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WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump shook up his communications team on Tuesday, replacing his press secretary and adding new staffers as he grapples with the coronavirus pandemic.
Stephanie Grisham, who had held the titles of press secretary and White House communications director since last June, is out after never holding a formal press briefing. She will be rejoining the first lady's office in a new role as Melania Trumps's chief of staff.
Kayleigh McEnany, a top Trump campaign spokeswoman, will take over as Trump's fourth press secretary. Also heading to the White House: Pentagon spokeswoman Alyssa Farah. She will lead strategic communications, according to a senior administration official familiar with the moves who spoke on condition of anonymity because the decisions had not been formally announced
The shakeup comes as the president is facing the biggest crisis of his administration, with the coronavirus spreading across the country. The virus has killed more than 12,000 people in the U.S. and fundamentally transformed American life while plunging the economy into what is expected to be a major recession.
Grisham, who succeeded Sarah Sanders and Sean Spicer, was arguably the nation's least visible press secretary in modern history, having never held a press briefing during her nine months on the job. While she made occasional appearances on the Fox News Channel, she preferred to tape her interviews in a studio to avoid having to speak to reporters who gather on the White House driveway to interview officials after they appear on TV via cameras set up outside the executive mansion.
Her departure was not a surprise. Grisham had been largely sidelined since the start of the pandemic, with the press team for Vice President Mike Pence, the head of the coronavirus task force, taking the lead. In addition, Mark Meadows, the president's new chief of staff, has been working to bring on his own team, including senior adviser Ben Williamson.
The role of press secretary has been a particularly challenging one under the media-obsessed Trump, who believes himself to be his best spokesman, communications director and strategist, and demands absolute loyalty.
Over the last several weeks, Trump has revived the tradition of the daily press briefing, personally taking the stage in the White House briefing room to try to put a positive spin on the federal government's response to the pandemic.
Trump has a highly volatile relationship with the press, slamming unflattering stories as "fake news" while closely following his coverage. Briefings earlier in the administration often turned combative, especially under Spicer. He began his tenure with a much-panned briefing in which he claimed the president's inauguration crowds had been the largest ever, which was untrue.
McEnany was already a regular defender of the president on television. Farah has deep ties to the White House, having served as press secretary to Pence and as Meadows' communications director.
Grisham's new role was announced Tuesday by Mrs. Trump. The first lady said Lindsay Reynolds, her chief of staff for the past three years, had resigned to spend more time with her family.
Grisham, who had said in a statement that she would remain in the West Wing "to help with a smooth transition for as long as needed," tweeted her thanks to Trump on Tuesday evening "for the honor of a lifetime."
Anita McBride, who served as chief of staff to first lady Laura Bush, said Grisham's return to the East Wing shows her close ties to Mrs. Trump. McBride recalled that it was the first lady, and not the president, who announced last year that Grisham would become the White House press secretary.
"It will be an easy transition for Stephanie," McBride said. She added that Grisham "knows how Mrs. Trump likes things done. They're clearly very close."
But Lis Power of the liberal watchdog group Media Matters for America said Trump was "replacing a White House press secretary who did little more than appear on Fox News and other right-wing media outlets, with a person who is best known for her sycophantic pro-Trump media appearances."
"We should expect Kayleigh McEnany to follow the lead of her predecessors," Power said.


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UPDATE FEBRUARY 19, 2014 – The misleading "State of the Polar Bear" graphic is now GONE (as of January 31, 2014). A new 2013 status table is offered by the PBSG here. It has detailed text explanations and harvest information, with references, hyperlinked to each subpopulation entry ("Press the subpopulation hyperlink and more information will appear") and may have replaced the "State of the Polar Bear" graphic that the PBSG commissioned for upwards of US$50,000, although the PBSG website says it is being "updated" [A pdf copy of the 2013 colour table is here, and my commentary on it is here.] I have left the original post as is, below.
[See followup posts here and here (April 1)]
Two days ago, I got a short note from PBSG chairman and website manager Dag Vongraven of the Norwegian Polar Institute, Tromso. He was responding to an email I sent him earlier this week asking about the apparent increase in global polar bear numbers when tallied by nation as depicted in the "State of the Polar Bear" dynamic "tool" featured on the Polar Bear Specialist Group (PBSG) website, which I discussed in a previous post here. The tally by nation in that PBSG document suggests that the world population estimate for polar bears is 22,600-32,000 – far higher than the 20,000-25,000 "official" estimate.
Apparently, this tool was developed by a US-based web company under Vongraven's supervision. But, he says, he has "not yet had time to review all details in it as well as I should." So, without a careful final review, the document was posted on the front page of the PBSG website, where it has been featured for several months.
The "tool" consists of three maps – that's it. They are titled Subpopulations, Nations, and Ecoregions. I previously discussed the population totals by Nation, but when I went back and looked at the Subpopulation numbers, I realized they are very odd as well.
The total population estimate listed on the Subpopulation map add up to just 13,036 – not even close to the 20,000-25,000 "official" estimate. The map (see screen cap below) gives no number (estimate = 0) for the following subpopulations, all of which have an official estimate (see previous post here, estimates from the 2009 PBSG report in square brackets): Foxe Basin [2,197], Viscount Melville [161], Laptev Sea [800-12,00] and Barents Sea [2,650]. On the map below, all of the regions coloured grey have no estimate provided (estimate = 0). In addition, there is no estimate provided for the Chukchi Sea subpopulation, coloured orange in this map, as per the official estimate [you can't see the numbers given in this screen cap because they only show up when you hover your mouse over the region].
So when you add up the individual estimates provided on each of the two maps on this web tool, you get two different numbers that have no resemblance to the "official" estimate of 20,000-25,000.Vongraven says he is recovering from surgery and so it may be awhile until someone takes a look to see what's up with this tool. He did not seem overly concerned about it. But he assured me that the official polar bear estimate of 20,000-25,000 has not changed, although it may after the next population review at the PBSG meeting later this year.
The point is this: if you were a high school student or a teacher looking for a simple and authoritative summary on the status of the polar bear, this tool would look very attractive. The IUCN/SSC Polar Bear Specialist Group want us to consider them the 'premiere' experts on polar bear numbers worldwide but these maps do not accurately summarize the current state of knowledge about global polar bear population numbers. The maps are misleading and confusing. We may never know who's bright idea this was but I in my opinion, it's a dud.
[the "State of the Polar Bear" tool was still up on the PBSG website, in its original state, the last time I looked]

subset: commoncrawl


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Marking written work can be incredibly time-consuming, and it's disheartening when you see the students glance quickly at your detailed comments and put the piece of writing away in their bags never to be looked at again.
So, what can be done to a) reduce your workload as a teacher and b) encourage students to actually learn something from your feedback*?
We all know that it's important to get students to take responsibility for their own work and many teachers use a correction code to encourage students to self-correct. This can be useful, but you still need to be selective. Too many corrections/comments can lead to the student feeling overwhelmed and demotivated, and/or the student not knowing which of these areas are high priorities.
Be selective
- Choose one or two areas with the whole class that you will focus on for this set of written work only. For example, if it is an opinion essay, you might choose to focus on text organisation. Or you could choose a grammatical area, such as articles, that the whole class finds difficult. Instead of the teacher choosing these areas, you could negotiate them with the class before they start or after they have written the work but before they have handed it in.
- Ask students to individually select two areas they want you to focus on as you mark their work. They could either write these at the bottom of their work, or highlight sections that they don't feel as confident about.
- Focus on just one or two (anonymous) pieces of work that you look at with the whole class. Take it in turns so that everyone has this opportunity. Especially with a monolingual group, it is likely that many of the issues will be the same for most students.
- Just correct one paragraph of each student's work. Then ask them to self-correct anything similar in the rest of the piece.
Of course, with all these approaches it is important that the students understand that not highlighting something doesn't automatically mean that it is correct, but that you are being selective.
Set aside time for students to respond to and act on your feedback
In the UK this has the lovely acronym DIRT (directed improvement and reflection time). If we don't want our carefully thought through feedback to be ignored, DIRT is vital. However, it is unlikely in most contexts that you will have sufficient class time for students to sit and re-draft the whole pieces of work in class. Again, be selective.
So, if you have just marked one paragraph, students could work on that one paragraph in class, and then look at the rest at home. Or, if you have just marked errors with articles, you could write a selection of errors on the board for the class to correct, and then ask students to correct just one paragraph of their own work in class. Or if they have asked you about a particular section, give them time to work on rewriting that section in class, in response to your feedback.
Once students are familiar with the DIRT technique, you can write DIRT activities on the bottom of their written work. For example, 'Find at least three sentences where you have used 'and' and 'but' and change them to use more complex linkers' or 'rewrite paragraph 3 and make sure that the tenses are used correctly.'
Extensive feedback that students do nothing with is, quite frankly, a complete waste of everyone's time, so why not experiment with some of these ideas?
*Of course, feedback is not only about pointing out what could be better, and it is also important to point out what went well.
You can find another post on written feedback here:


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Sheikh Ahmad Tijani b. Sayyidi Ali Cisse (or Cheikh Tidiane Cisse) holds the Imamate of the Grand Mosque in Medina-Baye, Senegal. As Imam of the spiritual heart for the followers of Sheikh Ibrahim Niasse (RA), Sheikh Tijani Cisse represents some one-hundred million Muslims around the world. He succeeds to the position after a lifetime of personal instruction and companionship with some of the twentieth century's most eminent Tijani scholars: Sheikh Ibrahim Niasse (d. 1975), Sheikh Sayyidi 'Ali Cisse (d. 1982), and Sheikh Hassan b. 'Ali Cisse (d. 2008). Sheikh Tijani Cisse is a renowned scholar, a consummate gnostic, a spiritual trainer endowed with startling insight into the aspirant's condition, a committed humanitarian, and a Sufi ascetic whose heart never leaves the presence of the Real but whose existence in the world follows the movement of time. He is the reviver of the Muhammadan Sunnah, the khalifa of Sheikh Ahmad Tijani al-Hasani, the bearer of the Tijani Flood in this generation and the paradigmatic servant of Allah ('Abd-Allah) of the time. May Allah be pleased with him and be pleased with us on account of him.
Sheikh Tijani Cisse (b. 1955) is the second son of Sheikh Ibrahim's most beloved student, Sheikh 'Ali Cisse (RA), and his first daughter, Fatima Zahra Niasse (RA). After memorizing Qur'an in Medina-Baye, Sheikh Tijani himself became a Qur'an teacher in Medina Baye while continuing his Islamic studies. In his late teens, he devoted himself full-time to personalized instruction (majalis al-ilm), first under his father, Sheikh Ali (1971-1972); and then under his grandfather, Sheikh Ibrahim (1973). He was the last to be personally instructed by Sheikh Ibrahim in the classical texts, focusing mostly on Arabic literature and poetry. He would later receive the highest of licenses from his father, Sheikh 'Ali Cisse, who told him: "Whatever Sheikh Ibrahim gave me, I am giving you."
After completing his early education in Senegal, he traveled to Egypt where he lived with Sheikh Hassan Cisse (RA) during his elder brother's last year of study in Cairo. Like his brother, Sheikh Tijani excelled in his formal studies in Egypt; the result, he says, of the rigor of the informal instruction given him in Senegal. He graduated first in his class in the Azhar preparatory school, receiving his diploma in Arabic language in 1974. He received his Baccalaureate in 1977 in Arabic Language, graduating fourth in his class. By 1981, he had distinguished himself at the University of Azhar with a degree in the faculty of Usul al-Din (theology), department of Hadith (Prophetic Traditions).
After finishing his studies in Egypt, he traveled extensively throughout Africa, the Middle East and America attending conferences, participating in religious debates, and calling people to Islam. He took time to edit and publish several important works, including Sheikh Ibrahim's Kashif al-Ilbas and a collection of Sheikh Ibrahim's writings, which he named Sa'adat al-Anam. He also aided the publication of a comprehensive collection of Sheikh Ibrahim's supplications, Kanz al-Masun. One Azhar scholar reportedly told him that his work identifying hadith citations in the 2001 publication of Kashif al-Ilbas would have been enough to complete a doctorate at Azhar University. In the introduction to Sheikh Tijani's reprinting of the Kashif, Sheikh Hassan Cisse wrote: "I thank my dear brother, the master, the Sheikh Tijani 'Ali Cisse, who spent of his efforts for the success of this pious work and much appreciated endeavor…"
The high scholarship of Sheikh Tijani Cisse was recognized by the Senegalese government in 2001, when he was appointed Senegal's General Commissioner for the Hajj. In 2006, he was again recognized by Senegalese President Aboulaye Wade and appointed a Senegalese "Special Missions Ambassador", a position he holds until the present time. He has also received Senegal's distinguished award, the Ordre de Merite (1993). His country's high esteem for his scholarship was revealed most recently by a personal visit of President Abdoulaye Wade to the Shaykh's home in Medina-Baye (2008).
Sheikh Tijani Cisse was the closest confidant and traveling companion of his brother, Sheikh Hassan Cisse. Many of the illustrious representatives at his inauguration recalled how whoever was speaking with Sheikh Hassan Cisse when Sheikh Tijani came into the room – even if it was a government minister – he would have to go out in order to leave the two of them alone if they had something to discuss. Many of the miraculous occurrences during Sheikh Hassan's travels were shared by his brother, Sheikh Tijani. For example, when a great scholar in Medina (Saudi Arabia) gave Sheikh Hassan an ijaza to teach select hadith by command of the Prophet in a visionary encounter, Sheikh Tijani received from him the same ijaza. The extent of his intimacy with Sheikh Hassan is proven by Sheikh Hassan's calling his younger brother to his bedside to be the last person with him before he passed.
Their noble mother, Sayyida Fatima Zahra Niasse, revealed that some people of insight in Nigeria repeatedly used to tell her that since Sheikh Ibrahim, like the Prophet Muhammad, had a father named 'Abd Allah, a son-in-law and closest companion named 'Ali, a daughter named Fatima, a grandson named Hassan, her second son Sheikh Tijani was in reality a "Husayn" similar to the Prophet's second beloved grandson.
Sheikh Tijani Cisse's installation as Imam was unanimously agreed upon by the leading representatives of the legacy of Sheikh Ibrahim Niasse. His August 15, 2008 inauguration was attended by delegations from Nigeria, Mauritania, Ghana, South Africa and America; and by Sheikh Ibrahim's most eminent sons: Sheikh Ahmad Dame Ibrahim Niasse (current Khalifa of Sheikh Ibrahim's family), Sheikh Ahmad Tijani Niasse, Sheikh Muhammad Ma'mun Niasse (public representative of the Sheikh Ibrahim's family), Sheikh Muhammad Mahi Niasse, Sheikh Muhammad Maki Niasse and Sheikh Muhammad al-Amin Niasse (also known as Baba Lamine). Other significant figures to confirm his appointment included Ibrahim Diop (former travelling companion and secretary of Sheikh Ibrahim), Sheikh Muhammad al-Hafiz al-Nahwi (Mauritania), al-Hajj b. Muhammad al-Mishry (Mauritania), Sheikh Tahir al-Bauchi (Nigeria), Sheikh Muhammad al-Mahi Cisse (younger brother to Sheikh Tijani Cisse and director of the Islamic school founded by Sheikh Hassan) and Jere Cisse (traveling companion and secretary of Sheikh Hassan Cisse). The occasion of his installation as Imam also marked Sheikh Tijani's assumption of the presidency of the African American Islamic Institute, the UN-recognized humanitarian organization founded by Sheikh Hassan for the sake of health care, education and cross-cultural communication.
Sheikh Ibrahim's will designated leadership of Medina-Baye's Grand Mosque to his closest disciple Sheikh 'Ali Cisse, to be passed next to his eldest son Sheikh Hassan, and after "to whomever Allah wills." The unanimous validation of Sheikh Tijani Cisse as the community's new Imam proved him to be he "whom Allah wills" according to the will of Sheikh Ibrahim Niasse. May Allah prolong his life, and allow his himma, his lofty aspiration, to lift the hearts of those in need.]]>


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With the Supreme Court ruling by the "Fabulous Five," Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, a single corporation will be able tap into its deep pockets and disfranchise a million citizens. A group calling itself "Citizens United" has just won a fight to give huge corporations more control over our politics. Even the 1886 "ruling," Santa Clara Co. v. Southern Pacific, that established a corporation as "a person" was fraudulent. Now these fictive "persons" have been granted more political rights than real human beings. What's to stop these conglomerates from using their vast stores of cash to implant their servants at every level of municipal, state, and federal government?
It's unfortunate that influential commentators, such as the New York Times' David Kirkpatrick, are blind to the grave implications of Citizens United v. FEC. Whether Kirkpatrick and others at the highest echelons of American punditry understand it or not the fact is that the next ten to twelve years promise to be a turning point in American democracy unless some drastic civic action is taken to blunt the effects of this egregious example of Far Right judicial activism. "Polls have shown that relatively few people understand or are even aware of the campaign finance rules," Kirkpatrick writes, and "some politicians say reformers . . . are unrealistic about how money and politicians mix." Kirkpatrick's point: Just go to sleep people -- nothing to see here. This over-reaching, game-changing Supreme Court ruling won't adversely affect anything. No worries.
Corporations are immortal. They don't need health care, or minimum wages, or pensions, or food stamps. They don't raise children and have families. They have no morality or ethics other than maximizing their profits. They are sociopathic.
One example of corporate sociopathology from the dawn of our corporation-loving era involves the Reagan Administration's deregulatory zeal and the pharmaceutical industry. Beginning as far back as the 1960s medical studies had shown a link between the use of aspirin, to relieve the symptoms of childhood diseases such as chicken pox, with the potential to develop Reye's syndrome, a disease that can cause severe damage to the liver, brain, and other organs, as well as death. For years pediatricians had been warning parents not to give their children aspirin when they had chicken pox or other viral infections. In 1981, the Department of Health and Human Services (HSS) decided to alert consumers to the danger, and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) followed suit, citing a "consensus of the scientific experts" calling for new warning labels on children's aspirin. The pharmaceutical industry responded by funding an astroturf group called the "Committee on the Care of Children" that launched an aggressive public lobbying campaign against the new rule. On November 18, 1982, Reagan's HSS Secretary, Richard Schweiker, withdrew the labeling mandate saying the idea had been "premature."
The battle over the warning labels continued until 1986 when the Reagan Administration finally capitulated to public pressure and imposed the new regulation. In 1980, there had been 555 reported cases of Reye's syndrome, but the year after the labeling requirement went into effect there were only thirty-six. A study by the National Academy of Sciences and the School of Public Health at the University of California, Berkeley found that of the hundreds of children who died of Reye's syndrome between 1981 and 1986, 1,470 could have been saved if aspirin had been properly labeled. "These 1,470 deaths were especially tragic," the report concluded, "because they were, typically, healthy children who never recovered from the viral infection of chicken pox." Here is but one example of corporations willing to kill American children just to save a few pennies on each bottle of aspirin by not printing new warning labels.
And there are countless other examples of corporations egregiously violating societal norms and humane conduct that far exceed the level of damage that an individual citizen could ever cause, such as when Big Coal chews up rural communities with "mountain top removal" mining; or the McWayne foundry brutalizes its workers; or Cargill uses meat processing subcontractors that spread E. coli across the country; or Nestlé's rips off Sacramento's municipal water supply in a time of drought; or Wal-Mart and other "big box" stores obliterate main street America; or Blackwater and Haliburton profiteer from war; or media conglomerates function as corporate propaganda ministries; or Aetna and other health insurance giants prey on the American people like vultures; or ExxonMobil and the energy monopolies flaunt environmental laws and gouge consumers; or the financial services companies bring down the American economy and trade derivatives based on life insurance policies betting that Americans are going to die sooner than later; and so on, and on, and on.
Today, we have levels of inequality worse than the Gilded Age and the "trusts" are bigger, more powerful, and possess a global reach that is greater than ever. The corporations have already given the country years of disastrous public policy. The health care fiasco shows their power to pull the strings in Congress. And George W. Bush's Supreme Court drops enormous new political powers in the laps of these corporate behemoths? So much for Chief Justice John Roberts' promises during his confirmation hearing to respect stare decisis. Just when you think our politics couldn't get worse you get surprised again.


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Politics-wise, the White House's rolling conversation on gun control last week didn't get off to the world's most promising start. No, it went more like this: Joe Biden utters the words "executive order" and, within hours, the Drudge Report is posting photos of Stalin and Hitler. On CNN, meanwhile, a radio talk show host named Alex Jones goes unhinged, screaming in Piers Morgan's face that "1776 will commence again if you take our firearms!"
We're stuck in the same old debate, where any talk of restrictions is met with a ride down a slippery slope greased with WD-40: Incremental gun control would beget an all-out ban, government tyranny, a victory for sanctimonious liberals everywhere.
That's why Americans should take a group of Boston doctors up on their proposal to shift the conversation. Instead of pitting gun-control advocates directly against gun owners, these doctors say, why not approach gun safety from the outside, as a problem of public health?
This isn't a brand new idea. But the Newtown shooting gives it more urgency and has brought in voices who aren't part of the long-standing gun-control conversation — such as Dr. David Ludwig, an expert in childhood obesity at Boston Children's Hospital, and Dr. Dariush Mozaffarian, a Harvard School of Public Health professor who specializes in cardiac disease. A few days after Newtown, at a birthday party for Mozaffarian's 4-year-old daughter, they sketched out the idea of an apolitical gun safety campaign, led by doctors instead of interest groups, modeled on the work that has done so much to curb smoking, accidental poisonings, and motor vehicle deaths.
They also brought in Dr. David Hemenway from the Harvard School of Public Health, whose book "While We Were Sleeping" outlines some dramatic successes in injury prevention — and who told me that a key to the public-health approach is giving up the urge to lay blame.
After a mass shooting, the public's impulse is always to focus on the gunman: What was his mental state? What video games did he play? What kind of gun did he use? What did his mother do wrong?
"Forget fault," Hemenway said. "Get it out of your mind, and just try to prevent."
Back in the 1950s, he said, when people fretted about car-crash deaths, car manufacturers fell back on the fault argument: Cars don't kill people; bad drivers do, by speeding or driving drunk or blowing through stop signs.
So doctors tried a different tactic: assuming that accidents were going to happen and focusing instead on the injuries they caused. It turned out that people were being slammed into non-collapsible steering wheels, lacerated by non-shatterproof windshields, crushed when they ran into trees and lampposts on the sides of roads.
Public safety programs — many of them government-imposed — changed the environment in which bad drivers drove. Some required change from car manufacturers: collapsible steering wheels, safety glass on windshields. Some required change from drivers themselves: wearing seat belts, naming designated drivers. There was no single solution. But since 1950, car deaths per mile driven have fallen by 90 percent.
In a commentary in last week's Journal of the American Medical Association, Ludwig, Hemenway, and Mozaffarian list a number of public health analogies that could easily apply to guns. Just as childproof safety caps have helped reduce the number of kids poisoned by medicines, a new generation of smart gun safety locks — perhaps triggered by fingerprints — could keep guns from discharging in the wrong hands. Just as speed limits have lessened the impact of accidents, reduced-capacity magazines could limit the effects of a shooting spree. Just as taxing tobacco has raised money for smoking cessation, taxing guns could provide a funding stream for gun safety programs.
Many of these ideas have been proposed in the past, and have met with the same old resistance. Making real change will require new people to join the conversation. And I still believe it's possible to separate reasonable gun owners from the hyperbole of the gun lobby. It's even possible that Drudge and Alex Jones could help. Their theatrics this week, compared to the sober rhetoric of doctors, highlight the ridiculousness of refusing to compromise at all.
Better that we keep those old public health victories in mind — remember that they came with a measure of personal sacrifice, but also that we accepted the burden and moved on. People didn't much like wearing seat belts, at the start. But once we had to wear seat belts, it's turned out to be fine. Better than fine. Because now, there are plenty more of us alive.
Joanna Weiss can be reached at email@example.com. Follow her on Twitter @JoannnaWeiss.


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Cheap North Face Men's Down Jacket Blue packs down to nearly nothing for an easy-grab layer on frigid climbing and mountaineering pursuits. Waterproof, breathable, full down jacket to keep you warmly. Ample 900 fill down insulation provides insulation in a slim silhouette for unrestricted mobility. The North Face Men's Down Jacekt is more packable and versatile than ever before.
* Wind resistant, breathable* Hybrid construction with 900 fill down in the body and top of sleeves* Polartec Power Stretch fleece in side panels and underarms * Zip hand pockets* Internal security pocket* Exposed center front zip with internal draft flap* Oversized shawl-collar hood with with self fabric drawstring* Elastic belt with click-in metal buckle* Adjustable drop hood* Elastic-bound cuffs* Encased elastic hem* Gender: Men* Size Available: S,M,L,XL,XXL* Manufacturer Warranty: Lifetime* Recommend Use: Cold Weather


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This article is more than 1 year old
Watchdog pops a cap in Grand Theft Auto
Production ceased after AO rating blow
The US's Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) has bowed to pressure from various sources - including parental groups and Hillary Clinton - to reclassify Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas as Adult Only (AO). It was previously rated as a teen-friendly M (mature).
The whole GTA rumpus was provoked by Dutch modder Patrick Wildenborg whose "Hot Coffee" mod unlocked XXX material included on the disc but kept from prying eyes by the game's "censor flag". There's more background in our previous report, but suffice it to say the polemic centred around whether Wildenborg had actually modified the game, or simply made a previously hidden part of GTA visible.
The distinction is important, because if the smut was unleashed by a mod, then GTA's makers - Take 2 - could claim they were innocent of punting filth to minors.
As the controversy rumbled on last week, Hillary Clinton jumped on the outrage bandwagon - a move which seems to have settled the matter, despite ESRB prez Patricia Vance's previous assertion that Hot Coffee was a mod and therefore "not an inherent feature of the game".
Take 2 has decided, amid rumours that major US retail chains - including Wal-Mart - would pull GTA: San Andreas from the shelves, to cease production of the game. The company expects to take a major financial hit as a result of the decision. ®
Related stories
Grand Theft Auto firm faces 'murder training' lawsuit


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The Greenville Department of Public safety announced this week that a house fire that occurred at 313 E. Cass Street in Greenville on January 13 is being treated as an arson. PSO Jamie Sorsen, lead investigator in the case, determined that the fire was intentionally set on the second floor.
The Greenville Department of Public Safety responded to the house fire on E. Cass Street, at about 5:55 a.m., January 13. Officers Casey Huber and Erik Hoig, and firefighter Tom Miller rescued an occupant from the second floor of the residence assisted by Officer Cole. He was later identified as Dennis R. Vanderzand, 65. An 83-year-old woman was also assisted from the residence. Initial dispatch information available to investigators indicated Vanderzand claimed the second person in the residence started his clothes on fire in his bedroom.
Both individuals were transported to West Michigan hospitals for treatment and evaluation. Sgt. Brian Blomstrom initially investigated the scene and interviewed individuals at the scene of the fire; a search warrant was then executed on the residence in order to determine the origin and cause of the fire.
"Investigations of this detail take time and extensive training," said Blomstrom. "Acquiring measurements, capturing photographs, conducting interviews, reconstructing the scene, and analyzing all possible fire ignition sources into account are all part of a complete investigation. Having an internal specialized team available to perform these duties is very beneficial to the department and the community."
Both Sgt. Blomstrom and PSO Sorsen investigated the fire within the structure. The result of the entire investigation as a whole led PSO Sorsen to rule the fire was intentionally set in the upstairs bedroom of the house.
Once the entire report is completed and finalized, it will be sent to the Montcalm County Prosecutor's Office for review regarding arson-related charges.


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1967 Chevrolet Camaro - Overclocked
By Raising the Clock Speed on his '67 Camaro, Justin Smith Transformed it Into an LS-powered, Four-Linked Beast
Related Video
Computer geeks call it overclocking. Let's say you're building a custom PC packed with a beastly Intel Core i-7 4960X CPU. Granted that its 3.60 GHz processor is plenty fast enough for the average Facebooking housewife, but dudes watching NSFW videos while that housewife isn't looking need as much speed as possible. A common mod is to overclock the CPU—which can speed up a system by 20 percent or more—but also requires a bigger power supply, enhanced cooling fans, and a more durable motherboard. This increased performance comes with an increased risk of parts failure, which is another way of saying that the entire exercise sounds a whole lot like hot rodding a muscle car. As a hot rodder who happens to be a self-professed computer geek, Justin Smith appropriately named his car the Overclock Camaro. Considering that his '67 is replete with a 530hp LS2, a six-speed stick, a four-link suspension, and massive brakes and rollers, coming up with a clever name isn't the only thing Justin did right.
Taking cues from his gearhead dad, Justin's been working on cars ever since he could hold a wrench. His interest in GM horsepower took an unusual path, but it eventually wound its way to the quintessential Bow Tie brawler: a first-gen Camaro done up Pro Touring style. Back in high school, Justin was big into the off-roading scene. He dropped a small-block Chevy and a five-speed into his Jeep Wrangler, then jacked it up and hit the trails. After stepping up to a Hummer, then building another LT1-powered Wrangler for fun, Justin decided it was time for a change of pace. "I bought a fourth-gen Camaro, and within a year I got it up to 540 rear-wheel hp with ported heads, a bigger cam, and a 100-shot of nitrous. That's what got me into LS-series small-blocks," he explains. "Once the Hummer scene faded and gas prices spiked, I really wanted to build a first-gen Camaro. My two passions are computer engineering and building cars, so I wanted to implement as much modern technology into the car as possible. My goal was to build a first-gen Camaro that had the handling, braking, and ride quality of a late-model."
After a tedious search, Justin picked up a running and driving '67 Camaro for $2,300, which even 10 years ago was a screaming deal. While custom PC builders have the luxury of starting with a brand-new case, or chassis, car builders don't usually have that option. "The car was a primered up piece of junk with a 327 and a three-speed. I drove it around the block, realized it had no brakes, parked it in my garage, and within a week I completely disassembled it down to a bare shell," he recalls. "I got everything sandblasted and etched, then tore into the bodywork. The car had some rust around the windshield (and rear window) and behind the rear tires, but I was able to retain most of the original sheetmetal. While everything was stripped down, I notched the frame and mini-tubbed the back to make more room for some big tires, and shortened up the bumpers."
With the bodywork complete and a fresh coat of black paint laid down, Justin could now get hot and heavy on overclocking his Camaro. This required upping the underhood grunt big time. He secured a stock LS2 short block, fit a Texas Speed 228/228-at-0.050 hydraulic roller cam, and then installed a GM LH8 oil pan to clear the F-body chassis. Feeding the 364ci bottom end with a steady air supply are a set of GM L92 aluminum cylinder heads, an L76 intake manifold, and a ported LS2 throttle body. With a reprogrammed GM computer controlling the flow of fuel and electrons, the simple yet potent engine combo is good for 451 hp and 434 lb-ft of torque at the rear wheels. For the ultimate in durability and fuel economy, a Tremec T-56 six-speed manual trans and a Moser 9-inch rearend round out the driveline. "GM had just come out with the ZZ572 crate motor as I started building this car, so I briefly considered getting one, but I ultimately decided to go for newer technology with an LS small-block," Justin opines.
Since modern Pro Touring machines don't live on horsepower alone, Justin fully revamped the Camaro's underpinnings as well. To bring the F-body's chassis into the 21st century, the factory front suspension got updated with Global West control arms, spindles, and a sway bar. Out back, the archaic leaf springs got booted in favor of a complete RideTech four-link suspension system, while VariShock coilovers are situated at every corner. To vastly improve the Camaro's stopping power, Justin installed Baer 13-inch disc brakes in the front and rear. Sticking it all to the pavement are Michelin Pilot Sport tires wrapped around 18-inch front and 19-inch rear Boze Boost wheels.
Although killer first-gen Camaros are a dime a dozen these days, Justin's a stickler for details, and his creative touches abound throughout the car. Outside, the flush-fit windshield and rear window, blacked-out bumpers, billet door handles, and carbon-fiber front and rear spoilers lend a vibe that's as clean and simple as it is contemporary and sophisticated. Beneath the hood, there's a flattened firewall, a custom cold-air induction system, steel braided stainless hoses everywhere, a billet clutch fluid reservoir, and custom billet coil brackets. Inside, Justin transplanted some seats out of an '06 GTO, and modified a second-gen Camaro center console to fit. The custom door panels are built from aluminum and covered in leather. Likewise, billet switches, knobs, pedal covers, and shifter rings tastefully contrast the black leather and upholstery.
While many hot rodders would consider the overclocking process complete at this point, a computer whiz like Justin took things one step further by integrating cutting-edge electronics into the Camaro's cockpit. "One of the coolest custom features of the car is a tablet docked in the center console. It's programmed with the Torque Pro app, which enables it to communicate with the engine computer through a Bluetooth adapter plugged into the OBD-II diagnostic port," he explains. "The program displays engine rpm, coolant temperature, oil temperature, inlet air temperature, and trouble codes. It also has a g-meter, a GPS system, and a data logger. If any of the engine vitals fall outside normal operating conditions, the tablet triggers an audible alert. It also syncs with my phone as soon as I get in the car so I can use it for email and to play music."
Those that can fix sheetmetal and write computer code are a rare breed indeed, and needless to say both skills require tremendous amounts of patience and attention to detail. For Justin Smith, the product of such a diverse skill set is one spectacular '67 Camaro, and we're not the only ones who have taken notice. Not only has the car won multiple awards and trophies, as word of Justin's good work spread, people began hiring Justin to work on their cars. Soon, Smithy Customs was born. He's got several unique customer projects in the works, and we can't wait to see them. That's not too shabby at all for a computer geek who figured out that overclocking muscle cars is even more entertaining that overclocking CPUs.
|Tech Check
|Justin Smith, Houston, Texas
|1967 Chevrolet Camaro
|GM Gen IV small-block
|364 ci
|Compression Ratio:
|4.000 Inches
|3.622 Inches
|Cylinder Heads:
|Ported GM L92 rectangle-port aluminum castings
|Rotating Assembly:
|Stock cast crank, powdered metal rods, and hypereutectic pistons
|Factory GM lifters, rockers, and timing set
|Texas Speed 228/228-at-0.050 hydraulic roller; 0.588/0.588-inch lift; 112-degree LSA
|GM L76 intake manifold, ported LS2 throttle body
|Fuel System:
|Vaporworks/Rick's Stainless fuel cell and pump; GM LS2 injectors
|GM coil packs, plug wires, and spark plugs
|BRP 1.875-inch headers, custom X-pipe, dual 3-inch Pypes mufflers
|Output (to the rear wheels):
|451 hp and 434 lb-ft
|Tremec T-56 six-speed manual trans; Spec aluminum flywheel and clutch
|Rear Axle:
|Moser M9 9-inch rearend housing, centersection, 31-spline axles, and 3.90:1 gears; Detroit Truetrac limited-slip differential
|Unisteer rack-and-pinion
|Front Suspension:
|Global West control arms, spindles, and sway bar; VariShock coilovers
|Rear Suspension:
|RideTech four-link, VariShock coilovers
|Baer 13-inch rotors and two-piston calipers, front and rear
|Wheels & Tires
|Boze Boost 18x8, front; 19x12, rear
|Michelin Pilot Sport 255/40-18, front; 345/30-19, rear
|Stock 2006 GTO
|GM black
|Pro 5.0
|PPG Black
|Stock cowl induction


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Bruit du Frigo (Fridge Noise in French) is a collective of artists, architects, photographers and urbanists who have been making a splash in the Bordeaux region with their Refuges Périurbains (Peri-urban shelters). Six of these shelters have been created, but the most beautiful of them might just be "Les Guetteurs" or "The Watchers". A trio of wooden owls you can actually live inside of.
"Les Guetteurs" was designed and constructed by Bruit du Frigo partner Zebra3/Buy-Sellf and were modeled after ground-dwelling owls in the region. The frame is made from circular plywood, the exterior was create with strips of curved wood and shingles cut to look like feathers. Inside the owls are three levels connected by ladders and several round beds built to look like nests. This refuge is built on a pier with a deck that overlooks a wetlands area. "The Watchers" and other refuges are used for camping, summer trips and travelers visiting Bordeaux. Local hiking tours are available to view all the Refuges Périurbains in the region.
Les Refuges Périurbains are the visible part of a broader project. The idea is to promote urban hiking as a local open air activity which is accessible to anyone by offering free nights in the shelters. Every shelter can host up to 9 persons in about 160 square feet and has a unique shape. As in other European refuges there is no electricity and no water access, only beds and a common space. The aim of Bruit du Frigo is to study the quality of the environment in its broadest sense: not just its architecture, townscape, ecology or landscape, but its perception as a cultural experience.
Photos by Bruit du Frigo and Zebra3/Buy-Sellf
By Christina Nellemann for the [Tiny House Blog]


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The Chandra X-Ray Observatory, launched on July 23, 1999, has taken its place with the Hubble Space Telescope and Compton Gamma Ray Observatory in NASA's fleet of Great Observatories. As the world's premier X-ray observatory, Chandra gives astronomers a powerful new tool to investigate the hot regions of the universe where black holes, exploding stars, and colliding galaxies hold sway.
The Chandra X-Ray Observatory Center
The Chandra program, managed by NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, is an example of NASA's initiative to streamline the operations of its space science missions. The Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory's Chandra X-Ray Center (CXC), under the direction of Dr.Harvey Tananbaum, is located at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics in Cambridge Massachusetts.
The CXC is responsible for planning the science observations based on proposals from the scientific community, processing data received from the observatory, and providing technical and scientific support to the scientists who use Chandra. The Center operates the observatory from its Operations & Control facility located at One Hampshire Street in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
The CXC is a collaboration of personnel from the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and the Chandra prime contractor, TRW (now NGST).
The Operations & Control Center (OCC) is staffed by the CXC, with the Flight Operations Team provided by TRW (now NGST). The OCC has a glass-walled area outside the main control room where visitors and press can watch the Flight Operations Team and mission specialists as they communicate with the observatory and carry out the space flight operations.
Commands for executing the observation plan are transmitted from the OCC to one of three ground stations (in Spain, Australia, or California) that make up NASA's Deep Space Network (DSN). The DSN relays the commands to the orbiting spacecraft. The spacecraft carries out the commands and points the telescope to the specified targets, and moves the science instruments to their appropriate positions.
During routine operations, science data and monitoring data will be sent from the spacecraft to the OCC, via the DSN, approximately every eight hours. Scientists and engineers will use monitoring data to assess Chandra's condition. If the health or safety of the observatory appears to be in danger, the operating mode and the observation plans will be modified.
Data from Chandra observations are processed at the Chandra Center. Observatory calibration data will be made public as soon as possible. The scientific data belonging to guest observers and guaranteed time observers can be held by them for one year to allow time for analysis and publication of scientific results. The data are then placed in the public archive.


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The Accordance toolbar only made its debut with the release of Accordance 10, but if you're like me, you quickly found yourself going to it all the time. I frequently use it to open the Library, open a new module, enter a search in the Search All field, and most often, to amplify. One of the best things about the toolbar is its customizability. Just right- or control-click the Toolbar to access the following contextual menu:
In this menu, you can choose how you want the toolbar items displayed: as Icon and Text, Icon Only, Text Only, etc. I like having both Icon and Text, but I prefer to use the small icons to save a little space.
The bottom item in the toolbar contextual menu lets you customize the toolbar. Select it, and a dialog will appear with a number of additional toolbar items to choose from:
Simply drag any items you want to add onto the toolbar. You can place items wherever you want. You can also rearrange existing items or drag them off of the toolbar to remove them. If you ever want to go back to the default set of items, just drag it onto the toolbar.
As you can see, I've added several additional items to my toolbar: Search Selection, Atlas, and Timeline. Search Selection will automatically search my current text or tool for any word I select. It's the same as choosing the top item in the Amplify menu, but I like having the one-click convenience of a dedicated icon. The Atlas and Timeline items can be used to open a new map or timeline, as well as to amplify to the map or timeline. Because I primarily use all these icons to amplify, I've placed them to the right of the Amplify icon.
Notice that I also dragged some space to separate the Amplify icon from the Language icon. That way my four amplify icons are visually set apart from the rest.
The only other custom icon I've added is the Characters item, which lets me open the Character palette with a single click.
What about you? How have you customized your Accordance toolbar to make Accordance more convenient to use? Let us know in the comments on this post.


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and years and years, try to keep up America…
DailyDirt: Food Delivery
from the urls-we-dig-up dept
After the dot-com bust, Webvan was often cited as one of the biggest flops — throwing way too much money at a venture that had not proven its business model at all. But grocery delivery services still have some potential to change the way people shop for food, and Webvan itself isn't quite dead. A growing number of grocery stores (from Walmart, Safeway, Netgrocer, Peapod, etc) are expanding home delivery services. Here are just a few interesting stories about having groceries delivered to your door.
- Home delivery trucks for groceries can produce 20%-75% less carbon dioxide than having the same households driving to stores individually. This conclusion was published in the Journal of the Transportation Research Forum, and one of the authors says, "It's like a bus for groceries." [url]
- Dozens of companies around the Bay Area are working on online grocery stores and delivery services — and there still doesn't seem to be an obvious solution to the problem of getting the profit margins right for perishable food deliveries. A bunch of these start-ups are losing money in the short term, but there seems to be a market for delivered groceries. Some details about how the service and fees work still need to be figured out, however. [url]
- AmazonFresh is expanding beyond Seattle to Los Angeles — slowly building up the re-vamped Webvan service with plans to serve more cities in 2014. Amazon has been working out the kinks of delivering perishable items since 2007, so we might actually see some disruption in the grocery industry. [url]
If you'd like to read more awesome and interesting stuff, check out this unrelated (but not entirely random!) Techdirt post via StumbleUpon.
Filed Under: delivery, food, groceries, perishable, transportation
Companies: amazon, netgrocer, peapod, safeway, walmart, webvan


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Sixteen is typically the year that one bridges the gap from childhood to adulthood, coming of age through the lens of tradition. Though not much really changes, aside from the ability to achieve legal employment, the number symbolizes great expectations for any young pup. But what about an actual pup? Age ain't nothing but a number, especially now that my old lady clocks in at 77 years old in dog years. She may not be on the path to a promising career at this rate, but she does still have plenty to look forward to, like cake, for starters.
Inspired by the need for softer treats to better suit her particular dental situation, cake-like cookies seemed to fit the bill perfectly. Cookies aren't quite enough to celebrate such a significant event, though, so I turned to my favorite cookie with an identity crisis: The whoopie pie (or in this case, "woofie" pie.) It's definitely not a pie, despite the name, and much more like a mini-cake than a sandwich cookie, but semantics aside, they're hard to resist. Using carob to keep them dog-friendly rather than chocolate, they look just as delicious as their traditional counterparts, but you might want to stick to the classic to suit a human palate. Added sugar is something my baby simply doesn't need in her diet, so these treats look much sweeter than they actually taste. Additionally, dogs shouldn't get excessive amounts of salt, so you'll notice that it's lacking in this formula as well. Regardless of what it does and doesn't contain, Isis didn't care much as she wolfed down her birthday surprise in record time. It may not be as grand as the plated dessert I lavished on her a few years back, but I'd like to believe it was met with equal appreciation.
Woofie Pies
Carob Sandwich Coookies:
1 Cup White Whole Wheat Flour
1/4 Cup Carob Powder
1/2 Teaspoon Baking Powder
1/4 Teaspoon Baking Soda
3/4 Cup 100% Carrot Juice or No Salt Added Vegetable Stock
1/4 Teaspoon Apple Cider Vinegar
1/4 Cup Canned Pumpkin Puree
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
Cream Filling:
1 Cup White Potatoes, Peeled, Diced, Boiled, and Mashed*
*Potatoes are safe for dogs to eat, but you must be very careful about their preparation. The potatoes must be thoroughly and completely cooked- Never feed a dog raw potato. Likewise, never use any potatoes that have any green parts, as those are highly toxic to dogs. For a more complete list of foods to avoid when cooking for canines, check here.
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees and line two baking sheets with either parchment paper or silpats.
Carob can be rather clumpy, so be sure to sift it before measuring if necessary. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, carob powder, baking powder and soda, distributing the dry goods equally throughout the mixture. In a separate bowl, combine the carrot juice or vegetable stock, vinegar, pumpkin puree, and oil, stirring lightly to break up the pumpkin. Pour the liquid ingredients into the bowl of dry, and mix with a wide spatula just until the batter comes together with few lumps. There's no need to beat it completely smooth, but make sure that there are no pockets of flour remaining.
Use a small cookie scoop or two spoons to portion out equal, walnut-sized dollops of the batter on your prepared baking sheet, spaced about 1 inch apart. Bake one sheet at a time for 6 – 9 minutes, until the edges are set and a toothpick inserted into the centers pulls out cleanly. Let cool completely on the sheets before filling.
For the cream filling, simply mash the cooked potato until it's completely smooth and spread about 1 – 2 teaspoons on the flat side of one cookie. Top with a second, and repeat until all the cookies are filled. Store in the refrigerator in an air-tight container for up to a week, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Makes 24 Cookies or 12 Filled Woofie Pies


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Cheri Loughlin Photography
ADI Conference 2009
American Distilling Institute (ADI) represents grassroots spirits distillers across the United States. This conference gathered together the American micro-distillers by way of hosts, Jorg Rupf and Lance Winter of St. George Spirits/Hangar One Distillery with visit to Anchor Distilling. The craft distilleries representatives in attendance poured their best artisanal whiskies, brandies, rums, gins, vodkas, absinthes and unique liqueurs for consumers to sample in a special "Meet the Maker" open house.Read More


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SZUPERC LIMITEDwas incorporated on 2015-07-24. This company is now live, their business is recorded as private company limited by shares. As so far this company has running for8 Years 2 Months 3 Days.
- Registration Information
- CR No:2267109
- Company Name:
- Company Name(CN):
- Company Type:private company limited by shares
- Active Status:Live
- Date of Incorporation:24-07-2015
- Remarks:-
- Winding Up Mode:-
- Date of Dissolution:-
- Register of Charges:unavailable
- Important Note:-
- Name History:24-07-2015
- Added:19-Apr-2016 7:40 PM
Source:Hong Kong Companies Registry, http://www.icris.cr.gov.hk/
- Last Company:
- Next Company:
Most small to medium sized companies in Hong Kong are set up as 'private companies limited by shares' and are commonly referred to as 'private limited
A company limited by shares is the most common type of company for conducting business and trade. A company limited by shares has a share capital which is divided into a number of shares of certain value each. These shares are held by shareholders (investors) who are entitled to a share in the profits of the company and receive a dividend corresponding to their respective percentage of shareholding in the company.


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Do you consider yourself to be a little hesitant when it comes to shopping for outfits? Instead of wearing whatever is on top of the pile of clean clothes, why not make sure that you have a wardrobe that is relevant for any time of the year? If you live in an area where you experience various temperatures and types of weather throughout the calendar year, you'll need to ensure that you have the appropriate outfits. Thankfully, clothing boutiques are a great resource for purchasing items to help build up your closet. Consider your options for each season:
When it's cold, you need to make sure that you have the right outfits to protect you from the low temperatures. Don't underestimate the need for a good winter jacket. It will keep you comfortable and warm when you're walking around outside. It will help protect you from getting sick as well. Other items to consider purchasing include scarfs, hats, boots, gloves and socks. If you're going to have to trek through the snow on the way to work or class, you want to make sure you have an outfit that will allow you to handle long term exposure to the cold. Take advantage of clothing boutiques to find stylish looking outfits to ensure that you look good no matter what time of the year.
The weather is starting to warm up and now is the time to shed those bulky clothes for some more relaxing outfits. Clothing boutiques can be your source to get a nice looking dress for the bright weather. You'll want to still dress for slightly cool weather, but you shouldn't worry about layers of clothing any longer. Look for clothes that will allow you to feel free during the day, but have some options for feeling comfortable at night. This is your chance to start the year off right with clothes that make you feel happy and confident.
When the time comes for warm weather, you may want to get some outfits that will help show off some skin. If you're a beach lover, you'll want to purchase some swim suits or bikinis. Even if you don't like spending time at the ocean, there are plenty of options to look great during the summer. Clothing boutiques have plenty of great options for looking great outdoors and for going to the club. By shopping at the right places, you'll be able to look great and dress appropriately for the warm weather.
When it comes to the fall, it's the time to adapt to the cooling of the weather. There's still plenty of opportunity to walk around outside, but you'll need to put away the summer clothes. Now is the time to purchase some relaxing outfits, like sweaters, pants and light jackets. For many, it's the time of the year to spend some time outside and optimum temperatures, so make sure you don't wear clothes that will make you feel too hot. A nice hat or appropriate shoes can be helpful as well.


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Each month, on a Saturday from 11 am to 1 pm, a group of Street Vendor Project volunteers get together to walk the streets and do outreach and recruitment. Its a great way to get to know New York City and the hard-working people who work on our streets. This (admittedly old) video should give you the idea.
Apart from Saturday outreach, we also use teams of volunteers, students, interns, people between jobs, and others to help out in various ways around our office. We need help planning meetings, shooting videos, making phone calls, writing legal briefs, and doing all kinds of other stuff, depending on your interests and ability.
Would you like to help? Fill out this form, we'll be in touch.
[customcontact form=1]


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A BP executive who oversaw the company's Gulf of Mexico operations testified Tuesday that he he led a push to improve safety when he started the job more than two years before an April 2010 rig explosion killed 11 workers and led to the nation's worst offshore oil spill.
NEW ORLEANS (AP) - A BP executive who oversaw the company's Gulf of Mexico operations testified Tuesday that he he led a push to improve safety when he started the job more than two years before an April 2010 rig explosion killed 11 workers and led to the nation's worst offshore oil spill.
Neil Shaw, a witness for BP at a trial over the deadly Deepwater Horizon disaster, said safety was his team's top priority when he became the London-based oil giant's strategic performance unit leader for the Gulf in 2007. Shaw said he developed a plan in 2009 to improve the safety performance of its drilling operations.
"Safety is all about good business for me," said Shaw, who now serves as BP's chief operating officer for projects.
Plaintiffs' attorneys claim BP cut costs and sacrificed safety in a rush to complete a drilling project that was behind schedule and millions of dollars over budget at the time of its Macondo well blowout.
During the trial's opening statements, plaintiffs' lawyer Jim Roy said Shaw issued cost-cutting directives starting in 2008 that led to the elimination of 290 positions for BP personnel and 93 contractors.
"BP management incentivized a culture of cost cutting, profits over safety and taking high risk with a conscious disregard for dire potential risks," Roy said.
Shaw said some of the employees whose positions were eliminated were actually "embedded" in other parts of the company.
"There was no change at all in the roles," he said.
BP's production in the Gulf increased by 155,000 barrels of oil between 2008 and 2009, while its "cash costs" decreased by $202 million over the same period. Shaw said the increased production and cost reductions had no impact on safety and had nothing to do with the company's motto at the time that "Every Dollar Counts."
"That was never the intent," he said.
Shaw said his unit implemented a new safety plan in the Gulf in 2009. But an expert who testified for the plaintiffs earlier in the trial said BP failed to implement the plan on the Deepwater Horizon even though the company realized a blowout in the Gulf of Mexico was its greatest danger.
Shaw's testimony is scheduled to resume Wednesday. He hasn't been questioned yet by lawyers for the federal government and attorneys for Gulf Coast businesses and residents who claim the spill cost them money.
U.S. District Judge Carl Barbier is hearing testimony without a jury. Barring a settlement, he could decide how much more money BP and its contractors should pay for their roles in the disaster.


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Loupe x 珠寶研學院 | 璀燦盡顯 - 鑽石知識線上分享會 第四章
Loupe x 珠寶研學院 | 璀燦盡顯 - 鑽石知識線上分享會 第四章
We at CTF Jewellery Academy Company Limited (operating under the name of Loupe)("Loupe") and our parent, subsidiary and/or affiliated companies within the Loupe group of companies (together the "Affiliates") value your personal data and privacy very highly. We know how important it is to protect your personal data. We pledge to comply with the requirements of all applicable personal data and privacy protection laws and regulations in relation to personal data protection.
Any reference in these terms to "we", "us" and "our" is a reference to Loupe and our Affiliates. Please read this Privacy Statement carefully to understand how we will handle your personal data.
Unless your express consent is required by applicable law, by providing us with your personal data (including by registering for membership of any of our customer or sales and marketing programmes owned, managed and/or controlled by us, registering to attend any of our events, participating in our interactive services or in any way communicating with us), you are accepting the terms of this Privacy Statement and consenting to our collection, retention, disclosure and use of your personal data, including transfer of your personal data overseas, as specified in this Privacy Statement. Further, we will only use and transfer your data for direct marketing purposes as specified in this Privacy Statement.
In the event of any discrepancy or inconsistency between the English and other local language versions of the Privacy Statement, the English version will prevail.
1.How do we collect personal data and what do we collect?
(i)Sources of personal data
The types of personal data that we collect will depend on the nature of your dealings with us. We may collect personal data from you by the following channels:
a.when you register for membership of any of our customer or sales and marketing programmes owned, managed and/or controlled by us;
b.when you register to use, or enter information into, any of our interactive services (for example, our blogs and forums);
c.when you register to attend any of our events, workshops or seminars;
d.when you purchase goods and services from us or use services or products offered by us;
e.when you correspond with us; and
f.when you use our website www.loupe.com.hk ("Corporate Website"), other websites operated by our Affiliates ("Affiliates Website" and, together with the Corporate Website, the "Website") or our official page on social media sites.
(ii)Types of personal data we collect
We may collect from you the following information which may contain personal data as defined under applicable data protection laws and regulations:a.account registration information, including your name, gender, date and month of birth, age group, title, contact numbers (telephone, fax, mobile), postal address and email address;
All information we collect about you may be combined with other information we hold about you.
Please take note that most of the goods and services, information, and sales and marketing materials provided on our Website or by other means are not directed towards minors as defined by applicable laws in your jurisdiction. If you are a minor under applicable laws in your jurisdiction, you must obtain the consent of your parent or guardian before providing us with any of your personal data.
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We collect, retain and use personal information about you for the following purposes:
a.to offer you with our products and services, including sending you marketing and promotional materials, event information and e-shopping items relating to our products and services;
b.to conduct joint promotion events including notifying you of sales and marketing offers and sending you sales and marketing materials relating to the promotional offers or events of our affiliated, associated, related, subsidiary companies and/or companies under the common control of our ultimate holding company ("Group Companies") and independent commercial entities (together with Group Companies, the "Business Partners"), which may be located outside your jurisdiction, in relation to the following products, services and/or businesses:
iii.beauty salons;
iv.electronic goods;
v.food & wine;
vi.entertainment, including cinemas, theme parks and karaokes;
ix.sportswear and apparel;
x.personal care;
xiii.real estate;
xvi.fitness centres;
xvii.shopping malls;
xix.ferry services; and
c.to process your application for membership under any of our programmes and maintaining and managing your membership;
d.to provide you with rewards, vouchers or services under any of our programmes;
e.to handle and follow up with customer service calls, enquiries and complaints;
f.to send you administrative notices and communications relevant to your use of our Website and to respond to your enquiry or request ;
g.to perform research or statistical analysis in order to improve our goods and services and for sales and marketing purposes;
h.to verify your identity and your eligibility to participate in our programmes;
i.to obtain statistics about users of our Website to analyse site usage in order to help its further development;
j.to provide you with a log-in ID for our Website; and
k.to make such disclosures as required by law.
You are not obliged to provide the personal data as may be required by us. However, we may not be able to provide you with our products and services or our Business Partners' information, sales and marketing materials if you do not provide us with the requested data.
3.Your receipt of marketing materials
As noted above, we may, from time to time, send you sales and marketing materials and information regarding our or our Business Partners' products and services as stated in paragraphs 2(a) & (b) based on your name and contact details that you have provided to us. However, we will not use your personal data unless we have received your consent. Suitable measures are implemented to make available to you the option to "opt-out" or "opt-in" as required by applicable law of receiving such sales and marketing materials at the time you provide us with your personal data.
Please note that you can object to such use of your personal data at any time. If you do not want us to retain your personal data for this purpose, you should do so by choosing the "opt-out" option in the relevant membership subscription or registration form, or by choosing to unsubscribe from any marketing email we have sent to you, or by emailing us at firstname.lastname@example.com, specifying that you wish to "opt-out".
4.Will your personal data be given to other persons?
We do not sell, rent or trade your personal data to or with third parties including our Business Partners. However, your personal data may be disclosed or transferred by us to the third parties described below:
a.third party suppliers of goods and services (whether in your jurisdiction or abroad) engaged by us to assist with providing you our services (including marketing analysis and research, data entry, management of our customer database, distribution of our sales and marketing materials, products rewards, vouchers and customer service) ("Third Party Service Providers"). Our Third Party Service Providers are under a duty of confidentiality and contractually bound to use your personal data in connection with the purposes specified at paragraph 2 above, and not for their own purposes (including direct marketing); and
b.for the purposes specified at paragraph 2 above, we may share with or transfer your personal data to the Business Partners, provided that the data user or the transferee are under a duty of confidentiality and contractually bound to use your personal data substantially in accordance with this Privacy Statement, otherwise, we will not transfer any data;
c.in the event of a company reorganisation, merger, acquisition, sale or transfer, your personal data will be transferred to such third parties and/ or transferees in such circumstances in order to continue to provide you the relevant services; and
d.competent court of law, law enforcement agencies and/or regulatory bodies for compliance with applicable laws and regulations and protection of our legal rights.
5.Retention of your personal data
We will not keep personal data longer than is legally permitted pursuant to applicable data protection laws and regulations. We will purge unnecessary personal data from our system in accordance with our internal procedures.
Protection of your personal data collected is a priority for us. We will always strive to ensure that your personal data will be protected against unauthorised access. We are based in Hong Kong. Your personal data may be accessed by us or transferred by us to and accessed by the third parties listed in paragraph 4, in Hong Kong or elsewhere in the world. Such personal data are only accessible by us or the personnel of the third parties listed in paragraph 4 for the purposes listed in paragraph 2, who will be instructed to observe confidentiality duty and the terms of this Privacy Statement when accessing such personal data. In relation to any transfer of personal data outside of your jurisdiction, if required by applicable law, we will also ensure that the recipient will protect your personal data with a standard of protection that is at least comparable to the protection under the laws of your jurisdiction.
Although we will do our best to take appropriate safety precautions, technical and organizational measures to protect and secure your personal data, the internet is not an absolutely safe environment. We strongly recommend that you do not send personal data using any methods other than those recommended by us, or that you set up complicated passwords when using various communication tools and pay attention to the protection of your personal data.
7.Use of cookies and links to other websites
(i)Cookies and other technologies
We do not collect any personally identifiable information from you while you visit and browse our Website (unless you provide such information to us) but we do use cookies and other technologies such as pixel tags and web beacons to keep track of how often you visit our Website, tailor our services to your needs, estimate our audience size, gauge the popularity of various parts of our Website, track users' progress, track number of entries in our sales and marketing activities and measure our Website users' traffic patterns. Information and data collected by means of cookies and other technologies will not be disclosed to anyone save and except for the third parties listed out in paragraph 4.
Most web browsers are automatically set to accept cookies, but you can usually alter the settings of your browser to prevent automatic acceptance. If you choose not to use cookies you may not be able to take full advantage of our Website. For more information on cookies and how to disable them, please refer to www.allaboutcookies.org.
(ii)Links to other websites
To provide you with more information, our Website may provide links to other websites. Your personal data may be collected on these other websites when you visit them or make use of their services. Where and when you decide to click on any advertisement or hyperlink on our Website which grants you access to another website, your personal data may be exposed in these other websites.
This Privacy Statement is only applicable to our Website and we are not responsible for the third party websites or for any personal data you submit to such other websites via our Website. Please ensure that you read the privacy policies of such other websites.
8.Data access and correction
You have the right to, at any time, request access to, make a copy of, and request us to make correction of, or demand the cessation of the continued collection, processing, and use, or to delete your personal data stored in our records. To exercise your rights, please email us at firstname.lastname@example.com.
In the event that you wish to exercise your right as set out above, we may request you to provide personal details in order to verify your identity. We will endeavour to respond to your request in accordance with requirements under applicable data protection laws and regulations, and we may charge you a reasonable fee for complying with your access request as permitted under applicable law.
9.Update of this Privacy Statement
To the extent permitted by applicable law, the terms of this Privacy Statement may be updated, revised, varied and amended from time to time as we deem necessary and the most current version will be the one available on the Corporate Website. We will obtain your consent for changes to the terms of this Privacy Statement if such consent is required by applicable law.
If you have any queries about our Privacy Statement, please email us at email@example.com.
Terms of Use
These terms of use ("Terms") apply to the use of the services, features and information on this website and such other websites owned, operated and/or controlled by CTF Jewellery Academy Company Limited (operating under the name of Loupe) ("LOUPE") and/or our affiliates ("Affiliates") from time to time, except our online shopping websites (each, a "Website"). You may be accessing the Website from a computer or mobile device and these Terms govern your use of the Website and your conduct, regardless of the means of access.
In using the Website you agree to be bound by these Terms and the privacy statement set out at www.loupe.com.hk ("Privacy Statement"). If you do not accept these Terms and the Privacy Statement, you must refrain from using the Website.
To the extent of any discrepancy or inconsistency between these Terms and/or the Privacy Statement in respect of use of the Website, these Terms will prevail. To the extent of any discrepancy or inconsistency between the English and the Chinese versions of the Terms, the English version will prevail.
The Privacy Statement and these Terms may change from time to time and the most current version will be the one available on our Website at www.loupe.com.hk.
Any reference in these Terms to "we", "us" and "our" is a reference to LOUPE or the applicable Affiliate that owns, operates and/or controls the relevant Website.
1.1 You may only use the Website for lawful purposes and in a lawful manner. You agree to comply with all applicable laws and regulations regarding your use of the Website.
1.2 You shall not and shall not attempt to violate the security of the Website including, without limitation: (i) accessing data not intended for you; (ii) logging into a server or account which you are not authorised to access; (iii) probing, scanning or testing the vulnerability of a system or network utilised by the Website; (iv) breaching the security or authentication measures adopted by us for the Website; and (v) interfering with the access to or use of the Website by other users.
1.3 If you breach any Terms you may be subject to civil and/or criminal liability and we may take such legal action as we deem necessary and expedient.
2.1 The maintenance of the Website and all materials and information presented on the Website are intended for your personal entertainment, information, education and communication only, and shall not be regarded in any way as our offer for sale of, or our solicitation for an offer to buy, any goods or services.
2.2 Pictures of products on the Website are for reference only. Although we have made every effort to display the products on the Website as accurately as possible, the appearance of the products displayed on your computer or mobile device screen may be affected due to screen defaults or display and colour capabilities of your computer or mobile device. We are not responsible for the limitations of technology and do not guarantee that your screen's display of any colour, size, texture or detail of the products will be accurate.
3.1 You warrant that the personal information which you provide when you register as a member or user of the Website is true, accurate, complete and not misleading in any respect.
3.2 You must never use the membership or user account of another registered member or user. You will be liable for our losses and/or the losses of other persons resulting from your unauthorised use of others' membership or user accounts.
3.3 You are responsible for keeping the details of your membership or user account maintained with us secure and confidential. In no event shall we be responsible or liable for any unauthorised use of your membership or user account by any other person.
4.1 You agree and consent that any and all information including comments, messages, forum postings, data, suggestions, designs, concepts and other items or materials (save and except for the details of your membership account maintained with us, including without limitation login ID and password) disclosed, submitted, uploaded, posted, emailed, transmitted, distributed, published or offered to us through or in connection with the Website including via email, mail, voice mail or any other form of transmission (collectively, "Submission") are submitted on a non-confidential and non-proprietary basis and will, on submission, become the property of LOUPE. We are under no obligation to: (i)accept any Submission;(ii)maintain any Submission in confidence;(iii)pay to you or anyone any compensation for or in connection with the use, including distribution, of any Submission;(iv)respond to any Submission; or(v)save or retain any Submission.We will preserve the content of any Submission at our sole discretion.
4.2 You are solely responsible for all content that you submit. You represent and warrant that your Submission will not, in any manner: (i)violate any applicable law or regulation or advocate illegal activities;(ii)infringe the copyright, trademark, trade secrets or other intellectual property rights of others;(iii)violate the privacy or publicity or other personal rights of others;(iv)be libellous, defamatory, obscene, pornographic, scandalous, threatening, abusive or hateful;(v)advertise or solicit funds, goods, services or disseminate any junk mail, spam, chain letters, schemes or other forms of solicitation; or(vi)contain viruses, Trojan horses, worms, corrupted files, any other Malware or other materials that may cause damage to another's computer,and you agree not to submit any such material.
4.3 You acknowledge that any Submission posted by you on the Website (including any personal data) may be accessed by other users of the Website for the purposes of accepting, forwarding, identifying, locating and/or replying to such Submission. We shall not be responsible for any improper use of the content of such Submission by any third party.
4.4 You acknowledge that we do not pre-screen or approve any Submission posted on the Website by its users, and agree that you shall be solely responsible for the form, content, accuracy and truthfulness of the Submission posted by you as well as all consequences of your postings on the Website. In any event, we take no responsibility whatsoever for the Submissions posted by any users of the Website, or for loss of content of any Submission, and do not make any representations or warranties regarding the content, truthfulness, reliability or accuracy of any Submission on the Website posted by its users. Any reliance by you on any Submission posted by other users of the Website will be entirely at your own risk.
4.5 You may not use any content posted by other users of the Website other than for the purposes of accepting, forwarding, identifying, locating and/or replying to any content on the Website.
4.6 We may not monitor the Website at all times but reserve the right to monitor it any time. We may remove any Submission posted by you on the Website which is abusive, illegal, disruptive, or inappropriate, in our sole and absolute discretion, without any compensation or recourse to you or any other person.
4.7 Without prejudice to the foregoing, we may limit or even ban your posting of any Submission, including but not limited to the period of time of posting and the size or content of your Submission.
4.8 We do not accept any responsibility or liability for any Submission made on the Website, and the contents thereof do not necessarily represent or reflect our views or opinion.
5.1 You acknowledge and agree that the materials on the Website (including without limitation text, images, layout, designs, pictures, graphics, logos, icons, brands, audio and video clips, illustrations, data compilations, software and other proprietary materials contained in the Website) are the intellectual property owned by us, our Affiliates, our licensors or other third parties which are protected by copyright laws and/or other intellectual property laws.
5.2 All trademarks, trade names, and/or logos used on the Website are our registered or unregistered marks, names and/or logos or those of our Affiliates or third party licensors, which are protected by intellectual property laws. Nothing contained in the Website shall be construed as granting, by implication, estoppel or otherwise, any licence or right to use any trademarks, trade names or logos displayed on the Website.
5.3 You acknowledge and agree that the materials contained in the Website are made available for your personal non-commercial use only and that you may download or copy such materials solely for your personal non-commercial use, provided you will not delete or change the copyright, trademark and any other proprietary notices or legends contained in such materials. You will not obtain any right, title or interest in any of such materials as a result of such downloading or copying.
5.4 You undertake that, except for your personal non-commercial use, you shall not, and shall not procure, assist or facilitate any third party to, copy, reproduce, transmit, publish, distribute, display, remove, delete, add to, modify, commercially exploit or create derivative works from, or sell or participate in any sale of the materials contained in the Website in whole or in part.
5.5 Any use of the materials on the Website other than those permitted under these Terms is strictly prohibited.
5.6 To the extent that we do not own the intellectual property rights in any Submission, you unconditionally grant us a non-exclusive, worldwide, irrevocable and royalty-free right to use the Submission in connection with our business purposes.
6.1 Where the Website provides links to third party websites, these are provided solely as a convenience to you, and shall not in any way be regarded as an endorsement of any kind by us approving the content on such websites. If you access any linked third party websites, you do so entirely at your own risk. We neither take any responsibility for nor make any representations, warranties or undertakings (whether express or implied) as to their availability and the content contained therein. Any questions or comments relating to such third party websites shall be addressed to the operators of those websites.
7.1 To the greatest extent permitted by law, the Website is provided "as is", without any representation, warranty, condition or other term binding on us, whether express or implied, whether based in common law, statute or otherwise, and we specifically disclaim and exclude any and all representations and warranties of any kind in connection with or in relation to the Website, the information contained therein, the products displayed thereon and the services provided thereat. Unless otherwise expressly set forth herein, LOUPE makes no representation that the content and materials on this website are appropriate or available for use in any location. Your access to the Website is on your own initiative and you are responsible for ensuring your use of and access to, the Website complies with all applicable local laws.
7.2 Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, we do not represent or warrant that: (i)your use of the Website will be uninterrupted or error-free;(ii)defects on the Website will be corrected;(iii)the Website, or the server that makes it available, will be free of viruses, Trojan horses, worms, any other Malware or other harmful elements;(iv)the information contained in the Website will be timely, accurate, useful or complete; or(v)the products displayed and the services described on the Website will be available in our retail or online shops at all times.
7.3 We will not be liable for any failure, delay or default in carrying out our obligations or duties hereunder directly or indirectly caused by or resulted from acts of God, fire, flood, accident, riot, war, terrorist attack, government intervention, embargoes, strikes, labour disputes, equipment failures (including but not limited to Internet system failure) or any other causes beyond our reasonable control.
7.4 We reserve the right to modify or withdraw, temporarily or permanently, the Website (or any part thereof) with or without notice to you. In any event, we will not be liable to you for any modification to or withdrawal of the Website.
7.5 Except to the extent precluded by applicable law, we and our Affiliates, and our respective officers, directors, agents, employees, contractors and other representatives, exclude all liability arising under, in connection with or related to these Terms and your use of the Website, including all liability for: (i)indirect, special, incidental, consequential or punitive losses, damages or expenses; and(ii)damages for economic loss, loss of profits or loss of any of the following – revenue, clients, bargain, goodwill, anticipated savings and, use of products.
7.6 The exclusion of liability herein applies regardless of the basis on which such liability arises, whether for breach of contract, in tort (including negligence), in equity, under statute, under an indemnity, for breach of conditions and warranties implied by custom, the general law or statute, in respect of any claims by a third party against you or otherwise and whether or not we are aware or should have been aware of the possibility of such loss.
7.7 To the extent that our liability cannot be excluded and we are able to limit our liability, then our maximum aggregate liability for all claims arising from, in connection with or related to your use of services on the Website and the Website itself shall be limited to the amount of HK$100.
8.1 You irrevocably and unconditionally agree to defend, indemnify and hold harmless us and each of our Affiliates and each of our respective officers, directors, agents, employees, contractors and other representatives from and against all claims, actions, demands, liabilities, expenses, losses, damages and other costs whatsoever (including but not limited to any claims made against us by any third party) arising from, in connection with or related to your use of the Website or your breach of these Terms.
9.1 In the event that you have breached or violated, or we suspect that you have breached or violated or attempt to breach or violate, any provision of these Terms or the applicable laws or regulations, we may expel you from, and prevent your further access to, the Website (by terminating your membership or user account, blocking your Internet Protocol (IP) address or any other means), and remove any and all content and materials posted by you on the Website, without notice and compensation of any kind to you.
9.2 We shall have no obligation to deliver or return to you any content or materials posted on the Website at any time which are subject to removal pursuant to these Terms.
10.1 We may revise these Terms from time to time without prior notice to you. Your continued use of the Website following such revision shall be deemed as your acceptance of these Terms as amended. It is your responsibility to visit the Website regularly to check out the latest Terms.
10.2 From time to time, cyber squatters or other unauthorised persons may register or use a confusingly similar domain name/name/trademark/trade name/logo or otherwise hold themselves out as having any association with or endorsement from us or our Affiliates. We and our Affiliates may investigate and/or take action against such cyber squatters and unauthorised websites but we are not in any way responsible and shall not be liable for any acts and/or omissions of these cyber squatters and/or the contents, transactions or anything related to any unauthorised websites.
11.1 These Terms constitute the entire agreement between you and us relating to your use of the Website, and shall replace and supersede all other communication (be it written or oral), discussions, letters and contracts relating to the subject matter hereof.
12.1 You may not assign or transfer any of your rights or obligations under these Terms without our prior written consent.
13.1 No failure or delay by us in exercising any right, power or remedy under the Terms shall operate as a waiver thereof, nor shall any single or partial exercise of the same preclude any further exercise thereof or the exercise of any other right, power or remedy. Without limiting the foregoing, no waiver by us of any of your breach of any provision of these Terms shall be deemed as a waiver of any subsequent breach of that or any other provision of the same.
14.1 The provisions contained in each clause of these Terms shall be enforceable independently of each of the others and its validity shall not be affected if any of the others is invalid. In the event any provision of these Terms is determined to be illegal, invalid or unenforceable, the validity and enforceability of the remaining provisions of these Terms shall not be affected and, in lieu of such illegal, invalid, or unenforceable provision, there will be added as part of these Terms one or more provisions as similar in terms as may be legal, valid and enforceable under the applicable law.
15.1 These Terms are governed by and are to be construed in accordance with the laws of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China.
15.2 All dates and times in these Terms refer to the Hong Kong time zone. Sundays and all Public Holidays in Hong Kong will not be considered as working days for the purposes of these Terms.
15.3 Any dispute, controversy or claim arising out of or relating to the Terms, or the breach, termination or invalidity thereof, will be settled by a court of competent jurisdiction.
16.1 If you have any enquiries relating to the Website, please contact us by email at firstname.lastname@example.com as set out on the relevant Website.


text:
Sen. Ben Nelson doesn't believe a cap-and-trade climate bill can pass Congress this session, he said on Oct. 30 — and he doesn't intend to do anything to help it.
"I haven't been able to sell that argument to my farmers, and I don't think they're going to buy it from anybody else," Nelson said in an interview on CNBC. "I think at the end of the day, the people who turn the switch on at home will be disadvantaged."
Here's more on Nelson and climate, as written by Kate Sheppard on July 24, 2009:
Nelson has made it clear that he is willing to buck his party on a climate bill — or any bill, for that matter.
"I am not about to surrender any of my votes on the basis that there are now 60 members of my caucus," Nelson told The New York Times. "I don't think we will walk in lockstep. It will be issue by issue."
Nelson, a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, is concerned about how a climate bill would affect the agriculture sector. The ag lobby secured major concessions in the House climate bill that passed in June, but it's not clear if those are enough to get Nelson on board.
"Every farm-state senator is aware of what the cap-and-trade proposals could do to their agriculture base," said Nelson. "Agriculture is a big user of electricity. There's a recognition that when electricity costs go up it can add, in some cases, tens of thousands of dollars in costs at a time when commodity prices are not what they were. So we have to be very concerned."
Earlier this year, Nelson was among the Democrats who voted against using the budget process to approve climate legislation.
In May of last year, he expressed support for a climate bill from Ohio Republican George Voinovich that made enviros queasy.
One month later, in June 2008, he voted to send the Lieberman-Warner Climate Security Act to a floor vote, but then signed a letter from 10 swing-vote Democrats noting that he would have opposed final passage of the bill. Here's what Nelson said in a press release after that vote:
I have concerns about the climate change bill and will not vote for it. Global climate change is an environmental problem that requires energy solutions. I believe we need a comprehensive and coherent energy policy for this nation that will also help address the emissions problems contributing to global climate change. But this bill is not that policy and I do not support it.
I voted for cloture on the bill to allow it to move forward because I do not support procedural gimmicks that prevent a bill from getting an up or down vote. I think the Senate should vote this bill down and move forward with establishing a National Commission on Energy Policy and Global Climate Change so that the next Congress and the next Administration can work from a comprehensive legislative blueprint developed by a non-partisan commission.
Do you know more about this senator's stance on climate legislation? Tell us.
Find out about other senators by clicking on their names in the right column.


text:
Part of the reason I was never a brilliant math student had to do with the chasm of difference between how I was taught math and how I understood it. Art has always been 'my thing' so in spite of all my math teachers' best efforts to learn by the book, I inevitably accessed the subject artistically. Specifically, through patterns.
In school, I was an incorrigible margin-doodler and I would always get mad whenever a teacher scolded me for not showing my work. The crazy cartoon geometry framing my homework showed how I worked the math problems! I never understood why my teachers got so annoyed with me for finding answers in my own way. It was an early and often-repeated lesson in how seeing the world differently is widely equated with cheating.
Now look at me. Parent of a school-aged child and worried sick about the cookie-cutter curriculum he's up against… Sometimes it still seems that way, doesn't it? Like it's us versus classrooms? But kids and parents are better armed these days; we have the internet, and it is full of useful alternatives for students who need them. I even found an example of someone demonstrating multiplication the way I taught myself to understand it. Specifically, through patterns.
Vi Hart is my favorite mathematician and among my top five favorite YouTubers. Her videos are an effective combination of straightforward, smart and charming, and I recommend them highly to geeks of all kinds.