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Sheffield Wellbeing Festival set to help the city feel great!
Ahead of Sheffield Mental Health Week, which begins with World Mental Health Day on 10 October, the Sheffield Wellbeing Festival, is being held this Friday 29 July 2011 on Fargate, in the City Centre.
From 10am there will be a variety of stalls, activities and even stilt walkers all coming together in celebration of wellbeing and the wide range of wonderful services the city has to offer those experiencing mental health issues and their carers.
A collaboration between Sheffield Health and Social Care NHS Foundation Trust (SHSC), NHS Sheffield, Sheffield City Council, Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and Sheffield Mind, the day will see Fargate filled with stalls from organisations offering information on their services, volunteering opportunities and much, much more. There will be facepainting for the young (and young at heart!), as well as music and poetry.
The focus of the day will be on emphasising the steps we can each take to promote and look after our own mental wellbeing, as well as celebrating the services available in the city. Taster sessions will be on offer from 11am to 3pm, to help people find and maintain that wellbeing for themselves, and will include dance, zumba, boxercise and parachute games.
Janet Southworth, Public Health lead for mental health, NHS Sheffield, said: "Sheffield Wellbeing Festival is a chance for everyone to discover how they can take positive steps to improve their health and wellbeing. Looking after our mental health is an important part of a healthy lifestyle, and the event is a great way for people to find out more and take some positive steps to feeling good."
Speakers from Sheffield City Council will be present for the official opening at 1pm; Richard Webb, Executive Director, Communities, Miranda Plowden, Director of Commissioning, Communities and Cllr Mary Lea, Cabinet Member, who will also be starting off the 'Walk a Mile for Wellbeing' event at 1:30pm.
The walk is free to sign up to – plus the first 50 people to register their place will get a free water bottle and all participants will be entered into a free prize draw. Registrations will be taken from 10am at the Get Walking Keep Walking stall.
Timetable for the day:
10am – opens
11am – Dance taster session facilitated by Activity Sheffield
11:30am – Zumba taster session facilitated by Healthworks
12pm – Boxercise taster session facilitated by Manor and Castle Development Trust
12:30pm Presentation by Right Here Service User group
1pm – Official Opening
1:30pm – Walk a Mile for Wellbeing, organised by 'Get Walking Keep Walking' Sheffield Ramblers
2pm – Parachute Games facilitated by Manor and Castle Development Trust
2:30pm – Zumba taster session facilitated by Sheffield Mind and Body Project and Manor and Castle Development Trust
3pm – Music and poetry
For more information contact Sara Hill by calling 0114 2216174 or emailing: email@example.com
If you are experiencing mental health problems you can contact your GP or call NHS Direct on 0845 46 47. For more information please visit: www.sheffieldmentalhealth.org.uk Some of the myths about mental illness can be frightening. Get the facts, visit www.time-to-change.org.uk


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Venue Workshop
Amsterdam Science Park
Turingzaal (Z011)
Science Park 125
This meeting will take place at the "Turingzaal", also known as Z011, Science Park 125. The entrance is opposite the Nikhef entrance. More info here.
by train
There are two main railroads to Amsterdam, depending upon the hotel that you have booked. Take either the train in the direction of:
- Amsterdam RAI (11 minutes) or
- Amsterdam-Central Station (17 minutes)
- There is a train from Schiphol directly to Amsterdam Science Park (30 minutes). It will pass by Amsterdam Central Station.
A one-day return ticket is about 5 euro. Most trains depart from platform 1 or 2
'Amsterdam Travel Ticket'
At Schiphol Airport you can buy the 'Amsterdam Travel Ticket'. It includes a 2nd class return ticket to and from Schiphol Airport by train, combined with unlimited travel on all trams and metro lines in Amsterdam (1 day is 15 euro, 2 days is 20 euro, 3 days is 25 euro). You can find more details on the internet 'The Amserdam Travel Ticket / GVB' including where to buy this ticket at Schiphol Airport. Do not forget to check in and out.
by subway
Amsterdam Amstel, from there take bus 40 or 240 (direction Muiderpoort)
by tram
From Amsterdam CS tram 9 (direction Diemen). Change at stop Kruislaan to bus 40
by bus
Take bus 40 from station Amsterdam Muiderpoort or Amsterdam Amstel. The spitsbus 240 only departs from Amsterdam Amstel
by taxi
A taxi to Science Park from Schiphol airport costs about 50 euro. Please be aware to take the official taxi's that have a permission.
by car
Coming from the ring road A10
All highways to Amsterdam result in ring road A10. The s-routes are city routes guiding you into the city. Science Park Amsterdam is located near s113.
- Travelling from Amersfoort, choose directions Utrecht/Den Haag
- Travelling from Utrecht, Den Haag, Schiphol, Haarlem en Zaandam follow signs to Amersfoort
- Take exit Watergraafsmeer/s113
- Follow the signs to Watergraafsmeer/Science Park. By now you're on the Middenweg.
- Turn right onto Kruislaan
- Continue and after the tunnel you've reached Science Park Amsterdam
Coming from the city centre
- Science Park Amsterdam is located in the eastern part of the city. When travelling from the city centre take the Carolina Mac Gillavrylaan, a side street of the Molukkenstraat (Indische Buurt) and you're already on Science Park Amsterdam.
Online route planner / Navigation
Find the quickest or shortest routes to Science Park Amsterdam with the route planner from the ANWB.
Using a navigation system? The new street name "Science Park" is not yet implemented in many systems. You can use "Kruislaan 300" instead.
These are the hotels where Nikhef regularly books rooms for their guests. Nikhef has negotiated 10% discount deals with these hotels. If you like Nikhef to book a hotel for you, please send an email to: firstname.lastname@example.com. You will have to pay the hotel yourself according to hotel policy.
You can also book a room at booking.com yourself. It has been our experience in the past that it is not much of a difference pricewise.
These hotels are all located along tram line 9, the tramline closest to Amsterdam Science Park, but still a 20 min walk or a short busride (see here "how to reach Nikhef"). Eden Manor Hotel is closest to Science Park. Prices vary between 80-150 euro (depending on season and availability). There is also a good train connection between Amsterdam Central Station and Amsterdam Science Park.
Bridge Hotel: http://www.thebridgehotel.nl/
Hotel Parklane: http://www.hotel-parklane.nl/cfm/show.cfm?id=1115
Hotel Rembrandt: http://www.hotelrembrandt.nl/
Eden Amsterdam Hotel: http://www.edenhotelamsterdam.com
Eden Lancaster Hotel: http://www.edenlancasterhotel.com/en/
Eden Manor Hotel: http://www.hampshire-hotels.com/the-manor-hotel-amsterdam-hampshire-eden
Casa 400: http://www.hotelcasa400.nl/en/index.html
Link to map with all meeting places and hotels:
For any questions regarding this practical information, please contact Joan Berger, Nikhef secretariat: firstname.lastname@example.com.
Social event and dinner
On Wednesday 9 March we will visit the Amsterdam Museum (18:30-19:30) and have dinner at Brasserie Harkema (20:00). We will arrange buses to bring all participants to the Amsterdam museum. There will be guides present who speak English.
If you would like to go by yourself:
Amsterdam Museum
From the museum it is a five minute walk to the restaurant:
Brasserie Harkema

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Some of you may remember this post from a few years ago, and some of you may be reading it for the first time. Whatever the case, it was my own nucking futty spin on the classic tale of "The Night Before Christmas". If your holidays are anything like mine, you'll appreciate the recounting of a Christmas Eve that's not exactly what you might call picture-perfect.
Twas the night before Christmas, when all through our pad,
Every creature was stirring, being exceptionally bad.
The stockings were hung too close to the floor,
And Goatdog was eating each one that he tore.
The twins were bouncing off the walls in their rooms,
Just thinking about making their new Mario Kart zoom.
Hubby in holey boxers and I in my nightie,
Had just poured a third glass of wine that was mighty.
When out on the roof came a crazy loud thump;
I told Hubby to check it out and to get off his rump.
He mumbled something about Sportscenter and checking a score,
So away to the window I frustratingly tore.
The moon shined bright on the freshly packed snow;
The dog poop had been covered, I could see in the glow.
When what to my intoxicated eyes should appear,
But a big ass sleigh and eight smelly reindeer.
A festively plump driver who was anything but quick,
Was a loud and clear signal that this was St. Nick.
Slower than molasses, his antlered slaves came,
And he bitched and he moaned and he called them by name:
"Damnit Dasher! Damnit Dancer!
Damnit Prancer and Vixen!
S.O.B. Comet! S.O.B. Cupid!
S.O.B. Donner and Blitzen!
Get your asses up here
And you better make it snappy!
Do I look like I'm kidding?
Do I look like your Pappy?"
As a football team likes to huddle pre-game,
They banded together and argued about fame.
Then up to the roof-top those crazy deer flew,
With that shit-ton of toys and St. Nicholas too.
I wanted to scream as they stomped on our roof,
Just imagine all the damage from those damn reindeer hooves.
I pounded my fists and tried counting to ten,
But St. Nick squeezed his ass down the chimney just then.
He was huffing and puffing from the hot fur of his suit,
And it smelled like he'd stepped in some poop with his boot.
A backpack of toys really weighed down his rear,
And he looked like he could use a really cold beer.
His eyes – how they drooped. His unibrow, how scary!
And with the hair on his lip, he looked like Aunt Mary.
The scowl on his mouth said he would sure like to quit,
And you could tell that he really was just sick of this shit.
When he pulled out that pipe and started to smoke,
Well, I wanted to grab his fat neck and just choke.
He had pink chubby cheeks and a rounded booze belly,
That rumbled around like a HUGE vat of jelly.
He was an overweight mess, this tired old dude,
How did Mrs. Claus stand his bad attitude?
He flipped me off and told me to get lost,
He was in a huge hurry and might have been sauced.
He didn't say much more as he got down to biz,
Shoving crap in our stockings and even taking a whiz.
Then burping three times and doing a jig,
He rose up the chimney with a beer and a swig.
He hopped in his ride and called to his posse,
And away they all flew with their bearded old bossy.
But I heard him exclaim just before out of reach,
"Happy Christmas assholes! I'm hittin' the beach!"


text:
Have You Heard About… Paleofantasy
… the theory that because humans evolved for life in the Paleolithic Period, we should shape our modern lives around that? According to proponents of these theories, our DNA was shaped by what we ate, how we moved, our family lives, and more for hundreds of thousands of years. If we eat, move, and raise children like we did then, we will be happier, healthier, and more in tune with the dictates of our genes. Marlene Zuk does an excellent job of examining those theories and debunking many of them in Paleofantasy: What Evolution Really Tells Us about Sex, Diet, and How We Live.
Professor Zuk covers genetics, anthropology, evolution, and more with a straightforward writing style that helps lay people understand the science behind both the claims and her refutation of them. While our genes were shaped by life in the Paleolithic Period, they were also shaped by the millions of years of life before that time and by the thousands of years since. Also, our environment changed as different groups of humans spread throughout the world, so there is no single time and place where we were perfectly situated for the world around us. New discoveries in archeology, anthropology, and primate research suggest that past assumptions about life in the past are not completely true as well. Check out this book if you're interested in science and the history of humans, or just curious about the latest craze based on what's "natural" for mankind.
Reviewed by Fran (staff)


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Rob Ford smokes crack.
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6th Gear Member
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Canada
Posts: 1,367
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My 2 cents worth:
As you know,, innocent until proven guilty, so Rob Ford
is right by maintaining his silence, to some, it is a sign of guilt, and
I can understand that; but I am in the camp that the onus is on The Star or Gawker
to produce the video to prove that Rob Ford is guilty and not for Ford to prove his innocence..
The media, talk show radio has the right to insinuate and question his silence
as Ford has something to hide, it is ok,, but Ford also has his right to stay silent beyond his "ridiculous" statement..so why harp on it everyday..
Eventually, I hope all this will be in the open when Ford is ready to speak or voters
not to vote Ford in again....
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Originally Posted by
My 2 cents worth:
As you know,, innocent until proven guilty, so Rob Ford
is right be maintaining his silence, to some, it is a sign of guilt, and
I can understand that but I am in the camp that the onus is on The Star or Gawker
to produce the video to prove that Rob Ford is guilty and not for Ford to prove his innocence..
The media, talk show radio has the right to insinuate and question his silence
as Ford has something to hide, it is ok,, but Ford also has his right to stay silence beyond his "ridiculous" statement..so why harp on it everyday..
Eventually, I hope all this will be in the open when Ford is ready to speak or voters
not to vote Ford in again....
I think some unions are part of this as well. The only way to fulfll their agenda is to get rid of Ford. All those lazy socialist bums know the voters and taxpayers are on Ford's side even though he is knot an attractive lad.
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Originally Posted by
Gawker can't get ahold of the druggie with the video.
Cause he got deaded
Sounds about right....or Ford's family/camp bought the video. More likely that the dealer off'd the dude who took the vid.
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Originally Posted by
Media doesnt control Rob Ford, Rob Ford controls media.
I think some people need to be realistic here. Lets just ignore Rob Ford for a second and think about it. Wherever I worked in Canada, and whoever was making six digits salary, that person has or had to kiss many asses. We are talking about high profile paying jobs here. So here you go, you have a guy like Rob Ford who does not like to kiss ass and likes to say anything straight in your face. The outcome is very predictable. I know that Mr Ford is not the best to be Toronto's mayor, but enough with ass kissers like David Miller and so on.
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Originally Posted by
I think some people need to be realistic here. Lets just ignore Rob Ford for a second and think about it. Wherever I worked in Canada, and whoever was making six digits salary, that person has or had to kiss many asses. We are talking about high profile paying jobs here. So here you go, you have a guy like Rob Ford who does not like to kiss ass and likes to say anything straight in your face. The outcome is very predictable. I know that Mr Ford is not the best to be Toronto's mayor, but enough with ass kissers like David Miller and so on.
Yeah, let us BE realistic, not only did he have to kiss a$$, he probably had to suck D@#* to get where he is! Bottom line, nobody "makes it" going against the "system"...NO WAY. No matter how it may look.
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lol Rob Ford doesn't kiss ass? how you think he got elected in the first place?
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This article was signed off by john stackhouse, editor in chief of the globe and mail, and arguably one of the best journalists in toronto.
Globe investigation: The Ford family's history with drug dealing
By Greg McArthur and Shannon Kari
Posted without permission from The Globe and Mail
Long before the current controversy at Toronto City Hall, The Globe and Mail set out to trace the Ford brothers' rise to prominence. Reporters found the Mayor's siblings have former ties to drug trafficking, a charge of physical assault and other brushes with the law
This investigative report reveals that:
Doug Ford, Toronto Mayor Rob Ford's brother, sold hashish for several years in the 1980s.
Another brother, Randy, was also involved in the drug trade and was once charged in relation to a drug-related kidnapping.
Their sister, Kathy, has been the victim of drug-related gun violence.
In the 1980s, anyone wanting to buy hashish had to know where to go. And in central Etobicoke, the wealthy Toronto suburb where Mayor Rob Ford grew up, one of those places was James Gardens. In the evening, the sports cars often wound along Edenbridge Drive, past the gated homes and the lawn-bowling pitches, until they reached the U-shaped parking lot. By nightfall, the public park was a hash drive-thru. One former street dealer, whom we will call "Justin," described the scene as "an assembly line."
There were usually a number of dealers to choose from, some of them supplied by a mainstay at James Gardens – a young man with the hulk-like frame and mop of bright blond hair: Doug Ford. "Most people didn't approach Doug looking for product. You went to the guys that he supplied. Because if Doug didn't know you and trust you, he wouldn't even roll down his window," Justin said.
Today, Mr. Ford is a member of Toronto's city council – and no ordinary councillor. First elected in 2010 as his brother was swept into the mayor's office, he has emerged as a truly powerful figure at City Hall –– trying to overhaul plans for Toronto's waterfront less than a year after arriving. He also has higher aspirations, and has said he wants to follow in the footsteps of his father, Doug Ford Sr., by running in the next provincial election as a Conservative.
Meanwhile, he serves as his brother's de facto spokesman. As Toronto is gripped by allegations that its mayor was captured on a homemade video smoking what appears to be crack cocaine and his office descends into disarray – his chief of staff was fired on Thursday – Doug Ford has been the only person to mount a spirited public defence of his largely silent sibling. On Friday, after the Mayor finally made a statement about the accusation, he was the one who fielded questions from the press.
Well before the events of the past week, The Globe and Mail began to research the Ford brothers in an effort to chronicle their lives before rising to prominence in Canada's largest city. Over the past 18 months, it has sought out and interviewed dozens of people who knew them in their formative years.
What has emerged is a portrait of a family once deeply immersed in the illegal drug scene. All three of the mayor's older siblings – brother Randy, 51, and sister Kathy, 52, as well as Doug, 48 – have had ties to drug traffickers.
Ten people who grew up with Doug Ford – a group that includes two former hashish suppliers, three street-level drug dealers and a number of casual users of hash – have described in a series of interviews how for several years Mr. Ford was a go-to dealer of hash. These sources had varying degrees of knowledge of his activities: Some said they purchased hash directly from him, some said they supplied him, while others said they observed him handling large quantities of the drug.
The events they described took place years ago, but as mayor, Rob Ford has surrounded himself with people from his past. Most recently he hired someone for his office whose long history with the Fords, the sources said, includes selling hashish with the mayor's brother.
The Globe wrote to Doug Ford outlining what the sources said about him, and received a response from Gavin Tighe, his lawyer, who said the allegations were false. "Your references to unnamed alleged sources of information represent the height of irresponsible and unprofessional journalism given the gravely serious and specious allegations of substantial criminal conduct."
There's nothing on the public record that The Globe has accessed that shows Doug Ford has ever been criminally charged for illegal drug possession or trafficking. But some of the sources said that, in the affluent pocket of Etobicoke where the Fords grew up, he was someone who sold not only to users and street-level dealers, but to dealers one rung higher than those on the street. His tenure as a dealer, many of the sources say, lasted about seven years until 1986, the year he turned 22. "That was his heyday," said "Robert," one of the former drug dealers who agreed to an interview on the condition he not be identified by name.
Upon being approached, the sources declined to speak if identified, saying they feared the consequences of outing themselves as former users and sellers of illegal drugs.
The Globe also tried to contact retired police officers who investigated drugs in the area at the time. One said he had no recollection of encountering the Fords.
Another, whose name appeared on court documents in relation to allegations of assault and forcible confinement committed by Randy Ford, said he could not recall the incident. Several did not respond.
Since entering public life, both Fords have been ardent supporters of Toronto police and have campaigned, over the years, on increasing the police presence on Etobicoke's streets. In December, 2011, Doug Ford showed up, unannounced, at a police press conference to trumpet the force's crackdown on a network of drug dealers who were selling, among other things, marijuana.
Doug, like Rob, frequently promotes the Ford family as a type of brand – one that started with their late father's four-year tenure as an MPP in the government of former Ontario premier Mike Harris. Doug Ford is fond of invoking his family's contributions to the community. Through his involvement with the Rotary Club of Etobicoke, he has helped to organize events like the Etobicoke Fall Fair. He frequently mentions the many sports teams that the Ford family business, Deco Labels and Tags, has sponsored over the years. He also cites the many football teams his younger brother has coached, and the hordes of people – he puts the figure at 25,000 – the Fords have entertained at their annual backyard barbecue.
But long before he took over the family business and pursued public office, Doug Ford's circle of friends was a group of young people who called themselves the RY Drifters, after the Royal York Plaza, a strip mall many of them frequented.
The Fords' neighbourhood was paradoxical in some respects. It teemed with wealth; families who settled there after the Second World War, such as the Fidanis and the Brattys, would become known as the biggest players in Toronto-area land development. As his sticker and label business flourished, Doug Ford Sr. was featured in the society pages of The Globe, rubbing elbows with cabinet ministers, senators and members of the Eaton family.
But the prosperity disguised a disturbing trend among many of the area's young adults – an attraction to crime that went beyond typical teenage rebellion. Former Ford associates interviewed for this story identified at least 10 RY Drifters who became heroin addicts, some of whom turned to break-ins and robberies to support their habits.
In recent years, the Ford family home has become known for the annual barbecue, attended by hundreds of neighbours and a Who's Who of Conservative luminaries – including Prime Minister Stephen Harper and federal Finance Minister Jim Flaherty. But in the 1980s, the finished basement at 15 Weston Wood Rd. was one of the many places Doug Ford did business, the sources said.
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"Justin" recalled descending to the basement on one occasion to buy hash from Mr. Ford, and on numerous other occasions watching as it was sold.
He said he couldn't recall exactly how much hash he purchased that day, but that it was enough to require a triple-beam balance scale – the kind used in most high-school science classes. Normally, street-level dealers in that era relied on Pesola scales, the compact tubes often used by fishermen to weigh their catch. "If you went over [a quarter-pound], you had to go up to the three beamers – because you could get up to a few pounds on it," he explained.
As a dealer, Doug Ford was not highly visible. Another source, "Tom," who also supplied street-level dealers and has a long criminal record, said his girlfriend at the time would complain, whenever he was arrested, that he needed to be more calculating "like Doug." Mr. Ford's approach, sources said, was to supply a select group that in turn distributed smaller amounts across Etobicoke.
As well as James Gardens, a popular place to buy hash was the Royal York Plaza, also known as The Drift, because it offered a clear line of sight down Royal York Road and fair warning of any approaching police cruisers.
The mall is located steps from the Fords' childhood home. "If [Doug] wasn't going out, someone would go down to the house and pick it up and bring it down to the Royal York Plaza," said "Sheila," adding that she was an RY Drifter who bought small quantities of hash from Mr. Ford, and knew him to supply street-level dealers. "If Doug wasn't around, people ... would sell it for him. It was an operation." The quantities that Mr. Ford handled were, at times, substantial. "Michael" said he remembered buying hash from Doug Ford at least half a dozen times – before he found a cheaper source – and that each time he bought between one-quarter and one-half of a pound. He said that a quarter-pound sold for between $400 and $425.
Like many of the street-level dealers interviewed, he said he sold hash in order to support his own smoking habits. When asked where Mr. Ford fit in the hierarchy of dealers in their neighbourhood, he replied: "He'd be at the top."
Turf wars were rare. Relations between dealers were so good, in fact, that in times of short supply, competitors turned to each other for help. "Robert," a former high-volume seller of hash, said he had an arrangement with Mr. Ford. "He would buy off me, sometimes I would buy off him."
"Tom," the high-volume hash dealer who admired Mr. Ford's ability to avoid scrutiny, also said he and Doug helped each other out during shortages. "We had all figured out that that kept the cops away. 'Let's keep things low-profile. Why start fights? There's enough money in it for everybody.' And most people agreed with that. Once the fights start and the guns come out, then the cops will be in and it will ruin it for everybody."
But the shunning of strong-arm tactics was not universal.
Marco Orlando had thick, curly black hair and round cheeks. He and his parents, Italian immigrants, lived in a bungalow on a quiet cul-de-sac a short walk from the Ford family home.
He was also supplied a lot of drugs on credit but was notoriously unreliable when it came to paying for them. Among his suppliers, the suspicion was that Marco was sharing his illicit proceeds with his parents and feigning poverty. So two weeks before Christmas, they hatched a plan, said "Tom," a drug dealer who said he was involved in the scheme.
On a Tuesday night, with the usual throng of young adults outside the Bank of Montreal at the Royal York Plaza, Marco was jumped, beaten and thrown into a car. He was driven more than 30 kilometres to a basement in Bolton, where someone called his parents, demanding they hand over the money. For 10 hours, Mr. Orlando was captive, but his parents didn't panic. Instead, they called the police. Within three days, all three men allegedly involved in the plot were under arrest. ("The powers-that-be blow things all out of proportion, and I guess technically it is kidnapping, but in our world, he owed us $5,000," said Tom.)
One of those arrested was Randy Ford, who was 24 at the time. Court records retrieved from the Archives of Ontario show that he was charged with assault causing bodily harm and the forcible confinement of Mr. Orlando. The records do not disclose how the case was resolved. Randy Ford's lawyer at the time, Dennis Morris – currently representing Rob Ford in the controversy over the alleged crack-cocaine video – said he did not recall the incident. He questioned the allegations surrounding the Ford family's past: "What's the point, other than a smear campaign?"
Since his brothers became leaders of Canada's largest city, Randy has largely remained in the background. Like them, he has blond hair and a wide frame; he also drives a Cadillac Escalade. One of the few times he has been photographed by the media was for a Toronto Star article during the 2010 election campaign. He posed with his brothers in front of a portrait of their father at the family business, where Randy oversees manufacturing. During the election-night speeches at the Toronto Congress Centre, he stood silently behind Doug, wearing a dark cowboy hat.
But in the past, he was much less low-key. Whether on his motorcycle or at the helm heel of the family sailboat – The Raymoni – he always went full throttle. When he fought, which was often, it was usually a one-sided affair.
"He was a terror," said Leo, another former associate of Doug Ford.
Numerous sources identified Randy Ford as former drug dealer, including one who identified himself as former partner, but he and Doug maintained distinctly separate operations. "Doug, being savvy as he was and as business-minded as he was, knew his brother was just too volatile," said "Justin," the street-level dealer who said he was supplied by Doug Ford.
The eldest Ford sibling, Kathy, has been subjected to media scrutiny over the years, primarily because she has been linked to a number of bizarre, violent and sensational incidents.
Most recently, in January, 2012, her long-time boyfriend, a convicted cocaine and hash dealer named Scott MacIntyre, was charged with threatening to murder the mayor at his Etobicoke home. He eventually pleaded guilty to a lesser offence and was given credit for time served.
(In a brief interview with CBC after the alleged death threat, Doug Ford said: "To be honest with you, I really don't know Scott MacIntyre." Photographs and video taken on the night of the 2010 election show that Mr. MacIntyre was part of the small group of family members celebrating with the new mayor, his wife, Renata, and Doug.)
Ms. Ford's relationship with Mr. MacIntyre is even more perplexing because of an earlier incident: In 2005, he and another man were accused of shooting her in the face during an altercation in her parents' basement. She survived the blast and was rushed to hospital, while Mr. MacIntyre fled in her mother's Jaguar. Crown prosecutors later dropped numerous charges against him, while his co-accused, Michael Patania, pleaded guilty to one count of possession of a handgun.
But even before that, there was gunplay – and it was fatal. Seven years earlier, Ms. Ford's lover was fatally shot by her ex-husband, a drug addict named Ennio Stirpe. At his trial, Mr. Stirpe testified that his victim, Michael Kiklas, was a martial artist, which forced him to bring along the shotgun as "an equalizer."
Not mentioned in the press at the time was the fact that Mr. Kiklas was a white supremacist – a group with which Ms. Ford associated in the 1980s.
Her friends included Gary MacFarlane, a founding member of the short-lived Canadian chapter of the Ku Klux Klan, as well as the late Wolfgang Droege, perhaps the most notorious white supremacist in Canadian history, a former Klansman told The Globe in an interview. Two other former associates of Ms. Ford confirmed her association with known white supremacists.
Among Mr. Droege's numerous criminal endeavours, he also sold cocaine and marijuana, which led to his death in 2005 when he was killed by a customer. Mr. Droege was incarcerated for much of the 1980s in U.S. prisons – both for drug trafficking and for his role in a bizarre plot to overthrow the government of Dominica in the Caribbean.
The former Klansman, who agreed to answer questions by e-mail on condition of anonymity, confirmed that Kathy Ford was close to the movement, but he said he couldn't recall meeting any of the Ford brothers. He described hanging out in the Fords' basement and being snubbed by Doug Sr. when Ms. Ford invited him to a party on the family boat. Her father, the former Klansman said, clearly did not approve of his beliefs, while she was engaging and fun but hardly a committed soldier in the race war.
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"Some people are real 'believers' and know all the history, dates, facts etc... Others just join to piss off their parents, or carry out some other act of personal rebellion," he wrote. "Clearly [Kathy] was the latter camp."
It remains unclear how much Mayor Ford was exposed to his siblings' escapades and their issues with illegal drugs. He is considerably younger – Doug, the closest, is five years older. But at least one of Doug's closest and oldest friends has become an official adviser to the mayor's office. Several sources have identified David Price as a former participant in Doug Ford's hashish enterprise.
The morning after the Toronto Star and the U.S. gossip website Gawker alleged that journalists with both organizations had viewed a homemade video of the mayor smoking crack, a throng of reporters waited outside his home. Mr. Ford walked past them, uttered only four words – "these allegations are ridiculous" – and hopped into his SUV.
After driving only a few feet, he pulled to the side of the road and rolled down his window to chat with a man in a sunglasses and a blue shirt, Mr. Price. Moments later, Mr. Price appeared again, this time standing between videographers and Mr. Ford as they tried to film the mayor at the gas station at the end of his street.
Since he arrived at City Hall, the mayor's office has said almost nothing about what Mr. Price, called director of logistics and operations, is there to do. Concerning the hiring of Mr. Price, Doug Ford told Globe and Mail city hall reporter Elizabeth Church that "you can't teach loyalty."
Mr. Price first appeared in the office mere days after The Toronto Star revealed that the mayor had been asked to leave a military benefit gala by Councillor Paul Ainslie allegedly because he appeared intoxicated.
A few months before Mr. Price became a public official, he was approached by a Star reporter covering a football game being played by the high-school team coached by Mr. Ford. The reporter quoted Mr. Price as saying that he had coached the mayor in high school, and ever since he has been described in media reports as Rob Ford's former football coach turned aide.
However, four former dealers who spoke with The Globe described Mr. Price as a participant in Doug Ford's hash business in the 1980s.
Both men attended Scarlett Heights Collegiate Institute, where they played football and hockey. "Michael," a former street-level dealer, said he recalls being approached by a young David Price, who told him that Doug Ford had come into a large supply of hash. "I remember buying a quarter-pound," he said.
"Robert," once a large-scale supplier, called Mr. Price "Dougie's close ally" and described their hash business as "a partnership."
"Justin," a former street dealer, said: "They were two peas in a pod. They were both big, tough boys. It just became a natural thing."
He added: "Doug brought the supply, and Dave brought the demand."
According to Mr. Price's LinkedIn page, which has been taken down since he joined the mayor's office, he was Doug Ford's campaign manager in 2010, and graduated from York University in 1987 with a degree in economics and international relations.
Following that, he worked for decades at State Street Canada, a financial services company that provides investment management for institutional investors, such as pension and mutual funds. One former colleague described him as hard-working, very oriented toward customer service, and extremely opinionated when it came to politics. He left the company in 2011.
Mr. Price did not respond to several requests for comment.
Rob Ford was not a player in the Etobicoke drug trade. Several sources said they saw him around his brothers as they were doing business, but they said he didn't seem to be involved in a significant way.
It is difficult to determine what it was like for him growing up in this environment. His spokesman did not respond to requests for interviews. His closest friends from high school declined interview requests. Generally, it was only people who were on his periphery who agreed to speak.
As a teenager, the future mayor committed to football like it was a religion. He co-captained his junior team at Scarlett Heights Collegiate, which went a dismal 1-5 in the regular season one year, but shocked the league in the playoffs by making it to the championship and upsetting undefeated Etobicoke Collegiate. A yearbook photograph shows that "Robbie" – as he was known then – wore his leather championship jacket for at least three years after that victory.
He once played on Etobicoke's all-star team, a mixed bag of players from different high schools that was assembled in the summer to face off against all-star teams from Toronto's other boroughs.
It was a short and intense two weeks of back-to-back practices, which was necessary to inject cohesion into a mixed bag of young men who didn't know each other. Before each practice, they were told to run a mile. If they completed the run in under six minutes, they didn't have to complete it again for the rest of training camp. But if they failed, they had to keep running it at the start of every practice until they came in under the mark.
After a few days, there was only one person left chugging around the track.
"I remember Rob, who was about the same size as he is now, running this thing every day for like two weeks until he was the only guy running – but still giving it 100 per cent at the beginning of every practice until he finally made it," said Mike Lawler, a former Scarlett Heights coach.
"I just thought it took a lot for a kid to do that and not say 'to hell with it.' "
Another former Scarlett Heights football coach, Art Robinson, described young Rob as a leader, who was regularly the foreman in his shop class. There were even a few occasions, Mr. Robinson said, that Rob alerted him to students smoking pot on school grounds.
He went on to attend Carleton University. where he played football but never left the bench, one former teammate said. He dropped out in 1990, the end of his first year, he has told the online news service Openfile.
After that, he joined the family business, but unlike Doug, who ambitiously worked to grow the company, helping it expand to Chicago, his heart was not in it, several former employees said.
"Robbie just did not have the passion for labels," one long-time employee said. "He did what he had to do because it was the family business, but he did not show true passion until he got into politics."
His first run for public office came when he was 27, a council election that he lost. Undeterred, he became involved in several civic-minded campaigns – including one that targeted drug dealers and buyers.
In 1998, he teamed with his father and Toronto police for an unorthodox project, he later told The Etobicoke Guardian. In what would be the start of his unwavering tough-on-crime platform, he – at the time, 29 and unelected – and Doug Sr. – a backbencher at Queen's Park – travelled to Scarlettwood Courts, an Etobicoke public-housing complex, to rid it of illegal drugs.
"When people would drive through to buy drugs, we'd send the owner of the car a letter. It would tell them not come back to the area," Mr. Ford told the Guardian after he was elected to City Council in 2000. He said his crime-fighting campaign had helped him win the election and promised to take the battle to other low-income neighbourhoods.
But his personal war on drugs was short-lived. The year after their letter-writing campaign, he was arrested in Florida after being pulled over for impaired driving. Police also found a joint in his pocket – an offence not revealed until his 2010 mayoral campaign.
Throughout the reporting of this story, Doug Ford made several phone calls to Globe managers and reporters to complain about the questions being asked.
In November, 2011, he called a reporter in the evening to complain about the newspaper's "yellow" and "gutter" journalism.
"I'm getting calls from people I haven't talked to in 20 years," he said. When asked why he was so upset, he responded that he objected to "the type of questions" being asked.
"This is going to get ugly," he said, explaining that he was too "hot" at that moment to consider setting up a formal sit-down interview.
His call appeared to have been prompted by a brief interview The Globe had conducted that day, when a reporter asked a former associate about the RY Drifters – a group that he said never existed.
"It's like a folk tale," he said.
Greg McArthur is an investigative reporter with The Globe and Mail. Shannon Kari is a freelance journalist in Toronto. They were assisted by staff researcher Stephanie Chambers
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Kathy Fernandes, Director of the CSU's Learning Management Systems & Services Initiative, will speak on "Leading Teaching and Learning in the 21st Century."
While there are fields of study in pedagogy and there are many examples of new technologies being implemented in the teaching and learning process, are the sum of these parts greater than the whole? How do we best leverage the power of the pedagogical and technological revolution while significantly improving outcomes and performance? And how do we align organizational structures to reach these kinds of strategic goals? This session will cover different frameworks and examples of how to lead teaching and learning organizationally in the 21st Century.
Registration is closed.
Schulz Information Center, Room 3001
Sonoma State honors other CSU campus parking permits. Those without a CSU permit will have to pay a $5.00 fee. Park in any non-reserved lot — lot J is the closest.
The Community of Academic Technology Staff (CATS) is a collaborative community of practice and interest. Learn more →
The theme, Facing the Future, points to a combination of challenges. Read more →


text:
November 30, 1991 - March 31, 2013
Monticello, NY
Jessica Fingers, 1991 to 2013 leaves to mourn her mother, Athena Fingers; a sister, Jacqueline Belomy; grandmother, Louise Folsom Fingers; aunt, Venus Fingers; uncle, Donald Fingers and his son, LeVall. She is predeceased by her grandfather, Joseph Fingers. This is Jessica's immediate family. Please pray for the family.


text: #lang scheme ;;; PLT Scheme Inference Collection ;;; ontology.ss ;;; Copyright (c) 2009-2010 M. Douglas Williams ;;; ;;; This library is free software; you can redistribute it and/or ;;; modify it under the terms of the GNU Lesser General Public ;;; License as published by the Free Software Foundation; either ;;; version 2.1 of the License, or (at your option) any later version. ;;; ;;; This library is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, ;;; but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of ;;; MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the GNU ;;; Lesser General Public License for more details. ;;; ;;; You should have received a copy of the GNU Lesser General Public ;;; License along with this library; if not, write to the Free ;;; Software Foundation, Inc., 59 Temple Place, Suite 330, Boston, MA ;;; 02111-1307 USA. ;;; ;;; ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- ;;; ;;; Version Date Description ;;; 1.0.0 06/24/09 Initial release. (MDW) ;;; (parse-class-pragma class-pragma) -> symbol? ;;; (list-of symbol?) ;;; (or/c string? false/c) ;;; (list-of symbol?) ;;; class-pragma : list? ;;; Parse a class pragma. The format of a class pragma is: ;;; (#:class name (parent ...) [description] field ...) ;;; where, ;;; #:class is the keyword denoting a class pragma ;;; name is a symbol that is the name of the class ;;; parent is a symbol that is the name of a parent class ;;; description is a string that is a description of the class ;;; field is a symbol naming a field of the class (define (parse-class-pragma class-pragma) (let ((name (cadr class-pragma)) (parents (caddr class-pragma)) (description (if (and (> (length class-pragma) 3) (string? (cadddr class-pragma))) (cadddr class-pragma ) #f)) (fields (if (and (> (length class-pragma) 3) (string? (cadddr class-pragma))) (cddddr class-pragma) (cdddr class-pragma)))) (values name parents description fields))) ;;; (struct ontology (class-table)) ;;; class-table : hash-eq? ;;; Defines the structure that represents an ontology. (define-struct ontology (class-table)) ;;; (new-ontology) -> ontology? ;;; Returns a new, empty ontology. (define (new-ontology) (make-ontology (make-hasheq))) ;;; (struct class (name description parents children)) ;;; name : symbol? ;;; description : (or/c string? false/c) ;;; parents : (list-of class?) ;;; children : (list-of class?) ;;; fields : (list-of symbol?) ;;; Defines a class in an ontology. (define-struct class (name (description #:mutable) (parents #:mutable) (children #:mutable) (fields #:mutable))) ;;; (new-class name (description #f)) -> class? ;;; name : symbol? ;;; description : (or/c string? false/c) = #f ;;; Creates a new, empty class with the specified name and adds it to the class- ;;; table for ontology. (define (new-class ontology name) (let ((class (make-class name #f '() '() '()))) (hash-set! (ontology-class-table ontology) name class) class)) ;;; (ontology-find-class ontology name) -> class? ;;; ontology : ontology? ;;; name : symbol? ;;; Returns the class with the specified name in ontology. The class is created ;;; if it doesn't exist. (define (ontology-find-class ontology name) (let ((class (hash-ref (ontology-class-table ontology) name #f))) (if class class (new-class ontology name)))) ;;; (ontology-assert-class ontology class-pragma) -> void? ;;; ontology : ontology? ;;; class-pragma : list? ;;; Processes the #:class pragma assertion. (define (ontology-assert-class ontology class-pragma) (let-values (((name parents description fields) (parse-class-pragma class-pragma))) (let ((class (ontology-find-class ontology name))) ;; Replace the description. (set-class-description! class description) ;; Replace the fields. (set-class-fields! class fields) ;; Add the parents. (for ((parent (in-list parents))) (let ((parent-class (ontology-find-class ontology parent))) (unless (memq parent (class-parents class)) (set-class-parents! class (append (class-parents class) (list parent-class))) (set-class-children! parent-class (append (class-children parent-class) (list class)))))) (void)))) ;;; (ontology-retract-class ontology class-pragma) -> void? ;;; ontology : ontology? ;;; class-pragma : list? ;;; Processes the #:class pragma retraction. (define (ontology-retract-class ontology class-pragma) (let* ((name (cadr class-pragma)) (class (hash-ref (ontology-class-table ontology) name #f))) (when class ;; Remove the class from the ontology. (hash-remove! (ontology-class-table ontology) class) ;; Remove this class as a child of its parents. (for ((parent-class (in-list (class-parents class)))) (set-class-children! parent-class (remove class (class-children class)))) ;; Remove this class as a parent of its children. (for ((child-class (in-list (class-children class)))) (set-class-parents! child-class (remove class (class-parents class))))) (void))) ;;; (class-ancestors class) -> (list-of class?) ;;; class : class? ;;; Returns a list of the ancestors of class. The list is produced by a breadth- ;;; first tracersal up the parent links. The first element will always be class ;;; itself (define (class-ancestors class) (let ((open (list class)) (closed '())) (let loop () (unless (null? open) (let ((class (car open))) (set! open (cdr open)) (set! closed (append closed (list class))) (for ((parent (in-list (class-parents class)))) (unless (or (memq parent closed) (memq parent open)) (set! open (append open (list parent)))))) (loop))) closed)) ;;; (class-ancestor-names class) -> (list-of symbol?) ;;; class : class? ;;; Returns a list of the named of the ancestors of class. (define (class-ancestor-names class) (for/list ((class (in-list (class-ancestors class)))) (class-name class))) ;;; Module contracts (provide (all-defined-out))


text:
SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) — Crude-oil futures climbed Monday to settle above $96 a barrel as unrest in the Middle East fed supply concerns, and as traders weighed the outlook for energy demand against mixed U.S. economic data.
Natural gas, meanwhile, took a sharp tumble as warmer weather was forecast for much of the United States over the next several days.
Crude for March delivery CLH3, +0.00% tacked on 56 cents, or 0.6%, to settle at $96.44 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange, its highest settlement level in almost a week.
"Most of the short-term oil emphasis will focus on unrest in the Middle East-North Africa region," said James Williams, an energy economist at WTRG Economics.
"A pipeline was blown up in Algeria and there is considerable unrest in Egypt, which just declared a state of emergency," he said.
Egypt's importance is as a transit hub for oil, through both the Suez Canal and the Suez-Mediterranean pipeline, Williams explained.
Also, "Israel could launch an attack on Syria to take out the risk of chemical weapons, and Iraq has daily conflict between Sunni and Shia factions." Still, "there is more than enough oil in the market and the downside risk remains from weak economies in the West," he said.
Economic news in the U.S. was mixed Monday.
Pending homes sales fell 4.3% last month, with the National Association of Realtors' index of such sales declining to 101.7 to cap off 2012, down from 106.3 in November. See: Pending home sales fall in December.
But orders for durable goods made in the U.S. soared 4.6% in December. See: Orders for long-lasting goods jump 4.6%.
Likely contributing further support for oil prices Monday were comments from Abdalla Salem el-Badri, secretary-general of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries.
At a conference in London, the OPEC chief said he didn't fear any collapse of oil prices as he expects markets to remain balanced through 2013. See OPEC chief: market balanced; no oil-price slump.
Gasoline rallies; natural gas sinks
Gasoline futures stood out in the energy complex to start the week, rallying 2.1%. The February contract US:RBG3 tacked on 6 cents to end at $2.935 a gallon. Front-month futures prices hadn't settled above $2.90 since mid-October.
Traders digested news that Hess Corp. HES, +2.29% plans to sell its U.S. terminal network and close its Port Reading, N.J., refinery by the end of February, moves that would complete the company's exit from the refining business. See: Energy shares down; Hess rallies on refinery plan.
Heating oil for February US:HOG3 ended little changed, up 0.5 cent, or 0.2%, at $3.06 a gallon.
February natural gas tumbled 15.5 cents, or 4.5%, to $3.29 per million British thermal units. That was the lowest price settlement since Jan. 10.
Natural-gas exchange-traded funds followed suit, with the U.S. Natural Gas Fund UNG, -4.70% dropping nearly 5% an hour ahead of the stock market close.
Temperatures have moderated a bit across much of the nation, said Beth Sewell, managing partner at Quantum Power & Gas Services. The weather is expected to be cold again by the first week in February, however, sending temperatures in the Midwest and the Northeast to below normal, she said. Likely adding to market volatility, the February gas contract expires at the close of Nymex trading on Tuesday.
Providing critical information for the U.S. trading day. Subscribe to MarketWatch's free Need to Know newsletter. Sign up here.


text:
ATLANTA (AP) Cole Hamels felt as well as he has all season, and it showed.
Hamels held the Braves to four hits through seven innings, Jimmy Rollins hit a two-run homer, and the Philadelphia Phillies beat Atlanta 2-1 on Saturday night.
''Things felt good in the bullpen leading into the game, and things transpired from there,'' he said. ''But I definitely understand how difficult it is to reach that type of level.''
Hamels (4-5) won for the second time in three starts, giving up one run, striking out nine and walking none. He threw 71 of 95 pitches for strikes.
Rollins' 12th homer, coming off reliever Shae Simmons (1-1), made it 2-0 in the seventh.
Atlanta, which had a three-game winning streak snapped, cut its deficit to 2-1 in the seventh inning on Chris Johnson's RBI double. The Braves are tied for first place in the NL East with Washington.
Jonathan Papelbon earned his 21st save in 23 chances, needing only five pitches to retire Andrelton Simmons on a groundout, Freddie Freeman on a lineout, and Justin Upton on a popup.
Grady Sizemore reached base four times, going 3 for 4 and scoring on Rollins' homer to help the last-place Phillies end a three-game skid.
The only baserunner Hamels allowed through the first 4 2-3 innings was Jason Heyward, who was hit by a pitch in the second. Tommy La Stella got the first hit off Hamels, a double in the fifth.
''Mentally it was pretty clear, and everything just felt really easy, just feeling that last touch of the baseball,'' Hamels said. ''(It's comforting to have) a good understanding of where it's going to go as soon as it leaves your hand.''
Hamels made 50 of his first 65 pitches for strikes before pinch-hitter Tyler Pastornicky singled in the sixth.
Braves starter Aaron Harang pitched six scoreless innings, allowing five hits and three walks with five strikeouts. The right-hander, who had won his last four starts, has a 2.18 ERA in his past five outings.
Hamels, 3-3 with a 1.78 ERA in nine road starts this year, received a no-decision in Atlanta on June 16 despite pitching seven scoreless innings in Philadelphia's 13-inning victory.
Hamels improved to 15-8 with a 3.34 ERA in 31 starts and one relief appearance against the Braves. Ben Revere pinch-hit for him in the eighth.
The left-hander had such strong command of his fastball that he had little need to use his changeup.
''I know that's kind of my out pitch, but when you're not even able to go to your best pitch and you're getting them out ahead,'' Hamels said, ''the confidence just kind of builds from there.''
Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez could tell early that Hamels was going to be tough.
''It's not a straight fastball,'' Gonzalez said. ''It sinks and it cuts a lot to the right-handed hitters, and it's not an easy at-bat. He did that against us.''
Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg unsuccessfully challenged that Johnson was thrown out at second base in the seventh. Johnson, who drove in Upton from second, stretched a single into a double by beating Chase Utley's tag attempt.
NOTES: In 117 career games at Turner Field, Rollins has 11 homers and 45 RBIs. ... Simmons gave up two hits and two runs and got only two outs. ... Phillies LHP Cliff Lee, on the disabled list since May 20 with a strained elbow, is scheduled to start Monday at home against San Francisco. ... Braves C Evan Gattis, on the DL since July 1 with a bulging disc in his back, is expected to return from a rehab assignment with Triple-A Gwinnett next week against Miami. ... Atlanta optioned struggling LHP Luis Avilan to Gwinnett and purchased the contract of LHP Chasen Shreve from Double-A Mississippi. Shreve became the seventh Braves player to make his major league debut this year when he struck out Ryan Howard to end the seventh. ... Phillies C Carlos Ruiz, on a rehab assignment with Single-A Clearwater, went 1 for 3 with a walk, a stolen base and scored two runs on Friday. Ruiz has been sidelined since June 27 with concussion symptoms.


text:
HANOI, Vietnam -- Dinh Thi Hong Loan grasps her girlfriend's hand, and the two gaze into each other's love-struck eyes. Smiling, they talk about their upcoming wedding - how they'll exchange rings and toast the beginning of their lives together.
HANOI, Vietnam -- Dinh Thi Hong Loan grasps her girlfriend's hand, and the two gaze into each other's love-struck eyes. Smiling, they talk about their upcoming wedding - how they'll exchange rings and toast the beginning of their lives together.
The lesbians' marriage ceremony in the Vietnamese capital won't be officially recognized, but that could soon change. Vietnam's Communist government is now considering whether to allow same-sex couples to marry or legally register and receive rights - positioning the country to be the first in Asia to do so.
"Our love for each other is real and nothing changes regardless of whether the law is passed or not," said Loan, 31. "But when it is passed, we will definitely go get registered. I can't wait!"
Even longtime gay-rights activists are stunned by the Justice Ministry's proposal to include same-sex couples in its overhaul of the country's marriage law. No one knows what form it will take or whether it will survive long enough to be debated before the National Assembly next year, but supporters say the fact that it's even being considered is a victory in a region where simply being gay can result in jail sentences or whippings with a rattan cane.
"I think everyone is surprised," said Vien Tanjung, an Indonesian gay-rights activist. "Even if it's not successful it's already making history. For me, personally, I think it's going to go through."
Vietnam seems an unlikely champion of gay-rights issues. It is routinely lambasted by the international community over its dismal human rights record, often locking up political dissidents who call for democracy or religious freedom. Up until just a few years ago, homosexuality was labeled as a "social evil" alongside drug addiction and prostitution.
And Vietnam's gay community itself was once so underground that few groups or meeting places existed. It was taboo to even talk about the issue.
But over the past five years, that's slowly started to change. Vietnam's state-run media, unable to write about politically sensitive topics or openly criticize the one-party government, have embraced the chance to explore gay issues. They have run lengthy newspaper stories and television broadcasts, including one live special that won a top award.
Video of Vietnam's first publicized gay wedding went viral online in 2010, and a few other ceremonies followed, capturing widespread public attention. The Justice Ministry now says a legal framework is necessary because the courts do not know how to handle disputes between same-sex couples living together. The new law could provide rights such as owning property, inheriting and adopting children.
"I think, as far as human rights are concerned, it's time for us to look at the reality," Justice Minister Ha Hung Cuong said Tuesday in an online chat broadcast on national TV and radio. "The number of homosexuals has mounted to hundreds of thousands. It's not a small figure. They live together without registering marriage. They may own property. We, of course, have to handle these issues legally."
Globally, 11 countries have legalized same-sex marriage since the Netherlands became the first to do so in 2001. Only a few U.S. states allow it, but President Barack Obama provided hope for many couples worldwide after announcing his support earlier this year.
The issue has remained largely off the table across Asia. In Thailand, many tourists see a vibrant gay, lesbian and transgender community, but it exists largely as part of the country's lucrative entertainment industry, separated from politics and conservative Thai society.
Muslim-dominated nations such as Indonesia have strict laws against homosexuality. Sodomy can result in up to 20 years in jail and caning in Malaysia. But that hasn't stopped some from continuing to fight for more rights and visibility.
In Singapore, more than 15,000 people - double last year's turnout - recently held up pink lights in a park at night to support acceptance of the community in a modern city-state where gay sex remains illegal, even though the law is not enforced.
In Taiwan, a 2003 bill to recognize same-sex marriage failed to receive enough support to make it law, though a lesbian couple is expected to tie the knot in August at a Buddhist monastery.
Vietnam will also hold its first public gay pride parade Aug. 5 in Hanoi. The country is socially conservative, but the government restricts the kind of politicized religious movements that typically push back against same-sex marriage in other countries. Gay pride events also seem to pose little threat to Communist Party's dominance.
The same-sex marriage proposal still has several hurdles before it could become law. The Justice Ministry will consider opinions from the public along with government agencies before submitting its draft proposal to the National Assembly next May on whether to recommend same-sex marriage or some other type of legal recognition with rights. Then, it must be approved by a majority of parliament.
"Some people told me if Vietnam could legalize it, it would be very good example for other counties to follow," said Le Quang Binh, head of the nonprofit Institute for Studies of Society, Economy and Environment, which is consulting on the marriage law. "People think that talking about it is a big step forward already. ... I hope it will lead to more openness or tolerance for gays and lesbians in Vietnam."
As for Vietnamese partners Loan and Nguyen Thi Chi, who share a one-room apartment down a narrow alley in Hanoi, they say their love and commitment is real, regardless of whether a law exists to recognize them when they marry next month. But they hope the new proposal will ease stigma that lingers around same-sex couples.
Chi, 20, knows the pain of discrimination all too well. She recently dropped out of college after being publicly outed by a note taped to one of her classroom doors saying she was "diseased." She was harassed and bullied for a year and a half on campus until finally deciding she'd had enough.
"Things must change," she said. "Even though it was not a nice experience, more and more people are interested in knowing about the community. And the more people that know about it, the more people will have a different view on it."
Associated Press writer Sean Yoong contributed to this report from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Follow Margie Mason at http://www.twitter.com/margiemasonap


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A heroin-plagued thief who breached a restraining order three times by contacting his ex-partner has been jailed for 12 weeks.
Chesterfield magistrates' court heard on Monday how Luke Evans, 30, of Dawlish Court, Coniston Road, Newbold, Chesterfield, had been to his ex-partner's home to wash clothes and have a bath despite being banned from seeing her by the courts.
Evans was also seen by police at her address, according to the court, and he was later found in her living room.
Prosecuting solicitor Angela Hadfield said Evans was subject to a restraining order on June 27, 2012, regarding protection from harassment which prevented contact with his ex-partner and attending her address.
Mrs Hadfield added: "She said there had been contact but he had asked to attend her address to wash clothes and to have a bath and she agreed because she felt sorry for him because he was homeless. He was also seen by police over two days at her address."
Following the sightings on March 19 and 20, police stressed to the ex-partner that Evans had been prevented access and he was then found behind a sofa in her living room on March 22.
Evans pleaded guilty to breaching the restraining order three times and also admitted two thefts and breaching bail conditions.
The court heard how Evans had stolen food from Iceland and Asda in January and had been spotted by witnesses.
Julie Page, defending, said Evans had developed an addiction to heroin which had been the under-lying problem behind the thefts and the goods had been returned. Ms Page added his ex had contacted him by Facebook and he asked if he could visit, but Miss Page accepted any contact was still a breach of the restraining order.


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Drought still taking a toll
I hope all these trees will be getting their leaves soon. When it was terribly dry last summer, many trees lost their leaves and looked dead -- not just in this grove, but across Christian County and even in town. It was impossible to guess if they had been forced into a desperate form of dormancy or if they were dead. We'll find out this spring which ones survived and which ones didn't.
In my yard, I am wondering how many shrubs were mortally wounded. One of the forsythia bushes by the road has been blooming beautifully. Another forsythia nearby appears to be partly dead. It's only blooming on the lower third of its branches. I'm waiting to see if it gets any leaves on the upper branches before doing any pruning.
The full effects of last year's drought are still being revealed. Meanwhile, we've been getting quite a bit of rain. I don't really enjoy the wet days and the mud, but I'm glad that the water table is being restored to a normal level.


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Tattooed moms find comfort in common ground
Discussions among typical mommy groups can range from the latest Disney movies to a child's separation anxiety.
Or this topic from a local moms group: plans for future tattoos and the facial piercings they removed after giving birth.
Such is life among the San Antonio branch of the Tattooed Hippie Pirate Mommas, led by pink-haired Chrissy Diaz.
The group started online one year ago and now has about 20 active members and twice as many on the branch's Facebook and Meetup. com pages.
"We do the same things any other moms playgroup does," Diaz said. "Getting together, going to the park, to playgrounds, in-home play dates.
"Most active members have at least one child under school age. Some have older kids, some are first-time moms with babies. We're varied."
Not all members are tattooed or pierced, but one thing they have in common is that they didn't feel comfortable in more traditional mommy groups. That's why Stacy Willingham founded the original Tattooed Hippie Pirate Mommas in Denton in 2011 (the San Antonio branch is the first to extend from the original group).
"I became a stay-at-home mom when I had kids. I was just really wanting to meet other moms, and I joined a local playgroup for moms with toddlers and babies," Willingham said. "The first meetup I went to I felt so out of place because I was the only one with tattoos and piercings, and the other moms seemed more reserved where my personality was a little more loud."
The name represents the group's values:
"Tattooed" because most of the women are, and proud of it (Willingham has 15);
"Hippie" because many prefer nontraditional, natural products and practices such as cloth diapering and attachment parenting;
"Pirate" because they don't bow to society's norms;
And "Mommas" for the role that they all share.
"We don't like bullying, we don't like drama, we want to accept moms for who they are. That's kind of our motto," Willingham said. "We have each other's backs. We're like family, honestly."
Austin-based parenting coach Carrie Contey said children thrive when their parents — especially mothers — display emotional wellness.
"When moms gather with other moms they feel safer, more relaxed, heard, seen, less anxious, their whole system feels more safe and steady," Contey said. "It's really beneficial to people they're caring for."
From an evolutionary perspective, Contey said, it goes back to humans living together in tribes and family groups throughout most of history.
"Our culture has moved beyond that, but our brains haven't really forgotten," she said. "We know there's a certain level of safety in numbers. We feel more protected, and a primal sense of wanting people to lean on."
Another change is how groups are forming. Today, many begin on social media sites and develop into in-person relationships. Social media consultant Colleen Pence, who runs the website SanAntonioMomBlogs.com, said mom bloggers led that charge.
"It was a way for them to reach out when they were home with a baby on their breast and couldn't go anywhere," Pence said.
Willingham started Tattooed Hippie Pirate Mommas on Meetup.com with only three other members. Now there are about 100. The group's Facebook page has more than 700 members throughout the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom.
Along with regular get-togethers, the members of a chapter in Denton put together a calendar to benefit multiple charities. This year's beneficiaries are the Children's Advocacy Center of Denton County, the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and the family of DeSoto teenager Chris White, whose mother and sister were killed in a shooting Aug. 7. White and his younger brother were also shot in the incident, but survived and are recovering.
San Antonio moms Diaz and Amber Fergason traveled to Denton to participate in the calendar photo shoot. Diaz hopes that the San Antonio branch will do similar projects as their numbers grow.
One of her first orders of business, however, was to get some ink of her own.
"I got my first tattoo this past February," Diaz said. "I thought it was funny, being the leader and not having one. But it's not a requirement. The Tattooed Hippie Pirate Mommas is an idea. I want to be able to hang out with other moms who get that."
Willingham thinks the reason the group is gaining popularity, online and off, is because people understand her vision.
"I think we're breaking a stereotype," she said. "Just because we have tattoos doesn't mean we can't raise amazing children."


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Capitalism: A Love Story (US - BD RA)
Gabe endures another Michael Moore documentary without learning very much
I'll start here right and reiterate full disclosure – I'm a very left winged person. I do my best to separate my politics from the intensions of most films, especially narrative and fictional films (I love film violence), but when it comes to something as divisive and precisely political as Michael Moore it's hard to not take my personal politics and non-movie opinions into account. For the record I've grown just as tired of Moore's shtick as the rest of you, and despite an acute hatred of ex President George W. Bush, I did not like Fahrenheit 9/11. I thought it was lazy, incomplete filmmaking – a mix of preaching to the choir and digging up almost inconsequential dirt. I also hate Moore's pranks. They worked in the cases of his two strongest films, Roger and Me and Bowling for Columbine, but these films were more impressively focused, and above all, genuinely enthralling. Sicko did away with most of the fact-dulling pranks for Sicko, which was an unfocused film, but a promising return to form overall (minus the Cuba stuff, which doesn't prove anything in terms of the film's thesis statement).
Capitalism: A Love Story threatens to be a step back for the controversial filmmaker. His subject matter is no-brainer, crowd pleasing comfort food. We all hate Wall Street these days, they're the easiest of easy targets. They're like the Nazi's of modern American culture, just behind pedophiles. Most of us probably have very personal reasons to be pissed off in the current economy (I know I do), and most of us have a vague idea of who to blame. Moore loads his anger gun and sprays his audience with hot steaming fury. Moore starts things with an amusing juxtaposition of modern America and Rome, but quickly defaults to his personal brand of heavy-handed narration. Immediately I'm aware that without his presence this would be a very good film. I agree with the vast majority of his sentiments, but he speaks with a tone that makes even me want to punch my television in the face. When he lets the victims and villains speak for themselves it works so much better, and he makes plenty of snide comments by editing classic footage into the mix.
The 'good old days' montages actually work the best for Moore's argument, especially in terms of speaking to those that would likely most viciously oppose him. Reminding his audience that we used to tax the hell out of our rich people, and reveled in union healthcare is a solid move, but it's suddenly scrapped in favor of a bombastic run through the Reagan administration. This isn't the way to win over new converts, who likely adore Reagan, and ignore his point. Moore's making really important points, but he's making them in his usual divisive manner, and genuinely just burning bridges and preaching to the already furious choir. At times the more recent historical problems are presented in a more matter of fact manner, which works more in favour of Moore's point and goals.
Perhaps it's a good thing in the long run that Moore glazes over the real history of our problems, because it frees him up to explore some of the likely unknown aspects of Capitalism gone mad, including the depressing story of a judge that made money putting kids in jail, food stamp utilizing major airline pilots, and banks purchasing life insurance policies on cancer ridden employees. There are a few more cheap shots, like making a point that Capitalism is immoral according to Christian belief systems (sad but true), and the act missing on the Constitution, but he also adds some positive proof of Capitalism alternatives, like worker owned businesses, which is more than we can say for many leftist propaganda documentaries, which tend to just build up a series of answerless complaints. This center section mostly works, despite needlessly sarcastic descriptions of foreclosure rules. Moore isn't a stupid man, and he finds the most Americana people to 'exploit' for his cause (assuming people can be knowingly exploited), though surprisingly be uses more acquired footage than he ever has before, allowing local news make his point a little too often. This is better than his opening act snide voice over work, of course, but strikes me as a little lazy, similar to Fahrenheit 9/11. The final act, which covers the events that lead to the financial bailout, actually flows quite well, and builds suspense and dread without utilizing too much of Moore's personality, but feels like almost an entirely different film, and defaults to yet another of Moore's stunts, likely his goofiest yet, and a massively lame sentimental final statement that personally embarrasses me on every leftist's behalf. Overall, we're talking the very definition of a mixed bag.
There are so many different brands of video and film at play that this 1.78:1, 1080p transfer is hard to judge on any technical level. Sometimes Moore uses 8mm home videos, sometimes he uses ancient 16mm news reel footage, sometimes he uses beautiful 35mm film footage, and other times he uses acquired low-resolution video. These pieces feature all kinds of bleeding, chroma noise, edge-enhancement, blocking, and every other brand of artefacting available to man. The bulk of the stuff filmed specifically for the movie is high definition digital, and it looks perfectly sharp and without any major compression incident. Moore has an artistic eye from an editing and juxtaposition standpoint, but his films rarely revel in any kind of graphic beauty, so there isn't a lot to say concerning colour quality, lighting, contrast, or any other cinematography related visual input, other than it all looks fine. The blacks are deep, the hues are natural, if not a little dim, and the details are about average.
Capitalism: A Love Story tears open with a big and bassy version of Iggy Pop's 'Louie Louie', and sets the stage for the bulk of this Dolby TrueHD's most impressive moments. The vast majority of the non-musical moments in the film utilize the on-set sound, which is recorded mostly by a single microphone. This means the bulk of the sound is centered. Occasionally a big sound effect will be tossed into the mix, like a bomb explosion or record scratch, and these directly match the bombast of the musical soundtrack. Around the 50 minute mark the rear channels come out loudly in the form of a hypnotic voice, and there's an amusing surround sound attack around the hour and 20 minute mark. The LFE gets a genuine workout throughout, surprisingly enough, though again, it's mostly in the form of music, including classical mainstays and plenty of rock and pop additions.
DVD and Blu-ray has done a lot for Moore over the years, and like the best documentary filmmakers he uses the special features format to his advantage. The extras here are mostly deleted and extended scenes, presented as standalone featurettes. These start with a Blu-ray exclusive talk with Harvard Professor Elizabeth Warren uncut on how 'Wall Street Got Away with Murder' (8:20, HD), where Moore steps on Warren's words a bit too much. 'Sorry House-Flippers and Banks – You're Toast in Flint, MI' (5:30, HD) sees the government in Moore's hometown taking its unused land for itself, and away from banks. 'Congressman Cummings Dares to Speak the Unspeakable' (7:00, HD) see Cummings talking rather calmly about the subject matter, and not really drawing any conclusions. NY Times Pulitzer Prize Winner Chris Hedges gives his thoughts on 'The Killing Machine Known as Capitalism' (8:40, HD), and is largely left uninterrupted by Moore. Hedges is a little repetitive and melodramatic, but gets his point across eloquently enough. 'The Rich Don't Go to Heaven (There's a Special Place for Them)' (8:30, HD) fills in a little more about the facts of Christianity versus Capitalism, though Moore's personality once again takes precedence.
'What If, Just If, We Had Listened to Jimmy Carter in 1979' (17:50, HD) is likely the most interesting stand alone extra, featuring the entirety of Carter's 1979 address (the 1080p encoding is kind of wasted…). 'The Omnivore's Dilemma? It's Capitalism' (6:10, HD), a look at people growing their own food, was likely deleted because of the overall quality of the much more needle focused Food, Inc.. 'Commie Taxi Drivers – You Talkin' to Me? – in Wisconsin' (5:50, HD), despite its floppy title, is a semi-clever look at Union cab driving in Madison, WI, that will likely make half the audience re-evaluate their employment choices. This really should've been included in the final doc. 'How to Run the Place Where You Work' (11:20, HD) is a discussion with worker cooperatives expert Professor Tome Webb, which also should've been included in the final doc in some form, in place of Moore's more sentimental stuff. 'The Socialist Bank of…North Dakota?' (4:30, HD) looks at one bank's ability to work outside the system, and follows the rather tragic history the brought it about. The featurettes wrap up with 'The Bank Kicks Them Out, Max Kicks Them Back In' (10:50, HD), another positive little story that plays to better emotional strings than some of the stuff that made the final film. A trailer official ends the extras.
Capitalism: A Love Story comes a little too late, and is a little scatterbrained, not to mention Michael Moore's traditional snotty sense of humour tends to grate, but it's a good place for those outside the know to start. The most unfortunate aspect of the whole film is how quickly it's been dated. It's amazing the difference a year makes in such an impatient society. Sicko is a better and stronger film overall, but Capitalism doesn't flop as sharply as Fahrenheit 9/11. Still, 2009 saw the release of The Cove and Not Quite Hollywood, which pushes Moore's latest pretty far down the must see documentary list. The audio and visual representations are pretty minimalist given the films documentary style, though the extras are filled out with a solid supporting series of featurettes, one of which is not available on the DVD release (which is incredibly ironic given the film's themes, ahem).
Reviewer Note: The images on this page are not representative of the Blu-ray image quality.
Review by Gabriel Powers
PhilipRidley Member Join Date: February 2010 Location: Germany Posts: 10
Myself being a far left winged german, I can say that this was by far the best review I read on this movie. Very well done
Gabe Powers Editor Join Date: September 2004 Location: United States Posts: 4,721
Thank you very much sir.
Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian
Disc Details
Release Date: 9th March 2010
Discs: 2
Disc Type: Blu-ray Disc
RCE: No
Video: 1080p
Aspect: 1.78:1
Anamorphic: No
Colour: No
Audio: Dolby TrueHD 5.1 English
Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish
Extras: Wall Street Got Away with Murder, Sorry House-Flippers and Banks – You're Toast in Flint, MI, Congressman Cummings Dares to Speak the Unspeakable, The Killing Machine Known as Capitalism, The Rich Don't Go to Heaven (There's a Special Place for Them), What If, Just If, We Had Listened to Jimmy Carter in 1979, The Omnivore's Dilemma? It's Capitalism, Commie Taxi Drivers – You Talkin' to Me? – in Wisconsin, How to Run the Place Where You Work, The Socialist Bank of…North Dakota?, The Bank Kicks Them Out, Max Kicks Them Back In, Digital Copy
Easter Egg: No
Feature Details
Director: Michael Moore
Cast: Michael Moore, George W. Bush, Barack Obama
Genre: Documentary
Length: 127 minutes
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On Friday, November 15, 2013 at approximately 12:14 AM, Waterloo Police were sent to 1123 Columbia Street on report of shots fired at a house.
Two people were home at the time, but no one was hurt. Officers found several bullet holes in the back door and in the kitchen window.
Case remains under investigation.
Captain Tim Pillack
Waterloo Police Investigations


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By: Katie Booth
Beginning in 2013, W-2s for firms who file at least 250 W-2 forms will list the amount of money that employers and employees spend on health insurance premiums. As the New York Times reports, "[t]o some, it will be a surprise, perhaps even a shock." Many people insured through their employer have no idea how much health insurance actually costs. The W-2 provision will change this, providing a yearly reminder about how much employer compensation goes into health insurance rather than wages. This gives employees exactly one salient number about health care: the yearly cost of their employer-provided health insurance.
More information for consumers about the cost of health care is a good thing, but making the cost of health insurance more salient may have some unintended consequences. Employees will be better able to compare the benefits of jobs with higher salaries but no health insurance to jobs with lower salaries and health insurance. This may lead employees to opt for lower salary jobs with health insurance, which could help decrease the number of employees who seek government-subsidized health insurance. The W-2 provision could, however, have the opposite effect. Now that employees can easily compare the cost of employer-sponsored insurance to government-subsidized insurance, employees eligible for government-subsidized health insurance may buy insurance through an exchange and then opt for a higher-paying job that does not offer insurance. Employers may be willing to pay the tax penalty, which is much less than the cost of insurance.