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The Great White Shark Site
CONTACT ABOUT JAWSHARK'S MUSIC
Freediver rides a great white shark off Mexico
Researcher Kimi Werner trusted instincts shark wouldn't harm her, grabbed dorsal finMay 14, 2013
Great Shark Kills California Surfer Oct 2012
~Surf Beach, Santa Barbara CA Oct 2012. - The shark probably was mature and at least 15 feet long, said Ralph Collier, a shark attack expert who is founder and president of the Los Angeles-based Shark Research Committee. Collier said he would know more after meeting with investigators and measuring tooth marks in the victim's surfboard.The surfer, 39-year-old Francisco Javier Solorio Jr. of Orcutt, was bitten in the upper torso in the waters off Surf Beach in Santa Barbara County on Tuesday. He died at the scene despite a friend's efforts to save him. "His friend ended up swimming over and pulling him from the water where he received first aid," sheriff's Sgt. Mark A. Williams said.
Friends said Solorio had ridden the waves there since he was a boy. Surf Beach is near Vandenberg Air Force Base. The Air Force said Solorio was not affiliated with the base, which allows public access to some of its beaches.
All beaches on the base's coastline were closed for at least 72 hours as a precaution, Col. Nina Armagno said. Great white sharks are found from tropical to polar regions and are not uncommon up and down the California coast, experts said.
Great white sharks are inquisitive and use smell, vision and taste to identify objects in the water, which can be more difficult if the ocean is churned up or murky, he said. It is likely that the shark that bit Solorio failed to identify the surfer and "struck out at this shape assuming it was a natural prey," Collier said.
"The way it investigates is by taking a gentle bite but unfortunately, what seems like a gentle bite to a shark can cause a devastating injury to a human," Nosal said. Some sharks come closer to shore from around October to January because that is when some of their favorite prey -- nutritious, blubber-rich seals and elephant seals -- are abundant on land, said Sean Van Sommeran, executive director of the Pelagic Shark Research Foundation in Santa Cruz.
"Shark-tober is a phrase we coined," he said. Collier said he has seen sharks as close as 20 feet to beaches. No large seal colonies are near Surf Beach, a locally popular rural area that is known for its treacherous riptides, said Robin Dunaetz, who owns a surf shop in nearby Lompoc.
Since the deadly attack two years, surfers have been aware that sharks may lurk offshore.
Great White Breach Attacks Surfer and fails...
I recently spoke with Australian surfer and Great White attack survivor Durwin Keg. Luckily for Durwin, he was luckier than the Great White that attacked him. Here is the story in his own words.....
Durwin Keg with his Great White nose dented surf board.
The moment I died on my surfboard, it helped me survive the Great White. For two weeks I had been dreaming of being attacked, we had surfed here 6 times during the previous 2 days, but this morning I waslooking around for a knife to strap to my leg, in 30 years of surfing and around the world I have never thoughtin this way.
It was a beautiful sunny day, waves about 4 feet, I was 200m off shore with 2 mates and 3 more were 20 feet closer in, a pack of dolphins bolted past us, Tim said I wonder if a shark is chasing them, Tim and Ferdy then got a wave in straight away. I paddled out a little further and sat up, turned my head to the right, noticed a huge dark shape deep in the water, perfectly still, for a split second I thought it was a huge clump of seaweed, then I noticed it moving stealthily slowly sideways to get behind me. I immediately knew what it was and that it was menacingly after me.
My stomach sank as I knew I was to far out and had absolutely no chance of surviving, I felt so helpless alone and a long long way from land. I knew I only had seconds before it was going spring up and ambush me from behind and eat me in half. He knew I had spotted him as I slowly turned around and began paddling, all I wanted was to get to land, and I was already exhausted from surfing for an hour and a half. I thought if I don’t make a move now I’m gone and there’s no way I’m getting out of this. I was too far out and the waves had stopped it was flat, I turned slowly to face the shore, Mick who was 20 feet further in said he could see pure terror on my face, I did one paddling stroke and the shark realising I spotted him took off like lighting fast under neath me and did a big arc around the back behind me and came up spearing me off my surfboard knocking me into the water, it was so quick I didn’t even have time to yell to Mick “SHARK”. At this point I was wishing I had a Knife, or anything.
Mick said all he could see was a frenzy of water and fins going everywhere and a big grey shape in the water as the shark thrashed around wildly, I pushed, punched and kicked it away from me. I managed to get back on my board and kept paddling. I didn’t take my eyes off him as I watched him go down in front of me and do another huge arc behind me at incredible speed. I was paddling hard and I screamed at Mick and everyone to paddle and get out. I looked behind me and he was coming straight for me like a missile. He got to about 2 meters away breached the water and came and lifted himself right out of the water, I thought I’ve got to do something quick.
I put myself in the water and used my Surfboard as a shield, he hit me hard and dragged me along spun me around and I some how ended up on its back, still clinging to my board Mick and the others could see me out of the water on my surfboard on his back. He went back down again as I hit the water and kept paddling, my arms and neck felt like concrete. Mick and others who could see said the Shark was almost 3 times wider then me.
He went down again in front of me turned and did another big arc behind me as I paddled hard This time he came beside me on his side looking at me, I sat up and looked into his eye trying to stay away from him, as he went down again in front of me and preceded to do another arc behind me. At this point I gave up I didn’t have the strength to fend him off again, he was going to eat me this time for sure, and resigned myself to the fact that I was dead.
Immediately something dramatic happened, all the panic and fear left my body and I was filled with peace and euphoria. I had no fear what so ever and calmly but determinedly paddled as he came two feet behind me, I kept paddling and looking at him calmly waiting for him to eat me in half, he followed me like that for at least 30 meters, then I watched him veer off. I almost couldn’t believe he let me go, he had me for all money but didn’t know it. I feel as he followed me he was weighing up wether to attack again, but could smell no fear, and I was not acting wounded and he may hurt himself, shortly I managed to get onto a small wave all the way into shore.
All the people on the beach were standing up watching, my mates came running over to me and couldn’t believe it when I stood they thought for sure that I would be missing my legs as they saw him take me down twice. They said they could not believe how calmly I was paddling with that monster behind me. I have always been in awe and fear of Sharks and now have a new found respect for their size power and speed first hand, They are the kings of the ocean, I don’t like the killing of sharks or the fish that feed them.
Cousin tells how he saves girl from shark attack
January 12, 2009 - 9:06AM
The man who saved a teenage girl from the jaws of a great white shark says the "monster" was "easily the length of a car".
Syb Mundy, 33, was surfing on Sunday afternoon with his 13-year-old cousin Hannah Mighall at Binalong Bay, near St Helens, in Tasmania's north-east, when a 5m white pointer latched onto her leg. The shark dragged the girl under the water twice before her cousin reached the scene on his surfboard.
"It took her under the water a couple of times and it was thrashing her around, but she kept her head together," Mr Mundy told Macquarie Radio.
"Once it let her go she was bleeding pretty bad. There was a lot of blood in the water." He paddled to her rescue and hit the shark on the head.
"I can remember seeing the eye come out of the water and the head and I was going to try and poke it in the eye if I could get close enough," Mr Mundy said. The shark let go of her leg but then it grabbed her surfboard, which was tethered to her ankle, before it let go for the last time, he said.
Great White Shark attacks swimmers
"I think it just didn't like the taste of her, to tell you the truth." Mr Mundy said they were up to 70m from the beach and saw an opportunity to get away from the shark. "Luckily a wave come along and she was on my back and I said, `Hannah please, this wave is going to save your life, don't let go'," he said.
"But the shark actually got on to the wave. We looked to our left and this thing started surfing towards us and we just headed straight to the beach." The shark continued to harass them until they made it on to the beach, he said. A doctor, who happened to be on hand, wrapped Hannah's leg in a towel until emergency crews arrived.
Google Earth image of Binalong Bay Tasmania, Australia. Fire Bay beach inset
"It sort of circled us. We were paddling in and it was just circling us and coming up underneath us and she was really composed." Mr Mundy said hitting the shark on the head "was like hitting a brick wall - it was that dense". "I didn't have a tape to measure it but it was huge. It was easily the length of a car. " It was just a monster." The attack was the second such incident on Sunday.
Emergency services were called to Fingal Head, south of Tweed Heads, on the far north NSW coast, following reports a 31-year-old board rider had been attacked by a shark just before 9.30am (AEDT).
The man suffered a 40cm tear to his left thigh while surfing about 70 metres offshore.
He was flown to hospital in a stable condition.
Friday April 25th Solan Beach, California USA~
Tragedy struck the community of Solana Beach in North County San Diego yesterday when Dr. David Martin a local retired veterinarian and member of the Triathalon Club of San Diego was attacked and killed by a large marine animal as he swam in the ocean with a group of nine of his club mates at approximately 7:10 am. The group was swimming roughly 150 yards (50 meters) off shore about a quarter mile north of Fletcher Cove near Tide Park.
No one else with Dr. Martin was attacked in the incident. Eyewitnesses say he was swimming somewhere near the rear and center of his swim club group as he was pulled violently down by something in the ocean. The ocean began to turn red before he reappeared and yelled out to the other swimmers for help.
Dr. David Martin license photo California
Courageously the other swimmers stopped and helped him back to shore where local life guards tried desperately to save Dr. Martin's life. Dr. Martin died at approximately 7:49 am of shock & heart failure due directly to massive leg trauma resulting in a complete loss of blood from his body (exsanguination).
Retired shark expert Dr. Richard Rosenblatt was called to the scene to examine Dr. Martin and at 9am gave a press statement to local news reporters.
Dr. Rosenblatt stated that after examining his wounds and measuring the width of the bite area he concluded Dr. Martin was attacked by a Great White Shark measuring somewhere in the neighborhood of 12-15 feet (4-5 meters).
"The type of trauma this victim's legs sustained is consistent with that of a Great White Shark" he said.
Helicopters searched the area a few miles outward from the scene looking for the shark but none was found.
According to Scott Bass, who was on a long distance paddle nearby at the time of the attack, "While I was on my way back home during the paddle, a helicopter came crawling out of nowhere screaming over the ocean, ‘There has been a fatal shark attack in the area! Exit the ocean! There has been a fatal shark attack in the area. Exit the ocean!’”
According to Del Mar lifeguards, the victim’s legs were both shredded severely leaving a twenty two inch bite mark on his body. As a preventative measure, the coastal beaches of San Diego from Torrey Pines to South Carlsbad have been closed for the weekend.
“It’s pretty spooky,” says Bass. “The entire coast of San Diego from Del Mar to Encinitas is empty right now. It’s surreal.”
Dr. David Martin on beach minutes after being mortally wounded by massive Great White Shark.
Local surfers in the area were warned not to enter the water but some promptly ignored the warnings.
Posted Saturday April 26th 2008
Article composed by Jawshark.com based on TV news reports and some commentary from Surfermag.com
Our thoughts and prayers go out to Dr. Martin's family and friends at this time. ~Jawshark.com
This story is very similar to another person killed off the coast of California in 2003, Deborah Franzman. She was also swimming right off the beach and was attacked in the same manner and died the exact same way as Dr. Martin. Great Whites aren't used to encountering people in the water so it's critical you do everything you can to not appear like food to them. Unfortunately for us we are large enough to be easily mistaken for their favorite food...seal and sea lion. Especially when wearing a dark wetsuit. A black wetsuit with red highlights just contributes to a potential mistaken attack as the shark may have thought Dr. Martin was already wounded. Who knows what was going through the shark's mind?
As I recall from the Franzman reports she was also dressed in a black wetsuit. As was another fatality in the 1980's...Omar Conger. There is no reason to believe these sharks are color blind. Someone should do a bit more research and design a wetsuit with less attractive colors for Great Whites. Maybe a coral pattern of canary yellow and neon orange instead of "pinniped" black with red highlights. On second thought chances are it would do no good, as most of these attacks come from below with the target silhouetted against the sky. The shark sees shape and not color at this point.
Also, it seems immediately after the attack the Great White realized Dr. Martin was not his usual prey. So he left him and the rest of them alone from further attack. A tragic but honest mistake on the sharks part it seems. Just another indication that Great Whites are NOT the mindless, relentless killers they have been portrayed as in the past. If that were so the news would of reported at least 6 of the 9 Triathalon Club members dead or wounded. Maybe all of them since they were out beyond the break.
What astonishes me is the fact that more people haven't been attacked since the last San Diego attack in 1994 of Michelle Von Emster. It is a known fact that these sharks migrate from San Francisco and the Farallon Island down to Guadalupe Island, Mexico and over to Hawaii. They cruise on the surface down to thousands of feet deep covering hundreds of miles over a period of weeks. I wasn't surprised the San Diego helicopters didn't sight the shark. If he had taken Dr. Martin and actually consumed him, then I would be worried. That might be enough for the shark to stay for a few days. As it is the shark is more than likely moving on towards Catalina Island, Northern California or Mexico.
South African Surfer escapes Great White Shark attack with his life
Bonza Beach, South Africa Nov 2007
Lee Mellin in hospital after being "taste tested" by large Great White. Thankfully he survived.
Lee Mellin, a South African surfer was recovering in hospital yesterday after being attacked by a Great White shark – just hours before the movie Jaws was being rebroadcast on national TV.
The Steven Spielberg movie Jaws is about a US resort being forced to close its beaches after a Great White attacks bathers.
The shark, believed to be a Great White, shattered Lee's surf board and left a 15-inch wound down his thigh in the attack at Bonza Bay.
“The doctor said I’m the luckiest shark attack victim he has ever seen and I definitely agree,” said Mellin, 37, pointing at his bandaged left thigh yesterday.
Speaking from his hospital bed, Mellin said it was his “survivor’s instinct” that saved his life.
He remained conscious throughout the attack and yesterday gave a vivid account of his encounter with the Great White – even though it all happened “within a split second”.
Mellin and his friend, Leigh Stolworthy, were riding the waves at about 8:45am on Saturday when they saw this “big fish” close by.
“There was nothing we could do,” he said. “It just popped up between us.”
Although in pain and still counting his “lucky stars”, Mellin managed to joke and laugh about the attack:
“There was this massive white shark bursting out of the water, real Jaws-like …
“It obviously gave one look at Leigh thinking he didn’t have enough meat, so he went at me.
“It was a flippin’ big thing.
“ I was still on my board and it came for me.
“I just felt its jaws sinking in ...
The leg of Lee Mellin after being punctured by large Great White off the coast of South Africa. Thankfully this shark didn't finish the bite because it's bottom row of teet contacted the board.
“I think the shark’s teeth got stuck in the surfboard. It then took another bite, but by then I let go of my board.
“It just bit the board again.”
Mellin, son of retired newspaper photographer Rob Mellin, said he started to panic and remembered screaming and shouting at Stolworthy: “Help me!”
“It all happened in … seconds.
“Afterwards we got onto our boards and paddled back.
“I was worried it would come back and strike again, but Leigh kept assuring me that it was nowhere in sight.”
They rushed to the hospital where Mellin was taken into the operating room for stitches.
Mellin, who has been surfing most of his life, said it was simply a case of being at the “wrong place at the wrong time”.
Stolworthy said he was also “lucky to be alive”.
“It was really close,” he recalled. “I was looking at it all the time and thinking: This can’t be for real!”
Mellin’s surfboard was bitten in two and teeth marks left on the two parts were evidence of the size of the shark.
The two surfers think the shark was about 10 feet long, and Mellin reckoned the dorsal fin was about 16 inches tall.
Buffalo City marine services chief Siani Tinley said it was likely the shark was a Great White but tests on the teeth marks on the surfboard and Mellin’s wound would confirm the species.
Tinley added that the clean and cold seawater was conducive to Great White feeding conditions.
Bonza Bay, Nahoon and Gonubie beach were closed with shark warnings on Saturday, but re-opened after 8am yesterday.
Bonza Bay, South Africa
Both Mellin and Stolworthy told of seeing sharks before but they had never had a close encounter.
However, they agreed they will soon be back in the water – surfing, of course.
Bonza Bay, South Africa - Site of Great White Shark Attack
Article courtesy Underwater Times News Service
Older Great White Shark Attack News
Dolphins save surfer from becoming shark’s bait
Tuesday, Aug. 28, 2007
Surfer Todd Endris needed a miracle. The shark — a monster great white that came out of nowhere — had hit him three times, peeling the skin off his back and mauling his right leg to the bone.
That’s when a pod of bottlenose dolphins intervened, forming a protective ring around Endris, allowing him to get to shore, where quick first aid provided by a friend saved his life.
Photo of Todd Endris on the Today morning show talking about his ordeal with a Great White Shark.
“Truly a miracle,” Endris told TODAY’s Natalie Morales on Thursday
The attack occurred at Marina State Park Monterey, Calif., where the 24-year-old owner of Monterey Aquarium Services had gone with friends for a day of surfing. Nearly four months later, Endris, who is still undergoing physical therapy to repair muscle damage suffered during the attack, is back in the water and on his board in the same spot where he almost lost his life.
The dolphins, which had been cavorting in the surf all along, showed up then. They circled him, keeping the shark at bay, and enabled Endris to get back on his board and catch a wave to the shore.
Our finned friends....No one knows why dolphins protect humans, but stories of the marine mammals rescuing humans go back to ancient Greece, according to the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society. Perhaps it's a natural altruistic impulse possessed by the waterborne mammals to try to protect and preserve another mammal's life.
A year ago in New Zealand, the group reports, four lifeguards were saved from sharks in the same way Endris was — by dolphins forming a protective ring.
First reported by By Mike Celizic - www.TODAYShow.com contributor and revised by me.
Hear the Todd Endris Great White Shark Attack story in it's entirety here.
I found this on YouTube and even though I have considered everything Carl says I don't think I have ever heard it put so eloquently. R.I.P. Carl....
Why don't White Sharks normally hunt humans? Because we don't live in the ocean.....
Search Google ! Or...."go back to Jawshark's topic table at the top".
Site launched January 2007
Over 2.5 million unique visitors and counting.
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Original URL: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/11/12/hotmail_cookies/
Hotmail imposes tracking cookies for logout
And where do you think you're going?
Hotmail users are now unable to log out of their account if the browser they are using does not accept third party cookies.
The move by Microsoft raises security concerns, particularly as PCs on corporate networks and in cybercafes and libraries are often set to reject cookies.
The error screen* that greets users who try to log out tells them they must re-enable third party cookies or close every browser window.
Third party cookies are most commonly used by advertising networks to track surfers across the web.
We've asked Microsoft what is behind its demand they are enabled, and whether it's considered the potential security implications. We'll update this story when it gets back to us.
Thanks to Reg reader Phil for spotting the change. ®
*Complete with typo.
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It was for years a truth universally acknowledged that New York Jews retired to Florida. But in recent times, that dynamic has changed and more and more people have been eschewing the Sunshine State for another destination: Israel.
With sunny days and year-round temperatures of 75 degrees, Israel is a great place to be, according to Doug Goldstein, owner and director of Jerusalem-based Profile Investment Services and author of the soon-to-be-released book “The Expatriate Guide to Money and Taxes.” Add to that the fact that Israel is one of the most interesting places to invest in today, lauded by the likes of Bill Gates and Warren Buffett, who’s Berkshire Hathaway made its first-ever investment outside the US in Israel.
Today, Israel’s vibrant and innovative technology sector—an area that receives solid government support—abounds with investment opportunities, Goldstein said.
“So much technology has been developed in Israel over the past years, and so many companies do their R&D work in Israel, that there are many great companies to invest in,” Goldstein says.
Israel is also a leader in green energy initiatives, an area that more and more people are interested in gaining exposure to, and investment opportunities in sectors like communications and healthcare are also plentiful.
Most importantly, “Israel is a country with a great business climate,” Goldstein said. “This is a nation that is very pro-business, and that’s an important consideration to take into account when looking at investment opportunities across the globe.”
Goldstein moved to Israel from the United States 20 years ago and specializes in helping expat Americans live a financially stable life in that country. Part of that means figuring out what the best local investment options might be, but it also means making sure that his clients fully understand all the implications of living abroad, not least how it’s going to affect their taxes.
“As much as I educate people about the issues of investing in foreign countries and currencies, I also spend a lot of my time on tax planning, and this is a huge part of what I do,” he said. “I work very closely with specialists in international tax planning, and now, with the U.S. government making a vigorous effort to collect tax dollars from expats, everyone who leaves the country is under the IRS’s microscope.”
Goldstein is a huge advocate for cross-border expertise; an area he feels is going to become increasingly important as more Americans choose to retire overseas. Professionals who are able to talk to their clients about all the different implications of taking up residence in another country, who are fluent in different tax regimes, and who have solid on-the-ground, local expertise to help clients build strong cross-border financial plans will become more and more the order of the day, he said.
“People need to very careful about the kinds of investments they’re making, since sometimes investing in the new country of residence can prove to be a U.S. tax nightmare,” he said. “I always say that if there’s a local opportunity that looks good then one should assume that there’s a parallel opportunity in the US, and I think that any advisor who wants to succeed in the next 10 years should be able to offer that kind of cross-border expertise to his clients.”
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MADISON, Wis., March 5 (UPI) -- More than 42 percent of all U.S. counties saw increases in female death rates from 1992 to 2006, researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison say.
David A. Kindig, a professor emeritus of population health sciences and founder of the Population Health Institute, and Erika R. Cheng, a doctoral candidate, at the School of Medicine and Public Health said U.S. male mortality rates increased in only 3.4 percent of the counties.
U.S. female mortality rates increased in 1,224 counties compared to an increase in 108 counties for men.
The study found for both men and women, factors associated with lower mortality included having a college degree, higher median household income, Hispanic ethnicity and living in a higher population density area.
For women, living in counties in the South and West was associated with a 6 percent higher mortality rate than living in the Northeast.
Smoking rates were a key factor in higher mortality rates, Kindig said.
The findings were published in the journal Health Affairs.
|Additional Health News Stories|
TUCSON, May 22 (UPI) --The Pima County Sheriff's Department released 580 photos of the Tucson crime scene where six people died and then-Rep. Gabrielle Giffords was among the wounded.
BEVERLY HILLS, Calif., May 22 (UPI) --Photo agency INF says its employees were not chasing singer Chris Brown's Porsche when it hit a wall in Beverly Hills, Calif., Tuesday afternoon.
WASHINGTON, May 22 (UPI) --The United States and Myanmar signed a trade and investment framework agreement, coinciding with the visit of Myanmar President Thein Sein.
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Tridandisvami Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Narayana Gosvami Maharaja
[Respected Harikatha Readers,
Please accept our humble obeisances. All glories to Sri Sri Guru and Gauranga. We are currently working on the first volume of Srila Narayana Gosvami Maharaja’s Morning Walks and Darsans, and we are hoping to print it in October, just before Kartika. In the meantime, we are sending you this 2008 morning walk from Badger, California. Why? We want to give you a preview of some of the wonderful and interesting subject matters that Srila Maharaja is discussing, which he wants to share not just for those devotees on the walk, but for the entire world.
Your aspiring servants,The Harikatha team]
Raghunatha Bhatta dasa: Yesterday you were speaking about our Sripad Tirtha Maharaja. You described how he became a good devotee.
Srila Narayana Gosvami Maharaja: He was not learned in the beginning. [*See Endnote 1]
Sripad Madhava Maharaja: He could not remember any verse, so everyone in the matha would tease him.
Srila Narayana Gosvami Maharaja: He was from a lower-class family. Actually he was born in a poor family of ksatriya origin, which is referred to in Bengal as a lower class, poor family.
Raghunatha Bhatta dasa: I am worse than lower-class.
Srila Narayana Gosvami Maharaja: But you have finished high school and perhaps university.
Raghunatha Bhatta dasa: I did not finish university.
Srila Narayana Gosvami Maharaja: You did not finish, but you studied there. I did not study in any university. Moreover, Srila Gaura-kisora dasa Babaji was totally illiterate and Srila Haridasa Thakura was as well.
Raghunatha Bhatta dasa: My position is that I am a very fallen soul. I am asking you to please bless me and make me a sadhu.
Srila Narayana Gosvami Maharaja: If you are sincere and pray to God, Krsna, who is very merciful, He will at once make you a sadhu. It is for this reason that He has given you such elevated sadhu-sanga without your praying for it. That is why you are hearing so many beautiful subject matters.
Sri Krsna is very merciful. You are fortunate to have this association, so try to take it in your heart.
Devotee: Srila Gurudeva, Srila Prabhupada used the term “Back to Godhead” for more than thirty years. I have also heard you use the term sometimes. I would like to know what this phrase means.
Srila Narayana Gosvami Maharaja: I explained this in my class yesterday – Sri Krsna is beautiful, Srimati Radhika is more beautiful, and together they perform so many sweet pastimes. Our home is with Them.
Brajanath dasa: Srila Gurudeva, in English, the phrase ‘Back to Godhead’ means that one has been there before and that one will be returning there.
Srila Narayana Gosvami Maharaja: Regarding our philosophy, this is not the correct meaning. By constitution, your home is in Goloka Vrndavana, but unfortunately you fell from the tatastha region to this world. Now you should try to go home. Now, I have a question: Why did Brahma test Krsna? What was the reason?
Tirthapada dasa: The basic answer is that this is part of a pastime.
Srila Narayana Gosvami Maharaja: This is of course part of a pastime, but why was this pastime performed?
Govinda dasa: Brahma did this because Krsna wanted to accomplish many other pastimes by this one.
Srila Narayana Gosvami Maharaja: What were those pastimes?
Sripad Padmanabha Maharaja: When Sri Krsna killed the demon Aghasura, Lord Brahma saw Aghasura’s soul come out of his body and enter Krsna’s lotus feet. Seeing this, Brahma wanted to witness more sweet pastimes of Sri Krsna.
Srila Narayana Gosvami Maharaja: This is all right. Can you explain further?
Sripad Padmanabha Maharaja: There are many reasons why this pastime had to take place.
Srila Narayana Gosvami Maharaja: Why?
Sripad Padmanabha Maharaja: The cows and elderly gopis of Vrndavana had a desire to have Krsna as their own son. They wanted to breastfeed Him, to give Him their milk.
Sripad Madhava Maharaja: And the teenage gopis wanted Krsna as their beloved.
Sripad Padmanabha Maharaja: Therefore, during that pastime, those teenage gopis were betrothed to Krsna, who was then in the form of the innumerable cowherd boys.
Sripad Madhava Maharaja: Knowing the desire of Sri Krsna, Yogamaya attracted Brahmaji to steal the cowherd boys and calves.
Sripad Padmanabha Maharaja: In Brahma-vimohana-lila, Lord Brahma began to think, “I just saw that Krsna killed Aghasura, and the demon’s soul entered into Krsna’s body. Yet, I also see Him sitting among His friends. He looks almost like an ordinary cowherd boy.” In this way, the question came into his mind, “How can He be the Supreme Lord of all?”
Srila Narayana Gosvami Maharaja: No. He only thought, “I want to see some more sweet pastimes.” To fulfill Krsna’s desire, Yogamaya came and made that thought enter his mind.
Sripad Padmanabha Maharaja: At that time he questioned Krsna’s supremacy and power.
Sripad Madhava Maharaja: No. He thought, “What will Krsna do if I steal His cowherd boys and calves?”
Sripad Padmanabha Maharaja: Yogamaya then made the calves wander some distance away from the place where Krsna was taking breakfast with His cowherd friends. Krsna told His friends, “Don’t be disturbed. I will go and find the calves.”
He went to search for the calves. In the meantime Lord Brahma came, stole the cowherd boys by his mystic power, and put them to sleep in a cave.
Srila Narayana Gosvami Maharaja: Is he speaking correctly?
Brajanath dasa: No.
Prema Prayojana dasa: In the same way that Ravana cannot steal Sita, Lord Brahma cannot steal the cowherd boys. Lord Brahma merely thought that he had stolen them.
Srila Narayana Gosvami Maharaja: Try to hear this with attention.
Prema Prayojana dasa: The cowherd boys are eternal associates of Sri Krsna. How can any person who is insignificant in comparison to them steal them away and exert his influence over them? This is quite impossible. Actually, Yogamaya gave him the impression that he had stolen the boys and put them in a cave. He then returned to Brahma-loka, but when he reached there he was not allowed entrance to his palace.
Sripad Madhava Maharaja: Yogamaya made the second set of boys.
Prema Prayojana dasa: And Sri Krsna made a third set. The original boys were still on the bank of the Yamuna, and Yogamaya made the second set.
Srila Narayana Gosvami Maharaja: There were three sets: One set consisted of the original boys and calves, and they were covered by Yogamaya. Mahamaya [*See Endnote 2]
Sripad Madhava Maharaja: Yogamaya made the second set.
Srila Narayana Gosvami Maharaja: No, it was Mahamaya. Mahamaya made a replica of those same cowherd boys and calves, and this was the second set, the set that Brahmaji stole. Regarding the third set, Krsna personally expanded as that third set. This is the thing I wanted to tell you. This is very mysterious, very mysterious.
Balarama dasa: What happened to the original set of cowherd boys?
Srila Narayana Gosvami Maharaja: Yogamaya covered them so that no one would be able to see them. Neither Brahmaji nor the Vrajavasis, nor even Baladeva Prabhu, could see them. Being covered by Yogamaya and under her influence, the year passed in a flash for them.
Sripad Visnu Maharaja: Srila Gurudeva, what is the need of Mahamaya creating the other cowherd boys? Why not Yogamaya?
Srila Narayana Gosvami Maharaja: If Yogamaya had created them, how would Brahma have been able to steal them?
Sripad Visnu Maharaja: Even though Brahma is the head of our sampradaya and he is able to watch this lila?
Srila Narayana Gosvami Maharaja: Still. Being influenced by Yogamaya, even Balarama did not understanding what was actually taking place, so what to speak of Brahma.
Nrhari dasa: I read that Srila Madhvacarya omitted this chapter about Lord Brahma in his commentary.
Srila Narayana Gosvami Maharaja: Yes, but Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and His followers have accepted it. Srila Madhvacarya considered, “Brahmaji is my Gurudeva. He cannot be bewildered by illusion.” Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu reconciled this. He explained that this is one of the very sweet pastimes of Krsna. By performing this pastime, Krsna fulfilled the desires of the cows, mothers, and young gopis.
Sripad Madhava Maharaja: Madhvacarya did not write commentaries on the fourteenth and fifteenth chapters of the Tenth Canto (the chapters describing Brahma stealing the cows and cowherd boys). It is not that he took out those chapters; rather he did not write commentaries on them.
Sripad Sajjana Maharaja: Srila Sukadeva Gosvami did not mention in the Srimad-Bhagavatam that Sri Krsna went to Brahma-loka and took the form of Lord Brahma.
Srila Narayana Gosvami Maharaja: It has been told in other Puranas and in the commentary of Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura. What happened when Brahmaji went to Brahma-loka?
Sripad Sajjana Maharaja: When Brahmaji reached there, the guards blocked the door and told him, “Get out! Get out! You are an impostor!”
Srila Narayana Gosvami Maharaja: “Our Brahmaji is already here.”
Sripad Sajjana Maharaja: “And He told us to keep the impostor from entering here.”
Srila Narayana Gosvami Maharaja: Then what did Brahma do?
Sripad Madhava Maharaja: Brahmaji then returned to Earth and meditated on the possible reasons his servants treated him in that way. During his trance of meditation, he realized that Sri Krsna was behind the whole incident. Krsna had ordered them to do so; He had bewildered them.
Srila Narayana Gosvami Maharaja: There he realized.
Sripad Sajjana Maharaja: Brahma returned to Earth after one year of Earth-time. He saw that so many wonderful pastimes had taken place in Vraja during that year, like the betrothal of the young gopis. He looked in the cave where he had put the cowherd boys and calves created by Yogamaya and saw that they were still there. Then he looked further and saw that all of the calves and cowherd boys were continuing to play with Krsna as before. He then saw those cowherd boys transforming into the four-armed forms of Sri Krsna known as Lord Narayana. Seeing this, he understood that Sri Krsna had personally taken the form of all of His cowherd boyfriends and calves.
Rohininandana dasa: Gurudeva, today we are celebrating the annakuta ceremony of Sri Govardhana. What should we be meditating on and trying to feel in our hearts while performing our devotional service and making preparations for Sri Govardhana?
Srila Narayana Gosvami Maharaja: Giriraja Govardhana can give what Sri Krsna Himself cannot give, because Govardhana is asraya-vigraha, meaning, ‘the abode of love for Sri Krsna.’ We should pray to him in this way: “Govardhano me disatam abhistam – May Govardhana Hill fulfill my deepest desire.” (Srila Visvanath Chakravarti Thakura, Sri Govardhanastakam.
pramada-madana-lilah kandare kandare teracayati nava yunor dvandvam asminn amandamiti kila kalanartham lagnakas tad-dvayor menija-nikata-nivasam dehi govardhana! tvam
["Oh, Govardhana, please grant me a dwelling near your side so that I can easily witness and serve the youthful lovers, Sri Radha Krsna, as They perform newer and newer secret, amorous lilas within your many caves where They become completely maddened from drinking prema. You are present and making everything possible." (Srila Raghunatha dasa Gosvami, Sri Govardhana-Vasa-Prarthana-Dasakam, verse 2])
Srila Narayana Gosvami Maharaja: “You can enable me to see the sweet pastimes of Sri Krsna – even the intimate kunja pastimes. You can also give me the service of Sri Sri Radha and Krsna.” Sri Govardhana, Yamuna devi, and Lalita-sakhi can grant the fulfillment of these desires.
Sripad Sajjana Maharaja: Gurudeva, today is Father’s Day. We wish you a Happy Father’s Day.
Srila Narayana Gosvami Maharaja: Do not merely speak it. This sentiment should manifest by your actions.
Anupama dasa: Yesterday you mercifully gave me harinama. I want to know how I can serve you better and get your blessings.
Srila Narayana Gosvami Maharaja: You can think, “By all means I must try to serve in any way that I can.” In what ways can you serve? What qualifications do you have?
Anupama dasa: I am very fallen. I have no qualification.
Srila Narayana Gosvami Maharaja: Then chant Hare Krsna. I will be happy by that.
Anupama dasa: Can you please explain the meaning of my name – Anupama?
Srila Narayana Gosvami Maharaja: This is a name of Krsna. It means that no one in this world or the transcendental world is equal to Him.
Sripad Madhava Maharaja: Incomparable; matchless.
Devotee: Sri Caitanya-caritamrta explains that Srila Ramananda Raya is a manifestation of Srimati Visakha-devi, and that he is Arjuna of the five Pandavas. Can you please explain how this is possible? Is it not rasabhasa to think like that?
Srila Narayana Gosvami Maharaja: In Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s pastimes, Srila Haridasa Thakura is a combination of Sri Prahlada Maharaja and Brahma. In the same way, Srila Ramananda Raya is a combination of Srimati Visakha-sakhi and Arjuna. But which Arjuna?
Sripad Madhava Maharaja: He is not Pandava Arjuna. He is Arjuna, the priya-narma sakha (intimate cowherd friend) in the sweet pastimes of Krsna in Vraja.
Nrhari dasa: Srila Gurudeva, is the Arjuna of the Pandavas an expansion of Arjuna of Vraja?
Srila Narayana Gosvami Maharaja: Yes. Sri Krsna loved Arjuna of the Pandavas because he had the same name as His dear friend Arjuna in Vraja.
Gaurasundara dasa: In your book The Origin of Ratha-Yatra there is a pastime in which Mother Kunti asked Vasudeva Maharaja, “When we were in trouble in the house of shellac and it burned down, why did you not ask about our welfare or help us in any way?” Vasudeva Maharaja replied, “I was in prison being kicked by the soldiers of Kamsa. When I was released I immediately sent a message to you.”
My question is this: Didn’t the pastimes of the Pandavas begin after Vasudeva Maharaja was already freed from prison?
Srila Narayana Gosvami Maharaja: Krsna was still young when Vasudeva Maharaja was in prison. It was during this time that the Kauravas tried to burn the Pandavas in the fire.
Sripad Madhava Maharaja: Arjuna and Krsna are the same age and Bhima is a little older, so the pastimes of the Pandavas were taking place even before Krsna killed Kamsa.
Sripad Damodara Maharaja: Gurudeva, Srila dasa is here.
Srila Narayana Gosvami Maharaja: (To Srila) My dear friend. You have no wife, nor any children, nor any related responsibilities, but you do not come with us to preach around the world. You are not merciful to me, or even to Krsna.
Srila dasa: I have no mercy on myself.
Srila Narayana Gosvami Maharaja: You are very cruel. Krsna wants to take you with Him, but you refuse to go.
Visvambara dasa: Srila Gurudeva, you have often quoted this verse:
barhapidam nata-vara-vapuh karnayoh karnikarambibhrad vasah kanaka-kapisam vaijayantim ca malamrandhran venor adhara-sudhayapurayan gopa-vrndairvrndaranyam sva-pada-ramanam pravisad gita-kirtih
["Wearing a peacock-feather ornament upon His head, blue karnikara flowers on His ears, a yellow garment as brilliant as gold, and the Vaijayanti garland, Lord Krsna exhibited His transcendental form as the greatest of dancers as He entered the forest of Vrndavana, beautifying it with the marks of His footprints. He filled the holes of His flute with the nectar of His lips, and the cowherd boys sang His glories." (Srimad-Bhagavatam 10.21.5)]
I would like to know if there is a special potency in this verse. Every time I think of it or read it, I begin to cry. I don’t know why There must be some magic in it.
Srila Narayana Gosvami Maharaja: Srila Sukadeva Gosvami has filled this verse with all of the sweetness of Sri Krsna’s form (rupa-madhuri). The gopis experience the truth of this verse, and you are fortunate to realize this.
Trilokanatha dasa: Some years ago in Hilo, Hawaii, you said that Krsna’s pastimes of sambhoga (meeting) are superior to those of vipralambha (separation). You cited the example of the gopis cursing Lord Brahma for creating eyelids that cover their eyes. However, a few days ago, we heard that Srimati Radhika feels separation from Sri Krsna even while sitting on His lap, and Krsna very much appreciates Her love in these moods of separation. Srila Prabhupada has also stressed the superiority of feelings of separation.
Srila Narayana Gosvami Maharaja: It has been told in scripture that the mood of separation dances on the head of the happiness of meeting. But do you think that the gopis will be happy in separation from Sri Krsna? Do you want Srimati Radhika and Sri Krsna to be separated?
Srila Narayana Gosvami Maharaja: It is in this regard that I have said that meeting is the highest situation – in accordance with this line of thought.
Sripad Madhava Maharaja: Srila Sanatana Gosvami has written that feelings of separation dance on the head of the happiness of meeting. However, in the next verse he says that Sri Krsna cannot tolerate His devotees’ feelings of separation and immediately appears before them.
Rohininandana dasa: It is said that the most dangerous thing for us is to commit vaisnava-aparadha. In that connection, I fear that I am not making advancement because I have offended you. I am hoping that you will forgive me so that I can make some advancement.
Srila Narayana Gosvami Maharaja: I have forgiven you, but you should know that in your past lives you have committed many offences. This is the reason why, when you chant harinama, tears do not fall from your eyes and the hairs of your body do not stand on end:
hena krsna-nama yadi laya bahu-baratabu yadi prema nahe, nahe asrudharatabe jani, aparadha tahate pracurakrsna-nama-bija tahe na kare ankura
["If one chants the exalted holy name of the Lord again and again and yet his love for the Supreme Lord does not develop and tears do not appear in his eyes, it is evident that because of his offenses in chanting, the seed of the holy name of Krsna does not sprout." (Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Adi 8.29-30)]
Endnote 1: At present he knows several thousand verses.
Endnote 2:Syamarani dasi: Was it Yogamaya or Mahamaya who created the set of cowherd-boys stolen by Brahma?Srila Narayana Gosvami Maharaja: It was actually Yogamaya, but she acted through the agency of her shadow, Mahamaya. It was the action of Yogamaya, but through Mahamaya. Do you understand?Syamarani dasi: Are you referring to the same Mahamaya who controls the material world?Srila Narayana Gosvami Maharaja: Yes. She who was Yogamaya with Yasoda, and who came with Vasudeva Maharaja to Mathura, at once became Mahamaya for Kamsa. They are the same Maya, but by action, or function, they are known as Yogamaya or Mahamaya.Brajanath dasa: Madhava Maharaja said that the gopis worshipped Katyayani, Mahamaya, and it was that same Mahamaya who bewildered Brahma.Srila Narayana Gosvami Maharaja: For the gopis, that Maya was Yogamaya. Maya is one, and by her function she is two. When she acts upon Krsna and His associates, she is Yogamaya. When she acts to bewilder the conditioned living entity, then she is Mahamaya.Someone may say, “Narayana Maharaja is a most angry person.” Another person may say, “No, he is very loving.” The first person saw me chastising someone, and therefore his idea is that I am an angry person. The second person saw my very sweet behavior and thinks, “Oh, he loves everyone.” (Srila Narayana Gosvami Maharaja, darsana, January 29, 2010, Johannesburg, South Africa).]
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Underserved communities are experiencing a shortage of primary care physicians
Physicians and their ability to care for our families play an essential role in maintaining good health and treating the sick in every community. Underserved communities are no different, but with too few physicians, too many people don’t get the ongoing care they need. Some wait to see a physician until their condition becomes unbearable – and much more expensive to treat – or worse.
Educational debt for graduating physicians is at historic highs
Unfortunately, physicians in primary care, which includes the lowest-paid of medical specialties, now face the prospect of spending most of their careers digging out from educational debt.
Physician loan forgiveness helps both the community and the physician
With loan forgiveness, the physician gets help paying down educational debt and the community gets a physician they can depend upon, someone who will be there, someone who will get to know them and their families. The physician makes a commitment to practice in the community for a minimum of 3 - 4 years. Once there, most physicians choose to stay much longer.
MMAF: a track record of collaboration, service and success
MMAF, in collaboration with the Minnesota Department of Health - Office of Rural Health and Primary Care, is improving access to care in underserved communities through Physician Loan Forgiveness programs. Today, two physicians are working in underserved rural communities with loan forgiveness support from MMAF.
Now, MMAF is expanding its commitment to include underserved urban communities.
Initiative for Access – Health Care in Minnesota’s Cities
Improving access to health care in underserved urban communities
Initiative for Access, with the support of is helping two primary care physicians address their educational debt in exchange for their three to four-year commitments to practice in an underserved community in the Twin Cities.
You can make it happen
With the support of individuals and community organizations, like the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota Foundation, HealthPartners, UCare and others, MMAF will provide $100,000 to match $100,000 provided by the Minnesota Department of Health to fund two Urban Physician Loan Forgiveness contracts, one in Minneapolis and one in Saint Paul.
But we still need your help! With just $16,300 to go to complete the $100,000 challenge, your gift today can make a real difference. Your gift will improve access to health care for many hundreds, even thousands of our neighbors.
Give now, and your gift will have twice the impact!
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The unpopularity of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq is an opportunity for the Navy. The national disinclination to occupy more countries encourages a more maritime approach to war; one where the U.S. military fights from the sea with missiles, fighter aircraft or Marines deployed from ships. That defense posture could allow the Department of the Navy, which includes the Marines, to gain budget share at the expense of the army and air force. Should defense spending decline, this might translate into treading water while the other services sink.
An op-ed in Monday’s Wall Street Journal suggests that navalists may be thinking along these lines. The authors are Gordon England, a former Secretary of the Navy, James Jones, former Commandant of the Marines, and Vernon Clark, former Chief of Naval Operations. They write:
The future security environment underscores two broad security trends. First, international political realities and the internationally agreed-to sovereign rights of nations will increasingly limit the sustained involvement of American permanent land-based, heavy forces to the more extreme crises. This will make offshore options for deterrence and power projection ever more paramount in support of our national interests.
Second, the naval dimensions of American power will re-emerge as the primary means for assuring our allies and partners, ensuring prosperity in times of peace, and countering anti-access, area-denial efforts in times of crisis. We do not believe these trends will require the dismantling of land-based forces, as these forces will remain essential reservoirs of power…
Given these enduring qualities, tough choices must clearly be made, especially in light of expected tight defense budgets.
It’s fair to conclude that the tough choices the op-ed elliptically seeks would benefit the navy at the other services’ expense, especially the army. I say so because the ellipses above contain three paragraphs heralding the navy’s unique capabilities and because opposition to “dismantling” the land-based forces (translation: army) hardly means endorsing its current size.
The two trends that form the core of the op-ed closely reflect remarks made last fall by Gary Roughhead, the Chief of Naval Operations (video here). In both cases, the second trend—increased reliance on naval power—is a policy conclusion the reader is meant to form, not a supporting argument. In the Pentagon’s culture, where jointness is practically religion (the deities are Goldwater and Nichols) you have to shroud parochial advocacy as empirical observation. For the same reason, neither piece explicitly says that the navy should get the other services’ money. Publicly attacking other services is sacrilege.
Hopefully what we have here is a coordinated navy effort to gain preeminence in the Pentagon. That effort could have two payoffs for taxpayers. First, it could give us an offshore balancing strategy, keeping us out of needless trouble. Second, it could unleash productive competition among military services.
Offshore balancing is a strategy available to states separated from enemies by ocean(s). Offshore balancers deploy troops abroad only to prevent hostile states from unifying enough power abroad to threaten it and leave once the regional balance of power reforms. Arguably, offshore balancing was the rationale for U.S. military policy from the mid-nineteenth century, when power projection became possible, until the point in the Cold War where our allies could have paid for their own defense. Nowadays, the strategy cautions against occupational warfare and protecting rich allies with permanent bases. The strategy’s leading proponents have looser criteria for what justifies deploying U.S. forces abroad than me and the other Skeptics bloggers. But even a hawkish variant of offshore balancing would limit U.S. military commitments, allowing us to cut forces and save.
To be clear, what navalists are promoting is at best a bastardized version of offshore balancing. Roughead's speech uses the term but then suggests that naval forces can spread the rule of law in Africa and fight insurgents in Philippines, missions contrary to offshore balancing. Like England et al., he suggests that naval patrols are essential to global political stability and trade, a claim that is both dubious and unrelated to offshore balancing’s logic.
What we are being sold here is the notion that we can accomplish from ships almost everything we now do in the name of our defense, with the exception of Iraq-type wars. True offshore balancing means accepting that most violent struggles in foreign continents are irrelevant to our security, so we can intervene less often, for less time. Still, the politics that make the term useful PR might move policy toward the real deal.
The navy’s mere push to eat the other services’ lunch could create useful interservice rivalry. It would threaten the practice, in place since the Kennedy administration, where each military service gets about the same share of the defense budget each year, once you subtract the growing share going to defense-wide expenditures. If you include the supplemental war appropriations, current budget shares favor the ground forces, deviating from the historical split. But supplementals are temporary measures meant to preserve the bureaucratic status quo ante bellum.
Because jointness is helpful on the battlefield, military officers often assume it is great for defense planning. But service cooperation in the Pentagon can hamper efficiency and innovation. When service budgets rise and fall together, their leaders’ incentive is to grow the whole pie by pointing to general threats and avoid criticizing each other. If services are rewarded separately, their incentive is to look sexy and point out each other’s flaws, generating useful information for policy makers. They may innovate to gain relevance or publicly articulate alternative strategies that better employ their skills.
The last time we had real budgetary competition was the Eisenhower administration. The air force, whose bombers were the heart of the massive retaliation strategy, then got about half the defense budget. The army and navy fought over the remainder. Their scramble for relevance made them innovators in search of a place at the nuclear table and advocates of alternative strategies. The navy got into nuclear deterrence by inventing submarine-launched ballistic missiles. Needing conventional wars to fight, the army helped articulate Kennedy’s flexible response strategy.
The results of that strategy weren’t great, but bureaucratic competition at least provided strategic alternatives with real political support bases, something we lack today.
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I never really gave any thought to this before, I guess I just assumed that there was a standard ball that all teams used. I could definitely see how this could help explain the effect of home court advantage, as well as how some shooters can inexplicably go cold on the road.
The N.C.A.A. does not require the use of a specific brand of basketball during the regular season. The home team plays with its preferred type, whether it is Nike or Spalding or Adidas. The choice is often tied to the team’s equipment contract. Because each brand has a distinct feel, it is just another reason it is hard to play on the road in college basketball.
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By Marcus Shockley
No doubt you’ve heard the recent news of Allen Iverson’s financial woes, ignited by his judgement against him from a jeweler to the tune of over $800,000, but this isn’t a surprise. In 2010, it had already been reported that Iverson had massive money problems.
This isn’t really a story about Allen Iverson, one of the greatest scoring guards to ever step on the court and a player whose fearlessness was an awe inspiring sight to witness. Iverson has a lifetime of bad decisions and recklessness that make this result almost a given. It doesn’t matter how much money Iverson blew through, whether it was $150 million or $500 billion, it was inevitable.
Instead, this is a story about everyone else. I’ve had several columns in the past about how players should educate themselves about money, and this is one more cautionary tale to throw on the stack. But something specific about Iverson’s story struck me as a perfect example of why, and how, someone could blow through a fortune in such a short amount of time.
In one article from the Philadelphia Inquirer, it was reported that Iverson’s entourage would sometimes be in the range of 50 people. Fifty! Here’s the thing that people, including professional athletes, fail to grasp. Iverson was basically an industry that had as many as fifty people on a lavish payroll, and that’s absurd. Most multi-million dollar businesses don’t have fifty employees.
To explain this, let’s break away from the world of sports for a moment and talk regular, run-of-the-mill business. The most recent average salary reported in the U.S. was $30,513. That doesn’t count for health insurance and other factors in employing people, but for sake of this discussion, it will be fine to just use this number.
Let’s say you have a business selling, oh, let’s say really expensive shoes. You employ 30 people at the average salary of $30,513, meaning your payroll is $915,390 per year. Ok, so with only 30 people on staff, you are paying almost a cool million every year just for ‘average’ salaries. Now, you might be yelling at your computer screen ‘what are you talking about? Iverson had an entourage, but he wasn’t paying them like staff!’, and you’d be right, except an entourage is worse. You are paying for plane tickets, clothing, rent, food, lavish parties and all kinds of travel expenses and not even getting the benefit of people producing more product or revenue for your business. Expenses like this are way, way more than $30k per year per person. It can be easily triple that, or more. Private jets are not cheap. Designer clothes, posh restaurants, all of that requires a much bigger amount of cash. It could easily run you $1,000 per day per person or more. A weekend in New York City or Vegas can be $30,000 a day per person if you are determined to blow it right. There are hotel rooms in Vegas that run $16k a night – just imagine a weekend of 10 pals who think they have an unlimited budget. If you have an entourage of 20 people (which is a BIG entourage) who are sponging off of you to the tune of $365,000 per year, that’s a $7.3 million in expenses per year, and Iverson’s entourage has reached members almost twice that, and that’s not even counting his penchant for gambling and blowing money that has been well documented. If Iverson’s posse could conceivably blow through $20 million a year without being checked, how much could Iverson’s own family blow through? How much could he blow through on his own? Is it really that hard to fathom that he and his pals could easily eat through every last dime of $150 million?
Just to be clear, I’m not saying these are the actual numbers spent by Iverson and his buddies. Just illustrating that it’s pretty simple to slice up even a gargantuan paycheck if enough people get involved without contributing.
Here’s the point. If you are fortunate enough and talented enough to get a big payday, like Iverson did in the NBA, then you must realize that the money is not infinite. Iverson was running his life like he was a billionaire, but he was a millionaire with a finite number of years he could make that money without investing in something else. Hard reality check: millionaires should not be buying Bentleys or private jets. Billionaires can do that, but billionaires own basketball teams, they don’t play for them. Just like most lottery winners, Iverson spent all of his money as fast as he made it, seemingly unaware that the paychecks would eventually stop.
For most players, even if they reach the NBA, their earning years will be limited to less than five. Iverson had contracts far above the average player – he was a superstar, with superstar contracts and superstar endorsements. Now he’s broke, and the Lakers won’t even look at him unless he goes through the D-League. The reality is that Iverson will probably not play again in the NBA, and if he does, it won’t be for long, and it certainly won’t be for the amount of money he made before.
And yet, Iverson won’t be the last. Players will continue to end up on the front page for sob stories like this, and it’s painful to watch. It’s painful for me because I see high schoolers who are dreaming of making the NBA, dreaming of getting a big paycheck where they can take care of their family, and dreaming of all of the other things that come along with having enough money. Most of them won’t make it past their college teams, but for those who do, that paycheck is the culmination of years of work and focus. It’s too bad that after so many years of working, dreaming and dedication, only a few years later it’s often all over. The worst part is, once your playing days are over, they are over. When you are young, you don’t have much but the future stretches out before you like a canvas. When you are older, you still have a lot of options for the future but the one for athletics is no longer available. Even if you are a great athlete at age 35 or 55, you won’t be able to keep up with the 21-year-olds coming out of college.
We all need an ‘out’ in order to have hope. Something that we can work on, something that might pay off big in the future. The problem for many athletes, once they get the big paycheck, they think that pay off arrived, so they are set. But unless they barely spend their money, they aren’t set by a long shot. That money they earn over a few short years has to either turn into investments for the future or it has to last the rest of their life after they aren’t in demand for their athletic ability anymore.
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Newly Approved Imaging Agent Choline C 11 Helps Find Prostate Cancer
WEDNESDAY Sept. 12, 2012 -- Choline C 11, an imaging agent used for positron emission tomography (PET) testing, has been approved to help detect recurring prostate cancer, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said Wednesday in a news release.
The injected substance helps produce an image that allows doctors to identify tissues to test for the disease, the agency said. It warned that PET testing was not a substitute for testing of the actual tissue.
PET testing is performed in men who have elevated blood levels of prostate specific antigen (PSA), a sign that prostate cancer could be present, the FDA said.
In reviewing four previously published studies, the agency said it found that "at least half" of men who had abnormalities detected in PET scans "also had recurrent prostate cancer confirmed by tissue sampling of the abnormal areas."
The FDA said side effects of the newly approved agent were limited to "an uncommon, mild skin reaction at the injection site."
The agent is manufactured and distributed by the Mayo Clinic PET Radiochemistry Facility, in Rochester, Minn.
To learn more about prostate cancer, visit the U.S. National Cancer Institute.
Posted: September 2012
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With the arrival of spring, the most common questions concerning Gold Coast saltwater anglers are: What fish can be caught? Where can they be caught? How many can be kept? What is the minimum size allowed?
The general law regarding catching and keeping a fish out of season is that it is a second degree misdemeanor punishable by a $500 fine, a 60-day jail sentence or both.
A look at the laws regarding a few specific fish:
-- Kingfish: The good news is kingfish, mostly found in deep water, will become legal at 12:01 a.m. Friday. Off limits since early winter, king mackerel (most commonly known as kingfish) will be legal from the Dade/Monroe county line north. The species will remain illegal in state and federal waters through July 1 in the Keys. Minimum size is 12 inches. The daily bag and possession limit is two per day, except when fishing on a charter or driftboat where the skipper and crew are not fishing. Then it is three per person.
-- Spanish mackerel: They are legal with a four per person possession limit in state waters only until Friday when they will be a legal catch in federal waters also from the Dade/Monroe line to the Georgia border. There is a 12- inch minimum and no maximum.
-- Bonefish: March 1, the law regarding the popular fighters found in shallow waters from Key Biscayne south to Key West changed. There now is a bag and possession limit of one per person, per day instead of two. The minimum size is 18 inches in total length.
-- Snook: They are found in shallow water near inlets and piers. Snook were off limits in South Florida, including offshore and in the Flamingo Bay/10,000 Islands region, during January and February but reopened March 1. Snook also will be off limits in June, July and August. When legal, the minumum size is 24 inches and the maximum is 34 inches. The daily bag and possession limit is two per day.
-- Redfish: The season officially closed Jan. 1. Found mostly in Florida Bay/10,000 Islands, redfish have been banned indefinitely. When legal (the subject of reopening the season is reviewed every 60 days by the DNR), the mimimum size is 18 inches and the maximum is 27.
Other restrictions: Snook can`t be sold and may be taken only with hook and line. The sale of redfish also is illegal if caught in Florida waters, which extend three nautical miles off the coast. Using treble hooks with live bait is illegal for redfish or snook.
The Florida Marine Patrol, 1275 NE 79th St., at Pelican Harbor in Miami, has a brochure containing additional information. It is is free. Call 467-4541.
-- A decision by the Florida Marine Fisheries Commission limiting the number of billfish a person may possess will take affect today. It includes white and blue marlin, sailfish and spearfish.
The restrictions were intended to eliminate any commercial market for the meat of billfish since the species are worth more to the state as a recreational resource. Exceptions are for seafood restaurants and taxidermists to possess more than one.
The harvest of billfish with any gear other than hook and line is prohibited.
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When a particular language does not have a name for a vegetable or legume, it's usually because it's not locally grown or not become a popular part of the regional cuisine. Karamani/Lobia/Raungi/Chowli - all different names for cowpeas or black eyed beans - goes to show that this is one legume which has penetrated many parts of India; unlike say, rajma or kabuli chana.
I was used to preparing karamani kozhambu in Chennai, a spicy tamarind and tomato based gravy from MIL's recipe. In Delhi, I learnt this recipe from Tara, our help at home.
She says its the Punjabi way of making it and she learnt it from the household she worked at last. It certainly uses the very Punjabi way of "bhuno" or frying the tomato-onion-masala mixture on slow heat till it comes together and becomes dry and dark. But what makes me think that the original recipe may have been adapted is that she grinds the tomato-onion-masala mixture after it has been fried, something which I don't think is very traditional.
Now, this recipe is the slow version when you have had the time to soak the cowpeas for about 3 hours.
When you haven't been able to soak the cowpeas for long, simply soak it for half an hour or so and then pressure cook the lobia for about 15 minutes on low. Cool and add to the masala made below and cook for about 10 more minutes.
Lobia, I have found, needs quite a bit of condiments to add taste to it, by itself it can make the dish pretty bland. So, cooking it along with the masala makes it much more flavourful than adding the lobia at the end.
This makes for a great accompaniment to rotis as well as rice and since it doesn't need to be soaked overnight, its perfect for a quick meal. Here, served with sticky potato (arvi) - recipe to follow.
Onions -2 medium
Chilli powder - 1 tsp
Coriander powder - 1 tsp
Cumin powder - 1/2 tsp
Garam masala - 1/2 tsp
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Chopped coriander - 2 tbsp
oil - 1 tbsp
salt to taste
1. Heat 1/2 tbsp oil and saute the onions till they are brown.
2. Add the coriander powder, cumin powder and chilli powder and fry for about 5 minutes on low flame.
3. Add the tomatoes and saute for about 10-15 minutes till they become pulpy, then dry out to a brownish onion tomato mixture.
4. Remove from the pan and cool. Blend to a smooth paste.
5. Add the remaining 1/2 tbsp oil and put in the cumin seeds. When they change colour, add the fried tomato onion paste and saute for half a minute.
6. Drain the lobia and add to the pan, add salt and 6 cups of water and bring to a boil.
7. Simmer on a low flame, covered, till the lobia is soft and well cooked.
8. Add the garam masala at the end and cook for a minute before removing from flame.
9. Garnish with chopped coriander.
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When I was in my formative college years, Margaret Edson won the Pulitzer Prize for Wit. There were a lot of unusual things about this. One, she wasn’t a professional playwright. She was a schoolteacher who went back to teaching school after winning the award. I remember watching a television interview with her where she said she had one story to tell, she told it, and then she wanted to do something else. Wow.
What was most striking and unusual to me was how long it took her to get the play produced. Wikipedia doesn’t back me up on this, but I remember her saying that the play was ten years in development. Just think about that: Ten years from conception to production. How could that possibly happen?
Another tidbit: I recently learned that one of my friends from graduate school, Lloyd Suh, who just happens to be a terrific playwright, had a show called A Great Wall Story open at The Denver Center for The Performing Arts. The play is a taut comedy about a trio of reporters who invent a newspaper story in 1896, which eventually leads to the actual Boxer Rebellion. It’s a great, funny show and I’m glad it’s getting a production. Thing is, I remember seeing the first scene of this play when we were in grad school together in 2001. Eleven years for it to make it to the stage.
And, of course, my own experience. I had the joy and relief to finally see my play, White Buffalo, appear on the stage of The Purple Rose Theatre Company this month. I began writing that play in the summer of 2002 – again, a ten year saga.
I’m just glad my references to eBay still held up after ten years. An entire passage glorifying *NSYNC had to go, though. (Just kidding!)
A lot of artists have stories like this. How their masterwork sat and was ignored and rejected for years and years and then, finally, impossibly, broke through. It's almost a cliché at this point, that in order for something to be awesome, it has to be rejected countless times. Even Herman Melville’s Moby Dick sold less than 3,000 copies during his lifetime. (Probably because people thought it was terrible and no one was forcing them to read it.)
It doesn’t always work that way. On occasion you write something and it immediately becomes a smash hit and then stays that way forever. Edgar Allen Poe’s The Raven is a good example: within a year of its publication it was anthologized and soon it was required reading for every child, and has stayed on the list ever since. Or suppose you write a fanfiction S&M story based on Twilight and change the main characters' names in order to avoid being sued.
But usually, getting something done is a long, laborious, nearly impossible struggle. There are so many obstacles to getting a major theater to do a production of your play it’s staggering. You have to fight for it, again and again and again. You have to convince people up and down the chain of command – if anyone says no, it’s over. My play went to an intern first, who read it, and passed it on to the literary manager, who passed it on to the artistic director’s wife, who passed it on the artistic director himself. After the artistic director liked it, he had to send it on the Executive Director. And then we did readings for the public to make sure they liked it. And on and on and on… And mind you, this was after the play had been read and rejected by countless other theaters all over the country. For years. (And when I say “theaters” I mean interns or literary managers or artistic director’s husbands, or artistic directors, because they all have the power to quash your show.)
And after all that, after ten years of working on the play, after convincing everyone in the theater to love the play too, after getting the actors and designers together, and rehearsing the play for weeks, and then finally, finally putting in front of an audience, a single bad review can destroy it all.
Is it any wonder so many playwrights became alcoholics?
My point, though, is that it is possible after years of struggle to succeed at this.
One last story to illustrate this point: When I was a teenager, my friend drove a pretty crappy Volkswagon Scirocco. When you’re a teenage male, you have a tendency to try to race any other car that comes close to you – it’s not like we were drag racers – I’m talking about simply starting at a red light and gunning the engine to see who could go the fastest. Now, the Scirocco was never the quickest car out of the gate, but my friend had a philosophy: It’s not who starts the fastest, it’s who’s willing to go the farthest. He’d always be behind, but he never gave up, and when the other car hit 70 or 80 and decided that it was logical to slow down so as not be pulled over or destroy their vehicle, my friend would keep going.
And that’s how you win. You keep going farther than the other guy.
And hope there aren’t any cops watching.
Visit Don's website: http://www.donzolidis.com/
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The Autumn Visitor
We should always take time to reflect and think about what was and what will be. It's crucial that we revisit our memories because they have made us who we are today. And even though we eventually have to let go of everything--the bitter and the sweet--we must recognize that there are some things that are worth remembering.
"The Autumn Visitor" is a personal reflection on the future. It is an invitation for everyone to learn to let go and move on, while still cherishing those dear memories.
He knew the news he was about to break to her would make her day. Ever since his father passed away last year, and with his two sisters living abroad with their families, the house has been so empty and had a grave atmosphere. He knew that she couldn't bear to have him away from her; hence, it was understood that if he got married he and his wife would live with her in the same house. So, to tell her that he'd finally met someone would certainly be a pleasant surprise.
"But mom, you're crying!" he said, bewildered. A warm smile spread slowly across Alia's face, as if struggling to make its way through the winding wrinkles that were carved on her cheeks and around her eyes over the years. Those were also the result of the countless smiles she had worn in the past, like those smiles of joy she couldn't control on her graduation day, or those she worked up on her wedding day to avoid looking nervous. But for the most part, those wrinkles were the result of the smiles she had as she watched her children grow up, and the scowls of disapproval whenever they did something wrong. This very young man sitting across from her telling her that he wants to get married is responsible for a fair share of those wrinkles. His first steps, his kindergarten graduation, his first successful try at tying a necktie, his first promotion and now, he's getting married.
"I'm just so happy" She replied in what sounded like a whisper. "Saif, tell me about her."
"Well," he clamped his hands and started speaking rather shyly, loosening up as he went on. "She's a friend of a friend. Actually, she's a friend's client. You know, it's a bit complicated but, anyway, we met few months ago in his office and, I don't know, we just clicked!" He paused for a moment as if waiting for her to say something. When she didn't, he thought the safest thing to say was, "What do you want to know?"
"A name would be good, for a start," she said with a grin, as if to let him know that she was aware of how nervous he was. Little did she know that what he was about to say was going to turn the joke on her.
"Lina." He paused for a moment then realized that in this particular situation he was required to provide the middle name and the surname as well. It's always like that with old folks who would probably be more interested in the generation they are more likely to recognize. So on he went. "Lina Salah Azmi."
For a moment, she doubted that she heard the name right so she made him repeat it. As he said the name again, she was rendered speechless. Her memory started to rewind and she was 23 again, standing by the window watching that man walk away for the last time, biting on the sleeve of her jacket so no one would hear her weeping.
"I think I know her father," she finally said to him, after a long pause.
"How well do you know him? Because ...he's been dead for three years."
She felt as if an iceberg had fellen on her. She wished he could be mistaken, but how could he be? She tried to contain her shock, and with a lump in her throat she managed to utter no more than two words, "Very well."
"Mom, is there something you need to tell me?" he asked in a rather worried voice. She sensed his worry, and in an effort to comfort him she tried to detach herself from the raging sea of memories and emotions that have just been unleashed. "I do need to tell you something," she said, finally working up a smile.
"I never told you this," she said with a steady voice. "But, 40 years ago, before I met your father, there was someone else in my life. It was a pretty serious relationship, we almost got married, but something went wrong at the last moment, something I don't choose to remember, and it just didn't work out."
"And, that man was Lina's father, I suppose?" he asked in a knowing tone. She only nodded in approval and lowered her gaze.
There was a long silence; finally Saif broke it rather hesitantly. "Mom, if it makes you uncomfortable, I totally understand..."
"No," she interrupted. "It doesn't. It's just that I thought I would never ..." She trailed off to silence again as she couldn't finish her sentence.
"Mom, you don't have to do that."
"What if I want to do it?" she said with an effortless smile this time. "Do you know what real love is?"
He nodded as if to say he had no clue.
"It's love that can never turn sour," she continued. "Love has many forms, and we don't necessarily perceive them all. When I loved Salah, I couldn't imagine my life without him. I loved him deeply; I was sure it was true love, not just a whim, and I knew we had some kind of a bond. At first, I thought it was the bond you have with the person that you'll share your life with, but when it turned out that it wasn't, I knew we still had some sort of connection. I cried when he left me, but I believed in my heart that it was all for the best, and I prayed for him from all my heart. I knew I have lost him as a life companion, and I knew I could fall in love again, but the love I hed for Salah was turning into another feeling, the same feeling that makes me happy today that you want to marry his daughter."
"Saif," she said as she noticed that he still wasn't relieved. "You must know that I loved your father dearly, and I have never betrayed him, neither with my heart nor with my thoughts." She shifted in her seat and put on a less serious face. "So, when am I going to meet her?"
She made sure she looked her best on the day of the visit. She wore a classy gray Lenin-jacket dress, one she was saving for special occasions, and made sure she matched it with the right scarf and shoes. Saif too spent a little more time than usual getting ready, but finally they were set and driving to Lina's house, speaking very little on the way.
As they rang the doorbell her heart was pounding so fast that she felt it was going to jump out of her chest. She found it weird that she was more nervous than Saif was. She tried to imagine the feeling the house would give her. She thought she'd smell him in every corner and hear his laughter in every room. She thought of his daughter: perhaps she bears a resemblance to him. She thought that the first thing she'd see in her was him, and she was a bit afraid that her tears would betray her.
The door opened and a young woman was there to welcome them. Alia wondered who she might be since she was almost certain that she wasn't Lina. An elder lady was standing beside her and invited them in while they exchanged formal greetings.
There was nothing in the house that reminded her of Salah, and the young girl who turned out to be Lina looked nothing like him. She couldn't see a trace of him anywhere; even his distinctive scent was absent.
As the four of them chatted, Alia tried to look as little distracted as she could while she looked around the room for any trace of him. Finally, her eyes rested upon a framed picture on a stand in the far corner of the room. It was a black and white picture of a young man in a suit. She wasn't really aware of the conversation when she interrupted to ask who he was.
"That would be my husband, Salah," said Lina's mother. "He was quite a hunk as a young man. Wasn't he? If you look closely you'll probably see how much Lina looks like him. She's the only one among my children who inherited her father's hazel eyes."
Alia smiled and nodded at this, avoiding looking in Saif's direction, but he knew what it was about. It was not him.
For the following few days, neither of them brought the subject up. Saif sensed his mother's disappointment as she lost what she thought was the last link to a past she cherished. How come it didn't occur to either of them that there could be more than one person with the name Salah Azmi?
She tried to busy herself and act as if nothing happened. Saif seemed to respect that, and he too seemed busy working out the engagement arrangement with Lina, she assumed. He would make calls all day long and stay out for hours without saying where he was going or where he was coming from.
A lonely feeling started to haunt her, and she felt like talking, but Saif was never home and he was the only one she cared to talk to.
One afternoon Saif came home early from work. She thought he had to run some errands to get some things done before the engagement party. Instead, he told her to get dressed because he wanted to take her somewhere he wouldn't disclose.
She dressed up in a rush and they set out. She asked him where he was taking her, but he kept telling her to be patient. Finally, they pulled over in front of a small semi-villa with a big garden worn out by the early fall.
She stepped out of the car and walked behind him, as if she was hiding from something. Saif pressed the button on the intercom and made himself known. Then, the gate opened to a long, paved path lined with bronze leaves falling from garden trees. They walked to the door where an elderly lady was waiting for them.
"You must be Alia," the elderly lady said. "Your son told me you and Salah were close friends. Do come in, he's waiting in the living room."
"Let's hope it's the right one this time," whispered Saif.
Alia was too dumbstruck to speak. She tried to say something out of courtesy but words betrayed her at that moment. All she could think of was Salah waiting for her inside, as young and as alive as he was the last time she saw him. But that image was to be scattered seconds before she entered the room.
"I don't know if your son told you this, but..." the elderly lady paused for a moment before saying this. "Please don't feel bad if he doesn't remember you. Salah has been suffering from dementia, for sometime now; he doesn't even remember his own children."
Alia was mesmerized by that, and for a moment she thought of going back without seeing him. Could she bear it if he didn't remember her?
Yes, she could bear anything for this, she thought.
He was nothing like the last time she saw him. He was too thin and nothing was left of his locks of thick black hair but a few gray tufts. His face was even more wrinkled than hers, and his hands were two maps of protruding green and purple veins. There was a woman in her mid thirties sitting beside him. She looked like a young version of the elderly lady who met them at the door, and she introduced herself as his daughter, Fadia.
Alia approached him slowly. Fadia gave her a curt nod, then moved closer to him and said in a loud voice: "Dad, this is Alia. You remember her, right?"
"Alia?" Salah said as he studied her face. His eyes narrowed as if he was trying hard to remember who she was. At this point, Alia could feel the tears welling up in her eyes, but she struggled to hold them back. She wished he'd remember her and they would recall the tiniest details of their past together.
"Ah, Alia," he finally said, and her heart sank within her. She was just about to say something when he turned to his daughter and said, "She's a good woman, she was my mother's closest neighbor and they baked bread together."
Alia stopped in her tracks for a few moments as Fadia shook her head in dismay and gave her a look of consolation. "Sorry, his memory is just a total mess."
Alia had no response to that, but the tears kept streaming down her face. She excused herself, thanked his wife and then walked out in a hurry without even waiting for Saif to follow her. He raced her to the car, telling her he was sorry. She looked at him for a moment, clueless as to whether he should really be sorry or not. But just before she could think of anything, a voice called her from behind.
It was Fadia, she was running behind her begging her to stop. Alia turned around and faced her, thinking she wanted to give her something that might have left in the house.
"I'm so sorry for this, Mrs. Alia. I know it must be hard," she said as she seemed to struggle with her words. "My father's memory might be a blur now, but few years ago when he was more lucid, he told me all about you. Everything."
"He told me how you met and how much he was fond of you. He said you were a great woman, and to tell you the truth, I felt a bit jealous to think that he may have loved you more than my mother, but he told me it was different."
Alia had no idea what to say, and she no longer felt the tears on her face. Fadia stood speechless too, and at last figured out that she'd better excuse herself and go back inside. Alia remained standing still for a moment. She then looked at Saif who was waiting for her in the car and motioning her to get in. She walked with slow steps, but before she stepped in, she turned around and yelled at the top of her lungs.
Fadia turned around just before the gate closed.
"Why did he tell you about me?"
Fadia smiled and lowered her gaze to the ground.
"He knew his memory was fading away," she said with what sounded like a sigh. "He wanted to make sure some things weren't lost along with it. Some things are worth being remembered."
For a moment, Alia lost the sense of time and place, the wrinkles disappeared from her face and she was standing by the window again, looking at the same young and strong man, but this time she didn't hear herself weeping; the only sound she could hear was a voice in her head that said over and over:
"Some things are worth being remembered."
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For filmmaker Jari Osborne, November 11 was as unremarkable a day as the next. Watching her father, Alex Louie, during his annual Remembrance Day ritual, Osborne always thought of him as sentimental. However, in discovering her father's involvement in World War II, she uncovers a legacy of discrimination and politically sanctioned racism against British Columbia's Chinese-Canadian community. Sworn to secrecy for decades, Osborne's father and his war buddies now vividly recall their top-secret missions behind enemy lines in Southeast Asia. Theirs is a tale of young Chinese-Canadian men proudly fighting for a country that had always mistreated them. Told in the voice of a thankful daughter, this multi-layered documentary does more than reveal an important period in Canadian history. It pays moving tribute to a father's quiet heroism.
More info on this film in NFB catalogue »»
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A sound of two pairs of feet on the cold frozen ground. It is dark and two men are walking in a woods at night.
They stop in a wide spot in the woods. The clouds break momentarily and the blowing snow becomes visible.
"Has it been as you expected?"
There was no answer for a moment.
"Has it been what you wanted?"
The other shuffled his feet, tracing an abstract design on the ground with his boot.
A sigh escaped his lips. "I wish I knew."
They walked forward a few steps. "I don't know."
He suddenly stopped. "Can I ask YOU something?"
"Has it been as YOU expected it? Are YOU pleased? Has it been anything close to what YOU wanted?
"Ah, now that is an interesting question, lad. Has it been as I expected? What, please tell me, do you think I expected?"
In the dark, the other almost thought he caught a hint of a smile and a twinkle in the eye of the other.
"What DID you expect?"
"Why does it matter?"
"Well, then, has it been in any way what you wanted?"
"What do you think I have wanted?"
"That...that...Oh, I don't know."
"I expected precisely what has taken place."
"What do you mean?"
"I expected the difficulty of the way would compel you to come to me almost hourly to ask for help. I wanted you to have to ask me. I wanted you to need me."
The other stood there shocked silence."
"I. Wanted. You. To get to Know. Me."
"So...so...it has not been the miserable failure it seems to me?"
Read more articles by Joshua Paul Bechtel or search for articles on the same topic or others.
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Sorry,I've been busy trying to earn a living and trying to
also find this 4 disc set online.Well it took a while but I
finally found it,and purchased a copy to share. This is
just what it says, Lead Belly's last sessions ever, from 1948,
a year before his death. He was a remarkable talent, and he
had a large repertoire of folk songs and popular songs either
he made up or songs he learned from others and kept the
song alive,by playing it live or recording it.It's a little like
he absorbed the songs from other musicians,and added his
songs,wrote his own songs as well. A great interpreter!
This series of discs will show a wide range of songs he did.
These songs were also his first tracks recorded on magnetic
tape,which was a brand new technology at the time!
The new audio tape recording process will also give better
dynamics to his voice and guitar playing,since those older
field recordings were not up to snuff.
Lead Belly was a great interpreter of songs,these 4 discs give
you,dear music fanatic,almost his entire repertoire of music.
These recordings were done over a three night "recording session".
These recordings are also significant as,they were made
quite simply, as if he is just sitting around the house.
Not just anyone;'s house either, at Frederic Ramsey Jr's house,
who was and became the co-author/editor of Jazzman,The Jazz
Record Book,Jazzways.And editor of the Folkways Jazz
Series.He was also the 1953 recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship
for studies in Afro-American music. These recordings are not
professionally made,but recorded like a music interview. He talks
about the music,how it relates to his own life, and these
recordings are not edited in any way! When these sessions
were finally committed to vinyl,they were not separated by
song bands, they were put out exactly as they were recorded.
The only company that would agree to do this was
Moses Asch's Folkways Records. Which was a label
dedicated to documenting folk music,old and new.
Lead Belly did a record for Folkways Records in 1941.
This project, was also incomplete,as Lead Belly died before,
the full recordings of his repertoire were captured.
There was still more music in him!
Lead Belly died of the same disease that killed Lou Gehrig,
and it wasn't caught in time,he was at the latter stages of
chronic poliomyelitis when he died on December 6th,1949.
Lead Belly aka Huddy Ledbetter 1888? -1949.
I sure hope fans of Mojo Repair Shop like this!
Last Sessions 1
Last Sessions 2
Last Sessions 3
Last Sessions 4
The Tryfles "The Tryfles" 1986
7 hours ago
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JACKSONVILLE BEACH, Fla.-- Despite the brave efforts of local lifeguards, one of the heroes of Superstorm Sandy drowned while surfing.
Dylan Smith, 23, grabbed national headlines after he used a rope bridge and his surfboard to rescue six people from raging fires and flooding. At the time, Jacksonville Beach lifeguards had no idea he was selected as one of People Magazine's Heroes of 2012.
It's not something everyone can say, but Tim Kline and Ryan Karish love their job. They're lifeguards at Jacksonville Beach. Their job doesn't stop when they go home. "No matter where we are, we have the training to help someone and we're going to do it wherever we can," said Kline.
That's exactly what these two lifeguards did on their vacation in Puerto Rico. "I just saw someone yelling at the beach for help," said Kline.
The adrenaline and training kicked in. They gave CPR to Smith, but it was too late.
"A lot of people were around, crying and saying prayers," said Karish.
Only after they tried to save him, did they learn Smith was a hero himself. Smith was named as a People Magazine's 2012 Hero of the Year. He risked his own life in October to save six of his neighbors during Hurricane Sandy. He got them to higher ground using his surfboard.
His love of surfing is what brought him to Puerto Rico. The two lifeguards just wish there was more they could do to save this hero. "It's heartbreaking. There was nobody there quicker. We did everything we could," said Karish. "When someone's in danger, you go and save them. The same as Dylan Smith did in Hurricane Sandy," said Kline.
Kline was in Puerto Rico to unwind and get away from all the devastation caused by Sandy.
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AfriGeneas Genealogy and History Forum
Re: Blacks with a Dot on the Ear
In Response To: Re: Blacks with a Dot on the Ear ()
I have not heard of this phenomena but I too have a dot/mold on my ear. All my life people questioned if my ear was pierced but it isn't. I also have the dot between my second and third toes. I do not know the significance for it but I will check with my friends from Senegal.
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Today the Second Circuit Court of Appeals issued a long-awaited decision in favor of fair use in Cariou v. Prince. Reversing the district court’s finding of infringement, the Court held that Richard Prince’s use of Patrick Cariou’s photographs in 25 of his 30 Canal Series paintings was a fair use. The decision affirms an important tradition in modern art that relies on the appropriation of existing images to create highly expressive works with new meaning. Read more » about Second Circuit Victory for Richard Prince and Appropriation Art
The Center for Internet and Society at Stanford Law School is a leader in the study of the law and policy around the Internet and other emerging technologies.
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What Is Digital Snacking?
The other day, we mentioned the term “digital snacking.” Specifically, we mentioned that blogs were not (usually) a platform for digital snacking. So what exactly is it? We view digital snacking as a reference to the consumption of bite-sized pieces of content.
Can you think of anything that might fit that bill? Browsing through RSS feeds is a form of digital snacking. Pinning on Pinterest, re-blogging on Tumblr, sharing and liking images and video through Instagram, Viddy or other services are examples of digital snacking. Memes are another great example. Even updates on Facebook and Twitter are examples of digital snacking. But just because something can be consumed in bite- sized pieces, doesn’t mean it can’t account for a significant amount of time. You may “snack” on multiple pieces of content for long periods of time. In fact, that is one of the reasons that Pinterest is so addicting to some. No doubt there are people who spend hours sharing, liking, pinning, and posting across their preferred networks.
Sometimes you don’t want to have an in-depth experience. Sometimes you just want to browse. Sometimes you’d rather snack. Digital snacking is less about what you need, and more about what you want. Brands and organizations now have the opportunity, especially in a digital world, of making sure that their audiences have content to consume.
What do you think are some great examples of digital snacking content?
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BCSP Researcher Marko Savkovic analyzes the relation between NATO’s Smart Defence and European Union’s Pooling and Sharing.
This is the first study of public opinion in realization of civil society organization where the focus is on the perception of corruption in the police, citizens' personal experiences with corruption in the police and evaluation of the reforms of the police in this area.
BCSP Researcher Marko Savkovic analyses how financial crisis is affecting European spendings on defence and proposes possible alternatives.
This policy brief is result of a project of learning and exchange among the peer civil society organisations from Egypt (One World Foundation) and Serbia (Belgrade Centre for Security Policy) facilitated by PASOS. The cooperation took place over the period of a year starting in the second half of ...
The latest issue of Collection of Policy Papers propose answers on building safe community in Serbia, the position of the police in the new Criminal Procedure Code, and the role of ethics in policing.
The effect of social and political trends on fighting morale is more evident in armies that have a general conscription, than in those that rely on professional troops. The state itself has a far grater and more decisive influence on a professional army, and on the fighting morale its organization, weaponry, training and the relations within the army itself. A clear status and a set political environment allow the members of a professional army to dedicate themselves only to those tasks for which the government organizes the defense and pays the army for. In fact, due to the obligation of the general male population, in a conscription-based army, there is no strict demarcation between the state and the army, and therefore it cannot assume full responsibility for the professional and fighting profile of the soldiers. The conscripted part of the army is constantly subject to monitoring by parents and by the broad social circle interested in its roles and activities, and the professionals share the overall responsibility with them to a greater degree than in professional armies. Far more then desirable for the unity of the army, its conscripted members share with all the other citizens the social pluralism of values, including criteria related to the evaluation of the army and its fighting qualities.
In a divided society like the present Serbian-Montenegrin one (with profound and lasting conflicts of values and divisions) hampered by the grave burden of heritage, such a mixed composition (recruits and professionals), generates differing views of the army, and hence a diversified motivation for military duties and especially for potential war assignments. Professional troops within the Army (still) suffer from confusion generated by the breakdown of communism (that they did desire) further aggravated by dilemmas concerning "national" values raised by the October 5th changes, which represented the best surrogate for failed communist ideals that the ruling structures resorted to. The disappearance of a given tradition inherently opens the door to insecurity, ignorance, prejudice, growing authoritarianism, and this is additionally amplified by the asymmetrical efforts to create the basis for a new set of values, combining notions of modern (generally believed to have been introduced violently) and traditional. The military-political defeats and their effects, as well as the lack of any initiative to analyze them objectively, at least behind closed doors, clearly reveal and preserve such a state of things. Support to the continuing mental confusion of the officers’ corps has also been external. In line with the logic of their own confusion, political parties belonging to the DOS coalition (more specifically the Democratic Party of Serbia - DSS) endorsed the survival of leading figures in the Army long well after the fall of Milošević. Aware of the fact that it should bear the responsibility for threats to society and the involvement of the military in war crimes, the general corps expected something more radical to happen after the downfall of the Milošević régime. Their fears did not come true. In the further sequence of events, this contributed to the fact that the "reformist" circles were made of officers that had given prominent support to the policy of the Socialist (SPS) and Radical (SRS) party. A certain desire of the officers corps in the postwar period to draw a difference between those that took part in wars and those that committed crimes and robberies - by identifying the culprits and those that gave them orders, hence individualizing the responsibility, was not endorsed by the highest officers nor by the politicians. However, the highest commanders had the obligation to initiate and support such a process in the name of revitalization of morale. What does the officer corps think today about the cases of Major Tepić, Major Šišić, General Trifunović, General Mladić, General Pavković? Instead of a differentiated approach, one which is fully aware of the inevitable path through the criteria of cognitive and emotional catharsis, until the very fall of Milošević, protection had been openly given to those that killed war prisoners, or served as executioners in camps where civilians were tortured and killed, and any idea of reevaluating recent past was rejected, and the same pattern was proposed again - "hell - that's someone else".
The illegal nature of NATO air strikes against FRY, and the desperate and suicidal decision to justify political madness with the "madness" of the subjects that decided in the referendum, led the members of the Army, to the only - war solution. After the defeat, Milošević celebrated victory (though only as a "moral victor"), the opposition cried defeat, and the officers occupied by their personal and family misery and tragedies, became object and instrument of political scrimmages. Part of the officers’ corps began to reason more rationally and to question the well foundedness of a number of decisions that had been made during the war (for example to send a pilot to fight a battle that is already lost - against an enemy having twice his radar range). However, the support of the political elites for preserving the political and moral impasse and poverty of the Army (certainly not spontaneous) strengthened the same old convictions. The partiality of the Hague Tribunal and its instrumentalization by the "patriots", split the entire society and once again placed the officers corps into a position to push away any idea of a reevaluating the past. This situation would not have been so contradictory and painful had the "new" politics truly criticized the previous one, and individualized the responsibility for war and war crimes. Instead, the new rulers - which simply could not stand each other - tried to solidify their rule by securing the sympathy (rather than the control) of the armed instruments of the state, especially of the security services and special forces. The military public (especially the officers corps whose fighting morale is the issue here) is fully aware of the role of the secret services and special units in all the wars that took place in the 90's, and is also familiar with their role after the "external" enemy disappeared. The killing did not stop, and the "internal enemies" and "traitors" became victims. In spite of that, the "bag on the head" method was met with general support by the officer corps (no support for Perišić who was involved in the event) in the operation to "stop the spy network". The predominant feeling regarding the reform of the security services was a mixture of insecurity, disbelief, resignation and - less often - condemnation. Lamentably, the officers saw no advantages in the reform of the security services - including the military security service - and the rulers of the country amply "helped" them maintain this position. The infatuation of the government and of the political parties with the means of coercion and with the methods used by intelligence and security services - which was, to tell the truth, welcomed by the "subjects" - made both those in power and those that hoped to seize it, quite subservient with respect to the secret services. The general corps quickly realized this and used it to preserve its position. Being thus politicized, the general corps was unable to present the political rulers with a clear, rational and firm review of the situation - indicating that reform is indispensable and acceptable in the interest of the society and of the military. The general corps could not, did not know how, or simply did not wish to protect - politically and existentially - the professional troops it was leading. Such a situation has been going on for years and this has destroyed the key cohesive element of the unitary spirit of the Army.
The gap between the public and the Army has also been deepening at the expense of its fighting unity. The gap between the "critics" and "protectors" of the Army has been developing ever since the 80's, when the Yugoslav People's Army (JNA) had been justly criticized as the keeper of the communist monistic power. Such a gap was present when the country faced dissolution, and it merely made those critical stands more extreme. The war defeats and the ongoing intolerance of a part of the public, struck a double blow to the army morale. Accusations were raised by those who were unsatisfied with the failure to achieve war objectives, as well as by those dissatisfied with the fact that they had been set in the first place and that the Army earnestly supported such objectives. The Army was criticized for not being sufficiently Serbian, as well as for being excessively Serbian. No side was satisfied with the Army and the officers’ corps. The gap was further deepened by the praetorian attitude of the officers corps after the signing of the Dayton Agreement, and - in the end - by the heavy suspicion that will never be removed, that the officers were willing to give the order (or that they at least hoped that the police would issue such an order in their stead) to defend the Milošević régime with force. That would have practically represented the suicide of the society using its own Army, and this is why the arguments of those criticizing the Army are not unfounded either. Nevertheless, the frustration of the officers corps protracting ever since the dissolution of SFRY is also justified, because extreme critics never showed understanding for the dangers faced by the officers during the breakup of the country - the population and the various "police" and "military" forces of the future independent states were a threat to both their families and them personally. Some Serbs interpreted their position as a well-deserved resistance to changes, and others allegedly understood them completely - still pushing them into war. There was no objective, differentiated, critical perspective capable of not rejecting the Army is a whole but rather rationally explaining the need for it - based on a critical analysis of the security reality or, on the other hand, ending the apology, glorification and the deceit of the public about the "merits" of the Army and the need for it now and in future. The public, being schizophrenic itself, introduced a schizophrenic attitude among the military. The lack of the sense of measure (also meaning knowledge), in the evaluation of the military needs of the society: we need a strong army to survive / we need no army at all. This generated counterpoised views, which deviate towards extreme perspectives of the military and defense - generating a black-and-white image of reality. The largest portion of the officer corps sided with the political options that justified them, largely because of the unselective and radical criticism aimed at the military, and thus developed motives and values which are contrary to the ones required by firm morale and the reform of the defense system.
Yet another potentially useful and positive instrument for homogenizing the fighting spirit failed to leave a good trace. The involvement of the Church in the wars of the 90's at the side of the national-communists Milošević, Šešelj, and of their supporters within the power structures, as well as in the opposition block until and after October 5, and its consequent introduction into the Army, did not produce a strengthening of the morale of the army. The Serbian Orthodox Church (SOC), acting with the support of the general staffs (all those that existed throughout the 90's and after the fall of Milošević) established the monopoly on the military spirit and the sense of Serbhood, on moral sentiments in general and on the attitude towards the state. The Church instrumentalized nationalism, the same way that the post-Communists did, anticipating correctly that this will bring it faster and closer to power, and help it partake in it. The officers’ corps broadly accepted the Church as the representative of the undivided national and religious sentiments, and a new authority replacing the ideology that disappeared. Certain political parties endorse the SOC vision of the Serbian nation, the state and the army, and this generates the need to newly analyze the social causes. Whichever way the responsibility be distributed, today any second Lieutenant will affirm that without a strong army there can be no strong state and that without the Church there is no moral (and no military morale for that matter). Such an attitude of the representatives of the Serbian Orthodox Church and of the military, often produces intolerant reactions of the public, and this is yet another reason why great efforts will have to be made to convince the society to accept the army as its defense institution.
The morale of the military is also affected by the distressing and ongoing state of the reform of defense and of the army. Although there are small and great military objectives, the nonexistence of the borders of the state that its citizens and soldiers can think about and be taught to consider a single entity, represents a major problem for each and every soldier. Consequently, there is no single concept of security, strategy and defense doctrine (and any changes made regarding those issues are disputable both objectively and therefore politically). The defense of what the Serbian people, the Serbs in Serbia and Montenegro, the Montenegrins in Serbia and Montenegro, other peoples in Serbia and other peoples in Serbia and Montenegro, and finally the citizens of Serbia and Montenegro would protect with determination, cannot be determined by any name or by a territory for that matter.
The "concern" for a monolithic military spirit, within a progressive breakdown of ideological codices - lasting for many years - constantly encouraged obedience as the predominant relationship between superiors and subordinates. This resulted in the creation of an officers corps that experienced the advantage of sheer loyalty directly. The domination of loyalty as a criterion for advancing in the ranks marginalized professional and moral criteria. Only highly skilled officers can adopt and endorse professional criteria, and only moral officers can adopt, establish and apply moral criteria. Mutual solidarity among the obedient was a natural consequence of the belief that the transition process is irreversible, surfacing once that the new rulers - fearing for themselves - embraced those generals that they were prepared to "sent to the firing squad" not so long ago. Instead of punishing them because of low military morale, immoral politicians offered them pardon. The true history of professional promotion and moral degradation of the officers during the 90's wars could be written by any general staff personnel department member that had direct insight into the staffing policy. A certain change occurred after October 5th. Once the fear had been overcome, and when the highest officers realized that they would not be held responsible, after being embraced - as previously noted - by the quasi-reformists, they found the courage to continue applying the loyalty principle, but could not satisfy the needs of the reform. They lacked the knowledge, and their convictions could not be changed overnight. In meetings that they quickly and subserviently staged to demonstrate that they are heat and soul in favor of joining PfP (no mention being made of NATO, although it is unlikely that the officers ignore the Partnership for Peace represents the gateway to NATO) attempts made to use the new language revealed difficulties, primarily in the sense of understanding what they wanted to say. For example, the creators of the doctrinarian principles of general people's defense, and the authors of Milošević's doctrines, were invited to take part in the scientific meeting on defense strategy held in March 2004, and it is not surprising that this particular gathering revealed the linguistic and mental confusion of the participants. Therefore, the preservation of an officers corps which maintains beliefs qualifying them among the members of the Army (on all levels) as endorsers of the former non-democratic regime, makes the morale of the army and the army itself quite suspicious, and degrades all efforts to enhance the fighting morale. The elements needed to create the fighting morale of the army have not been changed on the level of criticizing the dire heritage either, even though this is a prerequisite to start considering the adoption of new stands and beliefs concerning defense. No changes to the curriculum have been made in military schools and at the Military Academy. Reforms are nudged ahead only when incidents occur in the Army, bringing considerations about the reform back to square one. In the case of young officers, this is closely related to hopes for a better status. If the reform is further deferred, their better status will also be delayed - and this certainly doesn’t help strengthen the fighting morale and the motivation to work. Bearing in mind the obsolete weaponry, the decaying training infrastructure, the low standard of living of professional officers and civilians working in the army, the low professional standard of the army in general, the protracting "transformations", "reforms" and "reorganizations" that have brought down the organization of the army to a very low level, the lack of funds for training (and the consequent indifference of the people involved in training to the requests for a high level of training), the present morale of the army is a combination of militancy stemming from the constraints of poverty, indoctrination-based "heroic" tradition (mixed with religious) and - not paradoxically - of nationalism, which is the only instrument of group cohesion under the present conditions.
* Translated by Goran Kričković
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In Breaking News late this afternoon, we find yet another reason why Direct Recording Electronic (DRE, usually touch-screen) voting systems are incompatible with democracy: When an election held on them is contested, the machines themselves --- which are said to hold the ballots internally --- cannot be used in another election until the contest is settled.
Late news this afternoon, sent to The BRAD BLOG moments ago, reveals that a judge in an Alameda County, California election contest is set to rule that a contested ballot measure election from 2004 must now be reheld since the county destroyed data from the election when they sent the Diebold DRE voting systems back to the company in Plano, Texas.
All but 4% of election data, records and audit logs was overwritten in subsequent contests, according to the following release from Americans For Safe Access (ASA) who were the plaintiffs in the contest.
In 2004, Alameda was the same county where it was found that Diebold had installed uncertified hardware and software in the county's voting system. The illegal action by the company eventually led to the decertification of certain Diebold systems in California.
The judge's unprecedented decision to re-hold an election after plaintiffs were denied their right to a proper recount after the county's failure to preserve election records on the Diebold touch-screen systems could have reverberations around the country.
The ASA release explains the astounding details and background in this tale, along with the judge's tentative findings in full...
OAKLAND, CA – Superior Court Judge Winifred Y. Smith issued a tentative ruling that the Alameda County Registrar of Voters and Alameda County "have engaged in a pattern of withholding relevant evidence and failure to preserve evidence" necessary to conduct a recount of a hotly contested Berkeley ballot measure. As a result, the Court has signaled its intention to void the election and order the County to place Measure R back on the ballot for a re-vote at the next general election.
Judge Smith will issue a final ruling after the Court hears oral arguments tomorrow (Friday, July 13, at 9:30 a.m. at the Wiley Manuel Courthouse, Department 114, 661 Washington Street, Oakland).
"Judge Smith's tentative ruling confirms our contention that Alameda County violated its duty to preserve the critical voting machine data that was the focus of this recount lawsuit and election contest," said Gregory Luke of Strumwasser & Woocher LLP, attorney for the plaintiffs
who sought the recount of the vote on Measure R.
More from the press release, including background on this incredible story, the ballot measure, the long fought election contest, the overwriting of the data on the Diebold voting machines --- in violation of the law --- and the judge's tentative ruling itself, follows below...
Judge Smith wrote, "The evidence necessary to determine whether Petitioners' election contest is meritorious has been lost or destroyed due to Respondents' failure to fulfill its obligation to preserve the information that was reasonable available to them at the time of the recount, and at the time of the filing of this litigation. Therefore, sanctions … are appropriate." [Complete text below.]
"A re-vote is the only fair option for the people of Berkeley," said Rebecca Saltzman, Chief of Staff for Americans for Safe Access, a medical marijuana advocacy group. "By destroying the electronic copies of the votes, the County made it impossible to check that the election was properly run and the votes correctly tallied. We couldn't get to the bottom of the numerous machine malfunctions reported in the scant records the County did produce. We couldn't follow up on the massive holes in the chain of custody over those electronic votes. With a re-vote, we can finally exercise our right to confirm how the people of Berkeley feel about Measure R."
Last April, Judge Smith ruled that Alameda County and its Registrar of Voters violated both the Elections Code and three separate provisions of the California Constitution by denying voters their right to examine these election records during the recount of the 2004 election. At a hearing on the voters' Motion for Sanctions in May, Judge Smith criticized County officials for having returned the voting machines to Diebold, without first preserving the data they contained, while the ongoing legal battle over the recount was pending. She held off ruling on the sanctions motion to allow elections officials time to fulfill their promise to locate the missing election data.
While this case began in Berkeley, the search for the electronic voting records led to a warehouse in Plano, Texas where only 20 of the 482 Diebold computer voting machines used in that election still held any of the election data being sought. Copies of the votes from 96% of the machines used in the election had been destroyed. No audit logs from any individual machine were found. The County now acknowledges in its Court filings that these election records may have been overwritten and destroyed when they failed to copy those records before using the voting machines and data disks in subsequent elections.
"When a citizen files a lawsuit to contest an election result, it's Election Administration 101 — and Law School 101 — to collect all the records from that election and store them safely until the election dispute is resolved," said attorney Gregory Luke. "Here, the County allowed critical election records — the only records available on their voting system that verify whether the vote tally was correct — to be destroyed while a lawsuit and election contest were still pending. Alameda County voters should be appalled."
Review of the redundant copies of the electronic votes, audit logs, and chain of custody materials is essential to this election recount and contest, because the scant records the County did produce revealed reports of machine malfunction at numerous precincts across the City of Berkeley.
"Without examining the redundant data, audit logs, and chain-of-custody records, no one can confirm whether any of the reported malfunctions were ever resolved or whether vote data was manipulated or lost. As a result, no one can ever confirm whether the vote result announced by the County was correct," noted Matt Zimmerman, Staff Attorney for the Electronic Frontier Foundation, which assisted the voters in analyzing the scant data produced by the County.
Measure R, a citizens' initiative, would have regulated the operation of medical marijuana dispensaries in Berkeley. Election officials originally announced that the measure lost by fewer than 200 votes.
What: Americans for Safe Access vs. County of Alameda et al.
When: Friday, July 13, 2007 at 9:30 a.m.
Where: Wiley Manuel Courthouse, Department 114, 661 Washington
Gregory G. Luke, Attorney
STRUMWASSER & WOOCHER LLP
(310) 576-1233 office
(818) ###-#### cell
Matt Zimmerman, Staff Attorney
Electronic Frontier Foundation
(415) 436-9333 x127 office
Rebecca Saltzman, Chief of Staff
Americans for Safe Access
(510) 251-1856 x308
Caleb Dardick, Media Relations
The Court's decision and the parties pleadings are available on the Court's website by following the Domain Web links to the "Case Summary" page and entering "RG04192053" when prompted for a Case Number.
Tentative Ruling issued by Judge Winifred Y. Smith:
The Motion of Petitioners Americans for Safe Access, James Blair, Michael L. Goodbar, and Donald O. Tolbert for Sanctions is GRANTED.
Sanctions are appropriate under CCP §§2023.010, 2023.030. The Court finds that Respondents County of Alameda and and Dave MacDonald ("Respondents") have engaged in a pattern of withholding relevant evidence and failure to preserve evidence central to the allegations of this case. That evidence has now been determined to be irretrievable. The evidence necessary to determine whether Petitioners' election contest is meritorious has been lost or
destroyed due to Respondents' failure to fulfill its obligation to preserve the information that was reasonable available to them at the time of the recount, and at the time of the filing of this litigation.
Therefore, sanctions the equivalent of issue or terminating sanctions are appropriate. (See Vallbona v Spring (1996) 43 Cal.App.4th 1525, 1541-49; Do-it-Urself Moving & Storage v. Brown, Liefer, et al. (1992) 7 Cal.App.4th 27, 34-37; RS Creative, Inc. v. Creative Cotton, Ltd. (1999) 75 Cal.App.4th 486 ; Electronic Funds Solutions v. Murphy 134 Cal.App.4th 1161; In re Marriage of Chakko 115 Cal.App.4th 104, 108-110.) The Court finds that it is reasonable to award sanctions as follows: Petitioners are entitled to recover the costs of the recount
in this matter, $22,604.00. Petitioners are entitled to recover the reasonable costs of the trip to Texas to attempt to recover the data from the Diebold voting machines, which were returned to Diebold by Respondents after the initiation of this litigation. Petitioners are also entitled to reasonable attorneys' fees expended in connection with this motion. The evidence submitted by Petitioners on these two points is insufficient for the Court to determine the amount of reasonable attorneys' fees and other expenses sought by Petitioners.
Petitioners are directed to submit a supplemental declaration breaking down the hours spent (i.e., task-oriented billing records) and costs sought. Such supplemental declaration shall be filed and served within 10 days of receipt of this order. A further order specifying the amount of fees and costs awarded will be issued thereafter.
Petitioners are entitled to an issue sanction establishing that the data lost would have been unfavorable to allowing the election results to stand. The Court finds, as a result, that the election results for the November 2, 2004 election concerning Measure R are nullified.
Defendants are further ordered to place Measure R on the ballot in the next general election.
FACT SHEET: Americans for Safe Access v. County of Alameda et al., RG 04-192053
Why Election Data Was Sought in the Initial Recount Request
On December 3, 2004, Berkeley voters requested a recount of the election for citizens' initiative Measure R, which had been conducted on a direct recorded electronic ("DRE") touchscreen voting system made by Diebold Elections Systems, Inc. The California Elections Code, in section 15630, provides that a voter may examine "all ballots . . .and any other relevant material as part of any recount." The Berkeley voters asked to examine the very vote verification tools that Diebold and the County of Alameda had touted as reasons to trust the DRE voting system, namely the back-up copies of the votes ("redundant data") that are stored on the touchscreen units for the precise purpose of providing a cross-check against the official vote tallies, and the "audit logs" generated by the DRE system that show whether the system functioned properly. The voters also asked to examine chain-of-custody records for the system — to make sure that no unauthorized persons had an opportunity to alter the votes during the vote tabulating process — as well as the results of "Logic & Accuracy" testing that had been performed on the machines before and after the election. The Registrar of Voters refused all of these requests, claiming that the law did not require him to show voters anything
other than the voted ballots during a recount.
A Lawsuit Was Necessary to Compel the County to Follow the Law
On December 30, 2004, three Berkeley voters and the advocacy organization who had helped sponsor Measure R filed suit to compel the County to follow the law and produce materials that are necessary tools to confirm the accuracy of votes, and to detect potential fraud or error, in elections conducted on all manner of electronic voting systems. The voters also filed a formal contest of the results of the election. The voters provided testimony from three of the country's leading voting system security experts explaining that, without examination of redundant vote data, audit logs, and chain-of-custody records, it is impossible to form a meaningful opinion about the accuracy of the vote tallies generated by the Diebold voting system employed by Alameda County. California Secretary of State Debra Bowen filed a friend-of-the-court letter in the case to support the Berkeley voters.
The Eventual Ruling on the Merits In Favor of the Voters
The Superior Court determined that the Registrar's refusal to produce the materials requested by the voters violated the Elections Code as well as three separate provisions of the California Constitution that guarantee equal protection, due process, and the right to have one's vote counted. The Court also denied the County's requests to seal such election records from the public.
"Judge Smith's decision in the recount suit vindicates a fundamental right reserved long ago by the People of California to ferret out possible fraud or error in election results," noted counsel for the voters Gregory Luke. "The County's refusal to follow the law threatened all future elections in California – no matter what technology is used. The Registrar took a position in this case that, if allowed to stand, would have permitted elections to be conducted behind closed doors. The decision is a firm rebuke to the culture of secrecy that has taken hold in too many election offices around the country."
The Plaintiffs Discover that Election Data Was Destroyed While the Lawsuit Was Pending
While litigating the merits of their recount suit, the Berkeley voters learned that the County Registrar had returned the DRE voting machines used in the Measure R election to Diebold Election Systems, Inc., without having first copied the voting data from those units.
They accordingly filed a motion to sanction the County for the spoliation of the central evidence in their lawsuit and contest. The County first responded by claiming that it "did not understand" and "was unaware" that the disputed election data sought by the voters even existed. Then, they claimed they could recover the missing data from the machines they had surrendered to Diebold.
The Court granted the County and the Registrar additional time to make good on their promise that they could obtain the missing electronic data from Diebold.
The Search for Electronic Vote Records Fails
The search for the missing data proved futile. On the County's assurance that the election data still resided on the machines that had been surrendered to Diebold, the Court ordered the County to conduct a public "download" at the Diebold facilities in Plano, Texas.
Of the 482 Diebold machines used in the November 2004 election in the City of Berkeley, only 20 machines — 4 percent of the total — still contain any copies of the votes sought by voters in the lawsuit and contest. In addition, the County failed to find any of the audit logs from the individual voting units used in that election. These election records were apparently overwritten and destroyed when the County used the Voting machines and data storage diskettes in subsequent elections.
The Sanctions Hearing
This Friday, the Court will determine whether and how the County should be sanctioned for its conduct. The facts now show that the County allowed the critical election records to be destroyed. The voters have also drawn the Court's attention to numerous false statements of material fact by the County and the Registrar in their legal pleadings regarding the availability of the disputed election materials during the 2004 recount, the preservation of the disputed election evidence, and the contents of documents they tried to file under seal to exonerate themselves from the spoliation charge.
"Unfortunately, the County's spoliation of the election records while the lawsuit was pending has deprived my clients of the tools necessary to assess the validity of the 2004 Measure R election results," said Luke. "The County must be held to account."
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Sustainable and competitive agriculture projects
To fast track the implementation of sustainable and competitive agriculture projects in the island, agriculture sector players in Mindanao have pushed for better access to credit facilities.
This was among the major issues raised by the Mindanao private sector and business groups at the second day of Mindanao Policy Roundtable Discussion (RTD) held in Manila, which was also attended by the high ranking officials from concerned government agencies.
Specifically, the private sector representatives highlighted the need for greater access to adequate and low cost sources of financing and capital to boost agricultural production in Mindanao.
“Better access to credit facility is deemed necessary in promoting productivity and cost competitiveness of our agricultural outputs,” Roberto Amores, Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) Chair for Agriculture, said.
Department of Agriculture Assistant Secretary Salvador Salacup, in his response to the issues raised, has assured that the department is now expediting the release of the latest Agricultural Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (ACEF) implementing guidelines.
Upon the finalization of the guidelines, ACEF shall be extended to the project proponents in the form an interest-and collateral-free loan. This is considered as one of the most cost-effective loan options for the partners.
Various government financial institutions (GFIs) were also encouraged to have a special loaning scheme specific for farming-related projects.
Mindanao Development Authority chairperson Secretary Luwalhati Antonino has assured the agricultural players her office will constantly lobby for sufficient government support for the island’s agricultural sector.
“As a matter of fact, the President himself has instructed to have an additional budget for the coconut industry, because he personally recognizes the contributions of coconut production and exports to local and national economy,” Antonino cited.
The MinDA chair also underscored the long term strategy under Mindanao 2020 to strengthen and widen agriculture and agribusiness as linchpins for broad-based Mindanao development.
Another crucial issue raised during the discussion was the need for a streamlined customs regulation for agri-products of Mindanao, to which Customs Commissioner Rufino Biazon agreed, saying that all the necessary infrastructure for the Philippine National Single window are already in place.
“The NSW is currently 50 percent complete, along with the electronic clearance system that we are also building,” Biazon reported.
NSW aims to establish a single submission and faster processing of application for licenses, permits and other authorizations required for a specific trade transaction. The system will interlink with DA and other related government agencies involved in trade regulations.
Biazon also added that the country will be a part of the ASEAN Single window come 2015.
“It is high time for us to shift our benchmark to the agricultural performances of our neighbours in the ASEAN,” Salacup said.
The policy roundtable on Mindanao business policy agenda is conducted to address the critical concerns that prevent the agriculture sector from harnessing its full potential leading towards domestic and export competitiveness.
Enhancing Mindanao’s agriculture competitiveness was one of the recommendations pushed by the private sector stakeholders to boost Mindanao’s role as the country’s food basket RTD jointly organized by the PCCI, MinDA and the USAID Growth with Equity in Mindanao (GEM) Program.
The RTD, a prelude activity to the annual Mindanao Business Conference, is a culmination of the series of regional issues consultations conducted in various regions in Mindanao. This two-day activity serves as an avenue for private sector and government dialogues, specifically on the topmost crucial sectors of Mindanao.
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See what moms are talking about today
View or share your favorite baby photos
From pregnancy to motherhood, every mom has questions or could use some support. Join the conversation to learn from or help other moms just like you.
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MY DAUGHTER ALMOST 9 MONTHS AND STILL WAKING UP AT 3AM LOOKING FOR A BOTTLE, HOW DO I GET HER TO SLEEP THREW THE NIGHT EVEN AFTER I HAVE WASHED AND FEED HER. HELP PLZ
First of all, welcome to Strong Moms! At 9 months old, your baby shouldn't need to eat a bottle in the middle of the night, so you are probably dealing with a habit. Luckily, habits can be broken. You will have to be tough though,...and the first several nights will be rough. When your baby wakes up in the middle of the night, walk in her room and tell her that everything is okay and that it is night time. Then pat her on her back, give her a pacifier (if she takes it) and turn on a night light or something. Then leave the room. If you have to pick her up, go ahead and then rock her for a few minutes and then put her back down. She will cry a lot, but hang in there. After about 5 minutes, go back in and do the same thing exactly. Then leave again for 10 minutes. Keep increasing the time you are gone until she goes to sleep...She will go to sleep. Do it again the next night and DO NOT GIVE IN. If you give in and give her a bottle, then she will learn that if she just cries more and louder, then she will eventually get it. IF you don't give in, then she should sleep through the night in 3 nights. I have done this will all of my children (4 of them) and it works wonderfully!
The first thing you need to do is rule out some medical issue by checking with your doctor. If your baby has a clean bill of health, try giving her a large bottle right before bed as part of a routine. We did bath, book, bottle then bed. Hopefully the bottle will keep her fed. If she still wakes up, you know it probably is not because she is hungry but because of habit. Does she use a pacifier or some other sucking toy? If not, substitute that for her bottle and try to leave the room. Come back in 5 minutes without speaking with her or picking her up and replace pacifier and leave. Next time, wait 10 mins before coming back an so on. This may be a little more painful for the first day or two, but this strategy worked with all three of my girls. Good luck ans sweet dreams (hopefully!).
Sleep is one of the most popular topics on here! Many babies are still waking at night for feedings and it can feel like it will never end! If your baby is not truly hungry, but just waking out of habit, you can work slowly on weaning from bottles in the night. Start out by making sure your daughter has a comfort item that she loves such as a blanket or stuffed animal. When she wakes at night, go in and give her the item she loves, pat her back and leave. Let her cry for a period of time and then go back in and do the same thing. Try to avoid turning on lights and doing a lot of interacting with her so that she knows it is time to sleep. Eventually she will go back to sleep and stop waking for her bottle. It can definitely be hard at first so hang in there!!
I wish I could help, but I am in the same boat. Atleast you know your not the only one who's little one doesn't sleep straight through. Good Luck!
I'm sad to say that my hazel has recently jumped on the waking in the middle of the night train I tried those techniques when she was only a couple of months old and they worked pretty effectively so it looks like it'm going to have to do it again. really i think it's her teeth waking her up. She just cut 3 and has 3 more trying to make their way in. poor girl.
The tough thing about babies sleeping is that as soon as you think you have it figured out, they go through a spurt of teething or something that disrupts your plans! Such is parenthood!
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VENICE, La. -- The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is closing commercial and recreational fishing from Louisiana to parts of the Florida Panhandle because of the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
In a news release sent Sunday afternoon, NOAA said the closure begins immediately and will last for at least 10 days.
NOAA Administrator Jane Lubchenco says government scientists are taking samples from the waters near the spill to determine whether there is any danger.
The fishing ban extends between Louisiana state waters at the mouth of the Mississippi River to waters off Florida's Pensacola Bay.
Crews have so far had little success stemming the flow from the ruptured well on the sea floor off Louisiana or removing oil from the surface.
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The southern Palo Pinto County town of Gordon has a unique history.
The town sprang from one of the earliest settlements in that area and quickly became a major trade and shipping center.
Today Gordon, like many small towns in the area, is primarily centered around its school. Gordon I.S.D. is an entity that
Gordon residents take great pride in with its outstanding achievements in education and athletics. Its state ranked academic
performance is the highest in the county for a K-12 school. Not only is the town unique for its quality of school, for its size
it is still home to several thriving businesses.
Gordon in 1916
We are currently in search of old Gordon photos, artifacts, and stories.
Please contact us at
firstname.lastname@example.org if you can help out.
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Students in the automotive technology program at the Saline County Career Center will
compete Friday for bragging rights in a NASCAR-style competition designed to show off their skills.
Students will work in three-men teams, changing tires around similar to a NASCAR pit crew. Each team will complete a series of tasks, including jacking up the car, removing and replacing tires and tightening lug nuts -- as fast as they can.
Competitions will take place Nov. 17 at the Saline County Career Center in Bauxite located at 3201 South Reynolds Road, on the former campus of Alcoa Reynolds.
Two competitions will be held -- at 9 a.m. for the morning classes and at 1 p.m. for the afternoon classes.
"They have worked hard to increase their speed while using safe practices," said Mary Jane Dove, the center's director.
Automotive Technology Instructors Zeke Woodard and Doyle Manis will serve as timekeepers.
"We've got some teams down to two minutes," Woodard said. "It's a fun competition, and they're honing their skills, too. We have students who are interested in that kind of work. They have aspirations of working on race cars, so we try to expose them to different kinds of experiences."
The Saline County Career Center, a division of Pulaski Technical College, offers secondary career programs for high school. Programs are offered in automotive technology, cosmetology and medical professions education.
About 80 students from Benton, Bryant and Bauxite high schools are enrolled in the automotive technology program.
Students learn tasks essential for entry-level work in the automotive technology field, such as mounting and balancing tires, diagnosing and repairing brake systems, changing fluids, diagnosing and repairing parts of a suspension system, diagnosing simple electronic circuits for faults, and minor engine diagnosis.
The program recently gained certification by the National Automotive Technicians Education Foundation in the areas of brakes, electrical electronics systems, engine performance, and suspension and steering.
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Get involved: send your photos, videos, news & views by texting OXFORD NEWS to 80360 or email us
Flooding: 'It could have been much worse'
BANBURY Town Centre would have been under water yesterday if £17m flood defences were not opened, it has been claimed.
The Environment Agency finished the defences – which protects more than 500 properties, including the railway station and Banbury United Football Club – in October.
But the county council-run Mill Arts Centre was too low-lying and too close to the river to be protected by the scheme, just north of junction 11 of the M40 – and saw its bar area flooded yesterday.
Ian Tomes, Environment Agency area flood risk manager, said: “You would have seen quite significant flooding in Banbury town centre if the scheme was not in place. Banbury town centre would probably be under water at the moment.
“The scheme is storing a very, very high level of water as we speak.
“We knew all along that The Mill Arts Centre was not able to be protected by the scheme.”
Banbury Town Council leader Kieron Mallon said: “I visited the flood defences and, looking at the amount of water held back north of Banbury, I could see the flood defences seemed to have done the job.
“If that amount flowed down the river as it normally would the whole of Banbury town centre would have been knocked out.
“You cannot console any of the businesses or The Mill that were affected, but it has saved probably hundreds of other properties and businesses from being flooded out.”
The Mill Arts Centre’s bar area was flooded with about 4in of water before 8am yesterday.
Cleaners alerted staff and a team of about a dozen people helped move furniture as the fire service pumped water from the building.
The electricity was out yesterday and the centre is not expected to reopen until next Thursday, cancelling performances of Calendar Girls and today’s Job Club.
Management committee chairman Nick Turner said: “It is not catastrophic damage but it is going to mean, even if there is no more flooding, we are going to take until the middle of next week to dry the place out and check the electrics and boiler.”
Banbury was hit by severe floods in 1998, affecting 160 homes and businesses, and again in July 2007, when the River Cherwell burst its banks.
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Rich Tichko: (603) 271-2224
Jane Vachon: (603) 271-3211
July 2, 2004
State Public Water Access Sites Are Community Resource, Responsibility; Vandals Damage New Pittsfield Boat Ramp
CONCORD, N.H. -- As
the summer heats up, people across the state seek out the water for a
cool place to fish and boat. To help make these activities more accessible
to the wider public, the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department maintains
134 public access facilities around the state, ranging from shorebank
fishing areas to large boat-launching sites. While Fish and Game installs
and maintains the sites, local communities can help keep these resources
in good shape by monitoring their use.
For the most part around the state, communities enjoy their public access areas and treat them with respect. A new boat ramp installed in Pittsfield last fall is a different story, however. The new facility includes a boat ramp, parking area and universally accessible fishing pier on the Suncook River, a valuable recreational resource for the Pittsfield community. Not even a year old, the facility has already been damaged with graffiti, slashes in the wooden retaining wall and uprooting of shrubbery planted to stabilize the shorebank.
"It's a shame to see a resource like this being abused," said Lee Perry, Executive Director at Fish and Game. "Every time we have to spend money addressing damage from vandalism, we have less to spend on providing new access opportunities around the state."
Perry urged Pittsfield residents to keep an eye out for vandals who may be damaging the new access site and to notify the Pittsfield Police Department at (603) 224-6631, or Operation Game Thief at 1-800-344-4262, if they spotted any destructive activity.
"It's up to us to work together to preserve these resources," Perry said. "Pittsfield was fortunate to get this new Fish and Game facility, and I am certain that the townspeople -- especially the young people who will be able to use it for many years to come -- will help us get the word out that as a community we need to take care of it, not tear it down."
A free map of fishing and boating public access sites across the state is available from Fish and Game by calling (603) 271-3211. The Department is the guardian of the state's fish, wildlife and marine resources and their habitats and is charged with providing the public with opportunities to use and appreciate these resources. Visit
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Japan Robot Association (JARA)
www.jara.jp - Tokyo 105, Japan
The Japan Robot Association was formed in March 1971 as the Industrial Robot Conversazione, a voluntary organization. The Conversazione was reorganized into the Japan Industrial Robot Association in October 1972, and the Association was formally incorporated in October 1973. The present name was adopted in June 1994 in order to accommodate non-industrial robots such as 'personal robots.'
The Association aims to further the development of the robot manufacturing industry by encouraging research and development on robots and associated system products and promoting the use of robot technology. Through this, the Association strives to promote the use of advanced technology in industry and to enhance the welfare of the nation, in turn contributing to healthy economic growth and boosting living standards.
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The group met in Coppee Hall before Musa’s public talk in Whitaker Auditorium, which was sponsored by Lehigh University’s Global Union and drew nearly 400 people.
In an hour-long session attended mostly by journalism and international relations students, Musa fielded a steady stream of questions about his career and Al-Jazeera, the news gathering operation that reaches 40 million viewers around the world and is often referred to as the "Arab CNN."
The former Reuters and Associated Press correspondent joined the Al-Jazeera television station more than three years ago mainly, he says, "because I got tired of doing stories about waterskiing chipmunks.
"Friends were like, ‘You’re crazy! You’re going to the `all-Jihad, all-the-time’ network?’ But I was interested in broader issues, like the Mideast," Musa said in describing his career path. He then launched into a passionate defense of Al-Jazeera. Widely derided for obtaining and airing videotapes of Osama bin Laden, the Arab-based network was accused of "funding terrorism."
"When CNN bought approximately 60 tapes of Al Queda training camps, they said they paid $60,000," Musa said. "Other reports listed that figure as high as $200,000. We’ve never paid a dime. We don’t fund Al Queda. If anyone did, it was CNN. Al-Jazeera was the only outlet independent and courageous enough to air them, and we shouldn’t be blamed for having good access to sources and for recognizing, early on, that Osama Bin Laden was a force to be reckoned with."
Musa also dismissed the notion that his operation is anti-American.
"We are nobody’s mouthpiece," he said. "We are equally hated by many--Jordon, Syria, Iraq, Saudi Arabia--probably because we stand for pushing the envelope of free speech, and working hard to get every side of the story."
Musa detailed the origins of the station, which began broadcasting from Qatar in 1996, after the BBC was shut down by Saudi ownership in 1995. Staffed mainly with former BBC journalists, the network strictly adheres to Western standards of journalism, he said, and resists coercion by any outside forces--including government agencies.
"Over the years, they’ve come to realize that that would be futile," he said. "Of course, we can’t stop them from bugging our phones … or bombing our offices, for that matter. Ultimately, they want mirrors, not windows. We refuse to be a mouthpiece for anyone. We’re a window for people to see. We let them decide for themselves."
Musa also was critical of what he called the "parachute journalism" practiced by American news gathering operations, which dispatch reporters to cover world events with little or no familiarity with the political terrain.
"They drop them in for the story, then take them out when it’s over," he said. "In some cases, the reporter never really understood the local culture, never learned how to speak the language, or didn’t have the opportunity to address cultural sensitivity issues. Whether you’re covering benign topics or not, all of that is still important for credibility."
Does he think Osama Bin Laden is dead or alive?
"Probably alive," he said. "If he weren’t, his people would be making more of an issue out of it, and they haven’t been quoted saying anything about him."
Should Saddam Hussein be taken out?
"Iraq is an evil regime, considered by Arabs to be the most brutal," he said. "There is no love for Saddam Hussein and everyone wants to get rid of him. The issue is how."
His biggest criticism of U.S. foreign policy?
"Outside this country, it is seen as cold, brutal and hypocritical," he said. "Many Middle Eastern people view the American people themselves as warm, tolerant and open. They love all things American--jeans, the culture, the music. They love everything but the foreign policy."
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WA's food industry is set to get a boost after a new partnership between the State Government and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI) WA was announced this week.
The partnership aims to provide communication, policy development and support services for WA's food industry and is believed to be the first of its kind in Australia.
The launch of the new initiative took place at the O'Connor base of Sticky Fingers Gourmet Foods, which produces a range of handmade condiments.
The business started in 1998 with just one product and has since grown to encompass 60 products which are also exported to Singapore and the Maldives.
Agriculture Minister Terry Redman announced the initiative and said taking advantage of export opportunities in Asia would be key to developing the State's food manufacturing industry.
"WA has always been good at growing food but could do more to add value to that produce," Mr Redman said.
"This partnership will focus on food industry planning, sharing of market intelligence and developing collaborative projects to support innovation in the food sector."It will also allow for a unified voice for the local food industry and a CCI Food Industry Advisory Group - a forum to raise industry issues and develop policy responses.
'The West Australian' is a trademark of West Australian Newspapers Limited 2013.
All rights reserved.
Select your state to see news for your area.
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Afghan girls continue to be sexually exploited, reported the Afghan Interior Ministry Thursday. The Ministry told Reuters that the number of sexual assaults on children has significantly increased. The Afghanistan Human Rights Organization (AHRO) has reported that in January a 10 year-old girl was raped in Jowzjan province and that groups of men raped a 12 year-old girl in June in Sar-I-Pol province and a 3 year-old girl in July in Jowzjan province. Cases like these abound.
A 12 year-old girl who was raped at gunpoint by five men has publicly spoken about the gang rape. A video of the girl and her family was posted online by the Revolutionary Association of Women in Afghanistan. The girl pleads for help from Afghan President Hamid Karzai. Since the video became public, the family has met with Karzai, who has reportedly fired the police chief where the attack occurred, according to CNN.
Relatedly, an Islamic cleric was detained for allegedly presiding over a marriage of a 7 year-old girl to a 17 or 18 year-old man. Legally, girls under 16 and boys under 18 can not marry in Afghanistan. However, according to the United Nations Trust Fund to End Violence Against Women 57% of Afghan girls are married before age 16, frequently to settle their family’s debts or other disputes.
Media Resources: Reuters 8/7/08; Australian Broadcasting Corporation 8/7/08; United Nations Trust Fund to End Violence Against Women 2/16/07; CNN 8/7/08
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Obama fails to close Guantanamo prison; human rights violations continue
January 9, 2013
Human rights groups are denouncing President Barack Obama’s failure to veto a defense bill that will make it far more difficult for him to fulfill his four-year-old pledge to close the Guantanamo detention facility this year.
Obama had threatened to veto the 2013 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) precisely because it renewed, among other things, Congressional restrictions which he said were intended to “foreclose” his ability to shut down the notorious prison, which has been used for the past 11 years to detain suspected foreign terrorists.
But, for the second year in a row, he failed to follow through on his threat and instead signed the underlying bill, which was passed by both houses of Congress last month and authorizes the Pentagon to spend $633 billion on its operations in 2013.
“President Obama has utterly failed the first test of his second term, even before Inauguration Day,” said Anthony Romero, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). “He has jeopardised his ability to close Guantanamo during his presidency.
“Scores of men who have already been held for nearly 11 years without being charged with a crime – including more than 80 who have been cleared for transfer – may very well be imprisoned unfairly for another year,” Romero added.
“The administration blames Congress for making it harder to close Guantanamo, yet for a second year, President Obama has signed damaging congressional restrictions into law,” noted Andrea Prasow, senior counter-terrorism counsel at Human Rights Watch (HRW). “The burden is on Obama to show he is serious about closing the prison.”
Obama’s signing of the law comes amid a growing debate – both within and outside the administration – about when and how to end the so-called “Global War on Terror” – especially its most controversial components – that Obama’s predecessor, George W Bush, initiated shortly after the al-Qaeda attacks on Manhattan’s Twin Towers and the Pentagon on Sepember 11, 2001.
A ‘never ending’ conflict
Last month, the Pentagon’s general counsel, Jeh Johnson, addressed precisely that topic in a speech to Britain’s Oxford Union, asking, “Now that the efforts by the US. military against al-Qaeda are in their 12th year, we must also ask ourselves, how will this conflict end?”
While he didn’t offer any specific answers, he indicated that a “tipping point” could be reached when Washington concluded that the group and its affiliates were rendered incapable of launching “strategic attacks” against the US
On taking office four years ago, Obama ordered an end to certain tactics, notably what the Bush administration referred to as “enhanced interrogation techniques” that rights groups called “torture”, and “extraordinary rendition” to third countries known to use torture. He has since relied to a much greater extent on drone strikes against “high-value” suspected terrorists from Afghanistan and Pakistan to Yemen and Somalia.
Some former Bush officials have raised the question whether Obama’s use of targeted killings – which Bush also used but not nearly as frequently – was morally or legally more justifiable than their use of “enhanced interrogation”. Some have even suggested that the administration has preferred killing suspects to capturing them, especially if their capture would require it to send more prisoners to Guantanamo, something Obama pledged not to do.
The administration has sought to justify that tactic – which a growing number of critics consider counter-productive at best, and illegal under international law if carried out far from the battlefield – in general terms but has shied away from spelling out the specific circumstances under which it is deployed.
Drone strikes are believed to have killed more than 1,500 people in Pakistan and more than 400 in Yemen since Obama took office, according to the London-based Bureau of Investigative Journalism, which claims that a not-insignificant proportion of the deaths have included civilians.
The administration is reportedly working to tighten rules regarding the use of drone strikes, particularly by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), which has enjoyed greater freedom in deciding when to attack suspects in Pakistan, Yemen, and Somalia than the U.S. military has had in Afghanistan.
Particularly controversial was the targeted killing of a US citizen and alleged al-Qaeda leader, Anwar al-Awlaki, in Yemen in 2011.
A federal judge in New York ruled Wednesday that she could not require the Justice Department to disclose an internal memorandum that provided the legal justification for that attack, but noted that such actions appeared on their face” to be “incompatible with our Constitution and laws”.
The ACLU, which brought the lawsuit under the Freedom of Information Act, denounced the ruling, insisting that “the public has a right to know more about the circumstances in which the government believes it can lawfully kill people, including US citizens, who are from any battlefield and have never been charged with a crime.”
Where the detainees will end up?
On the very first day of his presidency four years ago, Obama issued an executive order directing the closing of Guantanamo Bay, which he called a “sad chapter in American history”, within one year.
At the time, he ordered a review of the cases of the approximately 250 detainees who were still there – down from a high of around 800 shortly after it opened in January 2002 – to determine whether they could be prosecuted in civilian courts on US soil or released.
In 2010, an administration task force recommended repatriating 126 detainees to their homelands or a third country, prosecuting 36 others in federal court or before military commissions (which have nonetheless been harshly criticised by human-rights groups for lack of due-process guarantees), and holding 48 others indefinitely pending the end of hostilities.
Some were indeed repatriated; 166 detainees remain at Guantanamo today.
But the administration’s plan encountered heavy resistance in Congress, particularly from lawmakers who strongly opposed the transfer of any suspected terrorists to detention facilities or prisons in their jurisdictions or their trial before civilian courts.
By 2011, Congress attached amendments to critical defence bills restricting Obama’s ability to repatriate detainees and banning their transfer to the US mainland for any purpose, despite the fact that the yearly cost of holding a prisoner in a maximum-security US-based facility would be a fraction of the estimated $800,000 it costs to hold a detainee at Guantanamo.
Obama has taken the position that these restrictions encroach on his powers as commander-in-chief, but his signing of this most recent NDAA marks the second time that he has backed down from a veto threat.
“It’s not encouraging that the president continues to be willing to tie his own hands when it comes to closing Guantanamo,” said Dixon Osborn of Human Rights First. “The injustice of Guantanamo continues to serve as a stain on American global leadership on human rights.”
The NDAA also imposes curbs on the administration’s ability to transfer or repatriate some 50 non-Afghan citizens who are currently being held by US forces in Parwan prison at Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan.
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The Iranian nuclear standoff is akin to a snowball tumbling down a hillside, ballooning with every roll of rhetoric. What’s clear is this: Iran will not halt nuclear enrichment as a perceived national right to nuclear power, no matter how much the U.S. ramps up the rhetoric and threats - or the UN its sanctions.
Not even negotiations will stop Iran on its pathway into the nuclear club. All the West can do is try minimizing the risk of nuclear weapons development.
But how? I’ll return to this point in a moment.
Only a few weeks ago, after the first U.N. sanctions were leveled, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad took great pleasure in announcing that Iran's enrichment had proceeded to "an industrial scale." The E.U., Australia, France and Russia, have cast doubt about the claim. But the likelihood of increased U.N. sanctions and the probable American response are merely increasing Iranian determination.
Faced with the likelihood of American military action, Iran has only hinted that it may suspend its enrichment program to allow negotiations to be conducted in good faith. To this day, nobody knows whether Iran speaks the truth when saying the nuclear program is for civilian power purposes only. However, given hard-liner Ahmadinejad's world view - specifically his rhetoric of wiping Israel off the map, their regional tussle for hegemony, and Israel's sizeable nuclear arsenal - I’m forced to admit that if Iran's enrichment does reach an "industrial level", an Iranian nuclear bomb may be less than a year away.
This changes nothing. Iran's enrichment cannot be halted by the current Western approach, whether a weapons program exists or not. According to many analysts, even air strikes only delay the process, and in doing so would guarantee Iran's resurgent nuclear program focuses on developing weapons.
An invasion may succeed. At their recent meeting the UN put the military option on the table, but given conditions in Iraq, it’s unlikely that anybody would willingly send their forces there. Probably the U.S. would have to go it alone again. But the U.S. military is already overstretched, and given Hezbollah's skinning of Israel's nose in their summer war in Lebanon, the U.S. faces the humiliation of an Iranian defeat in addition to fierce domestic opposition.
So, what should be done? The first thing is removing the precondition for talks. As Iran's Mohammad Saeedi, the deputy head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organisation, told the ISNA news agency: "We have a superior position. We have passed the stage of setting conditions for talks. We believe that other parties should move forward based on new realities."
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The Affordable Care Act – the health insurance reform law enacted back in March, “substantially improves” the financial outlook of Medicare, according to an annual report from the Social Security and Medicare Boards of Trustees. According to the report, Medicare, the federal health program for the elderly and disabled, will remain solvent until 2029 - 12 years longer than was projected a year ago.
The healthcare law is expected to save $145 billion over a decade through payment cuts to Medicare Advantage, which is private insurance for the elderly. Reduced payments to Medicare providers will save another $205 billion, according to the latest official figures.
In response to the report the White House blog posted the following, “Today, we got more good news about the Affordable Care Act, the new law that will give seniors better benefits and save Medicare $575 billion over the next ten years. Many savings provisions in the new law kick in immediately, totaling about $8 billion in just the first two years. That’s real money, even in Washington, and it’s money we're saving by cutting waste, fraud and abuse and making Medicare more efficient -- not by changing seniors' guaranteed Medicare benefits. In fact, we’re making benefits for seniors even better. In the coming years, seniors will save an average of $200 per year in premiums and more than $200 in coinsurance, and we’ll completely close the Medicare prescription drug gap known as the “donut hole.’
Meanwhile, just days before it’s 75th anniversary, the Trustees announced that Social Security is expected to run a deficit this year - the first since 1983, largely as a result of high unemployment and recession.
Longer term however, the Social Security trust fund is projected to make up the difference between what the system takes in and pays out until 2037, when it would be depleted. At that point, Social Security tax revenues should still be able to pay 75% percent of the program’s obligations through 2084, according to the report’s findings, which were relatively unchanged from last year.
"The recession has, however, somewhat worsened Social Security' s very near term outlook. Benefit payments are expected to exceed tax revenue for the first time this year, six years earlier than was projected last year," Secretary of the Treasury and Managing Trustee, Timothy Geithner said in a statement. "But the improving economy is expected to result in rough balance between Social Security taxes and expenditures for several years before the retirement of the baby boom generation swells the beneficiary population and causes deficits to grow rapidly," he added.
Republicans have argued that spending cuts in the health care law will actually undermine Medicare. Government analysts have also questioned whether some of the cuts are politically sustainable.
Meanwhile, voters remain skeptical that the Social Security system will pay them all of their promised benefits. In fact a recent Rasmussen Reports poll, 58% of Americans said they lack confidence in the ability of Social Security to pay all their benefits - a political dilemma facing Democrats leading up to the fall congressional elections.
Looking ahead both programs will continue to face intense pressure as the population ages and health care costs rise. The trustee’s report concludes the sooner action is taken to address the long-run financial imbalances of Social Security and Medicare, the more reform options will be available, and the more time there will be to phase in changes so that those affected will have adequate time to prepare.
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Bil'in protester dies after exposure to tear gas shot by IDF
Palestinian PM Fayyad also present at the weekly West Bank anti-separation wall demonstration where Jawaher Abu Rahmah was critically injured.
A resident of the West Bank village of Bil'in died on Saturday morning in a Ramallah hospital after she was exposed to tear gas that was shot by IDF soldiers to disperse the crowd of demonstrators against the separation wall in the village on Friday.
Jawaher Abu Rahmah, 36 years old, was the sister of Bassem Abu Rahmah, who was killed by an extended-range tear gas projectile fired at his chest by IDF soldiers at a demonstration against the separation wall in Bil'in on April 17, 2009.
Weekly demonstrations against the fence have been held in Bil'in for the past five years, where villagers say the barrier unjustly separates them from their lands. In 2007, the Supreme Court accepted these arguments and ruled that the route of the fence should be moved, and that some 170 acres of land be returned to the villagers. The IDF has yet to implement the court's decision.
The weekly demonstrations against the separation wall set out from the village under the banner 'The Last Day of the Wall.' Although the IDF announced that the area was a closed military zone and set up a number of roadblocks around the village, hundreds of Palestinian, Israel and international demonstrators succeeded in reaching the center of the village by foot.
Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Salam Fayyad was also present at the demonstration in order to show support for the Palestinian popular struggle in Bil'in and throughout the West Bank. Fatah youth from various locations across the West Bank came to the village on Friday to participate in the demonstration.
Over the course of the demonstration, activists succeeded in tearing three holes in the chain-link fence that comprises the separation barrier in Bil'in, and in removing a section of it, which they later mounted on display in the center of the village.
Demonstrators reported that IDF soldiers shot massive amounts of tear gas into the village, and that they felt that the tear gas was especially potent. After Abu Rahmah choked on the gas, she was taken to a hospital in Ramallah.
The doctors that treated Abu Rahmah told her family that she was not responding to their treatment. Over the course of the night, her condition worsened, and she died at nine o'clock in the morning on Saturday.
The IDF spokesperson has yet to issue an official public statement regarding the incident, but some IDF sources have said that there was no irregular use of tear gas at Friday's demonstration.
The IDF sources say Abu Rahmah's death may have been the result of an asthmatic condition compounded by the tear gas, and that if the gas had been any different than usual more people who have been negatively affected by it.
The sources added that the incident was under investigation and that they are awaiting clarifications from Palestinian medical officials, as they have up until now received inconsistent reports from the Palestinian side.
Over a year after Jawaher Abu Rahmah's brother Bassem was killed by an extended-range tear gas projectile in April 2009, the IDF Military Advocate General ordered the army's criminal investigations unit to investigate his death.
The investigation was initiated after video footage was produced showing that Abu Rahmah did not act violently and experts testified that the tear gas canister that killed him had been aimed directly at him, in violation of military orders.
Although Abu Rahmah's death is still officially under investigation, IDF soldiers quietly resumed the use of the prohibited tear gas canisters to disperse demonstrations in the West Bank last month.
Ashraf Abu Rahmah, a cousin to Jawaher and Bassem, was also injured by IDF forces back in 2008. After being detained at a protest against the separation fence near the West Bank village of Na'alin on July 7, 2008, an IDF soldier shot him in the leg with a rubber bullet while he was bound and blindfolded.
The incident was caught on camera by a villager and released by the human rights group B'Tselem. The IDF soldier that shot Abu Rahmah told military police investigators that his battalion commander had ordered him three times to fire at the protester.
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So tomorrow Katie Taylor, all nine stone or so of her, will compete for Ireland at the Olympics in the lightweight (60 kg) women's boxing category. As I write, Paddy Power is offering the distinctly unattractive odds of 1/25, which is no surprise since she's the world champ.
In a very honest blog in Friday's Daily Telegraph, Andrew Brown wrote of his discomfiture in watching Gemma Gibbons win a silver in judo for GB. Both contestants, he said, "showed pure, naked, fierce, animalistic aggression of a sort that one doesn't naturally associate with women" and he worried about "their soft limbs battered black and blue with bruises" and winced at the thought of his daughters fighting on a mat. But he got used to it after a few minutes. "But, then, you can get used to anything, can't you?"
I won't have the chance to get used to our Katie knocking seven bells out of her opponents, since I'm too squeamish even to look at violent sports. But I rejoice that she's there to demonstrate female courage, skill and determination in yet another arena, for this is the first Olympics in which women are allowed to box. In 1900, women were restricted to tennis or golf. Nowadays there are few sports they're kept out of, but it's been a long, long battle. It took women's work in two world wars to drastically alter the view of the civilised world that we were fragile creatures who might disintegrate if allowed to exert ourselves.
There are loud complaints about 'sexism' at these Olympics, focusing on the comparatively small numbers of women contestants, the shortage of sponsorship and the bias of the media towards covering male sports except when the Phwoar! factor kicks in with events like women's beach volleyball. In truth, there's little that can be done about that. Of course, there's the occasional female athlete who could defeat most men, but they're so rare as to be statistically insignificant. Men are stronger than women and will always run faster, jump higher, throw further and all the rest of it. You can't blame the sponsors or the media for wanting to concentrate on what the majority wants, and men are much keener on sport than women.
However, they shouldn't underestimate the discernment of the public. For instance, during a fallow period in men's tennis, fans learned to prefer the grace, subtlety and sneakiness of the women's game.
A good indicator is the BBC's Sports Personality of the Year, awarded on the basis of a popular vote on a shortlist selected by newspapers and magazines.
Last year there was understandable outrage at a 10-strong all-male shortlist in a year of some outstanding female achievements, but that was the fault of those who made the nominations. John and Jane Public have less macho-baggage than have most sports reporters. Three out of the last 10 winners have been women ( Zara Phillips, who beat all-comers in the World Equestrian Games, marathon runner Paula Radcliffe and Olympic double-champ Kelly Holmes).
This year it's hard to imagine anyone beating the redoubtable Bradley Wiggins after his triumph in the Tour de France and his gold medal, but there will be a respectable vote for any women on the list. Did you observe the drooling over PE teacher Helen Glover and army captain Heather Stanning who won a rowing gold? The public don't simply look at sporting prowess. They love a story, they cleave to some personalities, they love grit and resilience against all odds.
Sport is innately good. It's good for our health, it's good for character building and it's good for opening our eyes to a bitter world. In many respects, the Olympics are a scandal. Yet better the Games exist than that they don't. That the officials and fat cats are hogging the roads and filling up the most expensive hotels is an irritation, but it doesn't detract from the sheer drama of the events watched by breathless spectators all over the globe.
The job of parents, teachers, commentators, politicians and anyone else of influence is to encourage children to watch, to play, to compete and to try to be as good as they possibly can at whatever sport grips their imagination. Those winners who become role models for the next generation are doing incalculable good by making discipline, ambition and tenacity popular.
Unlike Katie Taylor, who had a supportive family, many of them have had to overcome terrible obstacles and deprivations. But Katie has triumphantly run with every opportunity given her in football and boxing and other sports formerly ruled off-limits for a girl and will be an inspiration to the young.
Go, Katie, go.
www.ruthdudleyedwards. com RuthDE@twitter
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GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., June 18, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Van Andel Institute officials announce a commencement ceremony to honor the first graduates of the Van Andel Institute Graduate School (VAIGS), a program established in 2007 with the goal of training Ph.D. scientists through a curriculum that closely represents the way scientists conduct research.
The VAIGS program is grounded in the academic disciplines of biochemistry, molecular biology, cell biology and genetics, while students receive training in the context of problem-based learning instead of lecture-based courses. At VAIGS, students learn to think like scientists from the day they enter by actively engaging in the day-to-day process of "doing" science.
"We meet the same educational objectives as a traditional graduate school, but by following the path that scientists use," said Van Andel Education Institute Director and VAIGS Dean Steven J. Treizenberg, Ph.D. "Rather than reading about research in a textbook or listening to a professor, students are active participants in ongoing research focusing on the genetic and molecular components of cancer, Parkinson's and other diseases."
Natalie Niemi, 29, and Jeffrey Klomp, 31, are members of the first incoming class of VAIGS students in 2007, and will receive Ph.D. degrees. Both students have published manuscripts as lead author in peer-reviewed journals, have written and submitted grant proposals, and have presented their research findings at national conferences experiences that set their graduate experience apart from most other programs.
"I've gained a large skill set that I didn't have before," said Niemi. "Getting your first author manuscript is something that really stands out."
The program has grown to include 15 current students with an additional five students accepted for the upcoming school year. When current VAI expansion is complete, the program will recruit eight to 10 students per year with ultimate capacity planned at about 45 students.
"This milestone allows us to pause and consider the unique role that the Graduate School plays in the life of Van Andel Institute by so visibly blending its twin missions of research and education," said Chairman and CEO David Van Andel.
The inaugural VAIGS Commencement takes place Tuesday, June 19, at 1:30 p.m. at Van Andel Institute.
SOURCE Van Andel Institute
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Veterinary Assistant GES 118 » 170 hours
This program will prepare you to become a productive member of a veterinary team. You'll learn about every aspect of veterinary assisting, including anatomy and physiology, animal restraint, laboratory sample collection, assisting in surgery and dentistry, prescription preparation, and taking radiographs. You’ll also learn how to interact professionally with clients and gain the expertise you need to educate them about key topics in pet care, such as nutrition, vaccinations, and administering medication. This program is designed for people who want to work at a veterinary hospital and those who are already employed in positions in which they look after animals.
"I loved being able to complete assignments and work at home. I am a single mother of two children and cannot afford to put them in daycare so staying home with them while I completed the course saved a lot of money. I was able to spend much needed time with my girls!"
- C.N., Central Carolina Technical College
"I really liked the fact that it was all based on my own schedule and I did not feel rushed or stressed about homework assignments or tests."
- B.S., Jackson State Community College
"My instructor was wonderful! She checked in to see if everything went the way it should and made sure everyone knew they could ask any questions that they had!"
- A.L., Ivy Tech Community College - Bloomington
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Projects to improve your home don’t have to cause you a headache! It’s easy to keep a home improvement project free of problems, under budget, and on schedule with just a little bit of flexibility and advanced planning. Continue reading and learn some simple tips and tricks that can help ensure that your next project runs smoothly.
Make sure those cabinets are securely screwed to stud in the wall. You should mark every stud before you begin the project. You can find a stud finder that doesn’t cost much at a hardware store.
There is now a new type of bulb which is very popular for commercial and residential projects which is the 2D LED. This has taken over from the 2D CFL as the preferred energy saving light bulb for bulkhead lamps. This has started a transformation on commercial lighting where before the CFL was the only option but now the LED bulb is proving far more satisfactory.
If you want to get rid of a popcorn ceiling, have a professional test it for asbestos first. Asbestos needs special care when removing and disposing of it, as it is a dangerous substance; the only time there is a problem, however, is if it is disturbed. If you find out that your ceiling contains asbestos, you might have to have the ceiling professionally removed by a crew with the proper safety equipment.
Instead of just rushing into a home improvement project, think about whether the project will pay for itself. It is smart to get a good return on the investment you make, especially when doing home improvement projects. Don’t make the mistake of thinking that the return on all home improvement projects is similar. Do your research and find out what projects will increase the value the most.
Pay attention to safety rules when you begin a home improvement project. If working in your kitchen or anywhere else where gas may be present, turn off the gas for the duration. Doing construction work near gas might be hazardous! Be sure you are aware of the shutoff valve and where it is! As well, learn the locations of your gas lines, so you are less likely to hit one accidentally.
Never buy built-in furnishings if you aren’t sure how long you’ll be in your home. While this kind of furniture can look great and allow for a lot of storage space, it’s pricey and you can’t take it along if you move.
Put a shot into that vinyl flooring bubble. Simply cut a small slit in the bubble to release the air pocket. However, this will only flatten the bubble temporarily. You’ll have to put glue in place to hold it flat, though. A glue-filled syringe will make the job easy.
The clear and accurate establishment of a budget is crucial for the success of your home improvement project. This requires a list of all materials required for the job and their cost, including a buffer amount of money that will cover unforeseen expenses caused by materials being damaged or broken in the process of performing the home improvement. Buying materials in bulk can save quite a bit of money. A lot of equipment and materials that have to do with renovations usually possess long lead times. Your whole project can be delayed by not ordering them in advance.
Dealing with home improvement projects efficiently is a great goal. You will find that there will come a time when repairs and upgrades are needed. Home improvements not only increase the resell value of your house, but also make it a more pleasant place to live. In addition, it makes your neighbors happy. Continue learning more about home improvements and you can live in your dream home, too.
I have been an environmental enthusiast for quite a few years. I’m especially serious about just how energy saving light bulbs could play a role to improving the ecosystem. The smallest carbon dioxide footprint may be accomplished by using LED bulbs and lots of individuals are right now changing halogen light bulbs to get LED MR16 as well as LED GU10 lamps.
For more details take a look at the 2D LED from Saving Light Bulbs.
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Not long ago we started this very ambitious project. It is our
goal to give you an introduction to the many issues that surround the
aquarium hobby: some procedures that might be helpful
as you start and maintain that hobby, and some insight
into some of the more complicated interactions that a healthy
There are some differences between freshwater and saltwater aquariums.
There are differences between saltwater fish-only and saltwater invertebrate
We certainly would not deny that there is more than one way to skin a cat.
If you ask 10 aquarium enthusiasts how to accomplish any task, you
may very well get 10 different answers - all or most of which could
be correct. The idea here is not to give you the ONLY avenue to success
but, rather, to introduce you to concepts and ideas that might help
you deepen your own understanding of the relationships involved.
The guide is an ever-growing project. We'll add to it when we get a chance.
In the meantime, we hope that you will find it interesting,
enlightening, and useful.
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Why We Bang
|The film, “Why We Bang,” produced and directed by Orlando Myrics and Clifford Jordan for Ghetto Logik Entertainment is an independent film that documents the historical background of LA’s Bloods and Crips gangs, then transitions into several interviews of current and former members of the Bloods and Crips of Los Angeles.
Ghetto Logik, a Film Company based in South Los Angeles offers their first urban documentary as a result of being disappointed in seeing outsiders far too often portray the stories of ghetto residents. “We just got tired of seeing people, not from our community making so called “Hood movies” that did not really depict what our community was all about, our goal is to bring real images and real stories about real people to the big screen.”
Their first effort, “Why We Bang” is an in-depth look into Gang Culture in Los Angeles that shows up-close, the life in South Los Angeles, talking and walking with real gang members first hand. Their approach was to show the gangs, their motivations and deadliness and to capture the voices of the mothers who have lost children to the violence that gangs bring. Their story, through several narratives will inform you Why We Bang.
Directed: Clifford “Big Heat” Jordan
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Yup, folks, it's my birthday today, which means I'm thinking about aging. And so, as a service to not just myself but anyone interested in holding the years off their looks, I thought I'd compile a list of some of the best anti-aging advice we've given out over the years. Oh, and then beg you for yours, too. Here goes.
1) Get sunglasses with UV protection. And wear them. This means less squinting, which means fewer fine lines in the longrun.
2) SPF, SPF, SPF! Always. Forever. And make sure you've read up on the latest FDA guidelines!
2) Get more than 2 hours of physical activity per week. Getting even more than that is even better!
4) Look for products with 3 key ingredients: Peptides (to stimulate cells to produce collagen); retinol (to renew the outer layer of the skin); and vitamin B3 (to increase energy levels in aged skin cells). Psst...you can find all three in Olay's Regenerist line! Other helpful additions: Antioxidants, like vitamins C and E, pomegranate, acai, and apple stem cells, anti-inflammatory agents, like mushroom and aloe; and hyaluronic acid, lipids and amino acids.
5) No more crash dieting. It's not good for your body or your looks.
6) Don't smoke.
7) Drink wine! Some studies suggest that women who have a glass a day age better. There has been some conflicting evidence on this one recently, but if there's even a chance, count me in. I plan on doing this one tonight, even. It's for my health.
There's more, but those are the major things you can be doing short of laser treatments, fillers and all that jazz.
Now tell, me: What anti-aging secrets have you picked up over the years? Got an eye cream you adore? A face mask that plumps your wrinkles? Did your mom slather you with SPF since birth? Discuss!
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On Sunday, we picked up our bees and took them home. Our hives are set up on a second-floor deck, which gives them good access to warm sun and a clear flight path.
The queen comes in a separate cage inside the travel box, and she must be put into the hive first—her presence there tells the other bees they’re in the right place. To begin, you are supposed to whack the box and knock the bees down to the bottom before you open it. Unfortunately, I forgot this part, so when I opened the box and went to pull out the queen cage, tons of bees flew out and were spazzing out. I wanted to check if the queen was alive and well, but I couldn’t even see her because of all the bees clinging onto her cage (they’re very loyal). Once I attached the queen cage to a frame inside, I quickly dumped the other thousands of (confused) bees in as a big clump. Very satisfying. Then we put all the frames back in the hive and closed it up quickly so the bees could settle in.
Home sweet home
We also gave them some delicious sugar water and pollen patties to eat until they get going and the pollen high season starts rolling. I’m getting ready to plant some bee-friendly stuff in my yard.
Bee fact: A honeybee can fly up to six miles and as fast as 15 miles per hour.
A few more photos after the jump.
Bees ready for pickup at Ballard Bee
Dumping the bees into the hive
The closed hives with the travel boxes in front so the stragglers can get out
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Leaked cable shows fragility of EU arms ban on China
25.07.11 @ 19:21
COMPETA - With EU talks on lifting the arms embargo on China expected to revive after the summer break, a freshly-leaked US cable shows how close the union recently came to dropping the ban.
The dispatch outlines the positions of 12 member states who took part in a "heated" debate in the EU's Political and Security Committee in Brussels on 2 April 2004.
France, the strongest pro-China advocate, said "the embargo is anachronistic and must go" and showed "zero flexibility" on asking Beijing to make reforms in return for lifting the embargo, arguing that "China would not accept human rights conditionality."
Austria, Belgium, the Czech republic, Greece, Italy and the UK made more nuanced statements but were broadly-speaking in the French camp. The UK said only that diplomats should study implications for regional stability before making the move.
Denmark led the anti-China opposition, saying "Any decision to lift the arms embargo must be linked to specific Chinese steps on human rights."
Germany, the Netherlands and Sweden were closer to the Danish point of view.
Ireland, as the then EU presidency, tried to avoid taking sides. EU foreign ministers also tackled the subject later the same month. But with no clear outcome, the ban stayed in place.
Rockwell Schnabel, the US ambassador to the EU at the time, wrote in the cable that "all [EU countries] agree in principle that the embargo should be lifted if certain conditions are met." He added: "Our efforts have managed to slow down the momentum in favor of removing the arms embargo, but have not killed this idea outright."
EU diplomats expect talks on the ban, imposed in the wake of the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre, to reopen in the run-up to the China-EU summit, due in autumn or winter this year.
Diplomatic sources told EUobserver the positions of two of the main players - France and the UK - have not changed, leaving Germany as perhaps the key swing country in the discussion.
The summit is due in a boom time in terms of China-EU economic relations - trade grew by more than 30 percent last year and China has bought billions of euros' worth of junk eurozone bonds during the crisis. But it is also due amid a severe crackdown on ethnic minority groups and dissidents, described as the worst in China's modern history by Human Rights Watch.
Ban or no ban, a second US cable leaked at the weekend noted that EU countries in 2003 sold China €400 million of "defence exports" and, later on, approved other sales of military grade submarine and radar technology.
A senior Irish diplomat, Dermot Gallagher, at the time "expressed surprise at this information, which, he said, would suggest that the embargo itself had been ineffective."
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The Defense Department announced yesterday that 16 states have either adopted laws or are close to doing so that will ease professional licensing restrictions for out of state military spouses.
Spouses who relocate as part of a military move often find that their state certified professional licenses for everything from cosmetology to teaching to nursing don’t meet the requirements of their new state. And getting a new license for the new state can be a lengthy, expensive process, significantly delaying their ability to even apply for jobs that are often hard to come by anyway.
The effort to get states to change their licensing rules for military spouses is the job of the DoD’s State Liaison and Educational Opportunity office. Open in 2004, that office also pushes for other military exemptions, such as an effort to allow military children to transfer their out of state school course work. Thirty-nine states have jumped on that bandwagon since 2008.
The big announcement was that 16 states have enacted or are in the processing of enacting the licensing change. Sixteen. Now, I was homeschooled and all — but I am smart enough to know that there are a lot more than 16 states out there. Why have only 16 – 16! — made this concession? And why has it taken the DoD office seven years to convince only that many to do it? Does that strike anyone else as ridiculous?
One hesitancy, this story points out, could be that the states don’t want to give military spouses (who, after all, aren’t really serving in the military, right? Gag) a special in. But as the head of the education liaison office says, it’s about leveling the playing field – not giving preference.
From the story:
“We’re not looking to make the military community have a preferred status in states,” Beauregard said. “We’re looking at those things that impede people because of their military life. In all cases, we’re just looking to level the playing field.”
The office has lobbied states for two types of licensing changes. The first asks states to endorse another’s’ professional accreditation as legit. The second gives spouses a temporary license from the new state so that they can get a job while working on the new requirements.
Of those 16 states that have been so kind as to make any change at all, only seven — Arizona, Colorado, Kansas, Montana, North Carolina, New York and Texas — are willing to endorse an out of state license. Seven more — Alaska, Florida, Kentucky, Missouri, Ohio, South Carolina and Tennessee – have taken the temp license route. Utah flat out accepts out of state licenses (no endorsement process needed) and Virginia takes a whole new approach, allowing spouses to put a hold on any license they get in the state and just reuse it when they come back (no renewal needed).
I am sure this issue is much more complicated than just the “have you hugged a MilSpouse today?” sentiment I think everyone should have as a matter of course. But it nonetheless seems ridiculous to me that something so simple sounding is so difficult to accomplish. Thank God no one makes me get a license to blog and report or I’d probably just give it all up.
Edit: Thanks to reader Damsel for pointing us to this Facebook discussion board hosted by Military Community and Family Policy page. You can go there to share your thoughts on this license issue with DoD.
You can find some spouse employment options and information on Military.com here.
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Here are a some hobby tips for achieving that goal.
One simple way of making units look the same yet different is to paint the same uniform colors on all the models, but distinguish them through squad markings. In the photo below you can see seven different squad markings on the pauldrons (shoulder pads) of the Deathwing Terminators.
Notice that some of the designs are sculpted on the pads while others are flat hand painting on a smooth surface. One of them is even a decal. Designs that are hand painted are deliberately kept simple so that they are easy to reproduce repeatedly on many models.
Another method is to paint the same symbol or use the same picture decal with color coding by squad. In other words, you could have multiple squads with the same picture on their designated squad marking area, but make each squad's badge a different color. For example, if one squad has a picture of a grey skull on their pauldrons, another squad might have a red skull and yet another might have a blue one.
As you can see, the two pictures below are identical except for the color. In this case color coding makes it easy to identify squad members at a glance while the badge itself provides uniformity between units in the same army.
Of course, different squad types can have identical or nearly identical squad or army markings, but their equipment makes them obviously different squads. In the two photos below the Chaos Chosen and the Chaos Space Marine Warp Talons have the same markings on their pauldrons, but their equipment and other accouterments make it clear they are in different squads.
The Chosen have off-white helmets and red tabards to set them apart from other squads in the army including those with similar shoulder markings. Of course, another obvious difference between these two squads is the basing.
The star pattern on each shoulder pad on both the Chosen and the Warp Talons is a bit complex and not exactly identical on any two models. The star pattern design and colors tie the models together as part of the same army, but the exact placement of stars and color pattern on each shoulder pad varies from model to model. In this example the squad markings themselves are alike yet different.
In my Ork army the regular Boyz have a single plain steel shoulder pad (first photo below) while the 'Ardboyz all have two pauldrons with checker patterns on one and a black-red split on the other (second photo below). This makes the 'Ardboyz easy to identify visually from the massive number of ordinary Boyz in the army. All of the Nobz in the army have adornments like checks to set them apart from "da Boyz".
There are other options as well. For example, Games Workshop's Cadian Imperial Guard models come with number decals one could use to differentiate squad membership amongst models with identically colored uniforms.
The method of providing units with unique markings can be inspired by traditional methods of identifying military units or they can come straight out of your own imagination. There are many books about uniforms and modeling manuals to help you along the way and as you probably already know Games Workshop provides many helpful painting guides as part of the background lore they've included in many of their Codex and Army Books.
Warhammer and Warhammer 40,000 are fantasy games, so there's really no correct or incorrect way of marking your units. One can follow GW's suggestions or follow one's own heart. Be creative and have fun with it.
Coming up with ways to make each unit in an army look like part of the whole yet have it's own distinctiveness can be quite a challenge, especially in an army with lots of models and units. Part of the fun with this task for me is to let the type of army help dictate what kind of squad markings I use. My Cadian army squads have numbers or simple uniform badges while I tend to get more creative with armies like Eldar, Orks or Chaos. Each army has its own character and sensibilities and these can help you decide what system of markings to use or whether or not its worth using one at all.
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The seven-hospital LSU Health System, that serves the most vulnerable, needy populations in the southern part of Louisiana, will soon be just a shell of a health system. Thursday, the Joint Health and Welfare Committee of the Louisiana Legislature learned that some 1500 healthcare workers in New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Lafayette, Houma, Independence, Bogalusa and Lake Charles will soon lose their jobs. The inpatient bed capacities will dramatically decrease at every facility. All of these cuts are being made to meet a $152 million budget reduction.
Opelka told the lawmakers that the problems being faced by the LSU hospitals are “local problems requiring local solutions.” LSU is counting on private partnerships in each of the affected communities to pick up the care of those patients currently using the LSU hospitals and clinics.I just hope all these medical "private partnerships" involve health providers who believe evolution is real.
However, Opelka could name only one such partnership currently in the works, Earl K. Long and Our Lady of the Lake in Baton Rouge.
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Is Kickstarter the New Way To Entrepreneur?
This past week there were a lot of articles about the website Kickstarter, an online crowd funding service that provides artists, designers and entrepreneurs a way to raise funds for creative projects. It made headlines because one of the projects on the website, The Veronica Mars Movie Project, surpassed its goal of $2 million dollars in a matter of 10 hours, and was a trending topic alongside the pope. With a mix of social media and online funding, this website seems like it has the ability to be the next big thing for start-ups.
I decided to check out the app for the website, and found that on a lot of the proposed projects I’d be more than willing to pledge some money. Kickstarter project creators upload a video for their page explaining their project. It then has different amounts you can pledge and depending on the amount you pledge, you can get something in return (the product itself, a mention in a book, or just a thank you). Project creators choose a deadline and a minimum funding goal, if the goal is not met, the funds aren’t collected (the funds go through Amazon Payments). The catch is that there are no guarantees that those who post projects will actually deliver, use the money to implement their projects or that the completed project will be what was presented.
So is crowd funding the next big thing in entrepreneurship? According to the Kauffman Foundation, 51% of millennials want to start a business in the next five years, and with a lack of funds why not ask your followers on twitter for some help? Projects on Kickstarter had a total of over $79 million dollars pledged in 2012 and nearly 5,000 projects launched, showing that you no longer need a big company to exclusively fund your project. But with so much money and projects, where are all the new products?
It seems that the next step of actually growing your product and turning it into a company is where projects lose their stride. Kickstarter is just the “kick start” that a project needs but getting it into the mainstream market and having national distribution is whole separate entity. For example, a project that was selling clothing expressed that the demand for their product was more than they were prepared for. They couldn’t take new orders because it took them months to complete the orders that they had promised to those who originally funded the project. It’s also hard to get major retailers, such as Target, to pick up a product if they don’t have confidence the demand or distribution is able to replace an existing product on the shelves.
In my opinion, Kickstarter is going to be a popular website for new entrepreneurs, but they also need the added power of social media supporters who are excited about the product and spread the word. Projects that have reached their funding goal and have been able to get their product sold through major retailers, such as Apple (check out Olloclip, funded by Kickstarter) have credited their success to their supporters who believed in the product and wanted to have it themselves. So is it possible for a product to succeed after Kickstarter without the added support of consumers or is this the main component that some Kickstarter projects are missing?
What do you think of the Kickstarter website?
More Business articles from Business 2 Community:
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It's definitely not often that you hear a CQ from a station with a callsign like that! But that was the case tonight on 30 Meters. Around 23:40 UTC, I heard H74LEON calling CQ on 10.110 MHz.
Not knowing exactly where or what this station was, I jumped into the fray, anyway. At 23:42 UTC, I made it into the logbook. 30 Meters doesn't play so well on the G5RV; so I made this QSO using the Butternut HF9V vertical.
OK, so now I'm in the log - time to investigate exactly who it was that I worked. It turns out that H74LEON is a special event station in Leon, Nicaragua, set up the commemorate the 400th anniversary of the relocation of the city. Yes, that's right - the total relocation of the city!
It seems that Leon was originally founded in the year 1524 by Francisco Hernandez de Cordoba. The city was relocated about 20 miles to the west after it was severely damaged by flooding from Lake Managua. The flooding was the result of an eruption of the Momotomba volcano in 1610.
Throughout my Ham career, I have always loved chasing special event stations. Anymore, it's not all that common to run into a special event station that is making use of CW. This was a nice surprise.
72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP - When you care to send the very least!
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AIG Datapoint of the Day
In the United States, A.I.G. has more than 375 million policies with a face value of $19 trillion. If policyholders lost faith in A.I.G. and rushed to cash in their policies all at once, the entire insurance industry could falter.
Sorkin also quotes AIG’s current CEO firing directly at the structure set up by AIG’s former CEO,
Ace Hank Greenberg:
"You have an insurance company that works really well and on top of it is a holding company and the holding company’s biggest asset is this huge hedge fund,” Edward M. Liddy, who became A.I.G.’s chief executive last fall, told me.
Sorkin doesn’t quote Delaware chancellor Leo Strine on the subject of Greenberg and his "Inner Circle":
The Complaint fairly supports the assertion that AIG’s Inner Circle led a — and I use this term with knowledge of its strength — criminal organization. The diversity, pervasiveness, and materiality of the alleged financial wrongdoing at AIG is extraordinary.
And he’s not even talking about AIG Financial Products and its sales of credit default swaps!
Joe Nocera does a great job of explaining how AIG managed to scam the system to generate enormous amounts of income; unfortunately there seems to be no way that the government can claw that income back. But I do wonder whether we might not see some criminal complaints against former AIG executives at some point. They are, as Nocera says, the people who turned AIG into "ground zero for the practices that led the financial system to ruin".
Reprinted from Portfolio.com
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This editorial first appeared in the Los Angeles Times:
For all the hand-wringing among Democrats about the tough choices the party's voters are facing in their selection of a presidential nominee, it's nothing compared to the troubles Republicans are creating for themselves this year. On that side of the aisle, three contests, including this week's primary in Michigan, have yielded three very different winners, with no sign of a uniter anywhere on the horizon.
In one sense, the current campaigns reflect an unmistakable shift that occurred in American politics during the late 20th century. Once it was the Democrats whose big tent accommodated uncomfortable allies: Southern segregationists and civil rights leaders, defense hawks and doves, conservative construction unions and liberal service labor groups, earthy populists and refined academics. All of that made for fractious politics and often produced nominees who won the party's backing by bringing out one element of its base while antagonizing another. It also often doomed the nominee in the general election (think George McGovern).
Today, for all their differences, Hillary Rodham Clinton, Barack Obama and John Edwards emerge from a generally cohesive base. They embrace civil rights and want to bring an end to the Iraq war; they see a role for the government in combating poverty and protecting the environment. They represent, in short, a political party.
Then there are the Republicans. It is inconceivable to imagine Mike Huckabee's followers - those willing to back a candidate who's unsure about evolution - switching to Rudolph W. Giuliani, who's been through a couple of divorces and mildly supports abortion rights. It's equally hard to see supporters of John McCain, who has made a principled defense of immigration reform, jumping to Mitt Romney, whose demagogic attacks on illegal immigrants are part of his effort to convince conservatives he's with them despite a record as governor of Massachusetts that suggests otherwise.
The Republican Party's conflicting constituencies - chamber of commerce moderates and religious conservatives, those threatened by illegal immigration and those who are moved by the humanity of those same immigrants, libertarians who want the scope of government reduced and zealots who want government to ban abortion and regulate marriage - are tearing its field apart in 2008. Democrats may be fretting - they do have a tendency to worry - but it is Republicans who now command a party without focus or cohering principles.
Juneau Empire ©2013. All Rights Reserved.
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ps: I have just seen Stefan Monnier's message, and gone and looked at MH
again, and I see that something changed since the last time I looked at
this part of MH. I was wrong, as he points out... I have no idea whether
nmh has this post/spost split as well (as I have said before, I don't use
And while the "post always uses smtp" is right, that's not really important
here, what is is whether the site is expected to have something listening on
port 25 - to run "sendmail -bs" that isn't required, and that is the real
issue. It doesn't really matter much to anyone whether you run "sendmail
or "sendmail addr addr addr..." (and for many purposes, not much more if
you run "sendmail -t", though I don't much like that variation).
Other than some small configuration changes and bugfixes, the "backend"
of nmh is the same as MH. There is both a "post" and "spost" binary.
post - default method of sending mail. Currently always uses SMTP, either
by connecting directly to port 25 (default) or by forking a copy
of sendmail with "sendmail -bs".
spost - send mail by forking mail, and passing message to sendmail on
standard input. This is the method most other mail clients use.
A user can change which "postproc" to use by adding the line
to his .mh_profile.
Now each method above has its advantages and disadvantages (doesn't
In nmh, I plan to eventually merge spost and post into a single command. Then
you will be able to decide which method to use when configuring the system
(I haven't decide whether it should be a runtime or compile-time option).
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Egg roll inscriptions
Today in Japan is what’s camply known as ‘Doll’s Festival’.
No, not any mannequins to smother in lace or cake with make-up like Miss Girl’s World, but rather an excuse to make a show of some nice cutie-pie figurines you might have lying around, which – let’s face it - is often the case.
Traditionally, I heard that the origin of Doll’s Festival came from people throwing dolls into the river to exorcise evil spirits. That’s even more scary in itself, though, don’t you think? Can you imagine…there you are trying to enjoy your nice spring picnic and suddenly a bunch of doll parts come floating downstream? How positively and literally frightful.
These days, however, people are more content to use their figurine displays as a means of eliciting “Kawaiiiii” as many times as humanly possible. Completely inescapable, and we love it and hate it at the same time.
As if that wasn’t ‘kawai’ enough, there are even custom-made lunch boxes to mark the occasion containing egg rolls with inscriptions of our very own Kitty-chan…dressed up as a doll!
Hate to state the obvious but…
Maybe I need a lie down.
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Clarence Thomas has been in the news a lot lately. The champion of black assimilation and white dominance has released a book and conservative in politics praises his personal philosophy. Mr. Thomas believes that everyone in America has the same chance for success as everyone else. The odds are not in anyone’s favor but in the hands of each individual who works hard enough to manipulate the system to his or her will.
Chances are extremely good that I will never break the cover on Mr. Thomas’ book. I don’t believe he believes some of the things he claims to believe. For example, Mr. Thomas says he never benefited from affirmative action but in 1968 he took advantage of a minority recruitment program and enrolled in the College of the Holy Cross, a Roman Catholic school in Worcester, Massachusetts. Now affirmative action refers to policies and programs designed to promote access to education or employment of a historically socially and politically non-dominant group such as minorities and/or women. The motivation of such programs is usually to rectify the effects of past policies of discrimination and to encourage public institutions to have a more diverse population.
But now Mr. Thomas wants to deem unconstitutional and illegal the very types of programs that he now claims he never took advantage of. A serious case of denial if there has ever been one. But now a number of people want to promote his deception and denial as something that more black people should emulate. Clarence Thomas is trying to promote this fantasy that he got where he is based on his good looks and he didn’t need a handout or a hand up. Clarence Thomas was fortunate to receive his assistance from his good friend former Missouri Senator John Danforth. As the attorney general for the state of Missouri, Mr. Danforth gave Mr. Thomas a job as assistant attorney general. And as Senator Mr. Danforth was very instrumental in helping Mr. Thomas get his Supreme Court nomination.
Mr. Thomas appears to suffer from a form of narcissism that allows him to internalize his own injuries as a black man suffering in a white man’s world but then turns around and helps white men continue their injurious behavior on other black men. Mr. Thomas complains significantly that he is misunderstood but then does nothing to clear up the misunderstandings.
The primary reason Clarence Thomas got his Supreme Court nomination was because he was black and the only black justice on the Supreme Court, the late great Thuroughgood Marshall, was retiring. If then President George H. W. Bush had replaced Mr. Marshall with a white justice it would have negatively impacted the racial diversity of the high court. Mr. Thomas may believe that he got where he is by his own merits. But it should be obvious to anyone with eyes to see or ears to hear or a brain to think that again he benefited from the fact that he was black.
As a black man Mr. Thomas has done well. He is the very personification of what racial assimilation should mean for the black community. His wife is white. His colleagues are white. His circle of friends includes such white political conservatives as Rush Limbaugh. If his decisions and judgments are any indication then Mr. Thomas has truly managed to immerse himself in the illusion that he is a colorless component in a white dominated world. Mr. Thomas probably thinks that being told that he isn’t recognized or viewed as a black man is a compliment. And Mr. Thomas could not appear happier.
Mr. Thomas has a seriously mean streak and he is all too willing to let it influence his opinion on the high bench. Mr. Thomas said that he would find an assassin’s bullet less injurious than his all too public confirmation hearing to determine the fitness of his appointment to the high court. But then the man turns around and becomes upset that a situation where a prison guards willfully beat a prisoner with their supervisor’s approval is deemed cruel and unusual punishment. Accord to Justice Thomas a prisoner who only suffers relatively minor injuries such as broken teeth and a split lip at the hands of guards is not entitled to protection under the eighth amendment of the constitution. For all his talk about a high tech lynching during his confirmation hearings the man does not hesitate to support lynching prison guards.
However, from a spiritual perspective Mr. Thomas appears to be lost, confused, and forever searching for some kind of peace. He claims he speaks his mind and that he thinks independently of the other justices. But if that’s the case then this is one seriously messed up brother. One would think that with so many of his experiences overlapping the experiences of so many black people across America that black people could find a mutual bond with this justice and someone who would understand the plight of the black community. It is sad to say, but if black people had to go to court and face a judge there is little doubt that most would be praying to go before a Ruth Bader Ginsburg, a little white Jewish woman from New York, than to face the black Tommy.
Mr. Thomas has proven time and time again that he is the type of black man who would protect the enforcement of sadistic policies to keep the black community subjugated rather than protect the black community. The very policies that subjugated him early in his life are the policies he now uses his position to defend. Mr. Thomas is proof that black people can make it in America. Thankfully not all black people are so ready to put their experiences with the system aside and do their best to enforce the status quo where white institutionalized domination.
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Lee’s August (Kind of Like Lee’s June)
What an August for Cliff Lee:
- He became just the third pitcher in baseball history to go 5-0 with an ERA under 1.00 in two separate months in the same season. He went 5-0 with a 0.21 ERA in June and 5-0 with a 0.45 ERA in August. He joined Bob Gibson in 1968, who went 6-0 with a 0.50 ERA in June and 6-0 with a 0.50 ERA in July, and Walter Johnson in 1913, who went 5-0 with a 0.24 ERA in April and 6-0 with a 0.81 ERA in July.
- Lee also became the first pitcher to throw at least seven scoreless innings in at least 10 starts in the same season since Dwight Gooden and John Tudor in 1985. Gooden and Tudor accomplished the feat 11 times.
- He was one out from throwing his sixth shutout of the season, which would have been the most in the National League since Tim Belcher threw eight in 1989 and the most for the Phillies since Steve Carlton threw six in 1982.
- Told about Lee’s connection to Gibson and Johnson, Charlie Manuel said, “I would have liked to hit off Walter. I never saw him, but I’d like to swing at him.”
- Lee said he didn’t realize he waved toward first base when he grounded out in the fourth inning. But he said he should have ran.
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It wasn’t the Publishers Clearing House people knocking at the front door. But for Humane Society of Charlotte staff, it might have been even better.
Officials from the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals showed up Nov. 30 with a check for $25,000 – HSC’s reward for winning the Southeast Region in the ASPCA Rachael Ray $100K Challenge.
The Charlotte staff won $20,000 for adopting or reuniting 1,101 pets with their owners from August through October, an increase of 549 saved during the same period last year. HSC won an additional $5,000 for increasing lives saved by more than 300.
“They notify the winners in person, kind of like Ed McMahon style,” said Shelly Moore, Humane Society of Charlotte president and CEO. “They show up with a big check. They brought a pull-up banner with the number of adoptions we did.”
Moore said HSC was one of nine shelters competing in the region, finishing eighth in the entire competition among the 50 entrants. The $100,000 grand prize went to City of San Antonio Animal Care Services.
“There were shelters of all sizes – huge shelters and small, rescue shelters,” she said. “You’re not competing with other shelters’ numbers; you’re competing with your own numbers.”
HSC Vice President of Operations Jorge Ortega, who came up with the idea to enter the contest, said the challenge to improve efficiencies made it a victory.
“Our goal was to adopt out 852 animals in three months (an increase of 300 over 2011),” he said. “That’s never been done in the history of the organization. But everybody here was a trooper.”
Said Moore: “The whole idea is to get shelters to look at their processes, how they do their adoptions, how they manage the population flow of their animals through their shelters to help them increase capacity and save more animals’ lives. It makes your staff think outside the box, streamline processes, utilize other resources that they might have underutilized before.”
Moore and Ortega cited their volunteers as a key example.
“We provided more precise training to specific job descriptions that we needed in order to expedite adoptions,” Ortega said. “For instance, we needed not just a volunteer to work at the front desk at customer service, we needed volunteers to do adoptions, to be specific adoption counselors. We needed volunteers to do data entry.
“We broke it down to within specific job descriptions within customer service. That actually gave us the opportunity to work with more volunteers” and also matched them better with their skills and preferences, which led some of them to volunteer more frequently.
“Our whole goal is to reduce intake and euthanasia at our county shelter,” Moore said. “In our partnership with Charlotte-Mecklenburg Animal Care & Control, we transfer in over 50 percent of our animals directly from them. ... They have an intake of over 16,000 animals over there. So for us, the more animals that we can transfer in from that shelter, the fewer animals will be euthanized because there’s not room.”
Moore said HSC won’t have a hard time determining what to do with the prize money:
• Help underwrite adoption promotions via social media to people in the shelter’s database, also with press releases. Special attention will be on at-risk animals: cats that don’t get adopted as often as kittens, or older dogs.
• Help subsidize spay-neuter surgeries for people who can’t afford them.
• Perform outreach into the community and go into communities where there are populations that have never used HSC services, offering services there at low to no cost.
• Replenish a medical fund for sick and injured animals.
Moore, a south Charlotte resident who has spent 27 years in animal welfare, said Charlotte-area residents played a role in the contest win:
“The way you got into the competition was, the community voted you in. Back in March when we started the process, we reached out to the community because the top 50 vote-getters competed for the prize money.”
She’s most proud of her 42-person staff.
“When we first applied to be in the challenge, they ask you on the application to use three words to describe your organization. For us, it was ‘small but mighty.’ We have extremely passionate, dedicated staff, volunteers, supporters, board members, donors who are never satisfied with the status quo.”
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"We build great products!" is what I hear every startup leader tell me. From Apple to Z Corp everyone is doing it. Why? To build a great company, of course. That's the response from management.
Yet the great marketing minds instead concentrate on the brand. It is the brand that distinguishes one car from another, one social networking site from another. Lexus is branded as a luxurious Japanese car. Facebook is branded as social networking. Names that stand for things are brands. Chevrolet has lost its meaning and thus its brand means nothing anymore. Competitors for Facebook are mostly forgotten.
Once Heinz means ketchup, what would you do, make a better-tasting ketchup?
It is not a better product that makes a strong brand. It is market share that tells you the brand is strong.
Does Starbucks make better coffee than McDonald's (Consumer Reports said no). Does Rolex make better watches than a dozen other luxury-watch makers? Perhaps. Perhaps not. But the tangible differences noticed by the consumer are rarely in the product quality. Instead, they are noticed by what is in the brand.
BOTTOM LINE: Startup marketing minds focus on brands. They aim to build a brand that stands for something in the mind of their ideal customer. That will distinguish the brand from competitors. It will give lasting meaning to the brand. It is a strong brand that leads to the winning startup, not better products. When you understand that, you'll be on your way to building an unfair competitive advantage.
I wish you The Best on your Adventure!
"Marketing is too complicated to be left to management people who have little experience in marketing and who don't understand its principles." wrote Al Ries.
Rated by Advertising Age as one of the Top Ten living legends of marketing, Ries's findings and related implications in the book "War in the Boardroom" are spot on with issues that confront first-time entrepreneurs. This startup marketing series is based on that book. It is highly recommended reading for startup leaders.
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Gold at The Varsity is for many Dutch rowers way more important than a World-Cup, World Championship and Olympic victory combined.
Early April, and every student boat club in the Netherlands is preparing for what is the most prestigious student boat-race in the country: the Varsity. Men and women’s eights, fours, single and double sculls prepare to row on what is considered by many the holy Varsity-water: The Amsterdam Rijnkanaal near Houten in the center of The Netherlands. This busy shipping lane is blocked one day every year, so student rowers are able compete for gold and silver medals. It is time for the Lomo LCA , Spinner , Fisheye No.2 Black and Sprocket Rocket to cover this wonderful day.
Since 1878 the boat race has been held 128 times, making it one of the oldest sports events in the country. With many different kinds of boats competing for victory the most prestigious division is the ‘Old Fours,’ with the four best rowers of every boat-club competing for eternal glory, and solid gold medals, in a seven lane final over a 3000-meter course. The railroad bridge that crosses the canal is the characteristic finish line with the spectators field at its feet.
A typical Varsity day starts off slow, as many students like to sleep in and do not arrive until the sun is high above the course. Then the picnic baskets are unpacked and people watch the first heats which decide who will compete in the finals later that day. As a traditional boat race the Varsity is ideal for wearing your straw hat, worn-out boat club blazer and tie. Much like the Royal Henley Regatta and the Boat race between Oxford and Cambridge, students come from all over the country to support their boat clubs crews.
Former boat club members like to gather on the other side of the canal on a classy ship, sipping their champagne and reminisce about their own victories of times past. They amuse themselves, watching the races and the students on the other side who are drinking and singing their boat club songs, and stealing other boat club flags from the flagpoles.
The Varsity being a student boat race, it is organized by students and facilitated by professional referees. It is the only student boat race with live coverage on a 30m2 wide screen on the other side of the canal.
When the clock strikes 5, it’s time for the ‘Old Fours’ to row their race over 3000 meters. This year, the Amsterdam boat club Nereus won. Traditionally dozens of excited, and barely dressed fans jump in the water to greet their heroes, that brought the Varsity Gold to Amsterdam once again.
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Real life work has once again stepped in, so I won’t have the Helicobacter posts up until next week. However, in the meantime, a big story has broken regarding the 2001 anthrax attacks–a potential suspect, and his suicide before he could be arrested. Will we ever actually get to the bottom of this? More discussion below…
A bit of a primer on the anthrax attacks, as it’s been awhile since they were in the news. Recall that just after the chaos of 9/11 in 2001, envelopes containing anthrax were sent to a number of news organizations and senators, resulting in 22 cases of anthrax and 5 deaths. In the early days, the investigation seemed to rapidly close in on a suspect–Dr. Steven Hatfill, a virologist who had worked at the US Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Disease (USAMRIID), where he carried out work on potential agents of biological warfare. However, subsequent investigations veered away from Hatfill, and he recently won a large settlement from the government.
So with Hatfill no longer the main “person of interest,” the investigations seemed to languish for many years. Though the attack strains were typed as the Ames strain–a strain that had been used at USAMRIID (among other places). And while the spores and handling procedures were described in a 2006 publication, anniversaries of the attack came and went with seemingly no movement in the case. Several months ago a report surfaced that four people were being investigated. And now–almost 7 years later–it seems that one of these suspects was identified–and committed suicide before he could be charged:
Bruce E. Ivins, was a leading military anthrax researcher who worked for the past 18 years at the government’s biodefense labs at Fort Detrick, Md. The laboratory has been at the center of the FBI’s investigation of the anthrax mailings.
Other U.S. officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the ongoing grand jury investigation, said prosecutors were closing in on Ivins, 62. They were planning an indictment that would have sought the death penalty for the attacks, which killed five people, crippled the postal system and traumatized a nation still reeling from the Sept. 11 attacks.
Authorities were investigating whether Ivins released the anthrax as a way to test his vaccine, officials said. The Justice Department has not yet decided whether to close the investigation, officials said, meaning it’s still not certain whether Ivins acted alone or had help. One official close to the case said that decision was expected within days.
The story goes on to say that Ivins has cooperated with investigators for the past year, and Ivins’ attorney says that his death is due to “relentless pressure of accusation and innuendo.” Certainly this is something Hatfill and others have learned–guilty or innocent, such investigations can destroy one’s life and livelihood. Indeed, Ivins had apparently been forced to take retirement starting next month, and had been escorted away from his lab and was on a suicide watch and under treatment for depression. His friends and family suggested he had been under strain for a year, as the government searched his home multiple times and had a car sitting and watching his house.
The story also reports that Ivins behaved strangely following the 2001 anthrax attacks, “when he conducted unauthorized testing for anthrax spores outside containment areas at the infectious disease research unit where he worked.” It’s suggested that a motive may have been to test anthrax treatments in the field, as Ivins reportedly “…complained of the limited supply of monkeys available for testing and said testing on animals is insufficient to demonstrate how humans would respond to treatment.”
Was Ivins’ guilt or fear of being caught a motive for his suicide–or was he hounded out of his job and into a spiral of depression by the government, looking to finally close this case after years of inaction? As I asked above, will we ever really get to the bottom of this? Even with this potential lead, it’s not looking a whole lot rosier than it did almost 7 years ago that we’ll ever know what really happened.
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SAN MARCOS Palomar College will hold a groundbreaking ceremony Wednesday for its long-awaited planetarium, the college announced last week.
The planetarium will replace the campus’s popular but outdated planetarium, which was torn down in July 2008. The project is part of a $1 billion capital-improvement campaign that is transforming the North County college.
The Palomar Community College District serves about 30,000 full- and part-time students in much of North County, from Fallbrook to Poway and east to Ramona and Borrego Springs.
The planetarium will be built to accommodate 146 people. It will be between the college’s library and the Natural Sciences building, which houses the astronomy department.
Designed by tBP Architecture in Newport Beach, the planetarium is expected to cost $6.9 million and take 18 months to complete. It’s being funded mostly by a local bond measure that voters approved in November 2006.
The college intends to raise an additional $1.5 million for a new projection system for the planetarium.
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Pakistan: Now or Never?
Perspectives on Pakistan
The rising cost of food that is stirring unrest in the developing world may have one positive spin-off: Afghanistan’s opium farmers, attracted by high wheat prices, may be turning to legal crops.
The Financial Times quotes a recent commander of British forces in Helmand, the heartland of the country’s drugs trade, as saying there is anectodal evidence of such a switch in the southern province. With wheat prices at record highs farmers are calculating they will make money planting the crop, says Brigadier Andrew MacKay.
But he adds, though, that this doesn’t mean that the tide has turned in the fight against the drug industry in Afghanistan, producing 93 percent of the world’s opium which is processed to make heroin and exported around the world.
Afghanistan’s opium crop is forecast to shrink by as much as half this year after 2007′s record harvest, but then this fall is not so much the result of international anti-narcotics efforts but mainly because of an unusally cold and dry winter that has disrupted germination of seeds.
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While the password generator is key for diversifying and strengthening your account passwords, it's also a great tool for providing answers to common "security questions" for your accounts.
Security answers are often included as a second form of login verification or as part of an account recovery process, most frequently with online financial institutions and email accounts. Although many sites have made an effort in recent years to increase the obscurity of the security questions (at least, we hope they're generally better than this), the fact remains that the answers to common security questions are more accessible than ever before. Even if you're not a high-profile target, by generating answers with the LastPass password generator you'll help reduce the risk that someone may use security questions to compromise your accounts.
When registering for new sites that require an answer to a security question, it's simple to quickly generate an "answer" and add it to the new site entry stored in LastPass.
Let's say you're signing up for a new Gmail account. After going through the set-up process, we go into the account settings to create a security question & answer for account recovery purposes.
After selecting a question from the drop-down options, we go to the LastPass Icon, choose the Tools menu, and open the "Generate Secure Password" feature:
When the dialog opens, you can check "Show Advanced Options" to customize your generated password:
Click "generate" to create a new password with your customized options, then "copy" to copy the password to your clipboard. Go back to the security answer field, and paste the generated password. After confirming that your new answer is accepted by the site, you can go to your LastPass Icon, click on the site name listed at the bottom of the menu, and open the "edit" dialog. Paste the generated password in the Notes, also noting which security question you chose.
If you know you're using personal information for security answers, set aside some time to login to those accounts, generate a new "answer" with LastPass, and store the update in your site entry. Accounts for online banking, email, social media, and credit cards are all good places to start.
Generating answers with LastPass doesn't directly affect your Security Check score, but it will improve your overall online security.
The LastPass Team
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What the heck?! Are these worms!
by, 01-31-2011 at 6:11 PM (7009 Views)
Okay so there's yet again another strange invader in my 10 galon tank. I was having a look at my aquarium and noticed what looks like little tiny white worms! What the heck?! I have 6 Red Cherry Shrimp and an invasion of snails... these are definitely not babies of either. This is a planted tank, so maybe these aliens came in on one of the plants? Does anyone have any idea what these could be, or how i can get rid of them without harming my shrimp? Please help!
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On The Mind Report, Tamar speaks to Andrew Solomon, author of the new book, Far from the Tree. Andrew explains how his eyes were opened to the rich linguistic culture of the deaf community. Tamar asks him if he thinks schizophrenia or anorexia should be valorized as identities. Next, Andrew tells the moving story of Clinton Brown, a dwarf who exceeded all expectations, and two stories about parents of transgender children in radically different communities. Finally, Andrew has some closing words on identity, illness, and parenting.
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Half a million illegal immigrants should be given the right to stay in Britain, a think tank has said.
Illegal immigrants could bring in £1bn in tax revenue
The Institute of Public Policy Research says such an amnesty would bring in £1bn in extra taxes, and save costs of £4.7bn needed to deport people.
It is urging Home Secretary Jacqui Smith to adopt the move, saying a large scale deportation would never happen.
The Home Office said an amnesty was unnecessary and would create "a strong pull for waves of illegal migration".
It is not known how many illegal immigrants are in the UK, with estimates varying widely from 300,000 to 900,000.
The Home Office has estimated it would take more than 30 years to deport them all.
Danny Sriskandandarajah, head of migration and equalities at the Institute of Public Policy Research, said: "The simple truth is that we are not going to deport hundreds of thousands of people from the UK.
"Our economy would shrink and we would notice it straightaway in uncleaned offices, dirty streets and unstaffed pubs and clubs.
"So we have a choice: make people live in the shadows, exploited and fearful for the future; or bring them into the mainstream, to pay taxes and live an honest life."
Immigration minister Liam Byrne has repeatedly rejected calls for an amnesty.
A Home Office spokesman said a new Australian-style points system for managed migration would allow skilled migrants into the UK to fill gaps in the economy.
Shadow home secretary David Davis said other countries who had granted such an amnesty "found it creates an unstoppable stream of illegal immigration".
"The state of our porous borders means that granting an amnesty for around 500,000 would quickly lead to thousands more taking their place," he said.
"The only long-term solution is to have an efficient asylum system so that we don't develop the huge back log from which this government now suffers."
The pressure group Migrationwatch UK has argued that an amnesty on illegal immigrants would put too much pressure on council housing.
The group has also questioned the benefits brought by legal migrant workers.
Chairman Sir Andrew Green said the latest government figures suggested the economic benefit from migrant workers worked out at about 73p a week for each person already living in the UK.
Trade unions recently said migrant workers who come to the UK legally had boosted the economy.
The TUC said the amount of tax paid by migrants exceeded the cost of supplying public services.
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Pete Madsen, Olalla
Too many parks to handle
I have known quite a few car collectors over the years. More than one got carried away with the gathering aspect of the hobby, and got to the point where the care and maintenance became neglected. I remember nice old cars sitting in a downtown building, gathering dust, tires going flat, pieces of the ceiling falling onto them. I remember another guy getting into trouble with his neighbors and with the county because he had too many old cars parked outside where the neighbors had to look at them.
When I read the Jan. 21 Sun article about the state of Bremerton’s park system, I thought of those guys. Bremerton’s problem is the same as theirs: the city has accumulated more parks than it can take care of. The solution to the problem seems obvious — some of the parks must be sold. Given the continuing lack of money and people to maintain them, that seems the only reasonable solution.
I realize that the city doesn’t want to sell what has been accumulated over the years, any more than a dedicated car collector wants to unload any of his prized possessions. But let’s face it: City workers’ salaries do not seem to be on a downtrend and environmental regulations do not seem to be decreasing; therefore it will become more expensive over the years to maintain parks than it is now.
The city needs to face economic reality, figure out which parks to sell, and downsize the park system to a size that can be adequately cared for.
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PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti -- The Caribbean death toll from Hurricane Sandy rose again sharply on Saturday, even as the storm swirled away toward the U.S. East Coast. Officials said the hurricane system has cost at least 58 lives in addition to destroying or badly damaging thousands of homes.
While Jamaica, Cuba and the Bahamas took direct hits from the storm, the majority of deaths and most extensive damage was in impoverished Haiti, where it has rained almost non-stop since Tuesday.
The official death toll in Haiti stood at 44 Saturday, but authorities said that could still rise. The country's ramshackle housing and denuded hillsides are especially vulnerable to flooding when rains come.
"This is a disaster of major proportions," Prime Minister Laurent Lamothe told The Associated Press. "The whole south is under water."
Barbara Garces tries to recover her belongings from his house destroyed by Hurricane Sandy in Aguacate, Cuba, on Thursday.
He said the death toll jumped on Saturday because it was the first day that authorities were able to go out and assess the damage, which he estimated was in the hundreds of millions of dollars, the bulk of it in lost crops.
Nineteen people are reported injured and another 12 are missing, according to Haiti's Civil Protection Office.
One of the remaining threats was a still-rising muddy river in the northern part of the capital, Port-au-Prince.
"If the river busts its banks, it's going to create a lot of problems. It might kill a lot of people," said 51-year-old Seroine Pierre. "If death comes, we'll accept it. We're suffering, we're hungry, and we're just going to die hungry."
Officials reported flooding across Haiti, where 370,000 people are still living in flimsy shelters as a result of the devastating 2010 earthquake. Nearly 17,800 people had to move to 131 temporary shelters, the Civil Protection Office said.
Among those hoping for a dry place to stay was 35-year-old Iliodor Derisma in Port-au-Prince, who said the storm had caused a lot of anguish.
"It's wet all my clothes, and all the children aren't living well," he said. "We're hungry. We haven't received any food. If we had a shelter, that would be nice."
Santos Alexis, mayor of the southern city of Leogane, said Saturday that two people were reported dead there, including a man in his late 30s and a boy around 10 years old who drowned. He said the city was hit by heavy rains but that no major damage was reported.
"Water came into the houses, water got on the beds, but they didn't lose their homes," he said. "Leogane was underwater mostly, but now we have less water."
President Michel Martelly and Lamothe handed out water bottles to dozens of people in a Port-au-Prince neighborhood on Friday. They also distributed money to local officials to help clean up the damage.
Sandy left dozens of families homeless when it barreled across Jamaica Wednesday as a Category 1 hurricane. One man was crushed to death by a boulder that tumbled into his house. Military officials on Saturday were carrying supplies and doctors to five communities in the southern mountainous region that had been cut off by floods.
The storm hit eastern Cuba as a Category 2 hurricane early Thursday. Eleven people died in Santiago and Guantanamo provinces and official news media said the storm caused 5,000 houses to at least partially collapse while 30,000 others lost roofs. Banana, coffee, bean and sugar crops were damaged.
The storm then churned into the Bahamas archipelago, toppling light posts, flooding roads and ripping down tree branches. Police said the British CEO of an investment bank died when he fell from his roof in upscale Lyford Cay late Thursday while trying to repair a window shutter. Officials at Deltec Bank & Trust identified him as Timothy Fraser-Smith, who became CEO in 2000.
In Puerto Rico, police said a man in his 50s died Friday in the southern town of Juana Diaz, swept away in a river swollen by rain from Sandy's outer bands. Flooding forced at least 100 families in southwestern Puerto Rico to seek shelter.
Authorities in the Dominican Republic evacuated more than 18,100 people after the storm destroyed several bridges and isolated at least 130 communities. Heavy rains and wind also damaged an estimated 3,500 homes.
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I always start the national conference telling myself I’ll do a blog a day on what and who I’ve seen. It’s already the closing day and I’m just getting around to it but this might be hard to top (if I ever coalesce my thinking on all that I’ve seen and heard on other topics). Though most presentations on copyright that I’ve sat in on seemed to start with a disclaimer about “a lot of gray” or “but check with your district’s lawyer,” there have been a few that confidently proclaimed educators’ right to copy to advance knowledge. I sat in on one such session here in Denver yesterday. Renée Hobbs of Temple University is passionate about teachers’ rights and asserting those rights when teaching. Forget about those 10% and 30 second rules. She has even proposed teachers’ legal right to bypass the encryption on movies for the sake of education AND it’s under consideration by the U.S. copyright office! Want to know more? Check out her resources on “Fair Use supporting digital learning,” the “Code of Best Practices for Fair Use in Media Literacy Education,” and the Center for Social Media.
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Spanghero should have identified the meat as horse from its Romanian customs code, as well as its appearance, smell and price, he said.
Comigel also should have noticed anomalies in labeling of the meat it received, Hamon said.
A Spanghero representative told CNN the company had acted in good faith. "The company has never ordered horse meat and we never knowingly sold horse meat," the representative said.
The affair has been passed to the Paris prosecutor to be investigated as fraud, Hamon said. The offense is punishable by up to two years in prison and fines of up to €187,500 for the companies involved.
Hamon said there is no reason to doubt that the Romanian abattoir that supplied the horse meat was acting in good faith.
In another twist, UK inspectors said Thursday that horse carcasses contaminated with the equine painkiller bute may have entered the food chain in France. UK and French authorities are working to trace the horse meat, the Food Standards Agency said.
The meat industry was first thrust into the spotlight last month when Irish investigators found horse and pig DNA in hamburger products. The discovery of pig DNA in beef products is of particular concern to Jews and Muslims, whose dietary laws forbid the consumption of pork products. Jewish dietary laws also ban the eating of horse meat.
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The St. Louis Regional Chamber is launching a collaborative initiative to increase the percentage of the area’s workforce which has a bachelor’s degree or higher.
Thirty percent of adults in the St. Louis region have at least a bachelor’s degree, ranking it 14th among the nation’s metropolitan areas. That’s just behind Los Angeles and ahead of Houston, according to U.S. Census estimates. Meanwhile, decades of slow population growth place St. Louis as the 19th most populated region.
Updated at 6:03 p.m. to include details on a House-Sen. joint committee's proposal to use performance-based criteria in a new Higher Ed. funding formula.
A joint House-Senate panel is recommending performance play a role in how much money Missouri’s colleges and universities get from the state each year.
Panel members on Monday released a proposed Higher Education funding formula, which would include performance measurement in such things as student enrollment/retention, the number of research programs at an institution, and public service to the surrounding community or state. State Senator David Pearce (R, Warrensburg) chairs the Joint Committee on Education.
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By Philippa Croome
Uganda’s presidential incumbent Yoweri Museveni has been declared the winner of Friday’s election with an overwhelming 68 per cent of the vote, extending his 25-year-rule amongst claims of rigging and voter intimidation.
Although Uganda’s presidential and parliamentary elections were largely peaceful, they were marred by pockets of violence—clashes between party supporters led to at least seven deaths across the country, according to the Uganda Red Cross Society, along with at least 300 injuries.
One journalist, Julius Odeke, was shot on election day after guards of a ruling party minister took aim at an opposition party vehicle in the eastern district of Budadiri. Odeke was caught in the crossfire and is currently recovering in hospital.
Uganda People’s Congress (UPC) opposition candidate Olara Otunnu says the level of rigging was unprecedented.
“Whether it was crossing out the names of people, adding the names of people, getting people to go from one station to another—it was massive,” he said. “There’s no way on earth Museveni could have gotten 60 plus per cent, it’s impossible.”
Lead opposition candidate Kizza Besigye of the Inter Party Cooperation (IPC) told the press on Saturday that he categorically rejects the outcomes of the election and is seeking to bring an end to Museveni’s “illegitimate government.”
But the early warnings from Besigye that Egypt-style revolts would follow any rigging at the polls have not come to pass. While most Ugandans acknowledge elections have never been entirely free and fair, a lack of options and willingness to stand up to corruption will likely see vote rigging continue in the future.
European Union electoral observers have also corroborated accounts of rigging from agents stationed across the country.
The EU’s Chief Observer Edward Scicluna said that although “isolated incidents were disappointing,” the process was overall an improvement from what they observed during the 2006 elections.
Scicluna added that the EU is bound to making recommendations only.
“It’s up to citizens and civil society to take them up and see that they are followed,” he said.
Professor at Makerere Institute of Social Research, Frederick Golooba-Mutebi, says that despite being aware of rigging at the polls, Ugandans have accepted the result and want to move on with their lives.
“Most won’t have stomach for demonstrations and violence,” he said. “The opposition should move on and strategize for future elections.”
While Museveni supporter Ivan Bantu says he “tends to believe” the charges of vote rigging and corruption that plague Museveni’s government, he also says it bridges all aspects of Ugandan society and has become an accepted part of elections here.
“If you want to change corruption in Uganda, you have to change our thinking,” says the 33-year-old former UN elections monitor.
Though Uganda has a discontented populace much like that in Egypt, they are still divided amongst themselves, and largely apprehensive to stand up to a strong military government and risk returning to violence reminiscent of the days of past dictators Idi Amin and Milton Obote.
Many Ugandans vote for Museveni today because of the gratitude they still feel for his ending their reigns.
Opposition supporter David Rwomushana says those days are long gone, and that Uganda needs new direction.
“Even me, I am grateful, but so what? Our future is still fragile,” he says.
“Museveni is not following demographic changes—he thinks the same people who saw him come in 1986 are the same people of Uganda today.”
The country’s Constitutional Courts found that rigging took place in both the 2001 and 2006 elections, but that the extent of corruption was not enough to have changed the actual outcome.
So Museveni stayed on after he changed the constitution to suit the cause.
Otunnu says the pattern won’t end until Ugandans have decided they’ve had enough.
“Other than demonstration, we do have options,” he says. “But first they have to decide that they want to say no.”
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By Nicole Neroulias
SEATTLE (Reuters) - A handful of Roman Catholic churches in Washington state, whose Catholic governor signed a law allowing gay marriage earlier this year, have refused to circulate a petition endorsed by their archbishop to repeal the law, congregation leaders said.
Opponents of same-sex marriage, due to go into effect this summer in the state, have been rallying conservative religious leaders to gather the 120,577 signatures they need by June 6 to secure a spot on the November 2012 ballot for their repeal push.
A bulletin from Seattle Archbishop J. Peter Sartain, who testified against the gay marriage bill, and the Washington State Catholic Conference has asked parishes to participate in the signature-gathering effort and "do everything you can to uphold the traditional definition of marriage in our state."
"We bishops have already made known our strong opposition to the redefinition of marriage, and we will continue to do so," the letter said. "Because we believe that this issue is critically important, we ... have approved the gathering of signatures in our parishes over the next few months."
But the archdiocese technically left it up to congregation leaders to decide whether to directly collect signatures, and seven Seattle-area parishes have opted against it. The petitions were expected to begin circulating in many churches on Sunday.
Reverend Michael Ryan of St. James Cathedral, which opted not to take part in the petition drive, told church members in an email: "Doing so would, I believe, prove hurtful and seriously divisive in our community."
Using similar language, the pastoral life coordinator at St. Mary's Church, Tricia Wittmann-Todd, said collecting signatures would be "hurtful and divisive" to her parish.
"I am particularly concerned about our youth who may be questioning their own sexual identity and need our support at this time in their lives," she said in a statement.
The Roman Catholic Church is Washington state's largest single religious denomination, according to the Association of Religion Data Archives and the Official Catholic Report, but accounts for only about 12 percent of the population.
The state has about 300 Catholic churches, mostly in the Seattle area.
DIFFERENCES OF OPINION
Bishops from the Diocese of Yakima and the Diocese of Spokane instructed their member parishes to participate in the petition drive. So far, no churches in those regions, which are more politically conservative than those in Seattle, have announced that they will not circulate the petitions.
"There's a clear division in the Catholic church on this," said Zach Silk, spokesman for pro-gay marriage group Washington United for Marriage. "It's not a surprise to us that there's a strong feeling among most lay Catholics and some leadership that this isn't something the church should get itself involved with."
Some prominent Catholic citizens have been actively working with Washington United for Marriage to keep same-sex marriage on the books, ranging from Democratic Governor Christine Gregoire to Barbara Guzzo, a Seattle woman who formed Catholics for Marriage Equality in Washington.
Guzzo, 62, a member of St. Mary's, said she applauded her church's decision, which reflects the community's beliefs in love, inclusion, justice and church-state separation. She and Silk both said at least seven churches had opted out.
"There are Catholics who clearly aren't going to move off the position of marriage as only between one man and one woman, but this is about civil marriage," she said, adding that some Catholics dislike the idea of circulating legislative petitions in church, which has not been done since the late 1980s.
If the repeal referendum qualifies for the November ballot, gay marriage would be put on hold until after the election. If voters back repeal at the ballot box, the state would still recognize domestic partnerships but not same-sex marriage.
Joseph Backholm, an evangelical Christian leading the Preserve Marriage Washington referendum effort, said more than 1,500 religious institutions of all denominations had requested petitions so far.
"It's every flavor of Protestant denomination, Catholics, mosques, Chinese churches, Korean churches," Backholm said. "It's every part of the state. We do not discriminate on the basis of anything, as far as this is concerned."
He said he was not concerned about Catholic churches opting out of the petition, particularly in the Seattle area, where he expects voters will support keeping the gay marriage law.
(Editing by Cynthia Johnston and Mohammad Zargham)
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BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) _ Bismarck Police say the community's bus service was scammed out of $925 by someone pretending to be a Western Union employee on the telephone.
Sgt. Mark Buschena indicated that a 68-year-old woman working at Bis-Man Transit fielded a call last week by someone claiming to be a Western Union employee.
The caller told the transit employee that the Western Union machine was not working properly and needed to be updated. The transit employee followed the caller's directions, including turning off the machine until someone called her back.
Buschena says an actual Western Union employer called the next day and informed the transit employee that the call had been a scam.
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I try to write about things that are relevant to me at the time and this is something I’ve been thinking a lot about lately. It’s something I’ve struggled with in the past and also something I often see around me.
I think in general, a lot of women compare themselves to others around them. It’s something we grow up doing, maybe without even realizing it. It goes without saying that this isn’t a healthy habit, and of course this is something that can easily get carried over into our running and/or training.
I’ve done it myself, especially since a lot of my friends are faster than me. I have feelings of doubt and wonder if I will ever get faster, it seems like I’ve been running the same pace for so long. Seeing everyone around me make progress is hard sometimes, but I always pull out of that funk and remind myself that I am happy to be able to run at all.
Running is such a personal and individualized sport, so obviously it’s very different for each person. Sure, there are many commonalities you may share with someone, but our bodies all vary and what one person can or can’t do has no relation to what yours can do. It’s easy to get wrapped up in comparing yourself, but if you let it get to you, it could actually lead to injury; physically and mentally.
Don’t compare your running or training to someones else’s, it’s as simple as that. We are surrounded by social media, so sometimes this can be hard. Seeing someone run 18 miles one week, while you’re at 13 miles and training for the same marathon can be disheartening. But, don’t let it be! Everyone is going to be at different points and marathon training is such a tricky thing, no two plans should ever be the same, just like two people will never be.
First of all, training plans are never set in stone and are forever changing due to life circumstances. Focus on yourself. My mantra has always been “run your own race” and I think this idea can translate into all aspects of our lives. Do your own thing, focus on what you can do and appreciate your ability to run.
Comparing yourself to someone else is like comparing apples to oranges; the two are just not the same! It’s okay to use others as motivation and inspiration, but remember to listen to your body and be happy with your own progress. Comparing yourself is a waste of time and energy, it’s not going to help you with your journey.
Have you ever compared yourself to those around you, in running or other aspects of life? Is this detrimental to your performance or general well-being? What have you done about this? Please share in the comment section below.
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George Garrison helped save a badly wounded buddy during World War II; the high point of the war for Lee Newsome was when his ship carried 800 former prisoners of war to safety.
Now, the two have shared another big moment in common.
Newsome, Garrison and about 28 other World War II and Korean War veterans from Kentucky flew to Washington, D.C., on Saturday to visit the World War II Memorial and other national memorials dedicated to those who served the nation in war.
The trip was a joint effort by Kentucky's Touchstone Energy Cooperatives and the Bluegrass Chapter of the Honor Flight Network, a group that has been flying veterans to Washington since 2005.
Garrison, 93, of Lincoln County, visited the World War II memorial a few years ago, but he said Sunday evening that this trip was "fantastic. I can't remember when I've had so much fun and enjoyed a trip so much."
Garrison, who is in the American Legion and goes to military funerals as an honor guard, wore his Legion uniform on the trip.
"You talk about getting attention. I did," Garrison said. And he thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it. "Even got a kiss or two."
The highlight for him: meeting retired U.S. Sen. Bob Dole, R-Kan., and his wife, Elizabeth Dole, at the memorial.
"I even had my picture taken with Elizabeth," Garrison said.
For Newsome, 87, of Richmond, this was his first trip to Washington and to the World War II Memorial.
The war provided twists and turns for both men.
Garrison, an army infantryman, sailed through the Panama Canal on a crowded troop ship, and he served in Hawaii and trained in New Guinea for jungle warfare. He then headed for the Philippines, where his ship sailed into a dust storm at sea.
"It was a volcanic eruption on land, and the ash had drifted out to sea," he said. "You couldn't see your hand in front of your face in the middle of the afternoon."
The Navy also sent Newsome to the Pacific, where he initially served on a minesweeper before being assigned to the USS Bracken, an attack transport. It was a lucky job change: the minesweeper was sunk at Okinawa soon after Newsome left it.
His new ship then trained for the planned invasion of Japan, but Newsome got lucky again. The war ended, and the Bracken was ordered to Yokohoma to pick up 800 British troops who'd been in Japanese prisoner of war camps for more than three years.
"They were in pretty bad shape," Newsome said. "Most of them weighed 100 pounds or less. It was probably the worst sight of the whole war, as far as I was concerned."
Newsome's ship took the liberated POWs to safety in Manila, where they were later picked up by British ships and taken home. After Newsome himself got home, he received a 10-page thank-you letter from one of the British soldiers he'd met on the Bracken. He still has the letter.
"The war was really something," Newsome said. "I was just a kid, barely 18. I was scared, frightened, homesick, you name it."
Garrison said he was scared, too. But he also said being in the war was high adventure for a country boy like him.
"I'd never been outside the state of Kentucky until I went into the Army," he said. "I didn't know the world was out there until then."
Garrison's initiation into war came quickly. His troopship was attacked by Japanese planes as it arrived in the Philippines. It wasn't hit, but a nearby vessel was damaged by a suicide plane.
Garrison's outfit, the 38th Division, was sent to train on the Philippine island of Leyte but quickly went into combat against Japanese paratroops who had made surprise landings there.
"It was the monsoon, raining so hard that when you dug a foxhole it would be full of water before you got it finished," he said.
Garrison's unit then took on the Japanese again in what was called the Battle of Zig Zag Pass. During that fight, he helped rescue another Kentucky soldier who had been wounded in the arm and foot. Garrison was awarded the Bronze Star.
"You didn't know from one day to the next what was coming," he said. "You'd bed down in a foxhole for the night, get up in the morning, shake the dirt off, and start advancing again. It got to a lot of people."
Staff writer Janet Patton contributed to this report.
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Semiocast examined the geolocation data built into Twitter accounts (including time zones, language, GPS coordinates and declared location), and determined how many users various countries currently boast, and how active these users are on the network.
The US is the leader in terms of sheer numbers. Its 107.7 million accounts puts it miles ahead of second place Brazil’s 33.3 million and third place Japan’s 29.9 million. This means that the US represents 28.1 percent of all Twitter users.
In December 2011, just under 6 million new Twitter accounts were created in the US alone – a pretty big number, and one I’m surprised Twitter itself doesn’t tout.
However, numbers don’t mean much on a social network if no one’s being social (just ask MySpace).
And while the US might be top dog when it comes to the number of accounts, it’s fourth in terms of activity.
As the chart below depicts, the Netherlands is the most active country on Twitter. 33 percent of accounts located in the Netherlands posted at least one publicly visible tweet between September 1st 2011 and November 30th 2011 (so this metric isn’t exactly the standard monthly active users). After the Netherlands comes Japan with 30 percent, Spain with 29 percent, and the US barely making a four-way tie with Indonesia, Cenezuela and Canada at 28 percent.
Other interesting stats to come out of Semiocast‘s findings?
Although Brazil has more accounts than Japan, there are more messages coming from Japanese accounts. And Japanese is the second most used language on Twitter, following English.
The global average of accounts that are active (or those that have tweeted at least once in three months) is only 27 percent – which would indicate that less than a third of Twitter’s total accounts actually actively use the service.
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Most tech-oriented holiday gift guides are for engineers, by engineers. Unless you live with your coworkers, all that'll get you is another sweater or a bottle of Old Spice in your stocking. Better to plop your laptop on the dining room table so your significant other -- or your cat -- can tune in to what you'd really like. Spoiler alert: Many of these suggestions are off the beaten path.
10) Tastier than Christmas Fruitcake
Fear not, OQO and Toshiba Libretto fans. There's a downsized computer for the twenty-first century. It's called Raspberry Pi, and if you haven't heard of it, you have to turn in your tenured engineers' pass.
The diff this time is that Raspberry Pi isn't a Wintel PC jammed beneath a Chiclet-sized keyboard. It's a tech teaching tool, propelled by the Raspberrypi.org Foundation, whose mantra is "to see cheap, accessible, programmable computers everywhere."
That's resonating with the marketplace, as evinced by Allied's notice that extreme demand and short supply may make you wait several months for delivery. I can see the look on your engineer's face when she reads the card promising the board in time for Christmas 2013.
By that time, though, there'll be lots of I/O add-ons that'll turn the Pi board into a veritable bakery of application options. Two of the most interesting came to light at Electronica in November, where I caught up with Gert van Loo, who developed the Pi board's alpha hardware. Now he's created the eponymous GertBoard, which stacks atop the Pi and enables it to control motors, robotic arms and other physical devices. "It gets [developers] off the screen and able to do things in the real world," van Loo told our Peter Clarke at Electronica. I shot a video with Van Loo, who's also queuing up a Webcam add-on, for release in 2013.
But buyers beware: The Pi will set you back $35 and the Gertboard $45. (The Webcam isn't priced yet.) Think you can afford it?
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Over the past decade, Cornell has recruited a new generation of life scientists who are using recently discovered technologies to answer fundamental questions about organisms and their responses to environmental challenges.
Three of Cornell's "Next-Gen" junior faculty discuss their research that is emblematic of our efforts to address a wide spectrum of rapidly changing challenges to global health. The panel was moderated by Assoc. VP for Research, Andrew Bass and featured Asst. Prof Ruth Ley from Microbiology, Assoc Prof Alex Travis from Biomedical Sciences and the Baker Institute, and Asst. Prof. Cynthia Reinhart-King from Biomedical Engineering.
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Microsoft inks Bing deal with Baidu
Google slipping in China as Redmond snuggles the dragon
China-based Baidu has reportedly inked an English-language search agreement with Microsoft's Bing.
According to Reuters, the search deal will help Baidu improve its market presence outside of China, while Microsoft hopes to beef up its online footfall in the People's Republic.
Baidu is the leading search engine in China. In contrast, Google continues to lose market share in the country, where it has had several high profile run-ins with Beijing government officials.
Any English language query tapped into Baidu's search box will automatically activate Microsoft's Bing, reported Reuters.
Baidu execs have been publicly stating their desire to reach out to an international market for some time now.
Similarly, Microsoft – which has repeatedly spoken out against what it sees as rampant software piracy in China – wants to bump up its search credentials by moving into a market where it doesn't have to fiercely compete with Google's dominant engine.
Baidu said Microsoft would get the chance to reach out to 450 million internet users under the deal, the financial terms of which were not disclosed.
Just last month, China issued a clear warning against Google's plans to grow its business in the country and labelled the company a "political tool", following earlier hacking claims Mountain View made against the Chinese government.
"Google should not become overly embroiled in international political struggle, playing the role of a tool for political contention," read a comment piece in official Beijing newspaper the People's Daily.
"For when the international winds shift direction, it may become sacrificed to politics and will be spurned by the marketplace." ®
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Monterey County Health Department Laboratory
1270 Natividad Rd.
|Monterey County Health Department Laboratory is located in Salinas, CA, a region John Steinbeck referred to as the “valley of the world.” The laboratory facility was commissioned in 2009 and includes two BSL 3 suites making it the only laboratory in the tri-county area (Monterey, Santa Cruz, and San Benito) designed for safe and secure handling of aerosol transmissible diseases such as tuberculosis and valley fever. Other notable design features of the laboratory facility include capacity to prepare in-house media and reagents, and efficient layout for high throughput of food and water samples. The Health Department Laboratory operates a federally certified clinical laboratory (CLIA) and State certified environmental laboratory (ELAP).||
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Capitalism To The Rescue
I am an unabashed capitalist. I believe in the power of free markets. There are times when markets can fail us, but I think they are few and far between.
The subject of global warming is on everyone's minds these days and it should be. It's hard to argue with the facts concering the impact of greenhouse gases on climate change in the past 80 years. This chart from Wikipedia gives us a pretty clear view of what is going on.
Our political system may get its act in gear at some point, but unfortunately our electorate has not been particularly interested in the inconvenient truths told by some of our candidates and have favored the convenient lies in recent years.
On the other hand our capital markets may well be up to the job. This morning I read about two large energy companies who are significant players in the coal powered energy business. One is investing heavily in the technology to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. The other is not.
That story reminded me of another story that I read last week about the creation of a "carbon beta basket". That is a basket of stocks that features companies that burn a lot of carbon based fuels and I would assume produce a lot of greenhouse gases.
Investors who want to own economically sustainable companies and short companies that harm the environment can use these baskets to wager on the climate change game.
Many people might find that distateful, but I find it very encouraging. If the CEO of the coal powered energy company who is investing heavily in new technologies to reduce carbon dioxide emission finds his stock rising as a result, he will continue to invest. If the CEO of the coal powered energy company who is ignoring the issue finds his stock's short position growing, he may decide its time to change his strategy.
I welcome the development of easy ways to trade the global warming issue. Because I think capitalism can help us find a way out of this mess just as it got us into it.
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Photo by James Schwartz / The Urban Country (via Instagram)
Yesterday morning a 30-year-old woman who was walking downtown was hit by a truck, pinned under the wheels and later died from her wounds. The woman’s death is eerily similar to the death of Jenna Morrison last November. Jenna was also run over by the rear wheels of a turning truck that was lacking side guards.
Coincidentally, I was walking the same path as the deceased woman about 45 minutes after the fatal collision took place while taking my daughter to daycare. When I passed, the woman had already been taken to the hospital and all that remained was a large truck and a blanket underneath the truck in front of the rear wheels. The blanket was given to the woman by a construction worker who comforted the woman in her final moments of life.
This tragic loss is heart-wrenching, and sadly all too common. Eleven people, or “pedestrians” have been killed so far this year by motor vehicles in Toronto. Every four hours a pedestrian is injured in Toronto by a motor vehicle. That’s 2,300 injured pedestrians each year on average.
In the same time that 11 people have been killed by motor vehicles so far this year, 13 people have been killed by guns. While our society tolerates death by motor vehicles, we spend tens of millions of dollars each year fighting to reduce gun deaths.
Pedestrians are collateral damage
Death by motor vehicles are simply considered collateral damage in our car-dominated society. When a pedestrian is killed, it is common to hear a remark such as “they were probably talking on their cell phone while walking”, or “they were likely jaywalking” without even considering the driver might have been distracted or driving dangerously.
Unless the driver of the motor vehicle was intoxicated or grossly negligent, our media & society create excuses to absolve the driver from all blame, and drivers are rarely charged when pedestrians are killed.
When a pedestrian crosses mid block (which is legal in Toronto by the way), they are called reckless, but when motorists drive over the speed limit (which is illegal in Toronto by the way), it is called “safe driving to keep with the flow of traffic”.
Our society goes to great lengths to shift the blame and avoid getting to the root cause of these deaths in order to retain the privilege of driving dangerous motor vehicles unimpeded, without being held accountable for our actions.
Our society is all about personal responsibility – except when it pertains to drivers of motor vehicles. In those cases, society often places blame on the victim, labels the death an unfortunate accident, blaming the lack of helmet in bicycle deaths, or society looks for other external factors to shift the blame to.
The Toronto Star article covering the collision that resulted in the woman’s death clearly illustrates this blame shifting.
Here are all of the quotes in the article regarding the police investigation:
“Police will determine if the sun was a factor”
“Police will also determine if she (the deceased woman) was talking on her cellphone or was distracted.”
“Police have also secured video which may show how fast the truck was travelling on the one-way street”
“Police must determine if the truck’s speed and whether the driver was turning on a green, amber or red light”
Nowhere in the article does it say the police are investigating to see if the truck driver was talking on his cell phone or was otherwise distracted. Instead, the police are looking to see if perhaps the sun is to blame, or if the woman was on her cell phone when the truck struck her.
How is whether the woman was on her cell phone or not relevant to the investigation? Isn’t it more relevant to see whether the truck driver was on his cell phone?
It is clear from the position of the truck that the woman was walking eastbound through the intersection on the one-way street while the truck driver was making a left turn. An investigation doesn’t get much easier than this.
If the woman was “jaywalking” through a red light, then the driver too was illegally running a red light.
It is also irrelevant to investigate whether the truck driver was driving over the posted 50km/h speed limit. If the driver was making a turn at an intersection at faster than 50km/h then I am fairly certain more than one person would have been killed.
Asking all the wrong questions
Clearly the police are asking all the wrong questions, or it could simply be bad reporting by the Toronto Star, making the Toronto police appear to be inept.
I am not advocating for extremely harsh punishment of the truck driver. He already has to live the rest of his life knowing that a 30-year-old woman died under his wheels. But he needs to be held accountable for his mistake and other drivers need to be told over-and-over that their actions can have deadly effects.
Education is very important, but we also to take traffic calming measures, and at the very least these types of trucks should be mandated to be equipped with side guards.
Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. If we continue to shift blame from drivers and avoid getting to the root cause of the problem (dangerous, distracted, and aggressive driving of deadly motor vehicles), then these avoidable, unnecessary deaths will continue.
How many more of these senseless deaths will it take before our society starts to wake up and start taking preventative measures to avoid more deaths?
My sincerest condolences go out to the family of the woman who died yesterday morning while doing nothing other than walking to work. I hope something positive comes out of her senseless, avoidable, and unnecessary death.
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On the 30th we depart Castellammare di Stabia for Naples. It don't take us many hours before reaching there and we anchor off "Molo Luise" (Mergellina Sannazzaro), the local yachting mafia's marina. They claim we could come alongside but all publications we have suggests a maximum length of 70m and I'm also agreeing seeing the small rathole and how packed it is with yachts.
"Molo Luise" (Google satellite)
San Martino National Museum in Naples
The Borgo Marinari Fort in Naples
Naples city view
Later in the evening we heave up anchor and sail down South to anchor off Capri Island. Due to the weather we do it on the South side of the Island at the Marina Piccola.
Cruising points (Google maps)
The 1st is spent at Capri Island, the swell could be quite rough at times and we roll as we don't have zero speed stabilizers. Capri is historically renowned for Caesar Tiberius who lived in Villa Jovis for 10 years in political exile from Rome. Tiberius was said to have had wild debaucheries going on Capri but nowadays these stories are regarded by many modern historians merely as slander. We are also joined by 3 other yachts, m/y Glaze, m/y Odessa and m/y Capri that are following us. Surprisingly they are all Captained by US nationals.
Li Galli Islands (Google satellite)
Li Galli Islands
On the 2nd we sail to Li Galli Island (or Gallos, or Le Sirenuse) where according to legends several sirens were said to have inhabited the islands, the most famous of whom were Parthenope, Leucosia, and Ligeia. One of them played the lyre, another sang, and another played the flute. They are mentioned in the 1st century B.C by Strabo.
Local cruise ferry for the masses, they seemed to have a very good time with music and everything
On the 3rd we sail back to Capri Island and anchor in front of the Marina Piccola. The historian and Greek geographer Strabo thought that Capri broke off from the mainland. His theory has been confirmed recently, both from geologic findings that link the island with the Sorrento Peninsula and from archaeological discoveries.
On the 4th we sail from Capri Island to Positano, after that we shift to Nerano. In Nerano there is an excellent restaurant worth visiting called "Quattro Passi". For the evening we sail in front of Naples and by midnight we are back at Capri Island.
The 5th we stay anchored off Capri Island. To give a picture how people (or yachts) are charged I could mention that a Doctor's visit onboard to look at a sprained ankle cost 300€, without medication.
IE in front of Capri Island
On the 6th we sail to anchor in front of Sorrento and by afternoon we anchor in front of Naples. I might add that the cliffs of Sorrento were holed by caves like an Edam cheese, quite quaint actually. Perhaps natural formed caves that had been additionally carved up by people. For the evening we go and anchor in front of Castellammare di Stabia. There is transport for the crew to go ashore but nobody has any interest to go.
Islet in front of Marina di Stabia
Next morning we heave up anchor and set sail for Valletta, Malta for some downtime.
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CHEYENNE — After hearing nearly two hours of testimony, a House committee unanimously endorsed a bill Tuesday evening that would change who runs the state Department of Education.
The House Appropriations Committee approved Senate File 104 on a 7-0 vote. The bill, which is sponsored by legislative leaders in both houses and in both parties, now goes to the House floor for debate. It has already passed the Senate.
The proposal would remove the state superintendent of public instruction as administrator of the Education Department and turn the duties over to a director appointed by the governor.
Superintendent Cindy Hill, who opposes the proposal, said she looks forward to hearing the debate on the House floor.
She said the measure was being “greased” for quick passage.
Sponsors say the state’s education system has not functioned well under politicians overseeing a huge, complex department, noting that Hill has failed to follow legislative directives on education accountability measures and agency spending.
Hill has defended her administration of the agency. She says stripping her post of power and placing it in the hands of a bureaucrat would reduce the public’s voice in K-12 education.
If the bill passes, the legislation would take effect before Hill’s four-year term expires and would represent one the biggest changes in an elected office in Wyoming since the Legislature reorganized the state auditor’s office in the early 1990s.
“I voted for Mrs. Hill, good or bad, for a four-year term,” Clara Powers, of Wheatland, testified Tuesday. “Now if she doesn’t do a good job — two years from now I’ll fire her.”
Others argued such a major change in a statewide elected officer’s duties should be put to voters to decide through a constitutional amendment.
Supporters of the bill say delaying the move would push back by years Wyoming’s efforts to better prepare its school children for college and careers and the state constitution already authorizes the Legislature to determine the superintendent’s powers and duties.
“Our kids’ futures are at stake here,” Janine Bay Teske, of Jackson, testified. “We can wait until the next election, we can put it on a ballot, but we’re just continuing to put dirt under our feet and not make change.”
Currently, Wyoming and 12 other states have their voters elect the top education official.
Wyoming’s superintendent oversees an Education Department with a $1.9 billion two-year budget and about 150 employees. It works with the appointed State Board of Education, the Legislature and the state’s 48 school districts to educate more than 89,000 students.
Under the proposal, the superintendent of public instruction would remain an office elected by voters but would have some 30 duties now assigned to the superintendent by law transferred over to a director.
The superintendent’s duties on various state boards and commissions would remain intact. In addition, the superintendent would be assigned education duties, including reporting yearly to the Legislature on the state of public education in Wyoming and serving on several boards, such as the State Board of Education and the University of Wyoming Board of Trustees.
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Are you overclocking? If you are, don't - at least until resolved.
I regularly check RAM with MemTest86+
and Windows Memory Diagnostic
, and Windows 7 has a decent memory tester built in too. But no tester is perfect 100% of the time. If they report that RAM is bad, I generally trust the RAM is bad. But I have had memory modules (sticks) pass every test, work great alone, but still not work with other sticks.
Well than that's funny...
I know. Long ago and far away in my earlier radio maintenance days, we used to call stuff like that "FM" - not for frequency modulation or FM radio, but for a certain type of magic!
That's what makes it frustrating - and not
funny! I have also had RAM run fine in one machine, but not another. At any rate RAM problems suggests the sticks can not handle the voltages, or it could
suggest problems with motherboard voltages, or again, the PSU. For me, I always start troubleshooting from the wall - Is it plugged in? Turned on? Are the supplied voltages good?
All electronic components (capacitors, resistors, ICs, transformers, diodes, etc.) age and get weaker over time. This is especially true for components in power supplies, because they get hot (see the last line in my sig). On top of that, it is most likely your new computer puts a greater demand on your PSU than the old computer did.
So before you start questioning your motherboard, you need to make sure you are feeding your motherboard good (clean, stable, and enough) power. Below is my canned text on testing PSUs, followed by my canned text on sizing and picking a new PSU.
test a power supply unit (PSU), it must be tested under various realistic
"loads" then analyzed for excessive ripple
and other anomalies. This is done by a qualified technician using an oscilloscope or power analyzer - sophisticated (and expensive) electronic test equipment requiring special training to operate, and a basic knowledge of electronics theory to understand the results. Therefore, conclusively
testing a power supply is done in properly equipped electronic repair facilities.
Fortunately, there are other options that are almost as good. I keep a FrozenCPU Ultimate PSU Tester
in my tool bag when I am "in the field" and don't have a good spare power supply to swap in. While not a certain test, they are better than nothing. The advantage of this model is that it has an LCD readout of the voltage. With an actual voltage readout, you have a better chance of detecting a "failing" PSU, or one barely within specified ATX Form Factor Standard
tolerances. Lesser models use LEDs to indicate the voltage is just within some "range". These are less informative, considerably cheaper, but still useful for detecting PSUs that have already "failed". Newegg
has several testers to choose from. All these testers contain a "dummy load" to fool the PSU into thinking it is connected to a motherboard, and therefore allows the PSU to power on, if able, without being attached to a motherboard - great for testing fans, but again, it is not a true load or suitable for conclusive testing.
As mentioned, swapping in a known good supply is a tried and trued method of troubleshooting used for years, even by pros. Remove the "suspect" part and replace with a "known good" part and see if the problem goes away.
I do not recommend using a multimeter to test power supplies. To do it properly, that is, under a realistic load, the voltages on all the pins must be measured while the PSU is attached to the motherboard and the computer powered on. This requires poking (with some considerable force) two hard and sharp, highly conductive meter probes into the main power connector, deep in the heart of the computer. One tiny slip can destroy the motherboard, and everything plugged into it. It is not worth the risk considering most multimeters, like plug-in testers, do not measure, or reveal any unwanted and potentially disruptive AC components to the DC voltages.
Note the required voltage tolerance ranges:
And remember, anything that plugs into the wall can kill
. Do not open the power supply's case unless you are a qualified
electronics technician. There are NO user serviceable parts inside a power supply.
Use the eXtreme PSU Calculator Lite
to determine your power supply unit (PSU) requirements. Plug in all the hardware you think you might have in 2 or 3 years (extra drives, bigger or 2nd video card, more RAM, etc.). Be sure to read and heed the notes at the bottom of the page. I recommend setting Capacitor Aging to 30%, and if you participate in distributive computing projects (e.g. BOINC or Folding@Home) or extreme 3D animated gaming, I recommend setting both TDP and system load to 100%. These steps ensure the supply has adequate head room for stress free (and perhaps quieter) operation, and future hardware demands. Research your video card and pay particular attention to the power supply requirements for your card listed on your video card maker's website. If not listed, check a comparable card (same graphics engine and RAM) from a different maker. The key specifications, in order of importance are:
- Current (amperage or amps) on the +12V rail,
- Total wattage.
Then look for power supply brands listed under the "Good" column of PC Mechanic's PSU Reference List
. Ensure the supplied amperage on the +12V rails of your chosen PSU meets the requirements of your video card. Don't try to save a few dollars by getting a cheap supply. And don't count on supplies that come included with a case. They are often underrated, budget or poor quality models "tossed in" to make the case sale. Digital electronics, including CPUs, RAM, and today's advanced graphics cards, need clean, stable power. A good, well chosen supply will provide years of service and upgrade wiggle room. I strongly recommend you pick a supply with an efficiency rating equal to, or greater than 80%. Look for the 80 Plus - EnergyStar Compliant
label. And don't forget to budget for a good UPS with AVR (automatic voltage regulation), as surge and spike protectors are inadequate.
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In hindsight, Obama's win seems so clear-cut and obvious that it's almost unnecessary to dissect the elements of his victory. But one aspect bears serious consideration: the role of women voters in re-electing Barack Obama.
Across the board, women voters supported Obama (55%) far and above Mitt Romney (43%). The percentages fluctuated according to age and stage. Exit polls revealed that single women were the most enthusiastic voting bloc (68% voted for Obama, 30% for Romney), followed by young women age 18-29 (60% vs. 38%) and women with children (56% vs. 43%).
Throughout the election cycle, it was always apparent that women preferred Obama and disliked Romney. Although Team Romney made numerous attempts to narrow the gender gap, they failed...and election night was the final proof.
So what did Romney get wrong and Obama get right in winning the women's vote? And if we pull back from the presidential race and look at the larger political picture, what did the Republican Party do wrong and the Democratic Party do right?
- Lack of compassion. When Romney was secretly captured on videotape speaking dismissively of the "47% who...are dependent on government....who pay no income tax," it conveyed disdain for a large segment of the population including women with children who rely on government assistance programs such as WIC and SNAP.
- Out of touch with women. Romney credits his wife Ann for helping him understand what American women want. But as Fox News commentator Juan Williams observed during the Republic National Convention, "She's a very rich woman....[who] did not convince me that [she] understands the struggles of American women in general." This sentiment was echoed by many women who felt that Romney "just didn't get it."
- Wrong narrative from spouse. At the RNC, like every good political spouse telling her husband's story, Ann made much of the boy whom she'd met at a high school dance. But she failed to sell anything beyond their love story, repeatedly missing opportunities to provide fact-based testimonials regarding his past achievements and future plans.
- Binders full of women. In describing his attempts to hire women after being elected governor of Massachusetts, Romney explained how he relied on "binders full of women" to find suitable candidates. The awkward language was picked up by social media, but more disturbing was his limited knowledge of qualified women and his objectification of women's skills.
- Shifting abortion views.Formerly pro-choice, Romney had a change of heart while serving as governor and opposed abortion except in the case of rape or incest. Yet during the RNC, his party passed a platform even more restrictive regarding abortion.
- Unclear about contraception. Romney opposed contraceptive coverage by faith-based employers, but was quoted as saying that all women "should have a right to use contraceptives," a comment his handlers later walked back.
- No denouncement of rape remark politicians.When members of his party began to voice their belief in "legitimate" rape, rape as "another form of conception," and girls who "rape easy" in order to support their position that there should be no exceptions for abortion, Romney failed to call out these politicians. His reluctance to speak out gave women the impression that he sanctioned these outmoded views. His support for Senate candidate Richard Mourdock who stated that pregnancy from rape was "God's will," was the final straw for many women voters. Although Romney disassociated himself from the remark, he did not withdraw his support of Mourdock.
- Repeal of Obamacare. Romney went against public opinion, ignoring the fact that women approved of many aspects of health care reform including the inclusion of coverage for pre-existing conditions, contraception and reproductive care, and children up to age 26.
- Defunding of Planned Parenthood. By eliminating funding, Romney threatened an organization that provides basic services including cancer screenings for low-income women. This was seen as another of Romney's anti-woman policies.
- Restrictive Party Platform which bans abortion
- Support of fetal personhood legislation.
- Elimination of Obamacare and its many female-friendly provisions
- Defunding of Planned Parenthood
- Opposition to fair pay legislation such as Lilly Ledbetter
- Opposition to contraceptive coverage under the Affordable Care Act
- Intent to overturn Roe v. Wade
- Curtailed protections under VAWA (Violence Against Women Act), a key piece of domestic violence legislation
- Anti-LGBT platform and denial of same-sex marriage
- No denouncement of Rush Limbaugh in his attacks on women including Sandra Fluke
- Fair pay legislation for women. Obama's first act as president -- signing the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act -- did not escape the notice of women who saw him as protective of their rights in the workplace.
- Preventive services under Affordable Care Act. The Obama administration made a point of adding 8 gender-specific benefits such as domestic violence screening, breastfeeding support, and contraceptive coverage.
- Pro-choice position. Barack Obama has always been upfront about his belief that a woman should have reproductive control of her life, and has vowed to protect Roe v. Wade.
- Female Supreme Court nominees. The appointment of Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan not only returned two women to the nation's highest court but also added a groundbreaking additional female justice, making the Supreme Court fully one-third female.
- Spouse promotes accomplishments not relationship. Like Ann Romney, Michelle Obama speaks about her love for her husband and the strength of their relationship. But unlike Ann, she takes it a step further by providing concrete facts about her husband's leadership, his accomplishments and track record, and his administration's goals.
- Reveals human side. When Rush Limbaugh attacked Georgetown law student Sandra Fluke, Obama reached out to her with a phone call "because I thought about Malia and Sasha....I want them to be able to speak their mind in a civil and thoughtful way. And I don't want them attacked or called horrible names because they're being good citizens."
- Denounced rape remarks. In addressing questions about the spate of rape remarks by GOP politicians, Obama stated, "I don't know how these guys come up with these ideas....Rape is rape. It is a crime. And so these various distinctions about rape don't make too much sense to me -- don't make any sense to me."
- Supported choice
- Supported contraception
- Protection for abortion rights
- Supported Planned Parenthood
- House and Senate Democrats denounced Rush Limbaugh's Sandra Fluke remarks
- Denounced rape remarks by politicians
- House and Senate Democrats endorsed expanded VAWA legislation
Go, Sam. "Women’s vote played crucial role in Obama victory." MSNBC at tv.msnbc.com. 6 November 2012.
Morrissey, Ed. "Juan Williams: Ann Romney looked like a 'corporate wife' to me." HotAir.com. 29 August 2012.
"Obama on rape comments: they 'don't make any sense.'" CNN.com. 25 October 2012.
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Matter of Public Importance
Ms NOREEN HAY
(Wollongong) [6.45 p.m.]: I ask the House to note as a matter of public importance that we are facing unprecedented economic circumstances and that no-one is immune. Communities such as mine across the State are facing job losses. We know from news reports that jobs across the State are on the line and that last month Pacific Brands announced 280 jobs cut in the Illawarra. These are concerning and disturbing headlines. What the Opposition fails to recognise is that behind each one of those news stories are families who have lost their breadwinning salary, families who are already stressed and under pressure in these tough economic times. This is a real problem that needs a real response and the New South Wales Government is providing that. The Government is working hard to deliver a $56 billion infrastructure program to support 154,000 jobs annually.
The State and Commonwealth governments are working to build libraries, gymnasiums and science laboratories for schools across the Illawarra. These infrastructure projects will support jobs for local tilers, roofers, electricians, plumbers and concreters. Thanks to the State Government, the Illawarra will get its share of $3 billion dollars to build about 9,000 additional social housing homes across the State. It will also get its share of the extra 37,000 jobs that go along with that project. The public will be happy to know the New South Wales Government is also investing in training our workforce to ensure they are best protected in the global economic crisis.
Last month, the Premier joined Deputy Prime Minister Julia Gillard to announce the details of a $620 million national partnership to provide 175,000 extra training places for job seekers, school leavers and under-skilled workers across New South Wales. The Illawarra will again get its share of that investment. That is on top of the announcement the Premier made earlier in the year that the New South Wales Government will create 6,000 apprenticeships and cadetships over the next four years to provide the young people of New South Wales with the skills and training needed for employment opportunities. The Government is committed to supporting jobs in the Illawarra.
The Premier visited the Illawarra last week to meet with the community and hear their concerns. While he was there, he opened the first green power station in the Illawarra, which will provide 27 permanent local jobs. The $430 million TRUenergy plant supported up to 600 jobs during construction and will produce 65 per cent less greenhouse gas than a coal-fired power station. The project will not only help secure the future electricity needs of New South Wales residents and businesses, but it will also provide jobs for 27 people in the Illawarra—green jobs for the future. I also joined the Premier and the Minister for Transport in the Illawarra last week to announce the new Gong Shuttle, a free Wollongong bus service every day of the week. The new service is part of the Government's commitment to delivering better transport services and job options for the Illawarra. It has created 10 jobs for local bus drivers and makes transport around the city easier.
While the Opposition refuses to recognise the need for jobs, let me tell you what the New South Wales Government is doing about jobs in the Illawarra. There will be a $135 million capital injection this year to support 1,170 jobs, including $33 million to expand Port Kembla. An amount of $170 million has already been invested in upgrades to the port to accommodate car imports—1,300 new jobs and $140 million a year into the Illawarra economy. The Government has contributed $24 million to help set up the Innovation Campus of University of Wollongong, with 5,000 new jobs once complete. It is creating a renewable energy precinct on the South Coast to attract green investment and create green jobs. It has targeted youth unemployment through a project that has now placed over 300 first-year apprentices across the region.
The Government knows how important jobs are to the people of New South Wales, and that an investment in infrastructure is an investment in jobs. That is why the Government has a $56 billion four-year infrastructure program, supporting an average of 150,000 jobs each year. It is the largest infrastructure program of any State government anywhere in Australia. That is what the Government is doing in the face of the global economic crisis—a crisis that the Opposition refuse to recognise, despite job cuts in its own backyard. The New South Wales Government understands that we are facing unprecedented economic challenges. As governments across the world put together their responses, the Opposition does nothing. The people of New South Wales deserve better than that. That is why we are working with the Commonwealth to deliver our part of the Federal Government's $42 billion job plan.
Yesterday morning the Premier met with Senator Mark Arbib to brief more than 250 representatives of the building, construction and services industries on the progress the New South Wales Government has already made in the delivery of the Commonwealth's Nation Building and Jobs Plan. We are moving fast, and we need to in order to best support jobs in New South Wales. It is a big project: $2 billion for new social housing over the next two years, the largest expansion of social housing in a quarter of a century. It is an opportunity that the Opposition would want gone, along with all the jobs it would create. New South Wales $4.4 billion share in education infrastructure is the largest school infrastructure program ever undertaken in New South Wales. The Opposition refuses to get behind it. The Illawarra deserves its share of the funding, the infrastructure and the jobs. Opposition members should hang their heads in shame. They have very little to gloat about on the issue of jobs. I commend the Premier and the Government for their commitment to the people of the Illawarra and for their attempt to deliver to the Illawarra a share of the infrastructure projects and jobs.
Mr ANDREW CONSTANCE
(Bega) [6.52 p.m.]: That was a colourful speech by the member for Wollongong. It typifies exactly what the New South Wales Government is all about. The only job in the Illawarra that the member for Wollongong is interested in is her own. She only has to look at the unemployment figures for the Illawarra, which have gone up by 2 per cent over the past 12 months. The member talked about the great work of the New South Wales Government. In fact, it is doing nothing more than piggybacking off the Federal stimulus package, which is being delivered after 10 years of record economic growth, jobs growth and record low employment that was brought about by the fiscal discipline of the Howard-Costello years. It is not good enough for Noreen Hay, of all people, not to make any reference in this place to the mini-budget.
Ms Sonia Hornery:
Point of order: I ask that the member for Bega not refer to the member for Wollongong as "she" or "Noreen Hay", but rather as "the member for Wollongong", and that he be polite.
Order! The member for Bega knows that members must be addressed by their correct titles.
Mr ANDREW CONSTANCE:
If the member for Wollongong is not a female—
Ms Sonia Hornery:
Point of order: I asked that the member for Wollongong be referred to by her correct title. It was not about gender, it was about the correct title. I ask that the member for Bega be polite.
Order! That is not a point of order.
Mr ANDREW CONSTANCE:
Since Premier Nathan Rees has been in office—he was installed by Tripodi and company—200 jobs have been lost each day in New South Wales. The Government has done nothing to enact any form of stimulus package. It has completely relied on Kevin Rudd, and now it is trying to piggyback his public relations and pretend that the package is its own. Since September last year 37,100 people in New South Wales have lost their jobs. In that time the State Government has handed down a disastrous mini-budget that has cost jobs in the Illawarra. The member for Wollongong made no reference to the Keelong Juvenile Detention Centre, the campaign being waged by the Public Service Association and the 60-odd jobs that will be lost because of her Government's decision on this issue. Government members such as Noreen Hay are doing nothing to support any form of regional stimulus package for the Illawarra, which would result in a better outcome for jobs creation.
The figures speak for themselves. The member for Wollongong has not acknowledged that unemployment in the Illawarra has risen by 2 per cent in the past 12 months. The Government has done nothing to stimulate jobs growth in the Illawarra. What have we seen throughout the region? We have seen Pacific Brands go. What decisions has the Rees Government made? What decisions did the Minister for Transport, and Minister for the Illawarra make when he was police Minister about police uniforms being shipped off to China? Was he the police Minister responsible for signing off contracts that resulted in the production of uniforms in China, instead of in Australia by Australian manufacturers? There has been no response from the member for Wollongong in relation to that issue. Hundreds of jobs have gone from the region as a result of the decision of Pacific Brands to move offshore.
The Premier said that New South Wales jobs are being sent to China because they keep the rising super power happy. New South Wales Government contracts to make items such as police uniforms, train carriages and hospital bed sheets have gone to China, even though the New South Wales unemployment rate is well above the national average. In fact, we are sitting level with South Australia. As I have said and will continue to say, and the Opposition will continue to reinforce, we have a Premier in New South Wales who lacks authority. He has no authority within his own party or the Government. Every day in New South Wales 200 jobs are going. Yet a disastrous mini-budget is handed down by finance Minister Tripodi and Treasurer Roozendaal and overseen by a Premier who lacks authority.
Ms Noreen Hay:
Point of order: I have listened to the waffle from the member for Bega. He is not addressing the matter of public importance. He is going in all directions and is failing to address the issue before the House.
Order! The member for Bega will confine his remarks to the matter of public importance.
Mr ANDREW CONSTANCE:
In light of the sensitivity shown by the member for Wollongong, I suggest she encourage her Government to adopt a regional stimulus package that provides payroll tax relief to businesses in the Illawarra and unties the red tape associated with the much-required infrastructure spend for the Illawarra. The member talks about the port. The Government has to address the supporting infrastructure around the port, such as the Princes Highway. I am particularly amused that, when unemployment in the Illawarra has risen by 2 per cent over the past 12 months, the member raises this matter of public importance and boasts about activities the Government has undertaken to address the problem. In fact, the Rees Government has done nothing.
Mr PAUL McLEAY
(Heathcote) [6.59 p.m.]: The Rees Government is committed to creating jobs, and creating them closer to home. We want to see families in work and we want to create job opportunities closer to home so that they can spend less time commuting and more time with their loved ones. That is our ambition. We are doing the work to deliver on that ambition, particularly for the good people of the Illawarra. The Government will ensure that attention is given to local ideas to create local jobs and investment. That is why last week a community Cabinet meeting was held in the Illawarra.
The Premier and the Cabinet spent much time teasing out ideas and talking to local people to get local knowledge on local issues. Premier Rees announced that the Government would hold a Jobs Summit on 16 April 2009 specifically for the Illawarra region: the State Government to work closely with the people on the ground in the Illawarra—the local businesses and local community leaders who can help us create local jobs. The Illawarra has unique strengths, and we will work together with local experts to harness these strengths and translate them into jobs and investment.
While at the Illawarra community forum the Premier announced a $3 million injection into the Illawarra Advantage Fund, which will provide payroll tax concessions and incentives for companies who want to set up or expand in the region. This is a direct investment into creating jobs and generating investment in the Illawarra, and that is something we want to see more of. The investment in the Illawarra Advantage Fund and the imminent Jobs Summit will build on the Government's achievements in the Illawarra to create more jobs.
I highlight a concept plan that is in the pipeline for the Illawarra, in my electorate, for the $108 million redevelopment of the existing 18-hole Illawarra Ridge Golf Resort, which would generate 400 jobs during construction and 80 operational jobs. The concept plan, approved on 13 January, includes a nine-hole golf course, a clubhouse, a pro-shop, restaurant, bar and other facilities; and short-term accommodation with 100 hotel rooms, 100 serviced apartments and 127 villas for temporary short-stay accommodation.
Locally we have had upgrades to our public schools, including nearly $5 million spent at Helensburgh Public School for new classrooms, a new library and a new administration building. We are building a new gym at Bulli Public School. The magnificent Sea Cliff Bridge has been built since I was elected to this place, and we have now started work on the Bulli overpass. We have provided new sewerage services in northern Illawarra towns. We have rebuilt Coledale Hospital. We will continue to get the runs on the board and we will continue with the planning and listening to the community to create more jobs for the people in the Illawarra.
Ms NOREEN HAY
(Wollongong) [7.02 p.m.], in reply: I thank the member for Heathcote for his very considered contribution, but I raise some obvious concerns about the contribution made by the member for Bega. It is a great shame that once again the member for Bega, not unlike other members of the Opposition when they speak on these issues, failed to be supportive in any way shape or form of something that would have constructive, positive outcomes. As usual, negative whingeing comes from the other side of the House. In listening to the criticisms of the member for Bega it is interesting to note that the New South Wales Opposition publicly declared that if it had won government at the last election—which we have to remind them time and time again they did not—there would be no car imports out of the port of Port Kembla: the millions of dollars spent on the expansion of the port at Port Kembla would not have happened.
We have to remind the Opposition that during the lead-up to the last election the Opposition talked about getting rid of 20,000 workers. The member for Bega likes to talk about my failures when it comes to Keelong Juvenile Justice Centre, yet what did he or other members of the Opposition have to say about Pacific Brands when it decided to close down and get rid of 280 jobs? I do not believe that closure was as a result of the economic crisis but a money-grabbing exercise to make more and more profits. But those people did not deserve to lose their jobs. They were predominantly women from non-English-speaking backgrounds who were cast out without a thought. Shame on that company because these women performed dedicated hard work for many years.
The Rees Labor Government is taking action to increase opportunities, create jobs and move the State forward. It is trying to protect us from some of the negative impacts of the economic crisis. The member for Bega should be in his glory with all the negativity we are hearing—he should be wallowing in it—because it is the same negativity we hear from that lot on the other side of the House every day: negative complaining. They never participate in any positive, constructive debate for positive outcomes.
The House adjourned, pursuant to sessional orders, at 7.05 p.m. until
Thursday 26 March 2009 at 10.00 a.m.
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Farmworkers strikes in South Africa, a loud condemnation of the use of food crops to make ethanol from a food industry leader and confusion on Kenya's political scene - all stories in today's African papers...
Farm strikes in South Africa's Western Cape are losing momentum because of the mixed messages workers have been receiving, according to the Food and Allied Workers Union general secretary Katishi Masemola.
The story is on the front page of this morning's Johannesburg-based financial paper, BusinessDay. Masemola says he wants a mandate to suspend or even lift the strike completely in some areas. Other unions claim workers want to continue with the strike until they get a definite answer from farmers on the new minimum daily wage.
Workers are demanding an increase in their minimum daily wage from the rand equivalent of six euros to about 13 euros.
There's bad news in BusinessDay for anyone who thinks ethanol is the answer to the fuel crisis.
Biofuel output from agricultural commodities has contributed to surging world food prices in the past decade, according to the Nestlé chairman Peter Brabeck-Letmathe.
World food prices tracked by the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organisation have more than doubled in the past 10 years, while the US price of maize - a raw material for ethanol - has more than tripled.
Blaming the escalation of the price of some food products on speculation was "completely wrong" and politicians have failed to consider the link with energy markets, Brabeck-Letmathe said at the Global Forum for Food and Agriculture in Berlin Sunday. "It is really unbelievable that when we have insufficient food in our world that we give it to cars.
"Financial speculation is not responsible for the increase in food prices, it's responsible for the volatility of food prices, but not the initial increase."
Mr Brabeck-Letmathe described making biofuels from food crops as "nonsense".
Some mining companies operating in South Africa are behaving recklessly, according to African National Congress secretary-general Gwede Mantashe, quoted in BusinessDay.
The mining sector is on the brink of major disinvestment, which would lead to huge job losses.
The ANC summoned mining industry bosses to a meeting last week, in the wake of the announcement of changes to Anglo American Platinum's business in South Africa, including the loss of 14,000 jobs.
The party and the government have threatened to withdraw the mining rights of companies considering pulling out of money-losing operations. These rights would be auctioned off to interested buyers.
There's a lot of confusion on the Kenyan political scene this morning, according to both The Standard and The Daily Nation.
Dossier: Africa Cup of Nations 2013
Today is the deadline for filing party nomination lists with the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission, exactly 45 days before the 4 March polls.
According to the Nation, the National Alliance was on Sunday night locked in a meeting aimed at resolving no fewer than170 disputes arising from the nominations conducted last Friday.
The Orange Democratic Movement has also established a panel to look into the complaints raised by several would-be candidates.
In Kisumu, violence erupted after gubernatorial aspirant Jack Ranguma's supporters took to the streets following reports that Prime Minister Raila Odinga's sister, Ruth Adhiambo Odinga, had been given the ODM ticket.
The Standard gives the story pride of place, under the headline "Aspirants scramble for party tickets". The small print explains that Sunday was marked by sporadic violence, street protests, the destruction of property and confrontations among supporters over party nomination tickets in many parts of the country.
Worst hit by the wrangles were Prime Minister Raila Odinga's Orange Democratic Movement and William Ruto's United Republican Party.
In a separate story in The Standard, Eagle Coalition presidential aspirant Peter Kenneth has called on Kenyans to learn from the nomination chaos being witnessed in some parties, as they prepare for March elections.
Kenneth said politics should not be just for personal convenience but should help to move the country forward.
According to regional paper The East African, the political tensions that have built up in President Yoweri Museveni's ruling party over the past month have seen the Ugandan leader weather probably the toughest 30 days of his long presidency.
At the National Resistance Movement's review of the party's manifesto earlier this month, one rebel MP told president Museveni to reinstate term limits, fold his tent and leave.
In reply, President Museveni warned that the army would take over "if the confusion in parliament persists."
Museveni's chairmanship of the East African Community also faces a legitimacy test as two years of troubled domestic politics spill over into the regional bloc.
One member of the East African Legislative Assembly says he is going to petition the assembly at its next sitting, which opened in Bujumbura yesterday, to declare Museveni's recent actions in Uganda as incompatible with his status as the bloc's chairman.
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U.S. Army aviation leaders grounded the OH-58D Kiowa Warrior helicopter fleet at Fort Rucker on Oct. 18 because of problems with a newly installed engine component found only on Kiowas at the Alabama base.
All other Kiowas in the Army's fleet to include those flying combat missions in Iraq and Afghanistan will continue to fly, said Kelly Pate, an Army aviation spokeswoman. The Army armed reconnaissance helicopter has flown more than 750,000 combat hours.
Concerned about the performance of the engine upgrade, Army engineers took out the new component and are working to reinstall the original one, said Army aviation spokeswoman Lisa Eichorn.
Rolls-Royce builds the engines inside the Kiowa. A Rolls-Royce representative said the company was aware of the problem and would not be commenting at this time.
Fort Rucker officials expect a quick reinstallation and the Kiowa to return to flight status soon, according to an Army release. The new engine part didn't cause any damage to the aircraft and no soldiers were injured before the decision to ground the fleet. Officials called it a "pro-active decision."
Army helicopter pilots learn to fly the Kiowa at Fort Rucker. The short grounding is "not expected to heavily impact the training of those students going into the Kiowa Warrior course," according to the Army release.
The Kiowa, built by Bell Helicopter, first entered service in 1969, although, the delta model didn't reach the fleet until 1991. Service aviation officials are working to replace the Kiowa.
Maj. Gen. William Crosby, Army aviation's program executive officer, announced in September the Army will fly a Kiowa replacement demonstration. Crosby said he wanted to see the defense industry's offerings in the air instead of examining the competition on Power Point slides.
Crosby's challenge came after the Senate Appropriations Committee recommended $17 million be withheld from the Army's budget request for the Kiowa Cockpit and Sensor Upgrade Program. Committee said the upgrades cost nearly as much as a new aircraft.
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INCLINE VILLAGE, Nev. - Every year at about this time comes the annual report to Congress by the "National Taxpayer Advocate." And every year we wonder why - in particular, why things never change and the annual recommendations relative to fixing this mess of a tax system seem to always be more or less the same.
Item: The Advocate's report designates the complexity of the tax code as the No. 1 most serious problem facing taxpayers and recommends that Congress take significant steps to simplify it.
"The existing tax code makes compliance difficult, requiring taxpayers to devote excessive time to preparing and filing their returns," quoth Advocate Nina E. Olson. "It obscures comprehension, leaving many taxpayers unaware how their taxes are computed and what rate of tax they pay; it facilitates tax avoidance by enabling sophisticated taxpayers to reduce their tax liabilities and provides criminals with opportunities to commit tax fraud; and it undermines trust in the system by creating an impression that many taxpayers are not compliant, thereby reducing the incentives that honest taxpayers feel to comply."
Heard any of that before? Notice any action by Congress to change any of it?
The Advocate notes that individuals and businesses spend about 6.1 billion hours a year complying with tax filing requirements. "If tax compliance were an industry, it would be one of the largest in the United Sates ... To consume 6.1 billion hours, the 'tax industry' requires the equivalent of more than three million full time workers."
And what do you propose to fix any of this, Ms. Advocate?
• "Lay the groundwork" for tax reform by holding meetings with constituents to discuss the complexity of the existing tax code and the trade-offs between tax rates and tax breaks that tax reform will require.
• Apply a "zero-based budgeting" approach to comprehensive tax reform that starts out with the assumption that all tax benefits will be eliminated and then adds a benefit back only if Members conclude that, on balance, the public policy benefits of providing that benefit through the tax code outweigh the complexity it imposes on taxpayers.
Of course, the Advocate again finds a way to impress upon all that IRS budget is just too darned low. "When taxpayers are attempting to comply with laws that require them to turn over a significant portion of their incomes to pay our nation's bills, they have a right to expect that their government will do a better job of taking their telephone calls and answering their letters."
We have no comment on the IRS budget, but Advocate Olson did get this last point right. Overall, though, we think we've heard this song before - like last year and the year before in the annual Advocate's report.
- CONSULT YOUR TAX ADVISER - This article contains general information about various tax matters. You should consult your CPA regarding the implications to your own particular situation. Jeff Quinn, the author of this article, is a shareholder in Ashley Quinn, CPAs and Consultants, Ltd., with offices in Incline Village and Reno. He can be reached at 831-7288, welcomes comments at firstname.lastname@example.org, and invites readers to consider his other commentary at http://blog.nolo.com/taxes.
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|A few hours of rain Thursday created partial flooding of Bradley Road.|
Thursday's morning rain in Menifee was a reminder of a road project that is on the minds of local residents whenever street flooding is a possibility.
The stretch of Bradley Road that crosses Salt Creek north of Newport Road was only slightly flooded on Thursday, but many remember previous rainstorms in which the road was closed to through traffic because of water that flows over the street at its lowest point. The two pipes that currently serve as drainage under the road have proven insufficient to prevent flooding at that point.
The installation of block culverts at that location has been in city plans for nearly two years. A city official said Thursday that much progress has been made in the complex process of receiving approval for and funding the project, but that the completion of the project isn't expected for about a year.
"Capital improvement projects -- especially those that are near and/or affect sensitive habitat like the nearby Salt Creek -- can take months of behind-the-scenes work before the public starts to see tangible progress above ground," Johnson said. "We certainly understand this can be frustrating; however, we're hoping this information will help better explain the complete process."
Don Allison, the city's chief engineer, told the city council in early 2011 that the cost estimate was $300,000 to $400,000. The plan calls for culverts 30 inches high and eight feet wide. They wouldn't raise the elevation of the street but would greatly increase drainage under it.
At that time, Allison estimated that construction would begin by this summer. Johnson said Thursday that the process of working with the Army Corps of Engineers and Department of Fish & Game has turned out to be a lengthy one, however.
"Applications for work performed in sensitive habitat areas are laborious and must be done properly or the agency will send it back for revisions," Johnson said. "It's much like an investigation to determine if any species, plant or animal, will be displaced or harmed before, during or after construction."
Bradley Road is a crucial artery connecting the main business section of Menifee with the Sun City core area.
|Culverts like this one under Murrieta Road would be placed under Bradley Road.|
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Flu outbreak hits businesses hard
Companies urging employees to get vaccinated
With the Detroit auto show kicking off next week, salon owner George Nikollaj can't afford to let the flu knock out even one of his 50 stylists.
"Next to the holidays, the auto show gives us a ton of business every year, " said Nikollaj. America's biggest auto show typically boosts his quarterly revenue by an additional 20% every year.
But Nikollaj, who co-owns 6 Salon, two Detroit-area high-end salons that cater to about 250 customers daily, is worried.
The situation is a double-whammy for his business. "In the last two weeks I've had six stylists sick with the flu. And we had a dozen cancellations last Saturday from customers feeling sick," he said.
When a stylist is out sick, it can mean canceling 15 to 20 appointments already booked for the day, he said. And when customers cancel, he can't easily fill those slots "because clients are very loyal to their stylists."
He's encouraged his staff -- most of whom have health insurance -- to get the flu shot. His other advice: "Instead of a handshake, I'm telling my staff to greet customers with a great smile."
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is warning of a severe flu outbreak, and small businesses are on edge. The CDC's most recent advisory says that 47 states have widespread influenza activity.
In one of those states, Massachusetts, Boston Mayor Thomas Menino declared a flu-related city public health emergency on Wednesday. Georgianna Parkin, director of the Massachusetts Small Business Development Center Network, said small businesses are particularly vulnerable in a public health crisis.
"In Massachusetts, 96% of companies are small businesses. Many have under 20 employees," she said. "If two or more workers are sick, it can disrupt the business and the supply chain."
And when big cities issue health alerts, it can discourage residents from going out to restaurants, stores and movie theaters for fear of becoming sick, too. "That's another hit on small businesses," she said.
Cheryl Rumley owns Springfield, MA-based Apex Healthcare Services. Her small business, which employs 60 full-time and part-time workers, provides home health services to about 300 elderly and disabled patients in western Massachusetts.
Rumley got sick two weeks before Christmas. Since then, she said she's been "losing two employees a day" to the flu. "The last time we experienced this was in 2009 with the H1N1 flu. But the situation with this flu is much worse," she said.
Rumley provides paid leave for her workers after they've been there a year. Some workers come in sick anyway. "We tell them to go home. We can't let our elderly clients get sick," she said. Neither can she leave those clients hanging. So she hires temporary workers and pays them one and a half times her usual rate, which hurts her bottom line.
It's imperative that sick workers stay home to recover from the flu, said Dr. Scott Burger, and emergency room physician and founder of Doctors Express, an urgent care franchise with 60 locations nationwide. "The flu spreads easily. The risk in the workplace is that we can touch a sick person's computer, phone or even transmit the flu just by passing a folder," he said.
Says Rumley: "My biggest fear is that the flu lingers into April."
Copyright 2013 by CNN NewSource. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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Record settlement growth met with dramatic protest
As election forecasts show Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu cruising to a new term, Peace Now has released a review of his government’s settlement policies since 2009. The anti-settlement watchdog group says facts point to a leader whose has “used settlements as a tool to systematically undermine the chances of achieving a viable, realistic two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict…” With Netanyahu encountering little meaningful opposition to his plans from leaders at home and abroad, Palestinian nonviolent protestors took dramatic action last Friday, January 11 that some say could be a “turning point.”
According to Peace Now’s figures, in 2012 the Netanyahu government approved 3,148 bids on new settlement construction, the highest in a decade. Since 2009 almost 40 percent of the new building sites were in what the organization calls "isolated settlements,” and not the existing built-up blocs that the Israeli government says will be a part of Israel in any deal to create a Palestinian state. In “past years,” the number was closer to 20 percent.
Last year, the Netanyahu government also became the first since the Yitzhak Shamir government in 1988-1990 to establish new settlements in the West Bank when it declared four previously illegal outposts to be official settlements. Six other illegal outposts were incorporated into “neighborhoods” of existing settlements. In East Jerusalem, the Netanyahu government approved the establishment of Givat Hamatos, the first new settlement in the aspirational Palestinian capital since Netanyahu’s first term as prime minister in 1997.
Click here to continue reading this story, and the full CMEP Bulletin.
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Get flash to fully experience Pearltrees
Read Write Web has an i n-depth article on Offline Gmail . Apparently Gmail with Gears (Google's offline technology) has just emerged from Google Labs and is now available to all users. In the article Sarah Perez asks the question why Google bothered when they have also stated that they are abandoning Gears 2 development and focusing on using the offline features that are being baked in to the HTML5 specifications. Sarah, I have an answer to your question of "Why bother?"
Stowe Boyd's /Message blog always has some fascinating commentary. Today he picked up a great quote from an Editor of a well known Newspaper . As Stowe says - Telling Words indeed! " We are not a national news organization of record serving a general audience
Comment In March, Microsoft announced that their upcoming Internet Explorer 8 would: "use its most standards compliant mode, IE8 Standards, as the default." Note the last word: default. Microsoft argued that, in light of their newly published interoperability principles, it was the right thing to do. This declaration heralded an about-face and was widely praised by the web standards community; people were stunned and delighted by Microsoft's promise.
I have posted previous notes about the federated model in healthcare computing. Drs. Balis and Routbort recently lectured on the relevance of this model, closely linked to service-oriented architecture (SOA), at Lab InfoTech Summit 2008 (see: The Value of a Federated Architecture in Pathology : Test Order Entry ; The Value of a Federated Architecture in Pathology: Test Result Reporting ). For me, the most appealing aspect of this approach to healthcare computing is that it eliminates hierarchy among systems. Under the federated model in a hospital, each information system becomes a single-source-of-truth (SST). I recently encountered an article in the Financial Times in which an advocate of SOA made some very powerful arguments in favor of this approach (see: What IT means to me: Software will bring about the end of hierarchy ).
Green Fax Send-Only Plan Our Send-Only Plan is ideal for users that need only to send faxes, and not receive. This pay-as-you-go plan with no monthly service charge works like a pre-paid calling card for sending faxes. Billing Policies Credit for outbound faxing is purchased in advance in $25.00 minimum increments.
Use the current Google hosted version of ESS here A simple, open source GAE project to allow enterprise users to maintain one single social graph. The goal is to explore and learn how Google App Engine can enable enterprise cloud computing. All work will belong to the community that contributes to this project.
One of the biggest criticisms of Google's App Engine have been cries of lock-in , that the applications developed for the platform won't be portable to any other service. This morning, Chris Anderson , the Portland-based cofounder of the Grabb.it MP3 blog service, just released AppDrop — an elegant hack proving that's not true. AppDrop is a container for applications developed with the Google App Engine SDK, running entirely on Amazon's EC2 infrastructure. Just like Google's Appspot, anyone can use a modified SDK to deploy their App Engine apps directly to Amazon EC2 instead of Google, and they work without modification. This proof-of-concept was built in only four days and can be deployed in virtually any Linux/Unix hosting environment, showing that moving applications off Google's servers isn't as hard as everyone thought.
Hewlett-Packard will apparently need close to two months to start fulfilling backorders for the (temporarily) revived TouchPad tablet. "It will take 6-8 weeks to build enough HP TouchPads to meet our current commitments, during which time your order will then ship from this stock with free ground shipping," read an email sent to customers and reprinted in a Sept. 7 posting on the Precentral.net blog. "You will receive a shipping notification with a tracking number once your order has shipped."
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The Judicial Council has chosen seven pilot projects that will provide legal representation to a selected number of low-income Californians. The Legislature, via the Sargent Shriver Civil Counsel Act, AB 590, has funded these projects with $9.5 million per year starting on July 1, 2011. The pilots are administered by the Administrative Office of the Courts.
These seven pilot projects, each in a different area of the state, target cases involving critical legal issues that affect basic human needs such as housing, custody, conservatorship, and guardianship. In these kinds of disputes, low-income litigants are, for the most part, unrepresented—and often unaware of the various options open to them. The pilots target cases in which one side is represented by a lawyer and the other is not.
Each project is a partnership of a lead legal services nonprofit corporation, the court, and other legal services providers in the community. The projects will provide legal representation to low-income Californians at or below 200 percent of the federal poverty level. When selecting cases, the agencies will consider the complexity of the case and whether the potential client has special challenges, such as limited English proficiency, illiteracy, or disabilities. They will also review how serious the case is and whether the client has a good chance of prevailing. In addition, the agencies will look at whether providing assistance might save money in the long run by reducing the costs of social services such as homeless and domestic violence shelters.
Since the need for services is expected to outpace the available funding, it will not be possible to provide all eligible low-income parties with attorneys. Thus, the court partners will also receive funding to change procedures and practices to ensure that those parties who still lack attorneys have meaningful access to the courts, have their cases heard on the merits, and do not unintentionally give up their rights. These new court services will include expanded mediation assistance, language interpreters, a probate facilitator, a housing inspector, special parenting workshops, and other creative methods to address these important and challenging cases.
The legal services agencies selected for the pilot projects will screen litigants to identify eligible clients and will contract with other legal services providers in the community to provide services. Staff attorneys will be hired, but pro bono work by outside attorneys will also be encouraged. The lead legal services agency will be the main point of contact for referrals from the court and other agencies. Some projects will also provide assistance from social workers to help address the issues that clients face.
The AOC will conduct a study to demonstrate the effectiveness and continued need for each project. Those findings and recommendations will go to the Judicial Council, which in turn will present them to the Governor and the Legislature on or before January 31, 2016.
The study will include data on the impact of counsel on equal access to justice and the effect on court administration and efficiency. It will also focus on the enhanced coordination between courts and other government service providers and community resources. It will describe the benefits of providing representation to those who were previously not represented, both for the clients and the courts, and recommend strategies for maximizing the benefit of that representation in the future. In addition, the study will include data on the impact of the pilot program on families and children, as well as an assessment of the continuing unmet legal needs of low-income people.
As one of the first programs in the country to combine representation for low-income persons in these types of cases with court innovation, the Sargent Shriver Civil Counsel Act has attracted national attention. The lessons learned should be helpful to other courts working on innovations—and to everyone interested in the best ways of ensuring that all persons coming to court get an appropriate level of legal assistance in these critical cases.
SHRIVER AND THE IMPORTANCE OF LEGAL REPRESENTATION
The modern movement to offer legal services to low-income people was spearheaded by Sargent Shriver in 1966, aided by the American Bar Association, which at the time was headed by future United States Supreme Court Justice Lewis Powell. The movement has been driven by the great disparity that exists between the small number of lawyers available for low-income Americans compared with the abundant availability of legal services for others.
Over the past few decades, a number of studies have demonstrated that just outcomes are more likely to be reached in civil cases when litigants have legal representation
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What can you expect if you are making aliyah from Los Angeles?
• The average high for Los Angeles in January is 68 degrees Fahrenheit. In Tel Aviv it is 60 degrees and in Jerusalem it is 53 degrees.
• Summers in Israel are similar to in Los Angeles. Los Angeles’ average high in July is 83 degrees. In Tel Aviv, the July high is 85 degrees and in Jerusalem it is 84 degrees.
If you love the Southern California beach scene, you’ll find many beaches to enjoy along Israel’s coast, at the Dead Sea, and at the Kinneret (Sea of Galilee). Some beaches offer separate swimming areas for men and women.
In terms of work, you may be employed even before you arrive in Israel! More than 1500 Californian companies do business in Israel, especially in the high tech sector. Many of Israel’s technology companies are in the Tel Aviv area, especially along the coast stretching from North Tel Aviv to Herzliya. Technology companies are also based around Ra’anana, Petah Tikvah, Caesarea, Haifa, Rehovot, Rishon LeZion, and Jerusalem.
For those of you working in LA’s film industry, your work will likely be in the Tel Aviv area since that is where most of Israel’s film and TV production companies are located. Jerusalem has a small sector, however. The JVP Media Quarter, next to the city’s historic original train station, houses the Jerusalem Animation Studios and dozens of other media start ups, along with a technology incubator and a performing arts hub.
If you’re interested in the entertainment business, you might want to consider one of Israeli’s film and television schools:
• Tel Aviv University, offering a four-year-long bachelor’s degree program in film.
• Jerusalem’s Sam Spiegel School of Television & Film, known for its award-winning student films.
• The Ma’aleh School of Television, Film, & the Arts in Jerusalem has many religiously observant students and calls itself “the only film school in the world devoted to
exploring the intersection of Judaism and modern life.”
• Beit Berl College in Kfar Saba offers a joint degree in film and film education (including a teaching certificate). They also have a program in video game design and development.
For more information about aliyah from Los Angeles, contact your regional Israel Aliyah Center:
Israel Aliyah Center - Los Angeles
Aliyah and Integration Department
6505 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 525
Los Angeles, CA 90048
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NEW DELHI: The Competition Commission of India said Monday it had launched an anti-trust probe into Google's online advertising practices, deepening the Internet giant's legal woes in the country.
S.L. Bunker, the secretary of the commission, told AFP that the probe was in response to a complaint from online match-making website Bharatmatrimony.com.
“We are investigating Google,” he said, adding that the website “has filed information which is being investigated to see if it can be verified.”In February the Economic Times reported that Bharatmatrimony.com had complained that Google had “abused its dominance by engaging in discriminatory and retaliatory practices relating to AdWords”.
“We have requested the Commission to investigate Google's practices and impose remedial measures to protect competition,” a statement from the company said.
AdWords, Google's advertising mainstay, sells keywords to companies which appear in the site's search engine, allowing them to promote their product online. The giant pulled in $36.5 billion of ad revenue worldwide in 2011.
Sources at Bharatmatrimony.com told the Economic Times that the company had filed the complaint over Adwords' sale of keywords relating to Bharatmatrimony.com to its matchmaking rivals such as Shaadi.com.
A Google spokesperson told AFP the company had “not received any communication” on the matter and declined further comment.
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