text:
Nice, France: A Model City of the Future in the Making
Cisco's Smart+Connected Communities efforts around the world have seen both the creation of new cities and the revitalization of existing ones. Although we're no strangers to the transformation process, it is still eye-opening to see one of the oldest areas of France well on its way to becoming a model city of the future.
Last month, Cisco and city officials of Nice, France convened at the Innovative City Convention to announce a strategic collaboration in future development. In recent times, policy makers and industry leaders have increasingly been tasked with city improvement goals that require the careful integration of citizen needs, city-wide operations and prevailing infrastructures. Through the signing of an MoU, both parties have agreed to embrace a more holistic view in the next stage of planning and development for Nice. As a key technology partner, Cisco plays an important role in taking advantage of our core networking competencies to transform Nice from a physical community into a connected community. With the help of relevant technologies, we hope to create the level of innovation and socio-economic development needed to bolster the city's sustainability, growth and global competitiveness.
As the fifth most heavily populated city in France, Nice sits on 28 square miles of land and houses around 350,000 citizens. Projects that are being put into place will largely focus on improving quality of life, creating jobs, sustaining the appeal of local industries and maintaining overall social welfare. The implementation of networked technologies will aim to provide the following:
- A network of smart sensors connected to intelligent communication systems that are capable of capturing and analyzing relevant data on city operations
- Mechanisms in place that will alert citizens on air/water quality and flash flood warnings
- Technologies that provide drivers with pertinent information on traffic patterns and available parking, with the aim of improving traffic flow
- Consumer mobile devices that help facilitate payment for services and customize on-demand data for nearby recreational activities and entertainment
- Technologies that nurture and promote interaction amongst students, teachers, neighbors, researchers, companies and governments
- Improved healthcare technology that provides efficient care at a distance, diagnostics and treatments to improve citizen health
In taking a more holistic approach to planning and development efforts, the city of Nice has taken on the economic and social welfare of its citizens as a priority. The development of new services and industries will effectively help create new jobs, while innovative technologies will support better education, healthcare and workplace services. As a testing ground for many of these solutions, we're optimistic that Nice will one day serve as a model for what a smart and connected community could achieve.
In an effort to keep conversations fresh, Cisco Blogs closes comments after 60 days. Please visit the Cisco Blogs hub page for the latest content.
3 Comments
Joseph Calarco
I am a French citizen living in Austin Tx preparing to return to France. My family moved from Nice when I was a child. I have been trying to keep up with Nice for many years. I am excited about the collabration between Nice and Cisco, I have worked on Cisco software products for over 12 years and hope to work for Cisco or a company that uses Cisco products once I return to Nice. I am very excited!
That all sounds really interesting. I'll make sure to follow the progress at Nice.
My favorite two initiatives are the smart sensors initiative and the "nurture and promote interaction" initiative. The "interaction" initiative sounds like it could have a lot of interesting potential.


text:
MINKPINK dress, Spring sandals, YSL arty ring
They say Paris is the most romantic city in the world. I think Rome comes a close second! The boy and I absolutely loved the charming city of Roma. It was our first and last stop in Europe and we got the most out of it in a short couple of days. Taking gelato breaks in between sites was the best. We must have sampled a dozen flavours by the time we left. We would spend the day exploring the sites, museums, piazzas, and shops, followed by candlelight dinners. The most memorable dining experience was at the famous Pantheon. Staring at the magically-lit temple to all the gods of Ancient Rome while being serenaded by street musician and eating the best Tagliatelle al Ragù Bolognese I've ever had all felt like a dream. I hope we'll get a chance to go back soon as there's so much I've yet to see (and eat) in beautiful Roma!
The 'Prince of Persia' paisley dress by MINKPINK was purchased just days before our trip to Europe and it turned out to be the perfect piece to wear in Rome! This Australian brand has fast become one of my favourites. All of their garments are flattering with a ton of personality, making accessories completely unnecessary. I picked up this dress at my favourite boutique in Steveston Village (Richmond, BC) - VioletHill. The store seems to always have something amazing that catches my eye so it's practically impossible to walk out empty handed. All the reason why I'm so thrilled to have my LOVECOCO jewelry line available at the boutique!

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Facebook has shiny new digs but the Palo Alto-based company maybe looking for something shinier.
The Wall Street Journal reports that the social networking site is looking at possibly moving its headquarters to a 57-acre campus formerly home to Sun Microsystems.
The move has been a possibility for months but it is not picking up more steam. The property is currently is owned by Oracle, which took over Sun in 2009.
Facebook would not purchase the property though, according to the paper. Instead the Wisconsin Investment Board would purchase the property for about $100 million and lease it to Facebook for $12 per square foot a year.
The social network moved to its current 150,000-square-foot building in 2009.


text:
dnana necesitaba un nuevo diseño de logotipo y lanzó un concurso de diseño en 99designs.
Un ganador ha sido elegido entre 215 diseños de 65 diseñadores freelance.
We are a plastic recycling company at the forefront of our industry. Long established, but in need of a new logo to reflect the modern, technologically advanced and environmentally aware process that recycling has become.
We only process industrial waste, and require a logo that will reflect this. Not aimed at "household" or consumer waste.
Would like the company name to form the logo, but in such a way as to be easily recognisable, without having to actually read the text. We would also like the logo to visually convey the fresh, clean and modern industry that we are part of. It may also have a science feel as being plastics or polymer recyclers - or may not. We are open to your creativity. I do hope that those gifted designers amongst you understand where I am going - and will try to provide as much feedback throughout the process.
We would like a reference to the recycling logo (or a fresh take on it) as opposed to a stock image of the standard triangle. We would like the recycling logo incorporated (but the actually logo (or arrowed triangle) as it stands would need to be altered or modified so that it is easily incorporated into the company name, and so that it represents the "freshness" that we are after.
It does not necessarily have to look like the actual recycling logo but may just be a reference to it.
Would also really like to see the letters in the company name used to create the triangle - either an individual letter, or a combination of letters. Will leave this to the creative ones amongst you! This is just an idea, and we are open to other designs.
Colours: must incorporate a vivid GREEN - but this does not have to be the prominant colour, other clolours to be used must work with the green. Would not like too many different colours - nothing to busy (keeping the "clean" feel in mind).
Will be used for both print and web, so must work in monochrome and must also work on different colour backgrounds.
No other images other than the recycling logo reference Please!!
Vector format required, as well as psd.
Hope I have made some sense, and look forward to seeing what we will be representing ourselves with in the near future.
NOTE: We faced some unexpected issues around the same time that we ran the original contest and as a consequence, were unable to select a winning idea, or to request to have the contest re-run. We are now ready to attempt to finalise our branding and move forward with this contest. We appreciate the effort of all the original entrants and hope the high quality concepts will continue.
Descubre cómo funciona un concurso de diseño u obtén más información sobre nuestros servicios de diseño de logo.


text:
The African American folk singer Huddie Ledbetter, better known as Leadbelly, sings a wonderful song with the simple title "Titanic."
This version was recorded in New York in 1948, but Leadbelly said that he started singing it with Blind Lemon Jefferson on Dallas street corners soon after the disaster. What's most immediately striking about the song musically is that it's kind of upbeat, almost cheerful for a ballad about a shipwreck that claimed 1,500 lives. And this is even more evident in the lyrics. The song includes a fictional story about how Jack Johnson, the African American heavyweight boxing champion at the time, was refused passage on the ship:
"Jack Johnson want to get on board,
Captain says, "I ain't haulin' no coal."
Fare thee, Titanic, fare thee well."
After the sinking, Johnson realizes the irony of the situation. The Captain's racism saved the boxer's life:
"When he heard about that mighty shock,
Might o' seen the man doin' the Eagle Rock.
Fare thee, Titanic, fare thee well."
The Eagle Rock was a dance, so Jack Johnson's response to the disaster is to spread his arms like an eagle and swing his feet around. Some versions of the song include an additional verse:
"Black man oughta shout for joy,
Never lost a girl or either a boy.
Fare thee, Titanic, fare thee well."
Why would Leadbelly suggest that black people should feel joy in response to a tragedy? Why would he celebrate the fact that there were no African Americans among the victims?


text:
Monday, July 31, 2006
feel the joe-nertia!
the most interesting moment of the event took place before lamont arrived, at the home of mckinnie's next door neighbor, whom mckinnie identified as "jonelle." mckinnie had previously convinced jonelle to support lamont and place a lamont sign on her front lawn. seeing that sign, two lamont supporters -- local activist edward anderson and influential national blogger matt stoller of mydd.com -- asked for permission to park the pictured flatbed display (of the famous bush-lieberman kiss) in the driveway. jonelle wasn't home; her teenaged daughters said yes. the driveway is a bit away from the rally site, but remotely visible.
but when anderson and stoller parked, officer herb sharp (pictured) ordered them to move. they told him they had permission from the tenants. he said they still had to move. a reporter -- me -- happened to be watching and taking photos. sharp ordered me to leave the area. he claimed (falsely) that i was in his way. (i was standing behind him.) he said i was "interfering." when i refused, he told me to speak to his supervisor, sgt. anthony duff. duff came forward and denied that sharp had told me to leave, only to stay out of his way. sharp proceeded to knock on the door of the home and speak to two teen-aged girls. their mom wasn't home. one of the girls went to take away the lamont sign from the front yard.
i asked sgt. duff why the display couldn't remain parked in the yard. he responded that the police had previously worked out security arrangements with the public-housing complex's management. (the area was festooned with joe lieberman campaign signs, including some held by members of sgt. duff's family.) "our job here is to keep the peace," duff sasid. why can't tenants allow someone to park in their driveway? "there are teenagers here. the head of the household isn't here," he responded. one of the teen-agers called her mom. her mom said yes, she was happy to have the pro-lamonters' display in her driveway.
duff relented. the display stayed in the driveway. one of the teens returned the lamont sign to the front yard. "we're ned lamont people," she said. she preferred not to give her name for publication.
write a blog, lose your job
universal soldiers
zip a dee doo dah zip a dee ayy, poor mitt romney's on the aryan way...
``the governor was describing a sticky situation," said eric fehrnstrom, the governor's spokesman. ``he was unaware that some people find the term objectionable, and he's sorry if anyone was offended."
in his first major political trip out of the state since a ceiling collapse in a big dig tunnel killed a boston woman on july 10, romney told 200 people at a republican lunch saturday about the political risks of his efforts to oversee the project.
``the best thing for me to do politically is stay away from the big dig -- just get as far away from that tar baby as i possibly can," he said in answer to a question from the audience.
talkin' 'bout m-m-m-my generation
wrong presidential candidate to be seen with in connecticut
tag teaming with bennett was one of the senator's early experiments in what he calls "bipartisanship," which often entails adopting republican positions without leveraging any concession from the other side. tell me how bill bennett moved toward the middle to accommodate joe lieberman. pretty much the way bush and cheney moved to the center to meet democrats on iraq. not at all.
yet lieberman's reputation in connecticut is not purely that of an out-of-step conservative. it's much more complicated, and frustrating, than that. he's a serial raiser and dasher and re-raiser of hopes.
we recommend that you read the entire article.
the chuck stops here
today, his view is much more bleak. in an interview with the omaha world herald, the vietnam war veteran said that the country had descended into "absolute anarchy" and the war was "an absolute replay of vietnam."
.... "they're destroying the united states army."
thank you think progress
"the iraq war should not be debated in the united states on a partisan political platform," the nebraska senator remarked. "this debases our country, trivializes the seriousness of war and cheapens the service and sacrifices of our men and women in uniform. war is not a republican or democrat issue. the casualties of war are from both parties. the bush administration must understand that each american has a right to question our policies in iraq and should not be demonized for disagreeing with them. suggesting that to challenge or criticize policy is undermining and hurting our troops is not democracy nor what this country has stood for, for over 200 years. the democrats have an obligation to challenge in a serious and responsible manner, offering solutions and alternatives to the administration's policies."
(update) chuck's showing more spine today. (take a note dlc'ers)
urging president bush to turn all u.s. efforts toward "ending this madness," a leading republican senator monday broke with the bush administration and called for an immediate cease-fire in the mideast.
"the sickening slaughter on both sides must end and it must end now," nebraska sen. chuck hagel said. "president bush must call for an immediate cease-fire. this madness must stop."
..."our relationship with israel is special and historic," he said. "but it need not and cannot be at the expense of our arab and muslim relationships. that is an irresponsible and dangerous false choice."
"this is not about setting a timeline," hagel said. "this is about understanding the implications of the forces of reality." - cnn
thank you senator hagel.
you gotta laugh or else you'll cry
the satirical political report gives us don mclean's american lie; and
mediabloodhound gives us uncle karl's latest talking points.
addendum: check out the freeway blogger's newspaper article israel bombs mel gibson.
cnn...aka youboobtube
with camera phones and other gadgets a greater part of everyday life, cnn wants to make it easier for viewers to submit images they happen to capture as they witness news in the making.
...cnn is creating a permanent place, at cnn.com/exchange, where so-called citizen journalists can submit any photos, graphics, audio and video. it is also accepting submissions via e-mail. contributors will not be paid,
...one key difference, though, is that cnn's staff will vet every submission and post only those it deems authentic and appropriate.
...msnbc.com said it is also expanding its citizen-journalism efforts, but won't announce details until later this year. - ap
news you might have missed this weekend
the secretive fight against bioterror. the bush administration is building a massive biodefense laboratory unlike any seen since biological weapons were banned 34 years ago. it intends to operate the facility largely in secret. washington post. - 30 july 2006.
more than 60 percent of u.s. in drought. more than 60 percent of the united states now has abnormally dry or drought conditions, stretching from georgia to arizona and across the north through the dakotas, minnesota, montana and wisconsin. ap.- 30 july 2006.
dry and desperate. across the upper midwest, a deep and unrelenting drought has a punishing grip on the land. it is withering crops and herds, constricting businesses, limiting recreation and lawn care, and even raising the price of breakfast foods. minneapolis star tribune
altered oceans. low-oxygen 'dead zones' are spreading as fertilizer use and coastal populations boom: the first of a 5-part multi-media series. latte times. - 30 july 2006.
the pay zone. to truly grasp the scope of the crisis looming before them, americans must retrace their seemingly ordinary tankful of gasoline back to its shadowy sources. this is, in effect, a journey into the heart of america's vast and troubled oil dependency. chicago tribune - 30 july 2006.
heatwave shuts down nuclear power plants. the european heatwave has forced nuclear power plants to reduce or halt production. london observer 30 july 2006.
last call. with uncertainty spreading about the world's crude output, many experts fear that energy wars will become the defining struggles of the early 21st century. chicago tribune - 30 july 2006.
growing greener. the recent boom in construction of "green" buildings has pushed st. louis into the nation's top 10 cities with the highest number of green developments. st. louis post-dispatch - 30 july 2006.
bravely hopping where the 5:00 news talking heads fear to tread.
some reservations
like public opinion only sooner...
can we stop saying awol is popular now? will democrats dare go on the attack?
Sunday, July 30, 2006
feel the ned-mentum!
it's just getting worse in the middle east
speaking to reporters, eshel added that hizbullah rocket launchers were hidden in civilian buildings in the village, showing a video footage of rocket launchers being driven into the village following launches.
"there were 15 physically or mentally handicapped children among the children killed in qana," said bahia hariri, who represents south lebanon.
mr hariri, who presides over several charitable organisations, said several families had already been evacuated towards the city of sidon but some families of the handicapped had wanted to stay.
washpost stops short of endorsing lieberman
"[v]oters who believe that mr. lieberman is wrong on the war and that the war is the paramount issue are entitled to vote for his opponent in the aug. 8 primary. that's democracy."
well, yes -- thanks for that, wapo.
that is to say, concessions are not the same as co-operation. at least, not in our book.
there's a killer on the golf course
"if it was just the odd one or two you could probably put it down to animal attack, but when it's been so reasonably frequent, the circumstances are very suspicious," he said.
he said authorities were keen to catch the culprit before things got worse. "the natural fear is escalation," he said. "it's well documented in lots of situations that people who have a prior history of animal cruelty can move on to potentially harming people."
Vampires in swinging London
dude is silly bean...
iranian president mahmoud ahmadinejad has ordered government and cultural bodies to use modified persian words to replace foreign words that have crept into the language, such as "pizzas" which will now be known as "elastic loaves," state media reported saturday... {yahoo! news}
well, sufferin' succotash. what's ahmadinejad's term for stromboli, then? a "stuffed elastic loaf"? what does he call calzones? "cheesy turnovers"? no, wait, maybe the word "turnover" is too foreign for reactionary persian sensitivities -- let's substitute the term "puff sandwich."
waiter, i'll have a cheesy puff sandwich with pepperoni and sausage.
i take that back -- make it a cheesy puff sandwich with two kinds of spicy ground meat (and allah knows what else) encased in animal intestines...
Saturday, July 29, 2006
the passion of the jack daniels
that's one excuse we haven't tried yet
it's looking lousy for lieberman
lamont, 52, ran ahead in the survey among voters in all other age and income groups, as well as among those with college degrees, schwartz said. lamont outpolled lieberman among men, 56-44 percent. fifty-one percent of the women surveyed backed lieberman, to 47 percent for lamont, a statistically insignificant difference.
one democratic strategist, speaking on condition of anonymity, said internal polls showed similar results. - asspress
the nytimes, they are a changin'
We Have A Winner! (several, actually)
I just realized - I ran two contests and never announced the winners! My bad. To make up for lost time, I'm announcing the winners to both competitions: the "write a yellow ribbon slogan" contest (My Country Went to Iraq and All I got Was This Lousy Yellow Ribbon), and my contest to pick the most ridiculous case of phony, trumped-up conservative outrage.
Without any further ado, here the winners:
Of the many fine entrants, here are the five selected to receive a copy of Paul Reickhoff's fine book about serving in
Fourth Place: Dudeattack! for "My first ribbon ran out two years ago."
Third Place: Gary Linz for "Support My Habit.
Second Place: ran for "Hi, I'm Tony Orlando"
And a tie for First Place: Steve Marvin and decorticator for "Support Our Oops"
Winners, please send me an email with your name and address and I'll send the book along to you. And don't forget to support Paul's organization here.
HuffPo! Phony Conservative Outrage Contest:
No prize was offered for this contest other than a laurel, and hardy handshake. The idea was to select which of the phony, trumped-up "outrages" from the right was the most ridiculous. Here are the winning entries:
Fourth Place: Mr. Knuckles for "Liberal Pot Shots Aimed at Rummy 'Not Funny!'" says White House.
Third Place: James for "The fake 'racism' charges in the Gonzales and Alito hearings."
This submission is brilliant - best of the lot. Mac691 chose to illustrate the absurdity of conservative outrage by creating parody outrage about the … contest itself! This is so "meta" it's wildly hip. It's absurdist theater of the highest order. "A bravura performance by a brilliant performance artist. My hat is off to you, sir!
Thanks once again to all our talented participants. There will be another new and exciting contest soon!
temporary ted barlow disease
Independent voice?
The thing is, she can't run from her record of being a Rubber Stamp Republican, one of the largest recipients of the corrupt Tom Delay's campaign contributions. And now she has President Bush fundraising for her.
How independent from awol's failures do you think she can be when he's campaigning for her?
She's been nothing but a Rubber Stamp Republican who has provided no oversight of the run-amuk corruption and incompetence of the Republican leadership and this administration. Indeed, she's benefited by it, receiving campaign contribution after campaign contribution from Delay and from corporations eager to profit off the Iraq War at the expense of our soldiers and eager to see the elimination of worker safety regulations and inspections. From the invasion of Iraq to the cutting of federal mining inspections before the Sago Mine Disaster, she's been with the administration in lock-step all the way.
From the Charleston Gazette:
President George W. Bush spent a few hours in Charleston Wednesday afternoon, raising money for a political ally at a private fundraiser and getting jeered by opponents of the war in Iraq.
Air Force One touched down at Yeager Airport at 4 p.m. Bush and U.S. Rep. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., got off the plane and were first greeted by Gen. Allen Tackett, head of the state's National Guard.
Republican officials said about 275 people attended the fundraiser, which raised an estimated $500,000 for Capito. Many paid the maximum of $2,100 per person. She is seeking a fourth two-year term in a race against Democrat Mike Callaghan.
Callaghan, Capito's opponent, said Bush's visit shows Capito's vulnerability this November and her solidarity with the Bush administration's failed policies. He held his own fundraiser Wednesday evening, asking $21 per person for dinner, or 1 percent of the maximum allowable donation.
"The Callaghan campaign is about changing the direction of this country, which includes pushing the administration to find a way to end the war in Iraq, pushing the administration into providing health care for every man, woman and child, and pushing the administration into making prescription medication affordable to our seniors," he said.
If we really want an independent voice who'll fight for the working people of West Virginia and not just for the wealthy people outside of the state, we need Mike Callaghan in Congress.
Friday, July 28, 2006
wo ist die blogger?
sehr gut, lindsay!
Q In terms of world opinion, you keep saying the "what if" game, if it seems as though the strategy is to isolate Hezbollah. Is there a risk with the United States and Israel gets isolated in terms of world opinion by not saying, let's cut the shooting now, cut the rockets now, and work it out? I hear what you're saying about --From The New York Times:
MR. SNOW: Let me counterpose. There's an even greater danger that if the U.S. looks ineffective in doing this, that you not only have a loss in terms of world opinion, but credibility. And you cannot -- we've said it many times, you cannot run foreign policy on the basis of public opinion polls. Quite often there are perceptions that people may get from fractional coverage of the situation that don't expose the real realities on the ground. We are in very constant consultation with people in the region to try to find out exactly what the facts are.
Now, with hundreds of Lebanese dead and Hezbollah holding out against the vaunted Israeli military for more than two weeks, the tide of public opinion across the Arab world is surging behind the organization, transforming the Shiite group's leader, Sheik Hassan Nasrallah, into a folk hero and forcing a change in official statements.Listen. Some where at this moment in Israel or Lebanon or Iraq, a father like me is wailing in agony because his child is dead from an explosion or gun shot.
The Saudi royal family and King Abdullah II of Jordan, who were initially more worried about the rising power of Shiite Iran, Hezbollah's main sponsor, are scrambling to distance themselves from Washington.
With each birth of my daughters I thought my heart would swell and explode through my chest because I was so filled with so much love and happiness by their arrival. I love my life, but if I ever had to trade it to keep one of them safe from harm, I would make that bargain with a glad heart for I love them so.
And some where in Lebanon or Israel or Iraq, a father who felt the same way about one of his children is holding a still-form. No torment in hell holds worse suffering.
Listen. Close your eyes and listen. You can hear his screams even here on the other side of the world.
The world should stop spinning in orbit to hear such a tormented soul's cry of despair.
Dear Lord, people are dead because the president failed to listen. Children are dead. They cannot listen. They cannot hear their father's cries. They cannot hear their mother's desperate screams to come back to them. They cannot hear their brothers and sisters calling out their names.
Listen. Diplomacy begins with listening to each other. awol just wants to speak and have people follow his orders rather than listen.
Listening never killed anybody.
He did not listen to those who warned of the dangers of invading Iraq.
He did not listen to the screams of the tortured.
No, he believes he can govern by photo ops. They do not require him to listen.
So when awol's spokesman speaks of a "greater danger," what danger is he speaking of? There is no danger in asking people to stop killing each other and to sit down and listen. What is more dangerous than the bombs dropping and the gun shots flying? Snow claims that the administration is in consultation with people, but certainly the Lebanese people will no longer listen to us. They are going to listen to Hezbollah for standing up to those that sent the bombs that were dropped on them.
The same is true for the Israelis and the Iraqis. They are not going to want to listen to those that shipped death and destruction their way.
And so the world trembles at the anguish of the fathers and mothers with their children dead. You can hear them, but awol cannot. He does not listen.
be afraid
it's coming.
lest we forget
" ... I rise today to make a most difficult and distasteful statement ... the President of the United States had just confessed to engaging in an extramarital affair ..."
"... disgraceful behavior ... "
"... it is hard to ignore the impact of the misconduct the President has admitted to on our children, our culture and our national character."
"Such behavior is not just inappropriate. It is immoral. "
"... This is unfortunately familiar territory for Americas families in today's anything-goes culture, where sexual promiscuity is too often treated as just another lifestyle choice.""... the President has undercut the efforts of millions of American parents who are naturally trying to instill in our children the value of honesty."
"... my feelings of disappointment and anger have not dissipated. "
"... these feelings have gone beyond my personal dismay to a larger, graver sense of loss for our country ..."
"... ultimately an accounting of the impact of his actions on our democracy and its moral foundations ..."
.".. the transgressions the President has admitted to are too consequential for us to walk away and leave the impression for our children and for our posterity that what President Clinton acknowledges he did within the White House is acceptable behavior for our nation's leader."
- Sen. Joseph Lieberman, D (CT)
hoppy kangaroo blogging friday
you tube wars continue
the reality-making business can be a real bitch sometimes...
...the law's legislative sponsor is one of the house's most conservative members, rep. walter b. jones jr. (r-n.c.). he proposed it after a chance meeing with a retired navy pilot who had spent six years in the notorious "hanoi hilton," a vietnamese prison camp. the converstaion left jones angry about washington's inability to prosecute the pilot's abusers.
jones's legislation for the first time imposed criminal penalties in the united states for breaches of the geneva conventions, which protected detainees anywhere. the defense department's deputy general counsel at the time declared at the sole hearing on it in 1996 -- attended by just two lawmakers -- that "we fully support the purposes of the bill," and urged its expansion to cover a wider range of war crimes. the republican-controlled house passed the bill by voice vote, and the senate approved it by unanimous consent...
ah, but that was then. 9/11 changed everything, you see. and awol, having finally been handed a worthwhile mission in life courtesy of osama bin laden and al-qaida, became responsible for defending the united staes against its sworn, bloodthirsty enemies. he knew he had to fight back -- he had, in fact, no alternative.
the thing is, when defending your country, you should try your best to defend it according to your country's own laws -- even if this turns into a big pain in your ass, it shows everybody that you are serious. it gives you quite a bit of credence and some extra leverage in dealing with your enemy as well, because defending your country on your country's own terms is both a requirement of effective leadership and a strong sign of integrity. furthermore, if you look over the history of humankind, you will notice that it all boils down to three words: progress, not regress. it's a very good thing that our founding fathers just happened to be observant students of history -- as a result, the american liberties we presently take for granted are, to a deep extent, predicated on the progress-not-regress language contained in the constitution. if awol had sufficient common sense, he'd know that upholding our laws and preserving our liberties are equal and indispensible goals in the fight against terrorism.
so what happens on his watch? his administration tries to undermine the war crimes act to protect him and his oh-so-loyal minions from any and all threats of prosecution for war criminality...
(full version at bloggingwhore's medley...)
look who's coming to santa barbara
sen. feingold! and he's taking on the "squishy middle"
a tale of two lieutenants
more inconvenience.....
move over al gore. a group of california scientists and activists have made their own documentary about global warming, and if they're right, the state has a dismal future if nothing is done to stop it. "california: on the front lines of global warming," is aimed, in part, at getting residents to push state lawmakers to adopt the nation's first cap on greenhouse-gas emissions from vehicle tailpipes and industrial smokestacks. the move would reduce global-warming emissions to 1990 levels by 2020. assembly bill 32 will be heard sometime after the legislature gavels back into session aug. 7
. ..two-thirds of californians polled by the public policy institute of california, in a survey released this week, said they want the state to address global warming independent of the federal government. nearly half, 49 percent, said they considered it a "very serious" threat to state's economy and quality of life. - pe.com
we have choices.....climate choices.
a convenient screening
if you have seen the movie, join us again and hear what you can do here in california. bring a friend who hasn't seen it as of yet. if you haven't seen it yet; this is a great opportunity to do so.
tom mullens, chair, socal grassroots
come join us on saturday, july 29 for a screening of an inconvenient truth and hear from assemblywoman fran pavley about her assembly bill to curb the effects of global warming. she and the speaker of the assembly fabian nunez have co- authored ab32 - solutions for global warming (for more information, see http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=plxzexbab.0.b5e45wbab.d9spuyn6.0&ts=S0193&p=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.solutionsforglobalwarming.org%2F).
tickets are $10 through actblue. you can also rsvp to firstname.lastname@example.com - the tickets will be available at the theatre starting at 2:15 pm.
the afternoon starts with assemblymember pavley's presentation and introduction of the film at 2:40 pm, followed by an inconvenient truth at 2:55 pm - please arrive no later than 2:30 pm to get your seat and catch the entire event!
if you have seen an incovenient truth, join us again and hear how the state assembly is working to curb global warming.
haven't had a chance to see this movie? now is a great time to do so - bring a friend and experience the truth of global warming, while supporting socal grassroots.
laemmle's monica 4-plex
1332 2nd street
santa monica, ca
map & parking information
to find out more about assemblymember fran pavley of the forty-first assembly district, visit her office website.
say hello, and happy 3rd blogiversary
Thursday, July 27, 2006
spazeboy gets ink
this is the bristle-haired, beguiling 25-year-old from iowa with a video camera and his own website. spazeboy, who lives in new britain and goes to tunxis community college, hasn't just gotten under the lieberman campaign's skin. he's in their kitchen making breakfast.
now, the "known protester" is a blogging hero, attracting online fans across the country. it's the latest sign that something is happening and the lieberman folks don't know what it is.
mad about condi
that darned liberal media
what if "the corner" writers were around between the two world wars?
use a picture phone go to jail
"i opened (the phone) and took a shot," cruz said.
moments later, cruz said he got the shock of his life when an officer came to his back yard gate.
"he opened the gate and took me by my right hand," cruz said.
cruz said the officer threw him onto a police car, cuffed him and took him to jail…
cruz said police told him that he broke a new law that prohibits people from taking pictures of police with cell phones.
"they threatened to charge me with conspiracy, impeding an investigation, obstruction of a investigation. … they said, 'you were impeding this investigation.' (i asked,) "by doing what?' (the officer said,) 'by taking a picture of the police officers with a camera phone,'" cruz said.
stop the freaking bombing....
lebanon's environment ministry says the oil flooded into the sea when israeli jets hit storage tanks at the jiyyeh plant south of beirut on july 13 and 15, creating an ecological crisis that lebanon's government has neither the money nor the expertise to deal with.
but one of the main problems is that an israeli air and sea blockade in place since the war began on july 12 is hampering both the clean-up and the delivery of equipment.
"to really clean it up we need access to the sea, which we don't have," sarraf said. "we need more equipment and mobilisation but for that we need the hostilities to end."
...commercial fishing and tourism has been at a standstill since the war began because of the air and sea blockade.- reuters and motherjones
neil young...
not that that's a bad thing. overall, i like him. it's just that i love him the most when he's playing the soft roller. his hard rocker guise is all right -- i just get the impression that he's a bit of a fish out of water when he's playing an electric guitar. he always sounds a little out of his element to me that way. but when he's playing acoustic guitar...
well, i've watched his heart of gold dvd three times now, and i simply can't get enough of it. neil and company (including the graceful emmylou harris) deliver a splendid performance. and i'm not just saying that because my favorite neil young song, "harvest moon," is on it. this is a wonderful dvd, people -- and considering that i'm a short-tempered gen xer who will very likely have no choice but to clean things up after the sixtyish hippies like mr. young (the bastids), that's saying an awful lot. i strongly recommend this dvd to anyone willing to watch it.
til further on...
"it's important for us to get some kind of ceasefire now"
the sierra clubernator
schwarzenegger joins sierra club to oppose senate offshore drilling bill
seems...just in time....kinda.
by a vote of 86-12 the senate agreed to proceed with the legislation that
opponents fear could open the way to lifting a federal drilling moratorium that
has protected 85 percent of the country's outer continental shelf from new
england to alaska for a quarter century. - ap
lieberman gets op-eded
but to what end? there appear to be two answers to that question, neither of them good. one, it could be that lieberman just wants to preserve his job. understandable. nobody likes to be fired. but we would like to think we would all risk unemployment rather than abandon our principles. if lieberman is willing to abandon his if that's what it takes to get re-elected, he should do it now, not after the results are tallied late at night on aug. 8. otherwise it looks like lieberman is saying, "i believe this, unless i lose the primary, in which case i believe this."
two, lieberman is using fear, vengeance or both. vengeance in that he will go out of his way – and out of his party – to hurt lamont should lamont defeat him in the primary. or perhaps it's fear instilled in connecticut democrats, who may have to consider the possibility that voting their conscience by voting for lamont – and many have pledged to do just that – ultimately could cost the democrats what appears to be a safe seat in the senate because lieberman, by running as an independent, could divide the democrats' voting power and hand the seat to republican challenger alan schlesinger.
echidne of the snake handlers
for the second time in three days, cnn featured a segment on the potential coming of the apocalypse, as indicated by current conflicts in the middle east. the july 26 edition of cnn's live from ... featured a nine-minute segment in which anchor kyra phillips discussed the apocalypse and the middle east with christian authors jerry jenkins and joel c. rosenberg -- who share the view that the rapture is nigh. at one point in the discussion, phillips asked rosenberg whether she needed "to start taking care of unfinished business and telling people that i love them and i'm sorry for all the evil things i've done," to which rosenberg replied: "well, that would be a good start." throughout the segment, the onscreen text read: "apocalypse now?"
as media matters for america documented, the july 24 edition of cnn's paula zahn now featured a segment examining what "the book of revelation tell[s] us about what's happening right now in the middle east." cnn re-aired this segment the next day. media matters also noted that rosenberg is just one of several conservative media figures who have identified and expounded upon the purported signs of the apocalypse to be found in the israel-hezbollah conflict. during his appearance on live from ..., rosenberg claimed that he had been invited to the white house, capitol hill, and the cia to discuss the rapture and the middle east, and noted -- several times -- that the apocalyptic events described in his novels keep coming true.
read em and weep, mmm
do you think it is worth the loss of life and other costs for the united states to remain in iraq until there's a stable democracy there, or is it not worth the loss of life and other costs, or are you unsure?
worth it: 25
not worth it: 42
unsure: 32
how do you think the war with iraq is affecting the united states' image in the world? is the war making the u.s. image in the world better, making it worse, or is the war having no effect on the u.s. image in the world?
better: 10
worse: 72
no effect: 12
do you think the u.s. presence in iraq is leading to greater stability in the middle east, less stability, or won't it have any effect on the stability of the middle east?
greater: 25
less: 41
no effect: 25
if the u.s. stays in iraq for several more years, do you think that will eventuallly make the united states more safe from terrorism, less safe, or won't it make any difference?
more safe: 27
less safe: 21
no effect: 50
regardless of how you usually vote, do you think the republican party or the democratic party is more likely to make the right decisions about the war in iraq? republican: 36 democrat: 42
save the planet win valuable prizes
cue donna summers
from msoc's self-described blogwhoring (and we say that with the most possible respect):
at the risk of being flayed alive for my blatant self-promoting, attention whoring ways, i thought i might give those of you who give a shit a heads up about my radio appearance this morning. (hey, mike stark does it all the time -- i've often wondered why i get so much flak for doing the exact same thing -- is it because when he goes on right wing radio, he's openly hostile? or what? meh -- talk about getting off topic...)give a listen, kids! these are two of the most savvy ladies in blogtopia! and yes! we coined that phrase!
i'll let the producer, emily wilson, give you the info:this is a live show, your call, a political affairs and culture show on kalw radio in san francisco . . . it airs from 10-11 am. the host is mary ambrose and chris nolan from "spot on" will be in our studio...
[it will be] a show about hillary being the front runner for the democratic nomination. what does that mean for the democratic party? who's excited about her? who isn't? we would like to have someone on from the left who is not excited about the idea of hillary being president.
also, it looks like we'll have joan mccarter (aka mcjoan of dkos) on for the first part. it is a call-in show, just to let you know and we're an npr affiliate, if i didn't already say that.
people can listen online and call in if they want. here's the web site:
show time: 10-11ampt/1-2pmet.
phone numbers: 415-841-4134 (bay area)
866-798-talk (toll-free)
webcast: listen to the show online
radio: tune into kalw 91.7 fm in the san francisco bay area.
ps we're listening noW
this is one issue of playboy we really are going to read for the articles
several quotes from the piece appeared in today's washington post, including rages against president bush, congressman gene taylor (d-ms), and homeland security head michael chertoff.
in the interview, brown reportedly characterizes himself in the playboy piece as a victim of scapegoating. the former attorney for the international arabian horse association and bush fundraiser was booted from his job after heavy criticism for his handling of the hurricane katrina aftermath.
it was later ..
raw story
speaking of vacations
we're not sure if any of them can be as rude as he is. well, maybe one.
we're waiting for site dedicated to doeggels
still in all, it can't hold a paw to my cat hates you.com.
Wednesday, July 26, 2006
cue the go-go's
not that there's anything wrong with that
skippy tee shirts cure global warming!
dayam, if i wudda known that skippy t-shirts had such good weather karma, i wudda ordered one much earlier in the month. perhaps i could have avoided 12 straight days of over 100 degree temps.
remember, the 4th blogiversary special price of $16 for a skippy tee shirt is only good thru july! so order yours today!
mad at lieberman
she was just showing him around the twins...cities
a police report said officers were called to savoy inn about 6:30 p.m to investigate a report that two people were having sex in a car. the police report stated a woman, patrizia marie schrag, 38, also was cited for lewd and disorderly conduct. - twincities.com
(we don't know where atrios finds these stories...)
the tax man cut-eth
the federal government is moving to eliminate the jobs of nearly
half of the lawyers at the internal revenue service who audit tax returns of some of the wealthiest americans, specifically those who are subject to gift and estate taxes when they transfer parts of their fortunes to their children and others.
the administration plans to cut the jobs of 157 of the agency's 345 estate
tax lawyers, plus 17 support personnel, in less than 70 days. kevin brown, an i.r.s. deputy commissioner, confirmed the cuts after the new york times was given internal documents by people inside the i.r.s. who oppose them.
...but six i.r.s. estate tax lawyers whose jobs are likely to be eliminated said in interviews that the cuts were just the latest moves behind the scenes at the i.r.s. to shield people with political connections and complex tax-avoidance devices from thorough audits.- nytimes
in the late '90s, a crooked banker gave the irs records on 1,600 criminal tax cheats who used his cayman islands bank. the justice department prosecuted 49 of them, but the other 1,551 were not even asked to pay, lawyers for some of them say.
two billionaires in new york, the art dealer alec wildenstein and his former wife, jocelyn, (pictured above) testified under oath in their divorce that for 30 years they never filed a tax return. they have not been prosecuted. - sfchron via common dreams
welcome back, blogger
the headline says it all....
it is all about the oil...and greed
Jersey Folk: Campaign Event
on saturday, july 29 at 1:00pm, the rush holt for congress campaign is opening its new campaign space in support of congressman holt's re-election. please join them for live music, light refreshments, and a short program. if you are interested in volunteering please stop by, sign up, and enjoy the festivities.
here are the details:
2500 brunswick pike
suite 200 (ground floor)
lawrenceville, nj 08648
(business rt.1 northbound side, off the texas ave. jug handle, between the "dollar tree" and the "perfect dress")
for directions or more information,
call alison at (609) 278-0800, email email@example.com,
or visit www.rushholt.com
Tuesday, July 25, 2006
late night music club
reefer man
can't be any worse than what we've got now
it's time to play leslie nielsen characters in bad parody films jeopardy!
- $200 - leslie played bram stoker's nocturnal creation in this mel brooks film
- $400 - leslie had to avoid prison and richard crenna while solving the murder of michael york
- $600 - with the help of nicolette larsen, leslie protected the world from a marcia gay harden and an andy griffith gone bad
- $800 - leslie played this government official in these two separate yet related films about alien invasions
- $1000 - as a man of the cloth, leslie had to exorcise linda blair for a second time in this movie
- and, the final jeopardy: leslie travels to the moon to rescue the president in this little seen (for good reason) movie.
our first thought is, old people don't like the word "eons"
they rejected the first name "myachingbackspace."
california cows aren't happy cows these days...
one man has died and cows are dropping dead in their tracks as relentless heat continues to scorch the inland valley. temperatures topped the 100-degree mark throughout the region monday, hitting 103 in ontario and 106 in fontana and pomona. - the daily bulletin
the situation is dire enough for san joaquin county to permit dairy farmers to take their dead animals to the local landfill or cover them in compost piles on their property, rather than rendering plants. the rendering plants say they don't have the room to accept any more animals. - kxtv
40 years changes things
8. inspired by the washington march, lieberman went to mississippi to work for civil rights. it was the first time he felt and witnessed the emotional impact of racial segregation.
the 'roo calls the big dog
unfortunately for skippy, he hadn't read the firedoglake thread far enough to find out that you should press ext. #4 to talk to a live person, so he was stuck talking to a recording, which kept shutting down after a specified amount of time. skippy, being the dedicated kangaroo that he is, continuously called back:
i'm calling to tell you how disappointed i am that you chose to associate yourself with joe lieberman by campaigning for him yesterday. now i am not referring to his policies, but rather to the fact that his staff refused entrance to two registered democrats who had legitimate tickets to hear you speak, one of whom was a connecticut resident. their names are jane hamsher and spazeboy and they wanted very much to hear what you had to say.
while they are both active in the campaign to elect ned lamont, neither has ever disrupted a lieberman event, heckled a lieberman speech or in anyway caused problems. but since they are known to be the opposition they were excluded from seeing you and hearing your speech.
is this what the democratic party has come down to? refusing entry to a public event to citizens that happen to disagree with those in charge? that's something that george w. bush has done throughout his administration, and there are numerous instances of people even going to jail for simply wearing an opposition button or tee shirt.
this kind of fascism is not the democratic party i know. for you to be associated with this kind of elitist exclusivity not only does not reflect well on you, but will ultimately not reflect well on your wife, sen. clinton, should she want to obtain any higher office.
i'm a blogger, i've been blogging for 4 years, and jane is a blogger, both of us attended the yearlykos in las vegas last month. i know markos of dailykos and duncan of eschaton and pretty much all the major bloggers, and i can assure you that this story will not sit well with the readers of our blogs who thought america was the land of free speech and the freedom to associate.
oh, and, i always wanted to know...did monica use her tongue in any way?
happy birthday
who, along with connecticut resident spazeboy, got thrown out of the bill clinton stump speech for joe lieberman for, well, for being jane hamsher (and spazeboy):
both jane and spazeboy had legitimate tickets, and neither have disrupted lieberman's speeches or caused a ruckus, unless you consider asking the senator questions about his positions "causing a ruckus" (which, apparently, joe-nertia does).
it doesn't make bill clinton look good, being associated with gestapo tactics that refuses to let the opposition just listen to his speech.
why not email bill at the clinton foundation, or call him at 212-348-8882, to let him know how you feel about his hanging out with people that bar citizens from open public events?
(thanks to jenny from the blog for the clinton foundation info!)
addendum: mia culpa is reporting that the lieberman campaign insists the reason the two were refused admittance is because their names were not on the list (what is this cbgb's?), and according to spazeboy himself, he did indeed have someone else's ticket. we're not sure about jane's ticket at this point.
it's not easy being green, eh
The north and south sides of the roof on the Robertson Building in downtown
Toronto look as different as the before-and-after photos in a men's hair
replacement ad. While the north side is a bald expanse of asphalt roofing, the
south side has been transformed into a luxuriant meadow of indigenous grasses
and wildflowers.
It is a rare example of a Canadian building owner looking beyond the
lack of any major payback associated with installing a green roof and seeing the
bigger picture of environmental stewardship in urban areas.
For Urbanspace Property Group, owner of the Robertson Building and
another on nearby Richmond Street, the rooftop meadow is also a selling point
for the kinds of tenants the Toronto-based firm likes to attract -- film
production companies, galleries, design firms and non-profit
"We want our tenants to love it here, stay here and tell their
friends," says Anne Currie, Urbanspace's environment, health and safety
co-ordinator, as she stood on the deck above the grasses that covers more than a
third of the Robertson's 20,000-square-foot roof. "We want them to have a great
outdoor space where they can hold meetings if they want -- or do yoga, or play
the guitar. And we want them to know that the building owners care about the
environment." - globe and mail
check more out at greenroofs.net!
'cause sometimes...
this technique also lends itself very well to blogging, i've learned. wouldn't have fathomed that a few days ago. i do believe i'll keep it handy. there are times when i link to what i think is a great article, post, item, or thingumajigger, but struggle with what to add to it before posting. well, hell. why bother adding anything at all? just give a link and an excerpt, and shaddap. that will at least keep the universe at bay, and that's a good thing.
'cause sometimes, senoras and horsemen, i ain't got nothin'. that reminds me of a line paul newman spoke in one of the best movies i've ever seen: "sometimes nothin' can be a real cool hand."
love that line. now here's to hoping i can take acvantage of nothin' without getting shot!
til further on...
avedon explains it all
but then i recalled that legislators and representatives of the administration have argued, both in public and in court, that the words "under god" in the pledge of allegiance don't actually mean anything - that it is just a ritual phrase with no real content, and thus not forced religious speech.
so this is what they have been telling us all along: their oath of office means nothing to them, because swearing before god, like pledging allegiance, is "just ritual" - a bit of theater, a charade, devoid of content.
and devoid of honor.
the few...the proud...the myspace users...
…the marine corps myspace profile — featuring streaming video of barking drill sergeants, fresh recruits enduring boot camp and marines storming beaches — underscores the growing importance of the internet to advertisers as a medium for reaching america's youth.
those darn internets!
Monday, July 24, 2006
leave it to beaver
bury the lead
let's put aside the monumental ego that has to go into the shaping of such a world view (tho we admit that if skippy stops blogging, every other blog will most assuredly shut down) and just examine the logic therein.
"it has a negative impact on the democratic party's base," he said. "it makes their (publicity) confusing and it takes a lot of energy out of the party's grass roots in a year when they need everything they can to challenge three independent, well-funded, republican incumbents."
but then we get down to the nitty gritty:
be that as it may, we had to read all the way down to the bottom of the article to find an opposing viewpoint, and one that we would not discount:
sandra proper of waterbury, who waited in line to see clinton on monday night, said she's not worried about other democratic candidates should lieberman lose the primary.
"there's enough publicity in tv, if people watch tv," she said. "and who doesn't watch tv?"
say hello
sample of tim's writing over at a&e, from his review of clerks ii:
- interference in the schiavo matter (meanwhile nothing about texas futile care law with which people who cannot afford life support are yanked)
- support of nafta/cafta
- support of the bush energy policy
- willingness to deny rape victims emergency contraception
- support of someone from the international arabian horse association to run fema
- his unwillingness to demand censure on wiretapping
- support of no child left behind'
- support of school vouchers
- support of a non-provoked attack on iran
- interest in privatizing social security
- support of gonzales and the torture policy
- vote on cloture for alito
- yes confirmation vote on rice
- support of the bankruptcy bill
- support of defence of marriage act (clinton did too, both were wrong)
- supported our ports being run by dubai
- for telling democrats they criticize the president at their own peril (of course, no republican ever criticized clinton)
- friends with rush limbaugh and sean hannity, who call democrats terrorists
- friends with convicted felon, former governor john rowland
- does not comport self like opposition party member, e.g. one of the few democrat
attendees at a valentines soiree with the bushes
- supported bush on faith-based programs that spread lies about choice and abortions http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2002/02/images/20020207-9.html
- has essentially endorsed john mccain for president. "i hope he runs."
- against universal health care.
- against gay marriage, not proposed anything on domestic partner benefits
- on iraq: time magazine's baghdad bureau chief michael ware: "either senator lieberman is so divorced from reality that he's completely lost the plot or he knows
he's spinning a line. because one of my colleagues turned to me in the middle of this lunch and said he's not talking about any country i've ever been to and yet he
was talking about iraq, the very country where we were sitting"
- yes vote for john roberts
- voted to stop federal aid to public schools that used materials "supportive of
- at memorial day parade, marched with republican nancy johnson while ignoring dem. candidate chris murphy
- formed his own party, to run against the democratic opponent, if he loses the primary
- was hostile and boorish to opponent ned lamont in primary debate, treated dick cheney with kid gloves in vice presidential debate.
- has been seen on fox news more than in connecticut
- has been in downtown baghdad more than downtown bridgeport
better late than never, we suppose
in case you'd like to write or call the senator and remind her of joe's exact words, here are the numbers, and here's the exact quote from the new haven register (be sure to register):
lieberman said he believes hospitals that refuse to give contraceptives to rape victims for "principled reasons" shouldn't be forced to do so. "in connecticut, it shouldn't take more than a short ride to get to another hospital," he said.


text:
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey is charged with the responsibility to plan and build the landmark projects that support economic growth today and tomorrow.
An important part of our mission is keeping the public, and especially you, the people who live and work in this dynamic region, informed of the efforts that are being taken by the Port Authority and our partners toward those goals.
We welcome you to sign up for our monthly newsletter, Growing the Region.
The Monthly Economic Indicator report is designed to provide economists and analysts a timely and comprehensive picture of activity on the agency's multi-modal transportation system and the 18-county regional economy. To receive this newsletter via email, please contact firstname.lastname@example.com.
Regional Employment on par for (most of) 2011
(December 2011)
The Recession's Squeeze on Households
(November 2011)
Exports: A Growth Story
(October 2011)
Lower Manhattan on the Rise
(September 2011)
Housing Market Woes: An Obstacle to Economic Recovery
(August 2011)
Rising Prices Pinching Businesses and Consumers
(July 2011)
The Uneven Employment Recovery
(June 2011)
Economic Anxiety forcing later Retirement?
(May 2011)
Census Surprise for New York City
(April 2011)
Benchmark revisions kind to the PA region
(March 2011)
Will inflation be a problem for the economy in 2011?
(February 2011)


text:
Skip to Content
September 9, 2011
CONTACT: Richard Penny, (425) 352-3395, email@example.com
BOTHELL, Wash. – Local dignitaries and university officials marked an important milestone for the UW Bothell campus when they held a ceremonial groundbreaking for the Sarah Simonds Green Conservatory September 9.
The ceremony brought the project's benefactor, Dr. Gordon Green, one step closer to his vision for a conservatory and greenhouse that's both accessible to the public and dedicated to the legacy of his pioneering Bothell family.
The conservatory and greenhouse, which will contain a classroom, botanical laboratory and exhibit space, will be located at the north end of the campus wetlands and serve as a working educational center for UW Bothell.
Dr. Green wanted to give back to the community where his family took root. So, he chose to have the conservatory named for his mother, Sarah Simonds Green.
Both the Simonds and Green families played prominent roles in Bothell's history. In 1912, Sarah Simonds was a member of the first graduating class at Bothell High School. Her father, Henry Simonds, was the founder and first principal of the high school. Sarah was a talented pianist, active garden club member, and devoted to her family. She also attended classes at the UW.
In 1919, Charles Green, Dr. Green's father, founded Green's Garage (later called Green Motors), the first Ford automobile dealership in the Bothell area. It remained under family ownership until 1965. Four generations of the family have received high school diplomas in the Northshore School District, and three generations have earned UW degrees.
Dr. Green began his college career at the University of Washington. He completed his bachelor's degree at UCLA, and went on to earn a Master of Arts and a Ph.D. at the University of Southern California.
Among his many accomplishments was dramatic training in New York directed by Erwin Piscator, where his classmates included Marlon Brando and Elaine Stritch. Later, Green became a valued member of a theater company in Houston, Texas. A talented but unpublished playwright, Green spent the bulk of his professional life as a college professor of English and drama.
"The community in and around our growing campus is deeply grateful for the Green family's generosity," says UW Bothell Chancellor Kenyon Chan. "Dr. Green's desire to build an educational space says so much about his family's dedication to the community from which it grew."
The facility, which is currently in the permitting process, is scheduled to open in 2013. Along with a new sports field and on-campus housing, the Sarah Simonds Green Conservatory represents a significant addition to the campus's growing palette of amenities.
About UW Bothell: The University of Washington Bothell combines the benefits of a small campus with the resources and prestige of a world-renowned university. Offering over 30 degrees, options, certificates and concentrations, its curriculum emphasizes close student-faculty interaction, collaboration among students, and hands-on learning.For more information, visit www.uwb.edu.
Photo Caption: Groundbreaking ceremony for the Sarah Simonds Green Conservatory at UW Bothell. From left: Community Liaison for U.S. Rep. Jay Inslee, Kelly Marquardt; conservatory benefactor, Dr. Gordon Green; Bothell Mayor Mark Lamb; and UW Bothell Vice Chancellor Richard Penny.
This photo available for media use: email email@example.com


text:
Frankenstein, or, The Modern Prometheus
Dent, 1869 - 242 pages
Frankenstein was published in 1818, the work of a 21-year-old genius named Mary Shelley. Hundreds of movies, adaptations, and monster masks later, its reputation remains so lively that the title has become its own word in the English language. Victor Frankenstein, a scientist, discovers the secret of reanimating the dead. After he rejects his hideous creation, not even the farthest poles of the earth will keep his bitter monster from seeking an inhuman revenge. Inspired by a uniquely Romantic view of science's possibilities, Shelley's masterpiece ultimately wrestles with the hidden shadows of the human mind.
From inside the book
Results 1-5 of 6
The road ran by the side of the lake, which became narrower as I approached my
native town, I discovered more distinctly the black M, "i flag if V n sides ofjura, and
the bright summit of Mont Blanc; I ...
sides ofjura, and the bright summit of Mont Blanc; I wept like a child: " Dear
mountains! my own beautiful lake! how do you welcome your wanderer? Your
summits are clear; the sky and lake are blue and placid. Is this to prognosticate
peace, ...
Mont Blanc, the supreme and magnificent Mont Blanc, raised itself from the
surrounding aiguilles, and its tremendous dome overlooked the valley. During
this journey, I sometimes joined Elizabeth, and exerted myself to point out to her
the ...
The opposite mountain is a bare perpendicular rockFrom the side where I now
stood Montanvert was exactly opposite, at the distance of a league; and above it
rose Mont Blanc, in awful majesty. I remained in a recess of the rock, gazing on ...
... sometimes on one side of the lake, where we saw Mont Sal�ve, the pleasant
banks of Montal�gre, and at a distance, surmounting all, the beautiful Mont Blanc,
and the assemblage of snowy mountains that in vain endeavor to emulate her; ...
What people are saying - Write a review
User ratings
|5 stars
|4 stars
|3 stars
|2 stars
|1 star
wonderful being a middle school student reading this gavve me a movie in my mind. it was so heart moving i almost cried over a farytail.
"Frankenstein": Mary Shelley
Fundamentally, the problem with this book is the narrator, Victor. He is thoroughly detestable. A selfish, cowardly, irresponsible, excuse ridden, narcissistic d****e-bag of the highest order. And unfortunately, it is Victor Frankenstein's POV that we are forced into for the majority of the novel. My hatred for and frustration with the self-pitying, feckless behaviour of the (pseudo) protagonist made this an irritating read for me- and to an extent I think this was Shelley's intention. Victor isn't designed to be the likable, affable, morally "good" man fallen from grace he believes himself to be, and the horrific events that befall those around him are of his making. However, this doesn't make him any less grating!
The "monster" (to me reminiscent of Caliban with his lyrical speech and enforced isolation, being neither man nor not man) is eloquent and persuasive when he asks his creator to account for his misdoings. So, you've got to ask yourself, if an infanticidal, demonic, bag of sewn together corpses is actually more engaging than the main storyteller, is that storyteller really the right character to be telling the story?
Now, with all that said, it is an important book. A work by a female author with strong female characters (albeit background characters) who was only nineteen when she wrote the initial draft. Very impressive. But, for me her youth is evident. When we teach secondary school pupils to write creatively, we often give them the ambiguous instruction "show don't tell", and for me the book is more of a list of horrible and horrific events told in a Chinese puzzle box style story within a story, rather than an engaging and "complete" narrative. It feels like she chooses to place focus on the wrong "bits"- for example the whole of chapter nineteen where Victor travels the British Isles, comments briefly on the local architecture of each town and city and then repetitively reminds us that he couldn't enjoy the surroundings because of his angst. And I would have at least like to have seen some of the courtroom drama when Victor is tried for the death of Clerval...
So, I hate to be "that" gal, who poo-poos these fantastic works of fiction (we know they're great because some clever-britches told us they were) but in all honesty, the novel ain't that good, and I'll maintain that stance no matter how clever the britches of the opposing schools of thought. I think the continuing appeal is in it's universal themes: parenting, nature versus nurture; morality and scientific advancement- and the whole idea of stitching a creature out of corpse-parts and electrocuting it to life is pretty darn cool. And there are some really effective horror scenes, such as the vignette of Victor ripping apart project lady-monster (I kind wish she had a name- a working title- but given he can't even be bothered to name monster number one I guess this was all too much to hope for).
It's readable, but it's value, for me at any rate, lies in the offshoots and creativity it has spawned, rather than the work itself.
Selected pages


text:
Insurance Sales Agent - Port Huron, MI Job in Ft Gratiot, MI | Auto Club Group
Insurance Sales Agents - AAA Michigan
What we provide:
- Generous base salary with monthly performance based commissions
- Medical, dental, and vision benefits
- 6 week training program
- Matching 401(k) plan
- Paid Time Off
- Holiday Pay
- Complimentary AAA Membership
AAA is one of the most recognizable brands in the country and, we are looking to expand. We are searching for Insurance Sales Agents who are looking for MORE out of their career. A sales career with AAA is much more than just selling products, it is the chance to do more by helping people protect what is important to them.
As an Insurance Sales Agent with AAA you, you can expect more by:
- Promoting and selling various membership and insurance products
- Providing price quotes on all insurance products to new and existing members and completing the sale
- Performing outbound prospecting and retention calls for new business acquisition
- Recognize and promoting cross-sales opportunities to existing members
What we are looking for:
- Track record of success with meeting and/or exceeding sales goals
- Strong communication and relationship building skills
- Ability to provide a high level of member-focused service
- Work independently with minimal supervision
- Being able to connect with current and potential members to analyze insurance needs and determine appropriate levels of coverage
Licensing/Certification Requirements:
- Must possess an active State of Michigan Property & Casualty and/or Life Insurance Sales Licenses (can be hired with 1, would need to obtain 2 nd within 60 days of hire)
Important Note: The above statements describe the principal and essential functions, but not all functions that may be inherent in the job. This job requires the ability to perform duties contained in the job description for this position, including, but not limited to, the above requirements. Reasonable accommodations will be made for otherwise qualified applicants, as needed, to enable them to fulfill these requirements.
The Auto Club Group, and all of its affiliated companies, is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, disability or protected veteran status.
Back to top


text:
> Fisheries FAQs > Red
Snapper FAQs >
Regulates Red Snapper and Other Fishes in the Gulf of Mexico?
is the Magnuson-Stevens Act?
are the Fishery Management Councils?
is the Sustainable Fisheries Act?
is the difference between overfished and overfishing?
were red snapper first managed?
is the importance of shrimp trawl bycatch?
are red snapper harvests allocated between the commercial
and recreational fisheries?
are fishermen seeing so many red snapper when the assessments
say they are in trouble?
send your questions and feedback to email@example.com
> Fisheries FAQs > Red
Snapper FAQs >
send your questions and feedback to email@example.com
commercial and recreational fisheries in the Gulf of Mexico
(GOM) off Louisiana are regulated by the Department of Wildlife
and Fisheries in state waters (out to 3 nautical miles (nm))
and by the federal government in the Exclusive Economic
Zone (EEZ: from 3 to 200 nm). Alabama and Mississippi also
enforce a 3 nm state waters limit, but state waters extend
out 9 nm off Florida and Texas. Since red snapper are a
relatively deep-water fish, most of the harvest off Louisiana
comes from the EEZ. In nearly every instance, Louisiana
state regulations applied to red snapper mirror the federal
regulations, as they have historically, to make enforcement
both simpler and fairer. The recent actions in Texas and
Florida to establish more liberal red snapper regulations
within their state waters have generated a great deal of
controversy – in particular, because of those states'
9-nm boundaries for state waters. However troubling these
actions are, it should be noted that the 9-nm boundaries
off Texas and in the Gulf waters of Florida were created
under the conditions that existed when those states first
were admitted to the Union.
Back to Top
principle law governing both commercial and recreational
fisheries in federal waters is the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery
Conservation and Management Act (MSFCMA) of 1976. The original
intent of the MSFCMA was to establish authority over the
EEZ to eliminate harvesting by foreign fishing fleets. While
conservation of fish stocks was another goal, the MSFCMA
also provided for significant expansion of U.S. offshore
fishing capability. The result was, within 10 years, an
over-harvest by the domestic fleet of certain fish species
equal to that previously produced by the foreign fleets.
MSFCMA also created a management structure based on regional
Fishery Management Councils having voting members, appointed
by the Secretary of Commerce, that include:
Councils receive management advice both from their advisory
panels and from their scientific and statistical committees.
Based on this information, the Councils are tasked with
the production of fishery management plans (FMPs) that must
protect resources while maintaining opportunities for commercial
and recreational harvests. Plan implementation is the responsibility
of the Secretary of Commerce, primarily via NOAA Fisheries
Service. Thus, the Fisheries Service is faced with the unenviable
task of applying the legal mandates of both Congress (the
MSFCMA) and the Councils (the FMPs).
1996, the MSFCMA was reauthorized by Congress as the Sustainable
Fisheries Act (SFA), with the addition of new, specific
standards to which FMPs must conform. The most recent reauthorization
of the MSFCMA in 2007 includes standards that significantly
impact red snapper management:
1: Conservation and management measures shall prevent overfishing
while achieving, on a continuing basis, the optimum yield
from each fishery for the United States fishing industry.
2: Conservation and management measures must be based upon
the best scientific information available.
3: To the extent practicable, Individual stocks must be
managed as a unit throughout their range to the extent practicable;
interrelated stocks must be managed as a unit or in close
4: Conservation and management measures shall not discriminate
between residents of different States. If it becomes necessary
to allocate or assign fishing privileges among various United
States fishermen, such allocation shall be (A) fair and
equitable to all such fishermen; (B) reasonably calculated
to promote conservation; and (C) carried out in such manner
that no particular individual, corporation, or other entity
acquires an excessive share of such privileges.
8: Conservation and management measures shall, consistent
with the conservation requirements of this Act (including
the prevention of overfishing and rebuilding of overfished
stocks), take into account the importance of fishery resources
to fishing communities by utilizing economic and social
data that meet the requirements of paragraph (2), in order
to (A) provide for the sustained participation of such communities,
and (B) to the extent practicable, minimize adverse economic
impacts on such communities.
9: Conservation and management measures shall, to the extent
practicable, (A) minimize bycatch and (B) to the extent
bycatch cannot be avoided, minimize the mortality of such
MSFCMA of 2007 further established requirements that each
FMP include a definition of overfishing (too much fishing
mortality - excess harvest/removal) and a plan for rebuilding
overfished stocks (too few individuals - insufficient biomass);
overfishing must be stopped within two years and a plan
must be developed to rebuild overfished fisheries within
10 years. The Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and
Management Reauthorization Act (MSRA) of 2007 included new
mandate that FMPs must establish a mechanism for setting
annual catch limits that immediately prevent overfishing.
Catch limits that prevent overfishing also must be in place
by 2010 for every stock currently under federal management.
first FMP applied to red snapper in the GOM was completed
in 1981; it described rapidly declining commercial and recreational
harvests of red snapper. A 13-inch minimum size limit was
the first GOM regulation in 1984. Since then, there have
been more than 35 amendments to the federal FMP that includes
red snapper in the GOM. In 1988, the first red snapper stock
assessment showed that the species was both overfished and
undergoing overfishing. That designation required action
from both the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council
(Gulf Council) and NOAA Fisheries to develop a plan to both
limit harvest and rebuild the population. The assessment
concluded that fishing mortality (commercial and recreational
harvest plus bycatch mortality) needed to be cut by 75 percent
in order to recover the species by 2000. The Gulf Council,
believing that the impacts to fishers from a 75 percent
cut would be too severe, subsequently opted for measures
that would reduce mortality by 20 percent, thus postponing
additional restrictions to the future while making recovery
of the red snapper in a timely fashion much less likely.
Young Zachary Aucoin caught this 30-lb snapper in 2004.
The fish was 19-yrs-old, and was spawned during the year
of the first Gulf red snapper Fishery Management Plan.
Young Zachary Aucoin caught this 30-lb snapper in 2004.
The fish was 19-yrs-old, and was spawned during the year
of the first Gulf red snapper Fishery Management Plan.
1988 red snapper assessment also described the significant
contribution to total fishing mortality that comes from
shrimp trawling bycatch mortality of young red snapper.
The first bycatch reduction device (BRD) mandate for Gulf
shrimp trawls came in 1998; the hope was that about three-quarters
of juvenile red snapper would escape each net. Since then
trials have demonstrated low efficiency (less than 15 percent)
for juvenile red snapper escapement from trawls fitted with
permitted BRD designs. Temporary closures of certain juvenile
habitat to trawling has been under consideration, but both
the recent reductions in trawling effort (due to hurricane
damage to the fleet and fishing infrastructure, high fuel
costs, and low cost imported shrimp) and the implementation
of new BRD designs have allowed postponement of closure
considerations, at least temporarily.
early action in the effort to manage red snapper harvest
established a criterion that remains in force to this day.
In 1990 FMP Amendment 1 set the red snapper recreational/commercial
catch allocation at 49%/51% based on 1979-1987 landings
data. This allocation ratio remains unchanged, even though
the directed fisheries have changed significantly over the
subsequent years. Rapid growth of the recreational fishing
sector occurred in the 1990's during a period of economic
growth; this was true especially in the for-hire or charter
boat sector of the recreational fishery. For instance, catch
data indicate that marine recreational fishing activity
(number of fishing trips per year) increased by over 20%
just in the years from 1996 to 2000, with nearly 1/3 of
this growth occurring in the Gulf of Mexico. Additionally,
LDWF data show an increase of over 800% in Louisiana charter
guide licenses between 1995 (when first required) and 2003.
Most of these licenses are issued in the coastal parishes.
For a long-lived
species like red snapper, it's not just the numbers of individuals
that are important to keep stock productivity high, it is
equally important to maintain age/size structure. The current
lack of old fish in the population has resulted from excess
catch rates that occurred 15-35 years ago. In the 1970s
and 1980s, when the stock was in a declining condition and
the need for management was identified, overfishing created
a "hole" in the age structure (similar to the
redfish situation back in the 1980s) that we are experiencing
now. Even though red snapper may begin spawning as early
as age 2, small females produce only a fraction of the eggs
that the old "sows" produce. Female red snapper
do not reach full reproductive potential until they are
about 15 years old and they remain highly productive for
many years, perhaps until they are more than 40+ years old.
Those big, old female egg producers are in much lower abundance
now than is necessary for a healthy population because of
overfishing that occurred 20-30 years ago.
Failure to reduce
shrimp trawl bycatch mortality until relatively recently
and high catch rates by the both the commercial and recreational
fisheries have also made it less likely that enough individuals
have been surviving to older ages. However, reductions in
shrimp trawl bycatch (the 2005 hurricanes and low price
of imported shrimp have reduced trawling effort by about
65% over the last 5 years) mean that we are seeing more
2 to 5 year old fish (i.e., the 20 inchers). So fishing
is good, but not as good as it should be for bigger fish;
thus the stock assessment is correct in its prediction that
catches need to be reduced to rebuild the spawning stock.
The most recent reductions in harvest are mostly due to
the requirement in the 2007 Sustainable Fisheries Act to
end overfishing by 2010 and past failures to achieve the
necessary shrimp trawl bycatch reductions.
It should be
noted that most species supporting the world's fisheries
have life histories similar to that of red snapper and have
reacted the same way to overexploitation. These species
are often very resistant to overfishing because fishing
mortality is distributed over so many age classes that it
takes some years to cut back the size and age structure.
However, once this happens, these species can be very slow
to recover. Particularly worrisome is that, in some cases,
the fishery never recovers, as has happened with cod in
the Northwest Atlantic Ocean. Fishing for cod in these waters
has been almost eliminated for more than 15 years and cod
populations are not responding, possibly due in part to
concurrent environmental shifts.
Another factor
that Louisiana fishers need to remember is that Federal
red snapper regulations span the entire Gulf of Mexico.
This is law: Standard Three of the Sustainable Fisheries
Act specifies that "To the extent practicable, individual
stocks must be managed as a unit throughout their range
to the extent practicable." Thus, Gulf-wide management
spans the hardest-fished areas (such as those near the busiest
Florida ports) and the least-fished areas (like some of
the hard-to-reach spots off Louisiana).
P. B., A. J. Strelcheck, and P. Steele. 2007. A history
of Red Snapper Management in the Gulf of Mexico. Pages 267-284
in W. F. Patterson, III, J. H. Cowan, Jr., G. R. Fitzhugh,
and D. L. Nieland, editors. Red snapper ecology and fisheries
in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico. American Fisheries Society,
Symposium 60, Bethesda, Maryland.
FishWatch – Fisheries Management
Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act:
Reauthorization Issues. Congressional Research Service,
February 7, 2005. E. H. Buck. http://digital.library.unt.edu/govdocs/crs/permalink/meta-crs-10098:1
Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Management and Conservation Act
of 1996 www.nmfs.noaa.gov/sfa/magact/
Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Management and Conservation Act
of 2007 www.gulfcouncil.org/Beta/GMFMCWeb/downloads/MSA07.pdf
Gulf of Mexico Fisheries Management Council.
send your questions and feedback to email@example.com
Current News | About
Us | Biological Info | Management
Info | Habitat Info ]
[ Louisiana Fisherman Professionalism Program | Aquaculture Info | Legal & Socio-Economic Issues]
[ Fisheries & People | Resources & Publications | Fisheries FAQs | Search ]
[ Provide Website Feedback | Accessibility Statement | Privacy Statement ]


text:
It was hard for U.S. Rep. Joe Donnelly to contain his enthusiasm.
Something he and other Hoosiers, including fellow Democrat Sen. Evan Bayh, have been working on for months, became reality, according to the South Bend (Ind.) Tribune.
Beginning July 1, the U.S. Small Business Administration will offer government-guaranteed loans to finance inventory for eligible automobile, recreational vehicle, boat, motorcycle and manufactured housing dealerships. Donnelly, D-Ind., said the move is another piece to the puzzle that could get the cycle of business moving again in places like Elkhart County, part of which is located in Donnelly's congressional district.
"This is very significant," Donnelly said in a phone interview after attending Thursday's announcement in Kokomo, Ind., by Karen Mills, SBA administrator.
"It's not just RV related, but includes marine and manufactured housing. Those are three types of mainstay products in Elkhart County, and this covers every single one of those areas.
"It gives dealers a chance to finance floorplanning," he added. "That enables the dealers to buy more products from manufacturers and for (manufacturers) to put more people back to work."
For the past year and a half, many dealers had been unable to purchase cars and RVs to place on their lots, because the dealers themselves did not have the financing.
Organizations they had been getting loans from either refused to make loans as credit tightened, or simply walked away from the business.
"This ends the cycle," Donnelly said, noting it allows more than 50% of the dealers to use the program. "We think this is a big step in putting people back to work."
"The whole country starts buying again," Donnelly said. "Since we do the manufacturing for all these products, all of that (business) will start to flow back into our community."
Donnelly said Bayh greatly aided the effort. Donnelly himself had met with both Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner and President Barack Obama about the problem, urging the SBA solution to guarantee the loans.
"I met with Geithner and explained the whole situation," Donnelly said. "I had conversations with Obama last fall on the way to Elkhart and with him again last week.
"He has been very desirous to find a vehicle to create this financing."
In a release, Bayh, who was also in Kokomo for Thursday's announcement along with Ed Montgomery, director of recovery for auto communities and workers, said the program "will help keep open a business that might otherwise have closed."
"Dealerships employ tens of thousands of Hoosiers and today's announcement will both save jobs and create new ones," Bayh said. "For a state like ours, with a proud manufacturing tradition, this announcement is truly a lifeline."
Floor plan financing is a line of credit that allows dealers to borrow against their inventory and then repay that debt as they sell their inventory or borrow against the line of credit again to add new inventory.
The Recreation Vehicle Industry Association (RVIA) called the program "a key victory on an important front."
"RVIA has worked diligently over the past several months to have the SBA include floor plan loans in 7(a) loan guarantee program," said RVIA President Richard Coon. "We are very pleased with the SBA announcement today and believe that the improved availability of credit for RV dealers through this program will benefit the entire industry."
The program announced Thursday is considered a pilot program and will run from July 1 through Sept. 30, 2010, at which time the SBA will determine whether to extend the program.