text:
Analyze Scenarios for AWS Reserved Instances to Reduce Cloud Costs
Buying Amazon Web Services (AWS) reserved instances (RIs) can be a smart cost-saving option versus buying on-demand instances in some situations. However, if you have attempted to decide when and whether to buy reserved instances for a variety of instance types in different availability zones, then you know how difficult it can be. We've got tips on how to determine your optimal RI purchase.Read more
Become a Cloud Services Broker with RightScale Self-Service
How do leading IT teams position themselves to bridge the IT/developer divide to help drive an organization's growth and profitability? By brokering cloud services for their enterprises. RightScale Self-Service is a new solution that enables IT teams to take on the role of a cloud services broker to deliver agility across public cloud, private cloud, and virtualized resource pools.Read more
Will AWS T2 Replace 30 Percent of Instances? Not So Fast
Yesterday AWS announced a new T2 family of instances. The T2 family comes in three sizes: micro (1 vCPU, 1GB RAM), small (1 vCPU, 2GB RAM), and medium (2 vCPU 4 GB RAM). These new instance types are the next generation for the heavily used t1.micro instances and they should also be viewed as a potential replacement for m1.small. We've got the analysis to help you decide if you should upgrade.Read more
Cloud Cost Savings: Understanding Why Cloud Spend Is Up (or Down)
Cloud computing can help speed applications to market by enabling developers and business units to access infrastructure in a matter of minutes. Understanding how your costs are changing as you grow your usage of the cloud can be quite challenging, so we have a few tips for making this easier.Read more
- ‹ previous
- 5 of 63
- next ›


text:
Risk ContRol Self-assessment CheCklist FoR NuRse PRaCtitioneRs
Www.cna.com and www.nso.com. Self-assessment topic Yes No Actions needed to reduce risks Clinical specialty I work in an area that is consistent with my licensure, specialty certification, training and experience. I know that my competencies – including experience, training, education … Retrieve Doc
Kaplan University is focused on recognizing the achievements of military and veteran students and offers the flexibility of an online education. Eligible students can receive college credit for prior military experience and coursework—up to 75 percent of the credit needed for a Kaplan University undergraduate degree.*
- MS in Nursing
- Doctor of Nursing Practice
- MS - DNP Path (Doctor of Nursing Practice)
- And more...
As a student at South University, you will have the opportunity to learn from accomplished faculty members who have real-world experience in the subjects that they teach. Our small class sizes allow you to receive personalized attention from instructors, and the encouragement to recognize your goals for the future and the means to achieve them.
- Nursing (BS)
Fortis Institute can give you the skills you need to train for a career in the healthcare field.
* Programs vary by location
* Please contact each individual campus for accreditation information
- Associate Degree in Nursing
Course Outline For C.N.A II Training
In order to be certified as a CNA II a certified nursing assistant must After successful completion of an approved CNA II class and evaluation of competencies for each skill the CNAII shall submit their certificate of completion to WSBN for recognition on their official CNA certification. … Return Document
California NURSE ASSISTANT
Re-certification.. 43 Lapsed Certification .. 43 Certification by Reciprocity .. 43 california nurse CNA? • You must successfully complete a state-approved nurse aide training program and pass both the written … Retrieve Full Source
CNA CERTIFICATION OUR EXPERIENCE – Northern Health
Canadian Nurses Association (CNA) Certification CNA certification is a voluntary, recognized credential for registered nurses, who meet specific nursing practice criteria, the competencies and bibliography. Spend more time on the … Document Retrieval
Home Health Aide Trainee II – Documentation Of Competency …
Has completed the certification test administered by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. I understand that if, for any reason, these conditions change Draft of the CNA "in training" to get HHA certification looks fine to me. 10. … Access Doc
Developing National Certification For RNs Working In Rehab …
What are CNA Certification Rehabilitation Competencies? n Core competencies that are unique to rehabilitation nursing specialty. n Significant knowledge and skills that are required to perform competently as a certified rehabilitation nurse. … Access Content
Note: The Updated Competency Score Sheet (Appendix A-B) Is …
Missouri CNA Training Program Created Date: 3/18/2008 10:37:39 AM … Fetch Content
Studying For The Gerontological Nursing Certification Exam
Ottawa, ON: Canadian Nurses Association; 2008. Competencies for care. 2nd ed. Boston, MA: Jones and Bartlett; 2010. Meiner SE. Gerontological Nursing Certification Review Course. Hartford Institute for Geriatric Nursing. … Read Content
PeriAnesthesia Nurse Awareness Week February 4-10, 2013
Competencies. This was completed in November 2012. NAPANc was granted membership to the Canadian Nurses Association in 2002 . 2003 CNA Certification Program welcomes PeriAneshtesia Nursing as its 20th TH Nursing Speicalty … View This Document
Community Health Nursing Vision 2020: Wait Or Shape?
Connecting the CHN Standards and PH Core Competencies for all nurses Career of a community health nurse Canadian Nurses Association (CNA) certification for community health nurses Competencies that include other professions-eg. … View This Document
LTCSS Workforce Development Meeting
Discussed the following changes to the core competencies document. o Wayne County – include spiritual support as a core competency under self-care. learning as a component or expectation as a part of maintaining CNA certification. … Retrieve Full Source
What Is The Nurse Aide Training And Competency Evaluation …
On going CNA training, only the certification training and testing. The state must report these costs separately to the federal government as part of the federal reimbursement process. Nursing facilities are … Fetch Here
A L L I A T I V E A R E U R S I N G P – Careers In Nursing …
CNA certification exam. competencies4 have been identified within the CNA/CHPCN certification program which nurses 1 Canadian Nurses' Association. (2009). Hospice Palliative Care Nursing Certification. CNA: Ottawa. Retrieved … Retrieve Full Source
Certification Agency (SA) within four months of the date of hire to a position providing nursing and nursing title CNA (Certified Nurse Assistant), referencing that the individual has met the SA's competency requirements … Access Content
Category Administration Nursing Aide Training And Competency
5.0 VOLUNTARY SENIOR CERTIFIED NURSING ASSISTANT CERTIFICATION conduct team meetings and resolve conflicts. Competencies: Function effectively as a team … Get Document

subset: commoncrawl


text:
|Boxing Champions | Boxing Schedule | Boxing Video | Boxing History | Pound For Pound | Lounge | The Wire | Audio | Arcade
Big Bad Booty Daddy
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: New York
Posts: 20,611
Rep Power: 200000
Points: 2,502,092,626,081.63
Bank: 0.00
Total Points: 2,502,092,626,081.63
Comments Thread For: Seth Mitchell Discusses March Return, 2012 Run, More
Its not even been four weeks since his last outing, but the beginning of 2012 has seen heavyweight prospect Seth Mitchell return to the gym to start getting ready for his next fight. [Click Here To Read More]
average joe
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Edmonton,Canada
Age: 40
Posts: 13,055
Rep Power: 84
Points: 729,176.88
Bank: 0.00
Total Points: 729,176.88
id like to see him fight a chauncey welliver, stiverne, david rodriguez or franklin lawrence. all those guys are making an outside push for recognition. stiverne has 3 regional belts & is a top contender in WBC. id consider one of those guys.
Strong champion.
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Boston.
Posts: 29,072
Rep Power: 108
Points: 6,002,681,676,502.30
Bank: 224,117,456,054,261.19
Total Points: 230,120,137,730,763.53
i like everything about mitchell except for that right hand
he pushes it out a bit
the hook is a big natural punch with a ton of power.
it's good to hear that he's such a serious student of the game as well. if he wants to extend his boxing career he's going to do well picking up some of the subtleties on film and working on them in the gym.
i also like that he's clearly not looking toward the klitschkos for at least a year.
if he can stay on HBO (and he's certainly looking like an HBO fighter, being american, personable, and exciting,) he'll make solid money during 2012, and he can make his run at the klitscko's in 2013 when they are a year older and he's a year better.
i still think he'd get badly dusted by either klitschko at this stage
he'd probably eat a right hand from wladimir and have no idea how to deal with it (after about six rounds of jabs in the face,) and get dropped.
and vitali would walk him around the ring all night and put his hands on him (maybe simmilar to the williams fight)
Strong champion.
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Boston.
Posts: 29,072
Rep Power: 108
Points: 6,002,681,676,502.30
Bank: 224,117,456,054,261.19
Total Points: 230,120,137,730,763.53
two late starters
huge punchers
it probably wouldnt go more than five or six rounds
maybe less
perhaps two more fights and mitchell would be ready for that. i think his athletic quality and size would be the difference.
stiverne could also use to lose at least 15 lbs
Last edited by New England; 01-10-2012 at 10:17 AM.
..Playa by Nature..
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: here and there
Posts: 6,203
Rep Power: 26
Points: 15,502,797,623.18
Bank: 60,093,702,422,506.95
Total Points: 60,109,205,220,130.13
he should target stiverne for that silver title...stiverne looked awful against an old washed up austin
Undisputed Champion
Join Date: Dec 2008
Posts: 1,666
Rep Power: 9
Points: 76,173.31
Bank: 0.00
Total Points: 76,173.31
Mitchell needs to fight kevin johnson next!
Undisputed Champion
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Edinburgh Scotland
Posts: 1,221
Rep Power: 7
Points: 56,037,966.81
Bank: 0.00
Total Points: 56,037,966.81
If he's serious about top 15 guys then go for Arreola. Huge fight.
WBA Silver Champion
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Chicago
Posts: 27,644
Rep Power: 86
Points: 1,905.38
Bank: 28,533.66
Total Points: 30,439.04
The Darkest Timeline...
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: State College, PA
Posts: 22,876
Rep Power: 81
Points: 19,817,694,948.49
Bank: 154,885,418,066,165.44
Total Points: 154,905,235,761,113.94
Sam Peter should be next,
Or Michael Grant.
|Thread Tools
Privacy Policy - Submit
News - Feedback
- Site Map - Advertise
with Us
Copyright © 2003-2014 BoxingScene LLC All rights reserved.
Copyright © 2003-2014 BoxingScene LLC All rights reserved.


text:
Each week we send an email highlighting upcoming events and what's new on the website. Subscribe using the form below.
We do not share your contact information with anyone.
|October 2014
|October 2014
|September 2014
|Gray Mountain
|Painted Horses
|The Story of Land and Sea
|by John Grisham
|by Malcolm Brooks
|by Katy Simpson Smith


text:
Lunch Be a Lady: Exploring the Arcadia Lunch Scene
By Heather Hoch
Angry Crab Shack in Mesa Delivers Seafood by the Pound
By Eric Schaefer
By New Times
Cuttlefish Ocean Kitchen in Scottsdale: Mixed Bag with...
By Rachel Miller
Sam Fox's Latest, The Henry, Has Got It All
By Eric Schaefer
10 Best Chinese Restaurants in Metro Phoenix
By Heather Hoch and Lauren Saria
A Tale of Two Museum Restaurants
By Robrt L. Pela
Chodang Tofu and BBQ in Chandler: A Korean Love Story
By Heather Hoch
Grateful Thanks: This is the time of year when we count our blessings. Yes, I'm grateful for family, friends, mild Phoenix winters and the extension of the Squaw Peak Parkway.
But as someone who eats out 225 times a year, here's what makes me particularly warm with gratitude:
• I'm thankful that I've never gotten sick from a restaurant meal. Thank you to suppliers, chefs, kitchen staff and servers who don't compromise public health.
• I'm thankful for restaurants that have a table ready for me when I arrive at my reservation time.
• I'm thankful for smiling hosts and hostesses who welcome me quickly when I walk in the door.
• I'm thankful for restaurants that don't keep expensive bottles of water on the table, prodding me to spend $4 for four cents' worth of H2O. Chateau Rimsza quenches my thirst just fine.
• I'm thankful for good bread and butter.
• I'm thankful for servers who scrape breadcrumbs off the table.
• I'm thankful for servers who know what's in every dish.
• I'm thankful for servers who tell me the price of the daily specials.
• I'm thankful for busers who don't clear my plate the moment I've put the fork in my mouth with the last bite.
• I'm thankful for menus that give a straightforward account of each dish.
• I'm thankful for menus that don't tell me how many fat grams, calories and milligrams of cholesterol I'm ingesting.
• I'm thankful for restaurants that don't have televisions.
• I'm thankful for restaurants that keep the background music low or, better yet, completely off.
• I'm thankful (for my wife's sake) for restaurants that have more than one stall in the women's rest room.
• I'm thankful for clean rest rooms.
• I'm thankful for nonsmoking dining rooms.
• I'm thankful for fresh ingredients.
• I'm thankful for chefs who stop by the table and ask how the meal is going.
• I'm thankful for restaurants that bring those little forks with the osso buco, so I can scrape out the marrow.
• I'm thankful for cheap ethnic restaurants.
• I'm thankful for BYOB restaurants.
• I'm thankful for restaurants that offer lots of wines by the glass and good beers on tap.
• I'm thankful for line cooks who know how to cook fish.
• I'm thankful for house-made desserts and French fries made from fresh-peeled spuds.
• I'm thankful for restaurants that don't charge $2 for a cup of coffee or $3.50 for an espresso.
• I'm thankful for restaurants that brew loose tea, instead of plopping down a pot of hot water and a three-cent tea bag.
• I'm thankful for well-wrapped doggie bags.
• I'm thankful for staffers who, when I depart, thank me for coming.
Suggestions? Write me at email@example.com orNew Times, P.O. Box 2510, Phoenix, AZ 85002.


text:
Similar Artists
Super similarity
1,813 listeners
A Chinese 8-bit electro artist and producer, A.M.U uses heavy beats, insane melodies, smart programming and unusual bleeps to provide strong dance floor tracks via his Gameboy. Known to tour throughout Beijing and Shanghai clubs.
Super similarity
8,509 listeners
M-.-n started digging the guts of the Gameboy in June 2004. Since then, he's been developing a specific style by taking a straight electro-dance floor approach, combined with gritty sounds & high drills that he now refers to as 'discodirt'. He's been taking his Gameboys on the road to many countries including his homeland, Belgium, but also France, U.
Super similarity
Gordon Strombola
8,799 listeners
Gordon Strombola is raised within the Czechislovakian Telex-scene, but is maybe most known for his backup-keyboard playing with his brother Charles Strombola.
Super similarity
9,294 listeners
Swedish artist producing Electro, Techno, and Ambient music. Visit his MySpace at: http://myspace.com/lithisxdump http://lithis.x-dump.com/
Very high similarity
7,337 listeners
Matophonia is one of The X-Dump electronica collective's original members, earlier known as Skruvmejsel. Unlike the rest of the members, he doesn't have his roots in nor listens particularly much to electronic music. Instead, he is a great funk- and jazz enthusiast and plays instruments like the trombone.
Very high similarity
3,443 listeners
Firedrill has waded through digital hell. He resides deep in the forest, a hidden treasure dreaming up the tunes of his heart using outdated software, hardware, anything he can get his paws on. A humble soul with large plans, Firedrill likes to perform with a fistful of bananas and slices of pineapple pizza around him.
Very high similarity
9,033 listeners
Ozzed is a Bitpop Artist from Sweden. He has a rather varied style but it's mainly focused around keygen/cracktro-like tunes. His first compilation "Lesser than Three" was released in October 2008. His second album "8-bit Empire" features NES-chip songs exclusively and was released in January 2009.
Very high similarity
1,156 listeners
We don't have a description for this yet, care to help?
Very high similarity
800 listeners
Lissajou is a Game Boy technoise specialist who currently calls Jacksonville, FL home. Sometimes referred to as "the Jeff Mills of 8 Bit", his unrelenting, skronkadelic exercises in superjacking Nanoloop beeps and bass always go damn so hard with that it is quite frankly unbelievable.
Very high similarity
6,297 listeners
Mahamajama is pronounced mahAH-majAH-mah. It doesn't mean anything. Doopy doopy doopity poop. Poopity doopity doo.
Very high similarity
5,128 listeners
New album "Scrambled Unity" now out on kittenrock! (For free, so what are you waiting for?) Flashbob is an 8bit artist from Berlin. All his albums are available as free downloads.
Very high similarity
853 listeners
We don't have a description for this yet, care to help?
High similarity
1,411 listeners
Tom MacLean is a Long Island-based chiptune artist. His output oscillates between low-fi melodic synthpop and hardcore fist-pounding chip, inspired equally by hours of misspent youth in his friend's basement playing Megaman 2 and at DJ venues basking in electronic euphoria.
High similarity
8,406 listeners
Rabato, Game Boy musician from Spain, started fiddling with the Game Boy tracker Little Sound Dj in 2005. He is part of the 8-bit collective MicroBCN. Rabato's music goes from early '90s electronica to electro with emotional melodies.
High similarity
2,209 listeners
µB is a chip musician from Germany. He frequently uses emulated Adlib sounds in his songs, and sounds from two VST instruments he created (Medusa and Kraken).


text:
It's time to go super. In fact, it's Uber Time. Show off your pride for being super! Thank you for supporting the StichRulez movement. :)
This great custom product in bright green from our department Men and T-Shirt category can be printed just for you in the size and style you like. The design StichRulez "Uber Time" was created by taylorkristich and uploaded to Spreadshirt for you to have printed on a T-Shirt. Next to a host of other great customized designs, you can find this StichRulez "Uber Time" design in Spreadshirt's Community category. If you are interested in topics like europe or gamer, then you'll love StichRulez "Uber Time" designs by taylorkristich. Spreadshirt also offers a huge selection of custom t-shirts, hoodies and accessories for the category Community as well as top hardcore clothing. taylorkristich's designs have already impressed many of our customers, so we are sure that we've got right stuff for you! Spreadshirt is your destination for great designs of all kinds – whether it's europe, gamer or hardcore. We are sure that you will find something nice in our shop, there are many amazing custom Community t-shirts, hoodies, or accessories for you to find! Tags: Design ID: 11916840
Welcome to the StichRulez Official Merchandise Shop. At this site, you will find a wide variety of designs that range from inspiration to comedy. I hope StichRulez inspires you to accomplish your dreams you've made in your life and to never let go of them!
Inspiring the world since 87.
Freddy Fazbear's Pizza Designed by Katsuhicon
Ash Flying Seagul T-Shirts Designed by jobby
Dill with it T-Shirts Designed by eat
Elf Costume T-Shirts Designed by flavored
Winner Winner Chicken Dinner T-Shirts Designed by THATSHIRTCRAY
Damn Gina Men's T-Shirt Designed by rouzdesign
White Shark T-Shirts (Short sleeve) Designed by BreakingBizzar
This relaxed fit cotton t-shirt for men has a seamless rib collar with double-needle cover-stitching, shoulder-to-shoulder taping, double-needle sleeve and bottom hem. The shirt is made from 100% pre-shrunk cotton and has a relatively light fabric weight of 5.3 oz. Light oxford is made from 99% cotton/1% polyester.
still to fill


text:
ATLANTA - Jimmy Carter may never have been president if he didn't go square dancing.
ATLANTA - A couple who amassed one of the nation's major private collections of African-American art is donating 100 works to the Georgia Museum of Art in Athens.
Hello, movie fans! Say what you will about actor Tom Cruise, but his fourth installment in the "Mission: Impossible" franchise currently is the No. 1 movie in America. "Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol" has chills, it has spills, but am I a fan? You'll find out!
HINESVILLE: Liberty Stadium Cinemas
ARIES: March 21 to April 19: Your batteries should be fully recharged by now, making you more than eager to get back into the swing of things full time. Try to stay focused so that you don't dissipate your energies.
On the heels of signing one of the most extraordinary rookie classes in team history, the Harlem Globetrotters will bring their 2012 World Tour to the Savannah Civic Center at 7 p.m. March 15.
If you plan to take time out this holiday season to catch a film or two, there are plenty to choose from. This week, I aim to make the decision-making process go more smoothly.
HINESVILLE: Liberty Stadium Cinemas
ARIES: March 21 to April 19: The New Year brings challenges that can change many things in your life. You need to be prepared not only to confront them, but also to deal with what happens afterward.
Marne Lanes Bowling Center is offering two Christmas Eve opportunities for bowling fun from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday.
Much of what makes the holiday season so special is the traditions that people hold dear. While many families have traditions that date back decades, there is plenty of opportunity to embrace unique means of celebration to breathe new life into Christmas, Chanukah or the season's other holidays.
In late 2009, Robert Redford and James McAvoy began filming on the streets of downtown Savannah. Their picture is called "The Conspirator," and it's available on DVD.
HINESVILLE: Liberty Stadium Cinemas
ARIES (March 21 to April 19) With the new year's opportunities almost within reach, the Arian's courageous aspects are raring to go. And don't be surprised if a lot of people follow the zodiac's most trusted leader.
Ring in the New Year with a fireworks display at the stroke of midnight at the Tybee Pier and Pavilion.
Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's closures and change of hours of Family, Morale, Welfare and Recreation facilities are available at:
It's been 20 years since Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels graced us as two of the most lovable idiots in the history of cinema.
Ever since he grabbed the public's attention with the Oscar-nominated "Memento" in 2000, director Christopher Nolan has established himself as one of the most brilliant filmmakers of the 21st century.
"Nightcrawler" is nothing short of a revelation in filmmaking. It features a powerhouse performance by Jake Gyllenhaal and contains characters and an atmosphere that completely is in service to its story. I think if Michael Mann had made either "Broadcast News" or "Network," this is probably what it would look like.
Turkey Trot
Page 1 of 1


text:
To redeem:
- Click here
- Sign up for a Shutterfly account (or, sign in if you're already a member)
- Copy and paste your code in the Promotional Code field.
- Your promotional code will be stored in your account and applied automatically at checkout.
We've heard your feedback and are continuing to build a better Slickdeals. Click here to check out the updated site.
Slickdeals Holiday Prize Giveaway
NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Void where prohibited. Subject to Official Rules.
left Enter Giveaway
Frontpage Deal
Free $10 Shutterfly Credit (expired)
My Coke Rewards is offering $10 Shutterfly Credit for Free. Offer ends May 16, 2012. Thanks mattraven
To redeem:
Community Voting:Categories
42 score
Thanks for voting
You have chosen to thumb down this deal.
For feedback purposes, please select a reason:
Thanks for voting
You have chosen to thumb down this deal.
For feedback purposes, please select a reason:
Forum > Deal Talk
Tags > Tech & Electronics Tech & Electronics > Cameras mycokerewards.com
Posted on 04/16/12 2:49pm by mattraven (1824) promoted by yuugotserved (112442)
Original Post
Details: We're excited to announce Shutterfly as our new photo partner. To celebrate, we've made 2,000 free $10 Shutterfly codes available for our fans. Redeem your free code today only!
Limited quantities available. Offer valid for one-time redemption of the free $10 Gift Code only. A credit card is required for any balance above $10, taxes, shipping and handling. Cannot be combined with any other offer or code. Offer ends May, 16, 2012 (11:59 P.M. PST).
EDIT: You must sign in or sign up in order to get this offer.
I also don't know why the link is odd like that, but that's the one I got from MCR's own Facebook page.
Wiki Community Board
This can and should be used by you to post updated deal information.
Be sure to read this because it may contain answers to your questions!
View Forum Thread
39 Comments
Well, what do you know...your email address is already registered with another Coca-Cola website (such as mycoke.com) that shares a common sign-in with us.
got it, site is slow for signing up
stevedawg85 ( 199 ) Apr. 16, 2012 at 2:51pm
same thing but didnt work for me
SammyRebate ( 652 ) Apr. 16, 2012 at 3:05pm
Thanks for this. Do I have to use the code by 4/16, or can I enter it somehow and then use it later? (I'm not much of a ShutterFly expert, so thanks in advance for your expert info.)
Top Rated Black Friday Deals (By Votes)
Popular Deals (By Votes)


text:
First Pacific Co Ltd and its MD and CEO, Manuel V. Pangilinan, led four of its businesses and two other top executives in winning eight awards for this year in recognition for their excellent corporate directorship and best practices in good governance.
Philex Mining CEO & President Eulalio Austin, Jr. receives on behalf of the company the "Most Promising Companies on Corporate Governance" award for this year from Aldrin Monsod, publisher and managing director of Corporate Governance Asia, in Hong Kong on Oct. 24.
Philex Mining Corp. has been noted by a prestigious regional journal as one of the companies in Asia that are "following the path of good corporate governance," granting it the "Asia's Most Promising Company on Corporate Governance" award for this year.
Philex Mining Corp. CEO & President Eulalio Austin, Jr. telling the new mining engineers on October 17 to make a difference while building their respective careers and help change the world.
About 100 professional surfers from all over the country and abroad have gathered on the southern Philippine island of Siargao for a surfing competition organized by the local government and is supported by Philex Mining Corp. and Smart Communications, Inc.
Philex Mining Corp. has joined other industry leaders in continuing to bat for a competitive sector through government cooperation and consistency in policies toward mining, as the company revealed that it is open for a merger and acquisition (M&A) deal.
Philex Mining has expressed hopes for a better future for the country's mining sector, despite an uncertain investment direction that government wants, as it supports this year's biggest and most prestigious conference and exhibition on the industry.
They came not only to offer prayers in thanksgiving and celebrate with the officials and employees of Philex Mining Corp. for the normal operations of Padcal mine, they also stressed the company's promotion of the "greater good" via responsible mining.
Philex Mining Corp. today received an order from the Mines and Geosciences Bureau granting the full operations at Padcal mine, in Benguet, as the government regulator permanently lifted a cease-and-desist order issued after a 2012 tailings-leak accident.
First Pacific Co Ltd and its MD and CEO, Manuel V. Pangilinan, led four of its firms and two other top execs in winning eight awards for excellence in good governance.
Philex Mining Corp. today received an order from the MGB granting the full operations of Padcal mine, as it permanently lifted a CDO issued in 2012.
Philex Mining and the National Power Corp. are set to identify parts of the NPC-controlled watershed area that will have to be reforested over five years.


text:
Black Friday Preview!
Sale prices will not be honored early Store opens at 8AM!
Furniture For Less offers one of the largest selections of name brand furniture in the area. We don't say this lightly.....all brands and model numbers are posted so you can compare and make an educated decision. We NEVER get beat on price.
In the past 15 years, Furniture For Less has grown faster then almost any other furniture and mattress retailer in the nation, but one thing has held constant....a burning desire to offer the best VALUE in furniture today. Furniture For Less is the only store in the area that accepts your gently used furniture in trade. Used furniture is displayed at our sister store, Go Green By Design.


text:
Meeja Law
Media law & ethics for online publishers, collected and written by Judith Townend (@jtownend)
Disclaimer: This site contains general information only. This site does not contain legal advice. This site is not responsible for the content of external sites. Enquiries should be made to: jt.townend [at] gmail.com.
Subscribe by email!
Subscribe by RSS
Research: Media lawyers, journalists and bloggersPlease get in touch with your views and experiences of libel and privacy law in England and Wales.
Media Law for Bloggers
@jtownend on Twitter
- Excellent piece on psychological and social implications for whistleblowers by @wiresmith: whistleblowers 10 years on gu.com/p/43dbg 1 day ago
- RT @robevansgdn: This Monday - 9-year battle by @guardian to obtain Prince Charles' letters to govt ministers reaches supreme court http://… 1 day ago
- RT @MichaelEades2: Bee - ing Human on the roof of @IALS_law for @BeingHumanFest http://t.co/yCUXAtZ9Wg 2 days ago
- 1st post on our @infolawcentre blog - a write up, with pics, from #beinghuman14 Humanity of Judging event bit.ly/11COwam @IALS_law 2 days ago
- RT @picard_robert: UK/Irish journalists invited to take Reuters Institute survey on future of journalistic work. #nuj surveymonkey.com/s/DMQG8T6 3 days ago
@meejalaw on Twitter
- RT @IndexCensorship: #PressRegulation in the #UK? Share your thoughts with @impressproject today 3-4pm GMT http://t.co/iwi8jFEpf6 1 week ago
- RT @JournLaw: Symposia on Drones and the Media to be hosted by @GUCulturalResea, @Griffith_Uni November 3 & 4 wp.me/p1wPnn-jq #MLGri… 1 month ago
- RT @rydermc: Interview with President of the Supreme Court, Lord Neuberger, by editors from @ukscblogcom ukscblog.com/uksc-blog-inte… 2 months ago
- RT @UKSupremeCourt: Only 10 days left to see our exhibition on history of Judicial Ctte of the Privy Council, as featured by @ahrcpress htt… 2 months ago
- RT @mediaguardian: European court to investigate laws allowing GCHQ to snoop on journalists: bit.ly/1uEfclb 2 months ago
- 5RB – media & entertainment law
- BBC College of Journalism – Law
- BBC Freedom of Information
- Blackstone's Statutes Media Law 3e – resources
- British Journal of Photography – campaigns
- Centre for Law, Justice and Journalism
- Channel 4 Producer's Handbook – Media Law
- City Legal Research
- CRITique commercial law blog
- David Banks
- David Price Guide to Media Law
- Delia Venables' legal resources
- Digital Media Law (US)
- Digital Media Law Project
- Don't Get Fooled Again
- Drawnalism
- EPUK resources
- George Brock
- Guardian Freedom of Information
- Guardian Legal Network
- Guardian.co.uk – media law
- Heather Brooke's blog
- HMCS glossary of legal terms
- I'm a Photographer Not a Terrorist
- Index on Censorship
- Informationa Rights and Wrongs
- Inforrm blog
- IP Media Law
- Jack of Kent
- Jonathan Hewett
- Journal Local
- Journalism.co.uk – media law
- Law Bore
- Learn WordPress.com
- Learnmore
- LSE Media Law Policy Project
- Matt Buck
- McNae's student resources
- Media Standards Trust
- MediaPaL@LSE
- Ministry of Justice
- mySociety
- Ofcom Watch
- One Brick Court – news
- out-law.com
- panGloss
- PCC – links to regulators
- Photo Legal
- Press Gazette – media law
- Recent decisions in England&Wales Court of Appeal (civil)
- Recent decisions in England&Wales High Court (Queen's Bench)
- Reframing Libel Symposium
- Robert Sharp
- ScraperWiki
- TabloidWatch
- Talk About Local
- The Private Lives of Others
- The Small Places
- UK Human Rights Blog
- Wannabe Hacks
- WhatDoTheyKnow
Tag Archives: lawbore
Lawbore, revamped – online gateway to legal resources
Guest post by Lawbore The Lawbore website was born a whole decade ago, in 2002, at a time when there were few websites for lawyers or law students. Today of course, all branches of the legal profession enjoys consuming and … Continue reading
Posted in academic research, blogging, digital open justice, education, media law resources Tagged emily allbon, lawbore, learnmore Leave a comment


text:
Cuba held a ceremony on Wednesday in the eastern city of Santiago to celebrate the arrival of a 1,630 kilometer (1,012 mile) undersea fiber-optic cable from Venezuela. The cable, which arrived on Tuesday after a 19-day voyage, is expected to drastically transform communications in Cuba, which has some of the slowest internet connections in the world.
Speaking to an audience that included Vice President Ramiro Valdes, Cuban Computer Science and Communications Minister Medardo Díaz hailed the arrival of the cable, saying it "opens a breach in the [economic] blockade" imposed on Cuba by the U.S. government. He also said the cable would "reinforce [Cuba's] development, integration and national sovereignty."
The Cuban government has historically blamed its poor communications on the U.S. embargo, which until recently prohibited any fiber-optic cable from nearby Florida. The Venezuela-Cuba cable, which was financed by Venezuela and laid by French company Alcatel-Lucent, will become operational in July and will increase the speed at which Cubans exchange information with the rest of the world by 3,000 times.
The cable's arrival coincided with news from Havana that the Cuban government appears to have unblocked domestic access to dissident blogger Yoani Sánchez' website Generación Y, as well as two other web portals that are critical of the government. It remains unclear whether the change is permanent.
From the Americas Society/Council of the Americas. AS/COA Online's news brief examines the major—as well as some of the overlooked—events and stories occurring across the Americas. Check back every Wednesday for the weekly roundup.
Sign up to receive the Weekly Roundup via email.
Colombia, Panama FTAs Get Republican Push
President Barack Obama has indicated he will send the South Korean trade pact to Congress for approval in the near future, but some legislators are pushing for free-trade agreements (FTAs) with Colombia and Panama to be sent along as well. Republican leaders from the House lunched with Obama on Wednesday, where they voiced support for all three pacts. Also on February 9, U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk testified before the House Ways and Means Committee, where he indicated action on the Panama and Colombia FTAs would take place within a year but was "contingent on the successful resolution" of concerns over protections of labor rights. On the same day, Senator John McCain (R-AZ) addressed the Council of the Americas, where he cautioned: "Colombia and Panama are not waiting on us. This is the new reality in our hemisphere today that too many Americans don't understand: Our neighbors are not dependent on us."
The House postponed a Tuesday vote on the Trade Adjustment Assistance program in a move that The Hill says would "provide Republicans with more leverage for the Obama administration to send all three pending free trade agreements" for Congressional approval.
The new issue of Americas Quarterly explores free trade and market access in the Americas, including Charticles on which Latin American countries support free trade and an analysis of congressional support for FTAs.
FARC Releases Hostage in Colombia
The Colombian guerrilla army known as the FARC handed over hostage Marcos Baquero to a group including delegates of the International Red Cross and ex-Senator Piedad Córdoba on Wednesday morning. Baquero, a councilman from the town of San José de Guaviare, had been held hostage for one year and seven months. Brazil offered two Cougar helicopters for the operation, and four Brazilian pilots and four mechanics participated in the rescue. The FARC has agreed to free another four hostages between the time of this report and Sunday.
Just recently, I came across an article in the Harvard Business Review written by renowned professors Michael E. Porter and Mark R. Kramer. The authors lament the increasingly negative views toward business and capitalism of recent years and argue that companies must lead the effort to bring business and society back together. In their view, those who use corporate social responsibility to enhance reputations, recognition and respect miss the point. Porter and Kramer claim that businesses will gain the most respect if they embrace the concept of shared value, in which the creation of economic value meets social progress. Furthermore, this concept has the greatest potential for launching the next era of growth and innovation.
Porter and Kramer acknowledge that adherence to shared value is far from the norm in business today. While they offer examples of companies moving in the direction of combining economic and societal progress in their business models, such as Wal-Mart, General Electric and Nestle, they argue there is still much to change with education in business schools.
Listening to the recent State of the Union speech by President Obama convinced me that preparing for—or as he says—"winning" the future will require more than short-term job stimulus and deficit/debt-reduction measures. It will require a new mindset very much in line with the Porter-Kramer vision.
Following two days of protests over last week's arrest of Pepe Luis Acacho, the leading candidate for head of the Confederación de Nacionalidades Indígenas del Ecuador (CONAIE), Ecuador's main indigenous organization, Acacho was released by Justice María Cristina Narváez yesteday. In her ruling, justice Narváez called his detention and that of two other Shuar leaders "illegal, arbitrary and illegitimate."
Acacho, Fidel Kaniras and Pedro Mashiant were arrested last week by the Ecuadorian police and charged with "organized terrorism" for allegedly inciting the protests that took place in September 2009 over the government's proposed Water Act. The proposed law would have allowed the government to permit companies access to water in areas with large indigenous populations, among others.
Hundreds of protestors took to the streets of Quito surrounding the Corte Provincial de Justicia Pichincha in support of the habeus corpus appeal on behalf of Acacho, Kaniras and Mashiant over the past two days. In a hearing yesterday morning, the court accepted the appeal and released the three men to cheering crowds that had gathered in support of the three men. In her ruling, Justice Narváez ruled that the arrests of Acacho and the two other men were invalid due to procedural lapses as well as in violation of human rights and international accords. Narváez also noted that the arrest and detention of the three men was pursued "against justice and laws, and imposed… on a whim."
The legal victory was welcomed by the indigenous community of Ecuador as well as those of other indigenous organizations both within Ecuador and in neighboring countries. The case is being used by CONAIE to strengthen their argument that the government of President Rafael Correa is persecuting indigenous leaders in the country. As such, CONAIE announced yesterday that they would request a meeting with United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon to discuss hostilities between the government and the indigenous population of Ecuador.
European Union Trade Commissioner Karel de Gucht said on Monday that the EU was close to reaching a free-trade agreement (FTA) with Mercosur. De Gucht is currently on a diplomatic trip to Paraguay and Uruguay—both members of Mercosur. The commissioner's statement that "the moment has come" for a trade relationship came shortly after a meeting with Paraguayan President Fernando Lugo in Asunción.
De Gucht's remarks were strategically timed. March and May will see two bilateral meetings in Brussels. There is also a Mercosur summit in Asunción scheduled for June. In his comments, de Gucht mentioned that the EU has earmarked 130 Euros (US$177) for development until 2013 to facilitate trade and exchanges, with Mercosur being the top priority.
FTA talks between the EU and Mercosur were suspended for six years starting in 2004, but resumed in May 2010 due to the FTA's potential to help both regions recovery from the global economic crisis. One issue that remains unresolved—and could further hold up the signing of an agreement—is competition between European and South American farmers and animal breeders. Mercosur currently has FTAs with Colombia (2005), Israel (2007) and Egypt (2010).
An unfortunate series of events last week turned my last blog post (Colombia's Readiness for the Mining Industry) into a warning that has now become reality.
On February 1, five miners were killed in an explosion at La Escondida coalmine, near Sutatausa, a small town north of Bogotá. According to official reports, the explosion was caused by the accumulation of gases—mainly methane—in the tunnels. Floresmiro Olaya, the only survivor of the explosion, said to a local newspaper that the mine lacked proper ventilation, the tunnels didn't have shelters in case of a collapse (like the one that saved the 33 Chilean miners) and no inspection was conducted by authorities. The families of the killed miners announced they will sue the government for poorly enforcing safety measures in the mine.
This tragedy came only a week after another explosion killed 21 miners in a coalmine in Sardinata, Santander, in the northeast of Colombia. It, too, was apparently caused by a buildup of methane gas.
The passing of Verónica Viviana Medina, who died last Thursday from burn wounds, is part of Argentina's troubling trend of female deaths after being lit on fire by their partners. Since February 2010, 14 women have been murdered through such extreme acts of domestic violence. Ms. Medina, 32, passed away in a Buenos Aires hospital after over 60 percent of her body was burned three weeks ago.
Police reports say that Medina began an argument with her husband in front of their two children that escalated quickly. Medina's husband then doused her in alcohol and set her ablaze. Medina was able to run onto the street shouting for help from her neighbors. She identified her husband, Daniel Fernando Rodríguez, 32, as the perpetrator. This was considered rare as most of the 14 women were not able to escape their attackers and notify the public.
Ms. Medina's death was one of three that have already occurred in 2011, with many additional hospitalizations. In another incident last week, Vanesa Barrera, 21, was lit on fire by her 22-year-old boyfriend in the La Matanza district of Buenos Aires. She remains hospitalized with 80 percent of Barrera's body having suffered serious burns.
With all the news out of Egypt last week in every major paper and streaming in live, the casual observer would easily be forgiven for overlooking a comparatively benign—but still marked—story: Wednesday's global celebrations in commemoration of the 12th anniversary of Venezuela's Bolivarian revolution. In fact, it's possible I would have overlooked the occasion too had we not received (from some mysterious email address) an invitation to attend the official celebration in New York at Venezuela's consulate general on 51st street in Manhattan.
I almost deleted it upon receipt, but there it was, a day or two later, still sitting in my inbox and curiosity took hold. I called Venezuela home for nearly two years at the very outset of Hugo Chávez' presidency and still have many Venezuelan friends both in and out of the country. What would it be like, I thought? What would they celebrate?
So I slogged down Fifth Avenue through New York's ubiquitous icy slush and puddles to satisfy a nagging curiosity and observe the Bolivarian revolutionary revelry. The event was open to the public—no sign-in sheets or security checks—and only a few minutes after the 6 p.m. start time the crowd was already getting big. The celebrants were clearly mostly Venezuelan and it seemed like many of the early arrivals knew the consulate staff, but there was also a pretty diverse gringo crowd sporting patriotic Venezuelan hats and flags and bright red t-shirts.
If you happened to forget yours at home: "no problem!" There was a table of giveaway flags and apparel, and even hard-copy-bound books (in English) with select writings by el libertador himself.
This week marked the annual feast of the Candelaria (Candlemas), a religious event celebrated across Mexico that got its name from the fact that candles were brought to the church to be blessed. Marking the ritual presentation of baby Jesus, the occasion involves first making the necessary repairs to plaster statues in street side markets. These statues—elaborately dressed Niños Jesus that are then brought to local churches—are chronicled in my video below.
You'll see that Mexicans have developed a devotional cult around the Niño Jesus and there are an infinite number of manifestations of the figure. The Football Niño, the Punk Niño, the Indigenous Niño, and the Doctor Niño are but a few that are popular. The day usually ends with a meal of tamales—the traditional tamalada—the responsibility of the person whose slice of rosca (round, sugary bread) contained a small, plastic figure of the baby Jesus.
Watch a piece I composed on the elaborate preparations involved in the ritual:
Keith Dannemiller is a guest blogger to AQ Online. He is a photographer based in Mexico City.
In early January, three Argentine pilots of a private modern jet were arrested in Barcelona, Spain, for transporting nearly a ton of cocaine. The episode is embarrassing for the Argentinean government since Spanish investigators have proof that the cocaine was loaded onto the plane from an Argentinean military airbase. Moreover, this was the last and biggest of a series of three carefully planned trips. The Spanish authorities chose to watch the first two smaller shipments and wait to seize this larger shipment. They also chose not to reveal any information about the nearly year-long operation to Argentinean authorities.
The lack of Spanish cooperation with the Argentinean authorities reveals an absence of trust and makes an outside observer wonder about the possibility of government complicity. Indeed, there are government connections from previous administrations. Two of those arrested are brothers Gustavo and Eduardo Juliá, sons of Brigadier José Juliá who was head of Argentina's Airforce when Carlos Menem was president. The third, Matías Miret, is also the son of a former Airforce official in command during the country's dictatorship (1976-1983). The modern jet plane used in the last flight, a Challenger 604, was supposedly rented from the company Medical Jet based in Miami, which claims it was leased to the Argentines by an outsourced group. Spanish authorities have revealed evidence that the 944 kilos of cocaine confiscated from the jet originated from the Valle Cartel in Colombia and passed through Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia, for processing before making its way to Argentina.
The recent episode is not only uncomfortable for the Argentinean government; it highlights the country's growing role in the international drug trade and the government's weak control over trafficking. At first, President Cristina Fernández´s administration wouldn't admit that the drugs were loaded on the Argentinean airbase, but evidence forced the new Security Minister (former Minister of Defense) Nilda Garré to concede that it was possible and that "some controls have relaxed a little." Accordingly, Ms. Garré has begun calling for increased regulations for private aircrafts. This sounds like a good idea considering the private jet loaded with a ton of cocaine at a military airbase even passed through Argentinean customs before taking off for Spain.
According to a researcher from the University of Buenos Aires, there is significant drug trafficking throughout Argentina, but mostly taking place by sea. This Juliá brother case is unique because of the large quantity of cocaine transported by air. There is also evidence, however, that Argentina is not just a transit point. It is also a drug producing and consuming country. The exponential growth of the use of Paco, a cheap cocaine derivative often made from production leftovers, makes specialists believe that there is significant production taking place in the country. Around the year 2000, the combination of Plan Colombia cracking down on drug producing countries up north and Argentinean's economic meltdown made sending cocaine paste directly to Argentina for processing a viable, economic alternative. As a result, consumption has risen among the poor and the use of cheap drugs by young slum dwellers is leading to increasing acts of random gun violence in Buenos Aires.
Haiti's Provisional Electoral Council (CEP) announced yesterday morning that government party candidate Jude Célestin is not eligible to run against frontrunner and former first lady Mirlande Manigat in the March 20 national presidential runoff elections. The long-awaited decisions means that Haitian pop singer Michel Martelly, who placed second in November's first round voting will proceed to the second round.
The announcement mirrors recommendations made by the Organization of American States (OAS), which found evidence of widespread fraud, missing votes and altered tallies in favor of government-backed candidate Célestin. To many observers, the decision is a sign of progress in a country that witnessed a surge of violence and voter ballot confusion during the first round elections in November. Other tumultuous events such as the onset of an ongoing cholera epidemic and the recent return of former dictator Jean-Claude Duvalier on January 16 have raised the overall uncertainty regarding the election.
Support for the decision from international observers was immediate with Farhan Haq, a United Nations spokesperson, saying, "it is of capital importance for Haiti to have a new democratically elected government, to work on the pressing issues of reconstruction and the fight against cholera." The OAS also supports the decision and says it will send a new team of observers for the presidential runoff, as has been requested by the Haitian government.
The results of the runoff will be announced on April 16. Follow AQ Online for more updates and coverage.
According to new estimates, the number of undocumented immigrants living in the United States remained steady between 2009 and 2010, following a two-year period of decline that began in 2007. A study released Tuesday by the Pew Hispanic Center found that as of March 2010, there were approximately 11.2 million undocumented immigrants in the U.S., compared with 11.1 million a year earlier and a peak of 12 million in 2007. Similarly, the number of undocumented immigrants in the nation's workforce remained steady at 8 million in the 2009-2010 period, compared to 8.4 million in 2007. The decline was notable particularly in Colorado, Florida, New York, Virginia, Arizona, Nevada, and Utah.
Although the Pew report was not designed to answer why these changes occurred, Pew Hispanic Center director Paul Taylor said "common sense" suggests that the economic recession and slow recovery from it in the U.S., as well as tougher border enforcement, are contributing factors. Senior demographer and co-author of the report Jeffrey S. Passel told Reuters that, in the past, immigration inflows have been tied to the state of the U.S. economy, particularly in the case of Mexico. Undocumented immigrants from Mexico account for 58 percent of the total and appear to be a primary source of the decline.
Despite stricter border enforcement and record numbers of deportations under the Obama administration (392,000 in 2010), the report did not find that a large number of undocumented immigrants were leaving the country. This may yet again prove the failure behind state-by-state "attrition through enforcement," a strategy in which states adopt tough, anti-immigration laws. Although the anti-immigrant SB 1070 law passed in Arizona in 2010 is currently on hold pending court appeals, at least 15 other states have proposed similar legislation in 2011.
The Pew analysis, which is based on U.S. census data, also reports that 350,000 children had at least one undocumented-immigrant parent in 2009. This represents about 8 percent of the newborn population and is on par with figures from 2008. Conservative lawmakers in Congress and state legislatures have proposed initiatives to deny automatic citizenship to the children of undocumented immigrants, and in December 2010, a Senate filibuster blocked passage of the DREAM Act, federal legislation that would have provided children of undocumented immigrants permanent residency conditioned upon completion of two years of higher education or military service. Birthright citizenship is currently guaranteed by the 14th amendment to the U.S. constitution.
From the Americas Society/Council of the Americas. AS/COA Online's news brief examines the major—as well as some of the overlooked—events and stories occurring across the Americas. Check back every Wednesday for the weekly roundup.
Sign up to receive the Weekly Roundup via email.
Sec Clinton Pushes OAS Recommendations in Haiti
On an official visit to Haiti, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton reiterated U.S. support for the OAS recommendation to remove Jude Célestin—the governing party's pick—from the second round of presidential elections. Clinton said she would discuss with Haitian leaders how to move forward with the delayed runoff election, and she denied rumors that the U.S. would suspend aid to Haiti if the government did not follow the OAS recommendation.
Last week, the Haitian government set March 20 as the date for the runoff election.
Haiti to Issue Passport to Aristide
The Haitian government agreed to issue ousted President Jean-Bertrand Aristide a diplomatic passport, his lawyer Ira Kurzban said Monday. Haitian President René Préval has refused to approve Aristide's passport requests for years, but General Secretary for the Presidency Fritz Longchamp told Reuters that Préval and the Council of Ministers decided to change their position. Aristide's party, the Fanmi Lavalas, is the largest in the country but is banned by electoral authorities.
Haitians Question Role of NGOs
The nongovernmental organizations that have flocked to Haiti by the hundreds continue to face scrutiny from the country's leaders, according to a feature report in The Washington Post. Even the groups themselves have criticized the high turnover and lack of coordination and transparency that has characterized charitable groups operating in Haiti, the report says. Foreign donors continue to prefer donating to NGOs rather than the government, however, due to Haiti's reputation for corruption.
Feeling Egyptian in Latin America
Global Voices aggregates opinions from various blogs and newspapers about whether protests in Egypt could spark uprisings in Latin America. Bloggings by Boz suggests that "democracy is the expectation rather than the exception" in Latin America while Central American Politics suggests Bolivia and Ecuador would be the countries most likely to face protests. Two Weeks Notice compares and contrasts Egypt with Nicaragua.
The auditing firm Ernst & Young recently surprised all of Mexico (and possibly the world) with the results published in their "Winning in a polycentric world" report, which ranks economies based on their level of globalization.
In this ranking, which EY coordinates with the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) think tank, Mexico is placed in a very respectable #36, surpassing China (39) Japan (42) and Brazil (46) among others as "most globalized." Hong Kong, Ireland and Singapore rank at the top of the index. The United States does not fare are well as one would expect, placed as #28, only 8 slots from its neighbor to the south.
Why does the Ernst & Young report throw out these unexpected figures and why is it so important? Granted, there are many types of studies and rankings that provide different lists. However, what makes "Winning in a polycentric world" a very relevant report and an important piece to further study, is the fact that this is one of the few reports that measures globalization in relative terms, linked to the size of the economy measured by GDP. This is done to some extent, in order to level the playing field.
The report has 20 indicators grouped under five broad categories: movement of goods and services, movement of capital and finance, exchange of technology and ideas, movement of labor and cultural integration. Thanks mostly to strengthened economic ties (mostly fueled by NAFTA) and improvements in our financial and banking systems, Mexico gets high points for trade and movement of capital. If these were the only variables to analyze, the report would paint a profitable future for Mexico. However, the category in which the country gets its lowest grades is technology and innovation and that is very bad news.
In the book As the Future Catches You, Juan Enriquez Cabot makes a strong case for the importance of innovation and harvesting ideas as opposed to relying on commodities and primary resources to boost an economy. He looks at where most of the added value in the supply chain lies in answering the question "how can countries rich in natural resources get so poor during this century?". Enriquez wrote the book more than 10 years ago but we can prove he was right when we see Hong Kong, Ireland and Singapore at the top of Ernst & Young's rankings mostly due to their ability to turn a profit without large natural resources.
With just over two months to go before voting in Peru's presidential elections on April 10, candidates are now devoting their attention to a social concern that has not been a front-and-center issue in national politics. The focus on same-sex marriage comes on the heels of disparaging remarks made on January 24 by Bishop Emeritus of Chimbote Luis Bambarén that were directed at the gay community. He also stated that discussion on "useless things like gay marriage" was a ploy by politicians to garner more votes.
Currently leading in polls, former president Alejandro Toledo of the Perú Posible party has made statements suggesting that he is open to civil unions and working "toward an inclusive society." Pedro Pablo Kuczynski of Alianza por el Gran Cambio and Keiko Fujimori of Fuerza 2011 have both declared themselves in favor of civil unions as well. According to recent CPI and Datum polls, Toledo is in the lead by only a few percentage points over Luis Castañeda of Solidaridad Nacional with Keiko Fujimori in third place. Similar statements have been made by Manuel Rodríguez Cuadros of Fuerza Social. Mr. Cuadros has declared that he is in favor of reforming Peru's laws to allow for same-sex marriages. Other candidates have not gone as far. Among them, Catañeda has proposed inheritance benefits while calling changing current laws to permit same-sex unions "a crazy… idea."
Political analysts in Peru note that the gay vote played a key role in the recent election of Susana Villarán as mayor of Lima and so will now play a similar role in the presidential election. According to Fernando Vivas of BBC Mundo, the increasing role of the gay vote in Peru has helped to raise the issue of gay rights above other topics like illiteracy and poverty eradication in the election debate.
The unexpected arrival of former dictator Jean-Claude "Baby Doc" Duvalier has incited another plot twist in the tragic-comedy known as Haitian politics. Duvalier's reasons and/or ambitions for this return has elicited endless speculation from the moment his Air France flight touched down in Port-au-Prince. One of the first writers to solve this mystery was Huge Desrameaux. Writing in the Miami Herald, Desrameaux revealed that Duvalier had returned to Haiti in a quixotic attempt to reclaim what's left of his ill-gotten fortune, which is currently being withheld by Swiss authorities. These fortunes will now be easier for the Haitian authorities to reclaim after the Duvalier Law—a Swiss law that eases the ability of a country to retrieve ill-gotten gains—went into effect today.
In spite of Duvalier's efforts at arguing that his motives are more benevolent (he's allegedly returned to help with earthquake relief and to donate his remaining bounty to the Red Cross) the audacity of returning to the island that he and his father plundered requires a voluminous amount of hubris. After all, did Duvalier seriously believe he could return home to Haiti and everyone would turn the other cheek?
Duvalier's impromptu homecoming also offers another opportunity to debate the efficacy of President René Préval's tenure in office. "Baby Doc" may be the spectacle du jour, but the real question that Haitians must address at this moment is, what is its post-Préval future?
Havana Provincial Court sentenced Wilfredo Castillo Donate, the director of Havana Psychiatric Hospital, to 15 years in prison on Monday for negligence in the deaths of 26 patients during a cold spell last year. Twelve other staff members of Cuba's largest mental health institution also received sentences ranging from 5 to 14 years in prison.
The 26 patients died of hypothermia and other ailments last January during a spell of cold winter weather that dipped as low as 38 degrees Fahrenheit (4 degrees Celsius)—unusual for Cuba's tropical climate. The prosecutor argued that despite the hospitals dilapidated condition, the staff had sufficient resources in its possession, such as extra blankets and available warmer rooms, to prevent the deaths.
Critics of the government claim that the patient deaths expose shortcomings in Cuba's free health care system, which has been a point of pride for the Castro regime. Members of the convicted hospital staff have 10 days to appeal their sentences.
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton visited Port-au-Prince yesterday to meet with Haitian politicians regarding the ongoing presidential elections. She met with incumbent president René Préval and the three leading candidates after the November 2010 vote: former first lady Mirlande Manigat, construction executive Jude Célestin and popular musician Michel Martelly.
The preliminary results were originally contested when Martelly—long expected to advance to a second round—lost out to Célestin to advance to the runoff. After much international pressure, the Organization of American States (OAS) conducted an investigation, and issued a report recommending that Martelly be included in the runoff instead of Célestin. Secretary Clinton said yesterday that the Obama administration supports the OAS' findings. Haiti's Provisional Electoral Council is expected to issue its final ruling on Wednesday.
Although the presidential runoff is scheduled for March 20, with results to be announced on April 16, Préval is constitutionally required to leave office on February 7. However, an emergency bill passed by Haiti's parliament last year allows Préval to stay in office until May 14. Célestin, a member of Préval's Inité party and widely viewed as his political protégé, has in recent days rebuffed Préval's calls to withdraw from the race.
In addition, a Department of State press release noted that Secretary Clinton visited a cholera treatment clinic to monitor ongoing reconstruction efforts after last year's earthquake.
In the last two months, the world has witnessed a wave of diplomatic support for a Palestinian state from a region that is continuing to extend its foreign policy imprint: Latin America. But will this trend yield any measurable progress toward a two-state Palestinian-Israeli agreement—or produce a negligible effect on Palestine's quest for full autonomy and sovereignty?
Although Costa Rica, Cuba, Nicaragua, and Venezuela fully recognized a sovereign Palestinian state before the end of last year, Brazil's decision to throw its diplomatic weight behind Palestine in December 2010 initiated a chain reaction through the region. Given Brazil's economic prominence, its South American neighbors likely saw low political risks in following Brasília's lead. For instance, Argentine President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner sent a letter to Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas only five days after then-Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva did so. Bolivia, Ecuador, Guyana, Suriname and Uruguay have since issued similar statements.
After Chile formally recognized a Palestinian state earlier this month, Palestinian officials suggested Paraguay and Peru would shortly follow suit—the latter of which acquiesced this week. Peru was widely expected to acknowledge a Palestinian state in anticipation of the third Summit of South American-Arab Countries (Cumbre América del Sur-Países Árabes), which will be hosted in Lima beginning February 12.
This domino effect begs the question: Why now? The Palestine Liberation Organization was established back in 1964 and Abbas has been the PA president for over six years—so there has not been a recent regime change. Most likely, it appears that Latin America was simply fed up with the lack of progress in Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations. Despite the optimism that persisted in September 2010 with the re-launching of the first direct talks since the 2007 Annapolis Conference, those negotiations quickly broke off—resulting in the present stasis.
Following President Obama's call for the U.S. to "pursue agreements with Panama and Colombia" in his State of the Union address this week, Colombian Vice President Angelino Garzón said in Washington DC that he is convinced there is a majority in Congress to approve the deal. "We hope and we stress that 2011 is the year the U.S. Congress approves the pact…there is no middle road on this," according to Garzón.
The renewed focus on passage of the U.S.-Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement—originally signed in November 2006—is a high priority for U.S.-Colombian relations. It is also imperative for job creation in the United States. As noted by Eric Farnsworth in the newly published AQ, "the refusal of the U.S. to pass its own bilateral agreement with Colombia were the primary causes of the sharp drop in U.S. agricultural exports to Colombia." He further warns of this continuing once the Colombia-Canada agreement comes into force.
An AQ interactive analysis also highlights the correlation, or lack of it, behind how members of Congress vote on free-trade agreements and the resulting increase in export benefits seen by the state due to passage. It presents state-by-state export values to Colombia, showing why passage of this agreement can help to boost local economies.
Currently, over 90 percent of U.S. imports from Colombia enter duty-free, but U.S. exports to Colombia face tariffs up to 35 percent.
By all accounts, 2010 was a challenging time for Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper on the foreign policy front.
The low point came when Canada failed to win a non-permanent seat in a secret vote at the United Nations Security Council in October, the first time since 1948. Canada had held the prestigious two-year position virtually nonstop every 10 years or so since the early days of the United Nations.
As expected, Germany easily one of two Western Bloc regional seats but most observers had not seen the duel shaping up between Canada and Portugal for the second seat. To avoid a humiliating defeat, Canada withdrew from the race after the second ballot.
The outcome sent shockwaves across the nation.
Opposition parties labelled the loss a blow to Canada's international reputation. Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff attributed the rebuke to the Harper government's ideological positions, incompetence and neglect of African issues. He reminded the government 80 percent of the Security Council's work is focused on Africa.
In what some are suggesting was a strategic move to keep a party out of power, a candidate in the race for governor in Mexico's Guerrero state has dropped out and endorsed his opponent. On Wednesday, Marcos Parra Gomez of the Partido Acción Nacional (PAN) announced that he would instead encourage his followers to support Ángel Aguirre of the Partido de la Revolución Democrática (PRD). Aguirre is in a close race with Manuel Anorve, the mayor of Acapulco and member of the previously-dominant Partido Revolucionario Institucional (PRI). Elections will be held on Sunday, January 30.
In Guerrero, Acapulco is the major port for automobile exports to the Pacific region and critical for Mexico's ability to take full advantage of the "over 25 trade and investment agreements signed from 1985 to 2009," as noted by Eva Paus in the Winter AQ (released today). Improving security will be a priority for the new governor.
In his announcement—just five days before the election—Parra said he "seeks the best thing for the people of Guerrero." The decision was made in conjunction with the PAN's National Executive Committee, whose officials have often emphasized the need to prevent the PRI from returning to power and who last year forged coalitions with the PRD in other states to this end.
Responding to the announcement in a press conference, a representative from the PRI's Executive National Committee said the new alliance "goes beyond the ambition for power for power's sake." Spokesman Roberto Padilla Márquez said the state of Guerrero should not be seen "as a piece in a game of chess" to ultimately win the presidency of the Republic of Mexico.
From the Americas Society/Council of the Americas. AS/COA Online's news brief examines the major—as well as some of the overlooked—events and stories occurring across the Americas. Check back every Wednesday for the weekly roundup.
Sign up to receive the Weekly Roundup via email.
SOTU: Obama Announces LatAm Trip
During Tuesday night's annual State of the Union address, U.S. President Barack Obama announced plans to travel to Brazil, Chile, and El Salvador in March. "[T]his will be an important opportunity to recharge and reset U.S. relations with the hemisphere," writes COA's Eric Farnsworth in the Americas Quarterly blog, noting that immigration and trade were the two other regional issues Obama touched on. Despite the fact that the president suggested he would "pursue agreements" with Colombia and Panama, observers noted that Obama did not spell out a timetable to win congressional approval of the two free-trade deals.
Visit AmericasQuarterly.org January 27 to access the Winter 2011 issue covering free trade and market access.
SecClinton Travels to Mexico for Bilateral Boost
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton traveled to Guanajuato, Mexico, January 24 for a meeting with Foreign Secretary Patricia Espinosa. According to the press conference held after the meeting, the two secretaries hit on a range of topics—from Mexico's leadership on climate issues to bilateral economic ties to Haiti. Inevitably, the subject of Clinton's comments on Mexico's violent drug war attracted the greatest press attention. The secretary voiced support for the Calderón government's offensive against organized crime, noted a $500 million commitment from Washington this year to support Mexico's efforts, and compared Mexico's struggle with crime to New York's two decades ago. The Christian Science Monitor focused in particular on Clinton's praise for Mexico's efforts toward judicial reform.
Read an AS/COA Online analysis on Clinton's latest trip to Mexico.
U.S. President Barack Obama announced in his State of the Union address last night plans to travel to Brazil, Chile and El Salvador this coming March "to forge new alliances for progress in the Americas." Obama is scheduled to arrive in El Salvador on March 23 after first visiting Brazil and then Chile. The March trip will be the first visit to South America by a sitting U.S. President since George W. Bush visited Brazil, Uruguay, Colombia, Guatemala, and Mexico in March 2007.
This will mark the president's first trip to South America as either a private citizen or head of state. However, Obama did travel to Trinidad and Tobago to attend the 34-nation Summit of the Americas in 2009 where he pledged to re-engage the region. Of the three countries Obama plans to visit, he last met with President Mauricio Funes of El Salvador in March in Washington DC where the two expressed a desire to work together to combat organized crime and drug trafficking.
The decision to visit these countries is timely given the recent presidential elections in both Brazil and Chile and their roles as economic leaders in the region, writes Eric Farnsworth in the AQ blog. Both Brazil and Chile have elected new presidents in the last 12 months.
The visit also comes as the newly sworn-in 112th U.S. Congress recently appointed Connie Mack as Chairman of the Sub-Committee on the Western Hemisphere. But his seeming unwillingness to engage Latin America on its terms poses a challenge to the administration's desire to re-engage with the region, writes Christopher Sabatini in the AQ blog.
The president spoke at least three times this evening during his State of the Union on issues of importance to the Western Hemisphere: immigration, trade and his desire to travel to Latin America in March.
He was strong on immigration, saying he is willing to work with anyone to address immigration issues comprehensively as a priority. That's good news and shows that immigration reform isn't dead despite the failure of the Dream Act in the lame duck congressional session late last year. Hopefully Republicans will take him up on it, or else they risk losing Hispanics politically for at least a generation, perhaps more. 2011 could finally be the year, if republicans will play ball.
On trade, the president spoke of working with Panama and Colombia to get an agreement that supports U.S. workers. We already have such agreements, though, since the agreements as drafted would open markets to us in the same way ours is already open to them. It's a matter of fairness, and also the ability to export more, consistent with the president's goal of doubling exports by 2014.
Siete, dicen, es el número cabalístico que marca la primera crisis matrimonial seria, de esas que acaban en ruptura definitiva. Pero dado que el tiempo es hoy una categoría tan relativa y de cada vez menos duración, las crisis conyugales suelen comenzar bastante antes. Eso parece haber sucedido en Bolivia con el matrimonio de Evo y el pueblo a cinco años de iniciado su gobierno. La luna de miel se ha acabado de la peor manera: con el mayor gasolinazo de la historia reciente como regalo de Navidad. Digamos, una torpeza.
La reacción del pueblo fue entonces furibunda. Evo no se lo esperaba, confiado, cómo no, en ese 67 por ciento de respaldo popular que en 2008 lo ratificó en la Presidencia y luego lo reeligió por cinco años más en diciembre de 2009. Digamos que esa pareja -Evo y el pueblo- confiaba uno en el amor del otro. Así, llegada esta Navidad ni el pueblo esperaba un gasolinazo del 80 por ciento ni Evo que quemaran su vivo retrato en las calles y quisieran echarlo a patadas de la casa como hicieron con Gonzalo Sánchez de Lozada en 2003 y encima ¡esos mismos actores!: la ciudad de El Alto pero además, Oruro, Potosí y el Chapare. Es decir, sus mayores plazas electorales de donde salen gran parte de los llamados "movimientos sociales", en su mayoría indígenas y sectores populares del occidente del país. Digamos sus amadas.
Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos is in Paris this week before heading to the World Economic Forum and at the top of his agenda is expanding trade and investment ties with France and the European Union as a whole. Today, prior to meeting with President Nicolas Sarkozy on Wednesday, Santos met with French business leaders to discuss commerce opportunities. The Colombian president called attention to Colombia's economic growth and the importance of expanded trade opportunities: "For us, Europe is still fundamental. We have negotiated a free trade agreement with Europe, and I take this opportunity to ask everyone to help us so that this treaty will get adopted as soon as possible by the European Parliament and the parliaments of each country."
He later had lunch with French Senate President Gerarch Larcher and spoke about plans to "further expand [bilateral] cooperation." Santos is also scheduled to visit a ship-building yard in Saint-Nazaire.
In comments that will likely be echoed during a speech later this week at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, the Colombian president noted to French business leaders that "ten years ago Colombia was a country that many catalogued as a failed state" but "the country has changed 180 degrees."
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton is traveling today to the central Mexican city of Guanajuato for one day of bilateral talks with her counterpart, Foreign Minister Patricia Espinosa. According to a Department of State press release, the main discussion points will cover joint efforts in the areas of organized crime, economic collaboration, border security, and climate change reform post-COP 16 in Cancún. Following her discussions with Minister Espinosa, Secretary Clinton will meet President Felipe Calderón in Mexico City.
The timing of Secretary Clinton's visit is critical as Mexico continues to suffer from drug cartel-related violence throughout the country. More than 34,000 people have died in the last four years due to organized crime. President Calderón has mounted an aggressive government effort to stave off narco-violence, despite nearly 16,000 of the 34,000 deaths having occurred in 2010 alone.
In light of this, the Colombian army has begun training Mexican police officers to contain drug gangs. Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos notes that: "Mexico has what we had some years ago, which are very powerful cartels. What we can provide is the experience that we have had dismantling those cartels, training intelligence officers, [and] training judicial police."
Minister Rodrigo Rivera has announced that in the first week of February he will travel to Washington DC to consult his U.S. counterpart, Defense Secretary Robert Gates, on Colombia's U.S.-backed efforts to combat drug trafficking.
During his visit, Mr. Rivera's discussions will focus on violence sparked by nacrotrafficking organizations. The administration of Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos has been retooling its counternarcotics strategies since the beginning the year when two students from a prestigious Bogotá university were found murdered by suspected drug traffickers near a beach on Colombia's Caribbean coast.
Mr. Rivera's U.S. trip will follow his visit next week to Venezuela, where he will hold meetings with Venezuelan Defense Minister Jose Mata Figueroa to discuss border security and the possible intensification of military border operations to fight illegal armed groups.
In Mexico, most medium-size and large companies provide their employees vales de despensa, or grocery coupons, as part of their monthly benefits to workers. These were originally instituted to provide tax breaks to both businesses and individuals. The value of grocery coupons is not declared as part of one's personal income (so it is not taxed) but in most cases, it does account for a significant amount of money. Vales de despensa are an accepted form of currency in supermarkets, gas stations and even restaurants.
Now, this week, the Diario de la Federación (Official government gazette) announced that our Federal Congress published yet more proof of their nearsightedness by issuing a new law regulating the use of vales de despensa, the Ley de Ayuda Alimentaria para los Trabajadores. As part of its undeclared war on big business (proof of which is in every recent tax reform), Congress decided to restrict the use of vales de despensa and prohibit the purchase of alcohol and tobacco with this currency (Article 12, section II).
For people with a small cash flow, this inherently means that government is making it even harder for them to exercise their free will and purchase what they please in a grocery store. Government already has a special tax for alcohol and tobacco, which came into effect on January 1, 2011, and forced price increases in these products (transfering the tax imposition directly to customers). In cigarettes for example, this new tax implied a 25 percent price increase from one day to the next. It is self-explanatory that the intention is for government to try to squeeze the most it can from its captive tax contributors (as opposed to actually doing something about the other 90 percent of the people who evade taxes and/or are part of the informal economy).
The "healthy diet" excuse does not hold ground, at least in the case of alcohol. Countless studies (here's one) from international scientists have proven time and time again that in moderation, alcohol can actually make your heart stronger and improve your memory. Obesity, caused by lack of exercise and the ingestion of junk food, and not alcohol, is Mexico's top health concern today. If Congress wanted to be logical about it, they would have taxed certain food products including maize and corn tortillas (which by the way are part of our subsidized foods). A better physical education program in public schools would also do a lot more in favor of combating obesity than further restricting the purchase of a bottle of red wine.
Real concerns about government debt and deficits are bringing politicians to a moment of truth. Whether you are a recently elected member of Congress or a finance minister in Canada or in a Canadian province about to deliver the next budget, you know the exercise will be painful and the road arduous. Earlier this month I attended Governor Andrew Cuomo's State of the State Address and it was clear that the efforts to reduce the budget deficit will require a sustained commitment over a number of years. This message is being repeated across the land and we can expect President Obama to present essentially the same approach at the State of the Union Address next week.
Despite the well deserved praise by observers of Canada's performance in the Great Recession, Canadian political leaders are facing similar obligations. After over a decade of balanced and surplus budgets allowing for the reduction of the public debt, governments at both the federal and provincial levels are facing significant deficits. While the ratio of debt to GDP is more favourable in Canada than in the U.S., the problem remains the same—an increasing gap between lower revenue coming in and increased spending in entitlement programs.
Remedies in both jurisdictions vary from a call to reductions in spending to increasing revenues without affecting economic activity. With economic recovery modest in both Canada and the U.S., political leaders are reluctant to stifle demand from consumers by raising taxes and seem to be turning increasingly their attention to cutting spending. In the U.S., a presidential commission headed by Democrat Erskine Bowles and Republican Alan Simpson has proposed a combination of massive cuts and a need for tax reform. In Canada, social programs are coming under greater scrutiny. The caveat is the risk to confuse cutting waste, eliminating inefficient or outmoded programs, or reforming existing programs with stopping investment in future and necessary infrastructures projects needed for a competitive economy in the future. Countries like China and Brazil are investing massively in building roads, high speed rail, energy related projects. China itself spent 9 percent of GDP in infrastructure building in 2009. The temptation to balance the books can lead to a failure to invest in necessary public goods and it represents the biggest danger to our long term prosperity.
Investing in high speed rail in the U.S., building our energy potential in Canada, rebuilding roads, improving airports, revamping seaports, and building transmission lines should be considered as vital to future generations. It is my belief that it is possible to rein in government spending, invest in public goods and build for a more prosperous future. History is on our side.
Consider our case in Québec. After close to a decade of balanced budgets, the Québec budget was back in deficit territory by 2007-2008. What has the Québec government chosen to do? It decided to invest in rebuilding the infrastructure networks as it anticipated the economic slowdown in 2007. It then produced a five-year plan to return to a balanced budget while continuing to invest massively in developing hydroelectric power plants in northern Québec. In the coming months, it will announce the North Plan aimed at developing 72 percent of its land mass (nearly twice the size of Texas!), north of the 49° with investments in mining, energy and sustainable tourism. The approximate cost of the project over the next 25 years will be $50 billion.
Currently, Québec's economy is among the most performing in North America with an unemployment rate two percentage points below the U.S. and for the first time in decades it is lower than the Canadian national average and the neighbouring province of Ontario. Granted, Québec is not unique in this approach, but the fiscal hawks would have advised otherwise. Québec's economic outlook remains promising, but more important, Québec continues to invest in its economic infrastructure in the firm belief that prosperity for future generations is best achieved by finding the balance between fiscal management and creating wealth.
Creating wealth provides economic development and stimulus for economic activity. Both Canada and the U.S. have acted in that direction following other difficult economic slowdowns. This will be the challenge facing decision makers in the 2011-2012 budget cycle.
Meeting on Wednesday at the La Moneda presidential palace in Santiago, Chile, Presidents Sebastián Piñera of Chile and Alan García of Peru agreed to respect the ruling of the International Court of Justice regarding their dispute over maritime borders and to focus on greater economic integration. Appearing before reporters in a lengthy meeting and treating each other as friends, the leaders said their two nations are currently experiencing their "best period" in bilateral relations and that the lawsuit must not hinder their achievement of common goals, such as economic development and the protection of natural resources.
Piñera's stance of separating the maritime dispute from the rest of Chile's relations with Peru signals a departure from predecessor Michelle Bachelet's approach. For his part, García praised Chile's economic model and pointed out Peru's own 9 percent growth and 2 percent inflation in 2010. Both he and Piñera said competition between the two countries on economic development and employment generation served as a healthy incentive for growth.
Economic partnership featured heavily in the meeting between the two leaders. Chile, whose investors have poured $9 billion into Peru since 1990, is the latter's largest foreign investor and third-largest trading partner, after the United States and China. In 2010, trade between Chile and Peru reached $3 billion, up nearly 50 percent from the previous year. President Garcia said he was confident the economic alliance with Chile would have "enormous significance" for gross domestic product growth and employment generation in both countries.
Also during the meeting, the two heads of state signed a memorandum of understanding to carry out anti-drug measures and a second one to implement an integrated control policy for border traffic.
When songwriter Billy Joel penned this classic song about New York City, it had a big nostalgic overtone. In short, it is very hard to be away from New York City for long. The new Governor of New York, Andrew Cuomo, has sounded a similar tone about New York State and its past leadership role among the 50 states—a time when the Empire State was the "go-to" state and not a "move-from" state.
With statistics at hand, the Governor pointed a somber picture of where New York State is and convincingly argued that the state was at a crossroads. Lagging behind in economic development, healthcare performance, education results on a national level and along with the highest taxation in the nation, he has argued for reinventing, reorganizing and redesigning the state and its government. He has also promised to make the necessary cuts—about $10 billion—in the next budget, due within a few weeks. Finally, he has sounded a realistic tone that clearly indicated that his program and agenda were not a short term, quick fix approach. Rather, it would require an effort over the long haul and would involve both the executive and legislative branches of the government.
It is heady stuff. Using impressive technological support and an unconventional venue, Cuomo demonstrated to his audience at his swearing-in ceremony a command of the situation, and more importantly, he engaged his most crucial partners, Assembly Speaker and fellow Democrat, Sheldon Silver, and new Senate Republican Majority Leader, Dean Skelos in the exercise. The message was clear: we are all on the same ship sailing in one direction.
At the swearing in, both Speaker Silver and Senate Majority Leader Skelos struck a tone of cooperation and promised to work together looking for common solutions, encouraging bipartisanship, and displaying a firm commitment to work beyond the partisan divide. The bar will be high and there will be many difficult choices ahead, but for the over 2,000 people present in the Albany State Convention Center, it marked a new beginning and indicated new opportunities to turn things around.
Cuomo closed his first remarks as governor by reminding the audience that New York State was once the beacon for problem solving and innovation. This was his "New York state of mind" moment. While it is too early to predict how all this will turn out, it was a moment of attention and encouragement that New Yorkers seem to have longed for many years. Just that in itself makes it a good start for the new administration and legislature, and a moment to savor for our New York friends.
*John Parisella is a guest blogger to AQ Online. He is Québec's Delegate General in New York, the province's top ranking position in the United States.
From the Americas Society/Council of the Americas. AS/COA Online's news brief examines the major—as well as some of the overlooked—events and stories occurring across the Americas. Check back every Wednesday for the weekly roundup.
Sign up to receive the Weekly Roundup via email.
Baby Doc Faces Corruption Charges in Haiti
Jean-Claude "Baby Doc" Duvalier returned to Haiti on Sunday 25 years after going into exile. He was arrested Tuesday. The former dictator, accused of presiding over the killing and torturing of thousands of Haitians, now faces embezzlement and corruption charges. International human rights defenders have also called for the Haitian courts to prosecute Duvalier over the allegations of violence committed during his dictatorship. Duvalier's sudden return sparked rumors that the U.S. and French governments might somehow be involved (both deny the claims) and fueled unsubstantiated speculation that ousted leftist president Jean Aristide may also be planning to come back to Haiti.
Death Toll Rises above 700 in Brazilian Floods
Heavy rains outside Rio de Janeiro devastated hilltop communities, killed more than 700 people, and left another 14,000 homeless. The floods struck on the anniversary of the January 12 Haitian earthquake, raising debates and comparisons about response. President Dilma Rousseff and Rio de Janeiro state Governor Sérgio Cabral said lax enforcement of housing codes worsened the destruction. The World Band committed to lending Brazil $485 million in to aid relief efforts and the Rousseff administration has moved ahead with plans to create a national disaster alert system. O Globo offers a photo gallery of the areas affected by the catastrophe.
Rousseff Reassesses Jet Deal
Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff appears to be rethinking the purchase of 36 Rafale jet fighters from French company Dassault—a deal nearly concluded by her predecessor Luiz Inácio "Lula" da Silva. Rousseff's decision to reevaluate the finalists for the $4 billion defense contract put the U.S. company Boeing back in the running, though Rousseff reportedly wants Boeing to provide additional technology-transfer guarantees.
The Secretaría de Educación Pública or SEP (Ministry of Education) in Mexico has traditionally been known for being slow, over-bureaucratized and square-minded. Low quality levels are reflected year after year through a series of international comparative studies. One need only consult the results of the PISA (Programme for International Student Assessment) to see in disgust how Mexico's constant is to come up last in the OCDE countries year after year.
Vidal Garza, a friend and editorialist for a major newspaper in Mexico, writes that the problem is even more apparent when you look at the amount of money we spend on our public schools: "Mexico invests 5 percent of its GDP on public education. The average annual expense per student in elementary school is $1,604, yet we fare deficiently in PISA. We do worse than Uruguay, Chile and China, which actually spend a lot less per student."
To make things worse, The SEP (and Mexico as a whole) is in a constant battle with the SNTE, Sindicato Nacional de Trabajadores de la Educación, a corrupt teacher's union that promotes strikes and teacher absenteeism as a the means to advance a political agenda. SNTE has filled our public schools with undedicated, unqualified and mediocre people who should not even have the honor of being called "teacher." Granted, this is a generalization but a real one. I have met a couple of very good teachers in the public system; unfortunately today they are a rare breed.
It is no secret that we need to improve productivity in terms of education in Mexico. That's why I was pleased to see a spark of progressive thinking on the part of SEP when I learned that they will be instituting a program to identify overachievers and children with higher intellectual proficiency in elementary schools with the intent to "credit, promote and advance them" in an accelerated manner. For example, if a child in 3rd grade shows the intellectual capacity of a 6th grader, the program will identify, prepare and eventually advance him/her to a 6th grade classroom. SEP estimates that around 10 percent to 15 percent of kids could benefit from this program.
June 1: This AQ-Efecto Naím segment looks at sustainable cities in the hemisphere.


text:
Added Oct 26, 2012
Baden, Switzerland
This is a riding habit based on a historic pattern I received from a friend. Sizes were quite different in 1888, so I had to alter the pattern quite a lot. It consists of a jacket and a so called security skirt. While sitting on horseback, it looks like a regular skirt, but the trick is that it is open in the back so that you don't sit on any fabric but the one of your trouser you wear underneath. As soon as you dismount, you wrap the skirt around you so it looks like a very long pencil skirt.
Cotton, denim.
Aug 18, 2013, 12.29 AMby Fantasywriter
I love the vintage pattern and the result with your alterations. It's all beautiful. Your horse is gorgeous, too!
Aug 5, 2013, 07.50 AMby martinK
great work!!! I love historical patterns
Aug 5, 2013, 07.21 AMby flowergirl22
amazing,, i have not tried sidesaddle with a skirt,, its bad enough with normal trousers,, amazing outfit..cute horse
Aug 4, 2013, 09.04 PMby bjr99
You did a fantastic job. I would love to see the pattern pieces for this outfit.
Aug 4, 2013, 07.31 PMby Oksana Starzhynska
So intersting and nice! You've got a real adventurous spirit in crafting:)
Aug 4, 2013, 04.58 PMby Mary Athey
wow!! this is fabulous on you. the photo's are lovely as well x
Add to Favorites 2 people added it
As an early special Black Friday promotion you can now enroll in the course ($80 value) for $49.99!
Register for Meg's new course, space is limited!
Sewing & Techniques
Learn how to use your bodice sloper to draft this popular collar style
Get the Piped Trench Coat pattern
What Burda Academy Course is Right for Your Sewing Style?
Pattern of the Week
This is a quintessential ladylike coat with turned down shawl collar and fit and flare silhouette.
We're taking a sneak peak at the upcoming fashion design course.
You must allow our "request for permission" request to login to Burdastyle with Facebook.


text:
'); } -->
KEYS MARINE: All types of permits for sale! Rock Shrimp, King Fish, S Atlantic Snapper, Grouper, Gulf 6 Pack reef & pelagic, Commercial Gulf Reef Fish, Gulf Snapper IFQ's, Long Line Pkg. Many other permits avail. We buy, sell & broker all types of permits. Call...More info Email a friend
KEYS MARINE: COMMERCIAL BOAT FOR ANY TYPE OF FISHING. Brand new. Suncoast model. Rigged for lobster & crabbing. Best offer. 305-304-7833More info Email a friend
KEYS MARINE: GREAT USED MARINE stuff at great prices! Boat parts, trailer parts, fishing, beach & nautical items. Wed. - Sun. 9:00 AM. 101961 Overseas Hwy.More info Email a friend