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Uganda Coffee Development Authority's Robusta Prices
By Sep 6, 2012-
The Uganda Coffee Development Authority today quoted indicative prices for exports of robusta, which accounts for 85 percent of the country's coffee exports.
Uganda is Africa's second-biggest coffee producer, after Ethiopia, and the continent's largest robusta coffee producer.
Nearby refers to deliveries to be made within 45 days. Indicative prices are those used by exporters to determine their prices.
Prices, quoted today by the authority, are in U.S. cents a pound, based on free on board rail/truck from Kampala:
Grade Nearby Screen 18 91.58 Screen 15 86.58 Screen 12 83.58
To contact the reporter on this story: Fred Ojambo in Kampala at email@example.com
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Paul Richardson at email@example.com


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Ann's Pick · 36C
It's my absolute favorite. SUPER wicking, pretty, inset straps, flattering and best of all: the girls do NOT move in this bra.
What's Our 360 Guarantee? When you buy from us, you're covered all the way around. So, if for any reason or no reason, you are not happy with your purchase, send it round-trip within a year for an exchange or full refund. No questions. No hassles. No kidding.

subset: commoncrawl


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full size
Product Details
Founded in 2005, J Brand has quickly made an art form of the perfect-fitting jean, earning a loyal following the world over (ourselves included, of course). We're pleased as punch to offer this style from their girls' collection, J Girl by J Brand. Featuring their signature clean shape, it's a classic jean in a dark denim that goes with absolutely everything.
Size & Fit Details


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Senior National Draws Now Online
Look For Your Favorite Judoka!
Senior National Draws Now Online
Draws for USA Judo's Senior National Championships in Virginia Beach, VA, have been completed and are now available online, setting the stage for competition to begin bright and early tomorrow morning and Sunday. Go to DRAWS.
See who your favorite judoka is lined up to fight first in the brackets:
In the women's 78 kg division, a judoka could find herself across the mat from none other than Kayla Harrison (USA Judo National Training Site, Pedro's Judo Center/NYAC, Wakefield, Mass.). Harrison took the nation's first Olympic gold medal at the Games in London last summer.
And if you happen to be testing your mettle at 81 kg … look out! That's Travis Stevens' division. A two-time Olympian, Stevens (USA Judo Training Site, Pedro's Judo Center/NYAC, Wakefield, Mass.) finished 5th at the Games in London.
Also scan the brackets for Myles Porter, 100 kg, and Dartanyon Crockett, 90 kg both from the USA Judo Training Site at the Olympic Training Center, CO. They took silver and bronze respectively at the Paralympic Games in London immediately following the Olympics. Both are fighting in fully sighted (able bodied) divisions at the Senior National Championships.
Competition starts tomorrow! Watch for updates, photos and results at WWW.USJUDO.ORG and on Facebook.


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Hi-Res VersionThe New York Power Authority (NYPA) received a top national safety award from the American Public Power Association (APPA) for employee safety performance in 2012. Pictured left to right: John Kahabka, vice president for environmental health and safety, NYPA; Tim Faulds, senior safety & fire protection specialist, NYPA, and Ed Smith, senior industrial hygienist, NYPA. The award was presented at the APPA annual Engineering and Operations Technical Conference that was held in Kissimmee, Fla., on March 25, 2013. This is the 12th time that the Power Authority has placed among the top three in the public power category of large utilities for the APPA's Safety Award of Excellence.
Photo Credit: NYPA
About NYPA:
The New York Power Authority uses no tax money or state credit. It finances its operations through the sale of bonds and revenues earned in large part through sales of electricity. ■ NYPA has been designated as the lead entity via Executive Order 88 by Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo to form a central management and implementation plan to carry out his Build Smart NY plan to reduce energy use by state facilities by 20 percent by 2020. ■ NYPA is the nation's largest state public power organization, through the operation of its 16 generating facilities in various parts of New York State, participation in a unique public/private partnership to contract for power from a clean generating plant in Queens, and its operation of more than 1,400 circuit-miles of transmission lines. ■ More than 70 percent of the electricity NYPA produces is clean renewable hydropower. Its lower-cost power production and electricity purchases support hundreds of thousands of jobs throughout the state.■ For more information, www.nypa.gov
Hi-Res Version


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Moon Ball
Waboba • In Stock • 141765
5 years & up. Hold the moon in your hands! This unique ball has a light-weight design that allows it to bounce like there is no gravity and with a crazy spin. Turn a regular game into a fun, out of this world challenge for the playground, back yard, gym, basement, etc.
- Moon Ball comes in a gift box
- Instructions included
- Great for special needs
Customers Also Bought


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If the holiday season is sneaking up you, we're here to help. Thanksgiving is just around the corner and if you haven't booked your travel yet, follow the tips below to make sure you get the best deal possible.
Book your flight as soon as possible. If you see an air deal within your budget, book it!
If you can, avoid traveling on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving and the Sunday afterward. These tend to be the most expensive days to travel. To ensure you get the best prices, try flying out early on Thanksgiving day and returning on Saturday or Monday after the holiday.
See if there are nearby airports with more inexpensive fares. For example, if you're wanting to head to Miami this Thanksgiving, consider flying into Ft. Lauderdale to save money.
Wait to book your hotel room. This may sound backwards, but trust us on this one. Since most travelers stay with family during the holidays, many hotels offer great last-minute deals. Orbitz, Expedia and Last Minute Travel all offer great last-minute options.
Invest in travel insurance. Holiday travel can be more important than just a "normal" vacation. To make sure you're covered against the unexpected, add travel insurance to your travel package. Just look at everything that it covers.
We want to hear from you. Where are you traveling to this Thanksgiving? Leave a comment below, write on our Facebook page or Tweet us.
Happy Thanksgiving, travelers!


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Converting to D20 (part 3)
Continuing from this post...
I'm going to step back for a second and stress that my goal in the conversion process is only to produce enough information to actually use the character in a D20 game. I do not intend to create complete characters. With that in mind, the very nature of Risus affords us with a handy shorthand.
STEP # 3 - Skills
The most time consuming aspect of creating D20 characters is assigning their skills. I could post suggestions on how to translate cliché values into ranks for the standard list of D20 skills. But this doesn't take advantage of the power of the cliché system. Instead, why not keep the character's clichés and translate the cliché level into a D20 bonus? The cliché "Social Butterfly with a Natural Sense for Fashion and Culture (4)" implies proficiency in Appraise, Bluff, Diplomacy, Gather Information, and Knowledge (various). Thus, the cliché becomes a shorthand for all those skills.
So when using the cliché in D20, what should the bonus be? One approach would be to convert the cliché dice to D20 rank. One suggested conversion: cliché (1) = 1 rank, cliché (2) = 2-3 ranks, cliché (3) = 4-8 ranks, cliché (4) = 9-13 ranks, cliché (5) = 14-18 ranks, and cliché (6) = 19+ ranks. This is a relatively precise way to go, and has the advantage(?) of closely mirroring the original cliché values.
But an even easier way to handle it would be to discard the D20 rank entirely. We've already derived the character's level from the her cliché ranks. That means we could simple list the clichés with no level (which might be called "backgrounds" instead). Any task that relates to a cliché would be given ranks based on the character's total level. If, in the example above, the character with the "Social Butterfly" background is a 4th-level character then she might be assumed to have 7 ranks [level+3] in skills that relate directly to that background, perhaps 4 ranks [(level+3)/2] in skills of secondary importance, and 2 ranks in tertiary abilities [(level+3)/4].
This approach has the benefit of producing really abbreviated npc cards.
STEP # 4 - Feats
Simply select whatever feats seem appropriate. The important thing to remember is that these are significant feats - feats that let the character do cool stuff. Feats that simply give bonuses should not usually be specified, as bonuses are usually factored in elsewhere (and bonuses are boring).
As a rough rule of thumb, I select up to one feat for each die of any cliche (and try to pick feats that work for that cliché). Don't worry if you violate D20 standard here... these are NPCs, after all.
Labels: Conversions, D20


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Jump to Content
Works by Carol Muske-Dukes
Camouflage (1975)
Reviews, Publicity, and Copyright Permissions
Publicity and Copyright Permissions
"Essays on Revolution Written in a Class that Ran Out of Time"
"Essays on Revolution Written in a Class that Ran Out of Time"
"The Fault"
"For Annie"(Sounding)
"Monk's House, Rodmell"
"Still Life with Supernintendo"
"Summer Cold"
Early Versions
Dear Digby (1989)
Edelweiss / The Honey-Producers
Married to the Icepick Killer: A Poet in Hollywood (2002)
Saving St. Germ (1993)
Notes and Research
Women and Poetry: Truth, Autobiography, and the Shape of the Self (1997)
Articles and Essays
Blinding the Mind's Eye: The Death of the Heart
Dear Digby (Screenplay)
Channeling Mark Twain and Reviews
Channeling Mark Twain and Reviews
Channeling Mark Twain and Saving St. Germ
Channeling Mark Twain and Saving St. Germ
Channeling Mark Twain and World Leaders Program
Dear Digby
Dear Digby and Poems from Applause
Dear Digby and Poems from Applause
Dear Digby and "Monk's House, Rodmell"
Dear Digby and Monk's House, Rodmell
Life After Death, Poetry to the Point Article, and Paul Monette Piece
Life After Death, Elixir, Speech for Parents' Anniversary
Notes for Life After Death, Saving St. Germ, and Eavan Boland Essay
Juvenilia and Student Papers
Academic Files
University of Southern California
Course Information
Syllabi and Course Handouts
Correspondence and Notes
Art Without Walls
Correspondence, Notes, and Financial Documents
Other Programs, Projects, and Conferences
Breadloaf Writers Conference 1976 and 2002
Geraldine R. Dodge Poetry Festival
Giving Back the World
Subjects and Indexing Terms
The Inside Circuit and Right to Write
The Inside Circuit and Right to Write
Poetry Society of America West
Poetry to the Point
Pre-USC Courses
Bishop, Poetic Form, and Cartoon
Personal Correspondence
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Adewslia-Ostowslea, Lushnita 1992
Atwater, Lerri 1995, undated
Becker, Roberta 2001-2002
Berryman, Jo 1993-2002
Borbes, Bill 1978
Bowen, Barbara 1980-2001
Bowen, Laurel Page 2002
Burmaster, Mary 1999-2001
Buturain, Leah 1999-2003
Carlile, Nancy 1980
Cedent, Anita undated
Cohen, Elizabeth 1993
Curea, Victoria
Davis, Lisa 1982
Evans, Elizabeth 1998
Fletcher, Terri 1999
Flood, Reggie undated
Funicello, Linda 1980
Glivier, Leroy 2003
Gloe, Terrance 2000
Gould, Jean 1983-1986
Hall, Judith 1995-1997, undated
Halligan, Sue 1999
Halpern, Susan 1980
Harrison, Jeff 1998
Hempel, Amy 1995-1998, undated
Hillman, Brenda 1984-1997
Hoffman, Dick undated
Houghton, Helen 2001
Jiracek, Meg 1971, undated
Johnson, [?] 1977
Jones, Robert 1995-1998
Karr, Mary 2005-2006
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Keeley, Edmund and Pamela undated
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Kent, Barbara 1999
Kielpinski, Katie
Klein, Michael 1989-2005, undated
Koczywas, Marianna 1995-1997
Korelitz, Jean Hanff 1997
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Kraman, Cynthia 1993
Ladd, Lesleigh 1979
Lavender, William 1999
Levis, Larry 1979-1987, undated
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Lieben, Eileen 1994-2001
Lux, Thomas 1977-1995, undated
Subjects and Indexing Terms
McCarthy, Lee 1996
McFall, Gardner 1980-1997
Subjects and Indexing Terms
McGee, Lynn 1987-1993, undated
MacGuire, John 2002
McMahon, Lynne 1978-1984, undated
Subjects and Indexing Terms
McMahon, Lynne (cont.) 1985-1994
Mall, Jeanette 1975
Marhsall, Joan Van Ark 2001
Martin, Jay 2001
Miles, Josephine 1981
Moser, Dennis undated
Mosio, Jackie 1980, undated
Moyan, Nancy 1975
Musk, Dennis 1987
Muske, Bob and Mary Jo 1974-2001, undated
Muske, James 1974
Ontkean, Mike 1993-1998
Painter, Stephanie 1996
Paley, Paula 1973-1975
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Papin, Claude 2001
Parker, Robert 2004
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Pellegrini, Ann 2002-2003
Peters, Bob 1982
Place, Vanessa 2003
Pollitt, Katha 2003
Reiss, James 1977-1995, undated
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Reiss, Lisa 1981
Roman, David 2001
Samuelson, Karen 1976
Selman, Robyn 1982-1998
Simic, Goran 1996
Slattery, William 1994
Stewart, Jody 1979-1987
Tart, Indrek
[?], Victor 1976
Von Bow [?], Heidi 1980
Wallach, K [?] 1978
Wheeler, Susan 1999-2004
White, Mimi 1998
Whyatt, Frances 1975
Williams, Galen 1995
Wolloch, Cecilia 1991-1995
Xavier, Jonathan 1991
Yenser, Stephen 1986-1997
Zentall, Kate 1994
Condolences Regarding Death of David Dukes 2000-2002
Unidentified Correspondence
Professional Correspondence
13th Moon 1997
Agee, Louis - The American Review 1974-1996, undated
Subjects and Indexing Terms
The American Voice - Associated Writing Programs 1975-1999
The Atlantic Monthly - Baruch College 1984-2003
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Bennington College - Buzz 1976-2003
California Institute for the Arts - Cavan Kerry Press 1982-2003, undated
Chaffey College - Chrome Yellow Films 1976-2002
Columbia: A Magazine - Council of the Library Foundation 1975-2003, undated
E - F 1975-2004, undated
Green Mountain Review - Hunter, Vicky 1971-2003
Lanese, Peyrot and Mucci, Inc. - Lifshin, Lyn 1976-2005
Lila Wallace Reader's Digest Fund - Los Angeles Valley College 1985-2003
Lost Road Publishers - McQuade, Molly 1975-2004, undated
Maxwell Davidson Gallery - The Missouri Review 1975-2001
New York Council for the Humanities - New York University 1973-2004
The New Yorker 1976-1993, undated
Subjects and Indexing Terms
North Stone Review - Oxford University Press 1974-2005
Pacific Review - Pen Center USA West 1976-2001
Perry, Susan - Poetry Flash 1979-2002, undated
Pomona Valley Writers' Association - Pushcart Press 1979-2006
Random House 1999-2003
Rector, Liam - Rutgers University Press 1980-2004
Sacco, Mary Anne - Sarabande Books 1975-2002
Some - State University of New York Stony Brook 1980-2002, undated
Unites States Military Academy - University of California Riverside
University of Chicago - University of Iowa Press 1979-2005
University of Massachusetts - University of Northern Iowa 1975-2000
Viking Penguin, Inc. 1988-1993
Western Humanities Review - Writeoff Records
Correspondence from Muske-Dukes 1972-2005
Works by Others
Kovalcik, Janet. Dear Digby (Screenplay) manuscripts
Megel, Joseph. Dear Digby (script) manuscript
Pinksy, Robert 2004
Address Book
Family Papers
Compton, Richard (Photographer) c. 1981
Dukes, David
Geraldine R. Dodge Poetry Festival, 1966 1966
Muske-Dukes, Carol, 1980s
Pen/ Faulkner Award, 2002
Audio-Visual Materials
Compact Discs


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Debates of Oct. 1st, 2009
House of Commons Hansard #88 of the 40th Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was election.
- Question Period
- Interparliamentary Delegations
- Criminal Code
- Competition Act
- Petitions
- Questions on the Order Paper
- Business of Supply
- Firearms Registry
- Persons Case
- Le Détour de Notre-Dame-du-Lac Cheese Factory
- Mental Health Strategy
- China
- Canadian Forces
- Orangeville District Secondary School
- Guy Laliberté
- Leader of the Liberal Party of Canada
- Foreign Affairs
- Bloc Québécois
- Richard Wackid
- Leader of the Liberal Party of Canada
- International Seniors Day
- Aboriginal Affairs
- Governor General's Awards
- Government Policies
- Infrastructure
- Tax Harmonization
- Intergovernmental Relations
- Afghanistan
- Forestry Industry
- Aerospace Industry
- Employment
- Aerospace Industry
- Labour
- Infrastructure
- 2010 Winter Olympic Games
- Health
- Typhoon Ketsana
- Harmonized Sales Tax
- Science and Technology
- Employment Insurance
- Natural Resources
- Toronto Port Authority
- The Economy
- Natural Resources
- The Environment
- Employment Insurance
- Seniors
- International Cooperation
- Presence in Gallery
- Business of the House
- Points of Order
- Business of Supply
- Universal Declaration on Animal Welfare
Interparliamentary Delegations
Routine Proceedings
10:05 a.m.
James Bezan Selkirk—Interlake, MB
Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 34(1) I have the honour to present to the House, in both official languages, the report of the Canadian parliamentary delegation of the Canadian section of the Inter-Parliamentary Forum of the Americas respecting its participation in the special parliamentary dialogue held prior to the fifth summit of heads of state and the governments of the Americas held in Port of Spain Trinidad and Tobago, April 16 and 17, 2009.
Criminal Code
Routine Proceedings
10:05 a.m.
Marlene Jennings Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Lachine, QC
moved for leave to introduce Bill C-451, An Act to amend the Criminal Code (mischief).
Mr. Speaker, I am delighted to introduce this bill to amend the Criminal Code.
This bill makes it an offence to commit an act of mischief in relation to property motivated by bias, prejudice or hate based on religion, race, colour, sex, language or sexual orientation.
It is unfortunate that hate crimes have been committed in this country at community centres, religious institutions and educational institutions. The purpose of the bill is to take action against these crimes and to ensure that all Canadians are protected from such violence. The Canadian Jewish Congress, for instance, is in great support of this legislation.
I hope the bill will enjoy the support of my colleagues, as it does by my seconder, who I thank dearly, my colleague from Random—Burin—St. George's.
(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)
Competition Act
Routine Proceedings
10:05 a.m.
Robert Vincent Shefford, QC
moved for leave to introduce Bill C-452, An Act to amend the Competition Act (inquiry into industry sector).
Mr. Speaker, I am here in the House today to respond to my fellow citizens' concerns about an issue that makes voters in my riding angry year after year.
Our role as members of Parliament is to listen to people. Many people in my riding have contacted me by phone, by email or during my many encounters with voters in my riding and across Quebec. I listened to what people had to say, and I decided to take action.
I decided to take action because of the shameless price-gouging by the big oil companies that affects us all.
Quebeckers recently found out that a large group of retailers was conspiring to fix gas prices on the south shore of the St. Lawrence. The investigation was conducted in response to complaints submitted to the Competition Tribunal.
Across Quebec, people found it highly suspicious that the price of gas at every retailer fluctuated in such a coordinated fashion just before long weekends and summer holidays.
Last week, CAA confirmed that gasoline retailers have a huge profit margin.
All this time, people have been held hostage. The bill I am introducing today will give the Competition Bureau true investigative powers.
Once my bill has made it through the approval process in the House, the Competition Bureau will be able to undertake its own investigations and hit oil companies where it counts, in their pockets.
(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)
Rural Airports
Routine Proceedings
10:10 a.m.
Nathan Cullen Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC
Mr. Speaker, it is with great pleasure that I present a petition today from hundreds, virtually all of the residents from the communities around the Williams Lake and Quesnel who are demanding that services be restored to their airports.
Rural airports across Canada are receiving cuts through Transport Canada and through NAV CANADA to essential services required for businesses and basic safety for these communities.
It is an impressive petition. I hope the government takes it up and forthwith reverses these decisions to cut services to rural airports right across this country.
Library Book Rates
Routine Proceedings
10:10 a.m.
James Bezan Selkirk—Interlake, MB
Mr. Speaker, I have three petitions I want to present today.
Two of the petitions are from constituents who are looking at having the library book rate for public libraries expanded, that the rates be reduced and that the government support the private members' bill, Bill C-322, An Act to amend the Canada Post Corporation Act (library materials), which would protect and support the library book rate and extend it to our audio-visual materials.
Freshwater Fish Marketing Corporation
Routine Proceedings
10:10 a.m.
James Bezan Selkirk—Interlake, MB
Mr. Speaker, I have a petition signed by over 700 constituents with regard to the Freshwater Fish Marketing Corporation.
The petitioners call upon the House of Commons to amend the Freshwater Fish Marketing Act to allow for the dual marketing of fish species throughout the prairie region. This petition is largely supported by first nation and Métis fishers, as well as other commercial fishers throughout my riding.
Canadian Sikh Association
Routine Proceedings
10:10 a.m.
Andrew Kania Brampton West, ON
Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present a petition on behalf of my constituents with respect to the 25th anniversary of the June 4, 1984 killings that took place in the Golden Temple and 38 other gurdwaras in the Punjab.
On behalf of the members of the Canadian Sikh Association and the constituents, I would like to submit this petition.
Canadian Sikh Association
Routine Proceedings
10:10 a.m.
The Speaker Peter Milliken
I see the hon. member for Skeena—Bulkley Valley is rising. The normal practice is for a member to be recognized once. He might have presented two petitions at the same time.
Is there consent to allow the member for Skeena—Bulkley Valley to present another petition at this time?
Canadian Sikh Association
Routine Proceedings
10:10 a.m.
Some hon. members
Canada Post
Routine Proceedings
10:10 a.m.
Nathan Cullen Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC
Mr. Speaker, I apologize for presenting petitions twice.
The second petition contains signatures collected from virtually every resident of Queen Charlotte Islands, Haida Gwaii who are petitioning against the service cutbacks that Canada Post has since issued. We are seeing postal delivery times of three to four weeks to this collection of 5,000 people who live on the Islands. It is an incredible travesty and is hurting businesses and essential services throughout the region. It must be reversed. Canada Post works on behalf of all Canadians wherever they might live. It is unacceptable and the response from the Islands has been most extraordinary. I have never seen a set of petitions coming from Skeena of this size and magnitude.
Questions on the Order Paper
Routine Proceedings
10:10 a.m.
Regina—Lumsden—Lake Centre
Tom Lukiwski Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons
Mr. Speaker, I ask that all questions be allowed to stand.
Questions on the Order Paper
Routine Proceedings
10:10 a.m.
The Speaker Peter Milliken
Is that agreed?
Questions on the Order Paper
Routine Proceedings
10:10 a.m.
Some hon. members
Opposition Motion--Government Policies
Business of Supply
Government Orders
October 1st, 2009 / 10:10 a.m.
Michael Ignatieff Leader of the Opposition
That this House has lost confidence in the government.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in this House today to announce formally that the official opposition has lost confidence in the government. This is a serious step and we owe an explanation both to this House and to the Canadian people of our grounds for doing so.
We have lost confidence in this government. We are standing up for those who have been abandoned by this government. I will try to provide some concrete reasons why we will no longer support this government.
First, the Conservatives have lost control of the public finances of our country. A year ago they were at the edge of deficit and by February they were at a deficit of $32 billion. Suddenly, four or five weeks later, it is at $50 billion. At the end of the summer they announced that the deficit was at $56 billion.
Who in the House can actually believe this figure will not climb somewhere near $60 billion by Christmas? This is a terrible record of failure and someone must stand up in the House and call it what it is: abject failure on the public finance management of this country. They have no plan to get us out.
All Canadians must understand that this deficit will hang around the necks of Canadians like a stone. It jeopardizes our capacity to provide adequate health care for Canadians in the future. It jeopardizes our capacity to help seniors and guarantee a secure retirement for our fellow citizens. It jeopardizes our capacity to help the unemployed. That is the first reason we cannot have confidence in the government.
The second reason is a question we need to ask ourselves. We have a $56 billion deficit and what do we get for it? Do we have some grand new project that renews the infrastructure of our country, makes us stronger and makes us more united? What we have instead is a reward program for the Conservative Party of Canada. Conservative ridings have benefited disproportionately from this stimulus expenditure and we have the figures to prove it.
Then there is the issue of actually getting the money out the door. We have seen the press releases and have heard the announcement that 90% has been committed but when we actually look at the stimulus funding that we can see on the ground, 12% has gone out the door. I was at a soy bean field in Burlington. The Conservatives wish us to believe that it is a car park. I am here to tell everyone that it is still a soy bean field.
There is worse than that. The government has used taxpayer money and spent six times more promoting its own inaction plan than it has to promote the public health of Canadians and warn them about the dangers of H1N1.
That brings me to the third issue, which is the protection of the public health of Canadians. With H1N1, every Canadian can see on television that in other countries people are already being vaccinated. We are still waiting for a plan. We are still waiting for the vaccine. It is the government's responsibility and it has not stepped up.
If people were to go to aboriginal communities and talk to the chiefs, as I did yesterday, they listen with disbelief as the health minister tells them that 90% of them are ready for the H1N1 epidemic. They know perfectly well that their nursing stations are not ready. What did they get from the government? They got body bags.
We are not finished. Across the country, cancer and heart patients are waiting for nuclear medicine and diagnostics because twice on the government's watch over four years it has failed to supply an adequate amount of nuclear isotopes for the Canadian medical profession. This record of failure is just not good enough.
As if that was not enough, when the Canadian health system is under constant relentless attack from our ideological friends south of the border, what do we hear from the other side of the House? There is total deafening silence. That is public health.
Let us look at what Conservatives have done in respect of Canadian technologies and jobs. The government has been in office for nearly four years and the litany of great Canadian companies that have gone under, been bought or been traded away is getting longer and longer: Nortel, Inco, Falconbridge, Stelco and Alcan. There has been no attempt to defend Canadian jobs and Canadian technologies.
We are now in the absurd situation of having a technological hub, which is a world leader in the Kitchener—Waterloo area, sitting there watching while Canadian patents and technologies developed at home are sold to their competitors. How are we to create the jobs of tomorrow unless we have a government that stands up for Canadian technology today?
We welcome public investment but we want transparent public reviews so Canadian workers and employers can know exactly what undertakings foreign companies give when they come to this country, so that we actually do have net benefit for this country.
Let me move to another area where the government has failed Canadians. It has failed to protect Canadians abroad. For those named Suaad Mohamud or Abdelrazik, it turns out that their passport is not worth what they think it is worth. They cannot count on the protection of the Canadian government.
This side of the House says very clearly, so all Canadians can understand, a Canadian is a Canadian is a Canadian.
Speaking of Canada overseas, the government, over four long years, has steadily diminished Canada's influence and weight overseas. Who in the world can take us seriously as a partner in climate change? We were missing in action at Bali, and we will be missing in action in Copenhagen if the government survives.
Who will actually listen to Canada on the climate change issue? We have had three ministers of the environment, three plans and no action. We have lost all credibility on this issue in the international arena. Who would vote for Canada?
Who would vote for Canada in the Security Council? We have held a seat there almost every decade since the founding of the institution. Who would vote for Canada in the Security Council when the Prime Minister of Canada cannot even bother to show up at the UN General Assembly?
Who in China or India will take seriously Canadian entrepreneurship, Canadian technology, Canadian products if the Prime Minister of Canada cannot even bother to show up to lead trade missions to open those markets to our Canadian entrepreneurs?
These are the kinds of failings that have made us, week after week, month after month, not just over the last year but over four long years, come to the conclusion that we cannot continue to support the government.
Is this a pattern of incompetence or is this a pattern of malice? It is a little of both but there is something else going on that needs to be called by its proper name. There is a deeper design here, a design to permanently weaken the capacity of the federal Government of Canada to help Canadians.
There is, on the opposite side of the House, what could be called the starve-the-beast ideology. We know where that ideology comes from but it is not suited to Canada. It will weaken and eventually it could change Canada beyond recognition.
This party stands against that ideology all the way down. We stand against it because we believe profoundly that if this ideology prevails in this country, it will permanently weaken the tissues that bind our society together, the health care system of which we are so proud, the care for the aged which distinguishes us as a civilized society, and the capacity of our society to provide security in retirement.
The government works on one plan and one plan only, starve the beast, lower expectations of government so far until Canadians cease to have any expectations of the federal government whatsoever. This is an unworthy way to govern this country, and we stand against it.
Canadians are not looking for a centralizing government. This party has a vision of a government that works with others; a government that reflects real Canadian values like helping others, and not every person for themselves; values like compassion and competence. Canadians are looking for a government that understands words like compromise, collaboration, compassion and respect. We are waiting in vain for a government that embodies these values.
It is not just the Conservatives' ideology. It is not just their policies. It is the way they conduct politics in this country, what they have done to our politics. All adversaries are enemies. We cannot run Canada that way. This is not a country that we can divide in that way.
All adversaries are enemies; all methods are fair; and all public money is available for partisan purposes. This is unworthy of the political traditions of this country.
When we have a little private moment among our friends at a fundraiser in Sault Ste. Marie, the real story comes out, which is that we want an election so that we can teach Canadians a lesson. That is not how I understand democracy. That is not how this party understands democracy.
We actually receive lessons from the public. We do not give them to the public. We do not use an election to teach left-wing judges a lesson. We do not use elections to teach women who help other women through the cycle of domestic abuse a lesson. We want to use elections to bring Canadians together, to rouse them to a higher purpose.
This kind of approach to politics will weaken and divide our country. It goes beyond that. There is a cynicism about politics which they cultivate through the ways in which they neglect and ignore their own promises. There is an indifference to their own promises, which is astounding.
The Prime Minister of Canada lives in an eternal present where he cannot remember what he promised to Canadians the day before and cannot remember what he will promise the day after. Income trusts: "I can't remember I ever made that promise". Appointment of senators: "I can't remember I ever promised to reform the institution". He cannot remember that he promised there would be no tax increases.
This party has discovered upon looking closely that the Conservatives have hidden a payroll tax of $13 billion in the weeds, and they do not have the guts to stand up and tell Canadians that is what they are doing.
We deserve better. We deserve a compassionate, creative, collaborative government that unites Canadians; one that does not divide them. A government that invites Quebeckers and francophones from across the country to be part of the process; a government that will govern instead of dividing Canadians with partisan games.
We are looking for a government that believes in telling Canadians the truth, a government that believes that growth does not just happen with a market miracle. It requires the focused strategic guidance of a compassionate and creative government.
We believe we are looking for a government that actually thinks it can be a leader, not a follower, in the great drama, the great challenge of global climate change. We are looking for a government that believes in the compassion and creativity of Canadians and wants to stand with them, not against them, and build a great country together. We do not have this government now and we cannot pretend any longer that we do.
Therefore we will stand up in the House and we will support the Canadians who have been abandoned by the government. We will do our job even if it does not.


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As an artist Dutch painter Daniel Douglas (1984) paints portraits, nudes, still lifes and landscapes in a magic realistic style. The refined classic oil-paint techniques, which are characteristic for this style, he learned from the realistic painter Maarten Welbergen. Later on he increased his knowledge of the human anatomy at the Florence Academy of Art in Italy. Here he worked, under the guidance of the painter Daniel Graves, with discipline and perseverance on the improvement of his style. The art ...
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More: Trip Page | Interactive Travel Map
On August 6, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton traveled to South Africa, where she met with former South African President Nelson Mandela and participated in the U.S.-South Africa Business Partnership Summit. In Johannesburg on August 7, Secretary Clinton held a bilateral meeting with South African Foreign Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane and participated in the U.S.-South Africa Strategic Dialogue.
The U.S.-South Africa Strategic Dialogue focused on the partnership between the United States and South Africa in addressing issues of mutual concern and our shared challenges on the African and world stage. Secretary Clinton said, "My visit here is the centerpiece of a trip that began in Senegal, continued in South Sudan, Uganda, Kenya, and Malawi. It will conclude with visits to Nigeria, Ghana, and Benin. And at every stop, I had the same message: America wants to build sustainable partnerships in Africa. As the Minister said, this is the message of President Obama's recently published strategy toward Sub-Saharan Africa, and it is one that I and my colleagues work every day to achieve. And nowhere is that more true or more important than here in South Africa. We are building a partnership that adds value -- saving and improving lives, spreading opportunity and sparking economic growth, strengthening the institutions of democracy, and so much more."
Secretary Clinton also met with AU Chair-Designate Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma and U.S. and South African business leaders in Johannesburg.
On August 8, Secretary Clinton spoke at the University of Western Cape in Cape Town, South Africa, where she discussed the United States-South Africa Partnership. In her remarks, Secretary Clinton said, "In this pivotal time, the United States of America is committed to supporting you. As President Barack Obama said so memorably in Ghana in 2009, the nations of Africa need partnership, not patronage; not strongmen, but strong institutions. And the United States seeks to build sustained partnerships that help African nations, including this one, to fulfill your own aspirations."
Secretary Clinton continued, "...In each of these four areas -- development, economic growth, peace and security, democracy and human rights -- South Africa already embodies so many of the values that the world is looking for. And we look forward to deepening our cooperation. But let us remember no country's influence is a birthright -- not America's and not South Africa's. We have our own work cut out for us to keep moving toward and trying to achieve the unachievable more perfect union, to live up to our values, to use our influence and power to help others achieve their own dreams. And if South Africa is to achieve the full measure of your own ambition, you too must face and solve your own challenges in health and education, economic inequality, unemployment, race relations, gender-based violence, the issues that you live with and must address."
While in Cape Town, the Secretary also visited the Delft South Clinic. During her visit to the Delft South Clinic, Secretary Clinton said, "Since 2003, our countries have worked side by side through the U.S. initiative known as PEPFAR. Our collaboration has been vast and effective. The United States has provided $3.2 billion U.S. dollars to support South Africa's comprehensive response to the epidemic. And look at the results. Together, through our joint efforts, more than 1.2 million South Africans began treatment for HIV, and 2.4 million people with HIV have received care. Nearly 15 million people were tested during last year's national testing campaign. And I, too, wish to applaud everyone who has worked so hard to bring down the rate of mother-to-child transmission. It's now down to a remarkable 2.7 percent, and we want to work with you to bring it to zero -- so no baby is every born with the virus."
Secretary Clinton is on travel to Senegal, South Sudan, Uganda, Kenya, Malawi, and South Africa July 31 through August 10. You can follow her trip to Africa on www.state.gov.
Tom in India writes:
Really helpfull topic.
Linda C. in California writes:
I would like to express my concern about the FARM MURDERS in South Africa. Gregory Stanton from GENOCIDE WATCH has put Afrikaner murders at level 6 and is urging all white people to consider leaving the country for their survival. This is not a widely known thing, despite the thousands of minority farmers, whole families, women, children and elderly who have tortured, raped and murdered. The president sings a song with words "Kill the Farmer," which he was asked to stop. I'd like Hillary Clinton to encourage him to do more than that. Thank you.


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Debates of Jan. 30th, 2008
House of Commons Hansard #40 of the 39th Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was ethanol.
- Question Period
- Joseph Neil Tilley
- Father Louis Quinn
- Olymel
- Status of Women
- Alzheimer Awareness Month
- Red River Floodway
- Human Rights
- Manufacturing and Forestry Industries
- National Red Scarf Day
- Alzheimer's Disease
- Aboriginal Affairs
- Alzheimer's Disease
- Human Rights
- Minister of Public Works and Government Services
- The Ladybug Foundation
- Justice
- Afghanistan
- Public Works and Government Services
- Afghanistan
- Ethics
- Manufacturing and Forestry Industries
- Chalk River Nuclear Facilities
- Science and Technology
- Kenya
- Public Works and Government Services
- Manufacturing Industry
- Public Works and Government Services Canada
- Industry
- Public Safety
- Softwood Lumber
- Industry
- Hog Industry
- Points of Order
- Privilege
- Committees of the House
- Petitions
- Questions on the Order Paper
- Motions for Papers
- Privilege
- Criminal Code
- Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999
- Settlement of International Investment Disputes Act
- Old Age Security Program
2:05 p.m.
The Speaker Peter Milliken
It being Wednesday, we will now have the singing of the national anthem led by the hon. member for Mississauga South.
[Members sang the national anthem]
Joseph Neil Tilley
Statements By Members
2:05 p.m.
Fabian Manning Avalon, NL
Mr. Speaker, on January 26 our province was saddened to hear of the passing of Joseph Neil Tilley.
Neil graduated from Memorial University with a degree in anthropology. While at MUN, he served as president of the students' union. Following his graduation, he worked with the university extension services, which deployed staff in rural areas of Newfoundland to assist communities in self-improvement initiatives.
He travelled extensively throughout the province and many parts of the world to bring his expertise on self-betterment to others less fortunate. Neil also acquired a master's degree in community development and planned to get his doctorate, but became ill before this could be accomplished.
When Neil's work brought him back home to Kelligrews, he reactivated his farm operation and practised organic farming. He acquired the skills and training needed to teach these farming methods to others.
Neil was always interested in the environment and, with others, founded the Kelligrews Ecological Enhancement Program, KEEP, whose mandate in part is to conserve, preserve and enhance.
Neil was a very spiritual man, a man of faith that has never wavered. He was a good man who died too young. His years on earth were filled with accomplishments that most of us can only dream of.
Our deepest sympathies go out to his family and friends.
Father Louis Quinn
Statements By Members
2:05 p.m.
Alan Tonks York South—Weston, ON
Mr. Speaker, I have the honour of rising today to inform the House of a spectacular scene that recently unfolded in the Dominican Republic. A funeral procession for a simple man, in a simple casket, was joined spontaneously by more than 5,000 locals pouring down the hills from a picturesque Dominican town.
They paid their respects to a man who taught for 60 years and who comforted and inspired Dominicans in all corners of their island nation. They honoured a man who led initiatives that saw 600 kilometres of roads paved, 2,000 homes built, 69 schools constructed, 11 medical clinics created, and the construction of 13 community centres.
That man was Father Louis Quinn. He was a man of God, a missionary, an incredible champion for the Dominican people, and he was a Canadian. Born in Toronto, Father Quinn brought love, selflessness and advocacy to distant Caribbean shores. It was said by the Dominican president that his nation would never forget Father Quinn.
I hope that all members of this House as representatives of our nation will join me in recognizing and saluting the memory of Father Louis Quinn.
Statements By Members
2:05 p.m.
Pierre Paquette Joliette, QC
Mr. Speaker, on January 19, the Olymel company, located in the Lanaudière region, donated 60,000 kilos of pork and poultry, worth an estimated $500,000, thus allowing 16,000 poor families and 5,000 underprivileged children to receive this food, through Moisson Lanaudière, in Joliette.
The hon. member for Montcalm and I wish to congratulate the company's CEO, Réjean Nadeau, his unionized employees and their president, Mario Maisonneuve, who agreed to work long hours during three weekends, out of solidarity with all these people. The Lanaudière families in need and the entire community are proud to acknowledge the solidarity displayed by everyone in that company.
On behalf of all my Bloc Québécois colleagues, thank you for your generosity, and congratulations on your fine humanitarian action.
Status of Women
Statements By Members
2:05 p.m.
Irene Mathyssen London—Fanshawe, ON
Mr. Speaker, January 28 was the 20th anniversary of the Supreme Court of Canada's Morgentaler decision, which decriminalized abortion in Canada. The legal decision was a victory for Canadian women. The court fully recognized that the law was unfair and that it presented unreasonable obstacles to women seeking abortions.
While the Morgentaler decision is something to celebrate, women in Canada still face obstacles in accessing abortion services. The number of hospitals in Canada providing these services is declining and some provincial governments are violating the Canada Health Act by refusing to fund clinics, thus leaving women without the right to choose.
The government is failing ordinary women in Canada by not ensuring equal and accessible abortion services. This is an equality issue and another example of the government's disregard for the welfare and rights of women.
Alzheimer Awareness Month
Statements By Members
2:05 p.m.
Patrick Brown Barrie, ON
Mr. Speaker, January is Alzheimer Awareness Month. The Alzheimer Society of Canada and its local organizations are asking Canadians to make a commitment to improving their brain health by making changes to help reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer's.
Alzheimer's disease is a degenerative brain disorder that most often occurs in people over the age of 65. Alzheimer's and related diseases affect approximately half a million people in Canada, a number that will double within a generation.
Just this past Sunday, I attended the annual Alzheimer walk in Barrie organized by Erika Rice of the Alzheimer Society of Greater Simcoe County.
We are privileged to have representatives from the Alzheimer Society of Canada here today. They have come to inform us of their efforts to beat the disease in communities across the country and to help educate all citizens about the far-reaching effects of this devastating disease.
I would like to acknowledge the impressive work the society does and encourage my colleagues to attend the coffee break on the Hill event at 3:30 p.m. today to learn about what we can do as individuals and legislators in making the commitment to better brain health.
Red River Floodway
Statements By Members
2:10 p.m.
Raymond Simard Saint Boniface, MB
Mr. Speaker, Manitoba's Red River Floodway is an engineering marvel and it has single-handedly saved Canadians billions of dollars in disaster relief funding over the years.
The floodway is currently undergoing a major expansion, with the federal government contributing 50% of the total costs, but there is a catch.
Manitoba Liberal MPs fought extremely hard to secure the first half of the funding from the Canada strategic infrastructure fund, having convinced the Liberal cabinet of the day that this project was of national significance.
The current regional minister, the member of Parliament for Provencher, does not believe this and is planning on paying for the second portion with funds that would normally be allocated to other Manitoba infrastructure priorities, and this in a have not province.
Manitobans are being robbed of $170 million by the Conservative government. This is wrong. They should be outraged.
The floodway expansion is a project of national importance and we need a minister who believes this, a minister who will not cave in to his cabinet colleagues every time. In fact, we need a new government that will fight for Manitoba.
Human Rights
Statements By Members
2:10 p.m.
Pierre Poilievre Nepean—Carleton, ON
Mr. Speaker, last week UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour welcomed the coming into force of the Arab charter, which calls for "rejecting all forms of racism and Zionism" and says that Zionism is "a violation of human rights" and poses "a threat" to world peace.
Eradicating Zionism would mean the eradication of the Jewish state. The Canadian government does not support Ms. Arbour in her endorsement of this goal. In fact, we call on Ms. Arbour to apologize, renounce the Arab charter and state unequivocally that Zionism is a perfectly legitimate movement.
Here at home, the Liberal Party must make clear its own position on the Arab charter. Saying one thing to one group and something different to another is deceptive.
Parliament should stand with one voice, condemn Ms. Arbour's remarks and support our democratic allies in Israel.
Manufacturing and Forestry Industries
Statements By Members
2:10 p.m.
Robert Vincent Shefford, QC
Mr. Speaker, the Conservative government continues to ignore the thousands of workers in the manufacturing and forestry industries in Quebec. The announcement made on January 10 angered everyone affected by the worst crisis ever to hit the manufacturing and forestry industries, which are vital to Quebec's economy.
Quebec will receive only $216 million of the $1 billion spread over three years. This is a pittance when you consider that during the same period the rich oil companies in the west will benefit from tax reductions totalling $2.8 billion.
In acting in this way, the right-wing Conservative government is thumbing its nose at the 43,000 workers in these sectors who lost their jobs in 2007. Despite the pressing need for assistance, this government has the gall to make this aid conditional on approval of the budget. This is blackmail. The silence of the Conservative members from Quebec is confirmation that only the Bloc Québécois members are defending the interests of the manufacturing and forestry industries in Quebec.
National Red Scarf Day
Statements By Members
2:10 p.m.
Lynne Yelich Blackstrap, SK
Mr. Speaker, tomorrow, January 31, is National Red Scarf Day. Twelve year old Miss Hannah Taylor initiated this campaign. As a young child, she witnessed a person homeless and hungry and was moved to take action to combat homelessness in Canada.
The Minister of Human Resources and Social Development and I met with this charming young lady this morning to express our government's support for her great work.
We recognize that a safe and stable home is an important first step on the path out of poverty. Our new homelessness partnering strategy works with other levels of government, the private sector and community organizations like Hannah's Ladybug Foundation to implement solutions that address local problems. Together, our work is delivering results.
We recognize National Red Scarf Day. On behalf of the government, I am pleased to acknowledge the valuable work of Hannah Taylor, the Ladybug Foundation and the Canadians who support this worthy cause. We thank Hannah.
Alzheimer's Disease
Statements By Members
January 30th, 2008 / 2:10 p.m.
Carolyn Bennett St. Paul's, ON
Mr. Speaker, Alzheimer's disease indiscriminately affects close to half a million Canadians, robbing them of their memory, their ability to reason, and ultimately their independence, and yet there are changes in our lives that we can make to reduce the risk.
I hope that my parliamentary colleagues will spend their coffee break with the representatives of the Alzheimer Society and find out more about how to boost brain health in Canada.
I would also like to pay tribute to Sarah Polley's moving film, Away from Her, based on Alice Munro's short story, which illuminates the heartbreak of Alzheimer's. The film has been nominated for two Oscars. I want to congratulate Ms. Polley and Telefilm Canada.
As Canadians, we should call upon the government to ensure it mounts a proper campaign to make sure that we win those Oscars for an even greater awareness of Alzheimer's and the fabulous Canadian film industry.
Aboriginal Affairs
Statements By Members
2:15 p.m.
Rod Bruinooge Winnipeg South, MB
Mr. Speaker, it is shocking that first nations people on reserve are denied the same human rights protections that all other Canadians enjoy.
After 30 years of this discrimination, our Conservative government is set to pass Bill C-21 in order to heal this scar. However, today, in the aboriginal affairs committee, after delaying the bill for more than a year, the Liberals, NDP and Bloc are conspiring to pass amendments that will nullify the effectiveness of this bill.
Former Liberal minister of Indian affairs, Robert Nault, has urged that this legislation be passed immediately. He says that it is a way to prove Canada is serious about equality, but fellow Liberals are not listening.
Yesterday, the Canadian Human Rights Commission released a report urging support for the bill. Yet again, the Liberals are just sitting on their hands.
As an aboriginal Canadian, I am offended by the actions of the Liberals over the last year. I demand that they end their anti-rights agenda and pass the bill without watering it down.
Alzheimer's Disease
Statements By Members
2:15 p.m.
Alexa McDonough Halifax, NS
Mr. Speaker, I rise to speak on a matter dear to my heart: the urgent need to declare dementia a national health priority.
The most prevalent dementia, Alzheimer's, is a degenerative brain disorder with no known cure, affecting one in thirteen Canadians over sixty-five. Only a national Alzheimer's strategy supported by increased funding for research, treatment and care and more adequate protection for vulnerable adults will prevent this deadly disease from overwhelming our human services system.
Family caregivers in homes and institutions in every community struggle to care for those suffering from Alzheimer's. They deserve our support. After question period today, our Speaker has invited every MP to learn more about the Heads Up for Healthier Brains campaign being waged by Alzheimer Society of Canada.
The Alzheimer's challenge cuts across political party lines and regional divides. I call upon all members of Parliament to come together and work together to meet this challenge.
Human Rights
Statements By Members
2:15 p.m.
Anita Neville Winnipeg South Centre, MB
Mr. Speaker, last week three parties in the House of Commons came together to support the government's decision to withdraw from the Durban Review Conference. The conference became a platform for blatant anti-Semitism, making a mockery of the fight against racism.
Yesterday, the meanspirited government could not resist the opportunity to politicize the issue. The member for Calgary Southeast irresponsibly misrepresented the multi-partisan support for the decision to withdraw from the conference. His intemperate comments undermine the constant struggle against racism.
On Monday, in the House, I called on the government to halt funding to non-governmental organizations that would be attending the conference. Yesterday, it took that step. Still, Canada should do much more to lead the fight against racism. Instead of taking the lead, the government attempted to smear members on this side of the House.
The government must stop playing petty partisan games and come together with all members of the House in the fight against racism.
Minister of Public Works and Government Services
Statements By Members
2:15 p.m.
Meili Faille Vaudreuil—Soulanges, QC
Mr. Speaker, Michael Fortier, an unelected minister, does not hesitate to give lessons in democracy to the elected members of this House, which is quite surprising given that he refused to run in the recent byelection in Quebec.
He is perverting democracy by implying that he is elected, opening campaign offices in my riding and making government announcements in the company of Conservative candidates.
This is the same Michael Fortier, the Minister of Public Works and Government Services, whose office is currently embroiled in allegations of political interference, as we learned yesterday.
These are just a few examples of how this government pays lip service to the idea of democracy, which it blithely uses for blatantly partisan purposes.


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Can Amazon Put Brick and Mortar Retail Back Together Again?
Jeff Bezos, speaking to Charlie Rose on CBS, discussed the issue. In the process, he proved why he is, by leaps and bounds, the best CEO in the world, right alongside Howard Schultz at Starbucks (SBUX) .
Watch this. It is simply fantastic stuff (with respect to CBS, you might have to sit through a 30-second commercial, but it's well worth it):
If your first reaction was Wait a minute, the Kindle Fire is a 'me, too' product , you really don't understand Amazon. Sadly, I might not be able to save you, but I'll try.
If 100 companies are doing something and you're the 101st, you're not really bringing any value to society .
Couple this with the strategy of aggressive spending to seize massive opportunity and, again, with the exception of Starbucks , there is not another company, across industries, doing anything even as close to entrepreneurial, innovative and exciting as Amazon.
Plenty of companies with limited resources, relative to Amazon and Starbucks, are taking similar chances, but it's a different ball game. Very few giants and blue-chips take this approach. They park money overseas, hem and haw about political gridlock and produce uninspiring copycats of what everybody else is already doing. That's not money well spent.
So, we know that Amazon took the $3 billion bond because it's a great environment to do it in. It's relatively cheap debt and the company has so many different directions it can go in to get a solid ROI from the move.
It will work on Amazon Web Services. It's dropping serious cash on a new headquarters building. Of course, Jeff Bezos is probably frightened by Netflix (NFLX) CEO Reed Hastings' strong words ( via All Things D ) so he needs extra cash to spend on digital content.
There's little doubt in most people's minds that, as it exponentially expands its fulfillment capacity in and around major urban centers, Amazon will shoot for same-day delivery.
That brings us to the possibility of physical retail.
Amazon already tests something like same-day delivery in select cities across the U.S. -- Amazon Locker . For some items you have the option at checkout to pick up your items at a location somewhere in your city.
These two concepts -- same-day delivery and Amazon Locker -- could naturally lead to at least a handful of brick and mortar outlets.
From a branding standpoint, it makes sense to have a store in Seattle, Manhattan, downtown San Francisco and somewhere in Southern California. However, as Bezos said -- and this is why I love him -- it makes no sense to do brick and mortar merely for the sake of doing it.


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GoingOutGuide Bars+%26+Clubs
Subscribe: Home Delivery | Digital
Let Yourself Go at a New Club in Shaw
By Fritz Hahn
Washington Post Weekend Section
Friday, December 14, 2007
The scene: Town, a new nightspot in Shaw, is "what Washington needed," say owners Ed Bailey and John Guggenmos. And what, exactly, have we been lacking? A surprisingly cozy 20,000-square-foot club with a stage custom-built for nightly drag shows, where the focus will be on big production numbers, and two large dance floors that throb until 4 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.
"Sometime in the last decade, night life got so serious," Bailey says. "It's supposed to be about having fun and letting go." Many of Washington's newer clubs offer multiple rooms and experiences, but that's the opposite of what Bailey and Guggenmos wanted. Both floors have a large central space where music is the focus. That way, Bailey says, the dance floor can provide "a big unifying experience. That big, happy moment when you're all rallying together and you feel, 'I'm not alone. I'm standing with thousands of people, and I'm feeling the same thing that they are.' " Both levels have alcoves and raised areas with couches and seating. The speakers are focused enough that you can have conversations, especially in the narrow, nearly soundproof room that runs the length of the club on the second floor.
In your glass: The emphasis is on basic drinks: bottled beer, flavored vodka-and-mixer.
On the dance floor: The long-running Velvet party at Nation, which Bailey and Guggenmos were involved with, had a reputation for bringing in the biggest names on the gay party circuit, but after years of what he calls "thump, thump, thump" DJs, "the music got a little out there for a general audience," says Bailey, who's known on the East Coast for his own DJ skills. At Town, he says, "we definitely wanted to be more accessible musically than we had a reputation for being at Nation."
Friday's 18-and-older Downtown party features straight-up retro downstairs, including Deee-Lite and Boy George, while the second floor features a mix of new electro tunes and driving remixes of pop songs. Saturday, meanwhile, is 21-and-older, and the music is closer to what was heard at Nation: tribal and house but less dark, with more vocals and remixes of popular tunes. Both nights feature plenty of scantily clad go-go boys gyrating on raised platforms.
Need to know: There are two 45-minute drag shows each night. The dance floor is covered with tables and chairs, but there's plenty of room for standing, too. Miss Lena Lett hosts on Friday, while Ella Fitzgerald, the famed host at Ziegfeld's, is the emcee on Saturday. Performances begin at 9:30 and 11. The upstairs dance floor gets going at 11 both nights.
Nice to know: Come as yourself, whether that means in a button-down shirt and jeans or a T-shirt that you're going to whip off on the dance floor, because Town doesn't have a dress code.
Town has a designated smoking area in the rear of the club, but waits can be really long. Bailey says the number of smoking customers is much higher than they anticipated. Don't try to go out front, either: To avoid disturbing the neighbors, anyone who walks out the front door has to wait in line and pay again to get back in.
Price points: Admission is $10 on Friday and $12 on Saturday. Parking in the club's secure lot is $15. The coat check charges $3 per item. Drinks are about $8 each.
What people are saying: "When I read the description [on Town's Web site, http://www.towndc.com], I expected a diverse mix of danceable music . . . but what I found was nothing out of the ordinary," says transportation planner Michael Eichler, 34. "The first song I heard . . . was a remix of a Whitney Houston song, so I proceeded upstairs, where I was greeted by a Britney [Spears] song. At that point, I realized that neither of the floors was going to play the electro-pop-rock advertised on the site."


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I think we created too much hype and conversation about EVs and plug-in hybrids,' an analyst says.America who doubles as a Leaf salesman in the Los Angeles area, says electric cars are doing great. "Instead of a few hundred EV drivers, we now have almost 20,000. A high percentage of these are vocal advocates of the technology... As long as the external costs of dirty energy are not in the price, we'll be at a disadvantage, but the gap will close eventually, one way or the other, and EVs will dominate in every way."
Some predict that battery pack costs will be cut in half within five years.combines an electric motor and batteries with a gas engine acting as a generator) "will be the long-term winner" because it solves the "range anxiety" issue presented by battery cars that travel 100 miles on a charge. Even with that advantage, however, GM's sales goal of 45,000 for the Volt in 2012 may be overly optimistic. "I want some of whatever they're smoking," said Eric Evarts, associate autos editor at Consumer Reports.
One report finds electric vehicles will have a penetration of 26 percent in the global market by 2020.demanding. "No one knows how to meet these regulations without massive hybridization and electrification," he said. In the film Revenge of the Electric Car, Lutz says that "the electrification of the automobile is inevitable."
China now has 55 companies building electric vehicles or launching development programs.despite the lowest subsidy ($491) on the continent. Denmark, with very lucrative $26,000 tax credits possible on EVs, registered only 283 of them in the first half of 2011. JATO concluded that perks associated with EVs — such as free city-center parking in Oslo, Norway and access to bus lanes —mattered more than price as a determining factor. In Norway, despite lower subsidies, EV sales were three times those of Denmark.
MORE FROM YALE e360
Can Electric Cars Take Off?
A Roadmap to Find the Answer


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The world's cultivated soils have lost 50 to 70 percent of their original carbon stock.the U.S., but a key consequence of that transformation has largely been overlooked: a massive loss of soil carbon into the atmosphere. The importance of soil carbon — how it is leached from the earth and how that process can be reversed — is the subject of intensifying scientific investigation, with important implications for the effort to slow the rapid rise of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
A look at soil brings a sharper focus on potential carbon sinks.heavily focused on curbing emissions of fossil fuels. But a look at soil brings a sharper focus on potential carbon sinks. Reducing emissions is crucial, but soil carbon sequestration needs to be part of the picture as well, says Lal. The top priorities, he says, are restoring degraded and eroded lands, as well as avoiding deforestation and the farming of peatlands, which are a major reservoir of carbon and are easily decomposed upon drainage and cultivation.
'If we treat soil carbon as a renewable resource, we can change the dynamics,' says an expert.which resides in topsoil and is in continual flux between microbial hosts and the atmosphere.
Our understanding of how soil life affects the carbon cycle is poised for tremendous growth.driver of carbon storage, particularly "the mechanisms by which carbon can stay in the ground rather than going into the atmosphere."
MORE FROM YALE e360
As Uses of Biochar Expand,
Climate Benefits Still Uncertain


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Tethered between stone and sky. (photo: Enrico Marongiu/Flickr, cc by-nc-sa 2.0)
This week's show has a theological term in its title that sounds obscure, even impenetrable: "Monsters We Love: TV's Pop Culture Theodicy." Depending on your view of an omnipotent God, it could be both. "Theodicy" attempts to answer ancient questions like, "Why do bad things happen to good people?" and "If God is good, why does evil exist?"
The television shows mentioned in "Monsters We Love" are filled with "amoral zombies" and "loving vampires" and "righteous serial killers," as Krista Tippett puts it. At the core of this theodicy is the question of what makes "good" people different from characters we can register instantly as "evil."
The Greek philosopher Epicurus came up with his own twist on the problem of evil, the "Epicurean Paradox":
"Is God willing to prevent evil but not able? Then he is impotent. Is he able but not willing? Then he is malevolent. Is he both able and willing? Whence, then, evil."
Merriam-Webster describes theodicy as a "defense of God's goodness and omnipotence in view of the existence of evil." And on the free will of human beings, one explanation of free will theodicy suggests that God values good choices from humans only if we have the free will to make them. This leaves the possibility for a misuse of free will, and evil choices. For St. Augustine, evil results from the failure of humans to exercise moral responsibility, not God.
What is it about watching the moral failing of others that draws millions of viewers to these TV shows? Maybe it has nothing to do with their final choices or even their failings. For me, it's empathy for seeing someone else struggle between choices of good and evil in situations where it's not clear to me how free their will actually is.


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Community helps volunteer firefighters
This week's bouquets go to:
From Dave Hall, chair of Tri-Township Fire Board in Rock:
"On behalf of the Tri-Township Fire Department and Fire Board (Ewing and Turin Townships in Marquette County; Maple Ridge Township in Delta County) we would like to express our sincere appreciation to the 911 committees, central dispatch centers and the sheriff's departments of these counties for their support and cooperative effort concerning emergency communications for the Tri-Township Fire Department.
"Serious deficiencies and complications concerning the paging system developed for the department requiring purchase of new equipment to rectify the issue. Members of these committees assisted in the procurement, installation and testing of the apparatus once installed to ensure the problems were resolved. Reports back from the firefighters indicate that our paging system is a 'thumbs up!' Many thanks to all those involved."
From the tenants of Riverside Manor in Rapid River:
"Thank you to the ladies, children, and Paul for the caroling and plates of cookies from the Rapid River Catholic Church and the ladies that sang carols on Christmas Day."
From the Holy Name teachers and staff:
"Many, many thanks from the Holy Name teachers and staff for the wonderful holiday dinner. The food was delicious and it was great to be able to enjoy each others company. The surprises you gave us were so appreciated! We consider ourselves so lucky. God bless you!"
Each Saturday the Daily Press salutes individuals and groups from our area who have had a very positive impact on the way we live.
We identify our bouquet recipients in one of two ways: from Daily Press news pages and from nominations sent in by our readers.
Mail us a postcard or letter identifying your nomination and putting into detail what they've done. Include your name, address, and phone number. Send nominations to Saturday Bouquets, The Daily Press, 600 Ludington Street, Escanaba, MI 49829.
They may also be sent to us by going to our Web site, www.dailypress.net, and clicking on the submit news button. Once there, click on "Bouquets" and follow the simple instructions.


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As of 3 weeks ago i have been unable to sign into my original account. I created this one so i can ask "why is it not letting me sign in?" I have noticed i am not the only one to have this problem, and i have learned you can not have multiple accounts. Please help!
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About the Author: Sarah Goldfarb serves as DipNote's Associate Editor. Sarah will be providing information from presentations about key climate programs and scientific research at the U.S. Center at the 16th Session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP-16) in Cancun, Mexico, from November 29 through December 10, 2010.
On December 1, Shailen Bhatt of the U.S. Department of Transportation described the concept of "Livability" during a side event at the U.S. Center at COP-16. In addition, he discussed some of the efforts that the USDOT has taken to reduce carbon dioxide emissions in the United States.
The concept of "Livability" refers to having communities with transportation options to take children to school, go to the doctor, and see a film without getting into a car. Bhatt described federal funds that are used to help build and design Complete Streets that provide more options, like promoting walking and bicycling as active modes of transportation.
To support this initiative, there is a partnership among the USDOT, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to build sustainable communities. The partnership is centered around six principles: providing more transportation choices; expanding location-and energy-efficient housing choices, improving economic competitiveness of neighborhoods by giving people reliable access to employment centers, educational opportunities, and other basic services; targeting federal funding toward existing communities, aligning federal policies and funding to remove barriers to collaborations; and enhancing the unique characteristics of all communities.
In addition to making communities more livable, he discussed other strategies that USDOT has taken to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, including increasing fuel efficiency for automobiles, increasing the use of renewable fuels, and working to design and build more livable communities. Together, these efforts demonstrate the U.S. government's commitment to reducing carbon dioxide emissions and increasing energy efficiency.
Become a fan of the Bureau of Oceans, Environment, and Science on Facebook and follow all of the action at COP-16. You can find press releases, program events, transcripts, presentations from the U.S. Center and more on state.gov/cop16.


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Landcare Research, New Zealand
Service Provider DescriptionWe are one of eight Crown Research Institutes (CRIs) formed in 1992. CRIs function as independent companies but are owned by, and accountable to, the New Zealand Government. Our shareholders are the Minister of Finance and Minister of Science and Innovation.
We have approximately 400 staff at 10 locations across New Zealand, including our subsidiaries Sirtrack at Havelock North and carboNZeroCert™ at Lincoln and Auckland.
Sustainability is embedded throughout our organisation and evidenced in both our research focus (science for sustainable outcomes) and our day-to-day operational activities. It's not just about what we do but how we do it – and add value to society and the natural environment. We report comprehensively on this at www.landcareresearch.co.nz/sustainability/
Our science revenue (approx NZ$65 million per year) is derived primarily from contracts with the Ministry of Science & Innovation (MSI), Ministry for the Environment (MfE), Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF), Department of Conservation, (DOC), Animal Health Board (AHB), regional, city and district councils, private sector businesses and organisations, and Māori organisations.
Landcare Research will work with other research providers and end-users to contribute to the development of the following areas:
biosecurity, land, soil and freshwater management
climate change adaptation and mitigation
industry and business environmental performance, including verification
indigenous forestry
urban environments
[Summary provided by Landcare Research]


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I am new and have been lurking a while to see if my question has come up. I have noticed in the last few months that two types of Green Tea make me a little nauseous. One that I bought locally at a tea store and one from Adagio. I love the taste and feel great drinking tea, otherwise. It is NOT the case that I am forcing myself to drink something repulsive, like sauer kraut juice.
Iced or hot both produce cranky tummy. Only green teas. It is always with no food in my stomach . . .
1. steeping too long
2. water too hot
3. Serves me right for buying cheap tea (not the adagio, of course)?
4. not enough water/too much tea
5. combination of the above.
Don't actually yack, just feel icky for 15-30 min. Then I feel absolutely great. Anyone else hear of this? Am I weird?


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Faculty Experts
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Faculty Experts > Faculty List
Expert Catagories A to Z |
Hayes, Robin J
Robin J. Hayes is a scholar, filmmaker, and interactive media designer whose recent film, Black and Cuba has screened to film festivals, educational institutions and nonprofits throughout the US and internationally. In addition to leading the nonprofit Progressive Pupil, which "makes Black studies for everybody," publishing work in The Atlantic, the Journal of African American Studies, and Souls: a Critical Journal of Black Politics, Culture, and Society, Hayes has received funding for her work from the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Ford Foundation. Her lectures, workshops and trainings about race and politics are nationally in demand at prestigious universities and nonprofits.
Hayes was the first person at Yale University to earn a combined doctorate in African American Studies and Political Science. With the help of a scholarship from the A Better Chance (ABC) program, she graduated from the prestigious St. George's School in Newport, Rhode Island at the age of 16. After completing her bachelor's degree at New York University with honors, she supervised a legal clinic for homeless families at the Urban Justice Center and facilitated human rights delegations and aid shipments to Cuba, Nicaragua, and Chiapas, Mexico as a national coordinator of the Inter-religious Foundation for Community Organization (IFCO). She is a native of East Flatbush, Brooklyn.
Black and Cuba (2014).
"Remembering the Workers of the Domino Sugar Factory." With Leigh Raiford, PhD University of California, Berkeley. The Atlantic. July 3, 2014.
"Why Ivy League Universities are so bad at Economic Diversity." The Atlantic February 27, 2014. ProgressivePupil.org Launched January 2014.
"The International Dimensions of Everyday Black Political Participation." With Christina Greer, PhD Fordham University. Journal of African American Studies. December 2013.The Progress. Launched January 2012.
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In case of an emergency during normal business hours (M-F 7:30am - 7:00pm) please call us at 210-698-1043.
Should you have an after-hours emergency, please contact either of these pet emergency hospitals:
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Located at: 8202 N Loop 1604 West, San Antonio Texas, 78249
Phone: 210-691-0900
Emergency Pet Center -
Located at: 503 E. Sonterra Blvd., San Antonio Texas, 78258
Phone: 210-404-2873
If you feel that your pet has potentially ingested a toxin, please contact either one of the above listed pet emergency centers, or the pet poison helpline.
Online at: http://www.petpoisonhelpline.com
For a list of current pet food recall alerts, please visit the American Veterinary Medical Association's website at
As part of the VCA family, we have over 83 specialty hospitals across the US and Canada which provide referral specialty care, so there may be one near you. Enter ZIP to find VCA specialty care hospitals near you.


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We recently brought you an article about interpreting a dog's body language. But some cat owners might think that reading a dog's emotions is a piece of cake compared to figuring out what a cat wants. It's true that felines can be a bit more aloof than canines, but that doesn't mean they won't communicate their emotions and desires to you, provided you know what signs to look for. Here are some tips:
Let the tail be your signal
Much like dogs, cats use their tails to clue others in to how they're feeling. However, there are big differences in what tail movements mean when comparing felines and canines. When your cat holds her tail high, it's a sign of confidence, reports the Discovery Channel. You may notice your cat wrapping her tail around your leg - this is often a warm greeting.
Be wary if you see your cat's tail in motion. While this often indicates excitement, it can also translate to predatory behavior. If you notice your cat's tail swaying from side to side or twitching, you may want to try to engage her in play. Remember, it's always wise to encourage your cat to get some exercise, especially if she spends most of her time indoors, as this can ward off pet health issues like obesity in cats.
Pay attention to posture
Cats use their posture to indicate how they're feeling, so it's wise to pay close attention to your feline's stance. According to HealthyPetU.com, if your cat is lifting her rear end higher than her front, she may be showing aggression. However, some cats also stand like this when they are being petted, so don't jump to conclusions. Cats try to make themselves look bigger by arching their back when they're feeling defensive. Rolling over is usually a sign of playfulness or happiness, though cats in heat often perform both of these actions repeatedly.
How your cat holds her head can also be indicative of her feelings, reports the website. She may stretch her head forward in greeting, or tuck her chin back when feeling relaxed. Your cat may often bump your legs or hands with her head - this is a sign of affection. A lowered head means she's feeling either aggressive or submissive, while holding her head high is a sign of assertiveness.


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Alcona preparing for delinquent tax auction
HARRISVILLE The first of several delinquent property tax real estate auctions takes place Aug. 5, with more than 50 Alcona County parcels on the list. But potential buyers have only seven weeks to do their homework to make sure there are no federal liens or other issues, authorities said Friday.
Most of the real estate consists of vacant parcels of land up to 136 acres. Others are subdivision lots or parcels with mobile homes on them, according to a list available at the Alcona County Courthouse. Ten properties are homes or cabins, including a cinderblock residence and pole barn on the shores of Hubbard Lake. The minimum bid on that property is $14,000. Several commercial properties also are on the list.
The properties are sold "as is," county Commissioner Bill Thompson said. He and fellow Commissioner Kevin Boyat recently checked on four residences to make sure they were locked. One home was stripped of its interior and smelled strongly of cat urine. Another home was occupied by tenants.
"Buyers will have to evict tenants living on those properties," Thompson said.
The Hubbard Lake residence at 677 Oak St. is valued at around $200,000, according to county property records. No one paid taxes owned on the home for three years, so now the county owns it, he said.
The house is fully furnished, but unoccupied, Thompson said.
"It looks as if they went to dinner," he said.
For this year's first auction, some minimum bids start at $250, while many range between $1,000 and $5,900.
Later auctions also will be held to try to get rid of parcels that don't sell, Thompson said.
Treasurer Cheryl Franks said buyers need to research parcels they want by going through public property records. They are responsible for making sure the parcel is free of federal liens and that there is legal access to the site.
The auction takes place at 12 p.m. at the Ramada Inn of Graying, 2650 I-75 Business Loop, and also includes about 250 tax-delinquent parcels in Crawford, Oscoda, Otsego and Roscommon. The properties are listed by county at www.tax-sale.info and more pictures and details are added as the auction gets closer, she said.
The Alcona auction will be the last held that day. Buyers must register in advance and can bid online at the website, bid at the hotel or bid by proxy.
Properties can be inspected only from a public roadway, and no one is allow inside the homes or trailers to look them over, she said.
"You are not authorized to enter any properties and could be subject to tresspassing charges," she said.
Here are other tips:
* for more information, instructions and a list of properties and photos, go to www.tax-sale.info
* parcels can be removed from the list at any time
* parcels are sold at a rate of about 45 an hour
* 50 percent or more of parcels are skipped over during the first auction, because no one wants to bid on them
* the first $1,000 must be paid in cash or certified funds. Amounts over that can be paid by check, certified funds, cash, money order or credit card
* do not bid if you cannot pay
* a buyer's premium of 10 percent is charged, along with a $20 processing fee. The premium for credit card charges is 13 percent.
Betsy Lehndorff can be reached via email at email@example.com or by phone at 358-5693. Follow Betsy on Twitter @bl_alpenanews.