text:
|Steph F.
Bio: I am a conservative patriot that grew up among the bountiful corn fields of central Illinois! I am concerned with government's role in our lives, as our freedoms are continually chipped away and we are becoming slaves of the state. My activism began prior to the 2008 presidential election and I haven't looked back. The future is in the hands of Americans; complacency can no longer be the order of the day. We can win this battle by staying vigilant, educated and active. Let's roll, patriots!
Gene Long
John Adams
Sarah Palin
We are tired and unimpressed
Dear Speaker of the House John Boehner and Members of the 112th Congress,
The American people see events transpiring in Washington D.C. which find us questioning the loyalties of those whom we elected to represent us on behalf of this great nation.
Congresswoman Michele Bachmann, a brave and faithful public servant, brought to your attention Congressman Keith Ellison and Huma Abedin's ties to the Muslim Brotherhood. For speaking the truth, she was excoriated by the likes of you and many other representatives who have clearly demonstrated you do not have the best interests of America in your hearts and minds. As members of Congress, you took an oath to defend America from enemies, both foreign and domestic. We entrusted you with this great and humble service, yet your actions and words reflect an attitude more reminiscent of King George of England.
We have a few questions for you and your colleagues to ponder.
*Did it ever occur to you that defending the enemy puts our nation at risk of infiltration, or worse, as Congresswoman Bachmann documented in her 16-page response (complete with 59 footnotes) to Congressman Keith Ellison?
*Are you aware that America's exceptionalism has given top priority to national defense , yet the military budget has been slashed, rendering us weak?
*Do you and your cohorts understand that Islam is a political ideology whose goal is to establish Sharia in every nation on the globe?
*Can you explain what motivates members of Congress to continue financially supporting Muslim nations who wish to wipe America off the face of the earth?
*What motivation can justify the FBI's pulling of material "offensive" to Muslims?
*Do you understand that in so doing, our nation is now less safe than we were before 9/11?
These are just a sampling of the many questions weighing in on the minds of concerned Americans at a time when not only our nation, but the world is in serious turmoil.
We can ignore the elephant in the room for only so long. Political correctness has destroyed many a nation. It seems many on Capitol Hill, either out of ignorance or an unwillingness to face the truth, are leading America down a path that will lead to our demise. Heaven forbid America should experience another 9/11; the warning signs are clear for all the world to see.
As we struggle through the worst economy since the Great Depression, we don't take kindly to the blatant contempt on display by the "we know what is best for you" elitists whenever we bring matters of national security, among other equally troubling issues, to those who have a duty to represent us in D.C. At no time in our nation's history have we been less safe and more in debt. At no time in the history of our nation have citizens been more disgusted and disillusioned with those who represent us in D.C.
We are tired and unimpressed, and we are motivated. Your actions (and lack thereof) have shown us precisely where your allegiances lie. Our founders had a name for it. Treason. With all due respect, let that sink in as you deliberate the questions posed to you in this letter. Please know that we WILL vote out all career politicians, as understood all too well by the signers of The Declaration of Independence: "But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security." We are Americans who love our country and will do whatever it takes to turn our nation back into the shining city on a hill so eloquently and graciously spoken of by the late great president Ronald Reagan.
We would hope to have these questions answered by you and other members of Congress, but we aren't holding our breath. As such, we will continue to fight for our freedoms and reward those in Congress who stand with the people and the U.S. Constitution, like Michele Bachmann, by voting them in for another term. As for the rest, may they prepare for early retirement. In parting, we reflect on the wise counsel of founding father Thomas Jefferson: "The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government."
Stephanie Flater
Twitter: @eternalritewing
America's Last Vestige of Freedom
The death of a nation happens with a whisper and a nudge, patiently and stealthily, robbing its unsuspecting citizens of inalienable rights and replacing them with governmental controls...for the good of the people, of course. Only when it is too late to turn back the clock does a nation realize that freedom has vanished in the blink of an eye.
Two weeks ago, the United States Senate issued a death knell to freedom. The passage and signing away of our rights to due process and presumed innocence fundamental to the Constitution can be found in Senate Bill 1867, the National Defense Authorization Act. Tucked deeply into this bill in section 1031 is the provision in question, and this should chill every U.S. citizen to the core.
Admittedly, terrorism is a real and present danger to our nation's security. Yet, it should be apparent that the U.S. Senate had no problem endorsing this bill, even if an American citizen is a suspected terrorist. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iD1T61oTrR8
Couple this with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's 12-page document entitled 'Domestic Extremism Lexicon' "that addresses the nature and scope of the threat that domestic, non-Islamic extremism poses to the United States" and the implications are horrendous. http://www.fas.org/irp/eprint/lexicon.pdf
Senators, when you extinguished America's last vestige of freedom, were you thinking about your wife, husband, son, daughter, mother, father, niece, nephew and grandchildren, and the future you have denied them in this, the last free nation in the world? Did you ask them how they feel about being detained indefinitely without due process even if they are only suspected of being a terrorist? According to the Department of Homeland Security, Christian patriots are considered extremists. Were you aware? What if your daughter came home from college and told you she has joined a Christian patriot organization in the community? Would you deem her a suspected terrorist? Make no mistake, the Department of Homeland Security would.
Inquiring minds want to know what went through the minds of 93 of the 100 senators who willfully dismissed the Constitution, tossing it in the trash as they threw all caution to the wind in voting 'yes' to this freedom-destroying provision.
Americans implore the Congress of the United States of America to prayerfully consider the dire implications of leaving this provision in the bill. We pray you have the intestinal fortitude to do what is right, and when you look your loved ones in the eye, you can tell them you stood for freedom.
"Let us contemplate our forefathers, and posterity, and resolve to maintain the rights bequeathed to us from the former, for the sake of the latter. The necessity of the times, more than ever, calls for our utmost circumspection, deliberation, fortitude and perseverance. Let us remember that "if we suffer tamely a lawless attack upon our liberty, we encourage it, and involve others in our doom," it is a very serious consideration ... that millions yet unborn may be the miserable sharers of the event." - Samuel Adams
Stephanie Flater
Twitter: Eternalritewing
Land of the Free?
Are you willing to stand up for the greatest nation in the world, as our forefathers did when they created the single most amazing document ever known to mankind? Do you believe that individual freedom trumps collective freedom (ie. CONTROL)? I plead with you to get involved for the sake of America's future. America is being hijacked by Progressives whose intent is to bring America down to a 3rd-world status. I encourage you to investigate Cass Sunstein. He is behind much of what is happening in America today.
Both political parties have contributed to America's descent. The political elite; ie. the Establishment, have been operating like the King of England, throwing their weight around and dictating to the masses. The Republican party leaders are afraid because they are losing control to The Tea Party, a movement which stands behind small government, less taxes and free enterprise. The Democratic party leaders are afraid because they are battling it out amongst themselves, pitting the traditional Democrats against the Progressive Democrats, an ugly fight that is dividing their faithful followers, many whom are leaving the party for The Tea Party because it represents our founders' vision of a free America. Equally important is our responsibility, our obligation to get involved in our country. If we don't get involved, we have no right to complain. Marxism has come to our country, but it is not too late to stop it if everyone does his part. America is at a crossroads. It is up to us to decide which direction we want to take for generations to come.
Know who is running for office and research their backgrounds. A smooth-talking salesperson can woo the masses by his pleasing campaign rhetoric. We must not stop there. Investigate these candidates. Find out where they have been, what they have done and their past associations. Don't rely upon the media to tell you everything you need to know before making an informed and educated decision. Do your homework. You owe it to your country.
Remember to vote on November 2, a right and a responsibility in America.
Georgia farmer fined $5K for growing too many veggies
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Soda sales ban?
High-tech carts will tell on Cleveland residents who don't recycle ... and they face $100 fine
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Life under Communism
Revisionist Recitation: Obama Omits �Creato
BREAKING: US House puts oceans, coasts under UN:
By Carmen Reynolds, Paul McKain and Karen Schoen
�It�s too late; it�ll just have to be stopped in the Senate,� Tom, the young male answering the phone in U.S. Rep. John Boehner�s (R-Ohio)Washington D.C. office, said about HR 3534 (CLEAR Act). This is the globalist bill designed to give away our land, oceans, adjacent land masses and Great Lakes to an international body, and makes us pay $900 million per year until 2040.
HR 3534 is a thinly disguised permanent roadblock to American energy which drives American companies out of the Gulf, delays future drilling, increases dependency on foreign oil, implements climate change legislation and youth education programs; but most important, it mandates membership in the Law of the Sea Treaty without the required two-thirds vote to ratify it in the U.S. Senate. Read more at LOST below
The House passed the CLEAR Act (HR 3534) 209-193, July 30, 2010. This bill was originally introduced July 8, 2009, but was resurrected by the recent Deep Water Horizon oil spill crisis. According to www.govtrack.us, a debate may be taking place on a companion bill in the Senate, rather than on this particular bill. This bill was read for the second time Aug. 4, 2010, and placed on the Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders, Calendar No. 510. No official Senate Bill number exists as of yet. http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=h111-3534
Some have said this bill would be a long shot to be approved in the Senate or it will take a while to surface. Similar assessments were made about the health-care bill. Past precedent reflects how a 2,200+-page bill can be created, printed, members held hostage, and that same bill voted on within hours to facilitate holiday recess.
This bill assesses a Conservation Fee of $2 per barrel of oil and 20 cents per million BTUs of natural gas for all leases on Federal onshore and offshore lands (Section 802). This will jettison America�s energy prices for oil and gas through the roof!
Truth is, HR 3534 could have been stopped in the House and wasn�t. Why? Because 21 absent Republicans chose not to show up for this critical vote, while another REP just voted Present: U.S. Rep. Gary Miller (CA-42). This legislation was so egregious; more than a handful of Democrats voted �nay� which makes the Republicans� absence in the House chamber for the vote even more questionable. Be reminded that 193 + 17 absent votes would have killed the bill.
The Consolidated Land, Energy, Aquatic Restoration Act of 2009 (aka: CLEAR Act, HR 3534) gives away ownership of America�s oceans to the United Nations, and sectors America into nine geographic areas. This bill possesses a cap and trade/climate change component as well.
America will be forced to become a member of the UN Law of the Sea Treaty (aka: LOST), circumventing the normal two-thirds U.S. Senate vote necessary for ratification of any treaty. This was accomplished surreptitiously via Section 106 of the bill, which specifies that Executive Orders, rules, regulations, directives or delegations of authority that precede the effective date of this act are applicable to the CLEAR Act.
It just so happens two important documents did precede the CLEAR Act. Documents that contain the deleterious intent and scope of the bill: Obama�s Stewardship of the Oceans, Our Coasts and the Great Lakes Executive Order, July 19, 2010, and the Interim Report of the Interagency Ocean Policy Task Force, July 10, 2009. Look at the time line very closely:
9-8-2009 The CLEAR Act is introduced in Congress
9-10-2009 Interim Report
The Interim Report states that the Interagency Ocean Policy Task Force includes adherence to the Law of the Sea Treaty (page 14). Its purpose is to establish a comprehensive set of rules governing the oceans. The Law of the Sea Treaty calls for technology transfers and wealth transfers from developed to undeveloped nations, and requires parties to the treaty to adopt regulations and laws to control pollution of the marine environment � all under the authority of the United Nations. Such provisions were among the reasons President Ronald Reagan rejected the treaty in 1982. As Edwin Meese, U.S. Attorney General under President Reagan explained recently, ��it was out of step with the concepts of economic liberty and free enterprise that Ronald Reagan was to inspire throughout the world.�
This Interim Report will provide a recommended framework for coastal and marine spatial planning and addresses conservation, economic activity, user conflicts and sustainable use � as well as social justice. Previously, there was no money for National Marine Fisheries Service to implement its mandates and to update its fisheries data collection system. But now with the �international flavor,� $900 million a year will be dedicated to a �global� approach to our land, oceans, coastal areas and Great Lakes. Read more 1
4-20-2010 BP Oil Spill. The Federal government would not accept or provide help, allowing oil to reach shores, allowing BP to dump hundreds of millions of barrel of Corexit (toxic) into the Gulf, poisoning the Gulf for future generations (www.thegulfspeaks.com).
5-20-2010 US forces moratorium on drilling, Judge says not constitutional, but the Feds issue a new version of a moratorium. Thousands are put out of work, and hundreds of millions are lost in revenues.
Wonder why the Feds did nothing for 100 days? Instead we got this Executive Order:
7-19-2010 Executive Order
Moving to the Executive Order, Obama hereby orders as follows in Section 2 (b) (iii): pursuing the United State�s accession into the Law of the Sea Convention. Note the intent to make an end run around the constitutionally required separate two-thirds U.S. Senate vote necessary to ratify a treaty by burying this in associated documents � not in the bill itself. Read more 2
CLEAR Act (Consolidated Land, Energy and Aquatic Resources, HR3534)
This act creates the Regional Outer Continental Shelf Council which will coordinate siting and development of energy resources and prepare OCS strategies. What will these strategies entail? Further moratoriums? High costs for permitting?
It amends the Land and Water Conservation fund to make $900 million available to the fund for each fiscal year until 2040 without further appropriation. It allows grants to coastal states and Indian tribes, the Secretary of the Interior to update regional assessments, regional ocean partnerships and regional coordinating councils, ensuring government, nongovernment organizations and academic entities are considered (Section 605 (a) (3) (A) (B) and (C).
Pay attention to Section 106-e: References �relating to the Service in statutes Executive Orders, rules, regulations, directives, or delegations of authority that precede the effective date of this act are deemed to refer as appropriate to the Department, to its officers, employees, or agents, or to its corresponding organizational units or functions. Congress will no longer be needed to vote on those pesky little treaties; the UN will take care of everything.
The CLEAR Act repeals the Energy Policy Act of 2005 by removing royalty incentives for natural gas production from deep wells in shallow Gulf waters, removes royalty relief for deep-water production and directs the Secretary of the Interior to establish fees for leases with less than commercial quantities. So here is the Cap and Trade/ Climate part and job-killing component of the legislation. Don�t forget the Conservation Fees of $2 per barrel of oil and 20 cents per BTU of natural gas in Section 802 will be that much more we consumers must pay.
It prohibits the following authorities from developing a fishery management plan, which is the way we have been doing business: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Secretary of Commerce and Regional Fishery Management Councils. In other words, current management of our oceans within the United States will be superseded by the National Ocean Council, comprised of some of the most radical environmentalists in our Administration, co-chaired by Nancy Sutley, White House Council on Environmental Quality and Dr. John P. Holdren, White House Office of Science and Technology Policy.
The true intent of the CLEAR Act and its associated documents will change the way we do business with regard to our land, oceans, coastal areas and Great Lakes. All air space above the oceans, what operates in, through, on or is derived from underneath the water, will be subject to taxes as a world resource to the United Nations � Agenda 21. These areas will no longer be owned and managed solely by the United States, as they are newly defined as a global revenue, �social justice� source per the Law of the Sea Treaty.
All life in these waterways and all adjacent land masses will be directly affected by this legislation. Decisions will be guided by the Rio Declaration of 1992, requiring no scientific proof of threats or damage to justify corrective action, more regulations and fines.
Consensus is the objective, but the president will make the final decision if one can�t be reached. The Administration will retain the final determination on resolving disputes with States and their governors (Section 222). Read more 3
7-30-2010 The House of Representatives passes the CLEAR ACT. Did House REP�s read it? Or are they sheep, thieves or traitors, proud of themselves for giving our AMERICA away?
READ THE BILL SENATORS� The House just gave away our sovereignty, and we are paying $900 million per year until 2040 to create three new bureaucracies: Bureau of Energy and Resource Management, Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement and the Office of Natural Resources Revenue, plus all the inspectors and accountants that accompany them. No telling how much of this will be funneled through the International entities and councils even before the additional global taxes are eventually assessed on top of this. See organizational diagram below (not posted yet)
It doesn�t take a rocket scientist to ascertain the way to stop any sovereignty-killing legislation is in the House, not in the Senate. This is due to sheer numbers and because of the past �assists� bipolar senators such as Snowe, Collins, Lugar, Graham, McCain, Voinovich, Brownback, Castle and Scott Brown have provided.
Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL) is a strong proponent of the Law of the Sea Treaty. Other Republican senators that support this legislation include: Alexander (R-TN) and Murkowski (R-AK). Previously supportive were former Sens. Allen (VA), Hagel (NE), and Chafee (RI). There is no way to determine whether their replacements have been influenced (pay to play?) for upcoming votes. Remember, America has already missed the �House� opportunity because of:
Republicans not doing their jobs
Those Republicans in the House that let America down by not being present and voting:
Parker Griffith (R-AL) C.W. Young (R-FL) Michael Rogers (R-MI) John Shadegg (R-AZ) John Linder (GA) W. Akin (R-MO) George Radanovich (R-CA) Stephen Buyer (R-IN) Roy Blount (R-MO) Devin Nunes (R-CA) Jerry Moran (R-KS) Henry Brown (R-SC) Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) Todd Tiahrt (R-KS) James Barrett (R-SC) Howard McKeon (R-CA) Geoff Davis (R-KY) Zach Wamp (R-TN) John Campbell (R-CA) Pete Hoekstra (R-MI) Samuel Johnson (R-TX)
Voting Present: Gary Miller (R-CA-42)
Source: http://www.govtrack.us/congress/vote.xpd?vote=h2010-513
It is now incumbent on Americans, regardless of party, to contact senators to insist that America stay America � retaining sovereign rights to our lands, oceans, waterways, Great Lakes, our minerals, recreational and commercial fishing industries, transocean cables, commerce, oil/gas energy production, food sources and the right to operate navy vessels to defend ourselves, including submarines that carry weapons.
The Senate must not vote in any way, shape or form for the sovereignty-robbing Consolidated Land, Energy, Aquatic Restoration Act, period.
Paul McKain, Independent candidate for Florida�s U.S. House District 2, researched and uncovered the initial information contained in this article after being asked to speak at a 9-11 Memorial Weekend in Northwest Florida. He is a former teacher, 23-year firefighter and inventor. He can be contacted at www.PaulMcKain.com.
Carmen Reynolds is a retired Air Force lieutenant colonel with a BS in Criminology and Law Enforcement, MA in Business Personnel Management and BA in Journalism. She is Editor-in-Chief of boogai.net and can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.com.
Karen Schoen is a mortgage broker/owner and former teacher. She is the organizer of the Washington County Tea Party, thegulfspeaks.com and a radio show host on Repatriot Radio.
1. Force recommendations regarding sustainable use of oceans, coastal areas and Great Lakes resources will be consistent with international law, including international law as reflected in the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. Further, it mandates international collaboration with the Artic Council, the International Maritime Organization, the International Whaling Commission and the Law of the Sea Treaty.
Spatial planning is double speak for catch shares, a concept that has not been reached by consensus of the commercial and recreational fishermen stakeholders involved. With the help of legislators, these stakeholders were previously advocating more flexibility in the Magnuson-Stevens Act. This would allow for more funding for the National Marine Fisheries Service to perform new stock assessments, as well as third-party, independent stock assessments, based on up- to-date data.
This report makes continual reference to resiliency and adaptation to climate change, ocean acidification and human interference on pages 2, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9,10,11,13,14,15,16. It makes reference to the division of our country into spatial divisions on pages 2, 4, 6, 7, 8, 13, 14. Continual references are made to land use, starting on page 11. Joining the Law of the Sea Treaty starts on pages 2, 5, 12, 14, 16. Creation of the National Ocean Council is addressed on pages 5, 6, 7, 19, 20, 21.
Problematic is this statement: �Decisions concerning our oceans will be guided by the precautionary approach as reflected in the Rio Declaration of 1992 � stating that where there are threats of damage, lack of full scientific knowledge will not be used to postpone cost-effective measures.�
So if we humans are threatening the waters or the land, does that mean no scientific basis must be established before cost-effective measures are established and implemented to curtail man�s potential damage or harm to this water or land? In other words, no basis in science will be required to prove these hypothetical concepts or beliefs. So decisions don�t have to be evidence-based.
Further, monies will be used to create a diverse, interdisciplinary ocean-literate workforce that has the appropriate skills and training to capitalize on the opportunities as needed. In addition, formal and informal education programs will be developed and implemented to target grades K-12 and beyond which would create opportunities for enhanced appreciation of coastal and ocean issues and better prepare the workforce of the future (pages 31, 32).
2. This Executive Order assigns the National Ocean Council responsibility for implementation of the National Policy, ensuring execution of both the policy and the Administration�s objectives. Ultimately, it gives overall control of all other councils to the National Ocean Council.
Specifically, this order divides the United States into nine separate regions, initially affecting 30 states. The president will be the ultimate decision authority if a consensus can�t be reached (per Section 5 (b)). This is nothing short of absolutely scary!
The Department of the Treasury will maintain the Ocean Resources and Conservation and Assistance Fund to spend the $900 million annually for grants to coastal states and Indian tribes, the Oceans, Coastal and Great Lakes Program to be developed under this plan, and regional ocean partnerships.
Three parts to the Order:
According to this order the United States will be divided into 9 separate regions � initially affecting 30 states.
1. Clear ACT H.R. 3534/H.R. 5626 Creates the Regional Outer Continental Shelf Council
a. coordinate siting and development of energy resources
b. prepare Outer Continental Shelf strategies � very vague statement!
2. Each region will be dealt with separately, BUT all decisions will be made by CONSENSUS. If an agreement cannot be reached � the President will have the overall decision making power. As per Section 5 (b).
3. Amends the Land and Water Conservation Fund to:
Make $900 million available to the fund for each fiscal year until 2040 without further appropriation. Establishes in the Treasury � the Ocean Resources and Conservation and Assistance Fund (ORCA) to spend the $900 million.
3. Agenda 21 and Sustainable Development
If your freedom is important to you, the most effective action that you can take is to e-mail this article and Michael Shaw�s �Understanding Agenda 21 Sustainable Development� booklet to all of your State Legislators, County Commissioners/ Superintendents and City Council members.
Agenda 21, the international plan of action to sustainable development, outlines key policies for achieving sustainable development that meets the needs of the poor and recognizes the limits of development to meet global needs. Agenda 21 has become the blueprint for sustainability and forms the basis for sustainable development strategies. It attempts to define a balance between production, consumption, population, development, and the Earth�s life-supporting capacity. It addresses poverty, excessive consumption, health and education, cities and agriculture; food and natural resource management and several more subjects. Its 40 chapters are broken up into four sections:
1. Social and economic dimensions: developing countries; poverty; consumption patterns; population; health; human settlements; integrating environment and development.
2. Conservation and management of resources: atmosphere; land; forests; deserts; mountains; agriculture; biodiversity; biotechnology; oceans; fresh water; toxic chemicals; hazardous, radioactive and solid waste and sewage.
3. Strengthening the role of major groups: women; children and youth; indigenous peoples; non-governmental organizations; local authorities; workers; business and industry; farmers; scientists and technologists.
4. Means of implementation: finance; technology transfer; science; education; capacity-building; international institutions; legal measures; information. 4. Law of the Sea Treaty (LOST)
According to Cliff Kincaid, America�s Survival, Inc., the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea Treaty is a measure so extreme that former U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Jeane Kirkpatrick said it was viewed as the cornerstone of a Marxist-oriented New International Economic Order (NIEO). This was conceived as a scheme to transfer money and technology from the U.S. and other developed countries to the Third World.1 Kirkpatrick strongly opposed ratification of LOST.
Elisabeth Mann Borgese, a world government activist, was described as the �Mother of the Oceans� or �First Lady of the Oceans� for her role in crafting and promoting LOST.5 She not only stated her admiration for Karl Marx, the father of communism, but was an ardent advocate of the New International Economic Order.
Borgese identified several �major issues� on which LOST and the NIEO �could reinforce each other.� These included:
-- LOST�s recognition of the oceans being the �Common Heritage of Mankind,� thereby placing poor countries on an �equal� relationship with advanced countries and �a right to share in the resources that had been declared to be the Common Heritage of Mankind.�
-- Creation of Exclusive Economic Zones, giving coastal states control �over all resources and economic uses in a 200-mile zone.�
-- Establishment of the International Seabed Authority, giving developing countries a role in �financial decision-making� on a global level.
An official 1997 World Federalist Association publication declared:
�The final treaty marked real progress in establishing global governance by�stipulating that mining of the seabeds beyond national waters should require payment of royalties to the LOS [Law of the Sea] organization, thereby creating a funding resource that would be independent of voluntary contributions by the treaty member nations. These are the elements of a limited world government in a very restricted field that is nevertheless significant.� (emphasis added).17
From acceptance of the concept of �the common heritage of mankind,� Borgese figured that adoption of global taxes would follow. Gradually, she wrote, �a development tax might be levied on all commercial uses of the global commons, starting with the oceans��30
While she was described as the mother or First Lady of the Oceans, Borgese described Avid Pardo as �the father of the Law of the Sea� who proposed �a tax to be paid by States on the exploitation of natural resources within national ocean space.� This concept, also embraced by Borgese, was incorporated in LOST.32
It was in 1967 that Pardo,33 who became a Maltese delegate to the United Nations,34 proclaimed that the seas beyond national jurisdiction belong to �the common heritage of mankind.� He declared that the poor of the world wanted a small percentage of the profits from undersea mini
Borgese made it clear that key provisions of the treaty � never eliminated or altered by amendment � would guarantee establishment of this �new world order.� Foremost among these, she cited The International Seabed Authority, the �first institution to apply the economics of the Common Heritage in the No-man�s land of the deep ocean floor��
She believed that the International Seabed Authority and coastal states could regulate �the routing, laying and the maintenance� of fiber optic cables on the ocean floor.41 This would include, she said, �the payment of fees for licenses, property taxes for cable head-ends, etc. The Authority, at present, has no such powers, but clearly, it should have them.�
She added, �For the safety of the cables themselves, the Authority must ensure the avoidance of conflict of uses of the area, it must agree to the routing and know exactly where these cables are and be informed about their maintenance. In return for these regulatory activities the Authority would be entitled to some payments. A minimal tax, either in the form of a Tobin tax, let us say of 0.001 percent on the trillion dollar annual business transacted through the cables, crossing the Area which is the Common Heritage of Mankind would not only revitalize the Authority but change the whole picture of international development cooperation and constitute a first positive answer to the insistent call �by the World Bank, the United Nations system and the developing countries� for �innovative ways� of generating �new and additional funding� to enable developing countries to implement all the Conventions, Agreements and programs emanating from the Earth Summit of 1992.�
One former Law of the Sea Treaty negotiator told us:
There are a lot of pollution provisions in the convention. It sounds like they can do more with it than the negotiators intended. Since they didn�t get their global warming treaty (ratified by the U.S.), I worry about treaty provisions on emissions and anthropogenic (human-caused) inputs into the ocean that cause pollution. They could turn this into a global warming issue. Could they bring a case against us because we have pipes that put out sewage or air pollution that finds its way into the ocean?
But there is also a military component to the treaty.
�In this connection, Borgese believed that LOST prohibits the ability of nuclear submarines to rove freely through the world�s oceans and that the measure could be used to �eliminate the nuclear denizens of the deep and to protect the oceans as our common global heritage.�
In an article co-authored with an international lawyer,45 Borgese noted how LOST, or UNCLOS, as supporters call it ( for U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea) stipulates that the oceans �shall be reserved for peaceful purposes.� (emphasis in original)46 and that �any threat or use of force, inconsistent with the United Nations Charter, is prohibited.�47
She added, �In 1982, when UNCLOS was opened for signature, it was not certain how this applied to the deployment of nuclear weapons. However, since then, the International Court of Justice, in its historic advisory opinion of 1996, determined that �the threat or use of nuclear weapons would generally be contrary to the rules of international law applicable in armed conflict.� Nuclear weapons deployed on submarines are in a state of readiness to use and are thus a threat of use, according to the definition given by the ICJ, and illegal.� (emphasis added).
Wherefore Art Thou Forefathers?
Scan the Internet and the daily headlines read like scenes from a horror movie, a reality show nightmare, in which the unwilling cast of characters includes the American people, those who know that our freedoms and liberties are on the line. This battle between good and evil has reached a crescendo with a high probability of the largest, most outrageous takeover of government in American history, a preposterous notion coming from a bureaucracy that can't balance a budget, submitting instead to printing and spending money at the breakneck speed of a runaway train, driving America into debt of such magnanimous proportions that generations untold will be paying for the idiocy of these reckless choices.
Thomas Jefferson said, "The two enemies of the people are criminals and government, so let us tie the second down with the chains of the Constitution so the second will not become the legalized version of the first." Mr. Gibbs is sorely misguided in suggesting that government-run healthcare will be "The Law of the Land". The law of the land is the Constitution and it doesn't include the government's unwelcomed intrusion into the lives of Americans. Our founders gave their lives for America, not for an inept entity, a.k.a. The Government, that wants to dictate and control our lives, defying the very reasons America is the greatest nation in the world. The government has criminalized itself, dragging America down a dangerous road that is eerily reminiscent of Hitler's Germany. Woe to those who fail to learn from history.
The day of reckoning has arrived in America, the place where the rubber meets the road, as we learn the fate of healthcare. We will never forget the politicians who sold their souls, compromising the Constitution for a piece of legislation that will enslave Americans at the expense of freedom and liberty. We will never forget our selfless efforts to uphold our duty as Americans to honor and respect the Constitution, as we attended town hall meetings and contacted our Senators and members of Congress. We will never forget our founders who shed blood so America could be free. We will never forget the Constitution and the rights it guarantees. We will never forget because we are Americans. We will never forget in this election year. We will never forget.


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News Messenger
Established 1869
The News Messenger is a newspaper of, by and for the people of Montgomery County. We encourage letters from our readers on topics of general interest to the community and responses to our articles and columns. Letters must be signed and have a telephone number where you can be reached for verification. All letters will be verified before publication. We reserve the right to deny publication of any letter and edit letters for length, content and style.
The News Messenger (USPS 016-490) is published twice a week for $30 a year in the Montgomery County, $39 in adjoining countiesand $43 elsewhere by Virginia Media Inc., P.O. Box 429. Lewisburg,WV 24901. Periodical postage paid at Christiansburg, VA. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to NEWS MESSENGER 1633 W. Main St., Salem, VA 24153.

subset: commoncrawl


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Female carvings are known throughout the European Upper Palaeolithic and are collectively known as Venus figurines, though they predate the Roman goddess by tens of millennia. They are chiefly associated with the Gravettian period, though they are also known from the preceding Aurignacian. The earliest currently known is the 35,000 year old Hohle Fels Venus, a mammoth-ivory figurine recovered in 2008 at Fohle Fels Cave in the Swabian Jura of south-western Germany.
Typically lozenge-shaped, these figurines are characterised by exaggerated sexual characteristics, with very large breasts, accentuated hips, thighs and buttocks, and large, explicit vulvas. Continue reading


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Here at Tokewell, were all about breaking barriers and stereotypes. We are a band of misfits and firmly believe in counterculture and going against the grain. That said, meet our next feature Aimee Shackelford. She's the consummate gearhead and one of most influential people in the automotive world. We had the chance to catch up with Aimee in San Pedro, California and shoot her Audi R8 and rap about what it's like being a female in a male-dominated industry. Here are some behind the scenes snaps that went down.
Shot at various locations throughout San Pedro, this was one of our most adventurous and physcially taxing shoots from hiking cliffs, to shooting on on-site during work hours, to dodging 2,000 pigeons just waiting to target us with their… well you know. The funniest thing that Aimee said while looking up was, "There's a bunch of assholes up there!" We also had to give props to our photographer Taadow69K for being a trooper for making him hike trials and shooting off cliffs while being afraid of heights. It was definitely a shoot to remember. Catch the full feature at all Barnes and Noble locations nationwide and newsstands across the globe soon.
We are a band of misfits, enthusiasts, and artists that share the commonality of producing the freshest and most relevant content for you. We are a collective of artists, writers, and photographers and we invite you to live vicariously through our pens and lenses.


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• • • • • • Title: Mondays with You Series: Sunday Love Series, book #2 Author: KJ Lewis Genre: M/M Contemporary Romance Release Date:
Category: Cover Reveal
Shannon Youngblood's Trapped!
░C░O░V░E░R░ ░R░E░V░E░A░L░ Cover Reveal and Pre-Order Link is now LIVE for the highly anticipated new Dark Erotic Suspense Love Story by Shannon Youngblood. TRAPPED: Her
Exclusive Cover Reveal from Brooke Lee
Coming in the Spring of 2017 Reflecting Roni Beauty in the Darkness book 3 By Brooke Lee © 2017 Genre: Erotica ~Blurb~ Naive Mistakes Bad
HOT New Cover from Annie Anderson @AnnieAndie
SMOLDERING ASHES by Annie Anderson Ashes to Ashes; Book 4 Release Date: JANUARY 24, 2017 Genre: Paranormal/Supernatural Romance Cover Design by: MadHat Books SYNOPSIS: Kyle
Exciting New Series Cover Reveal from Faith Gibson @authorFGibson
Coming October 2016 A new MM series from Multi-Genre author Faith Gibson The Ghost in the Mirror Samuel Dexter Book 1 What do you
Rock-N Cover from Olivia Cunning @oliviacunning
Cover Reveal OUTSIDER Book 2 in the Exodus End Series from USA Today and NY Times Best Selling Author Olivia Cunning Release date: 9/27/16 Reagan


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If linear regression was a Toyota Camry, then gradient boosting would be a UH-60 Blackhawk Helicopter. A particular implementation of gradient boosting, XGBoost, is consistently used to win machine learning competitions on Kaggle. Unfortunately many practitioners use it as a black box. As such, the purpose of this article is to lay the groundwork for classical gradient boosting, intuitively and comprehensively.
A Kaggler's Guide to Model Stacking in Practice
Stacking is a model ensembling technique used to combine information from multiple predictive models to generate a new model. Often times the stacked model will outperform each of the individual models due its smoothing nature and ability to highlight each base model where it performs best and discredit each base model where it performs poorly. In this blog post I provide a simple example and guide on how stacking is most often implemented in practice.
Tough Crowd: A Deep Dive into Business Dynamics
Every year, thousands of entrepreneurs launch startups, aiming to make it big. This journey and the perils of failure have been interrogated from many angles, from making risky decisions to start the next iconic business to the demands of having your own startup. However, while the startup survival has been written about, how do these survival rates shake out when we look at empirical evidence? As it turns out, the U.S. Census Bureau collects data on business dynamics that can be used for survival analysis of firms and jobs. In this tutorial, we build a series of functions in Python to better understand business survival across the United States.
Seventeen Ways to Map Data in Kaggle Kernels: Tutorials for Python and R Users
Kaggle users have created nearly 30,000 kernels on our open data science platform so far which represents an impressive and growing amount of reproducible knowledge. In this blog post, I feature some great user kernels as mini-tutorials for getting started with mapping using datasets published on Kaggle. You'll learn about several ways to wrangle and visualize geospatial data in Python and R including real code examples and additional resources.
A Guide to Open Data Publishing & Analytics
On our open data analytics platform, you can find datasets on a topics ranging from European soccer matches to full text questions and answers about R published by Stack Overflow. Whether you're a researcher making your analyses reproducible or you're a hobbyist data collector, you may be interested in learning more about how you can get involved in open data publishing. In this blog post, I dive into the details of how to navigate the world of open data publishing on Kaggle where data and reproducible code live and thrive together in our community of data scientists.
Getting Started in the Seizure Prediction Competition: Impact, History, & Useful Resources
The currently ongoing Seizure Prediction competition—hosted by Melbourne University AES, MathWorks, and NIH—invites Kagglers to accurately forecast the occurrence of seizures using intracranial EEG recordings. In this blog post, you'll learn about the contest's potential to positively impact the lives of those who suffer from epilepsy, outcomes of previous seizure prediction contests on Kaggle, as well as resources which will help you get started in the competition including a free temporary MATLAB license and starter code.
Communicating data science: Why and (some of the) how to visualize information
There are a number of reasons for using perceptual (visual, tactile, or other non-verbal) means to communicate data. The third entry in the communicating data science series covers the why and (some of) the how to using visualization to convey information in data. Learn how to lighten your audience's cognitive load by effectively using two of the key ingredients to building a compelling visual story: level of detail and color.
Predicting Shelter Animal Outcomes: Team Kaggle for the Paws | Andras Zsom
The Shelter Animal Outcomes playground competition challenged Kagglers to do two things: gain insights that can potentially improve animals' outcomes, and to develop a classification model which predicts their outcomes. In this blog, Andras Zsom describes how his team, Kaggle for the Paws, developed and evaluated the properties of their classification model.
Approaching (Almost) Any Machine Learning Problem | Abhishek Thakur
An average data scientist deals with loads of data daily. Some say over 60-70% time is spent in data cleaning, munging and bringing data to a suitable format such that machine learning models can be applied on that data. This post focuses on the second part, i.e., applying machine learning models, including the preprocessing steps. The pipelines discussed in this post come as a result of over a hundred machine learning competitions that I've taken part in.
Communicating data science: A guide to presenting your work
See the forest, see the trees. Here lies the challenge in both performing and presenting an analysis. As data scientists, analysts, and machine learning engineers faced with fulfilling business objectives, we find ourselves bridging the gap between The Two Cultures: sciences and humanities. After spending countless hours at the terminal devising a creative and elegant solution to a difficult problem, the insights and business applications are obvious in our minds. But how do you distill them into something you can ...
Communicating data science: An interview with a storytelling expert | Tyler Byers
In May I announced that I was assembling a series for the blog covering topics related to creating and presenting analyses including: the ingredients of a well-constructed analysis, data visualization, and practical guides to using tools like Rmarkdown and Jupyter notebooks. The internet is host to innumerable tutorials on every aspect of machine learning from simple linear regression to cutting edge algorithms in deep learning. However, it's often acknowledged that a career in data science typically requires more time and ...
Free Kaggle Machine Learning Tutorial for Python
Always wanted to compete in a Kaggle competition, but not sure where to get started? Together with the team at Kaggle, we have developed a free interactive Machine Learning tutorial in Python that can be used in your Kaggle competitions! Step by step, through fun coding challenges, the tutorial will teach you how to predict survival rate for Kaggle's Titanic competition using Python and Machine Learning. Start the Machine Learning with Python tutorial now! The Machine Learning Tutorial In this ...


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The Firm
Honestly, I'm a sucker for a deal and the Firm's tweet about $3 well drinks totally worked in getting us to drive out Cole Mill looking for the newish watering hole. The Firm is a cinder block building that seems to still be work in progress. The night we were in, part of the drop ceiling was missing and the bar didn't have an ice chest or a soda gun. But hey, cheap drinks!
The Firm's well drinks and draught beers are always only $3.50. Get that? Every day of the week, wells and beers are only $3.50. When we were there, on tap were New Belgium's Fat Tire, Triangle's Golden and Fullsteam's Working Man's Lunch. There is also a case full of domestic and imported bottle beers. Domestics will run you $2.50 and imports $3.50. In addition to these pretty great prices, The Firm also has daily drink specials.
On a Wednesday night, The Firm was surprisingly crowded with a dart league competition, a couple of folks playing pool and some guys hanging at the bar. The Firm seems to be doing a good job of hosting random events and live jazz music to get folks in the door. From their calendar – there are beer pong competitions, a pool league, a TV show viewing and a dart club in the next week.
On the downside, because The Firm doesn't have a soda gun, the $3 vodka tonic and gin & soda we ordered were both flat (wells are $3 on Wednesdays). The bartender knew and apologized as she was pouring them, but should have given us a heads up. In the future, I'll stick to beer or juice-based well drinks. On their site, it does say The Firm uses only fresh-squeezed OJ.
The Firm is a good spot to catch a game or play some darts or pool. If you live out Cole Mill or are looking for some of the cheapest drinks in town – the Firm would make for a good neighborhood bar.
The Firm
Open seven days a week:
Mon – Thu: 4pm-12am
Fri: 4pm-2am
Sat: 1pm-2am
Sun: 1pm-12am
1647 Cole Mill Road, Durham, NC 27705


text: TRANSCRIPT Why do good policy ideas turn into porridge? A speech by Commonwealth and ACT Ombudsman Allan Asher to the MEAA and Walkley Foundation's 2011 Public Affairs Convention National Convention Centre, Canberra ACT Tuesday, 6 September 2011 INTRODUCTION Every year, my office receives thousands of approaches and complaints about Australian Government agencies – just shy of 39,000 last financial year. This places us in a good position to identify recurring issues in how those agencies are delivering their services, and what some of the underlying causes of those issues might be. It also puts me in a good position to hold forth on occasions such as this. One of the key issues my office encounters is the gulf between how a policy is framed and how it is delivered. I believe that to a great extent this comes down to poor communication, which underlies many of the complaints we receive. This is partly because many agencies see the way they communicate as a side issue to the services they provide, whereas the two are inextricably linked or indeed the same thing. By poor communication I mean lack of accessibility, poor complaint-handling procedures and language that is unduly complex or bureaucratic. Failures in service delivery are also due to rolling out programs that are too high level and don't involve enough community consultation, as highlighted in a recent opinion piece by Noel Pearson who said: Politicians and public servants who have never built anything from the ground up in such communities never really get it. Most people in social policy live in a world of programs and plans, bearing scant relation to realities1. Ultimately, I believe addressing these problems come down to empathy, to putting yourself in the shoes of the end-user and to working on broad, underlying issues. To making sure that the wellbeing of Australians is your focus, that social inclusion and customer-centred service are your watchwords, not your buzzwords. Today I will be looking at a series of examples that highlight these problems, in particular executive schemes and Commonwealth-State agreements, where scrutiny, accountability and clear and consistent communication are often lacking. And I will look at ways these problems can be addressed, including a fivepoint action plan to improve service delivery. 1. 'Social policy begets social misery as the Western world fails the poor', The Weekend Australian, 30-31 July 2011 Page 1 of 7 HOW GOVERNMENTS COMMUNICATE WITH PEOPLE It is no good having well-designed policies or programs if the very people they are intended for have difficulties accessing them. The outcomes government policies and programs seek to achieve simply won't be realised. Sometimes these barriers are found in the complex and formal language government agencies use to communicate with the public. So we must use much simpler and better targeted language and we must improve communication with those who are not literate. Some common examples of poor, or even lazy, communication include: • computer-generated form letters, or letters that cut and paste great tracts of impenetrable legislation, or refer to websites to which their clients may not have access • sending people too much correspondence, or too little, or none at all • call centre staff who don't have enough information themselves, or don't have the authority to make proper decisions • failing to provide key information, such as the right to review, and how to complain • writing in bureaucratese rather than plain language, using jargon, acronyms and abbreviations • failing to provide simple explanations for people with cognitive impairment • taking an officious tone • not providing translations or interpreters, and • having no single point of contact, so that people have to repeat their concerns over and over again. Poor communication is overwhelmingly the main source of complaints to my office from Indigenous people in the Northern Territory. For instance, there is often confusion about how people are affected by government programs, due to insufficient communication, or communication that is too high level, or has been oversimplified to the point of excluding important information, or doesn't explain how government initiatives will affect lives. A report2 my office published in April this year followed a series of complaints about interpreters not being used when they should have been, either because they were not available, or because they were not deemed necessary. A resident of a remote Indigenous community complained to my office that Northern Territory Government staff and building contractors had not used interpreters when they met with residents to discuss housing plans in that community. As a result, some residents did not understand the nature of the work that was planned, where they would live while work was being done, and whether they would be re-allocated the same house when the work had been completed. We raised this with the Department and I'm pleased to say that in response they organised two meetings attended by an Indigenous language interpreter at which the housing program and other housing-related matters were properly explained. This illustrates that poor communication creates a wall between agencies and the people to whom they provide services. So we must sweep away this obfuscation. Helping governments do this by seeking to change the culture of poor communication is one of the things my office will be looking at over the next three to five years. 2. Talking in Language: Indigenous language interpreters and government communication, April 2011 http://www.ombudsman.gov.au/files/Talking_in_Language-Indigenous_Interpreters_REPORT-05-2011.pdf Page 2 of 10 SOCIAL INCLUSION I'd like to talk a little about social inclusion because of the obvious challenges agencies face in not losing touch with those who are, often, most in need of adequate government services. Or not being in touch in the first place. To illustrate this I will use my own office as an example. The Australian Government has defined a socially inclusive society as one in which all Australians feel valued and have the opportunity to participate fully3.This means ensuring that people who are currently marginalised become fully engaged – people such as newly arrived immigrants, the elderly, people with disabilities, mental illness or problems with addiction, many Indigenous people as well as whistleblowers, children, the illiterate, those who are impoverished, particularly the homeless, and many others. Of particular concern are those who are newly socially excluded – for instance, the recently unemployed or homeless, immigration detention centre detainees or newly arrived and vulnerable immigrants – who are less likely to be aware of their opportunities to have a voice. It is heartening that the phrase 'social inclusion' is cropping up more often in government and public sector discussion, and in initiatives such as the National Compact4, which seeks to strengthen relations between Government and the not-for-profit sector. My office is in the process of signing up to the Compact and I very much look forward to us taking part. Social inclusion, or the lack of it, is a huge issue for my office. Last financial year, we received around 39,000 approaches from people wishing to make a formal complaint about a government department or agency, of which we chose to investigate more than 4,000. However, I suspect that for every complaint we get, there are maybe 10 we don't. In general terms, I believe that the people we don't hear from are the people we should be hearing from most, because they are likely to be those members of our community who are the most marginalised and disadvantaged. If only 10 per cent of people who should be complaining are complaining, the remaining 90 per cent cannot be said to be fully enfranchised in any meaningful sense. How can we provide accurate feedback and recommendations to agencies, how can the agencies themselves get direct feedback, if we're not hearing from most of the people with real problems? I suspect there is a range of reasons why these complaints aren't made. A person could be unaware of our existence, or has heard of our office but doesn't realise we take complaints from the public, or knows all this but doesn't think we can do anything. Or perhaps they have cultural or language issues, or concerns about the implications of making a complaint, or certain disabilities such as cognitive impairment. A recent public awareness survey we conducted showed that less than one-third of people under 35, and a similar number of people who speak a language other than English, have heard of my office. More surprisingly, only 60 per cent of women are aware we exist versus 72 per cent of men. While my office addresses some of these issues through its outreach and education programs, as well as our broader publicity work, it is clearly our responsibility to find innovative ways to tackle this better. With that in mind, I am keen to raise the profile of my office wherever appropriate, including in social media forums. We are currently using Twitter and very soon we will establish Facebook sites for the Commonwealth and ACT Ombudsman roles. We will also soon start posting material on YouTube. That such a large proportion of the community is unaware of us, or precisely what we do, points not just to the communication imperatives of my office but highlights a degree of ignorance of the complaint-handling process in general, and indeed the need for it. After all, our survey also found that a substantial number of people under 35 (around 14 per cent) weren't even sure whether they had ever been treated unfairly by a government agency – seven times more than those aged 65 and older. One of the reasons some people don't make contact with us, or fully engage with other government agencies, is lack of access. This is particularly true of socially marginalised people in remote areas. How do you contact an agency, including my office, if you don't have a landline, or if the local payphone doesn't 3. A Stronger, Fairer Australia, summary brochure published by the Social Inclusion Unit, Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, 2009 4. www.nationalcompact.gov.au Page 3 of 10 work? Perhaps you have a mobile phone, but not enough credit to make calls to 1800 and 1300 numbers, which are only free or charged at a local rate if you're using a landline. That is the irony – it is often the most disadvantaged who do not have landlines but are most in need of 'free' phone services. I've highlighted my concerns about this issue in discussions with Chris Chapman, Chairman of the Australian Communications and Media Authority. The Authority's own research has found that the number of people without a landline is increasing. Indeed, 14 per cent of the population are mobile-only users5. There has also been a decrease in the number of payphones available to the public6. Now, there's online of course, but only around half the population has functional access to the Internet. This digital divide must always be borne in mind when an agency seeks to engage meaningfully with its more marginalised clients. And of course not all agency websites are equally accessible. It should also be remembered that a website, even an accessible one, is no panacea in itself. Online should complement, not displace, other communication channels. Communicating with people who are socially excluded is obviously a particular issue for frontline agencies such as Centrelink. It should be said that those of my staff who deal with Centrelink are of the view that it has a culture geared towards improving service delivery to the disadvantaged, and it's encouraging to see that its 10-year service delivery reform plan places a strong emphasis on this. In March this year we accepted an invitation from Centrelink to work with them on the design and review of their new internal review process, and I look forward to this7. EXECUTIVE SCHEMES Governments are increasingly relying on executive schemes, which I mentioned before as being a form of service delivery where problems often crop up. By way of definition, an executive scheme is a means for an agency to make discretionary compensation payments or provide government grants under their own power rather than that conferred by legislation. Examples include the School Chaplaincy Program, which I'll talk about in a moment, and the Home Insulation Program as well as the provision of emergency assistance for victims of the 2009 Victorian bushfires. It's not my intention to declare open season on executive schemes, which certainly have their advantages. Sometimes there is simply no time to get the necessary legislation through Parliament and it is often quite appropriate for agencies to exercise their powers under the Constitution to meet particular needs as they arise. However, because they are often developed on the run, the implementation of executive schemes is not always fully thought through. There are also issues of public accessibility, consistency of decision-making, lack of accountability, public consultation, Parliamentary scrutiny and effective complaint-handling, all of which are discussed in a report my office issued in August 20098. For instance, decisions made under executive schemes are not subject to review under the Administrative Decisions (Judicial Review) Act, or by administrative tribunals, or to a great extent by the High Court or Federal Court. Only my office can review such decisions, though, as with any other administrative decision, we do not have the power to overturn them. The complaints made to my office about executive schemes tend to fall into the following categories: 5. 6. 7. 8. • a lack of comprehensive, accurate and up-to-date information to potential claimants (such as inadequate guidelines, or none at all) • criteria not properly thought through • inadequate liaison with other organisations resulting in inconsistent advice • poor decision-making practices • lack of effective review of decisions. ACMA, 2009-2010 Communications Report 2 – Take-up and use of voice services by Australian Consumers, pp 4, 14, 22 Ibid, p77 Centrelink: Right to Review – having choices, making choices, March 2011 – http://www.ombudsman.gov.au/files/centrelink_the_right_of_review_having_choices_making_choices.pdf Executive Schemes – August 2009 – http://www.ombudsman.gov.au/files/investigation_2009_12.pdf Page 4 of 10 Three of these categories relate to issues of communication either between agencies or between agencies and the public in both directions. The public needs to be fully and consistently informed as much as possible given time constraints, and people affected by the scheme need to be able have decisions reviewed in a meaningful way. In addition, the complaints they make need to be taken seriously and where appropriate result in changes to the way the service is delivered. NATIONAL SCHOOL CHAPLAINCY PROGRAM In July, my office published a report9 on our investigation into the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations's administration of the School Chaplaincy Program, which is an executive scheme as well as an inter-government agreement (although State governments have kept it at arm's length). In my report, I noted the lack of precision in the way the Department runs this admittedly complex program and the need to improve its management and oversight. In the report I expressed the view that the Department should be clear about how it expects schools to consult with the community. It needs to provide more and better guidance about the minimum standard expected of schools when gauging community support. The report highlights one case in which a woman complained to us that the staff at her child's school made only a token attempt to consult with parents and that those who were consulted rejected the proposal to appoint a chaplain. The school went ahead and appointed the chaplain anyway. We also found that there is a degree of informality about the current complaints mechanisms. A lot of people aren't even aware that they can complain, and when they do, their complaints often don't find their way from the schools or State or Territory authorities to the Department. So among my recommendations were that the Department should: • consider giving guidance to schools and education authorities on how best to obtain parental consent for participation in the program • review the code of conduct to provide clarity on what actions could be considered to be in breach of the requirement that chaplains not proselytise, and to clarify this with the public • amend the program guidelines to define the terms 'chaplain' and 'pastoral care', and mandate a minimum qualification for the position of chaplain • implement more robust mechanisms to capture and manage complaints • work towards a review of funding agreements to ensure: consistency; that all key participants are accountable; and that the protection of children and parental rights is central to the administration of the program. INTER-GOVERNMENT AGREEMENTS The problems arising from the Chaplaincy Program are common to many inter-government agreements where lines of accountability, review and complaint handling are not clearly defined. The challenge for governments in this area is to ensure that appropriate governance and accountability measures are in place to complement the greater collaboration, flexibility and innovation that are among the benefits of inter-government agreements. Governments need to be jointly held to account for outcomes that National Funding Agreements seek to achieve. It is not sufficient for the Australian Government to provide the funds and leave it to the state and territory governments to deliver the programs. In our experience, through the investigation of complaints by Indigenous Australians, people are often confused about how to seek resolution of a housing matter, challenge a decision or request information about the various Indigenous and other housing programs. There is often a lack of clarity about which agency or tier of government has the responsibility to resolve their issue – such as getting urgent repairs, certainty about rent or access to new housing. The onus should not be on members of the public to know the specific agencies responsible for each component of these programs in order to seek redress or to complain. In 9. Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations: Administration of the School Chaplaincy Program, July 2011 – http://www.ombudsman.gov.au/files/commonwealth_ombudsman_chaplaincy_report_06_11.pdf Page 5 of 10 such circumstances providing a one-stop-shop for people to complain, have matters investigated and issues resolved is important. The NT Department of Housing, Local Government and Regional Services is presently developing a more integrated housing complaints and review process that enables Indigenous people to seek redress of housing matters without having to know the level of government or agency that has prime responsibility. This is a positive development which could form the model for other areas covered by National Partnership Agreements. One important measure of accountability is the existence of effective independent oversight, and complaints and review mechanisms. Supporting and properly resourcing strong, efficient and independent oversight agencies such as my office and that of the Auditor-General is a critical component of an accountable and transparent governance framework. I suggest that National Partnership Agreements and National Funding Agreements should clearly set out appropriate governance arrangements to enable reporting on outcomes, and comprehensive and accessible review and complaints mechanisms to enable the public to seek redress of issues. Consideration should also be given to expanding the independent oversight of programs delivered under Australian government funded programs. This includes expanding the jurisdiction of my office to enable it to investigate complaints relating to such programs and where administrative action may cut across the three tiers of government. NORTHERN TERRITORY EMERGENCY RESPONSE One obvious example of an inter-government agreement that has encountered problems is the Northern Territory Emergency Response. In December 2009 we published a report10 on how the Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs communicated the results of its asbestos surveys of housing in remote Indigenous communities. The initial surveys took place from November 2007 across all 73 communities. That asbestos was present in many houses became clear from January 2008 but an organised, deliberate communications strategy was not introduced until August the following year. This strategy would have kept people informed of the process and when results would be available, while providing an avenue to make enquiries and raise concerns. It was our view that the longer people were left without specific information about the asbestos in their homes, the greater the risk of them disturbing it. Quite apart from the fact that they had a right to know. Communication issues have been at the core of many complaints made to my office about the Emergency Response and other Indigenous programs in the Northern Territory. The Emergency Response is particularly noteworthy because it involves so many government agencies and so many different levels of government. Common elements in these complaints include: • not articulating clearly to intermediaries the expectation that they will inform all members of a community • information being conveyed solely in one-off sessions and meetings • different approaches by intermediaries to providing information, leading to varying degrees of understanding and awareness across the communities • crucial written material not being translated into the appropriate language(s) • failure to use interpreters • a limited understanding of cross-cultural communication issues • key messages and important information being delivered in one format or via one method only • passive communication of important information, for example, only conveying information on the internet. 10. NTER – Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs asbestos surveys: communications issues, December 2009. Page 6 of 10 In fairness, I acknowledge connecting with the Indigenous community poses a unique set of challenges. Prior to the introduction of my office's Indigenous outreach program, virtually no Indigenous people complained to us – as far as we are aware – and it hardly needs saying that this is not because they had little about which to complain. A report11 based on research my office commissioned late last year revealed that Indigenous people are unlikely to complain because: • they do not know it is possible or acceptable to complain, or who to complain to • they believe they must accept their lot in life • they fear reprisals • they dislike confrontation • there are language issues • complaining brings with it a sense of shame • they have poor self-esteem • they believe that complaining in itself won't change anything. The research also found that many Indigenous people prefer to use an intermediary whom they know to discuss problems or issues, preferably face-to-face in a familiar location, and only after they have come to trust the impartiality and effectiveness of the complaint-handling process. That is presumably why our outreach teams are effective in gathering complaints from Indigenous people. And it is perhaps telling that we have occasionally drawn criticism from some within the Public Service for using such methods to supposedly 'drum up' business. In response to the research, we are preparing a report called Lessons learnt from our engagement with Indigenous communities and working on new Indigenous communications resources. HOME INSULATION PROGRAM Another example of a problematic inter-government agreement and executive scheme is the Home Insulation Program implemented by the then Department of Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts in 2009 and 2010. The Hawke Review12 into the Program pinpointed a number of problems with the Program, a number of them springing from the haste with which it was developed and poor communication among the Department and the various State and Territory agencies it had dealings with. The Review claimed that States and territories reported to it that they had minimal input during development and implementation of the Program, particularly once the decision on the business model was taken. They would have preferred more engagement and a better flow of information to them about the Program, including information on action taken on complaints or other issues that impacted on state responsibilities13. The Department put in place memoranda of understanding (or similar) with state and territory consumer affairs agencies to cover information sharing about complaints, but some states reported that there was often no information flow back to the state from the Department about what action had been taken or the results obtained from audits14. 11. Improving the services of the Commonwealth Ombudsman to Australia's Indigenous peoples, prepared by Winangali Indigenous Communications and Research, November 2010 12. Review of the Administration of the Home Insulation Program, by Allan Hawke AC, 6 April 2010 13. Ibid, page 17 14. Ibid, pages 18-19 Page 7 of 10 SOLUTIONS I now want to focus on ways the issues I've raised today can be addressed. Stakeholder engagement First, without genuine stakeholder engagement, it is a mistake to think that you know what impact your policies and actions will have on people. When we do engage, sometimes the reality of what people think we should be doing or prioritising can be a bit of a shock. There are real benefits in consulting with a wide audience on organisational work plans. As well as market testing messages to make sure they are clear, effective and accessible, particularly when it comes to Indigenous audiences. In addition: Tell people what's going on. The Information Age has brought with it demands to be more open about organisational decisions and policies and to be more careful about how information about individuals is handled and shared. It is vital to keep abreast of these changes and meet new legal obligations. Think creatively about how to disseminate and collect information. Online services provide great scope for people to access information about programs and to transact with government. Though again it's worth keeping in mind issues of accessibility. Being innovative with technology to which your target audience doesn't necessarily have access is obviously counter-productive. The work being done as part of Government 2.0 is very encouraging, and it will be interesting to see the extent to which public sector culture shifts towards using technology as a means of creating more open government. Customer-centred service Second, of particular importance to any agency aiming to focus better on the needs of people is Ahead of the Game: Blueprint for the Reform of Australian Government Administration15, which can be summed up as: talk to the people in ways they understand and communicate between themselves, get their views and feed them back into better performance. Among the recommendations of Ahead of the Game are that service delivery be simplified to make access to government services more convenient through automation, integration and better information sharing. Over time, this would lead to: • a 'tell us once' approach • a service delivery portal that guides citizens through interaction with government, and • physical locations where citizens can access multiple services. This would be grounded in a view of policy and service delivery that places the interests of citizens first. Complaint-handling Third, people need to be given clear pathways and opportunities to seek review of a government decision, action or inaction. This should include clarity about how people can seek redress through a comprehensive and accessible complaints mechanism that enables them to have their matter effectively investigated and dealt with. Agencies that have good complaint-handling systems are doing themselves a favour. Not only do they have the opportunity to clarify or resolve a matter for their customer – thereby making them happier – but complaints are a valuable source of intelligence on how effectively the agency is performing. They also provide an opportunity to learn from any mistakes made and improve systems. A healthy bureaucracy welcomes all this input and smart administrators recognise its value. 15. Improving the services of the Commonwealth Ombudsman to Australia's Indigenous peoples, prepared by Winangali Indigenous Communications and Research, November 2010 Page 8 of 10 One way in which agencies can make this happen is to shift their attitude towards complaints themselves. Many within the private sector still view their complaints areas as punishment details for errant executives rather than a strategic resource. Increasingly, the result of this approach is that these businesses are the first to go out of business. There's no such inducement for senior officers in the public sector, but perhaps there ought to be. In addition, one way an agency can measure the effectiveness of its service delivery is fewer complaints to agencies, and fewer complaints to my office. PLAIN LANGUAGE William Tyndale was the 16th century English scholar who translated the Bible from Greek and Hebrew into English for a public readership. He also took advantage of cutting-edge technology, namely the printing press, to increase the readership as much as possible. Remember that at this time clergymen were in the habit of reading the Bible to themselves during services, tinkling a bell now and then so the congregation would know when they'd come to an especially edifying bit. This is I suppose the very definition of lack of access. It is perhaps not surprising then that, Church authorities, fearful of becoming obsolete, burnt Tyndale at the stake. So in a way he was a martyr to plain language. Though he enjoys a degree of immortality in the King James Bible, which was introduced about 80 years after his death and was largely based on his translation. I've had productive talks with a latter-day crusader for plain language – Dr Neil James, Executive Director of the Plain English Foundation in Sydney. The Foundation recently conducted a survey16 looking at what motivates public sector agencies to adopt plain language and what factors lead to success or failure. The results were interesting. For instance, external criticism had little effect on whether an agency took up plain language. The main reason they did was that a similar agency had done so, or an internal review or senior staff member championed the idea. Worth noting if you're keen to see a plain language program rolled out in your agency. The benefits of plain language to all concerned are clear. The time and money saved from the agency's point of view, and the improved accessibility for users, can be significant. It is curious too how plain language can affect attitudes. One respondent in the survey wrote: "I now see the clients I write to as real people when I prepare a document." According to a briefing paper prepared for the NSW Premier in 2009, NSW agencies that adopted plain English enjoyed the following benefits: • a reduction in drafting time of roughly half • a reduction in management editing time of around 40 per cent • an increase in client satisfaction to a 92 per cent rating. International case studies also reveal startling savings. For instance, the US Navy has saved $350 million by moving to plain English memos. Introducing a plain language program is one obvious way an organisation can begin attending to its communication issues, and illustrates in a broader sense the whole idea of wellbeing and how to evaluate it. Many government agencies introduce such programs, but only 40 per cent reach completion and therefore have a lasting effect. One of the problems routinely encountered by plain language programs are: • management not supporting or participating in the program • templates and systems that are inconsistent with the new approach 16. Reported in 'Persuading the public sector to invest in plain language' – Industry seminar for Clarity 2010 Lisbon Page 9 of 10 • individual staff or departments opposing change • the underlying culture of the organisation. A project I have been interested in for some time is a long-term, Government-wide plain language program. I am in discussion with the Plain English Foundation on what measures might be required to make this happen, and I have written to the Prime Minister suggesting we meet to discuss the plan. Such a program would have to involve the creation of clear standards, strong and consistent support from the Prime Minister down, an effective training and auditing program, and even legislation. It would help change the public sector culture from one in which agencies see communication as a side issue to the services they provide, to one that recognises that good communication is integral to good service delivery. CONCLUSION The issues I've raised this morning are not intractable. And some of them will be the subject of further discussion at the Commonwealth Ombudsman National Conference on 8–9 November. The key themes of the conference are: • delivering customer-centred services • innovation for good governance and public sector integrity • the tough task of improving social inclusion. I would encourage anyone interested in these issues to register as soon as possible via the Commonwealth Ombudsman website. Meanwhile, here are five ways agencies, and government as a whole, can begin to improve the services they deliver: 1. Support a Government-wide plain language initiative 2. Take active steps to reach socially excluded stakeholders 3. Consult with key stakeholder groups before implementation, not afterwards 4. Support better scrutiny of executive schemes. This might be from other sections of an agency or even an inter-departmental review committee that randomly selects and reports on half a dozen schemes a year. 5. Build in better complaint-handling and accountability mechanisms into inter-government agreements. For any agency, improving service delivery means going back to first principles and asking: are we placing the needs and wellbeing of the Australian community first, and if so does our service delivery reflect this? Are we giving the way we communicate our policies the same attention as the policies themselves? Thank you. Page 10 of 10


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Mark La Rosa has worked as an architecture and design photographer for fifteen years since studying at New York's International Center of Photography. He brings this experience to every shoot to help clients get the best photos of their designs and to meet their specific and unique imaging needs. His goal is to see every new space as a whole experience, and to create photos that will work together to share the story of the space and design details.
Mark is New York based and has worked with many prestigious architecture, design and commercial clients, including Cullman & Kravis, Suzanne Lovell Inc., Mikyoung Kim Design, Gensler, TPG Architecture, H3 Hardy Collaboration, Nintendo, Barneys NY, Baccarat and Frette. His work has appeared in numerous publications including Interior Design Magazine, Architectural Record and Landscape Architecture Magazine.
Mark has been on the faculty of the New York School of Interior Design since 2009, teaching photography and travel study courses for graduate and undergraduate students. He is currently working on the photos for a comprehensive book on residential interiors being produced by NYSID, due to be published in 2017.


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International Salon
May 15 - May 31, 2010
Edited: October 18 2016
Hans Vangs° works within a Scandinavian tradition of bold simplicity. The very much alive surfaces of his pieces are obtained in firing methods developed over years and years, as each piece is fired several times in a gas kiln with salt, seaweed, and metals. The combination of great simplicity in form and rich texture in glazes, and above all, the total melting of glaze and body render his work unique.


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(Image by By White House photo by Susan Sterner [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons) Permission Details DMCA
Liberals have been having a field day over the recent rift between the Cheney sisters - Liz Cheney, running for the Senate, disavowing her sister Mary's right to marry on Fox; Mary & her wife taking offense. It would be easy - for supporters of marriage equality - to say that Liz is the only one in the wrong here, with Mary and her wife as the victims. And many have accused Liz of throwing her sister under the bus, for political reasons. Even uber-liberal Chris Hayes described Dick Cheney's stance on gay marriage as on of "integrity," and criticized Liz for throwing her sister under the bus for political gain. (Others have even suspected a family orchestrated hoax, with all members of the Cheney family pushing for LIz to be seen as a true conservative.) However, taking the Cheney's words at face value, I think Mary has an equal amount of explaining to do.
Several people paying attention have pointed out that Mary Cheney had no problem supporting the Bush-Cheney ticket, while it worked against gay rights, So her outrage towards her sister is hard to take. And suspicious. I can't say for sure whether it's all orchestrated to help Liz in her senatorial bid, but I wouldn't put it past the Cheney family. As AmericaBlog put it:
" Mary Cheney has now decided she's shocked and offended that her sister Liz has the same anti-gay positions, on gay marriage in particular, as the Bush Administration, which Mary herself spent years campaigning for.
However, the moral bankruptcy here goes beyond mere hypocrisy. Consider Dick Cheney. Due to the fact that someone in his own family happens to be gay, he's lauded as some kind of brave trailblazer, for having spoken up for her rights, as a Vice Presidential candidate (with full knowledge that the president's policies would win out after election). But it's easy to have empathy towards people you love. Where was Dick Cheney's empathy for Gitmo prisoners who may have been wrongly accused, deprived of a trial? Where was his "tolerance" for victims of torture under his watch, and approval? Where was his remorse for lying the U.S. in the Iraq War, resulting in thousands of U.S. deaths and hundreds of thousands of Iraqi civilian deaths? All this from a man who avoided the draft himself? Where was his empathy for those who went in his place?
This is the difference between liberals and conservatives. A liberal member of a privileged group (i.e., male, white, straight, etc.) can look beyond their own experience to that of someone who is not privileged. Back when Dick Cheney "courageously" supported his own daughter's family, it was not the sign of integrity Chris Hayes supposed. It merely highlights the blind eye he turns to those in other disempowered situations. The fact that Mary Cheney can accept that parental act of kindness, and turn around and pull the rug out from other LGBT families, is a further outrage. If the Cheney family is now capitalizing on that ambiguity in order to get one of their own elected to the Senate - well, then that is really chutzpah beyond words.


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Published March 9, 2018
Driscoll observes month with Heart Celebration in McAllen
Driscoll Children's Hospital observed February as Congenital Heart Disease Awareness Month with a Heart Celebration for its Rio Grande Valley pediatric cardiology patients and families. The event was held in McAllen on Saturday, Feb. 24, with a "Super Heroes" theme. Games, refreshments and activities were featured as Driscoll staff enjoyed … Lea Más


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- Worldwide Rank #178,824,925
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Andrea Pereira Twitter Stats
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It's easy to get dressed with a dress, it's most comfortable in a hot weather, no matter which accessory you choose it will look good on you. What else a girl needs!Read More
Remember your Split or Sibenik trips by shopping, too
If you are interested in the creativity and uniqueness of the citizens of these two cities in Mediterranean, Split and Sibenik, maybe you don't have time to wander on your own, or you want to see what another creative and a local from here chose to present to you, you are at the right place and the right time dialling this number +385 98 315 352.Read More
Kimono or a "Thing to wear" in its modern version is one of the best styling tricks you can choose for the time of the year when it's hard to decide weather you need an extra layer or not.Read More
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Nowadays, you can spring clean everything, but I would suggest, these four things. 1. Read a good book, 2. Make a refreshing facial, 3. Get a new haircut and 4. Organise your closet.Read More
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Saint Laurent made me do it!
This laid back yet glamorous style is so simple and wonderful at the same time, sparkling boots, lights ripped jeans, white T-shirt with oversized black leather jacket. My own version is a little bit different, after all, who can copy the Queen of Style.Read More
Business Etiquette
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It was a perfect birthday present
No, please, don't invite me at all if you want cash, because you wan't get it from me!Read More
Mediterranean fashion. Mediterranean style.
"…What style is it similar to?…It's not that I don't care about style, I just never heard of it…."Read More
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Second life to my swimsuits, off the beach and pool.Read More
Ultra Europe Music Festival in Croatia: What to wear?
Seeing the preparations for Ultra Europe I wondered what would be the best outfit to wear for this famous electronic festival to dance and feel good?Read More
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People will love you, others will hate you, somebody will notice you, most of them won't but as long as you are yourself and you feel good in your skin, in your outfit, who cares.Read More
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The definition says: monochromatic style means wearing one colour separates in different textures or hues and getting the overall look in one tone.Read More
The Ultimate Guide to Recycle Your Favourite Skirt or Trying to Go Green
Sustainability. Ethical living. Environmentally conscious. Animal friendly. Recycle mode. Going Green.Read More
How do I get the ideas for my blog posts?
For me fashion is meant to be fun and a form of expression to be experimented in. That is the game here. Layering a dress over pants is all about experimenting with proportions, colours, hemlines.Read More
How to style navy blue without being in the navy
Navy blue also called Royal Blue or Midnight Blue is the most expressive right here in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea.Read More
New tailored coat handmade by Pro
Be different, be yourself, be unique, have personality and stand out!Read More
How to keep summer with you even if it's gone?
My answer is: with colours! Colour is everything to me. It is a way of expressing my feelings, my thoughts, my emotions. Colour lifts my spirit and it makes my day more positive. And I am not alone.Read More


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This week on "Fox News Sunday," political commentator Liz Cheney discussed President Barack Obama sending American boots to be on the ground in Syria when he repeatedly said that he would not and argued it's no longer news when Obama contradicts himself.
Cheney said, "Well it's no longer news that the president does something that directly contradicts statements he made previously, it happens on such a regular basis. The bottom line here is we have a militant Islamist terrorist organization that has established a caliphate in part of the Middle East, this is a clear and direct let to the United State. They have to be defeated and defeated by force. There's no diplomatic solution. There's no negotiation that's going to defeat ISIS. We have to take the territory from them that they now hold. We have a president who seems to either not know that or not care. He has no plan in place for defeat them. We have these incremental deployment of forces that include rule of engagement for or pilots, for example, that preclude them from doing the job he says they're on the there to do. At the end of the day the notion that we're in Vienna that we're negotiating, that the Russians and Iranians brought in as positive partners in the president's view is all folly. The president will have to answer to history. I'm sure he's looking towards his legacy in the last part of his administration, an the question for him will be why did you stand by while this threat to Americas this grave threat grew and gathered strength across the Middle East."