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Extended maintenance of Ruby 1.9.3 ended on February 23, 2015. Read more
UDP/IP address information used by Socket.udp_server_loop.
remote_adress is an Addrinfo
local_adress is an Addrinfo
reply_proc is a Proc used to send reply back to the source.
# File socket/lib/socket.rb, line 670 def initialize(remote_address, local_address, &reply_proc) @remote_address = remote_address @local_address = local_address @reply_proc = reply_proc end
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In Jennifer Reeder's 2011 short film "And I Will Rise If Only to Hold You Down," two groups of people — a married couple in the midst of a split and a teenage girl and her best friend bonding before a school dance — struggle to come to terms with the dynamics of their relationships. But while the onscreen tension can sometimes feel suffocating, the score, crafted by Columbus native Casey Cooper, often functions as a pressure release valve, providing an airy counterpoint to the movie's weighty happenings.
Cooper, who is releasing his soundtrack this week as a standalone album titled And I Will Rise, is no stranger to Reeder's work, having previously composed the score to her 2010 short "Seven Songs About Thunder." This time around, however, he said he approached the assignment with a better understanding of what he hoped to accomplish.
"I think the first time I fell into a few clichés, like, 'This scene is tense. Let's do something tense with the music!'" said Cooper, 32, who also plays in prog-pop duo The Receiver alongside his older brother Jesse. "With this one, I wanted to write things that enhanced the viewing experience, but didn't get in the way. I wasn't trying to steal the show. I was just trying to support the film."
Many of the same qualities that drive his band's music bleed over into Cooper's film score, which is equal parts pretty and somber and dreamy, with piano-driven tracks like "It Glows" evoking the feel of stars being born in some distant galaxy. Like Philip Seymour Hoffman's understated performance in "Owning Mahowny," there's little flashy about the material, yet the collected work still manages to worm its way undetected into the listener's subconscious.
"I think I paid a little more attention when I was watching movies, or even commercials, and the things that moved me were the things you almost didn't notice," said Cooper, who graduated from Ohio State in 2004 with a degree in composition. "Everybody always says that about [The Receiver's] music, like, 'Oh, man, this would be great for commercials or movies.' And I see that, because … it's not very in-your-face, and it doesn't demand your attention."
Cooper hasn't always been so content to blend into the background. In fact, when he joined his brother's band Lucid's Dream for a handful of shows in the late '90s, filling in for a bassist who skipped town to attend a music festival, he was convinced rock stardom was all but inevitable.
"When [Jesse] asked me to play bass I thought, 'That's it dude, I might not even need to go to college now!'" he said, and laughed. "That was pretty short-lived, but I really thought I had made it."
Photo by Meghan Ralston

subset: commoncrawl


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Lighting fixtures as visual statements.
Ribbons Afloat
The Graffiti six-light island ($2,385) from Corbett Lighting, with a smoked crystal diffuser, handcrafted iron, and a silver leaf and polished stainless finish, defies gravity in the most stylish way. Acme Lighting, Jupiter (561-746-7191, acmelightingshowroom.com)
Up Light
Rethink lighting with Baccarat's Jallum candle light ($2,950), powered by rechargeable batteries and perfect for indoor and outdoor use. (800-215-1300, us.baccarat.com)
Nambé's contemporary Wind table lamp ($275), which tilts 15 degrees, is sure to leave guests perplexed and envious. Neiman Marcus, Palm Beach (561-805-6127, neimanmarcus.com)
Color Cause
Enliven a contemporary room with the colorful Orbital floor lamp ($2,026) from Foscarini. Switch Modern (404-605-0196, switchmodern.com)
Different Strokes
The Tilda wood and iron chandelier ($1,890) from Arteriors Home is guaranteed to be a conversation starter. Excentricities, North Palm Beach (561-845-3250, excentricities.com)
All About Shape
The understated Roslyn table lamp with crystal ($1,063) by Hudson Valley Lighting adds a geometric note. Capitol Lighting, Boca Raton (561-994-9570, 1800lighting.com)
Ensconced in Style
Add understated flair to a space with the Jonathan Adler Havana half-wall sconce ($195). (800-963-0891, jonathanadler.com)


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Just wanted to say hello, and introduce myself. A couple of years ago I asked myself why I didn't like tea when so much of the worlds population enjoyed it.
The answer was simple. Lipton tea laced with sugar, lemon or honey was our moms answer to the common cold. Yuk! So I decided to visit a tea shop an hours drive away. The owners were nice enough to treat me to a chinese tea ceremony using an Oolong with the most incredible aroma and taste. What an awakening! I walked out with a bunch of tea and equiptment, and have been hooked ever since.
I discovered this group, and after reading alot of the posts realized it was my lucky day, and joined. I look foward to enjoying myself, and if I can ever be of help, just let me know.


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Skip to comments.Iranian Alert -- May 24, 2004 [EST]-- IRAN LIVE THREAD -- "Americans for Regime Change in Iran"
Posted on 05/23/2004 9:36:40 PM PDT by DoctorZIn
The US media almost entirely ignores news regarding the Islamic Republic of Iran. As Tony Snow of the Fox News Network has put it, this is probably the most under-reported news story of the year. Most Americans are unaware that the Islamic Republic of Iran is NOT supported by the masses of Iranians today. Modern Iranians are among the most pro-American in the Middle East.
There is a popular revolt against the Iranian regime brewing in Iran today. I began these daily threads June 10th 2003. On that date Iranians once again began taking to the streets to express their desire for a regime change. Today in Iran, most want to replace the regime with a secular democracy.
The regime is working hard to keep the news about the protest movement in Iran from being reported. Unfortunately, the regime has successfully prohibited western news reporters from covering the demonstrations. The voices of discontent within Iran are sometime murdered, more often imprisoned. Still the people continue to take to the streets to demonstrate against the regime.
In support of this revolt, Iranians in America have been broadcasting news stories by satellite into Iran. This 21st century news link has greatly encouraged these protests. The regime has been attempting to jam the signals, and locate the satellite dishes. Still the people violate the law and listen to these broadcasts. Iranians also use the Internet and the regime attempts to block their access to news against the regime. In spite of this, many Iranians inside of Iran read these posts daily to keep informed of the events in their own country.
This daily thread contains nearly all of the English news reports on Iran. It is thorough. If you follow this thread you will witness, I believe, the transformation of a nation. This daily thread provides a central place where those interested in the events in Iran can find the best news and commentary. The news stories and commentary will from time to time include material from the regime itself. But if you read the post you will discover for yourself, the real story of what is occurring in Iran and its effects on the war on terror.
I am not of Iranian heritage. I am an American committed to supporting the efforts of those in Iran seeking to replace their government with a secular democracy. I am in contact with leaders of the Iranian community here in the United States and in Iran itself.
If you read the daily posts you will gain a better understanding of the US war on terrorism, the Middle East and why we need to support a change of regime in Iran. Feel free to ask your questions and post news stories you discover in the weeks to come.
If all goes well Iran will be free soon and I am convinced become a major ally in the war on terrorism. The regime will fall. Iran will be free. It is just a matter of time.
Iran dismisses Chalabi spy charges
TEHRAN: US allegations that Iraqi politician Ahmed Chalabi spied for Iran are unfounded and designed to divert attention from Washingtons problems in Iraq, the Iranian foreign ministry said on Sunday.
These espionage allegations are obviously lacking any foundations, ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi told reporters.
The Americans are trying to cover up their massive problems, owing to their political unilateralism and their refusal to listen to the opinions of others.
The United States is investigating accusations that Iraqi Governing Council member and former Pentagon favourite Chalabi passed sensitive information to Iran, a US official said on Friday.
There is evidence Ahmed Chalabi passed sensitive information to Iran and an investigation is ongoing, a US official said.
A furious Chalabi, who was once considered a Washington favourite to become a post-war leader of Iraq, said he had broken ties with the US-led coalition authorities and has denied the spying allegations as bilge.
Iran does not need us to get information on the United States, he said. Washington and Tehran severed diplomatic ties in 1980 after the Islamic revolution in
Asefi also sent sent a formal warning to the United States over American policy in neighbouring Iraq, as he branded Washington immoral and deceitful.
The situation in Iraq is serious and this is why we have addressed the necessary warning, he told a press conference.
Washington has no diplomatic relations with Tehran and the warning the first to be made public at least since the Iraq war began was passed by diplomatic channels through the Swiss embassy here, which represents US interests in Iran. We want several things for Iraq, the most important of which are the departure of the occupation forces as quickly as possible and the restitution of authority to the Iraqi people themselves, Asefi said.
The United States accuses Iran of influencing Iraqs own Shiite majority to destabilise the country, and allowing foreign fighters to cross its borders into Iraq.
Asefi also insisted that the Peoples Mujahedeen, the main armed opposition organisation to the Islamic republic, be expelled from Iraq, where they have been held in a base under US guard.
They should already have been expelled from Iraq, though they are still under American protection, Assefi said.
What we see here is the hypocrisy and immoral approach of the Americans. Asefi said the situation in Iraq had changed following the torture of prisoners by US troops and attacks on the holy places.
Meanwhile, an AFP journalist witnessed demonstrators attempting to storm the British embassy in Tehran on Sunday clashed with riot police guarding the building in the fourth such incident in a week.
Some 400 Islamist students pelted stones at the embassy, demanding the withdrawal of British forces from Iraq and the expulsion of the British ambassador from Iran. Hundreds of police formed a cordon around the embassy to stop the demonstrators approaching. Agencies
Wedding Guests Spark Iran Protest
May 23, 2004
Agence France-Presse
From Correspondents in Tehran
Iran has protested to Spain over the presence of two members of its ousted imperial family at the royal wedding in Madrid. "Inviting people like them who are banned by the Iranian people is not an appropriate gesture," foreign ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi said.
The late shah's wife, Farah Diba, and son Reza Pahlavi joined some 1600 invited guests in the Spanish capital.
"These individuals have no place, not only among our people, but among all peoples of the world," Mr Asefi said.
"The Spanish will eventually realise that these two guests represent nobody at such ceremonies."
Some 30 reigning monarchs attended the marriage of Crown Prince Felipe and divorced former journalist Letizia Ortiz in Madrid's Almudena Cathedral.
The late shah fled Iran at the outset of the 1979 Islamic revolution. He died in exile in Egypt the following year.
Iran Chides Spain for Hosting Iranian Royals
May 23, 2004
Islamic Republic News Agency
Tehran -- Iran sternly admonished Spain Sunday for inviting the son and widow of the defunct shah to the wedding of Crown Prince Felipe.
"Inviting such individuals, who have been banished by the Iranian people, was not a suitable move," Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi told reporters here in a weekly news briefing.
Iran`s embassy in Madrid, he said, had formally protested to the Spanish government for inviting Reza Pahlavi and Farah Diba to the wedding.
"These individuals have no place not only among our people, but among other people around the world and the Spaniards will realize later that the individuals invited are not used as delegates in any such ceremonies," Asefi added.
Crown Prince Felipe married former television presenter Letizia Ortiz Saturday amid tight security in the wake of the March 11 train bombings, which killed 191 people.
The 36-year-old heir to the crown exchanged vows with Letizia, a 31-year-old divorcee, before 1,400 guests at the Roman Catholic Almudena Cathedral.
There were reports of protests held before wedding, including by several hundred republicans who staged a parody of a wedding and chanted sloagans "Tomorrow Spain will be a republic!".
According to AFP, the protest passed off without incident under the watchful eye of a large police presence.
Another grouping, the news agency said, denounced this `waste of money`.
Iran`s `Peacock Throne` was overthrown following the 1979 Islamic Revolution, which was led by late Imam Khomeini and forced Mohammad Reza Pahlavi to flee.
He died one and a half years later after being denied asylum by one after another government, including by his own closest ally -- the United States.
U.S.-Iranian 'Wrestling Diplomacy' Takes a Knock
May 23, 2004
TEHRAN -- Iranian wrestlers will boycott a pre-Olympic bout with arch-foe the United States in protest at its actions in Iraq, Iran's wrestling federation said Sunday, putting a stranglehold on hopes of sporting rapprochement.
Wrestling has an ancient pedigree in Iran and is one of the country's most popular sports. Iranian wrestlers are tipped for medals at the Athens Olympics in August.
Iranian Wrestling Federation spokesman Majid Rajabi said Iran would not be sending a team to the Titan Games in Atlanta because of fighting around Shi'ite Muslim holy sites in Iraq.
"Iran's wrestling federation decided yesterday to refuse to attend...in protest at the disrespect to the holy shrines and the continued occupation of Iraq by U.S. and British forces," he said, adding that the Iranian team had obtained U.S. visas.
After coming to power in 1997, reformist President Mohammad Khatami hailed sporting ties as a way to build trust with the United States.
The notion of "wrestling diplomacy" seemed to bear fruit in 1998 when the Stars and Stripes greeted the U.S. team in Iran in what was believed to be the flag's first outing since the two nations severed diplomatic relations in 1980.
Mohammad Reza Taleghani, president of the Iranian Wrestling Federation, has been quoted in Iranian media as saying he felt a shared passion for wrestling could nurture a rapprochement between the political sparring partners.
The U.S. Olympic Committee Web site hailed the Titan games as a perfect opportunity for the world's burliest wrestling trio -- the United States, Georgia and Iran -- to measure their strength against each other in the run-up to Athens.
"Iran, which will be competing with the U.S. for the fourth time in the last eight years, has a great rivalry on the mats in the U.S.," the Web site said.
The bouts, according to the site, had been scheduled for June 18-20.
U.S.-Iranian wrestling matches have always been tricky to organize, with the U.S. team nervy about security in Iran and one Iranian team incensed that it was fingerprinted in Chicago.
Iran's most treasured sporting encounter with the so-called "Great Satan" was a 2-1 victory in the 1998 soccer World Cup, which sparked delirious street celebrations.
Hoover organizes controversial closed door meeting on Iran
SMCCDI (Information Service)
May 23, 2004
The US based "Hoover Foundation" organized, on Friday, a very controversial closed door meeting on Iran in the Californian City of San Francisco. It is beleived that elements, at the Hoover Foundation, are intending to promote some very questionnable individuals as the future alternative of the sham "reforms from within the frame of the theocratic system".
The main organizer of the gathering has been reported as to be Abbas Milani a Historian-Writer, Teacher and member of Hoover.
The main guests of this gathering were several Iranians who some of them have a very dark past and were part of the bloody repression in Iran, such as, the so-called open minded "reformist or Lutherian" Abdol-Karim Soroush who was the head of the repressive Islamic Cultural Revolution in the early 80s. Several students and teachers were killed by Soroush agents, in Tehran and Ahwaz, and thousands of others were purged from Iranian Universities.
Some of the other guests were Shrin Ebadi, Azam Taleghani and Simin Behbahani. It's to note that while Ebadi is known by many Iranians as the "new mouthpiece of the regime's Islamist reformers", Azam Taleghani is known as a very backwarded women who has a dark record of repressive actions in the first years of the Islamic revolution.
The only astonishing point is the participation of Simin Behbani, a poet, who was till now known for her integrity and opposition to the regime.
The news of the presence of Behbahani, in the closed door panel of San Francisco, and her future participation beside the controversial Shirin Ebadi in the May 27th gathering of IAPAC in WDC, is so astonishing that forced Hossein Mohri of KRSI to censor these two informations in his today's Radio program.
Mohri who's more of an 50-80s ideologist than a genuine wise journalist, most likely feared to report all the information for his auditors who are already angered by Ebadi and the work of the regime's well known apologists, such as, Nemazee and Ghahary the two main founders of IAPAC. It's to note that Mohri who's also subject to sharp critisism, made by many Iranians, has promoted individuals which were later used, by some circles in order to promote the baseless theory of "possibility of reforming the regime".
In this line, Mohri can be named as the main responsible for the promotion of questionnable individuals, such as, Kazem Alamdari, Nayereh Tohidi, Ahmad Karimi-Hakak, Abbas Milani and Ali Keshtgar who some of them are former members of leftist terrorist groups or their supporters. These individuals who most of them have close friendship with Mohri, since before the 1979 revolution, were pulled off from dark by the latter and promoted as credible individuals for thousands of unaware auditors.
Ex-hostage-taker named chief of Iran TV
AP - World News
May 23, 2004
TEHRAN -- Iran's supreme leader on Sunday appointed a former captor in the 1979 hostage crisis as the head of state-run radio and television.
Conservative Ezzatollah Zarghami, 45, was promoted by Ayatollah Ali Khamenei from his post as deputy head of the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting.
Zarghami was among militant students who overran the U.S. Embassy in Tehran and held 52 embassy staffers hostage for 444 days in 1979.
Zarghami joined Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards as a senior officer in the early 1980s and served for a decade there.
IRIB enjoys a monopoly over Iranian broadcasting. It has 12 domestic television and radio channels and offers radio programs in 25 languages, including Arabic and Hebrew.
Khamenei appoints the head of IRIB and other key officials.
Idiots' Regime!
Isn't that interesting, especially when further down this is posted: "TEHRAN: US allegations that Iraqi politician Ahmed Chalabi spied for Iran are unfounded and designed to divert attention from Washingtons problems in Iraq, the Iranian foreign ministry said on Sunday.
These espionage allegations are obviously lacking any foundations, ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi told reporters.
The Americans are trying to cover up their massive problems, owing to their political unilateralism and their refusal to listen to the opinions of others.
Umm-Ummm! Baghdad Bob is apparently alive and well and so is every TV camera from CNNABCCBSNBC France, Germany and the BBC in Iraq reporting in the grand old style of BB and people like spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi...freedom just isn't their style, however it is the style of the Iraqi people and the Iraian folks. It isn't the Americans who are trying to cover up stuff; it is the media and the socialists in this country. Socialists encourage oppression, they don't want success for Iraq, Iran or any countries where people must live in constant suppression. Crazy world, ain't it? Freedom and liberty, law and order are such wonderful entities.
II. What is the Wealth of Societies?
Adam Smith's Wealth of Nations is the most important book in history, which has been written about the *wealth* of human societies. It is interesting that at the start of his work, he compares the hunter societies with the pasturing societies, that have domesticated animals, and writes that the latter can accumulate its product, and for the product, he gives the example of cattle. In fact, the difference of a wild deer and a domesticated cow is in the latter being controllable, and ultimately with the guarantee of law and state, can be owned as property.
The same way, intellectual property, such as inventions, or software, in countries where the rights are secured by the state, is different from free thought and science, and can be controlled and owned, and thus is representative of wealth of a society.
Adam Smith's book was published the year America's Declaration of Independence was written. At that time, the main form of wealth, even in Europe and America, was still landed property. But Smith correctly realized that factory ownership was the future wealth of the world. In cities, this wealth, either grew in relation to the agricultural regions around the city, or in case of cities on the shores of the seas, connections to the foreign trade, were the guarantee for the growth of wealth of the cities.
Today the first case, meaning the new economy benefiting from the needs of the adjacent industries of the past, has been the basis of growth of post-industrial economies in the West. In other countries like Japan, new economy essentially has grown in connection to the global economy. For example, in the recent two decades, economies of India and Singapore were the best examples of this kind of post-industrial development.
It is interesting to note that India's economy was able to seriously grow, when India's government took the securing of Intellectual Property rights very seriously, and companies like Wipro in India, have even done a better job than their Western counterparts, in securing these legal rights for their customers. Ten years ago, in a professional engineering management position at Adaptec, I had an engineering development office in Bangalore, where I used Wipro's services, and they would keep various operations of companies like Adaptec and Tandem, thoroughly shielded from each other, and used separate staffing and other resources, even when doing similar projects in the same building.
Let me return to the discussion, what is the wealth of Iranian society and what will it be into the future? It is true that until a serious alternative to oil is created, the main wealth of Iran is its oil reserves. But the essential issue for Iranian society is creating new wealth, and even the distribution of wealth, should be mainly in the framework of creating new wealth, and not redistributing the old wealth.
Why Adam Smith, in his discussion of Wealth of Nations, starts with *division of labor* in the industrial society, and states that agricultural production could not easily be subject to division of labor, and why in contrast, he emphasizes, that factory production, in his time, which was a young production, had already divided into thousands of parts. I think he wants to understand and move with the future trend of wealth building, in other words the dividing of work and the plenitude of the parts, meant the ownership of greater number of parts, and thus was a representative of the expansion of industrial property. If the growth of industrial society was measurable with the growth of division of labor, in our times, the post-industrial development, is exactly measured by the degree of expansion of intellectual property, and the number of registered inventions is a good indicator for this expansion, and this is the subject to consider whether in relation to production of wealth or its distribution,
In my paper on Post-Anthropocentric Production, I noted that molecular production, which basically does not need human activity as a tool, will be the main way of production in the future. And a country like Iran will not be able to compete with post-anthropocentric production in the world, in the global economy, using old anthropocentric production. Therefore, post-industrial production for creating wealth in Iran is as important in Iran as in the U.S., and the competition will be on the best inventions and their growth, and the cornerstone of value of such production is none other than the intellectual property of the processes involved.
It is interesting that today, India and Singapore have started doing many *basic* projects which were previously possible only in the West. Thus it is apparent that such production endeavors for the developing countries are not only possible, but are the key to their future success, and in fact, these productions, will be the main source of wealth in Futurist Iran.
III- Social Justice
The capitalist and socialist approach to social justice will not work for future Iran, and neither will any middle road between the two, such as social-democracy. And obviously the return to the past has lost for a long time. One has to go forward beyond the capitalist and socialist solutions
a. Those who think social justice in the post-industrial economy is not an issue of Iran, and think they can use capitalism as the solution for Iran, in effect are offering the capitalist solutions of the kind of privatizations of IRI, and will be quickly defeated in competition with the West, and will end up in protectionism, and ultimately will again cause the distancing of Iran from the global economy, this time in the framework of a private economy.
b. The dream of socialists who want distribution of wealth of industrial society, in the world of today, and are thus promoting a state economy, in practice will scare the foreign investors from investing in Iran, because of the state privileges. Moreover, internally, corruption and misuse, as it has been tested over and over again in socialist countries, will paralyze Iran's economy.
If in the developed countries, the achievements of socialist movements within capitalist systems, have created adjustments like welfare state and social rights, in Iran, even such systems do not exist, and moreover, the new development, will not be gradual like the Western democracies, and in practice, similar to the experience of countries like Zimbabwe, such plans can oscillate the country from one of these two scenarios to the other, and the result will be nothing but the destruction of society.
In other words the old capitalist and socialist solutions, or mixtures of the two in programs of social-democracy, are not a solution, rather are repetition of the same defeated vicious circles of the past, even though the issue of social justice, is an inseparable part of post-industrial development plan for Iran, and without an effective plan of social justice, no development plan can be successful in Iran.
In my opinion, with regards to social justice in Iran, the following points should be considered:
1.The state to spend its resources on supporting the educational institutions to create multitude of new inventions in the next 10 years.
This way Iran can reach an acceptable level relative to its size and population, in this regard, to be able to compete in the global economy.
2. A property-owning economy be accepted as the main form of economy in Iran with the necessary exponential taxes.
As I noted in Is Socialism More just? , the panacea of socialism has a lot of attraction among Iranian intellectuals:
"We are talking about a country that people have hardly paid any taxes and the state has always been the biggest owner and has owned the oil industry which is 90% of all the revenue -generating capital that the country owns and the state has been paying the citizens and not the taxpayers paying the state. So it is a pretty tough undertaking, to plan a property-owning democracy for Iran, and wanting to build-in justice into that system. Whereas in the eyes of the leftist intellectuals, there is a shortcut of socialism where one can just make the ownership of the means of production to be public, and social justice to follow. Easy and quick panacea to all the social ills in one easy shot.
"Regardless of how democratic liberal socialism to be, it will end up with small part of society to control the economy as had been seen by the elites in the socialist countries. Because they are the ones who will represent the productive assets and lack of ownership in the means of production means that such small elites *are* the owners. In contrast, the property-owning democracy avoids this, by ensuring the widespread ownership of productive assets and human capital, and this is why equal opportunity as well as political liberties are supported to make the system fair.
"In fact, to maximize the minimum of the basic needs in society that John Rawls emphasizes in his book Theory of Justice in 1971, and his venture into enlightened self-interest are beyond the current Western societies. He always notes that for fairness, the 'greatest benefit of the least-advantaged members of society' is to be guaranteed. In other words supporting the first principle, meaning political liberties, and ensuring to maximize the social minimum, does not mean to stop the motivation for activity, which is killed in the socialist societies of even the Swedish type, because is is achieved here, thru the second principle of justice, i.e. equal opportunity, and not by charity."
In sum, the property-owning economy, more than a property-less economy, has the capacity to establish social justice, but the issue of income from national mutual fund alongside income from work, and a proper tax system, are the key issues for social justice that I note below:
3. To use a plan like the Nation Mutual Fund for Iran's oil industry, as proposed by Mr. Ahmad Taghvai and Dr. Hossein Bagherzadeh.
4. To consider a Welfare System, as I have described in A Futurist Viewpoint in 1989, using Albus's model of a National Mutual Fund and not the government.
As noted in Post-Anthropocentric Production , "if the worldwide need for human labor drops, people in all countries, whose income is based on human labor as an intelligent tool in manufacturing or agriculture, will lose their source of income, and their lives will be directly impacted by such changes."
It is important to note that the welfare system that is being proposed, is a *non-governmental* pension fund, but it is for all people of all ages and this way the minimum income of the society will be maximized, by owners of shares of this pension, and this income, will be independent of the citizen's income from work. This plan, by creating an income, separate from work, for all people, will reduce the human damages of the economic change as the society moves towards a post-industrial production.
As we know, someone like the singer Britney Spears, or soccer player Ali Dai, or a successful software developer, may end up with millions of dollars of income from their work, whereas others in similar profession may have no income from their work, because the work of the former have been recognized as *best*. I have discussed this issue in details in Knowledge Economy & Social Justice.
Should the above differences be removed? I do not think that should be the goal, because that way the incentive for creating intellectual property will vanish, and the result will be like the slaves in the U.S., who basically had incentive for consuming more and working less. In fact, at the time of Abraham Lincoln in the U.S. of 1862, The Homestead Act was done to create the incentive for property, in opposition to the Southern states of slavery, and it was successful and was continued till 1976, and even halting it 100 years later, was because no more land was left for such plan. Therefore, if today, a similar plan, for granting the rights of individual inventions of educational and government entities, to the inventors themselves, is executed, for example within a time period like the 5 years of Homestead act, that was the time allowed for building a house and cultivating the land, such a plan can become a strong incentive for entrepreneurial activity.
In other words, my intention is not to prevent income from work, but it is to create appropriate laws for taxation, and also suitable laws for companies to give shares to their employees, companies that produce these kinds of intellectual property. And this way an increase of wealth and a fairer and more just distribution of wealth will be resulted. Perhaps it would be right to set aside a portion of the shares of these companies, at the time of them going public, to be allocated to the whole profession, to help the activity of the members of that profession who have less income. I have extensively discussed the formation of value in new economy in A Theory of Uniqueness Value and those same criteria should be used to determine the exponential taxing of this income
The issue of production and distribution of wealth in future Iran cannot be solved by the programs of capitalism or socialism, and the post-anthropocentric production of post-industrial societies, have as much significance for Iran's future economy, as for the U.S Economy. Working for molecular prodcution, development of intellectual property in the universities governmental private firms, and NGOs, and creating a welfare system based on national mutual funds, are the type of work needed for production and distribution of wealth in future Iran
Hoping for a Futurist, Federal, Democratic, and Secular Republic in Iran
This Sam Ghandchi sounds like a REAL SOCIALIST!
Thanks Doc.
I appreciate the news.
Iran admits regular contact with Chalabi
The Guardian
Monday May 24, 2004
Julian Borger in Washington and James Sturcke
The strange decline in relations between the US military and its one-time Iraqi ally, Ahmad Chalabi, took a new twist yesterday when Iran admitted having had regular dialogue with the former Pentagon favourite. The authorities in Tehran - and Mr Chalabi - were quick to deny suggestions that he had handed US secrets to Iran.
But an Iranian foreign ministry spokesman, Hamid Reza Asefi, told reporters that Tehran had maintained "continuous and permanent dialogue with Chalabi and other members of the Iraqi governing council". He added that spying charges were "unfounded and baseless".
Mr Chalabi, the leader of the Iraqi National Congress, said the accusation that he leaked secrets to Iraq's neighbour was a "smear" orchestrated by the CIA director, George Tenet.
Mr Chalabi, whose fall from grace with the Bush administration was symbolised by a raid on his Baghdad home and office last Thursday, appeared on a string of US news programmes to denounce the espionage allegations against him and his intelligence chief, Aras Karim.
"We never provided any classified information from the US to Iran - neither I nor anyone in the INC," he told CNN. "That is a charge being put out by George Tenet. I say let him bring all his charges, all his documents. We will bring all our charges and all our documents to the US Congress, and let Congress have hearings and resolve this issue."
He said Mr Karim, who is being sought by the Iraqi police, would also give sworn testimony to Congress.
Today's edition of Time magazine reports that US officials are being investigated for passing state secrets illegally to the INC, and that US intelligence has "hard" evidence that Mr Chalabi met a senior officer of Iran's ministry of intelligence and security in Iraq.
Anti-war sentiment has been simmering in Iran, particularly with the US attacks on Shia holy sites in Iraq, and yesterday some 500 protesters rallied for the fourth time in little over a week outside the British embassy in Tehran.
The crowd of mostly hardliners threw firecrackers and tomatoes at the embassy and called for the ambassador, Richard Dalton, to be expelled.
Riot police with batons and shields prevented the students from getting close to the main gate of the embassy. About a dozen people were arrested as police tried to disperse the crowd. About 100 of the demonstrators staged a sit-in in front of the embassy.
The British embassy has been the focus of protests as the US has no diplomatic presence in Iran.
Iran Poll:
Is it true that Iranians are the most pro-American (or least anti-American) people in the Islamic world?
-- No 18.31 % (113)
-- Yes 72.77 % (449)
-- Not Sure 8.91 % (55)
as of 5/24/04
I have read his articles on his own webpage. He is a socialist for sure!
Chalabi: Iran Spy?
By Niles Lathem
New York Post | May 24, 2004
Jordan's King Abdullah fueled the U.S. move against Iraqi leader Ahmed Chalabi by providing bombshell intelligence that his group was spying for Iran, The Post has learned.
An explosive dossier that the Jordanian monarch recently brought with him to White House sessions with President Bush detailed Mafia-style extortion rackets and secret information on U.S. military operations being passed to Iran, diplomats said.
That new information led to the Bush administration's decision to stop its $340,000-a-month payments to Chalabi's Iraqi National Congress and back an aggressive Iraqi criminal probe into his activities.
The file was compiled by Jordan's intelligence service, which has had an interest in Chalabi since the 1990s, when the Iraqi exile leader was convicted in absentia for embezzling millions of dollars.
The scandal stemmed from the collapse of the Bank of Petra, which Chalabi controlled, the diplomatic officials said.
Just months ago, Chalabi had been favored by Bush administration hard-liners as the next leader of Iraq and sat behind First Lady Laura Bush at the State of the Union Address in January.
The Pentagon airlifted Chalabi and members of the INC into Iraq the day after Saddam Hussein fell and gave them prominent roles in the new governing council, in charge of the Finance Ministry and ridding Iraqi government agencies of Saddam's Ba'ath Party.
But the U.S. already felt burned by the INC's involvement in passing on questionable pre-war intelligence on Saddam's weapons of mass destruction.
On Thursday, the relationship came to a bitter end as Iraqi police, backed by U.S. troops and FBI agents, raided Chalabi's palatial Baghdad home and issued arrest warrants for 15 members of the INC.
Officially, the raid was described as part of an Iraqi probe, launched by the Central Criminal Court of Iraq.
Among the charges being pursued is that INC members on the government's "de-Ba'athification committee" instead ran a scheme in which they demanded payoffs from ex-Ba'ath Party members. In return, those Ba'athists were allowed to avoid arrest or to stay off lists the INC was preparing of people banned from jobs in the new Iraqi government, sources said.
Chalabi aides running the new government's Finance Ministry are also accused of ripping off $22 million from the Iraqi Treasury when Iraq issued new currency late last year, U.S. officials said.
King Abdullah's dossier provided critical confirmation of U.S intelligence gathered elsewhere that the INC was playing a double game with Ba'athists and that Chalabi and his security chief were passing sensitive information to Iran.
That was when the Bush administration decided to break all ties with Chalabi, sources said.
Chalabi accused the United States of trying to intimidate him at a time when he is speaking out against the U.S. occupation and threatening to go public with bombshell files on the U.N. oil-for-food scandal.
Yesterday, he called an emergency meeting of the Governing Council seeking to get official condemnation of the raid.
Keep Out of Iran So Long as The Mullahs Reign
May 24, 2004
The News Journal
Jalil Bahar
There is an expectation that if Sen. John Kerry is elected president, relations between the United States and Iran would be restored. Sen. Joseph Biden, senior Democrat on the Foreign Relations Committee, is considered to favor rapprochement.
It is ill-advised. Here are a few reasons why such a policy would be wrong for the United States.
U.S. policy must be based on long-term results. In the long run, Iran will become a democracy. Iranians have good memories. Any rapprochement today will be seen by virtually all Iranians as positive recognition for a brutal and oppressive regime, and reaffirm widely held views that the U.S. government has maintained secret relations with Iran for a long time. When Iranians gain their freedoms, future representative governments will not be pro-American.
Do not be fooled. There is no democracy or goodness within Iran's current theocratic regime. Hundreds of newspapers have been closed down. There are thousands of political prisoners, serious human rights violations and democratic abuses. The mullahs have no real popular support. The United States cannot be a party to oppression. Now is the wrong time to kiss and make up, especially after Iran's sham elections.
It is not an argument to say we're falling behind the Europeans on this. This argument has never held weight in relations with North Korea or Cuba. Britain is widely hated in the Middle East and is seen as the principal architects of all the misery in the region, including the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and puppet sheikdoms in the Persian Gulf. Today, after failure, the British are trying to leverage the United States' vast resources to achieve their own strategic goals.
Consider, for example, 8,200 British troops in Iraq vs. 120,000 American troops -- with the British sitting on about half of Iraq's oil reserves in the south near Basra. The British have pushed the United States to the fore in the Middle East. America is now hated at center stage, not them.
U.S. history and principles are substantially different than Britain's. It stands for liberty and democracy. Do not be fooled. A British push to engage Iran with the United States will serve British interests, not ours. I believe that standing on the side of liberty will in the long run bring larger dividends to America.
The Democratic Party must also differentiate itself from the Republican party, which contrary to President Bush's rhetoric has been quietly reinforcing other regional oppressors for access to oil. Note the re-established dictatorship of Azerbaijan, whose leader was anointed an honorary Texan by Bush; former Communist cronies and presidents for life in Uzbekistan or Tadzhikistan; continued support for the Saudi royals and virtually every other Arab dictatorship.
The Democratic Party must by its actions and rhetoric support real democracy. The Republican strategy of supporting oppressors is a short-term tactic, and plays into all the wrong images of Americans abroad.
Above all, it's simply bad business for our companies to invest in those regions, especially in long pay-back projects like pipelines or oil field projects, signing contracts with governments that have no legitimacy. In this day and age, no force is large enough to arrest liberty anywhere indefinitely. These regimes will fall and oil companies will end up empty-handed. We're better off fixing the political environment first, then investing. And their populations will help us.
Such change will not come by getting close to regimes or pushing for slow evolutionary change. The Iranian regime has been playing good cop/bad cop with the West for more than 26 years. Reality was revealed with the recent sham election, secret nuclear programs, human rights abuses and general oppression.
I believe it is in everyone's interests to bring about immediate change. It can be done by supporting a global embargo of Iranian oil, and freezing all Iranian assets overseas. Such an embargo would give Iranians the confidence to topple Iran's government without engaging American troops.
There is a need to increase oil imports to the United States and substantial growth in demand for oil in the Far East. Central Asia's vast, untapped hydrocarbon reserves will play a significant role in the world's energy supply for decades to come. Demand for oil will begin to outstrip supply within a few years.
Iran sits squarely in the middle of that region. Even if a large pipeline is placed through Afghanistan, or if the Caspian Sea is exploited from its northern shores, or Iraqi oil comes on full force , there will be serious shortcomings on bringing oil to market. The scenario is even bleaker without Iran on natural gas, where elaborate regional trades might be needed into a combined pipeline system. Basically, every play in the region supports Iran's transformation.
With Iran transformed, the region will become an engine driving global economic growth, especially as new refineries, oil rigs and chemical plants are ordered. Prosperity would then yield new hospitals, roadways, airports -- you name it.
The United States must maintain and expand its global presence through decency, fair play, respect and compassion for the people of these nations. With Iran especially, the United States has a debt of decency. Consider President Dwight Eisenhower's CIA-backed coup to eliminate democracy in Iran in 1952; Jimmy Carter's role in deposing the shah and promotion of Islamic militants in 1979; and Ronald Reagan's backroom deals with the militants that delayed the release of hostages to win the 1980 presidential election. Arms sales to both sides extending the Iran-Iraq war, resulting in one million dead and injured.
Iran's mullahs have grown very rich and remain symbols of success for other Islamic militants. The United States cannot support, assist or recognize Iran's theocracy in this age of terrorism by Islamic militants.
Jalil Bahar, a real estate investor in Sussex County, lives in Chester, Md. He retired from the Iranian Foreign Service in 1980 after more than 20 years of service under both the shah and post-revolution government.
Stumbling in the Dark
May 24, 2004
The Guardian
Dan de Luce
Nothing is straightforward in Iran. When the bureaucracy that oversees foreign journalists told me last week I had to leave the country, there was no written order. The department issued different deadlines as to when I had to depart. First I was given a week, then a month, then 72 hours.
I had reported from Bam, three months after a devastating earthquake practically levelled the city, without official permission. Other journalists had filed stories from Bam without approval, but were not punished. I asked for a written decision, and was told that would only make matters worse.
A reform-minded politician tried to intervene. Senior government officials agreed to his request and assured him the ban would be reversed. When an Iranian journalist informed the official that the decision had gone ahead anyway, and that I had flown out of the country, he was shocked. "What kind of country is this?" he asked.
Iran is a country where repression is arbitrary, not systematic as in many other states in the Middle East, and it is not as efficient either. Some laws are never enforced, some murders are never solved and some critics of the regime are left alone while others are locked up. Iranians never know where the boundary is, allowing the "system" plenty of room to manoeuvre as it pleases.
Arbitrariness makes life unpredictable and allows for a degree of debate and political ferment. But sometimes it is merely cruel.
Student leaders have been arrested and released, while some of their followers are kept behind bars indefinitely. Ahmad Batebi fell victim to the whims of the Islamic republic. He held up the bloodstained T-shirt of a fellow student demonstrator, and a photographer captured his gesture on film. A court ruled that Batebi had jeopardised Iran's national security because of that photo, and he has been in jail since 1999 serving a 15-year prison sentence.
Iran's foreign policy is equally contradictory. One arm of the leadership sends out moderate messages, while another allows members of al-Qaida to take refuge in the country. Iranian envoys promise to cooperate with the UN, then inspectors find evidence that Iran has been deceiving the world about its nuclear experiments.
Arbitrary, unwritten rules discourage foreign journalists from venturing into sensitive subject matter. Only a handful of news organisations have managed to secure visas for resident foreign correspondents. Reporting outside the capital, Tehran, often requires elusive written permission, so much of the news coming out of Iran ends up being based on official statements broadcast by the state media. Restrictions on domestic journalists are much more severe, and those who push too far are persuaded not to write what they know or they are imprisoned.
Stifling the flow of information means that the nuances of Iranian society are often obscured to the outside world. Any foreigner who visits Iran is struck by the gap between the reality of Iranian society and the image cultivated by the regime.
The clerical establishment, with its dour state television and interminable political-religious sermons, likes to present a picture of a society dedicated to Islamist militancy. The reality is something else entirely.
The ideological extremism that accompanied the revolution in 1979 has virtually expired, except among a dwindling minority. While Arab regimes have sought to suppress Islamist political movements, militancy was given free reign in Iran. As a result, it has run its course.
Contrary to the fantasies of neo-conservatives, Iran is not on the verge of revolution and, if it was, the US wouldn't be able to orchestrate it. There is no coherent political opposition or leader able to harness public discontent. A significant number of Iranians are profiting from an economic boom and are not ready to risk their livelihood for democracy protests.
If more foreign journalists were allowed to work in Iran, western societies would see that Iran is no longer trying to export its theocracy. It has enough problems of its own now, including an epidemic of drug abuse, and rising inflation and unemployment.
I was ordered to leave the country for three months because I tried to document the anger and frustration of earthquake survivors. It was not unlike similar situations in other countries. There were allegations of mismanagement and suspicions of corruption. By banning journalists from Bam, the authorities merely feed those suspicions.
On my journey out of Iran, the flight attendant was so embarrassed at my expulsion that he gave my wife and me special treatment, saying he wanted our last Iranian experience to be positive.
Too bad the regime won't let more foreign journalists experience the warmth and humour of the Iranian people. And too bad the regime tries so hard to keep the rest of the world, and its own people, in the dark.
· Dan de Luce has been the Guardian correspondent in Iran since January 2003. The ministry of culture and Islamic guidance ordered him to leave Iran for three months
This just in from a student inside of Iran...
There was a conference in Tehran, Yesterday in IRIB compound in north of the city.
A new terrorists theorisian addressed the crowd on vulnerable points that US might have. His name is Hassan Abbasi.
Good to mention that he is a former IRGC commander and he is know the chief of National Security & Strategic reasearch center.
He said that we have found 29 weak points inside the US to start attacks through those points and we gave the details to terrorists group for free.
He added that we cooperate with every regime that has got problem with the US.
He also mentioned that we work hard to destabilize the US in Iraq.
Abbasi continued that the regime also has plans for 6000 Nuke Warheads of the states to explode them in a suitable time."
Iran is One Day Closer to an Atomic Bomb
May 24, 2004
Intellectual Conservative
Hedayat Mostowfi
There are two choices before us: Dealing with the mullahs without an atomic bomb today or dealing with them with an atomic bomb tomorrow.
When you wake up in the morning, remember that the mullahs of Iran are one day closer to an atomic bomb. Days are going by, wasted in negotiations that seem to have no end. Does the world have enough time? No. We don't have the luxury to play hide and seek with the mullahs any more. Tehran is getting closer and closer to the point of no return in its nuclear endeavor.
With all the information about Irans plan of making nuclear weapons, the international community will be as responsible for such a disaster as the mullahs for taking no action when it could.
Are we prepared for the consequences of our appeasement policy toward Tehran? Are we prepared to tell our children and grandchildren that we knew what was coming but we did not do anything about it? Let's face it: There are two choices before us: dealing with the mullahs without an atomic bomb today or dealing with them with an atomic bomb tomorrow.
The U.S. Congress passed a resolution last week to condemn Iran's policy of denial, delay and deception. It demanded that Japan, Russia and the European Union cut trade with Iran. Even Mohammad ElBaradei, the watchdog International Atomic Energy Agency chief, is losing patience and told the French parliament last Thursday that the world would not wait forever for the Islamic republic to divulge the full extent and nature of its nuclear program.
Just last week, Iranian exiles in Brussels revealed that Iran was pursuing two parallel nuclear programs. The public program is used as a camouflage for the main, top secret nuclear project, which works to produce nuclear weapons.
Apparently this top secret nuclear weapons project is being conducted in military bases and under close supervision of Iranian Revolutionary Guards. The same report says that 400 Iranian nuclear scientists working on this project are now being overseen by the Revolutionary Guards to prevent any leak of any kind.
Iran's tactic is to buy more time through more negotiations. It is also demanding that the EU and Russian offer assistance for its nuclear program. The sad part is that Russia and the EU countries such as France, Italy and Germany might actually consider lucrative offers from Iran, as they have done in the past.
Another important tactic by Iran is to get out of the spotlight by cracking fires somewhere else in the world. Iran sent thousands of Revolutionary Guards, intelligence agents and millions of dollars to Iraq to destabilize the country, right on time, when Iran is under immense pressure to come clean for its nuclear power programs.
How long is the world going to tolerate these games from mullahs in Iran?
As the mullahs in Iran are the root of the problem, the world community must severe its ties with Tehran and lend support to the democratic opposition to Tehran. A majority of Iranians displayed their distrust of the mullahs by boycotting the parliamentary elections last February and by frequent protests all over Iran.
Iranians want a UN-monitored referendum on regime change. A free and democratic Iran without mullahs means peace and democracy for the region and a future without fear of terrorism and nuclear proliferation.
The world has to keep the pressure on Iran and not let the issue be overshadowed by developments in Iraq. Iran's dossier has to be sent to the UN Security Council to take effective measures. But no action would be effective in and of itself unless it is coupled with support for a democratic regime in Iran.
Hedayat Mostowfi is the Executive Director for nationwide Committee in Support of Referendum in Iran.
Let Freedom Ring ~ Bump!
Why the psy charge against Chalabi is total nonsense. http://www.nationalreview.com/ledeen/ledeen200405240853.asp
The Ledeen article I cited above and this one by Mylroie show the absurdity of the charge against Chalabi. http://daily.nysun.com/Repository/getmailfiles.asp?Style=OliveXLib:ArticleToMail&Type=text/html&Path=NYS/2004/05/24&ID=Ar01100
Iran bars UN inspectors from military sites
Reuters - World News
May 24, 2004
VIENNA - Several Western diplomats on the board of the U.N. nuclear watchdog accused Iran of barring U.N. inspectors from military sites, though Tehran said the agency was getting full access inside the Islamic republic.
Diplomats who follow the Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said IAEA inspectors had been prevented from inspecting around a dozen workshops at three locations.
"They have yet to allow access to the military sites," one Western diplomat said. "This will probably be the topic of one of the inspection visits" by IAEA officials.
"They (Iranian officials) have been obstructing visits to military sites," said another diplomat, adding U.N. inspectors were being escorted by members of Iran's Revolutionary Guards.
The United States says Iran has two nuclear programmes -- a public one it has declared to the U.N. and a secret one aimed at developing atomic weapons. Tehran rejects this charge, saying its plans are limited to the peaceful generation of electricity.
Iran's ambassador to the United Nations in Vienna, Pirooz Hosseini, denied that the IAEA was facing access problems.
"This is not correct information...from these unnamed diplomats," Hosseini told Reuters, adding that there were "discussions" between Tehran and the U.N. about site access.
"They're not problems. (The IAEA) will have access to the sites they want to visit. Everything is going in a smooth way."
IAEA officials declined comment.
But a third diplomat close to the IAEA said the agency had the right only to what is called "managed access" to sensitive sites, not the "anytime, anywhere" powers U.N. weapons inspectors had in Iraq.
But a fourth Western diplomat said any delays caused by discussion of "managed access" would only deepen suspicions that Iran is hiding something.
"Iran's got to throw open the doors," the diplomat said.
The IAEA began looking closely at Iran after an exiled Iranian opposition group said in August 2002 Tehran was hiding a massive uranium enrichment plant at Natanz and other facilities from the U.N. Iran later declared these sites to the IAEA.
"There's a general hardening of opinion" against Iran on the 35-nation IAEA governing board, the second diplomat said. "The pattern of behaviour suggests they're trying to hide something."
However, he acknowledged there was no hard evidence that Iran was concealing anything, just suspicions.
He said a number of countries wanted IAEA chief Mohamed ElBaradei to criticise Iran's less-than-adequate cooperation in his new report on Iran, due out soon. But he said ElBaradei, concerned about Tehran's reaction, was putting up resistance.
The diplomat close to the IAEA disagreed, saying ElBaradei felt strongly about the importance of the IAEA being objective and would not withhold criticism for fear of anyone's reaction.
The first diplomat said Iran may grant the IAEA inspectors access to the sites right before ElBaradei's report comes out -- so ElBaradei would not need not to mention access problems.
ElBaradei's report will be discussed at a meeting of the IAEA's board of governors beginning on June 14, at which the United States is expected to push hard for a resolution that harshly condemns Iran's nuclear programme.
Iranian FM Cancels Spanish Visit Over Wedding Invite For Shah Family
May 24, 2004
Agence France Presse
MADRID -- Iranian Foreign Minister Kamal Kharazi on Monday cancelled a planned visit to Madrid for talks with Spain's government in protest at the invitation to last weekend's royal wedding of the widow and son of the late shah, Spanish diplomats said.
Kharazi had been due to meet Spanish counterpart Miguel Angel Moratinos, who took office last month when the new Socialist government was sworn in.
"In response to an Iranian request Monday's meeting has been postponed," a Spanish foreign ministry statement said.
Speaking in Brussels on the sidelines of an EU foreign ministers' meeting on the future European constitution, Moratinos played down the significance of the decision by Tehran.
"The king and the royal family have every right and legitimacy to invite whoever they feel is appropriate," he said, quoted by Europa Press.
"For our part we must also have good relations with Iran, and for that reason the meeting will take place in the near future. I do not think this will have major consequences," he said.
The Iranian embassy earlier formally protested over the invitation to the wedding Saturday of Crown Prince Felipe and former journalist Letizia Ortiz of Reza Pahlavi and Farah Diba, son and wife of the late shah, exiled following Iran's 1979 Islamic revolution.
Iran to Get In-law of Supreme Leader as Speaker
May 24, 2004
Sadeq Saba
BBC Regional analyst
The conservatives who dominate Iran's parliament have nominated an academic to be the its first non-clerical speaker since the Islamic revolution.
The politician, Gholam-Ali Haddad-Adel, is also an in-law of Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Conservatives won Iran's controversial general elections in February after thousands of reformist candidates were disqualified from standing.
The new parliament is due to be officially sworn in on Thursday.
Since the Iranian revolution 25 years ago all speakers of parliament have been clerics.
This is an influential position in Iran's power structure and the ruling clergy never trusted anybody outside their own ranks to assume it.
But times are changing and now there is a new generation of conservatives who are as dedicated to the Islamic system of government as the official custodians of religion themselves.
The selection of a non-cleric as head of the legislature is also an attempt to give a new image to the Islamic republic, where people often complain that clerics are keeping all important positions of power for themselves.
Moderate image
Mr Haddad-Adel was nominated by a majority of the incoming conservative MPs in an informal session.
He is a professor of literature and philosophy at Tehran University and leader of the minority conservative faction in the outgoing reformist-dominated parliament.
His daughter is married to Ayatollah Khamenei's son.
Mr Haddad-Adel has tried to give the conservatives a moderate image since their controversial victory in April.
He famously said that the main objective of the conservatives now was to turn Iran into an "Islamic Japan".
'In Our Rush to Leave we Barely Got a Chance To Say Goodbye'
May 22, 2004
The Irish Times
Caitriona Palmer
Caitriona Palmer, who has been reporting from Tehran for The Irish Times, describes how she and her journalist husband were forced this week to leave Iran.
Last week in Tehran, the telephone in our small apartment rang. On the line was a secretary from the ministry of Islamic guidance and culture, our 'minders' in Iran. The secretary seemed nervous and overly apologetic for calling. The news wasn't good, she said.
"You have a week to leave the country," she told my husband, Dan De Luce, correspondent in Iran for the Guardian. "Your visa has been denied for three months. There is nothing further I can do. I'm very, very sorry."
So were we. Iran had been our home for the past year and a half. We had a cosy apartment overlooking the Alborz mountains, a large group of friends and a great enthusiasm to tell the outside world about the real Islamic Republic.
As two of just a dozen resident foreign correspondents living in Iran we were aware that we occupied privileged positions in a country that was deeply suspicious of the foreign press.
Despite our complaints about Tehran's pollution and its choking traffic congestion, Iran still felt like home. And now the Iranian government was telling us that we weren't welcome anymore.
A recent article by Dan about the reconstruction efforts in the city of Bam, devastated by an earthquake on the December 26th last year, seemed to be the cause of our problems.
In late March, Dan and I had travelled to Bam to volunteer for an Iranian charity that was providing rehabilitative care to earthquake victims. It was the Iranian new-year period and we had a week off. We'd travelled to Bam six weeks earlier to cover Prince Charles's visit and had been moved by the enormity of the human suffering there. We were eager to return to help out and curious to see how the reconstruction efforts were progressing.
As is customary, we applied to the authorities for permission to travel to Bam as journalists and volunteers. Word came back that we could volunteer but not report. This seemed strange. In a city that had been the focus of so much recent international attention and foreign aid, it was odd that the foreign press were not welcome.
But once in Bam, it became clear why the Iranian government was so keen to keep foreign journalists away. More than three months after the earthquake, the city remained a mass of devastation and confusion. Over 70,000 homeless were still living in appalling conditions in synthetic tents by the road. Stinking fly infested roadside latrines and showers were the only means of available sanitation.
Relief workers and earthquake survivors told us that the reconstruction efforts were plagued by mismanagement and alleged corruption. Survivors complained that they were not seeing the fruits of the massive influx of foreign aid and that there was too much bureaucracy and red tape standing in the way.
"We know that other countries have helped," said one 45-year old woman who lost her husband and young daughter in the quake. "But there is no money coming to us."
And it wasn't just the Bam residents who were complaining about mismanagement. Government agencies were trading accusations. A week before we visited Bam, the Iranian Red Crescent Society alleged that some $10 million of foreign aid had yet to be fully accounted for.
Wherever we went in Bam, angry residents approached us demanding that we report about the slow pace of reconstruction, the lack of temporary housing, and the deafening silence from the Iranian government. Frustration at the slow pace of reconstruction was palpable on every street.
Just a few weeks before our visit, people took to the streets, burning cars and banks and beating up the governor general. An international relief worker told us that several Bam residents were shot in the ensuing riots. But barely a word leaked out in the foreign or domestic press.
Back in Tehran, perturbed and depressed by what we'd seen, we felt we had to write stories about the situation in Bam, even without official permission. And so the fateful Guardian piece was published on April 2nd while I filed reports for RTÉ.
By expelling Dan for reporting about Bam, the Iranian authorities have simply reinforced suspicions about mismanagement of the aid effort and the regime's commitment to freedom of expression.
By forcing foreign journalists to apply for permission to conduct interviews or travel around the country, the authorities try to restrict the flow of information coming out of Iran. By keeping the rules vague and unwritten, the authorities can at any time choose to penalise a particular journalist in an arbitrary manner.
By allowing the intelligence services routinely to interrogate and intimidate the interpreters who work for foreign correspondents, the regime seeks to discourage journalistic inquiry. By forcing foreign correspondents to renew their visas every three months, the regime retains the right to expel any correspondent that it believes is pushing the envelope.
But foreign correspondents are lucky. We just get expelled. Last July, Zahra Khazemi, an Iranian photographer who held a Canadian passport, was beaten to death while in custody in Tehran's notorious Evin prison. According to Reporters San Frontiers, there are more journalists in jail in Iran than in any other Middle Eastern country. On the day that we left Iran, another two Iranian journalists were arrested and yet another newspaper shut down.
In our rush to leave Iran, we barely got a chance to say goodbye to our Iranian friends. And that is our deepest regret. Those who heard the news were deeply embarrassed and ashamed to hear of Dan's expulsion. One Iranian friend broke down in tears as she explained her powerlessness in challenging the clerical establishment.
The Iran Air steward on our flight to London was so worried that our view of Iran would be ruined forever that he fed us a constant stream of snacks and drinks throughout the journey. "I didn't want your last Iranian experience to be a negative one," he explained at the end of the flight.
And his plan worked. For his kindness, and that of ordinary Iranians, remains our most enduring memory of Iran. That the generosity and friendliness of the Iranian people is so far removed from the repressive nature of the Iranian regime. That ordinary Iranians are good, honest, hardworking people who are embarrassed by their government and the negative image it receives around the world.
So by expelling and restricting foreign correspondents, the clerical establishment in Iran is playing a counter-productive game. Their paranoia is preventing the world from appreciating the true nature of Iranian society. It is not a nation of terrorists or militants. Perhaps if more foreign journalists were allowed to work in Iran, the country's image might improve.
Conspirators confessed to being trained in Iraq.
Now sanctions on Syria whose Hezbollah praised by Iran's Khatami.
You're with us or with the terrorists; Chalabi and Kerry are in the latter group.
Doc, what do you make of this message from the student? It is a bit unnerving. Do you know much about Hassan Abbasi? I did a google search on him and the majority of the articles are in French which did not translate well. Thanks for keeping us informed on the situation in Iran. I hope the students and others like them can make some changes over there.
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Miss Universe Cordaid Fund
Gracie Sapp is a sophomore at Lexington Christian Academy, and the middle child in a family of five. She is a professional model and state champion, as well as record holder, for her sport of 10 years, swimming. She has been on honor roll for her whole school career, and has received many other academic awards such as the Student-Athlete Award! Keeping her grades, modeling, swimming, and now holding the esteemed position of Miss Kentucky Teen USA 2013 all in balance, has taught her a lot about hard work, self discipline, and time management.
Gracie is thrilled to be an advocate for Best Buddies International during her reign, and hopes to continue being involved in the charity even after her reign as Miss Kentucky Teen USA has come to an end. Gracie is also very interested in raising awareness for lung disease in children and young adults. She is passionate about this because she has lost many family members to lung disease, and has many friends close to her with relatives suffering with lung disease as well.
Gracie's experience of pageantry is truly a Cinderella story. Her first pageant ever was this past January when she won the title and responsibility of Miss Kentucky Teen USA as the youngest contestant! She says she wants to stay in the spirit of her amazing state of Kentucky and be a Secretariat of the pageant world. As Secretariat won the triple crown in horse racing as the underdog, she hopes to be able to win and assume the positions of Miss Teen USA, and eventually Miss USA and Universe. She is determined to make this year the best year of her life, and plans to glorify God in it through every way possible. She is blessed beyond words to be able to serve as Miss Kentucky Teen USA, and looks forward to the possibility of serving as Miss Teen USA!


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Home »
Utah Trails
» Centerville Trails
Centerville, Utah Trails and Maps
Looking for the best trails around Centerville, Utah? Find the top rated trails in Centerville, whether you're looking an easy walking path or a long bike trail, you'll find what you're looking for. Click on a trail below to find trail descriptions, trail maps, photos, and reviews.
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224 Connector Trail
2 miles
The 224 Connector Trail is a paved pathway that begins at the Interstate 80 underpass at Bitner Road and loops around Newpark Town Center to the State Route 224 and Ute Boulevard intersection. Trail-goers will travel along Kimball Junction neighborhoods ...
9 Line Trail
1.3 miles
The 9 Line Trail is a short paved pathway along a former Union Pacific Railroad corridor in Salt Lake City. The line once carried much of the city's passenger rail traffic to the now out-of-service (but still standing) Union Pacific Depot. Running ...
Bingham Creek Trail
1.3 miles
Denver and Rio Grande Western Rail Trail
23.5 miles
The Denver and Rio Grande Western Rail Trail extends north from West Bountiful and passes through the Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area, where it joins the Legacy Parkway Trail. Continuing north, the trail travels through Farmington, ...
East 224 Connector Trail
2.3 miles
The East 224 Connector Trail provides a convenient route through South Snyderville Basin from Willow Creek Park to the Redstone Shopping Complex. It meanders north along the former Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad right-of-way for just ...
Crushed Stone
Historic Union Pacific Rail Trail State Park
28 miles
The Historic Union Pacific Rail Trail State Park is a 28-mile, high-elevation trail that follows Interstate 80, from the charming streets of Park City through the smaller communities of Wanship and Coalville to Echo Reservoir. From a starting ...
Historic Utah Southern Rail Trail
3.5 miles
The Historic Utah Southern Rail Trail runs through Lehi, about 20 miles south of Salt Lake City, along a Utah Transit Authority rail corridor. It begins near the Utah County line by a sprawling Cabela's retail complex and travels southeast for ...
Jordan River Parkway Trail
43.6 miles
The Jordan River Parkway Trail weaves in and out of urban areas, parks and marshy riversides as it follows the Jordan River for nearly 50 miles, traversing north from Utah Lake in Utah County through Salt Lake County to Davis County. Although ...
Legacy Parkway Trail
14 miles
The Legacy Parkway Trail is a 14-mile trail that provides a hard-surfaced walkway without any street crossings. The trail runs adjacent to the Legacy Parkway in southern Davis County. It begins at Farmington Station and parallels the Utah Transit ...
McLeod Creek Trail
4 miles
The McLeod Creek Trail begins north of downtown Park City near the Snow Creek Medical Center. It merges with the Olympic Parkway Trail along McLeod Creek for about a mile to Meadows Drive before paralleling State Route 224 to the Farm Trailhead. ...
Crushed Stone
Murdock Canal Trail
17 miles
Located in Utah Valley, the pristine Murdock Canal Trail, which opened in May 2013, is built over the now-enclosed canal. The beautiful 17-mile paved trail connects seven communities in the Utah Valley and has an adjacent dirt path for equestrian ...
Olympic Parkway Trail
3.4 miles
The Olympic Parkway Trail stretches from Olympic Flag Park in Park City north to Snyderville. It follows Snow Creek Drive for a short distance before crossing it and paralles State Route 224/Park Avenue, a.k.a. Olympic Parkway, to Snyderville. ...
Parley's Trail
5.5 miles
Parley's Trail, when complete, will become the first true off-road transportation and recreation link spanning Salt Lake City from east to west. Much of the trail's route is already open for use, including a rail-with-trail stretch along the ...
Poison Creek Trail
1.4 miles
The Poison Creek Trail travels along the east side of City Park and into a historical area of Park City, originally a mining town. On this urban pathway, trail-goers will pass an eclectic mix of athletic fields, sculptures, murals in one of ...
Porter Rockwell Trail
10.7 miles
The Porter Rockwell Trail runs between Pioneer Avenue in Sandy and Minuteman Drive at Point of the Mountain. The paved trail follows an abandoned rail corridor through the suburbs south of Salt Lake City and provide an important link for neighborhoods, ...
Provo River Parkway
15.2 miles
The Provo River Parkway weaves its way through state, city and county parks, as well as residential and commercial areas following the Provo River, then along University Avenue (US 189) to the mouth of Provo Canyon. Its 15-mile length stretches ...
Split Rail Trail
2 miles
The Split Rail Trail takes trail-goers north along Split Rail Lane through a residential area in South Snyderville Basin. The paved neighborhood trail provides access to Willow Creek Park's athletic fields and fishing pond in the south and the ...
Weber Pathways Rail Trail
10 miles
In 2002, the non-profit Weber Pathways opened the Weber Pathways Rail Trail on a railbanked Union Pacific Railroad corridor. The 10-mile line was once the Little Mountain Branch Railroad, constructed in 1971 to carry salt and other minerals ...
Willow Creek Trail (UT)
1 miles
The Willow Creek Trail runs through a popular community park in the Old Ranch neighborhood of Park City. It offers open vistas and links to the East 224 Connector Trail and Split Rail Trail. Willow Creek Park provides athletic fields, a pond, ...
Crushed Stone
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Centerville Biking Trails
Bingham Creek Trail
Historic Union Pacific Rail Trail State Park
Willow Creek Trail (UT)
Denver and Rio Grande Western Rail Trail
Porter Rockwell Trail
View All Centerville Biking Trails
Centerville Running Trails
East 224 Connector Trail
Willow Creek Trail (UT)
Split Rail Trail
9 Line Trail
Historic Union Pacific Rail Trail State Park
View All Centerville Running Trails
Centerville Walking Trails
Denver and Rio Grande Western Rail Trail
224 Connector Trail
Split Rail Trail
East 224 Connector Trail
Historic Union Pacific Rail Trail State Park
View All Centerville Walking Trails
Nearby City Trails & Maps
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Farmington Trails & Maps
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A mind for business. A spirit for competition. A passion for leadership.
The Tabor School of Business prepares students to perform and compete. Game on. Ready for the market. Confident in themselves. Knowledgeable in research.
Students engage with excellent faculty who are fiercely committed to teaching. They work with real clients. Create real businesses. More than just prepared, Tabor students are ready to lead.


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Recently an Airworthiness Concern from the FAA found its way to my email, regarding F. Atlee Dodge folding seats. Designed by Atlee Dodge to replace the rear seats in Cessna 170 and 180 series aircraft, these seats are very popular in Alaska and other places that use their aircraft as a utility vehicle. They not only fold, but are easily removable to accommodate the cargo many of us haul in our aircraft. The concern stems from an accident where a passenger using one of these seats was ejected through the windshield of an aircraft when it nosed over. The subsequent investigation determined that how the seats were installed may have played a role. This prompted the FAA to look at other aircraft with these seats installed, which revealed that more than half of those examined were also not installed according to the STC. To address this problem, F. Atlee Dodge Aircraft Services LLC has issued a Mandatory Service Bulletin which calls for a visual inspection of the folding seat installation.
I have a set of Atlee Dodge seats in my Cessna 185 that were installed in 1987, prior to the issuance of the STC. And sure enough—I needed to correct two problems: my installation had no seat belt guides, and the outboard belt straps were attached to the old Cessna anchors, not the slide rail. A call to Dave Swartz at the FAA Aircraft Certification Office in Anchorage shed a little more light on the subject. It turns out that not only is the strength of a seatbelt anchor important, the angle the belt crosses your body has a lot to do with how they function during a sudden stop. The seat belt guides, and placement of the anchors are important details. If you have a set of these seats in your airplane, take a copy of the diagram from the service bulletin and look at how they are installed.
Steve Kracke at Atlee Dodge had me email him photos of my installation. That and a phone call got the parts I needed headed my way. Steve tells me he has plenty of the parts that might be needed on hand.
F. Atlee Dodge Aircraft Services is a phone call or email away: (907) 344-1755 or [email protected]. If you have questions or feedback for the FAA Aircraft Certification Office concerning the Airworthiness Concern, contact Aviation Safety Engineer Ted Kohlstedt [email protected] or 907-271-2648. You owe it to your passengers to check into this, and make sure your seats are properly installed!


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Education Hill is a relatively large neighborhood, located in the northeastern portion of the City. Its name derives from the numerous schools located in the area, including Redmond High, Redmond Junior High, Horace Mann Elementary, Albert Einstein Elementary, and Norman Rockwell Elementary.
The area is primarily residential, consisting largely of low-moderate density residential housing. There is some high density residential in the southern portion of the neighborhood, the western edge and along the eastern edge. Educational Hill is well served by parks and trails throughout the neighborhood, as well as large areas of open space just outside its boundaries. There is no commercial activity within the neighborhood, although a retail center has recently been approved near the NE 116th St. and Avondale Rd. intersection. There is also a small commercial area opposite the neighborhood's northeastern border. The southern end of the planning area borders Redmond's Downtown, providing unobstructed access to a variety of shopping opportunities.
The Educational Hill neighborhood totals 2.5 square miles, or about 11% percent of Redmond's land area. The neighborhood's boundaries are the Puget Sound Energy Trail, Avondale Rd. NE/Avondale Way, Downtown Redmond, and Redmond-Woodinville Rd. The surrounding neighborhoods are North Redmond, Bear Creek, Downtown Redmond, Southeast Redmond, and Sammamish Valley.
Sarah Stiteler
Kimberly Dietz
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North Texas Companies for Clean Air
North Texas companies are doing their part to improve air quality and our environment. From big efforts to small, every idea and every choice makes a difference. All of these companies show both innovation and simplicity. Perhaps their actions will inspire an idea that you can apply to your workplace, or even your home.
DFW Airport
DFW Airport knows that air quality is an important environmental issue.
They strive to reduce emissions by reducing mobile and stationary sources of emissions, using renewable sources of energy and increasing energy efficiency.
In 2008, TCEQ recognized DFW Airport by accepting them into the Clean Texas Program – Platinum Level. They were the first Texas airport to receive this recognition, and one of 12 organizations to have achieved TCEQ's highest award since the program's inception in 1992.
The success of DFW Airport's initiatives is largely due to their Environmental Management System, which serves as a platform to integrate environmental considerations into day-to-day business decisions. DFW's EMS focuses on regulatory compliance and sustaining environmental excellence throughout the airport.
DFW Airport has reduced criteria air pollutant emissions by 87 percent since 1996. The following are just a few of the sustainable measures the airport follows or has implemented:
Learn more about DFW Airport's initiatives here.
Frito-Lay, Plano
Frito-Lay strives to maintain the "most fuel-efficient fleet in the country," according to Mike O'Donnell, director of fleet capacity. Frito-Lay considers both fuel sources and vehicle design when it comes to their fleet.
They have a newly designed truck, the Sprinter, on the road today.
The Sprinter has an efficient engine, aerodynamic design, and lightweight materials, which means Frito-Lay drivers are getting 50 percent more miles per gallon than they were with previous trucks.
Additionally, Frito-Lay's fleet of 650 sales cars has been converted to hybrid vehicles, allowing even less fuel consumption. Due to Frito-Lay's fleet initiatives, the Department of Energy recognized Frito-Lay as a National Clean Fleet Partner, and they were awarded the 2011 Propane Hero Award by the Propane Education & Research Council.
Frito-Lay also implements driver training, which can have up to a 30 percent impact on miles per gallon, according to Steve Hanson, fleet sustainability engineer. One way they accomplish this is by planning routes to minimize idling.
Furthermore, Frito-Lay is a member of the EPA's SmartWay program, which identifies products and services that reduce transportation-related emissions. Frito-Lay incorporates SmartWay recognized technologies and best practices, and has saved more than 15 million gallons of fuel since joining the program in 2005.
More information about Frito-Lay's commitment to sustainability can be found here.
JCPenney, Plano
In 2010, Newsweek ranked JCPenney as number 63 out of 500 companies on its second annual list of "The Greenest Big Companies in America." At the Plano headquarters, associates work in an environmentally friendly facility and participate in the company's efforts to reduce, reuse and recycle. A RideShare, or carpooling/alternative commute program has been in place since 1993, and prime parking spots are reserved for participants.
JCPenney exemplifies innovation when it comes to energy conservation. According to Jim Thomas, vice president of corporate social responsibility, JCPenney was the first department store retailer to be recognized for energy management by Energy Star. The home office has a computer system that tracks light-sensitive photo cells within window shades and automatically raises or lowers the control heating and cooling. A thermal-storage system makes ice during off-peak hours to cool the building during peak hours.
In stores, JCPenney is installing or improving existing heating, ventilation, air conditioning equipment and lighting control systems. The improvements are projected to reduce energy consumption by more than 10 percent.
Recycling, something JCPenney has been doing since the 1960s, is also a big part of their sustainable efforts. JCPenney stores recycle about 75 percent of their waste, while support facilities recycle about 85 percent.
Visit here to learn more about JCPenney's recycling, packaging, paper reduction and waste management efforts.
Sabre Holdings, Southlake
Sabre Holdings is committed to minimizing the environmental impact of its global business operations and to promoting sustainable business practices in travel and tourism. One of the many sustainability programs available to Sabre employees at the Southlake, Texas, headquarters campus is the Rideshare Program, or alternative commute program. Through this program employees can enjoy specially reserved parking spots, quarterly prizes and Health and Wellness credits – all while saving money and helping to reduce traffic and air pollution in support of the North Texas clean air initiatives.
Since 2002, Sabre has recycled more than 600 tons of paper, glass, metal and plastic at corporate headquarters, and in 2008 began on-site composting. Furthermore, all to-go containers and utensils at the corporate café are compostable, though reusable plates, cups and utensils are encouraged through an incentive program.
Sabre also helps its customers adopt sustainable practice by offering products and services that promote sustainable travel and tourism. One example is Travelocity's Green Travel Directory which helps customers determine green from "green-washed." The directory highlights properties and destinations that offer sustainability initiatives.
To learn more about Sabre's sustainable employee and customer efforts, visit here.
Burlington North Santa Fe Railway, Fort Worth
While rail in general already produces fewer emissions than trucks, BNSF Railway implements several practices to further reduce their emissions.
Idle control mechanisms equip more than 70 percent of BNSF's 6,600 locomotives, and all new locomotives purchased are equipped with this technology. The idle controls reduce emissions and fuel consumption by automatically shutting down locomotives that are not being used.
BNSF operates 74 GenSet locomotives, which are ultra-low emissions, EPA-certified diesel switch locomotives. The locomotives have three low-horsepower engines that only operate when needed instead of one large engine that always operates.
Additionally BNSF's operating and maintenance practices are designed to increase fuel efficiency, and the company is always testing and developing new technologies, such as low-emissions liquefied natural gas switch locomotives. The company is also partnering with the U.S. Department of Defense to develop an experimental hydrogen fuel cell switch locomotive, which is not dependent on oil for fuel.
Visit here to learn more about BNSF's innovative ideas and practices.
Texas Instruments, Dallas
Texas Instruments is a worldwide company with a mission to improve air quality. They are especially adamant at their headquarters in Dallas, where they strive to eliminate the use of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) by replacing them with more gentle but effective substances. They also use thermal oxidizers, which destroy VOCs in industrial airstreams, to remove pollutants from exhaust produced during manufacturing processes.
In addition to controlling VOCs, TI reduces energy consumption and upstream power plant emissions by improving the efficiency of facility systems and manufacturing equipment. They upgrade burners in boilers and other natural-gas combustion devices, use ultra-low nitrogen oxide burners and low-sulfur fuels in combustion devices, and limit the testing of emergency generators and lawnmowers during ozone action days.
TI employees do their part by participating in a Commute Solutions program.
Although familiar because TI's program offers employees reasonable alternatives to driving to work alone, their program is unique in that it provides alternative commute options in other countries. For example, TI provides buses and jeeps to drive employees to and from work in the Philippines, China, and Mexico.
To learn more about Texas Instruments, visit here.
AT&T, Dallas
AT&T has taken steps to reduce their "energy intensity" – the amount of energy they use based on the data they carry on their network.
Since 2008, they have had a 23.8 percent decrease. In order to achieve this, AT&T appointed an energy director and developed an Energy Scorecard to benchmark energy performance at their 500 largest energy-consuming facilities.
In 2009, AT&T announced that they will deploy more than 15,000 additional alternative-fuel vehicles through 2018. The Center for Automotive Research estimates that the vehicles will save 49 million gallons of traditional gasoline and reduce carbon emissions by 211,000 metric tons – the equivalent of removing the emissions from more than 38,600 traditional passenger vehicles for a year.
AT&T utilizes wind and solar power at several of its facilities and encourages consumers to recycle their cell phones through one of their many programs, including Cell Phones for Soldiers. Learn more about their initiatives here.
Southwest Airlines, Dallas
Southwest Airlines helps the environment whether they're in the sky or on land.
Southwest's fleet is already efficient, as it is comprised of Next Generation Boeing (737-700) aircraft and the Boeing Classic Fleet (737-300 and -500), the majority of which are equipped with winglets that save on fuel consumption by an estimated 2.5 percent.
Still, they are in the midst of a six-year initiative to retrofit their fleet with advanced avionics that will conserve fuel, improve safety, and reduce carbon emissions, an effort in support of Required Navigational Performance (RNP), the cornerstone of the Federal Aviation Administration's Next Generation Air Traffic Control System.
Southwest uses Pratt & Whitney's EcoPower engine wash service, a system that captures and purifies wash water so that it can be recycled and used for another wash. Engine washing itself increases engine efficiency, saves fuel, and reduces carbon emissions. Also on the ground, Southwest converts ground support equipment to cleaner-burning technologies including electric, compressed natural gas, propane, and engine retrofits for diesel.
This is just a snapshot of what Southwest does for the environment. Learn more about their initiatives here.
Bank of America, Plano
Since Bank of America is a financial institution, it would be easy for them to claim that, compared to other large corporations, their operations do not have much of an impact on the environment. However, Bank of America realizes the difference that they can make, and they have taken great action to reduce their carbon footprint.
Bank of America addresses their operations, their associates, and their supply chain in order to reduce their carbon footprint. Here are just a few examples of their initiatives:
In addition to their internal efforts, Bank of America is adamant about financing a "low-carbon economy." They provide financing for construction projects and facility improvements that enhance the energy efficiency of commercial buildings, federal, state, and local government buildings, hospitals and schools.
Bank of America also invests in and finances the development and use of cleaner renewable energies.
To learn more about Bank of America's sustainable initiatives, including their community involvement, visit here.
imc², Dallas
When talking about the environment, some businesses talk about sustainability, responsibility or citizenship. At Dallas-based marketing agency, imc², they call it "positive impact." With their clients, employees, partners and community, the agency's approach is to create synergies that benefit all of their stakeholders. As they uncover the choices and relationships that define their environmental footprint, they find new ways of engaging with partners and vendors, exploring their communities and finding efficiencies.
Recognized for having the highest regional participation rate on www.tryparkingit.com, imc² employees have prevented 145,000 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions and 175,000 road miles, all while realizing approximately $90,000 in personal savings. And, because it is tied to philanthropic giving, the program directed $1,000 to nonprofits last year.
Visit here to to learn more about positive impact at imc²
Just do one green thing today—it will lead to many more.
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Sports news from the Pollock, SD area.
Posted 2/18/13 (Mon)
Mobridge-Pollock fell to the Winner Lady Warriors on Friday night, Feb. 15, 59-19, in Winner.
The Lady Tigers never got their offense going in first half action. The first quarter was especially dismal, as they never got a bucket to fall. They also struggled with turnovers and were out rebounded three to one and trailed, 18-0, at the break.
M-P got an early trey in the second quarter, but cashed in only one other time. Winner cast in another 14 to lead 32-5 at the half.
Winner opened up a 44-5 lead before the Tigers scored in the third quarter. When the Tigers did score, they got three buckets in a row and tacked on a free throw to finally get to double digits. The Warriors finished off the quarter with six more points and a 50-12 edge.
M-P opened the fourth quarter with a trey and add four free shots later. The Warriors posted another nine, pushing their victory to 59-19.