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Day 6 – Winter Nakasendo Trail Tour
Our walk on the Nakasendo Trail ends today with a short stroll from Narai to Kiso Hirasawa. Kiso-Hirasawa is famous for its locally-produced lacquerware. The walk takes around an hour and there may be a chance to see the craftsmen at work. We then travel by train to Matsumoto, a castle town nestled in the central alps region. We visit Matsumoto Castle, one of four castles designated as National Treasures of Japan before boarding a local bus to nearby Asama Onsen. The spa town has a history dating back 1,300 years and we stay overnight at one of the most elegant, authentic Ryokan inns, with beautiful wooden architecture from the Meiji era.
Walking distance: 2.5km / 1.6 miles
Elevation gain: negligible ascent and descent
Time required: 1 hour
Written by our specialists, our brochures are not only designed to showcase the countless beautiful places you can travel to, but also to help narrow down the many choices you're faced with when planning a trip.
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About Rediscover Tours
Rediscover Tours is a travel company focused on cultural and authentic experiences for travelers to Japan. Jeff and Yoshimi Aasgaard started their first travel business in Japan in October 2000 with Japanese Guest Houses, a ryokan inn reservation service for travelers wishing to experience a ryokan (Japanese inn). They found that travelers want to experience Japan but did not always have the time or expertise to design, organize and make all the arrangements for their trip so Rediscover Tours was formed to take care of these details. RediscoverTours now has offices in the US and Japan and works with travelers from all over the world. The company's vision is to show the world the Japan that we love.
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An instrument that produces low pitched sound. Recovers 3 SP for each enemy defeated. Has a chance to cast Lv.3 Heaven's Drive each time the wearer is attacked. Each attack has the chance to inflict all enemies within a 5*5 cell area with the Confused status.


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The Voice Nigeria 3: Team Darey Takes Center Stage, Loses Dapo, Ayomikun
The music reality show, The Voice Nigeria, got more interesting as the knockout stage ended on. dramatic note as Team Darey made their performances.
The six contestants namely Dapo, Ayomikun, Esther, Jeremiah Blessing and Rachel took turns to share the spotlight. As expected, the 10th episode of the talent reality TV show was filled with drama and unending emotions which had Darey losing two of his talents to Waje, and Falz.
Waje got Ayomikun who was left in the Danger Zone by Darey even after his rendition of Bruno Mars' 'Just the way you are'.
In an interesting twist, five of the members of Darey's team made it to the battle – either through stealing or save. However, Blessing's journey on the talent show came to an end after failing to make it to the next round despite her rendition of Pussycat Dolls' hit single, 'Stick with you.'
Rachel's rendition of 'Smash into you' by Beyonce got her into the Battlefield just as Esther's rendition of Westlife's 'flying without wings' landed her a spot on the battle zone. Coach Darey, however saved Jeremiah from the Danger Zone. Dapo made it to the next stage after he was stolen by Falz.
Five talents in Darey's team namely Rachel, Esther, Jeremiah, Dapo, and Ayomikun joined Nuel Ayo, Inioluwa, Eazzie, Vanilla, Kitay, Naomi Mac, Peace, KPee, Tamara, Anu, and Toescene in the Battlefield making 16 contestants in the next round.
The week ended with the show's headline sponsor, FirstBank intensifying on its promise to reward viewers with the FirstBank moments through its social media handles.
SOURCE; https://leadership.ng/the-voice-nigeria-3-team-darey-takes-center-stage-loses-dapo-ayomikun/


"Mining ... There was a time when it was king"
The following appeared in The Shelby News-Monitor on Thursday, January 22, 1976 as part of a series of such articles throughout the Bicentennial Year.
If you remember the time when Montevallo or West Blocton sidewalks looked like Sears on a Christmas Eve, then chances are you were around when mining was king in Shelby County and the surrounding areas of the Cahaba Coal Field.
To many it was "the gold old days," while to many others it meant hard days of toil in the bowels of the earth for a dollar a day. It was a time when the trains came through, making stops at just about every mining camp or town between West Blocton and Birmingham.
But no matter what it meant, it was a time when coal made the area, and the people lived like it. To merchants it meant Saturday sales that couldn't be beat. To miners, it meant a Saturday when the mines could be left behind and their dollars spent in booming Montevallo, West Blocton, or even Birmingham. To the miners' families it meant a time when they could leave the mining towns with funny names which surrounded Montevallo and West Blocton for the "splendor" of the big town shops and stores.
All across Shelby County and parts of Bibb, coal was big business. From around 1870 until the 1950's coal remained big business in and around Montevallo. Coal was brought up from beneath the ground by the thousands of tons. It was coming from one of the richest fields in the state and the South, the Cahaba River Basin Fields. It was a high grade coal that could be used both for heating and steel production.
It is thought that one of the greatest periods of the coal boom in Shelby County and the surrounding area was between 1900 and 1929 when mining towns flourished all around the area. At one point it was estimated that some 5,000 miners were in Montevallo area during the period just in the towns of Aldrich, Dogwood, Marvel, and Boothton.
Many of those mining towns and the names of the mines they worked in will be familiar with local residents. They started in the north at Acton and stretched all the way down the Cahaba to below West Blocton at one time. Their names were such things as Marvel, Garcy, Gurnee, Gurnee Junction, Coalena, Piper, Blocton, West Blocton, Bell Ellen, Hill Creek, Red Eagle, Mofitt, Aldrich, Dogwood, Old Maylene, New Maylene, Old Straven, New Straven, Export, Boothton, Coalmont, Roebuck, Scratch Ankle, and many more.
The mines in these places made many men rich, while to countless others it provided work. But it was hard work, and in many cases dangerous work. This type of work, though, is said to get into a man's blood and it's something that's hard to shake. Many old timers admit they would go back into the mines tomorrow if they were still open and health permitted.
While the pay was low for the most part for the work, there were benefits. Miners were provided low cost housing for themselves and their families in the villages surrounding the mines. A fine example of this is in Aldrich and Marvel, both mining towns long since without mines. Only the miner's houses remain.
And the mining towns all had a company store, made famous by Tennessee Ernie Ford's song "16 Tons." Goods were bought on credit and paid off in labor according to one West Blocton miner of the time. But the store was always there.
"You load sixteen tons, what do you get? Another day older and deeper in debt Saint Peter don't you call me 'cause I can't go I owe my soul to the company store"
And there was health care, maybe not always the finest, provided by the company. Children in many towns went to schools and churches built by thoughtful mine owners such as those which once graced Aldrich.
But probably most remembered by miners and others from those times was Saturday in town. Movie houses flourished, stores stayed open until 8:30 or 9:00 p.m. to accommodate the large crowds and money and good times flowed.
Herman Stone, Montevallo businessman and one time miner himself who was badly injured in a 1928 mine accident, recalls those times.
He said going into West Blocton on a Saturday was like "you were going into old Dodge City, Kansas. It was wild."
Montevallo was much the same according to reports. But those who wanted more than West Blocton or Montevallo, who were big rivals at the time, could travel to Birmingham for the day. Trains left from most towns such as Boothton in the morning for the Iron City, and returned at night full of miners who had taken in the sights and thrills that Birmingham included.
But time took its toll. Gradually the mines began to die out as they were worked out or priced out of competition. Many tried to operate gopher hole mines -- operations with a wagon, a couple of mules, and their backs -- but this faded out. These gopher mines reached their peak when the larger mines were booming, but died along with the others.
As the mines died, so did the Saturday spirit for many. There's one group who gathers each year at Boothton, near Montevallo, to remember. They meet each year the first Sunday in October and have been doing so since 1957 when the first group of 457 former residents of the area gathered. The effort was started by Mrs. Herman Stone's mother, Mrs. Myrtle Terrell. Somehow in their meetings each year they keep the spirit of what once was in the area alive.
But for the most part mining is gone in the area. In its place is strip mining in places where underground mining would be useless, impossible, and too expensive. The most expansive stripping operations can be found now near Boothton and Marvel.
What closed the mines? Some say it was Mine Union Boss John L. Lewis who they say drove the price of operating mines out of reach for most operators. Because of him, miners now draw no pay instead of high wages they claim.
But there are countless miners who will argue this. He was their saint, a tough many who raised wages from the lowly dollar a day to livable scale. These people will tell you it wasn't Lewis, but rather the lack of good coal and the price of it which drove many operators out of the business. Throw in the fact rising water, other sources of energy, and more to get the reasons. It was a combination of all of these things which added to the death of a way of life for many.
But the future may be brighter. There is growing talk that mining, the underground type, may be making a comeback soon. Already experts from many companies have been taking core samples from deep depths in the area to see if the rich saucer-like veins are still there. Experts are saying there could be millions of tons of high grade coal still under the area, and with new shaft designs and techniques, coupled with the rapidly rising value of coal, mining could make a comeback.
There are many in the area who wish for it. Coal helped to make Shelby County and the surrounding area what it is today. It could make us even greater in the future.
The Aldrich Coal Mine Museum housed in the Company Store of the former Montevallo Coal Mining Company, and the beautiful Farrington Hall, built by Mr. and Mrs. William Farrington Aldrich, houses many Aldrich items from its past and an enormous number of pictures and artifacts. To obtain a copy of "The Story Of My Hometown, Aldrich, Alabama" visit Books for Sale with connections to Shelby County Alabama.
The following appeared in The Shelby County Reporter dated Thursday, February 4, 1926.
An explosion that took the lives of 27 men, 11 white and 16 colored, occurred in the Mossboro mine of the Premier Coal Company near Helena Friday afternoon about 4 o'clock. Sixty men were at work in the mine.
The explosion was caused, most of the survivors stated, by an charge of black powder that blew backward and in the misfiring set off the coal dust. It is said to have been very severe and most of the men were believed to have been killed instantly.
The work of removing the bodies of the dead men required practically all Friday night. The blast loosed a pond of water that flowed into and filled the pit, making the work of the rescue all the more difficult. For hours the crew worked in water waist deep among heaps of fallen stone and twisted steel to find the badly mangled bodies of the dead men.
Several of the men, it is said, had been at work in the mine only a week. Some of them were in the Overton mine on December 11 when an explosion took the lives of 53 men.
White James Adams, Robert Ball, Pat Burke, William Carrick, Glenn Duncan, Henry Gold, W.J. Harrison, M.J. Holloway, Doyle Lambert, Joe Mayner and Henry Oakes.
Negroes W.M. Odum, Hassey Harris, Will Johnson, Henry Peterson, Enoch Woodwon, W.H. Segress.
Colored Amberson Grigley, More Coillins, Eli Treadwell, Willie Temple, Cliff Gibson, Willie Fitts, Primus Hendersib, Rodger Williams, Sam Hawkins.
Whites J.D. Lowery, J.B. Lowery, a son Edgar Lowery, Zach Chapman, Lonnie Chapman, Lloyd Robertson, B.D. Gold, George Zimmerman.
Negroes Will Simmons, Jess Chestnut, Stanley Maddox, Walter Pearce, Archie Jackson, Percy Pearce, Scott Saulders, Fletcher Anderson, Will Lambert, Millard Garner, G.G. Garner.
"First Coal Was Mined In State Over A Century Ago"
The following appeared in The Shelby County Reporter dated Thursday, December 18, 1930.
Alabama's coal industry celebrates this month, its one-hundredth anniversary.
In 1830 -- a full century ago -- when Chickasaws, Choctaws, Cherokees and Creeks still roamed through Alabama's then virgin wilderness -- eleven years before the State's admission to the Union -- Alabama's first coal was mined commercially, near what is now Tuscaloosa and was floated down to Mobile. It is probable that the passage of this boat aroused but scant interest among Alabama's pioneer settlers. Little could they have realized, as they stood upon the banks of the Warrior and watched the cargo drift by, that they were witnessing a significant event in Alabama history -- the birth of an industry which was destined to play, perhaps the most vital role of any single industry in Alabama's economics progress during the ensuing century. Yet time has proved that this was to be true.
Commemorating the centennial of Alabama's coal industry, leaders have released some interesting data which throws a new light upon the part which coal has played in shaping Alabama's destiny. Early chronicles of coal producing companies now operating in the State have qualities of a peculiar historic interest -- roots which reach deep, almost as their mines, into the bed-rock and sub-strata of Alabama history and legend. Early annals of producing companies reveal, for instance, that Alabama coal has had a close relationship with the United States Army and Navy, the Confederate States Army and Navy, the United States Senate and House of Representatives, the development of Alabama's railroad system, the growth of many Alabama cities, the building of scores of varied industries and businesses, which have in turn contributed their share to Alabama's steady forward march throughout a century of amazing progress.
Records show that since the first coal was floated down the Warrior in 1830, 564,000,000 tons have been mined in the State. From 1830 until 1870 the tonnage has been estimated, as no official records are available for these first forty years. The first available statistics reveal that in 1870, 13,200 tons were produced; in 1880, 380,000 tons; in 1890, 4,090,409 tons; in 1900, 8,273,262 tons; in 1910, 16,139,228 tons; in 1920, 17,391,437 tons and in 1926 the maximum productions of 21,508,812 tons. Last year the tonnage dropped, because of competition from outside fuels, to 18,415,914 tons.
Removal of this treasure, which Nature stored in Alabama's hills a million years or more ago, has furnished steady jobs to many thousand Alabama workers. It is estimated that to mine the coal which Alabama has produced during the last century, has required about 188,000,000 man-days work.
Wages paid to workers in the coal industry during the past century are estimated to have aggregated well over three quarters of a billion dollars. In peak years, Alabama coal mines have provided around seven million man-days work a year for thirty thousand employee, and an annual payroll has percolated throughout the State, penetrating every section. Investigation shows that it is spent by wage earners and salaried employees of the industry for merchandise, food products, transportation, amusements and insurance or is invested in securities and savings banks. Seventy cents out of every dollar received by the producer goes to labor. A goodly part of this is spent for farm produce, as shown by the fact that coal mining companies in the Birmingham district alone, buy annually in good years around five million dollars worth of products raised on Alabama farms, orchards and truck gardens.
Closely paralleling the development of Alabama's coal industry has been that of Alabama railroads. Officials of the leading roads have stated that the present splendid railroad system, which networks the State, could not have been built except for the coal tonnage, which normally provides about 25 per cent of the total freight revenue of all the lines in the State. This does not include freight revenue from hauling mine supplies and machinery nor revenue from the handling of coal by-products. To haul the 564,000,000 tons of coal mined in Alabama during the past century, has required use of some 11,280,000 fifty-ton freight cars, and furnished regular employment to many thousand trainmen, enginemen and other railroad operatives who, in their turn, have spent their wages in the State.
Out of Alabama's coal Industry, many other industries have been born -- industries which feed on coal and industries which use the many valuable derivatives of' coal. Alabama's great steel industry, pipe industry, chemical industry -- to name a few of many hundred -- could not have sprung into existence except for the availability of Alabama's huge coal deposits which are estimated to approximate eighty-seven and a half billion tons, enough to last for 2,500 years or longer. Without coal mining, it is easily conceivable that Alabama in the year 1930, would have shown but little industrial development over 1830. For, without coal mining, Alabama ores could never have been economically turned into merchantable products. Without coal mining Alabama's present railroad system would not have been built. Without coal mining Alabama would not rank today, fourth in the production of by-products derived from converting coal into coke, and without coal mining there would be no nearby markets for the products of the forests and the farms of the State.
These are a few of the reasons why Alabama places such a high value on her coal mining industry and will join this month in celebration of its one hundredth birthday.


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Tag Archives: MiG-29
Death of Mikoyan
On October 21, the labor union of the Engineering Center of the Experimental-Design Bureau (OKB) named for A. I. Mikoyan went public with its claim that well-known aircraft maker RSK MiG is in a catastrophic state. Metronews.ru published part of the union's open appeal as well as MiG's official reaction. The union's letter is addressed to the president, prime minister, and heads of political parties, and dated October 11.
Union chairman Yuriy Malakhov says:
"The situation taking shape in our engineering center forced me to write this letter. We've always been the brain of the company, it's right here that new aircraft models were developed. For a long time, we've had no new orders. In the past five years, six general directors have been replaced, they all come from the Sukhoy company, and the impression's created that they are strangling us, they want to close our company. All the best orders go there [Sukhoy]. For example, we aren't even allowed to participate in developing unmanned aerial vehicles. Sukhoy is working on them, but this aircraft company doesn't have our experience. They focused on heavy fighters. The pay of our colleagues is lower than in the trolleybus yard next door. Lead engineers get 8-10 thousand rubles [per month]. Sometimes with occasional bonuses they get 30 thousand. Talented young specialists leave for other firms, for example, Boeing, where they get two-three times more. Now 10 percent of orders come from Russia, the rest from abroad. In the course of several years we tried to get a response from our leadership, but no one wanted to start negotiations with us. And the engineering center's director decided to meet with employees only after this letter. We are very much hoping for this meeting. We expect new orders and increased wages."
MiG's press-secretary offered this response:
"The absence of the Gosoboronzakaz in the 1990s was a serious blow to the country's defense industry, including to RSK MiG. Only those companies that had large export contracts could develop successfully, for example in that period the Sukhoy company managed to conclude contracts with India and China. At that moment, MiG had only a contract with Malaysia. In recent years, RSK MiG's been headed by directors from Sukhoy corporation – Nikitin, Fedorov, Pogosyan, Korotkov. From outside this could look like a raider's seizure of MiG. But who needs to seize debts and problems? A positive dynamic began precisely with the arrival of these people – large foreign contracts were signed, the contract with the Defense Ministry to supply MiG-SMT. Aircraft were supplied against this contract and they're being successfully employed in the RF VVS. Presently, a contract with the Defense Ministry to supply the MiG-29K is being discussed."
"Today RSK MiG's order portfolio is more than $4 billion, serial production of new aircraft is unfolding. There is a positive dynamic, maybe it's not as quick and wages not as high as all of us would like. Some young specialists come and stay, some leave. But on the whole the company has good prospects."
A couple points on these claims. We know raiders take and sell what's good, and leave "debts and problems" behind. The Defense Ministry's acceptance of the Algerian MiG-SMTs was more a financial bailout for the company and face-saving maneuver for Russia writ large than a real contract. Not mentioned is Aleksandr Sukhorukov's October 11 statement that MiG-29K procurement won't come until 2013-2015.
The text of the union's letter says MiG is simply dying. It cites many problems and complaints, including a 48-billion-ruble debt, losses and delays in contracts, moving engineers to Zhukovskiy, closing MAPO, etc. It says crucial pay bonuses can't always be paid, and MiG is just supplying skilled people to Sukhoy and Irkut. The letter calls OAK an incomprehensible middle layer blocking competition, but allowing personal lobbying. Finally, it blames Mikhail Pogosyan for closing MiG's promising future projects.
Scanning other recent MiG headlines – the Indian tender wasn't the only blow to the MiG-35, its chances with the Russian Air Forces didn't look too rosy anyway, and the early September MiG-31 crash indicated again what dire straits that old airframe is in.
Izvestiya's Ilya Kramnik published recently on the MiG-29's fate. He wrote that (unlike the Su-27 or Su-24) the Defense Ministry doesn't plan to modernize the MiG-29. His military source says replacement of these worn-out aircraft in the future is deemed more cost-effective.
Kramnik's source describes production of the generation "4+++" (?!) MiG-35 as an unavoidable but not yet decided step. He sees the MiG-29 variant line ending since it's outclassed by updated Su-27s.
Kramnik's OPK source sees 20 or 24 MiG-35s being produced each year, for about 25 billion, to replace 150 or 160 MiG-29s in Russia's inventory.
He cites Konstantin Makiyenko who sees the MiG-35 as important not just as a MiG-29 replacement, but also to keep Russia in the light- to medium-, $60-million-range fighter export market and not leave this industry segment to China and its J-10.
But Konstantin Bogdanov tells Kramnik he thinks the MiG-35's loss in the Indian tender hurt its chances at home because it raises questions about MiG's ability to support a production program for the Russian Air Forces.
One also wonders how much MiG-35 and MiG-29 will be needed with T-50 / PAK FA, with Su-35, and with Su-27 upgrades out there.
It's hard to see the MiG story as anything but another chapter in the painful and necessary process of post-Cold War industrial downsizing and restructuring. After all, the U.S. is down basically to Boeing and Lockheed Martin. In MiG's case, one can question whether the selection is really natural and the fittest are truly surviving. The answer is probably yes. However they managed it, Sukhoy and Irkut played their post-Soviet hand better, and it shows today. The Russian aviation sector will be better off with further consolidation. Still it doesn't need Sukhoy to be a monopolist. Managing that outcome will be tricky.
Posted in Air Forces, Arms Sales, Defense Industry, Force Modernization
Tagged Generation 4++, Gosoboronzakaz, J-10, MAPO, MiG, MiG-29, MiG-29K, MiG-29SMT, MiG-35, Mikhail Pogosyan, Mikoyan, OAK, OKB Mikoyan, Procurement, Su-27, Zhukovskiy
LRA Command-Staff Exercise
Today Russian Long-Range Aviation (LRA or ДА) began a large three-day command-staff exercise (CSX or КШУ) under Air Forces CINC General-Colonel Aleksandr Zelin's direction. The CSX involves units from Siberia, the Far East, but also Lipetsk, and 40 aircraft including the Tu-160, Tu-22M3, Tu-95MS, Il-78, A-50, MiG-29, MiG-31, and Su-27SM. They will operate both from their home and temporary bases, and fly over central Russia, the Far East, and extreme northern parts of the Russian Federation. A-50 crews will control the airspace for the exercise. Il-78 tankers will conduct mid-air refueling, and ranges at Pemboy near Vorkuta and at Nogotay in Irkutsk Oblast will be used for missile launches and other weapons training.
Posted in Air Forces, Command and Control, Strategic Deterrence, Training and Exercises
Tagged A-50, Aleksandr Zelin, CSX, ВВС, ДА, КШУ, Il-78, MiG-29, MiG-31, Nogotay, Pemboy, Su-27SM, Tu-160, Tu-22M3, Tu-95MS
Is Alarm About Aerospace Defense Warranted?
In today's Nezavisimaya gazeta, Viktor Litovkin tries to reconcile Kornukov's and Sitnov's extremely pessimistic views on the state and future of Russian aerospace defense with the optimistic ones of Colonel Sigalov, whom Ekho Moskvy interviewed on Saturday. He's commander of the 5th VKO Brigade based in Moscow Oblast, responsible for defending the capital.
Litovkin notes the retired generals' roles as defense industry lobbyists, their defense of business interests, and efforts to acquire new orders. And for his part, the colonel could never imagine or admit a chance that his troops won't be able to carry out their missions. What kind of commander would he be?
But the situation in the realm of air defense, and even more in anti-missile defense, is very complicated. Yes, the troops of Sigalov's brigade are ready to open fire on air-breathing enemy forces with 10 minutes warning. But repulsing strikes from space is much more complex. The troops simply lack the weapons systems to do it. And this threat doesn't exist yet.
So is there a contradiction or not? Litovkin reminds that military men judge not just the current potential of probable enemies, but their 'technical-technological possibilities' as well. And these are alarming. According to Litovkin, many leading countries are working on 'the problems of space weapons' (although he mentions just China's ASAT capability and the U.S. X-37B orbiter).
And Russia has no response yet beyond the much talked about S-500 system, which, says Litovkin, lives now on paper only, and two (and maybe six more by some time in 2011) S-400 battalions around Moscow. Litovkin claims the Defense Ministry will not order more S-400s after that. Recall Almaz-Antey chief Ashurbeyli complaining on 30 April that the Defense Ministry has not signed contracts for S-400 production in 2012.
Litovkin says this might have caused genuine alarm in the two retired generals. He speculates there could be more delays in producing missiles for the S-400 as well as for the S-500, which will need to operate against targets in near space. Finally, he notes that, although the military doctrine contains an understanding of VKO, there's still no Defense Ministry organization responsible for it.
On balance, it sounds like Litovkin believes Kornukov's and Sitnov's concerns are genuine, rather than commercially motivated.
Yuriy Gavrilov, writing in Rossiyskaya gazeta, concludes that recent talk about VKO means that Russia has to take immediate measures, or allow the distance between itself and the U.S. to increase each year. He gives a little useful history. Yeltsin's 1993 decree said to create VKO, but the establishment of OSK VKO and VKO brigades amounted to little beyond changing the names of existing units, without changing their command, control, subordination, or weapons systems.
Kornukov mentioned VKO relies on S-300s, MiG-29s, and Su-27s, and the few deployed S-400s, which still need work and rely on a single suitable missile. All of which means, while waiting for the S-500, Russia has no real system for intercepting medium- and short-range ballistic missiles at an altitude up to 200 kilometers, or hypersonic cruise missiles.
Gavrilov quotes Sitnov:
"To develop modern systems that cover air and space, to develop new satellites for reconnaissance, and comms relay, missile attack warning, a super-modern component base, new materials, powders, new developments in the area of command and control are required."
But that's not all. Gavrilov says VKO also needs one master, but aviation and PVO belong to the Air Forces, while anti-missile defense, missile attack warning systems, and control of Russia's orbital grouping belong to the Space Troops. Kornukov and Sitnov argue for giving it all to the VVS.
And Gavrilov says time is short. By 2030, hypersonic and air-space vehicles, sixth generation UAVs, as well as weapons 'based on new physical principles' will already be in foreign inventories.
Posted in Air Forces, Force Modernization, Space Troops
Tagged Air-Space Defense, Almaz-Antey, Anatoliy Kornukov, Anatoliy Sitnov, ASAT, Ashurbeyli, China, MiG-29, PVO, S-300, S-400, S-500, Su-27, VKO, VVS, X-37B
Aerospace Defense in Disarray
Retired Army General Kornukov
While Russian air and aerospace defenders were meeting in Tver last week, former Air Forces (VVS) CINC, Army General Anatoliy Kornukov gave Interfaks his opinions in a Moscow news conference.
Kornukov is a member of a group calling themselves the 'Extradepartmental Expert Council on the Problems of RF Aerospace Defense.' He also advises the General Director of Almaz-Antey.
He called aerospace threats the greatest danger for Russia's security. He said:
"An attack from space decides everything now, strikes from space can be delivered to any point on Earth."
Kornukov thinks Russia's aerospace defense (VKO or ВКО) concept's been thought over long enough, and:
"Unfortunately, there are still few practical decisions and concrete results. New air defense systems are being developed very slowly."
"We, unfortunately, created a time lag of 20-30 years behind our possible enemy."
The ex-CINC says, although the VKO concept was approved in 2006, little has changed:
"Years pass, but everything stays the same. And to say that we're ready for something now would be an exaggeration. We can now resist an air attack from the standpoint of remaining S-300 systems. As well as with those residual Su-27 and MiG-29 aircraft, the majority of which lack engines and spare parts. The picture is simply terrible."
He also noted that new systems are progressing slowly, and are entering the armed forces' inventory even more slowly. He believes the Operational-Strategic Command of Aerospace Defense (OSK VKO or ОСК ВКО–the old Moscow Air and Air Defense District) can only destroy 1 in 5 targets:
"If the reliability earlier was 96 or 98 percent, then now the effectiveness [of systems in the inventory] is in the range of 15-20 percent. What's meant is how many aircraft of 100 could get through without being countered. Now about 80."
Kornukov recommends establishing VKO under the VVS, and under PVO specifically. For example, he'd like the Moscow-based OSK VKO to control its own missile-space defense (RKO or РКО) formations and units. He says:
"Once all missile-space defense was in one set of hands–the PVO CINC. He answered for PVO and for RKO. Now the thinking is inexplicable: each is dying by itself. There's not a person defined as responsible even for air defense."
"I think the correct decision would be for everything to be located in one set of hands, and one person answering for the condition, training, employment [of PVO means].
He reminded the audience that, once the province of PVO, control of anti-missile defense went first to the RVSN, and now resides with the Space Troops. Olga Bozhyeva reported that Kornukov wants RKO, specifically the 3rd Missile Attack Warning System Army to come to the Air Forces, and the latter should change its name to reflect its aerospace orientation. He doesn't like the idea of creating a new armed service called aerospace troops that would control PVO.
Asked about Russia's ability to defend against potential missile attacks from North Korea or Iran, Kornukov called the country's capability to counter these threats 'limited.' He said, although the S-400 can cope with air-breathing threats, Moscow has no means for countering 'operational' (i.e. intermediate-range) missiles.
Other members of the 'Extradepartmental Expert Council' had their say as well. Former chief of PVO's equipment ordering directorate General-Major Kolganov said:
". . . the VKO concept developed several years ago is not supported today organizationally or financially. There is no targeted program for its realization."
Former Armaments Chief General-Colonel Anatoliy Sitnov says:
". . . in Russia they remembered about VKO only after the U.S. began to test the X-37 orbital glider. . . . everyone's occupied with a general assimilation of budget resources, and not at all with the development of new strategic technologies for modern space systems, reconnaissance, [and] missile attack warning satellites . . . . This can't come from a private businessman. He comes to grab some budget money and sell what's been made for scrap."
"We lost 300 super-technologies, primarily in aviation and air defense. In particular, in the production of supergraphite, which is used in nose cones for missiles . . . ."
Sitnov also criticizes poor organization for VKO:
"There is no one to be in command, no one to command and control forces and means, no one to commission new air defense systems."
"It is time to move from words to deeds, to take purposeful directions and targeted programs for developing new aerospace defense systems."
"But we are waiting for someone to come and help us. No one will."
Kornukov is an old PVO guy–albeit an Air Defense Aviation pilot; he was the first CINC of the VVS after it subsumed PVO. Maybe he, and the others, are just shilling for Almaz-Antey to get even more from the State Defense Order. Or perhaps their assessments are sincere.
Posted in Air Forces, Force Modernization, Military Doctrine, Strategic Deterrence
Tagged Air-Space Defense, Anatoliy Kornukov, Anatoliy Sitnov, ВВС, ВКО, ОСК ВКО, ПВО, РКО, MiG-29, RKO, S-300, S-400, Sergey Kolganov, Su-27, VKO, VVS, X-37
Defense Industry's Last Warning
Popovkin in a Suit
Last Friday's NVO printed an interesting editorial that discussed arms exporter irritation with Deputy Defense Minister, Armaments Chief [former Commander of Space Troops and ex-General-Colonel] Vladimir Popovkin for publicly admitting the Defense Ministry's dissatisfaction with many of the OPK's products. The exporters are obviously upset that Popovkin's comments have, and will, cost them sales abroad. But NVO concludes a greater danger would be trying to silence anyone–high-ranking defense official or independent defense analyst–who dares point out the OPK's problems in the hope of remedying them.
NVO's sub-title for the article is "The OPK's systemic crisis threatens a breakdown in the supply of combat equipment to the Russian Army and a lack of export contracts."
The Greeks have apparently called off a purchase of 420 BMP-3s for $1.5 billion (let's call it $3.6 million per vehicle). The deal had been 2 years in the making, and it wasn't the state of the Greek economy that caused the halt. According to NVO, the money was already in the defense budget. Rather it was Popovkin's specific criticism of the BMP-3 that folded the deal.
Popovkin is quoted:
"We very much need to protect our soldiers. Today everyone rides on top of the BMP because no one wants to ride in this 'coffin.' We need to make a different vehicle."
Greek journalists published his remarks, and opposition politicians turned them into a scandal: how can you buy unsuitable equipment that even the country that makes it won't buy?
Popovkin also complained about the T-90 that the Indians are buying, the tank support combat vehicle (BMPT) that Rosoboroneksport recently demonstrated at an arms show in Kuala Lumpur, and other equipment which the army won't buy for one reason or another, but which is put forth for export and actively advertised there.
According to NVO, the arms exporters are terribly offended because the [ex-] general cost them several lucrative contracts. But, in NVO's estimation, his speech is very necessary. It says:
". . . the truth about the condition of the Russian defense-industrial complex, about those processes occurring there, about the systemic crisis in it and the inability of its various directors, including even the government's Military-Industrial Commission [VPK], to correct the existing situation, is not a secret at all. It's been talked about more than once. On the most varied levels. Including even presidential."
NVO says this truth is very important; it could help the powers-that-be uncover the problem areas, fix them, and produce the modern equipment needed for the defense of the country's interests. Without an honest discussion, the deficiencies can't be fixed. But the Kremlin, government, the legislature, executive organs, or the regions won't undertake any serious measures against negligent managers. Despite constant talk of state arms programs, federal programs of technical reequipping of defense enterprises, in reality, with the exception of aviation and air defense firms, nothing is really happening. It's moving at a snail's pace. Or is it?
Foreign buyers send in 33 warranty claims for every 100 Russian weapons systems exported. And the scandal with the Algerian MiGs didn't teach the OPK anything.
It would be possible to silence critics and protect military-technical cooperation with foreign countries and keep the profits coming to the budget and the manufacturers. But won't the low quality of these systems, their inability to meet the demands of modern war, really be a negative advertisement? Does someone really think if they quiet the generals, together with the Moscow media, military analysts and experts then they can sell some kind of half-finished military goods to a serious buyer? Naive views worked out for illiterate dilettantes.
NVO figures there are two ways out: either give up, lose export orders, and accept the situation or sharply improve the quality and effectiveness of Russian weapons, reduce prices and defects, and strive to be on the leading edge of technology. In other words, saving defense industry is in the hands of defense industry itself. And no one else.
When it comes to combat vehicles, sniper rifles, UAVs, assault ships, night sights, and armor, the international division of labor in defense industry isn't such a bad thing after all. It brings Russia closer to the 'probable enemies' of the recent past. But when it comes to nuclear-powered submarines and strategic missiles we still don't know how to do them ourselves and no one's going to sell us those. And [unless Russia remembers how and gets its OPK in order] it will remember national security the same way it remembers the long forgotten past.
This is NVO's way of telling the Putin-Medvedev regime it would be foolish to shut down this feedback channel that tells it what needs fixing in the OPK.
Posted in Arms Sales, Defense Industry, Force Modernization, Serdyukov's Reforms
Tagged BMP-3, BMPT, Greece, India, Malaysia, MiG-29, Military-Industrial Commission, Rosoboroneksport, T-90, Vladimir Popovkin, VPK
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Nationalist politics
Posted on April 28, 2010 by Iftikhar Ajmal Bhopal
Nationalist politics in Pakistan is getting nastier with time. While many lives have already been lost over the NWFP renaming dispute, many nationalists in Balochistan and Sindh are calling for secession too. These are ominous developments. In his "Reconstruction of Religious Thought in Islam", Allama Iqbal said: "No wonder then that the modern Muslim in Turkey, Egypt and Persia is led to seek fresh sources of energy in the creation of new loyalties, such as patriotism and nationalism which Nietzsche described as 'sickness and unreason', and 'the strongest force against culture'." He also observed that nationalism drew upon the psychological forces of hate, suspicion and resentment, which tended to impoverish the soul of man and closed up his hidden sources of spiritual energy.
The renowned British historian, Arnold Toynbee, also had something very pertinent to say in "Civilisation on Trial" while discussing the possible future role of Islam in providing an alternative leadership for the world civilisation. He said, "There are, of course, other western ideas and institutions which are doubtful blessings, and one of these is our western nationalism. The Turks and many other Islamic peoples with them have become strongly infected with nationalism as with other western notions, salutary or pernicious. And we have to ask ourselves what is going to be the consequence of the intrusion of this narrow-hearted western political idea into an Islamic world whose own ancestral tradition is that all Muslims are brothers by virtue of their common religion, in spite of difference of race, language and habitat… The Islamic tradition of the brotherhood of man would seem to be a better ideal for meeting the social needs of the times than the western tradition of sovereign independence for dozens of separate nationalities… And yet the prestige of the west in the world is high enough to make the western virus of nationalism still infectious. It is to be hoped that in the Islamic world at any rate, the spread of this western political malady may be arrested by the strength of a traditional Islamic feeling." These are very sad times for the country. We should ponder over these observations seriously and try to strengthen Pakistan — as we are fighting for its very survival — instead of weakening it by divisive politics.
Courtesy: The News
Posted in Behaviour, Daily Life, Hypocrisy	| Leave a comment
FAVORS UPON YOU
Our heart beats around 100,000 times every day.
Our blood is on a 60,000-mile journey.
Our eyes can distinguish up to one million color surfaces and take in more information than the largest telescope known to man.
Our lungs inhale over two million liters of air every day, without even thinking. They are large enough to cover a
tennis court.
Our hearing is so sensitive it can distinguish between hundreds of thousands of different sounds.
Our sense of touch is more refined than any device ever created.
Our brain is more complex than the most powerful computer and has over 100 billion nerve cells.
We give birth to 100 billion red cells every day.
When we touch something, we send a message to our brain at 124 mph.
We have over 600 muscles.
We exercise at least 30 muscles when we smile
We are about 70 percent water.
We make one liter of saliva a day.
Our nose is our personal air-conditioning system: It warms cold air, cools hot air and filters impurities.
In one square inch of our hand we have nine feet of blood vessels, 600 pain sensors, 9000 nerve endings, 36 heat sensors and 75 pressure sensors.
We have copper, zinc, cobalt, calcium, manganese, phosphates, nickel and silicon in our bodies.
DID YOU THANK YOUR CREATOR TODAY?
Offer your prayers regularly and thank Allah for His Blessings.
" Fabi-ayyi aala-i Rabbikuma tukazzibaan" ( The Holy Qur'aan, Surah Rahman 55:Ayah 13)
(So, Oh jinn and mankind) Which of the Favors of your Râbb (Lord) will you then deny?
Posted in Daily Life	| Leave a comment
Why did Zardari mention only two people in his address?
Other than the bulletproof armoured car in a VIP convoy, the security configuration requires a back-up bulletproof armoured car as well as an ambulance with a doctor. These are cocooned by a well-armed mobile escort team, including a point vehicle. VVIP convoys also have separate mobile communication vehicles. Because the prime target of any assassin/s will be the lead vehicle carrying the VVIP/VIP, the back-up vehicle is a must. The logic is that if the lead vehicle is immobilized for any reason then the back-up vehicle is the only chance for the VIP to get away safely from the scene of ambush, a secure means for transportation to a secure location. This is nothing out of the ordinary; it is Standard Operating Procedure (SOP).
The driver of the back-up vehicle ensures that at all times he keeps "hugging" the lead vehicle, he must ensure that no other vehicle comes in between. The back-up vehicle cannot be separated from the lead vehicle, the two have to stay together as if they were Siamese twins. The back-up vehicle is not meant as a passenger vehicle, but usually there are guards in the vehicle. These guards will disembark during an emergency and shift the VIP from the lead vehicle. The VIP can then be expeditiously spirited away from the ambush site. Under no circumstances can the back-up vehicle have any persons other than guards as occupants. That would be a serious breach of security.
In Ms Bhutto's convoy at Liaquat Bagh, the back-up vehicle had unauthorized occupants; it was being misused by the man in charge of Ms Benazir security from the PPP side, Rahman Malik. Dr Babar Awan along with Farhatullah Babar and Lt Gen (R) Tauqir Zia climbed in with him as passengers. As per the findings of the UN Report, the back-up vehicle left the ambush site, abandoning the VIP vehicle and did not stop till they reached Zardari House in Islamabad. The PPP's leader was thus left stranded grievously injured in a vehicle that was badly damaged and was running on rims. One can just imagine the horrendous situation inside the car. Ms Benazir lying critically injured, the blood seeping out of her head and the occupants of the car, Makhdoom Amin Fahim, Senator Safdar Abbasi, Nahid Khan and the driver in a state of shock, their leader literally dying before their eyes.
The trauma of those inside the vehicle can only be described as palpable, the driver deserves a medal for keeping the badly damaged Land Cruiser going. How he even got near the hospital with the vehicle in that damaged state is nothing short of a miracle. And where was the back-up vehicle meant to rescue her from just such a fate? To quote the exact words of the UN Report's findings, "Ms Bhutto was left vulnerable in a severely damaged vehicle that was unable to transport her to hospital by the irresponsible and hasty departure of the bullet-proof Mercedes Benz, which as the back-up vehicle, was essential part of her convoy", unquote. To her credit Sherry Rahman, following behind Ms Benazir's vehicle did not abandon her leader. It was her car that transported the grievously injured leader the remaining distance to the hospital. That the back-up vehicle left the scene of the horrible crime makes those who took the vehicle away guilty by association for Ms Benazir's murder. Given that the PPP leader's Advisor on Security, Rahman Malik, made off with the vehicle along with another senior PPP leader, Dr Babar Awan, makes them both culpable, and in that order. The other two were simply passengers; the driver must have been briefed about his task to stick like glue to the lead vehicle. Why did the driver speed away? It is believed he was abused and threatened by Malik and Awan.
If he was security trained he would have followed standing instructions to follow the lead car no matter what. He must be taken to task. And if he was not security trained, who in the PPP was responsible for this other than the man in charge of Ms Benazir's security, Rahman Malik?
The real question that investigators do not seem to focus on, why did the back-up vehicle leave the area ahead of Ms Benazir's instead of following the lead vehicle? Did someone know that the bomb attack on Ms Benazir was about to take place and did not want to be caught up in the attack? This by itself makes the speeding away of the back-up vehicle (and not stopping) very suspicious! The false statements Malik and Awan said in TV appearances soon after the incident are a matter of record they kept claiming repeatedly, that they were close by and following the lead vehicle to the hospital! Any statement in such an investigation is considered to be under oath, their making of a blatantly false statement is perjury. There is also the moral issue here, two senior PPP leaders abandoned their badly wounded leader and without caring for her fate they sped away to safety. And did not stop till they reached Zardari House! How could they have abandoned their mentor in her hour of dire need?
It now begins to make sense why the govt asked for a delay in publishing the UN Report. The contents must have been shared with the Pakistan Govt before its public announcement. The delay was only a ploy to mask the culpability of Malik and Awan. The president's speech to Joint Session of Parliament was due, he gave glowing mention to these two, almost out of context. This does raise awkward questions about why Zardari is so keen to absolve these two characters when they are guilty of abandoning his critically injured wife when even a few critical minutes would have made the difference between life and death? How can the Zardari one knows continue to be associated with those who left Benazir virtually dying on the road while they ran for their own lives? For the PPP it is a shame to have such people in their Party who abandoned their leader when she needed them most. One will watch with interest how the PPP "Jiyalas" react to these two.
Will the Chief Executive of the country have the courage, not only to dispense with the services of these men who abandoned their (and his) leader when she was dying, but also make them accountable for Benazir's death? Now that he has the powers, Yousuf Raza Gilani cannot put off decision-making by taking advantage of the ambiguity between the Head of State and Head of the Govt. That will be the first acid test of the 18th Amendment! Ms Benazir paid for the disloyalty and cowardice of Malik and Awan with her life, what price will this country pay if such people continue to serve in critical govt positions?
By: Ikram Sehgal
Posted in News & Views	| Leave a comment
Change is possible
Corruption is notoriously difficult to fight everywhere, and for decades it has permeated every aspect of our lives. Over time we develop a deadening fatalism, a belief that nothing can change and therefore we shoudn't bother challenging the system. But what if there was a model which turned things on their head, where not only the citizen was able to report on how the bureaucracy had dealt with him or her, but a level of that bureaucracy also became critically self-monitoring? Not only does such a model exist, it was 'invented' here in Pakistan and now is being rolled out by the Punjab administration province-wide. It is known as the 'Jhang model', is the brainchild of a civil servant by the name of Zubair Bhatti, and is a paragon of simplicity.
It is based upon the idea of having officials approach the citizen to ask them about the nature and effectiveness of their interaction with various offices and agencies, to seek their views on any difficulties they may have faced, like demands for bribes or other favours. Mr Bhatti tried this approach when he was Jhang DCO and found it remarkably effective, particularly as he was able to challenge people like Patwaris by asking them for detailed daily records of their transactions complete with the phone numbers of buyers and sellers and the amount of tax that was to be paid. Within weeks complaints began to drop. He applied his methods of accountability to government hospitals and education institutions, with similar effect. The Punjab government was so impressed that it decided – 20 months ago – to implement a similar system across the province. Somewhat late this is now beginning to happen, the lateness no doubt connected to resistances to its implementation by assorted baboos that saw their profits threatened. Early reports from Bahawalnagar and Bahawalpur suggest that the Jhang model is popular with citizens surprised to find senior members of the administration calling them up to ask their views and opinions as to the quality of services. The model offers a practical and realistic way of battling corruption as well as engaging with the citizenry in a positive manner. We can do things differently if we have both the will and the way – the Jhang model offers us a way, the will need careful nurturing.
Posted in Behaviour, Daily Life, News & Views	| Leave a comment
The Day of the Assassination: 27 December 2007
Departure from Zardari House for Liaquat Bagh
86. Around 1400 hours, Ms Bhutto left Zardari House, for Liaquat Bagh, in a convoy of vehicles. The convoy consisted of a black Toyota Land Cruiser used by Mr Tauqir Kaira, followed by Ms Bhutto's white armoured Land Cruiser and two of Mr Kaira's vehicles on either side of Ms Bhutto's vehicle. The latter two were a Mercedes-Benz van on the right and a four-door double cabin vehicle on the left.
Immediately behind those vehicles were two Toyota Vigo pick-up trucks, positioned side by side. A black Mercedes-Benz car was behind these Vigos. This Mercedes- Benz, from Zardari House, was bullet-proof and served as the back-up vehicle for Ms Bhutto. The two Vigo pick-up trucks were also from Zardari House.
87. Mr Kaira was inside the lead vehicle with his security men. Accompanying Ms Bhutto in her vehicle were Mr Javed-ur-Rehman (driver, front-left seat), SSP Major (ret) Imtiaz Hussain (front-right seat), Makhdoom Amin Fahim (senior PPP member, second row-left seat), Ms Bhutto (second row-centre seat), Ms Naheed Khan (senior PPP member and political secretary of Ms Bhutto, second row-right seat). Seated in the back of the vehicle on two benches facing each other were Senator Safdar Abbasi (senior PPP member, rear-right bench), Mr Shahenshah (rear-left bench, facing
Senator Abbasi) and Mr Razaq Mirani (personal attendant of Ms Bhutto, rear-right bench next to Senator Abbasi and to his left). Mr Kaira's two vehicles on either side of Ms Bhutto's Land Cruiser carried his men. The Vigo pick-up trucks carried members of Mr Chaudry Aslam's security team. Riding in the black Mercedes-Benz car were the driver, PPP official Mr Faratullah Babar in the front passenger seat and, in the rear passenger seat from left to right, two PPP officials Mr Babar Awan and Mr Rehman Malik and General (ret) Tauqir Zia.
Arrival at Liaquat Bagh
88. Ms Bhutto's convoy reached the Faizabad junction at about 1415 hours, according to the Rawalpindi District Police, who were to assume responsibility for security of the convoy. According to the police and the Security Plan, an escort was to be provided composed of a traffic police "pilot" jeep, a regular police jeep leading the convoy and three Elite Force Toyota pick-up trucks protecting Ms Bhutto's Land Cruiser on three sides. People in Ms Bhutto's vehicle claim, however, that there was no such escort except for one traffic police vehicle.
89. At about 1456 hours, Ms Bhutto's convoy turned right at the Murree Road – Liaquat Road junction and headed towards Liaquat Bagh. Video footage shows Ms Bhutto's convoy driving from the Murree Road – Liaquat Bagh junction to the inner security gate leading to the VIP parking area at Liaquat Bagh. The footage shows Ms Bhutto standing through the roof escape hatch of her Land Cruiser and waving at the large crowd around the vehicle while it moved slowly on Liaquat Road.
90. Both ASP Ashfaq Anwar who was the supervisor of the Elite Force unit and Inspector Azmat Ali Dogar, the unit's commander, told the Commission that they accompanied Ms Bhutto all the way to the back of the stage according to the Security Plan. However, video footage and pictures show that as Ms Bhutto drove on much of Liaquat Road, her vehicle was flanked only by her private security vehicles. The Elite Force vehicles were nowhere near her vehicle. In fact, the Commission has identified Inspector Dogar among the crowd some distance from Ms Bhutto's vehicle.
Contrary to the police assertion, there was no police-provided box formation around Ms Bhutto as she arrived at the rally, and the Elite Force unit did not execute their duties as specified in the security deployment. Furthermore, the Commission does not believe that the full escort as described by the police was ever present.
91. At about 1516 hours, Ms Bhutto's convoy stopped for a few minutes at the inner gate of the parking area waiting for that gate to be opened, during which Ms Bhutto remained standing through the escape hatch. The police and some PPP members disagree as to the reason for the delay in opening the gate. While the PPP asserts that the police did not have the key to open the gate, the police said that they did not want the large crowd following Ms Bhutto to get into the VIP parking area.
Altogether, Ms Bhutto stood through the escape hatch for the approximately 20 minutes it took to drive from the Murree Road – Liaquat Road junction to the gate of the parking area. This calls into question the claim of the Rawalpindi District Police that they were surprised when Ms Bhutto emerged from the escape hatch on her way out of Liaquat Bagh.
92. Once the convoy passed through the inner gate, at about 1531 hours, it drove through the VIP parking area to the rear of the stage. At least the following three vehicles were in the VIP parking area: Ms Bhutto's Land Cruiser, Mr Kaira's lead vehicle and the black bullet-proof Mercedes-Benz car. Temporary wooden stairs had been built for the rally to access the rear of the stage directly from the parking area.
Ms Bhutto climbed the stairs, went to the stage to wave to the crowd and took her seat before addressing the crowd.
93. Near the rear of the stage, a scuffle broke out between some workers of the PPP and police who tried to prevent them from climbing to the stage. This created tension between PPP workers and the police officers posted in that area. Accounts given by PPP representatives and the police with regard to the degree and nature of this event differ significantly. The police state that the dispute was minor and was settled immediately, whereas some on the local PPP side claim it was serious and led to bitter reactions from the police during the rest of the rally. They say that the police felt insulted and became more passive in their security role. The Commission finds that the police were indeed passive in their provision of security and believes it unprofessional if the Rawalpindi District Police reduced their level of alert to any degree as a result of wounded pride.
Exit from Liaquat Bagh
94. Several thousand people attended the event. Ms Bhutto was joined on the stage by a number of national-level PPP leaders and all of the parliamentary candidates from Rawalpindi district. The crowds were enthusiastic, and PPP leaders and activists considered the event to have been a great success. They say Ms Bhutto gave a strong and rousing speech, one of the best of her campaign, and describe her as having been radiant that day.
95. The public gathering concluded and, at about 1710 hours, Ms Bhutto descended the wooden stairs and entered her Land Cruiser. The occupants of the Land Cruiser and their seating positions were the same as for the trip in to Liaquat Bagh. The composition of passengers in the black Mercedes-Benz car also remained the same.
96. The black bullet-proof Mercedes-Benz car was the first to leave the parking area. It is not clear how much distance there was between this vehicle and the rest of Ms Bhutto's convoy at the moment of the blast. Credible reports range from 100 meters to 250 meters. Some of those in the car said that they were close enough to Ms Bhutto's vehicle to feel the impact of the blast. Others at the site of the blast have said that the Mercedes-Benz left Liaquat Bagh so quickly that it was nowhere to be seen when the blast occurred. Indeed, the Commission has not seen this vehicle in the many video images of the exit area it reviewed. Despite the acknowledgement of some occupants of the vehicle that they felt the impact of the blast, the Commission finds it incredible that they drove all the way to Zardari House, a drive of about 20 minutes, before they became aware that Ms Bhutto had been injured in the blast.
They should have stopped at a safe distance when they felt the blast so as to check on Ms Bhutto's condition, the condition of her vehicle and whether the back-up vehicle was required. Indeed, as the back-up vehicle, the Mercedes-Benz car would have been an essential element of Ms Bhutto's convoy on the return trip even if the occupants of that car had confirmed that Ms Bhutto had been unscathed in the attack.
97. Mr Kaira's vehicle was the next to leave the inner parking area after the Mercedes-Benz car, with Ms Bhutto's vehicle right behind it, followed by another of Mr Kaira's vehicles. The two Vigo pick-up trucks then followed from the outer parking area located between the inner and outer gates.
98. At 1712 hours, Ms Bhutto's Land Cruiser exited from the outer gate. Crowds of people who were already on Liaquat Road drew closer to the vehicle as it began to turn right onto Liaquat Road. In addition, many people left the park, swelling the crowd around the Land Cruiser, contrary to the police assertion that they did not allow anyone to leave the park before the departure of Ms Bhutto's convoy. Ms Bhutto emerged through the escape hatch of the vehicle and started waving to her supporters. When the vehicle approached the central road divider, it was slowed further by the crowd.
99. Major Imtiaz, who was sitting in the front seat of the Land Cruiser, said that he was worried that the convoy was being slowed down by the crowd. He wanted to call CPO Saud Aziz by cell phone, but he did not have the CPO's direct number. Instead he called CPO Saud Aziz's operator and the operator at the police station in Multan, another town in Punjab Province (where Major Imtiaz had recently served). The Commission finds that this lack of preparation was a major flaw in the security arrangements and reflects badly on the professionalism of Major Imtiaz who should have had full and rapid access to the Rawalpindi police command.
100. Questions remain as to the nature of the crowd that gathered around the Land Cruiser. Passengers in the Land Cruiser and some local PPP members recalled that they were mostly PPP workers, and they did not see any strangers or irregular movements among them. The Rawalpindi District Police and other PPP members, however, suggested that a group of people had deliberately stood in front of the Land Cruiser to prevent it from moving. Regardless of the accuracy of either account, it remains that the police did not control the crowd outside of Liaquat Bagh. As a result, the attacker was able to get as close as he did to Ms Bhutto's vehicle.
101. The Rawalpindi police authorities and some PPP workers dispute the exact exit route agreed for Ms Bhutto's convoy. The Rawalpindi District Police and DCO Elahi claim that the planned route for the convoy was to turn right onto Liaquat Road and then left onto Murree Road, retracing the convoy's entry route. Only in case of an emergency was the convoy to make a left turn after exiting from the outer gate; a decision to take the emergency route had to be made by the senior police officer in charge of security on the scene. Some local PPP workers who attended the preparatory meeting with the police disagree with this account. They claim that the original plan was to make a left turn onto Liaquat Road and that the minutes provided by the DCO, which did not indicate this left turn, were inaccurate. In any event, photographs show two stationary police vehicles on Liaquat Road blocking the left- side drive lane where the left turn would have been made. As a result, even in an emergency, it would have been impossible for Ms Bhutto's convoy to make a left turn and use the escape route unless those police vehicles were quickly moved. The Commission learned that these vehicles were official vehicles of senior Rawalpindi police officers. The Commission finds it irresponsible that these vehicles were parked in such a way as to block the emergency exit route.
102. The Rawalpindi District Police claim that police vehicles from the Elite Force unit headed by ASP Ashfaq Anwar were waiting outside the outer gate to escort Ms Bhutto's convoy and that they were about to go into a protective box formation when the attack on Ms Bhutto took place. However, forming the box at this point was impracticable given the narrow width of Liaquat Road and the number of people who had already started to surround Ms Bhutto's vehicle. In any event, video footage shows very few uniformed police on the scene available to push back the crowd to create space for the box formation. Furthermore, video and photographs taken shortly before the blast as well as Commission interviews indicate that the Elite Force unit was not in position to go into a box formation. The Elite Force unit was in place neither for the entry nor the exit of the convoy and did not afford the protection they were tasked with, thus failing spectacularly in their duty.
103. Overall, video and photographic materials as well as the Commission's interviews establish that there were very few police deployed outside the outer gate and on Liaquat Road as Ms Bhutto's convoy attempted to depart the scene.
104. From the exit, Ms Bhutto's Land Cruiser started to make a right turn onto Liaquat Road. As it slowly approached the central divider on Liaquat Road, the crowd began chanting slogans. There is some dispute over whether Ms Bhutto made the decision to stand up on her own or was urged to do so. Before she stood up, Ms Bhutto asked Ms Naheed Khan to make a phone call to Mr Nawaz Sharif, PML-N leader, to convey condolences for the deaths of some of his supporters who had been shot during the PML-N rally earlier that day. It had been reported that the shooting incident occurred between supporters of the PML-N and those of the PML-Q parties.
105. While Ms Khan was trying to reach Mr Sharif, Ms Bhutto stopped her and asked Senator Abbasi, who was sitting in the rear seat, to chant slogans to the crowd using the vehicle's loudspeaker. Ms Bhutto then stood on the seat and appeared through the escape hatch, with her head and shoulders exposed.
106. Ms Bhutto waved to the crowd. The vehicle continued to move slowly into its right turn onto Liaquat Road. At this point, a man wearing dark glasses appeared in the crowd on the left side of the Land Cruiser. Around 1714 hours, while the vehicle continued into its right turn, the man pulled out a pistol, and from a distance of approximately two to three meters, fired three shots at Ms Bhutto. According to video analysis conducted by Scotland Yard, the three shots were fired in less than one second.
107. The Commission examined video footage taken from a back angle, which shows Ms Bhutto's dupatta, her white head covering, and her hair flick upwards after the second shot. However, there is no evidence of a link between the second shot and that movement. After the third shot, she started to move down into the vehicle.
108. After the third shot, the gunman lowered the gun, looked down and then detonated the explosives. At the time of the blast, the gunman was near the left rear corner of the vehicle. Video footage shows that at the time of the explosion, the Land Cruiser was still making the right turn. The Scotland Yard team's analysis shows that it took 1.6 seconds from the time of the first shot to the detonation of the bomb.
In the Land Cruiser
109. Ms Naheed Khan recalled that immediately after she had heard the three gunshots, Ms Bhutto fell down into the vehicle onto her lap. Ms Khan said that she felt the impact of the explosion immediately thereafter. The right side of Ms Bhutto's head came to rest on Ms Khan's lap. Ms Khan saw that Ms Bhutto was bleeding profusely from the right side of her head. She noticed that Ms Bhutto was not moving and saw that blood was also trickling from her ear. Makhdoom Amin Fahim recalled that Ms Bhutto fell heavily and showed no sign of life after falling.
According to Scotland Yard's video analysis, the flash of the blast appeared just over two-thirds of a second after Ms Bhutto disappeared from view.
110. No one else in her vehicle was seriously injured.
Transfer to the Hospital
111. After the explosion, Senator Abbasi told the driver to drive to the hospital (initially having in mind a hospital in Islamabad). Although all four of its tires were punctured by the blast, the Land Cruiser managed to drive along Liaquat Road for approximately 300 meters towards the junction with Murree Road where it turned left. As the Land Cruiser moved along Murree Road, it became increasingly difficult for the driver to manoeuvre on the metal rims of the wheels. The Land Cruiser made a U-turn at the Rehmanabad junction, located approximately four kilometres from the Liaquat Road-Murree Road junction, in order to get to the other side of the road where Rawalpindi General Hospital (RGH) was located. The occupants of the Land Cruiser recalled that at this point there was only one traffic police vehicle ahead of the Land Cruiser. No other vehicles were visible – neither the bullet proof black Mercedes-Benz car nor any Elite Force unit vehicle. Following the U-turn, the Land Cruiser stalled. The party had to wait for some time on Murree Road until a private vehicle that belonged to Ms Sherry Rehman arrived and took Ms Bhutto to the hospital.
So far available executive report can be read by clicking here
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"World War III will come & Muslims will turn to ashes", Says Kissinger


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The study was sponsored by the School of the Bible, an evangelistic outreach of the congregation.
At the end of each month the school holds the study for special topics that are more polemical or difficult.
The unusually cold weather and the normal vacation month affected attendance, which averages 60-70 people. Over 20 people were present for this study.
I had been invited months ahead of time, with the topic assigned to me by the organizers.
Visitors were present from the cities of Salvador, in Bahia state, and from Joinville, in the state of Santa Catarina, so that both the southern and northeastern parts of the country were represented.
Afterwards, listeners had opportunity to submit written questions. Several of the questions dealt with the purpose of baptism and baptisms of other religious groups.
The manuscript, which offers extensive documentation, should be published in booklet form in a few weeks.
For more information, as well as how two Vatican documents provided a tie-in to the topic, see this link in Forthright Magazine.
BZeal rejoices in the progress of the gospel in Brazil and around the world. Please share this news with friends.
You can read these and other stories online at BZeal. Add your comments, prayers, and suggestions, too!
Sign up to get BZeal news by email. Click here and send an email to request a free subscription.


It helps regulate cholesterol levels, relieving premenstrual states and disorders of menopause, and is a coayudante in the treatment of dry, devitalized and that acne-prone skin. Also, strengthens and improves the condition of the nails and hair.
The oil is extracted from the seeds by a cold pressing process. The oil is made up of essential fatty acids, particularly cis-linoleic acid, cis-gamma-linolenic and oleic acids. It also contains unsaponifiable fraction, beta-sitosterol and citrostadienol.
Essential fatty acids are important for the body because they constitute the membrane phospholipids and precursors of various cellular mediators such as prostaglandins, thromboxanes and leukotrienes. It also contains Vitamin E Natural Source (powerful biological antioxidant that helps prevent premature skin aging).
Help regulate cholesterol levels, relieve premenstrual states, relieve menopausal disorders, and is a coayudante in the treatment of dry, devitalized and that acne-prone skin. In addition, it also strengthens and improves nail and hair.
Ingredients: Evening Primrose Oil virgin 1 first cold pressing (10% GLA) (500 mg.), Vitamin E (D-alpha tocopherol acetate 67%) (15 mg.), gelatin capsule (117 mg.) and glycerin (28 mg.), from organic production.
Nutritional value of 3 pearls: Protein 231.65 mg., Carbohydrate 0 mg., Fat 1.43 g., Energy: 14,13 kcal. / 59 Kj., Vitamine E: 30 mg.
Recommended dosage: 3 softgels a day. Employment: take 1 to 3 pearls before lunch or dinner.
Precautions: Not recommended in cases of epilepsy, schizophrenia and autoimmune diseases. Food supplements should not be used as a substitute for a balanced diet, variety and a healthy lifestyle. Do not exceed recommended daily dose. Keep out of reach of children.
It helps regulate bowel function involved in the renewal of bacterial flora. Improves skin, nails and hair. Great energy intake. Satiating effect. Strengthens the immune system. It helps regulate cholesterol, sugar and eliminate toxins. Reduces premenstrual distress.
Omega 3, 6 and 9. Presented in packs of 100 pearls. Food supplement for a balanced intake of omega 3, 6 and 9.
Regenerates the cells and tissues and is essential in maintaining the skin, bones and teeth. Strengthens the immune system creating natural antibodies. Protects Vitamins A and E against oxidation. Assists in maintaining normal levels of blood cholesterol.
Stimulates the activity and the size of the thyroid gland, and this increase causes the production of a very important number of cells for the immune system. L-Arginine is an important component in the production and tissue regeneration.
Natural source of Omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA. Has been recognized as essential fatty acids have many beneficial effects on the body and influence hormone production and immune and cardiovascular health.
It prevents skin aging, moisturizes the skin and promotes elasticity. Relieves eczema. Reduces hypertension and prevents the formation of thrombos. Relieves menopause and premenstrual pains. Improves acne, strengthen nails and hair. Improved prostate disorders. Reduced cholesterol levels.
Reduces hypertension. Relieves menopause and premenstrual pains. Reduced cholesterol levels. Has been recognized as essential fatty acids have many beneficial effects on the body and influence hormone production and immune and cardiovascular health.
The weakening of the liver, due to the accumulation of toxic substances in it and the rest of the body, can bring problems to the immune system. Helping to keep the liver healthy and strong this plant stays healthy the whole body.
Carnitine is important for its role in the transport of fatty acids into muscle cells where it can be converted into energy. Carnitine in prolonged exercise increases resistance.
Recommended to relieve pain as it has a great anti-inflammatory power. Ideal for people with arthritis, as it relieves the pain and helps to eliminate toxins. Promote the proper functioning of the liver and protecting it from toxins. Lowers cholesterol and can help reduce glucose levels.
Reishi, Shitake and Maitake Mushrooms, have been used for millennia by the most ancient Eastern traditions. They have an antioxidant effect, anti-allergic and anti-hypertensive. Liver protector. Reduces cholesterol levels. Many processes stimulated of the immune system function.
Help in hypertension, arteriosclerosis and hyperlipidemia. Also useful in genitourinary infections antibiotics because its components are removed by the kidneys.
As a nutritionally complete algae that can help in cases of anemia, muscle pain, fibromyalgia, fatigue, stress, stomach pains, constipation, and hypertension. It is an immune system enhancer.
Lipid-lowering effect, decreases the cholesterol content in liver and increases HDL-C. Effective in dyspepsia, liver-biliary disorders, liver disease.
Fights free radical formation. It helps to control cholesterol. It stimulates digestion. It has a mild diuretic effect. It stimulates the central nervous system.
As soluble fiber, to be administered with enough fluid swells to form in the digestive tract a gel, which induces satiety, and consequently a decrease in food intake. It has hypoglycemic action and cholesterol control.
These pills improve the health of skin, nails and hair as well as other properties of beer yeast as improving the nervous system, digestive and circulatory systems. Help keep our bodies young, improving the functioning of organs and cells. It contains all the essential amino acids.
Slows synthesis of cholesterol in the liver and increases hepatic reabsorption of bad cholesterol. Because of its chromium content, has a significant effect on the metabolism of insulin. Decreases lipid concentrations and cardiovascular disease.
Crustacean from Antarctica, which composition is really favorable to our health, not only as a high protein food, because it has essential fatty acids and minerals noted for their antioxidant action. High in trace elements, is essential for the proper functioning of heart and muscles.


Dander, mold, dust and pollen, for some people these are just annoyances that have to be dealt with. And for about 19.1 million people in the U.S. who have been diagnosed with hay fever, these elements are associated with numerous allergies related to respiratory system, nose and eyes. Typical allergy symptoms include: itchiness, sneezing, running nose, stuffy nose and wheezing.
Poor indoor air quality can cause allergy symptoms, probably turning your office and home into an unsafe environment. In a study it was found that on an average, Americans spend about 93% of their life indoors. In addition, the study found that concentration of some pollutants in indoor air is usually 2-5 times higher than outdoor concentrations.
Thankfully there are ways to fight these irritants and assist keep those allergies at bay. Continue reading to find 5 ways to assist improve indoor air quality.
Earlier, feather dusters were commonly used cleaning tools for offices. The problem with these tools is that they don't pick up dust. Using a feather duster is worse than not dusting at all because these tools send dust particles into the air to collect again on surfaces or enter your respiratory system. An effective dusting method is one that traps and removes dirt and other allergens, providing you with cleaner air. A company like Pro Facility Services uses microfiber clothes to capture and trap the dust and remove it from your facility.
This might sound surprising but there are some houseplants that are known to purify the toxic air or even decrease dust by as much as 20% in a small office. In a research conducted by the NASA Clean Air Study it was found that some common household plants are effective at removing dangerous contaminants from the air. Like ammonia, benzene and formaldehyde and can assist decrease the effects of sick building syndrome.
A dirty AC filter not just increases your utility bill by making your AC fan work harder, but it also recirculates dust and debris back into your home or office. If you have pets, indoor air quality can worsen because clogged air filter won't be able to catch dander properly. Air filters should be replaced regularly. For people who suffer from allergies and have pets, it is recommended to change your AC monthly. And get a good filter. The quality is measured by the MERV (Minimum efficiency reporting value) rating. Get a 9 or above.
Carpets can be full of dander, dust mites and other allergens and debris. Frequent vacuuming is essential to assist remove those irritants and keep the carpet clean. But, remember carpets are not the only fabric in your office that can attract dust and dirt. Besides, dust gets collected on AC vents and light fixtures.
Comprehensive and thorough vacuuming can be done with the help of Pro Facility Services or a commercial cleaning company in Miami. Vacuums with attachments and hoses can assist in removing dust from those typical nooks and corners of your offices. Pro Facility Services uses HEPA vacuum, which enables to effectively remove 99.97% of particles from the air and vacuum office floors, vents and corners efficiently and easily.
Achieving better indoor air quality may assist decrease the number of allergens around you. For Commercial Cleaning services in Miami, feel free to contact Pro Facility services. We provide professional office cleaning services that can assist improve the indoor air quality and overall health of your office.


text:
Camillo Berneri
Regarding our critiques of Bolshevism
In this short but insightful article, Camillo Berneri tries to analyze as fairly as possible the causes for the failure of the Russian revolution, taking account of both "the errors and the horrors" committed by the Bolsheviks and the 'objective conditions' that even an anarchist revolution would have been unable to overcome, and concluding that the latter played the greater role.
Abstentionism and anarchism
An article by Camillo Berneri arguing that electoral abstentionism should not be considered dogma by anarchists, written shortly after the victory of the Popular Front in the Spanish elections of February 1936. The translation does not imply endorsement.
Vanguard (Vol. 3, No. 7, June 1937)
The June 1937 issue of Vanguard, an anarchist journal published out of New York, with articles by Gregori Maximov, Sidney Solomon, Augustin Souchy, Camillo Berneri and Max Nomad.
Spain and the World. Vol. 1, no. 13
Submitted by wojtek on Mar 3 2015 00:35
The thirteenth edition of Spain and the World, dated 4th June, 1937.
An interview with Noam Chomsky on the Spanish revolution - Jorell A. Meléndez Badillo (2009)
In this 2009 interview originally published in Spanish, Noam Chomsky answers questions about military options and international factors in the Spanish Civil War, the role of the Stalinists in suppressing the revolution in Spain, the attitudes of intellectuals with regard to the revolution and their historical role more generally, and the chances for another libertarian revolution.
Against the racist delirium - Camillo Berneri
Camillo Berneri's 1934 article, The Racist Delirium, in which he dissects the racist Nazi doctrines that were then coming to ascendancy in Europe.
Between the war and the Revolution - Camillo Berneri
Submitted by Juan Conatz on Oct 4 2010 05:50
Italian anarchist volunteer Camillo Berneri, speculates on the possibility of intervention in the Spanish Civil War.
The anarchists in government in Spain: Open letter to comrade Federica Montseny - Camillo Berneri
Letter from Italian anarchist Camillo Berneri to anarchists in the Spanish Government during the revolution.
On militarisation of the militias
Interview with Italian anarchist militant, Camillo Berneri, in Spain on the situation of the revolution and war.
Berneri, Luigi Camillo, 1897-1937
Submitted by Ed on Sep 21 2004 14:34
The life of famous Italian anarchist, Luigi Camillo Berneri, who was assassinated by Stalinists during the Spanish Civil War.


hi. I am trying to figure out why i cant get synced chip to function on cell phone.
its not working. im doing something wrong.
What model of the cell phone are you using? What brand and model of the 2 Gig chip are you also using.
To check format of the 2 G chip use windows explorer. Right click on the drive letter of the 2G chip and click properties. On the general tab what is next to File System?
Although I may not be here when you return, I will receive an e-mail when you reply and will be aware that you have returned. Once I receive that e-mail, I will do my absolute best to return promptly to continue support. Please be patient, as I do value your satisfaction and strive to make my top priority.
If the information I provided worked for you, please click on ACCEPT. If you can kindly award me a BONUS if you appreciated my responses and also I look forward to receiving FEEDBACK.
My computer's usb will only discover mass storage devices.


Image Title: A Wooden Floor In Bathroom DIY Intended For Flooring Remodel 9. Filename: a-wooden-floor-in-bathroom-diy-intended-for-flooring-remodel-9.jpeg. Image Dimension: 616 x 462 pixels. Images Format: jpg/jpeg. Publisher/Author: Norris Jones. Uploaded Date: Sunday - June 10th. 2018 02:58:14 AM. Category: Architecture. Image Source: wayfair.com.
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text:
La tombe de John Ludwig est situé à Windhoek, dans la région de Khomas en Namibie. Le site a été classé monument national le .

Notes et références

Voir aussi
 Liste des monuments et sites historiques de Namibie

Monument national en Namibie

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


The traditional stereotype of the countryside conjures up sleepy villages which are attractive to criminals with designs on expensive farm machinery. But the reality is that more people are waking up to the fact that their property is at risk unless they take steps to protect their homes and businesses.
This growing awareness has resulted in a welcome fall in the cost of rural crime. According to NFU Mutual's annual claims data, the cost to the UK economy in 2014 was a not-insignificant £37.8 million. However, this was down from £44.5 million, or 15 per cent, on the previous year.
Across the East the amount of insurance claims from rural thefts has dropped. Last year in Cambridgeshire the value of rural thefts was £1.7million compared with £2.4 million the year before.
Suffolk saw a fall from £1.4million to £1.1million, Norfolk dropped from £880,000 to £600,000 while one of the country's biggest farming county's, Lincolnshire, saw the value of rural thefts decrease from £2.2million to £1.8million. Likewise, Leicestershire saw a fall from £1.2million to £750,000.
This pattern has been replicated across the UK.


From work to play, this winged leather tote bag is designed with double handles, shiny hardware touches, and a front zip pocket. Featuring a tablet sleeve and two more interior media pockets.
Additional Details: This Structered Tote Has One Zip Pocket And One Tablet Sleeve Pocket With 2 Media Pockets For Those On The Go.


text:
Glowing Amy performs for Mandela
Amy Winehouse was back on stage in London Friday when she performed two of her hits 'Rehab' and 'Valerie' at a special concert as part of Nelson Mandela's 90th birthday tribute.
Everyone welcomed her with loud cheers and was impressed by her strong vocals and her really healthy looks, according to the reports.
Amy was wearing her famous huge beehive with a bright heart-shaped pin inscribed with "Blake", her husband's name. Generally Amy looked much better than expected, especially taking into account her recent hospitalization and health issues.
Besides singing two of her songs, Winehouse took lead vocals in a version of 'Free Nelson Mandela,' alongside Jerry Dammers, the writer of the anthem, and most of the concert's performers and then joined everyone to sing 'Happy birthday' to Nelson Mandela.
Here's Amy singing her famous 'Rehab'. Honestly, I expected something grander from her. but the dancers rock.
Organizers of Friday's gig feared Winehouse would miss the concert after she failed to attend a scheduled photocall on Thursday, the source reported.
Generally the concert was aimed at raising money for Mandela's 46664 AIDS charity – named after his prison number. The concert followed the fundraising dinner on Wednesday night, which was attended by Bill Clinton, Gordon Brown, Oprah Winfrey, Robert De Niro, Will Smith, Uma Thurman and others.
According to the reports, the event has raised about $10m. The concert was led by Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith and was attended by Geri Halliwell, Leona Lewis, Annie Lennox, trio Sugababes, Lewis Hamilton and Nicole Scherzinger, Prince William's girlfriend Kate Middleton, and others.
Once again, happy birthday Nelson! You're a great man!
Katy Perry wet herself with excitement
100 Power Women in Entertainment revealed
Kim Kardashian premieres 'Jam', proves she's the worst singer ever
Posted to: Amy Winehouse, Geri Halliwell, Leona Lewis, Nelson Mandela, Oprah Winfrey, Sugababes, Uma Thurman
Wedding gift: naked Heidi Montag in Playboy
Beyonce Named People's World's Most Beautiful Woman 2012


text:
Global Nav Άνοιγμα μενού Global Nav Κλείσιμο μενού
Αναζήτηση στο apple.com
The History of Rome (Vol. 1-4)
The History of Rome (Books from the Foundation of the City) is a monumental history of ancient Rome, written between 27 and 9 BC by the historian Titus Livius The work covers the period from the legends concerning the arrival of Aeneas and the refugees from the fall of Troy, to the city's founding in 753, the expulsion of the Kings in 509, and down to Livy's own time, during the reign of the emperor Augustus. Volume one comprises the first eight books, covering the legendary founding of Rome (including the landing of Aeneas in Italy and the founding of the city by Romulus), the period of the kings, the early republic down to its conquest by the Gauls in 390 BC, and the roman wars with the Aequi, Volsci, Etruscans, and Samnites.
More Books by Livy
The History of Rome: All Books
THE HISTORY OF ROME (Complete Edition in 4 Volumes)
The Early History of Rome (Books I-V)
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The new Harney & Sons catalog came in the mail today! I know I can shop and look thru the website online at http://www.harney.com but there is nothing like looking at the catalog curled up on the couch or in a bubble bath with a hot cup of tea to make your day! One of my personal favorites is their Paris blend, which is a blend of black tea, with fruit, citrus, and Carmel flavors. I am really anxious to try all of the HRP (Historic Royal Palaces) line and would like to try them all in the future! So many teas so little time (and money)! Oh and just look at the tea sets! I swoon!
I have that tea cup!!! So cute! And I am a big fan of the Harney Historic Palace teas. I can't get enough of the Tower of London blend. The green tea is delicious tea, though I am forgetting the name of it right now.


eFinancialCareers offer a wealth of insurance jobs in general, life and commercial insurance including a significant number of roles is areas like auto, home, accident, property, liability and credit.
The insurance industry is dominated by the large general insurance companies that develop a wide range of insurance products for their clients, including both individuals and businesses. Inevitably this involves assessing risk and pricing the products accordingly – key in this process are the actuaries that specialise in calculating and assessing risks. Insurance is marketed to clients in one of two ways – by direct salespersons employed by the insurance company and through brokers acting as agents.
The less obvious parts of the insurance industry include the re-insurers, where insurance is provided to the insurers to lay off some of the risk they have underwritten, and the specialist insurance market that is Lloyds of London. The Lloyds market offers a wealth of opportunities within its network of syndicates, underwriters and broking firms. There are also roles available within bancassurance groups - bancassurance is the term used for financial services companies that combine both banking services and insurance products for their clients.
Underwriters focus on data assimilation and risk analysis. They are the people who take the decision to actually accept an insurance risk.
Actuaries are responsible for developing mathematical and statistical models, so that insurers can quantify and assess the risks they have taken on.
Product roles are tasked with creating new insurance solutions. Information can come from research analysts and business analysts within the firm, or external sources, influencing the types of products that might be required in the market.
Investment professionals include those responsible for managing the money held in the insurance company's funds, and implementing the strategies to contain risk whilst maximising return.
Broking and Sales are very similar, with both required to find the right insurance products for their clients. Sales people are employed by the insurers, whilst brokers are separate individuals or firms acting as agent to sell the insurance products for commission.
Claims makes up a significant proportion of all insurance jobs. From general administration of claims through to claims investigation and fraud detection, the claims team is vital to the efficiency and ultimately the profitability of the insurance operation.


When just starting out, some wonder how to create their own intellectual property. They are worried about creating original content versus leveraging materials that others have developed. Fabienne Fredrickson provides suggestions on how you can create your own propriety system.
Business liability insurance isn't a luxury. It's a necessity – unless you like lawsuits. Justin explains why as a business owner, you most likely need business liability insurance.
Getting ahead in your financial life is growing your wealth, being financially secure and feeling in control. A successful financial life means having a plan – a system for how you deal with your money. It is about being conscious and aware that you have a REAL financial plan. Justin shares what he does with his clients and how you should think about getting ahead in your financial life.
As you are developing ideas and implementing them for your small business, are you remembering to take the time to protect them? The internet has changed the pace of life and business, and unfortunately has made it easier for people to plagiarize your work and copy your brilliance.
From time to time it's always a good idea to scan your business and your life for any vampires, and if you find any, to send them on their way. Remember, vampires are seductive, so unless you're looking for them you just might miss them.
Is Your Virtual Assistant Letting You Down?
Hiring a virtual assistant ("VA") is like any relationship. At first, you're both feeling the love and everyone is happy. But after a few months you may start noticing tasks slipping through the cracks or that you're having to spend as much time tracking your assistant's tasks as you used to spend doing them yourself.
The cost of health care continues to rise at the fastest rate in our history. According to the Kaiser Family Institute, since 2000 health insurance premiums have increased by 73%. At the same time inflation has increased 14% and wages have climbed 15%. In 2005 alone, employer health insurance premiums increased by 9.2 percent…nearly three times the rate of inflation. Learn about the BizPlan; five year study.