text:
Haider Ali Agha: Secularism and Rationale of Pakistan
Pakistan, as the only nuclear country among 55 Muslim nations and a front line state in the recent US-led war against terrorism, has come to occupy a very important place in the arena of global politics. It has been accused by Russian, Iran and India of supporting militant Islamicists in Chechnya, Afghanistan and Indian Kashmir, although Pakistan denies these charges and call the movements freedom struggle having indigenous origins. Despite its denials, the world has always viewed its connections with Talibans and Kashmiri militant Islamic fundamentalists who use Pakistani soil for their operations against India with suspicions and has pressurized it to sever its links with them. Talibans, against whom Pakistan recently joined US-led coalition due to fear of wrath of lone super power it could otherwise face, were fostered and fed by Pakistani military intelligence and Taliban in their turn supported fundamentalist rebels in Chechnya and Central Asian states.
In order to understand this behavior of Pakistan in regional politics, it is essential to have rational insight into the course of past events which made Pakistan what it is now. A philosophical understanding of the principle of its creation will be of great service to know with some degree of certainty what future has in store for this state.
G.W.F.Hegel, one of the greatest German philosophers of all times, in his work 'Lectures on the Philosophy of World History' says: "The spirit of a nation is the development of a principle. The distinctive principle of a nation is one which can be approached empirically and demonstrated in factual details."
Muslim consciousness of the Indian subcontinent is characterized by two dominant political beliefs, albeit ambivalent. One political belief, which is akin to modern day secularism and pluralism, finds its full expression in the reign of Akbar, the Mughal emporer (1556-1605) who was the contemporary of English Queen Elizabeth I. Jawaharlal Nehru, a famous statesman and first Prime Minister of India makes the following comments on the rule by Akbar in his book 'The Discovery of India":
"His court became a meeting place for men of all faiths and all who had some new idea or new invention. His toleration of views and his encouragement of all kinds of beliefs and opinions went so far as to start a new synthetic faith to suit everybody. It was in his reign that cultural amalgamation of Hindu and Moslem in north India took a long step forward. Akbar himself was certainly as popular with the Hindus as with the Moslems. He had built so well that the edifice he had erected lasted for 100 years in spite of inadequate successors."
The other political belief, which is akin to modern day Islamic fundamentalism, is expressed in the reign of Aurugzeb (1658-1707) also called grand Mughal by orthodox Muslim authors. Nehru has this to say about Aurugzeb in his book, 'The Discovery of India': "The last of the so-called 'Grand Mughals'Aurungzeb, tried to put back the clock, and in his attempt stopped it and broke it up. Aurungzeb, far from understanding the present, failed even to appreciate the immediate past; he was a throw-back and, for all his ability and earnestness, he tried to undo what his predecessors had done. A bigot and austere puritan, he was no lover of art or literature. He infuriated great majority of his subjects by imposing old hated jizya, a poll tax, on the Hindus and destroying many of their temples."
The principle which inspired the creation of Pakistan was essentially religious i.e., two-nation theory--- Hindus and Muslims are two nations and are entitled to states on these grounds. Muhammad Ali Jinnah, a western educated lawyer with liberal life style, used this religious principle to animate the Muslim masses to attain a separate state composed of the Muslim majority areas in the North east and North West. It appears anomalous that a man with liberal outlook on life uses religious principle to give orientation to a new nation that he is fathering. However, this religious principle found its objective realization in the state of Pakistan in 1947 and this anomaly has ever since gripped the consciousness of Pakistani nation. Unfortunately, Jinnah did not live long enough to implement his vision of a Muslim state and died just one year after in 1948. His successors who largely came from feudal background formed an alliance first with civil bureaucracy and then with military clique to protect their combined interests in the face of illiterate peasant and semi-literate urban classes. These ruling classes manipulated the religious sensitivities of the masses as they envisioned Pakistan to be ideal Islamic state where ideas of freedom, democracy and equality, as enshrined in Islamic principles of Quran and Traditions of Prophet Muhammad, were to be realized (Objective Resolution 1949 and Islamic Provisions of 1956 constitution). This was an abstract ideal to start with as it had no concrete existence or real precedent in the Indian Muslim history except in the rule of Akbar when pluralism and freedom of faith actually prevailed without pursuing the supremacy of Islamic faith over other religions. This abstract religious principle was also manifested in the foreign policy of the country when Liaqat Ali Khan, the first prime minister of Pakistan, preferred the patronage of the People of Book( Christians) residing in the White House to the friendly relations with godless Communists living in the Kremlin. In East Pakistan, now Bangladesh, the situation was different. The politicians there largely came from middle class and being politically conscious, they were concerned more with their political and economic rights that with Islamic ideological disputes so enthusiastically pursued by the ruling elite in West Pakistan. There was cultural gap and lack of ideological harmony between two parts of Pakistan which took forms of political and economic exploitation of Bengalis resulting in the break up of Pakistan and proclamation of Independent state of Bangladesh in 1971. This national tragedy should have led the ruling clique and intelligentsia to a lot of heart searching and to identify its causes. But it did not happen. Instead, the causes of revolt of 52 per cent population of the country were seen in the Indo-Soviet conspiracy, treachery of east Bengalis and lack of spirit of Jihad shown by Pak army officers. It did not occur to them to seriously rethink the relevance of religious principle in the changing times which was once used to attain Pakistan.
Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, a western educated politician with a feudal family background assumed power. Bhutto was a great dreamer as he had his peculiar version of pan-Islamism. He wanted to secure a position of world historical significance. He had exaggerated estimate of his personal worth and the task which he wised to accomplish was not in tune with the spirit of the age. He built up his vision on already existing legacy of religious principle. He lost sight of the historical reality that a principle which could not hold Muslims of two parts of Pakistan together and unleashed divisive forces would never be able to unite so many Muslim nations of so diverse dispositions and cultures. He initiated nuclear program to balance Indian nuclear supremacy in the region, framed constitution in which he promised to bring all existing laws in conformity with Quran and the Traditions of Prophet Muhammad (Islamic Provisions of 1973 constitution) and invited heads of state of all Muslim nations in Islamic Summit conference. He went so far as to confront the West and the US in the pursuit of his erroneous pan-Islamic vision. He failed as he was destined to. Bhutto was deposed in military coup brought by Gen. Zia ul Haq as a result of movement launched to protest against alleged rigging in the 1977 elections and two years later he was executed. Neither people at home nor Muslim world could do anything for him except shedding some tears on the end of their hero with fatal 'tragic flaw'. Some people did not do even that.
Gen Zia, a beardless disciple of Aurungzeb, was adept at exploiting religious sensitivities for his own personal ends. In his rule, the religious principle found its fanatical expression. As a great distruster of multiparty politics and democracy, he unleashed the religious extremist forces to eliminate the influence of political parties. Soviet military intervention in Afghanistan came as a godsend for him. His Ultra-conservative masters in the White House (President Reagan) and 10 Downing Street (Prime Minister Thatcher) gave him all possible help to fight their war against Soviet Red Army in Afghanistan and to perpetuate his oppressive and reactionary rule at home. It was during his rule that the concept of Jihad or Holy war came out of Islamic medieval terminology and gained currency in the country. Army Intelligence Agencies were remodeled on the basis consciousness of Holy war or Jihad and this consciousness also permeated the psyche of the masses. He launched so called 'Islamisation' of the country's legal, administrative, juridical, economic institutions imposing zakat and ushr, two Islamic taxes, and harsh penalties for crimes i.e.; amputations of organs or stoning to death. Islamic shariat courts were established in the whole country. One of the frightening consequences of his policies was growth of sectarian hatred which took thousands of innocent lives. Even after Zia's death in 1988 in a mysterious plan crash, his jihadi spirit continued to haunt country's political and elected institutions.
His heirs did not allow civilian rulers, both Benazir Bhutto and Nawas Sharif, to freely decide on the issues like Pakistan Nuclear Programme, Kashmir and Afghanistan. The elected rulers proved to be both corrupt and incompetent in the eyes of general public which is why their removal from power was greeted with relief and no protest was made in the country. The present ruler, Gen. Musharruf, who came to power in 1999, is under tremendous pressure from the world community to reign in the terrorist organizations which work from Pakistani soil. It remains to be seen whether President Musharruf succeeds in undoing the legacy of his predecessor or succumbs to religious extremist violence.
Ironically, the religious principle which brought this state into existence is now posing a threat to the very existence of state after having worked itself to its extreme.
Was it possible for this principle to work otherwise in a progressive and moderate way? The answer is No. The national sprit which stemmed from this principle can be seen in the working of economic, political, juridical, legal, administrative institutions of the state. When the people at helm of affairs use these institutions to satisfy their appetites to the detriment of entire nation, the principle which inspired the creation of such state is on the verge of disintegration by working itself up to its last stage. This principle may retain its temporal continuity without any depth and richness and continue to influence war and peace in external affairs for some time as long as hostile enemy forces pose challenge to the national spirit by inflicting mental and physical pain in the forms of humiliations and death as is seen in Kashmir and Palestine.
The new principle which will arise out of the disintegration of the old principle is the principle of secularism having its roots in the consciousness of the people. This principle is not alien to Muslim consciousness; it has already been expressed in popular sufis' (Muslim mystics) poetry and music, though in a rudimentary form. Amir Khusru introduced many innovations in Indian music and is also said to have invented sitar, the popular stringed instrument of India. He wrote lyrics of popular songs of his time. The secular principle is as much in harmony with the culture of science and technology as with democratic institutions and needs of industrial progress. The transition from old religious principle to new secular principle will be of sanguinary character as the religious reactionary forces and their mentors or masters in the ruling elite whose economic and political survival is linked with the old dying principle will fight to the last. The secular principle, being the higher principle at this stage of historical development of national spirit, is 'historical necessity'.
Hegel appreciates the people who struggle for the realization of higher principle in these word: "Only those who know the spirit of the nation and necessity of higher principle likely to arise, and shape their actions in accordance with it are the great ones of the nation. The principle creates for itself the individuals it requires to carry out its end."
Haider Ali Agha


In celebration of its 60th year in the apparel business, Guitar has launched a fitting face to represent its brand through multi award-winning actress, celebrated performer and TV personality Maja Salvador.
Maja Salvador launched as the new face of local apparel Guitar, which celebrates its 60th anniversary this year.
The brand welcomed the Dance Princess as part of its family in a grand media launch in Trinoma event center last March 1 with a head-turning fashion show showcasing its old and new collections together with past endorsers Gloc-9 and Carlos Agassi.
Just like the brand that continuously evolves, Maja has changed and excelled in her career, initially as an actress, then branching out into dancing and singing and eventually into performing on the concert stage. She even earned her own stripe abroad through her various portrayals, more recently through her phenomenal performance in the now defunct top-rating series, Wildflower.
"It's a dcome true for a local brand to choose me as their endorser. I'm very proud of the brand because it's available para sa mas nakararami nating mga kababayan. As an artist it makes me relate well with the mass audience. That's why I'm thankful to Guitar family for choosing me as their ambassadress,"Maja says.
The 30-year-old actress is now officially part of the league of other accomplished and diverse artists namely Gloc 9, Carlos Agassi, and Jake Cuenca, whose characters gave justice to the brand and has been part of its six decades of triumph.
Apart from celebrating its strong presence in the local scene for 60 strong years, Guitar is also launching its first denim collection. The denim series is focusing on providing style without displacing comfort.
The denim series is the latest member of the Guitar collections such as De Hilo, 800, 900, Underwear, Polo Shirt, Socks and the Uniform series that have been one of the most patronized innerwear and casual wear by Filipinos through the years.
From underwear and its breakthrough De Hilo series, Guitar is now ready to take on the world of overall clothing and apparels while maintaining the best quality products and best business practices.
Guitar apparel is available in leading department stores nationwide. For updates about their latest collection and sales, follow Guitar on Instagram at @guitarapparel1960.


You will first want to find the mf that suits your musical preference, whether it be blues, country, jazz, singer song writer, new age or the only true festival (in my opinion) is a good old American rock and roll festival. No matter where you go, you will most likely be camping; this can be avoided if you don't want the full experience. You will want to find a hotel close, and soon, because most festivals sell out hotels very soon. If you are ready for sleepless nights under the stars while you hear different renditions of "Kumbaya my Lord", or at the rock festivals "the summer of '69".
Although I do like a good mf, I would rather stay off the grounds, my sleep means too much to me. Not to mention it is easier to stay 14 hours when you have had a good night's sleep. Another thing to consider is nutrition; you will want to eat as often as you would eat at home if not a little more. Doing this will ensure you don'Äôt get sick or get weak as you will be on your feet all day. This may be difficult if you don'Äôt have access to this food. Some festivals have stores inside them but beware they are not a price mart or a costco. Their prices will make you wish you weren'Äôt hungry at all. So stock up before you go and make sure you have plenty of ice. Which leads me to my next subject.
Water is as important as toilet paper when it comes to mf's. You will need to drink 8 ounces an hour or more depending on how much you perspire. Which means maybe you want to rethink dancing, or for those of us at the rock mf, moshing… knee slapping if you are at a blue grass festival, maybe shouting yee-haw if you are at a country festival. Anyway you slice it you need to be hydrated this will help you not get dehydrated and keep you cool also.
Now when at an mf don't expect a shower and especially don't expect a clean toilet. Those are two things that you will need to grin and bear. The port-o-johns are crappy, pun intended… but have no fear, you will be comforted by the cold shower to get those germs off of you. I like a cold shower it makes me feel alive, I don't need to be boiled when I shower… even though sometimes I like a hot one, cold is more often what you will find at a mf.
When attending a music festival you will want to remember to bring some baby wipes for a quick wipe down in the port-o-john or at the campsite as the day goes on. I will say nothing feels quite as good as a cold wet wipe in a hot port-o-john. It's like wiping with an ice cube, I do it sometimes at home just for fun.
Last thing is, remember to pace your self in this matrix of music. Keeping yourself in tip top shape for your favorite musical act will make it all worthwhile. On the other hand if you cannot take a sweaty toilet seat or eating out of a can or maybe walking in mud from the recycled shower water that they spray on the dirt to keep dust down… then you may want to reconsider your vacation destination. Otherwise have a great time and fellas remember to lay off the hot wings when you have to share a toilet with 30 thousand of your closest friends. Ladies remember no matter how hot it is if you are over 160 pounds please no belly shirt or spandex. It's hot enough out there, don't make us sweat any more than we need to wondering when something unsightly is going to fall out.
That being said, have a great summer and if you are in the pit with me beware I like to get my groove on, or something like that.


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Update : বুধবার, ৭ ডিসেম্বর, ২০২২
This latest generation of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S line is a huge advancement over its predecessor, the Galaxy Tab S3. First off, the new models support 5G connectivity, which will allow them to download data at insane speeds. In other words, no more emailing photos in less than a minute while a carrier's 5G hotspot might upload those images in a few seconds. The new Galaxy Tab S7s can also perform many of the same tasks as laptops and convertibles, such as the ability to connect an external monitor for multitasking, and stream media and movies to a television. They even run Android 8.0 Oreo (out of the box) with Samsung's Exynos 8895 processor and 4GB of RAM. They come with 32GB of storage and a MicroSD card slot so you can expand the storage up to 400GB.
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When it comes to design, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S7+ is one of the finest I've seen on a tablet. Measuring 11.6 x 6.0 x 0.27 inches and weighing 6.04 ounces, the tablet measures almost exactly the same as the Samsung Galaxy Tab S3, albeit with a slimmer profile. It's a little heavier, of course, thanks to the LTE-enabled, 5G-ready Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor that powers the Samsung Galaxy Tab S7+. The large frame has rounded corners, a chrome frame, and a chamfered edge. The bezel surrounding the display is wider than the frame on the Samsung Galaxy Tab S3. There's a small but noticeable bezel around the fingerprint sensor.
10.5-inch WQXGA display (2560 x 1600) Snapdragon 820 processor 5G connectivity (US only) Qualcomm QuickCharge 4.0 support (up to 50% in 30 minutes) 64GB of storage 4GB RAM 8MP rear camera 5MP front camera S Pen included Removable 3,300mAh battery 802.11ac Wi-Fi Bluetooth 4.2 4G LTE GPS/AGPS/GLONASS USB Type-C Water resistant (IP68 rated) There are only two 4G LTE carriers in the US that support the 5G-capable tablet. If you live in California or Texas, Samsung is offering you a 30-day free trial of AT&T's Mobile 5G Network. If you're on Sprint, however, you can't use any of its 5G networks for that 30-day period, as it's a partner of Verizon and T-Mobile. In the UK, only O2 and EE have access to the 5G network. The 10.
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S7+ with LTE (64GB) will be available for purchase on Aug. 31, 2018, starting at $799 USD. The Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 and S7+ with WiFi (32GB) and 4G (64GB) will be available for purchase on Sept. 21, 2018, starting at $549 USD. About Samsung Electronics America, Inc. Headquartered in Ridgefield Park, N.J., Samsung Electronics America, Inc. (SEA), is a recognized innovative leader in consumer electronics, mobile devices and enterprise solutions. A wholly owned subsidiary of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
In closing, a few disclaimers: I purchased and tested the Galaxy Tab S7 with the Book Cover Keyboard Case and Notebook Cover, both of which are available at my link: First Edition – The New Nook Tablets. The quality of this review is compromised by my decision to stick with my review units and not purchase and test the pricier Galaxy Tab S4. I also paid retail for the Galaxy Tab S7 and its accessories, so it would be unfair of me to judge the tablet's performance based on the model I could've purchased at the same price or even cheaper from Amazon, eBay, or B&H Photo. On the other hand, the Notebook Cover is more portable, but is virtually unusable without the keyboard case, so it's a trade-off I couldn't stomach.
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(p. 60) (p. 61) The Causes of Epilepsy
Simon Shorvon
Epilepsy can be the result of many different disorders. In this chapter, the range of underlying aetiologies is described. In most cases, the cause of epilepsy is multifactorial and the result of both genetic and acquired influences and also of provoking factors. Most cases of epilepsy can be classified according to the predominant cause (or presumed cause) into four categories: 1. Idiopathic epilepsy - which includes the 'pure' genetic epilepsies and the epilepsies due to presumed complex genetic mechanisms. 2. Symptomatic epilepsy – which includes cases of predominately genetic or developmental causation and those of predominately acquired causation. The genetic cases include: childhood epilepsy syndromes, progressive myoclonic epilepsies, neurocutaneous syndromes, other single gene disorders, chromosomal disorders of chromosomal function, developmental anomalies of cerebral structure. The acquired causes include: hippocampal sclerosis, perinatal and infantile causes, cerebral trauma, cerebral tumour, cerebral infection, cerebrovascular disorders, cerebral immunological disorders, degenerative disorders and other neurological conditions. 3. Provoked epilepsy – which includes provoking factors and reflect epilepsies. 4. Cryptogenic epilepsy – which includes cases of a presumed symptomatic nature but in which no cause has been identified.


The company of Peter/Wendy received first place at the 3A Conference 29 one act play (10-22-16), received first at Regional 3A (11-12-16), and first place in the State 3A Championship (12-5-16).
Seniors Gino Stickley, Blaire Sharman, and Brad Ridder received acting awards at the various levels of competition.
TAHS company of Peter/Wendy earned top honors at conference, regional, and state one act competitions.
Info and pics submitted by Cecille Deason.
© 2018 Rockingham County Public Schools. All Rights Reserved.


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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


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text:
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Alpine Auto Rental
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Customer Reviews for Alpine Auto Rental
Customer feedback is extremely important to us. We use these reviews to guide our efforts and improve our service. Everything that follows is direct from our customers, without any filtering or editing on our part.
Testimonials from recent customers of Alpine Auto Rental
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Sort Reviews By: Newest to oldest Oldest to newest Highest to lowest rating Lowest to highest rating
GEORGE M. on 12/31/2020
Drop off 3379 sunrise blvd Rancho
June R. on 12/25/2020
Very helpful staff. Will definitely use them again.
Benjamin M. on 12/4/2020
Great experience returning equipment.. was quick, and no hiccups. Wish I knew the gentleman's name that assisted me but very friendly and removed equipment off my truck with gratitude.
Thomas R. on 11/10/2020
Customer did not leave a comment.
Jason G. on 11/9/2020
Mark V. on 10/19/2020
The auto transport I turned in had an Amber passenger LED inop, made it had to see trailer in mirror when dark out, replace bulb.
John H. on 10/17/2020
The staff is very friendly and helpful.
Jesus C. on 10/10/2020
Alice D. on 10/6/2020
The staff was very friendly and helpful. Pick up and drop off was fast and easy. I've rented here twice and both times received the same great service.
Jesus C. on 10/6/2020
BRYAN T. on 10/4/2020
Steven G. on 9/30/2020
Thomas R. on 9/30/2020
The 2 employees i dealt with were very courtesy, knowledgeable & helpful.
Kirk L. on 9/26/2020
I recommend having a designated area for drop off. Wasn't specifically marked.
Fernando S. on 8/24/2020
Please clean floor. Every piece of furnitures and box arrived with GREASE on the bottom. When I put furniture down it trashed my house with grease. Unacceptable for the price I paid for the truck.
Kurt H. on 8/17/2020
Drop off went very smooth !! Excellent service!!
Kellie H. on 8/10/2020
Thank you! Wonderful service.
Thomas Z. on 7/14/2020
Employee was very friendly. He assisted us with hooking up the trailer and ensuring we had a safe trip!
Kevin A. on 6/1/2020
Todd N. on 5/31/2020
William K. on 5/11/2020
They are always very professional, efficient and helpful.
WILLIAM K. on 4/7/2020
Stanley G. on 3/14/2020
Hector R. on 2/17/2020
This was not the original pick up location. The location that Uhau's sit said had trucks was Pecos, TX. This is highly misleading and we had a lot of trouble, having to drive 100 miles out to Alpine to actually get a truck. Uhaul reps explained that they cannot garauntee a truck but if they were more transparent and honest on the availability of equipment in rural areas, we would have planned very differently. Of course, being unaccountable to anyone, Uhaul will do what it wants, so I just advise all customers in rural areas to do their homework before booking online.
ruben M. on 1/29/2020
We would like to Thank Mr Albert Ramos for being there for us. He was very helpful and very professional. Thank You !!!
Darlene M. on 1/25/2020
Stephen W. on 1/21/2020
Paul M. on 1/21/2020
It was a seamless pickup. Everything was ready to go - we were in and out in about 20 minutes.
Jonh H. on 1/20/2020
Nancy R. on 1/13/2020
I could not have been treated better! He was so very helpful and worked to get us the best possible deal.
Scott V. on 1/13/2020
Elvenia D. on 1/5/2020
everything was great
Michael D. on 12/3/2019
Nothing, Michael was most helpful in Alpine
Jeanette L. on 11/21/2019
David L. on 11/18/2019
I was charged a $15 equipment substitution charge but we didn't change or have extra equipment
CASEY M. on 11/18/2019
Truck was not cleaned out on riders door deep inside the compartment where it appeared someone had vomited at some point. Also, found a remnent of a marijuana cigarette under the passenger seat. Glad the Border Patrol drug sniffing dogs didn't check out the cab when they checked out the truck at the border checkpoint.
Michael D. on 11/10/2019
Have used this location before. Always an excellent experience.
Terrance G. on 9/30/2019
Elbert H. on 9/19/2019
Guys were very helpful couldn't have gone better.
Great customer service. Just was screwed with pricing. Contract was more than actual mileage.
Terry R. on 9/3/2019
James W. on 9/3/2019
Laura B. on 8/26/2019
Jacqui W. on 8/24/2019
Benjamin W. on 8/21/2019
Laurie M. on 8/21/2019
Steve R. on 8/13/2019
sam M. on 6/29/2019
Dori R. on 6/20/2019
William C. on 5/20/2019
Location was easy to find and staff was very courteous and helpful.
Tom H. on 5/17/2019
Ralph R. on 5/14/2019
Briana C. on 5/10/2019
Thank you for such friendly and fast service!
Jeanne S. on 5/9/2019
Wayne W. on 4/24/2019
Randall M. on 4/22/2019
Jackie E. on 4/16/2019
We have rented from these folks many times. Each time they have been wonderful and so helpful. Thanks guys!
dirk M. on 4/2/2019
Barry E. on 3/22/2019
Alison F. on 3/18/2019
William S. on 3/15/2019
Woman that called to "confirm" reservation was pretty rude, told us we could not rent the truck for the price it was reserved for. She should have checked with a higher up person first. It made for a more stressful move. She also never called us back, when she told us she would. Picking up the truck was fine, once the reservation was all sorted out. No wait, relatively quick pick-up.
James S. on 3/6/2019
The staff was friendly and very helpful.
Richard H. on 1/24/2019
Very friendly and helpful personnel. Facility itself needs a makeover.
Michael G. on 1/12/2019
Shawn G. on 1/1/2019
Stephen B. on 12/13/2018
Jackie E. on 12/10/2018
Michael M. on 12/8/2018
Dora S. on 11/27/2018
Andy L. on 11/17/2018
Your customer service at this location was wonderful. Very helpful staff. Thank you!
RANDY D. on 10/31/2018
Joe D. on 9/20/2018
carol L. on 9/20/2018
BOB Y. on 9/5/2018
Larry N. on 9/4/2018
gloria N. on 8/25/2018
Marcia D. on 8/20/2018
Steve D. on 8/14/2018
Carol M. on 8/8/2018
Paul C. on 7/16/2018
Kelly V. on 7/14/2018
Great service! Highly recommend.
TANYASUE F. on 7/10/2018
Great customer service, would def do business with again.
Tony P. on 6/22/2018
Garrett S. on 6/20/2018
Theron F. on 6/20/2018
bud J. on 6/11/2018
Johnny W. on 6/11/2018
This location was closed when I dropped off
Alan W. on 6/9/2018
The guy at the alpine location was very friendly and very helpful! I believe his name was mike? Anyhow he was very helpful.
David J. on 6/7/2018
Laura S. on 5/28/2018
Albert was a great representative and very helpful and friendly. Mike Sanchez on the other hand was innocuous and rude. For a single female needing to rent a trailer; I would not recommend going to this U-Haul dealership if you have to deal with him.
Charles M. on 5/24/2018
Jaime J. on 5/20/2018
ARTURO A. on 5/18/2018
Michael E. on 5/5/2018
David J. on 4/13/2018
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text:
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Risk Categories
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Leadership Behaviour
Q34 17/100
Do the Defence Ministry, Defence Minister, Chiefs of Defence, and Single Service Chiefs publicly commit, through, for example, speeches, media interviews, or political mandates, to anti-corruption and integrity measures?
View Question
Chiefs/Ministers: Internal communications Score: 25 / 100
According to our sources, there is very little anti-corruption communication and commitment through official channels. According to one source, in the last five years,…
Chiefs/Ministers: Public commitment Score: 25 / 100
According to our sources, there is a public commitment from the senior leadership, but not the military leadership. The commander in chief, who happens…
Unit commanders and leaders Score: 0 / 100
According to our sources, the only person who issues such statement is the crown prince. Except for Crown Prince and Minister of Defence Mohammed…
Are there effective measures in place for personnel found to have taken part in forms of bribery and corruption, and is there evidence that these measures are being carried out?
Sanctions Score: 100 / 100
According to our sources, there are clear and defined laws against bribery, the giving or receiving money in exchange of services, within the government,…
Enforcement Score: 25 / 100
According to our sources, corruption cases are superficially investigated and measures are not taken against corrupt officials even in the face of clear evidence…
Is whistleblowing encouraged by the government, and are whistle-blowers in military and defence ministries afforded adequate protection from reprisal for reporting evidence of corruption, in both law and practice?
Legal provisions Score: 25 / 100
Nazaha, Saudi Arabia's main anti-corruption body, has produced regulations which in theory protect whistleblowers (1). However, these laws have in the past been characterized…
Prioritisation Score: 25 / 100
As above mentioned, Saudi authorities have, since at least November 2017, prioritized cracking down on corruption, although their methods have been criticized for lacking…
Effectiveness Score: 0 / 100
There are a number of factors to consider with regards to whistleblowing. According to our sources, there is a high level of distrust between…
Q37 0/100
Is special attention paid to the selection, time in post, and oversight of personnel in sensitive positions, including officials and personnel in defence procurement, contracting, financial management, and commercial management?
Coverage of sensitive (higher-risk) positions Score: 0 / 100
While the government does not make public its selection criteria for military or defence personnel, our sources confirm that authorities do not recognize the…
Selection process Score: NA / 100
This sub-indicator is scored Not Applicable as there is no recognition that certain positions may be more open to corruption opportunities than others. According…
Oversight Score: NA / 100
Payroll, Promotions, Appointments, Rewards
Is the number of civilian and military personnel accurately known and publicly available?
Accuracy Score: 0 / 100
According to our sources, the strength of the Saudi army is unknown, even to soldiers and many senior officers. There is no public data…
Transparency Score: 0 / 100
According to our sources, there are no clear and accurate numbers of soldiers. Although one of the sources has access to the numbers of…
Ghost soldiers Score: 0 / 100
According to our sources, ghost soldiers are not a serious issue within the MoD in general, but they have been in the past (before…
Are pay rates and allowances for civilian and military personnel openly published?
Pay rates Score: 0 / 100
The government does not publish detailed information on pay rates or salaries for civilian or military employees either on government websites, recruitment webpages or…
Allowances Score: 25 / 100
According to our sources, fixed allowances (bonuses for accommodation, cars, etc.) for senior commanders are not published; however, allowance and bonus increases by royal…
Do personnel receive the correct pay on time, and is the system of payment well-established, routine, and published?
Timeliness Score: 100 / 100
According to our sources, there have been no delays in payments at all. The system works, and payments are received at the end of…
Accuracy Score: 75 / 100
According to our sources, all employees of the MoD from soldiers to senior commanders receive the correct stated payments. If there is an error,…
The payment system for military and other government employees is not published in Saudi Arabia. According to our sources, there is a new payment…
Is there an established, independent, transparent, and objective appointment system for the selection of military personnel at middle and top management level?
Formal process Score: 0 / 100
According to our sources, there is no public information available for citizens or even for soldiers on the official process of appointments. The usual…
Scrutiny Score: 0 / 100
According to our sources, there is no formal and independent mechanism to scrutinize the appointment of top and middle-level military personnel in Saudi Arabia.…
There is no information released by the government about the appointment process. Appointments are only announced at a later stage and with no reference…
Are personnel promoted through an objective, meritocratic process? Such a process would include promotion boards outside of the command chain, strong formal appraisal processes, and independent oversight.
Formal process Score: 25 / 100
According to our sources, there is a committee of appointments and promotions, especially for low-ranking positions. However, this committee is influenced by tribal and…
Exceptions Score: 0 / 100
There are no regulations that limit the possible circumstances in which ranks can be awarded at the discretion of Saudi authorities. For example, according…
Comprehensiveness Score: 0 / 100
The government does not publish criteria relating to promotion, demotion, or the assignment of its military personnel, nor does it publicly clarify information about…
Frequency Score: 0 / 100
Conscription and Recruitment
Q43 NA/100
Where compulsory conscription occurs, is there a policy of not accepting bribes for avoiding conscription? Are there appropriate procedures in place to deal with such bribery, and are they applied?
Policy Score: NA / 100
Saudi Arabia has no compulsory military conscription; therefore this question is not applicable (1), (2). According to our sources, although there is no specific…
Sanctions Score: NA / 100
As there is no military conscription in Saudi Arabia, this question is marked not applicable.
Enforcement Score: NA / 100
is there a policy of refusing bribes to gain preferred postings? Are there appropriate procedures in place to deal with such bribery, and are they applied?
Policy Score: 50 / 100
The Anti-Bribery Law (1992) covers cases which result in the exchange of money for positions. There are explicit indications on recieving money but not…
According to the law, and our sources, there are sanctions which can be more than one-year imprisonment and fines (1), (2). These sanctions include…
Enforcement Score: 0 / 100
According to our sources, no sanctions are applied when bribery happens, as most cases of bribery are handled and solved informally most of the…
Salary Chain
Are chains of command separate from chains of payment?
Score: 0 / 100
The Saudi government does not publish details relating to its payment processes in the military or government ministries, except for occasional announcements of bonuses…
Is there a Code of Conduct for all military personnel that includes, but is not limited to, guidance with respect to bribery, gifts and hospitality, conflicts of interest, and post-separation activities? Is there evidence that breaches of the Code of Conduct are effectively addressed?
Code of conduct Score: 50 / 100
According to our sources, Saudi Arabia does have a Code of Conduct for civilian and military personnel that prohibits bribery, the acceptance of gifts…
Transparency Score: 25 / 100
According to our sources, the Code of Conduct is not always available, especially in rural areas and units outside headquarters and the main offices…
According to our sources, the Code of Conduct is not credible, the majority of personnel do not care about it, and it has no…
Training Score: 0 / 100
It is unclear the extent to which the government makes efforts to ensure the Code of Conduct is available to all military personnel, nor…
Is there a Code of Conduct for all civilian personnel that includes, but is not limited to, guidance with respect to bribery, gifts and hospitality, conflicts of interest, and post-separation activities? Is there evidence that breaches of the Code of Conduct are effectively addressed?
The website of the Saudi Ministry of Civil Service features the Code of Conduct for civilian personnel, which was approved by the Council of…
The aforementioned Code of Conduct is published on the website of the Ministry of Civil Service. However, in August 2018, Saudi Arabia's primary anti-corruption…
Breaches of the Code of Conduct and related investigations are occasionally reported in the Saudi and regional press. According to our sources, a breach…
There is no training provided on anti-corruption measures and use of the code of conduct (1), (2).
Does regular anti-corruption training take place for military and civilian personnel?
Comprehensiveness Score: 25 / 100
According to our sources within the army, there has not been any training course on anti-corruption in the last few years; however, civilian personnel…
Regularity Score: NA / 100
This sub-indicator ir not applicable because, according to our sources, there have not been any training courses on anti-corruption in the MoD or the…
Coverage of personnel Score: NA / 100
Is there a policy to make public outcomes of the prosecution of defence services personnel for corrupt activities, and is there evidence of effective prosecutions in recent years?
Policy Score: 100 / 100
The Saudi Anti-Corruption Law of 2007 states, authorities are obliged to publish the results of corruption cases "upon the request of the general prosecutor…
According to our sources, the government publishes information about cases, but they do not provide detailed information about the outcome of the prosecution process…
According to our sources, there is a lack of effectiveness in the prosecution of corruption cases. The recent crackdown on corruption is politically motivated…
Are there effective measures in place to discourage facilitation payments (which are illegal in almost all countries)?
Legal framework Score: 50 / 100
According to our sources, facilitation of payments is prohibited by law, and the Code of Conduct of the military and civil personnel (1), (2).…
There is a clear failure in investigating corruption cases of payment facilitation (1). One source claimed, "50% of procurements include facilitation payments" (2). Although…
Prevalence Score: 0 / 100
Traditionally, facilitation payments have been considered part and parcel in the local business environment (1), (2), (3). This includes the widespread use of middlemen…
With thanks for support from the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs who have contributed to the Government Defence Integrity Index.
Transparency International Defence & Security is a global programme of Transparency International based within Transparency International UK.
UK Charity Number 1112842
All rights reserved Transparency International Defence & Security 2023


text:
Q: apabackref error because of keyval (after updating to biber 2.14 and biblatex 3.14) It seems that apabackref is in conflict with biblatex (version 3.14). I updated from 3.7 or so, where I had no problems. Probably the error is due to biber (version 2.14; if formerly used 2.7, I suspect). I am not able to explore this due to my non-existing knowledge/abilities.
Here is the MWE, if one leaves out apabackref=true there is no error message.
\documentclass{scrbook}
\usepackage[utf8]{inputenc}

\usepackage[backend=biber, style=apa, apabackref=true]{biblatex}
\addbibresource{\jobname.bib}

\usepackage{filecontents}

\begin{filecontents}{\jobname.bib}
@book{key,
  author = {Author, A.},
  year = {2001},
  title = {Title},
  publisher = {Publisher},
}
\end{filecontents}

\begin{document}

\textcite{key}.

\printbibliography

\end{document}

The error message is this:

! Package keyval Error: apabackref undefined.

 See the keyval package documentation for explanation.
 Type  H <return>  for immediate help.
 ...

 l.15107 \blx@processoptions

Is it my fault or is this really a problem with apabackref? Are there any (neat) solutions?

A: Use backref=true. The apabackref option has been remove some time ago from biblatex-apa. See https://github.com/plk/biblatex-apa/issues/72.

A: The apabackref option was removed from biblatex-apa in version 9.1 (2019-11-27) and v8.2 (2019-12-01) of biblatex-apa6 because the coexistence of the standard backref option and a style-specific apabackref option was just confusing. See https://github.com/plk/biblatex-apa/issues/72 and https://github.com/plk/biblatex-apa/pull/84.
Just use the normal backref option that is compatible with the standard styles instead.
\documentclass{scrbook}

\usepackage[backend=biber, style=apa, backref=true]{biblatex}
\addbibresource{biblatex-examples.bib}

\begin{document}
\textcite{sigfridsson}

\printbibliography
\end{document}

Note for people who update from an older version of biblatex-apa
Since version 9.0 (2019-11-23) biblatex-apa has implemented APA style from the 7th edition of the manual. Older versions implemented 6th-edition APA style.
If you need 6th-edition APA style use biblatex-apa6 (style=apa6).

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Section XIII
Section XIII: Searches and investigations
Searches and investigations
The Board of Education is committed to ensuring an atmosphere on school property and at school functions that is safe and orderly. To achieve this kind of environment, any school official authorized to impose a disciplinary penalty on a student may question a student about an alleged violation of law or the district Code of Conduct.
Students are not entitled to any sort of "Miranda"-type warning before being questioned by school officials, nor are school officials required to contact a student's parent/guardian before questioning the student. However, school officials will tell all students why they are being questioned.
In addition, the board authorizes the superintendent, building principals, assistant principals, the school nurse and district security officials to conduct searches of students and their belongings, in most instances with exceptions set forth below, if the authorized school official has reasonable suspicion to believe that the search will result in evidence that the student violated the law or the district Code of Conduct.
An authorized school official may conduct a search of a student's belongings that is minimally intrusive, such as touching the outside of a book bag, without reasonable suspicion, so long as the school official has a legitimate reason for the very limited search.
An authorized school official also may search a student or the student's belongings based upon information received from a reliable informant. Individuals, other than the district employees, will be considered reliable informants if they have previously supplied information that was accurate and verified, or they make an admission against their own interest, or they provide the same information that is received independently from other sources, or they appear to be credible and the information they are communicating relates to an immediate threat to safety. District employees will be considered reliable informants unless they are known to have previously supplied information that they knew was not accurate.
Before searching a student or the student's belongings, the authorized school official should attempt to get the student to admit that the student possesses physical evidence that the student violated the law or the district Code of Conduct, or get the student to voluntarily consent to the search. Searches will be limited to the extent necessary to locate the evidence sought.
Whenever practical, searches will be conducted in the privacy of administrative offices and students will be present when their possessions are being searched. Searches will be conducted in the presence of two adults whenever possible.
Student lockers, desks, and other school storage places
The rules in this Code of Conduct regarding searches of students and their belongings do not apply to student lockers, desks and other school storage places. Students have no reasonable expectation of privacy with respect to these places and school officials retain complete control over them. This means students' lockers, desks, and other school storage places may be subject to search at any time by school officials without prior notice to students and without their consent.
Strip searches
Under no circumstances will any school personnel conduct a strip search of any other person. For the purposes of this section, requiring the removal of an outer coat or jacket, or shoes and socks, shall not constitute a strip search. In the unlikely event that such a thorough search is warranted, the police should be summoned to the scene.
Metal detector screenings
Schools in the City School District of Albany may be equipped with walk-through metal detectors, and/or hand-held "wand" metal detectors. The board may obtain portable walk-through units or hand-held wand units that are available for use in the schools or other buildings on request. School officials may utilize metal detectors to search students' book bags, purses and other personal belongings in appropriate circumstances.
For purposes of this policy, a "metal-detector screening" means the use of metal detectors (walk-through units or hand-held wand units) on the students entering a school facility or their belongings on a given date.
The following types of metal-detector screenings authorized by this policy:
Unscheduled random screenings: Random metal-detector screenings are an effective and necessary means of detecting and deterring the possession of weapons, and preventing their consequences, principally student violence, from occurring on school premises. Random screenings are screenings that are not conducted on a regularly scheduled basis, and are not necessitated by particularized safety concerns or special events. The superintendent or his/her designee or school officials may authorize metal-detector screenings on randomly chosen days during a specified period of the day, using school personnel to operate the metal detectors available to their school (any combination of walk-through units and/or hand-held wands).
"As-needed" screenings: The superintendent or his/her designee or school officials may authorize metal-detector screenings on days chosen to address particular safety concerns (such as recent violence in the neighborhood) or on days on which special events (such as athletic competitions) are held, using school personnel to operate the metal detectors available to the school (any combination of walk-through units and/or hand-held wands).
Daily random screenings: The superintendent or his/her designee or school officials may authorize daily metal-detector screenings using school personnel to operate the metal detectors available to their school (any combination of walk-through units and/or hand-held wands). Daily random searches shall involve searches of a randomly selected segment of the entire student body attending a particular school or schools.
Metal detector activation by anyone subject to a search under this section may constitute reasonable suspicion to justify a more intrusive individualized search.
If metal detector activation results in the discovery of contraband, such activation and discovery shall be documented in a timely manner in accordance with this Code of Conduct as well as applicable state laws and regulations.
Documentation of searches
The authorized school official conducting the search shall be responsible for promptly recording the following information about each search:
Name, age, and grade of student searched;
Reasons for the search;
Name of any informant(s);
Purpose of search (that is, what item(s) were being sought);
Type and scope of search;
Persons conducting searches and their titles and positions;
Witnesses, if any, to the search;
Time and location of search;
Results of search (that is, what items(s) were found);
Disposition of items found; and
Time, manner, and results of parental notification
The building principal or the principal's designee shall be responsible for the custody, control and disposition of any illegal or dangerous item taken from a student. The principal or the principal's designee shall clearly label each item taken from the student and retain control of the item(s), until the item(s) is turned over to the police. The principal or the principal's designee shall be responsible for personally delivering dangerous or illegal items to police authorities.
Investigation of students suspected of possession or consumption of alcohol
All authorized district staff have the authority to investigate the suspected consumption or use of alcohol or illegal substances on school property or at a school function. Such investigations may include (but are not limited to):
Searching student lockers, desks, and other storage spaces;
Searching student clothing;
Questioning students;
Conducting prescreening tests (e.g. examining coordination, mannerisms, speech); and
Using hand-held breath-test devices
Police involvement in searches and investigations of students
District officials are committed to cooperating with police officials and other law enforcement authorities to maintain a safe school environment. Police officials may enter school property or a school function to question or search a student or to conduct a formal investigation involving students only if they have:
A search or an arrest warrant or other court order authorizing the student's removal; or
Probable cause to believe a crime has been committed on school property or at a school function.
Before police officials are permitted to question or search any student, the principal or his or her designee shall first try to notify the student's parent to give the parent the opportunity to be present during the police questioning or search. If the student's parent cannot be contacted prior to the police questioning or search, the questioning or search shall not be conducted, unless the student is 16 years of age or older. The principal or designee will also be present during any police questioning or search of a student on school property or at a school function.
Students who are questioned by police officials on school property or at a school function will be afforded the same rights they have outside the school. This means:
They must be informed of their legal rights.
They may remain silent if they so desire.
They may request the presence of an attorney.


text:
The Honda Crosstour is no Accord Wagon, and it should be. Instead, it's fairly invisible on the market, where its hatchback body style doesn't look as neat as the Accord sedan on which it used to be based, or as practical as a true wagon.
The 2014 Honda Accord Hybrid and Plug-In Hybrid, two new entries into the growing mid-size sedan hybrid segment, are more pleasant to drive than a Prius, more spacious than a Volt, and offer all the usual virtues of the popular Accord range.
Commonalities between the Crosstour and Accord are now few, to the detriment of the former. Instead, the Crosstour is more a huskier cousin to the Accord with handling suiting its heft. At first glance, the Crosstour's shape promises increased utility over its three-box Accord sedan relative. It grows heels, adding a couple extra inches of ground clearance and a 4-inch taller roof over the Accord, greatly improving ease of access for passengers. Drivers and front passengers are welcomed by generous space in the first row, but rear-seat riders are penalized by the Crosstour's sloping roofline and teardrop cabin that makes headroom an issue for the taller among us. The Crosstour's cargo carrying ability introduces additional disappointment as its strut towers intrude into the trunk. Thankfully, the rear seats fold opening up the cabin for more cargo and a large storage area, large enough for bigger electronics or a briefcase, exists under the cargo floor. The floor itself can be flipped to reveal an uncarpeted, east-clean surface if you choose to haul around dirtier items.
Honda fits the Crosstour with the same four- and six-cylinder engines as before. You'll likely be pleased by the performance of the smaller 192-horsepower inline-4, which finds itself married to a five-speed automatic transmission. For those seeking a bit more power, Honda's new 278-horsepower 3.5-liter V-6—dubbed Earth Dreams—cranks out 252 pound-feet of torque and sends that power through a six-speed automatic transmission. The later powertrain also comes with paddle shifters mounted behind the steering wheel if you want to feel like Ayrton Senna on your weekly shop. The Accord sedan has adopted a new front strut suspension layout for better tuneability, but the Crosstour continues with the double-wishbone setup that's been a point of pride for many Honda fans. Front and rear stabilizer bars, a front strut tower bar, and hydraulic power steering—the last of which is no longer offered in the new Accord—further aid the Crosstour's handling.
Fuel economy remains the same as last year: Four-cylinder models see 22 mpg city and 31 mpg on the Environmental Protection Agency's test cycles. The V-6 achieves ratings of 20 mpg city and 29 mph highway. Adding all-wheel drive to the mix brings those numbers down by 1 to 2 mpg.
But is the Crosstour just an Accord+? In a word, no. It doesn't possess the driving dynamics of the Accord and the Crosstour's additional characteristics—such as increased ground clearance—don't make up for the extra cost. If anything, the Crosstour feels like a heavier, taller, and less agile version of the Accord, weighing a significant 300 to 500 pounds more than the Accord across that model's entire trim range.
Honda's most recent Crosstour attempts to cast it as more of a crossover. Unfortunately, it may not go far enough, looking more like an overwrought wagon than anything approaching a rugged SUV. Wearing a five-door bodystyle with a hatch instead of a liftgate and a rounded roofline, the Crosstour appears afflicted with a hunchback. However, the design revisions last year also gave the Crosstour a face resembling that of the newest Accord sedan, featuring a slotted grille with more visual width. And a crossover can't exist without plastic cladding, so Honda added more near the Crosstour's doorsill and wheelwells. The exterior product is a vehicle that's not enough of an SUV and too much of a hatchback for American tastes. At least the refresh brought improved materials to the interior, again following a path blazed by the new Accord.
The NHTSA hasn't rated the Crosstour, but the IIHS gives it a "good" score in available tests; it hasn't been subjected to the new small-overlap test. Honda's LaneWatch blind-spot display, a system triggered by the turn signal that displays a wide-angle view of the side of the vehicle on the dash's screen, is fitted to the Crosstour, while lane departure and forward-collision warning enhance the Crosstour's safety-feature set. Its rear headrests were additionally reshaped for improved visibility.
Honda lowered prices marginally last year and improved content. The Crosstour EX now has standard automatic climate control with filtration, Bluetooth, USB input, steering wheel-mounted audio controls, and an automatically dimming rearview mirror. Top-trim V-6 models in EX-L trim add dual-zone automatic climate control, leather-trimmed heated seats, leather-wrapped steering wheel, leather-wrapped shift knob, and HondaLink with enhances functionality for Aha, Pandora and Internet radio.
The cargo space in the Honda Crosstour ends up being somewhat more confined than in other crossover or hatchback models its size. So before you buy, fold down the seats and make sure there's enough space for your typical weekend activities.
The Crosstour finds its most direct competition at a Japanese rival, Toyota's Venza. The Camry-based Venza is more practical than the Crosstour, embodying more wagon and car characteristics. Oddly, the Acura TSX Wagon, which is more or less a redesigned version of the European-market Honda Accord Wagon, offers more interior space, a sportier drive, and returns better fuel economy than the Crosstour, as does the Volkswagen Jetta Sportwagon. Buyers looking for ruggedness can find it in the Subaru Outback, where they'll be surprisingly met with a more spacious and usable interior.
The 2014 Honda Crosstour doesn't have a clear niche: it promises more room than the excellent Accord sedan, but doesn't net much extra space under its hatch.


Outer Eastern Permaculture Swap is an event run under the auspice of Eastern Suburbs Permaculture Group in the Maroondah area, that welcomes the local community to come along to our monthly meetings and share homegrown produce including fruits, veges, herbs, fresh eggs, preserves, jams, seedlings, cuttings, seeds and much more. We share gardening tips, food and nutrition knowledge, and encourage sustainable gardening. We are still growing so come and join our Permaculture journey and help shape our group.


734 Polish children and 103 adults came to New Zealand as refugees during the Second World War. Four Polish boys are shown standing in front of a gate at the refugee camp at Pahīatua, with two New Zealand youngsters on top of it. Many of the refugee children stayed on in the new country, swelling the existing small Polish community. Polish immigrants had trickled into New Zealand from the 1860s, forming distinct communities in both the North and South islands. Polish Jewish refugees had arrived in the 1930s, and more came in the years immediately after the Second World War. The Cold War slowed Polish emigration to a halt, but there was another small wave in the 1980s and 1990s.


Check out photos from the DC Fashion Week Industry Networking Party , the largest fashionista gathering in Washington as lifestyle bloggers, stylists, models, designers, media, retail, photographers, modeling agencies, and lovers of style come together to network. Held on September 26 2013 at Dirty Bar in Washington D.C.
This upcoming 2013 extravaganza – scheduled from Monday, September 23 to Sunday, September 29, 2013 – will see designers gather from around the world to exhibit their Spring/Summer 2014 collections.


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text:
Monitoring Peacekeeping in the Central African Republic
Credit: UN Photo/Clara Padovan
By Devon Giordano and Eliana Sherwood
As is evident in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the nature of UN Peacekeeping Operations is evolving. The Intervention Brigade established within the United Nations peacekeeping mission in the DRC (MONUSCO) in 2013 is the first of its kind. It could be a pioneer UN peacekeeping mission that authorizes use of force as necessary to protect civilians, and even go on offensive attacks if it is vital for the safety and security of the civilian population. However, the DRC is still the only country that hosts this new style of peacekeeping, which helped to end the M23 rebellion and led to peace talks between the government and rebel groups. UN peacekeeping missions in other African countries continue to struggle, for example in the Central African Republic (CAR), where the political and the security situations are quickly deteriorating.
The UN Security Council has expressed fears that the CAR could create regional instability. The country has continued to slide into chaos since the rebel takeover in 2013 and recently armed groups have begun to incite Christians and Muslims into violence against each other. In recent months, Muslims have become increasingly targeted by the violence. Thousands have fled the country after attacks by armed Christian militias and officials at the UN have called the situation a "de facto ethnic cleansing." Although genocide is not confirmed, the risk of genocide is present if measures are not taken to hold perpetrators to account.
In its most recent resolution (2149 of 10 April 2014), the UN Security Council created an official UN peacekeeping operation in the CAR. The mission, known as MINUSCA, will be comprised of 10,000 military troops and 2,000 police and will begin action by September 15, 2014. MINUSCA's mandate, adopted under Chapter VII of the UN Charter, has provisions for the protection of civilians, support for the reform of internal police and security forces, facilitation of humanitarian aid delivery and assisting the formation of political peace processes in the country. Importantly, the mandate openly calls for cooperation with the International Criminal Court (ICC), and allows the mission to adopt "urgent temporary measures on an exceptional basis" in order to maintain basic law and order and fight impunity. The international community is hopeful that the new peacekeeping operation will be able to maintain peace and reinforce the fight against impunity.
WFM-IGP's program on the Rule of Law--the Coalition for the ICC--has publicized press releases, along with news and statements from their membership, as well as communications from the ICC prosecutor related to the situation. Coalition members have urged the UN and other relevant organizations to deploy peacekeepers to the country and called for those responsible for alleged crimes to be held accountable. Further, they have actively used social media and the hashtag #CARcrisis to draw attention to the situation.
WFM-IGP's program on Peace, Human Security and Conflict Prevention--the International Coalition for the Responsibility to Protect (ICRtoP)--has published a Q&A Factsheet on the Responsibility to Protect and the CAR and blogged about the issue. According to ICRtoP, the international community has a responsibility to protect the civilian population of the CAR from genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity. The responsibility to protect the civilian population is the undertaking of many different actors, including international organizations, regional and sub‐regional organizations, states, civil society and individuals. Although the UN, and many international organizations. have acted to help end the conflict, the response has been slow and the situation has become too intense to easily fix. However, it is hoped that by upholding the Responsibility to Protect in the CAR, further violence or threat of genocide can be stopped.
WFM-IGP will continue to monitor the evolving peace keeping operations in Africa and the situation in CAR and bring you the latest updates. For more updates from WFM-IGP, please subscribe to our list serve: www.wfm-igp.org or follow us on Facebook (facebook.com/worldfederalist) and Twitter (@worldfederalist).


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