text:
Hostel Ibex Hostel
Seifertova 32/3, Prague, Czech Republic
Atmosphere 52%
Cleanliness 48%
Facilities 40%
Location 52%
Safety 48%
Staff 48%
Value 52%
- Free Wi-Fi
- Self-Catering Facilities
- 24 Hour Reception
- 24 Hour Security
- Airport Transfers
- Bar APM-96
- Bicycle Hire
- Bicycle Parking
- Book Exchange
- Breakfast Not Included
- Cable TV
- Common Room
- Cooker
- Dishwasher
- Dryer
- Foosball
- Free City Maps
- Fridge Freezer"
- Games Room
- Hair Dryers
- Hot Showers
- Hot Tub
- Internet Access
- Iron / Ironing Board"
- Key Card Access
- Linen Included
- Luggage Storage
- Microwave
- Outdoor Terrace
- Parking
- PlayStation
- Reading Light
- Safe Deposit Box
- Shuttle Bus
- Tea/Coffee Making Facilities
- Towels for hire
- Vending Machines
Important Information
Hostel Ibex Policies & Conditions:
Cancellation policy: 24h before arrival.
Check in from 14:00.
Check out before 10:00.
Payment upon arrival by cash, credit cards, debit cards.
This property may pre-authorise your card before arrival.
Taxes included.
24h reception.
No curfew.
Check-in / Check-out
Earliest check-in: 14:00
- Credit Cards Accepted
- No Curfew
- Taxes Included
Group booking?
Group of 15 or more traveling to Prague?
Shared Rooms
18 Bed Mixed Dorm Ensuite
Sleeps 18
Room types
Shared Room
Private Bathroom
Standard 18 Bed Mixed Dorm Ensuite
Sleeps 18
Room types
Shared Room
Private Bathroom
Standard 8 Bed Mixed Dorm
Sleeps 8
Room types
Shared Room
Shared Bathroom
Basic 6 Bed Female Dorm
Sleeps 6
Room types
Shared Room
Shared Bathroom
Standard 12 Bed Mixed Dorm Ensuite
Sleeps 12
Room types
Shared Room
Private Bathroom
Standard 6 Bed Female Dorm
Sleeps 6
Room types
Shared Room
Shared Bathroom
Standard 6 Bed Mixed Dorm
Sleeps 6
Room types
Shared Room
Shared Bathroom
Standard 12 Bed Mixed Dorm
Sleeps 12
Room types
Shared Room
Shared Bathroom
Private Rooms
Standard Twin Private Ensuite
Sleeps 2
Room types
Private Room
Private Bathroom
Standard 2 Bed Tent Ensuite
Sleeps 2
Room types
Private Room
Private Bathroom
About Hostel Ibex
Hostel Ibex is located in the most tourist place in the city, Prague 3 - Zizkov. The hostel is located in a historic building, built in the early twentieth century. From the windows of the hostel you can see the historic building of Prague's main train station, which is 5 minutes from the hostel.
Accommodation Information
The interior of the hostel will show you the main sights of the Czech Republic. In summer hostel will offer you a cosy place for rest in the courtyard of the house. Large selection of crafted beer from the best brewers in the Czech Republic. Possible delivery of food to the hostel. Kitchen-dining room, sitting area, computer and printer for guests. The rooms of the hostel are equipped with new furniture (made from wood). The rooms have a private bathroom and toilet. The hostel has rental bicycles and cars. The hostel offers luggage storage-free of charge! Possible car parking!
- Non-stop reception, non-smoking hostel
- For free!
- Internet / Wi-Fi
- Bed linen
- Iron, hair dryer
- Luggage storage
Location Information
The main station of the city is 5 minutes, Wenceslas Square is 10 minutes, Palladium shopping center is 7 minutes, Stromestkaya Square is 15 minutes. 100 meters from the hostel is the School of Economics in Prague. The second suburban station (Masarykovo nadrazi) is 5 minutes away. Florenc Bus Station is 8 minutes from the hostel. The tram and metro stop (red line C) of Hlavni nadrazi is 5 minutes from the hostel.
Cancellation Policy
Customers can cancel their reservation free of charge up to 1 day before arrival. After this date, charges will be applied by the property up to the first nights cost of the reservation, unless otherwise stated in the property's conditions. Deposits paid are non refundable.


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We aim to create a wide-range of Meal Kits that suit different diets, tastes, and make the most of seasonal ingredients.
Our 3-Dinner Kit fits an omnivore diet, and we also have a Vegetarian 3-Dinner Kit. At this time, those are the only two types of multi-night Dinner Kit bundles we offer.
If neither of those work for your diet, we suggest browsing our Weeknight Dinners to build a basket full of meals according to your preferences. We're always testing new recipes and ingredients, so you'll find new Meal Kits every week.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Lake Michigan, Scene 3
The bodies are on the beach
And the bodies keep breaking
And the fight is over
But the bodies aren't dead
And the mayor keeps saying I will bring back the bodies
I will bring back the bodies that were broken
The broken bodies speak slowly
They walk slowly onto a beach that hangs over a fire
Into a fire that hangs...
Two Guns in the Sky for Daniel Harris
When Daniel Harris stepped out of his car
the policeman was waiting. Gun raised.
I use the past tense though this is irrelevant
in Daniel's language, which is sign.
Sign has no future or past; it is a present language.
You are never more present than when a gun
is pointed at you. What language says this...
When the stranger bumps his shoulder into me, hard, without an ounce of concern, I can feel the fire bubbling inside of me. The heat from the concrete rising up, through my feet, reverberating like electricity about to erupt magma through every orifice of my body. Lava that will oxidize every atom and molecule of his body on contact. The city as embodied trauma. The trauma of settlement. I...
New Year
Out of their torments men carved a flower
which they perched on the high plateaus of their faces
hunger makes a canopy for them
an image dissolves in their last tear
they drank foam rhythmed monsters
to the point of ferocious horror
In those days
there was an
Too Negative
I was a kid other kids'
parents gossiped about.
They told their children
what I was: too negative.
I get it. Fair to fear
contagion of bad attitudes,
to think naming a thing
can be an inoculation.
Of course my friends
filled me in. Of course
On Seeing a Photograph of My Mother at St. Joseph Residential School for Girls
A black and white picture
The sun is shining through a window behind you
Your hair black short Your small brown hands folded neatly on a tiny wooden desk
Some of the girls in the picture are smiling You are not Your eyes staring into the camera Seem a million miles away
That stare I will see seldom and one day...
Wow! You've Changed
You've changed.
You used to be so
and now you're all
like, you've transformed
I don't know how to describe
it's like
you don't like canasta anymore
you text IN ALL CAPS
your selfies are so
like, are you out to prove something
you're a lion
you're a bear
you're a...
Ex Libris
I come from the land of
Where You From?
My people dispossessed of their stories
and who have died again and again
in a minstrelsy of afterlives, wakes,
the dead who walk, waiting and
furrowed, like ivy crawling up
All those museums and mausoleums,
lifting languages from rivers.
But I cannot leave them...
the second time
i ask mama
about residential school
she says no
i ask her again
she says no
the third time
i stop listen
to her silence
ask about her diabetes
her hip achy back
her sore knees
did she get her hearing aid fixed
Full Metal Oji-Cree
this is the transsensorium
there are indo-robo-women fighting cowboys on the frontier
& winning finally
the premodern is a foundation for the postmodern
wintermute, tessier-ashpool, armitage
theyve revived us via neuromancy
but i am the necromancer
when i tell my mother i need kin
she sends me ten
weve all...
For My Best Friend
We are losing the intensive care unit waiting room war
We were doing so well
So well we got sleepy
So sleepy the institution returned
In the 8th adjoined room sleeping on the 8th adjoined chair
The last five minutes just like the first
If Our Bodies Could Rust, We Would Be Falling Apart
the law mandates that a hate crime only be classified as such if there
is ample evidence to show that one's actions were motivated by
prejudice toward an individual's nationality, ethnicity, sexuality,
gender, etc.
oh, i got one!
some more than others know that all objects can be put to violent
use. if our...
If I am judged
If I am punished
If I am dismissed
If I am misunderstood
If I am celebrated
If I am envied
If I am competed with
If I am slandered against
If I am seen
If I am soft
If I am stupid
If I get it
If I surpass
If I intimidate
If I confound
If I...
i twist and gasp
open and close my mouth
searching for air
whenever a sturgeon is caught in the rainy river
i know
the feel of strange hands touching my body
the struggle
to be free
the longing
to go where i want to go
i feel
the impact of stick or rock on bone
the splash of colour...
howlin at the moon
take the moon
nd take a star
when you don't
know who you are
paint the picture in your hand
nd roll on home
take my fear
nd take the hunger
take my body
when i'm younger
paint the picture in your hand
nd roll on home
take my ghost
nd make the...
Illegalese: Floodgate Dub
(for the Chinese maroons, British Columbia, 1999–2001)
if you arrive in the belly of a rusting imagination, there are grounds to
outlaw you. but Canada is a remix B-side chorus in the globalization
loop: a sampled track of "back home"-desiring, "old days"-admiring,
democracy-dreaming, racism-reaping homesickness that even
There's a joke that ends with — huh?
It's the bomb saying here is your father.
Now here is your father inside
your lungs. Look how lighter
the earth is — afterward.
To even write father
is to carve a portion of the day
out of a bomb-bright page.
There's enough...
This is our welfare half
a duplex with mint green
siding shrugged between
rail yard and main street
logging trucks and trains
shake the foundation so
much I mistake them for god
forever it is winter mom
dissolves into mentholated
smoke and Coffee-Mate at
the kitchen table painting
orcas and nor...
Poem For Duncan Campbell Scott
(Canadian poet who "had a long and distinguished career
in the Department of lndian Affairs, retiring in 1932."
The Penguin Book of Canadian Verse)
Who is this black coat and tie?
Christian severity etched in the lines
he draws from his mouth. Clearly a noble man
who believes in work and mission. See
how he rises from...
Walking Both Sides of an Invisible Border
It is never easy
Walking with an invisible border
Separating my left and right foot
I feel like an illegitimate child
Forsaken by my parents
At least I can claim innocence
Since I did not ask to come
Into this world
mixed tape
side a:
1. 18 and Life
her friend takes her to
the guidance counselor
she doesn't see the point
but her friend won't go
without her
2. Patience...
I've Tasted My Blood
If this brain's over-tempered
consider that the fire was want
and the hammers were fists.
I've tasted my blood too much
to love what I was born to.
But my mother's look
was a field of brown oats, soft-bearded;
her voice rain and air rich with lilacs:
and I loved her too much to like
how she dragged...
i am graffiti
i am writing to tell you
that yes, indeed,
we have noticed
you have a new big pink eraser
we are well aware
you are trying to use it.
erasing indians is a good idea
of course
the bleeding-heart liberals
and communists
can stop feeling bad
for the stealing
and raping
We have each tried to read to him, with no success, except for James, who read him all of Robert Louis Stevenson's Travels with a Donkey in the Cévennes
I was there, in the first of the long-term care centres, when he finished the story,
And we all shared the narrator's sadness about giving up his donkey,
Not having...
Saskatchewan Indians Were Dancing
60s pulled us from starvation into government jobs
antiquated Indians in Saskatchewan danced for rain
Manitoba Indian doings were hidden for a jealous me
all I had was a 50s rock'n'roll step to copy from
not shy you danced for strangers from deep defiance
full regalia hid...
the knowing
the re-invention of oneself
through the tongues of whispering mountains
the re-arrangement of the universe
because a spider wrapped her legs around a star
the knowing
the remembering of stone's story
while walking down a dried riverbed
being serenaded by crickets singing the blues
because everyone except them has...
Sweet Like a Crow
For Hetti Corea, 8 years old
'The Sinhalese are beyond a doubt one of the least musical
people in the world. It would be quite impossible to have
less sense of...
In my body flows the blood of Gallic
Bastille stormers and the soft, gentle
ways of Salish/Cree womanhood.
Deep throated base tones dissipate,
swallowed by the earth;...
Newfoundland Sealing Disaster
Sent to the ice after white coats,
rough outfit slung on coiled rope belts,
they stooped to the slaughter: gaffed pups,
slit them free of their spotless pelts.
The storm...
The Powwow at the End of the World
I am told by many of you that I must forgive and so I shall
after an Indian woman puts her shoulder to the Grand Coulee Dam
and topples it. I am told by many of you that I must forgive
and so I shall after the floodwaters burst each...
I Am the People, the Mob
I am the people — the mob — the crowd — the mass.
Do you know that all the great work of the world is done through me?
I am the workingman, the inventor, the maker of the world's food and clothes.
I am the audience that witnesses history. The Napoleons come from me and the Lincolns. They die. And then I send forth more Napoleons and Lincolns.
I am the seed...
O Captain! My Captain!
O Captain! my Captain! our fearful trip is done,
The ship has weather'd every rack, the prize we sought is won,
The port is near, the bells I hear, the people all exulting,
While follow eyes the steady keel, the vessel grim and daring;
But O heart! heart! heart!
O the bleeding drops of red,...
A Satirical Elegy on the Death of a Late Famous General
His Grace! impossible! what dead!
Of old age too, and in his bed!
And could that mighty warrior fall?
And so inglorious, after all!
Well, since he's gone, no matter how,
The last loud trump must wake him now:
And, trust me, as the noise grows stronger,
He'd wish to sleep a little longer.
And could he be indeed so old...
The Last Laugh
'O Jesus Christ! I'm hit,' he said; and died.
Whether he vainly cursed, or prayed indeed,
The Bullets chirped — In vain! vain! vain!
Machine-guns chuckled, — Tut-tut! Tut-tut!
And the Big Gun guffawed.
Another sighed, — 'O Mother, mother! Dad!'
Then smiled, at nothing, childlike, being dead.
If but some vengeful god would call to me
From up the sky, and laugh: "Thou suffering thing,
Know that thy sorrow is my ecstasy,
That thy love's loss is my hate's profiting!"
Then would I bear it, clench myself, and die,
Steeled by the sense of ire unmerited;
Half-eased in that a Powerfuller than I...
To the Ladies
Wife and servant are the same,
But only differ in the name:
For when that fatal knot is tied,
Which nothing, nothing can divide:
When she the word obey has said,
And man by law supreme has made,
Then all that's kind is laid aside,
And nothing left but state and pride:
Fierce as an Eastern prince he grows,...


text:
ALBANY — When Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo created the Commission to Investigate Public Corruption in early July, he promised a muscular response to bad behavior by legislators that included allegations of bribe taking, favor trading and embezzlement.
But three months later, according to people familiar with the commission's work, the effort to investigate corruption in Albany is burdened by resistance from the Legislature, which has refused requests for information about lawmakers' outside income, and by unexpected involvement by the governor's office, which has leaned on the commission to limit the scope of its investigations.
Now some of the groups that had cheered the commission's creation say they fear that the effort to investigate corruption is losing credibility.
"I was feeling very optimistic," said Karen Scharff, the executive director of Citizen Action of New York, a liberal advocacy group. "And now, it feels like suddenly things are moving in a different direction."
Common Cause New York, a government watchdog group, on Monday released a strongly worded letter to Mr. Cuomo and the state attorney general, Eric T. Schneiderman, expressing concern about "interference and micromanagement" of the commission.
Mr. Cuomo, discomforted by the commission's work and the tension with the Legislature, appears to be considering an exit strategy. One option said to be under discussion is passing a package of ethics measures that could allow the governor, legislative leaders and the commission to say they had made headway in cleaning up Albany, without a prolonged investigation during next year's legislative session.
The commission, known as a Moreland Commission and made up, in part, of district attorneys around the state, responded on Monday to increasing questions about its independence by defending its work. It acknowledged that the offices of Mr. Cuomo and Mr. Schneiderman had given "input," but said it was the commissioners' "judgment and discretion that governs the commission and determines its action."
A spokeswoman for Mr. Cuomo, Melissa DeRosa, said that while the panel reported to both the governor and the attorney general, "ultimately all investigatory decisions are up to the unanimous decision of the co-chairs." Mr. Schneiderman's office had no comment.
The turmoil over the commission began in late August, when it asked members of both houses of the Legislature to release information about their outside income above $20,000. Several weeks later, lawyers for the Legislature refused, saying, "These demands substantially exceed what New York law authorizes."
The commission's relationship with the governor's office has also been freighted. It issued a flurry of subpoenas at the start, but then was slowed by Mr. Cuomo's office in several instances, according to people familiar with the situation who insisted on anonymity because they feared retribution by the governor.
In one such instance, when the commission began to investigate how a handful of high-end residential developers in New York City won tax breaks from Albany, its staff drafted, and its three co-chairmen approved, a subpoena of the Real Estate Board of New York. But Mr. Cuomo's office persuaded the commission not to subpoena the board, whose leaders have given generously to Mr. Cuomo's campaign, and which supported a business coalition, the Committee to Save New York, that ran extensive television advertising promoting his legislative agenda.
Frank Marino, a spokesman for the board, said it was "cooperating with the commission and will continue to do so."
"Obviously, there's discussions," said Mr. Marino, who added that the real estate board had had no conversations with the governor's office or the commission about subpoenas.
The commission also abandoned a plan to subpoena the State Democratic Party, which spent millions on advertising this year to support Mr. Cuomo. The subpoena was part of an investigation into loosely regulated spending on political advertising; as part of that inquiry, the commission issued subpoenas to the Senate Republican Campaign Committee and the State Independence Party.
At a recent meeting, according to a person familiar with the exchange, one of the commission co-chairmen, William J. Fitzpatrick, the Onondaga County district attorney, said that the panel would subpoena the Democratic Senate Campaign Committee rather than the state party; the Senate committee has not been a player in Mr. Cuomo's campaigns. Mr. Fitzpatrick has said any claim the commission is not independent is "categorically false."
The commission's decisions not to issue subpoenas to the real estate board and the state Democratic Party were first reported by The Daily News.
One lawyer familiar with the commission's work said the governor's aides were having trouble leaving it to its job.
"You can't say this is an independent commission when you're trying to tell people what they can do and what they can't do," the lawyer said.
And Senator Liz Krueger, a Democrat from Manhattan, said, "If the governor stopped certain subpoenas from being sent, it is an outrage."
"If what was reported is true, that there are people in the governor's office who have directed the commission not to follow through on subpoenas, that is worthy of its own investigation," she said.
Mr. Cuomo, who this year could not get the Legislature to approve a package of anticorruption measures, is now hoping to reach a deal with legislative leaders on a similar package, so that next year's legislative session can focus on other issues.
But even the solutions under discussion are stirring controversy. Because Republicans in the Legislature have been unwilling to approve public matching funds for state campaigns — a measure sought by government reform groups — Mr. Cuomo's aides are discussing whether to ask legislators to allow voters to create a public financing system by amending the state's Constitution. But supporters of public financing worry that a referendum would be a tough sell, and would result in an expensive, and perhaps uphill, statewide campaign.
"We know that very wealthy special interests, who are already the main campaign contributors in our state, are on record opposing a fair elections system," said Susan Lerner, executive director of Common Cause New York. "A ballot referendum is an invitation to these wealthy special interests to dig into their virtually bottomless pockets and flood the airwaves and voters' mailboxes with propaganda."


text:
As a member of the Greater Washington Township Chamber you will enjoy the following:
Here are just some of the features you can expect from your membership:
Your membership in the Greater Washington Township Chamber of Commerce provides significant benefits to your business. We help businesses identify market opportunities and potential customers; yielding better retention, branding, and improved bottom line!
Networking: The Greater Washington Township Chamber offers monthly programs where you can network with other Chamber members, representing over 150 businesses in and around Washington Township. Your business also has the opportunity to promote itself by sponsoring programs and events, and through "piggy-back" mailers – monthly mailers to the Chamber membership. The Chamber also participates in joint networking events with other chambers throughout Gloucester County. The Chamber also sponsors annual events such as our golf outing, where you can meet other members and non-members of the business community in a relaxed fun atmosphere.
World Wide Web Presence and Marketing Opportunities: Chamber members are listed on our website, have a hyper-link to your website and are eligible for your own "homepage" on our site. As a Chamber member you are able to buy banner advertising at very reasonable rates. Visit us and see for yourself the unlimited opportunities available to you and your business as a member of the Greater Washington Township Chamber of Commerce!
Business Seminars and Expos: Seminars and expos are offered to our members in an effort to educate and enhance the business skills of business owners, managers and employees. Seminars cover a wide variety of topics, and the expos are an excellent way in which Chamber members can promote their business to the business community as well as the general public.
Visibility and Referrals: The Chamber enjoys a high profile among business, community and political leaders in Washington Township. Chamber members benefit and their public image is enhanced from their association with the Washington Township Chamber of Commerce. It is the practice of the Chamber to promote its own members, and to encourage all of our members to support their fellow Chamber members.
Sponsor an Event: Call the Chamber office 856-227-1776 to book a Breakfast or Luncheon. Sponsorships for Breakfast: $100 and Luncheon $250.
Information Services: For a nominal cost, the Chamber offers its members the option of purchasing membership mailing labels that aid in their marketing programs.
Strength in Numbers: Chamber members benefit from the "united voice" that our organization presents to our elected and appointed officials. Through our Government Awareness Committee, the Chamber keeps its members abreast of local, state and federal legislation affecting businesses.
Pay for your Membership Online via PayPal. All major credit cards accepted.
* Note: Non-profit membership/renewal is now free of charge.


text:
Update (6/18): Forget the Tidal exclusive—Madonna's "Bitch I'm Madonna" video is available for everyone. Watch it up top.
Original Story (6/17): "Bad Blood" it ain't. Madonna's new "Bitch I'm Madonna" video arrived on Wednesday—as another gated-off Tidal exclusive—and while it's fun, it definitely overhyped itself.
Tuesday's flashy poster teased the video as "starring" Beyoncé, Nicki Minaj, Katy Perry, Miley Cyrus and Rita Ora. Someone's going to have to do a little word-splaining to Madge, as everyone except for Rita and Onika shows up for only one to two seconds. Kanye West and Diplo are also in the mix, and neither "stars."
Watch a semi-grainy version of the video above, and send your complaints and/or money to Tidal and co-owner Madonna if you need the real thing.
As we said, "Bitch I'm Madonna" isn't a blockbuster-sized production like Taylor Swift's latest, which featured an army of more than 15 musicians, models, and actresses, including Kendrick Lamar and Selena Gomez. But at least Nicki's here for her whole verse, still on her Return of the Pink Wig campaign. And we love those blacklight-friendly sock puppets. They're the real stars.


text:
Most people manage their illness themselves with very little help from their healthcare provider using blood sugar testing kits and injections of insulin. If the diabetic doesn't maintain those insulin levels they can go into a diabetic coma and die.
So, what do sweet potatoes have to do with diabetes? You might be surprised how much of a difference they can make in treating diabetes and for overall health.
Profile of a Sweet Potato
The sweet potato is one of the healthiest foods out there. It contains vitamins B6, A & C as well as containing antioxidant.
Sweet potatoes also give you part of your recommended daily dose of fiber and most importantly of all for diabetics, they are a food that is low on the glycemic index, which measures whether or not a food releases carbohydrates all at once to make blood sugar levels rise, or whether the food releases it slowly so it doesn't cause shock to the system.
There is even a certain type of sweet potato called the Beauregard sweet potato that has the same protein makeup as a diabetes treatment called Calapo, which isn't surprising since Calapo is made from the peel of white sweet potatoes. The skin contains quite a bit more protein than the potato itself and has shown to be effective in helping to manage diabetes.
Some researchers even believe that in the future, sweet potatoes may be recommended by doctors to diabetics to help control their glucose levels, because it will be much cheaper than the blood sugar testing and insulin injections, allowing for fewer side effects. The problem is that the low-GI benefit that the sweet potatoes offer may not survive the baking process, so more research is being done.
Yams & Sweet Potatoes
One of the things that people get confused about is whether or not yams are sweet potatoes. In the United States, the orange veggies that you serve on Thanksgiving are actually sweet potatoes. However, you don't want to eat them the way that many serve them on holidays as a candied sweet potato because that will just cause your blood glucose to spike and take away the benefit of the sweet potato in the first place.
Sweet potatoes are an amazingly healthy food. They are low-calorie, high-fiber and can be eaten by those who usually avoid potatoes like people sensitive to carbs and diabetes. They also have vitamins and minerals that you need and should become one of your new favorite foods all year long, and if you happen to have diabetes or are sensitive to glucose levels, a sweet potato could be the way to get that potato fix without raising your glucose too much.
How to Use Sweet Potatoes to Treat Diabetes
Regardless of the way they are consumed, sweet potatoes are not recommended for consumption, because it takes short for the body to digest them,which raises the glycemic index and eventually increases blood sugar level.
Same as fiber, fat slows down digestion, and maintains low glycemic index. As you can see, sautéing is the best way to cook sweet potatoes. Use high-quality oil and keep their skin on. This cooking method is also great for diabetics.
We invite you to visit our Homepage for additional information on products and studies on diabetes.


text:
Copacabana Beach Hotel Acapulco
Night Show, Pool Tables, Table Games, Scuba Diving,
Ritz Acapulco Todo Incluido
Night Show, Kayak, Pool Tables, Table Games, Volleyball,
Las Torres Gemelas
Table Games, Volleyball, Pool Tables,
Copacabana Beach Acapulco Food and Drinks
Pool Tables, Ping Pong,
* Rates for booking hotels in Acapulco
listed in Mexican Pesos
based on the cheapest average cost
(Before taxes)
per night.
** Hotels that do not show prices is that do not have availability today, but they could have it within days.
Hotels in Acapulco that in their facilities have Beach & Pool Tables


text:
Corals have been turning up in my social media lately. Not the actual corals, of course, but stories about them. A very large coral reef has just been discovered in the mouth of the Amazon and the Great Barrier Reef is evidently badly bleached at the moment thanks to abnormally high sea temperatures. I figure this is a good time to talk about some coral basics.
Corals are animals in the same phylum as jellyfish—it seems odd that corals are climate losers while jellyfish might well be winners until one remembers that a phylum is a very large group. Sharks, for example, belong to the same phylum we do. So they're not closely related, they just have very broadly similar structures. Corals are colonial, so what might look like a single coral is actually a whole colony. Individual coral animals, polyps, are rather like tiny upside-down jellyfish, each sitting in its own cup-like exoskeleton.
Many corals depend on symbiotic algae (zooxanthellae) for food, though they also grab and eat plankton. The color of corals depends on the algae in their bodies. Under stress, corals will expel their algae, turning white in the process. That's coral bleaching. Bleached coral isn't dead and can get new algae, but until they do they are extremely vulnerable (and, one imagines, hungry). Frequent or severe coral bleaching events can kill corals, as can any additional stresses that might occur while the animals are vulnerable.
Unusually hot water is one cause of bleaching. The warmer the water is, the faster the algae photosynthesize, meaning the more oxygen they release into the coral bodies. While corals do need oxygen to live, too much oxygen is a poison and the corals dump their algae to protect themselves. Corals vary in their heat tolerance, but they live at the upper edge of that tolerance, so even slight increases in temperature can hurt them. Bleaching on a large scale appears to be new–there's no evidence for it before modern times.
Corals have very narrow habitat requirements, especially those that use zooxanthellae. Their water must usually be clear and sunlit, for photosynthesis, so they cannot grow anywhere more than a few hundred feet deep. The water can't be too hot or too cold. In theory, a warmer world could support more coral, since a larger portion of the sea would be warm enough for them. In actual fact, though, climate change is moving too quickly—new reefs cannot establish quickly enough to balance out those lost to increasingly warm water in the tropics where they live. Rising carbon dioxide levels are also causing the oceans to become more acidic, and acid water eats away at the calcium-rich exoskeletons corals build. It's not to the point where corals are shrinking, but they grow more slowly than they used to. Changing ocean currents and storm tracks also can stress corals and are also related to climate change.
This year is especially bad because it's an El Nino year, which piles its own warmth on top of longer-term climate change.
Corals face risks from other directions, too, such as water pollution and physical damage from boats. So, as usual, the losses we're seeing come from multiple sources. Between one thing and another, corals around the world are in trouble. Some areas have lost 80-90% of their corals already.
Obviously, corals are intrinsically important themselves, but coral reefs also provide a lot of habitat space for other animals. Some, like parrot fish, actually eat coral. Many others hide in nooks and crannies in the reef or take advantage of different microhabitats in different parts of the reef—a coral reef has a lot more surface area than a barren sea floor, so the reef essentially makes the part of the world it occupies a lot bigger. Something like a quarter of all marine species worldwide depend on corals.
Reefs are the oceanic equivalent of rainforests in terms of their biodiversity. If we lose the reefs, we lose the reef inhabitants–which is another example of how climate change can simplify and shrink the biosphere by taking out many species indirectly.
Lest this seem all like doom and gloom only, remember that we can still do something about climate change if we hurry. So don't get so distracted by the presidential horse race that you forget to vote climate-sane people into Congress. Despite what you may be seeing on social media, voting matters.


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Underneath vast salt structures off Brazil lies a $2.3 trillion lake of oil.
The oil basins in deep ocean waters east of Rio de Janeiro are so porous and prolific that wells there pump nearly three times as much crude as the best ones in the Gulf of Mexico. These so-called pre-salt reservoirs, discovered in 2006, can turn a profit at $35 a barrel, rivaling even the most lucrative oil fields in the U.S. and the Middle East.
But with Brazil's state-owned oil company, Petrobras, still reeling from a financial crisis, those largely untapped resources could get stranded under the salt unless the South American country can woo international oil companies in the wake of a widespread corruption scandals, a two-year economic depression, and a multitude of regulatory and bureaucratic barriers.
Brazil was a major presence at the Offshore Technology Conference in Houston last week, as was Mexico, with both selling themselves as the next big thing in deep-water drilling, both seeking massive foreign investment to tap their resources, and both promising to change the heavy-handed political control of their nationalized oil and gas industries. If they follow through on promises, oil prices rise and offshore activity makes a comeback, the two largest Latin American countries could rank among the most attractive regions in the world for deep-water drilling and provide huge opportunities for Houston's assortment of offshore oil companies.
But it will be years before oil companies can start developing major deep-water projects off Brazil and Mexico, and some worry the machinations of deeply bureaucratic governments will stall the efforts for far too long. In Brazil, major projects have been held up for years by regulators. French oil company Total and Britain's BP, for example, won rights to drill offshore in 2013 but have yet to receive environmental licenses that would allow them to begin drilling. If developments are delayed long enough, the global market's rapidly changing mix of energy sources could eventually outpace its appetite for fossil fuels and the massive oil projects in those countries.
"Wind and solar energies are coming very quickly, and very competitively," said Milton Costa Filho, secretary-general at the Brazilian Institute for Oil, Gas and Biofuels. "We need to produce the oil or it's going to stay there for many centuries."
READ MORE at Houstonchronicle.com


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Having problems with your Fuji FinePix Z10fd Digital Camera ?
My daughter has the fuji finepix that is white with pink polka dots. she took it to the beach and it was wrapped up in a towel, the tide came in and got the towels a little wet but not soaking wet, she said the camera did not get soaked. she took the battery out and the memory card and is laying it out in open air. what else should we do and what can we expect now
Answers :
You did good and removing the battery and memory card was also a good idea....leave the unit for a couple days the way it is...check later to see if there is any white or green residue(powder) or rust looking areas around the memory card and battery location...if it seems clear then it should be fine, if you see any type residue, then water got into the unit and is starting to corrode it...which means 2 things...either buy a new one or you can still try to salvage this one by having it opened and cleaned out with acetone and dried up completely..then for sure it will be good to go..but first try what I suggested
Repair Help & Product Troubleshooting for Fuji FinePix Z10fd Digital Camera
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text:
Sense News Agency
Next week, Ratko Mladic's defense will call the current Republika Srpska president Milorad Dodik, a former Portuguese diplomat José Cutileiro and a Ukrainian lieutenant colonel Sergey Moroz. All three witnesses have previously testified in Radovan Karadzic's defense. Karadzic was indicted for the same crimes as Ratko Mladic
On Monday, Ratko Mladic's defense will call three witnesses: the first is the current Republika Srpska president Milorad Dodik. In his evidence in Radovan Karadzic's defense in April 2013, Dodik said that Alija Izetbegovic, the high representative of the international community and the Tribunal's OTP were to blame for 'all the evils that have befallen' Bosnia-Herzegovina. Izetbegovic was responsible for 'the unilateral secession' of Bosnia-Herzegovina from the former Yugoslavia, the high representative imposed 'unlawful laws' which penalized the Serb side and the OTP in The Hague issued indictments 'against Serbs only', Dodik argued in his testimony in Karadzic's defense .
He also distanced himself from his previous criticism of the wartime Republika Srpska president. It is likely Dodik will now do the same in his testimony in the defense of the wartime Bosnian Serb military commander.
José Cutileiro will testify about the Lisbon agreement which had been accepted tentatively by representatives of the three constitutive nations under his guidance in March 1992. According to the diplomat's evidence in Karadzic's trial, the agreement could have kept the peace in Bosnia-Herzegovina. Like Karadzic, Mladic's defense will highlight the fact that Alija Izetbegovic had first signed the agreement and later withdrew his signature.
Ukrainian lieutenant colonel Sergey Moroz, the last witness of Mladic's defense slated for the next week, will likely repeat what he said at the trials of Radovan Karadzic and Stanislav Galic: that a month after the first Markale massacre in February 1994 a Russian officer by the name of Rumyantsev purportedly told him that an 'explosive device had been planted' in the town market. The Russian officer was a member of one of the UN teams investigating the incident.
Moroz's allegation can't be verified as Rumyantsev has passed away in the meantime. An official UN report signed by Rumyantsev states that the explosion in the Markale town market was caused by a 120-mm mortar shell.
COMMENT: It is unbelievable how anybody with common sense could believe such testimonies. If you ask insiders, meaning Bosnians, you will hear the truth. And the truth is that Alija Izetbegovic was only a traitor, who violated Bosnian constitution when he signed all of those deals, including Lisbon deal. He had to withdraw from that deal because Bosnian people became suspicious that he is a traitor. In addition, Bosnian parliament would never accept such treasons of the Bosnian constitution. Izetbegovic needed genocide and manipulation with Bosnian Parliament to push through the similar Dayton deal, four years later.
Only totally illiterate people in Bosnia still believe in the myth that Izetbegovic was a Muslim and Bosnian patriot c.f. read Bosnian Face-Book patriotic groups. Everybody who has any common sense knows that he was assimilated in Serbian political mentality and that because of that Serbs helped him to vin the power in the key moments of Bosnian history. Anybody who wants to know the truth about Bosnia should read the following two articles.
The first article is Q&A about Bosnia. In the second article we will see how Alija Izetbegovic prevented the lifting of the Arms embargo to Bosnians. It is only one of the many of examples of his treasons of Bosnia.
Muhamed Borogovac
Q1: Why are so many Bosniaks critical of former President Izetbegovic?
Answer: Bosnian patriots criticize him for the following reasons.
The Dayton Agreement (November 1995) is the death of the Republic of Bosnia-Herzegovina (short form: Bosnia); the agreement is merely the final document in a series of agreements made and signed by Alija Izetbegovic.
Let us remind you of some crucial concepts regarding the international law, which affect Bosnian issue very much.
In the beginning of the war "the world" was sided with the Republic of Bosnia-Herzegovina. Why? Because the Republic of Bosnia-Herzegovina was a recognized country, a member of the UN (May 22, 1992), and a victim of genocide. Hence, Bosnia was under the protection of international law and the UN Charter. That is why even Russia, Greece, China and some other Serbian, either orthodox or socialist, friends recognized Bosnia, and voted for the economic sanctions against Serbia/rump Yugoslavia. USA, England, Russia, France, and China were not sided with Bosnia because they like Bosnians more than Serbs, but because Serbia violated international law, i.e., because Serbia committed the aggression against a member of the UN.
When the President of the Presidency of the Republic of Bosnia-Herzegovina, Alija Izetbegovic, accepted the negotiations with the aggressors in September and December of 1992, he made a terrible violation of Bosnian Constitution and Bosnian interests. Namely, the problem could have been solved either through the implementation of the UN charter and international law or through negotiations.
The first way was the only appropriate way for Bosnia, because Serbia was already designated as the aggressor and Bosnia as a victim in resolutions 752 and 757 of the Security Council in 1992. Unfortunately Izetbegovic abandoned the international law and accepted the negotiations as a method for 'solving' the Bosnian issue. This prevented any international intervention towards protection of Bosnia. The negotiations even prevented the lifting of the arms embargo. How you can arm one party if the "peace process" is ongoing? This argument was handed to enemies of Bosnia as an excellent excuse for their vetoing of lifting of the arms embargo. We are Bosnians who begged Izetbegovic not to negotiate with the perpetrators of the genocide, Yugoslav Army and their leaders Milosevic, Karadzic, et al. In many personal contacts and letters, Bosnian patriots explained all the catastrophic consequences of negotiations as follows:
- The discussions with the subject "What about Bosnia?" will reopen the questions that were already solved by recognition of Bosnia as a sovereign nation in the Spring of 1992.
- If legal Bosnian Government accepts to negotiate with rebels it will convert the rebels from war criminals to diplomats who represent Bosnian Serbs instead of loyal Serbian representatives in the Bosnian Government. (This is the same reason, for example, why the French government does not accept rebel Basques or Corsicans to negotiate about French constitution.)
- Acceptance of Karadzic and Milosevic as negotiators about the new Bosnian Constitution is an act deprived of any dignity, because they and their generals committed so many crimes against Bosnians, including mass killings and rapes.
- The negotiations between "Bosnian Muslims" and "Bosnian Serbs" will reformulate the internationally declared aggression, into a "civil and religious war". As we know the UN cannot get involved in a civil war on one side. This is the second reason why the UN could not intervene on behalf of the Bosnian side. The first one was the "ongoing peace process"
- Knowing that the Bosnian borders cannot be changed and that aggression cannot be rewarded, Serbian soldiers did not have any motivation to fight and die in vain. However, negotiations that will give them some part of Bosnia will only add to their motivation; as such, "peace negotiations" and territorial carve-up serve only as an added incentive and a 'green light' for aggression and genocide.
In spite to that advice, Alija Izetbegovic chose to re-negotiate the destiny of Bosnia-Herzegovina, which was already recognized sovereign nation.
Q2: In a lot of his rhetoric in the media, Izetbegovic spoke about a civic and multi-ethnic state – do you think he was being dishonest?
Answer: He was dishonest, but he tricked Bosnian people, not Serbs. It is very difficult to understand the state of mind of the people in Bosnia during Yugoslavia. The communists controlled everything, and attempted to re-educate the people through propaganda. During the 80 years of Yugoslavia a very strong assimilation of minorities into Serbs was going on. Izetbegovic was one of the ethnic Bosniaks who was assimilated into the Serbian political body.
Former Bosnian leader Hamdija Pozderac was the main problem for executioners of the "Greater Serbia" project. Unlike Alija Izetbegovic he never accepted to negotiate about neither Bosnian borders nor the Bosnian Constitution. That's why the "Greater Serbia lobby" in Bosnia tried to remove Hamdija Pozderac from power several times. And it is why they worked to put in power somebody like Izetbegovic; somebody who will negotiate and legalize Serbian war gains; somebody who will pretend to be a Muslim "fundamentalist". Hamdija Pozderac was the leader of the Bosnians who imprisoned Izetbegovic in 1983. Pozderac's police found out that Izetbegovic was advocating for partitioning Bosnia into ethnic states, which is in the best Greater Serbian interest. To reach that goal, Izetbegovic manipulated and continued to manipulate the Muslims of Bosnia (the religious part of Bosniaks) and also all over the world.
Izetbegovic's "Islamic Declaration" was published for the first time in Belgrade, Serbia, by Serbian extreme nationalist publisher "Srpska rec" (The Serbian Word"). Most Bosnians by now know that Izetbegovic had in the past declared himself as a Serbian of Muslim descent. But at the time of independence Bosnians did not pay necessary attention to those facts.
Shortly before the war, in the setup known as "Agrokomerc affair", Bosnian leader Hamdija Pozderac was removed, and the influential Greater Serbia lobby in Bosnia released Izetbegovic from prison and enabled him to register his party (SDA). As it was the first non-Communist party after 50 years of Communist control, Izetbegovic became a hero and a political leader. Hence, Alija Izetbegovic became President of Bosnia. The Greater Serbia project could start. All Bosnian leaders who insisted on integral and secular Bosnia (as its Constitution and its citizens demand), were either removed by Izetbegovic, as, for example, General Sefer Halilovic, Muhamed Cengic, Dr. Rusmir Mahmutcehajic, or killed by Karadzic's Serbs. Examples of those methods are killings of Dr. Hakija Turajlic, Dr. Irfan Ljubljankic, and some other officials, after Serb forces were tipped off about their whereabouts and movement. There have been hundreds of other patriots removed, killed and injured in "accidents". The common political agenda of all those victims is that they all strongly opposed the partition of the country. Their names mean much to Bosnians, but they are unknown abroad, hence, omitted here. To reach this goal, destruction of the sovereign nation Bosnia-Herzegovina, Izetbegovic manipulates Muslims in Bosnia as well as Muslims all over the world, pretending that he is a Muslim "fundamentalist" who wants to establish a Muslim State on the smaller territory. At the end, the Bosnian Parliament accepted the partition in 1994. The members of the Parliament were told by Izetbegovic that "this is just a tactic, because the Serbs will not accept it". After the Serbs refused the plan, he announced that Bosnia accepts the plan permanently and that the world should force the Serbs to accept it also. Hence, instead of a tactic, the partition became "Bosnia's destiny". Izetbegovic advocated often: "The plan is not good, but it is the only one." Bosnian patriots would say: "Isn't the legitimate constitution of the land confirmed on the referendum of independence by 64% of vote the only plan acceptable for the sworn President of the Republic of Bosnia-Herzegovina?"
Q3: What about former Prime Minister Silajdzic? Was he genuinely committed to a civic, multi-ethnic state?
Answer: Silajdzic was an unknown person to us in the Bosnian independence movement when he was brought in by Izetbegovic into his inner circle to assist him with leading the party. We were made aware that he was educated in Muslim religious schools and fluent in Arabic and English. These were his credentials that were supposed to make Muslims and other Bosnians trust him, because people knew that a religious education, especially Islamic, was not approved. For any regular Bosnian person, being associated with the religion in any way would close doors even in regular workplaces, let alone government. And if somebody made that choice, despite possible consequences, it was in the eyes of many considered to be a principled and brave choice (and foolish, too). But we have to remember that despite making that choice, Silajdzic's previous career was in the Yugoslavian diplomatic corps (and perhaps intelligence) in Arabic countries. So actually he was a person trusted by and member of the privileged political ruling class of Yugoslavia, and in that light, his religious education is seemingly just his approved training for his diplomatic and intelligence duties. His many later actions to subvert and sabotage Bosnian interests, show that he continued to be devoted to Yugoslav unity (i.e. greater Serbia). Most likely he worked for Yugoslav intelligence, which also set Izetbegovic to power, and he was simply reassigned to help him.
In fact, all of the leading Bosniak politicians from that inner circle, including Izetbegovic, Silajdjic, Ganic and others were there because they could pass for Bosniaks but were trusted by Yugoslav intelligence to do the job of getting control of the pro-independence movement. How did they find so many? Well they had many years of rule in which to find them, but also over those years of rule Bosnia was under constant pro-Yugoslav unitarists' propaganda, and many Bosniaks had assimilated into a Serbian nationalist and political way of thinking; so there was a large pool to choose from. There were many, maybe thousands, of people like Emir Kusturica – not necessarily openly and militantly advocating Serbian nationalism as he did, but just as fervent supporters of it privately. We call them "Posrbica", or "Srbobalija", similarily as Serbs called "Poturica" converts to Islam, during the Ottoman Empire.
Q4: The Bosnian government included members and officials from the SDA political party as well as officials from other parties and/or ethnicities. Did this had an impact on the Bosnian war effort and the Bosniak cause specifically?
Answer: No, it did not affect the results of the war. The many Serbs and Croats who along with most Bosniaks, decided to defend their country The Republic of Bosnia Herzegovina, unfortunately were not the decision makers during the war. Alija Izetbegovic, and his team, protagonists of the greater Serbia project, made all the decisions. For example, at the end of the war Milosevic did not have an exit strategy, except to withdraw from Bosnia in defeat. There are testimonies of Serbian intellectuals that nobody wanted to go to war in Bosnia at the end of the war. Hundreds of thousands of draft letters would produce recruits numbering in only tens or hundreds. That is the reason that the Serbs were in disarray in Bosnia similarly as before in Croatia. Unfortunately, when Bosnian Army offensive started, and Bosnians were liberating one town a day, Izetbegovic quickly ordered to Muhamed Sacirbegovic to run in Geneva and sign that 49% of Bosnia belongs to Serbs. It was signed September 16, 1995. That was the document that stopped Bosnian Army in front of Banja Luka Prijedor, Bosanski Novi. Victorious Bosnian Army was stopped because Americans said to them: "Stop, you already got your 51% of the territory."
Q5: In terms of the SDA itself, is it accurate to say that the party included a group of people that promoted and believe in a more civic state as well as a group that was more religiously conservative? If so, did one come to have more influence and power than the other?
Answer: There was only one important issue in the war, will Bosnia defend its secular constitution of the Republic, or it will be divided along the ethnic lines. Among both secular and religious Bosniaks there where majority who wanted unified civic country. That is the reason that Izetbegovic was set to power during Yugoslavia, to be the man who will divide Bosnia, which was a Serbian goal. That is why his rhetoric and his actions were so opposite, because he formally represented a people with one vision, but was clandestinely working for another. Note, a problem for Izetbegovic and his Greater Serbia allies was that Bosnia had a very mixed population, and that is the reason that they had such a difficult job to do. They needed to resort to genocide, which they themselves named ethnic cleansing, and Bosnian leader who will, in the name of the other side, give cover and recognize the results of the genocide, give them a winning exit strategy disguised as a peace deal.
Q6: Did we observe any increase in religious faith among the Bosniak population during the war - by which we mean greater belief in God and more frequent attendance at religious services?
Answer: Yes. Most people still consider themselves secular, but there are those who are more vocal about being religious Muslims. However, even most of those are not really practicing, except maybe on the holidays. Many of the enthusiastic are the same people who were the biggest communists before. Those are merely opportunists, they are whatever is popular with the government, but are probably neither communist nor religious deep down. They wanted to get some benefits during the communist rule, and have the same strategy for getting benefits again if they go to the mosque. However, most of them are not in on the joked. As I made it clear before, even the highest leadership of the SDA party, is only taking on a veneer of having a traditional Muslim world view, in order to serve as a cover of authenticity and make their real mission of establishing a Greater Serbia concealed.
As you probably know, around 600 mosques were destroyed by Serbs during the war. Bosnian leadership, who is giving up Bosnian statehood, continues to trick Bosnians by acting like "Muslim fundamentalists". For that purpose they are re-building those mosques, even though many of them are in the "ethnically cleansed" areas, and nobody attends them.
For that purpose they obtained money from Saudi Arabia. In that process they sacrificed Bosnian architecture. The Saudi mosques look like lighthouses, and have names of Saudi donors, e.g. King Fahd.
In some of those mosques Saudi Wahhabi Islam is preached, but in most of those mosques, Wahhabism is rejected by Bosniaks. The people who accepted Wahhabism are called "Wahhabis" by Bosnians, but in a very pejorative way. They are a very small minority, but they are over-emphasized by the media.
Those Wahhabis are fundamentalist only in a sense that they are too devoted to their religion. Many of them are imprisoned without any judicial process, just for their devotion to religion. There is a well-known case Abu Hamza. He is a family man and he was mistakenly named by media Abu Hamza. He is still in "Bosnian Guantanamo" eight years now, without any due process, and any guilt.
Treating people unjustly like this, is the best way to create real terrorists among Bosnian Wahhabis, and that is probably a goal of the Bosnian police, which is controlled by the greater Serbia project.
Q7: Are there any data or surveys regarding religious observance among the Bosniaks during or right after the war?
Answer: No. I do not know anybody who ever cared about such statistics, and if they "exist", I be highly suspicious of them.
Q8: How would you describe the change(s) in Bosniak identity from before the war, to during and right after the war, to now?
Answer: Before the war, it was a time of the assimilation of Bosniaks into Serbs. How was that assimilation performed? Well, for one, it was denied that "Bosniaks" even existed as a people (despite numerous historical references throughout centuries). For a time, the only options were Serb, Croat, or Yugoslav. Later, it was allowed to be one more thing, a "Muslim" – that is, to identify yourself with the name of a religion which had been frowned upon and shamed as previously described, which most likely you did not even believe in. And what if your nationality was Bosniak but your family religious tradition was Catholicism or Orthodox Christianity? Further, assimilation was performed by shaming. The propaganda made people, and their children in schools, to feel that they are primitive, stupid, without culture, or belonging to a foreign invader, or in another variant, betraying their own people to the same foreign invader. Probably you heard some jokes about stupid Bosnians, Mujo, Suljo, Fata etc. This was pervasive, and existed on every level.
Now, we are still living with the consequences of that, but at least it is not the constant theme it once was. The mainstream media and the schools are still in the hands of the same people as before the war, so Bosniak culture and history are still not being taught. But the people have started to restore their sense of pride, and learn about their history. And the biggest change came from the internet – so that now you have Bosnian officials on one side, and Bosnian people on the on the other side expressing themselves via social media. And there is where you find that people consider Izetbegovic, Silajdzic and others traitors. For example, there are several Bosnian mailing lists and FB groups, with tens of thousands of members each, which openly consider Izetbegovic as "Posrbica", "Srbobalija". Everything I told you in this interview is in fact the current dominant opinion of folks on Bosnian social media.
3. Why the Arms Embargo to Bosnia Was Never Lifted
On the web page of the American Congress http://thomas.loc.gov/bss/d104query.html , it is easy to find all bills and votes regarding Bosnia and Herzegovina during the war in Bosnia 1992-1993, i.e. during 103 and 104 Congress.
The following are key actions in the House and the Senate regarding lifting of the Arms embargo on Bosnia, quote:
"54. S.AMDT.1695 to S.2042 To provide for the termination of the United States arms embargo of the Government of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Sponsor: Sen Dole, Robert J. [KS] (introduced 5/10/1994) Cosponsors: 33 Latest Major Action: 5/12/1994 Senate amendment agreed to. Status: Amendment SP 1695 agreed to in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 50-49. Record Vote No: 111."
Quickly after that, in June, the Resolution passes vote in the House:
"26. H.AMDT.611 to H.R.4301 Amendment requires the President to unilaterally lift the arms embargo on Bosnia and gives the President the discretion to provide up to $200 million in defense articles and services to the Bosnian government upon its request for such aid.
Sponsor: Rep McCloskey, Frank [IN-8] (introduced 6/9/1994) Cosponsors: (none) Latest Major Action: 6/9/1994 House amendment agreed to. Status: On agreeing to the McCloskey amendment (A025) Agreed to by recorded vote: 244 - 178 (Roll no. 222)."
Procedure, because of the ammendment, returned the Resolution in Senate on August 11, 1994. Senate votes, now with significant majority of 56:44.
"64. S.AMDT.2524 to H.R.4650 To express the sense of Congress concerning the international efforts to end the conflict in Bosnia and Hercegovina and to establish a process to end the arms embargo on the Government of Bosnia and Hercegovina.
Sponsor: Sen Nunn, Sam [GA] (introduced 8/10/1994) Cosponsors: 4 Latest Major Action: 8/11/1994 Senate amendment agreed to. Status: Amendment SP 2524 agreed to in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 56-44. Record Vote No: 279."
At that moment USA was still in the position to help to citizens of the Republic Bosnia and Herzegovina to preserve their unified country and there were strong will on USA side to do so, to be on the right side of history. Only one man could stop that: the Bosnian President Izetbegovic, if he declines the offer of help. And this is exactly what happened; Izetbegovic came to USA and on September 27, 1994 and asked for postponement of the lifting of the Arms embargo. To Bosnians, who were under the informative blockade and with media controlled by Serbs and Izetbegovic, it was presented as a smart move that leads to peace. Obviously, that was only another deception. Have in mind, that genocide in Srebrenica will take place on July 11, 1995, a full year after Izetbegovic's refusal to arm the Bosnian Army. It never before happened that a country under attack refuses arms from their friends.
Of course, many European and American media published the news about Izetbegovic's "postponement" of arming the Bosnian Army, unfortunately without challenging Izetbegovic's nonsense excuses for such an extremely unusual move. For example, Izetbegovic claimed that arming Bosnians may make Serbs angry and that they could punish Bosnians with their powerful weaponry. Obviously, the Serbs never stopped using their weapons throughout. In fact, the situation on the battlefield was that Bosnians, even without the proper arms were either holding their positions or advancing, because they did not have any other choice than to defend their families. For example, Bosnians had around twice as many soldiers than Serbs. And it was only the Serb advantage in weaponry that was maintained by the embargo which kept the Serb forces from getting swept away.
As the war continued, American Congress returned to the issue of the Arms Embargo in January 1995, still six months before genocide in Srebrenica. Here are the basic facts about the new resolution:
Title: A bill to terminate the United States arms embargo applicable to the Government of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Sponsor: Sen Dole, Robert J. [KS] (introduced 1/4/1995). Cosponsors: 18 Related Bills: H.RES.204, H.R.1172 Latest Major Action: 8/11/1995 Vetoed by President."
Text of this Resolution can be found on the web page of USA Congress, here is a quote from the conclusion:
(a) TERMINATION - The President shall terminate the United States arms embargo of the Government of Bosnia and Herzegovina , as provided in subsection (b), following –
(1) receipt by the United States Government of a request from the Government of Bosnia and Herzegovina for termination of the United States arms embargo and submission by the Government of Bosnia and Herzegovina, in exercise of its sovereign rights as a nation, of a request to the United Nations Security Council for the departure of UNPROFOR from Bosnia and Herzegovina; or
(2) a decision by the United Nations Security Council, or decisions by countries contributing forces to UNPROFOR, to withdraw UNPROFOR from Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Of course, you cannot force anybody to take arms if he does not want to take it. Unfortunately for Bosnia, President Izetbegovic again refused to take the offer and ask for Arms. Instead, he came in UN, in the meeting of the General Assembly on October 24, 1995 and completely invalidated the large effort that Bosnian friends in American Congress undertook in the long political battle to arm Bosnians.
In his speech Izetbegovic, while playing a role of a Bosnian patriot, refuses to pose the necessary request to arm Bosnians. This time he correctly notes that Bosnians are anyway winning the war (therefore, arming is not necessary). Note, that argument is in a contradiction with his September refusal to arm Bosnians when he presented the Serbs as so powerful that he was afraid of their anger if we accept arms. This time he says:
"We approach this initiative, undertaken by the United States and its President, with the best of faith and with plenty of hope. Our people need and want peace. We have not started this war, and although we are winning, we have not dreamed of being victors in war. We have always worked towards peace and we would like to be victors in peace."
In addition, he now requests from Americans to disarm Serbs rather than to Arm Bosnians. He says:
"In order to achieve peace - and what is more - to maintain it, it is necessary to establish a balance in weaponry. This balance can be established on a higher or lower level. We give the preference to the latter, and we demand the reduction of Serbian heavy weaponry." (see "Statement by H. E. President Alija Izetbegovic, The Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina Special Commemorative Meeting of the General Assembly on the occasion of the Fiftieth Anniversary of the United Nations October 24, 1995")
Everybody knows how complicated is the procedure to adopt a Bill in the USA Congress. Nevertheless, Alija Izetbegovic throws away the long-awaited result borne from the persistent effort of our friends in the USA Congress to arm Bosnians, and out of the blue, he requests that the US should instead undertake the exponentially more difficult task of disarming the Serbs. Bob Dole, McCloskey, Lugar, Lieberman, Biden and many other von a big political battle for Bosnia, only to be seen as were naïve and to realize that Clinton and Christopher were right when they told them that Bosnian leaders participate with Serbs in the division of the country.
After that debacle our friends in the US Congress gave up their fight for unified Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina and let the administration search for peace in Izetbegovic's terms, which is in fact exactly what Serbs wanted.


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1.Within six months from the date of outpatient/ emergency treatment or discharge. For crewmen out to sea, six months are counted starting from the day they returned to the country.
2.During the period when benefits are temporarily suspended, patients must apply for reimbursement within 6 months after premiums are paid (medical expenses in the recent five years in arrears can be applied for).
3.Please be aware no matter the expenses are occurred at home or abroad, reimbursement cannot be applied exceeding the dateline.
4.Before June 30 for individuals whose co-payment for hospitalization in a whole year exceeds the legal limit.
5.Patients who apply for catastrophic illness status while hospitalized and only receive approval after being discharged should file an application within six months after being discharged.
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OTTAWA — Emerging economies, especially those on B.C.'s doorstep in the Asia-Pacific, represent potentially the most earth-shaking development in capitalism's history, say analysts.
But can Canada be a player or will we sit on the sidelines? Can Vancouver, as one prominent analyst suggests, be the natural location-of-choice for many of the emerging Chinese, Indian and southeast Asian corporate giants looking for North American headquarters? Or will it just be a transportation hub to help exporters do what we've always done well — ship raw resources for others to process?
Notwithstanding a recent slowdown in China and stock market volatility in emerging markets, their short- and especially long-term growth projections dwarf what is expected from Canada, the U.S. and especially Europe.
The International Monetary Fund predicts the Canadian and U.S. economies will grow at 1.7 per cent this year, with Canada edging up to 2.2 per cent in 2014 and the U.S. jumping to 2.7 per cent.
The economies of the debt-plagued European Union are expected to shrink by 0.1 per cent this year and gain a paltry 1.2 per cent in 2014.
China, while far from its red-hot 9.3-per-cent showing in 2011, is expected to grow at just under eight per cent this year and next. India and five key southeast Asian countries — Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam — are all projected at around a robust six per cent.
Some of the other major emerging countries — Russia, Brazil, Mexico, South Africa — had more modest growth projections but all were ahead of Canada, the U.S., Europe and Japan.
Other Asia-Pacific countries — from highly developed Singapore to countries with huge risks but electrifying potential, such as Bangladesh, Cambodia and Myanmar — are also part of what Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada President Yuen Pao Woo calls a "permanent shift in the global political and economic landscape."
The McKinsey global consulting firm asserts that half the Fortune 500 companies in 2030 will be based in emerging markets, triple the current number. HSBC predicts that by 2050, 19 countries currently listed as "emerging" will be among the world's top-performing 30 countries in terms of GDP.
The drivers of this growth include a booming middle class and increased urbanization, large and far younger populations than those in western countries, the impact of technology, and increasingly market-friendly policies.
"The world has never seen anything close to this in terms of the economic force," said Richard Dobbs, McKinsey & Co.'s South Korea-based director.
"What we're seeing now is the British Industrial Revolution times 3,000. It's way bigger than the Internet, and it's bigger than all the wars that happened in the 20th century."
But are Canadian exporters, always most comfortable shipping to a U.S. market where the language, laws and culture are so familiar, prepared to shift with the world? And is corporate Canada able to at least partly shift from a commodity-oriented, U.S.-focused mindset to one keen to serve emerging middle classes like Myanmar's, which is projected to skyrocket from 2.5 million in 2010 to 19 million by 2030?
Trade Minister Ed Fast, while optimistic about Canada's ability to rise rather than drown in this economic tide, is concerned about the business community's willingness to seize the opportunities.
"Canadians tend to be very cautious," said Fast (see accompanying interview).
Canada's performance has come under critical scrutiny lately. Woo and David Emerson, who headed both the foreign affairs and industry ministries under Liberal and Conservative federal governments, penned a Vancouver Sun essay in June titled: "Enough talk about why Asia is important; time for action."
One business columnist recently described Canada as a one-trick pony in the global economy, with the oilsands' strong performance masking a "depressing" overall performance and Canada's few top multinational corporations — such as BlackBerry, Barrick Gold and Bombardier — struggling.
Economist Jock Finlayson, the B.C. Business Council's policy guru, recently presented some worrying statistics to a gathering of executives. Canada's performance in terms of share of global exports is second-worst among the G20 group of major industrialized nations since 2000, he told them.
And just 10 per cent of Canada's exports go to emerging markets, compared to 20 per cent for Britain, 30 per cent for Germany, and more than 40 per cent for the U.S., Japan and Australia.
And Canada shouldn't blame geography for being completely outclassed by Australia. It takes about 14 hours to fly from Sydney to Beijing, the same time it takes to fly from Toronto to China's capital. And a container shipped from Sydney to Shanghai takes the same amount of time — 16 hours — as a container from Vancouver to Shanghai.
Woo's foundation has issued several reports outlining the often scattered approach of successive federal governments, stressing the embarrassing fact that Canada, despite years of negotiations, is alone among its major competitors in not having a free trade deal with any Asian country.
But both Woo and Finlayson say that with the Harper government making clear since 2008 that Asia is a priority, it's time for the private sector and Canadians in general to make some tough decisions.
Woo said there's a disconnect. A poll commissioned by his foundation earlier this year found that just 18 per cent of Canadians viewed Canada as part of the Asia-Pacific region, while fewer than half felt Canadian students should have greater exposure to Asian languages, culture and history.
The foundation has argued, meanwhile, that governments must somehow overcome public opposition in order to welcome foreign investment from Chinese state-owned enterprises, and to ensure oil pipelines are constructed to ship Alberta's oilsands riches to Asia-Pacific buyers.
And non-governmental organizations and universities could also help matters by encouraging more cultural and academic exchanges, according to the foundation.
"The easy part is making more trips, making more announcements, giving lip service to the rise of Asia," Woo said.
"The easy part is selling more commodities to Asian countries, as they'll buy as much as we can offer. But the hard part is only just beginning. We haven't really come to grips with the hard part and unless we do, we will not be competitive in Asia."
Many analysts say North American chief executives need to develop a whole new mindset to adapt to both the demands of consumers in Asia-Pacific markets, and the hyper-aggressive style of companies in emerging markets.
And Fast said they need to work more closely with both local partners and Canadian trade officers who can provide on-the-ground intelligence.
An executive working for one of Canada's far-from-overnight success stories, however, says businesspeople just have to do what has always been necessary — do the legwork to understand a customer's needs.
Peter McNamee is vice-president with Vancouver-based Hatfield Consultants, a company founded in 1974 by now-retired fisheries biologist Chris Hatfield. It has since grown into a global firm with more than 140 employees, $25 million in annual revenues, and operations across Canada and in emerging countries like Indonesia, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Chile, and Botswana in southern Africa.
"You can actually apply the same principles used in Canada," said McNamee, whose firm won the Nexen Award for Excellence in Corporate Social and Ethical Responsibility in 2007.
"You need to know the market, you need a bit of a long-term view, you need to be prepared to invest, you need to have the right folks. It can't happen overnight."
Fast said companies in the service area, like Hatfield Consulting, represent one of the promising sectors where Canada can excel. Canadian banks and insurance companies are also thriving in Asia, he said, and Canadian firms in the infrastructure and aerospace sectors have huge possibilities. Canada's agriculture sector also stands to benefit as the massive increase in the size of the middle classes in emerging countries results in greater demand for grains and meat products. Companies with expertise in mining and oil and gas are also natural fits.
A federal government-commissioned analysis of one of key targeted markets for Canada, the 10-nation Association of Southeast Asian Nations, outlined some of the opportunities — and risks — for Canadian firms particularly interested in six key ASEAN members:
— Thailand is Canada's top export market among ASEAN members, and has been helped by the shift by some manufacturers from China to lower-cost jurisdictions with lower labour costs. But Thailand, despite strong infrastructure and a well-trained workforce, has corruption issues and is "rived by deep political and social tensions," according to the report.
— Indonesia, with massive potential thanks to a population of 251 million, is already being penetrated by several key Canadian sectors — information and communications technology, infrastructure, oil and gas, mining, and agrifood. But there are risks, including rising protectionism, government red tape, corruption and weak infrastructure.
— The Philippines, with 105 million people the region's second most populous country, "does not generate much investor enthusiasm, being perceived as nationalistic, over-regulated and litigious." However, it can't be ignored because economic growth and domestic demand are rising.
— Wealthy Singapore is one of the least corrupt countries in the world, and with more than 20 free trade deals, the country is becoming geared more toward services and value-added manufacturing.
— Malaysia is relatively small, with only 29 million people, but can take advantage of the strong demand from its neighbours if manufacturers become more competitive, the report said. Challenges for investors include bureaucracy, corruption and relatively low workforce education.
— Vietnam, with 92 million people, remains "virgin territory" as it opens up to the world, but is on the watchlist of many investors — particularly those attracted to lower labour costs.


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Kind words from a referring doctor in Afghanistan who has been using the Swinfen service since 2015 and has sent 82 cases.
"I know how much you are kind! I hope more success to you and all system members. Actually, I am here to do my best for humanity, your support make me more able. I hope you always be healthy and I wish more success for all of you."


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Personal experience inspired innovator to tackle student loans
When David Klein decided to go back to school to pursue his MBA in 2011, he was faced with the hard reality of paying his way 100% with student loans.
"That's when I experienced firsthand the high rates, complex process and poor service that make traditional student lenders so frustrating and confusing," says the co-founder and CEO of CommonBond. "I knew there had to be a better way — so I created one."
CommonBond — Klein's company that uses data and technology to lower the cost of student loans —has since funded more than $1 billion in loans and worked with more than 100 companies.
CommonBond's proprietary algorithm leverages traditional and nontraditional data points about a customer to enable the firm to provide a personalized, low interest rate in two minutes, explains Klein, a 2017 recipient of an Benefits Technology Innovator Award. These low rates help members "refinance their student loans and save over $24,000, on average," he says, noting that the process also saves employees money because CommonBond's student loan application automates many tasks that a traditional bank would have to perform manually.
In October 2016, Klein led the launch of CommonBond for Business, a new SaaS benefits platform that empowers employers to help their employees better manage and pay down their student loans.
"The idea for CommonBond for Business came from the fact that we were looking for ways to attract and retain top talent here at CommonBond," Klein says. "We realized contributing to our employees' student loan payments was a benefit that should exist. Once we saw the impact it had with our own employees, it was clear to us that we needed to provide the solution to other companies."
He continues, "we know that the two most important things to HR professionals are providing great benefits to their employees to help retain them, and being able to offer these benefits efficiently. Technology has enabled CommonBond to develop a new product category — student loan benefits — that didn't really exist two years ago. We can now offer that service to HR professionals in a way that makes it truly seamless for them to implement, manage and measure."
In general, Klein says, technology has the ability to make employee benefits more "more accessible and personalized than ever."
"Employers can go beyond the traditional benefits package and offer solutions truly tailored for each [employee's] needs," he says. "More broadly, technology has become a way for employers to get ahead in the arms race for talent. You're going to see more and more companies start to add new technologically driven products and services to their benefits packages in the next few years."