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This web page is intended to help you as occupiers of the East Saanich Indian Reserve #2 lands. The information provided here will give you an understanding of how the First Nations property taxation system works. There are many similarities with the Provincial property taxation systems, which you are probably familiar with if you have resided within local municipalities. Basically, it is business as usual.
Indian Taxation
Indian taxation is but one of many progressive steps toward native economic self-sufficiency and self-government. This will benefit all Canadians. By working together, enhanced levels of service at fair costs can be achieved.
Bands have been able to tax since the turn of the century – so, Native taxation is not new. With the passing of Bill C-115 in 1988, the Federal government granted to First Nations the new powers to levy property taxes on their reserve lands. In response to this important legislation, the BC Provincial government passed Bill 64 – the Indian Self-Government enabling Act. Essentially, the province agreed to vacate the field of property taxation if Bands enacted their own taxation bylaws. Since 1994, Tsawout has implemented our own Taxation and Assessment bylaws.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Who administers the system?
Tsawout First Nation is a Native Aboriginal Organization that was established to provide a wide range of services to its member residents and to act as a political vehicle for the people of their First Nation. Tsawout First Nation is administering this new property taxation system as required in the bylaws.
2. As an Occupier of these reserve Lands, will my Services Change?
No, the Band Government offices are working to ensure that all existing services are provided. As a responsible government, the Band will continue to provide local government services to all of their residents either Native or Non-Native.
3.How Do I Know That My tax Dollars are put to good use?
All tax revenue is to be deposited into a trust account and may only be spent according to an expenditure by-law which is approved by the Indian Taxation Advisory Board and signed by the Minister responsible for Indian and Northern Affairs Development Canada on a yearly basis.
4. How are my rights Safeguarded?
The Tsawout First Nation has undertaken the task of ensuring that a fair taxation system is established. Band Governments readily acknowledge the need to safeguard and serve all residents equally.
The following measures are part of the Indian Taxation process to ensure all fairness:
Direction is made by Chief & Council of the Band - prior to any Property Taxation & Assessment laws, they are forwarded to Tax Authorities of BC Region and Ottawa for Ministerial approval.
All laws are reviewed and approved by the First Nations Tax Commission (previously known as Indian Taxation Advisory Board (ITAB)). The laws are then approved by the commission and then forwarded to the Minister of Indian and Northern Affairs Development for signature.
The Band has also adopted the same assessment system as used elsewhere in the Province of BC. All residents may appeal their assessments, directly to the BC Assessment Authority Offices.
The Property Assessment System
5. How Will My Manufactured Home & Property Be Assessed?
Within our Boundaries the property assessments is based on a very similar process as off-reserve occupiers. The Tsawout First Nation currently renews the contract with the BC Assessment Authority to assess your Properties on a three year basis.
6. When Will I Receive my Assessment Notice?
BC Assessment Authority is responsible for the scheduled events concerning the assessment notices. Our schedule indicates that assessment notices should be received by each Owner/occupier no later than January 1st of each year. If you do not receive an assessment notice, you must contact the BC Assessment Authority of Victoria by telephone (250)479-7131.
7. Can I appeal the property assessment?
Yes, you can appeal your property assessment and directing the appeal to the BC assessment authority, as they are responsible for the actual values. The Tsawout First Nation has adopted the following procedures of the appeal process. 1-Court of Revision; 2-Appeal Review Committee; 3-Federal Court of Canada
The Property Tax Process
8. Who sets the tax Rates?
The Tsawout First Nation has been given the authority to set their own tax rates through their rates and expenditures by-laws. The process for these annual laws are forwarded to FNTC First Nations Tax Commission of Ottawa and to the Minister of Indian and Northern affairs development of Canada for final approval. These rates are kept fairly with the neighboring municipality.
9. What about Home Owner Grants, can I (we) claim one?
Home owner grants are made available to those who qualify. Requirements are made as if you are an off-reserve resident in the Province of British Columbia. You must meet the requirements listed on the reverse side of the Property tax notices every year. More information at the Tsawout First Nation administration office.
Important Points to Remember
Your taxes are due within the months of June & July each taxing year. If you have not received your assessment by mid-January each year, please contact the Assessment Authority NOT Tsawout First Nation
- Remit your taxes to the Administration office of the Tsawout First Nation.
- You are required to inform the Tsawout First Nation of any occupier and/or ownership address changes.
- It is the individual home owners responsibility, if you do not receive a Property tax notice by Mid-June each year, you are required to contact the administration office of the Tsawout First Nation.
- You can only appeal your assessment, not your property taxes. Any property assessment appeals must be filed to the BC assessment office by January 31st annually
Property Taxation Administrator, Tsawout First Nation.
Phone: 250-652-9101


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Secret Deodorant's Mean Stinks Anti-Bullying Campaign./
Wow - a lot has happened since I last wrote here the end of May. I hope all of my teen beauty readers are having a great summer. I know I am.
Before I talk about this amazing campaign that Secret Deodorant is doing, how about a little life update first.
I finished my first year of high school with. Yeah! It was rough, and I did study a lot. I played on both the Volleyball and Basketball team, which was so much fun. I volunteered at a summer camp as soon as school got out. It was rewarding, but very challenging. I was in charge of a group of 2nd graders! Soon after that, I celebrated my sweet 16 birthday with a nice party and then a trip with three of my besties to NYC. It was so much fun and I can't thank my mom and dad enough. And yes, I got a car and my learners permit, so watch out! Ha, ha, ha!!!
I will be back in school in less than a month, which I don't even want to think about now. I still have some summer to enjoy, but will soon be dealing with the daily pressure of high school once again. One of the worst things about high school is bullying. Now, if you didn't read my moms article about this great Mean Stinks program earlier in the year, take a minute to go to that post and read about it. It is an important one. Here is that post: Mean Stinks: A New Program from Secret.
Back to bullying. I deal with it. We all deal with it. When I made the sports teams I was called out by some who thought they should have made the team and not me. That was bullying. On both the volleyball and basketball court I was pushed and called names. Very unsportsmanlike, I know! But it happens. I realize some of it comes with the game, but there were a few times that I can claim all out bullying. Especially when one whole team ran out after us as we were trying to get on our bus to leave. They lost and were poor sports about, but calling us out on our skills and telling us to "watch out" was not called for. Yes, that was bullying. When I did well in school and received honors, people talked behind my back. Some Facebook friends (which are no longer) even listed many of us who made honors as the goodie-two-shoes of the class. What was that? Bullying! It happens, it is a part of daily life unfortunately. Honestly, and especially because of just that, I was almost afraid to tell anyone that I got a car for my birthday. Being afraid because of bullies - crazy right? What I wasn't ready for was to see it happen between the second graders that I counseled at camp. I witnessed physical and mental bullying. It really is a problem. No, I would say an epidemic. Thank goodness for these programs like Mean Stinks.
Since the program began earlier this year, Secret has learned a lot. According to a new survey by Secret Deodorant on behalf of its "Mean Stinks" campaign, almost half of college aged students have experienced or witnessed bullying or mean behavior at college or in the work environment. (Survey conducted of over 1,000 young women aged 16 – 21.) Out of all of the young women surveyed, 74% admitted to an act of bullying in the last year, with 1/3 saying they have bullied in the last week. Yet 71% of girls admitted to ignoring someone being bullied because they were not sure what to do.
Guess what? I ignore it all the time too. I do not know what to do when I see it or hear it. I am trying to learn more and really want to become active with this program in the hopes of doing so. The "Mean Stinks" campaign and Facebook community was created to address the growing need for young women to gain strength, support and access to resources to take a stand against bullying. It also encourages those who have done something mean in the past to change their actions through interactive forms -- such as submitting an apology or sharing a compliment. Since February, the community has grown to more than 178,000 strong. Rachel Simmons, NYT's best-selling authorof Odd Girl Out: The Hidden Culture of Aggression in Girls, has worked with Secret in developing these online resources and tools.
Also, Secret is partnering with PACER's National Bullying Prevention Center by donating a portion of proceeds from select Secret Clinical Strength purchases to its prevention efforts. Consumers can request a coupon at Facebook.com/MeanStinks and for every Secret Clinical Strength coupon redeemed, Secret will donate $1.
Finally, Secret has just partnered with Glee's Amber Riley! I love her! Amber plays Mercedes on the show - isn't she great? She just joined up with Secret to challenge girls to make a change by standing strong and leading by example. Her personal experiences with bullying will be shared on the Mean Stinks Facebook Page and you can watch Amber's tips for ending the mean streak here.
Like I said, this is an EPIDEMIC that needs to be stopped. I really am going to learn and step in for others and learn to speak up for myself more. It really is the only way to stop the cycle.
I hope you check out everything about Mean Stinks and enjoy the rest of your summer!

subset: commoncrawl


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Inaugural Address
Secretary Duncan
Charters and Choice
Funding Opportunities
New Research
Reading on the Rise
Quote to Note
Upcoming Events
Editor's Note
ED Review has been on brief hiatus. However, it was a busy last month in the field of education, and I hope you have been able to track key developments via the ED.gov web site. If notor, to ensure you did not miss anything of significanceplease accept this "catch-up" issue of the newsletter. It is longer than most issues, with many links for additional information. Hereafter, ED Review will return to its standard format and schedule.
Inaugural Address
Education was featured in President Obama's January 20 Inaugural Address. Below are relevant excerpts:
"That we are in the midst of crisis is now well understood.... Our economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of some, but also our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age. Homes have been lost, jobs shed, businesses shuttered. Our health care is too costly, our schools fail too many...."
"The state of our economy calls for action, bold and swift. We will act, not only to create new jobs, but to lay a new foundation for growth.... And, we will transform our schools and colleges and universities to meet the demands of a new age."
"What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility, a recognition on the part of every American that we have duties to ourselves, our nation, and the worldduties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character, than giving our all to a difficult task. This is the price and promise of citizenship."
Other news from the White House:
- The President's complete education agenda is available online.
- On February 4, in their first trip to a public school since the Inauguration, President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama visited Capital City Public Charter School in northwest Washington, D.C. There, they read "The Moon Over Star," by Dianna Hutts Aston, to a second-grade class and met with fifth-graders who told them about their learning expedition on voting rights. "We're very proud of what's been accomplished at this school, and we want to make sure that we're duplicating that success all across the country," the President said. "Nothing is going to be more important than this." More information.
- Days earlier (February 2), First Lady Michelle Obama began her tour of federal agencies with a visit to the U.S. Department of Education. "[T]he most important thing to tell you or remind you is that I am a product of your work," she said. "I wouldn't be here if it weren't for the public schools that nurtured me and helped me along. And, I am committed, as well as my husband, to ensuring that more kids like us, and kids around this country, regardless of their race, their income, their status, the property values in their neighborhoods, get access to an outstanding education." More information.
Secretary Duncan
Shortly after the President delivered his Inaugural Address, the Senate confirmed Chicago Public Schools Chief Executive Officer Arne Duncan as the ninth U.S. Secretary of Education. Secretary Duncan graduated magna cum laude from Harvard University in 1987, majoring in sociology. He was co-captain of the university's basketball team and was named a first team Academic All-American. From 1987 to 1991, he played professional basketball down under in Australia, where he also worked with children who were wards of the state. In 1992, he returned to Chicago to direct the Ariel Education Initiative, which seeks to create outstanding educational opportunities for children on the city's South Side. He was also part of the team that later started a new public elementary school around a financial literacy curriculum. In 1998, he joined the Chicago Public Schools, and, in June 2001, Chicago Mayor Richard Daley named him CEO.
During his confirmation hearing on January 13, Secretary Duncan outlined the President's education priorities:
- "First, we must invest in early childhood education."
- "Second, we know that teacher quality must be addressed on many levels: recruitment, preparation, retention, and compensation."
- "Third, we know that only about 70% of high school students graduate."
- "Fourth, we must make sure that our citizens have the means and the encouragement to aim for education and training beyond high school." Toward the end of his remarks, the Secretary also mentioned: appropriately supporting students with disabilities; helping English language learners to be successful; promoting innovation that accelerates student learning; and aligning the education system to prepare students for the jobs of the future and the responsibilities of active citizenship in a democratic society.
The Secretary stressed these same priorities in an early message to Department employees. "Both of us [President Obama and I] believe we must set high standards, recruit great teachers, and encourage innovative new approaches to education," he said. "Both of us believe that every child should have access to high quality preschool programs, and every high school graduate eager to continue in school should have access to college. Both of us believe that providing a quality education to all children is not just a moral obligation but an economic imperative. This is both the civil rights issue of our generation and the economic foundation of our future."
Other news from the Secretary:
- Secretary Duncan has praised President Obama's intent to nominate three new assistant secretariesPeter Cunningham as Assistant Secretary for Communications and Outreach; Russlynn Ali as Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights; and Carmel Martin as Assistant Secretary for Planning, Evaluation, and Policy Development.
- On February 9, the Secretary delivered remarks at the American Council on Education's meeting. "Taken together," he noted, "the Barack effect ["the soft power that accompanies the symbolism of an African-American president who has made education cool and exciting and infinitely promising"], the leadership on the Hill, the proven strategies, and the money in the stimulus package represent what I call the perfect storm for reforma historic alignment of interests and events that could lift American education to an entirely new level. Given the state of our economy, the pace of technological change, and the scope of our collective challengesno issue is more pressing." More information.
- Later that same day, the Secretary visited Wakefield High School in nearby Arlington, Virginia, to urge swift passage of the economic stimulus legislation currently being debated in Congress. Wakefield, constructed in 1953, is slated to undergo renovations. "There is no more immediate way to stimulate the economyshort-term and long-termthan to keep teachers teaching and to keep students learning," he said. "As the bill moves to conference, we must get every dollar possible into America's classrooms." More information. (Note: At this time, the House and Senate are considering a compromise bill. ED Review will summarize the final act in a future issue.)
Charters and Choice
The next "Education News Parents Can Use" broadcast (February 17, 8:00-9:00 ET) will introduce Secretary Duncan, who will discuss President Obama's education plan, and discuss the movement to offer parents and communities greater choices in education. Today, parents have more educational choices available to them than ever before. Progressive school districts, like Miami-Dade, Milwaukee, Tampa, and Chicago (specifically through its Renaissance 2010 Initiative), are reforming their policies and practices; expanding student and community-based support services; and delivering a portfolio of high-quality educational options to ensure that students are equipped with the skills needed to succeed in the 21st Century, knowledge-based economy. In particular, charter schools are increasingly appealing to parents. As laboratories for new and rigorous educational strategies, many charter schools show that breaking tradition and establishing a high bar for performance can yield remarkable results for students. In turn, the President's education plan proposes to double funding for the federal Charter Schools Program, with the goal of increasing the number of successful charter schools that are committed to improving academic accountability. (You can watch archived webcasts online.)
Funding Opportunities
Early March is the deadline for several grant competitions:
- Carol M. White Physical Education Program (closes 3/6). This program allows school districts and community-based organizations to initiate, expand, or enhance physical education programs, including after-school programs, for students in grades K-12. Recipients must implement programs that help students "make progress" toward meeting state standards. Estimated awards: 95. (Note: There is a sharing requirement. The federal share of a project's cost may not exceed 90% for the first year and 75% for subsequent years.)
- Improving Literacy Through School Libraries Program (closes 3/6). This program seeks to improve student reading skills and academic achievement by providing students with up-to-date school library materials; well-equipped, technologically advanced school library media centers; and well-trained, professionally certified school library media specialists. Estimated awards: 80. Eligibility: school districts in which at least 20% of the students are from families with incomes below the poverty line, based on the most recent available data from the Census Bureau.
- Teaching American History Grant Program (closes 3/9). This program supports projects that aim to raise student achievement by improving teachers' knowledge, understanding, and appreciation of traditional American history. Awards assist districts, in partnership with entities that have extensive content expertise (colleges and universities, history and humanities organizations, and libraries and museums) to develop, implement, document, evaluate, and disseminate innovative, cohesive models of professional development. Estimated awards: 52-65.
Also: Be sure to review the FY 2009 Grants Forecast (as of January 30), which lists virtually all programs and competitions under which the Department has invited or expects to invite applications for awards and provides actual or estimated dates for the transmittal of applications under these programs. The lists are in the form of chartsorganized by program officeand will be updated regularly through July 2009. (Note: This document is advisory only and not an official application notice of the U.S. Department of Education.)
New Research
Don't miss these new statistical analyses from the Department:
- "Title I Implementation: Update on Recent Evaluation Findings," from the Policy and Program Studies Services (PPSS), has findings from Title I evaluation studies that have become available since the National Assessment of Title I final report in 2007. It includes results from interviews with state education officials in all states; surveys of nationally representative samples of districts, principals, and teachers; data from consolidated state performance reports; and analyses of student trends on state assessments and the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). One key finding? In states with consistent student achievement trend data from 2004-05 to 2006-07, the percentage of students reaching the state's proficient level increased for most student groups, but most states will not meet No Child Left Behind's goal of 100% proficient by 2014 unless student achievement rises at a faster rate.
- "Teacher Quality Under the No Child Left Behind ActFinal Report," also from PPSS, presents updated information on the progress states, districts, and schools have made in implementing No Child Left Behind's teacher quality, professional development, and paraprofessional provisions. Significantly, by 2006-07, the vast majority of teachers met their states' requirements to be considered "highly qualified" under the law. However, requirements for the demonstration of content knowledge expertise varied greatly.
- "After-School Programs in Public Elementary Schools," out of the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), provides a national profile of various types of after-school programs physically located at public elementary schools in 2008. The report focuses on four broad types of after-school programs: (1) fee-based stand-alone day care programs, (2) stand-alone academic instruction/tutoring programs, including supplemental educational services, (3) federally funded 21st Century Community Learning Centers, and (4) other types of stand-alone or broad-based programs. 56% of public elementary schools reported one or more after-school programs on campus.
- "Course Credit Accrual and Dropping Out of High School," also out of NCES, examines the number of credits earned by high school students and the relationship between course credit accrual and dropping out. The findings indicate that dropouts earned fewer credits than on-time graduates within each year of high school, and the cumulative course credit accrual gap increased with each new year. This pattern remained across all examined student and school characteristics (for example, student sex, race/ethnicity, and socioeconomic status, school location, and sophomore class size).
- "An Evaluation of Teachers Trained Through Different Routes to Certification," published by the Institute of Education Sciences (IES), compares the achievement of elementary students in the same grade, at the same school, who were randomly assigned to teachers who chose to be trained through different routes to certification: traditional and alternative. The evaluation found that students of teachers who chose to enter teaching through an alternative route did not perform statistically different from students of teachers who chose a traditional route to teaching.
Also: According to the College Board's fifth annual "Advanced Placement Report to the Nation," 15.2% of the Class of 2008 achieved mastery (at least a 3 on a 5-point scale) on one or more AP examsup from 12.2% for the 2003 class. However, while six states have more than 20% of their students graduate from high school having earned an AP exam grade of 3 or higher, 19 states have less than 10%. Moreover, though several states have successfully closed the equity and excellence gap for Hispanic students, no state closed the gap for African-American students, and no state with significant numbers of American Indian students closed the gap.
Reading on the Rise
For the first time in 25 years, more American adults are reading literature. "Reading on the Rise," a new study by the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), documents a marked increase in the numbers and rates of American adults who read literature (any novels, short stories, poems, or plays, in print or online), with the biggest increases among young adults, ages 18-24. This growth reverses two decades of downward trends cited in previous NEA reports. Among the study's findings:
- The overall adult literary reading rate has risen from 46.7% in 2002 to 50.2% in 2008.
- There were 16.6 million new adult readers of literature in 2008 (112.8 million adult readers), versus 2002 (96.2 million adult readers).
- The overall young adult literary reading rate has risen from 42.8% in 2002 to 51.7% in 2008.
- Since 2002, reading among African-Americans has grown at a 15% rate (37.1%-42.6%) and reading by Hispanics has grown at a 20% rate (26.5%-31.9%).
- As expected, the best-educated Americans have the highest reading rate (68.1%), yet the rates have climbed substantially for adults with only some high school (from 23.3% in 2002 to 34.3% in 2008).
The study does not identify the causes either for adult literary reading or for changes in reading behavior, but, as former NEA Chairman Dana Gioia suggests in the study's introduction, "Faced by a clear and undeniable problem, millions of parents, teachers, librarians, and civic leaders took action. Reading became a higher priority in families, schools, and communities. Thousands of programs, large and small, were created or significantly enhanced to address the challenge."
Also: One of television's iconic children's series, The Electric Company, is back, designed to advance the literacy of America's second-graders with 35 half-hour, truly interactive episodes. The new series launched January 19 on PBS with a special two-hour sneak preview, before settling into its regular weekly slot on Fridays (check local listings). The Department helped finance the new The Electric Company and its rich, online environment.
Quote to Note
"We find ourselves in a rare moment where the citizens of our country and all countries are watching and waiting for us to lead. It is a responsibility that this generation did not ask for, but one that we must accept for the sake of our future and our children's future. The strongest democracies flourish from frequent and lively debate, but they endure when people of every background and belief find a way to set aside smaller differences in service of a greater purpose. That is the test facing the United States of America in this winter of our hardship, and it is our duty as leaders and citizens to stay true to that purpose in the weeks and months ahead."
|President Barack Obama (2/9/09), from his first press conference
Upcoming Events
February is African-American History Month, and February 16 is Presidents Day. Need help planning your education activities? The Federal Resources for Educational Excellence (FREE) web site offers more than 1,500 free teaching and learning resources from dozens of federal agencies, including 139 resources specifically highlighted for these events.
The Department has released tentative schedules for its five negotiated rulemaking teams under Title VI of the Higher Education Act.
The Federal Trade Commission is hosting a March 12 workshop to gather input for its advertising literacy initiative, which will educate and empower tweens to be better informed consumers of information. At the event, experts in advertising and marketing will discuss a range of issues, including what tweens experience in the commercial world, what they should know to navigate it, and what they understand about their experiences. The workshop is free.
The Presidential Academy for American History and Civics leads secondary school teachers in a study of the pivotal turning points in U.S. history, memorialized by the Declaration of Independence, the Gettysburg Address, and the "I Have a Dream" speech. Participants will spend six days in Philadelphia, six days in Gettysburg, and five days in Washington, D.C., surrounded by the halls, battlefields, and public places where history took place. Teachers must apply by March 15. Fifty teachers, one from each state, will be selected. Aside from travel to and from the academy, there is no cost to teachers, and a $1,000 stipend is provided to cover the cost of travel. (Note: The academy is administered by the Ashbrook Center for Public Affairs at Ashland University as a result of a grant from the Department.)
Here we go! Over the next two weeks, the Department will exhibit at the National Association for Bilingual Education's Annual Conference in Austin (February 18-21); the American Association of School Administrators' National Conference in San Francisco (February 19-21); the National Title I Conference in San Antonio (February 19-22); and the National Association of Secondary School Principals' Annual Convention in San Diego (February 26-28). If you are attending any of these events, please stop by the Department's booth.
Credits, Subscribe & Unsubscribe
Please feel free to contact the Office of Communications and Outreach with any questions:
Program AnalystAdam Honeysett, (202) 401-3003, firstname.lastname@example.com
To be added or removed from distribution, or submit comments (we welcome your feedback!), please contact Adam Honeysett. Or, visit http://www.ed.gov/news/newsletters/edreview/index.html.
This newsletter contains hypertext links to information created and maintained by other public and private organizations. These links are provided for the user's convenience. The U.S. Department of Education does not control or guarantee the accuracy, relevance, timeliness, or completeness of this outside information. Furthermore, the inclusion of links is not intended to reflect their importance, nor is it intended to endorse any views expressed, or products or services offered, on these sites, or the organizations sponsoring the sites.


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The Conference of the Parties (COP), at its fifteenth session, took note of the Copenhagen Accord of 18 December 2009 by way of decision 2/CP.15. The text of the Copenhagen Accord can be found here.
The chapeau of the Copenhagen Accord lists the following 114 Parties agreeing to the Accord:*
Albania, Algeria, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Bangladesh, Belarus, Belgium, Benin, Bhutan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Canada, Central African Republic, Chile, China, Colombia, Congo, Costa Rica, CĂ´te d'Ivoire, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Denmark, Djibouti, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, European Union, Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Guatemala, Guinea, Guyana, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kiribati, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Latvia, Lesotho, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxemburg, Madagascar, Malawi, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Marshall Islands, Mauritania, Mexico, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Namibia, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Palau, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Korea, Republic of Moldova, Romania, Russian Federation, Rwanda, Samoa, San Marino, Senegal, Serbia, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Swaziland, Switzerland, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, United Republic of Tanzania, United States of America, Uruguay, Zambia.
Since the issuance of the report of the COP on its fifteenth session, the secretariat has received communications from the following Parties expressing their intention to be listed as agreeing to the Accord:
Afghanistan, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Belize, Brunei Darussalam, Burundi, Cabo Verde, Cameroon, Chad, Comores, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Honduras, Jamaica, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Liberia, Mauritius, Mozambique, Nigeria, Saint Lucia, Tajikistan, Timor-Leste, Togo, Uganda, Ukraine, Viet Nam.
As a result, the total number of Parties that have expressed their intention to be listed as agreeing to the Accord is 141.
(Further Parties who wish to be listed, kindly send respective communications to email@example.com )
Communications received from Parties in relation to the listing in the chapeau of the Copenhagen Accord can be found here.
Specific information provided by Parties on quantified economy-wide emissions targets for 2020 and on nationally appropriate mitigation actions of developing country Parties can be found here:
Information provided by Annex I Parties relating to Appendix I of the Copenhagen Accord
Information provided by non-Annex I Parties relating to Appendix II of the Copenhagen Accord
Background information:
Notification to Parties, communication of information relating to the Copenhagen Accord
Clarification relating to the Notification of 18 January
*Some Parties listed above stated in their communications to the secretariat specific understandings on the nature of the Accord and related matters, based on which they have agreed to be listed here.


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A missing Kirkcaldy woman has been found safe and well, police have confirmed.
Nineteen-year-old Louise Davidson was reported missing after she did not return home from a night out in Edinburgh.
She was last seen leaving Espionage nightclub on the city's Victoria Street with two men at around 4.30am.
When she did not return to her home in Kirkcaldy's St Kilda Crescent, concerns for her safety were raised.
However, police have confirmed this afternoon that Louise has been traced 'safe and well' in the Leith area of the city.
A spokesman said: "The 19-year-old was traced in Henderson Street, Edinburgh, just before midday on Thursday, August 27.
"The public are thanked for their assistance during this inquiry."


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New Canaan's Casali enjoying life in Major League Baseball
It was a new league, new teammates and a new city but when Curt Casali came out of the dugout for his first major league game at Target Field in Minnesota last month, he saw a very familiar face.
Standing near the field was Casali's coach from New Canaan High School, Mark "2-5-0" Rearick, who unbeknownst to Casali, flew into the Twin Cities to witness history first hand.
Casali was the first player from New Canaan to play in a major league game and being a long-time New Canaan baseball institution, Rearick was not going to miss it.
"It was really nice of him to come see me in Minnesota play in my first game," Casali said from the clubhouse in Oakland where the Rays were set to play Wednesday afternoon. "I had no idea he would be there. We spoke on the phone after I got called up and when I walked out on the field in Minnesota the next day, sure enough, he was there. My family was there, I had a great weekend with so much support."
Casali was a part of the 2006 New Canaan team coached by Rearick which won the FCIAC Championship.
Casali, 25, was promoted to the Tampa Bay Rays immediately after the All-Star break when catcher Ryan Hanigan went on the Disabled List, starting in his first game up against the Twins.
He singled in his first at bat, beginning a whirlwind introduction to the big leagues.
Casali said he has adjusted to the routine a bit, but life at the top level of the sport is still moving pretty quickly, especially when it comes to facing pitchers he has never seen who throw pitches that are just a little faster and break just a little more.
"It is still a whirlwind trying to get adjusted to the majors but the guys on the team have been great," Casali said. "Hitting is the biggest adjustment. Defensively I got to know a lot of our pitchers in spring training. I caught all of them but it is hard to adjust to hitting because it's not easy going over scouting reports on pitchers you have never seen."
He said the defensive part of the game is a little easier, but handling pitchers whose fastballs are a little faster and have a little more bite when they break is a challenge, but one he is certainly up for.
After Casali's first game, pitcher Alex Cobb, who Casali caught that night, had high praise for the rookie.
"Curt was unbelievable," Cobb told the Tampa Bay Times. "His job behind the plate, working with me before the game, it was almost like cramming for an exam, trying to get to know me as quick as possible, and it was fantastic. You could tell as the course of the game went on, we were just having this chemistry where he was knowing what pitches I wanted to throw beforehand. The job he does framing pitches and really getting that low strike is tremendous."
After being up for a couple weeks, Casali was introduced to the business side of the league when former Vanderbilt teammate David Price was sent to Detroit in exchange for Drew Smyly of the Tigers and Nick Franklin of the Mariners in a three-team deal.
Casali said losing Price's arm is big, but the team will miss him in the clubhouse even more.
"It is unfortunate to trade David and I understand the business side of things, but it is hard to lose a guy like that," Casali said. "Most people don't see how much of a leader he is in the clubhouse and guys like that are hard to come by. We are hoping someone will step up and fill his shoes in the clubhouse."
Fellow Connecticut major leaguer Matt Harvey of the Mets recently told Hearst Connecticut Media he thought players from the Northeast are succeeding at the major league level because they were forced to work harder with less time playing outside.
Casali echoed Harvey's sentiment, saying the work ethic forged in the Northeast is directly responsible for him making it to the majors.
"I completely agree with Matt, guys have it easier in warm climates like Florida and Texas," Casali said. "Being from the Northeast instills a work ethic in you. I had to hit Wiffle balls in a small room in my basement all winter when I was a kid.
"It was definitely a challenge. Matt is right. People can say what they want but we have a different way of looking at things because we have a hard-nosed Northeast mentality. People don't know what it's like to play games in snow flurries in the early spring, they don't know about playing in those conditions."
Casali said he hopes future players from the Connecticut use him as an example that you can make it to the top even if you come from Northeast.
He also said a video made by NewCanaanite.com and sent to him filled with townspeople wishing him well was a welcome treat.
"New Canaan baseball has come a long way. I tried to be a pioneer getting New Canaan baseball to be like that of Stamford which has such a great baseball tradition," Casali said. "It has been great to have the support of the New Canaan community and to see that video was really nice."
firstname.lastname@example.com; @EricsonSports


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Yelp to alert consumers on fake reviews
Yelp says it will alert users if it suspects that a business has tried to buy fake, misleading reviews on its site.
Yelp Inc. said Thursday that some businesses go to "extreme lengths" to boost positive reviews. This includes paying people to write them.
While Yelp already filters suspected fake reviews, the alerts will add an extra layer of scrutiny. San Francisco-based Yelp says alerts will stay on a business' page for 90 days after it's placed there. If Yelp finds ongoing efforts to post fake reviews, the alert will remain longer.
Consumers can click on the alert to see more details on the misleading reviews, including screenshots.
Yelp has more than 78 million monthly visitors.


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The Cornell College Center for the Literary Arts celebrates the study, teaching, and creation of writing that explores human experience, communicates insight, embodies inspiration, and transmits value. To that end, it fosters the cultivation of imaginative writing and communication across disciplines.
The center is housed in the Van Etten-Lacey House, a charming building with a long tradition of creative activity, and it supports a variety of programs that bring distinguished visiting writers to campus for courses, workshops, and readings. The center also assists students in creating the literary journal Open Field, along with other creative work.
The center is assisted by an Emerging Writer Fellow, who works and writes in the Van Etten-Lacey House while teaching courses, supporting programs, and pursuing on his/her own creative projects.


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The pan-green camp yesterday called President Ma Ying-jeou's (馬英九) pension reform plan a "pseudo" reform, adding that his announcement that he would give up his right to the 18 percent preferential interest rate given to state employee pensions as "a selfish act to try and fix his reputation."
Ma has flip-flopped and failed in all his reform plans during his time in office, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) caucus convener Ker Chien-ming (柯建銘) said, citing as examples the capital gains tax on securities transactions, the year-end bonuses for retired civil servants and the amendment of media regulation laws.
"It is difficult to teach an elephant how to dance, but it's even more difficult to expect Ma to implement true reform," Ker said.
The government's pension reform proposal has failed to address the core issue of pension system reform — the income replacement rate, in particular that of civil, education and military workers, Ker said.
Ma's pledge in April last year to send amendment proposals to the Legislative Yuan was a strategy to tame a potential recall that had been tentatively planned for around May 20, the anniversary of his second inauguration, Ker said.
DPP Legislator Lee Chun-yi (李俊俋) said Ma's proposed pension reform would likely increase the payment gap between retired private-sector workers and civil servants, public school teachers and military personnel.
The government's plan has sacrificed the interests of private-sector employees and low-level civil servants, DPP Legislator Chen Chi-mai (陳其邁) said, adding that civil, education and military state employees' pensions should be the focus of any reform.
Lin Wan-i (林萬億), the executive director of the DPP's think tank, said Ma's plan would likely infuriate non-state workers and incite a fresh wave of public discontent.
"I would not be surprised to see private-sector workers storm the legislature to ask for changes," Lin said.
The proposal did not say how it would resolve the potential bankruptcy of the Labor Insurance Fund, the difference in pensions between various occupations and the financial vulnerability of future generations, Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU) legislative caucus whip Huang Wen-ling (黃文玲) said.
The "chaotic" plan was hastily prepared to assuage the public's anger and would be unable to solve the pension system's issues, she added.
Ma sacrificing the 18 percent preferential interest rate on his pension has nothing to do with reforming the national pension system that people from all occupations care about and are affected by, DPP Chairman Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) said.
By saying that he would give up the special rate on his pension, Ma appeared to be hinting that the preferential rate would not be scrapped in its entirety, Su said.
"Giving up this preferential treatment is not something to brag about, especially since many DPP officials gave theirs up years ago," former premier Frank Hsieh (謝長廷) said.
Separately, Taiwan Labor Front secretary-general Son Yu-lian (孫友聯) called the reform a "nuclear disaster."
Several labor groups are working to stage a large-scale demonstration against it, he added.
"[The reform plan] is like a nuclear disaster, because it's something that happens because a few people make a mistake, but affects everyone — we would all be made victims," Son said.
He said taking a large percentage of a worker's income to put into their retirement pension fund deprives the worker of quality of life.


text: This image shows the Routing tab of the Configure Assignment dialog. Below this the Route task to all participants, in order specified option is selected from the drop-down list. Below this are the words: Task will go from starting to final participant. Below this are the Allow all participants to invite other participants check box, Complete task when a participant chooses: <outcome> check box, Enable early completion in parallel sub tasks (disabled) check box, and Complete parent tasks of early completing sub tasks (disabled) check box.


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Wednesday, 13 April 2011
Photo views from O'Brien's-Bridge
Photo views from O'Brien's-Bridge, County Clare. Posted on Youtube on the 16th of February 2011 by multimick64.
Posted by Clare County Library at 10:02
2 comments:
- Donna OShaughnessy said...
Gorgeous. Again you make my heart ache for County Clare. You must stop that. No, don't.
- 13 April 2011 at 15:23
- loxinfo1997 said...
Does anybody know a Kitty O'brien in London as a nurse at Plaisto fever hospital in the 1950s?
email: firstname.lastname@example.com
- 14 October 2011 at 20:05
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


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Dementia is 'one of greatest enemies of humanity' - PM
A "big, bold global push" is needed to beat dementia, David Cameron has told a summit in London.
He pledged to accelerate progress on dementia drugs, by increasing funding and making new drugs more accessible.
The prime minister was speaking to an audience of 300 experts who have pledged to find a cure by 2025.
He wants a team of experts to report back to him by October on how drugs companies can be encouraged to develop new dementia medicines.
In his speech, the prime minister told experts that dementia is one of the "greatest enemies of humanity".
"We are renewing our commitment to say by 2025 we want to find a cure to dementia. We should treat this as a disease rather than as some natural part of ageing," he said.
He said there was a need to develop more drugs and get them to patients more quickly. For that to happen, international collaboration and more money for dementia research was needed, he said.
Speaking to an audience of global dementia and finance specialists, David Cameron said he would speed up progress on dementia drugs by getting experts to come up with new proposals on areas such as drug patent extensions, by October.
He added: "Something like £50m a year is being spent on dementia research, rather than the £590m spent on cancer. It is important to see dementia as a disease and one that we need to better understand so that we can tackle it."
Mr Cameron told BBC Radio 4's You And Yours that more needs to be done to improve the lives of those with dementia.
"So much of this is about making sure hospitals and care homes treat people with dementia better and, absolutely crucially, that we build dementia-friendly communities where all of us try and understand better what it's like to live with dementia," he said.
Cancer v dementia research
UK government funded £52m of research into dementia in 2012/13
It has pledged to increase this to £66m by 2015
Around £600m is spent on cancer research each year
For every one dementia scientist in the UK, at least six work in cancer
Source: Alzheimer's Research UK
Earlier, Alzheimer's Research UK announced a £100m research campaign and the Medical Research Council (MRC) said it was undertaking the world's biggest study into dementia, involving two million people.
The new world dementia envoy, Dennis Gillings, who was appointed by David Cameron in February, warned that if global leaders do not incentivise businesses to invest in research, the ambition to find a cure by 2025 will not be met.
Dr Gillings said: "Dementia is a ticking bomb costing the global economy £350bn and yet progress with research is achingly slow. Research must become more attractive to pharmaceuticals so they will invest and innovate.
"Just as the world came together in the fight against HIV/Aids, we need to free up regulation so that we can test groundbreaking new drugs, and examine whether the period for market exclusivity could be extended.
"Without this radical change, we won't make progress in the fight against dementia."
Labour care spokeswoman Liz Kendall said her party supported the government's commitments to research funding, but wanted Mr Cameron to do more to help people currently struggling with dementia.
"Hundreds of thousands of people with dementia and their families are struggling without the vital local care services they desperately need. This isn't good for them, and is a false economy as an increasing number of elderly people with dementia are ending up in hospitals or care homes when they don't need to."
Dr Alison Cook, from the Alzheimer's Society, said the UK's best scientists should be given "the right environment to develop better treatments and ultimately a cure".
She called for the industry to "step up" in order to deliver the G8 summit's pledge of a cure for dementia by 2025.


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Piccolo Principe
Piccolo Principe is a mix between traditional and modern: traditional for the protection (pegs and natural pro along the pitches, bolts on the belays), and modern due to the direct line which searches for the beauty of climbing up the most compact sections of the wall. The route climbs to the left of the beautiful "Leviti-Nemela" (Aldo Leviti e Ivo Nemela 1973) and the more recent "Banda degli Onesti" (Eddy Boldrin).
From Passo Pordoi continue by car to the Ossario. From here follow signs for 'Ferrata C.Piazzetta' until the path leads beanth Punta Larsei. The ferrata starts on the right on a detached pillar, while our route starts on the left in the centre of the wall, to the left of 'La banda degli onesti' and 'Leviti – Nemela'. Sling on two nuts and a peg just above mark the start.
P1: 6c+, P2: 6c, P3: 4+, P4: 6c, P5: 6b+, P6: 6c+, P7: 6c, P8: 7a+
4 abseils along the route or on foot down the ferrata 'C.Piazzetta'
Friends (up to 4 camelot), tricam, slings, two 60m ropes
Pegs were placed along the pitches, bolts protect the belays (Raumer inox 8mm). On 31/08/05 Tondini and Segato comleted and freed the route (all pitches had been aided during the first ascent).
First free ascent: Nicola Tondini and Dario Segato 31/08/05


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Answers to my previous question, Ubuntu 12.04 froze, requiring powercycle. What should I look / grep for in the logs?, have led me to suspect that my computer is experiencing an intermittent GPU lockup. It has been happening about once a week, usually when I am using Chrome. Today it happened when I was creating a diagram on lucidchart
I have a Dell Optiplex 755 with an ATI Radeon HD 2400 XT and dual monitors running in Xinerama mode. I am using 12.04 with the proprietary ATI driver installed.
When the computer locks-up, I can still ssh in. And I would like to follow the instructions on reporting this provided at https://wiki.ubuntu.com/X/Troubleshooting/Freeze
Is there a (safe) way to cause a GPU lockup so that I can go ahead and file a bug, rather than waiting until it happens again?


text:
Starshine Dentistry
dentist in Corinth, Texas
To provide the highest quality dental care for our patients in a warm, caring, and professional environment, utilizing the most up-to-date technology, procedures and instruments.
We make sure every patient receives exceptional patient care and strive to provide a relaxed, stress free environment.
Dentistry has made enormous advances in technology, and so many more options are available than ever before. You don't have to put up with cracked, stained, chipped or missing teeth any more.
We offer a variety of sedation options to ensure all our patients are calm and at ease, regardless of the procedure.
We are a caring, friendly team of dental professionals committed to providing a comfortable dental experience. Our goal is to provide the best family dentistry possible for you and your family in the compassionate, caring environment of our denton office. We want to help you maintain your oral hygiene in a way that will keep your teeth and mouth healthy for a lifetime.


text:
As last year's Tonys sensation "War Horse" is the latest to point up, a high-profile round of kudos love can help a show become an international brand. With the National Theater now in the midst of the worldwide rollout of its popular equine tale, the increasing benefits and rising demands that can come with global growth provide a case study in the economics of such success.
After bowing at London's National Theater and transferring to the West End — where "War Horse" is in its third year — the show bowed in Gotham at Lincoln Center's Vivian Beaumont Theater. The open-ended run scored six Tonys, including a special kudo for puppet design.
Those two productions have been joined by a sitdown staging in Toronto produced with the Mirvishes. Meanwhile, demand for a U.S. tour, currently in rehearsal and produced with Bob Boyett and NETworks, has proven so strong that an additional performance has already been added to the opening week in Boise, Idaho, in June.
Another production opens in Melbourne in December, before touring Australia, South Asia and China. And 2013 will see not only a U.K. tour, but also the show's first non-English-language production (the first in the National's history) kicking off in Berlin.
All of this represents a boon to the not-for-profit National's coffers. The West End production alone, produced solely by the National, yields £3.5 million ($5.5 million) per year, which is plowed back into the organization. This more than covers the theater's progressive three-year cut in annual support from government funding arm Arts Council England.
Yet the growth of "War Horse" as a brand brings with it increased workload — hence a newly employed, dedicated team of 12, with expertise in fields including marketing and production management, all overseen by National exec director Nick Starr.
"The show's box office appeal, certainly in London, is like that of a musical, but its costs are like a big play," Starr says.
That's a typical British understatement: The show has a cast of 35. "But the stars are the puppets," Starr insists. "Although we are paying people well — certainly at the upper level of what you might be paying for this kind of work — we're not paying star rates."
In total, he reckons the cost for a North American production is around $6 million (compared with a mid-scale tuner like "Spring Awakening," which reportedly cost roughly $8 million).
As expected, the original creatives are also benefiting from the success. In London, 35% of the operating surplus is split by those in the royalties pool. Since the show is so personnel-heavy — two directors, two puppet creators, two composers and a huge design team — there are 15 individuals in the pool, a figure that would be high even if it were a tuner. But with the show playing at 99% capacity, their individual rate of remuneration is more than healthy.
Despite the National's position as sole producer in London, European production is being licensed to producing company Stage Entertainment, due to the divide in continental Europe between arthouse theater and the commercial sector, a situation that is very different from the way things operate in the U.K.
"Stage Entertainment owns theaters there and knows how best to produce there," Starr says. "They take the risk, but they're very keen for our involvement."
The National doesn't have a stake in the recent movie version profits — the deal was made between Steven Spielberg and Michael Morpurgo, author of the book on which the play is based. And there was no concern the pic would cannibalize sales from the stage version — movie adaptations of tuners including "Chicago," "The Phantom of the Opera" and "Mamma Mia!" have proven a boon to their stage progenitors.
"In London, the advance went from £4 million to £8 million between last autumn to this January, when the film opened," Starr says.
The sheer scale of the show's success might lead a casual observer to believe that "War Horse" was a surefire hit. Yet this was a relatively forgotten early-'80s book in which the central character doesn't speak. Prior to the show's debut, the initial limited 2007 run was only 50% sold. Still, by opening night, after a mere 10 previews, it was clear the National had a hit on its hands.
And it's a hit, says Starr, that could only happen with an organization well enough funded to keep its developing shows from being rushed to the stage in hopes of a quick payoff.
"It's about having enough things in development so that you're not picking winners until they've proven themselves," he says. "You never know what will finally come through."


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Weather may be an issue, but that won't stop us from bringing you a running account of the biggest hits and most exciting plays in this year's star-studded NFL Pro Bowl.
7:00 p.m.: Kickoff is moments away. Al Michaels and Cris Collinsworth will be our guides for the evening. Let's go!
10:35 p.m.: Well, that's a wrap. The NFC beats the AFC 62-35. Phil Dawson (above) is your MVP. Thanks for joining us again!


text: It's no surprise that a dude who lives in a city of 18 million people would appreciate the need to conserve space. Shanghai-based artist Danny Kuo created the StairCASE, a bookcase where the shelves slide out to become a stairwell. We've seen the amalgamation of shelves and stairs before in London, but StairCASE can be put just about anywhere. The design lets you have a much taller bookshelf (most top out at roughly six feet to accommodate human height), or functions as a way to reach a lofted area for sleeping or storage. I could've used something like this in New York. [Danny Kuo via Craziest Gadgets]


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Student View: An Interview with Jamie Espertin, Direct Marketing '09
Last Monday, Jamie Espertin (Direct Marketing '09) was the alumni guest speaker at FIT's Faces and Places in Fashion. As a Production Management student, I found her talk very inspiring and insightful! Jamie is currently General Manager of MAYVIEN, an … Continue reading
Posted in Direct Marketing, Student View Tagged Faces and Places in Fashion, New Media, Public Relations Leave a comment


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Designers: Chloe Anderson and Colleen Reale of Toadusew Creative Concepts
Machine quilter: Cathy Messner
2-1/2 yards teal gradated batik (blocks)
2-1/2 yards brown gradated batik (blocks)
1/2 yard each dark teal tone-on-tone, teal tone-on-tone, dark brown tone-on-tone, and brown tone-on-tone (blocks, binding)
4 yards backing fabric
72x81" batting
Finished quilt: 63-1/2x72-1/2"
Finished block: 9" square
Quantities are for 44/45" wide, 100% cotton fabrics. Measurements include 1/4" seam allowances. Sew with right sides together unless otherwise stated.
Related Links:


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SAN FRANCISCO— VMworld 2015 U.S. — August 31, 2015 – SanDisk Corporation (NASDAQ: SNDK), a global leader in flash storage solutions, today announced FlashSoft® software for VMware vSphere® 6 as a virtual data service through integration with VMware vSphere APIs for IO Filtering (VAIO). This latest version of FlashSoft software represents a significant advance in terms of platform integration, usability and performance, increasing customer peace of mind and confidence in host-level storage acceleration. The new VAIO-integrated FlashSoft software will provide write-back caching support for all VMware datastores including VMware Virtual Machine File System (VMFS), Network File System (NFS), VMware vSphere Virtual Volumes™ and VMware Virtual SAN™.
"We are excited about this significant leap forward for our FlashSoft software for VMware vSphere, which will significantly reduce the storage latency that constrains application performance in virtualized servers," said Sumit Sadana, executive vice president, chief strategy officer and GM of enterprise solutions, SanDisk. "We have been collaborating closely with VMware for more than a year in order to seamlessly bring the benefits of server-tier flash acceleration to the VMware vSphere platform and ecosystem."
The VMware vSphere APIs for IO Filtering will enable integration of third-party data services with vSphere, allowing partner technologies to contribute to VMware's software-defined storage capabilities through Storage Policy Based Management (SPBM). As the design partner for caching solutions built on VMware vSphere APIs for IO Filtering, SanDisk collaborated with VMware in the specification and development of this new capability to bring partner technologies into close alignment with vSphere.
The benefits of this new version of FlashSoft for VMware vSphere will include:
"VMware vSphere APIs for IO Filtering will bring third-party data services into the closest possible level of integration with VMware vSphere," said Charles Fan, senior vice president and general manager, Storage Business Unit, VMware. "As a design partner, SanDisk has helped us develop a framework for not only incorporating its own FlashSoft software, but also enabling storage acceleration data services for our entire partner ecosystem. This helped us further extend our software-defined storage vision through unique software-based data services."
Significant end user benefits of the newest version of FlashSoft software for VMware vSphere will include:
"Over the years we have observed many different strategies to bring the performance benefits of flash storage to virtual computing infrastructures," said Jeff Byrne, Senior Analyst at Taneja Group. "We are excited to see VMware enabling the integration of third-party solutions for solid-state acceleration into the VMware vSphere platform, which will provide customers with greater choice for improving storage performance in software-defined storage environments."
FlashSoft software for VMware vSphere 5.1 and 5.5 is a VMware Partner Verified and Supported Product (PVSP), and is available today. The new FlashSoft software for VMware vSphere 6 is certified VMware Ready™ and will be available for purchase from SanDisk and its enterprise channel partners later this year. For more information about the new FlashSoft software visit the SanDisk IT Blog.
SanDisk at VMworld 2015
To learn more and experience the power of the flash-accelerated, software-defined data center, please visit SanDisk in booth #1920 during VMworld, taking place at the Moscone Convention Center in San Francisco, August 30-September 3, 2015. You can join Serge Shats for session STO5704 on "Using Virtual Data Services for IO Acceleration in vSphere," taking place on Monday, August 31, from 12:30 – 1:30 PM; panel session VAPP5737 with industry experts such as Tarkan Maner and Rawlinson Rivera on Software Defined Storage, from 12:30 PM – 1:30 PM on Tuesday, September 1; or our two Solution Exchange sessions on Wednesday, September 2: FlashSoft 1:50 – 2:10 PM and All Flash Virtual SAN from 3:20 PM – 3:40 PM; and session STO5157 on "Running Business Critical Applications with VMware All Flash Virtual SAN" on Thursday, September 3 from 12:00PM to 1:00PM. SanDisk will also be showcasing its newest FlashSoft software solution during Tech Field Day Extra with Stephen Foskett taking place on Tuesday afternoon from 3:30-4:30pm. SanDisk's Executive Vice President, Chief Strategy Officer and General Manager of Enterprise Solutions, Sumit Sadana, will be speaking at Nexenta's OpenSDx Summit at 9:35 AM on Thursday, September 3. You can also see SanDisk solutions at work in our technology partner booths including: VMware, Dell, HP, Lenovo, Nexenta, CloudByte, Tegile, SIOS, Supermicro and Maxta. For more details on SanDisk's presence and solutions for VMworld, visit: http://www.sandisk.com/about/media-center/events/vmworld-us.html.
About VMworld 2015 U.S.
VMworld 2015 U.S. is the industry's largest virtualization and cloud computing event. With more than 400 unique breakout sessions and labs, and more than 240 sponsors and exhibitors, attendees will have unparalleled access to the knowledge and tools they need to master the new cloud landscape and transform their business. To learn more about VMworld, please visit: www.vmworld.comAbout SanDisk
SanDisk Corporation (NASDAQ: SNDK), a Fortune 500 and S&P 500 company, is a global leader in flash storage solutions. For more than 27 years, SanDisk has expanded the possibilities of storage, providing trusted and innovative products that have transformed the electronics industry. Today, SanDisk's quality, state-of-the-art solutions are at the heart of many of the world's largest data centers, and embedded in advanced smartphones, tablets and PCs. SanDisk's consumer products are available at hundreds of thousands of retail stores worldwide. For more information, visit www.sandisk.com.
© 2015 SanDisk Corporation. All rights reserved. SanDisk, FlashSoft and others are trademarks of SanDisk Corporation in the United States and other countries. VMware, vSphere, Virtual Volumes, Virtual SAN, vCenter, and VMware Ready are registered trademarks or trademarks of VMware, Inc. in the United States and other jurisdictions. Other brand names mentioned herein are for identification purposes only and may be the trademarks of their respective holder(s).
Media Contact:


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100% Rayon (smooth -has no stretch)
Features: Coconut Button Front, V Neck w/ Mandarin Collar, sleeves Roll with Button Tab, Four decorative pleats down from the yoke on each side, Tab on each Shoulder.
Color: Shades of Brown, Blue, Pink, Purple
Care: Hand Wash Cold or Dry Clean. Lay flat to Dry. Do not place item in hot dryer as it will shrink.
BATIK fabric can vary in tone and shades, so expect that when you purchase this item. Due to the nature of this handmade fabric it can have irregularities such as small smears, spots or smudges. This is in no way considered a fabric flaw. If there is a large pattern, placement of the pattern will vary.
~Sizes 4X, 5X & 6X we + $3.00 to the price
Usually shipped in 1 - 2 business days
Summer Daze Katherine Blouse
- Product Code: SMDZ-455
- $69.00


text:
I thought it would be so easy to meet guys when I got out of college because it was very easy to meet guys in college. I mean, this was really all you had to do to meet some guy in college: 'Oh my God, I am so wasted!'
© 2019 Comedy Partners. All Rights Reserved. Comedy Central and all related titles, logos and characters are trademarks of comedy partners.


text:
today's the day
To Feel Better Than Ever
Our one-of-a-kind wellness products address common aging concerns, head-to-toe, inside and out. They're the powerfully perfect complement to our age-fighting skincare products.
After taking EHT, I felt more alert and aware. I was able to stay in tune with my work and perform my tasks at a higher level of awareness.


text:
Yes, the truth is out there. But they don't want you to know about it.
Yes, the truth is out there. But they don't want you to know about it.
Who's "they"? It could be Google or product manufacturers, your boss or your wireless carrier, Hollywood or Uncle Sam.
What don't they want you to know? That your cell phone, your Webcam, and your employer may be spying on you. That you're probably paying too much for printer ink, and that your wicked-cool subsidized handset will cost you way more over time than an unsubsidized one. That your PC may be coated with toxic flame retardants. And that's just for starters.
Don't despair. For every dirty little secret revealed herein, we describe a fix or a way to work around it (if any exists). You don't have to be a victim, if you know what to do.
Just remember: You've been warned.
Your ISP Is a Copyright Cop
The RIAA and the MPAA may have a new ally. The next people who bust you for illegally swapping music and movies could be the folks you pay for Internet access.
The recording and film industries are seeking to manipulate upcoming net neutrality legislation to allow ISPs to scan the bits passing through their networks and to block any that may violate copyrights--similar to Comcast's notorious attempts to throttle BitTorrent connections in 2007. The Federal Communications Commission's recommended rule changes already contain an exception for "reasonable network management," which could include sniffing for copyrighted content, says Jennifer Granick, civil liberties director for the Electronic Frontier Foundation.
Meanwhile, according to leaked reports, the international Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) now being negotiated in private sessions contains provisions requiring ISPs to police their own networks for copyright scofflaws. Critics of the proposed treaty fear that copyright holders will insert a "three-strikes" policy, under which users could have their Internet access revoked if they're caught exchanging copyrighted content more than twice.
"It's dangerous giving so much power to copyright claims," says Wendy Seltzer, project leader for the Chilling Effects Clearinghouse and a Fellow at Harvard's Berkman Center for Internet & Society. "Imagine someone telling you, 'If you violate our copyrights, we can terminate your Net connection, not just your blog.'"
With such a powerful new partner playing the role of both investigator and enforcer, might copyright holders be emboldened to pursue more consumers suspected of violating copyrights? And what protections will consumers have against false claims of infringement?
The Fix: Contact your congressional representatives and tell them that you oppose net neutrality loopholes for content filtering. Support organizations such as Chilling Effects, the EFF, and Public Knowledge, which fight laws that turn ISPs into Hollywood's hired guns.
Cell Phones Don't Crash Airplanes
The Federal Communications Commission and the Federal Aviation Administration have each recommended that airlines not allow passengers to use cell phones during commercial flights. The FAA fears that the RF signal emitted by devices using the 800MHz spectrum band might interfere with the navigation systems of the plane, specifically GPS instrumentation. Yet there is no documented case of an air accident or serious malfunction caused by a cell phone's interfering with a plane's navigation system.
The FCC's concern is that wireless networks on the ground might be disrupted by the cell phones flying overhead. As a plane flies over a wireless cell tower on the ground, the FCC believes, the cell site will detect all the cell phones operating inside the plane and go to work registering those devices to operate on the network. But by the time the tower registers and connects all those mobile phones passing overhead, the plane will have passed into the range of the next cell tower on its route. This uses up system resources and could hurt network performance for connected phones on the ground.
But some experts believe that this worry is outdated. "Color me highly skeptical that this is a real problem with modern systems," says Ken Biba, CTO of Novarum, a wireless consulting and engineering group. "Modern digital phones actually use lower power, and, further, the cell towers have very directional antennas designed for covering the surface of the earth [not the air above]."
The Fix: There isn't much you can do. Actually, the FCC and the FAA are doing us a big favor here. They're delivering us from having to fly with people jabbering away on their cell phones from takeoff to landing.
'Private' or 'Incognito' Browsing...Isn't
These days, most major Web browsers offer "private" or "incognito" browsing (known colloquially as "porn mode"). But all the feature really does is tell your browser not to record the sites you've looked at, the search terms you've used, or the cookies deposited during that session.
If the sites you visit record your IP address (and many do), that information is available to any interested party that has the legal right to request it--a group that can include divorce attorneys and law enforcement. Recording visitors' IP addresses is a trivial task--you can add to any blog a free widget that accomplishes the same thing--so you should assume that the sites you visit do so.
Of course, your Internet service provider assigned you the IP address in the first place, so it can track you anywhere you go online, if it so chooses. In fact, the FBI wants ISPs to store your surfing histories for at least two years. So far, major ISPs have resisted this push, in part because the storage and record-keeping requirements would be enormous. What information ISPs retain, how long they keep it, and how public they are about it vary from provider to provider--most won't talk about it. (One exception is Cox Communications, which says that it retains IP address logs for six months.) So while your spouse may not know what you've been up to online, the feds might.
The Fix: If you really want to browse off the record, use a proxy service, like Anonymizer or Tor, that obscures your IP address as you surf.
You're Spending Too Much on Printer Ink
If there was ever a business built around scare tactics, it's the business of selling inkjet printers. Try using a refurbished or refilled cartridge, and the printer maker may warn you that you're voiding your service warranty, putting your printer at risk of damage, or possibly ruining your printouts.
Nonsense, says Bill McKenney, CEO of InkTec Zone, which sells equipment for refilling inkjet cartridges to retailers such as Wal-Mart International.
"You won't void the warranty and you won't hurt your printer," says McKenney. "A bad refill job may leak ink inside your machine. Otherwise you'll be fine. And the savings are so significant, there's almost no reason not to do it."
In fact, PCWorld's own lab testing shows that while prints made with third-party, refurbished, or refilled ink cartridges aren't always as good as those made with the printer manufacturer's ink, the cartridges are safe to use in your printer.
The exceptions are so-called prebate cartridges, sold at a slight discount, that contain a chip preventing their being refilled (which should be clearly labeled as one-use-only products).
The Fix: Buying a refurbished cartridge can save you 10 to 20 percent off the price of a new one. Getting refills bumps that savings to 50 percent or more.
The drawbacks are that you may not get quite as much ink with a refill (the amount is usually at least 95 percent, McKenney says), archival prints may not maintain their color quality for as long, and you can refill each cartridge only three to eight times before you'll have to recycle it and get a new one.
End User License Agreements May Not Be Enforceable
It doesn't take much effort to sign an end user license agreement: Rip open a software package, or tick a box on a Website, and you're legally bound. But your obligations depend a lot on where you live, says Jonathan Ezor, director of the Institute for Business, Law & Technology at the Touro Law Center on Long Island.
"EULAs are contracts, and contract law is state law," says Ezor. "It's governed by the state where you live or where the company is based." For example, courts in the Third Circuit Court of Appeals (Delaware, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania) and the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals (Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas) have found certain types of EULAs invalid.
Other factors include whether the agreement contains unenforceable restrictions, whether it gives consumers sufficient choice, and what method it provides for users to indicate agreement, Ezor adds.
The odds of your going to court over a EULA, however, are slight. The real issue is how companies enforce them, Ezor says.
"What companies really don't want you to know is how easy it is for them to turn things off or erase them," he adds. "Think of what happened last year with the Orwell books that Amazon just erased from people's Kindles."
The Fix: Read the EULA. Does the software "phone home" to verify that you're using the product as its creator intended--and, if you're not, does it have the ability to disable the program remotely? If it doesn't, you're probably free to do as your conscience allows.
The Cyberwar Is Heating Up (and Uncle Sam Is Losing)
We may be at war on the ground in Afghanistan, but bigger battles are being waged beneath the noses of most Americans. For the past several years, U.S. government computer networks have been under siege from foreign adversaries. What the people in charge don't want you to know is that it could have been prevented.
Attacks on Department of Defense computer systems jumped 60 percent in 2009, according to a congressional committee. Last July, a botnet originating in North Korea launched a sustained DDOS attack on several U.S. government agencies, including the Federal Trade Commission and the Department of the Treasury. In December, China was fingered for attacks that compromised Google last December but also targeted top government research firms, contractors, and think tanks.
Testifying before Congress in February, former national intelligence director Mike McConnell said the United States may be on the brink of an all-out cyberwar--one we are unprepared to fight.
"From the beginning the government's approach to networks was to facilitate access," says Richard Stiennon, chief research analyst for IT-Harvest and author of Surviving Cyber War. "Now that seems naïve. E-mail is its primary means of communications, and that's completely exposed. Attackers from all over are having their way with government computer systems."
The Fix: "Joe and Jane Citizen need to tell the federal government to comply with computer security standards published by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)," says Stiennon. "That will get us about 90 percent closer to where we need to be, so we can start focusing on the real bad guys."
Google Could Rat You Out
How much does Google know about you? That depends on how much you rely on its cornucopia of free services. But that stored information may easily include the Websites you visit, the search terms you use, the maps you view, your contacts and calendar, your e-mail messages, your chat history, Google Voice phone records, YouTube videos and Picasa photos, the documents you store online, your blogs and advertising accounts, your status updates on Google Buzz, your location on Google Latitude, and--if you use an Android handset--all the data associated with your cell phone, too.
If the government comes knocking with a subpoena--or even just a strongly worded letter, per the Patriot Act--Google is obligated to hand everything over. Sure, the feds can get this data from anyone, but Google's wealth of information (as well as its lengthy data-retention policies) makes their job much easier.
Even if you have nothing to hide from the authorities, all that stands between you and Christmas in July for an identity thief is your Gmail log-on and password; that's the key that unlocks every other Google service. Last October, Google reported that thousands of Gmail accounts had been compromised by a phishing scheme that also targeted AOL, MSN Hotmail, and Yahoo. Even sophisticated users have had their Gmail accounts hijacked. Little wonder, then, that Chinese hackers targeted Gmail accounts when they compromised the service last December.
The Fix: Use Google Dashboard to see what information you're sharing (prepare to be blown away), and adjust your settings accordingly. Make your Gmail password harder to guess, and change it every couple of months. If you think your Gmail account has been hacked or stolen, you may be able to use Google's account-recovery page to get it back. And given Google's recent stumbles over user privacy with Buzz, you might consider spreading the risk over different providers.
Pacemakers and Other Implants Can Be Hacked
Researchers at the University of Washington have demonstrated that medical implants that rely on wireless technologies for monitoring the devices and adjusting their settings are not secure.
In lab tests, scientists from UW, the University of Massachusetts Amherst, and Harvard Medical School were able to take control of a cardiac defibrillator and use it to induce ventricular fibrillation, a potentially lethal condition. They could also read sensitive medical information stored on the device and change it at will.
Study coauthor Tadayoshi Kohno, assistant professor at the University of Washington, says that similar techniques theoretically could be applied to other wireless medical devices, such as drug dispensers and neuro-stimulators.
"Medical devices are innovating at an extremely rapid pace," says Kohno. "In the future they'll be much more like full-grown computers. We did this study to raise awareness and increase our understanding of the security risks these devices could pose."
The Fix: At present no fix exists, though the Food and Drug Administration and medical-device manufacturers are aware of the problem. There are no known cases of medical devices being hacked in the wild.
Even the study's coauthor downplays the actual danger. "The risk to patients today is low," adds Kohno. "These are amazing life-saving devices, and I would have no qualms about using one."
Your PC May Be Killing You
Though electronics manufacturers have made great strides in reducing their use of harmful chemicals in recent years, tech gear still may contain brominated flame retardants--chemicals used to reduce the risk of fire that studies have linked to lower IQs in children and reduced fertility rates.
"BFRs used in the manufacture of circuit boards can be converted to highly toxic brominated dioxins and furans if the products are burned at the end of their life," says Arlene Blum, executive director of the Green Science Policy Institute and a visiting professor of chemistry at UC Berkeley.
But even daily use can be dangerous, says Blum. "When used in plastic casings, BFRs can also migrate out of the plastic into the dust in the room and then enter the body via the hand-to-mouth contact."
The Fix: While major manufacturers such as Apple, Dell, and HP have moved away from BFRs in recent years, certain products built before 2009--especially devices that generate a lot of heat, like laptops and laser printers--may still contain BFRs, says Michael Kirschner, associate director of the Green Science Policy Institute. "Do some research," says Kirschner. "Almost all vendors now have an environmental section on their Websites that tells you about the materials they use."
The news isn't all bad, he adds. "Most manufacturers in the consumer arena have gotten the message to get additive BFRs out of their products."
As for older products still in people's homes? "They probably need to be replaced anyway, right?" Kirschner jokes.
Antivirus Software Won't Protect You
Security programs won't really protect you from the Internet's worst nasties. "Antivirus software only catches the low-hanging fruit," says Mark Kadritch, CEO of The Security Consortium and author of Endpoint Security. The increasing number of zero-day vulnerabilities--coupled with some vendors' failure to fix security holes in their products for months or even years--means that even the most up-to-date antimalware products may still be behind the curve when it counts, he says.
The Fix: You can't do without security software (see our Security Info Center for reviews of the latest security packages, plus how-tos and news), but to protect yourself more effectively you need to take extra steps such as saving your data to encrypted drives and installing VMware or other software that lets you create virtual machines and discard them as they become infected.
"At the end of the day, if you suspect your system has been compromised, blow it away and click 'restore' in VMware," Kadritch says. "You may lose some e-mail, but you'll get a brand-new system with the latest, greatest updates."
Your Cell Phone Is a Homing Beacon
We'll bet that you never leave home without your handset. Well, guess what: Wherever you roam, you can be found. You don't even need a GPS chip in your phone--your using cell towers allows your provider to triangulate your position within a few hundred yards.
"Wherever you carry your phone, the government can go to your wireless provider and use those records to figure out where you are," says the Electronic Frontier Foundation's Jennifer Granick.
Of course, this information could save your life; cell phone tracking has assisted in locating kidnap victims and people stranded in the wilderness. But law enforcement has also used the technology to track people without probable cause. Documents obtained via a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit by the ACLU, the EFF, and the Center for Democracy and Technology reveal that the state of New Jersey obtained cell phone subscriber information 79 times between 2002 and 2008 without seeking a warrant.
Giving law enforcement free rein opens up broad opportunities for information gathering on people who aren't even necessarily persons of interest in an investigation, says Granick.
"One example would be that police could find out the names of everyone who was near a political protest site just because they were investigating someone or something that happened there," she says.
At press time, a federal appeals court was set to hear arguments in the New Jersey case. How the court rules may determine how much of a snoop your phone continues to be.
The Fix: If your handset has a GPS chip and you don't want to be tracked, turn it off. Even then, the carrier may be able to ping your phone to determine the cell towers nearest you. Turning off your phone entirely is your best bet for dropping off the grid, if only temporarily. The next time you use your handset, though, you'll be back on your carrier's grid.
A 'Cheap' Smartphone Is a Rip-Off
Your wireless company might like you to think that your handset is locked to one carrier for myriad technical reasons, but there's really only one reason: profits. The carrier wants to lock you into paying hundreds of dollars a month for mobile voice and data service, and to accomplish that it will sell you a subsidized smartphone for much less than the company paid for it.
Spending more up front for an unsubsidized phone, however, might save you money in the long run. PCWorld contributing editor JR Raphael compared the fees for an unsubsidized $529 Nexus One phone (and an à la carte contract with T-Mobile) with those for the iPhone 3GS and the Motorola Droid, which are available only with a two-year contract (from AT&T and Verizon, respectively). The cost savings over two years: $1350, thanks largely to T-Mobile's $80-per-month unlimited voice, text, and data plan (no contract required).
It gets better. Ben Ferguson, on his Nosugrefneb blog, compared a subsidized $295 Nexus One plus a two-year T-Mobile plan with an unsubsidized model using a $40 T-Mobile data plan and a $3-per-month VoIP account on Skype. Using the data plan and VoIP lopped an additional $482 off the cost--making that option $1800 cheaper than a subsidized iPhone.
The Fix: Do the math. As more vendors move toward an "open" handset model, paying more up front can save you a bundle in the long run.
Your Webcam May Be Watching You
Two-way video chat is fun. One-way chat--where you're the one being watched--is not so much fun. But it's more common than you might think.
In February, school officials in southeastern Pennsylvania found themselves in hot water after they installed software on school laptops that allowed them to activate students' Webcams remotely. The school claimed that the software--which could snap a picture of whoever was using the MacBook at any time--was only for locating lost or stolen laptops. Outraged parents sued the district, and the story made international headlines.
Two weeks earlier, a woman reported being spied on via her Webcam by a Dell support technician, which she discovered when she realized the tech had turned on her Webcam without asking permission. Chinese cyberspy network GhostNet has reportedly taken over at least 1300 PCs worldwide, including the ability to operate their Webcams. In 2006, Spanish authorities arrested two teens after they hacked Webcams at a local college and tried to blackmail students caught in compromising situations. In 2004, an online intruder commandeered the computer of a 15-year-old girl in Houston, operating her Webcam remotely and typing messages on her screen about the clothes she was wearing.
The Fix: If you have an external Webcam, unplug it when you're not using it. If your camera is built in, covering the lens with a sticky note should do the trick.
Your Boss Can (and Probably Does) Monitor Your Computer
Paranoia, schmaranoia. If you work in a medium-size or large organization, the folks in your IT department are keeping tabs on you.
Using software like Websense Triton or Barracuda Purewire, they can monitor the sites you visit, and scan the e-mail you send or receive. They can also check network-activity logs, or use software that captures your keystrokes or periodically grabs images off your screen.
According to the most recent surveys conducted by the American Management Association, two-thirds of all employers monitor employee Web and e-mail activity. About four out of ten use keyloggers or snoop around employees' computer files. And one out of four firms has fired employees for Internet-related misdeeds.
Besides boosting productivity, companies are trying to avoid malware infestations, accidental leaks of confidential data, and liability for sexual-harassment suits if employees are exposed to Internet porn.
The problem? Selective enforcement, says Joe Rose, a labor-rights attorney based in Sacramento, California. Companies just collect the information and use it when needed to weed out troublemakers, complainers, or people who rub them the wrong way. "In my experience," Rose says, "companies use this information selectively, either to pile on evidence in case of employee misconduct or if the employee engages in activity the company doesn't like, such as labor organizing."
The Fix: Don't use company gear or networks to conduct personal business. If your employer gave you a BlackBerry, get your own cell phone, says Rose. Want to check your private Webmail account? Do it from your own computer and on your own network. In nearly all cases, your privacy rights at work are minimal at best.
You Can Fight the RIAA and Win
Organizations such as the Recording Industry Association of America and the Motion Picture Association of America can have your Website taken down simply by sending an e-mail to your host or Internet service provider--even if you've done nothing wrong. Under the endless gift to copyright holders known as the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, service providers may avoid liability by immediately removing material alleged to violate copyrights. They don't require proof, and they don't have to notify you in advance.
If your materials don't infringe copyrights, however, you can file a DMCA counter-notification with your service provider. If the copyright holder doesn't file suit against you within 14 days, your provider must restore what it deleted. (Of course, if the copyright holder calls your bet and files suit, you can withdraw your claim. Otherwise you'll need to lawyer up, so pick your battles carefully.)
Unfortunately, service providers don't always provide sufficient notice for site owners after the takedown; in some cases bloggers don't even know which files to remove. Recently, six music bloggers had years' worth of MP3 archives wiped from Blogger.com after Google received DMCA takedown notices from the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry. One site was reinstated, while a few others changed Web hosts; the rest were still dark as of this writing.
The Fix: Mail or fax your provider a counter-notification ASAP (e-mail isn't an option). You'll find a fill-in-the-blanks form at the Chilling Effects Clearinghouse site.
Your Passport Could Make You a Target for Crime--Wirelessly
Most American travelers are only dimly aware of a radio frequency ID chip embedded in the last page of their U.S. passport. The only indication as to the RFID chip's presence is a small icon on the cover. The RFID chip permits a passport control officer to transfer the information on the passport's "data page" wirelessly to a terminal, but security researchers have expressed concern that the range from which any RFID reader can pull data from a passport is far greater.
In 2006, security firm Flexilis demonstrated the ability to read RFID data at a range of several hundred feet, using a special antenna mounted to the stock of a sniper rifle (which the researchers used for both dramatic effect and ease of aiming). Last year, Chris Paget of the security firm IOActive drove around San Francisco and, within 20 minutes, copied all of the stored data right out of two unsuspecting U.S. passport holders' pockets, using just a laptop plus off-the-shelf hardware and software costing a total of $250.
The Fix: "The privacy risks posed by RFID-enabled passports make dumpster diving for credit card slips look like child's play," says Andrew Brandt, lead threat research analyst for Webroot. "If a few hundred bucks' worth of gear is all it takes to engage in mass identity theft, or to target citizens of a specific country for crime, it doesn't seem to
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