text:
Call Your Dark Secrets counseling and sex therapy hotline to talk to someone anonymously about sexual issues you are dealing with in private. It can be damaging to keep these secrets to yourself, call and speak with a licensed sexual therapist. Often you will learn more about why you engage in the acts you do, why you keep it a secret, and how you can find comfort, safety, and health through counseling. Dr. Elizabeth Morgan is a certified sexologist that is available for your call. We also have a full staff of licensed sexual therapists,certified hypnotherapist and counselors each specializing in a different field. Call us and let our operator put you in touch with a therapist that specializes in your field. No topics are off limits, we are here to help you heal. Trust our caring and professional therapists to keep everything you discuss with them completely confidential.
Total Anonymity & ConfidentialityRelax and trust our trained and certified professionals to not only keep your secrets, but to help you confront them. Utilizing techniques like role playing, hypnosis and open channels of communication, we will help you work through the issues you have that you can't talk to anyone else about. It is often easier to talk about these subjects on a telephone from someplace where you are safe and comfortable, so call and see how helpful it can be. For $2.99 per minute, we are the most affordable therapists around. Contact our sex therapy hotline for a doctor and licensed therapists for marriage counseling, homosexuality issues, sexual abuse, or other sexual problems.
Contact our sex therapy hotline for a
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text:
With New York musician, Ljova in town for our long-awaited, two-week collaboration, several more concerts as part of our émigré series and lots of education work, particularly with young primary school students, the Spring months at City of London Sinfonia have certainly been jam-packed.
A unique mix of Klezmer, classical music, Balkan Gypsy and jazz, we've loved getting to know New York composer and musician, Ljova's music over the last two weeks. Travelling over 3500 miles to join us for a two-week period, Ljova has performed alongside our musicians in several projects and concerts, including our recent CLoSer at Village Underground, Key Stage One projects with young children in Harrow and Tower Hamlets and participated in our L'Chaim outreach work with Jewish Care Homes. Just this week, he joined us in a DASH Arts café at Rich Mix, Shoreditch, and we look forward to welcoming him at Cadogan Hall this Saturday for our next Crash Bang Wallop family concert, Bon Voyage! Continue reading Month in Pictures: March and April

subset: commoncrawl


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Dog fouling fines
Community Wardens will issue a fixed penalty to a person who they believe has committed an offence under section 1 of the Dog Fouling (Scotland) Act 2003 this being in charge of a dog, which has defecated and has failed to immediately remove the faeces from the location.
The notice issued gives the person an opportunity of discharging any liability to conviction for the offence by paying a fixed penalty of £80.
Failure to pay within 28 days from the day after the notice was issued will result in the fixed penalty increasing from £80 to £100. East Renfrewshire Council is authorised to begin proceedings to recover the £100 at any time after the expiry of the period for paying the fixed penalty without the need to obtain a court order. These are the increased fees as of 1 April 2016.
Can I appeal a Dog Fouling Fixed Penalty Notice?
The person may contest the fixed penalty and request a hearing by ticking the box and returning to the address provided on the notice within 28 days from the day after the notice was issued.


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st: string
Viktor Slavtchev <firstname.lastname@example.com>
st: string
Mon, 17 Mar 2008 14:48:03 +0100
Dear list,
I want to merge two files where the common variable is a string (names of cities). However, there are non systematic differences in the notions.
For example, you can find: "Berlin" in the first file but " Berlin" in the second. In other cases you can find "Rome" and "Roma,IT". Or "Paris, FR" and "Paris/FR"
I was tot able to find any systematics in the notion. I have over 40.000 unique observations.
How can I search for substrings in Stata? For example, for "*Rom*", the largest match between "Rome" and "Roma,IT".
I think this could help to solve some problems. Or does anybody know a better way to deal with such kind of 'bad' data?
* For searches and help try:
* http://www.stata.com/support/faqs/res/findit.html
* http://www.stata.com/support/statalist/faq
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Salience is the world's first CyberAI®.
Powered by Sentinel, Salience learns and understands what is normal in your enterprise, finding the unknown unknowns that traditional security tools can't detect.
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We're pretty stoked to show you some new pieces in our inventory!
photos + gifs by Jessica Lynne Studios
We're pretty stoked to show you some new pieces in our inventory!
photos + gifs by Jessica Lynne Studios
Keep it Local! We love getting to work in our own community, here in Long Beach, CA - it's too much fun to partner with our neighbors! Check out the lounge spaces we created for Howl's launch party of their 3rd volume in their newly remodeled space.
Rentals: LA Salvage Co.
Venue: HOWL
Photography: Jessica Lynne Studios
Last month, LAS had the great pleasure of partnering with Cake & Punch and Taylor Marie Lewis for a Project Child Save Charity fundraising event. It was such an honor to be a part of this event and provide our services for such a deserving organization.
Project Child Save is an incredible non-profit organization that helps rescue children in Central America who have been abducted into the sex trafficking. Started by Ty Ritter and a small team of ex-navy seals, they have already rescued roughly 5,000 children and continue to do so every day.
Thank you to all the amazing people involved in the HOME fundraising event for Project Save Child - we are grateful for you!
Photography: Taylor Marie Lewis
Event Planning: Cake & Punch
Rentals: LA Salvage Co.
Music: Swimm & Transviolet
Bar: Malibu Family Wines
Calligraphy: Pirouette Paper Company
Charity: Project Child Save
Thursday, we had the pleasure of hosting & speaking at the Long Beach Broker Preview Breakfast. We met at the stunning Seal Beach Yacht Club & shared a little bit about our staging process and history. It was great to meet everyone who came out - we hope to work with you soon!
We had so much fun hosting our Cinco de Mayo Fiesta last week! Thanks so much for those of you who came out to visit! If you missed it, we love having visitors in the showroom, just let us know when you'd like to come in!
Thank you a million to all the amazing people who helped make this happen - stunning floral design by Inessa Nichols, delicious food from Cater Craft, Margaritas and Mules from The Handsome Bartender, fun balloons from Wild Child Party, bike chain chandeliers by Facaro, and photography by Jessica Lynne Studios.


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European Inter-University Centre for Human Rights and Democratisation (EIUC), Venice Lido (Italy)
Training for International Electoral Observers
Module I: 23-25 November 2015
Module II: 26-28 November 2015
Deadline for application: 30 October 2015
International election observation plays an important role in international relations since almost thirty years. The Declaration of Principles for International Election Observation adopted by the UN in 2005 is one of the first attempts of the international Community to set up standard rules recognized at international level. The European Union is strongly committed to contribute to all democratic processes around the world through various activities which include the electoral observation. The adoption of EU guidelines on preconditions for EU observation missions and a code of conduct for EU electoral observers represented an important step towards enhanced co-ordination and serve as a basis for all electoral observers.
EIUC has developed two three-day modules aiming at providing training to civilian staff in election observation missions at the first steps of their career (i.e. short term observers). Selected applicants will be allowed to become aware of the role, the tasks and the status of international observers, and will be given a theoretical and practical training on election observation and election observation missions functioning.
The aim of the course is to deepen the theoretical and practical expertise on election observation missions, in providing participants with practical skills which will be an asset in case of further applications as international observers. The course will introduce the students to election observation starting with introductory remarks followed by lectures in plenum on the history of electoral observation, international legal standards, observation methodology and missions functioning. Work groups, case studies and simulations will actively engage the participants who will look closely into all different steps of an electoral observation mission, from the exploratory phase to selection procedures through its internal functioning, the relations with national authorities, including the electoral management bodies, the local stakeholders and the political actors involved into the electoral cycle and security issues. At the end of each day, participants will be called to participate to a brainstorming debate with lecturers and share their experience and expertise in the subject.
The first module will highlight the quantitative observation of the STOs. Starting with a thorough introduction on the international observation theory and legal standards the first module will analyse the practical life of a short term observer from the selection procedure to the end of mission including the observation of the polls, the filling of the forms, the reporting system and the code of the conduct. The methodology will combine frontal lecturers in plenary, working groups as well as role plays, discussions and simulation exercises.
Detailed information on fees, lecturers and how to apply can be found here.


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I interviewed Jeremy Haines and Sammy Rubin of Project Jenny, Project Jan before their Seattle show in March. I am ashamed to admit that I actually misplaced the interview but the coincidence of losing the interview and the fact that one of my favorite songs of theirs, Negative, concerns lost negatives is not lost on me. The loss of the interview really upset me and discovering it on my computer a couple weeks ago was such a relief. Anyway, enough about me. PJPJ comes from Brooklyn, New York and their songs combine all sorts of sounds – they are fearless in incorporating whatever they want in their music. I love that. Their new EP, the Colors, is out now and you should get it. Really.
Q: I love the video for Negative – where did you find the footage of the girl dancing & the negatives?
Sammy Rubin: The girl dancing was just easy – I just found some footage. The negatives are the interesting part because that was how the whole song started. We had to write a whole bunch of songs in a really short time because somebody asked us to play a party and we didn't even have any songs. We were writing, working and drinking. I'm working on the music for it and Jeremy can't figure out what this song is going to be about. He goes, I'm gonna take a walk and get some beer. On the way back [he has] plastic negatives in a sleeve. I was working on my computer and he just stuck it on the screen. He was just like, that's what I'm writing a song about. We ended up scanning them and putting them into the video. Those are the actual negatives we found. Somebody lost those negatives.
[The original of the video is no longer on the site but you can see it in the background of the live version above.]
Q: Do you like directing and producing videos?
S.R.: I don't really consider myself doing video at all. I want to stop. I want somebody else to do the videos for us. I want to just work on the music.
Q: The video for Zoobar is cool too.
S.R.: Which one?
Q: The one with the toys.
S.R.: I didn't make that one, that's Chris Herbeck.
Q: You have a different video for it?
S.R.: We use the one live that we made originally for it, which is actually worse. Do you remember Meet the Feebles? It was Peter Jackson's first thing – they looked like Muppets but they were really warped. I used that. It's also distasteful and quirky in its own way.
Sammy Rubin – photo by Dagmar
Q: Do you have any musical guilty pleasures?
S.R.: I don't feel guilty [about music]. I like Billy Joel. There was one the other day I was thinking of and I wouldn't tell anyone about it. I'm trying to think of it so I can tell you right now. It was something really, really bad.
Q: Aqua?
S.R.: No.
Q: I like Aqua. The whole album (Aquarium) is great.
S.R.: Oh yeah. We came into today and there was a station just playing techno. Did Aqua play Barbie Girl?
Q: Yeah.
S.R.: We drove into today and they were playing [this techno music] and Jeremy was like, are we in Russia? It was fun to listen to, I mean, we didn't change the station.
Q: Is this your first band, or have you always played music?
S.R.: I've always played music. When I was in music school I had a band there. Jeremy was in a band in college. He was the lead singer. We became friends and didn't form a band – it didn't even occur to us for a while. All the sudden we were like, let's start making music.
Q: What instruments did you learn as a child?
S.R.: I started with piano and learned saxophone and then moved to bass guitar. I was a bass player for a long time before I did this. I'm into bass a lot. It's both rhythmic and melodic. I think that ends up coming out in our music. Most of our stuff is bass driven.
Q: You studied music theory?
S.R.: Theory, composition . . . it was at University of Rochester.
Q: Do you like classical music?
S.R.: I got into Chopin for a while and Beethoven.
[Jeremy Haines joins us]
S.R.: We were talking about classical music.
Jeremy Haines: You know, the girl before asked me that too. She was like, it sounds like you guys have classical references in your music. I said that Sammy used to play jazz, and that's why.
Q: I haven't seen the movie yet, but you two did a cameo in Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist?
J.H.: I play this character named Randy, who has a band called Are You Randy? – which is us. We're integral to the plot development. They're trying to go see their favorite band, Where's Fluffy? They think that's it going to happen at this one place, and everyone goes, and then we show up. Everyone gets sad and leaves.
S.R.: Yeah, they all walk out. I liked that.
J.H.: It's fun to be the villains. My character comes and goes throughout the course of the movie. He's the guy that keeps coming back. It made our fan base a lot younger – a ton of teenagers saw it. A small percentage of them were interested enough in our characters and music to look us up. Now we've got a lot of fifteen-year-old friends on Myspace.
Jeremy Haines – photo by Dagmar
Q: What were your initial impressions of each other?
S.R.: I thought he was an idiot.
J.H.: I thought he was a jerk. The first time I remember meeting him he'd just crashed his car after a long drive from Long Island. I thought he was crazy. He was like, I just crashed my car, I need a drink.
S.R.: I had to get it towed. I was so frazzled by it I needed whiskey.
J.H.: He was friends with my best friends from high school so they put in a good word for him.
S.R.: Otherwise he would have thought I was a big jerk.
Q: Jeremy, you studied art, do you do all the posters and artwork for the band?
J.H.: I do all the drawings. In the videos Sammy puts them altogether – he's the editor/director. That's what I went to college for. I moved to New York to pursue it.
One of Jeremy Haines' posters – brilliant.
Q: Do you ever read reviews of your live shows?
J.H.: Sometimes.
Q: Does it make you self-conscious?
J.H.: You think you're above it all, you're like, whatever . . . but then you read something sometimes and you're like, that hurts.
S.R.: Even if it's filled with misspellings and a readership of two, it still stings.
J.H.: It's like a critique when you're in school, sometimes you get bombed.
Q: I'd want to comment back.
J.H.: That's the other thing. With critiquing you can defend yourself.
Q: I read some interview, I think in Orlando, where you wanted some Disney characters to show up. Who'd you like to turn up?
S.R.: Depends where. The Disney characters kind of suck.
J.H.: No they don't, what about all those princesses? Tinker Bell is kind of lame, but if she was really here, sprinkling fairy dust on everyone so that everyone could fly – this night would be crazy. Everyone boozing and flying around.
S.R.: That would be awesome.
J.H.: I like the effect Tinker Bell that would have on everyone.
Tinker Bell by Disney
Q: Do you remember your first show as Project Jenny, Project Jan?
J.H.: Totally. We have it on video.
S.R.: We never put it up.
J.H.: Because it sucks.
S.R.: It's not horrible.
J.H.: But it's not that good.
S.R.: If I remember right, it looks like a high school talent show.
J.H.: I've got long hair.
S.R.: And I'm sitting down. I think we only had three songs. It was a variety show.
J.H.: It was a fun show – we had a great time. Our friends were all there and we got a show directly from it.
Q: What kind of clothing style or fashion would you like to see come back?
J.H.: Hats.
S.R.: Maybe hats. How about the earring that connects to your nose?
J.H.: That was sweet.
You can see more photos I took of their show here.


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Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Local Smiles.
The great thing about living in a flat in a part of Tokyo for a short time, is that you can greet local people and perhaps get to know them a little. These were the men who were in the octopus ball shop everyday. They were so friendly with huge smiles. It was really a highlight to see them everyday and quite sad when we waved goodbye as we left this area.
Posted by Hill upon Hill at 11:27 PM
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Jennifer Louden, Julie Daley, Indigo Bacal and Ariel Gore signed up to contribute to my next book, The Rainbow Way, - all complete heroines of mine!
Bonfire night sparklers and stories by candlelight
My boy going off with his school on a big bus to watch the older girls team in a football final
Our whole family doing the Gangnam style dance - such fun!
(Don't know what it is? Then check out the original video!!)
My friend Laura - she's just so special... check out her blog and see why
This exchange:
Ash, in a fierce mad two year old singing voice: "My am a gummy bear...and my blow your house down!"
Timmy "Mum, I don't have any more mayonnaise."
Ash, in 'grown up, auntie Ash' mode:" Yes you do, sweetheart, it's there!"
Colouring mandalas with my Meli girl
Watching George of the Jungle with the kids and hearing them warn him every time he's about to crash into a tree
A wonderful five-year-old's birthday party, like proper parties should be!
What are yours this week? Please do share them below and come by to Holistic Mama to link up.


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Product Description
Favor Tag
Personalized tag sized approx. 2.6 x 4.5 inch (single-sided), printed on 100# matte cover, hole punched, and comes with a satin ribbon tie.
PLEASE NOTE: Ties will require client assembly.
My Lady Dye, Unique and Chic Handcrafted Wedding Stationery and Event Stationery
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My Lady Dye is located in Fairhope, AL, USA.


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SASTM Newsflash
WHO ponders preponderance of older men with H7N9
In a new perspective article today, experts from the World Health Organization (WHO) acknowledged the puzzling preponderance of older men among H7N9 influenza patients in
Experts from the WHO's Western Pacific Region Office (WPRO) wrote that among the 63 H7N9 cases reported from Mar 31 through Apr 16, the median age was 64, and 45 patients (71%) were male. Thirty-nine of the 63 patients (62%) were at least 60 years old. This contrasts with the profile of the general Chinese population, "which has a large proportion of young and middle-aged adults and a greater number of women among the elderly," says the article, which was published online in the WHO's Western Pacific Surveillance and Response Journal.
The WHO experts also found a distinct difference in the case-fatality rate (CFR) between elderly men and elderly women. For all ages, the CFR for males was the same as for females: 22% (10 of 45 and 4 of 18).
But for those 60 and older, the CFR for men was 20% (6 of 30), while for women it was zero (0 of 9). As others have pointed out, the H7N9 age distribution differs from that of the 45 H5N1 cases recorded in
They list 3 potential reasons for the age and sex distribution in H7N9: gender-related differences in exposures to the virus, gender-linked biological differences in the clinical course of illness, and gender-related differences in healthcare-seeking behavior or healthcare access. Concerning possible exposure differences, the article notes that live-bird markets (LBMs) have been the primary sites where the H7N9 virus has been found in poultry and environmental samples in affected areas. However, "age- and sex-specific LBM visit patterns are unknown."
The authors go on to suggest that pet birds may be worth investigating as a possible source of the virus: "Elderly Chinese men are also well-known to be hobbyists of ornamental pet songbirds and take frequent and extended walks with their caged birds, congregating together in parks." They add, "A better understanding of the social norms and behaviors among elderly Chinese men in affected areas may better guide us in the investigation (e.g. by identifying hypotheses for case-control series)." The article offers no hypotheses about the role of possible biological differences. But it suggests that useful information might be gained from serologic investigations among close contacts of patients and studies of underlying conditions and other risk factors among the patients themselves.
The authors doubt that H7N9 cases in elderly men are more likely to be detected than cases in other subgroups, given the high severity of illness in most cases, high public awareness of the outbreak, and nationwide enhanced surveillance for flu-like illness. "At this time, it is clear that there are more questions than answers," the WHO experts write. They suggest that investigators focus on 3 avenues of
v The "societal norms and common social practices" of elderly men in the affected provinces;
v The age and sex distribution of severe acute respiratory illness and key risk factors for respiratory illness in the general population in the affected region;
v The age and sex distribution of healthcare use in the general population in the affected provinces.
Communicated by: Pro med Mail
The pattern of the outbreak remains unchanged a slow progressive increase in the number of predominantly middle-aged and elderly patients, relatively severe illness and poor outcomes, no confirmed human-to-human transmission and no identification of an animal source of infection.
A wild pigeon has been found to be H7N9 positive. If elderly Chinese men spend more time in parks more than women, they would be more exposed to infection from pigeons; from feather dust when they flap up from the ground and from their excreta
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They Were Sisters [1945] [DVD]
Phyllis Calvert
James Mason
: all-region dvd (worldwide)
: 109 min
: Very good Vhs transfer
A quintessential Gainsborough melodrama following the marriages of three sisters, whose husbands, it turns out, range from the tolerant to the tyrannical. The sisters are played by three splendid actresses whose looks (and diction) epitomise a long-gone era: Phyllis Calvert, Dulcie Gray and Anne Crawford.
Today, though, the main interest is in the character of Geoffrey, a no-good sadist who causes untold misery to Gray's sweet Charlotte: he's played by a young James Mason, giving a performance every bit as vicious as his work in The Seventh Veil and The Man in Grey.
FREE shipping included
This item is in stock
Copyright Vic's Rare Films 2004 - 2018. All dvds are guaranteed to work in the UK and Europe, Australia and other PAL format regions. Outside these regions we advise you check your equipment. All orders are supplied with full artwork and covered by our 30 day guarantee.


text:
Like a fine wine....trying to improve with age./
These two pictures are two years apart. Going back another year, and here is a three year apart picture:
What do I do better now that I'm 30?
- I started eating well this year, and I can see it in these pictures (less bloated arm and face)
- I improved my make up routine, particularly my eyebrows!
- I have better hair (opening a hair salon certainly helped with that one!)
- I've found my own sense of style, rather than just trying to follow the rockabilly rules. This just took some time to figure out!
I've loved being 30 so far, and actually I can't believe it's coming round to nearly 31 already!


text:
ObamaCare Experts on Call
This is our latest addition on how to save you money in HealthCare as a Business Owner or Individual.
We have Experts that are certified in the Affordable Care Act. They are credentialed Nationally in the Top 4%.
Our HealthCare Experts are:
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- Certified in administering ObamaCare Audit Reviews
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Our ACA Experts are available to conduct initial Business Owner HealthCare Needs & Analysis Reviews via telephone at no cost to the Business Owner. This short call helps us understand what your "pain points" truly are and how we are able to assist you in relieving that pressure. 2017 marks the first year that all penalties of ObamaCare will take "full effect" and many Business Owners will be shocked to discover that fines can be as high as $2000 per employee (part-time & full-time). You read that correctly, even part-time employees could cost you fines based upon the hours worked and employee headcount; many Employers think that they are cleared from any HealthCare problems because they only have part-time employees (common mistake). Let us take the guesswork out of the equation and allow us to conduct a "FREE AUDIT" on your current Healthcare scenario to ensure that you won't get stuck paying unnecessary fines.
Download "ObamaCare Subject Matter Specialist" ObamaCare-Certification-SME.pdf – Downloaded 288 times – 103 KB


text:
Detailed fault descriptions help us handling the RMA request quickly. For support concerning RMA, please contact us (firstname.lastname@example.com)
The application for a credit note in case of goodwill is only available within 10 days from invoice date!!!
If you return goods from misordering we will charge you a handling fee of 10% (at least 20,00 excl. tax).
With sending this RMA application the applicant accepts the general terms and conditions of IC INTRACOM Vertriebs GmbH.


text:
We Are One: A World Anthem
The result of a two year journey by two brothers, this extraordinary production involved 90 coast-to-coast recording sessions to include a diverse range of people from scores of nations.
INTRODUCING WE ARE ONE - A World Anthem (video)
The WE ARE ONE OR CELEBRATION OF ONENESS GLOBAL Movement is uniting humanity...The time has come to work together as one global family!
"By working together as one global family, we can change the world…for the benefit of all!"
For the benefit of all,
Kevin Reid
CEO & Founder
LLP Global Enterprises, Inc.
A nonprofit organization dedicated to global transformation for the benefit of all.
WE ARE ONE - A World Anthem
Used by permission.
Courtesy of LLP Records,
a division of Light, Love & Power Global Enterprises, Inc.
Writer/Publisher: Kevin A. Reid
As Above, So Below Music ASCAP
Artist: Kevin & The Sacred Fire
Copyright 2007 LLP Global Enterprises, Inc.


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Greening of transport – Council conclusions 6
Cross-border enforcement 6
Inclusion of the aviation sector in the Community greenhouse gas emission allowance trading scheme – participation by third countries – Council Conclusions 7
Aviation agreement with Lebanon 9
Air Traffic management – SESAR programme 10
Maritime transport 15
Internal energy market 17
Legislative package on climate change and renewable energies 19
Energy efficiency – Council conclusions 20
Energy security 25
The governments of the Member States and the European Commission were represented as follows:
Mr Didier SEEUWS Deputy Permanent Representative
Mr Paul MAGNETTE Minister for Climate and Energy
Mr Petar Vassilev MUTAFCHIEV Minister for Transport
Ms Galina TOSHEVA Deputy Minister for the Economy and Energy
Czech Republic:
Mr Aleš ŘEBÍČEK Minister for Transport
Mr Martin ŘÍMAN Minister for Industry and Trade
Mr Lars BARFOED Minister for Transport
Ms Connie HEDEGAARD Minister for Climate and Energy
Mr Matthias VON RANDOW State Secretary, Federal Minister for Transport, Building and Urban Development
Mr Peter HINTZE Parliamentary State Secretary to the Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Technology
Mr Juhan PARTS Minister for Economic Affairs and Communications
Mr Eamon RYAN Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources
Mr Noel AHERN Minister of State at the Department of Transport (with special responsibility for Road Safety)
Mr Christos FOLIAS Minister for Development
Mr John TZOANOS Secretary-General, Ministry for Mercantile Marine, the Aegean and Island Policy
Ms Magdalena ÁLVAREZ ARZA Minister for Infrastructure and Transport
Mr Pedro Luis MARÍN URIBE Secretary-General, Ministry for Industry, Tourism and Trade
Mr Jean-Louis BORLOO Ministre d'État, Minister for Ecology, Energy, Sustainable Development and Town and Country Planning
Mr Dominique BUSSEREAU Minister of State with responsibility for Transport
Mr Altero MATTEOLI Minister for Infrastructure and Transport
Mr Claudio SCAJOLA Minister for Economic Development
Mr Nicos NICOLAIDES Minister for Communications and Works
Mr Antonis PASCHALIDES Minister for Commerce, Industry and Tourism
Mr Nïls FREIVALDS State Secretary, Ministry for Transport and Communications
Mr Artūrs BERGHOLCS Parliamentary State Secretary, Ministry for Economic Affairs
Mr Vytas NAVICKAS Minister for the Economy
Mr Alminas MAČIULIS State Secretary, Ministry for Transport and Communications
Mr Lucien LUX Minister for the Environment, Minister for Transport
Mr Jeannot KRECKÉ Minister for Economic Affairs and Foreign Trade, Minister for Sport
Mr Lajos CSEPI State Secretary for Transport
Ms Ágnes VARGHA Deputy Permanent Representative
Mr Austin GATT Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Communications
Mr George PULLICINO Minister for Resources and Rural Affairs
Mr Camiel EURLINGS Minister for Transport, Public Works and Water Management
Ms Maria VAN DER HOEVEN Minister for Economic Affairs
Mr Martin BARTENSTEIN Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Labour
Ms Christa KRANZL State Secretary, Federal Ministry of Transport, Innovation and Technology
Mr Waldemar PAWLAK Deputy Prime Minister, Minister for Economic Affairs
Mr Cezary GRABARCZYK Minister for Infrastructure
Mr Manuel PINHO Minister for Economic Affairs and Innovation
Mr Barna TANCZOS State Secretary, Ministry of Transport
Mr Tudor CONSTANTINESCU Chairman, Romanian Agency for Energy Conservation
Ms Mary Veronica TOVSAK PLETERSKI Deputy Permanent Representative
Mr Milan MOJŠ State Secretary, Ministry of Transport, Post and Telecommunications
Mr Peter ŽIGA State Secretary at the Ministry of the Economy
Ms Anu VEHVILÄINEN Minister for Transport
Mr Mauri PEKKARINEN Minister for Economic Affairs
Mr Leif ZETTERBERG State Secretary, Ministry for Infrastructure
Mr Ola ALTERÅ State Secretary, Ministry for Enterprise and Energy
United Kingdom:
Mr Geoff HOON Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury and Chief Whip
Mr Ed MILIBAND Minister for the Cabinet Office and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
Mr Antonio TAJANI Vice-President
Mr Andris PIEBALGS Member
Greening of transport – Council conclusions
The Council requested the Permanent Representatives Committee to continue examining these draft conclusions with a view to their adoption at its meeting in December.
The Council held a public policy debate on a proposal for a Directive facilitating cross-border enforcement of legislation in the field of road safety.
Ministers agreed on the objectives of the Commission proposal and stressed the need for a lasting and effective European instrument. The Council requested the Permanent Representatives Committee to continue working on the proposal, taking account of comments from delegations. The Council will return to the subject at its meeting in December.
A number of Member States expressed doubts as to the appropriateness of the legal basis chosen by the Commission for its proposal. Those delegations questioned whether there actually existed any Community competence on the basis of which the proposed Directive could be adopted.
The proposal should make a contribution to EU road safety policy, the target of which since 2001 has been to halve the number of road deaths by 2010. The aim of this Commission proposal is to improve road safety within the European Union. To this end, it provides for facilitating the enforcement of penalties on drivers committing an offence in a Member State other than that in which their vehicle is registered. Four road safety offences are covered in the directive: speeding, driving under the influence of alcohol, failure to wear a seat belt and failure to observe red traffic lights. These are the offences which cause the greatest number of accidents and deaths on the roads
The proposal is designed to introduce a network for the exchange of electronic data throughout the EU so that the owner of a vehicle can be identified to enable the authorities of a Member State in which an offence has been committed to serve notice on the owner of the vehicle with which the offence was committed.
The Commission submitted its proposal in March 2008 (7984/08). The European Parliament should adopt its opinion at first reading in November 2008.
Inclusion of the aviation sector in the Community greenhouse gas emission allowance trading scheme – participation by third countries – Council Conclusions
The Council adopted the following conclusions:
"The Council of the European Union,
1. RECALLS that the European Union has set itself the objective of a unilateral reduction of 20 % in its greenhouse gas emissions by 2020 and 30 % in the framework of an ambitious global agreement on a climate change regime for after 2012;
2. CONSIDERS that the international aviation sector, which is excluded from the scope of States' quantified commitments under the Kyoto Protocol, should also participate in the objective of achieving greenhouse gas emissions reductions, in view of its environmental impact;
3. CONFIRMS its determination to achieve a reduction in the aviation sector's greenhouse gas emissions through a comprehensive approach which includes not only market based measures but also, in particular, the implementation of the Single European Sky, the modernisation of air traffic management (SESAR) and by intensifying the aeronautical research efforts, in particular via the CLEAN SKY programme;
UNDERLINES the need to comply with the schedules and objectives of these programmes in order to ensure a significantly improved environmental performance by the aviation sector;
REQUESTS the Commission to monitor this issue closely;
4. CONSIDERS that the high cost of fuel has put an economic burden on air transport operators which should constitute an incentive for them to accelerate their fleet modernisation programme and making the most of other short term efficiency measures in order to improve their energy performance.
5. CONSIDERS that, despite the adverse economic climate linked to the increased cost of fuel, growth in the aviation sector is likely to exceed the rate of emissions reduction due to technological performance gains and that also taking economic measures will contribute to limit this sector's emissions and is therefore justified;
6. NOTES that, from this viewpoint, the inclusion of aviation in emissions trading schemes has been recognised at the international level as the most cost-effective solution from an environmental perspective compared to other economic and fiscal measures;
7. NOTES in this regard the European Parliament's second reading vote on 8 July on the Directive including aviation activities in the EU ETS, which confirms the agreement reached at the end of June 2008 between the Parliament, the Council and the Commission and makes it possible to include aviation into the EU ETS from 2012;
7a. UNDERLINES that this Directive has been designed to apply on a non-discriminatory basis to all aircraft operators of all States providing services to, from and within the EU;
8. UNDERLINES that the agreement reached at the end of June 2008 strikes an appropriate balance between the environmental integrity of the ETS scheme for aviation, on the one hand, and the international competitiveness framework in which the aviation sector operates, on the other hand. RECOGNISES in this regard that air operators need predictability about the basic parameters of this Directive, in particular the emissions cap and the proportion of allowances for auction;
9. UNDERLINES that this Directive is only a first step towards the final objective, which is to seek an agreement on global measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from aviation and that, if necessary, it will be adapted to fit this global framework;
10. HOPES in this regard that the discussions of the ICAO Group on International Aviation and Climate Change (GIACC), which is responsible for developing a programme of action and common strategy for international aviation, will produce far reaching proposals, that would be confirmed at a high-level meeting in 2009, in order to contribute to the decisions of UNFCCC CoP 15 set for December 2009;
11. RECALLS that in order to reach the goal of setting up a global system, the European Directive will make it possible to recognise equivalent measures put in place by third countries and therefore REQUESTS the Commission to continue to engage with third countries on the EU ETS to explore possibilities for such States to introduce equivalent measures as provided for under the relevant section of the Directive;
REQUESTS the Commission to promote the application of these provisions in particular in the framework of aviation agreements with third countries;
12. UNDERLINES that the Directive provides for aircraft operators to be able to use the flexibility mechanisms of the Kyoto protocol, initially up to 15 % of the number of allowances they are required to surrender, and that this will benefit the developing countries where the corresponding projects are implemented;
13. RECALLS that it is for the Member States to determine, in accordance with their constitutional and budgetary provisions, how revenue generated by the auctioning of aviation sector emission allowances is to be used, and that in this context, they undertake to combat climate change."
Aviation agreement with Lebanon
The Council has adopted a Decision authorising the Commission to open negotiations with Lebanon to establish a Euro-Mediterranean Air Agreement.
The Commission requested this negotiating brief in 2004. The request was submitted to the Council at the same time as those for Morocco and Jordan, and it is based on the Commission's opinion on the need to establish a general aviation policy vis-à-vis the European Union's neighbouring countries.
The purpose of this agreement will be to align legislative provisions and establish cooperation on security, safety and environmental standards. It will also be aimed at ensuring the gradual opening of markets between the European Union and Lebanon.
Air Traffic management – SESAR programme
Amendment of the Regulation on the establishment of a joint undertaking
The Council agreed on a general approach to the Regulation amending Regulation (EC) No 219/2007 on the establishment of a joint undertaking [1] to develop the new generation European air traffic management system (SESAR).
The Regulation is being amended in order to clarify the legal status of the SESAR joint undertaking and to align its statutes with those of other joint undertakings created recently in the framework of joint technological initiatives such as Clean Sky or Artemis. To this end, provisions on the following have been included in the Regulation: recognition of the SESAR joint undertaking as a Community body; application of the status of European Community temporary staff to its personnel; application of the Protocol on the Privileges and Immunities of the European Communities to the joint undertaking, its staff and its executive director, etc.
The Commission presented the proposed amendment to the Council in July 2008 (12204/08). The Council agreed on a general approach to the proposal for a Regulation, pending delivery of the European Parliament's opinion.
The SESAR programme (Single European Sky Air Traffic Management Research) aims to modernise air traffic management in European and to provide the Community with an efficient air traffic control infrastructure by 2020, in order to facilitate the development of safe and environmentally-friendly air transport. SESAR is the technological and industrial dimension of the Single European Sky. It comprises three phases: the definition phase (2005-2008), which has made it possible to draw up the SESAR Master Plan for establishing the future air traffic management system; the development phase (2008-2013), which will be supervised by the joint undertaking; and the deployment phase (2014-2020).
Council Resolution on the launch of the development phase of the SESAR programme
The Council adopted the following Resolution:
"The Council of the European Union,
(i) the Council statement of 9 June 2006 on the proposal for a Council Regulation on the establishment of a Joint Undertaking to develop the new generation European air traffic management system (SESAR),
(ii) Council Regulation (EC) No 219/2007 of 27 February 2007 establishing the SESAR Joint Undertaking (hereinafter "the Joint Undertaking"),
(iii) the Council Resolution of 8 June 2007 on the formal establishment of the Joint Undertaking,
Having regard to:
(i) the Commission communication of 25 June 2008 on the Single European Sky II: towards more sustainable and better performing aviation, and
(ii) the information given by the Commission services on the report of the SESAR consortium and the SESAR MASTER PLAN,
1. REITERATES that, in order to ensure the development of a new generation of air traffic management (ATM) systems in Europe, it is necessary to rationalise public and private sector efforts and combine them in a single European programme, SESAR;
2. STRESSES that the SESAR programme is aimed at maintaining a high level of safety, improving capacity and developing an efficient, sustainable and environmentally friendly European air transport system;
3. TAKES NOTE with satisfaction of the outcome of the definition phase presented by the SESAR consortium and WELCOMES the consensus of all stakeholders in the consortium;
4. CONSIDERS that the SESAR Master Plan resulting from the definition phase constitutes the basis for establishing the Joint Undertaking's work programme, concluding membership agreements and launching the development phase;
5. REQUESTS the Commission to submit to the Council a proposal for the approval of the ATM Master Plan on the basis of an assessment of the SESAR Master Plan and WELCOMES the Commission's commitment to do so, if possible, by the end of March 2009;
6. STRESSES that the ATM Master Plan should be viewed as an evolving document, which needs to be regularly updated, and be consistent with the Single European Sky regulations;
7. INVITES the Joint Undertaking to keep the future ATM Master Plan updated, in close cooperation with all Member States and all stakeholders, in particular the military, the professional staff representative bodies, business and general aviation, in order to comply with the objectives of the Single European Sky;
8. STRESSES that ATM environmental efficiency is one of the key objectives of the SESAR programme and that it provides a tangible contribution within the European policy for the reduction of the environmental impact of aviation, in particular greenhouse gas emissions and noise, together with the European Research and Development programmes and the planned inclusion of aviation in the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS);
9. INVITES the Commission to:
– give particular attention to environmental efficiency in the evolution of the ATM Master Plan,
– monitor closely the progress of the SESAR programme and its conformity with the ATM Master Plan, and report regularly to the Single Sky Committee,
– ensure that the Joint Undertaking puts in place a risk management process,
– report to the Single Sky Committee on the risk mitigation measures,
– submit, in accordance with the provisions of Article 5 of Regulation (EC) 219/2007 of 27 February 2007, the proposals for significant modifications of the ATM Master Plan to the Single Sky Committee;
10. WELCOMES the formal establishment and the start of operations of the Joint Undertaking;
11. TAKES NOTE of the financial commitments made by the founding members of the Joint Undertaking and in particular that the Community is to contribute an estimated EUR 700million over the period 2007-2013, and that the Eurocontrol Provisional Council has confirmed that it will put up an equal amount of funding;
12. WELCOMES the expressions of interest from the 15 current applicants for membership of the Joint Undertaking and their binding commitments on at least the same amount of contributions to the development phase of SESAR as the Community, in accordance with the provisions of Article 12 of the Statutes of the Joint Undertaking, and stresses the importance of the negotiation of partnership agreements to be successfully concluded by the end of 2008, as a prerequisite for the start of development activities;
13. TAKES NOTE of the information provided by the Commission services on:
– the procedures developed by the Joint Undertaking for the financial valuation of its members' contributions in kind,
– the intellectual property rights policy being formulated by the Joint Undertaking, which allows for innovative arrangements by the industry, while protecting public interests,
– the drawing up of a policy and recommendations for cooperation with third countries;
14. RECALLS that under Article18 of the Statutes the SESAR Joint Undertaking shall own all the tangible and intangible assets created by it or transferred to it for the development phase of the SESAR project, in accordance with agreements concluded by the Joint Undertaking, and that it may grant access rights to the knowledge results from the project, in particular to its members as well as Member States of the European Union and/or Eurocontrol for their own and non commercial purposes and UNDERLINES that SESAR should, inter alia, promote competition in the market for ATM products; in this context CONSIDERS that appropriate measures should be taken to ensure that existing intellectual property rights are not violated;
15. AGREES that the Joint Undertaking should conclude membership agreements with public or private undertakings or bodies (i) from third countries which have signed an aviation agreement with the Community and (ii), whose membership brings an added value to the European Company, including in terms of technology, employment and market opportunities and, (iii) when an equivalent programme exists, apply reciprocity rules for Community industry participation in this programme;
16. INVITES Member States to adopt common positions at international organisations such as ICAO or Eurocontrol in order to keep SESAR compliant with international standards, and to promote SESAR standard proposals for global implementation of SESAR technologies;
17. ENCOURAGES the Joint Undertaking to identify, at an early stage, existing and validated technical solutions that can serve as a basis for early deployment to secure early benefits;
18. RECALLS that under Article 7 of Regulation (EC) No 219/2007 of 27 February 2007 establishing the Joint Undertaking the Commission shall report on progress made in the programme by the end of 2010, so as to allow the Council to maintain an overview of the ATM Master Plan;
19. INVITES the Commission to include in this report precise proposals for the preparation and transition to the deployment phase emphasising its governance and its adequate and, if appropriate, for some stakeholders, innovative funding mechanisms, as well as risk mitigation measures;
20. INVITES the Commission to seek the opinion of the Single Sky Committee on its proposals for the governance and the funding mechanisms for the deployment phase before submitting this report;
21. RECALLS that under Article 1(4) of Regulation (EC) No 219/2007 of 27 February 2007 establishing the Joint Undertaking the Council shall, where appropriate, review the scope, governance, funding and duration of the Joint Undertaking.
The Council reached unanimous political agreement on the last two legislative proposals which are part of the third maritime safety package, namely the proposal for a Directive on compliance with flag State requirements (14246/08) and the proposal for a Directive on the civil liability and financial guarantees of shipowners (14203/08).
Additionally, the representatives of the Governments of the Member States of the European Union meeting within the Council adopted a statement (13596/08) on maritime safety which constitutes a clear political commitment on the part of the Member States to do their utmost to ensure a rapid implementation of the international conventions on maritime safety and the rules of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) on the flag State and on the audit.
The majority of Member States had not supported these two proposals for Directives at the Council meeting on 7 April 2008 (see Press Release 7805/08, p. 15) and at the informal Council in La Rochelle on 1 and 2 September. Nonetheless, work on these proposals was resumed under the French Presidency and on the basis of texts containing many changes compared to the Commission's original proposals. The two legislative texts, in the version of the political agreement, take account of the main concerns of delegations in connection with a possible transfer of powers from the Member States to the Community and an excessive administrative burden for national administrations.
The Commission forwarded its proposals (6843/08, 5907/06) to the Council in February 2006 in the framework of the third maritime safety package[2] comprising seven legislative legislative proposals, which aim to reinforce the safety of maritime transport in Europe by means of better accident prevention and investigation and increased controls on vessel quality. The Council has already adopted six common positions on the basis of five of the Commission proposals.
Compliance with flag State requirements
The draft Directive as approved by the ministers essentially concerns the national administrations' obligations regarding audits and quality certification. The text provides that the administrations of the Member States are required to hold an audit every seven years in accordance with the IMO rules, subject to a positive reply by the IMO to a timely request by the Member State concerned. This obligation on the EU is linked to international development: when the IMO audit becomes obligatory for all IMO Member States, the Community provision will disappear in order to prevent a parallel system existing.
The European Parliament adopted its opinion at first reading on 29 March 2007 (7805/07, p. 5).
Shipowners' liability with regard to maritime claims
The text of the Directive as approved by the ministers no longer concerns the civil liability of shipowners, but only the obligation for shipowners to have an insurance covering possible maritime claims. The administrative costs for the Member States have been reduced and a revised penalty system has been introduced.
The European Parliament adopted its opinion at first reading on 29 March 2007 (7805/07, p. 23).
The Council's political agreement on these two drafts in an essential element to be taken into account in the negotiations between the European Parliament and the Council on the six other texts concerning the maritime package for which the common positions have been forwarded to the European Parliament.
The Council unanimously reached a political agreement on the package of legislative measures concerning the internal energy market.
The texts of these legislative proposals as they stand following the Council meeting are set out in the following documents: the electricity Directive (14140/08), the electricity Regulation (14143/08), and the Agency Regulation (14142/08), the gas Directive (14141/08) and the gas Regulation (14145/08).
The Council's Common Positions will be prepared on the basis of the political agreement and forwarded to the European Parliament for second reading under the co-decision procedure by the end of the year.
The third package of legislative measures concerning the internal energy market[3] was submitted by the Commission on 19 September 2007 at the behest of the 2007 spring European Council[4]. The package aims to supplement the existing rules to ensure that the internal market operates smoothly for all consumers and to assist the EU in achieving a more secure, competitive and sustainable energy supply.
On the basis of the agreement reached at the Energy Council on 6 June (10513/08), the Council has continued working under the French Presidency to finalise the legal texts and agree on the two outstanding issues: the third country clause and the conditions for fair competition.
The third country clause addresses the question of control of networks by companies of third countries in a non-protectionist manner which ensures that the companies concerned abide by the same rules as those that apply to EU undertakings. The clause lays down criteria for the assessment of investments by companies of third countries, in particular the security of EU supply. The text approved by ministers establishes a procedure for certification of third-country investors wishing to take control of an energy distribution system or operator. It specifies in detail where responsibilities lie and the role of national regulators and the Commission.
The provisions relating to conditions of fair competition, as approved by the ministers, provide for the coexistence on the internal energy market of three different unbundling models for production and supply activities, on the one hand, and energy transmission activities on the other. In particular, the text prohibits companies engaged in the production or supply of gas or electricity from exercising control over a transmission network operator of a Member State that has opted for full unbundling.
The initial Commission proposal contains two options for effective separation of supply and production activities, on the one hand, and network management activities, on the other: ownership unbundling (meaning that the same company could not simultaneously own a distribution network and produce or supply energy) and the appointment of an Independent Transmission Operator (ITO).
The Council approved a third solution (ITO) whereby independent transmission network operators would be set up with a view to effective unbundling. This option would enable companies to retain ownership of transmission networks provided that the networks were operated by an independent transmission network operator and that additional assurances were given. This option should be applicable to the two sectors (electricity and gas) in Member States where the transmission network belongs to a vertically integrated company on the date of entry into force of the Directive.
The European Parliament delivered its opinion at first reading on the Electricity Directive (10766/08), the Electricity Regulation (10767/08) and the Agency Regulation (10768/08) on 17 June and on the Gas Directive (10762/08) and the Gas Regulation (11412/08) on 8 July.
Legislative package on climate change and renewable energies
The Council took note of the Presidency's progress report on the entire climate/energy package. In accordance with the mandate given by the March 2008 European Council, the Presidency's objective is to reach an agreement with the European Parliament by the end of 2008 with a view to approval at first reading before the end of the current legislature.
The proposals are to be adopted by the European Parliament and the Council by the co-decision procedure.
The climate/energy legislative package[5], submitted by the Commission on 23 January 2008, supplements the existing measures for achieving the overall target approved by the European Council in March 2008 (7224/1/07), i.e. a 20 % reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2020 and 20 % renewable energy as a proportion of the EU's total energy consumption by 2020, including a target of 10 % for biofuels. The legislative proposals constitute a solid basis for an ambitious, longterm European policy for combating climate change.
The legislative package is based on a number of key principles including solid, concrete and credible targets; fair and equitable effort sharing; cost-effectiveness; technological development and deployment to support significant greenhouse gas emission reductions in the long term; and the establishment of the necessary incentives to achieve an international agreement on climate.
Energy efficiency – Council conclusions
The Council adopted the following conclusions on the implementation of the framework Directives on the energy labelling and ecodesign of energy-using products:
"The Council of the European Union,
That Council Directive 92/75/EEC of 22 September 1992 on the indication by labelling and standard product information of the consumption of energy and other resources by household appliances has allowed implementing Directives to be adopted on numerous products: refrigerators and freezers, driers, washing machines, washer-driers, dish-washers, lamps, electric ovens and air conditioners;
That, in parallel, Directives of the Council and of the European Parliament have imposed performance thresholds on certain types of equipment (Council Directive 92/42/EEC of 21 May 1992 on efficiency requirements for new hot-water boilers fired with liquid or gaseous fuels; Directive 96/57/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 3 September 1996 on energy efficiency requirements for household electric refrigerators, freezers and combinations thereof; Directive 2000/55/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 September 2000 on energy efficiency requirements for ballasts for fluorescent lighting);
That, by eliminating inefficient appliances and establishing efficiency competition for others, the combination of these two sets of rules has encouraged genuine development in the market for such appliances and an upward trend towards an improvement in energy efficiency;
That Directive 2005/32/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 6 July 2005 establishing a framework for the setting of ecodesign requirements for energy-using products provides for implementing measures that take account of all significant environmental impacts of the products during their lifecycle;
That since 2005, under that Directive studies have been launched on a list of priority products identified by the European Climate Change Programme as offering a high potential for cost-effective reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and energy consumption, thereby improving security of supply, and an efficient process has been established for consulting parties and adopting implementing measures using the committee procedure;
The Council conclusions of 23 November 2006, whereby the Council adopted the Community action plan on energy efficiency, which aimed to intensify the process of realising the 20 % estimated potential savings in EU annual primary energy consumption by 2020, inter alia through the implementation of the Directive on the ecodesign of energy-using products and the revision of the Directive on the indication of the energy consumption of household appliances.
The conclusions of the European Council of 8 and 9 March 2007 called for the adoption of an integrated policy on climate and energy based on three fundamental objectives: combating climate change, security of supply and maintaining the competitiveness of European economies via affordable energy More specifically, the combating of climate change was associated with three quantified targets: a 20 % reduction in EU energy consumption compared to projections for 2020, an increase in the proportion of renewable energy to 20 % of total EU final energy consumption by 2020 and a 20 % decrease in greenhouse gas emissions.
The European Council conclusions of March and June 2008 confirm the firm and ambitious commitments made with regard to climate and energy policy. The EU wishes to maintain international leadership on climate change and energy. It is therefore firmly committed to maintaining the dynamic imposed on the negotiations on the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and its Kyoto Protocol. By delivering on all the targets set by the 2007 Spring European Council, the EU will make a major contribution to this objective; in connection with movements in the price of oil, the June European Council also urged the Member States and the Commission to expedite the implementation of the 2006 Action Plan on energy efficiency and consider its possible revision.
Improvement of energy efficiency is the cornerstone for the achievement of all the other goals. It will also play a decisive role in the modernisation of our economies and industries in adapting them more rapidly to the ineluctable rise in oil prices and contributing to the worldwide response to the challenges facing the environment.
WELCOMES the measures which the Committee established under the ecodesign Directive voted in July 2008 under the regulatory procedure with scrutiny on the maximum standby and off-mode consumption of electric equipment and in September on public street and tertiary lighting and on set-top boxes, as well as the proposals to be presented to the Committee in October on external power supplies, and then in November on domestic lighting;
INVITES the Commission and the Member States to continue steadily and ambitiously the examination of the products included in its current work programme, in order to enable the adoption of ambitious measures within the mandate of the ecodesign Directive;
INVITES the Commission to ensure that the implementing measures taken leave it up to the market to decide which technologies to use to achieve the required performance levels;
INVITES the Commission to consider opportunities for small and medium size enterprises to organise relevant assessments of design and production processes;
HOPES that the assessment of the energy performance of products will be based not only on the assessment of the individual performance of appliances but also on their integration into consumption profiles that reflect how they are used;
HOPES in particular that the sale of the worst-performing domestic lighting products will be prohibited from 2010, where alternatives exist, whilst avoiding any risk of disruption of supply to the internal market or loss of functionality from the user perspective and respecting all ecodesign review parameters including cost-effectiveness. In line with these requirements and to that effect, the Commission is invited to submit in 2008 a draft Regulation that will launch a gradual process of phasing out until incandescent lamps and all the worst-performing lights are banned;
INVITES the Commission to complement the ongoing initiatives by swiftly putting in place all the work connected with its working plan for the coming three years on the identified priority product groups and, when appropriate by working closely with the European Committee for Standardisation and the European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardisation, on the standardisation mandates for the implementation of specific measures;
TAKES NOTE of the Commission Action Plan on sustainable consumption and production and sustainable industrial policy which aims to reinforce synergies across relevant policy instruments, such as the Community Ecolabel Award Scheme, the ecodesign Directive and the Directive on energy labelling;
UNDERLINES that it is necessary to preserve the operational and practical character of the eco-design directive in order to keep this Directive as an essential element in the EU-legislation capable of delivering step by step practical energy savings and concrete CO2 abatements in due time before 2020;
RECALLS that it is desirable for certain products that the implementing measures include, subject to a cost-effectiveness evaluation, environmental criteria over and above energy efficiency, concerning for instance water, product life or waste. To that effect, INVITES the Commission to propose implementing measures on the basis of the provisions for both the generic and specific requirements of the Directive, on the basis of the results of the preparatory studies promoted by the Commission on the identified priority product groups;
HOPES that the European programmes: Intelligent Energy Europe and the energy part of the Framework Programme on Research and Development will continue to fund actions in support of energy efficiency policies, in particular studies, information campaigns, technology projects and projects for the dissemination of best practice;
HOPES that, in the revision of the framework Directive on the ecodesign of energy-using products proposed by the Commission to the Council and the European Parliament in summer 2008, and in the future revision of the Directive on energy labelling, the scope of the two exercises will be homogeneous as regards products covered and that the synergies between the two sets of regulations rules will be further extended, particularly as regards the establishment of criteria for assessing products' energy efficiency, in the interests of greater energy efficiency;
UNDERLINES the importance that the revision of the framework Directive on ecodesign brings clarity on the product scope of the directive, avoids overlapping or possible obstacles for the development of the existing EU-legislation aiming at the same range of products and that the technical requirements and administrative procedures that follow from the revision of the directive be coordinated with existing legal acts and other ongoing work, in order to ensure a consistent legal framework regarding inter alia the CE-labelling. Furthermore it is important to maintain a good mix of mandatory and voluntary measures, such as the EU Eco-label, in order to make best use of the dynamics of the market;
HOPES that the European Union will take an approach involving dynamic rescheduling of product required performance, by reference to the most efficient products on the market and taking into account the worldwide competitiveness of European industry, with the ambition of seeing the European energy-saving model become the best-performing in the world by 2020;
ENCOURAGES the Commission to take the steps necessary in the current review of the Directive on energy labelling to ensure that the label remains easily recognisable to consumers, simple, concise and efficient so as to ensure that the success of the existing label is retained."
The Council held an exchange of views over lunch on energy security in Europe.
The comments by ministers will assist the Presidency in its reflections with a view to the upcoming European Council in Brussels on 15 and 16 October 2008, and will provide the Commission with input for finalising its communication on the second strategic energy review.
Ministers were invited to express their views on the draft Presidency report to the European Council on this subject (13827/1/08). The report addresses, from the twin perspective of solidarity and responsibility, the six pillars of energy security: energy efficiency, diversity of energy sources, transparency concerning energy supply and demand, solidarity instruments, infrastructure, and external action. It proposes in particular actions to be taken in the relatively short term by the Commission, the Council and Member States.
Trans-European Transport Networks
The Council took good note of the proposal by the Italian delegation to put in place systematic monitoring of the progress made in the Trans-European Transport Networks projects adopted in 2004 (13833/08).
Lists of airline passengers in the event of an accident
The Council took note of the proposals by the Spanish delegation concerning the publication of lists of airline passengers in the event of an accident (13660/1/08).
EU-Canada air agreement
The Commission briefed the Council on the progress of negotiations with Canada on an air agreement.
Progress of Environment Council dossiers relating to transport
At the request of the German delegation, the Presidency briefed delegations on the progress of Environment Council dossiers relating to transport (13674/1/08).
Investors' Conference for the Mediterranean Solar Plan
The Council took note of information from the Presidency on the Investors' Conference for the Mediterranean Solar Plan, an initiative within the framework of the Union for the Mediterranean (13940/08).
Romania's offer to host the Sustainable Energy Forum
The Council took note of the information provided by the Romanian delegation concerning Romania's offer to host the Sustainable Energy Forum (13402/08).
Impact of the Climate-Energy package on energy security
The Council took note of the information provided by the Polish delegation concerning the impact of the Climate-Energy package on energy security (13540/08).
EU/Canada – Cooperation in competition investigations
The Council adopted a Decision authorising the Commission to open negotiations for an agreement on cooperation and the exchange of information in competition investigations.
Eligibility criteria for certain direct payments*
The Council adopted a Regulation clarifying the conditions of eligibility for the payment of the beef premium (13355/08 and 13323/08 ADD 1). This Regulation amends Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003 amending Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003 establishing common rules for direct support schemes under the common agricultural policy and establishing certain support schemes for farmers.
Under Article 138 of Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003, in order to be eligible for direct payments, an animal must be identified and registered in accordance with Regulation (EC) No 1760/2000. These provisions set out the obligation for the holder to notify the competent authority of all of the animal's movements to and from the holding, as well as all the births and deaths of animals in the holding, within a maximum of 7 days.
This Regulation specifies that such information may be notified on the first day of the animal's detention period.
This Regulation will apply as from 1 January 2008.
[1] The joint undertaking is an instrument provided for in the EC Treaty which enables the Community to create the structures – such as public-private partnerships – necessary for the effective performance of the Community's research, technological development and demonstration programmes.
[2] The five other proposals in this package as are follows:
– a proposal for a Directive on common rules and standards for ship inspection and survey organisations and for the relevant activities of maritime administrations (recasting) (5912/06);
– a proposal for a Directive amending Directive 2002/59/EC establishing a Community vessel traffic monitoring and information system (5171/06);
– a proposal for a Directive establishing the fundamental principles governing the investigation of accidents in the maritime transport sector and amending Directives 1999/35/EC and 2002/59/EC (6436/06);
– a proposal for a Directive on port state control (5632/06);
– a proposal for a Regulation on the liability of carriers of passengers by sea and inland waterways in the event of accidents (6827/06).
[3] The package proposed by the Commission comprises the following proposals:
– Proposal for a Directive amending Directive 2003/54/EC concerning common rules for the internal market in electricity (13043/07);
– Proposal for a Directive amending Directive 2003/55/EC concerning common rules for the internal market in natural gas (13045/07);
– Proposal for a Regulation establishing an Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators (13046/07);
– Proposal for a Regulation amending Regulation (EC) No 1228/2003 on conditions for access to the network for cross-border exchanges in electricity (13048/07);
– Proposal for a Regulation amending Regulation (EC) No 1775/2005 on conditions for access to the natural gas transmission networks (13049/07).
[4] Action Plan (2007-2009) "An energy policy for Europe" (7224/1/07)
[5] The group of measures comprises the following proposals:
– a Directive amending Directive 2003/87/EC so as to improve and extend the greenhouse gas emission allowance trading system of the Community (emission allowance trading system review) (5862/08);
– a Decision on the effort of Member States to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions to meet the Community's greenhouse gas emission reduction commitments up to 2020 (sharing of effort outside the emission allowance trading system) (5849/08);
– a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on the promotion of the use of energy from renewable sources (Renewable Energy Sources Directive) (5421/08)
– a Directive of on the geological storage of carbon dioxide (CO2 Capture and Storage Directive) (5835/08)
Side Bar


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"We worked so hard for the legal separation of the Thirteen Colonies from Great Britain for THIS?" – Thomas Jefferson
Celebrate Independence Day by getting avatarded. Commission a 35 dollar or 60 dollar avatard by the 4th of July and you get another one of equal value and detail for FREE! So, like, get one for you, get one for someone else. Hey, get both for you. See what I care! It's a free country.
Papa's gotta buy some hot dogs and sparklers.
Act now, before Lattaland breaks from the Union and becomes a free state.


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Growing-Up is Hard to Do
Tomorrow is my birthday. I was born on October 25, 1991.
I will be 20 years old; no longer a teenager.
One year closer to 21… one year further from the innocence of childhood.
Growing older has its pros and cons.
More responsibility.
Greater independence.
More options.
More responsibility.
Greater independence.
More options.
It gets so overwhelming sometimes! I am a very independent person; I always have been. I love being out on my own. But sometimes I miss those days when I didn't have to make the hard decisions, when Mom and Dad were there to decide for me, to take away the pressure of choosing the right thing. I miss at times not having to think… 😛
And sometimes I appreciate being able to choose for myself, being responsible for my decisions and my life. I revel in the art of deep thinking, of comparing the pros and cons, of being in charge.
But then it can get overwhelming. SO MANY OPTIONS!
- What do I want to wear today? (Difficult.)
- What am I going to do in my free time? (Be productive and do homework, or take a much needed break and watch tv?)
- When am I going to eat today?
- Do I want to see people today and be social? Or take a "me" day?
- What classes should I take next semester?
- Should I add a double major?
- What programs do I need to plan for my residence hall this month?
- What should I put on my bulletin board?
- When do I have time to read my bible?
- Do I have time for bible study tonight?
- When am I going to go grocery shopping?
- When am I going to sleep?
- What time do I have to wake up again?
There are many times when I miss the innocence of childhood; I miss not being so educated and aware of what's going on in the world today. I miss the naïvety.
And then I don't. I love growing up! I love being my own person! I love the responsibility (even though it can get tiring and overwhelming). I love the independence and the freedom.
20 will be a stepping stone for me tomorrow. I am moving out of my teenage years into the real adult years. Wish me luck.


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Statesman Editorial: Trump demonizing Bergdahl erodes sense of justice
There are a long list of things GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump would have to learn — and purge — before the American people could ever trust him to govern anything bigger than his TV boardroom.
We hope one of them is the principle in the U.S. justice system that defendants are innocent until proven guilty.
On the night of the first televised GOP debate Trump referred to Hailey, Idaho's Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl as a "traitor" — as if Trump himself had personal knowledge of all the circumstances the night Bergdahl walked away from his unit in Afghanistan back in 2009. Bergdahl was held captive for five years.
Hoping to further capitalize on the situation Trump doubled down on Bergdahl at a town hall gathering a few weeks later in New Hampshire. Trump called Bergdahl a "dirty rotten traitor," according to an Associated Press story, and lambasted President Barack Obama's decision in 2014 to release five Taliban leaders for Bergdahl in a prisoner exchange.
Trump also said, according to AP, that:
• The five Taliban leaders who were released were now "back on the battlefield."
• Six U.S. troops died while searching for Bergdahl.
We understand some soldiers who served with Bergdahl have a terrible opinion of him — but none of them is out on the campaign trail, as Trump is, pretending to have such inside knowledge. Trump is no Forrest Gump. He wasn't there.
Yet Trump has found it irresistible to fling red meat hearsay to his followers by saying Bergdahl is a dirty rotten traitor who is somewhat responsible for the deaths of six U.S. troops and the release of Taliban soldiers who are back in the fight ready to kill more Americans.
We agree Trump can have his own opinions, but not his own facts. Bergdahl has yet to be convicted of anything. Still in the Army, he remains innocent until proven guilty. The five Taliban leaders are not back in the fight — they remain under travel restriction in Qatar, AP reports. Bergdahl's attorney, Eugene Fidell, says Army prosecutors have told him "they will not offer any evidence that anyone died looking for his client." Before he left office, former Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel said there was no evidence to connect the death of soldiers to a search for Bergdahl.
We think Fidell has a legitimate grievance when he says Trump's bombastic comments could hamper his client's ability to get a fair trial.
Next month Bergdahl will face a preliminary hearing on the very serious charges against him. If convicted, Bergdahl should have to face any commensurate discipline.
Also next month, Trump will face another GOP debate (Sept. 16 on CNN at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, Calif.) where we hope he faces a hearing on his reckless statements about all of the matters surrounding Bergdahl. We hope someone asks him to re-enact his town hall stunt with his imaginary rifle and to explain his remarks: "In the old days, bing, bong."
We think Trump has confused some realities about justice with scripts of his old TV show. He doesn't get to fire people out here. He's not the judge, the jury as he was on "The Apprentice."
He's just another man of means with a platform using his fleeting moment in the political limelight to spread a crock full of gossip at the expense of someone who at least deserves justice without having to become a Trump demon on the campaign trail.
We much prefer Bergdahl be judged on evidence — not by the next foul or misinformed thing that comes out of the mouth of Donald Trump.
Statesman editorials are the unsigned opinion expressing the consensus of the Statesman's editorial board. To comment on an editorial or suggest a topic, email email@example.com.


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The perfect companion for a lovely night with friends!
Did you know that I liked Game & Wario a lot? That is most likely something that the majority won't agree on, but one game stood clearly out above them all. This was Sketch, where you would draw pictures of various things on the Wii U GamePad's touchscreen. I always thought that someone would take the idea, expand it and make it a game everyone can enjoy. This day has finally arrived!
What makes PictoParty immediately stand out, is the clean and simple look of it all. The game doesn't overcomplicate matters and lays everything out in a way that I can appreciate. The Play option allows you to draw pictures with up to 15 people, which is rather nuts. Everyone enters a name and takes a picture with the GamePad's camera. This helps you to keep track of all the players in the game, which is greatly appreciated.
The way you play the game depends on the amount of the players that decide to enter. You can play with two people and try to get a high score of correct guesses together. There are no leaderboards to support this though, which is sort of a bummer. You can play a game where everyone else has to decide what you are drawing is, or work in teams of two or three to make competitive teams like a simplified game of Pictionary. To add even more insanity, you can change up the rules to how you see them fit. You can toy around with the round length, the penalty for passing, the dictionary and a whole lot more.
This dictionary contains nine built in categories with options like Activities or Food. You can select the ones you want during your game to customize the experience that you want to have. What is even better is that you can make your own categories and add as many words as you like to it. This made me want to make a dedicated gaming category, in which I threw consoles and various types of video games. My friends found it a ton of fun and we just laughed the night away.
What helps is that the options on the Wii U GamePad are crazy satisfying. It obviously feels great to draw on that touchscreen, but you have six colors available to you, which allows you to make some fun detailed pictures. What is disappointing that there is no way to save drawings you or the other players have made. You can see them afterwards and perhaps take a picture on your phone, but you can't share the sillyness on Miiverse. Even an option to save screens to a SD card would have been great, but the developers simply decided otherwise.
Outside of its smaller missteps, Retroid Interactive has created a multiplayer game that feels made for the Wii U. There is a good variety of words on offer, but the key to keep players is adding your own categories and tailor it constantly to new players. Next to that, it just feels nice to draw on the Wii U GamePad and that makes the party endless!


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By Michael P. Ehline, Esq, of Ehline Law Firm PC – I was watching the news the other day and saw that a man had murdered his wife and posted photographs of the dead woman and the scene, on social media. What a sicko, I was thinking. But then I realized that hey, what if I was the defendant's attorney? I mean, just the other day, a lawyer was disbarred for encouraging a client to clean up their Facebook account. (View the Order Awarding Sanction Here.) And now, a Florida man allegedly killed his wife and then posted the photograph of his wife's body on the popular social media website Facebook. Who knows, the defense attorney in this case may try and get a family member or a friend do the same thing. You never know. It seems like all things electronic, are the wild wild west.
The Facts of the Facebook Murderer Case Thus Far
In any event, according to police, Derek Medina age 31 of Miami was charged with first degree murder Thursday, after he posted a photograph of his wife's dead body and a statement that he had shot her. Medina told police that he fired multiple rounds into his wife Jenifer Alfonso age 26, after she began punching him. According to Medina's arrest affidavit that has been released, the man fired five rounds into his wife's body.
Medina has not entered a plea and legal representation has not been named. Police said the couple had a verbal disputed at approximately 10:00 a.m. and Medina said that he pointed a weapon at Alfonso. He said Alfonso walked away at that point, to return a few minutes later telling him she was leaving him.
The Miami man said he followed his wife into the kitchen, in order to confront her, when she began punching him. Medina said he went upstairs and got his firearm again, holding it in his right hand as he walked toward Alfonso. He said Alfonso then grabbed a knife, which she put in a drawer and started to punch him. He said this is what led to him shooting his wife multiple times.
Medina then posted the photo of a woman dressed in a black blouse and slacks, who was lying backward on the floor in the kitchen with blood on her face and left arm. The photograph was posted on Medina's Facebook page after the shooting, along with a confession and a message to friends.
The message Medina posted said: "I'm going to prison or death sentence for killing my wife, love you guys, miss you guys take care Facebook people you will see me in the news my wife was punching me and I am not going to stand anymore with the abuse so I did what I did I hope u understand me."
Friends on Medina's Facebook page messaged back shocked and asking what happened. Approximately five hours after the incident Medina's Facebook profile was removed, according to reports. Authorities have not discussed Medina's Facebook postings publically.
During the incident Alfonso's 10 year old daughter from a previous relationship was in the home, but unharmed. As soon as police were made aware of the incident they took the girl out of the home where her mother's body was. The affidavit said that prior to Medina turning himself in at a South Miami police station, he changed his clothes and then went to his family's home to confess to the shooting death of his wife. He then turned himself in at a South Miami police station where he told an officer working at the front desk he shot his wife.
After police checked out Medina's story and found his wife dead, he was then arrested, the affidavit said. According to the affidavit he listed his employment as a property manager, but on his Facebook profile he stated he was an actor on Burn Notice, on the USA Networks. He said that he appeared on one episode of the program as an extra.
Medina had an open and full online presence writing ebooks, posting videos on YouTube, him kicking a punching bag, singing a song "There Ain't No Sunshine," and sailing. On his website and YouTube channel he had posted his ebooks that have exceptionally long titles, like How I Saved Someone's Life and Marriage And Family Problems Thru Communication. The summary for the title said "this book is a great book to learn how to make your marriage and relationship with others better by understanding the meaning of life and the purpose of living and being there for loved ones."
The Client From Hell
Obviously, if these facts are true, when the defendant shot his wife, he committed murder, because he killed an innocent human without justification. Here, the client is also posting stuff on Facebook, that is over the top. Basically, he seems to want to convict himself. Of course, this also raises the issue of a wrongful death, because in a civil case, when a negligence, or reckless, or even intentional killing is involved, in most states, the survivors, if any, have a civil claim (Read more.). Luckily for ethics purposes, we need only look at the professional conduct rules to see the ethical duty the criminal defense attorney, as well as the civil defense attorney would need to follow to avoid violating any rules.
The Ethics Rules
Lawyers are officers of the court, and are held to a higher standard ethically, than most other professions and business. Lawyers are in a superior position of knowledge and their clients must be able to 100 trust them. This is for many reasons. One reason is that in order to have an efficient administration of justice, the public must have faith in the legal system. So lawyers have a duty of candor and professionalism that is very high. Since I am a California attorney, I will approach this as if my client was in California. The Rules of Professional Conduct of the State Bar of California require that rules be promulgated regarding standards for members in order to regulate and punish if necessary. (See Ames v. State Bar (1973) 8 Cal.3d 910.) However, just because a lawyer may have acted in an a manner inconsistent with their ethical duties, does not per se make them liable in a civil lawsuit. (See Noble v. Sears, Roebuck & Co. (1973) 33 Cal.App.3d 654.)
Regardless, the ethics rules cannot change or intervene to change existing laws already on the books having to due with disciplining attorneys. (See, e.g., Klemm v. Superior Court (1977) 75 Cal.App.3d 893.) So in the case at bar, if I was either defense attorney, I would understand that although Federal Rule 11 would not apply in a Civil case, both the civil and criminal codes in California would require that I not destroy evidence, and that I produce any and all relevant evidence about the Facebook murder I reasonable possess, once it is requested in discovery, or risk sanctions. Sanctions could include issue sanctions, terminating, or some other kind of doomsday sanction, that is evidentiary in nature. (Learn more.)
The discovery rules in criminal and civil cases are pretty clear. Criminal discovery is a judicially created doctrine. Civil Discovery is a legislative creation that is interpreted by judge made law. (See e.g., the Civil Discovery Act.) But in California, we even have our own electronic discovery act. Suffice it to say, that both sets of discovery rules must work in tandem with relevant ethics rules.
Attorneys Are Not Allowed to Destroy Evidence
So no matter what, the attorney may not destroy, or cause to be destroyed, any evidence that is reasonably likely to lead to the discovery of other relevant evidence that may, or may not be admissible at trial. The bottom line here is that the only way to get this evidence excluded is with a motion in limine, for example, to try and say that any probative value the murder photos have, or other confessions may have, is far outweighed by its prejudicial effect. Here, the defendant may argue insanity, mitigating circumstances, etc. We just do not know. So the proper thing here, is for the court to make the ultimate decision. If the court makes a wrong decision, it can go up on a writ, or an appeal and a panel of justices can either reverse the case, uphold the case, or grant in part, and reverse in part, for example. This is what the justice system is all about. We hope you have learned a little bit about your rights when dealing with social media, legal ethics and discovery. Feel free to add to this, or comment.
ABAJournal.com: "Defense Seeks Reversal of $10.6M Death Award, Says Lawyer Didn't Disclose 'Stink Bomb' Email"
ABAJournal.com: "Va. Judge OK'd $722K Legal Fees Clawback Due to Withheld Facebook Photos and Information"
Posts by Michael Ehline
- Program and Syllabus COLT Con 2017
- Las Vegas 2017 Circle of Legal Trust Convention – April 20, 2017-April 22, 2017
- Branding for Attorneys and Law Firms 101
- Problem Avoidance 101 for Attorneys and Social Media
- Penguin, Lawyers and the New SEO Landscape
- Building Meaningful and Effective Web Content
- Joe Mas takes the Award for 2016 for Best Speaker
- Legal Branding and Notoriety Just Got Easier for Attorneys!
- Program for April Vegas 7th-9th