South Africa, Business Unity South Africa and Business Leadership South Africa warned yesterday as they called for a speedy resolution. This follows Transnet Port Terminals, an operating division of Transnet, declaring a force majeure to its customers due to a wage dispute, which is deadlocked. Workers yesterday rejected Transnet's revised pay offer. Business Unity South Africa (Busa) and Business Leadership South Africa said business was concerned if the strike lasted more than a few days, cargo ships would not just skip slots at South African ports, but start taking South African ports out of schedules in the months ahead. Cas Coovadia, chief executive of Busa, said: "We need a quick, sustainable…
PSG Konsult raises interim dividend and remains focused on long-term strategy
PSG KONSULT, the wealth management group, lifted its dividend 10% to 11 cents per share in the six months to August 31 under challenging market conditions and it remains well capitalised with zero debt. Chief financial officer Mike Smith said in an interview yesterday that their capital allocation during the period was an indication of the confidence that the group has in its future. During the period the group also bought back some of its shares, and it spent 14% more than the same time a year before on IT and technology. It also increased its staff complement by 7%. On the share buybacks Smith said they were able to do share buybacks considering the robust and debt-free balance sheet, and it was undertaken only during periods when there…
Grindrod's share price is up as its import and export services continue to grow
GRINDROD'S share price increased sharply after reporting continued strong growth in its import and export services, this despite thousands of trucks, many vessels and warehouses were being forced to idle after a Transnet strike closed local ports. Grindrod's share price increased 6.53% to R9.30 yesterday afternoon. The group is invested in the Maputo Port Development Company (MPDC) with other partners – the MPDC holds the concession to operate, develop and maintain Mozambique's biggest port. The port provides the shortest route to sea from the Gauteng industrial hub and from Limpopo and Mpumalanga mining areas and has seen volume growth in recent years due to inefficiencies and delays at the Durban port, such as for example, the resumption this year of citrus exports through Maputo. Grindrod said in a trading statement…
Karooooo delivers on its decade of revenue and earning growth trends
KAROOOOO, which owns 100% of multinational real-time data analytics and business intelligence firm Cartrack, continued its trend of solid growth in turnover and earnings in its second quarter to August 31 while simultaneously scaling up operations. Chief executive and Founder Zak Calisto said in an interview yesterday that the revenue and profit growth cemented a decade-plus track record, and their offering extends beyond connected vehicles and equipment to assisting more than 95 000 diverse enterprise customers, up from 83 000 at the same time last year, in solving their day-to-day challenges. He said technological development in the group was continuous, with 32 versions developed in the half year alone. Calisto said they were confident of meeting the group's guidance for the year, this after an already strong performance…


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How US agents will exploit left overs from Bin Laden raid
Mark Urban | 19:48 UK time, Tuesday, 3 May 2011
Forty minutes of violence in Abbottabad brought the secret war between US counter-terrorist forces and militant Islam briefly and explosively into view.
But now the conflict returns to the shadows. The direction of travel, as the players exited the public stage tells us quite a bit about the next moves in this campaign.
In the first place there is the question of "sensitive site exploitation", as the experts call it. What exactly, or who was removed from the compound? Along with the door kickers or assault team of US Navy Seals, there would have been military and CIA people tasked with picking up anything of interest they could find as the gun fire ebbed.
Papers, mobile phones, computers, memory devices, and even the "pocket litter" of those found inside the house will all have been swept up.
When the Americans swooped on the rubble of the bombed house where they had run Abu Musab al Zarqawi to ground in June 2006, the sensitive site exploitation triggered dozens of additional raids.
In recent years, the CIA has become practised at entering the ruins of houses hit by its drones in order to sweep them for information. It has used its own Pakistani surveillance team as well as Americans to perform these searches, often working with very little time.
Might Monday's haul lead the Americans to Ayman al-Zawahiri, Osama bin Laden's deputy? It is highly likely that the two men were in some sort of contact, although they would have been extremely careful about it.
People in Inter-Services Intelligence - the ISI or Pakistani military intelligence - have told a BBC colleague that the Americans took one living person away from the compound on their helicopters.
They speculated that this might be a surviving Bin Laden son. If true, this capture could itself prove of major importance.
Of course, as the US seeks to capitalise on the intelligence finds from its raid, the question of Pakistani co-operation and access will loom all the more important.
Those who know the secret world suggest that while politicians may not chose to make too much of an issue of possible ISI knowledge of who was resident in Abbottabad, the spooks are likely to use the suspicion of possible complicity or incompetence by the Pakistani agency as a way of keeping the pressure up on them to help.
In truth, the Pakistanis have had to live with the fact that the CIA has gained considerable power to operate independently in their country.
After the arrest earlier this year of CIA contractor Raymond Davis in Lahore, after he allegedly shot dead two men, the Pakistani authorities had tried to limit the agency's freedom of action.
However, as the Bin Laden raid showed, the CIA retained considerable autonomy. Its personnel, contractors, and Afghan auxiliaries operating in Pakistan and the Afghan border region may amount to thousands.
It operates the Reaper drones used to hit militants in the Tribal Areas from Pakistani air bases, and its air wing moves its people around the region independently of the US military or any government.
The most likely explanation for how the American helicopter assault force reportedly refuelled at a Pakistani air base on way to its target is simple that movements of US aircraft in the night across Pakistan have become so commonplace that procedures are in places to prevent this causing incidents.
So as the CIA and ISI survey the scene, their mutual suspicion has, if anything been reinforced. The Americans have the advantage for the time being, but few in Pakistan will have relished what happened in Abbottabad, and the friction caused may prove to be the biggest obstacle to exploiting the leads gained in the raid.
Comments Post your comment
Comment number 1.
At 20:28 3rd May 2011, barriesingleton wrote:
'NAVY SEALS - DROP - ANNIHILATION!'
On UK TV we have 'Police - Stop - Action' and other similar voyeuristic viewing, and I could not help being reminded of it, seeing the room full of American 'observers' - including Magic Obama - enjoying the show.
As mission creep is de rigueur in all areas (porn, violence, horror etc) it is, surely, only a matter of time before we will be 'there' when Johnnie Foreigner is dismembered, disembowelled and beheaded in one balletic boom.
Get the pizza and beer in.
Complain about this comment (Comment number 1)
At 20:34 3rd May 2011, flicks3 wrote:
Everybody needs to watch Alex Jones program today he has some serious guests saying some serious stuff.
AJ is talking to this guy:-
https://www.stevepieczenik.com/bio.htm
And he is taking the whole 9/11 and Osama story to pieces right now at this time .
Webster Tarpley on RT :-
https://tarpley.net/2011/05/03/alleged-death-of-pseudo-bin-laden-sets-pakistan-up-for-us-attack/
At 22:38 3rd May 2011, clusterbombunit wrote:
The mission seems to have been a well planned slick operation, SEAL team six must now be considered the US's premier CT unit, Delta must be envious!.
I personally take with a "pinch of salt" the claim that the seals where allowed to capture Bin Laden, it's much more likely it was a "Executive Action" mission.
No doubt that some intelligence will be collected from the site, but Bin Laden's probably no longer that important most terrorist actions seem to be linked with Yemen. i expect they will try to stage some major outrage as a reprisal, the coming months will be a tense time.
At 23:35 3rd May 2011, JohnConstable wrote:
I don't really follow this stuff seriously so this thread by Mark Urban is pretty informative in that it highlights the parallel world that that CIA has setup in Pakistan, presumably due to the unreliability of the locals i.e. the ISI.
Money, dollars can buy lots of information and co-operation in a poverty stricken country such as Pakistan.
The ISI should be sensible and come in from the cold.
At 05:37 4th May 2011, flicks3 wrote:
Set aside all the potty stuff AJ can come out with the guest is a serious guy.
AJ interviewing Steve Pieczenik :-
1/ https://www.youtube.com/user/TheAlexJonesChannel#p/u/6/xj0pM5FoYbs
2/ https://www.youtube.com/user/TheAlexJonesChannel#p/u/5/TeMlL3ANprI
3/ https://www.youtube.com/user/TheAlexJonesChannel#p/u/4/5nSpWaN7CEo
4/ https://www.youtube.com/user/TheAlexJonesChannel#p/u/3/r36tfTsS7To
5/ https://www.youtube.com/user/TheAlexJonesChannel#p/u/2/74dxhpsFrQc
6/ https://www.youtube.com/user/TheAlexJonesChannel#p/u/1/3KjH49jm0vE
7/ https://www.youtube.com/user/TheAlexJonesChannel#p/u/0/cxl9YSm57RY
#7 - The significance of that interview has to be realised. He is clearly aligned with the US military and must have had the go head from bigwigs with-in the military machine; the finger is clearly pointed at the bankers and Obama admin incompetence and its coming from a high place of power.
At 11:00 4th May 2011, museV wrote:
We were told that the premises had no phone or internet connections....so why the recovery of computers etc?
Comment number 10.
At 12:41 4th May 2011, JohnConstable wrote:
museV @ 9
The hard-drives, USB sticks, any other portable media and paperwork, including whatever was found in the pockets of 'interested parties' will all have been collected for analysis from the Bin Laden property.
Having computers not physically connected to the outside world is a measure that is sometimes taken to up the level of security and is more common than you'd think.
For example, computers that generate digital 'keys' are not usually physically connected to anything else and the generated keys are only ever transferred 'one-way' via a portable media such as a USB stick.
This collected treasure trove of information from the Bin Laden operation is another reason why the complex was not simply flattened via a drone strike, although there was a significant risk, as actually occurred when one of the helicopters failed, hence the Plan B, more choppers on standby.
In this case, quite unlike politics, tactical military lessons truly have been learnt from previous failures.
Complain about this comment (Comment number 10)
At 13:17 4th May 2011, stevie wrote:
this the third time we have had a change of 'story' from the White House, it's a case of try this one and if they buy it leave it...obviously we haven't 'bought it'
At 14:10 4th May 2011, BluesBerry wrote:
The assassination was always in the shadows.
As you yourself ask: "What exactly, or who was removed from the compound?...Papers, mobile phones, computers, memory devices, and even the 'pocket litter' of those found inside the house will all have been swept up.
The Americans will do what the elite does best - lie, deceive, mislead...!
ISI speculated that a survivor was taken in the raid - maybe in Laden son. If true, this capture could itself prove of major importance, if not true, it will become true under American propaganda, which will enable them to justify other assassinations.
After all, there will be torture (likely at Guantanamo).
Americans will likely present ISI as incompetent if not complicit in the hiding of this so-called Bin Laden who cannot be Bin Laden since Bin Laden died in Tora Bora December, 2001 and was buried there in accordance with Wahhabi traditions.
It's not true that the Pakistanis have had to live with the fact that the CIA has gained considerable power to operate independently in their country. The Pakistanis can turn to other more and more friendly countries in the region like Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan and of course, the big mother Russia.
The Bin Laden raid shows, that the CIA has almost complete autonomy and under General Petraeus, it will only get worse.
It would seem to give the Americans most liberty to drop their "Reaper drones", causing vast collateral damage like depleted uranium in the soil, birth defects as well as dead bodies and wounded survivors.
I agree that as the CIA and ISI survey the scene, their mutual suspicion has, if anything been reinforced. This like many operations the Americans carry out will raise suspicions/questions, especially because most in the Muslim world know that Bin Laden is already dead. This recent "courageous" operation was a farce, and the Americans are planning to use the propaganda for some covert and dirty action.
stevie @ 11
Best take the advice of one of the US Navy SEALs from back at base in the USA, he said he would talk to the people who had been on the operation and then he would know what happened.
The rest of us, if we are that interested, simply get a view that is filtered and spun through a media and/or political prism.
As long as you can understand that, then all will be well.
In other words, only those on the actual operation know and even they will probably disagree as to exactly what happened and when, as, for example, any policeman will tell you after interviewing witnesses who saw the same event from different physical positions (and personal perspectives).
It has begun: After Killing "Bin Laden", US questions (grills) Pakistan.
The United States warned it would probe how Osama bin Laden managed to live in Pakistan. The United States says DNA tests had proven conclusively that the man shot dead by US special forces was indeed Bin Laden.
That DNA proof was done rather quickly, don't you think? How was it done, against what samples? Was it done between the shooting and the transportation to the helicopter, between the helicopter & the ship, as the body slipped into the ocean?
"We got him," US President Barack Obama lauded. CIA chief Leon Panetta confirmed "Geronimo" was now "EKIA": Enemy Killed in Action. Of 5 people killed in the raid, Geronimo was identified as the tall & bearded, and shot evidently BEFORE the so-called DNA testing.
What happened to the one prisoner taken, the one alleged to be Bin Laden's son?
John Brennan said it was "inconceivable" that bin Laden did not enjoy a support network in Pakistan, a nuclear-armed nation allied uneasily to the US.
Of course Bin Laden has been dead ten years so I doubt that he was supported by any country.
The mood among some US turned angry &ugly, demanding to know how bin Laden lived peacefully in a country that receives billions of dollars of US aid. Abbottabad is the Pakistani equivalent of the West Point and Sandhurst military academies.
But in Pakistan anti-US feelings run deep; conspiracy theories proliferate. Not everyone is believing the US version, or even that the man killed was Bin Laden.
The the US have thrown the body to the sea! No way to confirm the man's identity, no way to duplicate the so-called DNA testing, no way to provide a proper Islamic burial. No way this happened the way Obama says it did!
We need a more transparent "truther" moment.
At 15:31 4th May 2011, Anton Chigurh wrote:
Wow, amazing how much can be achieved when Playstation Online goes down.
At 15:44 4th May 2011, thegangofone wrote:
Will CIA/ISI suspicion not be creatively harnesses to look at how the bin Ladens managed to survive there and who the courier saw and so on and also to look at the intelligence the ISI provided?
I believe it was them that said bin Laden was on a dialysis machine - true or false in the end?
Surely the two end of the rope are now grasped as we know where bin Laden was and what the ISI were saying and analysis of mistakes, double agents, misinformation and disinformation may lead quickly to to the flushing of ISI rogue cells - and in the event of the ISI actually having knowingly sheltered bin Laden they will have to assume that the US is still holding back on what it knows and what it will know from cd's and so on gathered at the site and will be in a very precarious position with regard to the democratic government.
I assume they have been watching the comings and goings from the site by satellite and/or spies and that, for instance, if visitors came from the nearby military academy and/or LET actvists visited this will also be revealing.
Will bin Ladens large personal fortune (that still existed I believe) now be lost to al Qaeda and will this push them closer to the Afghan Talibs who get money from drugs?
At 16:32 4th May 2011, barriesingleton wrote:
WHAT'S THE PASHTO SLANG FOR A LEFT-HANDER?
Would I be right in thinking that left handedness is detectable - EVEN IN A CORPSE?
But a bit harder establish when under water - and unlocatable.
As for DNA 'matching' doesn't it just show lineage - not where you fall on the family tree?
At 19:14 4th May 2011, JunkkMale wrote:
'How US agents will exploit left overs from Bin Laden raid'
Blimey, for a moment I thought Nigella was going to get flown in for a low-waste post-event soiree.
PATTEN FOR THE FUTURE?
Chris Patten showed how new he is to the BBC. He said to Paxman: "You could not create the BBC today". He clearly has no idea that the BBC is the EPITOME OF CUTTING-EDGE, EDGY! It is subject to CONTINUOUS CREATION GOING FORWARD. New camera tricks, new sound intrusion, new photoshopping, new studio fittings, and new walls by the minute. It's your ALL NEW BBC Mr Patten. It just keeps on getting newer. A triumph of 'style' over substance.
I have seen the future and it hurts.
I don't know what the American commandos took away from the scene; I don't believe the American reports.
What I do know is that Pakistan got slapped in the face, and after an initial period of shock, has pulled itself together.
Several Pakistani lawyers protested against the US operation. Addressing the protesters, the leading lawyers said that they condemn terrorism but cannot accept violations to their sovereignty. Who do the Americans think they are?
During a parliamentary session, the lawmakers also slammed US drone attacks in the country, adding that the US military has violated Pakistan's territorial integrity by droning and now - launching an attack well inside the country to allegedly kill bin Laden.
The Whitehouse is all over itself in doublespeak - contradictory stories. One of the contradictions includes comments that bin Laden was unarmed but put up resistance. With what, his fists?
Most believe American Special Forces could have arrested the al-Qaeda leader without having to kill him; this would have meant a trial, and likely a trial would have exposed too much truth, especially if the wrong man was killed.
Additionally, questions have been raised as to why bin Laden's body was so abruptly and arbitrarily thrown at sea soon after his death. How can anything be confirmed from Davy Jones' locker?
A US official claimed bin Laden's body was 'buried at sea,' falsely boasting that his hasty burial was in accordance with Islamic law, requiring burial within 24 hours of death. However, burial at sea is not an Islamic practice and never has been.
It likely had more to do with getting rid of the evidence.
This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the house rules. Explain.
Any way they want. A dead man (no longer how long dead) cannot refute, cannot deny, cannot laugh out loud at the hypocrisy.
As for the Americans, they have gotten what they essentially wanted: big trouble afoot against Pakistan.
Pakistan Air Force has assured the government that no foreign air power will be allowed to violate the Pakistani air space in future and if ordered, the PAF can shoot down the US drones.
(Air Chief Marshal Rao Qamar Suleman has accepted the responsibility of air-surveillance failure. He said the American helicopters were not detected because the radars deployed on the western borders were not active on May 2.)
Many questions are now being asked: about the capability of Pakistan Army and Air Force. Tension between Pakistan the two escalated further with yet another drone attack in the tribal area. The PAF clearly told the government that the radar was down because it just did not conceive that the west would strike urban areas of Pakistan from Afghanistan.
Radars need overhauling after three years and they cannot work after nine years. Due to the expensive nature of high-level radars, Pakistan Air Force does not use these machines 24 hours on western borders and the Americans knew this.
The PAF has received 3 Airborne Warning & Control System (AWACS) planes from Sweden (one more will come in June). China has provided one ZDK-03 Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEWC) plane with 3 additional to come by year-end. These will protect the whole of Pakistan 24/7. In the meanwhile, PAF activated all radars deployed on the western borders after the May 2 incident, which means that foreign forces present in Afghanistan will now be considered as a threat to the integrity of Pakistan.
Pakistan has seen the enemy, and it is American.
The Pakistan Army, we lost 3,500 soldiers in the war against terror.
Indeed the Americans have humiliated Pakistan.
When questioned about the drone attack in North Waziristan on Friday, the a Pakistani Military Officer stated: We can stop the drones. Just let the political government allow us and we will not disappoint.
Pakistan: "Let them come again from the west or even from the east and the world will see our real action."
And this is what I Believe the United States wanted: Get Pakistan riled, humiliate her, and make her a target for invasion and takeover. Let us get her nukes! Let us leave her devastated.
At 23:17 9th May 2011, mariein wrote:
I hope up there ahead, when they're using them what was more valuable than the body, there'll still be a place on the BBC to sit and have a pint and a long conversation about it.
At 15:30 11th May 2011, BluesBerry wrote:
It's really not very exploitable if you xamine what you have.
Maybe the new tape, recorded shortly before Bin Laden's death, will be better - more accurate.
But for now, we only have the 5 videos from Bin Laden's shabby hole and thes appear amateurish, shockingly amateurish. Is the United States so broke that it cannot hire better falsifiers?
Dyeing hair with pure black dye is haram (punishable) because; the prophet said so. The "law" is applicable to men and women.
The most reported newly released tape shows him huddled in a blanket in a dilapidated looking room, watching himself on what can only be described as a small TV placed on an old, broken desk. Apparently without an elecetricity.
Was this the million dollar compound?
Back to the beard: it's white, not black las in the other newly released videos. In fact, he looks much younger than in 2001, suggesting images even earlier.
These poor Obama persons cannot seem to get their details straight.
A decade ago, Bin Laden was very ill from kidney failure, diabetes, and by some accounts hepatitis C affecting his liver, was hospitalized in Pakistan and Dubai. He died mid-December 2001. So, who did the Americans assassinate and to whom belong these wives and children?
Most noted: Bin Laden's alleged December 2001 "confession" video clearly accepting responsibility for 9/11 was FAKE. (February 2006, Duke University Bin Laden expert. Professor Bruce Lawrence called it a bad hoax.) The professor said that everyone knew it was fabricated. In fact, the difference between the real and fake Bin Laden is "weighty" - the fake was well-nourished, the real was bone-thin and sickly.
These videos are CIA and in fact not very good. But then, Americans are gullible.
The CIA made one showing Osama Bin Laden sitting around a campfire with friends, swigging bottles of liquor and savoring their conquests. Since when would a good Sunni Muslim sit around swigging liquor.
To the DNA: You cannot, CANNOT take a tissue sample from twice-shot-in-the head corpse in Pakistan, extract the DNA, prepare the DNA for matching, match in twelve little hours; in fact, you could not transport the sample to all the places you would need to go within 12 little hours. There's no DNA proof that the corpse dumped at sea was Bin Laden.
The White House has behaved irresponsibly, illegally, secretively and by God, someone needs to hold them to accountable. Shame on President Obama and all his co-conspirators! Americans must ask themselves why this charade%
I don't believe, as gullible as the American public generally is, that there is much room left for additional exploitation We started with computer files and oodles of information which have somehow come own to a hand-written journal full of brief notes - ideas the alleged Bin Laden may have had.
For some unknown reasons, the United States has not taken advantage of the opportunity afforded them by the Pakistani Government to interview the relatives of the man that the Americans assassinated. Why would they not be keen...unless the United States knows it got the wrong man?
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani will undertake a four-day visit to People's Republic of China against the backdrop of Abbottabad CIA-led operation claiming to have killed Osama bin Laden. The American, Western & Indian media have unleashed a smear campaign against Pakistan Army and the National Security Agency (ISI) as if they had known about Bin Laden and were complicit in hiding him.
In the midst of all this nonsense have arisen 3 voices of sanity: China, Russia and Iran. All have pledged their support for Pakistan's sovereignty and territorial integrity. These 3 are mega-powers; Pakistan has made powerful friends.
At present, especially after the recent visit of Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao, Islamabad could proudly claim that Pakistan-China relations are at their highest. Political and defence ties have developed, as well as the expansion of economic relations during 2010.
I feel that the United States' "Osama" mission may proof the biggest mistake the Obama Administration has made thus far, causing unparalleled blow-back.
Now the Obama Administration is DEMANDING the identities of some of the top Pakistani intelligence operatives as it allegedly tries to determine whether any of them had contact with Osama bin Laden.
Pakistan is baulking.
Here we go again with these so-called "unnamed US officials" expressing their deep frustration with the Pakistani military/intelligence for their refusal to identify members of the Inter-Services Intelligence, who may known about OBL.
US officials (?) DEMANDED information on what is known as the ISI's directorate.
Pakistan has chosen words of caution as well as calls for completely severing diplomatic ties with the US.
Personally, I find it absolutely incredible that Kayani and Pasha actually knew that Bin Laden was in Pakistan," (referring to Pakistan's Army chief Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, and the ISI Director-General Lt-Gen Ahmad Shuja Pasha).
Brigadier (ret'd) Mahmoud Shah, a Peshawar-based retired security official spoke best for me when he said: "If they (Americans) continue to treat us like this, we should pull out of the alliance with them…We should recall our ambassador from Washington and send theirs out." Good idea!
It's time to take bold action. Pakistan needs to tell the Americans to take thre measly millions (not BILLIONS) in support and leave Pakistan, including the drones.
Very likely terrorism, except American-sponsored terrorism, would decline in Pakistan dramatically. Who needs friends like the US, which is going broke anyway. Turn your face eastward, Pakistan. Turn your face to China, and see how the Americans take that!
The International Criminal Court will probably issue an arrest warrant for Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi by the end of May. At least, ICC prosecutor Luis Ocampo said that he had submitted a report to ICC judges on May 4 requesting an arrest warrant but is waiting for the court to either approve the warrant or request more information. The UN Security Council voted unanimously on February 26 to ask the ICC to investigate human rights crimes in the uprising against Gaddafi, which began earlier that month. This seems to apply to both sides - rebels/NATO and b) Gaddafi.
Meanwhile, NTC chairman Mustafa Abdel Jalil visited David Cameron, who called the opposition the "legitimate political interlocutor in Libya and Britain's primary partner there". Excuse me? Was there a Libyan election that I missed?
Meanwhile the United States has pledged $53 million worth of aid for the rebels.
Meanwhile, Gaddafi appeared on state television for the first time in almost two weeks, a brief show - followed shortly by early morning NATO strikes that targeted his personal command and control compound in the Bab al-Aziziya area. But the west is not trying to kill Gaddafi, right? How does the west translate: "It's time for Gaddafi to go"?
Meanwhile in Tripoli, a Government Spokesman, Moussa Ibrahim denied the opposition claims of success: "This is nonsense! We control the airport and we also control the sea port.''
NATO took command of operations over Libya on March 31. Since then, NATO has carried out more than 2,400 air strikes, but I've heard not one civilian has been wounded; oh wait, what I actually heard was NATO is not apologizing for any civilian hurt.
When and if Gaddafi faces the ICC, will the NATO participants be beside him in the dock?
Of the two NATO/rebels and Gaddafi, I have to believe NATO/rebels are the more guilty of civilian casualties.
Better question:
With what money will the United States exploit the result of all her latest subterfuge & propaganda. This will, of course, be the AfPak War, and this war will cost big in time and money. Wherever will the US get this money (when her printing presses stop).
Pakistan is angry. Pakistan has cause.
Pakistan's relations with the US are not just bent but broken.
Do you think that Pakistan believes for on second that Osama bin Laden was killed on May 2 in a top-secret operation involving a small team of US Special Forces in Abbottabad? I mean who could possibly believe this: the orchestration, the planning, the propaganda were plain and simply: stupid!
US lawmakers themselves say that that it defies logic that bin Laden was able to hide in plain sight without some level of official Pakistani knowledge or complicity. So, what does this mean, except an accusation against Pakistan for complicity?
In short, Pakistan has lost its trust in the United States.
Pakistan is using this as a blatant, world-wide example of how quickly Americans can turn on any country when the purpose of that country has been served.
Pakistan is insulted by the lack of respect to her sovereignty. How would you feel if someone came onto UK soil and carried out a similar strike, yet David Cameron knew nothing about it.
Pakistan is revisit its policy with the United States of America. No other options for Pakistan? Hogwash!
In accordance with the wishes of the people of Pakistan, Pakistan can turn her face east towards China; she can turn her face north towards Russia. She can do a lot more than the Americans think she can.
AfPak - Obama wanted it. Obama is going to get it!
Pakistan has options, but the Americans have none: The US needs its AfPak War, its Afghanistan/Pakistan Oil corridor.
In addition to China and Russia, Iran's Deputy Interior Minister for Security Affairs Ali Abdullahi has met with Pakistani Interior Minister Rehman Malik. Reason: the discussion of security between Iran and Pakistan.
Iran wants, Pakistan wants: "the precise and complete implementation" of security pacts between the two countries. Other issues: action against terrorism, narcotics, human trafficking, border control & money laundering.
There will also be an Iranian-Pakistani Security Commission to be headed by the security deputies of the interior ministers of both countries.
So, this is another offshoot of American stupidity. Lines are being built in concrete as tough, as uncrossable as the Israeli wall that imprisons the Palestinians. It seems to me that Pakistan is building friends. Can we say the same for the duplicity, hypocrisy and back-stabbing of the United States?
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