text:
Sunday, February 3, 2013
Sunday special: a provincially elected Senate?
You can read the rest of the article on The Globe and Mail website, part of a series of articles the Globe is doing on the Senate.
I'm not quite sure what is intended by Bill C-7 requiring candidates to be registered by provincial parties. Some provincial parties and elected senators might be very happy to caucus with the government of the day or a federal cousin, but not all of them would be. And their allegiances would be mixed. They would have more of a provincial mindset than the current crop of appointed senators, and would have no particular reason to be loyal to any of the federal party leaders. In fact, they might have very good reason to listen to their provincial party leader instead - if at the end of a nine-year term an elected senator hopes to run provincially (or for the Senate once more, I'm not clear on whether C-7 prohibits consecutive terms), they will need the provincial party leader to sign their nomination papers.
Provincially elected senators will not sit together easily. The government has not had any issue appointing those Alberta Progressive Conservatives to the Senate, since they can caucus with the federal Conservative senators. But what if a Wildrose candidate had won the senatorial election? And, more interestingly, what if both a PC and Wildrose senator were appointed to the Senate? Would they really want to sit together in the same caucus?
If Bill C-7 becomes law and the provinces go along, this probably wouldn't cause too much trouble in the short term with the Senate dominated by appointed senators sitting in federal caucuses. But once the number of appointed senators drops and elected senators with provincial party allegiances become more numerous, the tone of the Red Chamber would change dramatically. Would a B.C. Liberal senator side with the federal Conservatives or the federal Liberals? Where would Wildrose fall? Would Alberta and PEI PC senators see eye-to-eye on everything? What about Tory senators from Newfoundland and Labrador? Quebec Liberals? The CAQ? The PQ?
This sort of Senate sounds absolutely fascinating to watch, but I'm not quite sure how it would work in practice - if at all. It could be a moot point since Bill C-7 might never become law and all of the provinces might never go along. But it is an interesting thing to ponder, as this is what the government is proposing in its bill. Have the long-term implications of this bill been considered?
73 comments:
- Jim Ross03 February, 2013 10:59
I don't think there is actually any issue here. First of all, if the Senate nomination process is anything like the Alberta PC nomination process, what federal Party the Senator would caucus with would come up in the process. I think it would be very difficult for anyone who did not wanna caucus with the CPC to win a nomination in any PC Party or the Sask, Yukon, or Wildrose parties. Things could get interesting in the BC or QC Libs or CAQ, but for every other provincial party currently its pretty clear which federal faction would be dominant. Secondly, there's no reason to believe Senate elections would be done proportionally, they would probably be similar to Alberta, where the winning party would usually win them all unless a particular candidate is very popular/unpopular. I would be really surprised if any Party not currently represented in the HoC ended up with a Senate seat.ReplyDeleteReplies
I didn't hand out the seats proportionately, I favoured the leading parties over second, and second parties over third, etc.Delete
I think that if senatorial races received more attention, you'd find fewer straight tickets. And think about close races - if in the last Quebec election eight senate seats were being contested, do you really think the PQ would have won all eight? I think that is highly unlikely. Also think of the recent close elections in BC, Manitoba, Ontario, and Nova Scotia. With a little extra attention being paid to the senatorial race, I think you'd often find a mix of winners.
And consider the Alberta election: how many Liberal voters swung over to the PCs to block Wildrose? How many of those Liberal voters would have voted for a Liberal senator if given the option?
Lastly, you have to remember that the slates would not be filled all at once. They would be filled as appointed senators retire, and as elected senators resign, die, or reach the age of 75.
So, to use the Quebec example again, the province would have had three opportunities to elect senators in 2007, 2008, and 2012. In 2007, the ADQ might have gotten a few senators in. In 2008, the PLQ probably would have won most of the slots. And in 2012, the PQ would have taken the lion's share. So you have a mix of parties in the Senate, not just straight tickets from whoever won the last election.
And I have to disagree that caucusing with a federal party would be a virtual requirement to get the provincial party's nomination. A Wildrose senatorial candidate is asking to be elected to represent the Conservatives, or Wildrose? And they'll be happy to sit with an Alberta PC senator when they are running a hard campaign against them provincially?
Also, remember that after a while every senator would have been elected from a provincial party and the Senate would be seen more as a provincial body, rather than a federal one. I find it hard to believe that a senator from, say, Newfoundland and Labrador or Quebec would get very far because of a pledge to caucus with Alberta or Manitoba Tories, rather than to represent the province.
I'm quite skeptical that winners would be so mixed. The electoral system to be used is the Block Vote, where each voter gets as many votes as there are seats to fill. Almost everywhere in the world this system is used, each voter uses all his votes on his preferred party, and the plurality party wins in a landslide. Sometimes a single candidate for another party is very popular, so instead of a 12-0 result you see 11-1, but a truly proportional result is rare.Delete
If you think Canada will be the exception in this matter, and will have different results than the rest of the world, I'd be interested in hearing your reasoning.
It is quite possible that voters would elect a straight ticket, but because of the way elected senators would be gradually introduced into the Senate voters would never be electing a full slate of senators in a single block. So, the mixed identities could simply be the cause of multiple provincial elections with different winners each time.Delete
But I'd appreciate if you listed the countries where this block vote is used so we can verify your claim that they almost always have straight tickets. A quick Wikipedia search shows the countries using it as Kuwait, Laos, Lebanon, Mauritius, Mongolia, Syria, Tonga, Tuvalu. You can understand if I don't consider their political cultures as ones that we can expect our own to resemble.
I've brought up the 2004 Alberta senatorial election, where an independent candidate placed fourth ahead of two other PC candidates. If we look at Vancouver municipal elections, we also see that the winners can come from multiple parties. So I don't think this is a an outlandish claim by any stretch of the imagination.
And even the Alberta senatorial elections show how voters don't always vote a straight ticket. The number of votes each candidate received were not identical - some voters were apparently not handing out all the votes they could or were not voting a straight ticket. If we had an election where two or three parties had similar numbers of votes (like the last Quebec election, or the next Ontario election, based on the polls) these small variations could make all the difference.
- David Gussow03 February, 2013 12:25
Eric (from your Globe and Mail article)ReplyDelete
"To get an idea of what such a Senate might look like, I allocated the Senate's 105 seats proportionately according to the results of the last election in each province, always rounding-up. That has the effect of giving more popular parties more Senate seats than they would otherwise receive. As Bill C-7 stipulates that voters select from a list of names, voting for as many candidates as the number of nominees that need to be selected, this would seem to be a plausible assumption."
I do not think it would be a plausible assumption. One only has to look at the Alberta results. There was no proportionality there. It was 100% for the Progressive Conservatives. With about 40% of the vote they got 100% of the nominees (only 3 were up for election). Basically it will be block voting. And as shown in the US for their electoral college, if one wants to increase the clout of a province that is how a province would organize an election. It would effectively be a first past the post province wide. In that kind of scenario based on the last elections the PQ would have gotten 24 seats in Quebec and the Liberals would have gotten 24 seats in Ontario. That is the more likely model to look at. And personally I don't like it. By far the better proposal the government put forward was their previous bill (C-20) which did apportion them on a proportional basis.Replies
See my comment above, particularly in terms of Quebec. The popular vote result was 32% PQ, 31% PLQ, 27% CAQ. I don't think the PQ would win all 24 slots in such an election.Delete
I think that, with such a different complexion for the Senate and with all parties running candidates (the NDP and Liberals did not in Alberta, for instance) voting behaviour would be very different from what actually happened in Alberta.
Also, look at the 2004 senatorial run. An independent candidate placed fourth, ahead of two PCs, and that in a general election that the PCs won by a larger margin than the 2012 vote. I don't think the Alberta examples (particularly considering that neither 2004 nor 2012 were close elections) are very instructive.
- David Gussow03 February, 2013 18:06
My view is that proportional representation is by far the best method for an election to the Senate and as an exercise you have shown what it would look like with provincial parties in the mix. However bill C-7 allows any province that wanted to, to devise their own method of election. Based on the Alberta example a province, particularly Quebec would use the block voting method. It would be construed as democratic but would be like the bulk of elections for the Electoral College in the US. The winner would take them all no matter what the plurality. And in the percentages that you give, Quebec had the plurality and would take them all. In Alberta they basically have that form of election. It was 40% of one big constituency and the PC's took them all, the other 60% got nothing. In Quebec it would be 32% for 24 Senate nominees and 68% with nothing. It would be the same system as in the US. President Obama got a very close plurality of the vote, but the electoral vote (based on block voting) gave him an overwhelming majority.Delete
If all parties ran for the Senate in 2012 in Alberta, I think the likely scenario would mirror the results of the provincial general election. PC's 44%, Wildrose 34%, Libs 10% and NDP 10%. The same thing would have occurred, the PC's taking them all.
And yes, in 2004, an independent placed fourth. But my recollection is that he was a Progressive Conservative in all but name and was elected as if he were one.
The other valid point that you make is that currently the nominees are not summoned to the Senate at the same time and therefore the mix will be different. That could be true if the provincial government changes from one election to the next. The likely result, however, would be that if a party was successful in winning two full terms, all the nominees would be from that party. The province could set up a system where all the nominees would be valid for 8 years for instance.
In any event, it would be interesting if you showed how the Senate would have looked if block voting was the method of election in the provinces.
- Anonymous03 February, 2013 12:59
Look at the total mess in USA with a D Senate and an R H of R. Total mess. Why would we ask for that? Provinces work perfectly we'll on unicameral basis. Abolition is the only way out. There is no need to represent provinces, only citizens.ReplyDelete
George Orwell.
Given that the Wildrose Party likes to think they are closer to the fed CPC than the PCs are, they would absolutely pledge to caucus with the CPC, like they all did. It doesn't seem to be causing any serious problems to have AB PCs sitting with Wildrose supporters in the CPC caucus, remember a lot of AB PC and Wildrose activists get together to support the same CPC and municipal candidates, so there are a lot of friendships across party lines, including amongst candidates. In a Party like the AB PCs or the Sask Party, where 10-15% of the activists are fed Libs, the dominant CPCs would make sure that noone who would caucus with any other Party would ever win a selection. The last thing the PCs wanna do is give ammo to the Wildrose to claim they are actually Liberals. Claiming the "so and so might caucus with the Liberals" is probably the best way to attack someone competing for the nomination in those provinces (although I'm more familiar with AB provincial politics than SK).ReplyDeleteReplies
You are still assuming that there would be Conservative senators in the Senate to caucus with. Eventually, under this system, there wouldn't be. Each senator would have been elected under their provincial party banner. What then?Delete
- Jim Ross03 February, 2013 15:53
Yeah I'm assuming that, because the Conservative Senate Caucus would continue to exist as an institution. It's not like a younger version of Bert Brown would wake up one day and decide that based on how the colleagues he had been caucusing with for 8 years had been elected, he might as well go back to calling himself a Reformer. The gradual election of Senators would cause the newly elected minority to integrate with the existing caucus, no matter how those existing caucus members got there in the first place. In most provinces almost all of the people who might run for Senate as a PC (or Wildrose or Sask Party) are already active and prominent federal CPC supporters, it's not like they go to Ottawa, see all of the MPs they support and are usually buddies with, and say "wait a minute, cause of how I got elected I'm not really with you guys"Delete
I think that is a very big assumption, as over time the Senate would become more of a provincial body rather than a federal one. As soon as any issue pits region against region, senators will have far less reason to side with the government than with the constituents who sent them to the Senate in the first place.Delete
These senators will have been elected as part of a provincial campaign. It seems like quite a stretch to assume that they will automatically forget that and incorporate themselves into a federal party in Ottawa. Why would they?
It's unclear if someone can seek re-election, but even if they can 9 years is a long time. I would therefore think elected senators would not feel particularly bound by party unity.Delete
I foresee caucuses and sub-caucuses. You'll likely have a somewhat solid Liberal and Tory caucus, but, from time to time, and on issues specific to various provinces, I'm willing to bet that all senators from that province will break with their political caucus to vote with their geographic caucus.Delete
The European parliament is probably a good model to look at here. MEPs are elected under their national party banner, but join one of several groups once they get to Brussels, and appurtenance to groups is fluid.ReplyDelete
It does happen that parties competing against each other end up sitting in the same caucus - in the 2009 election in Italy, for example, the Union of the Centre party, in opposition to the Berlusconi government, won seats, but ended up sitting in the same European People's Party caucus as parties from the Berlusconi coalition.
There are also competing groups for shades of the same ideology - there's the pan-european EPP, but the UK Conservatives and several smaller eurosceptic eastern european parties have broken away from it to form the European Conservatives and Reformists.
What I can imagine happening is a group for the more right-wing Conservatives (Wild Rose, Sask, Manitoba and Ontario PCs, some but not all of the other PC parties), a centre-right "liberals" group (BC Libs and PLQ, with maybe the Alberta and some of Atlantic PCs joining), a centre-left Liberals group (Ontario and Atlantic Liberals), and a group of New Democrats.
- Anonymous03 February, 2013 22:42
Great post, as usual.ReplyDelete
Should this pass, the NDP shouldn't run any candidate for any senatorial election, as they are for the abolishment of the Senate.
The Bloc is also opposed to the Senate, but I don't know about the PQ.
I see this future Senate as either Tory or Liberal minorities, possibly Tory majorities every once in a while, with very few Liberal majorities.
- Ashley Morton04 February, 2013 07:57
It's worth noting, also, that Quebec senators are explicitly regional (only province to do so). Therefore, I would suggest that they would end up actually creating "senatorial districts", rather than having province-wide elections. Quebec senators must, in fact, own property in their division.ReplyDelete
Of course, the divisions should either be modified or removed, because the definitions haven't been changed in over a century, and they don't include anyone from northern Quebec.
Still, the idea of internal regional representation might reasonably be adopted by some provinces.
What's wrong with just abolishing the Senate??ReplyDelete
Doesn't do anything worthwhile any more.Replies
I would certainly prefer abolition to making it an elected body.Delete
I don't think the Senate, as it is, is useless, but I do fear the consequences of granting it democratic legitmacy.
You'd be surprised. A lot of what the senate does happens behind the scenes in committees or on technical legislation that elected MPs can't be bothered to read. Partly because they are appointed and are senators for so long, Senators often build up a great deal of technical expertise as legislators, which is often lacking in elected officials. As a result, apart from their role in fixing defective legislation, their play an important role in policy development (and if you look at some of the reports that have come out of the Senate over the past decade or so, on subjects as varied as medicare, the military, and poverty alleviation, you see that some Senators (not all of them, to be sure) do great work.Delete
If anything, that's my concern with the proposed reform, that the positive attributes of the existing senate will be lost.
Constitutionally its virtually impossible.Delete
And the Senate is anti-democratic on a more fundamental level. It's not merely a matter of being elected or not, it's that the House of Commons ought to be sufficient to represent the people; the function of a second chamber is to provide a corrective to the will of the people as represented in the Commons, in other words, to set a higher authority over the people. Notice that there are no schemes - even for an elected Senate - that propose the same level of representation as that of the House... in fact, any that did would be rightly acknowledged as redundant. Instead, the Senate is always seen as being more exclusive than the House. It's on that basis (at least partly) that many call for the abolishment of the Senate.Delete
- Anonymous04 February, 2013 15:35
"[T]he function of a second chamber is to provide a corrective to the will of the people as represented in the Commons, in other words, to set a higher authority over the people".Delete
This is fundamentally wrong. The reasoning behind upper houses in general is to act as a brake upon the popular will of the people. What is in someone's personal best interest or even rational interest is not necessarily in the collective or long-term interest of the people. As we often see after elections people are not adverse to changing their mind and setting their city, province, country on nearly diametrically opposed policy direction.
Taxation in Alberta is a case in point. At present taxes are too low and hence the Province runs a deficit. On a personal level (especially if you're from another province and want to move back) low taxes are rational. However, from a communal or long term point of view low taxes will inevitably lead to a deterioration of services over the long-term.
In many ways the Senate is viewed as less exclusive than the House, the difference in representation is based upon regions and therefore there is no need to have similar a similar level of representation.
"And the Senate is anti-democratic on a more fundamental level."Delete
Perhaps, but remember, Canada isn't simply a democracy, we're a (small l) LIBERAL democracy. Democracy requires we respect the will of the people, small-l liberalism requires that we recognize and respect the rights of the political minority. The Senate and the House of Commons are intended to reflect those two facets of our political identity. The latter represents the majority (or, at least, the plurality), while the former represents the political minority. Or so goes the theory.
Saying the Senate is anti-democratic doesn't get you very far because it wasn't intended to be a democratic institution. Put another way, you won't find many serious critiques of the practice of appointing Supreme Court Judges, and yet they have similar powers to the Senate to quash popular legislation. Saying that the Supreme Court is anti-democratic isn't much of criticism - it's supposed to be. (In fact, one argument for abolishing the Senate might be that the protection of the political minority is better served by the courts than by the legislature. I don't know if that's really true, though).
Anonymous 15:35,Delete
"The reasoning behind upper houses in general is to act as a brake upon the popular will of the people."
That is precisely the point I made. A corrective to the will of the people. You then say :
"What is in someone's personal best interest or even rational interest is not necessarily in the collective or long-term interest of the people."
And the question that should immediately arise is, who decides what is in the best interest of the people? If you seriously believe in democracy, the answer has to be, the people themselves.
Bob, I agree the Senate wasn't intended to be a democratic institution. Therefore, it should be scrapped. And the only minority the Senate has reliably protected is, as "George Orwell" quoted above, the minority of the privileged. In fact, when properly functioning, the House of Commons represent minorities – and better than a Senate ever could, though still far from an ideal. The comparison with the Supreme Court is not apt, because the Supreme Court isn't in the business of creating law or policy. The Supreme Court is meant to rule on law and policy created by the government, i.e. the people. They are appointed, just as senior civil servants are appointed, to carry out the wishes of the people.
Absolutely agree and say "well put" !!
So lets get on and abolish the Senate and save that $109,000 we pay each of them every year. Plus expenses of course !!
- Anonymous04 February, 2013 09:29
This might make it worthwhile.ReplyDelete
You know, direct provincial-federal relations.Replies
There used to be these things called First Ministers Conference, but the Harper Conservatives haven't bothered to show...Delete
- Anonymous04 February, 2013 09:50
John A Macdonald said " We need the Senate to protect minoritiesReplyDelete
and there will always be fewer rich people than any other class".
George Orwell.
"To get an idea of what such a Senate might look like, I allocated the Senate's 105 seats proportionately according to the results of the last election in each province, always rounding-up."ReplyDelete
I wish that were the case. The original Senate Reform bill specified STV, which would have given proportional results. The current bill specificies block voting, so if everyone voted along party lines, the most popular party would take every seat. In practice you'd get one or two candidates from the second party through, but not many.
So in the last Quebec election, the PQ could have potentially taken every Senate seat.
"The government has not had any issue appointing those Alberta Progressive Conservatives to the Senate, since they can caucus with the federal Conservative senators. But what if a Wildrose candidate had won the senatorial election?"ReplyDelete
Éric, seeing as the Harper Conservatives as much as openly back the Wildrose Party, surely the awkwardness would more readily arise if an Alberta Progressive Conservative were elected...
What's most objectionable about this proposed reconfiguration of the Senate is that it has the effect of centralising and reducing regional/provincial representation. As things stand, Canadians have representation nationally via the Commons, and regionally via provincial and territorial legislatures, and this representation is based on similar electoral procedures. Until recently there have been both formal and informal means for representatives of both levels to work together. Bill C-7 would provide a mechanism whereby regional representation would necessarily be reduced (fewer Senators than Provincial/Territorial legislators) and centralised (Senators being physically further removed from their constituents). This centralisation also holds the risk of reducing the means to address region-specific concerns.ReplyDelete
I posted this on the reddit thread for the article, but I think it's worth reposting here:ReplyDelete
When asked about Senate Reform at the Liberal convention Stéphane Dion gave three criteria that a Senate Reform proposal would have to satisfy in order for him to support it:
1. There needs to be a clear mechanism of resolving disputes between the House and Senate. With only the House elected, by custom the Senate generally defers to the House. This would not necessarily be the case of the Senate also has a democratic mandate.
2. The Senate should serve a different purpose than the House, and whatever method of selection is used for the Senate should serve that purpose. There is no sense in creating two House of Commons.
3. Alberta and BC are massively underrepresented in the Senate. Senate Reform should include increasing BC and Alberta's representation to better reflect their population
I personally think Australia has some pretty good examples to apply to points 1 and 2, and the EU has some that could work for number 3. Either way though, I think Dion's points are a pretty good starting point for people on any part of the political spectrum. Realistically, this is going to need a constitutional amendment, and it should be well thought out andReplies
- Derek Andrew04 February, 2013 17:45
In Australia mechanisms do exist for resolving disputes, a joint sitting of Parliament, dissolution or a double dissolution.Delete
It is interesting to note that when conflict did arise on the budget in 1975 the Governor General sought the last option instead of convening a joint sitting.
Actually they tried the joint sitting first. The funny thing was that in the 1974 election Labour got just over 51.7% in the House and just under 50% in the Senate. So the same people voted in two different parties in two different chambers at the same time. :/Delete
Labour had a 1 seat majority in the House, but the Liberal-National coalition had a 2 seat majority in the Senate, so a joint sitting still failed to let the Labour government pass its budget.
- Derek Andrew05 February, 2013 11:10
As far as I can tell there has only been one joint sitting, August 1974. It passed legislation regarding elections and medicare. The constitutional crisis and dismissal happened over a year later in Oct-Nov. 1975.
Upon further investigation it appears there are set criteria for joint sittings that may have not been applicable in 1975. Based on my reading of the constitution s 57 a joint sitting can not be called unilaterally by the Governor General.
You may be right actually. I know it was considered - they may not have bothered since the opposition would have still held a majority in the joint sitting, as they did in the Senate.Delete
- Anonymous04 February, 2013 15:47
There is a temptation for political junkies to go geekie about a new Senate when the only real democratic answer is abolition.ReplyDelete
G O.Replies
Agreed. This is what happens... people get caught up in the details and lose sight of the fundamentals.Delete
One example. Ryan says :
"Dion's points are a pretty good starting point for people on any part of the political spectrum."
But on the face of it that is not true, since the NDP favours abolishing the Senate altogether. Another effect of the Harper governement's tinkering - an effect they are surely aware of - is that it forces the NDP to either give up their principled stance against the Senate and join in, or to become more meaningfully disenfranchised than now by not participating.
- Anonymous05 February, 2013 12:20
I am befuddled why you would think the Tories should take the NDP's point of view into consideration?
They can not become less enfranchised than they are now since at present they have no senators nor any right to appoint senators.
Beauchesne, it's not that I expect the Conservatives to take the NDP's position into consideration, I'm a political realist. But they ought to take everyone's position into consideration. The Conservative government shouldn't be merely the government of those who voted for them (or, more realistically, those who bankroll them), it ought to be the government of the whole country. It would be refreshing if they would act accordingly.Delete
The NDP (and, more importantly, many Canadians) can be less enfranchised than they currently are simply because the current Senate doesn't have much of an impact on policy. The Conservative's proposed Senate would have a much more significant impact, so the effect of not being part of it would be exacerbated.
chimurenga - I'd be fine with abolition myself too. Trouble is that in order to abolish the Senate you need the support of the House, the Senate itself as well as all 10 provincial legislatures. I don't see that happening in my lifetime or yours, particularly given how advantageous the Senate is for the Maritimes.Delete
Senate reform would only require 7/10 provincial legislatures. That's still pretty hard to do, but at least it may be possible.
I completely agree you with that the current proposals only make things worse though.Delete
- Anonymous06 February, 2013 12:59
Well chimurenga,Delete
How can you argue that remaining outside an institution would make someone less enfranchised? Even if this was a valid argument it is still subject to free will; the decision to remain outside is an effective use of the franchise-a political decision! Finally, the franchise does not apply to political parties only individuals. Therefore, expanding the franchise to include voting for senators undoubtedly expands the franchise.
If the NDP acted as the Opposition for the whole country perhaps I could sympathise. Instead they seem content to side with those who would dismantle Canada. How any federalist could think much less believe the NDP Bill to replace the Clarity Act is anything but an abomination is beyond me. Or that a single vote would be a clear answer to a clear question. Such reasoning is absurd and would likely be ultra vires as per the Supreme Court reference.
As for enfranchisement; the NDP would have the Quebec Court of Appeal rule on the clarity of the question instead of the elected House of Commons! Such a move restricts and belittles if not outright negates the franchise of all Canadians by placing perhaps the most important decision in Canadian history outside the elected political realm. I sincerely wish the NDP had taken all Canadians' preferences into consideration instead of disregarding the vast majority to satisfy fair-weather political supporters.
- Anonymous05 February, 2013 12:20
If a new elected Senate is created and has real power, the BOO will have to participate while continuing to favour abolition. It is kinda like the NW running for parliament or the Scots Nats.ReplyDelete
- Anonymous05 February, 2013 18:51
BOO is NDP (spell check) NW is BQReplyDelete
- Anonymous05 February, 2013 20:38
As a Dipper, I actually support a Bicameral house with the Commons and Senate.ReplyDelete
The Senate is always described as a camber of sober second thought, I don't really see a reason to oppose its being. My major issue is it composition being unequal and it being filled with political friends and failed MPs.
Making it an elected body make on effect one side of the problem, ie. appointments. the Problem remains that there should be equal numbers of senators from each Province say 10 per and maybe 2 or 3 for every territory.
However like Mr. Dion noted there are other issues that need to be address if you plan to make the senate elected.
my wish list would include
-The ability to send back bills to the house for more debate if the majority voted fore it.
-The ability to stop, strike down or change bills on constitutional ground with a super majority; 2/3 or 3/4 of the senate (re-approved by the Commons).
-The inability to propose new bills, effect motions of confidence or effect foreign policy and the budget bills.
-Senators can not be made PM and can not run to be an MP for a least 1 senate term after they leave the senate.
there are many other issue over senate reform that would have to be addressed, but all of this means a constitutional battle. Which as many know is the great unfinished business in Canada.Replies
- Anonymous06 February, 2013 15:51
Bi-cameralism means two chambers: Accordingly it would be impossible to have a bi-cameral House.Delete
The Senate may already send a bill back to the House.
The Senate already has the ability to amend or defeat Bills. In addition it would be very unlikely a Bill would go before the Senate if it had not already passed the Commons. There is no reason for the Senate or Parliament to strike down a bill on "constitutional grounds" it is the purview of the courts to do so. The reasoning for voting for or against a particular motion or Bill is idiosyncratic and no reason need be given.
The Senate can not pass confidence motions. The Senate can not introduce money (budget) bills and has no say regarding foreign policy which, is the exclusive domain of cabinet or the Crown.
Senators can be made PM however, it is very unlikely to happen again except in an interim position. In 1940 George VI picked Winston Churchill instead of Lord Halifax to be PM as he thought it improper to have a peer as government leader in war. Since, that time a convention has developed whereby the PM must be a member of the Commons or become a member at the earliest available opportunity. Sir Alec Douglas-Home subsequently disclaimed his peerage and seat in the Lords to run for Parliament.
- Anonymous06 February, 2013 17:55
I know they already have most of the powers I was describing, however they rarely if ever use them.Delete
The most notable exception bening in the late 80's and early 90's on free trade and the GST, the again in 2010 to stop a bill limiting greenhouse gas.
An elected senate would have a better mandate to send back and change bills that are not in the interest of the nations. As it stand they are a rubber stamp on divisive policies or are used to support the reigning governments political position.
The problem with an elected senate is they would be just as fractured as in the US as parties use a hold on one chamber to block the other.
A possibility is to bar party affiliation in the senate to prevent whipping. Or having provinces legislatures appoint MPP/MLA/MNA's to the senate.
The point of an elected senate should not be to use it as a cudgel against the House.
- Anonymous05 February, 2013 21:24
If you cannot get the required support to abolish the Senate, then the best course is to leave it alone.ReplyDelete
Harper and the old Reform gang hated the rep by pop aspects of the House of Commons arrangement and longed for a forum of EEE where Alberta would have more clout with some other western influence. An American Senate was the goal, 10 Senators from each province to outweigh the socialistic Ontario-Quebec axis.
Ironically the American Senate is Democratic while the House is Republican and Harper won in the HofC.
Is anyone carving EEE in cornfields any more?Replies
You do realize that the region that gains the most from EEE (the Maritimes) is one of the regions most hostile to the Tories, right? Or that Albertans make up 11% of Canada's population and would only get 10% of the Senate under EEE?Delete
I don't think EEE is a good idea either, but I don't think this is a very credible argument against it that you're making.
- Anonymous06 February, 2013 16:28
Under the Preston Manning model, a triple EEE Senate, every province would get 10 Senators. Does that make any sense to anyone? 10 for Ontario and 10 for PEI? OMG.Delete
Any formula must represent the popular vote exactly, not sort of, exactly.
There is no place in democratic politics to represent anything but the popular vote.
I have had this arguments with Dippers from northern Ontario who say their seats, larger than France, are too big.
I have said, "you don't represent rocks and trees, you represent people and in fact you are way overreprsented.
My proposal to the DR committee in Ontario was to create 10 seats in Ontario. Each seat would have 10 members elected in a PR fashion. Parties would get one seat for every 10% of the vote they get, last seat decided by rounding.
NDP 32% Liberal 19% PC 41% Green 10%
Seats NDP 3 Liberal 2 PC 4 Green 1.
I've done things like this previously. Frankly, I don't think Wildrose would sit with the Tories, but, I think both the BC Liberals and the Quebec Liberals would be willing to, *willing* that is.ReplyDelete
I suspect that the BC and QC Libs would form an informal coalition with one enough to back whomever is in gov, the Grits or Tories.
However, I can't see the NDP running for Senate seats, and, I foresee a depressed turnout for non-Tories in the first election. The end result is probably a bare majority for PC-Tories
- Anonymous06 February, 2013 20:47
There is no contradiction in opposing the Senate, advocation abolition and running in elections if the Senate has real power. If the Senate has real power, the NDP WILL run for sure.ReplyDelete
George Orwell.Replies
- Anonymous07 February, 2013 11:02
It really depends if the NDP is opposed to the Senate as currently constituted or opposed to bi-cameralism in general. If the former then there is nothing hypocritical about NDPers standing for election; if the latter then surely there is a contradiction between policy/ philosophy and practice.Delete
S. Knowles
Eric BluntlyReplyDelete
I'm getting extremely fed up with this Anonymous BS. You had it turned off once, please do it again !!
Others ?????
- Anonymous07 February, 2013 12:01
No political party in Canada is going to allow centers of REAL power to go uncontested.ReplyDelete
If the Senate developes real power, Mulcair can stand up and say" Notwithstanding the fact that we favour abolition, the required formula for its abolition is not available. As a result we are contesting every seat. " Nobody in the press gallery will even blink. If there are articles in the conaervative press, they wil be one day wonders.
Some people are stuck on this idea that the NDP should not run for a political body it opposes. The BQ runs for parliament and was once the official opposition. So what?
George OrwellReplies
- Anonymous07 February, 2013 13:48
If the NDP or any party, runs for a political institution it opposes and has campaigned against then one may rightly ask how can they be trusted? The optics are simple: they say one thing and do the exact opposite.Delete
S. Knowles
- Anonymous07 February, 2013 21:41
A.D. Knowles that is just such nonsense I can't believe it. Separatists all over the world run for their national governments.Delete
There is no contradiction whatsoever between saying " we favour the abolition of the Senate but inches meantime, before abolition, since the Senate now has real power, we will be running for it."
Everybody understands that.
- Anonymous08 February, 2013 18:32
So if a party or candidate campaign for one thing then do the exact opposite once elected they're not a hypocrite? Really?Delete
I am afraid to inform you it does not work that way.
hypocrisy: the assumption or postulation of moral standards to which one's own behaviour does not conform. -OED
At the very least the party would be guilty of breaking a campaign promise!
Separatist who have philosophical standards and competence know there is a contradiction in achieving their goals through national institution that they oppose and receive a salary from. This is why Quebec separatists have traditionally not sat in the House of Commons and why Sinn Fein refuses to sit in Parliament! This is why the Parti Rhinocerous came about as a way to discredit the Canadian political system by making fun of it (Canada is so irrelevant it is a joke)!
If one wants to remove themselves from national institutions becoming participants within those institutions is self-defeating; obviously the institutions must work or provide a benefit otherwise you would not be part of them. Similarly, any separatist who sits in Parliament must swear an oath to Her Majesty, how could that person advocate independence when they have already pledged allegiance to Canada? Either they have lied during the oath or they have lied subsequently whilst advocating independence~!
So once again: If someone has taken an oath and lied how can they be trusted while in government? Their track record will be clear: they say anything to get elected then do as they please once in power irregardless of past promises. More than that they are ready and willing to lie to the people face-to-face.
I would hope most Canadians place higher moral standards upon their politicians whether federalist or separatist.
S. Knowles
- Anonymous10 February, 2013 22:01
S Knowles.Delete
You are 100% wrong. There is zero hypocracy in a decision to compete for and serve in the Senate if the decision is made that instead of abolition the Senate will be elected. An elected Senate is a totally different proposition than an appointed Senate. You must be the only person in Canada who would think otherwise.
It will be obvious to everyone that you simply dont like the NDP and cant get past your partisanship and apply some logic.
- Anonymous11 February, 2013 11:38
Once again if a political party's official policy is for abolition yet, they run for elected office for the institution they want abolished; that is hypocritical.Delete
The solution is simple; the NDP may change their policy! The ball is really in the NDP's court and their position at present is clear: they favour abolition not reform!
If the NDP ran for an elected Senate while official party policy is for abolition there emerges a clear philosophical contradiction! You must be the only person in Canada who would think otherwise.
Why don't you read the NDP's policy statement on the issue? There is nothing about reform only abolition! The NDP is not interested in electing senators!
It will be obvious to everyone that you (and the NDP) simply don't like logic and can't get past your partisanship and apply some reason.
S. Knowles
Senator Brazeau throwen out of Conservative caucus !!ReplyDelete
- Anonymous10 February, 2013 22:11
Who took an oath? It is a party policy. They xhange party policy at every convention. Ask yourself about other parties and GST, free trade, whatever. Your anti NDP partisanship is showing. The site is really about non partisan analysis not partisan shots.ReplyDelete
- Anonymous12 February, 2013 18:19
The NDP is opposed to our present appointed Senate. They prefer to abolish the Senate. If they lose that long term battle and the Senate becomes an elected body with real power, the NDP would be insane not to run for every single seat. An appointed Senate and an elected Senate are simply not the same thing.ReplyDelete
Saying the NDP must not run for a new elected Senate is just plain goofy.
- Anonymous13 February, 2013 11:01
If "the Senate becomes an elected body with real power, the NDP would be insane not to run for every single seat".ReplyDelete
Perhaps, but, that is current NDP policy.
- Anonymous13 February, 2013 12:24
Policy changes at every convention for every party. New elected Senate = new policy. no problem except for people with a partisan axe to grind.ReplyDeleteReplies
- Anonymous13 February, 2013 18:41
Well, the policy has been in place since the 1933 Regina manifesto.Delete
I think you are confusing the issue for the NDP both in 1933 and today. From my reading of NDP policy, both historical and contemporary; they are opposed to bicameralism in general not how senators come to office.
I would be happy to explain the reasoning behind the policy but, please refrain from accusing me of being anti-NDP or partisan. I did not make the resolution or party policy- NDP members have done so. Currently they are opposed to the Senate regardless of how it is constituted. If you don't like it fine, buy a NDP membership and initiate some change! Don't shoot the messenger! I think it is a stupid policy!
F.R. Scott
- Anonymous15 February, 2013 16:56
Everything you have said is of zero consequence. The also favour MMP but still contest elections under FPTP electoral system. the NDP will continue to propose abolition of the Senate and if Canadians decide to instead create an elected Senate, the NDP will contest Senate elections and the only person in Canada who with think there is a problem with that is you.ReplyDelete
- Anonymous15 February, 2013 17:02
Why on Earth would anyone think abolition is a stupid policy.? Appointed bodies are anti democratic. Elected bicameral legislatures are a formula for disaster. Why on Earth would California and Rhode Island qualify for 2 Senators each? Totally absurd. The NDP is 100% correct now and they will be 100% correct to contest an elected Senate.ReplyDelete
COMMENT MODERATION POLICY - Please be respectful when commenting. If choosing to remain anonymous, please sign your comment with some sort of pseudonym to avoid confusion. Please do not use any derogatory terms for fellow commenters, parties, or politicians. Inflammatory and overly partisan comments will not be posted. PLEASE KEEP DISCUSSION ON TOPIC.
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.


text:
Member? Sign in. Not a member? Register for free.
This app was removed from the App Store.
Air Video - Watch your videos anywhere!
iOS Universal Utilities
Important: If you are running iOS 6 and newer, check out Air Video HD!
Enjoy your entire video collection everywhere! *
Get more of your video library on your iPhone, iPod touch or iPad. Air Video is a great solution to watch your AVI, DivX, MKV and other videos.
* Video Streaming *
Don't synchronize your videos, watch them over air! Suddenly the capacity of your devices is infinite!
* Live Conversion *
Air Video supports almost all video formats and performs the conversion "on-the-fly". No waiting for files to convert, they are done in real time as you watch!
* One Touch Offline Conversion *
If you want to store your video inside the device instead of streaming it, Air Video will convert it for you to iPhone friendly format. Forget the hassle with conversion settings, just one tap and the video conversion is on.
* * *
Air Video comes packed with features. It can share folders on your harddrive as well as iTunes playlists. It supports live conversion and offline conversion where the entire file is converted upfront. It lets you customize the conversion settings, zoom and crop the video.
* Air Video works over local network and over internet (including 3G). However to enjoy streaming over internet your router must support UPnP or NAT-PMP protocols so that Air Video can setup the port forwarding for you. Otherwise you will need to configure the port forwarding manually.
* Air Video will not play DRM protected videos. All video content purchased through iTunes includes DRM. Video podcast content is free and does not include DRM protection.
The free server software (available for OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard and Microsoft Windows) is needed to stream and convert the videos and can be downloaded at http://airvideoapp.com .
If you have any trouble getting Air Video working please contact us either by email or through the support forum. We reply to every message that we get. Asking for help in customer reviews is unlikely to get your problem resolved because we have no way to contact you.
IMPORTANT: If you emailed us and didn't receive reply within a day, we didn't get your email! Please email us again or use the support forum.
What's New
Improve iOS 7 compatibility
148Apps —Air Video Review

subset: commoncrawl


text:
326 members6 Likes
49 members48 Comments 1 Like
Shervin has not received any gifts yet
Just wondering r u still somehow avail. to play by Rosedale/ Ramsden park at some point...
Hey When do u wanna try...
Tomorrow weather is getting little better but next monday we will be on 18degrees
up to u... I can get an hour to hit it pretty easy I guess
Hi, I joined the site a while ago but didn't remember to come check on it. Anyhow, if you'd like to have a hit, I could play at Ramsden, Rosedale, Riverdale. I am free weekday evenings, weekends wheneverl; similar to you.
Shervin. Do you want to play tonight at Tornament Tennis Club? I just joined the club and they have awesome courts. The club is located at Tournament Park near the 401 and Yonge intersection. Send me an email @ firstname.lastname@example.com if you want to play. BTW, non member have to pay a fee of $10. Cheers
Hi Shervin,
I'm fully booked this week. I can play next Monday. I don't know what my level is , but for sure is much lower than yours, I'm not sure if we are compatible, if you don't mind, we can try it out.
Hi Shervin,
I have steady partner on weekends both days. I work down town, so I can play weekdays after 6pm, usually play at Ramsden.
Thanks Shervin, could play tomorrow for a bit at Ramsden. Thanks, Natalya
© 2020 Created by Mark / The Mayor. Powered by


text: Based on true events, We Are Marshall tells an inspiring story of how a small town in West Virginia, steeped in the rich tradition of college football, struggled to restore their community after one of the worst disasters in the history of American sports. For decades, players, coaches, fans and families came together in Huntington to cheer on Marshall University's "Thundering Herd." For this team and this community, Marshall football was more than just a sport, it was a way of life. But on a fateful night in 1970, while traveling back to Huntington after a game in North Carolina, 37 members of Marshall's football team, plus coaching staff and team boosters, were killed in a plane crash. As those left behind tried to cope with the loss of their loved ones, they found hope and strength in the leadership of Jack Lengyel, a young coach who was determined to rebuild Marshall's football program and in the process help to heal a community.


text:
Help us to make this the most complete winners of the best of the Web. Just fill out the info below and we'll be in touch. Thanks!
Serial content dedicated to comedy or the art of laughter premiered on the Internet. Entries must consist of one or more episodes over 5 minutes in total to qualify for this category (or see Comedy: Individual Short or Episode for shorter episodes).


text:
Ana's Lamb
by RetroRuth | Apr 22, 2014 | 0 comments
WordPress Author Box
I love everything retro, vintage, mid-century, kitsch and all things atomic! A 21st century housewife just trying to fit in...to the 50's. I have a passion for vintage recipes and an enormous vintage cookbook collection that I keep testing, even though by now I should know better. Creator of Mid-Century Menu (www.midcenturymenu.com), No Pattern Required (www.nopatternrequired.com), and I Ate The 80's (www.iatethe80s.com).
Leave a Reply Cancel reply
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.


text:
2 pounds Yukon Gold or red skin potatoes, quartered and parboiled
1 white onion, cut into wedges
3 strips thick cut bacon
for the dressing:
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoon yellow mustard seeds
1 bunch green onion, chopped (about 1/4-1/3 cup)
1/4 teaspoon sugar (optional)
freshly ground pepper
Place the dressing in a jar or salad dressing container. Shake until well mixed. Set aside. Prep grill according to manufacturers' directions. Oil a grilling pan with canola oil. Place the potatoes, onion wedges and bacon on the grilling pan.
Cover and cook until the potatoes are fork-tender, turning occasionally. Place the potatoes and onion in a bowl. Crumble the bacon on top. Toss. Drizzle with dressing and toss again.


text:
Review date: Currently under review.
Non-formulary drugs: Any drug or formulation not listed in the formulary is deemed to be non-formulary.
Off-label use: Drugs are included in the formulary for their licensed indications – where inclusion of off-label use is considered to be included in the formulary this is specifically stated in the formulary entry for the drug N.B. also see Paediatrics note below.
Paediatrics: Drugs are included in the formulary for paediatric use for their BNF for Children recommended indications (indicated by symbol ) which may be off-label, unless otherwise stated. All drugs are deemed to have the same RAG status as they have for adults unless stated otherwise.
NHS England Specialised Commissioning Drugs carrying the NHS England logo are commissioned by them. Links to key documents, national programmes of care, and clinical reference groups are found below.
NHS England Specialised Commissioning: Key documents
NHS England Specialised Commissioning: National programmes of care and clinical reference groups
75mg paediatrics
75mg paediatrics
50mg/5ml, 200mg/5ml
25mg, 100mg For paediatrics
5mg, 10mg Paediatrics: no BNFc entry - seek specialist advice
Tablets 90mg, 60mg
Unlicensed special
Traffic Light Status Information


text:
if you don't have mcrypt installed, try phpseclib - http://phpseclib.sourceforge.net
includes pure-php implementations of des, 3des, rc4, aes, and rijndael. uses mcrypt if it's available and a pure-php implementation otherwise. it also has the distinction of having the fastest existent pure-php aes implementation as per section 3.5.5. "Speed Comparisons" of the documentation.


text:
20 July 2010 - China. A man attempts to rescue two oil firefighters, Zhang Liang and Han Xiaoxiong, struggling in thick oil slick. One man Zhang Liang (L) later died as he drowned in the thick oil. The workers ran into trouble as they were attempting to fix an underwater pump during oil spill cleanup operations. The spill was caused by a pipeline blast at the Dalian Port.
© Lu Guang / Greenpeace
1 - 12 of 5649 results.


text:
You have plenty of big things to worry about with your child heading off to college — room and board, textbook purchases, and the frequency of late-night pizza orders — so you probably haven't done much thinking about the effect on your auto insurance. Here are some common questions we hear about college student car insurance.
Will my child still be covered under my insurance?
Yes. College students are typically covered under their parents' car insurance, as long as they live at the same address as their parents when not at school. Review your specific policy to see if your child is covered.
Am I going to be paying more for insurance?
It depends. Rates may change if the student is driving the car at school rather than leaving it back at home. (For example, drivers in urban locations generally pay more for insurance than those in rural areas.)
Are any discounts available?
Yes. And now you have another reason to push your child to study hard: Students with solid grades may qualify for a good student discount.
If you have a child in college, or heading off to school soon, get in touch with your insurance agent.


text:
Latest News
We're Social
Join us on LinkedIn, Twitter and other social media.
About Parascript
Parascript software automates the interpretation of contextual information from image and document-based data to support financial services, government agencies and the healthcare industry, processing over 100 billion documents annually.
Parascript Response to COVID-19 Pandemic
Contact Us
Parascript, LLC
Phone: (303) 381-3100
Sales Department
International Sales
Technical Support
Phone: (303) 381-3100
Fax: (303) 381-3101
Sales Department
Phone: (888) 225-0169
International Sales
(external to the U.S.)
Technical Support
Phone: (888) 772-7478


text:
This is our website. Would you prefer to shop on our website?
This is our website. You previously shopped on our website. Would you like to go to our website now?
Other country sites
My Account
My Bag
The item was successfully added to your Wish List
You are here:
Run your own race in Nike. Kit yourself out with every necessity here, from the perfect pair of running shoes and the most comfortable tights, to t shirts, hydration packs and recovery rollers. You'll only find out how far you can go if you risk going too far.
We use cookies to give you the best customer experience possible. If you continue to use our website, we will assume you are happy to receive cookies from us and our partners.
More info


text:
About Town Hall Project
Town Hall Project empowers constituents across the country to have face-to-face conversations with their elected representatives. We are campaign veterans and first time volunteers. We come from a diversity of backgrounds and live across the country. We share progressive values and believe strongly in civic engagement. We research every district and state for public events with members of Congress. Then we share our findings to promote participation in the democratic process.
This movement is diverse, open source, and powered by citizens. We are proud to be a part of it.
Show Up. Speak Out.


text:
Study: Football Players Get Concussions From Multiple Hits, Not Just One
Football players receive concussions because of cumulative hits to the head, as opposed to just one single blow, according to researchers at Purdue University. During the course of a two year study, scientists examined football players from Jefferson High School in Lafayette, Indiana, and analyzed 21 players in the first season, and 24 in the second season, including 16 repeating players.
Football helmets used during the season were equipped with attached sensors, which were compared with brain-imaging scans and cognitive tests performed before, during, and after each season.
"The most important implication of the new finding is the suggestion that a concussion is not just the result of a single blow, but it's really the totality of blows that took place over the season," said Eric Nauman, an associate professor of mechanical engineering and an expert in central nervous system and musculoskeletal trauma. "The one hit that brought on the concussion is arguable the straw that broke the camel's back."
Shifts were noticed in regions of the brain that have been linked with chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a progressive degenerative disease found in people who suffer multiple concussions and other types of head injuries.
"This is still circumstantial evidence, but it suggests that whether you are concussed or not your brain is changing as a result of all these hits, and the regions most affected are the ones that exhibit CTE," Nauman said.
"Now that we know there is definitely a buildup of damage before the concussion occurs, ultimately, there is hope that we can do more to prevent concussions," he concluded.


text:
A cadre of Japanese journalists are domiciled in Manchester where their professional lives revolve around Shinji Kagawa. On Saturday they went into overdrive. It was back in May 2009 when Kagawa, then playing for Cerezo Osaka against Mito HollyHock, last celebrated a hat-trick but, nearly four years on, his repetition of that feat in a Manchester United shirt carried far greater significance.
In becoming the first Asian player to score three goals in a Premier League game the midfielder made the most eloquent of cases for inclusion in Sir Alex Ferguson's starting line-up for Tuesday night's Champions League tie against Real Madrid at Old Trafford. Michael Carrick has warned that United must "play a complete game", against consummate counterattacking opponents and last summer's £12m import from Borussia Dortmund hopes to help them do so.
"My hat-trick will be huge news in Japan," acknowledged Kagawa. "But they are really looking forward to the Real Madrid game; that's what I'm aiming for as well."
With Phil Jones's ankle injury apparently set to sideline him against José Mourinho's side, Kagawa seems likely to be granted his wish. If so it will be intriguing to see whether United's manager tries to counter the supremacy on the break that has enabled Real to beat Barcelona twice in the space of the past week with the formational shift he showcased on Saturday.
It might have been a red herring, an attempt to pull some tactical wool over Mourinho's eyes, but there is a strong case for Ferguson again deploying the essentially 4-3-3 system he utilised for the first time this season against Norwich City. Dispensing with the 4-2-3-1 he has often favoured lately, the Scot switched to a fluid configuration that has the added benefit of being able to morph seamlessly into a more defensive 4-3-2-1 or even 4-5-1 when required. It is also much easier to confuse opponents by freqently flicking from 4-3-3 to 4-4-2 and back again than to make the same rapid alterations with 4-2-3-1 as the basic default system.
Norwich's failure to unleash a single shot probably said more about Chris Hughton's containment policy than United's shape. Even so the midfield trio of Carrick, Anderson and Kagawa, operating behind Antonio Valencia, Robin van Persie and Wayne Rooney, offered the home team such a formidable amalgam of solidity and attacking threat that at one point Robert Snodgrass engaged Hughton in an animated touchline debate that, judging by the Norwich creator's despairing gesticulations, looked to be about the difficulty of identifying chinks in United's armour.
Snodgrass is highly talented but not remotely in Cristiano Ronaldo's league. The challenge facing Ferguson is to find a way of subduing his former prize asset while allowing not only Kagawa to attack with devastating effect from deep but Rooney to concentrate on being a forward.
After sacrificing his own invention for the overall team effort in Madrid, Rooney did far more than merely shoot United's accomplished, dipping fourth goal over a startled Mark Bunn from outside the area. An afternoon on which he was definitely not required to play in Van Persie's shadow saw Rooney briefly annoy both the Dutchman and Ferguson after shooting wastefully when Van Persie was better placed. That though was a rare aberration.
Instead Rooney soon showed off his selfless side in creating the second goal for Kagawa. Collecting a pass from the quietly excellent, tempo-calibrating Carrick, the England forward teased Sébastian Bassong with a dummy before laying the ball off for Kagawa to slide it adroitly beyond Bunn. A second assist was chalked next to the Liverpudlian's name after a move initiated by Kagawa and Danny Welbeck concluded with Rooney cueing up the Japanese for a shot dinked, delightfully, over the goalkeeper.
Its creator trusts it is a sign that he and United are approaching individual and collective zeniths. "The age [27] I'm at now is the time when most players start to peak," said Rooney. "I haven't played as many games as I normally would at this point in the season – it's been a bit stop-start, a bit disappointing with a couple of injuries – but I do feel fresh and ready for that battle now. With the way the manager rotates the team there will be a lot of players who are feeling fresh as well."
Withdrawn after 66 minutes, Van Persie, whose brave flick after connecting with Valencia's cross prefaced an opening goal dispatched with the outside of a boot by Kagawa, should be sufficiently refreshed by Tuesday evening. The former Arsenal striker is a very different player from Ronaldo but they are about to enter something of a beauty contest in which both will, to differing degrees, be dependent on the passing ability of team-mates – Real's Xabi Alonso and United's Carrick respectively.
"I'm sure Cristiano will get a good reception," the latter acknowledged. "He did wonderful things for this club." Carrick intends to be similarly respectful of Real's capacity for surprise on a night when Ferguson is most unlikely to reprise what Vicente Del Bosque dubbed the "tactical anarchy" which saw United defeated by a Fernando Redondo-inspired Real in a famous Champions League tie back in 2000. "Madrid played some textbook counterattacking football against Barcelona last week," said Carrick. "That's their strength. We can't be too gung-ho so it's about taking our chances. With the strike power we've got and the strike power they've got, both teams will have to defend well. We have to play the complete game."
Man of the match Shinji Kagawa (Manchester United)


text:
Proton Pump Inhibitors in the Prevention of Iron Reaccumulation in Patient With Hereditary Hemochromatosis (He-ppi)
|The safety and scientific validity of this study is the responsibility of the study sponsor and investigators. Listing a study does not mean it has been evaluated by the U.S. Federal Government. Read our disclaimer for details.
|ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01524757
Recruitment Status : Unknown
Verified January 2012 by Maastricht University Medical Center.
Recruitment status was: Not yet recruiting
First Posted : February 2, 2012
Last Update Posted : February 2, 2012
- Study Details
- Tabular View
- No Results Posted
- Disclaimer
- How to Read a Study Record
Hereditary Hemochromatosis (HH) is a genetic disorder of iron metabolism, resulting in excessive iron overload causing damage of different important organs like heart, liver, pancreas and joints. Complications and symptoms can regress by intensive treatment reducing the iron overload stores.Different genes have been identified playing a role in the pathophysiology of iron overload. A clinically important HFE gene mutation is the C282Y, located on chromosome 6. Phlebotomy is currently the standard therapy which consists of removal of 500 ml whole blood weekly, representing a loss of 250 mg iron. In naive patients between 20 to 100 phlebotomies are required to reduce the serum ferritine levels to 50 μg/L. Thereafter, a lifelong maintenance therapy of 3 to 6 phlebotomies yearly is needed.
For absorption, dietary iron ( 70%) is reduced by gastric acid form the ferric (Fe3+) to the ferrous form (Fe2+). Recently, in an observational open study, Hutchinson et al. found that HH patients treated with proton pump inhibitors (PPI) needed fewer phlebotomies, resulting in a drop of 2.5 (SEM 0.25) to 0.5 (SEM 0.25) liter per year.
Research question: The primary objective is to determine the effectiveness and cost effectiveness of PPI's compared to standard phlebotomy therapy in the prevention of iron overload in HH patients.
Multi-center trial in two hospitals in the South of Limburg (Atrium medical Center, Maastricht university medical center ) and hospital in Belgium (University Hospital Gasthuisberg). The study will be conducted in randomised double blind manner. The follow up will be one year.
Patients are randomized either for the group receiving a PPI or a placebo. Every 2 month the ferritin level is measured and decided if the patient need a phlebotomy (Ferritin >100 µg/L).
|Condition or disease
|Drug: Pantoprazole
|Not Applicable
|Study Type :
|Interventional (Clinical Trial)
|Estimated Enrollment :
|48 participants
|Intervention Model:
|Parallel Assignment
|Quadruple (Participant, Care Provider, Investigator, Outcomes Assessor)
|Primary Purpose:
|Official Title:
|Proton Pump Inhibitors in the Prevention of Iron Reaccumulation in Patient With Hereditary Hemochromatosis
|Study Start Date :
|March 2012
|Estimated Primary Completion Date :
|August 2013
|Estimated Study Completion Date :
|August 2013
|Experimental: pantoprazol
Drug: Pantoprazole
pantoprazole 40mg 1dd1; 12 months
|Placebo Comparator: placebo
Drug: Pantoprazole
pantoprazole 40mg 1dd1; 12 months
- the total number of phlebotomies for the group taking PPI treatment compared to the group taking placebo will be the primary endpoint of the study. [ Time Frame: 12 months ]
- number of participants with side effects [ Time Frame: 12 months ]
Choosing to participate in a study is an important personal decision. Talk with your doctor and family members or friends about deciding to join a study. To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the contacts provided below. For general information, Learn About Clinical Studies.
|Ages Eligible for Study:
|18 Years to 60 Years (Adult)
|Sexes Eligible for Study:
|Accepts Healthy Volunteers:
Inclusion Criteria:
- Patients with hereditary hemochromatosis (HH), homozygous for C282Y, currently treated with phlebotomy as maintenance therapy for at least 12 months with ≥ 3 phlebotomies per year.
- Ferritin level between 50-100 μg/L at start of the inclusion.
- Age: 18 years- 60 years and weight > 50 kg.
Exclusion Criteria:
- Patients receiving other therapies such as chelating therapy or forced dietary regimen.
- Patients younger than 18 years.
- HH patients with excessive overweight (BMI > 35).
- Patients who are mentally incapacitated.
- Women being pregnant or expecting/ planning to become pregnant during the one year period of the study.
- Patients with a malignancy.
- Patients already on PPI treatment.
- Patients who experienced side effects of PPI's.
To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the contact information provided by the sponsor.
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier (NCT number): NCT01524757
|Contact: G Koek, dr
|Contact: C Deursen Van, dr
|University hospital Gasthuisberg
|Leuven, Limburg, Belgium, 3000
|Contact: David Cassiman, prof. dr. +32 16344626 firstname.lastname@example.com
|Principal Investigator: David Cassiman, prof. dr.
|Atrium MC Parkstad
|Heerlen, Limburg, Netherlands, 6440 AG
|Contact: Cees Deursen, dr +31-45-5279639 email@example.com
|Contact: Reggy Jaspers, drs +31-43-3875021 firstname.lastname@example.com
|Principal Investigator: C Deursen, dr
|Maastricht university medical center
|Maastricht, Limburg, Netherlands, 6202AZ
|Contact: Reggy Jaspers, drs +31-43-3875021 firstname.lastname@example.com
|Contact: Ger Koek, dr- +31-43-3875021 email@example.com
|Principal Investigator: Ger Koek, dr
|Principal Investigator:
|G Koek, Dr
|Maastricht University Medical Center
Publications automatically indexed to this study by ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier (NCT Number):
|Responsible Party:
|Maastricht University Medical Center
|ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:
|Other Study ID Numbers:
|First Posted:
|February 2, 2012 Key Record Dates
|Last Update Posted:
|February 2, 2012
|Last Verified:
|January 2012
Metal Metabolism, Inborn Errors
Metabolism, Inborn Errors
Genetic Diseases, Inborn
Iron Overload
Iron Metabolism Disorders
Metabolic Diseases
Proton Pump Inhibitors
Anti-Ulcer Agents
Gastrointestinal Agents
Enzyme Inhibitors
Molecular Mechanisms of Pharmacological Action


text:
Sarah Bassett
Associate Professor, Department of Art History
Adjunct Associate Professor of Classical Studies
Core Faculty Ancient Studies
Core Faculty Medieval Studies
Affiliate: Russian and East European Institute
Office hours: On sabbatical 2019-2020
Ph.D. Bryn Mawr College, 1985
M.A. University of Chicago, 1980
B.A. Smith College, 1976
Research Interests
- late antique, early medieval and Byzantine aesthetics
- late antique portraiture
- early Christian icons
- the reception of the classical past in late antiquity and the Byzantine middle ages
- late antique and early medieval urbanism
Selected Publications
- The Urban Image of Late Antique Constantinople (Cambridge University Press, 2004)
- "The Late Antique Image of Menander," Greek, Roman, and Byzantine Studies 48 (2008): 201-25.
- "Style and Meaning in the Imperiall Panels at San Vitale" Artibus et Historiae 57 (2008): 49-57.
- "'Excellent offerings': the Lausos Collection in Constantinople," Art Bulletin, 72 (2000): 6-2.
- "Historiae custos: sculpture and tradition in the Baths of Zeuxippos, "American Journal of Archaeology, 100 (1996) 491-506.
- "Antiquities in the Hippodrome of Constantinople, " Dumbarton Oaks Papers 45 (1992) 82-9.
Honors and Awards
- Member Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton
- Fellow, American Research Institute in Turkey
- Fellow, Byzantine Studies, Dumbarton Oaks Research Library and Collection
- Fellow, National Endowment for the Humanities
Courses taught
- Introduction to Ancient and Medieval Art (A101)
- Problems in Byzantine Art (A626)
- Topics in Medieval Art: Art & Architecture in the 6th Century (A329)
- Byzantine Art (A425)
- Survey of Medieval Art (A226)
- Problems in Early Christian Art (A621)
- Early Medieval Art (A321)
- Early Christian Art (A421)


text:
Matt80307 necesitaba un nuevo diseño de logotipo y lanzó un concurso de diseño en 99designs.
Un ganador ha sido elegido entre 149 diseños de 43 diseñadores freelance.
Matt Lewis Dating
I am a dating coach in New York City starting my own brand to help men get better at attracting and dating women. Rather than a flashy company name I am focusing on a simple personal brand, where my clients know their coaching and advice is all coming directly from me.
I teach my clients how to better express their own personalities and get better with women while at the same time becoming more confident assertive versions of themselves, which benefits them not just with women but in their day to day lives.
Shy, lonely men in their 20s-30s who have had little or no success with women and are now just discovering there is another option and that it is possible to improve their social skills even at this stage in their lives.
This is a huge pre-existing market but I am trying to offer a unique perspective, and I believe a unique talent for teaching and intuitively figuring out where men are going wrong in their love lives.
I want a logo I can plug into my Word Press header with little to no modification (currently using the default 2010 theme). No specific color scheme, if the logo has great colors I'll modify my page to match it, though preferably masculine colors.
You can do something that just says "Matt Lewis" but in some way indicates I am selling dating advice, or you can use "Matt Lewis Dating" whatever you think makes a better logo. I'm sort of on the fence about whether I need to include "Dating" in the title or not.
The website (not complete) is simply matt-lewis.com (/blog) nothing on the main site, and the blog is pretty bare at the moment. I'll be using the logo both on the squeeze page (at matt-lewis.com) and on the blog in the WP header.
So I want something classy that says I am a professional, but also still fits with the idea of guys learning to date lots of attractive women.
Descubre cómo funciona un concurso de diseño u obtén más información sobre nuestros servicios de diseño de logo.


text:
Errata Editions Book Signing and other News
The Howard Greenberg Gallery will be hosting a booksigning extravaganza for Errata Editions and gallery artists this Saturday, March 28th from 4-6pm. Taking place the same weekend as the annual AIPAD (The Association of International Photography Art Dealers) show, this Saturday afternoon event will not be one to miss. Errata artists Chris Killip (Books on Books #4 In Flagrante) and John T. Hill (Books on Books #2 Walker Evans American Photographs) will be on-hand to sign copies of their books. For those of you who have already purchased Errata Editions books, either the trade or the limited edition, you are welcome to bring them in to be signed. Books will be available for purchase through the gallery.
Howard Greenberg Gallery artists scheduled for attendance will be: Saul Leiter, Bruce Davidson, Jessica Lange, Vince Aletti, and Eric Lindbloom. Please join us for what will be a wonderful afternoon in the celebration of books. The Howard Greenberg Gallery is located in the Fuller Building at 41 East 57th Street (at Madison Avenue) on the 14th floor in Suite 1406.
Books on Books Limited Edition Sets. We now have about 25 sets of the Books on Books #1-4 Limited Editions signed by Chris Killip and John T. Hill so if you are on the fence about purchasing a set, this is the moment. We are down to the last of the limited editions, so do not delay. Order here for immediate delivery.
There is a good article about the Books on Books series in The Guardian by Liz Jobey. Read it here
Errata Editions author David Campany and others are celebrating the photobook with a conference organized by the School of History of Art, Film and Visual Media at Birkbeck, King's College American Studies, and the University of Kent French Studies. Events take place Friday April 3 and Saturday April 4 2009 (9:30am to 6pm & 10am to 1:30pm) at Birkbeck Cinema, 46 Gordon Sq London WC1. More information here
We also congratulate David Campany for being shortlisted for the 2009 And/or Moving Image Book Award for his new book Photography and Cinema (Reaktion Books 2008). Winners will be announced during an awards ceremony at the BFI Southbank, London, on Thursday 23 April. Our fingers are crossed David!
Errata Editions artist Sophie Ristelhueber's retrospective show at the Jeu de Paume in Paris just closed a few days ago but look for the accompanying catalog Operations published by Thames & Hudson, London.
Jeffrey Ladd and Ken Schles have teamed up with the Pacific Street Studios Photographic Workshops to offer a weekend workshop called Making the Photographic Book. This two-day intensive course will assist a small group of aspiring bookmakers to shape an existing photographic project into book form. We will view and discuss classic photographic book concepts and guide you through critiques on editing and sequencing while exploring the practicalities of putting a book dummy together. April 18 - 19 (Saturday and Sunday) from 10 am - 6 pm. Pacific Street Studios, 874 Pacific Street, Brooklyn, NY 11238. To reserve a spot for this class, please email us at: psworkshops[at]me.com or call 1(718) 636-6030.
Jeffrey Ladd has been invited to give a lecture at the second annual Fotobook Festival in Kassel, Germany. The festival runs from May 15 - 17. More information here
If you like what we are doing please spread the word. The continuation of the series depends on you. Your support in these trying times is truly appreciated.
Errata Editions are available through your local independent bookstore:
Museum of Modern Art, NY
Dashwood Books, NY
Strand Bookstore, NY
International Center of Photography, NY
Photo-Eye, Santa Fe
Schaden, Cologne
Ampersand Vintage, Portland
The Photographer's Gallery, UK
Jeu de Paume, Paris
Lastly, I am throwing a kind-of "rent-party" this month except instead of you coming to my apartment to contribute, you can remain in yours and party with one of my 16x20 prints year round. If you were wanting one of the photographs on the print donation page, this would be the time to grab it.


text:
3 months, some of those bugs critters are just getting going. Give it time, lots of time.
Just to echo some others, I'd let it sit longer. I've brewed a few sours and have let some of them sit 12 months or so prior to kegging. I've always been a little concerned about bottling sours since the bugs are still working and could cause bottle bombs. I'd recommend thicker bottles for these.


text:
Example Policy Language: Design Quality and Compatibility in Design and Conservation Districts
Portland Comprehensive Plan Update
Residential Development and Compatibility Policy Expert Group
July 12, 2012
Example Policy Language: Design Quality and Compatibility in Design and Conservation Districts
Establish design districts and historic design districts for areas of attractive character within the City. Use design zones to enhance the character of the area. Establish guidelines of design acceptability that ensure continuation of each design district's desired character. Design guidelines should make the public's objectives for the design review process clear to those developing property.
Promote the development of areas of special identity and urban character. Portland is a city built from the aggregation of formerly independent settlements. The City's residential, commercial and industrial areas should have attractive identities that enhance the urbanity of the City.
Preserve and support the qualities of individual neighborhoods that help to make them attractive places. Encourage neighborhoods to express their design values in neighborhood and community planning projects. Seek ways to respect and strengthen neighborhood values in new development projects that implement this Comprehensive Plan.
Examine and develop desired character statements and standards to enhance the non-discretionary design review process, promote community objectives and provide developers with clear guidance. Base character statements and standards on the "5 Portlands" approach.


text:
From IMDb:
(Note: I usually take the film description from the DVD/VHS case. However, in this instance, the DVD case is so full of inaccuracies that I thought I'd avoid confusion and use a plot synopsis from IMDb. – MM) Weird events in the life of atomic scientist Cal Meacham (Rex Reason) culminate in an invitation from the strange-looking Exeter (Jeff Morrow) to work at a secret lab in Georgia, supposedly for the cause of world peace. Other scientists are already there, including the gorgeous Ruth Adams (Faith Domergue). They quickly discover there's more to Exeter than meets the eye. Is he benevolent? It may take an interstellar journey to find out.
Mark says:
This Island Earth is one of my favorite science fiction films of the 1950s. It has everything a B movie enthusiast could want, starting with a stellar cast.
Rex Reason (The Creature Walks Among Us) is Dr. Cal Meacham, a capable scientist with a sonorous voice that commands authority. This is my favorite role for Mr. Reason, and unquestionably the role for which he is most remembered. Faith Domergue (It Came from Beneath the Sea, Cult of the Cobra) plays fellow scientist and love interest, Ruth Adams. Ms. Domergue is ideal as the sensuous genius. Finally, Jeff Morrow (Kronos, The Giant Claw) is Exeter, the alien agent on mission from the distant planet, Metaluna. Ironically, Exeter exhibits more human qualities and pathos than our hero, Dr. Meacham. Morrow is a veteran of 1950s B movies, and though I'm not always impressed with his performances, he really shines here as a human sympathizer from outer space.
In smaller roles, Robert Nichols (The Thing from Another World) is Meacham's assistant, Joe Wilson. Joe's attitude towards his boss can be characterized as "adoring." This aspect was picked up by Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Movie(1996), with some humorous results. Lance Fuller (The She-Creature, Voodoo Woman) is Brack, Exeter's assistant, who is less than sympathetic to the human cause. The Monitor of Metaluna is played by Douglas Spencer, who I most fondly remember as Scotty in 1951's The Thing from Another World. Rounding out the cast is Russell Johnson (Attack of the Crab Monsters, It Came from Outer Space) as Steve Carlson, one of the few people at the alien compound who has not been subjected to the Metalunan "Thought Transformer."
Besides a great cast, This Island Earth features some stunning visuals and special effects, enhanced with vivid color created by the three-strip Technicolor process. Though simple by today's standards, the creative matte paintings, colorful sets, and miniatures are some of the best of the era. We are also treated to a cool flying saucer and lots of impressive explosions. For me, the limited technology lends to a heightened sense of fantasy, and I would argue that these effects stand up even today.
Of course, a great cast and special effects mean little if the story is not good, and This Island Earth (based on the novel of the same name by Raymond F. Jones) has one of the most intelligent plotlines of the era. The story is told in essentially two parts. The first portion is a build up and mystery. Dr. Cal Meacham receives a mysterious catalog filled with electronic gadgets far beyond the technology of modern man. He later obtains parts for an "Interocitor" and successfully assembles it. Upon completion, he discovers the Interocitor, which looks something like a triangular television, is a communication device. Exeter appears on the screen and offers Dr. Meacham an opportunity to join a select team of scientist for a purpose not revealed. Exeter is suspiciously alien, with a tall forehead, white hair, and a skin color similar to that of an Oompa-Loompa. Cal is suspicious, but takes a ride in a "trick airplane" to a remote location in Georgia.
The intrigue deepens when Cal arrives at the compound to find that his guide is an old colleague and lover, Dr. Ruth Adams. Strangely, Ruth claims to have no romantic memory of Cal. The camp is filled with world famous scientists, all specialists in the fields of nuclear energy. There is a pervasive atmosphere of mistrust and Cal's meeting with Exeter does little to ease his mind. Exeter claims to have assembled the scientist to put an end to war, but Cal notes that all efforts are focused on the production of nuclear energy, with no experts assembled to assist with the practical application of the energy.
Eventually an alliance forms between Cal, Ruth (who finally admits she remembers Cal romantically) and another scientist, Steve Carlson (Russell Johnson). As they come to trust one another, they share discoveries regarding Exeter and his project. One of the most disturbing discoveries is that the other scientists have been subjected to a Thought Transformer that deprives them of their freewill. Cal and company decide to gather as much information as possible and escape the compound.
Of course, nothing is easy, and as the trio attempt to make their escape, Exeter is given orders to return to Metaluna and to bring Drs. Meacham and Adams with him. As Cal and Ruth attempt to escape in a small aircraft, they are pulled into a Metalunan saucer and the second portion of the film begins.
The second half of the film is a space adventure. The Earthlings are transported to Metaluna and learn of the planet's plight. Barely escaping a jaunt through the Thought Transformer, they flee the dying planet, with the aid of the benevolent Exeter, and return to Earth. This portion of the film resolves questions posed in the first half. Namely, we learn why the Metalunans enlisted the aid of Earthling scientists and what they planned to do with all the nuclear energy they hoped to produce. I won't give away these secrets here, but I will tell you it has nothing to do with peace on Earth.
These final sequences not only feature the stunning visuals I mentioned earlier, but they also introduce us to the "monster" of the movie, a Metalunan Mutant bent on destroying our Earthling heroes. The Mutant's head was actually a rejected design for the Xenomorph in It Came from Outer Space. It's exposed brain and bulbous eyes helped it become an iconic figure in 1950s science fiction cinema. For the most part, though, the creature is rather silly. The extended, insect-like arms flopping about certainly do not add to the menace.
Though the first segment of the movie is more engaging, the second half is by no means anticlimactic. The film as a whole is a fun and satisfying piece of science fiction, and withstands repeated viewings. Believe me, I know.
This Island Earth is directed by Joseph M. Newman. The Metaluna scenes, however, were re-shot by Jack Arnold after Universal expressed their dissatisfaction with Newman's work.
Scene to watch for: Exeter takes an oddly optimistic view concerning the destruction of his home planet.
Line to listen for: "In this place I wouldn't believe my grandmother!"
Mark's Rating: ! ! ! ! ½ out of 5.


text:
You've got red on you.
Sure, there may be one too many zombie games out right now, but I think we could all agree to make some space for a side-scrolling brawler based on Shaun of the Dead.
This piece by Aled Lewis will be featured in the Gallery1988 "Crazy 4 Cult" show opening in New York City this thursday. It's too bad that the game doesn't actually exist, since this screenshot is really exacerbating my desire to play it.
Player 2 has entered the game [Aled Lewis via Tiny Cartridge ]


text:
Search All Resources
Filter by material type(s):
Language (Optional)
Showing 1 - 3 of 3 results found.
STELLA Modules
To provide further support to STARTALK programs, STARTALK Central collaborated with the Teacher Effectiveness for Language Learning (TELL) Project to develop a framework called the STARTALK TELL Alignment, or STELLA for short. Click the link below to acce ...
Putting the Standards Front and Center
Occidental College's Putting the Standards Front and Center: An Infrastructure Project for Teacher Development provides program directors and lead instructors with multiple resources that can be used individually or collectively. The materials present con ...
The LMU STARTALK Professional Learning Module for Instructional Leads
The Professional Learning Module for Instructional Leads is a hybrid set of resources, activities and structured procedures that can be used to enhance, extend, and build the capacity of STARTALK Instructional Leads prior to conducting teacher professiona ...


text:
Walk in the Woods, 5km, aprs 5 hrs @Vikaköngäs, Arctic Circle Hiking area
If you love the outdoors and want to go into the heart of our beautiful nature, this is for you!
This activity will be on foot / snowshoes. We will be walking in the woods. Enjoy a snack by the fire, listen to the sounds of the forest. There is a possibility to see some animal footprints or even some wildlife.
Breathe in the worlds cleanest air! Challenge yourself but get relaxed at the same time. Hug some trees.
Guide will pick you up from one of the meeting points listed. You will be driven outside the city center. The walk will be about 5 km. We recommend wearing warm sturdy shoes, such as hiking shoes. Other than the car drive, you will be outside all the time, so be sure to wear very warm clothes. It can get very cold at wintertime. Best way to dress for a hiking trip, is to wear many layers. Take an extra jacket with you to wear while taking a break, sitting down etc.
Includes a small snack by open fire
Group min 1 person, max 8 persons
Adult 95€
Child (under 14) 65€


text:
You already knew you would be buying Portal 2, but Sony and Valve have made the PlayStation 3 version an impressive value for gamers. Not only do you get the PS3 version with full Steam integration, but you'll get a free copy of the game for the PC and Mac OS X by linking your PlayStation Network and Steam accounts. You'll also be able to chat, and play with, friends and enemies on the PC and Mac versions of the game. Your game saves can be kept in the cloud to be accessed from any system.
"We made a promise to gamers at E3 that Portal 2 for the PlayStation 3 would be the best console version of the product," said Gabe Newell, cofounder and president of Valve. "Working together with Sony we have identified a set of features we believe are very compelling to gamers. We hope to expand upon the foundation being laid in Portal 2 with more Steam features and functionality in DLC and future content releases."
Steam on the PS3 sounds easy and powerful. "PS3 gamers will be able to simply drop the Blu-Ray disc in the PS3, link to their Steam account from inside the game, and all their Steam friends (on PC and Mac) will be visible and accessible for chat and game invites," said Josh Weier, project lead on Portal 2 at Valve.
This is on a console, ladies and gentleman. We can continue to argue about the merits of mice and keyboards versus controllers, we can get the PS3 version and enjoy the PC and Mac versions without paying anything extra, and we'll be able to chat with our friends on other platforms while we do so. This is an amazing package, and a very pleasant surprise.
Portal 2 is coming to the PS3, PC, and Xbox 360 this April.


text:
Oct. 9 Brett Anderson, Seth Smith postgame interview
Q. Brett, what does it do for you when your defense picks you up like it did, especially the first two games it wasn't that great. What does that do for you?
BRETT ANDERSON: You can go out and pitch to contact, and not worry about the results as much. Coco set the tone with robbing the homer. You don't expect that when you're pitching. But he was tremendous. The guys up the middle were tremendous. And Seth made a play at the end, and it was fun to pitch in front of.
Q. Could you talk about your feeling, this was your first postseason start. And a lot of people viewed you as a giant question mark, as far as how healthy you were. Were you nervous at all, did you feel fully confident?
BRETT ANDERSON: No, I wasn't nervous, I had some adrenaline early with the crowd and was able to have a good first inning and go from there. And kind of fought myself innings 3 through 5, and was falling behind, but I made pitches when I had to. And probably had my best inning in the 6th, so was able to finish on a strong note.
Q. Bob said that you had a prolonged discussion about whether or not you were going to come out of the game. Can you take us through a little bit of that, what you were feeling.
BRETT ANDERSON: My oblique wasn't a hundred percent by any means, you're in the heat of the moment and you want to stay in there. You can see both sides of it.
Our bullpen has been tremendous. And they shut it down. You like to stay in, being a competitor, but you can see both sides of it, and fortunately it worked out today.
Q. Jim Leyland said Coco's catch sort of set the whole tempo and jacked you guys up. What did you feel when he ‑‑ as a pitcher standing there watching it, when he goes over the fence, grabs it?
BRETT ANDERSON: You see him hit it and you put your head down, you think you gave up a home run. And it kick‑starts you to make pitches and get through the innings, and we scored early and set the tone from there. I was able to pitch and let my defense make plays behind me. It was a good overall team effort.
Q. This was your first season as a DH, and tonight was your first postseason home run, how did that feel?
SETH SMITH: Great.
Q. Want to elaborate a little more?
SETH SMITH: Sure, awesome. I don't know. I'm just glad it's something to help the team. Brett was up there doing great. We already had a run, and we didn't even need my homer, so I don't even know why I'm here, but I appreciate the invite.
Q. You came in with good numbers against Sanchez, is he a good matchup for you, do you feel confident against him?
SETH SMITH: Yeah, he's right‑handed and that's good. I don't know what it is. There's no secret to my success against him. It's just baseball, and some guys you see better than others. And maybe my swing has been in a good place every time I faced him, I don't know.
Q. One of the problems about having the day off in the playoffs, it gives media a lot of time to talk about things. But there was some talk about Jonny starting tonight. Did Bob tell you that you were going to start or just assumed?
SETH SMITH: I assumed I was going to start. We've been consistent, and I didn't feel like they were going to change now.
Q. Both of you, you guys finished the season really strong. How much did the crowd really help you guys set the tone to start off the game with the momentum, if at all?
BRETT ANDERSON: Yeah, there hasn't been a postseason game here in a little while. The fans were tremendous against the last series in Texas. They came out in full force from the get‑go, and got jacked up and adrenaline flowing. And started us on the top half of the first, and we were able to score in the bottom half. The fans kept us in it the whole game. And hopefully that will happen the next two games, as well.
SETH SMITH: Good job, Brett.
Q. Brett, Seth said his home run, you didn't need it, but what did it do for you?
BRETT ANDERSON: It separated it. You can go out there and pitch to even more contact than I was before, knowing that a solo home run is not going to tie the game. And you try to be as efficient as possible, and get early contact. And we were able to do that and turn it over to our bullpen, and like I said, they dominated for three innings, and it was a good overall team win. And hopefully we have two more in us.