Sorry, Readability was unable to parse this page for content.
Source: http://twitter.com/ScottSeaborn/statuses/241564602209562627
peter frampton elite eight stephon marbury the lion king suzanne collins cherry blossom festival nc state
Friday, August 31, 2012
Jalyn Williams, 55, San Marcos, Texas
A memorial service honoring the life of Carol Jalyn Williams will be held Saturday, Sept. 1 at 3:00 at the First Christian Church in San Marcos, Texas. Jalyn, age 55, passed away on Tuesday, August 28, 2012 in Kyle, Texas after a brief illness. She was born January 14, 1957, to Jay Robey and Mary Pearl Roberts Smith in Frederick, Oklahoma. On February 16, 1975, she was united in marriage to Steve Williams. Steve and Jalyn have two children, Robyn Lyn Williams Graf and Micah Luke Williams. She was a devoted and loving wife and mother. Jalyn was known among family and friends as a most gracious hostess. She was a talented seamstress, interior designer, and decorator. She helped friends with weddings, home projects, or anything else that required creative thought. She enjoyed teaching her exercise classes. Jalyn loved traveling, spending time with family and friends and most of all her ranch life. She is survived by her husband, Steve, of their home in San Marcos, Texas; daughter, Robyn Lyn Graf and husband Chris , of Liberty Hill, Texas; son, Micah Luke Williams and wife Charlee of Kyle, Texas, her sister, Julie Wynn and husband, Mike, of Frederick, OK; brother Dent Smith of Kyle Texas, and brother, Rob Smith and wife Denise of Collierville, TN. "Ma" is also survived by her favorite boys, the grandsons, Noah Thomas Graf, Gabriel Carter Graf, and Joshua Hoyt Williams.> Jalyn leaves behind a host of nieces and nephews and a multitude of friends. Memorial contributions may be made to the American Diabetes Association or the American Cancer Society.
Source: http://kxan.tributes.com/show/Jalyn-Williams-94353362
BET Awards 2012 declaration of independence 4th Of July 2012 Zach Parise Spain Vs Italy Euro 2012 tiger woods pirate bay
Poland hopes to identify remains of Auschwitz hero
WARSAW, Poland (AP) ? It could hardly have been a riskier mission: infiltrate Auschwitz to chronicle Nazi atrocities. Witold Pilecki survived nearly three years as an inmate in the death camp, managing to smuggle out word of executions before making a daring escape. But the Polish resistance hero was crushed by the post-war communist regime ? tried on trumped-up charges and executed.
Six decades on, Poland hopes Pilecki's remains will be identified among the entangled skeletons and shattered skulls of resistance fighters being excavated from a mass grave on the edge of Warsaw's Powazki Military Cemetery. The exhumations are part of a movement in the resurgent, democratic nation to officially recognize its war-time heroes and 20th century tragedies.
"He was unique in the world," said Zofia Pilecka-Optulowicz, paying tribute to her father's 1940 decision to walk straight into a Nazi street roundup with the aim of getting inside the extermination camp. "I would like to have a place where I can light a candle for him."
More than 100 skeletons, mostly of men, have been dug up this summer. On one recent day, forensic workers and archaeologists wearing blue plastic gloves and masks were carefully scraping away at the soil and piecing together bones as if working on a jigsaw puzzle. The front of one skull had been blown away by bullets; another had apparently been bludgeoned; a skeleton showed evidence of multiple gunshot wounds.
Near the pit where the bodies were dumped under cover of night stand the well-tended tombstones of the very judges and prosecutors who sent these World War II heroes to their deaths under orders from Moscow, which was fearful that the Polish patriots might use their seasoned underground skills to turn the nation against its new pro-Soviet rulers.
"The perpetrators have not been punished and the bodies of the victims have not been found," said Krzysztof Szwagrzyk, a historian in charge of the dig. "Those times will be coming back to us until we find the bodies and bury them with due honors.
"We are doing them justice."
Pilecki's son Andrzej and dozens of other relatives of victims have been swabbed in the hope their DNA will be a match for the skeletons. Initial work is being carried out to determine age, sex, height and injuries of the victims. It will take several months to determine if Pilecki, who was killed by a bullet to the back of his head, is among them. Thousands of resistance fighters were killed across Poland; the remains of up to 400 are believed to have been dumped in the Powazki mass grave.
Pilecki was 38 when Germany invaded Poland on Sept. 1, 1939, triggering the start of World War II. He helped organize a resistance campaign during which many fellow fighters were caught and sent to Auschwitz, which in the early war years served more as a camp for Polish resistance fighters than Jews. That inspired him to hatch an audacious plan: He told other resistance commanders that he wanted to become an Auschwitz inmate to check on rumors of atrocities.
Carrying documents bearing the alias Tomasz Serafinski, the Catholic cavalry officer walked into the German SS street roundup in Warsaw in September 1940, and was put on a train transport to Auschwitz, where he was given prisoner number 4859.
He was "exceptionally courageous," said Jacek Pawlowicz, a historian with Warsaw's Institute of National Remembrance.
Pilecki is the only person known to have volunteered for Auschwitz. His terse dispatches to the outside world were slips of thin paper stitched inside clothes of inmates leaving the camp or left in nearby fields for others to collect. They included only code names for inmates who were beaten to death, executed by gunfire or gassed. As sketchy as they were, they were the first eyewitness account of the Nazi death machine at Auschwitz.
Pilecki survived hard labor, beatings, cold and typhoid fever thanks to support from a clandestine resistance network that he managed to organize inside the camp. Some of its members had access to food, others to clothes or medicines.
He plotted a revolt that was to release inmates with the help of an outside attack by resistance fighters; it was never attempted because considered too risky, Pawlowicz said.
Pilecki escaped in April 1943 when he realized that the SS might uncover his work. With two other men he ran from a night shift at a bakery that was outside the death camp's barbed wire fence.
After his escape, Pilecki wrote three detailed reports on the extermination camp.
One describes how his transport was met by yelling SS men and attacking dogs: "They told one of us to run to a post away from the road, and immediately sent a machine gun round after him. Killed him. Ten random colleagues were taken out of the group and shot, as they were walking, as 'collective responsibility' for the 'escape' that the SS-men arranged themselves."
Pilecki's heroics were for the most part in vain. Even though his accounts of gas chambers made it all the way to Poland's government-in-exile in London and to other Western capitals, few believed what they were reading.
After escaping, Pilecki rejoined Poland's Home Army resistance force and fought in the 1944 Warsaw Uprising, the city's ill-fated revolt against the Nazis. In 1947, he was arrested by the secret security of the communist regime, imposed on Poland after the war, and falsely accused of planning to assassinate dignitaries.
The Soviet plan after World War II was to subdue the Poles by crushing resistance and erasing any sense of Polish identity or history. Today, more than two decades into Poland's democracy, however, enough documentation and funds have been gathered to restore the banned past and try to find and identify the heroes' bodies.
In addition to Pilecki, the search is on for the remains of other wartime resistance heroes, including Brig. Gen. August Emil Fieldorf, a top clandestine Home Army commander who once served as emissary to Poland of the country's government-in-exile. He was accused of ordering killings of Soviet soldiers ? charges that Poland's communist authorities later admitted were fabricated ? and hanged in 1953.
Szwagrzyk is not sure if Pilecki will be found at Powazki cemetery because it is not the only such clandestine site in Warsaw or the rest of Poland.
But his place in history is gradually being restored. A street in Warsaw is now named after him, as are some schools across the country.
He found communist prison harder to endure than Auschwitz. A fellow inmate described seeing him in prison slumped, unable to raise his head because his collar bones had been broken. At his show trial, he was hiding his hands because his fingernails had been ripped out during torture.
At one court session, he told his wife Maria that the secret security torture had sapped his will to go on.
"I can live no longer," he said.
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/poland-hopes-identify-remains-auschwitz-hero-095939471.html
george zimmerman website edmund fitzgerald uss enterprise white house easter egg roll 2012 andy cohen andy cohen mozambique
Thursday, August 30, 2012
Video: Reacting to Rep. Ryan's Speech
Sorry, Readability was unable to parse this page for content.
Source: http://video.msnbc.msn.com/cnbc/48837512/
pineda john edwards heart condition mena suvari joyful noise one life to live jeff fisher van der sloot
"Pets Are Family Too" Dog Adoption Day to be held at Stanley Plaza ...
"Pets Are Family Too" Dog Adoption Day to be held at Stanley Plaza this Saturday (with photos)
August 30, 2012 | No Comments
The ?Pets Are Family Too? Dog Adoption Day will be held this Saturday (September 1) from 11am to 6pm at the Amphitheatre Playground of Stanley Plaza.
The adoption day is jointly organised by the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD), the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, the Society for Abandoned Animals, the Lifelong Animal Protection Charity and Hong Kong Dog Rescue to encourage people to adopt abandoned or unclaimed dogs and promote responsible pet ownership. Members of the public who successfully adopt a dog via this event will be awarded a free ?Dog Behaviour Training Course? offered by the AFCD for their pet.
Many animals deserve a second chance to be a lovable pet after being abandoned or given up by their owners. The AFCD encourages the public to adopt abandoned or surrendered animals through approved non-profit-making animal welfare organisations. Currently, abandoned pets or unclaimed animals with a friendly temperament and good health will be vaccinated against major animal diseases and dewormed by the AFCD and sent to 13 partner animal welfare organisations for adoption. Free desexing operations will also be offered to all AFCD-selected animals being adopted via the partner animal welfare organisations.
An array of informative and entertaining activities will be held at the adoption day including celebrity experience-sharing of keeping dogs, an educational exhibition, game booths and an introduction to dog adoption services. Visitors will have a chance to meet the dogs that are up for adoption.
Admission is free. Participants are welcome to bring along their pets. All dogs entering the venue should be under proper control in addition to being licensed, vaccinated and microchipped.
For details of the event, please visit www.afcd.gov.hk.
Comments
cotto margarito big daddy big ten championship game big ten championship game ultimate fighter 14 ultimate fighter 14 2011 bowl projections
Fake coyotes used to scare geese at Mich. beach
HOWELL, Mich. (AP) ? A Michigan community that's fed up with geese fouling up a beach is hoping fake coyotes encourage the birds to land elsewhere.
The Livingston County Daily Press & Argus of Howell and WHMI-FM report that the beach on Thompson Lake at Howell City Park is expected to be closed for the rest of the summer swimming season because of elevated E. coli levels. The beach was shut down this month and goose poop is blamed.
Debbie Mikula is director of the Howell Area Parks and Recreation Authority. She says the fake coyotes have shown some success in keeping the birds away. They're being moved at night to trick the geese into thinking they're real.
The hope is that the beach about 45 miles northwest of Detroit will reopen next year.
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/fake-coyotes-used-scare-geese-mich-beach-134007512.html
ipad mini nfl schedule 2012 andrew shaw christina aguilera tupac hologram pulitzer prize winners
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
Veterans rely on patchwork safety net during hard times
By Rebecca Ruiz, NBC News
For many of the hundreds of thousands of veterans awaiting a decision from the Department of Veterans Affairs on disability and pension claims, the agency's backlog can lead to a period of financial hardship during the transition back to civilian life.
Ron and Karen Sanquist experienced this first-hand when Ron, a National Guardsman who had been deployed to Iraq in 2009 and Afghanistan in 2006, was released from active duty.
While cobbling together work in construction and at a call center ? both of which severely reduced his National Guard pay???Ron filed a claim for post-traumatic stress disorder that resulted from his combat experience ?during his deployments. The disability benefit would have helped the Sanquists afford their $3,000 in rent and monthly bills, but the backlog of claims meant the family would have to wait months for a decision.
Ron lost his position at the call center after requesting leave to fulfill his National Guard duties. Bills then began to pile up as the family of five missed rent, utility and insurance payments, among other expenses. The situation worsened in May when Ron, 39, was diagnosed with a heart murmur for which he'd need emergency surgery, guaranteeing that he'd be out of work and unable to job hunt for several weeks.
Desperate not to fall further behind, Karen turned to the patchwork safety net for veterans and their families experiencing financial hardship, an occurrence that happens more frequently than the public realizes, according to those who assist veterans and service members during hard times.
As of Aug. 25, there were 899,000 compensation and pension claims pending, two-thirds of which have been in the system for more than 125 days. In the Portland, Ore., area, where the Sanquists live, there are nearly 12,000 claims pending, far fewer than other major metropolitan areas in the West; Los Angeles, San Diego, Seattle, Oakland and Phoenix are seeing twice that figure. While two-thirds of the claims processed in Portland have taken more than 125 days, the percentage spikes to more than 90 percent in Los Angeles and Oakland.
In a statement to NBC News, the Department of Veterans Affairs said that 1 million claims had been completed in the previous two fiscal years, and that the agency is on target to finish an additional 1 million in 2012.
"Still, too many veterans and their families have to wait too long to get the benefits they have earned and deserve which is unacceptable," the statement said.
VA is aiming to complete claims within 125 days with 98 percent accuracy by 2015 as it transitions to a digital processing system. The technology will be implemented in 16 regional offices this year and reach an additional 56 regional offices by the end of 2013. VA called the technology a "lasting solution" that will eliminate the backlog.
Karen told NBC News that her experience with VA was very positive, but that the nearly yearlong delay in receiving a decision on Ron's disability benefit still took a toll. "The waiting period is scary because you don?t know if it?s going to be two months or if it?s going to be another year."?
To survive the wait, Karen used what was left of the couple's savings and applied for assistance from several nonprofit groups and veteran service organizations. Ron's unit gave the couple a month's rent, as did the American Legion. ReserveAid covered another month's rent as well as lapsed medical insurance payments. USA Cares paid a garbage bill and Operation Homefront sent a $250 Wal-Mart gift card.
In July, the Sanquists began receiving disability payments for Ron's PTSD as well as his heart surgery, which was deemed service-connected. The process was expedited since the Sanquists were experiencing hardship, and the first sum included back payment for the months required to award the claim.
As Ron looks for a position that will allow him time to finish his last semester of school in animation and graphics afforded by the GI Bill, the family's finances remain shaky. "It's definitely one month at a time," Karen said.
Some families aren't as lucky as the Sanquists.
Barry Walter, state director of veterans services for the Illinois Veterans of Foreign Wars, said that though the "backlog adds to an already desperate situation," many families don't seek help until it's too late and their home is already in foreclosure, for example. The stigma of needing financial aid, particularly for veterans, can prevent them from coming forward early in the process.
However, veterans often aren't aware that they are eligible to receive emergency financial assistance from the county or state as well as organizations like VFW. In Illinois, counties have veterans assistance commissions that provide aid for expenses like unexpected dental or medical bills and utility shut-off notices. Some states also offer emergency grants to veterans, but Walter said that many don't know of those resources.
VFW's national program, Unmet Needs, awards one-time grants of up to $2,500 to families in hardship. Since 2004, more than $4.4 million has been given out to 3,200 military families. Veterans are qualified to receive assistance up to 36 months after an honorable discharge. The Illinois VFW also runs its own assistance fund and spent $38,000 in 2011, the majority of it to help veterans with expenses like rent and groceries.
Walter said that he receives about one inquiry a day from veterans seeking aid. The calls come from young veterans who have just returned and can't find work, veterans nearing retirement age who have been laid off, and even the elderly who now need a pension increase for medical expenses or nursing home care. They are all affected by the backlog, Walter said. He'll tell them about the VFW's programs, but he'll also refer them to organizations like the Salvation Army, Lutheran Services, Easter Seals and Catholic Charities, which can provide help.
The American Legion, also a veterans service organization, operates a temporary financial assistance fund for military families with children at home. An average of a half million dollars is allocated each year for food, clothing, shelter and utilities. Requests can be granted in as little as 24 hours and the average claim takes less than a week to process, according to Jason Kees, family support network coordinator for the American Legion.?
Kees told NBC News that the fund is run through a separate endowment and that requests exceed the available aid. As a result, the organization dips into its own funding to make up the difference.
Kees said that the public's lack of awareness adds to the challenges of getting enough resources to families in need.
Once a community realizes a veteran is struggling, Kees said, "the outpouring of love and support is fabulous." But all too often, the public doesn't realize military families need help because of the perception that the war in Iraq is over and the fighting in Afghanistan is winding down. ?
Karen Sanquist said that the emergency aid her family received was a "blessing," but that she wished more people knew about the available services.
"It was wonderful hearing these people say, 'There?s a light at the end of tunnel but until you get there, make sure you don?t get so far behind that you get in trouble."
Rebecca Ruiz is a reporter at NBC News. Follow her on Twitter here.
More content from NBCNews.com:
Follow US News from NBCNews.com on Twitter and Facebook
clear channel drexel dale george will obama birth certificate nick cannon lindsay lohan saturday night live
Concrete Stain and Pigments - Decorative Concrete Supply ...
Carrollton, TX - Decorative Concrete Supply announces durable concrete pigments for homeowners. Homeowners looking for durable concrete pigments in Dallas are selecting Decorative Concrete Supply. Decorative Concrete Supply is known for durable concrete pigments for homeowners. Concrete Contractors select Decorative Concrete Supply for quality materials that deliver quality results when they want the best value. Decorative Concrete Supply is noted for offering the best concrete pigments in Dallas. for more about durable concrete pigments for homeowners in Dallas call 713-462-8884 or visit the Decorative Concrete Supply web site at http://www.decorativecs.com
In Austin Decorative Concrete Supply introduces decorative concrete materials. Decorative Concrete Supply offers quality materials that deliver quality results for landscapers and designers. Homeowners select Decorative Concrete Supply for top brands in decorative concrete when they want the absolute best value. Now concrete contractors can get the huge concrete material selection they need. Decorative Concrete Supply offers their huge concrete material selection to concrete contractors. The Decorative Concrete Supply staff leads the market in Concrete Pigments and selection of concrete stains. Concrete Contractors are discovering Decorative Concrete Supply for top brands in decorative concrete. They appreciate the service and knowledgeable staff.
The staff at Decorative Concrete Supply is prepared to help concrete contractors find the best solutions for everything they need to get the results they expect. Concrete Contractors select Decorative Concrete Supply for their huge concrete material selection. Decorative Concrete Supply offers a huge concrete material selection and a great selection of concrete stains. Decorative Concrete Supply leads the industry in quality materials that deliver quality results. Concrete Contractors choose the Decorative Concrete Supply team for their huge concrete material selection. The option landscapers and designers take have a direct impact on their success. Why not choose the best in the industry? Get the results you demand with Decorative Concrete Supply's concrete pigments and get a huge concrete material selection. Concrete Contractors looking for top brands in decorative concrete appreciate the offerings at Decorative Concrete Supply. Homeowners looking for quality materials that deliver quality results appreciate the offerings at Decorative Concrete Supply.
About Decorative Concrete Supply and Durable Concrete Pigments for Homeowners Decorative Concrete Supply has been a family-owned and operated top distributor of decorative concrete products for over 20 years. We offer fast and friendly service of only the highest quality products at competitive prices. DCS is recognized as a leader in the decorative concrete industry and has received several awards as a top distributor. For additional information: http://www.decorativecs.com or call 713-462-8884 Decorative Concrete Supply offers durable concrete pigments for homeowners.
Media Contact: Kim Creager 713-462-8884 kim@decorativecs.com
Company Contact: Decorative Concrete Supply - Carrollton 1300 North IH-35 Ste. 120 Carrollton, TX 75006 Phone: 713-462-8884 kim@decorativecs.com http://www.decorativecs.com
Decorative Concrete Supply - Houston 8310 Castleford Ste. 250 Houston, TX 77040 1-877-460-8884 kim@decorativecs.com http://www.decorativecs.com
Decorative Concrete Supply - Buda 536 Commercial Drive Buda, TX 78610 1-877-295-8881 kim@decorativecs.com http://www.decorativecs.com
Decorative Concrete Supply - Fort Worth 1150 W. Blue Mound Rd Ste. 302 Fort Worth, TX 76131 866-854-8881 kim@decorativecs.com http://www.decorativecs.com
NOTICE TO READERS: Provided by Decorative Concrete Supply for news purposes only to announce products, events or services. This material was not prepared or distributed as an independent endorsement, testimonial or review and should not be read as such.
This article has been viewed 5 time(s).
It is a violation of our terms and conditions for writers to submit material which they did not write and claim it as their own.
If this article infringes on your copyrights, you MUST either call us at 706-866-2295 or send proof of infringement
along with the offending article's title, URL, and writer name to
IdeaMarketers.com
Attn: Marnie Pehrson - Copyright Concern
514 Old Hickory Ln
Ringgold GA 30736 USA
If you email us or use our problem submission form, we CANNOT guarantee we'll receive your notice!
Source: http://www.ideamarketers.com/?articleid=3516551
los angeles kings earth day timothy leary jonathan frid pujols watchmen hitch
Stemulite Fitness Formula for Women mg ... - My Health & Beauty
Stemulite Fitness Formula for Women 400 mg Dietary Supplement 30 tablets 5.0 out of 5 based on 1 ratings. 0 user reviews
Diet & Nutrition Stemulite Fitness Formula for Women 400 mg Dietary Supplement 30 tablets All Natural Stem Cell Recruiter A dietary supplement to support improved quality of life and physical development without steroids or steroid-like precursors* Increase Strength Increase Muscle Increase Energy Increase REM Sleep Increase Endurance Increase Well Being Increase Recovery Time Each bottle contains 30 tablets (400 mg) Day-Time Formula Night-Time Formula The Stemulite? combination of mitochondrial energizers, free radical scavengers, amino acid "stackers", immune stimulators, stem-cell recruiters, inflammatory down-regulators, rest and sleep enhancers and a rare earth mineral that produces mood elevation and HPA synchronizing of all hormonal functions is without a doubt the most complete and effective workout and fitness supplement available in the world! *These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. **These products are intended to be taken together. Product Ingredients and Supplement Facts Day-Time Formula Supplemental Facts Serving Size: One Tablet Servings Per Container: 30 Amount Per Serving: Calories 0 Total Fat 0.5 g Protein 0.5 g Sodium $59.99 http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51cSfXf%2BcHL._SL160_.jpg
http://my-health-and-beauty.com/stemulite-fitness-formula-for-women-mg-dietary-supplement-30-tablets-400/One of the biggest beauty crimes is having caked-on foundation that?s not blended correctly and creates an extremely obvious and noticeable two-tone contrast on the jaw line. If you want to avoid this work with a moisturizer and a primer on your skin and apply foundation. It?ll blend easier eliminate lines and you can steer clear of the ?caked-on? look.
If you have discovered little white bumps under your eyes know that they are called Milia and so are quite common. They are a harmless form of a cyst due to dry dead cells being trapped under the skin. You can try exfoliation or work with a moisturizer which includes an exfoliant with vitamin A to help them disappear and stop them in the foreseeable future.
joseph kony ipad 3 release date apple store down apple live blog ohio primary cell phone jammer sandra fluke
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
University of Victoria's Mano underwater robot to prowl Arctic waters for legendary ships
Canadians well-versed in their history are very aware of Sir John Franklin's ill-fated 1845 expedition to find the Northwest Passage: a British voyage that set out to establish a sailing route through the Arctic and ended with the untimely, mysterious deaths of its two ship crews. No human ever found the abandoned ships, which makes it all the more fitting that the next best shot at discovery might come through a just-launched autonomous underwater vehicle from the University of Victoria and Bluefin Robotics. Meet the Mano, a new sonar-toting robot that can produce detailed undersea maps all by its lonesome while keeping a steady altitude above the ocean floor. It can only operate for 12 hours at a time, which will keep humans in the area, but its ability to run untethered below storms and cold Arctic winds should dramatically expand the territory that researchers can cover during their share of a larger five- to six-week journey. There's no guarantee that the Mano will hit the jackpot, or find something recognizable even if it does. Still, any mapping should improve navigation for modern boats -- and hopefully prevent others from sharing Sir Franklin's fate.
Filed under: Robots, Science, Alt
University of Victoria's Mano underwater robot to prowl Arctic waters for legendary ships originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 27 Aug 2012 22:41:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink |
CBC | Email this | CommentsSource: http://www.engadget.com/2012/08/27/university-of-victoria-mano-underwater-robot-to-prowl-arctic/
cotto vs margarito cotto vs margarito miguel cotto cotto ncaa bowl games bowls herman cain
Congressional Report On Fatherhood Funding Used in Family Courts
Note:
"Showing definitively that the child support agencies are engaged in financial fraud when they meddle in custody cases, kids are getting sold out and killed to the abusers the agency promotes and covers for." - AMPP
Combating Poverty: Understanding New Challenges for Families
Congressional Report on Fatherhood Funding Used in Family Courts and Testimony Submitted to Senate Committee hearing on ?Combating Poverty: Understanding New Challenges for Families? that took place on June 5, 2012.
http://www.finance.senate.gov/hearings/hearing/?id=0a85a99b-5056-a032-52f7-b827ad9732ba
##
Dear Senate Finance Committee,
Please accept this testimony with regards to the Senate Finance Committee hearing on ?Combating Poverty: Understanding New Challenges for Families? that took place on June 5, 2012.
Attached is a copy of the July 2011 letter from Office of Child Support Enforcement (OCSE) Commissioner Vicky Turetsky to Senator John Kerry which declined to provide Senator Kerry with the information he requested, or follow up on his concerns regarding misappropriated funds. Turetsky essentially states that OCSE does not have any obligation to oversee OCSE program funding once the checks are cut from the Federal office to the State programs. Instead, Turetsky referred Senator Kerry?s concerns over OCSE fraud to the HHS OIG, who months before took the position that they lack jurisdiction to investigate a State child support program. So who is watching the hen house?
Our main concern is that Congress should distinguish between and place paramount the TANF programs which are means tested and provided to needy women and children below the poverty line, as opposed to the predatory TANF programs bankrupting the country by placing any unfit or unwilling father--even millionaires who abandon their kids--onto the welfare roles. Attached is a copy of an article this issue for the Huffington Post entitled ?Top 5 HHS Programs Endangering Women And Children? that can also be found on line at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/anne-stevenson/top-5-hhs-programs-endang_b_1511613.html
The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 and the Temporary Aid to Needy Families (TANF) program it created transformed welfare policy by drastically reducing and shifting federal assistance away from the homes of mothers and children and into the homes of violent male offenders. The original intent of welfare reform was to require States to function as collection agencies, recovering financial support from parents who had willfully abandoned their parental responsibilities to their children. These policies have drastically backfired because:
- it dedicated billions in TANF to programs for childless fathers that are not needs based,
- created redundant ?to work? programs via HHS which were already funded via the Department of Labor and the Department of Education, but then excluded women and children from participation by labeling them Responsible Fatherhood programs,
- the HHS Office of the Inspector General (OIG)[1]and the Government Accountability Office[2]determined that the programs lacked oversight and are riddled with fraud, and
- State welfare programs adjusted their environment to have a greater need by casting a wider, less transparent net.
90% of those receiving TANF benefits are single mothers,[3]so does it make sense to exclude them from the ?to work? employment assistance component of welfare reform? Instead of helping children, welfare reform created a new breed of dangerous Kings through HHS Office of Child Support Enforcement when it began using non-needs based TANF programs to subsidize the homes and legal battles of the unfit, unwilling, and violent fathers (like mass murderer John Muhammad, the Beltway Sniper.[4])
OCSE is a federal agency which is supposed to be gender neutral and pro child, but is it? Note that Commissioner Turetsky was previously employed by HHS contractor Manpower Demonstration and Research Corporation (MDRC,[5]) and that Ron Haskins is on the board of directors at MDRC.[6]Haskins is co-director of the Brookings Institute?s Center on Children and Families, a senior consultant at the Annie E. Casey Foundation, former Senior Advisor to the President for Welfare Policy at the White House, who spent 14 years on the staff of the House Ways and Means Human Resources Subcommittee.[7]Haskins is also on the board of the National Fatherhood Leadership Group with several other former HHS affiliated officials,[8]yet together, Haskins and Turetsky promoted/solicited federal funding for MDRC policies and programs[9]that diverted TANF assistance to childless, wealthy offender fathers while targeting and excluding abused children and mothers. Is this a conflict of interest?
We can identify no legitimate purpose for these programs and request that Congress take the following actions:
- Revoke or reduce funding to Administration for Children and Families (ACF) child support incentives, Access and Visitation (AV) programs, and gender based funding to child support agencies.
- End collateral child support/custody funding mandates.
- Overhaul Office on Child Support Enforcement (OCSE) on the federal level to remove staff with conflicts of interest and bias.
- Audit OCSE to find out where our tax dollars are actually going, and then implement rigorous transparency, oversight, and accountability measures on programs.
I. OIG DETERMINED THAT OCSE PROGRAMS ARE RIDDLED WITH FRAUD.
In 2011, the Office of the Inspector General released a report[10]called ?Rollup Review on States' Reporting of Undistributable Child Support Collections as Program Income? that concluded 21 of the 23 States audited failed to properly report program income, and were hoarding tens of millions in child support collections by [intentionally or unintentionally] failing to make sufficient efforts to locate the children the resources are intended to benefit. Only a hand full of counties out of the several hundred contained in the relevant States were audited, and a review of the initial reports shows discrepancies that indicate the problem may be much larger than what the Administration is willing to admit.
The State agency classifies child support as ?undistributable arrears? when it collects a child support payment but cannot identify or locate the custodial parent or return the funds to the noncustodial parent. Federal mandate requires that at the time when State law deems the funds ?abandoned,? States must recognize and report the unallocated funds as program income in order to offset program costs. The Federal policy is that abandoned collections are then split 66% Federal share, 34% are retained by the State. However the OIG determined that all of the States had [intentionally or unintentionally] devised various ?set up to fail? support distribution systems that allow the Agency to improperly hoard the child?s money in State coffers by mislabeling it ?abandoned property.?
Examples of ?set up to fail? policies the OIG listed include:
- send checks to the wrong address,
- illegal liens on accounts
- create massive arrears, give dad the tax benefit, then garnish the tax benefit,
- put child support it in trust accounts during litigation-that lasts more than 3 years,
- retroactively abate arrears, then keep it for themselves without telling either parent.
The OIG determined that while some States claimed to be unaware of Federal reporting requirements, ?These deficiencies occurred because States did not have adequate controls to ensure that undistributable child support collections were recognized and reported as program income in accordance with Federal requirements.?
In each instance, the OIG recommended solutions that failed to require State agencies to improve disbursement methods to ensure delivery of the funds to the child?s home. Instead, the OIG?s focus was to ensure the increased the State?s accuracy and compliance with Federal reporting requirements to ensure that the Federal HHS office received its? 66% share of program income. The audits were done for support collected between 1999-2007, 23 states audited, but only a couple counties within each state were audited---NOT the entire state's child support system. So the fact that like Michigan may have audited 18 counties out of a total of 85 counties, and that those 18 counties stole $8 million from Michigan families is significant. What would the number be if they did audit the whole state?
But the 2011 roll up report is also incorrect for another reason---it appears to have under estimated the original auditor's findings. The 2011 "roll up" report is a collection of the findings in the original 23 states, most of which were complete by 2009. So I obtained copies of the original audit reports for every state, and found that many states were caught with their hands in the cookie jar for millions and millions of dollars, but the 2011 has them down as owing $0 sometimes.
1. Cook County, Illinois: (102 Counties in IL, not sure why it appears only 1 is audited)
http://oig.hhs.gov/oas/reports/region5/50400039.pdf
2011 Roll Up Total: $1.8 million, 2005 report: $3.4 Million
2. Michigan: (85 counties, only 18 audited?)
2011 Roll Up Total: $5.3 million
2006 report: $8 Million
http://oig.hhs.gov/oas/reports/region5/50500033.pdf
3. Georgia: (159 counties, none audited, just the state program---so my impression was that the county courts contracted by the State who collected support independently but not through state coffers were never reviewed)
2011 Roll Up Total: $238,000
2007 report: $1.2 million
http://oig.hhs.gov/oas/reports/region4/40603506.pdf
4. California: (58 Counties, only 3 audited)
2011 Roll Up Total: $1.45m
2007 report: $3.3 Million
o Orange county: $2.2 million
http://oig.hhs.gov/oas/reports/region9/90600040.htm
o Riverside County: $245,000
http://oig.hhs.gov/oas/reports/region9/90700049.htm
o Los Angeles county: $878,000
http://oig.hhs.gov/oas/reports/region9/90800024.asp
But the LA county report is perhaps inaccurate for another reason, because at the same time the OIG conducted the audit, Attorney Richard Fine sued LA County for holding $14 million in child support collections from LA county children.[11]He won the case, and the county had to disburse the $14 million to the families. But this total is not included in the OIG's report.
II. TANF CHILD SUPPORT PROGRAMS ADAPT TO ARTIFICIALLY INCREASE NEED FOR THEIR OWN SERVICES
These reports and others reflect the fact that TANF?s generous collection incentive policies may have in effect created a child support vacuum as States to adapt their practices to reflect a greater demand and need for resources that are ultimately withheld from needy families.
- Recovery Act: Thousands of Recovery Act Contract and Grant Recipients Owe Hundreds of Millions in Federal Taxes
- Government Accountability Office report recently came out which shows that these HHS grant recipients owe us struggling taxpaying families hundreds of BILLIONS in taxes. http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-11-686T
- GAO REPORT: Child Support Enforcement: Better Data and More Information on Undistributed Collections Are Needed http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-04-377
- Medicare and Medicaid Fraud, Waste, and Abuse: Effective Implementation of Recent Laws and Agency Actions Could Help Reduce Improper Payments http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-11-409T
- Child Support Enforcement: Departures from Long-term Trends in Sources of Collections and Caseloads Reflect Recent Economic Conditions http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-11-196
In fiscal year 2009, the child support enforcement (CSE) program collected about $26 billion in child support payments from noncustodial parents on behalf of more than 17 million children. The CSE program is run by states and overseen by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). States receive federal performance incentive payments and a federal match on both state CSE funds?The Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 (DRA) eliminated this incentive match beginning in 2008, but the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 temporarily reinstated it for 2 years. This 2011 report[12]found that although the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 provided generous matching funds on State support collections:
?In fiscal year 2009, the CSE program experienced several departures from past trends. For one, child support collections failed to increase nationwide for the first time in the history of the program in fiscal year 2009? Also in fiscal year 2009, the number of CSE cases currently receiving public assistance increased?Preliminary HHS data show that total CSE expenditures grew by 2.6 percent in fiscal year 2008 as many states increased their own funding to maintain CSE operations when the federal incentive match was eliminated?In contrast to fiscal year 2008, a different picture emerged in fiscal year 2009, when the incentive match was temporarily restored but total CSE expenditures fell slightly by 1.8 percent, which HHS officials told GAO was due to state budget constraints. Most states nationwide have not implemented "family first" policy options?because giving more child support collections to families means states retain less as reimbursement for public assistance costs.
- Administrative Expenditures and Federal Matching Rates of Selected Support Programshttp://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-05-839R
III. TANF PROGRAMS FOR CHILDLESS FATHERS ARE NOT NEEDS BASED.
If the goal of some Fatherhood programs is so child support benefits ?trickle down? to the child during tough economic times, why does Commissioner Turesky?s department make TANF available to the 1% of child support debtors making more than $50,000-who are unfit or unwilling to have kids live in their homes?[13] Unlike the welfare programs for women and children which had restrictive income eligibility requirements, TANF diverts billions of dollars through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Child Support Enforcement (OCSE) to non-needs based programs exclusively available to unfit and unwilling fathers, such as Healthy Families Initiatives, Responsible Fatherhood Initiatives, and Access and Visitation Initiatives.
Benefits from Responsible Fatherhood programs to childless abusers include:[14][15]
- Child support obligations are suspended
- Free attorney representation in the family courts to fight for custody
- Free housing
- Direct cash incentives
- Free groceries
- Free car maintenance, gas, and other transportation costs
- Free healthcare and dental care
These TANF benefits are not intended to directly reach children, their purpose is to reward the unfit and unwilling childless fathers who lost custody of them. The incentives are structured so that the State will only benefit if children are removed from loving homes, then arbitrarily placed with male offenders who previously lost custody. If the programs do not successfully increase in the percentage of noncustodial fathers who file for and win custody, they will not get paid.
HHS reports show that 80% of Fatherhood program participants are court ordered to attend, [16]and many are recruited directly from prison.[17]In 2000, Commissioner Turesky authored a paper for the Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP) that concluded:[18]
"Many women trying to leave an abusive home rely on the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, financial assistance to women in poverty may lessen their risk of violence? about 20 percent of women receiving cash assistance are current victims of domestic violence, while about 50 to 60 percent have experienced domestic violence during their adulthood."
Considering that Commissioner Turesky also claimed in a 2006 CLASP policy brief that 70% of all child support arrears are owed to the government to pay back TANF costs,[19]doesn?t this mean that the overwhelming majority of fathers enrolled in compromise of arrears programs are violent, unfit fathers? This may explain why recent studies found children fare far worse when support is court ordered.[20]
The programs also punish the majority of responsible fathers who willingly provide love and support to their children. Using the virtually unregulated child support system as a vehicle and the father's will to evade prison time as collateral,[21]the fathers are told they can risk their liberty and property attempting to pay down arrears, or alternatively, sue the mother for custody using a variety of federally funded "supports." Children in safe homes do not need rehabilitation, so often times a ?need? is created by the State by placing children deliberately in an unsafe home.
The effect of these Fatherhood and welfare reform policies is to place the middle class on welfare by ?leaving no family member undiagnosed? when they come into contact with the family courts.[22] At the beginning of a custody case, only the offender is sick, but if one violent offender gets custody, the whole family needs treatment. Consequently for courts and social services agencies to appoint dozens of federally funded family court mental health and legal professionals onto the case to sustain the deadly custody rights of a single violent father.[23]
IV. THE GAO DETERMINED THAT OCSE FATHERHOOD PROGRAMS ARE RIDDLED WITH FRAUD.
HHS fraud costs tax payers $60 billion per year, and it is not improving.[24]When you start to look at how many contracts are going to the same network of providers like Manpower, Maximus, Goodwill Industries, etc. with inside connections to HHS Administration, it is also worth asking yourselves if and when Congress will investigate these conflicts of interest?
In 2008, the GAO released a report entitled ?HEALTHY MARRIAGE AND RESPONSIBLE FATHERHOOD INITIATIVE: Further Progress Is Needed in Developing a Risk-Based Monitoring Approach to Help HHS Improve Program Oversight?[25] that concluded that these programs were riddled with fraud and not performing.The GAO concluded that HHS failed to create oversight mechanisms or standard performance goals prior to disbursing $500 million in grants to hastily chosen programs meant to serve children living in high-risk families:
?HHS?lacks mechanisms to identify and target grantees that are not in compliance with grant requirements or are not meeting performance goals? Our review of grantee case files found documentation of grantees that were not meeting performance targets?or not in compliance with grant requirements, such as providing only those services allowed under the grant.?
Report Highlights:
$500 Million Unconditionally Given To Activists:
Operating under a deadline that allowed HHS 7 months to award grants, HHS shortened its existing process to award Healthy Marriage and Responsible Fatherhood grants to public and private organizations. During this process, HHS did not fully examine grantees? programs as described in their applications, including the activities they planned to offer, and this created challenges and setbacks for grantees later as they implemented their programs. ?P. 2
Failure to Implement Uniform Standards, Policies, and Procedures:
HHS uses methods that include site visits and progress reports to monitor grantees, but it lacks mechanisms to identify and target grantees that are not in compliance with grant requirements or are not meeting performance goals, and it also lacks clear and consistent guidance for performing site monitoring visits. ?P.2
Embezzlement and Fraud Was Likely Vastly Under Estimated:
Moreover, we did not survey organizations that received money from grant recipients to provide direct services, subawardees. Since making the initial awards, 4 organizations have relinquished their grants, 1 organization had its grant terminated, and 1 new grant was awarded. There are 6 organizations currently pending non-continuation of award funds.
Please recall that the irresponsible programs are recruiting violent offenders directly from prisons[26]to help them obtain legal and physical custody of the child victim witnesses they hurt, yet the GAO cannot directly account for the activities or the funding going into the programs.
Although groups cannot use TANF money for attorneys, the literature shows that some groups like Illinois Council on Fatherhood[27]provides fathers with legal advice and exceptional access to judges, Michigan is providing dads with legal assistance,[28]and the Montrose County, Colorado Fatherhood program[29]match up fathers with ?Fatherhood Coaches? who also just happen to be attorneys who want to help them with their child support and custody problems.
You should ask yourselves who represents the victim child?s interests while their violent noncustodial fathers use concealed child support and federal assistance to build up legal arsenals to take custody and silence them? HHS programs are actually a deadly investment given that (a) abusive men win custody of their victims 70% of the time[30]when they ask for it, and (b) regardless of the gender of the victim, it is a public safety issue when DOJ studies[31]show men perpetrate more than 95% of violent assaults against women. The Center for Disease Control?s 2010 National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey[32]also concluded that men are raped by other men more than 93% of the time, and women are raped by men more than 98% of the time.
Programs like the Massachusetts Department of Probation?s[33]provide ?treatment? to thousands of untreatable, incurable violent offenders and sociopaths targeting their victims through the courts Although violence is a voluntary act, HHS now invested our tax dollars into rehabilitating the incurable who choose to assault the most vulnerable members of society. Some Studies[34]of male DV perpetrators show that 50% of them are sociopaths and another 25% have sociopathic tendancies. Psychopaths are people who feel no emotional connections to others and have zero regard for the rules and regulations of society, they do not respond to therapy, and cannot be rehabilitated. Dr. Robert Hare reports that psychopaths make up 1% of the general population, but 25% of the prison population:
"Violence is not uncommon among offender populations, but psychopaths still manage to stand out," he says. "They commit more than twice as many violent and aggressive acts, both in and out of prison, as do other criminals ... The recidivism rate of psychopaths is about double that of other offenders ... The violent recidivism rate of psychopaths is about triple that of other offenders."
Respectfully, would you as a member of Congress, allow your children to be cared for by convicted murderers and felons? If you believe these ?fathers? are harmless, why do you pass budgets that provide for armed guards to protect Congressional hearings and family courts? These programs have no legitimate purpose because here is no epidemic of ?fatherlessness? that in itself harms children. There is no ?fatherlessness crisis? that would justify such ruthless and irresponsible pork barrel spending on discrimination based TANF programs that exclude 90% of the TANF roles, the women and children they purport to want to get off welfare and ?go to work?-but place wealthy single men on the TANF roles instead.
We believe the majority of men are genetically programmed to be good fathers, and we do not agree with HHS?s assessment that all men are incompetent and need federally funded parenting lessons. Dangerous offenders have no business raising children. We are a nation of strong single mothers who raised Presidents like Bill Clinton and Barack Obama, both of whom were rescued from the clutches of fathers who were irresponsible, violent addicts. These Fatherhood programs now undermine and punish mothers who try and rescue their children and stay off public assistance, while punishing good fathers and abetting the irresponsible, no matter how rich or poor.
V. CONCLUSION
The more federal dollars were receive the less States collected in support. States refuse to distribute child support to "families first," and are instead keeping the money for themselves-without accounting for it. When the OIG identified the embezzled funds, they did not help ?struggling agencies? find the children it was intended to benefit, the OIG instructed States to properly report?So the feds could have their 66%. This policy entirely lacks accountability or consequences for this fraud. Subsequent reports demonstrated that the problem has continued to worsen, and there are [still] no protocols and procedures in place to define, identify, and track these monies.
The [unlawful] programs are supposed to be ADMINISTRATIVE, but they used quasi judicial power to create, amend, and enforce court orders without judicial authorization. The agency does not provide due process, nor do they have to show you their files. Judges have to look the other way because if they object, they will lose their HHS funding, and at the same time the judge has to accept responsibility for the agency?s badly managed and even crooked interference when litigants are hurt.
Instead of fixing these programs, Obama's proposed budget includes billions more in incentives to disburse and collect support to the programs with no oversight. If the core mission of the child support program is to collect and disburse support to needy children, this is an administrative function which in 2012 should be handled electronically through the treasury. There is no need to create billion in incentives to involve the support agency in taking over the judicial branch?s functions in custody cases.
Fred Sottile, the Founder and President of the LA chapter of Fathers 4 Justice says in his view:
?The President should spend his efforts creating laws and policies that actually encourage father/child relationships, instead of just pretending to promote father/child relationships in extortion based OCSE programs that deprive children and blame dads for being absent.?
Linda Marie Sacks, Co-Chair of the Family Court Committee of the Florida chapter of the National Organization for Women:
?The vast majority of fathers do not abuse children, and there are many instances where courts have unjustly deprived children of good fathers. The problem is that the programs punish children living with healthy strong mothers by incentivizing courts to cash in by arbitrarily minimizing and even eliminating moms from the picture.
Since there is virtually no oversight of OCSE funding, we have often found that this funding used to help pedophile rapists and violent predators get custody of child victim witnesses through the family courts. Studies showabusers are winning custody 70% of the time, and we think the programs will have catastrophic results on the next generation if this unsafe trend of maternal deprivation continues. ?
Liz Richards, Director for the National Alliance for Family Court Justice and a certified witness for the Department of Justice agrees.
?HHS is the source of the funding which is fueling the court corruption problems. Judge are making their rulings according to the program grant requirements and not by the case evidence. Past ACF officials like Wade Horn, Ron Haskins, and others were closely associated with the fathers rights groups and leaders, and essentially turned the dept into a pro-father, abuse cover-up agency.?
In 2012, we ask why the Obama Administration inexcusably ignored the pleas of desperate hard working parents and doubled the budget for these pork barrel projects, starving them out of their home. It?s time to get serious about deficit reduction, and require the president to exercise fiscal restraint on programs which would target and extort families under the most trying circumstances.
[1] ?Rollup Review on States' Reporting of Undistributable Child Support Collections as Program Income ? HHS OIG report A-05-11-00025, September 30, 2011 (http://oig.hhs.gov/oas/reports/region5/51100025.asp)
[2] ?HEALTHY MARRIAGE AND RESPONSIBLE FATHERHOOD INITIATIVE:
Further Progress Is Needed in Developing a Risk-Based Monitoring Approach to Help HHS Improve Program Oversight ?Government Accountability Office Report to the Chairman, Subcommittee on Income Security and Family Support, Committee on Ways and Means, House of Representatives, September 2008. http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d081002.pdf
[3]http://womenslawproject.wordpress.com/2010/11/02/debunking-the-myth-of-the-?welfare-queen?-who-actually-receives-tanf-benefits/
[4] ?Parental Rights And Wrongs? By Liz Richards, Washington Times,
http://pmashilohlopez.wordpress.com/2011/07/04/from-the-washington-times-parental-rights-and-wrongs-by-liz-richards/
[5]http://www.acf.hhs.gov/orgs/bios/vturetsky.htm
[6]http://www.mdrc.org/about_board.htm
[7]http://www.politico.com/arena/bio/ron_haskins.html
[8] http://www.nflgonline.org/Board%20Members.aspx
[9]http://www.mdrc.org/publications/144/full.pdf
[10] ?Rollup Review on States' Reporting of Undistributable Child Support Collections as Program Income? HHS OIG report A-05-11-00025, September 30, 2011 (http://oig.hhs.gov/oas/reports/region5/51100025.asp)
[11] www.articles.latimes.com/1999/feb/20/local/me-9885
[12] http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-11-196
[13] Id. At FN [12]
[14] ?OCSE Responsible Fatherhood Programs Early Implementation Lessons? Jessica Pearson, Center for Policy Research, Inc. David Price, Policy Studies, Inc. June 2000
With comments: http://www.nafcj.net/ocsefr.htm
Original Text: http://www.eric.ed.gov/PDFS/ED463839.pdf
[15]?HHS Around the Regions 2005 Activities? http://fatherhood.hhs.gov/Partners/regions/regions06.shtml
[16] Id. At FN [8] ?OCSE Responsible Fatherhood Programs Early Implementation Lessons?
[17]http://www.clasp.org/admin/site/publications/files/0349.pdf
[18] ?Safety in the Safety Net: TANF Reauthorization Provisions Relevant to Domestic Violence?
http://www.clasp.org/admin/site/publications_archive/files/0167.pdf
[19] ?Staying in Jobs and Out of the Underground: Child Support Policies that Encourage Legitimate Work? Vicki Turetsky, CLASP 2006 http://www.clasp.org/admin/site/publications/files/0349.pdf
[20] ?Young children of unmarried parents fare worse when a father's support is court-ordered?
http://www.sciencecodex.com/young_children_of_unmarried_parents_fare_worse_when_a_fathers_support_is_courtordered-91437
[21] ?Giving Noncustodial Parents Options: Employment and Child Support Outcomes of the SHARE Program? Irma Perez-Johnson, Jacqueline Kauff, and Alan Hershey, Mathematica Policy Research, Inc., October 2003
[22] ?Unified Family Courts: Treating the Whole Family, Not Just the Young Drug Offender? American Bar Association/Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, November 2000
http://www.rwjf.org/reports/grr/029319s.htm
[23] ?Pedophilia in the Justice System? By Kieth Harmon Snow, Conscious Being Alliance, May 1, 2012
http://www.sott.net/articles/show/245202-Pedophilia-in-the-Justice-System
[24]http://abcnews.go.com/Nightline/medicare-fraud-costs-taxpayers-60-billion-year/story?id=10126555&page=3#.T-zL5-33C9Z
[25] ?HEALTHY MARRIAGE AND RESPONSIBLE FATHERHOOD INITIATIVE:
Further Progress Is Needed in Developing a Risk-Based Monitoring Approach to Help HHS Improve Program Oversight?Government Accountability Office Report to the Chairman, Subcommittee on Income Security and Family Support, Committee on Ways and Means, House of Representatives, September 2008. http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d081002.pdf
[26] National Fatherhood Initiative: http://www.fatherhood.org/page.aspx?pid=375
[27]http://www2.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/02-15-2008/0004756780&EDATE
[28] http://www.michigan.gov/dhs/0,1607,7-124--187565--,00.html
[29] Montrose County, Colorado http://www.montrosecounty.net/DocumentCenter/Home/View/1721
[30]http://www.stopfamilyviolence.org/info/custody-abuse/overview/batterer-manipulation-and-retaliation-denial-and-complicity-in-the-family-courts
[31] http://www.umbrellanek.org/documents/DV%20General%20Fact%20Sheet.pdf
[32] http://www.cdc.gov/ViolencePrevention/NISVS/index.html
[33] http://www.mass.gov/courts/probation/pr062707.html
[34] http://www.lovefraud.com/blog/2010/03/01/staggering-statistics-about-domestic-violence/
Source: http://janascampaign.blogspot.com/2012/08/congressional-report-on-fatherhood.html
survivor one world lil kim progeria what will my baby look like gary carter died cmas cmas
Monday, August 27, 2012
With Samsung win on Galaxy Tab, judge may reconsider U.S. ban
(Reuters) - Apple Inc's legal victory on Friday over Korean rival Samsung Electronics Co Ltd was crushing but for one key front in its global smartphone and tablet patent war: Samsung's Galaxy Tab 10.1.
The jury in the San Jose, California, federal court awarded the iPhone and iPad maker $1.05 billion in damages and said Samsung had copied critical features in the U.S. company's products.
However, it declined to side with Apple on one patent, covering design elements on the iPad. That put the jury directly at odds with the judge in the case who, only two months earlier, had sided with Apple over allegations the Galaxy Tab 10.1 tablet ripped off Apple's design.
U.S. District Judge Lucy Koh issued a pre-trial order barring Samsung from selling the Galaxy Tab 10.1 in the United States.
Late on Sunday, Samsung asked Koh to dissolve the order, due to the jury's finding. "There is thus no proper basis for maintaining the injunction," Samsung attorneys wrote.
An Apple representative could not be reached immediately for comment.
Samsung's Galaxy touch screen tablets, powered by Google's Android operating system, are considered by some industry experts to be the main rival among larger tablets to the iPad, although they are currently a distant second in sales to Apple's device.
Normally, when a preliminary injunction based on one patent becomes inconsistent with a subsequent verdict, the party subject to the injunction asks the court to lift it, said Mark McKenna, a professor at the University of Notre Dame's Law School.
Yet while the jury absolved Samsung on allegations the Galaxy Tab violated Apple's design patent, it did say the device infringed some of Apple's software patents. That could complicate Samsung's pitch, McKenna said.
"If Samsung or Google could design around those patents, use features that didn't infringe, then they could sell the devices without violating the injunction," McKenna said.
Additionally, Koh can overrule the jury's decision and issue a verdict saying the Galaxy Tab infringed Apple's design patent.
"Judge Koh appears to be of the mindset that the accused Samsung tablet easily meets the 'substantially the same' infringement standard - so much so that the facts lead to one and only one conclusion - infringement," said Christopher Carani, a partner at Chicago-based intellectual property law firm McAndrews, Held & Malloy.
"Thus, Apple has a greater chance than usual to succeed in convincing Judge Koh to play this extraordinary trump card."
If the sales ban is ultimately dissolved, Samsung could go after Apple for damages for the wrongful imposition of the injunction, legal experts said.
Samsung, which has various tablet line-ups with different sizes from 7 inches to 10.1 inches, introduced the Galaxy Tab 10.1 in June last year and recently unveiled an upgraded version, the Galaxy Tab 10.1 II.
The company said that Koh's injunction would not affect the updated Tab 10.1 II.
The case in U.S. District Court, Northern District of California, is Apple Inc v. Samsung Electronics Co Ltd et al, 11-1846.
(Reporting by Basil Katz in New York and Dan Levine in Oakland, California; Editing by Paul Tait and Alex Richardson)
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/samsung-win-galaxy-tab-judge-may-reconsider-u-010411508--finance.html
saturday night live aortic aneurysm minnesota timberwolves jr martinez melasma jimmy rollins jimmy rollins
Afghans: Sources confirm Badruddin Haqqani is dead
KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) ? Afghanistan's intelligence agency said Sunday its operatives have confirmed that the son of the founder of the powerful Haqqani militant network was killed in an airstrike in Pakistan, even as the Taliban vowed that he was alive and well.
Shafiquallh Tahriri, the spokesman for Afghanistan's National Directorate of Security, said Badruddin Haqqani was killed last week. He did not provide any further details, and would not say what information the agency's operatives were basing their conclusion on.
Tahiri's account is similar to one provided Saturday by a senior Taliban leader who said Haqqani was killed in a drone strike. It also hews closely to a version provided by Pakistani officials who said they were 90 percent sure the militant commander was killed Tuesday in a missile attack in Pakistan's North Waziristan tribal region.
Haqqani's death would mark a major blow to the organization founded by his father, Jalaluddin Haqqani, which is viewed by the U.S. as a powerful enemy in Afghanistan. The son is considered the network's day-to-day operations commander. The Haqqani network has been blamed for a series of high-profile attacks and kidnappings in Afghanistan, and the U.S. considers it one of the most powerful militant groups operating in the country.
The Taliban, who are closely allied with the Haqqani network, have rejected all reports of Haqqani's death.
Zabiullah Mujahid, a Taliban spokesman, said Haqqani is alive and in good health in Afghanistan.
"A number of media have reported that Badruddin Haqqani has been killed. We would like to inform all media that this rumor is not correct," Mujahid said in the email to reporters late Saturday.
"Badruddin Haqqani is in the country and is occupied with his operational responsibilities. He is alive and healthy. The rumor about him being killed is more propaganda of the enemy," he said.
In a telephone call with The Associated Press on Sunday Mujahid continued to maintain that Haqqani was alive.
The U.S. does not comment publicly on its drone program, which is widely reviled by the Pakistani public and has been a source of tension with Islamabad.
The areas where the American drone strikes generally occur are extremely remote and dangerous, making it difficult for reporters or others to verify a particular person's death.
Badruddin is considered a vital part of the Haqqani structure and is believed to have played an active role in kidnappings, extortion and high-profile operations in Afghanistan. Tahiri said that Haqqani's responsibilities included arranging foreign suicide bombings, maintaining relations with other insurgent groups, recruiting Pakistani Taliban fighters to the Haqqani group and overseeing operations in southeastern Afghanistan and in Kabul.
"He was the mastermind of the organized suicide attacks in Kabul," Tahiri said, referring to a number of high-profile strikes in the Afghan capital targeting everything from hotels to Western embassies.
"He was the mastermind of the organized suicide attacks in Kabul," Tahiri said.
Still, there are likely people waiting in the wings to replace Badruddin, said former Afghan intelligence chief Amrullah Saleh, now an opposition leader.
"They are going to find another person to replace him. What I know is that his elder brother, Sirajuddin Haqqani, is playing a larger role in the the Haqqani network," Saleh said in an interview on Afghanistan's Tolo television. He said until the group's ability to operate across Afghanistan and Pakistan is limited, "killing their commanders or leaders will have its effect, but not that large of an effect."
The U.S. State Department has designated Badruddin, along with his father and brothers ? Nasiruddin and Sirajuddin ? as terrorists. The State Department said in May 2011 that Badruddin sits on the Miram Shah Shura, a group that controls all Haqqani network activities and coordinates attacks in southeastern Afghanistan.
Badruddin is also believed to have been responsible for the 2008 kidnapping of New York Times reporter, David Rohde, the department said.
After their father effectively retired in 2005, Badruddin and his brother Sirajuddin expanded the network into kidnapping and extortion, both highly profitable for the organization, according to a recent report by the West Point, N.Y.-based Combating Terrorism Center. Afghan intelligence authorities have released intercepts of Badruddin orchestrating an attack against the Intercontinental Hotel in Kabul in 2011, the CTC said.
The U.S. has long viewed the Haqqani network as one of the biggest threats to U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan as well as the country's long term stability. The group has shown little interest in negotiating with the Washington, and has pulled off some of the highest-profile and most complex attacks in Afghanistan, although not necessarily the most deadly.
___
Associated Press writers Rebecca Santana in Islamabad and Anwarullah Khan in Khar, Pakistan, contributed to this report.
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/afghans-sources-confirm-badruddin-haqqani-dead-142214913.html
lamichael james derrick rose acl earthquake los angeles unemployment 2012 nfl draft grades young justice
Sunday, August 26, 2012
Maksa ? Web Design Company India | Article Directory
Maksa Web Designing CompanyTakes Pride as one of the most promising Website Designing and Web site Development Company based in Gujarat (India).Maksa Provide Wide Range of I.T Services to worldwide. Web Services related Online Business starting from creating new website to Internet marketing for that Web Site. Maksa has earned its Reputation as one of the Best I.T Company of India in very short span of time. Maksa Web Solutions has emerged as one of the promising Web Site Design, Website Development, Graphic Design and Internet marketing firm in India. Maksa Main focuses on Web site Designing, Web site Development, Internet marketing, Graphic Designing and Web site maintenance. . Since 2006, we have worked hard on creating new things, analyzing new trends and giving more than expectation to our clients. Along the way, we have amassed a tremendous amount of experience in Designing, Development and marketing of web sites. For Maksa web Designing and Web Development is challenge to create something eyed catchy and different every time that?s people take pride to work with us. Web design is a process of implications, solving critical business problems and allowing websites to work as a significant marketing tool. And Maksa -Indian Web design Company has earned its reputation over the years in Web designing. Maksa comes on top when its matter of web site design Services or professionals of its, In Web Designing Firm Maksa has Serves Business website, corporate website, Personal website and Micro-website. Maksa is also popular as being one of best Indian Graphic Designing Company. Graphic Design is something that image you portray to the world and plan, analyze, and create visual solutions to communications needs of clients. Maksa Graphic Designing Company has professionals of graphic designers who use desktop publishing software and techniques to achieve eye-pleasing graphics. Web development is a broad term of the work that covers all the aspects of website from planning to design and to manage website. PHP has become one of the major players of web development market in the recent few years. It is free software and an open-source general-purpose scripting language that is especially suited for Web development and can be embedded into HTML. Maksa as a one of reputed among Web development companies in India provides open source services such as PHP Web Development and PHP Programming Services. Maksa Web site Development Company in India specializes in ecommerce website development, Website design, and content management systems (CMS). CMS (Content Management System) based Website has become new trend of nowadays, CMS allows you to edit to your website without having any knowledge of Web design and Html. At Maksa we can develop and Design with any readymade or custom Content management system like Word press Development, Joomla Development, and Drupal development. E-Commerce Development also has become Key of profitability to grow your business to newer horizons. We are an E-Commerce Development Company with specializes in ecommerce website design, custom ecommerce development, and self-service application development for eCommerce. One of the main components of online marketing is Internet marketing which basically include web based marketing for every website. As an Indian Internet marketing company Maksa provide highly sophisticated digital marketing, advertising and social media campaigns depending upon the kind of our client?s business. We also come out as an IT Outsourcing provider so we specialize Internet marketing company India, Online Marketing Company, Internet Marketing companies, Search Engine Optimization, Search Engine Marketing can make your company in top in search engines like Google, Yahoo, MSN. Maksa is IT Consulting Company for Every solution, In SEO we have also do our best, SEO is something that helps your site rank better in search engines. Maksa Web Solutions an SEO Services Company India offers you various plans for affordable Search engine optimization (SEO) Service which will suit all your online marketing needs.Inshort Maksa as IT Outsourcing India is the only name who works only for client?s satisfaction & Trust. Outsourcing is frequently done in order to reduce labour expenses. At Maksa We provides Services such in both way As a Outsourcing or Indian Offshore IT Company.
Source: http://articles.influentialseo.com/maksa-web-design-company-india-2/
uganda the parent trap invisible children kony 2012 space weather sunspots pac 12 tournament sun storm
Video: Tropical Storm Isaac hits Haiti hard overnight
Sorry, Readability was unable to parse this page for content.
Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/48788256#48788256
green bean casserole sweet potato recipes the sound of music celebration church new york auto show 2012 tulsa easter eggs
Best of Bridge Slow Cooker Cookbook Review ~ Quick Tattletails
Do you have a slow cooker?? Crock-Pots are awesome for cooking.? Just throw everything in a crock-pot and your meal will be done in a few hours or longer.? It makes it easy for clean up too, just one pot!? I have made some delicious soups from this book, as well as meatless meals.? All of the recipes I have tried were delicious!? The recipes are easy and quick to make.? My favorite so far was the Barbecue Chicken Casserole!? My family also loved the Caramelized Onion Dip!? You could have every meal of the day in a crock-pot.? Crock-pots are very convenient and they save a bunch of time.? For this review I received the Best of Bridge Slow Cooker Cookbook? and I would recommend it!
An exciting new collection of recipes from the Best of Bridge kitchen that are not only delicious but incredibly convenient
Sally Vaughan-Johnston and Best of Bridge ? the team that brought you Bravo! and Fan Fare! ?are back with this collection of recipes created specifically for the slow cooker.? This truly is a winning combination: the convenience of a slow cooker, combined with sure-to-please Bridge recipes.
This fantastic collection features recipes for everything from elegant appetizer, breakfast and brunch ideas to delectable desserts.? Many of your favorite classic Bridge recipes have been adapted to work in the slow cooker.
The Best of Bridge motto remains the same: ?Simple recipes with gourmet results.?? The recipes work, and the one-liners will keep you smiling in the kitchen.
Contents
- Introduction
- Slow Cooker 101
- All-Day Breakfast
- Nibbles, Dips and Drinks
- Soups
- Beef, Veal and Lamb
- Pork
- Turkey and Chicken
- Meatless Mains
- Side Dishes
- Desserts
About Robert Rose
Robert Rose, Inc. based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada and founded in 1995, is one of North America?s leading publishers of bestselling and award-winning cookbooks and health books designed to guide, inform, advise and do everything possible to make your life easier.? Their books contain an abundance of full-color photographs, important diet and nutritional guides, accessible charts and tables, handy and delicious meal plans, practical make-ahead meal ideas, and easy-to-understand step-by-step instructions.Their authors are the most knowledgeable ?go to? experts on a variety of subjects including everything from parenting to diabetes, whole grains to medicinal herbs, and they can even tell you how to manage Crohn?s and Colitis and plan nutritious vegan or vegetarian meals.? Several of their books have won prominent awards including the Gourmand World Cookbook Award, the International Association of Culinary Professional Award, and the Cordon D?Or Culinary International Academy Award.
They offer a vast and incredible selection of cookbooks on every topic from slow cookers and bread making, to baking the perfect cheesecake and preserving jams and jellies.? They even feature titles that bring the authentic flavors of Thailand, India and Italy into your home kitchen with ingredients that can be easily found in your local grocery store.
Their health books, on topics such as diabetes management, include the most current and comprehensive information and are loaded with amazing recipes created to help you achieve a healthier lifestyle.? In an always easy and accessible format, their books contain helpful tips and techniques, nutritional information, and mouth-watering meal ideas designed to appeal to all cooking levels.
A product sample was received for review. I was not paid in any form of cash for this posting. The opinions expressed are my own and were NOT influenced in any way.
Source: http://www.quicktattletails.com/2012/08/best-of-bridge-slow-cooker-cookbook.html
London Olympics Kristen Stewart Rupert Sanders Photos BBC 2016 Olympics TD Bank mountain lion hanley ramirez
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)