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Green Love Festival Harry Brown's Farm Starks ME August 15 – 17 By Jimm O'D
JimmOD
Green Love Festival
Harry Brown's Farm Starks ME
August 15 – 17
By Jimm O'D
Now, that is a great idea! What I thought was a Native American drumming troupe is playing between bands at the 24th Annual Green Love Festival on Harry Brown's Hill in Starks, Maine. They are on the ground in front of the stage, sounding much better than the house music! The sound system for the bands is fine, but the recorded stuff… not so much. This Arab percussion ensemble sounds great, especially when the next band up plays in as a bit of warm-up. First the bass played along, just a bit, then the guitar, then a little of this and that, like some horn, maybe a sax. But they didn't take over; Dark Follies, the percussors at hand, played on unhindered. The overall effect, spontaneous and enchanting, was just plain sweet. Dark Follies, from Portland, who are actually a variety show a la traveling minstrels, normally have a violin and flute in their group, but tonight they are going with just percussion.
The festival started at noon with Terrafunk, featuring Nicole Henley at the Tiny Mic. They played about the smoothest set I've seen from them yet, which is no small accomplishment, as smooth is what they do. They glided through a solid set of Motown, soul, and R&B material, much of it tending toward less well-known (but no less classic), and including a couple of specialty numbers like "Take Me to the River."
The second act, Jordan Giangreco & Friends, sounded real nice… from my tent, that is! Rain started just before the band, and I had left my futon on the roof of my car. I scurried back to my camp-site and finished moving in; once I laid out the futon, and having come up short on sleep the night before (what with driving from Concord in the wee hours) there was nothing for it but to put the padding to use. This band played nice and easy, just right for lulling one to sleep, so all was right with the world… I ran into the drummer (Dave?) a little later; I had to chat with him to ascertain whether he had any connection to Dopapod, which band features this guy's doppelganger on guitar. I introduced myself, owning up to my transgression and assuring him that what I heard was most pleasing indeed, including sweet singing from Hannah, who I recognized from backstage beforehand, and we all had a laugh as my apprehensions were laid to rest.
Reader's Note: Bobbie Davis Eyes was kind enough to drop us a note, "The name of drummer in Jordan Giangreco and friends band is Chris Andrews. (He totally looks like the dude from Dopapod) He drums for The Sticky Greens, Brothers Donovan and Desert Rain. Jordan is from The Breakfast, Hobo Congress and Viral Sound.
The Balkun Brothers took the next set for Funk Friday, going for more soulful takes on their hard-rocking blues style. One is reminded of Hendrix, Trower and Stevie Ray, and other Strat-masters, as the leads, licks, power chords and wah-wah effects from brother Steve Belkun issue forth with smooth and sharp, jazz-inflected agility. With Caleb, their new bass player (who was their original bassist, actually), and Nick, the other brother, on drums, The Belkun power trio showed a lot of drive and style, especially with Steve owning the stage from all directions. I could easily imagine these guys kicking ass in any of the numerous watering holes and gin mills (and other, more 'proper' venues too) which they play in around New York and New England, as well as plenty of other metro areas across the much of eastern half of the country. Chatting with the guitarist beforehand, he explained that tomorrow's set would be more true to their primary interest (more blues and less funk) and went on to discuss the philosophy of diversity and the advantages of being able to adapt to a variety of listeners' needs- all very realistic and reasonable standards for the working musician nowadays.
Chronic Funk played a set of highly pleasurable, highly instrumental, funked-up fusion-jazz. The vocals, sprinkled tastefully around the compositions, almost smacked of Steve Winwood in the latter-day Traffic period. Another trio, the bass parts were handled by the keyboard player- I had to look several times to be sure; the bass sounded that genuine!
Announcements came at various points, this time with a poetry reading by "Storm." As with the opening proceedings, the owner of the property, Harry Brown, a long-time activist and proponent of marijuana legalization (hence the festival's name: "Green Love") came onstage with some enthusiastic rallying cries and appeals for activism and social awareness or involvement, calling up paisley days of yore.
Big ol' Dirty Bucket was the headliner, or perhaps the piece-de-resistance. They are many in number, filling the stage with one more than even Terrafunk's nine bodies, plus the Barefoot Truth Dance Company. They sing, swing, and rap their way through a massive set of hearty party music. I mean, REAL hearty music. Trying to think of Earth, Wind and Fire mixed with Chicago might give some indication of the mass of this monster, but there's so much more going on here. I'm tempted to say they're an "everything" band.
By the time The Bucket done, there ain't one musical genre that hasn't been touched. Except for maybe classical, but even there the comparison can be made to the big, orchestral scope of this beast of a band. Sure, they stay mostly within the jazz/funk/New-Orleans-Goes-National boundaries, as wide as that sweep is, but at some point in their set any and every type of listener will have heard something to their liking. Diverse, inclusive, and… surprising! Even as strains of Led Zeppelin crept into an extended mash-up and the guitarist wailed away like a metal-head, I did not see it coming when they went to the last half of "Stairway to Heaven" – THAT is an accomplishment!
And, on top of all that, …here's where it gets a little weird… the singer, an otherwise unprepossessing woman with full, strong vocal chords, has certain mannerisms, mostly in her facial expressions and hair-tosses, that seem to channel Ozzy Osborne and Alice Cooper. Add in an element of Broadway or even Vaudeville by way of the dramatic (but not bombastic) expanse of the arrangements and stage presence of them all, and you've got one hell of an exciting production.
Up next, Jordan Kaulback plays mostly acoustic guitar, augmented by loops and effects, and at the end of his solo set he switches to piano for a mellow couple of closers; most of his time was spent on entertaining, up-tempo, often reggae-beat numbers. His voice reminds one of lots of others; an ongoing discussion during his set was which singer he sounded like at the moment. Mihali Souvalidis, Twiddle's talented singer-songwriter and axeman, does a similar thing solo and with his duo, Gubilidis.
New York Funk Exchange, another soulful band with a big sound and seven members on stage, closed out the night. Two more acts go on in "The Big Tent," but not for me. I'm going to bed! The roster for tomorrow looks just as impressive as today; it is with no small sense of regret that I remember my else-wise obligations for the day. The plan is to leave my tent-site set up and come back for the last day on Sunday. I'm hoping to try a burrito from the taco truck- the taco was good enough to get me back, and a couple of other food vendors might have an offering or two for me.
This is only my second festival ever, except for Winterhawk Bluegrass Festival back in the 80's. This one may be a fair bit smaller than Disc Jam (it's more quaint), but it's no less well-organized. There are just enough food vendors, and plenty of other retailers, all arranged in a circle, more or less, with openings for passers-thru. Security seems adequate and then some, and a water supply is placed in front of the medical hut. Having arrived early, I was able to secure a choice campsite with my car alongside. I positioned myself up along the very back row, atop "Harry's Hill," so that I would be able to leave early Saturday morning and return in the wee hours (some twenty of them later, in fact) without driving thru the grounds and disturbing other campers.
I noticed that there not a lot of pictures being taken. I snapped a few shots of each band, of course, but whenever I turned in another direction, I just kind-of got the feeling that that's not how things are done here. Maybe it's the wee hint of an empath in me; nobody said anything. It was just a feeling. After a while, though, when I was going to capture a double-hoop dancer, I asked. She said, "Umm, yeah, it's a little weird." Turns out she's "milady" to one of the fellows I'd been chatting with through the weekend. Oops!
Sunday's music was decidedly more acoustic. This seemed a fitting was to wind-down a weekend festival. One duo switched between guitars, drums and devices, finally finishing with piano, for a mighty fine rasta-variety show. The female lead, Hanna Field, played some really fine lead guitar here and there, without ever making that the point of the exercise; this feature was as in service to the overall presentation as the rest.
Lovewhip – Get it On Down, Live at the Green Love Festival 8/17/13
Some manner of awards were to be given out in the mid-afternoon, but by this time I really had to get packing. I would have liked to stay for whatever closing comments were scheduled, but… really, I had a five- or six-hour drive ahead of me. I drove home with a feeling of being charged-up from my experience over the weekend. While the Saturday of 'else-wise activities' took me across the state to hang with another band (the Van Burens at Carmen Veranda in Bar Harbor), that very social activity, and meeting new people at the club, became in turn part of the total experience. The weekend was one of human contact and connection- possibly even more so than my earlier festival encounter. Not that other situations are unfriendly, it's just that the folks at Green Love seemed especially relaxed and 'mellow.' I'm sure there must be a reason for that…?
When I first got to Harry's, I was really concerned about getting just the right campsite, because of my Saturday wanderings. The volunteers working these events have the job of managing such things- 'human logistics,' shall we say? I eyed a couple of spots and tried a couple of discussions, and I could tell that I was becoming what might be called a 'tough customer.' I was uptight. Hard to imagine, I'm sure. Well, this one particular fellow got stuck with me for a series of interactions, and I could tell that I was getting on his nerves. I tried cajolery and thinly-veiled sarcasm, but he had to stick to his guns on a couple of points. He did his best to do right for all, but sometimes I just keep at it when I ought to relax. There came a point my needs were met, but before that happened, this guy seemed to lighten his manner and consciously decide that I was OK. This came from in him and not by anything I did. This, in turn, opened me up within my own being and attitude, and allowed me to relax and enjoy Green Love.
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Organic Farming is originated early in the 20th century in reaction with rapid changes in farming practices. Organic farming is a technique where cultivation of plants and animals is done through natural ways without usage of synthetic based fertilisers and pesticides. It helps in minimising the pollution and wastage.
Organic agriculture combines tradition, innovation and science to benefit the shared environment and to promote fair relationships and a good quality of life for all. In 1990 the market for organic food and other products has grown rapidly, reaching $63 billion worldwide in 2012.
• These are natural and have better taste as quality is more prioritized than quantity in farming.
• Helps in preventing antibiotics, drugs and hormones in animal products.
• Direct support to organic farming by purchasing products directly to gain profit and fulfil the benefits to both producers and consumers.
• Discourages the environmental exposure to pesticides and chemicals.
• It Builds healthy soil.
• It helps in combat erosion.
• Supports water conservation and water health.
• Discourages algae blooms (HABs) as they result in adverse effects on health of people, marine animals and organisms.
• Supports animal health and welfare.
• It encourages in healthy biodiversity.
The main four principles of Organic Farming are Health, Fairness, Ecological Balance and Care.
Baking Organic Bread at Home – It's Easy!
DIY Homemade Natural & Organic Makeup & Cosmetics VEGAN!


Process maturity involves reviewing and refining existing bid management processes or designing and implementing new bid management processes in accordance with best practice, but in a way that is pragmatic for your business.
Where appropriate, we use the Get to Great® Bid Capability Benchmarking model to understand your level of bid maturity. Bid Capability addresses the end-to-end approach to winning bids and is targeted at the bid function and its internal customers, including sales and service delivery.
Implementing the actions agreed to close any gaps identified will deliver a step change in all these areas, resulting in a sustainable improvement in bidding ratios, return on investment and morale. We provide training in all new or refined processes to all staff involved in bidding activities.


Shockingly - they don't seem to mind and even go trick or treating earlier in the day on Halloween.
HA! Twinkle and Lars should be BFFs. He does the exact same thing. And well, I'm sure you remember how on that trip, you had to re-befriend him every time we came back to the house.
I love Friday cat blogging. It's a good theme!
LOL, Karen, those are great shots! Your dogs look so proud to be wearing them. I would love to dress up Meadow--if nothing else, we could put bumper stickers on her blue jacket and say she's a car.
Steph, if Twinkle and Lars are BFFs and Misha and Sid are soul brothers, I guess we have to get a third cat to match Kaspar. We'll just go to the shelter and see which one wants to wear the chicken hat.
Thanks, Tez! Long-distance hugs are Twinkle's favorite kind (she's kind of squirmy, unless it's *her* idea to get in *your* lap or for *you* to rub *her* bellow--otherwise it's "noooo! I don't like touching!")!
Uh, that should be "belly," not "bellow."


Whenever the sun will be coming out and the summer will be fast approaching, there are bugs that will start to make an appearance. The wasps, ants, spiders, and the beetles that are very annoying and they can eventually destroy your yard and will make it hard for you to enjoy the warm weather. If ever you are very tired of the insects that are interrupting, then it is time to get rid of them. Get more info on Pests Exterminated. Finding the right pest control services to handle this issue can easy if you follow the helpful tips provided.
First and foremost, you need to check the technician's knowledge. The good company is going to hire the competent technicians who is going to go to your home. Each of these technicians should be able to answer the basic pest control questions. While there are question or two that the technicians may not know offhand, you can steer clear of the companies with those untrained workers.
Second, the good pest control company is the one that is insured and is licensed. Right before you are going to hire them, you need to make sure that you will ask to see their certifications. The state license will ensure that they can legally perform the work that you are asking them to do, The insurance policy will help protect you from any issues right during the appointment.
Third, though price should not be the determining factor, it must not be considered. Instead, you have to focus more into the quality. Read more now about Pest Control. The good pest control company will offer you with the excellent service with the fair price. You need to beware of any companies that seem to be offering the rock-bottom pricing. You may find that the work they are doing is not that effective.
Lastly, make sure also that you are in ask them about the chemicals that they are going to use to kill the bugs in your home. Each of the containers must be labelled well. By law, every technician must also provide with the Material Safety Data Sheet to be able to ensure that all of the products that they are using is safe for you and your family, and at the same time very effective. There are chemicals that will not kill the pest but make them dizzy only. Therefore, ask them how effective the pest chemical that they use and if it will be safe for the environment. Learn more from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pest_control.


I certainly enjoyed watching Garbage Warrior and hope that Michael Reynolds ideas continue to reach people most in need of affordable housing i.e. inner cities that need a complete facelift.
Many years ago, we built our food processing building using the ferrocement technique/appropriate technology method. Although it took us several years to build, using volunteer help it was a huge success.
We were visionaries in the early 70's and continue to be so to this day.
Thanks for writing back and will keep you updated on anything new on our end, it looks hopeful here for a tempeh incubator to come to fruition, this after 30 years of work!
Betsy, i have been looking at your website. It's a great story. Are you familiar with what food gurus are now saying about the need to ferment the tempeh in a certain way for a certain amount of time? I am certainly no expert but i have had the riot act read to me about consuming raw tofu. The organic food police swear it's a no-no. Moving forward I am certainly interested in your methods if there is a cottage industry in this method for ecovillage type enterprises.


Client: Leggett & Platt Inc.
XCG was retained by Leggett & Platt Inc. (LPI) in 2006 to provide engineering services in relation to the investigation of soil and groundwater quality and subsequent remediation of a former industrial facility, located at 66 Jutland Road, Etobicoke, Ontario. Phase I and II Environmental Site Assessment (ESA) activities completed by XCG between 2006 and 2007, identified the presence of elevated concentrations of chlorinated volatile organic compounds (CVOCs) within the shallow overburden soil and groundwater at the site. Based on information obtained from the site investigation and delineation activities, XCG developed a remedial action plan (RAP) in 2008 to address the elevated CVOC concentrations present in the soil and groundwater on-site.
The RAP included the demolition of the on-site buildings and remediation of the soil and groundwater based on an in-situ chemical oxidation (ISCO) approach, using potassium/sodium permanganate. ISCO using permanganate was selected due to its high persistency, effectiveness for treating CVOCs and the favourable oxidizing groundwater conditions identified at the site.
The demolition of the on-site buildings was completed between 2008 and 2009. To prepare for the demolition of the on-site buildings, XCG completed a Designated Substances and Hazardous Materials Survey (DSHMS) to identify hazardous materials that required special handling/disposal and supervised the decommissioning of on-site monitoring wells. In 2008, in response to a transformer oil release caused by an act of vandalism, XCG provided engineering services to decommission and remove the transformer from the site, and subsequently coordinated remediation of the released polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB)-containing transformer oil and removal/disposal of impacted soil.
In 2009, as per the RAP, site remediation activities were completed to address the CVOC 'source area' located in the center portion of the site, as identified from the investigation and delineation activities previously completed by XCG. The soil within the 'source area' was mixed with potassium permanganate using a hydraulic excavator (soil mixing) and a permanganate-based permeable reactive barrier (PRB) was constructed around the perimeter of the 'source area' to treat shallow groundwater discharging from this area. Overall, a total of 5,500 kilograms of potassium permanganate was mixed within the 'source area' and used to construct the PRB. To address and prevent the migration of CVOC-impacted groundwater from the site, XCG designed and supervised the installation of a groundwater re-circulation system comprising a groundwater extraction trench along the down-gradient property boundary and a groundwater infiltration gallery within the 'source area'. To enhance the treatment of CVOC-impacted groundwater, XCG completed manual addition of potassium/sodium permanganate into the recirculation system at regular intervals since 2009.
In 2010, XCG completed targeted ISCO injections using RegenOx, a proprietary chemical oxidant, to address concentrations of chlorinated ethanes, specifically 1,1,1-trichloroehtane (1,1,1-TCA), identified at the site. The injections were completed using direct-push technology and a total of 8,000 litres of a RegenOx solution was injected into the subsurface at 40 locations. In addition, LPI retained XCG to conduct a preliminary screen level risk assessment (SLRA) to develop criteria identifying risk management options to mitigate potential impacts associated with any remaining contamination. The overall conclusion of the preliminary SLRA was that the current site maximum concentrations of CVOCs in the groundwater exceed the SLRA-derived standards, which were more restrictive than the currently applicable generic Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change (MOECC) standards due to the shallow groundwater condition at the site. XCG concluded that additional contaminant mass reduction would be required to meet these standards.
Between 2010 and 2015, XCG completed groundwater monitoring and ongoing remediation activities using the groundwater recirculation system. The groundwater conditions as identified during the monitoring activities indicated that the groundwater chemistry was becoming more suitable to facilitate reduction reactions. As such, XCG prepared a revised RAP in 2015 which included the replacement of the extraction trench along the down-gradient property boundary of the site with a zero-valent iron (ZVI)-based PRB.
In 2015, prior to the construction of the PRB, pre-treatment in-situ chemical reduction (ISCR) injections were completed up-gradient of the proposed PRB to reduce the CVOC concentrations and to enhance reducing and anaerobic groundwater conditions. Overall, a total of 12,000 litres of a proprietary chemical reductant called EHC-L was delivered to the subsurface up-gradient of the PRB using direct-push technology. XCG completed pre- and post-injection groundwater monitoring which indicated that the ISCR injections were successful in enhancing reducing and anaerobic groundwater conditions and reduced the overall concentrations of CVOCs, based on key field parameters (i.e. dissolved oxygen, pH and oxidation-reduction potential) and laboratory analytical results.
The PRB was constructed in 2016 using a total of 13,000 kilograms of Daramend mixed with imported coarse sand at a concentration between 2 and 8-percent (by volume). In order to monitor the performance of the PRB, monitoring wells were installed up-gradient, within and down-gradient of the PRB. XCG continues to complete groundwater monitoring activities to evaluate the performance of the PRB and the results have indicated that overall CVOC concentrations down-gradient of the PRB have decreased between 90 and 100%.
In addition to completing on-site remedial activities, XCG's involvement with this project also included negotiating site access with neighbouring property owner for off-site investigation/delineation, reviewing historical information for neighbouring properties to identify potential contaminating activities and assisting LPI in negotiations with prospective site purchasers.
Although LPI no longer owns the subject property, (the property was sold in 2016), XCG, on behalf of LPI, continues to monitor and address the known groundwater impacts on the site. The anticipated completion date for this project is September 2018.


Notwithstanding the name, Peace & Plenty cost me some nerves—no peace, but plenty of waste fabric.
And all this solely because I wanted to save time, some cutting, and thread. Technically, this block consists of 32 half square triangles. But since 16 of them meet with the same colour/print, I decided to take a shortcut there. Which meant I would neither use Laurie's templates, nor paper piece the block. Instead I wanted to figure out what size I had to cut my squares in order to get the four quarter square triangles you can see in the middle.—And I simply couldn't. I measured, and calculated, and read tips on the internet—but no, it would not work out.
I will not write down how I finally succeeded in sewing the block you can see above. I am neither proud of it, nor did I save any fabric, thread, or time, as a matter of fact. But up to now, I can dispose of two ugly blocks, one oversized block, and some small quarter square triangle blocks, and now am playing with the thought of sewing them into a "quilt of failures" in the end, since I am sure, I will add to their number in time.
Posted in Uncategorized and tagged farmer's wife, farmer's wife quilt, peace and plenty, peace and plenty block, quilt, quilt block. Bookmark the permalink.


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Hongcheon River is a river of South Korea. It is a tributary of the Bukhan River in the Han River system. The principal city is Hongcheon.

With warm waters and tourist attractions, the river is a popular vacationing spot.

References

Rivers of South Korea
Rivers of Gangwon Province, South Korea

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Nico Rosberg has joined the 2015 Formula 1 World Championship fight with a superb victory at the Red Bull Ring in Austria. Rosberg beat team-mate Lewis Hamilton in a straight fight for the win, with Felipe Massa finishing third for Williams.
This is not Rosberg's first win of the 2015 season – in fact it's his third – but it's a very significant victory. Why? Because it's the first time in 2015 that Rosberg has beaten Lewis Hamilton in a straight fight. It's a psychological victory more than a points victory and it signals the start of what could be an epic battle for the Drivers' Championship.
Hamilton is the reigning world champion. He's had the lion's share of pole positions – 7 out of 8 races this season, with the other one going to Rosberg in Spain – and has been the man to beat in all of the races so far, winning 4 out of 8 in quite dominant fashion. And until today, it looked like Rosberg might not have an answer for Hamilton's form.
It's true that Rosberg had already won two races this season, but neither would have been as satisfying as today's win. In the Spanish Grand Prix, Rosberg drove flawlessly to win from pole position, but was never in a straight fight with his team-mate, who had a poor start and was stuck behind Sebastian Vettel for much of the race.
In Monaco, Hamilton had the race firmly under control when his team called him into the pits at the wrong time in response to the safety car being deployed late in the race. Rosberg inherited the win, but it had clearly been Hamilton's day.
While a win counts for 25 points no matter how it is earned, Rosberg will have been aware that he had yet to beat Hamilton in a straight for victory this season. But that's all changed now. In Austria, Rosberg made a stunning start to beat Hamilton (who was on pole) into the first corner. He then fended off a determined attack from Hamilton into turn 2 and again into turn 3 on the opening lap.
Rosberg controlled the rest of the race to take a much-needed victory and close the gap to championship leader Hamilton to just 10 points. But perhaps more importantly for Rosberg, he had a wheel-to-wheel battle with Hamilton and won. In Austria, Rosberg was the better driver.
Until today, it was hard to imagine Rosberg beating Hamilton to the title. But now it's a possibility. Hamilton and Rosberg could be locked in a battle for the title reminiscent of Senna and Prost in the 1980s. Formula 1 just got exciting again.
Mercedes have the fastest car in Formula 1 at present. That's no secret. But just how fast is their car? It's so fast that both drivers can go off during what should be their fastest laps in qualifying… and they still lock out the front row. That's exactly what happened yesterday in Austria.
Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg were fastest and second fastest in the final part of qualifying, when they started their final flying laps, each attempting to go quicker. Rosberg was ahead on the track and on a quick lap.
Hamilton put a wheel on the grass under braking for the first corner and spun, ending his chances of improving his lap time. Rosberg was up ahead, unaware that Hamilton had spun and pushing hard to try to take pole position. Going into the last sector of the lap, it looked like Rosberg might have just done enough to beat Hamilton to the top spot. But then Rosberg also went off, running wide on the exit of turn 8 before losing the back end of his Mercedes into turn 9.
Although Rosberg managed to catch his car in time to prevent a spin, he ran out of space and went off into the gravel on the outside of the corner, which put an end to his session.
In motor racing, the track typically (not always but usually) gets faster the longer a session goes on. That's because the cars lay rubber down on the track on every lap they do. More rubber on the track means more grip, which means quicker lap times. That's why the fastest lap in a qualifying session is almost always done right at the end, and the teams and drivers time their final lap to start at the last possible second to take advantage of the track being at its quickest.
Yesterday in Austria, Mercedes didn't need their final laps. That's how quick those cars are. Even without setting a lap time when the track was in optimal condition, they were still faster than everyone else. Sebastian Vettel's Ferrari was over a third of a second off Hamilton's pace in third place, with no answer to the speed of the mighty Mercedes.
Can anyone beat the Mercedes drivers in the race? We'll find out this afternoon, but I'll be surprised if that's the case.
Nico Rosberg took a big step forward in his 2015 championship campaign by winning the Spanish Grand Prix on Sunday. But there's still an important step Rosberg needs to take if he is to challenge for the championship this season – he needs to beat Lewis Hamilton in a straight fight for victory. That didn't happen in Spain.
Let's take nothing away from Rosberg's Spanish Grand Prix performance. He did everything right. His race was faultless. He took pole, led from the start and didn't put a wheel wrong all afternoon – all of which resulted in a commanding victory.
The trouble was Hamilton was never really in the fight for victory. Having qualified second, Hamilton started from the dirty side of the track (the part of the track not on the racing line). He made a less than perfect start and was passed by Sebastian Vettel into the first corner. From then until the second round of pitstops, Hamilton was stuck behind Vettel, unable to get close enough to pass despite having a much faster car.
Rosberg took full advantage of the situation and pulled away, creating a gap that Hamilton could not hope to close once he eventually passed Vettel using pit strategy. Full marks to Rosberg for controlling the race. But he will be aware that he did not actually out-drive Hamilton. At no point in the race did Rosberg have to pass Hamilton, or defend against him.
Had Hamilton made it into the first corner second, instead of third as was the case, then the race would have been entirely different. Rosberg would have had to fight Hamilton for victory from lights to flag. As it happened, the two Mercedes drivers were not really in the same race, although they ended up finishing first and second in the Grand Prix.
So Rosberg won fair and square. But at no point in the race was he actually racing Hamilton. In the entire weekend, Rosberg only really did two things better than Hamilton – he took pole, which is to Rosberg's credit as that was a straight fight between the two Mercedes drivers; and he made a better start, which is at least partly the result of starting on the "clean" side of the track.
So Rosberg's satisfaction at winning the race, while significant, will be tempered by the knowledge that he still needs to assume some form of psychological ascendancy if he is to mount a serious title challenge. Admittedly, that wasn't possible as the race played out on Sunday. Perhaps it will still happen.
Fernando Alonso is one of the top drivers in Formula 1 at present, perhaps ever. And yet he has not won the Drivers' Championship since 2006. Why not? I think it's largely the result of repeatedly being in the wrong team at the wrong time.
Consider Alonso's career moves since starting in Formula 1. His career began in 2001 with Minardi, where he impressed enough in his first season to land a drive with Renault in 2003. Just a few years later, Alonso won back-to-back championships with Renault in 2005-2006. So far, so good.
For 2007, Alonso switched to McLaren. The car was competitive. Alonso was in form. There was just the quite significant problem of a rapidly deteriorating relationship between team and driver. Alonso never felt at home at McLaren-Mercedes, as it was then, and at the end of the season he and the team agreed to part ways. Alonso went back to Renault for 2008.
Unfortunately for Alonso, the 2008 Renault was nowhere near as good as that year's McLaren. Alonso finished a distant fifth in the championship while Lewis Hamilton, in a car Alonso could have been driving, won the championship. Had Alonso stuck it out with McLaren, it is quite possible that the 2008 championship would have been his.
Another season with Renault followed, in which it became apparent that the car was simply not good enough. Alonso failed to win a single race in 2009, and at the end of the season made a high-profile switch to Ferrari.
From 2010 to 2013, Alonso gave his all for Ferrari, comfortably out-performing team-mate Felipe Massa and generally competing, to at least some degree, for the championship. But all four of those seasons were won by Sebastian Vettel for Red Bull.
And here is perhaps the most unfortunate of Alonso's career decisions so far. When he left McLaren to return to Renault for 2008, there was another team rumoured to be interested in his services. That team was Red Bull.
Had he made the move to Red Bull, Alonso could quite conceivably have dominated Formula in the same manner that Vettel did. But it didn't happen. Instead, Alonso went to Renault and struggled in an under-performing car.
Alonso's final season for Ferrari, 2014, was another year of struggle with an inferior car. The Ferrari power unit was no match for that of Mercedes, and Alonso once again was not able to challenge for the championship.
In his most recent career move, Alonso made the switch from Ferrari to McLaren for 2015. The much anticipated reunion of McLaren and legendary engine supplier Honda was expected to provide Alonso with a way back to the top of the results sheets.
But again, it seems to not have worked out, although it's still very early in the season. Alonso missed the first race in Australia due to a concussion from a heavy crash in testing, but in his absence, McLaren drivers Jenson Button and reserve Kevin Magnussen were well off the pace, as Honda struggled to provide the power required for the car to be competitive.
The McLarens occupied the back row of the grid in Australia, and look likely to be quite far down the order again for this weekend's Malaysian Grand Prix. It promises to be a tough season for Alonso, unless Honda can get their act together quite quickly.
And here again, Alonso seems to have made the wrong move. Or at least he appears to have moved at the wrong time. A resurgent Ferrari are currently best-of-the-rest to Mercedes, ahead of Williams to the surprise of the entire F1 field. Sebastian Vettel, who moved from Red Bull to take Alonso's place at Ferrari at the end of last year, is revelling in the pace of the car and scored his first podium for the team at his first attempt.
Will McLaren come good for Alonso? For the sake of Formula 1, one can only hope. It is a real pity that one of the true greats of the sport has had such poor luck with cars. Unfortunately, 2015 doesn't look like being the year his fortunes will change.
This gallery contains 16 photos.
Jules Bianchi, the young Frenchman who drives for F1 backmarkers Marussia, deserves a seat in a top team. More specifically, he deserves to drive for Ferrari.
Bianchi has impressed all the way through the single seater formulae. But since making it to Formula 1 at the beginning of 2013, he has consistently demonstrated the skill and maturity €required to merit a drive with Ferrari, the organisation that has backed his rise to Formula 1.
Bianchi is part of Ferrari's Driver Academy, and therefore has the support of Formula 1's most famous team as he builds his career in motor sport. While that's a great position for any young driver to be in, it's becoming more and more clear that the question needs to be asked: Why is Bianchi not driving for Ferrari?
A Formula 1 driver in a slow car has one major aim – to beat his team-mate. To say Bianchi has beaten his team-mate at Marussia is to make a quite ridiculous understatement. Bianchi has obliterated his team-mate – Max Chilton – since the first time he sat in the cockpit of a Marussia F1 car.
But more than that, Bianchi has put Marussia on the F1 map. Significantly, he scored the team's first ever points at the 2014 Monaco Grand Prix when he finished 8th (he was demoted to 9th as a result of a penalty incurred during the race).
Today, Bianchi showed his class yet again, by qualifying 16th for tomorrow's Belgian Grand Prix. 16th doesn't sound particularly impressive, but consider that Bianchi was over a second a half quicker than his own team-mate in Q1 and matched the Q1 lap time of Sauber's Adrian Sutil.
Whenever difficult conditions present themselves – like in today's wet Belgian GP qualifying session – Bianchi performs extremely well. Whenever conditions are ideal, Bianchi generally outperforms his team-mate. More cannot be asked of a racing driver in any category.
Ferrari's drivers in 2014 are Fernando Alonso and Kimi Raikkonen. Both are former world champions, which is very unusual for Ferrari – before signing Michael Schumacher for 1996, Ferrari had typically employed up-and-coming drivers and until signing Kimi Raikkonen for this season, Ferrari had never re-employed a former Ferrari world champion.
Jules Bianchi is the ideal driver for Ferrari. He has talent in abundance – that much is very clear. He has shown maturity and determination in his performances in Formula 1 – indicating that he would do the same for Ferrari. Bianchi is also young and has no particular achievements that demand a high salary (he's not a world champion or even a race winner yet, mostly as the result of not having a quick enough car) – which leaves more of Ferrari's budget available for car development.
So why is Bianchi not driving for Ferrari? Honestly, I don't know. If Ferrari don't come to their senses and offer him a drive for 2015, it is likely that Bianchi will be winning races for one of the other top teams next season.
Max Chilton recorded his first ever Formula 1 retirement in Sunday's Canadian Grand Prix. It's probably the most important event that has occurred in his short F1 career thus far.
Chilton has had a monkey on his back for some time now. That monkey has been his reliability. He finished every race of his debut season in 2013 and followed that up by finishing the first six races of 2014 – a run of 25 consecutive race finishes, which is impressive for any driver in Formula 1.
The problem was it became his claim to fame. Chilton was the driver who finished every race. It's certainly not a problem to finish races. Finishing is essential to results. But finishing is not a result in itself. Winning is a result. Finishing on the podium is a result. Finishing in the points is a result. Finishing ahead of your rivals is a result. Finishing ahead of your team-mate is a result.
While Chilton was notching up his impressive run of race finishes, his team-mate, the ever-impressive Jules Bianchi, was notching up results that displayed his immense promise as a Formula 1 driver. He comprehensively outperformed Chilton in 2013 (the debut season of both drivers) and most recently scored the Marussia team's first ever points by finishing 9th at the Monaco Grand Prix.
Where do Chilton's 25 consecutive race finishes rank next to Bianchi's 2 point in Monaco? Nowhere. Nobody cares that Chilton has been reliable to an unlikely degree. It's results that count, not race finishes.
And that is why it's crucial that Chilton had to retire from a race. After 25 consecutive finishes, it's likely that he felt some pressure to make it to the finish line simply so he could avoid failing to finish. But that's not the point of racing. Results are the point of racing.
Chilton can now focus on results. He starts with a clean slate at the next round in Austria. It's a neutral venue, in that it's not his home race, nor is it the home race of his team or any major partner of his team. There's no specific pressure. It's just another race where he gets to go out there and do the best he can with the car his team prepares for him.
Perhaps we'll see Chilton really start to challenge Bianchi in the near future. Until now, he's hardly done so. But the freedom that comes with getting that monkey off his back can only do him a great deal of good.
The 8th race of the 2015 F1 season at the Red Bull Ring, Austria!


Tech giants Apple and Qualcomm have reached eleventh-hour settlements on a series on long-running lawsuits with billions of dollars at stake.
The two firms have been at one another's throats for three years over the way that Qualcomm licenses its technology.
Apple has accused Qualcomm of exploiting patents to maintain a monopoly on modem chips that allow mobile phones to connect to data networks, while Qualcomm has alleged that Apple used its technology without paying for it.
News of the settlement came as the two firms were beginning yet another trial in San Diego's federal court. The case was set to last around a month, and could have cost either firm billions of dollars.
All litigation worldwide has now been dismissed, according to a joint statement by the two tech giants. The settlement includes an undisclosed payment from Apple to Qualcomm, along with a six-year licensing deal and a multiyear supply agreement. The latter means that Qualcomm chips are likely to be used once again in Apple's products.
Apple's iPhone was formerly powered by Qualcomm chips, but due to the dispute, in 2016, the company began to use hardware from rival Intel in some of its models.
Several hours after the settlement was announced, Intel announced that it would be exiting the modem chip business, clearing the path of competition for Qualcomm in supplying hardware to Apple.
The settlement may help Qualcomm to regain the prominent supply position that it held in the early 2010s, before Intel stole much of its market share. It may also help Apple to integrate 5G technology into its iPhone models earlier than expected, as Qualcomm has a 5G modem chip available for shipping now, whereas Intel was not expecting to have the chip ready until next year.
Qualcomm's shares jumped 23 percent following the announcement, while Apple's remained flat.


text:
Category Archives: Morocco
JIHAD ISN'T ALL ABOUT ISRAEL
1 JanamFri, 09 Jan 2015 10:51:00 -06002015-01-09T10:51:00-06:0010 2009 – 10:51
By Christopher Holton
If you listen to some political pundits on both sides of the aisle, you might get the misimpression that Jihadists target America and America is viewed negatively in the Islamic world because of our support for Israel.
The problem with that line of thinking is that ignores some 1400 years of Islamic doctrine.
Each Jihadist terror organization around the globe has a specific goal in mind and that is the formation of an Islamic state ruled by Shariah.
This is very important to understand because this is a common goal of all the major Jihadist organizations across the world. It is shared by Al Qaeda, HAMAS, Lashkar e Taiba, Abu Sayyaf, Jemaah Islamiyah, Boko Haram, Al Shabaab and others and transcends any localized disagreements over borders and pure politics.
Israel could evaporate tomorrow and the overriding goal of the formation of Islamic states ruled by Shariah would not change a bit.
Those who blame Jihad on Israel need to ask themselves some important questions:
Did ISIS wage Jihad in Iraq and Syria to establish an Islamic state ruled by Shariah law because America supports Israel?
Did the Jihadist terrorist group Boko Haram in Nigeria kidnap 300 young girls this spring because America supports Israel?
Did the Taliban seize power in Afghanistan in 1996 to establish an Islamic state ruled by Shariah law because America supports Israel?
Did the Jihadist terrorist group Al Shabaab attack the Westgate shopping mall in Nairobi, Kenya, in September 2013, killing 67 innocent civilians, because America supports Israel?
Did the Jihadist terrorist group Lashkar e Taiba launch terrorist attacks in Mumbai, India in 2008, killing 154 innocent civilians because America supports Israel?
Did the Jihadist terrorist group Abu Sayyaf kill seven soldiers in the Philippines in June and kill 21 innocent Filipino civilians in July because America supports Israel?
Did Jihadist terrorists in Thailand launch bombing attacks in two Thai cities in March 2012 killing 14 and wounding hundreds of innocent civilians because America supports Israel?
Did the Jihadist terrorist group Jemaah Islamiyah bomb resorts in Bali, Indonesia in October 2002, killing 202 innocent civilians because America supports Israel?
Did Chechen Jihadist terrorists massacre 334 people, mostly school children, in Beslan, Russia, because the US supports Israel?
Did Jihadist terrorists with the group Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) detonate a bomb in Marrakesh, Morroco in April 2011, killing 17 innocent civilians, because America supports Israel.
Of course, the answer to each and every one of these questions is no and the questions and answers prove a point. Jihad is truly global. Tragically, it is one of the most successful "exports" in the world over the past decade.
None of the regions mentioned above have a thing to do with Israel. Most don't have anything to do with America.
The doctrine behind global jihad is over a thousand years old. In other words, the jihadist doctrine has been around far longer than America has even been in existence.
The Jihadists are not motivated only by our actions. They don't just react to what we do. They have their own reasons for waging violent Jihad which have nothing to do with America, Israel or anything that you or I have any control over.
The quicker our politicians—both Democrat and Republican—gain a full understanding of this, the better.
By terrortrends | Also posted in Abu Sayyaf, Afghanistan, Africa, Al Qaeda, al Shabaab, Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, Boko Haram, Chechnya, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Islam, Islamic Jihad, Islamic Supremecism, Israel, Jemaah Islamiyah, Jihad, Kenya, Lashkar-e-Taiba, Mumbai attack, Nigeria, Philippines, Sharia, Shariah, Somalia, Syria, Taliban, Terrorist attack, terrorist group listings, Thailand | Tagged Gaza, Israel | Comments (0)
Christian Churches Attacked in Kenya on Christmas
1 DecamSat, 28 Dec 2013 11:58:04 -06002013-12-28T11:58:04-06:0011 2009 – 11:58
There was good news and bad news on the front against Jihad in Africa this Christmas.
The good news was that there were no reported attacks on Christians in Nigeria by Boko Haram, something that has happened in the past few years on Christmas Day, as well as just about every other significant day on the Christian religious calendar.
The bad news is that there were attacks on churches in Kenya. These attacks seem to have been on the order of mob violence, rather than organized terrorist attacks, but they were still an act of Jihad.
More bad news: the Reuters news agency, whose parent company has extensive ties to Shariah-compliant finance, filed a terribly researched and misleading report on these attacks which can be found on India's First Post news site.
It is no mere coincidence that Jihad has erupted across the African continent in recent years. We have seen active Jihadi violence in Cameroon, Nigeria, Niger, Mali, Mauritania, Senegal, Ghana, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, South Sudan, Somalia, Kenya, Tanzania and the Central African Republic. If you subscribe to the so-called "mainstream" media for an explanation for this phenomenon, you'd believe that it was caused by "sectarian tensions," poverty, or general lawlessness.
These explanations are balderdash. Africans of various ethnicities, faiths, tribal origins and nationalities have lived in close proximity to each other for centuries. Unlike past violence, the recent wave of Jihadi violence has two common threads: Islam and Jihad. Past violence may have been due to local differences, but Boko Haram operating in Nigeria and Cameroon, Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb operating in Mali and Niger, and Al Shabaab operating in Somalia and Kenya all have the same doctrinal basis for their violent campaigns: Islam.
We can deny it all we want, but it doesn't make it untrue.
With regard to the Christmas Day attacks in Kenya, "youths," (codespeak in mainstream media like Reuters for young Jihadis) threw Molotov cocktails at Christian churches:
Youths threw petrol bombs at two Kenyan churches on Christmas day, police said on Thursday, in the latest bout of violence against Christians on the country's predominantly Muslim coast. Police and witnesses said the churches on the edge of port city of Mombasa were attacked in the early hours of December 25 after churchgoers held services to usher in Christmas. Police had no suspects but were exploring the possibility that the attacks may have been launched by Muslim militants…
Now, here's a significant clue as to the actual origin of this violence:
Police said Muslim youths believed to be controlled by radical preachers with links to Somali militant group al Shabaab might be behind the attacks, which left one church completely destroyed.
For years we have been hearing over and over again that terrorism has nothing to do with Islam, yet for years and years we see reports of Muslim Imams and clerics admonishing Muslims to commit violence. We have seen it around the world: from Anwar al-Awlaki in San Diego, Denver and Northern Virginia; from the Blind Sheikh in Egypt and then Brooklyn, New York; from Anjem Choudary in the UK; from Sheikh Yussef al Qaradawi in Egypt and Qatar; from Hezbollah cleric Hassan Nasrallah in Lebanon; from Mufti Taqi Usmani in Pakistan; from a host of Saudi clerics and, last but certainly not least, from the Ayatollahs who rule the Islamic Republic of Iran.
How do you suppose that ideological supporters of Al Shabaab came to be clerics in mosques in Kenya? It doesn't just happen by osmosis. It happens through dawa operations (missionary work) funded by petrowealth in nations such as Qatar and Saudi Arabia. Mosques have to be built and funded. Clerics and Imams have to be paid. The money doesn't grow on trees in the African bush.
Now we get to the typical Reuters apologetics for Islamic jihad–the part where Reuters blames the Christian victims of Jihadi violence for being attacked:
Many Muslims on the Indian Ocean coastline feel marginalised by Kenya's predominantly Christian government and the historically cordial relations between the two communities have suffered strains in recent years.
"The churches are located in an area mainly inhabited by Muslims, and church members had reported threats before from some youth who told them to close the churches down," said Robert Mureithi, the Likoni area police chief.
Clearly this is Reuters' pathetic attempt at "balance." The inference here is that the churches were attacked because the Muslim community has been mistreated in some way by the Kenyan government. Oh, and the churches were in a predominantly Muslim area, and we all know that having a Christian church in a predominantly Muslim area is "provocative." One wonders whether these churches will be rebuilt, or will the congregations decide to worship elsewhere? Because that is exactly what the Jihadists want. They want to impose Shariah, first locally, then nationally, then regionally and eventually globally.
Under Shariah, it is forbidden to make repairs or improvements to Christian churches. The Jihadis will see to it that Shariah is enforced one way or another. We should not at all be surprised if the churches are not rebuilt, if attacks on churches continue and if eventually churches and Christians disappear from these areas altogether.
Today it is the coast of Kenya, the nation that saw the horrific Jihadi attack on a shopping mall in Nairobi not terribly long ago. But it most certainly will not end in Kenya.
When will the West wake up?
http://www.firstpost.com/world/kenyan-police-seek-youths-over-christmas-day-church-burnings-1308953.html
By terrortrends | Also posted in Africa, al Shabaab, Al Shahab, Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, Algeria, Anwar Al-Awlaki, Boko Haram, Cameroon, Egypt, Hezbollah, Islam, Jihad, Kenya, Libya, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Possible terror attack, Somalia, Sudan, Tanzania, Terrorist attack | Tagged al shabaab, Christmas, Jihad, Kenya, terrorism | Comments (2)
Islam, Muslims, Violent Jihad and Shariah
1 ApramSat, 20 Apr 2013 09:06:22 -06002013-04-20T09:06:22-06:0009 2009 – 09:06
The overwhelming majority of Muslims do not commit acts of violent Jihad, but that does not mean that there isn't a doctrinal basis for it in Islamic scripture.
I am not talking about just a few violent verses in the Quran. The Islamic trilogy is replete with it: the Quran, the Hadith and the Sirah. (The Hadith are traditions and stories of the life of Muhammed and the Sirah is the biography of Muhammed). Moreover, in the Quran, the principle of abrogation bestows the most violent verses with the greatest strength as compared to earlier, peaceful verses.
These are facts, and if you read what the Jihadis themselves talk to each other about, EVERYTHING they do is based on contemporary interpretation of Islamic scripture.
We're not talking about a fringe element here, folks. We're talking about entire regimes (the Ayatollahs in Iran and Taliban Afghanistan are examples) and scores of violent Jihadist organizations around the world such as, Al Qaeda, HAMAS, Hezbollah, Lashkar e Taiba, Abu Sayyef, Boko Haram, Al Shabaab, Jemaah Islamiyah, Jaish-e-Mohammed, the Muslim Brotherhood…and many more.
To assign these beliefs to EVERY SINGLE Muslim of the 1.2 billion Muslims on the planet is wrong. But to deny the doctrinal basis in Islam for all of this violent Jihad is just as wrong and it is preventing the West from coming to grips with the global war with which we are faced, whether we want to believe it or not. There is a reason why we see Islamic terrorist organizations as well as individual Jihadis waging violent Jihad in places as geographically diverse as Boston, Los Angeles, Fort Hood, Little Rock, New York, Washington, Buenos Aires, London, Amsterdam, Toulouse, Madrid, Moscow, Beslan, Marrakech, Algiers, Benghazi, Damascus, Beirut, Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Haifa, Yaounde, Nairobi, Mogadishu, Timbuktu, Kaduna, Dar el Salam, Sana'a, Istanbul, Fallujah, Ramadi, Karachi, Islamabad, Kabul, Kandahar, Jalalabad, Mumbai, Amritsar, Dhaka, Hat Yai, Yala, Bali, and Mindanao.
In warfare, your enemy's reality becomes your reality. To defeat him, you better understand him. You better understand his motivations and his goals. In short, you need to know what makes him tick. We understood what made the Nazis tick, we had Mein Kampf as a doctrinal guide. We understood what made the communists tick, we had The Communist Manifesto and other works as a doctrinal guide. But we REFUSE to even TRY to understand what makes the Jihadis tick because we fear that the reality will be too frightening. We are in willful denial: "The violence simply cannot have anything to do with Islam because there are too many peaceful Muslims in the world."
That is missing the point entirely. The fact that the majority of Muslims do not know Islamic doctrine and thus do not adhere to it is not particularly remarkable or surprising. How many Catholics are truly highly familiar with the doctrinal aspects of their faith?
The fact remains that there are violent Jihadists around the world who commit acts of war and they both justify it on Islamic scripture and carry out these acts to promote Islam. The doctrinal basis is found in Islamic law, known as Shariah. The Jihadists' goal is to impose Islamic law and Islamic law is the code which they follow. (If you are skeptical of this, go pick up a copy of the excellent work by Raymond Ibrahim, The Al Qaeda Reader, and read what the enemy writes and says.) To deny the doctrinal basis in Islam for violent Jihad is becoming more and more suicidal as a civilization with each new incident that we in turn deny.
The latest example is of course in Boston. Two Jihadis, perhaps members of a Jihadist organization, or perhaps so-called "lone wolf" actors, committed atrocious acts of violent Jihad, killing several innocents and wounding many more. Despite evidence on social media and YouTube, as well as accounts of the Jihadis' devout Islamic beliefs, the simpletons in the news media and even in our own government are pondering aloud what their motivation could possibly have been. Hours and hours of TV coverage in the so-called "mainstream" media go by with nary a mention of the word "Islam." The elephant in the room is being ignored.
Some "experts" are quoted as taking comfort in the belief that the two Tsarnaev brothers may not have had any operational connection with any known terrorist organization, such as Al Qaeda. This is 180 degrees out from reality and these "experts" completely miss the point.
The fact that the Tsarnaev brothers may have "only" been inspired to commit Jihad on their own is not cause for celebration or relaxation. It is cause for alarm and it would seem to be part of a disturbing pattern that has been emerging over the years:
• Abdulhakim Mujahid Muhammad, aka Carlos Bledsoe, apparently acting on his own after receiving terrorist training in Yemen, shot two US Army soldiers outside a Little Rock, Arkansas recruiting office, killing one, Private William Long and wounding another.
• Major Nidal Malik Hasan, apparently acting on his own, after years of conversing with Al Qaeda Imam Anwar Al Awlaki, shot and killed 13 fellow US Army soldiers and wounded 39 more.
These types of attacks are indicative of a revolutionary critical mass in which centralized direction and control is no longer necessary. Jihadis around the world are now waging violent Jihad in Al Qaeda-like fashion after reading web postings and listening to sermons. This presents a whole new series of challenges for security services and makes the use of military force much less effective. Infiltrating organizations such as Al Qaeda and Hezbollah has been extremely difficult. But how does one infiltrate lone wolf actors like the Tsarnaev brothers? Who does the US military go after in the wake of the Boston attacks?
This new reality makes identifying and understanding the Islamic doctrinal basis of our Jihadist enemies all the more important, yet with each passing attack, we seem to be getting further and further away from doing so.
By terrortrends | Also posted in 5th Column, Al Qaeda, al Shabaab, Boko Haram, Boston Marathon bombings, Carlos Bledsoe, Fort Hood Massacre, Great Britain, Hezbollah, Homegrown Jihad, Homeland Security, India, Indonesia, Islam, Jaish-e-Mohammed, Jemaah Islamiyah, Jihad, Kenya, Lashkar-e-Taiba, Lebanon, London transit bombings, Madrid train bombing, Mali, Mumbai attack, Muslim Brotherhood, Nidal Malik Hasan, Nigeria, Pakistan, Philippines, Sharia, Shariah, Somalia, Syria, Taliban, Tanzania, Terrorist attack, terrorist group listings, Thailand, The Netherlands, Toulouse, Tsarnaev brothers, United Kingdom, Yemen | Comments (3)
As Al Qaeda spreads in West Africa, nations develop plans to cope
1 ApramSun, 01 Apr 2012 07:39:38 -06002012-04-01T07:39:38-06:0007 2009 – 07:39
Nigeria, ECOWAS nations plot against Al-Qaeda• As Al-Qaeda spreads across West Africa
As Al-Qaeda's first cell was dismantled last week in Kano city, Nigeria and other West African nations are now plotting to tame the sect as its presence in other West African nations is recurring in security reports on regular basis.
Investigations by Sunday Tribune showed that West African leaders are now coordinating with their colleagues from the Sahel region on how to combat the spread of Al-Qaeda from the Maghreb to the West African states, especially after the discovery of an alleged collaboration among drug traffickers, kidnappers and some elements of the jihadists movement.
Findings within Nigeria revealed that the arrest of a Mauritanian and four other alleged suspects linked to Al-Qaeda in the Maghreb has removed doubts within intelligence communities about the sect's presence in Nigeria independent of the Boko Haram group.
While Southern tip of West Africa has not recorded direct Al-Qaeda attacks, recent reports indicated that jihadists have been infiltrating the West African sub region as early as 2007 when three Mauritanian terrorists who killed a French tourist family fled to Senegal.
In 2009, Ghana authorities were reported to have arrested three al-Qaeda suspects on drug trafficking charges, marking the first time that terrorists were themselves tied to drug operations.
Niger, in 2010, was also reported to have extradited Salafist Taqqi Ould Youssef to Mauritania with Niger's security agencies believing that Youssef was appointed by Al-Qaeda in the Maghreb [AQIM] to create a cell targeting Western nationals in Northern Niger.
Military and intelligence leaders in the Sahel are reported to be working on a security plan that is way beyond the Joint Military and Intelligence Command involving Mauritanian, Mali, Niger and Algeria which they believe has not totally contained the threats from the sect.
According to a leaked security plan by a Maghreb news organisation, Magharebia, the Sahel countries have a new strategic vision to fight back with a security cordon based on concentric rings that begin in the Maghreb and stretch far afield to West and Central Africa.
Quoting a leaked plan, the news organ reported that Mauritania is going to work on co-coordinating Sahel power with African states on two axes: the field states and those behind them.
The states involved are divided into two with the states on the front lines – Algeria, Mali, Mauritania and Niger – expected to work with those further away such as Morocco, Libya and Nigeria.
Algeria, Mali, Mauritania, and Niger are listed as existing partners for the Joint Military Staff Committee of the Sahel Region, while Morocco, Libya and Nigeria are reported to have been invited to attend the security sessions.
http://www.tribune.com.ng/sun/news/6867-nigeria-ecowas-nations-plot-against-al-qaeda-as-al-qaeda-spreads-across-west-africa–the-leaked-security-plan
By terrortrends | Also posted in Africa, Al Qaeda, Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, Algeria, Jihad, Libya, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Uncategorized, West Africa | Comments (0)
Ongoing Osama Bin Laden Slaying Thread
1 MaypmMon, 02 May 2011 14:18:29 -06002011-05-02T14:18:29-06:0002 2009 – 14:18
By now all of our readers are aware of the fact that Navy SEALs killed Osama Bin Laden over the weekend in a daring raid in Pakistan.
Rather than rehash what is already being reported, TTB will establish an ongoing thread on this monumental event, with links to news articles and analysis from around the world:
Philip Klein at the Washington Examiner points out the years of work, hunting, training and rehearsals that went into accomplishing the mission of taking out Bin Laden. It is also important to point out that if not for the detention center at Guantanomo Bay, Cuba and enhanced interrogation techniques, both of which President Obama has opposed, we'd have never gotten close to finding Bin Laden:
Some time after Sept. 11, detainees held by the U.S. told interrogators about a man believed to work as a courier for bin Laden, senior administration officials said. The man was described by detainees as a protégé of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, and "one of the few Al Qaeda couriers trusted by bin laden."
Two years ago, intelligence officials began to identify areas of Pakistan where the courier and his brother operated, and the great security precautions the two men took aroused U.S. suspicions.
While the two brothers, the couriers, had no known source of income, the compound was built in 2005 and valued at $1 million.
After exploring every angle for months, they concluded that all signs pointed to this being bin Laden's residence.
http://washingtonexaminer.com/blogs/beltway-confidential/2011/05/raid-got-bin-laden-was-culmination-years-work-sr-admin-official-s?utm_source=feedburner+BeltwayConfidential&utm_medium=feed+Beltway+Confidential&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+BeltwayConfidential+%28Beltway+Confidential%29feed&utm_content=feed&utm_term=feed
Here are some articles with brief introductions to SEAL Team 6, also known as DEVGROUP, the unit that carried out the mission that killed Bin Laden:
http://nationaljournal.com/whitehouse/the-secret-team-that-killed-bin-laden-20110502
http://www.businessinsider.com/the-team-that-killed-bin-laden-seal-team-6-2011-5
From the same source, here is a Timeline for the operation to kill Bin Laden:
http://www.businessinsider.com/timeline-of-bin-laden-discovery-2011-5
Here is an article with some thoughts on how Al Qaeda may retaliate against the US for killing Bin Laden. It lists possible categories of targets. We think some of the targets are certainly likely, but that this list may not go far enough, given what we know of Al Qaeda's prior plans. There is reason to be worried about shopping malls for instance. Security breaches at chemical and bio facilities seem remote, but attacks on petrochemical refineries and similar facilities would certainly be a concern. The article also assumes that airports and airliners are off the target list, though Al Qaeda's history suggests they will keep trying in this sector, especially after the successful attack in an airport terminal in Moscow not long ago. We have airliners bottled up tight, but there is no security to speak of in airport terminals, where large numbers of passengers have to stand in line and are vulnerable. Then there are sporting events and music concerts. Jihadists attacked a group in Africa watching the World Cup on TV last year. Not a great article, but not a total waste of time either…
http://www.businessinsider.com/how-will-al-qaeda-militants-get-their-revenge-2011-5
Here is a similar article from ABC News, including a report that a US Marine NBC (Nuclear, Biological, Chemical) Warfare unit has been urgently recalled from Japan. This indicates that there is at least some concern that Al Qaeda or its allies could have a WMD capability of some sort…
http://abcnews.go.com/US/osama-bin-laden-triggers-security-alert-recall-marine/story?id=13505844
The US Department of Homeland Security has issued an advisory about potential retaliation, though it includes scant few details:
http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2011/05/02/general-us-bin-laden-warnings_8444923.html
One of the most promising aspects of the Bin Laden raid is the potential treasure trove of intelligence captured. No doubt, Al Qaeda operatives and supporters around the globe are holding their breath and scrambling because they can't be certain if the next knock on the door, or the next helicopter that passes by, could be some of America's finest come to bring down death and destruction on them…
CBS News has also published a story on one intriguing aspect of this event, namely that waterboarding at Gitmo produced the initial intelligence that made it possible to track down Bin Laden. It is entirely possible–in fact LIKELY–that had Khalid Sheikh Mohammed not been waterboarded, we'd still be guessing where Bin Laden is today. And had he, and other Al Qaeda terrorists, not been classified as enemy combatants and housed in detention at Gitmo, they would never have undergone the waterboarding in the first place. It is worth noting that President Obama is now taking credit for an operation that could never have occurred had he had his way with regard to Gitmo and "enhanced interrogation" techniques…techniques which we no longer employ by the way…
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-20058921-503544.html?tag=cbsnewsMainColumnArea
Another article that credits "enhanced interrogation techniques" for uncovering the intelligence that enabled US forces to find and kill Bin Laden–Obama has ended the use of those techniques…
http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=13512344
Now we have an article from The Telegraph in Great Britain that alerts us to the reality that Al Qaeda will not be stopped by Bin Laden's death. The organization has been franchising itself globally for some time. It even suggests that Bin Laden was never fully in control of the global Jihadist movement, something that TTB definitely agrees with:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/pakistan/8488662/Al-Qaeda-The-next-generation.html
In fact, Al Qaeda has affiliates around the world now and tomorrow's Al Qaeda leaders may comes from several affiliated terrorist organizations:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/following_bin_ladens_death_al_qaeda_affiliates_in_africa_middle_east_poised_to_produce_new_leaders/2011/05/02/AFaJIwYF_story.html
The next two articles are sad reminders of the tens of thousands of lives Osama Bin Laden's evil touched through violent Jihad. Back in August of 1998, hundreds of people were killed in East Africa in what was, up to that point, Al Qaeda's bloodiest attack. Then in 2002, Al Qaeda struck in Bali, Indonesia, killing hundreds of mostly Australian tourists…
http://ca.news.yahoo.com/tears-kenyas-1998-us-embassy-bombing-somalias-al-114638162.html
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/relief-for-bali-bombing-victims-following-osama-bin-ladens-death/story-e6frf7jo-1226048732274
We find the whole emphasis on handling the monster Bin Laden's remains according to "Islamic tradition" to be troubling as hell. It was almost as if we were showing respect for a mass murderer. Had he been any religion other than Islam there would have been no thought or mention of the religious aspects of how his remains were to be treated. The SEALs do the heavy lifting while the geeks continue to insist that we chase our tails.
http://www.foxnews.com/world/2011/05/02/bin-laden-given-religious-funeral-prior-sea-burial/
National Journal has aerial photos of Bin Laden's hideout in Pakistan. Hard to believe the Pakistani military didn't know he was there…
http://www.nationaljournal.com/nationalsecurity/pictures-u-s-photos-of-the-bin-laden-compound-20110502#photo_0
It's almost impossible to believe that the Pakistani military didn't know where Bin Laden was. The available evidence suggests that they were harboring him…
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/AS_PAKISTAN_BIN_LADEN?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2011-05-02-18-25-32
Now that Bin Laden is dead, his sympathizers and allies are making threats. In Great Britain, a guy who really needs to be in prison, Anjem Choudary, has predicted another "7/7" attack as a result of Bin Laden's death…
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/pakistan/8487822/Osama-bin-Laden-dead-followers-warn-of-another-77.html
As a result of veiled and overt threats, we are seeing examples of increased security and warnings from terrorism experts.
There are very visible signs of increased security in New York and Washington, the two targets of the September 11th attacks:
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-05-02/security-heightened-in-new-york-washington-following-killing-of-bin-laden.html
Logan Airport in Boston was one of the airports transited by the September 11th hijackers a decade ago. Today, that airport has instituted tighter security precautions:
http://www.boston.com/yourtown/news/east_boston/2011/05/at_logan_airport_and_around_bo_1.html
There is understandably widespread euphoria across America about Bin Laden's demise, unfortunately, the Jihadist's death may not make us any safer. This analysis comes from Steve Emerson's Investigative Project on Terrorism:
That threat could come from "lone wolf" terrorists as much as from al-Qaida followers. In recent years, bin Laden has been viewed more as an iconic figure for al-Qaida rather than the controlling hand he enjoyed before the 9/11 attacks. The group has split into smaller, autonomous cells and networks, and its ubiquitous Internet presence reaches
In February, U.S. intelligence officials identified Yemen-based American-born cleric Anwar al-Awlaki as a bigger threat than bin Laden. Fort Hood shooter Nidal Hasan and attempted Times Square bomber Faisal Shahzad are among those Awlaki communicated with or inspired. During his sentencing, Shahzad defiantly told the court he tried to wage war against America because he believed the country was at war with Islam.
Meanwhile, a series of plots by homegrown radical Islamists were prevented only because of pro-active sting operations initiated by the FBI.
http://www.investigativeproject.org/2812/hamas-condemns-bin-laden-killing
To close out this posting for 2 May, Jihadists around the world are making threats to avenge Bin Laden:
Jihadists in the Philippines have declared Bin Laden a martyr:
http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/regions/05/02/11/moro-rebels-call-bin-laden-martyr
Hamas has condemned the killing of Bin Laden:
http://www.foxnews.com/world/2011/05/02/hamas-leader-condemns-killing-usama-bin-laden/
The Taliban have vowed to avenge Bin Laden's death:
http://www.vanguardngr.com/2011/05/osama-how-he-died/
Less well-known Jihadis have chimed in on Bin Laden's death too:
http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/05/02/us-binladen-militants-idUSTRE74147320110502
By terrortrends | Also posted in Al Qaeda, al Shabaab, Al Shahab, Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, Anwar Al-Awlaki, Guantanomo, Homeland Security, Jemaah Islamiyah, Jihad, Kenya, Lashkar-e-Taiba, LIFG Libyan Islamic Fighting Group, London transit bombings, Madrid train bombing, Obama, Osama Bin Laden, Pakistan, Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Taliban | Comments (0)
More Details on German Al Qaeda Arrests
1 AprpmSat, 30 Apr 2011 12:56:44 -06002011-04-30T12:56:44-06:0012 2009 – 12:56
The New York Times has just published a piece in which more details on the decision to move in on the three Al Qaeda Jihadis are revealed.
It seems the men were in the process of building a bomb in their apartment…
The officials described a vast operation involving an intensive surveillance effort by more than 100 people and including assistance from American intelligence sources and the Moroccan authorities.
The German officials said they believed that the aborted attack was part of a strategy that Al Qaeda had been following to encourage homegrown terrorist attacks, now that the group had lost much of its ability to direct attacks from abroad.
Mr. Ziercke described the plot as a kind of hybrid terrorism that had elements of central control but left would-be attackers largely to their own devices.
One of the suspects, a citizen of Morocco who had lived for a decade in Germany, was recruited to attend a Qaeda training camp last year near the Afghan-Pakistani border, officials said. The suspect, identified only as Abdeladim El-K., 29, received weapons and explosives training and orders from a high-ranking Qaeda official, whom the authorities did not identify, to carry out an attack in Germany.
After re-entering Germany illegally in May 2010, Mr. Ziercke and other officials said, the suspect recruited two longtime acquaintances: men identified as Jamil S., 31, who has joint German and Moroccan citizenship; and Amid C., 19, who is a citizen of Germany and Iran.
While two of the suspects had Moroccan roots, the authorities said they had not found any evidence of a direct connection between the German plot and the bombing in Rabat. However, the men did appear to have been inspired by the attack, the police said.
The authorities said all three of the suspects worked full time on preparing for an attack, trying to conceal their activities by communicating in code and acquiring chemicals such as hydrogen peroxide and acetone that can be used in bomb production. They downloaded bomb-making recipes from the Internet and tried to extract chemicals for a detonator from a charcoal lighter.
The suspects also investigated security measures at possible targets like public buildings, airports and train stations, the authorities said. They stayed away from mosques and other places where they might attract attention.
The German officials who spoke on Saturday did not confirm news reports that the suspects planned to stage an attack during the Eurovision Song Contest, an international music competition that will draw large crowds to Düsseldorf from May 10 to 14. While taking note of the event, officials said the suspects had not yet settled on a target.
"They wanted to create an explosion in a place with big crowds of people," said Rainer Griesbaum, head of the antiterrorism unit at the federal prosecutor's office in Karlsruhe.
Mr. Griesbaum and Mr. Ziercke said there was at least one other suspect tied to the plot who had not been arrested, and that there might be dozens of others in Germany providing financial and logistical support to terrorist groups. The officials said they knew of about 200 Germans who had received training at Qaeda camps.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/01/world/europe/01germany.html?_r=1&ref=world
By terrortrends | Also posted in Al Qaeda, Germany | Comments (0)
Moroccan Al Qaeda Jihadis Arrested in Germany
German security authorities have arrested 3 Al Qaeda Jihadists of Moroccan origin who they say were planning to conduct terrorist attacks in Germany.
This report comes at the same time that Al Qaeda has renewed attacks in Morocco with a bomb attack at a cafe which killed 16 people.
Germany has thwarted Jihadist terrorist plots several times in the past few years, including a plot to bomb trains and train stations which came very close to fruition. German authorities have also closed mosques which have been tied to Jihad and Jihad recruitment.
In this latest incident, three men were arrested in the cities of Dusseldorf and Bochum, after having been under surveillance since November. According to German police, the 3 terrorists were planning attacks involving explosives. Though it is not known if Dusseldorf was the target, the city is scheduled to host a large music festival on May 14th.
No doubt, more details will become available when these men appear in court in the days and weeks to come.
By terrortrends | Also posted in Al Qaeda, Europe, Failed terrorist attack, Germany, Jihad, Possible terror attack | Comments (0)
The Latest from NEFA Foundation: Operation Gibraltar: A Foiled Al-Qaida Plot Against NATO Ships
1 MayamSun, 02 May 2010 07:32:44 -06002010-05-02T07:32:44-06:0007 2009 – 07:32
The absolutely indispensable NEFA foundation has produced another important report, this one on a failed Al Qaeda plot to attack NATO naval ships in the strait of Gibraltar, not unlike the attack on the USS Cole.
Though this plot took place back in 2002, it is important not just from an historical perspective, but also in other ways. It demonstrates the far reach of Al Qaeda and the lengths that they will go to to attempt to attack the West. Note also that the plot was foiled as a result of questioning of suspects as…gasp…Guantanamo Bay, Cuba…
The link below will open to a pdf file:
http://www.nefafoundation.org/miscellaneous/dots(2)operationgibraltar.pdf
By terrortrends | Also posted in Al Qaeda, Europe, Failed terrorist attack, Guantanomo, Islamic Jihad, Jihad, Terrorist attack | Comments (1)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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15/10/2009 16/10/2009 Posted in Cycling, FavouritesTagged 2010 Tour de France, Alberto Contador, Andy Schleck, Astana, broom wagon, Cadel Evans, Carlos Sastre, Denis Menchov, Fabian Cancellara, Green Jersey, Lance, Paris, Pyrenees, Thor Hushovd, Tom Boonen, Tourmalet, Yellow JerseyLeave a comment
My better half was in Paris yesterday morning for a meeting at the Palais des congrès. No, he wasn't at the 2010 Tour de France Presentation but, if he had been, I'm sure this is what he'd have said.
This is a Tour for climbers and, with no team time-trial, and only one individual time-trial, the main protagonists will be Alberto Contador and Andy Schleck. The lack of a team time-trial will also have been music to the ears of other podium contenders, such as Evans, Sastre and Menchov. Given how the Pyrenees completely boss the last week of the Tour, Bert can be excused that big smile punctuating his face. Or was he grinning at the thought that Lance is going to find that last week really, really tough?
The 2009 Podium
However, the skinny climbers will need to be on their guard in the first week when they'll be well outside their comfort zone as cobbles and windy stretches abound. Classics specialists like Boonen, Cancellara and Hushovd will be hopeful of wearing yellow, or at least green, in those early days. Stages four (Reims), five (Montargis) and six (Gueugnon) look like sprint stages, but thereafter that race for the green jersey is probably going to favour Thor as there are fewer opportunities for the sprinters and they've got to get over all those hills.
Next year, the Alps are playing a supporting role to the Pyrenees which are the headline act, marking the 100th anniversary of their first Tour appearance. However, the four days in the northern Alps should not be under-estimated and they are succeeded by some toughish transition stages which may, or may not, end in bunch sprints.
Clearly the intention on the 2010 Tour is to showcase the Pyrenees, starting with the stage 14 summit finish at Ax-3-Domaines. This acts as an amuse bouche to a grand tasting menu. First course, three difficult cols en route to Luchon: Portet d'Aspet, Ares and Balès. Main course: they cross the Peyresourde, Aspin, Tourmalet, Soulor and Aubisque to finish in Pau. Dessert, and final course in the Pyrenees, is a stage from Pau to the top of the Tourmalet, via the western approach over the Marie-Blanque and Soulor. Climbing the Tourmalet twice, once in each direction, will really celebrate the Tour's most majestic mountain.
If the mountains don't prove decisive then there's the 51km time-trial from Bordeaux to Pauillac before the final day procession into Paris. I expect to see Contador, riding for Astana, in the yellow jersey.
Sadly, there was no mention of any festivities planned for the other Tour fixture also celebrating its centenary next year: the broom wagon!
Broom wagon


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Home » Blog » Boca Raton Bowl » 2015 Marmot Boca Raton Bowl Taps Boca Native Singer/Song Writer/Recording Artist Kendra Erika To Perform National Anthem At Nationally Televised MAC/ACC College Bowl Match-Up
2015 Marmot Boca Raton Bowl Taps Boca Native Singer/Song Writer/Recording Artist Kendra Erika To Perform National Anthem At Nationally Televised MAC/ACC College Bowl Match-Up
As 'fans in the stands' gather, the competing college football teams get ready for kick-off and the full-field flag unfurls in FAU Stadium on Tuesday, December 22 for the ESPN nationally televised 2015 Marmot Boca Raton Bowl, 22-year-old Boca native resident and senior at Lynn University Kendra Erika will perform the national anthem. Erika is a classically trained artist who is proficient in all genres – from Jazz and Broadway to Pop – with a vast repertoire of cover songs that appeal to a variety of audiences. Also a singer/songwriter, she has recorded original songs with a variety of producers in Miami, Nashville, and New York. She debuted a new single in October and has another written and ready for production for debut in early 2016.
Erika was recognized in 2014 as 'Boca's Most Fascinating Singer' by the Sun Sentinel and 'Star on the Horizon' by Boca Magazine. As a teen while a student at Saint Andrew's School in Boca Raton, Erika was a first place winner for two years in the Future Stars Talent Competition and a finalist in 'Boca's Entertainer of the Year'. In recognition of her leadership and passion for community missions, Erika was a candidate for 2015 Woman of the Year by the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.
Kendra Erika has performed at venues all over South Florida for the past 10 years, including Mizner Park Amphitheater, Boca West Country Club, Revolution Live, Chops Lobster Bar, Vino Wine Bar, Il Bacio Restaurant, Caruso's Restaurant and Renzo's of Boca Raton. To support Boca's nonprofits, she has donated her time and talent at fundraising events such as the 2015 Mayors Ball presented by the Rotary Club Downtown Boca Raton, PROPEL (People Reaching Out to Promote Education & Leadership), Florence Fuller Child Development Centers, Boys & Girls Club, Alzheimers Association and Boating & Beach Bash for People with Disabilities.
"We are pleased to have such a talented and impassioned resident representative of Boca Raton to perform at our 2105 bowl game," reported Doug Mosley, executive director of the Marmot Boca Raton Bowl. "When we heard Kendra's talent open this year's Boca Raton Mayors Ball, we knew immediately we wanted her to open this year's Marmot Boca Raton Bowl. The fact that Kendra was born and grew up in the bowl's home city, only made our choice an even more sound one."
Dubbed 'Boca's Biggest Annual Outdoor Party℠', the Marmot Boca Raton Bowl is the newest Boca holiday-timed tradition as a nationally televised spotlight shines brightly on Boca Raton and Palm Beach County. The postseason college football bowl game annually matches up the Mid-American Conference (MAC), Conference USA and American Athletic Conference (AAC); this year's game features the MAC versus the AAC.
The postseason collegiate football bowl game first 'touched down' in 2014 and aired live on ESPN throughout the U.S. as well as international affiliates in South America, the Caribbean, Australia and Europe. The game received a 1.5 U.S. household rating, generating more than 2.5 million viewers who saw promotional commercials on both Boca Raton and Palm Beach County. The Palm Beach County Sports Commission conservatively estimated the event resulted in a direct local economic impact of over $4 million, generated more than 4,000 hotel room rentals in Palm Beach County with more than 8,000 out-of-state visitors. Each year, the bowl will bring about 500 student-athletes, coaches, administrators and support staff to visit Boca Raton and draw thousands of alumni and fans from the two participating schools.
Mosley continued to share that the Marmot Boca Raton Bowl — one of 42 bowl games and the only one in Palm Beach County – will feature "all the traditional pomp and circumstance that makes this a genuinely fun, entertaining experience for both college football fans and non-fans alike."
To purchase tickets for sideline ($47), end zone ($27) or groups, visit http://espnevents.com/boca-raton-bowl/tickets/, e-mail tickets@thebocabowl.com or call the ticket office at 561-362-3650.
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Photo Credit: Carlos Aristazibal


Maximum credit hours, PRSSA meetings, homework and the list goes on – PR majors are busy. While your classwork and PRSSA involvement can boost your resume above the rest, an internship may be the critical piece needed to land your dream job down the road. While many think that squeezing in an internship may seem impossible, there are ways to fit one into your schedule.
Look at the courses for your school's degree program, when are they offered? How many credits do you have to take a semester? Perhaps you'll have a semester with less credit hours, therefore, think about planning to pursue internship opportunities for that semester. Taking action now and networking and asking advisors about internship opportunities for a future semester will put your mind at ease. Jump-start your search and plan a course schedule that will allow for a lower course load to open hours up for internship experiences!
Maybe the closest agency is an hour away from your school but that doesn't mean commute time is required to get an awesome internship. Many universities hire students interns on to their communications team across a variety of departments to run social media, capture video, provide graphic design support and more! Ask your departments professors if they know of any internships on campus, talk to your adviser and network with upperclassmen to ask what experiences they have had interning during the academic year.
There are many internship opportunities and part-time gigs that are entirely online and can be done remotely from your dorm room. These internships are typically more flexible about work hours or are simply assignment based so you can work at any hour that fits for you, as long as you are hitting an end deadline. These jobs range from design to social media management and can show future employers you can be trusted to manage work on your own and work to a deadline.
Having a planner or using a digital calendar like Google Calendar can keep you on schedule and ease nerves about not being able to fit projects in. Diagramming out your week may seem daunting but it may reveal a lot of extra time in your day! This also gives you something to show to your employer so they understand your schedule and can have a copy to know when they can expect you in office.
Emily Zekonis is a third year Strategic Communications/Public Relations student at West Virginia University. She currently serves as the Treasurer/Fundraising Chair of WVU PRSSA and Co-Conference Coordinator for West Virginia University's 2019 Regional Conference. Emily will be graduating in spring 2020 to continue her education at WVU with an M.S. in Integrated Marketing Communications. Follow Emily on Twitter @EmilyZekonis or LinkedIn.


A summary action agenda after each Board of Supervisors' meeting is produced to inform citizens and staff with the latest actions of the Board of Supervisors. Board action summaries and are not considered an official clerk's office documents.
The agendas are time-stamped after each Board of Supervisors' meeting so citizens and staff can go directly to an agenda item and view that section of the Board Meeting.
Once you are on the Acella web portal, please click on the "Video" at the far right column under the Board Meeting to wish to view. Once the MediaTraq Webcast opens, click on an item on the agenda and the video will be directed to that agenda item.