text:
Digital Identity Management
The issue of Trust and the role of Trusted Third Parties
Having an identity is a foundational human right
From birth to death, each individual human being is unique and at the same time bears equal dignity and rights with their congeners. For this reason, each individual human being needs to be differentiated. This uniqueness is established by law and follows a protocol that starts by registration at birth. Registration at birth is at the same time a right and an obligation. A right to the individual, an obligation to the State. State asserted identity consists of a set of personal data, normally name, date and place of birth, sex and parents. It also consists of some kind of credential that proves the identity. However, there are well documented state malfunctions that fail to provide a 100% coverage of birth registration in over 110 low and middle-income countries in the world1. As a result, an estimated 1.1 billion people living on earth possess no legal identity, which is roughly 14 % of all human beings on this planet. This is a serious problem, as having an identity is the foundational human right from which other rights originate. The right to education, health, justice, political participation and so on emanate from having a recognised civil status as a citizen. International governmental organisations, led by the World Bank, follow the state of birth registration and the processing of vital statistics as a means to good governance and provide valuable data on progress to be made2.
See more
Digital Identity, the last frontier of Internet
Digital identity is a complex, critical and unresolved issue in the digital world. Internet security and the enforcement of the right to privacy depend largely on it.
For a wide-range of purposes, Internet functions as a space where individuals can assert their own identity, remain anonymous or use pseudonyms, without being obliged to use their real, civil identity, in the presence of a third instance that validates it.
In fact, the notion of digital identity is obscure (read more). The Boston Consultancy Group on a recent study (The Value of Our Digital Identity) provides this definition… all the bits and pieces of information about us that are readily and increasingly available in digital form; data that is collected and analyzed to create a surprisingly accurate, and ever-improving, picture of who we are, what we do, what we like (and what we dislike too)"… adding… "irrespective of its degree of validity, its form and its accessibility…".
However, the aggregation of personal data, part of which is confidential and private, does not constitute a proof of identity in a legal sense.
The focus of the OISTE Foundation is pure identity, more specifically: certified digital identity.
Technical infrastructure
A secure, verifiable, authenticated, legally valid digital identity requires a set of hardware, software, people, policies and procedures whose aim is to create trust in electronic transactions and communications. Data confidentiality, data integrity, authentication, and non-repudiation are the end results of a series of operations that take place within a public key infrastructure (PKI). A PKI is at the base a mathematical tool (see cryptography) that allows a "protected" exchange of information between two or more entities (people and/or objects), which cannot be tampered with. The goal sought is to guarantee that the two end points of the communication are who they really are from a legal point of view. When this happens, there are digital certificates that are exchanged. In other words, a digital certificate contains a legal guarantee that the identity is reliable.
The OISTE Foundation owns a cryptographic root upon which a public key infrastructure (PKI) is operated. The OISTE Foundation is on top of a hierarchy of Certification Authorities (CA) that delivers digital certificates.
The specificity of OISTE among other recognized certification authorities lies in:
- Its character of not-for-profit foundation regulated by article 80 et seq. of the Swiss Civil Code
- Its character of organization in special consultative status with the Social and Economic Council of the UN (ECOSOC)
- Its belonging to the Not-for-Profit Operational Concerns (NPOC) constituency of the ICANN
- Its advocacy work on issues related to human rights in the digital space
The Mozilla Certification Authorities repertory (http://www.mozilla.org/en-US/about/governance/policies/security-group/certs/included/) lists OISTE under WISeKey, which is the operator of OISTE's cryptographic root.
Designed to overcome PKI obstacles – OISTE's trust model
The OISTE Root CA operations and certification services provision are in constant evolution taking into consideration the technological and regulatory realities worldwide. The regulatory environment has been of great concern in recent years due to the fact that in many jurisdictions, regulators have sought to promote the development of electronic commerce by enacting rules intended to provide legal certainty for the use of electronic records and signatures. In doing so, the drafting methods have varied from detailed rules on the technology or technological implementations to be deemed legally valid, to general technology-neutral rules dependent on the fulfilment of specific conditions for the satisfaction of legal requirements. This has resulted in a patchwork of regulatory approaches and acceptable technology standards that create the potential for unnecessary obstacles to the development of electronic commerce and the use of electronic media in general.
OISTE is deploying its PKI in a jurisdictionally fragmented manner allowing, to the extent possible, for each certification service provider to adapt to local regulations while maintaining minimum common high-security requirements that must be complied with across the OISTE PKI worldwide. The local certification service providers that form part of the OISTE PKI are, where possible, chosen by taking into consideration their position as trusted entities in the provision of more traditional roles within their respective communities. In addition to this, OISTE pursues to model its certification practices and policies in accordance with emerging international standards and guidelines and thus leveraging the local and international developments.
Who are you in the Internet?
- The end user
- an IP number (IP for Internet Protocol – learn more about it at www.myipnumber.com)
- a logged in subject
- a signed-in person
- a user name
- a pass-worded individual (most likely, with multiple passwords, most of them weak and a lot forgotten)
- a mail box address (or several e-mail addresses)
- a PIN enabled user (PIN for Personal Identification Number)
- the ultimate receiver
Identity is context dependent
Our identity or the identity of others, which is an issue with deep and complicated philosophical and psychological connotations, is dealt with in our physical world in a relatively simplistic fashion: it is a civil matter, ruled by law.
Identity as a human right
International legal instruments, such as the Convention on the Rights of the Child state that … "The child shall be registered immediately after birth and shall have the right from birth to a name (article 7) … "States Parties undertake to respect the right of the child to preserve his or her identity, including nationality, name and family relations as recognized by law without unlawful interference" (article 8).
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that…. "Everyone has the right to recognition everywhere as a person before the law (article 6). In other words, each individual has a distinctive identity, first and above all, as a subject of law.
In fact, our physical world is segmented as per people's legal identity. If you are a child, there are attributions and limitations. If you are a teenager, the law frames your rights, duties and obligations. Whilst in cyberspace, "nobody knows that you are a dog" .
300 billion -the cost of missing the opportunity to entrench digital identity in Internet!
The Boston Consulting Group estimates that "two-thirds of the potential value generation of digital identity management – or Euro 440 billion in 2020 alone – is at risk if stakeholders fail to establish a trusted flow of personal data… To unlock the full value, organisations need to make the benefits of digital identity applications very clear to consumers. Just as importantly, they need to embrace the new digital identity paradigm: It starts with responsibility"… pg 17. See the full report… http://www.libertyglobal.com/PDF/public-policy/The-Value-of-Our-Digital-Identity.pdf


text:
Julie Greer Photography
St. Paul, MNUnited States
connect with us
Julie is a hopeless romantic who goes above and beyond to make sure she captures the authentic and intimate moments throughout your wedding day. She is driven by her passion for telling beautiful love stories through pictures. And she values building a friendship with every couple she meets so they can relax and truly have fun with the people they love most on their wedding day.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Download PES 2017 Demo!
- Published in Games News-EN
- Read: 4560 times
PES 2017 Demo is already available on Playstation 4 and XBOX One! You can download the demo from New Zealand's Playstation Store and from Microsoft's Marketplace!
PES 2017 Demo is already available on Playstation 4 and XBOX One! You can download the demo from New Zealand's Playstation Store and from Microsoft's Marketplace!
PES 2017 will be available for the PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, Xbox One, Xbox 360 and PC via Steam. There are some key new features that have been announced, as well as one particular one about the AI that is interesting to say the least!
Data Pack 2 for PES 2016 is available for Download! The new DLC adds 51 new likenesses to the player rosters, news kits, new balls and boots. The rosters will be updated for all offline modes, correcting those missing in the previous Data Pack and covering all moves made until October 19th.
Konami confirmed today that the DLC 2 for PES 2016 will be available for download on next Thursday, December 3. The new PES 2016 DLC will include new national team kits, player faces, and the Maracana stadium (PS4 and Xbox One only).
Konami has a released new screenshots from the Data Pack 2 of PES 2016. The screenshots are showing the new EURO 2016 kits of Germany, Italy and Spain national teams.
Report here all the cheaters on PES 2016 online gaming in order we will inform konami to proceed on the necessary actions. Use the comments section bellow to report anyone who is cheating on PES 2016 online formats [PC/PS3/PS4/Xbox 360/Xbox One].
PES 2016 Data Pack 1.0 is out now on PlayStation and Microsoft consoles, as well as on PC. As we revealed last month, Data Pack 1 has updated team rosters, although only up to August 30th at this point. This includes new signings and youth players who have been allocated shirt numbers for the 2015/16 season.
PES 2016 Demo is availabe on Playstation Store! You can download the Demo on your Playstation 3 and Playstation 4! Xbox 360 and Xbox one users will be able to download the demo later today. There is no official date for PC version of the demo.
For the second successive year, Pro Evolution Soccer has been crowned as Best Sports Game of gamescom. After winning the same title 12 months ago, Konami have yet again claimed the top spot, this time outdoing FIFA 16 and Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash.
Konami has officially confirmed its acquisition of the official UEFA Euro 2016 license. As rumored before, the European national team tournament, extended to 24 teams, will not be included in PES 2016 from the start. Still possible to be in the form of a chargeable DLC, Konami has announced it will confirm those details in early 2016.
Konami has released the official PES 2016 Gamescom trailer! Made by Youtuber Weedens, the PES 2016 trailer shows short clips from various PES 2016 matches involving the likes of Bayern Munich and Juventus!


text:
Sweetwater Farm
Sweetwater Farm is a family farm located on 100 acres of pasture and fertile cropland and operated for over 200 years. Mount Grace protected the farm, and surrounding woodlands, with a CR in 2007. For information about education programs, seasonable flowers and vegetables, healthy grass-fed beef, and organic lamb see the farm's website.
Pictures are from the Mount Grace summer tour of Sweetwater Farm in August, 2010.


text:
|Out of stock
The Shareables camp care package is a real icebreaker. Kids discover the box together and the play begins. Each item has enough for everyone.
If you need a different kind of shareable package, check out the fun and games camp care package. Games and activities they can play together.
You can always customize a package to your needs. Simply fill your cart with items you prefer and select "ship this as a camp package" at check out. We handle it from there.
Your other camp care package options are the "Choose for Me" packages. You select a theme, then your child's age and gender and we design a package on those details.
You can find the "Choose for Me" $50 package here. And the $100 package here.


text:
Lyrics Depot is your source of lyrics to I Forgot To Live Today by Hank Locklin. Please check back for more Hank Locklin lyrics.
I Forgot To Live Today Lyrics
Artist: Hank Locklin
Album: The Mayor Of Mac Lellan Florida
My key turns in the lock and I opened my front door
Greeted by the darkness like too many times before
I tiptoe in to kiss the children but they're all asleep
Wonder if they're dreaming about the date I didn't keep
It was such a busy day I just couldn't get away
Cause you gotta make it while you can
So I remember dollar bills business deals and headache pills
But I forgot to live today I forgot to live today
As I dressed for bed I think about today
Wonder what I got for all the time I gave away
Traded my time for a dollar bill didn't see the sky but I saw the mill
Couldn't go to Jeannie's play missed Timmy's ballgame yesterday
Mary had to go for both of us
While I remember dollar bills business deals and headache pills
But I forgot to live today I forgot to live today
Born with all the time I'll ever see each day another part slips away from me
But I forgot to live today
I slip into bed and I kiss my Mary's cheek
I can tell she's crying and I know she's not asleep
I listen to the clock tick away another night
And swear that tomorrow I'll make everything right
I'll remember building kites mending dolls and broken bikes
Flowers from the woman in my life
And I remember who I love more than all the stars above
Cause I forgot to live today I forgot to live today
Hank Locklin Lyrics
Hank Locklin The Mayor Of Mac Lellan Florida Lyrics
More Hank Locklin Music Lyrics:
Hank Locklin - Great Speckled Bird Lyrics
Hank Locklin - It's Another World Lyrics
Hank Locklin - Long Gone Lonesome Blues Lyrics
Hank Locklin - Loving Arms Lyrics
Hank Locklin - Once More Lyrics
Hank Locklin - She Thinks I Still Care Lyrics
Hank Locklin - Time Nor Tide Lyrics
Hank Locklin - Wild Side Of Life Lyrics


text:
Neighborhood Resources
Our online Neighborhood Resources is a collection of our favorite how-to guides, grant opportunities, workshops, city services and more. New York City is home to a wealth of resources—gather the tools to better your community here!
Know of other resources that are worth sharing?
Di Cui at
or 212-822-9563
Explore the Citizens Committee Resource Library
Zinn Education Project
The Zinn Education project is a free resource for teachers to use in classrooms to engage students in learning history; the site has a series of resources and workshops and teaching materials organized by time period and theme.
Type: Trainings
Bridge Street Development Corporation Workshops
Bridge Street offers ongoing free workshops to the community covering a range of programs including housing education, foreclosure prevention, community organizing, neighborhood beautification, financial literacy, senior services, and more.
Type: Trainings
Million Trees TreeLC Handbook
The Million Trees NYC TreeLC handbook offers advice and information on caring for your street trees.
Type: General Resources
Grants for Environmental Engagement
Outdoor Nation and Merrell have teamed up to offer grants to projects that increase participation in outdoor activities and create meaningful connections to the natural world. Applications are accepted from individuals and 501(c)3 organizations.
Type: Grants & Funding
Grow NYC Green Infrastructure Toolkit
Use this helpful multi-media toolkit to learn about rainwater harvesting, bioswales, green roofs, and more.
Type: General Resources
Department of Sanitation Dog Waste Signs
Print out and post this DSNY sign to remind neighbors to curb their dogs.
Type: City Services
- ‹ previous
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- …
- next ›


text:
Benchmark was founded upon the need to build a sustainable food chain; sustainability is part of our DNA.
We believe business can be a force for good. We are committed to conducting ourselves in an ethical manner and acting with integrity, safeguarding society and the world in which we work now and in the future.
Faced with a growing global population but finite natural resources to call upon there is an urgent need to increase the productivity and efficiency of aquaculture, creating a healthy and sustainable source of protein.
Oceans cover 70% of the world's surface but only produce 2% of our food, making aquaculture the fastest growing form of protein production.
三九电影网As well as supporting the growth and sustainability of our customers' businesses in over 70 countries, we work closely with industry partners and stakeholders – such as the Global Salmon Initiative (GSI) – to inform and influence worldwide industry standards to ensure best practice is implemented as widely as possible.
In 2017, we appointed a Group Sustainability Director, a Sustainability Working Group and a PLC Board Sustainability Committee to increase the ambition and impact of our sustainability work. Find out more about the work of our committees.
三九电影网Benchmark's sustainability framework places equal value on ethics, environment and economics. We call this the 3Es of sustainability.
Sustainability is not a simple standard or a tick-box. It is not a set path. It is defined with every step we take and redefined as we learn more. It is never something we have done or achieved, for its results are always in the future.
三九电影网Our approach is anchored in practical, on the ground experience — from the farm to the Boardroom. We understand the challenges and we identify the best, leading-edge science and practices to address those challenges. Our framework places equal value on ethics, environment and economics.
三九电影网The '3 Es' provides a framework from which we are able to pursue our commercial interests in a manner that ensures consideration and respect for:
- Our people and partners
- The animals under our care
- The communities and environments in which we operate
- Our impact on the planet


text:
"Chew on this: Gum loses its pop" reads the headline of this Associated Press story on gum's 11% drop in US sales over the past four years.
The AP reports that "Since peaking in 2009, U.S. gum sales have fallen 11 percent to $3.71 billion last year." It's projected that sales will continue to drop, with one "gum executive" even saying that "We're not expecting any dramatic recovery in the category anytime soon."
OK, so, we're still talking billions, so it's not like gum is going the way of the VCR any time soon. But, still, when you have reports that begin "Gum seems as appealing as that sticky wad on the bottom of a shoe these days," you might think so, right?
That's why I think the AP has a beef with gum.
Exhibit A: the photo that accompanied the report is a 2010 (yup, that's way back when gum sales were still fine) file photo of "a garbage bin sits full of bubble gum, at Yankee Stadium." Now, I don't know about you, but what I see are empty containers that once held gum, not wads of unchewed gum, itself. How likely is it that all those cans of Dubble Bubble are full of gum? Look at that guy in the background of the photo. THAT is a Dubble Bubble fan if I ever saw one, you can't convince me he wouldn't be rooting through the trash for free gum if it were available. I call bullshit!
Exhibit B: the original URL of this story. At the AP's site, it's "http://bigstory.ap.org/article/chew-gum-youre-done," as syndicated on SFGate, it's "http://www.sfgate.com/news/us/article/Chew-on-this-gum-You-re-done-5334323.php." Prominent in the original URL — which, it's likely, reflects the original headline — the phrase "You're done." Is that "you" directed at us, the readers, or at gum, itself? The latter, it's obvious. That's right, the AP is sending a secret threatening message, via URL, to gum: "YOU'RE DONE." Are you feeling chills? I sure am.
Exhibit C: the insane quotes the report uses to illustrate why gum is less attractive than, I guess, candy? Like 17-year-old Sayreville, N.J. (AS IF THAT IS A REAL PLACE) man Ryan Furbush (AS IF THAT IS A REAL NAME), who says that gum's "flavor runs out too fast." Ryan has, the AP reports, "stopped chewing gum in favor of chewy candies and chocolates." Have fun, Ryan's dentist!
Is gum really on the way out? Well, if sales are down, sales are down. But the obvious glee the AP takes in its downturn certainly makes one wonder, what is their dog in their fight? Is the Associated Press seeking a new revenue stream in dentures? Are their strings being pulled by Big Candy? Or is this all a Masonic population control plot, with the AP used as a tool to cause us all to have stinky breath and therefore avoid reproductive activities?
Whatever is it, I'm watching you, AP. And I'm going to be chewing gum TWO PIECES AT A TIME while I do it.


text:
The University of Toronto Students' Union (UTSU) has partnered with Our Turn, an organization comprised of 20 student unions from across Canada that aims to end campus sexual violence. According to a UTSU press release, Our Turn scored sexual violence policies at all 14 schools, and the University of Toronto's 2017 Policy on Sexual Violence and Harassment received a 66 out of 100, equivalent to a C letter grade.
The Our Turn National Action Plan, released on October 11 by the Student's Society of McGill University, contains a detailed scorecard of all 14 schools' sexual violence policies. Ryerson University scored the highest with an A- letter grade, while Montréal's Concordia University received the lowest grade with a D-. Schools were graded on the scope, formal and informal complaint process, education and prevention, review committee composition, and "general" aspects of their sexual violence policies.
The tables below detail the scores given to the 2017 U of T Policy on Sexual Harassment.
Our Turn, founded by three Carleton students, approached the UTSU about a partnership in May 2017, "and they were super on board from the get-go." Working with the UTSU, Our Turn graded U of T's 2017 Policy on Sexual Violence and Harassment, which went into effect on January 1, 2017.
The Ontario government's Sexual Violence and Harrassment Action Plan Act (Bill 132) requires universities to create "standalone" sexual violence policies, meaning that the policy is not affected by other university legislation. However, Salvino said that there was no clear definition of a standalone sexual violence policy in the bill.
Our Turn does not consider U of T's policy to be a standalone one and believes it falls under the student code of conduct. "On our part, and on UTSU who made the decision on the score, that's not what students want. They want a specialized process, because this is a very specific form of violence that can't really be covered in the same policy as other forms of issues on campus," explained Salvino.
Terry McQuaid, U of T's Executive Director for Personal Safety, High Risk and Sexual Violence Prevention and Support, disagreed with Salvino, telling The Varsity that the policy is in fact standalone.
Salvino also mentioned that U of T's policy makes no mention of "rape culture" on campus, which contributed to the lower score. When asked about whether there was a "rape culture" at U of T, McQuaid would not answer directly, saying, "We know that sexual violence is a broader societal issue, and universities are no different, they're grappling with this issue as well."
Chimwemwe Alao, the UTSU's Vice-President Equity, told The Varsity that there is "100 per cent" a rape culture on campus. He cited the number of experiences shared by survivors, the work of Silence is Violence UofT, and the Trinity College Meeting vote of no confidence, which partially stemmed from the Trinity College administration's response to a sexual violence complaint.
"It illustrates that there's a very large rape culture on campus and there's a lot of work that needs to be done to address that and actually acknowledging that is the first step," Alao said.
McQuaid said that students were consulted during the creation of the 2017 sexual violence policy. She stated that students were invited to provide online feedback, and that an expert panel visited every campus to meet with students and student groups.
"The methodology behind how [Our Turn has] graded the University of Toronto is not clear," said McQuaid when asked about the Our Turn evaluation process. "That being said, it is absolutely important to take student's views into account, and we're open to hearing from students about the policy, so I don't see the two things as the same. I can't speak to the methodology behind the grade, but certainly the university and I are committed to having student's input."
To improve the sexual violence policy, Alao said that he would like to see the university revisit the policy and reopen consultation to take student voices into account. He added that he had heard from students "that there is a severe lack of consultation in the sexual violence policy."
"A lot of people felt it was performative and just done so that you can have the 'student consultation' in it, but there's a number of students who have had complaints about the inaccessibility of it, the lack of promotion; there's one or two sessions and then that's done, and you know, just the lack of being able to access these consultations," he said.
At the most recent UTSU board meeting on October 14, an Our Turn task force was created with the "commitment to taking action to prevent sexual violence, support survivors, and advocate for needed reforms." The resolution also stipulates that the task force will consult with existing advocacy groups on campus. Alao hopes to use his connection to the university administration in this regard.
"This is a mix of me using my capacity and my links to administration in order to be able to take that mantle for them and help them fulfil their work," Alao said.
"We pride ourselves in being the best in everything that we do but yet, we're in the lower middle of the back when it comes to our sexual violence policy," Alao said. "I think that's a negative and I think that we can do better in order to be able to improve it."


text:
Mr. Ram Shankar, with his entrepreneurship & dynamic leadership skills started 'FOURTH DIMENSION DESIGN PVT. LTD.' as a small set-up in Delhi in the year 2005 and grown leaps and bound since then. Later he shifted the work to Faridabad and established state of the art factory, with all latest machineries and best of the industry practices.
Retail work is often a special challenge...
At Fourth Dimension ,one of the best interior designer in india we are committed towards ensuring quality in each and every facet of our...
Read More
Home | About Us | Services | Products portfolio | Infrastructure | Quality | Clients | Machines | Contacts
© 2011 Fourth Dimension Design Pvt. Ltd., All Rights Reserved.
epowered by Abacusdesk


text:
Virgin Hotels, the lifestyle hotel brand by Virgin Group founder Sir Richard Branson, has announced plans to open and operate a new hotel in Palm Springs. Expected to open in late 2018, the Palm Springs property will be managed by Virgin Hotels and developed by Wessman Development, according to a release.
Virgin Hotels CEO Raul Leal said, "Opening a property in California has been on our wish-list since day one, and as Palm Springs has grown beyond its reputation of a retreat for Californians, we knew it was the perfect location for a Virgin Hotel."
Officials said Virgin Hotels Palm Springs will feature 150 Chambers and Grand Chamber Suites; multiple dining and drinking outlets, including the brand's flagship space, The Commons Club; numerous meeting spaces; and a rooftop terrace and pool overlooking the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains as well as a new outdoor public event space from the Palm Springs Art Museum, offering guests complimentary VIP seats to concerts, movies and other cultural performances.
The hotel will be a new build designed by local architect Chris Pardo.
Located in the heart of downtown at Main Street & Palm Canyon Drive, the hotel will be surrounded by historic desert modern architecture and within walking distance to several art galleries, vintage shopping and restaurants.
"Virgin is not just a hotel, but a new and completely different experience - one that can be enjoyed not only by our visitors, but by everyone in the community," added Michael Braun of Wessman Development. "The addition of Virgin Hotels Palm Springs will positively impact downtown revitalization and will benefit all of Palm Springs' existing restaurants, hotels and shops for the next twenty years and beyond."
Virgin Hotels is also exploring properties in cities such as Boston, Los Angeles, Miami, Austin, Seattle, San Francisco, Washington DC, and London.
Now, it's official. The hotel plans to open and operate a new hotel in Palm Springs in late 2018. News Channel 3 and CBS Local 2's Alexandra Pierce talked to city officials and developers on Tuesday to learn more.
While officials with Virgin Hotels said the hotel is coming to Palm Springs, city officials are saying "wait a second". Before any plans can move forward, the city still needs to approve the plans -- and that could take awhile.
The luxury hotel is expected to have 150 rooms, a rooftop pool and multiple dining and drinking areas, according to the release.
Palm Springs Mayor Robert Moon said, "All we know is that Virgin Hotels wants to come here and we know they want to be in the downtown development project. In order for that to happen, the plans have to go before the Architectural Advisory Commission, the Planning Commission and ultimately be approved by city council."
If approved, the hotel would be managed by Virgin Hotels and developed by Wessman Development. Local architect Chris Pardo has already been tapped to be the designer.
Owners and employees of businesses in the area said they're happy to hear the news. "I think that would be awesome just for business in general, all the way around the stores and the restaurants," said Alexandria Alosi, a local waitress. "This place is a destination place and having a new hotel with a cool vibe would be good for Palm Springs," she added.
Owner of Destination PSP Jeffrey Bernstein echoed the same sentiment. "As a business owner in downtown, we're thrilled to have a new hotel, Virgin is a great brand," Bernstein said. While many are excited about the potential Virgin Hotel, some have concerns about the downtown project in general.
Mayor Moon said they're taking their time with this project and asking for any and all input from residents about the downtown project. He said the next time they plan to meet to discuss the project as a whole will be on February 3.


text:
Platform and content overview:
With continuously growing global content, award-winning search technology, and our intelligent, meticulous approach to indexing, ABI/INFORM is the industry standard for business research covering all disciplines. Join an online session with one of our trainers to get an introductory overview of the platform and databases or refresh your awareness with an update. This course covers content, functions, and features of, as well as tips for using, ABI/INFORM on the ProQuest platform. We will also try to answer any questions and show you how to access support options such as help pages, factsheets, and tutorials. The session is scheduled for 60 minutes to cover:
- Content review
- Browse and search functions
- Browse function
- View and output options
- Search and publication alerts — email and RSS
- Create on-demand web pages
- My Research
- Questions?
ABI/INFORM FAQ — Locating unique content
ABI/INFORM contains a broad array of business information: scholarly journals, dissertations, company, industry, market-focused trade news, and newspapers. How does one find all this great information? Join an online session with one of our trainers to uncover these resources found in ABI/INFORM or refresh your awareness with an update. This course covers content, functions, and features of ABI/INFORM. We will also try to answer your questions and show you how to access additional training materials specifically on ABI/INFORM. The session is scheduled for 30 minutes to cover:
- Selected content review
- Browse and search tips
- Exporting, printing, viewing and saving
New to our collection of training videos is an ABI/INFORM FAQs playlist which focuses on some of our content FAQs. Each short video is only approximately two minutes long and covers the following content-related topics:
USER TIP OF THE MONTH: New LibGuide to announce!
We've been busy this summer creating new LibGuides across different subject areas for you and your users. Here is the latest guide in Sno-Isle Libraries subscriptions:
Want an easy way to see when we post a new LibGuide? Use our email updates feature to receive an email alert whenever guides of interest to you are published. Click here to sign up and start receiving your updates now.
For a complete list of all our LibGuides and available training materials, please visit our LibGuide and Training Materials homepage at http://proquest.libguides.com.


text:
Birth Registration & Death Registration Online Application verify Status in Civil Registration System CRS crsorgi.gov.in
Civil Registration is a continuous, permanent, compulsory recording of the occurrence and characteristics of vital events, like births, deaths and still births. In India the registration of births and deaths is carried out under provisions of the Registration of Birth and Death (RBD) Act, 1969 and Registrar General, India is entrusted with the responsibilities of co-ordinating and unifying the activities of the Chief Registrar of Births and Deaths. Chief Registrar of Births and Deaths in each States/UTs is the implementing authority and the registration of births and deaths is done by the local registrars appointed by the State Government under whose jurisdiction the event has taken place. It is the duty of the Chief Registrar to compile, publish and submit the Annual Statistical Report based on Civil Registration System to the State Government as well as Registrar General, India.At the National level, about 85.6% of births and 70.9% of deaths are reported to have been registered during 2013.
Which Rural Areas Registrar of Birth Registration and Death Registration :
The following Officials have been appointed as Registrar of Births and Deaths:
1. Panchayat Secretaries/Karmi/Gram Sevak, Gram Vikasadhikari in 16 States and 3 UTs.(Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh(CEO JanpadPanchyat), Goa, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh(CEO JanpadPanchyat), Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Tripura, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, West Bengal (Sub Registrar) Daman & Diu, D & N Haveli and Puducherry.)
2. Medical Officer In-charge or equivalent in 8 States and 4 UTs– (Assam, Haryana, Meghalaya, Orissa, Punjab, Sikkim, Manipur (Partly),West Bengal(2nd Medical Officerattached to BPHC/ Rural Hospitals),A & N Island, Chandigarh UT, Delhi and Lakshadweep)
3. Village Accountants / Village Administrative Officers in 2 States – Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.
4. SHO/Police Officials in Jammu&Kashmir .
5. Primary School Teachers and Head Teacher Primary School in Mizoram and Nagaland respectively.
6. Circle Officer/Village Level Workers in Arunachal Pradesh.
Benefits of Birth Registration and Death Registration?
The birth certificate is the first right of the child and it is the first step towards establishing its identity. The following compulsory uses of birth and death certificates are emerged:
1. For admission to schools
2. As proof of age for employment.
3. For proof of age at marriage.
4. To establish parentage.
5. To establish age for purpose of enrollment in Electoral Rolls.
6. To establish age for insurance purposes.
7. For registering in National Population Register (NPR).
8. Production of death certificate for the purpose of inheritance of property and for claiming dues from insurance companies and other companies.
For Civil Registration System (CRS) Account Sign up: http://crsorgi.gov.in/web/index.php/auth/signUp
Enter general details, Once profile has created with Civil Registration System (CRS) Account, User will see edit the following points; Forgot Password, Update Profile, and Change Password.
Birth or death in the family by creating a civil registration system on ID www.crsorgi.gov.in and may apply for the certificate. However, the certificate must submit to the Registrar a copy of the papers must be within ten minutes which will certificate. District Hospital, community health Centre, primary health center, including all the applicants Registrar and Registrar all 274 online by uploading information to issue the certificate ID and password has been given. People don't need to go public facility.
Online certificate application showed a lack of awareness among the people on the first day. Not apply online. The Department of health weekdays like those certificates have arrived. Under the new process, a birth certificate and a death certificate issued on behalf of the Department of health, including online information recorded by staff of the Department.
Organization name : The Registrar General & Census Commissioner India
Search Service : Search & Verify, Civil Registration System Birth & Death Online Application
Official Website: http://crsorgi.gov.in/.


text:
FKIK Building, UIN NEWS Online– The Pharmacy Division, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences (FKIK) started accepting new students in the academic year 2015/2016. Admission to this program is carried out after obtaining permission from FKIK and the maintenance program. For the first class, the program only accepts 65 new students.
Own admission stated in the Decree of the Rector of UIN Jakarta Number 88 Year 2016 regarding the Participant Pass the New Student Selection FKIK Pharmacist Profession Program February 18, 2016. "To the participants who passed the selection of eligibility tuition for the Pharmacist division," said Rector Prof. Dr. Dede Rosyada, MA. Thursday (18/02).
In the selection of new students this year, FKIK set a number of administrative-academic requirements that must be met by prospective students. In addition to carrying a pharmacy graduates degree programs last a maximum of two years, those interested should also have to pass the selection tests enter the test material compulsory subject Pharmacology, Pharmaceutical Technology, Pharmaceutical Biology, Chemistry and Pharmacy.
Any interest in Prodi & Pharmacy graduates FKIK UIN Jakarta were accepted without entrance exams. The first batch of 65 new students, 18 of them are graduates from Prodi Pharmacy UIN Jakarta.
Furthermore, the graduates must also be interested in the undergraduate pharmacy study programs accredited by certain GPA levels. Students of the Pharmacy division accredited with graduate S1 A and B should have a minimum GPA of 2.5, graduates accredited with C minimal air-GPA of 2.75. Registrants must also have proficiency in English with a minimum TOEFL score of 450 valid 2 years from the date of registration.
In Varsity NEWS notes, opening the program to add courses offered by FKIK UIN Jakarta. Earlier, Prodi FKIK offers Medical Education, Nursing, Public Health, and Pharmacy. (Translated by Ihsan/Safee Peters)


text:
5 Ways to Prove to the Client that the Traffic Will ComeBlog Post: August 05, 2013
I agree. No matter how good we are at SEO or even how much experience we have, there is always that some-things-are-out-of-our-control reality at play.
If I were a roofer or a plumber, I could probably tell you within a day (or even hours) of when I'd be finished with a job and I'd almost always be right. But, with SEO, we don't control the timeline. I think it's best to be completely honest about this and to offer our best estimate based on our experience and on the experiences of others we trust.
We usually offer our potential clients something like, "you can probably expect to see results in about one to four months" for local rankings, and "...up to six months, or longer in some cases" for national rankings. Often we can exceed those projections, which is always nice, but our goal is not to try to pin down an exact date, but rather to lightly educate the client and to eliminate any disappointment in the future.
Hey, nice post James!


text:
Becoming a member of IESA Shift is easy and fun! Membership of the association lasts a lifetime and gives you access to study materials, excursions to companies and awesome social events. Think of a Google Drive full of old exams and other study materials, an excursion to the biggest power plant in the Netherlands, a Talent Night, Circular Sinterklaas and a lot more. Shift provides you with the missing link between studying and the professional field by organising excursions, workshops, lunch lectures by experts and fellow students alike.
You must be logged in to post a comment


text:
Venue: Iron Horse Music Hall
Date: Sunday, August 11, 2019 ~ 7:00 PM
Online sales for this show closed at 3PM. You can get tickets until 4PM in person at NBO or by phone at 586-8686, or at the door tonight.
A quarter of a century ago, Lisa Loeb , went from an unknown singer to the first independent artist to have a No. 1 single while not signed to a recording contract. That came about after her friend Ethan Hawke gave "Reality Bites" director Ben Stiller a copy of "Stay (I Missed You)." The video for "Stay," which not only was directed by Hawke and included his cat Mardot, was airing on MTV at the same time as Soundgarden's green screen-heavy "Black Hole Sun" and Stone Temple Pilots' quick-cut "Interstate Love Song" videos. Loeb's one-long-take performance and song about love lost stood out. Loeb and her band, Nine Stories, received a nomination for the Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Group for the song, they lost to All-4-One's "I Swear." More importantly for the singer, what followed was the career she so desperately sought, with several hit singles and six albums. Roughly a decade later, Loeb applied her musical talents into writing children's album. Over the past 15 years she's released five albums and two illustrated children's books with music. And last year she watched as her family-friendly album "Feel What U Feel" accomplished something "Stay" didn't by winning a Grammy Award, this one for Best Children's Album.
Performer Lineup: Lisa Loeb, Daughter of Swords


text:
Howard Zinn is professor emeritus of political science at Boston University.
He has written an article for Le Monde diplomatique (August 2005) and the Guardian (12 August 2005)
Zinn writes:
"It is not only Iraq that is occupied. America is too.
"My country is in the grip of a president surrounded by thugs in suits."
Zinn writes of occupied Iraq:
"We have all read reports of US soldiers angry at being kept in Iraq. Such sentiments are becoming known to the US public, as are the feelings of many deserters who are refusing to return to Iraq after home leave."
Zinn writes of occupied America:
"I wake up in the morning, read the newspaper, and feel that we are an occupied country, that some alien group has taken over. I wake up thinking: the US is in the grip of a president surrounded by thugs in suits who care nothing about human life abroad or here...
"More Americans are beginning to feel, like the soldiers in Iraq, that something is terribly wrong. More and more every day the lies are being exposed. And then there is the largest lie, that everything the US does is to be pardoned because we are engaged in a 'war on terrorism', ignoring the fact that war is itself terrorism, that barging into homes and taking away people and subjecting them to torture is terrorism, that invading and bombing other countries does not give us more security but less...
"The 'war on terrorism' is not only a war on innocent people in other countries; it is a war on the people of the US: on our liberties, on our standard of living.
"The country's wealth is being stolen from the people and handed over to the super-rich. The lives of the young are being stolen...
"Our faith is that human beings only support violence and terror when they have been lied to. And when they learn the truth, as happened in the course of the Vietnam war, they will turn against the government. We have the support of the rest of the world. The US cannot indefinitely ignore the 10 million people who protested around the world on February 15 2003.
There is no act too small, no act too bold. The history of social change is the history of millions of actions, small and large, coming together at points in history and creating a power that governments cannot suppress."
Howard Zinn's books include A People's History of the United States
Friday, August 12, 2005
Thugs in suits
Posted by Anon at 5:24 AM
No comments:
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


text:
Allegedly Charged with 13 counts
of animal cruelty
Sherrie and Kristie Shattenberg a.k.a. K&S Kritters residing in Emlenton, Pa have been Cited
and allegedyly charged with 13 counts of animal cruelty.
Over 200 rabbits, chinchillas, guinea pigs, mice, rats, doves, cockateils crammed into the deplorable basement ,
2 ponies, a goat, shepherd dog, cats/ kittens where all siezed on 9-5-2009 by search warrant.
TWO motions to return property have been filed by the Shattenbergs and both times it was DENIED!!!
An injunction to prevent adoptions has also been DENIED!!
March 30, 2011 court of Common Please Affirmed with previous decisions. Animals do NOT get returned!!
Charged and convicted of animal neglect on may 15, 2009 was Ms. Heath of Oil City, Pa.
2 Horses where on the henneke scale of 1, (emaciation). Both horses where in unsanitary conditions and lacked proper
food and water, vet and farrier care. After months of repeated failed efforts to get Ms Heath, to properly care for
her animals Ms. Heath was charged and found GUILTY by District Justice Douglas Dinberg of animal neglect. Both animals
are recovering and are available for adoption.
Tammy Ealy was charged and found GUILTY of two counts of animal neglect.


text:
This afternoon the poor were locked out of the City-funded computer room at Carnegie ...yet again. The door to the room was locked and the lights were out, as Whitty sat just a few metres away in her office. Two low income people have confirmed that they were denied this "service" today. The funding for the computer room is simply not consistently reaching the poor.
As residential taxes are about to be hiked as much as 11% and City Manager Penny Ballem must create more efficient service delivery, it's time to fire Whitty.


text:
Sign Up for Our Newsletter!
Please check if delivery is available in your locality before checking out. You may talk to DIACARE helpline (+8809666776633) for assistance.
From answering simple questions all the way to any query, we're here to help you online or on the phone..
All transaction passed between customer and our system is encrypted. You can be completely assured that none of your information can be used or modified by any third parties within our system.
We strictly maintain cold chain & ensure genuine product collected directly from the manufacturer.Please check the product while delivery.Return is not acceptable after delivery.
*You must upload "Prescription" while checkout or show the prescription to the delivery assistant.Otherwise, we won't deliver it to you.


text:
Cool vehicles from the Epic Willys Adventure in Moab Easter Jeep Safari 2016 - Day 3
We found some of the Willys 4x4s that made the Epic Willys Adventure
We're sure by now you've read all about the Epic Willys Adventure on fourwheeler.com. In case you've been living under a rain barrel, it's the brainchild of the guys at MaxBilt. Take some old Willys vehicles, allow no modifications other than what may have been done to them back in the 1940s or 1950s, and drive from Wisconsin to the 2016 Easter Jeep Safari. Each one is a living storybook of history, farm fixes, old-man modifications, and ingenious repurposing of hardware. We absolutely love each one. Keep coming back to check more Moab Experience coverage here at fourwheeler.com.


text:
The Spyderco Dog Tag looks just like a dog tag from afar, and is about the same size as one. But this particular pendant can be transformed into a knife, albeit one with a really small blade. When folded, the thing measures 2 inches in length, and the blade extends that to 3.23 inches overall when it's unfolded. That means you get a very modest 1.23 inches of blade to play with, but if all you want to do is cut some rope, or open up some boxes, that'll be plenty. The blade and handle are coated with a stealthy black titanium carbonitride, and the whole thing weighs about 1 ounce. It's $92.
[ Product Page ] VIA [ Werd ]


text:
The global challenges of poverty, environmental degradation, and climate change, can seem overwhelming – even downright depressing – when faced squarely. The problems are big, and achieving international cooperation to do anything about them can seem a forlorn hope faced with a global political culture of distrust and myopic self-interest.
So it is encouraging to read a book that faces most of the big issues head-on and retains a persuasive optimism about the possibilities for a positive future. In Commonwealth: Economics for a Crowded Planet, economist Jeffrey Sachs does just that – and goes on to suggest a programme to deal with some of our pressing global problems.


text:
WordPress Links Manager: How to Use it Effectively?
Do you want to link to the related content? Want to manage broken links to your WordPress site effectively & much more…All these questions have one single answer i.e. WordPress Links Manager.
One can easily find a list of links on a website. Usually, a website contains blogroll to the other websites and blogs whether the links are external or internal. To add links, you can write HTML code but this is not a very practical thing.
So, here at Templatetoaster WordPress theme builder, WordPress Links Manager steps in.
WordPress Links Manager is a tool to manage a set of links. You can easily add a new link or modify and remove an existing one from the administrator panel. By default, WordPress offers a widget to add to a sidebar, which will display your links but you have several choices to display and use the added links. Like you can create your own links to the dedicated API.
It is provided by default in earlier versions of WordPress than Version 3.5. However, the WordPress Links Manager and blogroll are hidden for new installs. Moreover, if you used an earlier version than 3.5 and upgraded your installation, then the Links Manager was removed if you don't have any links.
Enabling the Links Manager
Add the following line to your theme's functions.php file to enable WordPress Links Manager if you are using WordPress version 3.5 or higher
add_filter( 'pre_option_link_manager_enabled', '__return_true' );
Once enabled, you can see a tag named 'Links' in the Left panel of the dashboard.
How to use WordPress Links Manager?
When you click 'Links' from the left panel, a Manager Links Subpanel will open. It will display various options like All Links, Add New, Link Categories. If you select All Links option, it will display a list of all the links with following columns
- Name
Name of the link and its description.
URL (location) of the link.
- Categories
Categories that the link is in.
- Relationship
XFN relationship for this link – XFN is a way to define your relationship with the linked person. Here, you can symbolize that the person is a co-worker/colleague or it's one of your other sites.
- Visible
The link is visible to visitors on your site or not.
- Rating
A Link rank, which can be used to sort links within Categories.
Add a New Link
To add a new link, select 'Add New' from Links. An 'Add New Link' wizard will open as shown below
- Name: Specify the name of the link that will display on link text.
- Web Address: Mention the URL of the site you want to link.
- Description: Write any description you want. It will display with the link on the screen.
- Categories: You can add a new category for the link here.
- Target: It will describe the various options to open the target link. For example: to open link in the same window or new window etc.
When you click Add Link, a link will be created as shown below
You can simply edit/delete the link from here.
Displaying Links with the Widget
WordPress provides a widget within its Links Manager. So you can easily locate links in the sidebar or footer area. To do so, in the widget area, just drag the Links to the Blog Sidebar area. Make the settings as required as you can also limit the number of links to show.
Save your settings and you are all set to see the links on your site.
Final Thoughts
Managing links is great for your site search engine popularity and readability. Even it helps to get rid of broken links. WordPress Links Manager works efficiently in managing the links easily. That directs you to improve SEO plus having an external linking policy and dealing with Comment links and Social media links. So where dealing these things separately will give you a headache, WordPress Links Manager is a great relief that enables you to manage all these things at a single place. It can manage the links tactfully and effectively to keep you free from these overheads.
You can link easily to your social channels, and more through WordPress Links Manager. And if you want to design a new website or thinking to redesign an existing website, try your hand on web design software and WordPress website Builder, TemplateToaster.
Build a Stunning Website in Minutes with TemplateToaster Website BuilderCreate Your Own Website Now


text:
Saturday afternoon, Vlissingen, The Netherlands.
Star was getting hungry so Princess, Stella and I found an empty table on a terrace and enjoyed a beer while Princess gave Star her fruit puree.
"Hey Franco, what's the matter? You seem miles away," I heard Stella ask, pulling me out of my daydream.
"Nothing special," I smiled, "just enjoying the moment".
As a matter of fact I was miles away, still savoring our visit to The Fetish Café which, obviously, I could not reveal to Stella.
Ah, the possibilities lying in front of us.
Playing in a new environment, a real dungeon no less, filled with all sorts of goodies. Meeting people and expanding our horizon, getting new ideas.
For our first private party, maybe even more than one, we would see which way the wind's blowing before getting our hands dirty.
Atmosphere and people attending to the events are equally important and we should feel safe and at ease, not being pushed or accosted by other attendees.
It would be sad if our first experience would be spoiled in some way.
Looking at other people will satisfy my voyeuristic tendencies and I already know I will have no problem whatsoever showing myself. But am I ready to show Princess, revealing her beauty to others?
I am curious how it will feel playing while other people are watching us.
So many new experiences waiting…
We should go shopping too, Princess and I. She will need something special to wear, a Latex dress maybe or a gorgeous and very sensual lace corset top.
Just the idea getting sexy clothes for Princess is already titillating and something to look forward to.
"Do you want to hold Star for a moment?" Princess asked.
I took Star in my arms giving her a tiny kiss and she chuckled while drooling on my T-shirt. She is such a lovely and joyful baby.
Here I was, sitting and enjoying just the simplest of things with Princess, my love, my everything. Holding her daughter's baby, me, a surrogate grandpa, and with so much good things happening around me, around us.
Hell I thought and thanked an unnamed entity for making my life so worthwhile, so magnificent and filled with laughter and happiness. And love, oh boy, so much intense and unconditional love.
It hasn't always been that way but fuck, it is the here and know that counts.
And our future.


text:
With Tip-Off fast approaching here's an in-depth look at the league, Team by Team.
San Antonio Spurs
Where They Have Been:
The San Antonio Spurs have been the premiere dynasty of the NBA for the past 15 years. With five NBA titles, the combination of Tim Duncan and Greg Popovich will go down as one of the greatest coach/player tandems of all time. With smart acquisitions and the same (albeit aging) core, there is no reason to expect anything less then excellence from this Spurs team.
Who They Have: Starters
The Spurs have retained the exact same starting five as last year. The always reliable Veterans PG Tony Parker and PF Tim Duncan will lead this squad. The younger guys are SG Danny Green (who went on a monstrous tear early in the championship last year), SF Kawhi Leonard, and C Tiago Splitter who will all provide solid defense and smart play in a strictly fundamental team. Leonard has shown flashes of explosiveness, but is more valuable on the defensive side of the ball. The same can be said about Skip Bayless favorite Tiago Splitter who started to come into his own last year.
Who They Have: Bench
San Antonio again brings back mostly the same bench as last year with one stark improvement. Replacing SG Gary Neal will be former Bulls SG Marco Belinelli. Belinelli has had a fantastic preseason and looks to be a big piece off the bench. The other obvious weapon for this team is the multiple sixth man of the year award winner, Manu Ginobili. Ginobili was suffering from injuries last season, but is still a valuable assest to have providing help on all sides of the ball. PG Patty Mills, C Boris Diaw, and the Red Mamba Matt Bonner round out the Spurs bench.
What To Expect:
There is no reason to expect anything less than greatness from an always-competitive Spurs team. While they are getting up there in age, the big three of Duncan, Parker, and Ginobili have shown no signs in slowing up there quest for another ring. Expect a top 4 seed for the fundamentally sound Spurs squad.


text:
You have no items in your shopping bag.
Cosmopolitan, yet rooted in heritage style, these 1815 Bright Colours pieces are artisan design inspiration re-interpreted for today's style of living. Inspired by al fresco dining trends the collection reflects a youthful and vibrant expression of relaxed everyday dining, with bold, bright and fresh colours to liven up the home...ideal for sharing and creating conversation round the table.


text:
KITTERY, Maine — In the wake of last year's decision by Kittery and Eliot to share a police chief, the towns are now considering sharing a harbormaster as well.
KITTERY, Maine — In the wake of last year's decision by Kittery and Eliot to share a police chief, the towns are now considering sharing a harbormaster as well.
Discussion has been under way between the towns to give Kittery Harbormaster Mike Blake authority in the two towns, although no final decision has been made.
"We've gone through substantial steps to make this happen," said Theodor Short, the police chief for Kittery and Eliot. "At this point, we just need to put pen to paper."
Blake said he currently covers an area including Pepperrell Cove, the Isles of Shoals, Spruce and Chauncy creeks, and up past the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, under the Interstate 95 bridge and through the back channel.
The Eliot harbormaster's jurisdiction covers an area farther up the Piscataqua River, he said. Eliot's former harbormaster, Harold Place, retired from the position last fall and has not yet been replaced.
According to Blake, adding Eliot to his responsibilities will not present a problem.
"Probably the majority of my enforcement is on the river anyway," he said.
According to Short, Eliot paid Place $12,000 for the part-time job. Blake said that, as discussed, that money would fund two extra days for part-time harbormasters Allen Breton and Paul Bourque, which would free up Blake to take on the extra duties.
"What they're looking for in Eliot is to step up the enforcement aspect of things and sort out the mooring invoices," he said. He said Eliot has 180 moorings, while Kittery has 564.
"With the added funds, it's not costing the town of Kittery anything and it's increasing the time we get to spend out on the water," he said.
Blake is officially under the jurisdiction of the Kittery Port Authority, but that is likely to change even if an agreement can't be reached. According to Short, the town is working to bring the harbormaster position under the Kittery Police Department — as it is in Eliot.
"He already has enforcement powers now. He carries a weapon and meets the criteria for training for reserve officer status," Short said.
The KPA has already given its official blessing to the shared position with Eliot, said Chairman Bob Melanson. He said it makes sense to the board to increase the responsibility of the harbormaster positions, especially with a new float system for transient boats that will be built this spring.
Kittery Town Manager Nancy Colbert Puff cautioned that the two towns have not come to any agreement yet, and discussions are ongoing. However, with budget season in both towns set to begin, she expects some decision will need to be made soon.


text:
What's Going on In Your Body
Length: About 16 inches (head to toe). Weight: More than 3 pounds. Fat: Building up.
Deep in your uterus, a baby is transforming, in the final stages of becoming someone who can live outside your womb. Some of the goings-on this week can include:
- A rhythmic wake/sleep cycle
- Dramatic brain development, forming what will eventually be about three trillion brain-body connections
- Fully operational senses (all five)
- Continued lung development
- Reproductive-system development (descending testicles or a visible clitoris)
One of the big ones this week is the formation of baby fat. It's starting to fill in beneath the skin -- so while your little one is still pretty scrawny, he or she is finally starting to plump up, which also has the effect of making baby's skin less saggy. Fetal weight gain from fat will be dramatic over the remainder of your pregnancy.
And as mom facilitates all this growth and development, her partner is playing a different but similarly important role …


text:
Mr Vegas has collaborated with R&B Superstar, Beyoncé on the remix of her song Standing In The Sun.
"The song is already done. It is basically being serviced to radio channels over seas," said the Bruk It Down singer.
The global superstar recently partnered with Swedish clothing line H&M for their summer campaign, releasing the single originally as part of an advertisement she featured in for the company.
The 31-year-old also performed the original version for the first time ever in her 'The Mrs. Carter World Tour'. The remixed version however, features Vegas' vocals and a faster rhythm, as they wantedto give the song a reggae vibe.
"They were basically looking for a reggae mix okay, a dancehall mix so they wanted to get a reggae artiste," said Vegas.
Mr Vegas has produced hits such as Hot Wuk, Taxi Fare and Tek Weh Yuhself in recent times and is shooting videos for three of his latest songs.
Additionally he is putting the finishing touches to his upcoming album, Bruk It Down 2.0, and hopes to release it soon.


text:
Building a Stronger Burley (Volunteering)
Our Building a Stronger Burley project will increase a sense of local pride and the civic participation of people living in the Burley area to support local people to develop a community vision.
A key element of the project is to provide training for a group of local residents to become Community Leaders so that they can make this shared vision for Burley a reality. The Community Leaders will develop, organise and deliver community events which celebrate the wealth of diverse cultures in our area; and set up group activities which develop skills, encourage inclusion and provide opportunities to build friendship networks. The events will celebrate the rich cultures, experiences and skills of the communities in Burley.
The Community Leadership Training programme will include:
vision, values and leadership skills
working with communities
working in a team
planning and delivering events
running groups for the community
Building a Stronger Burley will use an asset based community development way of working to involve and empower local people. The project will run for two years and is funded by the Home Office.
Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/BuildingAStrongerBurley/
Better Leeds Communities are currently looking for volunteers for this year - 2019.
Get Involved: If you are interested in finding out more about becoming a Community Leader get in touch with Jude Woods phone: 07455 488123 or email: firstname.lastname@example.com, If you would like to apply to be a volunteer next year, please complete the below form.
Download the Volunteer Role and Application Form here: Volunteer Role | Volunteer Application Form


text:
The St. Anthony waterfall was the true founder of the city – named by Father Louis Hennepin. In the late 1830s, two treaties opened a triangle of land between the St. Croix and Mississippi Rivers for settlement. In 1848, Franklin Steele purchased the land east of the Mississippi River that was soon to become the city of St. Anthony. This purchase gave him control of the water power east of the river. Here he constructed the first commercial mill at the Falls of St. Anthony with the help of a millwright from Maine named Ard Godfrey. Thus began the reputation of Minneapolis as the "Mill City" and the long tradition of industry in Northeast Minneapolis.
The people of St. Anthony convinced the state legislature to incorporate their little village as a city, and they received their town charter in 1855. St. Anthony's leaders dreamed that the city would become the great metropolis of the Northwest. With St. Paul as their only rival, the residents of St. Anthony were more than hopeful that this dream would come true. Because the initial economic success of St. Anthony depended upon Franklin Steele and a few of his associates, the city was on uncertain grounds. When Steele began to have difficulties, the city's milling industry and its population was surpassed by Minneapolis, the upstart city across the river that had been incorporated in 1867. Just a few years later in 1872, the two cities decided to merge and St. Anthony, by now the smaller of the two, lost its name.
Two of the neighborhoods of Northeast, a park, the falls, and a suburb retain the name St. Anthony. St. Anthony East is a neighborhood where the old city of St. Anthony is remembered quite well. Residents take pride in living in the oldest, and to them the best, part of the city.


text:
DJ Tismo, The Spinner – Part III
Here's our final part of this interaction with DJ Tismo as he touches on his new projects in his deejaying career.
Tismo, as much as you're engaged mostly on Sundays, do you think gospel deejays should go to church?
Absolutely! We are urged not to forsake the gathering of ourselves together as the manner of some is. Church is important, it helps you grow and stay accountable.
To my deejay buddies, please identify a church that believes in God and be planted there. Participate in your church activities on Sundays if you can, and through the week. Be part of what is doing in your church.
Mr. DJ, how importance is it for artists and deejays to work within spiritual covering? Do you have a spiritual authority (SA)?
It sure is necessary to have a spiritual mentor. They ask you those tough questions and put you in the straight and narrow.
I have 5:
- My dad who is a Pastor and has always encouraged me in deejaying. He's supportive and loyal – he even came for my deejaying graduation! He speaks into my life with such authority and love.
- Pastor Nick, my pastor at Nairobi Chapel and Pastor TC of Karura Chapel.
- My brother in-law who's a musician and has married a sister to my twin wifey.👸💖
- DJ Gach – Joe Gachira with whom we also talk about marriage matters as well as deejaying issues.
For deejays who don't have Spiritual Authority, start by finding a local church that believes in God and commit to it. With time you will be linked to a mentor (s) in that church and beyond.
I wish we could look at these deejay units as things that bring us together and not divide us. We are #TeamJesus!
Talk about unity of gospel deejays, how vital is it?
In reference to the scriptures "where there's unity God commands a blessing", we can't do it any other way.
With United Front:
- We can achieve more as opposed to walking alone.
- We're serving one God and hence we have common mission of preaching the gospel, whether on radio, tv or mobile.
- It will kill selfish ambition and ego. In essence, competition will be a thing of the past since our main interest will be to look out for each other.
- We learn to celebrate each other regardless of which DJ unit one comes from. Genius, K-Krew and System – we ought to love one another truly!
I wish we could look at these deejay units as things that bring us together and not divide us. We are #TeamJesus!
I believe 2017 is a year of great possibilities, how does the year look for you?
2017 is gonna be amazing!
Recently in the office, we had a small activity where we picked cut pictures from magazines representing what we felt God would do for us this year. I picked 2 items:
- Shoes rack – this for me means that I wanna travel a lot this year; far and wide sharing the gospel and learn different cultures.
- Radio – my prayer is that God would use my deejay skills in another level for His glory, through music, radio, mix-tapes, missions, DJ-led worship, DMC etc.
It's interesting that you've mention DJ-led worship, please take us through it
I've done this before and I believe that God is impressing in my heart to do it again!
DJ-Led Worship Defined
Simply put, it is praise and worship where the DJ facilitates it by playing the songs on the decks and singing them. The congregation sings along and enters in. The worship leader and band doesn't do it in this case.
I've been leading praise and worship in church, as well as play keyboard. I took a break but am now coming back to it to even records songs. So combining the singing skills with deejaying, the DJ-led worship does flow.
How about your passion for the World DJ Championships? Your video practice clip that I've just watched attests to it
where we have beat juggling, scratching, battling and the works. It is an annual championship held in the US, where participating deejays come from all around the world.
They have an online competition which requires one to send a video but then the grand one is the actual visit for a live performance.
My dream is to represent Kenya and so I've got to practice hard. I did participate in the Pioneer DJ East African Convention battle way back in 2013 but am eyeing the DMC one.
Now, my advise to all deejays…
See, God has called and appointed you into deejaying. Before you were born He knew the very talent you'd serve Him with.
You are not an accident waiting to happen, so realize:
- That you belong to Him and spend time in daily devotions to seek His face and get directions for your calling.
- That practice makes perfect. Grow your skills, endeavour to learn regularly and research perpetually.
- That that you can work at excellence. Give it your creative best!
- That mentoring others ensures you have a legacy. Pour yourself onto others however brief it is. Grow great deejays!
- That having a teachable heart is attractive. Be willing to learn from others as well on matters deejaying and general life's lessons.
- That you've got to respect those who are ahead of you, whether you feel so much love for them or not.
- That networking is paramount! Get to bond with other deejays.
When not on missions or deejaying, how do you unwind?
Well, I love traveling and spending time with my family.
I find time and hangout with friends and bond, just like we're doing right now on this interview..☕🍴
Catch him through the links below:
Twitter: @deejaytismo
Facebook: Djtismo Spinner
Instagram: @djtismo
Parts 1 and 2 of this post are as below:


text:
Direct and Digital Acquisition
Want to have a cohesive multichannel customer acquisition campaign that engages customers with your brand and drives them to conversion? SourceLink's Acquisition Engine does just that!
Through a blend of frequent exposure to your brand through social, mobile, display and video in combination with more highly-targeted marketing, such as email and direct mail, we are able to acquire more profitable and sticky customers for you. To learn how it works, watch the video below:


text:
How many of us spend most of our time in the workplace?
The days have 24 hours, about 8 hours are spent sleeping, 2 hours to eat and 2 others are spended to prepare to go to sleep, prepare food or prepare to go to work another 8 hours a day, when it is no more. So, there is very little time left for leisure activities.
This is one of the main reasons why our workplace should be a place that does us good, that motivates us and makes us lose track of time, not because we have reams and reams of work accumulated on the desk, but because it is a nice place and where you feel like spending time.
Many employers are not really aware of how crucial this factor is for their companies, but nowadays things are starting to change little by little and finally one begins to realize that what makes the economy spin is people , who helps to build a company are the people and who can make them reach a chaotic end are also the people. And when we talk about people, we are not just referring to managers or their customers, but to their employees, who allow the whole business plan designed to work and circulate as well as the pulleys of a large and powerful well-oiled engine.
So, if to a machine works we have to treat it the best way and make sure it has the perfect conditions to work properly, why do not we do the same with the people of our companies? Is this not the best investment ever made? Without a shadow of doubt it is.
A collaborator who works in a pleasant place, with beautiful decoration, art spread all over walls, live plants, places of leisure etc, is a place that wakes up with more desire to go to work. And a collaborator who wakes up motivated and happy, produces more and better, naturally and spontaneously.
And there are countless things that are possible to implement in a company so that it becomes a successful business. Forget the salary increase or so-called incentives, because these only produce momentary satisfaction. The human being, in addition to recognition, needs to feel motivated, safe and quiet in his workplace. Only in this way is it possible to transform an "ordinary" collaborator into a loyal worker.
In addition to improving the quality of interpersonal relationships, there is a wide range of new things that can be implemented at the design level, that will increase everyone's overall well-being, motivation and productivity of a company. The colors, the arrangement of the materials and the workplaces… finally, hundreds of new things.
Just think about your company. Answer these questions now: Where do you want to go? Where do you see yourself in 5 years? How do you want to be recognized? How would you like people in your company to talk about their place of work? How much do you want to increase your company's productivity? Do you think you can do it yourself?
When thinking about the future and where we want to go, we are able to draw up a personalized plan capable of transforming the quality of life of all the people who are in the company and taking it to a much higher level in a short space of time.
The ideal is that each company and brand have their own personalized space that shouts its personality and that make the people who are there "dress the shirt" voluntarily. For this, it is necessary to know well the history, the positioning and the plans / objectives of the company.
But for now, let me give you some very succinct tips that you can start applying immediately to your company and that will surely bring some fresh air to it.
Put them into practice and notice what these little changes will bring:
1 – In a dailiy basis get rid of everything that is waste and do not be reusable. Do not leave things you do not wear in plain sight. Keep everything in drawers and baskets.
2 – Use bold fabrics, colors and patterns. Take chances and give life to the spaces. Too many whites provide cuts in productivity and creativity.
3 – Spread motivational phrases across the rooms.
4 – Use curtains, rugs and plants to make the space more welcoming and at the same time more lively.
5 – Use strong colors and wallpapers (study "color psychology" well before choosing them.) A blue does not convey the same as a red one, for example.
6 – Keep things within reach so that, as we mentioned in a previous article, where we tell you how you can increase your company's productivity, do not lead to productivity cuts. Besides functional, the space must be ergonomic.
7 – If possible, create a leisure space, a nice and pleasant loungue, where your employees can relax in the coffee break or even make small creative brainstorms.
Click here and see one of the jobs we have done for a company in Lisbon.
It's time to make some changes, is not it? Let's do it.


text:
When I heard about Regina Doman's new novel, written with Rebecca Bratten Weiss, Catholic Philosopher Chick Makes Her Debut, I was ALL ABOUT reading it.
Here's the gist of my review: I LOVED IT. (Yes, in all caps. No apologies.)
Here's why:
1. It's clever without being over-the-top. This book combines good writing with
2. Romance and brains and shoes, oh my! I don't like confessing that I'm a sucker for chick lit, because I'm usually NOT. Chick lit in secular circles includes things I don't really want to read. Chick lit in Christian circles usually involves a sermon. But this? It's romance and shoes and, well, a plot that I enjoyed thoroughly.
3. I can share it with my nieces with no embarrassment. It's not so goody-goody that they will stop believing me when I say it's GOOD, but it's not raunchy in a way that will make their mothers pelt me with blunt objects.
4. The characters are people I want to meet. In fact, I suspect I've met them in some form or another already. Cate is a recent convert who drops everything to go back to grad school. Her journey is one that, well, I relate with, though I'm much older than she is and though I have no clue about fashion (despite loving shoes).
5. It's entertaining. Plain and simple. There is no preaching, though there is plenty of catechesis (I have to give the authors credit for making it relevant to the setting and characters). I found myself laughing out loud more than once and hurrying to write my review so I could share it with other women.
Are you interested in winning a copy?
Thanks to the generosity of Chesterton Press, we have one hard copy and one Kindle copy to give away!
Enter your name in the comments by Friday, May 11 at Midnight PST and we'll randomly draw winners. One entry per person, please.
Copyright 2012 Sarah Reinhard


text:
Dear Laughing Dad in my Dream,
This morning while dozing I had a very vivid dream of me, you, mum and bro, all sat around the kitchen table laughing hysterically. We were laughing so hard, tears were pouring down our faces, something had really tickled us. I remember thinking part of what was so funny was that you were actually alive, you had tricked us, you weren't dead after all, that's not a very nice trick to play, but then you could have quite a cruel sense of humour like that. Anyhow it was lovely to see you again, and share such a happy joyous moment. When I woke, I was so sad that it wasn't actually true and you weren't playing a trick on us, you actually are gone.
But I like that you are still about in my dreams, like GhostDad, like today's Laughing Dad. It's good to see you, I miss you such a lot. You maybe gone but you are never forgotten.
Lots of love


text:
As a veteran of the real estate industry, Oliver has been working in Contra Costa County selling homes since 1998. He is a California native who grew up in Lake Tahoe and then attended Cal Poly San Luis Obispo before relocating to the East Bay to pursue a career in real estate.
Having helped clients buy and sell over $100 million of property over the years, he has an extensive understanding of our local markets and an expertise in negotiating. Oliver has comprehensive first-hand knowledge of buying and selling homes for both personal and investment purposes; and, with experience in both renovation and construction, he offers an unparalleled skill-set in helping sellers maximize the return on their homes.
Oliver is "hands-on" with buyers looking to achieve renovations and can help with both pricing and design for those looking to build "sweat equity" in their purchases. This gives him a unique perspective of buyer and seller goals in a transaction and what it takes to assist both.
Alyse McNelley is a Realtor who takes her time getting to know her clients and to understand all of their needs, while navigating them through California's ever-changing real estate market. Her dedication to her clients is evident before, during and even long after their real estate transactions have been completed. Alyse is a member of the National Association of Realtors (NAR) and the Contra Costa Association of Realtors (CCAR). Alyse also has a passion for Education and has her teacher's credential from the California State Board of Education and simultaneously holds a certified teacher's credential from the Massachusetts Department of Education.
Born and raised with her two sisters in Boston, Massachusetts, Alyse's father is a U.S. Army Green Beret and a retired Boston Police Captain and she follows in her mother's Realtor footsteps. She earned her Bachelor of Arts and Science in Communications with a focus on Marketing at Suffolk University and her Master of Education at Cambridge College. Her backgrounds in the fields of communications and education have given her the strong leadership skills needed to ensure a seamless transaction for her clients, while being able to clearly walk them through each step of the real estate process.
Having worked on the East Coast in real estate before relocating to California, Alyse's experience began in college and she has been involved in many real estate transactions. Alyse is excited to be partnering with long-time Realtor Oliver Brown, who is a successful agent in Contra Costa County for over 18 years. Alyse's marketing and teaching background and Oliver's extensive experience in the local market make them an unrivaled team.
In addition to her love of real estate, Alyse is also very dedicated to the education of children. She enjoys occasionally substitute teaching in Alamo, Danville and Walnut Creek. Being involved with the school districts not only fulfills her love of teaching children, but it also give Alyse a unique outlook on the local schools that benefits her real estate clients as well. She is thoroughly invested in her community and is committed to serving the needs of its residents.
In her free time, Alyse enjoys spending time with her boyfriend and his children, wine tasting with friends, visiting loved ones on the East Coast and volunteering with local homeless organizations. Her motto is "Carpe Diem" and she truly believes in seizing each and every single day and living life to the fullest extent. Alyse has dedicated her life to helping others fulfill their dreams, and whether it is teaching a child how to read or helping a client buy or sell a home, her integrity, knowledge and enthusiasm always shine through.


text:
Publisher : CentreSource Systems
Thousands of schools throughout the United States, Canada, Australia and other countries have become Tribes Learning Communities (TLC) - safe and caring environments in which students can thrive.
Creating a positive school or classroom environment is the most effective way to improve behaviour and learning.
Using Tribes, students achieve because they:
The clear purpose of the Tribes process is to assure the healthy development of every child so that each one has the knowledge, skills and resiliency to be successful in a rapidly changing world.
How it Works
Tribes is a step-by-step process to achieve specific learning goals. Four agreements are honoured:
Students learn a set of collaborative skills so they can work well together in long-term groups (tribes). They focus on helping each other work on tasks, set goals to solve problems, monitor progress and celebrate their achievements.


text:
Michael Kienzer
Logic and Self-Will
Michael Kienzer marks a significant position in contemporary Austrian art. His work examines and at the same time looks to break away from accepted viewing habits using a minimalist-inspired sculptural idiom that is dissected into its tactile, semantic and communicative elements. We are invited on a journey through some of the seemingly permanent structures of everyday knowledge.
This catalogue accompanies Michael Kienzer's solo exhibition in Space01 at the Kunsthaus Graz, where, now following Sol LeWitt and Pedro Cabrita Reis, he has created a giant sculpture. Like the line of a drawing veering out of control, his work opens up the space, surveying and critically measuring it. In the context of other current works, questions are raised about the meaning of participation in sculpture, the incomplete and one's position with regard to the past and future of art.
In addition to an extensive section with pictures of works and installation views, the catalogue includes a foreword by Peter Pakesch and a conversation between the curator Katrin Bucher Trantow and the artist. In a further contribution, Franz Thalmair looks at Kienzer's work as it has continued to leave a space open for different interpretations. Nicola Trezzi in turn looks for an inner affinity between Leonardo da Vinci and Michael Kienzer.
Verlag Czernin, Vienna
German/English, 176 pages, € 29.90
Kunsthaus Graz
Lendkai 1
8020 Graz, Österreich
Opening Hours
Tue-Sun, public holidays 10am - 5pm
Guided Tours
Sat 3:30pm, Sun and public holidays 11am (ger), Sun 2pm (en). Times may vary. For specific dates, please visit our calendar. Guided tours also on advance notice.
Architecture tours
off-exhibition periods only; German: Tue-Sat, 11am, 2pm, 3:30pm; Sun and public holidays: 11am, 3:30pm; English: Sun, 2pm. Guided tours also upon request.
Open again from 15.05.2020
Mon-Thurs 9am-11pm
Fri-Sat 9am-1am
Sun 9am-8pm
Open in addition:


text:
Hip-HopVibe.com Staff Writer
YG has released a new video for the song 'Bulletproof' featuring fellow LA artist Jay 305 which appeared on his Stay Dangerous album last month.
The 400 rapper wasted no time taking the chance to troll Tekashi69 in this video as the beginning of the video features a 69 lookalike getting put into a jail cell with other inmates screaming "pedophile!" He would soon get assaulted by a cellmate.YG defintely walks around like he's bulletproof by not holding back against 69 after both rappers took shots at each other a month ago.
Soon after the 69 lookalike was put in jail, the video proceeds to black and white scenes with YG and Jay 305 flexin' with a white Ferrari, rottweilers and their crew behind them. 305 finishes off the video strong with his verse.
Watch the video for Bulletproof featuring Jay 305 below.


text:
WASHINGTON (AP) — D.C. police say a Howard University student was fatally shot and a second student was beaten in a robbery attempt.
The two students were walking on Fairmont Street near the campus in northwest Washington late Thursday night when they were approached by two men. Police say one of the men pulled out a gun and shot one of the students.
Officers called to the scene found the student suffering from a gunshot wound to the chest. Police say he was taken to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Police say the second student was beaten. He was taken to the hospital with injuries that are not thought to be life threatening.
(Copyright 2013 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)


text: links for 2008-06-14 June 14, 2008June 15, 2008 / Brendan The-Digital-Influence-Index-2008.pdf (application/pdf Object) Very interesting study. I went to the presentation and it sparked off some lively debate (the study, that is, not my attending it). Well worth looking at. (tags: marketing pr socialmedia statistics trends) Look! Share buttons!EmailLinkedInFacebookTwitterTumblrRedditLike this:Like Loading... Related


text:
- Font:
- +
- -
A report that the nation faces more frequent power outages comes just as a decades-long debate over industry deregulation heats up — and shows no signs of resolution.
With roughly half the states stuck midway in a long-term experiment in rate deregulation, consumers in many of those states now face big rate increases next year as rate caps expire. And with billions of dollars of additional investment needed to keep the power grid humming, it's not at all clear where that money is going to come from.
Until new power plants and transmission lines can be deployed, the reliability of the nation's power grid will likely get worse before it gets better, according to the North American Electric Reliability Council, which oversees North America's power grid. In a report issued Monday, the group said that a looming power supply crunch will likely worsen over the next decade as power demand outstrips new capacity.
The impact will be felt unevenly but will be widespread, the report said. In the next two to three years, surplus capacity needed to keep the lights on in Texas, New England, the mid-Atlantic, the Midwest and the Rocky Mountain regions will drop to levels that make brownouts and blackouts more likely.
And with power demand seen rising 19 percent by 2015, and generation capacity expected to rise just 6 percent, "the adequacy of North America's electricity system will decline unless changes are made soon," the council's president, Rick Sergel said in the report.
In addition to building more power plants, companies need to upgrade transmission systems, improve energy efficiency programs for businesses and consumers and prepare to replace an aging work force, the council said.
It wasn't supposed to work this way. Under the old, state-regulated business model, electric utilities controlled both the plants that generated power and the lines used to move it to customers. When more capacity was needed, state regulators oversaw those utilities' expansion plans and decided how much of the cost could be passed along to power customers.
Buoyed by the '80s-era deregulation success stories of the natural gas, telecom, airline and trucking industries, the electric power industry, with the help of Congress, embarked on a similar path. The hope was that by breaking up the ownership of power generation and transmission, competition would spur new, investor-funded capacity, drive the development and deployment of new technology and — over the long run — drive down prices for consumers.
But it hasn't worked out that way. After decades of change that included the near-collapse of California's power industry and the power trading scandal at Enron, the industry is stuck halfway between a market-driven future and a state-regulated past.
"We have one foot planted firmly in traditional regulation, one foot planted in competition," said Ken Malloy, founder of the Center for the Advancement of Energy Markets. "And (we have) very little enthusiasm for going further from regulation to the competition side and very little from the competitive side to back to regulation."
Much of the savings to date has come from state-mandated caps and rate freezes that will soon expire — leaving power customers facing potential big increases in their monthly bills. If those caps are extended, utilities say they face big losses because competition hasn't yet driven down the market price of the power they need to buy on behalf of their customers.
Case in point: Last week top executives of the two big Illinois utilities told a committee of the state legislature that their companies will go bankrupt if lawmakers extend a cap on electric rates.
With elections just weeks away, Exelon's Commonwealth Edison and Ameren Illinois are fighting a move by Illinois lawmakers to block a rate increase set to kick in when a 10-year-old law deregulating rates expires at year's end. ComEd Chairman Frank Clark said the state's rate freeze would make life worse — not better — for consumers.
"They'll pay more all around and have less-reliable service," Clark said.
The move toward market pricing — which was supposed to lower rates over the long term —would mean rate increases over the short term, according to the companies. Starting in January, Illinois consumers face an average increase of between 22 and 55 percent compared with what they've been paying for the past decade. But ComEd has said it expects lose $1.4 billion if those increases are blocked. The company also faces cuts in its debt ratings if the freeze is extended.
And Clark said "partial deregulation" was a big part of the current problem. Not enough new power generation players have entered the state to drive down prices — and rate caps are one of the reasons why.
"Competition has not developed, and the reason it has not developed is that rates are so artificially low no competitors can come in here and beat them," he said.
But Illinois Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn, who said the utility's executives got pay packages of $2.7 million to $7 million last year, blamed the rate increases on "inflated egos with inflated salaries."
The same scenario is playing out in many of the two dozen other states that have moved toward deregulation. Even where deregulation is beginning to take hold, looming rate increases are creating a backlash.
"Even the states that have moved (to deregulate) are being pummeled with lots of concerns about where this is all going," said Malloy.
All of which has discouraged the kind of heavy, long-term investment needed to add more power generation and upgrade the reliability of the national grid. Power generators now face rising natural gas costs; ironically, one reason for the jump in gas prices is the surge in popularity of the fuel after 1980s-era natural gas deregulation spurred a construction boom of gas-fired power plants. Now, as the industry relies more heavily on natural gas, supplies of that fuel are stained and prices are rising.
That has power companies looking for alternative sources, but the options aren't cheap. Wind and solar are gaining on fossil fuels, but the amount of power generated by these sources is tiny. They are also only available in limited parts of the country — and then only when the sun is shining or the wind is blowing.
Coal-fired plants are still in widespread used, but eliminating carbon emissions adds to the cost of new plants. And nuclear power, though increasingly attractive to the U.S. utility industry, still faces significant hurdles. Even under the most optimistic timetables, new nuclear capacity won't be available 2015 at the earliest.
"There's a finite amount of fossil fuel, and the environmental regulations are getting more and more restrictive," said Dan Keuter, head of nuclear business development for Entergy, one of the largest operators of nuclear power generators. "But there's huge demand for energy."
Associated Press contributed to this report.