UNITED STATES of America, Plaintiff–Appellee v. Leslie ARMSTRONG, Defendant–Appellant.
Before COLLOTON, BEAM, and KELLY, Circuit Judges. Kim Driggers, AFPD, argued, Little Rock, AR, Latrece Gray, AFPD, of Little Rock, AR, on the brief, for appellant. Edward O. Walker, AUSA, argued, Little Rock, AR, for appellee.
The district court1 sentenced Leslie Armstrong to 180–months' imprisonment following his conviction by a jury of one count of distribution of cocaine base, in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1). On appeal, Armstrong challenges the sufficiency of the evidence supporting his conviction and claims the district court erred by admitting evidence of a prior controlled drug sale in which he was allegedly involved and by sentencing him as a career offender. We affirm.
On December 4, 2012, the government charged Armstrong in a one-count indictment with distribution of 12.5 grams of crack cocaine. This charge stemmed from Armstrong's alleged sale of crack cocaine to a confidential informant (CI) during a controlled buy that occurred in September 2009 (the "2009 Controlled Buy"). At the time of the 2009 Controlled Buy, the CI was working with the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) and local law enforcement and had already participated in several controlled buys involving different suspected drug dealers.
At trial, the government introduced substantial evidence regarding how the 2009 Controlled Buy unfolded and Armstrong's role in the buy. On the day of the buy, the CI met with DEA and local law enforcement officials at a confidential location. The officers thoroughly searched the CI to verify that he did not have any weapons, drugs, or money on his person. The CI then placed a call to a phone number he claimed belonged to Armstrong. At trial, the government played a recording of this call, and the CI can be overheard talking with a man and confirming that the man was ready to make the drug sale. Armstrong denies that he participated in the call, but the CI testified that the other voice in the recording belonged to Armstrong. The CI also testified that he was familiar with Armstrong's voice because he lived in the same apartment complex as Armstrong, had known him for years, and had purchased drugs from Armstrong on occasions prior to the 2009 Controlled Buy.
After the call, officers provided the CI with money to buy the drugs, placed an audio/video recording device on his clothing, and used a DEA vehicle to transport the CI to the apartment complex in which Armstrong lived. The CI exited the DEA vehicle and walked up to the apartment complex.2 The CI proceeded directly to Armstrong's apartment, although he apparently encountered several people, including a family member, along the way. The CI testified that, upon entering Armstrong's apartment, he paid Armstrong $700 in exchange for two baggies of crack cocaine. The government showed the jury footage that was captured by the audio/video recorder the CI wore during the buy. This footage, in relevant part, depicts the CI knocking on the door of Armstrong's apartment, receiving permission to enter, and handing something to Armstrong. Armstrong appears to examine the item(s) for several seconds, and then states "you paid me for two." The footage then depicts Armstrong handing something to the CI, after which the CI exits the apartment. However, due to the angle of the recorder, the footage does not clearly show Armstrong possessing any money or drugs during the buy.
After the CI exited the apartment, he immediately returned to the DEA vehicle and gave two baggies to the officers who had escorted him to the buy. The officers thoroughly searched the CI and verified that he had no additional drugs, weapons, or currency on his person. The government's forensic analyst testified that the baggies contained 12.5 grams of cocaine base. As noted above, Armstrong was not indicted on charges related to the 2009 Controlled Buy until December 2012.
Pursuant to Rule 404(b) of the Federal Rules of Evidence, the government filed a notice of intent to introduce evidence at trial related to Armstrong's prior felony drug convictions and his participation in a 2007 crack cocaine sale (the "2007 Controlled Buy") for which he was never charged. With respect to the 2007 Controlled Buy, the government disclosed that this transaction involved the same CI as did the 2009 Controlled Buy. Armstrong objected to all of the government's proposed 404(b) evidence but took particular issue with the evidence related to the 2007 Controlled Buy. Specifically, Armstrong contended there was insufficient evidence that he actually participated in the buy and that the government's sole purpose in admitting this evidence was to show his propensity to commit the 2009 drug offense. At the parties' pretrial conference, the government claimed that Armstrong had asserted a general denial defense and that evidence of his role in the 2007 Controlled Buy was therefore relevant to show intent and knowledge with respect to the 2009 drug offense. The district court agreed the evidence was admissible but informed the parties that it would provide a limiting instruction. Armstrong has not challenged the government's characterization of his defense.
Following this instruction, the CI testified that in August 2007 he participated in a controlled buy that targeted another suspected drug dealer. The CI testified that when he arrived at the target's residence, the target told the CI that he did not have any drugs but could get some from "Wez," which is Armstrong's street name. The CI testified that he and the target then waited approximately thirty minutes for Armstrong to arrive. At some point during this wait, the CI exited the target's apartment and returned to the DEA vehicle that was used to transport him to the buy location. The CI told the officers that Armstrong was bringing drugs to the buy location, that Armstrong had previously committed a violent crime against one of the CI's family members, and expressed excitement that "we can get Leslie Armstrong, we can get him good." The CI then returned to the target's apartment, and Armstrong arrived shortly thereafter. The CI testified that, although he did not directly see the target receive drugs from Armstrong, the target provided a baggy to the CI shortly after Armstrong arrived. The government presented testimony from a forensic analyst who stated that the baggy contained cocaine base. In addition, the government also provided audio/video footage and surveillance photos that depict Armstrong entering the target's residence shortly before the CI received drugs from the target. Finally, both officers who participated in the 2007 Controlled Buy testified that the CI was thoroughly searched before and after the buy and that Armstrong was not the intended target of the buy. Neither the target nor Armstrong were ever charged in connection with their participation in the 2007 Controlled Buy.
At trial, the defense marshaled a heavy attack against the CI's credibility. During direct and cross-examination, the CI frankly acknowledged that he despised Armstrong because Armstrong had committed a violent crime against one of the CI's family members several years before either controlled buy occurred. The CI further admitted that he had numerous felony convictions, had been convicted of filing a false police report, had lied to his parole officer about his drug use, and had violated his parole on multiple occasions. The defense also presented three character witnesses who testified that the CI had a poor reputation for truthfulness in the community. In addition, the CI acknowledged that he was a cocaine addict and had used drugs in the months following the 2009 Controlled Buy. However, multiple law enforcement officials who observed the CI during the buy testified that he showed no signs of being high and that they would be willing to use the CI as an informant in the future because the information he provided was always reliable.
The jury ultimately convicted Armstrong of distributing crack cocaine to the CI during the 2009 Controlled Buy. Before sentencing, the United States Probation Office prepared a presentence investigation report (PSR). The PSR calculated that Armstrong had three prior felony convictions that were either a crime of violence or a controlled substance offense and therefore recommended that he be sentenced as a career offender under Section 4B1.1 of the United States Sentencing Guidelines Manual (U.S.S.G.). Specifically, the PSR noted that in 1993 Armstrong pled guilty to a manslaughter charge related to a killing that took place in 1991. The PSR also stated that Armstrong was convicted of two separate crack cocaine distribution offenses, one of which took place on June 1, 1991 (the 1991 Drug Offense), and the other on December 28, 1992 (the 1992 Drug Offense).
Armstrong objected to the PSR's recommendation that he be classified as a career offender. With respect to the manslaughter conviction, Armstrong contended that the Arkansas manslaughter statute under which he was convicted was divisible and that the charging documents could not resolve whether his manslaughter conviction constituted a crime of violence. Armstrong also argued that his convictions for the 1991 and 1992 drug offenses should be counted as one conviction for purposes of U.S.S.G. § 4B1.1 because these offenses were not separated by an intervening arrest and he was sentenced for the offenses on the same day. The district court sustained Armstrong's objection with respect to the manslaughter conviction, and the government has not appealed that decision. However, the district court concluded that Armstrong's 1991 and 1992 drug offenses were separated by an intervening arrest and therefore sentenced him as a career offender. Armstrong appeals.
Armstrong contends the district court erred by permitting the government to present evidence about his role in the 2007 Controlled Buy. "[W]e review the district court's Rule 404(b) ruling for an abuse of discretion." United States v. Turner, 583 F.3d 1062, 1065 (8th Cir.2009) (alteration in original) (quotation omitted). "Evidence of a crime, wrong, or other act is not admissible to prove a person's character in order to show that on a particular occasion the person acted in accordance with the character." Fed.R.Evid. 404(b). "Prior bad act evidence is admissible, however, when introduced for any other purpose," including to show identity, knowledge or intent. Turner, 583 F.3d at 1065; see Fed.R.Evid. 404(b). Nonetheless, even if introduced for a proper purpose, to be admissible, prior bad act evidence "must be: (1) relevant to a material issue; (2) proved by a preponderance of the evidence; (3) higher in probative value than in prejudicial effect; and (4) similar in kind and close in time to the crime charged." United States v. Jourdain, 433 F.3d 652, 659 (8th Cir.2006) (quotation omitted). Rule 404(b) is "a rule of inclusion rather than exclusion, and we will reverse a district court's admission of prior act evidence only when such evidence clearly ha[s] no bearing on the issues in the case and was introduced solely to prove the defendant's propensity to commit criminal acts." Turner, 583 F.3d at 1065 (alteration in original) (internal quotation omitted).
On appeal, Armstrong does not challenge the government's contention that the 2007 Controlled Buy is similar in kind and close in time to the 2009 drug offense. Armstrong argues, however, that this 404(b) evidence was inadmissible because it was relevant only to his propensity to commit the 2009 drug offense. Armstrong also contends the government failed to prove his involvement in the 2007 Controlled Buy by a preponderance of the evidence. We find these arguments unpersuasive.
"In order to find that [Armstrong] violated § 841(a)(1), the jury was required to find that he knowingly possessed cocaine base and that he intended to distribute the cocaine base." United States v. Jenkins, 758 F.3d 1046, 1049 (8th Cir.2014). Our precedent clearly establishes that Armstrong placed his state of mind at issue by asserting a general denial defense. United States v. Banks, 706 F.3d 901, 907 (8th Cir.2013). Evidence of Armstrong's role in the 2007 Controlled Buy therefore was relevant to proving material elements of the 2009 drug offense for which he was charged-namely his knowledge and intent. United States v. Thomas, 58 F.3d 1318, 1321 (8th Cir.1995).
We also hold the government proved Armstrong's role in the 2007 Controlled Buy by a preponderance of the evidence. "In the Rule 404(b) context, similar act evidence is relevant only if the jury can reasonably conclude that the act occurred and that the defendant was the actor." Huddleston v. United States, 485 U.S. 681, 689, 108 S.Ct. 1496, 99 L.Ed.2d 771 (1988). "Such questions of relevance conditioned on a fact are dealt with under Federal Rule of Evidence 104(b)." Id. Rule 104(b) provides that "[w]hen the relevance of evidence depends on whether a fact exists, proof must be introduced sufficient to support a finding that the fact does exist." Fed.R.Evid. 104(b). In making this determination, the court does not weigh the evidence or make credibility determinations, but instead "simply examines all the evidence in the case and decides whether the jury could reasonably find the conditional fact [here, that Armstrong supplied the drugs the CI purchased in the 2007 Controlled Buy] by a preponderance of the evidence." Huddleston, 485 U.S. at 690. If, after the Rule 404(b) evidence is presented to the jury, the trial court determines that a reasonable jury could not conclude the defendant committed the prior act, then it "must instruct the jury to disregard the evidence." Id.
Here, the district court did not abuse its discretion by determining a reasonable jury could conclude Armstrong provided the drugs the CI purchased during the 2007 Controlled Buy. The CI's trial testimony and the audio/video recording of the buy establish the target told the CI that he would have to get the drugs from "Wez," that the CI indicated to the officers on scene that "Wez" was Leslie Armstrong, that Armstrong arrived at the apartment shortly thereafter, and that the target provided drugs to the CI within minutes of when Armstrong entered the apartment. Based on this evidence, a reasonable jury could have found it more likely than not that Armstrong was the supplier. See United States v. Sykes, 977 F.2d 1242, 1246 (8th Cir.1992). Accordingly, "[t]he trial court's decision to admit the Rule 404(b) evidence cannot be overturned." Id.
Armstrong next contends there was insufficient evidence supporting his conviction for the 2009 drug offense. "We review the sufficiency of the evidence de novo, viewing evidence in the light most favorable to the jury's verdict, resolving conflicts in the government's favor, and accepting all reasonable inferences that support the verdict." United States v. Harris–Thompson, 751 F.3d 590, 598 (8th Cir.) (quotation omitted), cert. denied, ––– U.S. ––––, 135 S.Ct. 415, 190 L.Ed.2d 301 (2014). "[W]e will reverse only if no reasonable jury could have found [Armstrong] guilty beyond a reasonable doubt." United States v. McCraney, 612 F.3d 1057, 1063 (8th Cir.2010).
Armstrong's primary argument essentially is that the testimony of the CI was unreliable. However, "[t]he jury is responsible for assessing the credibility of witnesses" and its credibility determinations "are virtually unreviewable on appeal." United States v. Thompson, 560 F.3d 745, 748–49 (8th Cir.2009) (internal quotation omitted). Here, Armstrong's attorneys cross-examined most of the government's witnesses, including the CI, extensively, regarding the CI's felony convictions, his history of lying to law enforcement officials, and his well-documented animus towards Armstrong. Armstrong also presented multiple character witnesses who attacked the CI's reliability. In spite of this evidence, "[t]he jury evidently chose to credit [the CI's] testimony despite his checkered background and potential bias, and we will not disturb its judgment." McCraney, 612 F.3d at 1063. Furthermore, the government's audio/video footage of the events that took place inside Armstrong's apartment corroborates the CI's testimony. Although this footage does not directly show the hand-to-hand exchange of drugs and money, the jury could have reasonably accepted the CI's explanation that the footage depicted such an exchange. See id. In addition, the footage clearly captures Armstrong saying "you paid me for two," and the jury could have reasonably inferred this statement referred to the two baggies of crack cocaine the CI later surrendered to law enforcement officials. Finally, as discussed above, the Rule 404(b) evidence was relevant to Armstrong's knowledge and intent to commit the 2009 drug offense. This evidence, when taken as a whole, is sufficient to support the jury's verdict.
A defendant is a career offender if (1) the defendant was at least eighteen years old at the time the defendant committed the instant offense of conviction; (2) the instant offense of conviction is a felony that is either a crime of violence or a controlled substance offense; and (3) the defendant has at least two prior felony convictions of either a crime of violence or a controlled substance offense.
Prior sentences always are counted separately if the sentences were imposed for offenses that were separated by an intervening arrest (i.e., the defendant is arrested for the first offense prior to committing the second offense). If there is no intervening arrest, prior sentences are counted separately unless (A) the sentences resulted from offenses contained in the same charging instrument; or (B) the sentences were imposed on the same day.
U.S.S.G. § 4A1.2(a)(2). The parties agree that Armstrong's sentences for the 1991 and 1992 drug offenses were imposed on the same day and that the offenses were not contained in the same charging instrument. Therefore, the sole question before us is whether the two offenses were separated by an intervening arrest.
The facts relevant to the issue of whether the 1991 and 1992 drug offenses were separated by an intervening arrest are essentially undisputed. On or around November 27, 1991, Armstrong was arrested by the Jackson County Sheriff's Office on a first-degree murder charge for the killing that ultimately resulted in his manslaughter conviction. On December 10, 1991–while Armstrong was still in custody on the murder charge-a member of the sheriff's department served Armstrong with a bench warrant for the 1991 Drug Offense and informed Armstrong of the drug charge. The record indicates that the sheriff's department did not release Armstrong before serving the warrant, nor did it repeat its normal booking procedures, such as fingerprinting and photographing Armstrong. Armstrong remained in custody until August 12, 1992, when he posted bond for both the murder and drug charges. On December 28, 1992, Armstrong sold crack cocaine to a confidential informant, and he was arrested the following day. During the arrest, officers searched Armstrong's person and discovered he was carrying crack cocaine. On June 15, 1993, Armstrong pled guilty to the 1991 and 1992 drug offenses and was sentenced for both offenses that same day.
Armstrong contends he was never arrested for the 1991 Drug Offense because he was already in custody when officers served him with the bench warrant. In other words, Armstrong seemingly argues that being detained on a charge does not count as an arrest unless officers actually apprehend the offender for the purpose of facing that charge. Armstrong cites no legal authority for this proposition and instead urges us to define the term "arrest" according to the procedures of arrest set forth in the Arkansas code. Ark.Code Ann. § 16–81–107(e). We decline this invitation. "The Guidelines reflect the will of Congress and a Congressional desire for uniform and fair sentencing." United States v. Townsend, 408 F.3d 1020, 1023 (8th Cir.2005). By interpreting the term "arrest" according to "the vagaries of state law," we would risk disrupting uniform application of the Guidelines. Taylor v. United States, 495 U.S. 575, 588, 110 S.Ct. 2143, 109 L.Ed.2d 607 (1990); accord United States v. Leal–Felix, 665 F.3d 1037, 1041 (9th Cir.2011). We instead hold that our best course is to define the term according to "a uniform, national definition."4 Leal–Felix, 665 F.3d at 1041 (quotation omitted). "We employ basic rules of statutory construction when interpreting the Guidelines." United States v. Hackman, 630 F.3d 1078, 1083 (8th Cir.2011).
"Endeavoring to ascertain the ordinary meaning of a word," we often begin by looking at a dictionary. Id. Black's Law Dictionary defines the term "arrest" as "(1) A seizure or forcible restraint [or] (2)[t]he taking or keeping of a person in custody by legal authority, esp. in response to a criminal charge." Black's Law Dictionary 130 (10th ed.2014) (emphasis supplied). Although a number of our sister circuits have disagreed regarding the degree of restraint necessary to effect an arrest for purposes of the Guidelines, compare Leal–Felix, 665 F.3d at 1044 (traffic stop and issuance of citation not an arrest) with United States v. Morgan, 354 F.3d 621, 623–24 (7th Cir.2003) ("A traffic stop is an 'arrest' in federal parlance."), it is abundantly clear that being jailed to face charges amounts to an arrest. Atwater v. City of Lago Vista, 532 U.S. 318, 323–25, 121 S.Ct. 1536, 149 L.Ed.2d 549 (2001). Furthermore, although Armstrong was not "apprehended" for the 1991 Drug Offense, we see no meaningful difference between the circumstances of his detention and those of an offender who is apprehended and jailed solely on a drug charge. Armstrong was explicitly informed of his drug charge via the bench warrant, was detained in jail for nearly nine months on both the drug and murder charges, and was required to post bond for both charges before being released. We therefore hold that Armstrong was subject to an intervening arrest for purposes of the Guidelines. Accordingly, the district court did not err by sentencing Armstrong as a career offender.
For the reasons stated herein, we affirm Armstrong's conviction and sentence.
I concur in the court's opinion. I write separately because I consider evidence of the 2007 controlled buy admissible for a different reason. Regarding Armstrong's argument that the evidence of his involvement in the 2007 controlled buy was not sufficiently reliable, I agree that the government proved Armstrong's involvement in that transaction by a preponderance of the evidence. On appeal, Armstrong also argues that this evidence was offered solely as propensity evidence. Yet, such "evidence may be admissible for another purpose, such as proving motive, opportunity, intent, preparation, plan, knowledge, identity, absence of mistake, or lack of accident." Fed.R.Evid. 404(b)(2). Here, when objecting to the admission of all proposed Rule 404(b) evidence in the district court, his attorney expressly stated that she had "evidence that the confidential informant has a spoken vendetta against Mr. Armstrong." Then, in her opening statement, Armstrong's counsel told the jury that "the reason we are here is because [the confidential informant] has an ax to grind." In my view, based on the record below, it is that specific defense-that the CI had falsely accused Armstrong of selling drugs as vengeance for Armstrong's role in the death of the CI's father—and not a "general denial" defense that renders evidence about the 2007 controlled buy admissible. Evidence that the CI had unexpectedly encountered Armstrong as a participant in a controlled buy two years earlier was thus admissible to counter the specific defense Armstrong proffered. See Fed.R.Evid. 404(b)(2); cf. United States v. Ruiz–Estrada, 312 F.3d 398, 403 (8th Cir.2002) (evidence of prior drug convictions admissible in part to rebut "mere presence" defense).


Union Pacific SD70M No. 4812 leads the Potash Local, symboled "LDG51B" westbound through the tight cut approaching the Corona Arch Trailhead near Moab, Utah, on March 15, 2019.
UP 4812 brings a westbound stacker through the coaling tower and past a ballast train in the siding.
Foreign power leads NS unit coal empties west on the Harrisburg Line, in the form of Union Pacific flagged and flared SD70M 4812; here passing the former Reading Railroad passenger station.


H-mart, a grocery store chain featuring huge square footage and Korean and East Asian imported foodstuffs has opened a store nearby. Here are some of the designs for past promotional material. I love their use of bold colors and the slightly "in-your-face" composition style. A nice example of visual grammar in action: you don't need to understand the language to understand that their brand stands for fresh, clean and healthy food as well as greeters with oversize Micky Mouse gloves.


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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Home News Izetbegovic: Kosovo won't be recognized due to RS resistance
Izetbegovic: Kosovo won't be recognized due to RS resistance
Relations with Serbia are improving, while Bosnia-Herzegovina will not recognize Kosovo in the foreseeable future, Bakir Izetbegovic has said.
Izetbegovic, the leader of the SDA party and the Bosniak (Muslim) member of the country's tripartite presidency, made these statements for Turkey's Anadolu news agency.
"I do not believe that we will recognize Kosovo in the foresee ale future," Izetbegovic said, and explained this was also "the assessment of Minister of Foreign Affairs Ivan Crnadak" – because, as he said, "we have strong resistance from politicians from the RS (the Serb entity in Bosnia) and also from (Serb) Presidency member Mr. Mladen Ivanic."
"Without Ivanic," noted Izetbegovic, Bosnia-Herzegovina cannot recognize Kosovo.
"As far as the visa-free regime (with Kosovo), we don't have it either with some countries that we recognized 20 years ago and who have recognized us. We won't be able to do the thing with the visa-free regime, but we can very much facilitate the issuance of visas. They could be issued both in Skopje and Belgrade and that's being worked on, to make this procedure easier and simplify it in order to achieve intensive communication, because at this moment both economies are suffering because of this slow communication," said Izetbegovic.
Although relations between Bosnia-Herzegovina and Serbia are improving, Izetbegovic said there had been "certain crises in the past period that have been successfully overcome."
"A severe crisis happened during the incident that occurred in Srebrenica (when Serbian PM Aleksandar Vucic was attacked), but we overcame it. I think we have by and large overcome it. After that, Mr. Vucic came to Bosnia-Herzegovina a couple of times, the last time to Srebrenica. Obviously we have a desire of the Serbian side to improve relations. We will respond in that way. Of course it's still all mostly at the level of words, but one of God's books says 'first was the word'. All is preceded by a good or a bad word. This time these are good words and I think they will be accompanied by good and positive processes," said Izetbegovic.
He also described joint projects in the region, such as the Adriatic-Ionian highway, as "a very realistic thing."
Speaking about the recent decision of the Serb Republic (RS) to end its cooperation with the Court and the Prosecutor's Office of Bosnia-Herzegovina and the State Investigation and Protection Agency (SIPA), he said that "powerful people in the RS are defending themselves."
"They want to halt the system that they fear will one day knock on their door and ask them where they got some villas in Belgrade, where their got their vast estates, where hundreds of millions of (Bosnian) marks from banks that are collapsing in the RS have disappeared to," he said.
Speaking about the Serb entity, he said that "at one time things there went pretty well," and mentioned "the sale of Telekom."
"Loans had been taken out, salaries increased in various segments, and now it is all going backwards, people are becoming poorer, their lives are increasingly more difficult," said Izetbegovic.
Soon, he predicted, "that same people will start to ask how come people whose salaries are a couple of thousand marks have valuables worth a couple of million euros, how they got that."
"The people will not be the only ones asking, the prosecution will also ask that, and therefore the goal is to stop the prosecution, to make it dysfunctional, to take away its jurisdiction in that part of Bosnia-Herzegovina where these politically powerful people live," said Izetbegovic.
Source: B92
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I was always open to the possibility that the meme might one day be developed into a proper hypothesis of the human mind, and I did not know how ambitious such a thesis might turn out to be. Any theory deserves to be given its best shot, and that is what Susan Blackmore has given the theory of the meme. I do not know whether she will be judged too ambitious in this enterprise, and I would even fear for her if I did not know her redoubtable qualities as a fighter. Redoubtable she is, and hard nosed too, but at the same time her style is light and personable. Her thesis undermines our most cherished illusions (as she would see them) of individual identity and personhood, yet she comes across as the kind of individual person you would wish to know. As one reader I am grateful for the courage, dedication and skill she has put into her difficult task of memetic engineering, and I am delighted to recommend her book.
Read an Extract, Chapter One, or Synopsis of the whole book.
Read Reviews by John Maynard Smith, Matt Ridley, Uri Geller, Martin Gardner, Simon Ings and many others.
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Website maintained by Sue Blackmore. This page was created on 29 December 2005 and last modified on 12 March 2018 at 14:10.


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<A Girl's Guide to Homecoming
Rise and shine the right way – How to become a morning person>
Originality and passion meet in Halsey's debut album "Badlands"
Grace Masbackon October 4, 2015 /0 comments
By Scarlett Constand
Passionate spirit and an in-your-face attitude combine to create impressive tracks on Halsey's debut album, "Badlands."
Halsey was a previously-unknown supporting act for popular pop artists, such as Imagine Dragons, but the 20-year-old is now headlining her own tour before opening for The Weeknd later this fall. The New Jersey native's album debuted at no. 4 on the American iTunes charts on Aug. 28 and peaked at no. 2 before slipping to its current position at no. 19.
"Badlands" includes hits like "Hurricane" and "New Americana," and the sound of the album is the essence of alternative-pop; synthesizers and strong beats back Halsey's raw, electric voice to make the album's songs come alive.
Lyrically, "New Americana" is blatant and unabashed, making the song exciting and relatable to Halsey's young adult fanbase.
"Viral mess, turned dreams into an empire / Self-made success, now she rolls with Rockefellers."
The lyrics from "New Americana" illustrate the importance of how young people need to toil in order to feel confident with themselves. Halsey describes our generation as the new embodiment of the US, or the "New Americana."
The theme of "Badlands" is ultimately clear: be yourself; however, it is sometimes over-apparent and causes some songs to be too similar lyrically and in sound, like "Strange Love" and "Young God."
Halsey makes up for this shortcoming with songs like "Control" and "Gasoline," with a dark mood that makes them iconically killer.
"Badlands" is far from a disappointing debut for Halsey. Her stellar and unique sound ensures her success in the music business, as well as guaranteeing she'll continue to impress and improve.
Photo Credit: "Badlands" by Halsey album art
Tagged: music Scarlett Constand The Tower


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Yahoo Global News Anchor
Dodane przez Marcin Sokulski • May 17th, 2019 • w kategoriach: Uncategorized
AajTak: Hindi news (????? ??????) website, watch live tv coverages, Latest Khabar, Breaking news in Hindi of India, World, Sports, business, film and Entertainment. Go to for breaking news, videos, and the latest top stories in world news, business, politics, health and pop culture. Global coal consumption is expected to rise by 25 percent by the end of the decade to 4,500 million tonnes of oil equivalent, overtaking oil at 4,400 million tonnes, according to Woodmac in a presentation on Monday at the World Energy Congress.
Oath's personnel and our automated systems may have access to all communications content as it is sent, received, and when it is stored, in order to fulfill your requests, further product and services development, and provide personalized experiences and advertising through Oath's products and services.
Already, the creation of an Internet of Things across locales, regions, countries, and continents is coming up against powerful, entrenched energy and electricity transmission companies with commercial interests every bit as formidable as the telecommunication companies, cable companies, and profit-making online enterprises.
In less than 60 days, he is set to become president of the United States and commander-in-chief of the world's most powerful armed forces ? where his every utterance will be scrutinized for its meaning and duly recorded for posterity. 0%67°53°Partly cloudy today with a high of 67 °F (19.4 °C) and a low of 53 °F (11.7 °C).
The unbundling regulations came about because of growing complaints by millions of small, new renewable energy producers that the big power and utility companies were making it difficult for them to connect their local micropower plants to the main transmission grid.
Napisz do autora | Wszystkie posty autora: Marcin Sokulski
Komentowanie zablokowano.


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Editorial: Pelosi and her fellow Democrats must make a comprehensive case against Trump
Opinion // Editorials
Chronicle Editorial Board Dec. 5, 2019 Updated: Dec. 5, 2019 4:31 p.m.
Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-San Francisco, announced that the House will proceed with articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump on the Speaker's Balcony of the U.S. Capitol on Thursday.
Photo: Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images
Speaker Nancy Pelosi formally asked House committees to draw up articles of impeachment Thursday, all but ensuring that Donald J. Trump would become only the third of 45 presidents to face the ultimate constitutional sanction. The speaker's somber approach to the moment, which she has urged her caucus to emulate, was not only fitting but genuine: Contrary to her opponents' caricatures, Pelosi did not want this.
A time-tested legislative leader and political strategist, the San Francisco Democrat regained the speakership last year while downplaying the subject of impeachment, and she is wary of defending her majority on that basis next year; indeed, hours after her impeachment address, she announced a vote on legislation to lower drug prices. The speaker has run on such kitchen-table issues before and would no doubt do so again given the choice, but as she rightly put it, "The president leaves us no choice."
Pelosi appears to favor a restrained impeachment focused on Trump's recently revealed efforts to force Ukraine's government to help him win re-election. She has the benefit of plain and damning facts: For all the bluster of Trump and his fellow Republicans, it cannot and has not been seriously disputed that the president and his lieutenants lobbied Kyiv to launch political investigations, withholding high-level diplomacy and military aid to squeeze a vulnerable ally under Russian attack. That alone lends itself to charges of abuse of office and bribery, one of only two impeachable "high crimes" specified in the Constitution.
But whether or not it suits Pelosi's preference for efficiency in a politically unpalatable task, it's the serial nature of Trump's transgressions that makes this rare rebuke as unavoidable as the speaker suggests. Rep. Adam Schiff, the Southern California Democrat who leads the House Intelligence Committee, noted this week that short of serious consequences, "we can darn well be assured the president will be back at it doing this all over again — because, indeed, he already has."
The day after Special Counsel Robert Mueller testified to Congress about his report documenting the Trump campaign's embrace of Russian President Vladimir Putin's interference in the 2016 election, the president was urging Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to undermine Mueller's conclusions and smear a potential 2020 opponent. Months after Mueller detailed 10 instances of potential obstruction of his investigation and found persuasive evidence that at least four of them were federal crimes, Trump ordered a wholesale defiance of Congress' inquiry into his latest plot.
Nor do the Ukraine inquiry and the Mueller report come close to a comprehensive compendium of Trump's defiance of the law for personal and political benefits. Federal prosecutors and Trump's former lawyer have implicated him in secret payoffs to alleged paramours in violation of campaign finance laws. And he hasn't bothered to hide his enrichment through federal and foreign payments to his properties despite what he has called the "phony" emoluments clauses, which strictly prohibit presidents from receiving such benefits from the United States or other countries. In fact, the Ukrainian president conspicuously mentioned staying at a Trump hotel during their infamous July conversation.
Chronicle Editorial Board
Editorial: Pelosi should make a deal with Trump
Editorial: How a House report makes the case against...
Ignoring the sheer persistence of the president's lawlessness enables the disingenuous argument that he is facing the gravest possible political penalty for one regrettable phone call. Pelosi and many of her fellow Democrats were more hesitant to take this step than Trump and his defenders would have the public believe, but having done so, they should not hesitate to make a forceful case for its necessity.
This commentary is from The Chronicle's editorial board. We invite you to express your views in a letter to the editor. Please submit your letter via our online form: SFChronicle.com/letters.
Cheating: that dark American pastime
Ode to San Rafael: my unremarkable hometown
Last Word: confessions of a San Francisco car owner


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Home > Our University > Our colleges and professional services > Medical and Dental Sciences > News > University of Birmingham launches £7 million global surgical research unit
University of Birmingham launches £7 million global surgical research unit
The National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) has awarded £7 million to the Universities of Birmingham, Edinburgh and Warwick to establish a joint research unit focussed on developing global surgical research.
The newly-established NIHR Global Health Research Unit on Global Surgery will be based at the University of Birmingham. It will be co-directed by Professor Dion Morton, a leading colorectal surgeon from the University of Birmingham's Institute of Cancer and Genomic Sciences, and Professor Peter Brocklehurst, Director of the Birmingham Clinical Trials Unit.
Over a period of four years, until March 2021, the NIHR Global Health Research Unit will establish sustainable international research hubs across a range of low and middle income countries (LMICs). Initially, up to five international hubs will be set up across southern, central and western Africa, central and south America, and south Asia.
Professor Dion Morton said: "Surgical care is one of the major unmet needs in global health care today. The University of Birmingham has internationally-leading surgical research expertise that, through this NIHR Global Health Research Unit, can now be shared across continents.
"The impact of the NIHR Global Health Research Unit will be greatly enhanced through collaboration with the Universities of Warwick and Edinburgh, who will provide expertise in research training and in improving surgical service delivery to train the future research leaders in our partner LMIC centres, and look at how we can better provide access to and organisation of the surgical services."
Working in partnership with the Royal College of Surgeons, relationships are being developed with local hospital networks, governmental ministries of health, industry and non-governmental organisations in order to set up pathways to rapidly translate research findings in to evidence-based patient care.
The hub leads will be LMIC surgeons, with each hub supported by UK researchers. These researchers will develop and train regional surgical networks that are able to deliver clinical research relevant to their local populations.
The first clinical trial to be run by the NIHR Global Health Research Unit, through the Birmingham Clinical Trials Unit, will test interventions that aim to reduce wound infections following abdominal surgery. This is expected to begin in October 2017 and will take place across multiple international locations.
Professor Peter Brocklehurst said: "We are delighted that the NIHR have awarded us this Global Health Research Unit. This award will allow us to work with colleagues from a number of LMICs to establish a large network of hospitals all focused on answering important questions about surgical care, to improve the health of people around the world. Our first actions include initiating our first clinical trial, which will focus on preventing wound infections following abdominal surgery."
It is one of 33 new research units or groups announced today by The Department of Health. They have been funded by £120 million from NIHR's Global Health Research initiative which has given UK-based universities and research institutes the opportunity to develop and expand their existing global health work.
Health Minister Lord O'Shaughnessy said: "This funding allows our universities to strengthen their research and expertise as a leader in Global Health Research. The UK will continue to be at the forefront of health knowledge, and it is only right that we support developing nations as they improve care for patients and public."
The Royal College of Surgeons
NIHR - Global health research
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Took 18 months to do 4-6 months of work. Never finished the job. We spent $10,000+ and close to six 40-hr work weeks finishing the job. I washed dishes in the bathroom sink for weeks on end. I spent hurricane seasons '04 & '05 with a big sheet of plywood nailed over the big hole in the back of my house. The company does not meet contract obligations.
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Palometa puede referirse a los peces:

De agua dulce:
Orden Characiformes, familia Characidae, subfamilia Serrasalminae:
Catoprion mento, "palometa Caribe".
Mylossoma duriventre, "palometa", muy emparentado con la piraña y el pacú de la subfamilia Serrasalminae.
Pygocentrus nattereri, "palometa", piraña de vientre rojo.
Pygopristis denticulata, "palometa Caribe".
Género Serrasalmus
Serrasalmus marginatus, "palometa", "palometa amarilla", muy parecido a la piraña.
Serrasalmus spilopleura, "palometa", "palometa amarilla", "palometa negra".
Orden Perciformes, familia Cichlidae:
Australoheros facetus, "palometa negra", más conocida como "chanchito" o "chanchita".

 En Chile se le da el nombre popular de palometa al pez de la especie: Seriola lalandi.

De agua salada:

Orden Perciformes
 familia Stromateidae, "palometa de mar", comunes en todos los mares.
 familia Bramidae, en especial el género Brama entre los que destaca por su importancia comercial la palometa negra (Brama brama).
 familia Carangidae, en especial el género Trachinotus,  como por ejemplo la  palometa blanca.

Orden Beryciformes
 Palometa roja (Beryx decadactylus) o alfonsino

Referencias

Nombres vernáculos de peces

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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Friven Yeoh
This is available in:
Commercial Litigation and Disputes
Global Arbitration, Trade and Advocacy
fyeoh@sidley.com
News & Insights News & Insights
Credentials Credentials
FRIVEN YEOH is a co-leader of the firm's Global Arbitration, Trade and Advocacy practice and a member of the Litigation and Regulatory group.
Friven has extensive experience in the resolution of complex business disputes across industries and has represented clients in international arbitrations conducted under various institutional and ad hoc arbitration rules including those of the ICC, HKIAC, CIETAC, SIAC, JCAA, LCIA, SCC, UNCITRAL and CAS. He has also represented clients in a variety of commercial litigation and regulatory investigations involving product risk and liability, energy, corporate affairs, competition, and financial services matters. Friven has also served as tribunal chair or co-arbitrator in many international arbitrations before major arbitral institutions.
Friven has been recognized as a leading lawyer for arbitration by several publications, including Chambers Global, Chambers Asia-Pacific and Euromoney's Expert Guides. The 2021 edition praised Friven as a "hands-on litigator who really digs in and knows the facts, diving deep into the facts and documents with a strong support team." The 2020 edition of Chambers Asia-Pacific described Friven as a "sharp and analytical practitioner who is very good at coming up with strategies" and "he's able to figure out the key questions fast and…he can communicate with us well and is able to persuade arbitrators." The 2018 edition of Chambers Global noted that Friven is "very approachable, practical and responsive" and has "a very great IQ to understand the client." Legal 500 Asia Pacific recently described Friven as one of the "very strong arbitration lawyers" who is "a pleasure to work with." Friven was most recently awarded "Litigation Star" in the Commercial and Transactions, Dispute Resolution and International Arbitration categories by Benchmark Litigation Asia-Pacific 2020. He has also been recognized as a global leader by Who's Who Legal: Litigation, and Who's Who Legal: Arbitration.
Prior to joining Sidley, Friven was the managing partner at the Hong Kong office of another leading U.S. law firm. He is fluent in English, Mandarin Chinese and Cantonese.
Memberships and Activities
Examples of Friven's significant experience include:*
Representing a PRC pharmaceutical group in a US$50 million LCIA arbitration against a European specialty pharmaceutical company in connection with a medical distribution agreement governed by English law.
Representing a well-known Chinese real estate developer and its affiliates in a US$160 million HKIAC arbitration brought by a U.S. based investment management firm in connection with the investment management firm's intended exit from a joint venture. In addition to the HKIAC arbitration, the parties also submitted related disputes under on-shore joint venture contracts to CIETAC arbitration in Beijing in parallel.
Representing a major PRC-based conglomerate and listed company in a US$110 million HKIAC arbitration against a U.S. based commodities trading company in connection with disputes arising from an Investment Agreement.
Representing a multinational life sciences company in a multimillion dollar Singapore-seated SIAC arbitration against a pharmaceutical group based in South-East Asia. The disputes arose out of the South-East Asian pharmaceutical group's breaches of various representations and warranties in connection with its sale of a portfolio of generic drugs (including marketing authorizations, customer lists and goodwill) to our client.
Acting for a multinational consulting firm in an ICC arbitration seated in Zurich involving a multimillion dollar claim against a leading European conglomerate in connection with the design and construction of a high- speed rail link in China.
Defending a P.R.C.-listed company in a US$100 million Hong Kong arbitration conducted under the HKIAC Rules arising from a joint venture dispute in connection with the setup and management of a luxury department store in Beijing.
Pursuing a US$80 million claim on behalf of a major European energy company against a significant Chinese state-owned company in an ad hoc arbitration in Singapore in respect of breaches under a share transfer arrangement.
Advising a multinational energy company in a US$500 million claim in a Stockholm arbitration conducted under SCC rules, arising from the breach of a petroleum exploration and production contract.
Defending a U.S. leisure goods conglomerate in an SIAC arbitration against allegations of breach of a worldwide exclusive distribution agreement.
Advising a Hong Kong-listed company in relation to an investigation by the Securities and Futures Commission in Hong Kong are alleged provision of false or misleading information including transactions in its shares on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.
Representing an individual in a Hong Kong Takeovers and Mergers Panel proceeding concerning violation of the Hong Kong Takeovers Code by a Chinese e-commerce group in connection with the grant of a "whitewash waiver" by the Securities and Futures Commission for the acquisition of an online drug platform, of which the individual is a shareholder.
Representing a global private equity fund in a third-party intervention application before the Hong Kong High Court to amend/discharge an interim injunction in support of an arbitration commenced by a Chinese investor against the founder in respect of ownership over the fund, whose portfolio companies were valued at over US$800 million. The application before the Hong Kong High Court was one of several contentious proceedings between the parties across multiple jurisdictions.
*Includes matters worked on prior to joining Sidley.
Chartered Institute of Arbitrators
HKIAC Panel of Arbitrators
HKIAC Proceedings Committee
AIAC Panel of Arbitrators
BAC/BIAC Panel of Arbitrators
JCAA Panel of Arbitrators
SIAC Users Council
Guangzhou Arbitration Commission Panel of Arbitrators
Hainan International Arbitration Court (HIAC) Panel of Arbitrators
Advisory Board, Journal of International Arbitration
Hong Kong Law Society
Law Society of England and Wales
Financial Reporting and Disclosures
M&A Litigation
Admissions & Certifications
England and Wales (Solicitor)
Hong Kong (Solicitor)
Singapore (Registered as Foreign Lawyer)
Singapore (Registered Foreign Lawyer of the Singapore International Commercial Court)
London School of Economics, LL.M., 2001
University of Melbourne, LL.B., 1996
Chinese - Cantonese
Email fyeoh@sidley.com


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Minicars let youngsters drive themselves to Texas OR
Small and rural or large and urban—health systems' size influences decisionmaking
Graham-Cassidy bill loses steam
Shelby Livingston
Senate Health Overhaul, Washington DC, USA - 27 Jul 2017 (Rex Features via AP Images)
The latest effort to repeal the Affordable Care Act might have lost two pivotal votes Friday. A report said that Alaska would lose $1.7 billion under the Graham-Cassidy bill, potentially losing Sen. Lisa Murkowski's vote; that same day Sen. John McCain said he would not support it.
Senate Republicans' latest bill to repeal and replace the ACA with a block grant system would slash federal Medicaid and marketplace funding to Alaska by $1.7 billion from 2020 to 2026 compared to current law, a new analysis shows.
The report from consulting firm Manatt was commissioned by Alaska's Department of Health and Social Services. It estimates that while the state would receive more federal funds in 2020 and 2021 under the Graham-Cassidy bill, it would lose 36% of its federal funding for Medicaid expansion and marketplace subsidies in 2022.
The loss would grow to 53% in 2024 until reaching 69% in 2026. From 2020 to 2026, Alaska would lose a total $1.7 billion, or nearly one-third, of its federal Medicaid and marketplace funding as a result of the block grant.
The analysis comes amid reports that Senate GOP leaders are crafting a version of the Graham-Cassidy bill that would be more attractive to Alaska Republican Murkowski in terms of funding for her state, which has high medical and insurance costs and expanded Medicaid under the ACA.
Murkowski's vote is seen as pivotal for Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to get the 50 votes he needs to pass the bill before Sept. 30 with a simple majority. Murkowski was one of three GOP senators, along with Maine's Susan Collins and Arizona's McCain, who voted against the last repeal bill in July, killing it.
But obtaining those votes is becoming more difficult. McCain on Friday said he will oppose the bill, potentially ending Republican's chances to repeal the ACA before the end of the month, when their authority to pass the bill through a budget reconciliation process expires.
"I cannot in good conscience vote for the Graham-Cassidy proposal. I believe we could do better working together, Republicans and Democrats, and have not yet really tried," McCain said in a statement.


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clinicologues
(Awareness post)
Moushmi lived in her happy paradise. She had a wonderful doting husband, Praful who worked in an MNC. After three years of marriage they were blessed with a bonny boy Arjun. She had left her job as a banker to be a full time mom to Arjun. Her in-laws who lived with them were always supportive of Moushmi and loved her like their own daughter. Moushmi only had one concern in her life at the moment. Arjun who was almost three years old now….wasn't still talking. He sang their Rabindranath Tagore songs beautifully though the wordings were not all clear. He hummed nursery rhymes all day and never responded to someone calling out his name. He preferred to play with the specific toys he had received over the years. Surprisingly he had started to identify capital and small case alphabets too without anyone having taught him.
Whenever Moushmi spoke to her in-laws about this, they brushed off her worries saying, their grandson was intelligent and she needn't worry. His father too had spoken only at five years of age.
Today Moushmi was anxious since she had woken up. In fact she had barely slept last night and many nights before that this past month. It was 6Am and in few hours they were scheduled to meet the rehabilitation professionals for Arjun. She had been through a huge roller coaster of emotions for the past month. As she looked at Arjun's sleeping form she went into a flashback of the events of the past month. All had begun with that visit to her sister-in-law's place a month ago.
It was her sister-in-law's son Ruhaan's first birthday and they all had been to their house to celebrate. Moushmi was accompanied by her husband, parents- in- law and Arjun. In the evening there was a party thrown for their neighbours and friends. This was Arjun's first visit to a party. The music was blaring. The party hall was filled with people. Moushmi knew her son disliked loud sounds. But that day Arjun threw the worse tantrum ever. He started running haywire holding his ears. He was crying loudly. He banged into the waiters carrying trays. At one time he lay on the floor flailing his limbs.
Moushmi was at her wits end trying to control Arjun. Her clothes and hair was out of place. She was getting looks from people almost all of whom were staring at Arjun. Some pitied her while some looked at her with contempt. Ruhaan's parents and Grandparents and some relatives were visibly annoyed at Moushmi and Arjun. She was teary when Praful dragged Arjun who was stomping his feet, outside the venue. Moushmi too followed him.
Praful was fuming. "What the hell Moushmi…. What's gotten into him? Why is he throwing such a tantrum?" He pointed to Arjun who was still crying but with lesser intensity. Praful had dropped him on the grass in the lawn outside. Moushmi, who was softly crying herself, wiped her tears and said…"I have no clue Praful. But Arjun hates loud sounds. Last week he did that in the park too…. "
"… What did he do in the park?" Praful asked her.
"He …um… he dropped himself on the grass and yelled and cried all of a sudden. There was a band party close by so I thought it was because of the loud noise." Moushmi explained.
Praful was lost in thought. Suddenly he asked, "Why have you not sent him to his play school last whole week? I got a message from them yesterday."
Moushmi sighed and looked at the now sniffling Arjun. She said, "They are having some dance practise in school these days. He gets upset with the chaos. So… his teacher last week asked me to take him back…"
"…why didn't you tell me then? I would have spoken to them. How dare they not let him be in school? They have charged a bomb in fees." Praful interrupted angrily.
"Let it go Praful. Our Arjun has to spend the rest of the term amidst them. Let's not antagonise them. It's a matter of few days. Let him be at home".
They heard some sounds and looked towards the hall. A lady who was dressed in a pink sari with white hair came towards them. She was one of the neighbours she identified herself. She had a kind face. She said, "I saw him…" she pointed towards Arjun. "…He had a bad meltdown inside"
"What did he have? Mel… melt…what?" Praful asked.
"A meltdown. His senses were probably overwhelmed. See… he is quietened now. Does he hate loud sound?" The lady asked.
"Yes… he does…" Moushmi softly said.
The lady further asked. "Does he…I mean is he talking as yet?"
They both said simultaneously.
They explained how Arjun was good at songs and rhymes.
"…but aunty he still doesn't call me…ma." Moushmi sadly said.
The lady said, "I volunteer at an NGO which works for the special children. I see many children with…similar behaviours like what Arjun demonstrated today. "
Praful angrily said. "You mean to say our child is a retard?"
"Of course not. But his behaviour is not normal. He is delayed too. I think you should seek professional help." The lady said
Praful and Moushmi looked at each other. Arjun was sleeping on the lawn now. His was dirty throughout. His clothes were torn in some places when he had attempted to pull them off his body. Moushmi was in tears as she looked at her son's sleeping form. She turned to the lady and said, "Do you know anyone …we can consult?"
Praful was annoyed and looked away.
The kind lady who identified herself as Mrs Patel gave her the card of the NGO. She wished her all the best and left.
The following weeks were a huge struggle for Moushmi. It was as if the entire world had conspired to come together against her. Her in-laws were strictly against any kind of doctor visit. They arranged for some poojas at home, called some of their religious gurus and also showed Arjun's horoscopes to a few of their astrologers. Praful on their insistence had been to their hometown in Kolkata for the same. Moushmi's parents were away on a pilgrimage and she had no support whatsoever. She didn't take Arjun anywhere except his school and back. But a couple of times she tried taking him to the supermarket were a disaster. He had the meltdown.
One day after about two weeks of the incident at Ruhaan's birthday party, Praful was working from home as Moushmi was sick. His parents had a family function to attend. He went to pick up Arjun from his playschool. It was the first time he had visited the school personally. The gates were shut and he was waiting. Few parents who were there were sneering at him. He didn't follow why but chose to ignore them. Suddenly there was a commotion and Arjun rushed out and banged the gates followed by a harried aayah. He saw his father and screamed and hit the gates. The aayah tried to drag him away but couldn't. After the children dispersed, Praful was asked to meet the head and the supervisor.
Praful had a tough time controlling Arjun . He had to leave him in the play room where the aayahs were instructed to watch over him.
"Look Mr Chaterjee, I am sorry but we can no longer keep Arjun in our school." The head told Praful.
Praful was stunned to silence… but he said in a strangled voice, "But why ma'am? My Arjun is intelligent. He knows the complete play school syllabus. He knows the names of different car models…"
The head held her hand up to stop him and said, "…Mr Chaterjee, we aren't suspecting anything with his intelligence. He is a smart kid. But we are not able to communicate with him. He has these temper tantrums that he keeps throwing and it has worsened. We tried telling your wife indirectly but she didn't understand. See, for the benefit of your child as well as other children here, we will have to discontinue… um we will refund your second term fees."
Praful was exasperated. "No… no ma'am. Please don't do this. I had researched a lot before we chose your school. We were to continue here further as well till senior KG. "
"Mr Chaterjee, we appreciate your vote of confidence. However your child is… not normal. We can't cater to the …um….needs of such children. I am sorry. But our decision is final."
Praful was crest fallen as he exited with a wailing Arjun in his hands, who didn't want to leave the playroom.
That evening he made a decision to consult a doctor for Arjun. Moushmi was relieved as well. With the help of Mrs Patel they managed to find a developmental paediatrician close to their area.
It was the first time Moushmi and Praful had heard the term AUTISM. The developmental paediatrician said that Arjun demonstrated symptoms of Autism. She gave them a few pamphlets and contacts of parent support groups. She also asked them to start his therapies with immediate effects.
As they came home that day both were quiet. Praful told his parents who were shocked to hear something like this existed and were in denial. Moushmi was stunned to silence. She blanked out totally. She only kept thinking, "why me? Why did this have to happen to my son?"
She went to meet Mrs Patel who took her to the NGO. She showed her different children on the autistic spectrum, across age groups. After speaking to some of the parents over the next couple of days, Moushmi made a resolve. Her son was not abnormal. He was differently abled. He was just wired differently. But she was Arjun's mother and she would do everything possible within her capacity…maybe exceed her capacities, to strive and get him close to regular levels. She would now on be his voice, his communication agent, his teacher….his everything till he became independent.
The alarm for 6.45AM rang and jolted Moushmi out of her thoughts.
However instead of tears, this time she had a sense of calm. She knew she was not alone in this battle. She got out of her bed and moved towards the kitchen to start the cooking.
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Concert by musicians of the Academy of Santa Cecilia, 24th May 1889.
Musicians of the Academy of Santa Cecilia gave an inaugural concert on 24th May 1889 in the Palazzo Doria Pamphili Palestrina room, Piazza Navona, Rome. The concert was promoted by the Company Musicale Romana, and the programme consisted of Italian music from 17th to 19th century.
The ensemble performed on period instruments, six of which were later acquired for the collection of the Academy of Santa Cecilia, where they still appear today. All the musicians wore a jewelled daisy in tribute to the Queen of Italy, Margherita di Savoia, who was present at the concert.
The ensemble's director, Alessandro Orsini, stands far left, and Giuseppe Branzoli, seated in the foreground, holds a mandolone. The other instruments in the collection are, from left to right: a harp guitar that one of the musicians in the background rests on the harpsichord; a rebec held by the young musician behind Branzoli; a violin made by Carolus Helmer in Prague in 1814; the cello labelled Francesco Framonti, 1688, and a viola da braccio built in Venice by Johannes Marcus Grapello, which can just be seen in the hands of the musician behind the cellist.
With the exception of the Helmer violin, these instruments were either donated or purchased in 1895, the year of the Museum's foundation.
LME had a sparkling rehearsal earlier this month, when Mauro Squillante, professor of mandolin at Bari Conservatoire and Baroque music specialist, visited us in Covent Garden. He was in London for The Lute Society's Historical Mandolins meeting which took place on 4th & 5th February.
Another lovely rehearsal last Monday for LME. We were really delighted to meet Stephen Lalor, renowned Australian composer and plucked string specialist, who visited London with the Australian Chamber Orchestra for a series of concerts at Cadogan Hall.
Carmelo Catania (1908-1970) was a Sicilian luthier who built his first string instrument (a harp guitar) at the young age of seventeen.
Luthiers in Sicily were always open to both the Baroque influence from Spain and to the innovations coming from Europe and the USA, and Catania became the first great star of Sicilian luthiery.
Catania started working on mandolins, learning the ropes of his trade very early in life in Naples, gleaning the secrets of the Neapolitan school of string instrument making and repair. At age 18, he went to Naples to work in Calace's workshop. At age 20, he set up his own shop back in Catania, where he built his second, more elaborate, harp guitar that would become his company's logo when his business was registered in 1936. In Rome he met luthier Luigi Embergher, and became influenced by the Roman school.
After the Second World War, the "Primaria Fabbrica di strumenti musicali a corda Carmelo Catania" recorded a sharp increase in business, peaking at 10,000 instruments sold a year, ranging from the professional to the beginner. He produced an incredibly wide range of crafted instruments on an industrial scale in Sicily. Carmelo died in 1970.
English guitar by da Silva, Jaco Vieira, made ca. 1780. Museum Number 208-1882. V&A Collection.
The English guitar was a fashionable instrument from about 1750, considered easy to play and tuned in C major, although the player would use a capo, much like a modern folk-guitarist, in order to change the key. The tuning pegs were often small metallic pins that could be turned with a watch-key, to keep the strings in tune longer. This instrument was made in Portugal, a country with strong trading links with England, and its peg box is decorated with a paper 'cameo' in imitation of a jasper ware medallion, a motif made popular by Josiah Wedgwood (1730-1795) from about 1770.


RIL counter looks poised to touch Rs 1,450 levels in immediate term and in mid-term perspective, the scrip shows an upside potential for Rs 1,600 levels.
On account of better performance by telecom space, fresh buying by the FIIs in Indian equities and opinion polls suggesting a stable and strong NDA government coming to power post Lok Sabha polls, the market experts are expecting near 20 per cent rise in the Reliance Industries stock in midterms i.e. two to three-month perspective. The Sensex heavyweight is trading around Rs 1,340 per stock levels and its immediate target in short-term is Rs 1450 while in mid-term perspective it is expected to touch Rs 1,600 per stock, say experts.
Giving details of the strong fundamentals of the Reliance Industries counter Kunal Saragoi, CEO at Equity Rush told Zee Business online, "From the fundamental perspective the counter looks positive and poised to touch Rs 1,450 per stock levels in immediate term and in mid-term perspective, the scrip shows an upside potential for Rs 1,600 per stock levels." Asked about the fundamentals that is supporting this bull run into this Dalal Street heavyweight counter Kunal Saragoi of Equity Rush said, "FIIs are buying into the Indian stocks and Reliance Industries being the driver of the Indian indices is one of the favourite stocks among the FIIs. Apart from this, the telecom space is doing well and hence the RIL counter is expected to get the benefit of this."
Saragoi also said that the majority of the opinion polls post-surgical strikes have been indicating about strong and stable NDA government at the center, which has also fuelled the FIIs faith into the Indian equity markets. "Due to the fresh buying initiated by the FIIs, the RIL counter has broken its all-time high and resistance at Rs 1,300 per counter levels.
On outlook of the Reliance Industries scrip from technical perspective Simi Bhaumik, a SEBI registered technical equity analyst said, "Technically the Reliance Industries counter seems positive and is poised to reach Rs 1,380 to Rs 1,400 per stock levels in immediate term and once this level is broken the counter would soon show the Rs 1,440 to Rs 1,450 per share levels. However, I won't suggest market investors buy at current levels, which is around Rs 1,340 per scrip. The investors should wait for some profit booking in the stock and take buy position into the Reliance Industries stocks at Rs 1,325 per stock levels maintaining stop loss below Rs 1,300 per stock levels."


Each week The Thinkergirls' bring marie claire's award-winning editorial to life by selecting different stories from the pages of the magazine and dissecting them through The Thinkergirls' inimitable lens: thoughtful personal stories from Kristie and Stacey, interspersed with special celebrity interviews, practical toolkits, emotional confessions and insightful opinion.
Episode 6 - We Need To Talk About... Should We Ban The Word Pretty?
The Thinkergirls' discuss whether or not you should use the word "pretty" with young girls.
Marie Claire writer Kathryn Madden shares her experience of completing Yale's 'Happiness Course' and how obsessing over what you don't have is a happiness killer.
We discuss miscarriage and the do's and don't of how to support when someone around you has experienced a miscarriage.
We talk about how women bit by bit take on more in relationships and the impact of this between couples.
One year on from the marriage equality laws passing in Australia, we talk about where marriage equality is in 2019.
The Thinkergirls interview Juanita Phillips; ABC News Presenter, author and mother of two on how anxiety has affected her life and what techniques you can use to overcome anxiety in your own life.


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VISA TERMS & DEFINITIONS
ESTA/VWP
The Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) is an automated system that assists in determining eligibility to travel to the U.S. under the Visa Waiver Program (VWP). Upon completion of an ESTA application (https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov/), a traveler is notified of his or her eligibility to travel under the VWP. The Visa Waiver Program (VWP) is administered by DHS and enables eligible citizens of designated countries to travel to the U.S. for tourism or business purposes for stays of up to 90 days without first obtaining a visa. Please note that an approved ESTA is not a visa. Individuals traveling on valid visas (such as a B-1, H-1B, etc.) are not required to apply for ESTA.
Form I-94 is the Arrival and Departure Record issued by a Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Officer to foreign visitors entering the United States. Most Arrival and/or Departure records will be created electronically if you arrive by air and the record is usually updated when you depart.  The admission type and duration should also be stamped into your passport by the CBP Officer.  You can check your I-94 record here:  https://i94.cbp.dhs.gov/I94/#/recent-search.  We suggest each visa holder check their I-94 record after each entry to ensure admission in the correct status and also to verify the period of authorized entry.  Please note that if you arrive into the U.S. by car, you must request your I-94. You can make your request ahead of time (https://i94.cbp.dhs.gov/I94/#/apply-document), which we strongly recommend so you will have a record of your lawful presence in the United States.
Also called the Treaty Trader visa, the E-1 visa allows foreign nationals of a treaty country to enter the United States for the purpose of directing and developing import/export trade between the U.S. and the treaty country.  This visa is available to companies that conduct "substantial and recurring" import or export trade between the U.S. and the trader's home country. The foreign national's presence must be necessary to direct and develop that import/export enterprise. The candidate must have the same nationality as the primary ownership of the foreign and U.S. companies.
Also called the Treaty Investor visa, the E-2 visa is based on an investment made in the U.S. by a citizen or company of a treaty country. An individual may establish his or her own U.S. based venture, or the company may be seeking to transfer a manager, executive or other employee having "essential skills."  There is no specific minimum investment level that must be shown. However, our rule of thumb is around $100,000 should have been invested from abroad and spent on the U.S. business at the time the visa petition is filed. The U.S. entity must be at least 50% owned by individuals who share treaty nationality with the visa applicant, either directly or through a foreign parent company.
The H-1B visa is intended for professionals in specialty occupations who hold a minimum of a Bachelor's degree.  This visa category has two basic requirements: a Bachelor's degree in a specific related field must be mandatory for the position, and the position's salary must be equal to or higher than the prevailing wage in the geographical area where the beneficiary will be working.  The H-1B program limits the numbers of H-1B visas available annually to 85,000 (although certain institutions are exempt from this cap), which are secured via lottery.
The L-1A Intra-Company Transferee Visa is intended for managers or executives who have been employed outside the U.S. for a continuous period of at least one out of the past three years and who are intended to fill a similar managerial or executive position in the U.S for a company affiliated with the foreign employer.
The L-1B Intra-Company Transferee Visa is intended for specialized knowledge workers who have been employed outside the U.S. for a continuous period of at least one out of the past three years and who are intended to fill a specialized knowledge position in the U.S. for a company affiliated with the foreign employer. To be eligible for an L-1B, an individual should possess knowledge that is not commonly held, is complex, and cannot be easily imparted to other individuals.
Also called an extraordinary ability visa, the O-1 visa requires a U.S. employer or agent sponsor and proof of extraordinary ability in the field of endeavor, which may be arts, science, business or the performing arts.
Also called the NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement) visa, the TN visa requires:
Canadian or Mexican citizenship;
A bachelor's degree in a specific discipline related to the field;
U.S. employer sponsor; and
Job offer in a qualified profession under the NAFTA regulations.
Permanent Labor Certification Process
Employers can sponsor certain individuals for permanent, full-time employment requiring specific skills and a guaranteed wage at a level determined by the Department of Labor (DOL). The process, also referred to as PERM, involves a recruitment period and certification by the DOL, followed by filing with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service. Please note, the employee will need to maintain a valid non-immigrant status until the final stage of the process, which currently takes approximately eighteen to twenty-four months. At the conclusion of the process, the sponsored individual will receive legal permanent resident status (a "green card").
National Interest Waivers can be pursued by individuals with an advanced degree and demonstrated outstanding ability who are seeking to gain both permanent residence and a waiver from the labor certification process. To qualify, the individual's work in the U.S. must substantially benefit the national economy, cultural interests, or the welfare of the U.S. Upon approval of a National Interest Waiver petition (I-140), the individual can file for permanent residence. No U.S. sponsor is required.
Extraordinary Ability Waiver
Extraordinary Ability Waivers are available to individuals who are distinguished in their fields. Applicants must demonstrate their level of excellence through extensive documentation and satisfy a variety of criteria set forth by USCIS. Similar to a National Interest Waiver, once the I-140 petition is approved, the individual can file for permanent residence and no U.S. sponsor is required.
Outstanding Researcher/Professor Waiver
Similar to an Extraordinary Ability Waiver, demonstration of international recognition for outstanding achievements in a particular academic field is mandatory for the Outstanding Researcher/Professor category. These waivers of the labor certification process are available to individuals with at least three years of outstanding work in their fields. In addition, the individual must have an offer of tenure, tenure track teaching, or comparable research position at a university or other institution of higher education.
Permanent Resident Status
To apply for permanent resident status (a "green card"), an individual must either be in the U.S. and apply for an Adjustment of Status or be outside the U.S. and apply for consular processing. Applying for permanent resident status is commonly done through a petition for the alien relative (Form I-130) or an immigrant petition for the alien worker (Form I-140). The application process for permanent residency involves submission of forms and other supporting documentation, biometrics appointment and medical examination, and an in-person interview with a U.S. Customs and Immigration Service officer or Consular Officer.
This process is also called naturalization. Individuals who have been legal permanent residents (LPR) for five years, or three if married to a U.S. citizen, may be eligible to apply for naturalization. In additional to being in valid LPR status, applicants must satisfy a physical presence test and prove continuity of residence for the past five years (or three if applying through marriage). Applicants also must demonstrate good moral character during the five-year period prior to application.
Filing for naturalization involves preparing and filing an application and supporting documents. Once filed, the application is first reviewed at a USCIS service center and then sent to your local USCIS office, where you must appear for an interview. At the time of the interview, you must be prepared for a U.S. civics and English language test. Once your case is approved, you will be scheduled for an Oath Ceremony, where you will be sworn in as a U.S. citizen by a judge.
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Posts tagged 'North Korea'
A.F. Branco Cartoon – Historic Steps
A.F. Branco | on July 2, 2019 at 7:40 am | https://comicallyincorrect.com/a-f-branco-cartoon-historic-steps/
The Media is losing its collective mind over Trump's historic step on to North Korea ground outraged that he is chummy with a tyrannical dictator while ignoring Obama's historic visit with Dictator Castro in Cuba.
kim jung un
North Korea Sends Hostile Letter, Then Mattis Announces New War Games
Reported By Steven Beyer | August 28, 2018 at 1:17pm
URL of the original posting site: https://www.westernjournal.com/north-korea-sends-hostile-letter-mattis-announces-new-war-games/
Defense Secretary Jim Mattis has announced that the United States will ramp up military exercises with South Korea just days after North Korea sent a hostile letter to President Donald Trump. The United States had previously suspended military exercises with South Korea as a good faith measure when North Korea decided to start the denuclearization process.
However, Mattis told reporters at the Pentagon, "We took the step to suspend several of the largest military exercises as a good faith measure. We have no plans to suspend anymore."
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He followed up his comment by saying, "We'll make decisions on that in consultation with State."
Mattis also told reporters that he's working with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and that the diplomatic efforts are all "riding on [Pompeo's] shoulders."
In June, Trump announced he was suspending "war games" with South Korea and that when it comes to North Korea and denuclearization, Kim Jong Un "wants to get it done."
The president also said of Kim, "I do trust him."
On Twitter, the president said at the time of the decision, "We save a fortune by not doing war games, as long as we are negotiating in good faith — which both sides are."
Mattis' announcement comes days after Trump announced that he was canceling Pompeo's trip to the Korean peninsula.
"I have asked Secretary of State Mike Pompeo not to go to North Korea, at this time, because I feel we are not making sufficient progress with respect to the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula," the president said via Twitter.
It was later reported by the Washington Post that North Korea had secretly sent what many believe to be a hostile letter to Trump. In addition, North Korea's state-run newspaper accused Washington on Sunday of plotting to "unleash a war" with "a smile on it's face" while denuclearization talks were ongoing.
Moreover, North Korean media accused the United States of sending special forces and a nuclear submarine to the Jinhae Naval Base in South Korea.
However, the New York Times reports that American negotiators have "confronted" the North Koreans over facilities that they believe to be nuclear. North Korea has since called the accusations "fiction" and led to the "derailing dialogue" between the U.S. and North Korea.
Steven is a husband, father, and follower of Jesus. You can find him enjoying listening to or playing jazz piano, enjoying the Disney parks, or hiking the Arizona landscape.
Trump Didn't Ask North Korea's Permission, Sent Plane Immediately To Save Otto Warmbier
Reported By Rebekah Baker | July 25, 2018 at 12:29pm
URL of the original posting site: https://www.westernjournal.com/ct/trump-didnt-ask-north-koreas-permission-sent-plane-immediately-save-otto-warmbier/
Donald Trump serves many roles as president of the United States — chief executive, chief administrator, chief diplomat — but when he learned of the dire medical condition of North Korean prisoner and American college student Otto Warmbier, he adopted the role of a father and fought for Otto like he would for his own son.
According to a recent report from GQ, the U.S. special representative for North Korea policy Joseph Yun learned in early June 2017 that Warmbier — who was arrested in January 2016 and sentenced to hard labor in the communist nation — was unconscious.
"I was completely shocked," Yun said. "I came back immediately, and I told Secretary Tillerson … and we determined at the time that we needed to get him and the other prisoners out as soon as possible, and I should contact Pyongyang and say I wanted to come right away."
When Trump heard the news, he acted immediately. The "strategic patience" methods implemented under the Obama administration were over.
"When Trump learned of Otto's condition, he doubled down on the order for Yun to rush to Pyongyang and bring Otto home," the GQ report states.
And he didn't ask for North Korea's permission, either.
"The North Koreans were unilaterally informed that an American plane would soon land in Pyongyang and that United States diplomats and doctors would get off," the report continues.
According to an anonymous State Department official, Trump sounded more like a dad than the president of a country when he heard the news of Otto's condition.
"The president was very invested in bringing Otto home," the official told GQ. "Listening to him deliberate on this, he sounded to me a lot more like a dad."
"We were very scared," the official continued, explaining that no one knew what kind of reception they would receive from North Korea when they arrived.
"The North Koreans said we could send a delegation to see Otto, but that we would have to discuss some of the conditions of getting him out once we got there," he explained.
When Yun and the rest of the rescue team arrived in North Korea and they were finally allowed to see Warmbier, he was beyond recognition.
"In an isolated second-floor ICU room, Flueckiger was presented with a pale, inert man with a feeding tube threaded through his nostrils," the report continues. "Could this really be Otto? Flueckiger wondered, for the body looked so different from the pictures he had seen of the homecoming king."
Although the team was able to secure Warmbier's release, he was barely alive. He was reunited with his family and died that June.
Warmbier's father Fred Warmbier has publicly criticized the Obama administration for failing to take action to rescue his son.
"When Otto was first taken, we were advised by the past administration to take a low profile while they worked to obtain his release," Warmbier said.
"We did so without result. Earlier this year, Cindy and I decided the time for strategic patience was over. … It is my understanding that (Special Representative for North Korea Policy Joseph Y. Yun) and his team, at the direction of the president, aggressively pursued resolution of the situation."
Asked if the Obama administration could have done more to save his son, he replied, "I think the results speak for themselves."
Establishment Media Silent: Trump Gets Unexpected Surprise Courtesy Of Singapore Citizens
Reported By Ben Marquis | June 11, 2018 at 1:43pm
URL of the original posting site: https://www.westernjournal.com/ct/establishment-media-silent-trump-gets-unexpected-surprise-courtesy-of-singapore-citizens/
Since President Donald Trump's first day in office, the liberally biased mainstream media has perpetuated the narrative that Trump is largely despised both at home and abroad, and that in other nations he is almost universally viewed as an embarrassment to the American people.
Thus, it came as no surprise whatsoever when the U.S. media essentially ignored the reception Trump received from cheering supporters upon his arrival Sunday in Singapore ahead of a high-stakes summit with North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un. Coverage of the cheering crowds greeting Trump would directly contradict the "Trump is hated" narrative the mainstream media outlets push every day, so they simply ignore it and choose not to cover it.
According to a series of photos published by The Daily Caller, the president received a boisterous welcome from not just U.S. citizens who live in Singapore, but also from Singaporean citizens as well.
A couple photos show a pair of young American women wearing red MAGA hats and waving American flags, with one of the girls even wearing a pair of patriotic socks emblazoned with Trump's name.
Other photos show citizens of Singapore, young and old alike, waving U.S. flags and holding signs expressing support for Trump and appreciation for his efforts at securing peace for the Korean Peninsula and broader Asian region.
Fans of the president had gathered at the airport to greet his arrival, and lined the streets of the route used to transport him via presidential motorcade to the Shangri-La Hotel, as well as the Singaporean prime minister's residence, the Istana Palace.
According to The U.K. Independent, Trump landed in Singapore at about 8:20 p.m. local time, and proceeded directly to the hotel.
"It's exciting, but I am also anxious," a Trump-supporting woman, identified only by her first name as Kim, told the Independent. "Kim (Jong Un) can change his mind at any time. Mr. Trump also likes to get his own way.
"But if it works, it's for the good of the whole world. It will make history," she added.
That view was echoed by a 16-year-old U.S. citizen student named Christine McDougal, who lives in Singapore and cheered the president's arrival with a friend.
"This is a such an important moment," McDougal told the Independent, in what can only be described as an understatement.
Meanwhile, apart from the cheering crowds and pomp and circumstance of a major geopolitical summit, Christian leaders across Singapore were urging their church members and attendees to pray for God's will to be reflected upon the high-stakes meeting, according to the Washington Examiner.
Anglican and Catholic church leaders alike asked that God provide wisdom and guidance to both Trump and Kim and prayed that they would find success as they sought to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula and bring closure to a state of war that has been technically in effect since the 1950s.
Whether you fall into the category of those wildly cheering for Trump to emerge victorious from the meeting with a fierce communist rival or are praying that God's hand will touch both leaders and guide them during the meeting — or both — there is no doubt that all eyes are on Singapore right now.
It would be nice if the U.S. media would cover all aspects of the summit — including the warm reception given to Trump — instead of not so subtly hoping for his failure, if only to rob the president they despise of yet another "win" he can tout with voters ahead of the 2020 election.
The Last Three Politically INCORRECT Cartoons by A.F. Branco
Free Trade For Me, None For Thee
A.F. Branco | on June 12, 2018 at 7:40 am | https://comicallyincorrect.com/free-trade-for-me-none-for-thee/
President Trump was willing to lower tariffs if the other countries are willing to lower theirs, but none are willing, so far, to make trade truly fair for everyone.
A.F.Branco Coffee Table Book <—- Order Here!
Who Needs Enemies
A.F. Branco | on June 11, 2018 at 10:48 am | https://comicallyincorrect.com/a-f-branco-cartoon-who-needs-enemies/
Prime Minister Trudeau stabs Trump in the back just before his summit meeting with Kim Jung Un in Singapore.
A.F. Branco | on June 11, 2018 at 7:40 am | https://comicallyincorrect.com/a-f-branco-cartoon-coming-prepared/
When the Singapore summit talks begin Trump says that North Korea has to give up nukes or the conversation is over.
Singapore Summit
Politically INCORRECT Cartoons for Monday May 28, 018
FBI Spies
Never-Ever-Trumper
A.F. Branco | on May 25, 2018 at 7:40 am | https://comicallyincorrect.com/a-f-branco-cartoon-never-ever-trumper/
According to Nancy Pelosi Trump is never right even when he is and is damned if he does or damned if he doesn't.
See more Conservative Daily News cartoons here
A.F. Branco | on May 25, 2018 at 12:47 am | https://comicallyincorrect.com/a-f-branco-cartoon-the-mad-hatter/
Hillary Clinton, while speaking at Yale, presents her very own Russian Hat. who did she have to collude with to get that?
Russian-Trump collusion


The examination of Colo: Hugh o Connor taken the 17th June 1653 before Colo: Thomas Herbert Major Henry Jones and William ffrankland Esquire members of the high Court of Justice at Dublin.
Executed, and being demaunded if when hee was prisoner at Castlecoote that mrs Ormsbye wife to the said major did not chardge the death of this man uppon him, Hee this examinant sayth that hee was eight or nyne monethes prisoner at Castle Coote. but denyeth that ever shee chardged that murther uppon him or that hee ever had any discourse with them her about the hanging the said man: to the best of his <C> remembrance, Being likewise demaunded how the men are calld who were the Jury that past a verdict uppon the said Hugh that was executed, hee this deponent sayth hee doth not know any of their names except one of them who is calld Moylemurry mcSwyne who now liues at or neere Ballyntubber: but beleiues the rest are all knowne in Ballyntubber, and further sayth not.
Taken this 17 of June 1653.


Connellsville became the first repeat winner in Pennsylvania since . . . the last time Connellsville won consecutive titles in the early 1960s. The Western Pennsylvania powerhouse then won an unprecedented third consecutive Pennsylvania title in 1978. Four teams -- North Braddock, Connellsville (1978), Jessup Carbino, and DuBois -- came within a game of qualifying for the World Series.
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