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Australia Expands SmartGate Border Processing
By Dex Tennyson, for ExpatBriefing.com 07 November, 2014
Australia's Immigration Minister, Scott Morrison, has announced that the country's automated border processing technology, Smartgate, is now available at all major international airports on a trial basis to e-passport holders from Canada and Ireland, and that further trials are expected for visitors from China, Hong Kong, and Japan by the start of 2015.
To use the service, travelers need to have an ePassport, which has a microchip embedded in the center pages and an international ePassport symbol on the front cover. The service is already available to travelers from New Zealand, UK, US, and Singapore, as well as returning Australians, and a trial for Swiss e-Passport holders is still underway. The Government intends to roll out the scheme to Malaysian, Indian, and French e-Passport holders shortly.
Morrison said that it was increasingly important for Australia to provide "a seamless, low-touch experience" at international airports "to ensure the Australian economy reaps the benefit of growing travel and trade across the Asia-Pacific."
He said: "This technology makes the border more efficient and also allows our frontline border protection officers to devote more time to focus on traveler interactions, intelligence gathering, enforcement, and targeting activity, which are key to preventing threats at the border."
Tags: India | Ireland | Australia | China | Singapore | Canada | Hong Kong | Malaysia | New Zealand | Japan | Expats | Immigration | Travel | Visas And Passports | Asia-Pacific | Immigration |


Martica is using Smore newsletters to spread the word online.
Thank you for making a plethora of donations to the food drive. Together our class collected and donated a wide variety of items. Your donations are sincerely appreciated. Thanks for being so caring and giving.
These two reading partners found a cozy spot to read together.
Several students have earned lunch in the classroom with friends. Here is a picture of some girls enjoying their lunches.
Students are working hard to prepare for the holiday concert in December. I got to listen to them sing for a little bit today and was thoroughly impressed.
Making change is a hard concept and one that needs to be practiced a lot in order to master. This website is a great game that helps students practice. Please be aware that it will give hints at the answer unless "no hints" is checked before beginning the game.
It's getting cold! Please make sure to send your children with hats and gloves and other appropriate gear for being outside. Thanks!


Living-in-USA.COM – Out of this world but all about this world.
Daddy Thoughts – How to be a parent first?
Fascist Rhetoric : There is always something for someone and that someone is not you, us or them..
Immigration Notices for Various VISA types.
For a medical/functional emergency call 211.
For a life-threatening emergency call 911.
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WHEN MY HUSBAND recently surprised me with a weeklong trip to Costa Rica, sans kids, I practically bolted to the closet to dust o; my ancient luggage. ;en I remembered that the old jalopy of a suitcase I own weighs about as much as the iron-bottom steamer trunks of long ago.
My trip was in two weeks. I needed new luggage, pronto. I knew Costco would hit the mark on what I was looking for, at a great price, too. But where to begin?
Since it had been almost two decades since I'd last gone suitcase shopping, and there are an overwhelming number of options now, I decided to enlist the expertise of the Costco luggage-buying team. Buyer Marc Sloan and assistant buyer Drusilla Perrella gave me some great insight on how they decide which luggage Costco carries.
wheels can make maneuvering a breeze.
another option; they o;er a surprising amount of storage and the ability to organize in a two-level way. Multiple handles and a large " easy-pack" opening make du;els very convenient.
I also needed to decide what size would work best for my needs: a checked bag (full size), a carry-on or a du;el. Marc and Drusilla showed me the Ciao brand carry-on, available in the warehouses and on Costco.com, made to ;t perfectly under most of the seats in front of you. ;is ultra-light bag is made of ballistic nylon, a thick, tough nylon created by the DuPont Corporation during World War II. ;e original purpose of the nylon was to protect aircra; personnel from shrapnel, bullets and other ballistic impacts.
Marc and Drusilla then wheeled me through some of their other current picks.
Delsey, a Parisian brand, is introducing a "light as a textbook" carry-on.


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Doctor Who's new TARDIS revealed as Jodie Whittaker takes her companions for a spin - and fans love it
After two episodes of a TARDIS-less Doctor, Jodie has finally been reunited with her beloved space and time-ship, which shocks her new companions
Jenny Desborough
After months of waiting to see Jodie Whittaker wielding a sonic screwdriver, fans got their next wish as the new TARDIS was revealed in the second episode of series 11.
While there is always potential for these things to disappoint, it certainly did NOT as fans shared their excitement on social media.
Appearing as the episode finished, the entirely remodelled design was revealed after it was dsetroyed in the 2017 Christmas special, though little about the exterior police box has changed between owners.
She was shocked as she walked in (Image: BBC)
Jodie Whittaker's very sweary reason why she bagged Doctor Who role
As The Doctor headed inside to see how it looks, she said: "Ohh - you've redecorated! I really like it!"
It is pretty different from previous incarnations, with some fans suggesting it looked like a "honecomb" with its hexagonal panels and towering golden icicles.
The central time rotor is surrounded by the crystals, with golden lights illuminating the generally dark interior and all the various buttons and levers which will take the team through dimensions.
She marvelled at how beautiful it is (Image: BBC)
But the others are not allowed to touch the buttons (Image: BBC)
Doctor Who spoilers accidentally revealed by Chris Evans live on air
The console, which is where all the steering and controls are, has some fun gadgets as well to help the group along, including a custard cream biscuit deliverer, a tiny spinning Tardis and an hourglass.
Graham, played by Bradley Walsh, asked: "But it was a police box? How do you fit all this stuff inside a police box?"
The Doctor told him it was "dimensional engineering," as the group marvelled and looked shocked at the incredible sights before them.
It's magnificent! (Image: BBC)
She told them she would take them home, but a preview for the next episode revealed they would be heading to see Rosa Parks in the 20th century in America, so it will clearly be a long journey before they are returned home.
The episode also saw the first LGBT character of the series introduced, as one of the rivals in the galactic space race revealed she had a wife who sadly suffered in some way.
Doctor Who returns to BBC1 on Sunday at 6.55pm.
Tardis Inc.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Large inventory of these lamps and lenses. New and Used, Hella (Made in Mexico) and Frankani (made in France), replacement tail light lens for Volkswagen Beetle, Super Beetle & Thing 1974-1979 models.
Used Frankani Right side assembly; Used Frankani left lens, New Hella Right side assembly & new Hella right side lenses.


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We are aware of the complexity and diversity of our guests' need. Guest are often faced with the dilemma of having to choose between different packages available in Mauritius. We understand that sometimes, adjusting the scope of services to specific requirements may be a decisive factor. This is why we offer our valuable customers the option to design the holidays of their dreams, tailored to their needs and requirements as per their time and budget.


Sarasota County Commissioners announced at today's meeting that JMDH Real Estate of Sarasota, LLC has terminated their contract to purchase land adjacent to the Celery Fields.
On March 1st, Comissioners delayed their vote on Rezone Petition 16-33 to change the zoning of a 6.9-acre parcel of land on the northwest corner of Apex Road and Palmer Boulevard. The proposed zoning change, from "Open Use Rural" to "Industrial, Light Manufacturing, & Warehousing," would have allowed the developer to proceed with its plan to construct a 60,000 square-foot wholesale restaurant supply business, Restaurant Depot, on the site.
The delayed vote came after hundreds of citizens turned out to protest, wrote letters and emails, and called the Comissioners' offices to voice concerns over the needless sale of these beautiful Public lands to industry.
Sadly, the parcel of land that was under contract to JMDH remains on Sarasota County's "surplus lands" list, along with parcels on the southwest and southeast corners of the Apex Road & Palmer Boulevard intersection.
One of those parcels is under contract for sale to a developer who has requested a similar rezone in order to build a construction and demolition debris processing plant, where concrete crushers and wood chippers will create significant noise, and where trucks carrying the waste will line up to enter the facility on a daily basis.
As citizens of Sarasota County, we are voters, property owners, and nature enthusiasts who believe that the sale of these conservation lands for such industrial purposes would be an unspeakable travesty that has the potential to irreparably harm the wildlife habitat and pollute the waters of the Celery Fields and the Phillippi Creek basin.
If you'd like to join the fight, we invite you to sign up for email updates and join our growing list of volunteers!


Daybeds are the most comfortable when it comes to resting after a long tiring day. I could not figure out what to put in my open lounge area of the house and recently discovered that making a daybed out of pallets would be an awesome idea to do so. So I and my husband decided to get some pallets and start working on it on the weekend.
It took about a week to get it completed because we could not work on it during the week days. Paint the daybed and putting all the necessary stuff to make it convenient for us to lay on it or sit on it after the whole day in the evening. I think dream daybeds are the most reliable and comfortable furniture you can make out of pallets from which you will never be disappointed. It will always leave you with a relaxed feeling and you tiredness of day will be gone.
Picture Ideas sent by JoAnn Nicolett…!!!


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Sarah Palin has been accused of being inexperienced, and that would arguably be somewhat of a disadvantage as a vice-president. However, recently she has made such a mess on a number of occasions that I would venture that the real problem is not that she is inexperienced, but that she is massively incompetent and scathingly ignorant.
Here are a few quotes in support of this assertion:
Calling Chavez a dictator and fumbling foreign relations
Palin: "through negotiations or sanctions, if necessary, we can pressure dictators like Hugo Chavez to make it clear that they cannot mess with the United States whenever they feel like it."
Chavez: "The poor thing, you have to feel sorry for her," he said with a dismissive wave of his hand. Palin, he said, is "a beauty queen that they've put in the role of a figurine." Associated Press | Politiken
Campaign staff in a rut over her ignorance
"Her lack of fundamental understanding of some key issues was dramatic," said another McCain source with direct knowledge of the process to prepare Palin after she was picked. The source said it was probably the "hardest" to get her "up to speed than any candidate in history." CNN
Inflating foreign policy credentials
Palin: Well, it certainly does because our-- our next door neighbors are foreign countries. They're in the state that I am the executive of. And there in Russia-- Huffington Post
Ignorance of VP role
But this week, she said one of the vice president's roles is to be "in charge of the United States Senate," which she said would enable her to "really get in there with the senators and make a lot of good policy change." Boston.com
Dumb on domestic issues
Speaking before voters in Colorado Springs, the Republican vice presidential nominee claimed that lending giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac had "gotten too big and too expensive to the taxpayers." The companies, as McClatchy reported, "aren't taxpayer funded but operate as private companies. The takeover may result in a taxpayer bailout during reorganization." Huffington Post


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boycott the movie "Jodhaa Akbar"
Concerned NRI and Local Groups launch international campaign to boycott the movie "Jodhaa Akbar"
Concerned NRI and local groups from around the world have jointly launched the 'Boycott Jodhaa Akbar Campaign" and are categorically calling for a boycott of the movie "Jodhaa Akbar". The groups believe that the content of "Jodhaa Akbar" grossly distorts India's history and its concocted story is an odious, false, unjust and irreverent portrayal of a Hindu Rajput princess and a Muslim Moghul ruler.  They consider these distortions to be extremely insensitive and it hurts the sentiments of millions of people who love the culture, history and traditions of India.
The Campaign points out that while this movie may be "fictional" in nature, it does not grant the director and the producers the right to make a public spectacle of the rich Indian culture and history that they love and cherish. A mere disclaimer of 30 seconds or so at the beginning of a movie rarely gets registered in the mind of the moviegoer. It is the main movie, its story and the events it depicts that leave a lasting imprint.
The supporters of the Campaign believe that the theme of "Jodhaa Akbar" poses the danger of sending a totally wrong message to our nation's highly impressionable younger generation. They feel that many unsuspecting viewers will take the film to be fact instead of fiction.
" We feel that the movie is a blatant insult of our history and our pride and we shall not allow the filmmaker to distort history," said Lokendra Singh Kalvi, the leader of Rajasthan's Rajput Karni Sena. "We will continue to protest against the screening of the movie in Rajasthan," he added.
"Some people have asked whether even a Bollywood movie can seriously damage a culture of billion people. No, in the long run, it cannot. But that is not the point. The real concern of the Campaign is for each and every person," said Naresh Sharma of Global Institute for Truth & Awareness (GITA).
"If only one person were to come away with a distorted impression of India's history or our rich traditions, our concern is for that person as if he or she were the whole world".
Supporters of the Campaign stress that the depiction of romance between Akbar and "Jodhaa" prior to their marriage is a total concoction because based on historical records and contrary to what the film projects, nobody called "Jodhaa" has ever been associated with Jalaluddin, later called Akbar. In fact, there is no mention of "Jodhaa" in the historical records prepared by Akbar's own historian Abul Fazl.
The truth is that although one of Akbar's numerous wives was a Hindu Rajput princess, she was called Heerkunvar and not "Jodhaa". Heerkunvar was the daughter of Raja Bharmal of Amer (Jaipur), and was married to Akbar as part of a political contract between Raja Bharmal and Akbar. On the day of the marriage Heerkunvar was converted to Islam and renamed Miriam Rehmani to make it a proper marriage under Islamic Law. Events show that there was hardly any love affair to precede Akbar's contracted marriage to Heerkunvar, as Akbar had not even met Heerkunvar before their marriage was solemnized!
The Campaign points out that the history of the Moghul period under Akbar is replete with instances of very young women being forcefully captured by the invading armies, forced to convert to a strange and unknown religion, forced to marry men of alien culture and were forever condemned to endure the lifestyle of  polygamist husbands. And these women had no choice in bringing up their offspring in the religion of their choice. History states that Akbar had a harem of five thousand or so concubines at any given time. It was a disgusting a period in India's history. And to imagine that today an Indian film maker has revived memories of that perverse period by reenacting one of those forced marriages into a so-called "immortal love story" with fictional characters and fictional events! The Campaign sees this not only as an insult but a despicable and insensitive way to whitewash the suffering of India's women.
The Campaign believes that the artists, director and the producers have all shamelessly chosen financial gains over a Nation's history, culture and civilization, and worst of all, the honor of the women of India and thousands of innocent men, women and children who perished under Akbar's command. They consider Akbar portrayal as a kind and romantic ruler in "Jodhaa Akbar" to be a direct insult to those brave Rajputs who gave their lives fighting the tyranny of Akbar's rule.
The Campaign supporters point out that people of good conscience have chosen to boycott "Jodhaa Akbar" and asking others to join in the boycott. Additionally, the Campaign calls on the Government of India to ban the movie.
Organisers of "Boycott Jodhaa Akbar Campaign" have asked concerned people from all over the world to write letters of protests to the following people by email:
Hon. Mr. Justice K.G. Balakrishnan, Chief Justice of India
E-mail: supremecourt@nic.in
Shrimati Pratibha Devisingh Patil, President of India
E-mail: presidentofindia@rb.nic.in
Shri Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi, Minister of Information and Broadcasting
Email: jsp.inb@nic.in
Campaign Supporters
Global Institute for Truth & Awareness (GITA), USA
Hindi USA
Independent NRI Forum, USA
Indian American Intellectuals Forum, USA
Kashmir Task Force, USA
Mahtama Gandhi International Foundation, USA
Mauritius Movement
Rajput Association of North America, USA
Rajput Karni Sena, Rajasthan, India
Save Temples, USA
Naresh Sharma
E-mail: boycottjodhaakbar@gmail.com
Website: www.boycottjodhaaakbar.org


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El Premio a la Mejor Jugadora de Europa de la UEFA 2014-15 es un galardón que se otorgó por la Unión de Asociaciones de Fútbol Europea (UEFA) a la mejor futbolista europea de la temporada 2014-15. La distinción le fue entregada a la ganadora, Célia Šašić, en Mónaco, el 27 de agosto de 2015.

Palmarés

Entre las diez seleccionadas a optar a finalistas, el F. F. C. Frankfurt fue el club más representado con cuatro jugadoras, seguido por las tres del Olympique Lyonnais y las dos del F. C. Rosengård.

Finalistas

Preseleccionados
Las tres finalistas salieron de un total de doce jugadoras que finalizaron clasificadas según los puntos obtenidos en las votaciones.

Referencias

Premio UEFA al Mejor Jugador en Europa

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Illegal immigration continues to roil American politics. The right-wing media stir up panic over "anchor babies", job stealing, welfare dependence, bilingualism, al-Qaeda terrorists disguised as Latinos, even a conspiracy by Latinos to "retake" the Southwest. State and local governments have passed more than 300 laws that attempt to restrict undocumented immigrants' access to hospitals, schools, food stamps, and driver's licenses. Federal immigration authorities stage factory raids that result in arrests, deportations, and broken families - and leave owners scrambling to fill suddenly open jobs. And yet polls show that a majority of Americans support some kind of path to citizenship for those here illegally. What is going on? In this book, John Tirman shows how the resistance to immigration in America is more cultural than political. Although cloaked in language about jobs and secure borders, the cultural resistance to immigration expresses a fear that immigrants are changing the dominant white, Protestant, "real American" culture.
Tirman describes the "raid mentality" of our response to immigration, which seeks violent solutions for a social phenomenon. The current "round them up, deport them, militarize the border" approach, Tirman shows, solves nothing.
Our country, at one time, did depend on immigration to help it to grow but once we became a country (and was one for about a century) then the consideration of illegal immigration became a focal point. I was hoping for an unbiased look at immigration but what I got was the author on their soap box because he chooses to see only what he wants to see on how the government is dealing with immigration. If you want to learn what exactly is going on with immigration then please, I beg you, ignore this book and do your own research! I wasn't able to even listen to this book in it's entirety (I did a lot of skipping) due to the bashing done to anyone who doesn't think like the author. Now, I hate to give this book anything above a one star but as another reviewer said, "...the narrator is not the author" so I will give credit to the narration which was done excellently and at a good pace. However, I will still give this book an overall of one star due to the totally biased and uneducated rantings of the author. Proper migration into this country is honored it's the illegal immigration that is being dealt with, please, do your own research and reach your own decision on how to feel about the government's handling of this very real and serious issue. As a dear friend of mine was fond of saying, "If you are looking for bears in the road then all you are going to see are bears in the road." By the way, she was a Dutch immigrant who became a citizen of our wonderful country.
Human Dignity--Left or Right Wing Issue?!?
I walked into Immigration and the American Backlash thinking I'd be hit with a barrage of left-wing arguments, something that I, as a slightly left-of-center person might find to be a slight affront (and perhaps I should say here that I swing more to the right the older I get). And it certainly does make some arguments that someone who thinks from the right might find infuriating, but overall one finds that the book is mostly about humans making their way.
Make no mistake: The Left gets some heavy-duty whonking on the head, as the problem comes across as starting off from neo-Liberal policies of the 90s (think NAFTA and super cheap labor depressing a living wage), and it goes on to slight it as being a lot of hand-wringing now.
Still, I can see where the people on the Right would dislike the book: It's heavy on immigrants keeping some of their culture alive and well even as they live in this country. It suggests that Mexican-American studies aren't all that bad (and what other way to introduce the culture to citizen students to immigrants so that they aren't perpetually viewed as The Other?). It asks that we look at how our own policies, economic, social, political, have undermined the fabric of society in the countries that are seeing the most emigration. This is never fun stuff to listen to, I assure you.
But the book really highlights the immigrants as human beings. It over and over shows people working truly wretched jobs for truly wretched wages.
Jim Sartor does a capable job narrating the book, and while I sometimes found his narration to be over-enthusiastic, it never got in the way of the whole shebang.
Yes, it delved into a controversial topic of immigration but presented it in an unbiased manner and gave the reader good insight on the topic.
Clearly very well researched this was an interesting look at our current issues with immigration. The author did a good job covering all sides of the issue, which I really appreciated. Definitely worth a listen.
Would you consider the audio edition of Immigration and the American Backlash to be better than the print version?
I consider the audible format equal to the written format.
What about Jim Sartor's performance did you like?
Jim Sartor gave this important work the expression needed to hold listeners' attention.
Immigration is a target and focal point in The US's political arena currently; however, many citizens are dangerously uninformed and easily mislead on these important matters.
John Tirman's work examines the issues and the illusions against the realities that exist. By examining real cases that have previously occurred and their consequences, it becomes clear that detrimental consequences await if the majority does not act to stop these senseless actions such as mass roundups and deportations. Using careful examination of actual events Mr. Tirman reveals how the catch phrases of loss of jobs, welfare abuse, and even potential terrorist acts are used to create fear of immigrant cultures existing alongside the current dominant culture. The real fear is all too often that of losing power. Violence, mass deportations, and hysteria in response to minority cultures is not the answer. The United States has worked to become a country that could coexist with many cultures as part of our country in a spirit of inclusion.
This is a book that should be read for understanding what is happening today by everyone.
3.5 / 5, but rounded up.
John Tirman presents a well researched, scholarly (it is university press, after all) work, looking at the issue of immigration into the USA. Tirman puts forward a thesis that is is not economics or security or welfare or politics, but actually a concern about culture and "what it means to be American" that drives and shapes the anti-immigration argument. While all those other things are used as a front for it, when Tirman dives down into the issues and the rhetoric the 'culture' issue continually surfaces.
Throughout the book parallels are drawn between the Great Migration after the civil war of blacks from the south into the north, and how they were treated, to the current migration of latinos into the southern USA. The way they are treated as second class citizens and deprived in subtle (and sometimes not so subtle) ways. He reviews the reasons people immigrate to the US, both legally and illegally, and what the driving forces for those are. He looks at the impact US foreign relations (like late 90's actions in South America) from into immigration, and he also looks at how those immigrants are treated once they are here.
While Tirman appears generally pro-immigration, or at least anti-current anti-immigration practices, he does a good job of presenting both sides of the argument. While he may condemn and deride the methods that anti-immigration use, he is even handed towards the actual reasons and concerns behind the action. Some of the concerns are dismissed after analysis, and rightly so, such as "terrorists sneaking in from Mexico". Reading through you can understand, and even agree in some cases, to the reasoning behind being anti-immigrant, because of the balanced approach.
While Tirman does examine and press the Republican Party for their stance on immigration he doesn't ignore the actions of the Democrats either. The analysis and condemnation of the "militarisation and deportation" practices is bipartisan in approach.
That is not to say it is perfectly balanced or without bias. It is there is places, although Tirman does his best to minimise it. Tirman, in the introduction, says he shall avoid judgment in his language. And for the most part he does. There are a few occasions where judgmental terms are used, but these are few.
Jim Sartor does a good job narrating. He is well paced, clear, and easy to listen to and follow. I do wonder at times if a bias in one direction or another that he has then affects how he has read the book.
Is some of the judgement or bias I perceived in the book from the author, the narrator, or myself (while I am not American that doesn't mean immigration within my own country doesn't affect how I see the US issue)? It is hard to know. I've tried to focus this review on Tirman's approach and his attempt to balance the two sides, so as to help any future readers to set expectations and determine for themselves where they see that bias sitting.
Where does Immigration and the American Backlash rank among all the audiobooks you've listened to so far?
A scholarly look at immigration's social and political fallout. Don't be put off by the description! This is well written and well performed. For the as relevant and touchy as the subject is, in my opinion, did a damn good job of presenting viewpoints on all sides.
The historical perspective, timeline of immigration throughout America's past. The correlation of Blacks with the Latin population. Why the country needs immigrants and problems that are inherent. Irish immigrants were feared and hated, as were Blacks, Germans, Asian, European. It isn't a new issue or fear. And despite politicians using terrorism as an excuse, it is deeper than that.
Despite being scholarly in depth, I took a deeper understanding of the issues involved with immigration with me. And it was interesting in both the way it was written and the presentation by Jim Sartor.
I found myself questioning some of my long time Pro Immigration beliefs. Or at least, better understanding the other side. I suggest that most listeners will come away with a better understanding too. Understand, it isn't cut and dried, black and white, right and wrong.
This was an interesting work! I enjoy Social History that is well researched and written. This fits the criteria. This held my attention.
This review copy audiobook was provided by the author, narrator or publisher at no cost. Which I can only assume was voluntary on their part. I am happy to give my honest review of it. I think I'm suppose to mention how reviewing this was voluntary on my part too.
Good review of a difficult problem.
its ugly head in the United States.
With a good performance by the Narrator all listeners will gain knowledge into an issue that will never be solved in America.
Note: I can't figure out how to change the stars to no stars. I accidentally started to evaluate the wrong book. I have as yet not listened to this one so cannot evaluate it.


It was a heck of a game...we almost tied it with a few minutes left. I proud of the RAMS too...and believing they will continue to get better...I'm looking forward to being back next year. I don't think we will have to suffer through 15 years of mediocrity anymore.


WASHINGTON, June 17, 2014 – In cooperation with law enforcement personnel June 15, the U.S. military captured a key figure in the September 2012 attacks on U.S. facilities in Benghazi, Libya, Pentagon Press Secretary Navy Rear Adm. John Kirby said today.
In a statement, Kirby said Ahmed Abu Khatallah is in U.S. custody in a secure location outside of Libya.
In the Pentagon news release, Secretary Hagel laid out the policy of the Obama administration when it comes to dealing with terrorists who attack America.
"I want to commend all the service members who were involved in the planning and execution of the operation to capture Ahmed Abu Khatallah," he said. "Their tireless efforts may only be known to a few, but are felt by all Americans who are proud of what they do every day to defend this nation. This successful counterterrorism operation is another example of the extraordinary capabilities of the United States military and our unrelenting commitment to hold accountable those who harm American citizens."
We know that President Obama did actually refer to the attack on the Benghazi consulate as an act of terror the day after the attacks, because Mitt Romney's horrified face after being fact-checked on live television was etched into the memory of every American voter. But what the media often skips in its usual careless fashion is that in that Rose Garden speech, President Obama did not simply refer to the attacks as an act of terror. He promised to hunt down the people who did this.
And so it was, Mr. President, so it was.
The difference between President Obama and his Republican predecessor - and the modern Republican politicians - is that President Obama doesn't merely speak of bringing justice those who do America harm. Osama bin Laden's departure from this earth serves as the most stark reminder of that very fact, and this capture the most recent.
Barack Obama does not bluff. For him, bringing justice to terrorists who do America harm is not a political football. It is his solemn oath, his promise kept.


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Home >> November 2014 Edition >> Hook Up Via Hybrid—Satellite-Cellular Terminals Extend Broadband Reach
Hook Up Via Hybrid—Satellite-Cellular Terminals Extend Broadband Reach
By Doreet Oren, Director, Product Marketing, Gilat Satellite Networks
Everyone can agree that providing a region with broadband access brightens economic outlooks. Studies show that joining the connected world correlates strongly with improvements in per capita income.
Ancillary benefits of connectivity are plentiful as well: education, political freedom, human rights and health. Why isn't every region connected? There are geopolitical barriers, to be sure, but the biggest inhibitor of growth is perceived cost. Goodwill will not suffice if the ROI is absent. Can this be overcome? Gilat believes it can.
Where Traditional Solutions Fall Short
In many developing regions, a minuscule percentage of households have a fixed broadband connection, due to a lack of terrestrial infrastructure. Laying copper wire, coax cable or fiber optic cable is expensive. In some areas, the cables themselves are prone to sabotage and theft. Additionally, the low per capita income of consumers in these areas of the world makes investment in terrestrial infrastructure highly unlikely, due to the requisite ROI yield being almost non-existent.
In light of these obstacles, it's unsurprising that an overwhelming majority of consumer connections are mobile-based. One key reason is that most consumers already use a mobile device for basic telephony services—in sub-Saharan Africa, for example, mobile penetration is more than 63 percent as of 2013 and growing (ICT Facts and Figures). This, along with the prohibitive cost of terrestrial infrastructure, makes a cellular-based network a desirable proposition.
However, cellular networks have limitations. One drawback is that reception may be spotty due to limited geographical coverage and a lack of available frequencies. Barriers often take the form of wide distances between the consumer and the nearest cellular tower, resulting in a cellular network that has not scaled to support the data transfer speeds required for Internet use. Slow data transfer speeds make Internet use a frustrating proposition, unlikely to yield the productivity benefit Internet access typically provides. When the mobile network operator (MNO) cannot provide sufficient bandwidth, the network becomes congested, degrading the user experience and creating customer dissatisfaction.
With an increased budget, MNOs could expand their network to increase their customer base and improve service to ensure customer retention. Additional cell towers would help, as would infrastructure upgrades, but in some areas, especially where the population is sparse, the CAPEX investment in additional towers or upgrading to a high-throughput system is hard to justify.
Another inhibitor is a lack of frequencies and, therefore, insufficient bandwidth to deal with throughput demand. Looking at the big picture, the perceived drawbacks mirror the facts on the ground. Expanding and upgrading a cellular network into lightly populated areas often doesn't pass a cost-benefit analysis.
Satellite Technology:
Changing the Equation for Cellular Reach
For delivering broadband to hard-to-reach regions, the satellite industry has long led the way. However, the industry has long been associated with high CPE entry costs, which is of particular concern in cash-strapped regions. But technological advances in satellite, along with a new line of innovative products, have changed the equation.
High-Throughput Satellites (HTS) offer significantly increased capacity, reducing bandwidth costs by an order of magnitude. This is achieved via frequency reuse and multi-spot beam technology, which provide higher satellite capacity than traditional single beam satellites. This breakthrough has helped position satellite communication as a cost-effective alternative for delivering broadband.
To reach a price point at which satellite communication could be considered truly viable for consumers with limited ARPU, further innovation was required. Gilat's low-TCO solution relies on an innovative hybrid terminal that combines satellite and cellular technologies. SkyEdge II-c Libra, Gilat's hybrid router, leverages the MNO's existing infrastructure to increase fixed broadband penetration while providing high-speed service.
Generally, residential data traffic is heavily skewed toward the forward path; end users generally download far more data (primarily video) than they upload. Industry estimates set the usual download/upload ratio at around 12:1. Libra transmits the heavy download traffic via a satellite link, providing a vastly improved download speed of up to 20Mbps. Because the upload path—from the end-user to the Internet—requires far less bandwidth, Libra transmits upload data via the MNO's existing cellular network, which is capable of handling the relatively light traffic typically sent in this direction.
The best kind of business is one wherein everyone benefits. With the satellite-cellular solution, MNOs win, as they are able to increase their ARPU and reduce churn by offering broadband Internet service to their customers. This solution has the added advantage of not straining the existing cellular network with heavy data download transmissions.
Also embedded in the Libra router is quality of service and data acceleration engines. An integrated, flexible, usage-based service definition system enables the MNO to define a wide variety of service plans. For example, customers can enjoy a home broadband Internet plan that offers 10 times more quota than their cellular plan—and 20 times the speed.
Customers can now gain broadband access with minimal investment: a simple, self-installed, one-way antenna and a standard cellular dongle inserted into the Libra router provides broadband access via the cellular network for the return channel.
As Libra is not a two-way satellite terminal, its per-unit cost is far less than its counterparts, making it a particularly attractive proposition in areas where price point sensitivity is acute.
Leveraging Direct to Home (DTH) Service Providers' Existing Infrastructure
DTH service providers accustomed to broadcasting to a household with a dish can leverage their satellite infrastructure to increase their portfolio by providing Internet service to the home. The only piece of the puzzle they lack is a return path to enable two-way communication.
Here again, Libra provides an answer. DTH providers already have the infrastructure in place to support satellite subscribers and manage a subscriber base; all they need is a Libra router in the home to complete the circuit by establishing a return-path link via a cellular network. This two-way connection enables enhanced broadband services such as Smart TV, OTT and Video on Demand (VoD), elevating the portfolio offered by DTH providers.
The Opportunity is Now
The market trends are clear: the appetite for broadband services in Africa will only grow. Despite the challenges to date, broadband technology is rapidly reaching a point where it can offer answers for a growing number of consumers of all income levels. Mobile and DTH operators are perfectly positioned to use Gilat's satellite-based solutions to meet this demand.
For more information, please visit http://www.gilat.com/Libra
Doreet Oren is Director of Product Marketing for Gilat Satellite Networks. In this role, Oren is responsible for defining product positioning, messaging and go to market strategies and is responsible for market research and analyst relations.
Oren has more than 20 years of industry experience and has held management positions in R&D, product management and product marketing for international high-tech companies. In this capacity, she contributed to next-generation product definition and was responsible for delivering the company's vision to the media and analyst community. Oren has published thought leadership articles in renowned international journals and has spoken at numerous industry conferences worldwide. Oren received a BSc in Computer Science from George Washington University. Contact Ms. Oren at doreeto@gilat.com.


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PHOENIX SUNS—Released G Dionte Christmas.
NFL—Suspended Baltimore RB Ray Rice two games and fined an additional game check for conduct detrimental to the NFL in violation of the league's personal conduct policy.
ATLANTA FALCONS—Agreed to terms with WR Roddy White on a four-year contract extension.
BUFFALO BILLS—Claimed C Jared Wheeler off waivers from Carolina. Waived-injured CB Brandon Smith.
CAROLINA PANTHERS—Signed G Fernando Velasco and C Kevin Matthews. Released C Jared Wheeler and LB Billy Boyko.
CINCINNATI BENGALS—Claimed WR Conner Vernon off waivers from Cleveland. Signed WR Jeremy Johnson. Placed OL Andrew Whitworth on the PUP list. Waived P T.J. Conley.
CLEVELAND BROWNS—Activated OL Chris Faulk and Jeremiah Warren, DL Jacobbi McDaniel and RB Terrance West from the non-football injury list. Released RB Jourdan Brooks and WR Kenny Shaw. Signed LB Edgar Jones.
DALLAS COWBOYS—Placed G Ronald Leary and DE Anthony Spencer on the PUP list and DT Amobi Okoye on the active/non-football illness list.
GREEN BAY PACKERS—Signed LB Korey Jones. Released LB Shaun Lewis.
INDIANAPOLIS COLTS—Placed FB Stanley Havili on the PUP list.
KANSAS CITY CHIEFS—Signed OT Ryan Harris and LB Josh Mauga. Released LB DeRon Furr. Placed FB James Baker on the reserve/did not report list.
TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS—Placed DE Ronald Talley on active/non-football injury list. Claimed LB Brandon Magee off waivers from Cleveland.
TENNESSEE TITANS—Agreed to terms with OT Taylor Lewan.
Delmarva at Rome, 7 p.m.
Savannah at Augusta, 7 p.m.
West Virginia at Hickory, 7 p.m.
Greenville at Lakewood, 7:05 p.m.
Kannapolis at Hagerstown, 7:05 p.m.
Greensboro at Asheville, 7:05 p.m.
Beresford, Rincon (5), Walby (9) and de Oleo; Junis, Black (5), Perez (8) and Johnson. W—Rincon (3-2). L—Junis (8-5). 2B—Wade (C), Garcia (L). HR—de Oleo (C).
x-Was incorrectly reported as Bowling Green East 7, Hazard/Perry 3 in Wednesday's edition.
1. Vincenzo Nibali, Italy, Astana, 4 hours, 4 minutes, 17 seconds.
2. Thibaut Pinot, France, FDJ.fr, 1:10.
3. Rafal Majka, Poland, Tinkoff-Saxo, 1:12.
4. Jean-Christophe Peraud, France, AG2R La Mondiale, 1:15.
5. Tejay van Garderen, United States, BMC Racing, same time.
6. Romain Bardet, France, AG2R La Mondiale, 1:53.
7. Bauke Mollema, Netherlands, Belkin Pro Cycling, 1:57.
8. Leopold Konig, Czech Republic, NetApp-Endura, same time.
9. Haimar Zubeldia, Spain, Trek Factory Racing, 1:59.
10. Alejandro Valverde, Spain, Movistar, same time.
21. Peter Stetina, United States, BMC Racing, 4:59.
47. Benjamin King, United States, Garmin-Sharp, 19:01.
51. Matthew Busche, United States, Trek Factory Racing, same time.
103. Alex Howes, United States, Garmin-Sharp, 31:01.
121. Danny Pate, United States, Sky, same time.
1. Vincenzo Nibali, Italy, Astana, 80 hours, 45 minutes, 45 seconds.
2. Thibaut Pinot, France, FDJ.fr, 7:10.
3. Jean-Christophe Peraud, France, AG2R La Mondiale, 7:23.
4. Alejandro Valverde, Spain, Movistar, 7:25.
5. Romain Bardet, France, AG2R La Mondiale, 9:27.
6. Tejay van Garderen, United States, BMC Racing, 11:34.
7. Bauke Mollema, Netherlands, Belkin Pro Cycling, 13:56.
8. Laurens ten Dam, Netherlands, Belkin Pro Cycling, 14:15.
9. Leopold Konig, Czech Republic, NetApp-Endura, 14:37.
10. Haimar Zubeldia, Spain, Trek Factory Racing, 16:25.
33. Peter Stetina, United States, BMC Racing, 1:41:10.
54. Benjamin King, United States, Garmin-Sharp, 2:35:03.
92. Matthew Busche, United States, Trek Factory Racing, 3:28:24.
126. Alex Howes, United States, Garmin-Sharp, 4:03:16.
154. Danny Pate, United States, Sky, 4:40:02.
Standings: Taiwan 4, Spain 3, Thailand 1, United States 0.
Ariya and Moriya Jutanugarn, Thailand, halved with Belen Mozo and Beatriz Recari, Spain.
Carlota Ciganda and Azahara Munoz, Spain, def. Pornanong Phatlum and Onnarin Sattayabanphot, Thailand, 3 and 2.
Candie Kung and Teresa Lu, Taiwan, def. Paula Creamer and Cristie Kerr, United States, 4 and 3.
Yani Tseng and Phoebe Yao, Taiwan, def. Stacy Lewis and Lexi Thompson, United States, 1 up.
Mamiko Higa and Ai Miyazato, Japan, halved with Caroline Hedwall and Anna Nordqvist, Sweden.
Mika Miyazato and Sakura Yokomine, Japan, def. Pernilla Lindberg and Mikaela Parmlid, Sweden, 2 up.
Inbee Park and So Yeon Ryu, South Korea, def. Katherine Kirk and Lindsey Wright, Australia, 3 and 2.
Minjee Lee and Karrie Webb, Australia, def. Na Yeon Choi and I.K. Kim, South Korea, 2 up.
Gross: Marilyn Richardson 87. Net: Janelle Redsch 72. Stableford: Gerry Huff 36.
Open—1. Hans Stromberg, Lexington, 76; 2. Tanner Wilson, Nicholasville, 77; 3. Logan Jones, Ashland, 88.
17-18—1. Colby White, Edmonton, 76; 2. Andrew Farmer, Irvine, 78; t3. Steven McGowan, Kevil, 79; t3. Hunter Reed, Versailles, 79.
15-16—1. Austin Knight, Hopkinsville, 73; 2. Corbin Kirksey, Monticello, 75; 3. Cooper Collins, Lexington, 78.
13-14—1. Jackson LaLonde, Lexington, 74; 2. Jack Bergstrom, Lexington, 75; t3. Ethan Hill, Lexington, 76; t3. Michael Collins, Lexington, 76; t3. Mario Diaz, Georgetown, 76.
11-12—t1. Alex Hadden, Eminence, 36; t1. Merrick Nash, Lexington, 36; 3. Jonathan Bryant, Pikeville 39.
10-and-under—1. Cayden Pope, Lexington, 43; 2. Seth Smith, Campbellsville, 46; 3. Connor Calhoun, Grayson, 48.
8-and-under—1. Reed Richey, Bowling Green, 26; 2. Bradford Lacefield, Versailles, 33; 3. Luke Thompson, Versailles, 39.
Open—1. Baylee Salyers, Flatwoods, 75; 2. Meg Mills, Lexington, 88.
16-18—1. Hannah Turner, Smiths Grove, 72; 2. Margaret Brown, Princeton, 86; 3. Hailey Aaron, Russell Springs, 87.
13-15—1. Sarah Black, Lexington, 80; t2. Kelli Harpe, Nicholasville, 87; t2. Abby Dowdy, Greenup, 87.
12-and-under—1. Kate Hanni, Ashland, 44; 2. Mattie Jo Neeley, Richmond, 45.
9-and-under—1. Kylah Lunsford, Lexington, 35; 2. Mackenzie Maney, Jeffersontown, 49.
Jay Kirchdorfer def. Jensen Klondike, 5 and 3; Christian Vining def. Nate Bratcher, 2 and 1.
Scarlett Hartlage def. Heidi Steinert, 3 and 1; Molly Abel def. Urooj Nasim, 5 and 4.
Jared Davis def. Coleton Burch, 3 and 2; Hudson Hummel def. Campbell Kremer, 4 and 3.
Carter Smith def. Riley Bender, 2 up; Drew Wallace def. Koa Waggoner, 3 and 1.
First post at 12:50 p.m.
James McGee, Ireland, def. Austin Krajicek, United States, 6-0, 6-1.
Ruben Bemelmans, Belgium, def. Yuichi Sugita, Japan, 7-6 (1), 4-6, 6-4.
Wayne Odesnik, United States, def. Hiroki Moriya, Japan, 6-2, 4-6, 6-4.
Thanasi Kokkinakis, Australia, def. Marius Copil, Romania, 6-4, 4-6, 6-3.
Kevin Metka, United States/Eric Quigley, United States, def. Marcus Daniell, New Zealand/Artem Sitak, New Zealand, 6-4, 6-4.
Chase Buchanan, United States/James McGee, Ireland, def. Marcos Giron, United States/Dennis Novikov, United States, 6-2, 6-3.
Peter Polansky/Adil Shamasdin, Canada (2) def. Daniel Evans/Daniel Smethurst, Australia, 5-7, 6-4, 10-5.
Jamila Gajdosova, Australia, def. Julia Elbaba, United States, 6-1, 6-4.
Nicole Gibbs, United States, def. Jennifer Brady, United States, 3-6, 7-6, 6-2.
Nao Hibino, Japan, def. Miharu Imanishi, Japan, 6-4, 6-2.
Irina Falconi, United States, def. Montserrat Gonzalez, Paraguay, 7-5, 6-2.
Maria Sanchez, United States, def. An-Sophie Mestach, Belgium, 6-4, 6-3.
Melanie Oudin, United States, def. Chieh-Yu Hsu, Taiwan, 6-2, 6-2.
Romina Oprandi, Switzerland, def. Laura Pigossi, Brazil 6-2, 6-4.
Madison Brengle, United States, def. Daria Gavrilova, Russia, 6-4, 4-6, 6-2.
Kristie Ahn, United States/Kaitlyn Christian, United States def. Jacqueline Cako, United States/Natalie Pluskota, United States, 6-3, 2-6, 10-4.
Jocelyn Rae, Great Britain/Anna Smith, Great Britain, def. Stephanie Foretz, France/Emily Webley-Smith, Great Britain, 6-1, 7-5.
Jamie Loeb, United States/Ashley Weinhold, United States, def. Chieh Yu Hsu, Taiwan/Alexandra Mueller, United States, 6-4, 6-2.
Shuko Aoyama, Japan/Keri Wong, United States, def. Montserrat Gonzalez, Paraguay/Laura Pigossi, Brazil, 6-3, 6-3.
James Duckworth (6), Australia, vs. Chase Buchanan, United States; James McGee, Ireland, vs. Wayne Odesnik, United States; Vincent Millot, France, vs. James Ward (5), Great Britain.
Thanasi Kokkinakis, Australia, vs. Ruben Bemelmans, Belgium.
Romina Oprandi (8), Switzerland, vs. Madison Brengle (2), United States; Jarmila Gajdosova (1), Australia, vs. Nicole Gibbs (5), United States; Nao Hibino, Japan, vs. Irini Falconi (5), United States.
Maria Sanchez, United States, vs. Melanie Oudin (3), United States.
Jamie Loeb/Ashley Weinhold, United States, vs. Shuko Aoyama, Japan/Keri Wong, United States (2).
Kristie Ahn/Kaitlyn Christian, United States vs. Jocelyn Rae/Anna Smith, Great Britain (3).


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text:
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Zentralbibliothek Zürich
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› Historical › Orchestral
Leonid Kogan plays Brahms & Khachaturian
Item No. GHCD 2394
Price GBP 4.60 / USD
Medium: CD
This outstanding CD brings together two of the greatest performances by the legendary Russian violin virtuoso Leonid Kogan (1924-1982), considered by many to have been the equal of his fellow-countryman David Oistrach. Both performances were originally recorded in the West, the Brahms Concerto in London by the Philharmonia Orchestra conducted by Kyril Kondrashin, and the Khachaturian Concerto in Boston, Mass with Pierre Monteux conducting. The recorded sound in both instances is exceptionally fine but it is the quality of the performances which will impress all who hear them - the intensity and majesty of Kogan's playing, its sensitivity and magisterial sense of line - plus many other fine musical attributes - place these performances at the very forefront of recordings of either work. A wholly exceptional record.
Tracklist and soundclips:
Title Composer Artist Time Play
01 Violin Concerto in D major, Op.77 - I. Allegro non troppo Johannes Brahms (1833-1897) Leonid Kogan (violin), Philharmonia Orchestra, Kyril Kondrashin (conductor) 20:35
02 Violin Concerto in D major, Op.77 - II. Adagio Johannes Brahms (1833-1897) Leonid Kogan (violin), Philharmonia Orchestra, Kyril Kondrashin (conductor) 8:48
03 Violin Concerto in D major, Op.77 - III. Allegro giocoso, ma non troppo - Poco più presto Johannes Brahms (1833-1897) Leonid Kogan (violin), Philharmonia Orchestra, Kyril Kondrashin (conductor) 7:28
04 Violin Concerto in D minor (1940) - I. Allegro con fermezza Aram Khachaturian (1903-1978) Leonid Kogan (violin), Boston Symphony Orchestra, Pierre Monteux (conductor) 13:02
05 Violin Concerto in D minor (1940) - II. Andante sostenuto Aram Khachaturian (1903-1978) Leonid Kogan (violin), Boston Symphony Orchestra, Pierre Monteux (conductor) 11:43
06 Violin Concerto in D minor (1940) - III. Allegro vivace Aram Khachaturian (1903-1978) Leonid Kogan (violin), Boston Symphony Orchestra, Pierre Monteux (conductor) 9:01
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Michael Savala and Elaine Stokes are two of the three co-founders of ISSUES Magazine.
In 2012, Savala and classmate Elaine Stokes, along with John David Scott (BA 2012), co-founded ISSUES Magazine. Written, edited and published entirely by WUSTL students, ISSUES explores pressing social concerns through the lens of architecture and design.
"We focus on a different topic each semester," said Stokes, who serves as editor-in-chief.
In the last two years, ISSUES published thoughtful articles on topics ranging from accessibility and homelessness to public transportation, urban decay and revitalization.


text:
Woman Involved In Amber Alert Arrested
Updated: 7:05 AM CST Feb 21, 2012
A woman involved in an Amber Alert case last week was arrested Monday, law enforcement officials said.Melanie Stout was taken into custody and placed in the Polk County Jail.The Amber Alert was issued after a 3-year-old boy went missing Wednesday night. Police said Stout's son, Nicholas Jimmerson, was found unharmed just after 5 a.m. at a home in the 1600 block of 6th Avenue.Des Moines police said Stout's friend Amber Johnson abducted the boy from a McDonald's restaurant at SW 9th Street and Army Post Road on Wednesday at 7 p.m. A meeting had been setup at the restaurant for Johnson to see Nicholas before going to a hospital, the report shows.Stout, 22, is Nicholas' biological mother who does not have custody of him. Police said Stout had escaped from the Des Moines Women's Residential Correctional Facility on Sunday. Department of Human Services officials contacted police about the abduction. A police report shows the abduction was reported at 10:48 p.m. The Amber Alert that was issued at 3:15 a.m.Broadlawns Medical Center notified police of a patient seeking treatment in the ER fitting the description of Johnson. Officers did find Johnson at the hospital. Police said she provided information that lead officers to Jimmerson.Jimmerson was found safe and released to the custody of DHS.Stout was wanted on charges of violating a custodial order and flight to avoid warrant for leaving the correctional facility.
DES MOINES, Iowa —
A woman involved in an Amber Alert case last week was arrested Monday, law enforcement officials said.
Melanie Stout was taken into custody and placed in the Polk County Jail.
The Amber Alert was issued after a 3-year-old boy went missing Wednesday night.
Police said Stout's son, Nicholas Jimmerson, was found unharmed just after 5 a.m. at a home in the 1600 block of 6th Avenue.
Des Moines police said Stout's friend Amber Johnson abducted the boy from a McDonald's restaurant at SW 9th Street and Army Post Road on Wednesday at 7 p.m. A meeting had been setup at the restaurant for Johnson to see Nicholas before going to a hospital, the report shows.
Stout, 22, is Nicholas' biological mother who does not have custody of him. Police said Stout had escaped from the Des Moines Women's Residential Correctional Facility on Sunday.
Department of Human Services officials contacted police about the abduction. A police report shows the abduction was reported at 10:48 p.m. The Amber Alert that was issued at 3:15 a.m.
Broadlawns Medical Center notified police of a patient seeking treatment in the ER fitting the description of Johnson. Officers did find Johnson at the hospital. Police said she provided information that lead officers to Jimmerson.
Jimmerson was found safe and released to the custody of DHS.
Stout was wanted on charges of violating a custodial order and flight to avoid warrant for leaving the correctional facility.


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My Districting | MICHIGAN
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2020 Census PL 94.171 Data
Joel Arnold
I do like that this map does not group the entirety of the City of Flint into a single district, however it does not guarantee minority representation as the City currently has with the 34th District. Please continue to work on this, and reference submitted map P7273 as a good model of a map that allows for representation of minority communities without drawing all of Flint into a single district.
Theresa Mungioli
Worst House map yet for Oakland County. Like the Senate maps, you continue to split up Oakland County into many different pieces and not with communities of interest. There are more House seats here than current. And each is a smaller portion of Oakland County further diluting the voters voices. Stop gerrymandering.
Sheila M Troxel
This makes sense compared to the previous district for Jackson. However, I'm surprised that you would not include Summit Twp with Jackson.
Christopher McMillan
Midland City and Bay City have more in common with each other than with the surrounding rural areas. Placing them together would make for a more representative (and competitive) district and less political bias.
MD. ASIF HASAN
We are fine with this map. If we can include all areas up to Mound Rd. that will be much better.
merlin steffes
"Independent Commission" , you are suppose to have open meetings to the public. Why are you having closed meetings? What information are you hiding. Should you be disbanded?
Margaret Schankler
Please move the prison population to an overpopulated district to address prison gerrymandering.
DS Kahler
I agree with the Trasks that Dickinson County should not be split and Dickinson should not be put in the same district as Marquette county of which I am a resident. They are quite different and may dilute each others' influence such that no one will be happy with their representative in the State house.
Dan Wholihan
I like this map to the extent that it does not split the Brighton area, keeps Livingston County as whole as possible, and does not up us with Ann Arbor.
Pamela Trask
The attached map is a better way to redistrict 106, 107, 108, 109 districts.
Scott Trask
Do not split counties in the U.P. The current proposal shows no understanding of the Upper Peninsula populations and cultures. I'm submitting a more fair division of districts in the Upper Peninsula for your consideration and request that this be adopted instead.
This is an unfair redistricting proposal. Dickinson County should not be split into two districts. This will create excessive work for county clerks, confusion among constituents during election time and will negatively impact our precinct delegates. Our county is united in many ways and holds to traditional values and attitudes. Dividing our county would undermine this. We do not want to be in the same district as Marquette County or Houghton County, which are more socially progressive. Keep Dickinson County united and redistricting the same as it's always been in the Upper Peninsula--especially the current 108th district.
Stephen Stackable
As an independent voter , this is the first plan for Midland city and Midland county that I can support. Midland city and county have serious flood issues and other interests more aligned with the counties to the north and west of city and county.
Zvonnko Blazevski
We are writing to express my concerns over the various proposed versions of the State House map that have been presented for public feedback. As residents of the City of Roseville, we are especially troubled with the prospect of splitting of the city into multiple districts. In each of the proposed maps, Roseville, a city with just over 47,000 residents, is divided into two districts; which to our knowledge has never occurred previously. Generally, the proposed maps have several of our most northern precincts in a district that goes all the way to Anchor Bay, creating a significant socioeconomic and geographic disparities while the rest of Roseville in a district that encompasses Eastpointe and portions of northeastern Detroit. The division of Roseville as proposed in these maps would present a significant weakening of our representation in the Michigan Legislature. A district that divides Roseville would not be able to properly address the unique economic challenges, infrastructure needs and interests of our residents. Each proposed map dilutes and minimizes the importance Roseville has, as each district would be anchored in different municipalities with significantly different needs and interests. Roseville should be kept whole in any iteration of a State House map because it has a strong historical foundation and a strong working-class background that deserves fair representation by its state house member. Roseville is a city that is around 5 square miles and is a major transit area that is serviced by interstates, I-94 and I-696, and two major state highways (M-1 Gratiot/M-97 Grosebeck). It is a community that has a significant population of older residents, as well as similar demographical and socioeconomic characteristics with a strong sense of togetherness and community. These proposed maps do a disservice to the community by dividing our voice and placing us in districts where Roseville's needs will not be addressed or be an afterthought. Roseville is connected closely to its neighbors in Macomb County. We share common school districts (for example, Fraser Public Schools and Roseville Community Schools) and shared common government services such as Parks and Recreation (Roseville and Eastpointe) and emergency dispatch services (Roseville, St. Clair Shores and Fraser). In addition, Roseville and Fraser both share the same District Court (and elect the judges), and shares the current county commission lines. Previous iterations of the state house district have had the entire city of Roseville as its anchor and has include parts of Fraser, St. Clair Shores, Warren and Eastpointe in Macomb County in various forms. The seat has always been in Macomb County. Each city shares common economic, social and political interests as inner ring suburban communities looking to continue their rebirth. To cross county lines into Wayne County would be a disservice to both counties as the needs are much different. As an older, built out suburban community to a major Midwestern city, we also have unique needs that can not be adequately met by dividing our city into multiple districts that will have very few common interests. Our water infrastructure is dated. Public safety is paramount and with a heavy older adult population, adequate housing and services for that population are required. The Groesbeck (M-97) corridor is an industrial hub that the City of Roseville (and surrounding communities) have worked hard to reinvigorate with the assistance of legislative representation that is based from the community who addresses the needs of our community. This industrial hub also extends through the cities of Warren, Fraser and Clinton Township. In addition, the Gratiot (M-1) coordinator is a thriving commercial center that the city is trying to continuously update and improve upon. The City of Roseville also boasts a successfully redeveloped Macomb Mall that is booming when so many shopping centers are not. It is imperative that these economic hubs also continue to be represented by a single representative to help further its redevelopment. Despite great strides, similar surrounding communities that contain Gratiot Avenue (including Eastpointe and Clinton Township), share the need for continued redevelopment of this commercial center that would be best served by a representative who understands these needs and can work in conjunction with the communities along that corridor. One of the major concerns is that in the current proposed maps, it will be very difficult for the City of Roseville to have the Representation it needs in Lansing to allow it to continue to thrive. We all understand the need for fairness in the new map, and it is compounded by population shifts with the need to comply with state and federal statutory requirements. However, if the commission decides to finalize the maps in which the City of Roseville is split in two; we believe that the commission not only fails in its requirement to keep communities of interest together, but that it deliberately breaks one apart. As such, it is critical that any legislative map includes Roseville as a community interest and maintains the entire city within one legislative district; as has been done for decades previously. Sincerely, Zvonko and Lisa Blazevski Roseville MI 48066
Evan Heinze
All of Lake Orion should stay in 46 and makes absolutely no sense moving to share with the other cities in lower 29! Interests, schools, etc do not align and are not shared in anyway. We must keep Lake Orion with Oxford, etc.
All Oxford & Addison precincts must remain in State House District 46 because their single shared school system is one extremely important non-partisan community of interest.
Renee Rapanotti
Renée Rapanotti
Thank you for your efforts. I am another who is going to ask you to listen to comments about District 29 drawn from Oxford to W Bloomfield & insist that it be changed. Once again, the city of Oxford itself should of course not be divided. Lake Orion & Oxford are considered as 'sister cities', therefore are very closely COIs and should not be divided either. These communities also share interests with Oakland Twp. (parts attend LO schools) Lapeer & Brandon. West Bloomfield community does not share the same interests as these more rural areas. This needs to be looked at closer and corrected.
Why split the boundaries of the Township of Plainfield, the Township of Gaines, and City of Wyoming? "Independent Commission" you can create two districts out Grand Rapids and a district with Kentwood, East Grand Rapids, the remaining part of Grand Rapids, and part of Grand Rapids Township. Walker has more ties to Alpine Township and Tallmadge Township than to the City of Grand Rapids. Ahh, you are trying to create an extra democrat seat by gerrymandering. Why not come out and say so, people are confused by the meandering boundary lines.
Please move the prison population in Ionia to an overpopulated district to address prison gerrymandering.
steven sioma
The separation of Oxford and Lake Orion does not make sense, in other maps they are included in larger areas. L.O. is also referred to as "Lower Oxford" as our communities, enjoy a friendly rivalry and many citizens travel between the two.
Thomas Heck
This is a terrible proposal for district 40 - the northern Monroe County area including Carleton has no commonality with the city of Taylor.
Why after many, many displeased comments on all the previous maps (going back to the beginning of the drawing of this district), have you not corrected these egregious districts that serve to dilute the voices of Pontiac voters and other communities as well? The residents of these communities will not accept the "it's too much work" answer. Commenters from Lake Orion, Oxford, Clarkston, Independence Township, Waterford, Auburn Hills, Bloomfield and Pontiac have all stated that these districts do not preserve COIs and do not represent the communities involved in any way. Fix this!
John W Person
I don't live in or near this district. It is obvious from the shape that it was constructed based on who lives there and how they are likely to vote, otherwise it would not have this contorted shape. This is the definition of gerrymandering and is exactly what the commission was supposed to correct.
Jaime Greene
The Thumb area looks reasonable. I understand how hard this must be. You did a decent job of placing like communities together in the State House. Well done on 41, 47, 48, 49 and 52. Even 46, 44, 37 and 29 look ok. In 29 even though they are more geographically separated, the communities are similar in nature.
Brendon M Baranek
I understand the challenge of producing maps that make geographic sense while weighing other factors. This map isn't terrible geographically, but by separating Bay City and Midland it ignores partisan fairness completely. Bay City and Midland are closely aligned economically, as many residents live in one area and work in the other. Please consider putting Bay City and Midland back together. Thank you.
Marie Fox
While this district may make sense geographically, it does not add to the overall partisan fairness of the entire map. I suggest going back to the MIdland and Bay City house district. These 2 cities are closely aligned economically, culturally, and through the arts and school systems. Please continue to improve the maps until the seat shares match the vote shares of the state (54% D / 47% R)
Catherine Brockington
In all these House maps, Saugatuck School District (Saugatuck, Douglas and Saug Township)and Laketown Township have much more in common with the towns in District 87 than they do with almost all of District 88
katrhleen curell
Im not at all in favor of this map. The City of Midland does not belong in a district with a large rural area. Bay City should not be in a district with a big rural area. It appears to ignore COI, and partisan fairness.
Cindy Weir
Midland City is not rural, and should be included with Bay City in a State House district. These two cities have more in common with each than the rural districts surrounding them. This would be more representative as a community and political bias is closer to zero, which will make the district more competitive, and allow for better representation. And this is the goal of Proposal 2. Thank You! Please continue to improve the maps until the seat shares match the vote shares of the state (54% D / 47% R)
Anne Wallin
I dislike splitting the towns of Midland and Bay City into different districts. Many people live in one city and work in a different one. As municipalities with a industrial bases, we have many similar interests from public policy. I am unconvinced that the floods and watershed make a significant COI. There is more logic to urban versus rural interests when creating a COI. I also urge you to keep districts competitive from a political party perspective if feasible. Thank you for your work.
Mustapha Hammoud
Splitting the city of Dearborn, and the burgeoning Arab American community, into 3 different house districts is entirely unacceptable. Using the VRA as an excuse is also a cop-out since Arab Americans are considered a protected class by the Supreme Court (since 1987). Census data does not accurately reflect the composition of SE Michigan (intentionally), and I was under the impression this commission is supposed to factor communities of interest. AFL-CIO fair maps initiative had a much better approximation for House maps (pg. 25, 42) (minus a few precincts, but MUCH better still). Note Dearborn heights as well, providing another opportunity seat (pg. 38). Dearborn faces unique infrastructure challenges, language access, educational, economic, and environmental issues that require state level representation. This existing map would marginalize our growing city for the next decade or more.
JESSIE WOOD
Leland Hershey
I am not impressed at all with this map. This is the worst case of gerrymandering you could come up with in the North. The split counties and the projected new borders are very much political gerrymandering and not for the good of the citizens. Common sense is what is needed here.
Treva Hershey
I do not want to be moved out of the 105 district. This new map splits towns close to each other to different districts such as Mio and Fairview. Leave it like it was.
Patti Pacola
Lake County already has numerous ballot styles at election time because of all the school districts we have. Splitting us on another level is only going to add even more ballot styles to our elections.
Gerald D. Robinson
Please ensure our community receives the appropriate allocation of resources.
Robert Dragan
This map looks good to me for combining Ada and Cascade Townships into the same district 96. This map looks a lot like what the Commision drew up in map #227. I go into Cascade Township several times a week such as for shopping along the busy 28th street corridor which includes the Cascade Meijer. I drive by the Gerald R. Ford airport, the main airport servicing the greater Grand Rapids area which is in Cascade Township, which is in my COI.
Matthew Bowyer
I would just like to see i see all the negative comments about this and then i look at the map of bay city connected to midland by one road which has positive comments. I thought we were getting away from jerrymandering not encouraging it. Thank you for not jerrymandering!
Dan Holowicki
The Downriver cities from Melvindale in the north to Flat Rock in the south have always thought of themselves as one geographical area with unique needs and interests. I believe most of the people in these cities consider themselves from the Downriver region and would like to see united representation.
Joseph Sova
This is a sensible map. It keeps Midland County whole. We are connected via watershed to our neighbors to our west and north. The City of Midland is connected to the entire county, supplying municipal water, solid waste solutions, floodplain management, and healthcare. Keep Midland County Whole.
Douglas Floto
I don't like the way district 33 is drawn. It gives far too much preference to the republican leaning North and West. My part of commerce township has far more in common with areas to the south and east. So follow the community of interest guideline and balance out a non-partisan mix for our region.
Debra Stevens
Area 81 Why is Berrien County split into three different districts? This does not give us fair representation. This map reminds me of the maps I saw in textbooks when I was back in high school to teach us about gerrymandering. To me it is quite obvious what is being done. I think what we have now has been pretty well. Berrien County should be as one.
Suzanne Kinne
Berkley should not be split into two districts, and there is no reason North Royal Oak should be included in this district. School districts should be kept together in these maps to the extent that is reasonable.
Randa Cain
Please keep Northville and Plymouth together. Our communities share resources, such as fire departments. We have common concerns, especially when addressing the landfill nearby since it affects both of our communities. As a Northville resident, I vote on elections that affect Schoolcraft Community College, not Oakland OCC. Northville needs to stay with Plymouth and Wayne County, not Novi. Our communities are very similar, everything from our homes, walkable downtowns, and even our friends and community events. I urge you to reconsider these maps and district lines.
Darlene Lee
Why is Berrien County split into three different districts? This does not give us fair representation. This map reminds me of the maps I saw in textbooks when I was back in high school to teach us about gerrymandering. To me it is quite obvious what is being done. I think what we have now has been pretty well. Berrien County should be as one.
Cynthia Richardson
I have noticed several 'dislike' online comments regarding proposed maps that merge rural and urban areas. I also am unhappy with the proposed State House Representative/'Pine' map for District 69. I live in Waterloo Township, Jackson County. Merging Waterloo Township with northern Washtenaw County communities is a poor idea. Waterloo Township is VERY rural. We do not have the public services that Ann Arbor, Dexter or Scio Township residents have such as public water/sewage, police, or broadband services to name a few. Please keep 'like' communities together. As a member of the Waterloo Township Planning Commission, I would like to see our Township continue to work with communities such as Henrietta Township, Grass Lake Township and Leoni Township which are all within Jackson County. Please do not carve out Waterloo Township from Jackson County and lump with Washtenaw County townships. Don't lump unlike communities together for the sake of making a map. The end result will hurt our township. Thank you.
Julie Wuerfel
In this map, Berrien County will have 3 Representatives. That is not community of interest. Prioritizing Partisan fairness is Gerrymandering. Keep our county intact with 2 representatives. If it goes outside the county borders to make the 2 complete, then that is different. But to draw around a community of interest to make it partisan is wrong.
Rebecca Younk
It makes no sense to put the city of Bay City in with a bunch of rural areas. Urban voters will be drowned out completely by a population we have nothing in common with.
Marie Johansen
Map 248-District District 31 and District 53 include two large urban areas that have close ties culturally and economically and they should be in the same district so that the citizens in these similar communities will have their voices heard in congress. By separating them and then including each into a very rural areas, their voices are again diluted and drowned out. All voices need to be heard and communities with like minds, needs and interests must be together so they are represented.
Angie Kelleher
Michelle Mormul
It makes no sense to have St. Clair Shores in 3 districts.
Scott Stewart
Please stop including Pontiac and the small sliver of Pontiac together. In discussions with many individuals in the city, it has been agreed that the two cities are not aligned, as one of the commissioners previously stated.
Jim Morrissey
This map can not address the issue of political bias in both Midland and Bay City. You have diluted the urban voter in both of these counties and placed them in rural areas when their population does not dictate such action. The urban voters will not have their voices heard and this will lead to extreme politicians.
Molly Morrissey
This map does not respect the long standing relationship between Midland and Bay City. So many people live in one city and work in the other.
Scott Weston Rose, I was looking at your map and I give it my approval. Municipal and County boundaries are split only at necessity. Example, you have Grand Rapids containing two districts and the excess population in a district with Wyoming. The Detroit districts are split among Detroit boundaries instead of creeping into Oakland and Macomb Counties. The same for Ann Arbor and all cities. The problem is the "Independent Committee" and Anthony Eid, The Democrat, will not agree because there is no gerrymandering that will benefit a particular political party.
This does not address the political bias issue in the region. Please use the maps that have Bay City and Midland together. This map will not help with extremist influence on Politian's. I think the improved balance will create and support moderate Politian's and prevent them from being held hostage by extreme bases.
Scott Weston Rose
There is no reason to have so many county boundaries crossed by districts of this size. Please consider my map which minimized county and city cross overs and also has a very low population deviation of 1.37% max. https://districtr.org/plan/49177
Joel Rutherford
Once again, a map that diminishes the voices of voters in the entire district by putting communities together that don't have much in common. We just need FAIR MAPS!
William Richardson
Please remove Waterloo Township from proposed district 69. This District somehow connects a large section of the city of Ann Arbor with Waterloo Township, which is in Jackson County. Waterloo township has no water or sewer service, no broadband, and no public transportation. Ann Arbor on the other hand has all of these things. How will a Representative vote on legislation addressing any of these things? Waterloo township will be left without a voice. Please consider exchanging Waterloo Township in Jackson County with Sylvan Township, which is in Washtenaw county. Sylvan Township includes the small town of Chelsea which is a very similar community as Ann Arbor. This would leave Waterloo Township connect with rural Jackson county. This would provide much more consistent "communities of interest" for both resulting districts (69 & 71). Thank you for your consideration.
Sharon Trumpy
The city of Novi should be kept together in 110. Splitting up our community will disempower our diverse community's voice, especially our large AAPI population.
Jennifer Austin
This district makes sense geographically, and it's not a "bad" district, but if the overall partisan fairness for the state doesn't meet zero political bias and erase the vote efficiency gap, then I suggest you use the Bay City/Midland House district I've seen in several maps. Bay City and Midland are two closely aligned cities and they have been for a long time. Please continue to make the maps better so that the share of possible seats a party can win matches their vote share in the state.
Christopher Khorey
This is a much better configuration of District 87 than the collaborative maps, while achieving the same partisan fairness goal.
Response to Cheri Fields - these are the boundaries of the City of Kentwood, which is an unusual backwards L-shape. That said, the commission has ignored municipal boundaries elsewhere, and it is true that northeast Kentwood is very different than the rest of the City.
Betsy Beaudoin
Keep Novi together. This map limits the impact of our AAPI voters in Novi. Having a couple precincts in a separate district does not make sense.
This map is just another version of terrible. It splits communities and dilutes the voices of Detroit voters. KEEP COMMUNITIES TOGETHER!
David Neubauer
Rutledge Township should be included with City of Hastings, we are one community and should not be split up.
Cheri Fields
I don't know as much about the local dynamics, but find the eastern arm of District 86 odd. Why combine them with the people in Kelloggsville rather than those down the street? From the times I've driven past the homes around that part of town they are hardly in the same community of interest. If I were drawing it, I'd probably put part of that section in the 78th and part in the 75th.
I'm liking the shape of the 76th District. Since I live near the middle of this area, it makes sense for us to get the medical mile/Heritage Hill area with us. Even the NE border of Leonard works as well as any boundary I can think of.
Municipal boundaries are violated for example Grand Rapids and Ann Arbor. The State of Michigan might as well have a permanent democrat dictatorship or an "Independent Commission", democrat party controlled, which is the same thing.
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Home » 6 Days And A Night In The Hand Of Kidnappers: My Encounter I — Buhari A. Sa'ee
Submitted by AY Babanyara on Wed, 04/17/2019 - 09:09
(It was Thursday 4th, April 2019 @6:50pm)
I think taking us back to how the journey began isn't that necessary but the narration of my encounter with the kidnappers which took place at around 6:50pm of Thursday 4th April, 2019. Your guess is as good as mine being someone who has never experienced it. Yes, it was highly chaotic and the aftermath is psychologically traumatic.
We took our bus from Dikko Junction, Niger State. It was a 10 seater Bus and were heading back to Zaria. At around 6:40pm we made it to Olam Feed and Hatchery Mill, Kaduna and were moving close to NYSC camp then suddenly the driver sensed the presence of some personnel, well-dressed in their Military Camouflage. There were certain things which one could doubt the legality of those pretending to be of the Military Family. There was nothing like patrol vehicle. They were wearing Military Camouflage but were at the same time wearing different boots. Yes, different boots. And perhaps the driver being too familiar plying the route has many other reasons.
Just a few miles away from them, the driver whispered: I think these are kidnappers! Not all could hear him except few. I was sitting at the last back seat. Sitting with other three. I was squeezed. I had to remove my loafers, my cap and bend down my head to feel little more conformable. So I knew nothing that was happening. The driver couldn't press the break until in their midst. Don't ask me why because I don't know too.
At that very moment and spot, they started shooting albeit sporadically at initial and that's when the driver pressed the break, open his door and ran out. That's the same moment when some other passengers ran too. That's the very moment I knew what was happening. Before I realized, there was no driver and some other passengers. The car was moving very fast without a driver; from one side of the road to the other. We couldn't open our side door although were only trying to stop the car to avoid accident. We did it. The car stopped when the break was pressed by the only passenger left in the front seat.
They dragged us out, asked us to drop all the what we had, money, our phones and further asked us to lay down on the ground. I thought that's all they'd wanted. I thought after taking all our belongings that would be all. At that moment, we noticed either Police or Soldiers shooting and they were exchanging fire with the kidnappers and I thought the best thing was to continue laying on the ground to avoid being shot. The kidnappers were many, so part of them led us into the forest while the other part were left there fighting and exchanging fire.
We were five. One from the front seat, one from the middle and three of us from the last back seat. Few walks into the forest, part of the captives, two Fulani boys who looked like twins; wore the same type of cloths and were heading to Kano for Maulud couldn't be located anymore. The kidnappers couldn't find them. We really don't know where they'd been. So the kidnappers couldn't wait any longer and had to take us to their camp. We hurriedly walked for many Kilometers by foot which on our way I had a deep cut on my foot because I wasn't wearing any shoe and it was dark and horrifying. When they were sure that no one could even attempt to run because we were all exhausted, three Motorcycles were brought from the forest and took us to the camp. It was a very long walk. From around 7:30pm, we could only made it to their camp at around 10:30pm.
Behold! We are at the camp. It's so terrifying. There were many of them. There were many victims/captives. But wait, among the captives, it is like I noticed a whiteman. Yes, a whiteman but I was psychologically disturbed experiencing this for the first time. The whiteman wasn't my concern but how to walk out of that place alive and unhurt. I was praying deep inside; asking the Almighty for the best out of the situation and to forgive me of my sins. Suddenly one of their Ogas asked: whose phone is this? I answered, it is mine. He gave me to unlock it which I did without any delay.
On my Wallpaper, it was my father's picture: well turbaned, wearing his shining big gown (Babban Riga), holding a royal stick. On seeing this, they were like, that's nice! We had a big catch. They went further and enter into my gallery. Yes, this one has a special price.
The tradition is that, the new entrants would introduce themselves one after the other and what they do for a living and tell them whether your parents are alive or not and in most cases, one shouldn't attempt to lie because there might likely be a grave repercussion if caught. This method, that's what mostly determine your price. We were three and here was how each introduced himself:
1. I am Buhari. From Zaria and I am into poultry. My father and mother are still alive.
2. I am Ibrahim. From Zaria and I am a Driver at Dangote Company although I spent only one month and got suspended. My father and mother had died since when I was a kid.
3. I am Aliyu. From Minna, Niger State. I don't even know my parents because they are long gone. I am with someone at Minna. He's been helping me for many years.
At this point, the Oga asked us to go and sleep and would continue tomorrow. It was a bare floor. I mean bare ground of rocks and different trees surrounding the entire forest. There isn't anything like building, tent or even a hut. It's an open place. Field. Rocks. Hills. At this point, we noticed other victims using a tree leaves to sleep and wanted to use it too but were denied with a strong warning (of insults) that we couldn't use the leaves as we were new-comers until tomorrow.
But then, they asked us to remove our rings and every other thing which we did without hesitation and this time, I was sure that part of the captives, I've seen a whiteman sleeping on the ground.