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The Helsinki Process: A Four Decade OverviewWednesday, February 01, 2017
In August 1975, the heads of state or government of 35 countries – the Soviet Union and all of Europe except Albania, plus the United States and Canada – held a historic summit in Helsinki, Finland, where they signed the Final Act of the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe. This document is known as the Helsinki Final Act or the Helsinki Accords. The Conference, known as the CSCE, continued with follow-up meetings and is today institutionalized as the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, or OSCE, based in Vienna, Austria. Learn more about the signature of the Helsinki Final Act; the role that the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe played during the Cold War; how the Helsinki Process successfully adapted to the post-Cold War environment of the 1990s; and how today's OSCE can and does contribute to regional security, now and in the future.
Ongoing Human Rights and Security Violations in Russian-Occupied CrimeaThursday, November 10, 2016
In Russia's ongoing illegal occupation of the Ukrainian region of Crimea, occupying authorities persistently and egregiously violate the human rights of those perceived to oppose Russian annexation of this Ukrainian territory, especially Crimean Tatars. At the same time, with Russia's militarization of the peninsula, the security situation in the surrounding Black Sea region is becoming increasingly perilous. The situation in Crimea is bleak, and continues to deteriorate both from a democracy and human rights viewpoint, as well as a security standpoint. The experts at this briefing examined the current state of affairs in the region in the face of Russian aggression, analyzed the response of the international community, and discussed how – 40 years after the Ukrainian Helsinki Monitoring Group was formed to monitor the Soviet Government's compliance with the Helsinki Final Act – Ukrainians continue to defend Helsinki principles in the face of violations by Moscow. Helsinki Commission staff member Orest Deychakiwsky opened the briefing with a brief introduction on the current situation in Crimea. Mr. Deychakiwsky noted that this important briefing took place on the 40th anniversary of the founding of the Ukrainian Helsinki Monitoring Group in November of 1976. Ms. Shulyar and Mr. Berezovets both spoke on the illegality of the Russian occupation of Crimea and the flagrant human rights violations that have been perpetrated by Russian forces against the people of Crimea. Ambassador Herbst then spoke on the political and security challenges facing the West in regards to the situation in Crimea. Finally, Mr. Goble spoke on the challenges to the international system that Putin's aggression in Crimea and Ukraine represents. All participants stressed the necessity for continued U.S. involvement in Ukraine to counter Russian aggression and to uphold the principles of the OSCE.
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Human Rights, Military Security in Crimea under the Microscope at Upcoming Helsinki Commission BriefingWednesday, November 02, 2016
WASHINGTON—The Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, also known as the Helsinki Commission, today announced the following briefing: Ongoing Human Rights and Security Violations in Russian-Occupied Crimea Thursday, November 10, 2016 2:00 PM Rayburn House Office Building Room B-318 In Russia's ongoing illegal occupation of the Ukrainian region of Crimea, occupying authorities persistently and egregiously violate the human rights of those perceived to oppose Russian annexation of this Ukrainian territory, especially Crimean Tatars. At the same time, with Russia's militarization of the peninsula, the security situation in the surrounding Black Sea region is becoming increasingly perilous. The briefing will examine the current state of affairs in the region in the face of Russian aggression, analyze the response of the international community, and discuss how – 40 years after the Ukrainian Helsinki Monitoring Group was formed to monitor the Soviet Government's compliance with the Helsinki Final Act – Ukrainians continue to defend Helsinki principles in the face of violations by Moscow. The following panelists are scheduled to participate: Oksana Shulyar, Embassy of Ukraine to the United States John E. Herbst, Director, Dinu Patriciu Eurasia Center at the Atlantic Council; former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Paul A. Goble, Editor, Windows on Eurasia; Professor, The Institute of World Politics Taras Berezovets, Founder, Free-Crimea Project, Kyiv, Ukraine
Helsinki Commission Honored for Work on UkraineThursday, September 15, 2016
At yesterday's 2016 Ukraine in Washington forum, the U.S.-Ukraine Foundation recognized the Helsinki Commission for four decades of support for Ukraine and Ukrainian dissidents. "Long before Ukraine's independence and the formation of the House and Senate Ukraine Caucuses, we must remember there was the Congressional Helsinki Commission," said Robert McConnell, co-founder of the U.S.-Ukraine Foundation. "It was doing everything possible to shine international klieg lights on Ukraine's human rights issues, from its political prisoners to the illegality of the Ukrainian Catholic Church." The Helsinki Commission has a long history of supporting Ukrainians' aspirations for human rights and democracy, even prior to independence when Ukraine – the largest non-Russian republic in the Soviet Union – was viewed as a particular threat to Moscow's rule. Since 1991, the Commission has been a strong supporter of the development of an independent, secure, democratic Ukraine. The Commission was instrumental in introducing and ensuring passage of the original resolution calling for the U.S. to recognize Ukraine's independence in the face of State Department opposition. In the intervening 25 years, Helsinki Commission hearings, briefings, and other activities have highlighted issues including Chornobyl; the state of democracy and rule of law; the political situation in Ukraine; elections; and – more recently – Russia's war against Ukraine and human rights violations in Crimea and the occupied territories of the Donbas. "We know the Ukrainian people want freedom and democracy, whether it be in Crimea or other parts of the country," said Helsinki Commission Chairman Christopher Smith (NJ-04). "Yet we find again that this persistent aggression by the Russians—which is reminiscent of Soviet times—continues to make the freedom, democracy, and prosperity that the people so richly deserve that much harder to achieve." (View video.) Commissioners have also played an active role in the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly on Ukraine, especially in condemning Russia's aggression and violation of all core OSCE principles enshrined in the Helsinki Final Act. Commission leadership has led several Congressional delegations to Ukraine, including three since Russia's invasion, and the Commission has observed virtually every national election in Ukraine since 1990. "The Helsinki Commission's efforts then and now must never be forgotten as they were – though often like cries in the wilderness – critically important in keeping the truth of Ukraine alive and in providing a rallying point for so many efforts that eventually helped Ukraine shed the Kremlin's shackles," McConnell said. "The Helsinki Commission for decades was like a beacon of hope. It was an outside promise for the Ukrainian Helsinki Group and a critical source of support for Ukrainian-Americans and so many others as they persevered in their quest for freedom against what seemed like insurmountable odds."
Five Years of the Transatlantic Inclusion Leaders NetworkThursday, August 25, 2016
2016 marks the fifth anniversary of the Transatlantic Inclusion Leaders Network (TILN), an innovative project of the U.S. Helsinki Commission, in cooperation with the U.S. State Department, German Marshall Fund, and other stakeholders that prepares diverse, young leaders with a global outlook. TILN bridges the transatlantic divide between the U.S. and Europe by annually bringing together driven individuals from a range of political backgrounds for a week-long workshop focused on inclusive leadership. Workshops take place in European cities ranging from Copenhagen to Brussels to Turin – allowing participants to immerse themselves in international policy-making at national and regional levels. Participants engage with public and private sector figures while shaping their personal missions and strengthening leadership skills to support careers in public service and transformative initiatives that will promote more equitable societies. The TILN project already boasts an impressive list of alumni, including U.S. Congressman Ruben Gallego, Swedish Parliamentarian Said Abdu, UN Expert on Minority Issues Rita Iszak, and other Parliamentarians, Ministers, Mayors, City Councilpersons, regional and local leaders. During its five-year history, TILN annual workshops have highlighted issues of special interest to the US Helsinki Commission from the ongoing struggle to realize Roma and migrant rights to racism, anti-Semitism, and religious discrimination. Additionally, many TILN alumni support innovative initiatives that promote equality and inclusion in their home countries through alumni Action Grants that allow former participants to maintain their connections, further the work of multinational inclusion, and maximize the impact of collective action. For example, former German and Dutch participants have launched national inclusive leadership programs inspired by TILN. The German "Network Inclusive Leaders" program (NILE), created by Gabriele Gün Tank and Daniel Gyamerah of the TILN class of 2013, is a week-long seminar that provides 20 diverse young adults with an opportunity to engage with German political leaders, academics, artists, and others on anti-racism and anti-discrimination efforts. Following the 2016 TILN event, Dutch alumni Mpanzu Bamenga and Kamran Ullah – along with GMF's Marshall Memorial Fellows Ahmed Larouz and Mei Ling Liem – launched the "Inclusion Leaders Network" in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. The event successfully brought together more than 40 community and political leaders from different parties and sectors to discuss tools and strategies to increase inclusion in political, economic, and education sectors. Both the NILE and the Inclusive Leadership Network have enjoyed the support of the U.S. Helsinki Commission, State Department, GMF, and other stakeholders. Hosted by Helsinki Commissioner Representative Alcee L. Hastings, TILN experts and alumni Simon Woolley, Assita Kanko, Gabriele Gün Tank, and David Mark also attended the 2014 three-day Quad Caucus meeting of the National Black Caucus of State Legislators (NBCSL), the National Asian Pacific Caucus of State Legislators (NAPACSL), the National Caucus of Native American State Legislators (NCNASAL), and the National Hispanic Caucus of State Legislators (NHCSL) in the United States. In his opening remarks to the Quad Caucus, Commissioner Hastings highlighted the importance of inclusive and representative governance in all countries. The TILN delegation followed with a panel discussion on the similarity between the U.S. and Europe on experiences of Roma, Muslim, Afro-descent, and other diverse communities, leading to support for joint U.S.-Europe partnerships and initiatives from members of the Quad Caucus. As a result of these meetings, the TILN alumni network was able to organize a speaking tour in Germany for Ajenai Clemmons of NBCSL – a 2015 TILN participant – to share the U.S. minority caucus model in Germany. The momentum of the Quad Caucus also advanced development of anti-discrimination legislation authored by TILN alumni Mpanzu Bamenga in the Netherlands, which was later adopted by Eindhoven City Council. The U.S. Helsinki Commission congratulates TILN on five successful years, and looks forward to witnessing further fruits of the Network as alumni continue to advance inclusive policymaking, thought, and leadership in our societies.
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U.S. Delegation to OSCE PA Drives International Action against Human Trafficking, Discrimination, and Anti-SemitismFriday, July 08, 2016
WASHINGTON—Seven members of Congress traveled to the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly (OSCE PA) Annual Session in Tbilisi, Georgia last week to demonstrate the U.S. commitment to the principles of the Helsinki Final Act, including respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. At the Annual Session, which brought together nearly 300 parliamentarians from 54 of the 57 OSCE participating States, the U.S. lawmakers introduced several successful resolutions and amendments targeting current challenges facing the OSCE region, ranging from human trafficking to discrimination and anti-Semitism to the abuse of Interpol mechanisms to target political opponents and activists. The delegation included Helsinki Commission Chairman Rep. Chris Smith (NJ-04), Co-Chairman Sen. Roger Wicker (MS), Commissioner Rep. Robert Aderholt (AL-04), Commissioner Rep. Randy Hultgren (IL-14), Rep. Mike Fitzpatrick (PA-08), Rep. Richard Hudson (NC-08), and Rep. David Schweikert (AZ-06). Rep. Aderholt currently serves as a vice-president of the OSCE PA, while Sen. Wicker was re-elected to a third term as chair of the OSCE PA Committee on Political Affairs and Security, also known as the First Committee, during the annual meeting. Chairman Smith led international lawmakers in battling international human trafficking and child sex tourism through a successful resolution calling on all OSCE participating States to raise awareness of sexual exploitation of children in travel and tourism (SECTT), especially by convicted pedophiles, business travelers, and tourists. Chairman Smith, who serves as the OSCE PA Special Representative on Human Trafficking Issues, also hosted a July 3 briefing on U.S. efforts to prevent SECTT through a new international reciprocal notification system – known as International Megan's Law – that facilitates timely communications among law enforcement agencies. A second U.S. resolution, authored by OSCE PA Special Representative for Anti-Semitism, Racism and Intolerance and Helsinki Commission Ranking Sen. Ben Cardin (MD), called for action against the anti-Semitic and racist violence sweeping across North America and Europe. The resolution, which passed overwhelmingly, urged members of the OSCE to develop a plan of action to implement its long-standing body of tolerance and non-discrimination agreements, called for international efforts to address racial profiling, and offered support for increased efforts by political leaders to stem the tide of hate across the region. The resolution was fielded by Commissioner Hultgren. Chairman Smith also called on participating States to more effectively prevent and combat violence against European Jewish communities through the introduction of two amendments to the resolution of the OSCE PA General Committee on Democracy, Human Rights and Humanitarian Questions (also known as the Third Committee). His first amendment called for the explicit recognition of the increase in anti-Semitic attacks in the region, while the second encouraged participating States to formally recognize and partner with Jewish community groups. Responding the abuse of Interpol systems for politically motivated harassment by Russia and other members of the OSCE, Co-Chairman Wicker authored a successful amendment to the First Committee resolution, which called on participating States to stop the inappropriate placement of Red Notices and encouraged Interpol to implement mechanisms preventing politically motivated abuse of its legitimate services. The amendment was fielded by Rep. Hudson. During the Annual Session, members of the delegation also offered strong support for important resolutions fielded by other countries, including one by Ukraine on human rights in illegally occupied Crimea and another on the 30th anniversary of the Chernobyl nuclear accident. They voted for a highly relevant resolution on combating corruption fielded by Sweden, and helped to defeat a Russian resolution attacking the Baltic States, Poland and Ukraine in the context of combating neo-Nazism. U.S. delegates indicated their support for the work of attending Azerbaijani human rights activists, and met with attending members of the Israeli Knesset. While in Tbilisi, the group also met with several high-ranking Georgian officials, including Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili; Tedo Japaridze, Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, Parliament of Georgia; Mikheil Janelidze, Georgian Minister of Foreign Affairs; and David Bakradze, Georgian Minister of European and Euro-Atlantic Integration.
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Chairman Smith Leads International Legislators against Human Trafficking, Child Sex TourismMonday, July 04, 2016
WASHINGTON—The OSCE Parliamentary Assembly passed a resolution authored by Helsinki Commission Chairman Rep. Chris Smith (NJ-04) against international human trafficking and child sex tourism. The resolution was passed at the 2016 annual session of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly (OSCE PA), and has an agenda-setting effect for the 57-member intergovernmental organization. Smith, who leads the U.S. Delegation to this year's OSCE PA Annual Session, introduced a resolution calling on all OSCE participating States to work with the private sector and civil society to raise awareness of sexual exploitation of children in travel and tourism (SECTT), especially by convicted pedophiles, business travelers, and tourists. The resolution also urges all OSCE participating States to enact laws allowing them to prosecute their citizens and legal permanent residents for child sexual exploitation committed abroad, and to strengthen international law enforcement cooperation to ensure that nations know about travel by convicted pedophiles prior to their arrival. "More children than ever before are being exploited – child sex tourism is soaring while protection lags," said Chairman Smith. "We must work together to protect children from convicted pedophiles and opportunistic predators who exploit local children with impunity during their travels abroad. Prevention and prosecution should go hand in hand." In addition to introducing the SECTT resolution, Chairman Smith hosted a July 3 briefing on U.S. efforts to prevent SECTT through a new international reciprocal notification system – known as International Megan's Law – that facilitates timely communications among law enforcement agencies. "Child predators thrive on secrecy – a secrecy that allows them to commit heinous crimes against the weakest and most vulnerable," said Chairman Smith. "Recent changes in the laws of the United States and partner countries are putting child predators on the radar when they travel internationally, but much remains to be done." Chairman Smith has served as OSCE PA Special Representative on Human Trafficking Issues since 2004. His efforts to raise the profile of the human trafficking problem in the OSCE region are reflected in the 2013 Addendum to the OSCE Plan of Action to Combat Trafficking in Human Beings, and have prompted other parliamentarians to take the lead in addressing human trafficking in their respective capitals. Chairman Smith first raised the issue of human trafficking at the 1999 St. Petersburg Annual Session, the first time it appeared on the OSCE agenda. Since then, he has introduced or cosponsored a supplementary item and/or amendments on trafficking at each annual session of the OSCE PA, including on issues such as sex tourism prevention, training of the transportation sector in victim identification and reporting, corporate responsibility for trafficking in supply chains, and special protections for vulnerable populations. In addition to authoring the 2016 International Megan's Law to Prevent Child Exploitation and Other Sexual Crimes through Advanced Notification of Traveling Sex Offenders, he authored the landmark U.S. Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 and its 2003 and 2005 reauthorizations. Chairman Smith co-chairs the United States Congressional Human Trafficking Caucus.
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Senator Wicker Re-Elected as Head of OSCE Parliamentary Assembly First CommitteeMonday, July 04, 2016
TBILISI, Georgia—Senator Roger Wicker, Co-Chairman of the U.S. Helsinki Commission, has been reelected as Chairman of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly (OSCE PA) Committee on Political Affairs and Security – known as the First Committee – at the group's 25th Annual Session. "I am honored to be re-elected by my fellow parliamentarians as Chairman of the First Committee. I look forward to continuing our work to address critical security challenges in Europe, Russian aggression against Ukraine, and the scourge of international terrorism. This Committee serves as a key avenue for constructive dialogue and action that can benefit the entire OSCE region," Senator Wicker said. First elected as First Committee Chairman in November 2014, Senator Wicker will continue to focus on sustaining a productive dialogue about security and ensuring compliance with international commitments. "Chairman Wicker has shown tremendous dedication to the urgent causes of peace and security in Europe, Eurasia and beyond. He is a constant advocate for the importance of U.S. leadership in finding solutions in the OSCE space," said Helsinki Commission Chairman Rep. Chris Smith (NJ-04), who led the U.S. Delegation to the OSCE PA Annual Session. Wicker's election capped off several days of Committee meetings, where he led the Committee on Political Affairs and Security as the group debated, amended, and passed seven resolutions related to international terrorism and security challenges in Ukraine, Georgia, and Moldova, among other pressing issues on the OSCE agenda. The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) comprises 57 countries. It addresses a wide range of security-related concerns, including arms control, confidence- and security-building measures, human rights, national minorities, democratization, policing strategies, counter-terrorism, economic, and environmental activities.
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Chairman Smith Champions Improved Security for European Jewish Communities at Annual Meeting of OSCE ParliamentariansSunday, July 03, 2016
WASHINGTON—At the 2016 OSCE Parliamentary Assembly (OSCE PA) Annual Session, meeting in Tbilisi, Georgia this week, Helsinki Commission Chair Rep. Chris Smith (NJ-04) today called on participating States to more effectively prevent and combat violence against European Jewish communities in the face of increasing anti-Semitic violence in the region. "Violent anti-Semitic attacks are on the rise in several European countries – and there is a lot more we can do to stop it," said Chairman Smith, who led the U.S. delegation to the event. "European police and security forces should be partnering with Jewish community security groups, and the United States government should be working with the European governments to encourage this. The terrorist threat to European Jewish communities is more deadly than ever. We must act to prevent a repeat of the horrific massacres of Paris and Copenhagen." Chairman Smith offered two amendments to the draft resolution of the OSCE PA General Committee on Democracy, Human Rights and Humanitarian Questions (also known as the Third Committee). His first amendment called for the explicit recognition of the increase in frequency, scope, and severity of anti-Semitic attacks in the OSCE region, while the second called on participating States to formally recognize and partner with Jewish community groups to strengthen crisis prevention, preparedness, mitigation, and responses related to anti-Semitic attacks. Both amendments reflect consultations with and requests from European Jewish communities. Chairman Smith has a long record as a leader in the fight against anti-Semitism. He co-chairs the Bipartisan Task Force for Combating Anti-Semitism in the U.S. House of Representatives and authored the provisions of the U.S. Global Anti-Semitism Review Act of 2004 that created the Office to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism within the U.S. State Department. In 2015, he authored House Resolution 354, a blueprint for strengthening the safety and security of European Jewish communities. Following his landmark 2002 hearing on combating the escalation of anti-Semitic violence in Europe, "Escalating Anti-Semitic Violence in Europe," he led a congressional drive to place the issue of combating anti-Semitism at the top of the OSCE agenda. As part of this effort he authored supplemental resolutions on combating anti-Semitism, which were adopted at the 2002, 2003, and 2004 Annual Sessions of the OSCE PA. In 2004 the OSCE adopted new norms for its participating States on fighting anti-Semitism. Chairman Smith is a founding member of the the Inter-Parliamentary Coalition for Combating Anti-Semitism (ICCA), where he also serves on the steering committee. In the 1990s, he chaired Congress's first hearings on anti-Semitism and in the early 1980s, his first trips abroad as a member of Congress were to the former Soviet Union, where he fought for the release of Jewish "refuseniks."
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Chairman Smith Sends Strong Message of Support to Poland Ahead of NATO Summit in WarsawTuesday, June 28, 2016
WASHINGTON—Ahead of the upcoming NATO summit in Warsaw, Helsinki Commission Chairman Rep. Chris Smith (NJ-04) is sending a strong message of support to Poland and other Allies on NATO's eastern border. "In the face of ongoing Russian aggression, the United States must ramp up its commitment to the security of Poland and our other Allies in the region," said Chairman Smith. "Russia's intolerable actions – ranging from military incursions into Georgia and Ukraine, to the threatened use of tactical nuclear weapons, to the abandonment of key transparency measures – are attempts to strike at the very foundation of the European security order." "This year's Summit – hosted by a staunch eastern flank Ally that not only contributes troops to NATO operations and hosts NATO facilities, but also devotes the benchmark 2 percent of GDP to defense – comes at a critical moment for European security," he continued. Chairman Smith, who also co-chairs the Congressional Caucus on Poland, led members in organizing a June 27 letter urging President Obama to ensure that NATO meets the needs of Allies in Eastern Europe in an increasingly hostile and uncertain security environment. The letter was signed by Congressional Caucus on Poland Co-Chairs Rep. Dan Lipinski (IL-03), Rep. Marcy Kaptur (OH-09), and Rep. Tim Murphy (PA-18), as well as Rep. Jan Schakowsky (IL-09), Rep. Dan Donovan (NY-11), Rep. Debbie Dingell (MI-12), Rep. Trent Franks (AZ-02), Rep. Mike Quigley (IL-05), and Rep. Brian Higgins (NY-26). In April 2016, Chairman Smith also signed a letter supporting funding for the European Reassurance Initiative, which demonstrates the U.S commitment to the security of NATO Allies in the face of Russia's destabilizing foreign policy. On June 23, the Helsinki Commission held a public briefing titled "NATO's Warsaw Summit and the Future of European Security." Panelists – including representatives from NATO, the Embassy of Poland, and the Center for Transatlantic Relations at the Johns Hopkins University – commented on the need for a stronger U.S. security commitment to Poland and other NATO Allies.
NATO's Warsaw Summit and the Future of European SecurityThursday, June 23, 2016
This briefing, conducted two weeks prior to the NATO summit in Warsaw, discussed the prospects and challenges expected to factor into the negotiations. Key among these were Russian aggression and NATO enlargement, cybersecurity, and instability along NATO's southern border. Mr. Pisarski's testimony focused mainly on the challenge posed by Russian aggression and the role played by NATO's partners in maintaining stability in Eastern Europe. Dr. Binnendijk commented on seven areas he argued the Alliance should make progress on at the Warsaw summit, centering mainly around unity, deterrent capability, and the Alliance's southern strategy. Rear Admiral Gumataotao provided a unique insight into NATO Allied Command Transformation's core tasks and their expectations for Warsaw. The question and answer period featured a comment from Georgian Ambassador Gegeshidze, who spoke about his country's stake in the Summit's conclusions in the context of the ongoing Russian occupation of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.
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Helsinki Commission to Preview Outcomes of July NATO Summit in WarsawMonday, June 20, 2016
WASHINGTON—The Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, also known as the Helsinki Commission, today announced the following briefing: "NATO's Warsaw Summit and the Future of European Security" Thursday, June 23, 2016 3:00 PM Rayburn House Office Building Room 2360 NATO's next Summit, slated for July 8-9 in Warsaw, Poland, is expected to be a seminal moment in the evolution of the transatlantic relationship. At the Summit, the Alliance will need to tackle uncertainty about the range of security threats confronting its members, with some in the east prioritizing Russian aggression, while others are seeing instability to the South (including the migration crisis) as the most immediate threat. Heads of the 28 member states will need to demonstrate cohesive unity of purpose despite differences on these issues and others, ranging from NATO's potential contribution to fighting terrorism to the continued role of nuclear weapons in NATO's deterrence and defense posture. These discussions will be heightened by the Summit's strategic location in the capital of a staunch eastern flank Ally that contributes to NATO operations and exercises, hosts NATO facilities, and – crucially – leads by example by devoting the NATO-agreed benchmark 2 percent of GDP to defense. Panelists will comment on the outcomes they expect from the Summit, implications for the broader transatlantic relationship, and the future of relations with Russia. The following experts are scheduled to participate: Rear Admiral Peter Gumataotao, Deputy Chief of Staff, Strategic Plans & Policy, North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Mr. Maciej Pisarski, Deputy Chief of Mission, Embassy of the Republic of Poland to the United States of America Dr. Hans Binnendijk, Senior Fellow, Center for Transatlantic Relations, The Johns Hopkins University
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Helsinki Commission Leaders Welcome Savchenko Release; Urge Russia To Comply With Minsk AgreementsWednesday, May 25, 2016
WASHINGTON – Following today's release of Ukrainian fighter pilot Nadiya Savchenko from prison in Russia, Representative Chris Smith (NJ-04), Chairman of the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, and Senator Roger Wicker (MS), Co-Chairman of the Commission, issued the following statement: "We welcome Nadiya's long-overdue release, but we must not forget about other Ukrainian citizens unjustly imprisoned in Russia. We must also remember that Russia still occupies Crimea and continues its aggression in eastern Ukraine, bringing misery and suffering to millions of Ukrainians." "Russia should honor the Minsk agreements – which it violates with impunity – if there is to be peaceful resolution to the conflict. Above all, Russia needs to get out of Ukraine." Last September, the House passed a resolution calling for Savchenko's release, which was strengthened by Chairman Smith's amendment calling for the imposition of personal sanctions against individuals responsible for the imprisonment of Savchenko and other Ukrainian citizens illegally incarcerated in Russia. A resolution sponsored by Co-Chairman Wicker and Helsinki Commission Ranking Senate Commissioner Ben Cardin (MD) calling for her release passed the Senate in February 2015.
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Chairman Smith Holds Hearing on Terrorist Threats to European Jewish CommunitiesTuesday, April 19, 2016
WASHINGTON— The growing risks to European Jewish communities and the actions that countries should take to address the threats faced by their Jewish citizens was the focus of a hearing of the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (aka, Helsinki Commission) chaired today by Rep. Chris Smith (NJ-04). "The recent terrorist attacks in Brussels were reminders that Europeans of all religions and ethnicities are at risk from ISIS," said Smith. "But there can be no European security without Jewish security. As we have seen so many times in so many places, violence against Jewish communities often foreshadows violence against other religious, ethnic, and national communities. ISIS especially hates the Jewish people and has instructed its followers to prioritize killing them. The group's cronies targeted the Jewish Museum of Belgium in May 2014, the Paris kosher supermarket in January 2015, and the Great Synagogue in Copenhagen in February 2015, and murdered people in all of them." Click here to read Chairman Smith's opening statement. A number of other members of Congress spoke at the hearing, including Sen. Roger Wicker (MS), CSCE co-chairman, Rep. David Schweikert (AZ-06), Rep. Steve Cohen (TN-09), Rep. Alan Grayson (FL-09), and Rep. Randy Hultgren (IL-14). Rabbi Andrew Baker, Director of International Jewish Affairs at the American Jewish Congress, and the OSCE's Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson, thanked Smith for the "pioneering work" he has done in identifying and addressing the problem of anti-Semitism in Europe, and pressing the United States government and European States and in mobilizing the OSCE to confront the "age-old scourge" of anti-Semitism. "One of the problems we have faced and we continue to face is that governments are slow to recognize the very problem itself, let alone to marshal the necessary resolve and expertise to confront it," Baker testified. For the past two years, witnesses John J. Farmer, Jr., Rutgers University Professor of Law, has led an initiative at Rutgers designed to identify the best ways to protect vulnerable communities in light of the evolving threat. "We have worked with U.S. communities to develop what FBI officials have called an 'off-ramp' to radicalization," said Farmer. "This is a time of particular peril for the Jewish future in Europe, and it is incumbent upon us to do what we can to assure that future." Jonathan Biermann, Brussels attorney and elected city councilman, and a former political adviser to the President of the Belgian Senate, the Development Minister, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, described the current atmosphere among Belgian Jews. "Community members are nowadays used to see Police, guards, military in front of Jewish buildings and schools," Biermann said, recommending establishing Memorandums of Understanding as an important step. "Creating the tools to communicate amongst communities with the government will be considerably facilitated by the 'See something Say something strategy,'"Beirmann said. "The collaboration with Law enforcement agencies has to be based on trust and confidence, in respect of international laws and rules protecting individual freedom, civil liberties and privacy." Paul Goldenberg, a senior advisor to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, serve on the Countering Violent Extremism Sub-Committee, Co-Chair the Foreign Fighter Task Force and Vice-Chair of the Faith-Based Advisory & Communications Sub-Committee. He also works with the Faith-Based Communities Security Program at Rutgers University. He is Executive Director of the Crisis Cell for the Belgian Jewish community "I have made countless trips in recent months overseas, traveling to multiple European cities," Goldenberg said. "What we have seen, heard and learned has confirmed our initial hypothesis: while the levels of cooperation and partnerships between Jewish and other minority religious communities with their respective policing services–in many parts of Europe–is as diverse as the communities themselves, more work needs to be accomplished to move closer to a medium and standard of safety and security. While this presents distinct challenges, there is also hope. For much of what we have learned, innovated, tested and improved upon here in the United States, as well as in other progressive nations, can be imparted to, and replicated by, many of our partners." Smith also chairs the Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights and International Organizations subcommittee. Documents, video and other information about today's CSCE hearing, will be posted here. In 2015, Smith held a hearing in, "After Paris and Copenhagen: Responding to the Rising Tide of Anti-Semitism," on the crucial role of the U.S. and other participating States of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe in battling anti-Semitism and called for strong American leadership.
Anticipating and Preventing Deadly Attacks on European Jewish CommunitiesTuesday, April 19, 2016
This hearing was organized in response to the growing number of violent anti-Semitic attacks (namely Belgium, Copenhagen and Paris credited to ISIS), and assessed what needed to be done - particularly by law enforcement agencies - to anticipate and prevent future attacks against the European Jewish communities. The threat to Jewish communities comes not only from Islamic militants, but also from Neo-Nazi groups across the continent, and from acts of anti-Zionists. The panelists expressed concern over the low levels of cooperation and consistency in government responses to this violence. Witnesses Rabbi Andrew Baker, Jonathan Biermann (from Brussels), John Farmer, Paul Goldenberg also discussed counter terrorism strategies and methods to improve security and cooperation. They suggested plans to further engage Muslim communities on integration and to gain their inside knowledge on "potential radicals." This led to a debate on the "see something, say something" policy, with the Jewish community as pilots. The panelists debated whether the military could play a role in the implementation of this, or if it would be best to keep engagement solely with the local police. All agreed that collaboration with law enforcement agencies would have to be based on trust and confidence and be in respect of international laws and rules protecting individual freedom, civil liberties and privacy.
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Helsinki Commission to Hold Hearing on the Prevention of Violent Anti-Semitic Attacks in EuropeTuesday, April 12, 2016
WASHINGTON – The Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, also known as the Helsinki Commission, today announced the following hearing: "Anticipating and Preventing Deadly Attacks on European Jewish Communities" Tuesday, April 19 1:00 PM Cannon House Office Building Room 210 Live Webcast: www.youtube.com/HelsinkiCommission Violent anti-Semitic attacks doubled in some European countries between 2014 and 2015 – in some others they quadrupled. ISIS has instructed its followers to prioritize targeting European Jewish sites and killing European Jewish people. The terrorists who attacked the Jewish Museum of Belgium, Great Synagogue in Copenhagen, and kosher supermarket in Paris, all claimed ISIS allegiance. In the wake of the recent terrorist bombings in Brussels, the hearing will focus on violent threats to European Jewish communities from the full range of groups and individuals, and what needs to be done – particularly by law enforcement agencies – to anticipate and prevent future attacks. It will also feature lessons from the partnerships between Jewish communities and law enforcement agencies that can help counter terrorism and improve security in European countries more broadly. Scheduled to testify: Rabbi Andrew Baker: Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office on Combating Anti-Semitism, and Director of International Jewish Affairs, American Jewish Committee Jonathan Biermann: Executive Director, crisis cell for the Belgian Jewish community John Farmer: Director, Faith-Based Communities Security Program, Rutgers University Paul Goldenberg: National Director, Secure Community Network
Internet Freedom in the Age of Dictators and TerroristsThursday, March 03, 2016
This briefing- focused on internet freedom- was set in the context of increasing online censorship and surveillance in authoritarian nations and privacy infringement and terrorism threats in free societies. Lisl Brunner of the Global Network Initiative, Rebecca MacKinnon from Ranking Digital Rights, and Tim Maurer of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, discussed how internet companies are evolving to handle increased government requests from law enforcement and the role of export controls in ensuring that U.S. and European technologies do not contribute to human rights abuses. Policy advisor Shelly Han opened the briefing by explaining that when the internet began spreading across the globe, it was seen as a "game changer for spreading democratic ideals to places that traditional media could not reach" – a new method of positive influence, accountability and transparency. However, she noted, precisely because it was so powerful, autocrats (including those in China and Russia) have been able to use it to increase their own power, and democracies have come to fear its use by terrorists. Citizens in free societies also wonder where the line between security and privacy should be drawn. The panelists discussed the immense increase in awareness of this issue in the past decade, the commitments that can be set for the future and where leadership must come from in order to create policy solutions.
press release
German Foreign Minister to Testify at Helsinki Commission HearingThursday, February 25, 2016
WASHINGTON—The Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, also known as the Helsinki Commission, today announced the following hearing: "Germany's Chairmanship of the OSCE: Priorities and Challenges" March 1, 2016 2: 00 PM Cannon House Office Building Room 334 Live Webcast:www.youtube.com/HelsinkiCommission Germany's 2016 Chairmanship-in-Office of the 57-nation Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) – the world's largest regional security body – comes at a turbulent time. Russia's aggression against Ukraine continues to have serious ramifications on pan-European security; the refugee crisis has exposed cracks in the European approach to migration; and some question the OSCE's relevance and role in twenty-first century Europe. Germany's Minister of Foreign Affairs, H.E. Frank-Walter Steinmeier, will discuss Germany's plans to "renew dialogue, rebuild trust, and restore security" as it assumes the OSCE Chairmanship-in-Office, including resolving the conflict in Ukraine; supporting negotiations in Nagorno-Karabakh, Transdniestra, and Georgia; renewing discussions on key European security agreements; counterterrorism and cybersecurity; and strengthening OSCE capacities.
Religious Freedom, Anti-Semitism, and Rule of Law in Europe and EurasiaThursday, February 11, 2016
In this hearing ODIHR Director Michael Link discussed the importance of the OSCE's work on human rights through ODIHR. He focused on the fight against anti-Semitism and the human rights situation in Ukraine. He spoke about ODIHR's newest project to combat anti-Semitism, called "Turning Words into Action," which will give leaders the knowledge and tools to address anti-Semitism in their communities. Director Link also noted that in Ukraine he was particularly concerned about the human rights violations in Crimea and expressed his support for a cease-fire as a pre-condition of the implementation of the Minsk package.
OSCE Foreign Ministers Meet in BelgradeFriday, January 15, 2016
Serbia's year-long chairmanship of the OSCE culminated in Belgrade in the annual meeting of the OSCE Ministerial Council on December 3 and 4, 2015. Key issues addressed in the context of Ministerial discussions included: Ongoing efforts to de-escalate the Russia-Ukraine crisis and the need for Russia to fully implement the Minsk Agreements. Reaffirmation of the Helsinki Final Act and subsequent commitments and the comprehensive nature of security (i.e., respect for fundamental freedoms within a state has an impact on the security between states). The assault on human dignity and human rights, including through terrorist attacks, the continued rollback on rights and freedoms in the OSCE area, and the refugee and migration crisis. Secretary of State John Kerry led the U.S. delegation, which also included Assistant Secretary of State Victoria Nuland; Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor Robert Berschinski; Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Central Asia Daniel N. Rosenblum; and Helsinki Commission Senior Senate Staff Representative Ambassador David T. Killion. The atmosphere was strained, as tensions between Ukraine and Russia, Russia and Turkey, and Armenia and Azerbaijan spilled over into the negotiations. As Russia blocked virtually all decisions on human rights, as well as on the migration crisis and on gender issues, only a handful of documents were adopted. Successful declarations addressed recent terrorist attacks in the OSCE region, combating violent extremism that leads to terrorism, and addressing the illicit drug trade.
Europeans of African Descent 'Black Europeans': Race, Rights and Politics
Racist acts targeting Black cabinet-level officials in Italy and France have put a spotlight on the experiences of the 7-10 million people of African Descent in Europe / Black Europeans. A visible minority in Europe often unacknowledged despite a centuries' long presence in Europe, Black Europeans have increasingly become the targets of discrimination, pernicious racial profiling, and violent hate crimes impacting equal access to housing, employment, education, and justice.
Europe today grapples with the complex intersection of national identity, decreasing birth rates, increasing immigration, security concerns, and a rise in extremist political parties and vigilantism. In this context, the experiences of Black Europeans increasingly serve as a measure of the strength of European democracies and commitments to human rights. The briefing discussed the work of Black European rights organizations and the efforts of the international community to address issues of inequality, discrimination, and inclusion for Black Europeans, in addition to discussing similarities and work with African-American civil rights organizations.


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By Ida L. Wright, Alberta
Hi, Although subject seems to have changed, I just had to send you these. I am the little girl, so that would have been late 30s. One of my jobs was to take lunch out to the "stookers". My ankles used to get cut up from the stubble and the thistles but I did have to wear dresses in those days. Sandwiches were most of the time baloney and there was always good strong coffee. I didn't stook but I tried to pretend I did in the photo and could only find a leather mitt to put on as all the gloves were in use.
The grain was cut with a binder, stooked and then the threshing crew went from farm to farm. The farm wife had to feed the crew while they were on site. The straw was blown into huge piles in the middle of the field and provided feed and shelter for the cattle and horses which were allowed on the fields after harvest.
Three of the boys are my brothers, one is part of the crew and the little one is a neighbour kid who helped me carry the lunch My parents were from Tarutino. These are fond memories for me and I commissioned a local artist for an oil painting of stooks and as they were a thing of the past in these days of combines, she did a credible job.
Feeding the crews was stressful for some ladies and my mother told me about one farm wife who always literally got sick to the stomach when they came although she still managed to do her job. The stooks were gathered into hay ricks pulled by horses then driven to the thresher. Sometimes this would disturb baby rabbits and mice who had nested in the stooks.
In the spring, the cows still being on the fields, they would find the first spring growth which of course was stink weed. How often I nearly gagged when trying to eat my oatmeal with smelly milk.
It was no doubt hard labour but for me just fond

subset: commoncrawl


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Designs For The Desert/
One of my favorite new designers submitting artwork has sent in a lot of great concept logos for teams including the Devils, Predators, Senators and most recently, the Flyers. Up next, he's taking a shot at the Phoenix Coyotes.
And it seems to me his work just keeps getting better with every design.
I've read that some of you are comparing his logo designs to Matt's work and I'm not sure I can argue with you there. These two concept logos are top notch — definitely worthy of any professional sports club.
That's all I've got for today, but what we lack in quantity here I believe is made up for in quality. Let me know what you think of these in the comments.


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Cube Stress Reliever-AL284
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- Price1.74
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Product Details
- Imprint Area: 2"W x 2"H (Click Here to view the artwork template.)
- Setup Charge: Free Setup- Price includes a one color imprint on one side of the stress reliever.
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These Cube Stress Relievers offer a great surface for your business's logo or message. Choose from the three available product colors of red, blue, or black. These stress relievers will help your customers or employees relax and relieve some tension!
Stress relievers are not intended for use by children or pets.
This is not a toy. Not intended for use by children 12 years of age and younger.
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- The colors you see on your computer screen or what you print from your computer will not be the exact Pantone Matching System Color of our promotional products or imprints because calibration varies on all printers and monitors. We suggest you request a color sample.
+ What is the minimum amount of products I can order?
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Click on a Product Color swatch to see the non-recommended imprint colors.


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After 30 years of grantmaking, Archstone Foundation has awarded over 1,000 grants with a total value of over $103 million.
Archstone Foundation focuses its funding on three new priority areas, while providing Responsive Grantmaking to meet the emerging and unmet needs of older adults and those who serve them.
Archstone Foundation supports its grantees with assistance and reporting tools, along with hands-on collaboration and advice.
Posted November 21, 2011 | Award for Excellence & Innovation


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Benson Chrysler Jeep Dodge, located at 400 W Wade Hampton Blvd, is a full-service dealership that extends its automotive services to Greer, SC and all of its surrounding areas. We strive to meet your automotive needs!
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Stop by today at 400 W Wade Hampton Blvd to see our current selection. You can also call us at (866) 798-8607 for immediate contact with one of our helpful staff members. Ask us what special promotions we have going on this month!


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No. 2/3 Yale Stays On Top of ECAC With Sweep
NEW HAVEN, Conn. – The No. 2/3 Yale men's hockey team is perfect in 14 games at Ingalls Rink after erasing an early deficit with three straight tallies on the way to a 4-2 win over No. 17 Dartmouth that kept the Bulldogs in first place by a point. Four different Elis scored goals and Ryan Rondeau made 25 saves to enable a conference weekend sweep.
Charles Brockett, Andrew Miller, Broc Little and Kevin Limbert hit the net as the Blue (19-4, 13-3 ECAC) outshot the Big Green 42-27. Little, who had an assist, was the only two-point Bulldog tonight.
Rondeau needed 14 of his saves and a penalty-kill in the final frame to hold off a late charge by Dartmouth (13-7-3, 9-5-2), which had gone 6-1-1 since falling to the Elis at Hanover last month.
Big Green goalie James Mello, who blanked Brown Friday night at Providence, stopped 38 shots and two of three Yale advantages but could not withstand the flurry of shots that resulted from the home team winning many of the races to pucks and a great fore-check.
"We had a good jump and everyone was skating. That helped us create a lot of turnovers. We were really moving our feet," said Keith Allain '80, Yale's Malcolm G. Chace Head Coach of Hockey.
The Blue had a 19-10 shots (on target) advantage in the opening frame but generated an amazing 38 shots overall.
The Big Green, which did a great job of killing off Yale's first power play, opened the scoring at 8:36 when Matt Reber found the net for the fifth time this year. The senior wing, skating with space in the right circle, took a crossing pass from Scott Fleming and then wristed a low shot inside the near post.
The Eli fore-check turned it up a notch and the result was Brockett's second career goal, his first at Ingalls Rink. Antoine Laganiere had the puck behind the net and sent it to the point for Nick Jaskowiak, who side-stepped twice before winding up and blasting a low shot. Brockett, who went from the left circle to the high slot, flicked his stick as the puck went by him and re-directed it just enough to throw off Mello at 12:40 of the first.
Yale made it two straight early in the second to take a 2-1 lead. Colin Dueck took a shot from the left circle that Mello knocked aside. Miller, crashing the net on the right side, grabbed the rebound and had an open side to bang it home for his sixth this season.
The home team's power play broke through on its second chance of the night. Chris Cahill chipped the puck over a rushing defender trying to clear the puck. It went to Little, who cruised into the middle of the slot and unleashed a rising wrister that went bar-down. It was Little's team-best 14th goal of the year but his first in six games.
"I tried to put it out of my mind that I wasn't scoring. I couldn't tell it went in. I just saw the crowd stand up," said Little about his goal.
The Bulldogs continued to buzz and put the pressure on the Dartmouth end. It seemed like there was a stretch of three minutes straight where the Big Green could not clear their zone.
Much of that momentum was squeezed out of the Elis at a crucial time. Connor Goggin (2nd goal) brought his squad to within one with 59 seconds left in the second. He fired a mid-level wrister from the point that got past Rondeau's glove. That was the last tally of a middle frame that had Yale outshooting Dartmouth 10-3 and dominating puck possession time.
Rondeau needed four quality saves on a very solid Dartmouth advantage midway through the third to keep the one-goal lead. The Green kept the puck in and found ways to get shots through the Yale sticks that had prevented any shots on goal on the previous Dartmouth power play.
The Big Green had a 14-13 edge in shots in the third, but the Yale defense clamped down and did not allow anything to get past Rondeau. That effort led to the Bulldogs putting the contest away with 1:24 left. Denny Kearney got the puck to Little, who moved into open space and spun in time to see Limbert open and ready in the left circle. Little put the puck in the perfect place and Limbert one-timed it past Mello for his fifth goal of the year.
"Denny [Kearney] was outstanding tonight. He protected the puck down low. He had his A game tonight," said Allain.
Mello was pulled for the extra skater with 65 seconds left but his squad could not put sustained pressure on the Yale end. Little had a great chance to hit an empty net but the pressure from a defender in the right circle forced the shot to miss wide by a few inches.
"Broc's game was way better tonight. As a result, he got opportunities to score and he kept his shifts short," said Allain.
BULLDOG BITES: Yale's 42 shots on goal were the third most this season… Nick Jaskowiak and Dartmouth's Doug Jones received matching 5-minute majors for face-masking, calls that also included game disqualifications (which makes them sit out the next game as well)… The one change in the Yale lineup from last night was Antoine Laganiere in for Josh Balch… Tonight's game was aired live on the YES Network and can be seen again tonight at 11:30 and Sunday at 5 p.m… The Blue beat the White 4-3 in this morning's Yale Alumni Game. Goaltenders Mickey Kappele '87 and Matt Modelski '07 were named co-MVPs of the game.
Filed by Steve Conn, Yale Sports Publicity Director
Limbert image by Steve Conn


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Part of the fantastic amounts of food moving about our tables at the holidays was a big box of apples, a gift from our godmother. C & I hauled it home, the apples' sweet smell escaping from the carton and making me sigh…they smelled so good! We unloaded our loot as soon as we arrived and I brought out our biggest white platter, piled the apples high, and placed it in the middle of our dining room table. It looked, and smelled, fabulous.
Just seeing the apples started a chain of apple-cooking-and-baking plans in my head, but this was the middle of the Christmas season and we were off to one place or another, buying gifts and having wonderful meals with family. So the apples remained piled high in the middle of our table, no less fabulous, but slowly and surely moving towards their use-by date.
Finally, I took them in my arms, murmured fervent apologies for the neglect, and promised that this was finally the day when they would become more than a centerpiece! The first dish I made was a delicious salad with apples and blue cheese. But I had to move fast, as there were still more apples that needed parts to play before they were past their prime. What to do? Well, there is one girl to turn to when you find yourself with an abundance of apples. You can throw her an orchard's worth and she will juggle them into luscious home made treats with ease and aplomb. Her name is Pille and it was to her blog, Nami-Nami I went for a solution.
I chose to go with what she dubs her "most faithful apple cake recipe": Kanada õunakook (Canadian Apple Cake). You will find the recipe here, along with the story of a Canadian cake in an Estonian (Pille's from Estonia) cookbook. I stuck to the recipe pretty much exactly; except I didn't have an eight inch springform pan so I used a regular pan but it still came out fine…obediently slipping out of the pan, almost as if it wanted me to love it. And my new pink cake stand makes its debut performance!
I cannot say enough both how delicious, and how easy to make, this cake is. It's a cinnamon-laced cake, filled with apple chunks that go soft and sweet in the baking, adding moistness to the cake. To top it off, quite literally, is a cinnamon crumb mixture that melds beautifully into the cake, still chewy in some places, and crunchy in others. C & I both enjoyed it, with C exclaiming, "We should have this with vanilla ice cream!" And so the next day we bought a tub, carted the cake to my parents' house, and shared our bounty with my mom, dad, and brother. But we are not the only ones who have enjoyed this cake…check out the other bloggers who have tried it. Thank you Pille for being so generous with your apple expertise!(and don't think that this is the end of the apple posts…)


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Let's say you own a C6 Corvette. During the first few months of ownership, you'll obviously follow the break-in procedure. After everything has settled down and you've developed a feel for the speed and power of the car, you decide to take your 'Vette to the track. After a few laps, you start to notice a problem in the bends and twists of the course. Almost every time you aggressively ride through the apex of a turn, you notice your oil pressure starts to drop for a moment. This could lead to bad things happening such as a bearing failure due to prolonged oil starvation. So what's happening? And how can it be fixed?
First, we need to take a look at the engine and see what's happening with the oil. In a traditional motor, the oil in your car goes through what's called a "wet sump" process. The oil starts its trip through the motor in the bottom of the oil pan, or as it's traditionally called, the "oil sump." The oil pump then draws oil from the sump and galleries distribute it where things need lubrication. The oil then falls back to the bottom of the pan courtesy of gravity and the process starts all over again.
In normal, every-day driving situations, an oil set-up like this works great. However, when it comes to performance vehicles, this isn't so great. The reason why your oil pressure drops in the bends is because of oil starvation. This happens when gravity sloshes all the oil to a section of the sump that the oil pump can't pull from. So how do you fix the problem?
The solution is relatively simple. You install what's called a dry sump system. The difference between a Dry Sump and Wet Sump is that the Dry Sump setup collects and stores the oil in an external reservoir apart from the engine. From there, it works almost like an IV drip in the hospital. An external pump pulls the oil from the bottom of the reservoir, sends it through the engine, and then pumps it back into the reservoir. The oil sump at the bottom is replaced with a shallow collection area where the oil is gathered and shipped back to the reservoir.
The biggest benefit of the Dry Sump system is you never have to worry about oil starvation or cavitation again. This allows for more horsepower and more aggressive driving on the track. It's such a big plus for high performance driving that the C6 ZR1, Z06, and Grand Sport both feature it from the factory.
Now that we know how to fix it, where do you go to find a quality dry sump setup? Look no further than Moran Motorsports. Mike Moran focused on building a dry sump system for the C6 Corvette that not only let you keep power steering and air conditioning (which is a requirement for those of us living in the South), but also eliminated the stock oil pump. By doing so, Moran fixed cavitation issues with the stock pump that occur above 7,000 RPM. The entire kit is bolt-on and daily drivable. For the entire kit, including the custom oil sump, the price comes in at $4,600.00. For ordering information and questions regarding your C6 and Morans' dry sump kit, contact Moran Motorsports at (734) 947-1234


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Transport heavy items safely with the RS range of Load Restraints. You will find load nets, ratchet straps and bungee cords, many of which are RS branded so you can guarentee you're getting top quality products at the best possible price.
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RS is continually expanding its market leading range of Electronics, Automation & Control and Maintenance support products.
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Look for my new Product Reviews!
We're back with our final installment in this series that focuses on the pleasures of Erotic Electro Stimulation. And the exceptional products of Paradise Electro Stimulations, PES.
Last week, as you recall, the Dr Dick Review Crew and I introduced you to a slew of very cool PES Electrodes that attach to the PES Power Box. These are the thingies and that actually deliver the stimulation. If you somehow missed either of the first two parts of our presentation, look for REVIEW #22 and #23.
This week the Review Crew will introduce you to even more PES Electrodes. This week they are all pretty much gender specific — for those among us with manly parts.
This week's Review Crew include:
Glenn & Hank — Reviews #4, 16, 17, 18, 23
Gina & Kevin — Reviews #4, 13, 16, 17, 18, 23
Glenn & Hank introduce us to the PES Tubular Mid Ring Electrode (C087) $70.00 and the PES Testicle Tubular Electrode (C085) $60.00.
Hank: "Ya see, the Tubular Mid-Ring is designed to stimulate various points along your cock shat."
Glenn: "And the Testicle Tubular Electrode is designed to wrap around your nuts, as well as separating each of your balls to spread the e-stim all over your family jewels. You get to adjust the focus by tightening or loosening the fit of the tubing.
Hank: "Put these babies together and you have some amazing sensations playing off one another all over your cock and balls."
Glenn: "The best thing is the Mid-Ring is completely adjustable. It's made of a flexible tubing that you can disconnect from the brass connection and cut to fit any spot on your dick, even right under your dickhead, like the PES Corona Stimulator. Reconnect the tubing to the brass connection and you're all set."
Hank: "The same is true for the Testicle Tubular Electrode. So no one has to worry about a 'one size fits all' situation. Because as we all know there is no such thing when it comes to cock and balls."
..full review here
Gina & Kevin introduce us to the PES Tubular Base Ring Electrode (C086) $70.00 and the PES Prostate Stimulator Electrode (C092) $133.00.
Gina: "When Kevin and I met, I was like this good little Catholic girl. About as sexually adventurous as I ever got was having sex with the lights on. I mean it, I must have been a real piece of work."
Kevin: "Yeah, it was like she had just escaped from a convent or something. She was like totally adorable, with this knock-out body, but she was so timid and shy and like completely inexperienced."
Gina: "But look at me now! Thanks to Kevin and our own devious Dr Dick I've gotten in touch with my inner 'Dom'. Despite my feminist leanings, I thought women were always subservient to men in the bedroom. I never realized there were 'Sub' men. And anyone who didn't know Kevin and my little secret would never guess he loves to be dominated. I mean, it came as a huge surprise to me."
Kevin: "It's true. Until that fateful first review I did as part of Dr Dick's Review Crew. I never new I had an inner 'Sub' just dying to get out. I just thought I like things in my ass."
Gina: "There's so much more to this sex stuff than what meets the eye, huh? I am so grateful to have had this opportunity to wake myself up to the erotic world around me."
Kevin: "So we have two electrodes to tell you about. The Tubular Base Ring is much like the one Glenn and Hank used, only it's larger and fits down at the base of your cock. It's designed to send intense stimulation all over your dick and down into your pelvis. Because it's uni-polar, ya have to use it in combination with another electrode. Ya get it?"
Gina: "To be truthful, we didn't get it right away either. We both discovered that a single pole electrode, like the Tubular Base Ring, has to be used in conjunction with another single pole electrode to complete the erotic electro circuit."
Kevin: "Doesn't she sound like Suzie Scientist?"
Gina: "Shut up!"
Kevin: "Luckily we had this other electrode, the Prostate Stimulator, (Mmmm, prostate stimulation) to use with the Base Ring."
Gina: "Yeah, I mean how lucky was that, butt boy?"
Kevin: "By the way, the Tubular Ring can be cut to size to allow for a more individual fit. The Prostate Stimulator, on the other hand is made up of two basic components: A flexible T-shaped stem with a chrome plated electro conductive sphere at the tip."
..full review here


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Divers find remains from bridge collapse
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[August 10, 2007]
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- More than a week after a well-traveled bridge collapsed into the Mississippi River, divers began recovering the bodies of people missing and presumed dead.
Two days after joining the search, Navy divers recovered the remains of two, or perhaps three, people from piles of debris from the Aug. 1 collapse of the Interstate 35W bridge.
Authorities identified Peter Joseph Hausmann, 47, from nearby Rosemount, as one of those whose remains were recovered. Divers later found more remains initially thought to have belonged to one person, but authorities later said they may have belonged to two others. They were not immediately identified.
"The additional remains appear to probably represent more than one individual," said Medical Examiner Andrew Baker.
Hausmann was among eight people listed as missing and presumed killed after the collapse. Authorities believe the other remains found Thursday also belonged to those on the list of missing.
Hennepin County Sheriff Rich Stanek said the dive team had been able to penetrate most of what's called the debris field, the area where the bridge's deck collapsed. There are a few of those spots left to penetrate, after which "some debris may have to be removed significantly before we make additional recoveries," Stanek said.
Baker said it might become more difficult to positively identify remains now that they've been in the water more than a week. He said dental records and DNA evidence would be used if needed.
Hausmann was a computer security specialist and a former missionary who met his wife, Helen, in Kenya. The evening of the collapse, he was heading to St. Louis Park to pick up a friend for dinner. Hausmann called home while sitting in traffic, but the line went dead.
As searchers combed the river for victims, federal officials issued a national advisory for states to inspect the metal plates, called gussets, that hold bridge girders together.
Investigators said the gussets on the failed Minneapolis bridge were originally attached with rivets, old technology that's more likely to slip than the bolts used in bridges today.
[to top of second column]
Some of the gussets also might have been weakened by welding work over the years and some of them may have been too thin, engineering experts said Thursday.
Questions about the gussets prompted Transportation Secretary Mary Peters to caution states about stress placed on bridges during construction projects.
Investigators are also looking at whether extra weight from construction work could have affected the bridge. An 18-person crew, heavy equipment, and piles of sand and gravel had been on the span when it collapsed during the evening rush hour.
Bruce Magladry, director of the National Transportation Safety Board's Office of Highway Safety, said the agency will use a computer to simulate how the bridge might have behaved with different loads, and with different parts of the bridge failing. He said there are infinite combinations to test, so the simulation may have to be run 50 times or 5,000 times.
"Then we compare what the (simulated) collapse looks like to what we actually see out there on the ground," Magladry said, and repeat the simulation until it matches what happened.
Observations from a helicopter camera this week found several "tensile fractures" in the superstructure on the north side of the bridge, but nothing that appeared to show where the collapse began, the NTSB said.
Also on Thursday, President Bush dismissed a proposal to raise the federal gasoline tax to repair the nation's bridges at least until Congress changes the way it spends highway money and considers the economic impact of a tax increase.
[Associated Press;
by Patrick Condon]
Associated Press writers Archie Ingersoll in Minneapolis and Frederic J. Frommer and Jennifer Loven in Washington contributed to this report.
Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This
material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or
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- Parent Category: News
Thrivent Financial for Lutherans named one of "The World's Most Ethical Companies" for second straight year
* Organization recognized for demonstrated leadership in ethical business practices *
Watseka,,IL (August 30, 2013) – Thrivent Financial for Lutherans has been selected as one of the 2013 "World's Most Ethical Companies" by the Ethisphere Institute. Thrivent Financial was named to the prestigious list for the second consecutive year as a result of its leadership in promoting ethical business standards as well as for introducing innovative ideas to benefit the public.
Thrivent Financial for Lutherans is represented locally by Larry Burton in Watseka and Roger Kimmel and Denise Kosik in Gilman.
"As a membership-owned, faith-based organization we strive to have high ethical practices at the core of everything we do," said Teresa Rasmussen, senior vice president, general counsel and secretary for Thrivent Financial. "This award is continued validation of our efforts."
The Ethisphere Institute is a leading international think-tank dedicated to the creation, advancement and sharing of best practices in business ethics, corporate social responsibility, anti-corruption and sustainability.


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People Behind KDE: Ellen Reitmayr
Today on People Behind KDE we introduce you to Ellen Reitmayr, one of KDE and OpenUsability.org's top usability experts. Ellen has done a lot to help the usability of Kontact and other applications but is now focusing on a consistent user experience for the whole KDE desktop. In her interview we get to find out about her "denkbrett" and "liebsters".
I've always wanted to know a bit about our Usability Experts! Now to read it...
By Vlad Blanton at Thu, 2006/07/13 - 5:00am
I would like to learn more about "contribution" usability.
I mean participation in an open source project usually requires a lot of skills which go beyond simple "programming".
You have to understand how to use CVS, SVN, GIT(is there a KDE client) and so forth.
You have to understand how the GCC works.
etc. etc.
I feel that there are many entrance barriers on the Linux plattform and I have to admit that it is easier to start developing on other plattforms.
Back in the good old days I used an old version of Turbo-C, then tried the Gnu compiler and you know, I was unable to understand it. Things improved since then.
So it works with many open source software projects: Either you know or documentation will not help you i.e. sink you.
A great tool are samples. An this is perhaps the advantage of open source. You have existing software code and are able to tinker. However opem source success also depends on the ability to recruit new contributors. And here come the role of "contribution usability".
By knut at Fri, 2006/07/14 - 5:00am
Re: Usability
I can see where you are coming from. I've been poking around the SVN lately and have managed to build kdelibs but don't really know my way around the source quite well enough to successfully find a TODO and just do it. It's not that I have no experience with programming, I'm just not used to something of KDEs size. It'd be nice if we had an adopt a newbie program for those of us that are _seriously_ interested in getting involved, but are looking for a good place to get started and need someone to peek over our shoulders and point us in the right direction.
On one side we don't want all the experienced devs too tied up especially with the immense amount work to be done for KDE4, but on the otherside the benefits of training people in this way could have a _HUGE_ effect on the future of KDE and indeed Free software in general.
By Ryan at Sat, 2006/07/15 - 5:00am


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Of Law and Self-Loathing
"I'm a self-loathing law student," confessed one of the students in my Critical Race Theory seminar this week. Several others immediately owned up to the same affliction. I will stipulate that self-loathing is probably not an affect we all should strive to achieve. But I was heartened anyway.
Twenty-five years ago when I began teaching law, my social-justice-minded students regularly veered from rage and tears at moral wrongs to a defiant hope. They sustained themselves and one another with a faith that the arc of the moral universe is long but it bends toward justice, as Dr. King is thought to have said. And they ultimately placed their trust in law and especially the courts.
My students were not alone. Even by the mid-1980s, many of us lawyers and law professors were still recovering from the collective daze of delight induced by the Second Reconstruction and the Warren and Burger Court eras. Of course, we were already in the throes of affirmative-action backlash and judicial retrenchment; colorblind constitutionalism was shaped before our very eyes; and even as a law student I had studied Harris v. McRae in my equal protection class and learned that the formal declaration of a constitutional right is not the same as the economic security needed to exercise it. Yet the romance, the belief that getting the courts to pronounce a legal right was a mighty blow for justice, lingered on.
Maybe it was the continued influence of the post-war "idea of America as a normative concept," as Edward Purcell put it in 1973: the incorporation throughout social and political debate of "terms that were analytically confused but morally coercive – patriotism, Americanism, free enterprise system, mission, and, most grossly, 'we're number one.'" In the culture of legal academia, this logic translated into a faith in the jurisprudence of legal process. In my little corner of the world we were all reading Democracy and Distrust and trying to locate neutral principles. The faith that procedural fairness, at least, could be achieved despite a lack of consensus about the good life reinforced a belief in the American rule of law as an unshakable bulwark of democratic fairness. That sentiment was entwined with a professional loyalty to the law: to have gone to law school was in itself a statement about one's commitment to the law as the royal (I mean "democratic") road to justice.
So when critical legal studies, feminist legal theory, and then critical race theory hit the academy around this time, the crits (like the Legal Realists before them) were accused of "nihilism" and shown the door. Critical legal theory was not just a disloyalty to the civil rights movement but to the rule of law itself. It was subversive, in those mid-1980s days, to pass around The Hollow Hope and to insist, as the crits were loudly doing, that "reification" and "legitimation" were basic functions of legal reasoning. The trust that the system works – or, at least, could work if we got it right – was now being dubbed "legal liberalism" by the crits, and being skewered in massively long and ponderous articles about fundamental contradictions. But the critics could be challenged by asking them where their "positive program" was. And they could (sometimes) be silenced by demands that they leave the law altogether.
For the crit project seemed deeply and radically anti-law. We junior professors, reading their work and sometimes contributing to it, felt like outlaws (which brought with it a sense of being dangerous and cool, along with a sense of vulnerability heightened by our lack of tenure and the material consequences of being perceived as a nihilist). At the same time, interestingly, the practice of teaching was not too different for us as it was for our older Legal Process colleagues. It was all about puncturing our students' illusions, showing them the indeterminacy of legal reasoning and teaching them how to surf on it, questioning the use of words like "fairness." It was just that we had no shining neutral-principles machine to lift from the bottom of Pandora's box at the end of the day.
I don't mean to suggest that legal liberalism and faith in the rule of law as central to the American way ever died. At a conference at Santa Clara Law School last week on race and sexuality, some of the lawyers and academics gathered there bemoaned a "politics of civil rights" that has somehow placed marriage equality at the top of the LGBT agenda. The charge was familiar: too many lawyers and non-lawyers alike believe that "gay is the new black;" that the civil rights movement brought about racial equality and "now it's our turn;" that if we prove we are just like them, we'll all be free. The rush to assimilate to mainstream institutions and practices throws under the bus, as usual, those most vulnerable to premature death – those without the racial, economic, and bodily privileges (and/or the desire) to get married, move to the suburbs, and blend in.
What was different was that an alternative position, the "politics of dispossession" as Marc Spindelman named it, was also on the table – not as a stance that made one's commitment to the law suspect from the get-go, but as an accepted ground for lawyering. When thinking about sexuality we might want to begin, under this politics, not with marriage but with the kids doing sex work on International Boulevard in Oakland, as Margaret Russell pointed out. And, after decades of critical theory, it was taken as a truth in that room — if an inconvenient one — that to do this would mean instantly coming up against poverty, racism, and violence, forms of suffering law is not well positioned to ameliorate.
In this way, lawyering for social justice is a contradiction. Not in the "nihilist" sense, the law-as-a-tool-of-the-ruling-class notion that those who want justice ought to give up their bar cards and go protest in the streets. (My friend Norma Alarcón once identified this romantic position as the desire to "be out in the jungle with Che.") Rather, the politics of dispossession begins with recognizing that the law is not designed to go to root causes; that fundamental changes in the ground rules, which is what the most vulnerable need, come from organizing; and that lawyering isn't useless, but that it looks different if it is prison abolition you want and not a marriage license.
More abstractly, the understanding in that room was that, as Patricia Williams said to the crits in one of the founding texts of critical race theory, law is both inadequate and indispensable in the struggle for justice. Post-legal-liberalism lawyering begins here.
What's also new is that this commitment to living in the contradiction — accepting the tension between law and justice as a place to work rather than as a source of despair — is increasingly expressed not only by battle-scarred veterans at academic conferences but by law students. The desire to make positive social change has not gone away among my students. They still hope and expect that law can be used in the service of justice. But along with a waning of faith in the courts, they express an increasingly sophisticated awareness of the limits of the law more generally. They know, already, that justice and law are not the same. The task is no longer disillusioning them, but helping them develop the skills for finding what works and what doesn't.
Okay, so "self-loathing" is probably not the best way to say it. But this wry recognition of the imperfection of law seems to me nevertheless an improvement over the wounded attachment to law as a portal to justice that seemed to mark so many progressive law students a generation ago. As the same student said later in the conversation that day, "That's my contradiction, and I'm sticking to it." There's a wisdom there that's heartening.


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New Weapon in the Fight Against Cancer-Brings Nebraska Health System Patients New Hope
CONTACTS: Kelly Grinnell, NHS/Tom O'Connor, UNMC
(OMAHA, Neb.) — Nebraska Health System (NHS) patients with head and neck tumors will find a powerful new tool in the fight against cancer.
NHS is the first hospital in Nebraska and one of only a few in the Midwest to offer patients Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT), a highly sophisticated new technology of radiotherapy. IMRT enables the radiation oncologist to improve radiation targeting of tumors regardless of their size or shape. This improved targeting technique allows the radiation to attack the cancer without damaging nearby healthy tissue and organs.
"We are excited about having this treatment modality available for our patients," said Charles Enke, M.D., Chairman and Professor of the Department of Radiation Oncology at the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC). "In addition, the experience that Weining (Ken) Zhen, M.D. (Radiation Oncologist), Cheng Saw, Ph.D. and Ayyangar Komanduri, Ph.D. (Medical Physicists), bring as a team is essential in implementing IMRT clinically at UNMC/NHS," Dr. Enke said.
IMRT is a revolutionary approach to the delivery of radiation," said Dr. Ken Zhen, Assistant Professor of Radiation Oncology at UNMC. "It (IMRT) is capable of automatically creating and implementing an optimized treatment plan for targeting tumors of almost any size or shape in essentially any anatomical location. It can also concurrently plan for and treat multiple targets to the same dose or can give each target a different dose if so desired. I think this technology represents the future of radiation therapy," said Dr. Zhen, who is on staff at NHS.
Conventional radiation therapy uses beams of uniform intensity, which makes it extremely difficult for radiation oncologists to direct the right amount of radiation to the tumor without jeopardizing surrounding tissue. That means, in some cases, the physicians must either stop short of optimally treating the tumor or proceed with the increased risk of negative side effects by damaging healthy organs and tissue that are adjacent to the tumor.
The IMRT addresses that risk by utilizing many pencil-thin beams of varied intensity during the delivery. This technique allows the radiation oncologists to deliver more radiation to the tumor while protecting the surrounding normal tissue.
"IMRT precisely tailors the shape of the radiation beam to the tumor, sparing critical adjacent structures and reducing the risk of complications usually associated with conventional radiotherapy," said Dr. Zhen.
While the radiation oncologist determines the optimal dose of radiation to deliver to the tumor, taking into account the surrounding structures, a sophisticated computer creates a dose plan that selects the best pathways to achieve the desired results, using these differing amounts of radiation beams. Highly trained radiation oncology professionals, along with the radiation oncologist, are involved with the treatment planning and delivery. "Patients treated with IMRT may have a better chance of tumor control and quality of life after therapy," Dr. Zhen added.
Patients with recurrent cancers or inoperable tumors who have already received the maximum amount of conventional radiation, can also benefit from this new technology, which may allow for higher treatment doses.
In addition to the Head and Neck cancers, other areas being investigated for the benefits of IMRT include Prostate, Lung, Hodgkin's disease and Lymphoma. The Department of Radiation Oncology is already engaged in a program that delivers higher than normal doses of radiation to the prostate gland using an ultrasound-based targeting system (BAT). The goal with this program, similar to the IMRT, is to increase the treatment dose to the tumor and decrease the amount of dose or potential damage to the surrounding normal tissue.
Currently, the IMRT is being used to treat cancers in the head, neck and brain regions. The radiation oncology team investigates the best course available for the clinical situation, of which, IMRT maybe an option. In the future, treatment options for various other cancers utilizing the benefits of IMRT will be evaluated as this technology continues to develop.
Nebraska Health System (NHS) is one of the region's premier health systems serving more than 25 percent of the Omaha-area market with its 687-bed facility. NHS is comprised of the former Clarkson Hospital, the first hospital in Nebraska, and the former University Hospital, the primary teaching facility for the University of Nebraska Medical Center. The regional health system has a world class reputation for excellence and innovation especially in the areas of solid organ transplantation, burn care, wound care, geriatrics, bone marrow (stem cell) transplantation and other cancer treatments. In 1999 NHS was named "Best Hospital" for cancer and rheumatology care by U.S. News & World Report Magazine. NHS is constantly improving the standard of care in the communities it serves. The health system physicians operate more than 300 outpatient clinics in 100 communities in four states and maintain affiliations with Shenandoah Memorial Hospital in southwestern Iowa, and Community Hospital in Fairfax, Mo. The NHS Clarkson West facility provides the only 24 hour emergency service in west Omaha.
UNMC is the only public academic health science center in the state. Its educational programs are responsible for training more health professionals practicing in Nebraska than any other institution. Through its commitment to research, education, outreach and patient care, UNMC has established itself as one of the country's leading centers for research in cancer, genetics, cardiovascular diseases, neurodegenerative diseases and arthritis. During the past year, UNMC's research funding increased by 31 percent and now exceeds $40 million, including more than $25 million in federal funding from such sources as the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, Department of Defense and Veterans Administration.


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symposia are organized by GlobalArtAffairs Foundation, in cooperation
with local institutions and with the assistance of the curators Sarah
Gold and Karlyn De Jongh as well as the art historian Peter Lodermeyer,
and the artist Rene Rietmeyer. In September 2009 a book, containing 448
pages, 15.000 copies, on all previous symposia with additional artists interviews, has been published by DUMONT, Germany.
abandoning the representation of external reality, artistic parameters
themselves (such as color, size, composition, material, etc.) have
become themes of non-representational art. The more non-representational
art makes the work processes a subject and includes the viewer and
his/her receptive activities in the works, the more the basics of
production and reception of art come into focus.
are created, exist, and recognized in time and space. This seems so
obvious that its actual meaning is often overlooked. Therefore, time,
and space as "forms of intuition(Anschauungsformen)" (Kant) as well as
existence (of the artist, the artwork and the viewer) are the themes of
the three "Personal Structures" symposia. Even though Time, Space, and
Existence are inextricable, the "Personal Structures" symposia in
Amsterdam, New York and Tokyo will each focus on one of the three terms
as the major subject.
In Amsterdam the center of discussion was: TIME
always implicates movement or change. The way we experience, think, and
perceive time is in constant flux, i.e. depends on time. This also
applies to artistic concepts of time: The possibilities for visualizing
time using artistic means unavoidably change over the course of time.
"Personal Structures", as a forum for artists working in a
non-representational manner, focuses on art which favors a concentrated,
but subjective, form language. Hereby, directly or indirectly,
time-concepts play an important role. In Amsterdam, several artists will
speak for whom the subject "time" is of great importance. Artists, art
historians, and museum people are invited to join the discussion about
time and time concepts in non-representational art.
In Tokyo the center of discussion was: EXISTENCE.
in the strictly philosophical sense (for example, as it is used by
Heidegger and Sartre), is the "kind of being" that exclusively applies
to humans. "To exist" does not merely mean being present but rather
"self-design", being open for possibilities, and freedom. We live in a
thoroughly-organized world under constant pressure – the pressure to
perform, the pressures of time and conformity – as well as pressures
stemming from the influence of the mass media. Given these
circumstances, art can bear, regardless of purpose, the function to
articulate existential topics and create the possibility for moments of
intensified self-awareness. Therefore, one's own existence, with its
particular terms and conditions, can become an artistic subject and
thus, serve as model for the self-encounter of the viewer.
In New York the center of discussion was: SPACE
his very last text in1993, Donald Judd stated that until that time
there had been virtually no discussion of space in art. "After a few
thousand years space is so unknown that a discussion of it would have
to begin with a rock". Consequently, for the second symposium, basic
artistic questions related to space and spatiality will be discussed. On
the one hand, "space-relatedness" means the three-dimensional body of
the artwork itself or its aesthetic interaction with
the actual space in which it is placed. On the other hand,
"space-relatedness" means the various notions of space depending on
personal, cultural, and social circumstances. These become visible in
the artist's specific choice of his or her means of expression.


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The number of elephants in Tsavo East and Tsavo West national parks in Kenya continues to grow, but more slowly than in the early 1990s.
A January aerial survey of the two parks plus the Rombo and Galana Ranches and Mkomazi Game Reserve in Tanzania (about 15,400 square miles) yielded a count of 8,100 elephants, up 729 from the 1994 count.
A January aerial survey of the two parks plus the Rombo and Galana Ranches and Mkomazi Game Reserve in Tanzania (about 15,400 square miles) yielded a count of 8,100 elephants, up 729 from the 1994 count helped in the survey.
Although culling is again on the table as one of several options for keeping the large and growing elephant population of South Africa's Kruger National Park in check, park officials say no culling will occur before next year at the earliest.
Culling, along with relocation and contraception, are alternatives spelled out in the new management strategy the National Parks Board approved in March to protect the ecosystem of the famed park.
It was a significant moment for wildlife conservation: Namibia on April 9 was permitted to auction off over 12 tons of elephants tusks, the first legal sale of ivory since a ban halted international trade nine years ago.
Four days later Zimbabwe put 20 tons of ivory on the auction block, and on April 17 Botswana sold nearly 18 tons. How much the sales brought in was not released.
With the recent discoveries of Ethiopian wolves in several areas of the Wollo mountain range in northern Ethiopia, researchers have ratcheted up their population estimates of this rare candid species, from between 400 and 500 to as many as 650.
Early in 1998 a research team led by Dr. Claudio Sillero-Zubiri of Oxford University launched a 10-day search for Ethiopian wolves in the South Wollo range on a tip from a local government employee. They encountered droppings and numerous other signs of the animals; just hours before they were ready to depart, they spotted an adult male.
The spread of tuberculosis among the lions in South Africa's Kruger National Park is raising fears that the entire lion population may be at risk. TB has occurred primarily in buffalo in the southern sector of the park, where 1,300 of Kruger's estimated 2,000 lions live. How many lions (and members of other species) have been infected is not clear, but in skin tests performed recently on about 30 thin, unhealthy lions, 90 percent tested positive for TB.


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Oct. 23 at 6 p.m.
Halloween Spooktacular
The City of Wilton Manors Leisure Services Department
This Halloween event will include a costume contest, games, bounce houses, a giant cake walk, sweets booth, a hayride, goody bags, concession, and families can bring their cameras for pictures with the Great Pumpkin. Free. 2401 NE 3rd Ave., Wilton Manors. 954-390-2130 or www.wiltonmanors.com.
Oct. 24 and 26 at 7:30 p.m.
Spirits of Fort Lauderdale: Halloween at the Historic Stranahan House Museum
Historic Stranahan House Museum
Embark on a journey with spirits, legends and Halloween fun. Guests will...