text:
Howdy, Stranger!
It looks like you're new here. If you want to get involved, click one of these buttons!
Quick Links
If you experience loading issues with the login/register form, please completely disable ad blocker or use an incognito or in-private window to log in.
See Official Rules for eligibility and other requirements.
Honda Ridgeline Maintenance and Repair
Does your driveway have a slight incline? The noise is normal, but you should set your parking brake when on a slope to alleviate wear and tear on the parking pawl.0
madmommy3 Posts: 28Have 2001 MDX Acura that tranny failed at 70K miles, but car was out of warranty (we had it since new and took good care of it). Fixed it for $3000 an it's making noises again. Acura MDX forums are blazing with reports of tranny issues. Acura handled us and several others very poorly. We also own our 2nd Odessey. I am scared to death of the tranny issues again as I hear they are prevelant with the Pilot and even Oddesseys had some issues. You guys that have had your RLs for a while....good or bad on the tranny? I don't see any major blurp posts so far. We contemplated Sport Trak Ford but they are ending this year and Tacoma but they have had some negative stuff written about them as well. Nothing else will fit my family of 5 and fit in my garage! Would love to hear love/hates from everyone!
Thanks, Julie (PS: Madmommy was my screen name post Acura burn!)0
There is no such thing as a "good" F/awd system, that is a system that starts out being a base FWD vehicle, cross-wise mounted engine. Also, you CAN NOT have a FULL-TIME all wheel drive system. So the best that can be done is either a reactive system, engage rear drive ONLY after wheelspin/slip develops, or a pre-emptive system such as the SH-AWD system.
Subaru's "symmetrical" F/awd system also has its shortcomings, it is patently DANGEROUS to have drive torque on the front wheels when lateral forces are fairly high. So you can have "traction" as in Subaru, or you can have "life", as in any R/awd system, or even most RWD vehicles.0
"..you CAN NOT have a FULL-TIME all wheel drive system.."
Sorry, I stated this wrong....
You can have, obviously, a FULL-TIME all wheel drive system, it's just not "serviceable" in the very conditions for which most of us have need for all wheel drive traction. The Highlander has such a system, it will DRIVE all four wheels equally as long as all four wheels have relatively equal TRACTION.
Once any one wheel breaks traction and begins slipping, you're STUCK.
That's the point in which TC will activate, REACTIVELY. But with TC activation DBW is used to dethrottle the engine to prevent brake component overheating should the driver not quickly release gas pedal pressure.0
lcalitri Posts: 1Mine had the same problem. I have 61,000 miles on it. I brought it in. It turns out that the head gasket had blown. Once they took it apart, I got a call and they told me that the engine was gone and needed to be replaced. Does this make sense to anybody??? The dealership came up with this. I told them that this was unbelievable and that I never take the truck off the highway...I told them that since they servive the truck all the time either they screwed up or Honda made a mistakle when they built the truck..0
As I recall, the transmissions used in the Ridgeline starting in 2006 were the first "new" 5-speed transmissions used by Honda since they had all their transmission problems in most of their vehicles--like the problems you have had with your MDX. The same transmission has been used in the Odyssey since 2008.
We just picked up a new 2010 RL RTL to replace our 2008 RL RTS. It turns out that while the 2008 was a great truck, we found ourselves wanting the additional bells & whistles in the RTL. Trust me, we would NOT have bought a 2nd RL if the first one had given us any problems.
I follow a couple of RL forums, and while the older (2006-2007) RLs are starting to have some problems--mostly due to high miles and hard use, no one has reported any transmission problems that I recall. If they have, they were only a couple of unrelated things, and not the hundreds/thousands of total failures reported a few years ago across the Honda product line.
Given Toyota's recent disasters & recalls, I would avoid them like the plague. We had two Tacomas, a 1995 and a 1999 and both were total disasters. I have also heard the new Tacomas are not any better than the old ones.
FYI: The 2011 RL just may be the last one. Honda treats the RL like a [non-permissible content removed] step-child, and spend no money on it. Sales numbers are likely not what Honda would like and of course, will get worse if it is never advertised. BTW- there is not any difference whatso ever between the 2010 and 2011 Ridgelines. Why not save a bunch of cash and get a 2010 if you can still find any? No need to spend more on a 2011.0
I am getting ready to get a new truck. Either the Ridgeline or Nissan Frontier. I have an 03 GMC Sonoma. It has a bunch of spots on the front end that need to be greased. I like to change the oil myself but hate greasing the front end.
Does the Ridgeline have grease fittings on the front end? Anyone know if the Frontier has grease fittings?
Thanks for your help.0
ljc2tall Posts: 9My 2007 does not have any grease fittings. I do my own oil changes.
Had a friend who bought the nissan and after a year he traded it for a dodge.0
Nope, no grease fittings! No suspension squeaks either. I also do my own oil & filter changes and that is a super easy job on the RL. Just turn the front wheels all the way to the left & then reach in behind the front of the r/h tire to remove the oil filter. So simple.
FWIW, we had a new 2006 Frontier, and it couldn't hold a candle to the RL. Yes, it had a bit more power, but at a big price--gas mileage was dismal, like 12-14 in town and maybe 17 on the highway. Plus, it still rode like a truck. We kept it for about a year.
Before you buy, take a LOOONG test drive in each of the trucks you are considering. At least 25-30 miles over a variety of roads & surfaces. You will definitely notice some big differences between the RL and any other smaller-size truck.0
Thanks for the info and input. I have friends with both and I like both vehicles. The reliability and reviews of the RL impress me. Either is an upgrade from my Sonoma. I expect much less maintenance and issues.
I'm looking at the RT base model to help with cost. Looks like most people buy the other more loaded models. I hope to get the RL but not if they try to charge MSRP. Sounds like I should be able to get it for the reasonable TMV in my area.0
It's funny. I'm in the exact same boat.
I'm researching between a one or two year old Ridgeline RTL /w nav, , and the Nissan Frontier SL.
I've sat in both, but haven't driven either one yet. My current lease expires in December, so I don't want to waste anyone's time quite yet on a test drive.
It seems that with rebates or low financing, you can get a new frontier for about the same price as a used Ridge.
I'm leaning towards the Ridgeline. I live in a city with bad streets, not much snow, but do have the occasional trip to the slopes. I think from what I've heard, the Ridgeline is way more comfortable than the Nissan.
I don't tow, or haul much besides the basic Home Depot stuff, so i don't need a full size truck, but when you need a truck, you need a truck.
I ruled out the Tacoma for a couple reasons that may seem minor to some folks. One, is no rear disc brakes available, which seems so backwards today. And the other, believe it or not, is there are no heated mirrors available.
Like I said, minor issues to most folks, but they would bug me the whole time I owned it.0
From what I've seen, Frontiers have consistently been cheaper than Ridgelines when new, by several thousand dollars, which was a major motivation for my Frontier purchase back in '06. At the same time, used Ridgelines hold their value much better than used Frontiers. There's a message in there somewhere.
Toyota is treating the Tacoma just like Ford has treated the Ranger for many years--basically making only minor trim changes every few years without really adding meaningful features, or making any major improvements--both the Tacoma & Ranger just keep soldiering along though. I'm sure some Tacoma owners will disagree, but that's how it looks to me.
IMHO, the two biggest differences between the Frontier & Ridgeline are comfort and gas mileage, where the Ridgeline totally whips the Frontier every time. Also, the drivetrain & suspension in the RL performs much better in snow and ice than the Frontier. You just can't beat Front-Wheel-Drive that automatically & seamlessly kicks in the All-Wheel-Drive when things get slippery.
On the flip side, the Frontier & the Tacoma are better for off-road use. Sounds like you use your truck for the same thing I do, and since I no longer have the desire for driving challenging off-road trails, I sure prefer the Ridgeline for my day-to-day chores, hauling and long road trips.
BTW- Rumors from Honda indicate that the 2012 RL will remain essentially the same as the 2009-2011 models. Maybe a new color or two, and maybe dual exhaust, but that's it. If Honda decides to keep the RL around, there might be a major re-design in 2013, or maybe not. It looks like Honda is trying to decide if a re-designed RL has a good ROI or not. I think it's primarily dependent on better gas mileage. If that can't be improved, Honda will likely kill the RL, just like they did the Element.
One last thing: Don't waste your money on Honda's NAV system. It's horrifically expensive, not too user-friendly and difficult to update. You can buy a top-of-the-line Garmin for just a few hundred dollars and not only save at least a thousand dollars, but have a NAV you can move from car to car.0
Thanks for the reply.
Regarding nav, I agree, it's way more expensive from the factory, and not as good as aftermarket units.
I have a Tom Tom 920, which I use when traveling, but I don't keep it in the car for day to day driving. Sometimes it's nice to have a nav system at your fingertips. I figured if I bought a year or two old RL, the extra cost is "sort of" offset by the depreciation of buying used.
The other issue, is that you can't get bluetooth without getting nav on the RL.
I haven't looked, but are there aftermarket nav systems with bluetooth, that can be installed for a factory-ish look and sound quality? I don't have a garage, so keeping the factory look would be helpful as far as break ins go.
Thanks again for your reply. I really like Bali Blue on the ridge!0
Our Garmin spends most of its time in the trunk of one of our vehicles, as we live in a small town where everything is only 15 minutes away. We only use the Garmin on road trips to unfamiliar places & we take it on vacation if we're renting a car.
We have factory Bluetooth in our 2010 Accord, and once again, it is pretty user-unfriendly. It took over an hour for me to initially program it, and now it only recognises my voice. It ignores my wife entirely, which irritates the heck out of her . So ok, I don't even carry my cell phone with me too often, so I don't much need Bluetooth at all. It won't work with every cell phone and it won't download your phone list/book from your phone. It's one of those irritating/frustrating options where the best I say about it is: "Yeah, it works more-or-less as advertised, but I'm not likely to use it much, if at all."
Given all that, I'm not aware of any aftermarket NAV systems that include Bluetooth, but I do know there are numerous relatively inexpensive aftermarket Bluetooth systems that can be installed and remain invisible to the bad guys.
Google the Ridgeline Owners Club and visit their forums for more info on the RL. In the electronics section there are several Bluetooth threads. Use their search function to find them.
Bali Blue is a great color, but too dark for our dusty environment. Our 2010 is silver and our old 2008 was white. We like the gray interior color best.0
I actually signed up with the Ridgeline owners club a few months ago. Great site with excellent information.
After I replied yesterday, I poked around and found quite a few in dash nav systems available. You can get nav, bluetooth, sat radio, HD radio, ipod, and live traffic all in one unit. You can even install a module that allows your steering wheel contols to work.
It's actually changed my thinking completely regarding factory nav. I think I'll look for one without, and use the savings for an aftermarket all in one unit.
Thanks for your help and advice. My current lease runs out in December, so I'll start looking for a RL around November to purchase.0
dboe Posts: 69Been a member of ROC for a while now.. probably the best 'virtual' friend a Ridgeline owner can have. Lots of great information and helpful folks.0
I just got a Honda ridge line my father had and gave to me iv always wanted that truck but for the last few years I noticed a creak when you turned and gave it some gas when it was his and asked his employee who had one also and worked on all my dads employee cars and he said he thought it may need some grease but couldn't find any fittings so they have been just going with but I have truck now and it seems to have gotten a little worse and wonder what it could be... My dad got his employees a total of 6 ridge lines 3 of 6 do it I am wondering if it's something I may have to remove and grease.... Any ideas?0
chaddo_kailua Posts: 12I had a strange honing noise in my front passenger wheel area since I bought the Ridgeline in 2005. Not really a creaking sound but more a unpredictable honing or almost grinding I could often feel, sometimes quite loud. Always at low speeds when turning on an incline. Very obvious in a parking structure. I took it in to Honda many times and asked them to look into it over the years but they could never find anything. Honda told me it was likely glazing on the rear brake rotor and I should cut them when I change the brakes. I knew the sound came from the front and did nothing. Just this past month Honda was changing the fluid in the transmission and did a full inspection at 65k miles. They found damage on the front passenger side CV boot with some leaking from the axle. I was a little inconvenienced having to wait a few hours for my Ridgeline but got it back after lunch with the repairs to the boot finished. I have been very happy ever since as the mystery hone is now gone, I have not heard the tiniest sound since. I hope that helps with your vehicles. Good luck! ALOHA0
lem888 Posts: 7I've had two creaking and/or grinding noise issues - one was a defective strut assembly, but in was in the rear (I believe there was a recall on that issue). The other was noise caused by the ABS system when going over a bump or turning while on a downward incline. Apparently, the stability control system can't handle that particular situation, so it applies the brakes. Honda had no solution for that other than "live with it".
Almost a great truck, but build quality is definitely questionable. Wait until your dash starts rattling.
Good luck.0
If your dash rattles, it may be the speaker covers, at both top corners. Pry the cover off and put a little bit of padding in there, this stops the speaker rattle.0
This is when I make a left or Right turn while rolling if stopped and cut wheels and give it a little gas it won't do it but if it goes over 5 mph it does but only then I'm a little concerned I'll take to dealer cause everyone else doesn't know I thought again it may need greasing but there's no fittings on the front to grease! I hope to hear more it's been doing since about 65000 I got 102000 I love the truck and plan on keeping to start my refrideration buisness but in school so I hope it's not an expensive fix!0
Mine 'rattles' a little when turning and hit a rough part of street. Many Ridgelines are known to have problems with the struts. Turning on a smooth street and and straight line at high speed (even hitting potholes), I don't have any noise at 43,000 miles.
Car and Driver, or one of the magazines, blew out the struts on a new Ridgeline when they did a 'test drive'. I'm not sure exactly how many miles they drove it on a rough dirt road, but it wasn't a lot. Something like 100 miles or so. At 45mph or so. And the struts were leaking, gone.0
ledouxfrancais Posts: 1My Question Is: Are there any widely reported/known ignition problems in the 2007 Ridgeline? My narrative/pertinent information follows.
I started my truck ('07 Ridgeline) to go to the store-no problems starting. I stopped at a gas station on my way. I got back in the truck-started fine no problems. I went to the store and was inside for 15 minutes at most. I came back out and turned the key in the ignition and nothing. I released the key from 'Start' so it would flip back to the 'Run' position and when I let the ignition flip back to 'Run' the Tachometer needle began making a 'rumbling' sound as the needle jumped up and down rapidly between 0-1. I tried several more times with the same result each time. Each time I turned the key there was no 'Click' of the starter, which usually points to battery problems. Each time I released the key from 'Start' to 'Run' the Tach needle rumbled and shook/jumped rapidly between 0-1. The only indicators that illuminated on the gauge panel were the Emergency Brake indicator, the 'VSA' indicator and one more that I cannot remember at the moment (I do remember thinking the 3rd indicator was unimportant and would have nothing to do with ignition). I live a few blocks from the store so I came home to get a second vehicle and Jumper Cables and see if that does it. I wanted to post this on here before I go back to jump it in case it does not work and hopefully I'll have some more information to go with by then. I thought it could be the Coil and/or Distributor cap & rotor. However, it has been so long since I've worked on my own vehicles or even looked under the hood regularly that I'm not even sure what modern ignition systems consist of anymore (it is slightly shameful, but you reach that age when crawling in/under/over/through/around your vehicles becomes more of an embarrassing physical spectacle that leaves you sore, stiff and hobbled for 3 days after, than an actual successful repair/maintenance expedition). Also, the reason I buy newer Honda vehicles is so I don't have to deal with this type of problem. I'm too old and lazy to work on my vehicles anymore. One final bit of information: I just had my truck serviced a month ago at the dealership and it was basically a tune-up/oil change/preventative maintenance job ($700). So I am a bit concerned that this may be more than a simple battery problem. Try not to laugh too hard when I confessed that it has been a long time since I worked on my cars and that I'm not sure what ignitions even consist of. I earned the right to be lazy after spending the first 30 years of married/family life maintaining/fixing everything on all of our vehicles and house, to make sure we could save and provide for our children's educations. I joke-I can take the mockery!0
That is easy. You need a new battery. Jumping needles are a common problem with a weak battery0
spaaf Posts: 1I was in Florida last week and notice my passenger side mats was wet. By the time I drove back to Washington DC, I was in several rain storms. The driver and passenger side both got wet. I used a wet vacuum and pulled more than a gallon of water from the carpet and floor mats. This water problem has been going on for many models now. Is there a fix for this problem or is it time to trade?0
According to discountacparts.com:
"Your compressor failed for a reason. The number 1 reason is contamination in the system. Cleaning out this contamination is crucial to ensuring that the new compressor is not also contaminated. Always flush and evacuate before changing parts. Always use A/C system flush solvent. If it is not perfectly clean after the flush and vacuum, we recommend re-flushing the system."
My Atlanta Honda dealer botched my A/C system repair by initially just installing a new compressor and running the system to note poor performance. Only then did they inspect the accumulator/drier (replacement of this part is REQUIRED by every compressor manufacturer as part of the warranty) and noted it was leaking desiccant balls and other black junk into the system. THEN they decided to flush only the evaporator line and replace the clogged dryer and also the contaminated condensor (the A/C radiator at the front of the car, often difficult to flush). This is noted right on my invoice! The invoice doesn't mention cleaning or replacing the expansion valve nor purging the other line - things any half-trained A/C technician would have done. Obviously, my new compressor now has it's oil flooded with seven years of accumulated black crud. So I just paid $1,800 for a brand new compressor which WILL fail prematurely.
I have a case open with Honda corporate to see what they can do given that the repair ddn't follow the Honda's - or anyone's - service procedures. You have to watch your dealer closely to ensure they perform the A/C repair correctly. The warranty on the repair will be only 90-days labor / 12 -months parts so, if the new compressor fails again within a year, you get to hassle with them all over again on the labor. After a year, you're just out another $1,500-$1,800.0
Honda got back to me regarding my case. I had faxed them Denso's warranty on their compressors (requires system purging and dryer replacement or the warranty is immediately void) along with industry articles describing the importance of thoroughly cleaning A/C systems to avoid contaminating a new compressor. I faxed them a copy of the Honda Service Bulletin showing the easy and very inexpensive alternative to the dealer's suggested $480 power steering pump rebuild to cure a minor noise issue. I explained how the Service Advisor switched from protesting AGAINST additional work that would be wise (but would have required him to come in on his day off OR split his commission with someone else) to pushing unnecessary and over-priced work the next day (once he was resigned to protecting his commission by coming in on his day off, the Service Advisor wanted to make it damned worth his while). I explained how the dealer tried to charge me 8.976111 shop hours (a plugged number they made up) before they backed off their "mistake" and cut the labor charge by 40%.
Bottom line: Honda said repairing a contaminated A/C system just by replacing one part at a time was "proper". The attempted over-charges and commission wrangling are solely between me and the dealership. Honda suggested I contact the dealership Service Manager again to see if he can explain what they had previously refused to explain. In a word, Honda offered me NOTHING.
If you're looking for Honda dealer service in downtown Atlanta, you'd be wise to go far North (Woodstock, Georgia) or far South (Morrow, Georgia) instead. Even then, ask in advance to insure that your Service Advisor will be working the next day too in case your car needs to stay overnight. If anyone quotes you a price over the phone, get their full name to avoid hassles over service prices and commissions. Better yet, find a small, local shop who works off their reputation and repeat customers.0
bkdrake Posts: 1Bought a 2006 RTL new. Within a year I was replacing the power steering pump under warranty. Exactly 1000 miles after warranty, it went out again. Honda replaced it under warranty again. As I write this, the truck is having the steering rack replaced - NOT cheap! Other issues have been premature replacement of brakes, the seat heater stopped working at 40K, the digital odometer stops working intermittently. I am VERY easy on vehicles, never abused, never off-road. Just freeway miles on the wet roads of the Pacific Northwest. This is by far the most expensive vehicle to maintain that I have ever had. I'd dump it now if I could afford to. Anyone else with similar issues?0
jesserk Posts: 4The issues with my 2006 in the cab are due to an excessive amount of dust coming into the cab. CD player was replaced and a week later it stopped working again. They would not replace it. Seatbelts have been replaced numerous times due to dust in the retraction mechanism. Dome lights have to be taken apart constantly to remove the dust to get them to work again. I had the side airbags deploy from hitting a pothole which i am convinced was due to dust causing it to malfunction. I had leather seats treated from new with lifetime warranty from the seats wrinkling or cracking, and they will not replace seat covers because they say that the dust caused it. They will not do anything or even admit they have a dust problem. In dry conditions it would be cleaner to ride in a convertible. As for the steering!! My truck steered hard from new. I thought that was just the way they are. After warranty was up a Honda mechanic drove my truck to check out another issue and came back and asked what was wrong with my steering. He said that there was something wrong, but Honda did nothing for me. Honda's customer service is bar none the WORST that I have ever experienced. And I feel your pain about dumping it. I spent alot of money on this vehicle new and cannot afford to dump it either. I will never buy another Honda product again. Very disappointed.0
About your dust issue. I, and probably all Ridgeline owners, have this problem. And just recently in cold weather people riding in the back seat complained about cold air coming in around, under the rear seat.
Anyway, there is a solution. I almost always drive with the climate control in 'recirculate' option. Second buttom on bottom row pushed, and light on the button lites up.
I would think having it in 'recirculate' mode would be best to keep dust and cold air out. This is NOT the case. Do not run it in recirculate mode, and if you are driving on a dusty road, turn the fan UP. With the fan running fast, it will push air back out of whatever holes the dust is leaking in, and reduce the dust a lot.
I don't know the exact place the dust comes in, but this is a Ridgeline problem. I still run in recirculate while on paved roads because I think not bringing in outside hot air in the summer means the AC will operate better. But, if you hit a dirt road, get it off recirculate and turn the fan up to a faster speed.0


text:
How does payment work?
We ask all customers to pay a deposit when they book, which confirms their reservation. The balance is due 60 days before departure – we'll get in touch to remind you when it's time. If you book less than 60 days before departure, we'll ask you to pay the full trip price upfront.
Am I strong enough for the trip?
Cent Cols Challenges are the toughest challenge. Our guides will support every rider to go beyond their usual level of riding but you should be able to spend 12 hours in the saddle for multiple days.
Cent Cols Challenge
100 cols, 10 days – a unique journey that tests body and spirit.
The Cent Cols Challenge is the brainchild of endurance rider Phil Deeker, and his determination, commitment to riding and will to explore has created one of the ultimate tests of what is possible on a road bike. All of these trips take place across Europe, criss-crossing entire mountain ranges to combine the classic routes and climbs from the Grand Tours with lesser-known back-country gems.
2017 marked a significant anniversary for the Cent Cols story with the passing of ten years of challenges. To celebrate both the milestone and his 60th birthday, Phil challenged himself to complete the "Ride of a Thousand Cols" – ten CCCs ridden back-to-back across some of Europe's most challenging roads. Cent Cols veterans united with first time riders to accompany Phil on the ten trips, totalling over 20,000km and 500,000m of elevation, starting with a warm welcome in Corsica and finishing with the crown jewel of Cantabrico, the most epic of Cent Col Challenges. Phil climbed his thousandth col on the 4th October after 100 days of riding. An incredible feat by a remarkable man.
My 6th CCC and the best. Outstanding route, comfortable hotels, great food and superb support staff.
— CCC Cantabrico, June 2015
I think what makes these rides so very special is the fact that Phil and Rapha Travel even dare to attempt them: on paper, they look ridiculous and in practice, they are just that - but also, somehow, possible. Most riders have reserves they never knew existed and Phil's planning and ability to improvise, results in the majority of riders completing stages and events beyond their wildest dreams.
— CCC, May 2016
Other trip types
Contact Rapha Travel
Email: email@example.com
Telephone: +44 (0) 207 482 9175
Hours: 9.30am-6.00pm (BST)
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Telephone: 877.907.2742
Hours: 8.30am-5.30pm (PDT)
Asia Pacific
Email: email@example.com
Telephone: +44 (0) 207 482 9175
Hours: 9.30am-6.00pm (BST)
Select Region
Rest of World
US Dollars
Australia & New Zealand
AUS Dollars
Taiwanese Dollar
Rest of Asia
US Dollars

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Keep your closet stocked with motorcycle T-Shirts that represent your passion for two wheeled adventures. We carry a large selection of sizes in men's and women's styles. These moto-themed T-Shirts make the perfect upgrade to replace your old expensive suit or Sunday dress. Flaunt some serious style in the classic black and yellow triangle tee or reminisce back to yesteryear with the new "retro" graphic. Don a motorcycle T-Shirt from Twisted Throttle and ooze excellence while gaining admission to the hottest downtown clubs or just hanging around the house!
SW-Motech Bull Logo by Twisted Throttle T-Shirt$19.95
R&G Racing T-Shirt Slip It, Slide It (Blue)$14.95
R&G Racing T-Shirt Slip It, Slide It (Black)$14.95
Twisted Throttle "Zero To Vacation" T-Shirt$19.95


text:
Carnegie Heroes Honored
A man who drowned while helping to save a young girl off the coast of South Carolina was one of 22 people honored on Thursday with medals for heroism by the Carnegie Hero Fund Commission.
Jeffery Scott Dinkins drowned off Myrtle Beach, S.C., in July 2011. The 6-year-old girl and her father were wading in the Atlantic Ocean when they were caught in a current that swept them into deeper water.
Dinkins, 41, swam 150 feet offshore, took the girl from her father and started to swim toward the beach. As Dinkins began to struggle in the strong currents, other people helped the girl and her father to safety. But Dinkins, who was from Lewisville, N.C., lost consciousness and couldn't be revived.
Another winner was Brian D. Lozier, a 23-year-old carpenter from Sterling, N.Y. Lozier rescued a farmer from a 1,100-bull that had attacked him in Cato, N.Y.
Other medal winners honored were from New Jersey, California, Texas, Oregon, Washington, Arkansas, Tennessee, Maine, Rhode Island, Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, Minnesota, Virginia and Ontario and Saskatchewan, Canada.
Carnegie medalists or their heirs receive financial grants approved by the commission. More than $35 million has been awarded to 9,633 honorees since the fund's inception in 1904. New recipients are announced four times a year.
Steel baron Andrew Carnegie was inspired to start the fund after hearing rescue stories from a mine disaster that killed 181 people.
The Carnegie Hero Fund Commission, based in Pittsburgh, says its mission is to recognize people who perform heroic acts in civilian life and to provide financial help to those disabled, or to the dependents of those killed, by their heroism.


text:
Jury's Verdict in Summary Suspension Case Nullifiedby Michael Kurs, 1 Pullman & Comley, LLC, Hartford, CT
In August of last year, after jurors returned a verdict against a Connecticut hospital in the amount of $250,000, plus punitive damages, in a case involving the summary suspension of a surgeon's privileges, Connecticut Superior Court Judge Carl J. Schuman granted motions that freed the hospital from any liability and entered judgments for the hospital. "The favorable termination doctrine," a doctrine borrowed from the law of malicious prosecution and vexatious litigation, lies at the center of the judge's decision. The application of the doctrine prevented the doctor from recovering against the hospital because he did not prevail in the course of the internal hospital due process proceedings. The significance of the favorable termination doctrine in court challenges in hospital staff privileges cases is that the doctrine prevents a jury from second guessing the results of internal hospital hearing and review procedures. Counsel involved in litigating like cases should not overlook the doctrine's utility and effect.
The surgeon had not made any claims of malicious prosecution or vexatious litigation against the hospital. Rather, the claims on which the verdicts entered were for breach of contract, violation of the covenant of good faith and fair dealing, tortious interference with business expectancies, and intentional injury to, or reckless disregard of, the surgeon's rights.
The judge also decided the surgeon's claim for an injunction in the hospital's favor. The surgeon had sought an injunction requiring the hospital to cease and desist from terminating his privileges and interfering with his patient relationships. After acknowledging that Connecticut's appellate courts "have not yet addressed ... whether the favorable termination rule applies to private hospital corrective action," the judge applied the favorable termination doctrine based upon the doctrine's use in a variety of other Connecticut cases concerning judicial and quasi-judicial proceedings and a California Supreme Court decision.
The case before Judge Schuman originated after the hospital suspended the surgeon's privileges to admit patients in February 2001. The surgeon had been an active member of the hospital's medical staff since 1994. Following the 1999 renewal of his privileges, the Hospital conducted a peer review of one of his cases that involved an error. The surgeon acknowledged the error and submitted voluntarily to partial supervision for six months. Subsequently, in June of 2000, the supervision ended and his full privileges were restored.
Between June 2000 and October 2000, no new issues arose. Still, the hospital retained an outside consultant after June 2000 to review 20 of his cases. Also, a "competitor" of the surgeon became chairman of the department of surgery in September. After he received a copy of the outside consultant's report, the new chairman conducted a review of all of the surgeon's major surgical cases, as well as some minor cases, to select cases for a peer review committee to review. Two of the members of the peer review committee were also "competitors" of the surgeon.
The hospital told the surgeon in November 2000 of the review and then only provided him a copy of the report in December, when he was also informed of the convening of the peer review committee. A meeting of the ad hoc peer review panel then convened on short notice to allow the surgeon to respond to the panel's concerns, and it heard his responses for several hours.
The court's opinion describes the results of the various reviews of the surgeon's cases in some detail. The outside consultant's review consisted of an evaluation of 20 cases by the chairman of the Department of Surgery at another hospital, who also served as a clinical professor of surgery at Yale Medical School. The review found 12 of the 20 cases demonstrated evidence of error in surgical technique and/or management -- nine of which led to "significant adverse outcome[s] including death." The panel review totaled 33 cases, which included the cases with complications that had been evaluated as part of the first review. The panel found that the surgeon's intra-operative decision-making and post-operative management were "suspect in a wide range of cases." Based on its chart review, the panel questioned the surgeon's ability "to safely function independently as a general surgeon" at the hospital at the time.
The summary suspension followed, imposed by the hospital's medical executive committee. Some 17 physicians approved the motion to summarily suspend the doctor's privileges. The applicable bylaws provided that the "Executive Committee of either the Medical Staff or the Governing Body shall have the right to summarily suspend the admitting and/or clinical privileges of a practitioner, upon a determination that action must be taken immediately in the best interest of patient care in the hospital or when there is a potential immediate risk to the well being of patients, employees or visitors."
The surgeon asked for and received a full review hearing on his suspension. The hearing included five sessions over a five month period. Both sides involved counsel in the hearings. A recording was made of the hearings. The hearings included opening statements, exhibits, testimony under oath, experts and post-hearing briefs. The panel concluded that the summary suspension was reasonable, sustained by the evidence and properly supportable. The surgeon appealed to the hospital's board of directors. He unsuccessfully presented evidence to a three-person appeal panel in an effort to show the suspension was unwarranted, tainted by the bad faith of his department chair and lacking in due process.
In Connecticut, state regulations require hospitals to adopt bylaws governing their procedure for hearing complaints regarding the conduct of their members and for referral of the complaints with recommendations to their governing boards. Connecticut courts have refrained from interfering with hospital disciplinary actions so long as reasonable procedures are followed and evidence exists from which the hospital board could have found that a physician's conduct posed a threat to patient care.
The court found that the procedural protections accorded to the surgeon were analogous to those of a regulated public administrative agency. This fact was significant to the court's assessment of the surgeon's claims. Also significant was a 1976 California Supreme Court case, which Judge Schuman identified as "the only appellate court explicitly to have addressed the question of whether the favorable termination rule should apply in the private hospital context." In that case, Westlake Community Hospital v. Superior Court of Los Angeles County, 17 Cal. 3d 465, 551 P.2d 410 (1976), the California Supreme Court ruled that a doctor must first succeed in overturning a hospital's action against his privileges before pursuing a tort claim against the hospital.
Judge Schuman quoted the California court's reasoning that "[a]lthough a quasi-judicial decision reached by a tribunal of a private association may not be entitled to exactly the same measure of respect as a similar decision of a duly constituted public agency . . . we believe that so long as such a quasi-judicial decision is not set aside through appropriate review procedures the decision has the effect of establishing the propriety of the hospital's action."
Despite some differences in Connecticut and California law, Judge Schuman ruled that the favorable termination rule should apply to this case, as the surgeon had failed to prevail in the hospital review proceeding against him when the summary suspension was challenged. Among other problems noted was that the surgeon's positions were logically inconsistent. The judge could find no justification for the argument that the initial summary suspension was invalid when the surgeon did not contest the review panel's determination that the summary suspension was substantially correct. "A doctor who does not challenge the hospital's final decision to suspend him permanently should not receive damages because the hospital suspended him summarily at the outset." 2007 Conn. Super. LEXIS 2249, *41.
By convincing the judge to apply the favorable termination rule, the hospital avoided the damages awarded by the jury, plus an attorney's fee claim of $456,678.74, and a claim for an additional $53,068.3 in costs.
The surgeon's case was hampered by a prior related ruling in the case. Before trial, another judge ruled on Health Care Quality Improvement Act (HCQIA) defenses raised by the hospital. The court's decision found the surgeon had a right to a trial on the question of whether the actions leading to the summary suspension satisfied statutory requirements for immunity under 42 U.S.C. §11112(a)(2) and (3). Since the surgeon did not bring forth proof of any flaws in the subsequent review proceedings, the hospital was shielded from any damages claims related to the post-summary suspension proceedings. The surgeon's injunction claim survived this ruling since the court the ruled the HCQIA does not provide immunity from injunctive or declaratory relief, citing Sugarbaker v. SSM Health Care, 190 F. 3d 905, 918 (8th Cir. 1999), cert. denied, 528 U.S. 1137 (2000).
The hospital first advanced the favorable termination argument on the eve of trial in two motions, a motion for summary judgment and a motion to exclude evidence. The court's decision includes a footnoted lament, regarding the fact that the favorable termination argument did not get litigated earlier in the case. "In view of the decision reached today," the court's footnote 13 remarks, "it is regrettable that the defendant did not raise this issue earlier in the five-year history of the case."
The surgeon filed an appeal from the ruling but court records indicate the appeal has since been withdrawn.
(Judge Schuman's ruling occurred in the case Harris, M.D. v. Bradley Memorial Hospital and Health Center, Inc., judicial district of New Britain, docket no. HHB CV 02-0516962-S (August 20, 2007), 2007 Conn. Super. LEXIS 2249. Judge Richard E. Burke decided the HCQIA motion issues in an earlier ruling in the case. The facts recounted here are drawn from both decisions, solely. The author and the author's firm had no involvement in the case.)


text:
WASHINGTON (AP) — Guest lineups for the Sunday TV news shows:
ABC's "This Week" — White House economic adviser Gene Sperling; Sen. Kelly Ayotte, R-N.H.
NBC's "Meet the Press" — Sperling; House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio; Rep. Raul Labrador.
CBS' "Face the Nation" — Sens. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., John McCain, R-Ariz., and Dick Durbin, D-Ill.; Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York.
CNN's "State of the Union" — Sperling; Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.; Reps. Steve Israel, D-N.Y., and Greg Walden, R-Ore.
"Fox News Sunday" — Mitt and Ann Romney.


text:
Stockton, CA
Helen Rowe Marino
May 5, 1914 - June 23, 2013
Helen Rowe Marino passed away on June 23, 2013 a month after her 99th birthday. She had been
in Stockton her
entire life and was a bookkeeper for over 50 years. She was preceded in death by her husbands Russell F. Rowe, Sr. and Alvin R. Marino, son
Russell F. Rowe, Jr. and grandson Ricky Rowe. Helen is survived by children Kathryn Gerle, Frances Reau and Geraldine Canevari; step-daughters Geri Tompkins and
Noreen Lamb; 13 grandchildren; 12 great grandchildren and 2 great-great grandchildren.
Funeral Services will be held on Friday, June 28 at 11:00 am in the chapel of Frisbie-Warren & Carroll Mortuary, 809 N. California St. To sign the guest book, please visit www.frisbiewarrencarrollmortuary.com


text: When it comes to real golf performance, no one does it better than SYNLawn® Des Moines and Dave Pelz. All SYNLawn® Des Moines golf products have been tested, analyzed, and developed to perform as close to a natural golf course putting green as possible. SYNLawn® Des Moines artificial putting greens are designed to act like a real golf green, installed to strict specifications, and provide you with real golf improvement.


text:
Hi all
Brief review for switch kites nitro 16m Race edition
I tried this out on a dying sea-breeze, with a raceboard. 7-9 knots without long lines.
Initially I dry flew it, not thinking that there was even enough wind to go out! that proved me wrong, it could hover at the side of the window, fly back and forth perfectly with no issues.
The one thing that I really liked about it was how much power it could generate from the apparent wind once you were planing, it was never ending, with upwind speeds of 15-16 knots, amazing for sub 10 knot winds!
It was very stable through the lows, if the wind dropped you would slowly fall off the plane and the kite would sit there, unlike some others which would just fall out of the sky.
Turning speed surprised me, I thought a big kite would be very slow, but it was quicker than I expected, which was very useful for the downloops going around marks and the aggressive sine-wave needed for the downwinds.
Relaunch was crazy, never have I relaunched a kite with such little effort in light winds. pull 1 line and the kite flips over, or pump the kite out of the water with reverse relaunch. ( waist deep water) easy.
I have a new-found love for light winds, they are so rewarding and fun! no more waiting on the beach!


text:
Welcome to the Virus Encyclopedia of Panda Security.
Windows 2003/XP/2000/NT/ME/98/95
Banbra.ETM is a Trojan, which although seemingly inoffensive, can actually carry out attacks and intrusions.
It captures certain information entered or saved by the user, with the corresponding threat to privacy:
passwords saved by certain Windows services; keystrokes, in order to obtain information for accessing online banking services, passwords and other confidential information.
It sends the gathered information to a remote user by any available means: email, FTP, etc.
It affects productivity, preventing tasks from being carried out:
It reduces the security level of the computer:
it listens on open ports in order to control the computer remotely; it awaits remote-control orders received through
Banbra.ETM prevents access from programs to websites of several companies related with security tools (antivirus programs, firewalls, etc.).
It uses stealth techniques to avoid being detected by the user:
It uses several methods in order to avoid detection by antivirus companies:
Banbra.ETM does not spread automatically using its own means. It needs an attacking user's intervention in order to reach the affected computer. The means of transmission used include, among others, floppy disks, CD-ROMs, email messages with attached files, Internet downloads, FTP, IRC channels, peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing networks, etc.


text:
16 U.S. Code § 1334 - Private maintenance; numerical approximation; strays on private lands: removal; destruction by agents
If wild free-roaming horses or burros stray from public lands onto privately owned land, the owners of such land may inform the nearest Federal marshall or agent of the Secretary, who shall arrange to have the animals removed. In no event shall such wild free-roaming horses and burros be destroyed except by the agents of the Secretary. Nothing in this section shall be construed to prohibit a private landowner from maintaining wild free-roaming horses or burros on his private lands, or lands leased from the Government, if he does so in a manner that protects them from harassment, and if the animals were not willfully removed or enticed from the public lands. Any individuals who maintain such wild free-roaming horses or burros on their private lands or lands leased from the Government shall notify the appropriate agent of the Secretary and supply him with a reasonable approximation of the number of animals so maintained.
LII has no control over and does not endorse any external Internet site that contains links to or references LII.


text:
Lloyd Wendel, director of USDA's General Beale GWSS/PD project in Bakersfield, outlined recent developments for grape growers recently at a meeting there.
Wendel is credited with uniting the grape, citrus, and other industries in a common front against the incurable disease and its vector.
Noting that it will take time to subdue the disease-vector complex, Wendel said the effort is showing successes, thanks in large part to the cooperation of growers.
The thrust of the campaign in vineyards has been to knock down populations of GWSS with Admire in the spring and then make additional treatments later to keep populations low. Imidacloprid, the active ingredient in foliar applied Admire, is not harmful to important GWSS egg parasitoids released in the program.
Wendel said some 40,000 acres of citrus in Tulare County is infested with the insect, which feeds on the host plant's vascular system. Timing of treatments has been adjusted to the fall to head off movement of the pest on harvested fruit to other areas. Traps, checked weekly, are in place throughout Kern and Tulare counties.
"The project is active in a large area wherever the insect is found. In a cooperative effort, growers treat to fill in any spots that might become reinfested," he said.
Historical and current survey data from traps by county officials and the California Department of Food and Agriculture generates a database for recommendations to growers on selection of materials and timing of applications.
Moves between crops
Management of the insect in locations of adjacent grapes and citrus is particularly important because it moves readily between the two crops.
"If we can prevent it from feeding on grape vines and then moving back into citrus where it feeds during the winter, we will have a significant impact on it," Wendel said.
"First, we want to reduce the number of hosts it has to feed on. Then we can make applications in a smaller area and have more influence in reducing its populations."
The approach is to try to squeeze the insect from the north and from the south to confine it in the center for control applications.
The IPM-based program uses biocontrol agents to avoid disrupting enemies of other pests. He said harsher treatments may have caused some disruption of beneficials for a single year, but where good IPM is practiced, natural enemies are returning with some effect on GWSS.
Four species of tiny wasp Gonatocerus parasitoids that go to GWSS eggs have been reared in Texas for release by CDFA in urban areas of California to avoid use of insecticides in densely populated areas.
Meanwhile, surveys are under way outside the U.S. to find additional natural enemies of GWSS that are more aggressive during the spring.
Wendel said high levels of parasitized GWSS eggs can be found in the General Beale area. However, he added, little reduction in overwintering GWSS has been observed during the past two years.
The project, established in 2001, takes its name from the General Beale Road area of 13,000 acres of citrus, grapes, and other crops east of Bakersfield. Measuring three miles by six miles in size, it is bounded by the Tehachapi Mountain foothills on the east, Towerline Road on the west, Highway 58 on the north, and Bear Mountain Boulevard on the south. Trapping and inspections later expanded into Tulare County.
Participating in the program are the ag commissioner's offices of Kern and Tulare counties, CDFA, University of California Cooperative Extension, and USDA's Animal Plant Health Inspection Service and Agricultural Research Service.
Legislation allowing formation of GWSS/PD pest management districts for table-grape growing counties was signed by Gov. Gray Davis in September. Officials are working on petitions necessary before a referendum among growers can be held.
Hits other crops
PD also strikes almonds, alfalfa, stone fruit, ornamental plants and several weeds, including bermudagrass, which harbors it without symptoms.
Caused by the bacterium Xylella fastidiosa and vectored by GWSS and other sharpshooter species, it attacks the vascular system of plants and was responsible for devastating vineyard losses near Temecula.
The disease has been known to be present, although to a relatively mild extent, in certain locations of Fresno and Tulare counties, particularly along rivers, for the past 50 years.
With the appearance in the early 1990s of a much more efficient vector, the GWSS, symptoms were noted in citrus and grapes in southern California and later in Kern County. The insect is thought to have arrived on nursery stock from the southeastern U.S.
Jennifer Hashim, Kern County farm advisor, in detailing at the meeting the monitoring program she leads, said ATV-mounted crews of inspectors in the General Beale area found more than 2,000 samples of infestation in 2002 in 41 vineyard blocks but only 326 samples in 39 blocks in 2003. Samples are sent to CDFA for identification.
The sharp reduction was due mainly to infested vines removed by growers alert to the problem, she said. "Growers are doing a good job of rouging infested vines, as we find fewer infested vines. We can't say whether the lower number is also partly because of climatic conditions. We've consulted experts and the jury is still out."
Most susceptible
She reminded growers that the most susceptible grape varieties are Redglobe and Crimson Seedless, although other varieties are vulnerable too.
She also warned that the effort could have a discouraging part: the first year of infestation may be misleading, showing only a few symptoms which turn into a blow-up the second season.
Weed control is being studied as a component in the campaign. Hashim said weeds such as black nightshade, silver nightshade, common sunflower, annual burr sage, hemlock, and cocklebur also host PD, which is likely being transmitted to crops by GWSS.


text:
Bontrager's Interchange Nebula Fenders are genius. After you install them for the first time, they go on/off without tools in seconds. Raining in the morning? Pop 'em on. Sunny on the way home? Take them off. They're made of a light and super-durable polycarbonate material with adjustable, oversize-aluminum stays for a custom and secure fit. They also include impressive mudflaps front and rear to stop wheelspray. The rear fender fits under a rack, and stays out of the way of bags and panniers. What's more, should you ever wear them out, these fine fenders are completely recyclable.
REVIEW SNAPSHOT®by PowerReviews
Best Uses
Reviewed by 1 customers
Sort by
Displaying reviews 1
Best Uses
I love these fenders! Sturdy, full coverage, convenient, and very lightweight. Just make sure you mount the rear one properly in the upper bolt-on bracket provided. Although these mount and unmount literally in seconds, I carelessly missed this one step last week, and the fender rotated and I ran over it, making a small crack. I've been using these for 18 months of Manhattan commuting, 30-60 miles a week. The only other problem was that one of the two front brackets keeps popping off the mount on particularly bumpy streets. I hold it down with the quick-release lever. I intend to buy the same model again, but the 45c version is hard to find.
Displaying reviews 1
Previous | Next


text:
E: firstname.lastname@example.com
O: McKenna Hall
You probably have questions about what your future looks like. The Mentor Program connects you with professionals in your chosen industry. These professionals can give you an informed picture of what a career in a specific industry might look like, and what you might need to succeed there.
While many universities offer some form of mentoring program, SPU's Mentor Program delivers a student-driven approach that is unique to your goals and to your needs, not limited by alumni networks or scripted experiences. You can do so using one of our three Mentor Program Tracks: Mentor, Job Shadow, or Career 360.
Here's how it works:
How Do I Sign Up?
Ready to sign up for the Mentor Program? Here's how to participate in the program:
To participate in the Mentor Program, you must first complete the online Mentor Program application. Keep in mind that we will eventually share this application with your mentor.
2012 SPU graduate Sarah Konopasky has worked on the front lines of the battle against cancer. Through SPU's Mentor Program, she served in the research labs of one of the world's foremost experts on prostate cancer.
In Career 360, you can meet with several people within a single company to gain a variety of perspectives. In a job shadow, you'll spend a half day observing a professional of your choice. Contact the Center for Applied Learning at email@example.com or 206-281-2942.
Faith, science, and mentorship came together for SPU biochemistry student Dylan Marashi and Dr. Max Hunter.
View the video
3307 3rd Ave West, Seattle WA 98119-1997
Report an Accessibility Issue
Contact | Emergency Info
Founded in 1891, Seattle Pacific University is a leading Christian university that equips people to engage the culture and change the world. Learn more
Connect With Us
© 2018 Seattle Pacific University


text:
Who would have thought that Captain Birds Eye would ever be a style role model. Well not quite but fisherman coats and jackets, which started appearing in the ranges of high end brands last year have landed on the (virtual) high street and are here to stay for 2013.
I guess many of these coats are being bought by outdoor types who want to look both sensible and smart, but even if your idea of great outdoors adventure is a trip round the park with the dog you'll still looks fine in them.
The jackets we have rounded up are split between heavyweight coats designed to withstand the very worst that the North Sea (they are Scandi influenced) can thrown at them and more lightweight numbers that you can team up with deck shoes and shorts.
Stockholm Svart £195
High quality fisherman's cost direct from a small, but impressive Swedish indie. The makers says that it features the finest craftsmanship, materials and details. Each coat is individually controlled by a skillful seamstress. Stutterheim


text: You have reached this page because of a broken link.The Maps101 platform has recently been upgraded and links to content have changed. If you have followed a bookmark, you will need to return to the home page and locate the content manually, by using the search box or using the navigation page. You can then remake your bookmark for future use.Click here to go to home page.


text:
RICHMOND, Va. — Democratic Gov. Terry McAuliffe vowed Friday to bypass the General Assembly and expand Medicaid eligibility for about 400,000 low-income residents on his own, a move Republican lawmakers immediately promised to fight.
At a Capitol news conference, McAuliffe denounced leaders of the GOP-controlled House of Delegates, saying they are unwilling to help the state's poor.
"They have turned their back, time and time again," McAuliffe said.
His said staff has begun working with the federal government, insurance plans, hospitals and other groups on how to expand health care coverage for the poor absent approval from state lawmakers.
Republicans accused McAuliffe of throwing a "tantrum" and said they are willing to sue him in order to prevent a unilateral Medicaid expansion.
"The governor's attempt to usurp the constitutionally proscribed powers of the legislative branch is a dangerous threat to the rule of law, separation of powers, and foundation of representative democracy that we simply cannot allow," House Republican leaders, including House Speaker William J. Howell, said in a statement.
McAuliffe said he's consulted with Democratic Attorney General Mark Herring's office and believes there are number of ways to legally expand Medicaid without the General Assembly's approval. He mentioned a possible "public-private" partnership, but did not offer any other details.
The governor said he's ordered Secretary of Health and Human Services Dr. William A. Hazel Jr. to present a plan for expansion no later than Sept. 1 on "how we move forward with health care in the face of the demagoguery, the lies, the fear and the cowardice that have gripped this debate for far too long."
Friday's back and forth between McAuliffe and Republican lawmakers is the latest round in a long-running battle over expanding Medicaid, which is a key aspect of the Affordable Care Act.
The Obama administration has offered to pay most of the costs of expanding Medicaid in states that choose to do so, but Republicans have argued that states would be saddled with the cost if the federal government can't keep its promise.
McAuliffe had tried unsuccessfully for months to persuade Republican state lawmakers to approve some form of Medicaid expansion. The stalemate led to a months-long impasse over the budget that threatened a state government shutdown. The deadlock was broken when a Democratic state Sen. Phil Puckett resigned, giving Republicans control of both chambers in the General Assembly. The FBI is currently investigating the circumstances of Puckett's resignation.
McAuliffe said Friday that he would sign the budget passed last week by the GOP-controlled General Assembly, but with several line-item vetoes.
The governor also said he was making two vetoes to the budget related to the Medicaid expansion debate. One is a veto of an amendment to the budget inserted by conservative Republicans that is aimed ensuring the Democratic governor cannot expand Medicaid without legislative approval.
McAuliffe also said he is vetoing the Medicaid Innovation and Reform Commission "entirely." The commission as created last year as a political compromise to be responsible for dictating when if ever Medicaid expands. McAuliffe said the commission, which has so far blocked Medicaid expansion, is a waste of time.
Republicans said they will examine whether McAuliffe's vetoes are constitutional, and then act accordingly. The General Assembly can override a governor's veto with a two-thirds majority vote in both chambers.
At the close of his news conference, McAuliffe said he was largely motivated by his meetings with low-income residents he's met while touring free health care clinics around the state.
"I go to bed every night with a pit in my stomach because of these people whom I've met, who are counting on us to do the right thing, and that's what drives me every single day," said McAuliffe. "We're going to get this done."
(© Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)


text:
Do not forget that ancient and modern Greek letters "Γ,γ" have completely different phonetic values as linguistic sounds.
ancient greek "λÎγω" was pronounced like [le/goo], but modern "λÎγω" like [lÎγo].
ancient Greek Γ is velar plosive, modern Greek Γ is velar fricative...
(See also the IPA table (one of all!!!):
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/e ... s_2005.png)


text:
After spending the better part of four years working on the pensive fairy tale "Ori and the Blind Forest," Thomas Mahler was relieved to reveal it at this year's Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3). Now he just hopes people don't think it's "artsy-fartsy."
The "Ori" trailer makes a play for gamers' hearts.
A mystical, spritely little creature falls from the heavens, landing near a furry and plump bear-like animal with a softly glowing face. This is Ori's mother, and we watch as the little guy, Ori, is raised in a fantasy forest straight out of a Hayao Miyazaki film. All seems idyllic until a monster of an owl enters the picture. Lightning flashes, the owl takes thunderous steps toward Ori and we catch glimpses of Ori bounding around the forest with light-footed quickness.
What happens next in the teaser could bring on the tears. Ori, bearing what appears to be food, walks to his mother, now still and slouched. She doesn't move, and Ori continues to nudge her. More nudging, and she still doesn't move. The clip fades as Ori is seen mourning alone in a now darkened forest.
In a medium in which extra lives are the norm, glimpses of death have a tendency to linger.
This is our introduction into the world of "Ori and the Blind Forest," which is coming to Xbox One and PC this fall. The first game from Moon Studios, "Ori" is being published to the platform by Microsoft Studios, and the game is the brainchild of Mahler, a former cinematic artist at Blizzard Entertainment.
"Ori and the Blind Forest" has drawn a winning reception at the video game trade show E3, which concludes Thursday at the Los Angeles Convention Center. The game has been playable on four Xbox Ones in the Microsoft booth, where it's overshadowed by racing game "Forza Horizon 2" and the crazily hyperactive "Sunset Overdrive."
And yet throughout Wednesday, the line to play "Ori and the Blind Forest" was consistently seven to eight people deep.
"I'm actually a little concerned," said Mahler. "The reception was awesome at E3. People came up to us and said, 'That was my favorite thing of the show and it was so sad.' I'm afraid that people will see this as some artsy-fartsy thing. 'Oh, this is another game that wants to make you sad.' But we've been working on 'Ori' for four years now and we're trying to push on every level."
"Ori and the Blind Forest" is, in the words of Xbox One marketing guru Yusuf Mehdi, "melancholic." Yet Mehdi also said Microsoft considered opening its pre-E3 press conference at the USC Galen Center with "Ori and the Blind Forest." Instead, Microsoft went with "Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare."
"We thought, 'Hey, maybe we should show up with a different personality," Mehdi said of the debate.
"Ori and the Blind Forest" certainly makes a lasting first impression. At its core, it's a platform game, meaning players direct the tiny, bright rabbit-like dragon critter known as Ori left, right, up and down through the forest. Mahler cites the Nintendo classic "Metroid" as a prime influence, and while there's a retro feel to the game, its tone and look are aiming for a more thoughtful experience.
"It's an allegory," Mahler said. "The shot where Ori is trying to wake up his mother really hit close to home for a lot of people. We really just tried to craft a story. We have these fantastical creatures but we put them in this human situation. They have human issues."
In the early portion of the game that was demoed at E3, players guided Ori through a deserted forest. We learn that all its former inhabitants are now believed to be dead. At the start, Ori only has the power to jump, and the world is a dangerous one.
So much as landing on the purple-hued forest roughs will take Ori's life. Soon, however, players discover a floating orb, one that's sentient and appears to have a deep connection to nature. This orb appears to be named Sein, and Sein informs Ori that the forest is in ruins and "those who remained simply vanished."
In their place are a host of more undesirable yet still fantastical creatures. Dark orange gooey creatures hang from bark ready to attack Ori, and creepy, reddish creations with crab-like movements are on the prowl. Then there's sinister plant life, which, like the more cheery ones seen in "Super Mario Bros.," possess the ability to shoot fireballs.
Ultimately, Sein promises to guide Ori to a more spiritual place within the forest. Sein is also a fighter. Instead of shooting or jumping on enemies, a press of a button guides Sein to clear the path.
As Ori and Sein traverse the woods, Ori is able to learn numerous abilities, such as the handy skill of crawling up walls. While the forest is barren, the look is magical. The game brings a radiance to the grim, as dark blues and deep purples are used to decorate the landscape. Programmer David Clark said the studio wanted a luminosity that would inspire a desire to return the universe to life.
"Having a dying world as a forest is really hard. It can be depressing, so you need something that's visually interesting but doesn't look alive and happy," Clark said. "The use of color with the shades of purple, blue and orange — those are really powerful colors — even though you're looking at dead leaves. So that way you feel like you're in an interesting world, but there is a sad theme. You feel the need to bring this world back to health."
It's worth noting that "Ori and the Blind Forest" isn't exactly easy. While Mahler describes the game as an eight-to-10-hour experience, it was clear that even in the early portion of the game players would be grappling with agility puzzles, such as dragging blocks through neon-purple blades, that may require some trial and error. Level design and controls came first, said Mahler, as the fable-like nature of the game was fleshed out later in the process.
"For a long time it wasn't this artsy thing. We want to craft a really beautiful game where people can feel something," he said. "We also want people to understand we spent a lot of time on pure game play and design."
– Todd Martens| @toddmartens | @LATHeroComplex
E3 2014: Nintendo tips new 'Zelda' and wacky squid-shooter 'Splatoon'
E3 2014: Game developer Ready at Dawn rolls the dice with 'The Order: 1886′
E3 2014: 'Alien: Isolation' invents powerful heroine in Amanda Ripley
Review: 'Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze' springs ape to action
Video game designers take on real-world problems
11 women who need their own games


text:
News Release
January 13, 2014
Lawsuit settlement allows newborn screening program to move forward
MDH begins destroying archived blood spots, test results to comply with Supreme Court ruling
The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) has settled the lawsuit over its storage and use of newborn screening residual dried blood spots and test results. As a result of the case being settled, the district court order to preserve these blood spots and test results has been lifted and the department has begun destroying approximately 1.1 million archived blood spots and test results as required by a Minnesota Supreme Court ruling. These blood spots and test results were all collected prior to the November 16, 2011 Supreme Court decision and have been held in storage under court order since that time.
MDH and its newborn screening partners will now operate the newborn screening program in accordance with the Minnesota Supreme Court ruling and the subsequent 2012 legislative changes to the Minnesota laws governing the program. Under the revised statute, MDH holds blood spots that have all negative test results for 71 days from the date the spots are received by MDH; blood spots that have a positive or abnormal test result are kept for two years from the date they were received by MDH to allow for follow-up testing and services; all blood spot test results are held for two years, to comply with federal requirements, and then destroyed, unless parental consent to retain them is obtained; blood spots may be retained for longer than the 71 days or two years if parental consent to retain them is received.
The department reached a settlement with 21 families who had filed suit alleging the program's collection, use, storage, and dissemination of residual dried blood spots and test results without written, parental consent violated the Minnesota State Genetic Information Act of 2006. First begun in 2009, the lawsuit was initially dismissed in district court and the dismissal was upheld on appeal. However, on Nov. 16, 2011, the Minnesota Supreme Court ruled that the use of the blood spots and/or test results for anything other than the initial screening was not explicitly authorized in statute. In 2012, the Minnesota Legislature changed the statutory language to explicitly authorize short-term storage and the use of blood spots and test results for program operations, but written, informed consent is required for long-term storage and use of blood spots or test results.
The Supreme Court sent part of the lawsuit back to district court to see if there should be any remedies for the plaintiffs. That part of the lawsuit was settled recently with an agreement between the parties. Under the terms of the agreement, MDH has returned the minor plaintiffs' blood spots and, within 120 days, will destroy the minor plaintiffs' test results. MDH also agreed to pay a portion of the plaintiffs' attorneys' fees. The court made no determinations or awards, and has dismissed the case.
"With the lawsuit behind us, we will now be able to devote our resources to operating and advancing the newborn screening program to ensure a healthy start in life for Minnesota babies," said Minnesota Commissioner of Health Dr. Ed Ehlinger. "Newborn screening is an important public health program serving all Minnesotans." Since 1965, more than 5,000 Minnesota infants were found to have rare medical disorders through newborn screening and were able to receive early treatment that prevented serious complications or death.
The Legislature has asked MDH to report on options for future retention periods for dried blood spots and test results. This report will address the current retention periods as well as options for future storage and use of the dried blood spots and test results.
Doug Schultz
MDH Communications


text:
So I've become annoyed that when I post a link to my site in Facebook an image is not included with the it. I did a little research and found out about open graph tags that are supposed to help with this sort of problem and have tried to implement them to no avail. If anyone knows how to fix this, I'd be glad to know. Here's the code I'm using now:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="iso-8859-1"?>
<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0
<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"
<head><title>***comic_name*** - ***todays_date***</title>
<meta property="og:title" content="Chainmail Bikini"/>
<meta property="og:type" content="Web Comic"/>
<meta property="og:url" content="http://chainmailbikini.comicgenesis.com"/>
<meta property="og:image" content="http://i288.photobucket.com/albums/ll188/jayemkay22/og.jpg"/>
<meta property="og:site_name" content="Chainmail Bikini"/>
<meta property="fb:admins" content="Jason Kerr"/>
<meta property="og:description"
content="Chainmail Bikini is a fantasy tale about an adventuring company and their quests in a land filled with magic and mystery."/>


text:
This school project by a kid could be one of the most effective anti-homophobia PSAs out there. On his YouTube page, he writes, "In 8th grade we had a PSA project. (Public Service Announcement) Don't Say Gay. I chose a funny way to present it. And thanks to my little brother for being the star!" That little brother truly shines in the clip when he gives his older sibling the shaming of a lifetime that should resonate with anyone who views it: "Don't say 'gay.' It's mean, and it's offensive!"
[Cole Stryker via Buzzfeed]


text:
Compensation for National Socialist injustice
The Federal Government has attached special priority to the process of providing moral and financial compensation for the wrongs committed by the National Socialist regime.
- Germany's responsibility for its past
- Federal legislation on compensation
- Agreement with Israel
- Comprehensive agreements with Western states
- Hardship settlements with the Jewish Claims Conference (JCC)
- Article 2 Agreement
- Compensation for forced labourers
- Ghetto pensions
- Ghetto work recognition payment
- Prague Conference on Holocaust-Era Assets in 2009
- Related content
Germany's responsibility for its past
Speaking in the German Bundestag on 27 September 1951, Federal Chancellor Konrad Adenauer accepted Germany's responsibility to make compensation for the deeds of the past.
"The Federal Government and the large majority of the German people are aware of the unspeakable suffering which, under the Nazi regime, was brought upon the Jews in Germany and in the occupied territories. … In the name of the German people, unspeakable crimes were committed which call for moral and material restitution, with regard to individual damage inflicted upon Jews as well as to Jewish property whose original owners are no longer alive. ... The Federal Government is prepared to work, together with representatives of Jewry and of the State of Israel which has accepted so many homeless Jewish refugees, for a solution of the material reparation problem which will prepare the way towards a spiritual atonement of untold suffering."
During a visit to Jerusalem in April 2007, Federal Chancellor Angela Merkel reaffirmed that "only by fully accepting its enduring responsibility for this most appalling period and for the cruellest crimes in its history can my country, can Germany, shape the future. There is no alternative."
Federal legislation on compensation
In the years immediately following the war, before the Federal Republic of Germany was founded in May 1949, the Allies enacted legislation in the western occupation zones concerning the restitution of Jewish and other property confiscated by the Nazi regime and about compensation for loss of life, deprivation of liberty and physical injury suffered by persons persecuted by the Nazis. The basic principles from this legislation were later enshrined in the Convention on the Settlement of Matters Arising out of the War and the Occupation (Settlement Convention) and were implemented by and large with the 1956 Federal Act for the Compensation of the Victims of National Socialist Persecution (Federal Compensation Act) and the 1957 Federal Act for the Settlement of the Monetary Restitution Liabilities of the German Reich and Legal Entities of Equal Legal Status (Federal Restitution Act). The Federal Compensation Act granted victims of Nazi persecution (based on race, religion or ideology) a pension by way of compensation for loss of life, personal injury, deprivation of liberty or property, or professional or financial loss. The Federal Restitution Act provided a basis for compensation claims against the German Reich for confiscated property, insofar as it had not already been identified and returned under Allied legislation.In 2013, some 32,000 pensions were still being paid under the Compensation Act totalling some 270 million euros (funded 50:50 by the Federation and the Länder (federal states) with a special arrangement for Berlin). These pensions will be paid for the rest of the beneficiary's or surviving spouse's life.
Agreement with Israel
The two main pieces of federal legislation on compensation were preceded by an agreement with Israel. Under the Luxembourg Agreement concluded in September 1952 by the Federal Republic of Germany and Israel, Germany promised to pay 3 billion Deutsche Mark as "global recompense for the cost of the integration of uprooted and destitute Jewish refugees from Germany and from territories formerly under German rule". However, in view of the scarcity of currency at that date, this sum was to be provided entirely in the form of commodities and services over a period of several years. An additional sum of 450 million Deutsche Mark was to be paid to the Conference on Jewish Material Claims against Germany (JCC) for the relief, rehabilitation and resettlement of Jewish victims of National Socialist persecution living outside of Israel. At the time, this Agreement was highly controversial in Israel, because it was disputed whether the State of Israel or the international Jewish community should accept money from Germany at all.
Comprehensive agreements with Western states
Between 1959 and 1964, Germany concluded comprehensive compensation agreements with 12 Western European countries (and in the 1990s with the USA). Each of these countries received a fixed sum from Germany (which ranged from 400 million Deutsche Mark for France, to 115 million Deutsche Mark for Greece, and one million Deutsche Mark for Sweden), to be distributed to "nationals who were victims of National Socialist measures of persecution by reason of their race, their faith or their ideology and who, as a result of such measures, suffered loss of liberty or damage to their health, or, in the case of those who died in consequence of such measures", to their dependents. These agreements were the result of political pressure from countries which did not wish to accept the exclusion of so-called "Western persecutees" under the Federal Compensation Act. Eligibility under the Federal Compensation Act was dependent inter alia on a "territorial link", i.e. the applicant had to have been resident in the German Reich before the end of the war or in the Federal Republic of Germany after the war. There were legal reasons for this, quite apart from the financial consequences of a broader compensation package – the compensation provided for war damages should, as normal under international law, remain without prejudice to any state-to-state reparation payments, and should therefore not be provided in the form of payments to individual foreigners. An exception was made for Israel, since the state was not founded until 1948 and was therefore not a wartime enemy of Germany. The comprehensive agreements stipulated that the "payment provided for shall constitute a final settlement, as between the Federal Republic of Germany and [other state], of all questions" covered by the given agreement.
Hardship settlements with the Jewish Claims Conference (JCC)
The first "hardship fund" was established in 1980. Following the emigration of large numbers of Jews from the former Soviet Union to Israel, the USA and other countries, the question of compensation for these persons became acute. Victims of National Socialist persecution in the Communist Warsaw Pact countries had been excluded from the Federal Compensation Act, and the final deadline for applications had in any case passed at the end of 1969. Spurred to action by a resolution adopted by the German Bundestag, the Federal Government issued a directive regarding a hardship fund. Victims of National Socialist persecution, who had been excluded from existing statutory compensation schemes for reasons not of their own making, could now, under specific conditions, apply for a one-off payment of 5000 Deutsche Mark (today 2556 euros). The JCC was charged with taking the necessary administrative measures to implement this directive.
Article 2 Agreement
This programme was extended following German reunification. Article 2 of the supplementary Agreement of 18 September 1990 to the Unification Treaty provided for the Federal Republic of Germany concluding an agreement with the JCC on further compensation for Jewish victims of National Socialist persecution who had not yet received compensation. Given its anti-fascist ideology, the former German Democratic Republic had adopted a negative stance on compensation, which needed to be rectified. Since then, there have been regular negotiations between the Federal Ministry of Finance and the JCC to further improve assistance and adapt it to the changing needs of the victims. The Article 2 Agreement was renegotiated in 2012 to make it more understandable but also to extend the group of those entitled to assistance. Of particular importance is the move to extend its application to the territories of the former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe. The new agreement of 15 November 2012 brings together the 1980 guidelines, the agreement of 1992, a JCC fund, as well as various other regulations: all Jewish victims of persecution who suffered National Socialist violence and have not yet received compensation can receive a one-off payment of 2556 euros. Persecuted Jews who were imprisoned in a concentration camp or ghetto for three months or who lived either in hiding or illegally using a false identity for six months can be granted a monthly pension for the rest of their lives. Since 1 July 2014, the pension has been set at 320 euros.
In addition, the JCC is granted an annual sum to help provide medical and geriatric care for Holocaust survivors (136.7 million euros in 2013; 142 million euros in 2014; 205 million euros in 2015; 210 million euros in 2016; 215 million euros in 2017).
As a result of the follow-up negotiations on the Article 2 Agreement between the JCC and the Federal Ministry of Finance on 27 and 28 August 2014, an additional loophole was closed. Many Jewish children suffered damage to their health as a result of persecution by Nazi tyranny. Symptoms of a catalogue of health problems, attributable to extreme stress in childhood, are often only displayed in old age; examples include post-traumatic stress disorder, deficiency symptoms and social discrimination. In order to provide targeted assistance to people who suffered severe trauma in childhood, the negotiating partners agreed to set up a joint fund totalling 175 million euros. From the funds, patients receive one-off payments of 2,500 euros to help meet the costs of therapeutic psychological and medical treatment. Those eligible to receive the payment must have been born between 1 January 1928 and 8 May 1945 – an age group referred to as "child survivors" – and have suffered severe damage to their health as a result of imprisonment in a concentration camp or a ghetto, or as a result of living in hiding or illegally for a period of at least six months. After approval by the German Bundestag on 3 December 2014, this regulation will enter into force on 1 January 2015. For further information, consult the JCC homepage
Pursuant to the so‑called extra-legal provisions for the compensation of Jewish victims of persecution in particular, a total sum of around 464 million euros was made available in 2013 (386 million euros in 2012).
Compensation for forced labourers
Following the conclusion of the German-US intergovernmental agreement of 17 July 2000, the German Bundestag passed the Law on the Creation of a Foundation "Remembrance, Responsibility and Future" (EVZ). The Federal Republic of Germany and German companies each made available 50% of the Foundation's capital of 10 billion Deutsche Mark. From these funds, nearly 1.7 million former forced labourers for the German Reich in almost 100 countries received compensation to the tune of 15,000 Deutsche Mark for slave labour (in a concentration camp) or 5000 Deutsche Mark for other forced labour. By far the largest part of the compensation payments of 4.362 billion euros went to former forced labourers in Poland, Russia, Belarus and Ukraine. A sum of 700 million Deutsche Mark from the foundation's capital assets was reserved for the Future Fund. This is the part of the Foundation that is still active. It uses its revenue to fund projects to keep the memory of the victims of the Nazi regime alive, for example by organising meetings with survivors and promoting cooperation between young people. For further information, consult the EVZ homepage
Ghetto pensions
Based on a decision by the Federal Social Court (BSG) of 18 June 1997, the law regarding the conditions for making pensions payable on the basis of employment in a ghetto (ZRBG) enacted in 2002 lays down provisions for recognising contribution periods as a result of work undertaken by victims of National Socialist persecution in ghettos set up under the National Socialist regime. Furthermore, the ZRGB contains special regulations for calculating pensions and for paying pensions to recipients abroad. Pursuant to the version of the ZRGB in force until 31 July 2014, the earliest date that pensions could commence was 1 July 1997, provided an application was made by 30 June 2003. However, around 90% of the applications for pensions pursuant to this law were rejected owing to a narrow interpretation of the law by the BSG. The BSG retracted this legal position in June 2009. As a result of this amended adjudication, pensions were authorised retrospectively for over 50% of the cases that had initially been rejected. However, owing to the four-year retroactive period generally applicable in social law (Section 44 of Book X of the Social Code – SGB X), these pensions were not paid from July 1997, but, as a rule, only from January 2005. Additional payments were made as compensation for the delayed commencement of pensions.
The victims of Nazi persecution who worked under inhumane conditions in ghettos, the majority of whom are now advanced in years, considered the four-year period of limitation for retroactive payments of their pensions to be a grave injustice, despite the additional payments they received. It was against this backdrop that the First ZRBG Amendment Act, the essence of which entered into force on 1 August 2014, was adopted. It stipulates that the four-year period generally applicable in social law does not apply to pensions pursuant to the ZRBG. The application deadline of 30 June 2003 previously in force for the commencement of pensions on 1 July 1997 was deemed null and void. The pensions already paid under the January 2005 rule are recalculated for the earliest date for commencement of pensions of 1 July 1997 upon submission of an application by the persons concerned (known as reassessment). In order to avoid unequal treatment, this also applies to beneficiaries who, in light of the restrictive authorisation practice in place until June 2009, had filed a pension application after the application deadline in force at the time had elapsed and were therefore not able to begin receiving pension payments from 1 July 1997. Around 40,000 pensions pursuant to the ZRBG with a commencement of pensions after 1 July 1997 had been authorised when the amendment to the legislation was made. In such cases, the pension insurance providers inform beneficiaries about the option to have their pensions reassessed for an earlier commencement of payments and the implications of this on a case by case basis. Back payments for pensions commenced at an earlier date are paid on a regular basis, coupled with a lower monthly pension as the additional payments owing to a later commencement of pensions lapse. Persons concerned can then decide whether they wish to apply for an earlier commencement of their pensions or whether they intend to continue drawing their current pension.
The ZRBG Amendment Act also brought the ZRBG's geographic scope of application in line with that of the Ghetto Work Recognition Directive with the effect that work done in ghettos in Slovakia, Romania or Shanghai, for example, can also be taken into account. The ZRBG Amendment Act intends to honour the legitimate entitlement of former ghetto workers to adequate compensation for their work in ghettos through their state pensions.
An agreement allowing beneficiaries to draw a ZRBG pension in Poland is to be concluded shortly. Owing to an existing agreement, payment of this benefit to beneficiaries in Poland is not possible.
Ghetto work recognition payment
After the majority of applications for payment of a ghetto pension pursuant to the ZRBG had been rejected by the German Federal Pension Insurance scheme, the German Government in 2007 adopted the Federal Government Directive concerning the payment of amounts to victims of persecution in recognition of work in a ghetto which did not constitute forced labour and has not been recognised to date under social insurance law. In these cases, a humanitarian, voluntary one-time payment of 2000 euros (so-called ghetto work recognition) could be made. Following the new ruling by the Federal Social Court in June 2007 and the resulting recognition of numerous, originally rejected, applications by the German Federal Pension Insurance scheme based on the ZRBG, the relationship between this payment and the ghetto pension became unclear. Amendments to the Ghetto Work Recognition Directive through Cabinet decisions on 29 June and 20 December 2011 brought clarification. This meant the granting of a ghetto pension pursuant to the ZRBG, also for the past, does not affect eligibility for the granting of a ghetto work recognition payment.
Of the some 74,000 applications for a ghetto work recognition payment, some two thirds (more than 53,000) have been authorised to date.
Prague Conference on Holocaust-Era Assets in 2009
Late in June 2009, an International Conference on Holocaust-Era Assets met in Prague. Following on from the Washington Conference of December 1998, which dealt predominantly with works of art confiscated under National Socialism and Holocaust insurance, the Prague Conference examined all unresolved issues for Holocaust survivors and other victims of Nazi persecution. The Terezin Declaration published at the end of the meeting lists the main issues discussed under separate headings:
- the welfare of Holocaust survivors and other victims of Nazi persecution,
- immovable (real) property,
- Jewish cemeteries and burial sites,
- Nazi-confiscated and looted art,
- judaica and Jewish cultural property,
- archival materials,
- education, remembrance, research and memorial sites.
With respect to the welfare of Holocaust survivors, the participating States took "note of the fact that Holocaust (Shoah) survivors and other victims of Nazi persecution have today reached an advanced age and that they have special medical and health needs, and we therefore support, as a high priority, efforts to address in their respective states the social welfare needs of the most vulnerable elderly victims of Nazi persecution – such as hunger relief, medicine and homecare as required, as well as measures that will encourage intergenerational contact and allow them to overcome their social isolation".
The issue of medical and geriatric care for Holocaust survivors is becoming ever more acute. According to a JCC study, of the 500,000 remaining Jewish survivors of the Holocaust, some 100,000 are poor and in need of care. The overwhelming number of this latter group live in Israel, the USA and the former Soviet Union. The JCC calculated the annual sum needed to fund adequate medical and geriatric care to be nearly 300 million US dollars. So far, the JCC has funded a considerable part of its outlays for such care (170 million US dollars in 2009) from assets it was given under the Act on the Settlement of Unresolved Property Issues, namely heirless (formerly Jewish) property in East Germany. These assets are running out. A working group was established at the annual negotiations between the Federal Ministry of Finance and the JCC with the aim of providing longer-term support for such measures and to put them on a firm foundation for the years to come. In November 2011, agreement was reached on further increasing the annual grants for home nursing and medical care.All in all, the Federal Republic of Germany has, as of 31 December 2013, paid some 71 billion euros in compensation for the crimes committed by the National Socialist regime. Within the German Government, the Federal Ministry of Finance is the lead ministry for compensation for National Socialist injustice. A detailed treatment of the subject can be found at


text:
Stephen King: The Next World Trade Revolution Is in Asia
HONG KONG, July 24, 2013 — The age of affluence in the West has come to an end, according to Stephen D. King, Group Chief Economist at HSBC. Speaking at the Asia Society Hong Kong Center, King argued that while the West has enjoyed many opportunities for more than half a century, this era of extraordinary economic progress has now come to a halt.
The economist asserted that the West has experienced an extended period of expanded global trade that started off in the 1950s and 1960s in the U.S., Europe and Japan. This, he argues, led to a much more efficient allocation of resources around the world, significantly lifting the level of activity in a rather short period of time. So extended was this period of prosperity that uninterrupted growth is now considered the norm. Yet King argues that such an era of continuously rising living standards is a historical anomaly.
In a bleak assessment, King, author of the recently published When the Money Runs Out: The End of Western Affluence, maintained that the economic stagnation currently prevalent in many industrialized Western nations such as the UK, US, Italy and Spain threatens to reach crisis proportions in the not-so-distant future. Instead the West has returned to a period of growth that will be less exciting as that experienced in the middle of the last century, he explained.
The West, asserts King, has made promises to society collectively and individually which have not taken into account this structural loss of economic growth. Such promises — including pensions, healthcare and social security — are only achievable through economic growth, and he highlights the growing chasm over the past decade between political promises, financial hope and economic reality.
Asked if the Western world was about to experience a Japanese-style "Lost Decade," he suggested that one was already underway. "It's already happened in the last ten years, the risk is now having a second Japanese-style Lost Decade, ending up with soft performance." He noted that the financial crisis had contributed to this, and that the U.S. economy was slowing down even before the financial crisis.
On a more positive note, King believes the next stage of world trade revolution is still to come, and that it will take place in Asia. He predicted the creation of a "sudden Silk Road" — a new connection from Asia through the Middle East, to Latin America, and to sub-Saharan Africa. If such a trade connection opens up in the years ahead, he asserted, it will be the big driver of growth in Asia over the next few decades.
Reported by Penny Tang and Wendy Tang
Video: Watch the complete program (50 min., 4 sec.)