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Cyclo DoublePrecision 4 inch Pads are the only double-sided pads available for the Cyclo Orbital Polisher! These foam and wool pads reduce vibration, are self-centering, and each pad gives you two usable sides. Brilliant!
Features of DoublePrecision Pads:
Vibration is virtually eliminated! The DoublePrecision Pads sit closer to the buffer housing than the regular Cyclo pads, with no wobbly components between the pads and the polisher. The center adapter holds each pad perfectly level, regardless of the motion of the buffer.
Minimal risk of striking the paint. With no external backing plate, the DoublePrecision Pads can cut in close to vertical panels.
Double-Sided. Because these pads use a center adapter, rather than a hook & loop backing plate, they have two usable sides of foam.
The Quick Change System. The Quick Change Adapter is a solid-brass center post that screws into your buffer and allows you to snap pads off and on in seconds.
A tough plastic internal plate allows the DoublePrecision pads to keep their shape. Unlike conventional foam pads that become warped easily, The Cyclo 4 inch DoublePrecision Pads retain their shape thanks to a plastic plate in the center of the foam. This plate also holds the Quick Change Adapter in place and keeps the pad centered at all times. A full inch of foam on each side of the plate keeps it well protected against contact with the paint.
DoublePrecision Pads are available in foam and wool varieties:
Yellow Double-sided Cutting Pad - The yellow cutting pad is intended for more aggressive swirl and scratch removal. It is made of dense foam and will work well with compounds and advanced swirl removers.
Orange Double-sided Light Cutting Pad - The orange pad is the all-around swirl remover, polisher, and paint deoxidizer. Made of high density foam, this pad will correct most mild to moderate paint imperfections and polish metal and chrome.
Green Double-sided Polishing Pad - The green pad is more aggressive than the white pad. It has a mild cut for gentle polishing with a prewax cleaner or cleaner wax.
White Double-sided Finishing Pad - The white pad is Cyclo's softest pad. It is intended for final buffing and wax application. It will render a glossy shine without polishing. This pad has no cut.
Blue Finishing 70% Acrylic, 30% Wool Pad - Use the blue pad for general polishing and gloss-enhancement. The blue pad can be used with any finishing polish to bring out a fine luster on any finish.
Yellow Medium Cut 50% Wool, 50% Wool Acrylic Pad - The yellow wool pad is moderately aggressive. It removes swirls and moderate scratches, and reduces significant pits and deeper scratches. Use a swirl remover with the yellow pad when aggressive cutting is not needed.
Use the Cyclo Quick Connect Adapters to attach DoublePrecision Pads to your Cyclo polisher.Pads sold individually.


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Many mums and mums-to-be are too scared to take anything that will relieve pain. Well, be worried no longer, says Dr Debra Kennedy, Director of MotherSafe, a free NSW counselling service for NSW women and their healthcare providers who are concerned about exposure - such as medicines - during pregnancy and breastfeeding.
Don't suffer in silence
She says pregnant and breastfeeding women should not suffer pain unnecessarily as there are treatment options available to them – in fact, leaving pain untreated can actually do more harm than good.
"Inadequately managed persistent pain can result in depression and anxiety. These may impact on a woman's physical and psychological wellbeing and can potentially have an adverse effect on her pregnancy," Dr Kennedy says.
She advises pregnant and breastfeeding women to talk to their health professionals about the risks of treating pain versus not treating it.
The pros and cons of over-the-counter pain relievers
Paracetamol is the most widely used pain reliever in Australia, particularly by pregnant women. Although paracetamol readily crosses the placenta, at recommended doses it does not appear to increase the risk of birth defects or other adverse outcomes of pregnancy.
The risks: Taking more than the recommended dose of paracetamol may cause harm to the mother or baby's lives or kidneys.
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)
Aspirin and other NSAIDs such as ibuprofen, are not expected to cause structural birth defects or malformations, or other adverse outcomes such as preterm delivery or low birth weight.
The risk: NSAIDs should not be used in the third trimester without specialist advice. They may harm the baby during this stage or pregnancy by closing one of their blood vessels too early, raising blood pressure in their lungs, and delaying labour and birth. High doses of these medicines in the third trimester may also impair the function of the baby's kidneys. NSAIDs can also increase the risk of bleeding complications in the baby or mother.
Opioid pain relievers such as codeine have not been associated with an increase in birth defects or miscarriage.
The risk: The main concern is that persistent use may lead to dependence and tolerance int he mother, with resultant drug withdrawal effects in the newborn. Use of opioid pain relievers may also impair the baby's lung function.
What MotherSafe advises
"We recommend paracetamol to treat fever and pain during pregnancy," says Dr Kennedy. "Codeine or another opioid analgesic can be added to treat more severe pain.
"Inadvertent use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medicines in the first trimester is not usually harmful but these medicines should not be used in the third trimester."
As well as prescription and over-the-counter medicines, MotherSafe provides comprehensive counselling about other exposures including street drugs, radiation infections and occupational chemicals. Its support line operates every day between 9am and5pm on 9382 6539 (metropolitan Sydney) or 1800 647 848 (regional).
This article was written by Fiona Baker for Kidspot, Australia's best family health resource. Sources include NPS MedicineWise.

subset: commoncrawl


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Consultation Paper
Section 12: Fuel, roads and transport
The efficient movement of people and goods is an important contributor to productivity and wellbeing. Improving the structure of taxes and charges related to transport can improve efficiency.
Taxes on motor vehicle fuels provide a considerable share of revenue, but contribute little to reducing the location and time specific costs of motoring. Different tax treatments of alternative fuels may also further reduce the efficiency of fuel taxes. Different types of transport are also taxed in different ways, potentially altering economic behaviour.
There may be opportunities to replace existing taxes with more targeted taxes and charges that promote the efficient use of transport networks. In particular, emerging technologies may have a role in targeting the social costs of motoring such as air pollution, greenhouse gas emissions and damage to publicly funded roads.
Consultation questions
Q12.1 How can motor vehicle related taxes and road funding arrangements be designed to improve the efficiency of transport of people and goods in Australia?
Q12.2 What should be the role, if any, of fuel taxes? What does this mean for how fuels and their uses are taxed and the rates of tax applied?
Q12.3 Do the existing tax arrangements lead people to make economically inefficient transport choices, and if so, how might they be improved?
12.1 Efficiency of motor vehicle-related taxes
Fuel tax is a major source of Australian government revenue. Liquid fuels are used widely by both households and businesses.
Under current arrangements, on-road fuel use in heavy vehicles and certain off-road uses of fuel are eligible for fuel tax credits. This reflects the principle that direct inputs to production should not be subject to general revenue-raising taxes, although not all fuel used in business is eligible for credits.
Although fuel tax is by far the largest tax on motoring, other taxes also affect the movement of people and goods in the economy.
Australian government taxes relating to motor vehicles include fringe benefits tax (Section 13.2), luxury car tax (Section 11.3) and tariffs. In addition, the States levy a range of taxes related to motor vehicles, including fees for registration, transfers and drivers' licences. As with Australian government taxes on motor vehicles, the primary impact of these taxes is to increase the cost of owning a motor vehicle, with little impact on driving behaviour. Some States also charge parking levies in city areas. As well as raising revenue, these levies may make driving to the city and parking more expensive than public transport. State taxes and levies also recover some of the cost to state governments of some public infrastructure projects and externalities.
Summary of key messages from submissions
Many submissions note that motor vehicle taxes, particularly fuel tax, are a significant part of household consumption expenditure, and the purchase and use of motor vehicles is taxed disproportionately to other forms of consumption.
Submissions say the use of motor vehicles imposes costs on society, through greenhouse gas emissions, air pollution, noise pollution, urban congestion and road trauma. Some submissions identify fuel tax as a way of addressing these problems, though many see the proposed Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme as a better instrument to address greenhouse gas emissions.
Some submissions support extending road user charging to light vehicles. They suggest the use of targeted taxes as a method of 'demand management' for transport. Other submissions consider that in many cases fuel tax is a good proxy for taxing the social costs associated with driving.
Other submissions propose replacing registration, insurance and fuel taxes with charges that reflect road usage. This would be based on vehicle mass, distance travelled and location of vehicle use and could involve converting fixed charges to charges that depend on the marginal cost of driving, or to distance-based fees. One suggestion is to apply charges to driving in inner-city areas at certain times of day.
Some submissions argue that stamp duty on the transfer of motor vehicles, and import tariffs on cars, are obstacles to upgrading to more fuel-efficient vehicles. Others suggest the design of taxes on the purchase of motor vehicles promotes fuel-efficiency.
Many submissions also raise the fringe benefits tax treatment of motor vehicles as a major contributor to the over-use of motor vehicles.
A few submissions propose that revenue raised from pricing on specific roads should be returned to the road network according to the road from which it is collected. Arguably, this would provide a method of allocating resources for the supply of road infrastructure. According to local government submissions, this may be an effective way to fund local roads, the majority of which are owned and maintained by local government.
Submissions also argue that the provision of fuel tax credits is an inappropriate subsidy for on-road use in heavy vehicles and off-road uses. Some submissions suggest the current tax system favours the use of cars over public transport.
Taxing transport
Transport services are generally not demanded for their own sake. The demand for transport is usually derived from the demand for other goods and services. Without efficient transport networks, the exchange of goods and services that underpins a modern economy could not take place.
Taxes related to transport, specifically the use of motor vehicles, have historically been designed to raise revenue, whether for general budget purposes or for the provision of transport infrastructure. Fuel tax, for example, is an administratively simple and relatively efficient way of raising revenue.
However, there may be opportunities to use taxes and charges to make transport networks more efficient. The Review Panel has commissioned research on the potential to replace the existing system of transport related taxes and charges with more efficient and targeted pricing systems as a way of reducing the social costs of motor vehicle use (see Chart 12.1). This is possible, in part, because of new technology.
Chart 12.1: Targeting the social costs of motor vehicle use
- CPRS refers to the Australian Government's Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme.
General revenue raising
As Chart 12.2 shows, liquid fuels provide almost all energy used in Australian road transport. Given the absence of practical alternatives, due to limitations in current technology and distribution systems, the demand for transport fuels is relatively unresponsive to price. This is one reason why fuel taxes can be applied with a relatively small efficiency cost. Moreover, transport fuels are produced and imported by only a few producers, so output is easily monitored. This makes the administration of fuel tax relatively simple.
Chart 12.2 Energy use in Australian road transport by fuel type
In petajoules (2005-06)
Source: ABARE (2008).
However, in the long- term, behaviour changes in response to increases in fuel prices. This is because options to reduce fuel consumption increase with time, including switching modes of transport, substituting technology for travel (for example, videoconferencing and internet banking) or choosing more fuel-efficient vehicles.
To the extent that future technologies might make liquid fuels a less important energy source for transport (for example, if electricity becomes a more viable alternative), fuel tax is likely to become a less efficient way of raising revenue. This is because motorists would have an increased opportunity to avoid the tax by switching to untaxed energy sources.
Funding the cost of infrastructure
Funding roads from general tax revenue can be justified based on the 'public good' characteristics of roads. Because the cost of a motorist using a road is usually quite low, allowing free access to the road network encourages efficient short-run utilisation of the infrastructure.
In Australia, most capital expenditure on road infrastructure is funded out of general tax revenue, although in the past the Australian government has hypothecated fuel taxes to provide the States with grants for road construction and maintenance. Some submissions support this approach of using motor vehicle taxes to fund transport infrastructure, although there is no necessary link between the amount of tax collected and the required funding at a particular time.
For major projects such as bridges or highways, governments have used road tolls to finance the capital cost of the roads. However, while road tolls may lead to a better allocation of road resources — because the roads that are built are expected to cover their costs — recovering the capital cost in this way can reduce the efficiency of the network. Some potential road users, who would use it without imposing costs on others, may be deterred by the toll. This is particularly the case if tolls do not vary according to the time of day or vehicle type. As a result, there is a trade-off between using taxes to fund the long-term capital costs of infrastructure and the most efficient use of existing assets.
Heavy vehicles
Heavy road vehicles (with a gross vehicle mass exceeding 4.5 tonnes) are eligible for a partial fuel tax credit. This effectively reduces fuel tax to a road user charge intended to recover the costs of heavy vehicle damage to the transport network.
The National Transport Commission is involved in calculating the road user charge and recommends annual registration charges based on the configuration and weight of trucks, prime movers and buses.
The methodology for calculating the road user charge reflects historical average network-wide costs attributable to heavy vehicles. However, recovering costs in this way does not reflect the actual costs imposed by an individual truck on a particular route. This limits the extent to which existing road-user charging provides incentives for the efficient use of the road network. The Council of Australian Governments has committed to undertake feasibility studies into mass-distance-location charging for heavy vehicles in 2011.
Taxing to address social costs
Many submissions see motor vehicle taxes as a way of charging for the social costs of motor vehicle use. These costs include air pollution (including greenhouse gas emissions), damage to public roads, urban congestion, noise, and public health costs related to road accidents. The costs are significant. According to the Bureau of Transport and Regional Economics (2007), the avoidable cost of road congestion alone was approximately $9.4 billion in 2005.
Fuel tax may be an indirect way to address some of these costs, by reducing overall demand for transport. However, the relatively unresponsive nature of fuel demand to the final price, and the inability to target particular locations and times through fuel tax, makes it ineffective in managing demand for transport. Further, it does not influence the behaviour of drivers in ways that prevent crashes, reduce congestion or lower noise. High fuel taxes also discourage motoring that imposes little or no social cost — for example, light vehicle use in rural areas.
Many of the social costs of motoring are addressed through non-tax policy tools. For example, fuel standards aim to minimise dangerous air pollution and compulsory insurance schemes give coverage for many of the personal injury costs of road accidents. Vehicle design standards also reduce pollution and noise from vehicles and set minimum safety standards.
Social and technological change means other mechanisms are emerging to address externalities associated with fuel. For example, the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme will apply to transport fuels and will directly target the cost of carbon emissions from motor vehicles.
Impact of technology on transport taxes and charges
Some major international cities have now adopted road pricing schemes that more accurately reflect the social cost of road travel.
For example, London, Stockholm and Singapore charge motorists a fee to enter the city centre during peak times (see Box 12.1). In New Zealand, global positioning system technology tracks the distance travelled by heavy vehicles for the purpose of direct road-user charging. However, the feasibility of applying specific technology also depends on the transport issues faced by particular cities.
In Australia, the NSW Government recently announced the introduction of time-of-day tolling on the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Sydney Harbour Tunnel, after full electronic tolling comes into effect. This will see existing tolls of $3 fall by 50 cents for off-peak times, and rise by $1 during peak times.
Box 12.1 Congestion charging
Congestion charging in London, Stockholm and Singapore has reduced traffic, increased average speeds and decreased congestion in affected areas. Estimates suggest that the schemes in London and Stockholm have reduced traffic volumes entering the city centre by around 20 per cent, reduced traffic delays by between 30 and 50 per cent, and significantly shortened travel times.
Tolling specific roads at peak times is used as an instrument for managing demand for congested roads in Singapore and areas of the United States.
Source: Booz Allen Hamilton (2006).
Economic geography
Many taxes and charges relating to transport have geographic distribution and efficiency impacts. To the extent that many of the social costs of motoring are location‑specific (for example, noise and air pollution), these costs may be reflected in lower land prices in affected areas.
Urban road congestion affects the desirability of living in certain parts of a city, relative to others with alternative transport options (for example, walking, cycling or public transport). Selective tolling increases the monetary cost to commuters of driving to work from certain areas, although this may be balanced by shorter commuting times.
From a macroeconomic perspective some evidence suggests that the large distances between markets in countries similar to Australia may constrain potential productivity and growth. To the extent that fuel taxes increase the cost of transport to firms, the effect of distance on productivity will be exacerbated. This may partly explain the finding in the Architecture paper that fuel taxes in the geographically largest OECD nations (Canada, the United States, Australia and Mexico) are significantly lower than the European average.
Other taxes on motor vehicles
The fees charged by the States for motor vehicle registration, transfers and drivers' licences are a combination of user charges and taxes.
To the extent that they cover the administrative costs incurred by government in providing a service (for example, producing a drivers' licence or maintaining a register of motor vehicle ownership), they provide an appropriate price signal to potential vehicle owners and drivers.
However, where the amount charged is greater than cost it can distort economic decisions. Settings in the income tax law — including fringe benefits tax — also affect motor vehicle use (see Section 13.2).
Consultation question
Q12.1 How can motor vehicle related taxes and road funding arrangements be designed to improve the efficiency of transport of people and goods in Australia?
12.2 Taxation of alternative fuels
Although the primary role of all transport fuels is to provide energy, both the energy content and tax treatment of fuels varies between different types (see Chart 12.3). Tax is one factor influencing the choice between petrol, diesel or alternative fuels. For example, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) is currently not subject to fuel tax. Biodiesel and domestically produced fuel ethanol are also effectively tax-free through separate grant programs.
Chart 12.3: Energy content and current effective tax rate per litre of fuel (2008)(a)
- Effective tax rate includes effects of programs that make biodiesel and domestically produced fuel ethanol effectively tax-free.
Source: ABARE (2008) and Australian Treasury (2008).
Summary of key messages from submissions
Some industry submissions argue that fuel tax should be reduced or removed on alternative fuels. They suggest that the use of alternative fuels should be promoted because of their purported environmental benefits, and note that under the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme there would be some price differential between conventional and alternative fuels.
Some submissions consider that tax assistance to biofuels (ethanol and biodiesel) is desirable to encourage investment in infant industries.
Other submissions argue that exemptions and concessions to fuel tax should be minimised to achieve greater market efficiency and to target the social costs of motor vehicle use through taxes. Some contributors suggest that a fuel tax system based on energy content would be an improvement over the current system.
Raising revenue efficiently
A revenue-raising tax is efficient to the extent that it does not distort economic activity by altering production or consumption decisions. This means that efficiency of fuel tax as a revenue-raising tax is diminished to the extent that untaxed substitutes for taxed fuels are adopted.
In the short run, different fuels are imperfect substitutes for one another — different fuels work in different types of engine, and have different storage and distribution mechanisms. However, the quality and price of different fuels affect longer term decisions about vehicle purchases — and therefore the long-term fuel mix.
Influencing production and consumption
As discussed in Section 3.3, specific product taxes are sometimes used to affect the price of goods, and therefore influence consumer and producer behaviour. While this may have limited effect on overall demand for transport energy, it does influence the fuel mix. For example, a higher level of tax on leaded petrol provided incentives to consumers to switch to unleaded petrol, as part of the phasing out of leaded petrol in Australia.
The tax-free status of LPG, and a subsidy for conversion to it, has encouraged motorists to adapt their vehicles despite its lower energy content. Many taxis use LPG even though the tanks reduce the available luggage space.
Similarly, arguments in some submissions in favour of the current concessional tax treatment for biofuels (including ethanol and biodiesel) characterise the biofuels industry as an infant industry which requires a subsidy until it is fully competitive with conventional fuels.
In some cases, the demand for alternative fuels is influenced by regulation. For example, NSW requires a minimum amount of ethanol be blended into the total volume of petrol sold there. The existence of this kind of legislative mandate interacts with tax concessions for alternative fuels.
To the extent that quantity demanded depends on regulations rather than price, the role of tax concessions in influencing decisions through price becomes irrelevant. Nevertheless, producers and consumers still receive the mandated fuel effectively tax-free, at a cost to the Australian Government budget.
Another perspective is that concessional rates of fuel tax are justified on the basis of the social costs of fuel use. If different types of fuel have different social costs it could be efficient to make allowance for this in the rate of tax charged. For example, if the social cost of carbon emissions of biofuels is less than for diesel, this could be reflected by charging a lower rate of tax on low-emission fuels.
However, as discussed earlier, there may be scope for external costs to be addressed through more targeted mechanisms. In the case of carbon emissions, the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme may provide a price signal that reflects differences in carbon emissions. Other significant social costs of motor vehicle use also depend on the time and location of driving, not the type of fuel used.
Consultation question
Q12.2 What should be the role, if any, of fuel taxes? What does this mean for how fuels and their uses are taxed and the rates of tax applied?
12.3 Different modes of transport
To the extent different modes of transport are substitutes for one another, specific tax arrangements that apply to some modes of transport, but not others, may influence the choice of which type of transport to use.
Summary of key messages from submissions
Some submissions consider that, because aviation fuel is taxed at a rate less than fuel used in road transport, air transport receives a subsidy from the tax system. Some submissions suggest that this is environmentally damaging because aviation is more energy intensive than other forms of transport. They also suggest that this favours more wealthy Australians who can afford air travel.
Many submissions raise the concern that the system of transport taxes distorts consumer decisions between public and private transport, as well as between road, rail and air travel. Other submissions note that governments earn 'rents' from issuing a limited number of taxi licences.
Some in the aviation sector are concerned that existing funding mechanisms for aviation (through taxes and user charges) do not provide appropriate price signals to different service providers and involve cross-subsidies. However, some carriers argue that the tax system should be used to subsidise air transport to regional areas.
International carriers object to the Passenger Movement Charge (levied on outbound passengers) on the basis that it overcharges for the services actually provided to passengers, and is therefore a tax rather than a user charge.
The shipping sector argues that Australia's tax system affects the Australian industry's domestic and international competitiveness. They advocate replacing the company tax for Australian shipping with a 'tonnage tax', and reforming the application of income tax to Australian seafarers. There is also concern that the tax treatment of fuel used for shipping favours foreign over domestic shipping in the Australian coastal market.
Aviation gasoline and turbine fuel used for domestic trips are both subject to excise, although at a much lower rate per litre than automotive fuels. Here the policy rationale is to recover costs for funding the Civil Aviation Safety Authority, rather than for general revenue-raising.
The absence of taxation for general revenue purposes may reflect the principle that general revenue raising taxes cause least economic distortion when they are applied to consumer goods, rather than commodities that are predominantly used as business inputs.
Funding particular expenditure programs through an excise is an indirect way of recovering costs for the services they provide, in an administratively simple way. The impact of the excise may depend, in part, on the extent to which the cost of providing a service to a particular flight is directly correlated to the excisable fuel used on that trip. As with land based road user charging, there may be more direct methods for charging for services to aviation than through fuel excise.
Choices between transport types
Applying tax in some situations, but not others, can influence behaviour. The extent to which this diminishes efficiency depends on the degree to which different modes of transport are substitutes for one another. For example, imposing tax on fuel used for domestic air travel, but not international air travel, might bias against domestic journeys. Similarly, the choice between taking a journey by car or aeroplane might be influenced by the higher relative taxes on motor fuel compared to aviation fuel. The choice between a short trip in a car and using public transport will likewise be influenced by the taxes and subsidies that apply to each mode.
Many states raise tax revenue by restricting the number of taxi licences they issue. This cost is ultimately passed to users of taxis in the form of higher fares and more time spent waiting. This affects consumer decisions. For example, if taxis were more readily available and less expensive, individuals might rely more on taxis and less on private motor vehicles. There may be equity concerns. Individuals who are unable to drive private vehicles or access public transport may be reliant on taxis.
Consultation question
Q12.3 Do the existing tax arrangements lead people to make economically inefficient transport choices, and if so, how might they be improved?
12.4 Other issues
Interaction between fuel excise and GST
The Review Panel has been asked to consider the interaction of GST with the taxation of fuel.
The GST is charged at a uniform rate based on the market price of goods and services, including petrol. To the extent that any tax, fee or charge on business is passed to consumers in the price of a good, the imposition of the GST gives rise to 'tax on tax' for consumers. Business users can generally claim an input tax credit for GST paid. Removing the excise component of petrol prices from the GST would reduce GST revenue paid to the States.
Summary of key messages from submissions
Some submissions argue that because petroleum is a limited resource and fuel use has environmental impacts, reducing the price of fuel by cutting the GST would be counterproductive to long-term policy objectives.
Some submissions propose that fuel excise be automatically indexed to CPI so that the tax portion of fuel prices does not fall over time. Others consider that the 'tax on tax' or 'double taxation' is unfair, and that the GST or fuel excise should be removed.
The GST and other taxes
As noted in Section 3.3, the GST is a broad-based consumption tax covering roughly three quarters of household consumption expenditure. The key advantage of broad‑based taxation is that the rate of tax has little influence on consumer choices between different taxable goods. In addition, a uniform rate of tax simplifies compliance by business, as they can apply the same tax treatment to most of their sales.
To the extent that any tax, fee or charge paid by business (including company tax, payroll tax, land tax, fuel excise, customs duties and other taxes) might be passed on to consumers in the GST inclusive price, there is a 'tax on tax' issue. In most cases these taxes are not apparent to consumers.
Where the GST applies to goods that are subject to excise, this effect is more obvious to consumers. Fuel tax is charged on a volumetric basis at a fixed rate of 38.143 cents per litre. The legal incidence falls on manufacturers and importers of fuel. Fuel excise is typically incorporated into the price of the fuel sold to service stations. Service stations then pass it to consumers in the pump price, on which they also charge GST. Consequently, approximately 3.8 cents GST per litre of fuel is attributable to excise.
Compensation for this 'tax on tax' effect was provided at the time the GST was introduced. Petrol excise was reduced by 6.7 cents per litre when the GST was introduced in July 2000. Fuel excise was further reduced by 1.5 cents per litre in March 2001. Since then, the excise rate has not been indexed to inflation. This means that the real excise rate has fallen over time.
Next Page – Section 13: Tax-transfer Impacts on the Environment >>
<< Previous Page – Section 11: Taxes on Specific Goods and Services


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My trip to Madrid was not only for fun, I've met a really talented young French designer who's creations are worn by toreros . Let's see what he's got to say.
Roman Mittica
Where did you study Fashion design?
I first studied Literature and Plastic Art, then Applied Art in the North-East of France, but I spent the three last years in the South of the country (in Nîmes) to study Fashion Design.
What inspires you to Design?
Well, everything is an inspiration to me : people I meet, trips, music, museums, …
A little thing or detail can move me, or inspire me. Ideas, concepts. Design is not just about design, it's also about life.
Besides Design what else do you do?
A lot of things (ahah) ! My passion for Fashion came at the same moment than my passion for music. I love singing, dancing. Fashion and Music are so related!
I also love to travel and see new things! I guess this is why I love so much to be a Fashion Designer : I'm never satisfied, and always want to look further! I also love to pose as a model, my work have always been related to the stage.
My last project will be to make the "french voice" for a character in a short movie.
What do you here in Madrid?
As a Pedro Almodovar fan, it was one of my dreams to go to Madrid.
I took a huge opportunity : I'm currently carrying out an internship in "Sasteria de toreros FERMIN", a famous house specialised in "Trajes de Luces" (Bullfighting suits).
As a fashion designer, I'm working on new patterns and design for embroideries and suits.
I really love the Haute Couture, and this house makes me see ancestral techniques.
After this internship, I will be preparing an exhibition that will be in the "Musée des Cultures Taurines" in Nîmes (in December, 2013) to show my work.
This experience is amazing, it gave me the chance to meet people from Chanel or lastly the famous photographer Scott Schuman (thesartorialist.com).
How do you see yourself as a Designer in 5 years?
In 5 years, I wish I could work in a famous Fashion house or brand. I also think it would be amazing to be a Creative director or to create my own brand. I have lots of dreams that I fight for everyday.
Let's see in 5 years if I'm not working in Mcdonald's!( ahah)
Do you think fashion could be art as well?
Totally! Fashion is all about arts. I say "Arts" because it's related to so many categories that I love : photography, cinema, sculpture, painting, …
I also like when Art meets Fashion , as Martin Margiela's work. You can't even say if it's more art than fashion! The garment , as art, express things that catch you. I guess that's why I love so much Haute Couture.
I just have to say this guy is going to make it in the industry, he's really talented and a charming person. He knows definitely what he's talking about, he knows what he wants in life. The one and only last thing I have to is that I'm happy to know, there's still real people in the business who puts heart and soul on what they do and not only trend followers.
Interviewer: David Quilaguy


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Currently 3.67/512345 Rating: 3.7/5 (Total votes: 3)
Rating: 3.7/5 (Total votes: 3)
IM+ for LCS includes advanced features that make it ideal for both enterprises and individual use.
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Etos had a two-for-one going.. so, how could I resist, right?
The mother of pearl colour on the right originally caught my eye, and then I figured I'd get a sparkly effect polish because I rarely use those and it might be fun!
|Curse of the in-door pictures, I'm tellin' ya.
The mother of pearl colour was really sheer, and I really should've layered it with something more opaque. 20/20 hindsight, I guess.
Miss Sporty 040 and 'Sparkle Touch'.


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1. Government of Canada Announcement
On June 11, 2013, the Government of Canada announced a responsible and balanced approach for developing the federally-owned Pickering Lands. This approach sets aside land for a potential future airport and the creation of Rouge National Urban Park.
2. Resolution of Pickering Council
On January 27, 2014, Council unanimously passed a motion of Councillor David Pickles, seconded by Councillor Doug Dickerson, calling on the federal governemnt to, among other things, show ... READ MORE
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From The LiE (Long Island Entertainment) Dan Wilson is one of those breezy, gentle types that will hit you like a building collapsing if you're not paying attention. A naturally funny man, Wilson ripped through an inspired set that somehow connected Rudy Vallee-style rapping (Go ahead, picture that, we'll wait), midget-wrestling, plane flight annoyances, Barney Fife impressions and a visit to the dentist that was TOO accurate. A tremendous amount of his material is potently funny, a sucker punch that you don't expect from an innocent smile and an average Joe, but Wilson is one of the great "class clowns" in the business. This is good-time comedy, clean, inoffensive but still mondo humorous and it'd be a darn good idea to see for yourself. Dan Wilson is a comedic force to be reckoned with. Long a favorite on the college and club circuits, Dan began to branch out with a talked about appearance at Budd Friedman's American Comedy Convention, held at The Riviera in Las Vegas. With that industry exposure under his belt, he began a string of television appearances including "Star Search `90," A&E's "Evening at the Improv," MTV's "Half Hour Comedy Hour," and Lifetime's "Girls' Night Out." His rubbery face and keen ear for voices earned him status as a recurring sketch performer on HBO's "Hardcore T.V." Dan has opened for Dana Carvey, Richard Lewis, Emo Phillips, and Richard Belzer. His quirky style mixes keen observations with outrageous physical humor, all delivered in a genial "I'm-only-trying-to-fix-the-world-before-it's-too-late" deadpan.
From The LIE (Long Island Entertainment)
Something you don't often see is a comic who's funnier than his material when his material is actually good. You see a lot of new comics who have better deliveries than jokes, but their material is usually raw or straight-out pathetic, but when it comes to veterans, you usually see comedians who are as funny as the material they wield. Dan Wilson is the exception to the rule, a mischievous and likeable bloke that is funny whether he's pausing to look at you or working with sound effects, or actually doing the situational humor that's his trademark. His recent show at Brokerage reaffirmed that the man is a natural.
After a steady flow of laughs, it was Wilson time and the light-hearted lunatic was off and running from the second one. If Wilson isn't getting huge laughs from physical humor, he's getting you with smart little ideas, visual gags or singing. You have not lived until you've seen midget wrestling, which he did NOT do this show, but it mattered little. Wilson was uncorking some hysterical tomfoolery as a Rudy Valee-styled rapper (something else you must see to believe), creating nervous laughter from a "trip to the dentist" and tossing in a world-class Barney Fife impression whenever there was the threat of a quiet moment. Wilson isn't one of those comics that argue about at the water cooler days later because of the profound things he says, no, rather, he's the type of stand-up that reminds you of those summer night when you were a kid when your best friend got you giddy and made you laugh at nonsense for so long that it hurt when you went home. This is light, good-natured humor, whether it's recollections of the airlines or just clowning off of crowd members. Beyond being a comedian, Dan Wilson is just a fun guy to be around.
Dan Wilson would get solid marks in everything from his material to his timing to his stage persona (which is clearly a down-to-earth guy as opposed to what we consider a celebrity). He's one of those acts that would crack up a firehouse as easily an Elks lodge, a bachelor party as fast as a PTA bakesale, a corporate meeting as fast as a little league fundraiser. People don't usually compare universal appeal to the shock artists that get record deals and HBO specials, the question does eventually become: What is true comedy? True comedy is the ability to make the masses laugh at life and the experience; Dan Wilson practices true comedy with less hoopla, hype and notoriety. He practices it as well as anybody in the business.


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Officer Gerry Torres was selected as the Belton Police Department 2017 Officer of the 3rd Quarter for his actions following a fatal traffic accident on Aug. 18.
Belton police responded to a major motor vehicle crash that involved a mother and her 6-year-old child. Both were transported to the hospital by emergency medical personnel, and Officer Torres was assigned to accompany the child as the mother was treated for severe injuries from which she died. Officer Torres showed great support and compassion for the child by staying with him as he was told about the death of his mother and until the child's family arrived from out of town hours later.
Officer Torres was a servant guardian during this tragic event. On possibly the worst day of the child's life, he gave the young boy something positive to take away from the tragedy. A pediatric social worker with McLane Children's Hospital complimented his actions -- its impact upon the child and hospital staff. She said she appreciated the selfless nature of Officer Torres and the department as a whole.
The award to Officer Torres at the Belton PD National Night Out briefing on Tuesday.


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SDH Institute is a forward looking school with a clear focus on hospitality education. We strive to develop our students in a holistic manner. Our programmes not only equip our students with the professional and business knowledge and skills for the global hospitality industry, but also aim to inculcate an attitude of service excellence and entrepreneurship.
We Offer comprehensive range of Certificate Hospitality Courses, Diploma in Hospitality, Advanced Diploma Hospitality Courses, Post-Graduate in Hospitality, Hospitality Bachelor's Degree, Master's Degree in Hospitality and professional learning programmes for Hospitality in Singapore, unique learning approach and caring student support create a truly distinctive educational experience. Some fo Our Programs are International Hotel Management, Leisure and Tourism Management, Hospitality Management, Casino Management, Hospitality and Tourism Management. We also have Part Time and Full Time Hospitality Courses in Singapore.


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Palatine Kitchen Cabinets
DDK Kitchen Design Group works directly with clients to design the kitchen they always wanted, in both style and function. We are a company of award winning kitchen cabinetry designers, and have served homeowners in the Greater Chicago Area for nearly 40 years. We're proud of every kitchen design project we have been a part of. DDK Kitchen has a wide range of items for your kitchen remodel, including kitchen cabinets, sinks, lighting, faucets and countertops. Additionally, we can offer eco friendly kitchen products and materials as well as expertise in green design. Our smart and trendy designs are often featured in home design magazines, recently including Evanston Magazine, Home Living and Victorian Homes. Furthermore, DDK won first place in the national GE Appliance Dream Kitchen Design Contest! If you're searching for kitchen cabinet replacement in Palatine, visit our kitchen cabinet store and outstanding team of kitchen cabinetry designers at DDK Kitchen Design Group in Glenview.
Palatine Kitchen Cabinetry
Palatine, Illinois is a village in Cook County and a northwestern suburb of Chicago, with a population of about 68,000. DDK Kitchen Design Group has a kitchen cabinet store and showroom in Glenview, less than 15 miles east of Palatine. Our Palatine clientele recognize us for the large variety of kitchen cabinetry designs on display and on sale at our kitchen cabinet store, and they know that the DDK team will help them select the ideal kitchen cabinets for their remodel. Additionally, we have worked with the same installation crews for many years and we coordinate the delivery of your purchased items with them, making for a simple and hassle-free installation of your new kitchen cabinets. DDK's dedication to customer service means our Palatine clients can be assured that they will be highly satisfied with the appearance and sturdiness of their new kitchen cabinets.
Palatine Kitchen Cabinet Replacement
DDK Kitchen Design Group has received a number of awards for its incredible kitchen cabinet designs and focus on creating a kitchen that our customers will love. For almost 40 years, our customers have relied on DDK to offer expertise on kitchen cabinetry design and function, and on kitchen cabinet replacement. Customer satisfaction is our number one priority, and we work hard to ensure that your process of designing and installing new kitchen cabinets is both efficient and worry-free. You can be certain that your new kitchen cabinets will be both fashionable and enduring. DDK's designers keep up on trends, such as green methods and eco friendly products and materials. Moreover, they are trustworthy and dependable so our customers can expect to have an incredible experience when searching for their new kitchen cabinetry design. DDK is focused on attractive designs, excellent customer service, and kitchen cabinets that suit any specific need. Come browse our kitchen cabinet store in Glenview to select items for your dream kitchen, and allow us make it a reality. Call DDK Kitchen Design Group's Glenview showroom today at (847) 998-1552.


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Home / The MMOC
The MMOC
The MMOC
The Secretary of the Executive Office of Environmental Affairs created a Citizens Advisory Committee to advise the Secretary during the MEPA review.continue reading →
MMOC Members
The Muddy River Maintenance and Management Oversight Committee, the MMOC, is comprised of citizens, representatives of cultural and academic institutions and governmental agencies. The MMOC meets monthly.continue reading →
Part-Time Staff Position Available
Work will be performed at the MMOC office in Brookline Village. The Administrator will also be expected to participate in monthly evening MMOC meetings and other subcommittee meetings that may also occur in the evening. Responsibilities will also include project site visits and some meetings, as required, at other locations.continue reading →
The MMOC meets on the second Wednesday of each month from 6 – 8 P.M. Most meetings are held at the MMOC office, 68 Harvard Street, Brookline.continue reading →
Historic Resources Committee Arleyn Levee – Chair Margaret Dyson Patrice Kish Maintenance Committee Jack Malone – Co-chair Arlene Mattison – Co-chair Operations Committee Fran Gershwin – Chair Kelly Brilliant Ed […]continue reading →
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Verifying that your computer has a Network Interface Card (NIC) installed
Steps to Create a Verizon 9100EM Wired Home Network with a FiOS Connection
A network interface card (NIC) is required for each computer you are connecting to your home network. An Ethernet cable will connect an available port in the back panel of the router to the NIC in your computer.
Before you can add a computer to your network, you must verify it has a NIC installed by using Windows Device Manager.
Looking for Residential?
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July 2017
The 56th Assurance Leadership Forum will take place on Wednesday 25 October 2017 at the conference centre at Balls's Brothers, Minster Court
|Session A
|Session B
|Session C
|Mili Mathew, Lead Test Consultant @ Scott Logic, "Can Risk-Based Testing (RBT) shift-left/shift-right?"
|Mike Smith, EMEA New Business Development Director - BPS World, "The War for Talent – are you part of the problem or the solution?"
|Charlotte Walters, Quality, Productivity & Process Improvement Specialist | Agile Transformation Manager, Allianz Insurance, TBC
|Session D
|Session E
|Session F
|Deri Jones, CEO SciVisum Ltd, "Assurance: Before you build it, while you build it, after you build it"
|Scott Summers, Director, nFocus,
"Why we will never have world peace until we consistently recruit good testers"
|Anthony Evans, Non-Functional Test Manager, Acutest,
"What is the problem with non-functional requirements?"
|Drinks Reception
Programme Abstracts and Speaker Bios
Mili Mathew, Lead Test Consultant @ Scott Logic, "Can Risk-Based Testing (RBT) shift-left/shift-right?"
Is Risk-based testing relevant in today's Agile/DevOps world where everything seems de-risked because of small incremental changes that are tested continually and can be rolled back or fixed in a few hours?
How do humans assess risk – and how do we apply these in our role as a Tester. I would like to share my experience of using risk-based testing for implementing test strategies in different organisations, the different flavours of this in different SDLC methodologies and what I found works well. I would like to explore how others have implemented risk-based testing, any specific challenges they encountered, and explore reasons why it may not be suitable for some projects.
Mili is a Lead Test Consultant at Scott Logic. She has worked on many complex projects in her 16 years of test experience ranging from operating system testing, to acquisition and merger programmes with entire platform migrations. Mili being a passionate tester believes in continuous improvement, and that it is an art!
Mike Smith, EMEA New Business Development Director - BPS World, "The War for Talent – are you part of the problem or the solution?"
A state of the nation overview of the implications of an ageing workforce, generational expectations, geographical boundaries and global skills shortages, the impact on the ability to attract and retain talent and the consequences for business growth.
I am keen to get an understanding from the audience
- How aware are they of the upcoming skills shortages?
- How important / high profile is Talent Management in their organisation?
- Is talent seen as an HR or Business problem in their organisation?
- What are they doing to differentiate themselves from the competition to attract and retain top talent?
- Are they part of the problem?
I am the cofounder of Anteo Group / Saxus Solutions and spent over 22 years leading, developing and delivering talent solutions to an international client base. I have historically worked within the traditional tactical / reactive / operational / contingency recruitment industry but recognised that the impending global skills shortages would seriously undermine the efficacy of this business model and the value it could provide to its client base. As a result of this shift in outlook I joined BPS World to head up a sales team that works with organisations at a strategic level to help identify efficiency gains in their ability to attract, develop and retain talent.
Charlotte Walters, Quality, Productivity & Process Improvement Specialist | Agile Transformation Manager, Allianz Insurance, Topic TBC
Deri Jones, CEO SciVisum Ltd, "Assurance: Before you build it, while you build it, after you build it"
Scott Summers, Director, nFocus, "Why we will never have world peace until we consistently recruit good testers"
By understanding a tiny bit of neuroscience with a peppering of psychology we will look at how we can, and why we have a responsibility to, recruit the right person for every role.
On the way, we will have a stab at answering "What is the meaning of life", understand our own personality type and learn how to understand and accept the people around us.
Most of us are aware that we have a left side of our brain and a right side of our brain and some of us are aware that the left side controls our creativity and emotions while the right side controls our logical thoughts. Some people might even know which side of their brain they use more often.
But did you know that the brain can actually be split into quartiles with the frontal and posterior areas playing a major role as well. Not only that but each of us are born with a 'preference' for one of these quartiles and have neurons firing much more frequently in that area which has a significant effect on how we think, behave and even the clothes that we wear.
During this session we will try to figure out which quartile of the brain we each like to use the most. Working in groups, we will have some fun identifying differences and similarities between the preferences of the people in the room.
We will explore the neuroscience and psychology theory behind this and see how we can use our new found knowledge to recruit and build the dream team. Wouldn't it be nice if we could help our teams thrive in their role so that everyone is happy, maximising their potential and performing to their best of their ability?
Scott has over 20 years of experience as an IT professional, starting his career as a consultant for PriceWaterhouse, then moving into investment banking where he was Head of Test at ABN and Global Head of QA at RBS. He is now a Director of nFocus Testing
Anthony Evans, Non-Functional Test Manager, Acutest, "What is the problem with non-functional requirements?"
What is the problem with non-functional requirements? Just why is it that Non-Functional requirements are in the same breath described as 'essential' but then 'under-represented'? Arguably most Production issues are actually non-functional in nature – what an impact we would have if we could reduce Production support calls by even 10%!
In this discussion I'd like to describe various reasons I've seen over the years why this pattern keeps repeating. For example –
- It's only performance and security isn't it?
- Just not recognised as a potential issue
- Does categorising them as 'non-functional' cause half the problem?
- Difficult to describe and measure
- Hence difficult to test/verify
- 'Who on Earth do we get to do it?'
- 'No time, no budget'.
- The 'let's just get it working we can worry about the other stuff later' (i.e. never) attitude
- I am sure many of these scenarios shall be familiar to you and I would particularly like to hear of your own experiences. But then move on to a discussion of
- Why do these patterns repeat?
- What can we do about it?
- How can we handle these issues in the agile World?
The issue is clearly multi-factorial and hence improvements are needed that address business understanding, technical interpretation, team behaviours.
Dr Anthony Evans accidentally fell into the world of performance testing some 20 years ago after prior experiences of Psychology research, artificial intelligence, database administration and tuning. Over the years his interests have diverged into all those other intangible but real qualities collectively known as non-functional. For the last 11 years he has worked for Acutest, assisting many public and private sector organisations at all levels, conducting tests, managing test teams and deriving non-functional test strategies. He can be found on LinkedIn – www.linkedin.com/in/anthony-evans-nf-testing and is happy to take connection requests.


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Advances in Consumer Research Volume 17, 1990 Pages 902-904
Elaine Sherman, Hofstra University
A discussion of the three papers presented in this session could focus on any number of concerns. However, in exploring the "core" of each paper, the underlying dimension of time emerges. The three papers each deal with a variety of interesting consumer behavior related issues in their unique treatment of time. Although their viewpoints are very different, their approaches suggest a variety of implications for future consumer behavior research.
The first paper 'The Antecedents of Cognitive Age" explores a personal and subjective view of the passage of time. Within the past decade, considerable research has examined older adults' self perceptions of their ages ( e,g.Barak and Schiffman, 1980; Underhill and Cadwell, 1983; Sherman, Schiffman and Dillion, 1988). This research uniformly indicated that older consumers perceive themselves to be younger than their chronological ages. In addition, older consumers' subjective ages have found to be inversely related to several other self perceptions including one's self esteem, confidence and feelings of purpose in life (Barak, Stem, and Gould, 1988).
With such a subjective perspective, aging is a form of life passages instead of a chronological milestone. What does it mean to turn "40," or "60"? There is a need to expand our understanding of cognitive age, and to use it as a basis for segmentation since it better reflects an individual's identity and behavior. Cognitive age --suggests that the 65 year old may be more like the 50 year old, and thus time in the chronological sense of the measure is not as good an indicator for understanding consumer motivations.
The second paper "Attitudinal and Leisure Activity Difference Across Modernized Household Life Cycle Categories" empirically evaluates an updated family life cycle model, originally proposed in the consumer behavior literature by Gilly and Enis (1982). The family stages have often been considered similar to life stages of an individual. As the modern family (or household) changes, the traditional stages of the family life cycle increasingly fail to capture accurately and reflect the family life cycle as the same categories did twenty or more years ago. The old distinctions between life periods are blurring in today's society. Only a few decades ago, aging was closely defined with the family cycle. During that time period, when there were fewer children per family, and births spaced closer together, the signal for the emerging of "middle age " was the time when children left home, while the onset of "old age" was commonly acknowledged as the time following retirement.
Today's changing patterns have altered our perceptions of chronological age categories. Thus, we have greater difficulty measuring life periods when 20 and 40 year old women are both having first babies. In the past, empty nesters were often regarded as those family members in their late forties. Today, yuppies often postpone having children, and now have a child in their late thirties and forties. With these changing cycles, it is important to reflect how the traditional family life cycle categories will be affected by these older parents, who are often the same age as their contemporaries who are often already empty nesters, and who sometimes are grandparents. Furthermore, those in the later stages of the family cycle are living longer, healthier lives and are even marrying and remarrying up through their seventies.
For consumer behavior, these changes have implications from both a research and a strategy point of view. A surprising finding of the Danko, and Schaninger research is that "delayed full nest" wives, do have very traditional values. They defined "delayed full nest" wives as those women having their first child after age- 35 as well as those having additional children after age 35. These women also reported high non-work related time pressures. Not surprisingly, single parents also reported strong patterns of work and time pressures. The relationship of time pressure, work related stress, and family time will continue as important areas of exploration in the coming decade. Additional insights on these issues will be explored subsequently in this commentary.
The third paper by Kaufman and Lane(1989) presents a sociological paradigm that can be used to conceptualize consumer time phenomena. This paradigm incorporates perceptions of time, as well as the interaction between individual's time and their membership in groups. The authors suggest that time constraints pervade language and other aspects of consumer behavior. They recommend a systematic review of existing time paradigms to establish some common understanding of time studies or a "chronosophy" as suggested by Fraiser(1981). Using the chronosophical process, the authors proceed to review potential contributions of a sociological time paradigm and introduce us to a rich vocabulary of time concepts which can be incorporated into consumer research. The authors conscientiousness and attention to detail need to be commended.
While the general topic of time has been addressed in all three papers, a closer examination of some of the specific issues raised by the authors in this session needs to be addressed.
The authors, Chua, Cote and Leong build on research in the gerontology literature which has examined the relationship of aging and life satisfaction. The relationship between the predictors of successful aging(i.e life satisfaction, higher levels of activity, closer family relationships, good health and western culture are explored. Although the concept of cognitive age is interesting and important in our attempt to understand the older consumer,the paper raises several questions. Firstly, one problem was the use of the convenience sample of 301 "elderly' Singaporeans with a self administered questionnaire. Cultural differences are often particularly acute dealing with perceptions relating to such concepts as perceived age. For example, what does it mean to be 55 or older in Singapore compared to a comparable chronological age in the US? Furthermore, can any generalizations be made from the results found in this research? Differences in the cultures regarding age perceptions may make it precarious to do so. An illustration of these differences relates to the age of retirement in these two countries. Since in Singapore 55 is the official government age to retire, there can be major perceptual differences between older people in these two countries based on this factor alone. As the authors acknowledge, the age range, cultural orientation and non-random nature of the sample prevents broad generalizations as they relates to aging. One cultural phenenomena that may make the results less generalizable to the U.S.is the authors suggestions that the lack of association between family relationships and cognitive age might be due to the strength of family relationships in Singapore, which vary little across families. None of the family life factors were related to the age differential, so their third hypothesis was not supported.
Other problems refer to the methodology used in this research. For example, although the authors attempt to measure life satisfaction, they define it as "the type of gratification that an individual's life circumstances make available to a person " is a nonconventional approach to measurement. One might wonder why some well established means of life satisfaction or well being such as Neugarten's (1961) measure was not used. The measurement of cognitive age was not clearly defined.
I agree with the authors that future research needs to focus on various relationships such as that between cognitive age and life satisfaction. Previous research by Sherman, Schiffman and Dillon, (1988), and Sherman and Forman (1988) both indicated positive relationships between life satisfaction and cognitive age. Further investigation of our knowledge of subjective age perceptions continues as an important avenue for research in the coming decade.
Danko and Schaninger's paper explored attitudinal and leisure activity differences across modernized family life cycle model, using the Gilly Enis model to empirically test perceptions of sex role norms, work and time pressure attitudes, traditional values and leisure activities. Our changing demographics certainly present a strong argument for the need for this research. The research suggest differences across sex roles norms and various attitudinal and leisure activities by gender. Their findings indicate the need for future research to use women as head of household and compare these findings with men as head of household. Also using women's ages, instead of men's would suggest shifts in terms of the leisure activities of various stages of family life cycles. Other research issues might be to distinguish between those having their first children and those merely continuing to have children.
Furthermore, various categories need closer exploration. Although newlyweds, bachelors and single parents were categorized, it would be interesting to examine the views of other groups such as noncustodial parents, and true childless couples. In addition, future research which might compare the attitudes of those in second marriages with those in a first marriage and the attitudes of those who marry later with those who married earlier. Other interesting directions might be to explore attitudes and activities by types of career patterns of those who married later and those women who return to" work" and those who return to establish new careers with more education and training. The influence of other variables-such as social class would be an interesting area for future investigation. The attitudinal and leisure activities explored in this research are interesting for giving us a gestalt perspective of life style patterns and suggesting new directions for future research.
Kaufman and Lane's paper presents an absorbing review of the time paradigms in other disciplines and how they can be incorporated into consumer research. The authors suggest that this in depth consideration of time paradigm in other disciplines must precede the incorporation of concepts, terminology and measurement techniques into consumer research. The concept of time has often been characterized in a traditional economic framework. This mathematical or economic approach does not allow the subjective aspects such as the need of the individuals which may be interacting with other time phenomena. A "Chronosophy" approach which is an interdisciplinary and normative study of time.
Their point is well taken. Similar cross discipline analysis in other areas of consumer behavior, such as the two other areas of this session, aging and the family might be fruitful. This paper presents important avenues for consumer research and marketing strategy. While the authors suggest certain areas, others that come to mind for future research include the relationship of roles or the conflict from multiple roles and their relationship with time synchronization. An analysis of various family roles and the changing time perspective would be interesting(i.e. single families, and dual working families).
Another area would be the relationship of time studies and the consumer decision processes. For example, how does it relate to information uncertainty and consumer satisfaction? If the level of expectations and realized outcomes affect consumer satisfaction, does consumer perceptions of the time involved in various consumer behavior activities affect their satisfaction?
The authors discuss the important implications of their paradigm for retailers. For example, the new opportunities created by the inability of consumers to standardize their schedules to existing market institutions which has led to the initiation of special week-end and late night shopping hours, automated teller machines and round-the clock repair services. Further in-depth investigation of the associations between shopping time and its relationships to other time perspectives such as "social time" can be beneficial. Future research might compare the changing perceptions of time in the last five years and perhaps some speculation about future perspectives of time. Most importantly, consumer researchers need to explored how times concepts relate to consumer needs and fulfillment. The authors research in this area points out the many avenues for future research. For example, consumer "self time', such as age perceptions, consumer "interacting time", such as household roles and consumer's "cultural time', such as holiday celebrations and other events suggest potential areas for building richer time constructs and linking them to consumer decision analysis. Implications of these findings include incorporating gender perceptions and the extension of research (Schroeder, 1989) of the expectations behavior based on time use information. A variety of interesting directions for future research have emerged from this session.
Barak, B,and Schiffman L. (1980). "Cognitive Age: A Nonchronological Age Variable," Advances in Consumer Research, 8, 602-6.
Barak, B., Stern, B. and Gould, S. (1988). "Ideal Age Concept: An Exploration," Advances In Consumer Research, Vol.15,53-58.
Fraiser, J.T. (1981). The Voices of Time, University of Massachusetts Press.
Gilly, M. and Enis, B. (1982). "Recycling the Family Life Cycle:A proposal for redefinition,'' Advances in Consumer Research. Vol. 9,271276.
Neugarten,B ., Havighurst, R., and Tobin, S .(1961 ) The Measurement of Life Satisfaction, Journal of Gerontology, Vol .11 1,134-143.
Sherman, E., Schiffman, L. and Dillon, W.(1988). "Age/ Gender Segments and Quality of Life Differences", Marketing: A Return to Broader Dimensions", American Winter Educator's Conference, 319-321.
Schroeder, J. (1989), "What Time Means to Others: Expectations of Behavior Based on Time Use Information'', Advances in Consumer Research, Vol. 16, 354-358.
Underhill, L. and Cadwell, F.(1983),"What Age Do You Feel, Age Perception Study," Journal of Consumer Marketing, 1, 18-27.


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Today we are touring the homes and factory of one of our local
manufactured home companies. Its an experience to sit in "real"
rooms with conventional furniture, cabinetry, and bedrooms.
Of course they are not showing key things like placement
possibilities for an exercise wheel and three jumbo litterboxes :).


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Our core services include
Components may include:
review of
organizational history and
stakeholder interviews; benchmarking; analysis
of financial status; identification and
discussion of key strategic issues; creation of
theory of change and logic models; development
of written implementation plans and related performance coaching;
and retreat facilitation.
Relevant Projects
Advocates for Children: Conducted a comprehensive
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this education advocacy organization.
Americans for United Nations Population
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Case Study: Implementing the
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New York City Department
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Bureau of Maternal, Infant and Reproductive
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Another critically important outcome of these
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They asked Marta to provide performance coaching
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The Results: Through the clarity of purpose gained by this
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process, coupled with their expanding leadership
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breastfeeding initiatives in New York City. They
have attracted private resources to expand a new
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faced with the need to eliminate resources in a
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recognized the importance of a good organizational structure
and were able to easily identify programs that
no longer served the agreed-to critical public
health goals.


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Darren Grenia on: What it takes to create and serve draft cocktails.
The Many Ways Your Business Can Get in Trouble for Tweeting the Olympics
Even hashtags and retweets are off limits.
Why Rémy Martin's Barrels Are So Important
Anyone who's anyone in the world of cognac will tell you that, when it comes to quality, the most important difference between a good and bad finished product all begins with a solid eau de vie—the colorless, clear raw product that results from the distillation of white wine from the dry, acidic grapes in the Cognac region. The eau de vie is essentially a 140-proof alcohol that, if drank straight, burns like the pits of hell.
Topgolf Taps Ignite Creative Services as National Food & Beverage Marketing Agency
Golf entertainment leader Topgolf® has selected Ignite Creative Services, LLC. as their national agency of record handling marketing, advertising, food and beverage. The two-year agreement extends through June 2018.
Satisfying Millennials' Thirst
Operators menu a wide range of beverages to attract adventurous millennials.
9 Essential Cocktails for 4th of July
It would be easy, given the current political climate, to feel cynical and perhaps a little unenthused about the Fourth of July. But there's one American invention that we can always get pumped about: cocktails. The foundation of this country was built on plenty of mixed drinks, so let's salute our forefathers in the only appropriate fashion: with a raised glass.
Creative Ways to Use Flowers in Cocktails
Whether a rose petal floating in a glass of special occasion champagne, a sprig of lavender sitting (somewhat impractically) atop a signature cocktail or a lone violet bobbing prettily in a drink to signal that spring has, in fact, arrived, floral garnishes have the power to take drinks from everyday to event-worthy.
With the resurgence of the cocktail, the bar and spirits industry has grown exponentially, creating a demand for conferences dedicated to those who work in the industry.
Bartender, There's a Logo in My Drink
Branding and bars have long gone hand in hand. But the days when cocktail napkins, swizzle sticks, cardboard coasters and matchbooks were the last word in tactile advertising are over.
6 Ways to Shine on Instagram
High-quality images and clever descriptions promote engagement, which is the point of Instagram. Build a following on the photo-centric social platform by sticking to these basic guidelines.


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Proceeds from the 7th annual K-9's gala event are going to the Los Cabos Humane Society
Los Cabos loves its parties, and in Cabo San Lucas, the biggest and most elaborate galas are often those staged on behalf of local charities. That was certainly the case with the Los Cabos Humane Society's 7th Annual Dressed to the K-9's benefit, held Saturday, December 8th at Villa Marcella in Pedregal.
Dressed to the K-9's has become a staple of the local social calendar, and kicked off the holiday season in splendid fashion, with many full and part-time residents of the area on hand to support the mission of the LCHS. The Humane Society receives no government support, so the annual fundraiser is crucial to their budget, with ticket sales and silent auction proceeds primarily going towards spay and neuter efforts. The event is also a great excuse for fancy dress and festive fun, with food, drinks, dancing, and live music.
Apple & Co. may have been the headliners, the the stars of the event, as always, were the community members that donated their time, efforts, and services on behalf of the LCHS. Event chair Mark Poelvoorde and his co-chairs Elizabeth Schoell and Maye Cortinas oversaw the close to 50 volunteers who pitched in with this year's gala. Local chefs Casiano Reyes and Denis Gabriel, of Casiano and Denni's Catering, respectively, provided the gourmet feast. Chef and restaurateur Drew Deckman created the delicious welcoming cocktail, with shaking done courtesy of Martini Jungle. Yahwe Garcia of Del Cabo Events was responsible for the villa's interior design and holiday decor, and staging and lighting was done by Ambar Productions.
"This year's gala, our biggest and most elaborate, wouldn't have been possible without the tireless efforts of dozens of volunteers, working as a team to make the event a success," said LCHS President Aida Trujillo.
Poelvoorde agreed: "So many volunteers, donors and sponsors, committed to helping the animals and communities of Los Cabos is incredibly moving. Their contribution is truly the heart of all our fundraisers."
Tickets were $125 per person, and were sold out this year, with a record turnout of 300 attendees on hand to support the local pet population. Like last year, the gala was held at Villa Marcella, a spectacular beachfront vacation getaway in the gated Pedregal community. The spacious 10,000 square foot villa was decked out festive holiday fashion, and guests enjoyed plenty of food and drink, fabulous entertainment, dancing under the stars, and even a fireworks display. And why not? There's nothing wrong with a good party on behalf of a great cause. In spite of the huge success of this event, organizers note, though, that the Los Cabos Humane Society needs help throughout the year.
Local businesses were also very generous, and provided a terrific slate of goods and services for the silent auction, including custom jewelry, shopping sprees, golf outings at five championship-level courses, big-game fishing trips, cooking classes, five-star dinners, and accommodations at some of the area's most luxurious hotels and resorts. But perhaps the most sought after item was the autographed guitar from Sammy Hagar. The former Van Halen frontman and Cabo Wabo founder donated a gorgeous Dakota Red Fender Stratocaster, along with other signed memorabilia.
Baja.ca is a comprehensive online source of first-hand travel information for the Baja California Peninsula, supported by a full-service tour operator staffed by Baja locals (our "Baja Travel Savants"). We offer Baja travelers expert advice about local restaurants, hotels and vacation rentals, as well as guides, maps and articles about events, sports and activities. We provide bilingual customer support, information and sales seven days a week, 365 days a year. For more information, please call toll-free (US/CAN) 855-BAJA-411 or email us at email@example.com.
All photos courtesy of Dressed to the K-9's.
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Sneaky Teo gets his jollies watching women undress through a peephole in the Sexyhub Gym dressing rooms! But when this peeping tom is caught with his dick in his hand, he has to atone for his sins against the newest star of his fantasies: Greek goddess Inna Innaki! Her big fake tits and juicy, squat-perfected ass made his cock hard as a rock, but can he withstand a sloppy deepthroat blowjob from the stunning fitness addict? Maybe if he licks her hard nipples, she will be understanding? Maybe if he eats her pussy? It seems the only way out of this for Teo is to make sure the horny raven-haired bombshell gets a proper pussy pounding with that pervy cock of his, and that's exactly what he attempts in this newest offering from FitnessRooms, where Inna Innaki gets a workout, but not exactly the one she expected!
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On Thu, 2001-11-08 at 12:40, Kynn Bartlett wrote: >I've even seen this work on myself -- if you look at discussions >when Jonathan Chetwynd and Anne Pemberton first showed, I was >quite vociferously opposed to anything they had to say about >accessibility for people with cognitive disabilities. Now I find >myself arguing strongly against those who (still) hold my original >viewpoint -- I've seen the light, to one degree or another. Hmmm, it occurs to me that this is likely to be the kind of accessibility issue I'll have the hardest time understanding. Anyone have any pointers to more information?Received on Thursday, 8 November 2001 08:10:31 UTC
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.3.1 : Tuesday, 13 October 2015 16:21:15 UTC


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At the core of most strategic decisions relating to business, marketing, advertising, and products or services, is research. Primary and secondary research are the key components of smart decisions. That is certainly true for KeyResults, who use research extensively to carry out nearly facet of services performed.
KeyResults is a very pragmatic company that heavily resists making empirical decisions without data. And, nearly everything can be tested. Everything. It is entirely possible to know beyond all doubt which features, attributes, packaging, and pricing should work best for a new product before you even prototype the first model. In fact, it is possible to predict whether or not the product will sell at all! Now that's useful.
Creativity in research and due-diligence is something that KeyResults prides itself on. We have saved clients from disastrous business decisions by testing assumptions behind – sometimes major – decisions.


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[Weld, Frederick Aloysius] 1823-1891 :Amuri. Nov 11, ev[enin]g 1850
Reference Number: A-269-012
View at the sea shore, with bluffs and a small beach, probably north of the Haumuri Bluffs, North Canterbury. Maori are launching a canoe and another canoe is on shore. There are also a fish-drying rack, two small whare and four other Maori. The Seaward Kaikoura Range is nearby in the background
Key terms:
1 image, categorised under Watercolours, related to Hon Sir Frederick Aloysius Weld, Haumuri Bluffs, Seaward Kaikoura Range, Maori - Food, Maori - Dwellings - New Zealand - Canterbury Region and Maori - Fishing.
Part of:
[Weld, Frederick Aloysius] 1823-1891 :Amuri. Nov 11, ev[enin]g 1850, Reference Number A-269-012 (1 digitised items)
Extent: 1 watercolour(s)Watercolour 170 x 245 mm. Single art work
Conditions governing access to original: Partial restriction - Use photographic copies in preference to original.
Other copies available: File PrintIn Drawings & Prints under Artist/Title (DFP-005914)
Usage: You can search, browse, print and download items from this website for research and personal study. You are welcome to reproduce the above image(s) on your blog or another website, but please maintain the integrity of the image (i.e. don't crop, recolour or overprint it), reproduce the image's caption information and link back to here (http://mp.natlib.govt.nz/detail/?id=13235). If you would like to use the above image(s) in a different way (e.g. in a print publication), or use the transcription or translation, permission must be obtained. More information about copyright and usage can be found on the Copyright and Usage page of the NLNZ web site.
External Links:
View Full Descriptive Record in TAPUHI
View and/or order a copy of this image from Timeframes
View Archived Image on NDHA


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Marxism-Leninism is more than a political ideology. It is a world view that can be applied in any given situation. Unlike American style "democratic" republicanism, which has very few real world applications, Marxism-Leninism can be applied to economics, sociology, politics, psychology, philosophy, aesthetics, and to the very real issues that we all face on a daily basis.
The philosophy of the United States is one of wealth and power. The working class rarely figure into the considerations of the American Big Government - except when it comes to the money they want from us. As an example, the Democrats are still attempting to push their health care reform, even though it is now pretty clear that it will not happen. Yet, not too long ago, the Democrats were filibuster proof. They could have had health care reform passed without Republican interference, but they were torpedoed by members of the Democratic party that were seeking special benefits for their own states! Even now, they could push through through health care reform with a simple majority - but they refuse to use that, as well. It should be clear that the Democrats care no more for the working class than the Republicans do. The bottom line is the dollar.
Obviously the Republicans do not want health care reform. Why? Because too many of their friends make money off the system the way it is now.
Both parties seem to ignore rising costs when minimum wage legislation come up. My first job was in 1991. At that time, I was earning three dollars and 45 cents an hour. The minimum wage in 2009 was seven dollars and 25 cents. So, in 18 years, the minimum wage rose only three dollars and 80 cents! How many times in 18 years have the U.S. Senate given themselves raises? The answer is, a lot. Actually, I couldn't find an accurate number, but in 2009, during the worst days of the financial crisis, they received a 4,700 dollar pay raise, per member! Financial disclosure forms released by the nation's 100 senators show there are at least 40 millionaires among them -- 22 Republicans and 18 Democrats. Of the 100, only 10 senators reported net worths of less than $100,000. What is wrong with this picture?
There are two philosophies at work in this country - the millionaires club of the U.S. government, and the "struggling to get by" club that the working class are forced to belong to. So, why don't we do something about it? Why don't we cut their salary? Why don't we evict them from their palaces? Why don't we use the power we have to make things better for everyone? It is, simply, a deep seated fear that the capitalist masters have instilled into the working class since the beginning of time. They have us believing that we need them, and that there would be nothing without them. We buy into the lies - the "American Dream", "Work Harder And You'll Make It!", "Ask Not What Your Country Can Do For You...:, and etc...
Marxism-Leninism does not have this fear at its core. It is, in essence, a philosophy which states - "From each according to his ability, to each according to his need." Lenin wrote that labour should be performed for the common good, for the benefit of society, and not for some material reward. Society would provide for us, as we would help to provide for society. Will this be a life with no leisure, no fun, no color, a grey world of automatons? No, it will be a life where we will have more opportunities to better ourselves, and society, because we will not be chained by the necessity to constantly work to pay for the things that society should provide, and we will not be forced to pay for millionaire "representatives" that have no interest in the people they "represent".
Marxism-Leninism, Communism, is about real freedom, and not he imaginary freedom offered by the American capitalists.
Friday, March 5, 2010
Posted by The Red American at 4:03 PM
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Founded by Elizabeth Reese, PhD, E-RYT, RCYT, the Yogiños: Yoga for Youth® Registered Children's Yoga School weaves theory and practice to provide a strong yet playful foundation with which to bring fitness and wellness of body, mind and heart to youth and families from a variety of abilities and backgrounds. As an official Registered Children's Yoga School with Yoga Alliance, the trainings you take with us can be applied toward the 95-hour Registered Children's Yoga Teacher (RCYT) credential. You also can take one weekend module to earn a certificate to become a Kids Yoga Instructor.
We have created 7 distinct trainings that can be taken in any order but one at a time so you can customize your training experiences. Taking 4 of the 7* trainings equals the 95-hours required for RCYT status. We recommend starting with the Foundations Training as some of the content is sequential, but you may start with any of the 7 modules. Please note you must be working toward or already be a Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT) to receive the official RCYT status. (* Please note that Yoga Alliance does not consider Prenatal as part of the RCYT curriculum.)
About Training:
- You do not need to already be a yoga teacher, though an existing yoga practice is helpful.
- Trainings are beneficial for parents, educators, yoga and fitness instructors, Occupational and Cognitive Therapsist, and anyone who works with kids and families.
- Yogiños: Yoga for Youth® trainings are approved and recognized by Yoga Alliance.
- Learn how to offer classes or build a business!
- Participants who complete the 20-hour training receive a certificate of hours completed
- These hours are approved as CEUs for Yoga Alliance (or other groups per their approval; some schools accept them as CEUs)
- Alternatively, hours may be used toward your 95-hour Registered Children's Yoga Teacher credential approved by Yoga Alliance
- Yogiños: Yoga for Youth® instructor status available after submission of follow-up assignments (approx 12-20 hours)
I love YYY! It's a top notch program led by kind and intelligent professionals. The founder, Beth Reese, always responds efficiently and effectively to any questions and the responses are always in a timely manner, which I appreciate very much. YYY is heavily involved in the community. It's a business that practices what it teaches. YYY is genuine. There are many kids yoga programs out there, but YYY offers something unique and valuable – a spirit of synergy and integration that makes this program one of the best on the market. After working with any YYY trainings, you truly feel not only that you have gained invaluable insight and education from the training, but that you yourself have grown the program with your own insights. YYY is a program steeped in community. When you leave a training feeling like you not only gained something, but you contributed something, that's a program that is blazing the trail in expanding the consciousness of our world and empowering individuals to be the best version of themselves and to offer that version of ourselves in service to others. It's an honor to now call myself an RCYT trained by YYY. ~Athea Davis, RYT, RCYT


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Howdee all,
Its winter here in the Sandhills of North Carolina.
The flowers don't know that …
Winter Honeysuckle
I refuse to tell them....
We have had some freezing mornings here the last couple of weeks..
Winter Jasmine
If the sun shines it warms up nicely…..
Okame Cherry
I could stick my nose in this flower all day…It smells divine!
Camilla's bloom all winter here.
This lovely little flower popped up recently..
Its not just flowers in this winter garden..
Beasts come out of the wilds to bask in the winter sun..
Others run around like the crazy beast it is…
There is always something happening here in the
Winter Garden of Beasts and Flowers..
Jeff and I left the Winter Garden of Beasts and Flowers this morning..
We are heading south..First stop Murrells Inlet.
We will be in the Sandhills again sometime in April..
We look forward to see what lurks in
The Spring Garden of Beasts and Flowers..


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Live Blog: WikiLeaks Releases the Stratfor Emails (Day 8)
10:35 AM EST More discussion of Carlos the Jackal. This comes from a source, who says "the information I have is based on a mix of public and classified information that I was exposed to during my service in Israel and Europe." He is not "sure what information is still classified" so he suggests not mentioning him as a source if this information is made public.
The source is David Virgil Dafinoiu, president and co-founder of NorAm Intelligence, which is in Dallas/Fort Worth in Texas. He also is the chairman of the US-Romania Business Council.
Dafinoiu claims Carlos was selling intelligence on Arab countries to Western agencies for "good money" and explains why Israel never targeted Carlos the Jackal:
The reason the French and the Americans decided to arrest him in 94 is to protect him. A coalition of Arab intel agencies led by the Iraqis were on their way to assassin him on his way from Syria to Czechoslovakia where he planned to go to retrieve funds. The plan was to attack him in Budapest were he owned few safe homes.
Here we have a clear case of an American knowingly sharing classified information with a private company that may or may not publish it for profit. That it involves the case of Carlos the Jackal that should be entirely declassified now is important but, in terms of the law, it should not excuse Dafinoiu from facing any consequences.
Is a private citizen that formerly served in a position of power that granted him access to classified information allowed to decide what to declassify when he wants to declassify such information? That is why most people are outraged about what Pfc. Bradley Manning allegedly did.
Let's flip this around: if the Obama Administration is the worst on FOIA in the history of FOIA, perhaps, the only way we citizens find out the truth is by sharing it when we think it is appropriate regardless of whether it is classified or not. If the system is not responsive or working properly, should citizens just wait? There's money to be made off this information. We need to know to "plan ahead" and assess risks. That's what Stratfor does. And no US government official is going to stop them.
9:38 AM EST The New York Times, which has covered the release itself but not the contents of the release, publishes a story, "The Bright Side of Being Hacked." Without condoning the Stratfor hack itself, Somini Sengupta writes that Anonymous hacks have raised "the alarm about the unguarded state of corporate computer systems." This is according to computer security experts at the RSA conference, an annual cryptography and information security conference in San Francisco.
A Cisco security researcher describes the hack itself: "The attack appears to have been twofold: a relatively commonplace attack, known as an SQL injection, on four servers that stored e-mails dating back several years, as well as a breach of a vulnerable third-party e-commerce system that Stratfor would have used to process its paid subscribers."
In other words, not only does Anonymous reveal the inner workings of a corporation but it also reveals how a corporation was not practicing good information security. When a company is successfully hacked, it shows that the company did not do what it needed to do to protect clients.
9:30 AM EST The emails released involve an ongoing trade dispute between Argentina and China and what developments in Moldova mean for politics in the region. Germany and Russia were working on a deal in June 2011 that would put Moldova even more under the influence of Moscow, according to the emails. That bothered the US but there wasn't much that could be done to stop it other than have other countries in the region, like Lithuania, protest.
Here's Bivol's coverage, a media partner of WikiLeaks that is based in Bulgaria.
9:10 AM EST New emails posted bring the total of emails released so far to 664 emails.
Original Post
Just over a week ago, WikiLeaks and twenty-five or so media partners began publishing the "Global Intelligence Files," over five million emails from the Texas-headquartered global intelligence company known as Stratfor. The documents show, according to the organization, "Stratfor's web of informers, pay-off structure, payment-laundering techniques and psychological methods."
The emails have shown that Stratfor had an FBI source, who was feeding information to Stratfor about a "sealed indictment" against Julian Assange; Homeland Security produced a report in October of last year on how growing support for the Occupy movement presented a growing threat of violence; a former Goldman Sachs managing director was helping Stratfor to launch a hedge fund that could help the company "trade in a range of geopolitical instruments, particularly government bonds, currencies and the like"; Coca-Cola hired Stratfor to help them monitor PETA activists at the Vancouver Olympics; Dow Chemical hired Stratfor to monitor Bhopal activists and the Yes Men to ensure their profits weren't hurt by campaigns for justice, since there has been little accountability for the 1984 Union Carbide disaster, which the company is responsible.
Now, Firedoglake's coverage of WikiLeaks' release of the Stratfor emails continues with this live blog for Day 8. Updates will appear at the top.