text:
Current Topics
- Asia-Pacific Safeguards Network
- Information-Driven Safeguards
- Detection and Analysis of the DPRK Nuclear Test in May 2009
- Australia's Bilateral Safeguards Agreements
- Agreements for Physical Protection
- Application of IAEA safeguards in the Nuclear-Weapon States
- Safeguards and Physical Protection for Uranium Mining and Transport
- International Obligations
- Domestic Legislation
- Security Requirements
- Safeguards and Export Requirements
- Inspections
- Australia's Uranium Production and Exports
- Chemical Weapons Convention: "Other Chemical Production Facilities"
ASNO, ANSTO and UK participants at the ASNO hosted Workshop on Verifying Nuclear Disarmament – Concepts and Techniques, 5–6 November 2008, Canberra. |
Enlarge image |
Asia-Pacific Safeguards Network
The Asia-Pacific Safeguards Network (APSN) is an informal network of safeguards authorities, ministries and other organisations responsible for implementing safeguards in the countries of the Asia-Pacific region. The objective of the APSN is to promote safeguards best practice in the region. This will be achieved through enhanced cooperation in areas such as training, professional development and the sharing of experiences.
The establishment of APSN was agreed at a meeting of senior officials representing 14 organisations from 11 Asia-Pacific states, together with the IAEA, held in Seoul on 15–16 April 2009. It was agreed that APSN will formally commence on 1 October 2009. The Director General of ASNO, John Carlson, was appointed first Chair of APSN, and ASNO will provide the Secretariat for APSN.
This was the second meeting of senior officials to discuss this subject, following the first meeting in Sydney on 26–27 June 2007. The APSN concept was endorsed by APEC Energy Ministers in October 2006, though APSN is no longer proceeding under APEC auspices.
APSN will not replicate the work of the IAEA—it will not have an inspectorate nor will it undertake verification activities. Rather, in collaboration with the IAEA, which will have permanent observer status, APSN will conduct a range of activities such as the following:
- holding meetings and other such activities that will provide a forum for safeguards professionals and authorities to interact constructively
- developing an internet portal and an inclusive email mailing list to provide for convenient and rapid interchange of information in a secure communication environment, to facilitate the sharing of safeguards knowledge and best practice
- coordinating and supporting training on safeguards issues in cooperation with the IAEA, drawing upon the depth of expertise available from regional partners
- cooperating in making available to professionals of member organisations information on resources and assistance, matching the safeguards needs and resources of states in the region
- providing opportunities for professional exchange programs between member organisations, recognising that such exchanges are a useful tool for professional development
- facilitating collaboration in research and development, and development of analytical capabilities, in safeguards and related fields and the application of such research, development and analysis
- providing other technical support and assistance on safeguards issues
- undertaking other activities of interest to member organisations.
The Indonesian nuclear regulator, BAPETEN, has offered to host the first meeting of APSN, probably in April 2010.
Meeting of Senior Officials to discuss the establishment of an Asia-Pacific Safeguards Network 15–16 April 2009 (Seoul, Republic of Korea). Photo courtesy of KINAC |
Enlarge image :: Photo gallery |
Information-Driven Safeguards
In the first two decades of the NPT, as the nuclear industry expanded, the focus of IAEA safeguards was on known (declared) nuclear materials and facilities. It was thought that any undeclared nuclear activities would be revealed through diversion of nuclear material from declared activities.
The IAEA developed a complex verification system, including: inspection, sampling, analysis and monitoring methods; safeguards standards; safeguards equipment; and safeguards performance evaluation. Emphasis was placed on nuclear material accountancy, with containment and surveillance described as "complementary" measures. The policy of non-discrimination led to uniformity in safeguards implementation, resulting in inspection resources being concentrated in states with substantial nuclear programs regardless of any holistic proliferation risk analysis.
Since the early 1990s a number of factors—particularly the discovery of Iraq's clandestine weapons program and the illicit spread of sensitive nuclear technologies, especially centrifuge enrichment—has shifted attention to developing the legal authority and technical capabilities needed for detection of undeclared nuclear activities, which might have no obvious connection to declared activities. This has prompted fundamental changes in safeguards—including greater use of information, a broadening of verification activity, and the drawing of more qualitative safeguards conclusions. At the same time, the growth in safeguards workload and in complex nuclear facilities has led to technical measures such as containment and surveillance assuming greater importance.
Underpinning the effort to strengthen safeguards is the additional protocol (AP)—a legal instrument complementary to safeguards agreements, which establishes the IAEA's rights to more extensive information and physical access. Under the AP, the IAEA places much greater emphasis on the collection and analysis of information that can enhance its knowledge and understanding of a state's nuclear programs. The AP extends the Agency's authority into a number of areas where nuclear material would not normally be present, such as manufacture of centrifuge components, heavy water, nuclear grade graphite, shielded flasks, and construction of hot cells. The rationale for this is clear: the Agency can—and should—look at broader information that strengthens its ability to verify and draw conclusions regarding nuclear material in the state concerned. This encompasses procedures to find indicators of undeclared nuclear material and nuclear activities, or indicators of proposed diversion of nuclear material.
It is this move towards "information-driven" safeguards that has been crucial to efforts to improve the overall effectiveness of the safeguards verification system. Safeguards are moving from uniformity to a state-level approach, under which decisions on verification intensity can reflect state-specific factors. The state-level approach is essential to optimising effectiveness and efficiency, enabling scarce safeguards resources to be deployed to areas of highest priority.
An important development in this regard is the introduction of "integrated safeguards". This is not a new form of safeguards, but a rationalisation of safeguards activities under a combination of a comprehensive safeguards agreement and an additional protocol. A state qualifies for integrated safeguards once the IAEA is able to draw the broader conclusion that all declared materials are appropriately accounted for and that there are no undeclared materials or activities of safeguards significance.
The greatest technical challenge facing IAEA safeguards is establishing a reliable capability of detecting undeclared nuclear activities. The IAEA's technical skills are increasing—but the Agency cannot be expected to find undeclared nuclear activities unaided. Member states have given the Agency vital technical assistance in development of and training in equipment, detection technologies (such as sensors and satellite imagery) and so on. But more is needed in the area of information-sharing. States have substantial information, including intelligence ("national technical means") and export data (encompassing both items supplied and items denied). Detecting undeclared nuclear activities—or providing credible assurance of their absence—requires an active partnership between the Agency and states.
It is essential that the Agency's conclusions on the absence of undeclared nuclear material/activities are credible. The international community must be confident that the absence of indicators does not simply reflect inadequate or ineffective verification effort. The Agency is devoting considerable effort to the development of verification methods that will provide a credible result. However, more than ever, it is essential for safeguards to be complemented by other non-proliferation measures, such as transparency and confidence-building mechanisms.
Detection and Analysis of the DPRK Nuclear Test in May 2009
On 25 May 2009, the DPRK announced that it had carried out a nuclear test explosion. Seismic sensors in the CTBT's International Monitoring System (IMS) had promptly alerted the international community to the event, and analysis of the apparent test had started even before the DPRK's announcement.
The IMS seismometer array at Warramunga near Tennant Creek in the Northern Territory provided scientists at Geoscience Australia in Canberra with the first evidence of an event of concern. The event was later confirmed in data from another 38 CTBT monitoring stations, including several in Australia. Other seismic stations established for seismic research or for hazard monitoring that are not part of the CTBT system are also reported to have detected the event.
Based on analysis of seismic data, the explosion at 9:54 am local time on 25 May 2009 is estimated to have had a yield between one and 4.6 kilotons. This is several times larger than the first DPRK nuclear test, in October 2006, but still quite small compared to most nuclear tests conducted by the nuclear-weapon states in the past. The clear detection of the DPRK tests in 2006 and 2009 by seismic stations has demonstrated how seismic monitoring provides a strong underpinning for verification of the CTBT when it enters into force.
In addition to seismic monitoring, the IMS employs other sensing technologies to determine whether an event is a nuclear explosion, including detection of radionuclides, that is, radioactive gases and particles emitted by a nuclear explosion, as well as infrasound and hydroacoustic monitoring.
After the 2006 test, radioactive xenon was detected by a CTBT radionuclide monitoring station in Canada, supporting the assessment that the 2006 test was a nuclear explosion. However, no radionuclides were detected following the 2009 test. This suggests that radionuclides generated by the explosion have been largely contained underground—whether by chance or design is not clear. Some have speculated that the DPRK might have used a very large quantity of conventional explosives to simulate a nuclear test. However, it would be very difficult to arrange such a large conventional explosion, and to hide the significant preparations required from satellite monitoring.
In order to clarify whether a nuclear explosion has occurred in cases such as this, the CTBT provides for the conduct of an on-site inspection (OSI). But this is not possible before the Treaty enters into force—and entry into force requires ratification by all Annex 2 countries, including the DPRK. Although the 2009 test does not appear to have vented radioactive particles or gases in quantities sufficient to be detected at a distance, on-site investigation could be expected to find such evidence. Noble gases should rise to the surface over time, even from a well contained nuclear explosion, and be detectable. An inspection team would also look for other evidence such as small seismic aftershocks, ground disturbance, or artefacts of test activity at or below the ground surface. Drilling could also take place to obtain samples at an explosion site.
Australia's Bilateral Safeguards Agreements
The Australian Government's uranium policy limits the export of Australian uranium to countries that are a party to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), have an Additional Protocol in force and are within Australia's network of bilateral safeguards agreements. These bilateral safeguards agreements serve as a mechanism for applying IAEA safeguards, appropriate nuclear security and a number of supplementary conditions. Nuclear material subject to the provisions of an Australian safeguards agreement is known as Australian Obligated Nuclear Material (AONM). The obligations of Australia's agreements apply to uranium as it moves through the different stages of the nuclear fuel cycle, and to nuclear material generated through the use of that uranium.
All Australia's safeguards agreements contain treaty-level assurances that AONM will be used exclusively for peaceful purposes and will be covered by safeguards arrangements under each country's safeguards agreement with the IAEA.
In the case of non-nuclear-weapon states (NNWS), it is a minimum requirement that IAEA safeguards apply to all existing and future nuclear material and activities in that country. In the case of nuclear-weapon states (NWS), AONM must be covered by safeguards arrangements under that country's safeguards agreement with the IAEA, and is limited to use for civil (i.e. non-military) purposes.
The principal conditions for the use of AONM set out in Australia's safeguards agreements are:
- AONM will be used only for peaceful purposes and will not be diverted to military or explosive purposes (here military purpose includes: nuclear weapons; any nuclear explosive device; military nuclear reactors; military propulsion; depleted uranium munitions, and tritium production for nuclear weapons)
- IAEA safeguards will apply
- Australia's prior consent must be sought for transfers to third parties, enrichment to 20% or more in the isotope 235U and reprocessing[4]
- fallback safeguards or contingency arrangements will apply if for any reason NPT or IAEA safeguards cease to apply in the country concerned
- internationally agreed standards of physical security will be applied to nuclear material in the country concerned
- detailed administrative arrangements are applied between ASNO and its counterpart organisation, setting out the procedures to apply in accounting for AONM
- regular consultations on the operation of the agreement are undertaken
- provision is made for the removal of AONM in the event of a breach of the agreement.
Australia's bilateral partners holding AONM are required to maintain detailed records of transactions involving AONM. In addition, counterpart organisations in bilateral partner countries are required to submit regular reports, consent requests, transfer and receipt documentation to ASNO. ASNO accounts for AONM on the basis of information and knowledge including:
- reports from each bilateral partner
- shipping and transfer documentation
- calculations of process losses and nuclear consumption, and nuclear production
- knowledge of the fuel cycle in each country
- regular reconciliation and bilateral visits to counterparts
- regular liaison with counterpart organisations and with industry
- IAEA safeguards activities and IAEA conclusions on each country.
Australia currently has 22 nuclear safeguards agreements in force, covering 39 countries plus Taiwan (see Appendix B).[5]
The current Australia/US and Australia/EU safeguards agreement, which entered into force in January 1981 and January 1982 respectively, are both due to expire after 30 years duration. Extension will require treaty action. Both these agreements currently conform to the above mentioned criteria. Australia's other safeguards agreements provide for automatic extensions, and also meet the criteria outlined above.
Australia has also signed, but not ratified a new nuclear cooperation agreement with Russia in 2007 and is negotiating an amendment to the Australia/China nuclear transfers agreement.
Agreements for Physical Protection
For countries with which Australia does not have a bilateral safeguards agreement in force, but through which Australian uranium ore concentrates (UOC) are transhipped, Australia's policy to date has been the need for a separate treaty level agreement to ensure the security of the shipment while in port. This policy was established in 1984, before the relevant international security instrument, the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material (CPPNM) had entered into force. To date, Australia has concluded only one agreement of this type—with Singapore in 1989.
In May 2009, the Minister for Foreign Affairs decided that arrangements with a state to ensure the security of UOC during trans-shipment can be set out in an instrument with less than treaty status, provided the state is a party to the CPPNM, has adopted the IAEA's Additional Protocol on strengthened safeguards, and acts in accordance with these agreements. The decision was taken in consultation with the Departments of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, Defence, Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government, the Attorney-General's Department, and Resources, Energy and Tourism.
Any new arrangement of this kind would be subject to risk assessment of port security, and be at least as rigorous as that set out in the treaty-level agreement with Singapore. As of 30 June 2009, no new arrangements had been concluded.
Application of IAEA safeguards in the Nuclear-Weapon States
Safeguards are legal and technical measures applied under treaties to provide assurance that nuclear material and nuclear items are not diverted from peaceful use to nuclear weapons. The principal treaty in this area is the NPT. The obligation of the parties to accept IAEA safeguards under the NPT—and the corresponding responsibility of the IAEA to apply safeguards—is specified in the provisions of that Treaty.
Article III of the NPT requires non-nuclear-weapon states to accept IAEA safeguards on all their nuclear material, to verify fulfilment of obligations under the NPT not to acquire nuclear weapons. The IAEA has a corresponding responsibility to apply safeguards on all nuclear material and facilities in non-nuclear-weapon states.
In the case of the five nuclear-weapon states recognised under the NPT (United States, Russia, United Kingdom, France and China) there is no obligation in the NPT for these states to accept IAEA safeguards, and there is no obligation for the IAEA to apply safeguards. For these states, any obligation for nuclear material or facilities to be eligible for safeguards is based on bilateral agreements rather than the NPT itself. No state is proposing the general application of IAEA safeguards inspections in nuclear-weapon states.
Each of the nuclear-weapon states has concluded a "voluntary offer" safeguards agreement with the IAEA. Under these agreements, nuclear-weapon states may designate nuclear material as being subject to safeguards, and therefore eligible for IAEA inspection, by placing the relevant facilities on an "Eligible Facility List".
The IAEA selects those facilities on the Eligible Facility List that it wishes to inspect. In practice, the IAEA usually only inspects facilities where inspectors benefit through gaining experience with a particular type of facility, or where there is nuclear material being transferred to or received from a non-nuclear-weapon state. Where the IAEA chooses not to inspect particular facilities, this does not mean that inclusion of a facility on the Eligible Facility List is of no safeguards value. If a nuclear-weapon state were to use a facility on its Eligible Facility List for military purposes, this would place it in breach of its safeguards agreement with the IAEA. Furthermore, because any eligible facility may be selected for inspection, the facility operator should maintain nuclear accountancy records and other safeguards procedures at IAEA standards so that an inspection can be readily performed if the facility is selected.
The application of safeguards is not mechanistic: rather, determining the level of safeguards sufficient to provide confidence of non-diversion is a matter for judgment based on decades of experience by the IAEA. As all of the recognised nuclear-weapon states ceased production of fissile material for nuclear weapons in the 1980s or early 1990s, the risk they might divert nuclear material subject to safeguards from civil programs to nuclear weapons programs is remote. Therefore, it has been the IAEA's long-standing practice—accepted by its Board and member states—that the priority for safeguards inspection effort is countering "horizontal proliferation", i.e. the acquisition of nuclear weapons by further states. That said, in 2008 the IAEA inspected 3 facilities in China, 2 in France, 3 in the United Kingdom and 4 in the United States. The IAEA also inspected fresh fuel in Russia destined for use in the Bushehr nuclear power plant in Iran. The IAEA is likely to commence inspections at the international uranium enrichment centre in Russia, located at Angarsk, in the near future.
Safeguards and Physical Protection for Uranium Mining and Transport
Uranium is more than a tradeable commodity—it is also a strategic commodity. With the world's largest uranium reserves, and as a major uranium exporter, it is in Australia's national interest to exercise effective control over uranium mines and uranium ore concentrates (UOC). This is also required under international treaty obligations. Accordingly, Australia has adopted stringent safeguards and security (physical protection) practices to ensure Australian uranium remains exclusively in peaceful use.
International Obligations
Article III of the NPT imposes an obligation on Australia to ensure that no nuclear material under its jurisdiction is diverted from permitted uses—this requires the application of effective controls, necessitating appropriate physical protection and material accountancy.
Under Australia's IAEA safeguards agreement, Australia is required to report to the IAEA the quantity, composition and destination of its UOC exports. To ensure the accuracy of the reported information, Australia prescribes minimum measurement and analytical standards for UOC.
The Additional Protocol (AP) to Australia's IAEA safeguards agreement strengthens safeguards obligations applying to uranium. The AP provides for complementary access by IAEA inspectors, inter alia, to uranium mining/milling locations on a selective basis, "in order to assure the absence of undeclared nuclear material and activities". The AP also requires reporting of the location, operational status, annual production capacity, actual production of uranium mines and related concentration plants.
Neither the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material (CPPNM) nor its amendment—an extension of the CPPNM's scope to cover domestic use, storage and transport—specifically apply to UOC at mines, apart from the requirement for protection "in accordance with prudent management practice". In defining prudent management practice, Australia draws from international and domestic security guidelines, including recommendations set out in the IAEA's guidelines, IAEA document INFCIRC/225.
Domestic Legislation
The Nuclear Non-Proliferation (Safeguards) Act 1987 (the "Safeguards Act") gives effect to Australia's obligations under the NPT, Australia's safeguards agreement with the IAEA and its AP, Australia's network of bilateral safeguards agreements and the CPPNM. Under the Safeguards Act, UOC is defined as nuclear material. Any person that has a requirement to possess nuclear material for mining/milling, storage or transport in Australia is required to have either a "Permit to Possess Nuclear Material" or "Permit to Transport Nuclear Material", issued by the responsible minister, the Minister for Foreign Affairs. A "Permit to Establish" is required to construct a uranium mine.
Permits include conditions for accounting for and controlling nuclear material (safeguards) and physical protection (security). Permit conditions are tailored to the relevant activities being conducted by uranium mines and transporters, and balance performance-based and prescriptive requirements. Security and accounting requirements apply to all UOC, including samples, but focus on final product, not uranium ores.
For the uranium industry, the Safeguards Act is applicable to:
- Uranium mines and mills: Permits are required both for uranium mines (underground, open cut, in-situ leach, heap leach or otherwise) and for uranium mills (concentration plants). Only one permit may be required when the mine and the mill are co-located
- Uranium transporters: including by road, rail, and ship. Security transport plans are required in addition to any State legislative requirements for transport plans covering radiation safety
- Stevedores: For the temporary storage and handling of UOC by stevedoring companies at a loading port.
Security Requirements
Permits require the formation of a security plan for the possession of nuclear material at mines and for the transport of nuclear material. These plans describe the steps taken to achieve protection against theft and sabotage, and the location and recovery of any missing material.
An important security element built into permits is the ability to add additional security measures (e.g. increased guard patrols), at short notice, so that mines, transporters or other handlers of UOC can be prepared for elevated threat levels, if such circumstances were to arise.
A key message for prospective uranium mining companies is to consult with ASNO early in the mine development and construction phase. Security infrastructure is most cost effective when incorporated into the original design of a concentration plant.
ASNO approves security arrangements for vessels and shipping routes carrying UOC to international destinations. Current policy requires that states trans-shipping Australian UOC must have in force with Australia a treaty-level bilateral agreement covering physical protection arrangements; or be a party to the CPPNM, have adopted the IAEA's Additional Protocol, and conclude a less-than-treaty status arrangement with Australia covering security matters. In either case ASNO will conduct a risk analysis of port security.
Safeguards and Export Requirements
While the Minister for Resources and Energy issues uranium export permits under the Customs (Prohibited Exports) Regulations 1958 which are generally granted for 10 year periods, permit conditions under the Safeguards Act apply to individual shipments to ensure compliance with Government policy, namely to export uranium only to NPT states with an Additional Protocol with the IAEA in force and with which Australia has a bilateral safeguards agreement. As noted above, international shipping routes also need approval under the permit system to ensure the security of UOC during transportation. ASNO also requires that mines report production capacity and annual production so that Australia can fulfil its reporting requirements to the IAEA.
ASNO conducts inspections of uranium mines and transport arrangements to ensure safeguards and security requirements are being met. Specifically, the accounting records, measurement equipment, security infrastructure, plans and procedures are audited against permit conditions and tested for their effectiveness. The IAEA may also conduct complementary access under the AP at uranium mines.
The Ranger laterite mill in foreground, laterite crusher and run-of-mine in background. Photo courtesy of ERA |
Enlarge image :: Photo gallery |
Australia's Uranium Production and Exports
Statistics related to Australia's exports of Uranium Ore Concentrates are listed in Table 1 below.
Australia holds 38% of the world's reasonably assured uranium resources recoverable at less than US$80/kg.[6] In 2008, the Ranger and Olympic Dam mines were respectively the world's second largest (10.4% of world uranium production) and fourth largest (7.6% of world uranium production) uranium producers.[7] Overall, Australia is the third largest uranium producer after Canada and Kazakhstan. Kazakhstan's uranium production has increased sharply in recent years and Kazakhstan will likely become the world's largest producer in 2009.
Table 1: UOC export and nuclear electricity statistics[8] [9] [10]
Item |
Data |
UOC Exports | |
Total UOC exports 2008–09 | 10,114 tonnes |
Value UOC exports | A$1,033 million |
Australian exports as % world uranium requirements8 | ~13% |
No. of reactors (1000 MWe) these exports could power9 | ~49 |
Power generated by these exports | ~345 TWh |
Expressed as % of total Australian electricity production10 | ~125% |
Figure 1 shows that Australia's exports of UOC slightly dropped in 2008–09 from the previous year, however the value of Australia's exports continues to climb as long-term contracts set at low prices expired and are replaced by new contracts more closely reflecting current spot prices. The value of Australia's uranium exports in 2008–09 surpassed $1 billion for the first time.
Worldwide, uranium mining currently provides only about two thirds of global industry requirements, with the balance coming from down-blending of excess weapons material, stockpiles and reprocessing. Uranium prices have begun to increase in anticipation of the completion of the US–Russia Megatons to Megawatts program in 2013. It is clear that new mines will be necessary to meet current, as well as future increases in demand.
Figure 1: Quantity and value of Australian UOC exports
Figure 2: Civil Nuclear Fuel Cycle
A characteristic of the nuclear fuel cycle is the international interdependence of facility operators and power utilities. It is unusual for a country to be entirely self-contained in the processing of uranium for civil use. Even in the nuclear-weapon states, power utilities will often go to other countries seeking the most favourable terms for uranium processing and enrichment. It would not be unusual, for example, for a Japanese utility buying Australian uranium to have the uranium converted to uranium hexafluoride in Canada, enriched in France, fabricated into fuel in Japan and reprocessed in the United Kingdom.
The international flow of nuclear material means that nuclear materials are routinely mixed during processes such as conversion and enrichment and as such cannot be separated by origin thereafter. Therefore tracking of individual uranium atoms is impossible. Since nuclear material is fungible—that is, any given atom is the same as any other—a uranium exporter is able to ensure its exports do not contribute to military applications by applying safeguards obligations to the overall quantity of material it exports. This practice of tracking quantities rather than atoms has led to the establishment of universal conventions for the industry, known as the principles of equivalence and proportionality. The equivalence principle provides that where AONM loses its separate identity because of process characteristics (e.g. mixing), an equivalent quantity of that material is designated as AONM. These equivalent quantities may be derived by calculation, measurement or from operating plant parameters. The equivalence principle does not permit substitution by a lower quality material. The proportionality principle provides that where AONM is mixed with other nuclear material and is then processed or irradiated, a corresponding proportion of the resulting material will be regarded as AONM.
Chemical Weapons Convention: "Other Chemical Production Facilities"
The Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) requires all member states to declare and destroy existing stockpiles of chemical weapons, and bans the development or acquisition of any new chemical weapons.
The international organisation responsible for global implementation of the CWC, the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), dedicates most of its resources to verifying the destruction of existing chemical weapons. However, the OPCW also monitors the chemical industry to ensure that chemical facilities, and the chemicals they produce, are not being used for prohibited purposes. This is an essential confidence-building measure, providing assurance to the international community that member states are not violating their treaty obligations.
One type of industrial chemical manufacturing facility of interest to the OPCW is referred to under the CWC as "Other Chemical Production Facilities" (OCPFs). This type of facility is used to produce discrete organic chemicals and includes manufacturers of insecticides, herbicides, pharmaceuticals, specialty industrial chemicals, agricultural and veterinary chemicals. As a type of "catch-all" category, OCPFs constitute the largest numbers of facilities declarable under the CWC.
The chemicals produced at OCPFs need not be toxic or related to the production of chemical weapons (CW). Rather, it is the potential of these facilities to produce CW, or CW precursors that is of interest to the OPCW. From a verification perspective, OCPFs that produce chemicals containing phosphorous, sulphur or fluorine are of particular interest, as these types of facilities, if they were to be misused, are likely to be the most suitable for producing CW.
Selection of declared OCPF sites for OPCW inspection is based on a methodology that takes into account equitable geographic distribution of inspections and declared information on the characteristics of the plant site and activities carried out there. Each year, CWC member states agree on the numbers of OCPF inspections within the program and budget negotiations for the OPCW. Given the need to balance the verification cost against the potential risk posed by OCPFs, it is important that the OPCW focus inspection effort on the most relevant sites, and that adequate numbers of inspections occur each year.
There are over 4,600 OCPFs declared worldwide in approximately 80 countries, including 30 declared by Australia. In 2008, the OPCW conducted 118 routine OCPF inspections, including two in Australia. While OCPFs are regarded as sites with the potential for misuse of chemical equipment for prohibited purposes, very few—only about 12%—have been inspected since the commencement of this type of inspection in 2000. This highlights the need to strengthen verification effort at OCPFs by ensuring that the most relevant facilities are inspected and that the numbers of OCPFs inspections are appropriately balanced against inspections of chemical facilities producing or using CWC-Scheduled chemicals.[11]
Experience in the application of verification at OCPFs has shown that, while the inspection regime is working well, it could be improved through efforts such as:
- assisting member states to better implement the legal and administrative arrangements necessary for making OCPF declarations and facilitating inspections
- refining the site selection methodology for inspections, including through enhancing the declaration template to provide additional information about the facility characteristics and processes
- using a risk-based approach site selection process that takes account of the OPCW inspection experience to date.
For some years now, ASNO has been providing assistance in CWC implementation to member countries upon request, including technical comments on CWC legislation and advice in identifying declarable OCPFs. Facilities not declared to the OPCW, either because they have not yet been identified or because of the absence of legislative or administrative arrangements enabling data collection, are not subject to routine OPCW inspection. This highlights the importance of efforts to enhance the completeness of declarations in achieving a more effective, as well as more equitable, verification mechanism.
ASNO (through Australia's embassy in The Hague) works closely with other member countries to reach agreement each year on the distribution of inspection type through the OPCW's budget process. Our aim is to enable increased numbers of OCPF inspections without adversely impacting verification of CWC-Scheduled chemical facilities. ASNO also continues to provide policy advice to The Hague for Australia's contribution to discussions within the Industry Cluster of meetings on the OCPF inspection methodology. ASNO briefing is not only based on sound verification principles, but incorporates Australian industry views regarding proposals for enhancement of the OCPF declaration format to enable the inspection methodology to target OCPFs of greater relevance to the object and purpose of the Convention.
Australia was among the first group of countries to trial and accept sequential inspections. This practice has now become an integral part of the verification regime and is one means of achieving increased numbers of OCPFs within existing budgetary constraints, thereby improving the coverage of OCPF verification.
[4] Australia has given reprocessing consent on a programmatic basis to the UK, France and Japan. Separated Australian-obligated plutonium is intended for blending with uranium into mixed oxide fuel (MOX) for further use for nuclear power generation.
[5] Twenty-seven of the countries making up this total are European Union member states.
[6] World figures from Uranium 2007: Resources, Production and Demand, OECD NEA and IAEA. Australia's resource figures from the Geoscience Australia publication, Australia's Identified Mineral Resources 2009.
[7] Australian production compared with table of top uranium producers from the World Nuclear Association's (WNA) World Uranium Mining (July 2009)—www.world-nuclear.org/info/inf23.html.
[8] Based on 2008 world requirements of 64,617 tonnes uranium (WNA's World Uranium Mining, July 2009).
[9] Based on a comparison of TWh of nuclear electricity generation and uranium required, for countries eligible to use AONM. Source: WNA's "World Nuclear Power Reactors 2007–09 and Uranium Requirements" (http://www.world-nuclear.org/info/reactors-dec2008.html).
[10] Australia's gross electricity generation in 2008–09 is estimated to be 277 TWh. Source: Australian Energy, National and State Projections to 2029–30—Statistical Tables, ABARE Research Report December 2007.
[11] CWC-Scheduled chemicals are chemical warfare agents or their precursor chemicals as listed in Schedules 1, 2 and 3 of the CWC.


text:
Angry Birds Toons: Gardening With Terence
Thirteenth episode of Angry Birds Toons titled "Gardening With Terence" is now playing at the nearest Angry Birds game. Spoiler, it features Terence and Matilda.
Next week episode is titled "Dopeys On A Rope" featuring The Pigs and The Eggs.
Posted from Santa Monica, California, United States.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
I bought some rooted Crossvine cuttings last year, and they have happily lived in a large glazed pot under a patio overhang, getting very little sun. This has definitely been reflected in the one lone bloom they put out so far. Anyway, I want to relocate the plants to a sunny spot against a West facing wall. They have attached themselves to the stucco column they are backed up against, and grown about 10' high. So, my questions are: Can I just pull the vines off the stucco, even though that will tear them apart somewhat due to the little discs they use to adhere? Should I prune them down, since Winter is coming anyway? Will relocating them after all this time be hard on them? Should I wait until later to do it, say in the Spring, or is now the best time? Is the planned exposure too hard on a Crossvine? (I am in the Phoenix, AZ area.)
Any help will be appreciated, and please feel free to answer one or all my questions if you know any answers. |
Follow-Up Postings:
- Posted by myartichokeheart California (My Page) on Tue, Nov 20, 07 at 23:29
The most successful Crossvine where I live (one zone cooler than yours) is in a partially shaded garden, where it climbed down the picket fence, up the neighbor's oak tree, and was heading off toward Arizona. I went back for seeds and it had been hacked back mercilessly, but obviously has for years. I think it takes awhile to get established, then is tough! Google it to see if it will take full sun in AZ. I suspect it could stand a little protection, and I don't think you need to worry about ripping it off the wall. |
I don't think Bignonia capreolata is going to like a west facing exposure in Phoenix, it would prefer dappled sun or an east exposure for sure. The foliage is going to burn up on a west facing wall/fence in the desert. I would suggest that an east facing or north facing fence would be best, and probably transplanting now, after pruning back the vine to perhaps 2 foot tall would be best. |
- Posted by stephanotis_1 8b AZ (My Page) on Sun, Nov 25, 07 at 20:32
Thank you for the input! The wall faces the house, so it actually would be shaded in the afternoon. I do have an east facing wall that could work as well, but I think it gets more direct sun throughout the day than the other. |
- Posted by berta_2006 6/7 tennessee (My Page) on Sun, Apr 27, 08 at 11:23
I have a crossvine growing on a chainlink fence. This is the 3rd year for it.The new growth that has come out this year is dieing back part of the way. It is loaded with blooms part of them are opening but a big portion of them are falling off before they open. Can anyone tell me what might be wrong ? Thanks for your reply. berta_2006 |
- Posted by Pauly_in_AZ none (My Page) on Wed, Mar 23, 11 at 23:03
Hi there my question is about the cross vine's ( Bignonia Capreolata ) ability to withstand heat. Im looking to plant a Tangerine Beauty crossvine next to a young Shamel Ash tree, or adjacent to it, so it grows up the trunk of this young tree and protects its bare trunk from the sun, in adition to the white paint covering the trunk of course, which is standard practice out here to protect their trunks from being fried in the heat. Anyhow, regarding the Tangerine beauty vine growing on the trunk, it should be a symbiotic relationship, hope it works, but my question is will the Tangerine Beauty withstand our HOT Phoenix summers? and What about competition with the young Shamel Ash tree, is that a concern? Thanks to anyone that might know, best regards to all!!! :) |
Pauly, I would suggest you contact your local agriculture agent through your county extension office. |
I have a crossvine, not sure if it's Tangerine Beauty or not. Mine has more yellow but they do like and need sun to bloom. Mine is in full day sun and loves it but my full sun and yours are two different animals. This is a fairly well behaved vine and I haven't had issues with it growing out of control like a campsis. Kay's suggestion might be your best bet or if you have a reliable nursery nearby they might also be able to help. |
Here is a link that might be useful: U of AZ college of agriculture and life sciences cooperative extension
- Posted by Pauly_in_AZ none (My Page) on Thu, Aug 30, 12 at 18:57
For anyone interested in the Tangerine Beauty and wondering whether it can survive desert summers like those in Phoenix, please click on the URL in this post going to a related forum post with five pictures showing how well this plant grows in Arizona: Link: http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/azgard/msg1122491915993.html?3667 Enjoy! |
Here is a link that might be useful: Pictures of Tangerine Beauty in Arizona Desert
Please Note: Only registered members are able to post messages to this forum. If you are a member, please log in. If you aren't yet a member, join now!
Return to the Vines Forum
Information about Posting
- You must be logged in to post a message. Once you are logged in, a posting window will appear at the bottom of the messages. If you are not a member, please register for an account.
- Please review our Rules of Play before posting.
- Posting is a two-step process. Once you have composed your message, you will be taken to the preview page. You will then have a chance to review your post, make changes and upload photos.
- After posting your message, you may need to refresh the forum page in order to see it.
- Before posting copyrighted material, please read about Copyright and Fair Use.
- We have a strict no-advertising policy!
- If you would like to practice posting or uploading photos, please visit our Test forum.
- If you need assistance, please Contact Us and we will be happy to help.
Learn more about in-text links on this page here


text:
Up to People
Dr Caterina Ducati
Laurea Degree (Physics, University of Milan) Ph.D. (Cambridge) Department of Materials Science and Metallurgy University of Cambridge 27 Charles Babbage Road Cambridge CB3 0FS Office: 0_027 Tel: +44 (0)1223 334566 Fax: +44 (0)1223 334567 Email: email@example.com
Caterina Ducati is a Reader in Nanomaterials at the Department of Materials Science and Metallurgy, and a fellow of Churchill College, Cambridge. In 2010 she was awarded a European Research Council (ERC) Starting Grant to study third generation solar cells at the nanoscale. In 2014, she was awared an ERC Proof of Concept grant to study air purification through novel metal-metal oxide nanocomposites. She is involved in the European Network Enabling Science and Technology Through European Electron Microscopy 2 (ESTEEM2). Cate is a Co-Director of the MPhil in Micro- and Nanotechnology Enterprise, and Teaching Director of the NanoDTC in Cambridge. Cate is Chair of the Electron Microscopy and Analysis Group, and a Committee Member of the Nanoscale Physics and Technology Group of the Institute of Physics. Her PhD (1999-2002) was entitled "Nanostructured Carbon for Field Emission and Electrochemisty Applications", and was carried out at the Electronic Devices and Materials Group, Department of Engineering, Cambridge. Her interest has focused on the synthesis of carbon nanotubes, and the study of their growth model derived from transmission electron microscopy analysis. She has also been involved in various experiments concerning the growth of metal-seeded nanostructured carbon films, silicon and silicon carbide nanowires, nickel and cobalt sulphide nanowires, titanium dioxide nanocrystals. From April 2003 she was a KTP Associate working on Programme 4151 between the University of Cambridge and Alphasense Limited. Then, between 2004 and 2007, as a Royal Society Dorothy Hodgkin Fellow, she worked on new properties of metal oxide nanostructures for electronics and catalysis. She held a Royal Society University Research Fellowship to study photon-stimulated spectroscopy and electron microscopy of nanostructures (2007-2012). From 2009 to 2013 she was a Lecturer in the Department. Between 2005 and 2008 she was a Sackler Junior Fellow at Churchill.
Caterina Ducati's Research
Return to top
Cate's current research interests include the structural and electronic characterisation of nanostructured metal oxides. In particular she is studying nanostructured materials used in hybrid photovoltaic devices, and photocatalytic materials. Cate is also working on the characterisation of carbon nanotubes and semiconductor nanowires aiming to a better understanding of their growth mechanism.
Caterina Ducati's Recent Publications
The list of publications retrieved by the Web of Science in February 2014 can be found here.
Caterina Ducati's Supervision Calendar (this is view-only, and just shows free slots)
TEM Introduction Slides
Click here to download the slides (~17MB) .
Link to Folder for PtII class
Click here to view. .


text:
We promise to never spam you, and just use your email address to identify you as a valid customer.
This product hasn't received any reviews yet. Be the first to review this product!
Click the button below to add the YAPHET KOTTO LIVE AND LET DIE POSTER AND PHOTO 252458 to your wish list.
All prices are in EUR Copyright 2015 The Movie Store. Sitemap | Shopping Cart Software by Bigcommerce


text:
Blog | Comments |
WoW | 20 Comments |
Recent Comments:
The Queue: A plea for help {WoW}
Jan 8th 2010 3:47AM That has to do with the enchanter's profession level. It's a quirk we have to deal with when DEing stuff on our own, too. It made me raise an eyebrow when i discovered this while leveling enchanting.
I guess it's just one of life's mysteries... like "Where the heck did the other sock go, dang it?!"
WoW.com's Weekly Comic: Byron, the Tauren Rogue! {WoW}
Dec 22nd 2009 1:33PM She looks quite close to my female Dwarf. Just the hair colour's not the same. Seems to be a rogue too, just like mine.
Wonder what her name is....
WoW Moviewatch: The Peace Circle {WoW}
Nov 26th 2009 1:11PM Go away you gold farmer/spammer, you... wait. no judging. That's right. Ok.
No judging.
Anyone have a Hippie-on for spammers? Like a Spammer-on?
Breakfast Topic: I hate {WoW}
Sep 11th 2009 12:33PM The striders on Azuremyst isle (and the Ornery ones in Barrens). In my head, striders will just walk by you without a notice. So i go by and "Wrehhhhhh!" Stupid bird....
Most vultures/buzzards. They always seem to be in the way. Stupid birds...
Wolves. They seem to aggro from further than others. Just fighting something, and, well here comes a dog. Stupid dog...
Fel Boars. Same as wolves and vultures. They always seem to aggro you no matter what. Stupid pigs...
He should be phased... i killed the turkey with a giant, get him off the road please?
Fel Reaver..... sort of. I never died by him (yet), but even at lvl 80, when i hear that 'awOOOO!' sound, my blood curdles, and just run/fly off. Like the 1st time i ever saw him..... and that feeling has stayed with me ever since. The 1st time i flew into Dal (not on the landing pad) and heard that sound, i went "no, just no" It panicked me, heh. Glad they changed that...
The WoW tourist's guide to important Cataclysm locations {WoW}
Aug 25th 2009 2:24PM Well, war isn't fair. We don't know what's planned for the expansion after Cataclysm, so in the meantime..... stiff upper lip.
(Maybe we'll get something else to compensate. Cooler capital cities? Less running all over the place in quests because we got smaller zones than them? I dunno.)
Breakfast Topic: What do you think of new race and class combos? {WoW}
Aug 24th 2009 12:23PM You people that complain it doesn't fit lore make me laugh. You're being silly.
Modern computers don't fit the lore of humanity, from your logic. For thousands upon thousands of years, there was no complex computers, and now we have internet? WTH?? It doesn't fit the lore of humanity! And yet..... thing progress. Any modern invention, institution, and even some beliefs can be given the same treatment.
WoW lore progresses, people. The story moves forward. Attitudes evolve. Evolve with it, geepers.
Breakfast Topic: Which boss would you revamp for level 80? {WoW}
Aug 16th 2009 11:28AM It's a noun that lost its amateur status.
WoW Moviewatch: World of Gnomecraft {WoW}
Aug 13th 2009 1:42PM /cheer
Count me in! I wanna be there...
Breakfast Topic: How phasing could be used in-game {WoW}
Aug 12th 2009 1:38PM I'd love to have a new, phased section of Gnomeregan available to players who have either completed the dungeon, or completed some quest line to open this place up - could be some new addition to Tinker Town, some tunnel/tramway connection to a section of the city that has been retaken (but not part of the actual instance). I'd really like to see a residential type sector of Gnomeregan, get a peek of Gnome life there.
For Trolls, well something different would have to be done, but i'm not sure what or how...
WoW Moviewatch: Snacky's Journal, Episode 4 {WoW}
Jul 31st 2009 1:08PM Not surprised it was a grand prize winner. I really like this one, puts a smile on my face.


text:
The City of Town & Country has several advisory boards and commissions that are established in order to provide citizen and volunteer input to the Mayor and Board of Aldermen in the City's decision-making process. Members of these boards and commissions are generally appointed by the Mayor with the advice, consent and approval of a majority of the members of the Board of Aldermen.
If you would like to volunteer to serve on a City board or commission, CLICK HERE for an application or contact City Clerk Ashley McNamara or City Administrator Gary Hoelzer at 314-432-6606.
To receive Agendas and Public Notices via e-mail, CLICK HERE. You can select the subscriptions you wish to receive.
Links to Boards and Commissions
Architectural Review Board
Duties: The Architectural Review Board shall: Work with any applicant and interested party to find architectural design solutions for all parties, to the extent that the Board deems appropriate and feasible; Consider and vote on all applications for permits for residential construction and reconstruction; Consider and vote on all applications for non-residential construction and reconstruction; Make a recommendation of approval or disapproval for non-residential construction and reconstruction which shall be referred to the Board of Aldermen for review and final decision.
Members are as follows:
(Return to Top)
Benefits and Insurance Commission
The Benefits and Insurance Commission makes recommendations to the Board of Aldermen on matters such as insurance for property, employee insurance, employee pension and all other employee benefits. The Commission meets quarterly at the call of the Chairman.
Board of Adjustment
The Board of Adjustment is a statutorily provided entity within the City, the purpose of which is hearing requests for variances to the City's zoning code brought forth by residents and property owners.
James Crowley, Ward 1 (Chairman) Joseph J. Brinker, Ward 4 (Vice Chairman) Sam Hawatmeh, Ward 1 (Regular member) Timothy Walsh, Ward 2 (Regular member) Matt Meyer, Ward 3 (Regular member) Christopher Barclay, Ward 1 (Alternate member) G. Scott Engelbrecht, Ward 1 (Alternate member) David Adam, Ward 2 (Alternate member)
Community Relations Commission
The Community Relations Commission makes recommendations to the Board of Aldermen on matters such as periodic newsletters, news releases, City-sponsored receptions and gatherings and other topics that might be referred to the Commission by the Board of Aldermen.
Conservation and Historic Preservation Commission
The City Conservation Commission makes policy recommendations to the Board of Aldermen on matters such as environmental laws, the promotion of beautification, environmental education projects, and conservation and sustainable management of natural heritage resources, including wildlife. The Commission meets at least quarterly, but generally meets monthly. (See monthly calendar for meeting dates and times).
Alderman Skip Mange (Chairman), Ward 1 Sandra Murdock, Ward 1 (Regular member) Todd Abrams, Ward 1 (Regular member) Hera Gerber, Ward 2 (Regular member) Carl G. Strasser, Jr., Ward 2 (Regular member) Jim Haven, Ward 3 (Regular member) Carolyn Moisson, Ward 3 (Regular member) Mariette Palmer, Ward 3 (At Large member) David Beaman, Ward 3 (At Large member) Don Barr, Ward 4 (Regular member) Susan Blake, Ward 4 (Regular member)
(Return to top)
Finance Commission
The Finance Commission makes recommendations to the Board of Aldermen on matters such as taxes, the annual budget, appropriation of public funds, investments and depositories of City funds, and long range financial planning for the City. The Commission meets quarterly at the call of the Chairman.
Parks and Trails Commission
The Parks and Trails Commission serves as an advisory board to the Mayor and the Board of Aldermen on issues concerning the Parks System as it relates to the quality of life for residents and property values within the city of Town and Country. The Parks system consists of designated areas of green space, recreation and trails to facilitate pedestrian and bicycle traffic to, from between and within the park lands.
Responsibilities/duties of the Commission include, but are not limited to, the following:
Commission Operations:
Alderman Lynn Wright (Chairman), Ward 1 Christi Moses, Ward 1 (Regular member) Jack Dunning, Ward 1 (Regular member) Alyson S. Barclay, Ward 1 (At Large member) Adam Baer, Ward 2 (Regular member) Karen McKnight, Ward 2 (Regular member) Roger R. Fagerberg, Ward 3 (Regular member) Stephanie Petersen, Ward 3 (Regular member) Laura Chaney, Ward 3 (Regular member) Steve Korbecki, Ward 4 (Regular member) Meg Johnson, Ward 4 (Regular member)
Planning and Zoning Commission
The Planning and Zoning Commission is a statutorily created Commission that hears planning and zoning matters that are to come before the City and makes recommendations to the Mayor and Board of Aldermen on such matters. The Planning and Zoning Commission meets monthly generally on the third Wednesday of the month.
Ronald J. Sulewski (Chairman), Ward 1 Rob Cima (Vice Chairman), Ward 1 Kraig Kreikemeier, (Secretary), Ward 3 Jonathan F. Dalton (Mayor), Ward 1 Frederick J. Meyland Smith (Aldermanic Rep), Ward 3 William McKnight, Ward 2 Dennis Bolazina, Ward 3 James R. Klingler, Ward 3 Gary Omell, Ward 4
Police Commission
The Police Commission makes recommendations to the Board of Aldermen on laws for furtherance of police protection for citizens of the City. The Commission meets not less than quarterly at the call of the Chairman, but generally meets monthly. (See monthly calendar for meeting dates and times)
Alderman Amy Anderson (Chairman), Ward 1 Martin Willman, Ward 1 (Regular member) Jeffrey R. Klieve, Ward 1 (Regular member) Donald K. Larsen, Ward 2 (Regular member) Charles Etling, Ward 2 (At Large member) Allen Allred, Ward 3 (Regular member) Al Tabrizi, Ward 4 (Regular member) Ronald L. Jaudes, Ward 4 (Regular member) James M. Conrad, Ward 4 (At Large member)
Green Team Commission
Alderman Jon Benigas, (Chairman), Ward 4 Chris Andrews, Ward 1 (Regular member) Dirk Maas, Ward 2 (Regular member) Doug Rushing, Ward 2 (Regular member) Raymond Popp, Ward 2 (At Large member) Linda Robson, Ward 3 (Regular member) Linda Hultgren, Ward 3 (Regular Member) Robert J. May, Ward 4 (Regular member)
Public Works and Stormwater Commission
The Public Works and Stormwater Commission makes recommendations including construction acceptance or infrastructure improvements and infrastructure needs to the Board of Aldermen on matters such as streets, roads, soundwalls, sidewalks, stormsewers, drains, street lights, plantings in the public right-of-way and other public improvements. The Commission works closely with the Director Public Works to see that the general infrastructure needs of the City are met. The Commission meets not less than quarterly at the call of the Chairman. (See monthly calendar for meeting dates and times)
Tree Board
Public Art Commission


text:
How to Remove Grass Stains from Clothes and Shoes
Grass stains on the knees of kid's jeans? White canvas sneakers have nice green grass streaks on them? Not to worry. Those grass stains are mbt footwear easy to remove from jeans, canvas, cotton, leather, suede and fabric of all types with these grass stain removal tricks. Jeans
Treat jeans with a heavy dose of rubbing alcohol. Saturate the grass christian louboutin outlet uk stain with rubbing alcohol, let sit for 15 minutes, then wash as usual. Check the grass stain before putting jeans into dryer, repeat alcohol treatment if any of the grass stain remains. Use an old toothbrush, christian louboutin daffodile wet the bristles, then dip the bristles into baking soda. Brush the baking soda onto the grass stain vigorously. Use white, non gel toothpaste and brush it into the grass stain with an old toothbrush. Rinse cheap christian louboutin the toothpaste out of the clothing, then wash as usual. Massage a dollop of molasses into the grass stain and let sit overnight. Wash the leather shoes with warm soapy water the following christian louboutin sale morning to remove the molasses and the grass stain. Use this grass removing trick on any leather article like purse or jacket too. shoes or suede coat is not ruined by a few grass stains. Use glycerin to cheap louboutin shoes remove the grass stains. Apply glycerin (available at drugstore or craft store) with a nylon scrub sponge to the grass stain. Scrub the glycerin into the suede until the grass stain disappears. Then dip louboutin shoes outlet a clean cloth into white vinegar and blot the grass stain area. Finish by brushing the suede in the right direction and place suede shoes in a sunny location to dry. Georgia. View profile
Removing mens christian louboutin Grass Stains from Denim Grass stains on your favorite denim pants or shirts can be a nightmare as grass stains are notoriously hard to remove. With sweat grass stains on my shirt, I gallop my hot shot.


text:
Ok I know this is old but whatever.
Those pants should be illegal. Thank God they're not.
Here's the music video from David Archuleta's new single "I'll Never Go" off his Forevermore CD. Don't forget to watch it in HD! He looks really hot, especially when brooding.
Loved the video so much I had to do some screencaps. Enjoy!
For those who like to see Archie in bed:
Last edited by Omega3; June 26th, 2012 at 07:26 PM.
that was very cool Omega!! is it me or is Archie getting hotter as he ages? y'know, like fine wine or imported cheese...
"Everyone wants to be adored."
Archie really is my favorite at the moment. Has been for a while. It's hard to explain why because nobody shows less skin than this guy. Nobody seems to try less to be sexy haha. But, there's just something about him that is hot. Can't put my finger on it. Gotta watch the video in HD again
Last edited by Omega3; June 27th, 2012 at 03:22 PM.
LOL, it's funny you say this, because when I saw your series of pics (like this one), I thought "Woah, that's about as much cleavage/skin as we've ever seen from him!". I wondered if these were the "risque" pics, his bold, edgy new photoshoot. But teasing aside, he looks great in them and maybe the covering-up is part of the appeal - lets the imagination work harder about what's under there. Goes back to my pet theory that I think his nipples would be really great looking.
^^^yes, i think in the Mormon community this much skin showing is the equivalent of hard-core porn...!!!
"Everyone wants to be adored."
If that's what Mormon's think is hard-core I wonder what the real deal is considered!
After watching that I'll Never Go music video in HD for the thousandth time, I think I know one reason why I find him to be so hot. It's his mouth Watch the music video and focus on his mouth. The close up shots are dizzying haha.
Check out these caps from a performance he did for Forbes magazine last Christmas.
You're welcome.
David's new CD BEGIN. comes out August 7 consisting of some interesting covers and an original song. He's covering REM (Everybody Hurts), U2 (Pride), Christina Aguilera (Beautiful), Cyndi Lauper (True Colors) and Sarah McLaughlin (Angel) among others. Previews of the songs are being released. Here's a preview of his cover of Keane's Somewhere Only We Know. I really like it.
More at his website: Exclusive Preview #2! | David Archuleta
Last edited by Omega3; July 5th, 2012 at 09:43 PM.
Another new pic from photoshoot for BEGIN. cd:
And a promo poster:
More clips released from the CD including U2, Cyndi Lauper and Sarah McLachlan:
Official David Archuleta's Spotlight page on SoundCloud - Create, record and share your sounds for free
Get your copy of the CD out August 7 from Amazon Amazon.com: BEGIN: David Archuleta: Music
Good god, he's just so Hot and adorable!
idk, i can hear Archie sing all the songs on the disc except "(Pride) In the Name of Love", my 2nd fave U2 song. if you're familiar with it, you know Bono practically screams the chorus. i can't hear Archie singing like this...maybe he can pull it off...???
"Everyone wants to be adored."
They have previews up for all 9 covers on the album now: BEGIN. by Official David Archuleta on SoundCloud - Create, record and share your sounds for free
The only preview we're still waiting for is Broken, the original song. His voice is sounding freaking amazing on these clips. jfc.
Archie is brave to take on U2 and Pride. It is a stretch for him but I think he can do it. Vocally, he is the real deal. Here's his take of Christina Aguilera's Beautiful. I like it.
YouTube - Beautiful - David Archuleta, Begin: Exclusive Preview #9
Previews of 9 out of 10 tracks from BEGIN now on his soundcloud Official David Archuleta's Spotlight page on SoundCloud - Create, record and share your sounds for free
Last edited by Omega3; July 11th, 2012 at 05:38 PM.
Thought we needed some Archie pics while waiting for release of his new cd BEGIN. I love his sexy mouth in that first pic.
Previews of all the BEGIN. songs here:
Last edited by Omega3; July 27th, 2012 at 07:34 PM.
What would be my reaction to him in a porn? My brain would melt then explode in the sheer amazingness of it. And thank you all for the great pics!!
This is too good a picture of Archie to leave as a thumbnail. It's from his modeling gig with Bench. I always thought he is good looking but Bench made him hot!
Has anyone downloaded Archie's new cd Begin yet? It came out today and I downloaded it this morning. His cover of Cyndi Lauper's True Colors is probably my favorite at the moment but I have to say that he does a duet of Peter Gabriel's Don't Give Up which I think is better than the original. And I'm a fan of Peter Gabriel and Kate Bush.
Listen to some of the songs from his BEGIN cd for yourself. I think he did a great job covering songs from artists as diverse as Christina Aguilera, U2 and Sarah McLachlan. He's really talented and I think this may be my favorite cd of his.
Cyndi Lauper's True Colors:
Keane's Somewhere Only We Know:
David's original song Broken (still trying to figure out what this song is about):
Pick up the cd. It's really good.
So cute!
Dying for some Archie news. Anyone have any word?
I don't think there will be any as he's doing his mission in Africa. So unless something happens there, I doubt we'll hear of it. Sorry.
I heard there will be another video coming out from Forevermore -- a remixed version of Rainbow. Someone said something about dubstep?? lol idek. Whatever it is, will be glad to get something. These are supposedly caps from the video:
Also, a video was posted for Everybody Hurts from the U.S. cover album that came out last month
Last edited by runrabbit; September 20th, 2012 at 07:29 PM.
A couple newish pics that came out with one of the Asian releases of BEGIN
Attachment 874933
Attachment 874934
So I forgot how to post pics where they show up big. hrm.
The quality of those pics isn't the greatest, sry. Apparently they're scans of postcards that come with the album?
Ok. I think I'm done posting 50000 times in a row now.
Ok so now my attachments disappeared for post #3080. Its just not my day for trying to post things here correctly.
I'll just post a links because surely even I can't screw that up:
I guess I need to re-read the faq on pic posting. Its been way too long since I posted
Last edited by runrabbit; September 20th, 2012 at 10:00 PM.
Thanks for all the pics Rabbit!
Thanks Rabbit. And yeah, I just love his model-like swagger walk. It's awesome. We've def had a few Youtube links/animated GIFs in this thread before that show off that sexy sashay in all its glory, but there are never too many!
One tip: If you want your images to show up in their full size rather than the JUB thumbs (although you certainly can do them as thumbs and have people click to see in full), copy the URL of your image (right click the image) and when you paste it into your reply window, remove the "thumbs=1" indicator from its URL!
Oh I'm totally aboard his ass. Erm, not literally (unfortunately!), but it's great.
Trinket -- Thank you so much for the tip on posting images! I tried and tried last time to get them to show up right but never could figure it out. I'm technologically challenged or something lol.
I really miss that sexy ass dork.
Maybe I got this figured out! One more test
Love David's eyes. He also has flawless skin. Guess he avoided the acne phase.
Totally agree about David's butt guys! One of the best in the business. Some older pics when he was 18/19. David's a small guy but not scrawny. His butt is nice and meaty.
He sure does have a pretty mouth don't he?
Thanks for all these new pics guys!!! I miss having news on our Archie every other day!
Omega3 - I agree with the conclusion your pictures are pointing to lol.
Is it normal to be hot for a guy's ass, eyes, lips, face, voice, everything?? For me he's the total package. *cough*
Last edited by runrabbit; September 30th, 2012 at 07:35 PM.
Speaking of his mouth...
Something in motion for a change..
this guy! He is so delicious! My favorite body part of him is his nipples! He has that boyish look and always have a bulge in his pics on the net. He never fails to give me an instant hard on too. I miss him. I can't wait 2014! (#DA2014) David is always in my list of guys that I to. I hope 2014 will be the year that we will finally cum in our pants because a shirtless pic of him was on the internet!!
btw. David loves to wear tight pants! (good for us guys lusting after him)
this one
Last edited by Vaischakalogia; November 2nd, 2012 at 11:12 AM.
Society is funny. They ask you to be yourself and yet they judge you.
There is one thing about David Archuleta that annoys me. At a time when more and more celebrities tweet revealing camera photos of themselves (usually staring into a bathroom mirror) there appears to be not a single shirtless picture of David out there lol. It's been more than four years since American Idol and still nothing. Even the former purity ring wearing Jonas Brothers have given us some shirtless pictures! C'mon David. Give us something!
Thank god David likes tight pants though. Really tight pants that accentuate his nice butt and legs.
Maybe he'll show a bit more when he comes back from his mission in 2014.


text:
It's tuna casser0le here with the rest 0f the c0rn bread. N0t what I'd planned, but I l0sted track 0f time. What are y0u having f0r dinner? |
Follow-Up Postings:
Three of us went out after Bible Study to Superior Grill. I've missed going there all these years.. Gals I went with eat there often as waiter knew what they always ordered. I had their beef Quesadilla and it was outstanding, perfectly seasoned. Not a place I would go there to eat alone though :o( Hey patti, you ought to make a cornbread sandwich with your leftover cornbread. I've had one with smoked ham, sliced tomato and onion. |
You "losted" track of time Patti?? Not only are your o's cute, but your grammar is too!! LOL Gorgeous, sunny, cold day here. We went out to get a couple of things at some stores, and par for the course, they were out of the items that I wanted. I hate when that happens. So we came home and I made a pot of spaghetti sauce and settled in to watch golf. So dinner was spaghetti and meat sauce. I have the rest in the freezer. |
jasdip, this is funny. I have my meat thawing right now to make spaghetti sauce tomorrow. Tonight, I'm having beef, with potatoes and green beans. Shirley |
Sauerkraut and sausage in the crockpot, baked beans, that's about it. |
- Posted by georgysmom (My Page) on Sun, Feb 17, 13 at 17:44
What makes it even funnier is that I read it as lost because that's what my mind wanted it to be I guess. It is cold, cold, cold here. I have the heat way up, my silk underwear and a turtle neck and a sweat shirt on and I'm still cold! I have some left over ground beef from when I made meatloaf the other night so we're having hamburgers, macaroni and cheese and a tossed salad. Comfort food on a cold day. the only warmth I'm getting is from watching the golf. |
- Posted by hounds_x_two (My Page) on Sun, Feb 17, 13 at 17:46
Homemade black bean soup, salad. |
Nice lunch, Glenda. Harry sure likes quesadillas. Can't have the sandwich, Glenda. That bread's perfect just as it is. Yum! Jasdip, I've l0sted my mind, I tell y0u! Spaghetti s0unds g00d. Wish I'd th0ught 0f it, but I'm using the rest 0f the Mexican rice I made the 0ther night t0 make the tunna cass. H0pefully t0m0rr0w I will have a new keyb0ard. Haven't been able t0 access my e-mail. It d0esn't rec0gnize "Yah00". I bet I have 300 e-mails by n0w. Sigh! Shirley, did y0u get a l0t 0f sn0w? Y0ur dinner s0unds nice and warming. H0pe y0u stay nice and warm. Ge0rgysm0m, it was 33 this m0rning at 7:30. D0esn't feel like it's warmed up much. They say it'll get t0 28 t0night. Thankfully, they are wr0ng a l0t. Beef is always c0mf0rt f00d f0r me, anyway. Yum, H0unds! I haven't made black beans in a l0ng time. I'll have t0 check and see if I have any. S0unds w0nderful. |
Patti, I didn't even think of you not being able to get into your email. Next time you do, make a shortcut to the desktop, then it won't be an issue. Not that you'll ever lose your "o" again! Edited to add... unless you have o's in your password, then even a shortcut won't work! |
This post was edited by jasdip on Sun, Feb 17, 13 at 18:09
We haven't gotten a lot of snow, Patti, just frequent snowfalls. It's to continue like this for a while. Tomorrow will be about 40 so what we have will melt, then by evening it's to get colder and snow again. Shirley/OH |
- Posted by Marilyn_Sue (My Page) on Sun, Feb 17, 13 at 18:28
This evening for our supper I fixed fried cod, mac and cheese, peas, biscuits, lettuce salad and iced tea to drink. It is 25 out right now. Sue in Central Indiana |
- Posted by ravencajun (My Page) on Sun, Feb 17, 13 at 18:57
I cooked a corned beef in the oven with red potatoes, onions, garlic, carrots, and steamed cabbage to go with it. It was perfection yummy good. I usually cook them in the slow cooker but decided to go with the oven today and I have to say it was much more flavorful and cooked perfectly. I might just keep doing it this way. Beautiful day here today. |
Roast chicken, dressing, mashed potatoes, gravy and green beans. I finally found some good green beans and cooked them with garlic and oil and shallots. Southern folks, I know you aren't used to such cold weather but i want to say we may reach 20 below tonight. |
We had Shrimp Stroganoff Casserole. And I ate too much! |
jackie, is the shrimp casserole recipe you use the Velveeta one with broccoli florets? |
Glenda this is the recipe we like and it's so easy. 1 (8 oz.) pkg. medium egg noodles Cook noodles according to package directions; drain and set aside. Spoon mixture into a lightly greased shallow 2-quart casserole. Serves 6-8. |
Thanks, Jas! Shirley, glad it's melting. H0pefully, the r0ads will be cleared. I d0n't miss driving in sn0w and ice. Sue, I have c0d in the freezer. I think it'll be dinner t0m0rr0w! Jackie, I make that same casser0le. I g0t the recipe fr0m S0uthern Living years ag0. It's even g00d bef0re y0u put the shrimp in and bake it!! ('Cause I tasted it ;-) I think it'd be very g00d with chicken. Have y0u tried it? D0n't have t0 tell y0u t0 enj0y dinner, since I kn0w y0u will! |
Raven, it was a g00d day t0 have the 0ven 0n--at least here. I really like c0rned beef but have en0ugh in the freezer that I w0n't even have t0 make 0ne f0r St. Patrick's Day. Pam, what a great meal--a feast really. I'm really s0rry that y0u're having s0 much c0ld weather. -20 is just awful. Stay warm!! |
- Posted by YogaLady1948 (My Page) on Sun, Feb 17, 13 at 20:40
YES! Pizza delivered~~and my DD#2's BF home brewed beer;) Life Is Good~~~~ |
Steak on the grill, baked potato and a nice tossed salad. Beautiful weather here today in the low 60's. |
Thanks for the shrimp recipe, and it sounds delicious! |
Your welcome Glenda. I've never made it wirh chicken, I'm sure it would be good. |
Please Note: Only registered members are able to post messages to this forum. If you are a member, please log in. If you aren't yet a member, join now!
Return to the Kitchen Table Forum
Information about Posting
- You must be logged in to post a message. Once you are logged in, a posting window will appear at the bottom of the messages. If you are not a member, please register for an account.
- Please review our Rules of Play before posting.
- Posting is a two-step process. Once you have composed your message, you will be taken to the preview page. You will then have a chance to review your post, make changes and upload photos.
- After posting your message, you may need to refresh the forum page in order to see it.
- Before posting copyrighted material, please read about Copyright and Fair Use.
- We have a strict no-advertising policy!
- If you would like to practice posting or uploading photos, please visit our Test forum.
- If you need assistance, please Contact Us and we will be happy to help.
Learn more about in-text links on this page here


text:
Idaho Secretary of State Election Division |
The original report submitted by the candidate is scanned. We do not re-scan reports for minor amendments. Any amendments or corrections made to reports are reflected in our on-line database.
Reports are provided in PDF format. You must have Adobe Acrobat Reader installed on your computer in order to view the files.
If you're checking reports for updates more than once a day during filing periods, click on your Refresh or Reload button to be sure you're seeing the latest update of the page.
Previous Page | Idaho Secretary of State's Main Page | State of Idaho Home Page |
Comments, questions or suggestions can be emailed to: email@example.com |


text:
The Arts Services Initiative
For anyone who might not be familiar with Arts Services Initiative of Western New York, there's a lot of catching up to do. To start, the initiative was forged in 2011 in order to fill the need for a non-profit organization that could be instrumental in a range of services for artists and art organizations. After the Buffalo Arts Council fizzled out, and a host of other groups and organizations formed to help take over the reigns, it was determined that no one existing organization would be able to come forward and take the lead. That meant that a new service and planning organization needed to be formed, and it was deemed that Fund for the Arts commission a consultant to meet with the culturals to see what it was that they felt was needed. From there it was determined that Western New York was lacking a comprehensive organization that could administer funding, help convey the importance of the arts to the region, and be aggressive in gaining support for the local arts. Thus was born The Arts Services Initiative (ASI) – and a search for an Executive Director was underway.
It was ultimately decided that Tod A. Kniazuk would head up the organization. Tod was coming off the heels of running Music is Art as Executive Director, which put him in an opportune light to head up the new initiative. It didn't take long for ASI to hit the ground running. The organization has been instrumental in a number of initiatives that includes helping to identify and administer grant funding for the arts community – grants that otherwise would have passed this region by. One positively brilliant initiative was to work with the Amherst Chamber of Commerce to introduce health care plans for artists (see here). And soon a massive undertaking will see ASI embarking upon a project that will map GPS locations in order to pinpoint exactly where cultural-related spending is taking place, both direct and non-direct. By showing the importance of cultural spending, it is the hope that ASI can demonstrate the strength of the local art community, both big and small (in order to apply for additional funding for the arts).
In a short period of time, we have seen a surprising series of art-forward initiatives by ASI, which is remarkable considering that it was just a short while ago when this city was still reeling from the mishaps of the Buffalo Arts Council. For the first time, we are seeing an organization that is interested in promoting collaboration, including working with other cultural organizations such as Theater Alliance of Buffalo and Give for Greatness. At the same time, ASI is helping the individual artists to fulfill their own destinies. The group is here to help Buffalo artists continue to paint a picture of this city as an arts destination… while helping to unlock the potential that we all know is right in front of our noses.
If you would like learn more about ASI, please contact:
Tod A. Kniazuk
Executive Director
Arts Services Initiative of Western New York, Inc.
95 Perry St. Suite 402
Buffalo, NY 14203


text:
Frederick Harold Berry, 92, died Wednesday, April 16, 2014, in his Menomonee Falls, Wis. home.
He is survived by one daughter, Charlotte Anne Berry Naff of Dubach, La.; and two sons: Gary Rodney Berry of Benton, Ark. and Frederick Clayton Berry of Milwaukee, Wis., seven grandchildren; eight great-grandchildren; and two great-great-grandchildren.
The service will be Tuesday, April 22, 2014, at 11 a.m. at Ralph Buckner Funeral Home in Cleveland.
Interment will follow in Sunset Memorial Gardens.
The family will receive friends from 10 to 11 a.m. Tuesday, April 22, 2014 at the funeral home prior to the service.


text:
"From a design perspective, we want to create really beautiful, timeless cars. We don't cater to the immediate, in-your-face impact. We cater to those who truly appreciate style-not because they want to be seen, but because they appreciate the finer things in life. It's about a limited-edition, truly personalized design." - Henrik Fisker
Yes, that's Henrik Fisker, the Henrik Fisker, the Danish designer behind the BMW Z8, the Aston Martin V8 Vantage, and most (if not all) of the Aston Martin DB9. And yes, it sounds a lot like some shopworn old infomercial pitch, or maybe something from the advertising section of Nouveau Riche Monthly. As a mission statement, it's grand, noble, and entirely unbelievable. In other words, it's exactly the kind of marketing-speak you would expect to hear from the man at the helm of a young, small, high-end car company.
Here's the funny part, though: All that stuff Fisker says? He means it. On top of that, it's actually... true.
For the past two years, Irvine, California-based Fisker Coachbuild has quietly gone about the business of reinventing the long-dead tradition of the coachbuilder. His $183,500 Tramonto roadster is attractive and sleek, arguably more so than the Mercedes-Benz SL upon which it is based. His clientele are almost always tasteful and wealthy - not exactly a common combination. And his cars actually seem to be unique (despite their being based on mass-produced corporate products), stylish, and worth their astronomical sticker prices. (That $183,000 fee that the Tramonto brings is a base number; most come in roughly $50,000 to $100,000 higher, and the only true price cap is the customer's imagination.)
So here we are in the summer of 2007, and the affable Fisker has decided to pop out with yet another production car. Unlike the Tramonto, Fisker's latest offering is based on a BMW product - it's essentially a reskinned and retrimmed BMW 6-series, albeit one whose engine can produce upwards of 650 hp, one that looks almost nothing like the ugly-baby car it began life as. Pay careful attention here: Yes, that's right. The Fisker Latigo is actually pretty.
Here's how it works: You pony up for a hideous-looking-but-really-quite-fast BMW 650i or M6, then drop it off with Fisker and his crew in Irvine. Your 6er is then cloaked in all manner of carbon-fiber and aluminum bodywork (carbon hood, bumpers, fenders, sills, trunk, rear diffuser, aluminum doors). The entire interior is dismantled-sadly, iDrive stays, though it's at least gifted with an uber-cool billet aluminum knob-and retrimmed by hand, with multiple grades of leather and a virtually endless selection of colors available. (The highest-grade leather on offer feels and looks like Italian furniture skin because, well, it is.) Billet aluminum touches such as switch surrounds and trim panels are installed - again, all to your particular taste and preference - and the headliner is retrimmed in heavily sueded Alcantara. There's an almost blinding amount of dead cow - it's like bathing in a sea made of the world's nicest couches. In short, everything in the interior is revamped, recovered, and extensively facelifted.
Continued on Page 2...


text:
The Catholic Archdiocese of Cincinnati has been mired in quite a bit of trouble over the past several years for its morally outdated (and unjust) policies, and now one of the allegations has reached the courts. Today marked the second day of juror hearings in a schoolteacher's lawsuit against the Archdiocese and the two schools from which she was fired for violating her civil rights.
In 2010, schoolteacher Christa Dias, a single, non-ministerial employee at both Holy Family and St. Lawrence Schools, parochial schools owned and operated by the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, became pregnant via artificial insemination. At five and a half months pregnant, she asked her employers for something millions of U.S. women ask for every year: maternity leave.
She got more than she bargained for, though, when her employers fired her, assuming Dias had engaged in premarital sex (one of the many "moral" no-nos in the Catholic Church — for women, at least). She was informed that she was let go because she'd violated a moral clause in the Catholic doctrine that she'd agreed to adhere to when she signed her employment contract, which, in the eyes of the Catholic Church, makes it okay to discriminate when the discrimination falls under something called "ministerial exception" — a pesky and vague part of civil labor laws exempting religious policies from some basic rules for equality in the workplace.
Ergo: Women who are fired by the Catholic Church for getting pregnant face unfair discrimination because men aren't held to the same standard. Obviously, it's impossible to detect whether or not single male employees are engaging in premarital sex (but they probably are). The basis of Dias' lawsuit is that that little gender caveat is an inherent for of discrimination against women because women and men aren't held to the same moral standards.
According to the AP, Dias today told jurors she didn't realize that artificial insemination was a violation of church doctrine or that having the procedure could get her fired. The archdiocese's attorney, Steve Goodin, says that Dias was not discriminated against because she signed a contract that clearly commanded she abide by the Catholic doctrine.
CityBeat reported on a similar case of discrimination by the Catholic Church earlier this year ("Unforgiven Offenses," issue of Jan. 9, 2013), which detailed a lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court of Southern Ohio by former schoolteacher Kathleen Quinlan, who was also fired from her non-ministerial position at Ascension Catholic School in Kettering, Ohio, in December 2011 after she approached her principal, told him about her pregnancy and offered to work behind-the-scenes until she gave birth.
Again, her employers and the Archdiocese used the "morality clause" to defend their position.
And then there was Johnathan Zeng ("Gays, Even Christians, Need Not Apply," issue of June 13, 2012), who was offered a job as a music teacher at Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy (CHCA) Armleder School after two weeks of discussions; Zeng even put on a teacher demonstration in front of a third grade class. When a board representative asked him point-blank if he was gay, Zeng told the truth: yes, he was gay. All of a sudden, Zeng was out of the running, even though he was already pinpointed as the most qualified applicant.
The outcome of Dias' case could set a major precedent for courts ruling on ministerial exception in the future. Last year, the Supreme Court ruling in Hosanna-Tabor Evangelical Lutheran Church and School v. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, courts sided with the church in a fired teacher's discrimination lawsuit, ruling that because she had some religious duties as a teacher, federal discrimination laws didn't apply.
Some local Catholics, at least, are firing back against the archdiocese's archaic policies; recently, Debra Meyers was ordained as Cincinnati's first female Catholic priest by the Association of Roman Woman Catholic Priests, despite opposition from local Catholic leaders and the Vatican. Read our interview with her here.
While the presidential candidates prepared for Wednesday's debate, Michelle Obama urged Cincinnatians on Tuesday to take advantage of the first day of early voting, before leading a group to the board of elections to cast their ballots.
"I've got news for you: Here in Ohio it's already Election Day. Early voting starts today," Obama told a crowd of 6,800 inside the Duke Energy Convention Center. She urged everyone to reach out and encourage their friends to vote after they had cast their own ballots.
"Twitter them. Tweet them. What do you do? It's tweeting, right? Tweet them," she joked to the crowd.
Earlier in the morning, the campaign of Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney kicked off its "Commit to Mitt Early Vote Express" statewide bus tour in downtown Cincinnati.
The tour started in Hamilton County before moving through Butler County and is scheduled to end the day in Preble County.
The bus is scheduled to make its way through every region of Ohio during the early voting period and will serve as a mobile campaign headquarters, dispensing voter contact materials and featuring Romney campaign surrogates, according to a news release.
At the convention center, Michelle Obama avoided some of the direct attacks employed by her husband or the Romney campaign, but used her 30-minute speech to counter some of the criticisms from the GOP nominee, recapping some of her convention speech.
"Our families weren't asking for much," Michelle said of her own and Barack's families. "They didn't begrudge anyone else's success, you know, they didn't mind if others had much more than they did, in fact they admired it. That's why they pushed us to succeed."
Her comment seemed to come in response to an attack that the Romney campaign levied against Barack Obama after his infamous "you didn't build that" comment, where the GOP candidate argues that Obama and Democrats are fostering enmity among the middle class by stoking jealousy of rich, successful Americans like Mitt Romney.
"Our families believed also that when you work hard and have done well and finally walk through that doorway of opportunity, you don't slam it shut behind you," Michelle Obama continued.
"No, you reach back and you give other folks the same chances that helped you succeed. You see, that's how Barack and I and so many of you were raised. … We learned that the truth matters – you don't take shortcuts, you don't game the system, you don't play by your own set of rules."
She went on to say that Americans are part of something bigger than themselves and obligated to give back to others, counter to the Republicans' narrative of the individual pulled up by his or her own bootstraps.
Danielle Henderson, 40, a teacher's assistant from Cincinnati, said she was a fan of the first lady's and joked that she wanted to know if Michelle was running for president in 2016.
"Behind every good man is a good woman," Henderson said. "Honestly, a woman is a backbone of the family."
She said she thought the first family was a good model for the rest of the country.
Henderson's mother-in-law Barbara joked that she was excited to see what the first lady was going to wear.
"I see trends she sets trickle down to other politicians' wives," she joked.
It's a time for frothy beer commercials and girls dancing in bikinis. A time for bulldogs riding skateboards and wardrobe malfunctions to rock your television set in between plays of actual football. It's time for the Super Bowl. But apparently it's also a time to think about where you stand on the issue of abortion.
A nonpartisan think tank that advocates for poor and working class families is urging that Ohio adopt its own version of the federal Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC).
The group, Policy Matters Ohio, said a state version of the federal tax credit, set at 10 percent, would divert just $210 million from Ohio's coffers but would benefit 949,000 low-income working families across the state. Such a credit would provide families with an average of $221 each, which Policy Matters Ohio described as "modest but helpful."
Currently 24 states and the District of Columbia have Earned Income Tax Credits, ranging from 3.5 percent to 50 percent of the federal credit.
"A state EITC program enables families to work and build assets while reducing the impact of regressive income tax changes," said a statement released by Policy Matters Ohio.
"A state EITC makes sense because recent changes to the personal income tax have provided greater tax reductions for higher-income earners than they have for lower- and middle-income families," the statement continued.
The federal EITC is a refundable tax credit for low- and medium-income individuals and couples, and is considered the nation's largest poverty relief program. When the credit exceeds the amount of taxes owed, it results in a tax refund to those who qualify and claim the credit.
To qualify for the EITC, a recipient must have earned income of $49,000 or less. The credit is worth significantly more for families with children and is refundable, which means families receive cash refunds above their tax liability.
Created in 1975, the federal EITC is aimed at helping lift families with children about the poverty level, along with offsetting the burden of Social Security taxes and maintaining an incentive for people to work.
In Ohio, 949,692 people currently claim the federal EITC. The credit generates $2.1 billion for state residents, and the average refund is $2,211.
Founded in 2000, Policy Matters Ohio is a nonprofit, nonpartisan policy research organization that seeks to create "a more prosperous, equitable, sustainable and inclusive Ohio," through research and policy advocacy.
Based in Cleveland and Columbus, the organization is funded primarily through grants from groups like the Ford Foundation, the Sisters of Charity Foundation, the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, the Corp. for Enterprise Development and others.
Can a person support the troops without supporting the two wars? Peggy Logue replies with an unqualified "yes."
Logue pondered the question deeply when her 19-year-old son, U.S. Marine Cpl. Michael Logue, was deployed to a volatile area of Iraq, an action that clashed with her anti-war views. The result of her soul-searching is the book Skin in the Game: Journey of a Mother and her Marine Son, Supporting the Troops Without Supporting the War.
The personal travails of Sarah Palin's family life normally wouldn't be newsworthy if it weren't for Palin's sanctimonious public statements and campaigning on issues like teen sex, abortion and so-called "family values." With that in mind, watching the protracted custody battle between Palin's daughter, Bristol, and ex-boyfriend Levi Johnston over their daughter holds the same bizarre fascination as driving by a car accident on the highway.
Today is the winter solstice, the day of the year with the longest amount of darkness. That means it's also Homeless Memorial Day.
Since 1990, the National Coalition for the Homeless has held memorial services for individuals who have died from causes related to their lack of housing on this day.