text:
I love New York City. I just outed myself as a non-resident, in calling it by its full USPS-approved name, didn't I? How middle America of me. Ok, "The City". It's where rich people go to feel poor. Where else could you spend $3,000/month to live in a closet masquerading as an apartment? Every time I feel like as if I have too much change in my pockets, I book a flight to Manhattan. Or take a trip to Whole Foods down the road. Whichever one is cheapest. And let me tell you, Whole Foods does not often win.
Going from Seattle to The City is a jump in many regards, but the two cities have much more in common than you would think. Anthony Bourdain compares Seattle to "Brooklyn before there was a Brooklyn". This is mostly true, but overlooks the fact that Seattleites, well…they're really not that cool. And that's how they like it. The majority of the population here are like a Who's Who of Doctor Who fans. My fiancé is one such enthusiast. He's planning on wearing a celery boutonniere to the wedding. I'm just hoping that he doesn't try to eat it halfway through the ceremony. But the main difference between the two cities is the clientele who shop at stores like Goodwill. NYC has real homeless people in there, The Emerald City largely does not. In Seattle, that homeless looking guy that you tossed a quarter to? Probably the CEO of some software company. He'll gladly take that penny too, and shove it into his fanny pack. And that fanny pack was, more than likely, purchased at a thrift store during a half off sale. Because seven figure incomes just doesn't buy what it used to.
This is why, while in New York, I sometimes forget myself and strike up random conversations with legitimate homeless people, under the misconception that all of their hardwiring is intact. For example, on the final day of redoing my sister's apartment, I stepped into the Salvation Army on 3rd Avenue. Spotting a gorgeous olive green leather chair, I immediately go over to lay my claim by sprawling myself over the armrests. Looking at the price tag, I mutter to myself, "$24.99? That's cheaper than stealing it. Not that I would ever do that, just in case anyone is listening". A middle aged man sporting a shirt with more dirt than fabric hears me and spits out, "Ya got crack? I ain't gonna steal it from ya…if ya just give it to me". This was when I un-sprawled my limbs and made a quick exit, while telling myself not to make eye contact within the four walls of a Salvation Army in NYC ever again. But it was a steal of a deal, and I went back later that night to buy the chair. Here it is.
I gave it a good wipe down with a wet towel. Then I thought better of it and disinfected the entire thing with the strongest anti-bacterial cleanser I could lay my hands on.
The gorgeous detailing in back is definitely more valuable than two Snack Packs and a Fruit Roll-Up in an elementary school playground. It is a deal like this one that makes thrifting so rewarding.
After Salvation Army, I hopped on over to its cleaner cousin, Goodwill. There, I found these gallery frames for $7.99 and $10.99. I initially intended to replace the print with something else, but ended up kinda sorta really liking the simple black and white photography. A lot, actually. I arranged them simply grouped on the living area wall. I had two random wooden curtain rod ends, so I threw those up there as well. I may or may not have used a level.
Here is what the Living Room Area looked like "Before".
On Day 5, this is what the Living Room Area looked like "After". It's the same area, just different view, I swear.
Remember the random stuff I was hoarding from different thrift stores? Giant thread spools large enough to keep two sweat shops in business until 2015?
Here they are, living the retired good life as adornments to the coffee table I had refurbished a few days prior.
And those plaster medallions? I stuck them on the wall, then realized I measured incorrectly. So, they were slightly off-center. In my defense, it was after happy hour. Instead of rehanging everything, I re-centered the entire grouping by adding the wooden spool of leftover twine to the end. I love it when laziness and creativity come together.
There is an antique ironing board that my sister has, which we picked up in New Hampshire, years ago. I really liked the board, but found the backside hardware much more interesting that its plain top. So, I ended up displaying it, backside forward, as a stand alone piece in the living room area.
In its previous life, the ironing board was hanging out with a rope ladder that we had found outside of a Babycakes NYC. This was years before. I cut the rope off of the wooden rungs and displayed it in a glass container.
Sitting beside that rope display is the glass lamp base we found at Goodwill. I placed my sister's river rock collection under it. Then I added a lampshade we found on clearance, from Bed Bath & Beyond, for $9.99.
My sister, she is wonderful. Absolutely darling. But she's not someone you would categorize as being of the overly emotional variety. She avoids hugs at all cost. Instead, she'll give you a hand hug, if she likes you. Fist shake if she doesn't. And handshake if she couldn't care less. For really special occasions like weddings and funerals, she will also add in a heartfelt thumb nuzzle with that hand hug. This is strangely comforting, I should probably add. So, it came as quite a shock when I showed her the finished apartment and she was, how do you say it? Teary eyed. I asked her, "Um, this hasn't ever happened before, so I'm not quite sure how to proceed…but um, are you…are you crying?". She quickly looked away and muttered, "No, my eyeballs are just sweating. Those corneas, you know how they just love to sweat. Sometimes I wonder how many calories my pupils burn while dilating, alone. Hey, you didn't get rid of my giant 24 pound wheel of cheese, did you?". She told me that she loved what her sweaty pupils were seeing.
A few days before, I had found a wine rack at Goodwill. I then placed two terra cotta planters into the wine rack. I tilted the planters to make it all fit in. Then I dabbled on some Behr paint in "River Walk" to add some color.
Home Depot had some plants. I found one for $3.99 and another for $3.49. I took them both home with me. After paying, of course. Here are the plants in their happy new home.
I then placed the wine rack planter on top of the existing black table. To change up the entire look, I took out the existing hardware and replaced it with our free Anthropologie dresser knobs. She had saved those rings of wood from a wedding, years before.
This table was placed at the foot of the bed. Here is a view of the Bedroom Area "After" I had repainted the walls, added window treatments and redone the bookcases.
It's kind of a huge jump from the canvas-used-as-window-treatment genre of decor I had witnessed during Day 1.
Another "After" view.
Here is the homeless chair I had found tossed out onto the streets. I rehabbed it with some spanking new fabric and then paired it up with a sexy side of revamped dresser. Let me know if my choice in adjectives is starting to creep you out. I'm pretty sure it does.
It's a rather nice little seating area. The entire chair/dresser combination is off to the sides a bit, so it'll be of service to some of my sister's more socially awkward guests. If she ever decides to host a dinner party. But then again, she takes after our dad. And according to our mom, our dad "cooks, alright. Your dad cooks from the couch". Maybe she'll have a tuna can opening/eating party.
This 248 sf area of my sister's apartment was done in five sleepless, flu riddled days. You may want to scroll through Day 1-4 to see the full renovation, including the kitchen and green dresser area. I also managed to redo it for far less than our initial $500 budget. Here is the breakdown of the spending:
- Paints: $51.88
- Paint Supplies: $14.99
- Furniture & Furniture Renovating Materials: $99.98
- Wood: $11.82
- Plants: $7.48
- Fabric: $23.00
- Wall Art: $27.37
- Decor: $150
- Miscellaneous: $48.24
Total Cost: $299.76 (Correction: Apparently, I can't input numbers correctly on my calculator. The total is $434.76. Still under budget but much less money left over for drinks. Thanks to people who pointed this out).
And a final look at the NYC apartment before I flew out the next morning. It was time to go back to the unshaven and plaid wearing populace of Seattle. A place where you can say things like, "Yeah, I'm going to have to decline that invite. There's a secret mushroom patch I've been foraging. I kind of want to make a final harvest before chanterelle season is over. I mean, my famous wild mushroom risotto isn't going to make itself, girlfriend" and people nod with intimate understanding.


text: Due to some recent issues with streams here at MACCA Radio that was brought to my attention via listener reception reports, it was determined that certain areas of the globe were encountering buffering. I was able to arrange to have both a primary and secondary feed for listening. The primary streams our in the USA and the secondary streams are in France. It seems that the server in France was buffering more often than usual so we put them as secondary. Also added a few new listening options such as a Flash and Quicktime player.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Debates of June 9th, 2008
House of Commons Hansard #108 of the 39th Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was hours.
- Question Period
- Employment Insurance Act
- Canada Elections Act
- Food and Drugs Act
- Saskatchewan Forest Fire
- Agriculture and Agri-Food
- Western Festival in Saint-Tite
- Gang Crime
- Carbon Tax Proposal
- Paul and Thérèse Abud
- The Environment
- Marie-Pier Boudreau Gagnon
- The conomy
- New Minas
- Leader of the Liberal Party of Canada
- Members-Pages Soccer Game
- Official Development Assistance Accountability Act
- 100th Birthday of Salvador Allende
- Conservative Party of Canada
- The Environment
- Regional Economic Development
- Automotive Industry
- Aboriginal Affairs
- Bill 101
- Language of Work in Quebec
- Public Safety
- Airbus
- The Environment
- Gasoline Prices
- Omar Khadr
- Trade
- Collège militaire royal de Saint-Jean
- National Defence
- Canadian Wheat Board
- Lobbyists
- Zimbabwe
- The Environment
- Marine and Rail Transportation
- Presence in Gallery
- Points of Order
- Government Response to Petitions
- Committees of the House
- Extension of Sitting Hours
- Petitions
- Questions on the Order Paper
- Request for Emergency Debate
- Food and Drugs Act
- Budget Implementation Act, 2008
Food and Drugs Act
Government Orders
1:30 p.m.
John McKay Scarborough—Guildwood, ON
Mr. Speaker, the member made a very good and knowledgeable speech. I congratulate her. I was particularly interested in the fact that one in nine admissions to emergency at Vancouver General Hospital is pharmacologically related.
One of the concerns that the bill sort of addresses, and I am not quite sure whether the government has proposed amendments in this area, is the apparent discrepancy between what natural health products claim and what the evidence is to support the claim.
I wonder if the hon. member has given some thought to whether there should be some bringing together of the claims of the product with the evidence to support the claims for the product, be it empirical or anecdotal.
Food and Drugs Act
Government Orders
1:35 p.m.
Joyce Murray Vancouver Quadra, BC
Mr. Speaker, I would contend that many of these natural products do not contain claims. Perhaps some do. I think the natural products industry is pretty careful not to make claims. I purchase many products that I know work. I know that based on my 35 years of experience in using them, not because the label on the bottle says to take this and it will strengthen that.
The idea of evidence also brings to the fore the difference between natural products, herbal products, homeopathic remedies, et cetera, and pharmaceutical drugs. By and large, pharmaceutical drugs are developed and sold by major corporations that can spend hundreds of millions of dollars in testing and collecting evidence to support their claims. They then have a patent on a product and can charge huge amounts.
There are some medications that run into hundreds of thousands of dollars a year with regard to being provided to the market. That is certainly not the average, but the pharmaceutical firms invest a lot in research and evidence gathering and they can then recover that.
Who is going to spend the money for double-blind trials on a herbal product for which there is no patent and no way of recovering the costs of putting that research in place? It is simply not practical, so we cannot require the same standard of testing and evidence for a natural product, because otherwise that becomes an unintended barrier to its use.
I believe approximately that one-half of the population of British Columbia uses complementary and alternative medicine at some point during the year for their health, health care and prevention. We do not want barriers to those people taking responsibility for their health.
I had a forum in greater Vancouver a couple of years ago in which I brought together the leading thinkers in naturopathics, in traditional Chinese medicine, in the natural cancer centre associated with VGH, in massage therapy and in some of the other modalities. I brought that group of leading thinkers together in a forum at the Boucher Institute of Naturopathic Medicine, which is in New Westminster, with the then minister of public health, Carolyn Bennett, to talk about how we could better integrate complementary and alternative medicine into our health care system, for all those good reasons that I have already expressed.
The key that came out of that meeting and the key request that the leaders in those other modalities had of the then minister of public health was that the federal government should be investing in research. The federal government should be providing research funding to generate the evidence, because these practitioners and physicians have experienced the evidence of the effectiveness of their products. That is why half of British Columbians seek their help: because their products do work and they do no harm. These natural products, the homeopathics, the tinctures, the organotherapies, do not send people to the emergency rooms.
We need that evidence, but we need the federal government to fund the research for it. Otherwise it will not happen.
Food and Drugs Act
Government Orders
1:35 p.m.
Claude Bachand Saint-Jean, QC
Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to rise today to speak to Bill C-51.
First off, I want to say that the Bloc Québécois has been demanding for a number of years already that we look at that issue further. It seems to me that Canadians and Quebeckers are somewhat tired of occasionally being the victims of products that adversely affect their health and that of their children. There have been scandals recently. Just think of the toy scandal, for instance, involving children who suffered lead poisoning.
Quebeckers and Canadians are aware of some degree of deceit in the department stores where they buy everyday consumer items, among other things. Everyone knows that when we pick up a jar of pickles from China, the label sometimes shows that the product was made in Canada. There is false representation every step of the way. The Bloc Québécois raised that issue many years ago, calling on the government to clean up this whole area of drugs, agricultural products and cosmetics. We are pleased in that sense that the issue is being brought before the House today.
The Bloc Québécois will make sure that what I just talked about is reflected in the legislation. We have seen before obligations, everyday things, come into force under a bill, which did not reflect reality at all. That is what we want to pay attention to. It is not because the bill's title refers to tidying up the area of drugs, cosmetics and agricultural products, because the intention is stated in the title, that we should be lax.
In fact, let me say outright that the position of the Bloc Québécois is to vote yes at second reading stage, but there will surely an opportunity to take a very serious look at the bill at the Standing Committee on Health to ensure that reality is defined properly and reflected in the bill.
I have seen governments—and this one is no exception—come up with bills that they claimed would fix some social problem or other, bills that included various guidelines, amendments and new restrictions or that made laws more permissive. We need to sort out exactly what we want this bill to achieve. Naturally, the parties, including the opposition parties, will each have their way of seeing things. All I want to say is that the Standing Committee on Health will study the bill thoroughly.
For now, I will try to communicate the Bloc Québécois' opinion of what is before us now as faithfully as possible.
We also have to talk about how the government reacts and what it is doing to make sure that all products available to consumers are safe.
A number of interesting things have happened over the past few years. I certainly remember how people practically called the Bloc Québécois heretical because it wanted labelling on products. Back then, we were told, "No, no, no." That was probably 10 years ago now.
We thought we had made some progress, but just last week, one of our colleagues introduced a bill on labelling, and the government worked with the Liberal Party to defeat it. Such things make us wonder about this government's true intentions.
I hope that we will be able to put together a good bill here, and I hope that when it becomes law, the government will actually enforce it. It is easy enough to say, "Here's the law". It is something else entirely to enforce it, a process that is sometimes not taken seriously.
For example, take what we were told not that long ago, maybe seven or eight years ago when the labelling issue was up for discussion. People were talking about genetically modified organisms. There should have been thorough studies, and, like the United States' Food and Drug Administration, Health Canada should have studied the repercussions and the ins and outs of this issue. But the minister at the time, who is now rector of the University of Ottawa, said, "Oh no, we don't need that".
Monsanto, a global company specializing in genetically modified products, has conducted all the studies and concluded that it was perfectly safe. In my opinion, that is a serious mistake. It is like asking a Ford dealer if Ford products are any good. What do you think his answer will be? He will say that Ford makes the best products. GM, Chrysler and Toyota representatives would say the same thing about their products.
Government organizations have to ensure that these companies comply with standards. Because of globalization and international competition, standards often vary from one country to the next. That is how we end up with Chinese pickles sold in jars made in Canada. When we are aware of that, we start noticing that the standards are different as well. Therein lies the danger.
Agriculture is affected the most by that. There are many producers in my riding. It saddens me to think that, in the U.S. and Europe among others, the agricultural industry is financed and subsidized, because in Canada we are more catholic than the Pope, so to speak, not subsidizing our agricultural industry in order to comply with the WTO. Yet, there is irrefutable evidence that the United States and the European countries are not complying.
As I said earlier, environmental standards and quality assurance standards for agricultural products in countries like China are different from ours. It is therefore easy for the Conservative government to suggest that we may not be competitive enough. Competitiveness is one factor, but when countries are permitted to subsidize their agriculture and products are allowed into Canada to which standards different from ours, much lower standards, are applied, that does not help our economy and it also puts the health and safety of Canadians et Quebeckers at risk. Attention will have to be paid to this in connection with the bill before us today.
Another interesting aspect of the bill is the tracing system. This is extremely important. When an agricultural product is recalled, we need to know where and in what conditions it was made. Until now, there has been nothing—or almost nothing—like this in place. We are happy to see that Bill C-51 contains provisions on traceability. The bill may also include the register of adverse drug reactions, at least we hope so.
Regarding the recall management system—I just mentioned recalls—if a product is found to be faulty or hazardous, there has to be a way of determining how it will be recalled. Often, hazardous products are recalled in a rush, and there is no way of knowing whether all the products have been taken off the shelf in all shopping centres. This also applies to drugs and cosmetics. We will therefore pay attention to the recall management system.
There is one thing in the bill that we will pay close attention to: regulations. This is a flaw in the House of Commons and Parliament, not just Canada's Parliament, but parliaments in general: often, bills will give responsibility for regulations to the governor in council, in other words, the cabinet, and the minister will make recommendations to the governor in council.
I experienced that myself with a bill concerning veterans that would have seen money paid annually to widows of veterans so that they could remain in their home. In the regulations, three or four months later, we noticed that the governor in council had chosen a date on which the law would be enforced, and before which anyone else involved would be left out. We made our strong opposition known.
It is the same thing with these bills. As soon as the minister and the governor in council, meaning cabinet, get too much leeway, there are surprises. If I have time, I will speak about our concerns with this bill if the minister and the governor in council are given too much leeway in regard to the regulations.
I want to issue a caution right now. The Bloc Québécois absolutely does not want natural food products to be considered drugs or cosmetics, meaning that they would be bound by this bill.
My colleague from Quebec City explained that officials had told the committee not to worry, but we are worrying nonetheless. Just because something is raised in committee does not mean that one day—maybe because of the regulations—there will not be a problem.
Many people obtain these products without a prescription, and I think that they are still in a position to do so. These people should not fall directly under this legislation; it must not apply directly to natural food products.
As I was saying earlier, the Bloc Québécois will pay close attention to this in committee, to ensure that natural food products are not affected by this bill. Earlier I heard statistics that nearly 50% of the population uses complementary or alternative medicine, and these people should not end up being victims of this bill.
We are also concerned about encroachment because it is well known that the Bloc Québécois is very protective of Quebec's areas of jurisdiction. A certain number of inspector positions will be established pursuant to the bill. However, we notice that there will be duplication in certain areas. Therefore, we have to be careful because, at present, several duties have been delegated to Quebec inspectors. In my opinion, if more federal inspection positions are created, it is important that there not be a duplication of services in general. That runs the risk of being very expensive for taxpayers and of causing friction also. We believe that it is important to try to avoid encroachment.
With respect to this bill, we also examined the famous ban on drug advertising. I find it interesting. I love American sports and often listen to football, hockey, baseball, or basketball games on American stations. But I also have time to work. Sometimes, I listen while ironing my shirts because I have to come to Ottawa on Monday and I have no one to wash my shirts. Believe it or not I listen to the football game while ironing my shirts or sometimes while reading documents. I can chew gum and walk at the same time.
However, on the topic of an advertising ban, there is a new American dream—drugs. It is incredible. Everyone knows the ads for Cialis and Viagra. We see a very healthy looking man with his girlfriend, wife or life partner and he is always bursting with energy. That is the new American dream: a fulfilling sex life. Yes. It should not surprise us; we see it on television. That is what the ads aim for. And a few minutes later, in another ad, they are selling Celebrex. If you have a bit of joint pain, you should hurry to your doctor to get a prescription for Celebrex. It is important because it not only solves the problem, but it also reduces your chances of arthritis in the future. We can see where this ad leads. There are many more. There is Lipitor—their ad says that if your cholesterol is the least bit elevated that it is dangerous and you should go to see your doctor.
In a few years, American advertising for drugs has gone from $50 million to $1.8 billion. Pharmaceutical companies are not doing this out of the goodness of their hearts and because of their generous spirit. Investing $1.8 billion in advertising ensures that people will stock up on drugs. This causes many things, including over-consumption.
The companies do not tell us this, but the person who wants to live the American dream today, the one who watches football and wants to become Adonis, will have to take Cialis or Viagra, Celebrex to avoid any aches and Lipitor to ensure low cholesterol. That is the new American dream.
We cannot allow this to happen in Canada or in Quebec. It is extremely important to ban the advertising of drugs. Advertising leads to excessive consumption. And what does excessive consumption lead to? It not only causes side effects in people, but it also causes the price of drugs to rise.
Today, almost 40 million Americans are unable to afford the drugs they need. I have even seen busloads of people, sponsored by U.S. senators, come to my riding to buy drugs because they were affordable. The ban on advertising of drugs should continue.
Another aspect of the bill before us is progressive licensing. This is something new. Previously, Health Canada conducted studies and if all the studies were conclusive and all the clinical trials were conclusive, the drug would be released. Now there will be a new approach that could be more progressive. The drug could be released before the experiments are completed.
There are some people who may need that. When people are truly desperate, they sometimes need to resort to extreme or innovative treatment. Even though some drugs have not yet been approved by Health Canada, it is possible under certain conditions that progressive licensing of those drugs will be allowed. Nonetheless, this cannot be used as an excuse to license a drug with great haste. That is the risk we run.
I have a minute or two left. I just want to come back to some of the regulations that could be risky. Clause 30, which addresses the regulations, very clearly states that the minister may make regulations for carrying the purposes and provisions of this act into effect. Potentially, the minister can act in various areas, including product labelling, purity standards, the way in which clinical trials are conducted and the exemption of products from the legislation.
If we open the door to concepts as basic as those and put them in the hands of the minister, we run the risk that the government will take advantage and that the provisions of a bill will go too far or not far enough at the discretion of the minister and the Governor in Council.
These questions are extremely important. I would like to reiterate the Bloc Québécois' position. The Bloc Québécois has been waiting for this bill. We have waited long enough for this bill, so we will take the time needed to study it carefully at the Standing Committee on Health. In that regard, I trust my colleagues on that committee. They will do an excellent job.
The position I just mentioned is the Bloc Québécois' position. We reserve the right to vote against it at third reading. At second reading, we will vote in favour of the bill. In committee, we will do our job and, depending on the gains we make, we will dispose of this bill at third reading.
Food and Drugs Act
Government Orders
1:55 p.m.
Larry Bagnell Yukon, YT
Mr. Speaker, I am glad the member mentioned advertising, because I do not want to see more advertising either.
A constituent, Brian, wrote in an email:
Bill C-51 was brought to my attention by a person who has successfully controlled the symptoms of his diabetes, arthritis and bipolar depression with diet and supplements. He is afraid he will lose his right and ability to do this under Bill C-51. He will then have a choice to go back on Big Pharma's anti-psychotics and other drugs, which did not work well and caused intolerable side effects, or to sink into psychosis and eventual death. That's an example how loss of choice will affect an individual.
I want to make sure that does not happen. I hope the member would agree.
Food and Drugs Act
Government Orders
1:55 p.m.
Claude Bachand Saint-Jean, QC
Mr. Speaker, clearly, natural health products are an important issue. Unfortunately, pharmaceutical companies do not see things the same way. If there is a chance we might try to control pharmaceutical companies and to control natural food products, that could negatively affect the latter products.
I would like to tell my hon. colleague from Yukon that we have thought of that. For many people, I think the use of natural health products often prevents them from falling into the trap of pharmaceutical products and side effects. So, yes, we will look into that question at the Standing Committee on Health.
Food and Drugs Act
Government Orders
1:55 p.m.
The Acting Speaker Andrew Scheer
The hon. member will have eight minutes remaining for questions and comments following oral question period.
We will now move on to statements by members. The hon. member for Desnethé—Missinippi—Churchill River.
Saskatchewan Forest Fire
Statements By Members
1:55 p.m.
Rob Clarke Desnethé—Missinippi—Churchill River, SK
Mr. Speaker, I was in the riding over the weekend and learned there was a large forest fire near Uranium City, a town in the most northern area of Saskatchewan. I was then informed that the residents of the city have been evacuated because the fire is dangerously close.
My thoughts and prayers are with the residents who have been evacuated and their families and the lives they have had to temporarily leave behind.
I would like to personally thank each and every one of the people who have stayed behind to fight the fire for their personal dedication and sacrifice. I would ask the entire House to wish for their continued safety.
I thank the authorities who are managing the forest fighting in Saskatchewan for all their continued help and efforts. Everyone appreciates the work and dedication they bring to their positions.
I will be visiting Uranium City later this month. I look forward to seeing everyone and their families safe back in their homes, enjoying everything that northern Saskatchewan offers each and every one of us. My thanks to all.
Agriculture and Agri-Food
Statements By Members
2 p.m.
Ken Boshcoff Thunder Bay—Rainy River, ON
Mr. Speaker, the agriculture committee has been studying the product of Canada labelling issue since early April and is currently finalizing a report that will be presented to Parliament on Wednesday, June 11. With no regard for the study that is under way, on May 21 the Prime Minister announced the onset of new consultations with many of the same stakeholders who were witnesses to the committee study.
The Prime Minister's announcement is an affront to the work of all members of the agriculture committee and to the contributions of the stakeholders who appeared as witnesses to the study. As a result, in an unusual measure, the agriculture committee passed the following motion at its last meeting:
That the Prime Minister recognize and respect the work of the Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food and ensure that the work of the Committee will not be sub voted and that the recommendations based on input from Canadian Stakeholders will be implemented and that the Prime Minister confirm his willingness to accept the work of the Committee.
The members of all committees deserve--
Agriculture and Agri-Food
Statements By Members
2 p.m.
The Acting Speaker Andrew Scheer
The hon. member for Saint-Maurice—Champlain.
Western Festival in Saint-Tite
Statements By Members
2 p.m.
Jean-Yves Laforest Saint-Maurice—Champlain, QC
Mr. Speaker, on May 9, at the national gala of the Quebec tourism awards, the Festival Western de Saint-Tite won the prestigious gold medal in the category for festivals and tourism events with an operating budget of $1 million or more. It is a great honour to be recognized by the entire Quebec tourism industry, and certainly a huge reward for the citizens, volunteers and businesspeople of Saint-Tite.
In 2007, this international event celebrated its 40th anniversary in great style, and shattered an attendance record with more than 725,000 festival-goers. It also generated some $50 million in economic spinoffs. Such great success over the years would never have been possible without the invaluable contribution of its 550 volunteers.
I am very pleased to invite all Quebeckers to the 41st edition of the festival, which will be held from September 5 to 14, 2008, and which promises to be just as fantastic as the last.
Gang Crime
Statements By Members
2 p.m.
Penny Priddy Surrey North, BC
Mr. Speaker, a serious threat is growing on our streets as gangs get bigger and more sophisticated each day. Innocent people are being killed.
In my riding of Surrey North, Chris Mohan, a young man with a bright future, was gunned down as he was leaving home to play basketball. Another man, Ed Schellenberg, who was doing maintenance work across the hall, was killed. Two families have been left empty and grieving.
Last weekend our community came together to remember what should have been Chris Mohan's 23rd birthday. His mother, Eileen, echoed a call the NDP made in the last election. She wants a federal program for young gang members who want a safe way out of the gang lifestyle. The witness protection program does not meet these needs.
Last November I held a press conference demanding urgent action from the Conservatives, a national strategy to fight gangs. So far, my call has fallen on deaf ears. How many deaths will it take for the government to listen?
Carbon Tax Proposal
Statements By Members
2 p.m.
Brian Storseth Westlock—St. Paul, AB
Mr. Speaker, the Liberal leader's carbon tax has no friends, certainly not among Canadian premiers. Even Ontario Liberal Premier McGuinty has spoken out against this punitive tax. Last week Saskatchewan Premier Wall said this tax would "knee cap" Saskatchewan's economy. Premier Stelmach perhaps said it best, "The western provinces are really supporting Canada's economy right now, so why would we want to move further and diminish our competitiveness and hurt the Canadian economy"?
Why indeed? Why does the Liberal leader want to raise the price of gasoline? Why does he want to raise the price of home heating fuels? Why does he want to raise the price of electricity? Why does the Liberal leader want to endanger manufacturing jobs in Ontario and cripple more than 500,000 jobs in Canada? Why does the Liberal leader want to raise input prices on our grains and oil seeds farmers just when they are starting to turn the corner and make a profit? How can taxing Canadians out of their jobs and their livelihoods be revenue neutral?
Paul and Thérèse Abud
Statements By Members
June 9th, 2008 / 2:05 p.m.
Jean-Claude D'Amours Madawaska—Restigouche, NB
Mr. Speaker, today I would like to salute Paul and Thérèse Abud, who were honoured yesterday evening by the Cercle culturel historique Hilarion Cyr in Saint-Léonard.
Mr. Abud immigrated to Canada from Lebanon in 1957 and became a full citizen not long after that. Mrs. Abud was born in Canada to Lebanese immigrants. With their family, they moved from their first home in Dalhousie to the Saint-Léonard region, bringing with them a degree of diversity and a desire to help the community's economy.
In addition to being a businessman, Paul Abud also became actively involved in his community. Among other things, he was a member of the municipal council and president of the chamber of commerce. He was also involved in Louis Robichaud's equal opportunity program.
Mrs. Abud was also active in business and was, among other things, chair of the board of directors of Foyer Notre-Dame and a member of the library board.
I would like to thank Mr. and Mrs. Abud for everything they have done for their community. They can be proud of their accomplishments, and we are proud of them.
The Environment
Statements By Members
2:05 p.m.
Jeff Watson Essex, ON
Mr. Speaker, it is not even Halloween, but the Liberal leader is offering Canadians a major trick, a big, fat, permanent carbon tax. Never mind he vehemently opposed a carbon tax when running for leader. Never mind he recently called it bad public policy. Never mind he said "there will be no carbon tax". He has now given it a green disguise.
The Liberal leader has made tens of billions of dollars in non-budgeted spending promises and he has stuck Canadians with the devastating tax bill.
The Liberal tax trick will only treat Canadians to higher gas prices, higher electricity bills and higher food costs, punishing seniors on fixed incomes, punishing rural Canadians and punishing young families. The Liberal tax trick means permanent job losses for auto workers and skyrocketing input costs for farmers.
The Liberal leader will make himself sound green by taking plenty of green from the wallets of Canadians. Canadians, do not fall for this punitive Liberal tax trick. They should treat themselves to a Conservative government.
Marie-Pier Boudreau Gagnon
Statements By Members
2:05 p.m.
Paul Crête Montmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup, QC
Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate Marie-Pier Boudreau Gagnon on qualifying for the Olympic Games in Beijing. She will compete in solo, duet and 8-person team synchronized swimming.
Courageous and determined, this young, 25-year-old athlete left the family home at the age of 13 to train, first in Quebec City, then in Montreal. Marie-Pier trains for 42 hours a week to reach her Olympic dream. She is the pride of the Rivière-du-Loup area, and will soon be the pride of all of Quebec and Canada.
After her Olympic career, she hopes to study business administration at university. She would like to go into international law. She is a wonderful example of perseverance.
The Bloc Québécois and I want to warmly congratulate you, Marie-Pier, for qualifying, and we wish her good luck in her present and future endeavours.


text:
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton delivered remarks on the ratification of the new START treaty at the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C., on August 11, 2010. The Secretary was joined by Assistant Secretary of State for Verification,
Compliance, and Implementation Rose Gottemoeller and Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of Legislative Affairs Richard Verma.
Secretary Clinton said, "In the weeks and months since the treaty was submitted to the Senate, it has earned bipartisan support from senators on both sides of the aisle as well as statesmen in and out of government from both parties. They understand that once the new START treaty is ratified and enters into force, it will advance our national security and provide stability and predictability between the world's two leading nuclear powers."
The Secretary continued, "This treaty will verifiably limit the strategic nuclear forces of Russia and the United States and will establish equal limits on both countries' strategic warheads, delivery vehicles, and launchers.""This treaty will provide for inspections that the United States would not otherwise be able to hold. For 15 years, START provided us access to monitor and inspect Russia's nuclear arsenal. START, as you know, expired last December. It, therefore, has been more than eight months since we have had inspectors on the ground in Russia. This is a critical point. Opposing ratification means opposing the inspections that provide us a vital window into Russia's arsenal. This treaty in no way does or will constrain our ability to modernize our nuclear enterprise or develop and deploy the most effective missile defenses for the sake of our security and for our allies, friends, and partners."
In closing, Secretary Clinton said, "There is an urgency to ratify this treaty because we currently lack verification measures with Russia which only hurts our national security interests. Our ability to know and understand changes in Russia's nuclear arsenal will erode without the treaty. As time passes, uncertainty will increase. With uncertainty comes unpredictability, which, when you're dealing with nuclear weapons, is absolutely a problem that must be addressed. Ratifying the new START treaty will prevent that outcome."
Read the Secretary's full remarks here.
K.S.V. in India writes:
The new START treaty is viewed by non-partisan observers outside America as the outcome of most sincere efforts taken by the US President, Barack Obama towards ensuring global peace, which is only possible by complete nuclear disarmament. Reducing the nuclear arms to zero level may be a distant dream now; but even a thousand miles journey begins with a small step. It may have to be a small step but I wish it be a firm and timely step.
Donald M. in Virginia writes:
August 13, 2010
So Iran purchases the Air Defense Missiles from a third party country, yet the Missiles were manufactured in Russia... I guess sanctions really worked?... The Treaty with Russia has paid off for the Russians, while they plan on providing the fuel for the Nuclear Reactors. The reset switch must be switching pretty good, when they profit from selling arms and laughing at the United States. Most likely because the have empathy and smiling at President Barack Obama. They know he doesn't have the foreign policy skills and took advantage of the situation. Being naive to Russia only proves how unsecure our future holds for the United States, and it certainly will be no excuses or blaming because he lead the way to the treaty.
Apparently, its reseted when they want to sell weapons and arms to countries that have sanctions. Wait...he found a loophole in the system to sell missiles to Iran?
Hook, line and sinker... smamboozled by the bear....(chuckle chuckle) then to find out the BP OIL CEO is heading to Russia?
I think most people with intelligence has figured out by now that the BP OIL RIG might not have been an accident. So do the math and figure it out...
I agree with Jospeh A.M. in Oregon, we provide good feedback on here, and you guys get paid the big bucks... so I guess i'm in the same situation that why should we be giving free advise when you pay people hundreds of thousands of dollars for advise and apparently its NOT working. Think I'm going to spend my time working on other projects since this one is NOT beneficial to my family.
Peace out and Good Luck!!! whats that phrase, see y'all in the funny pages? (Chuckle chuckle)
Eric in New Mexico writes:
Hi Donald,
Don't give up in disgust bro, I don't know where you heard that but it may not be accurate, as this shows who's really backing Iran in air defense capability.
News Item;
August 12, 2009: While Iran has been unable to get modern Russian S300 surface-to-air missiles (yet), they have gone ahead and built a nationwide air defense network using Chinese HQ2 missiles. These were first purchased in the 1980s, but since then, Iran progressed to the point where they are now building HQ2 missiles and radar stations under license. It's believed that China has quietly allowed Iran to build the latest versions of the HQ2 as well. These are not quite as effective as the S300, but are pretty formidable.
American electronic countermeasures can probably defeat all models of the HQ-2. Newer models of the HQ-2 have a range of 40 kilometers, and will hit the target 70 percent of the time (if there are no countermeasures.) The HQ-2 radars have a hard time dealing with stealthy aircraft, and the radar is needed to guide the missile to its target (via radio signals from the ground to the missile).
Source; strategypage.com
Now about that bill we'll send to China....
(winky wink)
I'll just let the thought dangle...
"Hey Mr. Hu, do you want to divest now or pay later?"
Eric in New Mexico writes:
BBC News Item;
Russia says it will undertake a key step next week towards starting up a reactor at Iran's first nuclear power station.
Russia's state atomic corporation, which is building the plant, said engineers will begin loading the Bushehr reactor with fuel.
"The fuel will be charged in the reactor on 21 August. From this moment, Bushehr will be considered a nuclear installation," spokesman Sergei Novikov said.
I've always felt that this blog, Dipnote...(short for "diplomatic note" should have this "special channel" for the citizen to post a note to world leaders and news makers directly.
See, it will take many minds to stop this car in time.
So let's give it a whirl and see what comes of it...
To; Sergei Novakov
CC Sergei Lavrov, FM
Re; Bushehr
Gentleman, what we have here is a failure to communicate.
Apparently you think it's ok to give a non-peaceful regime the means to atomic power production.
When "Atoms for Peace" was concieved, we didn't have what folks call "sponsors of terror" back in those days.
Now get a grip and figure it out, a state sponsor of terror has voided all soverign right to the peaceful use of atomic energy.
If the international community is not ready to ascribe to this as policy under the rule of law, you will never create a safer world to live in.
I say this to you as I would say this to my own government, so please don't take this Dipnote too personally.
Thanks for your consideration on this.
--end dipnote--
Donald M. in Virginia writes:
@Eric in New Mexico
I'm still here... I did notice the big fire in Russia... the fact is you don't need missiles to take out missiles like Bush hinted with the air to air strike. Most likely one of the best ways to defeat this missile will be on the ground before you go in with bombers. Actually, if you take away his "eyes in radar" he wouldn't be able to fire it...and if he did fire it, most likely wouldn't keep the track, another words a good old fashioned sand storm would do the trick... kick up some of that Iranian sand where they keep these Missile launchers...I used to work at an Air Defense Facility in Saudi Arabia, Prince Sultan years ago...
The "Sand will be the key element of deception" or just sandbag the Missile Launchers, eventually they would be so deep in sand they can't fire.
I guess, I was a little dis-appointed when I heard about the Joint Fighting Command in Norfolk, Va being closed down, people losing jobs in Virginia...
China and Russia might have teamed up, both have committments with Iran. Both countries are making money on arms deals. Makes for some interesting challenges ahead...
The 2012 year might come sooner then anyone imagined.
Now would be an excellent time to show a little force, other than the leader being in the box, time to turn up the HEAT!!!
The days of talk for the Leader of Iran have run dry... He had the Opportunity to come to the table... now should be the time to act...before its too late...
I guess, I can also be added to the funny pages...hehehehe
Eric in New Mexico writes:
First things first , if sending a bill is the only way to convince China we're serious about them not coddling and arming rouge terrorist regimes, the cost/benefit analysis alone should provide incentive for them to remove "lil Kim.
Rather than "forcing them" it is more like "reasoning" with them in the long-term context.
Saying to them "Here, this is what it has cost us so far to maintain the peace on the Korean peninsula for tha last 50 years, oh, and here's what it's cost S Korea and Japan as well and since the situation has developed to this point, we believe at any point in time up till now China could have removed the threat altogether had you seen the wisdom of doing so. Now we're asking you to before we seek to collect on this ammount, and if "Lil Kim starts a war before you remove him, we'll be forced to send you a follow-up bill to this." (and give a rough estimatated breakdown they can look forward to)
Then you talk about the reaction of the American public to our troops being killed by Chinese made weapons... supporting terrorists, and nuclear idiots that are trying their best to start wars with us...etc etc...they'll get the picture.
Vs. Ending the threats posed by Iran and N. Korea as our partner and trading together happily ever after.
A unified Korea would only help the region's overall economic growth, and that is in China's interest.
This can't happen with a build-up of Chinese arms across the straits, nor disputes over territorial waters.
So if we're going to draw new borders one way or another ( if war happens ) so might as well draw them so folks can live with the arrangement without further hassle.
If China truly wants peace and stability , it will take a hit in divesting from Iran, and removing the NK regime from power, but it gains it's long term goals in the process.
"no pain, no gain"
It's not a welcome choice, but an essential choice they must make.
We have to show them what it means to be a responsible member of the international community, and what happens when they fail to be.
I'm sure folks have talked with them, but did the get it? It doesn't seems so, and it's time for a different approach.
As I said, "I don't do wait and see very well", especially with ethical infants thretening nuclear war whenever they feel like it.
Donald M. in Virginia writes:
@Eric in New Mexico
I agree, if the evidence proves China is behind selling Iran Missiles, or weapons to the Taliban then they should receive a "Whoppper of a Bill" especially since our forces have been in Korea for the past 50 years. Subsequently, knowing that Sanctions have been placed on Iran. I had a hunch that China may have been selling the Taliban weapons. China is a very close ally of North Korea, and even sending them a bill won't change that fact. Allies are like brothers, you would stand by your brother in time of trouble, China wants to be the big brother of North Korea, Just like Saudi Arabia had been the big money sugar daddy of the Middle East giving big money to Egypt and Pakistan.
Did people forget or have short memories when the toys from china were painted with lead paint? They shipped God knows how many toys to the United States and other countries with lead painted toys. While the current administration praises China because they borrowed so Many Billions of dollars, placing our Nation in a vunerable security situation. It was China vessels "Crewmembers" that were Mocking our Sailors at sea. This embarassment should not have been placed on our people, especially when they are trained to combat in time of war. What should of happened is Car Manufactures, Mortgage Companies and banks if they foreclose, they sell off the business and someone else picks up the pieces. Once the situation happened with our Sailors, the President of the United States, President Barack Obama, should have given the money back to China. How in the world can President Barack Obama claim China was our best ally when they have never stepped into Battle with our forces. United Kingdom and France have, China did not.
I can't help but think our forces in Afghanistan are in a unique situation. Pakistan can lure Taliban members into its country being a Muslim State. I would say if the Prime Minister of the President of Pakistan has his secuirty Staff on the ball, we wouldn't see our troops under fire in Afghanistan.
However, that will not change the current situation with Iran. Pragmatic to say the least with 4 US Americans in custody. I would think the leader of Iran would try the same nonsense Saddam Hussain forces used in Iraq, which would be to use them as "Human Shields." The State Department should be prepared for all kinds of situations in this country.
I also understand that the Joint Chief of Staff has a plan to deal with Iran. I believe the Admiral when he says, "We have a plan." It should make the leader of Iran think twice about stocking up missiles. Since he continues to be defiant, its only a matter of time before he feels the wrath the United States can deliver on a country that refuses to even communicate when so many offers were given to resolve the standoff.
I'm actually more concerned about the woman they plan on stoning to death. This is so lame. One day God will Judge the Leader of Iran, and I seriously doubt his closet is clean.
Eric in New Mexico writes:
I'm not judging China's intent Donald, just the result of its actions, and I don't know what's worse if they have the same effect, blind stupidity or greed and malice?
Que no?
Donald M. in Virginia writes:
@Eric in New Mexico
Isn't that about the same principal when it comes to the New Mosque they plan on building in New York, 100 Million dollars. Greed instead of thinking about the 911 victims or the Fire Fighters who perished in the building. People agree they can build a mosque in the United States but being close to where a Memorial of over 3,000 people perished by Islamic Terrorists shows how they won the city of New York. I guess it's only a matter of time before they start having prayer calls around the clock in New York City from the tower of the Mosques like its done in the Arab world.
China should be held responsible and account for its action if they are behind selling weapons to the Taliban or Iran. Greed should not be a pass for political gains.
Donald M. in Virginia writes:
The CIA has its motto inscribed in stone just inside the front door : "And ye shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free.â€
Eric in New Mexico writes:
I think the President said all I would have ever had to say on that subject anyway Donald.
Now if terrorists were trying to build a memorial to bin Laden on the WTC site, I'd be the first to blow it up.
But no one's doing that and folks that think Muslims are , by building a mosque, need to get a real good grip on themselves.
Since you asked...(chuckle).
Eric in New Mexico writes:
Dipnote Bloggers, PJ Crowley, and "powers that be" in gov. ...(you know who you are)
We need a "New Start" with China as well, and I was just reading, along with this item included here from BBC NEWS how Pres. Lee of Korea is looking to institute a 1.2-3 trillon dollar "tax" that would pay for reunification costs after all was sais and done...(presented as a reasonable proposition to the North Korean gov. in his speech along with his people.)
It's not clear who he'd be asking to pay for that tax, but we all know where he can send the bill I suppose...
11 day excercises have begun, and I think China will turn blue holding its collective breath, unless they exhale and blow 'lil Kim away to prevent further stupidity from being uttered or initiated by that terrorist regime.
(forget re-designating NK a "sponsor of terror", 'lil Kim has graduated to terrorist status.)
I wonder what PJ Crowley would say for this Dept. regarding that last thought, officially.
Since he hasn't blogged here in awile, I figured a "citizen's public invitation" to is certainly appropriate under these circumstance.
6 party talks are "dead in the water", so we'all would love to know what "next steps" look like.
Because we have a pretty good idea what things will look like when all hell breaks loose, and if folks don't have some reasonable "next steps" in mind, State's leaving way to much to random acts of idiocy to dictate the terms of US policy.
May I suggest a joint State dept/DOD briefing with the heads of agencies on this subject?
Include the President, if the secretaries get too hard a question that's beyond their job description to answer.
Point being in being absolutely crystal clear with the American public, and all the other audiences out there listening.
It's time.
Source; BBC
"The military counteraction of the DPRK [Democratic People's Republic of Korea] will be the severest punishment no one has ever met in the world," a spokesman for the General Staff of the Korean People's Army said in a statement carried by North Korea's official news agency.
North Korea's statement Sunday took direct aim at U.S. President Barack Obama.
"The Obama Administration would be well advised to cool its head heated with the moves to isolate and stifle the DPRK," the spokesman for the General Staff of the Korean People's Army said, "and deeply ponder over what the DPRK meant when it clarified its resolute determination and solemn declaration to defend the country and the nation."
Thanks, Hope they consider the resoning behind my simple request.


text:
It's another ridiculously busy night of TV, with premieres and finales jousting for attention amid other distractions. It's just as well that CBS' top-rated lineup is taking a breather with repeats.
First, the farewells, going head to head. Once again, NBC sends away its reliably tear-jerking Parenthood (10/9c) earlier in the TV year than we'd like, but a limited run of 15 episodes beats the alternative. Shows like this don't tend to repeat well, and if a shorter run makes business sense - while freeing up the time period in the back half of the season for something else (in this case, a retooled Smash in two weeks) - then so be it. This fourth season has been Parenthood's strongest and most emotionally charged to date, especially in the storyline involving Kristina's breast cancer ordeal, providing Monica Potter and Peter Krause (as husband Adam) with their strongest dramatic material to date. Emmy voters, wake up and take note.
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On Thursday at Symphony Space, string duo Laurie Smukler (violin) and Joel Krosnick (cello) present a concert that includes both classical and contemporary duets. The program features one of the first musical tributes to Elliott Carter since his passing on Monday: the late work Tres Duetti. Krosnick, a former member of the Juilliard Quartet, collaborated closely with Carter, premiering and performing a number of his works. Another American composer with whom he worked closely was the self-styled "Radical Traditionalist" Ralph Shapey. Thursday's concert has Duo Variations, a work by Shapey composed for Krosnick, slated for performance as well. Below, the cellist shares some words about knowing and working with Carter.
"For those of us who grew up as American musicians in the 1950′s playing the music of our time, and who have continued to do so until now, Elliott Carter has been a seminal philosophical presence in our entire lives as musicians. From the appearance of the astonishingly massive Quartet No. 1 in 1951, through the four other quartets culminating with the 5th Quartet in the late 1990′s, Mr. Carter has been, for just a small example, an integral part of the life of anyone who loved and played string quartets. The Juilliard Quartet premiered the 2nd and 3rd Quartets of Mr. Carter, and of course played them all. (We will play the 5th String Quartet at a Juilliard School concert on December 19, which was to be a celebration of Mr. Carter's 104th birthday.)
"My first memorable experience with the music of Elliott Carter was of course the Cello Sonata from 1948, perhaps the most important cello sonata of my lifetime as a musician. I had the great good fortune to be allowed by Mr. Carter to make an early recording of that great work in the mid 1960′s with the pianist Paul Jacobs for Nonesuch Records (followed in the 1990′s by a second recording of the work with my pianist partner, Gilbert Kalish, for Arabesque Records). And since that time, I have had the privilege of being a part of innumerable performances over many years of the Cello Sonata, all five of the String Quartets, the Harpsichord Sonata, the Triple Duo, the Oboe Quartet, the Figment No. 1 for Solo Cello, the Tre Duetti for Violin and Cello, the Piano Quintet, and the Clarinet Quintet (written for and premiered by Charles Neidich and the Juilliard String Quartet).
"As I have said, Elliott Carter has been a major presence in my life as a musician, almost from the start. Even considering his advanced age of 103, it is suddenly astonishing that he will no longer be with us writing his great music."


text:
Why did the turkey join the band?
Because he had drumsticks!
Clean, funny jokes submitted by children around the world.
From Mckinzie, age 10, Richmond,VA
Why did the turkey join the band?
8823 clean kids jokes, and growing every day! JokesByKids.com is published by me, Barbara J. Feldman: mom, wife, syndicated columnist, and founder of Surfnetkids.com.
More of my comments and updates are posted at What's New? and For Parents.
Comments and questions are welcome at ReplyToBarbara.com


text:
You can start a timer when you begin working on a project, pause timers and stop them when finished. All timer data can be edited any time. The software also features filters, reminders using Growl, tagging of timers, flat fee entries and export to different formats (such as PDF, CSV or text).
Upgrades from version 2 are available for $9.99.
What's New
- fixed several crashes


text:
Ever since Russell Brand gave great performances as Aldous Snow in "Forgetting Sarah Marshall" and "Get Him to the Greek," I've been a fan. I've enjoyed his stand-up work, and I hear his books are worth reading. I like the Russell Brand personality, so I should enjoy his new late-night show "Brand X with Russell Brand," right? I do, but not as much as I thought I would.
"Brand X" has a weird format. Brand spends the show riffing on current events, pop culture, etc., while messing with his audience. It's occasionally very funny, but sometimes Brand flies a little off the rails. And the audience interaction can be good, but sometimes a bland person doesn't have the ability to match the host's gusto.
My favorite interactions are between Brand and his researcher/consultant, Matt Stoller, a Harvard graduate and former congressional policy adviser. I'd like to see more clashing of Brand's absurdist mindset with Stoller's logic-based reality. How much you enjoy Brand and his humor will determine how much you enjoy this show, but like I said, I'm a fan and still wanted something more.


text:
im involved in organising this night on thurs- trying to get a picture of what soundgear there is at the forest, and what we need to beg borrow steal from elsewhere...
i understand there is a PA and desk (upstairs in the hall this is) - is there a snake? we got a band with a lot of acoustic instruments, will need a lot of miking
we can get hold of some mics ok - can anyone let me know how many we can expect to find there?
part of this is miking up the organ- thinking a couple of mics overhead will do, but its going to involve some long cables- are there many cables about? the organ is also going to need a massive MIDI cable- going to make some adaptors so we can use XLRs, but again, going to need long ones..


text:
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Graziella's Italian Restaurant
232 Vanderbilt Ave. Clinton Hill, Brooklyn, NY 11205 |
Get Directions
Phone: (718) 789-5663
Specialty Dishes: Arugula & Parmesan Pizza
The authentic Italian pizza at Graziella's includes Ted Allen's favorite, the Arugula & Parmesan pie. The owner, Vito Randazzo, named Graziella's after his mother. The menu also has plenty more Italian specialties, including tiramisu, chickpea panelle and eggplant rollatini.
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Thursday, September 12, 1:00 pm to 1:45 pm, in 023 Dunbar Library.
Led by CTL staff.
This 45-minute, hands-on workshop provides beginning users of Pilot an overview of the tools and best practices for creating web-enhanced courses. Users will learn how to activate a course, send e-mail, access their class list and impersonate a student.


text:
Rainbows in Lynn Camp
I got to help out the fisheries department last Wednesday. It didn't go to well. We got rained out and only had time to shock up one of the two scheduled sections.
In that one section, we got four rainbows up, two male and two female. The fish looked very healthy, one was 12" and another was 14". Mr. Moore and Mr. Kulp were not present that day. One of the other guys mentioned that someone might have brought the bows in. I was astonished and could not believe that some idiot would undermined countless hours of physical labor and thousands of dollars because they like fishing for rainbows in a particular section of stream. Imagine having a stream where 12" brookies could be caught.
Mr. Moore is now stating that he also feels that someone is playing "bucket biologist". If that is the case, I really hope that the "sportsman" that is responsible gets caught. What a piece of trash.
jasonkelkins at yahoo dot com
Last edited by GrouseMan77; 06-07-2010 at 07:56 PM.. Reason: Angry
Jason--How far above the barrier (waterfall) were the rainbows? While obviously they have the ability to move upstream if a bucket biologist planted them, it is unlikely they would cover much water if they found things suitable low down. In other words, I am wondering if it is possible that it wasn't bucket biology but fish which were somehow not killed.
That happened, and in a big way, in Indian Creek (the N. C. one that feeds Deep Creek) back in the late 1960s or early 1970s. It was a different scenario in some ways--rotenone (I think) rather than antimycin--but I can see what happened there being possible today. The problem in Indian Creek, almost certainly, was that some tiny branches which fed the creek had wee 'bows in them. They just moved downstream into bigger water and within two or three years Indian Creek was back just like it had been; namely, a stream full of smallish rainbows.
I've also read or heard of other possibilities, such as egg migration on the legs of wading or fish-eating birds, but to me that seems unlikely.
There's no doubt bucket biology has taken place in the Park in the past, with Abrams Creek and browns being a prime example. As those who have read my book carefully realize, I've always harbored some skepticism about the efficacy of speckled trout restoration (just can't bring myself to use the B word). However, no one would be more tickled than me to see things back to the kind of situation my 100-year-old father talks about, when there were specks everywhere until a given stream was logged, and when he once saw a speck frozen in a block of ice with red spots on it almost the size of a dime. I've actually seen such fish, but they were in Labrador.
If it is bucket biology, it would be wonderful to catch the perpetrator(s) and punish them to the maximum extent possible.
I've read some other information about the recent survey on Lynn Camp Prong--I gather precious few specks were found, especially new recruits, and if so that's a huge setback. Has anyone heard anything recently about Bear Creek and the restoration there?
Jim Casada
Jim - The bows were a few hundred meters upstream of the Panther Creek Trail junction.
jasonkelkins at yahoo dot com
Jason--Thanks, and that's not necessarily good news at all. That's an appreciable distance above the cascades, farther than I would have thought it likely for "bucket biology" rainbows to have migrated when there's plenty of fine water lower down. On the flip side of the coin, I don't think a bucket biologist would do illegal stocking while making that long a trip or, for that matter, that trout would survive after that long a hike.
A bit more heartening is that there were only four of them. How long a section of stream did you survey. If there were four in 50 meters or so, that's a dark cloud on the Lynn Camp horizon, but if the area covered was much longer, it's a bit more heartening.
Did your group find only rainbows or were there specks? If there were no specks, there's clearly reason for significant concern.
Thanks for your fine report (and your volunteer work with the Park).
Jim Casada
Jim - The section that we were working is four feet from the trail and the trail gets a lot of horse traffic. It would be easy. I can't recall exactly how long the sampled section was but the rainbows were somewhat clumped up in the last third. There were some specs in the group...around 10 if memory serves correct. Anywhere from about an 1" to around 7".
jasonkelkins at yahoo dot com
I saw the story tonight on WBIR. The reporters and officials were insisting that the big rainbows they found were brought in there by someone. My first thoughts were that they just missed some bows somehow when running the poison because it's an aweful lot of water up there it could happen. Seems kind of odd that someone would plant bows in this stream so soon after the project completed and many years before it would even be open to fishing. There are lots of other brookie streams that are already open to fishing they could have "hit" if that was the case. The guy on the news actually said that "someone was planting rainbows so they could come up here and fish for them illegally". I thought that was pretty strange too since there are plenty of spots to fish for bows legally why would someone go through all that trouble. Anyway Jason thanks for your volunteer work with the park. I hope this turns out to not be as bad as it sounds.
Adam Beal
Hey Jack (JAB)...
Jason--Thanks. I hadn't thought about transport by horse, although it is an obvious possibility. I really wish the Park would ban use of horses, although I know just saying that will raise some hackles. Yet anyone who spends much time in the Park has to recognize the undeniable fact that horses do considerable damage, especially on steep trails. There are places, especially on the Tennessee side of the Park, where horses have turned high elevation trails into gullies. Then there's the stink and general mess in horse camps.
At least you find a few specks, and the fact that some were tiny suggests at least a bit of population recruitment. That being said, the overall scenario doesn't look good.
Jim Casada
Hopefully, the four rainbows were the only rainbows left in the stream. I trust they were removed. I am glad there is continued monitoring work to complete the project.
I would also love to see horse traffic removed from the Park or at least greatly reduced. I have never understood why the Park has such stringent rules on human excrement while horse excrement lies in piles on certain Park trails. The horse traffic also destroys the hiking trails.
I think that horses have been "grandfathered in" to the park, in respects to trail rights, because of their initial help in the construction of trails and bridges, or so I have been told.
I agree that they damage trails, streams, & campsites, although I won't place any additional blame on them for trash being left in the woods, as I have been extremely disappointed at the amount of trash i've seen on foot traffic only trails lately.
I'm sorry that Rainbows were found, again, in Lynn Camp. Thanks to everyone who has done work throughout the years in an effort to restore our native fish species. Hopefully everything will work out as planned in the end.
Grannyknot--Interestingly, over the years, I have gotten different explanations as Park officials attempted to justify allowing extensive use of trails by horses. I've heard the explanation you offer, one to the effect that locals had traditionally used horses (only marginally valid but there's some truth to it), and even suggestions they did no more damage than humans (which is unmitigated hogwash).
One explanation which was never offered, but there's appreciable truth in it, is that no one in a position of authority has had the intestinal fortitude to stand up to a pretty powerful lobby which includes some political bigwigs (same sort of situation which left "summer retreats" for the rich and influential intact, let politically powerful folks stay at the Calhoun House on Hazel Creek, and the like). Another thing which frosts my grits is the tremendous amount of noise pollution from motorcycles. There are places you can be five or six miles from a roadway and hear them.
In truth, it's a balancing act for bureaucrats, but they have long turned a blind eye to the deleterious impact of horses.
Jim Casada
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>Runner's World - My Event Ratings>
In short: A race Sheff can be proud ofIn full: A better showcase of the city.Fantastic atmosphere and the view from the top at 5.5 miles make this a special one.It is tough. You need specific training and hill practice is a must but all will be worth it. Maybe not enough toilets. Didn`t dare use baggage store but loved it.Date of review: April 12, 2016
In short: As per...In full: Great weather, big field and supportive atmosphere this year. Thanks to the team for excellent communication and help regarding my bib number.Date of review: March 15, 2016
In short: Much improvedIn full: Lack of loos was clear (surely they have ratio they work to?) and I'm glad I had not entrusted my bag to them. Also I didn't see many distance markers which was a surprise( the clearest ones were on the way back as part of the 10k 'race'. Not sure what the King of Hill or10k really added either.All that said, the crowds were amazing, almost like when the tour came to town. The course was like an extreme version if the Leeds one IMO do it needs a lot of training if you want to enjoy it. Great effort!Date of review: April 14, 2015
In short: Another successful yearIn full: 7th time I have done this I think. It was really well organised as usual although the marshalls & crowd seemed quieter / less cheerful than usual. I`ll be back tho!Date of review: March 11, 2015
In short: scenic South Yorks bargian race!In full: first time for me but I`d heard it was a real bargain.Great value - plentiful cheery marshalls, water aplenty, decent goody bag, cakes `n` tea at t`end. Lots of info on signs and from organisers.Scenic, or at least as good as you can hope for in this part of the world. A couple of long drags but not like you`d get on the Peakier side of South Yorks. Advertised as 80% off-road but seemed nearer to 60% - ?Lovely event.Date of review: June 22, 2014
In short: Credit to Buxton and Buxton ACIn full: One of the toughest but what scenery!3 miles up to start, then undulating, then downhill for miles, then up to Jericho. Then you have nailed it. Except for 3 or 4 `stings in the tail`.Great race base and a race that addicted HMers MUST do.Credit to BEV who is a bundle of energy insuring it all runs like clockwork. Well done!To make this race better . . . BUXTON water not Nestle! A medal too! Or get (excellent) Buxton Brewery to give us a beer at the end! Oh, and a lift up the hills!Thank you Buxton AC!Date of review: May 25, 2014
In short: My only complaint - this race is difficult to fault!In full: Any tiny `problems` from last year seem to have been addressed and much improved.Fast course, smiley marshalls, tech tee & medal, stadium finish, pics & vids galore, daily updates, etc etc.Only things I could suggest to make this race better are , um, tailwind all the way, scantily clad cheerleaders to chase over the last 2 miles, free beer!??!?!?If you are in PB shape, you will PB. End of.Date of review: May 5, 2014
In short: Solid debut for super fast courseIn full: First year of this event and it looks to have a place on the local calendar in a flat area which hosts lots of speedy races.The Valiants centre was a decent base for the smallish number of runners who got a nice medal, easter egg and a bacon butty for their efforts. The race was enthusiastically organised by Alan Taylor and his supportive squad.The course is as flat as you get and some nice River Wyre scenery towards the end. Well done to everyone!Date of review: April 22, 2014
In short: Still getting better?In full: A chilly March day but the crowds were out in force to support their race that raises funds for the Scout group. Big mix of ability meaning that even average runners like me finish a fair way up the field and even lap a few backmarkers. Not cheap now with the cost of road closures and you only get a medal but the crowd make this race special. So many supporters around the park can`t help but make you run that part of the course way too fast!!See you next year!Date of review: March 27, 2014
In short: Go quick at InskipIn full: I agree with other reviewers.The start was a bit of a muddle and it did throw some runners; a fella alongside me panicked at the 2 mile mark thinking he was well slow and he then pushed on too much. Thankfully I guessed right!The marquee was very muddy but plenty of space and a decent amount of toilets and tables. Marshalls were really good although there was one point that could have done with one where I found myself on the wrong side of the road somehow!Great goody bag and a bargain price. Best bit? The red cabbage!!!Date of review: January 20, 2014
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Ronan Collins Thursday 7 March 2013
This week Ronan Collins has teamed up with Travel Department. We want you to take a holiday from planning your holiday this year and let us and Travel Department do all the planning for you. We've daily prizes of concert tickets with all daily winners going into the Big Final on Friday for a 7 night trip to Madeira.
Click here for details.
Listeners' choices, old favourites, plus the best of the new as well as many musical surprises
For a break from all that news and information throughout the day, check out Ronan Collins on RTÉ Radio 1 at midday where you'll find a feast of music and laughs. A feel-good show to help you through your day.
It's the show that has it all - Listeners Choices, Old Favourites, plus the best of the new as well as many musical surprises.
With a cheeky grin, Ronan enjoys the challenge of filling the afternoon with a show which is a contrast to the news and features programmes across the rest of the schedule on RTÉ Radio 1. His easygoing personality is a welcome interlude from the world around us.
Text: 51551
Presenter: Ronan Collins


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متصفح غير معتمد
صفحة لينوفو تدعو جوجل كروم,انتيرنيت اكسبلورير وموزيلا
|Statement description
How to retrieve my apps including those pre-installed apps after resetting a tablet?
|Affected Configuration
The above symptom may occur on the following systems:
You have to reinstall them.
Most of the pre-installed should be there still after the reset as they get automatically installed again. For others that you had downloaded before from the Markets, a re-download is required.


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Apple reportedly plans to release a version of iPhone 3GS with 8GB of memory at the price of $99 with contract. While the rumour is unconfirmed, it is likely that at some point the company may launch iPhone 3GS 8GB at low cost to address the market of consumers in budget.
Rogers stores in Canada are presently transitioning Apple iPhone 3G 8GB that costs $99 with contract to Apple iPhone 3GS 8GB that will be available at the same price, a news-story from Boy Genius Report web-site claims.
Although the information comes from unofficial source, it seems to be rather logical. Apple has been trying hard to sell iPhone 3G inventory for several months while gradually reducing manufacturing of the model. As a result, at some point there will be no 3G models, but a lot of 3GS models to sell to those, who cannot afford a more expensive iPhone 3GS.
Apple iPhone 3GS is very similar to the 3G model and features almost the same 3.5" touch-screen with 480x320 resolution, which now comes with special covering that should mask fingerprints. The main differences compared to the existing models is 600MHz ARM Cortex A8 microprocessor that enables higher performance of applications, PowerVR SGX graphics core that provide better performance of graphics as well as 256MB of random access memory (vs. 128MB of earlier models). Besides, Apple promises longer battery life for the new iPhone 3G S as compared to predecessors.
Less important differences are 3.0MP camera with autofocus and macro shooting support, a new built-in digital compass for instant navigation, voice control support and some other improvements. The iPhone 3G S also includes support for quad-band GSM, EDGE, UMTS, 7.2Mb/s HSDPA, 802.11b/g Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 2.1 wireless technologies. Traditionally, the 3GS model sports audio and video playback capabilities, assisted GPS function and so on.
Apple iPhone 3GS is available in the U.S. for a suggested retail price of $199 for the 16GB model and just $299 for the new 32GB model in both Apple and AT&T's retail and online stores, Best Buy and Wal-Mart stores. iPhone 3GS requires a new two year contract with AT&T for qualifying customers.
Apple did not comment on the news-story.


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Washed Velvet Moses Basket Bedding
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Our cotton-velvet moses basket bedding is washed for an elegantly relaxed look, then trimmed with sweet satiny ruffles to create a cozy nest for your baby.
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(1 of 1 customers found this review helpful)
Great entertainment for toddlers and pre
By Liz P.
from Orange County, CA
Best Uses
Comments about Learning Resources All About Me 2 in 1 Mirrors:
he All About Me 2 in 1 Mirrors come in a set of 6 so you can use them in your home or the classroom. I like that we can keep some in the car, at home and in the diaper bag for on the go. They are unbreakable and made without glass so parents can rest easy when these are manhandled by their little ones. Mason took off with one of these mirrors and was enamored by his own good looks. He likes to kiss himself as well as make funny faces. The size (6" x 4") is perfect for his hands. Although these are recommended for children 2+ years of age, Mason can still enjoy without understanding the difference of the two sides of the mirror. Mackenzie, on the other hand, was aware of the two different faces staring back at her. One side is a normal mirror in which Kenzie can practice her different expressions for photos. The other is similar to the mirrors in a fun house which distorts the face a bit to bring out loads of giggles and silliness. It's nice to use these 2-sided mirrors as a learning tool to teach body awareness and emotions. These are great to grab when you are out shopping and your tot is bored - a self-entertainment tool.
Bottom Line Yes, I would recommend this to a friend
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Fun - Lots of uses!
By 4649miranda
from MN
The All About Me 2-in-1 Mirrors are a fun addition to any home or classroom. You can create many uses, games, and activities with these. I like having the kids practice different emotions and watching themselves as we go through them. Also a fun way to do a self portrait.These mirrors are well made and should last a long time! We love them!*I received a sample in exchange for my honest opinions.
(2 of 2 customers found this review helpful)
Super Fun For My Little Guy
By Sweet Silly Sara
from Galion, Ohio
My son knows exactly how cute he is, but that doesn't stop him from wanting to get a glimpse of that cute little face of his whenever he has the chance. When Learning Resources sent him the All About Me 2 in 1 mirrors, I knew he would be more than thrilled to play with these.I like that my son can entertain himself safely while learning more about his sweet little face with these educational mirrors. One side is a regular mirror which is pretty fun for little kids on its own, but flip it over and you have a fun mirror that slightly distorts the reflection and is sure to bring on a few giggles.These mirrors are great for learning body awareness, for learning emotions and as a speech tool. They are durable unbreakable, non glass mirrors and are easy for small hands to hold on the side grasps. The set comes with 6 mirrors making this a great tool for preschool or kindergarten classrooms or for home school use. They are also ideal for using with toddlers, such as my son.With the All About Me 2 in 1 mirrors, you can share your mirrors with friends and no fighting as there is plenty of fun to share. These are more than toy mirrors for admiring faces, they are tools for learning through play.Overall we are very impressed with this mirror set from Learning Resources. My husband works in special education and we sent a few mirrors to his classroom, he said it is a good tool for teaching children about making appropriate facial expressions and to help them with speech.


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Junior Achievement Helps Students Prepare With Real World Skills
FALCONER – Falconer Central School students are getting an education in the global economy, thanks to Junior Achievement.
This time of year many adults opt to have a professional file their taxes for them, for fear that they may be too inexperienced to properly file their own taxes.
Imagine how confused a fresh-out-of-college or high school student might feel filing their own.
This is simply one example of why Cathy Moots, home and careers teacher at Falconer, believes that students are never too young to learn about financial literacy.
To help teach Falconer students, Moots sought the aid of Junior Achievement.
"Junior Achievement is an organization that helps students set career goals, teach budgeting, financial literacy and free enterprise," said Moots. "It's geared toward helping students learn how the economy works and how to use the economy to achieve goals."
Moots went on to discuss how Junior Achievement, which has a regional headquarters in Buffalo, uses local volunteers who discuss career options and planning with students. In return, the students get the opportunity to ask the volunteer questions about financial and economic aspects that they might not understand.
"Junior Achievement wants to bring people from the outside into the schools to teach the JA curriculum," said Moots. "The curriculum is written by professionals and educators, and the JA curriculum is used nationwide, so volunteers aren't forced to create their own teaching plans. Instead, the volunteers use curriculum which has proven to work well in many other schools across the country. … All the students receive a workbook that goes along with the curriculum that talks about career goals and how interests and hobbies fit into certain careers. It also taught much needed skills such as budget making and being a frugal shopper."
Additionally, traditional Junior Achievement lessons also cover topics such as insurance, the stock market, banking and which career fields are growing. Although learning about whether a Western New York house needs flood insurance might not sound entertaining, Moots said that the students take a general liking to Junior Achievement classes.
"The students are pretty enthusiastic," said Moots. "What's great about the program – kindergarten through senior year – the curriculum is relevant to the age group. It's good for the teacher, too, because it's someone else coming into the classroom that reinforces what the teachers are teaching their students. JA starts off in kindergarten and grows with the students as they climb grades. By the time the students are in seventh grade, they are learning about entrepreneurship. By the time the students are seniors, their entire economics class includes Junior Achievement."
And while Junior Achievement is an international organization and has had a stronghold in Falconer for close to a decade, not many other schools are taking advantage of what Junior Achievement has to offer.
"Right now, in Chautauqua County, it's Falconer, Jamestown, Brocton and Dunkirk who participate in Junior Achievement," said Laurie Mahoney, Buffalo area Junior Achievement president. "We have many schools in Erie County which participate, but not so many in Chautauqua County. We'd really like to see more schools use Junior Achievement, but securing resources is always an issue."
As a way to raise awareness about JA in Chautauqua County, the JA of Western New York recently announced the formation of the Junior Achievement of WNY Chautauqua County Advisory Committee.
Through a network of high profile business and community leaders, the JAWNY Chautauqua Advisory Committee will assist JAWNY staff to develop new partnerships, increase awareness of JA programs and grow revenue streams to ensure and enhance JA's presence throughout Chautauqua County.
Members of the newly formed committee are: Mike Metzger, Jim Roach, Steve Penhollow, Jane Fosberg, Deke Kathman and Cathy Moots. Metzger and Roach will serve as president and vice-president, respectively.
As a fundraiser, JA will be hosting the Junior Achievement Bowl-A-Thon on April 20 at the Jamestown Bowling Company. There is a $5 lane fee per bowler, and every participant is asked to raise a minimum of $50. More information on the Bowl-A-Thon can be found at www.jawnybowlathon.org.
More general information about JA can be found at its website, www.jawny.org.


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chocolate alby bradu
- Medium
- Traditional
- Artist Notes
- Chuck "the Iceman" Liddell, fingerprints with stamp pad ink, 9x12"
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More about bradu
- Location
- or, usa
- Artist Biography
- I was born and raised in Portland OR, and still here today. I graduated in 2002 from Western Oregon University with a Bachelor of Science in Art. As an artist, I've always been most fascinated with human faces. I love the challenge of trying to capture someone's likeness, whatever it is that makes t ...