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(日本人の方はこちら/nihonjin no kata wa kochira)
Almost a decade ago, Japanese artist and game designer Jun'ichi Inoue sat down to create a uniquely and unmistakably "Hyper Asian" (in his own words) Japanese world: A world of magic and technology, of samurai and Taoist sorcery, of powerful mecha and cultured geisha. The world was named Tenra, and the game was named Tenra Bansho, or "Everything in Heaven and Earth". With a rulebook dripping cover-to-cover with high quality anime-style art, a setting rich in culture both real and fantastical, and a revised and simplified rules system that focused with precision on roleplaying and character drama, this game took the Japanese tabletop RPG market by storm and spearheaded both a renaissance and revolution in the Japanese gaming industry.
Years later, this unique and revolutionary game has finally been painstakingly translated into English for play in the West.
Tenra Bansho Zero is a tabletop roleplaying experience, and it features:
* Over 300 unique pieces of art spread throughout the game, 33 full color manga story pages showing off the world and setting features, and ten rules explanations in manga form for fast retention. The art is done by the formidable hand of Junichi Inoue, the fine brush-work of Hiroyuki Ishida, the comical impact of Hayami Rasenjin, and more! WIth layout for the English edition by industry expert Luke Crane (Mouse Guard RPG, Burning Wheel RPG), you've never seen a game like this.
* Two books, almost 700 pages: A full-color Setting book and a black-and-white Rules and Play book. The books are sturdy softcover in an American comic book size factor, come shipped together in a hard slip-case, and together boast a page count of almost 700 total pages! The huge amount of art, combined with the detailed deep-dive explanations and play advice, will give you your money's worth in usable content. A video flip-through of the English books is here.
* A rich Japanese setting involving a planet in a constant state of war, where magic fuels technology and the culture is an analogue of the Warring States (Sengoku) era of Japan. Mecha, sorcery, samurai, geisha, Buddhist monks, cyborgs, annelid-users and more make this game a truly unique--and deeply culturally Japanese--experience. See the Game section below for more details!
* A simple-to-understand rules system utilizing regular six-sided dice, cleverly explained in both detailed text examples and amusing full-page manga art. On top of a system of skills, attributes, action and combat is overlaid a deeper system of kabuki theater-style play: Focusing very specifically on play through Acts, Scenes, and Intermissions, the players of this game are both the actors and audience. As actors, they focus on role-play in a scene with other actors. As audience (much like the audience of a kabuki play), they focus on the drama that unfolds, rewarding the players for dramatic actions and cool ad-libbed lines.
* Speed: An entire campaign, a story from start to finish, can be told over the space of one to two sessions! You can then choose to play the same characters in another tale, or perhaps retire them to look at another facet of life on Tenra.
* All-in-One: The original Japanese game had a core rulebook, a supplement, and later several mail-order only mini-supplements. The data/rules contents and much of the art has been ported and folded into the English book set (originally $145 USD for all of that material if you were to buy it as it came out), including errata and designer suggestions. This is a truly updated version of the game!
We've beaten every single stretch goal in our path, including the FINAL GOALS at $80,000! There's no more goals to achieve in these last three days of the Kickstarter. So please pay at your interest level, and see all the fabulous rewards at each pledge tier below!
Find out more about all the original stretch goal levels at the Tenra Bansho Kickstarter description page.
We're coming to the end of the Kickstarter, and need to describe in brief what you get at every reward level because of all the stretch goals we met! To find our more about these levels, scroll down the page to the "REWARDS" header. Also, much deeper information about the reward tier DLC is on the Tenra Bansho Kickstarter description page.
Note that unless otherwise noted, all of the DLC or electronic goals are set to release within up to 6-8 months of the Tenra Bansho Zero physical book arriving (Jan 2013). It will be priced at about $5 each after the Kickstarter.
$5 - THANK YOU!* A set of desktop and mobile device wallpaper art
* the illustrated Tenra Bansho Zero replay (PDF)
* the ready-to-play scenario (October) (PDF)
* the Mythos Hunters Zero campaign reskin (PDF)
* 13 ready-to-use character sheets pre-filled (PDF)
* Against the Tide campaign setting (PDF)
* Tenra Bansho Zero Japanese name list (PDF)
* A Set of scenarios and scenario seeds by designer Jerry Grayson (PDF)
* Tokyo High-School Demon Hunters campaign reskin (PDF)
$13 - TENRA BANSHO ZERO PDF: All the above, plus
* The Tenra Bansho Zero complete book in electronic (PDF) format
$20 - PDF PLUS: All the above, plus
* Extra Characters DLC (PDF)
* Mass Combat Rules DLC (PDF)
$30 - Ultimate PDF: All the above, plus
* Ruined Empire campaign setting (PDF)
* The Director's Cut Book (PDF)
EXTRAS: Add +$5 to any digital level above to get one physical copy of the Director's Cut Book sent to you anywhere in the world.
At this tier, you can add extra things to your order! See the graphic below!
$55 - The Physical Book! Everything at the $5 Digital level plus:
* A physical copy of the two-book set in softcover with slipcase
* A digital (PDF) copy of the Tenra Bansho Zero rulebook
* A physical copy of the Introductory Reference Comic Book
* 5 postcards featuring core rules of the game for players
* A physical quick rules reference/guide
** You can upgrade to a limited edition not-in-stores hardcover set for an extra $15
** Shipping in the US and Canada is free, International is $15 extra
$62 - Book with Rules DLC! Everything at the $55 Physical Book level plus:
* Extra Characters DLC (PDF)
* Mass Combat Rules DLC (PDF)
(same hardcover upgrade/intl shipping rules apply)
$70 - ULTIMATE BOOK AND DLC! Everything at the $62 level plus:
* 10 Japanese Kanji dice
* A physical copy of the Director's Cut Book
* Ruined Empire DLC (PDF)
* Director's Cut DLC (PDF)
(same hardcover upgrade/intl shipping rules apply)
* Raise your pledge to $100 to also get a limited TBZ tenugi (traditional long hand cloth)
$118 ASURA SET This set includes everything at the $70 level plus:
* A gorgeous traditional 90cm x 90cm Japanese wrapping cloth (Furoshiki)
* 40 total Japanese Kanji dice
* A set of two casino dice (for making an "Emotion Matrix Roll")
* A traditional Japanese hand-cloth (Tenugui)
* You are totally badass, what with all these awesome traditional Japanese textiles!
(same rules apply re $15 to upgrade to a hardcover book set, as well as $15 for non-USA/Canada international shipping)
$190 AIKI CHIT SET This set includes everything from the $118 Asura set, plus:
* 60 large foam Aiki chits with the TBZ logo in Japanese, for tracking drama at the table. Any token/coin can be used, but these are hardcore!
(same rules apply re hardcover book sets, international shipping; I'm subsidizing heavily here!)
Any pledge at $200 or more will receive the option to upgrade to one hardcover set at no extra cost.
You get everything from the above sets, plus:
* Two copies of the final game. You can upgrade one or both to limited edition hardcover for free, if you wish.
* You will get one supremely limited edition white cover print-on-demand preview physical copy of Tenra Bansho Zero, complete with signature and dedication. I will ship this book to you via Express Mail anywhere in the world within 3-5 days of the Kickstarter ending. No waiting, you will be playing the game before anyone! Please add $15 for international orders (it's an incredible cost to me, so I ask very little).
Our original goal was to print 2,000 copies of Tenra Bansho Zero and put them into distribution globally so that people will be able to buy it from their local book, game, comic or anime goods store. I now have enough money to print several thousand copies more than my original goal, and produce quality DLC and stretch goal rewards!
Tenra Bansho Zero was written by famous manga artist, game developer and geek cultural icon Jun'ichi Inoue. He started early in the industry writing Japanese language supplements for American games, and later began designing (both in writing text and drawing art) some of the most popular and revolutionary tabletop RPGs to be released in Japan: Tenra Bansho Zero, Alshard (an easy-to-learn Final Fantasy-esque game set in a world of Norse mythos), Beast Bind (half-demon warriors fight threats to humanity), Tera the Gunslinger (A wild west steampunk game using a playing card system), Angel Gear (an alternate history game where the few remaining children in the world pilot mecha to destroy invading angelic beings) and several more. Not only did he design the settings, he also hand-drew most of the core art and covers for each project himself. He has also designed the concept art and settings for several Japanese computer game projects, as well as created a line of collectible figurines.
Inoue-san is more recently famous for his published manga comic series, "Chuugoku Yome Nikki: A Chinese Wife and an Otaku Husband", an autobiographical work from his own life. His website sees over 60,000 views a day, and his books were #1 at Amazon Japan the week of their release. His work on Tenra Bansho Zero and other games made him a household name in otaku circles, and his popularity grows through his recent manga work.
I'm Andy Kitkowski, a part-time Japanese professional translator and interpreter (full time "computer guy"), and hardcore gaming hobby enthusiast. I've created a number of community-building projects like the Story Games gaming discussion website (www.story-games.com), an RPG award system for small press RPGs (the Indie RPG Awards www.rpg-awards.com), and a blog for discussing Japanese RPG developments (www.j-rpg.com); and shepherded projects like the Iron Game Chef game design competition and the 24 Hour RPG game development project.
I've also produced and localized the first ever Japanese RPG released in English (though historically the second licensed, after Tenra Bansho): The anime comedy RPG Maid: The Role-Playing Game with primary translator Ewen Cluney. This game served as not only an opening salvo of Japanese games into English, but also as a complete test run from concept to post-sales for the eventual release of Tenra Bansho Zero, so that we could avoid pitfalls in the development and release of the game.
My background in and obsession with the Japanese language comes from 18 years of academic and self study, and I have lived in Japan for over five years. My translation focus has been on computer engineering, Buddhist texts, Japanese linguistics and culture, having translated and interpreted at places as varied as Fortune 100 IT companies to NPOs to universities to anime conventions.
The World of Tenra
The land of Tenra has been in a state of constant war for over 400 years, with no end in sight. The core of the setting of the game can be found in the larger-than-life characters who populate it:
* Mecha called "Armours" are piloted by innocent children of regional lords.
* Warriors with energy-producing gems embedded in their flesh called Samurai who have traded their humanity for the ability to spontaneously gain muscle, power and speed (think "The Incredible Hulk with a katana").
* Aloof Taoist sorcerers called Onmyoji use abacus-computer to summon and bind demonic shiki spirits to exert their will.
* Buddhist monks of three major and differing sects--there is not one single form of Buddhism, but three--vie for the hearts of the people, all with philosophies claiming to lead to salvation. Some have developed incredible hand-to-hand combat art to support the people.
* Phenomenally beautiful and cultured geisha-like Kugutsu (mannequins) are crafted from spirit-trees as pieces of art for the rich and powerful, but secretly yearn to become human.
* Shinobi strike from the shadows with incredible Ninjutsu abilities, living and dying for the service of their clans.
* Machine-human Kijin have traded in their flesh--and souls--for cold, powerful steel.
* The horned, psychic Oni are the native people of Tenra--feared and hunted by humans--who share a deep connection to the earth and each other.
* Kongohki are peerless killing robots, powered by the amnesiac spirit of a tormented soul.
* Annelidists serve as healers, and have bodies filled with symbiotic native worm-like lifeforms that protect them from harm and strike down their enemies.
* Secretive Shinto Agents control the world from the shadows with their meikyo mirror-disks, keeping nation fighting nation for a mysterious cause.
* Mysterious Ayakashi, creatures of spirit straight out of Japanese folklore and myth.
These are the characters that emerge in a game of Tenra Bansho Zero--the characters that the players develop and bring to life through play--and they have the power to change the world.
Beyond that, there is no metaplot or long histories to memorize, no atlases or overly defined cities to remember: The intention was for each group to create and explore their own created version of the setting. A compelling game campaign frame--a sample setting to help get you started, written by gaming industry luminary TS Luikart--is included in the rulebook: It features fascinating characters, locations, and events to help you start your adventures in the exciting world of Tenra!
The Game System
The core rules of Tenra Bansho are easy for people new to role-playing to be able to pick and up and play with their friends, even if you've never played another role-playing game before!
The game uses a simple mechanic involving six-sided dice in order for characters to do things, from leaping up the side of a river fortress, to seducing a hard-hearted domain lord, to engaging in a swordfight with twelve ninja. A suite of attributes (the number of six-sided dice you roll), skills (determine your threshold for success) and special abilities determine what your character can do.
Combat happens, and it happens fast: Unlike other games, you get to effectively choose if and when your character dies, at a time that is right for you. And the more wounds your character takes, the more powerful you (or your enemies!) become: "This... is my FINAL FORM!" Combat is simple, story-focused and exciting!
The Zero system of the game's namesake rewards dramatic role-playing: Skilled players are rewarded when they push themselves harder, and new players unfamiliar with role-playing are rewarded as they learn to come out of their shell and engage with their characters more. These rewards are much like the audience shouts and yelps at a traditional kabuki theater experience (very unlike western theater: A kabuki audience shouts encouragement at the actors as they hit dramatic lines and poses!). This reward is called "Aiki", or "Harmony/Meeting of Spirit". It later turns into "Kiai" or "Martial Power", which is spent to accomplish incredible epic anime-like feats: defeat much more powerful enemies, accomplish impossible feats, etc.
The game carries the metaphor of a kabuki stage play into the actual game itself, with very structured Openings, Acts, Scenes, and Intermissions. In the intermissions there are even "Previews" of the next act, much like there are previews of the next episode at the end of an anime!
Finally, the system has within it a Japanese cycle of Buddhist Karma: The more of this Kiai you spend to accomplish incredible feats, the more Karma you gain. Once your character reaches 108 Karma (the number of Buddhist sins) you are at risk of becoming an Asura, a lost soul who looks to destroy everything she loved.
All in all, the game is rich with Japanese culture, all the way down to its core rules of play.
Please see the Tenra Bansho Zero website for more details on the game and system: http://www.tenra-rpg.com
The Tenra Bansho Zero Game: Two Books and a Slipcase
As mentioned above, the game is divided into two softcover American comic-sized books in a hard slipcase, totaling 690 pages between the two books (well over 280,000 words) packed cover to cover with over 300 distinct pieces of art.
The first book is the Setting book, and through 33 pages of full-color manga illustration, it introduces you visually to the vast world of Tenra and its characters. After that, the setting is further introduced through chapters detailing the world, society, culture, characters, and threats, combined with a flood of inspiring visual art to help you identify with the setting.
The second book is the Rule book, and it covers all the rules of making characters, engaging with the world and interacting with the other characters, rules and advice for organizing and running game sessions and the like. It also includes elements specifically created for the English release of the game, including:
* A complete sample setting, written to help you immediately start playing the game, as well as to give you an example of how to make your own setting.
* An extended glossary of all the Japanese and unusual terms used in the game, including pronunciation.
* A list of inspirational media (including movies and games) to help you get into the feel of Tenra.
* An exhaustive list of advice both for players and game masters, from the simple to the advanced: All advice gathered through years of playtesting.
* A quick example of how to explain the world of Tenra to new players.
* A list of 222 things that people would do in cities, towns, on the road, at a temple, etc for role-play ideas.
* And a very long name list, to use when selecting authentic-sounding names of characters and places. Don't be stymied when creating background characters, from poetic Buddhist Monk or Kongohki names, to commoner or aristocrat names.
However, don't feel lost by the size of the game! When I hear that a tabletop game has something like "over 650 pages", I normally think that it's too much content, and too hard to pick up and play! Not true with Tenra Bansho Zero: The page count is mostly due to the comic size form factor and the sheer space that all the gorgeous art consumes. The 30+ pages of color introduction break down the world simply and can be read and digested in minutes. Several full-page manga in the rulebook explain the game system from top to bottom again in minutes. The content required to play takes only 30-60 minutes to read!
Everything else beyond that core is simply "MORE": More optional rules, more advice for players and gamemasters, more content for people not familiar with Japan or who haven't grown up watching Japanese TV, more notes about Japanese culture in relation to Tenra, more elements there to use if you want and ignore if you do not. The deeper you go, the more you are provided with so much, much more support.
The Translation
I have read a lot of original Japanese manga and then read the English translation (and the same with anime), enough to be disappointed at large with the amount of corners cut, cultural information lost, in the anime and manga industry as a whole. For the Tenra Bansho project, I made sure to do two things in the translation and localization process:
* Make the game as easy-to-read as possible.
* Yet do not lose the tone, nuance or feel of the original Japanese text.
In other words, I didn't simply whitewash the content, removing cultural references and nuances (to complete the translation faster), or simplify it in order to make it more palatable to a generic Western audience: I chose the hard, long road of doing more work in order to make sure the text reached a perfect balance of the poetry and nuance of the original (including leaving in a series of poetic chapter introductions, leaving in some wonderful and skilled Japanese calligraphy art rather than simply over-writing it, leaving many terms in Japanese rather than rewriting them in pure English (while being careful that there weren't too many Japanese words to make the text difficult) and leaving in a rare touch of Japanese grammatical choices--choices that are usually not made in English.
I truly believe that these choices and the incredible amount of time involved led to a richer text, and I want to share that text with you!
Every dollar helps! I'm trying to form a small hobby company with friends to bring over more Japanese tabletop games into English. If you like anime/manga-style art, or just are supportive of these kinds of multicultural efforts, please donate some money. Every little bit you donate--or donate over the set reward levels--makes more translations in the future a distinct possibility!
You can see there's several tiers of reward. The core rewards are the PDF levels and the Book levels.
Computer/IOS desktop backgorunds: Using the art from the game, most backing levels will get access to a small collection of desktop wallpapers of various backgrounds utilizing the original Tenra Bansho art. These will be available before the physical book has arrived.
The PDF level is an electronic copy of each book, in PDF format with high visual quality. I will also be producing a "text only" version for readability and the visually impaired. A pre-release copy of the PDF will be available soon after the end of the Kickstarter campaign, with final versions available when the book is released.
The Physical Book levels are just that: A set of Tenra Bansho Zero books consists of one copy of the Setting Book, one copy of the Rule Book, and the decorative sleeve that holds both books together. All purchasers of the physical book will also receive a PDF as well. The book set is rather heavy, so I am taking a hit by offering free shipping in the US and Canada, and heavily subsidized shipping to the rest of the world, but we are that committed to this project! The book is scheduled to be released three months after the end of the Kickstarter campaign.
Other reward levels include:
"Downloadable Content/DLC" - Future supplements for Tenra Bansho Zero will mostly be in an easy-to-download an print micro-supplement format of 10-20 pages of optional rules and content. DLC will be available within approximately half a year after the release of the book for a few dollars apiece. Plans currently include:
* Extra Archetypes/Character Classes: A collection of four new character types and illustrations, including the Half-Ayakashi, the combat focused Stand-User, the Ninja Robot Dog, and the Gunslinger From The West
* WAR - Mass Combat Rules: A collection of rules focused on a long war session, including the simple tracking of army strengths, as well as a table of long-term battlefield and seasonal events. It will also feature strategies, tips and ideas for the implementation of these rules in your short or long-term game.
The Director's Cut: In the process (and long years) or translation and localization, a number of interesting stories developed: Stories about how I came across the game, the difficulties of translation, interesting cultural quirks and points that caused difficulty or amusement, the list of changes from the original Japanese version to the English version, general stories about life and work in Japan, and so on. Since enough people found those stories interesting,
I've developed a "Director's Cut" book of 30+ pages and counting (including comics; plus anime art and mecha illustrations from artist and technical illustrator Steve Yap), a collection of stories about the development of the game. If you ever wanted to know the background of a game you bought, this is it. If the game Tenra Bansho Zero was a movie, this book would be the director's commentary audio track relaying the behind-the-scenes stories about the game. This will be available around the time of the release of the book.
The Ruined Empire: A complete campaign setting frame from RPG artist and blogger Anna Kreider. The Ruined Empire is a setting of five nations in conflict, ripe with adventure and danger. It has a Final Fantasy-esque feel, a mind to social issues, and serves as a great idea-rich jumping off point to running your own games. This will be available shortly after the end of the Kickstarter campaign.
Dice: The higher levels feature a set of Japanese Kanji Dice to play the game (one player needs about 10 dice initially to play), each die featuring the kanji (Chinese pictographs) of 1-6 instead of the numbers. You can "buy up" more sets of dice, at the cost of $6 for 10 dice (includes shipping). Higher levels come with a set of two color casino dice to use with the Emotion Matrix.
Traditional Japanese Furoshiki Wrapping Cloth: I went all out here on my last trip to Japan. Being an addict of traditional Japanese textiles, I went to the manufacturer of handmade furoshiki wrapping cloths and ordered a huge collection of 90cm x 90cm cloths (huge!) in several different gorgeous patterns and styles. They are the perfect way to wrap up the books, dice, sheets and other materials for easy (and fashionable) transport!
Foam Aiki Chits: Normally you can use poker chips, coins, slips of paper or the like for the aiki chit "audience award" rules, but I ordered a collection of Tenra-labeled giant foam poker chips for the higher-end level reward. They make excellent visual and tactile markers. What better way to reward a player for roleplaying than throwing a foam shuriken-like token at them? They're quite expensive, but I'm swallowing most of the cost of shipping.
Here's a video demonstrating the physical rewards: Dice, Wrapping Cloth, Chips and TBZ Visual Guide.
* The game is complete and ready to go: I've already gotten print proofs! This project is not at the start of the game development lifecycle (playtesting, writing, editing, proofing, printing, etc), it's at its very end. All of the major work has already been done. This kickstarter is not a promise to the eventual creation of the project, it's a promise to get it into your hand as fast as they can be printed in asia and brought to the US. Once this Kickstarter project ends, if it is funded, it will almost immediately go to our selected printer after one last round of editing. From there, we have been told that it is about a 60-90 day turnaround to arrival in the US. We see how other projects have been held up in printing/transport, so we padded the project by a few months ("December") just in case.
But know that all the heavy lifting is done: If this project gets funded, the already complete print-ready PDF goes to the printer soon after for production.
* Everyone involved has been paid! I've seen game projects where "paying the contributors" becomes something optional, or something that only happens after the break-even/"turn a profit" point. For Tenra, all my assistant translators, editors, and contributors have not only been paid in full, but many of them have received bonuses for delivering their work ahead of their deadlines. I've heard horror stories about the industry and freelancers, and have refused to prey on people. There's blood, sweat and tears in this book, and all of it was fully compensated.
* I support local retailers, book, comic and game stores! If you own or manage such a store, and are interested in supporting this project in return for 4-8 copies of the game to resell locally (no more, as per Kickstarter's rules on mass distribution), please contact me and I'll work out a pricing that works for both of us!
* I support "Kicking It Forward". I've been a Kickstarter contributor for years (click on my name to see what I've backed!), and definitely intend to put 5% of my profits back into the excellent system of peer patronage that Kickstarter has brought us. Find out more here: http://kickingitforward.org/
Tenra Bansho Zero is self-rated T+ for Teens for violence and adult themes.
Funding period
- (30 days)


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Experts Outline Pathway for Generating Up to Ten Terawatts of Power from Sunlight by 2030
NREL's New Perovskite Ink Opens Window for Quality Cells
NREL Brings Together Clean Energy Innovators at Industry Growth Forum
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The Declaration on Patent Protection: Regulatory sovereignty under TRIPS.
The Declaration on Patent Protection: Regulatory sovereignty under TRIPS was drafted under the auspices of the Max Planck Institute for Innovation and Competition in Munich. It is the result of two decades of intensive research and prepared with the support of scholars all over the world. It has been issued in the context of the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the WTO and the adoption of the TRIPS Agreement on 15 April 1994.
The purpose of the Declaration indicates the interpretive scope of the TRIPS norms. Overall, it remains neutral – it is neither directed at states with a specific level of development nor does it aspire to provide recommendations for legal action. It only points out the regulatory discretion that national legislators enjoy when it comes to implementing their own patent systems.
According to the drafters
"Sovereign states should retain the discretion to adopt a patent system that best suits their technological capabilities as well as their social, cultural and economic needs and priorities, with the proviso that the exercise of such discretion must remain within the boundaries of international law. Taking into account the customary principles of interpretation of international law, this Declaration seeks to shed light on these boundaries. The purpose is to clarify the policy space that the Agreement on Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS Agreement) leaves to national legislators and judicial authorities with regard to the implementation and administration of their patent systems."
The Declaration deals accordingly with the following aspects of patent law: a) general principles; b) differentiation of fields of technology; c) patentability and disclosure; d) scope of protection; e) exhaustion issues; f) exceptions to the scope of protection; g) compulsory licence; h) government use; i) undisclosed information; j) enforcement; k) goods in transit; and l) criminal measures.
The Declaration on Patent Protection shows that it is possible to design a patent system that reflects both the interest of inventors and right holders as well as the national public interest, without infringing the international obligations of WTO members and taking advantage of the TRIPS Agreement flexibilities.
You can access the document here
International technology transfer: Current implementation and future course of action
Improving technology transfer flows and arrangements directed towards developing countries and LDCs has emerged as an important priority in a number of international forums such as the WTO, WIPO and beyond. It has also been a shared interest in the research agendas of ICTSD and the Centre for Global Development (CGD).
In this context, this expert meeting will discuss the draft of a new CGD paper entitled: 'Europe Beyond Aid: Evaluating Europe's contribution to the transfer of technology and knowledge to developing nations' developed in cooperation with Walter Park (American University) and Owen Barder (CGD) who will present the paper at the dialogue. Beyond Europe, the meeting will also examine the status of current technology transfer discussions at both WTO and WIPO.
Multilateral IP negotiations: Between rhetoric and reality
Multilateral intellectual property (IP) negotiations face multiple challenges in an increasingly complex global innovation landscape. From climate change to biodiversity and access to medicines, IP has become a cross-cutting issue with important public policy implications. Regional/bilateral trade agreements and plurilateral initiatives have also become a key feature of this global landscape.
In this context, what are the present realities and future challenges facing these negotiations? How can traditional differences be bridged to reach consensual outcomes? How to ensure coherence across the variety of international forums where IP issues are raised? These are some of the questions to be addressed in this dialogue which will bring together capital-based officials to interact with Geneva based IP negotiators, who will provide a practical perspective on how IP negotiations are conducted at forums such as the WTO and WIPO.
First Geneva Dialogue on Traditional Knowledge
The International Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development (ICTSD), the Australian Centre for Intellectual Property in Agriculture (ACIPA) and the Institute for Sustainable Development and International Relations (IDDRI) are holding the First Geneva Dialogue on Traditional Knowledge on Friday, March 21, 2014 (9h30 - 18h00).
The objective of this dialogue is to provide an informal space to debate key issues relevant for the effective development and implementation of an international regime for the protection of TK, with a primary focus on the ongoing process at the IGC.
The dialogue will thus bring together a multi-stakeholder group of country delegates, experts, academics and indigenous people representatives to discuss the current direction of the IGC negotiations on TK. The morning sessions will provide opportunities to discuss the IGC draft text on TK, its relationship to the CBD Nagoya Protocol, and the treatment of customary law and its role in securing effective TK protection. The contribution of proposals included in the recent IGC draft text on GRs to the prevention of TK misappropriation will also be examined. The afternoon sessions will address key issues in the draft TK text, as well as cross-cutting issues in the draft GRs text, such as: i) scope; ii) economic rights/beneficiaries; iii) shared TK and iv) limitations and exceptions.
If you wish to attend, please register in advance with Ms. Anna Jedrusik (Tel: +4122-9178855, email: firstname.lastname@example.com). Places are limited.
Multilateral IP negotiations: Between rhetoric and reality
Multilateral intellectual property (IP) negotiations face multiple challenges in an increasingly complex global innovation landscape. From climate change to biodiversity and access to medicines, IP has become a cross-cutting issue with important public policy implications. Regional/bilateral trade agreements and plurilateral initiatives have also become a key feature of this global landscape.
In this context, what are the present realities and future challenges facing these negotiations? How can traditional differences be bridged to reach consensual outcomes? How to ensure coherence across the variety of international forums where IP issues are raised? These are some of the questions to be addressed in this dialogue which will bring together capital-based officials to interact with Geneva based IP negotiators, who will provide a practical perspective on how IP negotiations are conducted at forums such as the WTO and WIPO.
WIPO Ctte Nominates Gurry for Second Term
Francis Gurry is set to serve another six years as the head of the UN's intellectual property body, after a selection committee nominated him for a second term last week. The recommendation is expected to be formally approved during May's meeting of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) General Assembly.
Gurry's first term as WIPO Director-General, which began in 2008, saw the adoption of two major treaties: the Marrakesh Treaty on copyright exceptions for the visually impaired and the Beijing Treaty on Audiovisual Performances. (See Bridges Weekly, 4 July 2013 and 27 June 2012, respectively)
This year's Director-General race featured four candidates competing for the top slot, some of whom indicated that their candidature was motivated by a perception that WIPO was in need of strengthening as an institution. Traditionally when an incumbent UN agency chief is seeking re-election, they are endorsed by consensus, without any challengers.
Along with Gurry, who was nominated by Australia, the other candidates included Deputy Director-General Geoffrey Onyeama of Nigeria, Estonian Ambassador Jüri Seilenthal, and Panamanian Ambassador Alfredo Suescum.
Under WIPO procedures, a final nominee is chosen by the organisation's Coordination Committee, which votes by secret ballot to whittle down the list of candidates. The committee serves as WIPO's executive body, and is made up of 83 member states. The outcome is then sent to the full WIPO membership for final approval or rejection.
Last Thursday, in the first round of voting, Gurry received 46 votes, followed by Onyeama with 20, Suescum with 10, and Seilenthal with 7. The top three candidates were slated to advance to the second round. However, Onyeama and Suescum withdrew their candidacies later in the day, leaving Gurry as the consensus nominee.
In his acceptance speech, Gurry thanked the committee for its confidence in him. "The world of intellectual property is a challenging one, but one with great opportunities," he said.
"I think that our task in the future is to manage those tensions that inevitably occur around intellectual property, innovation, and creativity in order to maximise the opportunities for all member states," he added.
After approval in May, Gurry will begin his second term in October.
ICTSD reporting.
The Shale Gas Revolution
As shale gas exploration and extraction ramps up in many parts of the world, its contribution to global climate change and effect on international trade are becoming increasingly complicated and indeterminate. Undoubtedly, shale gas is transforming energy prices, industrial competitiveness, and geopolitics in a number of countries. Further investigation and safeguards are therefore needed to ensure that the shale gas "revolution" fosters, rather than hinders, sustainable development.
This paper, authored by Thomas L. Brewer, a senior fellow of ICTSD, sheds light on these complex issues and calls on governments, industry and international agencies to evaluate the full effects of shale gas on the environment and climate change to determine how it can best fit into a sustainable development agenda.
South Africa, pharmaceutical industry face off on patent reform
Abstract: South Africa's efforts to reform its intellectual property (IP) regime in order to improve access to medicines has sparked a firestorm lately, with major pharmaceutical companies openly at odds with civil society and developing countries.
South Africa's efforts to reform its intellectual property (IP) regime in order to improve access to medicines sparked a firestorm in January 2014, with major pharmaceutical companies openly at odds with civil society and developing countries
The draft IP policy was published in September 2013, with the country currently taking steps toward its eventual implementation. The changes would establish a system of substantive patent examination, and would also strengthen the existing criteria for "patentability." These revisions, proponents say, would make it easier for generic drugs to compete in a market that has long been dominated by the research-based pharmaceutical industry.
"The current system allows pharmaceutical companies to obtain multiple patents on the same drug, even for inventions that do not fall under the country's definition of innovation," various civil society organisations have said in advocating for the reform.
The existing regime, they added, thus allows these companies to extend their monopolies and charge inflated prices for medicines, while making it difficult for generic manufacturers to compete.
However, the leak soon thereafter of a memo aimed at helping major drug companies undermine the proposed change has escalated the row, with South African Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi openly comparing the industry campaign to "genocide."
Civil society, developing countries weigh in
Several developing countries, along with a coalition of civil society groups, have spoken up in support of South Africa, during a meeting of the World Health Organization's (WHO) Executive Board end of January, 2014.
The industry response is "unacceptable in a country facing one of the world's most acute HIV and [tuberculosis] epidemics," Médecins Sans Frontières said at the meeting, noting that medicine prices in South Africa are up to 35 times higher than in countries where generics have a greater market share.
Some civil society organisations have formally called on the WHO Executive Board to adopt a resolution expressing solidarity with the African country.
WHO Director -General Margaret Chan has similarly expressed her concern, saying that "no government should be intimidated by interested parties for doing the right thing in public health."
Public health and access to medicine is believed to have been greatly affected by the international agreement on TRIPS instituted at the Uruguay Round in 1994.
The WTOs main agreement on IP, which offers intellectual property protection to drug discoveries and innovations, has been a source of contention between pharmaceuticals and Non-governmentals in the public health circles.
ICTSD reporting
WIPO Genetic Resources Talks Advance, Though Differences Linger
Delegates meeting at the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) last week made some limited progress in discussions on genetic resources and intellectual property rights, producing a new streamlined draft text to forward to the organisation's General Assembly in September.
However, the new document still contains many brackets on a range of important subjects.
These discussions are held under WIPO's Intergovernmental Committee on Intellectual Property and Genetic Resources, Traditional Knowledge and Folklore (IGC), which aims to develop an international legal instrument(s) that would protect genetic resources, traditional knowledge, and traditional cultural expressions.
Problematic disclosure
One of the provisions that sparked the most debate last week was on the mandatory disclosure of the origin of genetic material used by patent applicants, or on which they seek patent claims.
While developing countries say that the requirement is essential for preventing biopiracy, some developed countries and industry groups argue that it could disincentivise innovation and be burdensome on patent offices and applicants.
According to the draft text, which still contains brackets in this area, each party shall require applicants to disclose the country of origin and source of the genetic resources and associated traditional knowledge. However, new language has also been introduced to the effect that patent offices must provide sufficient effective guidance to applicants on how to meet disclosure requirements.
The range of post-grant sanctions for non-compliance with the disclosure requirement and whether these include patent revocation remains unresolved.
The IGC also identified "preventing misappropriation of genetic resources and associated traditional knowledge" as the main policy objective of the proposed international instrument. For many years, developed countries had been reluctant to accept this concept as the key goal behind the WIPO discussions.
The widely-deliberated definition currently includes a US proposal that outlines what would not qualify as misappropriation - namely, any genetic resources and their associated traditional knowledge that have been attained lawfully. Some examples, they say, could include reading publications, reverse engineering, and inadvertent disclosure.
Another IGC meeting is scheduled for July, in the hopes of bridging the remaining differences before the General Assembly.
ICTSD reporting; "WIPO Genetic Resources Text Compiles Differences, Heads To General Assembly," IP-WATCH, 10 February 2014.


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Dr. Sheila Miyoshi Jager
Visiting Research Professor
Phone: (717) 245-5407
Sheila Miyoshi Jager received her Ph.D. in anthropology from the University of Chicago. She is an Associate Professor of East Asian Studies at Oberlin College. She is the author of Narratives of Nation-Building in Korea: A Genealogy of Patriotism (M.E. Sharpe, 2003)and (with Rana Mitter) Ruptured Histories: War, Memory and the Post-Cold War in Asia (Harvard University Press, forthcoming 2007). She has published in numerous journals including, Journal of Asian Studies, New Literary History, Public Culture, positions: east asia cultures critique and Japan Focus.
*The above information may not be current. It was current at the time when the individual worked for SSI or was published by SSI.
SSI books and monographs by Dr. Sheila Miyoshi Jager
On the Uses of Cultural Knowledge
November 13, 2007
Authored by Dr. Sheila Miyoshi Jager.
Culture has become something of a buzz word among America's national security leaders. Faced with an brutal civil war and insurgency in Iraq , the many complex political and social issues confronted by U.S. military commanders on the ground have given rise to a new awareness that a cultural understanding of an adversary society is imperative if counterinsurgency is to succeed.
The Politics of Identity: History, Nationalism, and the Prospect for Peace in Post-Cold War East Asia
March 29, 2007
Authored by Dr. Sheila Miyoshi Jager.
The clash between the rise of increasingly divergent nationalisms in post-Cold War East Asia represent new challenges for U.S. policy there. How might the United States respond to the history disputes and rising nationalisms in the region to promote stability and peace?
SSI articles, editorial, and briefs by Dr. Sheila Miyoshi Jager
Iraqi Security Forces and Lessons from Korea
December 01, 2006


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"Three Days. Thirty Miles. A Thousand Memories."
This fall, more than 1,000 pink-clad participants are expected to run, walk or crawl in the 2012 LoCo Motion, a three-day walking and running experience, which raises funds for the fight against breast cancer.
Beaufort Memorial Hospital has signed on as lead sponsor of the 2012 LoCo Motion, which will take place at various locations across the Lowcountry, Sept. 28-30.
The signature fundraiser of Carolina Cups, an independent, 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization dedicated to funding breast cancer education, screening, treatment and clinical research, 100 percent of the proceeds are donated via charitable grants to local and regional breast cancer-related organizations.
The event kicks off at Hilton Head Island's Shipyard Beach Club on Friday, Sept. 28 at 9 a.m. Day One Awards Ceremony and an informal Survivor Celebration immediately follow the first leg of the 30-mile adventure.
On Saturday, Sept. 29, a 10-mile trek through pristine Callawassie Island in northern Beaufort County is planned.
Returning to Hilton Head Island on Sunday, Sept. 30, the 2nd Annual LoCo Motion wraps up with a 10-mile, all-beach route beginning and ending at the Omni Hotel in the Palmetto Dunes Oceanfront Resort. Those who complete all three legs of the event receive the coveted Triple Nipple Medal at the Final Awards Ceremony and After-Party.
For more information or to register for 2012 LoCo Motion, please call 843-540-3284, visit dothelocomotion.org or facebook.com/DoTheLocoMotion.


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Meaningful Conversations 1: Tribe, Phalanx, Marketing, and the Internet
Yesterday, on Twitter, someone (and I'm sorry I forget who) linked to a video of Seth Godin talking about tribes.
Then, today Sarah of Slouching Mom selected phalanx (def.: noun, 1. any closely grouped mass of people: a solid phalanx of reporters and photographers; 2. a number of people united for a common purpose) which I thought was a really, really interesting concept to consider within the context of the Internet, specifically as it applies to social media.
It's easy to think of mommybloggers as a phalanx---aren't we united in common purpose? To share and create a community---hopefully one that pays dividends in some form or offers remuneration, more preferably? (Stefania at CityMama eloquently describes her journey from casual blogger to professional blogger and marketer.) Aren't we all trying to do the same thing? Commune with other moms, shares tips and tricks, and make a living for our families?
To be a true phalanx, in my opinion, all the mommybloggers would have to be unified behind a single blogger or project. Our goal would have to be that this person's or blog's single goal succeeds.
And we don't all want that. We don't all want the same thing. We want what we want for ourselves, which is, of course, personal success (however you might define that).
However, in order to succeed online, I need for this medium to succeed and be a place that facilitates success, and that is the point on which we converge.
That's why women bloggers---mommybloggers---are truly a tribe (def.: noun, 1. A unit of sociopolitical organization consisting of...groups who share a common...culture and among whom leadership is typically neither formalized nor permanent. . . .3. A group of people sharing an occupation, interest, or habit: a tribe of graduate students.)
Seth Godin says, "I don't want everyone to have a tribe. I only want the people who want the world to change, I only want people who have something to say, to make a change, to make things better...The world is lined up in a way now that instead of having to have power or cash, you can make change and have influence merely by leading people who want to go somewhere."
This point is not lost---or invisible---to the marketing community. They are always after the influencers, and the influencers invariably have a tribe.
What's new is people figuring out how to use these online influencers and tribes as an effective marketing stream.
In the mommyblogging community, we talk (okay, kvetch) about how marketers reach out to us. At the recent Mom 2.0 Summit, there was a lot of talk about treating moms as if we are a single entity, unified by gender and mom status.
What I think we're really talking about is phalanx versus tribe.
Marketers need to understand that we're not a phalanx. We don't all have the same interests or a common, unifying goal---as much as it might appear we do. Instead, what marketers are actually seeing are alliances within tribes.
These "cooperative effort alliances" work with an attitude of reciprocity, "you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours, and together we can get each other much further than we could on our own."
Consider Cool Mom Picks, which reviews and promotes different products that can rapidly become The Mommy Must-Have. The Parent Bloggers Network also reviews products, but additionally provides space for networking. Most appealing to me is The Motherhood, which offers space to listen to conferences about gardening, pose questions to other mothers for answers and ideas, and more.
The sites run the gamut from straight up marketing to focus on the conversation.
What's important to me is that I know the purpose behind these sites, and it's to provide space and information. Sites such as Cool Mom Picks, while friendly and appealing, don't pretend to be my personal friend.
It reminds me of a time my husband and I, newly married, met another young couple, who invited us to dinner. We'd wanted to meet other married couples, so we were thrilled at the possibility of new Married Friends. We were thrilled, that is, until, polished and wearing our "best but not trying too, too hard" outfits, they opened the door and invited us in to have a glass of wine and...listen to their Amway presentation. Suffice it to say, we didn't stay for dinner and never again spoke to them. It's just not a good way to initiate a relationship.
It's also not a good way to use an existing relationship, as good a product or as well-intentioned as it might be.
Bottom line for me is that I love recommendations from friends. That's probably my number one source of selecting products. I love when friends know information about the products and can answer questions. I don't love friends who consistently try to sell me on something when it's their job.
In other words, I don't like to mix business and pleasure.
Sorry, but it's true.
I don't like heading to friends' blogs only to catch them hawking.
I know when it's happening, even if it's a story about the fun times a couple has baking a cake with lots of bonding and laughs. Like Anne Shirley, I know when a story has been co-opted to sell Rollings Reliable Baking Soda, no matter how allegedly seamlessly it's been integrated into the tale.
And for the record, I also notice the new prominently displayed labels on television shows. I'd rather commercials, if it's all the same to you, PR Firms. I'd rather not watch Debra Messing spend five minutes using the entire line of Oil of Olay products at the beginning of the Starter Wife.
In fact, I am pretty good at tuning out or clicking away from advertising, especially when it intrudes on what I really went to see.
The truth is, I plan my purchases. I do! When I want information about what to get? I go do my own research, usually on the Internet, and that's when I want to see reviews and details.
When I want. When I ask. When I'm ready.
I know that the point of advertising is supposed to be to make me think "Puffs!" when I need to buy tissues, but to tell the truth, it doesn't. I apparently have limited space in my short-term recall and I triage "make lunch for kids" and "dentist tomorrow at 9" as priorities for that space. When I go to the store, I weigh price point against alleged features splashed on the packaging. Sorry Puffs, you usually lose.
But we keep talking about products.
If we think back to Seth talking about people wanting to make the world better, that means this all applies to ideas, too.
Again, this isn't a point lost on or invisible to issue advocates and politicians, who have also entered the social media arena.
But are they using it effectively?
And more importantly, are they using it appropriately?
At the end of the day, I think the best avenue to success is not so much to form a tribe as it is to form a phalanx. It's tooting a horn in my own band, but I think the MOMocrats are one of the best examples of a phalanx on the Internet. This group of women united to not just advance women's voices and concerns in the political arena, but we joined forces under one common goal: get our political party elected into office. It worked, and what's more, we all became much more active and a bigger part of the overall effort than I think we would have individually.
This is where I drop off the presentation and ask you to join in the conversation.
* Talk to me about what you think of bloggers who become vehicles for marketers---whether it's ideas or products---and whether any can or have seamlessly integrated "for profit" blogging into their main stream of blogging.
* Talk to me about whether it's realistic to believe that integrating marketing into a personal blog can be seamless. Can it be, or is it invariably jarring and offputting, even if elegantly done? We're pretty sophisticated these days and I'm pretty sure we can smell marketing a mile away. What do you think?
* What questions, issues, obstacles, etc. do you deal with when encountering marketing requests for your blog? (By the way, Dawn at kaiseralex came up with a pretty good formula for determining what your blog real estate is worth.)
* How can this be something that provides that shiny dividend for us?
What do you think as a reader and/or a writer, or even more specifically, as a marketer?
P.S. Eventually I'll figure out how to set this up to feed from Twitter, and give everyone "permission" to talk in advance.


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One of my favorite books is The Encyclopedia of Natural Pet Care by CJ Puotinen. I keep one copy on my desk at work, and another at home. This book brings together a wealth of information from many holistic healthcare experts on many subjects. It's a compendium of natural treatments and emergency first-aid strategies, as well as some wonderful dietary information and explanations of how various energetic treatments work. It's a great book! Get yourself a copy!
That said, a few weeks ago, I found out just how valuable this book really is. We were installing a new garden in our back yard Both our dogs were outside, and had been chasing the bees that buzz around the flowers in an already-existing garden. As the dogs ran by, I noticed that our puppy's muzzle looked a little swollen. On closer examination, her lip was quite swollen – she had obviously been stung by a bee.
As it happens, Lily, our 11 month old Corgi, is immune-impaired due to a rare congenital condition called a dermoid cyst. She has had numerous and fairly serious health issues in her young life, and we keep a very close eye on her.
When I saw the swelling, I realized she was having a strong reaction to the sting, and worried that she might go into shock. Her eyes were becoming unfocused, and the swelling was rapidly progressing up the side of her face toward her eye. Her muzzle, in a matter of seconds, became so swollen that I couldn't get my finger under her lip to look for a stinger!
Realizing that I needed to take immediate action, I referred to my Encyclopedia of Natural Pet Care and looked up "Bites and Stings". The first remedy listed was "herbal therapy." Instructions were to place mashed or pureed greens on the sting, or in the absence of fresh greens, powdered greens/herbs.
Honestly, I have never used such a remedy, even though I'm all about eating greens. I had a certain degree of doubt as to whether this type of remedy would work, and I had brief visions of a pending emergency room visit. I had to try something immediately, though, so I cast my fate to the wind and mixed about a tablespoon of Dr. Harvey's MultiVitamin, Mineral and Herbal Supplement with ½ teaspoon of nutritional clay and probably 1 teaspoon of lavender hydrosol.
My husband was assisting and helping me remain calm. We put Lily on a towel on the couch, and I took a plastic knife and used it as a trowel to spread the mixture across her lip and the side of her face. At first, I tried to pack some of it under her lip, but she ended up licking and swallowing it, so I focused on getting the rest on the outside of her muzzle and face. She was very cooperative, and once the greens were spread across her face, fell into a deep sleep as I held a piece of gauze over the poultice.
For 25 minutes, she slept deeply, and I watched as the swelling gradually, but steadily went down and down. I had a hard time believing that it was actually working, and even asked my husband if he could detect a reduction in swelling. He was skeptical, too, and said he thought it still looked pretty swollen.
I was getting concerned about her deep sleep, wondering if she might be falling into unconsciousness. I shook her gently, and she woke up and acted like nothing had ever happened. (Looking back, I think the Lavender hydrosol helped her relax and fall asleep.) The swelling was completely gone within 40 minutes! And all because of some powdered greens! My faith in herbal medicine is once again renewed, and I have promised myself that I will always consult my Encyclopedia and my other holistic books whenever I have an emergency or question about a health issue.
Being informed about all treatment options is very empowering, so I encourage all of you to develop your own holistic pet care library! And I leave you with this question… If greens can do this from the outside, what are they doing on the inside when you eat them?


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Bruce Wrobel is a man with his heart in the right place. You see, Bruce is in the agricultural business and he plans to solve the world's complex food security issues by creating sustainable, community oriented projects. He is the CEO of Herakles Farms – a corporation with some very wealthy friends.
Bruce loves Africa and he and his buddies like to get together and ponder how they could end hunger there (among other things) over games of golf. In fact, Bruce even created an NGO called All for Africa, to help do just that.
Of course, Bruce and his buddies don't say they are in the agriculture business for the money; instead, they would have you believe they are "addressing a dire humanitarian need."
But what Bruce says and what Bruce does are two different things.
Bruce wants to grow a big palm oil plantation. And we mean BIG. This plantation would be one of the largest in Africa and out of all the land out there, he chose about 73,000 hectares between five protected areas, at the fringe of world's second largest biodiversity hotspot.
The Herakles Farms project would displace local communities and wreak environmental havoc. This could be the reality in the South West region in Cameroon if Bruce and his buddies are not stopped.
A new report from the Oakland Institute in collaboration with Greenpeace International reveals in detail the REAL threats posed by Herakles Farms' plans to establish a large palm oil plantations roughly eight times the size of Manhattan, through a 99-year land lease.
The huge global appetite for palm oil shows no signs of abating and has seen Africa become the latest target for investors.
Research by Greenpeace shows the extent of this investment and the dangers to the climate that large-scale industrial expansion of the palm oil sector represents if it is allowed to continue unchecked.
The opaque nature of some of these negotiations means the deals can be viewed as an aspect of these global land grabs. The Herakles case is a prime example of this.
The very legality of the convention signed by the company's subsidiary SGSOC with the Cameroonian government in 2009 has been questioned. Herakles Farms has been repeatedly violating Cameroonian law and, as the Oakland Institute report details, has sparked widespread opposition and anger. For many residents the plantation poses a significant and direct threat to their livelihoods.
Greenpeace research on the ground in Cameroon has revealed that Herakles continues work on the plantation despite numerous legal challenges and local opposition.
Bruce Wrobel claims the project will boost the local economy and create jobs. He also claims revenues from the project will fund development projects through All for Africa. Yet there are no details on how or when such jobs will be created and there is silence on the fact that his and his company's plantation would result in major deforestation, loss of biodiversity and the conversion of natural land and forests into a monoculture crop.
Put simply the Herakles Farms project is the wrong project, in the wrong place. Bruce and his buddies must be stopped now.
Frédéric Amiel is head of the Forest Campaign for Greenpeace France.
(Unregistered) Lumerian
so saddening, how i wish more people would open their eyes to the activities of the corporate world. i really wish that if i was that rich i donate or...
so saddening, how i wish more people would open their eyes to the activities of the corporate world. i really wish that if i was that rich i donate or invest in greenpeace and others like it because their cause is pure. is there anything more i can do to help? im not even well off but if theres anyway i can help other than signing and supporting petitions let me know, illl be keen.
21 January, 2013 at 22:56
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ATI to launch new Radeon X300 with memory sharing technology in early 2005
ATIs memory sharing system will be similar to Nvidias recently launched TurboCache technology, which allows a GPU to render directly to system memory, the sources noted.
In addition to the cache capabilities of Nvidias memory sharing technology, ATI will also take on its main rival by introducing its multi-GPU technology in mid-2005, the sources added.
The multi-GPU technology from ATI will be similar to Nvidias Scalable Link Interface (SLI) technology, but offering additional flexibility, said the sources, noting that ATIs multi-GPU technology will allow two different graphics cards to work as a pair without adding an additional connector for data transmission.
ATIs forthcoming 90nm high-end graphics chip, the R520, slated for delivery in the second quarter of 2005, will also support the multi-GPU technology, the sources stated.
From DigiTimes


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Beagle Puppy
Beagle Puppy
You will be absolutely amazed at how life-like our Nature's Gallery collection of animals is. A mixture of polyresin and stonedust, these high quality sculptures are an adorable and playful addition to your front porch, backyard, or even indoors!
Dimensions (LxWxH): 4.75" x 6.25" x 6"
Add To Cart


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Installation is sized, priced and produced on a project-specific basis.Enquire about FRACTURE BLUE
An eclectic, neon and multi layered original work on canvas. The original work contains, collage, spray paint and screen print mediums.
Each image is limited to an edition of 25.
Suitable for domestic and commercial interiors.
Fire certification. euro classification EN 13501-1:2007– B – s2,d0
We're passionate about aesthetics and quality. All our papers guarantee glorious sophistication and a beautiful finish. Prefer a luxurious smooth or the rough of a texture? Take your time to explore the choices HERE
Our swatches come in a generous A4 size so you get a true feel of how each texture will fit in your space. Order a swatch pack or look book to get your hands on the real thing HERE


text: The headlights on my 2001 Coupe won't motor up. The gears in the headlight motors were replaced with brass ones less than a year ago - the motors should be good. The HL motor fuses (2) are good. When the HL switch is turned full on, the HLamps come on, they just don't motor up. The same thing happens with the Twilight control - lamps come On, but won't motor up. The HL's can be raised manually, no problem. Is this problem caused by the headlight control module? Is there an electrical test to confirm a bad module? When the stalk switch is clicked twice to full On, the HLamps do come on. Could the HL switch still be the problem by not sending voltage to the module or motors? Another symptom, before the full failure, when the HLamp switch was rotated one click to the Parking Lamp position, the HL's had been coming up with the lamps off. Moving the switch to the second click powered up the lamps. I this an early failure symptom from the HL control module?


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Faith Martin
If you listen to the show it will take you about a week to learn more about me than you ever wanted to know! I'm a proud mom and aunt, I love to dance, sing live and play my guitars. I love my horses and dogs. I was voted Tri-Cities' most popular DJ in 2013 (thank you so much for that!) I've worked in radio my whole life (and even gave television a try!)


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- Home
- About IACP
- Certification
- Education
- Education Portal
- Pet Owners
- Events
- Service Dogs
Welcome to the Premier Canine Professional Organization.
The IACP provides the support and education to pave your road to success and is the only organization that actively works to defend your right to humanely use all the tools and methods of your profession.Do you want to learn more and share your experiences and knowledge with other Professionals?
Whether you a seasoned pro or an aspiring dog trainer and/or canine professional, the IACP is the resource to help you grow your business. If you are just starting out, or have a solid foundation under you, this is the place to be!
Member Benefits Become a Member! IACP Member Renewal Donate Now
Dog Owners: Welcome to the IACP, where you will find the best dog trainers and canine professionals in your area!
Founded in 1999, the IACP was established to develop and promote the highest standards of professional and business practice among canine professionals. The IACP has grown to include professionals from all over the globe--encompassing every facet of the dog world. For dog owners, this site provides information and resources to help you build a strong and lasting bond with your pet. From dog training, to helping eliminate behavior problems, to pet health and care, the IACP is the web's best resource for informed dog owners.
Admin Office e-mail : [email protected]
Telephone : 512-564-1011
Monday - Thursday
The IACP Facebook Profile Frames are LIVE!!
Add your favorite and show your support to help spread the good word !!


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Specialty Cocktails, Beer & More at Howl-O-Scream 2011
At Howl-O-Scream you will find several Food & Beverage stands set up throughout the park that sell a variety of beer (draft and bottle) and snacks. If you are looking for specialty cocktails or hard liquor, your options are more limited. Mixed drinks & Specialty Cocktails can be purchased at Club Virus, Crown Colony Pub, Carni Bar and at the Dessert Grill entrance.
If you have a Busch Gardens annual pass you get 10% off your drinks!
Food & Beverage Tents
Bottled Beer:
Budweiser, Bud Light, Bud Light Lime, Michelob Ultra, Corona, Bacardi Sangria
Draft Beer:
Budweiser or Bud Light
(More draft beer options available at restaurants, such as AmberBock & Florida Avenue at Zambia Smokehouse.)
Beer Yard - $13.99 (Yard Strap $1.99)
Beer Yard Refill - $6.99
21oz. Beer - $7.69
Aluminum Bottles - $7.69/$7.99
Bacardi Sangria - $6.99
Carni Bar
Full-service bar located in the arcade area by the Dessert Grill.
Specialty Drinks:
Zombie "Test" Tubes - $7.99 | $9.99 Souvenir Cup | $6.99 Souvenir Refill
Dare your favorite Flare: Cherry, Lime, Strawberry, Blackberry, Mango or Pineapple Coconut
Zombie Chiller - $7.99 | $9.99 Souvenir Cup | $6.99 Souvenir Refill
Specially blended flavors of vodka, orange, lemonade and splash of fizz.
Zombie Bombs - $7.99 (served only until 11pm)
Jagermeister and Rockstar.
Premium Mixed Drinks - $9.99 in souvenir cup | $6.99 souvenir cup refill
Single shots only.
House Wine - $6.99 | $8.99 souvenir cup | $5.99 souvenir cup refill
Yard of Beer - $13.99 | $6.99 Yard Refill | $1.99 Yard Strap
Bottled Beer
Budweiser & Bud Light - $7.69
Bud Light Lime - $7.99
Bacardi Sangria - $6.99
Your choice of Specialty Glass for your drink. Choose from a yellow or purple glow cup, a glow Martini or (not pictured) glow skull cup.
The Zombie "Test" Tubes have, quite possibly, the coolest presentation we've ever seen. They have an iridescent swirl to them as they are mixing. Howl-O-Scream wins on drink presentation this year!
Check out the video to see them swirl! So cool!
Crown Colony Pub
Located across from Cheetah Hunt. The same specialty drinks are available here, along with other liquors of choice and beer.
Club Virus
Located at the front of the park. Enjoy the same specialty cocktails at this full-service bar along with dancing, character meet & greets and dance-club music at this adults-only club.
Liquid Courage Bar
Located outside of the main entrance...in case you need some help facing the scares before you go in!
Important Notes: Liquor sales end 30 minutes before the end of the event. One drink per person, per ID.
Review: We ordered a Zombie Chiller, as is our duty to research & inform you! The Chiller consists of vodka, orange, lemonade and a splash of fizz. A light, fruity drink with a refreshing crisp from the lemonade. A little light on the vodka, but a tasty drink nonetheless.
As far as our thoughts on getting the souvenir cups, if you plan on having a few draft beers that night, go ahead and get the Yard. Same goes for the specialty liquor drinks since the price of the refills is only $7.
Unfortunately, we did not get a chance to try the Zombie "Test" Tubes. If you tried one let everyone know what you thought of it in the comments.
Zombie Chiller Recipe
Want to make the Zombie Chiller at home? Well you're in luck - it's rather simple. Here's our best educated guess at the recipe:
2 parts vodka
2 parts orange juice
2 parts lemonade
1 part Sprite


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US stocks inch down on China growth worries
Stocks drifted to a slightly lower finish Monday as investors sifted through a blend of discouraging economic data from China and Japan as well as ongoing uncertainty over Russia's incursion into Ukraine.
Major market indexes pared their losses as the day drew to a close, aided by some high-flying stocks, including Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Chiquita Brands International and Southwest Airlines.
In the absence of U.S. economic data, investors focused on news that China's exports slumped 18 percent in February. The report reinforced fears about the outlook for the world's second-largest economy.
In addition, Japan reported a record current account deficit for January and lowered its economic growth estimate for the October-December quarter to 0.7 percent from 1 percent.
The reports made for a downbeat start for the market as investors seized the moment to recalibrate their stock holdings.
"It was a little bit of an excuse to take some money off the table," said Ron Florance, deputy chief investment officer at Wells Fargo Private Bank. "We have geopolitical uncertainty, so (it's) a good excuse to re-evaluate your risk exposure. It's going to be par for the course for this year."
The Standard & Poor's 500 index edged down 0.87 of a point to close at 1,877.17. It had been down 11 points earlier.
The Dow Jones industrial average lost 34.04 points, or 0.2 percent, to 16,418.68. The Nasdaq composite fell 1.77 points, or less than 0.1 percent, to 4,334.45.
The three major U.S. indexes are still up for the month, and only the Dow is down for the year. The S&P 500 ended Monday up 1.6 percent for the year, while the Nasdaq finished up 3.8 percent.
The downbeat economic report from China hurt several industry sectors heavily reliant on Chinese economic growth, in particular, materials, energy and industrials. Six of the 10 sectors of the S&P 500 index ended lower, led by industrials. Mining company Cliffs Natural Resources was among the biggest decliners in the S&P 500, shedding 70 cents, or 3.8 percent to $17.95.
"The market is growing more pessimistic around growth in China," said David Chalupnik, head of equities for Nuveen Asset Management. "Expectations have been coming down, but the numbers have been disappointing even those reduced expectations."
Despite the disappointing data from China, some market watchers anticipate that last week's gains will continue.
The S&P 500 index notched record highs three times last week as investors grew more confident that weak U.S. economic reports in recent weeks were a reflection of unusually severe winter weather, not a broad economic slowdown. Better-than-expected payroll numbers last week also helped encourage investors.
"In general, I think the market will move past the poor China export numbers fairly quickly," said James Liu, global market strategist at J.P. Morgan Funds. "There's still a lot of fundamental support for the S&P at this particular range."
Chalupnik also anticipates Monday's decline isn't telling of the market's trajectory for the week ahead, barring more fallout from Russia's deployment of troops in Ukraine.
"My guess is the market moves ever so slightly higher this week," he said. "The trend is still up. We really haven't seen anything to break that trend."
Monday marked the fifth anniversary of the current bull market in stocks. The S&P 500 index bottomed out on March 9, 2009, and is up about 177 percent since then. The run-up over the past five years has been helped by stimulus from the Federal Reserve, record corporate profits, the economic recovery and companies repurchasing their own stock.
This is a light week for market-moving economic data and corporate earnings. But investors will be watching the latest data on retail sales, due out Thursday, and a gauge of consumer confidence due out Friday.
"Those two sets of numbers will really tell us where the consumer is and whether or not the consumer will head out and spend when the weather warms up," Liu said.
Among the stocks bucking the slight downward turn Monday was Alexion Pharmaceuticals.
The company climbed the most of any stock in the S&P 500 index, vaulting $11.95, or 7.1 percent, to $180. The company raised its 2014 earnings forecast, saying the national health agency of France will reimburse it for past sales of its drug Soliris.
Chiquita was another gainer. It agreed to combine with Dublin-based Fyffes to become the world's top banana company. The stock-for-stock transaction announced Monday creates a global banana and fresh produce company with $4.6 billion in annual revenue. Chiquita rose $1.16, or 10.7 percent, to $12.
Southwest Airlines' stock touched a 52-week high of $23.67 early in the day before ending up 50 cents, or 2.2 percent, to $23.60. The carrier got a boost after it reported that passengers are flying more miles, a trend that helped send a key revenue figure higher last month.


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FITCHBURG — After emotional testimony from the victim's family members, a 22-year-old Berlin student was sentenced in the death of a Fitchburg motorcyclist in July 2012.
Fitchburg District Court Judge Andrew Mandell ordered Kenneth R. Amici, a junior at University of Massachusetts at Lowell, to perform 12 hours of community service and take a defensive driving course after he admitted to sufficient facts for a guilty finding on a charge of negligent driving, and the case was continued without a finding for nine months. Mr. Amici was also ordered not to drive during that time and will lose his license until the Registry of Motor Vehicles decides to return it.
Mr. Amici was facing charges in the death of Paul Deloge, 60, of Fitchburg. Mr. Deloge's wife, Debra A Deloge, 58, was severely injured in the accident on a one-way section of Boulder Drive. Mr. Amici was initially also charged with motor vehicle homicide by negligent driving. That charge was dismissed by Judge Mandell at the request of the prosecution and by agreement with the Deloge family. Mr. Amici was additionally found responsible of violating a municipal motor vehicle ordinance for overtaking another vehicle and fined $50.
Assistant District Attorney John H. Melander Jr. said that Mr. Amici was driving his 2002 Toyota Sequoia in the right travel lane of Boulder Drive, towing a U-Haul trailer with an antique car in it. He swerved into the left lane in an attempt to pull into a TD Bank parking lot after missing his turn. He did not see the Deloges' motorcycle in the left lane and hit them.
In addressing the court, Christopher P. Deloge, son of Paul and Debra Deloge, said that Sunday is a day his family will never forget.
"It was a time in my life I will never be able to forget," he said. "The sadness, the rage, the sorrow and the sleepless nights have all left permanent scars."
Mr. Deloge said his father was his friend as well as his father.
"He was our mentor, our fix-anything go-to man," he said. "He was my baseball coach, my partner in Red Sox venting. There are still times I think I should text him before breaking baseball news, movie news or car questions."
Mr. Deloge said the loss suffered by his family will never be properly compensated.
"Whether it is months without a license or years, no slap on the wrist will ever serve the proper justice this great loss deserves," he said.
Mr. Deloge's sister, Jenni A. Deloge, provided a written statement that was read before sentencing. She said she was the one who was informed her father was dead and mother badly injured. She said she had to contact family members to inform them about the accident.
"None of those calls would compare to the fact that I had to see my mother in the emergency room with serious injuries and her asking me where dad was," she said. "The look in her eyes and the cry that she made is like nothing I ever want to deal with ever again. I had to tell my mother that her best friend, her soul mate, her high school sweetheart was gone.
"Our lives ... never will be the same from that point on," she said.
Ms. Deloge said her mother suffered fractured vertebrae, a brain bleed, fractured ribs, a shattered arm and a severe cut on her leg. She said that while being cared for she suffered a severe allergic reaction to antibiotics she was given. The family held up the funeral and at the last minute, it was decided her mother would attend assisted by a private ambulance service and nurses. During the service she lay on a gurney, too ill to take part.
"I never would have imagined that I would have to bury my father while my mother lay in pain on a gurney, unable to hug her or to take the pain away," Ms. Deloge said.
The day after the funeral, Ms Deloge said, her mother suffered a pulmonary embolism and was in the hospital 45 days and then in rehabilitation for a few weeks.
Mr. Amici's lawyer, Nicole C. Longton, said had it not been for the tragedy, her client was not the type of person who would be in court. She said he had no criminal history and was a mechanical engineering major at UMass-Lowell.
Turning around and facing the Deloge family at the suggestion of Judge Mandell, Mr. Amici said not a day goes by that he does not think about the accident.
"Words cannot describe how terrible I feel knowing that someone has lost their husband, father, brother, or even close friend," he said. "I think about his family and imagine the pain they are going through and I feel awful."
Mr. Amici said he knows nothing he can say would bring Mr. Deloge back, or make the family's pain go away.
"But I want his family to know I am truly sorry for everything they have gone through," he said.
Contact George Barnes at firstname.lastname@example.com. Follow him on Twitter @georgebarnesTG


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a little thank you
I'm a fan of thank you notes, and I would like my kids to be too. But getting your children into the habit of writing thank you notes before they can actually write is a bit of a challenge. I appreciate every thank you note we get, even the ones clearly written by moms and dads, but it's nice to have a little bit of the childs' personality in there too. So I came up with these speech bubble thank you cards..
First I made a little template out of some thick cardstock and then traced and cut out several speech bubbles from different kinds of paper. My cards are 3" x 5" so I made sure my bubble would fit nicely on the card.
Then I glued the speech bubbles onto the cards and used my handy rubber stamp set to say "A Note from C". Now for the fun part, I had C sit down with me and talk about all the gifts he received for his birthday. I would remind him who each present came from and then I would just write down exactly what he said.
Some of his comments are hilarious. I would never have been able to make them up myself. This makes a thank you card that feels very much like my little boy. And we made a few extras so he can send a little note to whomever he pleases whenever he likes.


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Weekly Food for Thought with items on the difference between a yam and a sweet potato, an easy recipe and more.
Rhonda Ferree, University of Illinois Extension educator of horticulture, says that, officially, a sweet potato is never a yam, though they are often referred to as yams.
Sweet potatoes are yellow or orange tubers that elongate into ends that taper to a point. There are two types of sweet potatoes. The paler-skinned sweet potato has a thin, light yellow skin with pale yellow flesh, which is not sweet and has a dry, crumbly texture similar to a white baking potato. The darker-skinned variety, which is most often called "yam" in error, has a thicker, dark orange to reddish skin with a vivid orange, sweet flesh and a moist texture.
One medium boiled and peeled sweet potato provides more than twice the recommended daily allowance of vitamin A for an adult, 36 percent of vitamin C and a good amount of other vitamins and minerals. Sweet potatoes may be boiled, baked, browned, fried and candied. They can be used to make biscuits, breads, muffins, pies, custards, cookies and cakes.
Ferree says that most of us have probably never seen a true yam, which is the tuber of a tropical vine and is not even distantly related to the sweet potato. The yam is a popular vegetable in Latin American and Caribbean markets and is slowly being introduced in the U.S. The true yam is actually even sweeter than the sweet potato, and the tuber can grow over 7 feet in length. The yam tuber has a brown or black skin, which resembles the bark of a tree, and off-white, purple or red flesh, depending on the variety.
Regardless of whether you call them yams or sweet potatoes, enjoy them often because they're healthy and tasty choices for your kitchen table.
-- University of Illinois Extension
Tip of the Week: Is the chicken bleeding?
Many people think the pink liquid in packaged fresh chicken is blood, but it is mostly water which was absorbed by the chicken during the chilling process. Blood is removed from poultry during slaughter and only a small amount remains in the muscle tissue. An improperly bled chicken would have cherry red skin and be condemned at the plant.
-- U.S. Poultry & Egg Association
Easy recipe: Sensational Six-Layer Dinner
2 to 3 raw, sliced potatoes (medium size)
2 cups sliced carrots
¼ teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon onion, sliced
1 pound lean ground beef, browned and drained
1 ½ cups green beans, peas or corn
1 can tomato or any cream soup
Lightly oil or spray baking dish with cooking spray. Layer ingredients in order given. Cover. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until tender and thoroughly heated. Uncover and bake 15 more minutes. Serve with whole-wheat bread, fruit cocktail and milk. Makes 6 servings.
-- Canton (Ohio) Repository
Did You Know?
December is Tomato and Winter Squash Month, Quince and Watermelon Month and Root Vegetables and Exotic Fruits Month.
Food Quiz
Cook coconut milk with some cornstarch and you get this dessert:
A. Haupia
B. Pua
C. Poi
D. Waipio
-- funtrivia.com
Answer is at bottom of column
Wise to the Word: Marshmallow
Once created from the sweetened extract of the roots of the marshmallow plant, this sweet is now commercially made from corn syrup, gelatin, gum arabic and flavorings. Light, fluffy marshmallows come packaged in regular size and miniature. They may be white or pastel colors. Use them to top hot chocolate and dishes such as sweet potatoes.
-- epicurious.com
Number to Know
470: One 6-inch tuna sub on wheat bread from Subway is 470 calories.
-- calorieking.com
The Dish On …
"The Cupcake Diaries" by Katherine Kallinis and Sophie Kallinis Lamontagne
When sisters Katherine Kallinis and Sophie Kallinis LaMontagne took a leap of faith and quit their secure jobs in fashion and finance to open a small cupcakery together, they knew they were risking it all. But from when they were little, their Greek grandmother Babee instilled in them a love of baking and the fire to follow their dreams. In this delectable cookbook and memoir, sisters and stars of the hit TLC series "DC Cupcakes" inspire readers with their recipe for success: equal parts determination, smarts and the belief that if you do what you love, you can't fail.
-- HarperCollins Publishers
From the Beer Nut's Blog: Samuel Adams releases new beers
Samuel Adams has been on a new-beer spree lately, releasing five new beers in the past few weeks. The beers include the four Samuel Adams Single Batch beers, and the Black & Brew Coffee Stout.
I've tried them all. The biggest beer of the bunch, the Griffin's Bow, is an 11.5-percent ABV oaked-aged blonde barleywine. This is the lightest-looking barleywine I've seen. Overall, I enjoyed this beer. There was a lot of fruitiness from the hops, and you get some vanilla, oaky flavors. However, in the finish, there was just something a little off. Maybe with some aging, that would go away and become more than just a decent barleywine.
To read more from the Beer Nut, visit http://blogs.townonline.com/beernut/.
Food Quiz Answer
A. Haupia
GateHouse News Service


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Located in the South Pacific, the Carteret Islands are fighting a losing battle against the ocean. It's estimated the six islands will disappear into the water by 2015. Papua New Guinea plans to relocate the Carteret's 2,000 residents.
But a debate centers on what is causing these islands to disappear: Is global warming to blame, or are the islands sinking into the sea, or have the residents permanently damaged the reefs that help to protect the islands from the ocean?
U.S. Department of State: Papua New Guinea fact sheet


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Gary Coleman wanted to be cremated and that only those who could "look each other in the eyes and say they really cared" about the actor be allowed to attend his wake and funeral, Coleman wrote in a 1999 will filed in court on Tuesday.
Coleman's last known will and testament names a friend and former manager, Dion Mial, as executor of his estate, according to reports.
The "Diff'rent Strokes" star's will was filed in 4th District Court in Provo, Utah, where Coleman died May 28 following a brain hemorrhage, The Associated Press reported.
According to a copy of the will obtained by TMZ.com, Coleman requests that a personal representative "plan a wake for me conducted by those who have had no financial ties to me and can look each other in the eyes and say they really cared personally for Gary Coleman."
Coleman, who penned the will years before meeting and divorcing wife Shannon Price, bequeaths his entire estate to the "Trustee of the Millennium Edge Trust." He does not elaborate in the document.
A rep for Price told the AP she believes she holds a claim to Coleman's estate and planned to meet with her lawyer.


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How safe is the workplace for those who labor in biotech, or applied technology based on biology? Just ask Steve Zeltzer, chair of the California Coalition for Workers Memorial Day. He organized the first–ever national conference on health and safety issues in the biotech industry in San Francisco recently.
"The purpose of this conference is to get out information about the issue of biotech products, their regulation and injured biotech workers in the US," Zeltzer said. The conference took place July 17.
Becky McClain, a former scientist for Pfizer, Inc., gave the keynote talk. She worked in a Connecticut lab for Pfizer, the world's biggest pharmaceutical firm, from 1995 to 2005. There, McClain developed genetic delivery systems for cloning into viruses. The purpose for that was to identify and remove targeted genes.
Meanwhile, as a health and safety officer for Pfizer, she fell ill. After taking a medical leave and failing to return to work by Pfizer's deadline, the drug giant fired her. "I lost my career, and I lost my health," McClain said.
She detailed a multi-year struggle with the federal Occupational Safety and Health Agency, state workers' compensation system and a federal civil case to uncover the cause(s) of her illness. A recent outcome proved bittersweet.
This April, an eight-person federal jury awarded McClain $1.37 million for Pfizer violating her free speech and whistleblower rights concerning claims of unsafe working conditions. Those conditions ranged from workers' offices inside labs and their break rooms in lab hallways.
Crucially, the judge in McClain's case ruled there was a lack of sufficient evidence of exposure to genetically engineered lentiviruses with mouse embryonic stem cells that made her sick. (AIDS is a lentivirus.) OSHA, McClain said, told her that Pfizer could legally deny data on workers' lab exposures. How? Pfizer's information is protected as a trade secret.
There are thousands of biotech labs where tens of thousands of people work with genetically engineered viruses. She worries that this barely regulated industry poses health risks, and the populace is largely uniformed of such issues.
Sandi Trend of Citrus Heights (Sacramento) spoke after McClain. Trend is David Bell's mother, a tireless investigator and a leading pioneer in publicly discussing safety issues in the biotech industry. She shared the story of Bell, who worked at AgraQuest, a biotech firm in Davis, Cal., where he fell ill 12 years ago.
Bell and Trend blame his bad health on that workplace. They claim exposure to living bacteria, fungi and insects sickened him. He worked at AgraQuest for just over five months as a researcher and technician on two crop and insect control projects.
That job, they insist, led to a series of head and respiratory maladies. One is histoplasmosis, a lung condition. Bell's medical history over the past dozen years ranges from four sinus surgeries to monthly hook-ups for intravenous immunoglobulin (IV IG) transfusions. These transfusions strengthen his weakened immune system. Absent that, he is at-risk for cancer and other lethal diseases.
Trend outlined how Bell lost his claim for a California workers' compensation settlement in 2007 due in no small measure to his employer in 2003 providing him with the wrong name of its insurer which still denied his claim. Bell learned the name of the company's actual insurance firm and filed a claim with that insurer. The second and true insurer's denial of Bell's claim occurred 285 days after he began the filing process.
A former lawyer who worked at the firm that represented Agraquest's insurer was the jurist in Bell's workers' compensation case. She threw out his claim due to the filing process of 40-plus weeks, and further denied that the workplace caused Bell's injuries. Later, he lost an appeal.
According to Bell, his courtroom appearance should have never taken place. The California Labor Code requires an insurer to issue a "timely denial" of an employee's claim during a 90-day period. The employee's claim is compensable if not rejected in this period. That did not happen for Bell. AgraQuest's actual insurer simply rejected his claim 195 days after the 90 day-period ended.
A claim is rebuttable after the 90-day period elapses with new evidence only. That did happen in Bell's case.
Trend's archived investigative work is at her website: biotechawareness.com/. She has documented nearly two dozen micro-organisms that her son worked with that were found in his body. She will present evidence of bias and conflicts of interest in her son's workers' compensation case before the California Commission on Judicial Performance on Aug. 25.
Larry Rose, M.D., was the last doctor employed by the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health. He decried the current ratio of one inspector for every 92,000 of the 18 million workers in California. That is a 10-fold difference in what the International Labor Organization recommends. Rapid developments in biotechnology make this weakened state oversight regime especially dangerous for workplace and public health and safety, he said.
Daniel Berman is the author of Death on the Job. He spoke about the demise of US workplace safety standards over the past 30 years. Business has been the political driving force of this weakening of governmental regulatory oversight for working people's benefit, he said. This three-decade decline of workplace safety standards has also seen the melting away of health and safety officers in labor unions. Yet grassroots' efforts are underway to counter the business offensive currently. An example is workers in immigrant communities who are organizing for safer workplace conditions now, Berman said.
Dina Padilla wrapped up the day's proceedings. She is a candidate for California Insurance Commissioner on the Peace and Freedom Party ticket. Padilla spoke to the troubles of working people hurt on the job when they seek health care for their injuries. Her motive for elected political office, she said, is 21 years of battling for the rights of injured workers, including herself, who confront the power and wealth of insurance, chemical and drug companies, and business-friendly lawmakers.
Seth Sandronsky -Progressive Populist
Tags: biolab safety, worker, laboratory, biotechnology, ncclain, zeltzer, California coalition for workers memorial day, sandi trend, david bell
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