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Key Updates:
- President Trump has tested negative for the coronavirus. The White House says anyone close to the president or vice president will get a temperature check.
- Trump's Europe travel ban is expanded to the United Kingdom and Ireland. He's also declared a national emergency.
- At least six states have announced that all schools will be closed for at least two weeks.
- House Speaker Nancy Pelosi says that she and the Trump administration agreed to a deal on a coronavirus aid package. The House approved it early Saturday.
- France is shutting down all restaurants, cafes, cinemas and retail shops that are not essential.
- Spain has announced a lockdown of its 46 million people, following Italy's example of nationwide restrictions.
The White House Coronavirus Task Force updated the public at a press conference on Saturday about the latest efforts to contain the virus outbreak.
President Donald Trump invoked emergency powers as the country works to contain the coronavirus outbreak. The head of the World Health Organization says Europe is now the epicenter of the world's coronavirus pandemic.
Trump's 30-day travel ban from most of Europe started Friday at midnight Eastern time, after claiming in his Oval Office address Wednesday that U.S. clusters of the coronavirus were "seeded" by European travelers.
The virus has infected more than 150,000 people and killed more than 5,700. The disease for most people causes only mild or moderate symptoms. For some, it can cause more severe illness.
Results back: President Trump tests negative
President Donald Trump has tested negative for the coronavirus, according to a White House memo.
The memo from the president's doctor to press secretary Stephanie Grisham says Trump's negative results were confirmed Saturday evening.
Virginia's first death was man in his 70s
The Virginia Department of Health and has reported the first person to die from the novel coronavirus in Virginia on Saturday.
The man was in his 70s and has been hospitalized after previously testing positive for COVID-19.
The cause of death was respiratory failure as a result of the virus. Officials say he caught coronavirus from an unknown source.
Louisiana reports first death, 77 total cases
Louisiana has reported it first death related to COVID-19. The New Orleans resident was a 58-year-old individual with underlying health conditions.
"It is with heavy hearts that we announce the first Louisiana death related to COVID-19 today," Gov. John Bel Edwards said.
Poland, Czech Republic other European nations to close borders
According to The Associated Press and other news outlets, Poland has planned to close its borders at midnight and deny all foreigners entry unless they live in Poland or have personal ties there.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said Denmark closed its borders as well. The Czech Republic and Slovakia took similar action.
Russia said its borders with Norway and Poland will be closed to most foreigners beginning Sunday.
RELATED: XFL: Seattle Dragons player tests positive for coronavirus; was in Houston, St. Louis games
France shuts down all restaurants, cafes, cinemas
French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe announced that France is shutting down all restaurants, cafes, cinemas and non-essential retail shops, starting Sunday, to combat the accelerated spread of the virus in the country.
He said grocery stores, pharmacies, banks and other public services including transport will be allowed to remain open.
French authorities had already shut down all schools, banned gatherings of more than 100 people and advised people to limit their social life. Philippe said these measures were "not well implemented."
"We must show all together more discipline," he added.
Philippe confirmed that nation-wide municipal elections will go ahead as planned on Sunday but with special measures to keep people at a safe distance and clean shared material.
Health authorities said more than 4,500 cases have been confirmed in France on Saturday, including 91 deaths.
President Trump says he has taken the coronavirus test and expects results soon
President Trump and Vice President Pence lead a White House Coronavirus Task Force press briefing Saturday afternoon and the president confirmed he has taken the coronavirus test. When asked when he expected to received results, he said he isn't sure but possibly in a day or two.
President Trump says the White House is considering other travel restrictions within the United States and says they are working with the states on that.
Dr. Anthony Fauci says as of Saturday afternoon there were at least 2,226 cases of coronavirus.
Vice President Mike Pence said all travel from the United Kingdom and Ireland has been suspended, effective midnight on Monday.
The U.S. Surgeon General said, "almost all people will recover" and that "we must lean in to protect the most vulnerable"
Vice President Mike Pence's Press Secretary Katie Miller said that according to the White House Medial Unit, the temperature of a journalist coming to Saturday's Coronavirus Task Force Briefing was not allowed in after having their temperature checked.
The White House says the reporter's temperature was taken three times over the course of a 15 minute time span and it still registered above the CDC's guidelines of 100.4 degrees.
Anyone close to President Trump or Vice President Mike Pence to get temperature checked
In a statement Saturday the White House said anyone close to President Trump or Vice President Mike Pence will receive a temperature check. Reporters in the Brady Briefing Room said they had their temperature taken at about 11:30 p.m. Eastern before a Saturday press conference. Special Assistant to the president Judd Deere said, "Out of an abundance of caution, temperature checks are now being performed on any individuals who are in close contact with the President and Vice President."
Spain to lockdown as virus cases soar
Spain is set to follow Italy on Saturday in declaring a far-reaching nationwide lockdown to slow the accelerating spread of the coronavirus epidemic.
Spain's decision Saturday came as European countries took ever more severe, though widely varying, measures to reduce contact between their citizens and slow the pandemic.
China — where the virus first emerged late last year — continued to ease up lockdown measures in its hardest-hit region. Spain's government planned to announce Saturday that it is placing tight restrictions on movement for the nation of 46 million people while declaring a two-week state of emergency. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez was due to address the nation Saturday.
British budget airline Jet2 apparently turned back in midair all its planes bound for Spain as it announced the cancellation of all its flights to the country.
The company said it decided to cancel the flights as Spanish authorities moved to introduce tighter restrictions. "We know these local measures will have a significant impact on our customers' holidays which is why we have taken this decision."
Air traffic monitor Flightradar 24 said at least seven Jet2 flights with a destination in Spain turned around and came back to the U.K on Saturday.
US military halting domestic travel amid virus
The U.S. Defense Department is planning to halt all domestic travel for military members after President Donald Trump declared the coronavirus pandemic a national emergency.
The Pentagon says Deputy Defense Secretary David Norquist has approved new travel restrictions on service members and Defense Department civilians assigned to military installations and surrounding areas within the United States and its territories.
The new guidance takes effect Monday and last through May 11. The Pentagon says it will "halt all domestic travel, including Permanent Change of Station and Temporary Duty."
Service members will be authorized local leave only, although the Pentagon says exemptions may be granted "for compelling cases."
The Defense Department has also suspended "unofficial visits" to the Pentagon and other facilities in the Washington area.
500K coronavirus test kits to be donated to U.S. by Chinese billionaire Jack Ma
Jack Ma, founder of the Chinese tech giant Alibaba, says his foundation will donate 500,000 COVID-19 testing kits and 1 million masks to the U.S.
"Drawing from my own country's experience, speedy and accurate testing and adequate personal protective equipment for medical professionals are most effective in prevent the spread of the virus," Ma said in a statement Friday on Twitter.
US says immigrants can seek care without fear
The U.S. government says a new rule disqualifying more people from green cards if they use government benefits will not apply to immigrants who seek care for symptoms of the illness caused by coronavirus.
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services said late Friday that seeking treatment or preventive services won't affect someone's immigration status under the new public charge rule, which took effect last month.
The announcement came after lawmakers and advocacy groups urged the government to suspend the rule during the coronavirus outbreak.
Advocates say they have been fielding panicked calls from immigrants who are worried about the impact on their status if they seek health care.
Spring college athletes to get relief for season of eligibility
The NCAA has announced that spring athletes will get relief for a season of eligibility after winter and spring championships have been canceled over coronavirus concerns.
A statement released Friday from the NCAA Division I Council Coordination Committee says details of the eligibility relief will be finalized later.
The NCAA also says in-person recruiting has been banned. Campus visits are advised to be suspended too. This recruiting "dead period" will be in place until at least April 15, but phone calls and written correspondence can continue.
Canada shuts Parliament, advises against travel as Trudeau is in quarantine
Canada shut down Parliament and advised against all nonessential travel outside the country while Prime Minister Justin Trudeau governed remotely from his home, in self-imposed quarantine after his wife tested positive for the new coronavirus.
Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Theresa Tam advised more social distancing, no handshakes and kisses.
The government is also advising the cancellation of all large events like concerts. Transport Minister Marc Garneau said cruise ships with more than 500 people will not be able to dock in Canada until July 1.
Overseas flights returning to Canada will also be restricted to a small number of airports in the country.
Brazil's President Bolsonaro tests negative for coronavirus
Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro has tested negative for the new coronavirus, according to a post on his official Facebook profile.
He traveled to Florida last weekend and dined with U.S. President Donald Trump, and a member of the delegation that accompanied him had tested positive after meeting Trump.
Bolsonaro received the test on Thursday after his communications director was confirmed to have the virus.
There had been a swirl of confusing information earlier Friday, with some media reporting Bolsonaro had received an initial positive test result.
Louisiana primary postponed to June
Louisiana's presidential primary has been postponed from its original date in April to June.
Secretary of State kyle Ardoin announced the change at a press conference Friday.
WHO chief: Europe now center of virus pandemic
The head of the World Health Organization says Europe, not China, is now the epicenter of the world's coronavirus pandemic.
Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told reporters in Geneva that "more cases are now being reported every day than were reported in China at the height of its epidemic."
He noted that "5,000 people have lost their lives, a tragic milestone."
He says Europe now has "more reported virus cases and deaths than the rest of the world combined, apart from China."
Over 135,000 people have been infected worldwide, the most in China, where over 3,000 patients have died and over 62,000 have already recovered.
INDYCAR cancels races through April
INDYCAR has canceled its season-opening race and all INDYCAR series events through April, due to coronavirus concerns.
In a statement, INDYCAR said the cancellations begin with this weekend's Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg and stretches through the AutoNation INDYCAR Challenge at Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, which was scheduled to take place April 24-26.
Over the past few days, most major professional sports have announced plans to cancel events or suspend seasons to try and help stop the spread of coronavirus.
NASCAR postpones next two races
NASCAR announced Friday morning it would be postponing the race events this weekend at Atlanta Motor Speedway and next weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
"We believe this decision is in the best interest of the safety and well-being of our fans, competitors, officials and everyone associated with our sport. We will continue to monitor this dynamic situation as we reassess future race events," NASCAR said in a statement.
US names virus testing czar
Responding to numerous complaints about the shortage of coronavirus tests in the U.S, the Trump administration on Friday named a testing "czar" at the Department of Health and Human Services.
Separately, the FDA posted on Twitter that labs having problems getting supplies for collecting patient samples for testing should call the agency's toll-free information hotline.
And Medicare announced it will pay about $36 for the CDC coronavirus test and around $51 for tests from other providers.
The testing czar is Brett Giroir, assistant secretary for health, and head of the government's uniformed Public Health Service. He will be responsible for coordinating between CDC and FDA, as well as private labs and state and local governments.
The United States has tested far few people per capita than other countries like South Korea and Italy.
Boston Marathon postponed until September 14
The Boston Marathon, which was originally scheduled to be held on April 20, has been postponed. It will now take place on Monday, September 14.
Tom Grilk, CEO of the Boston Athletic Association, said the decision to postpone was made with "guidance from the officials entrusted with protecting the public in this area."
We understand our role, along with our partners, in ensuring a safe environment for all participants, volunteers, spectators, and supporters that meets the standards set by those officials," he said in a statement.
The BAA said registered participants and volunteers for the race would receive more information in the coming days.
2020 Masters tournament postponed
One day after the PGA Tour canceled their events, Chairman of Augusta National Golf Club Fred Ridley announced the Masters Tournament, the Augusta National Women's Amateur and the Drive, Chip and Putt National Finals would all be postponed. On March 4th, Ridley initially said all events would go as planned.
"Ultimately, the health and well-being of everyone associated with these events and the citizens of the Augusta community led us to this decision," he wrote in a statement. "We hope this postponement puts us in the best position to safely host the Masters Tournament and our amateur events at some later date."
The new date for the events was not specified.
Trump administration: $1.3M for fast virus test development
President Donald Trump's administration says it's awarding $1.3 million to two companies trying to develop rapid COVID-19 tests that could detect whether a person is positive for the new coronavirus within an hour.
The Department of Health and Human Services said Friday it's awarding $679,000 to DiaSorin Molecular, of Cypress, California, and $598,000 to QIAGEN, of Germantown, Maryland, to accelerate development of their tests.
It says DiaSorin's test could be ready within six weeks for consideration by the Food and Drug Administration and the QIAGEN test could be ready within 12 weeks for FDA consideration. For most people, the new coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough.
Pelosi, White House near agreement on coronavirus aid bill
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the Trump administration are hoping to announce agreement on a coronavirus aid package.
The measure would provide sick pay, free testing and other resources in an effort to calm teetering financial markets and the mounting crisis.
Pelosi said late Thursday that she hoped to have an announcement on Friday. The deal would provide funding and resources for American workers, families and businesses reeling with health and financial problems from the crisis.
The House could swiftly vote on the measure Friday. The agreement could come as Washington strains for a comprehensive response to the coronavirus outbreak.
Arlington National Cemetery closes; family funerals still on
Arlington National Cemetery has closed to visitors except for families with scheduled funerals.
The cemetery announced the move in a series of tweets on Thursday, citing Defense Department directives and guidance from the Centers for Disease Control in response to the coronavirus pandemic.
Gov. Ralph Northam declared a state of emergency as the state's number of confirmed cases among Virginians grew to 17, and advised all Virginians to avoid large gatherings "for the time being." Northam said the situation is fluid and changing rapidly.
England suspends soccer leagues
The English Premier League has been suspended after three clubs put their entire playing squads in self-isolation because of coronavirus.
The league had expected to continue with a full schedule this weekend with fans, but later decided to suspend all matches until April 3 "at the earliest."
The same suspension applies for the three lower divisions overseen by the English Football League and to England's top two women's divisions.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta tested positive for COVID-19 on Thursday, leading to the cancellation of the match against Brighton on Saturday. Chelsea winger Callum Hudson-Odoi also had a positive test on Thursday, while Everton said Friday that a player had reported symptoms consistent with coronavirus and said its squad was self-isolating.
Two more clubs said some players or staff would isolate. Bournemouth said Friday that reserve goalkeeper Artur Boruc and four members of staff had symptoms consistent with the virus. Leicester said Thursday that three players had "extremely mild illness" and would self-isolate as a precaution.
Spain's first lockdown affects 60,000
Spain's has ordered its first mandatory lockdown, confining over 60,000 people to four towns as infections for the new coronavirus increase sharply.
The rise is straining health services and putting more pressure on the government to act faster to fight the pandemic.
The country had more than 3,800 cases by Friday morning and at least 84 deaths. The Spanish capital, Madrid, has nearly 2,000 cases alone, many linked to nursing homes.
The Spanish royal palace says King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia have tested negative for the coronavirus.
Norway announces first death
Norway has reported its first death from the coronavirus. Prime Minister Erna Solberg said "an elderly person" died Thursday in Oslo, without elaborating.
Protectively, King Harald V, members of the royal family and some government members have been put in quarantine because they had traveled abroad in recent weeks.
Japan gives prime minister power to declare emergency
Japan's parliament enacted a law Friday that would allow Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to declare a state of emergency if the coronavirus outbreak worsens in the country.
The law is controversial because it can severely limit civil rights. It allows Abe to order legally binding school closures, confiscate private property to build medical facilities, order shipments of emergency supplies and take other measures related to the outbreak.
Japan has 675 confirmed cases, not including 697 others from a quarantined cruise ship.
Kenya announces first case
Authorities in Kenya say a woman has tested positive for the new coronavirus, the first case in the East African country.
Muhahi Kagwe, Kenya's health secretary, told reporters on Friday that the patient, a Kenyan citizen, is a woman who recently traveled from the United States via London.
The Kenyan case is the first in the East African region, where governments have been ramping up control measures as the virus spreads across the world.
Six U.S. states close all schools
Oregon is joining at least five other states in announcing that schools statewide will be closed for at least two weeks in an effort to stop the spread of the new coronavirus.
Gov. Kate Brown announced late Thursday that schools will be shuttered this coming Monday through Tuesday, March 31. That includes the state's spring break.
Maryland is also closing schools for two weeks starting Monday. Ohio is closing schools for three weeks starting Monday. Michigan is also shutting down school until April 5. Virginia is shutting down K-12 schools from Monday, March 16 to Friday, March 27 at minimum. Louisiana's schools are closed through April 13.
Oregon has seen an increasing number of cases of the virus. The state is next door to Washington state, the U.S. epicenter of the virus. Washington Governor Jay Inslee announced Thursday that all schools in the greater Seattle area would close through April 24.
Pelosi: House close with Trump on aid agreement
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi says she and the Trump administration are close to agreement on a coronavirus aid package, as negotiators struggle to hammer out a deal to provide funding and resources for American workers, families and businesses reeling with health and financial problems from the crisis.
Final details are being worked out. but Pelosi expects an announcement Friday. The House could swiftly vote.
The agreement could come as Washington strains for a comprehensive response to the coronavirus outbreak.
Sports leagues shut down
Just about every major sport has turned out the lights, at least temporarily, in an effort to increase social distancing and curb the spread of the virus.
The NCAA has canceled all college winter and spring championship, including the lucrative men's and women's basketball championships.
The NBA, NHL, Major League Soccer, and Major League Baseball have all put their seasons on hold. Baseball opening day will be pushed back at least two weeks.
Little League baseball announced it would be following suit after the Major and Minor Leagues made their announcement. The organization, which oversees more than 6,500 baseball and softball programs around the world, asked its leagues to suspend activities until April 6.
"If your league chooses to continue to operate in its local community, then we strongly encourage you to seek the counsel of your community municipalities, public health departments, and local school districts," the organization said in a statement..
The PGA Tour canceled the rest of The Players Championship and said it would not play the next three weeks.
The XFL has canceled the rest of its reboot inaugural season, but says players will get their game checks and the league plans to return in 2021.
At this point, NASCAR is the top remaining major U.S. sports league staying on schedule. It says it will race its next two events in Atlanta and Miami without fans present.
Olympic minister Seiko Hashimoto told a news conference Friday that the International Olympic Committee and Japanese organizers are "not considering cancellation or a postponement, absolutely not at all." The comments came after President Trump suggested postponing the Games by a year.
Tom Hanks, Rita Wilson update
"We are taking it one-day-at-a-time."
That's the message from actor Tom Hanks and wife Rita Wilson as they recover from the coronavirus in Australia. The couple posted an update on Instagram Thursday night.
"There are things we can all do to get through this by following the advice of experts and taking care of ourselves and each other, no?" Hanks wrote.


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South African Journal of Science
On-line version ISSN 1996-7489
Print version ISSN 0038-2353
S. Afr. j. sci. vol.107 n.1-2 Pretoria Jan./Feb. 2011
Council for Higher Education kowtows to Makgoba
The recent decision by the Council for Higher Education to suppress the publication of its audit of the University of KwaZulu-Natal bodes ill for the council's reputation, as it sets a dangerous precedent.
There is a time-honoured tradition in South Africa of government departments and agencies releasing unpalatable information during the month of December, when it is most likely to go unnoticed. December 2010 saw the Council for Higher Education (CHE) place an announcement on its website (http://www.che.ac.za/auditing/instaudited/reports/UKZN_Resolution_Oct2010.pdf) that it had decided not to publish the report of the audit panel on the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN), which conducted its work in October 2008. In terms of the Higher Education Act of 1997, all universities are audited for independent quality assurance. The panel, under the chairmanship of Martin Hall, then Deputy Vice-Chancellor at the University of Cape Town and now Vice-Chancellor of the University of Salford in the United Kingdom, provided oral feedback in the form of a live-stream to the UKZN community that same month, and presented its report to UKZN Vice-Chancellor Malegapuru Makgoba in June 2009. To date, all but two of the country's 23 universities have been audited by the CHE, and the final reports of all these audits have been published within a year of the audit taking place.
But Makgoba prevailed upon the council not to publish the report, on the grounds that Hall was biased against the university. This was apparently because when Makgoba took disciplinary action against two senior academic staff members in November 2008 (http://www.sajs.co.za/index.php/SAJS/article/view/19/11), immediately after the audit panel's visit, Hall wrote a letter confidentially to the council, subsequently leaked to The Mercury, expressing his concern that Makgoba's action was 'a direct affront' to the panel. Makgoba responded in a remarkably similar vein, claiming that Hall's letter had 'compromised' the audit process. Interestingly, the council chose to ignore Hall's concern and to investigate Makgoba's - by setting up a review panel to consider his claim, comprising Thoko Mayekiso of the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, Mark Hay of the Australian Universities Quality Agency (who has recently taken up a senior position at the CHE) and Mashpye Kgaphola, Vice-Chancellor Designate of the Mangosuthu University of Technology. This panel's findings are made public in the December announcement. It affirms that the audit report 'meets international standards of quality assurance practice', but claims to be unable to establish whether or not Hall's letter had impacted on the contents of the draft report. However, it concludes that the leak thereof had 'substantially compromised the audit process', and (hilariously) that the 'value of the draft report may be limited given the long time lapse since the audit visit in October 2008'.
On the first score, Hall has responded (http://www.mg.co.za/article/2011-01-14-varsitys-voices-of-dissent-gagged) by emphasising that the written report reflected the oral feedback that was provided to the entire university community the month before his letter was written, and three months before it was leaked to the press; and furthermore that it is implausible that any personal bias that he might hold could 'mesmerise an eight-member panel from seven different South African universities and an independent auditor from Australia'. With regard to the alleged reduced value of the report, no one other than the CHE itself could be held responsible for taking a full eighteen months to decide to suppress it.
Their decision to do so will inspire no confidence in the body by the university community, nor will the nonchalant response of its chief executive Ahmed Essop that 'the CHE will take into account the issues raised by the UKZN audit process in revising the audit manual for the second cycle of audits'. This is a great pity, as there is general consensus that South Africa badly needs quality assurance of some sort in its higher education system. The entire sector, in particular members of UKZN, was relying on the CHE report as a basis for moving forward, as an internal report relating to management issues at the university lacked credibility on account of its membership having been handpicked by Makgoba (http://www.sajs.co.za/index.php/SAJS/article/view/73/54). Suppressing the CHE report merely casts a shadow over the future of a university which should be a crucial institution in the development of the nation, and in particular of the province of KwaZulu-Natal.
But more serious are the wider implications of the council's decision, as it sets a most dangerous precedent. If by lobbying the CHE a university vice-chancellor is able to subvert the audit process if its findings happen to be critical of management, then the council's authority is clearly questionable. The CHE chair, former Director-General of Education Chabani Manganyi owes the academic community an explanation if he expects anyone to take an audit by the CHE seriously again.

subset: commoncrawl


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The Supreme Court of Uganda, twice, in 2001 and 2006, ruled that the Presidential elections in Uganda were not free and fair, so the government cannot be legitimate.
[International: Uganda]
Beti Kamya, Uganda member of parliament and special envoy in the office of the main opposition party Forum for Democratic Change (FDC), was early this week arrested and charged with four counts of sedition, promoting sectarianism, inciting violence, and promoting "war on the person of the President" Yoweri K. Museveni; she denies all the charges.
The charges stemmed from an opinion article labeled "Where is Museveni's heart?" which was published in Uganda's Daily Monitor on January 28. Here Kamya elaborates on the on the issue with The Black Star News's investigative reporter Norman S. Miwambo, in a telephone interview.
BSN: Why did the government charge you?
BK: I am sure government charged me because the things I wrote were not pleasing to the President of Uganda.
BSN: Do you believe the things you wrote were "seditious" as the government claims?
BK: I believe what I wrote was not seditious, but rather a wake up call. They are actually the topic among Ugandans, wherever they may be, in Uganda and abroad. Government should conduct an independent opinion poll, because it seems their intelligence does not tell the President the truth.
BSN: The government says you called upon Bahima [Museveni's ethnic community] to restrain Museveni because some of them would suffer after others have fled. Is this a warning that there will be war?
BK: It is not a warning that there will be war, but rather a reminder of what happened in 1966, 1971, 1979, 1985. When regimes fell, senior members of the regimes fled but ordinary people who never gained from the regimes suffered at the hands of ordinary people, all because they belong to the same [ethnic group] as the fallen leader. It could happen again, if we do not stop it; and you don't stop it by intimidating the people who talk about it but rather dealing with the problem.
BSN: What did you mean when you called upon Ugandans to emulate Kenyans who are resisting right now?
BK: I did not call on Ugandans to emulate Kenyans now; I only said like Kenya
[in the Mau Mau days] we'll have to fight for our rights.
BSN: Do you believe the Museveni government is a legitimate government?
BK: There is only one constitutional way through which a person can become president of Uganda and form government—through a free and fair election. There is no other provision in the constitution. The Supreme Court of Uganda, twice, in 2001 and 2006, ruled that the Presidential elections in Uganda were not free and fair, so the government cannot be legitimate. It might be legal, because the Courts said so; but legitimate? Not according to Uganda's constitution.
BSN: The government seems to believe that you want to foment a rebellion against the government. What is your comment on this?
BK: I do not want to foment a rebellion against government, I want Ugandans to be empowered through information to demand for accountability. What happened to
the proceeds out of the factories, banks, planes, buses, hotels etc., that weresold by government? Why should we have a government that failed to conduct free and fair elections in place? Why doesn't Government conduct civic education as required bythe constitution?
BSN: You asked "Where Is Museveni's Heart"? Does that mean asking about his nationality or should people choose their own interpretation?
BK: Where is Museveni's heart? It was intended to mean 'why does Museveni treat Uganda as if he does not love it, or is not patriotic, the way other people show
BSN: How would you describe the spirit in which you wrote your January 28 article in comparison to the spirit in which President Museveni responded?
BK: I intended the article to sound the wake up call. If we don't sort out the politics of Uganda, there is only one way we are headed—the wrong way. I am half Kikuyu; I have lost loved ones in the current ethnic madness in Kenya. The dear ones I've lost were very poor people, who probably didn't even know that Kibaki was President or Kikuyu for that matter, who probably never even voted, who had nothing to gain by Kibaki being President. They lived in mud and wattle huts-that's how poor they are. But they've paid the price, with their lives and their properties, for policies that were made 50 years ago,favoring some Kikuyus they will never know. I am also the mother of Banyankore children, for whose future I am terrified, if the rest of the country rises against Banyankore, the Ugandan way. I am also the daughter of Colonel Kamya, a former officer in the Uganda Army until 1979. After the fall of Amin, he was branded 'Amin's soldier' and for that, he lost everything. He ran to exile and died a poor man, when he had used his youth to plan for his old age all because he was branded 'Amin's soldier.' I wrote that letter from my heart. Warning of a catastrophe, fearful for innocent Bahima-whereasusually, I write from my head.
Investigative reporter Miwambo writes for The Black Star from Europe. Reach him with news tips via
To comment or to subscribe to or advertise in New York's leading Pan African weekly investigative newspaper, or to send us a news tip, please call (212) 481-7745 or send a note to [email protected]
Also visit out sister publications Harlem Business News www.harlembusinessnews.com and The Groove music magazine at www.thegroovemag.com
"Speaking Truth To Empower."


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Welcome to another edition of armchair dancefloor. Below you'll find 'The Playlist' for a selection of new and forthcoming releases that have caught our eye this month, but first, we speak to one of our favourite, young UK record labels...
Focus: Butterz
Since it first emerged as a UK counterpart to hiphop roughly ten years ago, grime has had a relatively turbulent history. Despite early critical acclaim - a Mercury win for Dizzee's iconic debut - grime seemed to quickly fall out of critical favour, largely overshadowed by the rise of its close cousin dubstep, and heavily pillaged by mainstream pop. A couple of years ago the genre was written off for dead by many; with veteran artists jumping-ship to work on UK funky and dubstep projects.
But in 2012 grime is a significant force in clubs across the country, being embraced by DJs like Pearson Sound, Bok Bok and Oneman, with the influence of classic grime production cropping up in countless, forward-thinking new releases (see EPs from Logos and Slackk in the playlist below).
At the forefront of this resurgence is Butterz; a blog turned instrumental grime label that has recently celebrated its second birthday. Along with a handful of other independent imprints - among them Hardrive, and last edition's featured label Hyperdub - Butterz have been providing a focal point, both through releases and club nights, for a thriving community of UK grime producers, and at its heart are DJing partnership, Rinse FM presenters and Butterz founders Elijah and Skilliam.
"We have turned around a lot of negative perceptions about grime as a genre," Butterz co-founder and figurehead Elijah explains. "We have been making people come out and rave to the music again in big clubs, which isn't easy. It sounds so minor but for our area it has been excluded from the clubs for a long time now, so it is good to be back in a big way, in London anyway."
The label's success is down, in part, to the sense of community that the Butterz camp have built around themselves. Their parties - now regular events, ever growing in scale - are some of the most fun nights you'll find in UK clubs, while Facebook and Twitter followers are regularly treated to free downloads of exclusive, unreleased music and DJ sets.
We spoke to Elijah recently, to put a few questions to him about the label's origins, and their gameplan for the future:
How, and when, did you first get involved with grime music?
"We have been listening since the beginning, but really started to get involved when we started the Butterz blog in 2007, when a few of the good ones stopped writing. We were still going to events, enjoying the music and thought we would continue to document it like the people before us."
What inspired you to switch Butterz from a blog to a label?
"We were DJing on Rinse FM for 12 months and it felt like we could contribute more than just playing tracks. We had a vision of where this could go and we were best placed to lead it. It was at a good time personally too, we were both finishing University in Hertfordshire, in the process of being in London full time again and considering career options. We had a great group of talented producers in Terror Danjah, Swindle, Royal-T and D.O.K without a home too, so it made it really straightforward to start."
Why a mostly instrumental label? Was it always a conscious choice to focus on producers rather than MCs and vocalists?
"Our sets on Rinse and in the clubs have always focused on the beats rather than the MCs, so naturally it was always going to be that way. With vocals I feel like less is more, we have only done two so far with P Money and Trim who are two of my top 5 Grime MCs ever, so it makes those records even more special. A lot of the MC music is mixtape orientated, but we keep it club-focused as that's the bit of the scene we enjoy most."
As a label you give away a lot for free (mixes, .zip files etc.) Why? Is that a big part of who you are?
"We don't release loads of records, our release schedule is quite light compared to most, we are averaging between 5-7 singles a year, so the .zips fill the gaps between for the people that want to play similar kinds of styles in the clubs or just listen to out of the mix.
"It has really helped the music spread a lot faster than our schedule allows. We work with people that make tunes frequently too, so we end up playing around 50% unreleased music on most Rinse FM shows, so it prevents the better end of that work getting lost just because it doesn't fit in with our plans."
The label seems to have grown remarkably quickly, how big do you see the Butterz operation getting? Do you ever see yourselves co-operating with major labels, or releasing big artist albums with crossover potential?
"We are happy with how it is at the moment. It's growing organically, and we are learning as we go. We are just focusing on releasing singles at the moment, keeps things focused and I find a lot of people know all the music we have released inside out because it has been in small doses. The major label thing doesn't work for Grime nobody has handled it well so far so I wouldn't put us in that position. I don't see that as a route for us at all."
Current Butterz releases
Elijah: "We have a release coming from Champion, who has been working closely alongside us for the last 12 months or so but doing Funky stuff, we thought he could do a great Grime release and he has done just that. The lead track 'Crystal Meth' is getting a massive response in the clubs and on radio.
"We have a club residency at Cable in London Bridge which is a big night for us, all the producers make fresh music for it, and it is a massive hype. The next one of those is on 7th July with smaller versions of the parties coming to - hopefully - a town near you soon."
To keep up-to-date with Butterz releases and live dates, keep an eye on their website and Facebook page.
The playlist: new and forthcoming releases
The Bug - Can't Take This No More/Rise Up [Acid Ragga]
After spending the past couple of years focused mostly on his soulful, dub-inclined King Midas Sound project, Kevin Martin is returning to his work as The Bug - and this is reason to be very excited. As Martin announced via Twitter last week, he's launched a new 7" label named Acid Ragga (which will operate as an offshoot of Ninja Tune) through which The Bug will release a series of singles that, somewhat appropriately, see Martin reimagining ragga and dancehall via the synths and drum machines that gave birth to acid house and techno. The first release, 'Can't Take This No More' and 'Rise Up' features Daddy Freddy in brilliantly furious form on the A-side and Hype Williams' Inga Copeland on the reverse.
It all leads up to a new full length release, titled Angels & Devils - The Bug's first since 2007's near-flawless London Zoo - which is set to feature Grouper, Death Grips, Gonjasufi and JK Flesh (of Godflesh/Jesu) plus former collaborators Spaceape, Flowdan and Warrior Queen. We'd be very, very surprised if it doesn't turn out to be one of the best LPs released this year...
d'Eon - Music For Keyboards vol. II: 'What's My Age Again?' Variations [free download]
Music For Keyboards, the current series of free download albums from Montreal-based artist d'Eon, best known for his 2011 split EP with Grimes, sits firmly toward the 'armchair' end of this column's remit; consisting of lo-fi (yet often beautiful), beatless instrumentals composed on old-sounding keyboards and semi-convincing piano emulations. Vol. II is a particular curiosity, in that it is contains 14 different compositions based-around the melody and chord progression from Blink 182's 'What's My Age Again?'. Surprisingly, d'Eon plays it straight throughout, and somehow convincingly pulls off a project that, by rights, should have 'hipster bullshit' written all over it. Download it for free here. His debut album proper, titled _LP_, arrives via Hippos In Tanks in early June.
Fantastic Mr Fox - San'en EP [Black Acre]
After releasing one of the strongest breakout tracks of recent years in 'Sketches' in 2010, followed up by the excellent Evelyn EP later the same year, Fantastic Mr Fox seemed to drop almost entirely off the radar. He finally returns at the start of June with his new EP, San'en, on Black Acre, and it's good to have him back. His lively, r&b-infused production style is as infectious as ever here, it's just a shame that a lot of other producers have jumped on future-garage/post-dubstep bandwagon during his absence, and his style feels nowhere near as unique as it did back in 2010. An essential listen nonetheless.
Forward Strategy Group - Nihil Novi (Factory Floor remix) [Perc Trax]
At the end of May, consistently-excellent purveyors of dark, mesmerising techno Perc Trax will release Labour Division, the full length debut from Forward Strategy Group, which we highly recommend you keep an eye out for. Ahead of the album, however, Perc will release Labour Division EP 1, a vinyl EP premiering a selection of the album's tracks, along with three remixes from the ever-brilliant Factory Floor (one remix from each of FF's individual members, to be precise). This first reworking, premiered via The Quietus this week, sees Factory Floor's FFGG reimagining FSG's dark tones into a surprisingly summery, krautrock-tinged number.
Grievous Angel - Kleer [Forefront Recordings]
'Kleer' is the latest grime and UK funky-laced offering from largely underrated Sheffield producer Grievous Angel. It's a lively slab of thick, mid-range synths and thunderous bass notes riding along on a heavily swung beat. Out now via Forefront Recordings.
Howse - Lay Hollow [Tri Angle]
There's little information available about US producer and recent Tri Angle Records signing Howse. However, what we do know is that his/her(?) debut EP Lay Hallow lands via the label on 28 May, and it's a superb exercise in 808-fuelled ambient dance music; juke inspired beats and rough vocal edits against a backdrop of bird song and insect noise. The whole thing maintains a tense mood throughout - feeling like the atmospheric, single note synths and kick & stick drum patterns are on the verge of breaking out into old-school jungle at any moment.
Kuedo - Work, Live & Sleep in Collapsing Space [Planet Mu]
It won't see a proper release until the end of July, but Kuedo's forthcoming single on Planet Mu is already a decent contender for the year's best dance release. The A-side comes from the same sessions as the former Vex'd member's much acclaimed debut album Severant. For our money though, it's the grandest and best conceived example of Kuedo's synth-rich, footwork-inspired soundscapes to-date. The two remixes on the reverse - from Laurel Halo and American Men member Claude Speeed - are both impeccable, ambient reworkings, and you can expect all three takes on the track to crop up in a lot of mixes over the next few months. You can hear previews of all three over at Planet Mu's site.
In related news, Kuedo brings his new live show to the UK for the first time this Friday (11 May), headlining a Planet Mu showcase at London's XOYO, hosted by new promoters Broken & Uneven. The bill also features Machinedrum - whose last LP Room(s) was one of 2011's best - and Boxcutter, performing under his new alias The Host. Full details here. We'll be bringing you a report of the night on these pages in the coming weeks.
Logos - Kowloon EP [Keysound]
Slackk - Raw Missions [Local Action]
These two EP are prime examples of the influence that classic 8-bar grime production - particularly Wiley's early Eskibeat tunes - are having on underground dance music in 2012. Both releases see the fizzy, mid-heavy synth melodies and sparse garage beats of early grime reworked into instrumentals that are both lively and atmospheric in equal measure. Logos' Kowloon EP is out now on Keysound (although the title track has been floating around for about a year already) featuring four tracks that offer relatively minimal, melodic takes on the genre; sounding both nostalgic, and still vaguely futuristic. Meanwhile, Slackk's Raw Missions, which is due for release via Local Action later this month, is a slightly heavier, and livelier, take on a similar theme.
Py - Tripping On Wisdom [mixtape]
Rising London-based vocalist Py* has been keeping some good company of late - she's recently released a collaborative EP with *Throwing Snow, and she's also worked with Keysound producer Damu and experimental rockers Breton. All of these collaborators are among the names featuring on this excellent mixtape, due for download and cassette release later this month, acting as a hub for the talented range of artists in Py's address book, as well as her own impressive vocal talents.
The Traveller (Shed) - A100 [Ostgut Ton]
Following on from his excellent single 'The Praetorian', released back in Feb, and ahead of his forthcoming third LP The Killer, German producer Rene Pawlowitz, best known under the alias Shed, has just released a wonderful three-track EP of pristine, intricate techno under the name The Traveller (the moniker comes from the title of his second LP as Shed). A100 is out now via Ostgut Ton.
For occasional links to new music, mixed with a lot of inane nonsense, you can follow Si on Twitter here.


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El's Kitchen and Bar
1450 W. Webster Avenue
(773) 248-5210
El's Kitchen & Bar Famous BBQ Sauce
1 cup-cola flavored carbonated beverage
1 cup canned tomato sauce
1 (6 ounce) can tomato pasta
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup molasses
1/2 cup cider vinegar
2 1/2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 Tablespoons steak sauce
1 Tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon dried savory
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
In large saucepan, mix together the cola, tomato sauce, tomato paste, butte, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, molasses, cider and balsamic vinegars, steak sauce, and mustard. Season with chili powder, savory, onion powder, garlic salt, and hot pepper sauce, and stir to blend. Cook over low heat, stirring occasionally until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a metal spoon.


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Model 03
4 Seater Left Chaise
Fast check - won't affect your credit rating.
Key features
- Dual layered, high-density foam made in the UK
- Hand stitched flange - no two corners are the same
- No tools required
- Flexibility - the modulars are not locked together
- Solid wood frame
The Model 03 4 seater right chaise is a combination of one left arm, one right arm, two single modules and one ottoman. Share, sink into, or put your feet up and lose yourself. The possibilities are endless.
The modules are kept separate and don't use the Swyft-lok technology to lock together, this is so you have the flexibility of movement and transformation of your space. They also come with rubber feet which creates suction and stops the modules from moving.
Stain resistant fabrics
Our fabric is durable and resilient. It features industry leading stain free technology, which makes it kid and pet friendly. Rather than coating our linen and velvet fabrics with a stain repellant, each one of the threads in our fabric is stain resistant. We can't stop your friend from spilling wine on your sofa or your kids from smearing chocolate on the seats, but clean-up is as easy as wiping the stain with a wet cloth.
Delivered in a box
To make life easy for you, all our products are delivered in easy to manage boxes. Nothing is more frustrating than having to squeeze a bed frame through tight entranceways and hallways. This is why each bed is delivered in boxes and guaranteed to fit. No one should have to wait around for a bed, which is why we deliver in just 24 hours. Order before 5pm for next-day delivery, and say hello to snoozing sooner than you think. If you want to, you can choose your preferred delivery date from Monday to Saturday up to 3 weeks in advance.
Free 24 hour
Delivered when
you want
100 day
- Height: 71 cm
- Width: 324 cm
- Depth: 162 cm/ 92 cm
- Seat Depth: 69 cm
- Seat Height: 45 cm
Can't decide? Need a helping hand?
Request a swatch box and you'll be one step closer to owning your very own slice of perfection. Go on, it's time to treat yourself.Order your free swatches
Care instructions
We can't stop your friend from spilling wine on your sofa or your kids from smearing chocolate on the seats, so we coated the yarn with stain resistance before the fabric was knitted. We've done this to ensure the feel of the fabric is kept. Just use a damp sponge to remove any spillages and follow our four step guide.
Fabric composition
Velvet: 100% Polyester
Linen: 73% Polyester, 27% Cotton
Faux Leather: 91% Polyester 9% Cotton
You shouldn't have to compromise on anything. The Model 03 collection comes with double layered high-density foam for added support and comfort. The foam is wrapped in Dacron, a polyester fibre to provide a fuller, softer look and feel. It's also comes with excellent bounce back qualities so the foam keeps its shape after use. We do not use feather in any Model 03 cushion. The frames and legs are made from sustainable, traceable beech, birch plywood and poplar plywood and come with a 15 year guarantee. To ensure the modules don't move, each foot has rubber suctions attached which works well on carpet and bare flooring.
Strength tested
We've tested our sofa to BS EN 16139: 2013. Essentially, this means each seat has been tested to hold up to 18 stone. Ideal for entertaining and relaxing.
Swyft-lok technology
Embedded in every Swyft product is our unique Swyft-lok mechanism (which is a fancy way of saying you can assemble any Swyft product without the use of tools.). We wanted to design a product that was easy to stock and transport, could be lifted by one or two people and would eliminate any potential access issues for all involved. It was also important that assembly could be achieved by one or two people, with no tools, in under 5 minutes. The key to success was our innovative Swyft-lok fastening system.


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New Washington-ABC poll: Women prefer Rick Santorum to Mitt Romney
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From the Washington Post, of all places.
Judging from the coverage of: Rick Santorum's presidential campaign over the last few weeks, you might think that the former Pennsylvania Senator's numbers would be cratering among women.
But you would be wrong. Way wrong.
In a: new Washington Post-ABC poll, Santorum's numbers among Republican and Republican-leaning women have soared over the past month. He now has the highest favorability rating among that group of any of the top-tier Republican presidential candidates.
[…]The poll numbers reinforce findings from recent exit polls that suggest Santorum is holding steady – if not strengthening – among Republican women. In Alabama, Santorum beat former Massachusetts governor: Mitt Romney: by eight points among women; in Mississippi, Santorum took 35 percent among women to 32 percent for Romney.
[…]The third potential reason for Santorum's improved position among Republican women is that he has successfully framed the issue as one of government imposing on people's personal beliefs – an argument that hits home with the GOP base. Karen Santorum, the candidate's wife, made that case: during an appearance on CNN Monday night. "I think the issue is the government forcing people to go against their conscience," she said. "That's really the issue here."
Regardless of the reason, it's clear that: Santorum's comments have not hurt him one bit with his target audience: at the moment: Republicans – and, in particular, Republican women.
Now, why do you suppose that you have been hearing so much from the mainstream media about women voters not supporting Santorum? Well, it's because of liberal media bias, and this is not my opinion, it's a fact.
What research tells us about media bias
Here's a UCLA study on media bias.
Of the 20 major media outlets studied, 18 scored left of center, with CBS' "Evening News," The New York Times and the Los Angeles Times ranking second, third and fourth most liberal behind the news pages of The Wall Street Journal.
Only Fox News' "Special Report With Brit Hume" and The Washington Times scored right of the average U.S. voter.
The most centrist outlet proved to be the "NewsHour With Jim Lehrer." CNN's "NewsNight With Aaron Brown" and ABC's "Good Morning America" were a close second and third.
"Our estimates for these outlets, we feel, give particular credibility to our efforts, as three of the four moderators for the 2004 presidential and vice-presidential debates came from these three news outlets – Jim Lehrer, Charlie Gibson and Gwen Ifill," Groseclose said. "If these newscasters weren't centrist, staffers for one of the campaign teams would have objected and insisted on other moderators."
The fourth most centrist outlet was "Special Report With Brit Hume" on Fox News, which often is cited by liberals as an egregious example of a right-wing outlet. While this news program proved to be right of center, the study found ABC's "World News Tonight" and NBC's "Nightly News" to be left of center. All three outlets were approximately equidistant from the center, the report found.
"If viewers spent an equal amount of time watching Fox's 'Special Report' as ABC's 'World News' and NBC's 'Nightly News,' then they would receive a nearly perfectly balanced version of the news," said Milyo, an associate professor of economics and public affairs at the University of Missouri at Columbia."
Here's a Harvard University study on media bias.
The programming studied on Fox News offered a somewhat more positive picture… of Republicans and more negative one of Democrats compared with other media outlets. Fox News stories about a Republican candidate were most likely to be neutral (47%), with the remainder more positive than negative (32% vs. 21% negative). The bulk of that positive coverage went to Giuliani (44% positive), while McCain still suffered from unflattering coverage (20% positive vs. 35% negative).
When it came to Democratic candidates, the picture was more negative. Again, neutral stories had a slight edge (39%), followed by 37% negative and 24% positive. And, in marked contrast from the rest of the media, coverage of Obama was twice as negative as positive: 32% negative vs. 16% positive and 52% neutral.
But any sense here that the news channel was uniformly positive about Republicans or negative about Democrats is not manifest in the data."
From the Daily Caller, a study of the political contributions made by the mainstream media.
Senior executives, on-air personalities, producers, reporters, editors, writers and other self-identifying employees of ABC, CBS and NBC contributed more than $1 million to Democratic candidates and campaign committees in 2008, according to an analysis by The Examiner of data compiled by the Center for Responsive Politics.
The Democratic total of $1,020,816 was given by 1,160 employees of the three major broadcast television networks, with an average contribution of $880.
By contrast, only 193 of the employees contributed to Republican candidates and campaign committees, for a total of $142,863. The average Republican contribution was $744.
Disclosure of the heavily Democratic contributions by influential employees of the three major broadcast networks follows on the heels of controversy last week when it was learned that media baron Rupert Murdoch's News Corp. contributed $1 million to the Republican Governors Association.
The News Corp. donation prompted Nathan Daschle, executive director of the Democratic Governors Association and son of former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle, to demand in a letter to Fox News chairman Roger Ailes that the cable news outlet include a disclaimer in its coverage of gubernatorial campaigns. Fox News is owned by News Corp., which also owns The Wall Street Journal.
And more from: a study done by the left-leaning MSNBC.
MSNBC.com identified 143 journalists who made political contributions from 2004 through the start of the 2008 campaign, according to the public records of the Federal Election Commission. Most of the newsroom checkbooks leaned to the left: 125 journalists gave to Democrats and liberal causes. Only 16 gave to Republicans. Two gave to both parties.
The donors include CNN's Guy Raz, now covering the Pentagon for NPR, who gave to Kerry the same month he was embedded with U.S. troops in Iraq; New Yorker war correspondent George Packer; a producer for Bill O'Reilly at Fox; MSNBC TV host Joe Scarborough; political writers at Vanity Fair; the editor of The Wall Street Journal's weekend edition; local TV anchors in Washington, Minneapolis, Memphis and Wichita; the ethics columnist at The New York Times; and even MTV's former presidential campaign correspondent.
And here's a bit from that same article about The New Yorker:
The last bulwark against bias's slipping into The New Yorker is the copy department, whose chief editor, Ann Goldstein, gave $500 in October to MoveOn.org, which campaigns for Democrats and against President Bush. "That's just me as a private citizen," she said. As for whether donations are allowed, Goldstein said she hadn't considered it. "I've never thought of myself as working for a news organization."
Those are the facts.
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Cathedral Gorge - Nevada 2010
Cathedral Gorge State Park is located about 14 miles North of Caliente, Nevada along Hw 93. Cloudy to partly cloudy weather provides the best color saturation. Some of the better photography is off the beaten path, so you need to walk a little to fine some of the interesting stuff. These images were shot with the Nikon D700.Read More


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(CNN) -- Amid all the partisan cross talk on iReport.com, one plea that keeps coming through is for presidential candidates John McCain and Barack Obama to stop attacking each other and directly address the issues.
Students stand in for the candidates during a rehearsal Monday at Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee.
"I would like to hear the candidates speak about real issues and stick to the facts rather than see the 'gloves come off,' " wrote iReporter Sherry Simon of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
A fellow iReporter in New Jersey echoed that sentiment.
"I know what I would like to see is more talk about the issues and ... their plans for what they're going to do about some of the issues that are affecting us today -- especially with the economy, the energy problems ... " said Felix VanValen of Willingboro, New Jersey. "I would like to see both candidates really step up to the plate, keep it clean, focus truly on the issues, versus trying to stray away from that." iReport.com: 'Answer the questions that are asked'
An Alaskan iReporter sought to clarify the format for the candidates:
"It's like they don't know what a debate is," said Mabel Ramsay of Mendeltna, Alaska. "No, this isn't a campaign speech. You answer questions and you earn points if you get everything right."
Sgt. 1st Class Allen Roy Bethea of North Tonawanda, New York, who recently retired after 21 years in the Army, suggests a grammar-school approach:
"Compare and contrasting is a concept that we learned in school," wrote Bethea, who served overseas in the first Gulf War and later at NATO headquarters. "Compare and contrast your policies. Tell us your position, why it is better and then let us think it over.
"Do not distract me with useless information that keeps me off the issues," Bethea continued. "This is a major job interview being conducted by the voters, and we want the facts. Answer all questions!"
Another iReporter wanted to remind the candidates that their debate is not a game show.
"It's time to get down to business and be professionals about this," wrote Ed Flanagan of Cleveland, Ohio. "This is supposed to be the presidential debates, not 'Truth or Consequences.' "
Flanagan wants the candidates to act like grown-ups. iReport.com: Who do you think won the debate?
"The American people are sick and tired of all the childish games being played here by both parties and the media," he wrote on iReport.com. "We the people want to hear the real, hard facts of what McCain & Obama have to say about foreign policy. And stay on the subject without slamming each other."
All About U.S. Presidential Election


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Yoga, Inc.
Heading out the door? Read this article on the new Outside+ app available now on iOS devices for members! Download the app.
According to a May article in U.S. News & World Report, about 18 million Americans now practice yoga. The average practitioner's yearly expenditure on all things yoga-instruction, mats, props, clothing, weekend workshops, books, CDs, videos-could be conservatively estimated at a ballpark $1,500. That amount times 18 million equals $27 billion. To put this into perspective, if the yoga business were consolidated, the resulting corporation (Yoga-Mart?) would be slightly larger than Dow Chemical, slightly smaller than Microsoft.
That's big.
And it's getting bigger. Mainstream retailers like J.Crew and Puma have been selling their own lines of yoga gear for some time now, and Nike is introducing its first yoga shoe (the Kyoto, $55 retail) in November.
Some people, granted, not many, are getting rich off yoga. One executive, whose company is one of the largest sellers of yoga paraphernalia, makes a quarter-million a year in salary. That's in addition to this manager's stock options, which over the last several years have totaled $1.4 million. When asked to comment on such good fortune, this executive responded testily, "To take this [discussion] into my salary is to trivialize what we do here. I feel compromised by your asking me that question. People are expected to make a living. And besides, you have no clue what I do with my worldly goods-what, for instance, I give to charity. I'm very upset with you."
A touch of soul-scraping ambivalence? If so, our executive is far from alone. Throughout the yoga community, people are wondering whether the bustling business of yoga is good karma. Is it OK to make big money off a practice that has its roots in renunciation and asceticism? Is the commercialization of yoga distorting its very essence? And what's next for the yoga biz, now that we've already seen the marketing of yogatards, yoga shoes, yogi pillows (stuffed with buckwheat hulls), the $1,200 "Tantric Bedroom Set" (for adults only), and a battery-operated, inflatable "Chi Machine"?
Where Dollars Meet Divinity
Yoga isn't the only spiritual practice to be subject to commercializationfar from it. Just name a church, any church, and there's a store that goes with it. Christianity is huge business, from the selling of Christmas spirit and the $1.8 billion Bible and book trade to the thriving market for Christian pop music and religious gifts. Apparel is the latest wrinkle in New Testament merchandising, with the recent advent of companies such as God's Gear Gospel Wear, Living Epistles and Exodus. In a 2001 survey done by the Christian Booksellers Association, 34 percent of adults said they had shopped in a store that specializes in Christian products in the past six months.
Surfing the Web, you can buy a gentleman's 14-karat Star of David ring for $1,100 at www.jewjew.com or a stuffed Torah for the kids at www.judaica-online.com. Looking for a Koran baseball cap, jersey, coffee mug, or perhaps a nice tote bag? Check out www.my-muslim.com. If you're into Transcendental Meditation (TM), buy TM-approved beverages, herbal supplements, books, and CDs at www.maharishi.co.uk. Even eBay has opened itself to the spiritual marketplace. One man from Des Moines, Iowa, recently offered his soul for sale. The bidding rose from $1 to $400 before eBay pulled the item.
The marketing of spirituality began long before there was a World Wide Web, says Chava Weissler, Ph.D., professor of religion studies at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. She remarks that during the Middle Ages, it was not uncommon for ragged vendors along dirt roads to hawk souvenirs, such as pieces of earth from the Holy Land, chunks of the Holy Cross, and shreds of bone or the garment of some popular saint.
One of the factors in the rise of Protestantism was the reaction to what was seen as overcommercialization in the Catholic Church, specifically the selling of indulgences-"get-out-of-hell-free cards"-by the Vatican. Pope Leo X began selling them to pay back the money borrowed to build St. Peter's Basilica, and Martin Luther was outraged. "I grieve over the wholly false impressions which the people have conceived . . . they are sure of their salvation; again, that so soon as they cast their contributions into the money-box, souls fly out of purgatory," wrote Luther in 1517.
With the founding of the New World several centuries later, despite Luther's earlier protestations, spiritual marketing was still growing and suddenly got a boost. "America was founded largely by people who sought religious and economic freedoms. Here came the opening of the world's first free market for spirituality," says Laurence R. Iannaccone, Ph.D., professor of economics at George Mason University in Virginia. Here people could practice whatever faith they wished, and they were also free to capitalize on it. One of the earliest Americans to do so was Benjamin Franklin, who, while no Sunday churchgoer himself, made good money publishing religious pamphlets.
Fast-forward to the twenty-first century when consumerism itself has arguably become a religion, fueled by a retail industry that's open 24/7, the world's easiest credit terms, and product promotions that bombard us day and night. It's hard to get from home to yoga class, or anywhere for that matter, without being sold something by someone. The Dalai Lama's image looms over a freeway interchange on a billboard stamped with the Apple computer logo. From the Canadian firm that pioneered the placement of advertising posters above men's urinals in restaurants comes audio ads projected from tiny speakers hidden in the ads' aluminum frames. And in a recent ecology journal, a professor at the State University of New York at Buffalo expresses confidence that butterflies can be genetically tooled to allow company logos on their wings.
Within such a context, is it at all surprising to find yogi pillows and Tantric bedroom sets for sale, not to mention yoga skydiving and weekends in the rainforest? Not at all, says Professor Weissler: "Nothing in our society escapes commodification."
Yoga: Over 18,000,000 Served
McDonald's had a problem. The corporation wanted to expand its hamburger empire onto the Indian subcontinent, but most Indians consider cows sacred. So McDonald's introduced the Maharajah Mac, which is sort of the American Big Mac and sort of not. It's big. It's got three buns. But the patty in the middle is made from ground chicken and local spices. It was a success, and McDonald's of India is soon to open its 100th outlet.
At the same time, a certain Indian import continues to expand throughout the U.S. market. And yoga, like the Big Mac, must bend to meet American consumer tastes and ideas about sanctity. Yoga has thus been adapted to fit into a culture that promotes, perhaps above all, the pursuit of the body beautiful and the generation of profit. Yoga the American way emphasizes the sexy yoga butt along with the serene yoga mind. And the practice of asanas, once done barefoot on dry earth, is now performed on glossy mats by people wearing designer fashions.
That's just the way it is, say some devotees, and there's nothing wrong with it. "We are not Indian. We're not living 3,000 years ago. We are here, and our practice reflects and serves and supports us here," says Nixa De Bellis, a vinyasa yoga instructor in New York City. "The great masters who sent their disciples to the West to bring the tradition here must have known it would change in a radically different culture." But could they have possibly foreseen Yogilates in yogatards? And hip-hop yoga?
"I don't know anything about hip-hop yoga, but it sounds like fun!" says Leslie Harris, who was originally trained at Integral Yoga and now teaches a combination of Iyengar and vinyasa in Manhattan. "If that's where people choose to enter the practice, that's fine. A good number of those people, once they've started the process, will surely discover that yoga has much more to offer." Echoing that same sentiment, Barbara Benagh, founder of Boston's Yoga Studio, says, "Yoga can fit into the fitness box. But it won't stay in that box."
And what of the well-stocked gift shops beside the hip-hop and Yogilates studios?
David Newman, founder and director of Yoga on Main in Philadelphia, has a gift shop in his studio. He isn't at all apologetic for it. "I had the center for nine years and suddenly felt the urge to expand. I decided to open a temple disguised as a store," he says. "Some people are hungry for God realization. Some are hungry for a cool T-shirt with an Om sign on it. We are here to feed people and to meet them on their level. The wonderful thing is that somebody may come in to buy a T-shirt and end up developing a regular practice in yoga."
Asked if he feels any ambivalence making money off trinkets, Newman, who trained in the Viniyoga tradition, displays no defensiveness. "I'm sure there are people out there merely looking to suck money out of yoga's popularity. But there are others generating income in a sweet and spiritual way. I'm totally in celebration of what we're doing."
Alan Finger, who co-owns six Yoga Zone studios in the New York area, is a true yoga entrepreneur. He says he doesn't know what his revenues are but suggests that he is not hurting for money. And he sees nothing wrong with that. "Money itself is not a problem, although it can be," he says. "The question is, Is it helping you to deepen your evolution, or is it dragging you down?"
As for whether yoga itself is being dragged down, dumbed down, or otherwise corrupted by the commercial habits of American yogis, Finger thinks not. He says that commercialism is inextricably tied to growth, and growth is good. "American yoga, for all its commercialism," says Finger, "is actually stimulating the Indians to wake up and recognize what they've got."
The Shadow Side
Not all practitioners find the Americanization of yogaand especially its commodificationto be so fantastic. "The downside to it is that people get the impression that they need props and paraphernalia and a color-coordinated yoga outfit with shoes to practice yoga. In truth, you don't need anything," says Sharon Staubach, one of the founding members of Yoga Alliance and an instructor in the Denver area. "Shoes, if anything, interfere with the practice of asana."
Another downside, says Staubach, is evident in the advertisements used to sell yoga products. "Like most ads, they feature beautiful people, Cindy Crawford types, who are then airbrushed into somebody's version of perfection. Studies show that when women look at women's magazines-rife with such ads-their self-esteem plummets," she says. "For yoga ads to do this is so against what yoga's all about. Yoga is about cultivating nonharming to self and others."
Professor Weissler sees another problem in the commodification of yoga, as with other spiritual practices. "People come to believe that they can buy enlightenment. And a kind of spiritual laziness sets in. People say to themselves, 'Oh, I bought the meditation cushion. I bought the yoga outfit. Now I'm a yogi.' Of course, it doesn't work that way," she says. "Enlightenment is only achieved through hard work and daily spiritual practice. It's not easy to achieve. It's not meant to be easy."
The bounty being made selling yoga and yoga products is off the mark, says Deborah Rogers of Scottsdale, Arizona, who practices Iyengar and Anusara Yoga. "At a time when the economy has taken a toll on many Americans, there are studios raising their prices. It saddens me. I have heard many people comment that they love yoga but can't afford the extra cost per month," she says. "Another thing is the price of the clothing. I can remember a couple of years ago paying $40 for a top and bottom. Now they're charging $60 for just a pair of cotton pants."
Steven Thompson, a student of raja yoga in Ontario and a teacher of philosophy at the University of Toronto, says he doesn't like to see acquisitiveness and greed anywhere, "but they are especially noisome when the products being hawked are related to yoga. Yoga is about turning inward and finding peace there, not in material excess."
Thompson adds that he is averse to anyone making oodles of money off yoga- whether by working at a studio, selling products, or teaching. Yet a recent issue of Entrepreneur, a magazine that ballyhoos great money-making schemes, called the yoga studio a "million-dollar idea." The publication profiled one California couple who opened a Bikram Yoga studio in 1995 with $25,000 and by 2001 were earning $250,000 a year. Thompson finds that kind of profit excessive. "One of the people who introduced me to yoga was taught by an Indian yogi who refused to take money because he saw his knowledge as a gift freely given from our ancestors," says Thompson. "I realize that people need to eat. But still, to serve as examples for the practice, a yoga teacher should not earn more than is necessary to live in modest comfort."
The End of a Trend?
Whether you are stressed or impressed by the commercial success of yoga, you probably have an interest in what the experts say about the future of yoga and the yoga business. One thing can be said for certain: "It is always a big mistake to look at a current trend and project it into the future," says George Mason economist Iannaccone. "Because yoga has been growing in leaps and bounds, that does not mean that by the year 2050, we'll all be yogis. Some people will never be interested in anything having to do with health or Eastern spirituality."
Iannaccone points to an example of the foolishness of projecting trends: "When nearly one million Promise Keepers [followers of the men's evangelical movement] descended on Washington for a massive rally in October of 1997, some pundits said it would in time surely become a 'Two-Million Man March' and then a 'Three-Million Man March.' Some were thrilled and saw it as the dawn of a new Christian America. Others were less than enthusiastic and saw America turning into a Nazi state. But neither side's vision came to pass," says Iannaccone. "The truth was that the Promise Keepers movement had reached its peak right at that point. They had reached their limit."
So when might yoga do likewise? Barry Minkin, author of Future in Sight: The 100 Most Important Global Business Trends (Macmillan, 1995) and a global management consultant to companies such as PepsiCo, Pillsbury, and Ford Motors, says that the rapid growth of yoga and the yoga business is closely tied to other trends in America. He cites the recent growth of interest in fitness, Eastern culture, and the mind-body connection, as well as the aging of the population and the emphasis that groups like the American Academy of Sports Medicine have put on maintaining flexibility. Because of this interconnectedness, it is difficult to say when the trend might reverse, says Minkin. But he estimates that a peak might come within 10 years, with the number of yoga practitioners having risen to about 20 percent greater than the current number.
Why then? Because Minkin already sees signs that the trend is maturing. One sign is what he calls "fragmentation." It happens almost inevitably when any trend starts to mature. "The providers of the good or service feel a need to differentiate themselves, to market in different ways." He points out that when martial arts first came to the United States, it was basically judo. Then we got karate. Today, there is practically a different form of martial art taught in every strip mall. Similarly, when Elvis first started plucking and strutting, there were only a few passionate followers and one kind of rock 'n' roll. Later, when practically everyone in the country under 30 called himself a rock fan, rock was divided into categories like hard rock, soft rock, heavy metal, bubblegum, and punk.
When the yoga trend started to take off in America back in the '60s and '70s, most of the growth was in hatha yoga, a la Iyengar. Today, the number of yoga offshoots seems infinite. "I teach at the Yoga Centre in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Across the street is a fitness center where they have recently started to offer Boga classes. Boga? A combination of yoga and boxing. No kidding," says George McFaul, a hatha yoga teacher. "We often hear the exhortations to 'push it, harder' coming out of the windows over their extremely loud sound system." (Interestingly, the Sanskrit word bhoga refers to the enjoyment of worldly pleasures and is in opposition to the ascetic ethics of some schools of yoga.)
Boga, Yogilates, hip-hop yoga, and other yoga offshoots may all become trends within themselves, says Minkin. More traditional yoga almost surely will lose customers to some of the upcoming yoga hybrids. And one or two of them may eventually spin off into something that hardly resembles yoga at all. Remember how Taebo spun off from karate and dance aerobics to become a hot trend all by itself for a while?
The same kind of "fragmentation" is easy to spot in the ever-increasing lines of yoga apparel, props, literature, recordings, and Om paraphernalia. Sara Chambers, founder and co-owner of Salt Lake City-based Hugger Mugger, says that the number of manufacturers and wholesalers trying to tap into the yoga market is forever increasing. "I've been approached to stock everything from cookware to candles, but we try to carry only things that will benefit the yoga practice," she says.
As to Minkin's forecast of the yoga trend eventually peaking, Chambers acknowledges that it undoubtedly will. But she has her doubts that that time will come soon. "The trend has been carrying us along swiftly. We haven't spent any energy in trying to forecast the yoga market. Right now, we're just trying to keep up with fulfilling orders."
As part of a larger report for a major food company on consumer dining trends, Minkin once did a study of New England pizza shops. "Pizza was so popular that there got to be a shop on every street corner. It became obvious that they couldn't all survive. And sure enough, many disappeared," he says. "Looking around me today, I see many, many yoga studios, and a lot of outfits selling yoga products. When the trend reverses, not all will survive." But Minkin, though not a yogi himself, echoes the optimism often heard within the yoga community: "I don't think we need to worry about yoga disappearing, as many other things have," he assures. "After all, how many trends have been around for 5,000 years?"
Russell Wild is a freelance journalist based in Allentown, Pennsylvania, and often writes about money for various national publications.


text: Part 5 Record keeping for FIF attributable taxpayersWarning: This information may not apply to the current year. Check the content carefully to ensure it is applicable to your circumstances. End of attention You should maintain records relating to your FIF attribution accounts: for more information, see FIF attribution accounts. Keeping these records enables you to correctly calculate your entitlement to: the exemption of distributions paid out of profits which were previously attributed to you (section 23AK), and a reduction of the amount to include in your assessable income after the disposal of a FIF interest (section 23B). Last modified: 26 May 2016QC 48087


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Just week 2 into our CSA challenge, and I had a mid-week meltdown.
Someone in my empty-nest, two-person household sent me a text saying he was picking up dinner. "Don't get any vegetables!" I texted back, anxious about the eight different kinds of vegetables aging by the day in our refrigerator. It had been a busy first half of the week, with parents visiting and late nights at work. Most of the spinach and all of the strawberries were eaten, and the kale was being cyrogenically preserved in the freezer, but the rest of the week's pick-up was, as yet, uneaten.
My text was too late. When I got home, we had four new servings of prepared vegetables from Wegmans in the fridge, including yet more broccoli to add to the head and half of fresh broccoli from the CSA.
I felt defeated, dismayed and dejected. What the hell was I going to do with all my poor produce? I pondered this question as I had half a head of steamed broccoli for dinner.
I started by making two lists on two Post-It notes: One list of all the veggies left in the fridge and one of the prepared foods left in the fridge as leftovers. "We have three days to eat all this," I announced to my husband and the cats (who aren't allowed to eat any of it but looked interested). "Let's stay focused."
The next day, after work, I started a root roast. For those of you thinking, oooh, yay, a "roast" with veggies, please redirect your thoughts. A root roast is basically a bunch of roasted veggies all mixed together as a side dish.
I started pulling veggies out of the fridge and quickly realized the first thing I loved about root roast: You don't have to know which veggies are which. Everything with a stalk was going to be mixed together, as well as some small red potatoes I'd picked up at the grocery store.
I'd grab each veggie by the stalk (which for some reason made me flash-back to what it feels like to hold a Barbie by her mane of hair, which everyone does at some point), wash it and then peel it after chopping off the bottom root. Then I chopped each into chunks of about an inch. I used radishes, mini onions, beets, turnips and the potatoes.
I'd found a couple recipes for root roast -- one from Wolfgang Puck and one from Bon Appetit. They were similar to each other, and so I decided to follow both and neither at the same time. They had additional veggies in the mix, including things like carrots, parsnips and kohlrabi. I refused to buy any more veggies. The two recipes differed in their cooking times, one giving a 45 minute total and one suggesting an additional 30 minutes, both at 400 degrees. I decided to split the difference and go for an hour.
One suggested adding chopped fresh rosemary, the other sprigs of rosemary, thyme or sage.
I went out to my container garden and grabbed rosemary, thyme and sage, bringing all of them to my nose for a deep inhale, thinking about how much I absolutely love fresh herbs. I then wondered for a brief moment if people could actually develop an addiciton to herbs. Then I thought: Oh, um, d'uh.
My root roast was ready at 10 p.m., which is generally when I am getting ready for bed. I was thinking originally that we'd have it with dinner the next day, but suddenly I realized that my broccoli-only dinner had left me hungry: I made myself a bowl, and dug in, discovering the second thing I loved about root roast: It's delicious.
Why had I not ever made this before, I thought. Truthfully, I'd never cooked a radish, turnip or beet in my life. What a mistake. This was like roasted potatoes, which I love, but more complex.
The next morning, I decided to use my final two eggs from this week's share in an omelette, using some more spinach. But I still had more spinach left. Then I had a thought: The root roast might be like a hash brown/roasted potato kind of thing. I tossed some olive oil in a pan, added some of the root roast and the last of the spinach.
My breakfast reminded me of something I'd had in a seaside restaurant in Malibu five or six years ago when we were looking at college for my son. Fresh and flavorful. Decadent but healthy.
Best of all, the only thing left on my Post-it lists from the CSA was a head of romaine. Totally eatable in the two days before the next pick-up.
Here's how to make it all.
3-4 turnips
3-4 radishes
3-4 beets
3-4 mini onions
Small bag of roasted potatoes (about 10-12)
Fresh sage leaves, rosemary and thyme
Extra-virgin olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
10 garlic cloves, peeled
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees, with one rack in the bottom third of oven and one in the top third. Spray two large rimmed jellyroll pans with olive-oil spray.
2. Wash all veggies. Cut roots off turnips, radishes, beets and onions. Peel them all, then chop into chunks of about an inch. Quarter the potatoes.
3. Spread the veggies onto two pans.
4. Wash herbs and chop. Sprinkle onto veggies. Sprinkle both pans of veggies and herbs with olive oil, and then season with salt and pepper. Toss everything together and make sure the veggies are spread evenly across the sheets.
5. Roast for 30 minutes. Add 5 cloves of garlic to each pan, then put back in oven putting the pan that was on the lower rack on the top rack, and vice versa. Roast for another 30 minutes.
Extra virgin olive oil
Cup or so of refrigerated roasted root vegetables
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
1. Heat a little bit of olive oil in a pan over medium heat.
2. Add root veggies and washed pieces of spinach, torn into bite-size pieces. Add salt and pepper to taste. Heat until spinach wilts.


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Seattle stadiums and Mt. Rainier
Century Link and Safeco Field on a beautiful spring day. Oh and Mt. Rainier.
Lake Quinault area forest trail, Washington State
Historic Lake Quinault Lodge, Washington State
Lake Quinault early morning reflection
Sky in water. Lake Quinault, Washington State
Colorful Invitation. Lake Quinault Lodge, Washington State
Soft and Easy Morning. Lake Quinault. Washington State.
Cape Flattery Inlet. Washington State
Tatoosh Island near Cape Flattery, Washington State, USA
Isolation. Tatoosh Island near Cape Flattery. Washington State
Cape Flattery, Washington State
Cape Flattery. Forest. Washington State
Evening at Sparks Lake
Mt. Bachelor, Oregon
Sunrise at Sparks
Sisters, Oregon
At Sparks Lake
Sparks Reflection
Mt. Bachelor and Sparks Lake at sunrise
Golden sunrise
Sparks Lake and Sisters
Sunburst at Sparks
Sparks Lake sunrise
Contrails over Bachelor
Sparks Lake and Mt. Bachelor, Oregon
Sisters Reflection
Sparks Lake, Oregon
Cloud ribbons
Interesting sky over Sparks Lake, Oregon


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Serving Jacksonville, Jacksonville Beach, Atlantic Beach, Neptune Beach, Ponte Vedra, Springfield, Mandarin, Southside, Arlington, Ft. Caroline, Nocatee, Ortega, Avondale, Riverside, San Marco, Orange Park, Fleming Island, Green Cove Springs,Middleburg, Amelia Island, Fernandina Beach and St. Augustine
Along the curving, scenic St. Johns River resides Jacksonville, Florida, the largest city (in terms of land area) in the United States. Nicknamed Jax by locals, the city and its lively waterfront offer access to boat cruises, riverfront boardwalks and fishing. Located on opposite shores are the restaurant and bar scenes of Jacksonville Landing and Southbank Riverwalk.
The nearby Jacksonville beaches reign supreme for fishing, swimming, snorkeling and sailing – at least from March to November. Four beach communities are situated 20 minutes from downtown, each with its own unique personality. Atlantic Beach and Neptune Beach are divided by Atlantic Boulevard. Where the boulevard meets the ocean, sits Town Center, popular for its quaint shops, restaurants, pubs and inns. Travelers ready to hit the links should head to Ponte Vedra Beach, where the TPC Sawgrass and its famous 17th island hole await. For waves, take Beach Boulevard until it dead-ends at Jacksonville Beach, which is frequented by locals in search of the perfect surf.
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For must-see kids' activities in Jacksonville, be sure to schedule visits to the Museum of Science and History, Adventure Landing amusement park, Jacksonville Maritime Museum and the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens.