text:
New York City and the UN: Cool but Useful Partners
Amy Lieberman
• September 5, 2013
A UN security guard checking a diplomat's car at the compound's entry in New York. There are 700 underground parking spaces at the UN. JOHN PENNEY
As most people know, the United Nations headquarters rests on a prime slice of New York City real estate along the East River, stretching from East 42nd to East 48th Streets on First Avenue. The UN agreed to adopt the site as its home as a second-best option in 1946, after acquiring a suburban campus either in Westchester County or in Greenwich, Conn., proved unfeasible.
More than 60 years after the UN opened at the Manhattan site, the world body and the City of New York remain distant but cooperative neighbors, while UN operations bring in an approximately $1.6 billion in revenue to the city's economy annually, based on inflation-adjusted figures from the 1980s, the last time the city tracked such numbers, at least publicly. Now, a city greenway project has brought the UN closer to New York's sphere of influence as talk of the UN in the mayoral primary race has been virtually nonexistent.
Although the UN is considered outside the territory of the United States through a treaty agreement, in some criminal matters it has submitted to federal jurisdiction. Its interaction with the local government occurs most intensely in September, when the General Assembly convenes its annual general debate and hundreds of diplomats and delegates descend on the UN campus in the Turtle Bay neighborhood. This year, the session runs from Sept. 24 to Oct. 2.
"The contemporary relationship between the UN and New York City has had its ups and downs," Stephen Schlesinger said in an interview with PassBlue. He is an adjunct fellow at the Century Foundation in New York City and the author of "Act of Creation: The Foundation of the United Nations."
Marjorie Tiven, the sister of the New York City mayor, Michael Bloomberg, has been responsible for dealing with the UN as commissioner of the Mayor's Office for International Affairs (formerly called the Commission for the United Nations, Consular Corps and Protocol), since 2002.
Because of the UN's relative geographical remoteness, on the far east of Midtown, New Yorkers don't tend to spend too much time there, whereas tourists flock to the UN tours. The UN is also a more inward looking institution, said Ulysses Smith, the chairman of the UN committee for the New York City Bar Association, which monitors the UN's presence and produces reports and open letters on international human rights, legal and city issues. "There is not a lot of active outreach happening with the city," he said.
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The last time Mayor Bloomberg appeared at the UN was in October 2012 to talk about his foundation's philanthropic support for maternal health in Tanzania. This year, the mayor weighed in on the post-2015 development agenda, and his foundation financed a World Health Organization report on road safety. Bloomberg has spoken on other issues at the UN, like the environment and noncommunicable diseases.
Cars with diplomatic plates can park in designated spots near the UN. JOHN PENNEY
Bloomberg's green city initiative is indirectly involved with UN headquarters. While the UN debates its options for expanding in New York, its reputation for cautious negotiations are evident in its role in the city's plans for mending a 20-block gap in the 32-mile Manhattan Greenway Project. The greenway stretches almost the entire loop of Manhattan, but breaks between East 38th and 60th Streets on the East Side.
Tied into the project is a direct element that could help finance the greenway: a new building to be constructed to house various UN offices now scattered throughout east Midtown.
A New York State public-benefit entity, the United Nations Development Corporation, which was created in 1968 to help the UN with its real estate needs, has commissioned the design of an approximately 35-story office building for the UN to be constructed in a portion of Robert Moses Playground, just south of 42ndStreet on First Avenue. The UN would consolidate some of its staff around Midtown to the new building.
The agreement, hatched in 2011, also calls for UN Plaza 1 and 2 buildings, located on East 43rd Street near First Avenue and leased by the UN but owned by New York City, to be sold or refinanced in 2018 at the earliest. Part of the proceeds will finance the greenway. (Legally, the agreement requires a minimum amount of $300 million to be raised from the sale or refinancing, said Robert Cole, the counsel representing the UN Development Corporation.) Among the corporation's board members is Tiven.
The UN Development Corporation built UN Plaza 1 and 2 through bonds, while Unicef, housed in UN Plaza 3, which came into being through a similar arrangement, is expected to acquire its building when its lease from the city expires in 2026.
The deal to erect an office building in Robert Moses Playground could be considerably profitable, Cole said, giving the city enough money to not only complete the greenway but also to enhance other parks, such as Asser Levy on East 23rd Street, he said.
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon endorsed the plan and released a report on the potential project. The UN's budget office, called the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions, known as ACABQ, however, has requested more information from Ban, like data supporting the project's economics. It has also asked for numbers on alternative plans, including continuing to rent the scattered office spaces in Midtown or erecting a building on the North Lawn of the UN headquarters.
The Fifth Committee of the General Assembly, also tasked with budget issues at the UN, concurred with ACABQ, so Ban's office will submit a new report in January, Cole said and confirmed by the UN. It will be vetted by the Fifth Committee again in March or April 2014.
"It's the UN's move," said Dan Garodnick, a New York City Council member who represents the Turtle Bay neighborhood, describing the greenway as a "win-win" for the city and the UN.
As negotiations continue, New Yorkers may be interested to know about a UN perk that is another "win-win," at least for diplomats: use of the parking garage below the UN headquarters. The garage has about 700 spots, which diplomats can partake of — with a permit — free during the day, said a UN spokesman. They must pay a nominal fee from 3 a.m. to 6 a.m., thus making 24-hour parking attractive.
More than a decade ago, a parking-ticket scandal induced much scorn against the UN from New Yorkers. Foreign diplomats who work at the UN are entitled to two legal parking spaces on the street, but they overspilled those spaces in large numbers and accumulated more than 150,000 unpaid parking tickets from November 1997 through 2002, totaling more than $18 million in fines. The diplomats' immunity enabled them to skirt the fines.
Interestingly, however, two economists from New York City and Berkeley, Calif., produced a study in 2006 analyzing the overdue fines, finding that diplomats from high-corruption countries, such as Bulgaria, Chad and Egypt, had many more parking violations than diplomats from countries with low prevalence of corruption, like Canada and Norway. But it also found that the frequency of violations by foreign diplomats increases with their tenure in New York City, regardless of their home country's record on corruption.
The parking situation changed substantially after 2002, when the city gained the right to tow vehicles with diplomatic plates from illegal parking spaces and to revoke the official parking permits. In addition, 110 percent of the total amount due had to be paid from any aid from the US government to the offending diplomats' countries.
As a result, the number of summonses issued has been reduced and the majority of the 4,000 or so of such parking tickets written annually by the city get paid. The debt that had accrued of more than a decade ago has also been paid, Smith of the New York Bar Association said, having discussed the matter with Tiven in January 2013. Smith, however, said that his notes from his meeting with Tiven showed that she said that $6 million in accrued debts had been paid, not $18 million. Requests to Tiven's office for clarification went unanswered.
The UN is considering constructing a building just south of the compound in a deal with New York. JOHN PENNEY
Smith met with Tiven as part of his research for a report released in May 2013 on policy recommendations for New York City's next mayor, to be elected in November. The report studied the UN's contributions to the city's economy in 2012, based on figures from 1988, suggesting ways to revitalize a welcoming program for new diplomats and their families. The last financial analysis on the UN was released in 1989.
That year, New York City found that the total net benefit of the UN and its diplomatic community to the city was $830,799,000. The New York City Bar Association applied an inflation factor of 94.1 percent to the 1988 figure to calculate the estimated $1.6 billion intake from the diplomatic community in 2012.
The 1988 number reflects costs and lost revenue from certain taxes that the UN does not have to pay to the city (including real estate exemptions), uncollected towing fees, uncollected parking fines, extraordinary police protection and the expense of educating diplomats' children, Smith said. It also leaves out expenses accrued by the dozens of nongovernmental organizations based in the city that work on matters related to the UN.
The figure does include costs paid by the United States mission to the UN and the US consulate; the UN's budgeted expenses to New York of $352 million; and other expenses paid by UN related programs and agencies.
"We asked [Tiven] why the city hasn't done this analysis since 1989 because it seems like it would be relevant, and her reaction was along the lines of, 'We basically understand that of course the UN brings in a lot of revenue to the city and economic benefit, and in a way it is not necessary to study it,' " Smith told PassBlue in a phone interview.
Smith also bemoaned the notable lack of discussion that New York City mayoral candidates in the primary have been showing toward the UN.
"The UN is a significant institution in the city — for multiple reasons," Smith said. "But since its members don't vote in mayoral elections, candidates may not have to pay attention to them. But we should focus more on what the UN is doing."
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Amy Lieberman is a freelance journalist based in New York City. She reports mostly on UN headquarters news when she is not working abroad. In the last several years, she has reported from Bangladesh, Cambodia, Colombia, Guatemala, Mexico, Nepal and Thailand. Lieberman is a graduate of Macalester College in St. Paul, Minn. For more information, go to www.amydlieberman.com
Categories: General Assembly, US-UN Relations
Tags: Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions, Bloomberg Foundation, Marjorie Tiven, Stephen Schlesinger, UN Fifth Committee, UN headquarters, UN-NY Relations, US mission to the UN
UN Diplomats Negotiate First Steps to Try Russia for Crimes of Aggression


One of the hardest lessons I had to learn in life is that what other people think about me is none of my business and to some extent, what other people think period is none of my business. That is what they "think" and I may agree or disagree, but in the end it is what they think and I am not required to respond. It is a great way to remove yourself from the drama of this world. You are also correct that there is only one thing that is important whether you listen to Jesus or Jack Palance in City Slickers.


How could Eli do all those things?
At the end of The Book of Eli it is revealed that the eponymous bible that Eli used to read (and learn by heart) is actually written in Braille. Yet I'm not sure what further conclusions to draw from this. Was Eli just able to read Braille for some unknown reason or was he actually blind all the time (probably since the apocalypse 30 years ago, which is implied to have blinded many people)?
And if he was really blind, then how could he do all those things he did and appear as a man who can see perfectly? Was he just well-trained or are we supposed to believe that the same "mysterious voice" who sent him on his mission gave him the power to see and sense his environment (and to survive the shot long enough to complete his task)? Or was it only his own believe in his mission that let him accomplish all those things he did (though that would stretch the capabilities of self-confidence a bit far)?
perhaps God is guiding his every move, as Eli says "I know I wouldn't have made it this far without help."
The audience doesn't get to know a lot about Eli's past. How did he get skills like martial arts?
In [Eli's] 30 years of walking, you run into people. I make light of it, but that's almost the way I looked at it.
… There's this whole issue, without giving it away, is he blind, is he not.
… If you look at the movie, sometimes I actually bumped into stuff — and they used it. But it was actually an accident or it was God's will. In a couple of scenes, I bumped and tripped over stuff and they kept it in there.
So maybe he can [see], maybe he can't? Maybe he can see a little bit? Maybe his eyes are clouded? I don't know.
So martial art skills don't necessarily come with God's calling?
It could be a gifting.
So, apparently Eli bumping into stuff wasn't scripted, but simply Denzel being clumsy.
Evidence Eli is blind came to me when watching the movie for a second time. There is a point when Eli goes into an old house/shack where he is looking for food (or whatever he can find). He is alone. He goes into a separate room in the shack where the previous occupant has hung himself. We, as the audience, recognizes there is a person hanging there, but Eli does not. He does, however, recognize the smell, but not exactly where the smell is coming from. This leads me to believe Eli is blind.
Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged plot-explanation the-book-of-eli .
Verifying Contents of the Book in "The Book of Eli"?
What was under the blanket?
What are the Babadook's powers/abilities?
How does Rocket know all those things about Lil Zé?
Why did The Book of Eli have so many pages?
Is Forrest Jr. actually Forrest's son?
Who took the money in No Country for Old Men?
How could Edna afford to feed all those people?


text:
Ex-vivo expansion of CFU-GM and BFU-E in unselected PBMC cultures with Flt3L is enhanced by autologous plasma
M. Guo, W. M. Miller, E. T. Papoutsakis, S. Patel, C. James, C. Goolsby, J. N. Winter*
Medicine, Hematology Oncology Division
Background: Previous ex-vivo expansion studies in our laboratory, comparing unselected and CD34+-selected PBMC, have shown no advantage for CD34+ cell selection, in terms of the expansion achieved. Our goal was to develop procedures for consistent generation of large numbers of hematopoietic progenitor and post-progenitor cells from unselected PBMC. Methods: Unselected PBMC, collected from cancer patients undergoing apheresis prior to high-dose chemotherapy and autologous stem cell rescue, were expanded ex vivo in static cultures, without a stromal layer, in the presence of Flt3 ligand (Flt3L), a recombinant GM-CSF/IL-3 fusion protein (PIXY321), G-CSF and GM-CSF for 10 days. Results: The addition of 2% autologous plasma to this cytokine combination enhanced expansion of total cell numbers (3.2 fold versus 1.9 fold; p < 0.01), colony-forming units granulocyte-macrophage (CFU-GM) (22.0 fold versus 8.1 fold, p < 0.01) and burst-forming units erythroid (BFU-E) (17.6 fold versus 7.0 fold, 0.01 < p < 0.02). The optimal seeding density for a given specimen was inversely related to the frequency of CD34+ cells in the sample. CFU-GM expansion with the Flt3L-containing cytokine cocktail was equivalent to that obtained with IL-3, IL-6, G-CSF and SCF, whether or not the cultures were supplemented with autologous plasma. In plasma-free cultures, BFU-E expansion was significantly higher with IL-3, IL-6, G-CSF and SCF than with Flt3L, PIXY321, G-CSF and GM-CSF. In the presence of autologous plasma, however BFU-E expansion was higher in the Flt3L-containing media. In comparison studies, autologous plasma suppressed BFU-E expansion in SCF-containing cultures. Consistent with our colony assay results, dual-parameter flow cytometric analysis of the expanded cell population revealed that supplementation with autologous plasma yielded a significant increase in the numbers of myeloid progenitors in Flt3L-containing cultures. Discussion: Unselected PBMC from cancer patients can be effectively expanded ex vivo in Flt3L, PIXY321, G-CSF and GM-CSF, supplemented with autologous plasma, yielding high numbers of myeloid and erythroid progenitors.
Cytotherapy
Ex vivo expansion
Dive into the research topics of 'Ex-vivo expansion of CFU-GM and BFU-E in unselected PBMC cultures with Flt3L is enhanced by autologous plasma'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.
flt3 ligand protein Medicine & Life Sciences 100%
Erythroid Precursor Cells Medicine & Life Sciences 85%
Granulocyte-Macrophage Progenitor Cells Medicine & Life Sciences 84%
Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor Medicine & Life Sciences 70%
Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor Medicine & Life Sciences 51%
Interleukin-3 Medicine & Life Sciences 33%
Stem Cells Medicine & Life Sciences 14%
Guo, M., Miller, W. M., Papoutsakis, E. T., Patel, S., James, C., Goolsby, C., & Winter, J. N. (1999). Ex-vivo expansion of CFU-GM and BFU-E in unselected PBMC cultures with Flt3L is enhanced by autologous plasma. Cytotherapy, 1(3), 183-194. https://doi.org/10.1080/14653249910001591266
Guo, M. ; Miller, W. M. ; Papoutsakis, E. T. ; Patel, S. ; James, C. ; Goolsby, C. ; Winter, J. N. / Ex-vivo expansion of CFU-GM and BFU-E in unselected PBMC cultures with Flt3L is enhanced by autologous plasma. In: Cytotherapy. 1999 ; Vol. 1, No. 3. pp. 183-194.
@article{13af16f1b06c48479a64be8bcc806184,
title = "Ex-vivo expansion of CFU-GM and BFU-E in unselected PBMC cultures with Flt3L is enhanced by autologous plasma",
abstract = "Background: Previous ex-vivo expansion studies in our laboratory, comparing unselected and CD34+-selected PBMC, have shown no advantage for CD34+ cell selection, in terms of the expansion achieved. Our goal was to develop procedures for consistent generation of large numbers of hematopoietic progenitor and post-progenitor cells from unselected PBMC. Methods: Unselected PBMC, collected from cancer patients undergoing apheresis prior to high-dose chemotherapy and autologous stem cell rescue, were expanded ex vivo in static cultures, without a stromal layer, in the presence of Flt3 ligand (Flt3L), a recombinant GM-CSF/IL-3 fusion protein (PIXY321), G-CSF and GM-CSF for 10 days. Results: The addition of 2% autologous plasma to this cytokine combination enhanced expansion of total cell numbers (3.2 fold versus 1.9 fold; p < 0.01), colony-forming units granulocyte-macrophage (CFU-GM) (22.0 fold versus 8.1 fold, p < 0.01) and burst-forming units erythroid (BFU-E) (17.6 fold versus 7.0 fold, 0.01 < p < 0.02). The optimal seeding density for a given specimen was inversely related to the frequency of CD34+ cells in the sample. CFU-GM expansion with the Flt3L-containing cytokine cocktail was equivalent to that obtained with IL-3, IL-6, G-CSF and SCF, whether or not the cultures were supplemented with autologous plasma. In plasma-free cultures, BFU-E expansion was significantly higher with IL-3, IL-6, G-CSF and SCF than with Flt3L, PIXY321, G-CSF and GM-CSF. In the presence of autologous plasma, however BFU-E expansion was higher in the Flt3L-containing media. In comparison studies, autologous plasma suppressed BFU-E expansion in SCF-containing cultures. Consistent with our colony assay results, dual-parameter flow cytometric analysis of the expanded cell population revealed that supplementation with autologous plasma yielded a significant increase in the numbers of myeloid progenitors in Flt3L-containing cultures. Discussion: Unselected PBMC from cancer patients can be effectively expanded ex vivo in Flt3L, PIXY321, G-CSF and GM-CSF, supplemented with autologous plasma, yielding high numbers of myeloid and erythroid progenitors.",
keywords = "Ex vivo expansion, Stem cell transplantation",
author = "M. Guo and Miller, {W. M.} and Papoutsakis, {E. T.} and S. Patel and C. James and C. Goolsby and Winter, {J. N.}",
note = "Funding Information: This work was supported in part by National Science Foundation Grant No. BES-9410751, the Lynne Sage Cancer Research Foundation, the State of Illinois Excellence in Academic Medicine Act and CA60553-05 from the National Cancer Institute.",
journal = "Cytotherapy",
Guo, M, Miller, WM, Papoutsakis, ET, Patel, S, James, C, Goolsby, C & Winter, JN 1999, 'Ex-vivo expansion of CFU-GM and BFU-E in unselected PBMC cultures with Flt3L is enhanced by autologous plasma', Cytotherapy, vol. 1, no. 3, pp. 183-194. https://doi.org/10.1080/14653249910001591266
Ex-vivo expansion of CFU-GM and BFU-E in unselected PBMC cultures with Flt3L is enhanced by autologous plasma. / Guo, M.; Miller, W. M.; Papoutsakis, E. T.; Patel, S.; James, C.; Goolsby, C.; Winter, J. N.
In: Cytotherapy, Vol. 1, No. 3, 1999, p. 183-194.
T1 - Ex-vivo expansion of CFU-GM and BFU-E in unselected PBMC cultures with Flt3L is enhanced by autologous plasma
AU - Guo, M.
AU - Miller, W. M.
AU - Papoutsakis, E. T.
AU - Patel, S.
AU - James, C.
AU - Goolsby, C.
AU - Winter, J. N.
N1 - Funding Information: This work was supported in part by National Science Foundation Grant No. BES-9410751, the Lynne Sage Cancer Research Foundation, the State of Illinois Excellence in Academic Medicine Act and CA60553-05 from the National Cancer Institute.
N2 - Background: Previous ex-vivo expansion studies in our laboratory, comparing unselected and CD34+-selected PBMC, have shown no advantage for CD34+ cell selection, in terms of the expansion achieved. Our goal was to develop procedures for consistent generation of large numbers of hematopoietic progenitor and post-progenitor cells from unselected PBMC. Methods: Unselected PBMC, collected from cancer patients undergoing apheresis prior to high-dose chemotherapy and autologous stem cell rescue, were expanded ex vivo in static cultures, without a stromal layer, in the presence of Flt3 ligand (Flt3L), a recombinant GM-CSF/IL-3 fusion protein (PIXY321), G-CSF and GM-CSF for 10 days. Results: The addition of 2% autologous plasma to this cytokine combination enhanced expansion of total cell numbers (3.2 fold versus 1.9 fold; p < 0.01), colony-forming units granulocyte-macrophage (CFU-GM) (22.0 fold versus 8.1 fold, p < 0.01) and burst-forming units erythroid (BFU-E) (17.6 fold versus 7.0 fold, 0.01 < p < 0.02). The optimal seeding density for a given specimen was inversely related to the frequency of CD34+ cells in the sample. CFU-GM expansion with the Flt3L-containing cytokine cocktail was equivalent to that obtained with IL-3, IL-6, G-CSF and SCF, whether or not the cultures were supplemented with autologous plasma. In plasma-free cultures, BFU-E expansion was significantly higher with IL-3, IL-6, G-CSF and SCF than with Flt3L, PIXY321, G-CSF and GM-CSF. In the presence of autologous plasma, however BFU-E expansion was higher in the Flt3L-containing media. In comparison studies, autologous plasma suppressed BFU-E expansion in SCF-containing cultures. Consistent with our colony assay results, dual-parameter flow cytometric analysis of the expanded cell population revealed that supplementation with autologous plasma yielded a significant increase in the numbers of myeloid progenitors in Flt3L-containing cultures. Discussion: Unselected PBMC from cancer patients can be effectively expanded ex vivo in Flt3L, PIXY321, G-CSF and GM-CSF, supplemented with autologous plasma, yielding high numbers of myeloid and erythroid progenitors.
AB - Background: Previous ex-vivo expansion studies in our laboratory, comparing unselected and CD34+-selected PBMC, have shown no advantage for CD34+ cell selection, in terms of the expansion achieved. Our goal was to develop procedures for consistent generation of large numbers of hematopoietic progenitor and post-progenitor cells from unselected PBMC. Methods: Unselected PBMC, collected from cancer patients undergoing apheresis prior to high-dose chemotherapy and autologous stem cell rescue, were expanded ex vivo in static cultures, without a stromal layer, in the presence of Flt3 ligand (Flt3L), a recombinant GM-CSF/IL-3 fusion protein (PIXY321), G-CSF and GM-CSF for 10 days. Results: The addition of 2% autologous plasma to this cytokine combination enhanced expansion of total cell numbers (3.2 fold versus 1.9 fold; p < 0.01), colony-forming units granulocyte-macrophage (CFU-GM) (22.0 fold versus 8.1 fold, p < 0.01) and burst-forming units erythroid (BFU-E) (17.6 fold versus 7.0 fold, 0.01 < p < 0.02). The optimal seeding density for a given specimen was inversely related to the frequency of CD34+ cells in the sample. CFU-GM expansion with the Flt3L-containing cytokine cocktail was equivalent to that obtained with IL-3, IL-6, G-CSF and SCF, whether or not the cultures were supplemented with autologous plasma. In plasma-free cultures, BFU-E expansion was significantly higher with IL-3, IL-6, G-CSF and SCF than with Flt3L, PIXY321, G-CSF and GM-CSF. In the presence of autologous plasma, however BFU-E expansion was higher in the Flt3L-containing media. In comparison studies, autologous plasma suppressed BFU-E expansion in SCF-containing cultures. Consistent with our colony assay results, dual-parameter flow cytometric analysis of the expanded cell population revealed that supplementation with autologous plasma yielded a significant increase in the numbers of myeloid progenitors in Flt3L-containing cultures. Discussion: Unselected PBMC from cancer patients can be effectively expanded ex vivo in Flt3L, PIXY321, G-CSF and GM-CSF, supplemented with autologous plasma, yielding high numbers of myeloid and erythroid progenitors.
KW - Ex vivo expansion
KW - Stem cell transplantation
JO - Cytotherapy
JF - Cytotherapy
Guo M, Miller WM, Papoutsakis ET, Patel S, James C, Goolsby C et al. Ex-vivo expansion of CFU-GM and BFU-E in unselected PBMC cultures with Flt3L is enhanced by autologous plasma. Cytotherapy. 1999;1(3):183-194. https://doi.org/10.1080/14653249910001591266

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


2017 repress. New lower pricing. Gatefold double LP version. 140-gram vinyl. "Latin music, is it really foreign to us Africans? I don't think so. Listen to the drums, to the rhythm. It all seems very close to us -- it feels like it's our own culture" --Amara Touré. In late-'50s Dakar, Senegal, producer Ibra Kassé and his Miami nightclub spearheaded a movement blending the Cuban styles of son montuno and patchanga with local folk traditions. Through the unique cultural fusion of West African and Caribbean influences, Latin music took on a new and unique sound, brought a breath of fresh air into Dakar's nightlife, and attracted numerous musicians from surrounding countries. One of the musicians who answered this call was percussionist and singer Amara Touré, from Guinea-Conakry. In 1958, Kassé invited Touré to join Le Star Band de Dakar, led by Mady Konaté, a group that was immensely important for the development of Senegalese modern music. Touré's talent on percussion was undeniable, but it was his raw, powerful voice and his interpretations of Cuban music that captivated the producer. In 1968, after ten years with the Star Band, Touré headed to Cameroon and formed the Black and White ensemble, with which he performed live through the late '60s and early '70s and released three singles between 1973 and 1976. These singles, included as the first six songs on this compilation, fully epitomize and distill the essence of what Touré had learned during his career. His Mandingue roots fused with the Senegalese sound that he had mastered -- the perfect foundation for his Cuban interpretations. In 1980 Touré went to Libreville, Gabon, to team up with the powerful Orchestre Massako, with which he recorded Accompagné Par L'Orchestre Massako. This LP has since gained a reputation as one of the very best African albums, and its complete contents are included here as the compilation's last four tracks. These ten treasures, representing Touré's complete discography, have been carefully remastered from original session tapes and vinyl records, and are reissued here for the first time. After the release of his LP in 1980, Touré seems to have disappeared. Apparently he was last seen in Cameroon but his whereabouts are unknown at the time of this release. His music, however, is undeniably alive.


Phase III Clinical Trial Evaluating Post-Mastectomy Chestwall and Regional Nodal XRT and Post-Lumpectomy Regional Nodal XRT in Patients with Positive Axillary Nodes Before Neo-Adjuvant Chemotherapy Who Convert to Pathologically Negative Axillary Nodes After Neo-Adjuvant Chemotherapy.
If a patient is a cancer survivor, they have undergone potentially curative therapy for all prior malignancies, with no evidence of recurrence > 5 years.
No prior history of malignancy within 5 years except for successfully treated cervical carcinoma in situ, lobular carcinoma in situ of the breast, or non-melanoma skin cancer.
Patient is deemed by their treatment physician to be at low risk for recurrence (i.e. < 30%) from prior malignancies.
Uncontrolled intercurrent illness including, but not limited to, ongoing or active infection, symptomatic congestive heart failure, unstable angina pectoris, cardiac arrhythmia, or psychiatric illness/social situations that would limit compliance with study requirements or make patient not candidate for surgery.
Psychiatric illness or condition impairing decision-making capacity, which would prevent the patient from giving informed consent.


| where my life and camera meet!
I am a self-taught video editor & camera person from the beautiful island of Malta. I strive to become great at my job! Always want bigger things in life.
Kurt Cauchi Videography offers professional videography and photography services. With a great eye for detail I always try to tell a story by achieving the most stunning visuals possible. From the reviews that I receive I know that I am good at my job, but that does not stop me from always trying to learn new methods & techniques.
In the near future, I will be also targeting more Maltese clients, doing weddings, TV adverts and music videos and also aspire to work with international clients.
I believe that a click at the right time can capture a moment with various emotions.


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The 28 Best Albums Of 2017
As 2017 is coming to an end, it tends to be a time of reflection. We look back on the good, the bad and the ugly of the year that was. That also includes looking back on the year in toonage, but we choose to skip the bad and the ugly here at I'm Music Magazine. We tend to stay more positive here and we look at the albums that caught our attention and moved us for many different reasons. I don't think we do our end of the year list like some magazines who tend to stick with what's popular and what's trendy. There may be a few mainstream albums on our list, but that's because we really connected with them. You will see more indie bands/artists and bands/artists on the rise on our list. If you haven't heard about them before, then we hope you will read about them and take a few minutes to check them out. We feel that each and every band on this list is deserving of your time and (hopefully) your support. So, let's get this thing going, shall we? We know present to you (in no particular order) our 28 Best Albums of 2017!
Silvertung Lighten Up: When it comes to acoustic albums, it's usually a game of love it or hate it. They can come off sounding somewhat boring and stale, while others manage to make them exciting and fresh. As for Silvertung, they decided not to do acoustic note for note interpretations of the tracks on Lighten Up. Instead, they decided, for the most part, to reinvent each song and push the creative envelope. You'll recognize a song like "Devil's Advocate," but this version is quite different and includes some awesome violin work from Drew Vervan. "Face The Music" has a swing kind of vibe to it and the drums in "Justify" bring a feel of old school Johnny Cash to the track. The guys also included a new track entitled "Dig." Just when you thought these guys were going to go right, they take the fork in the road and go left. I have to admit that we love those guys for being that way! Key tracks: "Dig" "Face the Music" "Devil's Advocate"
Click here to read the rest!
I Am Music Magazine
Blacktop Mojo
Sons of Texas
Every Mother's Nightmare
Hard To Kill
Madame Mayhem
Shaman's Harvest
Marty Casey
(But, At What Cost??!)
#PUHPOW
1710 Percussion
Adelphia Music Hall
AXS.TV


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That bottle of your favorite French or Italian wine may cost double soon. U.S. considers new tariffs
Local businesses are bracing for a possible tariff of up to 100 percent on European goods ranging from handbags, to cheese and wines.
GROSSE POINTE WOODS, Mich. (WXYZ) — Local businesses are bracing for a possible tariff of up to 100 percent on European goods ranging from handbags, to cheese and wines.
Michael Palazzolo with Woods Wholesale Wine in Grosse Pointe Woods says the tariff would hit the wine industry hard, doubling the price of some wines and leaving some in the wine industry jobless.
"It will start with the importers, then it will hit the distributors, and eventually it will hit us, and then finally by hitting the consumers," he said.
The new threat of tariffs comes from the Trump administration after France imposed a "Digital Services Tax" on American tech companies such as Amazon and Apple.
The Office of The United States Trade Representative (USTR) in Washington has already held hearings on the proposed $2.4 billion tax on French cheese, Champagne, handbags and other goods.
The new tariff comes on top of the 25% previously imposed tax that went into effect in October, and it now includes Champagne, sparkling wines and Italian wines that were excluded from the first round.
Palazzolo says consumers who are used to certain wines may have to think about expanding their palette or they could be paying double. Take Cristal for example, a bottle at his shop normally costs $250 but could skyrocket to $500.
"It's tricky situation Champagne, because if you want Champagne, you want real Champagne, it has to come from the Champagne region of France."
While the tariff might seem to be a benefit for domestic winemakers, some say the ripple effect could increase the prices on wines from the Napa Valley.
The tariffs could go into effect as soon as the end of the month.


Every girl awaits that magical moment which we all know as "Prom" and it is either one of the greatest or worse evenings of a girl's life. Why you ask? Well, the main attraction of Prom is not only the partying and fun but also the dress that will grace the evening. And we all leave no stones upturned to pick out the best we can. But is it really that easy to spot and purchase one?
It's pretty easy to land at a store and pick up a dress you're just OK with but finding the dress of your dreams is no piece of cake. There are stores everywhere offering what they think is best for you but if you look beyond that computer screen you'll notice lots of well established online stores that will take some of your time but not a lot of money and prepare your desired Prom dresses which is bound to make heads turn. I'm taking about 27dress.com which is an online dress store specializing in evening gowns for various occasions, especially Prom.
The store has an easy navigation system and it doesn't take much time to learn how the site works. They deal in Prom dresses, Wedding dresses and Veils, Evening dresses, homecoming dresses and lots more in hundreds of colors and styles suitable to every taste. What's even better is that you can get a beautiful prom dresses under $100. Currently they have a promotion going on where you get $15 off $200 and $30 off $300 purchase. Plus if you sign up on the site, you get a $10 coupon which is a limited time offer.
27 Dress ships to almost every country in the world and offers flexible payments methods for hassle free payments. You can refer to the size chart and/or provide your own for custom fittings. Order tracking is available and the company has a return policy too. So there's a lot offered and all you need to do is place an order and sit back and relax. Your desired dress will reach you within a good time frame. Happy shopping!


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On Air Greatest Hits Ruth Shimmin | 6:30pm - 9:00pm
Michael Bublé - I'll Never Not Love You Download
PSM lifeboat called to help stricken tug
Port St Mary lifeboat came to the aid of a tug with six people on board last night (12 December).
Crews were called out at 9pm after the 100 ft boat, travelling from Greenock in Scotland to Falmouth in Cornwall, lost the power of one of its engines.
Unsure which Manx port to head to, the crew called the coastguard and requested the lifeboat be launched.
The Juliet Bride was initially escorted to Port Erin harbour but was unable to anchor there and proceeded instead under tow to Peel, arriving in the western port in the early hours of Thursday.


I get cranky without a good breakfast. Particularly when traveling. I do more research on breakfast places, than on sightseeing. So it was with Montreal. On our first morning, we walked over to Chez Cora Dejeuners (1425 Rue Stanley, off Rue Ste Catherine). I had read a lot about it and was ready to be disappointed. When we came up the street, seeing customers lining outside was a good sign. After about a 30 minute wait, we got a nice table with sunlight streaming in from large windows. We ordered random things from the menu. An omelet wrapped in a crepe for M (see next pic), and a waffle on a bed of fruits for me (see above). This place is known for its generous fruit servings and all their breakfasts are accompanied with lots of fruit. Yes, it was del-i-cious! Fueled us for a long day walking around Montreal. Another of my characteristics – once I find something good, I hang on to it. So for the next couple of days we started our days at Chez Cora.
M and her omelet (Soft, camera stayed on the grapes).
The next day, fruits and crepes.
In the historic part of Montreal (Vieux Montreal), the fabulous Basilique Notre Dame. The plaza was a popular gathering place for locals and tourists. They were showing a movie in the church and unfortunately we could not visit inside. Apparently very spectacular.
The waterfront was beautifully restored with rows of beautiful buildings along the Rue de la Commune. On the right along the water itself, there is a bike path, lots of well-manicured greens and the Promenade. It was a beautiful evening and packed with people walking, talking, cycling, roller-blading or just hanging out. Very pleasant!
Certainly, you will see more of Montreal in the coming weeks!


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Neslihan Yiğit, née le  à Osmangazi, un district de Bursa, est une joueuse turque de badminton.

Carrière
Elle dispute le tournoi de simple dames de badminton aux Jeux olympiques d'été de 2012 à Londres, et est éliminée en phase de poules.

Elle remporte aux Championnats d'Europe junior de badminton 2013 à Ankara la médaille de bronze en simple dames. La même année, elle obtient aux Jeux de la solidarité islamique à Palembang la médaille d'or en simple dames et la médaille de bronze par équipes et aux Jeux méditerranéens la médaille d'or en simple dames et en double dames avec Özge Bayrak.

Aux Jeux européens de 2015 à Bakou, elle est médaillée de bronze en double dames avec Özge Bayrak.

Elle remporte aux Jeux méditerranéens de 2018 ainsi qu'aux Jeux méditerranéens de 2022 la médaille d'or en simple dames.

Elle est médaillée de bronze en simple dames aux Championnats d'Europe de badminton 2021 et aux Championnats d'Europe de badminton 2022.

Liens externes

Joueuse turque de badminton
Naissance en février 1994
Naissance à Bursa
Joueuse de badminton aux Jeux olympiques d'été de 2012
Joueuse de badminton aux Jeux olympiques d'été de 2020

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Tottally furnish unit in the 5 floor of the Mutiny Hotel. Short walk to restaurants and shops that the Grove is famous for. Very nice ambiance and a delightful and enjoyable night in Coconut Grove.
This property for sale with address 2951 S Bayshore Dr # 515, Miami, Florida 33133 is currently for sale and has been listed on Hometaurus Real Estate website on July 13, 2017. This listing is for sale for $235,000.
2951 S Bayshore Dr # 515 Miami Florida with 33133 zip code is located in the Mutiny Condo Hotel. This property listing was built in 1998 and contains 1 bedrooms and 1 bathrooms with 560 sqft for living area and the property tax for 2016 is $148,091 and the 2016 tax assessment is $161,555.
To schedule a tour and showing for 2951 S Bayshore Dr # 515, Miami, Florida 33133, please contact a Hometaurus agent now.


You must submit your request in writing to the District. Your request should include your contact information including a phone number so you can be contacted in case of questions and the information you are seeking – with as much detail as possible. For your convenience, you may use the form provided below (but it is not required).


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Eddie Murphy Isn't Alone! More Stars Who Became Fathers After 50
Check out which celebs welcomed babies in their fifties
By Cydney Contreras Aug 28, 2018 9:03 PMTags
Celebrity FamiliesGeorge ClooneyAlec BaldwinEddie MurphyCeleb Kids
Jamie McCarthy/NBC
Oh, baby!
Comedian Eddie Murphy is expecting his tenth child with girlfriend Paige Butcher at the age of 57. On Tuesday, a rep for the actor told E! News, "Eddie Murphy and longtime girlfriend Paige Butcher are pleased to announce that they are expecting their second child in December."
The new bun in the oven will join older sister, Izzy Oona Murphy, in the Butcher-Murphy household, in addition to sisters Bria, 28, Shayne, 23, Zola, 18, Bella, 16,and brother Miles, 25, who come from Murphy's previous relationship with Nicole Mitchell Murphy. Not to forget Eric, 29, from Murphy's ex Paulette McNeely and Christian, 27, with Tamara Hood. And then Angel, 11, who Eddie shares with Melanie "Mel B" Brown.
And as surprising as the news is, Eddie appears to be among the fathers in Hollywood who are more than happy to welcome more children, when others would be pleased about their empty nest.
Celebrities Who Became First-Time Dads After 50
While some fathers like George Clooney took their sweet time to have their first child, other fathers were eager to continue expanding their family well into their fifties. To see which celebs became happy dads after 50, check out the gallery below!
Jon Furniss/WireImage
The esteemed actor and voice of two of pop culture's most famous dads, Mufasa and Darth Vader, didn't become a faaaatherrrr himself until 1982, when he was 51 and welcomed son Flynn with his second wife, Cecilia.
Gabriel Olsen/Getty Images
Warren Beatty
He had a good run on his own, but Hollywood's most storied bachelor ended up having four kids with Annette Bening, their first arriving in January 1992, when Beatty was 55. He and Bening, his co-star in Bugsy, tied the knot that March.
ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images
The Late Show host was 56 when girlfriend (now wife) Regina Lasko gave birth to their son Harry, named after Dave's father, in November 2003.
"I could never imagine ever being a part of something that turned out this beautiful," he quipped to his audience in one of his more purely joyful monologues.
The Love Actually star was about 51 when he became a dad to daughter Tabitha in 2011 with Tinglan Hong after—as his rep called it—a "fleeting affair."
"Everyone was right all these years, saying, 'Hugh, why don't you have some children? It changes your life," Grant said on Ellen when Tabitha was 6 months old. "Now that I have one, it is life changing. I recommend it. Get some!"
Admittedly, he added, Tabitha—whose name in Chinese, Jīng Xǐ, means "Happy Surprise—was "a little bit of a surprise. But it's a very nice surprise."
Grant took his own advice: He had two more children in quick succession, son John, with TV producer Anna Eberstein, and son Felix, with Hong, arriving within months of each other in 2012.
He and Eberstein stuck together after that, welcoming a daughter in 2015. Their third child together—and Grant's fifth—was born in 2018, after which they got married that May.
Doug Peters/PA Images/INSTARimages.com
The Oscar winner celebrated his 56th birthday a month before welcoming twins Ella and Alexender with wife Amal Clooney. And so far, true to George's early vow to maintain his kids' privacy, these two have kept all of the family photos to themselves.
John Stamos
The Full House star was 54 when he and wife Caitlin McHugh welcomed their son Billy in April 2018.
"It's more beautiful than anyone told me it would be," Stamos shared with People a few days later. "I've been waiting a long time."
Michael Loccisano/Getty Images
After his parents divorced, the "Summer of '69" rocker was estranged from his dad for 12 years. Adams sought him out in 1992, a reunion he described 10 years later to The Guardian as "nothing but embraces and tears." Asked if experiencing what it was like to grow up in a broken home was a reason he hadn't had his own family yet, he said, "Well, that's a very deep question. I don't know if I can answer that, I don't know."
Down the road a bit, the singer-activist-photographer was 51 when he welcomed his first child, a daughter named Mirabella Bunny, with Alicia Grimaldi in 2011; another daughter, Lula, followed in 2013. But he still didn't want to talk much about his private life, telling the Telegraph in 2015, "It's nobody's f--king business but my own."
The longtime bachelor and harshest critic on two continents, a man who had made children cry on TV, turned into one of the most doting celeb dads around in 2014, when son Eric was born on Valentine's Day. The America's Got Talent judge and record impresario was 54.
"I'm not brilliant with babies," Cowell admitted to Parade when girlfriend Lauren Silverman was still pregnant. "I never know what to do. But [once he's older] I think I'll be a good dad in terms of advice. And then I'll get to do all the things I want to do, like go to Disneyland or Universal Studios, teach him how to drive—I love all that."
A few weeks after Eric was born, he told Extra, "I was born to be a dad..."I actually said to Lauren beforehand, 'What if I like the dogs more than him?' and she said, 'You're gonna be absolutely fine,' and then literally within seconds of him being born, I got it!"
"I never really particularly passionately wanted children," the idiosyncratic actor, single at the time, shrugged to London's Independent in April 2008.
Six years later, not long before marrying third wife Emilie Livingston, he told GQ.com he did not have babies on the brain. "But, you know, they are cute, aren't they?" he added, presumably with utmost Goldbluminess.
Less than a year later, on July 4, 2015, the couple welcomed son Charlie Ocean. Goldblum was 62. Another son, River Joe, arrived on April 7, 2017.
He told Parade in July 2016 that he simply "never seriously considered [having children] until Emilie. I'm at a different place now. I was enthusiastic to marry her and try to have a baby." To USA Today he admitted that he had to "wrap my head around" the idea of becoming a dad. But ultimately "things have shifted. I think there's a perspective, maybe, about acting and, you know, career things that gets shifted with home life being so full and nutritious, and nourishing and wholesome. It's really fun."
Derek Storm/Splash News
The Father of the Bride star and full-on renaissance man was 67 when he and his second wife, Anne Springfield, welcomed daughter [insert name here]. (The couple have yet to publicly reveal her name, one of the celebrity world's greatest gifts being privileged anonymity.)
In his first appearance on The Late Show With David Letterman after becoming a dad, Martin plunked a baby monitor on Dave's desk. "The baby's back at the hotel and I'm a responsible dad," he deadpanned.
"Oh, it's fantastic—you have all the time in the world," Martin further quipped to Australia's Daily Telegraph in 2016 about being an older father. "You're all set and secure in life, and you're not building your career, so you have a lot of time."
But though he's only broadened his creative horizons in recent years, he insisted he really does have more time. "When I was younger, I was selfish and focused on my career. Now I'm just hanging around the house playing with her. It's great."
The Sex and the City star was 53 when he and Tara Lynn Wilson welcomed son Orion in 2008—and he would go on to say that he simply wasn't ready beforehand (and having not met the right woman yet was part of it).
"I think a child changes the equation in your life," Noth told AskMen.com in 2014. "We value freedom a lot in society now. We live longer. The idea of being in your 30s settling down and having a family, I just think people realize they don't have to do that right away. There's still time."
He added, "Also, I had some pretty big relationships in my life. I'm glad I didn't get married. I've been in love maybe four times before that. If I had gotten married, I'd be paying four different alimonies."
He and Tara, his wife since 2012, welcomed another son, Keats, in February 2020.
The iconic singer-songwriter was 63 when he and now-husband David Furnish (48 at the time) welcomed their first son, Zachary, via surrogate on Christmas Day in 2010. Lady Gaga is one of his godmothers, not too shabby.
About a month after Zachary was born, John told Pop Sugar about his decision to have children: "I've had an incredible life. I experienced great joys and great sadness, great highs, great lows, I pulled myself together, I got sober, I got my self respect back, and I tried to make up for lost time by doing good things for other people. But the only thing missing from my life that I hadn't experienced was having a child. And, David and I thought about this and decided to have one and so I think as much as I can teach my child many great things, he's gonna teach me 1,000 times more about myself—what I need to do, how I need to look at things. I've never lived that life before."
Their second son, Elijah, was born in 2013, after which the doting dads said their family had been completed "in a most precious and perfect way."
The Watch What Happens Live host became a first-time dad at 50 when son Benjamin was born via surrogate in February 2019.
"Family means everything to me and having one of my own is something I've wanted in my heart for my entire life," he said on his show, revealing that, if all went accordingly, he was going to be a father in six weeks' time. "And while it has taken me longer than most to get there, I cannot wait for what I envision will be my most rewarding chapter yet."
Anderson Cooper / Instagram
The longtime CNN newsman and 53-year-old first-time dad reported on his own blessed event in April, announcing the arrival of his son Wyatt Morgan Cooper via surrogate.
"As a gay kid, I never thought it would be possible to have a child, and I'm grateful for all those who have paved the way, and for the doctors and nurses and everyone involved in my son's birth," Cooper shared. He later said that his ex-partner Benjamin Maisani, whom he amicably split from in 2018 after nine years together, would be a co-parent to Wyatt.
Congratulations to the happy families!


Always look forward to my appointment with GardeNails each month!
After few manicure sessions with GardeNails, this time I'm going to try out their signature Crystal Mud Spa Pedicure!
Lavender Sea Salt in the water!
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Most important part, remove dead skins of my feet!
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Dry my feet with warm towel will soothe tired feet. Best for ladies who wear heels often.
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Born on April 17, 1957 .
Passed away on December 22, 2003 .
This memorial website was created in memory of our loved one, Paul Benson 46 years old , born on April 17, 1957 and passed away on December 22, 2003. We will remember him forever.
Happy birthday daddy!!❤ 4/17 is my favorite day throughout the whole year because it's YOUR day! I love thinking about you, my day gets soo much better once I know that your right there besides me through whatever!
Jada is having a hard time dad,with missing you I know it was your time to go ,just wish we all had more time again thank you for showing us that family is everything and unconditional love !!! Aikimeyon is doing amazing dad,it's weird how when u left he had memories of your store and you and he was only one!!But that was because of how much you were involved in his life I love you daddy for all life's lessons you've taught me missing you like crazy!!!!
You know it has gotten so much better...the missing you part...and I thank you because I know that is the way you would have wanted it..when I think of you, I think of Mom and Dad, Reggie, Joe, Jr. I know what a wonderful and peaceful place it must be....always love..
i no every individual has to leave room in their life for change either for the better or worst.the only fucked up part is that u have to accept it or u will go crazy.december 22 was not the worst day of my life because it happend so fast and out of nowhere.now 26 years old and 8 years later im unhappy because i need u and i have to accept that ur not here.but i thank u and love u always.
Paul, I missed the fun times we use to have. You are truly missed.
dont even nowhere to start. its been almost 8 years and it still seems like yesterday and im talkin about the pain not his death because to me hes in a better place, just left to early.but even though i still feel the pain everyday i could not had wished for a better Father,Friend,Protector, or Provider the list goes on and on.


Split tape for masking the inside of rigid aluminum, roller, and wooden screen printing frames. Blue areas in the tape do not contain adhesive allowing split tape to peel cleanly without leaving residue, tearing or damaging your emulsion. Split tape is great to have on hand whether you're a hobby printer or high-volume print shop looking to quickly remove tape from screens and keep the edges of screens free from ink.


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serving separatists' cause
National Conference muddying waters, serving separatists' cause
By Hari Om on March 11, 2013
http://www.niticentral.com/2013/03/11/national-conference-muddying-waters-serving-separatists%E2%80%99-cause-54028.html
Can any ruling party behave in the fashion the ruling National Conference (NC) behaved on February 21 and 22? The answer is an emphatic no because the ruling party is constitutionally, politically and morally bound to discharge its obligations towards the State and not do anything that muddies the Indian waters in Kashmir and directly and indirectly promotes the Pakistani anti-India agenda.
But here is a ruling party which is in power not on its own strength, which acted in a manner that should have been taken to task then and there by New Delhi to send a clear message that it will not tolerate any nonsense.
The Central Government again overlooked the NC onslaught on India and allowed it to go scot free, thus vindicating those who have come to believe that the Congress has converted India into a banana republic / soft state for vote-bank politics.
On February 21, three top NC leaders, including two MPs and one party additional secretary and the Chief Minister's uncle Mustafa Kamaal indulged in politics which had all the potential of arousing anti-India passions in the Kashmir Valley, where the otherwise totally exposed separatists had already tried their best to provoke common Kashmiris to come on to the streets and hold anti-India demonstrations but failed.
That day, NC MP Ghulam Nabi Rattanpuri handed over a seditious letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, which, among other things, said, "If Kashmiris would be given a chance to decide their fate, they would opt for Azadi (freedom)."
He met with the Prime Minister during the joint session of Parliament in New Delhi and was reportedly carrying placards with slogans on it such as 'Remains of Muhammad Maqbool Bhat and Muhammad Afzal Guru should be returned to the people of Jammu & Kashmir for proper burial'. "I did not talk to the Prime Minister. I just handed over my letter to him," the NC MP reportedly said.
The same day, another NC MP Mehboob Beg met with Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde and told him to hand over the body of Guru to his family.
"I met him (Shinde) in the central hall of the Parliament ahead of the President's address and during our discussion, I urged him that Government should return (Afzal's) body… This is the bare minimum that could be done," he was quoted as saying. "I told him that the secret hanging has shattered the fragile peace in the Valley and it could have long-term implications," he also reportedly told the Home Minister. "When State Government supports the family's demand, there should be no issue with the Centre. The way the execution was handled will only further alienation of Kashmir and keeping the family unaware about it didn't do any good," Beg also said, and added that "the NC President Farooq Abdullah also had a brief chat with the Home Minister" and that "I believe the same issue would have come for discussion."
The same day, NC additional general secretary and former Minister Mustafa Kamaal threatened New Delhi saying, "If Centre will not grant autonomy to Jammu & Kashmir, mark my words, in future it will be compelled to grant freedom to the State."
"If Government of India will show reluctance in granting autonomy to the state at this stage, a time will soon come when the country will be forced to leave Kashmir,"
he, in fact, said. "Times have changed now. Government of India can no longer throw our autonomy resolution into the dustbin. Our party is striving hard to get autonomy for the State as it is the genuine document of the people of Jammu & Kashmir which has the legal authenticity," he also said. Earlier, Kamaal had said that the "NC leadership believes that the revival of Plebiscite Front alone could help resolve the Kashmir issue".
It's not that Kamaal, Rattanpuri and Beg behaved in this fashion for the first time. They had been behaving like this since day one and brazenly expressing the NC's lack of confidence in India and the Indian Constitution. The important point is that all the three NC bigwigs threatened India on the same day. To say nothing of the meetings of NC working president Omar Abdullah with the Prime Minister on the same day and with the Home Minister the following day and NC president's meeting with the Home Minister on February 21.
There are reasons to believe that both the NC president and working president must have urged the Indian authorities to hand over the body of Guru to his family. After all, Omar Abdullah is on record having said that the hanging of Guru could adversely impact the psyche of the young Kashmiri generation and that it may identify itself with Guru. Besides, he has written a letter to the Government of India urging it to handover the body of Guru to his family.
All this indicates that the NC leadership is in confrontation mode. Indeed, it has crossed all the lines. It would be no exaggeration to say that it has crossed that line with a view to showing their solidarity with Syed Ali Shah Geelani and his ilk and ensuring that it continues to maintain its hold over its otherwise fast-dwindling support-base in the Valley.
It also indicates their attempt to force their pernicious ideology down the throats of the people of Jammu, Ladakh, and other sections of society, including the displaced Kashmiri Hindus. Neither the people of these two regions nor the displaced Kashmiri Hindus have given the NC the mandate to speak on their behalf. They have nothing to do with the NC and other similar Valley-based outfits.
When will New Delhi rise to the occasion and stem the rot? The present dispensation cannot be depended on as it is very soft towards separatists, extremists and those demanding autonomy and self-rule (read quasi-independence or a step short of complete independence). In fact, there are elements in the establishment who have been extending them overt and covert support so that the Kashmir pot keeps boiling. Hence, only a new dispensation headed by a committed and strong person can stem the rot. One has to wait for a year or so.
The writer is the former Dean of Jammu University's Faculty of Social Science and Member, ICHR.
Posted by Bhadesia at 12:56 AM
The Solution to Kashmir? - Dr Subramanian Swamy
चीन की अशोभनीय पैंतरेबाजियां
Fwd: from M G Vaidya
: Rising Islamofascism
Fwd: Bhashya from M G Vaidya
An interview worth reading
Fwd: What the Dr Ambedkar wrote of Islam
Fwd: 'Purushottama Sanman' to farmers practicing o...
Fwd: પરબની પ્રેરણા (સત્ય ઘટના) – અમૃત મોરારજી
Bali state of Indonesia, a secular country
China distorting History for political gains
: picture of late margret in HSS makarsankraman Utsav
Fwd: 'Bharat ko Jano, Bharat ko Mano, Bharat ke Ba...


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How 'The Nightmare Before Christmas' Helped Take Halloween Worldwide
One of the most influential works of pop culture, 'The Nightmare Before Christmas' found The King Of Halloween giving Father Christmas a run for his money.
Martin Chilton
Film director and writer Tim Burton used to joke that when it came to composer Danny Elfman's 80s new wave band, Oingo Boingo, "all his shows were very Halloween-based." It's fitting, then, that together the pair would create one of the most influential works of pop culture ever, The Nightmare Before Christmas, and bestow upon it a soundtrack that set the bar for every seasonal movie that followed (whether that season is Halloween or Christmas, take your pick).
Listen to The Nightmare Before Christmas on Apple Music and Spotify.
Burton and Elfman shared a love of that costume-heavy festival, and by the time the former decided to pitch an animated Christmas film to Walt Disney Studios in the early 90s, he had decided that it would have a distinct Halloween theme.
The director once explained that he had grown up in Burbank, California, where the sunny weather hardly changed. One way residents could tell the seasonal changes, he recalled, was by the holiday decorations, and a lot of the town's stores used to blend Halloween and Christmas to capitalize on sales well before October 31 each year. Burton said this planted the seed for his tale of the King Of Halloween intruding on Christmas. He sensed that a similarly canny creative hijacking would pay dividends in a musical movie.
Is it a Christmas or Halloween movie?
Elfman, who wrote the music and lyrics for The Nightmare Before Christmas soundtrack, also lent his singing voice to Jack Skellington (otherwise voiced by Chris Sarandon) and had a cameo as the red-headed corpse in the double bass of the Halloween Town Band in the Oscar-nominated film. "I think of it more as a Halloween movie, but it really is about Christmas," says Elfman. "Regardless, it's just that weird thing that sometimes happens where a film continues a kind of cult life after it comes out."
The Nightmare Before Christmas soundtrack
The movie gained an extraordinary following and the sinister characters and gleefully macabre songs helped make Halloween a much bigger global event than it had been before. Elfman said that he and Burton both agreed that the tracks should not feel like pop songs: "We felt these songs should try to find a kind of timeless place that's not contemporary. My influences were going from Kurt Weill to Gilbert And Sullivan to early Rodgers And Hammerstein."
There were some jazz influences, too. Elfman said that he had taught himself to write music by transcribing Duke Ellington, and there is more than a touch of the Jazz Age in "Oogie Boogie's Song," which was performed by actor Ken Page. Page, who had previously starred in a Broadway adaptation of the musical Ain't Misbehavin', brought his own bold approach to the track. "I told them my take on Oogie Boogie's voice would be somewhere between Bert Lahr [the cowardly lion in The Wizard of Oz] and the voice of the demon in The Exorcist, and along with that came Cab Calloway and Fats Waller stuff for the singing."
Oingo Boingo guitarist Steve Bartek helped oversee the orchestration on the soundtrack and was pleased with the way they brought out the best from a multitude of vocal performers. Paul Reubens (Pee Wee Herman), who voiced the trick-or-treater character Lock, sings on "Kidnap The Sandy Claws," along with Canadian actress Catherine O'Hara. The latter also delivers a sweetly sinister version of "Sally's Song" – accompanied by accordion and violins – as she sings the lines, "Can't shake this feeling that I have/The worst is just around the bend."
Other highlights include the songs "This Is Halloween," "Jack's Lament" and "What's This?" on a soundtrack full of strong melodies and lyrics bursting with striking imagery. The Nightmare Before Christmas album is bookended by an introduction and conclusion narrated in typically extravagant style by Patrick Stewart. The soundtrack was nominated for the 1993 Golden Globe for Best Original Score and reached the Billboard Top 100 albums chart.
The movie has since become part of modern Christmas festivities
If there were any qualms around releasing such a ghoulish take on Christmas, they were to prove unfounded. Within a few years of The Nightmare Before Christmas' release, both the film and music had gained an enormous following. In 2006, an updated soundtrack was issued, which included bonus tracks such as a version of "Sally's Song" by Fiona Apple, Marilyn Manson singing "This Is Halloween" and a guest appearance by Fall Out Boy.
Fall Out Boy's bassist, Pete Wentz, said: "Disney approached our management about us doing a song and we're obsessed with that film and Danny Elfman. And of course I've got my Nightmare tattoos, so we were like, 'Yes!' The songs in the film are pretty much the best things ever. They're Elfman at his prime."
Related Topics:Danny ElfmanDisneyHalloweenOn This DayreDiscovered AlbumsSoundtracksThe Nightmare Before Christmas


Hi friends, I've just finished a different piece than usually. It's a classical music movie soundtrack .
I hope you will have fun as much as I have producing it. And of course I am very eager to read your comments and recommendations!
This track is very atmospheric and definitely unique. The way it stops on 4 and resets definitely gives it some instability which gives a nice soothing but unpredictable feel.
@eblossman : There is not a stop-time, there is a double bass playing silently one note for four bars... as in Dire Straits' "Private Investigations" (Do you know the song? It's perfect.)... sliding to Coda.


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College student Mollie Tibbetts went for a run. She never came back.
How the 2018 disappearance of Mollie Tibbetts became a national focus
Kristina Lucarelli
you likely remember her name? Molly Tibbits. Her disappearance in a small Midwestern town held the attention of the nation. As events unfolded, Her case became a flash point for a national issue at the height of summer. On July 18th 2018 20 year old University of Iowa student Molly Tibbets was dog sitting alone at her boyfriend's brother's house. That evening, she went for a routine job and never returned. Mollie had just vanished. First night, she went missing. I was distraught, and I knew her phone was dead. But I sent her a text anyway, saying, I love you were looking for you and will find you no matter what. Nobody has any idea why how this could happen in a place like in the days that followed, missing posters could be found in every corner. Her name and face covered storefront windows, cars, T shirts and buttons. It's really tough. You'd never think you know what's gonna be in your small town. It's gonna be someone you know. Wanna missing poster? You're praying here. Good words that they found her. It was okay. Those words mean with Interstate 84 5 miles south of town here you could be anywhere in this country and a day and 1/2 to 2 days, so we're very thankful of. The national media has picked up the story and praying a lot. Share it every time it comes up across my Facebook. I think that people just have seized on Molly Story because it's similar to their own Children, and they know that if it wasn't, Molly could have been one of their kids. Molly's father, Fluto, Iowa, from his home in California to aid with the search any way he could. Frantically handing out posters and fliers, the family implored anyone with information to come forward, seeking any tip that would lead them to Molly. People here in the state that saw something or know something that get back to the authorities with that information that ultimately will bring Molly back. She's a real person, not a missing girl. On a poster. Reward money for information leading to Molly's safe return climbs toe almost $400,000. A steady stream of tips came in from the public, but several weeks after her disappearance, there were still no breaks in the case. There's people that don't even know Molly from the sound. They're doing all that they can. It's almost like a daughter to anybody else in this town. Also pretty extraordinary. The compassion that Iowans have offering support and their prayers and all the encouragement in the world. Just hang in there. Pi. Everybody's looking a matter of time. Then, after more than a month had passed, and shortly after Molly's father announced he'd be returning home to California, a rush of information came forward. This is breaking news on K C. C. I ate news. The first degree murder charge was filed today in connection with the disappearance of Molly Tibbits. Molly's body was found hidden in a corn field about 10 miles southeast of Brooklyn. She had died from multiple sharp force injuries. Investigators said the discovery wasn't an accident. They had been led there by Molly's alleged killer, 24 year old Christian Baheen. A. Rivera was charged with Molly's murder. Investigators say they homed in on Rivera after someone provided them with a home surveillance video. The footage shows Molly jogging as well as a black Chevy Malibu investigators identified as Rivera's thinking he may have been one of the last people to see her alive. Police went to speak with him during the interview. He tells us that he sees Molly running and was able to approach her, and while he was interfacing with her, he actually tells us that he ran alongside of her or behind her. And then at one point, Molly said, You need to leave me alone. I'm gonna call the police And then she took off running. He in turn, chased her down. And then he tells us that at some point time he blacks out and then he comes to near an intersection, which we believe he then placed moment. Can't really speak about the motive. I can just tell you that he seemed to be drawn to her on that particular day, and for whatever reason, he chose to abduct her. Background details on Rivera quickly emerged after his arrest. Investigators learned he'd been living and working in the area for 4 to 7 years. What we learned in the last 24 hours is that our employees was not really, said he waas. This guy stayed around for 35 days. After he did that, nobody noticed anything. There were death threats, people threatening to burn down a building. Somebody threatened to kill my dog. This is really scary situation. Rivera had given the farm where he worked a false name and information to hide that he'd illegally immigrated to the U. S. From Mexico. When the public learned this, Molly's death became a political talking point in the immigration debate. Politics has always been, ah, hardball game to play, so to speak. But over the past 25 or 30 years has become increasingly a nasty form of hardball. Molly's family disagreed with the way her death was being politicized. Her father went so far is to publish a column in The Des Moines Register, saying, On behalf of my family and Molly's memory, I'm imploring you to stop. For most of the summer, the search for Molly brought this nation together like no other pursuit. There was a common national will that did transcend opinion, race, gender and geography. Let's not lose sight of that miracle. Let's not lose sight of Molly. She was a beautiful young woman who had a great life ahead of her, but she was also someone always smiled, and I think she was very energetic and that energy was contagious. Molly was a very happy person. She was always very supportive of everybody. She always wanted to make sure they were happy and smiling. It's good days and bad days. I'll have a week of bad and then a week of good and I just try and find the silver lining in it. I know that this is how she would want me to react. And when I am sad, I think about her seeing me and I don't want that. I want people to remember that Molly lived life to its fullest, and she wants us all to go on living our best potential life. Molly's alleged killer has pleaded not guilty. The trial, which was originally scheduled for February 4th 2020 has been delayed toe. Learn more about the case and the impact this ordeal has had on Molly's family and the community. We spoke with local KCC I reporter Laura Terrel. I can honestly say I've been pretty amazed by Molly's mom. She always tries to honor Molly's memory for good, and I think that's the way she copes. I even asked her. I said, How can you be so okay under the circumstances. And she said, I just know this is what Molly would want and she just really wants to honor her daughter's memory. Her strength through all of this has really been incredible. And she was actually in the headlines in December 2018 after an article was published in The Washington Post. Can you talk a little bit about that? Molly's mom or a color would it took in, Ah, young man into her home. He's actually the sign of Mexican immigrants, and so his parents were getting a lot of death threats after the charges and everything came out. So they fled. And she wanted their son to still be able to go to school to still be able to play basketball and still be able to live his life. And so she took him in, and she found out after the fact that there was actually a connection there with the suspect, and so she didn't really know that until after she took him in. But she still treated him with respect and, you know, knew that he had nothing to do with it. And I think it garnered a lot of attention because, you know, immigration is a hot topic. She was very clear. She didn't want to make this a political issue. What happened to her daughter and her whole point was to allow this young man to continue to go to school and to not feel unsafe in the town where he grew up because somebody else did something that he had nothing to do with it. Given the circumstances, when Molly went missing that she was out for a run When all this happened, what kind of conversations were had in the wake of her disappearance? We did a lot of safety stories. We talked about it a lot because you know, there's a lot of women that run alone or that bike or that do outdoor activities. And people were scared, especially when we didn't know where she was or what had happened. Yet. I know, even for me, I felt nervous to go for a walk by myself. You know, we talked a lot of experts. I think in the end, you know, people realize that you still have to live your lives. You can't live your life in fear, but you just need to be aware of your surroundings and What more do we know about Molly's disappearance? It sounds like investigators had very few leads until they got that surveillance video leading them to Rivera. There's a lot of talk about her Fitbit and her cell phone and, you know, tracking it. And those things were turned off, and we just didn't know a whole lot until the day that the suspect was arrested in the court documents. And in that press conference they said that the suspect led them to Mom's body. Otherwise, they may never have found her. I know Molly's mom the greenest, really, for her was knowing where Molly Woz and knowing that she was found, she feared that they would never know. And the unknown would be the worst heart. Is there anything else about Molly's story that you want to share? Any parting message is, you know there's something now called Molly's movement. Molly was so passionate about helping people, she was passionate about mental health. She wanted to be a child psychologist, So there's a fund in her name where you could donate money to the bay via West and Family Children's Hospital Adolescent Psychiatric Unit. So huh family, specifically her mom has taken this unthinkable tragedy and tried to create something positive out of it. Molly's movement is just about spreading her positive message forward, and her mom doesn't want people to just remember the horrible, unthinkable, gruesome way that she died. She wants people to remember the way that she lived. This'll has been your weekly dispatch subscribed to stitch for more stories like this.
In the summer of 2018, college student Mollie Tibbetts went for a run, as she was known to do. She never returned. As the search for Mollie stretched on, it gained national attention — until her alleged killer led investigators to her body. Her tragic murder became a flashpoint for a national issue. For the whole story and updates on the case, watch the video above. So much of today's news emanates from New York, Washington or Los Angeles, but what we know is that amazing, authentic and genuine stories are being told around the country every day. Each week "Dispatches from the Middle," which originally aired on Facebook Watch, takes a deep dive into one powerful local news story and gets a behind-the-broadcast look at how it came together.For stories like this and more, follow "Dispatches from the Middle" on Facebook Watch and subscribe to Stitch on YouTube.
In the summer of 2018, college student Mollie Tibbetts went for a run, as she was known to do. She never returned.
As the search for Mollie stretched on, it gained national attention — until her alleged killer led investigators to her body. Her tragic murder became a flashpoint for a national issue. For the whole story and updates on the case, watch the video above.
WATCH: The Brutal 2016 Murder of 10-year-old Victoria Martens Leaves More Questions Than Answers
So much of today's news emanates from New York, Washington or Los Angeles, but what we know is that amazing, authentic and genuine stories are being told around the country every day. Each week "Dispatches from the Middle," which originally aired on Facebook Watch, takes a deep dive into one powerful local news story and gets a behind-the-broadcast look at how it came together.
For stories like this and more, follow "Dispatches from the Middle" on Facebook Watch and subscribe to Stitch on YouTube.


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Costantino Ceoldo
An American senator (legally) in Syria
Opinion » Columnists
Virginia Senator Richard Black is from the beginning of the Syrian crisis one of the few American politicians to speak in defense of Syria and her people against the aggression that this Middle Eastern nation is suffering from nearly six years.
A few days ago he gave us a video interview: what is mentioned here is a summary and at the bottom there is the link to the video on YouTube.
Senator Black reached Syria through Lebanon during a recent journey and met with political and military people of both countries during a series of informal but no less important meetings. It's the opinion of the senator that it is time for the American people to know that United States started this war, about which in the West only the official version is knew. It was not a spontaneous uprising as the mainstream media try to make us believe, but a coward secret operation launched by the US government to subvert another, the Syrian, who was not enemy of the US.
Inconvenient truths for the American people
It's risky to affirm this and other inconvenient truths, as evidenced by the strange but fatal accidents happened in Turkey to a few courageous journalists or the jailing of others more lucky, but it is something that must be done.
About Palmyra, that Black has visited accompanied by Syrian military, the senator has been clear: the so-called Western "coalition" has done nothing to prevent the capture of that ancient city or did something to free or defend her after. So, one of the greatest treasures of human civilization risked being wiped away by the destructive madness of Islamist militias. Harsh words were said by the senator about Turkey, defined as a kleptocracy [present in the video at min. 5:30] being Turkey and the government of dictator Erdogan [present in the video at min. 5:50] involved not only in the war but also in the continuous theft of the Syrian oil, the Syria's archaeological treasures and in the traffic of human organs.
Touching words for Aleksandr Prokhorenko
Touching words has been reserved for the Russian soldier Alexander Prokhorenko who sacrificed himself during a military action and for Khaleed al-Asaad, the old archaeologist of Palmyra who was beheaded by Islamists after a month in captivity. It has been a great honor for Richard Black to shake hands with the son of this man.
Between the personalities seen by senator Black during his journey, there are the Lebanese general Aoun, future president of Lebanon, but especially President Assad and his wife Asma, a charming and lovable woman, sometimes even shy. The impression that Black was made of both is that they are closer to the West than you think, in total contrast to other presidential couples in that area. It's easy to demonize someone before you know him or her, difficult after you has been in contact.
Russian intervention changed the cards on the table
The Russian intervention has changed the cards on the table, Black recognizes, and made it in better, for example by destroying all the tankers with which the militants carried in Turkey the oil stolen to the Syrians. There is no longer the Soviet Union with her communism and then the Western attitude towards Russia must change: the NATO, which originally was an admirable alliance, has now become a very profound threat for peace [present in the video at min. 19:00]. The so-called "coalition", Black continues, coordinates itself with Saudi Arabia which is one of the largest sponsors of international terrorism on Earth and with Turkey whose president said he wanted the power of Adolf Hitler [present in the video at min. 19:35].
Senator Black does not understand all of this: ironically, Russia became the defender of human civilization and of the Western values. Moreover, "Assad must not go" says the senator because otherwise Syria will succumb to chaos, as Libya. Turkey is also the main obstacle to any peace process to this crisis and one the main supporter of terrorist groups. There are no "moderate rebels", Black continues: they are all vicious and violent jihadists.
With the upcoming US presidential elections there is the possibility of a new beginning for the United States and therefore the possibility of correcting past choices. But certainly not with Hillary Clinton as President: for Senator Black, Mrs. Clinton is one of the most bloodthirsty leaders that America has ever had [present in the video at min. 32:30]. Richard Black reminds Hillary Clinton's behavior at Tripoli airport, shortly after the death of Gaddafi: "We came, we saw, he died" and then she bursts out laughing like a witch [present in the video at min. 33:00].
Gaddafi has been a problem for America, many years ago, but in recent times was a good friend of the US government. Overthrow him was more than a mistake and the same would be with Syrian President Assad.
The mandatory political choice for Richard Black seems to be Donald Trump in whose agenda there is room for a normalization of the relations between the West, Russia and the Middle East.
The last question could only be about Turkey and her president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan that according to Black is one of the most dangerous men on Earth, the man who wants to resurrect the Ottoman Empire, which has always been enemy of Europe and her culture.
We want to end with a personal consideration: the interview lasts about forty minutes. Not a few... And yet we think it deserves to be seen in full. we believe that it is not only a collection of sounds and images but a document, Historical although recent, about who could remain silent in the face of injustice and did not do it, about who could look the other way and instead preferred to look at and take his responsibilities.
Link to YouTube:
Pravda.Ru Freelance
Author`s name Costantino Ceoldo
Topics syria


The Sponsored Songs Of Praise evening is now less than a month away. Here are the current top 20 hymns. Voting costs 1€ per vote, and you can vote as often as you like. Anyone and everyone is welcome to vote; and all are welcome to come to this, whether or not they are a regular or frequent church attender.


You don't have to crisscross mountains, rivers and continents to have a great trip and not all trips have to be epic to be therapeutic. Sometimes a short trip is just as great to clear your mind.
My good friend Mike recently invited me to visit him in North Carolina. He lived in New Jersey until a bad accident in North Carolina a couple of years ago and after a long recuperation at a friend's house he never returned to New Jersey. We used to ride together quite often in New Jersey. With winter fast approaching I made a decision to go see him before sub freezing temperatures are the norm. The trip down, 635 miles, was easily done in a day. I left the house at 7:30 in the morning on a Friday, went west to Harrisburg, PA to pick up Interstate 81 south and then in Virginia took I77 towards Charlotte. I arrived in downtown Charlotte at 7pm where Mike and CarieAnn were already waiting for me at an Irish Pub. After a quick fish and chips meal and a Bud Light we retreated to CarieAnn's place.
For Saturday, Mike had planned a ride to one of the most scenic roads in his area. Mike, CarieAnn and I went out for breakfast but after finding the first place packed we decided to go for a quick breakfast at a Chick-fil-A. It was my first ever breakfast at a Chick-fil-A. After breakfast we met two other friends at a gas station and then the five of us headed northwest to catch route 421 in Mountain City, about 120 miles away. I had never heard of route 421 or "The Snake" as it is better known. The website describes "The Snake" as 33miles, 489 curves, 3 mountains and 1 valley.
I didn't take any pictures until we reached Shady Valley, about a third of the way in. The road twists and turns through the countryside and little towns and it is a spectacular road for motorcycle riders. We stopped at the Country Store in Shady Valley for a warm cup of coffee and lunch.
Mike on his Goldwing spaceship. The Goldwing has heated grips, heated seat and two little openings on the side that channel hot air from the exhaust to the toe area for those cold winter rides. No wonder he's always smiling.
A beautiful Ducati 996 I saw at the Country Store, perfect machine for The Snake.
We left Shady Valley and continued west towards Bristol. I didn't take any more pictures, we rode many beautiful miles and then the return trip was done at night which took us a few hours. After returning home we did a quick change of wardrobe and then went out to dinner by car to Lancaster's, a local restaurant. This was the appetizer we ordered for the three of us, fries with pulled pork and smothered in cheese, a direct attack on our arteries. I had a pulled pork sandwich which was delicious.
You know you are in Nascar country when the centerpiece of the restaurant is a large V8 engine and the ceiling is decorated with hoods from the race cars.
CarieAnn's beautiful dog, a cross between a boxer and a Mastiff. This guy is huge and powerful but a very sweet dog. I love his name, a very royal "Arthur".
Mike's not too friendly German Shepherd, didn't trust me and kept barking at me, unusual since animals always love me.
The look Arthur would give me when I pointed the camera at him, the "Royalty" look.
The next day I started heading home at 7:30 by following country roads instead of the highway. I went northwest on route 16 until North Wilkesboro, a beautiful country road passing old towns and then picked up route 18 until I reached the Blue Ridge Parkway.
I stopped in North Wilkesboro when I saw the beautiful Wilkes Heritage Museum.
My next stop was at the point where route 18 and the Blue Ridge Parkway meet, it was time for a good breakfast and I found it at the Lake View Restaurant. In the background you can see a bridge, that's the Blue Ridge crossing above route 18.
In the rural areas you can see how bad the economy really is, lots of boarded homes and closed businesses.
The Blue Ridge is famous for its Fall colors but this late in the year, most of the leaves are long gone. Everything is a brown color but the views are still spectacular and the road is beautifully kept. The speed limit on the entire road is only 45mph, a little too slow for me, luckily the road was mostly devoid of any traffic and I only saw one cop car and a few adventure riders. I wasn't doing the speed limit.
The road follows along the top of the mountains offering beautiful views at every corner.
This is how I take a lot of my pictures but on this day whenever I removed my glove my hand would freeze, the temperature was only in the mid 40's.
It was getting colder as the day progressed, you can see the sun already low behind the trees.
The late afternoon sun does present some challenges, you get dark areas and at every turn you have to be very careful and keep on the lookout for deer.
This is my favorite picture from the day's ride, the sun reflecting off the mirror.
These pictures really show the beauty of the road at this time of the year. The leaves are gone and the tourist stay at home. I was able to park the bike in the middle of the road, take the camera and snap a few pictures, never saw anyone, this is my kind of adventure.
I love this picture taken late in the afternoon, my visor makes me look a little like RoboCop.
Once I reached the end of the Blue Ridge, I jumped on 64 and headed west until I81, then rode north for another 120 miles to Martinsburg, WV where I found a motel for the night. There were too many trucks on the road and it was already dark, no point in continuing.
The next day I left the motel at 7:30 and the temperature was 37 degrees. From Martinsburg to my house it is still 250 miles, I arrived home a little after 12. It was a perfect short trip, the kind of therapy I needed to recharge myself.
Sure does look like some nice riding George. As usual great photos to go with it.
I like riding best when the roads are free of other tourists. I also like late fall, after the eaves are gone and before the snow comes. The pulled pork on fries with cheese looks so bad, but also so good!
It's been in the mid 20's sometimes reaching mid 30's. We picked up another dusting of snow last night. That's the 3rd snowfall this season. This one might just stay. They predict more snow this weekend.
Nice trip George. Love the look of your luggage. I must get a big screen like yours, the original screen is useless! What brand is the screen? Martin.
Thanks Martin. I have the stock screen but I put in an adjustable bracket and the screen was set pretty high because it was cold. In the summer I put it down. The Luggage is Trax from SW-Motech.
Beautiful photos and gorgeous roads! I'm looking forward to traveling it this summer. You certainly captured the essence of the location.
Thanks Tina. You guys are riding east again next year?


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Home / Daily Dose / The Week Ahead: A Historic Election in the Making
The Week Ahead: A Historic Election in the Making
in Daily Dose, Featured, News November 6, 2016	965 Views
Months of heated debates between Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump and Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton will come to a head on Tuesday, November 8, when the nation will choose one or the other to be the next president.
Neither candidate has said much about housing policy; during the first debate between the two in late September, Clinton resurrected a charge she made against Trump earlier this year: "Donald was one of the people who rooted for the housing crisis. He said, back in 2006, 'Gee, I hope it does collapse, because then I can go in and buy some and make some money.' Well, it did collapse."
Trump responded to the accusation by saying, "That's called business, by the way."
While Clinton has not spoken explicitly about housing policy, her choice of Gene Sperling as one of her top economic advisors may indicate which way she wants to go. Sperling was the co-author of a white paper for the Urban Institute earlier this year that proposed replacing Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac with a private corporation.
Trump told an audience at the National Association of Home Builders' Midyear Meeting in Miami earlier this year that overregulation has hurt the economy, and if elected he plans to issue a moratorium on agency regulation. He has stated at times during his campaign that he would like to eliminate Dodd-Frank in particular.
Furthermore, Trump has stated that he plans to discontinue funding of at least some government housing programs and work to ease the current regulatory framework if elected. He has specifically alluded to the possibility of eliminating The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Clinton shared via her website that she plans to "reduce barriers to lending in underserved communities," and "support housing counseling programs." She has also noted that if elected she will "provide the resources necessary to overcome blight, giving communities a chance to rebuild and renew with new businesses, new homeowners, and new hope."
Quicken Loans—Home Price Perception Index and Home Value Index for October 2016, Tuesday, November 8
Quicken Loans will release its Home Price Perception Index (HPPI) and Home Value Index (HVI) for October on Tuesday, November 8. In September, values were 1.26 percent less than what homeowners estimated, down from the 1.56 percent gap in August.
Quicken's home value index for September found that home values dropped 0.28 percent from August to September, but increased by a robust 7.78 percent since September 2015. The drop in values comes after four straight months of increases.
"This small decrease in home values is not a signal of a turning tide, it just shows the volatility that can come with changing seasons," said Quicken Loans chief economist Bob Walters. "As the summer came to a close, the intense competition for available homes began to abate and home values dipped as a result. It's important to focus on the annual picture. The strong yearly growth negates monthly changes and shows we are moving in the right direction."
U.S. Presidential Election
Quicken Loans—Home Price Perception Index and Home Value Index for October 2016
CoreLogic CoreLogic Foreclosure Report	2016-11-06
Kendall Baer
Tagged with: CoreLogic CoreLogic Foreclosure Report
Previous: Housing Policies Up for Vote Come Election Day
Next: What Factors Are Stabilizing Housing Affordability?
About Author: Kendall Baer
Kendall Baer is a Baylor University graduate with a degree in news editorial journalism and a minor in marketing. She is fluent in both English and Italian, and studied abroad in Florence, Italy. Apart from her work as a journalist, she has also managed professional associations such as Association of Corporate Counsel, Commercial Real Estate Women, American Immigration Lawyers Association, and Project Management Institute for Association Management Consultants in Houston, Texas. Born and raised in Texas, Baer now works as the online editor for DS News.
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