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Nonprofits play key role
This week it's time for me to complete my arc of articles regarding chamber members. We've talked about service clubs, small businesses and bigger businesses, but for this column, I'll delve into nonprofits.
Last week, I was lucky enough to listen to the keynote speaker at the Upper Peninsula Nonprofit Conference, Michigan Nonprofit Association President and CEO, Donna Murray-Brown.
At one point she stated that there is a push to move away from the term nonprofit and toward the term for impact.
Many of you may have heard me profess that at my core, I'm a nonprofit girl, but I think I'm going to have to change that to a for impact girl.
When we are working, volunteering, or parenting or when we are with colleagues, friends or family, we all should be thinking about what we can do to impact the world; what we can do to make it better.
Nonprofit organizations report to a board instead of shareholders, rely on volunteers instead of paid employees, and their overall goal is a mission not bottom line. Regardless of if you're a 501c 3, 4, 6, or any other number classified by the IRS, the purpose of these organizations is that they give back to the community.
This can be as a member-driven organization providing services, charitable organization providing grants or scholarships, or group or club focusing on art, history or music educationthe list goes on.
But even with all of that, nonprofits still need to consider sound business practices- that is how they stay open.
How can the chamber help? We can help raise awareness for what your mission is, advertise for your fundraising events, help you find volunteers, participate when we can and cheer for you when we can't.
During 2014 the GINCC is working on starting a series of workshops held on the west-end that include nonprofit topics like finance, board development, fundraising, all the way to 'are we a legal nonprofit and what does that mean?'
If this is something you are interested in, I encourage you to call the chamber for more information.
Do you have other ideas as to how the chamber can have a stronger impact on our community, our businesses and our organizations? I'm listening.
For impact, I like it so much I'm going to keep using it. At our annual dinner individuals and businesses in our community were voted on by GINCCC members because of the impact they have made on our community. I'd like to give them additional recognition here.
Congratulations Business of the Year, A. Lindberg & Sons; Small Business of the Year, Midtown Bakery; Business Person of the Year, Sandra Sundquist of Wilderness Sports; Volunteer of the Year, Andrea Jackson of Jackson's Do It Best Hardware; President's Choice, Dan Perkins; and Chamber Member of the Year, Fox Negaunee.
Finally, to keep you in the loop on what's happening in the West End, we encourage everybody to come to the Ishpeming City Manager Open House from 4-7 p.m. Thursday.
This event will introduce new city manager, Mark Slown, to the community. Held at the chamber of commerce building this Open House is hosted by the GINCC, the Ishpeming Downtown Development Authority, the city of Ishpeming and the Ishpeming Business Association.
Refreshments are sponsored by the Upper Peninsula Power Co., U.P. Engineers and Architects, Marquette Builders Exchange, Globe Printing and Wilderness Sports.
Also coming up in November, the Ishpeming Business Association's Ladies Night Out on Nov. 19, the St. Onge Insurance Ishpeturkey Trot for Hunger on Thanksgiving.
Come join us.
Editor's note: Kori Tossava is director of the Greater Ishpeming-Negaunee Area Chamber of Commerce.


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Rated 5 out of 5 by 1 reviewer.
Rated 5 out of 5 by LeeR I love it! We have a Mac Mini attached to our large screen TV in our Living Room and it has always been a pain to use the Apple Bluetooth Trackpad and Keyboard while sitting on the couch to navigate Netflix and Xfinity. The Wireless Mini Touchpad Keyboard for Mac totally exceeded my expectations. It is small, about the size of a Gameboy and so easy to navigate. It filled the void I didn't even know I had in my Home Theater set-up. February 15, 2013
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subset: commoncrawl


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David Rettmann
GIBBON – David Rettmann, 61, of Gibbon, died Saturday, Dec. 29, 2012, as a result of a car accident in Racine Township, Mower County, Minn.
Funeral service will be 10:30 a.m., Friday, Jan. 4, at Peace Lutheran Church in Winthrop with burial in the Winthrop Cemetery.
Arrangements are with the Dalin-Hantge Funeral Chapel in Winthrop.
Visitation will be 4-8 p.m., Thursday, Jan. 3, at Peace Lutheran Church in Winthrop. Visitation will continue one hour prior to the service at the church on Friday.


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Hey teafans. I'm new here (obviously) but I've been reading posts for ideas for some time. I'm not strictly a pu erh person, but it's my go-to tea when I need calm focus.
In any case I keep on running in to claims that it's a "weight loss" tea. This is how the American chain "tevana" bills it. (Can't say I'm impressed with tevana, too many herbal teas... but maybe it's a good place for some folks to start)
I was wondering what people who drink this tea often think of the claim.
My observations:
* It would be a good fasting tea because it's calming
* But it can be high in caffeine some of the time not good for fasting.
* Caffeine might help with weight loss??
* Tea makes me want to eat cookies.
I'm not really looking to lose weight myself. Just curious why pu erh is being linked to diets....


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Debates of Feb. 10th, 2011
House of Commons Hansard #128 of the 40th Parliament, 3rd Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was parks.
- Question Period
- Committees of the House
- Hazardous Products Act
- Canadian Wheat Board Act
- Fairness for Victims of Violent Offenders Act
- Broadcasting Act
- Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999
- Committees of the House
- Petitions
- Questions on the Order Paper
- Business of Supply
- Canada Winter Games
- Black History Month
- Luc Plamondon
- Sustainable Communities
- Wine Industry
- Baker Lake Pond Hockey Tournament
- Surrey, B.C.
- Quebec Teacher Appreciation Week
- Jerome Jodoin
- Coast Guard
- Member for Papineau
- Human Rights
- The Economy
- Highway Accident in Sainte-Geneviève-de-Berthier
- The Economy
- Health Care
- Taxation
- National Defence
- Securities
- Justice
- Rights & Democracy
- Transportation of Radioactive Waste
- Quebec City Arena
- Search and Rescue
- Appointment of Judges
- Justice
- Health
- Conservative Party of Canada
- Infrastructure
- International Trade
- The Environment
- Health
- Seniors
- Canada Border Services Agency
- Canadian Coast Guard
- Business of the House
- Points of Order
- Privilege
- Business of Supply
- Northwest Territories Act
Opposition Motion—Forillon Park
Business of Supply
Government Orders
1:40 p.m.
Yves Lessard Chambly—Borduas, QC
Madam Speaker, I have a short question for the hon. member for Parkdale—High Park.
We remember the operation conducted in the old days to get rid of Eskimo dogs. This was a rather revolting practice in the north, which I think everyone condemns today. We also see what happened in Forillon. Out of respect for those involved, has the hon. member thought of a way to ensure that such a thing does not happen again? Is there a way to ensure that such a situation never occurs again?
Opposition Motion—Forillon Park
Business of Supply
Government Orders
1:45 p.m.
Gerard Kennedy Parkdale—High Park, ON
Madam Speaker, I talked about developing a sustainable development philosophy, which is something that the members of our party share. Increasing respect for nature is now part of our Canadian identity. We can take such an approach. For example, we are contemplating the idea of recognizing the value of nature in our national accounts. We should recognize that there are always benefits related to nature, wildlife and the environment. Moreover, there must be a core reason for dealing with the issue, correcting it immediately and recognizing the value of our choice.
I hope there is a way to change the whole way we approach these problems. I hope a shift in philosophy will not be restricted to any one party but that it can be shared by all around sustainable development. Things like natural capital and so on are concepts other countries are adopting. We need to admit our mistakes, pay for them in real time and then we become a better society because of it.
Opposition Motion—Forillon Park
Business of Supply
Government Orders
1:45 p.m.
Yves Lessard Chambly—Borduas, QC
Madam Speaker, I would first like to advise you that I will be sharing my time with the hon. member for Joliette, who will be also be speaking on the same subject.
Allow me also to congratulate our colleague on his exceptional work, the work that he has done to allow us to have this debate for an entire day. We are trying in some small way not to correct the injustice, but at least to honour the people who had to suffer that injustice and to offer them an apology. May the apology come from those responsible, the Government of Canada.
I would also like to offer special thanks once more to the hon. member for Gaspésie—Îles-de-la-Madeleine for his work on the Wilbert Coffin case, clearly another injustice—at least, work is being done on it—but most of all for the work he is doing for the marine industry, for fishers and for his riding. I am making that aside—something I rarely do—because there are members from all parties in this House who do exceptional work, and today, I would like to draw attention to the work done by the hon. member for Gaspésie—Îles-de-la-Madeleine.
That work has made it possible for us to debate his motion today, and I am going to read it for the benefit of those who are watching. The motion moved by the hon. member for Gaspésie—Îles-de-la-Madeleine reads as follows:
That this House issue an official apology to the people whose properties were expropriated to create Forillon Park for the unconscionable manner in which they were treated, and that the Speaker of the House send the representatives of the people whose properties were expropriated and of their descendants an official copy of the Journals of the House of Commons indicating the adoption of this motion.
My Liberal colleague previously made the point well: this does not correct the injustice, but, out of respect for the people who suffered it, it allows this House to express regret for what happened. It also allows those who represent it through our civic activities to demonstrate the regret officially, as we are preparing to do. I join my Liberal colleague in his wish: it is essential that the Conservatives vote for the motion as well.
It is more than a symbol. It is the expression of a will to demonstrate than an injustice occurred. The only way to do so with no political colours staining our gesture today is for the Conservatives to vote with us, with the opposition parties.
My colleague rightly said that we must not needlessly recall the past, but often the past sets us back in a particular context. It is a mark of respect that we owe the victims.
It all happened in 1970, but the process was set in motion in 1963. In 1969, there was an agreement involving the government at the time, headed by Mr. Trudeau. And Mr. Chrétien was the spokesperson on the issue for the Canadian government. So Mr. Chrétien came to an agreement with his Quebec counterpart in the Union nationale, Gabriel Loubier. There was already one major dissenting voice in the National Assembly at the time, and that was Marcel Masse. He felt that this was something that was unacceptable. He saw it and he pointed it out.
I found our colleague's comments about the past interesting, when he spoke a bit earlier: if this were to happen again today, there would be the same concerns as there were then.
At the time, however, nothing was done to put a stop to this initiative, which is why it is so important to go beyond regret and apology. What will we do in the future to prevent such a thing from happening again?
For the benefit of the people watching, I will summarize the brief that the Forillon expropriated persons commemoration committee submitted last April to the environment minister at the time, Jim Prentice. In 1970, under Mr. Trudeau's government, over 1,500 families were expropriated, and 225 families lost their property. The expropriated properties were burned by the federal authorities, and in some cases the owners were hired and forced by the government to personally burn their own property, which they had built through their own hard work.
Many of us come from small communities, often rural communities, and our home is where we belong. It situates us in life, and for a family, it is the secure foundation that allows us to develop and build our lives. Suddenly these people were told that they no longer had their home and that if they did not want to burn their house, they would be forced to do so. Then, gradually, their telephone service was cut off, then the electricity. They were prevented from going to fetch the wood on their farm for heating. That is what happened.
We have an obligation to remember such a thing. It was terrible for the people and their descendants to have to go through that. Parents at the time were powerless, and unable to provide this security for their family. The children and grandchildren were witnesses to this. Today they are 60 or 70 years of age, and they have carried this with them all their lives. Out of a sense of obligation they have told their children and grandchildren about this, as any self-respecting people would do.
A great Quebec poet, Gilles Vigneault, once asked what fruit can grow when one does not know the tree from which one descends.
We all have the duty to pass on where we are from, who we are and what we have experienced. Some will say that this is over. But no, it is not over. They cannot even go back there, to their homes, their property that was turned into a park, without having to pay to go and honour their ancestors.
One woman told me that to go and pray at the graves of her husband, her family and her two children, she had to pay. But it was their land.
To this day, these people are feeling the after-effects. To this day, these people are living with this memory, this trauma that will live on, and rightly so, given that we have this responsibility to pass on who we are.
Today, we are talking about a gesture that is symbolic to us, but very important to them. We must tell them that we know what happened to them. We know what that decision was rooted in, and we must make sure that it does not happen again. We are particularly aware of the impact that it had on them and we are apologizing to them for it.
And it is the motion from the member for Gaspésie—Îles-de-la-Madeleine that is urging us to do it. Let us not miss this opportunity. Our Conservative friends from Quebec who are the same age as us lived through it. The whole of Quebec remembers. It was far away from where I lived, because I was on the other side of Quebec, in Abitibi. Even though it happened in the Gaspé, I can almost tell you the entire story because Quebec's consciousness was awakened by this abuse of the people of Forillon.
Today, I think that our colleagues, particularly the Conservatives from Quebec, are duty-bound to raise the awareness of their colleagues from the other provinces about the situation and to vote with us so that we can finally tell the people of Forillon that we are sorry, that we ask their forgiveness and that we are going to make sure that this does not happen again.
Opposition Motion—Forillon Park
Business of Supply
Government Orders
February 10th, 2011 / 1:55 p.m.
Pablo Rodriguez Honoré-Mercier, QC
Mr. Speaker, I listened with great interest. My congratulations to the hon. member for Chambly—Borduas. The number of injustices was outrageous. There was the expropriation itself, and then the people had to fight in court until 1975 to assert their rights. There is also the fact that, for years, for decades, they had to pay to go into the park to be able to mourn their loved ones. It is a series of injustices that we are acknowledging in a way today. We cannot fix the mistakes of the past, but at least we are extending an olive branch. We are formally telling them that we are sorry and that we are asking their forgiveness. With this motion, not only are we apologizing, but we are also saying that we want to make sure this will not happen again. Once again, all parties here in the House should unanimously vote in favour of a motion like this.
So does the hon. member have a final point to make to the Conservatives so that it can be unanimous?
Opposition Motion—Forillon Park
Business of Supply
Government Orders
1:55 p.m.
Yves Lessard Chambly—Borduas, QC
Mr. Speaker, I greatly appreciate the comment made by the hon. member for Honoré-Mercier, and I thank him. There can never be a final point on this. There is only one, and that is the importance of rectifying an injustice. Someone who does not see an injustice in what happened cannot understand how painful this was for the people who lived through it. That is why I call on the Conservative members from Quebec in particular, because for the most part they are the same age as us and lived through that. They cannot remain insensitive to this situation today, and they certainly cannot miss the opportunity to help remedy this injustice in some small way.
Opposition Motion—Forillon Park
Business of Supply
Government Orders
2 p.m.
The Speaker Peter Milliken
It being 2 p.m., we will now move on to statements by members. If needed, the hon. member for Chambly—Borduas will still have three minutes for questions and comments.
Canada Winter Games
Statements By Members
2 p.m.
Rick Casson Lethbridge, AB
Mr. Speaker, on this coming weekend in 1975 the Canada Winter Games Sportsplex in Lethbridge was the venue for the opening ceremonies for that year's Canada Winter Games.
This Sunday, 35 years later, the Winter Games will kick off in Halifax. Teams from across Canada will descend on Halifax to continue this great Canadian tradition. Alberta will send one of its largest teams ever with 337 participants from 49 communities, competing in 20 different sports.
I would like to congratulate the athletes and coaches heading to Halifax from Lethbridge and southern Alberta: Don Cowan, coach and Holly Henderson, manager for figure skating; Tim Cooney, manager for speed skating; and the athletes: Ryan Chenoweth, hockey; Jazlyn Tabachniuk, figure skating; Paul Cooney, speed skating; and Taylor Evans, judo.
They, along with all the athletes, will do their best, showcase their skills, and use good sportsmanship as their guide to success.
The 1975 Winter Games left great memories and a lasting legacy in southern Alberta and I am sure the 2011 games will do the same in Halifax.
Black History Month
Statements By Members
2 p.m.
Irwin Cotler Mount Royal, QC
Mr. Speaker, I rise to commemorate this special and inspiring celebration, Black History Month in Canada, a time when we recall the long march of African Canadians for freedom and human dignity, and the singular contribution and legacy of African Canadians to the building of a plural Canadian identity and a diverse Canadian mosaic.
This year's Black History Month honours the efforts of people of African descent to abolish slavery, and begin the long march toward equality and liberty. It calls upon us to study and reflect upon the value of their contribution to our nation.
In remembering and reaffirming the historic contribution of the African Canadian community, we affirm the building of a plural Canadian culture, one in which, in the words of Martin Luther King, people will not be judged by the colour of their skin, but by the content of their character.
Luc Plamondon
Statements By Members
2 p.m.
Roger Pomerleau Drummond, QC
Mr. Speaker, the organizers of the seventh annual Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame Gala have now released the prestigious list of artist inductees. Included on this list is one of Quebec's most prolific authors and lyricists, Luc Plamondon.
Such is the reputation of Mr. Plamondon in the cultural community of Quebec and la Francophonie that some have no hesitation in labeling him one of our most influential and creative musicians.
He has been writing lyrics for many of the greatest artists of Quebec and French song since the 1970s, and their works are forevermore part of our cultural heritage. He is also the creator of the famous rock operas Starmania and Notre-Dame-de-Paris.
Luc Plamondon is certainly one of Quebec's greatest ambassadors and one of the staunchest proponents of our language and culture.
My Bloc Québécois colleagues and I are proud of his success and we congratulate him on this new honour.
Sustainable Communities
Statements By Members
2 p.m.
Denise Savoie Victoria, BC
Mr. Speaker, I am proud to announce that my city of Victoria has been named the most sustainable small city in Canada, the same week as we host municipal leaders from across the country at FCM's sustainable communities conference.
From the world-leading Dockside Green development to our sea to sky greenbelt, Victoria is demonstrating political will and creativity to achieve a sustainable economy, and to fight climate change at the same time.
Expanding public transit, including light rail along the Douglas corridor to the western communities, is a key strategy in our vision. But municipalities cannot do it alone. That is why we New Democrats devised a national transit strategy that would get the federal government to step up and support local efforts like ours, so that soon Canadian municipalities and cities will be the most sustainable in the world.
Wine Industry
Statements By Members
2 p.m.
Ron Cannan Kelowna—Lake Country, BC
Mr. Speaker, tomorrow our federal Minister of Agriculture will meet with his provincial and territorial counterparts to talk about an important issue, interprovincial trade barriers.
Last November, I placed on the order paper Motion No. 601, which supports direct to consumer purchasing of Canadian wine.
Greater access to Canadian wine is a direct benefit to our agriculture community and to the consumer. Smaller wineries across Canada have limited sales channels and the best opportunity for their growth lies in direct marketing strategies. Just ask the wine makers in my riding of Kelowna--Lake Country in the beautiful Okanagan or grassroots organizations like the Alliance of Canadian Wine Consumers that has created the website freemygrapes.ca.
I call on the respective provincial agriculture ministers to give direct to consumer purchasing their full consideration and support Canadian wine producers.
I thank members from both sides of the House who support this change and the member for Fleetwood—Port Kells, and her staff, who has also tabled a motion on this issue.
By working together, we can break down the barriers and support a vibrant Canadian wine industry.
Baker Lake Pond Hockey Tournament
Statements By Members
2:05 p.m.
Jean-Claude D'Amours Madawaska—Restigouche, NB
Mr. Speaker, on February 4, I was lucky enough to take part in the official opening of the Baker Lake pond hockey tournament.
For the second year in a row, the pond hockey tournament wowed the residents of Baker Lake and the surrounding area with a total of 21 teams competing. The festivities were an opportunity for the residents of Baker Lake to enjoy the benefits of our Canadian winter. I would like to thank everyone who came out and took part in the event.
I would also like to take a moment to mention the remarkable work done by the organizing committee for this, the second annual ice hockey tournament. I would especially like to thank Danny Nadeau, the chair of the 2011 committee, for his unflagging perseverance and dedication. Your efforts to make this event a success are much appreciated.
Thank you for making the Baker Lake pond hockey tournament an all-round success. We will see you again in 2012.
Surrey, B.C.
Statements By Members
2:05 p.m.
Dona Cadman Surrey North, BC
Mr. Speaker, I would like to draw your attention and that of my hon. colleagues to Surrey, British Columbia. We are now the 12th largest municipality in Canada and a port city as well.
In my riding of Surrey North, 27% of the population is of South Asian descent. Multiculturalism is a thriving success story in our community.
Surrey city council and our charming and forward-thinking mayor, Dianne Watts, are implementing a broad-reaching plan for a new downtown city core.
We have Simon Fraser University literally on the new city square. We are already cranking out exciting start-up companies like Nanotech Security and MAPT Media, a company whose product is so good it is being used on campuses everywhere.
I encourage all my fellow Canadians to keep an eye on Surrey.
Quebec Teacher Appreciation Week
Statements By Members
2:05 p.m.
Diane Bourgeois Terrebonne—Blainville, QC
Mr. Speaker, again this year it is my honour to tell the House about Teacher Appreciation Week in Quebec. I am a veteran of the wonderful world of education, and I would like to reiterate my full support for the people who work in the amazing profession of teaching.
Every day, we entrust them with the things we hold most dear, our children. They pass on their knowledge and know-how to the generation of tomorrow. Teachers are examples for our youth, and we must tell them they are all indispensable. Our children are privileged that they can count on people like them, who give and expect nothing in return. Our teachers embody everything a nation like ours can hope for from our knowledge crafters.
On behalf of my colleagues in the Bloc Québécois, I want to congratulate the teachers of Quebec on their dedication and professionalism and thank them for all they do.
Jerome Jodoin
Statements By Members
2:05 p.m.
Pierre Poilievre Nepean—Carleton, ON
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in the House to pay tribute to a special constituent of mine and World War II veteran, Mr. Jerome "Jerry" Jodoin who, I note with great sadness, passed away this month at the age of 87.
In addition to being a decorated seaman, he was a husband and father and was well known for his tenacious spirit and his "diamond blue eyes".
Notably, when five legionnaires decided to form the brand new Legion Branch 641, Jerry, then 81, jumped in with both feet. People would say that it could not be done, but he did it. He was a true comrade, friend and Canadian hero.
I stand here in Parliament to honour Jerome for his dedication to his family, his community and his country. Lest we forget, lest we forget.


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CASE NAME: Environment and Russian Nuclear Trade
Russian/Soviet history is cluttered with nuclear accidents and mismanagement that have thrown dozens of eco-systems into turmoil and threatened thousands--if not millions--of human lives. In December, 1994, Russia signed an agreement with India to build a 2,000 Megawatt nuclear power plant in Kudankulam, India. This agreement may have been the first in a series of attempts by Russia to mobilize its long experience with nuclear technology for the promotion of its post-Cold War economic recovery. If Russia pursues the economic benefits of nuclear trade by importing nuclear waste for storage and the exportation of its nuclear technology--and along with it a history of dubious safety practices--environmental disasters will not only continue in Russia but will occur in other countries as well.
The breakup of the Soviet Union cast a pall over the economic trade between India and Russia. The collapse of the ruble was the primary factor in the tumble of trade. In 1990, before the fall, trade between the two nations reached $5.5 billion. Within the following year, trade tailed off nearly $1.5 billion to $3.5 billion. This in turn forced India into serious debt default. Now that both nations have shed the weighted hand of socialist planning, trade between them has steadily risen over the past few years. Trade is expected to rise between 1995-96 from a low of $1.4 billion to over $3.5 billion (1). Although much of this turn around will be due to non-nuclear trade in items such as tea, soymeal and medicines, Russia and India have not ignored the financial potential of nuclear technology exchange. In a series of meetings during December 23-24, 1994, India agreed to pay Russia $2.6 billion in currency and credit to supply it w/ two 1,000 MW nuclear energy units. The pact will employ over 1,000 Russian workers for an 8-year period and help India address its horrific energy problems. Further, Russia has agreed to import and store on Russian territory the nuclear waste produced in these Indian reactors (2)
The danger presented by the deal lies not in the exchange of nuclear technology, but in the potential human and disaster environmental that could occur. The end of the Cold War has revealed secrets of Soviet nuclear mismanagement. In November 1994, Russian nuclear scientists confessed to having pumped into the ground nearly half of all the nuclear waste produced by the Soviet Union over a 30 year period (3). Most of this dumping was done near major rivers and water sources. The well-known catastrophe at Chernobyl is one of many Soviet/Russian nuclear disasters. Off the coast of the Kola Peninsula near Norway, 135 nuclear reactors from 71 decommissioned Soviet submarines were scuttled in the Berrents Sea during the Cold War. In addition, the Soviet Union dumped nuclear waste at 10 sites in the Sea of Japan between 1966 and 1991 (4). Russia continues to practice poor management techniques of nuclear waste handed down by the Soviet Union. Bellona, a Norwegian environmental group has tracked the nuclear waste management practices at the submarine ports of Zapadnaya Litsa, Vidyayevo, and Gadzhiyevo and reports that workers continue to be poorly trained and inexperienced, inviting an environmental tragedy. India has also recently suffered a breakdown in its nuclear waste management. Between 1993 and 1995, India suffered 124 "hazardous incidents" at nuclear units. Although none has reached the proportions of the Soviet Union's Chernobyl, a leak at the Tarapur plant near Bombay went undetected for nearly two months in 1995. The leak was determined to have been insignificant, but the nuclear plant was shut down. In addition, the Worldwatch Institute reported in 1992 that India's record of nuclear reactors was among the worst in the world. The Institute reported India's reactors run only 40% of the time and produce merely 2% of the energy needs despite billions of dollars invested in them.
The nuclear agreement between India and Russia has set a precedent. In 1995, an agreement between Russia and Iran IRANNUKE was made to build two nuclear reactors in Bushehr, Iran created a political uproar between the United States and Russia. The United States contended that the nuclear technology transferred to Iran would not be used merely for the peaceful purposes Iran claimed, but would assist Tehran's development of a nuclear weapons program. Both Russia and Iran claim the reactor agreement is legitimate under the terms of the Non-Proliferation Treaty of 1969 and continue to assure the United States that technology and materials will not be diverted to weapons production.
"Chernobyl" CHERNOB is the word most often associated with the Soviet/Russian nuclear program. The disaster (which took place on what is now the Belorussian- Ukrainian border) is universally considered the greatest nuclear accident in history. The town of 150,000 people was exposed to millions of curies of radiation before evacuation. Poor training and management practices are generally cited as the cause for the 1986 catastrophe. The unpreparedness of the Soviet government for such a disaster is evident in recent speculation that the construction built to contain the radiation spewing from Reactor 4 is quickly deteriorating. Further, the end of the Soviet Union and centralized planning has not yielded significant improvement in Russian nuclear management. In 1993, two serious radiation accidents occurred in the nuclear cities of Chelyabinsk and Tomsk-7. New standards and safety programs, however, were not implemented following the crises (5). Vladimir Kuznetsov, the former director of the inspectorate of the Central Region of the State Atomic and Radiation Oversight Committee of Russia, notes "time is passing, and nothing is changing (6). An investigation in 1994 by Kuznetsov's committee showed that "the state of nuclear and radiation safety in the Russian Federation as a whole cannot be deemed satisfactory" (7). Kuznetsov claims that in Russia today, "every single nuclear reactor and facility is operated in accordance with safety norms that were drawn up 15 to 20 years ago." (8)
The Russian government's management of nuclear affairs has been affected by several cultural trends. During the Soviet Union's hasty efforts to build a formidable nuclear program, mistakes in planning and construction were made. Bellona points out that the submarine ports of Zapadnaya Litsa, Vidyayevo, and Gadzhiyevo that line the Kola Peninsula's coast were built by poorly trained workers under pressure from Moscow for timely completion (9). The inadequate planning and discipline of workers is reflected in facilities which house a significant portion of the radioactive waste of the Northern Fleet. In addition, the Soviet military was often the primary custodian of nuclear materials and kept a tight net of security around related facilities. As a result, civilian agencies and committees were unable to monitor the construction and operation of most waste- related facilities. According to Bellona, "rules with respect to public health and other standard documents were kept secret and remained unavailable to either the public or the pertinent monitoring agencies" (10). This characteristic continues in the post-Soviet era. The Russian state radiation protection authority, Gosatomnadzor, is not permitted access to Northern Fleet nuclear-related activities. Although President Yeltsin attempted in 1994 to open the naval bases to civilian monitoring, the Russian navy refused to adhere to the order. In 1995, Yeltsin rescinded the order. The Russian nuclear security and safety policies also suffer from two other cultural trends: apathy and denial. Die Zeit reported in World Press Review in 1995, that the Russian bureaucracy's arrogance and indifference are major contributors to the environmental problems that have arisen in Russia. "The few officials who do understand the extend of the problem are so overwhelmed by it all that they keep their hands in their pockets" (11). In 1991, the Soviet government prepared a report on the effects of Chernobyl for the International Atomic Energy Agency. The report stated that "significant health disorders, not caused by radiation, were observed among inhabitants. . .but no health disorders directly related to radiation exposure were observed" (12). In the face of significant evidence that the Chernobyl-type reactors are unstable, A. Vasilyev, the head of operations for fast reactors at Russia's Rosenergoatom has claimed that the modernization of such reactors has been thorough enough to overcome previous design flaws (13). Sergei Gorev, the chief specialist with the Russian State Committee on Emergency Situations proclaimed that the population of Tomsk-7 was exposed to no radioactive danger after the 1993 accident. However, reports have labeled the accident as "the worst nuclear accident since Chernobyl." (14). This evidence suggests that over time, a culture of denial over the poor conditions of their nuclear power facilities has developed in Russia.
Efforts to protect Russia's environment after the fall of the Soviet Union have been impressive on paper but not in action. In July 1994, the Russian Duma adopted a law dealing with radioactive waste in order to ensure safety for the Russian people and the environment. The law, entitled "On Environmental Protection", would hand down criminal punishment to those who operated nuclear waste facilities outside established standards. In addition, the law bans the importation of nuclear waste from other countries to Russian soil. The wording of the law appears firm but has received little consideration. The reactor agreements with both India and Iran followed the passage of the law and the continuing effort by Russia to solicit nuclear waste contracts from European nations indicates its has little intention of upholding the 1994 statute. To further frustrate law-makers interested in environmental preservation, a familiar cultural trend exists in Russia.
Nuclear policy implementors during Soviet times developed a tradition of maneuvering outside the confines of nuclear regulations. For example, in 1991, the manager of the Chelyabinsk Metallurgical Plant secured special legislation from the local soviet for lower air emission levels because he was friends with the chairman of that body (15). Today, the current economic troubles in Russia have forced the government to ignore environmental regulations. Debt from environmental violations is often waived or subsidized by the government. Further, facility managers are primarily concerned with paying wages and not with environmental protection measures (16). As Russia's financial problems grow, there will be less funding for monitoring and enforcement.
Thus, it is evident that the disastrous nuclear policies of the Soviet Union have created a culture and pattern which today's Russia seems unwilling to disavow. Unsafe waste management procedures do not seem to have been replaced with modern safety formulas. The military continues to conduct nuclear operations unchecked and the Russian government is lack-luster in its efforts to assert environmental legislation. Economic urgency and a significant international demand for nuclear technology and waste storage have set Russia's course. The speed at which Russia mobilizes to accommodate this demand, in light of its historical inability to plan and manage nuclear power facilities and waste suggest that countries that contract Russia for such services may expose themselves to the legacy of Russia's nuclear carelessness.
JAPANPL- case #38
KOMI - case #265
CHERNOB - case #228
JAPANSEA - case #255
NUKESMUG - case #271
IRANNUKE - case #163
KOMSO - case #267
TEMELIN - case #223
MOCHO - case #176
The issue of effects on regional environments as a result of Russian exportation of nuclear materials to Third World countries has become more poignant following the 1995 Russian-Iranian agreement on light water reactors at the Bushehr site in Iran. The promise of continued Russian activity in the nuclear materials market in the future categorizes this issue as one that is unresolved.
Under the terms of the Non-Proliferation Treaty of 1969, Russia is permitted to sell peaceful nuclear technology and materials to treaty signatories. The potential for Russian sales, therefore, is limited by NPT status and not geography. Further, because the issue is directly linked to proliferation of Russian safety and security issues at home, any nation located near a Russian nuclear production/waste facility falls under the scope of the issue.
Russia has acceded to several environmental preservation treaties aimed against waste disposal in international waters. In addition, since the fall of the Soviet Union, Russia has indicated a desire to advanced the environmental causes promoted by the West by passing legislation of its own to strengthen environmental regulations.
a. Geographic Domain: Asia
b. Geographic Site: South Asia
c. Geographic Impact: India
At least three sub-national factors contribute to this issue. First, Soviet nuclear safety and waste disposal operating procedures were inherited by Russia (as well as the entire Former Soviet Union) and continue to be practiced today. Second, Russia's pursuit of nuclear fuel re-processing and waste storage is based on economic motivation. Third, Russia's desire to preserve its "Great Power" status can be facilitated by creating a regional dependence on its nuclear technology and capabilities.
This issue may affect all habitats. Storage of nuclear waste in Russia could be located in the more isolated regions in the north or on the temperate plains of southern Russia. Transport of waste will probably be oceanic and Russia's KOMSO disaster and JAPANSEA dumpings are evidence that the ocean is at risk as a result of this agreement.
a. Directly Related to Product: YES, Nuclear
b. Indirectly Related to Product: NO
c. Not Related to Product: NO
d. Related to Process: YES, Radioactive
The implementation of Russian nuclear storage and disposal procedures have directly affected the environmental deterioration of habitats in the seas off the Kola Peninsula and the air, water and population around Chelyabinsk. Similarly, the habitat around towns and cities which invest in Russian-built facilities and procedures may be directly affected to the process.
Although Russia has yet to reap profit from its agreement with Iran, it has imported spent nuclear fuel for re-processing. The future sale of nuclear technology and materials in addition to contracts to build the facilities and train its operators as well as continued re-processing of spent fuel could provide Russia with billions of dollars in the future.
Aleksei Yablokov estimates it would take at least $26 billion over ten years to raise Russian nuclear safety levels to Western standards (17). Most of this funding, it can be anticipated, would have to be in the form of Western assistance.
Two problems exist. First, Soviet/Russian civilian and military nuclear weapons programs have had a poor record of environmental protection. As the country expands its trade of materials and know-how, importing nations may run the risk of repeating such environmental negligence. Second, Russia has limited storage capacity and limited resources to expand that capacity. In contrast, however, the nation hopes to push forward its re-processing industry which will create greater amounts of nuclear waste. Based on its record, Russia is unlikely to be able to accommodate safely for these increased waste stockpiles.
Damage to wildlife resulting from Soviet practices such as the military's repeated dumping nuclear reactors from retired submarines may never be calculated. Nuclear dumping from the Mayak facility in Chelyabinsk into the Techa River and then Lake Karachai has relegated those bodies of water incapable of sustaining life. The starkest effect of Soviet nuclear mismanagement may be in the number human deaths. Predictions of Chernobyl-related cancer deaths hover between 18,000 and 50,000 (18). In 1957, an explosion at Chelyabinsk exposed 270,000 to 2.1 million curies of radiation and although no acknowledgments of fatalities was ever made, the CIA confirmed a "tremendous number of casualties" at local hospitals. (19). The proliferation of poor waste containment and disposal with sales of Russian nuclear technology and training places the wildlife and human risks at extraordinary levels.
Because Russia is experiencing such rapid decentralization of control, a condition that may have seemed desperate at the end of the Soviet empire is compounded today. The end of the Cold War has left military nuclear materials unaccounted for and placed pressure on the civilian nuclear industry to compete in the global market. Accelerated efforts to compensate for loss of state funding and general economic depression may not permit the civilian nuclear industry the time necessary to reform its safety and disposal procedures. Even immediate and vigorous action, supported by billions of dollars, would not yield significant effects for 25 years in some areas. (20)
Nuclear energy is deemed by some as a clean alternative to oil dependency. As the world becomes more committed to nuclear sources of energy, market competition will grow, encouraging even greater aggressiveness on the part of Russia.
Russia's desire to remain a Great Power will be reflected in its attempts to create stronger economic ties in its "near abroad" and throughout the Third World. Establishing itself as a major supplier of nuclear technology while developing markets in fuel re-processing (an endeavor rejected by the United States nuclear industry), will reflect pressure from internal Russian forces to reassert the country's role in the international arena.
First, the sales of Russian nuclear technology and methods is an international endeavor which places countries who not only purchase this technology at risk, but those contiguous to such importers as well. If India incorporates Soviet/Russian waste practices, the surrounding area is at risk. Second, Norway and Japan are directly affected by the disposal practices of the Soviet Union--and Russia today. The dumping of 71 decommissioned submarines off the coast of Norway in the Barrents Sea and radioactive waste dumping in the Sea of Japan by the Soviet Union between 1966 and 1991 indicate that its poor waste management could continue in its maintenance of the agreement with India.
(1) Reuters North American Wire, October 12, 1995.
(2) "India and Russia Sign Eight Agreements" in BBC Monitoring Service: Far East, December 28, 1994
(3) Broad, William. "Russians Admit Burying Nuclear Waste" in Guardian, November 22, 1994.
(4), (11) & (20) "Russia's Total Mess" by DIE ZEIT in World Press Review, February, 1995 p. 8-12.
(15) & (18) Peterson, D. J. "Chelyabinsk: Environmental Affairs in a Russian City" in Environmental Science Technology, Vol.27 No.4, 1993, p.596-600.
(5-8) Kuznetsov, Vladimir. "Time Is Passing, and Nothing Is Changing" in World Press Review, August, 1994, p. 12.
(9) & (10) Nilsen, Thomas. Bellona Foundation Working Paper 5 Zapadnaya Litsa, 1995. (http://www.grida.no/ngo/bellona/ehome/russia/zapa/zapa1.htm)
(12-13) Vaganov, Andrei. "The Post-Disaster Culture of Denial" in World Press Review, August, 1994, p. 13.
(14) McKie, Robin. "Russia's Nuclear Time-Bombs'" in Observer, November 6, 1994.
(16) Suokko, Kristen and Reicher, Dan. "Radioactive Waste and Contamination in the Former Soviet Union" in Environmental Science Technology, Vol.27 No.4, 1993, p. 602-604.
(17) "Yablokov: Nuclear Program is Unsafe, Too Costly" in The Current Digest of the Post-Soviet Press, Vol.XLVI No.39, 1994, p. 6-7.
(19) Ridgeway, James. "Russian Roulette" in Village Voice, April 20, 1993, p. 18-19.


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Riddell Hall of Fame Proline Authentic Football Helmet
Product Information:
Complete your sports collection with the Riddell® Hall of Fame Proline Authentic Football Helmet. This officially licensed, full-sized helmet has many authentic features and is designed with a Kra-Lite II® polycarbonate Lexan shell that is great for autographs. Be the ultimate football fan with the Riddell® Proline Authentic Football Helmet.
- Authentic football helmet with internal padding and inflation points
- Official colors and decals
- Large polycarbonate shell/full size shell
- Z2B carbon steel running back/quarterback facemask
- 4-point chin strap
- Officially licensed
- Riddell
Country of Origin: ImportedWeb ID: 18201646


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State Agencies
Transportation, Department of
Department of Transportation - Grants
Transportation, Department of
Mn/DOT makes grants for transportation-related purposes. Some grants are awarded on a "formula" basis to qualifying recipients, while others are awarded through a competitive process. This page contains notices regarding available grants, with links to important documents.
Department of Transportation - Safe Routes to School Grants
Transportation, Department of
The Safe Routes to School grants program is designed to improve the conditions and quality of bicycling and walking to school.
Department of Transportation - Transit Grants
Transportation, Department of
Greater Minnesota Transit Grants-Mn/DOT is responsible for the administration of state and federal transit assistance funds for Greater Minnesota (outside the seven county Metropolitan Area).


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Make a rich and creamy Italian dessert, perfect for serving with berries.
A perfect spring dessert, this is a mixture of berries and whipped cream.
Michael Symon discusses the contents of his Iron Chef pantry.
Michael Chiarello shares tips for grilling the best tasting burgers ever.
Dare we say this as-colorful-as-it-is-flavorful dessert is the berries?
The Resurrector: part shot in the arm, part kick in the pants, all yummy!
Giada tops fresh berries with luscious zabaglione, a light, foamy custard.
Gabriele pairs quail with berries and greens he foraged himself.
Healthy, yummy French toast gets a burst of sweetness from fresh berries.
Michael makes his festive version of a mojito using muddled fresh berries.
Get Cooking Channel on your TV.


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Here's how RW members rated this race in the past (104 votes).
In short: extreme xc !In full: full marks to avr for deciding to let the race run in extreme conditions. had plenty of fun just getting to the race with flooded roads and a bit of snow too. change of date meant meant easy (+ now free) parking. the start of the race lulled us with a few puddles until we hit the fields - mud and deep water galore! running uphill against a river was especially invigorating and fun! Date of review: November 11, 2012
In short: Challenging conditions on an already tough course. Rain,snow,mud and hills with rivers running down them. Lovely!Date of review: November 10, 2012
In short: A great race and loved the weather! In full: First time I've done this race. Everyone told me how good it was and I was lucky enough to have run the route the other way in the summer - which helped! The weather was a bit biblical but all good fun. Not sure there were many drop outs despite the early arrival of snow to add to the torrential rain! Really can't recommend the race highly enough and would especially like to thank all the marshalls who looked absolutely frozen! We enjoyed a Lock Inn breakfast afterwards as well :-) Date of review: November 5, 2012
In short: Despite the snow, rain, mud and river in the tracks, we missed the Iford River singDate of review: November 5, 2012
In short: Excellent race and a great first XC runIn full: Very wet and muddy conditions but it made all the more fun. Excellent organisations and friendly marshals encouraging you on at every corner. No river crossing due to conditions but it wasn't really required given the torrents of water!Date of review: November 5, 2012
In short: Was it a running race or a swimming gala, either way excellent race!In full: Some very tough and wet conditions this year, but yet again AVR put on a fantastically excellent race. Great marshals despite being soaked and frozen! AVR showed what great friends they are to us by starting the race with a minutes silence in memory of a Chippenham Harriers club mate who sadly died whilst running recently.Great Club, Great Race!Date of review: November 4, 2012
In short: Atrocious conditions and loved every mile!In full: After 11-years of helping out with the organisation of this race it was good to actually run in it. I can see why it gets so many good reviews from local runners, though this year the conditions were the worst that the event had been held in and so the crossing of the River Frome was off the books, however much of the rest of the course was like running through a river - so much so that the event may need to be renamed as the River Run.Date of review: November 4, 2012
In short: Very enjoyableIn full: Well organised, plenty of marshals. A run to do for the pleasure of running in lovely countryside. Date of review: November 14, 2011
In short: Glorious weather and a great runIn full: Such a fab day and what better way to spend a warm sunny morning than running round the marvellous countryside of Bradford upon Avon. Friendly race and well marshalled. Started by the Avon then up to canal path, through fields/woodland with hardly any tarmac, yay. Plenty of slippery mud, stiles and gates to contend with and the river crossing was fun. Afterwards there was yummy homemade cakes, tea and coffee and chocs. Definitely would do this one again but perhaps next time with trail shoes! Date of review: November 14, 2011
In short: Great thanks!In full: A nice run through the countryside, not really a race due to the number of people and the holdups this causes at every gate / or single lane hill. So if you want to race this get near the front.Besides that, loads of mud, fields and forest.A good way to spend a Sunday.Date of review: November 14, 2011
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Yes, great Topic!
PPM: A Taste Of Honey (great cover)
WTB: All My Loving
AHDN: And I Love Her (and Things We Said Today)
BFS: I'll Follow The Sun
H!: I've Just Seen A Face (and The Night Before)
RS: Michelle
R: For No One (my favorite Beatles song)
SP: Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (and She's Leaving Home)
MMT: Penny Lane
TB: Back In The USSR (disc1) and Helter Skelter (disc 2)
YS: All Together Now
AR: Oh Darling
LIB: Get Back
PM1: I'm Down
PM2: Lady Madonna
and if you let me....
BBC: The Honeymoon Song (what a nice tune)
LIB NAKED: The Long And Winding Road


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Category: Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania Military Filing Information
School Code and School District Name: Military personnel should use the school district code for domicile of their spouse (if the spouse lives in Pennsylvania), their parents (if entering the military while they are domiciled in Pennsylvania), or the code for the school district in which they live while on federal active duty while stationed in Pennsylvania (if a PA resident).
Military Pension Benefits are not taxable for PA- PIT Income purposes.
Moving Expenses:
If you are in the military, you do not have to meet the distance test if your move is a permanent change of duty station. If you, your spouse, and dependents are moving to the new duty station from different locations, you may claim all the allowable expenses.
Nontaxable Military Income
This amount represents the difference between the total military income you earned and the amount you report on your PA tax return. Do not include combat zone pay and hazardous duty pay.
PA residents report military pay earned while in Pennsylvania or earned when not on active duty status as taxable compensation on Line 1a. Active duty military pay is not taxable for Pennsylvania purposes if earned by a PA resident serving on full-time active duty (or federal active duty for training) outside the state. In addition, Act 182 of 2006 expanded the definition of active duty military income to include income from the U.S. government or the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania for active state duty for emergency within or outside the Commonwealth. This addition includes duty ordered pursuant to 35 PA.C.S. Ch. 76 (relating to the Emergency Management Assistance Compact). However, other income is still taxable. Please see the information for Combat Zone and Hazardous Duty Service on this page. Do not include qualifying active duty military pay earned outside of PA in taxable compensation. Submit legible copies of your Form(s) W-2, and your military orders assigning you to federal active duty outside Pennsylvania. While your Form W-2 may state active duty, it does not show where you performed your military service. Military personnel stationed abroad should use their APO or FPO addresses. For more information, request the brochure Military Pay for Pennsylvania Personal Income Tax Purposes found online.
CAUTION: PA residents serving in the Merchant Marines, U.S. Public Health Service, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or the U. S. Foreign Service are subject to tax on compensation whether earned within or outside Pennsylvania. However, compensation earned by PA residents serving in the Merchant Marines or U.S. Public Health Service called to active duty in a Combat Zone or hazardous duty zone is not subject to tax in Pennsylvania. Copies of executive orders that make the active duty military active duty are required to be included with the return.
Military Spouses Residency Relief Act
The Military Spouses Residency Relief Act (MSRRA) affects the treatment of residency and income for spouses of military personnel for state tax purposes for tax years 2009 and after. If a Pennsylvania resident service member is serving outside Pennsylvania and their nonmilitary spouse earns income in that other state – and the spouse claims relief under the MSRRA – the spouse's income is only taxable to Pennsylvania. If a Pennsylvania nonresident service member is serving in Pennsylvania and their nonmilitary spouse earns income in Pennsylvania, the spouse's income is not taxable to Pennsylvania under MSRRA, when the service member and spouse are both residents or domiciliaries of the same other state, and if the spouse is in Pennsylvania solely to be with the service member. PA source income, from a business, profession, farm, rental or royalty property, related to a business or property located in Pennsylvania remains taxable to PA nonresident military personnel and their spouses and is not covered by the MSRRA. For detailed information on how MSRRA impacts state taxation of income earned by a service member's nonmilitary spouse, please review Tax Bulletin 2012-01 on the department's website, www.revenue.state.pa.us.
Combat Zone and Hazardous Duty Service
Pennsylvanians serving in combat zones or qualified hazardous duty areas designated by the President of the U.S. are given the same additional time to file and pay their PA income tax returns and make payments as allowed for federal income tax purposes. The deadline is automatically extended to 180 days from the last day of service or the last day of continuous hospitalization for injury incurred in one of these areas. Print COMBAT ZONE at the top of your return. If you are filing your return electronically, you must still fax or mail copies of your orders. Print COMBAT ZONE at the top of your orders. Fax your orders to (717) 772-4193 or mail your orders to:
Regarding: COMBAT ZONE


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Thomas W. Smith
Thomas W. Smith, 61, passed away unexpectedly while visiting his sister in New Jersey on Monday, June 24, 2013.
Tom was a lifelong resident of Tupper Lake. He enjoyed military history, NASCAR, collecting Dale Earnhardt memorabilia, motorcycles and traveling.
Tom loved being able to offer a helping hand to anyone in need in any way that he was able. His volunteer work with the Goff-Nelson Memorial Library and the wonderful employees there especially brought him great joy.
Tom had a deep and heartfelt compassion for all animals throughout his life, caring for his own pets and, at times, other cats or even small wild animals in need, with his gentle nature.
Tom was predeceased by his father, Edward A. Smith (passed Feb. 15, 1976) and by his mother, Doris Smith (passed April 30, 2008). He leaves behind his grieving siblings: Edward Smith of Syracuse, Nancy (Robert) Ward of Sennett, Susan Smith of Hopatcong N.J., Carole Smith of Lake Placid, Edward Smith Jr of Honolulu Hawaii, his beloved companion Holly Bieker, and several nieces, nephews and cousins.
Those left behind are finding solace from knowing that Tom is again in the safe and loving ams of his parents whom he never stopped missing so very deeply. In our sorrow, we know Tom is at peace and watching over us. His death will not be goodbye for us. We can only say goodnight for now. Funeral services were held Friday, June 28th at the Stuart-Fortune-Keough Funeral Home.
Memorial donations may be made to the Goff-Nelson Memorial Library or to the Tri-Lakes Humane Society.


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God is speaking through Glenn Beck... or so he and many other Religious Right figures would have us believe. Despite an historical animosity towards Mormons like Beck from the evangelicals who control the Religious Right, his efforts to become the leader of a "spiritual awakening" are being aided by Religious Right figures like David Barton, Jim Garlow and Ralph Reed.
Photograph taken this morning by PFAW Foundation at the Kennedy Center. This is a tee shirt worn by a crowd member who showed up for tickets to the "Divine Destiny" event.
Beck's "Restoring Honor" event tomorrow will be preceded by a warm-up event at the Kennedy Center tonight called Divine Destiny. At tonight's event, Beck and others will present some good old fashioned revisionist history on "the role faith played in the founding of America." Tickets were to be distributed at 10am this morning, but so many people were already in line by 8:30pm on Thursday that tickets were gone far ahead of schedule -- talk about a "hot ticket!"
We need to seriously examine how Glenn Beck is perceived by the Right. According to a recent Democracy Corps study, among the Tea Party crowd, Beck is one of the most revered and highly regarded figures. According to the same study, Beck is more than a trusted commentator: he's an "educator." That's a chilling reminder that the hate-drenched right-wing propaganda Beck passes off as "history" is being swallowed whole by his millions of viewers and radio listeners. In Beck, the Right has added an atomic bomb to its arsenal in its war on science, history and reason. Beck insists that "progressives" -- whom he calls a "cancer" on our country -- "control the textbooks." He's an avid climate change denier. And with his attempt to "reclaim the civil rights movement" this weekend by holding a rally in the same spot as and on the anniversary of Dr. King's "I Have a Dream" speech, he is twisting our nation's history to serve a scary agenda.
Just the other night Glenn Beck aggressively attacked President Obama's Christianity -- fanning the flames of bigotry at a time when a whopping 18% of Americans think the president is a Muslim and some on the Right are trying to start a new "Birther-style" movement demanding proof of Obama's baptism. Is this the spirit of Dr. King's movement Beck is talking about reclaiming?
One would think that as someone whose own faith has come under attack, Beck would be more careful about attacking others' religion. But in the messianic light in which he sees himself, he can do no wrong and commit no hypocrisy.
Stay tuned. People For will be covering Beck's self-aggrandizing events in Washington, DC this weekend as well as Sunday's "early 9/12" Tea Party event.


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Overstuffed 'Ranger' could use a lone effort
Movie: The Lone Ranger; Director: Gore Verbinski; Studio: Walt Disney Pictures; Rating: PG-13; My finding: Two out of five stars.
"The Lone Ranger," at 2 1/2 hours long, is a beautifully shot, well acted and sprawling epic – of missed opportunity, lack of focus and pointless bloat.
The first segments that should have been cut are the distracting and unneeded framing scenes where a decrepit, old Tonto (Johnny Depp, appearing in these scenes like a mixture of extra-wrinkled Al Pacino and Christopher Walken) telling a young boy with owl-sized eyes of his zany adventures with The Lone Ranger (Armie Hammer, who played the Winklevoss twins in 2010's "The Social Network").
Of course, this film was produced by Jerry Bruckheimer, so you know that the entire production comes down to staging the concept of a franchise with a billion movies and as many marketing ploys and deals as possible.
The young boy is decked-out in Lone Ranger apparel, as kids may have done long ago when Westerns were pop-cinema and television mainstays. Perhaps that's what Bruckheimer hopes to accomplish. A few million here for branded popgun sales, a few million here for white hat and black mask combo packs. But will kids really latch on?
They'd be the only ones capable of latching on to this bland rehashing of western cliches, because if the adults aren't bored, then they may be offended.
One moment, Yugoslavian cinematographer Bojan Bazelli will pull at your emotions as a young Comanche boy walks through the remains of his village after "the white man" had stormed it to protect a silver cache from rivals, while hot embers dance through the air and bodies litter the sands. The next, he'll be asked to pull off several gags about horse droppings.
Critics call this "tonal inconsistency," but it's also a missed opportunity and it's not the only type of missed opportunity present here.
With westerns coming back slowly with the likes of 2005's wrenching "The Three Burials of Melquiades
Estrada," 2007's terrifying and atmospheric "No Country for Old Men" or "There Will be Blood," last year's "Django Unchained," or even director Verbinski's animated 2011 semi-masterpiece "Rango" (which also starred Depp), there's no reason to play a western in slapstick or camp as though it's a genre long dead and eligible to ridicule. Especially when all the cues for a successful western are there.
There are beautiful tracking shots of wide-open Texas, with rocky buttes rising out of drifting sands. The clapboard buildings of small, pioneer towns ring at least Hollywood-authentic, and the villains seem so covered in dirt that it's become a part of them, not even sweating off them in the high-desert heat. Everything's right, and there are moments in the film where you think everything will come together in a fun, action-filled adventure.
Instead we're presented with "city boy" John Reid, traveling back to his home, Kolby, Texas, as the new District Attorney. Reid is toting his "Bible," John Locke's "Treatise on Government," and giving it a good read as back-to-basics Presbyterians sing to the heavens around him on his train car.
The only problem is that the murderous Butch Cavendish (powerful and menacing character actor William Fichtner), with a "taste for human flesh," is locked up in one of the cars en route to his death by hanging to atone for his ways. To get the action started quickly, a well-executed jailbreak is performed leaving two lawmen dead and the train stuck on full power hurtling to the end of the line.
But it's Reid's unerring devotion to the principles of enlightenment thinkers like Locke and what he sees as the promise of a civilized future for this back-woods world keeps his heroism in check for far too long. In fact, on the range, it gets a bit boring to hear Tonto's constant refrains of what a "half-wit" Reid is and how he's "not a man."
After enough extra mini-plots that both make you check your watch and wonder why more time wasn't devoted to the main plotline of vengeance for the Comanche people and for Reid so that actual, natural character development could occur, the classic Lone Ranger theme song plays in an extended and elaborate set-piece of raucous gunplay and fighting atop, between and inside multiple trains hurtling through the unfinished lines of Transcontinental Railways, providing enough excitement and focus to give this movie a much better finish than it deserves.
Tom Wilkinson's Latham Cole is a standout performance, although the character itself offers nothing new in the well-educated corporate man who wants to bring civilization and law and order to the Wild West. Barry Pepper, who has sort of defined himself as a contemporary western player, is quite dapper, also playing a cliched character of a prim Union captain tasked with the unenviable job of Indian genocide.
Everything was set up to be just right, but the film is overstuffed and is completely the less for it. If only there was a way to send a signal to Hollywood that we want Westerns as an audience – but not cookie-cutter box-office grabs like this disaster.
(Flint McColgan is a staff writer for The Minot Daily News. His movie reviews appear in Thursday's Arts &?Entertainment section.)


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Bravo Brio close to breaking into East, West coast markets
The Columbus Dispatch - May 06, 2013 11:19 AM
Bravo Brio Restaurant Group in Columbus is within several months of breaking into new markets on the East and West coasts.
The growing Italian restaurant chain, which considers itself at the "polished" end of the casual dining category, chooses its locations carefully, sometimes waiting for years for the right location in a city it has targeted, CEO Saed Mohseni said after his company's annual meeting last week.
The wait is over for Brio Tuscan Grille restaurants in the Boston and Los Angeles areas: Bravo Brio will add Chestnut Hill, Mass., to its list of locations by year-end, and Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., "within nine or 10 months," says CFO Jim O'Connor.
Bravo Brio expects to open between seven and eight restaurants this year, "of which six to seven will be Brios and one will be a Bravo Cucina Italiana," CEO Mohseni told investors in April.
Both restaurants serve "affordable upscale" food in well-appointed locations. The company's Brio Tuscan Grille restaurants serve northern Italian food and have an average guest check of $25.52. Its Bravo restaurants serve classic Italian food at an average guest check of $20.13, according to a recent investor presentation.
The company opened two Brio restaurants in south Florida earlier this year, and expects to open a third in downtown Salt Lake City in the second quarter, which ends June 30. That leaves three to four more Brio openings and one Bravo opening for the year. The Chestnut Hill Brio should open "mid-fourth quarter," O'Connor says.


text: Our Wild Caught Red Snapper comes from Florida or the Gulf of Mexico and it is the most sort after white fillet for fine dining restaurants. The flesh is white, firm and has a succulent sweet flavor. Great for grilling, roasting whole, baking or pan frying. Try it with All Fresh Seafood's famous gourmet gourmet crust and sauces. 1/2 lb Fresh Fillets for $15.99 or 1 lb Fresh Fillets for $29.99


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Wednesday, August 1, 2012 - Badminton World Federation
Four pairs who contested Women's Doubles matches in the London 2012 Olympics last evening (Tuesday 31 July) at Wembley Arena have been disqualified by the Badminton World Federation (BWF).
After a hearing this morning before the BWF's Disciplinary Committee the following pairs were disqualified: Wang Xiaoli and Yu Yang (China); Greysia Polii and Meiliana Jauhari (Indonesia); Jung Kyung Eun and Kim Ha Na (Korea); and Ha Jung Eun and Kim Min Jung (Korea).
The Indonesian and Korean pairs have appealed the decision. The pairs were charged under BWF's Players' Code of Conduct – Sections 4.5 and 4.16 respectively – with "not using one's best efforts to win a match" and "conducting oneself in a manner that is clearly abusive or detrimental to the sport".
The appeal process is ongoing and a final decision pending. The BWF will hold a Press conference later today following the final decision.
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Interactive Travel Map | Text the Secretary | Trip Page
Secretary Clinton is traveling to Qatar and Saudi Arabia from February 13-16.
In Qatar on February 14, she will meet with Amir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani, as well as Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim Al-Thani. Secretary Clinton will also speak at the U.S.-Islamic World Forum, being hosted by the Qatari Government and the Saban Center on the evening of February 14.
During her February 15-16 visit to Saudi Arabia, Secretary Clinton will meet with King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud as well as Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal.
Trip updates are also available on Twitter, YouTube, and Flickr.
Ron in New York writes:
Have a safe and fruitful trip and best wishes to Bill for a speedy recovery!...Nothing slows you guys down!
Rosemary in New Jersey writes:
Dear Madame Secretary,
Wishing you a safe and successful journey. Our hearts are with you!
Donald in Virginia writes:
I hope for the best for Mrs. Clinton to help put an end to the Osama bin laden's terror networks in Saudi Arabia and Yeman. Qatar is an excellent start and removing the Al Sahab production which is on the Osama bin laden tapes. I noticed 18 countries around the world promotes these terror tapes.
Goodluck and Godspeed!!!!


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Wednesday, May 30, 2012
in pieces...
Well, howdy...happy Wednesday...hope you are having a wonderful week thus far! I have been flipping through some older issues of Scrapbook Etc. and finding paper piecing patterns...got me thinkin'. So I pulled up to my scrap paper bin and had a little paper piecing fun for myself while adding my Precious Remembrance stamps...
It is easy. With how many stamps, dies and stickers I have seen...paper piecing just takes a little imagination. For the owl I simply cut out the body first, followed by the belly, wing (which can also be perfect for a bird) and nose. The eyes are another story...I used a die cut for these (Quickutz Flower and Frog). The tree limb and leaves are also hand cut. Great thing about creating your own is each one can be unique. Had so much fun with this one wanted to make something else..
A cute little bee...even easier!
Just cut out the body (adding small strips of yellow to create the stripes), head, wings, wire antennas and glittered heart. Make them large or small! Hope this inspires you to create your very own cute character...
10 comments:
- Marlou McAlees said...
very very cute!!thanks for the great tips :)
- May 30, 2012 at 8:34 AM
- Lisa said...
Adorable Andrea, love the fun little owl and the wire antenna on your bee!
- May 30, 2012 at 9:01 AM
- Debora said...
Hermosa!!! las abejas son mis favoritas!! tus trabajos son hermosos!! cariños Debora
- May 30, 2012 at 10:01 AM
- Mandy said...
lovely cute cards Andrea, the paper piecing looks fab!
- May 30, 2012 at 12:38 PM
- SmokieBlueRose said...
Love your layering. Your owl is ssoo cute.
- May 30, 2012 at 7:28 PM
- Kate @ Songs Kate Sang said...
You are so talented! Love it!
- May 30, 2012 at 10:18 PM
- Audrey Pettit said...
What fun and beautiful cards, Andrea! Awesome designs and super cute paper pieced creations. :)
- May 31, 2012 at 3:48 AM
- Carla said...
These are really cute and fun ideas. Thanks for showing them.
Carla from Utah
- May 31, 2012 at 10:33 AM
- April said...
Both of these are adorable! I love them. Great job!
- May 31, 2012 at 12:41 PM
- Jennie Garcia said...
Your cards are super adorable!! LOVE how happy and colorful they are!!
TFS!! Take Care!!
Jennie @ http://earthyscrap.blogspot.com/
- June 3, 2012 at 6:34 PM
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March 20, 2012
Jean Oliver and Susie Wicks
Stories this photo appears in:
Women's forum to focus on celebrating 'inner goddess'
Schechterle's keynote address open to public
The 14th Annual Women's Wellness Forum on March 24 will feature keynote speaker Jason Schechterle, the Phoenix police officer who suffered fourth-degree burns to his face, neck and hands when his patrol car went up in flames after being rear-ended in 2001. A motivational speaker since his retirement in 2006, Schechterle will talk on "Making Coffee." His keynote address is open to both men and women for a $10 admission charge. Schechterle will speak from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. in the auditorium at Payson High School. The women's forum will run from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m., Saturday on the Payson High School Campus. The $15 admission fee includes the keynote address and three break-out sessions of your choice from the following topics: yoga, skin care, domestic violence, automotive maintenance, hormones, scrapbooking, making unusual vegetable dishes, living well with diabetes or pre-diabetes, living the green life, and accessorizing.
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Hiway to HeavenPosted Friday, September 11, 2009, at 1:08 PM
Early Morning Mist
Showing comments in chronological order
[Show most recent comments first]
It looks to me like the dirt road from Highway 20 to the Cow Creek bridge and either go to Prairie or go to Anderson Ranch Dam once you cross the bridge. I would think the mist is coming off the Boise river just have to wait and see LOL.
-- Posted by Eagle_eye on Fri, Sep 11, 2009, at 1:36 PM
Nope, it's not that dirt road. But you are very very close. You have the answer in your post.
-- Posted by jessiemiller on Mon, Sep 14, 2009, at 8:45 AM
The dirt road that you are talking about is about 200 yards to the left of this picture.
I'm hoping someone else will at least give a guess!
-- Posted by jessiemiller on Mon, Sep 14, 2009, at 5:18 PM
Jessie, guess I didn't know there is 2 roads in the same area, so looks like nobody else is going to try and figure it out, so may as well tell me LOL.
-- Posted by Eagle_eye on Wed, Sep 16, 2009, at 10:43 AM
Well, actually that is Hiway 20. We are far enough up and away that it looks small enough to be a dirt road, but Hiway 20. It was a beautiful morning and I love looking back to where I rode from and take pictures. I took shots all along the way. This photo was taken in..... hmmmmm... maybe May? Early June? Somewhere about then...and of course early morning.
Thanks for playing! You don't let me down. You don't remembe the cowboy statue? I'm under the impression you were here then.
-- Posted by jessiemiller on Wed, Sep 16, 2009, at 11:05 AM
I don't remember much about the cowboy statue, but if memory even comes close I think I have seen it but not enough to remember where it may have been. I got here in July of 1968 and alot of things have changed since then. I have traveled around most of this area either deer hunting or snowmobiling. I have been on top of trinity on the road if you could find it with over 20 foot of snow on the ground, same going over James creek summit to Atlanta in the winter. It has been interesting to me to see all your pictures.
-- Posted by Eagle_eye on Wed, Sep 16, 2009, at 11:25 AM
I got here about the same time...maybe a bit earlier, but was 4, so don't remember everything from then, but yes....lots and lots of changes.
Yep, been to top of Trinity too. Even in summer still snow to be found there. 4 Wheelers have taken me there, but lots of horse back hours too. I used to want to be in the mountains, but in the last ten years or so, I've found such fascinating things in the desert. It's just not flat and barren as it looks from the hiway. I find something every trip to take pictures of. I'm hoping to get a shot at (camera shot) at some wolves, so crossing my fingers over that. I got the badger, moose and elk, so those were very exciting. I've seen bear, but they don't seem to linger long enough (even seconds) for me to get a shot at them. But I'm working on it!
Thanks for the friendly banter! I enjoy it.
-- Posted by jessiemiller on Wed, Sep 16, 2009, at 12:10 PM
Jessie: I've been traveling Idaho for a little over 20 years in a row and another 20 something, with breaks, and the only animal I've not seen alive is a cougar. Three most precious were a gray wolf, bobcat, and wolverines (pair). I hope you get a chance to see them and take a picture but you will have to be ready as all but the wolverines took off in a hurry. The bobcat was just east of Picabo, the gray wolf behind Donnelly and the wolverines right up on US 20 at milepost 132.2. Big Horned sheep north of Challis at I remember as MP 187 something. They seemed to like picture taking.
-- Posted by skeeter on Wed, Sep 16, 2009, at 1:51 PM
Thanks for the comment Skeeter. I really do appreciate friendly banter. ah.... yes...I've seen bobcat, but that was before my photo taking addiction hit me.... and had forgot about cougar, I don't have that one either. I've seen the tracks of wolves, and I'm AMAZED at the print they leave.
The badger I got was out in a field, and I felt a bit foolish for tracking him/her, but I KNEW it was there, since I'd seen it walking. I got the photos, and didn't see the teeth til I was looking at them on my pc. Some he was just looking, others his teeth were showing. All good.
I hope that as much time as I spend out, I'll get the ones I want.
The moose were fun to get, though I was actually a bit more skittish about them, than the badger, since there was a baby and all. But worth it.
Thanks again
-- Posted by jessiemiller on Wed, Sep 16, 2009, at 2:45 PM
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I am interested in this Community, County, and the beautiful state of Idaho. Most of my photos will be in Idaho, but from time to time, they will be my vacations aay from Idaho. You'll see lots of my Children and Grand children, along with others in my family. Of course there will be horses and horse related things, and things I photo'd horseback.
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Thomas Adams, Special Coordinator for Haiti, gave a special briefing today on the U.S. government's response to the cholera outbreak in Haiti. He was joined by Mark Ward, the Acting Director of the Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance at USAID, and Dr. Manoj Menon, from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Special Coordinator Adams said, "After the earthquake in Haiti, we knew that the island would be particularly susceptible to water-borne diseases and other medical threats. And we, along with the Ministry of Health and the international community, set up a robust surveillance system which did indeed detect the outbreak of cholera which was confirmed on October 20th.
"The reasons this cholera is spreading, which also was predicted, are the poor sanitation in Haiti, which those of you who have been there certainly have seen. Also the fact that for at least 50 years and perhaps as long as a hundred years, Haiti has not had any cholera so there are no immunities amongst the population. Also, this strain of cholera seems to be more virulent than the normal strains. And CDC can talk more about that, and they're doing some investigations to try get a better picture of that.
"Because Haiti had such a poor health infrastructure, we, the United States, as part of our broad assistance there, have made this one of our pillars. We are going to invest a lot of money in the health system over the next five years, and we've already started on several parts of it. But the challenges as we go forward on cholera are many and we are meeting them and trying to overcome them, but this occupies us every day and our great team of people down there as well spend a lot of time on this."
Acting Director Ward continued, "...I think you know the numbers. The cases reported are going up, over 18,000 now, and unfortunately, the death toll is also going up, over 1,100 now. OFDA has provided about $9 million -- committed about $9 million so far. That number is going up every day, and you''ll hear why.
"Going forward, our strategy right now is to focus very much on prevention. Cholera's not very hard to prevent or treat if you get it early. But we've got to provide the tools to treat it and make sure the people know how to use those tools and take better care of themselves. If we are successful, the number of severe cases will decline, we won't -- they won't overtax the government's treatment facilities, and the death rate will drop.
"We've got an aggressive plan on prevention and it's got four parts. Number one, clean drinking water, a subject we talk about a lot. We talked about it certainly during the Pakistan floods. Clean drinking water is critical.
"...Many Haitians get their water, particularly in the urban areas, from government sources, from public sources. When I was in Haiti, in Port-au-Prince on Friday, we saw people gathering and filling water containers from public pipes, and we tested that water on the spot. Good news. It was chlorinated. But we've got to ensure that there is plenty of chlorine coming into the country over the next couple of months so that they don't run out and we will do that. And then for the rural areas where they do not have access to that public source of water, the public -- the government source of water, we're providing millions of aqua tabs that families can use to clean the water themselves.
"Second, oral rehydration therapy. Cholera causes, as you know, severe diarrhea and dehydration and this is what kills. It's easily treated with oral rehydration therapy, which is a simple mixture of sugar and salt and, very important, clean water.
"USAID's pretty proud of the fact that about 50 years ago we developed this therapy in South Asia. And all of us in the Foreign Service know it very well from our service overseas. We all keep a couple of sachets of ORS in our desks at work. It's easy to make. It's easy to administer. You don't need to go to a hospital or a clinic to use ORS. So it's critical to our prevention effort in Haiti. And we, the U.S. Government alone, among many donors, will be sending 2 million sachets of ORS to Haiti over the next month. About a third of it will be distributed through USAID's network throughout the country and the rest through the United Nations. There are 400 points in the country now where people can go to get ORS and we'll be adding more because we want to be sure that it's available in all departments of the country, even those where the disease has not yet shown up.
"Education and messaging -- the third part of our new strategy. Cholera as you'll hear, as you heard from Tom and you'll hear from Manoj, is new to Haiti, at least this generation. And we've got to redouble our efforts to be sure that the Haitians know how to care for themselves and prevent its spread and more severe cases.
"...And then finally, we know the fourth part of our approach -- we know there will be some severe cases still developing. The prevention efforts won't entirely succeed. And people need to have a place to go if they develop diarrhea and it's not going away. So we will be adding additional money to expand the facilities that are available either in cholera treatment units or cholera treatment centers in places where the disease is showing up so that if the diarrhea presents and people need to get additional help -- and that additional help is generally just an IV drip for a while and somebody to monitor your vital signs. But you need to get there quickly once the diarrhea develops.
"And so we need to be sure that these treatment facilities are available to people without too long a journey, so we will be working with NGO partners that we're already working with, particularly in the camps, to be sure that people have a place to get to quickly, and with the government to expand the bed space that they've got for people outside of the camps so that, again, if the diarrhea shows up, people can get to a treatment facility as quickly as possible."
You can read the complete transcript here.
Michelle V. in Florida writes:
I saw a graphic photo taken by a journalist in Cap Haitien, Haiti earlier today of a young man with half of his face shot off. The caption reads: "MINUSTAH shot this young man then they just took him and sat him down in the back of a pickup without care. This is Haiti."
There are so many atrocities occurring in Haiti at the hands of the UN "peace" keeping force. This clear display of unethical behavior and lack of organizational citizenship is an operational issue that has to be addressed and resolved by the UN.
These incidents should be elevated to the Office of the Secretary of State. She should be notified of all this outrageous organization-motivated aggression. It appears as if these gang-like behaviors (organization-motivated aggression) are sanctioned due to their proliferation. How can this UN-waged war against the Haitian people be stopped?
Jean F.C. in Florida writes:
To the people of Haiti, we say clearly, and with conviction, you will not be forsaken; you will not be forgotten. In this, your hour of greatest need, America stands with you. The world stands with you. We know that you are a strong and resilient people. You have endured a history of slavery and struggle, of natural disaster and recovery. And through it all, your spirit has been unbroken and your faith has been unwavering. So today, you must know that help is arriving --
much, much more help is on the way.
- President Barack Obama, 1/14/10
Good enough for me in times of natural disasters or elections... Haitians love and trust President Obama and his team at DOS.
Haiti is in good hands ... we have nothing to fear.


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Get a head start on a college degree with KCTCS's dual credit program.
What is dual credit?
Dual credit is concurrent enrollment in high school and a KCTCS college with credit awarded by both. A high school student may earn both high school and college credit for the same course upon successful completion of course requirements.
Why Should I Enroll In A Dual Credit Program?
What do I Have To Do To Be Eligible?


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by Anton Shilov
Federal authorities in New York have accused five former and high-ranking employees of large technology companies of insider trading, fraud and conspiracy. According to prosecutors, the defendants released confidential information for a fee about the companies they worked for as well as about other technology firms.
The five include Mark Anthony Longoria, former supply chain manager at AMD; Daniel Devore, an ex global supply manager at Dell; Walter Shimoon, a former senior director of business development at Flextronics; Manosha Karunatilaka, a former account manager at TSMC; and James Fleishman, a sales manager for the expert-networking firm that organized the process of information sharing.
The department of justice (DOJ) claims that the figurants of its investigation provided confidential information to an "expert-networking" firm, which then provided it to its clients, such as hedge funds. The former global supply manager for Dell, who worked as a consultant for the firm, previously pled guilty on December 10, 2010, to an information charging him with wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud and securities fraud.
"Today's charges allege that a corrupt network of insiders at some of the world's leading technology companies served as so-called 'consultants' who sold out their employers by stealing and then peddling their valuable inside information. The detailed allegations in the Complaint, along with the guilty plea unsealed today, describe criminal conduct that went well beyond any legitimate information-sharing or good faith business practice. Over the next many months and beyond, we will continue to enforce the law, police the market, and protect honest businesses andtheir shareholders by working methodically with the FBI and SEC to root out corporate corruption and insider trading," said Preet Bharara, Manhattan U.S. Attorney.
According to FBI assistant director-in-charge Janice K. Fedarcyk, the information trafficked by the four "consultants" went way beyond permissible market research as it was generally insider information.
"The fifth defendant was directly involved in the transfer of inside information from the consultants to hedge funds and other end users. The more than $400 000 the firm paid the four 'consultants,' merely to participate in phone calls withfirm clients, is an indication of the value placed on the information. This wasn't market research. What the defendants did was purchase and sell insider information," said Janice K Fedarcyk.


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Learning to grow important
February 18, 2012
"If I were a roadmap, I'd have side routes and detours marked all over my surface.
If I were a drama, I'd be in the middle of a rewrite.
If I were a novel, I'd be under revision.
If I were a house, I'd be under renovation.
If I were a piece of jewelry, I'd be in the recasting process.
If I were a film, some of me would be on the cutting room floor.
If I were a plant, I'd constantly be getting pruned to keep the dead from stifling the green."
So began the charge to the national Honor Society inductees of Clovis Christian High School this past Monday night, and the message which followed, when broadened from the context of high school students, can be applied to all of us.
Formerly, malleability would often be thought of as a weakness.
Immutability was thought to be, not only the attribute of God, but of a successful human. No longer, in our day and age, can this be seen as the ideal. Ability to change, grow, progress and adapt to conditions is recognized as necessary. Organizations as well as people are known to be in process, and if they don't grow, they stagnate.
High school students, particularly the brightest and the best, need to realize this early in life so they can understand what will be required of them, more so than it has of any previous generation. One of the best teachers I personally ever had was our high school defensive back field coach — Coach Kasimankas — who taught us the value of thinking on our feet.
That awareness that life is a constantly shifting set of changes and that each of us is, hopefully, growing, is a concept that goes a long way beyond its seeming pop culture roots. Whether its the life of faith, as was emphasized to the NHS inductees, or life lived in a secular context, adaptation to change is essential and will become more so.
Any community, be it metropolis or hamlet, be it worship congregation or secular group, harbors among it members those who would wish to keep everything the same. They do not do this out of malice; they (I believe) do so out of an honest conviction that the past was somehow safer, better, more chaste and pure.
Be that as it may, the world we inhabit is host to change. From the moment one is born, the process of change begins, and will continue until we die, for many of us, belief that it will continue beyond physical death.
To be human is to be in motion.


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Standing on the ruins of ancient Inca temples and palaces, the colourful city of Cuzco is a captivating blend of traditional Andean culture, architectural wonders dating from the time of the Incas to the colonial era, and a majestic setting in a highland valley. As well as offering exclusive access to Machu Picchu, Cuzco has a long list of attractions from the charming Plaza de Armas and imposing Catedral to the masterful stonework ruins of the Koricancha Inca complex. The UNESCO-listed fortress of Sacsayhuaman commands an incredible view across Cuzco and is the most impressive of the historical sites dotted across the surrounding hills. The formation of large polished dry-stone boulders is thought to represent the head of a puma and inside the walls are a number of towers and important temples.
South of Cuzco are the impressive Tipón ruins, a complex of Inca temples and aqueducts with amazingly preserved agricultural terraces, watered by channels lined with stone. Hidden in a natural valley shelf, the ruins are practically deserted with no habitation in sight. Perfect as a day trip, on the return journey to Cuzco stop at the traditional village of Saylla and try chicharrones, a delicious local pork dish. Nowhere better will you find such a dish and with barely a tourist in sight, it's a chance to see the real Peru. Back in town a range of restaurants, from the cheap and cheerful to the more gourmet establishments, serve a delectable variety of traditional Peruvian dishes including Luna Areja where you can grab a Chicha beer and hang with the locals over a plate of homely Andean food.
To get you started with planning your holiday to Cuzco, we have showcased below some popular itineraries requested by our clients which we hope will inspire your visit to South America


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Friday, August 30, 2013
Hybrid RotorWing Conducts In-flight Fixed/Rotary Transition
Australian company StopRotor Technology has completed the first in-flight transition between fixed and rotary wing using its prototype Hybrid RotorWing, a project that the company launched earlier this year that can fly as either a helicopter or fixed wing aircraft.
Computer rendering of the Hybrid RotorWing prototype. Photo courtesy of StopRotor Technology
The Sydney-based manufacturer is working on the Hybrid RotorWing in an effort to win the U.S. Defense Advanced Projects Agency's (DARPA) vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) X-Plane Program.
Rowan Watkins, founder of StopRotor, called the first in-flight transition from fixed wing to rotary wing a "key milestone" in the development of the aircraft. The Hybrid RotorWing has now completed fixed-wing takeoff and landing, rotary wing takeoff, landing and hover and fixed and rotary flight in the transition profile. StopRotor is seeking partners to help with the ongoing development of its prototype, which it believes could also be used for applications within the rapidly expanding unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) industry, if not selected for DARPA's X-Plane program.
Related: Airframe News