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Walmart CEOs Concealed Evidence of Foreign Bribery Scandal
Each Black Friday the TV news leads off with stories about Walmart, from the jaw-dropping discounts to the deaths by trampling. This year, we've been hearing about coordinated strikes, walk-outs and protests as Walmart workers have begun to resent the depths of their corporate exploitation.
But we don't hear about the corruption probe of Walmart's foreign expansion as multiple bribery allegations widen. Walmart is the biggest retailer in known history, employing one million US workers and making $3.63 billion in profits just in the most recent quarter.
Obviously, a business this size will hold a lot of sway in media where they are regular advertisers. Maybe that's why we're not hearing about a global bribery scandal which could lead to perp walks, but so far, is going acutely unreported.
Walmart knows their holiday shoppers must be insulated from bad PR. But as this progressed, their own "new" investigators found the same model for rapid expansion was used in Brazil, China and India where hundreds of stores opened and many more were in planning.
It's not how or when Obama/Holder will react but IF
Barstow's bombshell describes a wealth of first-hand evidence that points squarely to upper management, drunk with greed as foreign expansion boomed. But similar cases involving Tyson Foods, Halliburton and Siemens did not result in jail sentences for individuals, instead were settled via secretly negotiated fines in "deferred prosecution" agreements.
These became chic when the Bush administration was convinced by lobbyists that bad outcomes in criminal probes hurt innocent investors and employees. Walmart has given millions to lobbyists like the US Chamber of Commerce and Cato Institute in order to further weaken the FCPA, even as they are being investigated.
This conflict caught the attention of Congressional Democrats Henry Waxman and Elijah Cummings who demanded an investigation, but any action been blocked by the Republican majority led by committee chair Rep. Darrel Issa. The late Senator Arlen Specter, who ditched the GOP, fought this practice in Senate hearings, noting "fines are added to the cost of doing business … going to jail is what works to deter crime." Waxman and Cummings also claim to have obtained documents suggesting Walmart's foreign bribery scheme included tax evasion and money laundering but Walmart won't answer to those rabble-rousers. Sigh.
Per the NY Times' "Lots of Bribes, but Little Jail Time," Walmart took note as Tyson's top execs escaped criminal charges for bribing Mexican officials, and simply decided to sweep their own scandal under the rug. When Obama lined his incoming cabinet with Wall Street attorneys, little changed.
Thus, it is already predicted President Obama, Attorney General Eric Holder and a (now leaderless) SEC will let Walmart's CEOs skate without criminal prosecution. The current administration is expected to continue to 'sell justice', and our nation's #1 employer, knowing Obama always needs to pad jobs numbers, is likely to play hardball.
We reported last April that Walmart's goal of 20% market penetration nationwide is bad news for Main Street USA, small business owners and taxpayers. Areas that welcomed Walmart saw net job losses and lost wages as supermarkets, local shops and smaller retailers were displaced. Area profits were funnelled out as local tax bases got drained by the millions to provide healthcare and welfare checks for Walmart worker families.
Walmart is known to have coached associates to apply for government aid such as food stamps, WIC or Section 8 housing subsidies. Walmart's "poverty wages" force taxpayers to pay an extra $3.6 billion per year in welfare and Medicaid to make up the difference. Walmart takes in profits over $15 billion per year to it's Arkansas headquarters.
NYC was able to fend off Walmart's latest lobbying, advertising and "charity" blitz, but Chicago was breeched after Alderwoman Emma Mitts became Walmart's latest political acquisition, saying "we" when referring to the company in a TV interview.


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First Miss America of Indian descent embraces discussion on diversity
She says her win shows how what defines "the girl next door" is evolving
Greg Botelho | CNN | 9/19/2013, 9:08 a.m.
CNN Ready or not America, Nina Davuluri is the new girl next door.
That's how the 24-year-old Indian-American woman sees herself, she explained to CNN's Erin Burnett on Wednesday, three days after being crowned Miss America.
"I have always viewed Miss America as the girl next door," Davuluri said. "But the girl next door is evolving, as the diversity of America evolves. She's not who she was 10 years ago, and she's not going to be the same person come 10 years down the road."
The fact that her win Sunday spurred a torrent of racist reactions online -- many along the lines that she doesn't represent what the United States is -- didn't surprise Davuluri. She'd experienced it on a smaller scale when she became the first Miss New York of Indian descent.
Davuluri sees it as her mission to tackle such stereotypes head on. It's why the daughter of two Indian-born parents has a pageant platform of "celebrating diversity through cultural competence."
"I wanted to be the first Indian Miss America, to be that symbol of a new face for the organization," she said Wednesday. "And to let younger girls know that regardless of race, their socioeconomic status, their religion that anyone can become not only Miss America, but anything."
Still, it would be understandable if Davuluri was taken aback by tweets claiming she wasn't sufficiently American or was a terrorist. Yet she's been more heartened by all those that rallied around her.
"For one negative tweet, I received dozens of positive tweets and support from not only Indians, but the American people across the country and ... the world for that matter," the Fayetteville, New York, native said. "It's been such an honor."
And while some criticize the pageant circuit for putting looks above all else, Davuluri said she's thankful it helped her earn $25,000 in scholarships to study cognitive science at the University of Michigan. She will have another $60,000 to apply to her medical school tuition -- $50,000 from her Miss America win and $10,000 from Miss New York. This is all part of the more than $45 million in cash and scholarships the pageant organization gives out.
Yes, Davuluri admits, good looks are a part of the equation. Contestants do strut around in swimsuits, after all, and they are judged as they walk in evening gowns. Davuluri says "that's reality," as is the 10-minute interview with judges that people don't see on TV.
And Davuluri couldn't be happier with the reality she's now living -- as a groundbreaker, and a talking point, in a country addressing its cultural diversity.
As she says: "I am living my American dream."
™ & © 2013 Cable News Network, Inc., a Time Warner Company. All rights reserved

subset: commoncrawl


text: Barbara and Elliot Targum are expecting "Love, Faith and Other Dirty Words" to hit close to home. The play, which comes from the New Center for Arts & Culture and director Kent Stephens of the Harbor Light Stage in Kittery Point, Maine, is loosely based on the Targums and a few other local interfaith couples who agreed to be interviewed about their experiences for the production. The Targums say that if you spot them in the audience on Wednesday night, they shouldn't look too nervous. "It wasn't totally horrifying," Barbara said with a laugh, of the interviews. "It's certainly putting ourselves out there." Elliot, who is Jewish (Barbara is Christian), added that he and his wife participated in the project to help other couples navigate their own interfaith experiences. He says he and Barbara met in college, long before the they thought about how religion might affect their lives. "As that conversation unfolded, we came to some compromises," he said. "Love, Faith and Other Dirty Words" will be performed on Wednesday and Thursday at Suffolk's Modern Theatre.


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The accompanying steps show how to gain and maintain an erection with a vacuum erection therapy system.
Place the rubber tension ring on the open end of the cylinder.
Apply water-based lubricant to the end of the cylinder.
Put your penis into the cylinder. Hold the cylinder firmly against your abdomen to create a seal, but take care not to pinch the scrotum.
Squeeze the hand pump or turn on the electric pump. Blood will be drawn into your penis and your penis will become erect and firm.
Follow the instructions you've been given for using your particular brand of pump.
It may take some practice before you get optimum erections.
When your penis is fully erect (usually less than 5 minutes), roll the tension ring off the cylinder onto the base of your penis. The tension ring holds blood in your penis, creating an erection. The area behind the ring remains soft and flexible.
Remove the cylinder from your penis.
After no longer than 30 minutes, remove the tension ring from your penis by grasping the tabs on the ring and pulling to stretch the ring.
A very cold penis during erection (some coolness is normal)
A black-and-blue or significantly darkened penis (some discoloration is normal)
Pain while using the vacuum device or tension ring
Lack of an erection or loss of an erection before the tension ring is removed
Note: The tension ring may block ejaculation during orgasm. This is harmless, but will not prevent pregnancy.


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24 Hour Emergency Service1-844-443-6766
Use our Estimate Builder and answer a few questions so that we can suggest the system that might be the best fit for your home.
The M.Y. Playhouse Project helps spread joy to sick or injured children by building fantastic dream playhouses. Henson has been honored to be a part of several deserving children's lives by giving them Custom Built Playhouses during the Christmas Holiday.
St. Jude is unlike any other pediatric treatment and research facility. Discoveries made here have completely changed how the world treats children with cancer and other catastrophic diseases. With research and patient care under one roof, St Jude is where some of today's most gifted researchers are able to do science more quickly.


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POCATELLO, Idaho — As a Natural Resources Conservation Service district conservationist in potato and sugar beet country, Nate Matlack deals with some of the nation's most depleted soils.
That's one of the reasons why Matlack believes his agency's new Soil Health Initiative has been so popular in Idaho.
The deadline for Idaho growers to apply for Fiscal Year 2014 funding through the Soil Health Initiative is Dec. 20. Idaho offered its first signup for the initiative, operated under the Environmental Quality Incentives Program, last March.
The state initially committed $900,000 toward the initiative in FY 2013. Ultimately, 23 Idaho contracts totaling $1.374 million were awarded.
"We had so many applications we wanted to add a little extra funds to it," said Ron Brooks, EQIP program manager.
Matlack said growers with crops such as sugar beets and potatoes subject their soils to a high degree of disturbance, which is exacerbated by the sandy soils common in his region of southeast Idaho. Fumigants and pesticides used on the crops also reduce beneficial microorganisms in the soil.
Matlack said the initiative is useful in that it provides a special opportunity for growers to receive EQIP funding for projects intended to benefit soil health, which typically weren't competitive with irrigation projects and other improvements that scored better in the general EQIP signup. Unlike EQIP, in which applications compete against others in their region of the state, the soil health initiative scores projects on a statewide basis.
Applications question growers specifically about soil health. For example, they must describe their crop rotations and tillage history so the agency's tillage estimator tool can analyze how many tons of soil may be saved from erosion or blowing by changing practices.
Matlack said the most popular program practice has been using cover crops – crops planted specifically for soil benefits such as erosion control, addition of organic matter or fixing of nitrogen.
State Agronomist Marlon Winger said the initiative highlights four core principles: keep soil covered, minimize soil disturbance, keep plants growing throughout the year to feed soil organisms and diversify through crop rotation and cover crops.
Winger said a challenge for potato and sugar beet growers is that they tend to harvest late in the season and there's "no cover crop to plant on Oct. 5."
He said other erosion practices may be worth pursuing in southeast Idaho, such as planting 10-foot-wide grass strips every 150 feet throughout fields to stop blowing sediment. Winger said NRCS hosted 22 workshops throughout the state, reaching 1,200 producers, last season to educate them on soil health in conjunction with the intiative. This season, he's spoken at a soils conservation meeting and will travel to several counties to speak about soil health throughout January and February.
Brooks said the initiative's contracts last 2-3 years, and he hopes to obtain at least $900,000 toward the program for FY 2014.


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Expect your fitness level to dip some. This "dip" is called the "gain threshold." You start your new program at your current fitness level and, as you put the new demands of running on your body, your fitness level will dip into the gain threshold. You may even feel worse than when you started—sore, tight, tired. That's normal.
It takes about 4 to 6 weeks to pull out of that gain threshold, but when you do, you'll realize that you're feeling fitter and stronger than when you started. The gain threshold is when most new runners quit, especially runners who go at it alone. If you're in a group, you'll begin to see some in the group pull out of the dip and benefit from the newly gained fitness. Actually, just knowing to expect "the dip" can make it easier to cope.
Listen to Your Body
As mentioned above, you're going to experience some aches, pains and fatigue with your new running, but it's important to know the difference between exercise-related muscle soreness and true pain that may be the beginning of an injury.
More: 4 Running Setbacks and How to Handle Them
Listen to your body. Some of what it will be telling you is normal, some may need a little love and care, and some may need immediate medical attention. Use the following 10-Point Pain Scale to help rate what's normal and what's not.
- Mild pain (Rating 1 to 3): The type of pain you feel when you start to exercise, but it usually goes away as you start to warm up and continue running. The pain may be inconsistent and moves around the body, or you feel it bilaterally, which means you feel it in the same joints in both limbs—such as in both knees. Mild pain or discomfort is common for new runners and considered safe to run through. After your run, place ice on any sore areas. A bag of frozen peas works really well.
- Moderate pain (Rating a 4 to 6): Pain at this level is more than mild pain, but it's not enough to cause a limp or alter your stride. Typically a few days of rest, low-impact cross-training and icing, as needed, will help. If it doesn't, go see the doc.
- Severe pain (Rating 7 to 10): Pain at this level requires immediate medical attention. This kind of pain you feel before, during and after the run. It usually starts at the beginning of a run and increases until your stride is altered or you stop. Don't let it get that far.
More: How to Prevent and Treat Common Running Injuries
Hydrate and Fuel
Properly fueling your runs (pre and post) is key to successful running. Running on empty can cause you to feel exhausted shortly into your workout. About 1.5 hours before your run, try to consume 150 to 200 calories of mostly carbs with a little protein. English muffins with a little peanut or almond butter or low-fat yogurt with a little granola are two good examples.
More: How to Fuel Your Workouts
If you're pushed for time, even eating an orange as soon as 30 minutes before your run will help provide the energy needed for your workout. After your run, be sure to get in a 4:1 ratio of carbs to protein within 15 minutes to help provide the energy needed to start the muscle rebuilding process. An 8-ounce serving of low-fat or nonfat chocolate milk has the perfect 4:1 ratio.
Hydration is equally important. Drink 16 to 20 ounces of water about 1.5 hours before your run. Be sure to rehydrate after your runs, too.
More: How Much Fluid Do You Need as a Runner?
Have Realistic Expectations
While running is low tech and, in theory, an "easy" thing to do, be realistic with your expectations. Don't doom yourself by setting unattainable goals like running a half marathon in a month. You may very well run that half marathon in the near future, but take baby steps to begin. Set realistic goals for yourself. Working through a run/walk program building to a 30-minute run over a 12- to 14-week period is realistic.
More: Defining Your Goal
Focus on endurance instead of pace or distance. Once you've reached the point of running 30 minutes straight, then you can begin to focus more on increasing pace and distance. Trust in your training, believe in yourself, and conquer your goals.
More: How Beginning Runners Can Improve Endurance Without InjurySign up for your next race.
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Welcome to the LIU Post Office of Community Relations. Our office serves as a link between LIU Post and its neighbors in the surrounding communities--Brookville, Old Brookville, Upper Brookville and Old Westbury. The Office of Community Relations is the primary contact for individuals, community organizations and local municipalities that seek involvement with LIU Post. As a private institution of higher education, the University strives to be a good neighbor and a valued member of the community. The Campus is a valuable resource for arts and culture, intellectual development and personal enrichment. We encourage our neighbors to visit the Campus and enjoy world-class performances at the Tilles Center for Performing Arts, view impressive and eclectic art exhibits at our three art galleries which features the sculpture and painting of local artists, faculty and students, as well as educational programs incorporating Family Day activities and an extensive hands-on programs for visiting schools from the surrounding community. There is much happening at the Campus and we invite our neighbors to take advantage of all that is available to them.
Looking for intellectual stimulation? Highly anticipated each year is the Provost's Distinguished Lecture Series, featuring prominent leaders and thinkers from around the world and among the LIU Post faculty who share their experiences and expertise on topics of interest to the Long Island community.
Looking for a place to exercise your mind and body? LIU Post is nationally recognized as one of the most beautiful college campuses in the nation. The scenic campus is famous for its magnificent formal gardens, rolling green lawns and 4,000 trees -- some among the largest on Long Island. Visitors to the Campus can take a self-guided walking tour of the 40-acre Community Arboretum or the Office of Community Relations will be glad to make arrangements for a guided tour for large groups. Be sure to visit our labyrinth composed of 38,000 colorful tiles. It is a perfect place for both children and adults and provides a quiet place for meditation and contemplation.
Our office meets regularly with neighborhood associations throughout the year to promote ongoing dialogue with neighborhood leaders. In addition, our office publishes LIU Post Today, a newsletter for our neighbors in the Brookvilles and Old Westbury.
The university's contributions to quality of life, truly make LIU Post an important and engaged partner with the local community. If you have questions, please call 516-299-3500 or e-mail email@example.com.
Calendar of Events
Center for Community Inclusion
Community Arboretum LIU Post Today Newsletter for Friends and Neighbors of the LIU Post Campus B. Davis Schwartz Memorial Library Center for Gifted YouthReligious Life School of Continuing EducationDining on Campus LIU Post Environmental Initiatives Hillwood Art MuseumThe Hutton House LecturesInstitute of Education for Social Justice Ladge Speech & Hearing CenterLiteracy & Learning Development CenterLong Island Women's Institute Post Library AssociationPost Theatre CompanyPsychological Services Center Radio Station Tilles Center for the Performing Arts "Tree Talk Newsletter" Youth Programs
720 Northern Blvd, Brookville, New York 11548 | Telephone: 516-299-2000


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The only thing left for the Ravens is jockeying for a draft pick in the top 10.Before their embarrassing 38-28 loss to the Minnesota Vikings yesterday, either someone forgot to tell the Ravens they were playing the NFC's best team, or maybe they just didn't care. On an evening when the Ravens had to be perfect, they were far from it, committing six turnovers for 26 Vikings points and a 35-14 Minnesota lead after three quarters.
Who fumbled? Corey Harris. Jim Harbaugh. Eric Green. Priest Holmes twice. Who didn't? Harbaugh was being nice when he said the Ravens (5-9) played like a high school team yesterday. The Gilman School would have beaten the Ravens.
"To win in this game, it's all about field position," said Ravens safety and kick returner Harris. "You can't let the opposition start inside your 40-yard line several times, not a team like the Vikings. They have way too many weapons."
The Ravens' ineptness marred a great day for their special teams as Harris returned a kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown and teammate Patrick Johnson returned one 97 yards for a score six minutes later. Both came in the first quarter as the Ravens tied an NFL record with six other teams for most kickoffs returned for touchdowns by a team in one game.
But the most glaring statistic that came out of the game was the time of possession. Minnesota (13-1) had the ball for 40 minutes, 34 seconds. The Ravens had it for 19: 26. The Vikings had receivers Cris Carter (11 receptions, 85 yards, one touchdown), Matthew Hatchette (six, 95), Randy Moss (six, 89, one) and Gary Anderson, who had field goals of 43, 31, 45, 24, 46 and 20 yards and extended his NFL record of converting on 34 straight attempts.
The Ravens had Floyd Turner (10 receptions, 147 yards, one touchdown), two great kickoff returns and uh, uh uh that was about it. The loss assures coach Ted Marchibroda of his third straight losing season and a pink slip almost immediately after the season.
The Ravens are jockeying for position in the top 10 with teams like Philadelphia, Washington, Indianapolis and Chicago -- next week's opponent -- to name a few.
When asked if the Ravens were ever going to turn the losing around, cornerback Rod Woodson said: "I hope so. First of all, I hope I'm here next year. We don't know about the coaching staff, we don't know about the free agents. But I know there is a lot of talent here to turn it around."
Most of the talent is on defense, and the unit gave another good effort, as the Ravens mixed coverages decently in the secondary and got pressure on quarterback Randall Cunningham, who completed 32 of 55 passes for 345 yards.
But Minnesota started drives after turnovers on the Ravens' 28-, 17-, 49-, 27- and 28-yard lines. It all started in the first quarter. With the Ravens leading 7-3 courtesy of Harris' kickoff return, Holmes fumbled at his 20 on the Ravens' first offensive play of the game. Anderson converted a 31-yard field goal.
Johnson returned the ensuing kickoff 97 yards for a touchdown and the Vikings' David Palmer followed by returning that ensuing kickoff 88 yards for a score that cut the Ravens' lead to 14-12 with 3: 22 left in the first quarter.
"It was a little different in the beginning," Carter said. "They had a very good defense. We were just able to shut them down and capitalize on their mistakes."
It seemed like the game was going to be a shootout, but then the Ravens' offense died. Tight end Eric Green fumbled after a 12-yard reception to midfield, and Anderson eventually kicked a 45-yard field goal with 12: 55 left in the half to give Minnesota a 15-14 lead. Harris fumbled the ensuing kickoff and the Vikings penalized the Ravens with a 17-yard touchdown pass from Cunningham to Moss.
Harbaugh fumbled the snap from center four plays later and that led to another Anderson field goal, this one of 24 yards, with 5: 17 left in the half.
The Ravens continued their comedy of errors in the third quarter when Holmes lost a fumble on the team's first offensive possession and Harbaugh threw an interception into double coverage on the first play of their second.
Anderson kicked a 46-yard field goal and Cunningham passed 11 yards to Carter for a touchdown to put the Vikings ahead 35-14. Of the first 24 offensive plays of the game, Minnesota had 23. The Vikings had 33 of the first 37 and 91 of 133.
The Ravens' defense, which gave up 420 total yards, didn't have time to catch their collective breath. Veterans like Woodson and defensive tackle Tony Siragusa couldn't remember the last time they played so much in one half.
"The fastest way to lose in this league is to commit turnovers, and we were killing ourselves," said defensive end Michael McCrary. "We didn't give ourselves an opportunity to win. It seemed like every time we were jogging off the field, we were running back on. I know I was tired."
The Ravens showed signs of offensive life in the fourth quarter, but by then it was too late. Minnesota shifted into a prevent defense, and the Ravens managed 14 late points.
Next up for the Ravens are the Bears and then they end the season at home against the Detroit Lions. Then owner Art Modell is expected to meet with his front office and coaching staff to begin building for the future.
"This is a ballgame where we made too many mistakes," Marchibroda said. "You can't win in this league and make as many mistakes as we did. You can't give the ball up that much and, again, the other factor was that we couldn't stop them on third down.
"We hoped to play like we played the second half. Offensively, that's how we hoped we could move the football and we'd get an interception or two. We felt we'd get the big play on special teams. To a very large extent, the game turned out that way, but we made too many mistakes."
The only thing left for the Ravens is jockeying for a draft pick in the top 10.Before their embarrassing 38-28 loss to the Minnesota Vikings yesterday, either someone forgot to tell the Ravens they were playing the NFC's best team, or maybe they just didn't care. On an evening when the Ravens had to be perfect, they were far from it, committing six turnovers for 26 Vikings points and a 35-14 Minnesota lead after three quarters.


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Hot and Sour Soup Mix from Knorr is a real Chinese style soup. Hot and Sour Soup Mix is easy, convenient, quick and really tasty. Hot and Sour Soup Mix is taste like freshly cook from restaurant. This is perfect for morning or late night meal. Ingredients: Corn starch, salt, rice flour, soy sauce, monosodium glutamate, vegetables, canola and sesame oil, sugar, citric acid, sydrolyzed protein, spices. Net weight 1.6 oz. Product of Canada.
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The death of army corporal Hung Chung-chiu (洪仲丘) has created a massive backlash and dealt the army a peacetime defeat. The case exposed a long-standing problem in military culture.
When Andrew Yang (楊念祖) was appointed the first civilian minister of national defense in a Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) administration by President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九), we could have narrowed the gap between military culture and social values, taking a first step toward military reform.
Just as reform was about to happen, the military suffered another blow when Yang resigned after only six days. The approval ratings for both Ma and the military slumped due to a series of military scandals, which have been the greatest frustrations to military reform.
A civilian defense minister is normal in a democracy. It is an indication of a democracy's maturity. Under the National Defense Law (國防法), a defense minister can command the armed forces. The military will only be able to perform at its best when both the military and the civilian systems are allowed to do their jobs. For those who still have reservations about a civilian defense minister, it may be a matter of sour grapes or a misunderstanding.
A civilian defense minister is no guarantee of successful military reform, but it would be a first step. Former president Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) appointed a civilian as defense minister in February 2008, but Michael Tsai's (蔡明憲) appointment came too late, making reform implementation difficult.
Ma has had much better conditions than Chen had to appoint a civilian defense minister. Unfortunately, he attaches little importance to national defense, seeing it as a tool to be called on when needed and then dismissed — a useless hammer in peacetime. He lacks enthusiasm for defense reform, let alone the cultivation of a civilian defense administrative team.
The political appointees in charge of national defense issues at the National Security Council are a reserve talent pool, but Ma has given all the defense positions to military leaders. Yang did not even dare hire a civilian policy secretary when he entered the Ministry of National Defense. When he had to step down due to a plagiarism scandal, there was no one that could move into his position. The KMT is close to the military, so it is ironic that the party cannot find a civilian replacement for Yang.
As the scandal surrounding Hung's death grows, angry military officers often say: "Television commentators are vicious, politicians are hateful and angry youth who have not performed their military service are pathetic."
If the military cannot even resist attacks from media pundits, politicians and angry youth, how will it be able to resist the People's Liberation Army? Reputation is what others think of you, but aspiration lies with you. The US military lost its reputation in the Vietnam War, not its aspiration. It managed to regain public trust during the Gulf War.
While serving in the ministry, I heard of some military misconduct, but I saw even more hard-working officers with a sense of responsibility. If the good ones want to drive out the bad, the military must ignore embarrassment and engage in self-reflection.
Without a civilian defense minister, the military is led by a flag officer. No matter how open-minded the military defense minister is, all personal enmities from before he was promoted could become a burden on reform.


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A short vacation...that's it...and I come back to find out that under tremendous pressure from US President Obama, Israel's government has been forced into freezing all (Jewish) building activity in Yehuda vShomron(WestBank), my own home included.
As a law abiding citizen and taxpayer, as an IDF soldier in the reserves, as an active volunteer medic, I find it abhorrent that US President Obama has forced Israel into freezing all building activity, to the point that I can't even add on to my home. Not even enclose a porch, or add a room.
It's not zoning that's the issue -- rather the government has banned all construction, expansion, and extension -- at the behest of US President Obama, making everything, "illegal."
US citizen tax money was hard at work this past Thursday and Friday, as US personnel drove around settlements throughout the West Bank videoing the current status of buildings so as to help enforce the "freeze."
Defense Minister Ehud Barak added his share of wasted tax money, by sending IAF jets on Friday to scour the settlements from the sky taking detailed high quality photographs of settlements, to ensure not a room, garage or shed is built, no roads or driveways are paved, and not even a patio is poured.
It continued today (JPOST)
The Civil Administration moved swiftly over the weekend to distribute injunctions to settler leaders which immediately suspended for 10 months all new Jewish construction projects in the West Bank that have not broken ground.Actually, this was far quicker than Israel's response to the Yom Kippur War.
According to the Civil Administration, the injunctions were handed out to 22 out of the 24 local and regional council heads in Judea and Samaria. The remaining two will be given out on Sunday.
In protest, Beit El Local Council head Moshe Rosenbaum on Friday ripped up the injunction as he stood in front of the Civil Administration official and said that it was an "illegal document."
Ariel Mayor Ron Nachman plans to file a petition before the High Court of Justice early this week questioning the injunction's legality.
When he received a call from the Civil Administration Friday an hour before the start of Shabbat asking where they could find him to deliver the injunction, a startled Nachman responded, "What is the rush?"
Speaking to The Jerusalem Post Nachman ridiculed the haste with which the injunctions were delivered. "What is this, the start of the Yom Kippur War?" he said.
Obama must have really turned the thumbscrews on Israel's government for them to implement such a racist, anti-Zionist policy -- and he most probably threatened Israel's very survival via our ability to attack Iran's nuclear program, conditioned on a "goodwill" gesture to Palestinians -- hence the "freeze."
We've survived previous freezes before, and we'll survive this one, Obama, and even Netanyahu as well.
Visiting Israel?
Learn to Shoot at Caliber-3 with top Israeli Anti-Terror Experts!
Wherever I am, my blog turns towards Eretz Yisrael טובה הארץ מאד מאד


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Sometimes the news makes you want to crawl under your bed and hide. Other times there's great hope and I'm ready to dance and cheer. These related stories for the week beginning September 9, 2007:
As frightening as the news may be, there's continued effort to take some action whether it's in the court room or the shops and labs of the world's technology developers. Whether this is all too late remains to be seen.
Sometimes the news makes you want to crawl under your bed and hide. Other times there's great hope and I'm ready to dance and cheer. These related stories for the week beginning September 9, 2007:
--- In an unprecedented occurrence for a tropical cyclone, Humberto leaped from tropical depression status with 35-mph winds to a hurricane with 85-mph winds in 18 hours. The storm crashed into the Texas coast with little warning. Refineries in Humberto's way shut down and oil on the futures market went over $80 a barrel for the first time.
"To put this development in perspective — no tropical cyclone in the historical record has ever reached this intensity at a faster rate near landfall," said senior hurricane specialist James Franklin of the National Hurricane Center in Miami.
--- A federal judge said it was OK for the state of Vermont to regulate greenhouse gases from cars and trucks. The ruling opens the doors for more than a dozen states to follow along. For the moment the states have more power than the EPA on vehicle greenhouse gas emissions.
--- The European Space Agency (ESA) announced that the Northwest Passage - the long sought ice-free trade route from Pacific to Atlantic across the top of Canada - is now just that: ice free.
(The shorter route between Asian and eastern US/European markets would mean lower shipping costs.)
Leif Toudal Pedersen from the Danish National Space Centre is a little concerned, however.
"We have seen the ice-covered area drop to just around 3 million square kilometers which is about 1 million square kilometers less than the previous minima of 2005 and 2006. There has been a reduction of the ice cover over the last 10 years of about 100 000 square kilometers per year on average, so a drop of 1 million square kilometers in just one year is extreme.
"The strong reduction in just one year certainly raises flags that the ice (in summer) may disappear much sooner than expected and that we urgently need to understand better the processes involved," said Pedersen.
In other words, climate change might be accelerating. The date for a summertime ice free Arctic may come sooner than the predicted 2040, but all eyes will be on a Greenland meltdown. (Its melting glaciers will cause the oceans to rise.)
--- In an interview with the BBC, chief science advisor to President Bush, Professor John Marburger, now says, with 90 percent certainty, that climate change is now a fact and greenhouse gas emissions from mankind are to blame.
He too is concerned.
"I think there is widespread agreement on certain basics, and one of the most important is that we are producing far more CO2 from fossil fuels than we ought to be.
"And it's going to lead to trouble unless we can begin to reduce the amount of fossil fuels we are burning and using in our economies."
"The CO2 accumulates in the atmosphere and there's no end point, it just gets hotter and hotter, and so at some point it becomes unlivable," he said.
Unlivable. Mankind is in trouble.
With continued troublesome news on climate and energy automakers seem to be responding.
--- Chrysler, newly set free from Daimler, has announced a new division, Envi (like envious or environment) that will focus on electric-drive vehicles and related advanced propulsion technologies. Its first product (with no timeline attached) will be a from-the-drawing-board-up, purpose-built hybrid mimicking Toyota's Prius, Honda's Insight, or Chevrolet's planned Volt.
--- GM was showing off its latest green efforts at the Frankfort Auto Show. Its Opel Flextreme uses the same e-Flex drive system as the Volt concept car shown at the Detroit Auto Show in January. Flextreme is a plug-in hybrid with a small diesel engine used to provide on-board power generation. On a full charge, the Flextreme can drive about 34 miles before the diesel engine cuts in. Total range on one 7-gallon tank of fuel is 444 miles.
(There's a surprise in the Flextreme trunk too: two Segway electric scooters. The scooters are charged from docking stations integrated into the car.)
--- Volvo has a plug-in hybrid concept as well: ReCharge. With four wheel-hub electric drive motors, ReCharge is also four-wheel drive. On a full charge, the car can travel 62 miles without using any gasoline. It can go 93 miles on less than single gallon of petrol.
For the auto companies the plan to meet the states' and an eventual federal government ruling on fuel economy and greenhouse gas emissions may be this: Begin building extremely efficient vehicles, like plug-in hybrids, while continuing to offer gas guzzlers like large SUVs. On average (and it's corporate fleet average they have to meet) enough high mileage vehicles on the road might counterbalance the fuel hogs. (If this theory holds true, look for some rule shifting so cars and trucks are included in the same averaging calculations.)
As frightening as the news may be, there's continued effort to take some action whether it's in the court room or the shops and labs of the world's technology developers. Whether this is all too late remains to be seen.
European Space Agency (ESA) http://www.esa.int


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The article states, "The number of prescriptions for ADHD medications dispensed for young people ages 10 to 19 has risen 26 percent since 2007, to almost 21 million yearly..." Students hoping to rise above the rest are buying these drugs from their peers. They take drug Adderall, Vyvanse, Ritalin and Focalin so they can have focus and energy for all night homework binges and long, tough exams.
Obviously these kids want to get into the best colleges. They are driven and will sacrifice the side-effects of these drugs (depression, mood swings, heart irregularities and acute exhaustion) just to get that edge on the competition. I know the demographic of these high achievers. Some have more pressure than their young minds and bodies can even take. They find it too hard to manage and want an easy way to keep up.
I urge parents to keep a close watch on what goes on with their high school student. Be aware of what their friends are up to. Ask questions. Make sure they know taking amphetamines and methylphenidates are controlled substances and those who sell them can be prosecuted as felons. Make sure they know that using these drugs is unethical. Simply put: It's cheating.
Then, know that there are other ways to stand out to college admissions. Check out how these high schoolers got into the Ivy Leagues and other dream colleges in the Merit project gallery. In my book, Beat the College Admissions Game: Do a Project, I write just how to be unlike the others. It's not as complicated as these young people think. I really hope they can try the holistic approach to standing out to colleges. Taking medications for energy and focus only teaches high school students the easy way to success. I think that we owe it to our children to teach them some skills they can use their whole lifetime.


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Living Cell Technologies Ltd. Appoints Chief Science and Medical Officer
10 December, 2012 Sydney, Australia and Auckland, New Zealand – Living Cell Technologies Limited (ASX: LCT; OTCQX: LVCLY) today announced the appointment of Dr Paul Tan to the position of Chief Science and Medical Officer (CSMO).
As CSMO, Dr Tan is tasked with leading the company's clinical trial programmes for DIABECELL® and NTCELL®. He will also lead the research and development and technology transfer teams at LCT, so that LCT has a growing pipeline of novel, breakthrough products entering clinical development to treat diseases of high unmet need.
Dr Tan has more than 18 years' experience in senior roles in the biotechnology industry, leading research and development teams into clinical trials in the US, UK, New Zealand, Philippines, Brazil and Russia. He has managed relationships with regulatory bodies including Medsafe (NZ), the FDA (US) and the Centre for Disease Control (US). In both his executive and consulting roles Dr Tan has secured substantial government and private investor funding for the research and development of therapeutic products and he has successfully transferred multiple therapeutic products into a GMP manufacturing environment.
"Many will know that Dr Tan previously held senior executive roles at LCT from 2004 to late 2010," said Dr Andrea Grant, Managing Director, LCT. "Since stepping down, Dr Tan has acted regularly as a senior consultant to LCT on research, clinical and regulatory matters. Paul has extensive knowledge of LCT's people, science and therapeutic and regulatory strategy. Coupled with this he brings an intimate knowledge and an enviable reputation in the New Zealand and Australian biotechnology, government and health sectors. I'm truly excited to have him re-join the team."
Emeritus Professor Bob Elliott, who has been acting CSMO since June this year, will now focus on his governance roles as a board member of LCT and Chair of the board of Diatranz Otsuka Limited, LCT's joint venture with Otsuka Pharmaceutical Factory. Professor Elliott will also continue on the executive management team of LCT on a part-time basis as Director, Clinical Research and Innovation. As such, he will principally be providing key strategic advice on clinical development and research innovation matters.
Both the CSMO and the Director, Clinical Research and Innovation report to the Chief Executive.
About Dr Paul Tan
Dr Tan (MB, BS, FRACP) serves as the Chair of the Board of Directors of NZBIO, the New Zealand industry association for bioscience.
Dr Tan joined LCT as managing director of LCT New Zealand in 2004, and served the company as chief executive officer from 2008-2010. His major accomplishments include taking DIABECELL®, the world's first animal to human cell therapy programme, to regulatory approval for clinical trials under international guidelines and developing the designated pathogen-free pig facility suitable for human therapeutics under international guidelines. Dr Tan also initiated several strategic commercial alliances and created significant international peer and governmental support for LCT. Dr Tan stepped down from his role at LCT in 2010 to work as an independent consultant to several biotechnology companies in New Zealand, including LCT.
Before this Dr Tan was CEO of CenTec Limited, a biotech company spun off from Centenary Institute for Cancer and Cell Biology, affiliated to the University of Sydney, from 2002-2004.
Dr Tan was founding Deputy Director and Head of Health Research at Genesis Research and Development Corporation from 1994-2002, where he managed the intellectual property and patent filings and the clinical trial programme. Prior to his career in the biotechnology industry Dr Tan was Associate Professor of Immunology at The University of Auckland and rheumatology consultant at Auckland Hospital.
He graduated from the University of Singapore and undertook postgraduate training at the University of Toronto.
About Living Cell Technologies
Living Cell Technologies (LCT) is a world leader in developing cell-based therapeutics to treat diseases with high unmet clinical need. Its proprietary cell encapsulation technology IMMUPEL™ allows for cell transplantation without the need for immunosuppressant drugs.
LCT's lead therapeutic candidate DIABECELL® is indicated for the treatment of patients with type 1 diabetes, especially those suffering from life threatening episodes of unaware hypoglycaemia (low blood sugar), a dangerous and potentially fatal diabetes complication. DIABECELL is currently in Phase II clinical trials in both New Zealand and Argentina. In 2011, LCT formed a partnership with Otsuka Pharmaceutical Factory Inc (OPF) in which the joint venture Diatranz Otsuka Limited (NZ) was established. Valued at A$50m on formation, LCT vested the DIABECELL product and associated IP into the JV, while OPF vested A$25m to fund the final phase of development of DIABECELL through to market approval. Both LCT and OPF are 50:50 shareholders in the current and future value generated by DIABECELL and the associated IP.
LCT has also developed NTCELL®, a choroid plexus cell product, to treat neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's disease and stroke. NTCELL's pre-clinical trial results indicate potential for protecting, repairing and possibly regenerating brain tissue which would otherwise die.
LCT is incorporated in Australia. Research and development, operations and manufacturing facilities are based in New Zealand.
LCT Disclaimer
This document contains certain forward-looking statements, relating to LCT's business, which can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "promising," "plans," "anticipated," "will," "project," "believe," "forecast," "expected," "estimated," "targeting," "aiming," "set to," "potential", "seeking to," "goal," "could "provide," "intends," "is being developed," "could be," "on track," or similar expressions, or by express or implied discussions regarding potential filings or marketing approvals, or potential future sales of product candidates. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such statements. There can be no assurance that any existing or future regulatory filings will satisfy the FDA's and other health authorities' requirements regarding any one or more product candidates nor can there be any assurance that such product candidates will be approved by any health authorities for sale in any market or that they will reach any particular level of sales. In particular, management's expectations regarding the approval and commercialization of the product candidates could be affected by, among other things, unexpected clinical trial results, including additional analysis of existing clinical data, and new clinical data; unexpected regulatory actions or delays, or government regulation generally; our ability to obtain or maintain patent or other proprietary intellectual property protection; competition in general; government, industry, and general public pricing pressures; and additional factors that involve significant risks and uncertainties about our products, product candidates, financial results and business prospects. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described herein as anticipated, believed, estimated or expected. LCT is providing this information and does not assume any obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained in this document as a result of new information, future events or developments or otherwise.
At the company:
Dr Andrea Grant
Chief Executive Officer
Tel: +64 9 270 7941
Mobile: +64 21 078 5421
Media enquiries:
Sally Raudon
Botica Butler Raudon Partners
Tel: +64 9 303 3862
Mobile: +64 21 402 502


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- Yes, stop Kevin Smith – but make sure that when Culpepper does drop back, he's scared into turnovers.
- Last Detroit/Packers game, I warned about Brandon Pettigrew. I was a bit premature with that. But now he's starting to look good and we should keep an extra eye on him.
- Get the ball to Jennings again. Last week, I called for Jennings getting into the action early. McCarthy dutifully read through our pregame thoughts and obliged, featuring Jennings. He's too good to lay low anymore – go to him over and over until defenses shift disproportionately his way, then pass to whoever is wide open.
- Get Grant going and let him score some TDs. I don't have him in my fantasy league – I just think it's an important part of feeling like THE team's RB. Get him some scores.
- Even though we all had some criticism for the game plans Capers put together against the Vikes and against a few other opponents, there is something that should be said – the Packers' defense statistically ranked fairly high and more importantly, for the first time in a long time, opponents are beginning to be concerned about facing our defense. Even when we were 13-3 in 2007, I don't think teams were TOO concerned re what our defense might do. But with the blitzing and the turnover-causing and the occasional unpredictability, this defense is starting to show some signs of living up to the preseason billing.
- BJ Raji may become more and more of a force – he looks pretty good to me.
- Should be exciting to watch Brad Jones and Tramon get important/national TV starts. While I actually expect both to have good games and get Packer fans pumped for what may come, my enthusiasm will be tempered knowing this is Detroit.
- I'd love to see a couple big returns by Jordy. He is a very patient return guy – kind of has the running patience of one Ron Dayne, when he patiently broke the NCAA rushing record at Wisconsin). He's a smart returner and I'm guessing he'll make a difference tomorrow.
- I want the Packers to play a full 60 minutes tomorrow. Even if they jump out to a lead, I want them to stick with the game plan that hopefully will have gotten them the lead through at least 3.5 quarters – I don't want them to back off and go into some prevent defense/offense crap. Detroit showed last week, albeit against Cleveland, some fight by coming back in the last seconds.
- I can see 3-4 turnovers by the Lions and will be somewhat disappointed with fewer than 3.
- I'll say the same thing I said before the last Detroit/Packers game – I'm not too worried re this game. I know that's cocky, and it's the Thanksgiving game etc, but Rodgers is solid mentally and playing very well, Grant is finally getting the ball, McCarthy has sort of awakened to the need for playcalling balance, our defense scares opponents more than they have for quite a while and Detroit is just not a talented team.
- Packers 34, Lions 17.
Pre-game Pack/Lion thoughts
3 Responses to "Pre-game Pack/Lion thoughts"
cow Says:
November 26, 2009 at 8:52 am |
i bet that'll be the only nelson = dayne comparison i will ever see…EVER.
العاب سيارات Says:
November 26, 2009 at 10:10 am |
great game
DreamPipe Says:
November 26, 2009 at 12:38 pm |
Matthew Stafford and Calvin Johnson are active and will start today


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Rove stumbles, critics pounce
For the first time in a dozen years, Karl Rove's critics smell blood.
After his electoral wipeout in November — and motivated by years of resentment that's spilling over — Rove's credibility within his own party is at an all-time low.
Story Continued Below
His ability to sell donors on his new endeavor, the Conservative Victory Project, took a beating with a rollout in The New York Times, the newspaper conservatives love to hate.
( Also on POLITICO: Rove defends himself against attacks)
Just this week, a tea party group grafted his image over a Nazi in an email pitch. Newt Gingrich, who spent much of 2012 lambasting Rove and the rest of the GOP establishment, faulted Rove for trying to handpick candidates. And last week, Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad spoke publicly about phoning Rove to tell him his latest venture was ill-conceived.
Such open season on Rove would have been unimaginable even six months ago, as the Crossroads groups he co-founded cruised along to a $300 million fundraising goal. But that was before November, when a bad election night was capped by a bad Rove performance on Fox News — a call heard 'round the world as he insisted the presidential race, which the cable network had just called for Barack Obama, was far from over.
He's been re-signed by Fox, which guarantees him a powerful bully pulpit going forward. But, while it might be a stretch to say he's gone from guru to goat, he will have to spend months making a case to skeptical donors, several Republican fundraisers conceded.
( Also on POLITICO: Tea party group pictures Rove as Nazi)
"He's got a donor backlash and he's got an activists backlash," said one prominent Republican donor. Several people who cut big checks to Crossroads feel burned, this person said, adding some believe Rove is letting his group off too easy with his insistence that the problem last year was bad candidates.
"This idea that he's the curator" of the Republican Party has taken a beating, said the donor. Further, the donor said — echoing sentiments made by others — the Times story about the Conservative Victory Project made both Crossroads and Rove a focus, as opposed to the process of picking candidates. And it set CVP up in direct opposition to another major conservative outside group, Club for Growth, that has been able to tout electoral successes.
To be sure, Rove remains a serious figure within the party — one who a number of donors still respect immensely — as evidenced by how few people would criticize him on the record.
( PHOTOS: Republicans on how to fix the GOP)
Still, Gingrich's column put a fine point on a common gripe among activists about Rove's approach. Though CVP's aim is to help prevent Republicans from nominating disastrous candidates like Todd Akin and Richard Mourdock, it fails to account for the fact that some establishment-preferred Senate nominees lost, too.
"In seven of the nine losing races, the Rove model has no candidate-based explanation for failure," Gingrich wrote on the conservative site Human Events in an op-ed piece. "Our problems are deeper and more complex than candidates. Handing millions to Washington-based consultants to destroy the candidates they dislike and nominate the candidates they do like is an invitation to cronyism, favoritism and corruption."


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Tuesday, April 14, 2009
My Winter Coat
So it's mid April here in Toronto and I'm still wearing my winter coat. This isn't all that unusual for the time of year, but you do get tired of it. Slowly the temperature is rising, and hopefully by the end of the month I will have officially switched to my leather jacket.
The switch is important to me because it means the weather will be warmer. It will also mean that I will have fewer embarrassing moments which I am afraid I must blame entirely on my winter coat. Specifically its hood.
My ears are very sensitive (ah what a delicate soul I am), even in above freezing temperatures they can get so cold so as to give me ear aches. So I wear the hood of my coat up often. I prefer the hood because not only does it block the cold from blowing in at many different angles, it keeps my hair from getting messy unlike a hat.
But. It is also the source of great humiliation for me. You see, I have no peripheral vision in the hood. I have to be extra vigilant when crossing the street etc. But when walking along a sidewalk where it doesn't matter what's to my sides as much, I tend to forget I can't see around me.
And see here's the issue.
I like to sing. A lot. It makes me happy. And I've been taking singing lessons for years and I am very excited how much my ability has improved. When I think no one's looking I go all musical theatre on the world, and will totally belt any and every showtune loudly in public.
Problem is, with this hood of mine, I don't always realise that I'm not as alone as I think I am. Several times this week I have been singing, again, loudly, only to discover that following almost directly beside me is another individual most clearly within earshot. This being Toronto, as well as being a big city in Canada, they never say anything. People in Toronto are used to strange people talking to themselves etc, and being Canadian are also too polite to stare.
Let me reiterate. I sing loudly. I mean, as if I was on stage. There's no way to pretend I wasn't just singing, or that I am cutely singing to myself. Oddly though, I stop right away and try to anyway, but I always feel ridiculous.
I feel the heat rush to my face, I quickly walk away from that person, and get mad at myself for getting caught.
It's really quite embarrassing.
And then two seconds later, I start singing again.
There's not much point to this story. Nothing that is really analogous to writing or acting. I suppose if I was to make it meaningful I could say something about making yourself vulnerable doing something you love, being true to yourself. Even though at times you may feel really dumb, or people may judge you, it's more important to sing loudly in the street than to walk quietly, head lowered, afraid to be yourself. Maybe I'll even take this lesson myself and apply it when I switch up jackets, and sing proudly still as if I was wearing my hood.
Actually, that's pretty good. But it wasn't the reason for telling the story.
I just wanted to tell the story.
7 comments:
Really, does anything look weird in the Age of Headphones? Last summer, I saw a woman sitting on a sidewalk planter, talking to herself. I assumed she was using a headset. She was actually hallucinatory, but I couldn't tell until I passed her.
It was her jacket that tipped me off; it was too scuffed to belong to someone using a headset. But still, what a cognitive leap—eleven years in Toronto and I now associate talking to oneself with professionalism, not madness.
- Breka said...
I wouldn't be caught dead singing in public...but I have been surprised in the middle of dramatic recitations of "Jabberwocky" and the like. I feel your embarrassment. There should be review mirrors on things like hoods.
At the same time, walking to work on a wretchedly cold Friday morning there was a girl with a lovely voice singing - loudly - and it completely made my morning. So keep singing.
Ah yes, Canadian winters. Remember them well. Have to say, I don't miss them.
I find London cold enough, and get my mother to send me earmuffs and thermal gloves from Canada because you can't get them easily here!
- Adrienne said...
It does help that current technology makes everyone look a bit mad. Still, not sure what technology allows for singing full voice, vibrato and everything . . . I'm sure we could make something up.
Breka - I too recite "Jabberwocky". I also enjoy the Richard II speech with "Let us sit upon the ground and tell sad stories of the death of kings". And I wonder . .. maybe that was me that Friday morning, though I wouldn't presume to call my singing "lovely" . . .
sayssara - to be honest when I lived in London, I actually felt colder than in Toronto. I think it had to do with a difference between wet cold and dry cold. The wet just went right through me. Still at least in England they actually have spring and the cold is over with pretty quickly. That was my favourite season there.
- Heidi the Hick said...
Well thank you, I love that story!
I've ditched my winter coat but I'm still wearing a toque - I get the earaches too. Oh, we delicate flowers!!!
Sometimes I wear a baseball cap with a bandanna tied over it to cover my ears. Like, a really colourful one with all the paisleys. Drives my kids NUTS.
I don't sing though, sadly. Those darn kids have begged me not to. Pitch snobs...
Have you seen the dude playing guitar with a bag over his head in front of Roy Thompson hall???? That freaked me out because NOBODY acknowledged him- they all went along like it was so normal they didn't even notice anymore! And I was like, "Am I hallucinating??? No really, is he another one of those voices in my head???"
I think in the city you can get away with anything really, so by all means, SING!
- Adaora A. said...
Yep I'm in Toronto too, and I definetly...I am experiencing the same thing. Every year it gets warm in February and March, then reverts back to cold in April before it goes back to warm again.
Strange people entertaining themselves are what makes TO what it is!
I love to sing too! I also like to play guitar (which I picked up because I've always loved the way it sounds, and how it would sound with vocals.) Good luck with your vocals! I had the most amazing vocal instructor when I was younger and she told me to keep singing because (well she liked my voice) and because it's one of the joys in life.
- Gorillamydreamz said...
My wife sings show tunes at the drop of a hat and also is upset with Toronto for not letting her put away her winter coat yet.
She'd likely join your song if you were sharing a side walk. I think you'd harmonize terrifically.


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country_ve: page_travel_title Countries_World > america > country_ve
country_ve: page_travel_title Countries_World > america > country_ve
country_ve (Population)Venezuela is a country on the northern coast of South America.
Venezuela is considered a state with extremely high biodiversity with habitats ranging from the Andes mountains in the west to the Amazon Basin rainforest in the south, via extensive llanos plains and Caribbean coast in the center and the Orinoco River Delta in the east.
Venezuela was colonized by Spain in 1522 despite resistance from indigenous peoples. It became the first Spanish American colony to declare independence (in 1811 , but did not securely establish independence until 1821 (as a department of the federal republic of Gran Colombia, gaining full independence in 1830).
During the 19th century Venezuela suffered political turmoil and dictatorship, and it was dominated by regional caudillos (military strongmen) well into the 20th century. The country has intermittently had democratic governments between 1945 and the present day; like most countries of Latin America, it has suffered some coups and military dictatorships. Economic shocks in the 1980s and 1990s led to a political crisis causing up to 3,000 deaths in the Caracazo riots of 1989, two attempted coups in 1992, and the impeachment of President Carlos Andrés Pérez for embezzlement of public funds in 1993. A collapse in confidence in the existing parties saw the 1998 election of former career officer Hugo Chávez and the launch of the Bolivarian Revolution, beginning with a 1999 Constituent Assembly to write a new Constitution of Venezuela.
Venezuela is a federal presidential republic consisting of 23 states, the Capital District (covering Caracas , and Federal Dependencies (covering Venezuela's offshore islands). Venezuela is among the most urbanized countries in Latin America; the vast majority of Venezuelans live in the cities of the north, especially in the capital Caracas which is also the largest city.
Since the discovery of oil in the early 20th century, Venezuela has been one of the world's leading exporters of oil and has the largest oil reserves. Previously an underdeveloped exporter of agricultural commodities such as coffee and cocoa oil quickly came to dominate exports and government revenues. The 1980s oil glut led to an external debt crisis and a long-running economic crisis, which saw inflation peak at 100% in 1996 and poverty rates rise to 66% in 1995 as (by 1998) per capita GDP fell to the same level as 1963, down a third from its 1978 peak. The recovery of oil prices after 2001 boosted the Venezuelan economy and facilitated social spending, although the fallout of the 2008 global financial crisis saw a renewed economic downturn.


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As licensed therapists and counselors, our goal is to help you uncover your true potential and lead a life that is worth celebrating. While we can't change difficult situations of the past, we can work together to better understand and resolve challenges in your life. Through the use of multiple therapy and counseling approaches and techniques, we will unearth long-standing behavior patterns or negative perceptions that may be holding you back from experiencing a more fulfilling and meaningful life.
If you're looking for extra support and guidance through a challenging situation or you're just ready to move in a new direction in your life, we look forward to working with you to achieve your goals.
Please call or email us for an individual, couples or family therapy today. Be sure to follow us on Instagram and Facebook @charlottetherapyassociates.


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PACE Lifts Energy Burden in Los Angeles County
A version of this article appears in the November/December 2008 issue of Home Energy Magazine.
November 06, 2008
Founded in 1976 to address the employment and job training needs of the Asian Pacific Islander (API) communities of Los Angeles, the Pacific Asian Consortium in Employment (PACE) has broadened both the services it offers and its target population to include all ethnic and immigrant populations within one of the nation's leading melting pots. Los Angeles County is home to the largest percentage of both Hispanics and APIs in the United States. According to the 2006 Census, Hispanics make up 46.8% of the county's population of 9,948,081, while APIs make up 13.4%. PACE now offers six major programs that serve more than 33,000 low-income individuals and families in the county of Los Angeles each year. Founded in 1980, one of the first of these programs was our Environmental Services program. Today PACE's program offerings include, in addition to our Environmental Services program, Early Childhood Education, Business Development, Asset Building, Affordable Housing, and Job Training and Placement. PACE staff are proficient in more than 26 languages and cultures. This knowledge of both language and culture is key to effective implementation of all programs, including the Environmental Services program. Staff fluency in English, Spanish, Korean, three dialects of Chinese, Vietnamese, Cambodian, Amharic, ...
To read complete online articles, you need to sign up for an Online Subscription.
Once an order has been placed there is an automatic $10 processing fee that will be deducted with any cancellation.
The Home Energy Online articles are for personal use only and may not be printed for distribution. For permission to reprint, please send an e-mail to firstname.lastname@example.com.


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A rare "Friends" cast gathering, sans Matthew Perry, spurred a flurry of stories last month. But what drew the five pals together – a tribute to the great TV director James Burrows – garnered less notice.
That's understandable, if ironic: Burrows, a co-creator of "Cheers," the place where everybody knows your name, never became a household name himself – even if his moniker is familiar to closing credit watchers from all over.
Burrows, who's excelled at directing high-quality ensemble sitcoms for more than four decades, takes center stage in "Must See TV: An All-Star Tribute to James Burrows" set for Sunday on NBC. It's a prime-time opportunity to celebrate one of the best friends TV viewers ever had.
The director got his big break in the early 1970s, helming a handful of installments of "The Mary Tyler Moore Show," perhaps the greatest of the ensemble comedies.
He absorbed the "MTM" formula – great cast, sharp writing, character-driven laughs and plots, deceiving depth and warmth. That ethos informed his later work on "The Bob Newhart Show," "Taxi," "Will & Grace," "Frasier," "Mike & Molly," "Two and a Half Men," "The Big Bang Theory," and, of course, "Friends," to name a few.
The 75-year-old Burrows recently logged his 1,000th TV episode, directing the upcoming NBC sitcom "Crowded." But his impact resounds beyond his resume: "30 Rock," "Parks and Recreation" and "Modern Family" are among the shows that benefitted from the ensemble movement he helped foster.
Burrows, though, remains most closely associated with "Cheers," which he co-created with Glen and Les Charles. They served up an 11-year master class in TV comedy, set in a Boston bar. "Cheers" played like an "MTM" relative, but put its own twist on the sitcom DNA.
Both shows boasted classic finales. "MTM" ended with the "Long-Way-to-Tipperary" mobile group hug. "Cheers" concluded with a man banging on the bar door, only to be turned away by owner Sam Malone. The shadowy figure in the darkened doorway was Burrows, who let barkeep Malone, played by Ted Danson, have the final word: "Sorry – we're closed."
On Sunday, Danson, most of the "Friends" cast and other TV luminaries will be on hand to give James Burrow his moment in the spotlight. He deserves all the cheers he gets.
Jere Hester is Director of News Products and Projects at the City University of New York Graduate School of Journalism. He is also the author of "Raising a Beatle Baby: How John, Paul, George and Ringo Helped us Come Together as a Family." Follow him on Twitter.


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Haven't found anything yet?
Called "The Big Easy" by Americans, New Orleans presents itself with carefree silence and enjoyable vitality - these characteristics can be foand as well at the vinyl wallpaper 30319-3. Get inspired by the graphic textured pattern with glitter and gloss effect, which carries variety into your home and gives your walls a new face. Framed by a colouration of black and silver, the German brand product can be easily integrated into every modern living room and creates an unmistakable New Orleans-Flair. The Vinyl wallpaper is good light resistant, highly washable and divisible.


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7 Hackers Who Got Legit Jobs From Their Exploits
Thirteen years after "Hack Heaven," Stephen Glass' fabricated feature about a lonely teenage hacker who was hired by a major software company, was published, the story has practically come true.
On Sunday we reported that Facebook hired 21-year-old George "Geohot" Hotz, the famed PlayStation 3 hacker who spent four months this year duking it out with Sony in the courts. The two parties eventually settled and Hotz was forbidden from "unauthorized access" to another Sony product again—not that he will need one in his new role as a developer at the world's largest social networking site. His hacks of Apple iPhones, iPod Touches, and the PS3 served as resume fodder to his current employer.
Hotz is clearly a smart man and Facebook was smart to hire him, and while an argument can certainly be made for hiring gray-hat hackers, where do you draw the line? Sophos security consultant Graham Cluley has been one enduring critic of hiring black-hat hackers and has blogged in the past about the negative precedent it sets for aspiring young tech mavens who may not know the difference.
"It's ironic that the owners of iPhones that have not been jailbroken may now find themselves running code written by a virus writer," he said in 2009 in response to the hiring of two young hackers (who created iPhone and Twitter worms) by major software companies.
Hotz certainly isn't the first school-aged hacker who avoided charges and landed gainful employment at some of Silicon Valley's top firms. Click through the slideshow below for seven men whose tinkering with technology paid off (for some, after a prison stint).
Editor's Note: Many readers have taken issue with our original characterization of the actions of the people profiled in this piece as "misdeeds." While we think it's a fair characterization for some, putting them all in the same basket with the label was a mistake. As such, we have changed the title of the article. Apologies to any who took offense.
1 Apple hires jailbreak app developer
2 Microsoft, then Google grab Nintendo Wiimote hacker
3 U.S. government grabs old-school hacker
4 Facebook hires Facebook worm creator
5 From iPhone worm creator to iPhone app developer
6 Twitter worm creator becomes app developer
7 Wired hires FBI hacker


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Commuter Forecast for January 29, 2010
January 29, 2010
We have some areas of snow and temperatures in the single digits this morning, but most of the roads in the Lawrence-Topeka area are clear.
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Senators wary of combative Cruz
Sen. Ted Cruz lost his voice a couple days ago.
Some senators probably wish it wouldn't come back — at least for a little while.
Story Continued Below
In six short weeks since he became the junior Texas GOP senator, the no-nonsense freshman has quickly become a lightning rod — on issues ranging from guns to Chuck Hagel's nomination for defense secretary — upending the Senate's conventional ways, in which freshmen typically work quietly to build bridges with their colleagues.
( Also on POLITICO: Ted Cruz wants to be GOP's answer man)
Cruz's sharp-elbowed Senate style underscores the dilemma facing Republicans as they seek a way out of the political wilderness: Rising stars like Cruz, a tea party favorite, are winning elections and GOP primaries. But their no-compromise, firebrand styles could turn off voters eager to see the two parties start making deals.
"I think he's got unlimited potential," Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said of Cruz. "But the one thing I will say to any new senator — you're going to be respected if you can throw a punch but you also have to prove you can do a deal."
Just this week, Cruz was rebuked by senior senators like Republican John McCain and Democrat Bill Nelson for what they considered an unfair line of questioning allegedly impugning Hagel's patriotism. He previously ignored requests from Armed Services Committee Chairman Carl Levin (D-Mich.) to refrain from using video clips to question Hagel during his confirmation proceedings. Many were stunned when Cruz was one of just three senators to vote against John Kerry's nomination as secretary of state.
( PHOTOS: Republicans on how to fix the GOP)
Behind closed doors, some Republican senators report that Cruz, in his stone-cold serious prosecutorial style, speaks at length when it's far more common for freshmen to wait before asserting themselves — particularly ones who were just sworn in.
And the Texas tea partier was quick to annoy one of the most powerful Senate Democrats, Chuck Schumer, after he engaged in a combative line of questioning with the New Yorker on a recent Sunday talk show, even though senators from opposing parties are typically far more collegial in those settings.
As he's talked up in conservative circles as a possible 2016 presidential candidate, some Hill Republicans believe Cruz has much to learn if he wants to have a successful Senate career.
"It's becoming a trend when you're a new arrival," lamented one Senate Republican who asked not to be named. "They don't get to know the Senate or the other senators; they just start talking. And that takes away from [Cruz's] ability to be an influential legislator."
Another GOP senator reported that fellow Republicans were already getting "annoyed" by Cruz's antics.
On the Democratic side, the criticism has been more intense — particularly in the aftermath of Cruz's sharp questioning of Hagel.
( PHOTOS: Chuck Hagel's confirmation hearing)
During Hagel's confirmation hearing last month, Cruz used a series of video clips of Hagel being interviewed by Al-Jazeera to suggest the nominee espoused views hostile to Israel. And during a committee vote earlier this week, Cruz criticized Hagel's failure to reveal details of his personal compensation from 2008 to 2010, asking whether North Korean sources may have funneled $200,000 to the defense nominee.


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- One leaf with manuscript on both sides. On front, letter to Mr. John Anderson of Bristol regarding international slave trade, market prices of 'young & likely' negros, and clothing for slaves being shipped. Includes mention of Brig Alert and Ship Hector, carrying slaves from the Coast of Africa to Barbados. Letter signed 'F. H. V E', Charleston [South Carolina]. On verso, letter dated May 8, 1784 to Messrs. Lycott and Maxwell of Barbados regarding communication between Captain William Lewellin of the Ship Hector and Mr. John Anderson of Bristol on January 20, 1784. Signed 'S. Ca' [Charleston, South Carolina]. Also on verso, letter fragment signed 'F. H. V E.'
- Remarks given [probably by Samuel or William Vernon] regarding a case against Captain Thomas Rogers, who is accused of producing falsified trade books and trading to his own benefit in Barbados, Cape de Verdes, St. Christopher, and Isle de Los. Document describes several instances of disregard for trade orders from the ship's owners.
- Four-page inventory of Homer Virgil Milton [probably of Jefferson County, Georgia]. Includes names and estimated value of aprroximately 32 slaves, among other household goods. Signed on last page by appraisers Samuel Clements, Robert Lowry, Tom Rim [?], and "Mark T." Made official and signed by Sherrod Arrington.
- Two-page petition by George Wooley against A. O. Roberts requesting a recision of a previous contract regarding the purchase from A. O. Roberts by George Wooley of the slave girl named Ann, on the ground that the negro slave is unsound and diseased, in Fayette County, Kentucky [previous contract attached].
- Ship manifest of "negroes, mulattoes, and persons of color taken on" the Steamer Baltimore of Washington from the port of Alexandria. Includes names of ship's Master, John Rogers, shipper J. N. Stark, collector Edward S. Hough and four slaves, Jane Diggs, Richard Diggs, Betsy Sanders and Charles Sanders.


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A while back I put together a roundup of Booties for Babies, but with the holidays coming, 'tis the season for crochet slippers for all! I've rounded up the cutest, coziest, and warmest slippers for men, women, teens and kids – and each and every one of these twenty crochet patterns is free!
Women's Crochet Slipper Patterns:
- Mary Jane Slippers on GoodKnits (women's large, but easily adjustable)
- "Pocahontas" by DROPS Design (3 sizes included)
- Felted Slippers on Susie at the Circus (fits UK sizes 5-7)
- Mother's day Spa Slippers on Annoo's Crochet World, via the Internet Archive (Women's 7-8) (originally listed here were slippers by Bernat, but they've redone their site and the pattern is gone)
- Seaspray Slippers on Jay's Boutique (custom sizing)
Men's Crochet Slipper Patterns:
- Men's Padded Sole Slippers on Sue's Crochet and Knitting (10 to 11 inch foot)
- Hissukka by Sanna Kovanen (English translation no longer available, sorry all!)
- Easy Big Foot Slippers on Sewhooked (custom sizing)
- Anatomy of a Loafer by Jeanette Reid (size 12)
- Slippers for Guys on Gatuxedo (US size 9)
Teen Crochet Slipper Patterns:
- High Top Sneaker Slippers on Simplicity (Small, Medium, Large) via Internet Archives
- Slipper Boots on Yarnspirations (XS-S-M-L-XL)
- Operation Christmas Box Slippers by Tiffany Roan (Teen/Adult Small)
- Toe Up Slippers on Red Heart (Shoe size 3–6 (small), 6–9 (medium), 8–12 (large))
- Pudgy Piggy Slippers on Red Heart (Adult Medium 8-9" Foot)
Children's Crochet Slipper Patterns:
- Nana Slippers by Sarah Wales (custom sizing)
- Slipper Socks on Yarn Lover's Room (Fits shoe sizes 9-12)
- Monster Eyes Slippers on Premier Yarns (Toddler, Youth, Adult Woman, Adult Man)
- Dust Mop Slippers by Carol Ballard (Child's 4-6)
- Kids One Piece No Sew Slippers on Craftown (foot approx 6 ½ inches to 7 ½ inches in length)
Bonus Pattern #21: Simple Chunky Cable Crochet Slippers, here on Moogly: Now you can make slippers from a Moogly pattern! Sized to fit average width and wide women's feet size 6-11, and up to a Men's size 10. Bonus Pattern #22: Posy Toes Crochet Slippers, also here on Moogly: Sized to fit average width and wide women's feet size 6-11, these lightweight slippers are perfect for warmer seasons and climates!
Looking to make matching slippers for the whole family? The Nana Slippers, Monster Eyes, Slipper Boots, and Seaspray Slippers can be made in any size at all! And most of these slippers can be worked up in an evening. So there's no excuse to have cold feet this winter – and 20 great reasons to have toasty warm ones! And if you're worried about them being too slippery on hardwood or tile, check out these 7 Great Ways to Make Slippers Non Slip!
What are you making for holiday gift giving? Are slippers on the list? Have you made crochet slippers before and loved the pattern? Share in the comments!
Be sure to check out and like the moogly Facebook page to get the latest updates, links, sneak peeks, and more! Moogly is also on Pinterest, Twitter, and Tumblr – come join the fun!


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Macy's will soon make final sale in downtown building
City plans task force to attract new stores in attempt to revitalize one-time retail hub
The downtown Macy's, a once-powerful shopping draw that in recent years had become more of a lunchtime hangout for office workers needing a new pair of shoes or a last-minute gift, will shut down this spring, the retailer said Thursday.
The owner of the building is planning to tear down the 10-story structure and develop an office tower in its place, Mayor Annise Parker said Thursday afternoon, addressing the store's closure and announcing a new plan to increase retail in downtown.
The loss of the Macy's at 1110 Main represents another knock to the downtown retail scene, one in which stores and restaurants open and close with regularity.
Just last month, Books-A-Million, a two-story bookstore in the Houston Pavilions, closed after its lease ended.
The Pavilions, one of downtown's newest developments, has struggled to find retailers, but new owners say they have plans for revitalizing the project.
New downtown site?
More Information
Foley's and Macy's: A downtown timeline
Shop Girl: Don't worry, shoppers, you have nearby options
Photos: The end of a retail era in downtown
Exclusively on HoustonChronicle.com: Landmark store leaves a rich legacy
Many are sad to see the downtown Macy's go.
The department store has operated in the center of downtown for 66 years. Its downtown roots date to 1900.
"The emotional side of this is it's a hard one," said Bob Eury, executive director of the Houston Downtown Management District. "But this also makes us look forward to new opportunities."
Eury said Macy's occupies just a portion of the 791,000-square-foot building. There have been recent discussions between the city, the property owner and the retailer about relocating Macy's into a smaller space within the city's core.
"Macy's has expressed very strong interest in downtown," Eury said. "They think it's a strong and viable market."
The retailer, however, was mum.
"We never comment on where we may or may not be looking for store locations," said Jim Sluzewski, a spokesman for Macy's Inc.
The Cincinnati-based company, which announced five other store closings nationwide Thursday, said the store's lease is up this spring and is not being renewed.
News of the closure did not shock industry analysts who have followed a shift in the way retailers operate.
Stores close every year
Older downtown department stores are often much larger than a modern retailer needs, said Maureen McAvey, senior resident fellow a the Urban Land Institute in Washington, D.C.
Typically, such stores lease out floors to other tenants, she said.
Two of the other Macy's being closed are downtown stores.
Retail analyst Howard Davidowitz said Macy's is a strong performer in the department store segment, but it closes stores every year.
"Part of good management is exploring the potential of every store and asking if it is it worth it to keep it going," said the chairman of Davidowitz & Associates, a national retail consulting and investment banking firm in New York City.
The downtown Houston building is owned by an investment partnership known as 1110 Main Partners. Doug Kelly, president of Hilcorp Ventures in Houston, who is separately involved in the partnership, said Thursday there were no specific plans for the property to announce.
New city task force
City officials, meanwhile, quickly focused on downtown retail.
Shortly after Macy's made its plans public, Parker announced a newly created task force with the Houston Downtown Management District.
The group, which includes such high-level real-estate developers as Ed Wulfe and Marvy Finger, has been asked to identify downtown locations where Macy's could reopen, as well as find other spaces suitable for additional retail.
Parker said that with a number of residential projects on the drawing board, downtown residents need more retail options. She mentioned dry cleaners, pharmacies and department stores.
"We want to make sure we find a new spot for Macy's downtown and, if not that, that we look for strategic opportunities to implant retail as we rebuild downtown," Parker said.
Workers to relocate
Many Houstonians remember the department store as Foley's, a homegrown retail chain that started here in 1900.
As the store grew, it relocated and eventually moved in the 1110 Main building in 1947. It was converted to Macy's in the fall 2006.
In addition to 138 employees who work in the downtown retail operation, Macy's also has about 100 regional and district employees who work in offices in the building. Those employees will relocate to the Willowbrook area and the shop workers may be transferred or offered severance packages, Macy's said.
The company said clearance sales will begin Monday and run between seven and 11 weeks.


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August 26, 2011
Water-based recreation prohibited at Milford Lake
TOPEKA — In recent testing of Kansas lakes by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE), blue-green algae levels in several lakes remain high. Milford Reservoir, near Junction City, has been upgraded from "Advisory" status to "Warning" status. While state parks, campgrounds and area businesses will remain open at Milford Lake, officials are prohibiting any water-based activities, and lake access points will be closed because of blue-green algae levels.
Two new additions to the Warning list include the River Pond at Tuttle Creek State Park in Pottawatomie and Riley counties and Dillon Park Lake in Hutchinson. The Warning at Tuttle Creek's River Pond, which is below the dam, does not affect Tuttle Creek Lake.
In some good news, however, Big Hill Reservoir, in Labette County, and Hillsdale Reservoir, in Miami County, have been removed from all listings.
Based upon the latest sampling results and established health risk levels, KDHE issues Warnings and Advisories. A "Warning" is issued when high levels of toxic blue-green algae have been detected. A "Public Health Warning" indicates that water conditions are unsafe, and direct water contact (wading, skiing, and swimming) should not occur.
Blue-green algae do not affect the drinking water in state parks, and all campgrounds, marinas, and other lakeside businesses remain open for business.
KDHE samples recreational bodies of water for blue-green algae when the agency is alerted to a potential algae bloom. When harmful algal blooms are present, KDHE, in cooperation with the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism, responds by informing the public of these conditions.
Health effects from exposure to blue-green algae can vary. The most common complaints after recreational exposure include vomiting, diarrhea, skin rashes, eye irritation and respiratory symptoms. These toxins also cause deaths in pets. KDHE has confirmed that three dogs have died at Milford Lake due to blue-green algae exposure at Milford Lake.
Current concentrations of algae in the following waters exceeded the KDHE recommended level of less than 100,000 cells/ml for recreational water use and are currently under Warning:
- River Pond at Tuttle Creek State Park — Pottawatomie and Riley counties (new listing);
- Santa Fe Lake — Augusta, Butler County;
- Memorial Park Lake — Great Bend, Barton County;
- Rigg's Park Lake — Haysville, Sedgwick County;
- Warnock Lake — Atchison County;
- Harvey County East Lake — Harvey County;
- Augusta City Lake — Augusta, Butler County;
- Logan City Lake — Phillips County;
- Milford Reservoir — Clay, Geary and Dickinson Counties (upgraded from an Advisory to a Warning); and
- Dillon Park Lake — Hutchinson, Reno County (new listing).
When a Warning is issued, KDHE recommends the following precautions be taken:
- do not drink lake water;
- do not swim, wade, or do anything with full-body contact with lake water;
- clean fish well, consume only the fillet portion, and discard all other parts; and
- keep pets from having contact with or drinking lake water.
An "Advisory" is issued when harmful blue-green algae have been detected. A "Public Health Advisory" indicates that a hazardous condition exists, but water activities such as boating and fishing may be safe. However, direct contact with water (wading, swimming) is strongly discouraged for people and pets.
KDHE has issued an Advisory for the following Kansas public waters:
- Marion County Lake — Marion County; and
- Cheney Reservoir — Reno, Kingman, and Sedgwick counties.
When a Advisory is issued, KDHE recommends the following precautions be taken:
- do not drink lake water;
- avoid swimming, wading, or other activities with full body contact with lake water;
- clean fish well, consume only the fillet portion, and discard all other parts; and
- keep pets from having contact with or drinking lake water.
KDHE will continue to monitor these public waters and will update statements as conditions warrant. More information on algae and algae blooms, including up-to-date advisories and Warnings, can be found at online at www.kdheks.gov/algae-illness/