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Debates of May 25th, 2010
House of Commons Hansard #48 of the 40th Parliament, 3rd Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was indian.
- Question Period
- Commissioner of Official Languages
- Supplementary Estimates (A), 2010-2011
- Government Response to Petitions
- Fighting Internet and Wireless Spam Act
- Safeguarding Canadians' Personal Information Act
- Committees of the House
- Petitions
- Questions on the Order Paper
- Questions Passed as Orders for Returns
- Gender Equity in Indian Registration Act
- Argentina
- Paralympic Athletes
- Estelle Larivière
- Non-profit Collective
- Victoria Hall
- Acts of Bravery
- Souris School
- Canada Post
- Air India Memorial Monument
- Argentina
- Justice
- Memorial Cup Championship
- Firearms Registry
- International Missing Children's Day
- Former Prime Minister of Canada
- Committees of the House
- The Economy
- Status of Women
- Committees of the House
- Offshore Drilling
- Securities
- Committees of the House
- Status of Women
- Transportation
- Offshore Drilling
- Members' Expenses
- Official Languages
- Employment Insurance
- Digital Economy
- First Nations University
- Official Languages
- Health
- Foreign Affairs
- Veterans
- Forestry Industry
- Points of Order
- Business of Supply
- An Action Plan for the National Capital Commission
- Constitution Act, 2010 (Senate Term Limits)
- Immigration and Refugee Protection Act
Commissioner of Official Languages
Routine Proceedings
10:05 a.m.
The Speaker Peter Milliken
I have the honour pursuant to section 66 of the Official Languages Act to lay upon the table the annual report of the Commissioner of Official Languages covering the period from April 1, 2009 to March 31, 2010.
Pursuant to Standing Order 108(3)(f), this report is deemed permanently referred to the Standing Committee on Official Languages.
A message from Her Excellency the Governor General transmitting supplementary estimates (A) for the financial year ending March 31, 2011, was presented by the President of the Treasury Board and read by the Speaker to the House.
Government Response to Petitions
Routine Proceedings
10:05 a.m.
Regina—Lumsden—Lake Centre
Tom Lukiwski Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons
Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36(8) I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the government's response to 10 petitions.
Fighting Internet and Wireless Spam Act
Routine Proceedings
10:05 a.m.
Jay Hill Prince George—Peace River, BC
moved for leave to introduce Bill C-28, An Act to promote the efficiency and adaptability of the Canadian economy by regulating certain activities that discourage reliance on electronic means of carrying out commercial activities, and to amend the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission Act, the Competition Act, the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act and the Telecommunications Act.
(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)
Safeguarding Canadians' Personal Information Act
Routine Proceedings
10:05 a.m.
Jay Hill Prince George—Peace River, BC
moved for leave to introduce Bill C-29, An Act to amend the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act.
(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)
Committees of the House
Routine Proceedings
10:05 a.m.
Prince George—Peace River
Jay Hill Leader of the Government in the House of Commons
Mr. Speaker, I rise on behalf of the government to address the issue of ministers' staff members being called before committees to testify. We recognize that committees do have the authority to call for persons and papers; however, just because they can does not mean that they ought to in every case.
Allow me to begin by reminding members of the constitutional principles that underline relationships among ministers, officials and Parliament.
In our system of government, the powers of the Crown are exercised by ministers who are, in turn, answerable to Parliament. Ministers are individually and collectively responsible to the House of Commons for the policies, programs and activities of the government. They are supported in the exercise of their responsibilities by the public servants and by members of their office staffs.
It is the responsibility of individual public servants and office staff members to provide advice and information to ministers, to carry out faithfully the directions given by ministers, and in so doing, to serve the people of Canada. These employees are accountable to their superiors, and ultimately to their minister, for the proper and competent execution of their duties.
Ours is a system of responsible government because the government must retain the confidence of the House of Commons and because ministers are responsible to the House for everything that is done under their authority. We ministers are answerable to Parliament and to its committees. It is ministers who decide policy and ministers who must defend it before the House and ultimately before the people of Canada.
Accordingly, responsibility for providing information to Parliament and its committees rests with ministers. Officials have no constitutional responsibility to Parliament, nor do they share in that of ministers. They do, however, support ministers in their relationship with Parliament, and to this extent, they may be said to assist in the answerability of ministers to Parliament.
Page 32 of O'Brien and Bosc states:
Responsible government has long been considered an essential element of government based on the Westminster model. Despite its wide acceptance as being a cornerstone of the Canadian system of government, there are different meanings attached to the term "responsible government". In a general sense, responsible government means that a government must be responsive to its citizens, that it must operate responsibly...and that its Ministers must be accountable or responsible to Parliament.
In terms of ministerial responsibility, Ministers have both individual and collective responsibilities to Parliament....The principle of individual ministerial responsibility holds that Ministers are accountable not only for their own actions as department heads, but also for the actions of their subordinates; individual ministerial responsibility provides the basis for accountability throughout the system. Virtually all departmental activity is carried out in the name of a Minister who, in turn, is responsible to Parliament for those acts. Ministers exercise power and are constitutionally responsible for the provision and conduct of government; Parliament holds them personally responsible for it.
On page 139 of the second Gomery report, "Restoring Accountability: Recommendations, Chapter Seven: The Prime Minister, Ministers and Their Exempt Staff", Mr. Gomery says:
--Ministers need to understand clearly that they are accountable, responsible and answerable for all the actions of their exempt staff.
There is a clear case to be made that the accountability of political staff ought to be satisfied through ministers. Ministers ran for office and accepted the role and responsibility of being a minister. Staff did not.
Committees will often need to seek factual information and explanations at a level of detail that ministers are not able to provide as effectively as public servants. In these cases, the information that public servants provide in such contexts is essential to our system.
But we should be very clear. This is no substitute for ministerial responsibility. When ministers choose to appear before committees to account for their administration, they are the best source of accountability and they must be heard. Public servants and ministerial staff support the responsibility of their ministers. They do not supplant it. They cannot supplant it.
Like public servants, ministerial staff are not accountable to Parliament for governmental policies, decisions or operations. Any information given by ministerial staff on these topics would be on behalf of their minister. Moreover, unlike public servants, ministerial staff are not involved in departmental operations and are therefore not in the same position to answer questions about these operations.
Despite having these views about ministerial accountability, the government had accepted that ministerial staff could appear before the ethics committee after being invited by that committee. The government operations committee took similar action regarding the subject of lobbying.
There were expectations, however, that due process and fair play would be part of the process.
As you know, Mr. Speaker, and I commend you for upholding this principle, the minority relies on the rules for its protection. It demands certain rights to counter against the strength of the majority. These rights must be applied fairly and they have not been at committee.
Normally witnesses are given a chance to give a statement. During a meeting of the government operations committee, the committee decided that the staffers would not be allowed any time for opening statements. Later, they were given a minute or two to introduce themselves.
The committee also decided, upon the instigation of the NDP member for Winnipeg Centre and the chair, that if there was to be any resistance from the staffers to their invitation, that the clerk be authorized to serve them with subpoenas.
Having served on committees in the past, this is not the normal course. Witnesses are invited and presumed co-operative. Sometimes there are reasons to decline or there are scheduling conflicts. Committees are usually respectful and do not, as the government operations committee did, threaten the witnesses right off the top. The whole process begins with intimidation and hostility.
It is worth noting that as an MP, the Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development had an absolute right, just as any member of Parliament has the right, to attend the committee meeting and participate in its proceedings. Nonetheless, the chair told the minister, "You are not able to address this committee directly". He made this ruling based on the fact that the minister was not invited. Contrast that with the appearance of an HRSD official, Patricia Valladao, who appeared alongside her ADM, Peter Larose, in spite of Mr. Larose not having been invited to appear. Unlike the standard applied to the minister, the chair allowed Mr. Larose to answer questions and participate in the proceedings of the committee.
Then there was the chairman of the ethics committee, who made threats of contempt in The Hill Times regarding the appearance of Mr. Togneri, an intimidating statement which was not his to make. It is for the committee to initiate and for the House to agree.
Then there was the government operations committee meeting of May 12, where the witness was not a minister's staff member. The questioning involved very serious allegations about people's conduct, but was not subject to any rules or principles of fairness. The witness was repeatedly asked leading questions such as, "Can you speculate?", questions that would never be acceptable in a court of law.
People's conduct is being attacked without any of the fairness or procedural safeguards or principles of justice that would be found in a court or tribunal.
These are but a few examples of what is playing out currently in our committees.
It is not that different from what happened in the last Parliament, I contend, when the tyranny of the opposition made that Parliament dysfunctional.
On March 29, 2007, you referred to the challenges of a minority Parliament, Mr. Speaker, saying in part:
--but neither the political realities of the moment nor the sheer force of numbers should force us to set aside the values inherent in the parliamentary conventions and procedures by which we govern our deliberations.
On March 14, 2008, you further emphasized the need for all parties to respect the rules and principles of the House to avoid having committees "verging on anarchy" and being in a state of "general lawlessness", as you yourself described it, Mr. Speaker.
You also emphasized in your March 14 ruling the first principles of our parliamentary tradition, which Bourinot described thus:
To protect the minority and restrain the improvidence and tyranny of the majority, to secure the transaction of public business in a decent and orderly manner--
You went on to comment, "It matters not that the minority in the 39th Parliament happens to be the government, not the opposition, or that the majority is held by the combined opposition parties, not the government".
While the problems of the 39th Parliament are still to some degree with us today, there is a new game being played. The tyranny of the opposition majority has turned its attention to the men and women who make up our political staff, men and women who did not sign up to be tried by a committee, to be humiliated and intimidated by members of Parliament.
The chairman of the ethics committee rose on a question of privilege when the House last met complaining about being intimidated because the government began to push back on his conduct at the committee he chairs and his committee's treatment of our staff appearing before it. He referred to it as "a chill factor" and he believes that he is the victim.
I agree with the chairman of the ethics committee. There very well could be a chill factor but neither he nor the opposition are the victims here. The activities of his committee may be causing a chill among some ministerial staff who work very hard and competently in advising their ministers. They bring to us many talents and I expect many of them, when they accepted their jobs, never imagined that one of the skills required was to stand up to the interrogation of a bitterly partisan parliamentary committee.
They could not have expected, in our Westminster parliamentary system of responsible government, that hostile committees and tyrannical chairmen would deny them the protection of the rules and their minister. I suspect that there must be a chill running through the political staff of the opposition. Things are safe for now but in politics things change.
Political staffers are under no delusions. They serve at the pleasure of their ministers and any wrongdoing on their part will be dealt with swiftly by ministers. Ministers, after all, are the ones who are responsible and accountable. For a committee to attempt to reach around a minister and take some action against a political staffer would be wrong and does not meet the doctrine of ministerial responsibility.
As I said earlier, we accepted at first that ministerial staff would appear before committees. We did so maybe naively and maybe expecting that the Speaker's words in the last Parliament would not fall on deaf ears and that due process and fair play would be part of that process. Sadly, it was not.
When the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner appeared before the ethics committee on April 22, she said:
There are a lot of people who like to criticize, but the fact is these are people's lives we're dealing with. ... We're not a kangaroo court.
That is good advice for all parliamentarians.
Since parliamentary committees have not respected due process and fair play, henceforth, ministers will instruct their staff members not to appear when called before committees and the government will send ministers instead to account for their actions.
Committees of the House
Routine Proceedings
10:20 a.m.
Ralph Goodale Wascana, SK
Mr. Speaker, it is my obligation today, on behalf of the official opposition, to respond to the remarks of the government House leader. I thank him for sending me a copy of those remarks but, sadly, they only arrived as he was speaking.
In respect of his last comments about due process, fair play and proper behaviour in this place and in the committees of the House, I would note for his benefit that it has always been the rule and tradition, except for a couple of recent examples on the part of the government, that ministerial statements are provided in a decent interval of time in advance so that the opposition has the opportunity to respond appropriately. I will come back to this point about due process and fair play but I would simply note for the minister that it applies both ways.
In responding to the statement by the government House leader today, one cannot miss the irony or perhaps the ignominy of the minister re-announcing in the House what an aide to the Prime Minister has already announced as government policy on television a couple of days ago. It is another Conservative government policy about secrecy, preventing accountability, stifling transparency, muzzling all of the assistants who work for the Prime Minister and for various ministers in the cabinet and prohibit their attendance at parliamentary committees to give evidence or answer questions. The arrogance and hypocrisy of this position are breathtaking.
The Prime Minister's communications director, Mr. Dimitris Soudas, went on television to announce that he and his Conservative assistant colleagues are important enough and senior enough to speak for the Prime Minister and the government about all manner of government activities, indeed to undertake all manner of government activities, but they can never again be asked a question by a parliamentary committee to account for those activities.
Those people are not juveniles who need to be shielded from scrutiny. They earn something in excess of $100,000 every year and they handle the government's most important business. If they are qualified to hold the jobs they hold and to be paid the amounts they are paid at public expense, then they should be required to respond to House of Commons committee requests for information and answers to questions. Indeed, they are so required.
The position on this matter that is being devised by the Prime Minister and the government is based upon a fiction, a fallacy. The Prime Minister purports to set the rules for parliamentary committees. He claims that he holds the power to dictate who can and who cannot be called as a witness to testify at committee hearings. With the greatest of respect, he is wrong.
The Prime Minister and his government are responsible to Parliament, not the other way around, and the Prime Minister and his government must comply with what Parliament, not the government, determines to be the rules. This was clearly defined and reinforced in the recent case involving the production of uncensored documents about the risk of torture in Afghanistan. Various members of Parliament asked repeatedly to see the uncensored documents, noting that the government could not possibly set itself up as prosecutor, judge, jury and Supreme Court all at the same time, but the government declined. It stonewalled the answers to the questions.
Then, last December the House passed a motion ordering the government to produce the uncensored documents. It was Parliament's equivalent of a subpoena, but again the government stonewalled. It even shut down Parliament altogether through an illegitimate request for prorogation hoping to change the channel. Parliament was put out of business from December to March. However, it did not work. Parliament would not take no for an answer.
The Speaker's landmark ruling in April confirmed, and every legal, constitutional and parliamentary expert agreed, that the House has the absolute right to demand the documents and the government has the absolute obligation to comply. The government does not have the legal right to withhold information that parliamentarians believe they need to hold the government to account.
The situation with witnesses to be called before parliamentary committees is exactly the same. Parliament has the unfettered right to call any and all witnesses who parliamentarians believe have relevant information that is needed to hold the government to account. It is Parliament's decision, not the Prime Minister's decision.
The government's attempt to stymie the work of parliamentary committees, reminiscent of the manual that the government produced a couple of years ago about how to subvert the work of committees, raises the basic question of what the government has to hide.
The Conservative staffers, who have been called to testify recently, have been asked to shed light on two important and legitimate inquiries. One is the effort to track the apparent lobbying activities of former Conservative member of Parliament, Rahim Jaffer, and his business partners who were operating, apparently, through a network of old buddies involving, apparently, a great many ministerial assistants. They were the ones holding the meetings, receiving the representations and passing along the requests for departmental intervention. This is potentially contrary to law and it does demand investigation.
A former minister, connected to those issues, has been thrown out of cabinet, expelled from the Conservative caucus and subjected to a police investigation, all at the behest of the Prime Minister. Obviously the Prime Minister must think these issues are serious. It is ludicrous for the government to maintain the fiction that potential accomplices, wittingly or unwittingly, cannot be asked to tell Parliament what they knew, what they did and why.
The second area of inquiry by Parliament is requiring the evidence of staffers to get the facts about multiple ministers apparently violating Canada's access to information laws by improperly blocking the publication of information. Again, the Prime Minister has commented on this matter saying that it is important to follow the access to information rules but he is now purporting to prevent Parliament from getting to the bottom of the government's behaviour with respect to access to information.
In these matters, it is just not appropriate for the government to take the position that ministerial staffers who are directly involved in these matters may well know more about the facts of what happened and when it happened than the minister would know. It is just ludicrous to suggest that those staffers cannot be called before a parliamentary committee to explain to Parliament how this lobbying activity was going on or how the interference in the access to information process was going on.
Members of Parliament have the right to know what the assistant to the Minister of State for Science and Technology was doing with respect to representations received, or what an assistant to the Minister of the Environment was doing, meeting apparently with Mr. Jaffer in the office of the former minister of state for the status of women. They have the right to know which member of the staff of the Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities apparently wrote a note on a government document saying, "From Rahim, get to the department for an answer". Members of Parliament have a right to know what the staffer to the former minister of public works, now the Minister of Natural Resources, was doing participating in the evaluation of one of Mr. Jaffer's projects.
The questions that are being asked may well be uncomfortable and may raise issues that the government would rather not have raised but the fact is that they are serious issues that need serious attention by the government and they should not be stonewalled by the government.
The government House leader today proclaimed the principle of ministerial responsibility and ministerial accountability. It comes perhaps four and a half years late but at least the government has wrapped itself in those principles.
The question that remains from the minister's statement today is will the government put those principles into effect? Will it stop hiding behind the behaviour of its assistants and conveniently throwing those ministerial assistants under the bus, blaming them for things that go wrong rather than assuming responsibility for the behaviour of those assistants?
I think, for example, of the letter-writing incident involving an assistant by the name of Jessica Craven, who was apparently writing letters of support on behalf of her minister, trying to leave the impression that this was somehow a public groundswell of support on behalf of the minister. The minister denied all responsibility and blamed the assistant.
Then there was the case of Mr. Ryan Sparrow, who apparently ordered officials in the Department of HRSDC to provide misleading information about particular advertising the department had engaged in with respect to the Olympics. I presume that the minister is now going to assume direct personal responsibility for that misbehaviour on the part of the assistant.
Then there is the case of Mr. Togneri, who intervened in the access to information process and ordered the department to unrelease certain information the department had already released in accordance with the access to information rules. I wonder if the minister is now going to claim personal responsibility for that misbehaviour on the part of Mr. Togneri, under this principle just announced today.
Then there is the case of Mr. Owen Lippert, a speech writer for the Prime Minister, who plagiarized a speech given by the former prime minister of Australia and passed it off as a speech by the current Prime Minister of Canada. I presume now that the Prime Minister is going to assume direct responsibility for that misbehaviour on behalf of that assistant.
There are the multiple cases arising from Mr. Soudas, but I will mention just one. He offered advice to the Prime Minister about something that was allegedly said by the Leader of the Opposition about the G8. It turned out to be patently false and completely wrong. The Prime Minister, nonetheless, launched a vicious attack against the Leader of the Opposition. I presume that the Prime Minister is now going to assume direct personal responsibility for the misbehaviour of Mr. Soudas in that particular case, and in other cases.
The point here is that with the announcement the government has made today, will it stop hiding behind its various ministerial assistants and will it, according to the principle of ministerial responsibility and ministerial accountability, now make all ministers, including the Prime Minister, available to parliamentary committees on all topics and in a timely way on request by those committees so that those committees can get the answers they need? If ministerial assistants are going to be barred from speaking to the committees, then surely the ministers must be there—and not just any old time, but they must there to answer questions when the committee wants those questions asked and answered.
The minister speaks about due process and fair play. It applies both ways and the government bears the ultimate responsibility for providing that accountability and responsibility. It cannot blame the opposition for simply asking the questions the government seems afraid to answer.
Committees of the House
Routine Proceedings
10:35 a.m.
Pierre Paquette Joliette, QC
Mr. Speaker, I am very disappointed that I must rise in the House this morning to speak to a ministerial statement, which is yet another example of the Conservative government's profound contempt for Parliament, its institutions and democracy itself.
It is unacceptable, though not surprising, that the Leader of the Government refused to provide a copy of his ministerial statement in advance, as parliamentary traditions dictate. In his statement, one of the government's supposed reasons for implementing a new directive prohibiting staff members of ministers or of the Prime Minister from being called before committees to testify is the tyranny of the opposition.
I think that the public knows full well which side—the opposition or the government—triggered the election in September 2008 to avoid being held accountable in Parliament, even though the Canada Elections Act sets fixed dates for elections.
In December 2008, who requested that Parliament be prorogued to avoid being defeated by the opposition? The Conservative government. In December 2009, who requested that Parliament be prorogued yet again, to avoid having to hand over the documents that the House called for in a December 10 motion? It is very clear that the only tyranny here is from the Conservatives, and not the opposition, which is just trying to do its job.
During one of my most recent speeches in the House, I commented on the agreement reached on May 14 following your April 27 ruling about documents concerning allegations of torture in Afghanistan. At the time, I said that I would like to see a better balance between the executive and legislative branches. Many experts and opposition members, including Bloc Québécois members, believe that, under the Conservative government, this imbalance has increased even more, with the executive assuming far too much power relative to the legislative branch. This morning's statement makes that abundantly clear.
Despite your historic April 27 ruling, the government still has not grasped Parliament's role in our parliamentary system. You made things very clear in your ruling: Parliament's role is to hold the government to account. That is what the opposition—the Bloc Québécois in particular—plans to do.
Parliament has been given significant powers to carry out that task. In your ruling, you quoted the following passage from page 136 of the second edition of the House of Commons Procedure and Practice:
By virtue of the Preamble and section 18 of the Constitution Act, 1867, Parliament has the ability to institute its own inquiries, to require the attendance of witnesses and to order the production of documents, rights which are fundamental to its proper functioning. These rights are as old as Parliament itself.
It is clear that parliamentary committees have the power to call witnesses.
On page 975 of O'Brien-Bosc, we see that this power is not restricted: "The Standing Orders place no...limitation on this power. In theory, it applies to any person on Canadian soil."
In practice, however, we all know that this power is limited to a certain extent.
A committee cannot require the attendance of a person who is not in Canada, nor can it call parliamentarians from other legislative houses protected by parliamentary privilege. It cannot call a member of the House of Commons, a senator, the Governor General or a lieutenant governor.
Upon hearing that the government leader was planning to read his ministerial statement this morning, I searched everywhere but found no mention of an exception that would apply to political staff in general or to the Conservative government's political staff in particular.
In addition to accusing the opposition of tyranny, the government has invoked the principle of ministerial accountability to justify its decision.
This principle is also defined in O'Brien-Bosc on page 32:
...its Ministers must be accountable or responsible to Parliament...The principle of individual ministerial responsibility holds that Ministers are accountable not only for their own actions as department heads, but also for the actions of their subordinates.
This principle means that, ultimately, ministers are responsible for the actions and errors of their subordinates. But the government is trying to distort the meaning of this principle. According to this principle, a minister's subordinates include both political staff and the entire staff of their department.
This principle of ministerial responsibility has never meant and will never mean that the subordinates in question cannot testify in committee. Things would become downright ridiculous if we followed the government's logic. Would civil servants no longer be able to appear before a parliamentary committee in order to explain a government bill, program or expenditure?
Keeping political staff from testifying means that Parliament would no longer have access to those people who are closest to the everyday use of power, and these people would no longer be accountable to Parliament.
The Conservative logic is completely contradictory: the closer you are to power, the less accountable you are. That is exactly what this statement is getting at and it is the Conservative government's latest ploy to avoid accountability. Once again, it shows incredible contempt for Parliament's needs and powers as well as the powers of democracy.
Yesterday the Minister of Natural Resources told the media that it is not up to political staff to testify; it is up to the ministers.
Does this mean the Prime Minister will appear before the Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics at 11:00 a.m., instead of Dimitri Soudas? Is that what the statement means and what the last sentence in the ministerial statement is suggesting?
Will the Prime Minister appear before the Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics at 11:00 a.m.?
Really, what the government has just done is invent a new strategy to prevent Parliament from doing its work. The truth is that the parliamentary committee cannot force a minister to testify. The truth is that when the subject matter is too difficult, Conservative ministers refuse to appear before committees to testify.
The truth is that only a few weeks ago, the Minister of Natural Resources—who made the statement yesterday that it was up to ministers to testify before committees as part of their ministerial responsibilities—refused to testify regarding the Jaffer affair.
The truth is that the government shows profound contempt for Parliament, its institutions and democracy, and is doing everything it can to try to create another parliamentary crisis so it does not have to answer for its actions. The Bloc Québécois, and all opposition parties I hope, will not allow the government to do that, especially since it is a matter of confidence in the government.
Committees of the House
Routine Proceedings
10:40 a.m.
Bill Siksay Burnaby—Douglas, BC
Mr. Speaker, as I respond for the NDP to the government House leader's statement, I have to note that things have really changed with the Conservatives. Gone are the days when Conservatives and their Reform predecessors clamoured for greater transparency in government, greater accountability of government. They knew in their guts that access to information was the oxygen of our democracy.
Gone are their election platform commitments to improved access to information, including a 2004 election platform that was frankly a model agenda on that important issue. After starting down the right path when they formed government, they have quickly abandoned their own promises and forgotten why they put such emphasis on access to information, government transparency and accountability.
Instead we have a government that fails in its responsibilities, makes excuses and hides behind tradition. How is this evident? There are the report cards on compliance with the Access to Information Act issued by the Information Commissioner. These report cards show, at best, an inconsistent record on compliance with the act, and at worst, shocking results. That the Privy Council Office, surely a place for leadership in government on access to information can only muster a grade of D is worrying. The fact that the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade was so bad it fell off the rating scale altogether causing the commissioner to issue a red alert is very, very serious.
The Information Commissioner has also indicated that she is undertaking a systemic review including issues related to political interference in the access to information process. She has noted that results of this review may not be available quickly and that it is a long-term project.
Media reports on the culture within government with regard to access to information are also of great concern. A series of articles in The Hill Times earlier this year reported that political staff are given mixed messages and subject to intimidation and humiliation, even yelled at when they fail to stop the release of information that the government considers embarrassing or explosive. Other media have documented how their requests for information were treated by political staff in ministers' offices removing the requested and available information and substituting political spin.
This situation demanded the attention of the Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics just as it is commanding the attention of the Information Commissioner. Responsibly, the standing committee sought to hear from those people directly involved, those mentioned in media reports and others. This included ministers, political staff and public servants. I know that appearing before a standing committee is nerve-racking for most witnesses and especially so when the issue being dealt with is controversial. As a member of the standing committee, I do however take issue with the charge made by the Prime Minister's director of communications and now by the government House leader that witnesses have been humiliated and intimidated. Explaining a witness's obligations and asking direct questions are neither humiliating nor intimidating.
Ministerial responsibility is indeed an important principle of our parliamentary system of government. Ministers must be held accountable and must take responsibility for the direction of their departments and for the decisions of their political staff; there is absolutely no question about it. As an aside, however, I have to note that if ministerial responsibility is so important, one does wonder why the government House leader was scooped by a political staff person in the Prime Minister's Office on today's announcement when that person released the information pertaining to this announcement on TV on Sunday.
There is also no question that in our parliamentary system there is no limitation on the ability of parliamentary committees to call the witnesses they require to do the work that they are mandated to undertake. There is no class of people who are excluded from the obligation to appear if a standing committee has reasonable grounds to believe they have something to contribute to the work of the standing committee. There is no blanket exemption for political staff. In fact, political staff, who clearly have obligations to the minister for whom they work, also have obligations to the institution in which they work. Like everyone who works in this institution, there is an obligation to respect the work of Parliament.
The motion passed by the Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics on April 1 was straightforward. It reads:
That the committee conduct a study regarding allegations of systematic political interference by Minister's offices to block, delay or obstruct the release of information to the public regarding the operations of government departments and that the committee call before it:
... Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development
At a separate meeting or meetings:
Dimitri Soudas, Associate Director, Communications/Press Secretary, Prime Minister's Office;
Guy Giorno, Chief of Staff, Prime Minister's Office;
Ryan Sparrow, Director of Communications, Office of the Minister, Human Resources and Skills Development Canada;
Sebastien Togneri, former Parliamentary Affairs Director, Public Works Canada;
Patricia Valladao, Chief, Media Relations, Human Resources and Skills Development Canada; and
That the committee submit a report to the House of Commons on its findings.
The committee has undertaken that work in a responsible fashion. It has heard from the Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development. It has heard from Mr. Guy Giorno, the chief of staff to the Prime Minister. It has heard from Mr. Sebastien Togneri, former public affairs director in the former minister of public works' office.
It should be noted that Mr. Togneri was summoned to the standing committee after turning down the committee's invitation to appear and that he was accompanied by his lawyer when he did appear. It should also be noted that Mr. Togneri was sworn in as a witness, something I felt important given his reluctance to attend.
The committee has also heard from Mr. Ryan Sparrow, director of communications in the office of the Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development Canada.
It should be noted that when Mr. Sparrow appeared, the Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development accompanied him despite not being invited at that time and having already testified at an earlier meeting. This came as a surprise to the standing committee and the chair. The chair ruled, and I believe correctly, that the standing committee expected that Mr. Sparrow would respond to its questions. Attempts by the minister to answer questions put to Mr. Sparrow were not allowed, but he was allowed to consult with the minister before answering.
I support these rulings by the chair of the standing committee, but I also believe this situation demonstrated that the minister took responsibility for the actions of her staff and that political staff ultimately do have a responsibility to appear before standing committees when called. I do not believe that this is a situation of the minister only or nothing, but that it is one that requires both the minister and relevant political staff.
As part of its inquiry, the committee has also heard from public servants in the Department of Human Resources and Skills Development who have responsibility for the access to information process. It should also be noted that the Prime Minister's director of communications, Mr. Dimitri Soudas, who is scheduled to appear before the standing committee this morning, had already attended a meeting of the committee apparently prepared to testify, but that appearance was postponed by a fire alarm here in the Centre Block. There was no indication at that time that there was any reason to believe he would not participate in the committee hearings.
Let me conclude by saying that I do not believe that the government House leader's statement or the announced policy are warranted. It is certainly not warranted when one examines the work and process engaged by the Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics. It is certainly not warranted when one is aware of the context of the standing committee's work and the serious issues that have been raised about the government's commitment to access to information, transparency and accountability.
I call on members of the government to remember their time in opposition, to remember their election commitments to access to information and to remember their calls for openness and transparency in government. This policy does not serve those goals. This policy does not serve the interests of Parliament. This policy does not serve the Canadian people, who must know that the government and those who serve it, both elected and as political staff, are transparent and accountable for the work they do, the decisions they make and the actions they take.
Post-Doctoral Scholarships Exemption
Routine Proceedings
May 25th, 2010 / 10:50 a.m.
Michael Savage Dartmouth—Cole Harbour, NS
Mr. Speaker, I have the pleasure to present another petition which is mainly from post-doctoral fellows in the Montreal area. Their concern is the cancellation of the scholarship exemption for post-doctoral fellows in this budget. This tax increase will mean a significant amount, particularly to young post-doctoral students who have families to support and who do not make a lot of money. At a point in time when we are trying to encourage science and research in general, this is a negative influence on people who are thinking of doing research.
The petitioners are urging the government to engage with the Canadian Association of Postdoctoral Scholars, the research councils, the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada and other stakeholders in an effort to create a fair and progressive policy that will stimulate Canada's research community and make it an attractive place to recruit and retain the best talent. The point is that we should have some discussion before something like this comes forward.
Firearms Registry
Routine Proceedings
10:50 a.m.
Scott Armstrong Cumberland—Colchester—Musquodoboit Valley, NS
Mr. Speaker, I take great pleasure today, May 25, 2010, to present a petition on behalf of the people of Cumberland—Colchester—Musquodoboit Valley.
The petition requests Parliament to support Bill C-391, a bill that would eliminate the long gun registry. The petition contains over 3,000 signatures.
Employment Insurance
Routine Proceedings
10:50 a.m.
Jim Maloway Elmwood—Transcona, MB
Mr. Speaker, I have two petitions to present today.
The first petition is signed by dozens of Manitobans and calls for equal employment insurance benefits for adoptive parents. The current EI program provides adoptive parents with 35 weeks of paid leave, followed by a further 15 weeks of unpaid leave. A biological mother is given both the first 35 weeks and the latter 15 weeks as paid leave.
We all know that adoptions are expensive, lengthy and stressful to the adoptive parents and their family. There have been recent studies that have shown an additional 15 weeks of paid leave would help the parents support their adoptive children and would help them through a very difficult period.
The petition calls on the Government of Canada to support Bill C-413 tabled by the MP for Burnaby—New Westminster, which would amend the Employment Insurance Act and the Canada Labour Code and ensure that adoptive parents are entitled to the same number of weeks of paid leave as a biological mother of a newborn child.
Earthquake in Chile
Routine Proceedings
10:50 a.m.
Jim Maloway Elmwood—Transcona, MB
Mr. Speaker, the second petition, also signed by dozens of Manitobans, calls on the government to match funds personally donated by the citizens of Canada for the victims of the Chilean earthquake.
As the Speaker knows, on February 27, 2010 an 8.8 magnitude earthquake occurred in southern Chile. The community has been active organizing fundraising events since then. In fact, there was one in Winnipeg in my riding this past Saturday, May 22.
The people are asking when the Prime Minister will give the same treatment to the victims of the earthquake in Chile as he did to the victims of the earthquake in Haiti and match funds personally donated by Canadians to help the victims of the earthquake in Chile.
Aboriginal Healing Foundation
Routine Proceedings
10:55 a.m.
Jean Crowder Nanaimo—Cowichan, BC
Mr. Speaker, I have two petitions to present today.
The first petition has to do with the Aboriginal Healing Foundation. This petition states that the Aboriginal Healing Foundation is aimed at encouraging and supporting aboriginal people in building and reinforcing sustainable healing processes that address the legacy of physical and sexual abuse in the residential school system, including intergenerational impacts.
It also indicates that the Aboriginal Healing Foundation is making a difference in the lives of residential school survivors and following generations through counselling and cultural programs.
The petitioners are calling on the Government of Canada to leave a true legacy of action to residential school survivors and support the process of healing through an extension of funding for the Aboriginal Healing Foundation.
First Nations University
Routine Proceedings
10:55 a.m.
Jean Crowder Nanaimo—Cowichan, BC
Mr. Speaker, the second petition has to do with the First Nations University of Canada.
The petitioners indicate that the viability of the First Nations University of Canada was threatened by the removal of provincial and federal funding. The petitioners are asking for a reinstatement of federal funds of up to $3 million. They acknowledge that steps have been taken to improve governance and accountability at First Nations University of Canada.
The petitioners also indicate that we must not lose the valuable resource in indigenous knowledge that has been created at the First Nations University of Canada. They are calling upon the Government of Canada to work with students, staff and faculty to build a sustainable and viable future for the First Nations University of Canada by fully reinstating federal funding of at least $7.2 million.


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Badgley Mischka Gilroy Platform Sandal
Sorry, this item is sold out!
Looks like you've got more shoe shopping to do - have fun!
Looks like you've got more shoe shopping to do - have fun!
Item # 241962
Be the belle of the ball in the Badgley Mischka Gilroy. This elegant sandal is feminine, classy and perfect for your next special occasion.
- Satin upper
- Slingback strap with an adjustable buckle
- Crystal embellished brooch overlay at round peep toe
- 1" hidden platform, 4½" heel
- Leather sole
- Imported
By: ChristieLovesPink
Location: Shrewsbury, PA
April 28, 2013
Great Shoe
"I bought these shoes for my wedding day. They are absolutely beautiful and feel great!My only considerations for others would be:- The actual color is a bit darker than the photo. I would call the color more of a "champagne" than an "ivory"- Order a 1/2 size larger than you normally would. I have purchased other Badgley Mischka's so I'm familiar with their sizing, but if you haven't purchased from them before, they tend to run small."
Click anywhere to close this.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
|Version 8 (modified by 4 years ago) (diff),
Ticket calendar as box calendar, list and macro in Trac
This plugin provides ticket calendar as box calendar and list view in page and wiki macro. The ticket calendar page can search as the same query page.
Bugs/Feature Requests
Existing bugs and feature requests for TicketCalendarPlugin are here.
If you have any issues, create a new ticket.
Download the zipped source from [download:ticketcalendarplugin here].
You can check out TicketCalendarPlugin from here using Subversion, or browse the source with Trac.
Click Ticket Calendar menu in main navigation.
- Install the plugin
$ easy_install http://trac-hacks.org/svn/ticketcalendarplugin/0.12
- Enable the plugin
; conf/trac.ini [components] ticketcalendar.* = enabled
- for compatibility with data of GanttCalendarPlugin (Not Recommended)
if you want to use your data for GanttCalendarPlugin, all users and Trac server should have same timezone.
and you have to change your project's trac.ini file.[ticketcalendar] .... ticket.due_date = due_close ticket.due_date.format = %Y-%m-%d ticket.start_date = due_assign ticket.start_date.format = %Y-%m-%d ....
Macro Usage
- The
typeparameter determines how the tickets and milestones are presented:
box: display in calendar view (default)
list: display in list view
- The
queryparameter is used to query the tickets to display.
- The
monthparameter can be specified as
YYYY-MMin only calendar view. The default is current month.
- The
durationparameter can be specified as
YYYY-MM-DD/PnDin only list view. The default is today and 7 days.
No results
Recent Changes
- 14059 by jun66j5 on 2014-08-04 05:58:00
ticketcalendar: Korean translations updated, contributed by Genie (fixed #11132)
- 13437 by jun66j5 on 2013-11-12 04:56:30
ticketcalendar: fixed
loading.gifto be wrong url
- 13398 by jun66j5 on 2013-09-20 05:27:55
ticketcalendar: fixed
AttributeErrorexceptions if Trac has no message catalogs and Babel is installed (refs #11328)
Author: OpenGroove,Inc. and tracpath
Maintainer: jun66j5
Contributors: Genie
Attachments (2)
- calendar-view.png (55.5 KB) - added by 4 years ago.
- list-view.png (42.4 KB) - added by 4 years ago.
Download all attachments as: .zip


text:
Showing 1-24 of 64 items found in Arts & Culture
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The Midwest's number-one attraction is the place in Chicago for lakefront fun. Board a sightseeing or dinner cruise boat, and see a live performance at the outdoor Skyline Stage or acclaimed Chicago Shakespeare Theater. Dine at one of Navy Pier's many boardwalk restaurants and browse the unique shops and stands (a great place to pick up a souvenir).
Strap a mask and flippers onto your imagination and chart a course to Shedd Aquarium. Have you ever seen eye-to-eye with a dolphin? Said hello to a penguin on a stroll to the South Pole? Immersed yourself in a flooded Amazon forest? Or met a friendly beluga whale? You can do it all at Shedd! Photo courtesy of the John G. Shedd Aquarium
Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum
This museum is one of the most-visited presidential museums in the nation where visitors can experience the entire Lincoln story under one roof, from Abe's humble beginnings in an Indiana log cabin to his days as president in the White House. Be dazzled by two special effects theaters featuring historical ghosts and a Civil War battlefield, life-like vignettes that depict important moments in the president's life, and artifacts that range from Lincoln's stovepipe hat to an original copy of the Gettysburg Address.
Discover Sue, the largest and most complete T. rex ever found! At the Field Museum you can also get a bug's-eye view in the Underground Adventure, descend into an Egyptian tomb, be dazzled in the Hall of Gems, come nose to nose with the infamous man-eating lions of Tsavo, and walk among dinosaurs in Evolving Planet.
Museum of Science and Industry
A world of discovery awaits at the largest science museum in the Western Hemisphere. Explore more than 800 exhibits, including the legendary U-505, a German submarine captured on the high seas during World War II; take off on a Boeing 727 airplane for a simulated cross-country flight; descend down a mineshaft for a tour of a realistic coal mine; and witness robots at work in a toy factory. Take a seat at the museum's Omnimax Theater and watch awesome 3D flicks on a giant screen.
Opened in October 2012, this new visitor's center celebrates the long history of the Caterpillar Company. Visitors can explore the past by taking a journey back in time via historic photos and antique equipment. Visitor favorites include a 24-foot tall 797 mining truck that doubles as a movie theater and a product floor complete with simulators to explore its world-famous product line.
Burpee Museum of Natural History
Come explore Burpee Museum and its award-winning exhibits such as Jane: Diary of a Dinosaur, called one of the ten most important dinosaur discoveries in the past 100 years. Burpee Museum also features Homer, a sub-adult or "teen-age" Triceratops. Four floors of exhibits include Windows to Wilderness, a woolly mammoth skeletal cast, Pennsylvanian coal forest, a Native American exhibit, Geoscience, and a viewing lab.
Experience innovations of the present and the future while appreciating the heritage of the past at the free attraction in downtown Moline, Illinois. See vintage machines and climb aboard new ones, operate a simulated excavator or dozer, explore exhibits on how technology helps people shape and care for the land and enjoy interactive ways for kids to learn about farming and infrastructure. The John Deere Store stocks a large collection of genuine John Deere merchandise.
Adler Planetarium and Astronomy Museum
The Adler Planetarium—America's First Planetarium—is more than a museum; it is a laboratory, a classroom, and a community exploring the Universe together. The Adler offers interactive exhibitions, live planetarium shows, hands-on, minds-on STEM education programs, and world-class collections.
William M. Staerkel Planetarium
Discover the universe at the second largest planetarium in Illinois, the William M. Staerkel Planetarium, located on the campus of Parkland College. With a state-of-the-art digital projection system, visitors can learn about the stars, planets and more in this cutting-edge environment. At the planetarium website, you will learn of special programs and features coinciding with the many events in our universe. Public shows are on most Friday and Saturday nights, as well as summer matinees.
Located adjacent to the Melvin Price Locks and Dam, this museum is dedicated to telling the story of the Mississippi River, from its colorful history to its modern-day role as a major transportation corridor. The museum features kid-friendly, interactive and computer animated exhibits. Steer a towboat through the locks and dam via simulator, measure your water consumption or come face-to-face with river fish in the aquarium. Open daily 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The Chicago History Museum is a major museum and research center for Chicago and American history. From permanent galleries to special exhibitions and exciting programs, people of all ages are able to experience the past and better understand the present. Please call for museum hours, pricing and exhibitions.
Chicago Children's Museum at Navy Pier
Hands-on exhibits and daily-changing activities make every visit unique for young children and adults, too. Dig deep into the Dinosaur Expedition, try to stay dry in WaterWays, make a masterpiece in the KraftArtabounds Studio, and climb up to the crow's nest on the Kovler Family Climbing Schooner. Toddlers can have fun in Kids Town and Treehouse Trails.
Kids can shimmy up Luckey's Climber, make a giant bubble and pretend to be whatever they can imagine, from a pilot to a scientist. The museum's permanent exhibits complement temporary exhibits and projects.
Dolphins soar, belugas dance and penguins parade in Fantasea, the aquatic show at Shedd Aquarium. The marine mammal presentations showcase the natural talents and learned skills of the animals—and their trainers.
The Science Center of Southern Illinois
This center was designed for children ages 3-13 and their families. The science museum features several interactive hands-on exhibits dealing with a variety of basic concepts of science, as well as special events and programs.
University of Illinois Arboretum
The University of Illinois Arboretum is a living laboratory, including plant collections and facilities that support the teaching, research and public service programs of several units throughout campus. Central to the Arboretum was the development of the "All American Selection Trial Gardens" established by a bequest from Miles C. Hartley in the early 90s. Other highlights of the Arboretum include the Welcome Garden, Hosta Garden, Kari Walkway and native ponds plantings, the Idea Garden, sponsored by Champaign County Master Gardeners, and the Japanese Tea and Dry Gardens at the Japan House.
Wild Reef: Sharks at Shedd Aquarium
See sharks glide through underwater gardens of iridescent corals and garden eels. Wander through a lagoon and mangrove forest, and visit a fishing village where residents saved their reef from destruction.
"Lincoln: History to Hollywood," an exhibition of sets, costumes and props from the Steven Spielberg's Academy Award-winning film "Lincoln," has opened at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum complex, located in downtown Springfield, Illinois. Items of note in the exhibit include Lincoln's office set, a vignette of Mary Lincoln's bedroom, Lincoln's gloves, Tad Lincoln's tin soldiers, and the rocking chair where President Lincoln sat with Tad. Most of the furniture pieces in the exhibit are antiques from the Civil War era, not reproductions. The exhibits are on long-term loan from Spielberg and DreamWorks Studio. The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum features more than 40,000 square feet of galleries, theatres and historic displays that takes visitors on a journey from Lincoln's humble beginnings through his Presidency. The "Lincoln: History to Hollywood" exhibit will be located in Union Station, across the street from the presidential museum.
Named one of the top 12 children's museums in the nation by Forbes in 2012, here kids can explore more than 250 hands-on art and science exhibits, a planetarium, TV studio and the Tot Spot for toddlers. Discovery Center also boasts the nation's first community-built outdoor science park, the Rock River Discovery Park, featuring a two-story maze, water play area and dinosaur fossil dig.
Old Illinois Passenger Depot Railroad Museum
Built in 1903 by the Illinois Central Railroad, the Old Railroad Passenger Depot has since been restored and now serves as home to the Carbondale Train Museum. Filled with information, artifacts and souveniers, the museum contains significant facts relating to Carbondale's history. Ring the bell of an original train car from the Illinois Central Railroad, which still sits on the track!
An eclectic district filled with dining and multi-cultural attractions, Midtown Champaign, with the beautiful Boneyard Creek flowing, connects Downtown and Campustown Champaign.
Showcasing classic and one-of-a-kind Corvettes and memorabilia, My Garage Museum is a must-see attraction for any car enthusiast. Corvettes on display include Indy pace cars, racing machines, the last C-4 and the first 21st century model.
The Wildlife Discovery Center is a special place offering programs for people of all ages who have an interest in wildlife and their habitat. Children's classes, adult programs, and school field trips focus on wildlife conservation, field biology, and ecology. The Center also offers self-guided nature hikes, workshops, eco-based summer camps, wildlife ecology trips, group presentations, traveling animal exhibits and exciting volunteer opportunities. You can visit eye-to-eye with over 150 animals including a bobcat, raptors, Kookaburras, and an assortment of venomous and non-venomous reptiles like crocodilians, snakes, turtles and tortoises. The Wildlife Discovery Center is home to one of the largest public exhibits of rattlesnakes in North America, including four species that are native to Illinois. Indoor exhibits hours are Tuesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 10:00am to 4:00pm. The outdoor exhibits and walking trails are open year round.
CITY:Lake Forest


text:
Toilet Reviews
Sale on Toilets
New Posts
Solenoid valves
Posted by
Don Daniels
on July 27, 2001 at 11:44:26:
I'm looking for a solenoin valve to turn on & off a 2in water pipe. 110 VAC coil and prefer to install outside.
Do you know of a source?
Replies to this post
There are none.
Love Plumbing & Remodel, All Rights Reserved 1992-2017
Page Design by: Taylor Love


text:
I know I'm a little late to this party, but I finally made it!
State Bird Provisions has been getting write-ups left and right, from Michael Bauer, to SF Weekly, to fellow blogger Foodhoe. It only took a few friends raving about it (thanks Kev and Chris), to get me to make some reservations– I'm typically a casual diner and only make reservations when family or friends are in town. This was an exception.
State Bird is located in the Fillmore District, just south of Japantown. Situated in a tiny unassuming building marked 'Provisions', State Bird is not much of an eye catcher, but don't be fooled– the energy inside is vibrant and cool. I was only able to make a 10:30 reservation (yes, 10:30!), which was great since the place wasn't packed, but it would have been nice to dine with the buzz of other conversations.
The food is daring and playful, served dim sum style as waiters push carts from table to table, explaining each offering. Each dish is reasonably priced, but once we started tasting plate after plate, we realized we were racking up one heck of a bill. Don't get me wrong though– everything is worth it. WORTH it.
From the Duck Neck Dumplings to the Rock Shrimp Salsa Tortilla Salad (not pictured), each dish was perfectly prepared and ridiculously yummy. Alex's favorite was definitely the Green Garlic Bread, which was a crisp fry bread topped with burrata and whole peppercorns for a silky, doughy, and surprisingly bright flavor. My favorite dish, was the awe-inspiring State Bird w/ Provisions (below).
The restaurant is appropriately named State Bird Provisions after this single crowd favorite. It's a deep fried quail sitting atop a stew of sinfully tart onions. The bird was crisp and juicy, with a mouthwatering onion side that stood firm against the salt and meatiness of the bird. I might have muttered the phrase "best fried bird I've ever eaten" a few times, and it still rings true. I'm not a particular quail fanatic (more of a fried chicken fanatic), but the State Bird was perfectly balanced in flavor, texture, and size. It was the perfect main entree to our meal of small plates.
We finished off the dinner with a delicate (and tiny) chocolate black sesame crunch bar that was out of this world. Thanks to State Bird, I've definitely broken my habit of not making reservations– especially when they're worth it. And for those of you who are reading all of the hype about this place, I say this: Read it all and work yourself up over it. There is still no way this place could disappoint.


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Holy what-happened-to-Kate's-face??ReplyCancel
Emma trying to be sect really doesn't work to you unfortunately.
However I can see why Taylor Swift is attracted to Karlie besides them both being almost the same height.
Nina is so beatufiul. Kate and Emma look good. Holy no to Tilda! Eek. Stabby.ReplyCancel
Baz Luhrmann!
I love Kate W but that hairdo, not so much. Makes her head look like the waiting room witch doctor in Beetlejuice.ReplyCancel
Bar = gorgeous – I think Leo's recent girlfriends are downgrades.ReplyCancel
evening gowns should never be green. oh tilda <3. ok bar, ya got me.ReplyCancel
Kate Winslet looks beautiful. She is aging very well.
I love Emma but I thought we were done with those stupid see-through lace dresses with the solid half-slip showing.
I also love Kriston Scott Thomas but I am not loving this dress. It makes her upper body look like a blob.
Nina! I want to see your whole outfit. Lose the jacket.
Baez Luhrman – you're 5 months early. Tim Burton's premier isn't until December (and no, Tim doesn't want Jay-Z on the soundtrack).
Tilda, Tilda, Tilda. Get Gaultier on the horn and get him to make you another of those flash strappy outfits like he did for you for Constantine. Put that avant guard style to work in a good way.ReplyCancel
Baz dammit!ReplyCancel
Kate Winslets hair is giving me a headache!
Loosen up girl!
Tilda scares meReplyCancel
I love Tilda – the right side of weird.
Kate, great dress but WTF are you doing to your face. Looks as tight as a drum.
My old work colleague is Catherine Martin's brother (ie Baz's wife). Apparently those two hold THE most fantastic parties in Sydney. Lavish, bohemian-fests, party till dawn.ReplyCancel
Massive fan of Emma after The Bling Ring. She's ahhhmazing.
Love love love Kristin Scott Thomas's dress. Age appropriate and that colour? Boom!
Nina Nina Nina. You're attending Paris Fashion Week. Designers would kill to dress you and you turn up wearing THAT? Stop shopping in Forever 21 and get yourself a stylist. Stat.
Bar Rafaeli. She set the 'Bar' high for all of Leo's future conquests. @Tina you're so right, after her, the others are all a downgrade.ReplyCancel
Kate, Emma & Karlie are all very stylish here. Love all 3.ReplyCancel
Why do people wear uglay ass pants like The Tilda has on? Material is good but the fit is poor. Shoes look good though.
Remember Baz's partner is the one who designs all the costumes and made the gold AMEX dress years ago if I am recalling correctly.
I swear, I thought Nina Dobrev was a Kardashian. I am so sorry.
KST color isn't good for her.ReplyCancel


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Vernon Frederick Root
Vernon Frederick Root was born Jan. 22, 1919 in Palmyra, Nebraska to John and Kathryn (Seeman) Root.
He attended school in Eagle, Nebraska and graduated in 1936. He also attended one year at the University of Nebraska in Lincoln.
He married Mary Jayne Strong of Winnebago, Nebraska on June 8, 1940.
After Mary's death in April of 1992 he remarried Emma Ruth Houser of Loveland, Colorado in November 1992. Vern's career began with dairy farming in Nebraska, and advanced to aircraft construction at the Lockheed Airplant in California during WWII.
After the war he worked for Texaco in Oklahoma and was later transfered to Cortez Colorado in 1959 and worked as a oil field technician.
The Root family moved to Ft Collins in 1966. He worked for the Woodward Governor Company in Ft Collins as Test Stand Supervisor until his retirement in 1983.
Vern was an ambitious, hardworking, self-taught man, learning what he needed for advancement in his careers.
He lived in seven states, and claimed to have visited all 50 states. His hobbies were fishing, hunting, dominos, woodworking, reading, and traveling.
He was a "family man," and enjoyed involving his family in his many activities. He especially loved the cabin that he and Mary built in Red Feather Lakes and spending the winter at their property in Arizona.
Vernon is survived by his wife Ruth Houser Root of Loveland, Co and his children Sandy Meek, of Loveland, Co, Judy Smith (Michael), of Denver, Co, Marcia Schauermann (John), of Ft Collins, Co, and John Root (Joan), of Commerce City, Co ; seven grandchildren, fourteen great-grandchildren. Vernon was preceded in death by his wife Mary Jayne, and his great-grandson Brandon Michael-Morris Howell on 9-18-92.
Memorial services will be held at 1:00 p.m., Saturday, March 8, 2014 at Derby Hill Baptist Church in Loveland. Cremation has been completed. Inurnment will take place at Roselawn Cemetery in Ft. Collins at a later date.
Memorial contributions may be made to Grace Hospice or the Vernon F. Root Memorial Fund in care of Kibbey Fishburn Funeral Home.


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Rin's power, Rin's death, will Oro betray, how, who is the one who knows everything, how Nagato was used, what Tobi was planning to do with Sasuke, what was given by the beasts to Naruto, what will happen to Yamato, to Kabuto, How spiral died, etc. etc.
The question "where is Naruto" remains. I wouldn't think he is invisible or underground. He could be :
- in Tobi's dimension. Sent by Tobi who thought he was a clone. I first thought this option doesn't make sense as Naruto can't send himself back to usual dimension. But actually he can. he just has to summon a frog, go in his mouth, and release the summon. He ends up in frog's land.
- In frog's land, accumulating nature energy together with Karuma and sending repeatidly only clones to battle. Seems to me a safe way to confront Madara.


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Canada keeps seventh in sight with win over El Salvador
GUATEMALA CITY – Canada, represented by the Calgary Dinos under-16 squad, remained in contention for a seventh place finish at the NORCECA Youth Girls Volleyball Championships on Friday with a 25-11, 25-15, 25-18 victory over El Salvador.
The win evened Canada's overall record at the tournament to two wins and two losses. The Canadians went 1-2 in the round robin this week for third spot in their pool and are now playing in the consolation playoff round.
On Friday, Alexa Gray led the Canadian offence with 14 points including six service aces. Otto Kacey added 13, Carolyn O'Dwyer (photo) eight and Emmalyn Copping seven with two service aces.
Canada concludes its tournament Saturday in the match for seventh place against Trinidad and Tobago. The semifinal matches Saturday are the U.S., against Puerto Rico and Mexico vs the Dominican Republic.


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Bought 91
Save up to 64%
Don't just take our word for it, see what people are saying about The Metro, Southport, on Trip Advisor:
'"The hotel was lovely"'
Sonia B
Reviewed: 07 June 2014
Reviewed: 01 June 2014
Reviewed: 27 May 2014
Do the faraway shores of a foreign land feel an all-too distant memory? Treat yourself to a spa break minutes from the seafront and unwind minus the airfare with today's deal…
We're offering you a spa pamper package for 2 people including 3 treatments each for £59, or including an overnight stay at The Metro Southport Hotel for £125, saving you up to 64% off Portland Hall's prices.
Located a stone's throw from Southport's seafront, Portland Hall Spa is a British Beauty and Spa Awards 2012 finalist, making it the perfect place to unwind with a very lucky companion. As part of today's deal, you'll be treated to three luxury spa treatments each, so all you'll have to do is sit back and relax with a 25-minute therapeutic back massage, a 25-minute radiance facial and one of the following ESPA treatments:
With today's deal, you can also upgrade for a luxury overnight stay at The Metro Hotel, Southport - a veritable haven of tranquillity for those in need of a break. All en-suite rooms are elegantly furnished and boast TV, Wi-Fi, movies and tea and coffee making facilities - don't say we don't treat you right!
Spa opening hours:
The deal can also entitle you to a Wowcher Wallet Credit. Click here for more info.


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Summer research fellowships are available for CSBSJU students in multiple departments across campus during the summer of 2015.
Science and social science students should consider applying for National Science Foundation sponsored REU programs at other campuses. These summer positions are found at colleges, field stations, and research institutes across the country and welcome talented students from schools like ours. Students in their first, sophomore or junior years are eligible for these summer research opportunities. Due dates vary, but usually Jan 15 - Feb 15.
Summer Research Fellowships are employment opportunities that support students engaged in research or creative work for 10 weeks during the summer. During the summer of 2015, 70 students from 17 departments were involved in this opportunity.
Work alongside a faculty member on research in your field. Summer Research Fellows earn approximately $10.11/hr plus a Room and Board supplement for 10 wks. This is a great way to apply your classroom knowledge to real world questions of importance. You may imagine that St. Joe closes down in the summer...not true! At CSBSJU, throughout the summer, recreational opportunities abound and the intellectual stimulation is unbeatable.
Fellowships are available through departments as listed below, via grant programs offered by various CSB/SJU programs, and - for Honors Thesis students - the Honors Thesis Summer Research Fellowships. Any student with the approval of their major department may complete an Honors Thesis, it is not necessary to be enrolled in the Honors Program.
Click the links below to learn more about these opportunities. If a "Mail To" dialog box comes up, send an email to the address shown with "Summer Research Fellowship Inquiry" in the subject line.


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Tuesday, April 20, 2010
A Little More Chocolate...
Initially, I had only the large bouquet of flowers on the top tier, but then felt it needed an additional bouquet to up the romantic and feminine feel of the design! Otherwise, it was looking a bit too formal:
Sugarpaste peony flower and buds, gardenias, freesia buds, hydrangea buds, filler flowers and leaves:
I'm excited to be working on an arrangement for a sugar vase, and some darker colored flowers as well...coming soon! Thanks for stopping by!
Copyright © 2010 by Jacqueline Butler of Petalsweet Cakes. Content of this blog (including text, photographs and layout) is the property of Jacqueline Butler - please respect copyright laws. If you want to link to my blog, or post any of my photos, please contact me - it would be great to have the opportunity to connect with you. Thank you!
7 comments:
- julie desmeules said...
Gosh... stunning!
- April 20, 2010 at 9:49 PM
- DK Designs said...
Another lovely creation! What you do with sugar! AMAZING! :)
- April 20, 2010 at 11:19 PM
- SweetThingsTO said...
Gorgeous - it fits your description perfectly!
- April 21, 2010 at 7:36 PM
- www.cindysconfections.com said...
- April 22, 2010 at 9:32 AM
- Anonymous said...
Your work is amazing!! I am wondering if you can do another tutorial of some other type of flower. As a single mother of twins, I can't affort to pay classes and I am trying to make ends meet, you last tutorial helped me so much with a cake.
Thank you
- April 23, 2010 at 6:46 PM
- Pamella said...
Your flowers are gorgeous !! Ive never seen a peony in real life but I believe its one of the most beautiful flowers and you do such a lovely representation. I cant stop looking at your pictures !!
- May 2, 2010 at 1:41 AM
- Davielle aka Princess Magpie said...
not only are your flowers amazing, and brilliantly executed, but Jacque - that CAKE. that CHOCOLATE looks to-die-for. was it? I just know it was ... I am so inspired by you, and so in awe of your talents. And I am STOKED that you are following your dream, and unleashing your creativity.
:-) Davi
- May 11, 2010 at 11:03 AM


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WACO, Texas --- After Kansas State had lost earlier in the day, Kansas took the court at the Ferrell Center knowing that it had already clinched at least a share of a ninth straight Big 12 title, a remarkable achievement in this age of parity.
The Jayhawks were prepared for a coronation. And they promptly were clobbered.
A desperate Baylor team, which had been clinging to slim NCAA tournament at-large hopes, turned in a blistering shooting effort against the nation's leaders in field goal percentage defense and soundly beat Kansas, 81-58.
BOX SCORE: Baylor 81, No. 3 Kansas 58
Though Baylor got zero points from its bench, its starters shot 57.7 percent from the field. Guard Pierre Jackson made 11 of 13 field goal attempts, scoring 28 points. Forward Cory Jefferson also made 11 of 13 shots from the floor, scoring 25 points.
Most surprising, Jefferson, who had missed all seven of his three-point shots in his career, made all three of his three-point attempts tonight. Asked if he knew Jefferson had that outside shooting range, Kansas coach Bill Self said, "Hell, no."
And with that, another upset of a top-five team. Another court storming, this one witnessed by former Baylor quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner Robert Griffin III, who congratulated Baylor players before eluding students rushing onto the court on his way to the back of the arena.
WATCH: Alabama player's half-court buzzer beater
The loss left Kansas (26-5, 14-4 Big 12) with conflicted emotions. Though it had steered its season back on course following its first three-game losing streak in eight years, though it clinched a share of the league title with Kansas State, the Jayhawks will enter the Big 12 tournament with the sour taste of their second-worst loss RPI-wise of the season.
Kansas senior Jeff Withey said the team reminded itself only briefly after the game that it had captured a share of the conference title.
"It does not feel like we won it [Big 12 title] at all … " Withey said. "Maybe we thought it was ours already."
The result gave Baylor its second top-50 RPI victory of the season, enhancing the tournament hopes for the Bears, who likely still need to win two games in the Big 12 tournament to feel confident about a berth. Baylor coach Scott Drew said he never saw a performance like this coming.
"We've been in that last-four-in, first-four-out [group] for three weeks," a jubilant Drew said. "I think we were just tired of it."
And the outcome further muddied an already cloudy picture for potential No. 1 NCAA tournament seeds. Results in next week's conference tournaments will likely take on added importance as the NCAA tournament selection committee attempts to find separation among top-seed contenders, a somewhat erratic group that includes Kansas.
Self said he was optimistic that his team would play free and loose after Kansas State lost. But it didn't matter. He later said there is no reason for his team to have shaken confidence entering the Big 12 tournament, adding, "We got punched in the mouth today without question. But we will get up."
The Jayhawks were poised to win the Big 12 title outright after Kansas State lost at Oklahoma State earlier today. But the result here in Waco may have been the only appropriate one given the topsy-turvy nature of this college basketball season.
"We can beat anybody in the nation," Drew said. "As college basketball has shown, anybody can lose to anybody."
There is no clear No. 1 team. Nearly 10 teams at times appear qualified to be tied at No. 2. Parity has wreaked havoc across the landscape, leveling the playing field and yielding surprising outcomes in almost every power conference.
Miami has disrupted the traditional hierarchy atop the ACC standings. And though it bolstered its resume today, Kentucky is at risk of becoming the third defending national champion in the past six seasons to miss the tournament.
As unpredictability prevails like never before, the more things stay the same atop the Big 12. Barely.
Kansas and Kansas State finished with identical 14-4 conference records. The Jayhawks swept the Wildcats during the regular season. But now they enter the postseason on uncertain footing, much like about half the top 25.
Since losing to at lowly TCU on Feb. 6 and Oklahoma on Feb. 9, Kansas has looked vulnerable on the road. It needed two overtimes to outlast Oklahoma State, a solid NCAA tournament team, and then one overtime session to top Iowa State, a likely NCAA tournament team, in a game marred by controversial late-game officiating.
Baylor's scorching hot shooting came against a team that had held its opponents to 31.5 percent shooting. Self said the his team's defense "was not any good" and had a number of breakdowns. But he credited Jackson and Jefferson on their performances.
"Cory Jefferson today made six shots outside 15 feet, including three threes," Self said. "He was great. If he is going to do that, that would be a hard win for us no matter what. When two players are as good as he and Pierre, they just totally dominated."
To reach the Final Four in Atlanta, the clearest path for Kansas was to remain in the Midwest. The Jayhawks will likely play their first two games in Kansas City. Should they advance, they then could find themselves at Cowboys Stadium, not far from where they suffered the worst college basketball upset in several years in Fort Worth.
And after today's performance, the Jayhawks' hopes of earning a No. 1 seed took a hit with yet another sour performance in the state of Texas that they'd like to forget.


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Custom SATCOM Solutions – Small Business (CS2-SB)
Custom SATCOM Solutions – Small Business (CS2-SB) allows federal agencies to acquire professional satellite engineering services and build custom end-to-end satellite solutions with small business industry partners.
Solutions include satellite transport (bandwidth), fixed or mobile satellite service, and service-enabling components such as terminals, handsets, and tail circuits with engineering services to integrate, operate, and maintain the solution.
Examples include:
- Emergency response and disaster recovery communications systems;
- Satellite-based backup communications network;
- Distributed distance learning network; and
- Communications on the move solutions for DoD applications.
Custom SATCOM Solutions – Small Business (CS2-SB) features
Type of contract: Multiple award, indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity (IDIQ)
The base contracts have the following period of performance (PoP):
- Three-year Base Period: February 06, 2012 - February 05, 2015
- First Option Period: February 06, 2015 - February 05, 2016
- Second Option Period: February 06, 2016 - February 05, 2017
Ceiling: $900 Million
Type of task order: Fixed price
Contract Management Fee: Two percent (2%)
Security included in the contract
Custom SATCOM Solutions – Small Business (CS2-SB) adheres to federal information assurance requirements, including the Federal Information Security Management Act of 2002 (FISMA) [PDF - 63 KB] and the Committee on National Security Systems Policy (CNSSP) 12.
Best suited for small, less complex requirements and satellite professional support services
Custom SATCOM Solutions – Small Business (CS2-SB) industry partners can fulfill smaller, less complex end-to-end satellite solutions needs.
In addition, they can compete for task orders that solely consist of satellite professional support services, such as:
- Strategic or preliminary planning;
- Enterprise architecture design;
- System engineering; and
- Information assurance certification and accreditation.
Worldwide coverage
You can use Custom SATCOM Solutions (CS2) – Small Business anywhere in the world.
Custom SATCOM Solutions – Small Business (CS2-SB) industry partners
Note: The links below lead to nongovernment commercial websites.
|Service provider
|Point of contact
|AIS Engineering, Inc.
Contract number: GS00Q12NSD4001
|By Light, Professional IT Services, Inc.
Contract number: GS00Q12NSD4003
|Knight Sky, LLC
Contract number: GS00Q12NSD4002
George Knizewski
(240) 252-1966
|UltiSat, Inc.
Contract number: GS00Q12NSD4000
|David Bryant
FCSA Program Director
(240) 243-5119


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Chinese Laundry Strawberry Field Bootie
Sorry, this item is sold out!
Looks like you've got more shoe shopping to do - have fun!
Looks like you've got more shoe shopping to do - have fun!
Item # dsw12prod4460193
Kick your style up a notch in the Chinese Laundry Strawberry Field bootie. The zipper trim on this chic ankle bootie will help you rock understated style.
- Suede upper
- Zipper trim
- Side zipper accent
- 2½" stacked block heel
- Synthetic sole
- Imported
- View more Women's Chinese Laundry Shoes
By: LiHo
Location: NJ
November 30, 2013
Cute but Disappointing
"I bought this cute mint colored bootie and loved the way it looked but in the end was thoroughly disappointed. The bootie runs short and tight. You'd be lucky to get them on with stockings! The back of my foot never felt like it fit in the boot (let alone comfortably). The zipper on the bootie gets stuck too."
By: HarrietsMom
Location: Austin, TX
November 07, 2013
my new favorite shoes!
"I got these boots in mint and they are adorable. The color is really working well w my plans for fall clothes. The booties are very comfortable, can walk all day in them. If I have a peeve--it's that even with the double zipper they are a little time-consuming to pull on. But overall, a perfect find."
By: CCONSTANCE
Location: PA
November 02, 2013
"I bought these with the hope of wearing them with skirts. Nope The zipper caught on everything from my hose to my skirt, Uncomfortable for the short time I had them on they went back. Just not a good buy for me."
By: LindafromGRock
Location: Wadsworth, IL
October 16, 2013
Pretty in Pink!
"I just got my shipment today and couldn't wait to get into the box. I bought the strawberry field bootie because it looked really different in color. I debated over what size to go with because of all the reviews about the fit. I'm glad I listened to the reviews. I went a 1/2 size larger because of several that read it runs short. It does run short. Even with the size 10 (I wear 9.5), I can still feel my toe up at the front of the boot. However, the rest of the fit feels great. They are keepers - and I'm planning to wear them out this weekend."
Click anywhere to close this.


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Pleated Shades & Accordion Blinds
- A cellular shade look at a nice price
- No holes option to improve light control
- Single piece of fabric with slat-like effect
- Casual, light look
- Add a liner for more privacy
Blindsgalore® No-Holes Pleated Shades: Light Filtering Solids
retail $85.07 $57.00 + an extra 10% off
Blindsgalore® No-Holes Pleated Shades: Room Darkening Solids
retail $105.97 $71.00 + an extra 10% off
Semi-Opaque (1)
Although light is substantially blocked, some vague shadows may be visible.
- Semi-Opaque (1)
- refine
Blackout (1)
Blackout blinds and shades can eliminate glare on TVs and monitors, make sleeping easier or simply used to darken a room.
Cordless Top Down/Bottom Up (1)
Cordless top down bottom up shades allows you to lower the shade from the top, raise it from the bottom, or both.
customer reviews for pleated shades
"Great Purchase"
By Newby from California
We haven't purchased much on the internet so were a little dubious. But the price and product seemed right. We were not dissappointed. We are very pleased and plan to buy more in the future.View this product
By HAPPYWIFE from WASHINGTON
MY HUSBAND DOES NOT LIKE ANY SUNLIGHT IN OUR ROOM HOWEVER I LOVE IT.View this product


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2016 Alzheimer's Disease Facts and Figures
Download the
- Quick Facts
- Prevalence
- Mortality
- Caregivers
- Cost to
- Financial Impact
on Families
- Alzheimer's in
each state
The number of Americans living with Alzheimer's disease is growing — and growing fast. An estimated 5.4 million Americans of all ages have Alzheimer's disease in 2016.
- Of the 5.4 million Americans with Alzheimer's, an estimated 5.2 million people are age 65 and older, and approximately 200,000 individuals are under age 65 (younger-onset Alzheimer's).
- One in nine people age 65 and older has Alzheimer's disease.
- By mid-century, someone in the United States will develop the disease every 33 seconds.
These numbers will escalate rapidly in coming years, as the baby boom generation has begun to reach age 65 and beyond, the age range of greatest risk of Alzheimer's. By 2050, the number of people age 65 and older with Alzheimer's disease may nearly triple, from 5.2 million to a projected 13.8 million, barring the development of medical breakthroughs to prevent or cure the disease. Previous estimates based on high range projections of population growth provided by the U.S. Census suggest that this number may be as high as 16 million.
GET INVOLVED.Join the cause
Among people age 70, 61 percent of those with Alzheimer's are expected to die before the age of 80 compared with 30 percent of people without Alzheimer's — a rate twice as high.
Alzheimer's disease is officially listed as the sixth-leading cause of death in the United States. It is the fifth-leading cause of death for people age 65 and older. As the population of the United States ages, Alzheimer's is becoming a more common cause of death. Although deaths from other major causes have decreased significantly in the last decade, deaths from Alzheimer's disease have increased significantly — 71 percent. In 2013, over 84,000 Americans died from Alzheimer's according to official death certificates; however, in 2016, an estimated 700,000 people with Alzheimer's will die, and the disease likely will contribute to many of those deaths.
Alzheimer's is the only disease among the top 10 causes of death in America that cannot be prevented, cured or even slowed.
Invest in a world without Alzheimer's.Donate
In 2015, 15.9 million family and friends provided 18.1 billion hours of unpaid care to those with Alzheimer's and other dementias. That care had an estimated economic value of $221.3 billion.
- Approximately two-thirds of caregivers are women, and 34 percent are age 65 or older.
- 41 percent of caregivers have a household income of $50,000 or less.
- On average, care contributors lose over $15,000 in annual income as a result of reducing or quitting work to meet the demands of caregiving.
Alzheimer's takes a devastating toll on caregivers. Nearly 60 percent of Alzheimer's and dementia caregivers rate the emotional stress of caregiving as high or very high; about 40 percent suffer from depression. One in five care contributors cut back on their own doctor visits because of their care responsibilities. And, among caregivers, 74 percent report they are "somewhat" to "very" concerned about maintaining their own health since becoming a caregiver.
Caring for someone with Alzheimer's?Get Resources
Cost to Nation
Alzheimer's disease is one of the costliest chronic diseases to society. The growing Alzheimer's crisis is helping to bankrupt Medicare.
- In 2016, total payments for health care, long-term care and hospice are estimated to be $236 billion for people with Alzheimer's and other dementias, with just under half of the costs borne by Medicare.
- Medicare and Medicaid are expected to cover $160 billion, or 68 percent, of the total health care and long-term care payments for people with Alzheimer's disease and other dementias.
- Nearly one in every five Medicare dollars is spent on people with Alzheimer's and other dementias. In 2050, it will be one in every three dollars.
Unless something is done, in 2050, Alzheimer's is projected to cost more than $1 trillion (in 2016 dollars). Costs to Medicare will increase 360 percent. This dramatic rise includes a nearly five-fold increase in government spending under Medicare and Medicaid and a nearly five-fold increase in out-of pocket spending.
Take action.Become an advocate
Alzheimer's takes a devastating toll – not just on those with the disease, but on entire families.
How much of their own money do families spend to provide for the needs of the person with Alzheimer's? Are families prepared to handle the financial impact of Alzheimer's disease? Because studies on this important topic are scarce, the Alzheimer's Association commissioned a nationwide scientific survey of more than 3,500 Americans who were asked these questions and more.
Alarmingly, the survey revealed that many care contributors had to cut back on basic necessities — such as food and medical care — for themselves and their families. They are 28 percent more likely than other adults to eat less or go hungry because they cannot afford to pay for food. At the same time, many survey respondents had misconceptions about what expenses Medicare and Medicaid cover, leaving them unprepared to handle the tremendous costs associated with the disease. Taken together, the results of the survey point to the significant financial burden placed on families because their friend or family member with Alzheimer's disease or another dementia can no longer afford to take care of themselves.
Alzheimer's Disease Facts in Each State
The 2016 Alzheimer's Disease Facts and Figures report contains data on the impact of this disease in every state across the nation. Click below to see the effect that Alzheimer's is having in your state.


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Why is Australia Still a Favourite for the UK Wine Consumer?
The top Australian brands have lost market share since 2011, yet Australian wine value on the whole is up. Find out why.
Read More
Made in Mendoza: A winemaker's dream
We spoke with Silvia Corti, winemaker at Argento about what it's really like to make wine in ArgentinaRead More
Feel the fiesta with a Brazilian cocktailWith the 2016 Rio Olympics just around the corner, this summer is all about harnessing the noise and colour of one of the world's most famous party capitals. And what better way to celebrate than with a Brazilian-inspired cocktail. Read More
Before and after: How to bookend a meal with booze!Enhance customer experience and increase profits with these 'bookend' drinks to top and tail your meal. Read More
What you need to know about Jura
With a variety of styles and a combination of international and indigenous grapes, Jura's popularity is growing, particularly among affluent, trend-seeking wine drinkers.Read More
Friday Quiz: the fizz quiz
Are you a bubbles buff? Do you dream of fizz? Know your blanc de blancs from your blanc de noirs?Read More
What will we be drinking this spring?The arrival of March means we can finally bid farewell to winter and welcome the longer daylight hours, slightly warmer weather and bright yellow daffodils. With this change in season, we asked members of the team to tell us which Bibendum wines they'll be sipping this spring. Cheers! Read More
Bibendum producers hailed in South Africa report
In his 2015 South Africa report, Tim Atkin was full of praise for Sijnn, Newton Johnson, Steenberg and Creation. South African wine is becoming a serious proposition for UK consumers and Tim emphasised the diversity and quality available in this country.Read More
Sustainability at SAAM Mountain Vineyards
Focusing on ways to reduce their impact on the South African environment.Read More
Stellenrust Barrel Fermented Chenin Blanc (Stellenbosch, South Africa)
Produced by one of South Africa's largest Fairtrade certified single wine estates, this isn't any ordinary Chenin Blanc.Read More
Springfield Estate Vivid Profile
Sustainable winemaking at Springfield Estate.Read More
Waldo Van Zyl introduces Sijnn Wines, South Africa
Sijnn Wines is a collaboration between winemakers, Waldo van Zyl, David Trafford as well as Bibendum's own Simon Farr.Read More
Sijnn Low Profile
A special delivery, exclusively for our independent customers.
Read More
mytaste with Gordy Newton Johnson
We take Gordy, winemaker at Newton Johnson, on a tour of London.Read More
mytaste with Erika Obermeyer
We take Erika Obermeyer, winemaker at Graham Beck, on a tour of London.Read More
Biodynamic and Organic Wine: A Grower's Perspective
We caught up with Clare Allan from Huia, one of our organic and biodynamic growers.Read More
Wine, But Not as You Know it
Four approaches to 'low-alcohol' that you may not expectRead More
A Tasting on Thin Ice: Gruner Veltliner vs. The World
A tasting with the effervescent Lenz Moser provides some talking points, springs a few surprises and leaves a pleasant taste in everyone's mouth.Read More
Brazil... Here we Come!
With the Rio Olympics just around the corner, Brazil will be firmly in the limelight in 2016. To make sure that you can add some truly Brazilian flair to your wine list, we have some exciting new wines to introduce from Miolo Wine Group.Read More