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Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination
14 February 2014
The Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination today completed its consideration of the combined fourteenth to seventeenth periodic report of Luxembourg on its implementation of the provisions of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination. Presenting the report, Jean-Marc Hoscheit, Ambassador and Permanent Representative Luxembourg to the United Nations Office at Geneva, stated that multiculturalism and multilingualism were experienced in Luxembourg on a daily basis. Demonstrations of racism were marginal and rare, but it was nonetheless a phenomenon to be fought against forcefully. The Luxembourg Office for Welcome and Integration was a public administration office with four key missions: providing social assistance to those seeking international protection, integrating foreigners, combatting discrimination, and following migration trends. During the discussion, Committee Experts praised Luxembourg as a truly multinational country welcoming a large number of foreigners. The Experts asked questions on the situation of the Roma and the Yeniche, the ethnic breakdown of the population and data collection, requirements for acquiring Luxembourgish citizenship, and the treatment of people of African descent. The Committee noted that the report had been submitted five years after the expected date. In concluding remarks, Alexei Avtonomov, Committee Expert and Country Rapporteur for Luxembourg, said that he was very satisfied with the quality of the dialogue with the State party. All of the questions had been answered and the official position of the State party on a number of issues was now known. The rationale of the Committee was to provide practical recommendations, which could be implemented in the years ahead. Luxembourg was an impressive country for many reasons, not least its openness towards foreigners. Mr. Hoscheit welcomed the attention and detailed comments provided by the Committee, which had led to a mutual learning experience. Given the geographical position and specific history of the country, Luxembourg's nature was that of multicultural co-existence. Luxembourg was nonetheless continuously engaged on managing and bettering the situation in its dynamic society. The recommendations and the advice given would be studied very meticulously. The delegation of Luxembourg included representatives of the Office for Welcome and Integration, the Ministry of Justice and the Permanent Mission of Luxembourg to the United Nations Office at Geneva. The next public meeting of the Committee will take place at 3 p.m. today, when it will consider the combined seventh to ninth periodic report of Switzerland. Report The combined fourteenth to seventeenth periodic report of Luxembourg can be read here (CERD/C/LUX/14-17). Presentation of the Report JEAN-MARC HOSCHEIT, Permanent Representative of Luxembourg to the United Nations Office at Geneva, said that since the previous review at the Committee in March 2005, the State party had implemented several pertinent changes.
Before it had become a country of immigration, Luxembourg used to be a country of emigration, with up to one-third of the population leaving Luxembourg, mostly to the United States. At the end of the nineteenth century, Luxembourg had become a highly industrialized country.
A landlocked country of 537,000 inhabitants, Luxembourg had opened itself to Europe and the world. More than 44 per cent of Luxembourg's inhabitants were foreigners, that was, persons without Luxembourgish citizenship. There were more than 378,000 jobs in Luxembourg at the moment, 170,000 of which were held by cross-border workers who came to Luxembourg on a daily basis. Nationals of some 170 countries lived in Luxembourg.
Multiculturalism and multilingualism were experienced in Luxembourg on a daily basis. Demonstrations of racism were marginal and rare, but it was nonetheless a phenomenon to be fought against forcefully. Luxembourgish citizens and foreigners had a strong desire to live together.
With the law of December 2008 on the integration of foreigners, the Luxembourg Office of Reception and Integration had been created. It was a public administration office with four key missions: providing social assistance to those seeking international protection, integrating foreigners, combatting discrimination, and following migration trends. The Office was notably in charge of the implementation of the National Plan of Action for Integration and the Fight against Discrimination 2010-2014. Integration was a mission shared by the State, communes and civil society, and since 2009, civil society had been actively consulted on it.
The Office was managing so-called contracts of welcome and integration, offered to all non-citizens residing in Luxembourg. Three language classes were offered, in French, German and/or Luxembourgish, and orientation days and civic integration trainings were organized. Approximately 1,000 such contracts were signed every year, 61 per cent of which were with the citizens of the European Union. The number of necessary years of residing in the country as a precondition for obtaining the nationality had been reduced.
The Office was currently preparing a five-year report, which would be submitted to the Parliament in the second half of 2014.
Any person who wished to acquire Luxembourgish nationality no longer had to renounce their original nationality, unless so required by their country of origin. Naturalization procedures had been simplified, and any child born in Luxembourg could obtain the nationality if one of the parents had been born in Luxembourg. Some 25,000 persons had benefited from the easing of naturalization and residence legislation.
Three institutions were particularly important when it came to the defense of fundamental human rights: the Centre for Equal Treatment, the Ombudsman and the Consultative Commission on Human Rights. The Centre could provide aid to any persons deemed victims of discrimination and inform them of their individual rights. Five members of the Centre were appointed by the Head of State on the proposal of the Parliament. Since 2006, the Centre had received 96 cases, half of which had been resolved with the assistance of the Centre, and others had been dismissed or forwarded to courts. The Ombudsman's Office was only competent for cases of discrimination between the administration and the general public; no cases had been reported since its opening in 2004.
A draft law on the ratification of the Convention on Cyber-crime, known as the "Budapest Convention", was being currently discussed by the Parliament. Such legislation would be significant given the increasing nature of racist and xenophobic abuse on the internet. Luxembourg was active in the combat against dangers connected to the usage of new media, notably among the youth.
Regarding access to the labour market, all residents and registered foreigners with a working permit enjoyed the same access to the labour market. Efforts had been made to make the process of job search easier for foreign workers. The Labour Code had special provisions of leave for workers who wanted to learn the Luxembourgish language, which was seen as a tool for social cohesion. While incidents of racism and intolerance were fortunately rare in Luxembourg, the State party was aware that the combat against those scourges was a long-term, comprehensive effort, especially at the times of economic crisis. In that regard, Luxembourg was working closely with a number of international partners, including the United Nations, Council of Europe, European Union and the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.
Questions by Experts ALEXEI AVTONOMOV, Country Rapporteur for Luxembourg, noted that the report had been submitted five years after the expected date. Luxembourg was a truly multicultural and multinational country. Calling on criminalization for the denial of the Holocaust was welcome but not sufficient; there was a need for a general law which would prohibit racial discrimination and hatred.
It was observed that the Law on Nationality, which recognized and encouraged double nationality, had removed many barriers and made the overall process smoother. Concerning the replies of the State party to the Committee's previous recommendations, Mr. Avtonomov stated that the Government planned to introduce a bill on the reduction of statelessness. The Rapporteur thought that it would be necessary to provide further comments and details on how the Law on Nationality related to the Convention. Could the delegation provide more information on how the State party dealt with the International Labour Organization's Convention on Domestic Workers? Was Luxembourg planning to adopt and ratify that document? Mr. Avtonomov welcomed the existence of contracts promoting integration, and asked for the exact legal status of such contracts. Could those contracts be used for resolving any disputes between the State party and individuals? What if a foreigner had taken all the necessary classes, but failed to achieve minimal results? Regarding the Centre for Equal Treatment, which was a body receiving complaints, could more information be provided on the number and nature of complaints received? Was there more specific statistical data on the ethnic breakdown of the population of Luxembourg and foreign residents in the country? Were there Roma and Jews living in Luxembourg? Was there any data on the Yeniche people in Luxembourg? What were the legal provisions for prohibiting or punishing extremist organizations promoting racial or ethnic hatred? Could more information be provided about foreign students in Luxembourg? Mr. Avtonomov commended the fact that Luxembourg had ratified the amendment to article 8 of the Convention. Another Expert raised the fact that the report of Luxembourg had been submitted with a significant delay. The school curriculum promoted multiculturalism and mother-tongue classes for children of immigrants, which was welcomed by the Expert. The Expert noted that the majority of foreigners in Luxembourg were from the countries of the European Union. How was the Office of Reception and Integration faring, did it have enough human and financial resources? How exactly was the banning and disbanding of racist organizations provided for, an Expert inquired. The Expert asked how many people in Luxembourg did not have housing, and if there was any resentment among the local population if foreigners were provided with subsidized housing. What was the current position of the State party when it came to the ratification of the Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrants and Members of Their Families? Had there been instances of hate speech in Luxembourg, or reported cases of racial profiling? Another Expert asked whether the Convention could be directly invoked and applied in Luxembourgish courts. The Expert noted that the definition of integration, as provided in the legislation of the State party, was missing the part on maintaining cultural lives of communities, but luckily that was not missing in reality. Most European countries in their criminal codes recognized aggravating factors based on racial motives, and the State party should follow suit and add the same provision. Luxembourg had provisions for prohibiting organizations which were endangering public order, which was a very vague and general term and could hypothetically provide grounds for abuse. The establishment of integration contracts was greeted by another Expert. Those should help integrate the large foreign population in the country and make it easier for foreigners to acquire Luxembourgish nationality. To what extent were there different procedures in place for asylum seekers from different countries? How was the regime of subsidiary protection different from the regime of protection granted to refugees under the Geneva Convention, an Expert inquired. Could more information be provided about incomes of cross-border workers, especially in comparison with those of Luxembourgish nationals? The Expert observed that the State party's legislation provided for sanctions for businesses hiring illegal workers . Could some light be shed and more details provided on that subject? More data was requested on sentences and convictions for racial discrimination in recent years. The State party was invited to take an active part in the initiative by the United Nations General Assembly to mark the Decade of People of African Descent. An Expert expressed concern over the terms and conditions non-European Union nationals who resided in Luxembourg, who frequently might not have been fully aware of integration procedures. The issue of Roma who were new migrants, coming mostly from Serbia or Croatia, was raised by the Expert, who asked about provisions for such people. The State party was encouraged to actively engage with non-governmental organizations in the follow-up to the current report as well as the preparation of the following report. An Expert asked for more details on the application of the Convention on Cyber-Crime. The Expert repeated the Committee's request for having disaggregated data on a number of socio-economic indicators. An Expert commended the fact that the State party in its report recognized and welcomed that foreign workers were contributing to the wellbeing and prosperity of the country. Being probably the richest country in Europe, was Luxembourg using any kind of filter when accepting migrants? Was preference being given to humanitarian over economic migrants? Which were the countries where African immigrants in Luxembourg came from, the Expert asked. On asylum seekers, who was responsible for dealing with individual complaints? Could more information be provided about the conditions of immigrant women? A question was asked about whether foreigners and Luxembourgish citizens were on equal footing when it came to the established minimum wage. Another Expert wondered if the requirement to know Luxembourgish could be replaced with a requirement to achieve a certain level in French or German, other official languages of the country. The fact that the nationality of arrested persons was often mentioned by the media was a matter of concern, an Expert noted. How were the Muslims and the Roma presented in the media? What were the conditions of the existing asylum centres in Luxembourg? Was construction of further capacities envisioned? How was the success in the implementation of integration policies measured? The Committee would be happy to find out about good practices, identify effective strategies and keep them on record. Could statistics be provided on applications of citizenship received in recent years, from whom, and what the outcome was? It seemed that German and French were not so difficult for immigrants to learn, whereas learning Luxembourgish was somewhat of a hindrance in the integration efforts. The Chairperson acknowledged that Luxembourg had facilitated granting Luxembourgish nationality to foreigners, and asked what the exact requirements were. Response from the Delegation Mr. Hoscheit said that the history and geography of Luxembourg had helped develop the high level of co-existence. Many prominent figures in public life were of foreign origin, given numerous successive waves of immigration. Most recently, a large number of people from the Balkans, followed by Portuguese and Cape Verdean citizens, had arrived to Luxembourg, making it their home. Currently, Luxembourg was welcoming a number of Syrian refugees. A small number of court cases reflected the reality that there had been very few racist incidents punishable by law. The State party was aware that the cohabitation of different communities was not spontaneously harmonious, but required serious strategies and efforts by multiple parties. A large number of people living in Luxembourg and having Luxembourgish citizenship were preserving ties with their home countries and double nationality. The Government believed that that was the basis of harmonious coexistence. Luxembourg had for a long time been a bi-cultural state, with one side closer to France and the other to Germany. Luxembourgish was defined as a national language. The language of the land was a basic and fundamental medium for promoting the integration of different communities into the life of the country. The Government did not expect the foreigners who wanted the nationality to speak the language fluently; rather, the working knowledge of the language was required. The dialect of the Yeniche group had been preserved. The State party thought not in ethnic terms, but in terms of nationality, accepting people as they were, with their culture, tradition and language. Statistics were kept on the nationalities of immigrants, who were dealt with in a pragmatic manner. There was no ethnic profiling as such in Luxembourg. No negation of the Holocaust or neo-Nazism had been registered. Efforts would be made to submit further reports in the due time-frame, and the delegation pledged that delays would be avoided. Luxembourg was not aiming to give lessons to any other country on how to protect and promote cultural diversity, but had instead developed its own model, which was appropriate for the State party. Regarding the national human rights institution, the delegation stated that it was an independent body, meeting the Paris Principles. In recent years, a number of persons from Serbia had arrived, claiming refugee status, which could not be given to them, as they were primarily economic migrants. In response to the questions on negationism, the delegation explained that the existing laws had adopted the provisions of the International Criminal Court, with clear references to genocide. Thus, the State party's legislation did not relate only to the Holocaust. On why Luxembourg had not made racism an aggravating circumstance, it was said that an aggravating circumstance could relate to any crime committed. Racism was a crime in itself, and not a circumstance. The concept of aggravating circumstances meant that people should be more severely punished because of them. Luxembourg had very harsh penalties in place for racism, and there had been concrete prosecuted cases, such as a four-month prison sentence and a one thousand euro fine for shouting Nazi slogans on the street and having some swastika leaflets. The State party believed that enough provisions were in place and the system was functioning well. On article 4 of the Convention, which provided for the prohibition of all organizations promoting racial discrimination, the delegation explained that if a purpose statement of any new organization had racist elements, that organization or association would not be authorized and allowed to be established. If an already established association would suddenly start promoting racist ideas, there were provisions to dissolve such organizations for the sake of public order. Since 2010, criminal responsibility had been in place for such associations, which involved high fines and their dissolution. Regarding the Law of Nationality, it had to be said that only up to 20 per cent of persons asking for Luxembourgish citizenship actually had to take the language test. The failure rate of those taking the test was 20 to 30 per cent. The conditions for taking the test ought to be more flexible, and passively understanding the language should be introduced along with the speaking ability, so that conditions for taking the test should be made easier. Answering a question on persons from Burkina Faso, the delegation specified that there were 25 of them in Luxembourg. The delegation explained that no difference was made with regard to recourse in relation to a person's country of origin. Under expedited procedures, recourses were discussed at the administrative tribunals. On the question of the application of the Dublin Rules, the delegation informed that the three main countries to which persons had been transferred in 2013 were Belgium, Italy and Germany. On asylum-seekers, it was explained that a maximum of nine months was a reasonable period of time to deal with any such requests. With regard to the waiting list for the public housing fund, there were over 1,000 persons on this list, one third of whom were Luxembourgers. Given the percentage of the foreign population in Luxembourg, which stood at 45 per cent, there was no real problem of resentment felt by the Luxembourgish population. The delegation said that integration contracts were consensual, according to which the State party was committed to providing certain services. It was a "carrot" system without the "stick", which meant that there were no exact penalties previsioned. Benefits of fulfilling the requirements of the contract throughout the two-year period included obtaining long-term residency status. Each contract had an assigned monitor/civil servant in charge. Concerning the minimum wage system, citizens of the European Union legally residing in Luxembourg were benefiting from it on an equal footing with nationals, whereas the cross-border workers could not benefit from it. France, Belgium and Germany all had their own minimum wage systems. Nationals from third countries had to reside in the country for five years before being able to benefit from the minimum income provision. Luxembourg currently hosted 2,100 persons seeking international status procedures, suffering from barring/restraining orders and those who had obtained refugee status or the status of temporary protection. Some of the people held in those centres had received a provisional residence status. There were private houses rented to communes and individuals, rented hotels and hostels, and shelter homes which belonged to the State and were run in cooperation with Caritas and the Red Cross. At times, camping sites had to be rented due to the lack of space normally used for the housing purposes. Minimum standards were observed, and constant efforts were being made to improve the living conditions. The Office for Welcome and Integration was a group of governmental experts to combat discrimination at the institutional level. There was an annually introduced action programme, which consisted of smaller projects. Since 2010, that role had been transferred to the Centre for Equal Treatment, which had in turn received more visibility. The Office would eventually be attached to the Parliament, which would make it possible to bolster its independent role, the same way it had been done for the Ombudsman's Office. Luxembourg did not have an actual genuine native Roma population, as was the case in neighbouring States. There was a population which had come from the Balkans, which had over time become Luxembourgish and did not want to declare themselves as belonging to the Roma ethnic group. The needs of the Roma population needed to be ascertained, but thus far only one single individual had been willing to come forward and provide some information. It could be said that there was an overall fear of stigmatization if they were to come out openly as Roma. Follow-up Questions by the Experts The Country Rapporteur raised the issue of data collection. He expressed understanding that sometimes it might indeed be difficult to collect it, but nonetheless stressed the importance to have as comprehensive statistics on the ethnic and national composition of the population as possible. That problem existed in a number of countries. Who were the people who had immigrated to Luxembourg? There probably was some discrimination taking place daily, even if unwillingly. There was no open rejection taking place towards, for example, African immigrants, but their unemployment rates were higher than for the population as a whole. Having relevant data could help address the problem in early stages before it possibly became exacerbated. It was stressed that the Yeniche were a specific group with their own peculiarities, including a language on their own. The Country Rapporteur emphasized that the State party ought to ratify the International Labour Organization's convention on domestic workers, who were more vulnerable than the general population. Another Expert provided a follow-up explanation regarding the Roma, noting that the unwillingness of the Roma to identify themselves as such could be indicative of societal intolerance towards that particular group. Roma seemed to be often arrested for organized begging, but prosecutions normally did not occur. Could more information be provided on laws on organized begging? More details were requested on the programme on social responsibility which had been put in place. Response by the Delegation Mr. Hoscheit said that philosophically and politically the State party authorities did not wish to engage in any ethnic profiling, including through data collection. If people did not want to declare themselves as members of certain groups, there was nothing the Government could do to alter that. The judiciary was there to monitor any cases of discrimination whatsoever, if any discriminatory acts were indeed to occur. Protective mechanisms were there and ready to come into play if needed. Regarding the Yeniche, the delegation said that the State party did not perceive them as a group, but rather a language practice existing in one suburb of the city of Luxembourg. It was a rather marginal social group bordering a criminal group, using a particular type of slang among themselves. The State party was currently considering the International Labour Organization's Convention on Domestic Workers, which was a praiseworthy treaty. Those workers were not in any lesser position than any other legal workers simply because the Convention had not yet been ratified. On organized begging, the delegation said that two types of related crimes had been distinguished – organized and single begging. Single begging had then been removed from the legislation. Police were taking measures against mostly Roma groups coming from France on a daily basis to beg in the streets, which was done in an effort to combat exploitation of those people by criminal gangs. A social responsibility label had been established in cooperation with the business world with the view of detecting enterprises which wanted to promote corporate social responsibility and establish benchmarks. It included governance, protection of the environment, anti-discrimination and a number of other categories. Luxembourg was proud to have been among the pioneers in developing the label. Diversity charters had been introduced and signed by three major communes, including the capital city. Efforts would be made in the future to get other public institutions and local bodies on board. Follow-up Questions by the Experts An Expert noted that the Committee was paying too much attention to the issue of the Roma, even in countries where there were no issues as such, as in Luxembourg. There was no need to divide the population into ethnic strata, especially if they no longer existed, such as the Yeniche.
Response by the Delegation The delegation said it could not exclude the possibility that there were some problems with the Roma residents of Luxembourg, but the State party was not currently aware of any. If any such issues were brought to the attention of the authorities, they would be dealt with accordingly. Some schools were facing linguistic challenges as there were children from different backgrounds, but with time such problems would disappear and people would become integrated. People of various backgrounds were prominent in social and political spheres; integration would not take place overnight, but it was an ongoing process. In cooperation with European partners, Luxembourg was promoting efforts to ensure the safe usage of the Internet and combat online harassment and hate speech. People were advised to use the Internet cautiously and to note that there were limitations of what could be posted online. Follow-up Questions by the Experts An Expert said that the Committee placed an emphasis on aggravating circumstances in any violence. Reference to public order, in the Expert's opinion, was not sufficient in that regard. Another Expert wondered whether Luxembourg could become an example for Europe in the way it perceived foreigners and on a number of topical questions. Would Luxembourg consider having in its Parliament people who did not come from the European area? Response by the Delegation The delegation reiterated that the law defined Luxembourgish as a State language, which had a significant history and was further developing over recent years. A certain level of operational fluency was required, but Luxembourg was at the same time pragmatically adapting to the outside world, including linguistically. Luxembourg tax payers dedicated significant resources for language learning. All residents, European and non-European, had voting rights for local elections. There was also a case of a prominent female politician of Ethiopian origin who had been elected to a local council in Luxembourg. The State party was marked by the spirit of openness, and was the country paying more than one per cent of its GDP for the official development assistance, thus surpassing Nordic countries. Luxembourg had historically provided assistance and welcomed people in need, most recently Syrian refugees, for whom services in the Arab language had been prepared. Going back to the question of associations and groups, the delegation reiterated that prohibiting extremist organizations was only a part of the arsenal at the State party's disposal. Heavy sentences were provided for racial discrimination and spreading ethnic or religious hatred in the Criminal Code. Luxembourg had never had a political party with a xenophobic agenda, which made it quite exceptional in the region. Concluding Remarks ALEXEI AVTONOMOV, Committee Expert and Country Rapporteur for Luxembourg, said that he was very satisfied with the quality of the dialogue with the State party. All of the questions had been answered and the official position of the State party on a number of issues was now known. The rationale of the Committee was to provide practical recommendations, which could be implemented in the years ahead. Luxembourg was an impressive country for many reasons, not least its openness towards foreigners. The Committee recommended that Luxembourg accede to the Convention on Migrant Workers, but it was up to the State party to decide its course of action. It was positive that the Government was pursuing close cooperation with civil society. The Country Rapporteur recommended that concluding recommendations also be published in languages other than Luxembourgish, such as Portuguese and former Serbo-Croat. JEAN-MARC HOSCHEIT, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Luxembourg to the United Nations in Geneva, welcomed the attention and detailed comments provided by the Committee. The delegation was impressed by the high intellectual content of the discussions and the quality of the dialogue. It had been a mutual learning experience. Given the geographical position and specific history of the country, Luxembourg's nature was that of multicultural co-existence. Luxembourg was nonetheless continuously engaged on managing and bettering the situation in its dynamic society. The recommendations and the advice given would be studied very meticulously. The Committee could count on the enduring support of Luxembourg. _________
For use of the information media; not an official record


text:
The Capital
ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) — At first, Allen and Mary Voelcker thought their obstetrician was joking.
As he gazed at their first sonogram, the doctor told them to guess how many children they were expecting.
"Twins," said Allen, 34, who was not really surprised about a multiple pregnancy. They knew the chances for it were relatively high, as Mary was receiving fertility treatments and Allen is a twin himself.
The doctor shook his head.
"Higher," he said.
"Triplets?" Allen Voelcker said.
That afternoon earlier this year, they learned they were expecting quadruplets — only the second set ever delivered at Anne Arundel Medical Center. Their little family, which also includes their 3-year-old son Tyler, would more than double within the year.
"My first coherent thought was, `How are we going to fit all of those car seats into one vehicle?"' said Mary, 30.
In just a few days, Mary and her husband will begin working out all those logistical details as they get their first chance to take at least two of the newborns home from the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.
She had the four babies — Alexis, Allison, Daniel and William — on Nov. 1.
"It took a team of 20 nurses and six additional staff members, including doctors, to complete the delivery and care for the babies," Betsey Snow, senior clinical director of women and children's services at AAMC, said in a release. "We arranged pre-assigned teams to attend to each baby."
The quadruplets, born nearly two months before their due date, are being kept at the hospital until their bodies can regulate their own temperatures and until they have successful feedings.
The Voelckers hope to be together with all four babies at home as a family by Thanksgiving.
"I can't say it has really sunk in yet," said Allen, a computer programmer from Kent County. "It was a relief to know (the pregnancy and delivery) was finally over."
Now comes the fun part.
To prepare, the Voelckers have gotten four car seats and four bouncy seats, Mary said. "They get eight feedings a day, so that's 32 bottles."
She added: "We estimate we'll probably use about 1,000 diapers a month."
They originally wanted four or five children. Both come from families that had five children and they liked the idea of a big family, Mary said. In 2010, they'd even built a new house with five bedrooms.
"But when I had trouble getting pregnant, we figured we'd have only one or two more children," she said. "After we built this big house, we thought, `What are we going to do with all this space?' It just worked out."
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there were 313 quadruplet births in the United States in 2010. The rate of births that involved triplets or higher is about 138 per 100,000.
That rate of multiple births has increased in the United States in recent decades, experts say, partly due to more use of fertility treatments.
Mary said she has been focusing on taking one day at a time and getting as much rest as she can before the babies come back to their home.
The Voelckers, Allen said, have already begun enjoying little differences between their children, like the way Allison enjoys cuddling and how Daniel, when he cries, sounds exactly the way their older son Tyler did as an infant.
Both parents said they feel as ready as they'll ever be.
"Really, how do you prepare for four?" Mary said, shrugging as she took a break from visiting her newborn quadruplets at the hospital recently. "I guess we'll find out."
Information from: The Capital of Annapolis, Md., http://capitalgazette.com
(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

subset: commoncrawl


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With less from LIHEAP, more local fundraising for heating assistance | News
Title (Max 100 Characters)
POWNAL, Maine (NEWS CENTER) -- Maine will receive less money from the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) this year than last year, according to a statement by Senator Olympia Snowe.
This year, Maine will receive $34.9 million in LIHEAP funding, which is $3.1 million dollars less than what the state received last year.
The 2012 funding is down $20 million from the 2010 funding, which was $55.6 million.
"Regrettably, the LIHEAP lifeline has been disproportionately cut over the last few years, but I am encouraged that this funding will protect Mainers from the bitter cold as we approach Thanksgiving and Maine's harsh winter months," said Senator Snowe.
Working with less federal money, more people are organizing local fundraisers for heating assistance funds.
The Bradbury Mountain Arts group is putting on a concert and art series called "Keep ME Warm" over the next four months to raise money for the town heating assistance fund.
The series begins Saturday night at 6:30 p.m. at the Mallett Hall on Hallowell Road.
It will feature three bands, a quilt gallery, and raffle.
"I think it's becoming more and more aware through different communities that they need to kind of step up and different people need to maybe organize some things that will bring extra money in that's not there in LIHEAP right now," said Keep ME Warm organizer Kathy Hogue.
Keep ME Warm will host concert and art events throughout the winter on the following Saturdays: January 12, February 9, and March 9.


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When I was a junior in high school outside of Milwaukee, I had just moved to the area in the middle of the school year. I didn't have any friends except for my sister, who was on a different campus, and I didn't know my way around the gigantic school. Having just moved from a small school in a secluded farm town, this situation was the polar opposite. I had a tendency to get close to my English teachers because they typically became my mentors, so the one day I sat down in my first AP English class, I knew I wanted to really impress this teacher.
Our first paper was on Shakespeare – some play I don't really remember (when you move around so much, you tend to reread Shakespeare plays in different schools and they blend together after a while). I felt mine wasn't incredible, but at least it was written well. I got the paper back the next day and it was a C. Next paper, I tried a little harder. Still a C. The day after we turned papers in, the teacher would go through papers on the overhead projector from another class as to not embarrass anyone from our class. This was done before handing them back. He would choose one incredible and one horrible paper. After the third paper, he pulled out the overhead projector and put the first paper up. "This person seemed to have really struggled…" he started. I read the title, the opening paragraph, and then I froze. It was my paper. How did it get in there? Should I say something? Being a new kid and not knowing anyone, I stayed quiet. I sat there mortified as they tore my paper apart.
I met with the teacher that day after lunch and he told me he had realized he accidentally put my paper on the overhead and apologized. He said I should've said something. Yeah, that's easy for a timid, terrified new kid. He then sat back in his chair, letting out a small sigh with my C- paper in his hand on Shakespeare's Twelfth Night. "Kayla…I know you want to be a writer, but…" and that was all I needed to hear. I don't remember what he finished with or the rest of what we talked about. I remembered that phrase for the rest of my life. After that, I didn't write anything for six months.
I sit here as an editorial intern at Game Informer in the heart of Minneapolis, and I think back to that teacher and wish he could see me now, how wrong he was about me. All of my life I have been told that I can do whatever I want as long as I work hard at it.
Attending an engineering university introduced me to the world of impossible math and computer and gaming nerds, a world I had never experienced before. On campus there was a League of Legends Club, Magic tournaments, and jokes about computer-science students who disappeared for days because of World of Warcraft. Suddenly, I was immersed in this heavy gaming culture and found my interest strengthening. I met people in class who knew what Team Fortress 2 was, and I watched as my Steam friends list grew.
I also became involved with the music scene on campus, and most of my friends were a part of the heavily alternative college-radio station. After playing around with campus publications, I pursued something greater and reached out to a posting on a website for WHOA Magazine as a music writer. I was hired as a freelancer and was introduced to a taste of the world of magazine journalism. And with that taste, I was hooked.
It wasn't until last year I realized breaking into the world of video game journalism wasn't impossible, and I had my eyes set on Game Informer. I began writing for entertainment website, Metal Arcade, and started up my own video games blog on Blogger. I found that talking about video games came so naturally, and I knew I wanted to pursue it.
You can find me reanalyzing the latest Silent Hill film or game to anyone who will listen or racing my boyfriend in Split/Second or setting a Heavy on fire from behind in Team Fortress 2 (take me on and I'll beat you, if it's a good day). I am particularly passionate about the horror genre and will never turn down a racing game.
So here I am, broke and moved in to the heart of the city, living for the thrill of the crème de la crème of video game journalism. Frankly, I wouldn't have it any other way.


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Honeycomb To Require Dual-Core Processor 177
adeelarshad82 writes "According to managing director of Korean consumer electronics firm Enspert, Google's new Android Honeycomb tablet OS will require a dual-core ARM Cortex-A9 processor to run properly. That means that many existing Android tablets will not be upgradeable to Honeycomb, as they lack the processor necessary to meet the spec. Currently, Nvidia's Tegra 2 platform is the only chipset in products on the market to include a Cortex-A9, although other manufacturers have said they're moving to the new processor architecture for 2011 products."


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Harvard alumnus Thomas G. Stemberg, co-founder of Staples, Inc., has written a strongly worded letter to President Drew G. Faust condemning university officials for their handling of last semester's cheating scandal and calling their approach "Orwellian."
Harvard College officials recently announced that they have issued verdicts to the approximately 125 students who were accused of cheating on their "Intro to Congress" final this past spring, and will announce the results of the investigation at the beginning of the upcoming semester.
In the letter, which was first leaked by The Harvard Crimson and later obtained by the Globe, Stemberg said that as an alumnus of more than 40 years as well as a Harvard parent, he had never felt the need to write a letter of complaint.
Stemberg said that he personally knows a number of the undergraduates who are being punished, but that he decided to write a letter after speaking with two former deans at Harvard.
"I write this only after discussing the matter with two former Deans of Harvard College, who not only confirmed my dissatisfaction, but amplified it," he said.
He wrote that some students in the Congress class "clearly went too far" by cutting and pasting answers, and it was appropriate to reprimand those students.
But he added that "others did no more than write answers from notes that were derived in the collaborative atmosphere the class encouraged," and that punishing this group was wrong.
Stemberg goes on to write that the university has damaged the reputations of innocent students.
He ended the letter with, "as an alumnus, how can one come to any conclusion other than the University has a bloated bureaucracy so intent on being politically correct, that its students and its mission are forgotten?"
A Harvard spokesman could not be immediately reached for comment.
In a statement released when the cheating scandal became public, Harvard President Drew Faust said that the allegations "if proven, represent totally unacceptable behavior that betrays the trust upon which intellectual inquiry at Harvard depends. . . . There is work to be done to ensure that every student at Harvard understands and embraces the values that are fundamental to its community of scholars."
The Globe and other news organizations have reported that Harvard athletes were among those implicated.


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A Mississippi man who had been accused of sending ricin-laced letters to President Obama, a U.S. senator and a Mississippi judge was set free Tuesday and charges against him were dropped as authorities converged on the home of another man.
Paul Kevin Curtis of Corinth, Miss., had been released on bond earlier in the day. The part-time Elvis impersonator had been arrested last week on suspicion of mailing three letters filled with ricin within days of the April 15 Boston Marathon bombings.
Authorities, some in protective gear, were searching the Tupelo, Miss., home of J. Everett Dutschke, who had not been arrested and who insisted he was innocent.
Ricin, which is highly toxic and has no antidote, can be inhaled or ingested. The letters' recipients included Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) and Lee County, Miss., Judge Sadie Holland.


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Anthony Hurley
Anthony commenced dancing at the age of 7; such an early age because his mother had a dancing school (now over ninety she is a Life Member of the Society). He took all ISTD Junior medals up to Gold Star and examinations to Elementary level with Cecchetti. At this time he was attending Ballet Rambert.
Ballroom dancing later became his first love, and with Miss Pamela Curtis they became the Junior Star and International Champions. Eventually Anthony moved up to the Amateur Grade with his new partner Miss Fay Saxton. This Amateur career lasted six years and culminated in winning all major Championships, including Star & UK, International, British Open, European and World Nine Dance. Anthony and Fay were also members of the British Team.
In 1960 Anthony married Fay. They turned Professional in 1961 and their daughter, Cherrie Anne, was born in 1962. Their successful career continued for a further 11 years until they retired in 1973. During this time they were Grand Slam winners 4 times and British, Star & UK, European and World Professional champions.
In 1974, Anthony was persuaded by the late Josephine Bradley and Phyllis Haylor to stand for election for the Ballroom Branch Committee. This was successful and Anthony later became the Chairman of the Modern Ballroom Branch. It was under his Chairmanship that the updating of the revised technique became the technique of the Imperial Society. He was also responsible for the organising of the Imperial Championships for the years 1977-1988 at the Civic Hall, Guildford. These are one of the most respected championships in the competitive dance calendar.
Now Anthony is a Life Member of the ISTD and has been elevated to the Society's Grand Council.
Grand council: Grand Council Member


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Not sure how many are actually loud.
Aho should be doing about a 155 to 157. Corey if he comes does I think low 150's. My SUV I am hoping for mid to high 140's. Not sure what Danny's truck will do but I would think easy in the high 140's maybe in the 150's.


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BERLIN — Actor and Parkinson's crusader Michael J. Fox will be feted by Europe's leading TV magazine Hoerzu at the Golden Camera Awards in Berlin on Saturday.
Fox, star of the "Back to the Future" films and the hit TV series "Family Ties," will be honored with the Golden Camera's International Lifetime Achievement Award.
While praising the star's movie and television career, Hoerzu said it also wanted to pay tribute to Fox's work in raising awareness and funding for Parkinson's research via the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research.
"Michael J. Fox was always able to make a special contribution to his movie roles using his youthful appearance, boyish charm and humor.
With this award, however, we want to do more than pay tribute to this actor's artistic achievements that have entertained us for decades. We want to express our great admiration for the way he continues to fight Parkinson's disease both personally and through the work of his foundation."
Fox rose to fame during the 1980s as the conservative yuppie son of former hippie parents on the hit sitcom "Family Ties," but it was his starring role in Robert Zemeckis' "Back to the Future" trilogy that solidified his superstar status. He later appeared in such films and shows as "Stuart Little," "Spin City" and currently appears as a guest star on CBS' "The Good Wife."
Fox's primary focus today is his foundation, which has raised nearly $225 million for Parkinson's research since its launch in 2000.
Fox joins other high-profile Golden Camera recipients this year such as John Travolta, who has been named best international actor; German thesp Armin Mueller-Stahl, who is receiving the National Lifetime Achievement Award; and singer Gloria Gaynor, who will be honored with the lifetime achievement award for music.
The 46th Golden Camera ceremony will take place at the Ullstein Auditorium at the headquarters of the Axel Springer publishing group — Hoerzu's parent company — and will be broadcast live on pubcaster ZDF.


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Skip to comments.Objectively Pro-Terrorist Pacifists
Posted on 11/12/2001 12:06:18 PM PST by A.J.Armitage
During WWII, George Orwell observed that pacifism was objectively pro-fascist because it weakened the war effort and thus was, in its effects, in favor of the other side. Honesty compels us to the same conclusion about some of our fellow countrymen: they are with the terrorists.
There are two wrong ways to react to the terrorist attacks on September 11, neither of which, fortunately, is being pursued by our government so far. One is to create a wider war between the West and Islam, which we would win in the end, but at too high a cost to ourselves. A lesser consideration against it is that it would punish many innocent Middle Easterners. Such a war may ultimately occur, but it's an outcome we should try to avoid. The other is to do too little. Bin Laden probably expected one of these two reactions, either of which would have played into his hands. The first would radicalize relatively moderate Middle Easterners in his direction, and the second would make our nation look weak and increase his prestige. Bush has wisely steered between these two, following a policy of attacking the terrorist and their supporters, but not taking unnecessary action.
Neoconservatives, who've been spoiling for a fight since the end of the Cold War, are supporting the first wrong way. On the other side is a certain pacifistic segment of the Left. Only pacifists can oppose our current actions, because it would be hard to imagine a situation that more justifies a military response than an attack killing thousands of people and biological warfare against the American people. If you don't support action after this, you can never support it. A typical pacifist sentiment was expressed by Alice Walker when she said of bin Laden, "But what would happen to his cool armor if he could be reminded of all the good, nonviolent things he has done? Further, what would happen to him if he could be brought to understand the preciousness of the lives he has destroyed? I firmly believe the only punishment that works is love."
She doesn't understand that they aren't like us. Some of the things Americans consider essential to humanity turn out not to be so: they are alien to Islamic fundamentalists. This fact ought to be evident from the fact that they consider killing innocent people a meritorious act (which in itself destroys her "argument"; she presumes bin Laden shares her moral universe, and he doesn't). Even the non-terrorist Islamic fundamentalists aren't like us. Look, for example, at the way they treat women. In large parts of the Islamic world, they mutilate girls' vaginas to prevent them from having sexual pleasure when they become women. In Islamic fundamentalist countries, even ones on our side, women must have their faces hidden and are often denied education or the right to work. No man who has ever experienced romantic love for a woman could ever tolerate such customs. The Taliban outlawed music. The things that compose our daily lives and our whole life experiences are unknown to them.
The most fundamental problem with pacifism is that it makes no distinction between aggression and defense or retaliation. Pacifism cannot but place a rapist and a woman who kills a would-be rapist on the same moral level. No doubt many, if not most, actual pacifists would never do that, but this is their common sense overcoming their ideological principles. By hampering defense and retaliation, pacifism is always on the side of the aggressor, and as such is fundamentally immoral in its effects. It is an ideology dedicated to making good men do nothing, or at least nothing effectual.
Pacifism means passive victimhood before anyone who cares to assert himself by force. No wonder so many of the same people support gun control. Left unsaid, of course, is how gun control is to be enforced without the use or at least threat of violence. I suppose gun owners are supposed to see the "light" and turn their guns in. This will happen about the same time Osama bin Laden understands the preciousness of the lives he destroyed. Pacifism is dangerously disconnected from the real world; in order to work, everyone would have to abjure any and all violence. There is such a thing as evil in this world, and there are evil people who must be resisted.
Pacifism would do to nations what gun control does to individuals: leave them helpless before masked men with dark intentions.
Murderous? Whew! What propaganda outlet are you subscribing to? The northern alliance just took Mazar-il Sharif. The first thing the occupants did is drop their veils and shave. Sounds like a bunch of people who dearly loved the Taliban doesn't it? What about those fifty men women and children who were gunned down by the Taliban. Do you think their families are angry at the US?
Just because CNN and the leftist press from Great Britain feed you stories you can sink your teeth into, don't sell your soul to them. They are about as propagandist as they come.
Buy a clue.
As opposed to where we are now, where the muslim street hates our abundance and society and acts to kill us when they can, I'll accept 10% more hate if they are afraid of the price they will pay for actual actions and therefore simmer in their own juices.
Is a network leftist simply if they have reports that do indeed have content that is labeled leftist? Or is it their whole philosophy? Someone point me to a news source that reports everything as it really is, unbiasedly. Anyone out there have a particular news source they always trust?
If a news outlet produces their presentations in such a manner as to reflect the leftist viewpoint, they're leftist. Yes most news outlets do produce leftist presentations on occasion. Where the problem comes in is when that leftist viewpoint excedes 50%. For my taste, it's a problem when they excede 10%, but that's my own taste.
You asked if anyone has a news source they always trust. I don't. I do have sources I trust more than others based on my observances of their past presentations. I try very hard to judge every single news presentation I hear. Even FoxNews and other sources I like slip false statements through. But they are better than the alternatives. CNN is nothing but propaganda most of the time. And if you don't like what they're selling, you're the problem according to them.
Here's an example of story from both viewpoints.
Yesterday the Red Cross warehouse was the victim of US bombing in Kabul. The manager of the facility was angered by the bombing and condemned any nation that would do such a thing. "The Red Cross is a humanitarian agency, and should be out of bounds for such attacks", he stated. Local Taliban officials sited this as still another example of United States sponsored terrorism. Local families lives were disrupted and joined in the condemnation of the United States' actions.
Yesterday the Red Cross warehouse was struck by US bombs during the night. There was no loss of life. The manager of the facility was angered by the bombing and condemned any nation that would do such a thing. "The Red Cross is a humanitarian agency, and should be out of bounds for such attacks" he stated. Local Taliban officials and neighbors of the facility joined in the condemnation. The Taliban stated that this was another example of US sponsored terrorism. When reached for comment US officials noted that the Red Cross warehouse facilities were being used to store Taliban weapons. As such they considered the warehouse to be a bonified military target.
They can give the leftist viewpoint as long as they balance it off. Some news sources seldom do. One of my favorites is the newspaper article that gives a false headline trashing the US or a conservative viewpoint, then during the last couple of sentences of the article, reveals the real truth. This happens all the time. There's an example on the forum right now.
I'm not opposed to wars for the right reasons and I would have to agree that having four jetliners hijacked and intentionally crashed into buildings would constitute the right reasons. But (you knew it was coming), I still reserve my right to feel uncomfortable about bombing targets in a nation where culpability has yet to be established. Unlike many Freepers, I didn't stop questioning the government and its motives when an R was elected instead of a D. I still maintain that there is precious little difference where the important things are concerned. Maybe Afghanistan is the right target, maybe not. Maybe it's about getting bin Laden, maybe it's about oil. I haven't seen enough evidence from our intelligence community to be sure either way.
Sure it feels good that we're doing something, but I won't just assume that it's the right thing just because I'm told that it is. The federal government doesn't have much of a track record to leave me feeling assured.
But hasn't bin Laden finally gotten around to admitting it was his guys who did it? I would think that would settle the issue, presuming bin Laden's still in Afghanistan. It's always possible he left secretly. I guess we'll find out when the Northern Alliance takes the rest of the Taliban's territory.
The government's purpose is to protect innocent Americans, so that's the highest consideration. Of course innocent lives, of any nationality, are more important than monetary cost. -- tex-oma
I agree with, and will here amplify, Aaron's point:
In the prosecution of a Just War (the analysis herein naturally depends upon the War in question being a Just War of retaliatory defense), the State's priorities are as follows:
1.) The Lives of domestic Civilians (Principle of Covenant)
2.) The Lives of domestic Soldiers (Principle of Covenant)
3.) The Lives of enemy Civilians (Principle of Charity)
4.) The Lives of enemy Soldiers (Principle of Charity)
These priorities are ordered thusly, not on the basis of any disparity in the values of the respectives Lives (life = life = life = life, period), but on the basis of a disparity of respective Duty. State is Covenanted to provide the defense of the Lives and Rights of its Citizens -- indeed, that is its only legitimate reason to exist.
If I owe tex-oma $1,000 dollars, and I see A.J. Armitage starving and destitute for want of $100 to food and shelter, my first duty is to repay tex-oma the $1,000 which I owe. It does not matter how much I may wish to extend Charity to AJ; that money is not mine to give (unless, God willing, tex-oma should release me from my debt to perform Charity). Likewise, State's first duty is the Defense of its Covenanted Citizens; State does not even have the moral option of extending Charity to the enemy in War unless its duty in this regard is fulfilled. (For the same reason, all Foreign Aid is illegitimate -- no matter how Charitable, State has the primary duty not to tax even one dollar away from a single taxpayer for any duties other than those it is Covenanted to perform.)
A codicil to points #3 and #4 must here be stated -- the "Brutal Peace" codicil. IF State is reasonably confident that a brutal attack (even one of horrific brutality) against 10,000 enemy soldiers or even enemy civilians will so completely demoralize the enemy that a rapid peace will thereafter be acheived -- saving the lives of its Citizens (and, perhaps, many enemy lives also), then the brutal attack is not a "necessary evil", but rather a moral necessity to the performance of its primary duty to secure the defense and Peace of its own citizenry. While I would not class the fire-bombing of Dresden (which was a completely wanton and sadistic orgy of slaughter having no redeeming value, IMHO) among this sort of action, the atomic bombing of Hiroshima -- given the uncertainty of Japanese surrender prior to that action -- arguably fits the bill. (Nagasaki, OTOH, was probably unnecessary, historically speaking. But, hindsight is 20/20).
As always, IMHO.
What is in America's long range interest? Get bin Laden, than over and out for good. Build fortress America and let the world fight their own infinite wars - religious, ethnic, economic or political. Heed George Washington if our nation and its constitution are to survive this century.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.


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Hello everyone,
I have just started my very first class on JAVA programming, and it is kicking my tail. I have joined in hopes of finding some help with learning JAVA. So if anyone could point me in the direction for the thread where I can ask all my really dumb question it would be greatly appriciated.


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TIMS-Access & Use Training for PK-12 Educational Entities (SD, IUs, CTCs, Charters,etc.)
About this presenter - Barb Seifert
Organization: Pennsylvania Department of Education, Bureau of School Leadership and Teacher Quality
Presenter(s)Barb Seifert
Webinar Description
Introduction to the new Teacher Information Management System (TIMS). TIMS is an online system for the submission of applications for Pennsylvania educator certification. Included in the presentation: Access, use, helpful tools and support information for Pennsylvania PK-12 Educational Entities to use TIMS for verifying work experience for candidates for certification and submitting Emergency Permit requests to the Pennsylvania Department of Education.
Target Audience
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|December 19, 2011
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The search for the perfect heel is over with the effortless Lola Cruz Suede Court Shoe. Its pencil thin mid-heel is just the right height to have leg-lengthening appeal, but at 7cm is also fabulously easy-to-wear. In a range of colours wear them with classic work looks, cool evening styles, special occasions or to dress up casual denims.
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The Assembly of the Municipality of Anchorage will hold a public hearing on the following ordinances, resolutions and memorandum at its regular meeting of May 20, 2014. The public hearing portion of the meeting begins at 6:00 p.m. and is held in the Assembly Chambers, Z.J. Loussac Library, 3600 Denali:
Ordinance No. AO 2014-66, an ordinance authorizing a non-exclusive telecommunications and electric easement within a parcel of land located within Collegegate East Subdivision #4, Tract A, Plat 73-110 on file in the Anchorage Recording District, Third Judicial District, State of Alaska, Public Works Department/Project Management & Engineering Division.
The above-referenced documents are available for examination at the Clerk's Office, City Hall, 632 W. 6th Avenue, Room 250, Anchorage, Alaska.
Persons wishing to provide oral comments on the described matters may do so at this meeting or may provide written comments. Written comments should be sent to: Barbara A. Jones, Municipal Clerk, P.O. Box 196650, Anchorage, AK 99519-6650, FAX (907) 343-4313, or email@example.com
Individuals with disabilities who need auxiliary aids, services, or special modifications to participate should contact the Municipal Clerk's Office by telephone at 343-4311; fax at 343-4313; or e-mail email@example.com to request reasonable accommodations.
View all Municipality of Anchorage public notifications on the Municipal website: http://www.muni.org/
/s/ Barbara A. Jones
Municipal Clerk


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Rubio follows Christie's lead, ignores Romney
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie's (R) convention keynote address on Tuesday generated criticism because it forgot to do something important: talk about Mitt Romney. It seemed as if Christie was already eyeing 2016, and wanted to use the opportunity to celebrate himself.
Last night, Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), who received a very high-profile convention slot – he was penultimate speaker, appearing just before Romney – did largely the same thing.
More Like This
Best of MSNBC
Republican National Convention and Marco Rubio
Rubio follows Christie's lead, ignores Romney


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I never thought I'd long for the days when gas was $2.50 a gallon. In an
effort to save a few bucks, I take two wheels just about everywhere. My KTM
950 Adventure S rings in 45 miles to the gallon, which is a lot better than
any four-wheeled transport we have on hand. But that's positively wasteful
compared to the products that Hayes Diversified Technologies from Hesperia,
California, has available.
HDT converts Kawasaki KLR 650 dual-sport motorcycles to run on diesel power and recently entered into a contract to provide the Marines with 522 of its JP8/Diesel Combat motorcycles. The basis of the design is a technology demonstrator program for a motorcycle diesel engine carried out by Cranfield University in the United Kingdom. Details of this program are reported in SAE Paper 982051.
Last year, one of HDT's bikes ran at an AMA record-setting 91.277 mph at the
Bonneville salt flats. This week, the company is back at it again, at the
Bub Speed Trials at Bonneville. HDT has sent two bikes this year: One
normally aspirated, and one turbocharged, using a turbo from a Kubota three-cylinder tractor. Both bikes are expected to do the ton by the end of the session on September 9.
To learn more about HDT's bikes, check out their Web site at:
To follow the other goings on at the Bub Motorcycle Speed Trials, visit:
(This post originally appeared in the September 8, 2005, issue of the Hemmings eWeekly Newsletter.)


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Hacker Worm Burrows into Tumblr Blogs
A software "worm" evidently unleashed by hackers burrowed through Tumblr on Monday, defacing pages at the popular blogging platform with a vitriolic, expletive-laden message.
A hacker group going by the acronym "GNAA" claimed responsibility for the diatribe, which dismissed most of what bloggers shared online as worthless.
"Tumblr engineers have resolved the issue of the viral post attack that affected a few thousand Tumblr blogs earlier today," the U.S.-based company said in an email response to an Agence France Presse inquiry Monday.
Tumblr reports that it is home to 83.2 million blogs that jointly attract about 18.2 billion page views monthly. High-profile Tumblr blogs defaced by the worm were said to include those of CNET and The Verge.


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"Because I've been an exceptionally good girl, I deserve sweet nothings from Dolce & Gabbana Intimates to make my husband forget he's an accountant... and a tartine from SnAKS to fuel my shopping spree, a dress that's the height of chic from Elie Tahari and some flat boots from Jimmy Choo to keep me grounded, anything Marni and something Versace and divine peau de soie pumps from Roger Vivier that I can't get anywhere else."That might seem laughably over-the-top, but it's beautifully written to reach out and grab a woman's deep longing. It's a nice touch that the ad-character has a husband, but he's such a nonentity -- an accountant! -- that women with no men (to buy them presents) can fully identify.
And have you heard of the Right-Hand Ring campaign?
The marketing campaign has successfully appealed to women with female-empowerment pitches like: "Your left hand says you're taken. Your right hand says you can take over."Buy yourself a diamond ring. (I Freudian-slip-typed "diamond wring.") How do you palm that off as not pathetic? Well, have you seen the ads? They're mesmerizing.


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EVEREST Ultimate Edition is an industry leading system diagnostics and benchmarking solution for enthusiasts PC users, based on the award-winning EVEREST Technology. During system optimizations and tweaking it provides essential system and overclock information, advanced hardware monitoring and diagnostics capabilities to check the effects of the applied settings. CPU, FPU and memory benchmarks are available to measure the actual system performance and compare it to previous states or other systems. Furthermore, complete software, operating system and security information makes EVEREST Ultimate Edition a comprehensive system diagnostics tool that offers a total of 100 pages of information about your PC.
» Accurate low-level information about motherboard and CPU
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Download Links:


text:
Banker Bonuses Face Toughest Curbs in EU Basel Law DealJim Brunsden
Bankers in the European Union, who already have the toughest bonus curbs in the Group of 20 nations, may face even stricter pay limits under a draft deal to bolster lenders' capital requirements and rewrite the bloc's financial industry rulebook.
European Parliament lawmakers and national government officials agreed to ban bonuses that are more than twice bankers' fixed pay, in a tentative deal that may end more than 18 months of wrangling over how the EU will apply global bank rules drawn up by the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision.
The deal, which applies to all bankers in the European Union as well as to employees of EU lenders anywhere in the world, means "less money for bonuses and more money for jobs and investment," Udo Bullmann, the lawmaker leading work on the rules for the parliament's socialist group, told reporters in Brussels today. "We are going further, we are saying that the bonus system itself must change."
EU legislators demanded that the law implementing the so-called Basel III pact include curbs on variable pay as part of a quest to reshape lenders as utilities rather than money-making machines. Under today's deal, which still needs formal endorsement by governments and lawmakers, shareholders would have to approve any bonuses that top salary, by a two-thirds margin or a 75 percent vote if less than half a bank's ownership is represented.
U.K. Concerns
Prime Minister David Cameron said Britain, which has opposed previous drafts of the pay rules, would study the compromise ahead of a meeting of EU finance ministers next week.
The U.K. raised concerns over the lack of an impact assessment of the planned bonus curbs at a separate meeting of diplomats in Brussels today. Britain also questioned whether the plans are in line with international agreements, according to an EU official, who isn't authorized to be cited by name.
The draft pay rules would "increase fixed costs at a crucial time of bank restructuring," Simon Lewis, chief executive officer at the Association for Financial Markets in Europe, said in an e-mail. "This will seriously harm European competitiveness and have a negative impact on the real economy."
AFME represents international lenders including Deutsche Bank AG, BNP Paribas SA, HSBC Holdings Plc and Royal Bank of Scotland Group Plc.
The bonus restrictions come as some of Europe's largest banks take steps to reduce variable pay in response to scandals such as rate manipulation or dips in performance.
Deferred Awards
While bonuses double fixed pay would be banned, the compromise deal would offer banks some leeway on how to apply the measure when parts of the award are deferred.
Some shares and other securities that can face losses in crises wouldn't be fully counted when calculating whether a bonus exceeds the cap. This special treatment would only apply to securities that couldn't be sold for at least five years after the bonus is awarded.
"The EU is taking the toughest approach of any major market to date on banker pay," Karen Shaw Petrou, managing partner of Washington-based Federal Financial Analytics Inc., said in an e-mail. "Banks may be getting a lot of regulatory leeway, but bankers will pay for it in their compensation packets," she said.
Face Value
Under the compromise, loss-absorbing securities could be priced at below face value in calculating whether a banker bonus meets the EU rules. These instruments could count for as much as a quarter of a bonus award. EU officials said that the bloc was aiming to introduce the law on Jan. 1, 2014, with July 1, 2014, as a fall-back date depending on how long it takes to adopt and publish the final text.
Bonus awards could be retroactively slashed if a banker was found to have misled the company about his performance.
"Bonuses will still remain quite substantial despite this cap," Michel Barnier, the EU's financial services chief, told reporters.
Today's deal follows calls last year from European Parliament lawmakers for an outright ban on bonuses that exceed fixed pay.
National governments resisted such a move, warning that it could harm banks' competitiveness and force lenders to increase basic salaries. The U.K. earlier this month advocated an alternative approach in which up-front cash bonuses would be capped, while it would be left to shareholders to set overall limits on variable pay. Bank units based outside the EU would have been exempt from the rules.
Well Balanced
Michael Noonan, finance minister for Ireland, which holds the EU's rotating presidency, said the compromise reached today was "well balanced." Ireland represented national governments in the negotiations.
"I will be presenting this package to finance ministers when we meet in Brussels next Tuesday and I hope they will endorse it," Noonan said in an e-mailed statement.
"We'll look carefully at what the outcome of the negotiations was before working out the approach we'll take at Ecofin next week," Cameron told reporters this morning, referring to next week's finance ministers' meeting.
"We have major international banks that are based in the U.K. but have branches and activities all over the world, and we need to make sure that regulation put in place in Brussels is flexible enough to allow those banks to continue competing and succeeding while being located in the U.K.," Cameron said, according to an e-mailed copy of his remarks.
'No Exceptions'
Othmar Karas, the parliament's lead lawmaker on the rules, said the bonus curbs would apply to units of EU banks situated beyond the EU's borders and also to units of non-EU banks located in the bloc, with "no exceptions."
The impact on recruitment of extending the bonus curbs to EU banks' overseas units will be reviewed, according to EU officials.
The deal will put EU banks "at a major disadvantage in the global market," Alex Beidas, an employee-incentives specialist at lawfirm Linklaters LLP, said in an e-mail. "There is a real danger that this will result in bankers moving to the U.S. and Asia."
The Parliament plans to vote on the measures in April, Karas said, adding that he expected "full agreement" from governments on the deal that was reached.
The accord on the Basel capital rules means the EU may overtake the U.S. in its progress toward implementing the international standards, which were published in 2010 in an effort to prevent any repeat of the financial crisis that followed the collapse of Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc.
Missed Deadline
Regulators on both sides of the Atlantic missed a January deadline to begin legally phasing in the Basel III measures, which more than triple the core reserves that lenders must hold against possible losses.
EU Parliament lawmakers also secured an agreement that banks should be forced to publish the profits they make and taxes they incur, broken down by each country in which they operate, officials said after the deal. The European Commission plans a review before the measure takes effect to assess the possible impact on lenders, they said.
Luxembourg raised concerns about this part of the accord at the meeting of diplomats in Brussels that followed the overnight talks.
To reach a deal, negotiators added to and amended plans from the Basel committee, which drew up the international standards as part of its efforts to bring together banking regulators from 27 nations including to the U.S., U.K., and China to coordinate their rule-making.
Cash Payouts
Today's agreement on bonuses adds to a previous round of EU banker pay rules, which took effect in 2011. The earlier measures limit bankers to receiving about 25 percent of their bonuses in immediate cash payouts, with the rest of the cash component deferred for a minimum of three years. The standards also require bonus awards to be split between shares and cash.
"The existing EU remuneration rules are already the toughest in the world," Beidas said.
"It is clear when you review all the rules alongside each other that the EU set the high watermark in 2011," she said.
The Basel committee warned last year that the EU's implementation of Basel III may not be faithful to the global accord. The group said the EU may not apply sufficiently strict rules to banks with insurance arms, or set tough enough rules on the definition of what securities count as capital.
The deal is not "Basel compliant," Vicky Ford, the lawmaker working on the rules for the parliament's conservative group, told reporters. Still, "it could have been an awful lot less compliant," she said.
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As your PBS station, it is KLRU's mission to bring people together around important issues. KLRU does this through various educational and outreach initiatives. This fall, KLRU will present 2nd Half of Life, a six-part series airing weekly on Thursday nights at 8 p.m. beginning October 8 and running til November 12. Created for one of the best-educated, healthiest, and most privileged generations in American history — the Boomers — the series aims to help people reinvent life after the age of 50. Additional resources at KLRU's 2nd Half of Life Web site at klru.org/2ndhalfoflife 2nd Half of Life is made possible thanks to our sponsor Seton Family of Hospitals and in cooperation with the Texas Department of Aging and Disability Services.
This week:
Back-to-back episodes of Life (Part 2) at 8 p.m.
Life (Part 2) – "Brain Exercise"
Robert Lipsyte learns about brain fitness technology and competes against some younger opponents to find out whose mind is in the best shape. Then biological psychiatrist P Murali Doraiswamy, cognitive neuroscientist Denise Park, and psychiatrist / author Gary Small explain the best ways to keep our brains in peak condition.
Life (Part 2) – "Mechanics of Aging"
Meet a professor whose students build "empathy suits" that give students new insights into how it feels to be older. Then, media giant Martha Stewart details her campaign to improve geriatric care in America. And New Yorker contributor and comedy writer Patricia Marx explains the stages of life—with the help of a bowl of fruit.


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Uranium Resources, Inc. has announced that it will be closing its offices in Albuquerque, Crownpoint and Grants.
The move announced Friday is aimed at reducing corporate overhead, but URI President and CEO Christopher Jones says the company is still committed to the projects is has pending in New Mexico.
The Lewisville, Texas-based company says the changes will likely be complete by the end of June. The company expects to save about $1.5 million annual with the consolidation.
Environmentalists, including members of the Navajo Nation, have been battling URI for the past 17 years as the company tries to develop uranium claims near the communities of Church Rock and Crownpoint.
URI says it has more than 322 square miles of uranium mineral holdings in New Mexico.
Copyright 2013 The Associated Press.


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OK, a little explanation here. I've been working on contract for a client for the past 23 months. The initial contract was for 4 months. I guess they liked me, well maybe not all of them. We did accomplish a lot of great things together. I stayed around so long they decided to name me Operations Manager. Not too shabby, huh?
So I walked into work this morning and this is what I found:
I loaded up my plate and headed into the Monday Morning Management Meeting. Oops...none of the other Managers brought in food. Oh, well. I thoroughly enjoyed the meeting.
This afternoon "the boys" kept with tradition:
And then there was tonight. Tonight they had a dinner in my honor at the Chicken Ranch. Ok, ok, the name is really the Chicken Place but I've always called it the Chicken Ranch. I've written about the Chicken Ranch, uh, Place here and here. I was touched that team members and management from each of our six offices around the region took the time to come tonight. We had the BEST crowd.
And they even had a cake made for me. Can you tell they know what my passion is?
If it's Leta "week" I can't imagine what is in store after the amazing day today. I am beyond grateful for the opportunity to get to work with so many incredible people. As for the rest of the week - just spending it with you all is more than enough.
I do know one thing about tomorrow. I have a massage scheduled after work. YAY!


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The latest edition of Champions Matchday, the official magazine of the UEFA Champions League, looks forward to some fascinating ties in the knockout phase while recalling the best of the action of a remarkable group stage.
Ahead of FC Barcelona's round of 16 encounter with AC Milan, cover star and defensive lynchpin Gerard Piqué talks exclusively about life on and off the pitch, his return to form and becoming a father. "You have to start over [after injury] and regain a positive feeling. It's not simply regaining confidence, but you sustain yourself with the idea that in the end the good things will come again."
Good times have certainly returned to Galatasaray AŞ since coach Fatih Terim was restored to the dugout. Now in his third term with the Turkish Super League champions, Terim discusses the keys to success ahead of his side's last 16 showdown with FC Schalke 04.
Elsewhere, Champions Matchday examines Lionel Messi's game, speaks to Valencia CF's Tino Costa and Málaga CF's Joaquín, sits in as Lucas Moura signs on at Paris Saint-Germain FC, and recalls the influences on Theo Walcott's rise from promising starlet to star player.
Also in the new issue: Jürgen Klopp, who led Borussia Dortmund to the top of Group D, reveals – exclusively – how his team learned from last season and relish the role of underdog; FC Porto's Vítor Pereira explains his footballing philosophy; we look at Massimiliano Allegri's tactical masterplans that have taken Milan to the last 16; we spotlight Antonio Conte's commitment to a rejuvenated Juventus; and the UEFA.com Users' Team of the Year 2012 is announced.
This Champions Matchday special edition is available across Europe from today and also comes in digital versions which can be purchased on Apple Newsstand or Zinio. This season, for the first time, Champions Matchday is available before each round of the UEFA Champions League and you can follow the magazine on Twitter @ChampionsMag.
©UEFA.com 1998-2017. All rights reserved.


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|Virginia Tech (8-5)
EL PASO, Texas – Virginia Tech saw its quarterback go down with an injury in the second quarter, and the Hokies never recovered, falling 42-12 to 17th-ranked UCLA in the Sun Bowl played at Sun Bowl Stadium in El Paso, Texas on Tuesday.
With the loss, the Hokies finished the season with an 8-5 record. UCLA closed its season with a 10-3 mark.
Tech quarterback Logan Thomas made his 40th consecutive start and has been as durable as any Tech player in his career, but he took a shot from UCLA linebacker Jordan Zumwalt in the second quarter and did not return.
Tech trailed 14-7 at the time of Thomas' departure, and while the Hokies cut the lead to 14-10 in the third quarter, they got no closer in losing a bowl game for the third time in four seasons.
"I'm disappointed we didn't function better as an organization," said Tech coach Frank Beamer, who fell to 9-12 in bowl games. "Give UCLA credit. They made more plays by far than we did. When we got down, we turned the ball over and things got out of hand. It's just a disappointing to end the year like this.
"We're going look at the video and learn from this. This isn't one of those where we're going to say, 'Hey, we're not going to look at it.' I'm going to look at it and talk about communication on defense and execution on offense and what needs to happen to play better in a big ball game."
Thomas' injury occurred on a third-down play from the Tech 42 with 12:13 left in the first half. He scrambled to his left and completed a 3-yard pass to receiver Josh Stanford, but took a wicked shot from Zumwalt, who received a personal foul penalty on the play. Thomas stayed on the turf for several minutes before being escorted off the field by Tech's sports medicine staff.
Once in the third quarter, Thomas put on his helmet as if to go back in the game. But Tech's staff elected to hold him out and go with backup quarterback Mark Leal.
Thomas' injury, though, wasn't the only reason the Hokies struggled in the game. The Hokies' normally stout defense couldn't contain UCLA quarterback Brett Hundley in the first half, and for the game, the Hokies allowed 197 yards rushing.
Hundley rushed for 168 yards on just six carries in the first 30 minutes. He scored on a 7-yard run less than two minutes into the game, and in the second quarter, he gave UCLA the lead for good on an 86-yard touchdown run.
The 86-yard run by Hundley was the longest run from scrimmage against the Hokies in a bowl game. Hundley's ability to break the pocket hurt Tech in the first half. He rushed just six times, but those six carries went for 168 yards.
Hundley finished with 161 yards on 10 carries for the game. He also threw for 226 yards and two touchdowns.
"He's a guy, we just couldn't corral him," Beamer said Hundley. "He broke out of there a couple of times. He's a good runner. We did a good job against him in the second half, but he hurt us with the long touchdown. Communication hurt us. Part of us was in one defense and part of us was in another. That usually doesn't happen to us."
"We were playing sloppy," Tech linebacker Jack Tyler said. "We did things we hadn't done all year. Like coach said, it was a lack of communication. It was breakdowns that we didn't do all year. We were just sloppy.
"It's very frustrating to go out like this. I would have liked for us to play a little better and communicate better and not be so sloppy. I put a lot of that on my shoulders. So it's disappointing."
Tech's best drive of the game came in the first quarter. The Hokies drove into UCLA territory and then came up with a big play when Thomas found tight end Kalvin Cline for a 37-yard gain to the UCLA 1. On the next play, tailback J.C. Coleman scored, and Michael Brantover's extra point tied the game at 7 with 8:14 left in the first quarter.
But UCLA regained the lead on Hundley's 86-yard touchdown run on the possession right after Thomas' injury.
Tech cut into the lead in the third quarter, thanks to a muffed punt by UCLA punt returner Ishmael Adams. Long snapper Eddie D'Antuano recovered at the UCLA 12, and the Hokies drove to the UCLA 5 before a third-down pass from Leal to D.J. Coles fell incomplete. Branthover made his first collegiate field goal, a 22-yard field goal with 3:53 left in the quarter that cut the lead to 14-10.
But the Bruins answered with an 85-yard march. The big play came on third-and-10 from the UCLA 25 when Hundley threw a short pass to receiver Devin Lucien, who made Tech's Kyshoen Jarrett miss. Lucien went 32 yards to the Tech 43, and seven plays later, Paul Perkins scored on a 5-yard run that gave UCLA a 21-10 lead with 14:20 left in the game.
The Bruins then put the game away early in the fourth quarter. In the process of being sack, Leal flipped the ball in the air, and Myles Jack intercepted it. He returned it 24 yards for a touchdown with 13:22 left to ice the game.
Playing in just his third game this season, Leal completed 11 of 24 for 128 yards and two interceptions.
"I'm disappointed that Mark didn't play better," Beamer said. "I've got a lot of confidence in him. I think it's a lesson that you need to be ready to play each and every week. Mark's okay. Losing Logan and losing our tight end [Kalvin Cline], that's tough, but I expect those guys behind them to step in there and play well."
Offensively, Tech finished with 319 yards. Thomas led the Hokies in rushing with 49 yards on three carries. He completed 4 of 12 for 48 yards in the final game of his career.
Virginia Tech Bowl History
Bowl Games - Home
1947 Sun Bowl
1966 Liberty Bowl
1968 Liberty Bowl
1981 Peach Bowl
1984 Independence Bowl
1986 Peach Bowl
1993 Independence Bowl
1994 Gator Bowl
1995 Sugar Bowl
1996 Orange Bowl
1998 Gator Bowl
1998 Music City Bowl
2000 Sugar Bowl
2001 Gator Bowl
2002 Gator Bowl
2002 San Fransisco Bowl
2003 Insight Bowl
2005 Sugar Bowl
2006 Gator Bowl
2006 Chick-fil-A Bowl
2008 Orange Bowl
2009 Orange Bowl
2009 Chick-fil-A Bowl
2011 Orange Bowl
2012 Sugar Bowl
2012 Russell Athletic Bowl
2013 Sun Bowl
2014 Military Bowl
2015 Independence Bowl
2016 Belk Bowl
Other History
Bowl Superlatives


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|Downingtown, Pa.
|High School:
|Taft School
|Connecticut Polar Bears
Notes: On pace to break Yale career goals-against average record (she is at 2.16) and finish second on Yale's all-time save percentage list (she is at .927).
2009-10 (Junior): Patty Kazmaier Award nominee ... First team All-Ivy League ... First Yale player to be named first team All-Ivy since 2003-04, and the fourth different player (all goalies) to earn first team All-Ivy honors in Yale history ... Save percentage of .927 (740 saves, 58 goals allowed) placed her 10th in the country ... Lowered her season goals-against average to 2.47 by allowing only 33 goals in her last 16 games (2.05 GAA), posting a .943 save percentage in that span ... Selected to ECAC Hockey All-Star team and made 10 saves in one period of exhibition game vs. Team USA ... ECAC Hockey Goalie of the Week Jan. 25 after 1-0 shutout of St. Lawrence gave Bulldogs their first win over the Saints in history (had been 0-35-1) ... Broke Yale career record for shutouts with her 13th on Jan. 30, in just her 49th career game, and had four shutouts for the season ... Had a streak of 10 straight games with 30 or more saves, including 46 vs. Cornell Feb. 13 to tie career high.
2008-09 (Sophomore): ECAC Hockey All-Academic ... Honorable mention All-Ivy League ... Team Tri-MVP ... Lowest goals-against average in Yale history (1.67) ... Tied Yale single-season shutout record (five, including three in a row near end of season) ... .934 save percentage ... Posted back-to-back-to-back shutouts at end of season, going 266:23 without allowing a goal until the streak was snapped in the final period of the final game ... Limited to 15 games by injury and illness.
2007-08 (Freshman): ECAC Hockey All-Academic ... Honorable mention All-Ivy League ... Set Yale single-season goals-against average record (2.18) ... Had fourth-best single-season save percentage in school history (.921), placing 12th in the country in that category ... Four shutouts placed her one shy of school record and were the most ever for a Yale freshman ... ECAC Hockey Goalie of the Week Jan. 28, ECAC Hockey Rookie of the Week Nov. 5 ... Seven-time ECAC Hockey Weekly Honor Roll selection ... Had a streak of 130:21 without allowing a goal, including back-to-back shutouts of Niagara and Cornell in January ... Had a shutout in her second career start, 3-0 at Brown Nov. 3 ... Posted a 7-5-3 record ... Made career-high 46 saves in playoff game at St. Lawrence ... Got better as season wore on, stopping 261 of 279 shots (.935) and posting a 1.86 goals-against average in her final 10 games.
USA Hockey: Attended USA Hockey Under-22 Select Team tryouts in spring of 2008 ... Selected for USA Hockey's Warren Strelow Goaltending Camp twice ... Five-time USA Hockey player development camp pick.
Before Yale: All-New England in 2006-07 for Taft ... Two-time All-Founders League selection ... Captain as a senior ... Team won Founders League title her junior year ... Team advanced to New England quarterfinals her freshman year ... Won Taft's Patsy K. Odden Award for Leadership and Sportsmanship ... Also played for Connecticut Polar Bears ... Easton Skills Overall Best Goaltender and Breakaway Competition winner at 2007 US Nationals ... MVP of 2007 St. Jerome Tournament ... 2006 Beantown Classic Best Goaltender and first team all tournament selection ... 2005 Beantown Classic MVP, Best Goaltender and first team all-tournament selection.
Off the Ice: Member of Branford College ... History of science/history of medicine major, pre-med ...Volunteers at a local hospice each week ... Graduate of Yale Athletics Department's Kiphuth Leadership Academy ... Volunteers with Yale's Relay for Life American Cancer Society fundraiser ... Has taught sports skills and fitness lessons at a homeless shelter and also to local youths at Yale Athletics Youth Days.
Nickname: Snik, Doodle
Best present you ever received: My beagle Sawyer
Pre-game routine: Listen to music, visualize, play hacky sack
Favorite quote: "Don't tell me how rocky the sea is, just bring in the ship."
Favorite athlete: Martin Brodeur
If you could go anywhere in the world, where would it be? My grandparents' house in Minnesota