text:
The news is not that Missouri All-American defensive end Michael Sam is gay. The news is that when he told his teammates in August, it so tore apart the locker room that the Tigers won the SEC East.
That has always been one of the arguments. A gay teammate would be unwelcome in the locker room and definitely in the showers. A gay teammate would cause division, make teammates feel uncomfortable.
Except that Sam didn't. An openly gay player at Missouri turned out to be a bonfire in want of a spark. His teammates nodded, and they moved on. There really was nothing to see here.
That alone speaks to the power of generational change. Missouri, the flagship public university in a red state, made itself hospitable to an openly gay football player. In 1973, the University of Missouri Board of Curators decided not to recognize a student group, Gay Lib, that proposed to serve as a forum for homosexuality. The board appointed a well-respected attorney to establish the facts of the case. Among those "facts":
• Homosexuality is a compulsive type of behavior.
• What happens to a latent or potential homosexual from the standpoint of his environment can cause him to become or not to become a homosexual.
• That homosexuality is an illness and should and can be treated as such and is clearly abnormal behavior.
The university denied recognition. Four years later, a U.S. Court of Appeals ruled that the university must recognize Gay Lib on First Amendment grounds.
"Apparently," Darrell Napton, a plaintiff in the case and now a professor at South Dakota State, said Sunday night, "there has been a lot of change in the last few decades. That has been true all over the country."
Napton couldn't speak to what gay life was like at Missouri four decades ago. He isn't gay. He signed onto the case on First Amendment grounds. But really, we've read this story before. Gays will foment problems in the locker room, as African-Americans would before them, as Jews would in country clubs, as Catholics would if elected to office. The "facts" that back up such assertions wilt when exposed to sunlight.
The baseball team in St. Louis, Missouri's second-largest city, allegedly wanted to boycott the National League rather than play against Jackie Robinson. Less than two decades later, led by future Hall of Famers Bob Gibson and Lou Brock, the Cardinals won the World Series. It is ancient history now, but the barriers in the locker room didn't come down easily.
We live in a different time. The Missouri players already knew Michael Sam, and respected him, and loved him the way that teammates can love one another. What revolution he fomented in coming out to his teammates and coaches occurred from within.
Sam attended a Missouri that has changed. Nearly four decades after the Gay Lib case, the Missouri athletic director reminded everyone Sunday night that the university theme is "One Mizzou." Gary Pinkel, the head coach, said, "We talk all the time here in our program about how one of our core values is to respect the cultural differences of others, and this certainly applies."
Not every transition will proceed as smoothly as at Missouri last season, when 105 players and an entire staff kept their mouths shut and huddled together to protect one of their own. Sam responded with a season worthy of being named the SEC Defensive Player of the Year. Surely the peace of mind he found among teammates who accepted him contributed to his play.
Maybe I'm wrong, but I have a hunch Missouri isn't out of the norm. Tolerance is taught in public schools across the country, and it turns out that the students are paying attention. The rest of us are coming along, too. Missouri associate athletic director Chad Moller said he received perhaps a half dozen media inquiries about Sam's sexual orientation. None of the outlets wanted to expose Sam. Everyone wanted the story.
"It was all very respectful," Moller said.
The NFL scouts and executives who asked if Sam has a girlfriend grew up in a different time. While there have been NFL players who have spoken out against sharing a locker room with a gay teammate, they will say a lot less once it's clear that their attitude is not socially acceptable.
The Missouri Tigers proved last season that a gay man can play football, and attend meetings, and lift weights and, yes, even shower with his teammates and no one will be the worse for wear. The revolution isn't coming. It's already here. As it turns out, it's not that big of a deal.


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Notepad++ 6.5.1 released
03 Nov 2013 23:30:00
The function list has been enhanced in release 6.5.1: search/sort abilities and Java parser are added in the build-in function list. A good news for people who use synaptics touchpad: the scrolling problem is solved in this release. Through it's rather due to the synaptics driver's problem, a walkaround solution was integrated in Notepad++'s code.
Here you can check the change log and download Notepad++ v6.5.1:
Thank FLS, Andreas Jonsson and Dmitry Zhilko for their coding contribution.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Archived State-by-State Legislation
Though many states continue to face economic challenges, we applaud those that are forging ahead and working towards creating real solutions that will make real differences in the lives of caregivers. In 2003, already 19 states have introduced legislation that would either explicitly or implicitly assist caregivers. In general, the legislation listed below does not include annual appropriations measures, unless significantly new funding or program development is included in the proposal. Included for each state is a link to the home page of the state legislature where you can use the website search engine to get legislative information.
For more general information about state legislatures, the following links may be useful:
The National Conference of State Legislatures
The Enterprise Foundation
The American College of Emergency Physicians
H.B. 1756 Adds a $.5 tax to cigarettes to fund the Medicaid match for Personal Care and ElderChoices services including respite care, and to expand Medicaid home and community-based care options. Link to Arkansas Legislature: http://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/
A.B. 1523 The California legislature is currently considering A.B. 1523, which creates a $1,000 tax credit for long-term care needs or long-term care insurance coverage for a family member. A hearing on the legislation has been scheduled for May 12, 2003.
Link to the California Legislature: http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/
S.B. 720 Allows a primary caregiver of a homebound person to request an absentee ballot for voting purposes.
S.B. 730 Requires the availability of consumer-directed personal care attendant (PCA) services as an alternative to regular home health care under the state-funded portion and the Medicaid waiver portion of the Connecticut Home Care Program for Elders. The bill would permit recipients' family members, other than spouses, to act as PCAs in this program. The client would employ, train and supervise the attendant. Bill and status information.
H.B. 6635 Creates a LifeSpan Respite Commission to study and make recommendations on the availability and delivery of respite care services to persons of all ages within Connecticut, and to fund a demonstration program.
Link to Connecticut Legislature: http://www.cga.ct.gov/
H. 0749/S. 2664 Creates the Florida Lifespan Respite Care Program to enhance the quality and quantity of respite care available to families statewide. The House bill has been approved by the relevant committees and is now in appropriations. The Senate bill has been approved by Children and Families Committee and referred to the Health, Aging and Long-term Care Committee
S.B. 2664 Provides a training and certification program for caregivers of disabled children and adults who are receiving services under the state's Medicaid home and community-based waiver.
Link to Florida Legislature: http://www.flsenate.gov
S.B. 170/H.B. 701 Establishes a consumer or family directed care program. Enrolled persons will choose their providers of services and will direct the delivery of services to best meet their long-term care needs. Providers may include family members, neighbors or friends.
Link to Georgia Legislature: http://www.legis.ga.gov
H.B. 90/S.B. 1020 Creates a $2,500 tax credit for premium cost associated with long-term care insurance.
H.B. 169/S.B. 1843 Authorizes the Hawaii State Unit on Aging to hire a family caregiver services coordinator; establishes an advisory board on family caregiving; funds training for family caregivers of seniors; and funds respite for family caregivers of seniors.
H.B. 226/S.B. 953 Provides respite care funding for families of individuals with special needs, including older adults and adults with disabilities.
H.B.389 Requires an employer who provides sick leave for employees to permit employees to use up to 10 days of accrued and available sick leave for family leave purposes. This legislation became law on May 2, 2003.
H.B. 711 Creates an "elder wellness" demonstration project to provide services, include respite care, that would assist older persons in remaining in their homes.
H.B. 1421 & S.B. 1583 Creates a caregiver tax credit for $2,000.
H.B. 1586/S.B. 884 Appropriates $5.6 million in general revenue for the Residential Alternative Community Care program, which uses Medicaid funds to provide home and community-based services. The increase in funding will maximize federal reimbursement. HB 1586 would also appropriate $4.4 million for a chore services program.
H.C.R. 205/S.R. 120 Supports the efforts of Hawaii's Executive Office on Aging and Department of Health to develop the Self-Determination Demonstration Project, which would advance consumer-directed services within Hawaii.
S.B. 939 Creates the Hawaii Respite Services Trust Fund to provide grants to caregivers for respite services.
Link to the Hawaii State Legislature: http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov
H.B. 0293 Creates a program to prevent unnecessary institutionalization of older adults or persons with Alzheimer's disease. Services may include respite care, home health care and other home care services.
H.B. 1102 Creates the Family Caregiver Support Coordinating Council to coordinate statewide planning, development and implementation of family caregiver support services.
H.B. 1196/H.B. 2973 Establishes a multi-faceted family caregiver support program to assist unpaid family caregivers who are informal providers of in-home and community care to older individuals or children.
H.B. 1254/H.B. 2922 Establishes home and community-based services to prevent unnecessary institutionalization of persons aged 60 and older. Services would include respite care services available during the day, weekend and on an emergency basis.
H.B. 3118 Creates a statewide Lifespan Respite program for individuals not eligible for services under other programs.
H.B. 3225 Creates a consumer-directed care demonstration program for persons served in Medicaid home and community-based service waivers. Consumers would receive a monthly budget for services, and would be able to hire relatives, friends and neighbors to provide these services.
H.J.R. 0014/S.J.R. 0016 Creates the Illinois Legislative Alzheimer's Disease Task Force. The goals of the task force include providing training and support to family and informal caregivers.
Link to the Illinois Legislature: http://www.ilga.gov/
H.B. 1694 Creates a $1,000 tax deduction for the premium cost associated with long-term care insurance.
H.B. 1900 Requires Indiana's Medicaid agency to apply for a federal "cash and counseling" waiver, which would provide Medicaid recipients with a cash allowance to purchase their own services.
S.B. 493 Establishes a home and community based long-term care service program; exempts individuals using Medicaid home and community based waiver services from lien recovery; amends the Medicaid Aged/Disabled waiver to include any service offered by the community and home options to institutional care for the elderly and disabled (CHOICE) program.
S.B. 527 Establishes a "caretaker support" program. Also implements programs that assist disabled and elderly citizens in living with the maximum amount of freedom.
S.B. 531 Provides a tax deduction for individuals who sell capital assets in order to finance long-term care needs.
Link to the Indiana legislature: http://www.IN.gov/legislativehttp://www.legislature.ms.gov/Pages/Web-Cast.aspx
H.F. 44 Requires that moneys in the Senior Living Trust Fund - used to provide long-term care services including home and community-based care - be invested until the funding level has reached $200 million. Once funding has reached $200 million, only the interest could be allocated for services.
Link to the Iowa legislature: https://www.legis.iowa.gov/
S.B. 277 Creates a tax deduction for the premium costs associated with long-term care insurance.
Link to the Kansas legislature: http://www.kslegislature.org/
H.B. 26 Promotes a consistent public policy for persons with disabilities and the frail elderly and their informal caregivers, including providing them with the following rights and responsibilities: the right to individual independence, dignity, privacy, and respect; and the right to individual choice regarding planning and managing of programs to assist with living in the community in the place of their choice.
H.B. 79 Creates a Medicaid buy-in program for adults with disabilities; makes recommendations on eligibility, personal care assistance services, coordination with other programs and policy considerations.
Link to Kentucky legislature: http://www.lrc.state.ky.us
S.B. 325 Creates the "Office of Family Support" within the state's Department of Social Services. The office would implement an integrated system of long-term care, including a full-range of home and community-based services to ensure the least restrictive setting for older persons.
S.B. 977 Makes adult day health care a part of the Medicaid state plan, as opposed to an optional or waiver service.
Link to Louisiana legislature: http://www.legis.state.la.us/
L.D. 1075 Creates a commission to study the availability of care for persons with dementia, including ways to reduce the burden on family caregivers.
Link to Maine legislature: http://janus.state.me.us/legis/siteguide/
S.B. 534 Requires that an "aftercare plan" be written for older adults after any short-term hospital stay. The plan should detail any health care needs, such as home health, that the older adult may need and should include a list of providers to meet those needs.
S.B. 554 Requires the commission of independent analysis of Medicaid's home and community-based care system, including providing family support as a way to prevent or delay institutionalization. The analysis should also include the impact of current caregiver support policies on the responsibilities of families to provide housing, food and daily care.
S.B. 670 Requires that all nursing home eligible Medicaid recipients be pre-screened before entering a nursing home to ensure that a home or community-based care setting is not available or more appropriate.
S.B. 767 Requires that Medicaid recipients who currently reside in a nursing home or who are nursing home eligible are able to receive care in the least restrictive setting, and that the funding for these services follow the individual as their setting of care changes.
S.B. 799 Creates a commission to study the availability of institutional care and other programs to meet the needs of adults (ages 18-59) with progressive or severe neurologic disabilities.
S.B. 875 Allows those who purchase a "pre-certified" long-term care insurance policy to be eligible for Medicaid once insurance benefits have been exhausted, regardless of assets.
Link to the Massachusetts legislature: http://www.state.ma.us/legis
S.B. 119/S.B. 122 Creates a $1,000 tax credit for the premium costs associated with long-term care insurance.
H.B. 4476 Creates a lifespan respite program.
Link to Michigan legislature: http://www.michiganlegislature.org
H.B. 739 Comprehensive mental health bill which includes provisions that would provide support to caregivers of persons with Alzheimer's disease.
H.B. 775 Would require the development of a comprehensive plan for providing services to disabled persons, including the provision of respite care, personal care and family support services.
S.B. 740 Invests the State Board of Mental Health with certain duties and responsibilities, including developing and implementing state plans to assist with the care and treatment of persons with Alzheimer's and other dementia. This plan would include the education and training of caregivers, as well as the provision of respite care and other support services to maintain the individual at home.
Link to the Mississippi legislature:http://www.legislature.ms.gov/
S.B. 44 Provides paid family leave, funded through the state's unemployment compensation disability insurance fund, for six weeks to care for a ill child, spouse, parent, domestic partner, or to bond with a new child. The program would apply to all employers within Missouri.
Link to the Missouri legislature: http://www.moga.mo.gov/
S.B. 433 Adds a tax on soft drinks to fund a variety of services, including respite care, family caregiver services and other in-home services.
S.J.R. 18 The Montana legislature has approved S.J.R. 18, a bill to require the state to apply for a Medicaid waiver that would provide payment to family members to provide care for an elderly or disabled loved one. The legislation also requires that caregivers be involved in the development of the waiver. S.J.R. 18 must be approved by the governor before it takes effect.
Link to Montana legislature: http://leg.mt.gov/
L.B. 108 Creates a $500 tax credit for the premium costs associated with long-term care insurance.
Link to Nebraska Legislature: http://nebraskalegislature.gov/
New Hampshire
H.B. 831 Creates a study commission on end-of-life care. Goals of the commission include the education and training of caregivers.
Link to the New Hampshire legislature: http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/index/
New Jersey
A. 606 Provides a tax credit to businesses who provide a long-term care insurance benefit for their employees.
A. 875 Provides $2 million to expand the Respite Care for the Elderly Program.
Link to New Jersey legislature: http://www.njleg.state.nj.us
New York
A. 2607 Requires that any group health insurance plan that covers in-patient hospital care also cover respite care.
Link to New York Legislature: http://public.leginfo.state.ny.us/menuf.cgi
North Dakota
H.B. 1469 Allows those who purchase a "pre-certified" long-term care insurance policy to be eligible for Medicaid once insurance benefits have been exhausted, regardless of assets.
S.B. 2083 The North Dakota legislature recently approved S.B. 2083, which would change eligibility for the Service Payments for the Elderly and Disabled (SPED) program. The state-funded program provides respite and personal care, among other services. Under new rules, older persons with assets of $25,000 would be eligible for services without any cost-sharing; those with assets between $25,000 and $50,000 would be required to cost share.
Link to North Dakota legislature: http://www.legis.nd.gov/
S.B. 749 Creates a consumer-directed care program which provides recipients of in-home and community-based services with a cash allowance to purchase their own services.
Link to Oklahoma Legislature: http://www.lsb.state.ok.us
H.B. 52 Allows those who purchase a "pre-certified" long-term care insurance policy to be eligible for Medicaid once insurance benefits have been exhausted, regardless of assets.
H.B. 81 Creates a $500 tax credit for the premium costs associated with long-term care insurance.
H.B. 236 Establishes a program to assist persons who bear primary responsibility for the at-home care of functionally dependent older adults and victims of chronic dementia. Sets reimbursement maximums at $600 per month for a qualified caregiver whose household income is under 200% of poverty.
H.B. 462 Allocates 6.5% of 1% of the money in the State Lottery Fund to the family care support programs of the Department of Aging for education and training for Alzheimer's caregivers. The funding also will be used to provide respite for persons with dementia so that caregivers may attend the training sessions.
S.B. 486 Directs the Department of Health to develop a program to provide respite services to persons suffering from Alzheimer's disease or related disorders of aging. Appropriates $2 million for this program.
Link to Pennsylvania legislature: http://www.legis.state.pa.us/WU01/LI/BI/billroom.htm
Rhode Island
H. 5241 Creates a $100 tax credit for the premium costs associated with long-term care insurance.
H. 5246 Further promotes access to home and community-based services as an alternative to institutionalized care.
Link to the Rhode Island legislature: http://www.rilin.state.ri.us
South Carolina
S. 193 Creates a $350 tax credit for the premium costs associated with long-term care insurance.
Link to the South Carolina legislature: http://www.scstatehouse.gov/
H.B. 13 Requires the state to develop and implement a comprehensive system of long-term care, including the provision of home and community-based services.
Link to Tennessee Legislature: http://www.legislature.state.tn.us
H.B. 2019 Creates the Texas Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Advisory Council and mandates that at least 3 members are relatives of persons with TBI. Among other duties, the council would focus on advising state leaders about the policies and issues that family caregivers face in caring for a loved one with TBI.
H.B. 3182 Creates a consumer-directed care demonstration program which provides recipients of in-home and community-based services with a cash allowance to purchase their own services.
Link to the Texas legislature: http://www.capitol.state.tx.us/
H. 363 Creates the Vermont Consumer-Directed Care Act which provides recipients of in-home and community-based services with a cash allowance to purchase their own services. Participants may hire friends, relatives and neighbors - including spouses - to provide services.
Link to the Vermont legislature: http://www.leg.state.vt.us/
H.B. 1703 Amends the Caregiver Grant Program which currently provides caregivers of physically or mentally impaired individuals with $500 annually. The amendment would provide $3000 for caregivers who could demonstrate that the impaired relative would be institutionalized if the caregiver did not provide care for the relative.
H.B. 2555 Creates a tax credit for an unspecified amount for the premium costs associated with long-term care insurance.
S.B. 958 Creates a long-term care insurance program for state government employees.
Link to Virginia Legislature: http://leg1.state.va.us
West Virginia
S.B. 131 Creates an Alzheimer's caregiver assistance program to provide respite services for informal caregivers of individuals with Alzheimer's disease.
Link to the West Virginia legislature: http://www.legis.state.wv.us/


text:
|Search Programs for USDA Food Composition Databases
The search program, previously written for use on your PC is no longer available. Since it was written over 10 years ago, the database has expanded both in the number of foods and nutrients, and the program no longer works reliably.
We hope to have a version for tablets and smartphones available sometime in the future. Though, at this time, we can not predict when. In the meantime we invite you to use our online search program, which has many of the same features plus some additional ones, as the PC Search program.
You can also download the database behind these applications, the USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference can be downloaded from this web site if you wish to use it directly in your own applications.


text:
Two Pasadena men were arrested for a string of diesel fuel thefts in Anne Arundel County, police said Friday.
Robert Douglas Murphy, 49, and Daniel Guy Padgett, 34, were arrested Aug. 31, following an anonymous tip that led to a two-month investigation, including police surveillance over multiple days.
Murphy was charged with theft, destruction of property, trespassing and related charges, authorities said. Police also recovered 19 guns from his home, including an Intratec "Tec 9" assault pistol loaded with 21 rounds of 9mm ammunition. Murphy lost the right to possess firearms after a previous conviction.
Padgett was charged with theft, destruction of property and trespassing.
The men lived at the same address in the 1600 block of Colony Road.
Detectives observed Murphy shortly before 5 a.m. on Aug. 22 stealing diesel fuel from a cell tower back-up generator in the 8200 block of Veterans Highway in Millersville. Murphy pulled his truck, a Ford F250, to the side of a fence, cut a hole in the fence and took about 160 gallons of fuel. He put the fuel in a large plastic container located in the bed of his truck.
Around 8 p.m. on Aug. 31, police said they saw Murphy using his pickup to haul a trailer with several empty containers. He parked the truck at a cell phone company in the 600 block of Ritchie Highway in Severna Park, left the trailer and parked on the shoulder of the highway near the business entrance. Officers then saw Murphy walking back and forth several times.
He left the truck at the business for about an hour and a half before eventually leaving with the trailer attached. The police observed five 55-gallon drums and one large plaster container, which they later learned were filled with diesel fuel.
Police stopped the truck on Route 648 near Asbury Drive and took Murphy and Padgett into custody.
The firearms were recovered after police executed search warrants.
The investigation is ongoing.
Anyone with information — including individuals and businesses that bought fuel from Murphy or Padgett — should contact Western District Detective Jonathan Hardesty at 410-222-6155.


text: Looking for cheap device to give me 8 serial ports (doesn't have to be particularly high speed: 9600bps is fine) from either ethernet or USB. Digi makes a variety of widgets that do this for USB, at about $50/port. (that is, a 8 port box is $400) Cyclades has some high end multi port devices. Comtrol has a 8 port serial device server at $750 There's a variety of PCI cards (e.g. RocketPort) that do this.. And, I suppose one could gang up a raft of $9 USB/Serial dongles on a USB hub (somehow, I suspect that this is fraught with peril) The device has to allow independent control of RTS and reading CTS (which may not be used in the usual flow control scheme) Thanks James Lux, P.E. Spacecraft Radio Frequency Subsystems Group Flight Communications Systems Section Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Mail Stop 161-213 4800 Oak Grove Drive Pasadena CA 91109 tel: (818)354-2075 fax: (818)393-6875


text:
About the Book
Features & Details
Standard Landscape, 10×8 in, 25×20 cm
400 Pages
- Publish Date Sep 10, 2009
About the Creator
Hello, First and foremost, Doug Loates is an artist. He is known principally for his painting and drawing but his photography is rapidly gaining recognition. He brings the same artist's eye and sensibility to his photographic process. from your very first meeting with him, you are going to a totally different place than you would with other photographers. So how does that look? Doug is a full-time artist and photographer. Let's get that out there right away. He does Wedding Photography because he LOVES doing Wedding Photography. (He books only two weddings a month so he can give you the attention that you deserve - to make sure your Wedding gets the photographic coverage that will blow your socks off!) He takes Wedding Photography to a whole new level. And it's catching on…..


text: Sijun Forums :: View topic - alien ATV concept Log in to check your private messages Sijun Forums Forum Index >> Work in Progress View previous topic :: View next topic Author Topic : "alien ATV concept" N8XmemberMember #Joined: 13 Oct 2000Posts: 112Location: Austin,Tx usa Posted: Wed Jan 10, 2001 11:41 am Made from reconstituted human DNA these beings can fly, swim, and travel over almost any surface. They can also walk using only their front legs and lift their back one over their head to hack and slash. The wings are retractable and can also be used as weapons for they are very sharp. No eyes But they have a group of sensor ducts that server many different functions. They are about 3 meters high at rest [This message has been edited by N8X (edited January 10, 2001).] Back to top balisticmemberMember #Joined: 01 Jun 2000Posts: 2599Location: Reno, NV, USA Posted: Wed Jan 10, 2001 3:44 pm Rad design. ------------------ "What we're hearing, techno, is the process of trying to create something of the future." - J.M. Brian "balistic" Prince 3D Artist Eggington Productions www.bprince.com Back to top shardikmemberMember #Joined: 09 Apr 2000Posts: 494Location: Buffalo, NY Posted: Fri Jan 12, 2001 12:31 am this is an ATV? cool, where do they sit? ------------------ -matt Back to top N8XmemberMember #Joined: 13 Oct 2000Posts: 112Location: Austin,Tx usa Posted: Fri Jan 12, 2001 7:23 pm they sit on the back torso like so.. Back to top JerrymemberMember #Joined: 28 Oct 2000Posts: 306Location: Canada, Ontario Posted: Fri Jan 12, 2001 10:01 pm I saw this awhile a go but didn't have time to reply so I came back. Looking good (all three of them). You designed them with information and everything... are you using them in some project or something? ------------------ -KARN- Forever. Die? Never KARN's Page Life is like a endless road, but between the start and the end myth of danger blinds the next step. Every step you take in life might lead you to happy or sad situations where more mysteries occur. That's why they invented airplanes. Back to top shardikmemberMember #Joined: 09 Apr 2000Posts: 494Location: Buffalo, NY Posted: Sat Jan 13, 2001 12:41 am comfy ------------------ -matt Back to top Display posts from previous: All Posts1 Day7 Days2 Weeks1 Month3 Months6 Months1 Year Oldest FirstNewest First Sijun Forums Forum Index -> Work in Progress All times are GMT - 8 Hours Page 1 of 1 Jump to: Select a forum Digital Art----------------Digital Art DiscussionWork in ProgressGallery/Finished Work Miscellaneous----------------Random MusingsArchive : Sep99 - Dec00 You cannot post new topics in this forumYou cannot reply to topics in this forumYou cannot edit your posts in this forumYou cannot delete your posts in this forumYou cannot vote in polls in this forum Powered by phpBB © 2005 phpBB Group


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Informal = Illegal? Think Again
Cover Photo: © Getty Images, Inc.
Book Title: In From the Shadow : Integrating Europe's Informal Labor
by Truman Packard, Johannes Koettl, Claudio Montenegro
Few phenomena that occupy the time of governments and economists are as ambiguously defined and difficult to measure as the "shadow" or "informal" economy. Those terms immediately make some people think of the guys who built an extension for their house and insisted on being paid in cash. Others remember the taxi driver who took them home after a late night out, and either didn't have a meter or didn't turn it on. Those who have been in very poor countries might recall bustling markets where you can haggle for anything from a handful of fresh chilies to a pair of sandals or even livestock. All of these are likely to be part of the unregulated and untaxed transactions that make up a country's informal economy.


text:
Dangerous journeys, contentious crossings
Migrant families desperate to flee gang violence and an administration determined to stop illegal immigration are adding up to a crisis on the border
Migrant families desperate to flee gang violence and an administration determined to stop illegal immigration are adding up to a crisis on the border
In the Notre Dame Cathedral fire, France's Christian past collides with its turbulent secular present
Los Angeles residents mourn the murder of rapper Nipsey Hussle and pray for God's peace amid violence
A sweeping campaign against house churches in China is sending leaders to prison and forcing many faithful Christians underground
Andrée Seu Peterson / Janie B. Cheaney / Joel Belz / Marvin Olasky / Mindy Belz / The Editors /
Sports / Science / Lifestyle / Money / Politics / Technology / Religion / Law / Media / Medicine / Education
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Quick Takes / Quotables / Human Race / News
Not until the few weeks prior to the November 5 election did the fundraising story begin to emerge, largely thanks to the persistence of The Los Angeles Times and The Wall Street Journal. The story has many parts, some bordering on the bizarre and unbelievable. While Asians and Asian-Americans are found in each, the central figure is the president.
In the wake of the 1994 elections that gave the GOP control of Congress, Mr. Clinton believed that to ensure his reelection he would have to scare off any Democratic primary rivals while also seeding public doubts about Republican policies. Toward this end, he ordered a heavy television advertising campaign beginning in 1995. It was, according to his political advisers, the earliest, most sustained such effort by an incumbent president.
To finance this campaign, Mr. Clinton chose not to tap his own campaign treasury. Instead, he turned to the Democratic National Committee. The DNC executed a massive fundraising program of unprecedented scope in which the president and also Vice President Al Gore were extensively used. Donors (and potential donors) got to shake hands or have coffee or dinner with one or the other. Some were invited to State Dinners. A few got to play golf with Mr. Clinton, and a select few even spent the night in the Lincoln Bedroom.
Heavy solicitation of Asian-Americans, the nation's fasting growing minority, was part of the DNC's effort. Indeed, it was given a name: the "National Asian Pacific American Campaign Plan." DNC documents show that the party hoped to raise an unprecedented $7 million from Asian-Americans. The DNC eyed Asian-Americans because (1) many are increasingly prosperous and (2), unfortunately for the Democratic Party, too Republican. In 1992, Mr. Clinton got only a third of the Asian-American vote.
Mr. Clinton was game for the Asian-American strategy. He had many Asian-American friends--most notably, James T. Riady, son of Mochtar Riady, the Indonesian billionaire whose Lippo Group has offices in the United States. The president came to know the Riadys after James Riady moved in 1977 to Little Rock, where he joined an investment firm. Over the years family members and Lippo associates have given heavily to Mr. Clinton and the Democratic Party. In 1993, one Lippo employee, John Huang, left the company to join the Clinton administration. Taking with him a severance payment of almost $900,000, Mr. Huang was appointed to the Commerce Department.
While with Lippo, Mr. Huang had raised money for the Democratic Party in Asian-American circles, and he wanted to do it again, as a full-time job. In the fall of 1995, he and Mr. Riady had an Oval Office meeting with Mr. Clinton during which Mr. Huang told Mr. Clinton he would like to leave Commerce and raise money for both the party and the president's reelection campaign. A month later Mr. Huang was at the DNC. His new title--one never before held by a staff fundraiser--was DNC "finance vice chairman."
Mr. Huang proved an extraordinary fundraiser as often huge contributions rolled in from donors with business affiliations in Indonesia, Taiwan, Korea, Vietnam, and mainland China. Mr. Huang himself raised at least $3.4 million from these sources.
These contributions, like those made to the DNC by other parties, fell into the category known as "soft money"--money that is not given to a specific candidate for federal office but to a political party, for general use. The question raised by the Democrats' Asian soft money is whether it involved violations of federal law.
Here are some recent fundraising episodes that threaten to further beleaguer the White House and the DNC:
**red_square** In the fall of 1995, while still at the Commerce Department, Mr. Huang made a bedside hospital visit to Hashin Ning, a Riady business partner who had fallen sick while on travel to the United States. At Mr. Riady's request, Mr. Clinton sent Mr. Ning a get-well note. Mr. Ning's daughter and son-in-law, Soraya and Arief Wiriadinata, advised Mr. Huang of their interest in supporting the Democratic Party and President Clinton. Mr. Huang suggested making contributions to the DNC. The Wiriadinatas, then permanent residents living in Arlington, gave $30,000--their first-ever American political contribution. Later, upon returning to Indonesia, they sent in $420,000 more. Because federal law permits donations from foreigners who are permanent residents, the $30,000 and perhaps also the additional $420,000 were legal contributions. The DNC nonetheless returned the money because it was unable to verify whether the couple had filed 1995 tax returns.
That information would have been relevant to deciding whether the Wiriadinatas contributed their own money or someone else's. It is a crime for one person to knowingly make a contribution using someone else's money. And if any of the money the Wiriadinatas gave came from overseas, that could be a crime. While federal law clearly prohibits foreigners from contributing to specific candidates, it is uncertain whether the law also outlaws foreign contributions to political parties. A Justice Department spokesman confirms that there has never been a prosecution in a case of foreign soft money.
**red_square** Mr. Huang and Maria Hsia, a Taiwanese-American businesswoman in Los Angeles, organized a fundraiser at Hsi Lai Buddhist temple held last April in the Hacienda Heights neighborhood of Los Angeles. Vice President Al Gore was the featured speaker at the lunch, and DNC chairman Don Fowler was in the audience that consisted of monks and nuns. Notwithstanding vows of poverty and stipends of $40 a month, this Buddhist assemblage contributed $140,000. In October, one of the nuns, Man Ya Shih, told The Wall Street Journal that the $5,000 she gave belonged to someone else who did not wish to be identified. Later, in a submission to the Federal Election Commission, she said the money was hers, explaining that because she was nervous and wanted to end her conversation with the Journal reporter, she offered the most innocent explanation she could think of. The DNC returned "her" money but has not returned any of the other contributions. As recently as last week, Mr. Gore continued to deny that he knew the event was a fundraiser. It is as illegal to raise funds for a political party in a Buddhist temple as in a Baptist church.
**red_square** In May 1996, a fundraising dinner organized by Mr. Huang was held at the Sheraton Carlton Hotel in Washington, D.C. Yogesh Gandhi, a distant relative of Mahatma Gandhi, paid for his ticket and that of a friend, Dr. Hogen Fukunaga, with a $325,000 contribution. (At the dinner, Mr. Gandhi and Mr. Fukunaga presented Mr. Clinton the 1996 "Mahatma Gandhi World Peace Award.") Mr. Fukunaga, leader of a Japanese religious sect known as Ho no Hana Sanpogyo, is a multimillionaire, while Mr. Gandhi, a naturalized American, is a man of little means, indeed a "pauper," according to papers filed in his recent divorce case. After The Los Angeles Times reported in October the details of Mr. Gandhi's lowly economic status, the DNC concluded that the $325,000 he had donated probably never belonged to him and returned "his" money.
**red_square** During Mr. Clinton's first term, Pauline Kanchanalak, a Thai businesswoman who is a permanent resident, visited the White House at least 26 times, often to attend lunches, dinners, and coffees for major donors. On June 18, 1996, Ms. Kanchanalak, who gave a total of $253,000 to the DNC, all of which the committee returned after she said the money belonged to her mother-in-law, brought five of her associates to meet with Mr. Clinton. They included officials from the U.S.-Thai Business Counsel and the Charoen Pokaphand Group, a Thai-based conglomerate said to be the largest foreign investor in China. The DNC's Mr. Fowler and the ever-present Mr. Huang also attended, as did Marvin Rosen, the DNC's finance chairman and head of the soft-money fundraising effort. Though DNC officials now deny it, the committee's records identify the meeting as a fundraiser.
The same day as this meeting, Ms. Kanchanalak contributed the bulk of the amount she gave the DNC that was later returned--$185,000. According to The Wall Street Journal, the topic of the meeting was "U.S. policy toward China." While there is no evidence that U.S. policy toward China was affected by the meeting, Common Cause has asked the Justice Department to investigate whether an illegal "sale of a meeting" with the president occurred.
The premise of the Common Cause request is that the meeting itself might have been of value to the foreigners who participated in it, since a picture with the president of the United States is a business asset back home. According to Common Cause, it was the value of the photograph, if nothing else, that should be enough to interest the Justice Department.
The Democratic National Committee has had to return $1.5 million of the funds it raised. Nor is it the only entity close to the president that has had to do that. The president's legal defense fund returned $639,000 to Charlie Yah Lin Trie, whom Mr. Clinton first knew when he ran a restaurant in Little Rock. The money came in the form of checks and money orders that had sequential serial numbers and were filled out by the same hand.
Attorney General Janet Reno has already rejected requests for the appointment of an independent counsel to probe the fundraising matters. The task force within the Justice Department to which she instead gave the assignment has blanketed the White House and the DNC with subpoenas that are now in the process of being answered. Through its hearings this winter and spring the Congress may unearth new information. As could a snarling press: In late December The Los Angeles Times published an unusual story criticizing the White House for misleading reporters and declining to release important details before the election.
Apart from any election law violations and the fate of John Huang, the big questions now asked in Washington are (1) whether government policy was altered because of the fundraising in question and (2) whether any foreign governments--many of the wealthy Asians and Asian-Americans have ties to Asian heads of state--sought to produce change in policy by laundering money through Asian businessmen giving sums to Asian-Americans who in turn contributed to the Democratic Party and thus to Mr. Clinton.
At some point Ms. Reno may be compelled to ask for an independent counsel. It would be the fifth assigned to investigate the Clinton administration.
Incidentally, in the 1996 election 49 percent of Asian-Americans voted for Bob Dole, and 42 percent for Mr. Clinton. In congressional races, 53 percent voted for the Republican candidate, 42 percent for the Democratic candidate. As in the presidential race, Asian-Americans voted more Republican than did whites.


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AmyJo Mattheis is a past Executive Director of Solar Cookers International.
Motivated by a trip to Ethiopia in 1984 during a famine at the age of nineteen, she has pursued a professional life using her skills and experience to change the world for the better. AmyJo has lived as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Ghana, West Africa, and has worked in Ramallah, Palestine and Nicaragua. She has been a solar cook herself since 2004.


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Editorial Staff and Contributors
Click here
to view an animated version of this procedure.
Hysterectomy is the surgical term for the removal of the uterus (womb). This results in the inability to become pregnant.
There are different types of surgeries, such as:
A hysterectomy may be done if the uterus is causing health problems that cannot be treated by other means. Some reasons a woman may have a hysterectomy are to:
Explore your options before having a hysterectomy. There are other treatments for many of these problems.
If you are planning to have hysterectomy, your doctor will review a list of possible complications, which may include:
Some factors that may increase the risk of complications include:
Be sure to discuss the risks with your doctor before surgery.
Your doctor may do the following:
You should do the following:
General anesthesia
is usually used for this surgery. Anesthesia blocks pain and keeps you asleep through the surgery. It is given through an IV in your hand or arm.
There are 2 different methods of surgery that are described here.
An incision will be made in the lower abdomen. This is done to expose the tissue and blood vessels that surround the uterus. The tissue will then be cut. The blood vessels will be tied off. The uterus will be removed. Next, the abdominal wall will be sewn back together and the skin will be closed with stitches or staples. If the cervix is also removed, stitches will be put in the top of the vagina.
This method will not involve any outside incisions. The vagina will be stretched and kept open with special tools. Next, the uterus and cervix will be cut free. The connecting blood vessels will be tied off. The uterus and cervix will be removed through the vagina. Lastly, the top of the vagina will be closed with stitches.
With each procedure, a vaginal packing (sterile gauze) is placed in the vagina. This will be removed after 1-2 days.
In the recovery room, you will have IV fluids and medications.
1-3 hours
You will not have pain during the surgery because of the anesthesia. During your recovery time, you will be given pain medication.
Your doctor may choose to keep you longer if you have any complications.
While you are recovering at the hospital, you may receive the following care:
During the first few days, you may have pain, bloating, vaginal bleeding, and vaginal discharge.
When you return home, do the following to help ensure a smooth recovery:
Recovery from open abdominal hysterectomy usually takes 6-8 weeks. Recovery from a vaginal hysterectomy usually takes 3-4 weeks.
After you leave the hospital, call your doctor if any of the following occur:
If you think you have an emergency, call for emergency medical services right away.
The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
Women's Health—US Department of Health and Human Services
The Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada
Women's Health Matters
Hysterectomy. Women's Health—US Department of Health and Human Services website. Available at:
http://www.womenshealth.gov/publications/our-publications/fact-sheet/hysterectomy.html. Updated April 28, 2017. Accessed December 13, 2017.
Hysterectomy. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists website. Available at: http://www.acog.org/Patients/FAQs/Hysterectomy. Published March 2015. Accessed December 13, 2017.
Last reviewed December 2017 by Beverly Siegal, MD, FACOG
Please be aware that this information is provided to supplement the care provided by your physician. It is neither intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. CALL YOUR HEALTHCARE PROVIDER IMMEDIATELY IF YOU THINK YOU MAY HAVE A MEDICAL EMERGENCY. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider prior to starting any new treatment or with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
Copyright © EBSCO Publishing. All rights reserved.


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Global DJ Broadcast: Top 15 - February 2009
Release Label: Armada Music
Release Code: ARDI1014
Release Date: February 2nd 2009
Markus Schulz begins February 2009 by assembling another impressive Global DJ Broadcast Top 15 digital compilation. Presenting 15 tracks in their full unmixed versions, he selects the biggest tunes on his Global DJ Broadcast radio show, including the fan-selected Global Selection winners, as well as the major floorfillers in his live sets.
Last month, the original mix of Mike Foyle's Bittersweet Nightshade featured prominently. On this occasion however, Markus opts for his own Return To Coldharbour remix, which has become a signature opener in his live sets on both sides of the Christmas period.
The remix debuted on Markus' much heralded Essential Mix in December, and he dips into that particular playlist again, where tracks by Beat Service and Moonbeam & Tyler Michaud.
On New Year's Day, Markus celebrated the annual Global DJ Broadcast Classics Showcase, a 2 hour journey highlighting some of the best tunes of our era. This is highlighted with the inclusion of the classic Blueberry by Probspot, and the epic Sincere by Firewall, an alias of producer Lange.
The most recent series in the World Your emanated from Athens, and many of the tracks played on the night also feature here, from Dyor 2 Dyor, Marco Joosten vs. E.C., Timmy & Tommy and Rowald Steyn. The pounding Contrasts by Sied van Riel & Claudia Cazacu, which opened up preceedings in the World Tour broadcast from Toronto, also features.
Rounding off the chart are championed favourites from the Global DJ Broadcast listeners, such as the wonderful Moonlight Madness by Anton Firtich under his AF Project alias, the harmonic vocals of Carrie Skipper as she teams up with Hungarian duo Myon & Shane 54, Germans Alex M.O.R.P.H. and Ronski Speed, and PodNyk & Oxide.
If you are a follower of Global DJ Broadcast, Evolution, the World Tour shows or Markus Schulz's live sets, you are sure to find something to cater for your tastes here.
In summary, the Top 15 for February is:
01. Mike Foyle pres. Statica - Bittersweet Nightshade (Markus Schulz Return To Coldharbour Remix)
02. AF Project - Moonlight Madness (Original Mix)
03. Marco Joosten vs. E.C. - Offshore
04. Dyor 2 Dyor - Vision (Big Emotion Mix)
05. Probspot - Blueberry
06. Timmy & Tommy - Full Tiltin (Joint Operations Centre Remix)
07. Myon & Shane 54 feat. Carrie Skipper - Vampire (Gareth Emery's Garuda Remix)
08. Beat Service - Nectar (Juicy Mix)
09. Alex M.O.R.P.H. - Sunshine (Original Mix)
10. Ronski Speed feat. Karen Ires - Revolving Doors (Sun Decade Mix)
11. PooNyk & Oxide - Tears Don't Drop (Mobilize Remix)
12. Rowald Steyn - Hold Control
13. Moonbeam & Tyler Michaud feat. Fisher - Love Never Dies
14. Firewall - Sincere (Lange Mix)
15. Sied van Riel & Claudia Cazacu - Contrasts (Original Mix)
You can purchase this Top 15 from iTunes at one of the following links below:
United States and Canada: Click Here
Rest of the World: Click Here
Alternatively, simply open the iTunes Store and search for "Global DJ Broadcast"
The Top 15 is also available at digital download portals Beatport, Trackitdown, Juno Download and Audiojelly.


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When asked a question last week about the recent border clashes over terrorist activities by the FARC, Secretary Rice said "Colombia's a good friend. I do hope that there will be a diplomatic outcome to this. The Organization of American States has been involved and we have been involved, bilaterally, the regional states have been involved; but of course it shows that everyone needs to be vigilant about the use of border areas by terrorist organizations like FARC.
What responsibilities do Ecuador and Venezuela have to fight terrorism on their borders?
Joe in Tennessee writes:
MAR 6 -- DEA Acting Administrator Michele M. Leonhart and Michael J. Garcia, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced the arrest of Victor Bout, an international arms dealer charged with conspiring to sell millions of dollars worth of weapons to the Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia (the "FARC") -- a designated foreign terrorist organization based in Colombia. Bout and co-defendant Andrew Smulian were arrested yesterday on the U.S. charges by Thai authorities in Bangkok.
According to court documents, between November 2007 and February 2008, Bout and Smulian agreed to sell to the FARC millions of dollars worth of weapons including surface-to-air missile systems (SAMs) and armor piercing rocket launchers. During a series of recorded telephone calls and emails, Bout and Smulian agreed to sell the weapons to two confidential sources (CSs) working with the DEA, who held themselves out as FARC representatives acquiring these weapons for the FARC for use in Colombia.
Considering the effort of the US in trying to manage limitation of arms, I see no reason for them manage their borders more effectually.
The biggest problem is in the FARC culture which is established in all the small towns and villages throughout both countries. Everything from foodstuffs to policing of the areas is controlled by the FARC. With limited funds and unlimited natural resources for cocaine production, many people depend on the cocaine trade and even to this day purchase groceries with past by weight. It is normal daily activities for the citizens.
For the government to delete both protection and livelihoods without replacing the security of the FARC, it is all but impossible for them to make a difference in that regard. By using the United States resources, they become a third party to it all and evade their real responsibilities to the people. There is also the headset that most of the money which comes for arms and training is a result of the cocaine trade and the US is the largest user of the commodity, therefore, we are the problem.
It's a difficult issue when the responsibility game comes into play within a culture dependent on both sides by the United States. It is not a simple problem as it is multi dimensional and the same which exist in Afghanistan. It shows the importance of infrastructure which supports the population in a productive nature.
Stephen in New Jersey writes:
All countries are responsible for activities occurring within their borders. If they can not control people in their country, or who use their country as sanctuary, then the neighboring country has every right to protect itself. There should be no line that a country can't cross in pursuit of terrorists that have attacked and harmed their citizens. This includes Columbia, Israel, Turkey and The Unites States. We should have one rule for the pursuit of murderers who use another country for shelter.
Zharkov in U.S.A. writes:
It's always entertaining to watch Washington tell Chavez how to run his country. Hugo does not view FARC as a terrorist group. He believes the Bush Administration to be a terrorist group. So either his perception or ours must change before we offer to show him how, when, and where to fight "terrorism".
Joe in Tennessee writes:
You mean Putins puppet and the Great Castros lap dog Chavez Zharkov?
If he actually had a brain that wasn't wasted on the cocaine he enjoys for free from the FARC, perhapss he would realize that he could sell petrol for over .50 a gallon at his Shell stations across America and actually show that he does have power.
He's a joke waiting to pass on and away. He has lost his base within his country so all he does have left is the FARC and terrorism...as he started out. He did kill 110 people in a small village, including women and childern. Nice guy...wonderful leader.
Eric in New Mexico writes:
@ Joe in Tennessee -- The concept all arms merchants fail to grasp is that there will be no place to spend the profits when there's no one left to buy the weapons.
Steven in U.S.A. writes:
This is an interesting situation with less than solid national borders. Ecuador has no less than a symbiotic relationship with FARC. Venezuela has made it clear that FARC is throughly supported by their governance. Colombia on the other hand is working towards suppression and removal of FARC.
It is absolutely clear in that FARC is a terrorist or dangerous criminal organization. Colombia's reactions were natural given the situation. But vigilance is definitely important here. Continual encroachment on Colombia cannot be resolved by a vigilant defense alone.
Joe in Tennessee writes:
I don't know why there is a transposition of wording at times... but:
1. Chavez could sell oil at .50 cents a gallon LOWER and have OPEC at his doorstep. It would be a move of Power. Heãs too insecure and ignorant to do so or working with Russia in an overall economical devaluation of the US dollar. Gee, it's not rocket science.
On Stevens response: You are correct in the border lines. It's jungle to begin with in many places or inhabited for the most part; but, it is an established cultural related to basic existence of human beings more than anything else. Human existence is directly related to the main financial resource of the FARC: Narcotics. Where there was once fear and unorganized small villages raided by various groups along all the borders, the FARC represent unity, law and order of a nature not in existence for decades. If you can't do replacement values to human existence, nothing will change.
Columbia gets the lions share of U.S. DEA funding so it does more and the FARC is feared by the established Govt. The best way to deal with fear is to render fear back, or at least appear to.
Ecuador has a nominal army to begin with in both size and ability. Get realistic.
Venezuela... they view it as the U.S. being the main problem with the use of product and also have more a navel force for it's sea line than a diligent or well trained land force. Most of their army leadership is composed of ex drug personal from one regime or another; they do not represent an organized force as we would have. Overall, Chavez is a puppet of Russia. If you follow Putins steps for the last 12 years you will realize what's happened. So why be surprised?
The biggest long term asset is the unification of the South American banks. Even if they hide and launder drug monies under a unified existence, any external forces will have to be dealt with to move things into a more civilized setting for all concerned. Follow the money... and bankers like money to flow without restrictions and the least amount of problems. Hopefully this will not be used against the US economy.
Zharkov in U.S.A. writes:
OPEC is far more important to US national interests than FARC will ever be. Chavez defends Venezuelan oil fields with Russian weapons but that doesn't make him Putin's poodle - those weapons are paid for with oil money. American oil money is still arming our enemies more than 5 years after 9/11.
Russia, as well as Venezuela charge whatever the market will pay for oil. OPEC propaganda is supposed to convince us that OPEC pricing protects world economic health, but current oil prices make that a lie. The US is losing an economic war with OPEC. Sending VP Cheney to OPEC to beg for mercy is a horrible idea. You might as well run up the white flag at the White House. The way to fight an economic war is with economic war. Instead, America turns away from the battle and just takes the economic hits, month after month, year after year, until there is no value left in the U.S. dollar.
Joe in Tennessee writes:
You can not really believe that Z.
Your overall scope of a larger picture is non existent. Putin, in 1999 went to Venezuela ...and again, and again and again... all venues of Russian old school methodology have been implemented piece mill from the Russian Sino accord to the change in standing of the Cohen Act from 97. Castro and other third world leaders were always bounced off each other in the effort to mask Russian interest, which now include the purchase of 40 percent of Iraqs offshore oil rights. It is an overall economic, well planned attack against the devaluation of the American dollar which is used to purchase Oil.
The Saudis could care less as they win either way and the more separation and wars, the better for them security wise and monetarily.
The order of valuation is: the OPEC dollar first, followed by the NARCO dollar, followed by the Gold/metals markets.
We only get about 20 percent of our oil from OPEC in the US. OPEC is only important as oil is purchased with the US dollar and if it is devalued as now, oil cost more from OPEC -- Where do you research things?
If Chavez was working independently, he could easily use a McDonalds approach to selling his oil and have everyone knocking on his door... but he can't. He is a puppet President and always has been with the IQ of a tomato ...that is zero. He is a communist and not a socialist.
Zharkov in U.S.A. writes:
@ Joe in Tennessee -- Joe, if Chavez was Putin's poodle, then the Question of the Week would have been, "What responsibilities do Ecuador and Russia have to fight terrorism on Venezuela's borders?"
Nobody asked that question because It's a silly conspiracy theory to say Russia tells Chavez how to run Venezuela, or China tells Castro how to run Cuba, or the CIA controls Iran's ayatollahs, and it's not worth the time to discuss it.
Russia earned the Iraqi oil rights deal because, at U.S. request, Russia had to forgive about $12 billion dollars of Iraqi debt owed to Russia by Saddam's regime. Naturally, Russia's government expected something in return. The oil rights deal did not make the Iraqi government a Putin poodle. OPEC sets oil prices and production quotas which influence the price of oil no matter where the US buys oil. It makes no difference whether the US buys 20% or 50%, the OPEC cartel controls crude price and if they wanted prices to drop, they could quickly arrange for that to happen.
If Chavez was a moron, he could sell below market, but he is not, so he sells for as much as the market will pay. Hugo may be a communist while seizing of Exxon's oil fields but when it comes to pricing his oil, he is a capitalist. He does not have to be a genius to take advantage of OPEC's pricing strategy.
The larger picture is that economic warfare was launched against the US when OPEC was formed and the US government is now becoming road kill under OPEC's tank treads. Our government has no clue about what to do next so it sits like a deer in the headlights while the Federal Reserve is busy destroying the dollar and destroying the savings of the elderly in America in a form of financial suicide guaranteed to end further investment in America by other nations. The dollar has become an international pariah. This recession is going to be huge, structural and not transitory, and it is just beginning. On the positive side, the massive dollar collapse could be enough to motivate Congress to abolish the federal reserve. The primary job of the Fed, ironically, was to protect the value of our money.
So which is more important, FARC, or the annihilation of our country's dollar?
Eric in New Mexico writes:
I think Joe's got a point, and not to put words in his mouth, I'll simply interpret the facts in context with something very basic underlying his position towards Russia.
One could obtain all the legal permits to build and run the lab, carry out the experiments in full compliance with the rule of law, yet in the end of the deal, those who play Russian Roulette must be held liable for the Frankenstein created for profit through arms sales to ethical infants.
I find good reason to question the intent of a nation that on one hand works to the common good in certain areas very well with the U.S., while at the same time sells sophisticated hardware of war to those that express threat and bellicosity towards America.
This hypocrisy must end on one side of the fence or the other, because the Frankensteins that are Chavez, Aminidijad and Co., are as equal a threat to the enabler, as is to those opposed to seeing the threats to wipe nations off the map become reality.
And lest folks think I speak of Israel alone at risk, or even the U.S. along with, I'm stating emphatically that should the international community as a whole fail to dismantle the Frankenstein governments run by ethical infants supported with the means to wage war by power mongering political blindness cloaked as "economic opportunity", there will be no economic or political stability in an unpeaceful and impoverished world.
So if I were to applaud Sec. Rice and President Bush for a very healthy and robust policy of logic and restraint, I do so because the U.S. has demonstrated that we are fully capable of dismantling Frankensteins at will, at a time of our choosing.
One may say that leaving Saddam in power after the first gulf war was an enormous tactical mistake, as well as a moral failure of our foreign policy at the time.
President Bush has stated that U.S. policy abandoned Afghanistan in the past, but recognizing this moral failure, has taken every effort to do right by the Afghan people for the long term.
So it is that the U.S. is blamed for the world as it is, unilaterally, without thought or care of how humanity got in this predicament in the first place.
When we correct past mistakes, we are blamed for creating new ones. At least we have the moral courage to take responsibility for the solutions employed upon ethical infants. And this in the hope the people forgive our trespasses as necessary to their nation's long term welfare.
And so, if Mr. Putin stumbles upon this blog entry, I hope he'll consider the words, and make a correct tactical choice as a moral imperative for Russia and the betterment of mankind.
The grandson of one of the original scientists on the Manhattan Project that built the first atomic bomb knows what he's talking about on a very personal level.
Hope it offers a little perspective.
Zharkov in U.S.A. writes:
In my view, Putin's job is the same as Mr. Bush's job - the betterment of his nation, not all of mankind. National leaders owe loyalty to their own country first, not to the world generally. If they cannot protect their own country, they certainly have no business trying to protect other countries. Mr. Putin, at least, did not sit on his hands while his bankers destroyed the value of Russia's currency, and the ruble is worth far more today because of him.
Let's not forget so quickly that it was the US government who armed Al-Qaida, not Mr. Putin, and Venezuela is not Al-Qaida. Some people, such as VP Cheney, would say Al-Qaida is a more dangerous enemy. Do you know who else is buying U.S. weapons designs and systems? If so, then you already know how China obtained U.S. missile targeting designs, weapons systems and US hydrogen bomb warhead designs, and how Pakistan obtained nuclear weapons details. Remember the British agent who recently blew the whistle on a certain U.S. State Department officer who allegedly sold U.S. secrets? No Russia is not the big nuclear proliferation problem - we are.
Joe in Tennessee writes:
In an effort to address a lot:
1. We were under the fiscal gun when Russia pulled the wheat futures deal, threatened to dump gold on the market, OPEC formed and we had to scramble for the NARCO dollar. It all just happened to happen at once. Do you honestly believe that?
2. Nixon's administration circumvented the nail in the coffin by stopping the Russian Sino accord, which now does exist. It is more Like someone put 30 years on hold. It was the back up administrations fiscal lack of responsibility and some major National Security issues by a certain President who thought the world was one big nice huggy-kissy caring place. It is NOT. We did it to ourselves.
3. Putin was involved 30 years ago and has simply leanred, developed and deployed an absolute plan already in place due to Congress falling asleep at the wheel. Not Intelligence, not the military, not any particular President, but Congress and the Senate that control the money. Putin does not have to contend with Corporate intents, only use them. He manipulates what Capitalism exists for the benefit of his program, his Mother Russia, his National Interest. Not necessarily for the people, but the State. Capitalism is only a tool, not the driving gear...
4. Chavez is not intelligent enough to plan his own funeral and yes, he is just another Hitler. No more, no less. Russia cut its dead wood with Castro, but Venezuela was another story. We have both been down there forever. We have puppets, they have puppets. If your small, someone has to back you up. Even in America, you have to belong to something don't you? Church, family, corporation, military..you have to be part of a larger whole and that whole chain goes up the line. It's basic sociology. Can you really exist alone?
Joe in Tennessee writes:
5. Talk about forgiven debut...Iraqis new administration had no obligation to Russia. That was agreed in the UN. His agreement was with a dictator who was disposed and the money was to be funneled into personal and private deals, not as a country asset. These deals happen because we are not privy to the actual agreements...like to stay out of certain areas, bring Russian troops into others. Why do you think we have all the information as to what actually goes on? Russia devalued our currency in a three hour period last year simply buying oil with the Euro dollar. We slipped fifteen cents, the Euro went up 15. Cost us billions on the international market. So maybe that was the agreement/deal arrangement: Russia would not purchase oil with the Euro dollar to settle the UN disputed agreement he had with Saddam. Not counting the U.S. debut Russia and China hold. They just happened to pickup more at that time. This happened because it was planned, no more no less. Yes, folks, there are people who do not like the U.S. and want to take us down. It is about power and has gone on for how many thousand years?
6. Waldon's Pond does not exist unfortunately. It is like the old adage: What if they had a war and nobody came? It is human nature to be led. It is human nature to exist and differ on how to exist. That is what culture is about. It is the reason for everything from personal desires, religions or the lack of, to the need for laws or control elements. Just as you cannot have freedom without limitations, you cannot have control with too few and it is in this paradox we all wander back and forth and disagree.
7. If there were not a recognized threat of a planned nature, we would not be polarizing with Russia. They threw in the glove first and kept slapping us in the face. Our saving grace is a President who does realize this. Putin started weaving his net over America over a decade ago and unless you are simply covered with trees, it is all out there in plan historical view. From visitations to developments. Be they economic, civil, leadership placements, aid ...name it. Follow Putin and the rabbit run/trail is well exposed now. Yes he is one very smart man. We think from election to election. The average American can see only what is in front of them. We are a disposable society. Russia never was, never will be and to put it in Putin's words back in the 80's: I think the United States needs to recognize their place in world ...while pointing to the size of the U.S. and comparing it to Russia ...then going on to state: how old is their culture, what great history do they have, what has been their place in the world throughout the civilized decades? Only to react when personally threatened. Putin always had a disdain for the United States. He is a Russian, through and through and we are the mutts of the world. Putin is the Bear. His choice of dogs show the man. Loyalty and fearless to size. That is his headset and always was. Do you think that these indoctrination youth camps are just incidental or recent? Unplanned? He started rebuilding his country before the wall fell ...consider the fact that some walls are meant to keep things in, not let them out to devour. The United States rebuilt Russia under the false pretext we could keep them subdued long enough to spread liberty and deal with China. Russia was already a decade ahead from the onset. Shame Thomas was book shelved'.and TE is gone. Gosh people, they never even did away with Dumas and their political infrastructure. Does that not say something? Who ever was stupid enough to say: It will be the mid-2000's before Russia will ever get back on its feet and be a world power? Every Chair person from every major University in America ...they could only be wrong if it was all planned. They are not all stupid or wrong. It is the only logical explanation. Yes, they do plan through other nations, just as we do.
Joe in Tennessee writes:
8. We helped train the Al Quida and equipped them in the late 70's- 80's ...How do you find that to be in the 2000's? We didn't give them as much as you may think because we were not supposed to be intervening. It was my baptism to that corner of the world. They captured and preferred Russian arms. Even now they have Russian arms, not American and yes stashes of Chinese and other old small arms. We found most the stingers and SAMs. Victor had them and was trying to resell them in SA.
Look outside what you are looking at. I believe that to be Rule 1 in any investigation of any type. Then find the strings because there is no co incidence in this game of world powers. That is what it is unfortunately.
Like it or not, we will never be one world hugging and kissing anytime in the near future and we will have to maintain our Vigilance of Freedom for not just America, but all we are related to.
The United States of America does give more, help more, provide more in every manner than any other nation on earth to both its own citizens and in outreach and support. Not just our Government, but our people. The U.S. has more missionaries and peace project personal citizens than any other on earth who give and give and give. If we go, so does it all. I honestly believe that....By the way; ask Putin why close to 28% of his people live sub standard of UN rated conditions. If he has so much money and he cares so much about all his children of Russia, why aren't they all eating well? Educated well? Have equal opportunity? Fair legal represented hearings? Freedom of the Press? Freedom of ownership? It no longer and never did exist. You can say the same of China. Less then 1% of the population actually has what you'd refer to as the Capitalist dream. Why don't they all?
American interference is not interference, it is direction to freedom. Interference is only a word of propaganda used by those who find a free society a threat to their leadership.
Have a good day and value your freedoms.
To the son of the son of: When fire became known, who thought it would be used as a weapon mixed with petrol to even enhance the capacity to maim and kill? When the spear was made to hunt and defend from the elements, who threw it in anger first into another human? There is no guilt in invention, only laws to govern misuse...
Ecuador and Venesuela have the same responsibilities
as any nations to fight terrorism and protect their borders.
The real question is; did the USA provide weapons to either
nation via Victor Bout? ( global arms trafficker)
If so, isn't USG driving crime and terrorism?
Eric in New Mexico writes:
@ Authors of previous posts:
So let's explore this in the context of the question of where responsibility lies in regards to regional cooperation to fight terrorism in general. Specificly as it concerns soverign territorial boundaries being a hinderance in some respects to dealing with non-state actors. Whether it be FARC, the Taliban, Al Quaida, PKK etc.
While differences in regional setting and circumstance certainly exist in each case, commonality exists in the sence that terrorist org (T) is using country (A) as a staging area to attack citizens and infrastructure of country (B), while country (C) lends material support to (T) for it's own political ends in the regional context.
It would be valid I believe to conclude that the territorial integrity of each nation is either breached or at risk by these circumstance. Country (C) being at risk of retaliation by either (A) or (B), or both by acting as a state sponsor of terrorism. Country (A)'s territory is compromised by (T) whether being willingly offering safe haven or not. Country (B)'s territory being compromised by (T), (A) and (C).
As I see it, the basic solution lies in cutting off supplies to (T), as with no bullets and explosives, there won't be much terrorizing going on.
And so to put this in simple generalized terms, whether a nation is willing or not to accept their reponsibility to cut off the flow of munitions, they all share equal burden to act under internationaql laws and various UN resolutions regarding designated terrorist org's, treaty obligations regarding common borders that may exist among them, and a general moral responsibility to the welfare of their citizens.
(T) has simply through its actions, voided its right to exist. It's members have only the right to declare unconditional surrender to the will of the international community and lay down arms to walk a path of peace and reconciliation. How that is achieved is dependant on their lack of capacity to sustain themselves as a cohesive fighting force, being without a local or regional support base.
It is also fair I think to consider any form of support for a sponsor of terrorism to be itself direct ( not indirect ) support for terrorism, and actionable via international law.
This is why I said Putin must make a correct tactical choice as a moral imperative for Russia and the betterment of mankind.
(because this is in Russia's national long term interest to do so, as well as for the common good of mankind.)
In an increasingly globalized international system, what affects one affects all either directly or indirectly. Borders become increasingly transparent, and only the foolhardy would fail to take this trend into account.
Herein lies an essential concept called "Responsibility to Protect" as defined during the 2005 UNGA. Which in itself is probably worthy of its own topic thread on DipNote.
Dave writes:
In regards to your question, I would hesitate to say that Venezuela and Ecuador have any obligation under international law to fight FARC militants on their borders, especially if the FARC militants haven't engaged in any violations of the domestic laws of the countries they are in. If Ecuador had been notified of the presence of FARC forces, they may have responded in their own way.
That being said, it is a violation of the sovereignty of Ecuador to have Columbian forces enter the Ecuadorian territory without the permission of the Ecuadorian government. (How would we in the U.S. like it if the "Canadian Liberation Army" fled into a remote area of the U.S., set up camp, and then were hit by Canadian air strikes, backed up with Canadian tank brigade, without the Canadians even informing our government or asking permission?)
Eric in New Mexico writes:
Aye well, I don't believe our friends up north would, but an interesting scenario. Kind of reminds me of Pancho Villa's raid on Columbus, New Mexico.
In any case, I'm sure we'd be more than able to gag and bag'em, signed sealed and delivered to justice without outside help.
Done in compliance with all nation's obligations to fight terrorism under international law.
Domestic laws are subject to the nation's international obligations as well, where terrorism is concerned.


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CDW launched the annual Unified Communication Tracking Poll in 2009 to monitor attitudes, approaches and progress toward the adoption of unified communications (UC) technology. Now in its third year, the 2011 Unified Communications Tracking Poll surveys 900 IT professionals in U.S. organizations to track progress and determine where organizations are with UC adoption, what benefits are driving adoption, what challenges still hinder progress, and how organizations can successfully deploy the technology.
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About Catalogue of Valuable Specimens
The curiosities listed in this catalogue formed the basis of 'Mr Stubbs' Private Museum in Ripon, North Yorkshire. The collection encompassed an eclectic mixture of objects: stuffed animals, fossils, antique sculptures and casts of ancient seals and coins. There were also bizarre items: a piece of witch's tongue; a specimen of skin taken from the body of a murderer. Particularly rare objects included a shoe worn by the maid of honour at Queen Anne's wedding, a torture instrument found on the Spanish Armada, and a 'gigantic wild cat', which the collector claims to have 'trapped' on Ben-Lomond.
The catalogue was produced in 1867. Mr Stubbs had decided to sell the collection, and so the publication was aimed at prospective buyers.
Since the late 16th century collectors of curiosities had been obsessed with classifying and rationalising the wonders and oddities of the natural world. And their collections often reflected an interest in the bizarre and mythical. Exotic shells and jewels, stuffed animals, clockwork and scientific instruments were accompanied by the stuff of fairytales - mermaids, dragons, or the footprints of giants.


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Worthington Neighborhood Print
Worthington Neighborhood Print
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