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Excelling Automatically
Doug Steele
This month, Doug Steele looks at several techniques to use Automation from within Access to interact with Excel. By the time he's done, Doug has exported every table in his Access database to separate sheets in an Excel workbook.
Garry's Note: In the last 14 years, if there is one approach that that has consistently been a winner for my company it is this reply that I give to my Excel-centric customers. "We will take the data that is stored in your spreadsheet and store it in Access. Then we will simply export that information back into an Excel template *.xlt file that looks like your original spreadsheet and that will be your reporting". To achieve that, we use Excel Automation like that discussed in this article. Read about our consulting services here.
I'm having some difficulties interacting with Excel. I have a spreadsheet that I need to get one or two values from, but I can't link to the spreadsheet or import it, because the sheet just isn't set up for that.
While there are reasonable tools within Access for importing and exporting data, I find that sometimes you just have to take things into your own hands. Assuming that you have Excel on your workstation, Access can actually communicate directly with it using a technique known as Automation.
Now, it's usual when you're trying to automate an application to set a reference to it (through Tools | References when you've got the VB Editor open; see Figure 1). While this does make certain things easier (you can, for instance, refer to intrinsic constants that are part of the other application), because the reference can only be made to a single version of the application, it can lead to problems when working in environments where users can have different versions of Excel installed.
My usual approach is to set the reference while I'm developing the code (known as "early binding"), and then remove the reference once I have the code working to my satisfaction ("late binding"). Typically, the only changes that have to be made moving from early binding to late binding involve how you instantiate the objects you're using, and ensuring that you provide the actual value for any constants you might have used.
With early binding, you can use code like this:
Dim xlApplication As Excel.Application
Set xlApplication = _
New Excel.Application
With late binding, you use this code:
Dim xlApplication As Object
Set xlApplication = _
Actually, you can use CreateObject even with early binding: As far as late/early binding is concerned, it really doesn't matter how you load Excel into memory and get it running. At design time, the main deficiency with late binding is the absence of IntelliSense and design-time checking of data types. Because the variable that you're using to work with Excel (xlApplication in my previous code) is declared as Object instead of as Excel.Application, the Visual Basic development environment is unable to access the Excel type library to support the IntelliSense dropdown lists. You'll see another limitation of working without the Excel type library at the end of this article.
At runtime, however, because you've declared your variable as Object, your variable is perfectly willing to work with any version of Excel. By using early binding for most of your development time and then switching to late binding, you get the benefits of early binding at design time and the benefits of late binding at runtime.
There's a penalty for using late binding at runtime, though. Because your application lacks the reference to Excel, the compiler isn't able to draw on information about Excel when your code is compiled. The result is more inefficient code–the performance hit is probably measurable but is usually swamped by the costs of communicating with Excel, which, as a compiled EXE, runs in a separate memory space from Access.
In order to use Automation successfully, you need to know something about the Object Model for the application you're trying to automate. Unfortunately, to give an overview of the Excel Object Model is far more than I can undertake in this column. In order to read a cell in an existing worksheet, all you need to know is that the Excel Application contains a Workbooks collection, which consists of one (or more) Workbook objects (a workbook corresponds to a single XLS file). Each Workbook object contains a Worksheets collection, which consists of one (or more) Worksheet objects. One of the properties of a Worksheet is the Cells property (which is actually a Range object). You can either return a single cell on the worksheet by addressing it by its row and column, or you can return a range representing all the cells on the specific worksheet.
For the purposes of illustration, I'm going to assume that there's a workbook named "SampleWorkbook.xls" in the same folder as my Access application and that there's a worksheet named "Sample Data" in that workbook. The following code checks whether cell A1 contains the word "Data." If it does, it pops up a message box containing the contents of cell B1. If not, it pops up a message to that effect.
I start by declaring the variables and objects that I'm going to need, and determine the full path to the desired workbook:
Sub ReadFromWorkbook()
Dim objActiveWkbk As Object
Dim objActiveWksh As Object
Dim objXL As Object
Dim strWkbkName As String
strWkbkName = CurrentDb().Name
strWkbkName = Left$(strWkbkName, _
Len(strWkbkName) - Len(Dir$(strWkbkName))) & _
If the file doesn't exist, I can't go on. If it does, I instantiate an instance of Excel, open the workbook, and find the worksheet in question (I'll get an error at this point if there isn't a worksheet named "Sample Data" in the workbook):
If Len(Dir(strWkbkName)) = 0 Then
MsgBox strWkbkName & " not found."
Set objXL = CreateObject("Excel.Application")
objXL.Application.Workbooks.Open strWkbkName
Set objActiveWkbk = _
Set objActiveWksh = _
objActiveWkbk.Worksheets("Sample Data")
If objActiveWksh.Cells(1, 1) = "Data" Then
MsgBox "Cell A2 contains " & _
objActiveWksh.Cells(1, 2)
MsgBox "Cell A1 does not contain Data"
End If
End If
Now that I've read what I wanted, I clean up after myself, and I'm done:
objActiveWkbk.Close SaveChanges:=False
Set objActiveWkbk = Nothing
Set objXL = Nothing
End Sub
One important thing to note: Automation is creating objects behind the scene. If you don't handle those objects correctly, you'll end up with memory leaks or worse. Note that I'm explicitly closing the workbook after I've finished reading it (with SaveChanges:=False to ensure that I haven't changed anything in the workbook). Once I've closed the workbook, I quit the Excel Application and set it to Nothing. Only then can I be sure that I've gotten rid of the instance of Excel I created. (If you look at the code included in the downloadable sample database that accompanies this article, you'll see how I can determine whether Excel is already running, and use that instance of Excel rather than creating a new one.)
The Excel Object Model is quite flexible, and there are often many ways to accomplish the same thing. For instance, I could just as easily have used this:
If objActiveWksh.Range("A1") = " Data" Then
MsgBox "Cell A2 contains " & _
MsgBox "Cell A1 does not contain Data"
End If
As well, it wasn't really necessary to declare objActiveWkbk as the ActiveWorkbook and objActiveWksh as the ActiveWorksheet. The following would work just as well:
Sub ReadFromWorkbook()
Dim objXL As Object
Dim strWkbkName As String
strWkbkName = CurrentDb().Name
strWkbkName = Left$(strWkbkName, _
Len(strWkbkName) - Len(Dir$(strWkbkName))) & _
If Len(Dir(strWkbkName)) = 0 Then
MsgBox strWkbkName & " not found."
objXL.Application.Workbooks.Open strWkbkName
With objXL.Application _
.Workbooks("SampleWorkbook.xls") _
.Worksheets("Sample Data")
If .Range("A1") = "Data" Then
MsgBox "Cell A2 contains " & _
.Range("B1"), vbOKOnly + vbInformation
MsgBox "Cell A1 does not contain " & _
"Sample Data", vbOKOnly + vbCritical
End If
End With
End If
objXL.Application.Workbooks( _
"SampleWorkbook.xls").Close _
Set objXL = Nothing
End Sub
Okay, I see how to read from a spreadsheet. Can I write to one?
Writing is done the same way as reading, except you assign a value to a cell, rather than read it. You can approach this in at least three ways:
• Open an existing workbook and write to an existing sheet in that workbook.
• Create a new worksheet in an existing workbook.
• Create a new workbook and a new worksheet within that workbook.
The following code illustrates how to handle these three separate cases. As before, I declare the various variables and objects I'm going to need, and ensure that I know where the workbook should exist (again, I'm making the simplifying assumption that the workbook should exist in the same folder as the current database):
Sub WriteToWorkbook( _
WorkbookName As String, _
WorksheetName As String)
Dim objActiveWkbk As Object
Dim objActiveWksh As Object
Dim objXL As Object
Dim booXLCreated As Boolean
Dim booWkbkCreated As Boolean
Dim intLast As Integer
Dim strPath As String
Dim strWrkBkName As String
strPath = CurrentDb().name
strPath = Left$(strPath, _
Len(strPath) - Len(Dir(strPath)))
strWrkBkName = strPath & WorkbookName
I next determine whether or not the workbook exists. If it does, I open it (and keep track of the fact that it did exist). If it doesn't, I add a new workbook to the Workbooks collection (I'll save it as the desired workbook name when I'm done):
If Len(Dir(strWrkBkName)) > 0 Then
objXL.Application.Workbooks.Open _
booWkbkCreated = False
booWkbkCreated = True
End If
Set objActiveWkbk = _
There are several different ways of determining whether the desired worksheet name exists in the workbook. One is to loop through all of the Worksheet objects in the Worksheets collection, looking for one that has the desired name. Another (illustrated next) is to try and use the desired worksheet name, and trap any error that might occur because it doesn't exist. If the worksheet doesn't exist, I add a new worksheet at the end of the workbook, and give the new worksheet the name for which I was looking (this may not be what you want–you might prefer to exit if you don't find the worksheet that you're looking for):
On Error Resume Next
Set objActiveWksh = _
If Err.Number <> 0 Then
intLast = objActiveWkbk.Worksheets.Count
objActiveWkbk.Worksheets.Add _
Set objActiveWksh = _
objActiveWkbk.Sheets(intLast + 1)
objActiveWksh.name = WorksheetName
End If
At this point, I know that I've got the worksheet I want and the workbook I want, so I can write what I want:
objActiveWksh.Cells(1, 1) = "Today's Date"
objActiveWksh.Cells(1, 2) = Date
As mentioned earlier, if I had to create the workbook, I save it to the desired file name. Otherwise, I simply save the workbook.
If booWkbkCreated = True Then
objActiveWkbk.SaveAs _
End If
Once I've done that, I clean up after myself, and I'm done:
Set objActiveWkbk = Nothing
Set objXL = Nothing
End Sub
I need to export my data to multiple spreadsheets in a single workbook, with different data on each spreadsheet, and I just don't seem to be able to do this.
So far, all I've done is read and write to a specific cell (or cells). You'll notice, though, that I can address individual cells on the spreadsheet by referring to their row and column. What you can do is open a recordset for each table, loop field by field for each row in that recordset, and write the values out to the spreadsheet.
Fortunately, though, there's an easier way. Excel has a method called "CopyFromRecordset" that copies the contents of a recordset (either DAO or ADO) into a worksheet, beginning at the upper left corner of the specified range. Optional parameters of the method allow you to specify how many rows to copy from the recordset, and how many fields.
This means that all I really need to do is specify an "anchor point" in the spreadsheet, and the CopyFromRecordset method will do everything else for me.
As usual, I start by declaring the various objects and variables needed:
Sub ExportAllTables()
Dim objActiveWkb As Object
Dim objXL As Object
Dim objWorksheet As Object
Dim dbCurr As DAO.Database
Dim rsCurr As DAO.Recordset
Dim tdfCurr As DAO.TableDef
Dim fldCurr As DAO.Field
Dim booXLCreated As Boolean
Dim intCurrColumn As Integer
Dim intCurrSheet As Integer
Dim strMessage As String
Dim strSQL As String
Dim strWrkbkName As String
I'm going to write to a workbook named the same as the current database (except it will have an .xls extension, instead of an .mdb extension). The Name property of the current database tells me exactly where the current database is located; all I need to do is change the extension:
strWrkbkName = CurrentDb().Name
strWrkbkName = Left$(strWrkbkName, _
InStr(strWrkbkName, ".mdb") - 1) & ".xls"
Now, it's possible that a workbook with that name already exists. If so, I prompt the user to ensure that it's okay to delete the existing workbook:
If Len(Dir(strWrkbkName)) > 0 Then
strMessage = strWrkbkName & _
" already exists." & vbCrLf & "Delete it?"
Select Case MsgBox(strMessage, _
vbYesNoCancel + vbQuestion, _
"Smart Access Answer Column")
Case vbYes
Kill strWrkbkName
Case vbCancel
Exit Sub
Case Else
End Select
End If
Now I want to check to see if there's already an instance of Excel running. If so, I'd prefer to use it and then (potentially) load a second copy of Excel into memory. If there's no existing instance of Excel, then I'll have to create a new instance. One way to do this is by assuming that there's an instance running, and trying to refer to that instance by calling the GetObject method. If an instance doesn't exist, an error will be raised. I can then trap that error and create an instance of Excel. Either way, at the end of the following code, objXL will be pointing to a properly instantiated copy of Excel. (I have another alternative: I could use the FindWindow API to loop through all open windows, checking the Class name of each window until I find an Excel window–the class name will be XLMain–or until I run out of windows.)
On Error Resume Next
Set objXL = GetObject(, "Excel.Application")
If Err.Number = 0 Then
booXLCreated = False
Set objXL = CreateObject("Excel.Application")
booXLCreated = True
End If
On Error GoTo Err_ExportAllTables
Set objActiveWkb = _
At this point, Excel is ready to start accepting data from Access. To export all of your data tables, you need to loop through all of the tables in the database (ignoring the system tables). You can check that there's data in the table and add a worksheet for the table if you have something to export or just to add a worksheet for every table.
There's a wrinkle here, though. If Excel has been started through the user interface, there will normally be three worksheets automatically added as part of creating the workbook. However, that number is configurable within Excel so that the number of initial worksheets may be different in different versions of Excel. In addition, on some versions of Excel, when a workbook is added through Automation, it will have no worksheets. To deal with this, you should always count how many worksheets have already been used in the workbook before you start to add new worksheets. Only if the current worksheet number is more than the number of worksheets already in the workbook's Worksheets collection should you add a new worksheet. Otherwise, the smart thing to do is to use one of the worksheets already present in the workbook. This is what I do in this code:
intCurrSheet = 0
Set dbCurr = CurrentDb()
For Each tdfCurr In dbCurr.TableDefs
If (tdfCurr.Attributes And dbSystemObject) _
= 0 Then
strSQL = "SELECT * FROM " & _
[" & tdfCurr.name & "]"
Set rsCurr = dbCurr.OpenRecordset(strSQL)
If rsCurr.BOF = False And _
rsCurr.EOF = False Then
intCurrSheet = intCurrSheet + 1
If objActiveWkb.Worksheets.Count < _
intCurrSheet Then
objActiveWkb.Worksheets.Add _
After:=objActiveWkb.Worksheets( _
intCurrSheet - 1)
End If
With objActiveWkb.Worksheets( _
.Name = tdfCurr.name
Now that you've found your worksheet, you should set the first row of the worksheet to the names of the fields in the table. After that, you're ready to use the CopyFromRecordset method to populate the worksheet with the data from your table. For this example, I'm ignoring the possibility that the number of rows in the recordset may exceed the capacity of Excel (65,536 rows in newer versions of Excel, but lower in previous versions). If you're going to do this in a production setting, I'd advise checking the size. Here's my version of the code:
intCurrColumn = 1
For Each fldCurr In rsCurr.Fields
.Cells(1, intCurrColumn) = _
intCurrColumn = intCurrColumn + 1
Next fldCurr
.Cells(2, 1).CopyFromRecordset rsCurr
End With
End If
End If
Next tdfCurr
Once you've written all of the tables to the spreadsheet, you can save the workbook to the desired file name and clean up. If, at the start of this procedure, you found Excel already running, the polite thing to do is to leave it running and not arbitrarily shut it down. This code checks the boolXLCreated variable that I set at the start of the routine before quitting Excel:
objActiveWkb.Close SaveChanges:=True, _
Set rsCurr = Nothing
Set dbCurr = Nothing
Set objActiveWkb = Nothing
If booXLCreated Then
End If
Set objXL = Nothing
End Sub
The resulting worksheets are kind of ugly. Is there any way to format them from Access?
To format that mess, you can go into Excel and record a macro while you're formatting it as you want (or, better yet, get the person who will be using this workbook to format the spreadsheets in the way that he or she likes). For example, I wanted the first row (the field titles) to be bold, and each of the columns to be expanded to be large enough to show all of the data. Recording what I did in Excel to accomplish this, I got the following macro:
Selection.Font.Bold = True
Range(Selection, Selection.End(xlToRight)).Select
Unfortunately, it's not quite as simple as copying that code in Excel and pasting it into Access. Because Excel assumes that the VBA code is working with Excel objects, it can take a few shortcuts with referring to the objects. When you're running from inside of Access, you have to be explicit. It's not sufficient, for example, to refer to Rows; you need to indicate Rows on which spreadsheet. As well, I find it confusing to create a selection and then refer to that selection, the way Excel does.
Note, too, that this line of code refers to an intrinsic Excel constant, xlToRight:
Range(Selection, Selection.End(xlToRight)).Select
If you're not that familiar with Excel VBA, Selection.End(xlToRight) lets you extend the current selection to the right until the last populated cell. In this case, since the selection is a column, this means that the resultant range will be all contiguous columns that have some data in them. Since I'm using late binding here, Access has no idea what the value of that constant is, so it's necessary to provide the actual value.
In the end, after tweaking the code to work in Access, the following code will perform the desired formatting:
With objActiveWkb.Worksheets(intCurrSheet)
.Rows("1:1").Font.Bold = True
.Range(.Columns(1), .Columns(1).End(-4161)) _
End With
In terms of the previous code that wrote the data out to the worksheets, the two formatting lines would be inserted into the code after using CopyFromRecordset, before closing the With statement referring to the current worksheet:
.Cells(2, 1).CopyFromRecordset rsCurr
.Rows("1:1").Font.Bold = True
.Range(.Columns(1), .Columns(1).End(-4161)) _
End With
I've just barely scratched the surface of what can be done using Automation. Hopefully it's enough to give you a flavor of how powerful a technique it can be.
Your download file is called Steele_Excel_Auto_2016.accdb and you can download it here Office and Office 365 >>
Note: Doug's writing all tables to Excel could form a backup of sorts
Other Pages On This Site You Might Like To Read
What Every Access Developer Needs to Know About Word
XML and Relational Databases
Excellent Analysis
Excel Constants


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The bulletin board is currently closed to new posts. Instead, why not check out Chris' Twitter and Facebook pages?
Welcome back. Please post pictures of your amazing cruise with the greatest band(s) on earth.
Oh, and GET ME OFF THIS FUCKING LEASH!!!! Thanks! _________________"Smacking yourself with a thawed meat-hammer never has a desired effect." - Jinxted
"Life's too short to get wrapped around the axle about the little things." - SK
-The First Law of Geography: Everything is Connected to Everything Else.
Don't complain Wingy, at least she took the time to match it to the
color of your eyes.
Klari just uses whatever is handy at the moment._________________We all enter this world in the same way: naked; screaming; soaked in blood.
But if you live your life right, that kind of thing doesn't have to stop there." Dana Gould
I do not!
Well, okay, maybe sometimes, gotta live up to my MacGyver fan club membership after all.
And that's only because I'm still looking for just the right leather for the leash I'm going to handcraft.
So bite me Feef. You're just jealous no one is putting you on a leash._________________"It's like Mr. Scrappy you bite Coco. Coco, you bite him back. Soon you are both having worms, eating your own poopech..." -Zohan in You Don't Mess With the Zohan
What bands would those be? I was on the nudist yoga cruise, so it was mostly piped in "easy listening" _________________"Jesus... is NOT a zombie... I shouldn't have to tell you that."
- "Bones"
Yeah, I was just trying to see if you were all paying attention.
Evidently I wasn't.
And I can't put you on a leash FC, you're married._________________"It's like Mr. Scrappy you bite Coco. Coco, you bite him back. Soon you are both having worms, eating your own poopech..." -Zohan in You Don't Mess With the Zohan
Cockles and mussels and shackles, OH MY!
While we're at it, let's bring back the stocks!_________________"If you allow yourself to be offended, then you're a bit of [a] nitwit."
(Christopher Moore)
yay! welcome back to reality! it sounds like you got you moneys worth, we sure did miss you all the wacky goodness that you bring to the board! how long was it?.....like a month right?!? talk to you soon!!_________________clowns are people too...people who want to hurt you.

subset: commoncrawl


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Title: The Gateway
Author: Aimee Marie Bejarano
Link: (Amazon) http://getbook.at/The_Gateway
Genre: Scifi
Follow Aimee Marie Bejarano on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Spokenamos
Follow Aimee Marie Bejarano on Amazon: Aimee Marie Bejarano
Every Thursday…it happens.
Something sinister and reeking of sulfur enters the home of single mother, Grace Rodriguez. It enters through a portal of some sort…a gateway.
Meanwhile, a popular journalist, Aiden Jenson, is beginning a new assignment, and he will clash worlds with this malevolent creature to get the story.
As Aiden investigates, there's one thing he wasn't expecting being around a family. He's beginning to care for more than just his impending deadline.
When all of Grace's children are stolen, she and Aiden know they have but one chance and one chance only. The only way to save the children or have them forever lost in the creature's dimension, is to enter….the GATEWAY.
It's a nail biting, paranormal, supernatural thriller that will send chills up your spine and make the hairs on the back your neck stand up.
Will they make it out alive or will they be lost forever?
Other titles by Aimee Marie Bejarano:


text:
- For Clients
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Category Archive for: 'Training'
New AHP Program Seeks to Inspire: Community Mental Health Training
AHP was born of the vision of its founders, specifically of our executive director, James Dilley, who sought to give HIV-affected San Franciscans access to community mental health and public psychiatry, the sorts of services that "meet people where they're at" and offer them the …Read More
Building Allies at AHP
"We have all been trained and acculturated in a white, patriarchal, cisgender, homophobic, class-based, marginalizing society." Nancy Arvold began her workshop with this provocation, challenging AHP staff to see themselves as part of a system that rewards discrimination. Arvold, an expert in the field of …Read More
Overdose Prevention Training
How do you stop a heroin overdose? You beat it to the punch, or, more precisely, to the receptor. Heroin, like its cousins oxycodone, methadone, and fentanyl, is an opioid. Over the past few years, death due to opioid overdose has dramatically increased in the …Read More


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Big water is all around Southwestern Montana at the moment, especially the Bitterroot. Until things settle down a bit, why not still enjoy the river in a safe and leisurely fashion with a beautiful Bitterroot scenic float? This scenic trip, though, had me a bit on edge since the Root was actually a foot above flood stage at 9000 CFS; did I mention that?
Well, after thoroughly informing my floaters what was happening out there, they decided what the hell, let's do this! I am an expert oarsman, but not an idiot, so my faithful guide Chris and I hauled the boat up to Hannon and set out to scout the rampaging river for the next fifteen miles. What we saw out there was one of the coolest experiences I've witnessed: the river could have floated a battleship out there, let alone my little 13 foot NRS. We found we could go anywhere in the entire river bottom: islands, cottonwood stands, people's back yards!
Our scenic scout and float the next day were a huge success. With life vests fully adorned and safety first in my mind, we ran 23 miles of the Bitterroot in about four or five hours. Boulders could be heard tumbling and clunking underneath the boat in the torrent, while my eyes scouted miles ahead for trouble in the form of downed timber and strainers. I don't recommend the common leisure boater pull this kind of float, but I do trust my abilities and that of my crew to safely navigate our waters and enjoy the resource in all stages of the season.


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Is CashCrate for real? Should you sign up, or will you waste your time? The real question is: Does CashCrate really work?
CashCrate — It's Called GPT
CashCrate is a GPT site. That stands for Get Paid To. At CashCrate, you'll get paid to do simple stuff, like completing online surveys, trying out offers, and doing little "tasks." But how much can you really get paid?
The truth is, that these sorts of sites pay very little. Yes, you can earn money, but the amount you can earn is so low that just a dollar or two per hour is normal. And CashCrate isn't even the best GPT site out there; there are far better ones.
Let's go through the various ways of earning money with CashCrate.
#1: Offers
You can get paid by completing offers. These include signing up to free trials at various companies, signing up to mailing lists, downloading apps, completing games on Facebook, and more. However, these take time, and they usually have certain conditions: You must keep the app for a certain amount of time before getting paid, you must win a certain level of a game, you must stay on the free trial for two weeks before getting paid, etc.
#2: Surveys
There are many opportunities to take surveys on CashCrate. They have partnered with many companies to offer you surveys. This means that there is less of a chance of not having any surveys available. However, surveys have two main problems: First of all, people often get disqualified from a survey after spending 5-10 minutes already answering questions. Second, even if you aren't disqualified, you will only get paid an average of 50-75 cents per 15-25 minutes.
#3: Shopping
You can get cash back when you shop at online stores, such as Macy's, through CashCrate. This isn't a bad idea, but you will get much higher cash back rates if you join a site such as ebates.com.
#4: Videos
You can watch videos and get paid a few cents per video.
#5: Search the Web
If you use the search bar on CashCrate, you get a chance to earn some money. However, you won't earn every time you do a search, and you also must complete at least $1 in other offers each day before you can earn money from searching the web that day.
#6: Do Tasks
You can earn a few cents per task. Tasks can be things like filling out boring data, and they aren't always available.
#7: Refer Friends
If you invite your friends to join, you can earn up to 20 percent of their earnings.
#8: Other Ways to Earn
Other ways to earn include winning raffles and contests. For example, the people who earn the most on CashCrate can get bonus earnings.
CashCrate: Cash or Points?
CashCrate is a little confusing in that they calculate your earnings both in terms of cash and in terms of points. Most GPT sites choose one or the other. However, CashCrate gives you cash for the regular surveys and offers and gives you "points" for what they call "bonus" offers.
When you earn cash, you get a check mailed to you when you reach $20. When you get points, you can redeem it to play games or for gift cards.
So, Is CashCrate for Real? Can It Really Be True?
CashCrate is legit. But you can't expect to earn a lot of money from CashCrate. In fact, it will probably just turn out to be a waste of time. If you want to earn real money online, you'd be better off joining a real online business company.
I'm not saying that CashCrate is bad. You can certainly make some extra money there. However, don't expect more than a few $20 checks per year.
Find Recommended Ways to Make Money Online


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I was raised in the Central Region by my Grandmother who was the head of a spiritual church so by the age of 3, I was already a local favorite in my community and was often invited to perform at various social functions.
My talent in drumming however, was discovered quite accidentally when one of my primary school teachers asked me to play drums for our school's open day. From then on I pursued this newly discovered talent so passionately.
I always knew I wanted to be an audio engineer but how to get there was tough. I tried to get formal education in the field but was unable to.
By the grace of God, I came into contact with a man of God. He brought me to Accra where I joined Vinepraise as a drummer and vocalist then later as a drummer for Soul Winners.
God continued to open great doors of favor for me. Now, not only did I achieve my dream of being an audio engineer, I am the CEO of Groove House studio. I am also blessed with a lovely wife and a beautiful daughter.
I may not be perfect but one thing I know is God is faithful and He will watch over His Word concerning your life, to perform it. It does not matter where you are from or who you are, the favor of God can turn your life around.
My name is Francis Kweku Osei and this is the testimony of my praise.


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Student management consultancy scheme
Students are invited to join the Student Management Consultancy Scheme to gain a fascinating insight to cutting edge complex management challenges and an opportunity to contribute to their resolution.
Student projects are a key connection between Pearson College London and the world of practice. For our students, they offer an important opportunity to apply knowledge and skill in a real and practical setting.
How it works
Each year, a limited number of places are available for high performing Business School students to participate in an innovative consultancy management project with one of our fantastic range of industry partners, for example Unilever, Salesforce, L'Oreal and Savills.
Students selected to take part in this scheme will form their own business consultancy company and that company will be given the opportunity to work on live consultancy briefs set by top employers.
As a business consultant, students will analyse the brief, carry out research, prepare a professional report, and get the chance to present their findings and perhaps even influence the future direction of those companies.
The team of student consultants will have a professional coach, be supported by an expert lecturer and have the chance to take part in an executive shadow scheme. Additionally students on this scheme receive tailored coaching on professional skills including in-depth presenting, sales, negotiation and analysis.
This scheme provides great learning in an authentic environment and is open to all high performing Business School students via a competitive application process including an assessment day.
Want to become a partner?
If you'd like to find out more about talent development or you are interested in becoming an industry partner, our Strategic Partnership team would be happy to talk through your ideas and how we can benefit each other. Call us on 0203 8113 540 or email firstname.lastname@example.com.


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We've identified five key General Retention and Disposal Schedule (GRDS) challenges that you can read about in this Discussion Paper^. We need your help to shape the GRDS!
GRDS Renewal Challenge 4: Implementation
The GRDS can be difficult to implement and may lead to records being kept for longer than necessary. So that we can make the GRDS more user friendly and make sure records aren't being kept for longer than they have to be – we really want to know WHY?
Do you think this is because:
The GRDS is full of "records speak" and is difficult to understand?
We can make changes to the GRDS and terminology to help with implementation into your business. But what would help? How can we make the terminology easy to understand by your agency's business units? Do you have to explain the GRDS to other staff because it doesn't use terms they understand or use? Are the words we use out dated, e.g. retention and disposal instead of keep and destroy; register instead of database? Do we keep using words from a paper based world instead of embracing the digital world? How do you get around these issues in your work areas? What would make your life easier?
Disposal triggers are difficult to implement?
Disposal triggers identify the event from which the minimum retention period is calculated e.g. 'after the financial year to which the records relate'. These triggers usually reflect business-based processes. For example, employee service histories are retained for 80 years from the date of birth or 7 years from the date of separation, whichever is later. Are the current disposal triggers useful, relevant or implementable in today's digital world? What if the GRDS only contained retention periods and you implemented your own disposal triggers after talking with the business area? How useful is the term 'after last action'? Does it make sense in the current business environment?
The Australasian Digital Recordkeeping Initiative (ADRI) has already introduced a universal set of disposal triggers developed from feedback from its members. Would it be useful if QSA adopted a consistent set of triggers across all retention and disposal schedules including the GRDS? What types of triggers would be useful for your business?
These are just some of the questions we have been asking ourselves about Challenge 4. We would love to hear what you think! Are we on the right track or is there something we are missing? What else can we do to make the GRDS easier to use and implement? After all – we want to make your life easier!
We would love to hear from you, so why not drop us a line via our blog, Twitter or Facebook or send us your comments directly to our email address.
^Please note: the GRDS Renewal project has finished. The new version of the GRDS on 1 September 2016.


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We took an impromptu jaunt down to Big Bend National Park after realizing we could hit it at a new moon--we'd been lamenting how much we wanted to see a true southwest star show. It took all of 10 seconds to convince Dustin and Liz to join us, and I was psyched to get a lesson in night photography from Dustin. [Part 1 here]
Big Bend is located in the southwest arm of Texas on the border of Mexico. The park is comprised of 3 different areas: vast desert, the Chisos Mountains and Chisos Basin in the center of the park, and the Rio Grande River marking the Mexico border along the south. Make no mistake, the park is a giant desert and we were sweating during the day in the middle of December, but the landscape's beautiful in its own way and varies quite a bit between the areas. The free visitor's guide and map are the best I've seen from a national park for figuring out what drives and hikes to do. It's also recognized as one of the darkest places on earth by the International Dark Sky Association.
We made it in off season and had most of the park to ourselves. For the most part, you get flat to rolling terrain with low-lying shrubs that shelter the frequent roadrunner birds darting about:
Along the scenic 50+ mile drive around the park, there's interesting geological formations from pyramid structures to boulders balanced on top of each other forming windows to winding canyons:
The silhouettes of the Chisos Mountains change constantly as you drive around them:
When we first got to the Sotol Vista lookout, I was a bit bummed seeing how overcast it was—I was hoping for a clear night to photograph, but the clouds stayed around just long enough to give a great sunset before completely clearing.
It's staggering to think about the few families that settled here to ranch in the very rugged terrain.
You can drive all the way into the center of the Chisos Mountains, where the landscape changes dramatically compared to the desert below: in the basin you find oak, jumper, aspen, and fir trees, not to mention a 20+ degree temperature drop.
At the very south end of the park is the Rio Grande River and Santa Elena Canyon. Hi Mexico! Yes, it's illegal to swim across and touch the other side. I do wonder how many people have tried rappelling down the canyon to cross.
I captured a one-in-a-million shot "Whiskey Wishes": Jeremy with a a bottle of Woodford, with guitar, during a new moon, under a shooting star.
We found old ruins that framed the Milky Way perfectly. Liz unknowingly ran across them with her headlamp while I was exposing--how awesome is this!
Starting this road trip, I knew there'd be amazing experiences meeting people, exploring, and climbing. This one night was such an accumulation of everything that it's humbling thinking about how much we miss in our normal busy lives.
We parted ways with Dustin and Liz the next day and took the west exit out of Big Bend toward El Paso. We did a double-take seeing this permanent art sculpture amidst a hundred miles of completely flat desert (photo wikipedia):
And we drove through the old ghost town of Terlingua, happy to be on our way out of the desert:
And so ends our Texas adventure!
[Read about our Texas adventure, Part 1 here]


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MADLaT Conference 2018
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OMG…next week is a big week for things coming in (Thank God i get fat discounts on this stuff). Here's what's coming:
S.H. Figuarts Jetman Black Condor
S.H. Figuarts Kamen Rider Zeronos Altair Form
S.H. Figuarts Dragon Ball Z Perfect Cell
Kotobukiya DC Comics Bishoujo Power Girl PVC Statue
Next video will be on S.H. Figuarts Yellow Buster. It's a crazy time at HDToyTheater. Stay tuned.


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Milestones set by WHA resolutions and European bodies recommend that Member States promote and emphasize the role of patients to improve quality and safety of care.
Seen as 'the most important common issue in health care internationally' patient safety (an integral component of the quality of care) reflects the need for increased awareness and confidence in the system. Reducing the occurrence of medical errors and health-care related adverse events are proven to result from the integration and coordination of services, and patient/consumer involvement.
While directions of work are set globally, regionally shaped strategies aim to strengthen patient safety programmes by identifying country priorities, areas for regional collaboration and knowledge sharing. The Health 2020 context entails strengthening people centred health systems and the contributing process of road map development for coordinated/ integrated health services. National health authorities are encouraged to consider policies that can support safer care and engage patients, families and health care staff working together to improve patient safety.
Completing the field application of dedicated policy initiatives requires investment in health system strengthening and integration of environmental and health concerns in all public policies and actions. A strong safety culture and the availability of general information related to health remain a compulsory background for implementation. Modern technology needs to be used to support improved communication, strengthen data collection and empower patients to manage their health rights and needs.


text: Album Releases News ALBUM LAUNCH: 'Self Aware of Myself' Unfix with Penny Quartet and Georgie Darvidis By AustralianJazz.net on Saturday, May 20, 2017 Self Aware of Myself weaves together song, interview fragments and spoken text to form fragmentary portraits. At the core of the project is set of interview questions by Georgie Darvidis that are whimsical, candid, and quietly revealing. Share this:TweetEmailPrint Continue Reading 0


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About This Archive
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Disposal of butyl lithium
Mon, 10 Aug 2009 10:29:05 -0400
"Dona Lee Wong, Ph.D."
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Re: Disposal of butyl lithium
Mon, 10 Aug 2009 11:55:01 -0400
"Dr. Jay A. Young"
Date: Mon, 10 Aug 2009 11:31:23 -0400
Reply-To: Michael McCormick <mmccorm**At_Symbol_Here**LEARNLINK.EMORY.EDU>
Sender: DCHAS-L Discussion List <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**LIST.UVM.EDU>
From: Michael McCormick <mmccorm**At_Symbol_Here**LEARNLINK.EMORY.EDU>
Subject: Re: Disposal of butyl lithium
In-Reply-To: <4A802EB1.2030507**At_Symbol_Here**hms.harvard.edu>
Dear Dona,
The law only prohibits the treatment/inactivation/neutralization etc. of chemical _waste_. A substance is not waste until it's declared to be waste. Therefore, the bottles of butyllithium solution in a lab are not waste, they are merely laboratory chemicals (just don't hang a waste label on them). As a laboratory chemical, these can be treated / quenched / deactivated / made less harmful _legally_. Once so treated, then declare the quenched stuff as "waste" and dispose of it via your normal route. At first blush, this may sound like semantics, but when you consider the practical ramifications, it actually makes common sense (to the extent EPA regulations can be common sense). This assumes that your state laws are like our and like most -- based on EPA regulation.
The end user (the lab or the researcher who purchased the chemical) should be sufficiently knowledgable to properly quench butyllithium. If they are not, then these people must be prevented from purchasing the material (and we must reexamine our educational system, but that's another thread). If these chemicals were orphaned by the departure of a grad student, post-doc, etc., then the management practices of the lab and/or the policies of your EHS office are bad.
Michael F. McCormick
Senior Lecturer
Department of Chemistry
Emory University
Atlanta GA 30322
voice 404/727-6531
fax 404/727-6586
"Dona Lee Wong, Ph.D." <
> on August 10, 2009 at 10:29 AM -0400 wrote:
Responses from users in MA and other states not permitting treatment of
hazardous chemicals to inactivate prior to disposal of particular interest
One of our chemistry labs has butyl lithium that they no longer use and
are trying to safely dispose of. Massachusetts state law does not
permit any treatment of hazardous chemicals to inactivate prior to "safe
disposal". Our normal process is to transfer any hazardous chemicals to
an isolated and dedicated room. We have a contract with a local
company, skilled in hazardous materials, and trained personnel from that
company then remove the chemical waste. The PI feels that moving the
butyl lithium to the waste facility would be more, rather than less,
dangerous and has requested that we have the butyl lithium removed
directly from their laboratory. The latter, of course, is expensive and
the hazardous waste company suggests that if the butyl lithium is still
stored as received and should be stored in water-free hexane, then it
can be brought down to the holding facility.
Any experience or recommendations?
dona wong
Dona Lee Wong, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Department of Psychiatry
Harvard Medical School
Director, Laboratory of Molecular and Developmental Neurobiology
McLean Hospital
115 Mill Street, MRC =23116
Belmont, MA 02478
Tel: 617-855-2042
e-mail: dona_wong**At_Symbol_Here**hms.harvard.edu
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Adrienne L. Fricke is a human rights consultant specializing in human rights and refugee-related issues in the Middle East and Africa. Since 2007, she has been a consultant for Physicians for Human Rights, serving most recently as Syria advisor. Previously, she worked with PHR to assess the health effects facing Sudanese refugee women living in eastern Chad.
Fricke has served as the Africa Legal Advisor to the Global Justice Center, a legal NGO that works with women leaders on the enforcement of international equality guarantees. For Refugees International, she traveled to Sudan and co-authored an analysis of its rape laws, "Laws Without Justice: an Assessment of Sudanese Laws Affecting Survivors of Rape." Fricke was a member of the Coalition for International Justice's Atrocities Documentation Team, traveling to refugee camps in eastern Chad to take witness statements from Darfuri refugees. She was also a Clinical Fellow at Harvard Law School's Human Rights Program.
Fricke has particular expertise in Syria, having lived there first as a Fulbright recipient and then while pursuing research among former Syrian political prisoners for her graduate degree. She is the co-author of "Uncounted and Unacknowledged: Syria's Refugee University Students and Academics in Jordan," and the companion assessment, "The War Follows Them: Syria's Refugee University Students in Lebanon," published jointly by the UC Davis Human Rights Initiative and the Institute of International Education. In addition to Syria, Fricke has lived and worked in Egypt and Lebanon. She holds a JD from the University of Pennsylvania, an MA in Near Eastern Studies from New York University and a BA in African Studies from Yale University. She is fluent in Arabic and French.


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EW reviews four hot new albums
EW reviews four hot new albums -- We take a closer look at new releases by Dressy Bessy, The Posies, The Backstreet Boys, and Van Zant
EW reviews four hot new albums
DRESSY BESSY Electrified Okay, Ms. Bessy, here's the deal: You keep up the same sound you've had for four CDs running (smiley-smart vocals, gung ho guitar, beaming hooks), and we'll keep praising you as the best thing to come out of Denver since John Elway. Sound good? B — Brian Raftery
THE POSIES Every Kind of Light The Seattle power-pop act's first studio album since 1998 expresses anguish about the state of American politics and culture. But aside from the bittersweet "Conversations," rote arrangements keep the CD from being seen in a flattering Light. B- — Douglas Wolk
BACKSTREET BOYS Never Gone Five years after 2000's Black & Blue, the Boys are still plying five-part harmonies and proffering lovelorn ballads. "Poster Girl" is a bright flashback to their hit-filled heyday, but this corny comeback is hardly a triumphant return. C — Nicole Symmonds
VAN ZANT Get Right With the Man (Columbia Nashville) Practically every country newcomer cites Skynyrd's Southern rock as influential, so you can't blame surviving Van Zants Donnie and Johnny for capitalizing on that goodwill. But this exceptionally dumb country side project is all chest-puffing attitude and no songs. Somewhere, Ronnie is. . .listening to something else. C- — Chris Willman


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Blog Archives
The Best of SXSWi 2016: Top Ten Things We Experienced in Austin
Five days, hundreds of sessions, dozens of unique brand activations and a lot of delicious TexMex and BBQ – this year's SXSWi has wrapped but we're still reeling from all the great things we experienced on the ground in Austin.
If you weren't on the ground (or couldn't get to everything while you were there), here's our rundown on the best SXSWi had to offer attendees this year.
"Most Inspiring Reason to Create and Innovate" – President Obama's Keynote Address: "The reason I'm here is to recruit all of you," President Obama remarked. He called on SXSW attendees to collaborate on solutions for the country's biggest problems addressing everything from updating obsolete federal networks to the debate over security versus privacy most recently ignited by the disputes between Apple and the FBI. If you were a lucky SXSW attendee to score a ticket to his address, you probably left Austin wondering how we can move innovation forward to improve our country for the better.
"Best Brand Experience" – IBM Cognitive Experience: A mix of educational, aspirational, innovation and fun content, IBM created an engaging experience (in partnership with George P. Johnson, a Project WorldWide agency) centered around IBM's Watson. Upon entering the space, attendees were prompted to input details about th
eir mood and taste preferences, then given a wrist band and sent on their way to experience different stations tied to IBM's latest innovations and partnerships, including The Weather Company's latest innovations and Under Armour's new offering in IoT. SXSW attendees could even play 'Rock, Paper, Scissors' against an IBM robot who got smarter with every move. Or if you wanted to burn a few BBQ calories, you could try some virtual reality cycling. At the end of the experience, attendees were invited to enjoy a "cognitive drink" based on the data in your wristband. Robot bartenders are now a thing – this is the future!
"Best Place to Run into a Trekkie" – The Eyes of Robots and Murders Session: Legendary director/producer/screenwriter J.J. Abrams and his friend Andrew Jarecki, the writer/director of HBO's "The Jinx" spoke about how technology has changed filmmaking for the better and how it has democratized the creative process. Abrams was also quick to point out that technology should be invisible so that the consumer can have an experience that's as effortless as possible. Ending with a bit of inspiration, Abrams and Jalecki asked that attendees leverage their talents and today's technology to create: "There's no excuse to not tell the story we want to tell."
"Best Off the Track Event" – Brand Innovators Austin Summit: Brand Innovators brought a great mix of speakers and content to SXSW attendees. From Mark Cuban speaking about the future of sports and sharing his candid feelings about the U.S. elections, to leading marketers from Mondelez, Walmart, Coca-Cola, Visa and much more – the venue was packed as any room in the convention center. A particular favorite panel was one featuring Deep Focus CEO Ian Schafer moderating a panel with recording artist Kevin Jonas, actor Adrian Grenier, Johnson & Johnson's Amy Pascal, and social media stars Monica Church and Shonduras. The lively discussion centered on how brands can best leverage celebrities to promote their brands on social media while still maintaining authenticity with millennials and other consumers.
"Best Place to Find a New Gig" – MEC Job Fair: Our client MEC took a new approach to attracting talent at this year's SXSW. The media agency transported its New York office culture to the event through three virtual reality films which gave prospective talent an immersive glimpse into what it's like to work there. Using Google Cardboard, the first film focused on the agency's digital teams, highlighting social media operations and some creative work they've made. Another showed off the agency's culture, and the third film highlighted the agency's creative moments.
"Coolest Executive" – a tie between Soulcycle Cofounders Elizabeth Cutler and Julie Rice, and Under Armour CEO Kevin Plank. Soulcycle's cofounders just oozed cool, but they definitely had a lot to offer to SXSW attendees. With Fast Company moderating their fireside chat, they addressed the characteristics that make up their brand DNA and how they were able to innovate in the fitness space – (surprise!) it wasn't with technology but by creating a community for their consumers. Our friends at Fast Company also interviewed Under Armour's CEO, where he provided one of festival's best soundbites: "Data is the new oil. The companies that do well are the companies that use math."
"Best Celebrity Panel" – New Rules of Social Stardom Session: Kerry Washington and InStyle Magazine hosted a discussion on the ever-evolving role that social media plays in the life of celebrities. Though she's more of a private person, Washington talked about how she interacts with social herself versus when she taps a communications team, the types of content she likes to share (mainly fashion shots and causes she's passionate about) and the value that lies in NOT reading the comment section: "It's a tricky balance. For the most part, I stay away from comments, but Twitter is a conversation, so I do occasionally engage…but I've realized that comments are not about me. When someone comments, they are revealing something about themselves."
"Best App Launch at Southby" – Kodak Moments: To launch its new visual storytelling app, Kodak Moments, Kodak Alaris (in partnership with Junior, a Project: WorldWide agency) created an activation that immersed attendees in their own memories – practically seeing, smelling and even hearing them – in a chamber it called the "Memory Observatory." How did it work? Upon entering the chambers, participants saw whatever memory-specific image they chose to share projected on a grand scale within the activation, and the colors, smells and sounds corresponded to the emotion in something the brand called an "experience guide." Robbie Whiting, co-founder of Junior, spoke with Adweek about why SXSW was the best place to launch the app: "SXSW is chaotic. We wanted to create a respite from the noise, a place for meaningful moments from the process of remembering a moment to the articulation of what makes that moment special to the communal experience of all our deconstructed memories, our own Kodak Moments."
"Best Place to Go If You're Craving San Fran Vibes" – Mashable House: From a Pied Piper Bar (shout out to fans of HBO's "Silicon Valley") and fun meme-inspired temporary tattoos to mingling with CEO Pete Cashmore. Upon entering this space, you were transported to the Bay City. Mashable had several parties and events at the space as well which put a spotlight on different brands and influencers – definitely making this a go-to place during the days and nights during Southby.
"Best Party at SXSWi" – GSD&M: Touted as one of SXSW's must-attend events each year, we were lucky enough to get an invite and so glad we did. From unique art and live music to delicious food trucks and specialty cocktails – our last night in Austin was well spent on our GSD&M client's compound.
Live at SXSW – Weekend Recap
The DGC team hit the ground running on Saturday morning at SXSWi with a quick stop at and an 11 a.m. deep-dive into how data will build high-performing humans. The panel featured New York Giants star wide receiver Victor Cruz and Equinox President Sarah Robb O'Hagan, joined by Michael Gervais and Mashable's Haile Owens. We were fascinated with the panel's discussion on how data can make even the highest achieving athletes more powerful on and off the field. One nugget we took away from the session was data and tools are great, but don't forget about your body's biggest source of information: your brain.
After a quick selfie with the man of the hour, our team dispersed to other sessions before gathering to prep for DGC's first-ever #SXSWi happy hour. The team set up shop at the JW Marriott to entertain clients and friends of DGC over margaritas, chips and guacamole, and the best darn jalapeño cornbread Austin has to offer.
Day three saw us checking out some of the week's best brand activations and experiences. We swung by Samsung's Studio Experience, where our colleague, Sara Ajemian, made a DGC t-shirt in its design studio. While the A&E network offered up nightly stays at a faux Bates Motel to promote its series of the same name, neighboring station National Geographic took it to the extreme with a challenge to promote its new season of "Life Below Zero." We dared to see if we had what it takes to Escape the Cold, as the promo was called, encouraged players to find clues to get out of the room in twenty minutes working with teams of 6. It was tough going – we didn't find the key. Brands should take note for 2016 as this was an incredible way to bridge the gap between brand experience and user interaction. It tied to "life below zero" which is a show about people living in isolation in Alaska
Other panels we checked out:
– Argonaut, an agency that's part of Project Worldwide, had two executives on a panel: Robbie Whiting, Creative Technologist, and Garrick Schmitt, digital advisor, who spoke to a packed house about "Malevolent Marketing." Recap the conversation on Twitter with #letsbeevil.
– Deep Focus CMO Jamie Gutfreund cracked the code on Millennials at the Pandora Lounge, encouraging marketers to be smart about their consumer and audience. She was later joined on stage by Nana Menya, AVP of Investment Strategy of GE, whose talk on the mindset of music was equally intriguing.
– DDB's Global Business Director Marina Zuber discussed art, tigers and an #EndangeredSong with the Smithsonian's National Zoo and on-the-rise band Portugal the Man.
Stay tuned for more!


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Rachel L. Moore
Rachel L. Moore, MD, FACS, FASMBS, is a member of the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Executive Council, an elite group of the top bariatric surgeons in the US elected by their peers. She speaks frequently at both national and international scientific meetings. She is the ASMBS State Chapters Committee President and the founding President of the Louisiana chapter of ASMBS.
Meet Our Physicians
Dr. Moore participates in many other ASMBS committees including insurance, access to care, and private practice. Dr. Moore is also the secretary of the Louisiana chapter of the American College of Surgeons, after serving two years as its Treasurer.
Dr. Moore has a special interest in the emerging field of bariatric endoscopy (weight loss procedures done endoscopically through the mouth). She performs both intragastric balloons and also primary endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty (ESG). Dr. Moore has been an instructor for the intragastric balloon Orbera since 2015 and travels the country teaching other doctors how to place Orbera. She is a respected researcher and participates in several clinical trials, including one for a new intragastric balloon which is not yet FDA approved.
Philosophically, Dr. Moore feels that obesity is a chronic disease and that patients are all different from each other, so she offers a spectrum of therapies. Some patients are on weight loss medications, some receive non-surgical procedures through the mouth, and some have laparoscopic surgeries like LapBand, laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy, or laparoscopic gastric bypass. The patient and surgeon talk together about medical history and goals to choose a treatment plan.
Dr. Moore had a nomadic childhood as the daughter of an Air Force General. She attended The University of Alabama as a Presidential Scholar, then the University of Alabama at Birmingham Medical School. Her general surgery residency during the Charity Hospital days of LSU surgery was where she met her husband. It is her sixteenth year as a surgeon with Surgical Specialists of Louisiana. She lives in New Orleans with her husband, bariatric surgeon Michael Thomas, and their three children ages 12, 9 and 6.


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Channel 4
Three months after Sri Lanka declared victory over the Tamil Tigers, Channel 4 News broadcast footage apparently showing government troops summarily executing Tamils during the final push of the war.
Now damning material concerning the behaviour of government troops in the country's civil war has emerged.
The video shows the same incident as one aired 16 months ago by Channel 4 News which the Sri Lankan government maintains was fake. It showed the execution of bound men on a muddy track, purportedly defeated Tamil prisoners. A UN investigation later found that the video "appeared authentic".
The new video seems to show the same incident but rather than stopping after the execution of a second bound man, it continues and the camera pans left reveals the naked and dead bodies of at least seven women, with accompanying dialogue from onlookers who make lewd and callous comments which seem strongly suggest that sexual assaults have taken place before the death of the women.
The video emerged as the Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse prepared to speak at the Oxford Union later this week. The President arrived in London yesterday on a private visit to the UK.
Amnesty International told Channel 4 News the new footage was important to revealing the truth.
"This video will help show whether that other video was verifiable, credible or not," Sam Zarifi told Channel 4 News.
"Perhaps the most important part of what we've seen with this new video is there are more prisoners who seem to have been killed, there are more army personnel who are present.
"Very troublingly there are indications that deserved to be looked at about possible sexual violence. At least two of the bodies seen in this video seem to be of women, prisoners of war and some of the back and forth chatter is of a sexual nature."
In a statement the Sri Lanka High Commission denied the new video was authentic.
"The High Commission of Sri Lanka categorically denies that the Channel 4 News TV video is authentic. Last year when Channel 4 News telecast a similar video the Government of Sri Lanka clearly established, by reference to technical considerations, that it was not genuine but fake.
"The present video is nothing more than an elongated version of the same video."
The High Commission goes on to accuse separatists of being behind release of the video: "It is no secret that the anti-Sri Lankan separatist lobby which is behind these moves live in the comforts (sic) mainly in the West, and have not contributed towards restoration of normalcy and livelihoods of the deprived people affected by the conflict. Instead they continue to resuscitate the separatist ideology."
The UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions Professor Christof Heyns told Channel 4 News further investigations were needed in light of the new video.
"It is shocking indeed and clearly deserves more investigation," Prof Heyns told Channel 4 News.
Channel 4 News has sent the new video to the UN panel investigating allegations of war crimes in Sri Lanka.
President to meet Defence Secretary
It has also emerged that the Defence Secretary Liam Fox is to meet the Sri Lankan President privately during his visit to Britain, Channel 4 News understands.
A spokesman for Dr Fox told Channel 4 News: "Dr Fox will be meeting President Rajapaksa in a private capacity. This reflects Dr Fox's longstanding interest in Sri Lanka and his interest in, and commitment to peace and reconciliation there."
As President Rajapakse is currently visiting the UK, Amnesty International called on the UK police to investigate the allegations.
"We are calling on the police and UK judiciary to examine any of the evidence alleging war crimes and crimes against humanity in Sri Lanka…to see whether any of the members of the Sri Lankan government who are represent in the UK have run afoul of international laws which would trigger UK jurisdiction," Mr Zarifi told Channel 4 News.
Original video claims
In August 2009 Channel 4 News broadcast another video of the alleged executions which provoked an angry reaction by Sri Lankan officials and led to a UN investigation.
The video appeared to depict the execution of nine bound, blindfolded men who, Channel 4 News was told, were Tamils.
The group who obtained the video - Journalists for Democracy in Sri Lanka - claimed it was evidence of extra judicial executions. The video was filmed by a Sri Lankan soldier on his mobile phone in January 2009, the group said.
The decision to broadcast the pictures caused a controversy which embroiled Channel 4 and went as far as the UN Secretary General and the top echelons of the US government.
Sri Lankan officials publically branded the video a fake and lodged a series of complaints with British broadcasting regulator Ofcom.
However, a report commissioned by the UN examined the video frame-by-frame and a group of independent experts said the video appeared "authentic".
The UN's Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial executions, Philip Alston, released the report in January 2010 and called for a war crimes investigation.
"I call for independent inquiry to be established to carry out an impartial investigation into war crimes and other grave violations of international humanitarian and human rights law allegedly committed in Sri Lanka," he said.
The Sri Lankan government cast doubt on the UN's findings, telling a Colombo newspaper they were ambiguous. The foreign minister accused the UN special rapporteur of playing politics, releasing his findings just before a presidential election.
UN investigation
The UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has appointed a panel of experts to look into alleged violations of international law towards the end of the Sri Lankan conflict.
The three-person panel will be chaired by Marzuki Darusman, former Attorney General of Indonesia, who had served in the UN independent commission to investigate the 2007 assassination of former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhuto. The other two members are Yasmin Sooka of South Africa and Steven Ratner of the United States.
The panel has requested submissions by the 15th of December.
Civilian deaths
Sri Lanka's 26-year war ended in May 2009 when the Sri Lanka army defeated the LTTE - Tamil Tigers - in an area dubbed the "no-fire zone".
The UN has officially maintained that an estimated 7,000 Tamil civilians were killed in the last five months of fighting - although credible estimates have put the figure much higher.
Louise Arbour, former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and now the President of the International Crisis Group told Channel 4 News earlier this year she believed that it was "not implausible" that more than 30,000 civilians had been killed.
Sri Lanka High Commission statement
"The High Commission of Sri Lanka categorically denies that the Channel 4 News TV video is authentic. Last year when Channel 4 News telecast a similar video the Government of Sri Lanka clearly established, by reference to technical considerations, that it was not genuine but fake. The present video is nothing more than an elongated version of the same video.
It is observed that there is a common pattern in these sinister moves. Some sections were replete with photographs of alleged war crimes when Sri Lanka's application for the extension of GSP+ facility was being considered by the European Commission. A leading British newspaper had received photographs of alleged war crimes when the Sri Lankan External Affairs Minister visited the United Kingdom last October. The suppliers themselves had admitted that they were not in a position to confirm the authenticity, place or the veracity of the material supplied by them.
"The latest move coincides with the visit to the United Kingdom of President Mahinda Rajapaksa.
"It is no secret that the anti-Sri Lankan separatist lobby which is behind these moves live in the comforts mainly in the West, and have not contributed towards restoration of normalcy and livelihoods of the deprived people affected by the conflict. Instead they continue to resuscitate the separatist ideology.
"Defeat of the LTTE has opened up democratic freedoms to the entire country. An eight member Lessons Learn and Reconciliation Commission appointed after the end of the conflict which is tasked to report on the lessons to be learnt from the past events and recommend measures to ensure that there will be no recurrence of such a situation. The Commission has sat many times including in the former conflict zones and made interim recommendations. The support for the extremists who seek resurgence of violence in order to incite hatred is fast diminishing."
© Channel 4
Wednesday, December 01, 2010
Sri Lanka execution video: new war crimes claims
Wednesday, December 01, 2010
War crimes lawyers seek arrest of Sri Lankan president in Oxford
By Owen Bowcott and Sam Jones | Guardian
Mahinda Rajapaksa, whose government defeated the separatist Tamil Tigers last year amid humanitarian protests about the treatment of civilians trapped in the war zone, is due to speak at the Oxford Union on Thursday.
The visit comes as Tamil supporters claim to have acquired a video showing a former Tamil Tiger colonel being interrogated by Sri Lankan forces. His family allege he was killed after surrendering.
Rajapaksa is also expected to meet the defence secretary, Liam Fox. Last year the UK revoked a number of arms exports licences to Sri Lanka in response to the conflict.
The Sri Lankan head of state's visit, postponed from last month, is likely to trigger mass protests. Tamil demonstrators were at Heathrow airport for his arrival on Monday evening; more are expected in Oxford later this week.
Last year thousands of Tamils blockaded Parliament Square in Westminster for several weeks to draw attention to the fighting in Sri Lanka. The freezing weather may reduce the numbers involved this time. There are estimated to be as many as 300,000 people of Tamil descent in the UK.
Sen Kandiah, founder of the British Tamil Forum, an umbrella group representing Tamils in the UK, told the Guardian: "We have been working on an arrest warrant for some time. We have instructed a prominent legal firm and have spoken to former lord chancellors.
"We know that at least 40,000 civilians were killed at the end of the war. This man was the commander in chief and he's coming to speak to the Oxford Union. He should face a proper trial."
Another Tamil activist, Suren Surendiran, said that if Rajapaksa had immunity as head of state then arrest warrants would be sought against military members of his entourage. Graham Williamson of the civil rights group Act Now has called for a boycott campaign of Sri Lankan goods.
The UK accepts universal jurisdiction for war crimes offences, meaning that those accused of atrocities can be arrested in Britain wherever the offence was allegedly committed. But the justice secretary, Ken Clarke, announced in the summer that the legislation would be amended so that any prosecutions would require the assent of the director of public prosecutions.
That would effectively stop the private actions brought against visiting foreign officials that have deterred visits by Israeli officials. A similar tactic was used when Margaret Thatcher was prime minister against the former Chilean president, General Augusto Pinochet. He was arrested and held under house arrest on charges of crimes against humanity, before being released on health grounds without being charged.
Last month David Cameron endorsed calls for an independent investigation into the end of the Sri Lankan civil war in 2009. He told the Commons: "Everyone has read the papers and seen the TV footage, but we need an independent investigation" to work out whether there had been human rights abuses.
A spokesman for the public relations firm Bell Pottinger, which represents Rajapaksa, denied that he had cancelled his trip to the UK last month becuse of fears that he might face an arrest warrant.
"He had to give a keynote speech at the UN," the spokesman said, "and visit Shanghai. He had a busy international schedule. He's here now to speak to the Oxford Union."
Rajapaksa last spoke at the Oxford Union in 2008. His second visit on Thursday/tomorrow, according to his spokesperson, will mean that he is the first serving head of state to address the union twice.
The UN secretary general, Ban Ki-moon, has established a three-man committee to investigate ways of dealing with the war crime allegations.
© Guardian
Wednesday, December 01, 2010
Sri Lanka's alternatives abroad
By Kitana Ananda, V V Ganeshananthan & Ashwini Vasanthakumar
While conflict and geographic dispersal present real challenges to Sri Lankan diasporas, this image of Sinhalese versus Tamil is far from the whole truth. Although the war ended with a decisive victory by government security forces over the LTTE in 2009, the reductive image remains: Sri Lanka, a nation with Sinhalese, Tamil, Muslim and Burgher communities, rarely appears that way. The media is not the only culprit. In the wake of that resounding military victory, both the Sri Lankan government and its critics have failed to engage Sri Lankan diasporas and to understand their complexity. Indeed, their collective actions have excluded diasporic populations.
Lankan diaspora histories often begin with 1983, when anti-Tamil violence and the rise of Tamil militancy led to the civil war that displaced hundreds of thousands of Tamils from the island. In fact, a longer and more complicated history of migration is responsible for today's Lankan diasporas. During the 1930s and 1940s, English-speaking upper-caste Ceylonese who worked in the British Empire's civil service formed diasporic settlements from Burma to Malaya.
After independence in 1948, new legislation disenfranchised Tamils of Indian origin, who had been brought in to work on colonial plantations during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Many members of that community were subsequently repatriated to India. An attempt to nationalise government administration with the 1956 Official Language Act ' popularly dubbed 'Sinhala Only' ' led to the migration of Ceylonese professionals of all communities who were not proficient in Sinhala. Large numbers of Burghers, the community of mixed Sri Lankan and European descent, migrated to Britain, Canada and Australia; Sinhalese, Tamil and Muslim professionals followed, accompanied by their families.
In these transitional decades, there was no such thing as a Tamil or Sinhalese diaspora; but by the late 1970s this was no longer the case, as factionalism escalated within the country. Three decades of state and economic restructuring had not created a united 'Sri Lankan' nation, and tensions mounted between a Sinhalese-dominated government and Tamil political parties. Disaffection with the political status quo gave rise to a 1971 insurrection among predominantly rural Sinhalese youths in the south, and growing militancy among Tamil youths in the north and east by the latter part of the decade. University admissions quotas, among other policies, effectively reduced opportunities for middle-class Tamil students and young professionals, who began to seek employment abroad.
Diasporas today
In July 1983, nearly 3000 people were killed and thousands more displaced over five days of government-sponsored anti-Tamil violence, creating a new wave of migrants. The scale of destruction and spectacular displays of enmity spurred sympathetic Western governments to create special categories for refugee resettlement. As the country descended from ethnic conflict into full-scale war between the government and Tamil militant groups, the tide of migration continued. In the 1980s, as the LTTE rose to supremacy by brutally eliminating other Tamil militant groups, non-LTTE Tamil militants and their families emigrated. Internally, too, the country saw mass displacement of Muslims and Tamils.
The war with the state intensified through the mid-1980s and 1990s, again prompting hundreds of thousands of Tamils to depart. By some estimates, nearly 900,000 ' one in three ' Tamils from Sri Lanka today live abroad, hailing predominantly from the country's north and, to a lesser extent, the east. India was often their first stop and, for some, their final destination. Others headed to Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia and the United States, each of which offered the possibility of citizenship. Others remain refugees in India, Southeast Asia and Europe. As the war escalated, the pro-LTTE section of the diaspora became famously militant, pouring money into the Tigers' movement, while their relatives and friends back home lost children, homes and livelihoods. The Tigers even developed an overseas wing, which managed its propaganda so successfully that other sections of the Tamil diaspora were virtually erased from the public sphere.
Admittedly, the largest Sri Lankan diaspora is a Tamil one, which has commanded considerable attention as a result of post-1983 migration, the war, and visible propaganda and financial support for the LTTE among some of its sections. Some use Sri Lankan diaspora and Tamil diaspora interchangeably, but Sinhalese and Muslim Sri Lankans have also gone to other shores amid political crises and economic uncertainty, and they continue to emigrate, predominantly as temporary migrant workers to West Asia. Sizeable and diverse Sinhalese diaspora communities have formed ' among workers in Italy, professionals in the United States, and several generations of migrants to the United Kingdom and Canada.
Today, some Sinhalese (and, to a lesser extent, Muslim) groups maintain ties with each other and with Sri Lanka through various associations. For some organisations, 'Sri Lanka' becomes a proxy for displays of Sinhalese nationalism that make critiques of the Sri Lankan government difficult. Similarly, prominent diasporic Tamil organisations have long showcased arguments for separatism, sometimes accompanied by endorsements of the LTTE. Those who do not agree with these respective lines face isolation from their own ethnic communities.
In May 2009, the war's end saw the differing trajectories of these diasporas converge in tense confrontations in Canada, the UK, Australia and elsewhere. Thousands of Tamils around the world protested the war and the suffering it imposed. Those waving LTTE flags monopolised media attention, sidelining the message of 'peace through negotiations' emanating from other quarters. In response, smaller Sri Lankan groups with close connections to embassies and missions abroad organised counter-demonstrations. Their predominantly Sinhalese ranks also included anti-LTTE Tamils who cheered the Tigers' defeat and hailed the soldiers who ended the war through military action.
Just remittances, please
Over the course of the war, the visibility of dominant sections of the Tamil diaspora ' and their stunning vocal and financial support for the Tamil Tigers ' has helped the Sri Lankan government to project the entire group as a terrorist threat. Post-war, the authorities' attempts to derail a monolithic 'Tamil diaspora' have transformed into interest in that diaspora's sizable collective wallet. In anticipation of a post-war Lanka, the government handpicked leaders and activists of the Tamil diaspora to attend a March 2009 conference in Colombo. At the meeting, dubbed the Sri Lankan Diaspora Dialogue, many of the invitees expressed dismay with the government's heavy-handed agenda. Even as the government invited some Tamils to return to the island, it has made the following conflicting claims: The LTTE has been completely decimated; the LTTE could re-emerge at any time, and has powerful supporters abroad; the diaspora is invited to engage with us financially; we are no longer a colony, and those who criticise us from abroad have the mindset of colonisers (or support the LTTE).
The LTTE's claim to be Tamils' 'sole representative' ' and its well-known allies abroad ' is convenient for the government, which wants remittances, not opinions. If it links all its overseas critics to the Tigers, it can dismiss their concerns. As pro-LTTE activists in the diaspora say they will continue to fight for Eelam from abroad (the most visible iteration being the Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam, formed in May following a diaspora-wide election), their statements fuel Colombo's ire. In retaliation, the government has announced local and international campaigns to gather intelligence, seize assets and shut down the LTTE's remaining international network. In such a climate of suspicion, the government has been quick to conflate any criticism with support for the LTTE, leaving no room for serious diasporic engagement with the state.
On the other hand, the government does recognise diasporas' economic and political power, as well as the effectiveness of pro-LTTE activists overseas who have made it difficult for their critics to speak out. Indeed, since the Diaspora Dialogue, Colombo has learned much from the LTTE's hegemony in diaspora communities. The government sidesteps political criticism by appealing to the desire of many to aid the war-torn regions of north and east Sri Lanka. To initiate development projects in these areas, it turns to ex-members of the Tigers. Former Tiger arms procurer and international-affairs representative Kumaran Pathmanathan now sits under house arrest in Colombo, dispensing advice to the government; his own public rehabilitation was announced with the launch of the North-East Rehabilitation Development Organization, for which he claimed 'the Tamil diaspora' was ready to work with the president. In the Eastern province, former Tigers and current government officials Pillayan and Karuna have their names bandied about as evidence of state engagement with minorities.
The power of foreign exchange as a potent resource for post-war reconstruction is not limited to the Tamil diasporas alone. With the war's end, Sri Lankan embassies have raised funds (more than USD 690,000 to date), mainly from Sinhalese entrepreneurs and organisations, for Api wenuwen api (Be together for all), a Ministry of Defence campaign to build 50,000 houses for soldiers. Opposition groups also mobilise Sinhalese diaspora communities for their own ends. For example, in September, Sinhalese workers in Italy protested the Colombo government's continued detention of the former head of the Sri Lankan armed forces, Sarath Fonseka.
The government's latest statements continue to entreat 'the Sri Lankan diaspora' to participate in economic development. At the Asia Security Summit in August 2010, Minister of External Affairs G L Peiris said, 'Our message to the diaspora in the Western world and elsewhere is that they have a dynamic role to play; we do not want them to distance themselves from the exciting developments which are taking place in Sri Lanka today.' Such pronouncements are made even as the government cracks down on dissent and political opposition within Sri Lanka, and invokes the spectre of threats to national security to silence activists abroad. Peiris, a chief negotiator during the Oslo peace process, has recently argued that earlier talks and attempts at political reform failed due to a lack of consensus among dominant political interests. This top-down approach has allowed generations of Sri Lankan politicians to suppress debate and dissent while claiming to remain committed to political reform, and the same technique is now being used to mobilise the diaspora communities' economic power.
This dual approach to (particularly) Tamil diaspora communities dismisses legitimate grievances and criticisms. Simultaneously, it invites potential investors to capitalise on the war's end and selectively wields former LTTE leaders to collect economic contributions from the former. This not only privileges the economically secure and undermines the political engagement of diaspora communities in general, but also silences the many moderates ' in-country and abroad ' who did not provide unqualified support to the narrow agendas of successive governments or the LTTE. Such groups could not publicly criticise these agendas before, nor are they able to do so now. Instead, they remain sceptical and watchful of the many projects undertaken in their name.
Discounting nationalism
The government's dismissal of the Tamil diaspora as being little more than LTTE henchmen is not surprising. It is less encouraging, however, when the same attitude is revealed in progressives' discussions of, and engagement with, the diaspora. The left has largely disengaged from diasporic politics, preferring to direct its limited energies to the battles to be waged in-country. But this myopia prevents engagement with the considerable resources of moderates within the diaspora.
During the war, progressives from all communities attempted to create space within the diaspora from which exclusivist nationalism could be challenged. Emphasising marginalised histories to refute nationalist narratives, these activists deployed the language of human rights and political pluralism. But they largely engaged with diasporic politics because of its importance to politics in Sri Lanka. Now, in the aftermath of the Tigers' defeat, this effort has atrophied. And by equating the Tigers' totalitarian politics with Tamil nationalism and the government's brutal tactics with Sinhalese nationalism, the left only reaffirms these actors' respective claims to represent Sinhalese and Tamil peoples.
This cedes important ideological and political ground. Furthermore, by depicting nationalism as static, regressive and exclusivist, the left fails to appreciate the varieties of nationalism, its potential as a source of solidarity, and its importance in forging and transforming identities. Indeed, national identity is what ties those in the diaspora ' including progressives who would rather identify themselves as expatriate or exile ' to politics in Sri Lanka. But from the diaspora various nationalisms can also emerge, where the multiple identities and affiliations of those in the diaspora can fruitfully inform and expand nationalist politics in Sri Lanka. Many Tamils were privately critical of the LTTE's tactics; many Sinhalese were critical of the state's growing authoritarianism. Clearly, between the poles there is space for common ground.
Progressives fashion themselves as exiles who, after years in the ideological hinterlands of the diaspora, can return to Sri Lanka and resume agitating for the transformations they failed to secure thirty years ago ' as though those intervening decades did not happen. What this has meant among many leftists in exile is supporting a project of authentic nationalism ' for some ethnic, for others, multi-ethnic ' from abroad, without engaging the communities living in their midst.
Responsible resource
The Colombo government will not successfully engage diaspora communities in large-scale reconstruction if it continues to approach them in the same manner as it did throughout the war. Without a political process aimed at ending minority grievances on the island, many Tamil expatriates will continue to view the government's embrace with scepticism. More fundamentally, diasporas should not be engaged only because they are deemed useful to 'real' Sri Lankan political actors engaged in the serious business of realpolitik. Rather, diasporas should be recognised as legitimate arenas of Sri Lankan politics. To claim otherwise is to reward regimes that neutralise political opposition and silence dissidents by expelling them.
For their part, members of Sri Lanka's diasporas need to begin a process of critical reflection regarding the last thirty years of war, something that was discouraged amidst calls for solidarity. Instead of forgetting the so-called 'tragic decades of nationalism', communities across the political spectrum need to consider their complicity in its crimes, their complacency in the face of its manifest excesses, and their failures in advancing compelling alternatives. Such efforts might be most effective in Sri Lanka, and have begun in various fora there; but, given the significance of the diaspora in Sri Lankan politics and the relatively greater freedoms enjoyed outside Sri Lanka, it is imperative that these conversations happen outside too, and happen publicly.
This political reflection is especially important as the Sri Lankan government woos overseas communities for economic contributions, and contributions alone. Many are understandably excited by Sri Lanka's post-war economic prospects. And in some respects, economic involvement can be more tempting than political engagement: its requirements are more discrete, its rewards more apparent, and it can look refreshingly (if deceptively) apolitical. In reality, of course, economic development in post-conflict Sri Lanka is subject to intense contestation, with economic fortunes inevitably linked to political positioning (see Himal Oct-Nov, 'Capitalism contradictions'). Alternatively, the economic clout of responsible diasporic investors can ensure that the war and its bloody aftermath do not get airbrushed away, as in the glossy picture the government and its uncritical allies are so eager to promote.
The diaspora can also promote reconciliation by mirroring it abroad. In the absence of reliable media coverage from Sri Lanka, youth overseas have been too easily radicalised by incomplete histories and half-truths. This can only be countered by collective action to share stories and political pasts. As those private conversations become public, salient criticisms can gain traction through coalitions of progressive voices. Sinhalese, Tamil, Muslim and Burgher activists forming alliances overseas can become a powerful medium for critique and change. Those critical of diasporic extremists have rightfully called for grounding, and for true accountability to those on the ground in Sri Lanka. With action comes responsibility: if we want to work within Sri Lanka, we must listen to those who live there. Sinhalese and Tamil activists abroad must note that certain populations marginalised inside Sri Lanka ' for example, Muslims, Burghers and Up-country Tamils ' are correspondingly underrepresented in the diaspora. Their interests are Sri Lanka's interests, and critique of the country must consider and engage them.
Sri Lankan diasporas are an easy target. They are easily ridiculed, their most vocal members often spouting opinions that seem ignorant. Their memories of grievance and grief are embarrassingly fresh, their suggestions oversimplified and trite, their language loaded. Their physical absence from Sri Lanka seems to preclude their involvement in its political life. Their hyphenated identities and modified accents undermine their authenticity. They are not really Sri Lankan ' that is, at least, when they do not serve the interests of the 'authentic' political actors in Sri Lanka. But they are also an unrivalled resource, with legitimate claims to space in Sri Lankan politics, and filial and financial ties to the country. They genuinely care about Sri Lanka and, in a world with increasingly porous borders, they have every right to do so. Their transnational politics is a product of the war, and they remain connected to Sri Lanka, even though their homes are abroad. Can the country afford ' from a practical or moral standpoint ' to turn its back on a million people who could contribute to its future?
© Himal
Wednesday, December 01, 2010
Sri Lanka and Pakistan to strengthen cooperation in counter terrorism
Defence Professionals
"Defence cooperation as I said has been good. And we are expecting a high level defence delegation to come to Sri Lanka to look into other areas of mutual interest. Pakistan's Naval Chief will be visiting Sri Lanka in December as well," said Minister Qureshi.
The Foreign Minister appreciated the people and the government of Sri Lanka for providing humanitarian assistance to Pakistan during the recent unprecedented floods. "The support provided by the people of Sri Lanka is highly appreciated", he added.
"We have decided to consult with Sri Lanka more than in the past and cooperate with each other more and as well as cooperate with each other at the UN forum. We will support each others candidatures in the past and we will do so further," said Qureshi.
Sri Lanka and Pakistan both need to build their foreign reserves and if we can trade in commodities and if we can buy and sell, then it can be useful for both sides," he added.
Pakistan is the first country that made a State visit to Sri Lanka since President Mahinda Rajapaksa was sworn in for his second term of office, said expressing Pakistan's delight. "This in our view is an expression of excellent bilateral relations that Pakistan has enjoyed with Sri Lanka and also an acknowledgment of Pakistan's contribution in helping Sri Lanka in its fight against terrorism," said Qureshi.
The Foreign Minister also congratulated the people and the Government of Sri Lanka for this successful endeavor.
"Pakistan knows how challenging it is, for we are going through a similar difficult period ourselves. The people of Pakistan are today in agreement that we have to fight terrorism and reverse extremism. The law agencies and Armed Forces in Pakistan have carried out very successful operations," stated Qureshi.
"The Pakistani Government feels that there are great opportunities of enhancing bilateral trade. We have in place the economic architecture. There are some good interesting prospects that we need to look into," Qureshi said.
© defpro.news
Wednesday, December 01, 2010
Veteran journalist Sivanayagam passes away
Tamil Net
He was later in charge of the Tamil Information Centre in Chennai. In 1990, he was editing a new journal Tamil Nation. Following the assassination of Mr. Rajiv Gandhi, he was arrested without any charges, harassed, insulted and was ill treated by the Indian intelligence. He left India in 1993 to get asylum in France. He was also residing in London. Ailing from bone cancer, a few years ago he went back to Colombo and was remaining silent.
During his stay in London, Mr. Sivanayagam launched and edited the monthly journal 'Hot Spring' and also mentored Diaspora Tamil writers and journalists.
The 684-page monograph he brought out, "Sri Lanka: A Witness to History" is also a monograph on the history of the liberation struggle of Eezham Tamils from the point of view of a journalist.
Born in Va'n'naarpa'n'nai in Jaffna on 7th September 1930, Mr. Sivanayagam had his schooling at Kokkuvil Hindu College and at Jaffna College.
Since 1953, he was in the editorial staff of various newspapers coming from Colombo: The Daily News, The Times of Ceylon and The Daily Mirror. In the 70s, he was editor to the publications of the Ceylon Tourist Board.
© Tamil Net
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