text:
Brocade VCS Fabric technology helps organizations create efficient data center networks that just work. Ethernet fabrics built on Brocade VCS Fabric technology provide unmatched automation, efficiency, and VM awareness compared to traditional network architectures and competitive fabric offerings. In addition, they increase flexibility and IT agility, enabling organizations to transition smoothly to elastic, mission-critical networks in highly virtualized cloud data centers.
Contact a
Specialist about product questions, pricing information or how to buy.
Brocade VDX 8770 Switch |
Brocade VDX 8770 SwitchThe Brocade VDX 8770 Switch is a highly scalable, low-latency, 1/10/40/100 Gigabit Ethernet (GbE) modular switch. Designed to easily scale out Brocade VCS fabrics, the Brocade VDX 8770 Switch brings new levels of performance to VCS fabric deployments. The Brocade VDX 8770 is designed with advanced capabilities, including 100 GbE and hardware-enhanced SDN support, to support data center networking a decade or more into the future. |
Brocade VDX 6740, 6740T, and 6740T-1G Switches |
Brocade VDX 6740 and 6740T SwitchesLeveraging Brocade VCS Fabric technology, the Brocade VDX 6740, 6740T, and 6740T-1G Switches provide the foundation for Ethernet fabrics—revolutionizing the design of Layer 2 networks and enabling cloud-optimized networking. |
Browse a complete listing of all Brocade resources. View All Resources
Brocade VDX switches allow VCS fabric deployments to start small and scale up or down with additional switches and PoD licensing. Both fixed-configuration and modular switches enable automated, reliable, and evolutionary VCS fabrics that meet organizations' most challenging application requirements.
Brocade Network Advisor maximizes Brocade VCS Fabric technology investments by providing advanced management of Brocade VCS Fabrics and Brocade VDX switches.
This document describes a Red hat Enterprise Linux OpenStack Platform 4.0 configured to use the Brocade VCS plugin.
VCS Fabric Design Guide
This ESG Lab Validation report documents hands-on testing of the EMC VSPEX Proven Infrastructure with Brocade networking for supporting 100 virtual machines (VMs). The report is focused on ease of use, performance, and high-availability networking.
This ESG Lab Validation report documents hands-on testing of an EMC VSPEX Proven Infrastructure with Brocade networking for supporting 500 virtual desktops.
Lippis Reports highlights Brocade VCS Fabric value proposition and cloud performance test on the VDX 8770
Brocade and Trend Micro enable high-performance, improved data protection, and simplified management with a virtualized networking infrastructure and deep security solution.
The Brocade IP Analytics Pack for vRealize Operations helps unite the best aspects of virtual and physical networking to enable SDDCs that deliver simplicity, scalability, and efficient resource utilization
Brocade VCS Fabric Technology, the Plug-n-Play Cloud Computing Network for Isilon Scale-out NAS
Brocade and VMware's unified network provides seamless transition between the physical and virtual architecture.
The Brocade SSR program is a comprehensive testing and configuration initiative that verifies Fibre Channel and Ethernet fabric network interoperability with all-flash and hybrid storage arrays with Brocade expertise, tools, and proven testing methodologies.
A growing service provider gains the flexibility to deliver network capacity on-demand while controlling costs with Ethernet fabrics
Cloud provider supports rapid business growth with a highly scalable Lync solution built on Brocade VCS Fabric technology.
Government Employee's Health Association (GEHA) redesigns network with Brocade Ethernet Fabric technology, simplifying management and increasing network scalability and flexibility.
i3D.net leverages Brocade technology to deliver an exceptional online gaming experience over high-capacity, low-latency, cloud-based networks.
A leading North American bank was operating its storage network over its general-purpose Ethernet data network. This success stories describes the issues they were experiencing and details the Brocade VDX 6720 solution put in place over a new IP storage network and the benefits that resulted.
Leading cloud managed service provider improves network performance and helps clients save money with Brocade VCS Fabric technology.
Leading cloud services provider meets growing demand for increased network performance and capacity with Brocade Ethernet fabrics.
Singing River Hospital improves network bandwidth, business continuity, and response times by deploying with Brocade VCS Fabric technology through Brocade VDX switches.
With a Brocade network in place, SIPCOM can offer high-capacity, scalable hosted UC services to its growing user base.
Brocade enables leading solar provider to simplify its network infrastructure, improve uptime, reduce power consumption, and better utilize IT staff.
This document is intended for data center networking and server architects. It describes the technical architecture of Brocade® Virtual Cluster Switching (VCS™), also referred to as VCS technology in this document, and explains how the control, data, and management planes function, and how a VCS Ethernet fabric operates. It also provides a comparison of the VCS Ethernet Fabric with the emerging IEEE Transparent Interconnect of Lots of Links, or TRILL standard.
Brocade Network Advisor logs events and alerts generated by managed devices and the management server and presents them through the master log and various other views. Event action policies and actions, combined with other monitoring tools in Brocade Network Advisor, help you provide proactive monitoring and effective diagnostics for the managed network.
Ethernet fabric architectures built on Brocade VCS Fabric technology simplifies network architecture and management and features for supporting future "software-defined" networks, as well as a cost-effective point of entry that enables the transition to mission-critical networks in cloud data centers.
Brocade VCS Logical Chassis provides a single point of management for fabric-wide configuration, software maintenance, and troubleshooting. Network services become even faster to deploy and simpler to manage, even as the network is scaled out.
SDN introduces new opportunities to centralize network services more rapidly, but also new forms of complexity. Brocade VCS Fabric technology provides unique automation capabilities and resilience in the physical fabric, as well as integration and hardware support for leading SDN solutions.
Brocade VCS Fabric technology radically simplifies the configuration, management, and ongoing operation of network infrastructures. Administrators can deploy and expand highly automated, reliable, efficient Brocade VCS fabrics at least five times faster than other fabrics in the market.
This paper shows how to apply a small set of software engineering metrics to measure the network administration complexity, effort, and time required to configure and maintain a classic Ethernet network (Cisco Nexus with vPCs) and an Ethernet fabric network (Brocade VCS Fabric technology).
Brocade provides scalable approaches to handle virtualized workloads for different multitenant cloud data centers, including multitier and Layer 3 architectures, and data centers spanning geographic locations.
Brocade VDX switches with Brocade VCS Fabric technology provide an automated, efficient, scale-out network architecture optimized for today's scale-out storage and compute environments.
Setting a New Standard for Network Efficiency with VCS Fabric Multilayer, Multipathing Capabilities.
As cloud-based services become more prevalent, scalable multitenant network environments become more imperative. The multitenant data center network architecture from Brocade provides a smooth and scalable cloud deployment that simplifies management and orchestration.


text:
Start learning with our library of video tutorials taught by experts. Get started
Explains how to manage time in order to accomplish more.
Shows Mac users how to make the transition from Entourage to Outlook 2011, explaining the key differences between the programs.
From setting up Entourage as the default mail application to managing projects across the other Office applications.
"Keep up the good work—it's helping so many of us stay up to speed on all the many topics involved in building creative websites." —Sandra M.
more from our members »

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Secure online shopping is just one of the many benefits afforded to you when you buy BMW 540I Power Steering Pump parts from us. We have been providing our customers with the best possible experience for almost 30 years. Instead of price matching, we just price all our auto parts as low as we can. As soon as an item ships, we email your tracking number to you. Place your next BMW 540I Power Steering Pump parts order with us. You cannot go wrong when you purchase BMW 540I Power Steering Pump parts from our online web store. AutohausAZ is dedicated to helping the do-it-yourselfer. We guarantee free UPS Ground to the 48 states on every BMW 540I Power Steering Pump parts order over 75 dollars not including tax or cores.
Evangeline S. - Daly City, CA: I want to let you know that this is the second time I bought BMW parts from you and I've been very happy with the high quality parts I received. Additionally, your customer service is outstanding. I will definitely continue to do business with your company. Thanks.


text:
found a new home!
Plenty of my friends are looking
for one too. Find a pet to adopt.
Find a pet to adopt |
My name is Duke!
Facts about Duke
- Breed: Chihuahua/Dachshund Mix
- Color: Brindle
- Age: Young
- Size: Small 25 lbs (11 kg) or less
- Sex: Male
Duke's Info...
I am already neutered, housetrained, up to date with shots, good with kids, and good with dogs.
Duke, chi weenie. 1yr old male. Contact email@example.com
Duke is very sweet little guy who found by his foster family. He is a male one to two year old Chiweenie(Chihauhau/Dachshund). He has a very unique beautiful tiger striped brindle coat. Duke is house-trained,good with other dogs and kids. He has a very friendly, sweet, and loving personality. He is laid back ,calm,and enjoys kisses and cuddles. He is a true lap dog! He enjoys his car rides and does well in the car. His foster family says that Duke is "the perfect little dog!" Duke will make a wonderul addition to any family. Please send inquiries to email@example.com
*****If you would like more information about the dog featured above, be sure to send a note to the "Contact Person." This is the person fostering the dog and they will be happy to answer any questions you have. Please don't just show up at Adoption Day expecting every dog to be there. We are limited by the number of volunteers who can help at each Adoption Day. Also, in sending your note to the Contact Person, be sure to include information about yourself, family, home, yard, fence, other pets, work situation, and pet accommodations. This information will help us make the best match between you and one of our dogs***
Other Pets at Twyla's Friends
Why Adoption is a Great Option
Duke, a Kingwood Chihuahua/Dachshund dog was adopted! Here's how you can benefit by looking at adoption as an option to buying a Chihuahua/Dachshund for sale in Kingwood, or seeking a Chihuahua/Dachshund dog from a breeder in Kingwood.
- Rescues and shelter volunteers in Kingwood already know the personality and tendencies of their pets. This means they can match you with the right pet. That will makes it much easier transition to owning a pet for yourself and your new pet.
- On average adoption fees are much less than you'd pay a Kingwood breeder, or pet store. Plus most often rescue pets have already been to the veterinarian for a check-up, had a round of vaccinations, and are spayed or neutered. That is a lot of savings!
- You will become a hero, and give a needy dog or cat a loving home. In fact, there are even Chihuahua/Dachshund breeders who help with Chihuahua/Dachshund rescue. One puppy or kitten adopted in Kingwood paves the way for another one to be saved.


text:
Search the POLITICO Bookshelf
28 Books Found in Patchwork America
Finding Florida
Over its long history, Florida has been many things: a native realm protected by geography; a wilderness that ruined Spanish conquistadors; a place to start over; "god's waiting room." With a native population as high as 900,000 (who all died), it became a pestilential backwater with a few thousand inhabitants, but... Read more »
Someplace Like America
In Someplace Like America, writer Dale Maharidge and photographer Michael S. Williamson take us to the working-class heart of America, bringing to life--through shoe leather reporting, memoir, vivid stories, stunning photographs, and thoughtful analysis--the deepening crises of poverty and homelessness. The story begins in 1980, when the authors joined forces to... Read more »
Hidden America
Five hundred feet underground, Jeanne Marie Laskas asked a coal miner named Smitty, "Do you think it's weird that people know so little about you?" He replied, "I don't think people know too much about the way the whole damn country works." Hidden America intends to fix that. Like John McPhee... Read more »
The Big Roads
"Travelers hitting the highways this summer might better appreciate the asphalt beneath their tires thanks to this engrossing history of the creation of the U.S. interstate system."—Los Angeles Times Perhaps nothing changed the face of America more than the creation of the interstate system. At once man-made wonders, economic pipelines, agents... Read more »
We Shall Not Be Moved
Rebuilding Home in the Wake of Katrina
Price $18.00 - $25.95
"It was heartbreaking, but we couldn't give up. I just said, 'Well, I've got to get in and do it.'"—Phil Harris, eight-decade-long resident of Hollygrove As floodwaters drained in the weeks following Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans residents came to a difficult realization. Their city was about to undertake the largest... Read more »
As Texas Goes
How The Lone Star State Hijacked The American Agenda
Not until she visited Texas, that proud state of big oil and bigger ambitions, did Gail Collins, the best-selling author and columnist for the , realize that she had missed the one place that mattered most in America's political landscape. Raised in Ohio, Collins had previously seen the American fundamental divide... Read more »
The American Bible
Since Thomas Jefferson first recorded those self-evident truths in the Declaration of Independence, America has been a nation that has unfolded as much on the page and the podium as on battlefields or in statehouses. Here Stephen Prothero reveals which texts continue to generate controversy and drive debate. He then puts... Read more »
In Search of Sacco and Vanzetti
It was a bold and brutal crime--robbery and murder in broad daylight on the streets of South Braintree, Massachusetts, in 1920. Tried for the crime and convicted, two Italian-born laborers, anarchists Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti, went to the electric chair in 1927, professing their innocence. Journalist Susan Tejada has spent... Read more »
America's New Swing Region
The Mountain West —Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah —has become the new swing region in American politics. All signs point to these states, especially Colorado, Nevada and New Mexico, being crucial in the 2012 election. Unfortunately, the rise of this region has been underreported in the media, and... Read more »
The First Frontier
Frontier: the word carries the inevitable scent of the West. But before Custer or Lewis and Clark, before the first Conestoga wagons rumbled across the Plains, it was the East that marked the frontier—the boundary between complex Native cultures and the first colonizing Europeans.Here is the older, wilder, darker history of... Read more »


text:
It's no secret exports have been a bright spot in the Utah economy over the past several years. Exports grew from $13.8 billion in 2010 to nearly $19 billion in 2011, and new numbers show the momentum continues to build.
According to a report by the International Trade Administration, Utah's exports in the first half of 2012 are up 14 percent from the same period in 2011. From $8.5 billion, this year Utah exported $9.7 billion between January and June. Over the past five years alone, there's been an overall 142.3 percent growth in Utah merchandise exports. This growth is better than President Barack Obama's National Export initiative to double exports by 2015 in an effort to create two million jobs nationwide.
Not bad for a landlocked state without a seaport.
Nationally, exports have grown by seven percent in the first half of the year. International exports support high paying jobs and that means the economy is heading in the right direction. What these new statistics also show is that Utah is two-times ahead of the game.
Utah exports metal manufactures, computer and electronic products, chemicals, food, and transportation equipment. Any business, large or small, that produces goods can export them. The Salt Lake Chamber's strategic partner, the World Trade Center Utah specializes in helping Utah businesses enter profitable global markets.
Not only do international exports bring revenue to Utah businesses–they also create and support more Utah jobs. By getting involved in exports, your business is helping to create jobs. Don't wait to start exporting!
In January of 2011, the Salt Lake Chamber outlined a 10-point plan called the Utah Jobs Agenda to create 100,000 jobs in 1,000 days. This plan emphasizes the importance of exports and education (among other things) in the creation and support of Utah jobs.
Tags: business, export, export growth, international, International Business, international exports, World Trade Center, World Trade Center Utah, wtcu


text:
Indicative Rate* $150.00 to $250.00 Accommodation Only
Il Palazzo is a stylish boutique apartment hotel situated in the heart of Cairns. The hotel's prime location makes it central to the bustling business district and shopping precinct. Adjacent to the exciting Esplanade with its swimming lagoon, promenade and plethora of fine restaurants, the hotel is only a few minutes walk to the Reef Fleet Terminal, Reef Hotel Casino, Night Markets and Cairns Convention Centre.
... moreReflecting the neoclassical architecture of Europe, the One Bedroom Suites are superbly appointed with free Wi-Fi, air-conditioning, private balconies and are all accessible via a lift. Facilities for recreation and relaxation include a Mediterranean pool (heated in winter), landscaped gardens, gazebo, barbecue and central atrium, together with a tour and car hire desk. Undercover security parking for guest vehicles provided free of charge. The friendly staff are always pleased to assist with any of your business or holiday requirements. Il Palazzo provides quality accommodation and services for business or pleasure - affordable luxury in the heart of the city.
... less
Children under three years are free of charge. Cots and high chairs available on request (charges apply).
Access is available for guests with a disability. Lift to all levels. Two apartments have walk-in showers.
Cancellation Policy
72 hours notice of cancellation required, otherwise a fee equivalent to the first night's accommodation will be charged.
Entity Facilities
Free Safety Deposit Boxes in all rooms. Free Wi-Fi in all rooms. Free local newspaper. Free undercover parking. Swimming pool heated in winter.
How To Get There
For self-drive, follow the Bruce Highway north to Cairns. Turn right into Abbott Street off Florence Street, then proceed one and a half blocks before turning left into carpark opposite library.
Open Times
Reception is open Monday to Friday from 0700 to 1900 and Saturday, Sunday and Public Holidays 0800 to 1800. Please contact hotel for instructions on late arrival.
24 hour check-in/check-out available on request.
Tariff Text
Appropriate documentation required for any concessions. Extra persons AUD30.00 per person per night.
The Apartments are superbly appointed with private shaded balconies and all accessible by lift. They have a fully equipped kitchen and laundry, air-conditioning, cable television (Austar), DVD/VCR, direct dial phone and free WiFi). Safety deposit boxes in each room. Bedding configurations are king / two single beds or queen size bed. Each apartment has a double sofa in the living room. Apartments are serviced daily except for special promotional discount rates.
One bedroom with lounge
Bed Types Available:
Queen Size Bed, Single Bed
From | To | Inclusions |
$150.00 | $250.00 | Adult Room Only |
Children: Children under two years are free of charge. Cots available on request.
* Please note: These rates are indicative based on the minimum and maximum available costs of listed products and services. To obtain a firm price from the provider, please use the contact the operator. All prices are quoted in Australian dollars.


text:
That price is very low for most places. Compare your prices to custom cupcakes, not grocery store cupcakes that are baked, probably out of state, frozen, shipped and then iced with an icing that never has to be refrigerated and barely qualifies as food. Yesterday I bought 4 cupcakes at Crave and it was like $14. They were quite good, btw.
And keep in mind that not everyone wants to pay $2.50-$3.75 for undecorated cupcakes, but that doesn't mean you should lower your price for those people. Find people who appreciate the product.


text:
Prices and availability are subject to change from the time and date that you print this page.
1/28/2015 4:28:01 AM. For Customer Service, please call
Nod Exclusive
If you love classic cars and you love wall art, you can't go wrong with this print. Hand selected by Joy Cho for our Nod Institute of Art Collection.


text:
Coarse correction | Houston MLS team drops 170 years from its name
Houston | Comments posted on a Houston Chronicle web log—all by English-speakers, mind you—ran strongly negative following the announcement earlier today that the Major League Soccer club would be called "Dynamo." In a change of marketing strategies, club officials scratched "Houston 1836″ following protests that the name recalled the ugly secession of Texas from Mexico (see Feb 2). Some writers felt that the team was copping out to pressure groups; one suggested that the team, relocated from San Jose, California, should be called "PC Houston."
Others were less than impressed that the Dynamo name echoes Eastern European club names, especially that of Dinamo Moskva, the team of the secret police, the KGB, during the Soviet era.
I've actually watched a Moscow Dynamo game, and it was not terribly impressive except for the hooligans, lines of mounted police officers and packs of bomb-sniffing dogs. I understand that in most years the team is pretty good, fighting for top rankings with CSKA (the former Red Army team) and Moscow Lokomotiv. I can't think why we'd want to be associated with them, though, except their colors are kind of [Houston] Oiler blue and white. If they wanted a Russian name, Lokomotiv would have at least matched the city's seal.
I'm Russian and I'm offended by this name. I spend 5 years in prison because of the communist KGB and now they call the team DYNAMO. What an insult to all Russians living in Houston. Why didn't they just call it STALIN FC!
First the [Houston] Rockets went Chinese communist with the Yao Ming/Red Scare uniforms, now we name our soccer team the Dynamo…. All I ask is for the colors to be red, white and blue. Please, tell me my beloved hometown of Houston hasn't turned into another PC pins-and-needles quagmire.
Isn't Dynamo a laundry detergent?
Several posters had harsh words for Harris County Commissioner Sylvia Garcia, whose precinct includes the San Jacinto battleground that was critical to the city's 1836 founding. Conscious of her more than 500,000 Hispanic constituents, many of whom were calling and e-mailing to object to the original team name, Garcia approached owner Philip Anschutz, whose AEG group controls four MLS teams (following the sale of the New York–New Jersey MetroStars to Red Bull GmbH on Mar 8). "I can understand that this was … a sad time for the people of Mexico and their descendants," says Garcia, "in a conflict which sometimes pitted families against their own people."
The naming dispute, if nothing else, has pointed to the growing influence of the Hispanic and, specifically, Tejano community in politics and culture. "Maybe Anglos find a lot of bravado in 1836. To us, it conjures all this bad history," says Tatcho Mindiola, director of the University of Houston Center for Mexican-American Studies.
This community has to change. They could have pulled off the 1836 name years ago, but they sure can't now. We now have a very significant Mexican-American intellectual class that does its own research and isn't going to put up with this.
Practical economics also play a role. The Dallas Morning News noted the 19,513 that filled the new stadium in the Dallas suburb of Frisco for Mexico's friendly with Ghana on Mar 1. The game almost sold out Pizza Hut Park despite the bottom ticket price of $50. Still more impressive, ratings for the Univision broadcast of the Mexican superclásico between Club América and Chivas Guadalajara just three days earlier set a 10-year U.S. broadcast high for a soccer match not involving national teams. It left ratings for MLS games in the dust.
Hispanics represent the largest ethnic group in Houston, according to the 2000 census. One of every three Texans is Hispanic, writes the Chronicle's Lori Rodriguez, meaning that fresh interpretations of state history are needed. That history includes a record of abuses of Hispanic civil rights, beginning when Mexican prisoners of war in 1836 were forced to dredge a swamp that would become Houston.


text:
Male Nursing - page 2
Hey everyone! I am currently a pre-occupational therapy student. I have been thinking about Nursing as a possible career as well but had some questions to ask before I get into it. In nursing school,... Read More
0Aug 1, '06 by SteveNNPHehhhhh. Just wait until you have to bathe your first 350lb+ stinky sweaty old lady, stretch marks, saggy boobs and all.....hahhahahahahha. Don't sweat it dude, you get used to it real quick, and the satisfaction you get from relieving just a little bit of human suffering will make it worth it. I went straight from NS to a Neonatal ICU, so the biggest pt I've had to bathe was about 6 pounds of wriggling, screaming baby. I'm getting ready to go to the ED, where I'm hoping the big people baths will be kept to a minimum. I worked as a tech and a CNA in a nursing home, and in ICU/telemetry. You get used to it really quick. If you really feel nursing is your passion, (and it should be, or you'll hate the long hours, crappy pts, etc) just be teachable, and you'll sail through school.
Best of Luck!
Stevern21- NICU/PICU/Peds/ and now ER -
0Aug 10, '06 by Corvette GuyQuote from grambograhamFact, the word nurse as a female connotation. However, I certainly don't wish to change the word itself. Therefore, I certainly don't despise the phrase Male nurse, LOL.Male nurse... I despise the term. What makes nurses so different if they are men than if they were ladies. I am an ICU nurse and don't usually get that response. L&D wasn't bad but maternity was horrid. It was extremely boring and the same questions are asked at the same time every day.... yuck.
Proud to be a male + proud to be an RN = Proud to be a Male RN


text:
Chevrolet News Forum All news and information regarding Chevrolet in the automotive industry. |
Thread Tools |
2013 Chevrolet Volt
Filed under: Hybrid, Hatchback, Chevrolet, Electric, Quick Spins
Chevrolet has taken an aggressive tack to move units of its revolutionary Volt, selling a fair number to government agencies, offering really fantastic lease deals and marketing the hell out of the car. After a week of driving (and generally enjoying) the 2013 iteration of the extended-range hatchback, I tend to think that customers should just take advantage of the current confluence of market forces rather than bemoaning the larger state of affairs with General Motors as a whole. After all, one of the biggest knocks on the Volt has always been that its MSRP is too high, a fact that largely negates the very low running costs once the car is in your garage. Well, a $260/month lease eases that pain a lot (even if that rate is for the 2012 car, and not the 2013 I tested). And what you're left with is a very nice to drive, forward-looking if fractionally flawed car. Driving Notes
Permalink | Email this | Comments Read More... |
Thread Tools | |


text:
Where better to have lunch on a hot day than on an expansive deck, in the shade of a beautiful Magnolia tree?
Flat Rock Village Bakery has such a deck. It's a good thing, too, because the bakery is in the back/side (depending on how you look at it) of a retail gift shop and their inside dining space is limited to three or four small tables
One time we stopped by the Bakery for lunch and walked in to find a sea of red-hatted ladies forming lines in two different directions. Talk about excited confusion in a tight space! We decided to just get the heck out'a the way and browse in the attached shop, The Wrinkled Egg, until the ladies had ordered and taken their seats outside.
This time, the line was manageable. Judging by the number of people who arrived after we ordered, we just missed the lunch rush. The "MO" at Flat Rock Bakery is to order at the counter, pay and go to your table. They'll bring your order to you.
PIC (Partner in Crime) ordered a turkey sandwich with romaine, tomato, cheese and what I think was a sauce or vinaigrette on sourdough ($6.50 to $7.50?). Sorry to say I didn't think to write down all the exact ingredients this time, or the price! Yikes, better watch that – having a good time getting in the way of note-taking. According to PIC, the sandwich was very tasty and the bread – especially wonderful.
My choice was a terrific grilled vegetable panini. Described on the menu as: "portabello, roasted red peppers, fresh spinach and balsamic vinaigrette grilled on sourdough or focaccia with provolone and creamy herbed goat cheese ($7.25).
The panini was rustic-looking and delicious – served hot, it was crunchy on the outside – veggies which still had color and texture (not overcooked) on the inside. Half of the panini did have to make the trip back to our kitchen fridge. This is most likely the fault of the beautiful to look at and completely wonderful tasting salad that came with both our sandwiches. It was a perfect mix of texture and flavor served on a bed of fresh local organic greens from Oliver Organics of Hendersonville.
Bread for sandwiches as well as thin wheat pizza crusts at the bakery are hand-made, organic and made in their wood-fired brick oven.
Flat Rock Village Bakery
2710 Greenville Highway
(Inside The Wrinkled Egg)
Flat Rock, NC
(828) 693-1313


text:
Jen Nicomedes is a certified Feng Shui and Destiny consultant and the founder of Feng Shui by Jen®, providing intimate and personally tailored consulting services for both residences and businesses. She was hand selected by Grand Master Raymond Lo of Hong Kong to be his official representative on behalf of the Raymond Lo School of Feng Shui and Destiny in the United States.
Jen's unique background and extensive training in both Classical and Contemporary Feng Shui enable her to merge the benefits from both systems to design a fun, practical, and authentic approach to creating a harmonious and meaningful living space for her clients.
Her new book, The First Guidebook for Feng Shui Enthusiasts, will be available on Amazon.com in June 2014. Jen is based in Scottsdale, AZ.


text:
Play like a pro
A rundown of UCity's best golf courses.
Best in beer
Longtime volunteers and expert brewers make Oktoberfest an unforgettable event.
A Mexican jungle retreat
Taninah offers guests a private, customized exotic escape.
Called, Connect, Catalyst, Compassion
C4 offers a special worship experience.
Exceptional entertainment at your doorstep
Enjoy the arts at UNC Charlotte's Robinson Hall.
Gotta Yoga
Stretching is vital for student-athletes.
Cup of yo
A surprising twist to the traditional yogurt shop makes Fruiti Cup a rare find.
"Back Home" sweet home
UCity couple contributes to the Romare Bearden celebration.
Pedaling for Hospice
Fourth annual event brings hundreds of cyclists to raise money for the Levine & Dickson Hospice House.
Driving in style
Entrepreneur Emma Merisier is spreading the love, one cupcake at a time.


text:
Pursuit leads to arrest of attempted murder suspect
UPDATED 9:24 AM CDT Jul 05, 2013A Thursday afternoon police chase in Omaha led to the apprehension of a man wanted for hitting an officer with a stolen vehicle.
Video TranscriptON A DAY ALL ABOUT FREEDOM, THIS GUY LOSES áHIS. áWANTED, FOR PUTTING A POLICE OFFICER IN THE HOSPITAL-- áCAPTURED AND áCUFFED, RIGHT IN FRONT OF OUR CAMERA! ONE OF THE METRO'S MOST WANTED IS OFF THE STREETS-- LESS THAN 24 HOURS AFTER WE SHOWED YOU HIS PICTURE. POLICE CHASED 24-YEAR-OLD ANDREW BROWN THROUGH NORTH, MIDTOWN, áAND DOWNTOWN OMAHA-- CATCHING HIM NEAR THE HENRY DOORLY ZOO-- JAILING HIM FOR ATTEMPTED MURDER. HE'S ACCUSED OF CRASHING A áSTOLEN S-U-V INTO AN OFFICER IN áCOUNCIL BLUFFS. KETV NEWSWATCH SEVEN'S RYAN LUBY WAS JUST FEET AWAY FROM áTODAY'S TAKEDOWN-- RYAN JOINS US LIVE. THE GUY DID NOT WANT TO GET CAUGHT. BUT THERE'S SOMETHING TO BE SAID FOR GOOD POLICE WORK AFTER TODAY. BROWN TRIED TO GET AWAY, BUT IN THE END HE GOT HIMSELF A ONE-WAY TICKET TO JAIL! THINK OF 16TH AND "B" AS THE CORNER OF LIBERTY AND JUSTICE. WHERE LIBERTY GOES ONE WAY, JUSTICE THE OTHER--("right there!") --WHERE A LONG-TIME HOMEOWNER HERE--("Edward E. Ellison") --WATCHED PART OF OUR CONSTITUTION AT WORK.("I was up on the computer, and I come downstairs to get me a beer, and I look out the window and I see all these squad cars (:51)(and you're thinking what the heck). Yeahh!") EDWARD WAS ON THE FRINGE OF THE PERIMETER AS POLICE WENT AFTER ANDREW MICHAEL BROWN. DAN JENSEN--("got over the fence here, ran straight over there--") --RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE.("well yeah, by the time I started screaming, got the door open, the police were running with me, cause I'm gonna chase the guy-") --A GUY WHO NEARLY KILLED THIS COUNCIL BLUFFS POLICE OFFICER MORE THAN A WEEK AGO IN A CHASE, INVESTIGATORS SAY. A GUY WHO LED áOMAHA POLICE ON YET ANOTHER CHASE THIS DAY, BUT THIS áTIME DID NOT GET AWAY.("he obviously has no regard for public or for law enforcement whatsoever.") BUT HE SEEMS TO HAVE áSOME REGARD FOR THE FIRST AMENDMENT. ("(expletive) the police, (expletive!)") CHOICE WORDS, CONTRASTING THE LIBERTY AND JUSTICE AT THIS SOUTH OMAHA STREET CORNER. BUT ON A DAY MEANT FOR CELEBRATION OF OUR COUNTRY, THIS IS THE TYPE OF SCENE EVERYONE HERE COULD SURE DO WITHOUT.("(well it's kinda freaky to see this?) Oh no kidding! I mean happy Fourth of July, but just keep it out of my neighborhood!") ANDREW MICHAEL BROWN NOW FACES áMORE CHARGES -- IN ADDITION TO THE ATTEMPTED MURDER CHARGE. HE ALSO HAD A áPASSENGER WITH HIM -- A WOMAN -- WHO FACES ACCESSORY TO A FELONY CHARGE. REPORTING LIVE, RYAN LUBY, KETV NEWSWATCH SEVEN.
The views expressed are not those of this site, this station or its affiliated companies. By posting your comments you agree to accept our terms of use. Your comment will not appear here until you verify your email address with Disqus. KETV NewsWatch 7 encourages users to report violations of our terms of use by flagging the inappropriate comment. Hold your mouse over the comment to reveal the flag on the right side, then click the flag.blog comments powered by Disqus


text:
On Energy Source:
Oil is the great unknown for airlines
What China is doing about climate change
Markets: prices dip as dollar strengthens
Rising costs for oil and gas sector ends
Carbon offsets and the problem of additionality
Positive news for renewables: financing begins to improve
Majors continue LNG investments with eye on niche market
Nigeria must re-allocate oil revenue to end violence: MEND 'Fiscal federalism is among the things that will silence our guns,' (Platts)
US energy chief meets with UN chief to discuss climate, energy (Platts)
Floating wind turbine launched Statoil tows turbine offshore this weekend (BBC)
Could India become a solar leader? Major plan estimates costs could come down to 5 rupees per megawatt hour (New York Times)
Wind power: can it make a profit? Subisidies make a big contribution to US installations (Forbes)
Unintended consequences: the long-term impact of crisis blogging A point for debate (The Oil Drum)
Cuba could supply oil to US in post-embargo future If, for example, Venezuela's Cuban investment plans runs into trouble (Miami Herald)


text:
Apple is in discussions with Foursquare Labs over integrating data from its social geo-location service into Maps, according to the Wall Street Journal.
According to the WSJ, talks took place recently between Apple senior VP Eddy Cue and Foursquare which, if successful, would allow Apple to include business listings, user tips, and reviews in Maps.
The discussions are part of a concerted effort to improve Maps, which was heavily criticised when it was released earlier this year. The recently-launched Google Maps app became the top-downloaded free app on iTunes within a day of its release last week.
The WSJ reported that Apple is in discussions with other data providers in order to improve the information it supplies in both Maps and Siri. 'Apple views such services as increasingly strategic as it looks to get users to local information more directly, bypassing search services like Google,' said the Journal.


text:
Select () or exclude () categories to narrow your recipe search.
As you select categories, the number of matching recipes will update.
Find exactly what you're looking for with the web's most powerful recipe filtering tool.
Sort by: Date | Rating | Most Helpful
"This recipe has been my go to meatloaf recipe for years. It is the best of all I have ever tried. Fabulous. I however use plain sausage meat and not Italian sausage meat. Occasionally if I have run out of cumin I use curry paste and granulated garlic instead of the real thing."


text:
DUBUQUE, Iowa–Mercy Medical Center Dubuque is offering five $500 scholarships to graduating high school seniors who plan to pursue a career as a registered nurse.
GALENA–VisitGalena is willing to assist and collaborate with the Galena Downtown Business Association, (GDBA) but there won't be a merger.
GALENA–What's happening locally, possible upcoming changes at the state level and how that might impact Galena and Jo Daviess County were at the forefront of discussion Thursday, Jan. 22 as about 50 local leaders gathered at the DeSoto House Hotel in Galena for the 22nd annual Community Development Fund of Galena (CDFG) Legislator's Day.
GALENA–Galena Miners Lodge will be holding its next breakfast on Sunday, Feb. 1 from 8 a.m. to noon.
ELIZABETH–Jo-Carroll Energy employees and members donated more than 700 pounds of nonperishable groceries during Jo-Carroll Energy's annual "Light Up the Holidays" food drive.
GALENA–Bring the whole family for all-you-can-eat pancakes and sausage on Sunday, Feb. 1 for the 51st annual Galena Lions Club pancake breakfast.
EAST DUBUQUE–"I am sorry to see them leave because they have both been a valuable asset to our library and our community," said Lisa Appel, fellow trustee on the East Dubuque District Library Board.


text:
The arrival of Fall was bittersweet this year. Usually it's my favourite time of the year, but now that we have the boat, it also signals the end of boating season. We actually lift the boat out of the water this coming Saturday. I've been counting down the days for almost a month dreading it. But, now that it's just around the corner, I'm feeling an unexpected sense of relief.
The summer was chaotic (mostly in a good way) and the majority of it was spent flying by the seat of our pants. It was fun but also exhausting. I'm a creature of habit and while we can't plan everything, and sometimes you just have to go with the flow, I need to take care of the part of me that craves structure.
I'm ready to slow down and regroup. I'm ready to plant my feet firmly on the ground and plan my next step. I'm ready to look at where I am and where I need to go. More than anything, I'm ready for change.
What are you ready for right now?


text: Find this wine Find this wine Ship Of Fools 2011 White blend nice green apple nose, too much acid on the finish, not setting the bar very high for michigan wine $13 2.5 Pin It Tweet one year ago by sk_id More posts Ship Of Fools Bottle Very good white. 5 months ago by Donna A. Ship Of Fools 2011 CGT ship of fools one year ago by 9nineteen Ship Of Fools Table Wine 2011 Tasty Chateau Grand Traverse white blend of Pinots: 65% Blanc, 30% Gris, 5% Noir. one year ago by KRP Chateau Grand Traverse Ship Of Fools 2008 Ship of Fools is a blend of Pinots. See shot of back label. 3 years ago by KRP


text:
I founded Jexy, and co-founded Mashery. I am a disruption engine. I build things that scale.
I live in Northern California with my two awesome boys, Wade and Mark. I am known to engage in sticker duels, lightsaber fights, and LEGO build-offs.
Veronica Belmont - about.me user since 2010
"First, customize your page. It's easy and fun to design!"
Hi! I'm currently living in (City), where I work at (Work Place) doing (Job Title). When I'm not working I like to (Hobby), (Interest) and (Passion). Connect with me!
"Next, connect services and send people to your page."
"That's it! Let about.me do all of the work for you."
Showcase a 360 degree view of who you are
Help people find and follow you on your social networks
Be found for new opportunities


text:
Maricopa County sheriff's deputy shot in Peoria
PEORIA, Ariz. (AP)- A Maricopa County Sheriff's deputy remains hospitalized in critical but stable condition after being shot in Peoria.
The suspect sought in the shooting has been found dead. He's identified as 54-year-old Donald Miller Sr. of Peoria.
Authorities identify the deputy as Ruben Garcia, who's a 29-year veteran.
He was shot multiple times in a Peoria lot early Tuesday after he stopped a man in a truck.
Donald Miller Sr. |
The man's former girlfriend had earlier called authorities to say he was suicidal.
Witnesses say they heard shots ring out and saw the deputy on the ground in the parking lot.
Two Peoria police officers, Lt. Steve Hadley and Officer Aaron brewer, spotted the suspect, who fired at officers and was then shot.
SWAT team officers ultimately found Miller dead in a vehicle. Authorities say it's still unclear if he committed suicide.
Most Popular
World Class Arizona
Voice For A Better Arizona
- Eyes on Education A view of Arizona's education system from all angles.


text:
Marissa Alexander: Out of prison, still being punished
As noted yesterday, Marissa Alexander was released from prison yesterday. She has been, however, sentenced to two years' of house arrest (after having spent three years in prison already), all for the crime of, nine days after having given birth, firing a warning shot at her estranged abusive ex-husband who was threatening to kill her […]
...read moreMarissa Alexander released from prison
I have every intention of writing a longer post about this, but today got away from me. I just want to note that Marissa Alexander was released from prison today, and is now under house arrest for two years. More tomorrow, I promise.
...read moreHolocaust Remembrance Day
So, today, 1/27, is Holocaust Remembrance Day, and this is the Primo Levi quotation making the rounds on my Twitter feed: It happened, therefore it can happen again: this is the core of what we have to say. It can happen, and it can happen everywhere. – The Drowned and the Saved Nowhere is so […]
...read moreOpen Thread with Running Basset
This basset hound in action, chasing a ball, features for this week's Open Thread. Please natter/chatter/vent/rant on anything* you like over this weekend and throughout the week.
* with a few netiquette exceptions
Weeping Christian men apologize for letting you have an abortion
Courtesy of Heroic Media, three Christian men feel they owe you an apology. In this four-minute video — aptly titled "The Apology" — each man confesses to having had an abortion. Okay, it's not quite that interesting — what they mean is that they went halfsies on a fetus with a woman who then got an abortion. But what they have to say is actually kind of sweet, apologizing to women for the way they've been treated by people in the church, the condemnation that has been piled on them, and the shame and guilt they might feel for the choice they made and/or felt they had to make because of such judgement. They apologize, as men, for not being supportive of women during a difficult time.
(I even typed that with a straight face.)
...read moreRadical Brownies
It can seem like right-wingers in the US are spoiled for choice when it comes to youth- and family-groups, and that those of us on the left can have a harder time connecting with others who have shared values. How can we free radicals find extra-curricular activities and groups for our kids that will help […]
...read moreSOTU 2015 Thread
Requested in the Open Thread: a thread just for discussing this years State Of The Union speech.
...read moreWhitney Plantation: Memorial to those who were Enslaved
Content note: slavery, racism When I saw a news story about the Whitney Plantation, I was reminded of the conversation we had here about Ani DiFranco's obnoxious and ill-conceived idea to have a retreat at a plantation, about how, if at all, a plantation could be used as a proper memorial to the black slaves […]
...read moreGood Question: Respecting Women
What are we generally thinking of when we say 'Respect Women'?
...read moreHermione Granger and the Giving of No Fucks
It's Friday, and it's been a rough week, and it's been an even rougher two weeks, and more or less the entire world deserves better than it's been getting, and here's what the Harry Potter series would look like if Hermione were the main character.
...read more


text:
The Year in Review
Mr Smith chaired the Fourth Ministerial Meeting in support of the CTBTs entry into force. Photo courtesy of Tom Starkweather |
Enlarge image |
The Year in Review
Nuclear Non-proliferation and Safeguards Developments
The International Non-Proliferation Environment
The principal challenges for the non-proliferation regime during the year included Iran's defiance of United Nations Security Council (UNSC) sanctions, the continuing lack of information about Syria's nuclear activities and the detonation of a second nuclear device by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK—or North Korea). More generally, efforts to limit the spread of enrichment and reprocessing capabilities—which could be used in nuclear weapons programs—remain central to addressing international concerns about nuclear proliferation.
Iran continued to expand its uranium enrichment capacity in defiance of resolutions passed by the UNSC that require it to suspend all enrichment activity. As at 30 June 2009 Iran was approaching the point of having stockpiled sufficient low enriched uranium that it could, if the political decision was made to do so, produce enough high enriched uranium for a nuclear explosive device.
In addition, Iran has refused to cooperate with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to resolve issues relating to possible military dimensions of its nuclear program, failing to provide access to documents, locations or individuals that would help resolve these issues. Instead Iran has insisted that the information on weaponisation studies available to the IAEA is baseless—an assertion that the IAEA does not consider credible. Iran has continued to defy the UNSC obligation to suspend construction of its heavy water research reactor (which, when completed, could be used to produce plutonium suitable for nuclear weapons), and has refused to provide to the IAEA design information and access as required by its safeguards agreement.[1] The IAEA remains unable to provide assurances to the international community that there are no undeclared nuclear activities or materials in Iran.
The Six-Party process for resolving the DPRK nuclear issue collapsed during the reporting period, starting with a halt to the program to disable/dismantle its nuclear facilities and the expulsion of IAEA inspectors, moving to further rounds of ballistic missile testing and culminating in the test of a second nuclear explosive device on 25 May 2009. In response, the UNSC passed resolution UNSCR 1874 imposing further travel, trade and economic related sanctions on the DPRK.
In September 2007, Israel destroyed what was reportedly an undeclared, partially constructed nuclear reactor in a remote region within Syria. IAEA efforts to determine whether the building destroyed was a nuclear reactor are ongoing. During the reporting period the IAEA announced that, at the site concerned and also at Syria's declared reactor, it had detected particles of anthropogenic natural uranium, i.e. uranium that had been processed. The particles were of a type of uranium not declared by Syria, and were consistent with nuclear fuel. Syria continued to deny that the bombed building was nuclear related and refused to cooperate further with the IAEA's investigation.
On the general issue of limiting the spread of enrichment and reprocessing capabilities, efforts continued on a number of levels, ranging from combating illicit procurement and the black market in components and special materials, to developing new technologies and institutional arrangements so that countries with nuclear power programs have no legitimate need to pursue proliferation-sensitive stages of the fuel cycle.
Proposals under consideration include: establishment of long-term fuel supply assurances; fuel bank mechanisms; multilateralising sensitive stages of the fuel cycle; and development of proliferation resistant technologies. These proposals are being developed through national initiatives (such as the international uranium enrichment facility at Angarsk, Russia), and in multilateral fora, including the IAEA, the Global Nuclear Energy Partnership (GNEP), and the Generation IV International Forum.
In a key speech in Prague on 5 April 2009 US President Obama called for the building of "a new framework for civil nuclear cooperation … so that countries can access peaceful nuclear power without increasing the risks of proliferation." President Obama committed the United States to a series of practical measures to advance nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament, including pursuing US ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) and strengthening the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). President Obama also announced that the United States would host a Global Nuclear Security Summit to lead multilateral efforts to secure vulnerable nuclear materials, combat nuclear smuggling and disrupt attempts at nuclear terrorism. This Summit is expected to be held in April 2010. Australia looks forward to working constructively with the United States and others to achieve positive outcomes on these matters.
The Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG)—of which Australia is a member—continued to discuss ways to strengthen the criteria for transfers of enrichment and reprocessing technology (referred to as Sensitive Nuclear Technology or SNT transfers). Debate focused on whether to limit the transfer of SNT to a "black box" basis (i.e. transfers of equipment but no transfers of technology), a provision that is in line with current commercial practice, and on whether the IAEA's safeguards strengthening additional protocol (AP) should be a condition for the supply of SNT. Australia is a staunch advocate of the AP as a condition of supply for all nuclear transfers and made strong representations on this point. NSG consideration of these issues is ongoing.
International Atomic Energy Agency Safeguards
During the IAEA General Conference in September 2007, the IAEA Director General announced the establishment of a Commission of Eminent Persons, chaired by the former President of Mexico, Dr Ernesto Zedillo, and including former Australian Foreign Minister, Mr Gareth Evans, to look at the Agency's program up to 2020 and beyond. The Commission reported its findings, which covered the so-called "three pillars" of the Agency's Statute (promotion of nuclear energy, safety and safeguards), in May 2008. In response to the report of the Commission, IAEA member states have engaged in an open-ended, informal examination of "The Future of the Agency".
At 30 June 2009, the number of states implementing the AP, which gives the IAEA rights to additional information and increased access, grew to 91 from 88 a year prior. As noted in last year's report, the number of states with comprehensive safeguards agreements (CSA) and an AP in force now exceed the number of CSA states without an AP. In addition, 42 states had signed APs, or had APs approved by the IAEA Board of Governors (BoG) (for further details see Appendix C).
Of the 62 non-nuclear-weapon states (NNWS) with significant nuclear activities that are party to the NPT, 45 had an AP in force, and 11 had signed an AP or had an AP approved by the BoG, that is, collectively over 90% of all such states. In light of this, Australia considers that the combination of an AP and a comprehensive safeguards agreement is now firmly established as part of the IAEA's safeguards standard. Australia has adopted a policy that requires adherence to the AP as a condition for the supply of uranium.
In implementing the AP, by the end of 2008 the IAEA had made whole-of-state evaluations for 51 states. The IAEA reported in its Safeguards Statement for 2008 (see Appendix E) that it had found no indication of diversion or undeclared nuclear materials or activities in any of these states.
Integrated Safeguards (IS) is the term used to describe the optimum combination of safeguards measures available to the IAEA under a CSA and an AP. Before a state can become eligible for the application of IS the IAEA must be able to draw the so-called "broader conclusion", that all nuclear material and activities of safeguards significance have been declared (that is, there are no indications of undeclared activities). During 2008, the IAEA reported that the IAEA implemented IS in 25 states (including Australia) for the full year, and a further eight states for part of the year. The IAEA was also able to draw the broader conclusion for the first time in an additional eight states. IS approaches were developed and approved for a further three states.
IAEA Safeguards Agreement with India
The IAEA negotiated a safeguards agreement with India, which was approved by the IAEA Board of Governors by consensus on 1 August 2008. Under the safeguards agreement India agreed to place under IAEA safeguards the majority of its existing civil nuclear facilities and those currently under construction, as well as all future civil nuclear facilities.
In addition, India negotiated an AP to its safeguards agreement, which was approved by the IAEA BoG by consensus on 15 May 2009. The Indian AP is limited to reporting India's nuclear exports and does not provide for increased IAEA access within India.
Regional Safeguards Development
In April 2009, together with the President of KINAC, the Republic of Korea's Institute for Nuclear Non-Proliferation and Control, Mr Hun-Gyu Lee, I hosted a meeting of regional safeguards practitioners to discuss the establishment of a network of regional safeguards authorities. The discussions, involving representatives of 14 organisations from 11 Asia-Pacific states were successful and agreement was reached to establish the Asia-Pacific Safeguards Network (APSN). The Network will come into effect on 1 October 2009. Working closely with the IAEA, APSN will work to improve the quality, effectiveness and efficiency of safeguards implementation in the region through enhanced cooperation in areas such as training, professional development and the sharing of experiences. I was appointed as the first Chair of the APSN. Further information on APSN can be found under Current Topics.
Regional safeguards and nuclear security outreach remained a key priority for ASNO during the reporting period. Memoranda of Understanding (MOU) to strengthen safeguards and nuclear security cooperation were signed with counterparts in the Republic of Korea (KINAC) and Indonesia (BAPETEN—the Nuclear Energy Regulatory Agency). A similar MOU with Vietnam is well advanced.
Mr John Carlson, Director General of ASNO and Mr Hun-Gyu Lee, President of KINAC (right), after signing an MOU between ASNO and KINAC. Photo courtesy of KINAC |
Enlarge image :: Photo gallery |
ASNO's outreach focused on providing practical training and assistance to regional counterparts in order to enhance their operational capabilities to fulfil non-proliferation treaty obligations, including under the NPT and the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material (CPPNM). The provision of such training also provides an effective means of developing and maintaining safeguards expertise within ASNO. During the reporting period, ASNO provided training in the areas of nuclear safeguards, nuclear security and export controls to over 134 professionals from 9 regional countries. A more detailed discussion of ASNO's outreach program can be found under "Output 1.4: International Safeguards and Non-Proliferation".
Bilateral Safeguards Developments
On 18 September 2008, the Joint Standing Committee on Treaties (JSCOT) tabled its report on the Australia/Russia nuclear cooperation agreement that was signed on 7 September 2007. As at 30 June 2009, the Government was considering its response to JSCOT's report. ASNO worked during the year with our Russian counterpart, Rosatom, on a Memorandum of Understanding for nuclear material accounting arrangements that would operate under the nuclear cooperation agreement. This followed a highly productive nuclear material accountancy and reporting workshop that ASNO conducted in Canberra in December 2008 for Russian technical experts.
In November 2008, ASNO hosted safeguards officials from the United States, Canada and Euratom in a meeting to discuss bilateral safeguards arrangements, and in particular to develop a "document of common understandings" with regard to the administration of obligation accounting and transfers of nuclear and non-nuclear material, equipment, components or technology pursuant to bilateral nuclear cooperation agreements.
The current nuclear cooperation agreement with the United States, which entered into force in January 1981, will expire in January 2011. ASNO and US officials have had initial discussions on extension of the agreement.
Also in November, ASNO hosted formal consultations pursuant to the Australia/Euratom nuclear safeguards agreement. Officials conducted initial discussions on extending the current agreement which expires in 2012.
ASNO worked with BHP Billiton Limited (BHBP) to establish an accountancy and control system to ensure application of appropriate safeguards to the extraction of uranium from uranium-bearing copper concentrates that BHPB proposes to export to China. In January 2009, I led a delegation to Beijing to commence negotiations on an amendment to the Australia/China nuclear transfers agreement. The amendment would provide for uranium from copper concentrates exported to China, recovered for use in China's civil nuclear power program, to be brought under the Australia/China nuclear transfers agreement.
Domestic Safeguards Developments
During the reporting period, the IAEA conducted four design information verification inspections, three routine inspections and a short notice inspection in Australia, and also undertook four complementary accesses in accordance with Australia's AP. The IAEA confirmed that Australia had met all of its IAEA safeguards requirements. ASNO also conducted 36 domestic safeguards inspections of a number of permit holders, including ANSTO, Silex Systems Limited, uranium mines and other holders of small amounts of nuclear material.
As part of its effort to ensure the professional development of ASNO staff, and as a training exercise for Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) and the broader Australian Intelligence Community (AIC), ASNO continued its series of seminars on non-proliferation relevant technologies. The seminars were well attended, with the typical seminar having some 40 attendees representing up to ten different Canberra based government agencies.
Nuclear Security
ASNO continued to implement nuclear security requirements at Lucas Heights and at the uranium mines. Noting the increased risk of piracy in the Gulf of Aden, ASNO, in consultation with other government agencies and overseas counterparts, introduced specific risk mitigating measures to cover shipments of Australian uranium though the Gulf that are consistent with the international codes of best practice. ASNO also worked with industry, other agencies and overseas counterparts to establish alternative routes to the Gulf of Aden.
ASNO attended five working group meetings for the development of Revision 5 of the IAEA nuclear security recommendations document, INFCIRC/225, and other associated documents in IAEA's nuclear security series. These nuclear security series documents will establish updated best practice security guidelines for the use, storage and transport of nuclear and radioactive materials, and associated facilities.
Chemical Weapons Convention Developments
Universality of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) is essential to achieving a global chemical weapons ban and verified destruction of all existing chemical weapons (CW) stockpiles. Twelve years after entry-into-force, the CWC continues to progress steadily towards universality, with 188 States Parties as at 30 June 2009. Lebanon, Iraq, the Dominican Republic and the Bahamas were the most recent states to ratify or accede to the CWC.
On 26 March 2009, India became the third CW Possessor State to have completed the destruction of its entire declared CW stockpile. By the end of June 2009, 32,819 tonnes, or 46%, of the world's declared stockpile of 71,194 tonnes of chemical weapons agent had been verifiably destroyed.
Out of the four remaining CW Possessor States, Russia and the United States, holders of the largest stockpiles, may not meet the 2012 destruction deadline set under the Convention because of technical, environmental and political reasons. The US Government recently reported to Congress that two of its destruction facilities would not be operational until 2014–17 and 2019–21, respectively. To put this into context, the US$1 billion Russian Destruction Facility in Shchuchye, which commenced operation in May 2009, had taken a decade to construct.
ASNO supported the ongoing efforts of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) to fulfil the disarmament and non-proliferation goals of the CWC. In this regard, ASNO has continued to encourage the OPCW to implement effective verification for monitoring the global chemical industry in order to deter the use of chemicals or production equipment for prohibited purposes.
Australia continued to promote the role of the OPCW as a forum for information exchange in addressing the threat of chemical terrorism. ASNO delivered a presentation at the "Asia-Pacific Seminar on Chemical Safety and Security to Counter Terrorism", held in Canberra from 10–12 June 2009, that focused on how full and effective implementation of the CWC raises barriers to chemical terrorism. The Seminar, jointly hosted by DFAT and the Australian Academy of Science, was attended by 112 participants from Australia and eight regional countries, as well as presenters from the OPCW, the United States, Japan, Indonesia and the Philippines.
During the reporting period, ASNO facilitated five routine OPCW inspections of declared industrial chemical facilities in Australia and one routine inspection at Australia's Schedule 1 facility for protective purposes, located at the Defence Science and Technology Organisation in Melbourne. These inspections demonstrated Australia's ongoing compliance with its CWC obligations.
ASNO conducted an on-site industry outreach program to more than 50 facilities, including industrial chemical plants, chemical traders, laboratories and research institutions. This outreach program aimed to raise awareness of the CWC, to prepare eligible facilities to receive OPCW inspections and to highlight the importance of adequate chemical safety and security at facilities dealing with toxic chemicals. More details on ASNO's outreach program can be found on page 79.
At ASNO's invitation, two representatives from the OPCW's Technical Secretariat visited NSW, Australia in May 2009 to observe 267 old empty chemical weapon (OCW) munitions, buried at the end of WWII, that had been recently uncovered. A number of Australian government agencies met with the OPCW officials to discuss practical and technical issues for dealing with OCW finds in accordance with CWC obligations.
Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Developments
At 30 June 2009, 180 states had signed the CTBT and 148 had ratified. Nine of the 44 states which must ratify the Treaty to trigger its entry into force (known as Annex 2 countries) have yet to do so.[2]
During the year, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Stephen Smith MP reiterated the Government's clear support for efforts to bring the CTBT into force, and to see the completion of its verification system. Mr Smith urged all countries that have yet to ratify the CTBT to do so at the earliest opportunity.
On 24 September 2008, Mr Smith, in the margins of the 63rd Session of the United Nations General Assembly, chaired the Fourth Ministerial Meeting in support of CTBT entry into force. Foreign Ministers from a wide range of countries released a joint statement reaffirming the international community's strong support for the CTBT.
In his April 2009 speech in Prague, mentioned earlier, President Obama indicated his intention to "aggressively pursue" ratification of the CTBT by the US Senate. As one of the remaining Annex 2 countries whose ratification is required for the CTBT to enter into force, this strong signal of support for the Treaty is an important development. Indonesia is another Annex 2 country. Indonesia's Foreign Minister Dr Hassan Wirajuda, in a statement on 8 June 2009, also indicated his country's intention to ratify soon.
On 25 May 2009 the DPRK announced that it had conducted a nuclear test. Seismic waves from the test were detected by global nuclear test monitoring infrastructure, including in Australia. Further details are provided under Current Topics.
The Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO) is tasked with establishing the build up of the Treaty's verification system. At 30 June 2009, just over 80% of International Monitoring System (IMS) facilities were operational, including 17 of the 21 that Australia will host. Preparations were advanced by ASNO during the reporting period to install a further Australian hosted station, at Macquarie Island, in 2010.
During the year, the CTBTO conducted a major test of the Treaty's on-site inspection mechanism at the former Soviet test site at Semipalatinsk in Kazakhstan. The exercise successfully demonstrated the deployment of an inspection to search for evidence of a possible nuclear test, but highlighted also the work that remains to be done to develop a fully credible capability to undertake such inspections at short notice. The Kazakhstan exercise put to the test a draft inspection procedures manual being prepared under the chairmanship of Mr Malcolm Coxhead, Head of ASNO's CTBT Section.
Mr Smith chaired the Fourth Ministerial Meeting in support of the CTBT's entry into force. Photo courtesy of Tom Starkweather |
Enlarge image :: Photo gallery |
Other Non-Proliferation Developments
International Commission on Nuclear Non-proliferation and Disarmament (ICNND)
In June 2008 the Australian and Japanese Prime Ministers announced the establishment of the International Commission on Nuclear Non-proliferation and Disarmament (ICNND). ICNND is an independent body co-chaired by former Australian Foreign Minister Mr Gareth Evans and former Japanese Foreign Minister Ms Yoriko Kawaguchi, with the aim of reinvigorating international efforts on nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament. The Commission is supported by an Advisory Board, of which I am a member. In this capacity, I have prepared for the Commissioners a series of technical research papers, which are available on the ICNND website at http://www.icnnd.org/research/index.html.
Fissile Material Cut-Off Treaty
During the reporting period, agreement was reached at the Conference on Disarmament (CD) to proceed with the negotiation of a Fissile Material Cut-Off Treaty (FMCT). This Treaty will prohibit the production of fissile material for nuclear weapons, thereby constraining the capability to produce greater numbers of nuclear weapons. ASNO produced a non-paper on how verification could work under an FMCT, which has been seen as a positive contribution by countries with which it has been shared in the development of verification concepts under the FMCT.
Disarmament Verification
Verification will be an essential element in nuclear disarmament in order to provide confidence to the international community (comprising both NWS and NNWS) that declared actions have in fact taken place. In conducting disarmament verification measures, care must be exercised so that NWS and NNWS are not in violation of their obligations under Article I and II of the NPT, viz. the exchange of sensitive weapons design information that might assist in the manufacture of nuclear weapons. In November 2008, ASNO hosted a technical workshop with experts from the United Kingdom to explore avenues for future cooperation in developing nuclear disarmament verification models and concepts.
The Year Ahead
The following developments in the international security environment are likely to impact on ASNO's work during 2009–10:
- Iran's nuclear program—if Iran does not suspend uranium enrichment as required by the UN Security Council, it will accumulate sufficient low enriched uranium for a nuclear weapon "breakout" capability, hence the importance of international efforts to resolve the situation. The IAEA's efforts to resolve questions about possible military dimensions to Iran's nuclear program will also continue
- developments with the DPRK's nuclear program, and efforts to resolve the situation, including the development of verification arrangements to support any such resolution
- continuing IAEA investigations of undeclared nuclear activities in Syria
- international efforts to limit the spread of enrichment and reprocessing technology, including efforts to develop assurance of supply mechanisms and to multilateralise sensitive stages of the nuclear fuel cycle
- international efforts to prevent illicit transfers of sensitive materials and technology
- the report of the International Commission on Nuclear Non-proliferation and Disarmament, and activities to take further the outcomes of the Commission
- the NPT Review Conference in May 2010
- international efforts to strengthen nuclear security, including the Global Nuclear Security Summit announced by President Obama, expected for April 2010
- work to establish alternative shipping routes to the Gulf of Aden
- continued interest in developing nuclear power programs in this region and elsewhere, particularly the Middle East
- the commencement of the Asia-Pacific Safeguards Network
- developments with CTBT ratifications, especially in the United States
- commencement of negotiations on a Fissile Material Cut-Off Treaty (FMCT) at the Conference on Disarmament (CD)
- appointment of a new OPCW Director-General for the period 2010–14
- appointment of a new IAEA Director General from December 2009.
In addressing the challenges posed by the international security environment, ASNO will continue to provide technical analysis and policy advice to the Government in the areas of non-proliferation and disarmament. ASNO will continue to ensure international treaty and regulatory obligations are met.
Internationally, ASNO will continue to work with the IAEA and other member states on strengthening the safeguards system, including through Australia's membership of the IAEA Board of Governors, and through the Australian Safeguards Support Program (ASSP), the Standing Advisory Group on Safeguards Implementation (SAGSI), and the US-led Next Generation Safeguards Initiative (NGSI). ASNO will also work on strengthening the IAEA's nuclear security guidelines. Australia looks forward to working closely with the new IAEA Director General, Mr Yukiya Amano of Japan, in these and other areas.
Regionally, ASNO will continue its outreach program to build operational capacity in the areas of safeguards and nuclear security and non-proliferation treaty implementation, including through further development of the Asia-Pacific Safeguards Network, which will commence operation on 1 October 2009.
Bilaterally, ASNO will manage Australia's network of bilateral safeguards agreements, including the tracking of Australian obligated nuclear material (AONM) around the world. ASNO will support the processes required for the nuclear cooperation agreement with Russia, including the conclusion of a memorandum of understanding incorporating administrative arrangements for implementing the agreement. ASNO will continue to work with China to amend the Australia/China nuclear transfers agreement to cover extraction of uranium from copper concentrates. ASNO will seek authorisation to renew nuclear cooperation agreements with the United States and European Union, as the current agreements will expire in 2011 and 2012 respectively.
Domestically, to ensure safeguards and nuclear security requirements are met, ASNO will work with ANSTO and other permit holders, and with industry and relevant regulatory authorities in the establishment of new uranium mines. ASNO will work with uranium producers and shippers, and other national and foreign government agencies, on international shipping routes and arrangements.
ASNO will continue to work with the OPCW and other member states to promote the objectives of the CWC, including through sharing Australia's CWC implementation experiences with regional counterparts. ASNO will support efforts at the OPCW to address chemical terrorism.
ASNO will work with the OPCW and relevant government agencies in managing finds of old chemical weapon munitions in Australia. ASNO will continue its CWC industry outreach to ensure compliance with domestic legislation and to prepare such facilities to receive OPCW inspections. ASNO will work with other stakeholder agencies to review the efficacy of Australia's current CWC implementing legislation and regulations.
ASNO will continue to work with the CTBTO to complete the key elements of CTBT verification, the International Monitoring System and on-site inspection capability. ASNO will work with other government agencies to develop a national CTBT data centre (NDC) capability.
ASNO will continue its work to develop verification concepts in support of nuclear disarmament.
ASNO will continue to review its administrative processes, and implementation of a quality management system, to ensure ASNO processes are fully accountable, effective, efficient and meet ASNO's goals and responsibilities.
20 Years with ASNO
On 28 May 2009 I completed 20 years service with ASNO and its predecessor the Australian Safeguards Office (ASO). When I was first appointed Director of Safeguards in 1989, ASO had an average staffing level of 12.5[3]. Over the 20 years, there has been a modest increase in ASNO's staffing level, to 15.5. During this period, however, ASNO's responsibilities have grown substantially and the workload has grown exponentially. The breadth of ASNO's work today can be seen from the content of this Annual Report.
The increase in ASNO's work reflects the much more challenging international nuclear environment today, as well as the addition of CWC and CTBT functions. Another major growth area has been in uranium exports and bilateral safeguards agreements.
One of my first tasks in 1989 was to organize the relocation of ASO from Sydney to Canberra —this was successfully completed in 1990. The move was to enable ASO to interact more closely with other government agencies involved in nuclear issues and to contribute more effectively to policy development on non-proliferation issues. Another major task was to develop and obtain funding for a safeguards R&D program to support the IAEA.
An international development with widespread and ongoing implications was the discovery of Iraq's nuclear weapons program following the first Gulf War, in 1991. One of ASO's key experts, Mr John Bardsley, assisted in the IAEA's inspection efforts. It became obvious that a fundamental overhaul of the IAEA safeguards system was required. Although the IAEA's mandate included detection of undeclared nuclear activities, the safeguards system had developed with a principal focus on declared nuclear material. A major international effort, involving the IAEA and its key supporters, was initiated to strengthen the safeguards system. ASO/ASNO has been actively engaged in these efforts ever since.
Some of ASO's early efforts on strengthening of safeguards included pioneering work on remote monitoring (which has since become a well established safeguards technique), and hosting IAEA field trials of new safeguards techniques in Australia—including wider access rights for inspectors, unpredictable and short-notice inspections, and environmental monitoring.
Advising on safeguards and non-proliferation issues was becoming an increasingly important part of ASO's work, following on the revelations on Iraq's nuclear program and the crisis with the DPRK in 1992 which quickly followed the commencement of IAEA inspections there. ASO's work included evaluation of the performance of the IAEA safeguards system and how problem areas could be addressed, as well as country-specific analyses.
A major change for ASO came in 1994, when the then Minister for Foreign Affairs Senator Gareth Evans arranged for ASO's transfer from the Primary Industries and Energy portfolio to Foreign Affairs and Trade. This reflected ASO's expanding involvement in the strengthening of IAEA safeguards and the increasing importance of non-proliferation policy development. ASO acquired new functions as the national authority for the CWC and the CTBT. For some years subsequently ASO was also involved in Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention (BWC) issues.
On the 25th anniversary of the NPT, in 1995, the NPT Review and Extension Conference was held. The main decision for the conference was whether the NPT would be extended indefinitely, or for a fixed period. Australia worked hard in support of indefinite extension, an outcome of fundamental importance for the future of the non-proliferation regime. ASO was closely involved in this effort. Also in 1995 I presented a key paper on the proposed Fissile Material Cut-off Treaty (FMCT) at the UN Conference on Disarmament Issues in Nagasaki, Japan. ASNO has since established itself as an international leader in verification aspects of the FMCT concept.
In 1996 ASO was involved in the work of the Canberra Commission on the Elimination of Nuclear Weapons, in particular on verification aspects.
The program to strengthen IAEA safeguards led to the development of the Additional Protocol, providing the IAEA with greater authority to require nuclear-related information and for inspectors to have more extensive access. I led the Australian delegation in the Special Committee of the IAEA Board of Governors that negotiated the model Additional Protocol in 1996–97. Australia became the first state to sign an Additional Protocol, in September 1997, and to ratify the Additional Protocol, in December of that year. Subsequently, a major activity for ASNO has been promotion of the Additional Protocol internationally, including through diplomatic efforts, regional training courses on protocol implementation, and through support for developing the IAEA's implementation capabilities.
In 1998 ASO was formally re-titled as ASNO, and the position of Director of Safeguards became Director General, ASNO.
In 2001 Australia became the first state to qualify for "integrated safeguards". This is a combination of safeguards measures under the basic safeguards agreement and the Additional Protocol—qualification for integrated safeguards is based on a conclusion by the IAEA that the state concerned has no undeclared nuclear activities. Also in 2001, the IAEA Director General, Dr ElBaradei, appointed me to chair the IAEA's Standing Advisory Group on Safeguards Implementation (SAGSI), a position I held until the end of 2006. SAGSI has provided much of the energy and vision for the program to strengthen IAEA safeguards. Over this period SAGSI worked on issues including the development of information-driven safeguards and the "state-level approach", evaluation of safeguards effectiveness, reporting of safeguards performance and outcomes, and a range of technical subjects.
2002 was a momentous year, in which the current major challenges to the non-proliferation regime became evident. The DPRK expelled IAEA inspectors, and evidence emerged of Iran's secret nuclear program. In 2003 the DPRK announced its withdrawal from the NPT. ASNO has been closely involved in these cases, assessing information as it becomes available, contributing to Australia's work in the IAEA Board of Governors, developing verification approaches in support of eventual resolution of these cases, and so on.
In 2005 the IAEA Board of Governors found that Iran was in non-compliance with its safeguards agreement, and reported the situation to the Security Council. ASNO has been closely involved in advising on the IAEA's processes and authority for non-compliance findings, as well as issues of the IAEA's investigative authority. Iran continues to defy Security Council resolutions calling on it to suspend its uranium enrichment program and certain other nuclear activities. This situation illustrates the practical difficulties for the international community in enforcing treaty compliance. A satisfactory outcome is essential not only for resolving the specific case, and avoiding a nuclear arms race in the Middle East, but more broadly for the credibility of compliance enforcement mechanisms in support of nuclear disarmament.
The DPRK nuclear situation also continues to elude resolution—the situation was exacerbated by the DPRK's nuclear tests in 2006 and 2009. The DPRK's involvement in proliferation activities elsewhere—including it seems the building of a clandestine reactor in Syria—is also a major concern.
ASNO's involvement in these cases has included: analysis of lessons learned—how to improve the IAEA's information-analysis and detection capabilities, as well as more effective use of its authority; contributing to technical analyses of the countries' capabilities; development of verification approaches that would be required in support of eventual resolution; and contribution to diplomatic efforts to persuade these countries of the benefits of a rules-based approach to international relations (including, in the past, safeguards training for DPRK personnel).
A serious development, going back to the Iraqi nuclear program, but coming to the fore with Iran's nuclear program, as well as the former Libyan program and developments with Syria, is the operation of a black market in sensitive nuclear technology, components and specialized materials. ASNO has been involved, inter alia, with developing the IAEA's inspection and information analysis capabilities in this area.
ASNO's responsibilities include physical protection, or security, for nuclear materials and facilities. ASNO has been a member of the experts groups reviewing the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material (CPPNM), and the IAEA's guidelines on physical protection (document INFCIRC/225). In 2001 the experts group on the CPNMM issued the "Physical Protection Objectives and Fundamental Principles", which played an important role in leading up to the CPNMM revision, agreed in 2005. Unfortunately the strengthened CPPNM is still well short of the number of ratifications required for entry-into-force—this is likely to be a priority for diplomatic activity as well as technical outreach in the near term. Meanwhile, it is hoped the work of the experts group revising the IAEA's guidelines will be completed early in 2010. The CPPNM and the IAEA guidelines are likely to be a particular focus of the Global Nuclear Security Summit planned for April 2010. Another area of ASNO involvement was in the establishment of WINS—the World Institute for Nuclear Security—an industry-based NGO established in 2008 to promote peer review, experience-sharing and training in nuclear security.
Australia ratified the CWC in 1994. Following this, a major task for ASNO as Australia's national authority was outreach and consultations with the Australian chemical industry in preparation for Australia's initial declaration which was submitted within 30 days of the CWC's entry-into-force in 1997. ASNO has continued to ensure that Australia's obligations under the CWC are met, including annual submission of declarations on chemical and defence activities and by facilitating 31 inspections to date by the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons at declared facilities. ASNO also contributes to the development of OPCW verification issues. ASNO has an active program of domestic industry and regional outreach activities in support of the CWC. ASNO works with other Government stakeholders to ensure adequate controls and reporting on chemical imports and exports, and in providing advice on domestic chemical counter-terrorism issues.
Australia ratified the CTBT in 1998. ASNO's responsibility as national authority has included establishment of Australia's share of the 337 International Monitoring System (IMS) facilities, in conjunction with the facility operators—Geoscience Australia, ARPANSA and the Australian National University. Australia is responsible for 21 IMS facilities—20 monitoring stations and a radionuclide laboratory. Some of these existed already, but most have had to be built. Seventeen of Australia's IMS facilities are now in place. One is to be built on Macquarie Island in 2010, and two of the other three will be in Antarctica. They will be put in place over the coming few years.
ASNO's expertise is key to our other major contribution to CTBT verification: the development of arrangements for on-site inspection (OSI). While the IMS has shown itself very capable of detecting possible nuclear explosions, on-site investigations may be needed to reach firm conclusions on treaty compliance. Since 2005 ASNO's Mr Malcolm Coxhead has chaired an international task group conducting this technically and politically complex work. Valuable progress has been made since 2005 to move from a large and unwieldy rolling text to a more concise product, but further issues need to be resolved as the CTBT Organization continues its work to complete the verification system.
Soon after I started in 1989, ASO conducted a regional training course on safeguards, in conjunction with the IAEA. Regional training and outreach has been a continuing priority for ASO/ASNO, in safeguards, nuclear security, and CWC and CTBT implementation. This work has been carried out in cooperation with the IAEA, OPCW and CTBTO, and with counterparts from the United States, Japan, Republic of Korea, and elsewhere. Much of the work has been funded by AusAID. Figures prior to 2000 are not readily to hand, but in the period since 2000, ASNO-run courses have provided training to some 800 professionals from most countries in the region.
An important ASNO initiative, pursued in close collaboration with counterparts in Indonesia, Japan and Republic of Korea, is the establishment of the Asia-Pacific Safeguards Network. This is described elsewhere in this report.
A major area of growth for ASNO has been the operation of the network of bilateral safeguards agreements covering Australia's uranium exports, and monitoring the flow of Australian Obligated Nuclear Material (AONM) in the global fuel cycle. In 1989 Australia had 10 active bilateral safeguards agreements, and the total quantity of AONM under those agreements was 27,659 tonnes. Today there are 20 active agreements and the total quantity of AONM is approaching 150,000 tonnes. In addition to operation of the agreements, this has involved extensive work with counterparts to ensure common standards and approaches in accounting for obligated nuclear material.
An exciting development has been the establishment of the International Commission on Nuclear Non-proliferation and Disarmament (ICNND). The point of non-proliferation and safeguards is not to maintain the status quo, where the world is divided between nuclear weapon haves and have-nots, in perpetuity, but to contribute to securing nuclear disarmament. ICNND is well-timed—today the major nuclear-weapon states appear genuinely receptive to this challenge. ASNO is engaged through my appointment as a member of the ICNND Advisory Board, and through planning of a number of disarmament verification projects with overseas counterparts.
I will conclude this overview of the last two decades with the following observations. ASNO has made a major contribution to Australia's outstanding position internationally and regionally as a supporter of the non-proliferation regime and disarmament efforts. This has been achieved despite ASNO's distance from the major centres of activity on these subjects in the northern hemisphere, and with, by international standards, very few resources. This has been possible because of the expertise, professionalism and dedication of ASNO's staff. However, some significant departures are imminent. Maintaining and building on ASNO's expertise will be a challenge in the coming years.
John Carlson
Director General ASNO
[1] After the end of the reporting period, in September 2009, Iran allowed the IAEA access to this reactor, without however committing to implement arrangements on verification of design information which it has unilaterally suspended.
[2] The states whose ratifications are required are: China, DPRK, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Iran, Israel, Pakistan and the United States.
[3] Not including a small number of temporary staff


text:
found a new home!
Plenty of my friends are looking
for one too. Find a pet to adopt.
Find a pet to adopt |
My name is Maddison!
Facts about Maddison
- Breed: Calico
- Color: Calico Or Dilute Calico
- Age: Adult
- Sex: Female
- Hair: Short
Maddison's Info...
I am already spayed, up to date with shots, good with kids, good with dogs, and good with cats.
My name is Maddison and I'm what you would call a girl without a home.
I was wandering the streets and calling to my family but nobody came to claim me. Thankfully my foster mom heard me and gave me a warm bed, some canned food and a LOT of TLC.
I love the other cats, dogs and human kids in my foster home and we have a great time playing with toys, sleeping together and just hanging out, but I'd really like a family to call my own.
I am very loving, cuddly, playful, outgoing and just a wonderful petite little girl that LOVES EVERYONE.
So, if you are looking for a new BEST FRIEND, maybe today's the day we meet. (Birthday: November 2010)
If you would like to meet this little girl please call Cathy at 661-273-9822 or email her at firstname.lastname@example.com
Other Pets at Forgotten Angels Cat Rescue
Why Adoption is a Great Option
Maddison, a Palmdale Calico cat was adopted! Here's how you can benefit by looking at adoption as an option to buying a Calico for sale in Palmdale, or seeking a Calico cat from a breeder in Palmdale.
- Rescues and shelter volunteers in Palmdale already know the personality and tendencies of their pets. This means they can match you with the right pet. That will makes it much easier transition to owning a pet for yourself and your new pet.
- On average adoption fees are much less than you'd pay a Palmdale breeder, or pet store. Plus most often rescue pets have already been to the veterinarian for a check-up, had a round of vaccinations, and are spayed or neutered. That is a lot of savings!
- You will become a hero, and give a needy dog or cat a loving home. In fact, there are even Calico breeders who help with Calico rescue. One puppy or kitten adopted in Palmdale paves the way for another one to be saved.


text:
Barbecued Sweet Potato Pie
July 15, 2011
The thrill of the grill, at least for me, is creating dishes that no one sees coming. That's definitely true today as we turn to our VIP bloggers in search of "unexpected menu items". First up is the always inspiring mind behind PatioDaddioBBQ.com, John Dawson, with his "barbecued" sweet potato pie…
Yes, you read that right, it's a barbecued sweet potato pie. It's not barbecued because I cooked the whole pie in the smoker — just the sweet potatoes for the filling.
I mentioned in an earlier post that I conducted an experiment, and this is it. In reality, the idea for this pie is what sparked the earlier recipe.
Despite sounding odd, the results were very good. The pie is very rich and has a subtle smokey flavor. It's so subtle that I think some might not even notice. It's just a standard sweet potato pie recipe, aside from the barbecued potatoes.
2 deep dish pie crusts
3 cups Barbecued sweet potatoes, mashed.
4 ounces Unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cup milk
3/4 cup sweetened condensed milk
1 cup granulated sugar
4 eggs, slightly beaten
1 1/4 tsp vanilla extract (the real deal, please)
Preheat your oven to 350º.
Put the potatoes and the milk in a food processor and process until it is very smooth.
Add the butter, condensed milk, sugar, eggs and vanilla to the food processor and pulse a few times to combine.
Note: You need the mixture to be the consistency of a milkshake. If it's too thick, add more milk as needed.
Pour half of the filling into each pie shell.
Bake the pies on the middle rack for one hour, or until each is set in the center.
Cool and serve at room temperature, with whipped cream, of course.