text:
Catherine Ashton
|The Right Honourable
The Baroness Ashton of Upholland
|High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy
|Assumed office
1 December 2009
|Preceded by
|Javier Solana (Common Foreign and Security Policy)
Benita Ferrero-Waldner (External Relations)
|First Vice President of the European Commission
|Assumed office
9 February 2010
|José Manuel Barroso
|Preceded by
|Margot Wallström
|European Commissioner for Trade
|In office
3 October 2008 – 1 December 2009
|José Manuel Barroso
|Preceded by
|Peter Mandelson
|Succeeded by
|Benita Ferrero-Waldner
|Leader of the House of Lords
Lord President of the Council
|In office
27 June 2007 – 3 October 2008
|Prime Minister
|Gordon Brown
|Preceded by
|The Baroness Amos
|Succeeded by
|The Baroness Royall of Blaisdon
|Personal details
20 March 1956
Upholland, United Kingdom
|Political party
|Peter Kellner (1988–present)
|Alma mater
|Bedford College
Catherine Ashton, Baroness Ashton of Upholland, PC (born 20 March 1956) is a British Labour politician who in 2009 became the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy for the European Union. Under the Treaty of Lisbon, this post is combined with the post of Vice-President of the European Commission.
Her political career began in 1999 when she was created a Life Peer (Baroness Ashton of Upholland) by the Labour Government. Under this government she became the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in the Department for Education and Skills in 2001 and subsequently in the Department for Constitutional Affairs and Ministry of Justice in 2004. She became a Privy Councillor (PC) in May 2006.
Ashton was appointed Leader of the House of Lords and Lord President of the Council in Gordon Brown's first Cabinet in June 2007. She was instrumental in steering the EU's Treaty of Lisbon through the UK's upper chamber. In 2008, she was appointed as the U.K.'s Commissioner for Trade in the European Commission.
In December 2009, she became the first person to take on the role of High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy that was created by the Treaty of Lisbon. As High Representative, Ashton serves as the EU's foreign policy chief.[1]
Despite being criticised for her inexperience, particularly at the time of her appointment and in the early stages of her term of office, Ashton has won praise for her work as a negotiator in difficult international situations, in particular for her role in bringing Serbia and Kosovo to an agreement in April 2013 that normalized their ties and in the P5+1 talks with Iran which led to the November 2013 Geneva interim agreement on Iranian nuclear program.[2]
- 1 Personal life
- 2 Career
- 3 Titles and styles
- 4 Honours and awards
- 5 References
- 6 External links
Personal life
Catherine Ashton was born in Upholland, Lancashire, on 20 March 1956.[3][4] She comes from a working-class family, with a background in coal mining.[5][6] She attended Upholland Grammar School in Billinge Higher End, Lancashire, then Wigan Mining and Technical College in Wigan.[7] Ashton graduated with a bachelor of science degree in Sociology in 1977 from Bedford College, London (now part of Royal Holloway, University of London). She was the first person in her family to attend University.[5][6][8][9][10]
Ashton lives in St Alban's[11] with her husband, Peter Kellner, the president of an online polling organisation, YouGov.[12] She has two children and three stepchildren.[13]
United Kingdom
Between 1977 and 1983, Ashton worked for the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) as an administrator and in 1982 was elected as its national treasurer and subsequently as one of its vice-chairs. From 1979 to 1981 she was business manager of the Coverdale Organisation, a management consultancy.[14][15] As of 1983 she worked for the Central Council for Education and Training in Social Work.[16] From 1983 to 1989 she was director of Business in the Community, working with business to tackle inequality, and she established the Employers' Forum on Disability, Opportunity Now, and the Windsor Fellowship.[citation needed] For most of the 1990s, she was a freelance policy adviser.[9][17] She chaired the Health Authority in Hertfordshire from 1998 to 2001 and she became a vice-president of the National Council for One-Parent Families.[citation needed]
She was made a Labour life peer as Baroness Ashton of Upholland in 1999, under Prime Minister Tony Blair. In June 2001 she was appointed Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in the Department for Education and Skills. In 2002 she was made minister for Sure Start in the same department., and in September 2004 she was appointed parliamentary under-secretary in the Department for Constitutional Affairs, with responsibilities that included the National Archives and the Public Guardianship Office. Ashton was sworn of the Privy Council in 2006, and she became parliamentary under-secretary of state at the new Ministry of Justice in May 2007.[citation needed]
In 2005 she was voted "Minister of the Year" by The House Magazine and "Peer of the Year" by Channel 4.[citation needed] In 2006 she won the "Politician of the Year" award at the annual Stonewall Awards, made to those who had a positive impact on the lives of British LGBT people.[18]
On 28 June 2007, Prime Minister Gordon Brown appointed Ashton to the cabinet as Leader of the House of Lords and Lord President of the Council.[19] As Leader, she was responsible for steering the Lisbon Treaty through the Lords.[20]
European Union
On 3 October 2008, Ashton was nominated to replace Peter Mandelson as the UK's European Commissioner in Brussels. Because European Commissioners may not engage in any other occupation during their term of office, whether gainful or not,[21] she used the procedural device previously adopted in 1984 by Lord Cockfield[22] and took a leave of absence from the House of Lords on 14 October 2008,[23] retaining her peerage but not her seat.[24]
During her term, Ashton represented the EU in negotiations leading to a long running dispute over beef war with the United States. (May 2009.),[25] led the EU delegation in an agreement with South Korea that removed virtually all tariffs between the two economies. (October 2009.)[26][27][28] and represented the EU in ending a long-running dispute over banana imports, principally involving Latin America and the EU.[29]
Foreign Affairs and Security Policy
On 19 November 2009, Ashton was appointed the EU's first High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. Her appointment was agreed by a summit of 27 European Union leaders in Brussels. Having initially pushed for former British Prime Minister Tony Blair to become President of the European Council, Gordon Brown eventually relented on the condition that the High Representative position be awarded to a Briton.[30][31]
Ashton's relative obscurity prior to her appointment occasioned comment in the media. The Guardian newspaper reported that her appointment as High Representative had received a "cautious welcome... from international relations experts".[32] The Economist described her as being a virtual unknown with paltry political experience, having no foreign-policy background and never having been elected to anything. The magazine credited her, however, with piloting the Lisbon Treaty through the House of Lords, handling the European Commission's trade portfolio without disagreement with her colleagues, and being suited to consensus-building.[33]
Critics predicted she would be out of her depth. Nile Gardiner of the Heritage Foundation, who is on record as opposed to a European Union role in foreign and security policy on principle,[34] wrote in the Daily Telegraph "This may well be the most ridiculous appointment in EU history".[35] Daniel Hannan, a British Conservative MEP, complained that she had "no background in trade issues at a time when the EU is engaged in critical negotiations with Canada, Korea and the WTO".[36] The Guardian quoted an anonymous Whitehall source as commenting "Cathy just got lucky...The appointment of her and Herman Van Rompuy [as European Council president] was a complete disgrace. They are no more than garden gnomes."[4]
By contrast, former Home Secretary Charles Clarke said: "I have seen Cathy in action. I have great respect for her. She is excellent at building good relations with people and a good negotiator". Shami Chakrabarti, the director of Liberty, a human-rights pressure group, said: "People underestimate Cathy at their peril. She is not a great big bruiser. She is a persuader and a charmer. That is the secret of her success."[4]
After a confirmation hearing by the Trade Committee of the European Parliament, Ashton was approved by the Parliament on 22 October 2008 by 538 to 40 votes, with 63 abstentions.[37] She took office on 1 December 2009 for a five-year-term.
Notable events of her term
Notable events of her term have included:
- Establishing the European External Action Service (1 December 2010), which merged the external relations departments of the European Commission, and the Council of the European Union, and was to have diplomats seconded from national foreign services. Throughout the first half of 2010 Ashton sought agreement between the Council, the Parliament and the Commission over the shape of the EEAS. Parliament agreed to the plan on 8 July, when MEPs approved the service by 549 votes for and 78 against with 17 abstentions. The Council approved the transfer of departments to the EAS on 20 July. Until the EEAS became operational, Ashton had been supported by a staff of about 30 people.[38]
- Working with EU Special Representative Alexander Rondos to head Operation Atalanta – an EU military action off the coast of Somalia, which curtailed piracy. (May 2012.)[39][40]
- Helping to reach a deal[41] between Serbia and Kosovo that normalised their ties. (April 2013.)[42][43][44]
- Successfully negotiating with the Egyptian Army a visit to the deposed president, Mohamed Morsi, in their custody.[45] She reported that he was in good health and was well-treated and aware of current affairs. (July 2013.)[46][47]
- Chairmanship of the P5+1 in their negotiations with Iran on nuclear matters in 2013, which led to the Geneva interim agreement on the Iranian nuclear program. (November 2013.)[2][48]
- Her visit to Kiev during Ukraine's Euromaidan protests,[49] which were to help bring about the fall of the Yanukovych Government (December 2013).
In April 2013, after two years of negotiations, the governments of Serbia and Kosovo reached agreement to normalize their relations. Although Serbia did not formally recognize Kosovo as an independent state, it did "in effect - concede that the government in Pristina has legal authority over the whole territory, including Serb-majority areas of northern Kosovo".[50] In return, Kosovo agreed to grant a degree of autonomy to four Serb-majority areas. The agreement, which among other things removed obstacles to Serbia and Kosovo joining the European Union, followed Ashton's mediation of 10 rounds of talks between Serbia's Prime Minister, Ivica Dacic, and Kosovo Prime Minister Hashim Thaci. A cross party committee of the U.S. House of Representatives nominated Ashton and her fellow negotiators Dacic and Thaci for the Nobel Peace Prize.[51] A similar nomination came from the Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament [52]
After the November 2013 negotiation of an interim agreement with Iran over its nuclear program, the Financial Times wrote that Ashton was "no longer the diplomatic dilettante". A senior French diplomat was quoted as saying, "I tip my hat to her.... She truly played a decisive role". The report continued that, after initially insisting on negotiating only with other foreign ministers, by the latter stages of the negotiations the Iranian foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif "now... wanted to deal only with Lady Ashton". Said a western diplomat, "That the others agreed to this was significant. For China and Russia to be outside while she was in the room negotiating details was quite remarkable".[53]
In December 2013 Ashton visited Kiev. She said she was impressed by the "determination of Ukrainians demonstrating for the European perspective of their country" and observed "with sadness that police used force to remove peaceful people from the center of Kiev... Dialogue with political forces and society and the use of arguments is always better than the argument of force".[49] Subsequently, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin criticized Ashton's categorization of the anti-government protests in Kiev as peaceful in nature, pointing to the death of a number of police officers: "If these are peaceful protests, then Ashton is a ballerina".[54]
At the beginning of March a recording of a conversation between Ashton and the Estonian minister Urmas Paet was released. In the call, Paet said he had been told by a woman doctor named Olga that snipers responsible for killing police and civilians in Kiev last month were protest movement provocateurs rather than supporters of then-president Viktor Yanukovych. Ashton responds: "I didn't know … Gosh." "So there is a stronger and stronger understanding that behind snipers it was not Yanukovych, it was somebody from the new coalition," Paet says. Ashton replies: "I think we do want to investigate. I didn't pick that up, that's interesting. Gosh," Ashton says. The Estonian foreign ministry confirmed the accuracy of the leak but clarified that "Foreign Minister Paet was giving an overview of what he had heard in Kiev and expressed concern over the situation on the ground. We reject the claim that Paet was giving an assessment of the opposition's involvement in the violence."[55]
On 28 March 2014, Ashton issued a statement condemning violence by members of Right Sector.[56]
President Putin signed the new treason law on November 12, 2012. Ashton expressed concern at the new law "potentially penalizing contacts with foreign nationals with up to 20 years in prison" and reducing "the burden of proof for charges of treason and espionage.". The United Nations Committee Against Torture stated that the new law could prohibit sharing information on the human rights situation in Russia with the United Nations human rights organs. According to Ashton the March 2013 inspection wave in Russia seemed aimed at "undermining civil society activities." [57]
Early Phase in Office
Ashton was subject to considerable criticism in the early stages of her term in office, some of it picking up on issues raised by critics at the time of her original appointment. She was questioned by Members of the European Parliament in 2009 about her role as national treasurer in the British Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament in the 1980s, amid claims by its opponents that it may have had financial links to the Soviet Union. Ashton responded that she had not taken any "direct money from communist countries". Much of the organisation's funds had been "collected in buckets" at marches and demonstrations, she said, adding that she was the first to order an audit of CND's finances.[58] Ashton's spokesman said: "She never visited the Soviet Union, she had no contacts with the Soviet Union and she never accepted money from Soviet sources ... She has never been a member of the Communist Party".[59]
In February 2010, Ashton was criticised within the EU community for not visiting Haiti in the wake of the 2010 Haiti earthquake.[60] A number of defense ministers reportedly also complained that she had not attended a European Defence Summit in Majorca.[61] More broadly, senior officials within her team were said to complain that she spoke only in "generalities".[60] A rumor that she switched off her phone after 8 pm every day was greeted by Ashton with ridicule.[60][62]
In February 2011, Ashton received the lowest grade in a survey rating the performance of European Commissioners. The survey, carried out by lobbying and PR company Burson-Marsteller, asked 324 Brussels policy-makers to rate the European Commissioners with a grade of A to E (A being the highest). Ashton scored an E for her performance, the only Commissioner to receive a grade below D.[63]
In March 2012, Ashton was criticised by Israeli politicians for comparing the shooting of Jewish children in Toulouse with the situation in Gaza.[64][65] Ashton told Palestinian youths at a UNRWA event, "When we think of what happened in Toulouse today, when we remember what happened in Norway a year ago, when we know what is happening in Syria, when we see what is happening in Gaza and Sderot and in different parts of the world – we remember young people and children who lose their lives."[66] After she was quoted in the press as not having mentioned the Israeli city of Sderot, Israeli politicians denounced her for equating the murder of three children and a rabbi in the shooting attack with the situation in Gaza. Her spokesman stated that her remark had been "grossly distorted" and that she had also referenced Israeli victims in Sderot, but this fact had been omitted from the original transcript.[67][68][69]
In counterpoint to earlier criticism of Ashton for not traveling enough, in September 2012 the Daily Telegraph criticised her for not being present in Brussels for enough European Commission meetings, reporting that Ashton had missed 21 out of 32 regular weekly meetings held so far that year. To the paper's complaint that Ashton's absences were "leaving Britain without a voice" at such meetings, European diplomatic officials said that, under EU treaties, commissioners serve as representatives not of individual member countries but of the European interest. Ashton's staff also pointed to her personal involvement in nuclear negotiations with Iran as among the international responsibilities that had kept her away from Commission meetings.[70]
The Polish Minister for European and Economic Affairs, Mikolaj Dowgielewicz, stated in 2011 that criticism of Ashton was "a lot of hot air" and that "she has an impossible job to do and she is doing it well. At the end of her time in office, people will be more positive about what she has done. She will leave a real legacy."[71]
Ashton was said in February 2010 to be angry over what she perceived as the "latent sexism" among some of her European peers that underpinned some of the criticisms aimed at her.[60] She told the press that her work was sometimes hampered by the limited resources provided to her. She is not, for example, provided with her own airplane: something taken for granted by U.S. Secretaries of State.[72]
Later Phase in Office
The tone of public comment on Aston's performance in office was subsequently to be influenced especially by her contributions to negotiations over Kosovo and Iran. In October 2013, Der Spiegel wrote of her:
But now the 57-year-old baroness is suddenly at the center of world diplomacy. And whenever she is mentioned, she earns praise for her hard-nosed negotiating skills, her stamina and her diplomatic talents. It is said that U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry has much faith in her. "She is discrete and perceptive, but also tenacious. That makes her an ideal negotiator," says Alexander Graf Lamsdorff, the head of Germany's business-friendly Free Democratic Party (FDP) in the European Parliament and a member of its Committee on Foreign Affairs.[73]
One of the critics of Ashton's appointment came to concede her effectiveness in office. In September 2013, Peter Oborne, the chief political commentator of the Daily Telegraph, wrote:
Well, let's admit we were all completely wrong. It is now obvious that Catherine Ashton has been a success. In her unobtrusive but determined way, she can boast real achievement. Last year a peace deal was struck between Serbia and Kosovo. Nobody had thought it possible. It was a massive step towards healing ancient hatreds and building economic prosperity. It was brokered by Baroness Ashton.... I have never met Baroness Ashton but I guess that one of her secrets is that she keeps her head down, does not flaunt her ego, and allows others to take the credit. It takes little imagination to envisage how a male politician from any of the main parties would have exploited the Kosovo peace-deal, or the Morsi visit. She just kept her head down and quietly got on with her job.[74]
However there was renewed criticism of her inexperience after Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 was shot down in July 2014, the Daily Mail commenting
Don't look, either, to the EU, where the know-nothing former local council officer Lady Ashton, ludicrously in charge of foreign affairs, has poked the Russian bear with a puny stick by attempting to lure Ukraine into the Brussels fold. [75]
and in the same month, as discussions took place on the identity of her successor, Paul Taylor wrote in the New York Times
While Ms. Ashton had some successes, brokering a first accord between Serbia and Kosovo and leading negotiations for an interim nuclear deal between Iran and world powers, critics say she has too often been missing in action closer to home.[76]
Titles and styles
- Miss Catherine Ashton (1956–1988)
- Mrs Catherine Ashton (1988–1999)
- The Rt. Hon. The Baroness Ashton of Upholland (1999–2006)
- The Rt. Hon. The Baroness Ashton of Upholland PC (2006–)
Honours and awards
In February 2013, Ashton was assessed as one of the 100 most powerful women in the United Kingdom by Woman's Hour on BBC Radio 4.[77]
She was awarded an honorary degree from the University of East London in 2005.[78]
On July 1, 2014, she received White Double-Cross, 2nd class, honour from the Slovakia's president Andrej Kiska for "strengthening and pursuing of common foreign and security policy of the EU".[79]
- ^ Castle, Stephen; Erlanger, Steven (19 November 2009). "Low-Profile Leaders Chosen for Top European Posts". The New York Times. Retrieved 12 February 2013.
- ^ a b Ian Traynor (24 November 2013). "Iran nuclear talks: Lady Ashton's Geneva triumph takes centre stage". The Guardian. Retrieved 25 November 2013.
- ^ EU Trade Commissioner Catherine Ashton EU Commission (official website) Archived 18 January 2010 at WebCite
- ^ a b c Lady Ashton: Principled, charming ... or just plain lucky Nicholas Watt, Brussels, guardian.co.uk, Friday 20 November 2009 19.58 GMT
- ^ a b La discréte Lady Europe, Le Monde, Marion Van Renterghem, Jeudi 10 décembre
- ^ a b PROFILE: Catherine AshtonThe Sunday Times, 14 March 2010
- ^ Who's Who
- ^ Davie, Edward; Catherine Ashton (15 October 2007). "Baroness of the barricades". The House Magazine (Archived). Retrieved 22 November 2009.
- ^ a b Dept of Politics & International Relations, Royal Holloway, University of London, "Movers and Shakers among the Department's former students" Accessed 19 November 2009 (archived by WebCite at WebCitation)
- ^ Development & Alumni Relations, Royal Holloway, University of London, "Alumni in the Media" Accessed: 19 November 2009 (archived by WebCite at WebCitation)
- ^ "Profile: EU foreign minister Baroness Ashton". BBC. 6 December 2010. Retrieved 7 May 2014.
- ^ "Person Page – 12633". thepeerage.com. 9 May 2006. Retrieved 22 October 2008.
- ^ McSmith, Andy (7 March 2014). "The quiet diplomat: Catherine Ashton - recognised and admired in all the world's troubled countries, yet ridiculed at home". The Independent (London). Retrieved 8 March 2014.
- ^ The Baroness Ashton of Upholland, PC Debretts entry
- ^ Brunsden, Jim (3 October 2008). "New EU Commissioner Named". EuropeanVoice.com. Retrieved 22 November 2009.
- ^ John Minnion and Philip Bolsover (eds.) The CND Story, Alison and Busby, 1983, ISBN 978-0-85031-487-8
- ^ "Profile: EU foreign minister Baroness Ashton". BBC News. 6 December 2010. Archived from the original on 18 January 2010. Retrieved 8 January 2011.
- ^ "Gay rights advocate Cathy Ashton is new EU foreign affairs chief". PinkNews.co.uk. 20 November 2009. Retrieved 21 November 2009.
- ^ "New Cabinet appointments". 28 June 2007. Retrieved 22 October 2008.
- ^ Profile: Baroness Ashton, EU's new foreign minister, Daily Telegraph, Bruno Waterfield in Brussels, 20 November 2009 Archived 18 January 2010 at WebCite
- ^ Under Article 213 of the Treaty establishing the European Community as amended: Rome Treaty (TEC): PART IV Title I Chapter 1 Section 3: The Commission, Articles 211 to 219
- ^ Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher, House of Common Debates volume 69 column 493W (12 December 1984) HANSARD
- ^ Department of the Official Report (Hansard), House of Lords, Westminster. "Lords Hansard text for 14 October 2008 (pt 13)". Publications.parliament.uk. Retrieved 8 January 2011.
- ^ "European Parliament Focus briefing "Ashton backs Doha rescue in Q&A with MEPs"". Europarl.europa.eu. 21 October 2008. Retrieved 8 January 2011.
- ^ "BBC News report on agreement". 6 May 2009. Retrieved 2013-05-09.
- ^ Castle, Stephen (10 October 2008). "Europe and South Korea Sign Trade Pact". The New York Times. Retrieved 15 October 2009.
- ^ "EU Press release". Retrieved 2013-05-09.
- ^ "European Voice Report". Retrieved 2013-05-09.
- ^ "Stabroek news report". Retrieved 2013-05-09.
- ^ "Belgian PM named as EU president". BBC News. 19 October 2009.
- ^ "UK drops Blair, picks Ashton for EU role". Yahoo News. 19 October 2009.
- ^ Catherine Ashton: 'As trade commissioner she had a good reputation': British peer receives cautious welcome as EU foreign minister from international relations experts – The Guardian Friday 20 November 2009 15.04 GMT
- ^ page12 The Economist 28 November-4 December 2009
- ^ See, for example, "Four Key Principles for a Conservative British Foreign Policy", Web Memo 2911, The Heritage Foundation, 21 May 2010. Accessed on 12/1/13 at: http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/2010/05/four-key-principles-for-a-conservative-british-foreign-policy
- ^ Nile Gardiner (20 November 2009). "Baroness Ashton as EU Foreign Minister - is this the most ridiculous appointment in the history of the European Union?". Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 28 November 2013.
- ^ Hannan, Daniel (10 October 2008). "Why I shall be voting against Peter Mandelson's replacement". The Daily Telegraph (UK). Retrieved 22 October 2008.
- ^ "European Parliament approves new EU trade chief". People's Daily Online. 22 October 2008. Retrieved 22 October 2008.
- ^ Rettman, Andrew (8 July 2010) EU takes 'historic' step on new diplomatic service, EU Observer
- ^ "EU press release". Retrieved 2013-05-09.
- ^ "Consilium Report". Retrieved 2013-05-09.
- ^ "BBC News Report". 24 April 2013. Retrieved 2013-05-07.
- ^ "UK Independent comments on the agreement.". The Independent (London). 22 April 2013. Retrieved 2013-05-09.
- ^ "BBC News report on the deal.". 19 April 2013. Retrieved 2013-05-09.
- ^ "New York Times Report on agreement". The New York Times. 24 April 2013. Retrieved 2013-05-09.
- ^ "Egypt's deposed president Morsi is safe and well, confirms EU's top diplomat Egyptian army agreed to Mohamed Morsi's meeting with Lady Ashton, but authorities made sure his location was not disclosed", Patrick Kingsley, The Guardian, 30 July 2013
- ^ Catherine Ashton's report of her visit to Mr. Morsi: VIDEO
- ^ "How Baroness Ashton's gift for consensus opened the door to Mohamed Morsi. She has been criticised for a 'soft power' image, but the EU foreign policy chief was the first diplomat to convince the military in Egypt to allow access to the ex-president for 'frank' talks that left her hopeful for the future of democracy" The Observer, 4 August 2013
- ^ Laurence Norman and Jay Solomon (9 November 2013). "Iran Nuclear Talks End Without Deal". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 10 November 2013.
- ^ a b http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_SPEECH-13-1060_en.htm
- ^ Morris, Chris. "EU's Ashton sees "brave" Kosovo deal as Breakthrough". BBC News. 24 April 2013. Accessed on 12/2/13 at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-22278542
- ^ The Wall Street Journal http://blogs.wsj.com/brussels/2013/12/24/a-nobel-peace-prize-for-catherine-ashton-in-2014/
|url=missing title (help).
- ^ http://www.socialistsanddemocrats.eu/newsroom/open-letter-nobel-peace-prize-nomination-sd-group-president-hannes-swoboda
- ^ Spiegeleisen, Peter. "Ashton no longer the diplomatic dilettante". Financial Times, 27 November 2013.
- ^ http://english.pravda.ru/news/world/21-02-2014/126897-rogozin_ashton-0/
- ^ http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/mar/05/ukraine-bugged-call-catherine-ashton-urmas-paet
- ^ http://eeas.europa.eu/statements/docs/2014/140328_04_en.pdf
- ^ "Laws of Attrition: Crackdown on Russia's Civil Society after Putin's Return to the Presidency," Human Rights Watch pdf report April 24, 2013
- ^ "EU's new High Representative Catherine Ashton says that she would help Europe 'punch its weight' politically". The Information Daily, 3 December 2009. Accessed on 12/2/13 at: http://www.theinformationdaily.com/2009/12/03/eus-new-high-representative-catherine-ashton-says-that-she-would-help-europe-punch-its-weight-politically
- ^ Waterfield, Bruno and James Kirkup. "Baroness Ashton questioned over CND and Soviet money". The Telegraph, 25 November 2009. Accessed on 12/2/13 at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/6653340/Baroness-Ashton-questioned-over-CND-and-Soviet-money.html
- ^ a b c d French 'sexism' blamed for attacks on Baroness Ashton By Vanessa Mock in Brussels, The Independent, Tuesday, 16 February 2010
- ^ Baroness Ashton under fire for missing European defence summitThe Times, 26 February 2010, David Charter and Graham Keeley
- ^ Interview in The Observer, 4 July 2013 "There was even a damaging rumour that she turned off her phone every night at 8pm." Ashton's response: "I've never turned my phone off in four years," she says. "I'm never out of reach, I'm never off duty and I never refuse to take messages unless I'm on a plane. It was a rumour that went around for reasons I don't understand. It's never been true."
- ^ "Baroness Ashton bottom of class as she 'fails' first year in office" by Bruno Waterfield, Brussels in The Daily Telegraph ,9 February 2011
- ^ Buck, Tobias (2012). "Ashton slammed for Toulouse-Gaza link". Retrieved 20 March 2012.
- ^ Shefler, Gil (2012). "EU's Ashton compares Toulouse shooting to Gaza situation (Paywall)". Retrieved 20 March 2012.
- ^ "Speech by High Representative Catherine Ashton at the high-level conference Engaging youth—Palestine Refugees in the changing Middle East". 2012. Retrieved 20 March 2012.
- ^ Waterfield, Bruno (20 March 2012). "Toulouse school shootings: Israel demands Baroness Ashton resign after she compares incident to Gaza". London: The Telegraph. Retrieved 20 March 2012.
- ^ "Netanyahu slams Ashton for 'unthinkable' comparison of deaths in Toulouse and Gaza". Times of Israel. 20 March 2012.
- ^ "EU corrects Ashton speech transcript after Israeli anger". YnetNews. Retrieved 15 April 2012.
- ^ Waterfield, Bruno (20 September 2012). "Baroness Ashton absent from two thirds of European Commission meetings". The Daily Telegraph (London).
- ^ Carroll, Dean (6 September 2011) Catherine Ashton for a second term at the EEAS?, Public Service Europe. Retrieved 20 September 2011
- ^ Ashton throws down the gauntlet over Gaza trip by Andrew Rettman, 08.03.2010. Retrieved 09.03.2010.
- ^ Schmitz, Gregor Peter and Christoph Schult. "Iran Nuclear Talks: Europe's Unsung Chief Diplomat." Spiegel Online International. 1 October 2013. Accessed on 12/30/13 at: http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/catherine-ashton-excells-in-western-talks-on-iran-nuclear-program-a-925514.html
- ^ Oborne, Peter. "We were all wrong about Baroness Ashton. She may save the Iran nuclear talks". Daily Telegraph, 27 September 2013. Accessed on 12/1/13 at: http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/peteroborne/100238311/we-were-all-wrong-about-baroness-ashton-she-may-save-the-iran-nuclear-talks
- ^ http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-2698023/DAILY-MAIL-COMMENT-Putin-Wests-insipid-statesman.html#ixzz38anmEhyO
- ^ http://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/22/business/international/european-union-has-a-strange-way-of-picking-leaders.html?_r=0
- ^ BBC Radio 4, Woman's Hour Power list
- ^ "UEL Alumni Newsletter".
- ^ Press report of TASR
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Catherine Ashton.
- EU Vice President Catherine Ashton, Official Media Gallery
- Ashton as European Commission's Vice President for External Relations (archived website of 2009)
- HR website in the Council of the European Union
- Biography from the Department for Constitutional Affairs
- Announcement of her introduction at the House of Lords House of Lords minutes of proceedings, 10 October 1999
- BBC News (19 November 2009): A profile of EU Foreign Minister Cathy Ashton
- Profile at Parliament of the United Kingdom
- Contributions in Parliament at Hansard 1803–2005
- Voting record at PublicWhip.org
- Record in Parliament at TheyWorkForYou.com
- Profile at BBC News Democracy Live
- Articles authored at Journalisted
- Appearances on C-SPAN
- Catherine Ashton collected news and commentary at Al Jazeera English
- Catherine Ashton collected news and commentary at Bloomberg News
- Lady Ashton collected news and commentary at The Guardian
- Catherine Ashton collected news and commentary at The Jerusalem Post
- Catherine Ashton collected news and commentary at The New York Times
Political offices Preceded by
The Baroness Amos
Leader of the House of Lords
Succeeded by
The Baroness Royall of Blaisdon
Lord President of the Council
Preceded by
Peter Mandelson
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Succeeded by
Benita Ferrero-Waldner
European Commissioner from the United Kingdom
Incumbent Preceded by
Javier Solana
as High Representative for Common Foreign and Security Policy
High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy
Preceded by
Benita Ferrero-Waldner
as European Commissioner for External Relations and European Neighbourhood Policy
Preceded by
Margot Wallström
First Vice President of the European Commission
Party political offices Preceded by
The Baroness Amos
Leader of the Labour Party in the House of Lords
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- Lord Adonis
- Bob Ainsworth
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Also attended meetings Attended while on agenda
Barroso Commission I (2004–2009)
- Joaquín Almunia
- Catherine Ashton6
- José Manuel Barroso1
- Jacques Barrot2
- Joe Borg
- Karel De Gucht9
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- Benita Ferrero-Waldner
- Ján Figeľ10
- Franco Frattini2, 5
- Mariann Fischer Boel
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- Siim Kallas2
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- Neelie Kroes
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- Peter Mandelson6
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- Andris Piebalgs
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- Olli Rehn
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- Maroš Šefčovič10
- Algirdas Šemeta7
- Vladimír Špidla
- Antonio Tajani2, 5
- Androulla Vassiliou4
- Günter Verheugen2
- Margot Wallström2
1 = President. 2 = Vice President. 3 = Served from 1 January 2007. 4 = Vassiliou replaced Kyprianou on 3 March 2008. 5 = Tajani replaced Frattini on 18 June 2008. 6 = Ashton replaced Mandelson on 3 October 2008. 7 = Šemeta replaced Grybauskaitė on 1 July 2009. 8 = Samecki replaced Hübner on 4 July 2009. 9 = De Gucht replaced Michel on 17 July 2009. 10 = Šefčovič replaced Figeľ on 1 October 2009.
Current Foreign Ministers of the Group of 8
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- People from Hertfordshire
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- People from Upholland


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Drone Killings and the Slippery Slope
There have been worries expressed on both sides of the political spectrum about the use of drone killings against Al Qaeda, and more especially so as it's come out that the Obama Administration has a secret "kill list" which even includes American citizens who are working with Al Qaeda overseas (as was the recently killed Anwar al-Awlaki).
It seems to be that there is a legitimate worry here. In a sense, drones are the modern American equivalent of pillars of the Victorian British Empire such as Charles "Chinese" Gordon — gallivanting about the world to put down disturbances wherever they occur. However, they're also relative unobtrusive and cheap. Thus, I would imagine that there is more danger of them being used to embroil us in conflicts that we really don't want to be in. (Which, come to that, is more or less what Gordon managed to do for the British Empire on an occasion or two.) While I think that US hegemonic power, like that of others such as the British and Romans in the past, is generally a positive force in the world, power is often a temptation to over reaching. Putting international intervention only a joystick away, without any need for congressional approval or oversight, seems to put just a bit too much power in the hands of an already imperial presidency.
Continue reading
Former CIA Analyst, Prof. Dr. Richard L. Russell, Discusses the Messages of Our Lady of All Nations
Prof. Dr. Richard Russell, a former CIA analyst who is a convert to the Catholic Faith, a man who describes himself as a "student of war", recently delivered an address in The Netherlands about the messages of Our Lady of All Nations. All I can say about this is that is truly fascinating, and I strongly recommend a listen.
Watch the Video Now at Air Maria.
Why We Fight
But, when necessity compels, not those only who are invested with power of rule are bound to safeguard the integrity of faith, but, as St. Thomas maintains: "Each one is under obligation to show forth his faith, either to instruct and encourage others of the faithful, or to repel the attacks of unbelievers."(12) To recoil before an enemy, or to keep silence when from all sides such clamors are raised against truth, is the part of a man either devoid of character or who entertains doubt as to the truth of what he professes to believe. In both cases such mode of behaving is base and is insulting to God, and both are incompatible with the salvation of mankind. This kind of conduct is profitable only to the enemies of the faith, for nothing emboldens the wicked so greatly as the lack of courage on the part of the good. Moreover, want of vigor on the part of Christians is so much the more blameworthy, as not seldom little would be needed on their part to bring to naught false charges and refute erroneous opinions, and by always exerting themselves more strenuously they might reckon upon being successful. — Pope Leo XIII, Sapientiae Christanae, 14
For those of you who have been told to keep your mouths shut and the collection plates full while all around you occurs a cavalcade of impiety, sacrelige, and heresy;
For those of you who have been wrongly and falsely identified as prideful rebels for daring to challenge those who abuse their authority;
For those of you who are told to "tone down the rhetoric" lest others who are on the fence about critical issues join the fight;
For those of you who understand your duties as Christians, Catholics, and citizens in the face of errors and evils;
For those of you who have been subjected to the subtle academic propaganda that implies that any claim to truth is a form of extremism or oppression;
For those of you who have been called intolerant, insensitive, or divisive for refusing to submit to lies;
For those of you who love God more than you love the world and the opinions of men;
These words of one of the Church's greatest popes are for you.
"Christians are, moreover, born for combat, whereof the greater the vehemence, the more assured, God aiding, the triumph…" (From the same section quoted above)
A Question About "Culture Wars"
In his great work of literary history, Poetry and Prose in the Sixteenth Century, C.S. Lewis devotes a passage to what he describes, with a certain savageness, as "that whole tragic farce which we call the history of the Reformation." For Lewis, the issues that divided Catholics and Protestants, that led to bloodshed all over Europe and to a seemingly permanent division of Christians from one another, "could have been fruitfully debated only between mature and saintly disputants in close privacy and at boundless leisure." Instead, thanks to the prevalence of recent invention of the printing press, and to the intolerance of many of the combatants, deep and subtle questions found their way into the popular press and were immediately transformed into caricatures and cheap slogans. After that there was no hope of peaceful reconciliation.
Is Lewis' claim valid? If not, why not? I, for one, think there is something to his claim. This point is applicable to an extent, despite the obvious differences, to fundamental political differences. What do we find in political discourse: gross generalizations, demonizing the other size, presuming the worst of the other side, reducing people to their political views, assuming others' intentions for them, projecting the words or actions of one person within a greater movement onto the whole movement, and the list goes on. Is such an analysis valid; if, no, again, why not?
Chavez Threatens War With Colombia
Tensions are mounting in Central America as Venezuelan strongman Hugo Chavez masses troops on the border with Columbia and tells his military to "prepare for war".
The Venezuelan ambassador to Bogota, Gustavo Marquez, said that the seriousness of the situation could not be overstated and that "there is a pre-war situation in the entire region".
Diplomatic relations between the South American neighbours are frozen and on Saturday President Chavez escalated the war of words with President Alvaro Uribe of Colombia by saying there was no chance of dialogue.
While those who are committed Chavez fans, convinced that he wants only what is best for his people and the region, may accept his claim that this escalation is necessary because Columbia has invited the US to set up military bases in their country, which Chavez sees as presaging a US invasion of Venezuela, most will see this as evidence that Chavez is seeking to establish a national enemy in order to distract his people's attention from the economic problems the Chavez regime has inflicted on them. His ability to use Venezuelan oil revenues to buy support at home and abroad is suffering because his government-run oil companies have failed to invest in infrastructure and thus have experienced declining output over the last several years. Continue reading
President Obama, War President
Our President was elected under the influence of great anti-war sentiment. He was "the anti-war candidate". It ought to be disappointing then, for his supporters, to learn that he is decidedly not the anti-war President. In fact, President Obama is actively pursuing the war-on-terror, significantly expanding the Afghanistan theatre with another troop surge. And we shouldn't forget that President Obama hasn't pulled the troops out of Iraq yet, and the best estimates are that troops will be in Iraq for 2-3 more years - the same amount of time President Bush would have kept them there. (The article says all "combat troops" will be out of Iraq in August of 2010, but this is misleading. The article goes on to say that there will still be 30,000-50,000 troops there until 2011. The Obama administration redefined people who count as "troops".) President Obama's continuation of the war on terror says a number of things. First, the silence of his anti-war constituency indicates that they were not opposed to the Iraq war on principle, but rather opposed to the Iraq war when a Republican candidate was president. In fact, they seem to have a great and newfound tolerance for war now that they like the guy at the helm of it all. It also tells us that the foreign policy of President Bush was not offensive enough for the country to elect a President who would have actually changed things.
Thoughts on Israel's war with Hamas
On December 27th, 2008, Israel launched a series of air strikes on Hamas training camps, headquarters, weapons storehouses, underground missile silos and command-and-control centers in Gaza — the start of an open-ended offensive to stem the increasing barrage of rocket-attacks that have plagued Southern Israel in the past months.
Israeli ambassador to the UN Gabriela Shaleb defended the operation:
"Israel is taking the necessary military action in order to protect its citizens from ongoing terrorist attacks originating from the Gaza Strip and carried out by Hamas and other terrorist organizations," Shalev said, adding that Hamas "holds the sole responsibility for the latest events."
Israel, she continued, "has exhausted all means and efforts to reach and maintain quiet and to respect the state of calm… Israel's response is aimed solely against the terrorists and their infrastructures in the Gaza Strip. It is not intended against the civilian population. Israel is committed to prevent a humanitarian crisis."
Shalev asserted that "No country would allow continuous rocketing of its civilian population without taking the necessary actions to stop it."
Commenting on the three-day air assault by Israel on Hamas, Deal Hudson states "Bombing Gaza Won't Make Israel Safer". It's a good post and, if anything, certainly jeopardizes Hudson's standing as a member of the cabal of "Catholic neocons" beholden to Israel and the Republican Party (see Robert Sungenis and other tirades from the fringe-right). That said, I wish to register some thoughts in reaction, both to Hudson and our fellow critics at Vox Nova:
Patton's Weather Prayer
"Almighty and most merciful Father, we humbly beseech Thee, of Thy great goodness, to restrain these immoderate rains with which we have had to contend. Grant us fair weather for Battle. Graciously hearken to us as soldiers who call upon Thee that, armed with Thy power, we may advance from victory to victory, and crush the oppression and wickedness of our enemies and establish Thy justice among men and nations."

subset: commoncrawl


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By David Palmer
The Cullman Times
Hinton Mitchem, long one of the most powerful figures in the Alabama Legislature, died Tuesday at the age of 74.
Mitchem, who started his political career in Albertville as a member of the city council, served more than three decades in the legislature. He was first elected to the state House of Representative, where he served one term, and spent the rest of his political years in the Senate, until his retirement in 2010.
Mitchem resided in the Providence community of Cullman County with his wife, Judy, who was raised here. In addition to his wife, Mitchem is survived by his children: Todd Mitchem; Derrick Mitchem and his wife, Heather; Tonya Grindon and her husband, Steve; and Brittnie Mabry; and four grandchildren, Ashleigh, Emma Grace and Henry Grindon and Derrick Hinton Mitchem.
Even as the political environment in Montgomery was changing, Mitchem remained a Democrat and was known for developing strong working relationships with members of both political parties.
"He was a true statesman. Hinton was also very good with people. He was a warm person and just fun to be with," said Zeb Little, former state Senate leader from Cullman.
Little said Hinton's experience in the tractor businessman was an asset to the veteran politician in working across party lines.
"He was chairman of the budget committee, which was a very powerful position. But he was able to build coalitions during his years in the legislature. I think his business background served him well in working with all the different members of the Senate. I'm sad to hear of his passing. He will be missed," Little said.
Jeremy Oden, who served 12 years in the House as a Republican before accepting an appointment to the state Public Service Commission, also called Mitchem a "true statesman."
"He was a statesman through and through. He was my senator in Blount County, too, and was always a great person to work with," Oden said. "He was also a huge supporter of education and helped Wallace State. He actually was the floor leader for several governors and was always effective in helping his district and the state, but he would give the credit to someone else. I knew him as a great friend."
A longtime tractor dealer in Albertville, Mitchem was first elected to the Albertville City Council in 1968 and then to the state House of Representatives in 1974. After serving four years in the House, he was elected to the Senate in 1978 and in 1982.
He gave up his seat in 1986 to run in the Democratic primary for lieutenant governor, finishing third in a field of four.
Mitchem was re-elected to the Senate in a special election in 1987 and held the seat until 2010. Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley, a Republican, praised Mitchem.
"Hinton Mitchem worked hard on behalf of the people of his district," Bentley said. "I had the pleasure of serving with him in the Legislature, and we had a strong mutual respect for each other. Dianne and I are saddened to learn of his passing. . Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife, Judy, and his entire family during this time."
Mitchem represented a diverse district that included small row-crop farmers on Sand Mountain and rich retirees on Lake Guntersville. He never fit neatly into the Democratic Party, and he often said he had the most Republican district in Alabama that was represented by a Democrat. He sometimes fought with the Alabama Education Association and trial lawyers, two usual allies of the Democratic Party, and he drew campaign contributions from Republican-leaning business groups.
In 2007, then Lt. Gov. Jim Folsom Jr. helped Mitchem put together a coalition of Senate Democrats to get elected president pro-tem of the Senate 18-17 over Republican Gov. Bob Riley's choice.
* The Associated Press contributed to this article.
* David Palmer may be contacted at email@example.com or 256-734-2131, ext. 213.


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Our search for aspiring artists is back
The Emirates Skywards Future Artists competition is your opportunity to share your talent with a worldwide audience. It's our annual search to find new designs for our frequent flyer membership cards, which are travelling companions to our members around the globe.
Whether you're an aspiring artist or just want to show off your creative flair, enter your artwork for a chance to take your career to new heights. In exchange for your inspiring artwork, we'll give you US$5,000 in commission fees.
We're passionate about the arts and discovering exciting new talent. This competition is one way we can help you make your mark as an artist.


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The Tonawanda News
Tonawanda News — As a native Texan I'm a little ashamed to admit I'd never owned a cast-iron skillet until a couple weeks ago.
I've never made my great-grandmother's drop biscuits using one. I've never fried up some bacon, chicken or other equally unhealthy Southern dish in one, sure to make my tiny apartment smell delicious for hours — or even days.
I was inspired to finally bite the bullet and invest the surprisingly inexpensive $20 on a 12-inch skillet by a frittata recipe I stumbled across recently. I haven't been able to stop thinking that delicious-looking eggy concoction that seems to be a catch-all for any leftover veggie, meat or cheese you might have hanging around in the fridge.
Apparently the best way to make a frittata is by using a well-seasoned cast-iron skillet, but I get ahead of myself. This article isn't about a frittata. I fear my new kitchen gadget isn't quite seasoned enough to handle eggs, so I decided to tackle a chorizo, pork, poblano sandwich instead.
I came across this recipe on the Series Eats website, but in all honesty, I think you could pretty much wing it.
Since I was taking the skillet out for a spin for the first time, I used a little more oil than the recipe called for, a suggestion I stumbled upon through the exhaustive Internet research I did before making my purchase. Worked out well for me, though I've included only the "normal" amount of oil you should use in the recipe below.
The result for a slightly zesty — not too hot — sandwich full of flavor. It's easy to prepare and even reheat, and the use of the cast-iron skillet only complicated things in that I could only barely lift the thing with one hand when I needed to scrap its contents out onto a dish. These things are heavy!
Chop up your chorizo and veggies ahead of time and this is a quick, no-brainer for a weeknight dinner.
Chorizo, pork and poblano sandwich
1/4 cup olive oil
2 links (6 ounces) chorizo, finely chopped
2 poblano peppers, finely chopped
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 tablespoon smoked paprika (or more, to taste)
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
1 pound ground pork
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons lemon juice
4 sandwich rolls, split in half lengthwise
1/4 cup mayonnaise
4 ounces queso blanco, crumbled
Heat 2 tablespoons over medium-high heat in a large skillet. Once the oil is hot, add the chorizo, peppers and onions and cook until chorizo gets slightly crispy.
Add paprika, garlic and lemon zest to skillet and cook an additional 30 seconds. Transfer mixture to a dish.
Add remaining oil to skillet and once hot, add ground pork, 1/4 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper and cook until no longer pink.
Increase heat to high and add chorizo mixture and lemon juice, cooking until combined and crisp, about 3 or 4 minutes. Transfer to a dish and cover with foil to keep warm.
Split sandwich rolls, and spread mayonnaise on each open side. Place open-side down on skillet until golden.
Scoop pork mixture into rolls and crumble queso blanco on top.
— Recipe adapted from www.seriouseats.com.Contact features editor Danielle Haynes at 693-1000, ext. 4116.


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Bald eagles are making their way into the area with the cold weather, and there is no shortage of opportunities — or options — for viewing them.
The village of Stella, the Missouri Department of Conservation, and state parks in Southwest Missouri and Northwest Arkansas have a number of events planned, including cruises on Beaver Lake.
"As a rule, we go out every Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday ... on our pontoon boat," said Josephine Barry, manager of the visitor center at Hobbs State Park-Conservation Area in Benton County, Ark.
The cruises take place in the Van Winkle arm of Beaver Lake, one of the more remote parts of the lake.
The cruises are in such demand that park officials have added extra tours for the holidays, including Monday, Tuesday and Friday of next week.
All cruises leave at 3 p.m. Pre-registration is required and may be arranged by dialing 479-789-5000.
"It's a great eagle season on Beaver Lake," Barry said. "There has not been a cruise that hasn't seen eagles."
The cruises leave from the Rocky Branch Marina and take about 90 minutes. The cost is $10 for adults, and $5 for children ages 6 through 12. Children under 6 are admitted free.
People should dress for the weather and bring binoculars, Barry said.
"We go out in all kinds of weather," she said. "The only thing that will keep us at the docks is high winds."
At 2 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 19, ornithologist Joe Neal will give a program at the park on the winter birds at Beaver Lake. At 3 p.m., Lynn Sciumbato will present a program called "Raptor Rescue."
Other eagle viewing events are set for Saturday, Jan. 19, and Saturday, Feb. 16, at Roaring River State Park near Cassville.
A video about bald eagles in Missouri will be shown at 3 p.m. After the video, participants will go outside the nature center to watch bald eagles come in to roost for the night. Binoculars and warm clothing usually are needed.
The Missouri Department of Conservation has an Eagle Days event set for 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 26, at the Springfield Conservation Nature Center. On hand will be Phoenix, a bald eagle from the Dickerson Park Zoo. There will be eagle viewing opportunities at the Lake Springfield Boathouse and Marina. An indoor program on eagles will be held every hour on the hour at the nature center.
The village of Stella in Newton County will hold its fourth annual Eagle Days on Jan. 26. The event has been growing in popularity each year, according to Chuck Dalbom, who helps organize it.
"Last year, they had over 1,000 people," Dalbom said.
Eagle Days usually begins at 10 a.m. and wraps up at dusk. The Missouri Department of Conservation sends a master naturalist to help educate visitors about eagles.
"We're seeing them already," Dalbom said of the eagles. "They are not here in large numbers, but they are coming down. As the weather gets colder up north, they will drift on down this way."
Vernon County
ALTHOUGH NO FORMAL EVENTS are scheduled, the Schell-Osage Conservation Area in Vernon County is another popular spot for viewing eagles.


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Postgame Notes: Rookie HazingBy
The story of the night is clearly what happened on the field, but that's between the Rays and Red Sox. The Yankees (finally) got busy with their annual rookie hazing tonight, dressing the kids up as various 80′s and 90′s musical megastars. Jesus Montero broke out the parachute pants and was MC Hammer. Brandon Laird was Slash from Guns n' Roses. Andrew Brackman and Dellin Betances were Milli Vanilli. Hector Noesi dressed up like Prince and George Kontos was a different George, George Michael. Austin Romine drew the short straw; he had to dress up like Madonna and go out on a date with Alex Rodriguez. Okay, I made that last part up, but Romine was definitely the material girl. Phil Hughes zipped him up.
I'll be honest, the Yankees are getting soft. Who cares about dressing up in the middle of the series? They've got to get these kids dressed up when they're hanging cities, preferring to or from Toronto so they have to go through customs. Weak sauce, Yankees. Someone needs to step up next year and take the bull by the horns.
Anyway, there's wasn't too much to talk about as far as the actual game, so let's recap…
- Russell Martin asked home plate ump Paul Schrieber if he stretched before the game, because he "seemed kind of tight." Schrieber was not too pleased, so that's what led to the ejection. I'll give Russ some creativity points, but the zone really wasn't that bad.
- Other than possibly Phil Hughes, none of the team's playoff pitchers will pitch on Wednesday. Joe Girardi wants to give them two full days off before the ALDS begins. A player might manage that game, but only if it doesn't mean anything in the wildcard race. Based on what happened tonight, it absolutely will, one way or the other.
34 Comments»
I laughed pretty hard at the Martin joke. Never heard of a player saying something like that.
Can't wait to see the pictures, Montero sounds like he would make a good MC Hammer
So: MLB joined together in a conspiracy to make Bud Selig "baseball needs another wild card to keep things interesting" look bad?
Because – especially from our vantage point – this September is the best month ever.
The idea of a 1 game series pisses me off. If they want to allow 5 teams in the playoffs, give the team with the best record a bye.
A bye is probably unproductive in baseball. Off days do not help the same way like they do in football.
I have no idea how they would work it out, but any team would take a bye week over possible elimination.
They aren't accounting for luck and fluke plays that happen in 1 game. If they do the 1 game they have to get rid of divisions and make the two worst playoff qualifiers play in the one game. I don't think it's fair to do in the current format of the unbalanced schedule.
I looked it up: Heading into this year, the last time the wild card was the outright worst team (by total wins) to qualify was in the NL in 2004. Precedent says you're punishing one of the 3 best teams in order to pass a 4th place (or lower) team through the play-in. Its so fucking Seligian.
I was hoping for a Brackman/Betances combined start on Wed. I guess that's out the window now?
2-9 vs the Yanks and Rays is one thing, but 1-4 vs one of the the worst teams in the AL is what has cost the Sox in September. Two more wins vs the Os and they'd have held on. An historic September collapse for a team that was crowned AL Champion in August.
AL Champion in August? You mean best team in history since the 1927 Yanks in January?
Poor Romine it's been a tough couple of days:
Catching 14 innings, hit on the head with the bat, had opportunities to end the extra inning game, had to catch tonight because Russ got tossed, and now dressing up as Madonna.
Sounds like Montero and Kontos got off easy when the other choices were Milli Vanilli, Prince, George Michael and Madonna.
Rookie dress up from Betances.
Milli Vanilli
it sucks now! they used to do the hazing on the final home game before the final road trip every year and make the players sign autographs for the fans outside but after 2007, they havent done it at home since. major disappointment that they stopped doing it that way but awesome choice for costumes this year. very funny.
6-19 Sox September
WHOOoo HOOOO000!
Girardi not playing any playoff pichers in game 162 will be a huge advantage for TB, the Sox definetly can't risk falling behind by 1 game tommorrow because they can't expect TB to lose the last game.
Best scenario is a tie, a one game playoff and the Sox win. The Rays pitching scares me and the Sox without Youkilis and with their crappy pitching do not.
However, if the Sox lose one of the next two and don't make it to a tiebraker game, the press clippings will be epic.
For the Yanks, I would make sure Alex and Jesus get 4 abs in each game. This will not happen of course since Joe will only play Montero against Price and Arod will get a day off for the all-important Brandon Laird abs.
I understand the fear of the Rays pitching, but who cares, we'd only face them if at all if we both made the ALCS.


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Summer Nights
September 15, 2013 § Leave a comment
There was one summer day
when everything was just blazing
the heat, the sun, the heart
I had nowhere to go, nowhere to hide.
There was one summer night
when I went out with no glass of wine
bare hands, bare eyes
staring blankly at the winking stars
Wondering if the way they lined up was what poets call "aligned"
wondering if mine aligns this time
wondering if yours too, lined up with mine.
There were countless summer nights
since then
with or without wine
with or without the sunshine
with, never without, you.
September 2, 2013 § Leave a comment
There will be a day where I don't have to do a 40-minute return walk to get a hug.
There will be a day where I'd be able to keep snuggling you between waking up, taking a shower, and eating a bowl of cereals, before finally dragging myself to work.
There will be such day.
June 1, 2013 § Leave a comment
Because sometimes the best thing to do is doing nothing.
And sometimes the best scene is of the sunshine that pops up for a minute after a whole gloomy day.
Which then illuminates your already-glowing skin. Creating shadows, adding depth of fields.
Inviting me to cave in.
May 9, 2013 § Leave a comment
Because words freeze at your stare.
So forgive me for repeating the same things over and over.
April 2, 2013 § Leave a comment
They say this world is a picture, and mine consists of one set of shades.
Your smell.
Your voice.
Your smile.
And you.
The Line You Shouldn't Cross
November 29, 2012 § Leave a comment
Was (Not)
November 17, 2012 § Leave a comment


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Connecticut education officials issued a report card for each school in the state Thursday. It showed that based on test data, more than half of Connecticut's schools met overall performance targets in the state's new school accountability system. This is the first report on schools using that system.
Evaluations for each school in the state are online here.
This is the official web site of the WSHU Public Radio Group. Some links from these pages are not maintained by WSHU and are subject to change without notice. This Web site and its contents are © 2013 by WSHU, Fairfield, CT, and the respective copyright holders.


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The Stow Historical Society's annual Harvest Festival will be held from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at Heritage Reserve Park in Silver Springs Park.
The event, which is free and open to the public, will feature more than 22 arts and crafts vendors, interactive activities for children and adults, entertainment, great food and tours of the society's historical houses. Vendors will be located inside the Heritage Barn, under a tent and outside.
Crafts for sale during the festival include handmade native American flutes, framed photography and notecards, handmade soaps and lotions, scented jar candles, crochet items, bags and backpacks, wood signs and yard items, hand sewn dog and teddy bear items, custom aroma therapy, fresh and dried flower arrangements, duct tape rings, re-caned furniture and wood crafted items.
Many types of jewelry will also be available, such as recycled glass art, handcrafted and wire wrapped stones, high-end jewelry, and handmade jewelry with beach glass.
Vendor-donated items will be raffled off each day. Raffle tickets are $1 each or six for $5.
A special participant at this year's festival is the Ohio Natural Fiber Network. This organization is dedicated to supporting Ohio fiber producers and artists, and to developing awareness of the diversity and beauty of Ohio-farm yarns and fleeces. There will be several interactive crafts for folks to try, as well as a number of animals from Ohio Natural Fiber Network member farms.
Foods – including sandwiches, soup, sides, apple dumplings and pies – will be available for sale in the Heritage Barn.
Local history authors Fred Long (Stories From a Stow Native and Recollections of Living and Working in Stow 1936 to…) and Beth Daugherty (Images of America Stow and Munroe Falls) will be selling and signing copies of their books. Proceeds from the sales benefit the historical society.
As in previous years, one of the highlights of the Harvest Festival is the apple butter stirring. Volunteers may help stir the apple butter, which will then be sold by the society.
Pumpkins will be available for children to paint, and three historical houses will be open for tours. Proceeds from the festival help the society maintain and preserve the Heritage House Museum, Mary Starr House and Darrow House.
This year's festival will also feature a presentation at the Stewart's Corner schoolhouse from 1 to 2 p.m. Saturday. Transportation to the site will be available via wagon from Heritage Reserve Park starting at 12:30 p.m.
The located at 5090 Young Road, is adjacent to the Summit Metro Parks hike and bike trail. A fundraiser is now under way to acquire funds to move the building the short distance to Heritage Reserve Park.


text: Air Date: 02/15/11 Cheryl can be reached at 775-331-6723 or at firstname.lastname@example.com I am grateful to Amy Chua. In case you've been living in a cave for the last month or so and the name doesn't ring a bell, Amy Chua is a Yale law professor and the author of "Battle Hymn of a Tiger Mother", which was excerpted last month by the Wall Street Journal under the title, "Why Chinese Mothers are Superior." In her memoir of her own parenting experiences, Chua described how (and why) she forbade her daughters to attend sleepovers or participate in school plays, how they were not allowed to play any instrument other than piano or violin, how she called them "garbage" when they failed to live up to her expectations, and how she returned a homemade birthday card to her four-year-old for a do-over because it wasn't up to her standards. Not surprisingly, a media frenzy ensued and for a week or so, Amy Chua and her critics were everywhere in TV and print interviews. Let me say first of all that I haven't read Chua's book and I think her methods were extreme-but I also think the world was a bit harsh with her. She has been clear that she wasn't writing a "how-to" book on parenting, that the title of the Journal article wasn't her idea, and that her book was a memoir of her own experiences-and mistakes. Of course, all sorts of parenting experts and amateur commentators have had to chime in, most of them incensed that Chua would imply that American parents are somehow inferior, wimpy pushovers who don't expect enough from their children. Discussion has ensued about why there are, after all, so many Asian students at top universities. And that's why I'm grateful to Amy Chua: I absolutely love anyone who can get the entire nation talking about parenting. I spend a lot of time talking and writing about parenting. In the 20 years that I've been doing this sort of work, I have encountered few parents who don't love their children-even when those parents don't like the child's behavior. But parents make all sorts of mistakes in the name of love, and those mistakes run the gamut from strict, demanding parenting to generous, mushy parenting. Is it better to be a strict parent or a nice one? Well, it's actually a misguided debate on an issue that we have a great deal of clear research about. Authoritarian parents are tough on their kids, demanding obedience to rules, good grades, high achievement, and respect because they want their children to stay out of trouble and to be successful-in other words, because they love them. "Nice" parents give their children what they want, do everything for them, understand when kids would rather play than work, and worry about their children's self-esteem because they want them to be happy-in other words, because they love them. Unfortunately, "extreme parenting"-either extremely strict or extremely kind-doesn't work in the long-term. In the short-term, of course, you may get something that looks or feels good, that seems to "work" for the moment. But we know from research that the long-term results often aren't what loving parents expect. Remember, a child's behavior is shaped by her perception and by the meaning she attaches to what happens to her-not by what you might intend. Children of harsh, demanding parents often become rebellious, defiant, or sneaky, or they simply give up and do what is demanded of them. Children of overly nice parents may decide they actually are the center of the whole universe, thank you very much, and expect to be pampered and catered to by everyone they encounter. Neither approach produces responsible, self-reliant, contented kids who are willing to work for what they want and who have genuine character. Yet that's what loving parents actually want for their children. If the extremes don't work, what does? The research is quite clear about this one. The parenting approach that appears to produce the best long-term results is one called "democratic" or "authoritative". In the Positive Discipline community, we call it being "kind and firm at the same time." In other words, you treat your children with respect and affection because you love them and they're human beings who are entitled to dignity and a sense of belonging-and (not but) you have firm, fair, reasonable expectations that you work out with your children. And perhaps most important, you follow through when necessary. And yes, in that regard, many American parents are wimpy: we don't like the follow-through part. Take some time to think about this; imagine what it might feel like in your own home, with your own personal children, to be kind and firm at the exact same time. It is possible-and it does work. No tigers or wimps required. For KUNR, this is Cheryl Erwin.


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Stourbridge songwriter outraged over Christina killing becomes YouTube sensation (From Stourbridge News)
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Stourbridge songwriter outraged over Christina killing becomes YouTube sensation
8:00am Thursday 28th March 2013 in News
A WANNABE songwriter, who was outraged by Halesowen schoolgirl Christina Edkins' brutal killing, is becoming a YouTube sensation with around 130,000 views of his anti-knife crime tribute.
Seventeen-year-old science apprentice James Bissell, from Stourbridge, was inspired to put pen to paper to create an R&B song which attracted 1,500 in just 24 hours.
He is now looking for sponsorship to cover studio costs and promotion in order to make an official release and raise money to help in the battle against knife crime.
He said: "My plan for the song when released properly is to sell it on iTunes and give 100 per cent of the profit to knife crime awareness to help tackle gang culture and help ensure something so tragic never happens again."
James said he is also getting interest from radio stations and offers from record labels about possible contracts.
His song can be viewed on http://youtu.be/O-Ak3bn5RpA
Comments are closed on this article.


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Since winning spots in the mayoral runoff, Eric Garcetti and Wendy Greuel have been scurrying around Los Angeles rolling out new endorsements as they seek to gain an edge in what is expected to be a tight, low-turnout election.
In statewide and national races, many endorsements are seen as little more than window dressing. But political observers say that in this mayoral contest, some nods could play an outsized role, both in differentiating two Democrats who are similar in many ways and in determining who goes to the polls in an election that few voters appear to care about.


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Moose whines more than we do at our hostBy
Mike Mussina has been with the Yankees for nearly seven years now. He's seen 619 of Joe Torre's 2000 wins and 1027 of Joe's games. Yet, for some reason – some reason I can't fathom – Mike Mussina was pissed off after getting taken out of a 1-0 game in the 7th inning.
Now, why was Mike Mussina whining? Because he had thrown just 79 pitches and wanted to throw more. He wanted to, as he told Tyler Kepner of The Times, throw 110 pitches. And that's just ridiculous.
Mussina, the Stanford-educated crossword-puzzle aficionado, is a smart guy. He probably knows that Joe Torre has something of a quick hook (as Joe noted earlier this afternoon). We've certainly been critical of Torre's bullpen tendencies in the past, but last night, he made the right move. Mussina should know that.
Moose had just come off of a few bad outings in a row. Entering last night's game, he was 2-3 with an ERA north of 6.20. But in six innings, he looked great last night. He had given up two hits while walking no one and striking out four. The seventh started out promisingly enough; he gave up a slow roller to Jim Thome.
But – and this is a big but – with the Thome shift on, Robinson Cano was in no position to field the ball, and Miguel Cairo, hustling all the way, couldn't range from the second base bag to the second base hole and throw out Thome. It should have been an out, and that look crept onto Mike Mussina's face. It was that "I'm out of my comfort zone" look. It's the same look I've written about in the past.
I knew what would happen next. Mussina doesn't get an out; he stops making the pitches. The next batter – Paul Konerko – rocketed a single off of Mussina. And that was the end of him for the night. His final line read 6 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 4 K. He didn't get the win, but that's no big deal as the Yanks crushed the Sox bullpen later on.
After the game, Mussina grumbled like a cranky old man. "Why am I upset? Because I threw 80 pitches and I think I could have thrown 110. It was the first mess I had. I just felt like I could have kept going," he said. "I understand his thinking, but seventh inning with 79 pitches? I know I haven't been pitching that well, but oh well. Gotta earn it back, I guess. Gotta earn it back.â€
That's right, Moose. You have to earn it back. You have to suck it up when a squibbler goes for a base hit, and you have to take your lumps like the rest of the team.
And here is just one more nail in the Mike Mussina coffin. Enough already, Mike. Just pitch. You have almost as many excuses as this guy, and we don't like him too much.
8 Comments»
I fail to see any problem in what Mussina said.
He wanted to stay in and understands why he was removed. What is the problem?
Especially when it was the bottom of the lineup coming, and we have all watched Mike Myers against lefties this season. It couldn't have been fun to sit on the bench and watch someone else give up your lead when you know you could have gone further into the game.
I think people…especially the media and those who take the media too seriously…are overly sensitive to Mussina's post game comments in nearly every situation.
This is not to say that I disagree with the move, I just have zero problem with what Mussina said….and on several occasions I agree with him.
Mussina was specifically asked "What is your problem?"
Perhaps there is a positive and a negative way to ask things. Peter Abraham chose the negative way.
Ok, I just listened to the exchange on Abraham's blog, and I have to say, that I still don't care about what he said.
He was laughing at one point with a reference to the 10 runs.
I think what truly bothered him was that he didn't know that coming out was even a possibility.
"I thought it was going to be Guidry. I turn around and it was Joe signaling to the bullpen. I didn't even know anyone was UP in the bullpen."
He knows he pitched well and he was disappointed he couldn't continue.
It's true. If you'd given Moose the 4 runs that Wang had to work with most of the game, Moose could have pitched into the 8th.
He seemed on for the first time since he came back from the DL.
[...] Original post by Ben [...]
In his previous start the Yanks gave him a 2 run lead iirc and he gifted it back the very next time on the mound by giving up two very hard hit homers. That's why yer out Moose. And Konerko's hit was went off the wall and was a double for virtually anyone else in baseball, even Posada.
The Thome hit was the first baseman's ball, btw, and would've been an easy toss to Moose covering, but Phelp's pulled up, completely unaware of who was up and that the shift was on and Robby was in short rf. Given how pissed Moose gets when a fielder effs up behind him, that was another reason to pull him.
I was at the game btw with the wife, and when Thome got on, after I'd finished the obscenities against Phelps, I turned to her and said, watch, Thome will score.


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The Smart Patient
Staying well is focus of free health program at PUC
HAMMOND | How to take control of one's health and stay well is the focus of a free program that will be hosted by Purdue University Calumet at 6 p.m. April 3.
Staying well is focus of free health program at Purdue Calumet April 3
HAMMOND | How to take control of one's health and stay well is the focus of a free program hosted by Purdue University Calumet at 6 p.m., April 3.
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