text:
Debates of Nov. 1st, 2001
House of Commons Hansard #107 of the 37th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was finance.
- Government Response to Petitions
- Miscellaneous Statute Law Amendment Act, 2001
- Committees of the House
- Canada Health Act
- Points of Order
- Committees of the House
- Petitions
- Questions on the Order Paper
- Request for Emergency Debate
- Prebudget Consultation
- Landmines
- Toronto
- 4-H Clubs
- Transportation
- Victims of Violence
- Dmytro Pryhoda
- Chinese Cultural Centre
- Travel Agencies
- Performing Arts
- Down's Syndrome
- Remembrance Day
- Softwood Lumber
- Solange Chaput-Rolland
- Canadian Association of Broadcasters
- Lumber Industry
- Rail Industry
- Ground Zero
- National Security
- Softwood Lumber
- Anti-Terrorism Legislation
- National Security
- Terrorism
- Employment Insurance
- Terrorism
- Foreign Affairs
- Immigration
- Finance
- The Economy
- Canada Post
- National Security
- The Economy
- National Defence
- Anti-Terrorism Legislation
- The Economy
- Indian Affairs
- Religious Organizations
- St. Hubert Technobase
- National Defence
- Presence in Gallery
- Business of the House
- Privilege
- Business of the House
- Prebudget Consultations
- Ways and Means
- Prebudget Consultations
- Climate Change
- Message from the Senate
- Climate Change
Prebudget Consultation
Government Orders
1:35 p.m.
Sophia Leung Vancouver Kingsway, BC
Mr. Speaker, I think the beauty of the House and the reason we have debates is so members, who feel that certain social programs are a high priority, can speak up.
In the meantime, I have confidence in the Minister of Finance and in the finance committee. We will take into consideration all the suggestions from the House.
Prebudget Consultation
Government Orders
1:35 p.m.
Canadian Alliance
Jason Kenney Calgary Southeast, AB
Mr. Speaker, the parliamentary secretary to the minister responsible for the Canada Customs and Revenue Agency suggested in her speech that the government was open to different ideas. I wonder how open she thinks the government is to the idea coming forward from the Ministers of Industry and Human Resources Development to spend apparently $6 billion additional dollars on corporate welfare and on some Internet scheme.
The member sits with me on the finance committee. I do not think we have heard a single witness ask for more corporate welfare or job creation schemes but we have heard a lot of talk about the need to eliminate the capital tax and reduce EI premiums to create more jobs.
Will the minister not agree with me that it is a much greater priority to reduce job killing taxes than to sink more public money into job creation schemes which we know do not work?
Prebudget Consultation
Government Orders
1:35 p.m.
Sophia Leung Vancouver Kingsway, BC
Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for his suggestion. I would not place numbers in any order as to requests from programs. We have confidence in the finance committee to listen to all suggestions. In the meantime, we will present it to the Minister of Finance. He is also trying to get all the different suggestions to see which are more important. It is very basic. We have to live within our means, and in the meantime decide which is the higher priority.
Prebudget Consultation
Government Orders
1:35 p.m.
Sue Barnes London West, ON
Mr. Speaker, I would like to say what my personal priorities are. Hopefully these reflect the views of a number of my constituents on issues that have been raised across the country and in a prebudget debate that was held in my riding a couple of weeks ago.
I will start from the premise that fiscal credibility is important to our government. Fiscal credibility was paid for by Canadians. It was paid for by processes and successive prudent expenditures, prudent investments and prudent budgeting which have brought us to the point where we can enjoy the $2 billion plus of savings on interest on our national debt. This brought us to the point before September 11 where we were looking at a very large skills and learning agenda and a very large innovation agenda. These are good, positive things for Canadians to invest in. I believe there is a difference between spending without thought and true investment that is stimulus.
So many hours, so many days of weeping and wailing have been spent wondering whether or not we were going to have a budget. Whether or not it was called a budget, there were $100 billion of tax cuts spread over five years and $20 billion went into health care. A year ago many things went through this parliament and were effective. President Bush, our neighbour to the south, had to wait for the legislation but we were already on that train and that is part of the stimulus that will continue.
Most Canadians would agree that we should not go into a deficit position at this point in time. I have heard from some people who are willing to go with a debt to GDP ratio that continues downward which would allow for a few billion dollars in deficit in one year. Fiscal credibility is important psychologically at this point in time. The prudence that has been the hallmark of our government, even though it has not been the traditional Liberal philosophy is the current Liberal philosophy. We are an accountable government. We have made proper investments.
Turning to my priorities in investments, I come from London, Ontario. I represent a city that is very rich in industrial research capacity, medical research capacity, engineering and social science research capacity. Over many years the government has talked about having moved Canada up the scale from being one of the lower countries in the OECD to being fifth in the world in supporting R and D. This is a valid investment. There can be no interruption in the current flow of money to research and development in my opinion.
Another issue that has been spoken about in research circles is the indirect cost of research. The part of me that thinks with a jurisdictional hat says that historically at our post-secondary education facilities the infrastructure supporting all of this work has been borne by the provinces. However it is our productivity agenda. It is our innovation agenda. Therefore I believe there is no more capacity for these researchers to absorb the cost of their work if we are not contributing in some way to the soft costs of doing that research, whether it occurs in a university or in a hospital. I come from the province of Ontario where unfortunately per capita spending on post-secondary education is the lowest of all the provinces and territories. That is an appalling situation but it happens to be the truth.
If this cannot be done in this budget, I would ask the Minister of Finance to put a marker on the table so that the research community knows that this is a concept that has been agreed to, understood and will go forward. I would urge that there be some start in this budget. The position has to be made very clear so we can extend hope to all the people who are helping with future productivity in Canada. That is very important not just for my riding, but it is important across the country, whether that comes from our granting councils or the CIHR, which took over from the Medical Research Council of Canada.
There are some fine point tools that we can utilize. On October 12 when I was in my riding the United Way asked for favourable tax treatment on capital gains when people donate stocks to charities. The United Way was very pleased to see that was extended permanently. The tool is appropriate for use in public foundations also.
More and more as governments, especially provincial governments, circumnavigate themselves into a corner by putting the no deficit legislation into place, we are going to be looking to our charities and our public foundations to help carry the weight of the true social need that exists in the country. That is a technical provision which I do not think will cost large sums of dollars to the fisc. However it will have an incredible impact on donations by concerned corporations and individuals in this country to transfer shares by having a more favourable capital gains tax situation. That is being extended to the charities right now. There is no logical reason that the foundations could not get similar treatment.
I would like to talk about the aboriginal communities. One of the reasons I asked my government to go on the finance committee was so I could move the aboriginal agenda forward. There has to be sufficient funding to continue all of the necessary work. It is true that the standard of living enjoyed by most Canadians is not shared to the same degree by our aboriginal communities. This is a necessary agenda. It seems that some communities always are told to wait. There is always a reason that we cannot take care of their needs.
The needs are pretty basic in the aboriginal communities. They are safe water, housing and education needs. We should understand as a government that the demographics of this particular population is different from that of average Canadians. There is going to be a huge increase in aged people in the non-native population but it is the reverse in the native population. In fact there is going to be a 25% increase in aboriginal youth before 2015. All of those youth need the tools to be educated and the department is the all encompassing vehicle for transfers at this time, unless they come out from under the Indian Act like the Nisga'a which I celebrate. They need those funds.
A number of people across the aisle have talked about human capital and I concur. My metaphor for this budget is an accordion. Some programs, for instance the security programs, will have to be squeezed in. In other words what might have been a five year roll out on security items and security spending perhaps will have to come down to a one year or two year roll out. Obviously that will have to go up and that means that type of spending will not be a one time hit. It is something that Canadians are demanding.
There are ongoing security needs in our country, not only for personal safety reasons, but economic security as well. This includes making sure our borders are working properly and that low risk goods and people get through in a timely manner. All of our resources, whether human intelligence resources or enforcement resources, must be there to help our markets work properly. We are a trading nation. We have to have the confidence at our borders and in our land of all of our trading partners to make our economy work.
The security agenda is high on my list but I see other areas being expanded a bit. I believe in our innovation agenda. I believe in our jobs and skills agenda. If it is necessary in the very short term to roll out those programs a little slower, it is not saying we do not value what we are doing. I am just saying we must live within our budgetary means. This is important to Canadians.
Many valuable tools, techniques and programs are being put before us. No one in this Chamber does not want the preservation of our environment. No one in this Chamber does not want a federal park that we can all enjoy. Perhaps we cannot acquire the 14 parks that we say we need to complete the infrastructure of parks across the nation right now. Perhaps that is not on the table today. Maybe we should be doing the options to lease around the parks where we think we will be working in the future trying to make sure they are there when we do have the fiscal capacity.
This is an important debate. It cannot be about the historical context or the wish list because from what I have seen, everybody comes to the table saying, and very rightly so, that their investment is more important and is the one that needs to be funded. Most of them could be funded if we had a wish fountain but in reality we have tax revenues. Our economy is now slower than it was and that means there is less money coming into our fisc. There may be more drains on it as people need temporary employment and to get to their next period of employment, assistance from the government.
It is interesting that for the first time across the country, including the west, I heard that there is an important role for government in the lives of people. On September 11 it was not the private corporations that they looked to for security, it was the government. We have to fund properly our security element which has a military element.
To my mind there is a division between the military component and the security component. How I have interpreted what I have heard across the country is that it is not so much a discussion about hardware as it is about humans and using technology properly.
Even the technology costs are not going to be a one time cost. Nobody has ever set up a technologically advanced office and said that now that they have bought a computer, that is it and they do not have to do anything for the next 20 years. We all know that updates are needed. Even the hardware is not a one time cost when we get into biometrics at our borders. These are important points to consider.
I want to talk about dedicated taxes. I heard that especially with respect to highways. Dedicated taxes take away from the flexibility of governments to react appropriately in times of crisis and need.
It is with very good reason that money comes into the federal government by way of general revenues. Those people arguing, and they know who they are across the country, that they have spent so much on a certain tax and therefore so much should be reinvested, cannot understand that if everybody had their silo of dedicated taxes, we as a government could not respond to the true needs. The true needs are here and abroad.
I will put one small marker on the table. Historically Canada has done a very poor job overseas as a percentage of GDP in contributing to international assistance. We, with many countries, had a goal of 0.7 of 1% at one time. We are well below that.
Even if the foreign aid goes more to the good governance envelope, which I firmly believe should be part of the agenda, there are situations where we are spending money overseas on military and peacekeeping operations where if the governance of a country, the strength of the democracy of a country were there and assisted in the first place, perhaps we would not be going out in a military fashion after the fact.
Canada has a role to play. It is a very small portion of the overall budget picture and I would not like to see it abandoned at this time.
Prebudget Consultation
Government Orders
1:50 p.m.
Yvan Loubier Saint-Hyacinthe—Bagot, QC
Mr. Speaker, I wish to congratulate the member for London West with whom it is my privilege to work on the Standing Committee on Finance. She does her work very seriously and most competently.
I agree with what she said about indirect spending on research and development. The fact that research grants do not apply to indirect spending on equipment or infrastructures remains a major concern of academics, not just in the health sector but in all other sectors as well. It is beginning to get in the way of scientific research and technological development.
When there is an economic slowdown, such as the one we are now experiencing, which may well go on for the next few months, the first spending to be sacrificed is spending on research and development by business in particular.
When universities are asked to tighten their budgets, the first thing to go is research. So on that score I agree completely with her analysis.
However I would really appreciate it if, during the next meeting of her caucus, the member could ask the Minister of Finance to stop saying whatever comes into his head about the surplus, to stop misleading the public and to give the real picture.
My greatest fear in connection with the next budget is that, in a situation where people need to be encouraged and given support, the Minister of Finance will play exactly the same game he has been playing for the past five years, which is to misrepresent the real surplus so as not to have to do what he should.
I urge her, because I can see the member's great ability and determination, to convince the Minister of Finance to stop saying any old thing and to come up with real measures in the next budget to stimulate the economy and help those who have lost or who are at risk of losing their job.
Can we count on the member for London West to take this up with the Minister of Finance?
Prebudget Consultation
Government Orders
1:50 p.m.
Sue Barnes London West, ON
Mr. Speaker, I can assure the hon. member that any chance I get to talk to the Minister of Finance I do and I make my views very clear. I also wish we had those billions of dollars. I do not think they are in the surplus right now. It will be very difficult right now.
The problem with trying to propose a budgeting measure that goes forward to the future is that, as an economist knows, we are using numbers on which we do not have the most up to date numbers. Our real numbers are history. We are really working with the projections.
I am pleased he concurs on the soft costs or the indirect costs of research. This is an important time for researchers. They have hope that they have not had for many years. I agree that the worst thing we could do is to interrupt that in any way, shape or form.
The increases might not be as much as if September 11 had not occurred. However the marker has to go down and something has to be mentioned, hopefully in the budget text itself, about the indirect costs of research.
I also enjoy working with the hon. member on the finance committee. Many of us work every day. We have had over 70 meetings. However, for many reasons we cannot attend all those meetings. We all work with the best interests of all Canadians at heart, including Quebecers.
Prebudget Consultation
Government Orders
1:55 p.m.
Pat Martin Winnipeg Centre, MB
Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for London West for using her time to raise some very important issues, not the least of which is the budget line dealing with aboriginal issues. She is as aware, as are all of us, that a key factor in the Speech from the Throne dealt with the idea that it was finally time to address some of the backlog of social needs which existed in aboriginal communities.
Some of us are apprehensive now that first, there is less of a surplus or no surplus at all and, second, there is an increased spending line which will be necessary for this military intervention.
We have reason to believe that those who will be to be asked to tighten their belts to pay for the military intervention are the very people who need support and have been promised it in this Speech from the Throne.
Will she give us her commitment or at least her point of view, as a member of the finance committee and a member of the Liberal caucus, that she will push to make sure that the spending for the military intervention does not come out of the budget line of aboriginal affairs; current spending or future programs?
Prebudget Consultation
Government Orders
1:55 p.m.
Sue Barnes London West, ON
Mr. Speaker, I am certainly not the Minister of Finance. However spending on aboriginal affairs is a necessity in Canada especially when we are talking about education. We cannot afford to waste the potential of people. We cannot afford to take away hope.
We must be concerned with the demographic signals that are out there right now. The children who are very young will either be drains in their own life and not be happy or they will be productive members of Canadian society.
We have ways, means and tools that we know can work and have been shown to work when there is goodwill among all three levels of government and in the House to move forward treaties.
When people have a land base they get economic viability and move outside the current Indian Act. I saw this when I chaired the aboriginal affairs committee during the Nisga'a agreement. I think we will see a productive society in the Nass Valley that could not have occurred as easily inside the Indian Act. My vote goes in that direction.
Statements By Members
1:55 p.m.
Colleen Beaumier Brampton West—Mississauga, ON
Mr. Speaker, Israel's military withdrawal from South Lebanon left the area heavily contaminated with landmines. Most remain unmarked and unfenced. This is a serious threat to the lives of thousands of displaced civilians returning home.
In the month following the withdrawal 99 people were maimed and 20 were killed. Landmines have accounted for 80% of the mine related casualties registered in the last year.
While UN peacekeepers are co-ordinating mine clearance activities in the region the maps provided by Israel are incomplete, making mine clearing very unsafe. The UN reports that over 100,000 landmines exist throughout the region, their exact locations unknown.
The Ottawa convention demands that each state in a position to do so shall provide assistance for mine clearance and related activities.
I encourage our government to seek creative ways to help solve the crisis in South Lebanon and attempt to accelerate the process of clearing these hidden killers by asking the Israeli government to provide full disclosure of all maps, and for Canada--
Statements By Members
1:55 p.m.
The Deputy Speaker
The hon. member for Richmond.
Statements By Members
November 1st, 2001 / 2 p.m.
Canadian Alliance
Joe Peschisolido Richmond, BC
Mr. Speaker, it is a great pleasure for me to rise today to pay tribute to the little paper that grew on its 30th anniversary. Thirty years ago today the Toronto Sun was born.
The vision of Douglas Creighton and Peter Worthington led a small bunch of reporters, editors, production people and photographers to start a new alternative newspaper in the most competitive media market in Canada.
From its humble beginnings in Toronto the Sun chain has now moved right across Canada. "Get it first, get it fast and get it accurate" has long been the motto of the Sun . They should be proud to know that readers see this reflected in their morning paper every day.
On behalf of my leader and my caucus colleagues in the Canadian Alliance I offer my congratulations to the Toronto Sun and all its employees.
4-H Clubs
Statements By Members
2 p.m.
Claude Duplain Portneuf, QC
Mr. Speaker, from October 29 to November 4, we honour 4-H clubs.
In Quebec, 4-H clubs attract young people who care about improving and maintaining the quality of our environment. Together, they work to protect trees and forests.
Moreover, by joining these clubs, young people develop a respect for others, a sense of responsibility, creativity and initiative.
The first 4-H clubs in Quebec were established in 1942. Today, many young Quebecers wear the motto "Honneur, Honnêteté, Habileté, Humanité" on their coat of arms.
As in the other provinces, 4-H clubs in Quebec are taking advantage of this week to inform the public about their activities. I invite the public to take an interest, and young people to participate. You will make interesting discoveries and you may find a new passion.
Statements By Members
2 p.m.
Karen Redman Kitchener Centre, ON
Mr. Speaker, public transit in Kitchener is getting a facelift thanks to a new project announced this week. VIA Rail has announced an additional mid-morning and late evening link between Kitchener and Toronto. As well, the federal government is contributing $350,000 to renovate the local train station for improved access and service.
This new service makes good sense for the environment and provides a practical alternative to congested highways. Transportation is one of the single largest sources of air pollution in Canada. In urban centres it accounts for up to two-thirds of smog forming pollutants and for 27% of greenhouse gas emissions.
The expanded service enables commuters to park their cars. Sustainable transportation encourages travellers to make use of active transportation instead of relying on single occupant vehicles.
I ask the House to join me in congratulating the local members of Transport 2000 for their perseverance in supporting this much needed project. Clearly Kitchener is on the right track.
Victims of Violence
Statements By Members
2 p.m.
Judy Sgro York West, ON
Mr. Speaker, on Sunday, October 28, I attended a mass memorial service for young victims of violence that was organized by the Black Action Defence Committee. We remembered the lives of young black men who had been slain prematurely and offered our condolences to the mothers, fathers, siblings and children of these victims of violence.
In the past five years over 100 black men in Toronto have been killed by other youth. Their murders remain unsolved. This cycle of violence must stop.
Valerie Steele, president of the Jamaican Canadian Association, says clearly that the black community is planning a new strategy, one that involves education, policing, housing and job opportunities. They will be working on it with the federal government.
I call on all members of the House to support this community based approach. We must console those who have lost their loved ones to violence, unite to address the causes of hopelessness and anger, and build a brighter future for our youth.
Dmytro Pryhoda
Statements By Members
2 p.m.
Canadian Alliance
Peter Goldring Edmonton Centre-East, AB
Mr. Speaker, today in Edmonton Mr. Dmytro Pryhoda celebrates his centenary with his family and friends. Born 100 years ago in Ukraine, Mr. Pryhoda left his wartorn country in 1927 to make a new life in Canada. The Canadian Pacific Railway became his workplace for 40 years until his retirement in 1966. Dmytro's wife of 57 years, Rose, passed away in 1989.
Family and faith are two important pillars that Ukrainians cherish in their new Canadian communities. St. Barbara's Russian Orthodox Cathedral will be particularly honouring Dmytro this Sunday.
I am sure I speak for all in the House as I wish Dmytro well today.
Wishing you many more years, Dmytro.
This day is yours. Enjoy.


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by John MacArthur
As those seeking to live out the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20), Christians should always consider how their actions will affect their witness to a watching world.
Speaking of his own evangelistic ministry, Paul wrote:
Give no offense either to Jews or to Greeks or to the church of God; just as I also please all men in all things, not seeking my own profit but the profit of the many, that they may be saved. (1 Corinthians 10:32-33)
Give no offense either to Jews or to Greeks or to the church of God; just as I also please all men in all things, not seeking my own profit but the profit of the many, that they may be saved. (1 Corinthians 10:32-33)
Paul was far more concerned with seeing sinners embrace Christ than he was with the exercise of his liberty. Thus he was willing to set aside his freedom for the sake of the gospel (1 Corinthians 9:19-23).
Whether or not you are aware of it, your behavior—both what you do as well as what you don't do—affects your witness for Christ. It is an issue of testimony: What does your life say about God to the friends, relatives, coworkers, neighbors, or even strangers who might be watching you?
That's the point Paul makes in Romans 14:16-18:
Therefore do not let what is for you a good thing be spoken of as evil; for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. For he who in this way serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men.
Therefore do not let what is for you a good thing be spoken of as evil; for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. For he who in this way serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men.
The operative statement there is "approved by men." Paul's not talking about being a man-pleaser—he's talking about the positive commendation of your lifestyle by the people who are watching.
You've probably known people who call themselves Christians and proclaim their love for the Lord, but have lifestyles that are very similar to the world. Believers who routinely live on the edges of their liberty make it difficult to differentiate themselves from the world. They have a hard time communicating the value and power of the gospel to people who see no clear difference in how they live their lives.
Believers who never abuse their freedom live out the most distinct, powerful testimonies of God's life-transforming power. The self-imposed restrictions in your life—informed by biblical principles—visually depict the ongoing work of Christ in your heart to a world that is constantly watching, even when you least suspect it.
Your loudest, clearest testimony is rarely the words you say—people are far more likely to see how you live and draw conclusions about the value and reality of your faith based on your lifestyle. The unsaved world is paying attention, and we need to strive to be manifestly different from our sinful culture. For the sake of the gospel, we need to stand apart from the world while we're living in it.
So when we're faced with a decision in an area of life that Scripture doesn't specifically speak to, we need to ask, Will this activity adorn the gospel or tarnish it?
Your testimony either tells the truth about God, or it tells a lie. The choices you make in the gray areas should reflect your concern not to bring offense to God's reputation but to bring Him praise instead.
(Adapted from Right Thinking in a World Gone Wrong.)
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I concur with Pastor MacArthur, that indeed the world is watching our actions and we need to visibly depict the ongoing work of Christ in our hearts. Sadly, I failed to do this yesterday when it was my husband's birthday and I took him to lunch. When the check came I paid it, knowing that the piece of cake I ordered, to go, was not included in the bill. I was soon bothered by my sinful non-response to correct the error, because I realized that the restaurant servers and my husband, who had all seen the bill, must have known that by my silence, this professing Christian was shamefully trying to get something for nothing. The Holy Spirit convicted me from the time I left the restaurant until I called my husband at work this morning to ask if he had noticed that the cake had been absent on the lunch tab. He said that he had, and then I went on to confess that I had too, and since it was wrong of me to ignore it, that I was going to go by the restaurant and pay for the cake, or mail them a check for the amount.
He then told me that since it had been his birthday, that the waitress had said that the cake was "on the house." Somewhat relieved, nevertheless this did not erase the fact that I had sinned and dishonored Christ by my actions. I had neglected to pay for what I knew I should have. What an unrighteous testimony to my husband and the restaurant employees and a dishonoring of our Lord! I was going to allow my sin to publically tarnish the gospel. It just reminded me how we as believers must constantly be on top of our sinful urges and check our responses to opportunities to transgress in our lives.
Consequently, I am deeply humbled (once again) by the fact that I am basically selfish, sinful, and owe God for everything that He has so generously and compassionately bestowed upon an undeserving person such as me- Christ's imputed righteousness is truly a merciful covering over this inheritantly wicked heart. I thank the Lord for His Holy Spirit that prevents His children from bringing more shame upon Him than we would inevitably do without His help. I pray I will not behave in such a way again as to tarnish God's good reputation. For God and the world are indeed watching! I appreciate you, Pastor MacArthur, for that reminder!
Holly Schrader
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This article rings loudly in my hearing. I'm afraid I'm one of those who "talk the talk" without a consistent walk. I have a drawer full of tracts that should be handed out, I have shamed my Lord by occupying my time with T V, the internet, and a inconsistent life. I'm miserable, I don't attend church on a regular basis, because it's somewhat modern and the sermons are more like sermonettes. I long to obey Christ and over the past couple of years find it difficult to pray, difficult to study. My point is, my passion to serve Christ in evangelizing is at a stand still exactly as pastor MacArthur wrote concerning weak Christians. My purpose for writing this is, for help getting back on the right track. I examine my self everyday. This isn't about me, but a plea to find restoration. I long for true repentance.
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Joseph, I will pray for you. Perhaps a bold move like cutting off the television service for awhile until you can get a solid foundation of Bible reading down might help. I have found that sometimes its the decisions I am able to make when I am feeling convicted or strong in faith that enable me to walk things out easier for the long run. I try and take advantage of those times knowing later I will feel beaten down by the world and not be very effective in obeying Christ. The television is more dangerous than we give it credit for! Almost every show either forth-right denigrates God or subliminally promotes alternatives to the God of the Bible, so no wonder a nightly routine of watching television ruins our hunger to serve God! Another suggestion is get the Bible on CD and have that playing in your house for times when you are busy but want to be fed the word. God's Word will not return void so you will be doing yourself a favor by having it on. I have found that the Word is the only way to have strength and when I get beaten down, I know it means I need to double-down in reading my Bible! I hope this helps a little. God bless, Lori
Joseph (2),
Obviously, the conviction you are experiencing is a good thing. We have to trust God at His Word that He has empowered true Christians to rise above the shortcomings of their flesh (please read Ephesians 4 on this subject). Furthermore, regular attendance at a healthy biblical church with good accountability to godly elders will be of great benefit to you. Your first priority should be the local church.
Please check out the recent blog series "The Local Church and Why It Matters" http://www.gty.org/blog/localchurch
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Share Your Reflection

I go frequently to the practice of pausing and asking
I go frequently to the practice of pausing and asking myself "Am I still breathing?" It's a first step toward awareness in "A New Earth." The practice did me good while sitting in the Newark airport for nearly 10 hours. Despite the potential stress of this sort of travel delay, I was awake and alert to make the 2 hour drive home at midnight.
I'm looking forward to this show.

Eckhart Tolle's books have enriched my life in so many
Eckhart Tolle's books have enriched my life in so many unimaginable ways. By learning to become Present, I am able to release Stress as it comes to me and I have come to new level of seeing and appreciating the infinite details of Life.
I think besides Breathing into Presence, the most valuable lesson I learned is to practice Surrender, Acceptance, and non-judgment in my daily life. The Issness is what it is so accept it.

My favorite Tolle quote is "Leave life alone, let it be".
My favorite Tolle quote is "Leave life alone, let it be".
His books changed my stress level and my life in many ways. Practicing Present Moment Awareness has led me to experience life in a very different way.

I can't be exact as I don't have the books near by today
I can't be exact as I don't have the books near by today but a "quote" I love is something like, Nothing could be as delicious/satisfying as full attention to what's happening right now. Since I have noticed the difference in how I feel when multitasking and dreaming compared to complete present moment attention I know this is true. This "mantra" reminds me.

I remember the first time I heard Eckhart speak to an
I remember the first time I heard Eckhart speak to an audience: I was watching a talk he gave in India. He sat on his chair, waited . . . and waited . . . and waited, and then when he spoke, there was all this space between each word. I remember holding the arms of my chair, literally ready to come forward, I was so jumpy, not used to all that space surrounding the words. Within a few minutes I was relaxed, still, and as a teacher of English in a rural high school, I have found that simply pausing between words calms all of us -- what a lesson he taught with his actions.
What I enjoy about Eckhart is his ability to compose ancient wisdom in contemporary fashion. He makes the ancient contemporary (I am reminded of T.S. Eliot's phrase, "the contemporaneity of antiquity" in this regard.) Eckhart never claims to say anything new (something some of his critics seem to find shameful), but I find his wisdom resides in the ability to share the ancient in new ways. That is what I fond so beautiful about him. I consider him a brother, and I enjoy all he offers his fellow travelers.

The only thing that could have been more stressful than
The only thing that could have been more stressful than my job was to get laid off from it last month. I had just started to read Tolle and realized that he was the answer to my prayer to the universe for a teacher of buddhism without the "ism," an awakened one who I could understand. My time would have been filled with being angry at my previous employer, worrying about my future and feeling sorry for myself. Instead it is filled with Tolle's teaching and I am grateful for this time and space to absorb them. The quote that I keep in mind is "If you can recognize illusion as illusion, it dissolves." Using the methods he describes, recognition is my daily practice.

I found Eckhart Tolle a wonderful writer. I read his
I found Eckhart Tolle a wonderful writer. I read his books at time when I needed someone to show me how not worry and obsess over everything. I too now find that life is what it is. Being aware and having aha moments is wonderful! Enjoying and discussing his book A New Earth with everyone is even more exciting!.

Ah, good ones. Kate. I also ask myself if I am breathing
Ah, good ones. Kate. I also ask myself if I am breathing through out the day. When I am under a lot of stress I find myself actually holding my breath for big chunks of time--some kind of control mechanism I guess. Good for you, Colleen, for using the Tolle work to get you through a tense period. Thanks, all.

Is that so?

This is my favorite quote of Eckart
Is that so?
This is my favorite quote of Eckart Tolle! How simple! How clean a response for all the nonsense we are subjected to listen to, day in, day out.
xoxox mm

I've started to use this word 'Pain Bodies' now to
I've started to use this word 'Pain Bodies' now to describe my frustrations. I came to know Eckhart's work through Li-Young Lee. Would be great if Lee was on the show!

Duc,
I'm actually somewhat familiar with Li-Young Lee
I'm actually somewhat familiar with Li-Young Lee's poetry and you are right, he'd be a great guest on the show! Thanks for the idea.

Great Interview with Tolle. Love the John O Donahue also.
Great Interview with Tolle. Love the John O Donahue also. If you can get Bono on the show then i may become and SOF evangelist.

Ron, you wouldn't believe the number of conversations we
Ron, you wouldn't believe the number of conversations we've had about Bono. If we ever get him on the schedule, I will immediately post it on SOF Observed.
I am so greatful to Eckhart
I am so greatful to Eckhart Tolle and Oprah for tuirnng me onto Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor and her beautiful book ""My Stroke of Insight"". Her story is amazing and her gift to all of us is a book purchase away I'm happy to say. Dr Taylor was a Harvard brain scientist when she had a stroke at age 37. What was amazing was that her left brain was shut down by the stroke - where language and thinking occur - but her right brain was fully functioning. She experienced bliss and nirvana and the way she writes about it (or talks about it in her now famous TED talk) is incredible.What I took away from Dr. Taylor's book above all, and why I recommend it so highly, is that you don't have to have a stroke or take drugs to find the deep inner peace that she talks about. Her book explains how. ""I want what she's having"", and thanks to this wonderful book, I can! Thank you Dr. Taylor, and thank you Eckhart and Oprah.


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North America's first floating wind turbine, launched in May, is being hailed as a prototype for a future US offshore energy industry. While the small "pilot phase" unit, sitting off the Maine coast, produces only enough electricity to power four homes, it represents the first stage of a far more ambitious project. Tara Cleary reports for Reuters.
Copyright Copyright 2014 Greenrightnow | Distributed by Noofangle Media


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Magnificent Taj Mahal
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Hi! My name is Magnificent Taj Mahal
I am a Bengal from carbondale, IL
Nicknames: Tajey Kitty
Age: 5 years old
Gender: M
Coat: short haired
Education: after a year Taj finally allowed my 2 year old grandson pet him
My favorite tricks and treats are: gets the cabinet door open where his feed bag is stored and anything crunchy
Where I hang out: the foot rest of my recliner
My favorite grubs: Taste of the Wild, Roasted Venison and Wild Salmon
My pet peeves: Me trying to trin his nails
What I love about my owners: She is so nice that I allow her to sleep in her bed with me...LOL
My cat hobbies: have his ears rubbed and his chin scratched
Pet motto: Bengal are like Lays Potatoe Chips...you can't just have 1
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a friend of my daughters posted a picture of her new Bengal on facebook...I had wanted one for a long time but didn't know where to find one locally...I called the lady...she had 2 older kittens...I went to look at them and Taj stole my heart
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I'm the 53,863rd member on CatChannel.com.
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As a member of the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU), Wayland Baptist University participates in the bestsemester.com program. CCCU's bestsemester.com offers students an opportunity to experience the real world and share their faith in either an international or national environment. The Culture Shaping program focuses on participating in the American Studies Program, Contemporary Music Center, Washington Journalism Center, and the Los Angeles Film Studies Center. The Culture Crossing program has an international focus with China Studies Program, Latin American Studies, Middle East Studies, the Scholars' Semester in Oxford, Russian Studies, Oxford Summer, Australia Studies Centre, and Uganda Studies.
Credit is available for participation in these programs. Students interested in participating in bestsemester.com should contact the registrars office for more information. Federal financial aid is available for students doing study-abroad programs and should contact the Financial Aid office for more information.


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So I was here at work looking into Googles search algorithms and then I started searching different things. Eventually I remembered the big trend of "Googling" ones self and seeing what results were produced. So, I guess my question to you right now is, when was the last time your "Googled" yourself? And if your name has some sort of connection to your professional career and you are ranking high in Google's search results, then you my friend, are doing quite well. Anyway guys, have some fun and Google yourself and friends see what comes up! You won't believe the crazy things that come up when I Google myself.
To see the Google search for my name, click here. Haha.


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Time for some fun rumors from MiddleEasy.com
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Waiting for June 6th
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Basketball Capital of the World
Posts: 14,334
What's this? A Sunday Morning Rumor Mill on Sunday evening? Egh, with a strong enough flux capacitor, it's still Sunday morning in some time zone. The first SMRM of 2013. We wish we can say that these things will be a weekly feature from this moment on, but it really depends on the response we get from this feature. If you want us to continue to deliver the SMRM every week in 2013, just let us know in the comment section. Once again, these are all rumors that have been disclosed by reliable sources within the MMA industry. Nothing is being reported. Enjoy.
Fallon Fox showed up to the last Invicta FC event and managed to get inside the area designated for fighters. She acted aggressive towards some of the fighters, so an Invicta FC exec asked her to leave but she refused.
Allegedly Fox claimed she had an AXS TV crew with her (which was false) and from what I've been told she wanted to get a confrontation with a fighter on camera to set up a future fight in Invicta.
Apparently Bec Hyatt had a run-in with Fallon Fox at Invicta FC 5
Shannon Knapp, the CEO of Invicta FC, wasn't told about this incident during the event for fear that she may 'flip.'
Someone involved with the UFC plans to 'come out' at some point this year. Pretty vague, I know, but we have some strong sources indicating this.
Ricardo Arona plans to make his MMA return in an upcoming Road FC card.
is coming out of Japan once again. I'm not really clear on the details, but it appears that it will mix the sport of UFC with the sensation of 'drama.' That's literally all I have on this.
It's not really a rumor at this point, but the judge that scored the fight for Gilbert Melendez owns an affiliate Cesar Gracie gym.
It appears John 'Doomsday' Howard will rejoin the UFC to take part in the upcoming card held in Boston.
Bobby Lashley and Josh Barnett may be close to signing with Bellator. Don't be surprised if the contract is combined in someway with Impact Wrestling.
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Secretary Clinton spoke today to delegates participating in the Major Economies Forum on Energy and Climate at the State Department. The Secretary said:"I'm delighted to welcome all of you to the State Department for this very consequential meeting. As I look around the table, I think I have met in bilateral forums with all of the countries here, if not in multilateral forums, over the last nearly 100 days. And at each and every one of those meetings, global warming, climate change, clean energy, a low-carbon future has been part of our discussions. And I'm very pleased to welcome the personal representatives of 17 major economies, the United Nations, and observer nations to this first preparatory meeting of the major economies on energy and climate.
I think it's significant that this discussion is taking place here at the State Department, because the crisis of climate change exists at the nexus of diplomacy, national security and development. It is an environmental issue, a health issue, an economic issue, an energy issue, and a security issue. It is a threat that is global in scope, but also local and national in impact. I'm delighted that our Special Envoy for Climate Change, Todd Stern, will be working with you, as will Mike Froman, who sits at that nexus in the White House between the National Security Council and the National Economic Council.
You know the details or you would not be here. There is much going on in the world today that challenges us, and it is remarkable that each of your nations has committed to this because we know that climate change threatens lives and livelihoods. Desertification and rising sea levels generate increased competition for food, water and resources. But we also have seen increasingly the dangers that these transpose to the stability of societies and governments. We see how this can breed conflict, unrest and forced migration. So no issue we face today has broader long-term consequences or greater potential to alter the world for future generations.
So this morning, I would like to underscore four main points. First, the science is unambiguous and the logic that flows from it is inescapable. Climate change is a clear and present danger to our world that demands immediate attention. Second, the United States is fully engaged and ready to lead and determined to make up for lost time, both at home and abroad. The President and his entire Administration are committed to addressing this issue and we will act.
Third, the economies represented here today have a special responsibility to pull together and work toward a successful outcome of the UN climate negotiations later in the year in Copenhagen, and I'm delighted that Denmark could join us because they are going to host this very important meeting. And the Major Economies Forum provides a vehicle to help us get prepared to be successful at that meeting.
And fourth, all of us participating today must cooperate in developing meaningful proposals to move the process forward. New policy and new technologies are needed to resolve this crisis, and they won't materialize by themselves. They will happen because we will set forth an action plan in individual countries, in regions, and globally. It took a lot of work by a lot of people to create the problem of climate change over the last centuries. And it will take our very best efforts to counter it."
Read the Secretary's full remarks at the Major Economies Forum on Energy and Climate.
Brian in California writes:
Thank you Madame Secretary Clinton for your brave,steadfast leadership on this global crisis. Let's see if other countries can become more literate and sophisticated in respect to global warming and the challenges we face -- world-wide.
Thank you again, Secretary Clinton.
Rosemary in New Jersey writes:
Hillary! Beautiful job! Home run! Out of the park! Everything was spot on -- the content and the delivery.
Go Hillary!
*waving pom-poms*
Joe in Tennessee writes:
As a youngster I admired the tenacity of Jacque Cousteau and can recall his repeated announcements of dramatic aquatic changes worldwide which needed addressing. He did this on ears of societies directed toward profits rather than human existence. The misdirection of the use of money as a tool for the advancement of societies is what speed up this situation.
1. The old HAARP program where in U.S. tax payer put out tons of money for a program to punch holes in the Van Allen Belt to see how it affected weather might not have been the best effort for helping the environment.
2. There are things we can do nothing about as the earth turning over 2.5 degrees on its axis the last decade; the magnetic North and South poles reversing the earth's mantle expanding -- even the Andes mountain range is moving higher yearly, a 600 mile long range of mountains are being pushed upward.
3. Our efforts to change this are miss premised to be honest. It takes more energy to manufacture an efficient hydro carbon automobile then it will save, the same being true with battery vehicles.
4. Going back to the economic situation: New housing is the largest single threat to the environment, yet we base our economic platform on continued new housing...the figures are like 68% of green house gas in the U.S. comes from new home construction. Carpet, upholstery and all the items needed and used as PVC contribute to greenhouse gas. So, why not concentrate more on restricting of new home construction with laws which have a long reaching effect? Talk is cheap and that is all it comes down to in many ways.
What is being neglected is how we can cope internationally with the changes we cannot control.
There WILL BE areas of the world in which populations will have to move to be provided for, there will be countries who will not be able to feed their people to the degree they do now, the oceans will not provide as they have. There will be countries who will have and more who have not which may lead to rebellions and wars not yet planned on. We need to find a way to be internationally enmeshed for all humanity.
Jacques-Yves Cousteau warned us, internationally, in 1973 and started a foundation. For over thirty years all leaders worldwide did little except those for whom eco tourism became their bread and butter.
Now, within this decade there will be extinction of the Antarctic glaciers -- which will affect the jet stream of the sea, which will affect the temperature of the planet -- and already has. We may only be seeing the beginning of what is to come. All because of our political ideology of -- If it works don't fix it till it is broken. Then as Ross Perrot used to say, do something that doesn"t really do anything, but looks like you are doing something.
Until we rethink the definition of economics internationally and make priorities which have a realistic valuation long range, just knowing is not solving.
And South Korea has done the most in a short period of time with energy to green ...
Kala in Canada writes:
Hi Hillary,
You are taking quick and prompt actions as a foreign secretary. Please consider your foreign policy changes towards Sri Lankan Tamils fate too. The way current situation goes, it will be worse than Ruwanda or Kosova.
Please consider us and the Tamil race will appreciate your positive actions for generations to come.
May God guide you in right path.
Edite in Canada writes:
How is it possible that the Ice Age rolled by and there were no cars, no factories, no anything. Is climate change, simply put, not just an evolutionary change? That no matter how much money is poured into the coffers of the extremist climate change radicals, that earth will continue to follow its natural evolutionary path, regardless?
Eric in New Mexico writes:
It would take an Apollo sized project with a Multilateral Signed Presidential Directive behind it to put minds in focus on one key activity that influences all aspects of the symtoms of humanity's footprint.
Something simple that requires no long term training or technical ability for the population of the world to do.
Can't have sustainable growth and cut down the world's carbon "sponge" at the same time, so how do we make it more profitable for folks to plant trees than to clear cut forests?
There's what? 7.8 billion people in the world? Takes about 15 minutes to learn how to plant a tree, and another 30 seconds to plant a seedling, so what are folks waiting for? Plant a tree-take something off your taxes, plant a lot of trees-pay no taxes. There's incentive perhaps if unemployed folks can earn a living to grow economies from government stimulus.
We can alter the CO2 equasion in a decade, reverse the trends in a generation, create jobs, create habitat, and get into the basics of terra forming the planet.
We've been doing it in a pretty chaotic way so far, and so go green litterally means getting a grip on this one aspect above all, for every symtom of global warming is as a direct result of a vast amount of deforestation mankind has created in the last hundred years alone. War and other factors included have tended to leave this overlooked in the public understanding.
I think if a car company wants to be a success, it draws it from the engine on up. Better engine=better sales.
Now if they could produce an engine that meets the desired efficiancy specs for the sole pupose of a universal retrofit ( adapted to fit various transmissions from different makes and models )
Then you don't have to worry about selling cars, but about having to make enough engines to meet public demand.
There's this program in my city where they help the homeowner meet city water concervation specs by offering free low-flow toilets to have installed by licenced contractors.
Be nice if government would offer a rebate for a portion of engine installation costs to the citizen.


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Storm prompts closings, cancelations
SARANAC LAKE – The threat of a winter storm hitting the area today has led to some closings and cancellations.
Lake Placid, Saranac Lake, Tupper Lake and Keene Valley central school districts were all closed. All three campuses of North Country Community College shut down in advance of the snow.
The town of Harrietstown will close its offices in the Harrietstown town hall at noon today due to the storm.
The satellite Franklin County Department of Motor Vehicles office in the town hall will be closed all day today, although the Malone DMV office will be open regular hours, from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
The village of Saranac Lake has issued a parking ban in part of the downtown so its crews can clean up snow prior to Saturday's Winter Carnival parade. The ban covers Main Street, from Broadway to Lake Street, and Broadway from Bloomingdale Avenue to Main Street. It will begin at midnight Saturday morning and continue through 4 p.m. that day.
The threat of snowy weather led The Wild Center in Tupper Lake to cancel an event scheduled for Saturday called "The Frozen Visions of Adirondack Ice." The museum itself, however, will be open.
In Tupper Lake, state troopers were ready to go in case there were any weather-related incidents.
"We're bracing for it, but nothing yet," Trooper Jody Winch said at 7 a.m..
The Saranac Lake and Lake Placid volunteer fire departments said they hadn't received reports of any accidents as of about 8 o'clock this morning. Ray Brook-based state police said it was all quiet, too.


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Gideon Strauss, my friend and sometime debate-partner, is the executive director of the Max De Pree Center for Leadership at Fuller Theological Seminary, and this week marks the launch of the center's Fieldnotes magazine, which aims to "provide examples and stories and practical wisdom from men and women who are intensely involved in the day-to-day work of managing businesses, non-profits, churches, and other organizations." In his introduction to Fieldnotes, Strauss invokes the powerful image of sitting in a chair as "a theological experience."
"The chair communicates to me that I live in a wonderful world, beloved by God. It communicates to me that work matters — also work done in offices and at desks," he writes. "And from what I know of its manufacture, it tells me that the work of designers, factory foremen, millwrights, and upholsterers is all worthy work — work to which people are called by God."
Strauss hints here at the complexity of what might otherwise be considered a simple thing: a chair.


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HMT1001 Cover Story
2010: Change & Progress
Most professionals in the healthcare information-technology (HIT) field are probably glad to see 2009 fade to black. A new year means new hope. With the HITECH stimulus dollars, a long-awaited final curtain on what meaningful use actually means and pent-up demand for HIT products and services, this could be a breakout year for healthcare providers and their HIT suppliers. For this issue, Health Management Technology asked nearly 30 experts in the HIT vendor community to offer their insights into what to expect in 2010. Our experts weigh in on a variety of topics – from quality reporting and accountability, to ICD-10 and health-information exchanges.


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Greenland shark
The Greenland shark, Somniosus microcephalus, also known as the sleeper shark, gurry shark, ground shark, grey shark, or by the Inuit languages name Eqalussuaq, is a large shark native to the waters of the North Atlantic Ocean around Greenland and Iceland. These sharks live farther north than any other shark species. They are closely related to the Pacific sleeper shark.[1] This is one of the largest species of shark, of dimensions comparable to those of the great white shark. Large Greenland sharks grow to 6.4 m (21 ft) and 1000 kg (2200 lbs),[2] and possibly up to 7.3 m (24 ft).[3] It rivals the Pacific sleeper shark (possibly up to 7 m or 23 ft long) as the largest species in the family Somniosidae. The Greenland shark is known to be long-lived, with an estimated maximum life span of over 200 years.[citation needed]
The Greenland shark mostly eats fish, though it may also prey on marine mammals such as seals. Bite marks on dead seals at Sable Island, Nova Scotia and Hawarden suggest that this shark may be a major predator for them in the winter months.[4] Greenland sharks have also been found with remains of polar bear and reindeer in their stomachs. The shark is colonized by the parasitic copepod Ommatokoita elongata that eats the shark's corneal tissue, but also helps to attract prey through bioluminescence.[5]
As recently as 1957 it was found that the females do not deposit eggs in the bottom ooze, but retain the developing embryos within their bodies so that they are born alive after an undetermined gestation period. 10 pups per litter is the norm, each measuring some 90 centimetres in length. [6]
Greenland sharks as food
The flesh of a Greenland shark is poisonous. This is due to the presence of the toxin trimethylamine oxide, which, upon digestion, breaks down into trimethylamine, producing effects similar to extreme drunkenness. Occasionally, sled dogs that end up eating the flesh are unable to stand up due to the neurotoxins. Similar toxic effects occur with the related Pacific sleeper shark, but not in most other shark species, whose meat is often consumed fresh.[7]
However, it can be eaten if it is boiled in several changes of water or dried or fermented for some months to produce Kæstur Hákarl, often Hákarl for short. Traditionally this was done by burying the shark in boreal ground, exposing it to several cycles of freezing and thawing. It is considered a delicacy in Iceland and Greenland.
Inuit legends
The shark is not considered to be dangerous to humans, though there are Inuit legends of the fish attacking kayaks.[8]
The Greenland shark's poisonous flesh has a high urea content, which gave rise to the Inuit legend of Skalugsuak, the first Greenland shark.[9] The legend says that an old woman washed her hair in urine and dried it with a cloth. The cloth blew into the ocean to become Skalugsuak.[10]
Another legend is that of Sedna, a girl whose father cut off her fingers while drowning her. Each finger was said to have become a sea creature, including the Greenland shark.[10][11]
The Greenland Shark and Elasmobranch Education and Research Group (GEERG) has been studying the Greenland shark in the Saguenay Fjord and St. Lawrence Estuary since 2001. The Greenland shark has repeatedly been documented (captured or washed ashore) in the Saguenay since at least 1888.[12] Accidental captures and strandings have also been recorded in the St. Lawrence Estuary for over a century.
Current research conducted by GEERG involves the study of the behaviour of the Greenland shark by observing it underwater using scuba and video equipment and by placing acoustic and satellite tags (telemetry) on live specimens; however, overall very little is known about this mysterious species.
There is now an argument suggesting that the Greenland is responsible for 'Seal Ripping' attacks on grey seals.[13] These attacks cause a corkscrew pattern of cuts and tears which spiral around a seal's body, following the grain of the collagen within the muscles and running at 45 degrees to the seal's body. Seal deaths have been occurring over larger territories, including the north and east coasts of the UK, which suggests that the Greenland may be moving beyond its traditional habitat range. However, recent research into the UK "corkscrew" seal deaths by the Sea Mammal Research Unit [14] concluded that the UK seal deaths were unlikely to have been caused by predation from the Greenland shark, rather being caused by blunt mechanical trauma "consistent with the seals being drawn through a ducted propeller" that are found on many ships.
When feeding on large carcasses, the shark employs a rolling motion of its jaw. The teeth of the upper jaw act as anchor while the lower jaw does the cutting. Teeth in the two halves of the lower jaw are strongly pitched in opposite directions. [15]
See also
- ^ O'Donnell, Jacinth. Jurassic Shark documentary (2000); broadcast on Discovery Channel, August 5, 2006
- ^ ADW: Somniosus microcephalus: Information. Animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu. Retrieved on 2010-09-06.
- ^ Florida Museum of Natural History Ichthyology Department: Greenland Shark. Flmnh.ufl.edu. Retrieved on 2010-09-06.
- ^ Shark Predation on Sable Island Seals (July 2008)
- ^ "Greenland Shark" by discovery.com
- ^ http://www.elasmo-research.org/education/ecology/polar-greenland.htm
- ^ . Retrieved 20 March 2008.
- ^ Skipper Uses Knife To Kill 600-Kilo Shark
- ^ O'Reilly, Lindsay. "The Greenland Shark", Canadian Geographic, March/April 2004. . Retrieved 1 July 2007.
- ^ a b Greenland Shark and Elasmobranch Education and Research Group
- ^ Idrobo Masters Thesis, February 2009.
- ^ "GEERG: The Greenland Shark" http://www.geerg.ca/gshark1.htm . Retrieved 5 July 2008.
- ^ Channel 5 documentary Retrieved 29 September 2010
- ^ "Sea Mammal Research Unit" "Report on recent seal mortalities in UK waters caused by extensive lacerations", October 2010. Retrieved 5 January 2011
- ^ http://www.marinebiodiversity.ca/shark/english/greenland.htm
|This article includes a list of references, but its sources remain unclear because it has insufficient inline citations.
Please help to improve this article by introducing more precise citations where appropriate. (June 2008)
- Kyne et al. (2005). Somniosus microcephalus. 2006. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. www.iucnredlist.org. Retrieved on 11 May 2006. Database entry includes justification for why this species is near threatened
- "Somniosus microcephalus". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. http://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=160611. Retrieved 23 January 2006.
- Froese, Rainer, and Daniel Pauly, eds. (2006). "Somniosus microcephalus" in FishBase. May 2006 version.
- "Greenland Shark" on "As It Happens" May 6, 2008; CBC Radio 1(WMV file)
- Ibnlive.com


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Case Study: Puente Hermanos Sociedad de Bolsa SA
Puente Improves Sales and Customer Service with Sugar Solution Delivered By GrowIT
Business Issue
As its success led to growth, Puente needed to improve its systems for aggregating, managing and using its customer information. Previously, the company employed different systems to track customers and leads, coordinate cross sell activities, and manage email campaigns. "As we scaled operations, we needed to improve our ability to organize and share customer information across business units, in a secure and confidential way," explains Sebastian Blaustein, Puente's IT manager. The company also wanted to integrate CRM functionality with the transactional system that executed customer trades and tracked the securities and other investment vehicles held in customer accounts.
- Puente's CRM solution needed to:
- Include modules for customer accounts, contacts, leads, and opportunities
- Support email marketing
- Provide a shared calendar
- Integrate with Microsoft Outlook and the firm's backend transactional systems
The Solution: Sugar Professional
In 2009, Puente began benchmarking CRM solutions and identifying local partners that could assist with implementation. GrowIT, a SugarCRM Gold level partner, demonstrated the most comprehensive grasp of Puente's needs and had experience with CRM solutions for financial services. Starting in March 2010, Puente's Sugar deployment took only five months. GrowIT provided initial training to the Puente sales teams; then each commercial manager took responsibility for training his or her staff.
Business Benefits
- Improves sales and customer service operations
- Delivers comprehensive visibility into sales activity by customer segment
- Increases the value, depth, accuracy, and immediacy of customer information
- Supports mobile access on Blackberry devices via Sugar Mobile Plus
- Increased the volume of its email marketing 100 percent
- Slashed its lead-to-customer record conversion from two days to mere seconds
- Reduced the time required to produce targeted outreach lists by 80 percent
- Accelerated initial customer service response time by 30 percent


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0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.
What is a vesuvio pizza?
vesuvio,You seem very interested in Nella's new place and her pizzas. Are you associated in any way with Nella or her new enterprise?Peter
Frank is that you?
Interesting. In this thread from 2005 Marco mentions the Agllarulo family as making the best ovens in Naples:http://www.pizzamaking.com/forum/index.php?topic=656.0The oven pictured here looks very much like the ovens he sells under the Forno Napoletano name. I wonder if this is the "secret" family who build his ovens.


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Flax Seeds | Good For the Body, But What About the Taste Buds?
Contributing Monkie Sarah Backhouse
Published on December 28, 2008
Filed Under Fitness/Diet, GreenChef Foodie Talk, Recipes / GreenChef Ingredients & Tools Tags flax, raw
I've eaten flax before and thought it tasted like the sawdust that covers the floor at the circus. But as it is a superfood, I'm determined to unearth all of its amazing health-giving properties and attempt to talk my palate into trying it again. Because, filled as it is with unique nutritious qualities, flaxseed certainly deserves its superstar status.
Flaxseeds are full of lignans — "up to 800 times the amount as in any tested plant food" — which is a promising cancer fighting agent (especially breast and colon cancer). Flax consumption can help reduce total cholesterol, including the bad kind and triglycerides. Which makes it good news for the heart as well. As flax is loaded with omega-3 fatty acids, it can help diabetics reduce their blood sugar levels and ease the painful inflammation associated with arthritis.
How? Flax increases immunity, helping the body to defend itself against bacteria and viruses. It also stabilizes hormones, making it a menopausal woman's best friend. And finally, as flax is full of fiber, it fights everyone's worst enemy, constipation.
On paper it looks good. Now on to the gastronomic conundrum: how to eat it?
For starters, always purchase whole flaxseed to ensure maximum potency. Grind at home using a coffee grinder of Balmix to unleash optimum nutrient value. Serving suggestions include: sprinkling on cereal or salad; adding a teaspoon or so to smoothies; mixing it into home-made pancakes or muffin batter; making a sweet or savory porridge; or baking flax seed foccacia style bread.
You can also consider swapping out your regular olive oil for the nuttier flaxseed oil, bearing in mind that while it may have the omega-3s, it lacks the lignans and fiber. If you're still stuck for ideas, check out RecipeZaar's 774 flaxseed recipes.
Whatever you do — don't just shove a spoonful of it in your mouth. It'll put you off flaxseed and circuses.
(via that'sfit, Flax Health, ecochem and About.com)


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TechniScan Selects Sun to Develop Integrated Healthcare Services
By Marcie Hatch on Jan 06, 2010
On the customer front -- Sun will design a SOA solution architecture based on Sun's Java(TM) Composite Application Platform Suite (CAPS) and provide expert implementation services for TechniScan, Inc., a medical device company engaged in the development and commercialization of an automated breast ultrasound imaging system. Using Sun's Java CAPS, TechniScan should be able to bring its SVARA Ultrasound technology to market faster – potentially improving the way breast cancer is diagnosed and treated.
Here's a link to the release: http://www.sun.com/aboutsun/pr/2010-01/sunflash.20100106.1.xml
For more information on Sun Java CAPS, go to http://www.sun.com/software/javaenterprisesystem/javacaps/index.jsp.


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Here's how RW members rated this race in the past (70 votes).
In short: superb race! Now I know why sheep have four feet.Date of review: August 21, 2006
In short: great RaceIn full: (MAIN RACE)What lousy weather we had from Start to finish. 1st timer here 2h.16m.47s (ish), felt sorry for the marshalls who stood out up that mountain directing us to all the dangers around us. Great GODDY BAG AND SUPER MEDAL TOO. Like everyone else said about the bad conditions I AGREE it was bad but who cares once you got going i thing people forgot about it and set their minds on the Race, one more thing George (The Race Director) did us proud in organising this yrs race from Start to finish, and all of the other runners too who helped each other throu the 7 to 11 miles.my motto for this race is "IF IT AINT RAINING IT AIN'T TRAINing (excuse the Pun)From martin KeeganDate of review: August 21, 2006
In short: I've already booked it for next year! FANTASTIC STUFF!In full: I was talked into this. On the day it was overcast and raining. It had rained for days and was cool and muddy. I was not a happy bunny and wished I hasd stayed at home.We set off in the rain resigned to it not being much fun. I had heard that the second half could be described as truly treacherous and I ran with a slighly heavy heart fearing I would end the race injured. The mud wasn't as much of a problem as I thought it would be. There was a fantastic atmosphere and lots of humour. The Marshalls were very cheerful and the course was well marked out. THere were plenty of water stations and more than I needed. The whole festival tent thing at the end was excellent and I bought my mates a pint and then had a leg massage for a fiver. A fantastic Balti that night in the town of Tywyn. A thoroughly good experience despite truly appaling weather. Given good weather, races couldn't get much more fun than this.Date of review: August 21, 2006
In short: Great event whatever the weatherIn full: Tougher for everyone when it pours, but it's an interesting change from blazing heat, and still a great race. Friendly rain-braving marshalls, your the best. First class goody bag/medal. The organisers needed to be much more easily contactable prior to the race. Suggest start list on the website so you can check you're in.Date of review: August 21, 2006
In short: An amazing experienceIn full: My first ever race the train - and despite nearly collapsing at the finish line - it won't be my last! The hardest race I have ever run - 50+ miles on the road can not prepare you for this event - particularly with the weather conditions we experienced!!! A great race!Date of review: August 21, 2006
In short: Really memorable event in great setting. Hope to bring a team next year. Well done Rotary, the Talyllyn and the volunteers from the whole Dysynni area.In full: There's plenty of other comment about the weather and conditions under foot. After two previous times in this race when sunscreen was the main essential, it was good to experience something different. But for spectators and organisers it would be nice to see something more like summer return next year.Date of review: August 21, 2006
In short: Unique ! Every serious runner should do this once in their running lifetime.In full: Plus (from this year) a goody bag to rival FLM.Date of review: August 21, 2006
In short: Very special race with an extra dimension of the train.Date of review: August 20, 2006
In short: Excellent race; challenging, especially given the conditions.In full: Tremendous race; extremely challenging!!! Oh well, I didn't beat that train, but hey, the weather was atrocious (my excuse anyway). Essentially, just like running a flat 20+ miles. The front 7 miles fairly innocuous with the exception of the mud-fest towards the turn!!! The back 7-8 miles was at times tortuous, what with torrential rain making life very difficult. But that's what made this race such a challenge. I'll return next year, but only if the conditions are the same!!!Date of review: August 20, 2006
In short: Great race again this year - very muddyIn full: The organizaton prior to the race was dreadful, however the organisation on the day was 2nd to none, the marshalls were fab and very friendly. The course is hard but very enjoyable. The goody bag and medal are top notch too. Beer tent at the end very enjoyable. Lets just hope its not so wet next year.Date of review: August 20, 2006
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Get Comment Info from the WordPress Database
An easy way for visitors to enter their emails is by commenting on a post. We did this recently for people to sign up for a notification email. Instead of using a plugin or custom function for a one-time email list, we just went with WordPress core functionality and used post comments for people to sign up. Then the trick then is retrieving the comment information from the database for the specific sign-up post.


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0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.
Lenny, Great job, very well done. Don
Saw this over on welding web last week. Very cool. Just hit it with a coat of High temp BBQ paint and its ready for sale...Maybe you can use a steel cookie cooling rack to elevate the bottom tiles a bit from the burner floor.
its a small world even on the webI ground down the beads and prepped it for painting, made a shelf to go below as wellbut as usual finishing touches take a backseat to using it right nowI have some expanded sheet I am going to put under the tiles


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In Years Past
100 Years Ago
In 1913, Captain Robert F. Scott and party had lost their lives in the far south. They had reached the South Pole, it was learned, and were headed northward when they were overwhelmed by a blizzard. The expedition consisted of 28 officers and scientists in addition to a crew of 23 picked men from the British Royal Navy. The entire party had perished. Mrs. Scott, now tragically the widow of the British Antarctic explorer, sailed from San Francisco Feb. 5 for New Zealand, expecting to meet her husband there. She sailed on the Aorangi, and it was improbable that she would learn of her husband's death until she reached New Zealand, although efforts were being made to reach the Aorangi by wireless.
At 10 p.m. Friday night, fire was discovered in the barber shop on the Kinney property near the Pennsylvania depot in Brocton. An oil stove left lighted to keep the building warm during the night had apparently exploded and the fire was well under way before discovered. A heavy wind was blowing and as the barber shop was located in the alley between the large frame buildings occupied by DeHart Lynch as a grocery and Harlow Rhinehart as a saloon, it was necessary to get the fire under control at once if those buildings were to be saved. Fortunately, the hoserooms of the Brocton Hose Company were only 100 feet away and prompt action on the part of the firemen put the blaze under control with slight damage to the adjoining buildings.
75 Years Ago
In 1938, Robert H. Jackson, Jamestown, assistant attorney general of the U.S., told a Senate committee examining his qualifications to be President Roosevelt's solicitor general, that he did not leave private law practice for government service with any desire "to change the government of the United States in any way." Closely questioned by members of a Senate judiciary sub-committee on his opinions regarding the Supreme Court, democracy and the Constitution, Jackson summed up his constitutional views by saying: "All I desire is that the government of the United States function in such a way as to be the greatest benefit to the greatest number of people."
Ripley Grange met Saturday with Master John Emminger in the chair. Dinner was served at noon by the men of the grange, who were proficient in serving oyster stew and pies. They were gowned in their caps and aprons and proved they understood the art of serving. The lecturer's hour consisted of a Lincoln program with readings and music.
25 Years Ago
In 1988, window service at Jamestown's post office would be suspended from 1-2:30 p.m. weekdays, effective as of the following week according to Postmaster Ronald E. Atkinson. In Warren, Postmaster Tim Primerano said the daily opening time there would be a half hour later – at 9 a.m. rather than the present 8:30 – but the windows would be open continuously until 5 p.m. weekdays and noon Saturdays. Both he and Atkinson pointed out that the service cutbacks were the result of implementation by the U.S. Postal Service of provisions of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1987 which mandated a savings of $1.25 billion by the agency during the next two years.
A Dunkirk man was killed the previous morning in a car-train collision at the Newell Road crossing in the town of Sheridan. Ignacio Ramos Jr., 32, a former Dunkirk city clerk, was thrown from his car at 10:40 a.m. after failing to yield to a westbound 100-car two-engine freight train on Newell Road, a Chautauqua County Sheriff's Department spokesman said. The intersection, about three miles from the South Roberts Road crossing in Dunkirk where six high school students were killed when a freight train struck the car they were in on Nov. 1, had no flashing lights or crossing gates.


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- Home
- College (A-M)
- Kansas
- Shop By Category
- Bags & Wallets
- Kansas Reversible Tote Bag
Function and style combine in this universal tote. Made of 100% cotton, the tote measures 19" x 14" x 2". It is reversible with logos inside and out. The reverse color combination is the primary school color with a single primary school logo on both sides and the secondary school color with repeating logo design.
Officially Licensed Product By: Logo
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Extremely Curly Blonde Afro with Side Part
This is an Afro type hairstyle as the hair is parted to one side and very curly all around. The hair is thick and has lots of volume. This retro look is stylish.The cut for this style is short.This hair colour is medium blonde.
Hair by: Neil Smith @ Barrie Stephen Hair Photographer: Roberto Aguilar Clothes Stylist: Rachel Bakewell Make up: Charlotte Foster-Brown


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Evidence-based practice at Children's National
The Children's National Model of Evidence-Based Nursing, one of the four pillars of our Professional Practice Model, incorporates the tenets of evidence-based practice. All of our Shared Nursing Leadership councils participate in promoting a spirit of inquiry and evidence-based practice at Children's National. As a result, evidence-based practice is present in all of the nurses' care and work in our organization. Nurses have ready access to the scientific literature through the Health Science Library and the Nursing Research and Quality Outcomes internal websites. We provide multiple evidence-based practice training opportunities beginning in nursing orientation and continuing throughout our nurses' careers at Children's National.
Health Science Librarian and Online Health Science Library
Our health science librarian works closely with nursing staff to help them locate needed evidence for nursing practice. She provides both formal classes and one on one training in literature searching, how to organize the evidence and use of our online database resources. Our librarian routinely scans the research literature and posts links to articles of interest on the Nursing Research and Quality Outcomes website.
Evidence-based nursing practice guideline development and review.
Under the leadership of the Nurse Practice Council, nurses use evidence-based practice methods to develop, review and update all nursing practice guidelines. Annually members collaborate with the Children's National health science librarian to conduct/update comprehensive literature reviews to determine needed changes to practice guidelines based on new research findings. Nurses critically appraise the literature for readiness to translate into practice and assign the level of evidence for all nurse practice guideline reference citations. At the bedside nurses use their clinical expertise and their patient and families' values to implement evidence-based nursing care.
Nurse residency evidence-based practice change projects
In the Children's National Nurse Residency Program, all new graduate nurses develop, implement and evaluate an evidence-based practice change as their final residency experience. Members of the Department of Nursing Research and Quality Outcomes expand nurse residents' evidence-based practice knowledge from their undergraduate nursing programs by introducing emerging principles of implementation science that they use to develop their projects. Residents receive guidance and mentoring from their unit leadership to implement and evaluate their proposed evidence based practice change.
Did you know we have 4 locations in Northern Virginia?
Find a Children's Location Near You


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Nov 192010
This is a monit recipe for a rails app with 4 Unicorn threads using SOCKET. The app averages a total memory usage of 600 MB.
If it goes over 800 MB send email alert only.
If over 860 MB, reload the app.
Also if it's using too much CPU, alert by email.
I use unicorn_rails on socket mode with nginx, and preload_app = true.
check process myapp_unicorn with pidfile /var/www/apps/my_app.com/shared/pids/unicorn.pid group unicorn if totalmem > 800 MB for 2 cycles then alert if totalmem > 860 MB for 2 cycles then exec "kill -HUP `cat /var/www/apps/my_app.com/shared/pids/unicorn.pid`" if cpu > 40% for 2 cycles then alert if cpu > 20% for 4 cycles then alert if failed unixsocket /var/www/apps/my_app.com/shared/pids/unicorn.sock then alert
note: the HUP signal will reload the children processes without reloading code changes. This is fast and desirable.
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full size
Product Details
Just like the ones you loved growing up, these are the original Salt-Water sandals from Sun-San®. Made with a waterproof leather upper and a flexible rubber sole, they're built for anything from taking her first steps to splashing in the ocean (hence the name).
Size & Fit Details


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Conservation Status
Eurasian lynx populations once flourished in many countires of Europe until they almost became extinct in the mid-1900's. Their numbers were drastically reduced as a result of hunting and trapping for their fur. Their habitats (forested areas) also were slowly being destroyed. In the 1970's, great concern lead to taking lynx from areas where they were abundant in Europe and releasing them in the forested mountains of Switzerland, Austria, and Germany. They adjusted well in this new area, except for the lack of their natural prey. Unfortunately, they turned to preying on flocks and herds of domestic animals. Reintroductions have been moderately successful.


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Tyler turns the classic mojito into a frozen treat, a Mojito Slushy.
Take our word for it: on a hot summer day, this mojito is the (ras)berries!
Bobby Flay talks hot brunch trends and how to make his trendy brunch cocktail.
Bobby's Mojito Champagne Cocktail is the perfect match for a Latin brunch.
Feeling feverish? A strawberry ice pop can help you beat the Miami heat.
Pamela and Laura compete for a date with either Ethan or David.
Michael Chiarello shares tips for grilling the best tasting burgers ever.
Michael makes his festive version of a mojito using muddled fresh berries.
Swap maple syrup for traditional brown sugar to make perfect BBQ cocktails.
Get Cooking Channel on your TV.


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About the Author: Major General (Ret) Scott Gration serves as the U.S. Special Envoy to Sudan.
Greetings from Khartoum! With January 9, 2011 fast approaching, last week I returned to Sudan to urge the parties to make progress on arrangements to ensure a peaceful future for the Sudanese people.
While much work remains, the arrival of referendum materials in Sudan last week was a step forward in preparations for the vote on January 9. I had the pleasure of participating in a ceremony on Friday where international partners formally presented referendum materials to Sudanese officials. The materials were procured by the United Nations Development Programme and the International Foundation for Electoral Systems with the financial support of the U.S. Agency for International Development.
During the weekend I had a productive conversation with Southern Sudan Referendum Commission Chairman Khalil on the status of preparations for the Southern Sudan referendum. Progress continues to be made. The Southern Sudan Referendum Commission has finalized its timeline, which will allow voter registration to begin on November 15 and the referendum to take place on January 9. And the parties continue to discuss how to resolve the Abyei issue in the context of a broader dialogue.
This week, our team also continues to work with President Thabo Mbeki, Chairman of the AU High Level Implementation Panel, who is facilitating the discussions between the parties. We are encouraged that the parties are engaging bilaterally and with Chairman Mbeki, as they work to resolve outstanding issues of the CPA and develop arrangements for their relationship after the CPA interim period ends in July 2011.
In the lead-up to the referendum, we will provide weekly updates on the parties' progress. I encourage you to visit our webpage for more details.


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For immediate release SOA Watch Contact: Hendrik Voss, National Organizer,202-234-3440
Constitutional Rights Under Attack in Georgia: US Representatives, 75+ Organizations Demand Protest Restrictions Be Lifted
Columbus, Georgia – The Columbus police department has received some national and international attention after Columbus police chief Ricky Boren announced unconstitutional restrictions on the annual November 21-23, 2014 Vigil to Close the School of the Americas (SOA, renamed the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation) at the main gates of Fort Benning, Georgia. According to the police, the annual gathering of thousands of should be limited to 200 people. The permit to set up a stage and sound system has been denied.
The suggestion by the Columbus police that SOA Watch should abandon plans for a protest at the main gates of the base, and instead apply for a new permit for a side road near a back entrance, was rejected by organizers, who vow to continue the 24-year tradition of honoring those killed by SOA/WHINSEC graduates at the main gates of the base.
This week, 12 Members of Congress intervened in the conflict. In a letter to the Columbus mayor and police chief, Representatives John Conyers, Jr. (MI), Jim McGovern (MA), John Lewis (GA), Hank Johnson (GA), Sam Farr (CA), Danny K. Davis (IL), Barbara Lee (CA), Michael Capuano (MA), Peter DeFazio (OR), Jan Schakowsky (IL), Maxine Waters (CA), and Luis Gutierrez (IL) asked the local authorities to lift the restrictions and to let the Vigil go forward unimpeded. The lawmakers write "While the demonstration may impede traffic and constitute an inconvenience to Ft. Benning, these types of disruptions are part and parcel of our country's proud tradition of vigorous free speech."
Thousands of activists and more than 75 national and international human rights and social justice organizations have signed petitions and written letters to Columbus authorities in support of SOA Watch's first amendment rights.
Thousands have gathered every November for the nonviolent demonstration since the first anniversary of the 1989 SOA graduate-led massacre of 16-year-old Celina Ramos, her mother Elba Ramos and six Jesuit priests at the University of Central America in El Salvador. SOA Watch calls for the closure of the institute, which exports the militarization of police, perpetuates coups, torture, extrajudicial killings, and human rights abuses in the face of social and political problems. The SOA/WHINSEC made headlines in 1996 when the Pentagon released SOA training manuals that advocated torture, extortion and execution. Among its graduates are at least 11 dictators as well as leaders of infamous Central American death squads. SOA/WHINSEC graduates are currently linked to the Honduran military coup and the repression campaign against social movements there, among other humanitarian crises.
Dear Friends, We would like to let you know that the next issue of our bi-annual publication ¡Presente! is about to go to print.
Would you like to receive a free copy of our newspaper in the mail? If you would like to receive one, click here.
¡Presente! is a tool of the movement to close the School of the Americas/WHINSEC that we use to share the news of our struggle and to engage in a broader analysis on how to resist militarization, critique oppressive U.S. foreign policy, speak out against human rights abuses and foster cross-national solidarity with Latin America. We are committed to send ¡Presente! free of charge to everyone who wants to receive the newspaper, but donations to cover the costs of printing and mailing are always welcome.
The upcoming issue of ¡Presente! includes articles on the root causes of migration by unaccompanied Central American minors, police militarization in the U.S./abroad, a report on SOA Watch's recent "Youth Encuentro" that brought 33 young leaders from 18 countries together in Venezuela as well as important information about our upcoming 25th annual November Vigil at Fort Benning in Georgia - and much more.
You can get even more actively involved in the movement by becoming a distributor of ¡Presente! in your community! You can order the newspaper in bulk at http://soaw.org/order and help us reach more people in your city! Since SOA Watch is a grassroots movement, we need and appreciate the initiative of people like you, who step up and help to spread the word in more places! In Solidarity, Karolina SOA Watch 202-234-3440
Police Deny Street Permit for Annual Vigil at Fort Benning, Georgia Columbus, Georgia – The Columbus Police Department, continuing its history of antagonizing the movement to close the US military training camp known as the SOA/WHINSEC (School of the Americas, renamed Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation), has this year placed unjust, unsafe and unconstitutional restrictions on the annual SOA Watch Vigil, essentially attempting to shut down the peaceful protest at the main gates of Fort Benning. In a letter to grassroots solidarity group SOA Watch, Police Chief Ricky Boren explained that the thousands expected at this year's Vigil, the group's 25th, would have to somehow limit themselves to no more than 200 and stay on sidewalks five feet back from the street. The permit for the stage and sound, which has for years lifted up the voices of those targeted by the infamous military training school, like Padre Melo from Honduras, who's been threatened since speaking out against the SOA graduate-led coup in 2009, was also denied. Nevertheless, SOA Watch pledges to return to Ft. Benning, hold the annual vigil, and continue its nonviolent tradition of protecting family-friendly, safe and legal protest. In response to police chief Boren, the human rights group writes, "we have responsibilities and freedoms under our constitution to peacefully assemble and to speak truth to power." "This year, more than any other, we are called to demonstrate our solidarity with the people of Latin America, 25 years after SOA graduates committed the brutal massacre at the University of Central America," said veteran and founder Father Roy Bourgeois. He continued, "When our military training continues to target communities, forcing the unaccompanied migration of thousands of refugee children, we must speak out. It is no surprise that when the stakes are this high, our movement is faced with political attacks on our constitutional rights." The Columbus Police Department and the military have a history of active opposition to SOA Watch's right to free speech, including harassment and intimidation by plainclothes officers, low-flying helicopters used to disrupt the solemn vigil, changing insurance requirements in a last-minute effort to target SOA Watch, and more. In 2001, the city tried to stop the protest in court; in 2002, police conducted mass warrantless searches of all participants, for which SOA Watch filed suit. In both cases, federal courts vindicated the movement's constitutional right to free speech and assembly. Thousands of human rights activists have gathered every November for the demonstration since the first anniversary of the 1989 SOA graduate-led massacre of 16-year-old Celina Ramos, her mother Elba Ramos and six Jesuit priests at the University of Central America in El Salvador. The November Vigil commemorates those who have been killed by SOA/WHINSEC graduates, and calls for the closure of the institute, which perpetuates coups, torture, extrajudicial killings, and human rights abuses in the face of social and political problems. The SOA/WHINSEC made headlines in 1996 when the Pentagon released SOA training manuals that advocated torture, extortion and execution. Among its graduates are at least 11 dictators as well as leaders of infamous Central American death squads. Currently, SOA graduates are linked to the Honduran military coup and the repression campaign against social movements there, among other humanitarian crises.
SOA Watch5525 Illinois Ave. NWWashington, DC 20011phone: 202-234-3440email: email@example.com