text:
2011 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices - Malta
|United States Department of State
|Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor
|Publication Date
|24 May 2012
|Cite as
|United States Department of State, 2011 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices - Malta, 24 May 2012, available at: http://www.refworld.org/docid/4fc75a802d.html [accessed 23 January 2018]
|This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.
Malta is a constitutional republic and parliamentary democracy. The president is the head of state and is appointed by the unicameral parliament (House of Representatives). The president appoints as prime minister the leader of the party winning a majority of seats in parliamentary elections. General elections held in 2008 were judged free and fair. Security forces reported to civilian authorities.
The government's harsh treatment of detained irregular migrants and asylum seekers from North Africa was the most serious human rights problem during the year, with strongest criticism directed at housing conditions and inadequate government programs for integrating migrants into Maltese society.
Other significant reported problems included lengthy delays in the judicial system, which sometimes diminished individuals' access to due process; restrictions on freedom of speech and of the press; and criminal prosecution of individuals for public blasphemy. Societal problems included child abuse, trafficking in persons, and substandard work conditions for irregular migrants.
The government took steps to prosecute and punish officials who committed abuses, whether in security services or elsewhere in the government. There were no reports of impunity.
Section 1. Respect for the Integrity of the Person, Including Freedom from:
a. Arbitrary or Unlawful Deprivation of Life
There were no reports that the government or its agents committed arbitrary or unlawful killings.
b. Disappearance
There were no reports of politically motivated disappearances.
c. Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman, or Degrading Treatment or Punishment
The constitution and law prohibit such practices, and the government generally honored these prohibitions.
Prison and Detention Center Conditions
Prison and detention center conditions generally met international standards, and the government permitted visits by independent human rights observers; however, reports of poor conditions in government-run detention centers for irregular migrants persisted.
As of August, the prison population of 580 inmates consisted of 446 men, 30 women, and 104 juveniles (92 men and 12 women). Of the adult prison population, 238 were foreigners, representing nearly 41 percent of the total prison population. Approximately 58 percent of these foreigners were of African descent.
Juveniles were separated from adults in most cases; however, first-time adult offenders were housed in the same building as juveniles. Authorities held pretrial detainees with convicted prisoners, albeit with those incarcerated for lesser crimes and shorter sentences. Prisoners had access to potable water.
Detainees had reasonable access to visitors and were permitted religious observance. Authorities allowed prisoners and detainees to submit uncensored complaints to judicial officials and to request investigation of credible allegations of inhumane conditions.
Authorities renovated or built new toilets and kitchens in some of the closed centers (facilities where irregular migrants were detained pending adjudication of their cases). However, a temporary surge in irregular migration during the first quarter of 2011, stemming from the Libyan crisis, led to an increase in the migrant population. In August the population in the closed centers rose to 884 persons from approximately 75 in 2010. Migrants were housed in two closed centers, with Lyster Barracks reopened due to the new influx. The total population in the open centers (where migrants reside following determination of their status) was 2,541 compared with approximately 2,000 in 2010.
The government permitted visits to its detention centers by independent human rights observers, including foreign diplomats. A report by the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, released in January 2010, indicated that the detention regime imposed on irregular migrants arriving by sea was not in line with international human rights law. Concern continued over migrants deemed vulnerable (e.g., minors, pregnant women, and families with children). There were no notable changes in conditions during the year notwithstanding the temporary surge in migrants.
During the year the Refugee Commissioner's Office expanded the number of asylum determination officers and reduced asylum processing to less than 60 days. Migrants found ineligible for asylum or subsidiary protection status, or not otherwise deemed vulnerable because of age, sex, health, mental or other conditions were still detained in closed centers for up to 18 months. The government relocated vulnerable migrant populations and provided care appropriate to their conditions. Authorities moved migrants deemed to be minors to residential facilities and provided them needed services, such as education or training.
In August mostly West African migrants held at the Safi closed center rioted after learning that their claims for asylum had been denied. Migrants complained of being handcuffed when taken for asylum-related interviews or medical treatment outside the detention center and of the country's policy of lengthy migrant detention. Fifteen police officers, three Armed Forces of Malta soldiers, and one migrant reportedly were slightly injured. Police used tear gas and rubber bullets to quell the riot. In September the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination expressed concern about occasional riots in detention centers and reports of excessive force in countering them.
d. Arbitrary Arrest or Detention
The constitution and law prohibit arbitrary arrest and detention, and the government generally observed these prohibitions.
Role of the Police and Security Apparatus
The national police, under the responsibility of the Ministry of Justice and Home Affairs, maintain internal security. The army falls under the direct responsibility of the Office of the Prime Minister and is responsible for external security but also has some domestic security responsibilities.
Civilian authorities maintained effective control over the police force, the security service, and the armed forces, and the government has effective mechanisms to investigate and punish abuse and corruption. There were no reports of impunity involving the police force or security forces during the year.
Arrest Procedures and Treatment While in Detention
With the exception of irregular migrants, whom authorities usually detained for two to 18 months pending adjudication of any asylum requests, an arrest warrant issued by a magistrate is necessary to detain a person for questioning and may be issued based on reasonable suspicion. Migrants receive access to legal counsel and are informed of their rights on arrival at a closed center. According to the constitution, police must either file charges or release a suspect within 48 hours; in all cases authorities must inform detainees of the grounds for their arrest. Police generally respected these requirements in practice. During the 48-hour detention period, which generally included initial interrogation by police, arrested persons were entitled to access to legal counsel prior to interrogation, but not to visits by family members. Once authorities filed charges, pretrial detainees were entitled access to counsel and family.
Authorities adjudicated applications for bail on a case-by-case basis and normally granted them in the case of citizens. The UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention noted, "The rules of release on bail are not applied equally to Maltese citizens and foreigners alike." Foreign criminal defendants who insisted on their right to a trial by jury occasionally were confined for more than two years awaiting arraignment and trial.
e. Denial of Fair Public Trial
The constitution provides for an independent judiciary, and the government generally respected judicial independence in practice.
Trial Procedures
The constitution provides for the right to a fair and public jury trial, and an independent judiciary generally enforced this right. Trials are public and defendants must specifically request jury trials. Defendants have the right to counsel of their choice or, if they cannot afford counsel, to court-appointed counsel at public expense. Defendants and their lawyers have access to government-held evidence relevant to their cases. Defendants may confront witnesses and present evidence; defendants enjoy a presumption of innocence and have the right to appeal. All citizens enjoy these rights.
Political Prisoners and Detainees
There were no reports of political prisoners or detainees.
Regional Human Rights Court Decisions
Through November the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) issued nine judgments involving violations by the state of obligations under the European Convention on Human Rights. Malta complied with the ECHR judgments.
Civil Judicial Procedures and Remedies
The constitution provides for an independent and impartial court in civil matters, including for the determination of civil rights or obligations and for access to a court to bring lawsuits seeking damages for, or cessation of, a human rights violation. Persons who have exhausted their right to appeal in the national court system could apply to bring an alleged breach of human rights covered by the European Convention on Human Rights before the ECHR. Civil and judicial procedures for the exercise of this right exist, and citizens regularly made use of them.
f. Arbitrary Interference with Privacy, Family, Home, or Correspondence
The constitution prohibits such actions, and the government generally respected this prohibition in practice.
Section 2. Respect for Civil Liberties, Including:
a. Freedom of Speech and Press
Status of Freedom of Speech and Press
The constitution and law provide for freedom of speech and of the press, and the government generally respected these rights in practice. An independent press and a functioning democratic political system combined to ensure freedom of speech and of the press.
The law prohibits "vilification" of or "giving offense" to the Roman Catholic Apostolic Religion, the country's official church. Also illegal, but carrying a lesser punishment, is vilification of or giving offense to any "cult tolerated by law." It is a criminal offense to utter publicly any obscene or indecent words, make obscene acts or gestures, or in any other way offend public morality, propriety, or decency. From January to July, there were 119 convictions for public blasphemy, compared with 225 convictions for the same period in 2010.
The independent media were active and expressed a wide variety of views without restriction. International media operated freely, and there was no indication of reprisals against individuals for either public or private criticism of the government.
Internet Freedom
There were no government restrictions on access to the Internet or reports that the government monitored e-mail or Internet chat rooms. Individuals and groups could engage in the expression of views via the Internet, including by e-mail.
Academic Freedom and Cultural Events
There were no government restrictions on academic freedom.
The law restricts cultural activities that publicly vilify the Catholic Church and other religions tolerated by law.
In July the parliamentary secretary for culture announced that responsibility for the censorship and classification of films, plays, and literature would move from the Ministry of Justice and Home Affairs to the Office of the Prime Minister. Censorship and classifications did not change significantly with this move.
b. Freedom of Peaceful Assembly and Association
The constitution provides for freedoms of assembly and association, and the government generally respected these rights in practice.
c. Freedom of Religion
See the Department of State's 2010 International Religious Freedom Report.
d. Freedom of Movement, Internally Displaced Persons, Protection of Refugees, and Stateless Persons
The constitution provides for freedom of movement within the country, foreign travel, emigration, and repatriation, and the government generally respected these rights in practice. The government generally cooperated with the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and other humanitarian organizations in providing protection and assistance to refugees, asylum seekers, stateless persons, and other persons of concern.
Protection of Refugees
Access to Asylum: The law provides for the granting of asylum or refugee status, and the government has established a system for providing protection to refugees. The Libyan crisis resulted in a surge of migrant arrivals (more than 1,500) during the first three months of the year; the flow of migrants subsided in the spring and summer.
Safe Country of Origin/Transit: As an EU member state and a member of the Schengen Zone, the country followed laws and policies established in those bodies related to safe country of origin and transit. Malta denied asylum to applicants who arrived from a country deemed a safe country of origin. In practice, asylum applicants rarely were repatriated, although they were always offered the option of voluntary return to their country of origin. Migrants not qualifying for refugee status, but coming from countries considered unsafe to return due to war or other conditions, were granted subsidiary protected status, permitting them to stay in the country on a year-to-year, renewable basis
Nonrefoulement: In practice the government consistently provided some protection against the expulsion or return of refugees to countries where their lives or freedom would be threatened on account of their race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion. In addition, migrants not qualifying for refugee status, but coming from countries considered unsafe to return due to war or other conditions, were granted subsidiary protected status, permitting them to stay in the country on a year-to-year, renewable basis. In practical terms, this meant that irregular migrants were not returned to North African countries during periods of conflict there. A Maltese court awarded $13,900 to each of two Somali migrants after finding that their human rights were violated when they were returned to Libya in 2004. Following their involuntary repatriation, they both eventually returned to Malta, where they filed the complaint.
Refugee Abuse: Authorities detained some irregular migrants, generally in closed detention centers, for up to 18 months after they arrived in the country, in instances where both their application for asylum and appeal were rejected. A new temporary humanitarian protection scheme was introduced to provide for such cases. There were 723 persons in closed centers as of October. The length of the adjudication procedure experienced by any individual asylum seeker was reportedly related to the need to establish the migrant's identity, country of origin, and other vital information, since migrants nearly always arrived without identity documents. Such migrants could file asylum claims within two months of detention; however, they remained in detention while their cases were processed.
According to the UNHCR, migrants spent an average of six months in detention in 2009. Due to a decrease in arrivals, the average detention time dropped to two months during 2010. Detainees also included persons who had not applied for asylum and those whose asylum applications and appeals were rejected or were under review. Individuals awaiting decisions on their cases occasionally protested their detention or attempted to escape from detention centers. Within a matter of days (usually less than two weeks) after their initial detention, authorities usually moved "vulnerable individuals," such as children, pregnant women, elderly persons, and parents with infants, to "open centers," where they were free to come and go. Migrant children are eligible for all government social services and are assigned a caseworker to ensure that their needs are met. The armed forces are responsible for the management of the closed detention centers and report directly to the Ministry of Justice and Home Affairs, while the Agency for the Welfare of Asylum Seekers (AWAS), part of the Ministry of Justice and Home Affairs, has responsibility for the welfare and accommodation of persons transferred from detention centers to open centers. Individuals were not required to stay in open centers if they could find other accommodations. However, authorities monitored individuals to whom they provided a subsidiary protection stipend.
Authorities released all detainees whose cases were not resolved within 18 months, whether or not police had arranged to repatriate them. Authorities permitted them to remain in the country in "open centers" or in the community at large and issued them work permits. EU law prohibited them from travelling to other EU countries, and they were not eligible to bring family members to the EU. They were eligible for voluntary repatriation programs, but only a few chose to participate. There were no significant changes to this general pattern. As of year's end, there were approximately 2,541 migrants living in three open centers.
Overcrowding persisted at the country's largest migrant open-housing center in Marsa. Friable asbestos was present in one of the common areas. In other centers, high temperatures in the summer months and inadequate ventilation in tent housing and prefabricated housing units contributed to uncomfortable living conditions. In winter months tent housing had limited heating, and rain could penetrate the fabric that was not waterproof. Beneficiaries of subsidiary protection were entitled to remain in the country; move freely; receive personal identification documents, including one-year renewable residence permits; and obtain travel documents in emergencies. They could be employed; receive core social welfare benefits; seek appropriate accommodations; and benefit from integration programs, public education and training, and essential medical care. Their dependents enjoyed the same rights and benefits. However, this status does not provide for family reunification, a path to citizenship, or other benefits of refugee status. Most persons granted subsidiary protected status or other humanitarian protected status were from Somalia – 3,743 overall.
Temporary Protection: From January through December, the government provided "temporary humanitarian protection" to 318 individuals not legally entitled to asylum or subsidiary protection. The government also provided "temporary humanitarian protection" as an administrative procedure in special and extraordinary cases in which applicants were found not to be eligible for asylum or subsidiary protection but were considered to be in need of protection for special humanitarian reasons. During the year 129 persons received this protection.
Section 3. Respect for Political Rights: The Right of Citizens to Change Their Government
The constitution provides citizens the right to change their government peacefully, and citizens exercised this right in practice through periodic, free, and fair elections based on universal suffrage.
Elections and Political Participation
Recent Elections: In 2008 the country held parliamentary elections that observers considered free and fair.
Participation of Women and Minorities: There were six women in the 65-seat parliament and two in the 14-member Cabinet of Ministers. Approximately 13 percent of senior government officials were women, and three women held ambassadorial rank. There were two female judges and 10 female magistrates. There were no members of minorities in the government.
Section 4. Official Corruption and Government Transparency
The law provides criminal penalties for official corruption, and the government generally implemented these laws effectively. There were isolated reports of government corruption. Authorities pursued bribery cases involving both a former government official and members of law enforcement during the year.
There were frequent allegations in the press that the contract for the extension of the Delimara power plant was awarded to one of the competitors in a manner contrary to normal competitive bidding processes. The EU commission engaged the government on the allegation and requested an explanation of the bidding process. The government provided its explanation to the commission in July 2010. In January the EU commission closed the investigation for lack of evidence "that Malta had violated specific EU public rules."
Government officials are subject to financial disclosure laws; the court has the right to order financial disclosure, depending on its judgment of the circumstances. The police and the Permanent Commission against Corruption were responsible for combating official corruption.
According to the Press Act, the government is to establish procedures to give representatives of the press information to help them "fulfill their public tasks." However, the government neither defined the scope of this mandate nor enacted implementing legislation. Access to government information in certain specified areas, generally dealing with matters of public interest, security, or ongoing court proceedings, was excluded from this requirement. For government activities not subject to disclosure under the Press Act, there is no legal entitlement to government-held information; nevertheless, authorities generally provided access. A freedom of information law enacted in 2008 gradually entered into force. A newly established Information and Data Protections Commission, the regulatory agency responsible for implementing the act, began issuing initial directives establishing the scope of its jurisdiction.
Section 5. Governmental Attitude Regarding International and Nongovernmental Investigation of Alleged Violations of Human Rights
A number of domestic and international human rights groups generally operated without government restriction, investigating human rights cases. Government officials were cooperative and generally responsive to their views. The government cooperated with UN and other international bodies.
Government Human Rights Bodies: The country has an ombudsman empowered to investigate complaints about the activities of governmental bodies, including activities affecting human rights and problems involving prisoners and detainees. The ombudsman only investigates complaints when administrative or judicial remedies are not available. When the ombudsman concludes that a complaint is wholly or partly justified, he submits recommendations to the public entity responsible for undoing the harm the complainant suffered. The ombudsman has no power to force acceptance of any recommended remedy, but most recommendations were accepted. For example, of the cases investigated and concluded in 2010, 151 cases were resolved by informal action, 125 were deemed to be outside the Ombudsman's jurisdiction, and 179 were found to be justified. The president appoints the ombudsman with the consent of two-thirds of the members of parliament.
The House of Representatives' Standing Committee on Foreign and European Affairs and Standing Committee on Social Affairs have responsibilities for human rights issues. Members from both sides of the House of Representatives comprise the committee and collaborate closely on issues related to the committees' respective responsibilities. The committees normally held open hearings and their deliberations were usually a matter of public record unless a hearing was closed for security reasons. There was generally full debate on issues before the committees. Largely, the committee had a reputation for integrity and credibility, with legislation enacted in the areas under their purview enjoying widespread public support.
Section 6. Discrimination, Societal Abuses, and Trafficking in Persons
The constitution prohibits discrimination based on race, gender, disability, language, or social status, and the government generally enforced these prohibitions in practice.
Rape and Domestic Violence: Rape, including spousal rape, is a criminal offense, and the government effectively prosecuted such crimes. The crimes of rape, spousal rape, and indecent assault carry sentences of up to 10 years in prison. Rape was not perceived to be a widespread problem. However, through October, there were 15 reported cases of rape.
Also through October, the police received 725 reports of domestic violence. The law treats domestic violence as a criminal offense, and the government generally enforced the laws prohibiting it. Penalties ranged from three months to 20 years in prison. Some NGOs and victims' assistance advocates asserted that domestic violence remained underreported, primarily because of concerns by women that law enforcement personnel would not believe or protect them.
A special police unit and several voluntary organizations provided support to victims of domestic violence. A hotline existed to assist victims of abuse through counseling and shelter referrals. The government also supported victims through its Ministry for Social Policy, which held responsibility for a government-supported shelter for women and children, in operation throughout the year; the government also provided financial support to other shelters, including one operated by the Catholic Church.
Sexual Harassment: Sexual harassment is unlawful and punishable by a 2,329-euro ($3,028) fine, six months' imprisonment, or both.
Reproductive Rights: The government recognized the basic right of couples and individuals to decide freely and responsibly the number, spacing, and timing of their children. Health clinics and local health NGOs operated freely in disseminating information on family planning. There were no restrictions on access to contraceptives. A free and effective government health program provided for prenatal and postnatal care and delivery as well as other related medical services. A UN Population Fund report in 2011 estimated the 2008 maternal mortality rate to be six deaths per 100,000 women. Men and women received equal access to diagnosis and treatment for sexually transmitted infections.
Discrimination: Women have the same legal rights as men, including, but not limited to, family and property law. Redress in the courts for sexual discrimination was available. The Ministry for Social Policy and the National Commission for the Promotion of Equality were responsible for gender equality. They focused on the broader integration of women into society and advising the government on the implementation of policies to promote equality of women and men. The right of divorce was introduced via a referendum held on May 28. Approved by parliament, the divorce bill went into effect on October 1.
Women constituted a growing proportion of graduates of higher education and of the workforce. Nonetheless, they remain underrepresented in management and generally earned less than their male counterparts. Figures on the wage disparity between women and men differed moderately. The National Commission for the Promotion of Equality indicated that, for 2008, men were paid 17 percent more than women in comparable jobs. The European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions reported in March that the hourly pay gap was 2.4 percent. According to Eurostat, between the end of 2008 and the end of 2009, the latest period for which statistics were available, the female employment rate rose from 36.3 percent to 37.2 percent, while the male employment rate decreased from 73.5 percent to 71.5 percent.
Birth Registration: Citizenship generally is derived from one's parents, although some specific applications of the law may be complex, allowing for transmission of citizenship by a grandparent or other relative. While specific data on access to health care and education for stateless children was not available, according to the local UNHCR representative, there were no reports that education and healthcare were denied to children due to their lack of nationality.
Child Abuse: In 2010 the Child Protection Service of Appogg, the social welfare services arm of the Ministry for Social Policy, received 1,004 referrals of possibly abused children, compared with 1,053 in 2009. The service's total case turnover for 2010 was 1,399, up from 1,194 the previous year. There were 676 new and reopened cases, down from 697 in 2009. During the year 32 individuals were arrested and charged with child abuse. Four convictions were reported from these cases, the remainder were pending adjudication.
Sexual Exploitation of Children: Several individuals claiming that Catholic clerics had abused them consistently maintained authorities did not pursue cases of alleged sexual abuse of children by clerics unless a parent or adult filed a formal complaint. They alleged authorities instead allowed the church to handle the matter internally. Once filed, however, authorities followed the same police investigative and judicial procedures as for other such complaints. In July two priests received sentences of five and six years' imprisonment, respectively, after they were found guilty of sexually abusing boys entrusted to their care several years before. Both appealed their sentences. One of the priests was acquitted of rape due to an error in the charge sheet (specifying an inaccurate location of the alleged rape) although the judge indicated that he found the victim's evidence credible. The attorney general appealed the acquittal, and the case was pending at year's end.
Statutory rape is punishable by three to six years in prison. The minimum age of consent is 18. Rape committed by violence carries a penalty of imprisonment for three to nine years, with or without solitary confinement. Creation of child pornography is prohibited and punishable by imprisonment of one to five years (up to eight years in special circumstances). Possession of child pornography is also prohibited and punishable by imprisonment not exceeding three years.
International Child Abductions: The country is a party to the 1980 Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction. For information see the Department of State's report on compliance at http://travel.state.gov/abduction/resources/congressreport/congressreport_4308.html.
There were no reports of anti-Semitic acts during the year. The Jewish community numbered approximately 120 persons.
Trafficking in Persons
See the Department of State's 2011 Trafficking in Persons Report.
Persons with Disabilities
The law prohibits both the public and private sectors from discriminating against persons with physical, sensory, intellectual and mental disabilities in employment, education, health care, physical access, access to goods and services, housing, and insurance, and the government effectively enforced these provisions. As of the end of September, the National Commission for Persons with Disabilities (NCPD), the agency responsible for enforcement of this law, was working on 158 pending discrimination complaints from previous years. During 2010-2011, the NCPD opened investigations into 126 new cases and satisfactorily concluded 64.
National/Racial/Ethnic Minorities
The population included more than 10,000 persons of Arab, African, and East European origin. There were periodic reports in the media that owners of some bars and discos discouraged or prohibited darker-skinned persons, particularly of African or Arab origin, from entering their establishments. The government took no specific action to discourage these problems.
In March a man was discharged conditionally for two years (comparable to a suspended sentence) after being found guilty of inciting racial hatred for posting comments on a newspaper blog. In September the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination noted with concern the "discriminatory discourse and hate speech" of some Maltese politicians, as well as the "racial discourse" in certain media outlets.
Societal Abuses, Discrimination, and Acts of Violence Based on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity
The country's antidiscrimination laws regarding sexual orientation only extend to the area of employment. On May 23, an individual who underwent gender reassignment surgery and was initially granted the right to marry her partner, returned to court after the attorney general sought an injunction against an earlier court ruling, which held that the surgery did not change the reality of gender. The Appeals Court found for the attorney general. The individual subsequently took her case to the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg, where it remained pending at year's end.
Other Societal Violence or Discrimination
There were no reports of discrimination against persons with HIV/AIDS.
Section 7. Worker Rights
a. Freedom of Association and the Right to Collective Bargaining
The constitution allows workers to form and join unions of their choice without previous authorization or excessive requirements, as well as to engage in collective bargaining; workers freely did so in practice. The law does not allow uniformed military and police personnel to join unions. However, employees without the right to strike or join unions participated in associations, such as the police association, through which they sought to protect their interests. The law allows unions to conduct their activities without interference, and the government protected this right in practice. Workers, with the exception of uniformed military and police personnel, have the right to strike, and during the year they exercised this right by conducting legal strikes. The labor law provides for compulsory arbitration; however, arbitration did not take place during the year.
During the year there were no reports of antiunion discrimination or other forms of employer interference in union activities. The Employment and Industrial Relations Act prohibits antiunion discrimination and provides for reinstatement of workers "unfairly dismissed," including for legal, nonviolent union activity.
b. Prohibition of Forced or Compulsory Labor
The constitution prohibits forced or compulsory labor, including by children; nevertheless, there were reports that women were subjected to forced labor, including in restaurants, private households, unskilled and skilled labor.
Also see the Department of State's 2011 Trafficking in Persons Report.
c. Prohibition of Child Labor and Minimum Age for Employment
There are laws and policies to protect children from exploitation in the workplace, and the government generally implemented these laws effectively; however, there were unverified reports that underage children worked as domestic laborers, restaurant kitchen help, or vendors, and during the summer in family-owned businesses.
The law prohibits the employment of children younger than 16. The director general of the directorate for educational services may grant an exemption for employment only after determining that it would not harm the health or normal development of the minor. Such exemptions were granted in practice. While no legal work was specifically restricted, children granted an exemption were not allowed to perform work that could be regarded as harmful, damaging, or dangerous to a young person.
The Employment Training Corporation (ETC), a government entity under the Ministry for Social Policy, is responsible for labor and employment issues. It generally enforced the law effectively in most formal sectors of the economy but allowed summer employment of underage youth in businesses operated by their families. No assessment was available of the effectiveness with which the ETC monitored the often-unregistered employment of children as domestic employees, restaurant workers, and street vendors.
d. Acceptable Conditions of Work
The national weekly minimum wage was 153.45 euros ($199); in addition, there was an annual mandatory bonus of 270 euros ($351) and an annually adjusted cost-of-living increase of 242 euros ($315). The country's independent National Statistical Office estimated that approximately 15 percent of the population lives at or below the poverty income level of 5,961 euros ($7,749). Following consultations with workers and employers, the government established the minimum wage, which it revises annually based on changes in the cost of living.
Irregular migrant workers from Somalia, Eritrea, Sudan, and other sub-Saharan African countries, who comprised a small but unquantifiable percentage of the workforce, sometimes worked under conditions that did not meet the government's minimum standards for employment. In 2008 the General Workers' Union (GWU) issued a report documenting what it termed the "exploitation" of migrant workers. The general secretary of the GWU stated at a press conference that such workers often were employed in the most hazardous occupations, such as road construction and highway refuse cleanup, where traffic and environmental conditions posed a danger, and in the building construction trades, where accidents such as collapses might occur. In many cases migrants received less than the minimum wage. In 2008 AWAS, in coordination with the ETC, established informational programs to help individuals pursue employment and obtain work permits. The GWU and AWAS believed that the programs were beneficial, but there was no data to validate this assessment. The government operated a program called Restart II, through which irregular migrants who volunteered to leave the country could receive free rail or airfare to their country of origin, plus financial assistance. The program, funded in part by the EU, was to last until June. As of September, it had provided benefits to 24 returnees.
The standard workweek was 40 hours, but in certain occupations, such as health care providers, airport workers, and civil protection services, 43 or 45 hours was the norm. Government regulations provided for a daily rest period, normally one-hour, and one day of rest per week. Premium pay is required for overtime, excessive compulsory overtime prohibited, and workers cannot be obligated to work more than 48 hours, inclusive of overtime. The Ministry of Social Policy generally enforced these requirements effectively in the formal economy.
The Occupational Health and Safety Authority (OHSA), a government entity composed of representatives of the government, unions, and employers, conducted regular inspections at work sites and cited a number of offenders. Enforcement of health and safety standards continued to be uneven; industrial accidents remained frequent, particularly in the manufacturing, and building and construction sectors. Workers have the right to remove themselves from situations that endangered health or safety without jeopardizing their employment, and OHSA generally enforced this right.


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ARLINGTON, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--U.S. ownership rates for tablet computers saw a sharp increase in the fourth quarter of 2012, according to new research released by the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA)®. CEA's Consumer Outlook on Tablets: Q1 2013 shows that tablet ownership rates among online U.S. consumers reached 38 percent as of December 2012, up seven percent from the previous quarter. The report examined trend information on consumer behavior and sentiment regarding the sale and use of tablet computers between October and December 2012.
Compared to data from the Consumer Outlook on Tablets: Q4 2012 report, tablet purchase intent is also rising. Approximately three in four (74 percent) online consumers expect to purchase a tablet sometime in the future, compared to 67 percent of online consumers in December 2011. Tablet purchase intent during the next two years for non-owners saw an increase of five percent to 44 percent in December 2012.
"The sharp increase in adoption during the past quarter is likely due to the wide range of sales of tablets of varying price points during the 2012 holiday shopping season, creating a new wave of tablet owners," said Kevin Tillmann, senior research analyst, CEA. "As we begin 2013, anticipation is high for the next wave of tablets to include features such as high resolution displays, improved graphic capabilities, near-field communication, and thinner and lighter chassis."
Among entertainment activities, social networking moved into the top spot for primary use this quarter in terms of online conversation as consumers mostly used their tablets for keeping up with friends and family online. Watching movies, in the top spot last quarter, fell to second, and listening to music remains third. Satisfaction with tablet computers remains consistently high, on par with findings from the last few quarters, with almost nine in ten (86 percent) tablet owners reporting that they're satisfied with their devices.
The Consumer Outlook on Tablets reports are released on the last Monday of the month following the close of each quarter. The series of reports was designed and formulated by CEA Market Research, the most comprehensive source of sales data, forecasts, consumer research and historical trends for the consumer electronics industry. Please cite any information to the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA)®. The complete study is available free to CEA member companies at members.CE.org. Non-members may purchase the study at the CEA store.
About CEA:
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April 16, 2013, Washington, D.C.
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June 24-28, 2013, New York, NY
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Angels enjoying a season of comebacks
Club confident it can bounce back from any adversity
By Joe Frisaro / MLB.com
All season, the Angels have demonstrated that characteristic.
It's really not a mystery as to why they've advanced to the American League Championship Series against the Yankees. They're moving on because they've shown the ability to bounce back under trying circumstances.
Resiliency was a trademark during the regular season, and it carried over into the playoffs. They set a franchise record with 47 comeback victories during the year, and they've tacked on two more in the AL Division Series.
Their resolve surfaced once again on Sunday in a 7-6 win over the Red Sox at Fenway Park. Down by two entering the ninth inning, the Angels scored three runs -- after getting to two outs with no one on -- off closer Jonathan Papelbon.
"We're just resilient," closer Brian Fuentes said. "We take a step back and then we march forward. We'd keep going and we'd get hot. I don't know if we ever really got cold. Coming into the season, we'd hear about the past."
Three times since 2004, the Red Sox eliminated the Angels in the American League Division Series.
The tide turned this year.
"It certainly is a different feeling and one that we wanted to experience as a team," said Vladimir Guerrero, whose two-run single off Papelbon proved the difference on Sunday. "It seems like a more emotional team, a little more gutsy, more put together."
The 47 comeback wins is a testament to the scrappiness of the squad. Late in the year that statistic prompted center fielder Torii Hunter to note: "Don't ever leave the park early, you just might miss something."
In recent years, the Angels may have fallen short in the first round, but the franchise has now taken a big step toward returning to the World Series for the first time since its 2002 championship season.
"Part of it is the depth in the organization," Angels owner Arte Moreno said. "You keep banging the door down and hopefully you get there. I'm proud of the whole team."
In Game 2 on Friday at Angel Stadium, Los Angeles trailed Boston ace Josh Beckett by a run early, but were able to pull out a 4-1 win.
Two-out hitting in the late innings played a pivotal role in the final two games of the ALDS.
In the seventh inning of Game 2, the game was tied at 1 with two outs before Maicer Izturis' RBI single. Two batters later, Erick Aybar ripped a two-run triple.
More clutch hitting came through at Fenway Park. In the eighth inning, Juan Rivera hit a two-out, two-run single off Papelbon, making it 5-4.
Then came the ninth-inning heroics.
|Maicer Izturis
|Popout to catcher (one out)
|Gary Matthews Jr.
|Flyout to center (two out)
|Erick Aybar
|1B on 0-2 fastball
|Chone Figgins
|Bobby Abreu
|2B to left, Aybar scores
|Torii Hunter
|Intentional walk loads bases
|Vlad Guerrero
|1B to center , Figgins, Abreu score
|Kendry Morales
|Flyout left (three out)
Bobby Abreu hit an RBI double and Guerrero lined the decisive two-run single to center, giving the Angels the lead that was preserved by Fuentes.
"To beat the [Red Sox] in three straight games, I didn't know if that would ever happen," Abreu said. "These guys know how to handle these situations in the postseason. They've shown they're good. We have to give credit to our pitchers."
In terms of overall record, the Angels were better a year ago. They finished 100-62, compared to 97-65 this season. In the 2008 postseason, however, they stumbled, and were eliminated by Boston in four games.
"Last year, everything went bad for us [in the playoffs]," Hunter said. "These guys came into Spring Training pumped up. A lot of things happened this year.
"We had a lot of obstacles to overcome. But we found something. We found some heart. We found some purpose and passion. And we showed it this series. We took care of one of the best teams in the East, and one of the best closers in the game."
Next up is another daunting task, taking on the Yankees, beginning Friday at New York.
The Angels hope their strong starting pitching carries over. But they know if they get into trouble, they have a track record of bouncing back.
"Obviously, the starting pitching has done a great job, and it will need to," right-hander Jered Weaver said. "The 'pen has done a great job as well. And we're putting runs up on the board.
"We aren't going to roll over. We know that. We found ourselves in a hole [in Game 3 at Boston], but the hitters were able to put some at-bats together, and we came back with a win."
Joe Frisaro is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


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Sustainable Seafood Guide: How to Save the Seas with Your Diet
Maybe you have heard that eating beef is one of the biggest contributors to your carbon footprint, much more so than driving. However, if you are like many of us, you may not have thought about how eating seafood affects the environment. Whether you live by the coast or thousands of miles from the nearest shoreline, the biggest impact you have on the oceans is through your diet. Beyond its health benefits and its cultural significance, there is no denying how delicious lobster with freshly-squeezed lemon tastes on a hot summer day. With a seemingly (and deceptively) abundant supply of inexpensive seafood, it can be hard to say no to that double order of fish tacos. But can the seas really provide an endless bounty of food?
Sierra Club Green Home investigated how our diet impacts the oceans, and we now offer this easy-to-follow guide to enjoying seafood sustainably.
Americans now eat four times as much seafood as we did 50 years ago, but fish populations have not been able to keep up with our increasing appetites. By conservative estimates, about 32% of world fish stocks are estimated to be overexploited, depleted, or desperately in need of respite and recovery, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). Large, open-ocean fish such as tuna have declined by an estimated 90% since 1952, according to World Watch.
For further information: http://www.sierraclubgreenhome.com/go-green/food/sustainable-seafood-guide-how-to-save-our-seas-with-our-diet/
Photo: Kino Bay Center for Cultural and Ecological Studies)


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Recent Press and Media
- Martha Stewart "Real Weddings" at the Housing Works Bookstore, April 4
- Brides.com featuring Anne Hathaway's Engagement Party, February 7
- People.com featuring Anne Hathaway's Engagement Party, February 7
- Business Insider: The Verge Party, November 10
- Off Beat Bride Featuring Julie & Rebecca, February 1
- Merci New York Featuring Kate & Charles, December 7
- My Sunny Wedding, January 1
- Real Wedding: Kate & Jon, September 15
- Amy & Andrew's Bookshop Wedding, September 19
- Entertainment Weekly, September 2
"I wanted to thank you sincerely. Last night was one of the best day of my life.....The food was insanely delicious, the ambiance perfect. You made our night perfect. I thank you so much......My family and friends raved about the service, food, and general feeling which could only be good due to everyone's warmth. I wish you all the best. "
- Arlene and Rob, Housing Works Bookstore Wedding


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- Marussia news
Glock nearly had to retire in Singapore
- Drivers:
- John Booth
- |
- Timo Glock
- Teams:
- Manor
Timo Glock said he faced a huge struggle to bring his Marussia home in 12th position at the Singapore Grand Prix after hitting the wall early in the race.
The result was significant for the team as it is now ahead of rivals Caterham in the constructors' championship by virtue of a higher finishing position. If the team can hold on to tenth until the end of the season it should benefit financially under the terms of the next Concorde Agreement, but Glock revealed it was a close run thing.
"It's fantastic," he said. "I knew I had a chance against Caterham if we stayed close in the first stint and that's what I tried. For some reason my rear tyres dropped a bit and I touched the wall and I thought the race was over as the toe on the rear right was definitely slightly out.
"Every time I had a left-hand corner I had massive problems, but in the end I kept pushing and just didn't want to give up. I had to save the car in every left-hand corner and at the end I think I did 40 laps on the prime tyres, which is incredible for us. I just managed to keep the pace up and just the last lap was very difficult with the rear tyres dropping off massively. It's great for the team, it's paid off slowly and I think what we have achieved in the last three or four months in terms of development it's great for the team."
Team principal John Booth said the result was the culmination of a huge amount of hard work by the team.
"Overall, this has been a day where, with everything thrown at them, the engineers and mechanics executed everything perfectly. Really though, the improvement in the raw pace of the car has come from all the hard work that has been undertaken in Banbury and by our engine partner Cosworth in Northampton."


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or Mary E. Christiano, director of communication
(800) 424-4244
Fax: (888) 225-6935
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Website: www.pia.org/NY/
FOR RELEASE: Jan. 29, 2010
BROOKLYN, N.Y.–The Professional Insurance Agents of New York State Inc. selected Denise Louie for the prestigious Bernard I. Kozel Memorial Scholarship and Violeta Cortez for the prestigious Arthur I. Moll Memorial Scholarship. The awards were presented Thursday, Jan. 28, at PIANYs Metropolitan Regional Awareness Program at the New York Marriot, Brooklyn, N.Y. Louie is junior assistant underwriter for Jimcor Agencies Inc. in Plainview, N.Y.; Cortez is a customer service representative for Orrino Capital Services LLC, in Corona, N.Y.
The scholarships provide full tuition coverage for two Certified Insurance Service Representative seminars conducted by PIANY. The awards were presented during MetroRAPs awards ceremony and keynote luncheon.
In addition to the presentation of the scholarships, MetroRAP also featured a keynote address by James Wrynn, New Yorks superintendent of insurance. Wynn shared his expectations for the industry this year.
The event also included continuing education courses for insurance producers on errors- and-omissions loss prevention and workers compensation; an expansive trade show; and a networking reception hosted by the New York Young Insurance Professionals.
PIANY is a trade association representing professional, independent insurance agencies, brokerages and their employees throughout the state.


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Chrissie Hynde at the GRAMMY Museum on Aug. 23
Photo: Mark Sullivan/WireImage.com
Chrissie Hynde's Not Pretending
Chrissie Hynde of the GRAMMY-nominated Pretenders and Welsh singer/songwriter JP Jones joined the GRAMMY Museum on Aug. 23 as part of its The Drop series to discuss their much-anticipated debut album Fidelity!, and the inspiration, creative influences and collaboration behind the new project. The discussion was moderated by GRAMMY Foundation Vice President Scott Goldman, and the duo played a few songs before an intimate crowd of 200.
Jones discussed his musical inspiration, listing David Bowie, Bob Dylan, Led Zeppelin, and Van Morrison as influences, and pointed to Chris Isaak's "Wicked Game" as being so beautiful that it made him cry the first time he heard it. Hynde spoke on the emotionality of music and described one track off the new album, titled "If You Let Me" as a heartbreaking, autobiographical song about her relationship with Jones.
The pair later performed "If You Let Me" for the audience, accompanied by guitarist Patrick Murdoch of the Fairground Boys.
Hynde originally met Jones at a social gathering in London before leaving for a U.S. tour with the Pretenders in 2008. She was approached by Jones, who just wanted to tell her he thought she was "awesome." The two bonded over their adoration for fairgrounds — Jones grew up on a fairground in Wales and Hynde has shown a keen interest in amusement parks as evidenced in the Pretenders' video for "Kid" — and thus came "Fairground Luck," a track featured on the new album. Hynde and Jones spent time in Cuba, where they wrote the majority of Fidelity!, a title that pays tribute to signs in Cuba celebrating Fidel Castro. The pair is currently on tour in the United States, backed by the Fairground Boys.
Upcoming GRAMMY Museum events include American Express Presents An Evening With Daughtry (Sept. 14) and An Evening With Alan Parsons (Sept. 29).
Click on the "GRAMMY Museum events" tag below for links to other GRAMMY News stories in this series.


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Loves the outdoors
I ran my first half marathon on 20th Feb. It was hard going and I was disappointed with myself, but I am already planning for another one.
As you may have gathered from my comments on various threads before this race, I was suffering in the lead up. Tweaking rather badly. 2 weeks of dead legs prior and struggling on almost every run. Having calf issues and I also got given a minor cold by my son two days before. Heaven help me if I ever decide to do a marathon, I'll completely fall apart!
Wellington really delivered with a beautiful day for the race. 23degC (70F?) and almost no wind. The no wind is very unusual in my lovely city. There were about 1400 people in the half, so it was a pretty crowded start. I managed to run into Mandy though, which was a nice way to start and it helped calm my nerves a bit. I found a spot near the back and then we were off. I had heaps of walkers to navigate walking 3 and 4 abreast, but after a few minutes I managed to get some clear running space. I felt ok but my lower left shin felt off. Tight and a little painful. I haven't experienced this before so I decided to try and ignore it. I settled in to a steady pace. Apart from my shin issue I felt good. My HR was a little higher than I expected at that point in the race but I thought it was probably nerves. My shin pain went away after about 5-6km.
I carried on my nice steady pace and began looking around me at my fellow competitors. A real mix of people at the back of the field. One woman was running in a very unusual way so I thought she was artificially slowing her pace to run with her friend. I kept seeing her throughout the race as she passed me and then I passed her. I don't know what happened to her though as the last time I saw her she passed me with her arm in a sling. Somehow she managed to have some sort of accident, get treatment and then still get up and get past me. I guess she really was slowing her pace earlier as I was still running the same steady pace.
At about 10km in I was still on target pace and feeling pretty good when I spotted Mandy and gave her a shout. She was looking really strong at that point. For the next couple of km's my pace inexplicably slowed slightly - I decided not to force it and just went with it. I was drinking a little water at every stop and tipping the rest over my head. As I continued on to the turn around I started to mentally feel the strain, there seemed so far to go. I hit the turn around and kept running and then suddenly I slowed to a walk. What the? I don't know whether it was my brain or my body that failed me. For the next 7-8km I struggled and kept suddenly stopping to walk. I haven't walked in a race before My head felt odd - dizzy and fuzzy and my tummy also felt slightly weird. I spotted a couple of collapsed runners being attended to by ambulance crews and tried to feel positive that that wasn't me. I carried on. Goal time gone. Could I force myself to continue, yes I'll run some more. I carried on running more than I walked but unable to stop slowing to a walk. I was not the only one at this stage with loads of people walk/running around me. I mentally didn't have it to carry on the run.
At about 19km I was walking again when a woman came up behind me and for the first time someone spoke to me! It was enough I started running again. She gave me enough encouragement to finish the race running. Oh that finish line was a great thing to see! I crossed the line in 2:32:41. Much slower than I'd hoped, but at least I finished.
1km - 6:28min/km
2km - 6:37min/km
3km - 6:32
4km - 6:34
5km - 6:40
6km - 6:40
7km - 6:38
8km - 6:38
9km - 6:40
10km - 6:37
11km - 6:40
12km - 6:53
13km - 6:56
14km - 7:07
15km - 7:30
16km - 8:12
17km - 7:14
18km - 8:29
19km - 8:32
20km - 8:18
21km - 8:08
I'm not sure what went wrong for me for this race. I clearly need more endurance and some more mental strength! I am going to work on both and aim for better for the next half. A half marathon is a long way and a marathon just seems terrifying at this point!
One day I decided I wanted to become a runner, so I did.
Congrats on completing your first Half! Though it was tough, you did it! Looking forward to hearing your next race report...
Petco Run/Walk/Wag 5k
congrats on the finish! you did it, and that is more than 90% of the people out there isn't it! Good job, good report. Looking forward to next one.
bob e v 2014 goals: keep on running! Is there anything more than that?
Complete the last 3 races in the Austin Distance Challenge, Rogue 30k, 3M Half, Austin Full
Break the 1000 mi barrier!
History: blessed heart attack 3/15/2008; c25k july 2008 first 5k 10/26/2008 on 62nd birthday.
Good job getting through a tough one. Thanks for sharing the RR.
Good to read that you are already looking forward to another 1/2.
Looking at your log, your consistency is great, but you may want to throw in some longer runs leading up to your next 1/2.
For me, I hit a mental barrier at a certain mileage where my mind starts telling my body it is time to stop.
"This is the distance when you usually stop running, so stop....but I'm still 3 miles from home....so, you can walk the rest....but that will take forever, keep running...what's the point, walk...." (Maybe I'm just weird. )
Running through that barrier in training could help you do it on race day.
Good job getting through a tough one. Thanks for sharing the RR.
Good to read that you are already looking forward to another 1/2.
Looking at your log, your consistency is great, but you may want to throw in some longer runs leading up to your next 1/2.
For me, I hit a mental barrier at a certain mileage where my mind starts telling my body it is time to stop.
"This is the distance when you usually stop running, so stop....but I'm still 3 miles from home....so, you can walk the rest....but that will take forever, keep running...what's the point, walk...." (Maybe I'm just weird. )
Running through that barrier in training could help you do it on race day.
I wonder if that is partly what happened to me, hitting a mental barrier. I haven't hit that suddenly walking moment before and although my head was very fuzzy and odd at the time, I hadn't hit the wall as I could start running again each time I made myself. So I suspect I needed to suck it up more and could have kept running. I'll never know now because I did give in and walk. I'm sure longer long runs are a must for this cycle. I have been following Nobby's instructions and he wanted me to build up slowly, which I have been. My next half is in June, so in winter. I much prefer running in colder weather, so I hope that will help too as long as Wellington doesn't have gale force winds and rain as can be common at that time of year.
nzrun - I second that. I followed Galloway's Half Marathon training plan when preparing for my first half and made sure I had multiple long runs that took as much time as my goal for the race, three hours, even if it wasn't the distance. I can't recall if that was part of the plan or just mean wanting to know I could spend that much time on my feet. It helped me finish (in less than 3 hrs) when the temp on race day hit 94F! My last half this past December, on a challenging, hilly course took me 3:12 to finish using mostly low heart rate continuous running with walks up the hill. Weather was windy and reasonably cool, but I took it easy because of the hills and it being the longest distance in VFF Bikila's. The hills still aggravated my right Achilles tendon!
I don't know where I read the advice to increase long run to cover anticipated time on feet. Probably in some RA thread somewhere. It seemed to work for me.
Climbing Mt Ruapehu
Nice work NZrun!! Is wellington usually windy?
Im terrified of running a half marathon again, just trying to get back into running is hurting and i dont even know if i enjoy it anymore. Hopefully though I have a half in me again this year!
I di find in both my HM's last year that I finished a lot stronger than most people around me and maybe I put that down to doing a 18km every weekend basically without fail. The endurance and confidence to run that far just never seemed an issue. For me it is just getting a faster speed over that distance that is the problem!!
Keep posting
Personal Race Records:
M 3:52:48 (Auckland 2011), HM 1:38:16 (Taupo 2010), 10km 45:05 (Sir Barry 2010), 5km 20:21 (How Pak 5km 2010)
2012 Goals:Run the 75km Hillary Trail in a day (done 10/3/2012)
I have been following Nobby's instructions and he wanted me to build up slowly, which I have been.
I have been following Nobby's instructions and he wanted me to build up slowly, which I have been.
Nobby's advice > (my advice x 100).
Stick with what he's telling you, and like Vino said, keep posting.


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Degree: B.A.
Minimum Requirements for Degree: 120 credits
Political science is the study of human efforts to create social organizations and processes compatible with our environment. Political science is related to all of the social science disciplines. It is the study of the dynamics of human behavior in various cultural, national and international spheres.
Students of political science may prepare for teaching or for advanced study in law and the social sciences, or prepare themselves for careers in public service.
Undergraduate Program
Political Science -- B.A. Degree
1. Complete the generaluniversity requirements. (As part of the core curriculum requirements, complete: PS 100X, PS 300X and HIST 100X.)
2. Complete the B.A. degree requirements.
3. Complete the following major (program) requirements:*
1. PS 101 -- Introduction to American Government and Politics (3 credits)
2. Complete at least 1 course from 4 of the sub-disciplinary groups listed in the requirements for the B.A. degree in political science. (12 credits)
3. Minimum credits required (15 credits)
Send comments or questions to the
UAF Admissions Office.
Last modified June 10, 1998


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Easy on the ear for a great price
Crutchfield Customer Review (What's this?)
These little Koss headphones are great. I wanted an inexpensive pair of headphones for my mp3 player, and I definitely feel as though these were a steal. The sound is rich and full. The bass carries very nicely with no distortion. I do wish there was a bit more depth in the base, but I really only miss it when I'm listening to genres that favor heavy bass (R&B, Bossa Nova, etc). The red is fun. The construction is solid, and as a person with smaller ears, the customizable ear pieces are key. I'm not sure if the angle of the earbud in the ear is really beneficial, but it's an interesting concept. I would highly recommend the RUK30s. I am purchasing a pair for my 9 year old!
Pros: Terrific sound quality Awesome price Fun colors
Cons: Not a single thing


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Current Projects
Maps & Publications
Tool Party and Annual Meeting
Every November members of the Trail Center gather to scrub, sharpen, wash and paint the tools and equipment we use during the year for our monthly builds.
This fun event combines work, cameraderie, good food and entertainment to accomplish the necessary tasks required to keep our mattocks, McLeods, picks and shovels in top condition.
All Trail Center members are invited to come and participate. The annual meeting and officer elections are held after the tools are put away. The day ends with a special presentation by one of the Trail Center members or a guest speaker.
Location: Palo Alto, California - Annual Tool Party
Directions: From 101 exit west onto Oregon Expressway in Palo Alto. At the third stoplight take a right turn onto Louis and continue to the stop sign. Make a left turn onto Northern California, and take the first right onto Barbara Drive.
From 280 and Page Mill Expressway, head east to Oregon Expressway. After crossing El Camino, head about 4 or 5 blocks to Middlefield Avenue and take a left turn. Head north on Middlefield about two blocks and take a right turn onto Northern California, which is at the corner of Jordan School. Head east on Northern California past Newell and then make a left on Barbara Drive, which ends by Stratford School.
The location is 2019 Barbara Drive, Palo Alto, California. Contact Hank Magnuski (650) 328-8230 for more information.
Agency: Trail Center
Supervisor: Dave Croker
Project Lead: Hank Magnuski
Additional Information: Bring work gloves, rags, electric drills with brush attachments (if you have such equipment), high spirits, good stories and some friends.


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McKenzie plots to bring Folau down to earth
THE Queensland Reds have two trials and an away trip to Canberra before their Super Rugby path leads to the Waratahs but Ewen McKenzie has already started formulating plans to help counter NSW signing Israel Folau.
Folau's aborted attempt at becoming an AFL player has led to him moving to code No.3. He will try to find his legs in rugby union following stints with the NRL's Melbourne Storm and Brisbane Broncos and AFL's GWS Giants.
Tall, strong, fast and athletic, Folau has all of the ingredients to be a handful on the rugby field and in rugby league was a proven finisher, scoring a remarkable 73 tries in four seasons. During his two years at Red Hill, he scored a ridiculous 37 tries in 38 games.
Part of his talent was an ability in the air that took the attacking cross-kick to a new level in league. At his best, Folau seemed unstoppable on the wing when a ball was floated in his direction.
To what extent the Waratahs utilise that tactic remains to be seen but McKenzie, never a man inclined to skimp on research, has already started to consider the options to help keep Folau grounded.
He said he had been keeping tabs on the Waratahs during the pre-season or, more to the point, they had been doing a fine job of communicating the goings-on in Sydney.
He expected NSW to find a way to employ Folau's talents.
''I've been reading about the Tahs every day,'' McKenzie said. ''They've been keeping us well informed. We know well and truly what they are up to. They'll find a way to use him. It will be interesting to see if he appears in their first official game. He's a good player. I'm sure he'll be there or thereabouts.''
Folau's dominance in the air came to be a feature of his rugby league play but the rules of the game helped provide a glut of opportunities, the likes of which he might not enjoy in rugby union.
League's six-tackle rule meant if the Broncos or Storm were in range to launch a cross-kick on the fifth tackle, sending it in Folau's direction was a no-brainer play that often turned into four points. Union's focus on retaining the ball and building pressure means it is a riskier move to kick the ball away early. If it fails, the defending side can get out of its 20-metre zone without conceding points.
McKenzie will be thinking all of that through and watching Folau and the Tahs during trial games, presuming he plays, to see how the hulking outside-back is employed.
''We'll have a look at the trial games and see where he goes. You expect they've made an investment there and they will want to use him.''
The Reds will enter the trials with all of their players available bar Wallabies halfback Will Genia, who continues his rehabilitation from a knee reconstruction.
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In the understanding that the Community of Sant'Egidio has progressively developed, conflict and poverty are increasingly intimately linked. War is the "mother of every poverty", destroyer of the humanitarian commitment for the future of entire populations; civil war in which members of the same population no longer recognize each other as brothers.
War is also the absence of every justice, as seen in so many countries where conflict makes the defense of the most basic human rights impossible, as in Latin America and Africa. The civil populations are the first victims of conflict, crushed in the vise of opposing sides. And among civilians those most affected are the poor, those without means whom no one defends, often victims of violence from both sides.
In countries and lands upset by such events development cannot occur while justice is made subject to the logic of violence.
In 1981 Father Jesus Delgado was invited by Sant'Egidio to bring the testimony of Msgr. Oscar Arnulfo Romero, martyr of peace and justice and archbishop of San Salvador, the capital of a little country in Central America where a civil war raged. The words of the bishop's secretary described the drama of El Salvador as that of a small population abandoned to itself amidst a long war; a war looked upon by the chanceries of the great powers and of Europe as a war of "low intensity" and therefore acceptable.
From this and other testimonies from the mid eighties Sant'Egidio increased its reflection on the value of peace with special attention to the South of the world, where conflicts seem to magnify the terrible damage caused by hunger and famine, as in Africa, or where they are rooted in the injustice of the exclusion of entire sections of the population forced to live in great misery, as in Latin America.
The cry of pain that comes from the Southern hemisphere, and in particular from Africa, are brought through the requests and tales of bishops, of missionaries and friends of the community. The Community brings humanitarian aid to many countries in the Southern hemisphere. However, war is a brutal reality that annihilates any effort at cooperation.
For Sant'Egidio, the history of solidarity with Mozambique represents this Africa abandoned and vulnerable to a conflict that, besides creating innumerous victims, made initiatives to alleviate the suffering of the population during the famines of the latter half of the 80s difficult. The community's friendship with Bishop Jaime Gonçalves, archbishop of the central city of Beira, helps to understand the suffering of a people caught between war and famine. Furthermore, in those years the Mozambican Church suffered repression by the Afro-Marxist regime.
In a short time, three airplanes and two ships full of food, clothes, primary need supplies and even work tools, arrived to the country. The humanitarian effort was also useful in melting the icy relations between the state and the Catholic Church, until then considered the "enemy of the people". But each effort to help seemed to get swallowed up by the vicissitudes of the war that wiped out the attempts to reconstruct the future of the country. The necessity of confronting the primary problem of the reconciliation between the government, Frente de Liberaçao de Moçambique (FRELIMO) and the guerilla, Resistencia Nacional de Moçambique (RENAMO), became increasingly clear.
The passage of Sant'Egidio from the field of humanitarian work to the contradictory one of politics came about at this point: many western chanceries at the time thought that the Mozambican conflict could not be dealt with until after the resolution of apartheid in South Africa. The result was a paralysis in the face of a conflict that had by then gone on for more than 10 years creating an enormous number of victims and displaced people. Sant'Egidio perceived the situation differently: Despite the historical references to the general picture of Southern Africa, one sees in both rival groups a progressive exhaustion in the faith of military solutions while, at the same time, Sant'Egidio identified the endogenous reasons of the conflict which cause its unending continuation.
After various attempts to search for institutional support, the Community of Sant'Egidio offered itself as "mediator". They established certain contacts with the RENAMO guerillas. The negotiations took their start amidst great difficulties: there was a problem of recognition so that the negotiation did not assume the characteristic of a reciprocal tribunal; there was also a problem of communication between the negotiators and the leadership in Mozambique. The FRELIMO government wanted an immediate ceasefire, the only strong bargaining chip of RENAMO. Furthermore it was necessary to create a climate of trust that would make it possible for the talks to continue.
Riccardi also underlined the principle which would be then the basis of the long negotiation:
The echo of these words are found in the first document jointly signed by the parties: both recognized each other "compatriots and members of the same great Mozambican family". This fraternal mutual recognition, children of the same people, is decisive: it recalls the biblical story of Joseph and his brothers, cited by Andrea Riccardi in his introductory speech. There is a deep separation: the brothers do not recognize Joseph, minister in Egypt. At a certain point Joseph, crying, goes to find his brothers and reveals himself. To objectively be brothers but not to recognize each other as such: it is a central point which must be overcome in every negotiation.
The Mozambican negotiations lasted 27 months, with 11 sessions of work. Between the highs and the lows a truly constructive climate had begun between the parties and the choice for a negotiated solution grew stronger until it made irreversible progress. In order to observe and support the Mozambican process several representatives of western and neighboring governments were invited, as well as an UN delegation. The general peace accord, signed in Sant'Egidio on October 4, 1992, today still remains one of the few examples of an African conflict brought to an end through peace talks in the past decade.
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Except for the pitchers, we have only 2 hitters hitting above .250 in this lineup today, while in contrast, the Cardinals have only Furcal below .292.
Doesn't look too promising for scoring much.
Last edited by 40YrRedsFan; 07-14-2012 at 04:13 PM.
Dusty has his favorites and it plays out in lineup construction. The problem is, Stubbs is so terminally bad right now, Jocketty may have to intervene in some capacity.
That's a good play by Freese, not a terrible bunt by Stubbs.
Anyone have a stream?
Stubbs trying to bunt for a base hit, at least something different
Two out, nobody on for NL's best pure hitter. Same as it ever was...
Rounding third and heading for home...
Anyone know if Votto has the lowest RBI total for a # 3 hitter in the Majors?
And I know I'm not saying anything new right now, but man... St. Louis's lineup is crazy good. They've got us beat at essentially every position outside of 1st/2nd, and by a fair amount. You figure they've got to start playing more like their run differential suggests eventually, and when they do... Ugh.
goodness, Bruce...
There are 3 guarantees in life; death, taxes, and the leadoff walk coming around to score.
I'm about getting tired of Jay Bruce.
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SKU:13993Artist:Compatible Figures:N/ACompatible Software:DAZ StudioInstall Types:
SKU:13993Artist:Compatible Figures:N/ACompatible Software:DAZ StudioInstall Types:
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text: Has anyone tried a Famsa tank bag. I saw them advertised the Bikerworldusa web site (www.bikerworldusa.com) which also advertises in the ON magazine. I believe they're made in Italy. According to the website, they're half the price of the BMW bag. I'm looking for a bag for my 1150RT plastic tank...or I would have bought a cheap Cortech for a $120. I really don't want to spend $400-500 for a tank bag.


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eject sr0
eject /dev/sr0
eject cdrom
eject /dev/cdrom
To my untutored eye, all seems well – but the device remains obdurate. Any ideas, anyone?
*-cdrom description: DVD-RAM writer-------------------------------------------- configuration: ansiversion=5 status=open
eject -vT /dev/sr0
Sadly, the drawer remains closed.
eject -i0 /dev/sr0
Following a hard disc drive crash, I fitted a new HDD (with the help of the forum) and installed Ubuntu V12 – the DVD worked faultlessly. Now when I come to use the DVD the drawer will not open. When I press the "Open" button, I can see through the drawer gap a light flashing in response. It stops flashing when I press it again. Searching the web suggested a couple of commands to see if the system recognises the drive, and I attach the results of two terminal commands: grep "CD-ROM" /var/log/dmesgsudo lshw -C diskTo my untutored eye, all seems well – but the device remains obdurate. Any ideas, anyone?
Link to Gareth's Blog Link to Kath's Blog


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KEXP Reviews
|Browse by one of the following:
- (Minty Fresh)
This Portland duo continues to expand upon their atmospheric, psych-tinged pop sound on their third album by adding even more exotic instrumentation (including kazoo and musical saw) to another strong batch of mesmerizing tunes. 9/9/2004 - Don Yates
Other Viva Voce album reviews:
Get Yr Blood Sucked Out - 9/5/2006
Lovers, Lead the Way! - 7/15/2003


text: There was never any guarantee that we would have directed the third film anyway. There was talk for a while that someone else might have been directing the second one I for one am happy I like his direction a great deal, no one is better at that sort of hyperkinetic, smart, younger Spielberg-esque approach but I would like to see a fresh approach for the third film. The crew will be more mature as will hopefully the tone. I know it ain't happening but I would cream for Nick Meyer, I would be thrilled if he helped tackle the next script There are plenty of amazing (big budget cgi savvy) directors who could seamlessly step in. Sam mendes, joss whedon, bay, how bout a Ridley Scott directed Trek finale for the trilogy?


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AMES, Iowa--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Renewable Energy Group (NASDAQ: REGI) today announced its REG Newton, LLC loan with AgStar Financial Service, PCA was extended for one additional year.
"We're pleased that the lender syndicate saw fit to extend this note in a routine manner"
REG Newton, LLC entered into this debt agreement with AgStar in conjunction with the related March 2010 acquisition of the assets of Central Iowa Energy, LLC.
"We're pleased that the lender syndicate saw fit to extend this note in a routine manner," explained REG Chief Financial Officer, Chad Stone, of the agreement which has a new maturity date in March 2014.
All material terms remain the same for the 30 million gallon per year biorefinery.
Renewable Energy Group® is a leading North American biodiesel producer with a nationwide distribution and logistics system. Utilizing an integrated value chain model, Renewable Energy Group is focused on converting natural fats, oils and greases into advanced biofuels. With more than 225 million gallons of owned/operated annual production capacity at biorefineries across the country, REG is a proven biodiesel partner in the distillate marketplace.
For more than a decade, REG has been a reliable supplier of biodiesel which meets or exceeds ASTM quality specifications. We sell REG-9000® biodiesel to distributors so Americans can have cleaner burning fuels that help lessen our dependence on foreign oil and reinforce food security. REG-9000® branded biodiesel is distributed in most states in the U.S.


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People often complain about their Internet service, but nobody seems to ever do anything about it. Well, here's your chance: Nebraska's Public Service Commission wants Nebraskans to take a simple, fast online test that will capture their current Internet speed into a statewide database.
This information could help both policymakers and Internet consumers improve service, PSC officials say.
A website, broadbandmap.nebraska.gov, is part of the Nebraska Broadband Initiative, which aims to increase broadband access and adoption, especially in unserved or underserved areas. The PSC contracted with BroadMap to collect, verify, report and map broadband availability by location throughout Nebraska.
Go to that site to find instructions for conducting a test of their broadband Internet service speed at the time the test is conducted. It takes only seconds and results will appear and be automatically added to a report compiling broadband service speeds across Nebraska.
There's also a place for site visitors to provide feedback on their Internet access.
Rod Johnson, chairman of the PSC, says the goal is to capture the current state of broadband availability in Nebraska. "We're collecting data about availability of broadband by location," he says "We're also working on projects that influence adoption of broadband. One important use for this information is to be able to encourage providers to go places that are unserved or underserved."
Johnson notes that most households in Nebraska do have at least one option for high-speed Internet service, though "sometimes it's not the option consumers want."
Various funding options exist for providing or expanding the availability of broadband service, including state and federal grants, but having valid, up-to-date information is critical to targeting that funding, Johnson says.
"As you make any policy decisions around broadband, the best decisions are made when you have the most important current data about it so you're not funding something that's not necessary or overlooking a spot that needs assistance," says Anne Boyle, PSC vice chairwoman.
Both commissioners note that consumer input can help the PSC make corrections to the data used to produce its map of service providers available in Nebraska.
Much of the state has at least five providers of broadband access available. Informed consumers can make the best decisions, Johnson and Boyle say.
The State Broadband Initiative grant program is administered by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration. Partners with the PSC include the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, the Nebraska Information Technology Commission's Community Council, the Nebraska Department of Economic Development and the AIM Institute. They are working to develop and implement statewide and regional planning efforts to increase adoption and acceptance of broadband services across Nebraska.


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IN THE CIRCUIT COURT, SEVENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT, IN AND FOR ST. JOHNS COUNTY, FLORIDA Case No. DR06-1673 Division: 57 ERIK L. BERGER, PETITIONER, VS. JENI M. LANGE, RESPONDENT NOTICE OF ACTION TO: JENI M. LANGE (RESIDENCE UKNOWN YOU ARE NOTIFIED that an action for PETITION FOR DETERMINATION OF PATERNITY has been filed against you, and you are required to serve a copy of your written defenses, if any, to the petitioner, whose name and address is, ANNE MARIE GENNUSA, 309 KINGSLEY LAKE DR., STE 903, ST AUGUSTINE, FL 32092 on or before MAY 20, 2008, and file the original with the clerk of this court either before service on plaintiff or immediately thereafter; otherwise, a default will be entered against you for the relief demanded in the complaint or petition. WITNESS my hand and the seal of this Court on APRIL 18, 2008. CHERYL STRICKLAND As the Clerk of the Court Carla P. Chase Deputy Clerk L1125-8 Apr 22, 29, May 6, 13, 2008
Posted from 22-Apr-08 to 13-May-08
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