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Beginning in early February 2004, the democratically elected President of Haiti, Jean-Bertrand Aristide, faced an armed rebellion starting from the North of his country and moving South. The rebel leaders, whom U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell characterized as "thugs and criminals," include former members of the dissolved Haitian army, drug dealers, and members of the former paramilitary organization universally recognized as having operated terrorist/execution squads during the 1991-1994 military coup.
The driving force behind these rebels was Jean Tatoune, a formerly a member of the Front Revolutionnaire pour l'Avancement el le Progres d'Haiti (FRAPH), and Jodel Chamblain, the co-founder of FRAPH. Both are convicted human rights violators. The nominal rebel leader was Guy Phillipe, a well-known drug dealer, who had been implicated in masterminding another coup attempt against the democratically elected government of Haiti under President Preval.
The movement of the rebel army towards the South was rapid, as it was armed with M-16s and M-60s of American manufacture, and the national police had been eviscerated by the financial and arms embargo imposed on Haiti for the past few years, under the false pretenses of faulty elections.
President Aristide had accepted the proposals of the international community, and had entreated the opposition to agree to the proposed political solution in order to avoid the return to power of the forces who in the past had terrorized the Haitian people.
On Feburary 26, the rebel army threatened to enter Port-au-Prince, and threatened President Aristide's government and his life. The civil opposition that had been calling for President Aristide's resignation rejected the international proposals. At this point, Colin Powell stated that the U.S. would not send troops to protect the democratically elected government until a political solution had been reached.
Two days later, the Steele Foundation, a U.S. company which had provided President Aristide with security under contract, informed him that the U.S. government had forbade the company from bringing in additional security forces to protect President Aristide. The same day, U.S. diplomats told the President that if he remained in Port-au-Prince, the U.S. would not provide any assistance when the insurgents attacked, and that they expected the President, his wife and supporters would be killed.
Later that night, the U.S. Depute Charge de Mission (DCM) in Haiti, Luis Moreno, accompanied by a contingent of U.S. Marines, met with the President. Moreno told him that only if he left at that moment, the U.S. would provide aircraft for him to leave, but that assistance was contingent on the President providing the United States with a letter of resignation.
In the early morning hours of February 29, the President and some family members were taken by Moreno and the Marines to an airplane rented by the U.S. State Department. Moreno told the President that he must give Moreno a letter of resignation and agree to ask no questions about where he would be taken, or the President and his wife would be left at the airport and they would be killed.
Under extreme duress, President Aristide signed a letter of resignation and boarded the plane. During the flight, despite their repeated requests, the President and his wife were forbidden from communicating with anyone in the outside world. They were never asked whether their destination, the Central African Republic, was acceptable to them. Because they were prevented from having any communication, the President and his wife were prevented from seeking the agreement of other countries to accept their arrival.
Although both George W. Bush and Colin Powell had said they would not send U.S. troops to Haiti until there was a political solution, U.S. troops were ordered to Haiti within one hour of President Aristide's departure. Dick Cheney denied that the United States arrested or forcibly ousted President Aristide, saying that President Aristide, who had "worn out his welcome with the Haitian people," had "left of his own free will."
Shortly after President Aristide's "resignation," Boniface Alexandre was named acting president of Haiti. All 3,000 people held in the National Penitentiary were freed on March 14, according to the Associated Press. Several of these prisoners had been convicted of massive human rights violations, or were awaiting trial for massive human rights violations. The UN news wire reported on March 5, that in Fort Liberte, recently released prisoners were said to be in charge of security.
The Observer reported a security vacuum throughout the country, and the BBC reported that rioters in Port-au-Prince looted stores, ransacked police stations, and set fire to gas stations. There have been many brutal reprisal attacks on political opponents, extra-judicial arrests and killings, lack of effective civil authority, and disruption of humanitarian aid efforts. Serious human rights abuses, political violence, and social turbulence have escalated to the level of a humanitarian crisis.
There has been a serious attack on the freedom of the press since February 29. Staff from the Aristide government media continue to be attacked and beaten, some journalists have been forced into exile, and the U.S.-supported opposition now controls most of the airwaves.
Human Rights Watch reported on March 2 that the U.S. Coast Guard had already repatriated at least 867 Haitians. Joanne Mariner, deputy director of Human Rights Watch's Americas Division, said, "With people being shot dead in the streets by gangs of criminal thugs, it was unconscionable for the United States to dump entire families into this danger zone." According to Mariner, "Haiti remains unstable and insecure. The international community must take rapid steps to take the country back from armed criminals and thugs who are now in control of the country."
Forcible regime change violates international law
Haiti's democratically elected President Aristide was removed from Haiti by the United States, by threat of force. Forcible regime change violates the well-established principle that people should be able to choose their own government. The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights recognizes self-determination as a human right, and specifies that all peoples have the right to "freely determine their political status and freely pursue their economic, social and cultural development." The United Nations Charter also prohibits the use of force "against … [t]he political independence" of another state.
The governing charters of the Americas also prohibit forcible regime change. The Charter of the Organization of American States (OAS) affirms that "every State has the right to choose, without external interference, its political, economic, and social system and to organize itself in the way best suited to it, and has the duty to abstain from intervening in the affairs of another State."
Likewise, the Inter-American Democratic Charter, signed on September 11, 2001, reiterates the indispensability of representative democracy and the principle of non-intervention. It provides that when a government of a member state considers its legitimate exercise of power at risk, it may request assistance from the Secretary General or the Permanent Council for the strengthening and preservation of its democratic system. Jean-Bertrand Aristide, as duly elected President of Haiti, is entitled to request such assistance. The Charter further provides, "In the event of an unconstitutional alteration of the constitutional regime that seriously impairs the democratic order in a member state, any member state or the Secretary General may request the immediate convocation of the Permanent Council to undertake a collective assessment of the situation and to take such decisions as it deems appropriate."
The Security Council recognized President Aristide's resignation
On February 29, the Security Council adopted Resolution 1529, which took note of the resignation of President Aristide and the swearing in of Boniface Alexandre as acting president "in accordance with the Constitution of Haiti." The Council stated in Resolution 1529 that it was acting under Chapter VII of the UN Charter, which gives Council decisions binding effect. In the Libya case, the ICJ deferred to the Security Council, saying that the Council's imposition of sanctions on Libya preempted the Court's jurisdiction. However, the Council has not imposed sanctions in Haiti, but merely taken note of President Aristide's resignation and the swearing-in of Boniface Alexandre as acting president. Additionally, when Resolution 1529 was adopted, President Aristide had not had a full opportunity to present his allegations that he had been kidnapped and forced to sign a letter of resignation. Any subsequent attempt to secure a new Security Council resolution would invariably be vetoed by the United States and France, which also supported the ouster of President Aristide. Since President Aristide did not truly resign, as head of state of Haiti he still has a seat at the United Nations General Assembly, and can request a resolution condemning the coup.
Resolution 1529 also authorized the immediate deployment of a Multinational Interim Force to Haiti. If President Aristide returned to Haiti, the United Nations troops would be compelled to protect him.
The U.S. violated a treaty it ratified by kidnapping President Aristide
In 1976, the United States ratified the multilateral treaty, Prevention and Punishment of Crimes Against Internationally Protected Persons, Including Diplomatic Agents. The Republic of Haiti is also a party to this treaty. It prohibits the intentional kidnapping or other attack upon the person or liberty of an internationally protected person. A Head of State and his wife – President Aristide and Mildred Trouillot Aristide – are considered to be internationally protected persons under this treaty.
The terms of the treaty require the U.S. to punish those responsible for an intentional kidnapping. President Aristide could sue the United States in the name of Haiti, on the basis of a "dispute" arising from the failure of the U.S. to punish. Haiti could also sue for the perpetration of the kidnapping by the U.S., based on the Bosnian precedent. The Genocide Convention, at issue in the Bosnia case, similarly requires states to prohibit and prevent genocide. Bosnia argued that this also means a state can be sued for its own perpetration of genocide. Yugoslavia as respondent objected and said it could not be sued for perpetration. The International Court of Justice (ICJ) agreed with Bosnia and said that even though the Convention requires only that a state prevent and prohibit, that impliedly includes an obligation not to perpetrate. The ICJ would likely conclude that Haiti and the U.S. have a "dispute" by virtue of their disagreement over whether the U.S. perpetrated kidnapping of an internationally protected person. The ICJ would take oral testimony and would determine whether a kidnapping occurred.
On March 8, 2004, President Aristide's lawyer, Ira J. Kurzban, presented a written demand to Colin Powell that the United States fulfill its international legal obligations to the Republic of Haiti under this treaty. This letter demanded that the U.S. government submit, without undue delay, the case to its competent authorities for the prosecution of the U.S. nationals who organized and implemented the kidnapping of President Aristide and his wife.
Under the terms of this treaty, any dispute between two or more States Parties concerning its interpretation or application, which is not settled by negotiation or arbitration, can be referred to the ICJ by any one of those parties. Since the U.S. did not file a declaration relating to the dispute settlement provision, it did not opt out of ICJ jurisdiction.
The U.S. kidnapping of President Aristide violates U.S. law
United States law makes it a criminal offense for United States persons to kidnap an internationally protected person. See 18 U.S.C. sections 112, 878 and 1201. A prima facie case of violation of this statute has been made out since President Aristide and his wife were taken against their will on an aircraft registered in the United States and owned, leased or controlled by U.S. persons.
Ira Kurzban sent a letter to Attorney General John Ashcroft asking the Justice Department to investigate the circumstances of President Aristide's departure from Haiti on February 29.
The U.S. repatriation of Haitians violates international law
International law prohibits nonrefoulement, or sending people back to places where they risk being persecuted, tortured or killed. On February 25, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees recommended that neighboring countries suspend forced returns to Haiti. Nevertheless, the U.S. Coast Guard repatriated at least 867 Haitians, which puts them in grave danger due to the current conditions of violence and instability. The United States violated international law by repatriating these people.
The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights should conduct an investigation
On February 26, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights issued a statement deploring the violence occurring in Haiti and called attention to the urgent need for a response from the international community.
On March 8, President Aristides' attorney Ira Kurzban, on behalf of the Government of the Republic of Haiti, extended a standing invitation to the Commission to effectuate as many on-site human rights visits as necessary to document the human rights situation in the country, and make such recommendations as it deems necessary to reestablish the rule of law and respect for fundamental rights. The same day, more than 100 law professors and human rights organizations wrote to the executive secretary of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, urging that the Commission conduct an on-site visit to Haiti to investigate the critical human rights situation there.
CARICOM, U.S. representatives, and human rights organizations call for probe
Fourteen Caribbean nations that comprise the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) were reportedly "extremely disappointed" at the involvement of "Western partners" in the departure of President Aristide from Haiti, and called for a probe into the President's charge that the United States forced him out of office.
Several members of Congress, including Maxine Waters, called for an investigation into the United States' role in the ouster of President Aristide.
An international team of lawyers filed a petition in a Paris court alleging that officials from the French and United Stats governments kidnapped President Aristide and led a coup in Haiti.
The American Association of Jurists (AAJ), while recognizing that during the government of President Aristide, violations of the political and human rights of the Haitian people were committed, declared that jurists have a duty to condemn the U.S. participation in the planning and execution of a modern day coup d'etat which is part of the U.S. policy of imperial conquest of the American continent. The AAJ condemns the Haitian intervention directed by the U.S., with France's collaboration; calls for the formation of an independent commission of Latin American and Caribbean parliaments to investigate the conditions under which Aristide left the Presidency and the country, including the possible role played by the government of the Dominican Republic in the training of armed militias and invasion from Dominican soil; invites Latin America to demand the immediate pullout of U.S. and French occupation troops from Haiti, and replacement with a Latin American contingent according to the procedures in the Interamerican Democratic Charter, in consultation with legitimate Haitian authorities; and invites the OAS to conduct an investigation to establish the circumstances which put Aristide out of the office of the Presidency of Haiti.
The National Conference of Black Lawyers (NCBL) expressed "its maximum outrage and disgust with the imperialist, lawless and brutal campaign of terrorism that has been inflicted on the people of Haiti by the Bush administration." The organization demanded immediate answers to questions about "U.S. involvement with armed terrorists who have destabilized the island nation," and called for "the formation of a global Pan-African alliance of organizations that will be prepared to counter future imperialist intervention through coordinated economic warfare."
On March 27, NCBL filed a complaint with the International Criminal Court's (ICC) prosecutor, requesting investigation of whether charges may be brought against the Bush administration for war crimes in the kidnapping of President Aristide from Haiti. The complaint noted that even though neither the U.S. nor Haiti is a party to the ICC's statute, the Central African Republic, to which President Aristide was forcibly removed and detained, is a party to the ICC, and thus jurisdiction would lie. It further noted that unlawful deportation or transfer or unlawful confinement constitutes a grave breach of the Geneva Convention, which, in turn, constitutes a war crime.
The National Lawyers Guild and several organizations and institutions working for global justice denounced the U.S. government for its role in the coup overthrowing the democratically elected government of Haiti and the forced removal of President Aristide by the U.S. military. They demanded a Congressional investigation into the role of the U.S. government in the deliberate destabilization of the Haitian government and the implementation of the coup; an immediate end to the repression and daily attacks on those demanding the return of President Aristide; and support for Haitian refugees.
The National Lawyers Guild will send a delegation to Haiti to meet with victims, witnesses and their families and with grassroots leaders. The delegation will investigate detention conditions for those held in Haitian prisons and by the international occupation troops.
The United States has rejected calls for an inquiry into President Aristide's removal from Haiti. State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said, "There is nothing to investigate, we do not encourage nor believe there is any need for an investigation. There was no kidnapping, there was no coup, there were no threats." As with the Cheney energy task force, the 9/11 commission, and the inquiry into the intelligence leading to the war on Iraq, the Bush administration is resisting an independent investigation.
MARJORIE COHN, a professor at Thomas Jefferson School in San Diego, is executive vice president of the National Lawyers Guild, and the U.S. representative to the executive committee of the American Association of Jurists. She can be reached at: email@example.com.
For more information about becoming involved in the Guild's Haiti solidarity work, contact Brian Concannon at email@example.com or Steve Goldberg at


text:
Smith, Allen | |
Cheung, Lumei | |
SHEA-DONOHUE, TEREZ - University Of Maryland | |
Urban, Joseph |
Submitted to: Infection and Immunity
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal Publication Acceptance Date: 5/6/2013 Publication Date: 7/1/2013 Citation: Smith, A.D., Cheung, L., Shea-Donohue, T., Urban Jr, J.F. 2013. Selenium status alters the immune response and expulsion of adult Heligmosomodies bakeri in mice. Infection and Immunity. 81(7):2546-2553. Interpretive Summary: Heligmosomoides bakeri (Hb) is a parasitic worm that inhabits the small intestine of infected mice and induces a potent immune response that mimics the response seen in humans with worm infection and suffering from allergy and asthma related diseases. In this study we investigated how the nutrient selenium affected the ability of mice to clear the worm infection and to elucidate a mechanism of action. Mice were made deficient in selenium by removal from the diet and then infected with Hb. The adult worms are not expelled from the intestine of selenium deficient mice but are in mice fed a selenium adquate diet. The immune response in the intestine (site of infection) was decreased in selenium deficient mice. Feeding selenium deficient mice a selenium adequate diet quickly restored immune function to expel the worms. It also restored protective immune pathways and oxidative enzyme activity in the small intestine. Thus, adequate levels of selenium in the diet are required for optimal immune function in the small intestine and resistance to worm infections. These results also suggest that selenium may be important in controlling immune responses associated with allergy and asthma. Technical Abstract: Heligmosomoides bakeri is a nematode with parasitic development exclusively in the small intestine of infected mice that induces a potent STAT6-dependent Th2 immune response. We previously demonstrated that host protective expulsion of adult H. bakeri was delayed in selenium (Se) deficient mice. In order to explore mechanisms associated with the delayed expulsion, three-week old female Balb/c mice were placed on a Torula yeast-based diet with or without 0.2 ppm Se, and inoculated five weeks later with H. bakeri infective third-stage larvae (L3), anthelmintic-treated two weeks later, rested, re-inoculated with L3, and evaluated at various times after inoculation. Analysis of gene expression in parasite-induced cysts and surrounding tissue isolated from the intestine of infected mice showed that the local tissue Th2 response was decreased in Se deficient mice compared to Se adequate mice. In addition, adult worms recovered from Se deficient mice had higher ATP levels than worms from Se adequate mice indicating greater metabolic activity in the face of a sub-optimal Se-dependent local immune response. Notably, the process of worm expulsion was restored within two to four days after feeding a Se-adequate diet to Se-deficient mice. Expulsion was associated with an increased local expression of Th2- associated genes in the small intestine, intestinal glutathione peroxidase activity, secreted Relm-beta protein, reduced worm fecundity, and ATP-dependent metabolic activity. |

subset: commoncrawl


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Superwind Sculpts Filamentary Features
Chandra's X-ray image (blue) has been combined with Hubble's optical image (red and green) to compose this stunning and revealing picture of the spiral galaxy NGC 3079. Towering filaments consisting of warm (about ten thousand degrees Celsius) and hot (about ten million degrees Celsius) gas blend to create the bright horseshoe-shaped feature near the center.
The correlation of the warm and hot filaments suggests that they were both formed as a superwind of gas -- rushing out from the central regions of the galaxy -- carved a cavity in the cool gas of disk galactic disk. The superwind stripped fragments of gas off the walls of the cavity, stretched them into long filaments, and heated them. The full extent of the superwind shows up as a fainter conical cloud of X-ray emission surrounding the filaments.
A superwind, such as the one in NGC 3079 originates in the center of the galaxy, either from activity generated by a central supermassive black hole, or by a burst of supernova activity. Superwinds are thought to play a key role in the evolution of galaxies by regulating the formation of new stars, and by dispersing heavy elements to the outer parts of the galaxy and beyond. These latest Chandra data indicate that astronomers may be seriously underestimating the mass lost in superwinds and therefore their influence within and around the host galaxy.


text: Bhad Bhabie (real name: Danielle Bregoli) is an American Internet personality and rapper. She became widely known after an appearance on the television show Dr. Phil, in which she was undergoing intervention for criminal behavior as a 13 year old juvenile delinquent. She taunted an audience member with the phrase "Cash Me ousside, howbow dah," which quickly became a viral Internet meme. After riding the notoriety to a professional record deal, she started an OnlyFans account on her 18th birthday, from which she claimed to earn $1 million in 6 hours. See more of her here.


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Micro Focus Data Security brings leadership in data-centric security and encryption solutions. With over 80 patents and 51 years of expertise, we protect the world's largest brands and neutralize breach impact by securing sensitive data-at-rest, in-use, and in motion. Our solutions provide advanced encryption, tokenization, and secure key management that protect sensitive data across enterprise applications, data processing, IT, cloud, payments ecosystems, mission-critical transactions, storage, and big data platforms. Micro Focus Data Security solves one of the industry's biggest challenges: simplifying the protection of sensitive data in even the most complex use cases.
Voltage SecureData integrates for Teradata data protection solutions to provide native data de-identification (masking) using standards-based format-preserving encryption, tokenization and key management. We help enterprises accelerate data privacy compliance and meet regulatory requirements such as PCI, HIPAA, GLBA, and increasingly, GDPR. Through the use of Voltage Format-Preserving Encryption (FPE), Voltage Format-Preserving Hash (FPH), and Voltage Secure Stateless Tokenization, enterprises can protect data in-place transparently, without modifying database schemas or field data formats. Joint solutions enable data to be shared in unprotected and at-risk environments for use cases such as scaling big data infrastructure, migrating to hybrid IT, complying with privacy mandates, and security.
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Example Architectures for Data Security and the GDPR technical white paper
Scalability of Big Data Security


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Safety is the top priority here at Altitude! We strive to make our park the the safest experience possible. To enjoy the full experience, watch our quick video orientation. Then visit our safety page to sign our waiver, learn more about our equipment, and view all the park rules.
Featured Events & Programs
There's jumping, climbing, dodging and more always happening at our parks. Programs may differ from park to park, so follow your local Altitude park for updates and to see the full calendar of events for that location.


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Anna Orgovanyi-Hanstein held senior positions in leading real estate companies for over decade, during which time she oversaw the purchase and development of umpteen properties in Vienna and Berlin. In 2012, motivated by a desire to put this experience to optimum use, Ms Orgovanyi-Hanstein decided to step out and go into business for herself. Together with Paul Fiala she founded the Comber Fiala Group, which in 2014 merged with the fourreal Group. In 2013 Ms Orgovanyi-Hanstein gained her Master's degree in Real Estate from the Danube University Krems.
Kontaktieren Sie mich persönlich firstname.lastname@example.com Fiala found his way into self-employment while studying law at the University of Vienna. Although in the early days his main focus was on starting up pharmacies, since 2012 his interest has shifted to developing residential and investment properties. Together with Ms Orgovanyi-Hanstein he was able to build up an attractive portfolio of properties within a short period of time. In 2016 Mr Fiala gained his MSc in Real Estate Management & Valuation from Vienna University of Technology, graduating with distinction.
Kontaktieren Sie mich persönlich firstname.lastname@example.com fourreal Group is a Vienna-based privately-owned developer specialising in residential properties. Our expertise lies in real estate development projects, the development of apartment blocks for rent, residential construction, renovation, property rental, real estate investments, architecture, design and real estate financing. Our geographic focus is on the German-speaking countries – in particular, the metropolitan areas of Vienna and Berlin.
Our vision is to deliver contemporary projects fused with timeless elegance. In pursuit of this vision, we leave no stone unturned but regularly put even proven methods up for discussion. We call this Re-Thinking property development. We don't look for opportunities, we create them.
To expand both our project portfolio and our own holdings, we are constantly on the lookout for properties with potential for development in good and excellent residential locations in Vienna, the commuter belt and in Berlin.
We buy apartment blocks, residential buildings and land for new housing projects, as well as properties for partitioning, investment properties and apartment packages. We guarantee you the utmost discretion and integrity – we would be happy to send you a confidentiality agreement.
Do you have something that might interest us? We look forward to hearing from you and to a successful collaboration in future!
Real estate development as a piece of art – Built in 1859 by a family of master builders, our project Hietzinger Hauptstraße 65 located in the 13th district of Vienna was recently fully refurbished and extended by two attic levels. Now, it's a piece of timeless architectural history without any compromise – this is our understanding of real estate development.
Rental apartments and offices with good public transport links in the leafy district of Hietzing
High-end living by the Casino Baumgarten
Rental apartments and offices in an up-and-coming district
High-end residential project, sold as developed property
High-end residential project next to the vineyards, sold as developed property
Existing real estate property Brigittaplatz
Apartment block development in the centre of Graz
Retail and office building in the central pedestrian area of St. Poelten
Rental apartments near the Meidlinger Market
Mixed-Use building in the edge of town
Mixed-Use building in the surroundings of Vienna
Living in the most popular district of Vienna
Living in the most popular district of Vienna
Elegant living in Hietzing, redeveloped with an extension and loft conversion.
Contemporary living on the outskirts of Vienna
Apartment block development by Waldmuellerpark
Apartment block development in Ottakring
High-end livin at the foot of the Wolfersberg - sold to a well-known developer
Contemporary living by the Kutschkermarkt, sold as developed property
High-end living next to the centre of town, sold as developed property
Contemporary living in a modern new build in an area with a bright future
Plot for hotel development, sold 2021
Contemporary living near Seestadt Aspern - sold as developed property
Apartment block development in a residential location in Ottakring
High-end living on Schafberg, sold as developed property
High-end living in the historic centre of Moedling just outside Vienna
Apartment block development close to the Manner factory
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Furthermore, fourreal undertakes not to disclose your personal data to third parties unless fourreal is obliged to do so by law or by a judicial decision.
It may be necessary in the course of ongoing business relations and activities undertaken prior to entering into a contract (potential business partners) to transfer personal data to other companies outside Austria and outside the European Economic Area. Some of these countries do not offer the same level of data protection as within the European Union.
In cases where fourreal transfers personal data, appropriate safeguards for the transfer of data will be put in place to ensure adequate protection. Upon request fourreal will supply a copy of the security measures.
Personal data that is processed by us will only be stored by us until the purpose for which it is processed is fulfilled. Criteria for data retention are:
As a data subject within the meaning of data protection legislation, you have in particular the following rights:
Should there be any changes to your personal data, please inform us accordingly. If you are of the opinion that the processing of your data breaches data protection law or that your data protection rights have otherwise been violated, you may lodge a complaint with the Data Protection Authority.
If the data processing is based on your consent, you may withdraw your consent to the processing of your data at any time by writing (e-mail suffices) to firstname.lastname@example.com. The withdrawal of consent does not affect the lawfulness of processing based on consent before its withdrawal.
Our website also contains links to other websites. However, the Privacy Policy set out here does not apply to these websites. We therefore request that you visit these websites directly in order to obtain data protection information for the respective websites. fourreal cannot be held liable for measures adopted by these websites or for the content of these websites.
Server Data – Visiting the Website
We collect and use personal data to the extent necessary to provide functional websites and our content and services. We use your personal data to provide you with the information, products and services we offer, to answer your questions and to operate and improve our websites and applications.
For technical reasons, in particular to ensure a secure and stable Internet presence, data is transferred to us or to our web space provider via your Internet browser. This data is used to process the type and version of your web browser, the operating system you use, the website of our Internet presence that you visit, the date and time you visit our website as well as the IP address of the Internet connection from which our Internet presence is accessed.
The data collected in this way will be temporarily stored, but not together with your other data. This data is stored on the legal basis of Art. 6 (1) f GDPR.
The data will be deleted again after authorised processing, provided that no further storage is required for security purposes or for use as evidence under applicable law. Otherwise, the data will be wholly or partially exempt from deletion until an incident has been conclusively resolved.
The web server stores only anonymised data unless you register for the fourreal newsletter or fourreal events via our website. In this case, the personal data you enter as well as your IP address and the user agent will be saved.
We store the anonymised data for technical reasons as well as for the statistical evaluation and analysis of the use of our website in order to optimise our Internet presence.
For more information on the storage of personal data within the scope of fourreal marketing activities, please refer to "Newsletter" under Point 11 of this Privacy Policy. For more information on the duration of storage please refer to "Duration of Data Retention", Point 7 c).
You have the possibility to subscribe to our newsletter via our website and thereby receive electronic news about legal topics and events.
If you register for our newsletter via our website, we process your name, your e-mail address, the time of registration and your IP address. In addition, we store details of which newsletters we have sent you, if and when you opened or blocked them or marked them as spam, whether they could not be delivered temporarily or permanently, whether you subscribe or unsubscribe from the newsletter and which and how many links you click on in the newsletters. The processing of this data is covered by the consent given when registering for our newsletter. If you do not wish to provide this information, we ask you not to register for the newsletter.
You may cancel the receipt of the newsletter at any time using the link contained in the newsletter or by sending an e-mail to firstname.lastname@example.com. You will then be unsubscribed from the newsletter and your data will then be deleted.
Appropriate organisational and technical precautions have been put in place to protect your personal data. Your data is hosted by providers which are located in Austria or in a country which complies with the "EU-U.S. and Swiss-U.S. Privacy" Shield frameworks (Digital Ocean USA). Both fourreal and the providers use technical and organisational security measures to protect the data collected from manipulation, loss, destruction or access by unauthorised persons. Notwithstanding our efforts to maintain an appropriately high level of due diligence at all times, it cannot be ruled out that information that you disclose to us via the Internet may be viewed and used by other persons.
We would like to point out that transferring data over the Internet (e.g. communication by e-mail) may have security vulnerabilities. Complete protection of data from access by third parties is not possible.
Please note that we therefore accept no liability whatsoever for the disclosure of information due to errors in data transfer not caused by us and/or unauthorised access by third parties (hacking attacks on e-mail accounts or telephone, interception of faxes).
Cookies help make our services more user-friendly, effective and secure. Cookies are little text files that are stored on your computer and saved to your browser.
Most of the cookies we use are "session cookies". They are automatically deleted at the end of your visit. Other cookies remain stored on your device until you delete them. Using such cookies enables us to recognise your browser the next time you visit us.
You can set your browser to inform you when cookies are used and to allow cookies only on a case-by-case basis, to accept cookies in certain cases or to generally prohibit them. You can also activate automatic deletion of cookies when you close your browser. If you disable cookies, certain functions of this website might not be available or may not work correctly.
This website uses functions of the web analysis service Google Analytics. It is operated by Google Inc., 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway Mountain View, CA 94043, USA.
Google Analytics uses cookies. These are text files that are stored on your computer and enable an analysis of your use of the website. The information generated by the cookie about your use of this website is usually transferred to a Google server in the USA and stored there.
You can prevent cookies being stored by selecting the appropriate settings in your browser software; however, please note that if you do this you may not be able to make full use of all the functions available on this website. In addition, you can prevent the transfer to Google of cookie-generated data and data related to your use of the website (including your IP address), as well as the processing of such data by Google by downloading and installing this browser plugin.
You can object to Google Analytics collecting your data on this site in the following section. An opt-out cookie is set which prevents the collection of your data on future visits to this website.
If you delete the cookies on your computer, you must set the opt-out cookie again.
We have concluded a contract with Google for contract data processing and fully implement the strict requirements of the German data protection authorities for the use of Google Analytics.
We have enabled the IP anonymisation function on this website. As a result, Google will truncate your IP address within the member states of the European Union or in other contracting states to the Agreement on the European Economic Area before it is transmitted to the USA. Only in exceptional case will the full IP address be transmitted to a Google server in the USA and truncated there. On behalf of the operator of this website Google will use this information to evaluate your use of the website, to compile reports on website activity and to provide the website operator with other services relating to the website and Internet use. The IP address transmitted by your browser as part of Google Analytics will not be combined with other Google data.
For more information on how Google Analytics uses user data, please refer to the Google Privacy Policy.
We will continue to adapt this Privacy Policy in line with continuing developments. Changes will be announced on our website in good time. You should therefore regularly access this Privacy Policy to inform yourself about the current version.
This website is made available by fourreal GmbH (hereinafter fourreal) and, where applicable, by companies in which fourreal has a direct or indirect interest, in accordance with the Terms of Use set out below.
All contents of the fourreal website are protected by copyright and may only be used for personal use. Any use of the contents of this website in violation of the provisions of copyright law without the express prior consent of fourreal is prohibited.
The content provided on this website by fourreal is general information about fourreal and its projects. fourreal, as the operator of this website, endeavours to carefully check the content provided and to the best of its knowledge and belief to present it completely and correctly and to keep it up-to-date. Nevertheless, fourreal accepts no liability whatsoever in connection with the use (or non-use) of the content provided.
www.fourreal.eu contains links to the websites of third parties (external links) over which fourreal has no control. The same applies to third-party websites that lead to this site via hyperlinks. The limitation of liability under § 17 E-Commerce Act (ECG) applies. Should fourreal become aware of any illegal content on any linked website, fourreal will remove the link without delay.
FOURREAL enjoys protection as a trademark, domain and company name under the various provisions of the law on trademarks and is registered as a Union trademark under the number UM 17118183 in class 36. The use of these trademarks is therefore exclusively reserved for fourreal and any licensees it may have.
fourreal expressly reserves the right to modify, supplement or delete parts of the website or the entire website or to discontinue the website temporarily or permanently without prior notice.
The background images purchased from Fotolia.com were photographed by:
The photographs of members of our staff and the conference room were taken by Philipp Jelenska.
The photographers who took the photos on the Projects page are:
Staudgasse 22 Peter Kröll
Neusiedler Straße 7-9: Stan Hana, CORDES Werbeconsulting GmbH
Steinergasse 17: Dr. Markus Kalusche, archlab.de
Sechsschimmelgasse 20: Paul Fiala, MSc
Sechsschimmelgasse 18: Stan Hana, CORDES Werbeconsulting GmbH
Kärntner Straße 8: unknown
Mühlenstraße 60: Frank Schiffer
Hietzinger Hauptstraße 65: Peter Kröll
Sieveringer Straße: Paul Fiala, MSc
Carl-Reichert-Gasse: Dipl.-Ing. Robert Hammer, HOT architektur ZT GmbH
Agnesgasse: Paul Fiala, MSc
Eisenhutgasse: Mag. arch. Lois Hagmüller
Rosaliagasse 25: Sandra Tenschert
Hetzendorfer Straße 191: Sandra Tenschert
Fernkorngasse 51-55: Dennis Bernard
Fuldastraße 40: unknown
Wörthgasse: Paul Fiala, MSc
Hettenkofergasse 19: Paul Fiala, MSc
Horneckgasse 10: unknown
Simmeringer Hauptstraße 3: Korbinian Riedler
Hütteldorfer Straße 269-271: Dennis Bernard
Mauerbachstraße 17: Dennis Bernard
Juliusstraße: Frank Schiffer
Annenstraße: Paul Spiegel
Grützmacher Str. 10 in 23966 Wismar: Hausfotografie.de, Gabriel Kantorek
Austrian law applies, sole legal venue is Vienna.
General terms of contract (German)


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About Us
The dusty horse-drawn lumber wagons that 70 years ago hauled planks to erect Bend's historic Pine Tavern have now become a convoy of flatbeds delivering wood for entire subdivisions. And thus the sticks of Miller Lumber have grown indigenous to Central Oregon.
A family business spanning three generations and four locations, Miller Lumber has been proudly serving Central Oregon for almost a century — nearly as long as Bend itself has existed.
In 1911, three pioneering associates including Harry A. (Ham) Miller founded the Overturf, Davis, Miller Company. But it wasn't two years before the entrepreneurial Wisconsinite Ham bought out his partners and laid the first bricks of the multi-store lumber retailer that in the 1960s was Central Oregon's largest building supplier and in 2006 garnered the Bend Chamber of Commerce Business Of The Year award.
The Bend headquarters has seen five different locations, including a 1930s post on then-unpaved Wall Street and 30 years later a Division Street site that in 1995 was leveled in the name of pavement – a parkway. The Bend location has been on Greenwood since 1995. The company essentially has witnessed Central Oregon accumulate almost all of its current population.
William E. (Bill) Miller, Ham's son, assumed company presidency in 1966. Bill grew up through the company rungs, as his first job as a child was feeding the wagon horses at the barn across the Deschutes River from what is now Clyde McKay Park. He served as a Navy fighter pilot in WW2 and earned both a Bachelor of Arts and an M.B.A. from Stanford University before returning to work alongside his father.
In its earliest years, Miller Lumber contracted the entire cut of a mill – located four miles southeast of Bend – and hauled the lumber back to town with horses to be planed and stored for local retail or shipped for wholesale throughout the country. In 1915, the company sold the planing mill and established a yard-style setup that has stuck.
In the late 1930s, Prineville became host to the first branch outside Bend, foreshadowing openings in Redmond, Madras and, for a short time, Burns. Before landing solely on the retail side of the business, Miller Lumber became versed in the volatile Central Oregon economy and accumulated veteran experience across the lumber gamut, including logging, milling, planing and building. In fact, in 1941 Miller Lumber was not only offering to build your house, but also to finance it.
Bill's eight children without much choice became company employees, starting out dusting and emptying ashtrays before working up to positions in the store, yard or office. Now there are only three left. In the 1980s, the middle child, Charles C. (Charley) Miller, became general manager after graduating from Oregon State University with degrees in engineering and business. He now is company president. Siblings Harry C. Miller (computer science, University of Oregon and U.S. Navy) and Constance M. (Connie) Marshall (computer science, Oregon State University) and brother-in-law John F. (Jack) Crowell (business, University of Northern Florida and U.S. Navy) retired in 2015.


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Who Will Try to Steer Your Choice of Homeowners Insurance Companies?
Who Will Try to Steer Your Choice of Homeowners Insurance Companies?
Have you ever felt there are forces around you, trying to guide your decisions? If you have ever purchased a home, you probably have. You will get advice from just about everyone on where to get your mortgage, who should conduct the home's inspection, who should do the search and insure the title, and where to get your homeowners' insurance.
To be honest, some of these referrals can be helpful. After all, most people only go through the home buying process several times in their lives. Getting advice can be helpful. But you should also know there could be a method to this "guidance".
In many cases, real estate professionals may get a referral incentive from a mortgage company, title company or home inspector. They may have friends or buddies in various real estate-related areas. Their cousin Billy may have just gotten his first job selling insurance.
So who may be trying to steer you to choose whom as a homeowners' insurance company? It could be your real estate agent, your mortgage broker or anyone else involved in the process. Should you listen to these recommendations? Sure. But always remember it is your choice and you should choose a provider best for you.
We, of course, would suggest seeking out an independent insurance agent. While some agents are captive to a single company, independent agents have access to represent the products of multiple companies. This allows an independent agent to shop for you, seeking the best rates and coverage. The decision, of course, is still yours.
Getting recommendations and referrals for products and services can be a big help. This is particularly true when searching for seldom used services. But you should always remember who is steering you and why. We suggest doing what's best for you, and we believe that is contacting one of our independent insurance agents. Their agenda is working for you.


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Continually rethinking our actions, redefining our roles and re-examining our impact on society is why volunteers continue to be the driving force of AFS. We volunteer for AFS knowing that it was founded on the notion that war is not the same as the lack of peace. And that peace is disturbed by conflicts that are, most of the time, based on intolerance and lack of understanding.
The transition from rescuing people on the battlefields to providing intercultural learning programs allowed AFS to work for peace in a different way: spreading tolerance, empathy and understanding between different cultures. Since these topics can be deeply personal and subjective, one of the significant challenges for AFS volunteers is making them tangible, not only for the exchange students and families participating in our study abroad programs, but also for the community at large.
During the AFS Youth Volunteer Forum held in Argentina in April 2015, a group of volunteers worked on recommendations to increase the social impact of AFS. This Forum was inspired by the 100 Years Young! AFS Youth Workshop & Symposium held as part of the AFS Centennial Celebrations in Paris, France in November 2014. AFS volunteers want to combine actions with like-minded organizations that understand the community's background, problems and needs. By strengthening our relationships within local communities, AFS volunteers could be even more effective by using our expertise in the theory and practice of intercultural learning and global citizenship education, as well as constructive experiences in collaborative projects.
Since April, several Forum participants have already launched successful social impact projects. One initiative is #VolunteerVoices, a platform to create social impact and awareness by sharing stories of AFSers and AFS volunteers — what we do, how we feel, what we think about the world around us. VolunteerVoices's International Peace Day campaign (September 21, 2015) created a space for volunteers to share their thoughts about peace by answering the question: What does peace mean to you? AFS volunteers were joined by AFS staff, exchange students and host families, as well as people from other organizations in this this peace awareness campaign. To learn more about the conversation, search the hashtag #PeaceIn2015 on social media or our visit the AFS Volunteer Voices page on Facebook.
, taking action to create a more just, sustainable and peaceful world. Volunteers in Turkey are creating innovative projects to reach new communities and bring intercultural learning opportunities to remote parts of the country. They prepared a short-term exchange for eleven students from Hakkari, a remote town in the east of Turkey, to visit Izmir. The students were placed with local families and attend workshops especially designed for them, they went on cultural visits and took part in daily life, which has inspired them to apply for more extensive and immersive intercultural experiences outside their country. Find out more about the Hakkari project in the AFS Volunteers Awarded for Changemaking Initiatives article in this issue of Connect.
Peace continues to be a hot and necessary topic worldwide. It's a conversation and movement that all AFSers should join. All AFSers and global citizens should feel empowered to create the change they would like to see around them. The good news is that we have a great opportunity to generate positive social impact by increasing understanding and tolerance through AFS intercultural programs, and social projects locally and globally in cooperation with other organizations. VolunteerVoices encourages all AFSers to: Be the change you want to see in the world!
Written by Simón Rodríguez, volunteer of AFS Venezuela and Ricardo Furtado Pereira, volunteer of AFS Brazil. Originally published in Connect: Intercultural Insights for Global Citizens — curated by AFS Intercultural Programs.


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BlackBerry has run out of excuses. Its new phones are simply not a hit.
The Canadian smartphone maker posted a surprise loss after shipping just 2.7 million new BlackBerry 10 devices in its fiscal first quarter, which ended June 1. Wall Street analysts had widely expected a profit and about a million more smartphone shipments.
As a result, BlackBerry (BBRY) shares tanked 28% on Friday.
The long-delayed BlackBerry 10 operating system finally launched in January with the all-touchscreen Z10. The sleek phone and modern OS were supposed to be the cornerstones of a BlackBerry turnaround after the once-leading smartphone platform fell into fourth place behind Apple (AAPL), Google's (GOOG) Android and even lowly Microsoft (MSFT).
That hasn't happened. BlackBerry 10 devices made up just 40% of the company's smartphone shipments in the period --the first full quarter that the new phones were on sale.
BlackBerry lost $84 million, or 13 cents per share. Analysts polled by Thomson Reuters had forecast a profit of 6 cents. First-quarter sales totaled just $3.1 billion, short of Wall Street's expectation of $3.4 billion.
Continued talk of transition: Despite the troublesome report, BlackBerry CEO Thorsten Heins struck an optimistic tone on a conference call with analysts on Friday. Heins spoke of "investing in growth, a "foundation of innovation" and being "still in our launch cycle."
Heins also defended BlackBerry's heavy spending on the BlackBerry 10 launch.
"We want total penetration of the market ... to do that you need to invest in marketing, you need to invest in promotions," Heins said. "And we're not done yet. There's more exciting devices coming, and we will spend to market those as well."
With the company's focus shifted to its core devices, BlackBerry said Friday it is essentially giving up on one long-struggling piece of hardware: the PlayBook tablet. Heins revealed the PlayBook will not receive an update to BlackBerry 10. A spokesman for the company said BlackBerry "will still support the current configuration."
Related story: The return of the BlackBerry believers
Outlook: Given the "highly competitive" smartphone market, BlackBerry said it expects to post another loss for the current quarter.
The company's shares have largely soared since last November, when the company announced the platform was finally, truly coming in January. But that runup is partly because many investors are still betting against BlackBerry.
As of June 14, nearly 35% of shares were held by short-sellers who think that BlackBerry's stock will fall. That's an extremely large percentage, and it has contributed to BlackBerry's wild swings as "shorts" are sometimes forced to buy up shares in order to cover their positions.
What's next for BlackBerry: BlackBerry recently announced a software management program for automakers and a "Secure Work Space" system that lets enterprise iPhone and Android users to toggle between personal and corporate modes.
Though Heins didn't rule out any "long-term strategic" changes for the company, he said he won't make BlackBerry a software-only company anytime soon. That's because Blackberry customers look at the company as "an end-to-end solution, including the device," Heins said.
Meanwhile, a second BlackBerry 10 device -- the Q10, which features a BlackBerry-classic QWERTY keyboard -- launched in only a few markets last quarter.
BlackBerry is also making a play for emerging markets where smartphone use hasn't yet reached the saturation point. In May the company announced the Q5, a brightly colored phone that features both a tactile keyboard and a 3.1-inch touchscreen. Pricing for the Q5 wasn't announced, but it's expected to be a low-cost phone that will go on sale in July in a few emerging markets


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When local community college students lay down their first line of molten metal, it may not be with a live torch next semester.
For the first time at Southwest Colorado Community College, students will have the opportunity to practice with a virtual welder that will allow them to see the metal bonds forming through a computerized hood without bodily risk and without metal waste.
"It's a lot like a video game basically," said David DeLozier, the head of the welding department.
As the student wields the torch, the machine can show the student exactly how it should be held, down to its angle and distance from the joint. This helps the students master basics faster.
"It's proven ideal for welding theory," DeLozier said.
It also offers various virtual worlds, such as construction zones, that mirror real world working conditions.
One of the main reasons, DeLozier pursued grant funding for the tool was its ability to assess student performance. He is now able to walk away and let them work alone. The computer stores key information about a weld so instructors can review and assess students' work and growth over time. The new learning tool was acquired through a $53,000 Perkins grant, a federal program that funds vocational programs.
The department also acquired a $10,000 surface tension transfer welder this semester. It is an advanced tool that students will use in the last semester of the two year welding program.
DeLozier believes that SCCC is the only public college to own one.
The new machine is faster, cleaner and produces higher-quality welds than other machines and is just as easy to use, DeLozier said.
"I think it is the future of pipe welding," he said.
DeLozier joined the faculty about two years ago. Since then, he has changed the curriculum to align with the National Center for Construction Education and Research, so students can be prepared to find work across the United States.
Although there isn't a large local demand for welders, there is a need for welders in the oil and gas industry, especially in Texas and Louisiana.
"Generally in the United States, education can't keep with demand," he said.
SCCC's program currently has 23 students enrolled in the program and room for 30.


text: Monteverde One Touch Stylus Brass Tool Pencil The best-selling Monteverde Tool Pen gets a design upgrade in hand-machined solid brass smartly accented with a heavy chrome clip. The Tool Pen offers you 7 tools in its six-sided barrel; under the touchscreen stylus is a screwdriver with a Phillips head on one end and a flat head on the other; plus built-in level and three measurement scales. Choose from four writing options: ball pen, fountain pen with German-made steel nib, fluid-writing inkball pen, and the handy 0.9mm pencil. The Tool pen is held securely in your pocket with its sturdy spring-action clip, ready to handle any job you can imagine!