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Is anti-war activism on the wane? What can revive it?
Reports from Palestine
Earth Day in Israel: Apartheid Showing through the Greenwash
Occupied Washington, DC
AIPAC: Telling a Whopper
Questioning Our Special Relationship with Israel
Assedio di Gaza: Rompere l'indifferenza
My Memories of Fort Hood
Italy's Fallen Soldiers
Yes We Camp
Absurdity is the Norm in the Gaza Strip
Il pacchetto di sicurezza viola i diritti umani
U.S. Military Base in Vicenza, Italy Gets Final Approval
Unofficial Referendum in Vicenza, Italy:
Mat and Yvonne Say: No Dal Molin
U.S. Military Interests Reign Supreme in Italy
Italian Court Blocks Construction of U.S. Military Base
Movimenti contro le basi militari negli USA
As Italy's elections go from bad to worse, Vicenza remains the silver lining
What Do You Know About the U.S. Base Camp Darby?
Tired of Promises, Vicenza, Italy Demands Action Against New U.S. Military Base
Not Your Ordinary 4th of July in Vicenza, Italy
Italian Women Opposing New U.S. Military Base Lobby Capitol Hill
No Peace or Justice: America's plans to Expand a US Military Base in Vicenza, Italy
Anti War March in DC
March for Palestine
Travel Advisory
Letters from Camp Casey
Don't Iraq Iran
Italian National Assembly of the Anti-War Movement
International Peace Conference in London
Concert in memoriam in Rome: Marla Ruzicka and the victims of war
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U.S. Military Base in Vicenza, Italy Gets Final Approval
At a press conference on Friday, February 20, Italian Special Commissioner Paola Costa and U.S. Consul General from Milan, Daniel Weygandt, announced final approval for a new U.S. military base in Vicenza, Italy. The project, approved by a joint Italian-US Military Construction Committee working under the still-classified 1954 Bilateral Infrastructure Agreement, includes 25 new buildings with lodging for 1200 soldiers and multi-story car parks for over 800 vehicles.
Weygandt noted his satisfaction that the entire process had been developed in full compliance and that we were able to arrive at this final result. Costa said that while no environmental impact assessment would be carried out, he assured everyone that this project is the best possible and based on the most stringent regulations in effect in Italy and the United States.
These words rang hollow for the thousands of local residents who have kept up constant protests against this second U.S. military base Vicenza is already home to Camp Ederle dating back to the 1950s since word of the project, initially denied, first leaked out in May 2006.
Costa's aversion to an environmental impact assessment certainly came as no surprise. Just last year a July 2007 letter from Costa to then Defense Minister Parisi surfaced, in which the Special Commissioner reiterated that an environmental impact assessment represents an obvious risk to the possibilities of proceeding while respecting deadlines; and it is possible that it could even put the final decision in jeopardy. An important groundwater source, supplying water to the cities of Vicenza, Padua and Rovigo, lies directly below the base.
This final approval was announced as the official opening of the construction site, yet substantial demolition work has been ongoing for weeks.
In a press release from Mayor Achille Variati, who won last year's election thanks to his opposition to the base, Weygandt was reminded that Vicenza has always been hospitable towards the Americans, but hospitality doesn't translate to stupidity or lack of common sense. Variati asked that local needs and desires be respected and announced that, having been unsuccessful in getting a response from the Italian government with regards to the environmental impact assessment, he will take the case to the European Union. Variati also had some advice for Costa: the construction period will be lengthy, and if the local population's concerns are not taken into account, that period could be drawn out to a very long time.
The new base was initially sited for the city's little used civilian airport Dal Molin, which is hosted inside an Italian airbase due for closure. In a failed attempt to quell fierce local opposition, in November 2007 changes were made to the project that moved the base just a few hundred meters away to the Italian military side of the same area. The airport itself has been shut down and the runway has just recently been destroyed to make room for the new base. As part of the compensation package offered by the Italian government, a new runway will be rebuilt on what is left of Dal Molin at a cost of 11.5 million euros to Italian taxpayers.
The announcement of the final approval did nothing to dishearten the movement that has been working for nearly three years to block construction of the second base. In fact, that same day, a demonstration was held near the entrance to the new base and the following day saw gazebos set up all over the city to talk to local residents about the latest developments with regards to the base.
And though it might be the shortest month of the year, in Vicenza, February has definitely been one of the most intense. Things kicked off when over two hundred activists entered and occupied the civilian airport side of the Dal Molin site. The police had been caught completely off guard, falling for false announcements of a series of initiatives by the No Dal Molin movement slated for the following week.
Having become experts at setting up encampments the movement has operated a permanent encampment No Dal Molin for over two years in a matter of minutes a large tent was erected inside the airport, the occupied area was sealed off on three sides, and a new entrance was created, complete with concierge and a crosswalk painted on the street.
The police arrived on the scene in riot gear. However, in a surprise move, Enac - Veneto, the regional civilian aviation authority responsible for the ex-airport, informed the police that they were not requesting the area to be cleared, believing that forcibly removing the protesters would only serve to increase tensions. Perhaps the fact that Enac is effectively losing an airport played a role in their decision. The police packed up and left as the activists celebrated. And like clockwork, volunteers arrived with meals for the occupiers; that evening saw a choice of 4 pasta dishes!
The occupation continued for four days and concluded with two important results. First, the long awaited Parco della Pace, or Peace Park, came a step closer to becoming a reality. The city government, together with Enac, agreed to open up discussions to make a portion of the now closed airport available to the public. This was a particularly important result, as it now makes it more difficult for the area in disuse to revert to state control, which would open up the door for the U.S. military, unlikely to allow a civilian airport to operate right next door to a major military base, to be given control of the entire area. Secondly, after having been denied an official environmental impact assessment of the new base, the city, together with the volunteer technicians and engineers of the No Dal Molin movement, will carry out their own evaluation of the project using office space provided them inside the ex airport.
However, the view from inside the airport during the occupation was that of the illegal work being carried out on the new base. Trucks carrying demolition material came and went. And while important gains had been made to protect the ex airport from falling into the hands of the U.S. military, the activists knew the next step was to block the construction of the base. In fact, they had been saying from the very start back in 2006, that once construction began, they would put their bodies on the line to block it. And on Tuesday, February 10, that's exactly what they did.
Out on the streets at 6am, over 150 people were determined to block the trucks entering and leaving the base. Waiting for the demonstrators, however, was a police presence the likes of which had never been seen in Vicenza 400 police in riot gear had completely sealed off the area, and immediately started to push the protesters back. Realizing that they were outnumbered, the protesters reorganized and chose to target one of the companies doing work inside the base, Carta Isnardo. They arrived at the company's headquarters just outside Vicenza and managed to block a truck for over one hour before the police arrived. 18 demonstrators were arrested, but as the protesters proclaimed, Every minute lost by the U.S., is a minute gained by the city of Vicenza.
Valentine's Day brought over 7,000 citizens out into the streets to proclaim their love for their city and their determination to protect it. They were also marching to reaffirm their right to protest. Just days prior, the police chief had floated the idea of declaring the grassroots No Dal Molin movement un'associazione a delinquere, or a criminal organization. And Italian police agents have been taking down the license plate numbers of activists attending the weekly assemblies held at the Permanent Encampment No Dal Molin.
The march started from the city's historic center, a UNESCO World Heritage site dotted with buildings by renaissance architect Andrea Palladio and just one mile from the site of the new base. Mayor Variati spoke to the crowd gathered on the square. My role as the mayor of all the citizens of Vicenza prevents me from marching with you today. But I will continue my opposition on the legal and institutional fronts. It ended in front of the police headquarters, where thousands held their hands up in the air to underline the non-violent nature of the movement.
City Council member and one of the leaders of the No Dal Molin movement, Cinzia Bottene, had circulated a petition calling on her colleagues to support the citizens' right to protest and reject the ridiculous accusations of the police chief. Participation and dissent are not forms of delinquency, but the salt of democracy. It was signed by 18 city council members, three regional council members and nine from neighboring cities, as well as the mayor of Venice.
Meanwhile, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi was in also Italy where she met with Prime Minister Berlusconi and thanked him for the hospitality given to U.S. troops in Italy. Speaking to Italian parliament she said, I wonder how many Americans know that there are 14,000 U.S. troops in Italy, how many know of the Italian leadership role in combating nuclear proliferation. She promised a new era of cooperation between the U.S. and allies. There is no way that we will establish a policy that then imposes upon others obligations for which they have no consultation.
Pelosi's remarks raise a number of questions. Does the Speaker know that Italian taxpayers cover close to 40% of the operating costs of U.S. bases in Italy? Does she know that last October in a local referendum, which had officially been suspended just four days before it was to take place but was held with help of hundreds of volunteers, 95% of the 24,094 voters who did participate, voted against the new U.S base at Dal Molin? And was she aware that, while visiting the US Air Force Base in Aviano, she was practically sitting on top of 50 U.S. nuclear warheads stored at the base (another 40 are stored at the Ghedi Torre base) in violation of the spirit of the non-proliferation treaty?
Stephanie Westbrook
For more information on the No Dal Molin movement, see the official site of the Presidio permanente (in Italian) , as well as a collection of articles and videos in English in our Vicenza Dossier.
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Upshot of our Nov. 9th group discussion on current politics:
It wasn't the Russians that got us Trump. Or Comey. Or even the massive GOP election fraud. It was the DNC.*
Also participate in the CodePink email and/or phone initiative:
Copyright © 2008 Stephanie Westbrook All rights reserved.
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- Rio Branco
/rddee"oo brddahonn"koo/a city in W Brazil. 119,815.
* * *▪ Brazilcity, capital of Acre estado (state), western Brazil. It lies on the west bank of the Acre River, and just north of where the Branco River (Rio Branco) flows into the Acre. A commercial and distribution centre, Rio Branco exports rubber, metals, medicinal plants, Brazil nuts, timber, and furniture. Petroleum and alcohol fuels are processed there. The Federal University of Acre (1971) is located in Rio Branco. The city is linked by road and air routes with Brasília, the federal capital, and Manaus, which is also accessible by river transport. Pop. (2005 est.) 273,400.
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Universalium. 2010.

subset: commoncrawl


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Talk about an amazing race. The Iditarod dog sled competition, which started Saturday, stretches more than a thousand miles from Anchorage to Nome, crossing some of the toughest terrain in the world under some of the harshest conditions on the planet. Mushers come from all over the world to compete, but, at its heart, the last great race is a unique competition that captures the very essence of what it means to be an Alaskan. It's about grit and perseverance, survival and courage. The race also symbolizes compassion and responsibility for our fellow human beings as it commemorates the heroic efforts of a group of mushers who ran the life-saving serum needed to treat Nome's diphtheria outbreak in 1925.
And there are so many ways to geek out on the Iditarod!
To start, try your hand at building a sled out of anything you have on hand. Others have used Lego bricks and plastic wrap, but we used a broken down laundry hamper.
Some things you may want to consider:
–runners for your musher to stand on
–a space for provisions to sustain you and your dogs
–a harness system for your dogs to pull the sled
–how to improve your sled's performance
–wheels if you live in a climate without snow
We connected Sherlock and Watson, our little rat terriers, to our sled. Sherlock turned around and stared at the sled, then flatly refused to pull. Watson, the better sport, enthusiastically pulled Sherlock around our house, which led to lots of crashes and barking and laughter.
If you do build a sled, be sure to take photos and send them in to the Build A Better Sled project.
There are plenty of other ways to learn with your kids through the Iditarod. You can follow the racers by visiting the Anchorage Daily News each day or check in with ESPN. The official website has a section for teachers filled with learning activities.
You can track the progress of the mushers, do some math, learn some grammar, stage a reader's theater, and study all kinds of science pertaining to the race. Or you might read about Libby Riddle, the first woman to win the Iditarod, one of the many first-hand accounts of running the race including one by Gary Paulsen, or build a learning unit around The Mystery on the Iditarod Trail. Finally, there are many videos about the race, including Balto.
Sled dog racing is the only professional sport in which women and men compete against each other equally. While many women have run and won the race, Susan Butcher was one of my childhood heroes. Susan was an amazing four-time winner who, with other women, inspired a common saying and t-shirt slogan.
Alaska – where men are men and women win the Iditarod.
For most of you, Alaska is a strange and far-off place and you probably think I'm joking when I tell you that they didn't cancel recess until it was -25F. Think that's tough? Next time your kids are hoping for a snow day, you can tell them that my elementary didn't close until the thermometer hit -55F. Building a sled is a great way for me to share with my son – and your kids – a little piece of what it was like to grow up there. There are so many life lessons to take from the Iditarod.
But if your kids learn nothing else, remember: we don't eat yellow snow.


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John W. Simek & David G. Ries
Encryption is a topic most attorneys don't want to touch with a 10-foot pole, but it is becoming an increasingly important part of security. Encryption is an electronic process to protect data. All attorneys should generally understand encryption, have it available for use, and make informed decisions about when to use encryption and when avoiding it is acceptable. Fortunately, many easy-to-use encryption methods currently are available. Most attorneys will need technical assistance to install and set up encryption, but using encryption is generally easy after that.
Encryption uses a formula to transform readable data into unreadable data. The formula is an algorithm (called a cipher), the readable data is called plaintext, and the unreadable data is called ciphertext. Decryption is the reverse process, which uses a key to transform the encrypted data back into readable data. As long as the decryption key is protected, the data is unreadable and secure. The technical details of how encryption works are complex, but attorneys need not understand them so as to use encryption.
Encryption can be used to protect data at rest (on desktops, laptops, servers, or portable media) and data in motion (over wired or wireless networks and the Internet). Encrypted data cannot be read or used unless one has access to the decryption key.
Attorneys have ethical and legal duties to protect information relating to clients. Encryption is an important consideration in addressing these duties.
The attributes that make laptops and portable devices useful also make them very dangerous from a security perspective: they are compact and they are portable. As their prices fall, the information-handling capacity of laptops and portable devices continues to increase: laptops with 1TB (terabyte) and larger hard drives, USB thumb drives with capacities of 256 GB or more, portable hard drives with 1 TB or more (the same as desktop computers). A massive amount of data in compact form can be easily lost or stolen.
John W. Simek is vice president of Sensei Enterprises Inc., a legal technology, computer forensics, and information security firm based in Fairfax, Va.
David G. Ries, J.D., is a member of Clark Hill Thorp Reed, a Pittsburgh-based law firm.
If not properly protected, laptops and portable media are ripe for causing security disasters. One survey reported that 70 percent of data breaches resulted from the loss or theft of off-network equipment (laptops, portable drives, PDAs, and USB drives). Strong security is a must. Encryption is now a standard security measure for protecting laptops and portable devices, and attorneys should be using it.
In fact, according to a joint United States/United Kingdom research team, full-disk encryption is so effective that law enforcement and federal agencies are complaining that they are unable to retrieve the encrypted data during criminal investigations. Federal courts are struggling with the issue of whether compelled disclosure of passwords and passphrases for decryption is allowed by the Fifth Amendment.
Backing up data is a good practice, but not if the process results in the exposure of confidential data. If a backup drive is encrypted, it will have a strong level of protection even if it is stolen. In the case of a drive lost by an employee of a Maryland law firm (see sidebar), the backup drive had little or no protection. It is not uncommon for backup software to have the ability to encrypt the backed-up information. Generally, it is just a simple matter to check an option for the backup to be encrypted.
As the examples in the accompanying sidebar demonstrate, encryption is particularly important for laptops and portable media. There are three kinds of encryption for protecting laptops and portable devices: hardware encryption, encryption in operating systems (like Windows and Apple OS X), and encryption software.
Hardware Encryption. There are two basic approaches to encrypting data on hard drives: full-disk encryption and limited encryption. As its name suggests, full-disk encryption protects the entire hard drive. It automatically encrypts everything and provides decrypted access when an authorized user properly logs in. Limited encryption protects only specified files or folders or a part of the drive. With limited encryption, the user must elect to encrypt specific data.
As the following examples demonstrate, a security breach can happen to anyone, anytime. That's why encryption is so important.
After the high-profile theft of a Department of Veterans Affairs laptop and external hard drive containing the personal information of more than 28 million veterans in 2006, security guidelines for federal agencies added the requirement of encryption of all data on laptops and portable devices, unless the data is considered "nonsensitive."
In January 2007, 18 laptops were stolen from the offices of a law firm in Orlando. The laptops were reportedly protected by encryption, and the incident received very little publicity. In discussing this incident, the SANS Institute, a leading information security organization, noted, "[l]aptop thefts aren't going away, but by this time next year, this type of item (laptop stolen, but the data was protected) shouldn't be newsworthy."
Recently, a Maryland law firm lost an unencrypted portable hard drive that contained medical records of individuals involved in a lawsuit against its client hospital. The firm's usual practice for ensuring off-site backup was that at the end of each work day, an employee would take home the hard drive containing backup data. One day, an employee took the hard drive but accidentally left it on the train she rode home. By the time she realized this and went back to check, the hard drive was gone.
All hard-drive manufacturers now offer hard drives with hardware full-disk encryption built in. All major laptop manufacturers offer models with these drives. Hardware encryption is generally easier to use and administer than encryption software. Some examples are Seagate Secure and Hitachi Self-Encrypting Drives. Secure use requires enabling encryption and setting a strong password or passphrase. The contents of the drive are automatically decrypted when an authorized user logs in and are automatically encrypted when the user logs off or the laptop is turned off.
Because most encryption programs are tied to a user's password, secure passwords or passphrases are essential, and a forgotten password can result in losing data. Automatic logoff after a specified time is important so that unencrypted data will not be exposed if a user goes away from a computer or forgets to turn it off. In an enterprise environment, such as a law firm, an administrator must have access and the ability to reset passwords, back up drives, and recover keys.
Operating System Encryption. Current business versions of Windows and current versions of Apple OS X have built-in encryption capabilities.
Windows Vista Enterprise and Ultimate and Windows 7 Enterprise and Ultimate include an encryption feature called BitLocker. BitLocker works below the operating system and encrypts an entire volume on the hard drive. BitLocker requires either a computer that is equipped with a trusted platform module (TPM) chip on the motherboard or use of an external USB drive to hold the decryption key. If an intruder gains access to a USB key, the encryption can be defeated.
The business versions of Windows also include an encryption function called encrypted file system (EFS), which allows encryption of files and folders. An authorized user who is logged in has access to decrypted data, but the data is encrypted and unreadable to anyone else. EFS can be easily cracked using forensic tools. You are better off using BitLocker or one of the other third-party encryption products discussed below.
Setup of both EFS and BitLocker is fairly technical. For most attorneys, it will be necessary to obtain technical assistance to implement them.
File Vault is the built-in encryption for Apple OS X products. File Vault 2 provides full-disk encryption for newer versions. Follow Apple's instructions for turning it on. After a password is set, it just requires turning on the FileVault button in System Preferences. Recent advances in decryption technology have been used to attack Apple's encryption scheme, and the Passware software suite claims to be able to defeat FileVault 2 in less than an hour.
Encryption Software. Some commonly used third-party encryption software products for hard drives include those offered by Symantec (PGP and Symantec Endpoint), McAfee, Check Point, Guardian Edge, and Utimaco (Sophos). A common open-source encryption program that is free and relatively easy to use is TrueCrypt.
Hardware-encrypted drives and encryption software are available for USB drives and portable hard drives. Microsoft's BitLocker to Go can be used to encrypt portable devices. Individual USB drives with built-in encryption capability are also available, like the IronKey (Immation), KanguruMicro, Kingston, and SanDisk Cruzer Professional and Cruzer Enterprise. The IronKey is a favorite of the authors. It includes strong encryption, wiping if the wrong credentials are entered too many times, and strong physical construction, with wiping from physical tampering. As an added bonus, several of the models contain a password-management application called Identity Manager, which stores passwords of any length in a secured, encrypted "vault." As for passwords themselves, the current recommendation is that they contain at least 12 characters.
Smartphones and tablets are basically small computers, with substantial computing power and high storage capacity. Like laptops and other mobile devices, they can be easily lost or stolen and should be protected with encryption.
The security of BlackBerry devices has long been the "gold standard" for secure communications on cellphones. If you use the BlackBerry Enterprise Server (BES), the communications are automatically encrypted. Encrypting the device itself is accomplished by enabling Content Protection, which appears under Options – Security Options – Encryption and sets encryption for the device memory, encryption strength, contacts, media files, and expansion memory card. In addition, you must set a password for the phone and set the inactivity timer to lock the phone. The password and timeouts are set by going to Password, which appears under Options. Many law firms use BES to manage employees' BlackBerry devices. This centralized management installs the desired security settings onto phones, with no user interaction required.
For iPhones and iPads, hardware encryption was implemented in iOS 4. All files are automatically encrypted and decrypted when the device is unlocked. But this provides little protection unless "Simple Passcode" is turned off, "Require Passcode" is turned on, and a strong passcode is selected. Require Passcode should be set for a short time, and Erase Data should be turned on. iOS also includes a feature called data protection, which secures emails and attachments stored on the device and data in other apps designed to work with the device.
Android OS has included encryption for tablets (starting with Honeycomb) and for phones (starting with Ice Cream Sandwich). Earlier versions of Android require third-party encryption apps, such as WhisperCore, Droid Crypt, or AnDisk Encryption. Also, Motorola and Samsung sell enterprise phones with built-in encryption capability. Turning on encryption generally requires touching the Encrypt or Encrypt Tablet button in Settings. A strong PIN or password and automatic logoff after a set time are also important to keep the data encrypted.
It is important to follow the manufacturer's instructions when setting up encryption. Get help if you need it. Initial encryption might take a while when a device has already been in use, so make sure the battery is fully charged before starting.
Weaknesses have been reported in the encryption for both iOS and Android, so it is important to consider multiple levels of security. Despite limitations, however, smartphones and tablets are more secure with encryption, and attorneys should be using it.
It is also important to make sure that secure methods are used for getting files on and off smartphones and tablets and for sharing files. There is substantial concern about the security of services like Dropbox and iCloud. Their terms of use provide limited protection. These service providers control the encryption and decryption keys so their employees can get access, and thus protection from access by unauthorized third parties depends on how well the service providers protect the keys. Use of alternatives like BoxCryptor (with Dropbox), Box, and SpiderOak provide stronger security because the end user controls the decryption keys.
Communication via wireless connections must be secured to protect the transmission. Encrypting the wireless network will protect the data from being intercepted and viewed. There are many free "sniffer" applications that can be used to view the contents of unencrypted data streams. Essentially, there are three commonly available types of encryption schemes for wireless networks: WEP (wired equivalent privacy), WPA (Wi-Fi protected access), and WPA2 (second-generation WPA).
WEP provides very weak encryption and is fairly easy to crack. WPA is stronger but also has been cracked. Therefore, neither WEP nor WPA is recommended. WPA2 is secure and should be the encryption method of choice for wireless networks. As with passwords for other uses and devices, the WPA2 passphrase should be long and complex.
In addition to making sure that their wireless networks are secure, attorneys should ensure that third-party wireless networks they use for client matters are protected by encryption. They should be protected by WPA2 and require a user name and password for access. This is particularly the case for public networks. Many security professionals and US-CERT, the U.S. Computer Emergency Readiness Team, have recommended that public networks should not be used for confidential communications. If public networks are used, a virtual private network (VPN) can provide security. A recent ethics opinion concluded that an attorney has an ethical duty to evaluate the security of a wireless network, home or public, before it is used for client communications and to take appropriate precautions in using it. California Formal Opinion No. 2010-179.
The confidentiality and integrity of emails is another important issue for attorneys. Email messages are sometimes compared to postcards written in pencil: both forms of communication can be viewed or altered by third parties.
While some ethics opinions have been incorrectly interpreted as saying that email encryption is never required, current opinions stress the requirement of using reasonable and competent safeguards. For example, California Formal Opinion No. 2010-179 states "encrypting email may be a reasonable step for an attorney to take in an effort to ensure the confidentiality of such communications remain so when the circumstances call for it, particularly if the information at issue is highly sensitive and the use of encryption is not onerous."
Encryption is increasingly required in areas like banking and health care and by state data-protection laws. As these requirements continue to increase, it will become more and more difficult for attorneys to justify not using encryption.
For email, the term encryption is generally used to mean both encryption as described above and the authentication process, which are used, in combination, to protect email. Encryption protects the confidentiality of email. Authentication identifies the sender of an email and verifies its integrity.
Encryption translates a message into a protected electronic code. The recipient (or anyone intercepting the message) must have a key to decrypt it and make it readable.
Encryption generally uses a pair of keys to encrypt the email. The sender uses the recipient's public key to encrypt the email and any attachments. Because the public key only encrypts the email, it does not matter that it is available to the public or to various senders. The recipient then uses his or her private key to decrypt the email. The private key must be safeguarded because anyone who has access to it can use it for decryption.
The process is easy to use once the keys are set up in an email program such as Outlook. The most difficult steps are getting the keys (digital IDs) and making the public key available to senders. Once encryption is set up in Outlook, the sender clicks on the Message tab in the Options group and clicks the Encrypt Message Contents and Attachments button. At the recipient's end, the message will automatically be decrypted if his or her private key has been installed.
Digital authentication of email also generally uses a key pair. The sender uses his or her private key to digitally sign the email. The recipient then uses the sender's public key to verify the sender and integrity of the message. In Outlook, after installation of the private key, the sender clicks the Options tab in the Permission group and clicks Sign Message. After the sender's public key has been installed in the recipient's compatible email program, the recipient will receive an automatic notice of verification of the message's sender and integrity.
For protection of confidentiality and authentication, the sender's and recipient's key pairs are used in combination. The sender uses both the Encrypt Message and Attachments command button (which uses the recipient's private key) and the Sign Message command (which uses the sender's private key). At the receiving end, the email program automatically uses the recipient's private key to decrypt the messages and automatically uses the sender's public key to verify authenticity and integrity.
Again the challenging part is obtaining key pairs, exchanging public keys, and setting them up in the email program for encryption. Keys are available from commercial public-key authorities such as Verisign (now part of Symantec). Public key authorities have online directories in which their customers' public keys are available.
Another form of email encryption is transport layer security (TLS) encryption. It automatically encrypts email between two email gateways. If a law firm and client each has its own email gateway, TLS can be used to automatically encrypt all emails between them. TLS encryption protects emails between email gateways only. It does not protect emails within the sender's and recipient's networks and does not protect email that is misaddressed or forwarded through other email gateways.
Secure email is also available from managed-messaging-service providers such as Zixcorp, Mimecast, and Data Motion. They provide email encryption without the complexity of setting up and exchanging keys.
As an alternative to encryption, confidential information can be protected by putting it into a password-protected attachment rather than into the body of the email. File password protection in some software, such as current versions of Microsoft Office, Adobe Acrobat, and WinZip, uses encryption to protect security. It encrypts only the document and not the email, so the confidential information should be limited to the attachment. It is generally easier to use than is complete encryption of email and attachments. However, the protection might be limited by use of weak passwords that are easy to crack.
It has now reached the point (or at least is reaching it) where most attorneys should have encryption available for use in appropriate circumstances. In addition to complying with any legal requirements that apply, the most prudent approach to the ethical duty of protecting confidentiality of electronic communications is to have an express understanding with clients about the nature of communications that will (and will not) be sent by email and whether or not encryption and other security measures will be used.
Encryption is now a generally accepted practice for protection of confidential data. Attorneys should understand encryption and use it in appropriate situations. All attorneys should use encryption on laptops, portable storage media, smartphones, and tablets that contain information relating to clients. They should make sure that transmissions over wireless networks are secure. Attorneys should have encryption available for email and use it when appropriate. While most attorneys will need technical assistance to install and set up encryption, use of encryption after that is generally easy.


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Kurt's Island Sport Shop
Lake-Link Pro Members Save 5% on any Bait Purchase
Your host, Kurt Justice, is owner and operator of Kurt's Island Sport Shop & Guides Landing Guide Service. Kurt and his staff are committed to keeping you informed with the latest information about fishing Minocqua, Wisconsin. Please follow the links to keep yourself updated with the latest in information about the Minocqua - Arbor Vitae - Woodruff area of Wisconsin.
BAIT & TACKLE We offer the area's widest selection of fishing supplies and fresh live bait for all species of fish.
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text:
MacBook Air (13-inch, Mid 2013) - Technical Specifications
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1440 by 900 (native), 1280 by 800, 1152 by 720, and 1024 by 640 pixels at 16:10 aspect ratio and 1024 by 768 and 800 by 600 pixels at 4:3 aspect ratio
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Configurable to 512GB flash storage.
- 1.3GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 (Turbo Boost up to 2.6GHz) with 3MB shared L3 cache
Configurable to 1.7GHz dual-core Intel Core i7 (Turbo Boost up to 3.3GHz) with 4MB shared L3 cache.
- 4GB of 1600MHz LPDDR3 onboard memory
Configurable to 8GB.
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Electrical and Operating Requirements
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1 B = 10 dB
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Operator Position
LpAm (dB)
|Hard drive accessing
|CD drive accessing
- LWAd is the statistical upper-limit A-weighted sound power level (rounded to the nearest 0.1 B).
- LpAm is the mean A-weighted sound pressure level measured at the operator position (rounded to the nearest dB).
- 1 B (bel) = 10 dB (decibel).
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text:
An international team of scientists have published the first continent-wide assessment of the Antarctic's biogeography, and propose that the landmass should be divided into 15 distinct conservation regions to protect the continent from invasive alien species. The team's findings are published in Diversity and Distributions, while the authors' proposals were outlined recently at a lecture to the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting (ATCM) in Hobart, Tasmania.
The study, led by Australian Antarctic Division terrestrial biologist Dr Aleks Terauds, examined the geography, geology, climate, flora and fauna of the ice-free areas of Antarctic and used the results to identify biologically distinct Antarctic Conservation Biogeographic Regions.
This is the first continent-wide assessment of the biogeography of Antarctica using all of the available biodiversity data. Dr Terauds presented the team's findings at the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) lecture in Tasmania.
"Previously terrestrial Antarctica has been divided into two main areas based on aspects like geography geology or specific types of biodiversity," Dr Terauds said. "The new research amalgamated 38,000 terrestrial records including the diverse biology such as microbes, invertebrates and plants."
"It revealed a complex ecosystem which can be divided into 15 very distinct and potentially delicate biogeographic regions which are characterised by different climates, landscapes and species," Dr Terauds said.
Invasive species are identified as one of the biggest threats to Antarctic terrestrial ecosystems, particularly in a warming climate. Over 40,000 people are expected to visit Antarctica over the summer, as tourists, scientists or station support personnel. The rise in visitor numbers increases the potential for more species being accidently transferred to and within Antarctica.
"While quarantine procedures are already in place for inter-continental travel, such as cleaning clothing and equipment before arriving in Antarctica, there are less biosecurity measures for intra-continental movement," said Dr Terauds. "The Antarctic Conservation Biogeographic Regions represent an important basis for biosecurity measures to manage the risk of species, including species native to Antarctica, being transferred from one biogeographic zone to another."
While Antarctica already has a series of Antarctic Specially Protected Areas, delegates at the ATCM are being urged to develop a broader representation of conservation regions based on this new biogeographic assessment.
Story Source:
Materials provided by Wiley-Blackwell. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.
Journal Reference:
Cite This Page:


text:
Read the full story here Web Link posted Saturday, February 9, 2013, 5:57 PM
Town Square
Man robbed at gunpoint near Greer Park
Original post made on Feb 9, 2013
Read the full story here Web Link posted Saturday, February 9, 2013, 5:57 PM
Comments (40)
a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on Feb 9, 2013 at 6:47 pm
Scary. So glad nobody was hurt. So glad nobody tried any kind of vigilante shoot out which could have injured many people.
a resident of Duveneck/St. Francis
on Feb 9, 2013 at 6:51 pm
You've either been watching too many movies or believe the Fox News gun control narrative Resident. There was no mention in the article that the victim was packing heat.
a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on Feb 9, 2013 at 6:57 pm
Hulk, not sure what you are talking about.
I was just thinking of all the things the NRA says that the only way to stop a bad guy with a gun is with a good guy with a gun. I am just pleased that nobody, victim or anyone else in the vicinity was armed - legally or illegally.
I don't speak colloquialisms, I speak English. That way it is easier for us all to understand each other.
a resident of Midtown
on Feb 9, 2013 at 8:42 pm
From my old timer perspective, the real problem is that too many folks tolerate and even try to protect gun toting criminals.
a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on Feb 9, 2013 at 8:49 pm
Why doesn't this article state the time? Was it 2AM? 9AM? More bad things happen at 2AM. If it happened in the morning when people are up and around, it's even scarier because it displays more desperation.
a resident of Crescent Park
on Feb 9, 2013 at 8:54 pm
This exact thing happened a few years back and was reported. I cannot recall if it was a successful robbery or not, but I think it was a woman who was held up or mugged in the garage or carport there.
I am sure if it was me that being held up at gunpoint I would much rather have a gun than not - and though I do not own firearms at this point, when I keep reading about burglaries, home invasions, strongarm robberies and the like in quiet Palo Alto I certainly think about getting one.
What is there to deter criminals who are reading about this right along with the rest of us and do not see the perpetrators - maybe their friends getting caught or punished?
Our city is large, and the criminals are not stupid, they are creative and more mobile than ever before with a public that is less perceptive and community oriented as well. I think it's time that this apartment complex and others install surveillance cameras.
The city should not sit on its hands while this problem escalates and people are put in danger.
a resident of Charleston Gardens
on Feb 9, 2013 at 9:01 pm
Of course police were unable to locate the suspect. They are so pre-occupied with traffic stops and other stupid revenue generating b.s. that they aren't actually doing what the citizens' stolen money is paying them to do. I live in this apartment complex and I expect 24 hour security from now on or I'm not paying another dime to the Franchise Tax Board.
a resident of Midtown
on Feb 9, 2013 at 9:19 pm
"Anon" - If you had been held up at gunpoint and had a gun, what would you do? Would you take out the gun? If the suspect saw the gun and then shot you, then what? I think we know the answer to that... ;-) "A good guy with a gun" may be a good answer to "a bad guy with a gun." But only if he is already shooting are in certain limited situations where shooting is highly likely (such as a hostage situation).
What we can all do to create a safer environment is to be more aware of our surroundings. The victim in this situation could have possibly avoided the situation had he been more aware of what may have been unfolding. And others in the area may have seen the suspect lurking around but didn't pause to watch closer and call the police if there seemed to be a serious chance something bad might happen.
a resident of East Palo Alto
on Feb 9, 2013 at 9:22 pm
This has more detail:
Web Link
Really - the FTB? Why do they owe you security? Sheesh, call your lousy landlord - this isn't a taxpayer issue.
a resident of Midtown
on Feb 9, 2013 at 9:23 pm
Don't blame the police for not catching this guy. They didn't get the call until he was out of site and he could have been far away by the time they got there. And they probably got there pretty fast. If there were any fingerprints on the car or elsewhere, maybe they could have done something with that. But I doubt there was enough evidence. At least the victim wasn't hurt.
a resident of Palo Verde School
on Feb 9, 2013 at 9:49 pm
I just heard about this from a neighbor. As a resident of this complex it was strange seeing Palo alto city cops waking through the building this morning. Thank goodness no one was hurt. There are a lot of young families and little children living here. I will definitely be more cautious and keep an eye out for suspicious looking people milling about. Supposedly (according to my neighbor) the apartment management is trying to keep the incident quiet and doesn't want word to get out. If that's true, its moronically stupid of them to take that stance.
a resident of Charleston Meadows
on Feb 9, 2013 at 10:24 pm
Please tell me if it's not PAPD's job to protect me, it's my landlord's responsibility? The police are paid by the state so i tis a FTB issue.
a resident of East Palo Alto
on Feb 9, 2013 at 10:33 pm
No, it's not an FTB issue - you're being silly. You really think your local PD is paid by the state???
Of course it's your landlord's responsibility to keep you safe on private property, which is why you can sue if they're negligent. Do they have surveillance cameras or security patrols? Is it a gated complex? PAPD is in charge of public safety in your city & of course that includes to your complex, but the landlord is also responsible. Has there been a pattern of crime or other safety issues on the property? What safety amenities do they advertise? These are things to pay attention to so you can assess your landlords' willingness to deal w/safety and security issues. I'm not saying run to find a lawyer, but I am saying it's an often overlooked area that landlords are responsible for.
We have security where I live & we can call them about onsite (private property) issues, ranging from noise & other hassles to real serious issues. If this nasty episode happened here, security, the cops AND the landlord would become involved.
You deserve to be safe & you deserve a landlord who doesn't duck these issues.
a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on Feb 9, 2013 at 10:34 pm
There are some 65,000 Palo Alto residents; PAPD can't be everywhere. Are you really that special? Then buy a house.
a resident of East Palo Alto
on Feb 9, 2013 at 10:39 pm
Eyes Rolling - really? Is this the time for such economic snobbery? Do you not recall all the armed robberies that happened in PA in front of peoples' homes & in their driveways? Terrifying, utterly terrifying. Sorry to beat up on you, but this incident is also scary, & I suspect Me is scared & angry. Why subject them to your snobbery? Heck, I live in a low income area & have security. But I don't deserve it because the property I own is in Europe, not Palo Alto? Sheesh! Besides, no matter how safe we try to make our lives, bad things happen - even to well off, smug property owners.
a resident of Palo Alto Hills
on Feb 9, 2013 at 11:00 pm
It's time to arm up and be ready for these suckers. Anybody that robs me is taking their life in their own hands. I have a right to defend myself, period.
a resident of Charleston Meadows
on Feb 9, 2013 at 11:01 pm
I don't understand the personal attacks. I am simply stating facts. What does buying a house have to do with a person being special? It's not wise to buy a home here. Let's stay intelligent, mature and on task.
a resident of Palo Alto Orchards
on Feb 9, 2013 at 11:05 pm
"Police will no longer be able to respond to crimes" so yeah, I guess it's on our "landlords" to stop criminals...
Web Link
a resident of Palo Verde School
on Feb 9, 2013 at 11:09 pm
Come to think of it there is very little by way of physical security here for the residents. The parking garage structure is wide open and easily accessible from several walkways. There are no security cameras. I do see private security on patrol 2-3 times a month in the evenings. The town houses and apartment residences are not gated though.
a resident of Old Palo Alto
on Feb 9, 2013 at 11:14 pm
I was just sitting on my tuffet and thought how interesting it is that people now quietly acknowledge that they aren't really served or protected by police, accepting instead that the police are there to violate innocent citizens through harassment and fines.
"Please help us landlords, you're our only hope." ~Obi State Kenobi
a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on Feb 9, 2013 at 11:24 pm
@Me, Hmmm: OK, I agree, my response was a bit harsh, but it was a knee-jerk reaction to people who disrespect our PAPD. Our law enforcement risk their lives everyday for strangers and I get tired of cowards behind computer aliases bashing PAPD on this forum. Policemen are only human and can't be everywhere at once. I tire of reading, "I pay my taxes, do something!" They even say it to their faces, according to someone I know who quit the PAPD due to the entitled citizens' attitudes.
Re the robberies, it was the same criminal who was responsible for the other robberies - he'd follow them from Safeway to their houses and he was caught, using someone's credit card, I believe.
While this is an unfortunate occurence, landlords can't control the criminals and can't be blamed either. If tenants want 24-hour security, they need to agree to pay a higher rent to cover the cost.
a resident of Palo Alto Hills
on Feb 9, 2013 at 11:40 pm
I would like the money back that goes to pay police salaries if they aren't doing their job assuring our safety. They are essentially an out of control security company feeing and fining their way to holiday bonuses. We are on our own.
a resident of Midtown
on Feb 10, 2013 at 12:13 am
The management won't be quiet about it tomorrow when I'm in the office first thing in the morning. If anything a notice needs to be put on our doors. It should have already been done. I'm going to tell everyone I see. I'm also going to request PAPD escort me to my front door at night. To serve and protect, right? I will respect them when they show up to escort me (a.ka. doing their job) Nowhere in my lease does it state Prometheus is responsible for this.
a resident of Duveneck/St. Francis
on Feb 10, 2013 at 1:42 am
@ThatGuy - PAPD isn't out of control, they are understaffed. If you want to feel safe, get 30 officers out on patrol instead of 8.
a resident of Crescent Park
on Feb 10, 2013 at 2:34 am
First, the other day I drove through Atherton to get to Redwood City along Middlefield ... I saw 5 police cars along the way. I thought that was amazing and wondered why Atherton has so many police and can patrol their city to that extent. Maybe it was a coincidence or the officers stick to Middlefield because it is one of the largest arteries in the area, but it was nice to see that level of protection.
Second, to "Reality, a resident of the Midtown neighborhood" who said -
>>> "Anon" - If you had been held up at gunpoint and had a gun, what would you do? Would you take out the gun? If the suspect saw the gun and then shot you, then what? I think we know the answer to that... ;-)
This obviously takes more thought that "reality" is willing to bring to bear.
The dynamics of this kind of situation are not so simple, and what I said was that I would feel better if I was armed, what I did or was able to do is always up in the air, I said I would feel better and I do not feel I should have to game out such a scenario for someone who dashes off an unthinking retort.
The fact is that muggers go out to find someone vulnerable or unprotected - not to kill people. If a criminal was confronted with a gun, I think there is a high probability that they would think taking a life for nothing would not be worth it. Yes, there may be unpredictable hateful nuts, but then they might kill someone even if they were not armed. There are many cases where someone refused to give over their property and the criminal just runs away. You don't know and I don't know - but I would feel better having the option to decide what to do.
Likewise, I would not want to be responsible for shooting someone, especially killing someone, even a criminal, so I might try shooting the tire out or maybe I would do nothing. I'm no member of the NRA and they are kind of nuts, but the data tends to suggest that like the flu does not get to be so epidemic when there are a certain number of immunized people in a population, the same with criminals and armed citizens. There is less crime in areas where people are armed.
To say that this might have been avoided if the victim had been more aware is like blaming the victim. No one can be alert and on guard their whole life, and as I said - there was a similar crime committed here a few years ago ... I would not be surprised if it was not the same person - and I don't think that crime was ever solved.
If you think we ought to just live with that kind of threat "reality" we must disagree. We should do whatever is needed to make the streets and parking lots of Palo Alto safe to be in. Platitudes and eye-rolling helps no one.
I also do not like to hear Police being disparaged for not being able to stop or solve crimes that they do not have the resources to solve. This kind of random crime I would think is very hard to solve without some kind of tip or video or accidental evidence - I hope some shows up. I am fine with disparaging police like the Menlo Park officer who was caught with a prostitute while on duty ... but them it's funny how the pseudo-Liberals switch sides then - in any case they seem to think whatever the police do it wrong - without thinking. I don't think they deserve much thought or consideration.
a resident of East Palo Alto
on Feb 10, 2013 at 9:34 am
We have crappy landlords but at least we get notices from them about crime trends & reminders to call security. For those naive enough to believe your landlord doesn't have any responsibility for your safety, rethink that. If they are trying to suppress info on this crime, that's also a problem. For pity's sake, at least demand security cameras if you think it would help.
PAPD was there in about a minute yesterday. That's a pretty fast response time & it's terrible the bad guy wasn't caught for his daylight crime, but there are a lot of places to hide & it's close to 101 & arterial streets.
a resident of Embarcadero Oaks/Leland
on Feb 10, 2013 at 10:20 am
[Post removed by Palo Alto Online staff.]
a resident of Midtown
on Feb 10, 2013 at 5:42 pm
One of my friends was accosted in her garage off Greer about five years ago. She put her house up for sale almost immediately afterward, which was not a good time economically, but she felt she could not stay in that neighborhood another day. She ended up buying in southern RWC, just north of Atherton, and likes it so much better. Better house, better neighborhood, less crime....... For less dough!
a resident of Charleston Meadows
on Feb 10, 2013 at 8:03 pm
Well, I just saw the 24 hour foot patrol security guy that they hired to walk the premises at Parker Palo Alto and he is armed. I won't say with what but he's armed and he is a big guy and told me lots of things that make me feel 100% safe here now. Privatized security is the only way to ensure safety to begin with. The police are costumed collection agents. A revenue generator. I applaud Parker Palo Alto for taking such swift, appropriate action. I have lived here for quite a while and they are a stand up operation.
a resident of Midtown
on Feb 10, 2013 at 10:11 pm
Police staffing is what it is because the city council decided to cut/not fill over a dozen positions over the past several years and instead use the money to fund positions on zero waste, hire assistants to the City Manager for things like sustainability, to fund studies for the downtown developers, fund studies for the bike bridge, fund studies for the compost factory, fund studies for more bike lanes, ... (you get the idea).
Just keep re-electing the same council members, and pretty soon the police force will be down to half of what it was a few years ago.
a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on Feb 11, 2013 at 10:28 am
I believe the low staffing reports are excuses from the PAPD and city government. Basically, when you see the PAPD in your neighborhoods, they are mostly trolling for vehicles with issues like parking tickets, and registration matters, as opposed to keeping an eye on the neighborhoods from criminal protection like burglaries, and robberies. The number of burglaries and robberies in PA have increased over the past three years, and endless stories like these show the trend continues. What do these officers do all day, and night with their time? Makes one wonder. Of course, they cannot be everywhere all the time, but for the pay they make, and the numbers of officers they do have, I would say their priorities are the issue. In general the PAPD
officers are good people, but public and property safety of the residents should be their number one priority, and not revenue generating actions regarding vehicles. It's a shame where city people project their focus.
a resident of Midtown
on Feb 11, 2013 at 11:22 am
Someone was robbed at gunpoint in our neighborhood, on a Saturday morning!
How about instead of telling your neighbor to 'buy a house' or namecalling, you do something. Anything. Such a great town, with so many people with time to spare, and they spend it writing comments like that. If anything is wrong with our town, perhaps it's people like you.
a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on Feb 11, 2013 at 11:52 am
When you see cops ticketing, doesn't mean they are ignoring a crime in process. If he were seen sitting in his car, waiting for a crime, he'd be insulted too. It's a no-win situation with these Palo Alto whiners. From reading, it seems clear that when a 911 call is dispatched, the PAPD are there within minutes so they are doing their jobs correctly. They can't possibly be at everyone's carport or front door - we have 65,000 residents! We can't gate off our community from the criminals who travel to our city because they view it as Candyland. For those who have to walk to their residence in an empty area where criminals can hide, I suggest you take care of yourselves by finding a new place to live instead of blaming the PAPD for not being Supermen.
a resident of Meadow Park
on Feb 11, 2013 at 12:06 pm
Another incident from some trigger happy idiot whom brandishes a gun thinking he is a "Big Man" when in actual fact he is as "Yellow" as they come because he needs a gun to carry out something he would not even be capable off without it. Hopefully the police will catch this "Yellow Freak" and deal with him accordingly.
a resident of College Terrace
on Feb 11, 2013 at 1:09 pm
First, the article clearly states that the crime happened at 8:45 a.m. last Saturday morning. Second, these stories are becoming alarmingly frequent. It's pretty clear that bad things are happening at any old time and not just in the wee hours of the morning. CITY HALL: wake up! It's pretty clear we are not going to get more cops (see: comments by Common Sense - he makes some good points about how this City spends money)so is the answer more Community Watch? NOT carrying a wallet or purse? NEVER being alone when outside? I wonder what the PAPD would advise re wearing a good, shrill whistle for alerting people when in peril.
a resident of Midtown
on Feb 11, 2013 at 1:50 pm
I came home to find a burglar in my house a couple of years ago. After I confronted him, he fled in a car parked across the street. He broke a window to gain entry. But the police were there amazingly fast. The 911 person told me to exit the house and wait for police. I knew the guy was gone, but they exercised caution by entering and searching the house (gulp, including my messy spare room) before allowing me to enter. They took a description of the car and some of them began to look for him. They fingerprinted. Some detectives then came and interviewed me later. They sent me to San Jose to have a police artist walk me through a sketch of the guy - white by the way.
The guy wasn't caught, but I certainly felt that everything possible was done by the Palo Alto police. I've lived in my house for 30 years, and that's the only crime that's ever affected me. I chalked the whole thing up to random fate and haven't really been worried or felt unsafe since.
a resident of Midtown
on Feb 11, 2013 at 1:57 pm
@Annette - "First, the article clearly states that the crime happened at 8:45 a.m. last Saturday morning."
The original article did not specify the time. It only stated that the robbery occurred on Saturday morning.As you can see, this article was updated on Sunday at 2:06pm, probably to include the specific time.
a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on Feb 11, 2013 at 4:14 pm
>> Dear Me,
Other people have already made my point that what you should demand is PRIVATE security from your landlord, not 24-hour police protection, but:
How could I resist writing, "Dear Me."
a resident of Fairmeadow
on Feb 11, 2013 at 5:51 pm
police exist to harass poor people. ufo's are in the sky....honestly. no more lies. ufo wants you. we dont lie. check ufo videos online. thats the force.
a resident of Midtown
on Feb 12, 2013 at 12:01 pm
I never understood why people enjoy arguing on the internet. They vent all their frustrations, but never help toward finding a resolution to the actual problem.
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Here are some photos from the 2005 Camp David museum opening.
|Click on the above photo to access the Camp David museum video page
The Frederick News-Post published a story in 2009 reporting that the museum was being updated to include numerous photos from the time when President George W. Bush was in office.
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(a) What the period is for determining currently insured status. You are currently insured if you have at least 6 quarters of coverage (QCs) during the 13-quarter period ending with the quarter in which you—
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In 2018, most of the children living at home in the Caribbean Netherlands had working parents. Of the nearly 5.2 thousand children up to the age of 25 living at home on Bonaire, St Eustatius and Saba, 92 percent have at least one working parent.Read publication
Fewer young, highly educated people have completed technical studies compared to ten years ago. Among these engineering graduates, the number of men is four times as high as the number of women. According to Statistics Netherlands, nearly 30 percent of female and almost half of male engineering graduates start working in technical occupations.Read publication


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Our kids are concerned about it. I am concerned about it.
Town Square
Graffiti and Gang activity in Pleasanton
Original post made by Parent, Another Pleasanton neighborhood, on Aug 14, 2008
Our kids are concerned about it. I am concerned about it.
Comments (47)
a resident of Amador Valley High School
on Aug 14, 2008 at 8:42 am
I too have noticed especially Vineyard Ave. The city seems to be doing a preety good job of getting rid of it quickly.
"Gangs from Amador"? Puhlease Pleasanton kids don't have a clue what gangs are really about other than the asscociation with music.
a resident of Another Pleasanton neighborhood
on Aug 14, 2008 at 9:07 am
We may not be talking about the Cripts and Bloods, but gang wanna-be mentality and activity has begun in Pleasanton.
Web Link
Campus security is another growing concern in Pleasanton............ an incident off campus involving Amador students and a gang element from Stockton.
a resident of Pleasanton Heights
on Aug 14, 2008 at 9:18 am
No gangs in Pleasanton? Just ask the people living anywhere near the continuation school on First Street. Those kids roam the area before and after school vandalizing property (check out the poor guy's fence at the corner of First and Angela) and intimidating residents. Many of them live in the area of Vineyard. It's a good bet that much, if not all, of the damage is being caused by those kids. What we really need to do is get that school closed. Never thought I was much of a "nimby" person til having to live around kids with no discipline or motivation.
a resident of Valley Trails
on Aug 14, 2008 at 9:27 am
I would love to sit here and explain to everyone that "these aren't REAL gangs"...But to tell the truth, I'm more scared of these gangs, than the ones I'm used to seeing. The gangs I come from were just kids that didn't have much, banding together, and try to get "what we could". We stole what we needed, but our main goal was to protect our neighborhood from threats(or perceived threat.) The gangs were necessary to survive bad situations.... I believe these kids are trying to form "gangs" because its 'cool'...and thats what scares me. They have no needs...they only have wants. They want the community to see the spray paint, they want the fine residents of Pleasanton to take notice. Most of the gang memebers have normal family lives, and supportive families.. (I know not of of them, but I'm sure most of them do)...They have cars, money, and time to kill. The scary thing is, they can disappear easily. They can pull up their pants and jump in the back of Moms Volvo with little sister, and blend in with everyone else. It worries me that privileged kids tend to get all the breaks. So even if one of these kids gets caught spray painting or stealing, they will never do any time. Their parents will bail them out, sign him up for counseling, and ground him for the weekend...
So in short, there is no physical threat to the community, only the nuisance. But I'll still advice you to be carefull when you see a Volvo packed with young white teenagers...
Maybe we can bring in some REAL gansters to explain to these kids that your supposed to go TAG up someone elses neighborhood, not your own.
a resident of Amberwood/Wood Meadows
on Aug 14, 2008 at 9:47 am
Right, Doo Doo!
And what I'd like to know is where are the parents of these kids?
a resident of Amador Valley High School
on Aug 14, 2008 at 10:22 am
One of the gangs is the Mexican Kids that set themselves apart from the white kids because they speak spanish at school and openly profess to hate whites. The natural consequence is the white kids ganging together in retaliation.
a resident of Valley Trails
on Aug 14, 2008 at 11:05 am
See...that makes sense to me. The race issue is at least an explaination. Have the school(s) been made aware of the tension between the groups? These situations are kinda par for the course, but they can get out of hand quickly. Someone needs to keep an eye on this...
I have a stupid question... do any of these gangs have "territory" I mean ...are there places to avoid at certain times?
a resident of Walnut Hills
on Aug 14, 2008 at 1:23 pm
The tension exists but that's because no one wants to get out of their comfort zone. Does the Spanish language offend you? Spanish doesn't create tension. Attitudes do.
The tagging is annoying. I grew up here and I am of Mexican descent. My parents moved us here from Oakland for a better education and safer neighborhoods. Not once did I think to disrespect my neighborhood or my town. I love where I live and I never needed to tag up Pleasanton to show it. I moved away to Los Angeles for college and returned to raise my kids here. My kids have noticed the tagging. They are used to it in Los Angeles, not here. I have to explain to them how disrespectful it is to do that and I have to say- it's ugly. We also critisize it because it's so lacking in the "pleasing factor". The taggers should take an art class because it's not appealing. Three letters and done so sloppy. I may be in the minority, but I LIKE Grafiti. It is an art. But the tagging done here in Pleasanton is SO not ART!
To all kids who tag: it sickens me to know that your HARD WORKING parents sacrificed their time, their bodies, thier money, their health, etc. to have you here in Pleasanton and the best you can do to repay them is to tag up your own neighborhood? All parents picked this town for the benefit of their own family and you jeapardize this "family first" town by your actions. Who are you telling that this is your "turf"? No one cares because you don't own anything so stop doing it. Write on your hand or your notebook.
I know your parents would be so ashamed of you.
To all kids: Take advantage of all this town has to offer.
a resident of Pleasanton Middle School
on Aug 14, 2008 at 2:02 pm
Perhaps their parents are spending the entire day pontificating on some stupid blog.
Parenting is a tough job-you should try it yourself sometime.
a resident of Valley Trails
on Aug 14, 2008 at 2:09 pm
Lorianne.... what kind of person are you? To read what was written ...AND THATS WHAT COMES INTO YOUR HEAD ?? You should really take a look at what kind of person you are...seriously!
a resident of Livermore
on Aug 14, 2008 at 2:18 pm
a resident of Walnut Hills
on Aug 14, 2008 at 2:33 pm
Let's not get my appreciation for graffiti twisted: I don't like it on anyone's property unless someone commissioned an artist to "beautify" their wall. (Graffiti also exists in sketch books.)
a resident of Amberwood/Wood Meadows
on Aug 14, 2008 at 3:15 pm
Doo Doo,
Lorianne appears to be a member of my fan club.
a resident of Downtown
on Aug 14, 2008 at 3:17 pm
Cholo - THERE ARE NO GANGS IN P-TOWN. The only thing p-town has are want-a-be-gangsters.
DOO DOO - Why are you scared of these punk kids?
a resident of Parkside
on Aug 14, 2008 at 3:50 pm
Pay a reward for info - Maybe a extra gpa point - this will work in Pleasanton
Just kidding a bit but it is vital to find out who and bust them quick -
a resident of Parkside
on Aug 14, 2008 at 3:50 pm
Pay a reward for info - Maybe a extra gpa point - this will work in Pleasanton
Just kidding a bit but it is vital to find out who and bust them quick -
a resident of Pleasanton Middle School
on Aug 14, 2008 at 4:04 pm
Oops! You're right Doo Doo-no pun intended-I forgot to include that I agree with whatever Stacy has to say about tagging-and gangs-and.....
Gotta go-my baby's crying!
a resident of Valley Trails
on Aug 14, 2008 at 4:08 pm
Unknown, I'm not scared...TRUST ME. I'm just done with that lifestyle, I have been for a long time. But if me and my wife, and two daughters are walking down the street and some of these punks mouth off.... then I can (and will) un-retire ...REAL FAST.... And doing so would bring on cops and court dates, and hassles that I'm proud to be rid of. I live a simple life now...
We can dismiss these "gangsters" all we want because their parents might make decent money.... but any idiot kids can pull a trigger.
a resident of Another Pleasanton neighborhood
on Aug 14, 2008 at 4:10 pm
I "Doo Doo" will do my part to "Sta" and "Cey" through the Amador members concern regarding the natural consequence of a white person. "Cholo" will articulate "Me"(the well intentioned)to continue, as long as his property is safe and will readily voice his personel opinion of the advantages Plutonians have. The "Voter" will petition to have a local school closed. The "Parent" will provide encouragement to their children to become active participants to assist present problem. "Noticed" reminds us all that young adults are the only ones to insure a more stable future. Come on :) I expect all of you to research, detering graffiti, and be role models for community service. We don't want our children shipped out to Brentwood. Call the Pleasanton Police Dept.,get the graffiti ph.# have it available at all times and become active. Time wasting away, need to go walk my cat.
a resident of Valley Trails
on Aug 14, 2008 at 4:28 pm
Is it just me...or does everybody read these "blogs" kinda expecting confrontation.
Mr. Wilson I almost feel inclinded to take offese to what you wrote. Although, I have to say... I don't get it? I get the last part, about calling in and reporting stuff. But the whole cryptic thing missed me.
a resident of Vineyard Avenue
on Aug 14, 2008 at 4:44 pm
The territory is Vineyard Ave. things can get tense at the park.
a resident of Vineyard Hills
on Aug 14, 2008 at 4:48 pm
To Voter:
My son attends Village High School and he is not a wanna be gangster nor are his friends. You can't lump a whole school as bad. There are bad kids at all schools. Have you ever gone and spoken to the principal or the police regarding your concerns. Might be something to consider!
Also, not everyone that attends Village lives on Vineyard.
a resident of Another Pleasanton neighborhood
on Aug 14, 2008 at 5:25 pm
Exactly Doo Doo. That was the point. Assisting our police Dept. may enable them to be more responsive based on participation from community. Leaving problems to the so-called experts does not provide good citizenship. The City can provide, in front of your face services that assist most but rely on Community for the detail.
a resident of Livermore
on Aug 14, 2008 at 7:23 pm
watch out...are you suggesting that we SNITCH? I'm already a snitch, what else can I do?
Twisted? NOT! Graffiti can be fabulous art...on another fence, not mine!
I'm accepting commissions
Lorianne, go back to Mayberry where you came from!
wilson makes sense...keep up the good work! HOORAY!
a resident of Livermore
on Aug 14, 2008 at 7:29 pm
Oh...it's so much fun to be back in my adopted country....HOORAY!
a resident of Canyon Meadows
on Aug 15, 2008 at 9:12 am
Diversity divides, I wish I could remember the philosopher that spoke to that fact.
When someone has a conversation in front of me that I don't understand it makes me uncomfortable. Weren't we all taught not to whisper in front of people? It is rude to whisper because it makes people feel left out of the conversation or feel that something is being said about them. Spanish speakers know this and know it will only create bad feelings.
In common public areas english should be spoken. Especially in school where we are using our tax dollars to acclimate ESL students to our education system.
I agree with Obama that is is time that we all learn multiple languages and I am working on improving my spanish and requiring all of my children to take spanish and our families native language.
We proudly speak our families native language and take great pride in our heritage at home and in appropriate settings but we don't need to disrespect others to maintain pride in our ancestral heritage.
a resident of Livermore
on Aug 15, 2008 at 9:46 am
I say speak your native tongue wherever and whenever you please and the DEVIL take the hindmost! YUP, that's how to do it!
If there's another language that I would like to learn, it's Mandarin!
Mr. Wilson, I'm already a snitch. Is that good or bad? I know lots of police officers and enjoy reporting illegal activity.
a resident of Valley Trails
on Aug 15, 2008 at 10:27 am
I am in love with this place! We started out talking about gang issues, and now it went through politics..and civil rights...and now we're at RACE.
The person was just referring to a group of kids that happen to be hispanic. He was answering the question of why is the tension. And I might not be an expert in this subject, but I assure you they are not fighting about 'what language they speak'. They're teenagers, come on guys. One group disrespects another group...pretty soon words exchange... then... you know how it goes...In all of this, I highly doubt we have a bunch of racist teens battling a bunch of militant foreigners (or however this story is going)...
Kids will be kids...
PS.. I can't believe that lady who said schools should not allow our children to communicate (amoung themselves)in a way that their comfortable. Will there be signs prohibiting spanish? I never saw one before... Will it have a person in a sombrero with a big red X on it???
a resident of Vineyard Avenue
on Aug 15, 2008 at 11:18 am
English should be mandated in public school. English learner benefit from speaking English only and it reduces the separation of groups that lead to gangs.
a resident of Walnut Hills
on Aug 15, 2008 at 11:33 am
Languages do not create gangs! Geesh! TRUST ME, these kids know how to speak English, they just speak to each other in their native tongue. It's a sign of respect. If I speak to you in English (Mandarin, Spanish), you reply in English (Mandarin, Spanish). If my grandma speaks to me in Spanish and I reply in English, I am rude. Get it? Inside the classroom, it's English, English English!
Diversity does not devide unless you are afraid of diversity.
Cholo-the advantages: great schools, great resources, etc.
a resident of Walnut Hills
on Aug 15, 2008 at 11:36 am
please excuse my typo for the word divide in my previous post. I dislike mistakes. =)
a resident of Livermore
on Aug 15, 2008 at 11:47 am
Hi Me! That's right...if somebody speaks to me in Spanish, I respond in Spanish. If you speak to me in another language, I respond in that language if I know it. People learn another language by hearing it spoken. IT IS RESPECTFUL!!!
A few months ago, I was in a doctor's office. His assistant spoke to me in Spanish and we had a delightful conversation. Then, when the doc entered, she switched to English but I didn't. She trashed me when the doc left the room. I told her that I was gonna report her lame ass to immigration. She was furious. What a strange nurse?
a resident of another community
on Aug 15, 2008 at 11:49 am
Dude you are whack.
a resident of Amador Valley High School
on Aug 15, 2008 at 12:03 pm
"TRUST ME, these kids know how to speak English, they just speak to each other in their native tongue. "
Yes, that is the point, they use the opportunity to dis someone in front of them and feel confident they can get away with it.
A friend and i were walking at the mall and a group walking behind us starting talkin smak about us in Spanish. My friend is fluent in Spanish and understood what they were saying. We did not want a confrontation so we turned and my friend addressed them pleasantly in Spanish and we walked on.
Talking anything but english in public is not respectful!!!!!
a resident of Another Pleasanton neighborhood
on Aug 15, 2008 at 12:05 pm
Can you explain the "trashed me" part... that doesn't sound professional for a medical office. BUT the part when she switched to english when her BOSS walked in...that sounds perfectly normal. And what exactly would you tell immigration if you had called??? Or is this just another Cholo rant that is part joke, part lie....
a resident of Valley Trails
on Aug 15, 2008 at 1:26 pm
Kyle.... it sounds like you handled yourself pretty good when you were in that situation, keep up the good attitude. But your comments about "talking anything but english in public is not respectful" is just plian wrong. It is also offensive. Do you realize that (in your thinking) that we would all be speaking native american...OH YEAH, lets not forget that we're ALL on foriegn land. I know its a childish point to say...but...
The fact is that our language, the ENGLISH language is created and expanded through other languages. People and languages that have been around THOUSANDS of years before ours have helped this country become great. Its about time we give them just alittle tolerance, and respect.
When I'm in public and I hear people speaking different languages, I am curious...sure. I'm not offended (why would I be?) Lets just say for kicks...they ARE talking about me. What do I care? Kyle, I guess thats just part of getting older.... other peoples opinions just don't carry the weight they once did...
a resident of Birdland
on Aug 15, 2008 at 2:10 pm
Whoa people, I didn't expect to see just a heated debate in here. Regardless if they are classified as "gangs" or just a bunch of kids up to no good, the problem is still the same. And no need placing blame on anyone other than the kids who are doing this. Maybe the police can monitor for graffiti more, I don't know what the answer is. Even the best parent in the world can't control their teenager's actions 24/7.
PS - I agree that we should close down the continuation school or move it to the middle of Sunol where residents wont have to deal with it.
a resident of Livermore
on Aug 15, 2008 at 2:50 pm
Kyle...go back to Mayberry where you came from! Begone Devil!!!
a resident of Livermore
on Aug 15, 2008 at 2:52 pm
Lyndalu...nobody appreciates your silly comments....go away....PLEASE!
Join the TROLL CLUB!
a resident of Livermore
on Aug 15, 2008 at 2:55 pm
SPANISH LESSON OF THE DAY: chilito = apple sauce
a resident of Livermore
on Aug 15, 2008 at 3:01 pm
Marty...do you have a full deck? How does speaking English only make the world a better place? Duh...
a resident of another community
on Aug 15, 2008 at 5:07 pm
I repeat, Dude you are whack, you posted 3 times in response to you own post. Kind of like arguing with yourself.
a resident of Another Pleasanton neighborhood
on Aug 15, 2008 at 9:11 pm
Lorianne. Stacey's baby is crying, too. And the older one just bumped his head....
a resident of Livermore
on Aug 15, 2008 at 10:28 pm
whut...so what? It's is way fun...tee hee hee, tee hee hee..
Smells Begone!
a resident of Livermore
on Aug 16, 2008 at 10:46 am
I see no need to speak in English 24/7! The doc didn't seem to mind and stated that he had a basic understanding of Spanish. When the doc left the room, Ms. RN spoke to me in an emotional tone that I perceived as derogatory. She put on her trying too hard to fit in hat and spoke to me as if I had in some way violated her in G_ds presence.
I could have terrified her and shouted manos arriba...migra and she would have wet her pants. As for "professional" for a medical office, that is a myth. NOT ALL MEDICAL OFFICE STAFF INTERACT APPROPRIATELY WITH PATIENTS, DOCTORS & RN'S INCLUDED.
Shouting manos arriba...migra would have been too mean spirited. I took the high road and simply informed her that I would call immigration on her if she didn't shut up. That was the least I could do to help her contain herself. No rant or lies...tee hee hee, tee hee hee...
Where do you born Confused? Mayberry..hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm...?
a resident of Another Pleasanton neighborhood
on Aug 16, 2008 at 12:07 pm
Cholo, you naughty troll, it is rude to speak spanish in front of non-spanish speakers. I am sure your mother taught you it is rude to tell secrets in front of people... it is the same thing.
My teacher used to tell us, "secrets don't make friends."
rude... rude... rude... rude... rude... rude... rude... rude... rude...
Cholo do you have any friends? Cholo I will be your friend ...I like trolls ;~)
Yes Cholo I am the devil...Teeheeheehee
editor of the Pleasanton Weekly
on Aug 16, 2008 at 3:20 pm
Jeb Bing is a registered user.
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