Military trial inches on for alleged al-Qaida commander
by Taylor Hall | Jul 24, 2015 | GITMO, National Security
Flags fly at half-staff at Joint Task Force Guantanamo's Camp Justice, July 22, 2015 (Taylor Hall/Medill)
NAVAL BASE GUANTANAMO BAY, Cuba — It has been more than 3,000 days since alleged al-Qaida commander Abd al Hadi al-Iraqi was transferred to the U.S. military’s detention facility here.
And new complications this week have further tangled the web of his already Gordian war-court proceedings and will extend his stay at least two more months.
In 2013, congressional Democrats estimated the cost of housing one detainee for one year at the prison camp to be $2.7 million, based on Defense Department figures.
Hadi, a native of Mosul, Iraq, faces life in prison, accused of masterminding a series of attacks on American, Canadian, German, British, Estonian and Norwegian forces, including a 2003 attack on a U.S. military convoy at Shkin, Afghanistan, that killed two U.S. soldiers and injured numerous others.
After another one of his attacks on Oct. 25, 2003, killed two more U.S. soldiers, Hadi’s fighters shot at injured coalition soldiers, according to the charges against him.
He is also accused of attacking civilians and a medical helicopter attempting to recover casualties from the battlefield; directing fighters to kill all coalition soldiers and take no prisoners; providing a reward to the Taliban for assassinating a civilian United Nations worker; acting on orders from Osama bin Laden; attempting to assassinate then-Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf; and destroying historic Buddha statues in Afghanistan’s Bamiyan Valley, a UNESCO World Heritage site.
A pretrial hearing for Hadi that was originally scheduled to begin July 20 and last about a week and a half has been slipped to Sept. 14.
This week’s hearings in Guantanamo got off to a rough start when, two hours prior to a scheduled chambers meeting Sunday, lead government prosecutor Army Lt. Col. David Long turned over 10 pages of evidence from jailhouse conversations in 2007 between Hadi and a Sept. 11 defendant also imprisoned at Guantanamo, Mustafa al Hawsawi.
Hadi’s lead defense lawyer, Marine Lt. Col. Thomas Jasper, said these conversations included information that was adverse to his client.
The prosecution apparently intended to include information from the conversation between Hadi and Hawsawi to prove Hadi was an “unprivileged enemy belligerent,” a label used by the government to determine jurisdiction of war crimes cases, limiting them to the military courts in Guantanamo.
When Hadi’s defense lawyers asked for more time to review the evidence they received Sunday — less than one day before the military hearings were scheduled to begin — the judge, Navy Capt. J.K. Waits, delayed the hearings for two days to give the defense a chance to determine the scope of potential conflict-of-interest issues.
“It is not the prosecution’s job to do conflicts analysis for counsel,” chief prosecutor Army Brig. Gen. Mark Martins said Friday when asked about the reason for the delayed submission of evidence. “We take our discovery obligation very seriously. We are producing it as we find it and prepare it.”
In court Wednesday morning, Waits scolded the prosecution for the delay in submitting evidence — waiting less than one day before the military hearings were scheduled to begin.
“Promptly means promptly,” Waits said. “I didn’t think that was subject to interpretation.”
Jasper, Hadi’s top Pentagon-paid defense lawyer, said two days was not enough time to weed through all the complex conflict-of-interest issues resulting from the new evidence stemming from the chats between Hawsawi and Hadi.
One such issue: It turns out the two alleged war criminals have a defense lawyer in common, at least on paper — Marine Lt. Col. Sean Gleason.
Gleason became Hadi’s first defense attorney after he arrived at Guantánamo in 2007 in an ongoing churn of attorneys through the on-again, off-again war court’s bar.
According to Jasper, Hadi had not properly released Gleason when the Pentagon’s chief defense counsel assigned him to help defend Hawsawi in the 9/11 case. Now the evidence concerning one could be used against the other, which Jasper said posed ethical issues that could complicate future proceedings for the entire defense team.
Hadi spoke to the military judge directly about his concerns. “Attorney Gleason has lots of information concerning me. I don’t know if he’s gong to use this information in the future for me or against me,” he said in Arabic through a translator Wednesday.
The process for releasing defense counsel from representation for a military commission client includes formal dismissal by both military judge and detainee client.
Though Gleason has not represented Hadi in court since being detailed to Hawsawi’s case, the commission now seeks to determine whether he was properly and formally released.
Waits agreed there was a potential conflict for Gleason in representing both Hawsawi and Hadi and said that issue must be resolved, but ruled an hour into the hearing that proceedings could continue because Hadi’s current lawyers were conflict-free.
But Hadi protested, raising new objections.
“Right now I have a very disturbed relationship with my attorneys,’’ he said of his Pentagon-funded defense team, Jasper and Air Force Maj. Ben Stirk.
“I don’t want them to represent me at this time,” Hadi added, citing frustrations over the number of attorneys assigned to work with him on his case over the years.
Hadi said he wants the option of using an independent counsel not assigned by the military — a request he has made before — but agreed to first meet with Gleason.
Both U.S. military defense and prosecution attorneys have come and gone from Hadi’s case. Army Reserve Col. Chris Callen represented Hadi at his June 2014 arraignment, and was replaced by Jasper in September. Stirk, a deputy defense counsel, has been the only defense lawyer to appear at all five of Hadi’s hearings.
Wednesday’s hearing also marked the debut of Felice Viti of the U.S. Attorney’s office in Utah, a new federal attorney who prosecuted the Elizabeth Smart kidnap and rape case. But Viti never uttered a word amid the flurry of conflict issues raised by the defense.
At the end of the hearing Wednesday, Waits put the proceedings on indefinite hold until a meeting between Hadi and Gleason could be arranged.
Though prosecutor Navy Lt. Col. Vaughn Spencer told the military judge Gleason is an active-duty Marine and could be contacted “as quickly as you direct us,” Guantanamo court officials began to book return flights for Saturday as soon as they realized Gleason, not present in Guantanamo this week, could not be located.
Gleason’s email auto-response says he is out of the office until Aug. 7.
On Friday, Martins, the chief prosecutor, said he did not know where Gleason is.
“I won’t in any way try to say that what we’re doing is setting land-speed records,” Martins said of the effort to locate Gleason and facilitate a meeting with Hadi. “We’re making incremental progress. The judge is going to sort out the facts of representation. And counsel have an obligation to make sure they’re representing the client’s interests.”
When asked about the costs of rescheduling the Hadi hearings, which included more than a dozen witnesses for the scheduled 10-day military commission’s version of a show-cause hearing in Guantanamo, Martins said: “These are really important cases. It’s easy to do comparative cost figures and fail to see how important it is to get national security right and fairness right.”
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Mohammad Amir announces retirement from Test cricket
July 26, 2019 admin 0 Comments Mohammad Amir announces retirement from Test cricket, mohammad amir bowling, mohammad amir pics, mohammad amir wickets, mohammad amir wife
Mohammad Amir announces retirement from Test cricket.
Pakistani in form cricketer Mohammad Amir announces retirement from Test cricket.
Lahore, 26 July 2019:
Mohammad Amir today announced his retirement from Test cricket with immediate effect, but reaffirmed his commitment to playing white ball cricket for Pakistan.
In a statement, Amir said: “It has been an honour to represent Pakistan in the pinnacle and traditional format of the game. I, however, have decided to move away from the longer version so I can concentrate on white ball cricket.
“Playing for Pakistan remains my ultimate desire and objective, and I will try my best to be in the best physical shape to contribute in the team’s upcoming challenges, including next year’s ICC T20 World Cup.
“It has not been an easy decision to make and I have been thinking about this for some time. But with the ICC World Test Championship commencing shortly, and Pakistan boasting some very exciting young fast bowlers, it is appropriate that I call on my time in Test cricket so that the selectors can plan accordingly.
“I want to thank all my team-mates as well the opponents in red ball cricket. It has been a privilege to play with and against them. I am sure our paths will continue to cross in limited-overs cricket as all of us play and compete with the same vigour and determination.
“I also want to thank the PCB for providing me the opportunity to don the golden star on my chest. And, I am grateful to my coaches who have groomed me at various stages of my career.”
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PCB Managing Director Wasim Khan said: “Amir has been one of the most exciting and talented left-arm fast bowlers in Test cricket in recent times. He overcame adversity as a young cricketer and came back stronger not only as a cricketer but also as a better human being. His skill, on the field, and his personality will be missed in the dressing room in the longer format.
“However, we respect his decision and look forward to him continuing to play an integral role in white ball cricket for Pakistan.”
Amir made his Test debut against Sri Lanka in Galle in July 2009, he featured in 36 Tests, taking 119 wickets at an average of 30.47. His best bowling returns – six for 44 – were against the West Indies in Kingston in April 2017.
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Mario Götze: The Premier League Is Very Attractive
Borussia Dortmund Bundesliga News
Borussia Dortmund’s Mario Götze has labelled the Premier League ‘very attractive’ ahead of the German sides Champions League clash with Tottenham.
The German was heavily linked with a move to Liverpool in the past, though he has remained in the Bundesliga with Dortmund after returning to the club following a brief stint with rivals Bayern Munich.
Dortmund currently sit five points clear of Bayern Munich at the top of Bundesliga and travel to Wembley to face Mauricio Pochettino’s Tottenham on Wednesday, who also potentially see themselves in a title race. Speaking to Goal, Götze revealed his adoration for English football’s top-flight due to the unpredictability of it, saying: “I can only judge from a Bundesliga perspective as I’ve only played in Germany so far. So, in that sense, it’s difficult to make comparisons.”
“As an outsider, I have to say that the Premier League is a very attractive league. In England, there are five, six, seven big clubs and you can never be sure who will win the title in the end. It’s very exciting.”
The 26-year-old also shared his admiration for his next opponent, revealing Tottenham have a ‘great project’: “Tottenham are very strong and have a great project. Pochettino has been around for a long time, they have players of tremendous quality who have been there for a long time too. It’s great to build on projects.”
“We played against Spurs in the Champions League group stage last year and we lost both games. We know how important the match is for us and how good our opponents are. It will certainly be an interesting clash.”


Product placement: advertising participates to film financing
Written by Sébastien Lachaussée
& Vincent Krohn
Product placement means the integration of a product or brand into the script of a film, a television series or any audiovisual work, in order to make it recognizable on the screen or quoted by a protagonist. The primary objective is that the product is remembered, consciously or not, by the viewers.
Product placement is divided mainly into three categories. First of all, there is the classic placement, which consists in using the brand’s name or product directly into the actor’s lines of the script. Second of all, the product can be subject to an "evocative" placement, which involves the use of the product or brand in a recognizable way, but without mentioning or presenting it. Finally, the placement can also be “stealth”. Less aggressive to the viewer, it aims neither to quote the product nor to make it clearly visible so that its identification is not automatic (ex. Costumes in "The Fifth Element" for Jean-Paul Gaultier).
Because of the need to adapt the commercial market, the French regulator (CSA), through a resolution taken on February 16th 2010, authorized the use of product placement, not only in movies, where it was already allowed, but also on television. However, this practice, which had a progressive historical development (I), is rigorously controlled (II), and has for now not had the expected success with advertisers (III).
I) A progressive developpment
This practice of product placement is not new, since it originated in the late nineteenth century. Indeed, before movies and TV became the main support of this commercial phenomenon, the actors in cabarets acted as advertising spokesmen. But literary and art piece were also a way to promote products. The result is for instance the presence of a bottle of beer, which brand is recognizable in Edouard Monet’s work Un bar aux Folies Bergère (1881-1882). Meanwhile, cinema becomes the subject of product placement with the emergence of silent movies. Consequently, cars of the brand Ford are found in the credits of Mack Sennett’s comedies or even in the title of the cinematographic work "She wanted a Ford” in 1916. In France, Georges Méliès had shown a well-known brand of champagne on the screen of his film entitled "Barbe Bleue” (“Bluebeard", 1901).
The 1940s, representing the "golden age" of American cinema, will promote the product placement, because the studios understand quickly that working closely with brands could give them access to free accessories and services or even allow them to increase the film's budget. It follows the presence of products placed in films such as "The Best Years of Our Lives" (1946) or "Skylark" (1941), where the protagonist wears jewellery of a great brand.
Yet experts believe that the real anchorage of this phenomenon lies in 1982. That year, the theatres showed Steven Spielberg’s "ET", where the placement of Reese's Pieces candies increased their sales by 65%. Since then, product placement truly became a common practice in the United States that lasts to this day and is constantly growing.
However, there is in terms of product placement a remarkable cleavage between the United States and France. Indeed, while for the year 2007, the investments of product placement in French cinema were up to € 20 million, the film "Minority Report" directed by Steven Spielberg in 2002, had, by itself, a budget including $ 25 million resulting entirely from product placement. In 2006, had been invested $ 3.458 billion dollars in American cinema and two years later already more than double.
Contrary to France, this practice is also widely used on American television and finds there similar success.
II) The regulation of product placement in France
The success of product placement experienced by the United States can be explained by the complete absence of statutory or legal regulations governing the matter, whether for film or television. In France, the product placement was able to be developed in the cinematographic sector for the same reason, since a legislative framework did not exist. Yet, this technique was used in a much more moderate way. Following a Directive of the European Union (EU) from 1989, the implementing law of 1992 forbade at the the time strictly product placement with the exception of placements in cinematographic works, without defining regulation for the latters. The CSA settled for this tolerance for films, without any regulation, which caused doubts and hesitations among French professionals.
On December 11th, 2007, a new European Directive called "Audiovisual Media Services without frontiers" (SMA), taken by the European Parliament and the Council, changes the game. Indeed, while reaffirming the prohibition of product placement in television, this Directive establishes exhaustively listed exceptions to this principle. Thus, the members of the EU may now allow product placement in cinematographic works, films and series created for audiovisual media services, sport programs and entertainment. Consequently, after consultations with relevant parties (advertisers, producers, directors, TV channels), a new implementing law was passed concerning the audiovisual communication and the new public television service, on March 5th, 2009. This law puts the CSA in charge of developing the conditions enforceable for product placement in cinematographic works, television films and series and music clips, which are allowed, except when these programs are intended for children. The law is more restrictive than the Directive, since it does not yet allow the product placements in sport programs and entertainment. Although the Directive and the law mention cinematographic works, the purpose is only to give this practice a legal basis. It is the same for the deliberation of the CSA on February 16th, 2010, which merely mentions the cinematographic works, and only regulates product placement on television.
The CSA said in its ruling that can’t be placed on television: beverages with more than 1.2 percent of alcohol, tobacco, tobacco products, medicine whether or not subject to medical prescription, firearms and ammunition, except on some television services, and infant formula.
Also, the CSA imposes formal requirements, for instance that product placement should not influence the program in order to affect the responsibility and editorial independence of the editor or directly encourage the purchase or the rent of the products, and that programs should not put undue prominence to the product, service or brand concerned. In addition to these conditions, the Council dictates terms on how to inform the viewer of the presence of placed products, especially through the presence of a pictograms on the screen. This symbol must appear for one minute at the beginning of the program, for one minute after each commercial break and at the end of the program for the duration of the end credits. For music-videos, the icon must be present on the screen for the entire running time of the clip. Furthermore, for a period of two months from the date of the first broadcast by the editor of a program with placed products, the icon must appear for five seconds at the beginning of the broadcasted program in a banner along with the following sentence clearly legible "this program contains product placement". After the broadcast of this banner, the icon appears in the terms mentioned above. After two months the banner isn’t required anymore.
One of the most influential protagonists in this phenomenon is the product placement agency whose job is to identify potential placements after analyzing some scripts and to look for the best suited brands for the works or interested institutions. For the outcome of a product placement, either the advertiser or the producer contacts the agency to bring the parties together in order to negotiate. After a first meeting, the advertiser, producer, director and editor of a television service, (if the placement is done in a program which is co-produced or pre-bought by the editor), start negotiations paired with the consultation of all persons who may be involved: the director of photography, production designer, set decorator, property master, costume designer, wardrobe supervisor, transport coordinator and/or location manager.
The contract which implements the product placement incorporates all the agreements and reciprocal obligations, and can link different people depending on whether it’s a cinematographic work or an audiovisual fiction. If the product placement is done in a television program, the main parties of the contract are the advertiser, the producer and the editor of a television service, if the conditions mentioned above are met. However, if this technique is used in a cinematographic work, an agreement between the producer and the advertiser is sufficient. Nevertheless, the director, being author of the work, has a decisional weight in this matter, too, which has to be managed by the producer, whether in the copyright transfer agreement or in the product placement agreement itself. That’s not the case in the United States where the director must submit to the producer’s and the advertiser’s will, without having this “veto”. Furthermore to this product placement contract, has to be signed an agreement between the advertiser and the actors, if the advertiser wishes to use the actors to stage the product.
This product placement agency, or the advertiser directly, then proceeds to a monitoring of the placement of the product during the making of the film and to a control of the promotional campaigns. This step is very important since some scripts evolve and sometimes change during shooting. So they make sure that the product is still actually placed. This monitoring goes beyond the film set and may continue in post-production, especially for movies like "Matrix Reloaded" (2003) or "Avatar" (2009) which have a lot of special effects.
III) A practice which has a hard time taking of in France
Product placement has been in force for two years in French television and it appears that the overall balance of this practice is mixed. There is first of all a reluctance coming from critics and viewers to the fact that it is no longer possible to bypass advertising and that the viewers are therefore subject, even unconsciously, to the influence of advertising. Product placement on TV takes the same disappointing pace than product placement in cinema. And although in the latter case, the practice has been around much longer, the budget shares in big budget films in France do not exceed 5% (versus 30% in the U.S.). Thus, Dior, Tissot etc. funded 3%, representing € 588,000 of the budget of "Les Chevaliers du Ciel" (2005), whereas the brand Apple alone, financed about 16%, that is to say 23.5 million dollars of the film "Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol" (2011). The latter has for that matter invested in 2011 nearly 50 million dollars in product placement in American cinema.
According to a study conducted between February 15th and March 15th with 83 advertisers by the Union of Advertisers (UDA) and published in April 2012, it is emphasized that this technique has a great difficulty being integrated in the advertiser’s practices. Thus, only 49% of the respondents had the opportunity to practice at least one product placement since 2010, of which 23% placed in television and 11% dedicated to it a portion of their budget. However, this share doesn’t exceed 1% for 60% of the advertiser’s net communication budget and not 5% for 97% of them. Yet a majority of the advertisers who used product placement seem to be satisfied with this operation, especially regarding the criteria of visibility (73%), image (73%) and reputation (64%). They also consider that this practice has the major advantage of having the ability to position their product (80%) and to provide the products of the image of the program or the actor (64%). They also consider that this practice has the major advantage of having the ability to put their product in action (80%) and to have it benefiting from the program’s or the actor’s image (64%). In addition, these product placements enrich the work by allowing to bring credibility to the story. The film is often a reflection of reality and this world, which is by definition fictional, has through product placement a higher chance to be realistic. Since producers and TV channels require from the screenwriters some realism in their writings, the latters have more flexibility thanks to product placement and are thus no longer compelled to not mention any brand. But this new flexibility open to them may also have the opposite effect to the extent that there is a risk of interference from the advertisers who want to ensure that writers properly place the product.
The advertisers also use this technique with temperance, because they do not want to overwhelm the viewers with their placements and cause the opposite effect. Beyond that, the advertisers fear to exceed the boundary somewhat unclear posed by the CSA. Despite the interest for this practice, there are some downsides that are primarily the difficulties to measure the actual efficiency of the placement for advertisers, and the lack of control they have on the actual appearance of their product on the screen, and on the release date. For a significant minority of the French advertisers (40%), product placement is a matter of opportunity, while in the United State the films that do not have any placed products, are rather rare. In the latter case, the absence of placed products is generally due to the historical context of the film (ex. "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides", 2011, "Cowboys and invaders", 2011).
To make more use of this technique, the advertisers would like the CSA to expand the sector in which product placement is allowed to TV shows and entertainment programs (65%). This request is not irrelevant, given that neighboring countries such as Germany, where product placement is allowed in TV movies, series, sports programming and entertainment since April 10th, 2010, do permit it. And, according to Prof. Dr. Helmut Volpers (FH Köln), who did a study on this topic, product placement in Germany did not cause any impairment on the editorial independence. He considers furthermore that this practice is subject to a coherent regulation and that it’s still far from its potential. Moreover, the risk of too many products appearing on the screen must be qualified, because, although there are legislative and regulatory limits, the advertisers themselves shouldn’t want to place in an excessive amount or in obvious ways. They try to place their products in programs that match their image and reach the targeted group of consumers. The presence of too obvious placed products can backfire.
Product placement is a promising advertising mean that will grow in the coming years. It will probably not reach in Europe the level of the United States who have a cinematographic and audiovisual industry, that is decisive worldwide and therefore attracts major advertisers. However, the scope for growth is huge in this area.


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Stop violence against women: Statement by the European Commission and the High Representative
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Statement by High Representative/Vice-President Federica Mogherini on Israeli settlement policy
Ramat Gan 52136
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Mid-South Memories: Feb. 29
Mid-South Memories for Feb. 29
Mid-South Memories: Feb. 29 Mid-South Memories for Feb. 29 Check out this story on commercialappeal.com: https://www.commercialappeal.com/story/news/local/mid-south-memories/2016/02/28/midsouth-memories-feb-29/90450738/
The Commercial Appeal Published 5:00 p.m. CT Feb. 28, 2016
Charles Nicholas/The Commercial Appeal files Taking top honors on Feb. 28, 1952, as the “most beautiful” in the table-setting contest at the Nineteenth Century Club was the “Spring Luncheon” table entered by the Hope Circle of The King’s Daughters. Displaying the winner’s ribbon is Mrs. W.T. Jeter Jr. (right), who has just received the award for setting the table from Mrs. W.T. Wingo, general chairman of the event. The contest was sponsored by the Patience Circle of The King’s Daughters.(Photo: Charles Nicholas)
(Editor's note: Today is Leap Day, and there was no Feb. 29 in 1991, 1966, 1941 or 1891, the usual 25-year increments listed in Mid-South Memories.)
100 years ago: 1916
Two months ago, before police began their drive to eliminate the Memphis 'red light district,' there were 1,500 women in the 125 houses recognized by the police and regularly patrolled by officers. The average age of the scarlet women then was 24, most of whom were from the country and who suffered their downfall before reaching the city. Police estimate that now the number has been reduced 40 per cent.
Read or Share this story: https://www.commercialappeal.com/story/news/local/mid-south-memories/2016/02/28/midsouth-memories-feb-29/90450738/
Vice President Mike Pence coming to Memphis
MPD, SCSO to receive $10 million to hire more officers
The 901: Shelby County's wheel tax hike is back


Laredo Petroleum Announces 2013 Capital Budget of $725 Million
Laredo Petroleum Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: LPI) (the "Company"), today announced that its Board of Directors has approved a $725 million capital budget for 2013, excluding acquisitions.
Laredo Petroleum Holdings, Inc. ("Laredo" or "the Company") (NYSE: LPI) today announced that Randy A. Foutch, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, will present at two upcoming conferences.
Laredo Petroleum Holdings, Inc. Announces Third-Quarter 2012 Financial and Operating Results
Laredo Petroleum Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: LPI) ("Laredo" or "the Company") today announced third-quarter 2012 financial and operating results.
Laredo Petroleum to Present at Upcoming Energy Conference
Laredo Petroleum Holdings, Inc. ("Laredo" or "the Company") (NYSE: LPI) today announced that Jerry R. Schuyler, President and Chief Operating Officer, will present at Bank of America Merrill Lynch's upcoming 2012 Global Energy Conference in Miami, Florida on Wednesday, November 14, 2012 at 8:45 a.m. Eastern Time.
Laredo Petroleum Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: LPI) ("Laredo" or "the Company") announces third-quarter 2012 preliminary commodity derivatives and will host a conference call on Friday, Novmeber 9, 2012 at 9:00 a.m. CT (10:00 a.m. ET) to discuss its third-quarter 2012 financial and operating results.
Laredo Petroleum Holdings, Inc. Announces Closing of Secondary Public Offering and Exercise of Underwriters' Option to Purchase Additional Shares
Laredo Petroleum Holdings, Inc., a Delaware corporation (NYSE: LPI) ("Laredo" or "the Company"), announced today the closing of the underwritten secondary public offering of 14,375,000 shares of its common stock by affliates of Warburg Pincus LLC, the selling stockholders, at a price of $20.25 per share, including all 1,875,000 shares of common stock that were subject to the underwriters' option to purchase additional shares.
Laredo Petroleum Holdings, Inc. Announces Pricing of Secondary Public Offering
Laredo Petroleum Holdings, Inc., a Delaware corporation (NYSE: LPI) ("Laredo" or "the Company"), announced today the pricing of the underwritten secondary public offering of 12,500,000 shares of its common stock by affliates of Warburg Pincus LLC, the selling stockholders, at a price of $20.25 per share.
Laredo Petroleum Holdings, Inc. Announces Launch of Secondary Public Offering
Laredo Petroleum Holdings, Inc., a Delaware corporation (NYSE: LPI) ("Laredo" or "the Company"), announced today the commencement of an underwritten secondary public offering of 12,500,000 shares of its common stock by affliates of Warburg Pincus LLC, the selling stockholders.
Laredo Petroleum Holdings, Inc. Announces Second-Quarter 2012 Financial and Operating Results
Laredo Petroleum Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: LPI) ("Laredo" or "the Company") today announced second-quarter 2012 financial and operating results.
Laredo Petroleum Schedules Second-Quarter 2012 Earnings Conference Call For August 9
Laredo Petroleum Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: LPI) ("Laredo" or "the Company") will host a conference call on Thursday, August 9, 2012 at 9:00 a.m. CT (10:00 a.m. ET) to discuss its second-quarter 2012 financial and operating results. The Company plans to release earnings the same day before market open.


Steel Journeys
By Lynda Meyers
This book will launch on Feb 15, 2020. Currently, only those with the link can see it. 🔒
Book 1: The Road To Patagonia
To some people, home might be wherever you lay your helmet, but for Abby Steel, home was wherever she laid her ass. Today it's a Harley. Tomorrow it might be a BMW or a Triumph or a Honda. Home was whatever bike fit the terrain. Home was wide open spaces tucked under an expansive sky.
Home was the road.
It took a lot of miles to work through the hurts of her past, but she's finally built a business she can be proud of. Women from all walks of life come to join in her adventures, for all sorts of reasons. Equal parts badass and life coach, Abby genuinely cares about the women on her tours, and they respect her for it.
The Road to Patagonia finds Abby back home in California on a break between trips, when an unexpected visitor threatens to bring all the blocks tumbling down.
Join Abby Steel on a series of breathtaking international adventures with Steel Journeys - an all-female motorcycle touring company where she calls all the shots. From huts to hotels, it's never the same adventure twice.
Abby Steel hadn’t seen the inside of her own apartment in over three years. There hadn’t been any need to come home really, so she just…didn’t. Life on the road kept her busy and building her own business had taken way more time and energy than she’d anticipated.
She looked at the compulsively clean apartment and was thankful, once again, that her sister came and dusted the surfaces once a month. It wasn’t as if she’d left it dirty, but time and dust had a way of accumulating in equal and inevitable measure. Lauren had also been nice enough to retrieve her mail from the post office when it no longer fit in her box, getting rid of all the junk mail and opening anything that seemed important. There wasn’t much. Abby had very few bills outside the business, most of which were handled remotely.
At this point, she was thankful for familiar surroundings and the chance to recharge. Three years was a long time to be away. It was time to reconnect with her roots and what was left of her family. Riding back from Alaska, many miles had been spent dreaming about long showers and luxurious baths with unlimited hot water. The grime that had built up under her fingernails would need to be soaked and scrubbed, her hair untangled and brushed—things life on the road rarely allowed for.
It would be good to see Lauren and her nieces in the flesh, instead of over video chat. She was excited to share stories of her adventures and show off her pictures, but seeing them would have to wait until she had energy for endless questions from curious little girls. She sat down in one of the comfortable side chairs in the living room with a glass of water and a stack of mail, but barely got through half of it before falling asleep.
When she woke up, the sun had dipped below the horizon, shrouding the apartment in a kind of eerie glow that reminded her of sunsets on the Spanish plains just outside Sevilla. She closed her eyes and let the scene linger in her mind, colors bursting across the open sky with the sweltering summer heat billowing up inside her leather jacket. Riding there had been nothing short of magical. A lot of places felt that way.
It was the magic that kept her on the road. Each new place had its own set of challenges, its own set of charms. The challenges faded, but the charms remained, decorating her memories and dangling from her heart.
For Abby, the constant drifting from place to place created an unusual sort of routine that was comforting in its uncertainty. Lauren thought it was crazy, never knowing where she was going to sleep or what dangers might lurk around the corner, but one person’s danger is another person’s thrill. She and Lauren, they were wired differently, that’s all.
California’s Napa Valley had been home for thirty-three years, but she left the small-town of Calistoga with an insatiable need not just to see, but to fully experience all the world had to offer. By that time, she’d already seen most of the US, and a good portion of Canada, but those had all been shorter trips—three weeks at most.
Culture shock becomes something of a nonissue when you’re constantly changing cultures. Eventually, the life she’d left in California was no longer the ruler by which she measured all of her other experiences. Instead, her old life became just one of many other foreign concepts, all blended together in a beautiful mélange. Living abroad had changed so many of her perspectives that her old worldview seemed distorted by comparison.
Leaving the confines of the continental United States and choosing to travel the world turned out to be a polarizing decision. Three years later, she felt like a completely different version of herself.
Being back in her apartment, surrounded by all the furniture and artwork she’d left behind was its own sort of culture shock. They were her belongings, of course, but all the things she thought she would miss had eventually faded into the background. They’d been replaced by people, places, smells, and tastes of a life too vibrant and varied to be contained within four walls.
The life she had built before was there on the walls and in the furniture, blended into the color scheme. They defined a person she wasn’t sure existed anymore. A part of her recognized it, was even comforted by the deep familiarity, but an even bigger part wondered if it was possible to go back in time. Time seemed to have gone on without her.
Maybe coming home wasn’t a matter of choosing now or then, but rather, allowing the new to inform the old, and the old to make space for the new. If her life was a tree, like the sadhu in India had told her, then she could never hope to become a different tree. The new experiences would instead have to be grafted onto the trunk, eventually growing together into a unique expression of life.
Steel Journeys was a company she had founded all on her own, most of the seed money coming from her inheritance. Lauren had used her half to build a house in the suburbs and was raising two beautiful daughters. Abby chose to pay off debt, buy a condo, and set off on the adventure of a lifetime. She’d spent the past three years researching the best roads, the best views, and the best options for lodging in dozens of countries, taking copious notes and pictures, giving out business cards, and forming business relationships.
Cataloging it all had been a labor of love, born of passion and drive. Each new place had its own rugged truths waiting to be discovered. She filled several paper journals with notes and sketches, cross-referenced with digital galleries.
She couldn’t recall precisely when the idea for the business hit her—it was somewhere between Bangkok and Ho Chi Minh City. Like a reformed smoker she suddenly, desperately wanted other women like her to experience the freedom she had seen, felt, heard, smelled, and tasted. That was the dream—to form a women’s motorcycle touring company and take it global.
“What, the entirety of the United States isn’t enough for you?” Lauren had asked.
The answer was simple. It wasn’t enough. It would never be enough. Wanderlust was embedded deep in her DNA—so deep, in fact, that she wasn’t sure where it ended and she began.
Lauren was happy being a soccer mom and living in the suburbs. She was a card-carrying member of the PTA. The only cards Abby carried were a Visa and her gun permit. She didn’t carry her gun internationally, of course, but traveling solo had taught her a thing or two about self-protection. Tucked into remote corners of the globe, far from big cities and police patrols, the rules were different. Street smarts were learned, and she had learned plenty.
It was a long time to be away, but for Abby, home was a concept, not a place. To some people, home might be wherever you laid your helmet, but for Abby, home was wherever she laid her ass. Home was her saddle, which for the last three years had been a Harley, and before that a BMW, a Triumph, and a custom café racer she’d rebuilt with her dad. Home was the wind in her face and wide-open spaces tucked under an expansive sky.
This homecoming—this apartment—was one more stop along the way. It was the obligatory reset point on a map filled with pushpins. Except, of course, this room was tastefully decorated, with a comfortable bed, down blankets, and the best sheets money could buy. That bed was calling to her, and the rest would have to wait.
She woke the next morning with dirt on the sheets and little balls of dirt surrounding her jeans, which were hastily removed and crumpled up in the corner like a one-night stand. Perhaps a shower might have been the better choice before bed, but it was still a hundred times cleaner than most of the places she’d lived recently. Dirt was a part of life, and the only thing it damaged was a person’s sense of expectation. She put it out of her mind and padded toward the bathroom.
The requisite extra-long shower, complete with a double scrubbing of her hair, ears, fingernails, and feet took longer than strictly necessary. Lauren was expecting her, but after three years, what was another thirty minutes? When she felt reasonably satisfied with her results, she filled the bathtub with lavender-scented Epsom salts and soaked, with the sun streaming through the glass block window.
As she soaked, she listened to pan flutes and meditation music that reminded her of some of the temples and monasteries she’d visited in India. She only spent a few weeks there, barely scratching the surface of just one region, and there was still so much to see and explore. Indian people were very kind to her, and she admired their deep spirituality. It was definitely on her must-return list.
She emerged from the bath and pulled a long, clean, white T-shirt and some yoga pants out of the closet. “Well hey there, guys! I haven’t seen you in forever!” She paused for a moment, staring at the sheer volume of clothing neatly arrayed before her and shook her head. After surviving for so long on two perpetually wrinkled shirts and one tank top, it all seemed so extra.
Still, it felt amazing not to be wearing jeans or leathers, and not sweating into a helmet for a couple of hours was a delicious thought. Most of the time she wore her thick brown hair up or braided to keep it out of her face. She decided to blow it out a little and let the ends curl up naturally with some leave-in conditioner. She’d barely noticed how long it had become. Upon closer inspection, it was desperately in need of a trim, but split ends would have to wait.
Life’s sense of urgency was something that had mellowed over the miles. Time was slower in other parts of the world. Life was about the experience. Relationships. Good conversations. Being present in the now was something she was still working on, but an area where she’d seen a hell of a lot of improvement.
It was satisfying to think that some measure of growth and change and wisdom had come over time. Everything had fallen into place, and she was finally doing exactly what she wanted with her life. When she opened the back door to let in some fresh air, even the birds sounded happy. The way the morning was going, nothing could harsh her mellow.
Except maybe her ex-boyfriend showing up at her door.
Written by Lynda Meyers
Lynda Meyers
I believe deeply in the power of story, connection, and authentic relationship. My blog is a mix of life lessons, travel stories and motorcycle adventures built on a foundation of yoga and organic food, poetry and painting with a belief that life should be an intentional endeavor. view profile
Genre: Women's Fiction
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Churchgoers Get to Hear Pink Floyd in All Their Fame
by Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd Reunite to Support Arresting Female Activists in Gaza
Pink Floyd to Reissue “Animals” on vinyl Reissue Campaign
Pink Floyd to Reissue "Animals" on vinyl Reissue Campaign
by Pink Floyd 3 years ago 3 years ago
It’s going to be a very expensive autumn for people wanting to listen to Pink Floyd on vinyl. The group have announced that Animals will be released on vinyl on Nov. 18. It’s the first time in more than 20 years that the record will be available in that format, according to a press release.
Animals will be the latest installment in Pink Floyd’s vinyl reissue campaign, with The Dark Side of the Moon arriving on Nov. 4 and Wish You Were Here coming next Friday (Oct. 14). Last month, they put out Atom Heart Mother, Meddle and Obscured by Clouds. They began the project in June with The Piper at the Gates of Dawn, A Saucerful of Secrets, Ummagumma and More, and followed it up with The Wall and The Division Bell in August. As with the others, Animals has been remastered from the original analog tapes and will be issued on Pink Floyd Records, which is distributed by Sony in the U.S. and Warner Bros. in the U.K. and Europe.
But wait, there’s more. On Nov. 11, a week before Animals‘ arrival, they are putting out The Early Years 1965-1972, a massive 27-disc collection that includes many previously unreleased studio recordings and concerts. So far, the group have given us two preview tracks from the set, a live performance of “Grantchester Meadows” from a 1969 BBC session and a remix of “Childhood’s End.”
Released in 1977, Animals is a concept record based loosely on George Orwell’s Animal Farm. It reached No. 3 on the Billboard albums chart and has been sold more than 4 million copies in the U.S.
Source:ultimateclassicrock.com
Pink Floyd 1969, pink floyd Grantchester Meadows, Pink Floyd new video childhood's end, Pink Floyd vinyl reissue campaign
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In France, April 1 is referred to and celebrated as poisson d’avril (literally “April fish”). As I understand it, people can play any kind of prank, but the classic joke is to attach a paper fish to a victim’s back without being noticed. (Apparently this is also found in other nations, such as Italy, where the term is pesce d’aprile.) The successful jokester of any prank might declare “poisson d’avril!” as one might declare “April Fools!” in the states. I have seen suggestions on English language sites that the victim is declared a poisson d’avril, but I believe that is incorrect. The joke, not the victim, is the poisson d’avril.
There seems to be some consensus that the poisson d’avril tradition in France started following calendar reform in 1564 that moved the start of the year from the end of March to January 1. According to this site, the reforms disrupted “a traditional week-long celebration of spring and rebirth that had lasted until…April 1.” This English-language travel website explains, “in a time without trains, a reliable post system or the internet, news often traveled slow and [folks] in rural France were the last to hear of and accept the new calendar. Those who failed to keep up with the change or who stubbornly clung to the old calendar system and continued to celebrate the New Year during the week that fell between March 25th and April 1st, had jokes played on them. Pranksters would surreptitiously stick paper fish to their backs.” This article has a similar explanation, although it suggests the calendar reform and April fooling were not limited to France.
This French site has a somewhat different (and seemingly more authoritative) take. It also focuses on the 1564 calendar reform, but — if I’m understanding the French correctly — explains that, because people were used to end of year gift exchanging at the end of March, folks continued to exchange small gifts at that time, perhaps to cast doubt on or make fun of the calendar switch. Over time, the gifts became pranks.
The site also posits an explanation for the fish. It explains that the April gifts were often food. Because April 1 often falls during Lent, during which the consumption of meat is forbidden, fish was a common gift. Thus, a common prank was an offer of a fake fish. The online Encyclopaedia Britannica has a different explanation: “the fooled person is called poisson d’avril (‘April fish’), perhaps in reference to a young fish and hence to one that is easily caught.” A final theory is that the fish is in reference to Pisces (Poissons), the last Zodiac sign of winter, ending in late March (although April 1 is under Aries).
Here is the French Wikipedia page on the topic. There are many other webpages that address the topic, although those that I viewed simply repeat pieces of the information above.
Ultimately, my main interest is in sharing some of the amusing vintage poisson d’avril postcards I’ve collected, mostly from the period 1900-1910. The cards feature images of fish held by young men and women, reflecting that sweethearts often exchanged the cards. Interestingly, most of these cards have nothing to do with pranks and just use the fish as a general symbol of the date, and in many cards as an actual gift. Somewhat surprisingly, I’ve never seen a vintage postcard referring to the custom of sticking paper fish on a victim’s back.


Celgene CEO lays out firm's game plan
Updated Apr 02, 2019; Posted Mar 14, 2008
By Judy DeHaven
Celgene already was riding an impressive growth streak before it spent $2.9 billion to acquire Colorado biotech Pharmion, a deal that closed last week.
Now comes the hard part for Sol Barer, chief executive of the Summit drugmaker. He's long sought to create the world's leading hematology company, but also wants to preserve the tight-knit culture that helped propel Celgene to the top ranks of U.S. biotechs.
In a small step toward that goal, Celgene recently issued company lapel pins to employees, with extra gems embedded in the logo for the longest-serving workers.
The company will spend the next 90 days working on the integration of Pharmion, which returns the European rights to the multiple myeloma treatment Thalomid to Celgene. Pharmion's most promising drug in the short term is Vidaza, a treatment for myelodysplastic syndromes, or MDS, which helps round out Celgene's blood cancer portfolio, led by the soon-to-be blockbuster drug Revlimid.
Jim Reddoch, an analyst for Friedman Billings Ramsey, calls the combined company a powerhouse and predicts annual sales will jump to $6 billion by 2013, from $1.4 billion last year.
In a recent interview in his office -- crammed with photos of family, friends and coworkers -- Barer talked about the changes to come at Celgene:
Q: Celgene already was expanding its presence abroad. What does adding Pharmion do for you internationally?
A: We have a sales force all over Europe right now. We have a very good infrastructure that's very leveragable. We're selling Revlimid, and doing very well right now.
With the Pharmion integration, we're adding thalidomide, which is approved in first-line multiple myeloma (in Europe). Revlimid is approved in relapsed or previously treated multiple myeloma. We also have a marketing approval for Vidaza, the first therapy that will show a survivability advantage in patients.
Rather than partner, what we do is retain the value for our shareholders by building our own infrastructure -- clinical, regulatory -- around the world. We'll use distributorships in certain countries or certain regions.
Q: What happens to Pharmion's operations? Will you keep any presence in Colorado?
A: We're going through the integration planning process. We're looking at as many positions and many levels and all the products. We're very impressed with with a lot of people there, at all levels.
As you combine two commercial, public entities, you don't need two CFOs, you don't need two CEOs -- thank god. There's clearly going to be overall consolidation. What we're going to try to do is retain as many of the people that are motivated and excited to stay with Celgene.
Q: A year ago, you said you might be looking for bigger quarters around Summit because the company was growing and you disliked satellite offices. What are your plans now?
A: We'll have multiple sites. (Pharmion) has a major clinical site in Kansas City, which we'll keep. We'll probably be adding a building or buildings here on-site.
We've gotta live with the fact that there'll be multiple locations with the major company we're becoming. I'm pleased to say the sun never sets on Celgene, to borrow a phrase.
It's difficult. We're used to addressing the company all at once, and now that can't happen. If it's 7 o'clock in the morning here, it's 9 at night in Japan but 4 in the morning in California. So when we try to have meetings, we try to move them around.
Q: You've put down $50 million to develop a bone-loss treatment with Acceleron Pharma, even though the program is the earliest stage of clinical trials. How can you be certain it's worth so much upfront money?
A: We use our scientific judgment. We judge the quality of the people in terms of executing that. We have a fairly rigorous evaluation, and partly, (we ask) is it a strategic fit.
But at the end of the day, you don't know. We don't have to do these deals if we don't want to, but I think it's prudent for us to always look at new science.
Q: Even before Pharmion, Celgene seemed to be stepping up its licensing and partnership deals. Will that continue?
A: A lot of these are driven by specific opportunities that often are difficult to predict. There will be a period of time subsequent to the Pharmion acquisition where a lot of integration will go on. While that will not affect the smaller deals, it probably will affect the larger collaborations, which would be a lower priority while we're integrating the new company.
Q: How has your job changed in the past year?
A: One of the big challenges is really, as we grow, to maintain the entrepreneurial spirit, the almost family atmosphere that's characterized Celgene through the years. I think that's been important to our success. I view that as one of my greater challenges.
Jeff May can be reached at jmay@starledger.com or (973) 392-4282.


A Michigan man was surprised when he got cancer. He blames Roundup — a weed killer he used for decades
Posted: 9:59 AM, Jun 04, 2019
By: Kim Russell
In September 2017, Phil Corsi went to the doctor complaining about pain after eating. He got a diagnosis he never expected.
DETROIT — In September 2017, Phil Corsi went to the doctor complaining about pain after eating. He got a diagnosis he never expected.
“I had a large lymphoma that had become cancerous,” Phil said.
His days became filled with doctor’s appointments and chemotherapy treatments. Phil had no family history of cancer and had lived a healthy active life. He and his wife, Kim Corsi, say the diagnosis didn’t make sense.
Then he heard there was an alleged link between Roundup weed killer’s chemical glyphosate and non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. Juries, after looking at evidence, had delivered multi-billion dollar verdicts to several cancer victims.
“There are no warning labels on it and the chemical that has been linked to B-cell lymphoma is still in that product,” Kim said.
Phil says for decades he used Roundup multiple times a week to kill weeds in his yard — and even in his neighbors’ yards.
“There should be some kind of warning on this for folks so people aren’t going through the same thing,” Phil said.
“We wouldn’t use it. If we would have known that, he wouldn’t have bought it,” Kim added.
It raises the question: should you be worried?
For years, farms have used plants genetically modified to survive Roundup. It allowed farmers to soak their entire fields with the weed killer to get rid of weeds. Now Roundup has been detected in the food we eat. Plus, it is still being sold to control weeds in your yard.
“You can’t make sense out of science when there are proprietary interests,” said Faye Hansen, an associate professor of biology at Oakland University.
Hansen says she has seen numerous conflicting studies on Roundup. University of Washington researchers found exposure to glyphosate, the chemical in Roundup, raised the risk of non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma by 41 percent. Other researchers found it was not dangerous.
Emails revealed in one of the lawsuits show the maker of Roundup, Monsanto, which was bought last year by Bayer, may have ghost-written some studies . Hansen says it is worrisome.
“If I were a landscaper or someone who did lawn care, I would be concerned,” Hansen said.
She teaches students how to farm organically at Oakland University. She says on an organic farm they control weeds by planting competing plants, using barriers such as mulch. Or they get rid of weeds the old-fashioned way — by pulling them.
“Why is organic food so expensive? This is the reason. It is much harder to control weeds,” Hansen said.
“These jurors heard the facts. And they heard about the World Health Organization identifying this as a carcinogen, as a cancer-causing product, glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup,” said attorney Mark Bernstein,of the Sam Bernstein Law Firm.
Bernstein represents Phil Corsi and hundreds of others who believe they developed cancer after using Roundup. He believes their claims are legitimate and the company needs to be held accountable.
“Corporations, in this case the manufacturer of Roundup, put profit ahead of people,” Bernstein said. "I know you need to make a profit, but you can’t make it at the expense of people who trust the product."
The Corsis say they are lucky because Phil's cancer went into remission a few months ago. But they live with the fear the cancer will come back.
“When he goes for the scans I pray it is going to be good news,” Kim said.
They say they are taking action to protect others.
“I wouldn’t have wished what I went through on my worst enemy because it was terrible,” Phil added.
WXYZ reached out to Bayer for comment. Dan Childs, director of U.S. external communications for Bayer, responded with the following statement:
"We have great sympathy for Mr. Corsi, but the extensive body of science on glyphosate-based herbicides over four decades supports the conclusion that Roundup does not cause NHL. The research on glyphosate and glyphosate-based herbicides, including more than 800 rigorous studies submitted to EPA, European and other regulators in connection with the registration process, confirms that these products are safe when used as directed. Notably, the largest and most recent epidemiologic study – the 2018 independent National Cancer Institute-supported long-term study that followed over 50,000 pesticide applicators for more than 20 years and was published after the IARC monograph – found no association between glyphosate-based herbicides and cancer. Additionally, EPA’s April 30, 2019, interim registration review decision reaffirmed that ‘glyphosate is not a carcinogen’ and noted that the EPA’s independent cancer assessment is ‘more robust’ and ‘more transparent’ than IARC’s review. Bayer stands behind these products and will vigorously defend them.”


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Jukebox Is Vital To The Soundtrack of the American West
By Orin Friesen
A soundtrack for the history of the American West would have to include the songs the cowboys composed along the trail like “Whoopee Ti Yi Yo (Git Along Little Dogies)” and “The Old Chisholm Trail.” It would also include the songs the cowboy learned as they were growing up. Many of those songs were ones they learned in church. Later songs, which are now classics, such as “Tumbling Tumbleweeds”and “Cool Water,” became popular because they were used in western movies. These songs gained further popularity by being exposed on the radio, by both live performances and recordings. One often-overlooked outlet for cowboy songs is the jukebox. As a child, I remember going into small town café and hearing Gene Autry or the Sons of the Pioneers coming from the “bubbling” Wurlitzer jukebox in the corner.
Louis Glass invented the jukebox in 1889, only 12 years after Thomas Edison had made the first phonograph. Of course, that first jukebox didn’t look much like the ones we have today, or even the classic ones from the 1940s. The music machine wasn’t even called a jukebox until years later. The name “jukebox” was derived from the name of the dance halls of the early 20th century. They were known as juke joints. The word “juke,” itself was a term used by African Americans to describe dancing.
The popularity of the jukebox began to take off in the 1920s, after the 78rpm record and electrical amplification were invented. The ‘30s and ‘40s were great years for the jukebox, and helped increase the popularity of country and western music, especially the honky tonk sound of people like Floyd Tillman, Ted Daffan, Ernest Tubb and, of course, the western swing sounds of Bob Wills & the Texas Playboys. Jukeboxes were especially popular in clubs and roadhouses because, not only were they cheaper than bands, they were usually more reliable. Plus, they gave you the music of the most popular artists of the time.
During the time the jukebox was becoming popular, country music was also undergoing major changes. The barn dances in the hills, with their fiddles and banjos, were giving
way to songs about drinking and cheating that were performed in bars. In order to be heard, the musicians started using amplification, string basses, electric guitars, pianos and drums. The added bottom of the bass and drums, plus new styles of rhythm playing, made the music more conducive to dancing, especially for couple dancing, as opposed to group dancing as in the old square dances. The jukebox, with its big, bass sound fit right in with this trend. And it’s never stopped.
The jukebox has come a long way in the last 130 years. It went from playing one song on a wax cylinder in 1889, to a dozen 78s in the 1920s, to a hundred or more45s in the 1950s, to 100 CD albums a hundred years after the jukebox was invented. When most of us think about the jukebox, we think of those Wurlitzers, Seeburgs, and Rockolas from the 1940s. But jukeboxes these days have become a part of the digital age. The music is no longer played from a vinyl disc, or even a CD. These days they use computer technology and can store hundreds of songs and take up very little space. Hopefully, the good ones still find room for cowboy songs.
/// Murphey Western Institute ///
A Center for the Education, Preservation and Perpetuation
of the Arts, Culture, History and Legacy of the American West
Spalding Labs Presents


A major tourist attraction - an underground Jerusalem tour along the tunnels connecting the western wall prayer area to the north-west corner of the temple mount.
Home > Sites > Jerusalem > Temple Mount > Western Wall Tunnels
The tour of the western wall tunnels is one of the most popular tourist sites in Jerusalem. These underground tunnels connect the western wall prayer area to the north-west side of the temple mount, passing along the side of the temple mount and under the present day houses in the Old City. Along its path are remains from the second temple period, as well as structures from later periods.
The experience of walking along the tunnels is like taking a time machine back to the time of the second temple. Don't miss it!
During the second temple period - from the Hasmonean period (2nd C BC) up to the Roman destruction of Jerusalem (70AD) - the area west of the temple mount connected the temple to the the western side of Jerusalem. There were four gates located on this side - two gates at a lower level and two gates on top of bridges. A paved street passed at the foot of the temple mount, and additional structures and installations were located at that street level.
Following the Roman destruction, the debris accumulated along the western side. After two millenniums, new buildings were built on top of these old layers. However, under these structures, some cavities remained buried deep underground.
Since the 19th C, explorers examined these cavities and tunnels in the search for the second temple remains. Explorers, such as Warren and Wilson, did manage to unearth sections of the tunnels, but they were limited in their research by the Ottoman rulers. Only after the six-day-war (1967), when the area returned to Israeli control, the underground area was thoroughly researched and reconstructed, and some sections are still in the process of archaeological excavations.
The tourist site was fully opened in 1996, with 500m long tunnel along the buried north-western wall. The opening of the northern exit sparked deadly Arab riots in the old city for several days.
The route of the tunnel tour starts from the entrance on the north side of the western wall prayer area, and ends in Via Dolorosa (near station #1). Since there is a limit in the number of visitors that can join a tour, an appointment should be made well in advance.
The plan of the western wall tunnel tour is illustrated below. The highlights of the tour are marked as (a) to (o), ordered according to the direction of the walk along the western wall (from south to north). You can click on any of the links to scroll to the section with more info and photos.
a Secret passage i Dressed bedrock begins
b Second temple period staircase j Hasmonean cistern
c Large hall k Ancient guardrail
d Section of the wall l Second temple period street
e Warren's gate m Quarry
f Opposite the foundation stone n Hasmonean water tunnel
g Medieval cistern o Ancient pool
h Western wall tunnel
The photos are ordered from south to north, as illustrated in the plan.
(a) Secret passage
During the Roman period, one of the western entrances to the temple mount was over a bridge which is now called the Wilson arch, which is located on the north side of the Western Wall prayer area. It is described by Josephus on several occasions: the description of the attack by Pompey in 63BC (Wars 1 7 2): "Aristobulus's party was worsted, and retired into the temple, and cut off the communication between the temple and the city, by breaking down the bridge that joined them together". The bridge was destroyed during Titus's attack in 70AD (Wars 6, 6 2): "...a bridge that connected the upper city to the temple". It was later repaired by the Romans in the 2nd or 3rd C after they established a Roman temple on the temple mount.
The bridge (aka "the Great Causeway") was repaired in the 7th C by the Arab rulers, who connected the west side of the city to the temple mount for easier access to their new Al-Aqsa and Dome of the Rock mosques. The present day Chain street (Silsila) actually passes on its upper side.
The cavity below the street was termed "the secret passage" in the middle ages. It stretches along 70m - from the Hagai (Al-Wad) street on the west to the temple mount on the east. This "secret passage" serves today as the entrance to the underground tour.
(b) Second Temple period stairs
The area around the "secret passage" is still undergoing excavations. The archaeologists revealed second temple period stairs and other ancient findings.
Perhaps it was part of a staircase that led the pilgrims from the street level, up through the stairs, cross over the street above the "Wilson's arch", and into the western entrance of the temple mount. This is similar to the staircase entry ("Robinson's arch") on the south side of the western wall.
(c) Large Hall and Model
North to the Wilson arch and bridge is a large underground cavity called the "large hall". Its high ceiling allows a great view of the hidden western wall.
A model of the second temple is located on the west side of the hall, in front of a set of benches. The tour guide describes the story of the temple mount with the assistance of the model, which uses the electrical controlled mechanism to demonstrate the phases of its construction by Herod.
(d) Western Wall - section
On the eastern side of the great hall are remains of the lower side of the Herodian Western wall. The base stones are incredibly huge - the largest one - seen below - is 14m wide and 4m high, and weighs 600Tons!
There is no cement holding the stones together; only their weight and the perfect match between the stones made them hold firmly together, and withstand the enormous pressure of the temple mount over two millenniums.
The rectangular holes in the stone were added in the middle ages. Their purpose was to hold the plaster which was applied onto the walls, when this section was transformed into a water reservoir.
(e) Warren's gate (facing the Holy of Holies)
This underground gate, now sealed, is located 40m north of the Wilson arch. The entrance here is located at the bottom of the temple mount ancient walls, at a depth which was the street level during the second temple period.
The opening of this gate faces the Holy of Holies structure and the foundation stone, and therefore is considered the holiest gate. It was discovered in 1867 by Charles Warren.
The gate is seen in the center of the photo below, which is part of the model in the large hall.
(f) Opposite the Foundation stone
The foundation stone (Hebrew: Even Ha-Shtiya, from the word "Tashtit"), also known as "The Rock" (Hebrew: Ha-Sela), was the heart of the Holy of Holies. According to Jewish tradition, the rock marks the center point of God's dwelling and the creation of the world. Some traditions and archaeologists locate it in the center of the Dome of the Rock, which is located beyond the wall, although there are other suggested locations around the temple mount.
The Jewish women, seen below, come to pray here in the niche of the "opposite foundation stone", or in other locations along the wall.
(g) Medieval Cistern
Along the western wall is a medieval period cistern.
(h) Western Wall tunnel
During the excavations and preparation of the western wall tunnel tour (1980s and 1990s), a modern tunnel was constructed along the base of the wall (several dozens of meters long) at the Roman street level. It supports the old city structures above it, which were built above the Roman street level during the Medieval periods.
A large number of large stones were found laying around the Roman paved street. They were thrown from the temple above into the street by the Roman soldiers, during the leveling of Jerusalem, after it was captured and burnt. This evidence of destruction was also found in the South-West Wall excavations.
(i) Dressed Bedrock Begins
On the north side of the temple mount, the builders of the temple mount had to cut away the bedrock. The original topography of the Moriah mountain on the north-west corner was higher than the temple mount, and so the engineers had to remove some of the rock in order to expand the temple mount during the Herodian period expansion. The side of the exposed rock was chiseled and dressed to look like the pillars on the south side.
Another section of the dressed bedrock is seen below:
(j) Hasmonean Cistern
The western section of a Hasmonean period cistern was located at this section.
(k) Ancient Guardrail
A large stone was found that served as a guardrail on the edge of the ancient street. It protected the people from falling into the open trench, which was used to collect rain water from the street.
(l) Second Temple period street
A section of a second temple period (Herodian) paved street was found in this section. The Roman street stretched along the western wall, from the north to the south. Only a small section of the street was uncovered.
A pair of columns, part of the colonnaded street, are seen on the edge of the street. As in the Cardo Maximus street, shops were located along the street along the side of the wall.
(m) Quarry
The section near the Herodian street was part of a stone quarry, which prepared stones for the western wall.
(n) Hasmonean Water Tunnel
The tour traverses the path of a Hasmonean period aqueduct. It supplied water from the north side of the city, filling up the cisterns under the Hasmonean citadel, which was located on the north side of the temple mount.
The water channel was cut off during the Herodian period when the temple mount was enlarged to the north.
(o) Ancient Pool
At the northern edge of the tour is an ancient water reservoir called the Struthion Pool. This large reservoir collects the winter rain water from the rooftops in order to supply water during the dry summer season.
Initially it was an open pool, built by the Hasmoneans, and mentioned by Josephus in his accords of the siege of Jerusalem (Wars 5 11 4 ): "For there were now four great banks raised, one of which was at the tower Antonia; this was raised by the fifth legion, over against the middle of that pool which was called Struthius". The meaning of the Latin word is "sparrow". The pool was later covered by the Romans in the 2nd C.
The Struthion pool is located at the basement of the Notre Dame De Sion (Ecce Homo) monastery. The initial plan of the tunnel tour was to exit through the monastery, but this was not accepted by the order. Alternatively, the exit of the tour was diverted to a modern opening through the pool, located near the first station of Via Dolorosa.
Etymology (behind the name):
Kodesh Ha-Kodeshim - Hebrew: Holy of Holies, the most Holiest Jewish site - the sanctuary of God.
Kadosh - Hebrew: Holy
Even Ha-Shtiya - Hebrew: Foundation stone.
Even - Hebrew: stone.
Shtiya - Hebrew: foundation (this is based on the root word sh-at-at, which the word "Tashtit" is derived, meaning: foundation).
Links and References:
* External:
Western Wall (including tunnels)
Ambassador's Visit in the tunnels
Jerusalem, The Western Wall Tunnels excavations 2010-2012; Alexander Onn and Shlomit Weksler-Bdolah; Hadashot Arkheologiyot 128 2016
*Internal:
Western Wall - the wailing wall
* Books:
Meir Ben-Dov: "The dig at the temple mount" (Keter #533340; 1982)
BibleWalks.com - Ride the Biblical time machine
Second temple gates<---previous Jerusalem site--<<< All Sites >>>---next Jerusalem site--> Cardo Maximus
This page was last updated on Mar 17, 2017 (Added excavation report)


Women Lawyers win Award of Excellence
This year’s recipient of the National Sections Council Award of Excellence is the Women Lawyers Forum. The CBA National Section Award of Excellence, presented annually, recognizes the outstanding contribution of a national Section in providing service to members and furthering the objectives of the Association.
The Women Lawyers Forum was awarded this prize for 2017-2018 in recognition of its role as a fundamental section within the CBA community. With a mandate to promote and enhance the status of women in the legal profession, the WLF provides a space for meaningful discussion and connection on a national level. Based on its mandate, the WLF has a unique perspective on all aspects of the justice system: from laws and regulations that are drafted and enacted, to the judiciary, and to the practise of law in Canada. Through its continued activity and the cross-Canada growth of the section, the WLF is an active and vocal part of the CBA and the legal profession in the continual pursuit of equity, inclusivity and gender parity.
Photo (L-R): Sabrina A. Bandali, Vice Chair of the WLF and Audrey Ramsay, Chair of the CBA Sections Subcommittee.


United States Secretary of the Treasury
(Redirected from U.S. Secretary of the Treasury)
Addendum [?]
The Secretary of the Treasury is a Cabinet member charged with developing fiscal policy for the United States of America and overseeing the Department of the Treasury. The position was established in 1789, giving it the distinction of being one of the two oldest Cabinet positions.[1] The first and most influential secretary was Alexander Hamilton (1789-1794), who established the new nation's finances on a sound bases, and to provide political support created the world's first voter-based political party, the Federalist Party, using the Treasury's national network of supporters.
The Secretary shares with the Chairman of the Federal Reserve System the status as the most powerful decision-maker in financial policy.[2]
In most countries this position is generally known as the Minister of Finance; Britain calls it the Chancellor of the Exchequer. The Secretary is fifth in the line of succession to the Presidency. The current Secretary is Timothy F. Geithner.
Treasurer of the United States
↑ DOI history. Department of the Interior. Retrieved on 2007-11-17.
↑ The "Treasurer of the United States" is a separate position, mostly honorific and without power. The Treasurer and Secretary both have their signature on paper currency.
Retrieved from "http://en.citizendium.org/wiki?title=United_States_Secretary_of_the_Treasury&oldid=100675752"
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This page was last modified 21:17, 27 May 2010.


Category Archives: Carlos Santana
Superstar Drummer & Songwriter CINDY BLACKMAN SANTANA to Release New Summer Single “FUN, PARTY, SPLASH” Feat. CARLOS SANTANA & Produced by NARADA MICHAEL WALDEN
Marin County, CA – The past few months have been a blur for CINDY BLACKMAN SANTANA, who is currently touring and performing with her husband Carlos Santana, is featured as a vocalist, drummer, and songwriter on “Power of Peace,” the new Santana/Isley Brothers collaboration, and has been busy touring with her own band and recording tracks in the studio with the legendary producer NARADA MICHAEL WALDEN. Together through Walden’s Tarpan Records label they will release the new single “FUN, PARTY, SPLASH” featuring Carlos Santana on all digital platforms on August 25, 2017.
CINDY BLACKMAN SANTANA is a virtuoso drummer whose artistry spans the realms of jazz and rock. As a bandleader and as a musician, Cindy is a sound innovator with a passion for pushing creative boundaries and exploring movement and change. She is as known for the nuances and colors she brings to her beats and fills as she is for the sheer power of her soulful playing. “Some drummers act, some react. Some keep time, others create it. CINDY BLACKMAN SANTANA is among the few who can,” writes Mike Zwerin of the International Herald Tribune.
Among a handful of the most innovative, original and influential artists of our time, NARADA MICHAEL WALDEN’S stature as an authentic musical renaissance man is a matter of record. Producing hits for Artists as diverse as Aretha Franklin (including the platinum “Freeway of Love”), Steve Winwood, Ray Charles, Sting, Elton John, Whitney Houston, George Michael, Mariah Carey, Barbara Streisand, Lionel Ritchie, Lisa Fischer, Stevie Wonder, Tom Jones, Gladys Knight, and The Temptations, the EMMY and multi-GRAMMY winner (Producer, Album and Song of The Year) has been at the helm of hit music that spans decades.
CINDY BLACKMAN SANTANA has been creating magnificent musical time and space since the beginning of her career as a busking street performer in New York City in the ’80s through the present day, touring the globe and making albums at the top of her game—including the critically acclaimed Another Lifetime (2010). In addition to collaborating onstage and in-studio with her own group—also known as Another Lifetime—she has toured and recorded with artists including Pharoah Sanders, Cassandra Wilson, Bill Laswell, Joss Stone, Joe Henderson, Al B. Sure, Buckethead, Don Pullen, Hugh Masakela, Buster Williams, and Angela Bofill. Cindy was part of the Tony Williams Lifetime Tribute Band called Spectrum Road with Jack Bruce, Vernon Reid, and John Medeski. From 1992 to 2007 and again in 2014 & 2015 she was the drummer in Lenny Kravitz’s band, performing through multiple world tours and hit albums. In 2010, she was part of the all-star line-up performing “Bitches Brew,” a tribute to Miles Davis’ seminal album staged at the San Francisco Jazz Festival and NYC Winter JazzFest.
More recently, Cindy has become the regular touring drummer for Santana. Having met several years earlier at a festival in Europe while she was touring with Kravitz, Cindy first played with Santana in spring 2010, when drummer Dennis Chambers had a previous commitment. “They have a great band vibe. It’s nice to play with people who have grown together, built a sound together, and stayed together,” she says. “When that happens, you can create so many different levels of communication. That’s what they’ve done, and I love reacting with it and being a part of it.”
Electricity onstage generated chemistry offstage—Carlos proposed to Cindy during a July 2010 concert, and they married in December. Looking ahead, they will collaborate artistically as well, on projects that will no doubt reflect their shared passion for improvisation, and belief in the transcendent nature of music. Cindy was an integral part of the new Santana/Isley Brothers release Power of Peace, featuring the song “I Remember,” which she wrote and sings. “To me,” she says, “music is completely spiritual, it’s the way you connect with your higher self, with the universe. It’s also a way to share light with millions of people. They don’t need to speak your language, have your beliefs, or be in the same place you are. The music speaks, it channels good energy, and makes a difference in people’s lives. Carlos and I are both conscious of doing that.”
NARADA MICHAEL WALDEN started his storied career as a drummer with John McLaughlin and the Mahavishnu Orchestra. Narada’s music flows freely from pop, rock and soul, to the rarified realms of jazz, fusion, and world music. With Jeff Beck, Narada wrote and played drums on the seminal album Wired that earned them both their first Gold Album. Walden was an integral part of introducing Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey to millions of fans worldwide, producing and writing their breakthrough hits. Billboard Magazine honored him as one of the Top Ten Producers of all time.
In 2016, Cindy connected with her fellow drummer and world-class producer NARADA MICHAEL WALDEN, and together the two have been working on new material ever since. CINDY BLACKMAN SANTANA continues to build a body of work and artistic legacy that make her one of the finest drummers and recording artists of this or any generation.
To pre-order the “FUN, PARTY, SPLASH” single on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/fun-party-splash-single/id1269743526?app=itunes or http://smarturl.it/funpartysplash
For more information about Cindy Blackman Santana, please visit her social media pages or Website: http://www.cindyblackmansantana.com/
For Interview Requests please contact Michael Jensen & Erin Cook / Jensen Communications: MJ@jensencom.com Erin@jensencom.com Phone 626-585-9575
For Press and Interview inquiries, please contact Billy James at Glass Onyon PR:
(828) 350-8158 or glassonyonpr@gmail.com
For Digital Marketing, please contact Jerome Forney at Independent Distribution Collective: jerome@independentdistro.com
6 Comments	| posted in Carlos Santana, Cindy Blackman Santana, Press Release, Santana


DSU alum to speak on experiences as Benghazi hero
Former Dixie College football player now subject of book, action movie about tragic attack on U.S. compound in Libya
DSU alum to speak on experiences as Benghazi hero Former Dixie College football player now subject of book, action movie about tragic attack on U.S. compound in Libya Check out this story on thespectrum.com: https://www.thespectrum.com/story/news/2015/11/06/dsu-alum-speak-experiences-benghazi-hero/75328632/
Kevin Jenkins, kevin@thespectrum.com Published 5:52 p.m. MT Nov. 6, 2015 | Updated 8:32 p.m. MT Nov. 6, 2015
Kris Paronto(Photo: premierespeakers.com)
Dixie State University will build on its Hollywood profile when it rolls out the red carpet for one of its alumni in January – a member of the elite security team that held off terrorists at the U.S. State Department compound in Benghazi, Libya three years ago.
A group of DSU students will participate in a broadcast of “The TODAY Show” at the Four Corners monument on Monday, but January’s event will feature former Dixie receiver Kris Paronto, who played football in Southern Utah a quarter century ago and now is going to have his story featured on the big screen.
Paronto, who is known by his nickname “Tanto” among colleagues, has gained renown more recently as one of the six American security operator “heroes” who fought to repel the attack on the Special Mission Compound and a nearby CIA station that killed U.S. Ambassador Chris Stevens and three others on Sept. 11, 2012.
Paronto’s experiences are recounted in the book “13 Hours: The Inside Account of What Really Happened in Benghazi” and on Friday members of Dixie’s Board of Trustees viewed a trailer for an upcoming movie based on the book, which will be released nationwide 10 days before Paronto’s visit to St. George.
The Benghazi incident has been the locus of controversies surrounding presidential candidate and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
While the movie is widely expected to shy away from the weightier political trappings of the incident, the two most recent movie trailers released this week promise action-heavy depictions of the security team’s courage during a real-life tragedy.
Director Michael Bay is best known for the movies "Armageddon," "Pearl Harbor" and the "Transformers" series.
Dixie State Vice President of Development Brad Last introduced the film clip and said the development office is working on plans for using Paronto’s story as a boost for DSU — possibly through a meet-and-greet with the public before a VIP dinner reception Jan. 25 — while also help Paronto promote his story.
“We have him for about five hours. … Of course, we want to make a big deal out of the fact that he’s a Dixie alum,” Last said. “He played football here in the (Coach Greg) Croshaw era then went to Mesa (State College) to finish his last two years.”
Last, who is also a legislator representing eastern Washington County’s District 71, noted that Jan. 25 is the same day he will participate in the opening of the legislative session.
Paronto has toured the nation to talk about the book based on his team’s experiences, including at least one stop in Northern Utah.
Last December, Utah County’s Daily Herald reported on his visit, noting at the time that the book’s purpose wasn’t only to tell what happened, but “to encourage others to stand up to falsehoods and secrecy perpetuated by the government.”
The report states Paronto attended American Fork Middle School during the 1980s while his mother taught in Lehi and his father coached linebackers on Brigham Young University’s football team.
His publicist didn’t respond to a request for further information Friday, but Paronto’s website notes that after completing his bachelor’s at Mesa State College, he went on to finish a master’s degree at the University of Nebraska at Omaha and served four years in the Army and four years in the Army National Guard as a special forces ranger.
Paronto then began contracting with Blackwater Security Consulting and continued on missions with them until 2013.
He now lives in Nebraska.
At Friday’s meeting, DSU’s trustees also:
* Approved a revised mission statement and core themes for the school’s strategic planning process.
* Approved plans for five new academic programs, including an associate degree in surgical technology, plans to restructure three others. The plans will next be presented to the state regents for approval.
* Approved plans to discontinue the automotive technology program. Vice President of Academic Affairs Carole Grady said Dixie State has signed a memorandum of understanding that will transfer the program to Dixie Applied Technology College. One professor will retire and the other will move with the program to DXATC, she said.
* Noted that the Washington County School District has begun construction on a new facility to replace East Elementary. Sale of the existing elementary to Dixie State will close soon, although transfer of the property won’t take place until the school district moves out next year.
Follow Kevin Jenkins @SpectrumJenkins. Call him at 435-674-6253.
On the Net
Paronto's website: http://www.kristantoparonto.com/
Read or Share this story: https://www.thespectrum.com/story/news/2015/11/06/dsu-alum-speak-experiences-benghazi-hero/75328632/


Yatsenyuk: I didn't spark this crisis
Today, March 25, Prime Minister of Ukraine Arseniy Yatsenyuk held a government meeting.
The Prime Minister Arseny Yatsenyuk asked the political forces to decide on the further destiny of the Ukraine’s Cabinet of Ministers as soon as possible, according to Ukrainian Pravda.
- On the political crisis. I have not sparked this crisis. But I require tackling it as soon as possible. Personalization of the Ukrainian politics discredits Ukraine in the eyes of our citizen and external partners as well, said the Prime Minister.
Yatsenyuk stressed he would accept any solution that "will stabilize the situation and enable the country to move forward."
- Either collect 226 votes, elect a new Cabinet of Ministers, program and a real coalition to implement it or maintain the current one, said Yatsenyuk.
Today, March 25, the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Vladimir Groisman is to present his program for the position of the Government Head. According to a Ukrainian political analyst Volodymyr Fesenko, Groisman as the Prime Minister will be able to overcome one of the major problems and causes of the political crisis in the country - a rift between the Government and the coalition.
PHOTO: QHA
politics Kiev Arseniy Yatsenyuk Prime Minister Cabinet of Ministers meeting crisis political crisis