text:
How to Get Human Rights Abusers and Kleptocrats Sanctioned under the Global Magnitsky ActTuesday, March 13, 2018
The workshop provided human rights organizations, transparency advocates, and congressional staff with the tools they need to effectively petition the U.S. government to review and potentially designate individuals and organizations for sanctions under the Global Magnitsky Act. Sanctions experts described, from an operational perspective, how the U.S. government identifies, vets, and ultimately sanctions individuals. They also discussed the evidentiary standards for sanctioning human rights violators vs. those engaged in serious acts of corruption. Finally, panelists shared investigative techniques, communications strategies, and responses to aggressive tactics used to intimidate human rights and transparency advocates.
press release
Helsinki Commission Workshop to Explain Global Magnitsky Sanctions ProcessWednesday, March 07, 2018
WASHINGTON—The Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, also known as the Helsinki Commission, today announced a workshop to provide human rights organizations, transparency advocates, and congressional staff with the tools they need to effectively petition the U.S. government to review and potentially designate individuals and organizations for sanctions under the Global Magnitsky Act. HOW TO GET HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSERS AND KLEPTOCRATS SANCTIONED UNDER THE GLOBAL MAGNITSKY ACT Tuesday, March 13, 2018 3:00 p.m. Capitol Visitor Center Room SVC 212-10 Live Webcast: www.facebook.com/HelsinkiCommission Sanctions experts will describe, from an operational perspective, how the U.S. government identifies, vets, and ultimately sanctions individuals. They also will discuss the evidentiary standards for sanctioning human rights violators vs. those engaged in serious acts of corruption. Finally, panelists will share investigative techniques, communications strategies, and responses to aggressive tactics used to intimidate human rights and transparency advocates. Panelists include: Rob Berschinski, Senior Vice President, Human Rights First; former Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Brad Brooks-Rubin, Managing Director, The Sentry; formerly with the Departments of State and Treasury Bill Browder, Founder and Director, Global Magnitsky Justice Campaign Mark Dubowitz, CEO, Foundation for Defense of Democracies Adam Smith, Partner, Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher; formerly with the National Security Council and Department of Treasury Josh White, Director of Policy and Analysis, The Sentry; formerly with the Department of Treasury The Global Magnitsky Act is a powerful new tool for deterring human rights violations and fighting corruption. Presence on this list freezes any U.S. assets an individual may hold, blocks future transactions within the U.S. financial system, and bans any travel to the United States. By sanctioning individuals who engage in the worst abuses of power, the United States hardens its own system to external abuse while extending moral support and solidarity to those whose fundamental freedoms are curtailed or denied.
press release
Helsinki Commission Workshop to Explain Global Magnitsky Sanctions ProcessWednesday, March 07, 2018
WASHINGTON—The Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, also known as the Helsinki Commission, today announced a workshop to provide human rights organizations, transparency advocates, and congressional staff with the tools they need to effectively petition the U.S. government to review and potentially designate individuals and organizations for sanctions under the Global Magnitsky Act. HOW TO GET HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSERS AND KLEPTOCRATS SANCTIONED UNDER THE GLOBAL MAGNITSKY ACT Tuesday, March 13, 2018 3:00 p.m. Capitol Visitor Center Room SVC 212-10 Live Webcast: www.facebook.com/HelsinkiCommission Sanctions experts will describe, from an operational perspective, how the U.S. government identifies, vets, and ultimately sanctions individuals. They also will discuss the evidentiary standards for sanctioning human rights violators vs. those engaged in serious acts of corruption. Finally, panelists will share investigative techniques, communications strategies, and responses to aggressive tactics used to intimidate human rights and transparency advocates. Panelists include: Rob Berschinski, Senior Vice President, Human Rights First; former Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Brad Brooks-Rubin, Managing Director, The Sentry; formerly with the Departments of State and Treasury Bill Browder, Founder and Director, Global Magnitsky Justice Campaign Mark Dubowitz, CEO, Foundation for Defense of Democracies Adam Smith, Partner, Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher; formerly with the National Security Council and Department of Treasury Josh White, Director of Policy and Analysis, The Sentry; formerly with the Department of Treasury The Global Magnitsky Act is a powerful new tool for deterring human rights violations and fighting corruption. Presence on this list freezes any U.S. assets an individual may hold, blocks future transactions within the U.S. financial system, and bans any travel to the United States. By sanctioning individuals who engage in the worst abuses of power, the United States hardens its own system to external abuse while extending moral support and solidarity to those whose fundamental freedoms are curtailed or denied.
The 2017 Human Dimension Implementation Meeting: An OverviewFriday, August 18, 2017
Each year,1 the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) organizes the Human Dimension Implementation Meeting (HDIM) in Warsaw, Poland. As Europe's largest annual human rights conference, the HDIM brings together hundreds of government and nongovernmental representatives, international experts, and human rights activists for two weeks to review OSCE human rights commitments and progress. The 2017 HDIM will be held from September 11 to September 22. Human Dimension Implementation Meeting 2017 The HDIM allows participating States to assess one another's implementation of OSCE human dimension commitments, identify challenges, and make recommendations for improvement. The HDIM agenda covers all human dimension commitments, including freedoms of expression and the media, peaceful assembly and association, and religion or belief; democratic elections; the rule of law; tolerance and non-discrimination; combating trafficking in persons; women's rights; and national minorities, including Roma. Each year, three special topics are selected for a full-day review. 2017 special topics will be 1) ensuring "equal enjoyment of rates and participation in political and public life," 2) "tolerance and nondiscrimination," and 3) "economic, social and cultural rights as an answer to rising inequalities." This year's meeting will take place at the Warsaw National Stadium (PGE Narodowy), the site of the NATO summit earlier this year. The meeting will be webcast live. Background on the Human Dimension Implementation Meeting When the Helsinki Final Act was signed in Finland in 1975, it enshrined among its ten Principles Guiding Relations between Participating States (the Decalogue) a commitment to "respect human rights and fundamental freedoms, including the freedom of thought, conscience, religion or belief, for all without distinction as to race, sex, language or religion" (Principle VII). In addition, the Final Act included a section on cooperation regarding humanitarian concerns, including transnational human contacts, information, culture and education. The phrase "human dimension" was coined to describe the OSCE norms and activities related to fundamental freedoms, democracy (such as free elections, the rule of law, and independence of the judiciary), humanitarian concerns (such as trafficking in human beings and refugees), and concerns relating to tolerance and nondiscrimination (e.g., countering anti-Semitism and racism). One of the innovations of the Helsinki Final Act was agreement to review the implementation of agreed commitments while considering the negotiation of new ones. Between 1975 and 1992, implementation review took place in the context of periodic "Follow-up Meetings" as well as smaller specialized meetings focused on specific subjects. The OSCE participating States established permanent institutions in the early 1990s. In 1992, they agreed to hold periodic Human Dimension Implementation Meetings" to foster compliance with agreed-upon principles on democracy and human rights. Additional changes to the modalities for the HDIM were agreed in 1998, 2001, and 2002, which included shortening the meeting from three weeks to two weeks, and adding three "Supplementary Human Dimension Meetings" annually on subjects selected by the Chairmanship-in-Office on particularly timely or time-sensitive issues. One of the most notable features of the HDIM is the strong participation of non-governmental organizations. The United States has been a strong advocate for the involvement of NGOs in the HDIM, recognizing the vital role that civil society plays in human rights and democracy-building initiatives. OSCE modalities allow NGO representatives to raise issues of concern directly with government representatives, both by speaking during the formal working sessions of the HDIM and by organizing side events that examine specific issues in greater detail. 1 In exceptional years when the OSCE participating States hold a summit of heads of state or government, the annual review of human dimension commitments is included as part of the Review Conference which precedes the summit, and also includes a review of the political-military and economic/environmental dimensions.
2017 Trafficking in Persons Report – the OSCE RegionTuesday, June 27, 2017
Human trafficking remains a pressing human rights violation around the world with the International Labor Organization estimating that nearly 21 million people are enslaved at any given time, most of them women and children. As part of U.S. efforts to combat human trafficking, the U.S. Department of State today released the 2017 Trafficking in Persons Report (TIP Report), reflecting the efforts of 187 countries and territories to prosecute traffickers, prevent trafficking, and to identify and assist victims, as described by the Palermo Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, especially Women and Children. Trafficking Victim Identification and Care: Regional Perspectives According to the new TIP Report, in the 2016 reporting year, countries in the OSCE region identified 304 more trafficking victims than in the previous year, for a total of 11,416 victims. This increase is particularly notable when compared to the East Asia and Pacific, Near East, South and Central Asia, and Western Hemisphere regions, where victim identification declined, but still maintained a generally upward trend over 2014. Trafficking victim identification and care is critical for proper management of refugee and migrant flows. In order to help law enforcement and border guards identify trafficking victims among the nearly 400,000 migrants and refugees entering the region last year, the OSCE Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Human Beings launched a new project to conduct multiple trainings, including simulation exercises, through 2018. The first training in November 2016 included participants from 30 OSCE participating States. Victim identification and care are also critical for successful prosecutions. Nearly every region of the world saw a drop in prosecutions of human traffickers, but an increase in convictions in the 2016 reporting year. This trend may reflect a growing knowledge among prosecutors of how to successfully investigate and prosecute a trafficking case. It also may reflect an overall increase in trafficking victims who have been identified, permitted to remain in-country, and cared for such that the victims—now survivors—are ready, willing, and able to testify against their traffickers. Despite the dramatic decline in prosecutions (46 percent) in the OSCE region, convictions held steady at nearly the same numbers as the previous year. Individual Country Narratives Along with regional statistics, the TIP Report also provides individual country narratives, recommendations for the most urgent changes needed to eliminate human trafficking, and an assessment of whether the country is making significant efforts to meet the minimum standards for the elimination of human trafficking. Tier 1 countries meet the minimum standards for the elimination of human trafficking. Tier 2 countries do not yet meet the standards, but are making significant efforts to do so. Tier 2 Watch List countries do not meet the minimum standards and are making significant efforts to do so, but have a very large or increasing number of trafficking victims, have failed to demonstrate increasing efforts over the previous year, or lack a solid plan to take additional steps in the coming year. Tier 3 countries do not meet the minimum standards and are not making significant efforts to do so. Twenty-five OSCE participating States qualified for Tier 1 in the TIP Report. Nineteen participating States qualified for Tier 2, including Ukraine, which was upgraded this year after four years on the Tier 2 Watch List. Five participating States were designated for the Tier 2 Watch List, including Hungary, Moldova, Montenegro, Serbia, and Bulgaria.* Four participating States were on Tier 3, including Belarus, Russia, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. States on Tier 3 may be subject to sanctions. Legislation authored by Helsinki Commission Co-Chairman Rep. Chris Smith—who also serves as the Special Representative for Human Trafficking Issues to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe Parliamentary Assembly – requires the TIP Report to be produced every year. In recent years the report has also included an assessment of the United States. Since the inception of the report, more than 100 countries have written or amended their trafficking laws, with some nations openly crediting the report for inspiring progress in their countries' fight against human trafficking. * OSCE participating States Andorra, Monaco, Lichtenstein, and San Marino are not included in the TIP Report.
press release
U.S. Delegation to OSCE PA Drives International Action against Human Trafficking, Discrimination, and Anti-SemitismFriday, July 08, 2016
WASHINGTON—Seven members of Congress traveled to the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly (OSCE PA) Annual Session in Tbilisi, Georgia last week to demonstrate the U.S. commitment to the principles of the Helsinki Final Act, including respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. At the Annual Session, which brought together nearly 300 parliamentarians from 54 of the 57 OSCE participating States, the U.S. lawmakers introduced several successful resolutions and amendments targeting current challenges facing the OSCE region, ranging from human trafficking to discrimination and anti-Semitism to the abuse of Interpol mechanisms to target political opponents and activists. The delegation included Helsinki Commission Chairman Rep. Chris Smith (NJ-04), Co-Chairman Sen. Roger Wicker (MS), Commissioner Rep. Robert Aderholt (AL-04), Commissioner Rep. Randy Hultgren (IL-14), Rep. Mike Fitzpatrick (PA-08), Rep. Richard Hudson (NC-08), and Rep. David Schweikert (AZ-06). Rep. Aderholt currently serves as a vice-president of the OSCE PA, while Sen. Wicker was re-elected to a third term as chair of the OSCE PA Committee on Political Affairs and Security, also known as the First Committee, during the annual meeting. Chairman Smith led international lawmakers in battling international human trafficking and child sex tourism through a successful resolution calling on all OSCE participating States to raise awareness of sexual exploitation of children in travel and tourism (SECTT), especially by convicted pedophiles, business travelers, and tourists. Chairman Smith, who serves as the OSCE PA Special Representative on Human Trafficking Issues, also hosted a July 3 briefing on U.S. efforts to prevent SECTT through a new international reciprocal notification system – known as International Megan's Law – that facilitates timely communications among law enforcement agencies. A second U.S. resolution, authored by OSCE PA Special Representative for Anti-Semitism, Racism and Intolerance and Helsinki Commission Ranking Sen. Ben Cardin (MD), called for action against the anti-Semitic and racist violence sweeping across North America and Europe. The resolution, which passed overwhelmingly, urged members of the OSCE to develop a plan of action to implement its long-standing body of tolerance and non-discrimination agreements, called for international efforts to address racial profiling, and offered support for increased efforts by political leaders to stem the tide of hate across the region. The resolution was fielded by Commissioner Hultgren. Chairman Smith also called on participating States to more effectively prevent and combat violence against European Jewish communities through the introduction of two amendments to the resolution of the OSCE PA General Committee on Democracy, Human Rights and Humanitarian Questions (also known as the Third Committee). His first amendment called for the explicit recognition of the increase in anti-Semitic attacks in the region, while the second encouraged participating States to formally recognize and partner with Jewish community groups. Responding the abuse of Interpol systems for politically motivated harassment by Russia and other members of the OSCE, Co-Chairman Wicker authored a successful amendment to the First Committee resolution, which called on participating States to stop the inappropriate placement of Red Notices and encouraged Interpol to implement mechanisms preventing politically motivated abuse of its legitimate services. The amendment was fielded by Rep. Hudson. During the Annual Session, members of the delegation also offered strong support for important resolutions fielded by other countries, including one by Ukraine on human rights in illegally occupied Crimea and another on the 30th anniversary of the Chernobyl nuclear accident. They voted for a highly relevant resolution on combating corruption fielded by Sweden, and helped to defeat a Russian resolution attacking the Baltic States, Poland and Ukraine in the context of combating neo-Nazism. U.S. delegates indicated their support for the work of attending Azerbaijani human rights activists, and met with attending members of the Israeli Knesset. While in Tbilisi, the group also met with several high-ranking Georgian officials, including Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili; Tedo Japaridze, Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, Parliament of Georgia; Mikheil Janelidze, Georgian Minister of Foreign Affairs; and David Bakradze, Georgian Minister of European and Euro-Atlantic Integration.
press release
Chairman Smith Leads International Legislators against Human Trafficking, Child Sex TourismMonday, July 04, 2016
WASHINGTON—The OSCE Parliamentary Assembly passed a resolution authored by Helsinki Commission Chairman Rep. Chris Smith (NJ-04) against international human trafficking and child sex tourism. The resolution was passed at the 2016 annual session of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly (OSCE PA), and has an agenda-setting effect for the 57-member intergovernmental organization. Smith, who leads the U.S. Delegation to this year's OSCE PA Annual Session, introduced a resolution calling on all OSCE participating States to work with the private sector and civil society to raise awareness of sexual exploitation of children in travel and tourism (SECTT), especially by convicted pedophiles, business travelers, and tourists. The resolution also urges all OSCE participating States to enact laws allowing them to prosecute their citizens and legal permanent residents for child sexual exploitation committed abroad, and to strengthen international law enforcement cooperation to ensure that nations know about travel by convicted pedophiles prior to their arrival. "More children than ever before are being exploited – child sex tourism is soaring while protection lags," said Chairman Smith. "We must work together to protect children from convicted pedophiles and opportunistic predators who exploit local children with impunity during their travels abroad. Prevention and prosecution should go hand in hand." In addition to introducing the SECTT resolution, Chairman Smith hosted a July 3 briefing on U.S. efforts to prevent SECTT through a new international reciprocal notification system – known as International Megan's Law – that facilitates timely communications among law enforcement agencies. "Child predators thrive on secrecy – a secrecy that allows them to commit heinous crimes against the weakest and most vulnerable," said Chairman Smith. "Recent changes in the laws of the United States and partner countries are putting child predators on the radar when they travel internationally, but much remains to be done." Chairman Smith has served as OSCE PA Special Representative on Human Trafficking Issues since 2004. His efforts to raise the profile of the human trafficking problem in the OSCE region are reflected in the 2013 Addendum to the OSCE Plan of Action to Combat Trafficking in Human Beings, and have prompted other parliamentarians to take the lead in addressing human trafficking in their respective capitals. Chairman Smith first raised the issue of human trafficking at the 1999 St. Petersburg Annual Session, the first time it appeared on the OSCE agenda. Since then, he has introduced or cosponsored a supplementary item and/or amendments on trafficking at each annual session of the OSCE PA, including on issues such as sex tourism prevention, training of the transportation sector in victim identification and reporting, corporate responsibility for trafficking in supply chains, and special protections for vulnerable populations. In addition to authoring the 2016 International Megan's Law to Prevent Child Exploitation and Other Sexual Crimes through Advanced Notification of Traveling Sex Offenders, he authored the landmark U.S. Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 and its 2003 and 2005 reauthorizations. Chairman Smith co-chairs the United States Congressional Human Trafficking Caucus.
press release
Chairman Smith Champions Improved Security for European Jewish Communities at Annual Meeting of OSCE ParliamentariansSunday, July 03, 2016
WASHINGTON—At the 2016 OSCE Parliamentary Assembly (OSCE PA) Annual Session, meeting in Tbilisi, Georgia this week, Helsinki Commission Chair Rep. Chris Smith (NJ-04) today called on participating States to more effectively prevent and combat violence against European Jewish communities in the face of increasing anti-Semitic violence in the region. "Violent anti-Semitic attacks are on the rise in several European countries – and there is a lot more we can do to stop it," said Chairman Smith, who led the U.S. delegation to the event. "European police and security forces should be partnering with Jewish community security groups, and the United States government should be working with the European governments to encourage this. The terrorist threat to European Jewish communities is more deadly than ever. We must act to prevent a repeat of the horrific massacres of Paris and Copenhagen." Chairman Smith offered two amendments to the draft resolution of the OSCE PA General Committee on Democracy, Human Rights and Humanitarian Questions (also known as the Third Committee). His first amendment called for the explicit recognition of the increase in frequency, scope, and severity of anti-Semitic attacks in the OSCE region, while the second called on participating States to formally recognize and partner with Jewish community groups to strengthen crisis prevention, preparedness, mitigation, and responses related to anti-Semitic attacks. Both amendments reflect consultations with and requests from European Jewish communities. Chairman Smith has a long record as a leader in the fight against anti-Semitism. He co-chairs the Bipartisan Task Force for Combating Anti-Semitism in the U.S. House of Representatives and authored the provisions of the U.S. Global Anti-Semitism Review Act of 2004 that created the Office to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism within the U.S. State Department. In 2015, he authored House Resolution 354, a blueprint for strengthening the safety and security of European Jewish communities. Following his landmark 2002 hearing on combating the escalation of anti-Semitic violence in Europe, "Escalating Anti-Semitic Violence in Europe," he led a congressional drive to place the issue of combating anti-Semitism at the top of the OSCE agenda. As part of this effort he authored supplemental resolutions on combating anti-Semitism, which were adopted at the 2002, 2003, and 2004 Annual Sessions of the OSCE PA. In 2004 the OSCE adopted new norms for its participating States on fighting anti-Semitism. Chairman Smith is a founding member of the the Inter-Parliamentary Coalition for Combating Anti-Semitism (ICCA), where he also serves on the steering committee. In the 1990s, he chaired Congress's first hearings on anti-Semitism and in the early 1980s, his first trips abroad as a member of Congress were to the former Soviet Union, where he fought for the release of Jewish "refuseniks."
NATO's Warsaw Summit and the Future of European SecurityThursday, June 23, 2016
This briefing, conducted two weeks prior to the NATO summit in Warsaw, discussed the prospects and challenges expected to factor into the negotiations. Key among these were Russian aggression and NATO enlargement, cybersecurity, and instability along NATO's southern border. Mr. Pisarski's testimony focused mainly on the challenge posed by Russian aggression and the role played by NATO's partners in maintaining stability in Eastern Europe. Dr. Binnendijk commented on seven areas he argued the Alliance should make progress on at the Warsaw summit, centering mainly around unity, deterrent capability, and the Alliance's southern strategy. Rear Admiral Gumataotao provided a unique insight into NATO Allied Command Transformation's core tasks and their expectations for Warsaw. The question and answer period featured a comment from Georgian Ambassador Gegeshidze, who spoke about his country's stake in the Summit's conclusions in the context of the ongoing Russian occupation of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.
press release
Chairman Smith Holds Hearing on Terrorist Threats to European Jewish CommunitiesTuesday, April 19, 2016
WASHINGTON— The growing risks to European Jewish communities and the actions that countries should take to address the threats faced by their Jewish citizens was the focus of a hearing of the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (aka, Helsinki Commission) chaired today by Rep. Chris Smith (NJ-04). "The recent terrorist attacks in Brussels were reminders that Europeans of all religions and ethnicities are at risk from ISIS," said Smith. "But there can be no European security without Jewish security. As we have seen so many times in so many places, violence against Jewish communities often foreshadows violence against other religious, ethnic, and national communities. ISIS especially hates the Jewish people and has instructed its followers to prioritize killing them. The group's cronies targeted the Jewish Museum of Belgium in May 2014, the Paris kosher supermarket in January 2015, and the Great Synagogue in Copenhagen in February 2015, and murdered people in all of them." Click here to read Chairman Smith's opening statement. A number of other members of Congress spoke at the hearing, including Sen. Roger Wicker (MS), CSCE co-chairman, Rep. David Schweikert (AZ-06), Rep. Steve Cohen (TN-09), Rep. Alan Grayson (FL-09), and Rep. Randy Hultgren (IL-14). Rabbi Andrew Baker, Director of International Jewish Affairs at the American Jewish Congress, and the OSCE's Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson, thanked Smith for the "pioneering work" he has done in identifying and addressing the problem of anti-Semitism in Europe, and pressing the United States government and European States and in mobilizing the OSCE to confront the "age-old scourge" of anti-Semitism. "One of the problems we have faced and we continue to face is that governments are slow to recognize the very problem itself, let alone to marshal the necessary resolve and expertise to confront it," Baker testified. For the past two years, witnesses John J. Farmer, Jr., Rutgers University Professor of Law, has led an initiative at Rutgers designed to identify the best ways to protect vulnerable communities in light of the evolving threat. "We have worked with U.S. communities to develop what FBI officials have called an 'off-ramp' to radicalization," said Farmer. "This is a time of particular peril for the Jewish future in Europe, and it is incumbent upon us to do what we can to assure that future." Jonathan Biermann, Brussels attorney and elected city councilman, and a former political adviser to the President of the Belgian Senate, the Development Minister, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, described the current atmosphere among Belgian Jews. "Community members are nowadays used to see Police, guards, military in front of Jewish buildings and schools," Biermann said, recommending establishing Memorandums of Understanding as an important step. "Creating the tools to communicate amongst communities with the government will be considerably facilitated by the 'See something Say something strategy,'"Beirmann said. "The collaboration with Law enforcement agencies has to be based on trust and confidence, in respect of international laws and rules protecting individual freedom, civil liberties and privacy." Paul Goldenberg, a senior advisor to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, serve on the Countering Violent Extremism Sub-Committee, Co-Chair the Foreign Fighter Task Force and Vice-Chair of the Faith-Based Advisory & Communications Sub-Committee. He also works with the Faith-Based Communities Security Program at Rutgers University. He is Executive Director of the Crisis Cell for the Belgian Jewish community "I have made countless trips in recent months overseas, traveling to multiple European cities," Goldenberg said. "What we have seen, heard and learned has confirmed our initial hypothesis: while the levels of cooperation and partnerships between Jewish and other minority religious communities with their respective policing services–in many parts of Europe–is as diverse as the communities themselves, more work needs to be accomplished to move closer to a medium and standard of safety and security. While this presents distinct challenges, there is also hope. For much of what we have learned, innovated, tested and improved upon here in the United States, as well as in other progressive nations, can be imparted to, and replicated by, many of our partners." Smith also chairs the Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights and International Organizations subcommittee. Documents, video and other information about today's CSCE hearing, will be posted here. In 2015, Smith held a hearing in, "After Paris and Copenhagen: Responding to the Rising Tide of Anti-Semitism," on the crucial role of the U.S. and other participating States of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe in battling anti-Semitism and called for strong American leadership.
Anticipating and Preventing Deadly Attacks on European Jewish CommunitiesTuesday, April 19, 2016
This hearing was organized in response to the growing number of violent anti-Semitic attacks (namely Belgium, Copenhagen and Paris credited to ISIS), and assessed what needed to be done - particularly by law enforcement agencies - to anticipate and prevent future attacks against the European Jewish communities. The threat to Jewish communities comes not only from Islamic militants, but also from Neo-Nazi groups across the continent, and from acts of anti-Zionists. The panelists expressed concern over the low levels of cooperation and consistency in government responses to this violence. Witnesses Rabbi Andrew Baker, Jonathan Biermann (from Brussels), John Farmer, Paul Goldenberg also discussed counter terrorism strategies and methods to improve security and cooperation. They suggested plans to further engage Muslim communities on integration and to gain their inside knowledge on "potential radicals." This led to a debate on the "see something, say something" policy, with the Jewish community as pilots. The panelists debated whether the military could play a role in the implementation of this, or if it would be best to keep engagement solely with the local police. All agreed that collaboration with law enforcement agencies would have to be based on trust and confidence and be in respect of international laws and rules protecting individual freedom, civil liberties and privacy.
press release
Helsinki Commission to Hold Hearing on the Prevention of Violent Anti-Semitic Attacks in EuropeTuesday, April 12, 2016
WASHINGTON – The Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, also known as the Helsinki Commission, today announced the following hearing: "Anticipating and Preventing Deadly Attacks on European Jewish Communities" Tuesday, April 19 1:00 PM Cannon House Office Building Room 210 Live Webcast: www.youtube.com/HelsinkiCommission Violent anti-Semitic attacks doubled in some European countries between 2014 and 2015 – in some others they quadrupled. ISIS has instructed its followers to prioritize targeting European Jewish sites and killing European Jewish people. The terrorists who attacked the Jewish Museum of Belgium, Great Synagogue in Copenhagen, and kosher supermarket in Paris, all claimed ISIS allegiance. In the wake of the recent terrorist bombings in Brussels, the hearing will focus on violent threats to European Jewish communities from the full range of groups and individuals, and what needs to be done – particularly by law enforcement agencies – to anticipate and prevent future attacks. It will also feature lessons from the partnerships between Jewish communities and law enforcement agencies that can help counter terrorism and improve security in European countries more broadly. Scheduled to testify: Rabbi Andrew Baker: Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office on Combating Anti-Semitism, and Director of International Jewish Affairs, American Jewish Committee Jonathan Biermann: Executive Director, crisis cell for the Belgian Jewish community John Farmer: Director, Faith-Based Communities Security Program, Rutgers University Paul Goldenberg: National Director, Secure Community Network
OSCE Foreign Ministers Meet in BelgradeFriday, January 15, 2016
Serbia's year-long chairmanship of the OSCE culminated in Belgrade in the annual meeting of the OSCE Ministerial Council on December 3 and 4, 2015. Key issues addressed in the context of Ministerial discussions included: Ongoing efforts to de-escalate the Russia-Ukraine crisis and the need for Russia to fully implement the Minsk Agreements. Reaffirmation of the Helsinki Final Act and subsequent commitments and the comprehensive nature of security (i.e., respect for fundamental freedoms within a state has an impact on the security between states). The assault on human dignity and human rights, including through terrorist attacks, the continued rollback on rights and freedoms in the OSCE area, and the refugee and migration crisis. Secretary of State John Kerry led the U.S. delegation, which also included Assistant Secretary of State Victoria Nuland; Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor Robert Berschinski; Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Central Asia Daniel N. Rosenblum; and Helsinki Commission Senior Senate Staff Representative Ambassador David T. Killion. The atmosphere was strained, as tensions between Ukraine and Russia, Russia and Turkey, and Armenia and Azerbaijan spilled over into the negotiations. As Russia blocked virtually all decisions on human rights, as well as on the migration crisis and on gender issues, only a handful of documents were adopted. Successful declarations addressed recent terrorist attacks in the OSCE region, combating violent extremism that leads to terrorism, and addressing the illicit drug trade.
Serbia Concludes Year-Long OSCE ChairmanshipFriday, January 15, 2016
Four decades after the signature of the Helsinki Final Act, Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic presided over a Serbian chairmanship of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) that kicked off with high expectations. As a successor to the only participating State ever suspended from OSCE decision-making for egregious violation of Helsinki standards (1992 to 2000), the ability of Serbia to chair the organization was a credit not only to the country, but also to the OSCE which provided significant guidance and engagement through the transition. Throughout Serbia's chairmanship, the situation in Ukraine dominated the work of the OSCE participating States, including at the annual OSCE Parliamentary Assembly meeting. This overshadowed efforts to commemorate the Helsinki Final Act's 40th anniversary, as the OSCE's future was considered to hinge on the Minsk agreements and its response to the crisis in and around Ukraine. Ukraine Russia's egregious violations of the Minsk agreement led to its collapse in January 2015. Minsk II, adopted in February 2015, represents a further attempt to de-escalate the war in the Donbas. After six months of non-implementation, a September 1 cease-fire has largely held, with considerably fewer casualties than earlier, although there has been an uptick in recent weeks. Heavy weapons are slowly being withdrawn from the line of contact. Nevertheless, the agreement remains extremely tentative as Russia and its separatist proxies continue to disregard the majority of its provisions: Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) access remains blocked in large portions of the Russian-led separatist-controlled territory; Russian forces and equipment remain on Ukrainian territory; Ukrainian control over its borders with Russia has not been restored. Furthermore, restrictions continue on humanitarian aid and Ukrainian hostages remain in Russian custody. Terrorism 2015 was also scarred by numerous terrorist attacks in the OSCE region, including incidents targeting Jewish institutions and free speech in Paris and Copenhagen in January and February; the bombing of a Russian civilian airliner over the Sinai Peninsula in October; an attack in Turkey just three weeks before November 1 snap elections; and multiple, simultaneous attacks again in Paris in November. On November 17, the Permanent Council adopted a declaration on the need to combat by all means, in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations and international law–including applicable international human rights, refugee and humanitarian law–threats to international peace and security caused by terrorist acts. Refugee Crisis Issues relating to the refugee crisis became more acute over the course of the year. In early June, the Serbian Chairmanship held a special human dimension event on refugees and internally displaced persons. On October 6, following significant increases of migrant flows into Europe, the Serbian Chairmanship convened an unprecedented joint meeting of the Permanent Council's three committees (on military-security, economic and environmental cooperation, and the human dimension) to focus on the refugee-migrant crisis. Finally, many hoped that Serbia's positive experience hosting a field mission would serve as an example to other participating States cooperating with OSCE field activity. Unfortunately, turned out not to be the case, as illustrated by the abrupt closure of the mission in Baku. In addition, Serbia – missed an opportunity in 2015 to more strongly exemplify OSCE norms by providing justice for the 1999 execution-style murders of the three Kosovar-American Bytyqi brothers, a key issue in U.S.-Serbian relations.
press release
Smith Resolution to Help Protect Jewish Communities in Europe Passes House UnanimouslyTuesday, November 03, 2015
WASHINGTON—Following the recent upswing in violent anti-Semitic attacks in several European nations, the U.S. House of Representatives today unanimously passed legislation urging the United States and European governments to take key steps to help keep Jewish communities safe. The legislation was introduced by Helsinki Commission Chairman Rep. Chris Smith (NJ-04). "The number of violent anti-Semitic attacks has increased from 100 to 400 percent in some European countries since 2013," said Rep. Smith, who co-chairs the Bipartisan Taskforce for Combating Anti-Semitism. "The murders in Paris, Copenhagen, and elsewhere reminded us that there are those who are motivated by anti-Semitism and have the will to kill." H. Res. 354 calls on the U.S. Administration to encourage European governments, law enforcement agencies, and intergovernmental organizations to formally recognize and partner with Jewish community groups to strengthen crisis prevention, preparedness, mitigation, and responses related to anti-Semitic attacks. "This resolution calls for the United States Government to work with our European allies on specific actions that are essential to keep European Jewish communities safe and secure," Rep. Smith continued. "It is based on consultations with the leading experts who are working directly with these communities." The legislation passed today was endorsed by leading Jewish community groups including the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, the Jewish Federations of North America, the American Jewish Committee, the Anti-Defamation League, the Orthodox Union, the Secure Community Network, and the Simon Wiesenthal Center. The 89 bipartisan co-sponsors included all seven of the other co-Chairs of the House of Representatives Bipartisan Taskforce for Combating Anti-Semitism: Reps. Ted Deutch (FL-21), Nita Lowey (NY-17), Eliot Engel (NY-16), Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (FL-27), Kay Granger (TX-12), Steve Israel (NY-03), and Peter Roskam (IL-06). "Jewish Federations are grateful to the House of Representatives for passing a responsive resolution today, which provides a needed framework for how the U.S. government and Jewish community security groups like the Secure Community Network can work with their European counterparts to combat increasing anti-Semitic attacks in Europe," said William C. Daroff, Senior Vice President for Public Policy and Director of the Washington Office of the Jewish Federations of North America. "Jewish Federations are proud to have worked with Congress on this resolution's language and passage." "Battling the anti-Semitic threats facing European Jewish communities is vital to ensure the democratic and pluralistic fabric of Europe for all its citizens," said American Jewish Committee Executive Director David Harris. "This resolution sends a powerful message that battling the anti-Semitic threats facing European Jewish communities is a shared responsibility." "As a former law enforcement executive responsible for the investigation and prosecution of hate crimes, I applaud the unwavering leadership and determination of Congressman Smith for bringing this resolution to fruition," said Paul Goldenberg, National Director of the Secure Community Network. "It is a time of tremendous need, concern and uncertainty for all faith-based communities who face intimidation, hate crimes and fear of violence." Rep. Smith has a long record as a congressional leader in the fight against anti-Semitism. He is the author of the provisions of the Global Anti-Semitism Review Act of 2004 that created the Office to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism within the U.S. State Department. Following his 2002 landmark hearing on combating the escalation of anti-Semitic violence in Europe, "Escalating Anti-Semitic Violence in Europe," he led a congressional drive to place the issue of combating anti-Semitism at the top of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) agenda, as a result of which in 2004 the OSCE adopted new norms for its participating States on fighting anti-Semitism. In 2009, he delivered the keynote address at the Interparliamentary Coalition Combating Anti-Semitism London conference. In the 1990s, he chaired Congress's first hearings on anti-Semitism and in the early 1980s, his first trips abroad as a member of Congress were to the former Soviet Union, where he fought for the release of Jewish "refuseniks."
Bipartisan Congressional Delegation Represents US at OSCE Parliamentary Assembly; Also Visits Ukraine, Czech RepublicMonday, August 17, 2015
Forty years after the signing of the Helsinki Final Act established the precursor to today's Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), five members of the Helsinki Commission and four other members of Congress traveled to the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly Annual Session in Helsinki to demonstrate the U.S. commitment to confronting Russian aggression in Ukraine and elsewhere. Led by Commission Co-Chairman Senator Roger F. Wicker (MS), the bicameral, bipartisan delegation organized by the Helsinki Commission included Commission Chairman Representative Chris Smith (NJ- 04); House Commissioners Robert B. Aderholt (AL-04), Steve Cohen (TN-09) and Alan Grayson (FL-09); and Representatives Gwen Moore (WI-04), Michael Fitzpatrick (PA-08), Richard Hudson (NC-08) and Ruben Gallego (AZ-07). Before attending the Annual Session from July 5 to 7, several members of the delegation also visited Ukraine and the Czech Republic. A central concern to the delegation throughout the trip was Russia's restrictions on democracy at home and aggression in Ukraine, along with Russia's threat to European security.
press release
Chairman Smith and Rep. McGovern Introduce "Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act"Friday, January 30, 2015
WASHINGTON—Rep. Chris Smith (NJ-04), Chairman of the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, also known as the U.S. Helsinki Commission, and Rep. Jim McGovern (MA-02), today introduced the "Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act" (H.R. 624). The bill prohibits foreign human rights offenders and corrupt officials operating anywhere in the world from entering into the United States and blocks their U.S. assets. It effectively globalizes and strengthens the "Sergei Magnitsky Rule of Law Accountability Act of 2012," which was directed at individuals and entities from Russia. "The 'Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act' is a game-changer, and demonstrates America's commitment to protecting human rights worldwide," said Chairman Smith. "We are sending a message to the world's worst human rights violators: we will shine a spotlight on your crimes. We will deny your visas. We will freeze your assets. No matter who you are or how much money you have, you won't be enjoying the fruits of your misdeeds by visiting the United States or taking advantage of our financial institutions." "We have made important progress in the last few years," Rep. McGovern said. "But since the introduction of the original Magnitsky Act, human rights defenders and anti-corruption activists worldwide have urged us to pass a law that covers similar violations in countries other than Russia. Through the Global Magnitsky Act, we can better standardize our approach to human rights violators and provide clear guidance to the executive branch on how we expect these perpetrators to be held accountable." "Conscripting child soldiers, kidnapping political opponents, and brutalizing people based on their religion are horrifying acts for which people must be held accountable – and this bill will do it," said Chairman Smith. "The earlier Magnitsky Act enjoyed overwhelmingly bipartisan support in both the House and the Senate. I expect the Global Magnitsky Act to move forward with the same level of commitment in both chambers, and on both sides of the aisle." Earlier this week, Senators Ben Cardin (MD) and John McCain (AZ) introduced similar legislation in the Senate, which also applies worldwide and employs visa bans and property freezes. Unique aspects of the House bill include the requirement that the President impose sanctions if he or she determines that a foreign person has committed gross human rights offenses. The bill also permits the President to sanction perpetrators regardless of whether the victims were exercising or defending basic human rights; requires that the annual Global Magnitsky List be released each year on Human Rights Day; and directs the Comptroller General to assess and report on implementation. Both the "Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act" and the earlier "Sergei Magnitsky Rule of Law Accountability Act of 2012" were inspired by Russian lawyer Sergei Magnitsky, who was arrested and imprisoned by the Russian government following his investigation into fraud involving Russian officials. He was beaten to death by prison guards in 2009 after being held in torturous conditions for 11 months without trial. Summary: The "Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act" This act requires the President to publish and update a list of foreign persons or entities that the President determines are responsible, and who the President has sanctioned, for gross violations of internationally recognized human rights – including extrajudicial killings, torture, enforced disappearances, and prolonged, arbitrary detention – or significant corruption. Known as the Global Magnitsky List, the list will be due annually on December 10 (Human Rights Day). Although the bill directs the President to prioritize cases where the victims were seeking to exercise or defend internationally recognized human and rights and freedoms, like freedom of religious, assembly, and expression, or expose illegal government activity, the President can act regardless of the victim. Sanctions on these individuals and entities will include: Prohibiting or revoking U.S. visas or other entry documentation for foreign individuals. Freezing and prohibiting U.S. property transactions of a foreign individual or entity if such property and property interests are in the United States; come within the United States; or are in, or come within, the control of a U.S. person or entity. This act also requires the Comptroller General of the United States to assess the implementation of the law and report to Congress, so that Congress can ensure it is being executed fully.
press release
Cardin Lauds Compensation for Holocaust Victims Transported by National Society of French RailwaysTuesday, December 09, 2014
WASHINGTON–U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Chairman of the U.S. Helsinki Commission and a senior member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, released the following statement expressing support for the establishment of a fund to compensate victims and surviving family members transported by The National Society of French Railways (SNCF) during the Holocaust. "In March, one of those who survived the war-time deportations, Leo Bretholz of Maryland, passed away. Leo escaped from a train transporting him to almost certain death. He spent the rest of the war fighting the Nazi regime and helping others escape. In his later years, Leo worked with members of the Maryland General Assembly to secure reparations for Holocaust survivors who were transported to the camps on French railways. I take solace in knowing that his already incredible legacy lives on through this agreement. "I applaud the agreement reached between the United States and France to compensate those who survived deportation from France by SNCF but who, as non-nationals of France, were excluded from previous compensation programs. The agreement shows that the quest to right the wrongs of the past is still ongoing and, most importantly, it is still possible to achieve some measure of justice for those who suffered so terribly. For some people around the world the Holocaust may be history, for those who have survived the horror is still very real. "This settlement is a well-deserved victory for aging survivors and their families across the world. I commend the Government of France for its efforts to advance responsibility, memory and justice and I hope the French National Assembly will be able to expeditiously ratify this agreement."
press release
Helsinki Commission on Opening of Europe's Largest Human Rights MeetingMonday, September 22, 2014
WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (MD), Chairman of the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (U.S. Helsinki Commission) and Representative Chris Smith (NJ-04), Co-Chairman of the Commission, released the following statement ahead of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) annual high-level meeting on human rights. From September 22-October 3, civil society and government representatives of OSCE participating States will gather in Warsaw, Poland, for the annual Human Dimension Implementation Meeting to discuss compliance with the full range of OSCE human dimension commitments, with special focus on migrant rights, minority issues, and combating violence against women and children. "The Human Dimension Implementation Meeting takes place while Russian aggression in Ukraine continues to threaten basic OSCE principles. I expect this will be a major focus of the meeting, as well as Russian actions at home that are cynically rolling back the ability of civil society to comment on or contribute to how that country functions," said Chairman Cardin. "I am pleased that Professor Brian Atwood will head the U.S. Delegation at this critical time. The promises OSCE states made to one another almost 25 years ago, that respect for human rights within any country is a matter of concern for all states, has guided us and must continue to do so. I also welcome the leadership of the U.S. Ambassador to the OSCE, Daniel Baer, who will be taking a high-level study group to the Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp." Co-Chairman Smith said, "The Russian government's gross human rights violations in Ukraine must be a central topic of discussion at the Human Dimension meeting. HDIM is an indispensable tool for holding states accountable to OSCE commitments and most effective when both government and civil society representatives have equal opportunity to debate each state's human rights record. One issue that states and civil society must discuss this year in Warsaw, and at the OSCE "Berlin Plus 10" anti-Semitism conference in November, is the alarming rise of anti-Semitic incidents in the OSCE region. The OSCE must also continue to combat trafficking in human beings, including through fulfilling commitments taken last year to train transportation workers to identify possible victims and to improve law enforcement information sharing internationally on potential sex tourists. Commitments are made to be kept."
press release
Commission to Hold Hearing with OSCE Human Rights AppointeesTuesday, July 15, 2014
WASHINGTON—Today the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (U.S. Helsinki Commission) announced the following hearing: Anti-Semitism, Racism and Discrimination in the OSCE Region Tuesday, July 22, 2014 10:00 a.m. Dirksen Senate Office Building Room 562 Following an escalation of anti-Semitic hate crimes a decade ago, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) intensified efforts to combat prejudice and discrimination throughout Eurasia and North America. Since 2004, three Personal Representatives have been appointed annually by the OSCE Chair-in-Office (currently Switzerland) to address anti-Semitism; racism, xenophobia, and discrimination including against Christians and members of other religions; and intolerance and discrimination against Muslims. In an official joint visit to the United States, the Personal Representatives will address progress and ongoing challenges in the OSCE region a decade after the creation of their positions. The following witnesses are scheduled to testify: Rabbi Andrew Baker, Personal Representative on Combating Anti-Semitism Professor Talip Küçukcan, Personal Representative on Combating Intolerance and Discrimination against Muslims Alexey Avtonomov, Personal Representative on Combating Racism, Xenophobia and Discrimination, also focusing on Intolerance and Discrimination against Christians and Members of Other Religions
France, a republic located on the western coast of Europe, has been an OSCE participating State since June 25, 1973. It is a founding member of NATO, the EU, and the Council of Europe, and home to several international organizations and EU institutions including UNESCO and the European Parliament. Its highly diversified economy includes defense, power and public transportation, and tourism industries. Its population of over 66.5 million is made up of French, Northern and Sub-Saharan African and Caribbean, Middle East, and Eastern Europe populations that represent diverse faiths
France has hosted numerous OSCE and OSCE PA events that have been attended by Commissioners, and has periodically had its elections observed by the OSCE/ODIHR. Helsinki Commission events have included a roundtable with the US Ambassador to France and hosting diverse youth delegations. In the wake of attacks in January and November 2014, France has had an increased OSCE and Commission focus on issues related to security, human rights, and migration.
Staff Contact: Mischa Thompson, senior policy advisor


text:
To complete the operation,
you must Login or Register
Located just south of Fort St. John in British Columbia and just west of the Alberta border, Taylor is a small community with houses or apartments for rent.
Recreation and Adventure in Taylor
Located close to the Rocky Mountains, there are plenty of activities to do in Taylor. Find rentals in Taylor and take advantage of the following facilities.
• Peace Island Park – Take a week off and go camping at this park where you can take part in fun activities such as boating, horseshoe pits and campfires.
• Lone Wolf Golf Course – This championship course features great amenities such as a heated driving range.
For more information about apartments to rent in Taylor or near Taylor, British Columbia, see Fort St. John.
From $685/month
9816 Spruce St.,
Northview Apartment REIT
4Rent ID:
view details
Spruce Manor is located close to Taylor's elementary school and golf course. Balcony views offer breathtaking views of the Peace River Valley. This location offers resident easy access to Taylor's walking trails and golf......
view details
From $685/month
10524 102 St.,
Northview Apartment REIT
4Rent ID:
view details
The Terrace Court building is located close by the Peace River and offers resident spectacular views of the valley's farmland. Rent includes water, hot water, heat and parking. This building is pet......
view details

subset: commoncrawl


text: Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish. Theme of this week: Top Ten 2014 Releases I Meant To Read But Didn't Get To. I've wanted to do Top Ten Tuesday meme for ages already!! Now I finally didn't miss it! Or I am not sure does it mean you... Continue Reading →


text:
Saturday, 24 January 2015
This winter saw me a dramatic change in my skin, where I has dry flaky patches under my eyes, around my nose, in between my brows and my chin a little bit. For someone with generally combination skin all year round it came as a bit of a shock and found myself with no other alternative in my skincare cupboard. I spoke to Megan who recently had a similar issue and recommended me the Botanics Skin Calming Ultra Calm Night Cream.
I actually use this day and night, because the Day Cream alternatives have some SPF in them and from past experience they have made my face look paler than it already is. It's thick, but absorbent so when you wear it in the day it actually makes makeup sit on it really well, and this is all I've been using day and night for the past two weeks or so. The 'soothing marshmallow' claims to leave the skin less reactive and more calm, due to its natural sugars and polyphenols. Not that I understand that.
It cleared my skin up dramatically, with in about 2 days all the dry patches were gone and everything felt soft, replenished and soothed - basically, really calm. I couldn't believe how quickly it had worked, and now I'm really intrigued to try the serum from the same line. The best thing is, the range doesn't even break the bank, and there are usually offers on anyway.
How has your skin been this winter?
Posted by Lauren at 09:21
Labels: Affordable , Boots , Botanics , Clear , Dryness , Night Cream , Overnight , Replenishing , Skin Care , Soothing
3 comments :
Ooh I love the sound of this! Botanics products are always fab :)ReplyDelete
Josie XOXO
Fashion Mumblr
This sounds lovely and just what I need after blemish treatments have really dried out my skin xxxReplyDelete
Blonde Of Carbs
This sounds amazing! I've only ever tried one Botanics product before, the Cleansing Toner, but it's so good. I might have to give this a go, my skin gets quite dry in winter xxReplyDelete
Subscribe to: Post Comments ( Atom )


text:
We noticed a leak/very damp patch on the garage ceiling which was already going black (mould). I contacted 3 rooffing providers to provide estimates and picked AAA Contruction and Restoration because their price was in the middle and importantly for us, they could begin work within 2 days. (We had visitors coming from Europe who were staying the week with us) First they came out and removed some roof tiles and found where the leak was. Then the same day, they repaired the roof and closed it up. This estimate also included cutting out and replacing the bad/mouldy sheetrock in the garage ceiling and I was to pay about $300 extra later to have someone repaint the garage roof. Within a few days, they did a nice job replacing the mouldy sheetrock (and they also tidied up another leak that had caused a damp patch on the garage ceiling I had a few years ago from the air- conditioner overflow). I worked mostly with John and he was pleased we'd chosen them. Ultimately the $300 for painting the ceiling was waived, I just provided the paint. The painter did a nice job and within about a week from the start everything was looking good, ready for my visitors. After the repair, we had quite a bit of rain from Storm Sandy and everything is looking good. As described above, it went very well. They were able to start the job almost immediately and finished within a week. The staff were good about calling when they required access and it was a complete job including removing the bad sheetrock and painting the whole garage ceiling. Also they were good about the price because I choose them, and the free labor for the ceiling paint was a nice little gift for us. Just the normal (sensible) do's and don'ts as you would with any contractor. Do your homework/research on Angie's list. Establish the work and the cost and the time frame and the guarranty and make sure it is all documented and agreed too. Even though they do clear up after themselves, roofing work and drywall work does make a mess and a lot of dust, even though they put plastic covers over items in the garage. Expect to have to do a small final clean up yourself, if you are fussy , like me. Finally a week or so went by and no phone calls or the bill so finally I called them to pay them. They were very pleased and gave me another $50 off. Overall, a very good experience and I have a 1 yr warranty, ready for next summer rains.
Mike T.
Roof repairs/Roof replacements/ Drywall work as wll as Mold remediation. New flooring and new kitchen installations.Electrical repairs- Plumbing repairs. Central AC installation and cleaning. Clearing of zoning violations and closing permits Plans/Permit issues with the County.. Interior and exterior painting- Exterior Landscaping- Architecture services. Very trustworthy and reliable service by a team of Professional individuals. I have been using this company for several years now and their level of satisfaction is outstanding. Quick turn around times- Estimates are reliable and very competitive. They listen to your concerns and take care of what you need done. Once the work is completed they pick up and clean up after themselves, I have never had any complaints and highly recommend their services to anyone needing them.Glad to know I can count on AAA Construction and Resroration Services.
Miguel G.
Our house, built in 1954, probably never had a complete roof replacement. It was high time. We got five different bids, asking each contractor what it would cost to take the roof down to the bare wood and completely replace everything, adding a thick layer of foam/fiberglass insulation and a reflective topcoat. A lot of the fascia board was rotten, and needed to be replaced as well. We asked that any rotten wood discovered at the time of replacement be replaced, and we also replaced six large skylights. All vents were replaced, new fascia board installed, and new gutters on two sides of the house. Southern Florida is a challenging place to do roofing in the summer because of the weather. From the first day, Dustin Anderson was completely up front and honest about the difficulties and chronic delays we might face, which were completely reasonable and understandable (I don't want roofers topside in a thunderstorm, either!). One of the most impressive things about AAA Construction was Dustin's constant honesty and incredibly fast responsiveness. If I noticed a small problem during construction (e.g., a rotten fascia board that had been missed for replacement), all I had to do was text him, and literally within 15 minutes he had contacted his crew and let them know they had to fix the problem. And they always fixed it, cheerfully and properly. A few little glitches along the way are to be expected with any project this big. But every single little glitch was corrected quickly and without stalling or making excuses, largely because of Dustin's incredible sense of ethics and professionalism. Case in point: When we unpacked the skylights, I was dismayed to find that they were bronze-tinted, rather than clear, as I had requested. But as it turned out, the only time I requested that was when we did the initial walk- through of the house, and we didn't actually write it down in the contract anywhere. Dustin could simply have told me "too bad, so sad." But did he? NO. He immediately got on the horn to various skylight manufacturers and within a day he had me talking to the manufacturer (in Texas!) in a 3-way teleconference so we could discuss the merits of each color of available skylight lens. I ultimately settled on white, which I hadn't even known was available at the time. Dustin then not only scheduled the lens replacements at my convenience, but also *completely covered the cost of the replacements* (more than $1200). How many contractors would do that? All the men on the work crew were professional, nice folks who were very willing to make special adjustments as we worked along through this big job. I felt completely comfortable with them on my property. They showed incredible respect for my rescued animals (I run a rabbit rescue and have both wild and domestic rabbits who can be very stressed by loud noises and strange voices), and were always considerate and kind.) They made a point of inviting me up to inspect their work, if I wished to see it, and also pointed out the absence of termites. I was interested to hear some of their stories of finding extensive termite damage in some of the older roofs they'd replaced, and how they had been careful to alert the owners to the problem so it could be addressed. (But I was grateful to learn our house didn't have that problem!) Just one extra little bonus showing how meticulous and observant the crew was. Because of the constant rain, we had to wait a bit for a dry spell to apply the final, reflective top coat. But Dustin was in constant contact throughout the wait, assuring me that he hadn't forgotten, and would have someone out to do it as soon as the roof was dry enough. And the first time we had a decent dry spell, the job was done quickly and professionally. The finishing touch was the gutter work. He sent out two different contractors, and let me choose the one who seemed more knowledgeable about the work. The gutters were done quickly, and are absolutely beautiful. Dustin has some really top-notch subcontractors, and the gutter expert was certainly one of them. Our back yard used to flood mercilessly with the slightest rain, but the gutter crew analyzed the lay of the land and installed a perfect system to send all the drainage to the low-lying pond. We're extremely pleased with the results. We've since weathered some major storms (Sandy!) and we stayed dry and happy underneath our beautiful new roof. I have no doubt it will last us another 20 years. I recommend AAA Construction without reservation, and *especially* Dustin Anderson, the supervisor. He was always helpful, honest, prompt, responsive, knowledgeable, and just an all-around nice guy to work with. We'll be doing some major upgrades on the house in the future, and I look forward to working with AAA again.
Dana K.
I am a REO agent doing bank foreclosures and have used this company for over 3 years. They always go beyond the call of duty when providing a service for me. I am more than happy with the quality of their work. The owner John is an awsome man full of integrity. This is the go to company for all of your construction needs !!!!!!!!! I am rating this company a AAA company.
Jacquelyn C.
I had a leak a few months ago supposedly repaired by another roofing contractor. It wasn't sufficient, and when I saw the pictures inside the attic ( I don't climb up in there!) it was pretty obvious what a sorry job had been done. Rather than deal with that company I bit the bullet, found AAA on Angie's List, was very pleased with their straightforward description of the problem and what needed to be done, and have been very satisfied so far with the service and workmanship. I definitely plan to hire them for any future roofing needs - hopefully none for awhile! As above. They were very neat. They had to take off a number of my concrete tiles in order to replace rotten wood underneath as well as some flashing around the chimney. Unfortunately they could not find new tiles to match the ones on my roof so had to paint the new ones - the only disappointment. Otherwise overall an excellent experience.
Heide R.
This job entailed roofing, painting, engineering, mold restoration, drywall work, insulation, electrical repair, plumbing etc. Nearly every phase of the home construction business was required. I am a realtor who handles bank owned properties. One property that I was responsible for had suffered extensive fire damage. Once the bank who owned the property made the determination to get the property fixed AAA Construction and Restoration Services was contacted to provide a bid and then was ultimately hired to do the job. Dustin Anderson of AAA provided an extremely detailed estimate, not to mention explanations for what was going to be done and why. Additionally, he laid out a precise timetable for the bank. Not only did he keep to the timetable, he actually finished the job early AND on Budget! I was responsible to work with Dustin Anderson, as the bank's eyes on the project. I was able to witness firsthand the metamorphosis this property underwent from sitting as a burnt out damaged property to a model home. The photos which I have included hopefully will capture the transformation. This job entailed roofing, painting, engineering, mold restoration, drywall work, insulation, electrical repair, plumbing etc. Nearly every phase of the home construction business was required. Both I and the bank could not have been happier with the job that Dustin and AAA did on this property. Finding a contractor in South Florida who did what they said they would do, when they said they were going to do, AT the price they said they were going to do it for is AMAZING.
Todd S.
I had a very bad leak which resulted in mold on multiples floors in my home. John and Dustin from AAA Construction were knowledgeable, trustworthy and VERY professional to work with. They really went above and beyond in correcting the problem and making the process as smooth as possible for my family. They found that the project needed a little extra work and did not charge extra. They kept their original estimate. They provided a competitive estimate. Were available to answer any questions about it. Never rushed me on the phone. Showed up as promised. Tried to minimize the number of days we had to be out of the home. Kept to their original estimate. Overall were friendly, helpful and easy to work with.
Erin K.
Repaired and/or replaced about 80 tiles in our roof, and also fixed a leak near the flashing (outside of the house). We bought our house in May. The inspection report showed that there were minor repairs needed in the roof (due to the cracked tiles and the small leak). Out of the blue, our insurance company (wind) sent us a cancellation notice because we hadn't repaired the roof! We had in fact made arrangements with another roofing company but the insurance company insisted we had to get it done by the 24th of July or coverage would be cancelled. The other roofing company could not complete the work before the 24th of July. In a bit of a panic, we went to Angie's list and found AAA under roofing. I spoke with John on the 19th of July and explained the situation to him. He said he'd take care of it - and they did! It'd been raining a lot recently and I know the company was swamped... but they came by on that very day to estimate the work, and the crew came on Saturday to do the job. They did a great and thorough job, photographing before/during/after and enabling us to get the insurance policy reinstated before it expired. I am very grateful to them for their responsiveness and the quality of their work. Both John and Dustin were excellent.
Antonio P.
I had just bought an old house in Dania Beach (Ft. Lauderdale area) that had the worst roof which the home inspector had ever seen, that was still functioning as a roof. When I moved in and the first torrential "rainy season" storm hit the water came running through the roof into the kitchen, like a river. I had already met AAA Construction through a "home show" in the Miami area where I met "Dustin" who had roof samples on his display table. After a nice talk I looked up AAA Consruction on Angie's list and the comment was good. So in the excitement of my flooding floor I decided to hire AAA Construction. Dustin of AAA Construction was awsome! He was my roofing contact. He was polite, explaned everything I questioned, and whenever I telephoned him either he picked up the phone right away or called me back within a few minutes. I always felt in touch with what was happening. I signed the contract. Gave him a $500 deposit. He arranged all the permits in ONE day. I have to say that Dania Beach Permit Division was FAST too! I gave Dustin another $5,000 toward the roof. The roofers arrived right on time as did the dumpster. The old roof went off and the new one went on. The roofers were very polite and cleaned up all their mess regularly. The only delays were due to Florida's incredibly rainy season, not the roofers. When the job was done, Dustin got and gave me the closed permit. I gave him the final check. Then it rained like crazy and the new roof kept my little old home dry dry dry.Yes, I would recommend them! 100% EXCELLENT! I highly recommend AAA Construction for roofing.
Wendy W.
I received about 6 estimates, all from Angie List suppliers. John's quote, although not the cheapest was very competitive. We talked about timing and materials. John came over on a number of occasions and brought over samples of the materials he would use. He also assured me that his crew would be quick and clean. I was concerned about timing since it was the rainy season. The work started after about 2 weeks of rain delays. Overall, the crew was very quick, clean and courteous. They took care not to damage the rain gutters that I had recently installed even though it clearly stated in the contract that they were not responsible for damage. Some of the soffits and eaves needed to be replaced due to water damage. But, I was not charged additionally for those repairs. John took care of all the permits and inspections. The entire process was turn-key. He also provided me with a mitigation report after the work had been completed in order to get a credit from my insurance provider. Overall, we are very happy with AAA Construction and Restoration Service's work and would recommend them to friends and neighbors.


text:
Booktitle: Dead Reckoning ( Sookie Stackhouse )
Author: Charlaine Harris
Release date ( if known) : 3-5-2011
Catagory: Vampires
Goodreads summary
"With her knack for being in trouble's way, Sookie witnesses the firebombing of Merlotte's, the bar where she works. Since Sam Merlotte is now known to be two-natured, suspicion falls immediately on the anti-shifters in the area. But Sookie suspects otherwise and she and Sam work together to uncover the culprit – and the twisted motive for the attack. But her attention is divided. Though she can't 'read' vampires, Sookie knows her lover Eric Northman and his 'child' Pam well – and she realises that they are plotting to kill the vampire who is now their master. Gradually, she is drawn into the plot -which is much more complicated than she knows. Caught up in the politics of the vampire world, Sookie will learn that she is as much of a pawn as any ordinary human – and that there is a new Queen on the board . . .
Why do I want to read this book?
I love Sookie Stackhouse, it's just fun to read the books. They have everything I like about a book, enjoyable characters, a good storyline and some steamy scenes. So I can't wait to start reading the next book!


text:
all i create, Art, Autumn, Cheap, Copy, Decor, Digital, DIY, Easy, Feature, Free, free printables, Freebie, Halloween, Harvest, holiday, Inexpensive, Monthly, October, Paper Poppies And Paisleys, Pinterest, Printable, Printables, Re-Do, Spruce Up, Subway Art, Summer
I can't believe it's already October … and Autumn! Halloween is this month. 🙂 Let me know if you have something you'd like me to include.
If I featured your post, please grab an "I've Been Featured" button and display it proudly on your blog.

PLEASE TAKE ONE SECOND TO VOTE FOR ME!!! All you need to do is click on the banner in the sidebar to the right to register a vote for me! You can vote one time every 24 hours from every computer and cell phone! THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH!!! I really appreciate your support!
Don't forget to find me on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest. Until next time, this has been a real housewife in Houston moment.


text:
Let's Talk
Have questions? Let us get in touch with you.
DO NOT check this box if you are using a public computer. User IDs potentially containing sensitive information will not be saved.
Personal and Small Business:
Personal and Small Business:
Corporate and Institutional:
Have questions? Let us get in touch with you.
Newsletter highlighting emerging trends in Food & Beverage
PNC's Food & Beverage team combines industry and financial expertise with local relationship management to offer tailored financial solutions to Food & Beverage companies across the value chain.
We believe that by working closely with our clients, we can provide them customized solutions that can help them better prepare for today and every day.
They consistently present solutions that fit the specific needs of our business.
Matthew Dent, COO & President of Buffalo Rock
PNC provides financial services to more than 475 clients and has delivered more than $13 billion in capital commitments to this sector.
We leverage local, in-market relationships as well as national industry and financial perspectives to help you navigate a dynamic and evolving environment.
We offer the full suite of PNC's capabilities, tailored to optimize a company's financial capacity, capitalization and valuation within a dynamic industry environment, including:
We can also offer support from our advisory businesses:
Read a summary of privacy rights for California residents which outlines the types of information we collect, and how and why we use that information.
We have tools to help you bank when and where you want.Mobile Apps Directory »
Be part of our inclusive culture that strives for excellence and rewards talent.Visit PNC Careers »
The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. All rights reserved.


text:
SBS Transit Bus Service 31A is a Short-Trip Service variant of Bus Service 31.
The route operates from Tampines Bus Interchange and ends at New Upp Changi Road (Tanah Merah Stn Exit A), operating only during the weekday morning peak hours during the ITE College East school term.
|Technical Information
|Tampines Bus Interchange → New Upp Changi Road (Tanah Merah Stn Exit A)
|Passes Through
|Sengkang, Tampines Ave 10, Ave 7
|Route Length
|4.5 km
|Journey Time
|25-40 mins
|Operator Information
|BCM Route Package
|Tampines Bus Package
|Current Operator
|SBS Transit Ltd
|Current Depot
|Bedok North Bus Depot
|Current Fleet
|12-metre Double Deck Bus:
– Volvo B9TL
|Departure Times
|Weekdays, except Public Holidays
From Tampines Int: 0644hrs to 1120hrs, 8-29mins
Short Trip Service 31A is a trunk service operating from Tampines Bus Interchange and ends at New Upp Changi Road (Tanah Merah Stn Exit A) on Weekday mornings.
As a Short-Trip Service, the route operates during Weekday AM Peak hours and supplements the high demand for Service 31 from Tampines Interchange/MRT to ITE College East. In addition, Service 31A buses will perform special departures of Service 31 from New Upp Changi Road (Tanah Merah Stn Exit B) to Tampines Bus Interchange to supplement high demand from Tanah Merah MRT to ITE College East.
During the afternoon and evening, special Service 31 departures from Tanah Merah to Tampines Interchange are operated in the reverse direction of 31A, supplementing high demand from ITE College East to Tampines Interchange/MRT.
Departure Timings
- From Tampines Bus Interchange:
Weekdays, except Public Holidays: 0644hrs, 0655hrs, 0704hrs, 0714hrs, 0723hrs, 0732hrs, 0742hrs, 0753hrs, 0801hrs, 0810hrs, 0818hrs, 0838hrs, 0848hrs, 0858hrs, 0909hrs, 0922hrs, 0940hrs, 0952hrs, 1014hrs, 1037hrs, 1051hrs & 1120hrs
Reverse 31A:
- New Upp Changi Rd (Tanah Merah Stn Exit B) → Tampines Int
Weekdays: 0707hrs, 0717hrs, 0727hrs, 0739hrs, 0748hrs, 0757hrs, 0807hrs, 0818hrs, 0826hrs, 0835hrs, 0843hrs, 0902hrs, 0913hrs, 0922hrs, 0946hrs, 1004hrs, 1016hrs, 1209hrs, 1224hrs, 1245hrs, 1313hrs, 1328hrs, 1349hrs, 1410hrs, 1425hrs, 1440hrs, 1447hrs, 1525hrs, 1527hrs, 1534hrs, 1552hrs, 1602hrs, 1604hrs, 1625hrs, 1629hrs, 1639hrs, 1641hrs, 1646hrs, 1658hrs, 1706hrs, 1721hrs, 1725hrs, 1732hrs, 1742hrs, 1750hrs, 1800hrs, 1804hrs, 1810hrs, 1821hrs, 1833hrs, 1848hrs, 1854hrs, 1858hrs, 1918hrs, 1927hrs, 1951hrs
Fare: Charges regular distance fares for trunk services. See Bus Fares.
MRT Station Served
- EW2DT32 Tampines
- EW4CG Tanah Merah
Operator History:
- —
Route History:
- —


text:
Do You Really Need To Grease Your Scalp?
Applying oil to the scalp, also known as greasing is a commonly accepted natural hair care practice among black women although some women find the practice to be "old school". Many naturals apply oil to their scalp after washing to help lock in moisture, alleviate scalp dryness and flaking and to give the hair a lustrous shine.
Applying grease to your scalp may be part of your regular routine; but the question is, is it really necessary to do this?
Well ladies, it depends. There are instances when oil application to the scalp is an absolute necessity and then there are instances when it is not necessary. How do you judge when to oil the scalp or not?
Greasing the scalp may be necessary when…
1. You have scalp eczema. A mineral oil based product can be applied to the scalp to keep it from drying and exacerbating the problem. Mineral oil you say?
Yes, mineral oil. It's one oil that has a bad reputation, but in terms of protecting a stressed scalp, mineral oil is thick so it can act as barrier and keep moisture in; and it does not contain oleic acid which causes dandruff.
Mineral oil helps protect the scalp, but it's not the best choice for natural hair that craves moisture since it sits on top of the hair cuticle and blocks the transfer of moisture into the hair shaft.
2. You have dandruff. Dandruff occurs when there are excessive flakes of dead skin peeling and falling off the scalp. If you have scalp eczema, the chances are high that you also have problems with dandruff. Ointments and creams that contain oil may be used to treat dandruff.
Greasing the scalp is NOT necessary when…
1. Your scalp is healthy and produces oil on its own. The scalp produces a natural oil called sebum which coats hair. By simply massaging your scalp, you stimulate the production of this natural oil. The problem for curly coily girls is that the oil does not distribute down the hair shaft easily. If dry hair is an issue, apply a light coating of oil directly onto your hair instead; concentrating on the ends.
2. You are trying to treat/reduce dandruff. This sounds contrary to our tip that you should grease your scalp if dandruff is an issue, but there is a key difference. One of the causes of dandruff is the fungus malassezia globosa which thrives on oleic acid. Oleic acid is present in many natural oils including those commonly used to grease hair i.e. shea butter, olive oil and coconut oil. Reduce dandruff by avoiding these types of natural oils and opting for mineral oil instead.
Remember that any ongoing scalp problems should be checked by a dermatologist for the best solution for your particular case.
Author: Dianne
|"Changing attitudes about natural hair" is what we do at Natural Haircare News. Through informative articles, podcasts and videos, we go beyond just sharing the latest advice and tips on kinky, curly, wavy haircare – We shake things up and focus on the realities of wearing our hair natural.
You May Also Like:
- Myths And Misconceptions You May Have About Natural Hair
- The LOC Method for Type 4 Hair
- Want Natural Hair With Thicker And Stronger Ends? Try These 6 Tips!
- Help a Brotha' Out! How Do I Maintain My Locs?
- The Advice My Natural Hair Stylist Gave Me Every Naturalista Should Know
- Natural Hair Care 101: What is Co-Washing?
- 5 Tried And Tested Ways To Stop Hair Breakage
- Move Over Argan, Monoi and Jojoba Oil: There's A Tried and True Staple That Boosts the Strength of Natural Hair
- How To Achieve Second-Day Hair
- Understanding Your Hair Porosity – A Strategic Approach to Combating Dry, Frizzy Natural Hair
- It's Not Too Late To Protect Your Hair Against The Summer Rays and Dreaded Humidity
- The Benefits of Natural Hair
Explore Our Website!
Let's Stay In Touch
Sponsored Ads
What Others Are Saying
Natural Haircare Topics
Popular Posts
- How Do You Know If You Have Scab Hair? Pictures
- 6 Tips for Controlling Frizz in Natural Hair
- The Finer Things In Life: Tips For Fine Hair Naturals!
- Combating Fairy Knots In Natural Hair, (Single Strand Knots)
- The LOC Method: 3 Steps For Happy, Moisture Rich, Natural Hair
- Mature Women and Natural Hair – A Photo Gallery
- Why Did Black Women Start Perming Their Hair In The First Place
- Natural Haircare Training and Certification Available at a North Carolina Community College
- Transitioners Start Here


text:
The idea that unions are a bad influence on California is hardly just a conclusion of folks on the right. In 2005, the Los Angeles Times endorsed Prop. 75, saying barring the automatic deduction of union dues from public employees' pay would lead to a fairer balance of power at the local and state government level. The Sacramento Bee editorial page has gone after unions for being unreasonable for years; here's a recent example. Unions are so out of control that it barely raises eyebrows when union officials and allies like state Dem Party leader John Burton advocate a policy that would prevent giving anti-convulsion drugs to kids at risk of death if the person doing the giving isn't a union nurse. But guess who completely absolves unions? The Calbuzz boys, whose writing style/shtick builds off the idea that they're smarter than everybody, and the L.A. Times' George Skelton, dean of Sacramento journos. Really, guys? Not a single mention of unions in your recent dissections of California's dysfunction? Not one? Wow.
Skelton's myopia is his norm. I groaned when I read the following but was hardly surprised.
The real blame rests with the recession, an outdated roller-coaster tax system, the two-thirds legislative vote requirement for tax increases, an outmoded Proposition 13 property tax system that has shifted power and responsibility from local governments to Sacramento, legislative term limits that stunt lawmakers' growth — and political polarization.
Same old Shelton.
But remember that Phil Trounstine and Jerry Roberts, the Calbuzzers, write as if they alone understand California yet are otherwise surrounded by idiots and knaves. So how on Earth is it possible that they could write 930 words on the state's screwed-up budget and never mention the word "union"?
Now I understand the theory that Proposition 13 is the root of all evil. I understand the theory that the lack of an oil extraction tax seems unfair given how other states deal with the same issue. But, holy bleep, to look at all of California's problems and boil it down to GOP opposition to higher taxes? Really?
Like Reagan, Brown is at heart a traditionalist, embracing the old-school belief that politics is the art of the possible, fueled by negotiations in the service of finding agreement. That is why Brown keeps expecting Republicans to want to negotiate for things they want in exchange for things he wants. But the vast majority of the GOP minority doesn't want to negotiate, because they don't want an agreement.
Brown's focused and patient efforts to craft a budget deal belie the decades-old rap on him as too heedless and flaky for the painstakingly hard work of governing. He can only hope, however, that amid all the posing, grandstanding and strutting in the Republican caucus, there are at least a couple of grown-ups with the backbone to stand up and help him do the job.
Given what happened to Nathan Fletcher's smart tax deal with Jerry Brown last fall, I understand gripes about GOP obstinance. But when one side has so much more power than the other side, it's simply bizarre to absolve the strongest supporters of the side with the great majority of power of any responsibility for the state's problems.
It takes amazing tunnel vision to write 930 words about why California is screwed up and not mention unions. It takes amazing chutzpah to do this in a column in which the Calbuzzers mock other journos for their takes on the Golden State.
What do they ignore? Lots of things.
When times are bad, unions pressure Democrats to always make social services for the poor be the first target of budget cutting, preserving public employee compensation by any means possible.
When times are good, they pressure Democrats to save extra revenue for them. In the revenue boom that lasted from 2003-2007, social services spending went up by barely the rate of inflation, while spending on schools (teacher unions) and prisons (guard unions) went up at least four times as fast.
Unions have blocked teacher tenure reform and any policies that pursue teacher accountability.
Unions have rigged CalPERS and CalSTRS into fighting for a crazy status quo by controlling their boards and used their clout in the Legislature to block pension reform.
They've passed one state law to make it more difficult for local governments to declare bankruptcy, so as to preserve public employee compensation, and they're pursuing another law to make it even harder.
They oppose letting volunteers clean up parks.
They require leaders of the Legislature to block significant bills helping the economy because then they can use those bills as political chits to win concessions related to, you guessed it, protect public employee jobs and compensation.
In south Los Angeles, when Latino parents wanted a charter school, someone left leaflets warning that their organizing meeting would be raided by agents looking for illegal immigrants. UTLA members are the only logical suspects.
Against this backdrop, it's nutty that anyone can go 20 words without citing unions as part of the state's dysfunction, much less full essays.
At least when Skelton ignores the T. Rex in the room, he doesn't do so while patting himself on the back. In their essay, Roberts' and Trounstine's self-regard rings through:
The only thing worse was reading the inane Back East commentary, written by the usual assortment of Romney-sniffing blowhards, ill-informed thumbsuckers and right-wing mantra-chanters whose knowledge and understanding of California politics seems proscribed by the collected rantings of Flashreport freelancers and the world's shortest book, viz. The Wit and Wisdom of Jon Coupal.
OK, OK, it's clear, Calbuzzers, you think the pundits on the right are nitwits.
But how can it not be crystal-clear, Jerry and Phil, that when you write 930 words of analysis on California's woes without mentioning unions, you are yourselves guilty of the same partisan hackery and hucksterism you see on the right?
I will leave the closing argument to the L.A. Times, and the paper's Oct. 16, 2005, editorial:
At many levels of government, public employee unions, aided by their political war chests, have gained control over both sides of the negotiating process. When public employee unions wield the type of influence they now do in California, too much governing becomes an exercise in self-dealing.
I look forward to a sarcastic, name-calling screed against the L.A. Times from the Calbuzz guys.


text:
The Army is moving one small step closer to giving its troops super-strength, with a fresh round of biomechanical tests for Lockheed's Human Universal Load Carrier exoskeleton. The trials, held at the Army's Natick Soldier Systems Center, are supposed to gauge whether GIs can really move freely wearing the "HULC" system. It uses robotic leg braces to augment troops' muscles, giving them the ability to carry loads of up to 200 pounds without tuckering out. If these tests work out, it could be on to field trials. (OK, OK. You can make your HULC joke now.)
In the promo video above, at least, the exoskeleton-clad soldier looks pretty agile — when he's not staring off into the distance, assuming his best macho pose. He scampers up a mountain crag, hops from rock to rock, and trudges through sand. The maneuverability has long been the selling point of the system, originally designed at the University of California at Berkeley.
Unlike Darpa's new robotic arm, the super-suit isn't directly controlled by the user's mind; instead, the exoskeleton senses the wearer's movement, and augments it. Unlike its super-strength competitor from Raytheon, HULC doesn't have arm attachments.
But Lockheed insists that the "un-tethered, battery powered, hydraulic-actuated anthropomorphic exoskeleton" helps the wearer perform "deep squats, crawls and upper-body lifting with minimal human exertion" by transferring weight down to the legs.
Under a relatively-small, $1.1 million contract, researchers at Natick — the Army's main center for testing dismounted soldier gear — will look at HULC's impact on troops' performance. "Biomechanical testing will measure the energy expended by a soldier when using the HULC," according to a Lockheed statement. "The laboratory testing will also assess how quickly users learn to use the HULC system when carrying various loads and moving at various speeds. The contract includes options for field trials to test the system's utility in operational environments."
It'll still be years (if ever) before the exoskeleton makes it into combat. Making it through these tests is the next robotically-enhanced step.
See Also:
- Lockheed Unleashes 'HULC' Super-Strength Gear
- Marines: Give Us Exoskeletons, 'Self-Aware' Robots
- Video: Exoskeleton Overdose
- Prosthetic Prof's Next Step: Exoskeletons
- Video Fix: Super Suit Gets Serious
- How To: Build Your Own Iron Man Powered Armor
- Video: Super Suit Sprints Into Action
- Attack of the Super-Strength Cyborg Penguins


text:
The first trailer for director Stuart Zicherman's comedy A.C.O.D. has been released online. The title stands for "Adult Children of Divorce" and the film centers on a guy (Adam Scott) who has been caught in his parents' (Richard Jenkins and Catherine O'Hara) ugly divorce for the past twenty years, and matters become even worse when his brother gets engaged. I caught the film at Sundance and it's a really nice showcase for Adam Scott as a leading man, with a couple of scene-stealing performances by Jenkins and O'Hara to boot. In addition to being really funny, the pic also touches on some issues that should hit close to home for fellow A.C.O.D.'s.
Hit the jump to watch the trailer, and click here to read Matt's review. The film also stars Jane Lynch, Jessica Alba, Clark Duke, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, and Amy Poehler. A.C.O.D. opens in theaters on October 4th.
Via Yahoo! Movies.
Here's the official synopsis for A.C.O.D.:
Carter is a seemingly well-adjusted Adult Child of Divorce. Having survived the madness of his parents' divorce, Carter now has a successful career and supportive girlfriend. But when his younger brother gets engaged, Carter is forced to reunite his bitterly divorced parents and their new spouses for the wedding, causing the chaos of his childhood to return including his wacky therapist.