text:
The meteoric rise in the number of connected devices and the advance of hardware and software products by providers including Google and Apple to leverage the three screens – mobile, TV and Internet— has whet consumers' appetites for new and connected experiences that deliver us content across time, place and platforms.
Indeed, 2010 has turned out to be the year for multi-screen content services and – more importantly – for multi-purpose applications and solutions that allow consumers to call the shots. Nielsen Three Screen Report – a regular analysis from Nielsen's Cross-Platform Audience Measurement initiative to analyze consumer behavior –reveals a steady climb in the number of Americans that use the Internet (in many cases accessing the Web on their smartphones) and their TV simultaneously. As Nielsen observes: "New mobile devices and enhanced TV quality allow viewers to engage in more content than ever before."
This increase in multi-screen services is enabled by the growing consumer adoption of fixed line and mobile broadband services. High-speed broadband Internet access, now in over 60 percent of American homes, has created a better user experience for watching online videos. Nearly a quarter of households have smartphones, enabling consumers to "place shift" and watch video wherever they are.
While the growth in mobile online video viewing has increased over 50 percent year over year, the real story is the avalanche of applications and business models sharply aimed at bringing online video control and content to smartphones and tablets.
Center stage
The last months have seen a slew of apps from companies across the ecosystem. Media companies and content providers — including TV Guide, the one-stop destination for television listings — have released applications for iPhone, Android and iPad platforms.
At the other end of the spectrum, service providers and telcos are pursuing models to put them back in the center of our online viewing experience. Established players (such as carriers and cable TV companies) are extending their turf, while providers that focus on place-shifting products are just beginning to flex their muscles in mobile.
Satellite TV provider DirecTV has an app for its subscribers that lets them use their mobile phones to purchase pay-per-view programming and schedule how and when they record their favorite shows. Comcast, one of the leading cable providers in the U.S., has taken the wraps off their Xfinity TV app for the iPad, that allows digital subscribers to watch movies and TV shows on the tablet device, as well as program their digital video recorders, browse content by keyword or title, create a watch list of favorite shows, and share viewing choices with others via social networks. Additionally, traditional wireless carriers AT&T and Verizon are leveraging their "triple-play" bundles to deliver video content across screens and devices. And the list goes on.
Sensing a business opportunity online video service providers are also lining up to get in on the action. Hulu, a service that offers users online access to hit TV shows, has launched Hulu Plus, a premium-level subscription service that allows users to stream video to connected TVs, Blu-ray players, gaming consoles, set-top boxes, iPads, iPhones, and other devices. Not to be outdone, Sling Media, a provider of video place-shifting products, just announced the availability of the SlingPlayer Mobile player for the Apple iPad. This will allows Slingbox owners with iPads to change channels, control their DVRs and watch their favorite shows anywhere they have an Internet connection.
Granted, many of these companies are currently only active on two of the three screens. But their future objective is to be present across all three screens – and every other connected device their customers interact with as part of their daily routine.
Hypercompetition for the customer
These apps, services and enhancements don't just encourage consumers to watch more video (in many cases outside traditional broadcast and cable TV airing times and places); they turn up the pressure on providers to deliver content users appreciate to the platforms they prefer.
As a result, the relationship between the users, the content they view, and the devices they view it on have become increasingly complex. Traditional viewing habits no longer apply to these new devices and consumers, already struggling to cope with hundreds of cable TV channels, thousands of movies, hundreds of thousands of apps, and millions of songs now must navigate these content choices against an ever more complex set of services and devices.
Part of the solution is simpler interfaces and easier access. However, consumers also expect more flexibility, greater convenience and less hassle. In this converged digital environment providers are forced to compete on how well they really know their customers, insights they obtain by harnessing information and data about their customers across multiple touch points.
Fortunately, service providers already have a handle on what is needed to construct a new and unified view of the customer across all three screens. Their arsenal of capabilities includes the ability to offer users a single sign on experience across devices, to collect and analyze customer data and anonymized data sets, and to wield complex content management systems that match content to context and interface with external APIs.
Service providers are also accustomed to following the clues we leave behind, such as browsing patterns and purchase records, to determine (and deliver) us content and services we are likely to appreciate.
However, delivering personalized recommendations for a multi-platform experience demands services providers master much more than content tagging and customer profiling. And it calls for approaches that go far beyond plain-vanilla personalization schemes that merely gather information during the interaction with the user to construct a TV guide matched to expressed viewing tastes, for example.
The convergence of TV, Web and mobile platforms demands providers harness a multi-platform approach that enables them to create a persistent and personalized experience across (and between) the screens to which they distribute their content.
Specifically, providers must enlarge their arsenal of capabilities to enable real-time learning (following the digital bread crumb trails we leave across platforms and devices to consistently deliver us content we'll appreciate), device specific recommendations (understanding what content we access on what devices and then serving us content in ways that suits the device we are on at that moment) and situational methodologies (wielding all the approaches and algorithms available to deliver the right content to the right subscriber at the right time and consistently across the content delivery ecosystem).
Real-time rules
It's a new game with new rules. Success requires customer-centricity and a personalization approach that get the right content in front of the right users. To achieve this, providers must create different and relevant experiences for each subscriber. They must also deliver timely recommendations based on users' real-time behavior. It's not enough to have a personalization system that updates every few days or even hours. We're talking about minutes.
Why? Because delivering multi-platform personalization is a new paradigm that requires providers to accommodate changing relationships that involve both the content they offer and the customer segments they serve. Content, like produce on the shelf, must be fresh. Moreover, its delivery much be perfectly aligned with the viewing preferences of the individual.
Viewing habits are by no means static, nor are they always logical. In fact, they can change dramatically and unexpectedly as timeslots shift, shows ratings move and events happen. Excellent examples of these are live events such as sports tournaments, music concerts and political elections. They are hot when they happen and stale when they're over. Recommending these programs to consumers after the buzz is has dissipated delivers more than a poor experience; it can cost you customers.
It's equally bad practice to read too much into these mega-events. During the World Cup just about everyone is glued to a screen of some kind (TV, mobile, PC) to watch their team. But assuming that an individual is a die-hard soccer fan simply because they – like millions of other people – watched the games last summer is patently false.
Predictably, a plain-vanilla recommendation system will do just that. It will connect the dots to conclude that the individual is a loyal soccer fan. It will also recommend more soccer related content and possibly even suggest the individual download a World Cup-themed mobile game. Talk about overkill.
The correct approach – provided the recommendation systems understands and can accommodate changing relationships – is to track dynamic user behavior over time. The aim is not to suggest more of the same content; it must have the ability to learn and recognize that viewing a soccer game in the soccer season doesn't mean the individual is a soccer fan.
It's even better if the system learns so much that it can introduce some randomness into the equation, delivering users recommendations outside of what they would normally receive. This opens the door to machine-created serendipity and encourages consumers to fully explore content in the catalog, allowing providers to broaden and deepen our understanding of what users want and appreciate.
Powerful personalization
It's also important that a system understands people generally access content on their own terms and using the device they prefer. A user may access content on a mobile phone during the daily commute, but prefer to watch online video on a laptop if the trip is longer. Or the user may watch all content on a tablet except sports, which the individual watches on TV as a rule – period.
One can imagine an infinite number of combinations because viewing habits and preferences are as individual as the users themselves. Delivering multi-platform personalization requires a system that analyzes user behavior across all these devices and uses these observations to ensure an optimal user experience every time and on every device.
In addition, content should not only be accessible and simple to navigate across the three screens (or how ever many screens the provider distributes their content to). The provider's catalog should be effectively revamped in real-time to make every item shown relevant and personal.
Finally, a multi-platform personalization approach should not require providers to choose one model over another. Reams have been written about recommenders and the models providers can choose from. From collaborative filtering, to market basket analysis, and from social network analysis to Bayesian modeling, each approach has its merits.
But why should a provider have to choose just one? The best approach is the one that encompasses all the approaches. And the one a provider employs should depend only on the situation.
A good analogy is baseball. There each team has a bullpen of pitchers, and each has their talent. One pitcher might throw a killer curveball and the other might serve up an amazing fastball. The point is: the manager decides the right pitcher for the right job depending on what's needed to strike out the player from the opposing team. The final decision depends on the situation.
In effective multi-platform personalization the winning approach is the one that uses the right combination of algorithms and methodologies to determine the best content for the user, processing the individual's unique behavior, consumption patterns and preferences for each of their devices.
This is the ideal user experience. It's also the vision that has guided our company, Sidebar, in the development of a new breed of personalization technology, one that takes a smart, modular, and multi-platform approach. Specifically, it breaks down the device and platform silos, leveraging mobile, PC and Web usage to create a global understanding of each customer. It then uses this insight to deliver each user the best recommendation for every unique situation.
Content & conversations
But it's not only about presenting people with recommendations based on preferences, opt-in interests, observed behaviors and demographics. It's also about empowering people to participate in the provider's ecosystem.
This is critical (and common sense) because people trust people, not machines. In fact, our requirement for human input and judgment is driving search engine giants to adopt new approaches and make way for new people-powered search schemes that effectively infuse human preferences into computer algorithms to deliver truly relevant results, not just search-optimized web destinations.
The importance of trust is even greater in a multi-platform environment, where people are allowing providers to access their personal data and insights into what content they access on which device (information that is anonymized and cannot be linked back to a specific individual) in order to deliver relevant and useful content across three screens.
People must feel that they are in control of the data they volunteer, and they must feel empowered to contribute their feedback to the process. To this end recommendations systems must offer people the opportunity to become partners in their personalized experiences.
And these systems must show the tangible benefits that come from this participation, namely accurate recommendations that reflect a deep understanding of the individual, not the ability to group people into cut-and-dried categories. After all, there's nothing more disappointing than a wrong recommendation, or having to navigate scores of inappropriate recommendations for horror films just because you're hooked on Twilight and enjoy vampire-themed, romance movies.
Getting social
Moving forward, personalization is not just a feature of what providers offer. Soon it will sit at the center of everything they do.
A key driver will be Social TV – the extension of social media into the discovery, viewing, and interaction around television. Social TV is more than a pastime; it's fast gaining traction to be the next megatrend.
In May 2010, Social TV was named one of the 10 most important emerging technologies by the MIT Technology Review. It harnesses the relationships we already have in social media websites such as Facebook and Twitter to inspire people to connect with entertainment, like movies and TV. It also allows people to share their feelings about what they watch – while they watch it.
Social TV also enables social exchange, allowing friends and followers to read updates posted on social networks such as Twitter and draw from these to decide what programs they themselves might also enjoy. Think of it as a new kind of content recommendation that people will consider because it comes directly from people they know or whose taste they respect.
And let's not forget the ability of social media to make TV viewing social again. It used to be that families and friends sat down in front of the TV set at the same time every week to enjoy a popular sitcom and then spend hours talking about the best scenes or what made them laugh most. The advent of the Internet, the rise of the DVR and the advance of connected devices – platforms that allow people to place shift their viewing and schedule their content consumption — have changed this routine forever.
Thus, Social TV puts the tools in our hands to contribute to the discussion around TV programs – any time it suits us. We can also connect with friends, followers and people we trust to find out what shows they watch or record as a means of discovering new content we're sure to like.
Against this backdrop, it's easy to imagine new business models that will deliver new levels of interaction across screens and across the ecosystem. We have already seen consumers move away from buying DVDs to renting movies instead (both in physical and digital forms). Riding this wave Netflix already provides its library to subscribers across a variety of devices including connected TVs, Blu-Ray players, game consoles, and iPads. With players including Hulu, Sling Media and Sony jumping on the bandwagon, it's a given that 2011 will see multi-platform content services break on to the mainstream where people will harness Social TV to spread the word.
* * *
Editor's note: Patrick Kennedy is the CEO of Sidebar, Inc., a company providing multi-platform personalization and recommendation. Sidebar's Smart Menu platform acts as a cloud-based brain that analyzes behaviors to learn how each user consumes content differently on each of their devices and makes recommendations contextual to those devices. In addition, Sidebar offers a Smart Messaging tool that harnesses text messaging to create (and continue) interaction between the provider and subscriber.


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Friday, 20 December 2013
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Master Practitioners Course in Feng Shui
7 - 12 Apr 2014
Your Luck and Remedies in the Year of the Wood Horse 2014
Written on
06/12/2013, 10:31
Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Sheep, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, Boar
Click here to read on
Flying Star Feng Shui Update - 11th Month of the Gui Ji Water Snake...
Written on
03/12/2013, 10:48
(7th December 2013 - 5th January 2014)
Click here to read on
How to Dejunk Unwanted Files from your Computer and Work Desk
Written on
03/11/2013, 16:23
Dejunking your mind and your space should also extend to your computer, which stores so much of our rubbish these days.
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Feng Shui World Latest Issue (Nov/Dec 2013) is Out. Get Your Copy Now!
Written on
01/11/2013, 14:09
This end-of-year issue is the beginning of exciting times for all of us at Feng Shui World. From the next issue, which comes out in January 2014, FENG SHUI WORLD will become a monthly!
Click here to read on
Bedrooms: Practicality vs Aesthetics
Written on
27/10/2013, 17:54
When it comes to design, there needs to be a balance between what looks cool and what makes sense. Many designers tend to lose perspective of this and tend to design without any consideration to the requirements of the client, instead, opting for the 'coolest' design.
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The Master Square of 81
Written on
14/10/2013, 14:18
The Master Square of 81 extends the analysis of changing energy patterns in buildings and takes the practice of time dimensional feng shui into deeper, more subtle magical territory.
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The fabulous feng shui of MELBOURNE
Written on
01/10/2013, 11:28
Melbourne has moved up once again in the rankings compiled by the Economist Intelligence Unit. YES Melbourne has been ranked as number one in a survey of 140 cities around the world in August 2011 by the ETU as the world's most livable city.
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A BIG THANK YOU for CELEBRATING WITH US!
Written on
17/09/2013, 15:28
Our Grand Opening of Kingdom of Shambala over the weekend was a sensational success, thanks to all who came from all corners of Malaysia and Singapore!
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Aunt Agga Issue #93
Written on
09/09/2013, 14:45
Aunt Agga answers questions about love luck, siblings, prenancy, and superstition gone wrong!
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Creating Value in Homes
Written on
12/08/2013, 15:04
When we think about our Home Value, we always refer to its location and floor area. But what we don't think about is its Psychic Value, the value of how much we cherish our homes and the value we place on a property when we resell it.
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Create the CHI of WEALTH
Written on
28/07/2013, 14:19
So much of successful feng shui practice comes from cleverly harnessing the powerful chi of SYMBOLS that if you travel the length and breadth of China today, everywhere you will see evidence of this Symbolism.
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Accidents, Mishaps and Danger Doubles with the Double 5 Yellow during...
Written on
16/07/2013, 15:41
Every year the Hungry Ghost Month dawns upon us on the 7th lunar month of the year – a time where the Gates of the underworld open for a 30 days! During this month millions of spirits, demons and ghosts are unleashed..
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Building Energy
Written on
07/07/2013, 16:33
Ever wondered how buildings affect the way we view our world? It is so natural to live in a state on NON AWARENESS and for many of us, this is how we are, walking, living and doing things while quite oblivious to our surroundings.
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How to transform your living space to attract good fortune
Written on
20/06/2013, 08:00
It is important to attune yourself to the clearing process. The act itself is a departure from a normal kind of day. It is a departure from routine, and the mind gets a creative jolt that is not unwelcome. When the mind focuses on the process of dejunking physical space, it automatically goes into cleansing mode.
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Aunt Agga Issue #92
Written on
10/06/2013, 15:35
Aunt Agga answers questions about mother in laws, adopted sons, cat ashes, and astrology readings gone wrong!
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Messages from Birds
Written on
27/05/2013, 08:00
I am charmed by this because I know that birds coming into the home spells excellent feng shui. Indeed, birds have been sharing my house for a long time. This started years ago when a pair of mynahs started living in the eaves of my home at the back.
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FOCUS ON BATHROOMS Designing Areas of the Home That We Never Think...
Written on
22/05/2013, 08:00
When we design our homes we generally concentrate our efforts on the more public areas such as the living and dining halls and we often put less effort into the other areas which we tend to use quite often.
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Why the number 9 is the most supreme of numbers
Written on
01/05/2013, 11:52
FSW is delighted to introduce David Burton, mathematical genius and very successful Astrologer from Australia.
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Maximizing The CEO's Potential
Written on
01/04/2013, 14:50
In business, the luck of the CEO is crucial to the success and profitability of the business. Just as in the home it is essential to take care of the feng shui of the Patriach first, in business, it is the CEO's feng shui you must protect first and foremost.
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Making Offerings... Brings Showers of Blessings
Written on
17/03/2013, 14:24
Offering water, lights and incense to holy objects are easy ways to gain blessings from the universe! These traditions come from lineage texts that tell of the amazing benefits of offering even a single drop of water to the Buddhas! Always do it with the intention to benefit others and its blessings will be multiplied!
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Welcome to WOFS.com - Online Feng Shui Magazine
The Magic Ratio
Lillian Too
shares a little known formula in feng shui, the Magic Ratio of dimensions which is easy to understand and simple to apply when arranging furniture in homes and offices. The origins of this ratio go back thousands of years and reflect the essence of the lucky numbers 1, 6 and 8. This divine ratio has also been described in the old texts as celestial proportions of space that have the power to create feelings of calm and happiness, bringing excellent feng shui to all who live and work within. Once understood, you can easily use this formula to bring greater good fortune, peace and even spiritual awakenings into your living and work space. Any home, big or small, apartment or house, studio or condominium can benefit from this formula.
As my readers know from reading my books, I subscribe to the view that the most profound of truths can always be made simple. So it is with feng shui, and I have spent the better part of the last decade simplifying feng shui knowledge and its applications while retaining the relevant essence of its principles. I derive a great deal of what I call psychic income from my work – the satisfied letters, the beaming smiles, the genuine warmth with which I am greeted at all my talks, classes and Extravaganzas. There is no greater joy than to be embraced into people's lives simply for sharing knowledge that comes my way… knowledge which they have applied successfully and benefited from.
In this issue, I want to pass on an easy way to make your feng shui "right" just by arranging your space according to the celestial proportions of heavenly feng shui. When you create your space according to these proportions - when you arrange your furniture, hang pictures on your walls, create colour schemes or place plants in a way that make your room or garden or office visibly reflect these proportions - you will instantly feel a difference in yourself. Your attitudes will become more positive, your family becomes more harmonious and good things start to happen for you. Luck starts to flow magically into your life!
So what is the magic ratio?
It is to create spaces that conform to the ratio of 1:1.618
This means that irrespective of the dimensions and shape of any room – such as rooms you spend a great deal of time in – you should endeavour to create a visibly discernible space that conforms to this ratio.
Measure the length and breadth of the room. Multiply this by 1.618 to find the exact length the room should be! Then create space within this a space that conforms to the width and the required length according to the ratio. It's as simple as that. For instance, if the width of the living room is 10 feet, then the length should ideally be 16.18 feet and the space created by these two dimensions - length and width - creates the magic space! If a room is long and there is left over length to the room, make an effort to define the space created by the ratio's proportions. So as a result, the original long room becomes subtly divided into two visible areas.
If your room is 16 feet wide, then the ideal space will be created by having a length to the space of 16 X 1.618 = 25.888 feet. It is not necessary to be perfectly exact in your measurements. Stay within the proportions indicated by the magic ratio as much as you can, but a small difference of a centimeter or so is acceptable. Then when you do your work, entertain or just spend time in that space, you will feel the beneficial effects of good feng shui.
You can use this ratio to create good proportions for exceptionally long rooms, or to feng shui a narrow area that you wish to brighten up. As soon as you create the celestial proportions indicated, feelings of being constricted or squeezed in will disappear. Obstacles in your life also start to vanish. Success comes more easily in all that you do.
You can use any existing pillar to establish your dimensions. Or you can use a defining colour on walls to reflect the required proportions or to create a particular length desired. You can use furniture to emphasize the division; a side board or heavier furniture work make perfect natural dividers as these are strong pieces that effectively marks out the visual length of any room. As soon as the space is created, you will find that it instantly feels good. In the home, the living room and the bedroom should be created according to this magic ratio.
Use the same ratio to create perfect proportions of your office space. Here, the best way is to use carpets and walls to mark out the space correctly, and for those of you currently renovating your office space, do try to create rooms according to this divine proportion to attract success luck. The benefits of doing so are truly enormous.
The foyer area into the office should also be marked out according to the magic ratio as this is where chi enters and flows within. Establish the visual effect of the proportion and watch your feng shui improve! Employees feel happier, work better, cooperate more effectively and generally become a lot more productive.
No matter how small your garden, it is wonderful feng shui to be able to create celestial proportions there using plants, hedges and small bushes. In Malaysia and Singapore where plants grow so fast, it is easy to use the garden to create good feng shui for the home. Well maintained gardens create the bright hall that attracts good chi, so it is worthwhile to make the effort. All you need to do is to measure out the correct length and width of a designated space and then work from there. Those living in apartments can use their balconies to create celestial space according to the ratio, then place growing plants there to activate the space! Very effective feng shui.
Now let me tell you about a wonderful coincidence, although of course nothing in life is a coincidence. The ancient mathematician, Pythagoras, a genius in his time, whose works on numbers reflect many celestial and divine laws of numerology from many cultures, also has a ratio he has called "the Golden Mean" which corresponds exactly to the magic ratio of China's feng shui texts! This was for me a very exciting discovery.
Pythagoras describes the rectangle created by the measurements of the ratio as the Golden Rectangle. This rectangle is said to be most beneficial for the welfare of human beings. Since then, wise men have discovered this ratio resonating everywhere in Nature, from the spirals of the conch shell to the proportion of petals in specific flowers.
Ancient architects have also incorporated these proportions into some of the most famous buildings that have stood the test of time. Thus it has been discovered that the Pyramids at Cheops contain chambers within that correspond to the Golden Mean, especially the King's chamber whose measurements correspond exactly to the Golden Mean; and in Greece, the Parthenon in the Acropolis also have dimensions that also reflect this magical ratio of 1;1.618 . The same divine measurements can be found in the Taj Mahal in India and in the ancient cathedrals of France and Poland.
Hang photographs in frames that reflect this divine ratio
Create a golden rectangular mirror using this ratio
Look for rectangular dining tables that reflect these proportions
Place a coffee table in the living room that has this ratio
Create a balcony of plants according to this ratio
The following article is taken from the
"Feng Shui World (January/February 2009)"
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Shinzō Abe
Shinzō Abe 安倍晋三 |
Prime Minister of Japan | |
Incumbent | |
Assumed office 26 December 2012 |
Monarch | Akihito |
Deputy | Tarō Asō |
Preceded by | Yoshihiko Noda |
In office 26 September 2006 – 26 September 2007 |
Monarch | Akihito |
Preceded by | Junichiro Koizumi |
Succeeded by | Yasuo Fukuda |
President of the Liberal Democratic Party | |
Incumbent | |
Assumed office 26 September 2012 |
Deputy | Masahiko Kōmura |
Preceded by | Sadakazu Tanigaki |
In office 20 September 2006 – 26 September 2007 |
Preceded by | Junichiro Koizumi |
Succeeded by | Yasuo Fukuda |
Chief Cabinet Secretary | |
In office 31 October 2005 – 26 September 2006 |
Prime Minister | Junichiro Koizumi |
Preceded by | Hiroyuki Hosoda |
Succeeded by | Yasuhisa Shiozaki |
Personal details | |
Born | Nagato, Yamaguchi, Japan |
21 September 1954
Political party | Liberal Democratic Party |
Spouse(s) | Akie Abe |
Alma mater | Seikei University University of Southern California |
Religion | Shinto[1] |
Shinzō Abe (安倍晋三 Abe Shinzō , [abe ɕinzoː] ( ); born 21 September 1954) is the Prime Minister of Japan and in office since December 2012. He previously served as Prime Minister from 2006 to 2007. Abe is the President of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP)[2] and chairman of the Oyagaku propulsion parliamentary group.
Abe became the 90th Japanese Prime Minister when he was elected by a special session of the National Diet on 26 September 2006. He became Japan's youngest prime minister since World War II, and is the first to be born after the war. Abe served as prime minister for less than a year, resigning on 12 September 2007.[3] He was replaced by Yasuo Fukuda, beginning a string of Prime Ministers, none of whom retained office for more than one year.[4]
On 26 September 2012, Abe defeated former Minister of Defense Shigeru Ishiba in a run-off vote to win the LDP presidential election.[5] Abe became the Prime Minister again on 26 December 2012, following the LDP's landslide victory in the 2012 general election. He is the first former Prime Minister to return to the office since Shigeru Yoshida in 1948.
Abe is viewed as a right-wing nationalist and holds views that have caused concern in Japan's neighbours, South Korea and China.[6][7][8][9]
Early life[edit]
Abe was born in Nagato, Yamaguchi and soon moved to Tokyo. He attended Seikei Elementary School and Seikei High School.[10] He studied political science at Seikei University, graduating in 1977. He later moved to the United States and studied public policy at the University of Southern California's School of Public Policy.[11] In April 1979, Abe began working for Kobe Steel.[12] He left the company in 1982 and pursued a number of governmental positions including executive assistant to the Minister for Foreign Affairs, private secretary to the chairperson of the LDP General Council, and private secretary to the LDP secretary-general.[13]
Abe was born into a political family of significance. His grandfather, Kan Abe, and father, Shintaro Abe, were both politicians. Abe's mother, Yoko Kishi,[14] is the daughter of Nobusuke Kishi, prime minister of Japan from 1957 to 1960. Kishi had been a member of the Tōjō Cabinet during the Second World War. Since GHQ's policy changed and became more anti-communist, Kishi was released from Sugamo Prison, and later established the Japan Democratic Party. In 1950 Shigeru Yoshida's Liberal Party and Kishi's Democratic Party merged as an anti-leftist coalition and became the Liberal Democratic Party of today.
Member of House of Representatives[edit]
Shinzō Abe was elected to the first district of Yamaguchi Prefecture in 1993 after his father's death in 1991, winning the most votes of the four Representatives elected in the SNTV multi-member district. In 1999, he became Director of the Social Affairs Division, Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary in the Yoshirō Mori and Junichiro Koizumi Cabinets from 2000–2003, after which he was appointed Secretary General of the Liberal Democratic Party.
Abe is a member of the Mori Faction (formally, the Seiwa Seisaku Kenkyū-kai) of the Liberal Democratic Party. This faction is headed by former prime minister Yoshirō Mori. Junichiro Koizumi was a member of the Mori Faction prior to leaving it, as is the custom when accepting a high party post. From 1986 to 1991, Abe's father, Shintaro, headed the same faction. The Seiwa Seisaku Kenkyū-kai has 60 members in the House of Representatives and 26 in the House of Councillors.
In 2000 Abe's home and the office of his supporters in Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi, were attacked with molotov cocktails on numerous occasions. The perpetrators were several yakuza members belonging to the Kudo-kai, a Kitakyushu-based designated boryokudan syndicate. The reason for the attacks was believed to be that Abe's local aide refused to give cash to a Shimonoseki real estate broker in return for supporting a Shimonoseki mayoral candidate in 1999.[15]
Abe was chief negotiator for the Japanese government on behalf of the families of Japanese abductees taken to North Korea. As a part of the effort, he accompanied Koizumi to meet Kim Jong‑il in 2002. He gained national popularity when he demanded that Japanese abductees visiting Japan remain, in defiance of North Korea.[16]
On 31 October 2005, he was nominated Chief Cabinet Secretary of the fifth Koizumi Cabinet, succeeding Hiroyuki Hosoda.
He was the leader of a project team within the LDP that did a survey on "excessive sexual education and gender-free education". Among the items to which this team raised objections were anatomical dolls and other curricular materials "not taking into consideration the age of children", school policies banning traditional boys' and girls' festivals, and mixed-gender physical education. The team sought to provide contrast to the Democratic Party of Japan, which it alleged supported such policies.[17]
On 20 September 2006, Abe was elected as the president of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party.[18] His chief competitors for the position were Sadakazu Tanigaki and Taro Aso. Yasuo Fukuda was a leading early contender but ultimately chose not to run. Former Prime Minister Yoshirō Mori, to whose faction both Abe and Fukuda belonged, stated that the faction strongly leant toward Abe.[19]
On 26 September 2006 Abe was elected prime minister with 339 of 475 votes in the Diet's lower house and a firm majority in the upper house.[20]
First term as Prime Minister[edit]
This section's factual accuracy may be compromised due to out-of-date information. (November 2012) |
Abe, elected at age 52, in 2006, was the youngest prime minister since Fumimaro Konoe in 1941.[21]
Domestic policy[edit]
Abe expressed a general commitment to the fiscal reforms instituted by his predecessor, Junichiro Koizumi.[21] He has taken some steps toward balancing the Japanese budget, such as appointing a tax policy expert, Koji Omi, as Minister of Finance. Omi has previously supported increases in the national consumption tax, although Abe has distanced himself from this policy and seeks to achieve much of his budget balancing through spending cuts.[22]
Since 1997, as the bureau chief of "Institute of Junior Assembly Members Who Think About The Outlook of Japan and History Education", Abe supported the controversial Japanese Society for History Textbook Reform and the New History Textbook. He denies the abduction of comfort women by Japanese troops, claims that a history textbook must contribute to the formation of national consciousness, and cites South Korean criticism of the New History Textbook as foreign interference in Japanese domestic affairs.[23]
In March 2007, Abe along with right-wing politicians have proposed a bill to encourage nationalism and a "love for one's country and hometown" among the Japanese youth (Specific wording from the revised 'fundamental law of education - 教育基本法', which was revised to include 'love of country' despite much criticism).
Imperial household[edit]
Abe holds conservative views in the Japanese succession controversy, and has said he opposes amending Japanese law to permit female blood lines to succeed the imperial family. Succession of the imperial family by the female blood line should not be confused with ascension of a woman to the Chrysanthemum Throne as Empress.[citation needed]
Foreign policy[edit]
North Korea[edit]
Shinzō Abe has generally taken a hard-line stance with respect to North Korea, especially regarding the North Korean abductions of Japanese citizens.
In 2002 negotiations between Japan and North Korea, Prime Minister Koizumi and General Secretary Kim Jong-il agreed to give abductees permission to visit Japan. A few weeks into the visit, the Japanese government decided that the abductees would be restricted from returning to North Korea where their families live. Abe took credit for this policy decision in his best-selling book, Toward a Beautiful Nation (美しい国へ Utsukushii kuni e ). North Korea criticized this Japanese decision as a breach of a diplomatic promise, and the negotiations aborted.
On 7 July 2006, North Korea conducted missile tests over the Sea of Japan. Abe, as Chief Cabinet Secretary, cooperated with Foreign Minister Taro Aso to seek sanctions against North Korea in the United Nations Security Council.[citation needed]
China, South Korea, and Taiwan[edit]
Abe has publicly recognized the need for improved relations with the People's Republic of China and, along with Foreign Minister Taro Aso, sought an eventual summit meeting with former Chinese paramount leader Hu Jintao.[24] Abe has also said that China–Japan relations should not continue to be based on emotions.[25]
On 4 August 2006, the Japanese media reported that Shinzō Abe had visited the Yasukuni Shrine (a shrine that includes convicted Class A war criminals in its honored war dead) in April of that year. Abe claimed the visit was of a personal and non-official nature, as Former Prime Minister Koizumi has in the past. The Chinese and South Korean governments expressed concern over the visit.[26][27] Both Abe and Foreign Minister Taro Aso have stated that any visits to Yasukuni are a domestic matter.[21] Abe visited the Chidorigafuchi National Cemetery on 15 August 2007 and abstained from visiting the Yasukuni shrine.[28]
Occasionally, Abe is respected among politicians in Taiwan who are part of the Pan-Green Coalition seeking Taiwanese independence. Chen Shui-bian welcomed Abe's ministership.[29] Part of Abe's appeal in Taiwan is historical: his grandfather Nobusuke Kishi was pro-Taiwan, and his great-uncle Eisaku Satō was the last prime minister to visit Taiwan while in office.[29]
Abe has expressed the need to strengthen political, security, and economic ties within the Southeast Asian region. Abe has increased its allies in its international campaign to counter the North Korean nuclear cards. So far, Abe has successfully visited the Philippines and Indonesia, and although China is not within the Southeast Asian region, Japan has also sought for their support. However, relations with China continue to be tarnished by the Senkaku Islands dispute.
Shinzō Abe's three-day visit to India in August 2007 was said to be the start of a new Asian alliance, building on the long history of strong, friendly bilateral relations enjoyed by India and Japan. Abe proposed a "Broader Asia" alliance of democracies as a counterweight to China's growing influence in the realm of economics and military power.[citation needed] Abe's initiative was seen to be the "fifth" bilateral link in this emerging scenario whereas the U.S.-Australia, U.S.-Japan, Japan-Australia, and U.S.-India links are already established. A sixth link of the India-Australia is said to be the logical corollary in an attempt to create a new quadrilateral of military cooperation which China has labeled the "Asian NATO".[30] Abe's India foreign policy was pragmatic, as it was based on boosting Japan's resurgent economic indicators, while gaining a crucial partner in Asia. India, alone amongst all major Asian countries, does not have a history of serious military dispute with Japan. [31]
Abe also sought to revise or broaden the interpretation of Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution in order to permit Japan to maintain de jure military forces. He had stated that "we are reaching the limit in narrowing down differences between Japan's security and the interpretation of our constitution".[32] During his first period as prime minister he upgraded the Japan Defense Agency to full ministry status.[33]
Like his predecessors, he supported the Japanese alliance with the United States.[20]
Unpopularity and sudden resignation[edit]
After Agricultural Minister Toshikatsu Matsuoka committed suicide, Abe's approval rating remained below 30% for months according to opinion polls of Jiji Press. Abe's ruling Liberal Democratic Party suffered great losses in the upper house election. Another agricultural minister, Norihiko Akagi, who was involved in a political funding scandal, resigned after the election.
In an attempt to revive his administration, Abe announced a new cabinet on 27 August 2007. However, the new agricultural minister Takehiko Endo, involved in a finance scandal, resigned only 7 days later.
On 12 September 2007, only three days after a new parliamentary session had begun, Abe announced his intention to resign his position as prime minister at an unscheduled press conference.[34][35] Abe said his unpopularity was hindering the passage of an anti-terrorism law, involving among other things Japan's continued military presence in Afghanistan. Party officials also said the embattled prime minister was suffering from poor health.[36] On 26 September 2007 Abe officially ended his term as Yasuo Fukuda became the new Prime Minister of Japan.
Return as Prime Minister[edit]
On 26 September 2012, Abe was re-elected as president of the opposition Liberal Democratic Party[37] winning the support of 328 members of the 480-seat lower house.[38]
In elections on 16 December 2012, the LDP won 294 seats in the 480 seat lower house of parliament. Following his victory, Abe said "With the strength of my entire cabinet, I will implement bold monetary policy, flexible fiscal policy and a growth strategy that encourages private investment, and with these three policy pillars, achieve results."[39] Abenomics, as his economic policy has been called consists of fiscal and monetary expansion with a 2% target interest rate. Abe also said he favours the re-building of Japan's nuclear reactors following the Fukushima disaster[40](though much of the authority to restart nuclear plants lies with local governments) and plans to strengthen relations with the United States. His first budget increased defense spending and manpower while reducing foreign aid.[41]
Politics and philosophy[edit]
View on history[edit]
Abe is widely viewed as a right-wing nationalist.[6][7][8] The British Rupert Wingfield-Hayes of BBC described him as "far more right wing than most of his predecessors."[9] Since 1997, as the bureau chief of the 'Institute of Junior Assembly Members Who Think About the Outlook of Japan and History Education', Abe led the Japanese Society for History Textbook Reform. On his official homepage[42] he questions the extent to which coercion was applied toward the Comfort Women, dismissing Korean "revisionism" as foreign interference in Japanese domestic affairs. In a Diet session on 6 October 2006, Abe revised his statement regarding comfort women, and said that he accepted the report issued in 1993 by the sitting cabinet secretary, Yōhei Kōno, where the Japanese government officially acknowledged the issue. Later in the session, Abe stated his belief that Class A war criminals are not criminals under Japan's domestic law.[43]
In a meeting of the Lower House Budget Committee in February 2006, Shinzō Abe said, 'There is a problem as to how to define aggressive wars; we cannot say it is decided academically',[44] and 'It is not the business of the government to decide how to define the last world war. I think we have to wait for the estimation of historians'.[44] However, on a TV program in July 2006[45] he denied that Manchukuo was a puppet state.
Abe published a book called Toward a Beautiful Nation (美しい国へ Utsukushii kuni e ) in July 2006, which became a bestseller in Japan. In this book, he says that Class A war criminals (those charged with crimes against peace) who were adjudicated in the Tokyo Tribunal after World War II were not war criminals in the eye of domestic law.[citation needed] The Korean and Chinese governments, as well as noted academics and commentators, have voiced concern about Abe's historical views.[46][47][48]
In March 2007, in response to a United States Congress resolution by Mike Honda, Abe denied any government coercion in the recruitment of comfort women during World War II,[49] in line with a statement made almost ten years before on the same issue, in which Abe voiced his opposition to the inclusion of the subject of military prostitution in several school textbooks and then denied any coercion in the "narrow" sense of the word, environmental factors notwithstanding.[50]
However, it provoked negative reaction from Asian and Western countries, for example, a New York Times editorial on 6 March 2007:
What part of 'Japanese Army sex slaves' does Japan's prime minister, Shinzo Abe, have so much trouble understanding and apologizing for? ... These were not commercial brothels. Force, explicit and implicit, was used in recruiting these women. What went on in them was serial rape, not prostitution. The Japanese Army's involvement is documented in the government's own defense files. A senior Tokyo official more or less apologized for this horrific crime in 1993...Yesterday, [Abe] grudgingly acknowledged the 1993 quasi-apology, but only as part of a pre-emptive declaration that his government would reject the call, now pending in the United States Congress, for an official apology. America isn't the only country interested in seeing Japan belatedly accept full responsibility. Korea and China are also infuriated by years of Japanese equivocations over the issue.[51]
The American newspaper Washington Post editorial, "Shinzo Abe's Double Talk" (24 March 2007), also criticized him: "he's passionate about Japanese victims of North Korea—and blind to Japan's own war crimes".[52]
Response to mass media[edit]
The Asahi Shimbun also accused Abe and Shōichi Nakagawa of censoring a 2001 NHK program concerning "The Women's International War Crimes Tribunal".[53] The "tribunal" was a private committee to adjudicate comfort women; about 5,000 people including 64 casualties from Japan and abroad attended. The committee members, who claimed to be specialists of international law, claimed that Emperor Hirohito and the Japanese government were responsible for the use of comfort women. The TV program, however, did not mention the full name of the tribunal and keywords such as 'Japanese troops' or 'sexual slavery', and it also cut the sight of the tribunal, the host grouping, statements of the organizer, and the judgement itself. Instead, it presented criticism against the tribunal by a right-wing academic and his statement that 'there was no abduction of sex slaves and they were prostitutes'.[54]
On the day following the Asahi Shimbun report, Akira Nagai, the chief producer and primary person responsible for the program, held a press conference and ensured the report of the Asahi Shimbun. Abe stated that the content "had to be broadcast from a neutral point of view" and "what I did is not to give political pressure". Abe said "It was a political terrorism by Asahi Shimbun and it was tremendously clear that they had intention to inhume me and Mr. Nakagawa politically, and it is also clear that it was complete fabrication." He also characterized the tribunal as a "mock trial" and raised objection to the presence of North Korean prosecutors singling them out as agents of North Korean government.[55] Abe's actions in the NHK incident have been criticized as being both illegal (violating the Broadcast Law) and unconstitutional (violating the Japanese Constitution).[56]
A news program aired on TBS on 21 July 2006 about a secret biological weapons troop of Imperial Japanese Army called 'Unit 731', along with a picture panel of Shinzō Abe, who has no relation to the report. Abe said in a press conference, "It is a truly big problem if they want to injure my political life". The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications inquired into fact relevance and stated that there had been an omission in editing the TV program fairly, making an administrative direction of exceptional stringent warning based upon Broadcast Law.
On 24 October 2006, a report emerged that Abe's new administration had called on the NHK to "pay attention" to the North Korean abductees issue.[57] Critics, some even within Abe's own LDP party, charged that the government was violating freedom of expression by meddling in the affairs of the public broadcaster.
In December 2006, it was revealed that former Prime-Minister Junichiro Koizumi's government, in which Abe was Chief Cabinet Secretary, had influenced town hall style meetings, during which paid performers would ask government officials favorable questions.[58]
On 22 November 2012, it was reported that Tokyo Broadcasting System (TBS) early morning TV show "Asazuba" accidentally displayed Abe's photo alongside a news report about an NHK announcer's arrest for a sex offense. Despite having no relation to the incident whatsoever, Abe's face filled viewers' screens along with the name of NHK announcer Takeshige Morimoto, who anchors NHK's "Ohayo Nippon" program on Saturday and Sunday. Morimoto was arrested for allegedly groping a woman on the train. Abe posted on his public Facebook page "This morning on the TBS show 'Asazuba,' when a newscaster reported on a story regarding the apprehension of a molester, a photo of me was shown. Images of this blunder can now be seen clearly across the Internet, Have the slander campaigns already begun!? If this were merely an accident, it would be proper for the TV station to give me a personal apology, but as yet I haven't heard a single word." The newscaster acknowledged that the incorrect image had been displayed, but merely stated that the photo was "unrelated" and did not refer to the politician by name. Neither Abe nor his office have received any form of apology.[59]
Yasukuni Shrine[edit]
Abe has visited Yasukuni Shrine on many occasions. While serving as Chief Cabinet Secretary in the government of Junichiro Koizumi he visited in April 2006, prompting South Korea to describe the trip as "regrettable".[60] He did not visit while Prime Minister from September 2006 to September 2007, unlike Koizumi, who had visited yearly while in office. Abe not visiting the shrine prompted a Japanese nationalist named Yoshihiro Tanjo to cut off his own little finger in protest and mail it to the LDP.[61]
In 2012 Abe visited the shrine on 15 August, the anniversary of the end of World War II. While campaigning for the presidency of the LDP, Abe said that he regretted not visiting the shrine while Prime Minister.[62] After winning the presidency, he visited it again on 17 October. He said this was in an official capacity as the president of the Liberal Democratic Party.[63]
Restoration of Sovereignty Day[edit]
On 28 April 2013, a new public event, the Restoration of Sovereignty Day, was held in Tokyo to mark the 61st anniversary of the end of the US occupation of Japan. It had been proposed by Abe in 2012. The event, which was attended by Emperor Akihito, was denounced by Okinawans who saw it as celebrating a betrayal, and there were demonstrations in both Okinawa and Tokyo.[64]
First term (2006-2007)[edit]
Abe's first cabinet was announced on 26 September 2006. The only minister retained in his position from the previous Koizumi cabinet was Foreign Minister Taro Aso, who had been one of Abe's competitors for the LDP presidency. In addition to the cabinet positions existing under Koizumi, Abe created five new "advisor" positions. He reshuffled his cabinet on 27 August 2007.[65]
- Toshikatsu Matsuoka committed suicide on 28 May 2007, hours before being due for questioning in connection to allegations of misappropriation of government funds. He was replaced by Norihiko Akagi, who himself resigned on 1 August 2007 due to suspicions of similar conduct. Masatoshi Wakabayashi was appointed Agriculture Minister, which he served concurrently with his post as Environment Minister.
- Masatoshi Wakabayashi was appointed Agriculture Minister on 3 September 2007, following Takehiko Endo's resignation due to a financial scandal.
- Prior to Abe's administration, this post was known as "Director General of the Defense Agency". In December 2006, its status was elevated to ministry level.
- Fumio Kyuma resigned on 3 July 2007 for controversial remarks made about the atomic bombing of Hiroshima. He was replaced by Yuriko Koike, then National Security Advisor.
- Yoshimi Watanabe was appointed Minister of State for Administrative Reform upon 28 December 2007 resignation of Genichiro Sata. He served in this capacity concurrently with his role as Minister of State for Regulatory Reform.
Second term (2012-)[edit]
Abe's second cabinet was criticized by the Economist as "a cabinet of radical nationalists."[66]
Second (26 December 2012) |
Secretary | Yoshihide Suga |
Internal Affairs | Yoshitaka Shindo |
Justice | Sadakazu Tanigaki |
Foreign Affairs | Fumio Kishida |
Deputy Prime Minister, Financial Services, Finance | Taro Aso |
Education, Educational Reform | Hakubun Shimomura |
Health | Norihisa Tamura |
Agriculture | Yoshimasa Hayashi |
Economy | Toshimitsu Motegi |
Land | Akihiro Ota |
Environment, Nuclear Crisis Management | Nobuteru Ishihara |
Defense3 | Itsunori Onodera |
Public Safety, Measures for National Land Strengthening and Disaster Management |
Keiji Furuya |
Economic and Fiscal Policy and Economic Revitalisation | Akira Amari |
Disaster Reconstruction | Takumi Nemoto |
Administrative Reform and Public Servant System Reforms | Tomomi Inada |
Okinawa/Northern Territories | Ichita Yamamoto |
Birth Rate | Masako Mori |
National Security Advisor | - |
Economic Policy Advisor | - |
North Korean Abductions Advisor | Keiji Furuya |
Education Advisor | - |
Public Relations Advisor | - |
- His younger brother is Nobuo Kishi, Senior Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs (as of October 2013).
- His elder brother is Hironobu Abe, president and CEO of Mitsubishi Shōji Packaging Corporation (as of October 2013).
See also[edit]
- ^ Seinseiren.org [1][dead link]
- ^ Foster, Malcolm (26 September 2012). "Abe wins vote to lead Japan main opposition party". Associated Press. Retrieved 26 September 2012.
- ^ Nakata, Hiroko (13 September 2007). "Prime Minister Abe announces resignation". Japan Times. Archived from the original on 17 January 2010. Retrieved 13 September 2007.
- ^ ".". CNN.[dead link]
- ^ "Japan ex-PM Shinzo Abe elected opposition leader". BBC News. 26 September 2012.
- ^ a b Lucy Alexander (17 December 2012). "Landslide victory for Shinzo Abe in Japan election". The Times.
- ^ a b "Another Attempt to Deny Japan's History". The New York Times. January 2, 2013.
- ^ a b Justin McCurry (28 September 2012). "Shinzo Abe, an outspoken nationalist, takes reins at Japan's LDP, risking tensions with China, South Korea". GlobalPost.
- ^ a b Rupert Wingfield-Hayes (15 December 2012). "Japan loses faith in traditional politics". BBC.
- ^ 学校法 人 成蹊学園 成蹊ニュース(2006年度) Archived 17 January 2010 at WebCite
- ^ The Dragons of Troy, USC Trojan Family Magazine, Winter 2006, accessed December 22, 2012.
- ^ Profile: Shinzo Abe BBC News Archived 17 January 2010 at WebCite
- ^ Shinzo Abe the Chief Cabinet Secretary Shinzo Abe's official website Archived 17 January 2010 at WebCite
- ^ JPop.com – JPop bands, albums, songs, and info (Kishi Yōko)
- ^ "Mob boss gets 20 for Abe home arsons", 10 March 2007, The Japan Times
- ^ The Abe Enigma Time
- ^ Kodomo wa shakai no takara, kuni no takara desu jimin.jp (LDP site)[dead link]
- ^ Shinzo Abe to Succeed Koizumi as Japan's Next Prime Minister Bloomberg
- ^ Mori faction unease mounts / Ex-premier stumped over Abe, Fukuda and party leadership race Daily Yomiuri[dead link]
- ^ a b Abe elected as new Japan premier, BBC News. Retrieved 26 September 2006. Archived 17 January 2010 at WebCite
- ^ a b c Abe Is Chosen as Japan's Youngest Leader in 65 Years, Bloomberg, 26 September 2006.
- ^ Japan's Abe Unexpectedly Names Omi Finance Minister, Bloomberg, 26 September 2006.
- ^ 日本歴史教科書問題, s-abe.or.jp, 16 April 2004.[dead link]
- ^ New Japan PM vows strong China ties, CNN, 26 September 2006.[dead link]
- ^ Japan's Abe Says Talks Needed to Improve Ties With China, South Korea VOA News[dead link]
- ^ Abe visited Yasukuni in mid-April/Unannounced visit likely to draw protests Daily Yomiuri Online[dead link]
- ^ China expresses concern over reported Abe visit to Yasukuni Yahoo! Asia News[dead link]
- ^ Japan marks end of WWII; Abe skips Yasukuni visit, but one minister, Koizumi go; Abe's Cabinet to steer clear of Yasukuni on surrender day[dead link]
- ^ a b 安倍新政権に期待 親台派の印象強く, Mainichi Shimbun, 26 September 2006.[dead link]
- ^ Abe calls for strategic ties between Japan, India : India
- ^ Onishi, Norimitsu (31 August 2007). "Decades After War Trials, Japan Still Honors a Dissenting Judge". The New York Times. Retrieved 23 May 2010.
- ^ New Japanese Leader Looks to Expand Nation's Military, NewsHour, 20 September 2006.
- ^ BBC website Japan upgrades its defence agency January 9, 2007
- ^ "Embattled Japanese PM stepping down" CBC News. Retrieved 12 September 2007. Archived 17 January 2010 at WebCite
- ^ "Japanese prime minister resigns" BCB News. Retrieved 12 September 2007. Archived 17 January 2010 at WebCite
- ^ "Why Did Prime Minister Abe Shinzo Resign? Crippling Diarrhea", JapanProbe.com, 12 January 2008.
- ^ [Daily Yomiuri] Presidential races boost approval for DPJ, LDP 4 October 2012
- ^ New York Times, "Ex-Premier Is Chosen to Govern Japan Again," 26 December 2012
- ^ BBC News, "Japan's Shinzo Abe unveils cabinet after voted in as PM"
- ^ "Japan's New Leader Endorses Nuclear Plants". The New York Times. December 30, 2012.
- ^ "Defense outlays see first rise in 11 years."
- ^ [2][dead link]
- ^ Abe clarifies views on 'history issue,' reaffirms apologies, Daily Yomiuri, 7 October 2006.[dead link]
- ^ a b "Official minutes of the Budget Committee". 18 February 2006.
- ^ サンデープロジェクト/志位委員長の発言/(大要 Archived 17 January 2010 at WebCite
- ^ Abe's "normal" Japan, ZNet, 5 October 2006.[dead link]
- ^ History Redux: Japan's Textbook Battle Reignites, Japan Policy Research Institute Working Paper No. 107 (June 2005).
- ^ Japan's difficult drive to be a 'beautiful country', The Hankyoreh, 2 September 2006.
- ^ The Japan Times 2 March 2007
- ^ Japan Press Weekly Special Issue – November 2006 (PDF).
- ^ "No comfort". The New York Times. 6 March 2007. Retrieved 8 March 2007.
- ^ Shinzo Abe's Double Talk, The Washington Post, 24 March 2007.
- ^ LDP pressure led to cuts in NHK show, Asahi Shimbun, 12 January 2005.
- ^ "What is the Women's Tribunal?". Retrieved 29 September 2007.
- ^ 安倍晋三氏の事実歪曲発言について, Violence Against Women in War Network Japan, 17 January 2005.
- ^ War and Japan's Memory Wars, ZNet, 29 January 2005.
- ^ Japan to order more public media coverage of North Korea abductees, International Herald Tribune, 24 October 2006.
- ^ Japan's Leaders Rigged Voter Forums, a Government Report Says, New York Times, 14 December 2006.
- ^ TV blunder labels Abe a train groper, RocketNews24, 22 November 2012.
- ^ Abe's April Yasukuni visit regrettable, Seoul says The Japan Times, 5 August 2006
- ^ Severed pinkie sent to LDP to protest Abe's Yasukuni no-show The Japan Times, 24 August 2007
- ^ Fears mount over LDP's nationalistic turn Saber-rattling over island disputes likely to grow louder The Japan Times, 22 September 2012
- ^ Abe pays Yasukuni visit amid isle rows The Japan Times, 17 October 2012
- ^ "Japan marks 'return of sovereignty' day". BBC News. 28 April 2013. Retrieved 28 April 2013.
- ^ Abe attempts to save his LDP with Cabinet reshuffle, Japan News Review, 27 August 2007.
- ^ "Japan's new cabinet: Back to the future". The Economist. 5 January 2013.
- ^ Yomiuri Shimbun, "Cabinet Lineup," 28 Dec. 2012
External links[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Shinzō Abe. |
- Official website (Japanese)
- Shinzō Abe on Twitter
- Shinzō Abe on Facebook
- Prime Minister of Japan Official Website (English)
House of Representatives of Japan | ||
Preceded by Shintaro Abe Makoto Ogawa Yoshirō Hayashi Takeo Kawamura |
Member of the House of Representatives for Yamaguchi's 1st district 1993–1996 Served alongside: Yoshirō Hayashi, Takeo Kawamura, Takaaki Koga |
Multi-member district eliminated |
New constituency | Member of the House of Representatives for Yamaguchi's 4th district (single-member) 1996–present |
Incumbent |
Party political offices | ||
Preceded by Taku Yamasaki |
Secretary General of the Liberal Democratic Party 2003–2004 |
Succeeded by Tsutomu Takebe |
Preceded by Junichiro Koizumi |
President of the Liberal Democratic Party 2006–2007 |
Succeeded by Yasuo Fukuda |
Preceded by Sadakazu Tanigaki |
President of the Liberal Democratic Party 2012–present |
Incumbent |
Political offices | ||
Preceded by Hiroyuki Hosoda |
Chief Cabinet Secretary 2005–2006 |
Succeeded by Yasuhisa Shiozaki |
Preceded by Junichiro Koizumi |
Prime Minister of Japan 2006–2007 |
Succeeded by Yasuo Fukuda |
Preceded by Yoshihiko Noda |
Prime Minister of Japan 2012–present |
Incumbent |
- 1954 births
- Living people
- People from Yamaguchi Prefecture
- Conservatism in Japan
- Government ministers of Japan
- Japanese anti-communists
- Japanese Shintoists
- Liberal Democratic Party (Japan) politicians
- Members of the House of Representatives of Japan
- North Korean abductions of Japanese citizens
- Politicians from Tokyo
- Prime Ministers of Japan
- Recipients of the Order of Abdulaziz al Saud


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Stevens, Ted
The latest news on Stevens, Ted
With failed Edwards conviction, the Justice Department's anticorruption section continues to flounder.
Former NASA chief finally gets rid of neck brace.
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Sean O'Keefe finally leaves hospital to establish a scholarship in Stevens' name.
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Loading... Treasure Island (1883)by Robert Louis Stevenson
Sign up for LibraryThing to find out whether you'll like this book. No current Talk conversations about this book. Cabin boy Jim Hawkins joins a quest for treasure but must contend with mutinous pirates, including the duplicitous Long John Silver. Pretty much every pirate cliche you ever heard? Here's the origin. Treasure map with X marking the spot? Check! Pirate with a wooden leg and a parrot on his shoulder? Check! "Yo-ho-ho and a bottle of rum!" Of course. If you like pirate stories, this is the great-granddaddy of all pirate stories, and required reading. Stevenson's clear prose and nonstop near escapes makes it easy going. It's a classic for a reason. Reading and rereading the classics (2013). Treasure Island BY: Robert Louis Stevenson How would you feel if you were just a boy about 13 years old and your life took a drastic turn? Tom was having a normal day at the inn with his parents and their tenant, the Captain. He never used his real name and was known only as the Captain. He would tell Tom to "go out on the pier and look for a man with only one leg." One day a man called Black Dog came to talk to the Captain. No one knew what was said between the two men but, at the end of the conversation the Captain was on the floor almost dead. Tom called his mother. She had to leave caring for his very sick father to call the doctor for the captain. When the doctor arrived he said that the Captain wasn't dying he just had a stroke. He told Tom "leave the Captain on bed rest for a couple of weeks and, no rum for one bottle is ok until he drinks too much and has another stroke." The Captain couldn't stand being on bed rest so he sent Tom out to check on the pier. At the pier Tom saw a blind man. He tried to help the man, even though the man was blind he could perfectly feel his surroundings and yanked Tom's wrist. The blind man threatened to break Tom's wrist if he didn't take him to his old shipmate Bill, or better known as the Captain. He took the blind man into the inn. Once there the blind man did in a quick movement that killed the Captain. That same day Tom had also lost his father. The Captain died without paying his dues. Tom found a piece of paper the Captain left when he was on bed rest. The paper stated that there was a chest in the Captain's room that contained money and valuables. The only problem was he couldn't find a key to the chest. Tom remembered he saw the Captain tuck a key into his chest. Tom's mother soon took the Captain's body to their inn and locked all the doors and covered all the windows. She ripped the Captain's shirt off and yanked the key from around his neck. Tom and his mother went up the stairs and searched the Captain's room for the chest. When they found it they thought they were out of luck because there was nothing valuable in the chest, however behind the chest there was a sack full of money. Tom was angry at his mom for being so greedy and taking the money the Captain owed the family. He was also frustrated with her because of her honesty and only taking the amount of money the Captain owed them when she could have took all of the money. Taking all the money would have meant a better life for Tom and his mother after his father died. The family got a letter and took it to the doctor. The letter contained the coordinates for Treasure Island where the Captain supposedly found the chest. Tom and the doctor soon assembled a crew. Tom finally met the man that only had one leg, his name was Long John Silver. Tom and his crew took a ship, The Hispaniola to the coordinates of the island. When they got to the island there was a problem with mutineers. The mutineers killed part of the Hispaniola's crew. The mutineers stabbed and beat the other crew members to death because they were trying to find the treasure for themselves. They even started a war with Tom. Tom grew tired of the dead bodies and bloodshed and left the island on a boat. He sailed onto the sea but then violet winds jerked him around. After leaving the island and sailing for a while he found Mr. Hands a member of the crew that was hiding on the boat Tom had taken. The two had to work together to sail the boat back to the pier. The same pier Tom had begun his adventures as only a boy. I really liked this book not only because it has action, but because it was also adventurous. This story is not something that would normally happen to someone Tom's age. This book is also very hard to understand because the author wrote it as they would have spoken in old English. The book is also very gruesome which is why I wouldn't recommend it to anyone who doesn't like violence .The book is interesting because some of the characters and settings in the book were real names like Long John Silver, a historic pirate and Hispaniola which is an island. Over all if I had to rate this book I would give it an eight out of ten stars because it was an excellent book but it was hard to read and I think too much detail was given sometimes. The moral of the story is: no matter what age you are or what situation you are in you have to rise up to the occasion. This book was a little longer and has more details I probably wouldn't read another book from this author if given the choice. Jim Hopkins, un joven que trabaja y vive con su madre en una taberna al oeste de Inglaterra lleva una vida aburrida y calamada. Todo eso cambiará cuando la fortuna hace que llegue a sus manos un mapa que señala el emplazamiento de un gran tesoro. A lo largo de la historia el joven Hopkins vivirá aventuras que jamás podría haber llegado a a imaginar. I really enjoyed reading through this. It's a great adventure tale, and it has been deemed a classic for good reason. A lot of my reading was colored by the number of times I've seen various film adaptations of the story, and I must say I was impressed that no film version I have ever seen accurately represents the entire story. One will get these things right, another will get those things right, and all of them will miss out on this tidbit, or that one. But I liked the book a great deal. It doesn't get five stars for... some reason or another. I don't quite remember. My brain is a little frazzled right now, for personal reasons; perhaps I will amend this review later if I think of more details. Treasure Island was one of my first boys' adventure books - last read in the 1960s! I had fun re-reading the book after all these years. The young hero, working with adults, but always one step ahead in dealing with the bad guys, seems to be the model for so many other young heroes - leading to Tin Tin and Harry Potter, for example. I don't know if Stevenson was the first to create to wiser-than-adults child hero - I can't think of any earlier versions, but he certainly popularised the concept. Great reading. Read in e-format August 2013.
Les mer om boken her - eller lån den på: Is contained inTales of Adventure (Canongate Classics, 77) by Robert Louis Stevenson Kidnapped / Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson Companion Library: Gulliver's Travels / Treasure Island by Companion Library Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde / Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson The Time Machine / Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson Library of Classic Adventure Stories by Courage Books A Trilogy of Island Adventures by Halcyon Classics Best Loved Books for Young Readers by Reader's Digest Robert Louis Stevenson by Robert Louis Stevenson Robert Louis Stevenson: Four Complete Novels by Robert Louis Stevenson Selected Writings of Robert Louis Stevenson by Robert Louis Stevenson Adventure Classics Ivanhoe, Gullivers Travels, Treasure Island, the Call of the Wild, the Count of Monte Crist (boxed se by Walter Scott Ostrov sokrovishch. Chernaia strela. by Robert L'iuis Stivenson Call of the Wild / Treasure Island by Jack London The Works of Robert Louis Stevenson in One Volume by Robert Louis Stevenson The Works of Robert Louis Stevenson by Robert Louis Stevenson Has the (non-series) sequelHas the (non-series) prequelHas the adaptationTreasure Island [adapted - Great Illustrated Classics] by Robert Louis Stevenson Treasure Island [adapted - Stepping Stones] by Lisa Norby Treasure Island (adapted ∙ Treasury of Illustrated Classics) by Robert Louis Stevenson Treasure Island: The Graphic Novel (Puffin Graphics) by Robert Louis Stevenson Treasure Island (adapted ∙ Penguin Readers ∙ Level 2) by Robert Louis Stevenson Treasure Island [adapted - Oxford Bookworms] by John Escott First Classics Illustrated: Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson Treasure Island (Marvel Illustrated Graphic Novel) by Roy Thomas Treasure Island [adapted - Troll Illustrated Classics] by Robert Louis Stevenson Treasure Island [adapted - graphic novel - Graphic Revolve] by Robert Louis Stevenson Treasure Island [adapted - Moby Illustrated Classics] by Robert Louis Stevenson Classics Illustrated: Treasure Island by Ken Fitch Treasure Island [adapted - graphic novel - Saddleback's Illustrated Classics] by Robert Louis Stevenson Treasure Island [film - 1934] by Victor Fleming Big Finish Classics: Treasure Island by Barnaby Edwards HUGO PRATT 8 LA ISLA DEL TESORO Is abridged inInspired
References to this work on external resources. Wikipedia in English (7)
Amazon.com Amazon.com Review (ISBN 0451527046, Mass Market Paperback)Climb aboard for the swashbuckling adventure of a lifetime. Treasure Islandhas enthralled (and caused slight seasickness) for decades. The names Long John Silver and Jim Hawkins are destined to remain pieces of folklore for as long as children want to read Robert Louis Stevenson's most famous book. With it's dastardly plot and motley crew of rogues and villains, it seems unlikely that children will ever say no to this timeless classic. --Naomi Gesinger(retrieved from Amazon Mon, 30 Sep 2013 13:53:20 -0400) B/W illus. 8 yrs+. |
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Audible.com30 editions of this book were published by Audible.com. Penguin AustraliaFour editions of this book were published by Penguin Australia. Editions: 0140437681, 0141321008, 0141035854, 0141331542 Candlewick PressAn edition of this book was published by Candlewick Press. Columbia University PressAn edition of this book was published by Columbia University Press. Urban RomanticsAn edition of this book was published by Urban Romantics. Sourcebooks JabberwockyAn edition of this book was published by Sourcebooks Jabberwocky. Is this you?Become a LibraryThing Author. |


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Time to Close Corporate Tax Loopholes?
Former Independent Presidential Candidate Ralph Nader on the need to reform the corporate tax code.
Feb 11, 2013
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Former Independent Presidential Candidate Ralph Nader on the need to reform the corporate tax code.
Feb 11, 2013
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Well John McCain is over the more revenues on does not juries opened -- Ralph Nader type more revenues because -- ready.
Well revenue -- Ralph welcomes was no doubt in my friend you say go after corporations.
But much bigger time but he be.
Well first of all the the the amount of invasions or avoidance is of taxes.
Has been perfected to a science by a lot of these big corporations.
The citizens for tax justice just put out this latest thirty major corporations -- Who in 2008 to 2011 paid zero taxes -- a number of them got tax -- subsidies back.
General Electric Verizon Boeing PG and a you and am I anyway call is all LA little desire that allow companies to escape the tax back.
Not only -- scary but they actually bring -- no way were they get massive checks in just three years General Electric made billions of dollars in the US paid no.
Federal income underwriting -- I'm -- about -- -- said rid of their many egregious examples letting every once admitted Jackson was no lesson Ronald Reagan is that -- 1996.
Particles in those loopholes was -- fairness of that everyone paid something including rich individuals say nothing of companies.
But then what would you establish has take the loopholes -- set a new tax rate in that everyone.
Complies with what would have been.
Well I -- go back to the 1960s -- -- very prosperous.
Relatively speaking and high employment.
There's or at all all of it comes around 30%.
Give -- take right that's a good that's a good mean.
And for you what about our capital he's saying is not only -- at 92%.
Top individual you wouldn't go back to or what.
No of course not and very few people by the way ahead or air -- that -- Could you argue that if -- just do that and and and make sure you're quite right that -- new -- to be established.
Top tax rate which is -- really pretty much of the top individual rate that that they're paying them just like individuals -- -- -- a very few are.
Then how do you correct that what do you do going forward to correct factors could raise a lot of money fixing just.
Well you viewed you get rid of -- what we're called the tax shelters and loopholes -- the way that it corporations shifted.
Tens of billions of the US profits over to tax havens like the Bahamas.
Through royalties paid to patents held by their own subsidiaries and zero tax tax havens.
You get rid of what Larry Summers himself Wall Street Larry said not recently you get rid of a lot of the exclusions.
That have.
Deferred taxes overvalued assets.
Derivative shenanigans.
I mean there isn't regardless Republican Democrat -- If there isn't -- anybody who would think these shenanigans.
Ash -- that's.
It's a president and you and I have many -- fine argument always respectfully but I I do think that have -- -- close a lot of this nonsense and just.
I believe in labels that reflect what they say and then whatever the tax rate as you and I might -- what that as a final rates to beat you pay it.
But I think and I hope springs eternal -- will get to that I don't see the appetite out of this president certainly.
Or Republican congress.
To get -- -- you.
Things are beginning to change on the and -- change -- I don't camp.
David camp Republican chairman of the powerful house Ways and Means Committee.
Is coming around to do so but these -- the massive derivatives.
And the way they -- but that's a -- voices are so little if he argued others targeted address this.
Democrats have to be very zealous to go after spending is Ralph Nader -- -- to go after spending as well as closing loopholes that will provide a revenue.
Big time corporate welfare spending subsidies handouts giveaways bail out.
Bloated military budget.
Documented by retired admirals and stand -- generals ad infinitum.
Those are huge areas that I don't know I don't that that is not it's -- process -- spending -- right it would you cut anything.
But I guess my deputy city due to rein that it you -- that that -- you know -- explaining the area of course the course and it's very important to note that.
A lot of the health care expenditures are reflection of fraud and overcharging.
By vendor's.
The that the head of the general accounting office back in 99 -- said.
10% of -- health care expenditures by Americans.
Good down the drain due to computerized billing fraud and abuse today that's 207 -- billion dollars billion.
We're talking big money here.
And if the sequester goes through.
It'll be blamed large -- the Republicans they're gonna have to unemployed all kinds of prosecutors.
And law enforcement including.
Those against corporate crime.
Not a good idea for the Republican Party -- I didn't think the president's gonna do it is -- concern.
Well it's it's hard to predict.
If they did depends on who you points to the cabinet obviously.
I can't see how he's gonna do worse in the first term.
I think -- he's got the Republicans on the defensive I think McCain has got his fingers to the wind here the tax issue.
I think that they're gonna have to deal with the military budget all these weapons systems device device designed for the Soviet Union -- -- still in the -- well Republicans actually do address that in that they expect something got -- Democrats and about out of habit but he had a Nancy Pelosi on on on her stuff -- -- She'll follow.
And -- will show -- follow Obama has lead to climate they're not leading on the house.
Not -- as much but I think you're gonna see a major effort on name federal minimum wage they're thirty million workers in this country who make less than 1968.
Workers adjusted for inflation that's going backwards into the future thirty million workers who clean up repair.
And serve us.
Make less than 1968.
Even -- -- Would not think that is FairPlay would like it does say it did -- -- -- -- view that this picabo capitalists -- Would not like I love that but Ralph it's always good see you my friend -- do -- back again.
-- Ralph Nader.
Good to see here called bizarre reveal.
That and much more all right.
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At this time, the Evansville IceMen are not hiring for any full-time positions. If you would like to be considered for future employment should any openings become available, feel free to e-mail your resumé to Bridget McDonald at email@example.com.
If you're a college student and you'd like some real-world experience in professional sports, consider becoming an IceMen intern! IceMen interns help with office work, player appearances, game night operations, and other assorted minor tasks. Each intern helps out in a variety of areas in order to gain as much valuable experience as possible. You must be available on Friday and Saturday nights from October through April. (We don't have home games on all Friday and Saturday nights, so this is just in general; if we don't have a home game or a promotional appearance, the night is yours!) We do prefer that the internship count for school credit. (Policies vary by school, but you'll likely need to be a junior or senior who can register an internship as a class.) If you are unable to register an internship for school credit, we will still be happy to work with you, but you'll likely be considered a "volunteer" instead of an intern – which still looks great on a resumé. (See the next section for more info about volunteering.) For more information about internships, call the IceMen office at 812-435-8971 or e-mail Bridget McDonald at firstname.lastname@example.com.
Game-Day Volunteers
It takes a small army of dedicated volunteers to present an IceMen home game. Game-day volunteers include statisticians, ushers, ticket takers, goal judges, penalty box attendants, souvenir salespeople, promotional assistants, spotlight operators, and other assorted positions. Home games are typically on Friday and Saturday nights from October through April. So if you're passionate about the IceMen and you want to help out on game nights (with perks that often include FREE tickets depending on your level of volunteerism), please call the IceMen office at 812-435-8971 or e-mail Bridget McDonald at firstname.lastname@example.com.
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The state of Florida has conceded it will not enforce a law — ruled unconstitutional by federal courts — that tried to prohibit the state and local governments from hiring companies with business ties to Cuba.
The Florida Department of Transportation's decision not to contest the June ruling by a federal appeals court marks the end of the short-lived legislation. It also paves the way for Odebrecht USA, the Coral Gables-based firm that challenged the law, to proceed with significant projects in the works — unless politics get in the way.
FDOT and Odebrecht agreed late last month to allow the federal trial court that struck down the legislation last year to enter an injunction permanently blocking the law from taking effect. A preliminary injunction had been in place since U.S. District Judge K. Michael Moore found in June 2012 that the legislation interfered with the federal government's authority to set foreign policy.
"This means FDOT cannot enforce the law," FDOT Communications Director Dick Kane said in an email Thursday.
Though the injunction is aimed only at FDOT, it effectively applies to every state agency, said Jim Moye, an Odebrecht attorney.
"The federal government is going to continue to establish whatever it believes is the proper relationship with Cuba," said Moye, of the Orlando-based Moye O'Brien firm. "Our client will continue to comply with the laws in that regard. It's not for the state or local governments to attempt to set the parameters for the relationship with Cuba."
FDOT chose not to go to trial to try to show why the preliminary injunction should be lifted. Instead, it agreed with the permanent prohibition and will reimburse Odebrecht about $500,000 in attorneys' fees, Moye said.
The legislation would have forbidden government agencies from awarding contracts worth at least $1 million to U.S. firms whose foreign-owned parent companies or subsidiaries work in Cuba or Syria. Though Odebrecht USA has no business in either country, an affiliate of its giant Brazilian parent is performing a major expansion at the Cuban Port of Mariel.
Without any ties to Syria, Odebrecht did not challenge the law in regards to that country, and the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals limited its ruling to Cuba.
The law's demise is the latest in a string of legislation signed by Republican Gov. Rick Scott that has ended up in the courts. Federal judges have invalidated the scope of a state employee drug-testing program, a requirement making it more difficult for groups to register new voters and a ban on physicians asking patients about gun ownership.
The drug-testing program has been sent back to the trial court, and the state has appealed the ruling in favor of physicians.
While hardly the only Florida company with indirect ties to Cuba, Odebrecht became the target of Sen. René García and Rep. Michael Bileca, the Miami Republican lawmakers who sponsored the legislation. It received near-unanimous support in Tallahassee. The governor signed it into law, but drew harsh criticism for suggesting the legislation might be unconstitutional. His administration vowed to defend it.
García said he was disappointed in the state's decision but said he would sit down with legislative attorneys to try to craft a narrower version of the law in the future, to see if it passes muster. He also urged local politicians to put pressure on their governments to reject companies tied to Cuba or Syria.


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"Sweet potatoes, carrots, and apples are pureed with red lentils and seasoned with ginger, cumin, and chili powder for this warm and flavorful winter soup."
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Mark Baron
Mark Baron
Educational Administration: Educational Administration, School of Education
Phone: 605-677-5269
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Taught high school science in Baltimore City and American Overseas schools, and was high school principal in American Overseas schools. Also, have spent 21 years in higher education.
Teaching Interests:
Research design and methodology
Educational leadership
School improvement
Research Interests:
Educational measurement
School improvement
Educational leadership
- Ph D, Educational Administration, University of Alabama, 1991
- MA, Educational Administration, University of Alabama, 1990
- Masters of Education, Secondary Education, Towson University, 1989
- BA, Biology, University of Maryland, Baltimore County, 1972
- SD Secondary School Health Profiles, SD DOE, (2012 - 2013)
- SD Secondary Health Profiles, SD DOE, (2011 - 2012)
- Fayer, L., Zalud, G., Baron, M., Anderson, C., Duggin, T., (2011), Student perceptions of the use of inquiry practices in a biology survey laboratory course, Journal of College Science Teaching, vol. 41, iss. 2, pp. 20-26.
- Lloyd-Smith, L., Baron, M., (2010), Beyond conferences: Attitudes of high school administrators toward parental involvement in one small Midwestern state., The School Community Journal, vol. 20, iss. 2, pp. 23-44.
- Baron, M., Boschee, F., Jacobson, M., (2008), Performance-based education: Developing programs through strategic planning, Rowman and Littlefield Publishing, p. 156.
- Chen, H., Baron, M., (2007), Psychometric Properties of the Chinese Leadership Practices Inventory, International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship, vol. 4, iss. 1, pp. 1-16.
- Chen, H., Baron, M., (2006), Nursing directors' leadership styles and Taiwanese faculty job satisfaction, Journal of Nursing Education, vol. 45, iss. 10, pp. 404-411.
Awards and Honors:
- Quality Assurance Review Chair training, AdvancED, 2012
- Editor of Educational Planning Journal , International Society for Educational Planning, 2011
- Resolution of Appreciation, USD University Senate, 2007
- Certificate of Recognition - Regional Board Member, North Central Association, 2007
- AdvancED Quality Assurance Review Chair Training, AdvancED, 2007
- Certificate of Merit, Developing the 21st Century Principal , National Association of Secondary School Principals, 2003
- Certificate of Recognition, South Dakota LEAD Project , South Dakota LEAD Project, 1996


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Sony announces XPERIA Tablet Z: Thinnest in the World!
In an effort to take a bite of the tablet market, Sony has just announced the world's thinnest 10.1-inch tablet. With 6.9mm thin, the Sony XPERIA Tablet Z beats the Apple iPad and Google Nexus 10 in thickness. The tablet … Continue reading


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Stayed at Inano for a few nights in March. It's very down to earth and a great place to relax. Not so posh but the owners are super friendly, it's very reasonable priced and the surroundings are great. Make sure to rent a scooter though because you definitely would like to explore the island! And try to book the (only!)... More
- Official Description (provided by the hotel):
- Inano Beach is an all tide swimming beachfront property with seven self–catering individual stand alone bungalows, one beachfront and 5 partial lagoon view garden bungalows, laid out in a semi circle to provide some views of our natural marine reserve that is part of a private beach.We are situated on the sheltered inland side of the lagoon, with stunning views looking across turquoise waters and the marine reserve towards the main bulk of Aitutaki Island. ... more less
- Reservation Options:
- TripAdvisor is proud to partner with HostelBookers so you can book your Inanobeach Bungalows reservations with confidence. We help millions of travelers each month to find the perfect hotel for both vacation and business trips, always with the best discounts and special offers.


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North Labrador Coast - north of Saglek: Synopsis
Technical Marine Synopsis
Issued 4:00 AM NST 12 December 2013 Today Tonight and Friday At 4:00 a.m. NST today deepening low 956 mb located south ofGreenland.
By 4:00 a.m. NST Friday low 943 mb located southwest of Greenland.
At 4:00 a.m. NST today trough from low located on a line east-west
over the Northwest Labrador Sea.
By 4:00 a.m. NST Friday dissipating trough from low located on a
line northeast-southwest over the Mid Labrador Coast.
Marine Weather Statement
Issued 3:52 AM NST 12 December 2013 A deepening low pressure system currently south of Greenland willslowly move northwestward throughout the forecast period. Gale force
northeasterlies to northwesterlies will persist over most waters.
Storm force northerlies to westerlies will develop today over
southeastern waters and will spread westward as the low deepens and
moves northwestward.
Marine interests are advised that storm warnings are in effect for
the Labrador coast, South Labrador Sea - southern half, Northwest
Labrador Sea - southern half and East Labrador Sea - southern half.
Gale warnings are in effect for all remaining waters except Lake
Melville. Marine interests are also advised that freezing spray
warnings are in effect for all waters except the East Labrador Sea.
- Date modified:


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Mavericks, Lady Mavericks fall at North State; season done
GRENADA – Simpson Academy scored 15 points in the second quarter giving them an eight point lead at the half.
And despite winning the shootout in the fourth quarter, Manchester Academy's season came to an end Wednesday night following their 42-39 loss to the Lady Cougars in the second round of the MAIS North AA tournament.
Mavericks fall to Marshall
Matt and Josh Peaster combined for 31 points Wednesday, but despite an extra day of rest for the Mavericks, the 2010 season ended following their 57-49 loss to Marshall Academy in the second round of the MAIS North AA tournament.


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Voting for Dummies
Published: January 22nd, 2013
About the Author: Joojoon is a Persian/Jewish artist whose raucous cartoons celebrate everything sweet and absurd about life in Tzfat, Israel. Joojoon & Co (who categorically deny all knowledge and responsibility for the views expressed herein) recently made Aliyah from California, USA.
Other cartoons in The Adventures of Joojoon:
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