I think this is when I watched The Greatest Showman in my utter fatigue. And even then, I was so enraptured by the movie, even in this poor airplane quality amidst that continuous annoying drone, I cannot stop playing the soundtrack album now. A Million Dreams is playing in my ears right now, while I'm in the belly of a different drone — a hairdryer. I will not deny I watched it on and off, between dozing off, trips to the loo and munching some bits and pieces of Etihad supper. That notwithstanding, I really had to fight off my tears, an endeavour I failed at miserably. I ended up with a serious lump of pain in my throat by the end of it. If you're into musicals or looking for a movie you can watch with little ones, I think this is it. I am definitely rewatching it in better quality soon.
Off to Fiumicino, Aeroporti di Roma (Rome) a.k.a. Leonardo da Vinci, my last and longest layover before Marseille. And the 8 hours were tortuuuuuure. I got there some minutes to 7AM, Sunday. And let us not forget crossing time zones just makes it even more confusing. Abu Dhabi is an hour ahead of us. Rome is 2 hours behind us. I think. And remember, I have not really slept since 8AM, Saturday. We all squeeze into the transfers hall which seems a bit too cramped for my liking and I already know I will not like my stay at this airport. The only flashy things that could not help me one bit were the luxury stores across Terminal E on two floors. I was in Italy, after all. Dolce&Gabbana. Pandora. Gucci. Burberry. The seats were not going to help in my sleepy misery, so I just sat there and played with my phone until my flight was finally displayed on the screens. I went through passport control as I was now really entering the Schengen area and went on to more shops and uncomfortable chairs. Try as I might, I could not sleep. So, again, I do not know what I did with those 8 hours. This is also mixed with the fact that I could have sworn I watched Modern Family for hours on Netflix but I can neither confirm this from my watch history nor from searching on Netflix. I was definitely not day-dreaming because my Google history tells me I was on Netflix all afternoon. But the other Google says Modern Family has never been on Netflix. Wacha tuachie hapo kwanza. What I am sure about is that I finally found myself inside a small Alitalia flight to Marseille in the early evening. I sat next to a polite boy who was all Bonjour on me. That was the first time I acted like I learnt French from my mum.
Marseille is definitely hot. It's a coastal town. I have never been happier to alight from anything in my life like I was when we did at Marseille. I just wanted to sleep! The immigration lines were so long I almost gave up. But since I had already got the stamp in Rome, the guy did not look at my passport twice. I ventured out into the Arrivals hall to wait for my people to get me. We headed out into the Alps (Alpes in French) some minutes after that. This is where we were going to spend most of the time in France. Destination, a little village called Saint Jacques. Why? Wedding Bells!!!!! How? All under the auspices of my dear loving friend Leilah and her very beautiful family. Just writing this almost made me tear up, so let me stop and will pick that up later. In private. Where no peering eyes are wondering why this crazy black girl is crying on a plane. LOL. I have clearly written this post for many days in different places and spaces, so don't even try to envision my writing pattern.
So from Marseille, the capital of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region (south-East France basically), the roads are a delight. They literally pay for them highways at toll gates. Cars stick to the right here too. I will never get used to that. The drive was a feast for my sore eyes as we drew nearer to the Alps. I temporarily forgot I was tired and sleepy. My new road trip friends offered some very sweet bread too. I mean, how else was I to really know I was in France? There was a bit of a drizzle too. Darkness had covered the mountains by the time we got to the village. And that is to say a lot considering the sun goes down late. Again, a warm welcome awaited us as the family ushered us into the most ageless home I have ever walked into right next to a church. I remember walking in and commenting on how I smelt history around. And great food! And books! And French! Oh my goodness. Was I not supposed to be sleepy btw?
After the warm dinner, mamé walked us to what we would call home for the next few days. I was in awe. This was the second most antique home I had ever walked into. She showed us everything and kept apologizing because she believed this was not good enough for us. I was confused. Why was she apologizing? This was like walking through a dream for me. Like walking into one of those fairy tales I had read as a kid. Red Riding Hood, perhaps. Or living inside the set of Once Upon A Time. Just look at these pics and tell me I am wrong?
Anyway, I finally got over my awe and slept like a log. I think we woke up at 11 the next day. On a Monday. I mean, what else would I want in life than to wake up like that and open wooden shutters into the most awe-inspiring view of the Alps outside. Sigh. I want to go back.
Monday was chill, with more bread, cheese, chicken and sausages. We had lunch outside in the luscious green compound outside the main house. Then we attended mass in the church. Legitimately the most ancient church I have walked into. The experience was made all the more exotic because most of the mass was in French. I could not wait for the next day, wedding day!
And it came! A beautiful summer morning with everyone getting ready for the occasion. Leilah looked exquisite! She has always had a way with elegant gowns. Speaking of elegance, the wedding was the epitome of admirable simple-elegance. Sorry, what did you say? I can't make up words? Not today. It made me rethink my whole wedding dream. I do think that the fact that we were already in a naturally beautiful place that needed no expensive and unnecessary decor contributed to this. And the people who streamed in to share in this joy. What else do you really need? Nothing. It was a lovely ceremony which included the baptism of the couple's adorable baby girl. You should have seen me singing along to French hymns! 😀 You would have thought I had been there for months.
After the church ceremony, we spent some time out in the sun on some drinks and snacks. We then headed out to the wedding party. It was an intimate affair, not much different from the Kenyan ones we know with speeches and good food. Let me not talk too much about this from here. I will let the pictures do that for us.
The evening was wonderful! I never thought I could dance in public until this night. I guess I was still in a dream. We danced for hours in the open to all kinds of tunes, from African to pop, to reggae and samba. Suffice to say, my limbs were in pain the next day. I got over that real quick though as we headed out for a little hike in the Alps that afternoon. The views here are to die for, even when you're not into climbing stuff. Worry not. You can just come here to stare.
The weather has a funny way of communicating, because after all the sun, the Alps decided it was time for rain on Thursday. So we tucked in and spent the rest of the day just making some Kenyan noise and eating. I could have sworn I had gained many kilos during my stay here but I actually didn't.
We headed back to Marseille, with a short stopover at Gap. A little town that left nothing imagination, especially after experiencing dreamy Alps, but I did love these!!!
I got to experience Marseille for a few hours when the temperatures had dipped a little this time. The sights from Basilique Notre Dame de la Garde were amazing, including the sunset.
I also got to feast on the biggest burger I have seen in my life. Generally the short experience in France encouraged me in my quest to learn French. And to experience the love of a people brought together by love that supersedes all the many unnecessary complications we insist on bringing upon ourselves. The next time I am back there (because there will be a next time), I will have more to say about the city. Or maybe even drop by Paris. No, not maybe. Definitely. By then, I will be a master of French.
For now, I bow out, with a dreamy smile on my face.
I have intentionally skipped the part describing the airport pain. This other part detailing the Alps and Marseille is quite something. Sounds like a place to visit. I would have loved to see you dancing to all other tunes that aren't Christian songs.
Hi dear Shiku. I love what you wrote about your journey in France. An alpine affair is the beginning of a novel you'll write when you'll come back. I look forward to meeting you again, so we are waiting you.
Mamé!!! 🙂 I love that you love it! It's a true honour and your kind words made me so happy. 🙂 Amen to the novel! Merci beaucoup toujours!!!


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The Westminster Bi-Line
The student news site of The Westminster Schools
Experiencing Art with Creating Community
Hugh Trotter, Arts Reporter|November 2, 2018
Westminster offers countless opportunities for those wishing to be involved in the arts, ranging from visual and performing arts classes to theatrical and musical shows. Many students choose to complete their required one-semester art credit as a freshman, but others choose to stay on the art track through senior year. The student-led group Creating Community caters to students of all arts interests and applies them to off-campus experiences. The group focuses on celebrating art in both local and national settings by visiting innovative areas with the goal of enriching the artistic sides of Westminster students' minds.
The group consists of current juniors and seniors, who applied for the group at the end of the last school year. According to junior Woods Curry, his application consisted of "describing what kind of creator I consider myself to be." He went on to explain that all students are encouraged to apply no matter their level of art experience. "We all come from different backgrounds; some students are currently enrolled in visual art or performing art classes at Westminster whereas others simply have a passion for art," said Curry.
Even this early in the year, sophomore Zac Walpole is already looking forward to applying for next year's group. "Creating Community is a great idea in my opinion, I oftentimes go out into the city looking for art on my own time, and I can't wait to get involved with other students," said Walpole.
Recently, various members of the group took a trip to Chicago, advised by Upper School English teacher Sabrina Johnson and Upper School Spanish teacher Daniel Searl. The main purpose of the trip was to explore an art community different than Atlanta's and to get a better understanding of how artistic style can differ from area to area. "The trip was exciting and walking-intensive, but amazing in terms of learning about art in Chicago and the visible evolution of architecture expressed by the diverse building designs," said senior Will Mills. While in Chicago, the group toured the city's iconic sights while also delving into lesser-known museums, tours, and expos, particularly EXPO Chicago. This local expo, founded in 1980, runs once every year providing international contemporary and modern arts exhibits. Some of this year's highlights included "Memorabilia" (2018) by Liliana Porter, "Basketball Court Installation" (2018) by William Lachance, and "Flag Wave" (2016) by Philippe Decrauzat.
Some other Westminster students' highlights include an architectural boat tour of Chicago, a visit to the Museum of Contemporary Art, and simply learning about the different art culture in Chicago. Curry specifically liked the trip because of the different outlook from which he was able to view that art that he saw. "Overall, the trip offered us the chance to experience art in a professional way," said Curry. Upon returning to Westminster, the group shared many great stories of their Chicago adventures and even excited some of the underclassmen, such as sophomore Aydin Bandukwala, about the opportunity in future years. "I'd love to go to Chicago with Creating Community in the future, I love touring cities and architecture," said Bandukwala.
Aside from the Chicago trip, Creating Community has been active within the Atlanta community as well. Particularly, the group attended the Atlanta Lantern Parade in September on the Beltline. The Lantern Parade celebrates the annual Art on the Atlanta BeltLine exhibition, the largest temporary art exhibition in the South. This festival is unique in that anybody who wishes to participate must make their own unique lantern. "We all decided on a fruits and vegetables theme, but each made our own lanterns," said Curry. Creating Community specifically chose to attend this event because it allowed them celebrate with a large community of Atlanta artists. "We went to the lantern festival to participate in an artistic celebration with the Atlanta community," said Mills. "The wide range of creativity dumbfounded me as I saw the different styles of art and the different interpretations of what lanterns could become with a touch of creativity. I left feeling inspired to think along my own interests while wanting to use my creativity to potentially inspire others."
This year, attendance at the Atlanta Lantern Parade broke a record with approximately 60,000 people in attendance. The large audience led to several members of the group describing the festival as "chaotic," "exciting," and "energizing." Sophomore Cabot Kimball attended the festival with friends and commented similarly on the exotic atmosphere. "Everybody was so excited at the festival! I'm definitely interested in applying to Creating Community and returning to the parade next year!" said Kimball.
Through the local trip to the Lantern Parade and national trip to Chicago, the group was able to gain two different experiences. "Differently from Chicago, the lantern parade showed us how communities come together in order to celebrate the creations of others," said Curry.
While plenty of other arts opportunities are available on campus, such as theatre, performing arts, and visual arts, Creating Community takes the best of all worlds and goes out into our own communities and further to experience art through a different filter. The group has many plans in store for later this school year and even next year, including revisiting Chicago's annual Art Expo. Current group members encourage anybody to apply, no matter your current artistic ability or knowledge, as Creating Community ensures a fun and alternate way to learn about and experience the culture of art throughout our own community and the world.
Westminster political organizers paint murals to inspire Asian American representation in polls
MAC and WAC adapt to COVID-19 procedures
Senior Riya Jayanthi publishes second collection of poetry
Students collaborate with Broadway stars to produce fall musical revue
StudioW debuts new short films
Westminster's Upper School film club, StudioW, has recently released two short films that have been selected for the 2020 All American Film High Sch...
Upper School performing arts department adjusts to COVID-19 procedures
Messiah to take on digital format due to COVID-19 pandemic
Visual arts department debuts new exhibit "One Quiet Hour" in Broyles
Upper School musicians connect with community virtually
3rd annual Westminster Film Festival still in action

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Frisco Fresh Market was not as big as I thought it would be. Everyone was super friendly and had a lot of samples to try! Overall, we had a good time.
Get quick answers from Frisco Fresh Market staff and past visitors.


They also found lower concentration of chemicals in a multitude of other plastic chew toys.
Sometimes orange, sometimes white, dog trainers often use plastic fetching batons called bumpers to teach dogs how to retrieve. But researchers at Texas Tech University have discovered that the dogs also may fetch a mouthful of potentially dangerous chemicals at the same time.
A Concern for Your Pet's Health?


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VIII. The Political Challenge in the Kivus
The military challenge posed by units still loyal to Laurent Nkunda drew great attention in late 2006 and throughout the first half of 2007, understandably so given the loss of life and property damage that resulted from military skirmishes. But the military confrontation resulted from and has somewhat obscured the fundamental political struggle over the control of North Kivu, and perhaps eastern Congo in general.
The Challenge from Nkunda: "Our Little State"
Not just a soldier, Nkunda is also a politician bent on assuring a substantial political voice for the Tutsi. In August 2006 he told Human Rights Watch researchers, "We need to make sure our cries are heard. We must be listened to."181 To this end he founded the National Congress for the Defense of the People (CNDP) with a program of preventing the exclusion of Tutsi from national political life, assuring the security of Tutsi soldiers in the national army, eliminating the presence of the FDLR in Congo, and assuring the return of Congolese refugees now in Rwanda.182
In an interview with a Human Rights Watch researcher, one of Nkunda's officers called parts of North Kivu "our little state" and others have spoken of the possible creation of a "Republic of Virunga."183 These ideas recall proposals for an autonomous eastern Congo, mooted in 2001 by RCD-Goma, Nkunda's first politico-military base. Such ideas elicited hostile responses from other ethnic groups of North Kivu and may have accounted in part for the formation of one opposition group, the Coalition of Congolese Patriotic Resistance (PARECO), a movement claiming to unite non-Rwandaphone peoples as well as some Rwandaphone Hutu of North Kivu.
Nkunda has created a growing base of power in North Kivu, strongest in large areas of Masisi and in some parts of Rutshuru. In these areas Nkunda has made changes in the administration (both civil and customary), the police, the intelligence service, the distribution of land, and the collection of taxes. To increase the number of his supporters, as well as to achieve one of the objectives of his movement, he has encouraged and assisted the return of Congolese refugees from Rwanda. He has also promoted an ideology that claims roots in religion and human rights, making use of a local radio station as well as various ceremonial meetings and programs in schools to convey his ideas to the residents of North Kivu.
Although immediately focused on activities in North Kivu, Nkunda has built some ties with politico-military groups as far afield as Ituri and South Kivu. Two of his most important subordinates, Bosco Ntaganda and Colonel Linganga, have links with militia in Ituri. 184 Some Banyamulenge in South Kivu are said to be followers of Nkunda and have demanded that their military forces also be subject to mixage rather than brassage.185
Civil administration, police, intelligence
During the second Congo war and the years of transition, RCD-Goma, then dominant in the Kivus, attempted to assure its control by naming administrators helpful to its cause, by winning previously hostile incumbents to its side, or by removing those unalterably opposed.
As RCD power waned and that of Nkunda grew, many administrators came to terms with the new force in the region and saw their power grow. Others, remaining apart from Nkunda, saw their authority dwindle, even while remaining nominally in office. Eugene Serafuli, for example, once an extremely powerful governor named by the RCD, stood for election as a provincial deputy in 2006 but found himself excluded from parts of North Kivu by Nkunda's troops. In October 2006 soldiers attacked several of his campaign workers, killing one person.186In another case in Masisi territory, one deputy administrator became a supporter of Nkunda and then used his new power to attempt to displace his superior, claiming that he now was the principal administrator.187
In Rutshuru a local administrative official claimed that he was not able to carry out his duties throughout most of his jurisdiction because he is not counted as a supporter of Nkunda. He told a Human Rights Watch researcher,
I control only one-third of my territory. Two-thirds is in the hands of the CNDP. I don't control Bwito, for example. I have no access—I would be killed if I went there. I feel in danger. Some state authorities have received threats in Bwito and one of the chiefs there has been replaced. In Nyamilima the local administrator has had to flee. You have to be faithful to the CNDP, to their ideology. If you don't accept it, you have no job.188
In at least one case Nkunda intervened in a conflict over the post of customary chief. In February 2007 Nkunda's soldiers aided Vincent Mwambutsa, a family member of Nkunda,189 by raiding the office of his rival, the son of a previous customary chief and claimant to the post of his father.190
Associates of Nkunda in the police force usurped control of police authority in such communities as Tongo, Mweso, and Kitchanga after successfully raiding a police command post in Rubaya, Masisi in November 2006. Some 100 police officers initially recruited at the time of the RCD engaged officers of the national police in a firefight and drove them from Rubaya. According to the regional head of police, the rebel police officers, who looted arms and uniforms, were supported by Nkunda's soldiers. He said, "We have to face the truth, there is a link to Nkunda. All the stolen equipment has gone to Nkunda's army."191
Similarly, agents of the National Intelligence Agency (Agence Nationale de Renseignement, ANR) no longer report to the regional ANR headquarters in Goma but to Nkunda. An ANR officer posted in Kitchanga was murdered on April 12, 2006, with the possible involvement of Nkunda's soldiers.192 According to an ANR official in Goma, agents in Tongo, Mweso, and Kitchanga have escaped his control and are managed by Nkunda. He asked a Human Rights Watch researcher, "How can I pretend to be provincial head of the ANR when there are parts of the province that escape my authority?"193
Taxation, land, and refugees
The power to collect taxes and distribute land, usually attributes of the administration, has been appropriated by Nkunda and his soldiers in areas under his influence.
On roads and at marketplaces throughout Masisi territory, in places such as Kirolirwe and Bihambo, Nkunda's soldiers collect "tax" from traders. In November 2006 they imposed taxes as high as US$200 for a passing truck transporting timber.194 On occasion they demanded contributions of fuel and food, for which "shipping receipts" were issued.195
Conflicts in North Kivu, as elsewhere in eastern Congo, often are linked to the control of land, in part because land is valuable in this densely populated region, and in part because land was customarily identified with a particular ethnic group and with the authority of its head. Under the RCD, wealthy and powerful local residents, as well as well-placed Rwandans, appropriated large tracts of land, particularly in Masisi. Much of this land had been previously owned or at least controlled by the state. Because many of the new landholders were Tutsi, ethnic hostilities became intertwined with local material interests.196
Control of land has more recently been linked also to the question of the return of the refugees now in Rwanda. Many of these Congolese anticipate problems returning to land they held before their flight and seek assurances that they will be provided with the necessary land—either what they once held or land elsewhere—before they return to Congo. Nkunda recognized that assurance of land could be as important as assurance of security in persuading refugees to return. He arranged to provide land for returnees near Kitchanga and Kirolirwe, including some tracts inside Virunga national park supposedly protected from settlement.197 In some communities, such as Ngungu, local authorities loyal to Nkunda have forced local residents to cede their homes and fields to returnees.198
According to one UNHCR staff member, Nkunda sympathizers held meetings in the camps in Rwanda, encouraging refugees to return to Congo. Perhaps in part due to such efforts, some 70 percent of refugee men wanted to return as soon as possible, according to a survey done in May 2007 by UNHCR. Most of those wishing to return cited confidence in the security provided by Nkunda as their main reason for being ready to return.199 In at least one case, Nkunda's troops provided practical assistance as well, in the form of truck transport for some 163 returnees.200
Those who return to Congo at this time do so without assistance from UNHCR, which has judged current conditions of insecurity and complications over land holding inappropriate for an organized return. UNHCR had hoped to sign a tripartite agreement with the governments of Rwanda and Congo in 2007 and to begin organized returns, but is reluctant given the present situation.201 UNHCR is trying to ensure that refugees have access to full and objective information before deciding to return to North Kivu.202
Raising the flag
Aware that ideology is essential for galvanizing supporters, Nkunda created a flag for the CNDP, solemnly raised on public occasions, and developed a synthesis of ideas and practices meant to characterize the movement. Some of his ideas were drawn from evangelical texts including "A Purpose-Driven Life," a book by the American evangelical preacher Rick Warren much in vogue among Rwandan leaders. Other ideas, he said, he drew from customary practices of the Congolese Rwandophone community. Well attuned to the importance of publicity, Nkunda welcomes journalists and has enjoyed substantial success with the international press. Throughout late 2006 and 2007 he delivered his message also through large public meetings in Masisi and Rutshuru203 as well as through a local community radio station and programs carried out in schools by School Committees of Social Integration.204
Nkunda appears to accord great importance to reconciliation between the Tutsi and Hutu parts of the Rwandophone community, perhaps because he recognizes that Hutu Rwandophones could constitute an extremely important addition to his thus far largely Tutsi political base. At large meetings in Nyamitaba, Kitchanga, and Nyanzale, his supporters performed songs and declaimed Rwandan poems of self-praise (ibyvugo) meant to remind Rwandophones of their common cultural heritage. On one such occasion at Nyamitaba participants also shared drink and meat, eaten from a single spear.205 According to Nkunda, Congolese Hutu and Tutsi drank and shared meat in this way to signify the end of past ethnic conflict in the 1960s at Nyamitaba, and he wanted to repeat this practice to mark the end of ethnic animosities created during the recent electoral campaigns. He said, "The recent political campaign of Hutu politicians in this area has been very divisive. I wanted to stop these divisions and this is why I held the ceremony in Nyamitaba."206
Area of FDLR Dominance
Like Nkunda, the FDLR sought to control the economic wealth of areas where it was strong. Some FDLR commanders engaged in exploitation of minerals, but more profited from trade and from taxes, particularly those imposed on commerce. The FDLR also displaced local authorities or obliged them to follow FDLR directives. But it differed from Nkunda's movement in not aiming to create a distinctive autonomous political unit within the Congolese state.207
During the course of research for this report, Human Rights Watch researchers did not have contact with the FDLR on the ground.
The Response of the Congolese State
The national government failed to respond decisively to the North Kivu crisis throughout the first eight months of 2007, permitting Nkunda to strengthen his military forces and enlarge considerably the base of his effective territorial control. Although displaced by Nkunda's operations from some usual zones of dominance, the FDLR continued depredations against populations elsewhere in the province. Aware of the weak national government response in North Kivu, Banyamulenge soldiers in South Kivu demanded mixage instead of full integration and fought against other Congolese army soldiers. At the same time, FDLR combatants (and an outlaw group related to them) stepped up attacks on civilians. As deputies in the North Kivu provincial assembly concluded about growing insecurity in their region, "the state has resigned its role."208
After having apparently approved the mixage arrangement with Nkunda, President Kabila showed no firm commitment to the compromise, although his defense minister, Tshikez Diemu, defended the program before the national assembly, saying it offered a way to increase control over Nkunda's troops and would lead eventually to full integration.209 Similarly, Kabila left vague the question of Nkunda's status and eventual fate, allowing speculation to circulate about his departure or even his possible appointment to a regular army post. Only at the end of March did Kabila tell a press conference that the arrest warrant against Nkunda remained valid, but he did nothing after that date to have the warrant executed. 210 In the case of the FDLR, Kabila has committed his government to eliminating the group, but he has not publicly denounced those in his government and army who reportedly continue to offer them support.
As conditions on the ground worsened and the national government failed to respond adequately, the provincial parliamentarians offered their own analysis and recommendations for action in a report adopted by the provincial assembly on March 31 and then sent to the national government. They detailed over a hundred cases of killings, rapes, ambushes, abductions, arbitrary arrests, and looting where civilians had been victimized by soldiers of the national army, Nkunda's troops, the FDLR, and other groups like the former Mai Mai militia.211
The local lawmakers particularly denounced the creation of a "parallel" administration created in areas under Nkunda's sway, but they also denounced the collection of "taxes" and exploitation of economic resources by the FDLR, former Mai Mai, and other national soldiers in the parts of North Kivu where they were the dominant local power.
The parliamentarians recommended that mixage be stopped and that the mixed brigades be deployed promptly outside of North Kivu. They proposed that the government renew its efforts to find a political solution but they also recommended that further military operations, should they be necessary, be stronger and better organized and assure protection to civilians. They also asked that all those accused of human rights violations be brought to justice.212 Twenty-five local lawmakers sent a memo to President Kabila, highlighting these complaints.213
The newly elected governor of North Kivu, Julien Paluku (from the Nande ethnic group, the largest in the province), made one small step towards resolving the local crisis by setting up a small administrative unit under his own supervision to deal with ethnic tensions. Beyond that, he saw the problem as one that the national government must resolve. As he told a Human Rights Watch researcher, "The government must assume its responsibilities to bring peace to North Kivu."214
As it became increasingly clear in mid-May that mixage would not resolve the problems of North Kivu, a delegation of 10 ministers came to Goma, but returned to Kinshasa having proposed nothing more than a roundtable meeting to facilitate discussions among the various political actors. Provincial parliamentarians saw the proposal as most unpromising, particularly since the roundtable was to be held in the national capital. Given the cost of travel to Kinshasa, relatively few people from North Kivu would have the means to attend.215
Deputies from North Kivu in the national assembly asked to meet Kabila to discuss the crisis, but, according to a provincial lawmaker, were refused. At the end of May several national deputies from North Kivu suspended their participation in the National Assembly to protest governmental inaction. Deputy Emmanuel Bahati said, "Our suspension will last until we see clear signs and actions from the government that will restore peace. The government has done nothing to find a solution for the people who are suffering. Instead it sidesteps the issue by proposing a roundtable"216 On September 19 President Kabila arrived in Goma for a four-day visit to consult with military and political leaders, as well as UN and humanitarian agencies.
Despite the president's visit, at this writing in early October there was still no clear government policy in sight to resolve either the immediate military issues or the more fundamental political conflicts in North Kivu. The national government made some moves toward seeking greater dialogue with the FDLR, which itself made at least one attempt at healing splits in its own ranks. Meanwhile, the national senate held an extraordinary session to discuss the long-standing crisis in North Kivu as well as the crisis that had flared up more recently in South Kivu (where a group of dissident Banyamulenge with links to Nkunda had been clashing with the national army on the High Plateau near the town of Uvira). The senate created an investigatory mission to examine the situation in both provinces.217
While the political leaders discussed and examined and yet failed to decide, Gen. Gabriel Amisi announced on August 11 that Congolese army units would cease operations against the FDLR, in effect making official a situation already in existence for many weeks. 218 A spokesman for MONUC soon after clarified this declaration, saying that operations could well continue but that they would be carried out by Congolese army units that were fully integrated and trained. In his statement, General Amisi said that the mixed units would indeed be fully integrated into the Congolese army, perhaps with the assistance of MONUC.219
181 Human Rights Watch interview with Laurent Nkunda, Kirolirwe, August 26, 2006.
182 See, for example, Congrès National pour la Défense du Peuple, "Cahier de Charges du Congrès National pour la Défense du Peuple (CNDP)," October 2006.
183 Human Rights Watch interviews with officer loyal to Nkunda (name withheld), Goma, February 9, 2007, and local administrator (name withheld), Rutshuru, May 15, 2007.
184 Human Rights Watch has documented serious human rights violations by Bosco Ntaganda. See "D.R. Congo: Army Should Not Appoint War Criminals," Human Rights Watch news release, January 14, 2005, http://hrw.org/english/docs/2005/01/14/congo10014.htm. See also Human Rights Watch, D.R. Congo: The Curse of Gold, June 2, 2005, http://hrw.org/reports/2005/drc0505/.
185 Human Rights Watch interview with officer loyal to Nkunda (name withheld), Goma, February 9, 2007.
186 Human Rights Watch interview with MONUC official (name withheld), Goma, October 4, 2006.
187 Human Rights Watch interview with MONUC official (name withheld), Goma, January 24, 2007.
188 Human Rights Watch interview with local administrative official (name withheld), Rutshuru, May 15, 2007.
190 Human Rights Watch interview with staff of Goma based NGO, February 28, 2007. United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UN OCHA), "North Kivu Situation Report," February 12, 2007.
191 Human Rights Watch interview with Gen. Ndaty Kapend, regional head of police, Goma, November 15, 2006.
192 MONUC, "Human Rights Assessment 16 – 22 April 2006," April 27, 2006.
193 Human Rights Watch interview with ANR official (name withheld), Goma, February 19, 2007.
194 Human Rights Watch interviews with Sake residents, Sake, November 22, 2006.
195 Human Rights Watch interview with Masisi youth leader (name withheld), Goma, February 19, 2007.
196 Human Rights Watch interview with local NGO activist (name withheld), Kitchanga, September 27, 2007.
198 Human Rights Watch interview with UNHCR official (name withheld), Goma, April 18, 2007.
199 Human Rights Watch interview with representative of an international NGO working in the field of refugee assistance (name withheld), Goma, July 2, 2007.
200 Human Rights Watch interviews with UNHCR official (name withheld), Goma, February 8 and May 17, 2007.
201 Human Rights Watch interview with UNHCR official, Goma, February 8, 2007.
202 Human Rights Watch interviews with representative of an international NGO working in the field of refugee assistance (name withheld), Goma, July 2, 2007, and with official of UNHCR, Kigali, July 25, 2007.
203 Congrès National pour la Défense du Peuple, "Le Pèlerinage de la Réconciliation," DVD, July 2006; Human Rights Watch interview with local administrator (name withheld), Rutshuru, May 15, 2007.
204 Human Rights Watch interview with UNICEF official (name withheld), Goma, July 5, 2007.
205 Congrès National pour la Défense du Peuple, "Le Pèlerinage de la Réconciliation."
207 Romkema, "Opportunities and Constraints", pp. 53-56.
208 Provincial Assembly of North Kivu, "Report of an investigation mission into cases of insecurity in North Kivu province" ("Rapport de mission d'investigation sur les cas d'insécurité dans la province du Nord Kivu"), March 31, 2007, p. 27 (hereafter cited as Provincial Assembly, "Rapport de Mission").
209 "Mixage, brassage and generalized insecurity in the east of the country: Parliamentary questions continue behind closed doors" ("Mixage, brassage, insécurité généralisée à l'Est du pays : la question orale se poursuit à huis clos"), Le Potentiel, April 13, 2007, http://www.lepotentiel.com/afficher_article.php?id_edition=&id_article=44251 (accessed August 20, 2007).
210 Press conference given by President Joseph Kabila, Kinshasa (in French), reported by Digital Congo Television, March 26, 2007.
211 Provincial Assembly, "Rapport de Mission."
212 Ibid.
213 "Mixage of soldiers: hidden agendas" ("Mixage des troupes : les agendas cachés"), Le Phare Kinshasa, March 21, 2007, http://www.lepharerdc.com/www/index_view.php?storyID=2501&rubriqueID=8 (accessed July 4, 2007).
214 Human Rights Watch interview with Governor Paluku Kahongya Julien, Goma, April 10, 2007.
215 Human Rights Watch interview with Hon. Kakizumwami Habimana, provincial deputy, Goma, May 26, 2007.
216 "DRC: Parliamentarians from North and South Kivu suspend their participation in the National Assembly" ("RDC: des députés des Kivu (est) suspendent leur participation à l'Assemblée"), Agence France-Presse, May 29, 2007, http://www.monuc.org/news.aspx?newsID=14686 (accessed June 7, 2007).
217 "Thursday closure for the extraordinary session of the Senate" ("Clôture jeudi de la session extraordinaire du Sénat"), Le Potentiel, July 20, 2007, http://www.lepotentiel.com/afficher_article.php?id_edition=&id_article=49124 (accessed August 20, 2007).
218 Joe Bavier, "Army suspends operations against the FDLR in DRC" ("L'armée suspend ses opérations contre les FDLR en RDC"), Reuters, August 12, 2007.
219 MONUC press briefing, August 15, 2007, sent to Human Rights Watch by email, August 15, 2007.


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Mental Capacity Act is failing, say Lords
News, 17 March 2014
The Mental Capacity Act (MCA) is failing to protect vulnerable people because social workers, healthcare professionals and others are not aware of it and are failing to implement it, according to a House of Lords committee report.
The committee also found that the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) are not fit for purpose and recommended that they are replaced with legislation that is in keeping with the language and ethos of the MCA as a whole.
In addition, the Committee wants to see an independent body set up to oversee the MCA in order to drive forward change in practice.
The MCA, introduced in 2007, identifies who can make decisions depending on the situation, and how they should go about this. Anyone who works with or cares for an adult who lacks capacity must comply with the MCA when making decisions or acting for that person, whether it is a life-changing event or everyday matter.
The DoLS aim to ensure people in care homes and hospitals are looked after in a way that does not inappropriately restrict their freedom. The safeguards should ensure that a care home or hospital only deprives someone of their liberty in a safe and correct way, and that this is only done when it is in the best interests of the person and there is no other way to look after them.
Further reading: Care provider calls for reform of Mental Capacity Act
The Committee further recommends that:
• Government works with regulators and professional bodies to ensure the MCA is given a higher profile in training, standard setting and inspections
• Government increases staff resources at the Court of Protection to speed up handling of non-controversial cases
• Government reconsiders the provision of non-means tested legal aid to those who lack capacity, especially in cases of deprivation of liberty
• Local authorities use their discretionary powers to appoint independent mental capacity advocates more widely than is currently the case
• Government addresses the poor levels of awareness and understanding of Lasting Powers of Attorney and advance decisions to refuse treatment among professionals in the health and social care sectors
• Government review the criminal law provision for ill-treatment or neglect of a person lacking capacity to ensure that it is fit for purpose.
The Committee also recommends that the House of Lords seek an update from the government in a year's time to find out what they have done in response to their key recommendations.
The government is expected to respond to the report within 2 months, after which the Committee's report and the government's response will be debated in the House of Lords.
Implementing the MCA
Chairman of the Committee, Lord Hardie, said: "When the Act came into being, it was seen as a visionary piece of legislation, which marked a turning point in the rights of vulnerable people; those with learning difficulties, dementia, brain injuries or temporary impairment. The Committee is unanimous that this is important legislation, with the potential to transform lives.
"However, what is clear from the substantial volume of evidence we have received is that the Act is not working at all well. That is because people do not know about the Act, or do not understand it, even though many professionals have legal obligations under it. Those who may lack capacity have legal rights under the Act, but they are not being fulfilled. In many cases complying with the Act is treated like an optional add-on – nice to have, but not essential. In short, the Act is not being implemented.
"The Committee believes that the Act is good and it needs to be implemented. What we want to see is a change in attitudes and practice across the health and social care sector which reflects the empowering ethos of Act. To achieve this we recommend that overall responsibility for the Act be given to an independent body whose task will be to oversee, monitor and drive forward implementation. At present there are many bodies involved in implementing the Act, but there is no single organisation which is in charge. And the effect of that can be seen in the Act's patchy implementation. Ministers would still be ultimately responsible for the Act, but placing an independent body in charge would provide a focus for activity to raise awareness and improve practice."
'Start again' with DoLS
In addition, Lord Hardie outlined the Committee's concerns with the DoLs. "The evidence suggests that tens of thousands of people are being deprived of their liberty without the protection of the law, and without the protection that Parliament intended. Worse still, in some cases the safeguards are being wilfully used to oppress individuals and to force decisions upon them, regardless of what actions may be in their best interests.
"The criticism of the safeguards extended to the legislative provisions themselves; we were told the provisions were poorly drafted, overly complex and bureaucratic. A senior judge described the experience of trying to write a judgment on the safeguards as feeling "as if you have been in a washing machine and spin dryer". Even if implementation could be improved, the legislation itself is flawed.
"In the face of such criticism, the only option is to start again. The government needs to go back to the drawing board to draft replacement provisions that are easy to understand and implement, and in keeping with the style and ethos of the Mental Capacity Act."
Welcome report
Beverly Dawkins, special advisor at Mencap, welcomed the report and its acknowledgement that people with a learning disability are being failed by poor implementation of the MCA.
"We welcome all the recommendations of the Committee, particularly to set up an independent body to drive forward implementation and the need to review and reform the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards, which are currently not fit for purpose," she said.
"Alongside work to ensure the law is embedded in practice, we want serious consideration given as to what sanctions should be applied, when there is failure to follow the law.
"We are concerned that professional regulators are not taking failures to adhere to the MCA seriously enough. No single health care professional has been properly held to account for failing to adhere to the Mental Capacity Act – even though the consequences can, and have, been life threatening and even fatal. For real change to happen, professionals need to know that there will be serious repercussions for failures to carry out their legal duties."
#Mental Capacity Act
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Romance is for the dogs
Tom O'Brien is this close to making partner at the hottest law firm in San Francisco. The corner office is as good as his, provided his newest client doesn't foul things up. Brutus Stoddard is spoiled, craves attention, is very rich, and he drools. The fact that he's a dog doesn't help matters.
Brutus has inherited a multimillion-dollar estate from his late owner, and a pretty guardian named Madeline Cartwright, professional chef and the eccentric old man's surrogate granddaughter. Tom has a hard time believing this spunky little beauty didn't know about the fortune she was in line for – but he still finds her, and her culinary creations, irresistible.
If Tom is to get that promotion, he has to maintain the terms of the will. That means keeping both Brutus and Maddy happy. He's trying his hardest to keep the arrangement professional but with two clients this adorable, Tom's suddenly craving a different kind of partnership altogether…
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Madeleine Cartwright didn't look at all the type of female who'd boink an old man to death for his money.
Tom O'Brien saw that the second she opened the door of her apartment. His imagination had let him down big time. How could he have got it so wrong? This woman was more girl-next-door than vamp. No silicone-enhanced breasts, skintight dresses, or big, bleached hair.
Rather, her slender shape was enveloped in a white chef's apron smeared with chocolate and she had flour streaked on her pretty, heart-shaped face. She didn't have big hair. She had, well, small hair-short and feathery and kind of mussed up. It looked natural, not out of a bottle; hair the color of marmalade.
"You must be Tom O'Brien, Walter's lawyer." Her voice was sweet and musical, not sultry and seductive. "I'm Maddy Cartwright."
She held out a hand to him in greeting. As she was wearing a blue-and-white striped oven mitt, Tom hesitated to shake it. For a moment her eyes widened in surprise at his lack of response, then she glanced down at the offending mitt, flushed, and laughed as she slid it off.
"You're early," she said with a hint of accusation that Tom thought was quite unwarranted. "I'm right in the middle of testing a new recipe for brownies."
Was she serious? Tom stared at her, speechless, still unable to reconcile the mental image he had of the sexy seductress with the reality of this engaging, fresh-faced girl talking about, of all things, chocolate dessert.
"Come on in," she continued. "I've got to get the brownies out of the oven at just the right moment or they won't be nice and gooey in the middle."
She turned and headed into her apartment. Her apron was tied in back with a pert bow; the long tails of the bow pointing to a nicely rounded rear end hugged by faded blue jeans. Despite his preconceived opinion of her, Tom couldn't help but admire the view as he followed her inside.
She stopped suddenly and turned back toward him. Caught in mid-stride, he nearly collided with her, his briefcase banging into her thigh.
For a second she braced her hand against his chest to steady herself, and he could feel her warmth through the fabric of his suit. She only came up to his shoulders-probably five-six to his six-two-and this close he noticed her eyes were green and that she smelled of lavender and chocolate.
"Sorry," he muttered, disconcerted by her closeness and his body's instant and surprising reaction to her.
"My… my fault," she stammered as she stepped back from him. "I… I stopped because I wanted to ask if… if you liked brownies."
What was this woman up to? Tom was shaken at how exciting he'd found her sudden nearness. Shaken and annoyed.
Was this disarming, down-home-girl image some kind of ploy? A clever strategy to part gullible old men from their money? Madeleine Cartwright didn't look the part he had mentally cast her in-but that didn't mean she hadn't played it.
No way would he be sucked in by her wiles. He knew what ruin lay at the end of that particular path.
"Who doesn't like brownies?" he said abruptly. "But, Ms. Cartwright, I-"
"Good. Then you can help me test them. The kitchen's through here."
Delicious, chocolatey smells wafted toward him, and for a moment Tom was tempted. Very tempted. He was aware he'd only had a tuna fish sandwich for lunch. But he was practiced at resisting temptation. A man as determined as he to be a partner in a law firm before he turned thirty-one didn't let much get in his way.
He braced himself. "Ms. Cartwright, I am not here to eat brownies. I am here to talk to you about the will of the late Walter Stoddard."
Maddy Cartwright stilled. "I know," she said, and it was as if a fizzing glass of soda had instantly gone flat. Even the brilliance of her hair seemed to dim. "I've been dreading it."
Dreading it? Tom looked intently at her face, watching for excitement, anticipation, gloating greed. But all he saw was a profound sadness in her eyes and a downturn of her bow-shaped pink mouth.
"I still can't believe he's gone," she said in a voice that wasn't quite steady.
Tom's eyes narrowed. Why would she say that? Shouldn't she be turning cartwheels of joy?
"Is there somewhere we can discuss this? Now. It's important," he said.
She gestured with the oven glove around her living room. "We could talk in here, but I really have to rescue the brownies first. Just let me dash to the kitchen, I'll be back in a minute."
Still stunned by the reality of Madeline Cartwright – oven mitt and all – Tom paced impatiently as he waited for her. Not that there was much room for pacing.
Her living room was small and decorated in a style Tom could only call twenty-first-century girly. It was way too cluttered for his taste. The walls were painted pale blue; the squashy old sofa covered in a faded floral print; and blue-and-white patterned china was propped on every surface. On the narrow mantelpiece, tucked between a small vase of pink rosebuds and a framed photo of a smiling older woman, was a china statuette of a pony.
There were piles of cookbooks and copies of Martha Stewart Living and Bon Appétit magazines stacked haphazardly on the floor. A well-thumbed copy of food writer Anthony Bourdain's Kitchen Confidential lay on the dollhouse-sized coffee table alongside an ancient, yellowing the Lily Wallace New American Cook Book.
The room made him feel distinctly uncomfortable.
So did Madeleine Cartwright.
She wasn't at all what he'd been expecting. Not cunning but cute. Pretty, not predatory. More Reese Witherspoon than Paris Hilton. In fact, if he were meeting her under any other circumstances, he might have been tempted to ask her out.
But, although as a lawyer he strove to be impartial, he found what he suspected she had done despicable. And he couldn't get past that. She couldn't be more than twenty-five or twenty-six and his client Walter Stoddard had been eighty-two. Yech! It made his thirty-year-old flesh crawl to think of it.
A sudden thought had him abruptly stop his pacing. Where was the dog? That all-important dog. He looked around the room for evidence of canine occupation.
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Having already bought two local radio groups last week, on Friday Bauer Media confirmed a third deal to expand its network of local radio stations in the UK.
Acquisitions of Celador Radio and the Lincs FM Group already announced, Bauer revealed a deal to buy all the local stations currently owned by the Wireless Group. That will bring to the media firm fifteen more local radio licences, this time in Lancashire, Cheshire, Shropshire, Derbyshire, West Yorkshire, Staffordshire and South Wales.
Wireless is now owned by News UK which has put the focus on its national stations, including TalkSport, TalkRadio and Virgin Radio.
Confirming his third local radio purchase in a week, Bauer Media CEO Paul Keenan said: "We are delighted with our acquisition of Wireless local licences. This group of established, successful stations complements our existing portfolio and extends our reach and local advertising offer to new areas of the UK".


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As many as 77% people in the community live a stressful life in Britain. The number of Sikh women has been diagnosed with mental health issues as compared to men from the community. MPs and others attended in Parliament, seeks to help raise awareness on mental health issues within the community at an event. Providing quantitative data about Britain's Sikh community, the key findings of the report on mental health are that 80% of Sikh women and 68% of Sikh men admit to knowing someone who has experienced poor mental health over the past year. Besides, 35% of Sikhs revealed, in a survey published in the report, that their job was the major cause of stress; a further 27% said the stress was due to family responsibilities.
Poor mental health can impact people of all faiths and backgrounds and it is encouraging to see this report raising awareness of this issue among British Sikhs, Nick Bourne, minister for faith and integration said. Sikhs everywhere should be proud of this report is not shying away from difficult subjects. I encourage everyone to read these findings carefully and continue to support this excellent and challenging work. Jasvir Singh of the British Sikh Report also said that mental health has been a taboo subject for Sikhs for years. This data helps us understand what the challenges are, and with three-quarters of Sikhs knowing someone with poor mental health, it's clear that this is something that affects all of us and to take knowledge about the prevalence of poor mental health within the community is the first step towards changing things for the better future.


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Posted on November 19, 2013 by americanjulie
Fight On! University of Southern California Homecoming Football
The Coliseum was rapidly filling with red and yellow-gold clad fans. We joked as we parked next to "USC Surplus" that the surplus was for the millions of different USC shirts we saw fans wearing as they streamed along the sidewalk. In the stadium the diversity was greater: little girls and coeds were wearing song girl uniforms; men and boys were wearing football jerseys; t-shirts with messages abounded, including my favorite, Keep Calm and Fight On!
USC vs Stanford at Homecoming in the Los Angeles Coliseum
Campus was packed fountain to fountain with tailgaters, students and alumni–more crowded than I had ever seen, even at graduation. We were all a bit overwhelmed and found a quieter place at the food court near the bookstore to rest for a moment and enjoy conversation before the game.
We joined the throngs headed for the stadium about 4:20. It is normally only a 10-minute walk to Exposition Park, but on this day the crowds slowed to a shuffle and the new light rail metro on Exposition Boulevard added an additional complication.
The official start time was 5 p.m. as the game against nationally ranked Stanford was televised. About then, we sat in the seats we bought through Stub Hub and watched the USC Marching Band perform a pre-game show. I was tickled since I enjoy the band as much (or more) than the football. The clock on the scoreboard indicated that there was about 14 minutes to kickoff. The color guard presented and the band played America the Beautiful and the national anthem.
USC won the coin toss and chose to receive. The clock was reset to 15:00 and we were off on the rollicking ride of Trojan football. It is more active than a Catholic church service, without the kneeling. Stand up, sit down, make some noise, make a lot more noise, stand up again. There were many exciting plays and the jumbo-tron made watching the game easier with replays but sometimes I got caught up watching the screen instead of the field.
The song girls looked great. Our majestic mascot Traveler makes an appearance whenever a touchdown is scored, so he galloped out twice in the first half.
Best Mascot Ever!
The real excitement for me was at halftime. The rivalry between the Leland Stanford Jr. University "Marching" Band and the USC Marching Band is long standing. The Stanford band is like one big inside joke. Their show was true to non-form. Then our band took the field and put on a show, including the impressive Leland Stanford Junior Countermarch. (link to YouTube video of 2011 performance)
Ultimately, in spite of losing the last 4 games to Stanford, losing our coach mid-season (for the better), cast as the underdogs against the nationally ranked team, the Trojans triumphed with a last minute 47-yard field goal. Pandemonium ensued. The fans deserve some credit for the win as their enthusiasm never flagged.
I am a proud Trojan alumna of the University of Southern California living in Northern California. I have only been to a handful of football games since I graduated and mostly at Cal Berkeley or Stanford. After my 25 year reunion, I decided that if I had the opportunity, I would take my children to watch a game in the Los Angeles Coliseum. Mission accomplished.
CategoriesUnited States of America Tagsfootball, Los Angeles Coliseum, Stanford University, Traveller, Trojans, University of Southern California, USC Marching Band, USC Song Girls
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Please click on Get Cash, Consignment or Contact us.
Choose whether you would like too, ( Get Cash for a Bicycle) or ( Sell a Bicycle on Consignment).
Click on Appropriate link and begin to fill out form. Be sure that all information provided is accurate and to the best of your knowledge.
Submit form and wait for response via email by WaterBear Cycles. Response will be emailed within 24 hours.
Once both bicycle owner or Retailer and WaterBear Cycles have reached an agreement on the terms of the sale we will arrange a meeting for a final inspection of the bicycle and the completion of the exchange. In the even the bicycle need to be packed for shipping to our location for final inspection please visit our link below on how to properly pack and ship a bicycle. Fed Ex Ground is our Preferred Shipping method.
WaterBear Cycles Trading was established in Wilmington, Delaware in 2002. It began as a hobby selling used bicycles for friends & local cyclists. WaterBear is owned and operated by a top level mechanic with over 20 years experience in the bicycle industry. We are a family owned business and offer a very personal buying and selling experience. My wife and I have shared our passion for the sport with many cycling enthusiasts and have played a role in keeping thousands of cyclists happily riding and racing over the years. WaterBear Cycles is operated with honesty, integrity and the highest standards available in today's growing cycling market. Attempting to find a niche in the cycling industry was a difficult task considering we love all aspects of the market and most importantly all aspects of the sport. We understand that it is not always easy to come up with the funds to purchase the latest and most up to date bicycles and cycling equipment. This is where WaterBear Cycles Trading can assist to help you sell your old bicycle or sell your old bicycle components. We offer a simple online tool designed for bicycle owners and retailers to sell previously owned bicycles and bicycle components for cash or on consignment. We also buy left over dealer inventory and overstock. We look forward to the opportunity to assist with any of your cycling needs.
A WaterBear is a tiny microscopic living organisms that is found around the world residing in many common areas such as our own back yards. The WaterBear is the world's most resilient living organism. It can withstand the test of time and natures harshest climates. One example is that it can be dried up for over 500 years and come back to life with only a single drop of water. The WaterBear stands as a symbol of strength and resilience for our company.
We professionally pack and ship your bicycle to any where in the world.
$45.00 Per week - not including packing and shipping fee. Shipping fee will vary per location.
$8.00 per box - not including packing and shipping fees. Shipping fee will vary per location.
Note: Additional cleaning and repair fees pre sale may also be charged.
Estimating and Researching the Value of the item(s) Photographing the item(s), Typing up the listing, Listing the item(s) online, Tracking the auctions during the time the item(s) are listed, Answering emails and phone calls to potential buyer, Packing the item(s) for shipping, Using shipping materials, Driving the item(s) to the shipping location and Following up with buyers and leaving online Feedback once the transaction is completed.
Item(s) pick up charges may apply if pick up is requested by consignor.
WaterBear Cycles Trading is not responsible for any unsold or non-sellable items left for more than 90 days without pick up. WaterBear Cycles Trading is also not responsible for all disbursement checks NOT cashed for more than 90 days from the issue date on the check. The check will be voided and the funds will long longer be available for collection after the 90 day period.
Once consigned item(s) are sold and shipped the consignee will NOT be paid out by WaterBear Cycles Trading until the item(s) is received by the buyer and WaterBear Cycles receives notification from the buyer that they are satisfied with the product(s). Notification can come from the buyer by WaterBear Cycles Trading receiving eBay feedback or via email. WaterBear Cycles offers a 14 day return policy on most items sold. If by chance the item(s) are returned by the buyer for any reason the consignee will not be paid until the item is re sold by WaterBear Cycles Trading. In an effort to speed up the payout process WaterBear Cycles Trading does encourage all buyers to send satisfactory notification as soon as possible once the items are received.


I have a smartform where I want only the summary information on the front page and then the line items to appear on all the following pages. Does anyone know how to do this?
Initially, I defined a very small height on the Main window of the first page to ensure there was not going to be enough space for any items to be printed which would force the smartform to then have to call the next_page where the Main window defined is alot bigger. When I attempt to display the output for the invoice via VF03 no output is displayed. If I make the Main window on the First page bigger, then the items will start to print on the first page.
How do I make Smartforms only print the items from the 2nd onwards?
Thanks in advance for any help/suggestions?
In the first page create the COMMAND node in the GENERAL ATTRIBUTES specify GO to NEW PAGE as your second page .
From your second page onwards data will be printed as per your requirement ..
Thank you. Your answers have been very helpful. I was using a dynamic page break but had positioned it an incorrect place within my smarform.


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Hampton (más néven Hampton Station) az Amerikai Egyesült Államok északnyugati részén, Oregon állam Deschutes megyéjében, a U.S. Route 20 mentén elhelyezkedő önkormányzat nélküli település.

Nevét a Joe Hamptonról elnevezett Hampton-tanúhegységről kapta. A posta 1911 és 1953 között működött. 1940-ben népessége 41 fő volt.

A településen megállnak az Oregon Department of Transportation által üzemeltetett POINT Intercity járatai.

Jegyzetek

Fordítás

További információk
 HomeTownLocator
 A Salemi Közkönyvtár fotója

Deschutes megye települései

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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Michelle Lynn Johnson officially changed her professional name from Me'Shell NdegéOcello to simply Meshell Ndegeocello, with the release of her 2001 album, "Cookie: The Anthropological Mixtape". Meshell Ndegeocello (b. August 29, 1968) is a singer, bassist, and multi-instrumentalist. She was born Michelle Johnson to Army lieutenant (and saxophonist) father Jacques Johnson and her mother, Helen in Berlin, Germany. Raised in Washington, D.C., Meshell Suihailia Bashir Shakur (as she became known) adopted the surname Ndegeocello Read more on Last.fm
Comet, Come To Me
Promise of a Brand New Day (feat. Meshell Ndegeocello)
Pour une âme souveraine - A Dedication to Nina Simone
Tonight (feat. Meshell Ndegeocello)
Close Your Eyes (The Bonus Mixes) [feat. Meshell Ndegeocello]
Close Your Eyes (feat. Meshell Ndegeocello) [Remixes]
Myron & the Works (feat. Meshell Ndegeocello & Robert Glasper)
The World Has Made Me the Man of My Dreams (Deluxe Digipak Version)
The World Has Made Me the Man of My Dreams
Exit Music - Songs with Radio Heads EP 2
The Spirit Music Jamia: Dance of the Infidel
Comfort Woman
Cookie: The Anthropological Mixtape
Peace Beyond Passion
Plantation Lullabies
GroundUp Music Festival GroundUp Music Festival 2023
Venue: Miami Beach Bandshell (Miami Beach, FL, US) Find tickets
Talib Kweli and Meshell Ndegeocello at Blue Note Jazz Club (February 6, 2023)
Venue: Blue Note Jazz Club (New York (NYC), NY, US) Find tickets
Meshell Ndegeocello with Nick Hakim at Public Records (March 1, 2023)
Venue: Public Records (Brooklyn, NY, US) Find tickets


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Bachelorette blow-up: Noosa councillor urged to quit after bragging about unwanted advances
Sunshine Coast politician Jess Glasgow calls his behaviour on reality show 'despicable'
The Bachelorette Australia contestant Jess Glasgow face to face with Angie Kent in Thursday's episode. Photograph: Channel 10
Naaman Zhou and Australian Associated Press
Thu 10 Oct 2019 23.36 EDT Last modified on Fri 11 Oct 2019 00.15 EDT
A Queensland councillor has been asked to resign after he appeared on the reality television show The Bachelorette, bragged about kissing women against their will and is alleged to have made unwanted sexual advances towards the show's crew.
Jess Glasgow, a Noosa councillor, told the bachelorette, Angie Kent, not to "mind if I've got some wandering fingers" in an episode aired on Thursday night.
He also bragged to other male contestants that, "I would have just grabbed that sweetie and laid one on her," and, "I've kissed plenty of girls and they've turned their heads before; I'm used to it." In other footage, contestants claimed that Glasgow had made sexual comments about female members of the crew that had made them feel uncomfortable.
As a result, Kent ordered Glasgow to leave at the end of the second episode. "You never talk about me as a person," she told him. "You always talk about me as, like, a piece of meat.
"I know what I want, and I know what I don't want. If a man can't accept and respect what I'm putting down, I'd rather be single for the rest of my life."
On Friday Noosa's mayor, Tony Wellington, called on Glasgow to resign immediately as a Noosa councillor, claiming his behaviour reflected poorly on the Sunshine Coast shire. "The behaviour displayed was misogynistic, crude and highly offensive," Wellington said.
Will Love Island Australia follow in the UK's footsteps to become a new feminist favourite?
Glasgow told The Kyle and Jackie O radio program on Friday he was unhappy about his behaviour but wouldn't resign as a councillor because his actions did not accurately reflect him as a person. "No, this isn't me," he said. "I am not this guy, and I know that."
Glasgow said he had been trying to be jovial and reveal his "wild side".
"It is despicable, sorry," Glasgow said. "I am truly, truly sorry."
Wellington said he did not have the legal authority to remove a sitting councillor but, after seeing the two episodes, he believed Glasgow should step down.
"Whether or not Mr Glasgow was simply performing for the cameras, he showed incredibly poor judgment in allowing himself to be filmed lying, being extremely and consistently disrespectful of women, and outright offensive," the mayor said.
Frequent references to the councillor's job were made on the show. In the first episode he arrived with what he claimed was the key to his city.
After the first episode, Wellington referred Glasgow to Queensland's office of the independent assessor for a potential breach of the code of conduct for councillors.
Australian media


PaceArrowClub.com is an on-line gathering place for Pace Arrow motorhome owners. This site has been created for the benefit of Pace Arrow RV owners and those who are admirers of the Pace Arrow motorhome product. If you're new to our community, we invite you to have a look around and get acquainted with all we have to offer.
Considering the purchase of a Pace Arrow RV but still not quite sure it's the one for you? Search our Pace Arrow Forums for answers and advice. Looking for a used Pace Arrow motorhome? See the listings under Pace Arrow For Sale. Hoping to find misplaced Pace Arrow motorhome manual or brochure? Check out the Files section of the site. Wanting to buy or sell Pace Arrow motorhome gear? Check out the Swap Shop. How about a tour? View the Pace Arrow videos posted here.
Whether you are a Pace Arrow RV enthusiast, a current owner, potential buyer or just plain curious, Pace Arrow Owners Club at PaceArrowClub.com is full of information that you'll benefit from. Welcome…we're glad you're here!
Why a Pace Arrow RV? Pace Arrow motorhome are recognized as the top gas motor homes, with a well-known reputation as one of the most deluxe Class A coaches on the road. Pace Arrow owners cite the high quality construction, top notch materials, a extensive factory warranty, and large dealer network . Pace Arrow RVs offers the ability to simply "get up and go" with all of the luxuries included in one self-contained unit.
Please note that Pace Arrow Owners Club and PaceArrowClub.com is not affiliated with Fleetwood RV, Inc. of Decatur, IN.
Check out recent postings in the Pace Arrow Club forums. Forums include Pace Arrow Community, Towing with your Pace Arrow motorhome, Repairs and Maintenance, Pace Arrow RVs for sale, and much more.
View new and press releases regarding the Pace Arrow class A motorhome.


We are currently searching for API engineers to join our team. The team will interact with product owners and leads on the client side.
Digital Marketing Assistant - S.C. Wesrom Corporation S.R.L.
We are looking for an enthusiastic student or a young graduated in Marketing/Commerce to support our Marketing team, from Headquarter in their current or future projects related to catalogs.


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The Legacy Circle
The Legacy Guild honored on Father's Day for helping students who lost a parent
On Sunday, June 20, boys from the Lyons Township High School soccer team presented The Legacy Guild with a check in the amount to $500.00. The donation came from Buddy's Helpers and PepsiCo after the boys soccer team won a special charity game last month and chose The Legacy Guild as the recipient. Click here to
The Legacy Guild benefit raises $150,000 for scholarship program
Jennifer and John Conroyd and Phil and Annmarie Fornaro, all of La Grange, celebrate and support scholars. The Legacy Guild's annual fundraiser raises $150,000 for students in the Lyons Township High School area who have lost a parent. For more information read the full article here.
La Grange Area Students Awarded Scholarships From Legacy Guild
78 students living in Lyons Township District 204 have received scholarships from The Legacy Guild.
Legacy Guild to host fundraiser at FitzGerald's
The Legacy Guild will host The Big Spring Event 2018 on Feb. 24 at FitzGerald's Nightclub in Berwyn to benefit students who have lost a parent. The fundraiser, featuring Midwest cover band Mike & Joe, will be from 7 p.m. to midnight on the main stage at FitzGerald's, 6615 Roosevelt Road. For more information read
The Legacy Guild awards $187,500 in college scholarships to 75 students
The Legacy Guild awarded $187,500 in college scholarships to 75 students living in Lyons Township High School District 204 who had a parent die while being raised in the area, according to a news release from the organization.
Legacy Guild provides scholarships to students who've lost a parent
Jacob Ptak, with his mother, Donna Ptak, attend the scholar luncheon sponsored by The Legacy Guild. Jacob Ptak's father never saw him graduate from high school. After being diagnosed with tonsil cancer just as Jacob was starting his freshman year at Lyons Township High School, Roman Ptak, a factory worker and Polish immigrant,
Legacy Guild rocks for a cause
Ed Carr of La Grange receives the Bill Purcell Spirit of the Legacy Guild Volunteer of the Year Award. The Legacy Guild ushered in spring in style — with a concert worthy of their cause. On Feb. 28, the group hosted its third annual Big Spring Event at Fitzgerald's Nightclub in Berwyn. In
Legacy Guild awards 23 college scholarships
2014-2015 Legacy Guild Scholars The Legacy Guild, a La Grange-area not-for-profit, has announced its second class of Legacy Guild Scholars. Twenty-three scholarships – $2,175 each for a total of $50,025 awarded this year – have been presented to students living in Lyons Township District 204 who have had a parent die while being
Legacy Guild accepting applications to support college scholarships
The Legacy Guild, a La Grange-area not-for-profit formed last year, announced it is now accepting applications for college scholarships from area students who have lost a parent. Eligible students must submit an online application at www.TheLegacyGuild.com by Friday, March 15, 2013. High school seniors and college students are eligible if they live in Lyons Township
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A brief message for all you charitable guys out there, Movember is nearly upon us again! Its time to ditch the razor for 30 days and let your facial hair free!
Movember is the name given to November for over 300000 participants every year and involves the growing of a moustache for the entire month. The trim, shape and look is entirely down to you but most subscribers will simply let nature run its course.
Movember originated in 2003 in Australia and has now spread worldwide to every continent. Since the start Movember has helped to raise £26 million for worthwhile charities around the world. And this year all of Click Vision Media's Staff will be entering to help out those causes and use it as an excuse to really see what we look like with a MO!!
Here are just a few examples…..
Oh and if its the design you are unsure of why not take a look here and choose a style that might suit you..Come on guys this is a time to give to really worthwhile charities and has some fun along the way..You know you want too!!
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India announces Rs12,000cr interest-free 50-year loan to states
India's inward turn could stymie its rise
India's Covid-19 tally drops slightly with 258,089 cases, deaths up by 385
Hate speech against Muslims: Pages from an old playbook
India sees another surge with 2,71,202 new Covid cases, positivity rate dips
Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman introduced a proposal related to boost consumer spending. The plan is divided in two components: Leave Travel Concession (LTC) voucher and special festival advance scheme
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman addressing a press conference on Economic at National Media Centre in New Delhi on Monday. Ajay Aggarwal/HT Photo
Indian Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday addressed the media about proposals to stimulate demand in the economy hit by the coronavirus pandemic.
On indications are that the savings of government and organised sector employees have increased, the government wants to incentivise such people to boost demand for the benefit of the less fortunate, the finance minister told reporters.
Sitharaman introduced a proposal related to boost consumer spending. The plan is divided in two components: Leave Travel Concession (LTC) voucher and special festival advance scheme.
The LTC allows central government employees to travel in a block of four years - one to anywhere in India and one hometown or two hometown. The air or rail fare, as per pay scale, is be reimbursed and in addition the employees will get a leave encashment of 10 days (pay+DA) is paid.
Sitharaman said the new part of this scheme is that the employees can now encash their LTCs in the form of vouchers.
"Since the employees are not able to travel anywhere due to Covid-19, they can spend the money in buying something of their choice. But the money has to be spent on items which attract 12% or more GST," said the finance minister.
"The spend should only be done through digital mode. And GST invoice will be required, so that the amount spent can be reimbursed to the employees," she added.
Sitharaman said that the scheme is valid till March 31, 2021. She said that the government will incur Rs 5,675 crore on this. The finance minister added that employees of Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) and public sector banks (PSBs) ca also avail the scheme.
On a conservative basis, we expect the LTC Cash Voucher Scheme to generate additional consumer demand in the range of Rs 28,000 crore, she said.
Elaborating on the special festival advance scheme, the finance minister said that the government will give Rs 10,000 special festival advance as prepaid RuPay cards to all its employees as one-time measure to stimulate demand. The RuPay card too will be valid till March 31, 2021.
In the second part of her address, Sitharaman said capital expenditure has multiplier effect on the economy and so the government wants to give a new thrust to the capital expenditure of both states and Centre.
The government has decided to issue a special interest-free 50-year loan to states for Rs 12,000 crore capital expenditure. The eight North East states will get loans worth Rs 200 crore each, Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh will get Rs 450 crore each and the remaining Rs 7,500 crore will go to the rest of the states as per the 15th Finance Commission. Half of the sum will be will be given initially while the remaining upon utilization of first 50%.
The government has estimated that the measures announced today, for boosting consumer spending and capital expenditure, will boost demand by Rs 73,000 crore, to be spent by March 31, 2021.
If demand goes up based on the stimulus measures announced today, it will have an impact on those people who have been affected by Covid-19 and are desperately looking for demand to keep their business going, the finance minister said.
Sitharaman's address comes hours before the third round of Goods and Services Tax (GST) Council meeting over the issue of compensating states for the Rs2.35 lakh crore shortfall in their share of revenue from the indirect tax this fiscal year.
On October 5, the council had deferred a decision on the issue after 10 states ruled by non-National Democratic Alliance (NDA) parties insisted that the central government borrow the entire Rs 2.35 lakh crore and compensate the states.
The states were also given the option of borrowing the entire Rs2.35 lakh crore (including the shortfall caused by the Covid-19 pandemic) at a significant cost. Apart from the 10 dissenting states, 21 state governments have opted to borrow Rs1.10 lakh crore. Jharkhand, Kerala, Maharashtra, Delhi, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Telangana and West Bengal are among the states that have demurred.
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Prof. Dr. Paul de Beer, Nuria Ramos Martín and Frank Tros, have been awarded a contract (IP/A/EMPL/FWC/2013-021/Lot1/C3/SC3) – jointly with a consortium of other organisations: IDEA Consult (manager), IES, WIFO and PPMI – to write a report on 'Precarious Employment: Patterns, Trends and Policy Strategies in Europe' for the European Parliament.
The issue of precarious employment has been a policy concern for European institutions for a number of years. The crisis that began in 2008 has arguably exacerbated certain trends and led to more insecurity and precariousness for certain groups of people. Young people have, in many ways, borne the brunt of the crisis in that they are finding it extremely difficult to gain access to the labour market. The jobs that they do manage to obtain often tend to be of a precarious nature, in the form of fixed-term contracts, temporary agency work, trainee-ships or internships. Some of these training contracts have been the subject of debate concerning possible abuse by some employers, who offer low or no wages and require young people to work long hours. The European Commission notes that young people often remain outsiders in countries with particularly segmented labour markets, experiencing lower employment rates, more precarious employment conditions and higher unemployment rates than the over¬all average.
Job quality has, as noted in the European Parliament's specifications for this research, been a concern for EU policymakers in recent years. The European Commission has long campaigned for more and better jobs and the Council on Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs (EPSCO) in March 2015 stated that job quality has come under pressure particularly since the onset of the crisis and that there are ongoing concerns about rising inequality, in-work poverty and social exclusion.
There is a growing feeling among the EU institutions that there is a need to ensure more equality in the labour market and to halt the trend towards polarisation of the labour market into insiders and outsiders. In this context, the insiders are deemed to have good quality, secure jobs with stable and open-ended contracts with good pay and working conditions. On the other hand, the outsiders, over-represented by young people, women, ethnic minorities and migrant workers, work in insecure jobs in terms of the type of contract, their pay and their employment terms and conditions.
The European Union offers some protection against precariousness in the form of Directives. These are principally: the fixed term contracts Directive; the temporary agency work Directive; the part-time work Directive; and the posting of workers Directive, recently amended by the enforcement Directive. In addition, the working time Directive also offers protection to workers in terms of stipulating the maximum number of average hours to be worked per week, and setting out weekly rest, daily rest and rest breaks.
In this context, the general aim of the study is to describe and analyse the development of precarious work in Europe. The study will examine its underlying causes and assess policy answers at European and national level.