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Posts Tagged 'Democrats'
Explosive: DOJ Illegally Accessed Phone Records From Congress Cloak Room
Holy cow! They illegally got phone records from CONGRESS??
That's the claim made by Congressman Devin Nunes on the Hugh Hewitt Show:
HH: The idea that this might be a Geithner-Axelrod plan, and by that, the sort of intimation, Henry II style, will no one rid me of this turbulent priest, will no one rid me of these turbulent Tea Parties, that might have just been a hint, a shift of an eyebrow, a change in the tone of voice. That's going to take a long time to get to. I don't trust the Department of Justice on this. Do you, Congressman Nunes?
DN: No, I absolutely do not, especially after this wiretapping incident, essentially, of the House of Representative. I don't think people are focusing on the right thing when they talk about going after the AP reporters. The big problem that I see is that they actually tapped right where I'm sitting right now, the Cloak Room.
HH: Wait a minute, this is news to me.
DN: The Cloak Room in the House of Representatives.
HH: I have no idea what you're talking about.
DN: So when they went after the AP reporters, right? Went after all of their phone records, they went after the phone records, including right up here in the House Gallery, right up from where I'm sitting right now. So you have a real separation of powers issue that did this really rise to the level that you would have to get phone records that would, that would most likely include members of Congress, because as you know…
HH: Wow.
DN: …members of Congress talk to the press all the time.
HH: I did not know that, and that is a stunner.
DN: Now that is a separation of powers issue here, Hugh.
HH: Sure.
DN: And it's a freedom of press issue. And now you've got the IRS going after people. So these things are starting to cascade one upon the other, and you have the White House pretending like they're in the clouds like it's not their issue somehow.
Nune backtracked the term "tapped" later, confirming that although phone records had been obtained, none of the lines were actually tapped:
The DOJ admitted to obtaining call records from a phone used by the AP in the House press gallery, which is … different from tapping a room used by congressmen to talk shop. How Nunes confused the two, I have no idea. [...]
So he was sloppy in confusing obtaining phone records for wiretapping, and what he meant by the cloakroom is that, I guess, if a congressman in the room called up to an AP reporter in the press gallery, the DOJ would know about it from the gallery phone's records.
The Washington Post confirmed that "The subpoenaed phones records included personal and office lines for several national security reporters and editors as well as "the main number for AP reporters in the House of Representatives press gallery."
Either way, this is still a monumental abuse of power which serves to chill freedom of the press and intimidate potential sources and whistleblowers who might now think twice about speaking to the press.
Somebody better be going to jail over this.
Congressman: DOJ Seized House Press Gallery Phone Records
EXPOSED: Obama Justice Dept. Secretly Obtained Reporters' Phone Records
EXPOSED: Obama Justice Dept. Secretly Obtained Reporters' Phone Records
The media finally discovers that their idol is actually a tyrant, after all, and they are not exempt from his abuses.
Erica Ritz reports at The Blaze:
The Justice Department secretly obtained two months of telephone records of reporters and editors for The Associated Press in what the news cooperative's top executive called a "massive and unprecedented intrusion" into how news organizations gather the news.
[...] The records obtained by the Justice Department listed incoming and outgoing calls, and the duration of each call, for the work and home phone numbers of individual reporters, general AP office numbers in New York, Washington and Hartford, Conn., and the main number for AP reporters in the House of Representatives press gallery, according to attorneys for the AP.
In all, the government seized those records for more than 20 separate telephone lines assigned to AP and its journalists in April and May of 2012. The exact number of journalists who used the phone lines during that period is unknown but more than 100 journalists work in the offices whose phone records were targeted on a wide array of stories about government and other matters.
In a letter of protest sent to Attorney General Eric Holder on Monday, AP President and Chief Executive Officer Gary Pruitt said the government sought and obtained information far beyond anything that could be justified by any specific investigation. He demanded the return of the phone records and destruction of all copies.
Holder is now facing heated backlash from Democrats and the normally fawning liberal media. Rich Lowry ironically observes that the media have discovered that they have more in common with the Tea Party and NRA than they'd like to admit:
Another brilliant column from National Review's Rich Lowry at Politico. Lowry makes the indisputable point that the same media that have spent years attacking the Tea Party, and months savaging the NRA, are now revealing brazen hypocrisy when it comes to protecting their own rights. In spirit and goal, the media are now one with the Tea Party and NRA.
What animates the Tea Party and NRA is a legitimate concern that the government — especially under President Obama — has made a disturbing pivot from their Constitutional requirement to protect our liberties, to infringing upon our liberties. In turn, Obama and his media label us as anti-government crazies suffering from paranoid delusions.
But look at the reaction this week from that very same media in the wake of the Associated Press scandal. Suddenly the media don't like Big Government doing to them what ObamaCare and background checks will do to the rest of us. Moreover, the very same media that suggest not trusting the government is a form of extremism, is now demanding a law be immediately passed to shield them from government intrusion.
Matt Drudge warns:
Warning to reporters and sources: Assume all your communications are being monitored. Time to move back to the parking garage #longhotsummer
— MATT DRUDGE (@DRUDGE) May 13, 2013
Irony: Obama Hailed 'World Press Freedom Day' As His DOJ Was Seizing AP Phone Records
AP: Holder Approved Subpoenas of Phone Records
Congressman: Holder May Have Broken Law In AP Scandal
Obama: 'Complete Confidence' in Holder's 'Integrity' after AP Scandal
IRS Steals Medical Records of 10 Million Americans
Another day, another Obama scandal.
Erin McCann reports at Healthcare IT News:
The Internal Revenue Service is now facing a class action lawsuit over allegations that it improperly accessed and stole the health records of some 10 million Americans, including medical records of all California state judges.
According to a report by Courthousenews.com, an unnamed HIPAA-covered entity in California is suing the IRS, alleging that some 60 million medical records from 10 million patients were stolen by 15 IRS agents. The personal health information seized on March 11, 2011, included psychological counseling, gynecological counseling, sexual/drug treatment and other medical treatment data.
"This is an action involving the corruption and abuse of power by several Internal Revenue Service agents," the complaint reads. "No search warrant authorized the seizure of these records; no subpoena authorized the seizure of these records; none of the 10,000,000 Americans were under any kind of known criminal or civil investigation and their medical records had no relevance whatsoever to the IRS search. IT personnel at the scene, a HIPPA facility warning on the building and the IT portion of the searched premises, and the company executives each warned the IRS agents of these privileged records," it continued.
How much money is on the line in this suit? Oh, a mere $25,000 in compensatory damages. Per violation. Which adds up to "a minimum of $250 billion."
Has Congress begun those emergency sessions to shut down ObamaCare yet? What else do they need to hear?
Lawsuit Accuses IRS of Stealing Medical Records of 10 Million Americans
Who Trusts The Scandal-Ridden IRS To Not Abuse Access To Confidential Patient Health Information?
Farewell, Personal and Medical Privacy: ObamaTax is Here
No, You Can't Google My Private Health Records: Obamacare's Intrusive Data Grab
New HHS Regulation Creates Government Database of Your Private Health Information
Hitting The Fan: Cascade Of Obama Administration Scandals Exposed As Obama Pleads Ignorance
The dam has broken, the curtain has been lifted, and the flood of scandals coming to light this week is finally beginning to open people's eyes.
1. Benghazi. Four Americans were abandoned to die in the middle of a terrorist attack. In the aftermath the administration changed the talking points, lied about a stupid video being to blame, and spent months trying to hide the truth as they intimidated and blocked access to witnesses.
2. The IRS admits to targeting Tea Party groups. It turns out they were also targeting pro-life groups, pro-Israel groups, religious groups, and pretty much anybody who dared to criticize Obama's policies. They were also leaking confidential information about the opposition to their political friends.
3. The Department of Justice secretly obtained months of phone records from over 100 AP reporters and sources, including Congress. Guess the Obama administration likes to keep a jealous eye on his favorite mistress.
4. HHS Secretary shakes down companies she regulates for "donations" to implement Obamacare. It's the Chicago way.
5. The EPA applies a double standard when dealing with conservative vs. liberal groups. If you're "green," you're clean. If you oppose EPA power grabs and agenda, you're treated as an enemy.
Lest we forget, there is also Sestak, Solyndra, Pigford, and Fast & Furious.
So how is Obama trying to squirm his way out of trouble?
One unique excuse being offered by David Axelrod is that the government is simply too big for Obama to know what's going on. Yes, you heard that right…the liberals' favorite argument that more government is the solution to every problem has suddenly turned into an excuse for ruling class ignorance and incompetence.
Another approach has been to claim that Obama is simply a passive and aloof leader who tends to distance himself from the nitty gritties of governing, and therefore has no clue what his underlings are up to.
Obama's consistent claim that he always finds out about these scandals the same way that we do – when they first appear on the news – has become such a running joke that even Jon Stewart tore into him over the absurdity of it all.
Whoever created this meme summed it up beautifully:
Yep. That's their story and they're sticking to it.
Scandal-Ridden Obama: Republicans Are Making Americans "Cynical About Government"
A Quick Guide to the Four Major Scandals that May Bring Down the Obama Administration
And Then There Were Five Obama Scandals…?
Scandals Here, There and Everywhere
What we know Obama doesn't know grows daily
What does the scandal cascade teach us about trust in government power?
HHS Solicits 'Donations' From Healthcare Companies It Oversees To Implement Obamacare
Nice health care company you've got there…would be a pity if anything happened to it.
Welcome to pay-to-play health care. It's the Chicago way.
Sarah Kliff reports at the Washington Post:
Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius has gone, hat in hand, to health industry officials, asking them to make large financial donations to help with the effort to implement President Obama's landmark health-care law, two people familiar with the outreach said.
Her unusual fundraising push comes after Congress repeatedly rejected the Obama administration's requests for additional funds to set up the Affordable Care Act, leaving HHS to implement the president's signature legislative accomplishment on what officials have described as a shoestring budget.
Over the past three months, Sebelius has made multiple phone calls to health industry executives, community organizations and church groups and asked that they contribute whatever they can to nonprofit groups that are working to enroll uninsured Americans and increase awareness of the law, according to an HHS official and an industry person familiar with the secretary's activities. Both spoke on the condition of anonymity to talk openly about private discussions.
[...] Federal regulations do not allow department officials to fundraise in their professional capacity. They do, however, allow Cabinet members to solicit donations as private citizens "if you do not solicit funds from a subordinate or from someone who has or seeks business with the Department, and you do not use your official title," according to Justice Department regulations.
This has all the hallmarks of a shakedown. DrewM at Ace of Spades snarkily summarizes: "Hi I'm HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. You may recall I have tremendous discretionary power over your company and entire industry. Would you like to donate to my favorite cause? You would? Thank you so much." Obamacare vests Sebelius with an enormous amount of regulatory power; she has the ability to make life exceedingly difficult for any company that crosses her (recall her "zero tolerance" quote). "Friendly" requests for "voluntary" donations may not seem optional for companies who sense the HHS Sword of Damocles hanging over their heads. [...]
Harry Reid recently grumbled about Republicans' refusal to pump more taxpayer money into Obamacare's implementation phase. The GOP has stood firm against committing even one more penny to the extravagantly expensive, enduringly unpopular and logistically shambolic program. The administration's apparent solution to this problem of their own making is to coerce private businesses into financing a bailout.
"That's absolutely improper if not illegal. This administration will stop at nothing to get its way. It will do anything it can to silence its critics."
Now begins the investigation into yet another Obama administration scandal:
House Republicans are starting a probe into Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius soliciting donations from companies her agency might regulate, to help sign up uninsured Americans for ObamaCare.
[T]he solicitations, through speeches and phone calls, have raised questions about whether a federal official can ask for money from groups he or she oversees.
The Republican-led House Energy and Commerce Committee began a probe by sending a letter Monday to Sebelius and groups that she might have contacted.
The letter to Sebelius asks her to provide several pieces of information by May 27 related to the solicitations, including names of those contacted "in this unusual fundraising pitch" as well as phone logs and whether other agency officials were involved.
Committee Investigating HHS For Illegally Soliciting Funds
Sebelius Shakes Down Companies She Regulates for Cash to Implement ObamaCare
Sebelius Under Fire for ObamaCare Fundraising Bypassing Congress
GOP probing Sebelius's fundraising push: "Clear appearance of a conflict of interest"
Lamar Alexander: Sebelius fundraising 'arguably an even bigger issue' than Iran-Contra
HHS Sticks Taxpayers With $20 Million Bill For Propaganda Promoting Obamacare
Report: EPA Also Targets Conservative Groups With Double Standard
Sestak, Solyndra, Pigford, Fast & Furious, Benghazi, IRS targeting, AP phone records, HHS soliciting funds, and now the revelation of EPA double standards.
With this administration it's just one lawless scandal after another. When will the American people finally say ENOUGH!?
Michael Bastasch reports at the Daily Caller:
The IRS may not be the only federal agency singling out conservative groups. Records suggest that the Environmental Protection Agency has made it easier for environmental groups to file Freedom of Information Act requests than conservative organizations.
According to EPA records obtained by the free market Competitive Enterprise Institute, since January 2012 the agency has granted fee waivers for 75 out of 82 Freedom of Information Act Requests sent by major environmental groups, denying only seven of them — meaning green groups saw their fees waived 92 percent of the time.
At the same time, the EPA frequently denied fee waivers to conservative groups. EPA records show that the agency rejected or ignored 21 out of 26 fee waiver requests from such conservative groups as the Competitive Enterprise Institute, the Institute for Energy Research, and Judicial Watch — an 81 percent rejection rate.
[...] "This is as clear an example of disparate treatment as the IRS hurdles selectively imposed upon groups with names ominously reflecting an interest in, say, a less intrusive or biased federal government," said CEI senior fellow Chris Horner, author of "The Liberal War on Transparency."
Horner described the EPA's actions as "a clear pattern of favoritism for allied groups and "a concerted campaign to make life more difficult for those deemed unfriendly."
This kind of favoritism springs from a worldview. The EPA that authored this bias was the same EPA led by Lisa Jackson. She left office last year amid her own scandal involving the use of personal, secret email accounts to conduct agency business — the "Richard Windsor" scandal.
It's time to ask a serious question. In light of the IRS targeting conservatives and the EPA denying conservatives at the same time, do liberals even believe that conservatives are due fair treatment under the law?
The EPA has become an unaccountable, tyrannical weapon wielded by unelected bureaucrats to abuse unconstitutional powers to advance their agenda.
It's time for the EPA to be abolished, along with every other agency that doesn't fall under the specific, enumerated powers granted in the constitution to the federal government.
Note To Republicans: Don't Just Rein in the EPA, Abolish It
Report: EPA followed double standard for conservative groups too?
EPA waives fee requests for friendly groups, denies conservative groups
EPA Administrator Resigns Amid Investigation for Using Fake Emails to Hide Info
EPA's Official Position On Oil Companies: "Crucify Them"
Just Freeze! EPA Says Burning Wood Is Bad, but so Is Natural Gas, Coal, Oil
EPA Punishes Companies For Not Buying 'Green' Fuel That Doesn't Exist
EPA Uses Drones To Spy On Mid-Western Farms, Cattle Ranches
EPA power grab to regulate ditches, gullies on private property
Conflict of Interest? Major Media Players Have Close Relatives Working For Obama Administration
It's all in the family.
James Simpson reports at the Examiner:
1973: reporters investigate All the President's Men. 2013: reporters are All the President's Men.
You knew the mainstream media was biased, but this is incredible. It was revealed todaythat CBS News President David Rhodes' brother is Obama Deputy National Security Advisor Ben Rhodes, who was instrumental in rewriting the Benghazi talking points. But it gets worse. It is now learned that ABC President Ben Sherwood's sister, Dr. Elizabeth Sherwood-Randall, is a Special Assistant to Barack Obama on national security affairs. But even this isn't it! CNN's deputy bureau chief, Virginia Moseley, is the wife of Tom Nides, who until February was Hillary Clinton's deputy.
It doesn't stop there, either. White House Press Secretary Jay Carney is married to Claire Shipman, who works for ABC News.
Could it be that Obama appointed relatives of the press to his administration in order to make the media more reluctant to damage it with accurate reporting?
Could it be that the lack of reporting on Benghazi and other scandals – especially prior to the election – had something to do with this?
Presidents of ABC and CBS News Have Siblings Working at White House With Ties to Benghazi
Top Obama official's brother is president of CBS News, may drop reporter over Benghazi coverage
Exposed: White House Threatens Reporters Who Dare To Challenge Him
Gunrunner-In-Chief Blames America For Mexico Gun Violence
The unmitigated gall of this man is mind-blowing. His administration's gun-running scheme armed Mexican drug cartels and resulted in the deaths of at least 2 border agents and 300 Mexican citizens. And he has the nerve to blame US??
Fred Lucas reports at CNS News:
President Barack Obama, speaking in Mexico City on Friday, said the United States is responsible for much of the crime and violence in Mexico because of the demand for drugs and the illegal smuggling of guns across the southern border.
He told the crowd, "We understand that the root cause of violence that's been happening here in Mexico for which so many Mexicans have suffered is the demand for illegal drugs in the United States." He later added, "We also recognize that most of the guns used to commit violence here in Mexico come from the United States."
Obama acknowledged the illegal smuggling of guns into Mexico by American criminals, but did not mention the Justice Department's Operation Fast and Furious that allowed the flow of about 2,000 U.S. guns to Mexican drug trafficking organizations. Fast and Furious began in the fall of 2009 and was halted in December 2010 after two of the weapons from the DOJ gun walking program were found at the murder scene of Border Patrol agent Brian Terry.
David Limbaugh rages at Human Events:
Obama didn't just offer a few throwaway lines at the issue, taking playful jabs at his Republican opponents. He actually seemed to be blaming Americans for the corrupt and violent Mexican drug culture.
He said, "Much of the root cause of violence that's been happening here in Mexico, for which so many Mexicans have suffered, is the demand for illegal drugs in the United States."
Can you believe that? Who thinks that way, much less a United States president? Whose team is he on? Whom is he fighting for? Wouldn't you think that if the captain of our team were going to complain about problems between our two countries, he would direct his criticisms at those committing the crimes in their own country and those who also come to our country in droves illegally, even if the numbers have decreased recently because of Obama's economy?
But no, it's our fault. It's always our fault, even when he's the president. What an impotent guy he must be not to be able to have a more positive effect on us evil Americans.
But he didn't stop there. Why should he have? He had a perfect platform to kill a couple of eagles with the same stone. He next took aim at America's evil gun manufacturers.
He said: "Most of the guns used to commit violence here in Mexico come from the United States. I think many of you know that in America, our Constitution guarantees our individual right to bear arms. And as president, I swore an oath to uphold that right, and I always will. But at the same time, as I've said in the United States, I will continue to do everything in my power to pass common-sense reforms that keep guns out of the hands of criminals and dangerous people. That can save lives here in Mexico and back home in the United States. It's the right thing to do."
It is disgraceful enough that this American president would gratuitously paint America in a negative light before foreign people and their leaders (absent some egregious, deliberate action by the United States). But it is especially reprehensible that he attacked Americans and American gun manufacturers for the purpose of advancing his political and policy agenda in the United States.
If he wanted to apologize to Mexico, perhaps he should have started with Fast and Furious and the illegal guns his administration walked into Mexico without its permission or knowledge, which resulted in the death of some 200 Mexicans. But his apology ought to be on behalf of his administration, including himself and his attorney general, not America generally.
Obama's Gun Plan: Arm Drug Cartels And Terrorists, Disarm Americans?
BOMBSHELL: Proof Obama and Holder knew about gun walking in 2009
White House Invokes Executive Privilege To Block Release Of Subpoenaed 'Fast & Furious' Documents
Arizona Sheriff Implicates ATF, Eric Holder and Obama Justice Department as Accomplices to Murder
U.S. Government Used Taxpayer Funds to Buy, Sell Weapons During 'Fast and Furious,' Documents Show
Immigration Reform Could Lock Democrats In Power For Decades
Last month, M. Stanton Evans pointed out that America's demographics currently favor the Republicans in future elections:
As shown by demographer Eric Kaufman of the University of London, religious couples across all cultures are for obvious reasons (including but not limited to abortion) having more children per family than are the secular-irreligious, whose birthrates are below replacement — which means a declining population.
"After 2020," says Kaufman, the devoutly religious of all faiths "will begin to tip the culture wars to the conservative side."
The liberal-counterculture Democrats will of course continue fighting this war in the schools and through the media, but have only one major demographic weapon to counter the fertility gap that is working relentlessly against them.
That weapon is illegal immigration. As the population trends move steadily conservative, the liberals must bring into the country and enfranchise new voters who will reliably cast Democratic ballots.
That, and that alone, is the real issue in the battle over immigration and why the Democrats are so bent on gaining amnesty for illegals. All the rest is window dressing.
No wonder they're pushing so hard for amnesty. The question is, why are Republicans so stupidly eager to help them?
Immigration reform could be election bonanza for Democrats
Homeland Security 'Welcome' Materials Recruit New Immigrants Onto Overburdened Welfare Programs
Case Worker: Illegal Aliens Got Food Stamps by the "Vanload"
IRS Claims It Can Read Your E-mail Without A Warrant
Who needs a Bill of Rights or due process of law? The same government that claims to be "of the people, by the people, for the people" really considers itself completely above the law and unaccountable to the people.
When will Americans finally stand up to these abuses of power and say, "ENOUGH"?
Declan McCullagh reports at CNET:
The Internal Revenue Service doesn't believe it needs a search warrant to read your e-mail.
Newly disclosed documents prepared by IRS lawyers say that Americans enjoy "generally no privacy" in their e-mail, Facebook chats, Twitter direct messages, and similar online communications — meaning that they can be perused without obtaining a search warrant signed by a judge.
That places the IRS at odds with a growing sentiment among many judges and legislators who believe that Americans' e-mail messages should be protected from warrantless search and seizure. They say e-mail should be protected by the same Fourth Amendment privacy standards that require search warrants for hard drives in someone's home, or a physical letter in a filing cabinet.
An IRS 2009 Search Warrant Handbook obtained by the American Civil Liberties Union argues that "emails and other transmissions generally lose their reasonable expectation of privacy and thus their Fourth Amendment protection once they have been sent from an individual's computer." The handbook was prepared by the Office of Chief Counsel for the Criminal Tax Division and obtained through the Freedom of Information Act.
By that reasoning, a letter or package that leaves your home on it's way to the intended recipient would would have no "reasonable expectation of privacy" either….except that it DOES.
If the government is not permitted to snoop through your physical mail without a warrant, neither should they be permitted to snoop through your electronic communications.
IRS to taxpayers: We don't need a warrant for email snooping, GPS tracking
IRS Goes On Hiring Frenzy To Enforce Obamacare Penalties/Tax Hikes
ATF Seeks 'Massive' Database Of Americans' Most Personal Info
U.S. To Allow Spy Agencies To Snoop Through Americans' Financal Records Without Warrants
Mentally Ill Man Sends Poison Letters Sent To Obama, Senators
Yesterday, a letter laced with the deadly toxin ricin was sent to Republican Senator Wicker:
A suspicious letter potentially laced with a poison, ricin, and postmarked from Memphis, was sent to the office of Sen. Roger Wicker of Mississippi, ABC News has learned.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid told ABC News that Capitol offices were on high alert.
The FBI was investigating the incident, officials said.
Sources confirmed the letter was sent to Wicker, R-Miss., but did not arrive at his office on Capitol Hill. It was stopped at a mail processing facility, where, officials said, a preliminary test for ricin came back positive.
Today, more suspicious letters were found, including one addressed to the president:
The FBI has confirmed that a letter addressed to President Obama has "preliminarily tested positive" for ricin, a day after lawmakers said another letter sent to the Capitol Hill office of Sen. Roger Wicker tested positive for the same substance.
The warnings come amid a flurry of reports on suspicious packages. Fox News has learned of several suspicious packages or envelopes in various Capitol Hill office buildings. Capitol Police say three packages that were flagged have been removed and the areas have been cleared.
Separately, the office of Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., reported a "suspicious-looking letter" at one of the senator's Michigan offices; and a spokesman for Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., reported a "suspicious letter" was intercepted at Flake's Phoenix office. Authorities were also called to the Dallas office of Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, over what was described only as "a piece of mail" — but field tests later came back negative.
[...] The bulletin said both letters included the phrase: "To see a wrong and not expose it, is to become a silent partner to its continuance."
Both were signed, "I am KC and I approve this message."
This afternoon, a suspect was finally arrested, and he sounds like a very disturbed individual who should have been locked up a long time ago:
Paul Kevin Curtis, 45, of Tupelo, Miss., has been arrested in connection with ricin letters that were sent to both Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) and President Barack Obama," The New York Times reports. Initial reports listed the suspect as "Kenneth Curtis," however, the Times updated its report with the corrected name.
[...] A few hours before federal officials announced the arrest, TheBlaze was contacted by bloggers at Lady Liberty 1885 who had noticed some key similarities between a "Kevin Curtis" from Tupelo, Miss. and the person suspected of sending the ricin letters.
Among several other similarities, Kevin Curtis used the phrase "This is KC and I approve this message" in a previous Facebook post — the same exact phrase included in the ricin-laced letters.
Additionally, the person who sent the ricin letters used this particular quote from Dr. John Raymond Baker to make his point: "To see a wrong and not expose it, is to become a silent partner to its continuance." Kevin Curtis uses the same quote in the "About" section of his Facebook page.
The same individual lists an address in Tupelo, Miss. — the city authorities say the suspect currently resides. The last message posted on Curtis' Facebook page was roughly two hours before his arrest was reported.
Kevin Curtis describes himself as a Christian, but not a "bench warming church going judgmental hypocrite." Under political views he lists himself as an "Independent." A call made to the phone number provided on his Facebook page went unanswered. [...]
The Clarion-Ledger reports that Curtis has a criminal history and mental issues.
"If it's Kevin Curtis, we've had him in our jail about 4 times, mostly misdemeanors like simple assault. But in 2008 for telephone harassment and stalking," Prentiss County Sheriff Randy Tolar said. "I think he has some very serious psychological issues from my dealings with him. In the past I had read some of his Facebook postings and it was very far out there. He'll get down on you and bash you with everything he's got, even making up stuff, and I've seen that side of him."
Once again, it would seem that mental illness is the core issue that needs to be addressed in the prevention of terror-like attacks.
Mississippi man arrested in connection to ricin letters sent to Obama, lawmakers
Confirmed: Ricin Terrorist Paul Kenneth Curtis Is a Democrat Activist
Expert: Ricin Letters Intended to Scare, Not Kill
The Real Issue Behind Mass Shootings: Mental Illness
Why can't America care for the mentally ill?
The Tucson Shooter and the Case for Involuntary Commitment
Wrong Prescription: How the emptying of state-run mental hospitals produced a social disaster
Obama Refuses To Send Envoy To Thatcher Funeral, Media Derides Her As 'Divisive'
Obama sent an envoy to Venezuela dictator Hugo Chavez's funeral, but refuses to send anyone from his administration to honor Thatcher.
Why? Because a Socialist dictator like Chavez is an ideological ally, while a liberty-loving conservative like Thatcher is political enemy. That should tell you all you need to know about dark and dangerous Obama's personal ideology truly is.
This is a deliberate, public slap in the face in front of the entire international community. Obama is a small, petty, dangerous man.
The Investors Business Daily editorial board observes:
President Obama declined to send a high-level delegation to Wednesday's funeral of Britain's Margaret Thatcher. It's a measure of how little he values the special relationship — and a sign of his own smallness.
Back in more gracious times, vice presidents routinely attended funerals of foreign dignitaries. As such, the presence of Vice President Joe Biden — if not Obama himself — would seem fitting for as significant a U.S. ally as the late Prime Minister Thatcher, if not out of warmth of feeling, then simply to represent the U.S.' gratitude. Thatcher's uncompromising friendship with the U.S. helped to set off a free-market revolution, end the Cold War, and left the U.S. and U.K. the standard-bearers for freedom in the world — the very basis of the power Obama now enjoys.
But appallingly, not even Biden could be spared for the funeral of the most consequential British prime minister since Winston Churchill.
[...] This snub shows Obama places partisan politics above leadership or statecraft.
Obama isn't the only one deliberately insulting the memory of this great woman. The media is taking this opportunity to verbally burn her memory in effigy:
In the days leading up to Margaret Thatcher's funeral on Wednesday, the three networks repeatedly hyped hateful, ugly attacks on the former Prime Minister of Britain, describing her as a "polarizing," "divisive" figure. On Rock Center, his low-rated Friday night show, Brian Williams explained that it was "sad, but necessary to report" that, while Americans may like Thatcher, "It's been a harsh couple of days …Tonight, the number one song on iTunes in Great Britain is the Wizard of Oz classic [Ding Dong! The Witch Is Dead], in this case celebrating the death of the Iron Lady."
On Sunday's Today, Lester Holt began by insisting, "Former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher is proving to be as polarizing in death as she was in life." He, too, highlighted angry liberals in Britain gleefully playing the mocking song. Leftist journalist Martin Bashir appeared on the program to bemoan the "controversial" Thatcher. He touted, "An online campaign has pushed the song Ding Dong! The Witch Is Dead up towards the top of the British music charts."
Bashir made sure to play a clip of a protester complaining, "I'm here to remember the victims, the victims of Margaret Thatcher and her society– her type of government."
On Wednesday, CBS This Morning reporter Mark Phillips lectured, "Well, this funeral was going to be a tense and controversial affair even before [the Boston bombing.]" It was going to be "controversial' to bury Thatcher, the woman elected three times in massive landslides?
On the April 17 Today, Keir Simmons reported live from the funeral route and deemed Thatcher a "divisive figure for many people in Britain." He did allow that there were "many people here in the streets to pay their last respects."
This last point, the massive outpouring of people who actually admired Thatcher, hasn't received as much attention from the network reports.
Britain Loses A Great Champion Of Freedom
Obama Draws Criticism for Thatcher Funeral Snub
NY Times Doesn't Let 'Costly' Funeral Halt Criticism of 'Deeply Polarizing…Divisive' Thatcher
Compare And Contrast: AP Equivocates On Margaret Thatcher, Lionizes Huge Chavez
American Leftists, Media Grieve Loss Of Venezuela's Communist Dictator
ATF Seeks 'Massive' Database Of Americans' Most Personal Info
The ATF, along with the DOJ, allowed hundreds of American guns to fall into the hands of dangerous drug cartels.
But don't worry. I'm sure they'll be much more responsible when it comes to your personal information.
Gregory Gwyn-Williams, Jr. reports at CNS News:
A recent solicitation from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) reveals that the agency is seeking a "massive" online database capable of pulling up individuals' personal information, connections and associates.
On March 28, ATF posted the notice on FedBizOpps.gov, entitled "Investigative System." The solicitation was updated on April 5 with a few minor changes.
The document says that the system will be utilized by staff "to provide rapid searches on various entities for example; names, telephone numbers, utility data and reverse phone look-ups, as a means to assist with investigations, and background research on people, assets and businesses."
The system is described as a "massive online data repository system that contains a wide variety of data sources both historically and current that can be utilized in support of investigations and backgrounds."
[...] The system "provides a means to rapidly check records across the country" and is "necessary in assisting investigators, agents and analyst to find people, their assets, relatives, associates and more."
The ATF says they will use this system to provide information to Intelligence Analysts, Special Agents, Inspectors, Financial Investigators and Law Enforcement.
Who needs a warrant anymore? Don't you feel safer?
Obama's Gun Plan: Arm Drug Cartels And Terrorists, Disarm Americans?
Feds Launch Intrusive New 'Common Core' Student Tracking Database – Time To Opt Out!
U.S. To Allow Spy Agencies To Snoop Through Americans' Financal Records Without Warrants
New HHS Regulation Creates Government Database of Your Private Health Information
What 4th Amendment? Gov't May Now Collect, Catalog, and Store All Private Information
Obama Budget Seeks To Limit How Much Workers Can Save For Retirement
My grandparents sacrificed and saved for years so they could have a comfortable retirement and still leave an inheritance for their children. They succeeded. They live comfortably independent well into their 80′s, and left a legacy to be proud of. We used to call this responsibility.
According to the Obama administration, however, people who make wise retirement choices need to be reigned in. The government should decide how much you can save, and how "comfortable" your retirement lifestyle is permitted to be (keep in mind that with today's lifespan, an average person can live up to 20 or 30 years after they retire, which means they need to save MORE than previous generations, not less).
As far as the Left is concerned, there is no such thing as private property. There is only what the ruling class "allows" you to keep.
What President Barack Obama has planned in his upcoming budget, while not exactly a Cypriot-style, government-based raid on private savings accounts, comes too close for comfort. As widely reported Monday, the Obama budget document – which is already a month late – will include a new proposal to limit the total amount an individual can put aside in tax deferred retirement savings like 401Ks and IRAs to an amount sufficient to generate an annual income in the golden years of less than $250,000 per year.
Why do it? According to a senior administration official, The Hill reported, "wealthy taxpayers can currently 'accumulate many millions of dollars in these accounts, substantially more than is needed to fund reasonable levels of retirement saving.'"
Who says? It is true that some people use retirement savings plans as a form of tax avoidance, but tax avoidance was, the last time anyone checked, still legal. Major corporations that have the imprimatur of approval from the Obama administration like General Electric and General Motors do it all the time.
What the White House may propose is not a matter of fairness, as the president and his allies are sure to cast it, but one that strikes at the heart of the right to keep for ourselves the product of our hard work.
To Obama, that idea that some may have saved more than others for their retirement is unfair, So is the idea, apparently, that some people make more than others. It's class envy at its most ugly, designed to appeal to the more than 40 percent of Americans who pay no income tax and who voted for the president in 2012.
It is not a legitimate function of government to determine when a person has saved enough for retirement. "Enough" is a nebulous word just like "rich." If a cap is in the offing in the near term, can confiscation, a la Cyprus, be far behind?
It's theft. Pure and simple.
Great news! White House finds new ways to soak the wealthy
Democrats Push For Government Takeover Of Private Retirement Savings
Obama Begins Push To Confiscate Private Retirement Savings, Nationalize Retirement System
Uncle Sam coming after your retirement savings?
Crony Corporatism: Corrupt Companies Making Money From Food Stamp Program
Boomtown 2: The Business Of Food Stamps
View on YouTube
For the Left, this is all part of the Cloward-Piven strategy to overwhelm the system with impossible demands, bringing about an inevitable collapse that will set the stage for a Communist revolution.
For corporations vying for their turn at the taxpayer trough, this is a dance with the devil…and they don't even realize it.
Tim Brown reports at Freedom Outpost:
"Boomtown 1: Washington, The Imperial City" exposed the cronyism and luxurious lifestyle of Washington, DC's power elite. On Friday "Boomtown 2: The Business of Food Stamps" Government Accountability Institute (GAI) President Peter Schweizer and Breitbart News Executive Chairman Stephen K. Bannon exposed how politicians and corporations have used the country's food stamps program to profit on the backs of tax payers.
Though the food stamps program was always meant to be a "safety net" to provide temporary assistance, Schweizer pointed out that it has "become an insider game of power and profit" for corporations who are attempting to get a slice of the $75 billiion provided by the taxpayers.
[...] The GAI president points out that the food stamps program was intended to provide basic foods, but has grown to include all types of things including soft drinks and fast food. We have also pointed out that the food stamps program has been used to purchase guns, drugs and pay for strippers and massage parlors, not to mention that the USDA has targeted illegal aliens for the program.
The fraud of the food stamps program has grown since EBT cards were issued in 2002, which gave no reason for either government or corporations to look to reform the system or limit the fraud.
Tom Fitten warns at Breitbart:
The Obama administration is proudly shattering welfare records with an astonishing number of people collecting public benefits long term, especially food stamps.
In fact, as I discussed in a special to be aired on Hannity tonight, Obama and his friends have actually found a way to meld corporate cronyism with food stamp abuse to line their pockets while undermining our election systems at the same time.
Under Obama, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), also known as food stamps, has exploded with a record number of people – 46 million and growing – getting free groceries from the American taxpayer. Adding insult to injury, a federal audit revealed last year that many who don't qualify for food stamps now receive them under a new "broad-based" eligibility program that disregards income and asset requirements.
Obama says the food stamp extension is part of his intention to eradicate "food insecure households." However, it's really part of a massive redistribution of wealth. Last year, taxpayers were forced to pay more than $80 billion, including an estimated $750 million a year in outright fraud.
[...] According to the study, the current food stamp Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) card industry is dominated by three main players: J.P. Morgan Electronic Financial Services, Affiliated Computer Services, and eFunds. Together they collect money from 49 states and three territories. In fact, since 2004, 18 of 24 states that contract with J.P. Morgan have paid more than $560 million to the financial monolith.
There is little wonder then that those three companies appear to be perfectly content with the exploding food stamp rolls – and wholly unconcerned about rampant fraud and abuse. As the GAI study observed, "The more persons enrolled in the program, the more money the EBT industry makes." That may also help explain why, when the state of Florida initiated an eight-month program to detect and prevent fraud among its three million EBT card users, J.P. Morgan saw fit to assign just one employee to the program.
And then there is this: During the 2008 election, Barack Obama received more than $800,000 from J.P. Morgan alone. After his election, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, initiated by Obama and passed by a compliant Congress, made two major changes to existing food stamp policies. First, it increased benefits by 13.6 percent. Second, it actively encouraged states to add more recipients to their food stamp rolls.
And the corporate cronyism and political payoffs don't end there. The House and Senate Agricultural Committees have jurisdiction over all food assistance and distribution programs, including the food stamp program. So, just as one might expect, analysis by the GAI uncovered a clear trend of increasing contributions to Agriculture Committee members of both the House and Senate on the part of J.P. Morgan that clearly coincides with their entry into the lucrative EBT card, food stamp market.
Between 1998 and 2002, JP Morgan's total contributions per election cycle averaged $82,897. After the bank entered the EBT services market until the 2010 election cycle, their average donation per cycle more than doubled to $215,120. And the Agriculture Committees, in turn, have broadly expanded the number of food stamp recipients.
Of course, the more recipients that are added to the food stamp rolls, the more voters Obama can count on at election time. And the offshoots of Obama's former client and campaign partner ACORN not only assure that those voters are registered but also that they know to whom they are beholden for their government handouts.
15% of Americans Now Receive Food Stamps
Boomtown 2: Taxpayers Have Spent 15 Trillion On The War on Poverty
Taxpayers now fund 126 separate federal anti-poverty programs
Schweizer: 'No One Representing Taxpayer' In Food Stamp Program
Homeland Security 'Welcome' Materials Recruit New Immigrants Onto Overburdened Welfare Programs
Government Launches $3M Ad Campaign To Recruit More People Into Food Stamp Dependency
EBT: How The Culture of Welfare Creates A Parasitic Class That Devours Its Host
How Food Stamps Morphed From Temporary Relief to Permanent Entitlement
Government Benefits Are Destroying The Family, Creating More Poverty
Boomtown: New Series Exposes D.C. Ruling Class Living High On Taxpayer Money


text:
The most visited tourist spot in the Southeast [1] is undoubtedly Altos de Chavón (Casa de Campo, tel. 809/523-8011, fax 809/523-8312, US$5). High above the Río Chavón sits this beautifully crafted mock 16th-century Mediterranean village. In the 1970s it was built to give guests of Casa de Campo [2] and other tourists something to do, and it is now also home to an art school affiliated with the Parsons School of Design in New York.
Cobbled passages, plazas constructed of black river pebbles and sun-drenched coral, azalea-dripping stone archways, and wooden shutters on terra-cotta-roofed buildings create a time-warp sensation as you weave your way from café to boutique, shopping for original student artwork, jewelry, or souvenirs.
Attractions include top-notch restaurants, the Church of St. Stanislaus, and a 5,000-seat open-air amphitheater where big-name concerts are regularly held. The Altos de Chavón Regional Museum of Archaeology (tel. 809/523-8554) houses more than 3,000 artifacts that document the island's pre-Columbian heritage from the pre-ceramic era to the Taíno people. In the three art galleries (call 809/523-8470 for more information), you can stroll among the showcased art of Dominican and international established and emerging artists.
Any amount of time spent at Altos de Chavón is a treat. Even though it seems a bit odd to have built a replica of a 16th-century Mediterranean village in the Caribbean and greatly removed from modern Dominican life, it is a rich addition to your island getaway vacation.
To drive to Altos de Chavón from La Romana [3], pass the Casa de Campo gates. Veer right at the fork in the road; it is marked with an Altos de Chavón sign.
A cab from La Romana should cost under US$10 each way. Ask for the taxi driver's card so that you can call for a return trip. A motoconcho would cost significantly less but they are not allowed inside the gates.
[1] http://www.moon.com/destinations/dominican-republic/the-southeast
[2] http://www.moon.com/destinations/dominican-republic/the-southeast/la-romana/accommodations
[3] http://www.moon.com/destinations/dominican-republic/the-southeast/la-romana

subset: commoncrawl


text:
The Conservatory, a Tom Watson course at Hammock Beach Resort on Palm Coast, is the longest track in Florida — a whopping 7,776 yards from the back tees. Most women golfers never even see the course from there, having the good sense to "play it forward."
But, suppose just once, we tried playing a course the way it's set up for the PGA Tour pros? Would a golf vacation still feel like vacation, or sudden drudgery?
The Conservatory's par-5 10th hole, the No. 1 handicap hole for men and women, measures 636 yards from the blacks. The course that day was not at all crowded and we had no one behind us. I had been driving pretty well, so why not give it a go?
Up on the back tee, an elevated view down the rock 'n' roll fairway (with the red tees so far out there that you needed binoculars to find them), I could see tall pines and wetlands along the right and menacing bunkers reaching out like magnets looming along the fringe. The GPS showed a sod-faced bunker and a coquina bunker in front of the green.
Doesn't look too bad, I thought. I just needed a 210-yard drive to clear the forward tee. Then I'd have a reasonable shot at a bogey.
I lined up, wound up and went for it, but the extra adrenaline I infused into my swing predictably backfired and I landed just short of the reds. No worries, a tad humiliating. But then I was, after all, going for a bogey, not a par.
Trying to recoup, I overswung again and mishit my second before finally nailing a soaring 4-iron. Perfect! Except that it caught the top of the shaggy-edged bunker guarding the front of the green and rolled down into the sand. Eventually I holed out with a triple bogey 8. From the 11th to the 18th, I stepped forward where I belonged with an even greater respect for what the pros can do and why everyone should play from the tees best suited to their game.
Trading tees
This isn't the first time I have tried this stunt. Once, I did a fun story about trading places with a burly, single-digit handicapper at Turning Stone's Atunyote Golf Club. He played from the forward tees; I played from the tips on Tom Fazio's 7,482-yard design.
Turning Stone, just outside Syracuse, N.Y., has been home to the PGA Professional National Championship and the BC Open. If I even managed to carry the hazards spread out in front of many of the Atunyote back tees, I was left with a horrific 2nd shot coming in low and hot to the greens. Worse yet, my short game never showed up and I lost badly in spite of the many shots I was given. Still, playing this graceful layout was a treat, one I appreciated all the more when I later walked the course following the pros in the Fall Series tournament.
Length isn't the only challenge, of course, when playing a tough, tournament-ready course. Take The Champion course at PGA National, home of the Honda Classic and considered the strongest of the resort's four excellent tracks.


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No. 5 Stanford women beat No. 7 California 62-53
Posted at: 01/09/2013 7:07 PM
By JOSH DUBOW
(AP) BERKELEY, Calif. - The shots wouldn't fall for California and the Golden Bears had no answer for Chiney Ogwumike.
The one bright note is the seventh-ranked Bears get another shot at toppling their rivals in five days.
Ogwumike scored 26 points and Amber Orrange added 15 to help No. 5 Stanford pull away from seventh-ranked Cal for its 81st straight win against a conference opponent, 62-53 over the Bears on Tuesday night.
"Obviously we want to win one of these ones here pretty soon in order to make it the rivalry it should be," Cal coach Lindsay Gottlieb said. "I think our players are hungry to do that and they're working hard."
What they need to do is make more shots. Cal (12-2, 2-1 Pac-12) shot just 30 percent from the floor and missed 19 of 21 3-pointers on the night. Despite all that and the usual strong performance by Ogwumike, the game was tied midway through the second half before Stanford (14-1, 3-0) finally pulled away for its 10th straight win in the series.
Now the Bears are preparing for the rematch at Stanford on Sunday.
"I don't feel like we can't compete with them," Cal guard Layshia Clarendon said. "I don't feel it was far off. We're still confident, even more confident knowing we let Chiney go off like that and there are some scouting report changes we can make. We're fine. We're not losing our head because we lost one."
Clarendon scored 17 points on 6-for-20 shooting to lead the Bears, whose only losses this season are to Stanford and at No. 4 Duke. Cal hasn't beaten a top five team since a win over No. 2 Rutgers on Nov. 22, 2008.
But with little offensive help, it wasn't enough to end Stanford's conference winning streak that started after a loss here to Cal on Jan. 18, 2009.
"We had a rough shooting night," Gottlieb said. "You can't expect to beat a team as good as Stanford if you go 2 for 21 from 3. I think we really battled through that, especially in the first half. In the second half ultimately it deflated us a little bit and allowed Stanford to get better looks than we wanted them to."
The game was tight as could be for most of the night with the lead never getting bigger than four points for either team for a span of more than 22 minutes starting midway through the first half.
The Bears overcame their poor shooting with relentless rebounding, using 21 offensive boards to score 22 second-chance points. But that wasn't enough to pull away because of another spectacular night from Ogwumike, who scored on jumpers, drives and putbacks to get the Cardinal close.
Stanford finally started to pull away with six straight points just past the midway point of the second half with Joslyn Tinkle getting out in transition for an easy layup that gave the Cardinal a 52-46 lead with 6 minutes left.
Ogwumike then came up with the biggest play of the night after a held ball gave the Cardinal the ball at halfcourt with 2 seconds on the shot clock. Tinkle threw up the inbound pass off the backboard and Ogwumike converted the layup as the shot-clock expired. She drew a foul on the play but missed the free throw, keeping the lead at eight points.
"There was a short shot clock," Ogwumike said. "I told Joslyn just throw it up there and I'll try to get it. I tried to get it. We had 2 seconds to put it up. Luck of the Irish, I guess."
That was too much for Cal to overcome and the Bears lost for the 23rd time in the past 26 home games against Stanford.
"When we got down six, we got a little bit rattled and they broke it open from there," Clarendon said. "You can't do that against a team like that."
Cal had the edge early and used an 8-2 run midway through the first half to take a six-point lead that was the biggest of the night for either team until the final 5 minutes.
But Ogwumike kept the Cardinal close with 14 points in the first half. Cal took a 31-29 lead at the break after Brittany Boyd stole the ball from Orrange just past halfcourt and converted a layup just before the buzzer.
(Copyright 2013 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
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text: Electronic properties of heterostructures, quantum wells, superlattices, and molecular systems, in particular the influence of quantum phenomena on the transport and optical response are the main topics of von Klitzing's group. Optical and transport measurements in magnetic fields up to B = 20 Tesla and temperatures down to 20 mK are used to characterize systems. The quantum Hall effect is studied by analyzing the electrical breakdown, the time-resolved transport, the edge channels and the behaviour of composite fermions. Electron-phonon interactions in low-dimensional systems and the phonon transmission through interfaces are investigated with ballistic phonon-techniques. Time-resolved photoconductivity, luminescence, and Raman measurements in magnetic fields are methods of characterizing the low dimensional electronic systems. A strong current interest is the preparation of nanostructures either by selforganized growth or by lithographic and synthetic routes (nanotubes and other synthetic nanoparticles) and the investigation of coupled two- and zero-dimensional electronic systems (electron drag, Kondo resonance, single electron transistor). The experiments are supported within the group by theoretical investigations of the transport and dynamic response of these low-dimensional electronic systems.


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Livestream CEO: Good Domain is the Best Marketing Investment Ever Made
A few months ago Inc. published a short yet inspiring video interview with Livestream CEO Max Haot on the subject of business naming. (Embedded) As reported by DomainNameNews in 2009, Mogulus rebranded to Livestream after a $100,000 domain purchase.
Branding, Current Events, Domain Buzz, Domain Investing, Domain Names, Marketing, Notable Domain Sales


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ACC3042 Energy Management Accounting
Semester 2, 2013 On-campus Springfield | |
Units : | 1 |
Faculty or Section : | Faculty of Business and Law |
School or Department : | School of Accounting, Economics and Finance |
Version produced : | 24 May 2013 |
Examiner: Ulrich Nissen
Moderator: Marie Kavanagh
Pre-requisite: ACC2113
Other requisites
Students are required to have access to a personal computer, email capabilities and Internet access to UConnect. Current details of computer requirements can be found at http://www.usq.edu.au/ict/students/standards/default.htm.
One of the priorities for business is the development of strategic energy efficiency initiatives given the rising price of global energy. This course integrates conventional management accounting skills with a foundation level knowledge of energy engineering and provides students with the skills to communicate effectively with engineering colleagues to facilitate innovative energy management solutions for business.
Accountants play a key role in energy management and need to be able to make good investment decisions, to control energy consumption and costs and to develop and apply effective energy controlling methods in line with energy legislation. This course provides an introduction to the principles of sustainable energy management accounting underpinned by a foundation level knowledge of energy engineering fundamentals such as thermodynamics and construction physics.
On completion of the course students will have the knowledge and the abilities to calculate energy efficiency measures, and cooperate in energy efficiency projects together with energy scientists and engineers and be able to take the lead role in the financial decisions underpinning investments in energy efficiency.
On completion of this course students will:
- have a broad overview and understanding of energy supply technologies
- be able to demonstrate problem solving, management planning and organisational skills in determining the energy demand of a company and the development strategies to reduce its energy demand and consumption and associated energy costs
- have a comprehensive knowledge of the business aspects of energy management
- be able to demonstrate problem solving skills through the application of energy adjusted accounting instruments
- know how to integrate the energy issues of a company into normal accounting systems
- be able to demonstrate professional literacy through effective communication with energy engineering colleagues on energy management related issues.
Description | Weighting(%) | |
1. | Introduction to energy management | 10.00 |
2. |
Energy demand
25.00 |
3. |
Energy supply
25.00 |
4. |
Business oriented energy management
40.00 |
Text and materials required to be purchased or accessed
ALL textbooks and materials available to be purchased can be sourced from USQ's Online Bookshop (unless otherwise stated). (https://bookshop.usq.edu.au/bookweb/subject.cgi?year=2013&sem=02&subject1=ACC3042)
Please contact us for alternative purchase options from USQ Bookshop. (https://bookshop.usq.edu.au/contact/)
- There are no texts or materials required for this course.
Reference materials
Student workload requirements
Activity | Hours |
Assessments | 20.00 |
Directed Study | 48.00 |
Private Study | 97.00 |
Assessment details
Description | Marks out of | Wtg (%) | Due Date | Notes |
ASSIGNMENT | 50 | 25 | 16 Jul 2013 | |
CASE STUDY | 100 | 25 | 16 Jul 2013 | |
2-HOUR EXAMINATION | 100 | 50 | End S2 | (see note 1) |
- The examination is scheduled to be held in the end-of-semester examination period. Students will be advised of the official examination date after the timetable has been finalised.
Important assessment information
Attendance requirements:
It is the students' responsibility to attend and participate appropriately in all activities (such as lectures, tutorials, laboratories and practical work) scheduled for them, and to study all material provided to them or required to be accessed by them to maximise their chance of meeting the objectives of the course and to be informed of course-related activities and administration. -
Requirements for students to complete each assessment item satisfactorily:
To satisfactorily complete an individual assessment item a student must achieve at least 50% of the marks. (Depending upon the requirements in Statement 4 below, students may not have to satisfactorily complete each assessment item to receive a passing grade in this course.) -
Penalties for late submission of required work:
If students submit assignments after the due date without prior approval of the examiner, then a penalty of 5% of the total marks gained by the student for the assignment may apply for each working day late up to ten working days at which time a mark of zero may be recorded. -
Requirements for student to be awarded a passing grade in the course:
To be assured of receiving a passing grade a student must achieve at least 50% of the total weighted marks available for the course. -
Method used to combine assessment results to attain final grade:
The final grades for students will be assigned on the basis of the aggregate of the weighted marks obtained for each of the summative assessment items in the course. -
Examination information:
This is a restricted examination. Candidates are allowed access only to specific materials during the examination. The only materials that candidates may use in the examination for this course are:- writing materials. These must be non-electronic and free from material which could give the student an unfair advantage in the examination.
- calculator which cannot hold textual information. The student must indicate on the examination paper the make and model of any calculator(s) used during the examination.
- unmarked non-electronic translation dictionary (but not technical dictionary). A student whose first language is not English may take an appropriate dictionary into the examination room. A dictionary with any handwritten notes will not be permitted. Translation dictionaries will be subject to perusal and may be removed from the candidate's possession until appropriate disciplinary action is completed if found to contain material that could give the candidate an unfair advantage.
Examination period when Deferred/Supplementary examinations will be held:
Any Deferred or Supplementary examinations for this course will be held during the next examination period. -
University Student Policies:
Students should read the USQ policies: Definitions, Assessment and Student Academic Misconduct to avoid actions which might contravene University policies and practices. These policies can be found at http://policy.usq.edu.au/portal/custom/search/category/usq_document_policy_type/Student.1.html.
Other requirements
Students can expect that questions in assessment items in this course may draw upon knowledge and skills that they can reasonably be expected to have acquired before enrolling in this course. This includes knowledge contained in pre-requisite courses and appropriate communication, information literacy, analytical, critical thinking, problem solving or numeracy skills. Students who do not possess such knowledge and skills should not expect the same grades as those students who do possess them.
Computer, e-mail and Internet access:
Students are required to have access to a personal computer, e-mail capabilities and Internet access to UConnect. Current details of computer requirements can be found at http://www.usq.edu.au/ict/students/standards/default.htm.


text:
Listen to free music by Midwest Product
Blip.fm is internet radio made social. It's easy to search for, play, and discover free music recommended by real people. Join today to create your own free station.
Midwest Product songs played by Blip.fm DJs
about a week till classes begin.. thinking about how I want to play out my semester & year. It is in your hands to do what you want with your life
Midwest Product – Still Love In The Midwest @generalelectrik@InsideMel
Midwest Product – Still Love In The Midwest


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Distances are provided for guidance and are calculated 'as the crow flies'. For directions and actual distances by road, please refer to the hotel directions tab for the particular hotel.
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text:
April 16, 2012
Alfredsson no faker
Shanahan backs Senators captainBy BRUCE GARRIOCH, QMI Agency
OTTAWA - Daniel Alfredsson wasn't faking. The Senators captain confirmed Monday that he suffered a concussion Saturday after an elbow to the head from Rangers winger Carl Hagelin forced him to leave midway through the second period of Game 2 and knocked him out of the lineup for Game 3 at Scotiabank Place. Because Alfredsson was on the ice at the pre-game skate Monday, there was a thought among the Rangers' faithful the Senators milked the injury so Hagelin would get the book thrown at him by NHL VP Brendan Shanahan. That wasn't the case. "(Sunday) was better than (Saturday) night. I went for a bike ride and felt pretty good," said Alfredsson after taking a 17-minute skate with his teammates at the morning skate. "I was active at home with the kids. I felt pretty good (Monday) morning. I will see how I feel after." Alfredsson didn't feel good enough. Alfredsson passed the baseline test required by the NHL after a player suffers a concussion, but he wasn't right. There was outrage on Broadway because many felt Matt Carkner should have gotten more for pounding out Brian Boyle than the one-game suspension that Shanahan handed down. Shanahan, speaking on WFAN in New York, said the Hagelin and Carkner incidents were completely different. "The biggest difference between the two plays is there's the head injury and concussion on one and there's no injury on the other," Shanahan told the station. Shanahan said Hagelin's hit was intentional. "I do think Carl Hagelin's a good kid," said Shanahan. "He looks right at Daniel Alfredsson, skates at him and elbows him right in the head. And Alfredsson has to leave a big game, an important game, and has a concussion and doesn't come back." Alfredsson said Hagelin deserved the suspension. "It''s hard," said Alfredsson. "Carl is not that kind of player, but with the intensity and everything that goes on in a playoff game, he gets an elbow up where I think that maybe, normally, he wouldn't have if it's not a playoff game ... I'm not a guy that's going to hold a grudge. Things happen, it's playoff hockey and if it needs to be disciplined, the league will take care of that and move on." Alfredsson, who suffered a concussion and missed five games earlier this season, said when he got to the dressing room Saturday he wasn't right. "Anytime — especially playoffs — when you get injured, you go to the locker room and see how you feel and go from there," Alfredsson said. "You want to make absolutely sure that if I go (back) out (on the ice), you want to be able to help the team, and I couldn't." Shanahan said he spoke with the Ottawa medical staff to see what the extent of Alfredsson's injury was before making his ruling. "Usually when I deal with an injury report from a team doctor, most of these guys say what Ottawa said to me was this could be one day, it could be one year. You just don't know," Shanahan said. "We've had that situation happen before where we thought something was one day and it ends up being one month. We've had situations where a guy thought he was really bad and ends up feeling good. I don't pretend to be a doctor. It's very clear, at the very least, he's not faking. Otherwise, he would have come back and played on the power play in the last game and played the rest of an important game. "Whether he's back (Monday) or whether he's back later in the week, we just don't know. I made the call, at the very least, knowing that whether it's serious or not serious — we just don't know with head injuries — there was an injury." And the Senators aren't sure when they might see Alfredsson again. email@example.com


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Last night in Denver, a steady rain fell. In February! Rain turned to snow--no doubt welcome by gardeners and people of good will concerned about drought. But the precipitation did not begin to quench Colorado's parched landscape.
With unseasonably warm temperatures, sunny days, and precious little moisture, gardeners will want to root themselves in drought strategies now and for the coming growing season.
The Associated Landscape Contractors of Colorado (ALCC) is alerting gardeners to consider practices that help conserve water and gardens alike.
"With a more serious drought looming over this growing season, the health of our plants may be more at risk. So now is a good time to think about the environment we can control, namely, our own back yards," said Becky Garber, director of communications for ALCC.
"This is why we've made such a big deal this year about winter watering. Giving plants the water they really need now maintains their stamina so they can emerge in the spring in a healthier state," Garber added.
As drought continues, the ALCC also urges the following landscape sustaining strategies:
• Use a mulching mower. "They chew up grass clippings and spread them on top of the lawn. The clippings act like natural mulch over the soil and help retain moisture--important in a drought year! Clippings will also decompose to provide nutrients so you need less fertilizer," said Garbed.
• Evaluate sprinkler system early in the season. "We should never waste even a drop of water and this year, there will be no drops to spare. Get a professional sprinkler system audit and do the most cost-effective fixes to make your watering efficient," Garber said. "Be sure to check out rebates from your water provider or city. We expect to see a lot of them this year."
• Downsize water needs; create new living space. "Are you watering parts of your yard you never even see or use? Maybe there's a better use for the space," said Garber. "Would you like to expand your outdoor living area, which might eliminate some landscape watering in the process? This would be a good year to make that happen."
Garber encourages gardeners interested in water-saving plans and water-smart plants to contact professionals through the Associated Landscape Contractors of Colorado, with members in six chapters statewide.
••• "Cultivate your corner of the world.
You grow your garden; your garden grows you." •••
Colleen Smith's gift book "Laid-Back Skier" celebrates alpine skiing and life's ups and downs. Watch "Laid-Back Skier's" brief YouTube video here.
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Resort Reviews
Duncan and Suzanne Simpson, Chief Executive of The Professional Golfers' Association of New Zealand, provide an excellent review of the Pier 24 Restaurant at St Clair Beach Resort, Dunedin, New Zealand. They praise the cooking of Michael Coughlin, the head chef, who is a platinum ambassador for the New Zealand Beef and Lamb Association. His deserts are also famous, as is his reputation for his exquisite venison dishes.
Apart from their discussions about food and dinning at Pier 24, these two also discuss how Dunedin is on the tourist route to Queenstown and how golfing travellers to this destination can play at Balmacewen, the oldest golf club in the Southern Hemisphere, founded in 1871. Duncan talks about some of the characters who played on The Legends Tournament and tells of the great golfing opportunities around Dunedin, Queenstown and Central Otago.
Tags: 24, Balmacewen, Beach, Beef, Central, More…Clair, Coughlin, Dunedin, Hemisphere, Lamb, Legends, Michael, New, Otago, Pier, Queenstown, Resort, Restaurant, Southern, St, Tournament, Zealand, chef, club, cook, desert, golf, travellers, venison, www.resortinterviews.com, www.stclairbeachresort.com
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Authors: Committee on New Orleans Regional Hurricane Protection Projects, National Academy of Engineering, National Research Council Authoring Organizations
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Published: April 23rd, 2011 at 9:14 am ET
Japan Commissions Inspection on Reactor, Wall Street Journal, April 23, 2011:
The Japanese government's nuclear safety agency said Saturday it has commissioned an investigation into the ability of the No. 1 reactor at the stricken Fukushima Daiichi to withstand further earthquakes in the wake of the March 11 disasters, amid concern that pouring water crucial to cool fuel rods into the reactor could conceivably weaken its structure. [...]
Japanese state broadcaster NHK reported early Saturday that the Japanese government has expressed concern about the structural strength of the Fukushima Daiichi plant's No. 1 reactor, saying water injections to cool fuel rods since the 9.0 earthquake and tsunami March 11 may be making the vessel less earthquake-resistant. [...]
But some experts have pointed out that since reactors weren't designed to be filled up with water, the process could put strain on structures and possibly cause cracks, especially if the area were hit by another major tremor as aftershocks continue to rumble around Japan. [...]
Read the report here.
Reactor 1 water level concerns, NHK, April 23, 2011:
The Japanese government has expressed concern about the structural strength of the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant's Number 1 reactor. It says the ongoing water injections may be making the vessel less earthquake resistant. [...]
TEPCO wants the water level to reach the top of the fuel rods in
reactors one and three by mid July, so it can cool them under more
stable conditions. [...]TEPCO says the water accumulation will not compromise the structure. But the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency says large amounts of water can make the building less earthquake-proof.
The agency says it needs to check whether the suppression pool pipes can withstand higher levels of pressure from the extra water.
Watch the video here.
Published: April 23rd, 2011 at 9:14 am ET


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Greenfield and West Allis were opposites in their support of presidential and Wisconsin's U.S. Senate candidates in Tuesday's general election, though not by wide margins in either race.
In Greenfield, Republican challenger Mitt Romney received 10,411 votes to Democrat incumbent President Barack Obama's 9,744. In the Senate race, Republican Tommy Thompson got 10,044 Greenfield votes and Democrat Tammy Baldwin received 9,439 votes.
In West Allis, Obama got 16,279 votes compared to Romney's 14,775, and Baldwin got 15,474 votes compared to Thompson's 14,508.
The results won't be official until the canvassing boards in each communities approves the final numbers.
In both municipalities, voter turnout, in terms of percentage of registered voters, was heavy - 91.6 percent in Greenfield and 85.8 percent in West Allis.
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