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Mendoza and Chile´s Norte Chico
Wine in Mendoza and Pisco in the Valle del Elqui
After Anne and Gil left us in Santiago, Delaney and I set off for another traveling adventure. I´m sure that Garrett and Pame appreciated some space away from family!
Our first trip we took out to visit our friends Tamara and Dan in Mendoza, Argentia. We know Tamara and Dan from our time in Yosemite. Interestingly, they had the same idea as us...to travel in Patagonia and settle somewhere to learn Spanish. We were never able to cross paths in Patagonia, so Delaney and I headed east over the Andes to Mendoza. We´d traveled there when we came to South America the last time about two and a half years ago. We enjoyed it so much that it was worth it to go again. We had a fabulous time catching up with Tamara and Dan, exchanging stories of our adventures and experiences, talking about our friends in Yosemite, and just hanging out with some Norte Americanos.
We went to some nearby hot springs one day...steamy.
Explored the foothills of the Andes in a town called Uspallata another day. The desert air was fresh and beautiful and the cottonwoods were golden. There we rented bikes (with incredibly uncomfortable seats) and visited two archaelogical sites near the town.
The first was a metal smelting site that was used both by native peoples and by European settlers. There were some really beautiful old adobe buildings there.
The other site had pre-columbian rock art. Really cool.
The next day we rented bikes again and went wine tasting in the Maipu region near Mendoza. It was a gorgeous day and we could enjoy views of the snowy peaks above the grape vines.
Interestingly, the first winery we ended up at, Delaney and I had visited on our previous trip. We took a picture in the same location as one we took before.
We got one of Tamara and Dan as well.
It was really fun to taste some realy amazing wines, including one of my favorite varieties, Malbec. The Malbec grapes are a french variety that trives in Argentina.
We spent almost a week in Mendoza before returning to Santiago for a night before catching another long bus up to La Serena, a coastal town about 400 km north of Santiago. La Serena is the second oldest city in Chile, founded by Pedro de Valdivia. It served as a stopping off point for the early European settlers between Santiago and Lima, Peru. There were many beautiful old adobe buildings in the city. Here is a photo of the Plaza del Armas.
In town we enjoyed shopping in the artisan markets and visiting the arcaheological museum. Before this excusion, we hadn´t bought any souveniers for ourselves. Luckily there were a lot of beautiful things to choose from in La Serena. The museum was really interesting and had a lot of beautiful artifacts. Including pottery and one of the Easter Island Maoi heads. Here is a picture of replica Diaguita pottery from the area that we saw at the museum.
One of my favorite days of the whole trip was our guided excursion out to Isla Damas off the coast north of La Serena. We had heard from some travellers back in January about the trip to visit the National Park to see the Humbolt penguins and other marine wildlife. It was so spectacular! Our guide was so knowledgeable and passionate about his work. We also had a great group of other travellers with us, including four women from The Netherlands, a woman from Morroco, and a French family. Our guide (and Sarah Grace later) told us about the unique and productive waters of Chile. The cold Humboldt current comes up from the south pole allowing for a lot of upwelling of nutrients to occur all along the Chilean coast. This enables for large populations of fish, marine mamals, and birds to thrive. The local fisheries are protected by a unique system that is controlled by the local fisherman rather than by national governments. Sarah told me that Chile´s fisheries management practices are seen by experts as an example for other countries to follow. Here are some pictures of the adventure.
Lobos del Mar (Sea Lions) chillin on the rocks.
Boobies and Cormornats galore!
Penguins! The penguins build their nexts at the top of the island, so that predators, like the Sea Otters can´t reach their eggs. We could see penguin trails leading up and down to the beach and little penguins waddling up and down. Its hard to tell from the photo, but there are a few penguins waddling on the trail. So amazing!
Lily Cormorants
Sea Otters! The first ones I´ve seen in the wild. We got to see them pull a fish up out of the water, onto the rock and eat it. They two otters were playing with each other, wrestling in the water and cuddling. So cute!
We also got to explore on foot one of the islands. As soon as our boat landed the sun came out and the ocean turned a fabulous aqua color.
After La Serena we headed east into the Valle del Elqui. The Rio Elqui flows from the Andes and down through the valle all the way out to La Serena on the coast. The valley is a rich agricultural oasis in the middle of the desert. People have been growing food their for thousands of years. First begining with corn, beans, and squash and now a rich array of fruits (figs, papayas, avocados, grapes) and citrus (lemons and organges). It is mostly known for its pisco grapes which are used to produce the famous Chilean licour, Pisco. The grapes were turning a beautiful yellow. This is the Rio Elqui and surrounding countryside near Vicuña, where we stayed for two nights.
We visited two different Pisco distilleries, one is in Vicuña and the other is in the town of Pisco Elqui. The one in Vicuña is one of the largest distilleries called Capel. It is a cooperative of over 1000 farmer-owners that was formed back in 1938. We learned that the process of making Pisco is very similar to wine. Actually it is identical, except that once the wine is created, it is then distilled to form the liquor. The Liquor is then either bottled (to make the sweet pisco used in fruity cocktails), or stored in oak barrels to make a stronger flavored drink similar tasting to whiskey. Here is a picture of the distillery equipment and the first Capel bottles from the 30s.
The other distillery we went to was one of the first in Chile, and is called Los Niches. It created the first brand of pisco, Tres R´s, which has since been purchased by another distillery. It is almost 150 years old and still uses much of the old ways of making pisco. Including a wood fired distiller. We were lucky that they still had some late-harvest grapes going through their system that we could taste. For all pisco, a grape with a very high sugar content is used. It must be at least 14% sugar in order to qualify. So, the grapes we tasted were super sweet!
Another fun excursion we took near Vicuña was a visit to a restuarnat with a solar kitchen. The food was fantastic and simple. This would be an amazing addition to any desert community in the US!
The weather for our trip to the valley was perfect! Cool breezes, sunny and warm. Plus, we found beautiful hostels with gorgeous gardens full of fruit trees, shade, and views of the mountains and the sky. It was a perfect place for us to relax and read. It made me feel like I was on a proper honeymoon, but rather than looking out onto a tropical ocean, I was gazing at the mountains. Here are some pictures of the garden and view from our hostel in Pisco Elqui.
Pisco Elqui was one of my favorite places that we visited on the whole trip. It was so relaxing, beautiful and had a vibrant artist community. I was inspired by the natural beauty and the beauty of the art and adobe architecture in the town. The history of the town´s name is also interesting. Since Peru and Chile have been fighting over which country is the mother of Pisco, Chile decided to rename the town from La Union, to Pisco Elqui back in the 1930s. We took a hike up the hills to get a good view of the town and valley from above.
Creative reuse of Pisco barrels for bus stops and a gorgeous mural.
The area is also known for its clear skies and astronomical powers. Back in the 1960s a group of hippies from Chile and around the world founded a town in the Valle Cochiguaz (a valley that feads into the Elqui valley) becasue they believed that the center of magnetic power of the earth had moved from the Himalas to a mountian in the valley, Cerro Cancana. In fact, that mountain does have the highest concentration of electro-magnetism on earth. The valley boasts at least 10 different observatories hosting many international astronomers. Delaney and I were able to go to one up in Valle Cochiguaz. It was so amazing to see many constalations, including the southern cross and our own zodiac constalatons Virgo and Gemini. The Milky Way was was glowing and we were able to even see a galaxy with our naked eye. It looked like a fuzz of white in the night sky. We were also lucky to see Saturn and Mars. We were able to look through a fairly powerful telescope to get a glimpse of Saturn´s rings and moons, a nebula, and a galaxy. It was an experience of a lifetime! Here is a photo (not mine) of the southern sky and the observatory we visited.
Posted by Delaney..Jennie 09:09 Archived in Argentina


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It may yet be a tad early to definitively ''name'' 2012. Some will say it was the year Australia priced carbon emissions; a few will remember it as the year the world was supposed to end but didn't. For many Australian employers, however, one issue shaped 2012 more than any other: workplace harassment. The year began with a landmark Federal Court case that upended notions of who was responsible for some staff's psychological injuries. Last month, a federal parliamentary inquiry reported on workplace bullying. And as the year draws to an end, another inquiry, into the federal Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation Act, nears completion.
It's impossible to know whether bullying is becoming more common among Australian employees. Workplace-health regulator and insurer Comcare told Parliament this year that federal public servants lodged 30 per cent more compensation claims for mental harm in 2010-11 than three years earlier. This may simply mean that more staff are willing to report alleged harassment when, in the past, it remained a private matter. Nonetheless, Comcare says the ''increasing incidence of mental harm and bullying claims is of great concern''. In the Australian Public Service alone, the annual costs of those claims rose by 60 per cent over the three years, reaching $46.3 million.
We shouldn't assume, however, that bullying is a public sector problem: it can befoul any workplace. Government agencies are comparatively transparent about their workforce problems, which is in part why they attract more media coverage than businesses. Comcare notes that last financial year only a tiny proportion of public servants (1.6 in every 1000) submitted a claim for serious mental harm.
Indeed, the court case that precipitated much of this year's focus on bullying involved a private sector workplace. Mark Reeve managed a Commonwealth Bank branch in Perth. He tried to kill himself rather than face what he thought would be a humiliating meeting to discuss his branch's performance. The full bench of the Federal Court awarded him compensation, saying the bank failed to recognise his stress and intervene. The precedent this case set was that employers were legally responsible not only for preventing workplace harassment, but for ensuring that employees didn't perceive they were harassed (regardless of whether an alleged bully even existed).
For many employers, this has unbalanced the scales of justice: why should they be accountable for a worker's mental health if they caused the worker no direct harm? One government department told the present inquiry into compensation laws that ''the acceptance of claims based on perception of harm … disproportionately favours the [employer's] acceptance of liability'' for causing the injury. Comcare, too, wants harm caused by ''an employee's perception'', as opposed to established legal fact, excluded from its workers' compensation scheme.
Yet unions argue it is an employer's duty to monitor staff's health closely and to offer help at the first sign of need; it is simply part of ensuring that the workplace is safe. The recent parliamentary inquiry into bullying also heard disturbing allegations that some public service managers retaliated against staff who reported bullying by forcing them to undergo a ''fitness for duty test''; a way of implying that they were too mentally ill to keep their jobs.
Bullying is clearly a highly complex conundrum. Its causes are myriad, as are its consequences. Behaviour that some people laugh off, or challenge confidently, cripples others. Indeed, the Public Service Commission reported last month that up to half of the perceived bullying in the bureaucracy came down to personality clashes. And while there are intentionally cruel bullies in some workplaces, there are opportunistic victims, too, whose main concern is enrichment or revenge, rather than returning to their job.
For these reasons, many of Comcare's ideas for improving compensation law appear sensible. It wants to emphasise the primacy of rehabilitation; to this end, it recommends forcing parties to attempt mediation before going to a court or tribunal. The agency also suggests giving its staff access to search warrants to better investigate fraudulent compensation claims. It wants employers who fail to try to rehabilitate injured workers to be fined, and staff who defraud compensation schemes to face charges.
Ultimately, every reported incident of workplace harassment must be investigated thoroughly and objectively, because every case is different. It is hard to argue against giving a regulator powers that will help it uncover the truth. Still, the best solution for workplaces is to avoid these conflicts entirely, by ensuring all staff know the importance of respectful, considerate communication.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
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Indybay FeatureRelated Categories: San Francisco | Government & Elections
Proposition C For Housing: A Povery Skolar's Report. PNN Election Issue
Proposition C
It all started last year when Governor Brown dismantled the Redevlopment Agencies. Each county, including San Francisco, had its own Redevelopment Agency to create housing for poor and low-income people and other folks. Due to the Redevelopment Agencies' checkered past (under a man called Justin Herman in San Francisco who displaced a lot of people in the Fillmore and Manilatown), Brown decided to cut an agency that he thought nobody would notice. He chose to cut the county Redevelopment Agencies across the state to help the budget. What's unknown to a majority of people: a lot of low-income housing is built from Redevelopment Agencies' money. In the city of San Francisco there is $15 million set aside for low–income housing left over from the Redevelopment Agency. People think $1 million is not a lot of money, but to low-income people like myself it is. When the governor cut the Redevelopment Agencies, there was no way of spending the $15 million because there was nobody to distribute it. To replace San Francisco's Redevelopment Agency, Mayor Ed Lee came up with the idea of the Housing Trust Fund. On Election Day we will vote on it as Prop C. It will build low-income housing by a two-pronged approach. One is the $15 million set aside for housing from the closed Redevelopment Agency, and the other is a 5-year scaled funding from the same people that send their money to, or invest in, redevelopment. This money comes from people who have business in redevelopment districts like Rincon-Hill, the Trans-Bay district, mid-Market, and Hunters Point aka Lenar. This poverty skolar is going to vote yes on Prop C. I believe this proposition will help low-income families stay in the city and county of San Francisco and get at least 20 families out of shelters, permanently. It will help the elders and people with disabilities afford housing. At this time, this is the only way that we can get money to keep elders like me and low-income families (at 30% of San Francisco's median income, people who make less than $12000 a year) a chance to stay here and use housing instead of shelters. Shelters separate families and make people go into inadequate emergency room care, but with a house you can get Medical. It costs $500 to keep a person housed in an apartment per month, compared to $1000 to keep a person in a shelter. You do the math.


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Abyssinia Bank Sacks President, Loses Dep't
Following the dismissal of Aselefech Mulugeta,
former president of the Bank of Abyssinia, Tarekegn
Assefa and Emawayish Adissu, Corporate Planning and
Business Development and International Banking
Department managers, respectively, resigned.
Sources from the bank have disclosed that the
resignations of the two senior officials are related
to the dismissal of Asselefech. Officials, however,
refute this.
"Tarekegn's resignation had been submitted a month
ago," the new Acting President of the bank told
Fortune. "Emawayish's resignation, however, occurred
after Aselefech was relieved from office."
Emawayish resigned because she was highly frustrated
with the stiff management system of the bank,
knowledgeable sources told Fortune.
"The management system lacks flexibility, a key
element in managing banking business," the source
After assuming office, the new Board of Directors of
the Bank of Abyssinia (BoA) sacked Aselefech in a
surprise move on January 27, 2009.
Aselefech has been managing the Bank since October
9, 2007.
The board held an extraordinary meeting on January
26, 2009, at which the members unanimously decided
to remove Aselefech from the helm of the bank,
according to bank officials.
"Convinced of the need to change the management of
the bank, the board has decided unanimously to
relieve you from the post of the President, as of
January 27, 2009," reads a letter signed by
Minwuyelet Kassa, chairman of the Board, who
replaced Philippos W. Mariam. The letter is
addressed to Aselefech and is dated January 27,
On the same day, the chairman wrote another letter
to Chanyalew Yilma, vice president for
Administration and Finance, notifying him of his
appointment as acting president of the bank.
"Until the Board passes an alternate decision, you
have been assigned to the post of Acting President,"
states Chanyalew's appointment letter, a copy of
which has duly been submitted to the National Bank
of Ethiopia (NBE).
Aselefech joined the Bank of Abyssinia nine years
ago, and was in charge of the International Banking
Department. Later on she was promoted to the
vice-president level, responsible for Operation and
Strategic Planning. Prior to that, she had been
working for the Commercial Bank of Ethiopia (CBE)
ever since she graduated from the Addis Abeba
University in Accounting.
The board was elected at the bank's general assembly
meeting held on December 7, 2008, at Hilton Addis.
However, the NBE approved it on January 13, 2009.
"Upon its official inauguration, the board planned
to revise the structure of the bank and composition
of the top management," Minwuyelet told Fortune.
"The board assigned a new president to install a
prudent management."
Chanyalew has about 25 years of experience in the
banking industry. He worked at the CBE, where he
started as a junior clerk and rose through the
bank's ranks to become Assistant Vice President, a
post he held when he left the bank on February 10,
Chanyalew earned his master's in Corporate
Management and Finance from the University of
Sorbonne, Paris, in 2001.
He, joined BoA as vice president for Finance and
Administration on February 10, 2006. Since then, he
has been immersed in building capacity and
developing a new system in the bank.
"BoA has now developed a better system of
operation," the Acting President told Fortune, with
joy and sense of accomplishment evident on his face.
He is also working as the Chief Strategist to
improve the corporate governance, corporate work
culture and capacity of the bank. He hopes that the
success of the work in these areas will make BoA the
bank of the future, and allow him to leave a legacy.
Established in 1998 by 1,301 shareholders, the Bank
of Abyssinia has as of June 2008 an authorized
capital of 630 million Br and a paid up capital of
407.59 million Br. Its assets have over the years
increased to 4.53 billion Br, while its advances and
deposits were 2.82 billion Br and 3.48 billion Br,
respectively. Last year, the Bank however was forced
to keep 142.7 million Br for provisions, the
consequence of which was a 16.6 million Br profit.
This was in sharp contrast to other much younger
banks, which reaped five times or more profit.
By AMANYEHUN REDDA
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text: Greetings, Short version: Anyone have any experience and/or luck with drmaa submitting / interacting with torque running on RHEL6. Trying to hook up a particular product (clcbio) with a torque/pbs server, it interacts through drmaa, which isn't working. Long version: We have a pair of servers (as opposed to a HPC cluster), so for normal job submission from one host to another, we've simply installed the RHEL6 packages for torque from the 'epel' repository. (v. 2.5.7-9, e.g. torque-server-2.5.7-9.el6.x86_64) On the submission host (client), I can submit jobs to (server) using qsub (Interactive jobs fail, but I can live with that for now - batch submission jobs succeed.) Clcbio don't support torque/pbs, and I don't want to push that support burden onto this list, but what I would like to know is: Has anyone has successfully configured/installed libdrmaa to submit / interact with torque running on RHEL6? Anyone have a simple wrapper script to call an external arbitrary libdrmaa library, as opposed to a perl/python library? I'm interested in testing someone else's libdrmaa functionality, not in using a better wheel. Best regards, --Benji Benji Wakely <b.wakely at latrobe.edu.au> Unix Systems Administrator La Trobe University +613 9479 5499 +614 34 307 667 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.supercluster.org/pipermail/torqueusers/attachments/20131015/280e8694/attachment-0001.html


text:
My First Books and More Hardback
by Carine MacKenzie;
In Stock - Usually dispatched within 24 hours
A Bird's Eye View
Mackenzie and Ross' bright new book contains all the 'My 1st...' books covering everything from the Psalms to Jesus' life.
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My First Books and More
Full Product Description
Children always have questions about God. They want to know what it means to be a Christian and who Jesus is.
This book takes the very popular children's series: My 1st and combines them into one colourful volume, with a new and exciting section on The Psalms. My 1st Books and More gives a year's worth and more of bible readings, devotions and memory verses.
My First Books and More by Carine MacKenzie was published by CFP in March 2016 and is our 45890th best seller. The ISBN for My First Books and More is 9781781917480.
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text:
As he failed to figure out what caused the motorcycle come to an abrupt halt, the actor left it on the street on Tuesday, September 14.
Brad Pitt was forced to abandon his vintage motorbike on a busy Hollywood street on Tuesday, September 14 after the vehicle broke down. The actor was riding his classic motorcycle through Los Angeles but came to an abrupt halt during the journey.
He failed to figure out the cause of the problem so called his car driver for advice - but the assistant was also unable to diagnose the fault. So Pitt decided to drive home in his car, leaving his loyal employee to wait with the motorcycle until help arrived, according to Britain's Daily Mail.
It is the latest in a long line of bike problems for Pitt - one of his rides broke down in July last year, and in October 2009 he was involved in a crash in L.A.


text:
Capella Declines to Participate in US News Survey
September 20, 2011
The U.S. News & World Report college rankings get a lot of attention and stir up a lot of debate. Our Interim-President Deb Bushway added a thoughtful voice to the conversation this morning with a guest post at Huffington Post about Capella's decision not to participate in the U.S. News survey. I hope folks take a few moments to read this. If U.S. News makes a choice to focus on outcomes rather than inputs, Capella will be at the front of the line to participate.
One Response to "Capella Declines to Participate in US News Survey"
Camaille Shepard says:
As an experienced professional attending Capella, I think the decision to not participate is a good decision. You cannot be swayed by public opinion and always base decisions on what is best for the University.
Leave a reply
Let us know what you think. All comments will be reviewed prior to going live. Comments that are profane or obscene, or unrelated to the topic of the post will not be published.


text: Last December, an apparent bug appeared in Apple's iMessage service that caused iMessages to continue to be linked to a stolen iPhone. The customer's messages would continue to arrive and be sent from the stolen phone even after changing passwords, a remote wipe, and a SIM card deactivation. Apple initially denied it was a bug, but did later compensate at least one affected user for her trouble. TheNextWeb now reports that that iOS 6 resolves this issue by forcing all devices to re-enter credentials if your Apple ID settings change. Now, if your iPhone is stolen, simply changing the password of your Apple ID will force the stolen device to prompt for a password in order to continue receiving and sending iMessages from your account. In addition, wiping your iPhone remotely using Find My iPhone will now disable the stolen device from receiving iMessages. Article Link: iOS 6 Fixes iMessage "Bug" that Sends Texts to Stolen iPhones


text:
When American Airlines announced that it was eliminating direct flights from Philadelphia to Tel Aviv, the company blamed the economics. In fact, American Airlines claims to have lost $20 million on the route in just the past year.
But the Israeli newspaper Haaretz is reporting that American Airlines actually stopped the service to boost its ties with Arab airlines through its Oneworld alliance — which includes Arab carriers like Royal Jordanian and Qatar Airways. Read more »


text:
News & Events
Confirmation Hearing -- Commissioner of Food and Drugs
Statement by
Dr. Andrew von Eschenbach, M.D., Acting Commissioner,
Food and Drug Administration
the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
August 1, 2006
Mr. Chairman, Senator Kennedy, and Members of the Committee, I am Dr. Andrew von Eschenbach, and I am honored to be here this morning to seek your support for my confirmation to be Commissioner for Food and Drugs, to lead the Food and Drug Administration. In the 11 months since President Bush appointed me as Acting Commissioner, I have become acutely aware of the Agency's need for strong and permanent leadership with a Commissioner that is not only the choice of the President but also confirmed by the United States Senate. I appreciate this opportunity to earn your trust and support by sharing my vision for the future of this vitally important public health agency, by helping you to get to know me better as a person, and by highlighting the experience and dedication I bring to this role.
To know me, it is important for me to introduce a few special people who are here with me today. First and foremost is my first date in the 6th grade, Madelyn, who 39 years ago finally agreed to be my wife and mother of our 4 children -- Nonna to our five grandchildren and one on the way -- you should know that I am blessed by her support and the support of our family as I embark upon this challenge.
I want to introduce a few key members of FDA's senior leadership:
- Mr. Patrick Ronan, Chief of Staff
- Dr. Janet Woodcock, Deputy Commissioner for Operations
- Dr. Scott Gottlieb, Deputy Commissioner for Medical and Scientific Affairs
- Mr. David Boyer, Assistant Commissioner for Legislation
They are representing the Center Directors and Office Directors who lead the FDA as well as the Agency's workforce of over 12,000 incredibly talented and highly trained professionals and staff who epitomize the true meaning of the word public servant. It is important for everyone to know that if confirmed, their support and guidance will be my greatest asset in leading the FDA.
My fellow Texan and my friend Senator Hutchison graciously outlined my career as a physician, and as I come before you today, reflecting on that career, I am struck by the fact that so much has changed -- from my early years training as a urologic surgeon, to a career at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center as an oncologist, researcher and educator, to four and a half years ago becoming the Director of the National Cancer Institute, and now as the President's nominee to lead the FDA. I am struck by how much has changed in my life, but in fact one critical element in my life has not changed.
When I began my career in medicine 40 years ago, my singular aspiration was to accept the trust that others placed in me to use my skills to save their lives and improve their health.
Today, as I seek the Senate's confirmation to lead the FDA, I remain as committed as ever to that very simple, but profoundly important ideal and purpose. It is emphatically apparent to me that as Commissioner of FDA, my role and the FDA's role has always been and will always be - no matter how much we change over time -- to cherish the trust of patients and the public and that our every single action, decision or activity must be directed to preserving their lives and protecting their health.
This year the FDA celebrates its 100th birthday and a proud tradition of service in protecting and promoting public health.
As the FDA regulates almost twenty five percent of all the products Americans consume, its talented and dedicated employees continue to set the Gold Standard that is emulated around the world but never equaled. As a nation we are blessed that because of our Food and Drug Administration we go to bed each night not worrying about the safety of the food we eat or the effectiveness of the medicines we gave our grandchildren. This standard of achievement must not change. But the world around us is changing and the FDA of today is faced with new challenges and the FDA of tomorrow will encounter incredible opportunities.
During my career as a researcher I have witnessed exponential progress in science and technology that is revolutionizing our very concepts of health and disease. But, as a physician, I am also painfully aware that as we sit here today we struggle - to make available safe and effective new treatments for life-threatening conditions like cancer, Parkinson's, Alzheimer's and HIV/AIDS, to prepare against the risk of pandemic flu and to deal with emerging threats to food safety.
Today we are faced with unprecedented challenges and unprecedented opportunities across a continuum of discovery, development and delivery of interventions and products that represents the fruits of a revolution in science and technology but more importantly the solution to the many problems that threaten our health and well being. And central to addressing these challenges and seizing the opportunities is the FDA.
While the Agency's first century was truly remarkable, the FDA of the 21st Century must incorporate modern management tools and processes to meet the challenges of today, while creating the scientific tools and technologies to address the ever-evolving, increasingly complex issues of the future.
To accomplish this vital goal, the Agency needs strong, permanent leadership, and efficient, strategic management -- I am here asking for your support of my nomination, because I believe I can provide both.
Let me briefly outline for you my strategic focus for leading this Agency into the 21st Century.
FDA is positioned as the critically important bridge between scientific discovery and development of products AND the delivery of these solutions to patients and the public. We can, and must, find ways to integrate new modern Information technologies to streamline our regulatory processes to make them more efficient, rigorous and transparent, in order to ensure the public we serve of the safety and efficacy of those products.
The FDA of the 21st Century must be prepared to respond to the new opportunities and challenges of science and technology. Through initiatives like Critical Path and Personalized Medicine, we are working to improve the tools we use, to more effectively evaluate new products and processes. For example, through the use of biomarkers, we will be able to predict, earlier and more accurately, both the safety, as well as efficacy, of drugs, biologics and devices.
This is the pathway that will take us into the era of personalized medicine, where health care is tailored to each individual patient, and where the safety of medical products is enhanced by our improved understanding of how they interact with different patients, different drugs, and under different conditions.
By enhancing both our internal and external collaboration, we can create synergies and enhanced efficiencies to allow us to better communicate and carry out FDA's critical public health mission. Moving forward, it won't be enough just to do the right thing -- we must be committed to doing it in the right way.
Above all, I am committed to maintaining the long-standing traditions and values of an agency whose processes and decisions are guided by sound science and vigorous analysis of evidence and based on the best interests of the patients and public we serve.
Much work remains to fully equip FDA to face the challenges and seize the opportunities ahead, but I am confident that we are on the right path. And if confirmed, I believe I can provide the leadership and management that will guide this important public health agency proudly and effectively into its second century of service.
As a physician, one other thing in my life has not changed -- I continue to speak with patients and offer advice and consultation. A few weeks ago I spoke with a young mother who happened to be celebrating her daughter's birthday when I returned her call.
She shared with me that she had a tumor for which she had already been treated with surgery and chemotherapy but the tumor was growing and threatening her life and her hope of being there for her daughter's next birthday. The question she wanted to ask me was "IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE". Senators and Members of the Committee, millions of people are asking if there is anything else. Anything else for cancer, Alzheimer's, AIDS, diabetes, Avian flu -- anything else to protect our food supply, improve nutrition, alleviate obesity, keep our animals healthy and cosmetics safe. The fact is that there can not be anything else without this FDA -- a modern, efficient and effective FDA.
I know the FDA is capable of fulfilling its mission to assure hope that one day there will indeed be something else. FDA is the Agency that can assure Americans hope.
Through strong management and leadership, we have the ability to translate innovations into safe and effective new interventions that protect and promote human health. In this task, the Agency cannot, and will not fail.
It would be the fulfillment of my aspiration to have your trust and the trust of the American people to have the privilege to lead the FDA -- to save lives and assure the health of our nation and the world. If confirmed, I look forward to working closely with this Committee on the many important issues that we'll address together.
Again, thank you for the opportunity to come before you today. I'm happy to answer any questions the Committee may have.


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Copyright 2007-2010 Dayton Karen Knipher. All rights reserved.
Dayton K Knipher
Abstract Photographic Artist
Harbor Spires
"I really love this work - there is such a depth to
it, a really engaging play between realism and
abstraction that gives me enough space to
"'Tide Flat Turf' works the best, with the rusty
roofs, blue wall, and gray asphalt fusing into a
parallelogram of concentric shimmers."
- Rosemary Ponnekanti,
The News Tribune, Dec. 6, 2009
"'River Run' just takes my breath away."
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intriguing. I thought they were paintings."
"I love your work. It's like unlocking what we
don't quite see."
"Dayton's keen artist's eye has led her to create
many wonderful photographic images." -- Dawn
Quinn, Tacoma Weekly, Jan. 1, 2009
"I was totally in awe of your great work. I love
your technique. Terrific stuff!"
"Just viewed your work ... beautiful."
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your website. Wow! They are really amazing."
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"Beautiful work! I really enjoyed your award-
winning 'Brilliant Orange', very beautiful."
"I really liked 'Crystal Silence' in the 2007
gallery! I stared at it for quite a while."


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PALMDALE - A 22-year-old man suspected of using a pen in an attempt to stab someone who caught him siphoning gasoline in Santa Clarita several weeks ago was in custody today after his arrest in Palmdale.
Sheriff's deputies arrested Joseph Carlos Beltran of Castaic about 9:25 p.m. Tuesday after discovering he had an outstanding arrest warrant in connection with the Santa Clarita attack, Deputy Joshua Dubin of the sheriff's Santa Clarita Station said.
It was unclear what prompted them to detain him in the first place.
The attempted pen attack happened in the 18500 block of Soledad Canyon Road shortly before 6 p.m. on Sept. 5, when a man walked up to Beltran as he was siphoning gas and asked him if the car was his, Dubin said.
Beltran asked the man why he needed to know, then tried to stab him in the neck with a pen, he said.
The man was not seriously hurt, and Beltran fled the scene, Dubin said.
Beltran -- who has pleaded not guilty to one felony count each of assault with a deadly weapon and making criminal threats -- is due back in San Fernando Superior Court Dec. 13.


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Congress Needs To Lead In the Fight Against Pancreatic Cancer
Pancreatic cancer is a silent killer. The disease does not get very much attention, but it is the fourth leading cause of cancer deaths in the U.S. The statistics are simply staggering: 74 percent of patients diagnosed with pancreatic cancer die within the first year of diagnosis. Next, 44,000 Americans will be diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2012 and more than 37,000 will die from the disease. Perhaps most shocking is that the five year relative survival rate for this disease is just six percent, which makes it the only major cancer with a five-year survival rate still in the single digits. Most importantly, while overall cancer incidence and death rates are declining, new pancreatic cancer cases are expected to increase by 55 percent between 2010 and 2030 and the death rate is also increasing. In Wisconsin, more than 800 new cases are diagnosed annually. Also, over 700 deaths from pancreatic cancer occur in Wisconsin every year.
What does this mean? It means that we need to act now. Congress must pass the Pancreatic Cancer Research & Education Act (S. 362/H.R. 733) before thousands more pass away from the disease. We are engaged in a battle and successful battles require plans. It's time for our elected officials to step up to the plate and ensure that there is a real plan to combat pancreatic cancer.
Pancreatic cancer is rarely detected in its early stages and usually only detected after the disease reaches an advanced state. More research is needed to understand how and why the disease occurs in the first place. At this time, there are no early detection methods, and most symptoms are commonly attributed to many benign and different conditions, further complicating diagnosis of the disease. There are few effective treatments at this time.
All of this means lost lives. It also means we must and can do much more.
As someone who has lost two loved ones, my mother-in-law and sister-in law within 6 months of each other in 2010, I can say that I will not accept that Congress has not acted on this bill. My wife and her remaining siblings are at a heightened risk of contracting this disease and undergo an endoscopy on an annual basis so that treatment could begin early if a tumor is discovered. Pancreatic cancer is a silent, destructive and debilitating disease and Congress should and must act on this legislation that is so desperately needed and has such strong bi-partisan support.
While I understand there are many important issues before our elected representatives in the nation's capital as we are a nation at war and our economy continues to struggle mightily, how we address devastating diseases such as pancreatic cancer that affect so many average Americans says a lot about our country.
For years, pancreatic cancer research has been grossly underfunded. Though it is a leading killer, just two percent of the National Cancer Institute's (NCI) annual research budget is dedicated to pancreatic cancer. That's simply not enough funding to make a real impact in fighting the disease and discovering effective treatments.
Congress needs to wake up, open its eyes and realize that action must quickly be taken. We have a responsibility to do everything we can to help those in need. That is why members of the Senate and House must move expeditiously and pass the Pancreatic Cancer Research & Education Act, which would create a national strategic plan to combat this disease. Readers can support this legislation by participating in National Call-In on June 26th. Visit www.knowitfightitendit.org to obtain additional information.
Pancreatic cancer is an affliction that needs a plan of action to make gains in saving American lives. If we don't act now, more and more of our fellow citizens will needlessly lose their lives.


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UPDATE: We've confirmed that Michael Shanks and Amanda Tapping are not shooting Stargate Universe on Monday. The story below has been updated.
He led SG-1 through the gate for eight seasons, and helped launch Stargate Atlantis five years ago. Now Richard Dean Anderson is set to bring Jack O'Neill back to Stargate with what sounds like multiple appearances on Stargate Universe.
"Rick is doing episodes of Universe," series co-creator Brad Wright told GateWorld exclusively today. "He was just here yesterday shooting an episode of Universe with us. So that relationship is always on-going, and it's good to have him back."
The show's fifth episode is currently filming, and is likely one in which Anderson will appear. It's not clear yet whether this is "Earth" — which was previously indicated to be sixth for the season, and had a hint of O'Neill's return in the casting documents — or the episode we currently have listed as fifth, "Water." "Earth" certainly makes more sense.
Will Anderson help kick off the show by also appearing in the first episode, as he and Michael Shanks ("Daniel Jackson") did with Atlantis?
Later the same day (today), former Stargate SG-1 co-star Gary Jones ("Walter Harriman") appeared on stage at Creation Entertainment's official Stargate convention in Vancouver, and told fans that he is appearing in an episode of SGU with Anderson. He noted that General O'Neill will have been promoted to 3-star general for the episode they filmed together.
Jones didn't specify which episode it was, but he also noted that he (Jones) was asked to appear in the SGU premiere, "Air." So, if you're keeping score at home, Jones should appear in "Air" and Anderson is likely for "Earth" — while Anderson is possible for "Air" and/or Jones is possible for "Earth."
Confused? Stick with GateWorld this week and through the weekend for more news from the Vancouver Stargate convention! Stargate Universe is now filming for a fall premiere on SCI FI Channel in the U.S.
OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG ty ty ty ty ty
RDA is what the new series needs + daniel
+ sam and teal'c
Also its not to late to do SG-1 season 11 after the two movies uno find more azguard and some toulan or maybe knox ppl
This makes me ridiculously happy – especially the idea of O'Neill showing up in multiple episodes. Hurray!
I'm really sorry but not even the whole of SG-1 could make me any happier about this show being the reason SGA was cancelled. I've already said I'll give them the pilot — if it hasn't hooked me by the end of that —
I'm just waiting for the SGA movies and it had better be plural!
wow, did not expect that, SWEET!
FAN-FREAKIN'-TASTIC!!! Oh man, I am sooooo over the moon at this news!!! It's always a joy and a pleasure to see Richard Dean Anderson back as "Jack O'Neill"!!! A great actor playing a great character in what I'm sure is gonna be a great series!!! Roll on "Stargate: Universe"!!! :) :) :)
YIPPY !!!!!!! RDA back. i still have reservations about SGU, but i just may have to watch a few extra episodes just to see SG1 team. bring them back more so i can watch more … the whole SG1 team. throw in the SGA team too. SG1. SGA. SG1. SGA. where's Samantha Carter. where's Daniel and T'ealc.
Lieutenant General Jack O'Neill? Holy Buckets! If they have the entire SG-1 team in the Pilot i would be in stargate heaven.
just think … if it were the whole SG1 and SGA teams all show up in SGU, then think how wonderful that episode would be. it'd be an all star cast. SG1 SGA SGU all blended together. that would be the absolute most coolest thing they could possibly do and would absolutely never have been done before. i for a SG1 SGA SGU complete full teams episode.
SG1 + SGA + SGU show would be absolutely wonderful. i vote for doing it.
Is it just me, or does it seem like O'Neill's being promoted insanely fast? I mean, I know he's head of Homeworld Security now, but he's gone from colonel to three-star general in six years.
let's promote RDA again … let's take him from general up to Mr. President :)
RDA as President much better than having shrubs in that role.
This is great news. O'Neill AND Walter. Now we know that regardless of the 'new direction', whatever that turns out to mean, it's still going to be Stargate, and there's still going to be at least some connection with Earth. This should ally fears that it might seem too 'Voyager-like'. These are still people from the SGC, and they're gong to be doing their best to get them back and leave no man behind. Excellent! Congratulations on the promotion, General O'Neill!
Interesting that they are going to be on SGU since this was to before the other gates took place.
Ooh, a promotion. That's exciting! I'm really glad to see RDA come back for a few episodes.
And actually, although he is going up the ranks pretty fast, there is no "required" time in each rank above 0-7, if I recall correctly. The general officers are nominated for promotion by the president and confirmed by the senate. It's very political…
I'm assuming this means the SGC can still call the ship periodically but the ship can't dial back. Makes sense.
I like RDA and the other SG1 actors, but they sure are going all out to bribe former Stargate viewers into watching SGU!
In response to Kate Carter.
I always felt O'neill as well as Carter weren't promoted quickly enough. He should be a 4 star General by now after all he has done for earth compared to all the other Generals in the Airforce.
I look at it from this perspective; The only way you'll see the original sg1 characters are through flashbacks. Nothing wrong with that…The show will get more respect if it's done in that manner. Agree to disagree?
yay Walter!!!! oh, and O'Neill too.
If stargate wasn't on the scifi channnel I would'nt watch the network.(BSG and Eureka excluded) Because sci has this mystical number of five seasons. If a show is successful it's shelf life is five years. Think about it. What show has lasted longer than that on that network? Its cheap and it needs to change. Free your mind and your ass will follow! Listen to the people who really care. Friday nights are big for the scifi. keep in mind the demographic, most don't stay home on a friday night. It's an dvr era. Keep that in mind before cancelling a top show. Sg1, Atlantis, Farscape, etc…..
I always liked Rick as Jack and im glad he's back for "multiple episodes" i hope amanda and michael get to come back to SGU for the pilot and or earth cause we already know that michael is in the pilot. and im hoping rick is in it as well.
Yeeees :))) That's the best news about SGU ever! Now I will definitely watch it, if only to see RDA… and Walter of course ;)
Yes RDA!!! I quess they really changed there mind about having SGU loss from other Stargate series!
Great to have RDA on SGU for one or maybe more episodes!
So, let me get this straight – according to TPTB, SGU is a stand-alone show, not another spin-off but two SG-1 stars were already announced to guest-star on the show. It's an original concept but Destiny's situation is quite similar (almost identical) to Atlantis' S1 (no way to get home, taking in refugees etc. – the only thing that's missing is a friendly alien).
Fantastic News! Thank you so much GateWorld, Brad Wright, and especially, Richard Dean Anderson! :)
I was gonna watch SGU anyway, but now I'm SOOO gonna watch it. x)
I am so glad to hear that SGU will not be as "stand-alone" as they claimed it would be. VERY excited. Would love to see crossovers from Atlantis as well.
Is not fair!!! >:(
I'm not watching SGU anyway.
YEAH!!!!! fantastic news Richard Dean anderson as Jack 'O neill is back. Wow such good news. Hope they will ask him to do more in Universe. I agree Brad its good to have him back.
Way to go guys.
gotta calm down a bit, for all we know, he might just walk by with a cup of coffe and say hi…. We saw this happen with several of the stars in cameos…
I'm excited… I wasn't too thrilled about the existing cast choices, except for LDP, but I'm always willing to try new sci-fi. RDA is just icing on the cake. Literally! ;-)
I don't know who said it, but 5 years is an amazing run time for a sci-fi show. SGA was sucessful in that it thrived as long as it did, despite the low ratings.
I'm looking forward to to start of SGU!
In my perfect world…The show would be called Startgate: O'Neil. And it revolve around the character of General O'neil. Maybe later on after a few episodes perhaps Daniel Jackson may show up with Teal'c. And they'll say "Hey, let's go see what Carter's up too back at Atlantis". And they would all go say "Whatsup" to Shephard.
Cool. That definitely adds to the appeal of SGU for me.
Thats lame. In my perfect world I would be right there with O'neil apart of the team…… with everyone else of course….. oh ya and after watching the trailer for SGU i dont think i will need anymore incentive to watch the show. it looks pretty intense. But they should at least have Rodney or Carter or both of them figure out the address for the ship. or maybe even Jackson could figure it out somehow….. excellent!
Let hope he put in a descent performance unlike his other appearences in the last few years, which has been less than stellar.
Great news!
Make it easier on all of us and just bring back SG1 and SGA .. we really don't need SGU. I believe that the cast in the other two originals were the backbone of the franchise and SCIFI messed up when they dumped them. They really don't care about their viewing audience. I am waiting for the movies to be released and hope there will be more to follow. With all the original cast of both shows. You can watch re-runs only so many times. I would really like to know the "truth" of the "why" they dropped the two shows and went for the new boring-apparent one SGU.
Get a grip people. As much as I like RDA, I do not like the tactics being played out, to "Entice" people to watch SGU. The producers got the message loud and clear, what the people wanted. If you look at the original "concept" of Universe, it not the same as now. Cast has changed, ages have changed, played charachter profiles have changed. now they are pulling in tactics like bringing in cameos. So if they feel like the episodes are tanking out, they'll do a "meanwhile at SGC" and bring in a couple of cameos again, to reel us poor fish in.. Gosh, this is pathetic. (Yeah, I'm bitter about SGA being canned, if anyone didn't notice)
RDA: "I was up there doing a snippet of a scene with Robert Carlyle and I'll be going back March 17 for another scene in part 2 of the two-hour" and he continues.. "So I'll make a few slim appearances in the first half-dozen episodes, or so. Again, details are sketchy.."
So is this what we crave now? Slim appearences and Scene Snippets.. Aaaahchooo.. what? I sneezed, and missed his cameo? Pretty Slim pickins for Stargate Fans.. Almost like throwing a well gnawed bone, to stray dogs..
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Bruce Momjian <bruce(at)momjian(dot)us> wrote: > here is the ideal schedule: > > Jan 15 start commitfest > Feb 15 stop commitfest > Apr 1 start beta > Jun 1 release release candidate (RC) > Jun 20 release 8.5 > Of course we rarely have an ideal schedule So for a project which strives for an annual release, we have over six months from initial submission of a *small* patch until the release it goes in, if we meet the ideal schedule? Longer for large patches or if we slip from the ideal schedule? That sounds like there are still some opportunities for improvements in project management, but it's not *so* bad if development for the next release can overlap the tail end of that schedule. I'm not sure how much that is anticipated or encouraged, though. It also seems to call into question the wisdom of annual releases. If we had a two-year cycle which had three times as much in it, would that be an improvement, or not? -Kevin
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6 Comments
subliminalmethods Artist
haha interesting concept. i like the drawing style. +1
check out my new incubus design and let me know what you think!
BenjaminPhantom Artist from Florida, United States
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drum_hater Artist
hai.. thanks for nice comment.. :D
This is awesome! Why is there only two votes = |
What that purple thing though?
totally cool +1
ShakySuperFly Artist from United States
this shirts sooooooo fucking ridiculous. i'd love to have it!


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If one-party rule in Washington does for the nation what one-party rule in Helena has done for Montana, we are in big trouble, amigos. Should the election results hold, and we have no reason to believe they won't, both our state and federal government are now firmly in the clutches of one-party rule.
The Republicans, riding President Bush's war wagon all the way to the polls, have maintained their control of the House of Representatives and wrested control of the Senate away from the hopelessly lame Democrats. Given their inability to either formulate or elucidate a clear national message, it serves the Demos right to have their heads handed to them on a plate. In the larger context though, it is not the confused and confounded Demo politicians who will suffer, but the citizens, their freedoms, the environment, and ultimately, future generations.
The international community is already trembling, wondering what our hyper-aggressive president and his cabinet of war hawks may do without even the marginal debate offered by the Senate to stand in his way. Their trepidation is not unwarranted. Bolstered by a new, billion-dollar-a-day military budget and an unquenchable thirst for oil, the globe's sole remaining superpower is fearsome, indeed. Iraq's oil is the first prize this steel fist reaches out to squeeze, but no one is so foolish to believe it is the last.
Closer to home, where we have been living with the disastrous results of one-party rule for almost a decade, the elections gave us some reason to hope. What good news there is comes in the form of a whittled down Republican majority in the state's legislature.
Confronted by hundreds of millions of dollars in budget deficits, it seems fitting that the political party whose failed policies have put the state on the fiscal reef should bear the burden of getting us out of this mess. It will not be the politicians who suffer, however, but the children, the aged and the infirm. In the Republican hierarchy, it is never those at the top who pay the price, but the masses of worker ants who are relentlessly exploited and just as relentlessly discarded.
Likewise, all Montanans will find the natural amenities that are so much a part of our life under siege as the rapacious corporate kingpins are given free rein to ravage the Big Sky. What roadblocks existed to drilling the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge have now vanished, and we can be sure Bush and his oil cartel won't stop there. The Rocky Mountain Front is fully in the crosshairs for whatever minimal supply of gas and oil it may contain. Likewise, rest assured that the coalbed methane industry will now be free to pump eastern Montana's groundwater dry while it spreads saline wastes over the land, poisoning it for generations. Sole control by the party of exploitation will likely mean drilling and mining in our roadless areas and national monuments, too. After all, if we're more than willing to go to war for oil, why shouldn't we plunder our own country while we're at it?
And why stop there? For years our natural heritage of national forests has borne the brunt of the heavy hand of corporate logging. We pay to build the logging roads, then we pay to fix the resultant damages to our watersheds, rivers and streams after the trees are hacked down. With both state and federal administrations that view environmental regulations as nothing more than impediments to their greed, Montanans are likely to find even more of their favorite mountainsides reduced to eroding stump fields and silted streams. Where once quiet trails led to forested solitude, the Republican rampage will likely unfetter any attempts to hold motorized "wreckreation" in check.
On the energy front, the massive, inordinate spending by out-of-state utilities overwhelmed the initiative to regain control of Montana's dams and the energy they produce. A ten percent electricity increase will hit Montanans next year, and with the proponents of total deregulation in charge at state and federal levels, the chance of keeping any control over market manipulation is slim to none. The new owners of our dams are already under investigation for Enron-style price gouging, but you can bet no one in Washington is going to worry much about whether or not Montanans have to pay "what the market will bear" for our electricity. After all, to the free-market mavens now totally in charge of our state and nation, "profit" is not a dirty word, it's an all-consuming goal.
With all the gloom and doom, is there any hope for the future? Perhaps. In politics as in physics, for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. The new day seems black now, but just as Montana's voters have whittled down the one-party control of our state, so will the impetus build to return some semblance of balance to our nation. As the results of the Bush policies of rampant exploitation stack up, so will the protests to the carnage. Dirty air, dirty water, plundered forests and, ultimately, a budget gone bust will energize new waves of resistance—not just at home, but abroad. A democracy driven to its knees by corporate domination and an apathetic public may well rise again to fight for a better future.
Call me an optimist, but the trend by Montana's voters away from one-party rule is reason to hope. What we have experienced from one-party rule in our state will soon be visited upon our nation. As we continue to suffer, so too, will the nation. As that suffering has driven us to reconsider one-party rule, so too will the widespread suffering from one-party control of the nation force a reconsideration of the wisdom of abandoning the checks and balances of two (or more) party rule. Change will come—but in the meantime, gird your loins fellow Montanans, and prepare to defend the freedoms, friends, and natural amenities you hold most dear.
When not lobbying the Montana Legislature, George Ochenski is rattling the cage of the political establishment as a political analyst for the Missoula Independent.


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|- Asia -
- Africa - Americas - Europe - Introduction -
Middle East / North Africa -
Murder, attacks, kidnappings, blackmail and death threats made the year 2000 a bleak one for press freedom. More than 45 journalists were attacked, nine arrested and about 20 threatened. The violence affected all sectors of the media: publishing and broadcasting, national and local, public and private, in Bengali or in English. Journalists working for publications owned by political parties were prime targets for attack. Some publications are highly opinionated, defending the interests of the two main political groups that are engaged in a war of attrition: the ruling Awami League and the Bangladesh National Party (BNP), which, with an eye on the 2001 general election, has joined forces with the fundamentalist Jamaat-e Islami.
Two journalists were killed in Bangaldesh in 2000. The murder of Janakantha reporter and BBC stringer Shamsur Rahman in July shook the profession. The prime minister promised that a serious investigation would be conducted after hundreds of journalists staged a demonstration. On 1 January 2001 the police had not reached any firm conclusions, although they had pinpointed some suspects, particularly journalists whom Rahman had frequently accused of corruption in his reports. Criminal gangs and armed groups have no qualms about attacking journalists who dare to investigate their activities. Other "predators" who prey on press freedom include the youth wings of the main political parties, who often launch violent attacks on journalists who criticise them: the Chattra League, Chattra Dal and Chattra Shibir were responsible for more than half last year's assaults. The government and the parties did nothing to stop the violence. On the contrary, in October one minister told Awami League activists: "If you come across any journalists, break their bones". The minister also asked local authorities not to record complaints filed by journalists who were victims of assault. Similarly, in February Awami League members threatened to submit a bill introducing the death penalty for "insubordinate" journalists.
To stop this endemic violence, Sheikh Hasina's government promulgated a public security law at the start of the year. It empowers the police to detain a suspect for three months and deprives the suspect of the right to apply for bail. The measure, which was condemned by human rights organisations, had no effect on the wave of violence against journalists. On the other hand, in March a reporter was arrested and held for several months under the law after an argument with police officers.
Politicians frequently file libel complaints against journalists. These cases seldom result in convictions because the courts are practically paralysed. In November the government filed a libel complaint against the opposition newspaper Inqilab. The editor and a journalist face the death sentence if found guilty.
Most of the country's 250 dailies - total circulation 1.4 million - are published in Bengali. Investigations into alleged corruption have become increasingly frequent. In May, the prime minister announced the launch of the country's first privately owned over-the-air television channel, Ekushey TV, which put an end to the state monopoly. Nonetheless, the channel is forced to relay English newscasts from public television. As in the rest of the subcontinent, the Internet had a boom year in Bangladesh, and no obstacles to its expansion were reported.
Journalists killed
Mir Illais Hossain, editor of the daily Dainik Bir Darpan, was shot dead by three masked men on 15 January in the city of Jhenaidah, in the south-west of the country. The journalist, who was also a former leader of the extreme-left party Sramajibi Mukti Andolon, had received death threats some weeks earlier from the armed Maoist groups that are rampant in the region. He had often condemned atrocities by these underground movements, and his family and colleagues claimed he was killed because of his reporting.
Shamsur Rahman, a journalist with the privately owned daily Janakantha, published in the capital, Dhaka, and a stringer to the Bengali-language service of the BBC, was killed in the western city of Jessore on 16 July. Two strangers burst into his office and shot him twice - in the head and chest - at point-blank range. The journalist, aged 43, had written many reports on the criminal activities of armed groups and gangs. He had escaped an earlier murder attempt in Jessore in March 1999. More recently, he had received anonymous threatening phone calls. A few days after the start of the inquiry, the police arrested several journalists in Jessore who were rivals of Rahman. They apparently wanted to take revenge for his allegations that they were working in collusion with organised crime. By 1 January 2001, all the suspects had been released and the investigation seemed to have reached deadlock.
Journalists jailed
Mohiuddin Murad, correspondent of the daily Janakantha in the south-eastern city of Lakhipur, was arrested by police on 10 March. They accused him of encouraging students to attack police officers. While covering end-of-year examinations at a secondary school, the journalist had criticised the methods used by the police to catch pupils accused of cheating unawares. On 19 March Murad was charged with "incitement to violence and rebellion" and taken into custody. It was the first time a journalist had been arrested and charged under the public security law passed in January 2000, which allows suspects to be held for 90 days with no opportunity to apply for bail. The journalist was released more than four months after his arrest.
On 28 June Mosharaf Hossain Kamal, a correspondent of Dainik Dinkal, one of the main dailies owned by the BNP, was arrested by police in the Barisal district of southern Bangladesh. The official reason given was "extortion", but his family claimed the real reason was a report he had written on police corruption. He is reported to have been beaten up at the police station. The journalist was released more than a week after his arrest.
Journalists arrested
Police arrested Aminur Rahman Taj, a crime reporter for the newspaper Ajker Kagoj, on 28 May as he was on an assignment at Dhaka police headquarters. The officers, who had no arrest warrant, took him straight to a police cell, where he was held for more than five hours. Later that day he was charged under article 501 of the Code of Criminal Procedure and released on bail. The journalist was accused of "tarnishing the image of the police and of the wives of two high-ranking state officials". He faces a maximum sentence of six years in jail. He had published a front-page report in the daily making allegations against a police official and the two women - although he did not mention them by name. He said the wives were responsible for influence trafficking, and were behind the hiring or promotion of some police officers. The daily had published a police denial the next day. For the same issue, editor Kazi Shahed Ahmed wrote an editorial condemning the arrest of Aminur Rahman Taj.
On 28 June Mosharraf Hossain Kamal, a reporter for Dainik Dinkal, was arrested in the southern district of Barisal. He was beaten up at the police station and accused of publishing a report on corruption among police officers. He was later charged with extortion.
Reporters Shakawat Hossain Badsah of Dainik Matribhumi and Mahfuzur Rahman of Dainik Janata were arrested by police at their Dhaka homes on 9 July. The police were apparently acting under pressure from local political activists, who accused them of writing critical articles. The reporters were released some hours later after their employers intervened on their behalf.
Sujit Nandi, a journalist with Dainik Arthaneeti, was arrested by police on 12 July as he was on his way to meet a contact at a Dhaka hotel. He was held for 13 hours before being released.
On 16 July Rafiqul Alam, correspondent of Ajker Kagoj in Fatikchari, Chittagong province, was arrested by police officers. He had published a series of reports on police corruption. He was freed the next day on the orders of a magistrate, even though the police had accused him of murder.
Journalists attacked
Anwar Hossain, correspondent of the daily Banglabazar Patrika, was attacked by a group of activists from the Dhaka University branch of the Chattra League, the student wing of the ruling Awami League, on 1 January. They threatened to kill him. The journalist had written a report making allegations against the branch leader. On the same day Anwar-al-Din, a reporter with Dainik Ittefaq, was attacked and threatened by Chattra League members.
On 5 January Zakir Hossain Sumon, a correspondent of the daily Ajker Kagoj, was attacked in Munshiganj, south of Dhaka, by members of Chattra Dal, the student wing of the opposition BNP. The students accused him of publishing reports criticising some of their organisation's activities. Shafiuddin Ahmed, a journalist and former chairman of the Association of Bangladeshi Journalists, was also injured after he tried to defend Sumon. Both journalists were take to hospital for treatment.
Shahadat Hossain Bacchu, a correspondent of Bhorer Kagoj and secretary of the Bagerhat Press Club in the south-west of the country, was set upon by members of a criminal gang on 30 January. He suffered serious head injuries. His attackers accused him of publishing reports about a court case involving the gang in the daily.
On 31 January Moshin Hossain Babul, publishing manager of Ajker Sathkira, was assaulted in Sathkira, south-western Bangladesh. The attacker threatened further reprisals if the journalist continued to investigate the activities of him and his gang. The journalist's motorbike was set on fire.
Mohsin Ali Angur, correspondent of the daily Janakantha, and Ainul Haque, correspondent of the daily Dainik Dinkal, in the western city of Meherpur were beaten by police officers on 11 March as they were taking photographs of students accused of cheating in end-of-year examinations. The officers seized their films and threw their cameras to the ground. Both journalists were taken to hospital.
On the same day M.A. Mamum, correspondent for the daily Janakantha in the border town of Chuadanga, western Bangladesh, was set upon by members of the Awami League. People at the scene intervened to prevent him being kidnapped. The party claims the journalist had been investigating crime in Chuadanga. Immediately after the attack, a group of witnesses staged a demonstration calling on the Awami League to publicly apologise to the journalist. Shortly afterwards, the party issued a press release apologising to the press club.
On 26 March fundamentalist Moslem activists attacked journalists who had come to Sylhet to cover a demonstration in support of a liberal writer who was staging a hunger strike at Sylhet University, in the north-east of the country. Ahmed Abid, correspondent of the newspaper Dainik Banglar Bani, suffered a broken arm and was slashed all over his body with a razor. A photographer from Prothom Alo, Kamal Mehdi, was set upon and his camera smashed by demonstrators. About ten other reporters were attacked or threatened by the demonstrators, who set fire to copies of Jugantor, Prothom Alo and Jugaveri.
Nur Muhammed, correspondent of the daily Manav Zamin in the town of Karimgonj, west of Dhaka, was the victim of an attempted kidnapping on 28 March. The three attackers tried to murder him, the journalist claimed. Neighbours intervened to prevent him being kidnapped. Two days earlier he had published a report of a fight at a secondary school. One of the young people quoted in the report is believed to be behind the assault.
A group of strangers set upon Serajuddin, correspondent of Dainik Banglar Bani in Mongla, south-west Bangladesh, as he was leaving the town press club on 29 March. The attackers threatened reprisals if he complained to the police.
Anwar Zahid, correspondent of the newspaper Inqilab in Faridpur district, was the victim of an attempt to strangle him by BNP activist Bachhu Mia on 16 April. During the night five home-made bombs went off outside the offices of Inqilab in Dhaka. The resulting fires caused damage but no injuries.
On 30 April Moniruzzaman Monir, correspondent of the newspaper Prothom Alo in Naogaon, western Bangladesh, was attacked by members of the Chattra League. They accused him of publishing a report about an attack on a school by supporters of the movement.
Riot police beat up photographers Abdus Samad Jewel of Janakantha, Kazi Borhan Ahmed of Manav Zamin and Shorab Alam of Sangbad as they were covering a demonstration by women students at Dhaka University on 2 May. The officer who gave orders for the attacks was suspended from duty for several days.
BNP activists set upon Abdus Salam of the fundamentalist newspaper Inqilab in Gazipur district on 3 May. They accused him of publishing a report on infighting between factions of the party.
On 8 May Molla Abdur Rob, correspondent of the newspaper Janmobhumi in the south-western district of Bagerhat, was set upon by members of the Chattra League. Police intervened to protect him.
Haris Mohammad, a crime reporter with Manab Thikana, was stabbed with a knife on 14 May in the north-eastern town of Kulaura. The attacker was the brother of a man charged with rape. The journalist had written a report of the case.
On 18 May students at Dhaka Agricultural College attacked journalists covering one of their demonstrations. Swaupan Rai of the private television channel Ekushey TV was given police protection after the assault.
Tanver Mahmud of the Bangladesh Observer and Mahbub Zaman Nahid of The Star were beaten up by Chattra League activists at Dhaka University on 20 May.
M. A. Mottaleb, correspondent of the newspaper Manav Zamin in Jalakati, southern Bangladesh, was attacked in the street by members of the Chattra League on 12 June. After he was taken to hospital, the attackers tracked him down and dragged him out of his bed, despite protests from medical staff. The journalist had reported on how members of the youth movement were planning a rowdy welcome for the prime minister when he visited the city.
On 17 July two journalists from the western region of Naogaon escaped murder attempts after writing reports on the involvement of armed groups in smuggling. The home of Masudur Rahman Ratan, correspondent of Banglar Bani, was set on fire but the journalist was unhurt. A car tried to run down Imtiaj Alam, a correspondent of UNB.
Chattra League members went on the rampage on 20 July, ransacking dozens of shops and the offices of the daily Manchitra in Sylhet, in the north-east of the country. They were protesting against the arrest of one of their leaders. At least two journalists were injured during the incidents.
During the night of 28 August Shahriar Kabir was stabbed by four unidentified men as he was on his way home from a lecture at Dhaka University. The men stopped him as he was riding his scooter and asked him to follow them. Shariar Kabir called out for help and tried to fight off his attackers, who ran off after injuring him in the arm and face. He filed a complaint at the police station.
Akhil Podhar, Janakantha correspondent at the Islamic University of Kushtia, western Bangladesh, was set upon by strangers on 24 September. He was on his way home when two men stopped him and asked him which newspaper he worked for. He told them his name and the name of his employer. The men attacked him with knives, and after receiving several stab wounds he managed to escape into one of the university buildings. He was later taken to hospital by the police.
At the start of October, Abu Taher, mayor of the town of Lakhipur in south-eastern Chittagong province and local leader of the Awami League, threatened to "break the limbs" of journalists who investigated his involvement in the disappearance of Nurul Islam, a BNP politician. He told them to "leave town or face the worst consequences". On 4 October, Sheikh Mamunur Rashid, a reporter from Dainik Manav Zamin, received death threats when he was in Lakhipur trying to find out about the kidnapping of Nurul Islam. Policemen, accompanied by municipal security officers, searched the hotel where Sheikh Mamunur Rashid, was staying, handled him roughly and threatened him with "reprisals". On 6 October Ekramul Haq Bulbul, a journalist with Prothom Alo, was forced to flee the town after being attacked by armed men. He was taken to hospital and treated for severe bruising. He had been investigating the mayor's involvement in the disappearance of the BNP politician. The next day, seven journalists filed complaints against Abu Taher.
At least two press correspondents at Mymensingh University of Agriculture, north of Dhaka, were attacked on 18 October by students who were angry about the journalists' coverage of their protest movement against the university authorities. The students assaulted the correspondents working for Muktakantha and Ittefaq Tanjir and ransacked the office where journalists met.
On 20 October a group of supporters of the Jubo League, which is dependent on the ruling party, attacked Sohrab Hossain, a journalist with the regional daily Loksamaj, published in Jessore, because of a report on the shortcomings of government aid to victims of flooding in the south of the country. One of the attackers, whom the reporter recognised, was arrested and later released after other league members staged a protest outside the police station.
Al Amin Shahriar, correspondent of the Dainik Manav Zamin in the southern district of Bhola, was beaten by Chattra League activists on 21 October after he published a report on the security situation. Some hours later, the newspaper's district offices were set on fire. The journalist filed a complaint against his attackers, who later went to his home and threatened him with further reprisals if he did not withdraw the complaint.
Anisur Rahim, editor of Sathkirar Chitra, was shot and seriously injured in Satkhira on 26 October when armed members of the ruling party attacked the newspaper office after failing to find him at the town press club. The attackers fired at him twice and also beat him on the arms and legs. The newspaper's offices were vandalised. The previous day, the minister of health and family welfare, Mozammel Hossain, had told Awami League members: "If you come across any journalists, break their bones". The minister was reacting to reports accusing local leaders of the ruling party of misappropriating funds intended for the victims of flooding in the region. Some newspapers had also accused the minister of mismanaging the operation, particularly by banning non-government organisations from coming to the aid of stricken villages. Following the minister's comment, about ten journalists from Satkhira decided to go into hiding.
Ahsanul Kabir, correspondent of the daily Dinkal in Kishoregonj, north of Dhaka, was attacked on 14 December by armed men who threatened to kill him. They were angry about reports published in October about a corruption scandal involving the son of a local official.
On 17 December armed men attacked the home of Giasuddin, correspondent of the dailies Ajker Batra and Ittefaq in Kataksthal, southern Bangladesh, throwing home-made bombs and threatening to come back and kill him.
Journalists threatened
Munirul Islam Litton, correspondent of Janakantha in the northern city of Sherpur, received death threats by post and telephone on 24 January. The messages came from a group of criminals who were angry about the daily's reports condemning their involvement in fraud and smuggling.
Shaukat Milton, Janakantha correspondent in Barisal, southern Bangladesh, received death threats on 15 February from Panama Faruk, one of the leaders of the Awami League youth movement about whom the journalist had published a report. The story was immediately taken up by the entire Bangladeshi press.
On 21 March Mukhlesur Rahman Chowdhury, a journalist specialising in diplomatic affairs for the opposition newspaper Dainik Dinkal, started receiving threats from NSI intelligence agents who accused him of "tarnishing the image" of Bangladesh. At a press conference the day before, the journalist had asked visiting US President Bill Clinton what he thought of politics in Bangladesh.
Municipal officials in Dhaka responsible for awarding public works contracts locked up a group of journalists from the country's leading dailies in a municipal building and threatened them with reprisals on 17 May. The journalists had published reports condemning mafia-style practices at the municipality.
Awami League activists threatened to kill two journalists, Sheikh Mamunur Rashid, a reporter with the daily Manav Zamin, and Al Amin Shahriar, the newspaper's correspondent in the southern city of Bhola, on 23 May.
On 17 June Mohamad Delwar Hossain, a journalist with the daily Jugantor, received death threats from an armed group against which he had made allegations in a report on criminal activities.
During July Jahangir Alam Aakash, a journalist with Sangbad, received death threats by letter, telephone and from people in the street. The origin of the threats seemed to be the Chattra Shibir, the student wing of the Islamic party Jamaat-e-Islami.
Mhabub Alam, correspondent of Dainik Dinkal at the University of Rajshahi, northern Bangladesh, received death threats from Chattra Shibir on 5 July. He had written reports about violence on the campus by members of the movement.
Farazi Ajmal Hossain, a reporter with the daily Ittefaq and president of the Jessore Press Club, received phone calls threatening to kill him on 25 August. On the same day, a shroud and anonymous letter forbidding him to "write anything whatever" were sent to his home. The letter also told him he should "get ready to die".
In September Shariar Kabir, a journalist and film-maker, received a series of anonymous calls threatening reprisals if he carried out his plan to make a documentary about the rise of fundamentalism on the subcontinent and particularly Kashmir.
Tauhidul Islam, a journalist specialising in crime for Inqilab, received phone calls threatening to kill him at his home and his office on 23 September, after the newspaper published a report about a criminal gang led by Tokai Sagor. The gang threatened the journalist and his family with "reprisals".
On 21 October Mostafizur Rahman Titu, correspondent of the daily Janakantha for Gazipur district, escaped a kidnap attempt by members of armed groups thanks to the intervention of journalists and passers-by.
Chattra League activists, angry about a report on the arrest of one of their leaders, ransacked the offices of the local daily Jalalabad in Sylhet, north-east Bangladesh, on 8 October and threatened to kill journalists on the premises.
Three armed men forced Mowarul Islam, a journalist with the daily Manav Zamin, to get into their car in a Dhaka street on 27 October. The journalist's protests attracted the attention of passers-by and the men drove off. The journalist said he suspected political activists of being behind the attempted kidnapping.
On 31 October Moniruzzaman Shamim, correspondent of Dainik Dinkal at the University of Jatiyatabadi, Rajshahi, western Bangladesh, was threatened with "reprisals" by members of the BNP student wing if he did not give up his job with the newspaper. The students accused him of working for a "dishonest newspaper" and tore up his identity card.
An armed group led by Mohiuddin warned Nikhil Chatterjee, correspondent of the daily Sangbad, on 4 December that they would "cut off his legs". The incident took place in the town of Patuakhali, in the south of the country. A few days earlier the reporter had criticised the group's activities.
On 7 December Wahidul Haque, correspondent of the daily Jugantor in Narayanganj, east of Dhaka, received death threats from an armed group about which he had published reports.
Pressure and obstruction
Two people threw a bomb at the building that houses the offices of the daily Dainik Azadi in Chittagong on 4 January. The resulting explosion caused no major damage. A few minutes later, another bomb damaged the editor's car.
Police seized a camera belonging to Asaduzaman Asad, a photographer with Dainik Dinkal, as he was taking pictures of an opposition demonstration in which some newspaper editors were planning to take part on 8 February. The camera was given back to him a few hours later.
On 8 March police searched the offices of the opposition newspaper Dainik Dinkal. The officers, who had arrest warrants issued by a magistrate at the Narayanganj court against three senior editorial staff and a reporter, are said to have insulted journalists who were on the premises and damaged equipment. Publishing manager Akhter-ul-Alam, sales manager A. K. M. Mossaraf Hossain, publisher Professor Majidul Alam and the newspaper's correspondent in the port city of Narayanganj, Shamsul Alam Liton, were not arrested because they were out of the office at the time. The search followed a libel complaint filed on 27 February by Shamim Osman, the member of parliament for Narayanganj, over a series of reports on ties between organised crime and the city authorities.
Eight thousand copies of the newspapers Janakantha, Prothom Alo and Jugantor were seized and set alight by Awami League militants on 17 April because they had published on the national holiday.
Police searched the home of Tariqul Haq Tariq, correspondent of Prothom Alo in the western city of Kushtia on 1 May. They were looking for the journalist, who was out at the time. The local police chief apologised to him a few days later.
A false murder allegation was made against Moshin Ali Angur, correspondent of the newspaper Janakantha, by an official for Meherpur district, west of Dhaka, on 25 June. A police officer who asked not to be named said the official was known for doing this as a way of silencing journalists who criticised him in their reports.
On 31 July the food and agriculture minister, who was the ruling party candidate in a by-election, had two journalists thrown out of a polling station in Jhalakati, southern Bangaldesh, accusing them of "biased" coverage of the election campaign.
Strangers planted two home-made bombs outside the offices of the weekly Progoter Din in Faridpur district, west of Dhaka, on 2 September. The explosion caused damage but no injuries.
Police seized all copies of the Asian edition of the US magazine Newsweek on 18 September and banned the "importation, sale or possession" of the weekly in Bangladesh. The latest issue contained a photograph of a woman whose arms and legs were covered in slogans in the Farsi language. The government said the picture might shock Moslems, the country's religious majority. The manager of the company that distributes Newsweek in Bangladesh said the police had no warrant for the seizure.
During the night of 3 October, strangers attacked the offices of the daily Inqilab in Dhaka, injuring a security guard. Police arrested one of the attackers, a political science student.
During the night of 13 to 14 November, Dhaka police searched the offices of the Bengali-language newspaper Inqilab and the homes of Ahmed Bahauddin, the fundamentalist daily's publishing manager, A. Baquiullah, publisher, and journalist A. Mosharaff. They were accused of libel for publishing a parody of the national anthem in the 20 October issue and face the death penalty or life imprisonment under section 124A of the penal code. The next day police arrested Mr Mainuddin, director of the Inqilab press group. During the night of 13 November the three defendants appeared before an emergency sitting of the supreme court and asked to be freed on bail. The court asked the authorities to suspend the arrests ahead of the first hearing, scheduled for six days later. On 16 November prime minister Sheikh Hasina criticised the supreme court judges for meeting in the middle of the night to grant bail to the journalists. The controversy grew, with the government, the opposition, the judges and the press all eager to have their say. Dozens of complaints about the parody were filed against the newspaper all over the country by people close to the government. In southern Barisal province, the newspaper was banned by the local authorities and the next day Awami League members set fire to hundreds of copies. Six days later, demonstrators attacked the Inqilab offices in Khulna, in the south-west of the country. Mr Mainuddin was freed on 30 November.
It was learned on 7 December that the Bangladeshi foreign minister had asked his Indian counterpart to have the newspaper Mayer Dak, published in Calcutta, banned. The Bangladeshi publisher had already been threatened by an official of the Bangladeshi consulate in the border region. He was accused by the government of "misinforming readers about the situation in India and Bangladesh".


text:
Ulala from Space Channel 5 as a Sackgirl from Little Big Planet, crocheted by Maggie Wang, who takes commissions. Here's a few more of her recent creations - - Sackboy wearing a wolf mask, as Teen Wolf (that's his back), and Reno from Final Fantasy 7:
*At Toycutter: Ulala custom action figure.
*Buy Ulala toys at eBay.
Friday, March 27, 2009
Space Channel 5 Sackgirl (and more)
Posted by John at 7:55 PM
Labels: little big planet, maggie wang, plush, space channel 5, video games


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RepairPal is your advocate for car care advice and guidance
Q: Having problems taking window motor out of 1993 Chevy sport van.Drivers side. on 1993 Chevrolet G Series Van (G20)
Took all the bolts out and the unit has an arm that is spot welded to the door.I know I have to drill them out but it is very difficult to see how it disengages from the window track.The access hole is off to the left side.I can feel rust along the track where the bottom of the window sets on.How do I properly remove the motor?
IF THE REGULATOR IS OK:: there should be 3 dimples in the door where the motor retaining bolts are, drill out these dimples then enlarge the holes enough to access the three bolts or retainers, remove them then the motor will come off from the back side, that is all that needs to be removed or unbolted! You do not have to remove the lift assembly to replace this motor! Drill out these holes now before you put everything back in place, it will be eaiser. Do you have a replacement motor to look at? I Just replaced one last week, same deal, G-20 van! If you do it like i am telling you, the spring is not even tampered with!! It's a 30 min. job tops, even for a diy 'er!
Thank you pushrod. I did have a motor that I ordered on line.I was able to install the the motor and did as you said.On my van there is a small opening so you can see part of the regulator and I could see the three mounting bolts off to the side of the opening.There were 2 holes about a 1/4 " in diameter that lined up with 2 of the bolts. I enlarged the 2 holes with a drumell tool I had. The 3rd hole off to the right I had to cut a slot on the and of the opening.After that it was a piece of cake.I had to replace the dual window switch at the same time as that was shot also.Thank you for sharing your expertise to help me out.
I am a retired electrician and if you have any questions that I could help you with please don't hesitate to contact me..........Richard
I am a retired electrician and if you have any questions that I could help you with please don't hesitate to contact me..........Richard
You are welcom Richard, glad to help! I will take you up on that help with electrical work cause I cant see that stuff that shocks me but can surely feel it! Glad you got the window repaired. I dont have any online connections to these big repair guide sites, just answers from what I have aleady experenced in the field. MOST of the time I have been there done that after 42 years of turning wrenches! However i still get it wrong sometimes, always have, always will but that's ok with me.
Hi pushrod..... This is the only way I knew how to get back to you. Hope all is well with you. I have another question regarding my van and hopefully you will be able to help me out. Am having a problem with the brakes on my van. Had new brakes installed about a year ago so they are in good shape. I don't use the the van that much so there is not much mileage on them. Just recently my pedal slowly started to go down to the floor and the brakes were not working properly. I took it to a friend of mine who is familiar with doing repairs on trucks. The first thing he suggested was to replace the fluid. At the time he said that the valves to drain the system were kind of rusty so we slowly started to drain the fluid from the filler cups. He did this several times while sucking out the fluid and putting new fluid in it. The old fluid was black. I left van at his house so he can work on it in his spare time. He has a garage with a lift in it. When we took the van for test drives as we periodically changed the liquid to see if the brakes would work. One thing I forgot to mention was when we step on the pedal it would go down to the floor and then all of a sudden the brakes would suddenly catch all at once and stop the van. My friend bought a master cylinder figuring that that was the cause. There was not much of a change at all. So the problem is somewhere else. Do you have any suggestions?
Thank you.... Richard
Thank you.... Richard
Yeah, got a couple... Just post a new question on RepairPal. I'll see it!
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When regulator is not attached to door slide the regulator rearward to remove roller from slide at the notch in the channel. Collapse regulator and remove regulator w/motor, then drill rivets to remove motor.
The regulator and motor are attached to each other.At least that's what it appears to be.I know there is a powerful spring on the regulator and I understand there is a process to disconnect the regulator safely to change the motor.
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