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KIDS BEDDING at Pottery Barn Kids TEEN GIRLS BEDDING at PBteen
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MODERN BEDDING at west elm
You're with your bedding longer than any other fabric, so why not love what you have? With the endless bedding options out there, it's easy to feel overwhelmed. After all, your bed and its accessories should be unique to you. Here are some tips to help break it all down so you can stop feeling lost and start feeling empowered.
Is your bedroom decorated just the way you want? Or are you looking to add some style? If you are focused on complimenting the decor that you've already established in your room, you can usually stick to classic, complimentary colors and have more fun with the luxury options available for bedding. For example, you might want to stick with a cream duvet or comforter and splurge on soft, Egyptian cotton sheets or an attractive quilt in one of your favorite brands.
If you're looking to spruce up your entire room, have fun with a louder design on your bed cover. A matching accent pillow with extra blankets or throws makes great accessories. Put some real thought into picking out your bed covers. Your bed can set the tone for your entire room, so you want to choose the perfect type that expresses your personality.
A reversible cover is ideal if you want to experiment with individual styles a little bolder than what you normally would. Get a solid color on one side for every day, then decide when you're feeling a bit more daring for that loud print. An accent pillow is your friend, and they're risk-free. Try finding some in a trendy shape or size, in addition to a lovely color. Think outside the box and try some that contrast to what your original bedding set.
A duvet is a fun way to change out different styles when you're looking to experiment. After you find the duvet fill that you like, the rest is all about your mood and what styles you wish to bring out in your bedroom. There are gorgeous collections out there with many options, experiment with different brands and when you find the one with your favorite materials, see what they have to offer. This way you know the quality of what you're getting with your bed covers. All bedrooms are not created equal, so take the time to discover what fits your specific needs.


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A Short Life in Short Shorts
A life filled with passion ends on a remote peak in Colorado's San Juan Mountains
Boys running in mountains is one of the greatest sights on earth. Long, strong legs barely covered by short running shorts sweetens the view as summer goes on. Blinding white thighs darken to a sweet mahogany and the shirts come off, revealing chiseled, tan chests and sometimes even six-packs.
In short: H-O-T-T hot.
One bright July morning, monsoon clouds billowed low on the horizon still a few hours away. I leaned against the warm granite of Vestal Peak, 10 miles deep in Colorado's Weminuche Wilderness waiting for the rest of our group.
Sitting below and above me on their own blocks of rock were Nick Martin and Ron "Braz" Braselton, my two most consistent partners in adventure, travel and beer drinking.
We definitely weren't waiting because we were faster than the rest of the group, which consisted of ultrarunning machine Erik Skaggs and Alex Newport-Berra, the tannest white boy I've ever seen. Both were sporting the shirtless, short shorts fashion … and they looked good.
As the Oregon-natives ran up the sloping face of Vestal toward our perch, the three of us admired their athletic form. Skillful, quick, deft, like mountain goats. Really tan, hairless mountain goats.
The weather was perfect for a summit attempt on Wham Ridge, a San Juan classic featuring easy, 5.3 to 5.6 rock climbing. For the record, it's all a no-fall zone; the exposure is thrilling, but the consequences of a fall would be deadly.

subset: commoncrawl


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Gewn Owners V5 - Son, I Am Disappoint...
Own a Planet Eclipse Gewn or Mahh-Kuhh?
Want to show it off, talk about it, or just share some laughs and conversation?
Then this is the place to be!
-All members must stay active
-No trolling or flaming
-If you want to join, you must first show proof of Gewn Ownership, and second, continue to post
-OT is encouraged, but we are not an OT Only Group
-No 1337 Talk...Please use decent grammar/punctuation
-Keep talking about Justin Bieber, Miley Cyrus, and how cool it is to polish EVERYTHING like Pooty does
-No BST
VICE_ROY - Ian - Geo2 and SL74
Vice President:
CdnNinja - Jeff
tippmannr - Tyler
Sgt Moose - John
etekego - Konnor - SL74
Significant Others/Chaps who are just That Cool:
Gmon - Roscoe
Schven79 - Brandon
Maddog - Mac - Ess El Seventy Fough
HeyHeyHey - Graham
TXStorm - Logan
Mockstar - Jason
Rawrr - Lukas
SuPeR_Duck - Ethan
NuMnUm - Chris
henrymiller - Chris
GroundFire - Dragan
Electr1ck - Steve
Kevin - Kevin
GhilliSuitPaintball - Ben
Cubeman - Cubey
Sgt Moose - John
proxydust - Bruce
JTUSA181 - Dalton
chadders - Mark
Hibiki54 - Buddy - White/Olive SL94
Spyder PB Player - Max
TechPB Nick - Nick
JBaller - Jerry
anonymouse - Ben
Nobben44 - Stig
Dev - Devon?
Shadow - Calvin
gamefreak054 - Alex
PbAtracin - Miguel
Viz - Sam
SOUP - Connor
PBFreak1095 - Mike
Tucan99 - Ryan
banditbuzz - Eric
TXVinyl - Eric
Person23423 - Des
Trevan - Trevor
Edited by VICE_ROY, 17 May 2013 - 02:44 PM.


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The USA Field Hockey Women's Olympic Team fell to China, 3-0, today at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, CA.
The 2008 Olympic silver medal winners, China is the number two field hockey team in the world and provide a high level of international competition for the U.S. team as they prepare for the 2010 AtaHolding Women's World Cup Qualifier in March.
For much of the first half, the USA and China were evenly matched, as both teams had few scoring opportunities early.
"China came out early and strong," said team captain Carrie Lingo. "It was a pretty fair test in the beginning."
A turnover in the defensive backfield led to a quick shot on goal for Zhao Yudiao and China went up, 1-0 late in the first half. Lingo noted these test matches are as much for education and growth as for competition.
"It's good that [the turnover] happened now in the process, because it's something we can fix," said Lingo. "At this early stage, it's something we can nip in the bud now as we prepare for the Qualifier."
China scored again quickly at the beginning of the second half, as Song Qingling lifted a shot over American goalkeeper Amy Tran. Song added a second late in the contest to put China in a 3-0 final.
The American offensive line had opportunities to score in the second half, as the offense repeatedly pressured the Chinese defense. The penetrations into the shooting circle increased, but shots went wide and deflections went into open space.
"It's a game of inches," said Lingo. "We had a few shots today that were off by a few inches."
"We played well for periods of time, but China punished us for our errors," said Head Coach Lee Bodimeade. "That's why we have Holland and China here, to learn those lessons."
The overall performance by the Americans was strong, but the skill displayed was not necessarily evident in the final score.
"To play that well against this competition does give us a fair bit of excitement going forward," said Bodimeade, "but there is frustration in not being successful scoring."


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For laid-back summer soirees, pop a user-friendly Italian wine that's frizzante and festive.
Don't get us wrong; we're deeply devoted to French bubbly and always will be. Yet according to industry sources, Champagne shipments last year declined worldwide by more than 14 million bottles—that's about 1.2 million cases and roughly 5 percent of the region's total production.
Could drinking fizzy wine be falling out of favor? Certainly not in America, where the popularity of alternative sparklers has exploded over the past few years. We like to think of these varieties as "recreational sparkling wines."
Leading the field is Prosecco, the seemingly omnipresent sparkling wine from Italy's Veneto region. Made from the grape variety of the same name, Proscecco is packed with refreshing citrus and melon fruit. It was traditionally served in Northern Italy as an aperitivo and offered to welcome guests in a restaurant or private home but was nearly unknown in the States until about five years ago.
One of the main reasons for its current vogue is the appealing price point. Like other recreational bubbles, Prosecco is a super value—three to six bottles can be had for the price of a single bottle of the French stuff. Unlike Champagne, it doesn't undergo a second fermentation in the bottle or a long period of aging, so it costs less to produce.
Another big reason for the Prosecco craze is lifestyle. It is fresh, forward and easy drinking, so it fits quite well in the casual side of life. It's perfect for picnics, outdoor receptions and sipping around the pool. It also goes great with a variety of hors d'oeuvres, fish and shellfish—a platter of sushi and a cool crab salad come to mind. Champagne, a more serious wine by virtue of its higher acidity and a complex structure, is an impeccable foil for appetizers and desserts, of course, but bottles with a high percentage of Pinot Noir or Pinot Meunier are also well matched with white meat and game dishes. Modern Americans don't sit down to a formal meal in an elegant restaurant very often, which also helps make Prosecco de rigueur for life in the twenty-first century. Consider serving guests bubbles from one of these leading brands: Mionetto, Nino Franco, Adami and Zardetto.
Another Italian wine of the moment is Moscato, both still and sparkling. Bubbly Moscatos are low in alcohol and span a range from slightly off-dry to semisweet. The best-known wines are Moscato d'Asti, grown and bottled near the town of Asti in the Piedmont region. The drier versions pair well with cheeses, charcuterie and other savory bites. The sweeter ones burst with flavors of ripe, fresh-cut melon and are a natural fit with desserts—especially fruit tarts, cobblers and meringues. Look for bottles from Paolo Saracco, La Spinetta and Ceretto. And do not miss out on the luscious Nivole from Michele Chiarlo.
For the drinker who craves novelty, Piedmont is also home to Brachetto d'Acqui. Made from the Brachetto grape, it is sometimes referred to as the red version of Moscato d'Asti. The nose is floral and the wine is replete with flavors of fresh red berries. Like Moscato, it ranges from off-dry to sweet, and gets along splendidly with tapas or desserts, depending on the style of the producer. Braida's Brachetto is well worth trying (perhaps with some chocolate and cherries?), as is the ruby-hued, pink-foamed Rosa Regale from Banfi.
Brachetto is sometimes compared to that infamous recreational sparkler, Lambrusco. The grape and wine native of the Emilia-Romagna region got a bad rap in this country as a result of the early popularity of brands such as Cella and Riunite, candy-sweet sips favored by the '70s and '80s college crowd. As in many other instances in the wine world, perception is evolving. Thanks to the efforts of producers such as Lini and Medici Ermete, lively, fresh, foamy Lambrusco is being recognized as worthy in its own right.
So ignore any preconceptions and stock up for the season. These are ideal vinos to pack in the cooler for all those alfresco parties and outings.


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Here's how RW members rated this race in the past (89 votes).
In short: Nice Way to Round Off The YearIn full: Ran this race for the first time in 2015. Normally don't run in November due to weather, temperatures, and of course bugs!However when I ran it the weather was OK. Race assembly was at Swindon Karting, I do feel a little sorry for them as it would appear the locals do not like traffic going to and from them regardless of which road you take. If going make sure you have proper directions as there are no signposts! Race was a double loop around the lanes on the hill tops above Wroughton so the race is relatively flat. At the end of the race there is a presentation, and race numbers are drawn for some lucky person to win a pair of running shoes! Date of review: February 11, 2016
In short: Nice little raceIn full: My 2nd time on this event. Not great on scenery but a well organized, fun and friendly event. Very well marshalled, nice course, well supported by local runners, good for beginners and those looking for a PB. Will do again next year!Date of review: November 23, 2015
In short: This is what a 10K is all aboutIn full: Faultless organisation. Fast course and fantastic marshalling done by local runners. Date of review: November 23, 2015
In short: Great race for first timersIn full: This was our first race like this except for the Great South Run. Nice mixture of runners of all abilities so we didn't feel intimidated. Lovely course, good facilities / parking etc, great marshals giving lots of encouragement. Only disappointment was that drinks were in a plastic cup and impossible to drink while running but not sure if this is the norm for events like this! So if you overheat like me bring a water bottle! Would definitely recommend to anyone just starting off doing events. See you next year :-)Date of review: November 16, 2014
In full: Great race , great organisation ! Steve does a brilliant job in all the races he is involved in and I cant wait to do the race again next year but until then I will be doing the rough and tumble again !One of my best races as i went under 40 mins Date of review: November 16, 2014
In short: Great race,well organised,PB potentialIn full: Third time running this race.Always well organised.Quick flattish course,friendly marshalls and perfect for all runners.Thanks Steve and team!Date of review: November 16, 2014
In short: A good 10k, good fast course, well organised, excellent atmosphere, would do againDate of review: November 16, 2014
In short: Well organisedIn full: Well organised as ever but why weren't the results posted on UKA as they usually are?Date of review: December 9, 2013
In short: Great race and a nice medalIn full: This is the second time I have run this race and a second pb. It is a great mix of club runners and individuel runners slow and fast. Some people may moan about it being a two lap race but that is not a problem. A great well organised race.Date of review: November 24, 2013
Date of review: November 21, 2013
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Life Extension, ArthroMax Advanced, With UC-II & AprèsFlex, 60 Capsules
- You earn loyalty credit for every order you place at iHerb!
- Loyalty credit is equal to 5% of the value of your order, excluding shipping charges.
- Your loyalty credit will be applied towards your next order as soon as your current order has shipped.
- Your loyalty credits are valid for up to 60 days from the date of your last purchase.
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Expiration Date:?Jul 2018Expiration Date
The length of time for the expiration date or "best used before" date depends on the type of product, as well as the brand.
Perishable items (such as flax oils or certain probiotics) generally have shorter expiration dates. Although our warehouse is fully air-conditioned, these more fragile items are put in cold storage (freezer or refrigeration unit) for maximum freshness.
Our receiving department does its best to verify and then enter the correct expiration dates for all incoming products. However, discrepancies do occur from time to time. This being said, the exceptionally high turnover at iHerb ensures that our inventory is among the freshest in the industry.
Shipping Weight:?0.24 lbs (0.11 kg)Shipping WeightThe Shipping Weight includes the product, protective packaging material and the actual shipping box. In addition, the Shipping Weight may be adjusted for the Dimensional Weight (e.g. length, width & height) of a package. It is important to note that certain types of products (e.g. glass containers, liquids, fragile, refrigerated or ice packed) will often require protective packaging material. As such, these products will reflect a higher Shipping Weight compared to the unprotected product.
- Product Code: LEX-16186
- UPC Code: 737870161868
- Package Quantity: 60 Capsules
- Dimensions: 2.1 x 2.1 x 3.8 in, 0.2 lbs (0.09 kg)
|Combo Discount:
|- $3.89
- Clinical Strength Ingredients
- Convenient Dose
- Dietary Supplement
As you grow older, age-related stiffness and discomfort in the joints becomes a fact of life. Activities once routine become a challenge as limited mobility hampers your every move.
You now have a more potent option to provide broad-spectrum support for aging joints. ArthroMax Advanced with UC-II and AprèsFlex is a multi-nutrient formula based on the very latest data on natural support for joint health. This ArthroMax formula provides more joint support with two innovative, clinically validated ingredients: AprèsFlex and UC-II.
AprèsFlex represents a quantum leap forward in the delivery of boswellia to aging joints. Long prized for its ability to help inhibit inflammatory factors, boswellia is especially effective at inhibiting the 5-LOX (5-lipoxygenase) enzyme.
Excess activity of 5-LOX results in the accumulation of leukotriene B4, a pro-inflammatory compound that affects aging joints. Boswellia has been shown to bind directly to the 5-LOX enzyme, preventing it from facilitating production of pro-inflammatory leukotrienes.
AprèsFlex boswellia absorbs into the blood 52% better than previously available forms of boswellia, for superior effectiveness.
In addition to AprèsFlex, this ArthroMax formulation contains a standardized chicken cartilage called UC-II. Data shows it supports immune health, joint comfort and ease of motion in aging individuals.
Suggested Use
Read the entire label and follow directions carefully prior to use.
Take two (2) capsules daily with food, or as recommended by a healthcare practitioner.
Other Ingredients
Vegetable cellulose (capsule), potassium chloride, microcrystalline cellulose, vegetable stearate, silica.
Store tightly closed in a cool, dry place.
- Keep out of reach of children.
- Do not exceed recommended dose.
- Do not purchase if outer seal is broken or damaged.
- When using nutritional supplements, please consult with your physician if you are undergoing treatment for a medical condition or if you are pregnant or lactating.
|Supplement Facts
|Serving Size: 2 Capsules
|Serving Per Container: 30
|Amount Per Serving
|%Daily Value
|Glucosamine sulfate 2KCI (derived from corn)
|1500 mg
|ApresFlex Indian frankincense (Boswellia serrata) extract (gum resin) [std. to 20% AKBA ♦ (20 mg)]
|100 mg
|UC-II standardized cartilage
Total Collagen
|40 mg
10 mg
|Boron (calcium fructoborate as patented FruiteX B OsteoBoron)
|1.5 mg
|**Daily Value not established.
♦ 3-0-acetyl-11-keto-ß-boswellic acid
My mother say that it has work for osteoarthritis of knee
Verified Purchase
My mother say that it has work for osteoarthritis of knee
The cost is quite expensive. You need to try use about 1 month
amazing if expensive
Verified Purchase
amazing if expensive
great results and cheaper than from the manufacture LEF has become a bit of a price gouger but affordable here
arthromax advanced
Posted by 5679657064858476728 on Sep 06, 2016
I cannot give this a correct review as I have only been on these tablets for two weeks but ask me in a month and I hope to have an answer.
ArthroMax Advanced is worth to try
Posted by Reviewer1327869 on Jun 16, 2016
I have taken the ArthroMax Advanced for 6 months. The pain and discomfort of my knee reduced immediately, 3 months later it literally disappeared. If you have same problem, the ArthroMax Advanced is worth to try.
My mother say that it has work for osteoarthritis of knee
The cost is quite expensive. You need to try use about 1 month
Great product
Posted by 4950978074269428101 on Feb 08, 2015
Back pain has improved
amazing if expensive
great results and cheaper than from the manufacture LEF has become a bit of a price gouger but affordable here


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"No one has ever become poor by giving. "
Signs of Life
Reduced inventories of several models suggest that, after years of weakness, the used-jet market is finally turning around.
Though it's too soon to start celebrating, we're seeing more and more signs of a turnaround in the market for used jets.
One example: the number of preowned Gulfstream G550s for sale recently dropped below 10—down from 17 roughly a year ago. When you consider that more than 400 of this model are in operation, the small percentage on the used market is impressive. An increase in prices seems unlikely in the short term but we can expect values to at least stabilize if G550 inventory holds at or below current levels, as one might expect heading into the historically busiest sales period of the year. The immediate beneficiary of such stabilization would, of course, be the GV, a model whose inventory has slightly increased year-over-year.
Supply of Bombardier's Challenger 604, meanwhile, reached an all-time high at the end of 2012—but then buyers detected value and assaulted this segment with cold, hard cash, driving availability down to levels not visited in a couple of years. Buyers' acute sense of value can tighten up a market over a couple of quarters, which is what has occurred here. While the Challenger 604 market remains supply-heavy, inventory seems likely to continue shrinking this fall, with levels stabilizing by the end of the year. Lending support to this thesis are the "sale pending" notices that accompany nearly 10 percent of the model's current for-sale listings, plus a comparatively low supply of the successor model 605s for sale.
Another large-cabin jet, the Falcon 7X, seems to have arrived at its trigger point, with most of the pricing in the sub-$40 million area. The aircraft has been selling at a rate of roughly one per month over the last six months, double the rate of the previous six months, bringing the number of choices below the 12-month moving average. n
Bryan Comstock welcomes comments and suggestions at firstname.lastname@example.com.
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Big Dots Green Duffel Bag by Wildkin
Big Dots Green Duffel Bag by Wildkin
Item #: WD-25086
Regular Price: $39.00
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Availability:Usually ships in 2-3 business days
Send your child off in style with this Big Dots - Green Duffel Bag by Wildkin. The colorful pattern is sure to capture your child's imagination, while the tough 600 denier fabric exterior will keep your child's books and belongings safe from wear and tear.
Great for camping, sleepovers, travel, and sports practice, the Big Dots - Green Duffel Bag features a detachable padded shoulder strap and exterior zippered compartment for added convenience and flexibility; and the easy-to-clean interior nylon lining means that keeping this bag clean doesn't require intensive labor – just a quick wipe with a warm cloth and soap and you're done. All said, this duffel bag measures 18in. L x 9in. W x 9in. H and is recommended for fashionistas ages 3 to 8.
Measures 18in. x 9in. x 9in.
Moisture-resistant interior nylon lining
Detachable padded shoulder strap for added mobility
Spacious interior, and an exterior zippered compartment
Great for sleepovers, camp, sports practice, and travel
Warranty and Safety Information
As with all Wildkin duffel bags, this Duffel Bag comes with a 1 year manufacturer's guarantee against defects, and has been rigorously tested to ensure that all parts and materials are bpa-free and phthalate-free and conform to all rules and regulations set forth by the Consumer Products Safety Improvement Act. Because we care about your kids' safety as much as you do.
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Big Dots Green Duffel Bag by Wildkin


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- Description
DetailsThe Asics Solid Modified Women's Wrestling Singlet features a women's-specific fit for female wrestlers as well as improved ventilation and comfort.
The Solid Modified Women's Singlet features flat seam stitching, which increases comfort and a gripper elastic leg opening that keeps the legs in place. This singlet features ventilation zones for comfort, and is engineered according to Asics' Atomic Wash guidelines on durability and wear.
87% Nylon / 13% Lycra Spandex.SKU: JT857
- Size Chart
No size chart available for this product.
- Reviews
6 Customer Reviews
- It was way more comfortable then I expected.
The wrong color singlet was shipped, I called and was told they were shipping the correct one out 2-day shipping to get it in time for a match.
The singlet showed up a week later.
- The singlet fit well. Wasn't too tight or loose. It was a good size. First practice lift of the day, the stitching gave out. If we reorder this, we will size up. It might be too big, but hopefully it will last through the meet.
- Worked great! i purchased for my 1st powerlifting meet and loved it. i was dreading having to wear it but i turned out to be quite comfotable and cute. Thanks
- I hunted and hunted for a modest swimsuit to wear on the dive boat. When I saw this singlet it was all that I was looking for. I ordered three and was so pleased when I got them. They were perfect! I love these suits and think I've found an application not mentioned before. Being a rescue diver, I needed something that would be functional and lets face it, it had to be flattering as well. They are perfect under a wetsuit. They don't bind and stay in place during any dive. This suit met all the criteria. I will be ordering several more!
- Being a female, it was difficult to choose a size using measurements. We went with the weight category and it fit perfectly. With the price so reasonable, we ordered 5, just so laundry didn't have to be done daily....We ordered the men's Asics compression shirt in XS to go under this Small singlet. When worn together at meets, it looks as if they were made for this purpose. Two excellent products.


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New Nutrition Guidelines for Our Families
This year, Region 88 is focusing on healthier nutrition for the children.
We are asking all our families to work with your coach and team coordinators to shift way from the poor habits of junk food, and pro-actively take the lead in presenting healthier options for your children on game day. Below are some general guidelines for the half-time and after-game snacks. Check back soon for links to pre-game nutrition, and more detailed web sites on game nutrition for soccer players.
Make sure to read the changes to the After-Game snacks!
Why Are We Doing This?
We are not trying to be the snack police. Kids truly need to refuel after a grueling soccer game in the sun, and it is nice to share food after a joined effort. But the tradition of after-game snacks has picked up some undesirable aspects:
- The snacks are usually unhealthful, high in (saturated) fats and/or sugar, and often kids get more than one of these. The same goes for the drinks! More often than not, we see cookies, candy bars, potato chips, instead of the nutrition that kids really need after a soccer game.
- The extra snacks and drinks for all those teams (and their siblings) create an enormous amount of trash each week, which has become a major clean-up and environmental problem at the schools and parks.
- Most importantly, in this era of rising health problems for kids, we feel that we are at risk of sending a mixed message to our youngsters: play sports (to have fun and stay healthy), but be rewarded with junk food (and undo the positive effects of what you've just done). We understand that a snack here and there won't hurt anybody, but we all agree that it is better to try to create healthy habits as young as we can.
Region 88 knows that all children are unique, especially their healths. We recommend that every parent consult with their doctor about their child's nutritonal needs.
However, with advisement from US Youth Soccer, Major League Soccer, and the Alliance for Youth Sports, Region 88 acknowledges that soccer players undergo unique game behavior, and suggests that each family try to implement the following:
- HYDRATING THE PLAYERS (Don't forget water!)Water is essential to have before, at halftime, and after the game. Parents should bring water for their own child only. We do not recommend that the snack person bring drinks for the entire team.
What about other drinks?
- Sodas are univerally accepted as a very poor drink after a soccer game, so NO SODAS.
- Even some of the boxed "fruit" drinks can ironically cause more dehydration than hydration for the players. (Don't even mention all those straw wrappers).
- In regards to sports drinks, some are very good and refreshing after a game, but some have high sugars, provide few nutrients, and are not healthy at all. Consult with your doctor to be sure.
- Surprisingly, Low-Fat Chocolate Milk is actually a good drink for after-the game. ….LOW-FAT….
And even better: It would be great if each player had their own reusable thermos for the entire season. This limits the amount of trash the team generates. Make sure to put their name on it.
- Snack should be some easy to eat fruit (watermelon, grapes, oranges ).
- Make sure to have a bag for trash.
- Players should always drink water at half-time to replenish their lost fluids.
- To heal those muscles after a hard game, players should have a replenishing snack within 15 minute right after the game
- If part of a team snack, limit one healthy, nutritious snack per player only.
Healthy After-game Snacks
Low in saturated fats, rehydrating, high in carbs, such as:
- Low-fat yogurt with granola or fruit
- Healthy Granola Bars. (Should be more carbs than protein)
Be careful of allergies
- String cheese
- Applesauce
- Nuts, Trail Mix (be careful of allergies)
- Bagel with low-fat cream cheese or jelly
- 1/2 peanut butter sandwich
Try to Avoid
High-saturated fat foods, high calories, and high sugars, such as:
- Potato Chips
- Donuts
- Candy bars
- Cookies
- Cupcakes (keep the birthday snacks for another time)
- Hamburgers
- Fries
- ALLERGIESWork with your team coordinator to find out the allergies among the players. Some allergies are very dangerous, and it is best to be safe.
- CLEAN-UPEach team should make sure they clean-up all their trash. The beauty of limiting junk food, plastic water bottles, juice boxes and straw wrappers is that we don't have to worry so much about all the cleanup. And clean fields make the schools and parks very happy.
So when you do leave your game, don't rely on others but make sure to look around and throw away any trash, and recycle any recyclables.
In fact, just like snacks, it might be convenient to have a clean person assigned each week also.
More Health Info
More info on pre-game nutrition and other soccer-related health info links coming soon.


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Robert Hall Syrah
Paso Robles, California, USA
Past vintages: 2008 |
Price: $18.00
Style: Red
Type: Still
Grape Blend: Syrah
Upcoming Events
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Tobin James Cellars
It all started with an extra six tons of grapes that a winery could not accept and process. Tobin (Toby) James, a lowly assistant winemaker at the time, asked the owner of the winery if he could have the grapes and make wine out of them for himself. The owner replied, "sure kid, knock yourself out". A year and a half later, gold medals began pouring in for Toby's first Zinfandel, the 1985 "Blue Moon" Zin. After making his wines at another local winery for a few years, and tasting and selling them out of a local wine shop in town, Toby finally took the plunge and built Tobin James Cellars in 1994. Built from the ground up on the site of an old stagecoach stop, it might seem more natural to stroll into the old-fashioned western-style saloon, place your booted foot on the brass rail of the bar and order a shot of whiskey from the bartender. However, in the Tobin James tasting room, award winning wines are poured from behind the grand, antique 1860's Brunswick mahogany bar from Blue Eye, Missouri. Tobin James Cellars, located 8 miles east of Paso Robles on Highway 46, sits among 71 acres of vineyard's and oak dotted hills. A magnificent setting for magnificent wines! As soon as you approach, you see something unique. The wooden structures, heralded by the rotating blades of a towering water pump, have a character all their own, There is even a restored stage coach stop that is now being used as a guest house that will take your breath away. It seems everything structural is relevant of age and history.
Harmony Cellars
Harmony Cellars Winery offers award-winning artisan wines and picturesque views of the surrounding countryside. Owners Kim & Chuck Mulligan built their winery to reflect the serene and unpretentious beauty of Harmony. Established in 1989, Harmony Cellars now sits on land that has been in the family since 1910.
J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines
Three decades ago, the California Central Coast had yet to emerge as one of North America's world-class winegrowing regions. With little history or viticultural precedent, planting on the Central Coast was a gamble. One of an early handful of pioneers, Jerry Lohr was among the first to realize the vast, untapped potential of this now-acclaimed region with the establishment of J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines. In the late 1960s, Jerry began an extensive investigation of California grape growing regions while searching for the ideal location for a vineyard. Raised on a South Dakota farm, his agricultural roots armed him with an innate sense for the intricacies of climate, soil quality and location. His research and instincts led him to the Central Coast, a unique location with one of the longest growing seasons in all of California. Selecting the Arroyo Seco appellation of Monterey County for his first vineyard, Jerry planted his original 280 acres of varietal grapes in 1972 and 1973, and unveiled his San Jose winery in 1974. Borrowing a lesson from the French— that great Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon excel in very different growing conditions—Jerry began planting Cabernet Sauvignon and other red varietals in San Luis Obispo County's little-known Paso Robles region in 1986. With the hands-on devotion of an artisan farmer, Jerry tended to the vines while diligently working toward the creation and development of an adjacent winery and barreling facility, which was completed in 1988. Today, J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines includes more than 900 acres of cool-climate estate vineyards in Monterey County, with an emphasis on Chardonnay, Riesling, Valdiguié and Pinot Noir, 2,000 acres in Paso Robles dedicated to Cabernet, Merlot, Syrah, Petite Sirah and other red varietals, and 33 acres in Napa Valley, highlighting Cabernet and Sauvignon Blanc. From this rich and diverse palette of sustainably farmed estate fruit, J. Lohr crafts wines showcasing bold, concentrated flavors and a vibrant sense of place. The winery offers four tiers of award-winning wines – J. Lohr Estates, J. Lohr Vineyard Series and J. Lohr Cuvée Series. New to the signature portfolio is J. Lohr Gesture, limited-release wines available solely to tasting room visitors and wine club members. J. Lohr remains one of the few estate-focused wineries of its size, and one of the last substantial independents to benefit from the longevity of management and the passion of a second generation of family members. Though it is operated with the loving care of a boutique winery, J. Lohr welcomes guests at two wine centers, one in San Jose and another in Paso Robles. J. Lohr has also been shaped by the acumen and commitment of a second generation of the Lohr family. Eldest son Steve Lohr is EVP/COO of the company's growing vineyard holdings, while sole daughter Cynthia Lohr spearheads corporate and product visibility efforts as vice president of marketing. Youngest son Lawrence Lohr is advocating wine appreciation as director of wine education. Together, they have joined Jerry with an eye toward preserving family involvement in the winery (and the involvement of J. Lohr's extended employee family) for generations to come.
Rangeland Wines
Midnight Cellars
We are a small producer of award-winning premium Syrah, Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Reserve Red Bordeaux Blends and Paso Roblan Rhone and Italian Blends as well as Chardonnay. We invite you to join our wine club to receive regular shipments and great discounts! Mail order is easy through this website. We will process your order quickly and get that wine to your door! We have fun events throughout the year at our tasting room and also do winemaker dinners at various restaurants throughout the country. You can send us your email address to receive regular updates on our specials, events and winery news.
Halter Ranch Vineyard
Our vineyard is planted to many different grape varieties – both Bordeaux and Rhone-style, plus Zinfandel, Tannat and Tempranillo. The vines are planted on steep, south-facing slopes reaching 1800 feet in elevation and boasting soils rich in limestone, a feature of many of the world's finest vineyards. High-density plantings, multiple clones and rootstocks, and low yields enable us to produce fruit of superb quality. We are committed to the environment. In 2008 Halter Ranch earned the SIP Certification, (Sustainability in Practice) in all our farming and winemaking operations.
Grey Wolf Vineyards
Grey Wolf Cellars winery and tasting room is located on Highway 46 West, 2.5 miles off of Highway 101 in beautiful Paso Robles, California. Family owned and operated, the winery facility and tasting room lie on approximately 12 acres of land overlooking rolling hills, pastures, and oak studded meadows, formerly known as Green Valley.
Zenaida Cellars
Clavo Cellars
Adelaida's wines begin at the roots, pushing through the rocky limestone soils on the west side of Paso Robles on California's Central Coast. The winery, which originated in 1981, is located 14 miles east of the Pacific Ocean at an elevation of 1,800 feet in the Santa Lucia mountain chain. The winery is a vineyard driven operation that considers itself a foremost proponent of the potential of west side Paso Robles. Adelaida's wild and rugged mountainside vineyards are loaded with limestone and calcareous shale. According to winemaker Terry Culton, "these characteristics cause the vines to strengthen. This results in added stress on the vines, which lowers the yields but produces more intensely flavored fruit". In keeping with the winery's sustainable philosophy, the vineyards are not tilled, encouraging native grasses, wild sage and rosemary to flourish between the rows. Adelaida produces from its own Estate vineyards and a select group of contracted vineyards on the west side of Paso Robles. Amongst its holdings are the two principal estate properties, Viking Vineyard and HMR Vineyard. The mighty Viking Vineyard was planted in 1992 and is now producing great Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah. The historic HMR Vineyard was pioneered by Dr. Stanley Hoffman in the early 60s. Devoted care and substantial investment have returned these 40+ year old vineyards to their former glory. Intense, high quality wines are convincing first-time tasters and experts alike.
JUSTIN Vineyards & Winery
In addition to our home estate vineyard planted in 1981, JUSTIN has expanded its vineyard acreage by working with a handful of select growers in the Paso Robles appellation. Long standing partnerships with our team of quality growers have yielded World Class results. The Paso Robles appellation encompasses more than 600,000 acres and is the largest stand alone AVA in California. Numerous distinctions exist within the overall appellation and to highlight those differences, eleven "sub-appellations" were proposed in 2007. Each of the vineyards and growers that we work with are unique, together we are the foundation for JUSTIN Vineyards & Winery. Learn more about these vineyards and the people behind them by clicking on the map or following the links below.
Chronic Cellars
The concept of Chronic Cellars came about in the midst of harvest in 2004. We had used the term "The Chronic" to describe likable objects before, but we had never considered it a suitable descriptor for wine. We sat alongside the crush pad one evening in our wine stained clothes and wet boots laughing about the idea of a wine that targeted a casual lifestyle. Jake and I were raised in the heart of Paso Robles wine country. Wine and the art of wine making have been apart of our lives since the early 80's. After graduating from college we both returned to Paso Robles and joined the team at Peachy Canyon Winery. After a decade each of immersing ourselves in all aspects of the wine industry we decided to do our own project. We wanted to try something new and put the tools we have gathered to work on our dream. We had a vision and a desire to make our statement in the wine industry that we could not deny. After four years we took our first step toward Chronic Cellars.
Hearst Ranch Winery
Hand-harvested from Saunders Vineyard in Paso Robles, our wines embody the flavors, hues, and aromas of this fine appellation region, in the now famous grape growing AVA of Paso Robles, California.
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Castoro Cellars
In the span of two dozen years, Niels and Bimmer have gone from making a few barrels of wine for family and friends in a rented corner of someone else's winery to developing a custom-crush operation and a 60,000-case operation for Castoro Cellars. Most recently, the Udsens purchased two local vineyards, one aptly named "Hog Heaven" after the wild hogs that inhabit the area. The second vineyard, "Blind Faith," got its name when the opportunity to buy the vineyard arose. Niels' wife Berit, or "Bimmer," was in Denmark at the time. Niels called her and together they acted quickly on "blind faith".


text:
DWI charge dismissed
JOHNSTOWN – A felony DWI arrest and other charges against a Dolgeville man have been dismissed because his case "slipped through the cracks," the district attorney said.
According to police and court documents, Clarence Gray III, who was 43 at the time of his arrest, was stopped by state police on Route 29A in Caroga on March 18 and charged with driving while intoxicated and aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle. Because of a previous DWI conviction, the charges were upgraded to felonies, police said.
Gray was arraigned in Caroga Town Court on April 9, where he asked for the case to proceed to the grand jury, according to court records. Fulton County District Attorney Louise Sira said her office wasn't at the arraignment and wasn't notified when Gray had asked the case to be moved to county court.
Gray ultimately was indicted on Oct. 19 for driving while intoxicated, operating a motor vehicle with a blood-alcohol content of 0.08 percent and aggravated unlicensed operation. But his attorney, Michael Viscosi, successfully argued before County Court Judge Polly A. Hoye that the county took too long to indict Gray.
An order signed by Hoye on Jan. 8 noted Gray was indicted 193 days after his plea, exceeding the six-month – or 183-day – window allowable under criminal procedure law.
Assistant District Attorney Amanda Nellis argued for "exceptional circumstances," but Hoye was unpersuaded. "Nothing in this case, which the minutes of the grand jury proceeding reveal to be a very ordinary DWI, suggest anything exceptional or extraordinary," she wrote in her order.


text:
Pearl's NCAA issues became public last September when the school acknowledged recruiting violations. At the time, Pearl only said that he didn't "tell the truth the first time" NCAA investigators asked him about a violation; he declined to be more specific. CBSSports.com subsequently reported that Pearl's lie centered around a picture that showed Aaron Craft, now a freshman at Ohio State, at Pearl's home while on an unofficial visit in violation of NCAA rules.
UT's notice of allegations confirmed that report.
Where does he go? Someone hires this scumbag almost immediately, no?
Billy Gillespie just got rehired, and he's such an alc UK assigned a personal driver to him (didn't stop him from getting another DUI there). Six straight tourney appearances for Pearl, and he made runs in almost all of em before this year's embarrassment.


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Debates of June 9th, 2003
House of Commons Hansard #114 of the 37th Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was parties.
- Free Trade Agreements
- Canada Elections Act
- Jeux d'été du Québec
- World Indoor Lacrosse Championships
- Date Rape Drugs
- Court Challenges Program
- Prime Minister's Award for Teaching Excellence
- Amateur Sport
- Canada Customs and Revenue Agency
- Aung San Suu Kyi
- Dairy Month
- Portuguese Canadians
- Nature-Action Québec
- Montreal Holocaust Memorial Museum
- Montreal Holocaust Memorial Centre Museum
- The Economy
- Citizenship and Immigration
- Jonquière Taxation Data Centre
- Prime Minister of Canada
- Agriculture
- Health
- Political Party Financing
- Government Contracts
- Federal-Provincial Relations
- Agriculture
- Health
- Agriculture
- Government Contracts
- Agriculture
- Immigration Board
- Health
- The Environment
- Government Contracts
- Immigration and Refugee Board
- Foreign Affairs
- Pharmaceutical Industry
- National Defence
- Softwood Lumber
- Government Contracts
- Health
- Immigration and Refugee Board
- Société Radio-Canada
- Agriculture
- International Trade
- Aboriginal Affairs
- Public Works and Government Services
- Presence in Gallery
- Ways and Means
- Points of Order
- Petitions
- Questions on the Order Paper
- Canada Elections Act
Canada Elections Act
Government Orders
1:10 p.m.
Canadian Alliance
Gerry Ritz Battlefords—Lloydminster, SK
Mr. Speaker, it is a pleasure to join the debate on Bill C-24, the new fundraising bill for political expenses that will again be incurred by the taxpayers of the country. We seem to see a common thread here.
The concern from the Canadian Alliance standpoint is that this again misses the target. We see a lot of different bills come to this place that, politically, look like they would be a good thing but when we skin that animal out we realize that it does not go anywhere near what needs to be done.
We have seen a huge problem here. The Prime Minister himself was quoted in the Toronto Star . He said there is a perception that money can unduly influence the political process. He said in the House earlier that there is a perception that corporate and union contributions buy influence.
It is not the donation to a political party that in and of itself is the problem. The problem is when we see things like the sponsorship fiasco that rocked the government a year ago or when donations follow a political package to a friend of someone.
The bill in no way addresses the types of political patronage and the abuse of power by mostly frontbench cabinet members. They have the discretionary funding. We have also seen the Prime Minister being a good little MP and making phone calls to folks who are outside of Treasury Board rules and guidelines. We saw the public works minister and one after another as they fell by the wayside rocked by these scandals. We saw the government struggle to come up with more rules. What is the good of having all these extra rules if nobody follows the darn things anyway? We keep rewriting the rule book, but everybody throws it aside and does their own thing.
Again, we see that in Bill C-24. The relevance of this does not remove the underlying problem of kickbacks, handouts, and donations to the Liberal Party. It is almost proceeds of crime. I am sure that if the RCMP were to dig to the bottom of all of this it would find out the percentage that was required back. It is almost a tithing system the way this was done. Money went to certain parties to perform jobs that were questionable, whether they needed to be done or were done, and then the money was back in Liberal coffers. It is a terrible way to run a government, but that is what is done.
The bill in no way addresses the patronage and kickback problems or even these huge trust funds that certain MPs have developed over the years. It does not address any of those types of situations.
There has been a myriad of articles written on this and I know we stand alone as a political party in saying this is not the right thing to do. We have the Secretary of State for Amateur Sport over there yammering away, but he does not understand what is happening outside the Ottawa bubble. We give these guys a bigger job, a car and driver, and they forget what their folks at home are saying. They will pay the price in the next election. We saw it in the byelection just a short time ago.
Professor Ken Carty is Canada's leading academic analyst to party leadership and electoral process. He said:
Freeing parties from the resources of their members and their supporters will leave them as instruments for professional politicians to mobilize and control voters rather than tools for citizens to direct their public life.
He has some major concerns and I think he hits it right on the head with that statement. This is all about long term political control. These fellows are very good at that as has been demonstrated in the years that they have controlled the country. They have waited for the long term spin to be to their benefit. They are more than happy to take a little short term pain in order to gain some long term control. We have seen that time and time again.
There are a lot of special interest groups out there and a lot of them put pressure on MPs, but mostly cabinet ministers, because they have the resources to change any sort of legislation that comes down here. As backbenchers or opposition members, we do not have a lot of influence in what a final bill will look like. We see that time and again. Members from all sides of the House do great work in committees, and when a report finally gets here, where does it go? It goes into a dustbin. It is gone. Nobody ever picks up some of the amendments and they are good amendments. Some come from this side and some actually come from Liberal backbenchers. These are good, solid, and sound amendments that would make legislation better. However, we see them tossed aside because cabinet ministers have a certain idea where they want to go and they will not deviate from that. They will not rewrite a clause or change a thing in those bills. That is a real frustration.
We have other folks like Errol Mendes, who is a law professor at the University of Ottawa. He is an expert in ethics and human rights. He is troubled by the bill and he is speaking out too.
Professor Mendes has a lot of education along these lines and has sound logic and good thinking. He is saying that there are violations of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms right here in this piece of legislation. We had the House leader rise and say he does not believe any of that, that it is all hooey and it will end up in the courts and the lawyers will sort it out. There we go again: a piece of legislation that will make a lot of work for lawyers and the courts, and we are already overburdened with courts.
Professor Mendes is the editor-in-chief of Canada's leading constitutional law journal, the National Journal of Constitutional Law . He has written numerous articles about this and has some major concerns, none of which are even close to being addressed by a couple of the amendments that have squeaked through. The problem with those amendments is it makes this package richer, not more accountable. He is saying that this is being ratcheted up.
As a constitutional lawyer, Professor Mendes has some grave concerns. He said that this "subsidy scheme" violates the charter. That is what he calls it, a subsidy scheme, and that is more or less what it is. It is taxpayers' money being subsidized back into political parties which they may or may not support.
Professor Mendes says that under section 15 of the charter, which is designed to protect minorities who have traditionally been blocked out of the system, this goes even further and blocks them some more. The bill does not address the 50 seat rule that we have and so on. Anyone trying to start a political party or maintain a smaller political party will have a terrible time under this bill. Again this is part of the long term benefits the Liberals are looking for. The government House leader writes it all away. Part of his quote was that it may keep a lawyer busy, but it is not going to convince him that it is not good. That is a sad situation and a sad commentary from the House leader, who is more intent on ramming the legislation through as part of the existing Prime Minister's legacy than anything that deals with common sense.
There are a lot of other things that come up in our day to day work here and one I have always questioned is these trade missions, team Canada, led by our all star Prime Minister. In fact, I saw a newspaper headline a while ago, a dated issue that showed the leaders of China and Britain at the time, Bill Clinton from the United States and our illustrious Prime Minister. They are all standing in a row in China. The newspaper article identified the first three, but said when it came to our Prime Minister "man at right unidentified". That was our Prime Minister, who has been a great friend of China and supports that country every way he can. The paper did not even know who he was and he was there on a trade mission.
There are a lot of questions about that. In fact, when we study it, with the exception of China, for every other country to which we have had a team Canada trade mission, our trade has gone down, not up. And for the one country that we do the majority of our trade with, we did not send trade delegations there and our trade went up. So we have to question the validity of some of these trade delegations.
In the study that was done, the findings were that one-third of the businesses on trade missions donated to the Liberals. The author raises his eyebrows and says it was either a hand picked delegation or they were converted on the road to Damascus and started to make donations to the Liberal Party after they were included in one of these trade delegations. There is some huge lobbying that can go on there and there can be contributions back to a governing party outside of anything this law covers. There are grants and contributions and all sorts of good things that go on. It is a huge double standard.
Another thing that speaks to this is that the government now will review the freebie ticket policy. We had the Ottawa Senators go another step up toward their goal of the Stanley Cup this year. Unfortunately the team did not make it, but they did play well, and lot of folks from this House got free tickets. That does not show up on anyone's list because it is under a certain value and so on, but that is preferential treatment. The Prime Minister can even golf with Tiger Woods and that is supposedly worth $50,000. The Prime Minister's lapdog, the ethics counsellor, said it was just a great thing that the Prime Minister was able to talk to Tiger about American and Canadian relations, but the Prime Minister will not even talk to the president, so I do not think he will get very far through the back door with a golfer like Tiger Woods. In fact, Tiger Woods' comment was that the Prime Minister does some creative accounting when he is keeping his own score.
There are these tickets that slip under the wire and there are these trade missions that slip under the wire, and the Bill C-24 legislation is a terrible way to try to slam the door on this. It does not address the fundamental problem. It is the back door deals we have a concern with, not this.
There is talk from the other side that we on this side will take the money and be hypocrites, but this is called the law of the land. We have no choice once it is in legislation like this, and as much as we detest it we are going to have to live with it. All the extra bookkeeping that is going to be required for our constituency associations and all of that is going to be a terrible workload. A lot of people will throw up their hands. There will less people voting in the next election because they are just walking away from this type of legislation.
Canada Elections Act
Government Orders
1:20 p.m.
Alexa McDonough Halifax, NS
Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased today to have the opportunity to participate in this debate on Bill C-24.
I listened carefully to the government House leader when he introduced the debate that is now underway. He congratulated members for introducing amendments that would improve the bill and basically urged that we get through report stage reading in a great big hurry so we can go to third reading with haste and get this bill over and done with.
I have to say, "Not quite so fast, Mr. Government House Leader". It seems to me we have a situation here where a bill that is overwhelmingly supported by Canadians in terms of its stated purpose is failing spectacularly to live up to what that stated purpose is supposed to be. Let me make it very clear that the New Democratic Party from the outset has endorsed the stated intent of the bill, which is to remove big money from undue influence in the political process, to level the playing field as it relates to the financial base of political parties and specifically to rule out the contribution of political party funds and election contributions from corporations and unions. So far so good: It is a principle that I think is endorsed overwhelmingly by Canadians.
The problem I have as a member who supports that principle, one with which my party is struggling, is the shortfall we now see in what the government clearly has decided is the final version of the bill that it wishes to rush through and implement as the law of the land.
Let me use a couple of examples, one referring to a situation in Nova Scotia that perhaps best illustrates the problem we have with some very uneven treatment in this bill as it relates to contributions from corporations versus contributions from unions. My colleague, the member from Saskatoon, who spoke earlier, already has expressed concern about this. My colleague from Winnipeg Centre also has expressed concerns about this. Let me just for the record say that it is surely a contradiction of the fundamental principle that this bill, which the government wishes to pass in this form, reflecting the amendments from government members, is saying absolutely no to contributions from any trade unions of any kind while it basically leaves the door very open to corporations' contributions to election financing.
That is just a statement of fact. That is not a point of argument or a point of disagreement. The reality is that what has been provided in this bill is that corporations are free, admittedly, to donate less money than they did in the past. The reality is that the Liberal Party in particular has been bankrolled overwhelmingly by corporate donations, so I will acknowledge that the restrictions placed on corporate donations mean that the Liberal Party is scrambling to figure out how to make up the shortfall from that massive source of corporate funding of their election campaigns and their political party in the past.
But by what possible principle of even-handedness does the government feel that disallowing contributions, for example, from trade union locals, while it gives completely open door treatment to business franchises, is the way to go? By what possible logic or principle of fairness has the government made the decision that this is the way to go?
Let me give an example. I know this was referred to briefly by my colleague who spoke before me. We have in this country today 1,201,383 incorporated businesses. We also have in this country today 886 trade unions. I do not want to suggest that every single incorporated business in the country is going to give to one political party or to one particular political party, but based on the legislation before us, we have the potential for 1,201,383 businesses to donate $1,000 each to candidates in every riding across this country. We have no such openness even to the far fewer numbers of trade union locals in the country. We have 16,601 trade union locals in the country. In fact, that is a ratio of 1,355 to 1 as between business and trade union locals, yet we have in this legislation a total disallowance of any trade union locals from making modest contributions to election candidates.
It makes no sense, not if the stated purpose was in fact the intention of this legislation. It simply falls short of the stated purpose, which is to level the playing field and to remove big corporate and big trade union money from election campaigns. Even in the way in which it has been described, there is a severe distortion. There is a deception in creating the impression that money from trade union donors comes anywhere close to matching the massive bankrolling of the Liberal Party in particular.
This is all a matter of public record. This is not a matter of conjecture. Those facts and figures are known, because the New Democratic Party in the early 1970s as a condition of maintaining a minority Liberal government demanded the full disclosure of sources and amounts of political party contributions. The facts are a matter of public record.
But what we have here is a situation, for example, where every single GM dealership, and I am not picking on GM but simply picking out one car dealership in the country, in fact can donate $1,000 to the campaign of the political candidate of its choice. However, no local representing auto workers anywhere in the country, no matter how many thousands of auto workers there are, is permitted to donate $1,000 out of its own auto workers' pockets and paycheques and deposit it through a check-off system which they sign on to. Where is the even-handedness in that? Where is the level playing field? We have made it clear that we are opposed both to union and to corporate funds, but what we are absolutely not in favour of is that kind of discriminatory treatment, that kind of contradictory situation.
The second concern, which I will have an opportunity to speak about at a later date, is really the complete farce of allowing for trust funds that are already in existence, with who knows how many dollars from what sources, to continue to bankroll political party campaigns.
Let me say in closing, because I know my time is up, that I come from Nova Scotia and millions and millions of dollars were obtained by the Liberal Party of Nova Scotia and deposited in trust funds through extortion, through influence peddling and through bribery, of which Liberal Party officials were convicted in the courts. In fact, there were cases of imprisonment related to that. To this day, the Liberal Party bankrolls its campaigns with those illegal trust funds. The legislation has been permitting it.
We now have a situation where we have no idea what is in those trust funds because there is no requirement to disclose the sources of those trust funds. They will be permitted to continue to finance political party campaigns where they are in existence.
One has to say, at the very least, that the bill falls far short of fairness, of any reasonable level of the playing field and of any full disclosure of the sources and amounts of political party contributions, which surely are three major characteristics that one would look for in the bill before being able to wholeheartedly support it.
Canada Elections Act
Government Orders
1:30 p.m.
Canadian Alliance
Val Meredith South Surrey—White Rock—Langley, BC
Mr. Speaker, I am delighted to speak to the bill that is before the House, Bill C-24.
I should say that it does not surprise me, the route that the government is taking on this.
I sit on the public accounts committee and, as members are aware, the Auditor General of Canada, an independent person who reports directly to the House of Commons as opposed to the government, has pointed out some of the travesties that have occurred in government sponsorship programs.
It is constantly being publicized and brought to the public's attention the accountability of how the government has these kinds of offhand situations where companies are directly benefiting from the fact that they donate to the Liberal Party of Canada, or it might even be in the reverse, where people donate to the Liberal Party of Canada and then they benefit, as a company, from government contracts.
The one thing that has made it possible, not only for the Auditor General but for those of us in opposition whose job it is to hold the government to account, has been the ability to connect, through access to information or just the public accounts, those who get government contracts with those who donate to various political parties, namely, the governing party. We have, through that process, been able to make those connections.
Now, as I understand it, with the new legislation the government is trying to give Canadians the impression that all of that questionable behaviour will cease and desist, and that because of the taxpayer funding parties and elections, this kind of thing will not happen.
A person would have to be awfully naive to think that will be the end result. All that will happen is that rather than a corporation, which might receive a government contract, being upfront with its donation, perhaps 10 individuals of that corporation will be donating the money which would be equal or more than what that corporation might have donated in the first place, but the connections will be much harder to put together.
I think it will just create more confusion in trying to make those connections, therefore giving the governing party an opportunity to not be quite so accountable and upfront with who is getting what contracts and who is donating to the Liberal Party of Canada, or it might be some other party at the time.
I think it is also unfair to establish the public subsidization of political parties based on past performance. It was not that many years ago that I was a recipient of a feeling of the people of Canada that they were tired of the government of the day and wanted to replace it.
If this bill had been in place, it would not recognize that turn of support of the Canadian people. Where a party would have had substantial contributions from the public purse, it came to this House with only two people. Somehow there is a disconnect.
I would suggest that the legislation is very dangerous to democracy in Canada because it would fund the party that has perhaps given poor government by the people of Canada when they do not support that party, and that is unfair. It is undemocratic rather than being unfair for a government to insist that taxpayers have to fund political parties that they do not support.
Political parties should be funded by the people who support them, by the people who want to see them elected and elected in enough numbers to replace the government of the day or, simply put, it is the democratic principle of individuals to support the party that represents their viewpoints.
I do not think all taxpayers want to be supporting parties that they do not like, do not believe in and do not believe in what they stand for, and keep them in power, if that be the case. When we look at the number of dollars that the bill would give to political parties, it is astounding.
I think taxpayers are already concerned with the fact that if individuals who run an election receive more than 15% of the votes they will get back half the money they spent. The legislation says that individuals who get 10% of the popular vote would get back half the money they spent.
If taxpayers really stopped to think about it I think they would be horrified to know to what extent they will be funding this electoral process. I am not saying that there should not be a connect between the voter and the process, but I think that should be the decision by the person who is voting and paying the bill, as to how much connected they want to be to the process.
The two things with which I have real difficulty are that it will be less transparent, I believe, and that it will take away the democratic right of voters to support the party of their choice.
In looking at the fine print I am also very concerned with the reporting mechanisms for smaller amounts of money. I do not how other people operate but my constituency organization has all volunteers. They are good people who give of their time to their country in the way they have chosen to by helping the electoral process, but they are not CGAs. They are not people who can go through an accounting process that, quite frankly, is done at election time, and rightly so, but I cannot see where it will be of benefit to Elections Canada to have all this paperwork flowing in. It will not be to the benefit of the constituency organizations that will have to put out money to hire accountants and auditors to audit the books for, at some times, minimal amounts of money.
When large sums of money are raised it is generally at election time which is when the reporting mechanisms have to be very stringent. I am not saying that there should not be any reporting mechanisms but the way it is outlined in the book it will be almost impossible for smaller volunteer organizations like our constituency associations to meet the requirements. I think it is an inappropriate way of handling this.
The other area that causes me great concern is the way the bill does not even deal with one of the greatest concerns that the Chief Electoral Officer has, and that is the patronage postings of returning officers. The comments from the Chief Electoral Officer of Canada is that he would not take our Canadian system and push it in third world countries where they are trying to establish democratic election processes. It is a sad state of affairs when he cannot even use our process as an example of how he would do things. The biggest concern he has is with this business of the Prime Minister of Canada appointing returning officers.
When are we going to have a truly neutral election process? As long as the Prime Minister is in a position of picking and choosing political hacks who support his policy and his party's position, how will we ever get neutral people running elections?
It goes further than the returning officers. It goes down into the people who they pick. There is no way, in a democracy like Canada, that our election process should be tainted by patronage appointments. It is a sad day when the major overhaul of our elections act does not remedy that failure.
As I said, when the Chief Electoral Officer promotes democratic elections around the world to developing and emerging democracies but cannot use our own example, something is wrong with that. The bill fails to address some of those very serious issues.
I will end by saying that I had great hopes that this would have allowed more transparent election spending or contributions but it does not. I had hoped that it would have made the process more democratic but it does not. The bill has failed to address some of the serious concerns that taxpayers, voters, Canadians have with our electoral process.
Canada Elections Act
Government Orders
1:40 p.m.
Simcoe North
Paul Devillers Secretary of State (Amateur Sport) and Deputy Leader of the Government in the House of Commons
Mr. Speaker, we have heard various speakers this morning say that there is broad support for the principles behind the legislation but then they seem to drift off into tangents of quite partisan attacks on the motivation of the government, et cetera.
However I think there is broad support, not only from parties in the House but from Canadians generally. When I discussed the issue in my riding, it received broad support. Canadians are concerned with the appearance of influence that is obtained when larger corporations make larger donations to political parties. They are concerned when the labour movement makes contributions to political parties and the influence that could have.
In my riding I see broad support for the principles. Sometimes the devils are in the details, which is what we are in the process of discussing and debating. I would like to take the opportunity to congratulate the committee, ably chaired by the member for Peterborough, for the work it did in reviewing the bill and coming up with some of the amendments that are before the House at the present time.
The important part to bear in mind is that we need to come up with legislation that is true to the principles and the intent, and that is to have greater transparency and greater openness so Canadians can feel that our electoral system is indeed free and independent. That it is somewhat taxpayer subsidized now cannot be denied. Currently, when corporations make their contributions to political parties they do obtain quite significant tax credits or tax deductions, so there is a considerable amount of taxpayer money being invested in our system now.
We are trying to avoid a system similar to other countries where it takes tremendous amounts of money to become elected. It takes it outside the ability of many ordinary citizens to become elected to the houses of representation in their respective countries. A very strong plus for our electoral system is that we currently have spending limits and that the legislation will be an improvement on that system.
We have heard comments here this morning to the effect that it is a denial of democracy. Some of the amendments or provisions are for taxpayer funds to be reimbursed directly to political parties dependent upon the result of elections. There is nothing that prevents individual Canadians from making direct contributions. They would still receive tax credits for the contributions to the parties of their choice. We are not making an exclusive change that would prohibit that.
I think some of the comments may have been a little bit overstated to the effect that we will be denying democracy here by putting in changes that will provide for taxpayer funds to be reimbursed directly to parties, because that is done indirectly now through the tax credits. Also, we currently have rebates to individual campaigns. I believe Motions Nos. 8 and 9, combined, would have the effect of increasing that from a 50% rebate to a 60% rebate for individual campaigns.
One has to bear that in mind. It is a very onerous task, that each individual candidate for election to the House of Commons continually, term after term, has to go through a process of amassing enough funds in his or her individual riding association coffers to finance those campaigns. This is an amendment, the effect of which will be to increase that rebate by 10%. I am sorry if I missed the point but that does not appear to be an attack on democracy from my perspective. It is just something that will assist all campaigns to amass the funds they require prepare for the next election.
We were talking about the amendments in Group No. 1. They are all reasonable amendments that could be supported by members of the House.
Motion No. 4 is an increase for the quarterly allowance from $1.50 per vote to $1.75. Again, I do not think there is anything contained in the amendment that would warrant some of the very strong language that we have heard in this debate.
Motions Nos. 13 and 14 are temporary. They are transitional provisions that will be necessary because we will be switching from one system to another. It will require a cultural change provided the legislation comes into effect somewhat in the present state it is in now. There will need to be a transitional period where all parties will need time to adjust to the new culture. Those two provisions are self-explanatory and certainly warrant it.
With that I will conclude and suggest that these are amendments that warrant the support of the House.
Canada Elections Act
Government Orders
1:50 p.m.
Canadian Alliance
Deepak Obhrai Calgary East, AB
Mr. Speaker, it is a pleasure to speak to Bill C-24. This is the second time I have spoken to the bill and it is because of my great concern about it.
I was quite surprised to hear the previous speaker from the government side say that there was wide support for Bill C-24. I have not received a single phone call in my riding of Calgary East in favour of the bill. I have received numerous phone calls opposed to it.
My constituents want to know why taxpayers should finance political parties, a simple question. Hard earned taxpayer dollars will be used to finance political parties. Taxpayers work hard for their money. The government is supposed to tax them for services that improve their quality of life, not send it down. The government is not supposed to play politics with their lives. As I said already, taxpayers cannot understand why they should have to pay for political parties. I cannot answer them.
This government calls itself the natural governing party of Canada. Those Liberal are the ones who have benefited the most out of this whole political financial system. They are the ones who have created it over the years. There are some flaws and there does need to be improvements, but why transfer this burden to taxpayers?
A phenomenon is occurring quite often these days. Somebody needs more money so the government transfers it to them, and this is called user fees. Canadians will tell us that user fees have taken off and there is no accountability. Any organization can charge a user fee and there is no stopping that. My colleague on the other side has a bill before the House, which I am supporting. It tries to bring some accountability to user fees. Bill C-24 is like a user fee.
What is stopping the government from raising the bar and having taxpayers paying money to political parties? There was a revolt in the Liberal Party, and what did the Prime Minister do to pacify those members? He raised the limit. Where does it stop? It will just keep going on and on. It is like giving a blank cheque to the government. With the government's record and when it suits it politically, it will do anything to keep an interest in that file. To Hell with ethics an to Hell with political acumen.This has been the government's record.
Does the government talk about patronage? With regard to Elections Canada, has the government brought in any reform in reference to returning officers? No, it has not. I bet most Canadians do not know that returning officers can only be appointed by the ruling party and nobody else. The government does not want to clean that up.
The government does not want to remove the 50 candidate rule because it benefits the most and it does not want any competition. It does not want to talk about secret trust funds. It also does not want to talk about third party responsibility. If Canadians came to know about that, they would demand change and more accountability. Who does it benefit? It benefits that government over there.
I was amazed to hear the last speaker say that we on this side of the House were attacking the government and that we were being partisan. We are being partisan? Look at the bill and the essence and the intent of it. What does the Prime Minister say about this bill? That it will be influenced by corporations and trade unions.
What does the bill do? There will be a $5,000 limit for individuals and a $1,000 limit for corporations. I am an elected member of Parliament. I go out and solicit campaign funds. Generally Canadians will give $20, $25, $100 or $150. The average Canadian does not give $5,000 to political parties. Only rich Canadians and corporations can afford to give $5,000. Because they give $5,000, why would they not have undue influence? The Prime Minister says that he wants to eliminate that by this bill? It is the same thing. They have just twisted it around so their rich buddies can give them $5,000. It has not changed, it will just be taken away from the corporations.
The essence of not having an influence on this is a counterproductive argument. That is why Canadians ask this simple question. Why should they pay? Why should taxpayers pay for political parties?
This bill also would create an expensive bureaucracy, as my colleague from Surrey just said. Riding associations will require a tremendous amount of reporting to fulfill their bureaucratic requirements. We will be creating a huge bureaucracy with huge reporting requirements.
Canada Elections Act
Government Orders
1:55 p.m.
The Deputy Speaker
The member will have three minutes remaining in his intervention when we get back to Bill C-24 at report stage.
We will now proceed to statements by members.
Jeux d'été du Québec
Statements By Members
1:55 p.m.
Gérard Binet Frontenac—Mégantic, QC
Mr. Speaker, from August 1 to 9, the Asbestos region will host the 39th finals of the Jeux du Québec–été 2003. At this event, 4,273 athletes from all over Quebec will take part in a multitude of sporting activities.
On June 2, on behalf of the Minister of Human Resources Development, I had the pleasure of announcing $21,431 in financial support for the organizing committee. This funding comes from the summer career placements program and will make it possible to create summer jobs for seven students.
Whether they work in preparing for the games, or ensuring later that they run smoothly, having a summer job helps these young people develop new skills and abilities, identify career objectives and save money to pay for their education. This initiative, which will benefit the employer as much as the young people, is a fine example of the creative synergy between enthusiasm and experience; we can be very proud of this kind of program.
This summer, we invite you all to visit this beautiful region and take part in our summer games.
World Indoor Lacrosse Championships
Statements By Members
1:55 p.m.
Beth Phinney Hamilton Mountain, ON
Mr. Speaker, I want to pay tribute to the Canadian national team for its gold medal performance at the indoor lacrosse championships held several weekends ago in Hamilton.
Team Canada defeated the Iroquois Nationals for the gold by a score of 21 to 4. The city of Hamilton was host to teams from the United States, Scotland, Czech Republic and Australia. In total Canada outscored the opposition 148 to 42 through seven games.
The tournament was organized to promote Canadian culture to other countries. Team Canada's victory is a remarkable demonstration of why lacrosse is our summer national sport.
We are proud of all of our athletes. Please join me in congratulating the athletes of Team Canada for their victory at the 2003 world indoor lacrosse championships.
Date Rape Drugs
Statements By Members
2 p.m.
Canadian Alliance
James Moore Port Moody—Coquitlam—Port Coquitlam, BC
Mr. Speaker, in recent years new and dangerous weapons have been used to sexually assault women at parties, on campuses and at nightclubs. The weapons are date rape drugs. Virtually undetectable, date rape drugs are tasteless, odourless and colourless. They are stealthily slipped into drinks and food and act rapidly, rendering the victim unconscious and unresponsive with little or no memory of what happens while the drug is active in the victim's system. Victims are often unaware that they have been sexually assaulted or raped, with little memory of their attacker. Worse, all traces of the drug can leave the body within 72 hours of ingestion and are not found in any routine toxicology screening or blood test.
Not long ago, a husband and wife predator team in Prince George used date rape drugs to drug children for child pornography. Last month a 32 year old woman died in Quebec after drinking beverages laced with the date rape drug.
For too long, nothing has been done to combat date rape drugs. This is why I am tabling in the House my private member's Motion No.458, which calls on the government to list identified date rape drugs as weapons in the Criminal Code and to create a national initiative to educate women on the dangers of date rape drugs.
Court Challenges Program
Statements By Members
2 p.m.
Anita Neville Winnipeg South Centre, MB
Mr. Speaker, on June 1, I was pleased to attend a gathering hosted by the Court Challenges Program of Canada headed in Winnipeg.
The Manitoba division of the program was hosting Mary Robinson, the former president of Ireland and human rights commissioner for the United Nations.
I share this information with colleagues in the House to highlight the very important and quite singular work being undertaken by the court challenges program.
The court challenges program is a non-profit organization set up by the federal government to provide support for court cases across Canada that address language and equality rights that are guaranteed under the Canadian Constitution. The program is administered by a board of directors made up of experienced people in the areas of human rights and language rights.
I applaud the work of this organization. I urge all members to support the Court Challenges Program at every opportunity. It is a program that is distinctly Canadian and truly a model for jurisdictions worldwide.
Prime Minister's Award for Teaching Excellence
Statements By Members
2 p.m.
Nancy Karetak-Lindell Nunavut, NU
Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate Pascale Baillargeon from Kimmirut, Nunavut for receiving the Prime Minister's Award for Teaching Excellence on May 15. The Prime Minister's Award for Teaching Excellence was given to 16 educators from across Canada.
Pascale teaches grades 10 to 12 in fine arts, social studies, math, science, northern studies, outdoor education, computer technology, shop, life skills modules, career and life management, career planning and preparation. More important, she is a friend of the people of Kimmirut.
Pascale is originally from Quebec City and has lived in Kimmirut for the past 10 years and has become a member of the community.
On behalf of my constituents of Nunavut, let me say that we wish her well.
Amateur Sport
Statements By Members
2 p.m.
Canadian Alliance
Gerry Ritz Battlefords—Lloydminster, SK
Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Public Works and Government Services announced last December that there would be no more sponsorship money for professional sports teams, but lately he and his colleague the Secretary of State for Amateur Sport inked a deal with the CFL for close to $1 million to put Canadian flags on the league's helmets.
Last year Revenue Canada singled out Saskatchewan, claiming that teenage hockey players on volunteer-run teams must pay taxes. The Secretary of State for Amateur Sport cannot explain why stipends to young men living away from home are income, while handouts to Olympic athletes are not.
The public works minister cannot explain why a professional football league populated by American players requires taxpayers' money, while his province of Saskatchewan is being penalized for trying to develop future Canadian hockey stars.
The secretary of state has a soiree tonight in honour of amateur sport. Maybe he will announce that Canadian youth should play under the flag of Barbados to take advantage of tax breaks like millionaire shipowners can.
To avoid the mindless greed of the Liberal government, what else can Saskatchewan hockey players do but put the flag of Barbados on their helmets?
Canada Customs and Revenue Agency
Statements By Members
2 p.m.
John Maloney Erie—Lincoln, ON
Mr. Speaker, congratulations to the officials of the Canada Customs and Revenue Agency's access to information directorate. Over the last few years these dedicated employees have shown continuous improvement in their compliance with the statutory time requirements of the Access to Information Act. This year the CCRA achieved a grade A, denoting ideal compliance.
In his 2002-03 annual report, the information commissioner remarked:
These results are extremely encouraging. Few departments have achieved ideal compliance with the time requirements.... The measures taken by the CCRA over the years to make improvements could be adapted by other departments seeking similar improvements.
The diligent and dedicated CCRA staff completed 96.54% of access requests within the legislated timeframe for the period April 1, 2002 to November 30, 2002. It is an excellent record indeed.
Aung San Suu Kyi
Statements By Members
June 9th, 2003 / 2:05 p.m.
Stéphane Bergeron Verchères—Les Patriotes, QC
Mr. Speaker, on May 30, Aung San Suu Kyi, Nobel Peace Prize winner and activist in the fight for democracy and human rights in Burma, was arrested by the country's military authorities and placed in so-called preventive detention. Aung San Suu Kyi, who spent a number of years under house arrest, had—thanks to international pressure—finally been authorized to resume her political activities and travel around the country.
Now, the Burmese military have used clashes—provoked by the military, no doubt—between demonstrators and the militants of Aung San Suu Kyi's National Democracy League, as a pretext to jail her and shut down all of her political party's offices. The daughter of Aung San, a hero of Burmese independence who was assassinated in 1947, Aung San Suu Kyi has been struggling ceaselessly for 15 years to put an end to the military regime and institute democracy and respect for human rights in her country.
The international community must mobilize in order to force the Burmese authorities to release Aung San Suu Kyi immediately. Canada must develop a firmer stand vis-à-vis the military rulers of Burma, and speak out in all international forums to put an end to this intolerable situation.
Dairy Month
Statements By Members
2:05 p.m.
Lynn Myers Waterloo—Wellington, ON
Mr. Speaker, as chair of the dairy caucus I am very pleased to announce that June is Dairy Month in Canada.
The dairy industry is one of the largest agricultural sectors within Canada. In 2002 alone, over 7.6 billion litres of milk were produced, generating $4.4 billion in cash receipts and $9.8 billion in processor level sales. Clearly the dairy industry is one of the most vital to Canadian agriculture.
The dairy farmers also proudly sponsor our Olympic hopefuls and athletes. In fact, on June 25 in Calgary, 20 athletes will be awarded a bursary of $10,000 as part of the Dairy Farmers of Canada's pure determination fund.
The industry continually distributes information about the nutritional aspects and healthy effects that milk products have on Canadians' daily lives. With the nation's increasing love of cheese, cream and yogourt, it is important to realize the important contributions the dairy industry has made to Canada.
In short, Canadian cheese, gotta love it.


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French as a Second Language
Francophonie internationale - Useful Links
Traditions and Musical Instruments of the Francophonie - See illustrations and hear sounds produced by traditional musical instruments from French-speaking countries. Also provided are online interactive activities: multiple-choice; riddles; scrambled letters; associations; crosswords. This is part of the Virtual Museum Canada Web site.
Francophonie sans frontières - Promouvoir le français par une découverte active de la Francophonie en concevant et en organisant un "Tour du Monde de la Francophonie".
In the Countries of the Francophonie - Take a virtual guided tour of several museums in francophone countries throughout the world. Requires Macromedia Flash plugin. Another feature of the Virtual Museum Canada Web site.
International Francophonie - Canada's role within La Francophonie internationale.
French is the most widely taught second language after English. French is a major language of high tech and business in the world. Over 20,000 English words have their origins in French. From the Web site of the University of Tasmania - 70 good reasons to study French