text:
The Alliance and the Limits of its Strategy
NATO's Afghanistan operation highlights the difficulties of formulating and imple-menting an integrated strategy for counterinsurgency, anti-terror and stabilisation and reconstruction measures to which all member states agree. The essential ques-tion of whether the NATO member states are currently capable of a joint approach in Afghanistan is becoming increasingly pressing.
The specific operation in Afghanistan results from the differing strategic priorities of the nations participating in ISAF. Whereas NATO members such as the United States and Britain have understood the operation in Afghanistan as an anti-terror operation from the very outset, others such as Germany and Italy emphasised their role in stabilising and rebuilding the country.
Logically, both sides of the equation derive differing consequences from their respective definitions of the operation. The collision of these diverging approaches results in a compromise solution oriented towards a joint consensus. One particular problem is that neither the military nor the civilian means are balanced out with the respectively defined operational objectives.
Military operations in the south of Afghanistan
The extension of ISAF's brief to the south and east of Afghanistan in January 2006 meant that the alliance was faced with an increasing number of military operations. The ISAF commanders are now confronted with the task of running stabilisation and reconstruction measures in the same areas as military operations and measures to combat drug cultivation.
This has caused rising tension within NATO. The varying national policies are expressed in legal caveats for the individual contingents. The majority of the troops in the south of Afghanistan are British, supported by Canada, the US, the Nether-lands and smaller contingents from mainly Nordic states. Other ISAF participants, including Germany in particular, are sceptical about stationing troops in the south. Operation Medusa of September 2006 is a prime example of the resulting problems.
For the first time in its history, NATO carried out a major military operation using ground forces. The operation came up against far stronger resistance on the part of the Taliban than originally anticipated. Several NATO member states, including Germany, refused the support requested by the Canadian commander, citing national operational restrictions.
Running a multinational operation, however, requires a fundamental willingness to share burdens and risks on all parts. That means that the troops under NATO command are in reality only available to the ISAF commander to a limited extent, and subject to a political veto.
ISAF's equipment
The difficulties, however, are not limited to the employability of troops; the equip-ment and means of transport provided by the ISAF member states are also substan-dard to the requirements in Afghanistan. There is a particular shortage of transport helicopters and reconnaissance equipment. Overall, the alliance's troop structure is not designed for the provision of troops and equipment for military operations such as that in Afghanistan, or the member states are unwilling to provide the equipment – if they have it at all.
The equipment and weapons of the troops in the field are primarily intended to protect the soldiers, not to make them more effective. To minimise the risk of losing soldiers as far as possible, the coalition concentrates on aerial attacks on Taliban rebels. However, the use of airborne troops will always cost civilian lives. On the one hand, the Taliban and al-Qaida misuse civilians as a human shield, in the interest of high victim statistics. On the other hand, aerial attacks can never be precisely on-target, despite technological progress.
Essentially, the potential of the troops and equipment provided is by no means sufficient for the military assignment in Afghanistan. This imbalance means that the NATO troops are no longer capable of maintaining military control over certain regions. All they can do is claim tactical victories over Taliban units. And the value of these victories is limited as long as the scheduled security sector reform is held up.
Difficulties with the security sector reform
The stabilisation and reconstruction measures tabled for the ISAF mission reflect the lack of agreement among the NATO states. Particularly the idea of allocating responsibility for individual issues of the reform of the Afghan security sector to certain nations has proved unworkable. The reality on the ground has showed that the individual aspects of the security sector reform cannot be separated, neither in terms of content nor in terms of personal accountability.
In addition, the concept of individual responsibility has suffered from the fact that the nations in question have been pursuing fundamentally diverging approaches, with differing objectives. As a result, for example, Germany and Italy have not substantially pushed the reconstruction of the police force and justice system, while Britain is not much further in fulfilling its task of combating drug cultivation.
The introduction of Provincial Reconstruction Teams (PRT) has also contributed little towards stabilising and rebuilding the country. While the US regards the PRTs as a means to win over "hearts and minds", German strategy aims to create positive conditions for civilian aid organisations in unsafe regions with the least possible use of military resources.
However, the PRTs, few in number in comparison to the size of the country, have not been able to make substantial progress in this regard. And due to the increas-ingly critical security situation, the PRTs have developed a kind of barricade mentality. For instance, no more than 10–20% of German soldiers in Afghanistan ever leave the military base at which they are stationed. Logically, little remains of the original idea of highly flexible small units embedded in Afghan society.
The aim of making effective and coordinated use of civilian and military resources by means of an integrated approach remains unfulfilled, particularly due to the insufficient presence of civilian partners such as the European Union, the United Nations and the World Bank on the ground.
Lack of unity on legal basis for war
The lack of a mutual strategy for the Afghanistan operation is also closely linked with the fact that there has never been agreement on its legal basis. This mainly applies to the legal status of al-Qaida members and the Taliban. Whereas the USA refuses al-Qaida and Taliban fighters the status of prisoners of war, defining them as "unlawful combatants", the European partners have allowed no room for doubt that they would apply the Geneva Convention to the war in Afghanistan.
European troops initially handed prisoners over to their American partners regard-less, because the alliance did not have its own internment facilities as part of ISAF. Only with the successive extension of the operational area and the resulting increase in prisoner numbers did it become clear how contentious this subject was within the coalition. NATO then fundamentally altered its policy in this area.
Since 2005, various ISAF member states have concluded Memoranda of Understanding (MOU) with the Afghan government, according to which prisoners must be handed over to the Afghan security forces within 96 hours.
However, NATO's attempts to negotiate a joint MOU for all ISAF states failed. The Afghan government was forced to sign separate MOUs with every single ISAF state, meaning there is still no single legal document regulating prisoner status.
The Allies' dissension on the legal basis of the operation has also undermined the legitimacy of the mission, placing their own aim of offering a model for the recon-struction of a constitutional state in Afghanistan at question. In the light of the reports on abuse of prisoners in Guantanamo and Abu Ghraib (Iraq), this lack of unity has increasingly reduced the European partners' willingness to support the anti-terror operation in Afghanistan in any consistent form. The result is a weaken-ing of the alliance's ability to react to strategically important developments.
No regional dimension to strategy
Regional influences are becoming more and more important for the Afghanistan operation. Afghanistan can only be stabilised in the medium term if Iran and Paki-stan provide their support for this objective. The border region between Afghanistan and Pakistan in particular has developed into an area of retreat and a basis for al-Qaida and the Taliban.
The Taliban maintain their own camps in the tribal areas on the Pakistani side of the border, where fighters are trained and operations are planned and initiated. The NATO operation in Afghanistan will only succeed by means of a strategy that takes the role of the Pakistani tribal areas into sufficient account. This has not been the case to date.
The division of operational regions and tasks in the reform of the Afghan security sector encourages disagreements among the NATO member states concerning the alliance's objectives in Afghanistan – especially as the differing regional and sector focus of the troops and civilians on the ground result in differing tasks and risks and differing financial burdens on the respective ISAF nations. Consensus between the coalition partners on the future of the Afghanistan operation depends on their willingness to make greater compromises in allocating these burdens and risks.
However, the internal discussion within NATO should not be restricted to the planning and implementation of the operation, but must also cover the necessary coalition structures to an equal extent.
Despite the obvious difficulties associated with reaching consensus on military operations, there is no way to fundamentally change NATO's decision-making structures. It would thus be all the more important to create an internal context that makes it easier for the member states to reach understandings on issues of strategic planning and operative implementation. As the provision of expensive equipment, for example, is continually prevented by financing issues, one important step on the operative level might be implementing joint financing mechanisms.
One very ambitious target would be to formulate a new strategic concept based on past experiences of counterinsurgency and anti-terror operations, with the aim of a joint military policy doctrine. A concept of this type should clarify not only strategic questions, but also the legal basis for military operations. The alliance has to find answers as to how a coordinated mission can put civilian and military means into operation. In this context, NATO also has to deal with the issue of whether it needs its own civilian capacities.
With regard to the debate on the Afghanistan mandate in the German parliament, the most pressing fundamental question in the current situation is what contribution Germany might make towards strengthening the alliance's strategic capability. Another point in need of clarification is whether it makes sense for politicians to set an upper limit for troop numbers or whether the mandate ought not instead to define certain tasks and capabilities, from which troop numbers would then be derived.
It is also questionable whether limiting the operation to one further year is a useful measure, especially as there can be no realistic expectations of progress to an extent that would justify a fundamental change of the mandate or even a withdrawal of troops in such a short period.
It would make more sense to ordain a longer mandate, with a flexible regulation of contingent sizes allowing the German commanders to send additional troops to Afghanistan for certain operational tasks (such as military training), subject to consent from the defence committee.
Timo Noetzel and Sibylle Scheipers
© Timo Noetzel and Sibylle Scheipers/Qantara.de 2007
Timo Noetzel and Sibylle Scheipers are political advisors at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs or Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik (SWP).
Translated from the German by Katy Derbyshire
The Reconstruction in Afghanistan
The West's Mistakes and Shortcomings
In October 2001 the Afghanistan military campaign was launched. Today, critics refer to Afghanistan as a vast reeducation camp. Virtually all the moral concepts of the people have been up for discussion or questioned for five years, says Martin Gerner
Maliha Zulfacar, Afghanistan's Ambassador to Germany
"People in Afghanistan Need More Tangible Changes"
Maliha Zulfacar is one of two female Afghan ambassadors. In this interview with Martin Gerner, she talks about her unusual career, as well as about NATO's military strategy, and the reconstruction process in Afghanistan
Reconnaissance Flights against the "Neo-Taliban"
A Step in the Wrong Direction
The provision of Tornado reconnaissance planes by the Bundeswehr is a meagre contribution to the major Nato offensive. But this is in any case the wrong way to achieve a comprehensive political stabilization for Afghanistan, Citha D. Maaß believes


text:
InformationWeek is part of the Informa Tech Division of Informa PLC
This site is operated by a business or businesses owned by Informa PLC and all copyright resides with them.Informa PLC's registered office is 5 Howick Place, London SW1P 1WG. Registered in England and Wales. Number 8860726.
Can Security Awareness Deliver Competitive Advantage? It's disconcerting to live in a world where security can be seen as delivering competitive advantage, yet that's the idea behind Unisys's Enterprise Security initiative. But after all, the company's Trusted Enterprise Model only extends the security selling point that is a marketing mainstay for financial institutions and that has been adopted or embraced by IT vendors, sometimes far too slowly, with the rise of network computing.
Could Your Next ERP System Come From China? Ufida is a $150 million-a-year ERP company that's China's largest domestic enterprise software vendor. I talked with Ufida's VP of international business about its plan to come to the United States.
Apple's Latest Switchers: Malware Writers The Trojan, OSX.RSPlug.A, represents one of the relatively few Mac exploits to be spotted in the wild.
Smaller Companies Optimistic On Growth, Tech Investments Bullish on their growth prospects, many small and midsize companies are planning significant investments in such new technologies as storage VoIP, virtualization, and Wi-Fi.
AOL To Help Consumers Opt-Out Of Online Ads The company is hoping to eliminate what the industry calls behavioral targeting on its Web properties.
'Village Phone' Initiative Aims To Improve Access In Developing Countries The Grameen Foundation and ITU are working to provide affordable telecom rates to users, while giving owners income to repay loans and earn profits.
The Wall Street Journal's 10-Year-Old Advice For CIOs General Motors CIO Ralph Szygenda has a terrific track record, and he and his work were profiled yesterday in the Journal. But the Journal really laid an egg with the GM/Szygenda piece by presenting a circa 1996 snapshot of the CIO position and the role of business technology. So if you recognize yourself in the image of the CIO presented by the Journal story, be afraid --
Sprint's Technology Chief: Full Speed Ahead For WiMax Ali Tabassi says the company is continuing its rollout without interruption in spite of the fact that Sprint recently lost its chief executive.
Al Qaeda Hacker Attack Scheduled To Begin November 11th An Israeli news site claims Bin Laden's cyber legions are retaliating against Western surveillance programs.
SMB Outlook Good For Tech Spending High priority expenditures include secured data backup, storage, disaster recovery, IP telephony, virtualization, and consolidation, according to a new CompTIA survey.
Western Digital Ships 320GB Notebook Hard Drive For $200 The SATA drive dubbed "Scorpio" has an 8Mbyte cache and a transfer rate of 3Gbits per second.
Flirting With Verizon, Google Drops 'Don't Be Evil' Pretense The word "evil" is vastly overused these days. Here's a link to the "Top 10 Evil People in History," if you've got an afternoon to blow -- and I would never call a major U.S. wireless carrier "evil." Oligopolistic, predatory, bureaucratic, yes -- evil, no. So the idea of Google shacking up with Verizon Wireless doesn't exactly qualify as "Doing e
Business Users Want GPS In Their Smartphones According to the latest J.D. Power and Associates survey of smartphone users, GPS tops the list of features that users want most in their smartphones. Looks like location is going to be one of the big wireless must-have features for mobile business in 2008.
What Is Google Talking To The Carriers About? Late yesterday it came to light that Google is in talks with Verizon Wireless, Sprint and T-Mobile USA regarding its big mobile plans. Are they talking about the gPhone, or something else?
AT&T's Yellowpages.com Introduces Mobile Search Products The applications are part of AT&T's recent initiatives to make it easier for people to conduct mobile searches.
Silicon Valley Crash Course: 14 Startups In 28 Hours I just returned from a trip to earthquake land where I had one-on-one meetings with 14 tech startups in just over a day. Their products included a project-management app, e-mail marketing tool, widget maker, and PC database. The big unanswered question: Who needs them?
Happy Halloween From The iPhone Still can't decide what to wear as your Halloween costume this year? Why not dress up as an iPhone?
Iron Mountain To Buy E-Discovery Services Company Stratify The deal would let Iron Mountain offer software and services that cover discovery and data investigations, compliance and associated records management, and litigation matters.
Microsoft Antitrust Oversight Extended Through January Attorneys in 17 states are trying to extend the antitrust settlement out to 2012, citing the continuing ubiquity of Microsoft products.
BlackBerrys Score Highest In Overall Customer Satisfaction RIM's offerings outranked competitors in the 2007 J.D. Power and Associates business smartphone satisfaction study.
Court Blocks Patent Office From Instituting Controversial Rules The USPTO says the rules are intended to speed reviews, but critics say they would limit patent protection.
Alcatel-Lucent Revamps Management, Will Cut 4,000 More Jobs A seven-person management committee reporting to chief executive Patricia Russo has replaced a cumbersome 21-person committee.
The Zune Universe Expands, Where's The Bling? If Microsoft wants to even catch a sliver of iPod's market share, it's going to have to build up its base of third-party accessories for its Zune music player... Oh, wait. That's just what they did this week.
Google Squares Off Against Facebook With OpenSocial Google's upcoming APIs are expected to help build social applications that will work across social networking and other Web sites.
Pantech Duo Offers Windows Mobile In A Fun Form Factor I spent the last two days with the Pantech Duo, a new 3G Windows Mobile 6 smartphone available from AT&T for $199 (with a two-year contract). Do you need a Helio Ocean-like smartphone that's ready for business?
How To Get Gmail's IMAP, Leopard, And The iPhone Working Together When I heard last week that Gmail is getting IMAP support, I was excited. My life was going to get a little easier. And how hard could it be to set up? Change a couple of settings in Apple Mail and I'd be good to go, right?
Garmin's Bid For Tele Atlas Sets Stage For Bidding War With TomTom The pending battle between the two rivals has been triggered by consolidation in the industry, which went into high gear in July.
Microsoft Files Counterfeiting Claims Against 20 Software Dealers The independent dealers are accused of selling bootleg CDs containing Microsoft software or shipping computers with illegitimate copies of Windows installed.
Open Access Proponents Unite in Face of Google-Verizon Hook-Up A group of startups, including Txtbl, Buglabs, and ZVUE, are announcing a new coalition to promote open wireless networks and devices.
Is The Web Headed For Meltdown 2.0? In recent months I've seen a lot of anxiety in the tech marketplace. Bloggers, pundits, and industry insiders all seem to suggest that Web 2.0 is headed for Correction 2.0. Are we in the middle of another bubble?
IBM Launches Virtualization Tools For Small Business The company's revised Consolidation Discovery and Analysis Tool is designed for businesses with less than 50 servers.
Inside Leopard: Apple's Mac OS X Server 10.5 Reviewed We chased Leopard around our Real-World lab and came away pleased on most fronts. This new server OS is ready for work.
Cisco Shoots And Scores With NBA Deal The NBA will use Cisco's networking technology to deliver the league's communications and content to fans, customers, employees, and the media.
Is Apple's Leopard Worth the Leap? Apple is making headway in the enterprise environment. But is Leopard, the sixth major release of Apple's Mac OS X operating system, worth an IT manager's consideration?
JasperSoft Upgrades Open Source BI Suite The JasperSoft Business Intelligence Suite version 2.1 has new tools for building browser-based reports and dashboards.
Mapmaker, Mapmaker, Make Me A Map (And Please Entertain My Takeover Bid) It's a good time to be a mapmaker. As the digital mapping industry undergoes some serious consolidation with mergers and acquisitions, today Garmin threw a wrench into TomTom's bid for Tele Atlas by offering 15% more. A sign that GPS, LBS, and navigation apps are on the verge of exploding?
Good Rules Can Eliminate 65% of Activities There's a long list of verbs - adjust, approve, expedite, inspect, verify and many others - that tend to indicate that activities are non value-added and should be considered for elimination. Many of these exist because something wasn't done right the first time, and a lot of the the non-value-added activities can be cut if there are ways to reduce the error rates in the real-value-added and business-value-added activities.
Yahoo Releases Messenger Upgrade In Beta The upgrade also includes call forwarding, so Internet telephony calls to Messenger can be sent to a mobile phone or landline as a voice mail.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
CSS Validator BugOctober 25, 2005
If, like me, you tend to drop units when using the CSS
line-height property, like so:
h2 {
line-height: 2;
Then you may have noticed all of a sudden that the validator is reporting this as an error. The validator is, in fact, wrong. It has been reported. There's a workaround. It'll be fixed soon. Don't bother working around. That's all.


text:
Tech Alumnus Inspires Entrepreneurial Students
SOCORRO, N.M. July 1, 2013 – A core group of ambitious New Mexico Tech students took a crash course on entrepreneurship in June with a Tech graduate who has made a career out of launching successful companies.
Dr. Raul Deju, a two-time Tech graduate who leads a business program at JohnF.KennedyUniversity in San Francisco, returned to his alma mater in Socorro to lead the course and offer his insight to Tech students who have a "big idea" that could be commercialized.
"I'm a facilitator," Deju said. "I focus on taking ideas and turning them into a business."
Eight students, including undergraduates, graduates and recent Ph.D.'s, started the weeklong class with a "big idea." Each day of the class focused a different aspect of entrepreneurship, such as building a team and polishing a presentation. On the fifth day, each student presented their company business plan pitch as if they were talking to potential investors.
Dr. Peter Anselmo, the chair of the Management Department, said Tech is fortunate to have an alumnus with Deju's experience who is willing to share his knowledge with current Tech students.
"Raul Deju represents the pinnacle of what can be done with a degree – or degrees – from New Mexico Tech," Anselmo said. "He is a brilliant scientist and has the leadership skills and the vision to identify great new ideas. This workshop was immensely successful and the students lapped up everything Dr. Deju said."
Les Edwards, a recent graduate with a bachelor's in biology, presented his research and plans for a new concept that pairs anti-cancer drugs with light to attack malignant cells.
"This class helped to map out the steps that need to be taken in order to start a company from scratch," Edwards said. "Dr. Deju is excellent in relaying his real world experience to the classroom. The range of services and products that his companies have been involved in, past and present, is vast."
In 1960, Deju emigrated from Cuba as a barely14-year-old – without his parents. He learned English and found his way to New Mexico Tech. Deju earned his bachelor's in physics at Tech, then earned his doctorate in geosciences (hydrology) at Tech in 1969 at the age of 23. His career took him around the world in a variety of industries and at a variety of major universities. Along the way, he started – or helped start – dozens of companies, including five that are listed on various stock exchanges, mainly the NYSE.
Since "retiring," he took a post in academia, serves on several corporate boards and teaches entrepreneurship and leadership at San Francisco Bay Area universities – and now is helping Tech launch their entrepreneurship program.
"Since I started teaching entrepreneurship three years ago, I've had more than 100 students who have started a company," he said. "That's over 100 companies that wouldn't exist otherwise. When I see an entrepreneur who is working and doing well … that's why I get up in the morning."
Throughout the weeklong course, Deju shares stories of his former students who have found success. He displays their websites, shows their videos and relates the students' back story.
Edwards said, "Dr. Deju's updates of his former students, some of whom have been very successful and are currently heading up multi-million dollar enterprises, served as great inspiration to us."
Deju's success stories aren't just scientists and engineers. He has instructed students who have a "big idea" in photography, painting, and fashion as well.
Deju sprinkles metaphors amidst his concrete advice and motivational anecdotes. One of his go-to metaphors is "blue ocean."
"If you are from Cuba, you see beautiful blue water, sandy beaches, no sharks – that's blue ocean," he said. "You want to create a business where no one else competes. Instagram, Youtube, Facebook … no one had those ideas before they started. That's blue ocean. We want to focus on new things, new ideas."
During final presentations, Deju more than once lauded the concept, praised the presentation format and encouraged the student presenter to find a mentor, a support team and get started.
Dr. Ram Basnet, a recent Ph.D. graduate in the Computer Science and Engineering Department, brought his "big idea" to the class – a software-as-a-service product that he wants to market to large industries as a cyber-security safeguard.
"Overall, the workshop experience was phenomenal and extremely powerful," Basnet said. "I've not experienced anything like this before. I was moved each and every second of time I spent both in class and outside class with Dr. Deju. I do not know what you'd learn in an MBA, but I feel like I've received an MBA in a week."
Basnet said the workshop helped him realize that entrepreneurship is neither easy nor for everyone. A "big idea" alone is not enough; a start-up company needs a solid team, leadership, financing, accounting, legal assistance and sharp presentation skills.
"The class helped me mature and sharpen my ideas to be able to present it in a more meaningful and easy way," he said. "Dr. Deju's highly constructive feedback and suggestions helped me improved my confidence and overall presentation skills. By the end of the workshop, the fuzzy idea became much more crisp and I was able to articulate it much better in business terms."
Basnet said Deju was so inspiring that he is embarking on his business plan.
"I have now already begun the process of starting my company," he said. "Wish me luck!"
By Thomas Guengerich/New Mexico Tech


text:
January 2016 Blog Posts
IEC Developing Test Standards for Wireless Power Transfer Products in Two Committees
Wireless Power Transfer (WPT) technology has been around since the early 1900s (Nikola Tesla), but it has become increasingly more popular within the last decade. Consumer awareness of wireless charging doubled to 76% in 2015, according to IHS Inc. The company predicts that by 2019, wireless charging for wearable technology alone could be worth USD... Read More
How the Hoverboard Industry Could Have Dodged a Product Safety Crisis
Once, the hoverboard was the hot new toy. Now, all too often, it is too thermally hot – catching on fire and destroying homes and property. According to a recent CPSC tweet, there are 28 fire investigations in 19 states attributed to hoverboards. Like your laptop, tablet or phone, hoverboards use lithium ion batteries as... Read More
Top 10 Compliance Today Blog Posts for Electrical Compliance Engineers in 2015
Each year we see a significant rise in readers and subscribers for our Compliance Today Blog posts. The following were the most viewed posts in 2015. ETSI EN 300 328 Version 1.9.1 Contains Important Updates to V1.8.1 FCC Incorporates ANSI C63.4-2014 and ANSI C63.10-2013 into Rules for Unintentional and Intentional Radiators External Power Supplies Must... Read More


text:
Our character awards for November were given out on Friday, November 10 during a house assembly with our students and staff.
The character trait was Respect and the students were Mia Gomez and Nicholas Esquivel for Kindergarten, Felix Rivera and Sadie Reyes for 1st grade, Israel Larez and Sadie McAda for 2nd grade, Maddison Tennent and Kasen Moneypenney for 3rd grade, and Jadyn Jordan and Carson King for 4th grade. Congratulations to our students who represent Respect!
Send Your News Tips
605 East Broad Street • Mansfield, Texas 76063 • (817) 299-6300 Terms of Service | Accessibility | Site Map | Contact Us©


text:
Why does Fox choose to use loaded term "illegals"?
Research ››› ››› JOCELYN FONG
On February 5, Fox News' Fox & Friends aired on-screen text stating, "Estimates: 980,000 illegals living in FL," continuing a Fox News pattern of using the pejorative and unprofessional term "illegals" to refer to immigrants in the United States without legal status. Prominent journalists' associations have denounced the use of the term "illegals" by the news media, noting that the term "criminaliz[es] the person, not the action," and "skew[s] the public debate on immigration issues."
Fox News frequently refers to "illegals" in TV reports, on websites
Fox & Friends: "Estimates: 980,000 illegals living in FL." The following on-screen text aired during the February 5 edition of Fox News' Fox & Friends:
Fox & Friends also repeatedly used the term "illegals" while discussing health care reform on the September 28, 2009, broadcast.
MacCallum repeatedly referred to "illegals." During the November 6, 2009, edition of Fox News' America's Newsroom, anchor Martha MacCallum repeatedly referred to "illegals" during a discussion of health care reform.
Special Report's Baier referred to "suspected illegals." During the November 16, 2009, edition of Fox News' Special Report, host Bret Baier stated, "Some agents have been required to pursue suspected illegals on horseback or even on foot in order to avoid disturbing protected lands."
FoxNews.com: "Amateurs Patrol Nation's Border for Illegals From Comfort of Home." An April 18, 2008, FoxNews.com headline stated, "Amateurs Patrol Nation's Border for Illegals From Comfort of Home." Other FoxNews.com headlines have included "Waxman: No Gov't Health Insurance for Illegals" and "Illegals Begin Leaving Arizona as New Law Approaches."
Fox Nation headlines routinely refer to "Illegals." Headlines posted on Fox Nation include: "Eva Longoria: Don't Block Obamacare by Scapegoating Illegals," "Is SEIU Funnelling Cash From Illegals Into U.S. Elections?" and "Obamacare Could Cover 1 Million Illegals."
Journalists have called on media to avoid use of pejorative term "illegals," which can "skew public debate"
National Association of Hispanic Journalists called for news media to stop use of "illegals" as a noun. In a March 2006 press release, the National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ), a "2,300-member organization of reporters, editors and other journalists," stated that it was "particularly troubled with the growing trend of the news media to use the word 'illegals' as a noun, shorthand for 'illegal aliens,' " adding: "Using the word in this way is grammatically incorrect and crosses the line by criminalizing the person, not the action they are purported to have committed":
NAHJ is concerned with the increasing use of pejorative terms to describe the estimated 11 million undocumented people living in the United States. NAHJ is particularly troubled with the growing trend of the news media to use the word "illegals" as a noun, shorthand for "illegal aliens". Using the word in this way is grammatically incorrect and crosses the line by criminalizing the person, not the action they are purported to have committed. NAHJ calls on the media to never use "illegals" in headlines.
Shortening the term in this way also stereotypes undocumented people who are in the United States as having committed a crime. Under current U.S. immigration law, being an undocumented immigrant is not a crime, it is a civil violation. Furthermore, an estimated 40 percent of all undocumented people living in the U.S. are visa overstayers, meaning they did not illegally cross the U.S. border.
Asian American Journalists Association: References to "illegals" can "heighten xenophobia, skew public debate." The Asian American Journalists Association (AAJA) stated in a press release that AAJA "fully supports the National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ) in calling on the news media to use caution with terminology when referring to undocumented immigrants, workers and laborers." AAJA further stated:
Any reference to "illegals" or "illegal aliens" can heighten xenophobia, skew public debate on immigration issues, and put the lives and well-being of all non-U.S. citizens (undocumented and documented) in this country at risk by suggesting they are criminals and do not belong in the U.S.
Millions of Asian Americans are directly and indirectly affected by the current immigration debate and AAJA urges the news media not to cast a wide net -- through insensitive labels -- that would dehumanize an entire sector of our society.
National Association of Black Journalists: We need to make sure words "are not loaded." The National Association of Black Journalists stated in a press release that it supports the "plea that newspapers, television and radio outlets avoid using the term illegal aliens in the context of the current debate, as it is inaccurate and susceptible to misinterpretation." NABJ added:
The words we use can in fact frame the debate, said NABJ President Bryan Monroe, assistant vice president for news at Knight Ridder, and we all need to make sure those words are not loaded with baggage and off-the-mark. Language does matter. If we cant be accurate, were not doing our jobs.
New York Times' Lawrence Downes: The word "illegal" "pollutes the debate. It blocks solutions." Downes wrote on October 28, 2007, that "America has a big problem with illegal immigration, but a big part of it stems from the word 'illegal.' It pollutes the debate. It blocks solutions." Downes further wrote:
Since the word modifies not the crime but the whole person, it goes too far. It spreads, like a stain that cannot wash out. It leaves its target diminished as a human, a lifetime member of a presumptive criminal class. People are often surprised to learn that illegal immigrants have rights. Really? Constitutional rights? But aren't they illegal? Of course they have rights: they have the presumption of innocence and the civil liberties that the Constitution wisely bestows on all people, not just citizens.
Meanwhile, out on the edges of the debate -- edges that are coming closer to the mainstream every day - bigots pour all their loathing of Spanish-speaking people into the word. Rant about "illegals" - call them congenital criminals, lepers, thieves, unclean -- and people will nod and applaud. They will send money to your Web site and heed your calls to deluge lawmakers with phone calls and faxes. Your TV ratings will go way up.
This is not only ugly, it is counterproductive, paralyzing any effort toward immigration reform. Comprehensive legislation in Congress and sensible policies at the state and local level have all been stymied and will be forever, as long as anything positive can be branded as "amnesty for illegals."
Geoffrey Nunberg: "[T]here are disparaging connotations to the negative prefix in Illegal." Linguist Geoffrey Nunberg stated in an April 11, 2006, commentary for NPR's Fresh Air:
Nowadays, those connotations have led the majority of the mainstream media to steer clear of the word aliens -- "illegal immigrants" tends to be the phrase of choice. But illegal has something more than a technical meaning, too. True, dictionaries define the word simply as "not according to law." But there are disparaging connotations to the negative prefix in illegal, which is actually just a variant of the prefix in-. Inhuman doesn't mean the same thing as "not human," and you don't become irreligious simply by not going to church. And you hear the same negative tone in words like insincere, inflexible, and illegitimate. So it isn't surprising that we reserve illegal for conveying strong disapproval. We may talk about illegal drugs, but we don't describe the Porsche 959 as an illegal car, even though it can't legally be driven in the US.
Then too, we don't usually describe law-breakers as being illegal in themselves. Jack Abramoff may have done illegal lobbying, but nobody has called him an illegal lobbyist. And whatever laws Bernie Ebbers and Martha Stewart may have broken, they weren't illegal CEO's.
It's only your immigration status that can qualify you as being an illegal person, or that can earn you the honor of being "an illegal" all by itself.[2] That use of illegal as a noun actually goes back a long ways. The British coined it in the 1930's to describe Jews who entered Palestine without official permission, and it has been used ever since as a way of reducing individuals to their infractions.
- Posted In
- Diversity & Discrimination, Race & Ethnicity, Immigration
- Network/Outlet
- Fox News Channel
- Show/Publication
- FOX & Friends
Instructions for signing up and claiming your comment history are located here.
Updated rules for commenting are here.


text:
Let $K$ be a finite extension of $\mathbf{Q}_p$, with integer ring $R$ and residue field $k$. Say $G/R$ is a finite flat (commutative) group scheme of order $p^2$, killed by $p$. Say the special fibre of $G$ is isomorphic to the $p$-torsion in a supersingular elliptic curve over $k$. Is there some finite extension $L/K$ and an elliptic curve $E$ over $R_L$, the integers of $L$, such that $G$ becomes isomorphic to $E[p]$ over $R_L$?
The reason I ask is that in a lemma in Vincent Pilloni's thesis (which I unfortunately cannot find online) he proves that if the special fibre of $G$ is as above then the "degree" of such a $G$ is 1 (see Fargues' work on Harder-Narasimhan filtrations, for example, for the definition of "degree") via a brute force calculation. Pilloni's assertion would however also be a consequence of an affirmative answer to my question (and provided the motivation for my question). People are so good at deformation theory of finite flat group schemes nowadays that I thought this might be well-known to some people nowadays.


text:
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) Chris Braswell scored 14 points and Terrence Williams added 13 points and three blocks to lead Charlotte to a 67-59 victory over Northeastern for the Great Alaska Shootout championship on Saturday night.
Darion Clark had 10 points and eight rebounds for the 49ers (6-0), who made their first appearance in the 35-year-old event. Each of the nine players that saw action for Charlotte scored.
Joel Smith had 19 points and David Walker 14 for the Huskies (4-2), who made their last Shootout visit in 1986, also finishing as runner-up.
Charlotte took an early 12-1 lead while holding Northeastern without a field goal for more than seven minutes to start the game. Northeastern made several runs throughout the game, but the 49ers had an answer each time.
Point guard Pierria Henry finished with six points for the 49ers, but added five rebounds, three assists and three steals and was named the Shootout's most outstanding player.


text:
Royal Mission-FN
Royal Mission-FN
- Shown in Oak with Medium stain.
- Side Chair - 18"w x 17"d x 49"h
- Available as side chair, arm chair, deacon bench, swivel bar stool, stationary bar stool and desk chair.
- The following hardwoods are generally available: Oak, Brown Maple, Cherry, Rustic Cherry, Maple, Quarter Sawn White Oak, Hickory, Rustic Hickory, Elm and Walnut; additionally we have also used Ash, Beech, Clear Alder, Knotty Alder, Sap Cherry and other wood species in the creation of our fine furniture.
Back to Home Page


text:
Anti-Harassment and Anti-Sexual Harassment
Aurora University is committed to maintaining an educational and work environment that is free of discrimination. In keeping with this commitment, Aurora University will not tolerate harassment of its students or employees by anyone, including any student, staff member, faculty member, co-worker, vendor or any third party.
Harassment is a specific form of discrimination which consists of unwelcome conduct based upon a protected classification, whether verbal, physical, or visual, that is based upon a person's protected status, such as sex, color, race, religion, creed, ancestry, national origin, age, physical or mental disability, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity or other protected group status.
Additionally, sexual harassment encompasses a wide range of unwanted, sexually directed behavior. Unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature constitute sexual harassment when:
- submission to such conduct is made either explicitly or implicitly a term or condition of an individual's education or employment,
- submission to or rejection of such conduct by an individual is used as the basis for educational or employment decisions affecting such individual; or
- such conduct has the purpose or effect of unreasonable interference with an individual's educational or work performance or creating an intimidating, hostile or offensive working environment.
In this policy, "employee" shall mean any individual who is hired by the university to provide services in exchange for a wage or other compensation and who does not provide these services as part of an independent business.
This Anti-Harassment and Anti-Sexual Harassment Policy applies to the conduct of a supervisor toward a subordinate, an employee toward another employee, a non-employee toward an employee, or an employee toward an applicant for employment, or an employee to a non-employee.
In addition, consensual relationships among members of the university community in which one party exercises academic or administrative control over the other are deemed unwise and are strongly discouraged. If a charge of sexual harassment is lodged regarding a once-consenting relationship, the burden may be on the alleged offender to prove that this Anti-Harassment Anti-Sexual Harassment policy was not violated.
Any employee or student of the university who feels that he/she has experienced harassment should notify one or more of the following university officials: their supervisor, the Director of Human Resources, the Chief Academic Officer, the Faculty Ombudsperson and/or any appropriate official designated by the President. In fulfilling their obligation to maintain a positive and productive work environment, managers and supervisors are expected to promptly respond to any claims of harassment when it comes to their attention, and are expected to report such occurrences to the Human Resources Department.
Aurora University prohibits retaliation against anyone for reporting harassment, assisting in making a harassment complaint, cooperating in a harassment investigation or opposing conduct reasonably believed to constitute harassment. Allegations of harassment and sexual harassment will be investigated promptly. To the fullest extent practicable, the university will keep the complaints and the terms of their resolution confidential.
Employees are required to attend on-line or in-class training when hired and on a regular interval, thereafter. On-line training is available throughout the year.
Questions regarding this policy should be directed to Human Resources.


text:
Thank you for taking urgent action to stop the destruction of vital orangutan habitat. Your generous, monthly contribution will help Rainforest Action Network do all that it takes to stop Conflict Palm Oil Culprits from further destroying Indonesia's rainforests. We will not stop campaigning, pressuring, and convincing key decision makers until the destruction itself stops. By helping us to stop destruction for Conflict Palm Oil you are helping us deliver real changes on the ground. Without your support, we could not continue our work.
To lower our paper use, we will not mail a paper acknowledgement letter to our online donors, as all of the information you need for your receipt will be included in an email. However, if you would like, we are still happy to provide a hard-copy of a thank you letter in the mail – please email email@example.com with your mailing address if you would like to be acknowledged that way or if you have any questions.
Double your gift to the Rainforest Action Network by asking your employer to match your donation. It's easy! Just type in your employer's name to the box below and follow the instructions.


text:
Our laboratory is focused on developing new insights into the molecular pathobiology of prostate cancer. For example, we are interested in determining the cell type of origin and the molecular mechanisms involved in neoplastic transformation in the prostate. We also perform translational research in which we interrogate biomarker expression in human prostate tissues, where such biomarkers might aid the pathologist in making a diagnosis on challenging biopsy cases, help to predict outcome, help determine whether a given pathway alteration is present, or help to determine whether a drug has hit its target.
We are also involved in tissue banking, as well as, in tissue microarray technology and tissue microarray software and database design, and image analysis of tissue microarrays. Our laboratory works very closely with the physically adjacent labs of William G. Nelson MD PhD, Srinivasan Yegnasubramanian MD PhD and Karen Sfanos PhD in a number of related research areas. We also collaborate extensively with Alan K. Meeker PhD, and Elizabeth Platz ScD PSD, from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, and a range of other investigators, both within and outside of Johns Hopkins.


text:
July 27, 2006
Breeding Hate, don't come asking why again!
To my American readers imagine for one moment North Korea going to war against Taliban and Binladen, and succeeding in what your president failed to accomplish, how would the victims' families of 9/11 feel towards North Korea?
This is exactly how EVERY SINGLE ARAB feels today about Hizballah and Hasan Nasrallah, without exception, no exclusions including this very pissed Arab!
America's support, financing, arming and veto to the blood thirsty Zionist's benefit was the last fig leaf to be taken off and reveal how tiny its regard for human life is.
Today Al Qaeda must be suffering from only one thing: Inability to train & arm the hundreds of thousands that must be willing to join them today if they could.
Suddenly Palestinians are not alone, each murdered child, each screaming mother, each teenager that lost a father, mother or a sister is a future guided missile into the heart of the Zionist entity and whoever supports it.
And the straw that broke the camel's back was the American shameless declaration that whoever fights Israel's occupation is a terrorist! You have just branded and labeled every warm blooded decent human being fighting oppression and occupation as a terrorist! You drew a line around Israel and made every decent human being Israel's enemy and yours with this unjust label.
You have just signed up the world for tens of years of war & destruction against Israel and America, congratulations George W. Bush, hope your arms deals and oil business commissions are worth the innocent lives you have just written off, your grand children and their children will be ashamed of carrying your name.
If John The Ripper today declares war on Israel and the US he will find millions to join his army, as for the smart well spoken morally justified Hasan Nasrallah, you have just elevated him to a prophet rank, dead or alive, he won already, and you have nothing but fear and defeat to look forward to no matter what the outcomes of your current adventures are.
The moderates of the world have to deal with Israel, the US, their own regimes, and now, because of you, have to deal with extremists that you are breeding in Afghanistan, Iraq and everywhere else in the world.
As a self-defined moderate I am against occupation, against war, against injustice wherever it is, I am for humanity, compassion, peace and respect for human life, today I find myself neither this nor that, I am carrying the fire storm of anger within me, and every single person I know feels the same. Congratulations George W. Bush!
11 comments:
- Alay said...
same feeling here!
- Julie said...
I'm an American, and sad to say, I absolutely agree with you, that Bush and his blind loyalty to Israel, love of oil profits, links to the military industrial complex, etc has effectively destroyed the good the Lebanese people worked so hard to achieve.
I agree that this will have serious repercussions across the moderate Arab world, will cause problems for their governments that will ripple across the globe.
I feel most deeply for the Palestinians as well, their struggle never seems to presented correctly by our media so the vast majority of the American people on't understand it, if they even realize there is a problem. It took our media over a year to even notice what was going on in Darfur, let alone report on it. I thank public television for the BBC or I too, would have been in the dark.
Please know that, though the polls say otherwise (we don't have any idea who they ask), a very large number of Americans are sickened by our government's unwillingness to stop the bloodshed in Lebanon. And those of us who do know about the Palestinian issue, can't understand why the international community is ignoring their plight.
I invite youto read my blog if you wish. commonsense comments
Peace be with the Middle East, perhaps if we work on it from here and you work on it from there, we can meet in the middle and exchange the olive branch.
- Seemeenott said...
2 1PA (also Julie):
After all u have said im very interested: and HOW do U c the peace in the Middle East? Whats ur final picture?
- 1PA said...
Hi Julie,
Right now I see no peace in the Middle East, I am personally too angry to see any light at the end of the tunnel right now, all I see is a tunnel that leads to Israel littered with innocent lives, I see crap at the end of the tunnel!
The real source of the problem in the Middle East is Arab's weakness, we are overshadowed by internal and external forces, Israel has had the field all to itself for too long, dictating and forcing their interests, and the world is (or chooses to remain) helpless and ineffective, I don't blame the world, if the Arabs themselves remain so pathetically passive and docile, why should anyone fight their battle?
To answer your question, the only way to peace in the Middle East is to match Israel's power, wipe off their arrogance, and force them to have no option but to seek peace themselves.
It's like having a spoilt brat in the playing ground, you don't demonstrate to bring it inline, you force its parents to teach it manners.
So to bring it full circle, I personally think it boils down to change, and on many levels.
- Julie said...
I am a firm beliver that if people are treated with respect and justice, peace follows naturally.
If I were given the opportunity, I would begin with Lebanon, as it is currently the crisis that has the highest potential for a rapid, successful and peaceful conclusion. An immediate end to the violence on both sides of course would be the first order. I don't believe one can negotiate peace in the midst of ongoing death and destruction.
It is heartening to see Hizballah has offered a ceasefire. We will see who accepts and who does not. The true aggressor will then be revealed to the world.
In Lebanon, the problem is less complex (aside from solidarity with the Palestinians). Lebanon's idea of absorbing Hezballah fighters into the national army makes the most sense and shows the government's respect for all the positive they have done for the country over the years.
The peacekeeping force is good,not because they would be there to protect Israel, but they would be there to stop Israeli cross border assasinations at will. This would help to reveal the truth and defend the innocents civilians who live in Hezballah areas typically targeted by Israel. The force should be on both sides of the border in equal distances. Both sides should lose land to it, not only one. That is just.
Lebanon's borders must be defined once and for all and their borders should finally get international recognition so there can be no question if an incursion occurs. This border definition should include the Shebaa farms, once and for all as this area is used as an excuse on all sides.
As there is no present conflict with Syria, the Golan Heights issue should also be settled once and for all. This will also remove another excusethat is frequently used by both sides.
Anyone living there presently should be given a choice of what they would like to do. Countries in the region should be required to announce which populations they would be willing to accept should they choose to leave. This exodus must have an enforced timetable. Those who stay beyond it are on their own. It was their choice. But they are not to be discriminated against.
Palestine is a much larger issue. Obviously Israeli strikes must immediately stop, the borders must be opened and the embargos must be lifted.Aid should immediately flow into the area.
The international community must stop the sanctions imposed since the election of Hamas. It is not their right to punish people for their choice of leaders in a democratic election. Democracies do not always electthe most popular leaders. The benefit is they can be tossed out at the next election.These sanctions were very colonial-like and are wrong. The colonial era is over.
The water issues must be addressed nextas they are vital for the survival of the Palestinian people as well as the Israelis. They should be equitable for both sides and there should be an enforceable redress should violations be discovered.
The West Bank is the most difficult issue. I think the answer lies somewhere between UN Resolution 194, 242 and the boundaries in 1948. However, the peace should not hinge on that boundary. The Palestinian State should be formally established and recognized using the boundries that are not disputed including Gaza from which the Israelis have already withdrawn.
This would give the Palestinians some security that they are a recognized state. The Jerusalem area should be completely under UN control and belong to the world.The upkeep and services to the population should be funded by annual payments by the world community and tere should be a permanent UN force there to act as law enforcement. Who can complain?
The refugees and settlers. It should be their option where they live. Forcible removal is fair to no one, neither is forced settling. But again there must be a timetable. I would like to see this as a dialogue between the citizens once the state is established. If they can live together, they should be able to establish that, but governments dictating this to the people will cause conflict and really is not their business. The people have to live there, not the governments.
Is this naive? Maybe, but I don't think so. The people want peace. The governments are the problem.
I don't really know much about the Palestinian refugees in Lebanon. I didn't even know they were there until the war. But I don't understand why they have no rights in Lebanon.
Can someone explain that to me?
Iraq. A quandry. I think the government should decide whether they want the coalition forces there or not, in what capacity, and under whose authority. The coalition should abide by their decision, they are a sovereign nation. Should they want the coalition to leave, whatever happens next is their decision and their responsiblity, but I don't see the coalition as having a positive influence. Then of course, I'm not there.
So that's what I see in a nutshell. Sorry it was so long.
- Abe Bird said...
Well, nothing new. Arabs attack Isreal (Jews) and cry for sympathy and understanding. Why do you think that Isreal should sit calm while being attackes by Iranian politcal-religious army held next to the formaly Lebanese elected government?
Who is the HA to do private politics with another country? Decide who is responsible to run Lebanon? In any case both, HA and Leb-Gov are responsible for the Lebanese 7/12 aggression against Israel. And they both should pay as much as Isreal can take from them.
Hizb Alla intended in any case to provoke Isreal and to wage a war "in their way to conquer Al-Quds - Jewrusalem". Israel puts them in their own boiled water.
- Julie said...
Funny Abe-bird your tone is much less conciliatory on an Arab website than an American one. Glad I saw it, I'll update my post.
The question I have for Israel and you is, if you are so sure the Iranians are behind this, why don't you just attack them and get it over with, or do you only attack those weaker than yourselves? Pretty sad isn't it. Just like my country invading Iraq knowing their army was decimated.
they both should pay as much as Isreal can take from them. And you wonder why you have problems.....the hypocrisy sickens me...just as it does with my own country.
- Julie said...
Israel has requested that shipments of cluster rockets be expedited. The US State Department is not sure thye are going to authorize it. Click this link for the phone numbers of the state deprtment in your country so you can call and tell them NO.
State Department
- Julie said...
There is a new website www.mmswitness.com. On this site is a Google map, interactive, you can click on a location on the map, and type your story, upload photos and video. A flag remains to hold the place for all to read your story.
I contacted these guys, they agreed it would be a good place to aggregate the stories. I suggested we then submit the stories, photos and videos to the U.N. Human Rights Commission investigating war crimes in hte Lebanon conflict.
The first war in the electronic age could very well be the last if it works, or at the very least, make countries obey teh rules. Tell everyone you know who can provide an eyewitness account.
Full story on my blog. commonsense.jasegraves.com
If it works, maybe we can help the Palestinians next. :)
- Julie said...
correction www.mmseyewitness.com
- k2quill said...
Dear IPA,
Cultural identity and autonomy has been eroded to such an extent in the West that I agree with some points ... But
Racial identity is a strange concept => it is often Jews that oppose 'Jewish' policies and Israel most strongly and in an informed way.
What are your plans for the future, for all, for your nation?
Regards, katew


text:
The fear of water damage often hounds property owners. Unfortunately, water damage is quite common, as it can be caused by many natural events. The damage caused can cost thousands to restore, with every part of a flooded house, from its foundations to its furniture being affected. But what are the effects of water damage on a property?
The most common problem of water damage is mold growth, requiring mold remediation and mold removal services. Mold is a kind of fungus that helps things decompose, but it can also cause tremendous destruction to properties. It also grows very quickly and can appear within just 24 to 48 hours after water has entered the property. Mold grows anywhere, from your broom cabinet to the cushions on your couch. Mold will start to affect anything it comes into contact with, including the health of humans living in that property. Hence, it must be addressed immediately. Black water contamination is another potential danger that needs to be addressed. This happens when water from unsanitary sources, that may include animal and human waste, get into the property. This water, which includes river and lake water, can cause significant illness. The only way to recover from black water contamination, if possible at all, is to replace practically all the structural elements and all the contents of the home. Anyone involved in the property or its cleanup will require vaccinations against tetanus and other diseases. It is common for black water to be present in basement water. The next issue has to do with damaged gas and electric lines and appliances. It is important that all appliances and other equipment are turned off and that all wires and pipes are checked. This means that most people in a water damaged property will not be able to make use of their utilities for some time. Regrettably, it is common for even just a little bit of basement water to damage appliances, which will likely need to be replaced.
Last but not least, water damage affects health. Indeed, this is why it is so important to immediately call in a restoration expert. Mold is common in water damaged properties and affects the airways, causing people to suffer from asthma and allergy attacks. This is particularly dangerous for those with a poor immune system, the elderly, and children. Indeed, even people in good health are at risk. As stated, black water contamination is a very real danger. Last but not least, it is important not to forget about the emotional effect of being affected by water damage. It is common for people to literally lose everything, after all.
Presumably, water has the potential to destroy our home more than any other natural substance. Flooding is devastating, but even excess moisture has the potential to cause tremendous damage and destruction to our homes and belongings. If the water is unsanitary, known as 'black water", the potential damage is even greater. If black water is present, there is a real public health risk. Unless water damage is resolved straight away, the damage will become bigger quite rapidly.
By contacting as soon as possible water restoration companies, that can provide water extraction and other services, the problem can be mitigated to a substantial degree. Ideally, restoration services commence within 24 to 48 hours after the damage has been done. Although it may look as if everything is destroyed beyond repair, you would be surprised at what water damage repair companies can actually do. Professional water damage restoration companies can repair almost anything, from furniture to foundations, and from art work to structural work.
A lot of science goes into water damage restoration cleaning and repair. Before doing anything, there are usually three criteria that restoration companies look at to determine whether they can repair your damaged properties. The extent of the damage is the first criteria. Next, they determine how much is contaminated and with what. Lastly, they make sure that it is cheaper to restore items instead of replacing them. Either way, it is important that they come in to check these things as soon as possible, because leaving it as is can interrupt business and lives, can cause financial problems, and may pose a danger to health.
Mold is perhaps the key reason why you must call in restoration companies immediately. Ideally, they will be able to stop mold before it even starts to grow. You have a short window of opportunity to address mold, which means you only have hours rather than days or weeks. Only with a fast response will you be able to stop it in its tracks. Not only do you have to be quick to stop it from growing, but sometimes, mold can pose a risk to health. Restoration companies will come in and test the quality of the air before identifying the mold and then finally remove it.
A lot of very important decisions will have to be made to get you from disaster to recovery. If you do not make those decisions with the support of skilled and experienced professionals, you will find yourself significantly out of pocket. If your property has suffered water damage, you will be dealing with a lot of chaos and stress, meaning that you need someone you can trust and rely on. These professionals should understand everything that is involved with the process. This includes total reconstruction, technical services, emergency response, and first aid measures. Make sure, as well, that the company in Fort Lauderdale is experienced with your kind of property.
Water damages are one of the most common reasons for homeowners to make an insurance claim. Claims are made for all types of damage, from small leaks to huge floods. It is vital that people find the source of the water damage, as this is more important than how much damage occurred. This is because the source of the water will often determine whether the insurance company will cover it. Because of this, insurance companies will not pay for any water removal or carpet restoration services, until they have ascertained that its cause is covered.
Frequently, policy holders try to claim for water damage to their ceiling. More often than not, these are open-and-shut cases. The damage to the roof is very clearly visible, with water leaking through. If the roof seems to be in good condition, however, the issue is more complex. There could be a problem with the valleys, the flashing, or the nails. Whether insurance companies will cover that, will depend on whether the peril that caused it was covered, and that is not always the case. Plumbing problems, HVAC system problems, and appliance failures also commonly cause water damage. These include problems such as broken or leaking ice maker lines, leaking or burst pipes, or leaking or burst water heaters. Alternatively, they may have an overflow or backup of sinks, toilets, or tubs, broken washing machine lines, or clogged lines in their air conditioner. Then, there are leaking shower pans or drains. Most insurance policies only cover the damage that the water caused, but it will not pay for the replacement of a part. This is because insurance policies usually don"t cover wear and tear, which tends to be the cause of the problem. If the problem is inside a wall, such as a burst pipe, they will pay for access to the pipe, but not for the replacement of the pipe. Last but not least, insurance companies may receive claims relating to flood damage, such as water in basement. It is common for people to completely misunderstand how their policies covers them for flooding. In reality, most insurance companies don"t cover flooding at all. Generally, flood coverage has to be added separately to a policy. In most cases, insurance companies will only offer this coverage to those who live in a designated flood plain. If you live in Fort Lauderdale then call us on 855-575-2588 today for assistance with your policy.
Unfortunately, insurance is incredibly complex and hard to understand. There is a reasonably common rule of thumb with regards to water damage insurance. Insurance is usually available if water comes from the top down. If it comes up, however, you probably aren"t covered. One exception is if the water came up from the sewage or drains. Make sure you study your policy properly, so that you know exactly what you are and aren"t covered for. There may be reason for you to adjust your policy.
The following resources provide more information about water damage and its effects.
There are many questions people ask related to the process of restoring properties after water damage, below we have listed some of the more frequently asked questions with links which should assist with them.
What does a restoration company do?
Here is a good link to a PDF from the Maryland Attorney general that outlines the process approved companies follow.
How do you clean up water damage?
Water may be essential to human life, but it can spell death for a home. Water damage can cause all sorts of headache for homeowners, both immediately after the damage occurs and in the long run. From floods to leaky faucets, water damage is a serious pain, and can cause major health and safety issues. Here is a guide you can follow with some basic steps to deal with Residential Water damage
What is water damage restoration?
Water damage describes a large number of possible losses caused by water intruding where it will enable attack of a material or system by destructive processes such as rotting of wood, growth, rusting of steel, de-laminating of materials such as plywood, and many others
What does water restoration mean?
Water damage restoration is one of the most rapidly growing and evolving industries in the country. What used to consist of a contractor setting up a few fans in a flooded basement has now become a bonafide science, largely in part to the greater understanding we now have of the serious negative health repercussions that can be caused by mold, mildew, and bacteria growth, and the better technologies available to tackle a water restoration job.
How Much Does Water damage Restoration Cost?
You will find that the cost to restore water damage in an average home depends upon eliminating the source of moisture, the extent of damage, the amount of affected material, the difficulty of material cleaning or removal, the construction details of the home, and the labor rate.


text:
Description and Brand Names of Cycloserine (Oral Route)
US Brand Name
- Seromycin
Cycloserine belongs to the family of medicines called antibiotics. It is used to treat tuberculosis (TB). When cycloserine is used for TB, it is given with other medicines for TB. Cycloserine may also be used for other conditions as determined by your doctor.
To help clear up your tuberculosis (TB) completely, you must keep taking this medicine for the full time of treatment, even if you begin to feel better. This is very important. It is also important that you do not miss any doses.
Cycloserine is available only with your doctor's prescription.
Once a medicine has been approved for marketing for a certain use, experience may show that it is also useful for other medical problems. Although this use is not included in product labeling, cycloserine is used in certain patients with the following medical condition:
- Atypical mycobacterial infections, such as Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC)
This product is available in the following dosage forms:
- Capsule
Before Using Cycloserine (Oral Route)
In deciding to use a medicine, the risks of taking the medicine must be weighed against the good it will do. This is a decision you and your doctor will make. For this medicine, the following should be considered:
Tell your doctor if you have ever had any unusual or allergic reaction to this medicine or any other medicines. Also tell your health care professional if you have any other types of allergies, such as to foods, dyes, preservatives, or animals. For non-prescription products, read the label or package ingredients carefully.
Although there is no specific information comparing use of cycloserine in children with use in other age groups, this medicine is not expected to cause different side effects or problems in children than it does in adults.
Many medicines have not been studied specifically in older people. Therefore, it may not be known whether they work exactly the same way they do in younger adults. Although there is no specific information comparing use of cycloserine in the elderly with use in other age groups, this medicine is not expected to cause different side effects or problems in older people than it does in younger adults.
Studies in women suggest that this medication poses minimal risk to the infant when used during breastfeeding.
Drug Interactions
Although certain medicines should not be used together at all, in other cases two different medicines may be used together even if an interaction might occur. In these cases, your doctor may want to change the dose, or other precautions may be necessary. Tell your healthcare professional if you are taking any other prescription or nonprescription (over-the-counter [OTC]) medicine.
Other Interactions
Certain medicines should not be used at or around the time of eating food or eating certain types of food since interactions may occur. Using alcohol or tobacco with certain medicines may also cause interactions to occur. The following interactions have been selected on the basis of their potential significance and are not necessarily all-inclusive.
Using this medicine with any of the following is not recommended. Your doctor may decide not to treat you with this medication, change some of the other medicines you take, or give you special instructions about the use of food, alcohol, or tobacco.
- Ethanol
Other Medical Problems
The presence of other medical problems may affect the use of this medicine. Make sure you tell your doctor if you have any other medical problems, especially:
- Alcohol abuse (or history of) or
- Convulsive disorders such as seizures or epilepsy – Cycloserine may increase the risk of seizures in patients who drink alcohol or have a history of seizures
- Kidney disease – Cycloserine is removed from the body through the kidneys, and patients with kidney disease may need an adjustment in dose or the medicine may need to be discontinued
- Mental disorders such as mental depression, psychosis, or severe anxiety – Cycloserine may cause anxiety, mental depression, or psychosis
Proper Use of Cycloserine (Oral Route)
Cycloserine may be taken after meals if it upsets your stomach.
To help clear up your infection completely, it is very important that you keep taking this medicine for the full time of treatment , even if you begin to feel better after a few weeks. If you are taking this medicine for TB, you may have to take it every day for as long as 1 to 2 years or more. If you stop taking this medicine too soon, your symptoms may return.
This medicine works best when there is a constant amount in the blood or urine. To help keep the amount constant, do not miss any doses. Also, it is best to take the doses at evenly spaced times day and night. For example, if you are to take 2 doses a day, the doses should be spaced about 12 hours apart. If this interferes with your sleep or other daily activities, or if you need help in planning the best times to take your medicine, check with your health care professional.
The dose of this medicine will be different for different patients. Follow your doctor's orders or the directions on the label. The following information includes only the average doses of this medicine. If your dose is different, do not change it unless your doctor tells you to do so.
The amount of medicine that you take depends on the strength of the medicine. Also, the number of doses you take each day, the time allowed between doses, and the length of time you take the medicine depend on the medical problem for which you are using the medicine.
For the oral dosage form (capsules):
For treatment of tuberculosis:
- Adults and teenagers – 250 milligrams (mg) two times a day to start. Your doctor may slowly increase your dose up to 250 mg three or four times a day. This medicine must be taken along with other medicines to treat tuberculosis.
- Children – Use and dose must be determined by your doctor. Doses of 10 to 20 mg per kilogram (4.5 to 9.1 mg per pound) of body weight per day have been used. This medicine must be taken along with other medicines to treat tuberculosis.
- For treatment of tuberculosis:
Missed Dose
If you miss a dose of this medicine, take it as soon as possible. However, if it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and go back to your regular dosing schedule. Do not double doses.
Store the medicine in a closed container at room temperature, away from heat, moisture, and direct light. Keep from freezing.
Keep out of the reach of children.
Do not keep outdated medicine or medicine no longer needed.
It is very important that your doctor check your progress at regular visits.
If your symptoms do not improve within 2 to 3 weeks, or if they become worse, check with your doctor.
If cycloserine causes you to feel very depressed or to have thoughts of suicide, check with your doctor immediately. Your doctor will probably want to change your medicine.
This medicine may cause some people to become dizzy, drowsy, or less alert than they are normally. Make sure you know how you react to this medicine before you drive, use machines, or do anything else that could be dangerous if you are dizzy or are not alert. If these reactions are especially bothersome, check with your doctor.
Some of cycloserine's side effects (for example, convulsions [seizures]) may be more likely to occur if you drink alcoholic beverages regularly while you are taking this medicine. Therefore, you should not drink alcoholic beverages while you are taking this medicine.
Side Effects of Cycloserine (Oral Route)
Along with its needed effects, a medicine may cause some unwanted effects. Although not all of these side effects may occur, if they do occur they may need medical attention.
Check with your doctor immediately if any of the following side effects occur:
Some side effects may occur that usually do not need medical attention. These side effects may go away during treatment as your body adjusts to the medicine. Also, your health care professional may be able to tell you about ways to prevent or reduce some of these side effects. Check with your health care professional if any of the following side effects continue or are bothersome or if you have any questions about them:
Other side effects not listed may also occur in some patients. If you notice any other effects, check with your healthcare professional.
Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.


text:
What is Networking?
The old saying goes, "It's not what you know, but who you know."
When it comes to job seeking, this is absolutely true.
Networking is a successful job search tactic because hiring is a hard, time consuming, and costly exercise for employers. It is hard to determine the truth about someone's background, skills, experience, and potential in just a few interviews. Employers want to be assured that the person they hire is a quality person and employee.
The way they can be more certain is to go off the referrals of someone they already trust.
The process of networking is tapping into a pool of people you already know, and very importantly, people you can get to know. The more people you talk to and connect with, the better chance you will have of finding a good career position.
Who is in your Network?
Basically… anyone and everyone!
Think of your potential network as a spider-web, with you in the center. The inner-most circle of the web contains the people closest to you, such as parents, friends, teachers, co-workers, bosses, and your friendly, available, and well connected Career Development Center (hint, hint).
The next circle contains the people who are one degree removed from you – your parent's friends, your friend's parents, your teacher's friends, co-worker's contacts, etc.
As the circles widen, you are moving two, three, four degree's away from you and towards more people you know… and more importantly towards people who now know you.
What do I say to someone when Networking?
Networking is not about asking people for jobs… it is about asking people for advice, counsel, and information about companies and jobs. Most people are not in a position to hire you, but they can tell you about ways to apply, tips for success, and especially about who to speak with who does have hiring authority.
Start with your close contacts and ask for advice – Do you know anyone who works in XYZ? Can you tell me anything about this company or that company?
For each person you speak with you should ask for advice and information about their job or company, let them know you are looking, pass along your resume, and then ask for another name of a person to contact.
Then, contact the next person and do the same.
The more people you do this with, the more information, tips, advice, and contacts you will have. At some point, you will meet and talk to someone who can get you an interview.
Can I use the web to help me Network?
Online networking is a new method that is becoming widespread in job searches. Sites such as LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter are vehicles that connect you to others so they are perfect for job searches.
You can use status updates, friends and networks, and your profile page to help you get the word out about the types of careers you are seeking.
The important thing to remember when networking online is to maintain a professional image and online presence. This means cleansing your pages of potentially incriminating information, photographs, language, etc.
Be sure to only write and place online what you would be okay with a future boss or co-worker seeing on there. Be assured, employers are routinely using these social networking sites to find new employees, and to find out about new employees.
What can the school do to help me with my Networking?
For starters, the Career Development Center staff can help connect you with people in your desired job field, and with our own personal contacts well.
The University of New Haven maintains a network of alumni that can be tapped into to help with your job search. Contact the Career Development Center to learn how to use this network.
Your professors, coaches, and other college administrators live and work here – they know other people who can be a lead for you to talk to.
What should I do now?
Get started!


text:
Testimony to the Senate Finance Committee
Stephen C. Goss, Chief Actuary
Office of the Chief Actuary
Social Security Administration
April 9, 2003
Mr. Chairman, ranking member, and members of the committee, thank you for the opportunity to talk with you about the financial status of the Social Security program, and the results presented in the 2003 Annual Report of the Board of Trustees.Current Financial Status of the Social Security Program
The Social Security program currently provides monthly benefits to about 46 million individuals. The primary source of financing is a payroll tax on the over 150 million workers in covered employment.
Overall, the financial status of the Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance (OASDI) program is little changed from last year. Under the intermediate assumptions of the 2003 Report, the long-range actuarial deficit of the OASDI program is estimated to be 1.92 percent of taxable payroll. This long-range deficit is 0.04 percent of payroll larger than it was in the 2002 Report. Changing the valuation period alone, by adding the high deficit year 2077 to the long-range period, increased the actuarial deficit by 0.07 percent of payroll. The fact that the actuarial deficit is only 0.04 percent of payroll larger for this report therefore indicates that, on balance, changes in assumptions, methods, and experience have slightly improved the financial outlook through 2076, offsetting about one third of the effect of adding the year 2077.
Assets of the OASI and DI Trust Funds are invested in special obligations of the United States Treasury. Their combined assets increased by $165 billion during 2002, reaching $1.378 trillion at the beginning of 2003 and representing 288 percent of estimated annual expenditures for the year. These values are virtually identical to the estimates for 2002 in last year's report. Both the OASI and DI programs meet the "short-range test of financial adequacy", because the trust funds are projected to maintain assets at levels in excess of one year's cost throughout the short-range (10-year) period.
Tax revenue exceeded the cost of the program by $85 billion in 2002. However, based on the intermediate assumptions of the 2003 Trustees Report, OASDI program cost is projected to begin growing faster than the program's tax income in 2009, and to exceed tax income beginning in 2018, one year later than projected in last year's report. The combined OASI and DI trust funds are projected to grow to nearly five times the annual cost of the program in 2016, and to decline thereafter, becoming exhausted in 2042, also one year later than in last year's report. At the point of trust fund exhaustion in 2042, continuing tax income is expected to be equal to 73 percent of the cost of the program. By the end of the 75-year period, tax income is projected to equal only 65 percent of the cost of the program.
As in last year's report, the OASI and DI programs, both separately and combined, do not meet the test of "long-range close actuarial balance". This means basically that the projected income and assets of the programs are less than 95 percent of the level needed to fully pay scheduled costs throughout the 75-year period.
Projected annual balances between tax income and the scheduled cost of the program for the next few years deteriorated somewhat from last year's projections as a result of downward revisions by the Bureau of Economic Analysis (Department of Commerce) in estimates of wages for 2001 and 2002. The negative effects of lower wage levels are offset after a few years by corresponding reductions in average benefit levels and by an increase in the delayed-retirement assumption associated with the increasing Normal Retirement Age. These factors, combined with higher immigration between 1990 and 2022, based on the 2000 Census and new assumptions, result in higher annual balances in this report than in the 2002 report from 2010 through 2040. The higher levels of immigration for 1990 through 2022 result in additional beneficiaries which cause a reduction in the annual balances from about 2040 to 2075.
OASDI program cost is projected to rise from 10.9 percent of taxable payroll in 2003 to 19.9 percent of payroll in 2077. In 2077 the cost of the program is projected to exceed income by 6.5 percent of taxable payroll. This means that if payroll taxes were to be raised in 2077 to permit full payment of benefits scheduled for the year, an increase of more than 50 percent would be needed. Expressed as a percent of GDP, the cost of the OASDI program is projected to rise from 4.4 percent in 2003 to 7 percent for 2077, the same level as in last year's report for 2076.New Measures in the 2003 Report
Several additional measures of OASDI unfunded obligations have been added to this year's Social Security Trustees Report. The open-group unfunded obligation of the program under the intermediate assumptions is estimated at $3.5 trillion, in discounted present value, for the 75-year period 2003 through 2077. This unfunded obligation is conceptually similar to the actuarial deficit for the 75-year period. It is important to remember that both of these measures indicate the magnitude of the financial shortfall for the next 75 years as a whole. The actuarial deficit of 1.92 percent of payroll expresses this 75-year shortfall relative to the tax base, or taxable payroll, for the program over the same 75-year period. The $3.5-trillion unfunded obligation expresses the 75-year shortfall as an aggregate value which must be addressed over the course of the next 75 years.
The 2003 Trustees Report also includes an estimate of $10.5 trillion, in present value, for the open-group unfunded obligation of the OASDI program for the infinite future period. The equivalent actuarial deficit for the infinite future is estimated at about 3.8 percent of taxable payroll. As with these measures for the 75-year period, the values reflect the projected shortfalls for the period as a whole, or the infinite future in this case. Thus, these values indicate that the shortfall for the infinite future represents about 3.8 percent of the taxable payroll for the infinite future, and that the $10.5 trillion present value unfunded obligation will need to be met over this infinite period.
It should be noted that like the actuarial deficit measure, these present-value measures of unfunded obligations will tend to increase from one Trustees Report to the next even if no changes in the data or assumptions are made. The increase is simply due to the changing valuation date. For example, the 75-year open-group unfunded obligation is increased from $3.3 trillion to $3.5 trillion based on this year's valuation, even though the updated assumptions and experience were, on balance, positive. However, to the extent that these measures of unfunded obligations grow faster than the Social Security taxable payroll, they represent a real increase in the cost of meeting shortfalls for future years, as these years get closer.
The 2003 Trustees Report also provides two "components" of the $10.5 trillion infinite future unfunded obligation. The first is the unfunded obligation the program would have if participation in the program were closed off to individuals under age 15 in 2003. The value for this "closed-group" unfunded obligation is estimated at $10.5 trillion. The second component is the net present value of scheduled taxes and cost for new entrants to the program for the infinite future. This value is zero, indicating that taxes for future generations could finance their benefits on a fully-advance-funded basis. These two values are important, for evaluating a program that is designed to be "fully advance funded".
However, it is important to recognize that the Social Security program is financed on a basically pay-as-you-go basis. Under a pay-as-you-go program the taxes of each generation are used to pay the benefits of prior generations and are not saved to pay for their own benefits. Thus, the fact that taxes for future generations are about equal to the present value of the cost of their own scheduled benefits is not relevant to the actuarial status of the program. Similarly, the closed-group unfunded obligation of the program is not relevant to the actuarial status of the program, because benefits of current program participants will be paid largely by the taxes of future generations, which are not reflected in this value.Sustainable Solvency
The actuarial deficit and the unfunded obligation for a period indicate the financial status of the program for the period as a whole, and whether the program will be financially solvent at the end of the period. It is also important to consider whether solvency is achieved for the program at all times within the valuation period, and beyond. For this purpose we consider the level of the trust fund at each point in time, which if positive indicates that the program is solvent. If the program is solvent throughout the 75-year period, and the trust fund, expressed as a percent of annual program cost, is stable or rising at the end of the period, then solvency can be expected to be sustained well beyond the end of the period. This year's report again shows that under current law, scheduled benefits are not sustainable in the long run with current tax rates.Stochastic Projections and Uncertainty
Appendix E of the 2003 Trustees Report presents the results of a new, first generation model using stochastic modeling techniques. These results are an important addition to the sensitivity analysis and presentation of alternative scenarios in the report. We are pleased with the prospects of expanding our understanding of uncertainty through this model and look forward to further development. Availability of this model for inclusion in the 2003 report was only possible through extraordinary effort by Alice Wade, Deputy Chief Actuary for Long-Range Actuarial Estimates, the highly talented team she led in the effort, and consultation with other pioneers in this field, like the staff at CBO. However, we note that the results of this model should be viewed with care. More work is needed on this and similar models to bring them to the point where they will fully represent the range of uncertainty associated with the future cost of Social Security. However, even at this stage of development, these models confirm that outcomes as good or better than the Trustees' low-cost projection, or as bad or worse than the high-cost projections, are relatively unlikely in the long run.Effects of Deferring Reform
Finally, Mr. Chairman, your staff requested that I present an analysis of the effect of deferring action for reforming Social Security on the size of benefit reductions and tax rate increases that would be needed. The table I have submitted titled "Immediate Benefit Reductions and Tax-Rate Increases that Would Eliminate Long-Range Social Security Actuarial Deficits" provides the effects of delaying the start of changes for the next several years.
The 2003 Trustees Report indicates that eliminating the 75-year actuarial deficit (for 2003 through 2077) could be achieved with an immediate 13-percent reduction in benefit levels for all recipients in 2003 and later. The report also indicates that an immediate reduction of about 23 percent (more precisely about 22.7 percent) could put the program in balance for the infinite future. If the start of such benefit reductions were delayed 7 years to the year 2010, the reductions needed to eliminate these deficits would increase to 14.5 percent and 24.3 percent, respectively.
We may also consider such hypothetical benefit reductions if they were only to be applied to individuals who become newly eligible in 2003, or some later year. On this basis, a 15.1-percent reduction for all individuals newly eligible in 2003 and later could eliminate the 75-year actuarial deficit. A 25.1-percent reduction for those newly eligible in 2003 and later could eliminate the infinite-future deficit. However, if such reductions were delayed 7 years, to affect those newly eligible for benefits in 2010 and later, then the benefit reductions would need to be 17.6 percent and 27.6 percent, respectively.
Similarly, the payroll-tax-rate increases that could eliminate long-range deficits would increase if action were deferred. As indicated in the 2003 Trustees Report, an increase in the combined payroll tax rate of 1.92 percent of taxable earnings starting 2003 could eliminate the 75-year deficit, and an increase of about 3.8 percent (more precisely about 3.77 percent) could eliminate the infinite-future deficit. If the starting date were delayed 7 years to 2010, then the tax-rate increases needed would rise to 2.25 percent and 4.21 percent, respectively.
It is important to note that the total savings, or additional revenue, for the OASDI program is exactly the same in present value for each illustration that could eliminate the deficit for the 75-year period 2003 through 2077. The same is true for all illustrations that could eliminate the infinite-future deficit. Thus, the effect of delaying action so that there would be no change for the next few years is to require a larger change after the next few years. Whether the delayed change is larger or smaller for any individual depends on when he/she will stop working and become eligible for benefits.
I would be happy to answer any questions that you may have about the OASDI projections for this year.
|Immediate Benefit Reductions and Tax-Rate Increases that Would Eliminate Long-Range Social Security Actuarial Deficits
|Percentage Reduction in OASDI Benefits
|Increase in Payroll Tax Rate
|Apply to all benefits payable in the year and later
|Apply only to beneficiaries who become eligible in the year and later
|Increase in combined payroll tax rate starting in the year
|Percentage increase in payroll taxes paid starting in the year
|change required for 75-year balance 1 /
|change required for 75-year balance 1 /
|change required for infinite-future balance
|change required for infinite-future balance
|1/ For the valuation period 2003 through 2077.
|Source: Office of the Chief Actuary, Social Security Administration
Based on the intermediate assumptions of the 2003 OASDI Trustees Report April 9, 2003
|Current and Projected Status of the Social Security Trust Funds Under Intermediate Assumptions 2003 Trustees Report
|Operations of the Combined OASI and DI Trust Funds
|Calendar Year
|Assets at beginning of calendar year$1,212.5
|Excess of tax income over cost$85.0
|Interest income$80.4
|Assets at end of calendar year$1,378.0
|2003 Report
|2002 Report
|Long-range summarized values over the next 75 years:
Actuarial balance (percentage of taxable payroll) -1.92%
|Income rate13.78%
|Cost rate15.70%
|Open-group unfunded obligation$3.5 trillion
|$3.3 trillion
|Long-range estimates over the next 75 years:
75th year2077
|Cost rate in 75th year19.92%
|OASDI balance in 75th year-6.50%
|Year of ehaustion
OASI and DI, combined2042
|Percentage of annual cost that can be met from annual tax income:
|In year of exhaustion73%
|In 75th year65%
|First year in which cost exceeds tax income2018
|First year in which cost exceeds total income2028
|Maximum trust fund ratio471%
|year reached2016
|Summarized values for the infinite future
Actuarial balance3.8%
|Open-group unfunded obligation$10.5 trillion
|March 17, 2003


text:
ReleasesBack to
McCoy Tyner
Easy Walker is a fairly standard but highly enjoyable small-group soul-jazz session from Stanley Turrentine. Backed by a rhythm section of pianist McCoy Tyner, drummer Mickey Roker, and bassist Bob Cranshaw, Turrentine turns in a number of rich, round, and full-bodied leads which are perfectly complemented by Tyner's strutting, sympathetic piano. Largely divided between midtempo grooves and slow blues, with a couple of pop covers like "What the World Needs Now Is Love," thrown in, Easy Walker doesn't offer much challenging material, but it does let the musicians work a good groove, and occasionally showcase their improvisational skills, making it a good, relaxing soul-jazz session. The 1997 CD reissue features four bonus tracks which were recorded with drummer Billy Cobham and bassist Gene Taylor, along with Tyner; the highlight of these is a breezy version of Antonio Carlos Jobim's "Wave." ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine