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LIBRARY REVEALS ITS BACK PAGES
If not for the recent renovation of Rockville Public Library, a wealth of history might have gone unnoticed for another 50 years.
Originally, the plan was to put a $4.5 million addition onto the 99-year-old building. But financial realities intervened. To take care of immediate needs, library officials did less-costly improvements that still provided a more modern facility.
For $125,000, much was accomplished. There's new technology space. Materials are more accessible. Poorly used areas were spruced up and refurbished. It's an impressive return on a modest investment.
The bonus was unearthing pieces of history.
When the bookcases blocking the front counter were removed, a marvelous oak desk was discovered, complete with long forgotten library catalogue cards stuck inside. New drawers were built so the desk could be used again. The curved yellow marble counter was polished to show off its beauty. It's a testament to the care and quality that went into constructing the privately endowed Rockville Library.
When the lower level was cleaned out to make room for book stacks, long-forgotten memorabilia were found. There were registries of dues-paying Rockville patrons who borrowed books before there was even a building.
An original sketch by Vernon artist Gustave Hoffman was discovered and now hangs in the technology area. Also found was a picture of Rockville's first librarian on a three-wheeled bicycle.
Work on the walls exposed solid brick behind. This was a library built to last.
As this project to prepare the library for the 21st century advanced, the building kept reminding workers of a history that can't be left behind.
The changes bring light and spaciousness, relieving a cramped feeling. But the renovations also respect the venerable building.
The Friends of the Library will put out a display case to show off some of the collected artifacts. They have a wonderful story to tell.


text:
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Holding onto your XBox until the 360 is worthwhile? Here's how to squeeze some extra high definition out of your existing XBox games!
I've been on a mission for about 6 months now to get some of my XBox games that display in 480i to display in 480p. I've got about 40 XBox game stockpiled that I haven't played yet, and most of them don't work under the 360's backward compatibility. (I also need their HD-DVD to support the high-def 24-bit audio that is available on most HD-DVDs if I'm to buy one before they're significantly cheaper.) I finally found a forum thread that gave me great information. (Love and smooches to radyn!) When I tried radyn's patch (see the forum post), I found it didn't quite do the job in the game we're currently playing ( Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire ).
First, I needed to rip the game onto the XBox hard drive. Using a neat CD called Auto Installer Deluxe 3.10, I was able to install a great set of utilities and launchers (like XBox Media Center ). One of the utilities is called DVD2XBox , which will rip a game, movie, or even an ISO to the XBox hard drive. Once I ripped the game to the hard drive, I had to get it off the XBox and onto my laptop for editing. DVD2Xbox and XBMC both include ftp servers that are off by default and can run while they are running. After starting the ftp server in DVD2XBox and starting the game ripping, I connected my laptop directly to the XBox with an ethernet cable and ftp'd into it. The game was being ripped to /E/Games/Harry Potter GOF , so I cd'd into there, set the ftp client to bin mode, and fetched default.xbe to my laptop. I then opened it up in HEdit and went to apply the generic change mentioned in radyn's forum post.
Looking for the SetVideoMode calls, we look before the call and remove the copying of [exx+28], the FLAGS part of the struct that determines whether interlaced or progressive mode will be used. We also remove the push of the register since the copy into it was already removed. That gives us a 4 bytes with which to play, which is plenty. I chose to push 0x40 instead of 0x00, as I want to absolutely force progressive mode and not even give it a chance to be interlaced. 0x00 would (hypothetically) auto-detect if progressive was available and use it.
If IDA exposed their patching functionality to the public, this would be a simple IDC script or plug-in. Since, as far as I know, they still hide that functionality to discourage their tool being used by crackers, some other tool would need to be used. It actually seems like a good use case for a bugreport once it gets a little farther along.
Also, because the XBox has shared RAM between the CPU and GPU, a higher resolution means less RAM available for the game. If the game runs out of memory, lock ups or other issues can occur. Since the XBox has the most memory of that generation of consoles, direct ports that had to run on the PS2 or GameCube might work just fine. Since there are 3 buffers for the video resolution, the amount of RAM used goes from 720x480 x 2bytes per pixel x 3 buffers (2 megabytes) to 1280x720x2x3 (5.5 megabytes). Games that had more effort put into them to use the XBox to full advantage (high quality textures, etc) might not work. It'll just be a matter of testing and documenting.
I'll keep hacking on it and make another blog post.
PS: Another route would be to edit the white list of 'approved' games in the 360's backward compatibility emulator. Add a game, try running it, see if it plays decently. I've been told there are plenty of games that work with minor framerate and visual issues. If there's any out there has tried this, search engines aren't showing me. If anyone has tried this, please let me know via email, IM, or a comment here.


Designed for automatic control of 12V solar-powered DC systems.
Three modes: Off, Auto-On and Manual-On.
Adjustable shut-off and turn-on voltages.
Adjustable low-voltage warning voltage with hysteresis action.
Operates from 12V solar power systems, DC power supplies and automotive power systems.
Designed to work with the CirKits SCC3 solar charge controller kit.
Common Negative Ground between 12V power source and external load.
Simple 4 screw connector will accept spade lugs or wires for attaching a power source and external load.
Miniature 3 screw connector for remote low-voltage warning.
Low-voltage warning is isolated, can pull-down or pull-up.
Auto-On/Manual-on toggle switch with momentary action for Manual-on.
Red Load-on LED and amber Low-Voltage LED.
Jumper for disabling Calibration LEDs to save power.
Low Voltage Shutoff adjustment trimmer pot.
Low Voltage Warning adjustment trimmer pot.
High Voltage Turn-on adjustment trimmer pot.
Battery Voltage Range: 9V to 16V.
Absolute Maximum Operating Voltage: 18V.
External Load Voltage: 12V DC (nominal).
External Load Current: 0 to 15 Amps DC.
On Current, excluding load: 25mA @12.8VDC.
On Current, low voltage LED on: 27mA @10.0VDC.
Low Voltage Detect Hysteresis: 0.25V with R7=2M.
Fuse Rating: 15 Amp standard ATO automotive fuse.
Board Dimensions: 3.5" wide by 2.9" deep by 0.85" tall.
Assembled Weight: approximately 66 grams (2.3oz).
Go Back to the LVD1 kit page.


text:
PMCs – cost effective?
Posted by xcroc under Iraq, spies and mercenaries, US economy, wages
David Isenberg wrote in his Dogs of War column Friday discussing whether or not PMCs are cost effective.
If you've heard it once, you've heard it countless times: Governments and corporations turn to private military contractors because it is more cost-effective than using regular military forces. But is it true?
But whether it's true that contractors are cost effective is at best an open question, the answer to which depends, in part, on what you mean by cost.
While outsourcing can be effective, doing things in-house is often easier and quicker. You avoid the expense and hassle of haggling, and retain operational reliability and control, which is especially important to the military.
Then there is the fact that outsourcing works best when there's genuine competition among suppliers. …
The Bush/Cheney administration has greatly reduced competition:
An analysis showed that fewer than half of all "contract actions" - new contracts and payments against existing contracts - were now subject to full and open competition. Just 48 percent were competitive in 2005, down from 79 percent in 2001.
Many academics who examine the issue of the relative cost of private versus public point to the politics behind the ways one can measure cost. What you include or exclude can be a complicated, and highly political, exercise. Economists disagree on how to answer the question at least in part because they use different variables when measuring cost.
… What little cost-benefit analysis there has been to date has focused on narrow economic cost comparisons and generally avoided addressing equally important political factors, such as avoiding tough choices concerning military needs, reserve call-ups and the human consequences of war.
As Tyler Cowen, an economics professor at George Mason University, wrote, "Excessive use of private contractors erodes checks and balances, and it substitutes market transactions, controlled by the executive branch, for traditional political mechanisms of accountability. When it comes to Iraq, we've yet to see the evidence of a large practical gain in return; instead, use of contractors may have helped to make an ill-advised venture possible."
And related to the "human consequences of war", one big question is who pays which costs? The military budget, and the government's operating budget are hardly the only ones affected. Many employees of the PMC corporations are finding that their immediate employer is a shell incorporated outside the US to avoid US laws, such as medical coverage for the PMC employees. Quite a number of PMC employees are third country nationals, and as individuals, may have to carry a lot of the cost of their participation. The other cost may be to their countries of origin. What needs or expectations will they bring back? And how will their training in Iraq affect their participation in society and government at home?
Outsourcing is a way of cost shifting rather than cost saving. I see it every day. The young Spanish speaking woman who cleans our offices daily is our colleague. She does a superb job. Yet the contractor she works for pays her minimum wage and no benefits. My employer "saves" money by not paying permanent employees salaries and benefits to do the cleaning. The costs are shifted onto the individual at the bottom of the pay scale who is least able to bear these costs. And of course, the costs come back to government, which must deal with the emergency situations this cost shifting generates. Walmart is famous for these cost shifting "savings", but its size makes it visible, it is hardly alone.
As Isenberg says, it depends on what you mean by cost.
3 bits of news relevant to AFRICOM
Posted by xcroc under Africa command, AFRICOM, Bush administration, Iraq, Nigeria, PMCs, South Africa, spies and mercenaries
1. — South Africa has been most vocal in its opposition, and its skepticism about US motives in creating AFRICOM. Peter Pham, who has been actively promoting Bush administration rhetoric on AFRICOM, has played the opening notes of a typical Bush administration smear attack on the South African government. His primary theme: because the ANC used to be called terrorists, they don't mind, and even harbour terrorists. And his secondary theme is that South Africa is encouraging Iran to acquire nuclear weapons. Pham appears to regret that South Africa is a democracy, and his sympathies seem to be with the security people left over from the good old days of apartheid. So once again US voices are attacking a democratically elected government, because that government questions US motives:
. . . it needs to be borne in mind today's South Africa is a democracy and thus policy direction comes not from the security professionals, but the political echelons of the ANC among whom the "anti-Western" and "revolutionary" rhetoric of the bin Ladens and Ahmadinejads of the world still resonates.
Pham treats this as an extremist statement:
"the global anti-terror industry, chaired by the U.S.A., has led to many unfortunate assumptions made by governments and the public alike."
Pham concludes his article by hyping terror threats against the World Cup.
2. — Then from Nigeria comes this rather noteworthy bit of doublespeak:
Chief of Defence Staff, Lt. General Andrew Owoye Azazi yesterday allayed the fears of Nigerians on the continued presence of United States military in the Gulf of Guinea.
"US wants relative peace to be able to undertake their business" he said pointing out that there is no other motive behind their troops presence to worry anybody.
On the Niger Delta situation, the Defence chief said that military have lost sizeable number of personnel in the troubled region but refused to give the exact figure of casualties. He said that Nigerians should not expect a military solution to Niger Delta problem but assured that the military will try to stabilize the place for the much-needed political solution.
On the intelligence capability of Nigeria military to cope with the Niger Delta situation, General Azazi said the military have it but noted that successful intelligence work depends largely on the people and their willingness to give information.
General Azazi also spoke on the role of the military in the last general election and said that they were only asked to ensure stable environment for the poll to take place.
The Chief said that a guideline was drawn out for those military personnel who participated in ensuring stability during the elections.He noted that most of the allegations of military involvement cannot be substantiated but assured that any obvious case will be dealt with in a military way.
"We will deal with the identified ones" but wondered how it can be substantiated.
Nothing to see here, just move along.
Trust us to take care of any problems, we have your best interests and the best interests of the country and the continent at heart. You don't need to know anything, we'll take care of it. Trust us.
Nigeria has voiced opposition to AFRICOM. But the US government has been working on them. This looks like Nigeria may be yielding.
3. — Meanwhile, in Iraq, the Iraqi government may be evicting Blackwater. And the Iraqi government has officially rescinded the ruling that gave security contractors immunity from prosecution. So the mercenary corporations may feel the need to leave Iraq. This is not good news for Africa. Theresa Whelan, Defense undersecretary, has encouraged the use of military contractors in African countries. The contractors have been acting with violent impunity in Iraq. The pattern of behavior of the developed countries in military engagement with Africa has always been to assume they are entitled to act with violent impunity (it is civilizing, or now, globalizing). If military contractors leave, or are evicted from Iraq because they can no longer act with violent impunity, they'll be looking for more jobs, where they can continue their violent behavior unrestrained. African oil and resources seem likely to draw their attention, which is very bad news for people living in African countries.
The truth is not in them
Posted by xcroc under accountability, Bush administration, Iraq
b real added a comment to my previous post, quoting Sy Hersh, that I thought I'd post here. It demonstrates once again how truth simply does not play a part in Bush/Cheney management. And the press continues to act as an oblivious enabler:
sy hersh on democracy now may 24th:
…the thing that's amazing about this government, the thing that's really spectacular, is even now how they can get their way mostly with a lot of the American press. For example, I do know — and, you know, you have to take it on face value. If you've been reading me for a long time, you know a lot of the things I write are true or come out to be more or less true. I do know that within the last month, maybe four, four-and-a-half weeks ago, they made a decision that because of the totally dwindling support for the war in Iraq, we go back to the al-Qaeda card, and we start talking about al-Qaeda. And the next thing you know, right after that, Bush went to the Southern Command — this was a month ago — and talked, mentioned al-Qaeda twenty-seven times in his speech. He did so just the other day this week — al-Qaeda this, al-Qaeda that. All of a sudden, the poor Iraqi Sunnis, I mean, they can't do anything without al-Qaeda. It's only al-Qaeda that's dropping the bombs and causing mayhem. It's not the Sunni and Shia insurgents or militias. And this policy just gets picked up, although there's absolutely no empirical basis. Most of the pros will tell you the foreign fighters are a couple percent, and then they're sort of leaderless in the sense that there's no overall direction of the various foreign fighters. You could call them al-Qaeda. You can also call them jihadists and Salafists that want to die fighting the Americans or the occupiers in Iraq and they come across the border. Whether this is — there's no attempt to suggest there's any significant coordination of these groups by bin Laden or anybody else, and the press just goes gaga. And so, they went gaga a little bit over the Syrian connection to the activities in Tripoli. It's just amazing to me, you guys.
Straight reporting, disguised as satire, from Jesus' General:
As I'm sure you've all heard by now, the Department of Defense issued a press release Wednesday touting its capture of one of the top leaders of Al Qaeda in Iraq, Khaled Abdul-Fattah Dawoud Mahmoud al-Mashhadani, also known as Abu Shahid. And in a stroke of sheer luck, interrogators were able to get him to confirm all of the Administration's talking points about Al Qaeda's involvement in Iraq just as the Democratic leadership in the Senate was moving to end a Republican filibuster of the Levin-Reed Troop Withdrawal plan.
And for true, a truly classic quote from the US Secretary of State:
From Maria Bartiromo's interview of Condi Rice in the current issue of BusinessWeek:
MB: Would you consider a position in business or on Wall Street?
CR: I don't know what I'll do long-term. I'm a terrible long-term planner.
Cities and slums
Posted by xcroc under agriculture, bird flu, Bush administration, economy, Gulf of Guinea, health, Iraq
I read an interview today with Mike Davis about his book, Planet of Slums. I have copied some key quotes from the article, though I recommend reading the whole article. It has implications for people on every continent. It has relevance to the US and US policies, most immediately in Iraq. It also has particular relevance to West Africa and citizens of the countries of the Gulf of Guinea. Here follow some passages from the interview:
Sadr City, at one point named Saddam City, the Eastern quadrant of Baghdad, has grown to grotesque proportions — two million poor people, mainly Shia. And it's still growing, as are Sunni slums by the way, thanks now not to Saddam but to disastrous American policies toward agriculture into which the U.S. has put almost no reconstruction money. Vast farmlands have been turned back into desert, while everything focused, however unsuccessfully, on restoration of the oil industry. The crucial thing would have been to preserve some equilibrium between countryside and city, but American policies just accelerated the flight from the land.
In my book, I looked at the relationship between the pervasive global slum, everywhere associated with sanitation disasters, with classical conditions favoring the rapid movement of disease through human populations; and on the other side, I focused on how the transformation of livestock production was creating entirely new conditions for the emergence of diseases among animals and their transmission to humans.
We have the:
. . . urbanization of livestock . . . millions of chickens living in warehouses, in factory farms. Bird densities like this have never existed in nature and they probably favor, according to epidemiologists I've talked to, maximum virulence, the accelerated evolution of diseases.
At the same time, wetlands around the world have been degraded and water diverted.
This is a formula for biological disaster and avian flu is the second pandemic of globalization. It's very clear now that HIV AIDS emerged at least partially through the bush-meat trade, as West Africans were forced to turn to bush meat because European factory ships were vacuuming up all the fish in the Gulf of Guinea, the major traditional source of protein in urban diets.
the future of guerrilla warfare, insurrection against the world system, has moved into the city. Nobody has realized this with as much clarity as the Pentagon, or more vigorously tried to grapple with its empirical consequences. Its strategists are way ahead of geopoliticians and traditional foreign-relations types in understanding the significance of a world of slums…
The question of the exchange of violence between the city of slums and the imperial city is linked to a deeper question — the question of agency. How will this very large minority of humanity that now lives in cities but is exiled from the formal world economy find its future? What is its capacity for historical agency?
Well, here you have an informal working class with no strategic place in production, in the economy, that has nonetheless discovered a new social power — the power to disrupt the city, to strike at the city, ranging from the creative nonviolence . . . to the now universal use of car bombs by nationalist and sectarian groups to strike at middle-class neighborhoods, financial districts, even green zones. I think there's much global experimentation, trying to find out how to use the power of disruption.
. . . I'll tell you what I suspect may be the greatest of disruptive powers — the power to disrupt global energy flows. Poor people with minimal technology are capable of doing that across the thousands of miles of unguardable pipeline on this planet.
The city is our ark in which we might survive the environmental turmoil of the next century. Genuinely urban cities are the most environmentally efficient form of existing with nature that we possess because they can substitute public luxury for private or household consumption. They can square the circle between environmental sustainability and a decent standard of living. I mean, however big your library is or vast your swimming pool, it'll never be the same as the New York Public Library or a great public pool. No mansion, no San Simeon, will ever be the equivalent of Central Park or Broadway.
One of the major problems, however, is: We're building cities without urban qualities. Poor cities, in particular, are consuming the natural areas and watersheds which are essential to their functioning as environmental systems, to their ecological sustainability, and they're consuming them either because of destructive private speculation or simply because poverty pours over into every space. All around the world, the crucial watersheds and green spaces that cities need to function ecologically and be truly urban are being urbanized by poverty and by speculative private development. Poor cities, as a result, are becoming increasingly vulnerable to disaster, pandemic, and catastrophic resource shortages, particularly of water.
Conversely, the most important step toward coping with global environmental change is to reinvest — massively — in the social and physical infrastructures of our cities, and thereby reemploy tens of millions of poor youth.
Building a permanent military presence in Iraq
Posted by xcroc under Iraq, oil, US military base
The Green Zone from BBC graphics and Google Maps courtesy of Booman Tribune.
How big is the Green Zone? It is 4.5 square miles. Look here to see a comparison to the Minnesota Twin Cities.
From Talking Points Memo:
By saying that Korea is the model for the US military presence in Iraq, the president is saying that he envisions the US military presence in Iraq continuing for many decades into the future.
Or let's put that in more stark terms, for most of you reading this post, the president envisions US troops remaining in Iraq long after you're dead. (emphasis mine)
Also reader DS at TPM points out:
I have believed, from the beginning – though I have always hoped to be proven wrong – that the Bush White House (i.e. Cheney) has had as its principal goal in Iraq the establishment of a permanent military presence in that country. . . . (for) energy security and therefore the control of energy supplies. This means control of the flow of oil from the Middle East.
Cheney, in particular, is vicious enough to contemplate a long-term presence at the cost of a daily toll in the dozens or hundreds as well as ongoing domestic opposition.
. . . there's only one goal that makes sense of that strategy. And that is to permanently dominate the cluster of oil fields in southern Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Iran. Nothing to do with democracy, as though that needed saying. But also nothing to do with terrorism. We're permanently occupying Iraq to lock down the world oil supply.
But all that is commentary. The headline is clear enough to get the message out: the president wants US troops in Iraq for decades to come.
We have had this information around for awhile. Two years ago, in June 2005, I read in Baghdad Burning about how the Green Zone was being built as permanent city:
What people find particularly frustrating is the fact that while Baghdad seems to be falling apart in so many ways with roads broken and pitted, buildings blasted and burnt out and residential areas often swimming in sewage, the Green Zone is flourishing.
The price of building materials has gone up unbelievably, in spite of the fact that major reconstruction has not yet begun. I assumed it was because so much of the concrete and other building materials was going to reinforce the restricted areas. A friend who recently got involved working with an Iraqi subcontractor who takes projects inside of the Green Zone explained that it was more than that. The Green Zone, he told us, is a city in itself. He came back awed, and more than a little bit upset. He talked of designs and plans being made for everything from the future US Embassy and the housing complex that will surround it, to restaurants, shops, fitness centers, gasoline stations, constant electricity and water- a virtual country inside of a country with its own rules, regulations and government. Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Republic of the Green Zone, also known as the Green Republic.
. . . if you could see the bases they are planning to build- if you could see what already has been built- you'd know that they are going to be here for quite a while.
The Green Zone is a source of consternation and aggravation for the typical Iraqi. It makes us anxious because it symbolises the heart of the occupation and if fortifications and barricades are any indicator- the occupation is going to be here for a long time. It is a provocation because no matter how anyone tries to explain or justify it, it is like a slap in the face. It tells us that while we are citizens in our own country, our comings and goings are restricted because portions of the country no longer belong to its people. They belong to the people living in the Green Republic.
Then recently I read in Firedoglake:
The $592 million embassy occupies a chunk of prime real estate two-thirds the size of Washington's National Mall, with desk space for about 1,000 people behind high, blast-resistant walls.
. . . we are building a huge, permanent infrastructure in Iraq. We are putting in the latest equipment, and it is not there to support some temporary military presence. What's going up is not something to be taken down and removed when our troops withdraw or respond to some uncertain Congressional appropriation. And the facilities that are being constructed, and the way they are being linked, indicate a more or less permanent military presence.
We're spending billions upon billions on this, and it's not slowing down. My friend has been there three times, and each time he goes back, he marvels at the tremendous change — in how much more there is now than there was last time. Much more sophisticated; more permanent.
This sure looks like the delusional bungling of Dick Cheney.
Dick Cheney and his ilk think we can wait them out (even though they live there!) as long as the American public can be numbed to the ongoing death toll.
He remains delusional as always, and has missed the point.
For example, you know that oil law the U.S. has been so hot and heavy to get the Iraqis to pass? It turns out that after months of massaging, the text of the law doesn't guarantee Western oil companies anything; it just doesn't exclude the possibility that they may get some lucrative deals. Oh, and during those months, billions of dollars' worth of oil is unaccounted for, with one of the prime suspects being the Shiite militias/political parties that make up the government. I don't think they're about to pass a law that gives them a worse deal than what they're getting off the books now.
The Americans aren't the only ones who can play realpolitik, you know.
Dick Cheney – author of death for oil – in Iraq & Somalia
Posted by xcroc under Africa command, AFRICOM, Bush administration, Cheney, Iraq, proxy war, Somalia
Appreciation to Dr. Doom for the image.
Bad judgment is Dick Cheney's trademark.
What is always overlooked with Dick Cheney is how he performs when he arrives in his various jobs. The answer is, in truth, not very well.
An examination of Cheney's career reveals that it is marked by upward mobility and downward performance.
The issue of Dick Cheney's judgment must be raised because he is the catalyst, architect, and chief proponent of Bush's authoritarian policies.
It was Cheney, and his mentor, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, who convinced Bush to go to war in Iraq.
(from: Conservatives Without Conscience, by John Dean, ISBN 0-670-03774-5, p.159-161)
This is the background on Dick Cheney, as Josh Marshall writes in Vice Grip:
Dick Cheney is a man of principles, disastrous principles.
. . . mistakes–on energy policy, homeland security, corporate reform–abound. Indeed, on almost any issue, it's usually a sure bet that if Cheney has lined up on one side, the opposite course will turn out to be the wiser. Yet somehow, in Washington's collective mind, Cheney's numerous stumbles and missteps have not displaced the reputation he enjoys as a sober, reliable, skilled inside player.
Cheney is conservative, of course, but beneath his conservatism is something more important: a mindset rooted in his peculiar corporate-Washington-insider class.
. . . few groups are so accustomed to self-dealing and self-aggrandizement as the cartel-capitalist class. And few are more used to equating their own self-interest with the interests of the country as a whole.
Fleeing wars, crossing borders
Posted by xcroc under education, emigration, immigration, Iraq, wages
I am a member of a commission that awards about half a dozen scholarships per year to the local community college. A scholarship pays for a full year of in state tuition, and students can reapply for more than one year. This two year college does a very good job of educating students who come from all over the world, providing them with associate degrees that will give them chances to get better jobs, and to further their careers. Many of the applicants come to the US from other countries. Most came here with their families when they were younger. Some are separated from their families. Many of them were displaced from their homes by war. And the US has often had varying degrees of involvement or responsibility for these wars.
Last night we reviewed the applicants for this year. They were a good group, most with real potential. There was one girl applying this year who fled Sudan. Her family fled and she heard her father had died. Her mother kept them together, fed and sheltered. But war came again. Her mother had a breakdown, and they had to drug her in order to bring her with them when they fled. Eventually she and her family arrived in the United States, and she attended public schools. Another young applicant had fled war in Guatemala, a country in which the US has had a long involvement, managed to get to the United States and attend public schools. Over the six years I have been on this commission we have read many biographical essays by many students who have fled horrors, and suffered here, but refuse to quit.
There are opportunities in the United States, but it is not a kindly place, particularly these days. If you are undocumented it can be brutal. People here, including citizens, often live isolated lives with no support network. If you have a child, or children, there is often no one to turn to for help. And undocumented immigrants often have no legal protections. Many immigrants, in fact many citizens, have to work multiple jobs, because one job may not even pay housing costs. The young applicants we review lead complicated lives, and their stories are often heart breaking. Making the scholarship decision is often very difficult because all the applicants have financial need, and all are deserving. Not all our applicants are immigrants, among those who are immigrants, some are economic refugees, but many are here because their families fled war. In their essays many of these young people say they wish to be back in their own countries, without war.
After spending my evening reviewing these applicants and their stories, and the mostly glowing recommendations from their teachers, this morning I read the latest post from Riverbend in Baghdad. She and her family are leaving Baghdad. She writes:
The Great Wall of Segregation…
…Which is the wall the current Iraqi government is building (with the support and guidance of the Americans). It's a wall that is intended to separate and isolate what is now considered the largest 'Sunni' area in Baghdad- let no one say the Americans are not building anything. According to plans the Iraqi puppets and Americans cooked up, it will 'protect' A'adhamiya, a residential/mercantile area that the current Iraqi government and their death squads couldn't empty of Sunnis.
The wall, of course, will protect no one. I sometimes wonder if this is how the concentration camps began in Europe. The Nazi government probably said, "Oh look- we're just going to protect the Jews with this little wall here- it will be difficult for people to get into their special area to hurt them!" And yet, it will also be difficult to get out.
The Wall is the latest effort to further break Iraqi society apart. Promoting and supporting civil war isn't enough, apparently- Iraqis have generally proven to be more tenacious and tolerant than their mullahs, ayatollahs, and Vichy leaders. It's time for America to physically divide and conquer- like Berlin before the wall came down or Palestine today. This way, they can continue chasing Sunnis out of "Shia areas" and Shia out of "Sunni areas".
I always hear the Iraqi pro-war crowd interviewed on television from foreign capitals (they can only appear on television from the safety of foreign capitals because I defy anyone to be publicly pro-war in Iraq). They refuse to believe that their religiously inclined, sectarian political parties fueled this whole Sunni/Shia conflict. They refuse to acknowledge that this situation is a direct result of the war and occupation. They go on and on about Iraq's history and how Sunnis and Shia were always in conflict and I hate that. I hate that a handful of expats who haven't been to the country in decades pretend to know more about it than people actually living there.
I remember Baghdad before the war- one could live anywhere. We didn't know what our neighbors were- we didn't care. No one asked about religion or sect. No one bothered with what was considered a trivial topic: are you Sunni or Shia? You only asked something like that if you were uncouth and backward. Our lives revolve around it now. Our existence depends on hiding it or highlighting it- depending on the group of masked men who stop you or raid your home in the middle of the night.
(emphasis mine)
The United States needs to deal with other countries in ways in which the military is the last option, not the first. Oil has been behind a number of the wars that have sent refugees fleeing into other countries and to the US. Oil is behind the Iraq war. And oil is behind recent US interest in Africa, including Ghana. That is the background for creating the US Africa Command. The people involved in Africom talk about leading with diplomacy, and talk about peaceful intentions. I recently heard a soldier interviewed on TV who said, the job of soldiers is to kill people and break their stuff (he said as opposed to police, whose job is to protect people and protect their stuff.) As long as your military is your lead contact with a country, the people you contact are in danger. The US should not be making it unsafe for people to stay in their own countries.


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Topping out ceremony marks major milestone
Construction work on our new £15.7m Remembrance Centre officially reached the half-way mark, on Tuesday, March 15, when the highest stone to clad the roof was put in place during a topping out ceremony.
The ceremony was performed by Lt Col David Whimpenny, Chairman of the National Memorial Arboretum Board; Sarah Montgomery, Managing Director of the Arboretum; Major General Patrick Cordingley,Chair of the Arboretum's Appeal Council, and building contractors Stepnell.
It marked a major milestone in the creation of the centre, which has been designed by architects Glen Howells, and will educate, inform and inspire up to 500,000 visitors per year.
Prior to the ceremony, John Cooper, Chair of the Project Board, and Mark Wakeford, Stepnell's Managing Director, presented a Yew Tree to Sarah Montgomery and the Arboretum. Yew trees are associated with the blessing of new buildings.
The facilities are being provided thanks to major fundraising campaign launched by HRH The Duke of Cambridge, along with generous donations from both Staffordshire County Council and the Heritage Lottery Fund.
£11m has been raised so far and organisers continue to appeal for help in raising the £4.7m required for the project. The Arboretum will remain open throughout the construction period, which is expected to be completed by autumn.
Sarah Montgomery said: "We are extremely proud to perform the topping out ceremony, and it was wonderful to share the occasion with many of the generous donors, who have helped to to turn this multi-million-pound vision into reality.
"We have now reached the midway point in this project and the building work is continuing apace. We look forward to seeing the rest of the development take shape in the coming months ahead of our official opening and visitors are reminded the site remains fully open in the meantime."
Jude Walker, Committee member for HLF West Midlands, said "HLF is delighted to be a funding partner for the National Memorial Arboretum's Remembrance Centre. Thanks to National Lottery players, the new Remembrance Centre will provide a welcoming and uplifting place to honour those who served in the Armed Forces and civil services of this country."
"The National Memorial Arboretum is fast becoming a symbolic place to learn, remember and commemorate, and we will continue to support it to help it achieve its aim of becoming a world class centre of Remembrance.
Veterans' memories inspire students' giant montage at the Arboretum
A giant montage, which was created by a group of Year 12 students from Aldridge School following int...
100-Year Time Capsule Project Launched
A Buried mobile phone will give future generations an insight into the importance we place on Rememb...
SMS time capsule interred for 100 years with help from local young people
With the help of local young people, including pre-school children, our SMS time capsule was buried ...
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Our signature class is limited to 12 people. At roughly 50 mins long, our version of HIIT is no joke. The variety of equipment and programming of each class is always different. We have a friendly and inspiring community that enjoys training smarter AND harder.
This is next evolution of our MRT. Vertical climbers in this type of class allow for movements otherwise not possible. Sprinting on our climbers will leave you breathless. Smiling is optional.
Make your own MRT Class. Our convenient location to pre- or post-workout restaurants, accommodative facilities and exclusive amenities are ideal for private classes. Workout and brunch anyone? Join our Rewards Program and redeem points to host a private and personalized class for up to 17 friends.


ATHLETE and double Olympian Fred Norris has died, aged 85.
The long distance runner, who combined his job as a miner in Tyldesley with athletics, died in hospital following a fall last month.
Fred, of Sale Lane, Tyldesley, finished seventh in the 10,000 metres at the 1952 Helsinki Olympics, a race won by the legendary Emil Zatopek. He also competed in the marathon at the Melbourne games, four years later Fred claimed he got to the top with the help of jam butties, determination and the love of his late wife, Doris.
He was born in Primrose Street, Tyldesley, and left school at 14 to work in a machine shop. He played football for Sale Lane United and Winton United.
He moved to Cleworth Hall Colliery, Tyldesley, working on underground maintenance, and running never crossed his mind until he watched the 1948 London Olympics on a cinema newsreel, including victory by Zatopek in the 10,000 metres.
He went onto the football field and ran four laps in four minutes, encouraging him, at the age of 26, to join Leigh Harriers.
Four years later as a Bolton Harrier, he was facing Zatopek in the 1952 Olympic final.
Fred was a familiar sight on the streets of Tyldesley, pounding the streets from 5am before a tough shift 900ft down the pit and then dashing home to wash and change before reeling off another eight to 10 miles.
During his career Fred clocked up 54 English, British, Commonwealth and European records and at the age of 37 he set the 20, 21 and 22 mile world best times and the two hour world distance record.
In 1959 he was international cross country champion but his hopes of a place in the Rome Olympics in 1960 were ended by injury.
After emigrating to America he won 43 of his 44 races in a three year period before retiring.
Son Ed, who lives in Hawaii, followed in his father's footsteps and won the American marathon championship in 1968.
Fred continued to run until the age of 42 and in 1986 he and Doris, who died four years ago, returned to Sale Lane.


This was the amazing cloud formation seen in the sky above Gloucestershire – and it certainly got people talking and taking pictures.
The stunning cloud formation made it look like a scene from a science-fiction film such as Independence Day.
Many people took pictures of the sky on Tuesday night and shared it on the popular Tewkesbury Noticeboard.
He very kindly allowed Gloucestershire Live to share his picture with our readers.
Someone said it looked like something was falling through the sky, and it was a bit eerie.
Another said simply: "It looks amazing."
It could also look like a giant hand is coming up, like a huge high five, which has created a hole in the clouds.
One woman said it looked like a 'fallstreak hole', which is also known as a holepunch cloud.
The Met Office says this forms when part of the cloud layer forms ice crystals which are large enough to fall as a 'fallstreak'.
It adds: "They form in clouds of supercooled water droplets, water below 0 °C but not yet frozen. These water droplets need a tiny particle, a nucleus, to freeze or to be cooled below -40 °C.
Did you take a picture of the cloud formation? Share it with us at echo.news@glosmedia.co.uk or via our social media pages.


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Update: NCPD Arrested Commack Man for Baldwin Bank Robbery
Press Releases, Crime
By Long Island News & PR Published: February 17 2016
The Major Case Squad reports the arrest of Marcus L. Palmer, 29 of 450 Moreland Road, Commack on Tuesday, February 16, 2016 at 12:00 p.m. at his residence for the above Robbery.
Update - February 17th, 2016 - The Major Case Squad reports the arrest of Marcus L. Palmer, 29 of 450 Moreland Road, Commack on Tuesday, February 16, 2016 at 12:00 p.m. at his residence for the above Robbery.
Palmer is charged with Robbery 3rd degree. He will be arraigned on Wednesday, February 17, 2016 at First District Court in Hempstead.
Baldwin, NY - November 17, 2015 - Major Case Bureau detectives are investigating a Bank Robbery that occurred on Tuesday, November 17, 2015 at 5:43 pm in Baldwin.
According to detectives, a male black subject entered Capital One bank, 2303 Grand Avenue, approached a teller and handed her a demand note for money. After obtaining an undisclosed amount of cash, the subject, who was described as being 6'0" tall with a thin build, wearing a blue hoodie and a fake beard, fled the bank through the rear door in an unknown direction. No injuries were reported during the Robbery.
Detectives request anyone with information regarding this incident to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-244-TIPS. All callers will remain anonymous.
NCPD: Three Minors Arrested for Attempted Robbery in Island Park
UPDATE: Police Arrest Westbury Man for East Meadow Bank Robbery
NCPD Crime Alert: Roosevelt Home Burglary Under Investigation
NCPD: Arrest Made in Freeport for Grand Larceny
NCPD Crime Alert: Two Men Wanted for Armed Robbery in W. Hempstead
MTA & LIRR to Help Long Island Small Businesses Pursue Millions in Contracts under 2015-2019 Capital Program
Shop Rite Partners in Caring Awards $60,000 Grant to Support Long Island Cares, Inc. - The Harry Chapin Food Bank
NCPD Crime Alert: Man Found Dead in N. Valley Stream, Second Victim Found Wounded Nearby
NCPD Searching for Burglar in Valley Stream
HSBC Bank in Hauppauge Robbed
Subject: LongIsland.com - Your Name sent you Article details of "Update: NCPD Arrested Commack Man for Baldwin Bank Robbery"


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Billie Eilish's Carpool Karaoke Turned Into a Casual Tour of Her House, and We Love It
Billie Eilish Carpool Karaoke Video
December 28, 2019 by Brea Cubit First Published: December 19, 2019
Billie Eilish and James Corden put the pedal to the melodies in a new episode of Carpool Karaoke! During the Dec. 19 episode, the 18-year-old singer hopped into the passenger's seat for the classic segment as she and James sang some of her best hits, including "Bad Guy," "All the Good Girls Go to Hell," and "Ocean Eyes." While cruising around Los Angeles, the two also chatted about Billie's obsession with Justin Bieber before visiting the star's house for a quick tour. There, she gave James a look around before introducing him to her pet spider (which made the host freak out). Watch Billie and James hang out and sing at the top of their lungs in the clip above!
The Late Late Show With James CordenJames CordenViral VideosBillie EilishLate Night Highlights
This Cat Sprinting Away From a Smoke Alarm Is the Term "Scaredy Cat" in a Nutshell
by Alessia Santoro 10 hours ago
Camila Cabello's Acapella Cover of "Old Town Road" May Be the Best One Yet
by Angela Law 15 hours ago
Thanos Wouldn't Stand a Chance Against Marvel's Newest Superhero: Mrs. Maisel
Robert Downey Jr. and Jimmy Fallon Team Up For an Absurd, Unrehearsed Commercial Parody
To the Surprise of No One, Shameless Fans Think Cameron Monaghan and Noel Fisher Date IRL
This Video of a Dad Who "Doesn't Change Very Many Diapers" Is Going Completely Viral
by Alessia Santoro 9 hours ago


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Wesley Adam Hampton was born December 8, 1977, in Memphis, Tennessee. While he was a college student at Trevecca in Nashville, Wes invited Andrea Means to attend a Gaither Homecoming concert for their first official date.
After two years at Trevecca, Wes and Andrea were married and moved to Birmingham, Alabama, to complete their education. Wes graduated with a Bachelor's degree from the University of Alabama, then worked as a minister of worship for The Church at Brook Hills in Birmingham for two years before getting a phone call from Bill Gaither that would change his life nearly overnight.
Wes joined the Vocal Band in July 2005 as the group's tenor. His transition into the Vocal Band was virtually seamless, since he already knew the parts to nearly every song in the GVB's repertoire. Bill was immediately struck by Wes's clear, passionate voice, as well as his extensive knowledge of the Vocal Band's body of work. Most impressive, however, was Wes's spirit. And since that time, Wes has done far more than sing a part. He has joined the ranks of an exclusive handful of world class singers who have sung tenor for the Gaither Vocal Band over the years.
"Wes has heart. That's a quality that simply can't be taught," Bill has stated.
Wes was a defining influence in the Gaither Vocal Band's 2008 Grammy-winning and Dove-nominated recording, Lovin' Life, as well as the Dove-nominated Christmas recording, Christmas Gaither Vocal Band Style, also which released in 2008. He is indeed among the industry's most distinct tenor voices, and his tender spirit has further endeared him to audiences all over the world.
The Hamptons reside in Birmingham with their four sons, Barrett, Hudson, Carden and Sutton, while Wes continues to live out his dream with gratitude. His warmth, humility and avid sense of humor consistently bring a breath of fresh air to those who have the privilege of working with him, performing with him or enjoying his talent.
Wes released a cookbook in 2009 entitled, A Place At the Table, and released his first solo recording, A Man Like Me, in 2010.
Come join us in Dodge City @ the United Wireless Center at 6:00. I'll be @ the GVB table @ intermission. Would love to meet some of you!
On our way to Dodge City, KS, w/the GVB. Watching Duck Dynasty to settle before going to bed. Gosh, this show is entertaining!
Prepping for a weekend out with the GVB. @MarkAlanLowry will be back with us! Gonna be fun!


Here in Millville by the Sea, the holidays are just as merry and bright as our legendary summers; with an added dash of cozy. We love getting into the season with home décor and recipes that bring the essence of Bethany Beach and the holidays to new levels. DIY decorations, ornaments, and recipes are just a few of our favorite ways to ring in the season. Ready to get started? Here are our top ideas for gearing up your home to be the hub for the holidays—Millville by the Sea style.
Seashell centerpieces aren't just a tongue-twisting project for summer—they'll add coastal cheer to all your holiday gatherings. In case you needed an excuse to take a quick trip down to the water (Bethany Beach is, of course, just a short four miles away), head to the sand at low tide and gather as many unique seashells as you can get your hands on. Organize each shell between a few candles and you have an eye-catching centerpiece for your holiday table!
For a subtle ode to the coastal theme, gather a few Christmas tree clippings, cinnamon sticks, and any extra seashells you have to craft the perfect table dressing. The combination of the cinnamon mixed with the pine will exude the seasonal scent that we all know and love. Plus, leftover clippings and shells make for great accent pieces on mantels and shelves!
Ready for more inspiration? Check out our popular Pinterest board dedicated to winter décor and DIYs with a seaside twist!
For a delectable recipe to impress your dinner guests, Millville by the Sea's very own chef, Sandy Daniels, has you covered. Her legendary cooking classes are renowned in the community and now you can share her cooking at home with your loved ones. Chef Sandy takes a classic autumnal dish and adds everyone's favorite gourd for added seasonal flair. Try it out at your next holiday feast!
Heat the oil in a large saucepan or Dutch oven. Add the onion and cook 1 minute. Add the garlic and cook until onion is soft, about 8 minutes. Transfer to a plate and set aside. Add the meat to the saucepan and sauté until browned on all sides. Add the tomatoes, green pepper, potatoes, salt, pepper, honey, broth, and reserved onions. Heat to boiling, reduce heat, cover, and simmer gently 1 hour.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Cut the top off the pumpkin and reserve. Scrape out the seeds and strings and brush the inside with melted butter. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place pumpkin on a large ovenproof plate and set it inside a roasting pan. Place the pumpkin top on a separate baking sheet.
Ladle the stew into the pumpkin shell. Bake until shell and top are just tender, about 1 hour. During the last 5 minutes, stir in the corn and marjoram.
Carefully transfer pumpkin (on its plate) to a large platter. To serve, ladle the stew into soup bowls, scooping out some pumpkin meat with each serving.
Ready to test out more recipes? Visit our Events and Clubs page to find out when Chef Sandy will be hosting her next cooking class. Or, if you're ready to learn what makes our homes the perfect gathering place for family and friends during the holiday season, visit our Home Search and schedule a visit today!