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This year we will be celebrating the Girl Scout Leadership Experience at the annual meeting. The scheduling of this meeting is always a challenge. The annual meeting is set on the same weekend each year, but the date of Easter changes. Between Easter and the different spring breaks on school calendars across our council, we can never find the perfect weekend for everyone. With that said, we will still celebrate what we are about: GIRLS!
GIRLS are simply amazing. And GSSA girls are REALLY amazing. We have a robotics team that, despite being a new group, has done well at competitions. We have girls who go out in the woods on a regular basis and learn skills they will use for a lifetime. We have lots of girls who sold lots of cookies this year. Some who didn't speak up before can now confidently approach strangers with a sales pitch -- a young budding entrepreneur.
Many of our girls drop out of Girl Scouts at age 11. And what experiences they miss by doing so! Those girls who do continue the Girl Scout Leadership Experience become exceptional individuals. They are skilled in many life skills. Of those who continue, we award 90 Bronze Awards each year. This is usually earned by troops who do great projects. We have about 40 girls earn the Silver Award each year. And last, but certainly not least, this past year we have seven girls who have earned the Gold Award.
We thought we would highlight the young women who have earned the Gold Award and who will be presented their award at the annual meeting at Wehle Conservation Center on March 29.
Elizabeth Schloss is from Prattville. She is finishing her freshman year at Auburn, where she plays xylophone in the band. For her Gold Award project, Elizabeth set up tutoring sessions for Hispanic kids. She involved her Beta club at school and held sessions at a local church after Spanish mass. Elizabeth said one of the most successful aspects for her was that the parents started coming with their kids, so she ended up with adults being tutored as well as kids. Also, a principal at a local elementary school heard about her project and asked her to come and do after school tutoring at the elementary school.
Adrienne Spivey is from Montgomery, where she is a senior at Montgomery Catholic Preparatory School. Adrienne's Gold Award project involved educating children about Alzheimer's disease. She created and produced a video to help children understand changes they may see in their elderly relatives and feel more confident interacting with them. Adrienne has these words for girls who are thinking about going for the Gold Award: "Taking on a serious Girl Scout project could seem impossible. Think about the difference you will make by doing it, though. Think about the lives you'll change. Think about how you'll be campaigning for something you not only believe in, but that you created. This project may seem overwhelming, and even be a bit challenging at times, but the outcome and the rewards are worth it all."
Ann Claire Carnahan is a senior at UMS-Wright in Mobile. Ann Claire worked with staff and volunteers at Keep Mobile Beautiful to create and promote a website for their organization. Keep Mobile Beautiful is a city of Mobile department that operates as a not-for-profit environmental organization and depends heavily on volunteers. Ann Claire designed and built a website, and used social media and presentations to bring awareness to the public about the services that Keep Mobile Beautiful offers. Ann Claire offers this advice to girls interested in going for the Gold: "I would advise girls to align themselves with a community organization that already has a need you can work towards fixing. Listening to the organization's needs gave me the framework I needed to construct an airtight, meaningful project."
These young women (and all the others who have earned awards this year) are outstanding examples of why we work hard, and why we celebrate girls.


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Shop the Look
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Product Details
It's sweater weather (and it probably will be for a while). You pretty much can't go wrong with one made from lambswool—it's soft, warm and always a good decision when the temperature starts to drop. This one is made with marled yarns, giving it a cool heathered texture to make it stand out from the pile languishing at the back of your closet.
Size & Fit Details

subset: commoncrawl


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Hey Everyone!
I wanted to bring you some really cool and exciting news that just came across my desk. You have all been seeing the success that the latest Project X film, Worlds Apart, has been seeing. A few of you have even seen how cool it is by having the privilege of watching the whole thing. This next bit of news is huge for Worlds Apart and for Cogswell..
Recently, a couple crew members from Worlds Apart contacted CG Society and inquired about getting the film featured on their site in some way. They never expected anything crazy, just a link, maybe a small summary on their list of animated shorts. After they send some material to the editor they couldn't believe his response. He decided that he wanted to do a full 2 page article on the film!
If you don't know who or what CG Society is, it is probably about time that you checked the site out. They are one of, if not the biggest, online CG Art and VFX websites in the world. They not only feature individual artists work but also professional studio work as well. They get thousands of hits on their site everyday and host some of the most beautiful cg art that I have ever seen. It is not only and honor to be featured on their site but a privilege and the crew of the film couldn't be more happy.
If you want to check out the article and more about Worlds Apart, follow the link below.
Congratulations to the Worlds Apart crew! Hope you just as much success in your coming projects!
Tags: Alumni, article, cg society, cogswell, Project X, Worlds Apart


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Human Touch® Partners with the Wounded Warriors for 6th Annual Tee It Up Show "Celebrity" Golf Classic to Help Raise Money to Support Injured Returning Veterans
Los Angeles, CA – December 5, 2011 – Human Touch®, the U.S. market leader of innovative massage chairs, Perfect Chair® Recliners, and other wellness solutions, is pleased to announce its support of the 6th Annual Tee It Up Celebrity Golf Classic benefiting the Wounded Warrior Project (WWP).
This annual golf tournament is taking place today at the Trump National Golf Club in Los Angeles to help raise money for America's severely injured veterans. The golf tournament is held each year by the Tee It Up Radio Network, America's largest independent golf & lifestyle radio network, founded by the Gottfried Family. Participants in The 6th Annual Tee It Up "Celebrity" Golf Classic include 30 celebrities from music, television, film, and sports, and 120 golfers, all playing in the tournament to help raise awareness and funds for the WWP.
"We are honored to be a part of this important fundraising event for the second consecutive year, to help our nation's brave and dedicated service men and women who were severely injured in war," said Andrew Corkill Director of Marketing for Human Touch, LLC. "Our donation and support of today's golf tournament is just a small token of Human Touch's gratitude for all of the selfless men and women who risk their lives to protect our country."
In support of the WWP, Human Touch® has donated an AcuTouch® 7450 Zero-Gravity Massage Chair, being included as a live auction item at today's event, and is also showcasing its massage chairs on the golf course for enjoyment by today's participating celebrities, golfers and attendees. Celebrity golfers who have been seen today relaxing in a Human Touch® massage chair include Former Olympian Bruce Jenner, Actor John McGinley, and Actor Tyler Mane, who is also a proud owner of his own Human Touch® massage chair.
About Human Touch®
Human Touch® is focused on infusing health and wellness into everyday lives through high-quality, design-oriented and award-winning massage chairs. Human Touch® has been making people feel better® for more than 30 years by developing state-of-the-art massage and wellness products, as well as by providing valuable consumer education about the substantial health and wellness benefits of regular massage therapy, relaxation and proper posture. Human Touch® products are available at back care specialty stores, fine furniture stores across the country, through international retailers and distributors in more than 40 countries, as well as online at www.humantouch.com.
# # #
Media Contact:
Rachel Neppes
BERKMAN for Human Touch®
619.231.9977 x306 (office)
619.405.3917 (cell)


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You limited your search to:
Partner: UNT Libraries
Country: Bangladesh
Decade: 2010-2019
Collection: Environmental Policy Collection
Our Planet : Green Economy - Making it work
Date: February 2010
Creator: Lean, Geoffrey
Description: Our Planet is a periodical magazine published by the United Nations Environment Programme. This issue is devoted to programs in several countries that are investing in a "green economy" in order to ensure the efficient and sustainable use of natural resources.
Contributing Partner: UNT Libraries
UNEP Year Book 2010: New Science and Developments in Our Changing Environment
Date: 2010
Creator: United Nations Environment Programme
Description: This publication presents an overview of global and regional environmental issues and policy decisions during 2010.
Contributing Partner: UNT Libraries


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Topic: Creating Ruby App for Intranet
Hi All,
I am new to RoR and was interested in creating an app that I can give access to our internal users only. i.e. via an Intranet, using the same URL that they would access our Intranet. e.g. companyintranet.com/RubyApp
I've looked all over the net, including this forum, for information on this and have found a lot of conflicting information.
I would primarily like to know how I would go about packaging and deploying the app so it can use our intranet URL (as per example above).
Our Intranet is hosted on IIS 6.0 which sits on a Windows SBS Server (2007).
I'm hoping somebody could steer me in the right direction.
Your assistance is greatly appreciated.


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Video: Barenaked Ladies "You Run Away"
The Barenaked Ladies have just released their 11th album "All In Good Time" recently and "You Ran Away" is the lead single off of it.
I like it a lot. It shows growth for the band famous for it's songs like "One Week" and "Pinch Me" in the past.
This is the band's first release since former co-lead singer Steven Page left the group.
I will be reviewing the "All In Good Time" CD this weekend.
Let me know what you think of "You Run Away" by the BNL.-Dr.FB


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Fabric: Red Listing denim. Ring/ring spun, 3x1 right hand twill, 13 oz. 100% cotton,
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Art nr: 20.0.50778.5207.3142


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Jammers rout Conn. at Diethrick
JAMESTOWN, N.Y. – Jamestown's offense gave Jammers starter Jackson Lodge and the bullpen 10 runs of support on Thursday night.
Lodge and relievers Justin Topa and Kurt Yacko would have been just fine with only one.
The Jammers (18-12) scored 10 runs in the opening four innings and the Jamestown pitching trio twirled a seven-hit shutout in the team's 10-0 victory over the Connecticut Tigers at Diethrick Park.
A rubber match of the three-game series between the teams is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. Friday in Jamestown.
With game-time temperatures hovering right around 90 degrees, the Jammers' offense was equally as hot in the game's opening innings.
After Lodge (3-1) set the Tigers down in order to start the game, Jamestown responded with three runs in the bottom of the first. Adam Frazier started the scoring when he raced home on one of Connecticut's four errors and Michael Fransoso capped the inning with a two-run single.
The runs kept coming in the second and third frames with one run added to the lead in each. JaCoby Jones' sacrifice fly brought home Jimmy Rider in the second inning to make it 4-0 and Jeff Roy singled home Fransoso in the third to make it 5-0.
Any question about the game's final outcome was put to rest with a five-run Jammers' bottom of the fourth.
Harold Ramirez started the inning's scoring with a sac fly, Roy singled home a pair and Fransoso and Rider also drove home runs with base hits.
While Jamestown would not score the rest of the way, it hardly mattered to the final outcome. Lodge pitched six strong innings, allowing only three hits and striking out three. Topa pitched two innings, allowing two hits with two strikeouts and Yacko pitched the ninth, allowing two hits and striking out a pair.
Offensively, Jamestown's 12-hit attack was led by Roy's three hits with Fransoso, Rider and Edwin Espinal adding two hits each. Frazier and Fransoso each scored twice.
Connecticut 000 000 000 – 0 7 4
Jamestown 311 500 00x – 10 12 1
2b-Pat Leyland (C). WP-Jackson Lodge. LP-Kevin Ziomek.


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I am aware this is probably off topic, but I am curious if anybody in this community has experiance with ecigarettes?
I have been trying to stop smoking for 3 years and have attempted everything from the patch to drugs. I am desparate, I have cancer and I do not feel like getting scammed or tricked into trying somthing worse. E-cigarettes look like an appealing way to stop smoking cigarettes, but would they work? And how do I know which one to get, most seem to be 100's of dollars and I can't afford to toss money away. I have cancer treatments to pay for.
If anyone has any experiance with this I'd really apreciate some advice.


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by Anton Shilov
UPDATE: Clarifying the confusion between Orochi, Valencia and Zambezi code-named.
Advanced Micro Devices on Wednesday displayed a die-shot of the forthcoming central processing unit (CPU) code-named Orochi, which is based on the Bulldozer micro-architecture and will be made using 32nm silicon-on-insulator process technology.
AMD Orochi design is the company's next-generation processor for high-end desktop and server markets. The chip will feature eight processing engines, but since it is based on Bulldozer micro-architecture, those cores will be packed into four modules. Every module which will have two independent integer cores (that will share fetch, decode and L2 functionality) with dedicated schedulers, one floating point unit with two 128-bit FMAC pipes with one FP scheduler. The chip will have shared L3 cache, dual-channel DDR3 memory controller and will use HyperTransport 3.1 bus. The Orochi chips will use new AM3+ form-factor and will require brand new platforms.
The image clearly depicts four separate dual-core Bulldozer modules with unified level-two caches, various interfaces (memory, HyperTransport, etc.), rather strangely aligned level-three cache and so on. Based on the physical size of L2 caches, it can be expected that each module will have 2MB of L2, which should ensure higher single-thread performance compared to existing processors in many situations. It is unclear why the modules on the upper side of the picture are larger than the modules on the lower side of the image. Potentially, this may indicate that either certain modules will include certain additional logic or the image has been specifically altered. According to AMD, the die-shot was substantially "photoshopped" for competitive reasons.
AMD also clarified that Orochi forms the basis for both the eight-core desktop chip known as Zambezi and eight-core server product code-named Valencia. Zambezi is a name which designates a specific desktop platform, whereas Valencia has all the server features enabled. Orochi refers to the glass which will make both central processing units happen.
Bulldozer instruction set architecture supports SSE 4.1; SSE 4.2; AVX with AMD 4-operand FMAC subset, 256-bit YMM registers and AES; XSAVE state space management and XOP instructions. Bulldozer will also support light weight profiling (LWP) technology. As indicated earlier, there are no word on 3DNow! extensions or SSE5 instruction set.
Besides design and instruction set improvements, Bulldozer, just like the code-named Llano accelerated processing unit (APU), supports advanced power management featuring chip power gating and digital measurements of temperatures. Obviously, the chip will be able to dynamically boost clock-speed when thermal design power allows and multiple cores are not required.


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Human Resources Committee on Oct. 20th, 2011
Evidence of meeting #6 for Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities in the 41st Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was process.
A recording is available from Parliament.
On the agenda
MPs speaking
Also speaking
- Doretta Thompson Principal, Education and Communications, Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants
- Jylan Khalil Director, Chartered Accountants Qualification, Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants
- Mathew Wilson Vice-President, National Policy, Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters
- Carole Presseault Vice-President, Government and Regulatory Affairs, Certified General Accountants Association of Canada
- Claudia von Zweck Executive Director, Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists
- Katya Masnyk Duvalko Chief Executive Officer, Canadian Alliance of Physiotherapy Regulators
- Carole Bouchard Executive Director, National Association of Pharmacy Regulatory Authorities
3:35 p.m.
The Chair Ed Komarnicki
I'll call the meeting to order.
We have a number of new participants with us today. I'd like to say that we'll be doing two panels of three witnesses each today. The first panel will be with us for one hour. Representatives from the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants, the Certified General Accountants Association of Canada, and the Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters will be making presentations.
Each of you will make a presentation, and then we will have some questioning rounds from parties in the committee. I ask that as you make your presentations you speak slowly. The interpreters need to interpret, and at times that gets a little difficult. So keep that in mind as you're presenting. I'll indicate when you're coming near the end of your time.
With that, Ms. Thompson, could you start?
3:35 p.m.
Doretta Thompson Principal, Education and Communications, Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
I'm Doretta Thompson. I'm a principal in education strategy and communication with the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants. Over the last two years, I've been the CICA's liaison with HRSDC on our international credential recognition initiatives. With me is Jylan Khalil, the CICA's director of qualification. Jylan is an expert in the assessment of international qualification processes and the negotiation of mutual recognition agreements. We appreciate the opportunity to share with you our ongoing initiatives, made possible through HRSDC's foreign credential recognition program, to improve the labour market outcomes of foreign-trained individuals.
The CA profession is regulated at the provincial level. Our provincial institutes have the constitutional responsibility for qualification and admission to the profession, including the admission of internationally trained professionals. The CICA's role is to work closely with the provincial institutes, through inter-institute committees, to set national standards, which all CAs must meet. Consequently, CAs have full mobility across Canada. And all our international credential recognition initiatives are being developed within this framework and require full provincial support.
Like most professions, ours faces an imminent demographic challenge. The demand for CAs is expected to grow, just as a significant portion of our membership begins to retire. Internationally trained accountants will be an important source of new CAs, and many will need to upgrade their education or experience.
Our goal, consistent with that of the pan-Canadian framework, is to ensure that internationally trained accountants have access to timely, fair, and transparent assessment processes that give full credit for the knowledge and experience they bring to Canada; to guarantee timely assessment of their credentials; and to offer accessible, affordable, focused bridging programs that will enable them to meet Canadian standards more quickly than is possible today.
As pointed out by HRSDC in its recent testimony, the process for recognizing credentials is complex, costly, and lengthy.
We received our first grant from HRSDC's FCR program in September 2009. With it, we created a pan-Canadian web portal to provide internationally trained accountants with clear information on the requirements for becoming a CA in Canada. When we began this initiative, each provincial institute had its own application and assessment process, and the information available varied significantly from province to province, creating confusion among potential applicants both in Canada and abroad.
This grant enabled us to conduct focus groups to better understand the information needs of internationally trained accountants who had become Canadian CAs; to create an interprovincial team to produce a harmonized online application process; and to create a web portal that's easy for applicants to use, provides answers to the most commonly asked questions, and provides information for employers of internationally trained accountants.
While the launch of our "Become a CA in Canada" website will happen next month, the soft launch early this summer is already resulting in a smoother application process for internationally trained accountants, and reduced calls, letters, and e-mails to the CICA and to the provincial institutes. The site has already had almost 9,000 different visitors. About half are from other countries, the top three being India, Pakistan, and the U.S. And completed applications are beginning to come in. We're pleased to provide committee members with screen shots of two introductory pages of the website. To see the full site, you can visit www.becomeacaincanada.ca, or www.devenircaaucanada.ca.
October 20th, 2011 / 3:35 p.m.
Jylan Khalil Director, Chartered Accountants Qualification, Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants
The website captures current processes and streamlines the application process, but it will also provide the launch point for four exciting new initiatives. Over the next three years, federal funding will enable us to create a sophisticated assessment tool and three bridging programs to help internationally trained accountants qualify as Canadian CAs. Many of them will be able to begin the process before they even arrive in Canada.
The first initiative is a CA qualification assessment tool. This is a computer-based tool that assesses the credentials, designation, relevant professional development, and work experience of an internationally trained accountant against the CA profession's qualification requirements. The unique feature of this tool is that it will award academic credit for experiential learning. Applicants will receive a detailed report identifying the specific requirements they lack, and information on how these gaps can be bridged. It will outline the minimum necessary and sufficient bridging programs required for CA qualification. This important tool is scheduled for completion in 2014.
The second initiative is the CA reciprocity education program that will replace the current examination with online courses. This program targets members of the 14 international accounting bodies with whom we have mutual recognition agreements, MRAs. Currently these accountants are eligible to become CAs by passing examinations in Canadian tax, law, and in CA ethics. Each year, approximately 150 people take this exam. Preliminary research indicates that there are many more people eligible.
We believe that online courses, which can be taken at any time and from anywhere in the world, will be a more attractive option. Other international bodies with whom we have MRAs are also replacing their equivalent exams with such courses, and we expect this program to be mutually agreed upon as part of the 2012 MRA renewal process. The examination would be maintained for those seeking a licence to practice public accounting. Development of this program is now under way, with a pilot project planned for November 2012 and program launch in March 2013.
The third initiative is the CA executive professional program that will prepare internationally trained accountants with seven or more years of experience to write our uniform evaluation. This eight-month, executive-style, part-time program will cover the professional qualities and skills of our competency map. Currently these experienced professionals must complete a domestic education program, a process that can take up to two or more years. Preliminary research with employers indicates significant interest in this program for internationally trained staff. We expect to pilot this project in September 2013 and launch it in September 2014.
Our final initiative is an evaluation of experience targeted at very senior internationally trained accountants with twelve or more years of experience, five of which must be in a senior role. They will be asked to demonstrate how they have developed the competencies expected of a qualified CA through a rigorous evaluation of their professional experience. Successful completion of this evaluation will qualify candidates as Canadian CAs without writing our final evaluation. We currently have no pathway to the profession for these senior business leaders. Development of the evaluation of experience is also well under way, with a pilot planned for March 2012.
3:40 p.m.
The Chair Ed Komarnicki
Thank you.
Go ahead.
3:40 p.m.
Principal, Education and Communications, Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants
We've been asked to comment on our experiences in applying for funding under federal government programs, and working with HRSDC and FCRP. Having spearheaded our application efforts, I can say that the proposal process is straightforward, the criteria are clearly articulated, and the staff with whom we've worked are knowledgeable and helpful. Reporting requirements are easily understood.
In terms of the impact of funding, I would say that it enabled us to focus on initiatives we had identified as important, but did not have the staff resources to undertake on a priority basis. Further, these projects enable us to work in partnership with our provincial institutes in a very positive way. Complementary programs, like language training and mentoring, are being developed at the provincial level, and will be shared more effectively on a national basis.
Finally, I'd like to say that in the two years we've participated in these programs, we have also appreciated the opportunities to work with other professional and regulatory bodies. The opportunity to share our experience through initiatives such as the federal government's international qualifications network website, of which we're early adopters, is also helpful and informative.
We'd be very happy to answer any questions or discuss any of our initiatives further.
Thank you.
3:40 p.m.
The Chair Ed Komarnicki
Thank you. There will be an opportunity for questions.
Next, Mr. Wilson, are you presenting?
3:40 p.m.
Mathew Wilson Vice-President, National Policy, Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters
Yes, thank you, Mr. Chair.
My name is Mathew Wilson, and I'm with the Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters.
The CME is Canada's largest trade and industry association. We represent about 10,000 member companies from across Canada, and we're the chair of the Canadian Manufacturing Coalition, which represents 47 of Canada's largest sectoral associations. This year is actually our 140th anniversary.
Foreign workers have always been important for CME, as well as for Canada's labour force. However, while immigrants were once relied on for physical labour, today they are relied on to fill the variety of critical labour positions across almost all sectors of the economy. Using the immigration system in an efficient manner as a key source of highly productive and highly skilled labourers is critical to the success of Canada's economy moving forward. Quite simply, without access to foreign workers, Canadian companies will not be able to design, produce, and create the innovative products necessary to remain globally competitive.
The challenges in the current immigration and skill certification system, however, are causing many industries in Canada today to fail. In many provinces and sectors, there are significant shortfalls in attracting or training skilled workers. This is often a result of companies not being able to find the right people with the right certifications in their province, and the current immigration skill certification system, which is not efficient enough at helping companies fill the gaps. Canada must do a better job of developing our domestic talent, improving immigration for focused skill shortages, and properly dealing with foreign credentials.
3:45 p.m.
The Chair Ed Komarnicki
Excuse me, but could you slow up a little bit? This would be helpful to the interpreters here.
3:45 p.m.
Vice-President, National Policy, Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters
Sure thing.
In short, Canada must focus its efforts on simplifying and removing the unnecessary paper and other burdens in the current processes. This is not about reducing competencies or sacrificing skill sets or safety requirements; it is about improving the way that evaluations and assessments are made. If someone with foreign training has the necessary skills, we should implement an evaluation process that would allow this to be determined so that companies in Canada can have access to these people. We need to remove the artificial barriers and focus on the real issues--ensuring that the person has the skills necessary to do the job properly and safely.
The steps taken by governments of all levels to support the needs of industry in this regard have been impressive to date. That includes the creation of the pan-Canadian framework for the assessment and recognition of foreign qualifications, and the Canadian immigrant integration program. But much more must be done by both industry and government. The members of the CME have several recommendations in this regard relating to skills certification and the immigration process.
First, we must expand existing industry-government partnerships on job and skill matching. CME, HRSDC, the foreign credential recognition office, and the Society of Internationally Trained Engineers of British Columbia have created a pilot program called E-MAP--the engineering matching and placement program--which is a technical job-matching program to facilitate the employment of internationally trained engineers into B.C.'s growing manufacturing sector. This partnership between industry and government should be expanded into a nationally funded and supported program.
Second, governments, the industry, regulating bodies, and colleges and universities must work together to create a national database of skills credentials and educational institutions that have already been assessed internationally so that we know, and can determine, Canadian equivalency. Many organizations, including many of the human resources sector councils federally, have been doing this work individually, but it needs to be centralized and made publicly available.
Third, a process for the recognition of prior learning must be created for Canadian companies and governments to have better assessment of an individual's formal and informal learning, such as computer courses, management workshops, and communications skills. This should include work-based certifications, which use recognition of prior learning systems created by sector-driven standards, rather than academic standards as the basis for assessment and the development of evidence.
Fourth, we must expand the work of the pan-Canadian framework to cover skills that are in demand by industry across Canada. The occupations that are covered today and that will be covered in the coming years are an excellent start. However, most of the professions covered today do not cover the skill sets required by industry--for example, construction millwrights, industrial mechanics, ironworkers, structural metal fabricators and fitters, welders and related machine operators, steamfitters, pipefitters, insulators, sheet metal workers, and carpenters.
Fifth, current quota allowances must be increased for provincial immigration nominee programs to allow provinces to quickly adapt to their local industry needs.
Sixth, we must continue to identify ways to improve the labour market responsiveness of the federal skilled worker program and allocate points towards factors that are valued by employers and have been shown to influence success of immigrants in the labour market.
Seventh, we must expand the work of the Canadian immigrant integration program in foreign consulates beyond Manila, Guangzhou in China, and New Delhi in India.
Finally, we must work to improve the immigrant visa program to shorten the timeframes and costs associated with hiring foreign workers. Currently it can take up to four to six months to arrange a work visa, and that's after a company has found a suitable candidate for a vacant position. That is simply far too long. And this time is in addition to the significant cost involved in completing the process through Service Canada, which now requests complete corporate HR plans and detailed results of local recruitment efforts.
Thank you again for the opportunity to present here today. I look forward to the discussion.
3:50 p.m.
The Chair Ed Komarnicki
Thank you. I'm sure there will be questions relating to that subject matter.
Go ahead.
3:50 p.m.
Carole Presseault Vice-President, Government and Regulatory Affairs, Certified General Accountants Association of Canada
Mr. Chair and members of the committee, I want to thank you for the invitation on behalf of Certified General Accountants of Canada, or CGA Canada.
We are a professional association representing 75,000 CGAs in Canada and abroad, including China and the Caribbean.
I am pleased to see that our colleagues from the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants are joining us today. This way, together, we can provide you with an overview of initiatives in qualification recognition for accountants. That profession is still highly in demand, as my colleagues pointed out.
CGA Canada has been welcoming foreign-trained accountants for many years through a number of different paths. Today I want to speak about four distinct strategies that ensure timely, accessible assessment and recognition of foreign credentials.
The four things I want to talk about are mutual recognition agreements. My colleagues have spoken a bit about that, so I won't go into many details. The principle is the same. I want to talk to you about the new pilot program to offer CGA examinations and locations overseas, an online self-assessment tool enabling foreign-trained accountants to compare and assess their credentials with CGA requirements, and a harmonization project that will enable provincial CGA licensing bodies to access the same assessment data, leading to faster, more consistent assessments. These last two strategies were funded through the federal government program.
For many years foreign-trained accountants have been attracted to the CGA program because of its flexible delivery options. Although all candidates must meet the same internationally recognized high qualification standards, they can study on a part-time basis while working full-time and establishing themselves in their new communities. For this reason, foreign-trained accountants have played a big part in the tremendous growth of CGA designation over the years.
Today, about one-third of our membership in Ontario is foreign-trained, and in British Columbia 45% of our students say they have taken a significant portion of their studies outside Canada.
The first and likely the most direct path for having your professional qualification recognized is through mutual recognition agreements, achieved with comparable accounting bodies. And in some cases the only additional qualification requirement is to pass an examination in Canadian tax and business law.
To date, CGA Canada has negotiated mutual recognition agreements with four leading international accounting bodies. They are in Ireland, Australia, France, and the U.K., the last of which operates on a global basis and is one of the largest accounting bodies in the world.
One of the challenges foreign-trained accountants face is that they must wait until they arrive in Canada to begin the process of qualifying for a Canadian accounting designation. Until now we've been unable to offer qualification examinations overseas due to concerns about ensuring that there is integrity of highly confidential materials and that all candidates write exams under the same stringent conditions. However, a program of the Foreign Credentials Referral Office is helping us overcome those obstacles.
We are currently offering an opportunity for Philippines certified public accountants to earn the CGA designation from their home country. The first examination will be offered in Manila in March 2012. If the program is proven to be successful, we hope to extend it to New Delhi, India, very shortly after.
China, the Philippines, and India are the three largest source countries for immigrants. By adding these overseas examination centres in New Delhi and Manila to our existing operations in China, we will have avenues in all three countries for foreign-trained accountants to begin the process of earning a Canadian accounting designation before they arrive in Canada.
I'll now turn to our foreign credentials recognition national harmonization project.
Funding received form HRSDC last year will assist in addressing two main challenges: credential assessment and gap analysis.
The project will be done in two phases. Phase one is construction of an online self-assessment tool that can be used by foreign-trained accountants to assess their credentials. For the foreign-trained accountant, the online self-assessment tool provides a single interface that will provide consistent initial assessment results. It will assess both their university studies and their professional credentials and will provide them with a clear sense of where they would begin within the CGA program. Since they can access the tool from their own countries, they can get that initial assessment before they immigrate--before they even apply, in fact.
Now I must point out that this online self-assessment tool does not provide an official assessment of the accountant's credentials and will not provide specific results for all of the world's accounting programs. A provincial CGA association must still conduct an official assessment in order to admit a person into the CGA program. However, the online tool will enable many foreign-trained accountants to get a good sense of their standing much earlier in the immigration process, when they are making their initial plans and decisions.
Phase two involves detailed comparisons of various foreign qualification requirements against the high CGA qualification requirements. The results are being entered into a knowledge base that will serve as the back end of the online self-assessment tool.
As has already been addressed by other witnesses before this committee, challenges arise from the fact that foreign credential assessment is a matter of provincial jurisdiction. For the foreign-trained professional, this can lead to confusion and perhaps even the possibility of inconsistent assessments from one jurisdiction to another, not to speak of the cost of these assessments. For the provincial licensing bodies, such as our provincial CGA associations, it can result in duplicated effort and resource challenges as each jurisdiction struggles to conduct the same types of assessments. The national harmonization project addresses both issues.
For the provincial CGA associations, the knowledge base reduces the labour involved in evaluating credentials and provides the means for timely, consistent, and fair assessments of foreign prior learning. The project involves systematically identifying, assessing, and codifying the foreign accounting designations deemed of high importance. By that we mean that they are based on the volumes of applicants.
An additional benefit of this project is that it will help us identify potential partners for future mutual recognition agreements. MRAs provide the most direct path for foreign-trained accountants to qualify in Canada.
The project is proceeding as planned, and the online self-assessment tool is scheduled to launch at the end of this month.
We are very excited about this new web-based tool. As additional data is added to the knowledge base, the self-assessment tool becomes even more useful over time. What we mean is it will be current and it will keep on growing.
There are still outstanding issues in the process, including interprovincial mobility issues. Since most accountants work outside the regulated occupation of public accounting, their biggest challenges are often related to securing suitable employment rather than obtaining a Canadian accounting designation.
In conclusion, the importance of recognizing foreign credentials is well understood and appreciated by all parties, but it does not have a simple solution. It requires federal-provincial cooperation and it requires the collaboration of diverse stakeholders, including the professions, regulatory bodies, education providers, immigrant services agencies, and employers. The foreign credential recognition program has helped to bring these stakeholders together to share knowledge, to build partnerships, and to address systemic barriers. The momentum that has built up over the past few years is achieving results.
Thank you for your attention. It would be my pleasure to participate in the discussion and answer your questions.
3:55 p.m.
The Chair Ed Komarnicki
Thank you for your presentation. We certainly appreciated it.
I've heard about a gap analysis and a bridging tool. It would be good if you had both at the same time and in the same area. In any event, we're going to open it up to questions.
Mr. Patry, go ahead.
3:55 p.m.
Claude Patry Jonquière—Alma, QC
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I also want to thank those who came here to make these presentations.
Mr. Wilson, since I became a member of this committee, you are the first to talk about trade employees and the labour shortages you anticipate. I was a factory worker, so I am especially affected by trades such as steel erector, stationary engineer, boiler operator, mechanic and metal pourer. What do you see happening in those trades?
In addition, you said that you represent 10,000 companies in Canada. Are we talking about large companies? You probably don't only represent trade employees. What other professions do you represent? Could you please explain the situation to me?
4 p.m.
Vice-President, National Policy, Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters
Our members are in most cases the employers of the trades. They represent all sizes of manufacturers and exporters throughout the country, from mom-and-pop shops to multinationals, in almost every sector: automotive, agriculture, aerospace, and natural resources.
4 p.m.
Claude Patry Jonquière—Alma, QC
In your presentation, you suggested that quotas be increased, and you talked about the problems related to the length of work permits.
Where I live, a company brought 100 welders from abroad—I'm not sure which country exactly—to help out. What are the quotas? What kind of interprovincial agreements are in place?
In the past, a trade employee from Quebec could not work in Saskatchewan. Could you explain that to me?


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This bent plywood piece is casual, ergonomic, sleek and simple. Comprised of 3 main pieces that are the result of only 2 negative forms. Each piece was contoured along a mold to create the desired shape and then assembled to construct the desired creation.
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Oklahoma Tornado Death Toll Lowered to 24: Report
NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- The death toll from the massive tornado that cut a swath of destruction across the suburbs of Oklahoma City on Monday has been lowered to 24, including nine children, according to reports.
Earlier reports had put the number of casualties at 91 people, 20 of them children.
The Oklahoma state medical examiner's office said 24 bodies had been recovered from the wreckage of Monday's storm, Reuters reported, citing Amy Elliott, chief administrative officer for the medical examiner.
"We have got good news. The number right now is 24," Elliot said. "There was a lot of chaos."
She said additional bodies could yet be recovered, Reuters reported.
Seven of the nine children who were killed died at Plaza Towers Elementary School, which took a direct hit.
Emergency workers pulled more than 100 survivors from the rubble, according to reports.
The tornado flattened at least two schools and a hospital in suburbs around Oklahoma City. Most of the damage was centered in Moore, about 10 miles south of the city.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Okla., said the risk of tornadoes in the region remained high Tuesday.
"Numerous neighborhoods were completely leveled," Sgt. Gary Knight of the Oklahoma City Police Department said by telephone to the Times. "Neighborhoods just wiped clean."
-- Written by Joseph Woelfel
>To contact the writer of this article, click here: Joseph Woelfel
>To submit a news tip, send an email to: email@example.com.


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News first started trickling in, mostly via Twitter, around noon East Coast time about a shooting incident in a Sikh temple in Milwaukee, WI. My first reaction, unfortunately tempered from years such attacks directed at Sikhs, was that this was one of those post 9/11 incidents, where the perpetrator attacks Sikhs thinking they belong to the Taliban or Mujahideen. Based on current report, this may very well turn out to be the case.
Initial reports were of multiple gunmen taking hostages at the temple. But when the dust settled, it turned out to be a lone gunman, Wade Michael Page, ex-Army and alleged skinhead. The first responding cops exchanged fire with the gunman; one was hurt and the other killed the gunman, but not before Page killed 6 others on the temple premises. These cops, "prevented a tragic situation from becoming even worse". Satwant Kaleka, the temple's president succumbed to injuries he sustained while trying to restrain the attacker, perhaps saving more lives.
Now on to the (American) media coverage of the situation, CNN had some decent updates about the situation itself but the reporters and anchors showed an appalling lack of knowledge about Sikhs, the worlds 5th largest religious group. For some reason, the CNN reporters and anchors were strangely defensive, almost hostile, to the victims' and their families' suggestions that this could be one of those typical post 9/11 hate incidents directed towards Sikhs. Additionally, CNN anchors and reporters, played thought police, insisting that this incident should not be classified as a terrorist incident (the FBI later classified it as domestic terrorism) and CNN anchors also were quite emphatic that this was not the time for debate on issues like gun control and hate crimes (the two major issues that most likely led up to this carnage). Having said that among cable news outlets, CNN was the one with the most coverage of the incident.
Fox News, when they were not discussing topics like "Liberal Media attacks against Mitt Romney", had intermittent coverage of the incident. Even with lesser coverage, Fox still managed to commit a faux pas as one the reporters asked a member of the Sikh temple if there had been any "anti-Semitic acts in the past against the Sikh community". MSNBC, the other media outlet, was busy covering the Olympics and had breaking updates now and then, but largely failed in it's mission as a "news channel".
The other troubling fact on the media coverage was the fact they kept mentioning that this was "misdirected hate" aka "hate directed towards Muslims but incorrectly targeting Sikhs" which leads one to believe that targeting Muslims would be "normal", which speaks to the sad state of affairs in this country.
As of this posting, Wade Michael Page has been identified as ex-Army, 1992-98, (Toma)Hawk Missile repairman, and "psychological operations specialist". Reports are also starting to flow in that he legally owned the guns he used in this massacre and was the leader of a neo-Nazi band called End Apathy.
Largely, the media coverage and outrage among Americans has been miniscule compared to the ones we witnessed after the movie shooting incidents in Colorado. Call me jaded by post 9/11 America but none of this comes as a shock.
For updates, please follow our Twitter account http://twitter.com/uberdesi


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Lesson Plan
Circle of Magic Discussion Guide
- Grades: 6–8
About this book
A Discussion Guide to
The Circle of Magic
Book #1 Sandry's Book
Book #2 Tris's Book
Book #3 Daja's Book
Book #4 Briar's Book
By Tamora Pierce
About the Books
In a fantasy set in mythical lands surrounding the Pebbled Sea, four orphaned or unwanted children from various backgrounds are brought to Winding Circle Temple by Niklaren Goldeye, who sees, in each, inborn magic hidden to others. There, under the tutelage and care of mages Lark, Rosethorn, Frostpine and Niko, their special gifts blossom along with their insights into themselves and each other. Called upon to do battle with evils wrought by nature and man, Sandry, a nobly born thread mage, Tris, a merchant weather mage, Daja, a Trader smith mage and Briar, a "street rat" plant mage, spin their magics and themselves together, making them stronger and forever binding them together. Empowered by challenges faced and overcome, they grow in stature and spirit as their magics, initially fed by hate and bitterness, defy all known boundaries when ultimately fired by love and compassion.
Sandry's Book
Forgotten in a dark cellar after her parents fall victim to smallpox, Lady Sandrilene fa Toren struggles for light and for life, willing the last glimmer from her dying oil lamp into silken threads. Rescued by a mysterious mage, she is brought to Winding Circle Temple and installed in a cottage called Discipline with three other young people who, like Sandry, possess unrecognized magical powers. When an earthquake wrought by magic gone awry puts the lives of Tris, Daja and Briar in mortal danger, Sandry overcomes her fear of darkness and spins the fibers of her companion's individual magics into a stronger, combined power that redirects the earth's force and protects their hollow in the ground.
Tris's Book
When Winding Circle Temple is endangered by the betrayal of a visiting member of Tris' family and an attack by marauding pirates led by Queen Pahua and her mage brother Enahar, weather mage Tris must harness both temper and forces of nature to save the only home she and Sandry, Daja and Briar have ever known. Brought to the brink of defeat despite numerous efforts in magical defense, Tris calls upon the combined powers of her companions and their mage teachers. Together, they feed their magic and their very lives into the pattern of a spell, shattering bewitched barriers and vanquishing the pirates' deadly magic.
Daja's Book
Daja Kisubo, an outcast Trader, discovers her talents in metal craft when she is brought to Winding Circle Temple. Accompanying her fellow mages-in-training and Duke Vedris IV to Gold Ridge Valley in the drought-stricken lands of the north, she stops at a local smithy and fashions a living metal vine coveted by the Traders, the very people who exiled her. Bargaining in Trader style, she is reminded of family and her former life on the seas. When a fire seeks not to embrace but to destroy her, a Trader Caravan and other mountain inhabitants, she melds the magic of Sandry, Tris and Briar with hers to douse the fire, bring water and resources back to the land, and reclaim her identity as Trader.
Briar's Book
Upon his arrival at Discipline Cottage at Winding Circle Temple, Briar, a convicted street thief, meets three young girls and a prickly teacher named Rosethorn from whom he learns to develop his plant magic. When one of his street friends falls sick with a mysterious illness, he seeks his teacher's help, but the disease, impervious to all remedies, claims the life of his friend and develops into a full-blown epidemic. Rosethorn joins hands with Crane, an air mage of great power and difficult personality, to find a cure for the fatal "blue pox". Assisted by Briar and Tris, they determine the disease is magicked, but joy in their discovery is overshadowed when Rosethorn becomes ill. Not about to lose what he loves most, Briar follows Rosethorn into death's realm, anchored by magical and personal ties to Sandy, Tris and Daja.
Using the detailed maps provided on the endpapers of each book, discuss the geography of Emelan and its environs. Note, in particular, the homeland of each of the main characters and where each was rescued by Niko. Locate Winding Circle Temple and the locale for each of the adventures in the quartet.
Discuss the ways in which magic permeates the social/cultural boundaries of this world. What are mages? How are they identified/classified? How are their special talents utilized?
Understanding Genre
Each of the four stories in the Circle of Magic is a middle fantasy, a literary form incorporating structural patterns and magical elements rooted in folklore. Discuss ways in which the largely medieval secondary world in this saga is similar to/different from European and Mediterranean/Middle Eastern settings in traditional literature. Compare qualities of character and the nature of the four young protagonists with those of ancient Europeans and Easterners. How are they motivated to confront dangers and rise to impossible challenges? How do they succeed? What archetypal and/or religious themes, typical in these folk literatures, are woven into the fabric of these fantasies? Are they relevant to us in our modern world? How?/Why?
Yalina, goddess of water. Koma, Trader god of deals and rewards. Like many ancient and contemporary civilizations, the people of Emelan believe in gods and goddesses that control the universe. List the names of deities called upon throughout the Circle of Magic quartet along with the functions attributed to them. How are they similar to/different from those in ancient Greek, Roman and Norse mythologies? Compare them also to gods and goddesses in African, Native American, Asian and other cultures. How are beliefs in such deities echoed in the language, art and customs of these peoples?
The fantasy setting of the Circle of Magic quartet sets the stage for the development of character and plot and provides an internal consistency necessary for readers to embrace the created world and suspend their disbelief. What elements of the real world (scientific, ecological, social, medicinal) does the author integrate into this secondary world to make it more believable?
Choose a passage vividly describing an aspect of setting (e.g. the Hub at Winding Circle; Discipline's thatched roof top, Urda's House). Draw/paint your visual interpretation of this locale based on textual description. How does your interpretation compare/contrast with another reader's?
List the different social classes/cultures inhabiting this world: nobles, merchants, Traders, and street thieves. Identify distinguishing characteristics, language, beliefs, traditions and codes of behavior for each. How do they view each other? Do their views reflect any stereotypic or prejudicial perceptions?
A mistrusting weather mage, a noble who fears the darkeach of the four main characters in the Circle of Magic books is distinct in personality; multidimensional and complex in nature. Child and mage, each grows and develops in person as well as in power throughout the stories, transformed by experiences as well as by affections and affinities for each other and their teachers. Search for passages that reveal aspects of character and changes they undergo. Are they made known through physical description, inner thought, perceptions of others, dialog or actions? Do these characters subscribe to or defy notions of gender and other stereotypes? Which of the characters do you feel closest to? Why?
In addition to assisting their young charges to discover and harness their unrecognized powers, the nurturing mentorships of Niklaren Goldeye, Lark, Rosethorn and Frostpine facilitate their coming to know themselves and each other. Discuss the significance of each teacher's name in light of character traits and special abilities. How do the traits/abilities of each meet the personal and magical needs of his/her individual student? How do they serve the collective needs of the group, thereby forging a "family"? Is learning the exclusive domain of the four children, or do their teachers learn from the children as well? Compare these adult/child relationships with those in your own life.
The well-drawn plots in the Circle of Magic quartet move forward in chronological fashion, weaving a series of events into a logical cause-and-effect sequence. Chart the rising action in plot structure in each of these stories, noting: inciting incidents at story's beginning, action/incidents that build suspense, the story's climax and denouement. How does knowledge of folkloric plot patterns help to anticipate possible outcomes?
While each character's problems to solve and goals to achieve are evident in external battles with earthquakes, pirates, fires and plagues, they are also present in internal struggles that come with growth and change. What are the personal/magical challenges each child must confront as stories unfold? What inner and outer conflicts are associated with these challenges? How would you classify these conflicts: person-against-self; person-against-nature; person-against-society or person-against-person? Do you see any relationship between the challenges and conflicts faced by Sandry, Tris, Daja and Briar and those in your own life?
While the fantasy of the Circle of Magic quartet is shaped by imagination and fueled by the impossible, its varied themes reflect human concerns universal to all cultures. What do these stories say about good and evil; life and death; the power of love and friendship? How is responsibility to oneself and others depicted? What do they tell us about judging others on the basis of appearance and station in life? How are these, and other important themes revealed in the narratives?
The Circle of Magic tales derive both depth and individual expression through the author's choice of language and stylistic devices.
Symbols: How are persons, objects or actions (such as Yarrun Firetamer, Briar's shakkan tree, Tris' rescue of a nestling) used as metaphoric symbols to represent different levels of meaning? How is the repetitive motif of "the circle," prominent in the title of the Quartet, used to symbolize aspects of character, setting, plot and theme in all four stories? What is the dual significance of "patterns" in the lives and magics of these four young mages?
Humor: While the ultimate tone and message of her modern fantasy is serious in nature, Tamora Pierce provides a generous sprinkling of humor to lighten mood. Look for dialog delivered in a humorous or sarcastic tone such as Frostpine's assertion, "I need faults to accent my excellence otherwise I would be too wonderful to live with" (Tris, p.92) What effects do such comments have on character development and plot action? What effects do they have on you, the reader?
Foreshadowing: When Daja affirms, early on in her story, that she will be trangshi for life unless a Trader family is so indebted to her they will pay to have her name written in the Trader logs groundwork is laid for her choice to save a Trader caravan thereby incurring such debt later on. Look for other instances of foreshadowing in which the author provides hints and clues that may be used to anticipate later story events. What effect does this technique have on the story's overall credibility?
- Modern fantasy is often viewed as a "social genre" in that every decision made and action taken by a hero affects another individual and, sometimes, the fate of an entire society. How is this view borne out in the stories of Sandry, Tris, Daja and Briar?
- How is the magic in the Circle of Magic different from the fakery or trickery Briar initially perceives it to be? What is the relationship between "magic" and "power"? Is it possible to have power without magic? If so, from where does such power stem? How is power worn by different characters such as Niko, Duke Vedris IV, Lady Inoulia, Rosethorn and Lark? Niko says, "Every creature has magic even if only the magic of life (Sandry, p.114). What does he mean? Is there magic in the real world?
- For Yarrun, a purely "academic" mage, magic is a matter of spellbooks, rituals, artifacts and formulae best taught through linear paradigms set in a university; while Niko, an academically trained mage versed in temple magic taught by application and for use, also sees the merit of circular paradigms and hands-on practices which encourage experimentation. What is the role/place of the learner in these different approaches? How are rules and teacher/student inquiry incorporated in each? How do you view teacher questions/student questions in learning? Do they limit thinking? Guide thinking? Do both? Does the absence of questions and set rules imply chaos?
- After Daja is cast out by her people as a carrier of bad luck, later experiences and relationships cause her to question the "rightness" of this and other Trader traditions and beliefs. What roles do traditions and beliefs play in individual and group identities? How do Sandry, Tris, Daja and Briar defy restrictions imposed by their cultural/social classes? Have you, or others you know, ever revised thinking about fundamental beliefs once held as true?
- Trader language, street slang and the educated register of nobles and mages are integral aspects of dialog in the Circle of Magic fantasies. How does the inclusion of these different languages and dialects lend depth to individual characters, and breadth to social contexts? What effect do these language variations have on the quartet as a whole?
- Unable to remember his real birthdate and prodded by Sandry to pick one, Briar decides against the day he traded his street name of Roach for that of Briar Moss, the day he came to Discipline, and the day Flick died, in favor of the day Rosethorn let him into her world. What leads him to this choice? If you were to pick a birthdate of significance in your own life, what would it be and why?
- In response to a comment from Tris's ever-sharp tongue, Sandry accuses her of being too hard on people because she pays "attention to just words, not how they're said" (Briar, p. 27). What does she mean? How might such an approach cause one to hear and say things not really meant? Can you find passages in the text, and recall instances in your own experiences, where the meaning of words was changed by the manner in which they were spoken?
Other Fantasy Series to Compare and Contrast
A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula LeGuin
The Dark is Rising by Susan Cooper
Time Quartet by Madeleine L'Engle
Chronicles of Prydain by Lloyd Alexander
The Enchanted Forest Chronicles by Patricia Wrede
The Blue Sword by Robin McKinley
Other Books by Tamora Pierce
The Song of the Lioness Quartet
Alanna: The First Adventure
In the Hand of the Goddess
The Woman Who Rides Like A Man
Lioness Rampant
The Immortals Quartet
Wild Magic
The Emperor Mage
The Realms of the Gods
The Protector of the Small Quartet
First Test
The Circle Opens Quartet
Magic Steps
About the Author
Critically acclaimed author of modern fantasy for young readers, Tamora Pierce has written many fantasy quartets popular in the United States and overseas. In addition to the Circle of Magic books, whose honors include ALA "Quick Pick" for Reluctant Young Adult Readers, Booklist Top Ten Fantasy Novel, VOYA Best Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror (1997), and more, she has also created the richly detailed fantasy worlds and winning protagonists in the highly praised series The Song of the Lioness and The Immortals, and First Test, the first book in The Protector of the Small series.
A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, Ms. Pierce has worked at various jobs, but has always loved to write. In addition to her novels for young people, she has produced magazine articles, short stories and film reviews. She has also composed many radio plays, including episodes for "Little Chills 2" on NPR Playhouse.
Tamora Pierce lives in New York City with her husband, also a writer, and their three cats and two birds.
Discussion Guide written by Dr. Rosemary B. Stimola, who teaches Children's Literature at City University of New York and serves as editorial/educational consultant to publishers of children's books.
- Subjects:Challenges and Overcoming Obstacles, Confronting and Resolving Fears, Earthquakes, Tsunamis, Volcanoes, Main Idea and Details, Literacy, Literature, Cause and Effect, Compare and Contrast, Literary Devices, Plot, Character, Setting, Literature Appreciation, Culture and Diversity, Ancient Civilizations, Disease and Illness, Natural Resources, Geography and Map Skills, Adoption and Foster Care, Magic and Supernatural, Maps and Globes, Kindness and Compassion, Responsibility, Tolerance and Acceptance, Friends and Friendship, Prejudice and Tolerance Experiences, Survival, Understanding Self and Others
- Skills:Literary Elements, Cause and Effect, Compare and Contrast, Drawing Conclusions, Main Idea and Details, Plot, Character and Setting, Problem and Solution, Maps, Social Studies, Language Arts


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Amy Poehler Gossip
Amy Poehler gossip, latest news, photos, and video.
Amy Poehler & Tina Fey: Best Friend Emmy style
Barry King/ Michael Kovac/ John Shearer/ Steve Granitz/ Jeff Kravitz/ Kevin Winter/ Lester Cohen/ Getty Images
If you're the Schumer sisters, you go to the Emmys as twins. If you're Amy Poehler and Tina Fey Full Story
Tina Fey will take her time
Mark Sagliocco/ Laura Cavanaugh/ Taylor Hill/ Getty Images
But she'll be lining it up, that shot, and when it comes for you, well… Three years ago, while hosting the Golden Globes, Tina and Amy Poehler Full Story
Mindy Kaling & Amy Poehler: Oscar Inside Out
Wenn, Frazer Harrison/ Jason Merritt/ Jon Kopaloff/ Larry Busacca/VF16/ Alberto E. Rodriguez/ Getty Images
Where was Phyllis? I loved Inside Out AND felt that it abused my trust, which is the way that I think you're supposed to feel about Inside Out (also please note that someone pointed out that Bing Bong was missing from the In Memoriam montage, so HAVE FUN SOBBING ALL DAY), but one of the things that killed me was how shockingly perfect Phyllis Smith was as Sadness. Full Story
"Let's all calm down about Leonardo DiCaprio"
Dimitrios Kambouris/ Christopher Polk/ Frazer Harrison/ Dan MacMedan/ Steve Granitz/ Getty Images
Two years ago, while hosting the Golden Globes, Tina Fey and Amy Poehler introduced Leonardo DiCaprio like this: Jokes? Of course, of course, OF COURSE. But these are also the two women who hosted Saturday Night Live in December and delivered what's been the best sketch of the season: Meet Your Second Wife. Full Story
Carol, Tina, Amy: the women who decide
Kevin Winter/ Mark Davis/ Steve Granitz/ Stefanie Keenan/ Kevork Djansezian/ Getty Images
The SAG Awards were only two hours long. Did you recognise more of yourself and the people in your life in those two short hours than you have during an award show in a while? Sure, it wasn't perfect. But before perfect, we have to get to better. One of those moments of "better" happened when Tina Fey and Amy Poehler presented Carol Burnett with the Lifetime Achievement Award. Full Story
Dear Gossips,
I think I've been kicked out of the Lambily. Because I missed Mimi's Christmas Melody, the TV movie she directed. Forgot to set the PVR! That's my project for the week – to find it, watch it, and enjoy every moment. Read Full Intro
Tina Fey & Amy Poehler in Sisters
Jamie McCarthy / Getty Images
No one expected much from Sisters, as it opened against Star Wars: The Force Awakens, but it managed to not entirely face-plant by taking in $13.4 million over the weekend. Even though it opened #3 behind Star Wars and Alvin and the Chipmunks: Road Chip, making it into double digits is a win. It did better than recent bromantic comedy The Night Before, which is a little baffling because The Night Before is a WAY better Full Story
Tina & Amy are trying
Last night was the premiere of Tina Fey's and Amy Poehler's new movie, Sisters, which opens next week against New New Star Wars. The opening weekend projection for Star Wars is $190-$225 million, which means no one has a clue what it's really going to do. There are only three comparables for this movie, both Avengers and Jurassic World, and in each scenario the box office was unpredictable. Full Story
A Very Murray Christmas, indeed
On December 4, Bill Murray will attempt to revive the tradition of the celebrity Christmas special with his Netflix special, A Very Murray Christmas. The first trailer has just been released, and it is delightful. Directed by Sofia Coppola, the special stars Murray and a slew of celebrity guests, including Amy Poehler, Julie White (judging you if you don't know her), Rashida Jones, Miley Cyrus, Michael Cera, and George Clooney. Full Story
Dear Gossips,
Did you watch the Emmys? Did you struggle with the unfamiliar feeling of the show wrapping up on time, two minutes before the end of the hour? Did you feel, like I did, that those two minutes might as well have been hours? We'll dig all the way into the Emmys today, into what was kind of a quiet, offbeat show, but maybe not in the worst way? As you know, it was a very tough weekend for Lainey and Jacek and Barney, and so they're taking another day to rest and be together and keep on remembering how much they loved Marcus. Read Full Intro
The Emmy Snubbing of Amy Poehler
I have this bad feeling about what happened to Amy Poehler. Sarah and Maria have had various takes on the concept of people who win over and over again, and I pointed out that Claire Danes has nomination ennui. But Amy – Amy is not the same as some of those people. For example, she's got a million jobs. Full Story


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Espresso Machines With Pods
- Breville Nespresso Creatista Plus Espresso Maker $599.95
- Nespresso DeLonghi Lattissima Pro Espresso Maker $599.95
- Nespresso Citiz Espresso Maker with Aeroccino 3 Automatic Milk Frother $299.95
- Nespresso Pixie Espresso Maker with Aeroccino Plus Automatic Milk Frother $279.95
- KitchenAid® Nespresso Espresso Maker Sugg. Price $399.95 Sale $299.99
- Nespresso Pixie Espresso Maker $229.95
Manual Espresso Makers
- Breville Oracle Espresso Maker Sugg. Price $2,500 Our Price $1,999.95
- Capresso Ultima Pro Espresso Maker $199.95
- Capresso Cafe Pro Espresso Maker $299.95
- Breville Twin Boiler Espresso Maker $1,299.95
- DeLonghi Dedica Espresso Maker $299.95
Fully Automatic Espresso Makers
- JURA J90 Automatic Coffee Machine $2,999.95
- Jura E8 Coffee Center Sugg. Price $2,500 Our Price $1,899.95
- Krups Barista Fully Automatic Espresso Maker $2,499.95
- Saeco Gran Baristo Avanti Espresso Maker Sugg. Price $3,999 Our Price $2,999.95
- Saeco Moltio One Touch Espresso Maker $1,499.95
- Jura Impressa A9 Coffee Center Espresso Maker Sugg. Price $2,600 Our Price $1,999.95
- Delonghi Prima Donna S Fully Automatic Esspresso Maker with Latte Crema $2,999.95
- Jura Z6 Automatic Coffee Machine $3,699.95
- Jura Giga 5 Automatic Coffee Center Espresso Maker, Silver $5,599.95
- Jura Giga 5 Automatic Coffee Center Espresso Maker, Black $5,599.95
Coffee Grinders
- Breville Smart Coffee Grinder Pro Sugg. Price $350 Our Price $199.95
- OXO On Conical Burr Grinder with Intelligent Scale $199.95
- Cuisinart Burr Coffee Grinder Sugg. Price $185 Our Price $99.95
- Baratza Virtuoso Burr Coffee Grinder $229.95
- Cuisinart Grind Central Coffee Grinder $29.95
- Technivorm Moccamaster Coffee Grinder $199.95
- Hario Skerton Ceramic Coffee Grinder $49.95
Milk Frothers
- Breville Hot Choc & Froth Sugg. Price $130 Our Price $99.95
- Breville Milk Café Electric Frother Sugg. Price $200 Our Price $129.95
- Nespresso Aeroccino Plus $99.95
- Espro Toroid Frothing Pitcher $29.95
- Jura Cool Control Basic, Milk Cooler $179.95 – $229.95
- Aerolatte Handheld Milk Frother $19.95
Espresso Maker Accessories
- Jura Cup Platinum Warmer $199.95
- Soho Coffee Storage Collection $34.95 – $219.95
- Soho Coffee Storage Collection $34.95
- Breville Knock Box Sugg. Price $50 Our Price $29.95
- Nifty Nespresso Capsule Drawer $34.95
- Nifty Nespresso Capsule Carousel $29.95
- Espro Calibrated Tamper $99.95
- Williams Sonoma Espresso Spoons, Set of 4 $12.95
- Miele Espresso Descaling Tabs $19.95
- Miele Espresso Cleaning Tabs $19.95
- Full Circle Single Serve Cleaning and Descaling Liquid $9.95
- Saeco Intenza Water Filter $15
- Breville Single Serve Charcoal Water Filters $29.95
- Espro Toroid Frothing Pitcher $29.95
- Jura Cool Control Basic, Milk Cooler $179.95 – $229.95
- Krups Espresso Water Filter $19.95
Espresso Machines
There is no better way to get an instant pick-me-up than through a satisfying espresso drink. With home espresso machines, you don't have to go through the hassle and expense of driving to your nearby coffee shop every time you want a jolt of caffeine. With an espresso maker from Williams-Sonoma, you have the freedom to enjoy a delicious drink whenever the mood strikes.
An espresso machine is more than just a traditional coffee maker. With this machine you can opt for a single shot of espresso or create specialty drinks like cappuccinos, macchiatos or lattes. The espresso machines available are as varied as the drinks themselves, but generally break down into three categories: manual, fully automatic and makers with pods or capsules. Understanding each type of espresso maker can make shopping a little easier.
Manual espresso makers require the most work, but they can yield some of the best results because they give the user complete control when making a drink. On the flip side, there may be a bit of a learning curve if you've never used one of these machines before. Most manual espresso machines use a lever to control the espresso-making process. When the user pulls the lever, it pushes hot water through espresso beans to create the drink you want. A manual espresso maker gives you complete control over how much espresso you want, and it also tends to last a long time, since it has fewer electronics and components than other types of espresso machines. Just because it uses the word "manual," doesn't mean that this machine lacks style. With these units, you can control the temperature of your drink, froth of your milk and other components better than any other type of espresso maker.
If you want to enjoy an espresso drink but are afraid of messing things up, then a fully automatic maker is for you. With some of these espresso machines, all you have to do is press a button and you can enjoy a steaming hot cup in minutes. Automatic controls let you choose your level of foam, select a coffee strength and opt for different temperature levels before creating your drink. Many models also let you make two drinks at once, so you and a friend can enjoy a drink together. For further convenience, choose a model that cleans automatically. The user-friendly format of most automatic espresso makers makes them a top choice among coffee lovers.
If you love the convenience of pod coffee makers, then you'll also love pod espresso machines. With pods or capsules, you simply choose the drink you want, pop the pod in the machine and wait for a minute while the espresso maker does its magic. These machines are convenient, but they are anything but low-tech. If you want to order an espresso from your couch, models with Bluetooth connectivity let you use your smartphone as a remote, so you can control the machine from almost anywhere. With cup size control, pre-programmed options and automatic alerts, these capsule espresso makers are as intuitive as they are convenient.
After you choose your espresso machine, don't forget the accessories. If you like super-fresh espresso, grind your beans right before adding them to the machine with a coffee grinder. If you choose to go the capsule route, make sure you have a stylish pod holder to keep your selection organized and close to your machine, where you can reach your stash at a moment's notice. Finally, routine cleaning is essential to keeping any machine in top condition, and descaling tabs are an easy way to keep your maker clear of buildup. With the selection available, there is no reason you should ever have to leave the house to enjoy your latte.


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Debates of June 20th, 2005
House of Commons Hansard #119 of the 38th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was spending.
- Heritage Lighthouse Protection Act
- An Act to Authorize the Minister of Finance to Make Certain Payments
- Hamilton Police Services Awards
- Liberal Party of Canada
- Prince Edward Island
- Chrysotile Asbestos
- Breast Cancer
- Mitchell Creek Bridge
- Region of Festivals
- World Refugee Day
- Multiculturalism
- Eastern Ontario
- World Refugee Day
- Financial Services
- Age of Consent
- Riding of Drummond
- Burma
- Edmundston Jazz and Blues Festival
- Child Care
- Broadcasting
- Civil Marriage Act
- National Security
- Technology Partnerships Canada
- Employment Insurance
- Canadian Forces
- Transfer payments
- Natural Resources
- Infrastructure
- International Cooperation
- Child Poverty
- Agriculture
- Veterans Affairs
- Industry
- Information Commissioner
- National Defence
- Haiti
- Agriculture
- International Aid
- Natural Resources
- National Defence
- Justice
- Privilege
- Federal Fiscal Forecasting, Processes and Systems Report
- Aboriginal Healing Foundation
- Certificates of Nomination
- Government Response to Petitions
- Investment Canada Act
- Copyright Act
- Interparliamentary Delegations
- Fugitives from Justice in Other Countries Act
- Criminal Code
- Corrections and Conditional Release Act
- Criminal Code
- Survivor Education Benefits Act
- Canada Health Act
- Committees of the House
- Petitions
- Questions on the Order Paper
- Question No. 145
- An Act to Authorize the Minister of Finance to Make Certain Payments
- Message from the Senate
Statements By Members
June 20th, 2005 / 2:05 p.m.
Michael John Savage Dartmouth—Cole Harbour, NS
Mr. Speaker, this past weekend I attended the 21st annual Multicultural Festival held in my riding of Dartmouth—Cole Harbour. This festival brings together thousands of people of all races and cultures, people who share their heritage, music and food. Multiculturalism is fundamental to our belief that all citizens are equal. We must continue to ensure that all citizens can keep their identities, take pride in their ancestry and have a sense of belonging here in our shared country.
It was in 1971 that Canada adopted the first multiculturalism policy in the world. In doing so, we affirmed the value and dignity of all Canadians regardless of racial or ethnic origin, language or religious affiliation.
I congratulate Dr. Brig Pachai and everyone at MAN for their success. I especially acknowledge my dear friend Mukhtyar Tomar for years of dedication as chair of the festival committee.
When we celebrate our first nations people and all who have come to Canada from different lands, we celebrate the very best of our country, a nation of diversity, peace and strength.
Eastern Ontario
Statements By Members
2:10 p.m.
Pierre Poilievre Nepean—Carleton, ON
Mr. Speaker, the Liberal Party must really have it in for us folks here in eastern Ontario.
First, the Prime Minister shortchanged Ottawa and other Ontario municipalities to pay for an enhanced deal for Toronto. Ottawa, including its suburban and rural communities, should get the same number of infrastructure dollars per capita as Toronto.
Second, the Liberal cabinet refused to give our community hospital control over its own land. The Queensway-Carleton Hospital says that Liberal rent on the land will thwart plans for improved patient care and more family doctors. In fact, it could cost as many as 40 nurses at that hospital. Maybe the government needs the money from the hospital to pay the rent on that empty building owned by a Liberal friend over in Gatineau.
Or maybe we in eastern Ontario have had enough of Liberals taking us for granted. Maybe it is time for a Conservative government.
World Refugee Day
Statements By Members
2:10 p.m.
Yasmin Ratansi Don Valley East, ON
Mr. Speaker, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees has declared June 20 World Refugee Day. I would like to take this opportunity to remark upon the tremendous work the UNHCR has done internationally over the last 50 years.
World Refugee Day is also an opportunity to celebrate the invaluable contribution refugees have made within our borders, choosing Canada as more than a safe haven, choosing Canada as a home.
The UNHCR, since its inception in 1950, has won two Nobel Peace Prizes for its provision of protection and assistance to more than 17 million refugees around the world. World Refugee Day gives all of us a chance to reflect upon all that has been accomplished, the lives that have been saved, the new beginnings, and the open arms that have greeted those with nowhere left to turn in their own lands.
Last year the Government of Canada welcomed more than 15,000 refugees because we know how much they bring to this country. Let me just say how proud we are that they have chosen to call Canada their home.
Financial Services
Statements By Members
2:10 p.m.
Judy Wasylycia-Leis Winnipeg North, MB
Mr. Speaker, payday lenders and cheque cashers continue to reap profits from Canada's poorest and most vulnerable citizens because of the government's inaction.
In neighbourhoods like Winnipeg's north end, lax rules on banking services have allowed all major banks to simply pull up stakes and leave for more profitable pastures, paving the way for high interest payday lenders to enter.
My constituents are fighters, not victims, however, and are organizing through the Alternative Financial Services Coalition to provide access to non-profit financial services for their community.
The North End Community Renewal Corporation, SEED Winnipeg and Assiniboine Credit Union are all playing a part, as are many volunteers adding their energy and time.
Regrettably, one important contributor to this effort, Nancy Barbour, suddenly passed away last week. In remembering Nancy's contributions, we take time to thank all those who work tirelessly to improve our communities.
I call on the federal government to quit dithering and put its full resources into ensuring equal access to low cost financial services for all Canadians.
Age of Consent
Statements By Members
2:10 p.m.
Myron Thompson Wild Rose, AB
Mr. Speaker, the other day I had the honour to be interviewed by Roy Green. He was interested in my private member's bill that would raise the age of consent from 14 to 16 years.
During our interview he mentioned that he had asked the Prime Minister why his government would not support legislation to raise the age of consent. This is how the Prime Minister responded, "Well, this is an...this is an issue that...that, you know, that...that Parliament is in the process of debating. These are...these are very important social issues, and I think that what we've got to do is allow the debate to allow it to unfold. One of the...one of the ways in which the changes I wanted to bring to Parliament is to give the parliamentary committees the ability to go out, to reach out and to discuss all of these issues. And again, the whole question of the parliamentary...you know, the democratic deficit, is something that the House leader is working so hard on".
That answer is appalling. The Prime Minister was asked a direct question that is of great concern to every Canadian. How dare he ignore it. Sooner or later Canadians will realize that--
Riding of Drummond
Statements By Members
2:15 p.m.
Pauline Picard Drummond, QC
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to recognize the involvement and success of my riding's 20 most influential Quebeckers.
They are: Bernard, Laurent and Alain Lemaire of Cascades; Francine Ruest-Jutras, the mayor of Drummondville; José Boisjoli, the head of Bombardier Recreational Products; actress Karine Vanasse; owner of Pétro-T, Léo-Paul Therrien; Martin Dupont, director general of the Société de développement économique de Drummondville; the owners of the giant firm Canimex, Roger Dubois, and of Soucy Holding, Gilles Soucy; the artistic and general director of Mondial des cultures, René Fréchette; veteran comedian, Daniel Lemire; the director general of the Corporation du Centre culturel de Drummondville, Roland Janelle; the humorous quintet Les Trois Accords; and Patrick Sénécal, a novelist known for his bestseller Sur le seuil .
No two ways about it, these people make a huge difference to our community, our culture and our industry.
Statements By Members
2:15 p.m.
Nina Grewal Fleetwood—Port Kells, BC
Mr. Speaker, hundreds of Burmese democracy activists yesterday marked the 60th birthday of their leader Aung San Suu Kyi, Burma's pro-democracy leader and a Nobel Peace Prize winner, who has been under house arrest for more than two years. She is one of thousands who have been arrested by Burma's ruling junta and now languish in jail.
The generals prevent citizens from exercising their basic political rights. The constitution has been suspended since 1988 and there has not been an election since 1990. Human rights abuses include forced labour, torture, the use of rape as a weapon of war, and child soldiers. Millions live without the most basic health care or education. Yet the Liberal government does nothing, waiting for a multilateral solution that will never materialize.
It is time to abandon our sheepish line and take tough action so that the people of Burma may have the chance to freely express their views and be represented by the leaders of their choosing.
Edmundston Jazz and Blues Festival
Statements By Members
2:15 p.m.
Jean-Claude D'Amours Madawaska—Restigouche, NB
Mr. Speaker, two days from now, the Edmundston jazz and blues festival will swing into its 11th year. The event, which has become a must over the years, draws thousands of spectators each year, who return to move to the rhythms of jazz and blues by local, Canadian and international artists.
The festival has become very popular since it started 11 years ago. It has given people an opportunity to discover jazz and blues and to appreciate their musical complexities.
As the member for Madawaska—Restigouche, I am really happy that such an event can take place in my riding. I want therefore to thank the organizing committee of Edmundston's 11th jazz and blues festival and the volunteers who will be helping out at the event, which takes place from June 22 to 25.
I invite everyone to come and take part and discover the magnificent region of Madawaska—Restigouche.
Child Care
Oral Question Period
2:15 p.m.
Calgary Southwest
Stephen Harper Leader of the Opposition
Mr. Speaker, as with so many Liberal promises, the details and results of the government's child care scheme remain a mystery.
The Minister of Social Development has admitted that $5 billion over five years will not create a system. He further admitted that he does not know how much money it would cost to create a system.
Now that the government has given him several hundred million dollars, could he at least tell us how many more child care spaces parents will see this fall?
Child Care
Oral Question Period
2:15 p.m.
York Centre
Ken Dryden Minister of Social Development
Mr. Speaker, the question is whether the budget bill passes. If the budget bill passes, then there will be $700 million that will pass to the provinces and to the territories. That $700 million will represent an increase of about 30% on all money that is now being spent by the different provinces and territories by all levels of government.
Child Care
Oral Question Period
2:15 p.m.
Calgary Southwest
Stephen Harper Leader of the Opposition
Mr. Speaker, we should have known that not passing the budget would not stop announcements but passing it will not guarantee any results.
At best, the minister's plan to give all the money to bureaucrats and advocates will benefit a tiny group of children. It will leave most parents behind, including, obviously, those who work shift work, and those who use non-institutional options.
Why not give at least some of the $5 billion to parents and children themselves, as New Brunswick proposes to do?
Child Care
Oral Question Period
2:20 p.m.
York Centre
Ken Dryden Minister of Social Development
Mr. Speaker, I need to remind the hon. member that a year ago, at this particular stage, early learning and child care in this country was fairly static. During the election campaign, the government decided to make a campaign promise of $5 billion over five years.
The party on the other side of the House made a campaign commitment that would result in an increase of about $320 per child per low income family. That is the difference between these two parties.
Child Care
Oral Question Period
2:20 p.m.
Calgary Southwest
Stephen Harper Leader of the Opposition
Mr. Speaker, the difference is that parents so far have not seen anything from the government and from this party they would have seen something by now.
Parents and the provinces want to be able to decide which child care system suits them best. With regard to the child care model that the minister wants to impose, Bernard Lord, the Premier of New Brunswick, said that he did not appreciate the federal government dictating what the province had to do.
Why is the minister continuing to ignore the provinces' demands for greater flexibility?
Child Care
Oral Question Period
2:20 p.m.
York Centre
Ken Dryden Minister of Social Development
I am sorry, Mr. Speaker, I did not hear the question.
Child Care
Oral Question Period
2:20 p.m.
Rona Ambrose Edmonton—Spruce Grove, AB
Mr. Speaker, there are over 30,000 children waiting for child care in Quebec. It is clear that Canadian parents simply need more money in order to have choices.
A Conservative government would provide significant cash subsidies, directly, for each Canadian child, no matter how much their parents make. That way, the parents could have the child care services they choose.
When will the Prime Minister recognize that all parents want choice?


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CJluvsT wrote:I'm pretty new to tea (at least loose tea) and was wondering what you all do for sweeteners.
Very true. This is because aspartame and other sweeteners trick your brain into wanting more and more sugar. I work in a restaurant, and I have observed that people who drink diet drinks refill more often than other pops.I'd given up sugar sweetening a while back due to weight management, but the funny thing is, most people who use lots of artificial sweeteners (particularly aspartame) are heavier than those who use sugar... it seems to promote carb cravings/snacking. Sure enough, I lost about 12 lbs when I stopped all artificial sweeteners. Now, when I crave sweetness, I just use a very small amount of sugar, less than a tsp in a cup, and that works for me, but I rarely use any sugar at all.
Katy1977 wrote:I really have to cut down on sweetening my tea, was just reading up on the side effects of Splenda and Equal (which I sometimes use) and think that sugar is the safest bet if you must add sweetener (unless of course you can't have sugar.) Has anyone tried those little brown sugar crystals that Adagio sells? If so, I'd like to hear feedback on that.


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A collection of stories from individuals with disabilities, families, friends, and disability service providers in Tennessee
Showing stories 1 - 2 of 2
Results related to: Employment / Parent / Cerebral Palsy
"I wish Kelly had been able to stay in school beyond the age of 22, because there was so little available for her once she got out.
"It's like the state just says, 'OK, you're 21, we forget about you.'"


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Thomas Jefferson unites us all as her pulls the Declaration of Independence from his bleeding torso.
While the United States transitions from British control to an independent nation, Thomas Jefferson's troubles mount and he finds himself forced into hiding. As a sea creature. He turns himself into a sea creature.
The trials of founding a new democracy, unique to the world, severely test founding father Thomas Jefferson.
Also, he turns into a wolf.
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