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Chris Vognar's 5 most disappointing movies of 2012
I'm a pretty artful dodger when it comes to seeing bad movies, for which I've always found life far too short. But every now and then I'll enter the terrordome for something that looks interesting, if not good, especially when said something looks to be a talker or a moneymaker. I weigh in when asked to.
So I didn't see enough truly rancid turkeys to fill a worst-of list for 2012, and for that I am eternally grateful to all responsible parties. But I did come up with five major disappointments, some merely drab, others bad enough to make me want to stab myself in the neck with my pen well before the lights went up. Without further adieu, my 2012 dishonor roll, in alphabetical order.
Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter – Here's a movie that cries out to be weird, to shake a stake and seriously monkey with a revered historical icon. Instead we get a muddled mix of historical shading, torpid plotting and humdrum horror action. Too much charity, not enough malice.
Cloud Atlas – I'm not a cynic, but my tolerance for silliness was overwhelmed by this New Age race-and-gender-bending, we're-all-the-same-soul balderdash. Cloud Atlas is the winner in my "Does This Really Have to be Three Hours Long?" sweepstakes. And that's the true-true.
Rock of Ages – Confession: I like a a lot of the songs used in this hard rock musical. They remind me of my metallic youth. So thanks, Adam Shankman, for this tinny, poorly acted tribute to the Southern California hair metal days. Even the cheese, the film's main ingredient, tastes stale.
This is 40 – By no means a total disaster, but after Knocked Up I expected a lot more from Judd Apatow's midlife crisis dramedy. Apatow is extremely loyal and generous to his bit players, so much so that he lets them riff and riff and riff as the laughs turn to strained grins and the story disappears beneath the schtick. I won't say no comedy should be 135 minutes long, but this one needed about 30 minutes taken off the top. Added bonus: new meaning to the phrase "First World Problems."
To Rome With Love – I'm baffled by the grading curve that comes into play when Woody Allen makes a bad movie, which, sadly, has been all too often the last several years. Rome is among his worst, a lazy shambles of failed bits masquerading as a romantic travelogue. Somehow it still got a fair share of good reviews from fans who prefer a Woody dud to the average anonymous misfire.


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Quest 3 pc. Grace Reclining Sofa Set
About this item$99 White Glove Delivery
(Click to learn about White Glove Delivery.)
Set includes one reclining sofa (with three recliners), one rocker reclining loveseat (with two recliners) and one swivel glider recliner. Our Grace Collection sports a total of six recliners and will bring years of joy and comfort to your family.
Sure to be the favorite seat in your home, our Grace Collection was designed for your busy life. You want "family time" to be relaxing and this collection boasts the most features available from any of Quest's living room groups! All 3 seats on the reclining sofa recline independently of the other seats and the center back cushion folds down into a table. The loveseat literally ROCKS and sports 2 recliners. Our pad-over chaise swivel glider recliner is fit for a king or queen. With its comfortable chaise pad seating and luxurious pub-back styling, you and your family will enjoy watching TV, reading or napping comfortably. The Grace comes with extra soft, durable and stylish chenille fabric and decorative toss pillows (2 on the sofa and two on the loveseat). Best yet, the Grace collection features removable backs on all pieces to ease in delivery into your favorite room.
- The color of Grace is Light Brown
- The item is made of cloth and some wood
- No veneers on this item
- The fabric type is cloth
- Not leather
- Handles only
- Wipe with a damp cloth
- Combination of dovetails, nails, screws, staples, and glue
- Hand constucted
- There are no drawers
- Hinges are concealed
- Pull down table in middle of sofa
- Traditional Style
- There is no assembly required
- Include 4 toss pillows
- The cushions are not removable
- All seats recline
- Reclines manually
- Durable chenille fabric
- The shipping time is 20 days
Assembled Country
Assembled Size
Component Country

subset: commoncrawl


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Satisfying and rehydrating Indian Lemonade (nimbu pani or shikanji) has some secret ingredients that make it the perfect electrolyte solution. It is also good for summer cleanses and juice fasts, similar to the trendy "Master Cleanse".
Do YOU have a great recipe you made with Spice Station spices? Send it to us (along with a picture, if at all possible) and you'll probably see it posted here!
Saffron is a delicious and healthy addition to black, green and herbal teas! Research has confirmed that saffron has anti-depressant and relaxing qualities. An extract of saffron was even featured on the Dr. Oz Show as a remedy for emotional, nervous eating!
Saffron Extract is an easy way to get the most out of this precious and expensive spice. Since it can take from 10-15 minutes for saffron threads to infuse into hot water, making an extract beforehand is both a time-saver and helps to distribute the flavor better.
This authentic East Indian recipe uses Panch Pooran, a classic blend of five savory spices. The whole seeds pop during cooking, releasing a delicious aroma and adding great flavor and texture to an otherwise simple dish.
A fragrant, sweet Indian yogurt dip or sauce (raita). Traditionally, raitas are used as a mild sauce or side dish to mellow down spicy dishes, and to improve digestion. "Mukwas" is the traditional after-dinner breath-freshening mix, and makes a special addition to this raita.
Click for recipe »
Here is a tasty, simple salad that becomes instantly exotic and unique with Chaat Masala, a zesty, little-known spice mix from India.
Click for recipe »
Tourtière is the classic holiday meat pie of Canada's Québécois people.
this is the best gift set ever Click for recipe »
A savory dish you can prepare as an appetizer or make a meal.
Delicious, with just the right amount of spice.


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Here's how RW members rated this race in the past (15 votes).
In short: Charming well organised, views of Roundway HillIn full: I was brought up in Bromham and moved away years ago, so it was great to run down memory lane and get a PB. Bromham is on too of hills so the course is 2 laps of a route going round the village, market garden and views of Roundway Hill in the distance. Great to finish in the village social centre with good facilities and the chance to buy food and drink.Date of review: December 12, 2014
In short: Super Friendly, Open Flat countryside - My first ever race and loved it :-DDate of review: December 9, 2014
In short: Great raceIn full: Faultless organisation, great flat course, will definitely enter again. Small individual size Xmas pudding at the endDate of review: December 7, 2014
In short: Excellent in every wayIn full: Great value, great organisation, great atmosphere and (if you had done more training than I had), great PB potential. Loved seeing the pigs and donkeys on route, plus lots of friendly marshals and support. Roll on next year...Date of review: December 7, 2014
In short: Super speedy pre Xmas fun! In full: Great PB race if you want one. Next year I'll try harder ;)Really good fun. Don't know why there are so few reviews!Small Xmas pud at the end instead of medal.Date of review: December 2, 2013
In short: Great race - organisation was a little pudding shapedIn full: Thought the race was great - a truly wonderful experience and a lot of fun. The organisation was a little odd - I thought parking a mile away from the HQ was a bit odd. Unfortunately I struggled to find the village (being new to the area) so I turned up with only 20 minutes to spare and the bus to take me to the HQ had already left. Ended up running up the hill to the HQ - good warm-up I guess! But this is my only minor gripe - the rest of the experience was awesome.Date of review: December 2, 2013
In short: A great race and well organised.Date of review: December 1, 2013
In short: Great Local race.In full: Really good local race, on a super flat course, Well marshalled throughout. Date of review: December 1, 2013
In short: Last did this race 9 years ago and it is just as good as everIn full: Other races could learn an awful lot from the organisation of this race. Faultless.Date of review: December 4, 2012
In short: Fast as we seem to go down more than we went up......but the course was circular, strange but no complaints!In full: Great little race and a PB by over a minute...come on sub 36 you will be overcome soon!Very well organised with possible the youngest bag drop team/chip time printing team in the history of the sport....well done you guys!No idea what the problem is with 'only' getting a bottle of water and a Xmas pudding at the end? This is a local fun raiser for the school, the more they give out the less they get to keep.The only improvements I would recommend is either a wider starting place or instructions of where people should stand at the start + 'a 400m to go' sign would be nice as even though I'd run past the finish twice by brain had shut down near the end and so I had no idea how close to the finish I was?!?!Date of review: December 4, 2012
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When Dr. Jekyll becomes Mr. Hyde, murder replaces mercy in 19th century London and on a Pasco stage.
By BARBARA L. FREDRICKSEN
Published March 16, 2007
Jekyll & Hyde: The Musical is often compared (sometimes favorably, mostly not) to the beloved musicals The Phantom of the Opera and Sweeney Todd.
Indeed, all three have a tormented hero, a beautiful woman who is torn in her love for him and dramatic musical scores.
Local audiences can make their own assessment today through Sunday, when the Salerno Theatre Company of Tampa brings Jekyll & Hyde to the Richey Suncoast Theatre.
It's the musical's second trip to New Port Richey. The first was in June 2005, when Salerno made its first trip to the 325-seat downtown theater. Since then, the company has brought four other shows, including 50 Years of Broadway in November.
Jekyll & Hyde's plot is familiar to anyone who has read the Robert Louis Stevenson classic novella, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.
It's the story of the brilliant and respected doctor Jekyll (Michael Mathews), who longs to find a cure for his father's mental illness. Jekyll believes he has found a drug that will bring out a person's good qualities while suppressing the bad ones. To prove his hypothesis, he experiments on himself, injecting the drug he thinks will work.
At first, Dr. Jekyll is able to go back and forth between personalities, studying each one in turn; but as time passes, the experiment begins to backfire.
Instead of a gentle person re-emerging, Dr. Jekyll's most evil impulses take over as the murderous Edward Hyde. He begins to stalk the streets of 19th century London, causing mayhem and murder wherever he goes.
Dr. Jekyll's beloved fiancee, Emma Carew (Amy E. Gray), tries to help him. The pathetic prostitute Lucy (Nicole Allegretto), who has been helped by Dr. Jekyll, becomes Hyde's tortured victim.
The story is accompanied by Frank Wildhorn's music, much of it reminiscent of other musicals -J&H's Facade is much like Phantom's Masquerade; its Once Upon a Dream like Les Miserable's I Dreamed a Dream.
Still, those who enjoy a large, dramatic show will find much to like about Jekyll & Hyde, including many favorite musical numbers - This Is the Moment, In His Eyes and the most unusual, The Confrontation, where the two personalities fight to control Dr. Jekyll's body.
'Jekyll & Hyde: The Musical'
Where: Richey Suncoast Theatre, 6237 Grand Blvd., New Port Richey.
When: 8 p.m. today and Saturday and 2:30 p.m. Sunday.
Tickets: $15 adults, $12 Richey Suncoast Theatre season ticket holders, and $8 ages 12 and younger. The box office will be open 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. today and Saturday and an hour before each show.
[Last modified March 15, 2007, 23:25:16]
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This paper offers a strategy for accelerating the coming transformation of the U.S. electricity grid system into a truly integrated network that brings an exciting new set of services to consumers. This grid will dramatically improve the reliability and efficiency of our overall energy system, deeply cut the damaging environmental consequences of our mostly fossil-fueled economy, and improve overall economic productivity through innovation and advanced technology. When approached through this lens of technology deployment and infrastructure innovation, we find that there is ample precedent in the recent past for dramatic improvements to our nation's strategic infrastructure over a small number of years. This research gives us profound optimism that the United States can finally align around a shared vision of energy opportunity fueled by investment and innovation.
This information was submitted by Jeremy Laundergan, Director, Utility Services Consulting, EnerNex, email@example.com on 08/31/2012.


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Isabelle Bumper
- Overview
Airy texture, sweet ruffles and pretty patterns characterize this elegant nursery set. Sewn by hand, the quilt features delicate ruching and pin tucks that make it pillowy soft. Butterflies and blooms are embroidered on the bumper, inspired by the handiwork seen on vintage Mexican textiles. The look is finished with softly-hued mini dots on the organic sheeting and lush ruffles on the crib skirt.
- Crib sheeting is pure organic cotton percale.
- Quilt is made of pure cotton voile with polyester batting; hand quilted.
- Quilt reverse to self.
- Bumper is light blue pure cotton percale with polyester fill; reverses to self.
- Ruffle crib skirt is pure cotton percale.
- Nursery Quilt Bedding Set includes fitted crib sheet, toddler quilt and crib skirt.
- Nursery Bumper Bedding Set includes fitted crib sheet, bumper and crib skirt.
- Images provided (left) show bumper's distinct interior and exterior patterns; always fasten securely with exterior facing outward.
- Machine wash.
- Imported.
- Dimensions & Care
- View our nursery bedding safety tips.
- Pottery Barn fitted crib sheets have elastic around the top and bottom only rather than around the entire edge, a feature that makes our sheets safer for your baby.
- Ties should always be secured tightly and positioned outside of the crib. When your child is able to pull up to a standing position, crib bumpers should be removed.
- Four-sided skirt fits around the entire crib and is tailored with split corners for easy placement around posts.
- Sham has a quilted front and an envelope closure. Insert sold separately; down blend or synthetic.
- Do not place decorative pillows in the crib while your baby is sleeping.
Toddler Quilt
- 36 x 50"
Small Sham
- 12 x 16"
Fitted Crib Sheet
- 26 x 53"; fits mattresses up to 8" deep
Crib Skirt
- 28 x 52"; 18" drop
- 9.75 x 159"
- Machine wash in warm water; gentle cycle.
- Use only nonchlorine bleach, if needed.
- Tumble dry on low heat; remove promptly.
- Warm iron as needed.
- Shipping & Return Info
This is a general shipping item.
View Our Shipping Information
Return Policy
At Pottery Barn Kids, we take great pride in the quality and craftsmanship of our products. Attention to design, materials, safety and construction is our priority. We carefully inspect your order prior to shipment; upon receipt, please inspect your purchase and notify us of any damage. We will arrange for a prompt replacement. If, within 7 days for Quick Ship upholstery and 30 days for all other products, you are dissatisfied for any reason, you may return your purchase for a refund of the merchandise value.
If your return for Merchandise Credit Cards is greater than $10,000, we will issue $10,000 in Merchandise Credit Cards to you that day, and then mail additional Merchandise Credit Card(s) for the amount in excess of $10,000 to you.
We cannot accept returns on monogrammed, personalized, special-order items, or on items damaged through normal wear and tear. We also cannot accept returns of final-sale items, which are identified by a price that ends in $0.99.
For returns of items purchased from your Pottery Barn Kids registry, we will gladly provide a refund or exchange for the merchandise within 90 days of your event or within 90 days of purchase, whichever date is later.
For assistance, please contact Customer Service at 800.993.4923
International Returns: Online returns are available only for items that were shipped to the United States. If you would like to return items that were shipped outside the US, please see International Returns and Exceptions.


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Debates of May 2nd, 2008
House of Commons Hansard #87 of the 39th Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was income.
- Question Period
- Points of Order
- Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999
- Kodiak Impact
- World Press Freedom Day
- Art Exhibition in Quebec City
- Vietnamese Cultural Day
- Hockey
- Gasoline Prices
- Denise Boucher
- Seniors
- Afghanistan Mission
- Israel
- Omar Khadr
- Truth and Reconciliation Commission
- Rail Safety Week
- Communications Vetting Policy
- Aboriginal Affairs
- Elections Canada
- Hydroelectricity
- Afghanistan
- The Economy
- Canada Post Corporation
- Ethics
- Immigration
- Omar Khadr
- Health
- The Environment
- Afghanistan
- Canada Border Services Agency
- Agriculture and Agri-Food
- Canada-U.S. Relations
- New Brunswick Flooding
- Firefighters Memorial
- Gasoline Prices
- Agriculture and Agri-Food
- Kamloops Airport
- Aboriginal Affairs
- Status of Women
- Points of Order
- Committees of the House
- Persons With Disabilities
- Petitions
- Questions on the Order Paper
- Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999
- Income tax Act
Gasoline Prices
Statements By Members
11 a.m.
Gurbax Malhi Bramalea—Gore—Malton, ON
Mr. Speaker, consumers are being slammed by gas prices, which are expected to hit $1.40 a litre this summer and could reach $2.25 a litre by 2012.
High energy prices are especially hurting low income families, leaving little money for food and housing. Creative solutions are needed. That is why the Liberal Party has a plan to build a green economy, promote alternative energy sources and improve fuel efficiency.
Canadians are demanding action to help them cope with rising energy prices today and ensure that Canada is a leader in the green technology of the future.
Instead, what they have is a government that is like an exhaust pipe: all it puts out is a lot of hot air.
Denise Boucher
Statements By Members
May 2nd, 2008 / 11:05 a.m.
Sylvie Boucher Beauport—Limoilou, QC
Mr. Speaker, I would like to pay tribute to a Quebec author who broke down barriers with her feminist piece The Fairies are Thirsty.
This play was controversial when it was first put on in November 1978. It showed three stereotypical images of women: the virgin, the prostitute and the housewife. This play, banned by the church, was written by Denise Boucher, who opened my eyes to the roles of women.
Although we do not share the same ideals, politically or socially, we have something in common that no one can take away from us: a blood relation.
My dear godmother's experiences, fight for the equality of women, and passion for her culture are the legacies she has left me. This year marks the 30th anniversary of this extraordinary work. I commend the courage she had, Denise, to write this play and to demystify the role of women.
Statements By Members
11:05 a.m.
Raymond Gravel Repentigny, QC
Mr. Speaker, big oil companies are filling up on profits. During the first three months of 2008, Petro Canada socked away net profits of $1.1 billion, an increase of $590 million over this time last year. Moreover, the oil company is benefiting from tax measures that are allowing it to keep making even more money.
The price of gas has gone up spectacularly and may top $2 per litre next year, which will affect all consumer products. Quebec seniors will suddenly see their buying power slashed when it comes to essential products, such as food. The poorest have nothing left to cut back on.They are already living below the poverty line, and now they will have even less, yet the Conservative government has the nerve to say that it is being generous toward them.
Promises do not put food on the table. The Bloc Québécois strongly condemns this ongoing situation that abandons seniors to unacceptable living conditions.
Afghanistan Mission
Statements By Members
11:05 a.m.
Dean Del Mastro Peterborough, ON
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to salute the efforts being made by 24-year-old Peterborough resident, Private Jonathan Bedford. The son of David and Brenda Bedford, Jonathan is a medic with the 1st Field Ambulance of the Princess Patricia's Light Infantry, stationed in Kandahar.
When asked by family what they could send him in Afghanistan, Private Bedford selflessly requested that they send him items that he could give to Afghan children to improve everyday aspects of their lives.
Rallying to his request, his parents approached Crayola Canada in Lindsay for support. The company acted immediately by donating a crate of Crayola children's products.
It is this type of effort that preserves our proud Canadian identity. Private Bedford is bringing joy and hope to the lives of the people of Afghanistan.
On behalf of a proud community and nation, I would like to thank Private Jonathan Bedford, and his parents, David and Brenda, for their great work and sacrifice. Private Jonathan Bedford is a truly great Canadian.
Afghanistan Mission
Statements By Members
11:05 a.m.
Nancy Karetak-Lindell Nunavut, NU
Mr. Speaker, on March 26 the Iqaluit airport was full of family, friends and well-wishers to greet RCMP Constable Henry Coman upon his return from one year in Afghanistan.
Born in Pangnirtung and growing up in Iqaluit, Henry is a role model for Nunavut youth, as well as one of our respected Inuit RCMP officers.
Henry volunteered for one year of service in Afghanistan where he helped train and advise the Afghan national police and Kandahar city fire department on basic first aid, vehicle maintenance and basic policing techniques.
RCMP Constable Henry Coman is now at home with his wife, Alison, and daughters, Cassandra and Victoria, and enjoying springtime in Nunavut.
I know his mother, Oolahnee, and sister, Heather, are very relieved he is home safely. Thanks to his family for supporting him. We welcome Henry home and thank him for his good work and dedication. Matna. He makes Nunavut proud.
Statements By Members
11:05 a.m.
Pierre Poilievre Nepean—Carleton, ON
Mr. Speaker, next week on May 8 the state of Israel will celebrate its 60th birthday. I rise today to congratulate the Jewish state for what has been a miraculous achievement in the last six decades to create one of the world's most advanced democracies.
Unfortunately here at home, radical left-wing groups are targeting the Jewish state. Only two weeks ago the Canadian Union of Postal Workers passed a resolution calling for an international campaign of boycott, divestment and sanctions. Radical left-wing groups on campuses have been holding Israel apartheid weeks and intimidating Jewish students.
On November 8, 2007 at York University, Jewish students were swarmed by anti-Israel students shouting, "The Hezbollah is not a terrorist organization. The real terrorists are Zionists and the Americans". One faculty member is said to have shouted, "Gestapo" at the students themselves. In April 2008 at Carleton University, a student picked up a picture of a terrorist who had killed eight Israelis.
This kind of thing is unacceptable and cannot--
Statements By Members
11:10 a.m.
The Speaker Peter Milliken
The hon. member for Hamilton East—Stoney Creek.
Omar Khadr
Statements By Members
11:10 a.m.
Wayne Marston Hamilton East—Stoney Creek, ON
Mr. Speaker, Omar Khadr left Canada as a dutiful son following his father, as any boy of 13 or 14 years of age would do; misguided yes, but as with most children, loyal to his father and with no real comprehension of the potential consequences of his actions.
Later, at the age of 15, this boy was apprehended following a firefight with American special forces. Khadr had been shot twice in the back while he was turned away from the fight. In fact, one American officer had to step in to prevent another from executing him on the spot with his pistol.
Omar was taken to a field hospital where, while he was still in a great deal of pain recovering from his wounds, he was exposed to the American style of enhanced interrogation, and after months of recuperation was transported to Guantanamo. By all definitions and particularly the one contained in the UN Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child, a child combatant is anyone under the age of 18 years. In all senses of the word, Omar Khadr is a child combatant and our government must first accept this conclusion and then move to have him repatriated to Canada.
Truth and Reconciliation Commission
Statements By Members
11:10 a.m.
Tina Keeper Churchill, MB
Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to recognize Justice Harry LaForme of the Mississaugas of New Credit First Nation. Justice LaForme was appointed as the chair of the Indian residential schools Truth and Reconciliation Commission.
This commission is part of the effort and commitment by the former Liberal government to develop a fair and lasting resolution process for the survivors of the Indian residential schools comprised of the common experience payment, the independent assessment process, commemoration activities, and an endowment to the Aboriginal Healing Foundation which the Conservatives cut by over $200 million. Under the Liberals there was a commitment of an apology. The last component is the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.
This is historic. I congratulate Justice LaForme on his appointment as the chair of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.
Rail Safety Week
Statements By Members
11:10 a.m.
Mario Laframboise Argenteuil—Papineau—Mirabel, QC
Mr. Speaker, I would like to draw the attention of the House to this year's Rail Safety Week, currently underway, from April 28 to May 4. It is important to increase awareness and educate the public in order to prevent tragic accidents and create a safe environment for people who live near railway facilities, people who use the services and workers who work in this industry.
In 2007, there were no less than 209 level-crossing collisions in Canada, resulting in 27 deaths and leaving 21 people injured, in addition to incidents involving 100 people on or near railroad tracks, causing 57 deaths and leaving 25 people seriously injured. That is far too many.
When we consider the number of accidents and near collisions on railway tracks, it is clear that this public awareness campaign is crucial. That is why the Bloc Québécois encourages everyone to participate.
Communications Vetting Policy
Statements By Members
11:10 a.m.
Borys Wrzesnewskyj Etobicoke Centre, ON
Mr. Speaker, there is a disturbing trend about the Prime Minister and his Kremlinesque practice of producing enemies lists. The Prime Minister quite simply does not tolerate people who disagree with him: MPs who oppose him, kicked out; non-partisan organizations he does not like, funding cut; hard-working loyal public servants fired; parliamentary committees investigating him, shut down; anyone who challenges him, sued. Just ask Bernard Shapiro, Jean-Pierre Kingsley, Arthur Carty, Linda Keen, and Adrian Measner, to name just a few.
As of this week, the muzzle list now includes Elections Canada and the Auditor General. A directive was issued by the Prime Minister's Privy Council to the Auditor General and all hereto independent officers of Parliament that their communications are to be vetted by his office. No wonder even backbench Conservatives have taken to calling the Prime Minister's Office the Kremlin.
Elections Canada
Oral Questions
11:15 a.m.
Mark Holland Ajax—Pickering, ON
Mr. Speaker, the scandal involving the in and out scheme just keeps getting worse for the government. Now we learn the data crime unit of the RCMP is analyzing computer records seized during the raid on Conservative Party headquarters.
The latest Conservative attempt is to dodge investigators and this time they are claiming solicitor-client privilege. That will not wash. The Conservative lawyer, Paul Lepsoe, was himself a key designer of the in and out scheme and may be subject to prosecution.
If the government still thinks the scheme is legal, why does it refuse to cooperate with the RCMP and Elections Canada?
Elections Canada
Oral Questions
11:15 a.m.
Peter Van Loan Leader of the Government in the House of Commons and Minister for Democratic Reform
Mr. Speaker, the hon. member has what we call no shame. He has spent an entire term in Parliament so far inventing imaginary scandals. He continues with that pattern today and has the nerve to write, which appeared in the newspapers today on his blog, sad words about the lack of decorum in Parliament and how members do not talk about policy anymore. He said:
A new policy isn't half as good as a scandal or the whiff of one...I am worried that politics is being boiled down to irrelevance--to splashy conflicts and salacious juice.
He is the father of that trend.
Elections Canada
Oral Questions
11:15 a.m.
Mark Holland Ajax—Pickering, ON
Mr. Speaker, this was not an imaginary raid. It is time for answers from the government.
It is one thing to cite solicitor-client privilege when the Conservatives are under police investigation for fraud and then hire a lawyer, but when the lawyer is actually one of the kingpins that helps structure the fraud, privilege goes out the window.
First they tried to threaten Elections Canada, then they sued it. When that did not work, they smeared it. Now, since the courts have ruled their arguments irrelevant, they try this new ploy.
No more excuses. No more stonewalling. When will the government cooperate with the RCMP and Elections Canada? How many more police raids will it take before we get some answers?


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Beautiful peel Andre. Where will the demonstration be? Mark
That truly is stunning. What is the diameter and the handle length? Will you be offering it for sale?John
The peel is 8" diameter, the handle is 52" with the wood handle and the wood handle is 10". Total is 60". It is a little pricy but that should last forever.They are already for sale on the website.http://www.breadstoneovens.com/collections/frontpage/products/utility-pizza-peelAntoine
That looks really, really expensive! But if this is a hobby for you, go for it. I would be ashamed to tell you what I have spent on shinny things for my personal hobby's over the years.I do not shoot any better with a Trijicon, and my game has not improved with any Callaway products.But I'll be damned if both just don't feel better in my hands.... (oh, and i forgot my fishing habit!) The worst of them all!Buy a boat.......Oppps, need to buy a truck now, to pull it with! hahaGood luck with the demo!


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Don't forget, tomorrow is St Patty's Day...think green...TEA!!!
Yesterday was sooo bad tea wise for me, that the best tea of the day was Kuki- Houjicha from 2005 that I just found in my tea drawer...it actually was not bad...it was just enough for one session...I must order some.
So, today, dang it, I will have some good tea.
Welcome to TeaDay! Please stop by many times throughout the day and share what is in your cup with fellow TeaChatters. You can see what everyone else is drinking as well.
Today's TeaPoll and discussion topic...do you drink and eat??? Share with everyone what your tea drinking and eating habits are? I hope to hear dark chocolate mentioned more than the one time I mention it. Remember to have fun on TeaDay.
And of course...have a great TeaDay everyone!


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Eastern carpenter bee
The common Eastern carpenter bee, Xylocopa virginica, is the carpenter bee most often encountered in the eastern United States. It is often mistaken for a large bumblebee species, as they are similar in size and coloring. They can be important pollinators, especially of open-faced flowers, though they are also known to "rob" nectar by boring holes in the sides of flowers with deep corollas (thus not accomplishing pollination). They sometimes bore holes in wood dwellings and can become minor pests. They use chewed wood bits to form partitions between the cells in the nest.
The most visible physical difference (at a glance) between this species and a bumblebee is the abdomen. Eastern carpenter bees have a shiny black abdomen, with the only yellow hair present being at the base next to the thorax, while bumblebees have a very fuzzy abdomen, which in some species has large areas of yellow hair across the middle (this is visible and obvious). The female eastern carpenter bee also has a much broader head than bumblebees. Eastern carpenter bees can be sexed at a glance. Males have a patch of white cuticle on the face, as opposed to females, whose faces are black. Males are unable to sting.
Female carpenter bees make nests by tunneling into wood. They make an initial upward hole in an overhang, eaves trough, or similar structure. Then, they make one or more horizontal tunnels. The final nest usually resembles a T. Unlike termites, carpenter bees (also called woodcutters) do not eat wood. They discard the bits of wood, or use them to make partitions (walls) inside the tunnels of their nests. The tunnel functions as a nursery for brood and the pollen/nectar upon which the brood subsists.
Males will visit flowers only to feed themselves, spending the rest of the time hovering in their territory and investigating any movement, or guarding flowers where they might encounter females . Females spend the majority of their time gathering nectar and pollen to provision their nests.
Because of their value as pollinators some people allow carpenter bees to stay around the home in the early spring, living with the cosmetic damage caused. In some fruit growing areas carpenter bee populations are encouraged by supplying them with suitable blocks or boards of soft wood.
In the eastern U.S., Xylocopa virginica overwinter as adults inside the same tunnels where they hatched that summer. In spring, they awaken. The males hover around looking for mates. The female enlarges the existing tunnel, or moves nearby and bores a new tunnel. She creates separate partitions in the tunnel out of sawdust and saliva. She provisions each section with a paste-like wad of pollen and nectar, lays one egg on it, and seals it off. She makes many of these partitioned cells, with as few as 1 and in excess of 20. The egg hatches into a grub-like larva which eats the pollen mass. It then turns into a pupa, which hatches into an adult bee in mid- to late summer. The newly hatched adults break through the partitions and crawl over each other to escape to the outside world. However, they do not then disperse, but continue to live in the tunnel, preparing to hibernate. Thus, the piece of wood is inhabited by bees year-round.
Rarely, active nests in a home can involve considerable damage, but woodpeckers normally are the primary cause of it, as they search out larval bees.
Carpenter bee nests are rather easy to spot. They bore a highly polished hole about 1 cm in diameter directly up into the bottom a nesting substrate (usually an eave, picnic bench or similar wood structure). When the female is boring tunnels, there is a collection of fresh sawdust below the hole and the sound of boring can be easily heard. One can often see yellowish splashes of waste below the entrance, produced by the bee just as she flies out.
|This section contains instructions, advice, or how-to content. The purpose of Wikipedia is to present facts, not to train. Please help improve this article either by rewriting the how-to content or by moving it to Wikiversity or Wikibooks. (October 2009)
Pollinator decline is a serious environmental issue and carpenter bees are being valued increasingly as important pollinators.
Carpenter bees are sometimes dissuaded from making nests in painted or stained wood. Paint is a better deterrent than stain, and bare wood is very inviting to a bee looking for a place to start a new nest. However, X. virginica will nest in almost any soft wood , particularly if it is exposed to the sun. In cases where carpenter bees persist in spite of paint, the edge of the wood can be covered with a narrow strip of flashing or screening, and painted, thus providing a physical barrier.
The eastern carpenter bee is faithful to its home, preferring to lay eggs in the same hole it was born in and hibernated in. Females who leave the natal tunnel prefer to live nearby, often digging a new hole a few inches away in the same piece of wood. Over many years, the bees may almost completely hollow out a single board, or a few boards, without ever touching adjacent pieces. Thus, carpenter bee habitations tend to remain clumped in one area. Because each female produces only a few young bees each year, their numbers grow slowly.
Since previous nests are the primary nests each year, blocking or poisoning nests can often backfire on the homeowner, by encouraging the carpenter bee to bore new nests. Over time the burrowing of these new holes may weaken structures.
An alternative means of preventing nesting in valuable wood is to attract the bees to another location by propping a beam of attractive bare wood where you would prefer the bees to stay. The theory is that the bees will build their nests in the wood you supply for them and stay away from your house. Often, an old wooden shed or barn sustains a population of carpenter bees.
Carpenter bees are not solitary bees, but are not truly social either. The weak form of sociality they exhibit, with one female doing the majority of the work, and caring for her sisters, may be a transitional step in the evolution of sociality. However they tend to be gregarious, and often several will nest near each other.
Male eastern carpenter bees are curious and will investigate anyone, including humans, that comes near their nests. The curiosity is often interpreted as aggressiveness; however, the males are only aggressive to other male carpenter bees. They do not have stingers and cannot cause any real harm. The female carpenter bees tend to be busy with floral visitation and nest provisioning, but have the ability to cause a painful sting if captured.
Males spend many hours guarding their territory against other males, hovering about the nests for hours on sunny days. They sometimes attempt to mate with other insects or small birds.
An interesting trick to use to "move" a male carpenter bee out of the way is to pick up a small pebble (roughly the size of the bee), then toss it past the bee. They will attempt to chase it, distracting them for a few moments, long enough for a human to get by. However, since they cannot sting, and rarely accord any attention to humans, this is unnecessary.
Carpenter bees are strong fliers, capable of returning to their nests from some miles away, but not very agile. They tend to be clumsy, frequently almost crashing into the side of a wall or various trees and plants. On occasions, the bees will fly into old windows made of acrylic glass, as UV light can pass through it and the bee sees it as open.
Carpenter bees are not aggressive. Often, a carpenter bee preoccupied with something will not sting or flee when approached closely or even touched by a human, but merely raise one or two of its legs in the air instead.
Further reading
- Mitchell, Theodore B. (1962): Bees of the Eastern United States. Vol. II, The North Carolina Agricultural Experiment Station, Tech. Bul. No.152, pp. 557 (p. 507 ff)
- Balduf WV, 1962. Life of the carpenter bee, Xylocopa virginica (Linn.) (Xylocopidae, Hymenoptera). Annals of the Entomological Society of America 55:263-271.
- Barrows EM, 1983. Male Territoriality in the Carpenter Bee Xylocopa virginica. Animal Behaviour 31:806-813.
- Barthell JF, Baird TA, 2004. Size variation and Aggression among Male Xylocopa virginica (L.) (Hymenoptera: Apidae) at a Nesting Site in Central Oklahoma. Journal of the Kansas Entomological Society 77:10-20.
- Gerling D, Hermann HR, 1976. Biology and Mating Behavior of Xylocopa virginica L. (Hymenoptera, Anthrophoridae). Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology 3:99-111.
- Sabrosky CW, 1962. Mating in Xylocopa virginica. Proceedings of the Entomological Society of America 64:184.


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Offer hardworking families a chance to take their first step out of poverty. Learn more.
Support World CouncilWith Amazon Smiles!
WOCCU's international partnerships program grew in 2007 with the addition of six new
partnerships: Dominican Republic/Wisconsin, Caja Morelia-Valladolid (Mexico)/North Carolina, Peru/Vermont, Solomon Islands/Idaho, and Russia/Louisiana. First steps
were also taken by four other pairs: Antigua/Arizona, Belize/Southwest Corporate, Brazil/Florida, and St. Lucia/Michigan. Additionally, the Virginia
League is considering a partnership with Estonia. By the end of 2008, the program could potentially have 30 formal partnerships (up from 12 in 2005).
Sophisticated operational and technical
exchanges are virtually the norm in all partnerships. With increased interest in international
transactions and technology-driven operations in credit unions, many U.S. league
partners are now playing a key role working with WOCCU to provide operational
expertise, share their experiences and offer advice on information technology
requirements to developing partners. Of the 25 official partnerships and the 4 in
progress, 65% conducted significant exchanges in 2008.
The program has enjoyed increased media attention in the United States. Several articles, press releases and other
communications were published in both the trade and mainstream media. Nearly 25% of all press releases generated by
WOCCU in 2007 were directly related to partnership activities. WOCCU has utilized these relationships to
showcase how credit unions can lead the globalization of today's
economies in a way that perfects the services offered to members and
improves their ability to increase income, build wealth and improve financial
The department has also utilized its blog to share the most up-to-date
information. Pictures, visit highlights
and links to press releases are included in the blog. The blog has been transferred to its new home
on the recently re-launched WOCCU website (www.woccu.org).
One of the year's highlights was
the implementation of the International Partnership department's new annual
program, the Hispanic Marketing Immersion Program. The program is designed to transfer knowledge
to U.S.
credit unions facing a more diverse pool of potential members. Program activities allow participants to live,
learn and grow in Mexico
while learning marketing techniques for reaching out to the Hispanic
demographic. The participants take
intensive Spanish language courses, live with a Hispanic host family, enjoy
cultural activities and partake in practical internships with a local credit
union. This year's program included 18 participants
from several U.S.
leagues and credit unions.
Another important event was the 3rd
International Partnerships Briefing and Hike the Hill on October 19 in Washington, D.C. Nineteen credit union leaders from United States
credit union leagues and the World Council shared the progress of their
individual partnerships and used the meeting as a forum for best
practices. During the briefing,
participants discussed how to best convey partnership benefits to their
constituents, how to make partnerships more inclusive, what works in the
program and what can be improved. A
special presentation on the Costa Rica/Alabama partnership was given by Oscar
Hidalgo Chaves, CEO of COOPESERVIDORES in Costa Rica.
Partnership efficiency is a continuing goal for the department. Partners work with WOCCU to conduct planning
sessions to set annual goals and work plans for their partnerships. Periodically, each partnership conducts a
feedback session to measure work plan effectiveness so that priorities and
activities are continually evaluated and realigned. This ensures that the partnership remains
focused and that both partners feel that the relationship adds value to their
As of December 2007, WOCCU's international partnership
portfolio included 25 active partnerships and 4 progressing toward formal
Please contact Josh Fetting at email@example.com or 608-395-2060 to request the full annual report with blog and press release archives and one will be sent to you via mail or other electronic source.


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Includes two 10 oz Podium Arc bottle
Podium Arc Bottle Features: Self-sealing Jet Valve™ eliminates splatters and spills, lightweight, easy to squeeze, BPA-Free, TruTaste™ Polypropylene with HydroGuard™ lets you taste water--not the bottle, Lockout for leak-proof transport
Key Pack Features: Elastic webbing with stretch binding, front & back reflectivity, essentials pocket, option to add 2 more Podium Arc bottles
Designed to Carry: Phone, energy bar, gel, cash, keys
CamelBak® Got Your Bak™ Guarantee: If we built it, we'll Bak it™ with our lifetime guarantee.
I'm used to the CamelBak bite valve, where's the bite valve on this bottle?
The Podium® Arc Bottles are designed for optimum, hassle-free hydration via an innovative feature called the CamelBak® Jet Valve™. Made from medical-grade silicone and designed to flow automatically when you squeeze the bottle, the Jet Valve vents pressure and seals shut automatically when you're done. It's simple—no biting involved. So say goodbye to yanking your old pop-top bottle open with your teeth and bashing it shut on your hip, as well as bothersome drips and leaks.
OK, I get the Jet Valve™, but do I still need to suck on the nozzle to drink?
It's your choice. You can either put the nozzle between your lips, or just open your mouth and squirt. The Jet Valve™ opens automatically when you squeeze, then shuts automatically to prevent drips.
Explain the lockout valve under the nozzle. Do I need to shut this off every time I drink?
No. The Jet Valve™ keeps your bottle sealed and drip-free during use. The rotary valve under the nozzle on the cap is actually a secondary lock-out. We recommend using the lock-out exclusively for storage, i.e. if you're storing the bottle in a bag or trunk. Leave it open during activity for easy access when you're drinking from the bottle.
Can I put sports drinks in the Podium® Arc Bottle?
Absolutely. However, make sure to clean the bottle thoroughly after each use.
Can I use carbonated beverages?
Yes. The Jet Valve™ automatically vents pressure so that "fizz" will not cause pressure buildup. Please note, if the lockout is shut off, there will be pressure buildup, which isn't dangerous, but could lead to unexpected spray when opened.
Can I put hot liquids in it?
No. However, warm beverages are OK, provided they're not hot enough to burn your mouth. Extra-hot or boiling water can distort the plastic in the bottle, but warm tea in your Podium® Chill Bottle is a nice treat on cold days.
Is the bottle microwave-safe?
We don't recommend heating the bottle in a microwave since contents can heat unevenly. We only recommend putting warm liquids in the Podium® Arc Bottles.
Can I freeze the bottle?
You can freeze the bottle, but before you do, make sure that the bottle is only partially full. We recommend only 3/4 full to allow for expansion of the water as it freezes to ice. Place the bottle in the freezer right side up. Remember: you won't be able to drink until components have thawed.
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(3 of 3 customers found this review helpful)
Great Hydration belt, however
By Kenny - Warrior Runner
from Warrensburg, MO
Best Uses
Comments about CamelBak Arc 2™:
I use this for my shorter runs up to 10k.. I normally try to stretch to about the 1-1/2 to 2 mile mark before reaching for a bottle. The one thing that disappoints me is by that time in the summer heat whatever i'm carrying has already gotten hot. It maybe something to hydrate with, but warm to hot is not very refreshing. I was thinking it would be great if you could design a bottle for this similar to the 21oz Podium Chill bottle (which I also have). True, even in that things don't stay cold, but they do stay cool. I'd be interested in an upgrade if you were to design these bottles in a similar fashion.
Bottom Line Yes, I would recommend this to a friend
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Three cheers for summer
It's official, summer has begun and along with it the hot weather, longer days and the kids asking what to do.
I've often joked that I should create an "I'm bored" list and each time my kids complain that there's nothing to do or that they're bored I'll assign the offender a job from that list. Maybe it's cleaning out the hall closet, picking up after the dog or weeding (ooh, now there's a good one) whatever the job I'm sure it will be one they won't relish.
All that aside, I love summer and its laid-back attitude, freedom to go and do things and watching the kids blossom like flowers. There are also trips to the drive-in, fireworks at the Town Park on the 4th of July, days spent at Seabreeze, a plethora of town rec programs and trips to Tinker Park to amuse us all. Now, if only Henrietta had it's own water park (or even a spray-ground) we'd probably rarely leave town!
Whatever you choose, please remember to stay safe. Watch for motorcycles, bicycles, runners, kids playing and all the other unexpected hazards of summer.


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Pauline Oliveros + Doug Van Nort + David Arner + Filter @ RoulettePosted by s21concerts in Concert Announcement, tags: David Arner, Doug Van Nort, FILTER, improvisation, nyc, Pauline Oliveros, Roulette
Pauline Oliveros, Doug Van Nort, David Arner and FILTER
Saturday, March 30, 2013 @ 8:00 pm
A visionary figure in the experimental tradition, Pauline Oliveros has influenced American music profoundly through her work with improvisation, meditation, electronic music, myth, and ritual. Tonight, Oliveros teams up with David Arner, a pianist and long time proponent of innovative music and spontaneous composition, Doug Van Nort, an experimental musician who creates immersive sonic experiences, and FILTER (Freely Improvising, Learning & Transforming Evolutionary Recombination system), a machine which reacts to its partners, transforming their sound in a musical dialogue. This set will feature each of the three possible human-machine duos, followed by the full quartet.
509 Atlantic Ave
Brooklyn, NY 11217
Comments Off on Pauline Oliveros + Doug Van Nort + David Arner + Filter @ Roulette


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Refocus, rinse and repeat.
Eldorado head football coach Brandon Hampton first order of business for his Eagles is to forget about last week's loss to Chester.
"I know our guys probably have a bad taste in their mouth still, and they should, but the best thing we can do right now is refocus and turn our attention to Vienna-Goreville."
Eldorado will play their second Saturday game in the past three weeks when they travel to Johnson County Saturday in a 1 p.m. in Vienna.
Vienna-Goreville has secured a playoff berth under Hall of Fame coach Mike Rude with a 5-3 record, but Hampton knows the Eagles will be looking to cash in on this year's success with star power coming from fullback Conner Seavers, who rushed for over 1,000 yards a year ago and All-Conference linebacker Dallas Mallot.
"They have a couple of really talented players," Hampton said. They're another playoff team, so it will be a good challenge for us. It's another Saturday game that should help us prepare for the postseason with our preparation."
Hampton added the two teams have similarities in style, but knows as Mike Rude-coached team will not beat themselves.
"It's going to be Senior Day for them, so they have a little more to play for, but for our guys, we can't have the hangover from last Friday. It would be easy to make excuses and push the blame, but it's important for us to accept responsibility and learn from our mistakes and move forward."
Hampton added that the notion of losing is never good and anyone who said it is has never coached.
"When you put as much energy and time into it and are as passionate as we are about it, losing can never be looked at as a positive thing.
The reality of the situation is we didn't play well enough to win. It came down to execution and we didn't execute the way we needed too. That starts with me, getting the kids to execute. We all have to look at ourselves in the mirror here, look at the mistakes that were made on film and move forward."
Location, ST | website.com


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Topic: What breaks find_by?
I am using agile web development with rails and am trying to implement the user authentication code.
Code (table and column names are mine):
if TcEmployee == find_by_loginid(loginid)
if TcEmployee.hashed_password == encrypt_password........
TcEmployee == find_by_loginid(loginid) never finds the employee record even though I know what the correct login id is and verified it with psql, a postgreSQL utility; as well as inserted logger.debug statements into the code which verified the values passed to the routine are what I think they are.
Originally I used 'login' as the column name but in despiration changed it to loginid in case 'login' is a reserved word.
the loginid and password are both 'again' (you can tell I tried this a lot!) so there are no special characters that might break a search.
So what can break find_by_ and keep it from successfully locating a record?
Thanks for any help. -Fred


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Jane Seymour has dabbled in nearly every art form imaginable. Though perhaps best known for her acting roles–including as a Bond girl in 1973's Live and Let Die and the title role in the '90s television series Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman–Seymour feels most confident in her current role as fine artist. In addition to showcasing her work in her own art gallery in Los Angeles, Seymour has traveled to numerous galleries across North America, exhibiting her watercolors, oil paintings, pastels and bronze sculptures. Now, her artistic ventures have led her to South Florida and the Wentworth Galleries. She will be at the Wentworth Gallery in Fort Lauderdale on July 19 and in Boca Raton on July 20. Both events are open to the public. Her work, as well as the photography of her son Sean M. Flynn, will be on display and available for acquisition. PBI.com chatted with Seymour about her evolution as an artist and what the future holds for herself and for her children.
|"Artist in Her English Garden," Jane Seymour
When did you first begin painting?
I've always painted, at least, I've always drawn as a child. I didn't really start proper painting until about 22 years ago when I took up watercolors. But I always drew and designed since I was a little kid.
What inspired you to pick up a paintbrush 22 years ago?
I went through a tough time, financially and emotionally. I had lost everything. I was at a fundraiser at a child abuse organization I worked with, and an artist had offered to do a painting of your children for a donation to the charity. The artist came to my house and saw the finger paintings in my kids' playroom and said, 'Who did these? They're really good.' And I said, 'They're finger paintings!' And he said, 'No, they're really good.' And I said, 'Well, I did them.' And he offered to give me some free art lessons. So, he started me out. And then it became like a healing for me. To this day, it's something that I do for myself in a kind of spiritual way.
So, it's a therapeutic outlet for you?
Yes, that's how it started. Now it's become a fulltime experience. It is very therapeutic. Everyday of my life I see things that I want to paint. Sometimes I'll take photographs of them, sometimes they're just ideas in my head. But I love to paint and once I get started I can't stop.
Can you tell me a little more about your training?
Mostly, I've been painting with really great artists who have become my friends...There are a group of artists here I've become friends with who paint in the style of John Singer Sargent and I'm very keen on that. So, I've been painting a lot with them. Before that, I was painting watercolors with one lady who painted watercolors with vodka; she liked to paint in her kitchen with vodka and sea salt, so I tried that. There are other artists I've worked with who've shown me how to throw paint. So, a lot of different artists have shown me a lot of different techniques. Basically, I kind of take some of it and leave some of it and come up with my own style.
How do you view painting in relation to the other arts you participate in, such as acting?
Well, painting is something that I do for me. Acting, I have to wait for someone else to write the script, I'm subject to who they've decided to cast around me, who's directing, what the locations are, what the budget is; there are a million things between me and the final product. Whereas when I paint, that is a piece of me, directly. So, I always tell collectors and people that these are like my little babies.
|"Anticipation," Jane Seymour
What are your favorite themes to explore?
I love children, mothers and children. The innocence of the small child, especially on the beach because I remember, as a kid, being on the beach and looking out at the waves and just wondering about the power of the water. It was just mesmerizing to me and I think that's why I like living around water. And then, I love flowers. I've always loved flowers. Each flower is like a face, it's completely different. Even if it's the same type of flower, there's nothing generic about it.
Are you as much of an art lover as you are a creator?
Absolutely, can't get enough. I love it. I also love fine art photography, and my son [Sean M. Flynn] has become a really great fine art photographer. He'll be showing at the same exhibition.
What is your son's work like?
He's drawn to skies. I think he has something in common with every picture he does, and they have incredible skies. He does HDR [high dynamic range] photography, so he manipulates it in the camera, not on the computer.
And, I'm sure you nurtured a love of the arts in your children as they were growing up.
I think they couldn't avoid it, it was all around them all the time.
What pieces will be on exhibit at the Wentworth Galleries?
|"Open Heart Family," Jane Seymour
A huge collection, I think there'll be over 80 pieces. Some are very small, quite small; some are small watercolor pen and inks. A lot of open hearts, the original open heart paintings, which people will then notice became jewelry.
How did your jewelry venture come about?
I was creating it [the open heart design] because it was something meaningful to me as an image, as an abstraction of the way I was raised and the advice that my mother gave me. I made a single necklace, which I wore when I did "Dancing with the Stars." It was my mother's favorite show, and she was dying and she had asked me to do it, even though she knew she wouldn't see me again. So, I had one necklace made for myself. I never imagined it was ever going to become a huge jewelry business.
How would you like to see yourself grow as an artist in the coming years?
I don't think way ahead in my life; I tend to try and live in the present moment. I want to do the best I can with the abilities I have and the opportunities that come my way. Meanwhile, I travel a lot. I never lose an opportunity to come up with visual references for new ideas for paintings. My kids are also very artistic...I enjoy celebrating what they do. They're quite talented and they saw that I was having so much fun being creative that they decided that was what they like to do, too.


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When it comes to modern muscle car news it's been one-way traffic for the Chevrolet Camaro this week. First the Camaro ZL1 set a smoking hot time of 7:41.27 at the Nurburgring closely followed by Chevrolet announcing that the 2012 Camaro ZL1 convertible will be launching next month (read news). Now to finish the week in style, specialist American tuner Hennessey has revealed its latest special edition – 20th Anniversary Edition Camaro.
It's not the Camaro's 20th anniversary, but it is Hennessey's 20th birthday so the tuner is going big with this celebratory Camaro. Officially named the HPE650 Camaro, this muscle car packs 655 horsepower achieved by fitting a TVS2300 supercharger. There's also a new cam, replacement headers and intake and exhaust upgrades.
The upgraded engine can be matched with either a six-speed manual or automatic transmission and the hot Camaro will sprint to 100 km/h in around 3.8 seconds and cover the quarter mile in 11.7 seconds. Continue reading "Hennessey unleashes 20th Anniversary HPE650 Camaro" »


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Debates of April 25th, 2012
House of Commons Hansard #110 of the 41st Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was inequality.
- Question Period
- 2015 Canada Winter Games
- Novelis
- Armenia
- World Malaria Day
- National Victims of Crime Awareness Week
- Co-operative Movement
- Suicide Prevention
- National Victims of Crime Awareness Week
- Earth Day
- World Malaria Day
- Status of Women
- Battle of Vimy Ridge
- Search and Rescue
- Grave of Private Jonathan Couturier
- Pensions
- New Democratic Party of Canada
- Afghanistan
- National Defence
- Ethics
- National Defence
- Ethics
- The Environment
- National Defence
- Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
- Arts and Culture
- Agriculture and Agri-Food
- Justice
- Fisheries and Oceans
- Status of Women
- Rail Transportation
- Ministerial Expenses
- Regional Economic Development
- Employment
- Ethics
- Foreign Affairs
- Homelessness
- Government Subsidies
- Point of Order
- Government Response to Petitions
- Interparliamentary Delegations
- Committees of the House
- Extraterritorial Activities of Canadian Businesses and Entities Act
- Petitions
- Questions on the Order Paper
- Questions Passed as Orders for Returns
- Motions for Papers
- Citizen's Arrest and Self-defence Act
- Study on Income Inequality
Interparliamentary Delegations
Routine Proceedings
3:05 p.m.
Stephen Woodworth Kitchener Centre, ON
Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 34(1), I have the honour to present to the House, in both official languages, the report of the Canadian NATO Parliamentary Association respecting its participation in three combined visits, which occurred consecutively. The first was the visit of the Mediterranean Special Group, held in La Maddalena, Italy, on July 4 and 5, 2011; the second was the joint meeting of the Ukraine-NATO Interparliamentary Council, the Sub-Committee on NATO Partnerships and the Sub-Committee on Democratic Governance, held in Kyiv, Ukraine, from July 5 to July 7, 2011; and the third was the visit of the Sub-Committee on Transatlantic Defence and Security Co-operation, held in Rome, Italy, on July 6 and 7, 2011.
Interparliamentary Delegations
Routine Proceedings
3:05 p.m.
Bernard Trottier Etobicoke—Lakeshore, ON
Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 34(1), I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the report of the Canadian Branch of the Assemblée parlementaire de la Francophonie respecting its participation in six different conferences: first, the International Conference on Benchmarking and Self-Assessment for Democratic Parliaments of the APF in Paris, France, from March 3 to 4, 2010; second, the Meeting of the Parliamentary Network to Fight HIV/AIDS and the Parliamentary Affairs Committee of the APF, held in Casablanca and Marrakech, Morocco, from March 27 to 31, 2010; third, the Parliamentary Seminar on Democracy and Economic Good Governance: The Role of Parliament, held in Cotonou, Benin, from November 10 to 11, 2010; fourth, the Bureau meeting, the Conference of Branch Chairs of the Americas, the Steering Committee of the Network of Women Parliamentarians, the Education, Communication and Cultural Affairs Committee, and the Inter-Parliamentary Conference on the Diversity of Cultural Expressions of the APF, held in Quebec City, Quebec, from January 30 to February 3, 2011; fifth, the Meeting of the Parliamentary Affairs Committee of the APF, held in Clermont-Ferrand, France, from April 5 to 6, 2011; and finally, the meeting of the Political Committee of the APF, held in Lomé, Togo, from March 14 to 16, 2012.
Interparliamentary Delegations
Routine Proceedings
3:05 p.m.
Élaine Michaud Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, QC
Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 34(1), I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the report of the Canadian delegation of the Canada-France Inter-Parliamentary Association respecting its participation at the Meeting of the Standing Committee, held in Paris, France, from March 15 to 16, 2012.
Transport, Infrastructure and Communities
Committees of the House
Routine Proceedings
3:05 p.m.
Merv Tweed Brandon—Souris, MB
Mr. Speaker, I am honoured to present, in both official languages, the third report of the Standing Committee on Transport, Infrastructure and Communities regarding Bill S-4, An Act to amend the Railway Safety Act and to make consequential amendments to the Canada Transportation Act.
The committee has studied the bill and has decided to report the bill back to the House without amendment.
Foreign Affairs and International Development
Committees of the House
Routine Proceedings
3:10 p.m.
Dean Allison Niagara West—Glanbrook, ON
Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the second report of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development concerning human rights in North Korea, in particular the fate of Ms. Shin Sook-ja and her two daughters.
Extraterritorial Activities of Canadian Businesses and Entities Act
Routine Proceedings
3:10 p.m.
Maria Mourani Ahuntsic, QC
moved for leave to introduce Bill C-418, An Act respecting the extraterritorial activities of Canadian businesses and entities, establishing the Canadian Extraterritorial Activities Review Commission and making consequential amendments to other Acts.
Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the government allowed Barrick Gold, a mining company with a global reputation for its poor environmental and humanitarian practices, to put its name on a room at the Canadian Museum of Nature. It is just a lucky coincidence that I am introducing my bill today, since the basic aim of the bill is to put some controls on this industry abroad.
Antoine de Saint-Exupéry said, "We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children."
Our moral responsibility to future generations is not to help ourselves and leave our children to deal with the fallout. We must protect our children's heritage first and take only what we need. Our development should not only be sustainable and viable over time, but it must also take place with a vision of sharing, respect and solidarity.
Thus, in keeping with this vision of the world, today I am introducing a bill to establish a commission to review the extraterritorial activities of Canadian businesses and entities, and to monitor the behaviour of these businesses and ensure that they act responsibly with regard to the environment and human rights.
People across Quebec, throughout Canada and around the globe have said that these mining companies are taking advantage of the fact that they operate outside of Canada to act irresponsibly and sometimes even illegally. Some business leaders are exploiting the weaknesses of certain countries to do things that they would not dare do where their own families live.
Thus, it is imperative that this government assume its responsibilities and create tools to allow it to monitor all this. Furthermore, this bill ensures that Canadian companies operating abroad espouse our values and become our ambassadors, instead of tarnishing our reputation.
(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)
The Environment
Routine Proceedings
3:10 p.m.
Denise Savoie Victoria, BC
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to present a petition circulated by the Dogwood Initiative in British Columbia and signed by over 57,000 people, which reflects the large number of people in B.C. who do not support the Enbridge project along our coast.
This petition notes that the pristine coastal waters of northern B.C. have been protected from bulk crude oil tankers by a moratorium on oil tanker traffic since 1972. The petitioners call on the government to convert the moratorium into a permanent ban on tanker traffic. They say that tanker traffic on the west coast poses an unacceptable environmental risk and that an oil spill would be devastating to the economy, to the fragile ecosystem of northern coastal B.C. and to the coastal communities that rely upon it for their livelihoods.
Cellphone Towers
Routine Proceedings
3:10 p.m.
Terence Young Oakville, ON
Mr. Speaker, I would like to present to the House a petition signed by over 300 of my constituents.
The petition raises concerns about potential health effects related to the electromagnetic radiation emitted from cellphone towers. I share these concerns. I believe the precautionary principle must be used when determining where cellphone towers are installed.
I am happy to present this petition for a response from our government.
Routine Proceedings
3:15 p.m.
Judy Foote Random—Burin—St. George's, NL
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to present a petition on behalf of Canadians from coast to coast to coast who again take great exception to the government's decision to raise the eligibility age for OAS from 65 to 67, something the Liberal Party would never do.
The petitioners are explaining that for those who work in physically challenging environments and who look forward to retiring in comfort at the age of 65, to now have to work an additional two years is just unconscionable.
The petitioners are suggesting that the government reverse this decision as it would have a drastic impact on our young people who are right now the highest unemployed and underemployed in the country in terms of them being able to find employment.
Routine Proceedings
3:15 p.m.
David Sweet Ancaster—Dundas—Flamborough—Westdale, ON
Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. I have previously spoken with respect to the Standing Orders regarding petitions and the fact that a member, when presenting a petition, is not supposed to speak for or against a petition.
Clearly, in this case there was some preference shown for the petition and I think we should follow the rules, the Standing Orders of the House.
Routine Proceedings
3:15 p.m.
The Speaker Andrew Scheer
I will take a look at that.
The hon. member for Hamilton Mountain.
Routine Proceedings
3:15 p.m.
Chris Charlton Hamilton Mountain, ON
Mr. Speaker, ever since the Prime Minister fled to Davos, Switzerland, to announce that he would be raising the age of OAS eligibility from 65 to 67, Canadians from across the country have been signing petitions to urge the government to change its mind.
I am proud to present petitions today signed by literally hundreds of people from my hometown of Hamilton who are joining that campaign.
The petitioners rightly point out that only 31% of Canadians have been able to contribute to RRSPs and, even then, many saw their savings evaporate in the recent market downturn. They also note that only 40% of Canadians have workplace pensions and the future of many of those pension plans is increasingly tenuous.
Since over a quarter of a million seniors are now living in poverty and public pensions provide, at most, $15,000 to the typical retiree, the petitioners are calling upon the government to drop its ill-considered change to the OAS, maintain the current age of eligibility and make the requisite investments in the guaranteed income supplement to lift every senior out of poverty.
Rights of the Unborn
Routine Proceedings
3:15 p.m.
Mark Warawa Langley, BC
Mr. Speaker, I am honoured to present a petition from constituents in beautiful Langley.
The petitioners state that Canada's 400-year-old definition of a human being states that a child does not become a human being until the moment of complete birth, contrary to 21st century medical evidence.
The petitioners are calling upon Parliament to confirm that every human being is recognized by Canadian law as a human being by amending section 223 of the Criminal Code in such a way as to reflect 21st century medical evidence.
Federal Elections
Routine Proceedings
3:15 p.m.
Ted Hsu Kingston and the Islands, ON
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to present a petition from my constituents in Kingston and the Islands.
The petitioners are concerned about the legitimacy of Canada's electoral process and the threat posed to it by the voter suppression that we saw in the last election. They ask that the government to conduct a full inquiry into the voter suppression that occurred, to provide for remedies in case suppression has been found and to create deterrents for voter suppression in future elections.
The Environment
Routine Proceedings
3:15 p.m.
Jinny Sims Newton—North Delta, BC
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to introduce a petition signed by over 57,000 people, mostly from B.C., who would like to see a permanent legislated ban on oil tanker traffic off B.C.'s coast in order to protect the wonderful environment we have.


text:
Victory gained against British Gas
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Angry @ Injustice!
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: England
Posts: 17,097
Victory gained against British Gas
Rather then blah...why not you read the letter I sent to the company
Dear Sirs,
Please bear with me whilst I outline my ordeal. I do not know who else to communicate with as I am fast exhausting all in-business contact departments and numbers for British Gas. I know that one is supposed to wait for eight weeks before complaining, however, as British Gas admit there is no time scale they can give me for when this dispute might be settled, and we are approaching the three month point, I feel unable to leave things to take their natural elongated course.
First I offer some background. I moved into rented accommodation of Granville Road, in early 2006. As British Gas was the supplier for the last tenant, by phone I established an account, which was in the name of D Duff, and the Customer Reference number was *716 and applied to the Meter Reference of *301. After paying £41.71 on the 9th March, the direct debit would withdraw £20 on or around the 25th of each month. Paper statements were few and far between including one in June and one in September of 2006.
The name on the statement at this point changed. How, why and who changed it remains a mystery. The account name became John Duff. John Duff is my father but he doesn't have an account with British Gas, only a boiler cover of some description. We can only theorise that somehow the details of his name were transferred by the computer onto my account by accident. A full year later on 27th September 2007 I contacted British Gas to reduce my monthly amount to £17. No one had contacted me regarding the name change and I had not received any paper statements in 12 months. I spoke to them about it but they didn't appear overly concerned. On December 4th 2007 British Gas changed my meter reference to *241, and my customer reference to *6655.
On March 6th 2008 British Gas delivered their next statement still in the name of John Duff. Prices of the monthly direct debit were on the increase by sixty-seven pence. Curiously the statement had TWO meters on the account; *241 and a second meter 83589. This second meter read zero at the time so I wasn't too concerned. We now know that this meter belongs to Flat One, but because that flat was either vacant, or only in use in the summer months, despite paying for two meters, one of which wasn't mine, British Gas did not detect this.
Using my record of statements I shall now list the following units of gas for which I absentmindedly paid, which were not mine.
1st July 2008 36 units from 83589
6th October 2008 13 units from 83589
7th January 2009 4 units from 83589
7th April 2009 8 units from 83589
30th June 2009 5 units from 83589
8th October 2009 2 units from 83589
7th January 2010 4 units from 83589
10th March 2010 9 units from 83589
8th July 2010 6 units from 83589
22nd July 2010 5 units from 83589
8th October 2010 1 unit from 83589
29th December 2010 5 units from 83589
19th May 2011 19 units from 83589
30th June 2011 2 units from 83589
8th October 2011 2 units from 83589
That equates to 121 units of gas in about three years paid for by me, but not used by me. Direct Debit requirements also increased over this time, from £17.67 to £27 on 3rd March 2010, and from £27 to £32 on 25th October 2010, and from £32 to £35 on 25th October 2011.
At some point during 2011 my mother phoned British Gas to have my father's name removed from my account but was told that this could only be done when both my father and I were present on the phone call.
In January 2012 in a phone call sometime between the 11th and the 20th my parents and I had a conference call with British Gas; this was in order for my father's name to be removed and mine to be put back on my account. Somehow the name change back in 2006 was an automatic mistake, rectifying that mistake couldn't be done by either one of us alone. We both had to be present, which is rather ironic since neither of us were present when it changed that first time!
Although we specified it as a name change, for some reason the account closed all together and an entirely new account in my name David S Duff was created. Letters of welcome and notification of name change arrived and I was given the new reference number of *5402. As expected, British Gas returned £194.43 via a reverse direct debit on 6th February; this is confirmed in my Journal and my bank statements.
I have no record of who I spoke to on 3rd February 2012 to inform British Gas that my tenancy at Granville Road was coming to a close within the next month. I was simply told to take the last reading of the meter the day I left and to phone it in. So when I phoned in the final meter reading, from my single meter of *241 on Monday 20th February 2012 I assumed my business with British Gas was at a close.
This concludes the background prior to the problems I've had with British Gas.
The move to get on the property ladder and buy a house was a huge excitement for me. In this financial climate I was aware money would be tight, but was looking forward to the rewards that owning your own home can bring, and looking forward to celebrating my thirtieth birthday in my new home.
You can not imagine then, my utter devastation and sheer panic when I was presented with my final gas statement at my new property of Markenfield Road, for full closure of the Granville Road account. I found a bill outstanding of £602.87 which was almost completely made of 293 units from 83589, thanks to a new permanent tenant moving into Flat One (not my flat!) around Christmas. Compounded with the shock of being asked to pay an amount I could not afford was the fact that I had yet to settle into my new house with a landline. I couldn't even phone British Gas without paying an extortionate bus fare, and ringing from the house of my relatives. This statement was dated 24th February, but didn't reach me until 29th February according to my journal.
On 1st March I used my lunch break from full-time employment to phone British Gas and got through to Ms Carol Scott at the Leeds Centre, who I believe became the first case handler. I pointed out that there were two meters on the account, and that 83589 was NOT my meter. She expressed her concern that no one at British Gas had even noticed that there were two meters on the account. Evidently that was a mistake, and a task was raised to remove the 83589 meter. I had already asked to speak to a manager or a supervisor, but she assured me there was no need, neither was there any need to have a direct call number for her. She promised that someone would call within 48 hours on my mobile and explain to me what was going on.
But 48 hours later on 3rd March there had been no phone call. So I had to make my journey across the town by bus to get to my nearest landline, a toll of £2.80 return. I was very upset that British Gas had promised to phone back and had not bothered to do so. I was also frustrated that each time I phoned I had to start from scratch in explaining the problems; despite the fact no doubt I have an account file somewhere. I spoke to someone called Singh but wasn't able to ascertain which centre he was based at. He confirmed that someone was due to call me, but it would now be the following Tuesday, 6 March. He assured me that the bill had been wiped, and that the meter was to be removed. Yet the very day I spoke to Carol Scott (1 March), according to the date on a subsequent statement, the computer had already re-issued another, identical bill for the £602.87. I expressed my concern that if I couldn't trust British Gas to phone me back, how could I trust that they had really cancelled the bill. So I asked if it was alright to cancel my direct debit just to be on the safe side. British Gas had no problem with that as we were in a state of dispute, until the meter was removed and the final bill could be created.
I was disturbed however, that the confirmation of direct debit cancellation, which was physically cancelled by myself at National Westminster, and a receipt given, on 5th March, was accordingly 1st March on the confirmation sent from British Gas . How is it possible that British Gas sent a confirmation of direct debit cancellation two days before I suggested it to them, and five days before I actually cancelled it! If the computer is not printing accurate dates on your letter heads we have a real problem. When you are shown to be at fault once, it's hard to then trust any of the dates on your letters.
Thankfully I keep a near perfect daily journal and have all my records going back the best part of fifteen years, be it bank statements, or utility bills.
I was also angered by the fact that on these statements the computer has told me I phoned in readings for meter 83589. I never phoned, nor even was permitted access to the meter of flat one. I am ever so troubled by the list of lies and broken promises stemming from such a large company. This cannot be good customer service.
The next broken promise was that no call from British Gas was received on Tuesday 6th March. Instead a letter arrived that day, the reprint of the £602.87 statement, sigh! Therefore it was another £2.80 bus fare to phone British Gas and say "but you told me the bill was wiped!" I got through to Tara Moore in Southampton. She told me that she couldn't really help as there was no manager present, and the Leeds Centre was dealing with it. Why on earth can't Southampton transfer me by phone to Leeds? When you phone the number for British Gas and endure the discombobulated female computerized voice which asks you to enter your customer reference number, You Can Not Specify which centre you wish to communicate with. Incidentally you always find the first thing anyone asks you for is the account number you've just literally entered into the phone keypad. It's a frustrating, time wasting, and expensive process, for the innocent customer.
Tara told me to wait for a call. She told me if the direct debit was cut, the money could not be taken, and thus eventually the special team working on the meter removals would have to phone me in order to reveal to me the true amount outstanding and method of payment.
On the 17th March 2012 the next statement arrived from British Gas, and the number has dropped slightly to £528.46: something that emanated from the computer on 12th March if dates on the firm's letterheads are to be trusted.
Matthew Jackson from the Leeds Centre makes sure I have cut the direct debit when I phone British Gas on 26th March. Little did either of us realize that cutting the direct debit has not stopped the computer at British Gas from obtaining funds. The computer at British Gas is colluding with the computer at National Westminster, completely devoid of any human observation or control; it is decided to resurrect the Direct Debit. No one at British Gas authorized this. No one at National Westminster accepted this and I was completely oblivious until British Gas sent me a letter thanking me for paying my bill by a direct debit that had not existed in nearly a month, on 30th March 2012.
British Gas has no control over its computer, and has no ability to stop it automatically harassing and bullying customers who are totally innocent. British Gas have no ability to monitor the process, they have no idea what the computer has sent to me until I phone up and inform them, at which point they act all confused, but fail to apologise. When I got notification that the money had been stolen, and I don't use that word lightly, stolen, from my account I was phoning friends all night in tears. British Gas doesn't bother to staff 24 hour call centres. I have a mortgage to pay and ended the first month of what should have been the happiest time in my new home in the red; financially overdrawn.
I went into the bank, and they claimed that British Gas had gone back to the "original mandate" to make the direct debit request. Of course that request was invalid, and British Gas claimed that National Westminster shouldn't have acquiesced. The problem is no one will take responsibility, and no one will apologise. Taking time out from my employment to sort out the failings of two multinational firms who don't care about the amount of pain, suffering and disruption they are causing to people's lives is shameful enough.
So perhaps you'd like to know that we are only half way through the story. Perhaps you also might like to know I am on permanent medication for an anxiety disorder
Three days later British Gas refunded the amount stolen via an indemnity claim from the bank, sanctioned by both parties and myself. Emma Gargett from Leeds Centre was case handler at this point as it was required to speak to both British Gas and National Westminster at the same time on 30th March 2012.
But it was Julie Mellows of Leeds who I asked on 3rd April, by phone, to send me a copy of the complaints procedure. This was once the money had been returned, and once British Gas had claimed they erased my bank details so that even the automated computer couldn't find the information to resurrect yet another illicit direct debit without anyone's consent. But providing written proof of this or contacting the "specialist" meter team couldn't occur "until the ball is rolling", which I found fascinating since the ball had been rolling at this point for nearly two months.
Finally I was put through to the meter team to be met with a dial tone. So I phoned British Gas again from Markenfield Road on my newly installed landline, only to get through to a centre in Wales. Martin of Cardiff listened to my woes and apologised, but said there was nothing he could do as he was in Cardiff. (sigh)
The Complaints procedure never arrived.
Whilst British Gas was still trying to remove a meter from a flat I'd left nearly two months previously, the computer at British Gas was still very much out to get me. The bombardment by post continued, except this time there was the threat of being taken to court, the threat of being turned over to a debt collection agency. Must I really specify once again how I was reduced to a mass of worry amidst fits of hysteria?
On 16th April 2012 I phoned British Gas once again, and spent a full quarter of an hour on hold whilst some guy looked through my case. Finally, I was given the number for the elusive meter department. This was not as helpful as I had hoped because the meter department claimed there was only one meter for Granville and gave the correct meter for Flat Two but could not tell me what money or reading was on the meter. They claimed that was beyond their power which, frankly, is a ridiculous assertion, but they passed me on to the billing department.
They began with "I believe you wish to talk about making a payment Mr Duff"! Once I explained everything to Paul Chapman he was able to provide me with some explanation. Apparently the meter was not even registered with the property. This morphed under investigation into the news that Granville Road was a "group meter" described to me as "A Legacy." Accordingly it was admitted "we don't handle them well" because they are "So Rare."! ! There wasn't even an expected timescale for how long destroying one of these meters would take. This might be because the group meter doesn't appear to be a physical entity, but a construct where many individual meters become "enslaved" to one in terms of payment. It sounds like a computer construct, akin to the sort which sends out automated letters which can't be stopped, and steals money which can't be stopped either.
Needless to say I was promised that when more information was available someone would call. Needless to say, to this day that hasn't occurred.
My father gave me a letter on 29th April 2012. It was a threatening letter forwarded on to him from Granville Road, regarding an outstanding payment on an account under the name John Duff. If you recall this was an account we supposedly had closed, or had changed names at the very least a good month before the move from Granville Road. It was spewing forth entirely different figures of money, and threatening court action. My father informed me that he has been in touch with British Gas and they have agreed to close the account and wipe the bill. The statement was dated 17th April 2012. He awaits this confirmation with anticipation.
This concludes, to this present date, the problems I am having with British Gas.
This has got to stop, and has got to be sorted, promptly.
What I desire to occur is for the group meter connecting Granville Road to be destroyed, and for meters *241 and 83589 to be separated and remain separated, and I need this to be confirmed in writing.
I desire the amounts relating to meters *241 and 83589 under the account name of Mr David S Duff Customer Reference Number *5402 relating to Granville Road to be voided permanently, for this to be confirmed in writing, and for this to be proved by the cessation of statement and bill requests, and the cessation of threatening letters to Markenfield Road
I desire the amounts relating to meters *241 and 83589 under the account name of Mr John Duff Customer Reference Number *6655 relating to Granville Road to be voided permanently, for this to be confirmed in writing, and for this to be proved by the cessation of statement and bill requests, and the cessation of threatening letters to Granville Road
I desire the refund in full for those 121 units of gas I paid for but did not use as mentioned before.
I desire the refund in full for the cost of transport during the period of time when I had to go across town every time I needed to reach a landline, right after my move.
Finally I desire a letter of apology and a suitable goodwill offer of financial compensation for the emotional distress, and additional stress of this process; for the broken promises of unreturned calls, and for the theft of my money after the agreed direct debit cut regardless of its return a week later. I have had to cope with this as a sufferer of an anxiety disorder, across my thirtieth birthday and across moving house. I have been dragged financially overdrawn by this affair, have had to put off starting savings plans, and have been threatened with court action and debt collection agencies by an automatic computer that no one seems capable of switching off.
This has gone on for three months, and it's taken that long to find out the problem, with no sight of the conclusion. If the response to this complaint is not considered seriously within a month, I am prepared to take this with the documentation of support to the Ombudsman, my local Minister of Parliament and the Energy Secretary of the British Government. If British Gas still persists in treating me this way following that I shall have no option but to go to the online watchdogs and the Press. I do not want to take this any further than this letter, but I will not live with this cycle of disruption. I wish to move on from Granville Road and live happily in Markenfield Road, without being harassed, and with financial compensation for the three months, thus far, this wretched issue has consistently persecuted me.
Mr David S Duff
less then a week after this was sent the Managing Director got in contact with me and forwarded me to customer relations. After a week or so of enquiries they bowed to every single request I made. Their compensation was a bit measly though...about fifty odd pounds...but better then a poke in the eye with a sharp stick.
I cashed the cheque last week and waited to check today now the Jubilee is over and the money has gone through...about £136 in total (around $200) which includes the money that I paid for the gas I didnt use, and a very small gesture of goodwill
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text:
Good day all
And I hope that some help may be available. I have just purchased a M80 and I'm not so sure about the contents of the box. OK, so there is the pickup. And there is the cabel etc. But then there are three things that seem to be pole pieces. And a little card reckons that I wont need the B pole piece but they've put one in anyway. So I'm guessing I wont need it because the B and E strings are steel. But the E seems to have a pole piece but lower down into the pickup. And then, the three items (polepieces) are not identical. there are two longer ones and a single shorter one. I just dont like getting things I dont know.
Cheers - Ed


text:
Constance Beverly Van Scoter
A vibrant voice was stilled when Constance Beverly Van Scoter passed away peacefully at her home on Tuesday, April 15, 2014.
Friends of Mrs. Van Scoter (known by all as "Connie") were not surprised that she faced her last illness with courage and good humor. A woman of great love, charm and creative imagination, she contributed to the community and all that knew her.
A native of Grosse Pointe, Mich., Connie was born to Otis E. Bolin and Leona Hansen on Dec. 4, 1930, in Kingman, Ariz.
She met her husband, Jack, on a blind date when both were students at Michigan State University in 1950. "We both were tall so our friends thought we should see eye-to-eye," she later remarked. Marriage followed in 1957. She was a member of the American Association of University Women and Chi Omega Sorority.
Connie taught at East Commerce High School, in Detroit, Mich. She taught social studies.
After moving to Jack's hometown of Fredonia, Connie became active in local groups while raising two children: Sarah and John II. She enjoyed veget-able and flower gardening, cooking and baking, the arts, and was an avid student of civic history.
As a member of the Brooks Hospital Auxiliary, she was co-chairman of the Auxiliary High Fever Folleys. She was a member of Trinity Episcopal Church, Fredonia Jaycees, Pomfret Republican Committee, and Shorewood Country Club. She was a charter member of the League of Women Voters.
But perhaps her greatest devotion was to the Fredonia Shakespeare Club, to which she belonged for more than 50 years. A club tradition was to hold a December meet-ing at the Van Scoter home, when Connie would serve a very traditional Christmas pudding. Occasionally she would note that she "could bake other things," but the club members would not hear of it. Connie would chuckle and start the long preparation work several weeks ahead of time.
Connie was proud of her Norwegian heritage, and would honor that on the slopes of Cockaigne, the family's ski area. She also managed the ski shop there for many years. When The Grainery restaurant opened across the road, Connie and her mother-in-law, Florence (Mrs. Walter) Van Scoter worked tirelessly together to develop The Grainery's unique spirit and decor, combining artistry, vegetable and flower gardens and family home cooking.
One of Connie's favorite pastimes was traveling, often with a group of her high school friends. More recently she took a European cruise with her daughter, Sarah and granddaughter, Hannah Porter to Greece, Turkey, Italy and France. She also took a memorable trip with Jack to visit his family's origins in the Netherlands and another tour to Normandy, France and the Civil War battlegrounds of Virginia.
In addition to her parents, Connie was predeceased by her sister, Jacqueline Tischbein and sister-in-law Ruth Henry.
She is survived by her husband, Jack Van Scoter; her children: Sarah (Robert) Porter of Still River, Mass., and John II (Lisa) of Pasadena, Calif.; grandchildren: Hannah and Christah Porter and Katherine and Jack Van Scoter; her brother-in-law, David (Mimi) Van Scoter of Monticello, Fla.; and niece and nephews: Jennifer and Walter Van Scoter and Geoffrey (Patti) Tischbein of Grosse Pointe, Mich.
A memorial service will be held at the Trinity Episcopal Church, 11 Day St., Fredonia, N.Y., on Saturday April 19, 2014, at 2 p.m. Interment will be in the Forest Hill Cemetery, Fredonia.
Memorials may be made to Trinity Episcopal Church or Hospice Chautauqua County.
Flowers gratefully declined. For more information, to make online condolences, or view a family photo slide show please go to larsontimkofuneral home.com.
Arrangements are by David J. Dengler, Larson-Timko Funeral Home, 679-9000.