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Tomgram: Michael Schwartz, Will Iraq's Oil Ever Flow?
Tomgram: Michael Schwartz, Will Iraq's Oil Ever Flow? | Tom Dispatch.com
Tom of TomDispatch.com wrote:
Remember the good old days? As TomDispatch regular and author of War Without End Michael Schwartz recalls them: "How the mighty have fallen. Just a few years ago, an overconfident Bush administration expected to oust Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein, pacify the country, install a compliant client government, privatize the economy, and establish Iraq as the political and military headquarters for a dominating U.S. presence in the Middle East." And that was only to be the beginning: The dream in those now seemingly distant days was to strip OPEC -- the cartel consisting of the planet's main petroleum exporters -- of the power to control the oil supply and its price on the world market, and to do so by putting Iraq's vast oil reserves in the hands of the major international oil companies. (In the process, so the Bush administration dream went, some part of the vast increase in Iraq's oil output could even be used to pay for the American invasion and occupation.)
Of course, none of this happened and, at a moment when American eyes are off Iraq (despite the 110,000 American troops still in the country), Schwartz offers, in his latest TomDispatch post, a riveting account of what actually happened -- and why, despite every effort on the part of the Bush administration, Iraqi oil output, to this day, has not been significantly raised.
This is a classic tale, wonderfully told, of imperial hubris, remarkable blundering, Iraqi resistance, and energy politics. And it is ongoing. Schwartz's account takes you from the invasion of 2003 to late tomorrow night. He concludes: "The end is not in sight and the outcome still unclear. Will the vast Iraqi oil reserves be developed and sent into the hungry world market any time soon? If they are, who will determine the rate of flow, and so wield the power this decision-making confers? And once this ocean of oil is sold, who will receive the potentially incredible revenues? As with so much else, when it comes to Iraqi oil, the American war has generated so many problems and catastrophes -- and so few answers."
The Iraqi Oil Conundrum
Energy and Power in the Middle East
By Michael Schwartz
How the mighty have fallen. Just a few years ago, an overconfident Bush administration expected to oust Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein, pacify the country, install a compliant client government, privatize the economy, and establish Iraq as the political and military headquarters for a dominating U.S. presence in the Middle East. These successes were, in turn, expected to pave the way for ambitious goals, enshrined in the 2001 report of Vice President Dick Cheney's secretive task force on energy. That report focused on exploiting Iraq's monstrous, largely untapped energy reserves -- more than any country other than Saudi Arabia and Iran -- including the quadrupling of Iraq's capacity to pump oil and the privatization of the production process.
The dream in those distant days was to strip OPEC -- the cartel consisting of the planet's main petroleum exporters -- of the power to control the oil supply and its price on the world market. As a reward for vastly expanding Iraqi production and freeing its distribution from OPEC's control, key figures in the Bush administration imagined that the U.S. could skim off a small proportion of that increased oil production to offset the projected $40 billion cost of the invasion and occupation of the country.
All in a year or two. Read more.
CO2 Abatement: Exploring Options For Oil And Natural Gas Companies
CO2 abatement: Exploring options for oil and natural gas companies
Oil and natural gas companies play a central role in CO2 emissions. How can the industry meet the challenge from climate change regulations?
Scott Nyquist and Jurriaan Ruys | McKinsey Quarterly
The oil and natural gas industry is directly responsible for just 6 percent of global CO2 emissions, but the debate over how to reduce the global greenhouse gases (GHG) commonly associated with climate change focuses primarily on oil and natural gas companies. These companies are under constant regulatory and reputational pressure to reduce both upstream and downstream CO2 emissions, and in the coming years they will increasingly be expected to provide solutions and make investments. The reason for this emphasis on the industry is that when you add the CO2 emitted in the end uses (transportation, power and heat generation), the petroleum and gas sectors account for almost half of all global emissions.
It is important to understand the position of the oil and gas industry in the context of the larger debate over climate change. By exploring some of the options that the sector has for reducing GHG emissions, oil and natural gas companies can not only stay ahead of regulatory and economic developments but also potentially profit from them. Read more, requires site registration.
CoLOSSIS: the Pantex Project
Must be somebody's idea of a joke.
Scientists Develop New CT Scanner to Image Nuclear Weapon Components
ScienceDaily (Jan. 26, 2010) — The U.S. Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) has announced that it recently completed the installation and successful startup of a new surveillance diagnostic tool that is capable of detecting aging defects on critical components in the nation's nuclear weapons stockpile.
A Global Push for Renewable Energy
A Global Push for Renewable Energy
With 142 member nations already signed on, the new International Renewable Energy Agency is promoting a fast, global transition to clean, safe, and renewable energy.
by Alice Slater | Yes!
Since 1995, when more than 170 nations voted to extend the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, civil society has been calling for the establishment of an international agency to promote renewable energy sources to take the place of fossil fuels without resorting to nuclear power.
Recognizing the "inextricable link" between nuclear weapons and nuclear power, Abolition 2000, a global network for the elimination of nuclear weapons, drafted a model statute for the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) and lobbied nations around the world to institute it. [1] Joining with other grassroots networks working to avoid catastrophic climate change through a transition to sustainable energy, activists spoke up at numerous international meetings and conferences and conferred with national environmental departments, seeking support for an energy agency focused solely on clean, safe, renewable energy.
In January 2009, one year ago, Germany, Denmark, and Spain launched the founding meeting for IRENA in Bonn, Germany. [2] A year later, 142 of the 192 member states of the United Nations, as well as the European Union, have signed the IRENA statute. The agency has opened headquarters in Abu Dhabi and branch offices in Bonn and Vienna, and its interim-director general, Helene Pelosse, a former French environmental minister who held positions in trade and finance as well, is determined to hire a staff comprised of at least 50 percent women.
IRENA is committed to becoming a principal driving force in promoting a rapid transition toward the sustainable use of a renewable energy on a global scale. It has a mandate to promote all forms of renewable energy produced in a sustainable manner, including solar, wind, geothermal, hydropower, ocean, and appropriate bio energy. It will provide practical advice and support for both industrialized and developing countries, helping them to build capacity and improve their regulatory frameworks. Read more.
Shell Signs Iraq Oil Field Deal
Shell signs Iraq oil field deal | BBC
Oil giant Shell and Malaysia's state-run Petronas oil company finalised a contract on Sunday to develop Iraq's giant Majnoon oil field.
In December Shell and Petronas beat a rival bid from France's Total and China's CNPC to develop the 12.6bn barrel field in southern Iraq.
The field currently produces just 46,000 barrels per day.
Shell and Petronas have pledged to increase that output to 1.8 million barrels per day. Read more.
Stop the Chamber; I Want to Get Off! Group to Expose Candidates Accepting Funds From Commerce Lobbyists
Stop the Chamber; I Want to Get Off! Group to Expose Candidates Accepting Funds From Commerce Lobbyists
By Meg White | Buzzflash News Analysis
It's 2010. Do you know which corporate pocket your representative is in?
There is no better analogy for the outsize influence of corporations upon government than the behavior of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce of late. The "world's largest business federation" has transformed itself into a lobbying machine for some of the nation's dirtiest corporate crooks in a series of misleading campaigns against climate change legislation, affordable healthcare, the employee free choice act, campaign spending reform, corporate responsibility, consumer protection, and keeping social security private.
All the more reason to know who they've been wining and dining on the Hill.Velvet Revolution, a nonprofit organization "dedicated to clean and honest government," issued a statement today announcing they plan to target political candidates who accept contributions from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
"If a candidate gets support from the Chamber, we are going to call him or her out for accepting tainted money -- money from big business that is not going into creating jobs, providing health care, and cleaning up Wall Street. We will demand that candidates renounce the Chamber's support, return any funding, and condemn the Chamber's advertisements and policies. If they do not, we will expose them," said Kevin Zeese, spokesman and attorney for Velvet Revolution in a statement.
Today's news release is part of Velvet Revolution's larger "Stop the Chamber" campaign (to which BuzzFlash has signed on), which seeks to expose the Chamber's lobbying efforts against all kinds of reform, as well as to precipitate an investigation into allegations of the organization's illegal activities:
Polluters like Big Coal, Big Asbestos, and Big Oil only need call the Chamber to stop any accountability for their toxic destruction. Wall Street banks and CEOs need only make sure that they have paid their Chamber dues to ensure that they can continue to rip off the taxpayers. And killers like Big Tobacco need only form a partnership with the Chamber to ensure that they will be given immunity from lawsuits that seek accountability for the death and sickness of millions of Americans...
Not only is the Chamber lobbying and advertising against the interests of Americans, it is also committing fraud and violating campaign finance laws by creating fake astroturfing front groups, with patriotic names like Citizens for a Strong Ohio, and then illegally funneling millions of anonymous dollars into those groups to attack candidates and judges who won't do their bidding.
This announcement doesn't come a moment too soon. Not only are primary elections coming up, but the Chamber of Commerce just recently signaled its plans to spend record amounts of money in the 2010 elections. Read more.
U.S. Companies Join Race on Iraqi Oil Bonanza
U.S. Companies Join Race on Iraqi Oil Bonanza
By Timothy Williams | NY Times
A wave of American companies have been arriving in Iraq in recent months to pursue what is expected to be a multibillion-dollar bonanza of projects to revive the country's stagnant petroleum industry, as Iraq seeks to establish itself as a rival to Saudi Arabia as the world's top oil producer.
Since the 2003 American-led invasion, nearly all of the biggest reconstruction projects in Iraq have been controlled by the United States. But many rebuilding contracts are expected to be awarded as soon as this month for drilling hundreds of new wells, repairing thousands of miles of pipeline and building several giant floating oil terminals in the Persian Gulf, and possibly a new port.
The contracts will be administered either directly by the Iraqi government or as part of Baghdad's oversight of international oil companies that have signed agreements during the past few months to develop the country's most promising oil fields.
There are misgivings, however, about Iraq's ability to adequately monitor contracts that could total $10 billion over the next five years. The concerns have been heightened by the prominent role expected to be played by American companies that have been criticized in the past by United States government auditors and inspectors for overcharging by hundreds of millions of dollars, performing shoddy work and failing to finish hundreds of crucial projects while under contract in Iraq. Read more.
Tomgram: Orville Schell, What Doesn't Work in America
Tomgram: Orville Schell, What Doesn't Work in America | Tom Dispatch.com
As Schell has, in recent months, been traveling the world mentally comparing Europe's high-speed trains to our own clunky railroads, and China's gleaming airlines and airports to our own down-at-the-mouth equivalents, he's "taken to keeping a double-entry list of what works and what doesn't, country by country. Unfortunately, it's largely a list of what works "there" and doesn't work here. It's in places like China, South Korea, Sweden, Holland, Switzerland, and (until recently) the United Arab Emirates -- some not even open societies -- that you find people hard at work on the challenges of education, transport, energy, and the environment. It's there that one feels the sense of possibility, of hopefulness, of can-do optimism so long associated with the U.S."
This beautifully written piece is, then, his list of what works and (mostly) what doesn't in this country, one man's portrait of how a can-do nation turned into a can't-do one. He concludes: "That list of can-do's remains so unbearably short and the cant-do's grows by the trip. I'd love to be convinced otherwise, but like the ice fields of the Greater Himalaya melting before our eyes, American prowess and promise, once seemingly as much a permanent part of the global landscape as glaciers, mountains, and oceans, seems to be melting away by the day."
The Melting of America
The Story of a Can't-Do Nation
By Orville Schell
Lately, I've been studying the climate-change induced melting of glaciers in the Greater Himalaya. Understanding the cascading effects of the slow-motion downsizing of one of the planet's most magnificent landforms has, to put it politely, left me dispirited. Spending time considering the deleterious downstream effects on the two billion people (from the North China Plain to Afghanistan) who depend on the river systems -- the Yellow, Yangtze, Mekong, Salween, Irrawaddy, Brahmaputra, Ganges, Indus, Amu Darya and Tarim -- that arise in these mountains isn't much of an antidote to malaise either.
If you focus on those Himalayan highlands, a deep sense of loss creeps over you -- the kind that comes from contemplating the possible end of something once imagined as immovable, immutable, eternal, something that has unexpectedly become vulnerable and perishable as it has slipped into irreversible decline. Those magnificent glaciers, known as the Third Pole because they contain the most ice in the world short of the two polar regions, are now wasting away on an overheated planet and no one knows what to do about it. Read more.
New Revelations Tear Holes in Iran Nuclear Trigger Story
New Revelations Tear Holes in Iran Nuclear Trigger Story
Analysis by Gareth Porter | IPS
WASHINGTON, Jan 5 (IPS) - New revelations about two documents leaked to The Times of London to show that Iran is working on a "nuclear trigger" mechanism have further undermined the credibility of the document the newspaper had presented as evidence of a continuing Iranian nuclear weapons programme.
A columnist for the Times has acknowledged that the two-page Persian language document published by The Times last month was not a photocopy of the original document but an expurgated and retyped version of the original.
A translation of a second Persian language document also published by The Times, moreover, contradicts the claim by The Times that it shows the "nuclear trigger" document was written within an organisation run by an Iranian military scientist.
Former Central Intelligence Agency official Philip Giraldi has said U.S. intelligence judges the "nuclear trigger" document to be a forgery, as IPS reported last week. The IPS story also pointed out that the document lacked both security markings and identification of either the issuing organisation or the recipient.
The new revelations point to additional reasons why intelligence analysts would have been suspicious of the "nuclear trigger" document. Read more.
We Can Take It - The Civilian Conservation Corps for GREEN JOBS
We Can Take It - the Civilian Conservation Corps for GREEN JOBS
Invest in Human Capital
"I want generations that follow to see that we used this moment to encourage a 21st century civilian conservation corps for our young people." President Obama speach at the 160th Anniversary of the Department of the Interior. 03.03.09.
"WE CAN TAKE IT" was the unofficial motto of the United States Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC or 3C's) during the Great Depression from 1933-1942.
"WE CAN TAKE IT", is now the name of the grassroots campaign call for action to contact and urge President Barack H. Obama and the United States Congress to create law to reactivate this very popular 'New Deal' job recovery program. If reactivated the motto will be back to give work and pride for our young Americans.
President Franklin Roosevelt in his first hundred days of office wanted to keep his election campaign promise to help "the forgotten man" from the existing widespread unemployment of the Great Depression. He offered the country a New Deal "to restore America to its own people" and give us a way to solve the issues of job recovery and the environment. He dealt our people a good hand with his first "alphebet soup" program the U.S. Civilian Conservation Corps. Read more.
Backbone Campaign Initiates Coal Free Zone; Prepares to Welcome David Swanson to Seattle
Dear Friends,
I am hugely excited for 2010! Last week we launched our Coal Free Zone delivering 500 stockings with candy coal and an informative flier about how folks in my Northwest community of Vashon Island are - despite our best intentions and misconceptions - "Coal Consumers." (36% of Puget Sound Energy's power portfolio is coal-fired.) People were surprised, but received our "Naughty or Nice?" message with good humor.
I'm ecstatic that local conversations about energy and stewardship have served as a catalyst for another transformative project - a Vashon Community Credit Union, currently being spearheaded by the un-stoppable Rex Stratton. And there's a growing buzz about alternative currency, community solar, electric car manufacturing and more. It's a thrilling time to take ownership of change we want rather than waiting for it from Washington, Copenhagen or anywhere else.
As I saw dozens of requests for funding come through over the last few days, I didn't want to add to the onslaught. The generosity of Backbone's network of friends has kept us afloat through hard times, and now we are seeing a bright light at the end of the tunnel of scarcity. A recent anonymous grant is going to allow us to rebuild our part-time office staff. The Nathan Cummings grant is a mandate for an amazing project opportunities for skill sharing, image creation and trainings across the country.
I'm honored that our first event of 2010 is to welcome the Seattle area to hear the progressive populist, indefatigable, prolific genius activist and Backbone Campaign advisory board member David Swanson, Tuesday, January 5, 7:30 - 9pm downstairs at Town Hall in Seattle. (Enter on Seneca Street.) See below or online here.
So - whether you want to make that last minute end of year contribution HERE, or just want to look forward to collaboration and sharing inspiration in the new year - here's my end of year email and sincere wishes of gratitude for my great Board, collaborators, volunteers, and supportive family. And deepest wishes for a joyful and transformative New Decade! I'm honored and grateful to be facing it with all of you.
Bill Moyer
Backbone Campaign
Start off your New Year with a celebration of Democracy and your role in it. Hear author, activist, and Backbone Campaign advisor David Swanson speak about how We the People can take the reigns of our democracy and transform this country.
"Daybreak offers a powerful and compelling picture of what real change in America could look like. The world needs more true advocates of democracy like David Swanson!" -- Thom Hartmann
2010: U.S. To Wage War Throughout The World
2010: U.S. To Wage War Throughout The World
Rick Rozoff | Stop NATO | Blog site
January 1 will usher in the last year of the first decade of a new millennium and ten consecutive years of the United States conducting war in the Greater Middle East.
Beginning with the October 7, 2001 missile and bomb attacks on Afghanistan, American combat operations abroad have not ceased for a year, a month, a week or a day in the 21st century.
The Afghan war, the U.S.'s first air and ground conflict in Asia since the disastrous wars in Vietnam and Cambodia in the 1960s and early 1970s and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's first land war and Asian campaign, began during the end of the 2001 war in Macedonia launched from NATO-occupied Kosovo, one in which the role of U.S. military personnel is still to be properly exposed [1] and addressed and which led to the displacement of almost 10 percent of the nation's population.
In the first case Washington invaded a nation in the name of combating terrorism; in the second it abetted cross-border terrorism. Similarly, in 1991 the U.S. and its Western allies attacked Iraqi forces in Kuwait and launched devastating and deadly cruise missile attacks and bombing sorties inside Iraq in the name of preserving the national sovereignty and territorial integrity of Kuwait, and in 1999 waged a 78-day bombing assault against Yugoslavia to override and fatally undermine the principles of territorial integrity and national sovereignty in the name of the casus belli of the day, so-called humanitarian intervention.
Two years later humanitarian war, as abhorrent an oxymoron as the world has ever witnessed, gave way to the global war on terror(ism), with the U.S. and its NATO allies again reversing course but continuing to wage wars of aggression and "wars of opportunity" as they saw fit, contradictions and logic, precedents and international law notwithstanding.
A Convenient Delusion
A Convenient Delusion
Ernest Partridge, Co-Editor | The Crisis Papers
"Reality must take precedence over public relations, for nature cannot be fooled." --Richard Feynman
The same sort of public relations wizardry that once convinced a sizeable portion of Americans that cigarette smoking was harmless, that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction and had a hand in the 9/11 attacks, that Al Gore claimed to have invented the internet, and that John Kerry's war record was fraudulent, is now convincing an increasing number of our citizens that global warming is at least of little consequence, or, at most, a massive hoax.
This trend is reported by the Pew Research Center which, in August, 2006, found that 77% of the public believed that there is solid evidence that the earth is warming. In October, 2009, that number had dropped to 57%. In the same period, the percentage of those who denied that there is such evidence increased from 17% to 33%. An early Pew poll found that "global warming ranked dead last among 40 concerns ranked by the 1503 respondents to the poll."
Unfortunately, as John Adams observed, "facts are stubborn things; and whatever may be our wishes, our inclinations, or the dictates of our passion, they cannot alter the state of facts and evidence." Here are some of those stubborn facts:
- The decade of the 2000s was the warmest on record, containing eight of the ten warmest years.
- The summer Arctic ice cap is likely to disappear completely in 30 to 40 years. This alarming trend is reported by the National Center for Atmospheric Research and McGill University (Canada). Ice reflects 80% of solar radiation, while the open sea absorbs 80% of the radiation, which means that an open Arctic Ocean is certain to heat up the atmosphere.
- Carbon Dioxide is a greenhouse gas, which means that it "captures" incoming solar radiation. This is fortunate, for without atmospheric CO2, most of the earth would be too cold to support human life. These facts were discovered by John Tyndal in 1859 and confirmed by Svante Arrhenius in 1896. But with the advent of the industrial revolution and the massive consumption of fossil fuels, the amount of atmospheric carbon dioxide has almost doubled to nearly 390 parts per million today.
- Methane is about 22 times more potent a greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide, and vast amounts of methane are being released in the warming arctic tundra and from the warming oceans (in the form of methane cathrate).
Climate change skeptics have succeeded in convincing much of the public that global warming is a live issue of contention among climate scientists. The facts tell us otherwise. For example, in December, 2004, Science Magazine (AAAS) reported:
Opinion: Big Oil Gets The Biggest U.S. Energy Subsidies of All
Opinion: Big oil gets the biggest U.S. energy subsidies of all
By Blaine Townsend | Mercury News
Ever since New England Whalers ran the oil business, we've been a country of "barrel half-full" types. There will always be more oil! All it takes is a prone leviathan, a deposit in an unstable, war-torn country or a new find in the middle of some environmentally sensitive area.
Unfortunately, we need to find the equivalent of a new Saudi Arabia every four years just to keep up with demand around the world. And that isn't getting any easier. Pumping seawater under the Arabian Desert and squeezing oil from tar sands near Glacier National Park is a lot more expensive than boiling blubber or watching oil gush on the West Texas plains. And we all foot the bill.
Today, the oil industry receives north of $100 billion per year in subsidies and collateral support. This is the equivalent of one AIG bailout per year, every year. The web of direct subsidies includes billions in government sponsored low-cost construction loans and tax breaks like the Foreign Tax Credit. "Last in, first out" accounting practices, special write-downs for core operations and royalty "relief" for leases in the Gulf of Mexico have robbed the federal coffers of billions more.
This past September, the Environmental Law Institute released a study on direct subsidies to Big Oil from 2002-2008. The conservative tally was $72 billion, compared to $13 billion for nonethanol alternatives. And unlike support for alternative energy or other industries, many of these direct subsidies are written permanently into the tax code, not phased in and out of various legislations.
By contrast, funding for alternative fuels waxes and wanes with political will. For example, funding for alternatives took a precipitous drop in 2006 and 2007 before rebounding last year. Read more.
U.S. Companies Shut Out as Iraq Auctions Its Oil Fields
U.S. Companies Shut Out as Iraq Auctions Its Oil Fields
By Vivienne Walt | Time
Those who claim that the U.S. invaded Iraq in 2003 to get control of the country's giant oil reserves will be left scratching their heads by the results of last weekend's auction of Iraqi oil contracts: Not a single U.S. company secured a deal in the auction of contracts that will shape the Iraqi oil industry for the next couple of decades. Two of the most lucrative of the multi-billion-dollar oil contracts went to two countries which bitterly opposed the U.S. invasion — Russia and China — while even Total Oil of France, which led the charge to deny international approval for the war at the U.N. Security Council in 2003, won a bigger stake than the Americans in the most recent auction. "[The distribution of oil contracts] certainly answers the theory that the war was for the benefit of big U.S. oil interests," says Alex Munton, Middle East oil analyst for the energy consultancy Wood Mackenzie, whose clients include major U.S. companies. "That has not been demonstrated by what has happened this week."
In one of the biggest auctions held anywhere in the 150-year history of the oil industry, executives from across the world flew into Baghdad on Dec. 11 for a two-day, red-carpet ceremony at the Oil Ministry, broadcast live in Iraq. With U.S. military helicopters hovering overhead to help ward off a possible insurgent attack, Oil Minister Hussein Al-Shahrastani unsealed envelopes from each company, stating how much oil it would produce, and what it was willing to accept in payment from Iraq's government. Rather than giving foreign oil companies control over Iraqi reserves, as the U.S. had hoped to do with the Oil Law it failed to get the Iraqi parliament to pass, the oil companies were awarded service contracts lasting 20 years for seven of the 10 oil fields on offer — the oil will remain the property of the Iraqi state, and the foreign companies will pump it for a fixed price per barrel.
Far from behaving like the war-ravaged, bankrupt country that it is, Iraq heavily weighted the contracts in its own favor, demanding a low per-barrel price and signing bonuses of up to $150 million. Only one U.S. company, Occidental Petroleum Corp., joined the bidding last weekend, and lost. Read more.
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez on How to Tackle Climate Change: "We Must Go from Capitalism to Socialism"
We speak with Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez about climate change, the Copenhagen summit and President Obama. Chavez calls the COP15 summit undemocratic and accuses world leaders of only seeking a face-saving agreement. "We must reduce all the emissions that are destroying the planet," Chavez says. "That requires a change in the economic model: we must go from capitalism to socialism."
Tomgram: Terminator 2009, Judgment Days in Copenhagen
From TomDispatch this evening, a fabulous near end-of-year piece by Rebecca Solnit on our apocalyptic imagination versus the real apocalypse that may await us -- Rebecca Solnit, "Terminator 2009, Judgment Days in Copenhagen."
Rebecca Solnit, TomDispatch regular and author of A Paradise Built in Hell, recently watched Terminator 2 on a TV set in New Orleans, the Superdome where thousands were trapped after hurricane Katrina just out the hotel window. In a fever dream, possibly from swine flu, she conjurs up Sarah Palin ("a Terminator cyborg sent from the future to destroy something -- but what?") and the film's heroine Sarah Connor, attempting to save the human race from a plague of Terminators, but in the wrong apocalypse. How comfortable, she thinks, T2's apocalypse now seems in which our own intelligent machines set out to destroy us when, unfortunately, it's our perfectly dumb ones that seem determined to do the actual deed, while the leaders of the world's major greenhouse gas emitters fail to agree in a meaningful way at Copenhagen and elsewhere.
Like Solnit's state in New Orleans, our world might be mistaken for a fever dream of some sort. After all, the Terminator who, in T2, saves John Connor (and so the world), is now the governor of California, a "state with an uncertain shoreline," thanks to globally rising waters, a conservative who has nonetheless tried to deal with climate change. She considers the governor releasing California's 2009 "climate adaption strategy" on Treasure Island in San Francisco Bay, which "with even modest further rises in sea-level... will disappear entirely. Hasta la vista, baby." And assesses our world and its fate from the coast of California to Copenhagen.
This marvelous post manages to catch the dark edge of a difficult and dangerous situation, but in the normal Solnitsian fashion, with hope for what we -- all of us -- can still do. She concludes:
"The learning curve for so many of us, for so many people and even nations, has been speeding up impressively. If we had 40 years to figure it all out, we might be headed toward just the sort of victory that civil society has, in fact, achieved on so many other environmental and human-rights ideas. But there aren't decades to spare. It needs to happen now. It should have happened even before the last century ended.
"Even in my fever dream, with the Superdome just out the window, I couldn't help noting the key axiom repeated in Terminator 2: 'The future is not set. There is no fate but what we make for ourselves.'
"So here's the lesson: there are no superheroes but us.
"And here's the question: what are you going to do about it?"
Terminator 2009: Judgment Days in Copenhagen
By Rebecca Solnit | TomDispatch.com
For Isaac Francisco Solnit, born December 17, 2009
It's clear now that, from her immovable titanium bangs to her chaotic approximation of human speech, Sarah Palin is a Terminator cyborg sent from the future to destroy something -- but what? It could be the Republican Party she'll ravage by herding the fundamentalists and extremists into a place where sane fiscal conservatives and swing voters can't follow. Or maybe she was sent to destroy civilization at this crucial moment by preaching the gospel of climate-change denial, abetted by tools like the Washington Post, which ran a factually outrageous editorial by her on the subject earlier this month. No one (even her, undoubtedly) knows, but we do know that this month we all hover on the brink.
I've had the great Hollywood epic Terminator 2: Judgment Day on my mind ever since I watched it in a hotel room in New Orleans a few weeks ago with the Superdome visible out the window. In 1991, at the time of its release, T2 was supposedly about a terrible future; now, it seems situated in an oddly comfortable past.
What apocalypses are you nostalgic for? The premise of the movie was that the machines we needed to worry about had not yet been invented, no less put to use: intelligent machines that would rebel against their human masters in 1997, setting off an all-out nuclear war that would get rid of the first three billion of us and lead to a campaign of extermination against the remnant of the human race scrabbling in the rubble of what had once been civilization. Read more.
Climate Conference In Copenhagen Ends With Statement Of Intent
Climate conference in Copenhagen ends with statement of intent
After two weeks of delays, theatrics and frantic deal-making, the U.N. climate-change talks concluded in Copenhagen early Saturday with a grudging agreement by the participants to "take note" of a pact shaped by five major nations, including the United States.
By Andrew C. Revkin and John M. Broder, The New York Times | Seattle Times
The key elements of the Copenhagen Accord, worked out among the United States, China, Brazil, India and South Africa, on Friday:
- Nations agreed to cooperate in reducing emissions "with a view" to scientists' warnings to keep temperatures from rising more than 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees F) above preindustrial levels.
- Developing nations will report every two years on their voluntary actions to reduce emissions. Those reports would be subject to "international consultations and analysis," a concession to the United States by China, which had seen this as an intrusion on its sovereignty.
- Richer nations will finance a $10 billion-a-year, three-year program to pay for poorer nations' projects to deal with drought and other climate-change impacts, and to develop clean energy.
- They also set a "goal" of mobilizing $100 billion-a-year by 2020 for the same adaptation and mitigation purposes.
After two weeks of delays, theatrics and frantic deal-making, the U.N. climate-change talks concluded in Copenhagen early Saturday with a grudging agreement by the participants to "take note" of a pact shaped by five major nations, including the United States.
The final "Copenhagen Accord," a 12-paragraph document, was a statement of intention — not a binding pledge to begin taking action on global warming — a compromise seen to represent a flawed but essential step forward.
Many delegates of the 193 countries that had gathered left Copenhagen in a sour mood, disappointed that the pact lacked so many elements they considered crucial, including firm targets for mid- or long-term reductions of greenhouse-gas emissions and a deadline for concluding a binding treaty next year. Read more.
DC Nuclear Disarmament Planning Kicks Off TONIGHT, 7 PM
WHEN: Tuesday, December 15, 2009 - 7:00pm
WHERE: St. Stephen's Church - Auditorium, 16th St & Newton St., NW (1525 Newton Street, NW, Washington, DC 20010-3103) - Green line, Columbia Heights Station
In the wake of President Obama's repeated advocacy for "the peace of a world without nuclear weapons," many things are happening on the Nuclear Disarmament front.
The next six months represent historic opportunity for disarmament progress, or a perilous descent into another "generational commitment" to further Weapons Development, at enormous cost. (Currently the US alone spends $52+ Billion a year on nukes.)
Please join us for a review of disarmament progress, proposals on the table, likely prospects for the near and further terms, and what we, the people, can do to help secure the peaceful future that we deserve.
Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Review Conference - May 2010, United Nations, New York City - This periodic review (every 5 years) of the "mother treaty" for nuclear disarmament is driving the disarmament bus right now. Diplomatic positioning for this May treaty is ongoing. Of course, so much depends on what the US brings to the table beyond our president's rhetoric. Including:
Renewal of the START Treaty with Russia - December 2009?
Ratification of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) - Spring 2010 (Possible) - Signed in 1996 but rejected by the US Senate in 1999, the CTBT still must be approved by 67 US Senators before it goes into effect. . .
Fissile Materials Cutoff Treaty (FMCT) - Language pending. (Advocated by Secretary of State Clinton in her signal USIP nuclear policy speech.)
Middle East Nuclear Weapons Free Zone
Mayors For Peace/Cities Are Not Targets (CANT)
Legislative Opportunities (HR 1653, H Res. 333, H Res. 278, HR 515, HR 644, more?)
Planning for Potential Actions:
Shell Wins Rights To Iraq's Giant Manjoon Oil Fields
Shell Wins Rights To Iraq's Giant Manjoon Oil Fields
By Sinan Salaheddin and Tarek El-Tablawy | Huffington Post
Iraqi officials cheered and clapped as the first oil field up for bid went to a major international consortium at the opening of the country's biggest postwar auction Friday. But from there, the chill set in.
Oil executives from around the world made deals on only two fields, both in Iraq's relatively stable south, while shunning six others in regions with sporadic violence – and where the risk outweighs the profits that the Iraqi government is offering.
Iraqi officials portrayed the day as a success because they secured deals that will ramp up production in the two giant fields. But the lack of energetic bidding highlighted Iraq's difficulties in turning its wealth of oil – the world's third largest reserves – into a financial bonanza.
Energy experts say Iraq has been tightfisted in the deals it has offered major producers. There is also a long-running feud between the central government in Baghdad and the Kurds over control of petroleum reserves in the north.
Security is yet another issue, particularly in central Iraq and areas north of the capital. Read more.
Key Oil Auction in Iraq Today: Foreign Companies Could Produce Majority of Iraq's Oil for First Time in 35 Years
Key Oil Auction in Iraq Today: Foreign Companies Could Produce Majority of Iraq's Oil for First Time in 35 Years
By Antonia Juhasz | Huffington Post
Will Bush's Oil Agenda Lock Obama Further Into War?
Today and tomorrow (12/11 & 12/12/2009) in Baghdad, the world's last great oil bonanza opens to the highest bidders. This auction will finalize an oil revolution in Iraq placing the majority of the nation's oil production in foreign hands for the first time in 30 years.
Some 44 international companies will bid on 11 groups of massive oil and gas fields, Iraq's "non-producing" and as of yet "undiscovered" fields. A prior round of bidding, for eight of Iraq's currently producing fields, completed in November.
Iraq has eighty known oil fields holding some 115 billion barrels of oil, just seventeen of which currently pump oil. There has been no meaningful oil exploration in Iraq for over twenty years and it is estimated that it's "undiscovered" fields could hold as much as an additional 285 billion barrels of oil - giving Iraq the largest oil reserves in the world.
Before the U.S. and British invasion, Iraq had a fully nationalized oil sector. But things were changing. Saddam Hussein was negotiating contracts with foreign oil companies. None of the contracts, however, could take effect while the UN sanctions remained in place. Three countries held the largest contracts: China, Russia, and France--all members of the UN Security Council and all in a position to advocate for the end of sanctions. Court proceedings revealed that lists of these contracts were reviewed by oil and energy company representatives as part of Vice President Cheney's National Energy Policy Development Group (better known as the Cheney Energy Task Force). None of their companies' names were on the lists. Were Hussein to remain in power and the sanctions to be removed, these contracts - none with any U.S. or major British companies - would take effect, and the U.S. and its closest ally would be shut out.
The Cheney Energy Task Force released its final report in May 2001, arguing that Middle Eastern countries should be urged, "to open up areas of their energy sectors to foreign investment." This has now been achieved in Iraq. The sanctions are gone, foreign investment can proceed, and the problem of U.S. and British exclusion is over.
It has taken the full six years since Saddam Hussein ouster for the oil companies to finalize contracts. Read more.
US-Iran Talks: The Road to Diplomatic Failure
US-Iran Talks: The Road to Diplomatic Failure
By Gareth Porter | Truthout
The talks between the G5 plus 1 and Iran are careening toward a premature breakdown. If they do fall apart, it will be due in large part to a serious diplomatic miscalculation by the Obama administration.
Along with its European allies, the Obama administration seized on a plan that cleverly asked Iran to divest itself of the bulk of its stock of low-enriched uranium (LEU). It seemed to represent a golden opportunity to set back Iran's nuclear program, and despite the warning signs that such an objective is not achievable by the West, it lured the West away from a serious effort to find a diplomatic compromise with Iran aimed at defusing the decades-long hostility between Washington and Tehran.
The origins of the immediate diplomatic drama surrounding the proposal lay in Iran's need to supply fuel for its US-built Tehran research reactor producing medical radioisotopes. Iran had obtained 23 kilograms of fuel enriched to 20 percent from Argentina under a cooperation agreement signed in 1988 that ended in 1993. But that supply is expected to run out in late 2010, and Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki sent a letter to the IAEA in June requesting its help in purchasing enough 20 percent enriched uranium under the agency's supervision so that the medical reactor would again have a long-term supply.
But that would require a relaxation of the international sanctions against Iran's nuclear program. And when the Obama administration got wind of the Iranian request, it created a new diplomatic strategy aimed at forcing Iran to accept terms that would force it to give up most of its LEU for about a year. During a visit to Moscow in July, President Barack Obama's White House adviser on the Iranian nuclear issue, Gary Samore, reportedly approached Russian officials about a proposal that would require that Iran send its low-enriched uranium to Russia to be converted into the more highly enriched fuel rods, thus setting the clock of Iran's already-achieved breakout capability back for about a year. Read more.
Why We Left Our Farms to Come to Copenhagen
Why We Left Our Farms to Come to Copenhagen
Speech of Henry Saragih, general coordinator of Via Campesina at the opening session of Klimaforum
By La Via Campesina | Copenhagen, 7th December 2009 | Common Dreams
Tonight is a very special night for us to get together here for the opening of the assembly of the social movements and civil society at the Klimaforum. We, the international peasant movement La Via Campesina, are coming to Copenhagen from all five corners of the world, leaving our farmland, our animals, our forest, and also our families in the hamlets and villages to join you all.
Why is it so important for us to come this far? There are a number of reasons for that. Firstly, we would like to tell you that climate change is already seriously impacting us. It brings floods, droughts and the outbreak of pests that are all causing harvest failures. I must point out that these harvest failures are something that the farmers did not create. Instead, it is the polluters who caused the emissions who destroy the natural cycles. So, we small scale farmers came here to say that we will not pay for their mistakes. And we are asking the emitters to face up to their responsibilities.
Secondly, I would like to share with you some facts about who the emitters of green house gases in agriculture really are: new data that has come out clearly shows that industrial agriculture and the globalized food system are responsible of between 44 and 57% of total global greenhouse gas emissions. Read more.
Climate Justice Hunger Strikers Arrive At One Month Without Food
HUNGER STRIKERS ARRIVE AT ONE MONTH WITHOUT FOOD RESOLVED IN CALLS FOR WORLD TO TAKE ACTION ON ROOT CAUSES OF CLIMATE CHANGE | Press Release
Seven climate justice activists from around the world have entered the fourth week of a water-only hunger strike,having gone totally without food since November 6. They have been joined by hundreds of solidarity fasters, from 22 different countries, including Romania, Honduras, and the Central African Republic.
Recent announcements from world leaders – including President Obama – indicate that a legally-binding international climate treaty won't be signed at the UN climate summit in Copenhagen this December. The members of the 'Climate Justice Fast!' remain resolute, insisting that both world leaders and the global public must use the much-anticipated summit as an opportunity 'to shift away from business-as-usual and start addressing the root causes of the climate crisis – fossil fuels, over consumption, and a socio-economic paradigm that rewards abuse and exploitation of people and the planet.'
Anna Keenan, a 23 year-old Physics graduate from Australia and one of the key organizers of Climate Justice Fast! explains,"I am doing this hunger-strike because I am inspired by the philosophy of Albert Einstein – that problems can't be solved at the level of awareness that created them." "In order to solve the climate crisis, we must challenge the assumptions that fossil fuels are 'cheap' forms of energy, that infinite economic expansion on a finite planet is possible, and that people and places are expendable commodities."
Diane Wilson, a 61-year old fisherwoman from Texas part who is participating in the hunger strike, adds that "by rectifying the root causes of climate change, we are confident that our political demands – like commitments from wealthy, high-emitting countries to reduce the concentration of carbon in the atmosphere to 350 ppm and to pledge 195 billion USD per year for adaptation efforts in countries most vulnerable to climate change – will be met as well."As the global hunger strike enters its fourth week, the diverse members of Climate Justice Fast! show no sign of abandoning their fasts or easing their moral call for immediate, effective action on climate change. The hunger strikers intend to fast at least until the end of the Copenhagen talks, which conclude on December 18. A number of the hunger strikers will be present inside the UN climate summit.
Teflon Dick: How Cheney Uses Media For Protection
By Linda Milazzo
On January 29, 2001, just nine days after taking office, Dick Cheney created The National Energy Policy Development Group, commonly known as the Cheney Energy Task Force. The task force was charged with the critically important task of designing America's national energy policy. Although the group's efforts would directly impact the entire nation, the new Vice President refused to divulge the names of its members or their specific activities, claiming the Executive Branch's right to confidentiality.
Iran Approves Building 10 Enrichment Sites
Iran Approves Building 10 Enrichment Sites
Iran approves plans for 10 new uranium enrichment plants in defiance of UN censure
By Ali Akbar Dareini, Associated Press Writer | ABC News
The Iranian government approved a plan Sunday to build 10 new uranium enrichment facilities, a dramatic expansion in defiance of U.N. demands it halt the program.
The decision comes only two days after the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency censured Iran, demanding it immediately stop building a newly revealed enrichment facility near the holy city of Qom and freeze all uranium enrichment activities. The rebuke angered Iran, raising demands from lawmakers Sunday to cut back cooperation with the U.N.
The enrichment announcement is likely to stoke already high tensions between Iran and the West over its controversial nuclear activities. The U.S. and its allies have hinted of new U.N. sanctions if Tehran remains defiant. Read more.


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Obstetrician & Gynecologist (OB/GYN)
5 years of experience
5 years of experience
200 S Wells Rd
Ventura, CA 93004 Phone number & directions
Ventura, CA 93004 Phone number & directions
License & Identifications
A medical license is required for a doctor to practice medicine in a particular state. Requirements vary by state but most require, at a minimum, post-graduate training in the doctor's specific specialty. An NPI number is a national identifier unique to an individual health care provider and is managed by the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).
Learn more about Dr. Thuc Ta:
View the full profile to get information on:
- Qualifications
- What's important to you
View full profile
Patient Reviews
Have you visited Dr. Ta? Share your experience.
Write a Review
Write a Review
Specialties & Research
- He has special expertise in 2 areas:
- Hot Flashes
- Menopause
Education & Awards
Dr. Ta graduated from St. George's University, Bay Shore.
Dr. Ta has 2 hospital affiliations:
- St. John's Regional Medical Center
- St. John's Pleasant Valley Hospital
- Vietnamese
- English
Home > Find an Obstetrician & Gynecologist > CA > Ventura Obstetricians & Gynecologists > Dr. Thuc Ta, MD
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- Additional Information
- Dr. Thuc Ngu Dinh Ta MD is a male Obstetrician & Gynecologist, has 5 years of experience and practices in Obstetrics & Gynecology.
- Where does Dr. Thuc N. Ta practice?
- Dr. Thuc Ta has 1 office location.
Dr. Thuc Ta practices Obstetrics & Gynecology near Ventura, CA.
See Ventura Obstetricians & Gynecologists.

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text: Ukrainian Jobs 3 were found based on your criteria Post a job. It's free! Translation from English to Ukrainian Fixed-Price – Est. Budget: $100.00 Posted 1 day, 3 hours ago About 50 pages of usual a4 text. translation-english-ukrainian Translate a book from Ukrainian to English Fixed-Price – Est. Budget: $50.00 Posted March 27 2015 My family came across a fiction book that describes the town that my grandfather lived in before WW2. The town is called Nyzhnii Shard. The author of the book is Yurii Stanynets. We would love to read it but do not read Ukrainian... The book is 400 pages. I'm attaching a scan of 2 pages. I would like it to be translated to English in Google Docs (or equivalent). I have NO IDEA how much this should cost - name ... translation-ukrainian-english Find a wood supplier in Ukraine Fixed-Price – Est. Budget: $50.00 Posted March 24 2015 We are looking for someone who can find a wood supplier in Ukraine with a good price to sell to the French and Luxembourg market. Ideally, you can speak French. french ukrainian


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Sudan releases Christian convert but insists she stay in the country
KHARTOUM — A Sudanese woman who was spared the death penalty for converting to Christianity but was then detained as she tried to leave the country was released from custody on Thursday, on condition she remains in Sudan, her lawyer said.
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Help me find a room to use BM Cedar Green!
I really love this color, not sure why--the photo is so bright and happy! I'm trying to figure out which room I could use it in...the smallish, north-facing spare bedroom? The laundry/ tool room? The bright, pine panelled basement--which doesn't need painting and should really stay neutral in color since I'll be selling in a year or two, but wouln't it look great?
I'm supposed to be sewing but would rather dream about a bright, beautiful GREEN sewing room...
Any thoughts?
Definitely sewing and/or laundry room!
Tibbrix, you're absolutely right--imagine the contrast with the white machines machines and metal shelving in the laundry! The green would turn detergent boxes and cleaning supplies into functional art : p
Would this color turn a darker room into a cave, 'tho? Anyone?
Also, I've never seen bright green as a neutral, but in nature it goes with anything, I guess. Any suggestions to avoid the "Too Tacky For Words" look? I'm assuming modern, bold, bright & white are the key words here?
I had a laundry room painted a lime green and I swear it helped sell the house! It was a condo with the laundry room off the garage w/ a cement floor, and I redid the floor using black and white peel and stick tiles, on the diagonal. I installed white shelves, used a few fake plants and birdhouses(painted black/white)for decor, as well as a small, with laundry products on another. On another wall I used black wood letters to spell out laundry.
You're green is so pretty! Be brave and use it somewhere!
I love that color! Green is my favorite. In my last two apartments, my living room and then living room/dining room were painted BM Stem Green. Very similar. Loved, loved it. I am sad I don't have it in my new house but one day it might make a reappearance. : ) Attaching a pic.
I think a laundry room or sewing room would be perfect in this color.
You're right Kellienoelle, good eye! They're all different. So how do I figure out which BM color is closest to Pic #1? Honestly, one wonders if BM has realized that they make more money selling the wrong colour than the right color. Not long ago I asked for AFC-350 Tumeric & they mixed 2160-2 Turmeric. (What company has two different paint colors with the name off by ONE letter?) It would've maybe worked out, except the color in the can wasn't EITHER Tum- OR Turmeric, but Carrot-Soup with a hit of Fully-Loaded-Pampers!


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60 Braid Road
No availability found through our partners. Please contact the business directly or check some of our recommended alternatives.
Travel Blogs from Edinburgh
Adventures in Sky and On Land
... them to this blog, but I haven't had much personal time so far, and I'm actually writing this blog after midnight after sleeping only a couple of hours. Like the baby, I need to sleep but my days and night are mixed up yet. :) Thankfully my room is an annex at the back of the house, so it's quiet, and the wi-fi seems to be good too.
I'm going to try to go back to sleep soon, before the rest of the house starts their day.
Weird,Wacky,and Wonderful
Once landed in Edinburgh and a taxi was transporting us to our home away from home the driver pointed out to us the multitude of colourfully dressed people heading to the the pub nearest to the stadium for a few pints before the match started. This was at 3pm and the game didn't start until 6 so I knew that we were in the right place. Our goal in Edinburgh was to see the sites and experience some of the Fringe Festival. Little did I know that during our week long ...
Land of the Scots
... but not to worry. The views off the castle were amazing, we walked around many war memorial museums and halls and got scared half to death by the lighting of a cannon which occurs at 1pm each day. To be honest, it wasn't the best castle we have visited in our travels but no doubt had the best setting. In the gift shop I managed to buy a Scotland patch to sew onto my backpack and also came across items you could buy for the Ross clan which my great grandmother ...
UK to Scotland
... not sure where to at the moment but will find out soon. Well Whitby didn't get explored after all. We woke up all safe and sound in our little lay by, had coffee and hit the road. We had studied the map before bed last night and found a place called Bishop Auckland which had a castle and also another area called Wet Auckland..we thought it very novel and had to go there and check in on face book and take a picture, and also to check out Auckland castle. We found parking in our rather ...
Close shave in Edinburgh
We had planned to go to Glasgow today, but checked the weather (we are learning), and it was meant to rain with a high of 5 degrees which would feel like 0 taking into account the windchill. We had checked last night the cost of the train and the very helpful man in the ticket office explained that the way to do it would be to travel after 9.15 am and come back outside the 4.30 to 6.30 pm window and we could save a bundle. Given one of the ...
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York Place B&BNew Town, Edinburgh | 4 star b&bfrom $97
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- Tried the rest i found the best
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- You'll fall in love with Gerald!
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- Wonderful place to stay in Edinburgh
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The CSG Justice Center, in partnership with Texas A&M University, released a study commissioned by Texas state leaders interested in understanding the impact of the state's reforms of its juvenile justice system. This unprecedented study compares the impact on youth under community supervision versus incarceration in state correctional facilities. Closer to Home: An Analysis of the State and Local Impact of the Texas Juvenile Justice Reforms, which draws on an unprecedented dataset of 1.3 million individual case records spanning eight years, shows youth incarcerated in state-run facilities are 21 percent more likely to be rearrested than those who remain under supervision closer to home. When they do reoffend, data show that youth released from state-run secure facilities are three times more likely to commit a felony than youth who are under community supervision.
ANCHORAGE, ALASKA—Strict adherence to the American principle of separation of powers should not stop members of the three branches of state government from coming together to improve child welfare and juvenile justice services to vulnerable children. That was the feeling at a panel discussion Aug. 13 at the CSG National and CSG West Annual Conference moderated by Nevada Supreme Court Justice Nancy Saitta.
A report released this week by The Council of State Governments Justice Center details more than 60 evidence-based recommendations on how states and communities can make their schools safer and help students succeed. "The School Discipline Consensus Report" is the result of a three-year effort involving a 100-member working group comprised of experts in the field of school safety, behavioral health, juvenile justice, social services, law enforcement and child welfare.
The Council of State Governments (CSG) Justice Center released a comprehensive report providing school leaders and state and local government officials more than 60 recommendations for overhauling their approach to school discipline. The recommendations focus on improving conditions for learning for all students and staff, strengthening responses to student's behavioral health needs, tailoring school-police partnerships, and minimizing students' involvement with the juvenile justice system.
Washington, like many states in the 1990s, was grappling with juvenile crime.A new program known as Functional Family Therapy reduced recidivism among those juveniles by 22 percent and cost the state about $3,200 for every juvenile served.
The following compilation features published news stories during the week of Aug. 14-20 that highlight experts and/or research from The Council of State Governments. For more information about any of the experts or programs discussed, please contact CSG at (800) 800-1910 and you will be directed to the appropriate staff. Members of the press should call (859) 244-8246.
CSG Research & Expertise in the News: 7/17-23, 2011
The following compilation features published news stories during the week of July 17-23 that highlight experts and/or research from The Council of State Governments. For more information about any of the experts or programs discussed, please contact CSG at (800) 800-1910 and you will be directed to the appropriate staff. Members of the press should call (859) 244-8246.
On July 21, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder and Secretary of Education Arne Duncan announced the launch of the Supportive School Discipline Initiative, a collaborative project to encourage effective disciplinary practices that help make classrooms safer and more conducive to learning. It will also promote evidence-based practices that reduce the likelihood that students disciplined at school will have subsequent contact with the juvenile justice system. The initiative was announced at the Coordinating Council on Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, whose membership includes representatives from 12 federal agencies.


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Join us for stimulating conversation. You and your fellow book club members decide in advance which books you want to read. New members are always welcome.
Tue Apr 14
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Join Library staff for entertaining book talks. Refreshments will be provided.
Thu Apr 02
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Port Union
If you are not available during the day, this is your chance to join a book club. Gather with other book lovers to discuss a selection of popular titles. It is free to join and the books are provided.
Tue Apr 14
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Discuss selected books in Spanish. Meetings are once a month on a Monday night at Palmerston Branch....
Mon Apr 13
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Northern Elms
Come and share your love of books and listen to others present their favourites in an informal, lively setting.
Fri Apr 10
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Have a story to tell but don't know how to start? Want to try creative writing? This hands-on workshop led by novelist Lauren Kirshner introduces participants to techniques for starting the creative writing process. Low-stres...
Do you love reading? Join our book club for children! We will read a new book every month and meet to do fun activities and games based on each book. For ages 9-12 years old. Registration is required. Please call 416-395-5750...
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Join us for a discussion on new books and old favourites....
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The group invites new and experienced poets of all ages to bring their work to our monthly meetings. Bring a poem with six to ten copies for review by other attendees. The group will listen to you read your poem and offer c...
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it is amazing and I ve been using it for two years now. In 5 min max from application it becomes one with your skin tone and I definetely noticed that if there are little imprefections it makes them go away a lot faster! now it is a must in my purse!
I keep seeing the infomercials on it, was not sure, thank you.
it is as good as they say. The toughest part is the brand to choose, but it also depends on the skin type and the effect you are looking for :) you are welcome :)
I don't normally wear makeup on my face (ie: foundation)..but I love the bb cream...very light and blends in so well that you don't see it...feel it..or even know you're wearing it. It does everything from moisturizing to evening out skintone. I use Loreal
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Conservative Group Backs Challenge To 'Liberal' McConnell
Days after Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell helped negotiate a deal to end the government shutdown and raise the debt ceiling, a prominent conservative group endorsed his primary challenger.
The Senate Conservatives Fund officially backed Tea Party favorite Matt Bevin Friday in Kentucky's 2014 Senate race, arguing he is "a full-spectrum conservative with the courage to stand up to the Washington establishment" while McConnell "has a liberal record and refuses to fight for conservative principles."
SCF has had McConnell in its cross hairs for months. In mid-September, the group launched a television advertising campaign attacking McConnell for not doing enough to defund the Affordable Care Act. It also ran radio ads in August calling on McConnell to oppose funding for Obamacare.
Bevin could use the financial support from SCF, which raised more than $16 million during the 2012 elections, if he hopes to pull off the upset. He brought in just $220,000 from July to September, while contributing $600,000 of his own money to the campaign. McConnell raised nearly $2.3 million during the same period and has more than $10 million on hand.
SCF, which has ties to former South Carolina senator and current Heritage Foundation President Jim DeMint, has made a name for itself supporting Tea Party challengers over Republican incumbents and establishment-backed candidates in Senate primary races.
The group appears to be revving up for the 2014 cycle with the shutdown now in the rearview mirror. On Thursday, the group backed Mississippi state Sen. Chris McDaniel over six-term GOP incumbent Sen. Thad Cochran.
One of SCF's endorsements in 2012 went to Ted Cruz, who has become the leader of the fight to defund Obamacare in Washington, in his primary campaign against Texas Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst.


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Calla Lily Inn
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The wandering Apple Sauce
Would have blogged, but couldn't have....I came down with food poisoning so for most of today have been in bed knocked off my feet.
Gin and I did try a game of Sequence to relieve the boredom but I could not stay warm and was quite uncomfortable but eventually sleep was eagerly welcomed.
Thanks to the bed side manner ...
Climbing the Dunes
... At this time I was also able to purchase internet time, check my e-mail, confirm my Chobe safari, and talk with Dorian for a bit. Didn't have time to post any blogs though, unfortunately. During my internet use, the conversation (which I stayed out of and just listened and laughed inside) switched to countries' foods. Two British (Matt and Beth), an Italian (Ali), a Swiss (Pia), and American (me!)… oh goody. Ali was bashing England's ...
Hello LA circa 1950's!
... era, nothing has been touched. The hotel however, is incredibly modern and chic, perfect blend. It has a great outdoor pool with a fire pit that is lit after dark. OK so Palm Springs....fabulous darling, is all I can say. Amazing atmosphere day and night, people are friendly, food is brilliant (steak house, American cuisine to Greek and Mexican) cheap drinks (finally) and great little clubs hidden off the main road. The town has a feel of old Spanish towns, two storey ...
Day 26 - Palm Springs - California
... beautiful and glamorous Palm Springs, the favourite getaway from Vegas for my gorgeous Rat Pack, to a very cool retro style hotel complete with sun lounges and swimming pool, which is where I sit, sipping a cool glass of vino writing this entry. Ahhhh it's great to be alive. What headache, what bad mood, can't even remember anymore. I may sit bit this pool all day tomorrow too. I know there's loads to see and loads of great ...
Day Two Off to Palm Springs
... out so we headed into Palm Springs (only 18km away) and got two rooms in Hilton Hotel Palm Springs right next door to Spa Resort and Casino. As most US hotels have no concept of bar fridges off we go to Walmart to get esky and other basic necessities such as GPS, water, chippies, esky, beer and coke. Those emails you see flying around the internet ...


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Native Plants
Q. Who is Mr. Smarty Plants?
A: There are those who suspect Wildflower Center volunteers are the culpable and capable culprits. Yet, others think staff members play some, albeit small, role. You can torture us with your plant questions, but we will never reveal the Green Guru's secret identity.
Did you know you can access the Native Plant Information Network with your web-enabled smartphone?
Ask Mr. Smarty Plants is a free service provided by the staff and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.
Need help with plant identification, visit the plant identification page.
rate this answer
Wednesday - June 29, 2011
From: San Antonio, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Diseases and Disorders, Pruning, Shrubs
Title: Failure to bloom of Salvia greggii from San Antonio
Answered by: Barbara Medford
QUESTION:We bought Salvia greggii at the Wildflower Center Plant Sale three years ago and planted them in a well drained area. We cut them back early in the year as recommended at Go Native U classes. However,they are not blooming at all this year and bloomed very little last year? Could this be because of the drought like conditions we are having or do you recommend we move the plants next fall/winter to an area that has more sun .. now they are in a dappled shade area .. probably half a day sun.
We can think of three reasons, besides the very severe drought and heat we are having, why your Salvia greggii (Autumn sage) is not blooming up to expectations.
The first, which you have already mentioned, has to do with sun exposure. According to our webpage on this plant, it requires full sun, which we consider to be 6 hours or more of sun a day.
The second suspect is that you are taking care of it too well. Native plants in their natural habitat, which yours appear to be, do not need fertilizer. Over-fertilizing can cause more growth and leaves, and fewer blooms. One of the reasons we recommend native plants is because they require less intervention.
And the third reason: Again on our webpage we found this information:
Maintenance: Trim or pinch tips continuously for nonstop blooming.
This is a good habit to maintain with any blooming plant. Every plant has the built-in imperative to reproduce itself. It does this by seeding. The plant must first bloom to make seeds. In this rather difficult weather situation, plants will do just what they have to in order to survive. When the first blooms have done their job, seeds have been dropped, the plant conserves energy by not putting out any more blooms.
From the Image Gallery
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May 25, 2005 - I live in Colorado where it is common to have 1 or 2 late frosts. I planted 4 littleleaf mockoranges (Philadelphus Microphyllus) 2 years ago and they are pretty much in full sun most of the day. I h...
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Identification of plant similar to Lindheimer's senna (Senna lindheimeriana)
October 27, 2011 - I purchased "Lindheimer's Senna" at our MG plant sale in Williamson Co. two years ago. My three plants are now 6 ft. tall but I don't think they are Lindheimers. I've searched your plant files ...
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September 20, 2008 - I would like to build a "green fence" about 10-15 feet tall. I live in Ojai, CA where we have VERY hot summers and it goes below freezing every winter. The soil does not seem to drain well..it is e...
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September 24, 2012 - I live in NW Austin and I have lost one knockout rose bush this summer and it looks like another one is failing. The leaves on a cane turn yellow then brown. I do not see whiteflies or black spots o...
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Zurich Insurance profit rises 6% following fewer catastrophes
- Financial Services
- August 7, 2014, 09:39
Zurich Insurance Group, said second-quarter profit rose 6 per cent as it took fewer losses from natural catastrophes. Net income rose to $837 million(...)
Zurich to cut about 800 jobs globally
- Financial Services
- March 11, 2014, 07:28
Zurich Insurance Group will cut about 800 jobs worldwide to save around $250 million per year by the end of 2015 as it streamlines its organisa(...)
Executive's suicide damaged reputation of Zurich, says CEO
- Financial Services
- November 22, 2013, 01:00
Global chief executive of Zurich Insurance Group Martin Senn has told The Irish Times the fallout from the suicide in August of chief financial office(...)
Zurich chief looks to bright future for its Irish operation
- Financial Services
- November 21, 2013, 17:51
On his time off, Martin Senn, the Swiss-born global chief executive of Zurich Insurance Group, loves to get stuck into a bit of DIY. "I am a handy man(...)
Zurich Insurance CFO named Ackermann in suicide note
- Financial Services
- August 30, 2013, 15:14
The chief financial officer of Zurich Insurance, Pierre Wauthier, named chairman Josef Ackermann in his suicide note, the company confirmed today as i(...)


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Prairie soil residents
auhort1990(8a)May 8, 2006
What plants (ornamentals, trees, perennials) grow easiest for you? What plants can't you grow or have extreme difficulty growing in prairie soil?
I just wanted to add some plants that have done well for me in my prairie soil. Canna lilies do wonderful, no amending necessary. Vinca grows in the shade underneath my live oaks where nothing else will grow. Colcocasia with moderate amending have done very well for me. Hydrangeas with moderate amending have done well also. Amaryllis do very well with little or no amending.
Good luck and don't be afraid to experiment.


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Fitch to Rate Nissan Auto Receivables 2013-C Owner Trust; Issues Presale Business Wire NEW YORK -- December 3, 2013 Link to Fitch Ratings' Report: Nissan Auto Receivables 2013-C Owner Trust (US ABS) http://www.fitchratings.com/creditdesk/reports/report_frame.cfm?rpt_id=725279 Fitch Ratings expects to assign the following ratings and Rating Outlooks to the notes issued by Nissan Auto Receivables 2013-C Owner Trust listed below: --$158,000,000 class A-1 'F1+sf'; --$222,000,000 class A-2 'AAAsf'; Outlook Stable; --$336,000,000 class A-3 'AAAsf'; Outlook Stable; --$84,000,000 class A-4 'AAAsf'; Outlook Stable; Key Rating Drivers Consistent Collateral Pool: The collateral composition and credit quality of 2013-C is generally consistent with prior pools. The WA Fair Isaac Corp. (FICO) score is 758, new vehicles total 96.36%, Nissan brand vehicles represent 95.54% and the pool is geographically diverse. Extended Term Loans: Loans with terms of more than 60 months have increased to 49.03% (the highest level seen to date) and include 4.09% of loans with 73-75 month original terms. This is the first NAROT transaction to include loans with 73-75 month loan terms. Sufficient Enhancement: 2013-C incorporates a sequential-pay structure and initial hard credit enhancement (CE) totals 4.25%, consistent with recent transactions. Overall CE is sufficient to cover Fitch's 'AAAsf'-stressed lifetime cumulative net loss (CNL) assumption. Stable Portfolio/Securitization Performance: NMAC portfolio and securitization delinquencies and losses have declined from peak levels in 2009, and have since stabilized at lower levels. Stable Origination, Underwriting and Servicing Platform: Fitch believes NMAC demonstrates adequate abilities as originator, underwriter and servicer for 2013-C. Unstable Economic Outlook: A slower recovery and potential for volatility could affect delinquencies and losses. Fitch's analysis accounts for this risk by including poorer performing vintages from the recent recession in the base case loss analysis. Integrity of Legal Structure: The legal structure of a transaction should provide that a bankruptcy of NMAC would not impair the timeliness of payments on the securities. Rating Sensitivities Unanticipated increases in the frequency of defaults and loss severity on defaulted receivables could produce loss levels higher than the base case. In turn, it could result in potentially adverse rating actions on the notes. Fitch evaluated the sensitivity of the ratings assigned to all classes of Nissan Auto Receivables 2013-C Owner Trust to increased losses over the life of the transaction. Fitch's analysis found that the notes display some sensitivity to increased defaults and losses. In fact, they could lead to potential downgrades of up to one category under Fitch's moderate (1.5x base case loss) scenario. The notes could experience downgrades of up to two rating categories under Fitch's severe (2.5x base case loss) scenario. Key Rating Drivers and Rating Sensitivities are further described in Fitch's presale report, available at 'www.fitchratings.com' or by clicking on the above link. Additional information is available at www.fitchratings.com. Applicable Criteria and Related Research: --'Global Structured Finance Rating Criteria' (May 24, 2013); --'Rating Criteria for U.S. Auto Loan ABS' (April 10 2013); --'Structured Finance Tranche Thickness Metrics' (July 29, 2011). --'Nissan Auto Receivables 2013-C Owner Trust Appendix' (Dec. 3, 2013). Applicable Criteria and Related Research: Global Structured Finance Rating Criteria http://www.fitchratings.com/creditdesk/reports/report_frame.cfm?rpt_id=708661 Rating Criteria for U.S. Auto Loan ABS http://www.fitchratings.com/creditdesk/reports/report_frame.cfm?rpt_id=704137 Structured Finance Tranche Thickness Metrics http://www.fitchratings.com/creditdesk/reports/report_frame.cfm?rpt_id=646951 Additional Disclosure Solicitation Status http://www.fitchratings.com/gws/en/disclosure/solicitation?pr_id=810318 ALL FITCH CREDIT RATINGS ARE SUBJECT TO CERTAIN LIMITATIONS AND DISCLAIMERS. PLEASE READ THESE LIMITATIONS AND DISCLAIMERS BY FOLLOWING THIS LINK: HTTP://FITCHRATINGS.COM/UNDERSTANDINGCREDITRATINGS. IN ADDITION, RATING DEFINITIONS AND THE TERMS OF USE OF SUCH RATINGS ARE AVAILABLE ON THE AGENCY'S PUBLIC WEBSITE 'WWW.FITCHRATINGS.COM'. PUBLISHED RATINGS, CRITERIA AND METHODOLOGIES ARE AVAILABLE FROM THIS SITE AT ALL TIMES. FITCH'S CODE OF CONDUCT, CONFIDENTIALITY, CONFLICTS OF INTEREST, AFFILIATE FIREWALL, COMPLIANCE AND OTHER RELEVANT POLICIES AND PROCEDURES ARE ALSO AVAILABLE FROM THE 'CODE OF CONDUCT' SECTION OF THIS SITE. FITCH MAY HAVE PROVIDED ANOTHER PERMISSIBLE SERVICE TO THE RATED ENTITY OR ITS RELATED THIRD PARTIES. DETAILS OF THIS SERVICE FOR RATINGS FOR WHICH THE LEAD ANALYST IS BASED IN AN EU-REGISTERED ENTITY CAN BE FOUND ON THE ENTITY SUMMARY PAGE FOR THIS ISSUER ON THE FITCH WEBSITE. Contact: Fitch Ratings Primary Analyst Joyce Fargas, +1 212-908-0824 Director Fitch Ratings, Inc., One State Street Plaza, New York, NY 10004 or Secondary Analyst Tom Kaiser, +1 312-368-3338 Analyst or Committee Chairperson John Bella, Jr., +1 212-908-0243 Managing Director or Media Relations: Sandro Scenga, +1 212-908-0278 firstname.lastname@example.com
Fitch to Rate Nissan Auto Receivables 2013-C Owner Trust; Issues Presale
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Make a Difference – Help Save The World From Brian Williams Style Journalism
Get Involved… Voting is a Must, But Not Enough!
The 2014 Mid-Terms were a sign that Americans are ready for a change and 2016 will define the future of America. So get involved! No more recycles... No more Clintons or Bushs! It is time for some new blood in Washington, D.C.
Reaganesque Sarah Palin is the Key for the GOP in 2016 to both beat Hillary and nullify the Dems' 'carrot' of electing the first female U.S. President!
Run Sarah Run... America Needs You!!
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Palin Power 2014 – We Are Here To Save A Country
Run Sarah Run –> Join the Palin-Cruz 2016 Movement
Real Change… Checkout:
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- Watcher's Council Nominations – Temper Tantrum Edition
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- The Council Has Spoken!! Our Watcher's Council Results 03.20.15
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Tag Archives: true meaning of Christmas
Simpler Times…
A Groetzmeier Christmas The 1950's and early 1960's were simpler times allowing holidays, family traditions and church to take their full and proper place in the hearts and minds of children, leaving fond and enduring memories for a lifetime. Although … Continue reading
The Digital Story of Nativity… Very Creative
Digital Story of the Nativity Video: The Digital Story of Nativity… Very Creative http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZrf0PbAGSk Related Posts: Thousands Rally to Save Nativity Scene Ben Stein on Christmas Animal Nativity Adopt a Pet This Christmas… Or Give Someone a New Friend … Continue reading
Posted in Fun, Holidays, Joy, Spirituality, Thoughts ..., Tradition Tagged animals, Christianity, Christmas, God, Internet, Merry Christmas, Nativity, pets and holidays, religion, traditions, true meaning of Christmas, War on Christmas Leave a comment


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December 31, 1980 MEMORANDUM FOR: GABRIEL GILLOTTI REGIONAL ADMINISTRATOR ATTN: LAWRENCE E. GROMACHEY ASSISTANT REGIONAL ADMINISTRATOR THRU: JOHN B. MILES ACTING FIELD COORDINATOR FROM: BRUCE HILLENB
November 13, 1981 Mr. E. E. Jones Secretary Southern Pine Inspection Bureau 4709 Scenic Highway Pensacola, Florida 32504 Dear Mr. Jones: This is in response to your letter of October 22, 1981, concer
October 24, 1983 Mr. Richard C. Corbin Universal Tank & Iron Workers, Inc. P. O. Box 31156 Indianapolis, Indiana 46231 Dear Mr. Corbin: This is in response to your letter of August 30, 1983, addresse
October 4, 1989 Mr. K.W. Ludwig Hercules Aerospace Company Aerospace Products Group Bacchus Works Magna, Utah 84044-0098 Dear Mr. Ludwig: In reply to your letter of September 27, 1989, we concur with
March 18, 1982 MEMORANDUM FOR: JAMES J. CONCANNONDIRECTOR, OFFICE OF VARIANCE DETERMINATION THROUGH: DONALD A. SHAYDIRECTOR, OFFICE OF COMPLIANCE PROGRAMMING FROM: JOHN K. BARTOCHIEF, DIVISION OF OCC
1983 - 10/13/1983 - A free standing scaffold shall be considered safe when the total height is equal to or less than four times the minimum or least base dimension.
October 13, 1983 Dear Mr. Budd: This is in response to your letter of September 28, 1983, concerning a possible misinterpretation of our scaffold standards. 29 CFR 1926.451(d)(7) requires the scaffol
1984 - 07/24/1984 - Wire rope and/or cable as a method of perimeter protection for a building under construction.
July 24, 1984 Mr. B. J. Newton Territory Safety Coordinator Turner Construction Company 55 West Monroe Street Chicago, Illinois 60603 Dear Mr. Newton: This is in response to your letter of June 29, c
September 12, 1985 MEMORANDUM FOR: JOHN B. MILES, JR., Director Directorate of Field Operations FROM: LINDA R. ANKU Regional Administrator SUBJECT: Fall Protection for Employees Engaged in Erecting o
September 30, 1985 Mr. D. Victor Saleeby Executive Vice President Scaffold Industry Association 14039 Sherman Way Van Nuys, California 91405 Dear Mr. Saleeby: This is in response to your letter of Se
1986 - 09/05/1986 - Testing requirements for the power units or manually operated winches of single-point adjustable suspension scaffolds.
September 5, 1986 Mr. J. Thomas Wolner R & D Engineer D B Industries, Inc. Post Office Box 46 Red Wing, Minnesota 55066 Dear Mr. Wolner: This is in response to your letter of August 20, 1986, concern
January 31, 1992 Mr. Daniel Zarletti Director, Risk Management Brand Scaffold Services, Inc. 1480 Renaissance Drive Park Ridge, Illinois 60068 Dear Mr. Zarletti: This is in response to your November
June 24, 1992 John Palmer, Director Scaffold Training Institute 1706 Center Street Deer Park, Texas 77536-0067 Dear Mr. Palmer: This is in response to your April 6 letter requesting a clarification o
August 3, 1992 MEMORANDUM FOR: JOHN B. MILES, JR. REGIONAL ADMINISTRATOR LEO CAREY, DIRECTOR OFFICE OF FIELD PROGRAMS FROM: PATRICIA K. CLARK, DIRECTOR DIRECTORATE OF COMPLIANCE PROGRAMS SUBJECT: Spe
February 16, 1993 Mr. Mark W. Monson Manager of Projects Chicagoland Construction Safety Council 4415 W. Harrison St. Suite 403 Hillside, IL 60162 Dear Mr. Monson: This is in response to your Septemb
1994 - 03/18/1994 - Stair units manufactured to be used as an integral part of the welded frame scaffolds system.
March 18, 1994 Mr. Rached N. Karanouh, P.E. Chief Engineer Waco Scaffolding & Equipment 4545 Spring Road Cleveland, Ohio 44131 Dear Mr. Karanouh: This is in response to your January 24 letter in whic
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text: We went for dinner with my family from Holland. Such a great atmosphere, right on the beach. We enjoyed the food very much. Kids were happy with food options for them and then they played on the beach. We could watch them from inside, with a nice glass of wine. We do not eat seafood, but my family... read more


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Increase production and profit with the new Eagle 7500 Wheel Trencher. The heavy duty Eagle 7500 wheel trencher is efficient and well balanced.
The IBG 2K Hybrid-Grouting-System designed by IBG Hydro-Tech rehabilitates lateral pipe joints or lateral connections with the main sewer after cured-in-place pipe lining has been completed.
HammerHead Trenchless Equipment introduced its new epoxy system for the recently released HydraLiner Lateral Lining system.
Doosan is adding more power, performance and speed to the 16-ton excavator market with the iT4 DX140LCR-3. Presenting contractors with an ideal machine for operating in tight quarters, the tail swing radius on the DX140LCR-3 is only 5 feet, which results in a tail swing overhang of just 9 inches over the side of the machine.
To help contractors and municipalities achieve greater precision and efficiency in trenchless sewer infrastructure projects, North American Specialty Products introduces StraightShot, the industry's first restrained-joint PVC pipe with a flush joint.
Kubota's KX018-4 is one of the company's most versatile compact offerings, raising the standard in the 1-2 ton class.
Submar's articulating concrete mats are used primarily for pipeline protection, erosion control and shoreline stabilization.
The new Ditch Witch JT25 is an exceptionally powerful and productive horizontal directional drill designed specifically for the utility contractor.
Deployed on any ¾-inch or 1½-inch jetter hose, the new JetScan is the quick, easy way for a cleaning crew to identify blockages during emergency call-outs, determine what tools and setup to use, and document the outcome of cleaning operations.
Cat hammers are wholly designed, engineered and manufactured by Caterpillar and are an optimum match to Cat carriers.
Copyright Oildom Publishing Company of Texas, Inc. All rights reserved.


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Latest Dysplastic nevus syndrome Stories
2011-12-29 10:32:01
Mutations in the ATM gene may increase the hereditary risk for pancreatic cancer.
2008-06-19 15:00:40
People who know their genetic tests confirm an increased risk of developing melanoma are more proactive in skin cancer screening, U.S. researchers say.
2006-08-24 14:28:32
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - A detailed questionnaire and a brief examination appear useful in identifying people at high risk of melanoma, researchers report.
2005-06-20 22:18:37
Despite campaigns promoting early detection and increased awareness of melanoma (skin cancer) the proportion of the most aggressive and deadly form of melanoma remains the same, according to an article in the June issue of Archives of Dermatology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
Word of the Day
- Large; stout; burly.
The word 'bowerly' is an alteration of 'burly'.


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State aid: Commission authorises temporary Finnish scheme to grant limited amounts of aid of up to €15,000 to farmers
The European Commission authorised a Finnish scheme with a budget of €22 million which aims at supporting farmers in Finland who encounter difficulties as a result of the current economic crisis.
Rencontre entre le Président français, M. Nicolas Sarkozy, et le Commissaire européen à l'Agriculture, M. Dacian Cioloş
A l'invitation du Président de la République française, M. Nicolas Sarkozy, le Commissaire européen à l'Agriculture et au Développement rural, M. Dacian Cioloş, était à Paris, le 20 mai. Lors de cette rencontre, Nicolas Sarkozy et Dacian Cioloş, ainsi que le Ministre français de l'Agriculture, M. Bruno Le Maire, ont évoqué la réforme de la Politique agricole commune après 2013, le secteur du lait et les relations internationales.
During his visit to Poland, Commissioner Cioloş pleaded for a more understandable Common Agricultural Policy
The importance of identifying the future aims and objectives for the future Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) before discussing the levels of funding that might apply was the recurring message given by EU Agriculture & Rural Development Commissioner, Dacian Cioloş in a visit to Warsaw on May 10-11.
Food valley – something to be proud of
'It is clear that quality products are the best part of European agriculture to promote in the world', according to EU Commissioner for Agriculture & Rural Development Dacian Cioloş. Speaking at the end of a 2-day visit to Parma (May 7-9), he concluded that "we should be proud of this 'food valley', where the best of our quality production traditions are being combined with modern marketing. It has been a very useful visit ahead of the Commission proposals on quality policy, which will be published before the end of the year."