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Flags of Valor launches woodworking business with a mission
April 26, 2016 | 9:10 pm CDT
Brian Steorts' veteran group launched Flags of Valor to bring jobs to ex-military. It's turning them into real woodworking craftsmen, too.
Profiled in this month's Entrepreneur magazine, Steorts was a paratrooper with the 82nd Airborne. As he recuperated from combat injuries, he decided to move into woodworking, with something that became an obsession. He was also motivated to produced something "Made in America."
Steorts says veterans who come to work at Flags of Valor develop deep skills in wood craft and finishing. The Ashburn, Virginia company has also received strong support from DeWalt.
The flags are classic styles of U.S. flag rendered in antiqued paid and carved or on pine boards layed up into panels. Flags are sold at prices ranging from $149 to $399, through a website built on the Shopify e-commerce system.
Steorts has set up a serious business operation. A 2005 business graduate of the University of Alabama, he is Six Sigma certified from Villanova University, operations are consistent and methodical. Here's how Steorts describes the process of producing the flags:
Every flag begins its journey as raw wood specifically sourced from southern pine forests. Our artists hand select each plank for its grain, knots, and natural characteristics, then assemble into a blank canvas. Once the reverse is stained, they transition to the fine detail work of painting the 13 stripes, laying out the blue union, and delicately filling the field of stars.
Each flag then goes through a lengthy antiquing process to highlight the intricacies of the wood until it is finally finished with polyurethane to protect it for many years to come.
The "First Responder" is an extra large 50 Star American Flag and it is 100% handmade...from start to finish it's cut, assembled, and finished by American Combat Veterans.
The Gadsden flag is a historical American flag with a yellow field depicting a rattlesnake coiled and ready to strike. Positioned below the rattlesnake are the words "Don't tread on me". The flag is named after American general and statesman Christopher Gadsden (1724–1805), who designed it in 1775 during the American Revolution.
Have something to say? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below.


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"So it is in the world of souls, the living garden of the Lord. It pleases Him to create great saints, who may be compared with lilies or the rose; but He has also created little ones, who must be content to be daisies or violets nestling at His feet to delight His eyes when He should choose to look at them. The happier they are to be as He wills, the more perfect they are." St. Therese
I have a confession to make. As much as I love roses, I think I might be a daisy or a violet. I'm a hardy type, maybe even a weed in some circumstances:-). This year, I'm focused on simplicity and clarity of purpose. Why are we here and what is the most important thing we should be doing? Mary Chris asked about a theme for the year. I have two (ok, so maybe that contradicts the whole simplicity thing;-). The first was handed to me the day our family made its consecration: This is all I desire: to be where God wants me to be.
Have you noticed that God puts daisies and violets in some very unglamorous places? I think that St. Therese was talking to mothers when she observed that some of us are called to be daisies and violets. If I am a violet, I want to be a good one, right here where God planted me. I also want to be aware that God's burden is easy and light. If I am doing what He calls me to do, I will not stagger under the weight. It's other people's expectations that might burden me, not God's. So, the other theme is Good enough is the new excellent. Is it good enough for God? That's excellent.
Less than a decade ago, I used the computer for basic word processing of a humble magazine and the regular contribution of a column to the Catholic press. I faxed and I delivered via mail (or courier if I was running late). I did not have internet access. When I finally did get online, I was delighted to discover a small but growing community of holy women, striving to help each other answer God's call. We grew together and we encouraged each other along the way. That world has gotten absolutely huge. And in many ways, it has blessed me abundantly. Sometimes, though, it makes life more complicated. So many good ideas. So many beautiful pages of roses in this computer. Where is the humble daisy among the grandeur?
Colleen and her men came to visit me just before Thanksgiving last year. We had a rare opportunity to truly touch one another. To exchange a hug after months of emails. And we had a chance to begin and to continue conversation. Internet friendships are precious. In many ways, they require the care and cultivation of prize roses. The climate is not always conducive to fragile growing. One thing that struck us both is that we need online communities to be places of safe harbor and encouragement in simple holiness. So, in thinking and praying about this year's loveliness fairs, we came again and again to the idea that we needed to focus on simple holiness. We need to aspire to be daisies and violets. We needed to encourage one another to daisies and violets. Loveliness, particularly Marian loveliness, is our goal certainly. But we want clarity of purpose. Our loveliness must be humble, simple, and holy. And we want to encourage one another in those goals. Won't you join us?
Visit Colleen for all the details of Simply Lovely Fairs 2008.

subset: commoncrawl


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Discussion in 'Trading' started by thetraderprofit, Mar 28, 2004.
Let's see where people stand
Up $400.00 for the year.
Would be more interesting if the 0-100k category were broken down into quarters (0-25k, 25-50k etc) since probably 90%+ of us will fall into that at this point in the year.
Right now someone who made $1k and someone who made $90k is in the same category
maybe I'll break it down in another poll later
For us tiny account guys, how about %YTD?
I know, I know...it's easier to make 100% on a small account than on a big one, but whaddayagonnado...
Let's hear from the guys who are up over 500k. What are your strategies? Do you take a lot of risk?
Yes, tell us how you got to over half a mil this year while spending a couple weeks in Costa Rica to boot!
nah, not much risk involved in clicking the top radio button I give you my personal guarantee that not a single person that reads this forum (let alone posts on it) is up more than 500k US so far this year
Doesn't it heavily depend on how much one trades, ie. acct size?
For a little guy 500k could maybe mean 1000% whereas for a big guy maybe only 10% ...
i'm not up 500k
Separate names with a comma.


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Who: Rachel DeSchepper, Country Living's senior web editor
What: A wrap bracelet and two packages of love letters from Findings, and vintage letter stencils from South Porch Antiques
Where: The Country Living Fair in Atlanta
How much: $40 for the bracelet, $5 for each stack of love letters, and $2 for each stencil
She says: I plan to adhere magnets to the back of the stencils, which are my initials. The love letters were must-haves after I learned they were sent to an address very close to my old apartment in Brooklyn. (And the exchanges are so sweet!) The bracelet wraps around five times to instantly create a stacked look. It was another great Fair!
What'd you find this weekend? Post your picture on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, or Instagram with the hashtag #fleamarkethaul, and we might add it here.
Don't forget to tell us where you found the items and—if you got a stellar deal—how much you paid!
See more flea market hauls from our readers, editors, and more! »
35 Ways to Make Something New Out of Something Old »
Last-Minute Ideas for Halloween Pumpkins »
Your Ultimate Guide to Kitchen Decorating »
40+ Amazing Before-and-After Home Makeovers »


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If you jump on Facebook and go to any fishing forum, you will see bickering and hatred towards each other. You will see "know it all" fisherman and people just wanting to learn. You will see fisherman thinking there the God of fishing. It's all really ridiculous how some of these fishermen worship fish sometimes and treat others like dog crap. However, a person is no good without his network. Every fisherman struggles from time to time and a good network may just save you a day of fishing. I am very fortunate to have grown a network over the years of buddies and fisherman I can rely on to stay on top of the fish. A situation occurs like that this week.
I was heading up north with my parents. Our Church, Kensington Community Church is joining forces with a church called Bay Point Community Church in Traverse City. Our pastors were speaking up there so we headed up. I had brought my boat along to take my parents out fishing. I was really looking forward to it because of my deck hanging experience last year and I always love getting my family into fish.
When I walked into church I ran into one of my long time fishing buddies that I hadn't seen in a long time. We shot the breeze for a little bit and then he mentioned a hot spot for fishing. He really hooked us up with the information and told me to go to a certain location. Due to respect for my buddy, that location will be going un-name but that is not the point of this blog.
So we headed out there fishing. The weather was perfect. There was a little bit of a chop with it calming down during the day. A little too sunny but it was nice. You could see down in 30 feet of water. Right away we hooked up with a pig of a Laker. Then we trolled around without much luck. Although the weather became more beautiful as the evening progressed.
Then the same buddy came out on his boat. He limited out really quickly while I trolled around in no mans land. He eventually limited out and told me to get my butt over to where he was. So I did! I sped up to 4 MPH to get over to where he was at before the sun disappears. When I got to where he was at, I slowed down. Bam, fish on! My dad cranked in feisty little trout. Then it was my turn but the fish threw the hook at the back of the boat.
We then trolled around with no luck for 20 minutes. Thinking it was over; I made a suicide turn hoping to get back to the school before the fish shut off. Wanting to get back to the boat launch before it was dark, I started pulling the line. I had another rod go off which I reel in, a nice Lake Trout. I couldn't have asked for a better night knowing everyone on board got a nice fish but it was only the beginning.
A couple rods somehow managed to get tangled. While trying to fix them, a rod goes off. With a wanna B fin fin. My Mom grabbed that rod and cranked it in like a pro. While she was doing that, another fish bit a high line with a fin fin and then the board line went off with a wiggle wart. The fish threw the fin fin but my dad grabbed the other rod. It was a Chinese fire drill on the boat. My mom lands the first fish and my dad cranked in the second Lake Trout. There is no better ending to a day when almost all your lines are reel in. What an evening!
Thanks Vern! I hope I can pay the favor back to you one day.
Now I don't know if I would have done as great if I fished where I originally want to fish. However, it really helped me having my buddy send me to a location. Also, the fact that I was far away from the spot he was killing them and then calling me over. My point of this blog is by working with each other, you can either makes someone's days or they might help save your day. I will always remember that day my buddy helped me out and will always help him out when I can. What goes around comes around. Especially out in the Big Lake when there is so much water and not enough time in the day to troll it all.
Now I am not saying you need to get on the Internet and go share all your information. You also shouldn't jump on the Internet asking for a network. A solid network comes in time. You also have to pick and choose the people you work with. I have a certain people I trust and give them almost everything I know. There are also some people I give little information to them because I flat out don't trust them. I have had a person asked me for detailed information before but when I needed some information, they shut me down. Needless to say, that guy does not get anymore spoon fed information.
Next time someone ask you for help doesn't be afraid to throw him or her some information. You never know when it may come back and repay you in a big way.
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Vocabulary Dose
Program host:
Program category:
Program broadcast time:
Thursday 7:00pm
Repeat broadcast time:
Friday 2:00pm
In the absence of words, you can never express your feelings, views and opinions. Since that is the case, Vocabulary Dose is here to add up 16 important, trendy and competitive English Words in your English vocabulary every week. Enhance your English Vocabulary with RJ Divya Sharma.


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September 14, 2016, Fellows in the news
Provost Lauren Robel, Indiana Life Fellow and American Bar Foundation Board Member, has been honored by Barnes & Thornburg for her contributions to the legal profession. She is provost of Indiana University in Bloomington and executive vice president of Indiana University.
Read more here.
« Return to Fellows in the News


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How do you grow an organization that relies heavily on volunteers? Many nonprofits have struggled with this question, and probably few more acutely than U.S. Masters Swimming, a 60,000 member organization that encourages adults to swim. U.S. Masters launched in Sarasota, Florida in 1970. Until 2008, when the organization opened a national office, it ran solely on the generosity of its volunteers.
U.S. Masters Swimming CFO Susan Kuhlman says it's easier to grow now that the organization has a paid national staff. But as is the case at other nonprofits, one of U.S. Masters' biggest challenges is having "unlimited potential but limited resources," she says.
In the accompanying video, Kuhlman talks about how she fosters growth and chooses what opportunities to prioritize at the adult swimming advocacy organization.


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Canadian Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper has deceived the Canadian public. In regard to the 45,000 Canadian families currently on the sex offender registries, Mr. Harper disregards all empirical evidence and intentionally misleads the Canadian public in order to achieve his political ambitions.
Harper's actions has resulted in (A) legislation which is intended to deceive the public into believing that society will be safer but which will likely make our families even less safe; (B) the harassment, discrimination and, imposition of additional punishments upon, a small group of now law-abiding Canadian citizens and, finally, (C) the personal achievement of a politician to appear 'tough on crime' and having had 'protected families' while having done nothing to positively impact either.
Take fifteen minutes, review what is on this single page, and learn the truth about our Prime Minister, and his ineffective and potentially dangerous legislation.
The first sex offender registry was created in 1947 in California. Today, every state has such a registry. As of 2012 there were three-quarters of a million registered sex offenders in the U.S. This is a 23 percent increase over the previous five Years. The American authorities have started to realize is that here is little available research proving that sex offender registries are successful in curbing recidivism or making any real difference in public safety. A 2011 study in the Journal of Law and Economics observed that states which require registry of sex offenders had slightly higher rates of recidivism among sex offenders and no lower rates of sex crime. On average, sex offender registry laws may increase the overall number of sex crimes by preventing the reintegration of sex offenders into society. Indeed, former offenders have been subject to vigilantism- including murder, assault and harassment, loss of employment, housing and relationships. The registration process has also affected the families of these offenders:
Sex offender registries also impose unintended harms on the children of sex offenders (who, of course, have committed no crime at all). A 2009 study in the American Journal of Criminal Justice noted that the children of registered sex offenders suffered from pervasive stigmatization due to their parent's sex offender status; the harassment, ridicule, and isolation these children received from their peers due to their parent's status resulted in them having elevated rates of anxiety, depression, and suicidal tendencies. Hence, the existence of publicly available sex offender registries—created pretty much for the sake of protecting children—is actually harming thousands of innocent kids by punishing them for acts they had nothing to do with
States also must face mounting financial costs from these registries. The sheer numbers of sex offenders on the registries in all 50 states are overwhelming to local police departments and, at times, to the public, who may not easily distinguish between those who must register because they have repeatedly raped children and those convicted of nonviolent or less serious crimes, like exposing themselves in public.
Keeping track, for instance, of the home addresses of the 80 offenders who live in Dubuque County, Iowa, keeps law enforcement officers there "plenty busy most every day," a sheriff's official there says.
The Economist writes that, "a study by Kristen Zgoba of the New Jersey Department of Corrections found that the state's system for registering sex offenders and warning their neighbours cost millions of dollars and had no discernible effect on the number of sex crimes." ttp://www.economist.com/node/14165460
Sex offender registries then, do not serve the goal of protecting society and cause more harm than good. This is one of the most important conclusions of sex offender research over the past decade. It is an argument heard again and again:
Despite the fact that the federal and many state governments have enacted registration
and community notification laws as a means to better protect communities
from sexual offending, limited empirical research has been conducted to examine
the impact of such legislation on public safety. Therefore, utilizing time-series
analyses, this study examined differences in sexual offense arrest rates before and
after the enactment of New York State's Sex Offender Registration Act.
Results provide no support for the effectiveness of registration and community notification laws
in reducing sexual offending by: (a) rapists, (b) child molesters, (c) sexual recidivists, or
(d) first-time sex offenders. Analyses also showed that over 95% of all sexual offense
arrests were committed by first-time sex offenders, casting doubt on the ability of laws
that target repeat offenders to meaningfully reduce sexual offending.
...these findings suggest that SORN is not likely an effective deterrent for sex offender recidivism (which by itself is not a highly likely occurrence) and may produce an environment with specific collateral consequences that inhibit reintegration efforts post-prison release for sex offenders. Nevertheless, despite their common conclusions questioning the value and validity of SORN, such studies have yet to convince policymakers that SORN is a practice that is minimally effective, exceptionally costly, and is a potentially harmful public policy (see Sample & Kadleck, 2008).
Some states have began to implement changes in their sex offender registration processes- keeping them in-line with what the evidence is clearly stating:
A diverse smattering of groups — from law enforcement officials to victims advocates — have argued that the current registry, which requires most offenders to register for life, is too much of a blunt instrument.
"They're all lumped into one category and they all get a life sentence," said Rep. Don Phillips, R-Kimberling City.
Phillips, a retired highway patrolman, is sponsoring a bill that would keep minor offenses off the registry and allow nearly a third of the roughly 14,000 people on the registry to petition for removal from the list within the next 20 years.
A more far-reaching proposal, sponsored by Rep. Dave Hinson, R-St. Clair, would give all offenders on the list a chance to petition for removal from the list eventually. How long they have to wait would be determined by individual "risk assessment reports" done by mental health professionals.
The Canadian experience with sex offender registries is no different, in terms of results, that that of the United Sates.
The Ontario sex offender registry has been operational for more than a decade. Although the registry enjoys a 98 percent compliance rate (one of the highest in the world. An OPP annual report attributed that compliance to the fact that the list is not accessible to the public.), there is "no evidence in demonstrating its effectiveness in reducing sexual crimes or helping investigators to solve them".
A 2007 report by the Ontario Auditor-General concluded that
"even though sex offender registries have existed for many years and can consume significant public resources, we found surprisingly little evidence that demonstrates their effectiveness in actually reducing sexual crimes or helping investigators solve them, and few attempts to demonstrate such effectiveness."
http://www.auditor.on.ca/en/reports_en/en07/311en07.pdf (pages 16-17)
Stephen Harper is proud to proclaim that he has 'cracked down on sex offenders' since 2006. As Prime Minister he has had the most current research, and some of the world's best researchers on sexual offending, at his fingertips. However, The Harper Conservatives have neither examined the current research, nor have they attempted to learn anything from their American counterparts. Let's look beyond the rhetoric and examine what Mr. Harper has actually achieved:
The registry was designed for high risk offenders as it was believed that tracking them after they served their sentence would somehow serve to "make society safer". The government however could not explain, or more likely simply chose not to explain, why the registry was not effective in either solving, or preventing, sexual crimes. Harper recently made inclusion on registry automatic because, so the argument went, if everyone is thrown on it they'll eventually catch someone. This flawed logic flew in the face of what the government knew about the Ontario sex offender registry- that it was a registry which had automatic inclusion for over a decade and yet it still never solved a crime.
The result of Harper's disregard for evidence is that thousands of more registrants will be added to the list- regardless of their risk level and regardless of the fact that it will eventually cost many times more and make the registry even less effective. All Harper had to do was examine the American research; it was obvious that, the U.S. registries, having been in effect for decades longer than the Canadians ones, had reached the conclusion that automatic inclusion onto the sex offender registry was a serious mistake:
"law enforcement agencies complain that bloated registries drain resources and hamper effective monitoring of more dangerous sex offenders, and countless examples exist of non-dangerous minor offenders whose lives have been deeply impacted or ruined by overly broad classification of sex offenders. However, the political will of the legislature is still being driven by public misconceptions, as several states consider imposing stricter requirements on sex offenders."
Harper absolutely disregarded the evidence submitted by Public Safety Canada:
"Very few sex offenders were granted a pardon and the vast majority who are pardoned did not reoffend sexually. Thus, automatic denial of pardons to sex offenders would unnecessarily curtail the liberties of the many ex-offenders who remain crime-free."
This statistic is a sign that the majority of people who receive pardons are deserving Canadian citizens.
Amongst other things, preventing attainment of a pardon, restricts the opportunity for former offenders to attain employment, insurance and to travel abroad- all of which prevents rehabilitation and potentially increases recidivism http://opposecanadianpardonchanges.webs.com/impactofbillc23b.htm
This bill will change our country's entire approach to crime at every stage of the justice system. It represents a huge step backwards; rather than prioritizing public safety, it emphasizes retribution above all else. It's an approach that will make us less safe, less secure, and ultimately, less Canadian."
-Canadian Bar Association
Does Canada need harsher penalties for sexual offenders? Canadian research has shown for years that we do not. In fact, Canadian research has conclusively shown that more punishment does not lead to less crime:
"...the paramount fact [is] that there is absolutely no cogent theoretical or empirical rationale for criminal justice sanctions to suppress criminal behaviour in the first place. At best, most criminal justice sanctions are threats. To those who believe that criminal justice sanctions in general or threats in particular are effective punishers or negative reinforcers, we advise they consult the relevant behaviour modification literature or any experimental learning text for supportive evidence . There is none."
Steven Harper had the audacity to criticize the Federal Liberal and NDP parties for "Appallingly...[voting] against these important changes." It's good to see that there are some politicians on Parliament Hill who do their research.
First, Harper's argument defies logic- individuals having consensual relations with someone of legal majority cannot be considered a 'predator.'
Second, raising age of consent failed to protect youth at risk:
"The gist of our finding is that the two reasons that the government gave for changing the law may not be supporting the law," . "Rather than increasing the age of consent, the government should have focused on better ways to raise awareness about the existing law and enforce it better."
It's obvious that, contradictory to his statements, Harper's legislation will have little or no impact on preventing sexual offending or reoffending. The questions one must ask then is, where is the proposal of legislation focusing on those areas which are proven to be successful- treatment, research, rehabilitation, PREVENTION? Not a word from Mr. Harper. He talks a great deal about making 'society safer', but takes no effective action toward such a goal.
Now, let's take a close look at his next proposal.
HARPER'S PROPOSED LEGISLATION- October 2013:
Firstly, Harper promises to 'introduce legislation to establish a publicly accessible national database that contains information on high-risk child sex offenders'. We know, from the history of sex offender registries within the United States, that public registries lead to harassment and murder of former offenders and reduces compliance and increases recidivism rates http://ontarioregistryandgps.webs.com/canadianregistries.htm)
Police already keep close tabs on the worst offenders http://canadiansforajustsociety.webs.com/6existingprotections.htm. If there is more than can be done, let's carefully consider the effective options. An online registry however, has no proven effectiveness.
Secondly, Canadian Conservative Prime Minister Steven Harper proposes that "Convicted sex offenders who want to travel outside the country will have to alert Canadian authorities before they leave and Canadian officials will, in turn, warn the destination countries if the legislation is passed." Harper insists this will "keep our streets and communities safe for families... and protect innocent kids beyond our borders." One of Mr. Harper's supporters stated that " ..these predators (former sex offenders] go overseas to find the weakest link and the most vulnerable children."
Mr. Harper knew that what he was saying was an outright lie, contrary to the research conducted by experts in the field- many within the federal government itself. Unfortunately for Canadians however, the media and Harper's right-wing supporters have parroted the Prime Minister's words and did so in media outlets across the country. Very few individuals took the time to examine the veracity of Mr. Harper's statements during his press conference:
In reality Harper's proposed legislation has everything to do with politics and nothing to do with preventing crime. It will have very little effect on community safety and may actually make communities less safe. Harper knows this, since most of the research which disproves his statement come directly from government researchers.
The basis of Harper's argument is that individuals on the sex offender registry are a continuing threat against both Canadians and those living abroad. He refers to those on the registry as 'Predators". Mr. Harper is intentionally misleading the public. How else are we to explain the research which counters Mr. Harper's argument - much of it derived from the research conducted by Public Safety Canada- the Canadian federal department responsible for "ensuring public safety in Canada" (you can also examine our Supplemental Resources for an extensive list of American resources which have reached similar conclusions)?
Let's take a look at what Harper is not to telling Canadians:
The registry has failed for the simple reason that most individuals are first-time offenders. According to a study conducted by researchers at the School of Criminal Justice at the University of Albany, 95% of those arrested for sex offenses in New York State have no previous conviction for a sex offense and are thus not listed on a sex offender registry.
The majority of those who had offended sexually never reoffend; most of those that do reoffend do not reoffend sexually:
"Most sexual offenders do not re-offend sexually over time. This may be the most important finding of this study as this finding is contrary to some strongly held beliefs. After 15 years, 73% of sexual offenders had not been charged with, or convicted of, another sexual offence.The decreasing rate of offending with age suggests that the rates observed after 15 to 20 years are likely to approximate the rates that would be observed if offenders were followed for the rest of their lives."
This statement is supported by the fact that the vast majority of those who have received pardons have never reoffend (http://www.publicsafety.gc.ca/cnt/rsrcs/pblctns/prdnd-sxffndr/index-eng.aspx).
Registries are designed to deal with situations where the victim does not know the offender, e.g. child abductions. However, such abductions are extremely rare. The Conservatives are enhancing the perception of sexual predators lurking in the bushes by the playground but it is simply not true.
Statistics show that in 84 per cent of sexual crimes involving children or youth, the victim and the offender (often friends or family members) know each other. The Americans have learned the hard way, in situations like this, registries, public notification, and the use of GPS is of little benefit and often does more harm than good. Canadians politicians however, seem determined to follow in the doomed footsteps of their American counterparts.
Individuals on the sex offender registry are not the "Predators" Harper would like Canadians to believe they are. Harper implies that rapists and killers like Paul Bernado, Michael Briere, Min Chen and Michael Rafferty are on the registry. No, these individuals had no criminal record before committing their heinous crimes. These people are sexually sadistic killers and are, thankfully, very rare. They were never on a registry and, because they will never be released, never will be.
82 percent of sex offenders are non-violent, first-time offenders and, most of whom serve their sentences, complete treatments and will never reoffend. Almost one third of all sex offences in Canada are committed by persons under 21 years of age. Do Canadians believe, as Harper does, that individuals such as these should never have the opportunity to pay their debt to society or to be reintegrated into the community? Do we truly believe that any measures the government decides to take against 'sex offenders', such as the following individuals, are justifiable?
"Boy, 14, charged after video of sex with 15-year-old girl put online"
"15-year-old boy accused of using his mom's iPod to text child pornography material to an ex-girlfriend" http://www.calgarysun.com/2013/06/11/calgary-teen-charged-with-harrassment-making-child-pornography-after-sexting-incident
"Canadian charged over cartoon porn placed on sex offender registry".
As a point of clarity: "A history of viewing child porn is not itself a strong indicator of who is going to sexually abuse children," -CAMH Report.
An 18-year-old Guelph charged with child porn, after he allegedly posted a "provocative" photo of his 17 year-old girlfriend as his BlackBerry profile picture.
"A 17-year-old boy from western Manitoba has been convicted of sexual assault for having consensual sex with a 13-year-old during a game of Truth or Dare".
"The friendship between teacher and student blossomed into an infatuation"
If individuals break the law, including the individuals above, they should be punished under the law. However, after serving their sentence, determined to be low risk, and having become law-abiding citizens they should not be subject to continued harassment and punishment.
With individuals like this on the registry, is it any surprise that studies have consistently shown that sex offenders, as a whole, have a far lower rate of re-offending than any other crime type? Mr. Harper however, would likely prefer that you did not know that, considering the fact he chose to fill the registry with even far more low-risk offenders, by passing a law two years ago that made inclusion on the registry automatic.
The following is the result of three studies published by Canada's Public Safety Department:
"The variation in recidivism rates suggests that not all sex offenders should be treated the same."
"Rather than considering all sexual offenders as continuous, lifelong threats, society will be better served when legislation and policies consider the cost/benefit break point after which resources spent tracking and supervising low-risk sexual offenders are better re-directed toward the management of high-risk sexual offenders, crime prevention, and victim services."
"The risk measures developed in the current study showed sufficient accuracy that their use in the routine supervision of sexual offenders is recommended."
"Policies based on the assumption that all sexual offenders re-offend at a high rate or that all sexual offenders pose the same recidivism risk may lead to over-supervising lower risk offenders"
The Harper government is obviously aware of its own research but has chosen to not to implement any of the above recommendations. There is rarely formal risk assessment conducted upon incarcerated persons before their release, nor is a risk assessment conducted before placing individuals on the registry and, there is never a risk assessment conducted, even years later, on those who have been placed on the registry.
The federal governments knows the registry is a failure and yet continues to ignore requests for a formal evaluation of the effectiveness of the registry. In 2009,
"We [Privacy Commissioner of Canada] .... recommended a formal evaluation of the effectiveness of the legislation and the Registry by an independent third party. This has not happened; rather, the government has simply proposed an expansion of the existing regime"
Stephen Harper is quick to step in front of the cameras and announce to the world his criticism of other countries on their human rights records- Congo, Sri Lanka, China. However, when it comes to the rights of his own citizens the Prime Minister is the worst of the offenders:
Does any of these basic human rights matter to Mr. Harper? Evidently not.
Harper's legislation has an impact not only upon registrants but has a very substantial effect upon society:
Firstly, the registry poses a direct risk to potential victims. The registry was created because it, supposedly :
"provides police with important and timely information that improves their ability to
investigate sex-related crimes as well as monitor and locate sex offenders in the community.
Of those victims who were murdered:
Let's examine the process which was initiated during the tragic Holly Jones case. When Holly was abducted police automatically gathered a list of former sex offenders in the surrounding neighborhood, went to each of their homes, knocked on doors, and crossed off names. None of the people on the list were actually viable suspects however. There was absolutely no indication whatsoever that anyone on that list had anything to do with that crime; and we found out later how true that was.
Experts acknowledge that the first few hours after an abduction is essential, and so it must be asked:
What if, the police had not wasted those first, most valuable hours, and their limited manpower, automatically checking a list of random, generally low-risk, former offenders who just happened to live in the area?
If police had concentrated their efforts and resources on actually investigating the crime, following viable leads, or perhaps only checking the homes of the very few high-risk individuals in the neighborhood, would Holly Jones still be alive? Is this historically ineffective process what we want the police to follow when the next child goes missing..?
When looking for a suspect in a child abduction or molestation, it's natural for the police and public to focus first on convicted sex offenders. But more often than not the concern about sex offenders only distracts from the more likely suspects. Children need to be protected, and that means understanding where the real dangers lie.
Four weeks after the disappearance of Holly Jones the Ontario government announced that it would give Toronto police an extra $700,000 to monitor sex offenders. Security Minister Bob Runciman says Holly's murder was the catalyst for the additional resources! Unfortunately, these resources would have been wasted even if they were distributed a year before the disappearance of Holly Jones- Michael Briere, the individual responsible for the murder of Holly Jones, never had a criminal conviction and so would never have been on the sex offender registry.
Secondly, The tragic irony is that the panic over sex offenders distracts the public from the real danger, a far greater threat to children than sexual predators: parental abuse and neglect. While the Harper government has been initiating policies specifically directed to those events which garner the most media attention, the larger threats to society have been largely ignored. The vast majority of crimes against children are committed not by released sex offenders but instead by the victim's own family, church clergy, and family friends. According to a 2003 report by the Department of Human Services, hundreds of thousands of children are abused and neglected each year by their parents and caregivers, and more than 1,500 American children died from that abuse in 2003—most of the victims under four years old. That is more than four children killed per day—not by convicted sexual offenders or Internet predators, but by those entrusted to care for them. According to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, "danger to children is greater from someone they or their family knows than from a stranger.
<> The federal government could have done something constructive In 1995 when it was reported that 8 out of 10 female students in Ontario said they had been sexually harassed at school. ("The Joke's Over – Student to Student Sexual Harassment in Secondary Schools", published by The Ontario Women's Directorate, The Ontario Secondary School Teachers Federation and the Ministry of Education, (1995).)
Thirteen years later it's evident that our government has done nothing to keep these children safe. In 2008 the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH)'s Dr. David Wolfe released new research on school violence, sexual harassment and bullying . When surveyed on sexual pressures, four percent of males in grade 11 admitted trying to force someone to have sex with them, while 10 percent of males and 27 percent of females admitted being pressured into doing something sexual that they did not want to.Twenty-nine percent of grade nine girls and 33 percent of grade nine boys reported feeling unsafe at school in the past month. 16 percent of girls and 32 percent of boys reported being physically harmed (on or off school property), while ten percent of girls and 25 percent of boys admit to being the perpetrators of such violence. This happens every day in schools across the country and our government has done nothing
<> Why has Mr. Harper not created a list for those individuals that have horrendously beaten, disabled/disfigured, starved and murdered children. What about those that deal drugs to children, the arsonists, the drunk drivers that have maimed and killed others? Convicted terrorists? Those are people you wouldn't want living next door to you either, babysitting your children, yet those people have higher rates of reoffending and are not on any list. Welcome to the world of Mr. Harper, where looking tough on crime is better than having to put in the effort to actually deal with it.
Convicted hit-and-run driver Brent Parent A B.C. man with 64 traffic violations who hit and killed a man with his truck in a road rage incident was sentenced today to 5½ years in prison plus a 12-year driving ban.which killed 21-year-old Silas O'Brien in March 2008. O'Brien was hit by a vehicle around 2 a.m. PT on a rural road east of Vancouver. During the trial, O'Brien's friends testified they were first run off the road by another vehicle, which then RETURNED and ran down O'Brien as he stood in the road.
In August, 2013 it was reported:
Ali Mohamed Dirie, a member of the Toronto 18 terror group, served two years in prison for his role in the plot to blow up the Parliament buildings and Toronto landmarks, assassinate the prime minister and kidnap politicians.
"Toronto 18-member, Ali Dirie, is the best known example of a terrorist convict actively promoting terrorism behind bars,
"Shaikh said Dirie's case should highlight the fact that Canada lacks "rehabilitation" programs for those convicted of terrorism."The government says we have rehabilitation and de-radicalization programs. Really? That's news to us," he said.
Court and parole documents indicate that Dirie was considered a flight risk as well as someone at risk of engaging in terror activities again.
A long-term supervision order was not included in his sentence, so Correctional Services Canada was unable to monitor him following his release.
Within a year of his release, he was able to fly to Syria, where he reportedly joined an extremist group, then died there in 2011.
It is only by sheer luck that this man did not decide to resume his terrorist activities here in Canada. One can only wonder where there other members of the Terror 18 are now?
"The Wetaskiwin, Alta., woman convicted of infanticide for killing her newborn son, was given a three-year suspended sentence by an Edmonton judge.
Katrina Effert was 19 on April 13, 2005, when she secretly gave birth in her parents' home, strangled the baby boy with her underwear and threw the body over a fence into a neighbour's yard."
"Canadian Mother Strangles Newborn, Gets No Jail Time and Judge Defends Infanticide By Comparing It to Abortion"
"Baby Cohen brutally beaten days before death"
Thirdly, Mr. Harper is certainly aware of the fact that by instituting his legislation, which denies offenders reintegration into society, he is likely increasing recidivism rates- making society LESS safe
"..study after study has identified stress as one of the antecedents to sex offender relapse. Chronic torment and hostility from the public, fractured social relationships, lack of stable housing, and unemployment are likely to cause the registered offender heightened stress, anxiety and resentment, all of which may erode an offender's self-restraint (Cohen & Jeglic, 2007). Lack of social support, in particular, and the accompanying stress on the offender has been identified as a key trigger in sex offense recidivism (Levensen & Cotter, 2005)." http://justice.uaa.alaska.edu/forum/25/1-2springsummer2008/c_asora.html
Fourthly, In 2007 it was estimated that the cost maintaining the sex offender registry was 4 million dollars per year. This does not take into account the valuable man hours wasted by the police -Did you know that every year trained, experience police officers have to knock on the doors of every low-risk, law-abiding former offender simply for the purpose of verifying addresses? It would assuredly be better for society if those same resources ere used to investigate active crimes.
In 2007 there were 16,000 individuals on the registry. In 2010 that total climbed to 22,000. Currently, in 2013, there are 45,000 registrants. In 2016, given that Harper made inclusion on the registry now automatic, there will assuredly be more that 100,000 registrants. Given what we know about the effectiveness of the registry, this money and resources would be far better spent on programs that have been proven to be effective in reducing sexual offending and re-offending.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper said: "The fact is we don't understand [those individuals who have offended sexually], and we don't particularly care to." No, the simple fact is that Mr. Harper understands perfectly the realities of sexual offending, as he and his cabinet members are in possession of all of the empirical evidence. Mr. Harper and his party has made the decision to ignore that evidence and has chosen instead to exacerbating the public's sex-offender hysteria in order to advance his personal political agenda. Sadly for us all, his government has the ability to construct effective legislation that would prevent sexual offending and further reduce reoffending. However, that is not Mr. Harper's objective.
The issue is not whether children need to be protected, of course they do. The issue is whether the solutions proposed to ensure their safety actually alleviate the danger to them. Unfortunately, Instead of aggressively seeking solutions to the dangers that women and children face, both in the home and in our schools, the federal government introduces laws that will increase the severity of punishments after the crime was committed and the prescribed sentence completed. Targeting these former offenders, most of who will likely never re-offend, is a good way to look tough without actually doing anything. Separating former sex offenders from society and increasing their punishment does nothing to protect society. The vast majority of crimes against children are committed not by released sex offenders but instead, by a victim's own family member and close family friends.
Conservatives refer to the individuals on the registry; those who have legally paid their debt to society and are now law-abiding, voting, tax-paying, Canadian citizens, as "these predators". "The reality is the vast majority of registrants are not predatory, and don't pose a danger to strangers...," says Jeff Stein, a criminal defense attorney, and co-chair of the legislative committee for California Attorneys for Criminal Justice. Such arguments, he says, fuel "the hysteria that all registrants are predators."
As Conservative politicians rush to impose harsher penalties on those who have offended sexually, critics -- legal and criminal analysts, and even some victims of sex crimes themselves -- state that the punitive new laws violate civil liberties and are ineffective. And while a technological fix like making a public registry of former felons may make the public feel safer, it will do nothing to protect the victims of most sex crimes. More importantly, preventing the rehabilitation of former offenders may lead to increased recidivism. Canadians would most likely prefer to see the tens of millions of dollars Ontario is about to spend monitoring ex-offenders be poured into counseling for victims of crimes and into programs that prevent offending and the potential for re-offending.
Public policies designed to prevent sexual violence must be duly considered and based on Empirical inquiry and evidence.
1. We ask that the federal government fulfill the recommendation of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada for a formal evaluation of the effectiveness of the sex offender legislation and the Registry by an independent third party.2. Any proposed legislation enacted against sexual offenders must employ evidence based risk assessment procedures concordant with the level of threat that an offender poses to a community. Employ standardized reporting and risk level guidelines for all sex offenders making monitoring easier and more effective for law enforcement, corrections personnel, and the courts. Implement a four-tier risk level. Such risk levels, established prior to reentry into society and reassessed annually, must be proportionate not only to the gravity of the offence but also to the personal circumstances of the offender.
3. Any individual assessed as Predator should be subject to Dangerous Offender legislation until such time as his risk level is determined to be manageable.
4. Any legislation that restricts a person's liberty must for a set period, not for life. Every individual shall have the right to prove he is no longer a risk. To comply with the applicable human rights protections these provisions must have appeal and review of provisions included. Access to a review process by the offender is essential. Require or permit periodic individualized assessments of the risk to the community a former offender may pose before requiring initial or continued registration.
5. Collaborative efforts should exist between citizens, victim groups, offenders, and treatment providers to render management, probationary supervision, and rehabilitation services that promote community safety.
6. Educational efforts should be directed at the prevention of sexual abuse amongst teens and young adults through development of successful coping skills and through understanding of appropriate boundaries. Communities are entitled to the dissemination of actual and research-based information and education about sexual violence and sexual perpetrators.
7. Abolish measures which make it difficult for past offenders to reintegrate successfully into the community. Encourage support groups for sex offenders, including help with finding housing, employment and effective treatment, before their release and afterward.
8. Treatment, not harsher conditions is imperative to preventing recidivism. Provide separate sex offender correctional facilities and mandatory therapy prior to, and after, release.


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Can Liberal Arts Grads Find Jobs After Graduation?
We hear a lot about the importance of majoring in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) in college, but a new study provides some reassurance for liberal arts and humanities graduates as well.
According to results of a new study by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), three in five liberal arts bachelor's degree graduates (60.5 percent) from the Class of 2014 landed full-time jobs or a place in graduate school within six months of graduation.
According to the study, 42.2 percent of liberal arts and humanities graduates were in full-time positions while 18.3 percent were in graduate or professional school.
Graduate and Professional School Popular Choices
The results are in line with overall outcomes of the survey, which found that two-thirds of the class had a full-time job or was accepted into graduate or professional school within the same time period.
However, the employment/graduate school mix differs between liberal arts grads and the class as a whole.
Liberal arts and humanities graduates were more likely to pursue an advanced degree than the class overall (18.3 percent versus 16.4 percent), and less likely to have a full-time job (42.2 percent versus 55.4 percent).
Many Grads Go Onto Further Education
Within the liberal arts disciplines, the preference for further education is more striking: Philosophy (27.8 percent), foreign languages (25.1 percent), history (24 percent), area studies (21.5 percent), liberal arts/general studies (21.2 percent), and English majors (19.8 percent) all exceeded the overall average.
NACE's Class of 2014 First-Destination Survey is the first national survey focused on outcomes of new college graduates. It represents the inaugural survey in what is planned to be an annual initiative to provide clear, concise, and consistent data on the outcomes associated with a college education on a national scale.
A total of 207 colleges and universities nationwide, representing 274,000 graduates — including more than one-quarter of a million bachelor's degree graduates — provided data for Class of 2014 associate and bachelor's degree graduates.
Study Provides Data On Broad Disciplines and Majors
Data were reported for nearly 175,000 bachelor's degree graduates, making this study the most comprehensive view of bachelor's degree outcomes available. The study provides data for 31 broad disciplines and 190 majors.
Beginning with the Class of 2015, the survey will include outcomes data for advanced-degree graduates.
The Class of 2015 survey, which will gather information for those graduating July 1, 2014, through June 30, 2015, is currently underway. Data will be collected through December 31, 2015, reported to NACE through March 2016, and published in spring 2016.
Since 1956, NACE has been the leading source of information about the employment of college graduates.


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2500 Turtle Lake Drive
Bloomfield Hills, Michigan 48302
(248) 338-6500
About Turtle Lake
The Developer
About the Area
Local Schools
Getting Here
Properties for Sale
For Buyers
Finding Your Builder & Designer
Frequently Asked Questions
Taxes & Dues
Architectural Approval Process
For Builders/Brokers
Properties for Sale
The Boathouse
The Stables
Privately owned lakefront parcels ranging from 3 to 20 acres. Select sites include historic buildings and living spaces.
The Bluffs - SOLD OUT
The Bluffs' nine sites offer dramatic elevations and sweeping views of this pastoral enclave. Residents will enjoy open space, beautiful vistas and a calming solitude that comes with each distinct season of the year. All this, in the convenience of a turn-key neighborhood.
The Cove - SOLD OUT
At the properties on Upper Long Lake, our all-sports lake, the active lifestyle beckons. Eight sites offer a secluded and quiet setting with dramatic views. It's here you'll enjoy jet skiing, water skiing, boating, open-water fishing, sunset cruises on your boat and a variety of other pleasures – just steps from your front door.
The Pond - SOLD OUT
Beautiful scenery, unparalleled intimacy and the convenience of a turn-key neighborhood. At The Pond, twenty detached stone villas will be set along sites on Turtle Lake Pond. It's the perfect spot for those seeking a comfortable lifestyle in a truly unique setting with
Bloomfield Hills Schools
The Preserve
At The Preserve, nineteen large building sites back up to permanently dedicated nature preserves and wetlands and are excellent for walk-outs. For those ready to live within nature, the serenity of Turtle Lake beckons.
The Ridge
Here, nine sites have Turtle Lake frontage and eight sites are tucked into nature preserves. For those seeking distinctive topography, The Ridge answers the call. All this, amidst natural beauty reminiscent of Northern Michigan.
The Shores
Set along Turtle Lake's natural shoreline, these fourteen large sites are ideal for estate size homes. They are also perfect for outdoor enthusiasts. Just steps from home, families can enjoy bass fishing, kayaking, paddle boating, bird watching and a variety of other activities.
The Woods - SOLD OUT
It is privacy and intimacy that truly define The Woods. Here, six large, dramatic and densely wooded sites are set along a private cul-de-sac. Miles of jogging and hiking trails meander through the mature oak and hickory forest, offering families an active lifestyle within the secure enclave of Turtle Lake.
Copyright © 2022 Victor International
All Rights Reserved
2500 Turtle Lake Drive
Bloomfield Hills, Michigan 48302
(248) 338-6500
Contact Us
We are pledged to the letter and spirit of U.S. policy for the achievement of equal housing opportunity throughout the Nation. We encourage and support an affirmative advertising and marketing program in which there are no barriers to obtaining housing because of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, or national origin.


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Merry Christmas to Everyone!
I hope you were on the "nice" list!
Categories: Other Stuff Related to Books and Reading
Categories: Other Stuff Related to Books and Reading
Merry Christmas to you, too, Erik! And a Happy Birthday! (Sorry I missed that yesterday.)
Merry Christmas, Erik! I am quite sure that YOU were on the "nice" list! Have a wonderful Christmas, and please wish your parents and sister a Merry Christmas from me, as well. It's a joy to get to know you!
Erik! Were you a Christmas Eve baby? 🙂 Belated greetings to you.
And Merry Christmas, I have no doubt you were on the nice list. I think I made it, too. Well, … most days. 🙂


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It's been 50 years since the discovery of lasers, which allowed scientists to emit very focused beams of a single wavelength of light.
The initial reaction to lasers were that they might be a cool physics trick, but of little practical importance. A few years later someone realized that lasers could drill tiny holes in the nipples of baby bottles — this really was, remarkably, one of the first applications of lasers — and the commercial conquest of lasers began.
For the last few years scientists have been developing a similarly revolutionary ability to manipulate light with structures known as metamaterials. The possibility of an invisibility cloak has garnered all the attention, but the possibilities are endless considering that scientists are designing materials with optical properties that nature cannot produce.
Think about it like this: Today you can't listen to music, store data or buy something at a store without lasers. And for centuries we've used mirrors, lenses, and telescopes that follow some basic laws of optics.
Now there's the potential to rewrite these laws by creating special materials at the atomic scale that can manipulate light in all sorts of ways. For instance, you might look into a mirror and not see a reflection.
Nanfang Yu
Self-assembed nanoclusters
Of what use will these fantastical light-bending properties be?
"We're learning how to manipulate light from the nanoscale up and make it do different things," said Naomi Halas, a Rice University engineer. "Maybe we don't really know what the big payoff is for this kind of technology, but we do know it's going to rewrite the way optics is done.
Halas and colleagues at Harvard and the University of Houston took a significant step forward this week with the publication of a paper in Science (see abstract) that describes their creation of a cluster of seven nanoparticles that act as a metamaterial.
The really cool thing about their discovery is that the cluster self-assembled, meaning the scientists set up the basic chemistry and then the particles assembled into these specialized structures on their own.
This is important because until now metamaterials have been built only in very specialized clean rooms requiring expensive fabrication processes. Halas said the nanoclusters described in the new paper could eventually be painted upon surfaces with a paintbrush.
Maybe one day you'll be able to paint your car and it will be invisible. Or better yet, you might paint that Kia and have it look like a Lamborghini. No one really knows, but it's fairly certain that metamaterial discoveries being made today will transform our lives in unimaginable ways.


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In a speech last week, the Secretary General of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) had a message for oil and gas investors: Their biggest risk isn't a spill or a blowout or a storm. And for countries deriving a large portion of revenue from oil and gas, it isn't the U.S. shale boom's competing with OPEC.
Rather, it is stranded assets in a carbon-entangled world, according to OECD Secretary General Angel Gurría.
It's also the biggest risk for any investor exposed to fossil fuels. The Asset Owners Disclosure Project estimates that an average 55 percent of pension fund portfolios are in high-carbon assets or sectors with major exposure to that sector.
Stocks in companies such as Exxon Mobil and BP are staples of such portfolios because of their slow-growth, dividend-rich profile, yet few investors ever consider those companies' having to write off assets as "stranded" underground.
"The looming choice may be either stranding those assets or stranding the planet," Gurría said.
(Read more: Rich kids and their Greenpeace portfolios)
Though his speech made news, Ben Caldecott, who runs the Stranded Assets program at Oxford University's Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment, said the topic wasn't new.
"Stranded asset risk has been quickly introduced to mainstream investors, and people are starting to understand the issues," he said.
Understanding doesn't mean embracing the idea in investment valuation and analysis, though.
"The reality is that corporations and investors don't have very much foresight on these issues," Caldecott said. "They misprice these risks and don't generally incorporate them into decision-making. Very few parts in the investment chain are factoring in these issues."
Gurría's remarks ask the audience to imagine Exxon Mobil, sitting on 40 gigatons of hydrocarbons by some estimates—the company says it has a total resource base of 87 billion barrels of oil equivalent—having to write off projects around the world. Exxon Mobil is in involved in an increasingly far-flung dash for new resources, which are increasingly more expensive and dangerous to extract, and investors complain about the lack of production growth from the largest U.S. oil company.
In addition, he said, OECD governments make about $200 billion annually from oil and gas. Russia gets about $150 billion a year, or 28 percent of total government revenues, while OPEC countries revenues total $600 billion to $700 billion a year.
This "carbon entanglement" not only is a threat to the global economy but is a primary reason it is so difficult to move the world away from carbon, Gurría said.
"Stranded assets are now being talked about by major opinion makers like the OECD," said Michael Lazarus, senior scientist at the Stockholm Environment Institute. Sovereign wealth funds, governments and investors are "really not preparing to strand assets—they're doing the exact opposite."
(Read more: Libya could become an oil paradise: Eni)
Exxon Mobil spokesman Alan Jeffers referred questions about carbon risk to the disclosure within the company's annual 10-K about greenhouse gas emissions.
When asked about how it related to stranded assets, Jeffers said, "Our risk factors are not specific to the concept of stranded carbon assets, but every credible energy outlook indicates that fossil fuels make up the majority of energy demand for the foreseeable future. ... Energy needs and environmental needs have to balanced ... but there's no technology available today that will replace oil, gas and coal."
European majors BP and Royal Dutch Shell have spoken publicly about performing carbon price analysis on their operations. The general outlook in Exxon, Shell and BP's long-term global energy forecasts is that the biggest result of the carbon challenge will be greater reliance on natural gas.
Caldecott said the past five to ten years in the energy markets has shown that those betting on their ability to predict the future of the energy market decades out may be the ones engaging in wishful thinking.
In fact, Gurría addressed the status quo energy outlook in his speech.
"For heavily coal-dependent countries, a switch to shale gas can reduce the carbon intensity of power generation [as in the USA]," he said. "This is an improvement from a climate perspective. ... It will mean lower emissions, but not no emissions. The question then becomes: How do you ensure that gas is a transitional step toward an eventual goal of zero emissions? If we invest too much in dedicated pipelines and other infrastructure, the transition risks becoming a new and permanent dependency."
ConocoPhillips declined to comment. Chevron and BP did not respond to requests for comment.
An investor can always make the case that global carbon legislation would never happen—just look at the failure of the Kyoto Protocol, for example. Even experts agree, to an extent.
"This is the challenge of the whole carbon bubble rubric," Lazarus said. "You have to take the threat seriously to start talking about stranded assets, and there are different extents to which different institutions accept these concerns and price them in."
Julie Gorte, senion vice president of sustainable investing at Pax World Management, said, "To make assets stranded, you need to have a carbon price that is high enough, first for coal, second for oil, and last for natural gas. Cap-and-trade or a carbon tax would do it, but it would need to be global, and we're far from that—and Congress can't pass anything."
Experts say, though, that it's a mistake to think of stranded assets as applying only to carbon or as hinging on legislation. For example, Caldecott said, declining costs for renewables will have more impact over time than a global climate change agreement.
Gorte said that looking at how quickly the coal market has deteriorated as a result of the rise of natural gas—a rise no one predicted a decade ago—is an example of how quickly markets can change and assets become stranded.
(Read more: The 'best' unstable emerging market)
The broad issue for investors is to think about all the companies and sectors that could be affected by climate change, and the potential market mispricings range from agriculture to utilities.
There's now a tool to help investors determine how great their exposure to stranded assets may be.
New on the Bloomberg terminal is a stranded assets valuation calculator. It lets investors stress test the cash flows and valuations of companies and portfolios based on carbon constraints, and will help them understand where their portfolio is exposed to and affected by carbon. If emissions have to fall by X percent by 2017, what is the impact on ExxonMobil, and how does it affect cash flow and valuation?
And it's just the beginning, a first step is making stranded asset calculations a core metric in financial analysis, said Caldecott, who worked closely with Bloomberg on the project.
"It won't just be about carbon," he said, but will look at other resource issues, including water.
Even if an investor does not believe that legislative change on a global basis is possible related to carbon, stranded assets must be part of risk management.
Jonas Kron, senior vice president and director of shareholder advocacy at Trillium Asset Management, said its energy analyst recently completed an exam of energy industry and tar sands exposure as a way to pull the stranded assets concept into the firm's investment process.
"I want to be very clear that I haven't come here to vilify fossil fuels," Gurría told the OECD meeting. "We don't need to get to zero tomorrow. Not even in 2050. ... But sometime in the second half of the century we will need to arrive there. Carbon entanglement will not be easily undone."
As an investor, you might want to make sure it doesn't undo you.
—By Eric Rosenbaum, CNBC.com


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I'm undoubtedly the least musically inclined person I know, which makes me furiously jealous as I watch my guitar playing friends pick up a guitar and serenade girls à la John Mayer. I need to learn how to play guitar, which is why I'm excited about this new iPad guitar accessory we came across at CES. Ion Audio, makers of the iCade iPad arcade machine, unveiled their newest accessory that helps users perfect their guitar shredding chops on the iPad, so that even those of us without musical talent can look cool playing guitar.
The Guitar Apprentice is a full-size guitar iPad accessory that snuggly holds your iPad in place while docked to a 30-pin connector. With a lighted fretboard, users can follow the LEDs to learn how to pluck notes and strum chords just as rockingly as Slash himself. There's a built-in speaker with volume control so kids can annoy their parents in the middle of the night with their riotous playing, or plug in to the headphone jack for silent practice.
Even though Guitar Apprentice comes with its own app with built-in effects, it's also compatible with dozens of popular iPad apps, including GarageBand. We've seen some amazing videos of users shredding on the iPad, so we're curious to see what kind of awesome, face-melting guitar riffs we'll be introduced to once the Guitar Apprentice hits stores.
Guitar Apprentice is just one of many music learning app-and-controller accessories that Ion Audio is introducing to the market. Their Piano Apprentice and Drum Apprentice accessories were receiving a considerable amount of attention at CES and the company is currently developing accessories for other instruments as well. Availability for the Guitar Apprentice is expected for later this year at a price tag around $100.
[via iJailbreak]


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We value your opinion, and your feedback helps us to continually improve the quality of service that we provide to our valued customers. Please tell us about your experience using the online form at the bottom of the page.
We're ecstatic with our new master bathroom shower. Excellent work, knowledgeable crew. Thank you so much!
Kerry England – Madison, Alabama
Dear Harold,
The Sunroom addition is amazing!
The quality of materials and workmanship exceeded my expectations, and were as promised during our two pre-contract meetings. I appreciated your 'no pressure' approach and confidence in your project, back up by the polite offer to research your company and competitors before making my decision.
I also need to mention the onsite supervisor and craftsman, John Burke. John kept the crew focused and made certain their work was up to the company standards. He never attempted to minimize my concern for detail, and always maintained a positive attitude. Routinely saying with complete sincerity; "You have to be one hundred percent satisfied with your room."
Please feel free to share this letter with any potential customers. And since the proof is in the pudding, they would be welcome to visit and observe the addition in person (with a couple days notice please).
Many thanks again for all your efforts on my behalf.
Karl Anderson – Grant, Alabama
We have had Harold do a number of jobs for us to include, installation of vinyl siding, windows, a back door, and a new roof. He also identified the source of a water leak that had discolored the dry wall to the extent that it had to be replaced and the wall repainted. In addition he replaced our chimney cap and did some brick work repair. All the folks that he has working for him are very skilled and do excellent work. He gives you a firm price to accomplish the work required. With all the work that he has done for us, he has never increased that final price even though on several occasions some additional unexpected work was required to accomplish the job to our satisfaction (we are picky customers). We would highly recommend Harold to anybody requiring home repair and/or remodeling work.
Donald Marsh – Huntsville
We hired Champion Remodeling to completely remodel our kitchen, including, but not limited to new cabinets, tile floors and back splashes, new counter tops, lighting, upgraded appliances (stove, fridge, & dishwasher), along with a fresh coat of paint on the walls and ceiling. Wow! What a transformation! We absolutely love our new kitchen! Thanks again to Harold and his crew.
Susan Collins – Madison, Alabama
We recently hired Champion to completely remodel our kitchen, gut and repair our garage and to do a few other odd jobs in the house. We were extremely pleased with the work they did. They accomplished the job in a timely, professional and organized manner and paid careful attention to neatness and detail. The construction workers were polite, respectful and highly skilled. They responded to all our questions and requests with a willingness and desire to make us happy. The end results are amazing and I highly recommend them for any construction or remodeling job. We are thrilled to have been able to work with them. Good job, Champion!
Dianna Smith – Decatur
I highly recommend Champion Remodeling and Construction! We had them remove the back wall of our house and extend it an additional 20 feet, allowing us to finally have a formal dining room. I can't express enough on how pleased we are with the result. Very easy to work with, and their experience shows in the quality of their work. Wonderful!
Jason Paskell – Huntsville, AL


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The following report compiles all significant security incidents confirmed by New York Times reporters throughout Afghanistan from the past seven days. It is necessarily incomplete as many local officials refuse to confirm casualty information. The report includes government claims of insurgent casualty figures, but in most cases these cannot be independently verified by The Times. Similarly, the reports do not include Taliban claims for their attacks on the government unless they can be verified. Both sides routinely inflate casualty totals for their opponents.
At least 16 pro-government forces and 14 civilians were killed in Afghanistan during the past week. There was a notable decrease in attacks compared to the near-constant violence breaking out across the country in recent months, possibly because of Ramadan. Heavy rains in various parts of the country have also limited insurgents' mobility. On Wednesday, a massive Taliban attack was thwarted by security forces in Ghazni Province. Afghan forces stopped a Humvee that was laden with explosives and heading toward government buildings in the provincial capital. The explosion that resulted from security forces striking the Humvee with a rocket killed two civilians and two police officers.
[Read the Afghan War Casualty Report from previous weeks.]
May 22 Ghazni Province: two security forces and two civilians killed
Two children and two members of the security forces were killed and 12 people, seven civilians and five members of the security forces, were wounded, when a Humvee laden with explosives was hit by a rocket before reaching its target in Ghazni City. Four suicide attackers inside the Humvee were also killed. The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack.
May 20 Kapisa Province: four civilians killed
A motorcycle was hit by a roadside bomb in the Dar-e-Afghani area of Nejrab District, killing one child, two women and a man. The bomb was planted by the Taliban to target security forces.
May 20 Paktia Province: two security forces killed
The Taliban killed two security guards of a former member of Afghan parliament in Milan Bazaar area of Gardez City, the provincial capital. The Taliban then seized the guards' weapons.
May 19 Kunduz Province: two soldiers killed
The Taliban killed two soldiers in a bazaar in Shir Khan Port, a border pass between Afghanistan and Tajikistan, in Imam Sahib District. Insurgents then seized the soldiers' weapons.
May 19 Kabul Province: three police officers killed
Three police officers were killed and three others were wounded in a Taliban attack on a police checkpoint in the Seventh Police District in Kabul City. Officials claimed that two attackers were killed by security forces.
May 19 Helmand Province: three civilians killed
At least three civilians were killed and eight others were wounded during a military raid by Afghan and American forces in Nahriseraj District.
May 19 Herat Province: an Iranian citizen and a police officer killed
An Iranian citizen and a police officer were killed and two police officers were wounded when a police truck was hit by a roadside bomb in Ghoryan District. The Iranian citizen was working on a railway project in the area.
May 19 Kandahar Province: one member of the special forces killed
Two gunmen shot and killed a member of the Afghan special forces in Kandahar City, the provincial capital.
May 19 Helmand Province: two police officers killed
The Taliban attacked a police outpost in Washir District, where the district's deputy police chief rushed in with reinforcements for backup, but his vehicle was hit by a roadside bomb, which killed him and his bodyguard and wounded two other police officers. Local authorities claimed that four Taliban fighters were killed during the clashes.
May 18 Herat Province: three civilians killed
A bomb placed on a motorcycle went off in a market in Aobe District, killing three people and wounding 20 others, including Rahmuddin Sarwarzai, the district governor of Aobe. Children were also among those killed and wounded.
May 17 Balkh Province: two police officers killed
The Taliban attacked a security outpost in the village of Urozgani in Chimtal District, where insurgents retreated after the arrival of reinforcements. As they were fleeing the area, insurgents fired a rocket that hit a Humvee, killing two police officers and wounding two others.
May 17 Jowzjan Province: one pro-government militia killed
At least one member of a pro-government militia was killed in apparent insider attack in the village of Kolbaqal in Aqcha District. The attacker took weapons from the outpost and joined insurgency.
May 17 Kabul Province: one civilian killed
An explosive attached to a government vehicle exploded in Kabul City's Ninth Police District, killing one civilian and wounding another.
Reporting was contributed by the following New York Times reporters: Fatima Faizi from Kabul, Najim Rahim from Mazar-e-Sharif, Mohammad Saber from Herat, Taimoor Shah from Kandahar, Farooq Jan Mangal from Khost and Zabihullah Ghazi from Jalalabad.
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