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We have been hearing a lot about the mangroves on this trip to the Pacific coast where countless families are struggling against a poverty that forces them to live where no one else will: in low-lying areas prone to flooding and along the sides of dirt roads that become hard to negotiate during heavy rains.
South of here, in a town called Metalío, we have just met with Francisco Calzadilla, a member of the technical team for Caritas, which, together with Oxfam America and three other donor groups, as well as six local non-governmental organizations, has joined a consortium called PRVAS—or Programa Reducción de Vulnerabilidades Ahuachapán-Sonsonate. One of its goals is to help communities carry out mitigation projects to reduce their risk in disasters. And that's where the mangroves come in.
"They serve as a natural barrier—to the waves and the wind off the ocean," says Calzadilla. "They also provide a food source. They serve as an ecosystem for shellfish."
The strip of mangroves Calzadilla is particularly concerned with, stretches for about 20 kilometers around Metalío. He estimates that about 50 percent of that stretch has been deforested as people cut down the trees for both construction material and firewood.
But in August, with support from PRVAS, community members took steps to recover some of those losses, said Calzadilla. They collected, sorted, and planted 20,000 mangrove seeds—they look like long, slender pods—along a two-kilometer deforested strip.
It will be a while—10 years predicted Calzadilla—before the seedlings mature enough to serve as a barrier against the onslaught of Mother Nature. In areas where the mangroves have disappeared and there is nothing to break the force of winds, small houses have blown away, Calzadilla said.
In some neighborhoods around Acajutla, El Salvador's largest port, mangrove forests have been severely reduced—replaced by fill and the simple homes of some of the country's poorest residents.
Further east in the department of Usulután, preservation efforts are underway for some of the mangrove forests in Jiquilisco Bay, where Oxfam America is helping local fishermen organize themselves to improve their production and protect their livelihoods. They depend on the resources that flourish in the dense tangle of roots, mud, and tidal water.
Deep in the pre-dawn gloom of one protected area in the bay, we can just make out a platform where watchmen keep round-the-clock guard over this watery haven supported by funds from the United Nations. Here, mollusks can get a solid start and help to increase the catch that local fishermen need to feed their families.
Later, after the sun is up and the tide has receded, the mangrove forests in Jiquilisco Bay come alive with the chirping and scrambling of wildlife. Herons pick their way over the mud flats. A raccoon darts through the exposed roots. A vulture studies us from his perch on a branch.
Juan Larín Rojas, a 54-year-old fisherman, eyes each one of them with delight. He knows many of their scientific names. This is his turf, and despite the challenges of making a living from these mangroves and the sea around them, he wouldn't give up this life for anything.
"I love fishing. I love the sea. I love feeling free," he says.
]]>The house is gone now, and Canjura, her husband, and their four boys have moved to a new cinder block house—with a tile floor and a composting latrine—built by an aid group a short distance away. But for many poor people settled in this mangrove swamp, all the problems remain of living on marginal land, made more hazardous by the increased flooding climate change seems to be triggering.
And that's why Canjura, with the help of Oxfam America and a consortium of aid groups, is now rallying with other local activists to bring their problems to the attention of the Salvadoran government and push for help.
The consortium, made up of five donor groups and six local non-governmental organizations, started two years ago with a program called PRVAS—or Programa Reducción de Vulnerabilidades Ahuachapán-Sonsonate. The program helps communities in the area organize themselves to better prepare for disasters, carry out small mitigation projects, and win the ear of local governments. The idea behind the PRVAS is to help people help themselves—and find ways to make a new civil protection law, passed in 2005, work for them.
"If we just continue from an emergency response perspective, all we'll do year after year is help rescue people," says Henry Giovani Magaña the coordinator for PRVAS. "We won't help people overcome their vulnerabilities—which is what we want."
We are sitting in a small community center, a low-slung ocean-front structure on loan to residents in this coastal region from a Salvadoran living in the US. Other buildings—some less substantial than this one—line both sides of the street. And further back, amid pools of murky water, stretch what's left of the mangroves in this area. The construction of a railroad down to the coast in the 1930s marked the beginning of their end.
Magaña explains that when the railroad came, landless families, in search of jobs and a place to live, settled here, and slowly the swampland began to get developed. Nearby, the Sensunapan River, now reportedly one of the most polluted in this tiny country, drains into the sea, its water silted and brown. The river serves as both a source of income—shirtless diggers scoop boatloads of sand from its floor—and dread: During heavy rains, the Sensunapan spills from its channel and floods the surrounding homes.
Though fill and levees have altered the landscape in these coastal neighborhoods, the basic topography has not changed—with consequences that have proved dire in the decades since for poor people clinging to this strip of land along the Pacific.
"Nature doesn't make mistakes," says Magaña. "It wants this to be wet. There are floods here all the time."
And now, compounding the trouble, are changing weather patterns that are making life even more challenging for the families struggling here.
"About five years ago we started to notice that the sea is coming in further, and when there are very high tides it's slowly eroding houses along the shore," says Hilton Alcir Aguilar, a volunteer coordinator for the five coastal neighborhoods participating in the PRVAS program in Acajutla. "And the rains are heavier. Before, it would take two hours of rain for water to rise high enough to flood. Now, it happens in one hour."
Canjura has spent all of her 30 years right here in the La Playa neighborhood. And in that time she has begun to see changes that are having serious implications for her family.
"When we have these temporales—the storms that rain for several days—the water rises. But with climate change, we're seeing more flooding and we're also seeing it in areas that didn't flood before," she says. "Here most of the men are fishermen and they used to be able to haul in a lot but because of climate change, the fish seemed to have migrated away from here. It's really affected their ability to support their families. Some are looking for work as bricklayers. Some have opened bike repair shops. And some continue to fish."
Her husband is one of those—a fisherman.
"It has affected us," says Canjura. "He's getting less fish. If we used to eat two tortillas at a meal, now we're eating one." Sometimes, she says, her children go hungry.
"When you talk to people about climate change here, they're much more concerned," said Magaña. "They know storms are going to get worse, and if they're already living in vulnerable positions, it will make them more vulnerable."
What are the answers?
One solution, says Canjura, is the construction of a levee system on the Sensunapan River that would protect the densely populated community along one of its banks. But the price tag is steep, and no one has agreed to fund it, she adds. Nevertheless, other smaller projects proposed by locals and supported by PRVAS members are now moving ahead.
"We're trying to organize community councils so we can put together project proposals and seek support," says Canjura. She points to the recent construction of a seawall in La Playa as proof of what's possible when enough people get behind an idea. Designed to keep high tides from slopping onto the coastal road and into the homes of people along it, the seawall was built with help from Caritas, the mayor's office, and plenty of manual labor provided by the community.
"All of us felt very proud," says Canjura. "We were very happy we were able to achieve that."
Other projects in the works include the paving of a dirt evacuation route in the community of El Milagro. All it takes is two hours of heavy rain before the neighborhood floods with water up to people's knees, says José Vidal Aguillón, chairman of a local community council. A paved evacuation route will allow them to get out fast—without vehicles getting stuck in the mud. A broad drainage ditch, also under construction, will help the floodwaters to drain away more quickly—and prevent possible contaminants in the water from lingering.
But construction projects aren't all that's needed to help poor people in coastal Acajutla weather the increasing challenges they face. They need a voice and they need influence—both of which PRVAS is slowly helping them muster.
"From the training in disaster risk reduction we've gone through with the PRVAS program, we've built our skills to advocate for greater aid from the government—and we're also getting more involved in working with the government," says Aguilar, the community coordinator. "The biggest achievement is the unity in the five communities—that we're united behind the same goal—and the influence we're starting to have in different government institutions."
With that influence, perhaps the communities will be able to lobby successfully for more opportunities for advanced schooling or vocational training in Acajutla—both critical if people are to become competitive in the job market. With fishing drying up, many of the Acajutla's breadwinners are going to have to find other means of making a living.
Canjura seems to be keenly aware of that. She has only a sixth-grade education, and her husband stopped his schooling after the third grade. But all four of their children are steadily moving up through the grades, even as finding the resources to buy the necessary school supplies is a constant worry for Canjura and her husband. Their oldest son will soon be entering eighth grade.
Would she like to see them go on to high school?
Canjura sighs deeply at the question, and is silent for a moment.
"That's my goal," she says finally. "I really want them to get ahead. But the way things are now, it's pretty hard."
]]>El Salvador is a densely populated nation, with over 300 people living in each square kilometer (with roughly 800 people living in each square mile). It is also a country where 96 percent of the surface water is contaminated, and where only 3 percent of the original forest cover still stands. It is for these reasons that Oxfam, the Catholic Church, the Roundtable on Metals Mining, and other sectors of society believe that mining projects are inappropriate for the country under current conditions. With this telephone call to the radio station, the President agreed. His strong and firm position could have far reaching implications for the efforts of various civil society organizations to reform the current Mining Law.
The arrival of mining companies to El Salvador in recent years has provoked tensions and conflicts between affected communities and other sectors of society. Under the rules of the Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA), Canadian mining company Pacific Rim began an arbitration process last December against El Salvador for refusing to grant the company a mining production license. Saca says he would prefer to confront the company and be forced to pay it the US $77 million it says it has invested in the country rather than negotiate with the company and grant the license.
Oxfam America, which has raised concerns about mining activity in El Salvador, its impacts on communities, and its role in the development process, supports Saca's position.
"It's an important step for El Salvador to be the first Latin American country that undertakes a critical analysis of the costs and benefits of these mining projects and exercises its right to say 'no' to mining within its borders," says Andrés McKinley, a program officer for extractive industries with Oxfam's office in Central America. Oxfam America has an international campaign which maintains that both communities and governments have the right to know the full extent of the potential impacts of mining projects and the right to freely decide whether or not they want these projects in the country. (Right to Know, Right to Decide Campaign).
In its desire to turn the words of the highest government authority into a firm commitment, the National Roundtable On Metals Mining presented a memorandum in the legislature on March 3. This correspondence asks the legislators to vote in favor of a bill that prohibits metals mining in El Salvador. The bill was originally presented by the Roundtable in December 2006.
"The position of the president is an excellent one, albeit belated," says Francisco Pineda of the National Roundtable on Metals Mining."After four years in government he proved us—the communities, the church and the studies—correct: mining is bad. That's why we are presenting this memorandum, so that the President's message can become a political position," he said. "This issue was second on the agenda, which means it is considered important. Legislators of different parties and factions that wouldn't meet with us in the past are now doing so. We listened to the speech given by an ARENA legislator and he took the same position as the President. We hope this is not merely because we are in a campaign season, but that they continue to take this position for the good of the Salvadoran people."
Since 2005, Oxfam America has been working on the issue of mining in Central America. Through its studies, such as the recently published report, "Metals Mining and Sustainable Development in Central America: An assessment of Benefits and Costs"; its participation in forums; its dialogue with NGOs and government agencies; and media interviews, Oxfam has promoted public debate on mining. We provide information on mining and its impacts, and provide advocacy training to coalitions of organizations concerned about the possible impacts of this industry. In addition, we help coalitions engage in productive dialogue with the government, to develop concrete proposals, and use non-violent strategies.
]]>That was 15 years ago. Today, clean water in the small communities of El Recuerdo and Agua Zarca is as precious as ever—and still hard to get. There's no turning on the tap over a kitchen sink and letting the gallons gush. Here, many people trudge to a communal source, fill their jugs, and lug the heavy load home again. But seasonal flooding—sometimes hugely destructive and, with climate change, possibly becoming more severe—contaminates many of the area's hand-dug wells, exposing people to waterborne illnesses.
But now, with the help of Oxfam America and its local partner, PROVIDA, the well that Cruz worked so hard to dig on the school grounds in El Recuerdo is pumping enough clean water to satisfy the drinking needs not only of the students but of about 80 families in the surrounding area. The well is one of five "healthy wells" in southern Zacatecoluca province PROVIDA lined, surrounded with a filter, capped to ensure its cleanliness, and outfitted with a pump that sends water to a large tank for chlorination and storage.
"The families in this area are living in extreme poverty, living as subsistence farmers or low paid day laborers in the nearby sugar cane plantations," says Karina Copen, an Oxfam humanitarian program officer. "They face numerous challenges in having to adapt to the increased frequency and intensity of the flooding in their area. With access to a healthy well, they can at least know that in the next flood, they will have a safe source of water for their families and the good health that comes along with it."
Adaptations, such as these healthy wells, are essential for Salvadoran families living in the department of La Paz in the lower region of the Lempa River where seasonal rains, tropical depressions, and hurricanes, make it one of the country's most flood-prone areas.
Coupled with those natural hazards is the fact that communities in the region have significantly less access to improved water sources and sanitation than other parts of the country. The "healthy wells" along with 27 new composting latrines have been a boon to families in the area.
"Kids are getting sick less; families are healthier," says Santos Efrain Coto, one of the local leaders in El Recuerdo. "When they drank contaminated water they got diarrhea and parasites."
The improved wells are based on a model that's new to El Salvador and designed by an organization called Swiss Labour Assistance. Besides having their tops sealed with cement to prevent polluted flood waters from slopping in, the wells are lined with a type of plastic pipe, known as polyvinyl chloride, or PVC, that extends down into the aquifer. Packed around the outside of the lining is a filter of volcanic rock that prevents contamination from seeping through underground.
At the El Recuerdo school one day recently, teacher Ana Elsa Cubias describes how students used to bring their own water from home to drink during the school day. Now, the refurbished well guarantees them a clean supply right on the spot.
"They're drinking water from a protected source and the kids have water right in the classroom," says Cubias.
A short distance from the classrooms sits a large plastic tank, sky blue and able to hold 1,100 liters of water pumped fresh from the well. Chlorinated, the water from the tank flows to two taps standing just outside the gates to the school. They're accessible to whoever is driving or walking by. And to ensure the stored water stays safe for drinking, the water committee arranges to have the tank cleaned every couple of weeks—a task that falls to a child small enough to wiggle inside and scrub the interior walls with a brush and bleach.
"We make sure he bathes before he gets in the tank," adds Coto, the local leader.
In Agua Zarca, a few communities over, Jose Luis Funes Cruze says that before PROVIDA and Oxfam installed the new well, most of the local residents depended on their own backyard wells for drinking water—and that was a problem.
"The household wells take on a lot of rain water and a lot of filthy water when there's flooding," says Cruz, pointing in the direction of the polluted San Antonio River, which spills its banks during big storms. "The things people throw in—there are pigs up river. And the cheese factory is up river."
In the past, when their drinking supply has been contaminated, families in Agua Zarca have had to rely on the government or aid groups to truck in drinking water for them.
But now, with a new communal well their supply of drinking water is much improved.
"We're very grateful—the whole community is—to have that water," says Blanca Lidia Jiménez, who lives close to the well makes about six trips a day to fetch enough water for the seven people in her house. "We don't get sick so much when we drink the water from this well. The little kids would get swollen bellies, but with the new well that problem has been solved."
Still, the situation in Agua Zarca points to the challenges of providing clean water in this area. The community's new well was built on the only land available: next to a cow pasture—an arrangement that could be problematic during the wet season when rain sloshes manure about and allows it to seep into the groundwater.
The deep plastic lining on the well and its volcanic-rock filter help, though, says Guillermo Morán, a professor and researcher at the University of El Salvador's Earth Sciences Institute. He worked with Oxfam America and another of its partners, the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative (HHI), to evaluate the effectiveness of the wells while studying the health practices of families who use them.
The study is an important component of Oxfam's public health work: It promotes accountability and offers a different model for aid groups by linking their work with that of universities.
"We have the field experience and they have the technical expertise," says Miriam Aschkenasy, Oxfam America's public health specialist. "Together we're able to evaluate programs at a higher standard and at one that increases accountability."
In its draft report, HHI said that individuals who live in communities with "healthy wells" were less likely to have diarrhea and reported fewer cases of the illness during the time of the study. But the draft report also revealed that in two of those communities, some people were still using hand-dug wells for their drinking water while other people from places without "healthy wells" were making the trek to a community that had one to fetch their water.
"The study gives us insight in a way we couldn't have anticipated," says Aschkenasy. "It gives us an idea of where to focus in the future. We now know we need to find a way to encourage people who are still relying on the hand-dug wells to use the healthy ones instead. And it gives us great incentive to build more of them."
]]>The report, Metals Mining and Sustainable Development in Central America: An Assessment of Benefits and Costs, looks at the current debate surrounding mining in Central America and the need for informed public discussion over the potential costs and benefits of aggressive development. Launched yesterday at a regional forum on metals mining, the report focuses on mining projects in El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras.
"Metals mining is often associated with vast wealth," said Raymond C. Offenheiser, President of Oxfam America. "Unfortunately, this is not the reality in many developing countries where natural resources continuously fail to contribute to the long-term reduction of poverty and communities have little say in how the industry affects their lands and livelihoods."
Despite a long history in Central America, mining has never played a significant role in the economies of Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador. Even if all the resources of these nations were developed, revenue from minerals would amount to only a small fraction of their broadly diversified economies.
But high gold and minerals prices in recent years have renewed mining companies' interest in Central American metals. The Oxfam report pays special attention to Pacific Rim Mining Corporation's El Dorado Mine in El Salvador, Goldcorp Inc.'s Marlin Mine in Guatemala, and Goldcorp's San Martin Mine in Honduras.
While mining companies and the governments that support new mining proposals have emphasized the benefits of mining, organized sectors of civil society are more concerned with the long-term costs. And there is a growing awareness of the decision-making role of communities near these projects.
"Mining companies must respect local communities' right to free, prior, and informed consent," said Offenheiser. "If they do not, a mining' project's costs will likely outweigh its benefits for local people."
While mining may create great net value, most of that value flows out of the country to the foreign owners of the mining company. Minerals commodity markets are highly volatile, modern open-air pit mining creates relatively few jobs, and the life cycles of open-pit mines are short, offering a small window of opportunity for integration with local economies.
Environmental risks include acid mine drainage and dam leaks. Although some of the worst environmental outcomes are preventable, mining companies have often not been held accountable for obeying environmental rules set out by the government or their mining contracts.
To date, community protests have delayed mining activities in Guatemala, prompted public scrutiny of exploration activities in El Salvador, and generated legislative reform in Honduras. The level and intensity of the resistance to metal mining in these three Central American nations demonstrates that local communities have judged the costs of mining projects to exceed the local benefits.
"Communities closest to the mines almost invariably suffer. This can be prevented if they have a voice in the decisions for the project," said Keith Slack, Extractive Industries Program Manager at Oxfam America. "What the mining industry could contribute to these communities must be balanced with the full scope of its costs, and communities are bringing legitimate concerns about financial, environmental, and personal costs to the table."
]]>Thanks to a US Agency for International Development (USAID) agricultural diversification program, the melons have brought unprecedented prosperity to Cortez and other farmers in rural Parras Lempa, El Salvador. USAID's program helps farmers improve their growing techniques, cultivate new crops, and earn higher incomes.
While the present is a time of great success, it's the future that Cortez is thinking of: his two teenage sons, who attend high school during the day and then help him in the fields. "This is the example I try to set for them: to keep learning and to work hard," he says. "That's their heritage."
This hard work is paying off. Cortez leads a group of 64 local farmers who take part in the program; in the past two years, they've collectively invested $90,000 in renting additional fertile land. Cortez's group now manages 40 percent more land—a total of 252 acres—generating an additional $184,000 in annual income and 306 new jobs for the community.
The origins of this particular USAID program go back to early 2001, when two strong earthquakes struck central El Salvador and smashed a series of rural farming towns. USAID's country office quickly assessed the needs of these communities and began a $200 million multiyear project to rebuild damaged houses, roads, and schools.
Through those assessments, the USAID team saw that it wasn't enough to use the agriculture component of the project just to bring communities back to where they were before the earthquake; people would still be struggling to earn a living from subsistence crops. USAID would need to create new long-term solutions in order to bring about true economic development.
USAID found that new growing techniques could help the farmers of central El Salvador improve their productivity. The agency selected Fintrac, a US-based private contractor specializing in agriculture, to implement a four-year program. Fintrac built on local knowledge by hiring top Salvadoran agronomists to work closely with the farmers on the new methods.
"Other agronomists that have come with previous projects barely spent any time with you," says Cortez. "What's been different about these agronomists [from Fintrac] is that they are here with us every week, and they really get involved in teaching us every single trick of the production techniques."
In communities like Parras Lempa, farmers learned new techniques—different seed varieties, more efficient fertilizing methods, new planting patterns—to improve upon the crops their families had been growing for generations.
In other communities, like nearby Calderitas, farmers learned how to cultivate tomatoes and peppers, which fetch high prices on the domestic market. A drip irrigation system made it possible to grow the vegetables using less water and without the time-consuming labor of hand-watering.
Along the way, Fintrac had to adapt the program to the reality on the ground. Fintrac's agronomists learned that their approach didn't work well with farmers who had less than an acre of land, limited access to credit, or insufficient access to water or roads. But the farmers who met these criteria thrived under Fintrac's assistance.
Fintrac's successes led USAID to rehire the company for an additional four-year program cycle. Today many of these rural entrepreneurs—like the group in Parras Lempa—earn enough to invest their own resources, with the goal of eventually becoming independent from the program.
Fintrac succeeded at promoting economic development by doing the following:
As the second four-year cycle nears its end, USAID must now tackle the challenge of making its lessons live beyond the program's end date and boundaries. The agency is currently transferring Fintrac's knowledge to agronomists in the Ministry of Agriculture. USAID is also building partnerships with local nongovernmental organizations that will allow it to reach smaller-scale farmers—including those who originally weren't able to take part in the program.
And in a domestic market increasingly dominated by supermarket chains, USAID will need to invest in new partnerships that enable organized farmers to retain their selling power.
"In spite of the earmarks and political concerns that often keep aid programs from achieving their full potential, this example shows that USAID can implement meaningful, transformative programs," says Omar Ortez, Oxfam America's senior coordinator for programming and partnership, who visited the program in spring 2008.
"This program came about because of an emergency, but made an early commitment to long-term development. By hiring the best Salvadoran agronomists, USAID built on local knowledge and became context-driven. It learned hard lessons about its approach and adapted the program accordingly. If the US funded more long-term aid programs like this one, just imagine what could be accomplished in the fight against rural poverty."
Learn more about Oxfam America's Aid Reform initiative.
]]>"He insulted us and beat me up," she says, tears welling up with the memory. Ortiz recounts the ordeal in her dirt-floor house in the department of Ahuachapan, sitting on a simple wood chair, holding her four-year-old daughter Melissa—her youngest. "One of my children said to me, 'Mama, let's get out of here,' so we went outside."
That spring night, outside their blue concrete house, the threats continued. "He insulted me so much... saying I was worthless, I had no future, and that it was better for him to kill me and the children."
Ortiz had to take action because her husband was a police officer and had a firearm. The family took shelter at a neighbor's house, and Ortiz called the police. Her husband was arrested the next morning. She and her children were safe for the moment, but in his drunken rage he had burned all their clothes.
The hills in Ahuachapan are bright green after a rainy summer. Blue and yellow butterflies fly lazily among the coffee trees along the dirt roads, and the sun is warm and comforting. It looks peaceful, making the violent confrontation Ortiz describes seem out of place. But in this small country of six million, widespread violence tends to be particularly deadly for women.
El Salvador is still recovering from a 13-year civil war that saw 75,000 people killed and nearly 8,000 "disappeared." It is a politically polarized society, torn between a small business elite, which dominates commerce and the government, and the majority struggling in poverty. Socially, men are dominant: It is a machista culture that holds many women in submissive roles in the family, raising children and doing other work in the home. Roughly half of Salvadorans live in poverty, and women head about 25 percent of households, so the abuse of and discrimination against women contributes directly to keeping them poor and in their subservient role in society.
There is a paucity of data on violence against women in El Salvador, but what few details are available tell a brutal story: In a country about the geographic size of Massachusetts, the rate of "femicide" in El Salvador was 11.15 per 100,000 women in 2005, far exceeding Guatemala's rate (population nearly 13 million) of 7.96 for that same year, according to a 2006 report by the Inter-American Institute of Human Rights. The same report shows the numbers of women murdered in El Salvador inching up slowly from 2001, when there were 211 women killed, to 260 in 2004, before jumping to 390 in 2005. The 2006 total was 437, according to Yanira Argueta, director of the Association of Salvadoran Women. "The situation is critical," she says at a meeting in her office in San Salvador. "Public officials are not sensitive to the problem, and there is no good application of the laws."
Part of the problem is public perception. A 2006 poll by CS Sondeo found that only about 83 percent of people in El Salvador believe that rape is a crime—which means that more than 15 percent don't consider it a criminal act.
Whether rape, murder, assault, or even psychological abuse, violence against women is more than an injustice or a human rights violation: it is an investment in the social status quo that keeps men on top and women below them. And it prevents women from fully contributing to the two changes El Salvador desperately needs: an end to poverty and the building of democracy.
]]>Molina de Vasquez worked hard to get the group established because she wants women to have opportunities to work outside their homes so they can broaden their horizons. "So many women are mistreated by their husbands," she says. "They need to know about their rights and feel capable of doing things."
"I would like to get women to know about their rights and duties, and to increase their self-esteem. We can help ourselves and our families, care for our children, and earn income to change our lives."
When asked why helping other women is so important to her, she says, "Let me tell you a little about my own life; then you will know."
The details come spilling out; she's like someone who walks away from a serious car accident, describing how lucky she is just to be alive. Mistreated by her father, her mother abused, Molina de Vasquez was married at 14 to a soldier. "I thought it was a way to escape," she says, "but my life got worse." Her husband was violent, and his family "used to tell me that my job was to have children and take care of my husband." When she failed to deliver a child for the first three years of their marriage, "I was useless to them," Molina de Vasquez says with a sigh.
But others could see that she was a leader. When their first child went to kindergarten, she was chosen to be the president of the parents' board at the school. "When I told my husband, he was angry. He told me I was not capable of it. I accepted this; he always told me I was good for nothing. For 11 years it was like that."
Eventually they moved to a rural area and things started to improve. Her husband became an agricultural laborer. They had a son. But Molina de Vasquez wanted to do more activities outside their home, like joining a health training program. Although reluctant to allow her to participate, her husband said she could host training sessions at their home. As part of this training, one of Oxfam's partners, AGROSAL, taught the women about their rights and how to prevent domestic violence. It was part of the Vida Diferente campaign to prevent gender violence.
"I started to listen to talks about preventing violence in the home," Molina de Vasquez says. "I learned about my rights." Since her husband allowed her to hold the meetings at their house, Molina de Vasquez took a risk: "I invited him to the talks and training sessions, and he became more sensitive." Together, she and her husband questioned the gender roles and attitudes in the machista culture in El Salvador, and they recreated their relationship. "Now my husband and I solve problems through dialogue, not violence," Molina de Vasquez says. He now recognizes how important it is for her to use her leadership skills. "If someone asks me to do something, I will do it because I know my husband will not say no."
Molina de Vasquez is committed to the new women's organization: "First I would like to get women to know about their rights and duties, and to increase their self-esteem." She says there are practical reasons for this, which leads to the second goal: "We need jobs for all the women. We can help ourselves and our families, care for our children, and earn income to change our lives." For Molina de Vasquez, respect for women and fighting poverty are part of the same struggle.
The changes in Molina de Vasquez's family are hard to compare to the earlier, oppressive days. "I have overcome it—so why can't I help other women? That is my goal: to help many other women."
]]>One of the goals of the campaign is to increase the number of women who understand their rights and can effectively defend them as Adelina Ortiz did. To help educate the next generation, the campaign developed a program for teachers and schoolchildren in 2007 that teaches young people about how to prevent gender violence and what to do if they are attacked.
"We used to talk about gender equity here," says Patricia Jovel. "But never gender violence." Jovel is the director of a school participating in this new initiative in El Progreso, a village perched on the impossibly steep Quetzaltepeque volcano outside San Salvador. The school, where 850 students from 6 to 16 years old attend classes in two half-day groups, is a collection of six cinderblock classrooms topped by metal sheet roofing on either side of a terraced concrete courtyard sloping down the mountainside. It is a beehive of activity after classes, as without any level area for a playground, the students play tag around the central courtyard in the brisk mountain air. Jovel says the young women who sometimes have to walk home in the dark after school are now better equipped to fend off the young men offering drinks and cigarettes to them. "Thank God there have been no rapes," she says.
The students have learned their lessons well: Karla Sanchez, 15, says it is a matter of her basic rights. "Everyone must respect our rights as children, girls, youth. We all have the same rights, and no one can violate them. And if something should happen, we know we can tell our parents, our teachers, or adults we trust. They are here to help us," she explains patiently. And if these people can't help, she knows where to go. She lists a number of institutions where she can turn for protection: the Human Rights Office; the National Police; and the Salvadoran Institute for the Advancement of Women, known as ISDEMU. As she leaves, Sanchez articulates one essential idea about reporting gender violence: "We should not be afraid of what people say."
In 2007, this pilot project in 53 schools exposed 25,000 students to the key messages of the campaign and trained 1,000 students and 1,000 teachers. The teachers now have incorporated violence prevention into their curriculum, and they work with the trained students. The pilot was supported by the Ministry of Education and was such a success that the minister decided to incorporate it into the public school curriculum nationwide.
Sustained pressure to change societal attitudes toward women is a slow process. One effective way to question long-held ideas and beliefs is to educate those entrusted with defending the rights of women, protecting them in the community, and helping them if they are attacked or injured. These include public officials like police officers, judges, public health officials and doctors, and social workers. The campaign organized a formal training program at the University of Central America (UCA) in 2005, and 45 people attended.
Maritza de Vasquez, a psychologist at the family court in the city of San Marcos, just outside San Salvador, says this training has helped her assist the many women who come through her office. De Vasquez says that women are hearing the messages of the campaign and are taking action to protect themselves. In the steady stream of domestic violence and divorce cases she sees, there is a different attitude. "Women take the opportunity to come here and talk about their situation they come here right away to denounce it," she says. "They are expressing their rights more openly now."
Back in Ahuachapan, Ortiz grows corn and raises sheep to support her children and grandchildren. He husband is in jail awaiting a hearing. "I'd rather see him in prison than anywhere else," Ortiz says. It was her participation in a sheep-raising program run by one of Oxfam America's partners, Association of Salvadoran Agriculturalists (AGROSAL), that exposed Ortiz to the human rights training that helped her defend her own life and protect her children. She points out that in all her training to become a health worker, no one ever educated her about domestic violence or how to prevent it. "The training taught me that women have rights and people are obligated to respect them," Ortiz says. "This made me act, to look for help, and thank God I found it."
]]>Mining has never been a significant part of El Salvador's economy, but modern techniques make it attractive in some areas. The Canadian mining company Pacific Rim is currently exploring for minerals in three areas, and has requested a concession to restart mining at the El Dorado mine in the department of Cabañas where it says it has invested $28 million and can produce 1.2 million ounces of gold and 7.4 million ounces of silver. Pacific Rim is also in the early stages of exploration on its Zamora project, near Texistepeque, Santa Ana.
Farmers near the town of Texistepeque are skeptical about mining, and some have even visited large-scale mines in Honduras and come back opposed to any mining in El Salvador. Salvador Antonio Seseña Rodruígez, 62, is one of the farmers who made the trip to the San Andres mine in Honduras. "I was really impressed by the destruction," he said about the mine. "We saw the main river there was almost dry, and there was no life in the river."
Rodruígez is a father of 10, and makes a living raising cows and growing corn and beans. So he was particularly concerned about the water problems he saw. "We already have a water crisis here," he says. "We can't drink contaminated water. How will we end up if we allow mining here?"
It was through his church and a meeting with the Centro de Investigación Sobre Inversión y Comercio (know as CEICOM) that he participated in the exchange visit. He came back ready to mobilize others in his community.
Oxfam America is working with CEICOM and a coalition of social, environmental, and other civil society organizations pushing for a voice in a real debate about whether mining is suitable for El Salvador, where some estimates say 90 percent of surface water is already polluted. The country has also been largely deforested, leaving many communities at risk of landslides during heavy rains, so many are already concerned about the environment. The Salvadorian Bishop's Conference released a statement saying mining causes damage to the environment and communities in May of 2007.
Civil society organization in El Salvador have proposed a law that would prohibit all hard-rock mineral mining, arguing the country is too densely populated and water is too scarce to support the industry.
Oxfam America's program in Central America, which is based in El Salvador, is working to enrich the debate on this issue, help civil society project its voice and hold the government accountable to the people, and provide information about mining and its effects on communities and the environment that citizens can use to make informed decisions.
The government of El Salvador has said it will not grant any new licenses to explore or operate mines until it does a strategic environmental study to assess the likely impact of open-pit mining in the country. "We feel this study should be done with the participation of civil society," says David Pereira of CEICOM. He said that in 2006 the minister of natural resources came out publicly against mining, saying the government did not have the capacity to regulate the industry. The minister then challenged civil society to change the laws and cautioned land owners not to sell their land to mining companies.
Some members of the senate have written a public letter to government leaders saying that they believe allowing industrial mining into the northern areas of the country will jeopardize development projects supported by the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), a $460-million, US government-funded foreign aid program, to bring sustained economic development in that region.
Pacific Rim continues to explore at El Dorado, which it says is its flagship property. The company is running an aggressive public relations campaign with radio ads introducing the slogan "minería verde" in an attempt to win hearts and minds of government and citizens. It also sponsors municipal soccer teams, and holds community meetings to sway farmers to accept mining in their community.
In the meantime, the Environmental Committee of Cabañas is reporting that 10 natural springs have dried up in the past month in areas close to Pacific Rim exploratory drilling. These reports have been verified by the Ministry of Natural Resources. In one of the cases, cattle-raising communities lost their natural spring four days after Pacific Rim began drilling. The company is now trucking in daily rations of water.


text:
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subset: commoncrawl


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Tom Perlmutter and Canada's Venerable NFB
Perhaps no organization is more synonymous with excellence in animated shorts than the National Film Board of Canada. Since Norman McLaren put the first animation team together in 1942, the NFB has produced some of the world's most famous and certainly most enjoyable animated shorts, garnering 8 Oscars and literally thousands of international awards.
And yet, this tremendous legacy of success comes against the backdrop of a recent identity crisis, a question of relevance and purpose in the face of shrinking government coffers and just as importantly, seismic shifts in how people find, watch and purchase animated shorts. As both private and institutional sources of funding continue to dry up, the NFB has deftly navigated Canadian political waters, pushing for greater public awareness of their brand while continuing to expand their creative profile through new film development initiatives and an aggressive online presence spearheaded by their 2009 Screening Room launch.
Firmly at the helm as Government Film Commissioner and Chairperson of the NFB stands Tom Perlmutter. Since joining the NFB in 2001 as Director General of the English Program, Tom has been responsible for a number of significant organizational efforts, from sweeping changes in digital distribution and online operations to expanding artistic outreach to young filmmakers and those from cultural minorities. Now entering his second five year term as head of the entire organization, in a job that requires equal parts bureaucrat, production executive, cultural referee and artistic cheerleader, Tom seems well suited to guide the NFB as it faces whatever creative, fiscal or political challenges may lie ahead.
I recently sat down with him to discuss the Film Board's mission, his role as chairperson and how he plans to continue pushing the NFB forward operationally and artistically.
Dan Sarto: So, what exactly is the role of NFB Chairman? What are your main responsibilities?
Tom Perlmutter: First of all to be clear, it's an unusual role which is not typically done these days. I'm both Chairman of the board of trustees as well as the equivalent of the CEO. The most critical and important role is providing the strategic vision of what direction we need to head in, where are we going to put our priorities and how are we going to get there. Then, how we take our strategic vision and make it operational. How do you actually make it work? How do you use your resources effectively and efficiently, because they are both limited? Because we are essentially government funded, through a parliamentary appropriation that is not indexed [for inflation], meaning we're losing purchasing power [over time], we have to be effective in terms of how we use our dollars. But all of that has to be in service of something. It's not simply that I'm there as an efficient manager. It's to provide a vision for this odd thing [the NFB] which doesn't exist anywhere else. It's a production and distribution studio that happens to be publicly owned. And that drives the job.
DS: What is the biggest challenge you face right now?
TP: There is a fiscal challenge, the financial challenge in terms of being able to live up to all the ambitions in terms of what we want to do and be able to do more with different kinds of filmmakers. We've got some solutions in mind for that over the next few years. I'd say the other challenge for us is we're living in a time where the disruptive effects of how people are connecting, watching, seeing, you can't just say, "Well, we'll just do what we've done in the past, we'll come to Annecy and the Ottawa Animation Festival, and that's good." It's not good enough,
DS: You can't just stay in your comfort zone.
TP: No. You can't. This world is moving. So it both provides opportunity but it's terrifying because it's constantly adapting to uncertainty. That's interesting. It means you have to create structures that are much more supple, much more able to dance that dance. A metaphor I use, it's like being a surfer. You've got to know how to read the waves.


text:
BSN Nitrix A.M. to P.M. Vaso-Muscular Volumizer Dietary Supplement Tablets
Size/Count 180.0 ea
- Designed for healthy persons
- Supports physical performance & recovery
- Enhances lean musclemore
Receiving Options
- Vasularity
- Pumps
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- Strength
Designed for healthy persons seeking to support or enhance lean muscle, physical performance, and recovery.
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
Made in USA
Recommended Use for Persons under 200 lbs: As a dietary supplement, take 3 tablets 3 times per day, every day. Always take Nitrix® on an empty stomach (i.e. approximately 30-45 minutes before meals or 2 hours after a meal). Taking Nitrix® with food or on a full stomach may diminish its effects. Take the first 3 tablets in the morning upon arising, the second 3 tablets before lunch, and the third 3 tablets before dinner.
Recommended Use for Persons Over 200 lbs: Follow the same guidelines as above, but take 4 tablets 3 times per day, every day, on an empty stomach.
Store in a cool, dry place.
Bio Engineered Supplements & Nutrition
Shipping Weight (in lbs): 0.83 Product in inches (LxWxH): 3.1x 3.1x 5.5
Item Code: 128660
Before consuming Nitrix® seek advice from a physician if you are unaware of your current health condition or have any pre-existing medical condition including but not limited to: high or low blood pressure, cardiac arrhythmia, stroke, heart, liver, or thyroid disease, anxiety, depression, seizure disorder, psychiatric disease, diabetes, pernicious, anemia, difficulty urinating due to prostate enlargement, or if you are taking an MAO inhibitor or any other medication. Do not use if you are contemplating pregnancy, pregnant, nursing, prone to dehydration, or exposed to excessive heat. Reduce or discontinue use if sleeplessness, tremors, dizziness, nervousness, headaches, or heart palpitations occur. Combining Nitrix® with alcohol may increase the risk of low blood pressure (hypotension) and/or low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) particularly in the fasted state. Please be aware this product contains the naturally occurring amino acid Beta-Alanine, which may cause a tingling skin sensation in some individuals similar to niacin flush. This effect should diminish after a few hours and should ultimately subside after days of continuous use. Although rare, individuals with the genetic disorder hyper Beta-Alaninemia should not use this product. Nitrix® is only intended to be consumed by healthy adults 18-50 years of age. Keep out of reach of children and pets.
Do not take glutamine supplements and Nitrix® at the same time as doing so may diminish its effects. Keep intake of glutamine supplements to 10g or less of glutamine daily. For more info see Q&A section of BSNonline.net. To maximize the vaso-muscular volumizing effects take Nitrix® 3 times per day, every day.* Also consume 120 oz. of water per day and a diet that is rich in protein and carbohydrates. You body chemistry and weight will determine how long it takes to experience the effects of Nitrix®. Many users may notice the effects within the first 7-14 days of recommended use. Each week thereafter, the effects will become more pronounced. Other users may notice the initial effects after 14-21 days of use. Again, the effects will become more pronounced each week thereafter. Nitrix® begins to induce its maximum vaso-muscular volumizing effects in weeks 3-12.* After 12 weeks of use, discontinue for at least 4 weeks.
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Magnesium Stearate , Stearic Acid
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Water | ||
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Sodium Creatine | ||
Creatinol O Phosphate | ||
Maleic Acid | ||
Creatine | ||
Phosphoplexx | ||
Folate,Folic Acid,Folacin 200 mvg | 50% |


text:
Phil Collen
Def Leppard
Lead guitarist for one of the biggest-selling rock bands to ever grace this planet–the hugely influential, U.K. hit factory known as Def Leppard. Phil Collen has deftly wrung so many classic riffs, solos, parts and progressions from our guitars that it's impossible to imagine the '80s and '90s rock charts–or Jackson history–without him. Collen's PC1 was one of the original Jackson® signature guitars; based on the Dinky™ model but featuring more exotic woods and the Jackson sustainer/driver system.


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The Logic behind Genome Studies
Much research into the genetic contributions to common diseases has started with the seemingly logical assumption that DNA variants occurring frequently in the human population would be at fault. Some argue, though, that this reasoning is faulty.
Image: Bryan Christie
In Brief
- In the year 2000 leaders of the Human Genome Project announced completion of the first rough draft of the human genome. They predicted that follow-up research could pave the way to personalized medicine within as few as 10 years.
- So far the work has yielded few medical applications, although the insights have revolutionized biology research.
- Some leading geneticists argue that a key strategy for seeking medical insights into complex common diseases—known as the "common variant" hypothesis—is fundamentally flawed. Others say the strategy is valid, but more time is needed to achieve the expected payoffs.
- Next-generation methods for studying the genome should soon help resolve the controversy and advance research into the genetic roots of major diseases.
A decade ago biologists and nonbiologists alike gushed with optimism about the medical promise of the $3-billion Human Genome Project. In announcing the first rough draft of the human "book of life" at a White House ceremony in the summer of 2000, President Bill Clinton predicted that the genome project would "revolutionize the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of most, if not all, human diseases."
A year earlier Francis S. Collins, then head of the National Human Genome Research Institute and perhaps the project's most tireless enthusiast, painted a grand vision of the "personalized medicine" likely to emerge from the project by the year 2010: genetic tests indicating a person's risk for heart disease, cancer and other common maladies would be available, soon to be followed by preventives and therapies tailored to the individual.
This article was originally published with the title Revolution Postponed.
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text:
Saturday, 31/03/2012
Kick off 11:00 BST at Dynamo, Tbilisi
Spain - Calero 45' Grimaldo 47' Samper 57' Gaya 80'
Brought to you by The FA
80'José Gaya. An injury time goal from the Spanish sub rounds things off for them.
79'Luke Shaw. The left-back is booked for a challenge on Calero.
79'Off, Sergi Samper. On, Antonio Cotán.
76'Off, Alejandro Grimaldo. On, José Gaya.
73'England have the ball in the net, but Mason Bennett's effort is ruled out for offside unfortunately.
71'Samuel Castillejo. The Spain sub is booked for a foul on Hughes.
68'Off, Álvaro Bustos. On, Samuel Castillejo.
64'Off, Callum Robinson. On, Mason Bennett.
63'Victor Ruiz.
60'Blanco saves again, to deny Hughes for a third time.
57'Sergi Samper. The midfielder seals it for Spain, picking out the top corner from just inside the area.
56'Hughes is denied again, as his shot is cleared off the line.
55'A header from Luke Woodland hits the bar, as England look to hit back. Callum Robinson gets to the rebound but shoots over.
53'Leo Chambers. The England defender is cautioned for a foul on Calero.
52'Off, John Swift. On, Kieran Wallace.
51'Off, Calum Chambers. On, Jordan Graham.
47'Alejandro Grimaldo. Spain add a second goal two minutes later as England are caught cold by Alejandro Grimaldo, whose low drive into the bottom corner beats Willis. It's a cruel game.
45'Iván Calero. Spain take the lead five minutes after the restart as Calero curls a shot home into the top corner from just outside the box.
42'Willis denies Alvaro Bustos, as Spain start the second-half brightly.
41'The second-half begins.
39'Another save from Blanco, this time with his leg, to deny Hughes following his run into the box and strike at goal.
39'A breakaway attack by Spain sees Ivan Calero shoot just wide on the stroke of half-time.
38'Blanco again keeps England at bay, tipping Akpom's super effort over the bar.
30'Blanco makes another good save, this time to deny Will Hughes' long range effort.
25'Jaime Sánchez. The Spanish player is cautioned after a cynical trip on Chuba Akpom when he was bearing down on goal.
16'Spain 'keeper Ruben Blanco makes a point blank range save to deny Calum Chambers following good work from Luke Shaw on the left.
11'George Willis makes a save to deny Spain's Borja Martinez.
KOThe match is underway in Tbilisi.


text: Here's the video for the last song Mindy McCready and her producer boyfriend David Wilson worked on together, before their deaths. The video, for the song "I'll See You Yesterday," shows pictures of the couple, followed by information on suicide prevention. The clip was created by her friend David Hanks who asked her if he could post it, but Mindy told him he'd know when the time was right. Hanks tells People, "In hindsight she was having me produce her suicide video."


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Welcome to Modern Deism
Deism is a reason-based faith that postulates a belief in God through a foundation of Reason, Personal Experience and Nature (nature of the universe) with emphasis on freethought rather than a foundation of Divine revelation(s) and Holy texts. Essentially, through the use of Reason, Gods existence is revealed by the observation of nature and our own personal experiences. For the Deist, the order and complexity found in nature coupled with our rational experiences of nature leads to a belief in God.
It must be noted that Deism has been defined as the religion in which God abandoned the creation. This was rarely the case. During the Second Great Awakening, Deism was attacked by the revialists who wanted to degrade its influence. They created the notion that Deists believed that God had created and then abandoned his creation in favor of greater things. No Deists truly believed this. Some believed that God was no longer active in creation but had not abandoned it but watched to observe.
As with the past, modern Deists have many different beliefs regarding the nature of God. This is because that nature can never truly be known but only infered from our perspective. As such, there are many different beliefs among Deists regarding what God may or may not be like. This is encouraged as Deists want all to use their own Reason and Experiences to develop their views on God and associated aspects.
This causes Modern Deism to be a belief system that thrives on diversity of thought. Deism is based on Reason and Reason tells us that humans are freethinkers that will develop their own beliefs. Therefore, Deists have a common belief in God based on Reason but the view into the nature of God varies among Deists as this nature is generally unknown to us at this time.
Modern Deism seeks to bring these different viewpoints about the nature of God under the umbrella of Deism. The only real requirement is that the faith of Deism is based on Reason, Experience and Nature. Furthermore, Modern Deism incorporates the latest interpretations found in the fields of science, philosophy, psychology and history so that it integrates classical and modern viewpoints with the wisdom of the past with the discoveries of the present.
For the Modern Deist, Reason is not just used exclusively for spiritual belief but is also used in all other aspects of daily life as well. This leads to a pragmatic view of life in aspects such as the personal, the political, the moral and the functional. This pragmatic view coupled with Reason leads the Deist to believe that all men and women are created equal and have inherent freedom based on the laws of nature.
Ultimately, the Deist is one that can be understood in simple terms. The Deist looks at existence and infers that this wonderous thing could not have been an accident. They also desire a sense of astonishment and connection to something greater than themselves and define that something as God. Finally, Deists believe that Reason is one our most important gifts and that we should use our own Reason to develop our beliefs regarding God.
The goal of Modern Deism is the promotion and education of Deism to the modern world. Most people have never heard of Deism and our goal is to change this problem. Unfortunately, the dictionary definition of Deism tends to push the idea that Deism is a dead religion. However, this is a fallacy as Deism is alive and growing.
All of the sections here are created to help others learn about Deism. Please take a look through a your own pace. Their is quite a bit of material on a wide range of subjects that involves Deism. This site is updated periodically so check back frequently to see what new items have been added.
Thank you for visiting Modern Deism and we hope that you learned about the natural religion of Deism. Please visit again as this site is updated periodically. If you have any questions or comments please contact us.
The Creation speaketh a universal language, independently of human speech or human language, multiplied and various as they may be. It is an ever-existing original, which every man can read. It cannot be forged; it cannot be counterfeited; it cannot be lost; it cannot be altered; it cannot be suppressed. It does not depend upon the will of man whether it shall be published or not; it publishes itself from one end of the earth to the other. It preaches to all nations and to all worlds; and this word of God reveals to man all that is necessary for man to know of God." - Thomas Paine
Copyright © 2004 - 2010 J Hardwick
Proud Member of the Deist Alliance:


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Great mount for the price!Pros: Comes with all the screws and such for any wall type. Cons: The thing you use to keep it in the position is hard to reach, they should make a tool to help you. Other Thoughts: Other then the tightening problem, it is a great mount, nice and strong for the price! Did you find this review helpful? |
Easy setup VESA 75/100 compatiblePros: Very easy setup. Cons: The tilt knob should definitely be longer. If you want to adjust the tilt you have to take the monitor off, adjust, then put it back on. Other Thoughts: Use with my ASUS 24" LCD Did you find this review helpful? |
Works as advertisedPros: Good, inexpensive product Cons: None Did you find this review helpful? |
Pros: easy to install Cons: hard to tilt 0 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Did you? |
It worksPros: Works as described Cons: none 0 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Did you? |
SimplePros: Mounting the bracket to the wall is simple and easy to do. Holds LCD well, and is easy to take back off if you need to move it. Cons: Mounting bracket uses screws....screws leave holes in your wall.... Other Thoughts: Great simple product 0 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Did you? |
Good, Solid MountPros: Made from heavy duty materials (close to 12 gauge steel) It came with all the hardware for mounting to wood stud, wood beam, solid concrete and cinder block. Very solid piece of equipment and it works exactly how I would want it to. Cons: The only cons of this are fairly minor because they probably won't affect every day use. The fact that it is heavy was also a con for me because I mounted it to hardboard. Also, it only mounts to the wall with two screws, so if you are mounting it to something thin it is advisable to use very large washers to distribute the weight evenly. This is advertised as a "one touch" tilt adjustment. You have to reach between the monitor and the wall and twist a knob and shimmy the monitor to tilt it and then tighten the knob again. If you can do that in one touch, you deserve some recognition. Other Thoughts: I used this mount to hang a 20" wide-screen monitor from the back of my computer desk hutch (which was made of thin hardboard) to save desk space. Installation was simple and it's easy to take your monitor off the bracket if you need to. 1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Did you? |
Stupid Design DecisionsPros: It's a wallmount that does exactly what it says it does, mounts your monitor to the wall. Cons: When the engineers developed this, they really should've made the bottom screw more accessible. You'll need a deep socket extension as another user stated, otherwise there's a limit to how far you can drill this sucker in. Did you find this review helpful? |
Does what it is supposed toPros: I got this to mount a 21 inch hdtv near the ceiling by a loft bed. As mentioned in earlier reviews, installation is not the easiest, but, it isn't rocket science either. It held the tv just fine, although if you check the tv you can feel wiggle room, but it wasn't an issue. Cons: none. Other Thoughts: At this price, just get it if you need to mount a small tv somewhere and you don't need it to swing out or anything. Did you find this review helpful? |
Second timePros: This unit is strong and heavy duty. It will easily handle any monitor within its spec range. Cons: As stated in my previous review, its not the most solid mount out there when it comes to locking both halves of the mount together. I installed the small set screw on the back and it STILL rocks from side to side. Also unless you have at least a an 8in extension for a screwdriver and plan on moving your desk away from the wall, the screw is next to impossible to install. I had to use a ratcheting screwdriver with a flexible extension to get it in and my monitor is only 20in. Other Thoughts: In all the construction I am impressed with and the mounting screws lagging into a stud will hold anything in the products rating but the design is still flawed. I gave it an extra egg for its sturdiness but its not the best solution out there. 1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Did you? |


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Career Readiness Certificate Powered by WorkKeys® Certified? . . . It Pays! For more information, contact your local CareerTech center or Workforce office. email: email@example.com okworkkeys.org WorkKeys is the registered trademark of ACT, Inc. Equal Opportunity Employer/Program Auxiliary aids and services are available upon request to individuals with disabilities. WorkKeys has been developed by ACT, an international leader in educational assessment and workforce development services for more than 40 years, best known for the ACT Assessment® college entrance exam. Over the past decade, ACT has completed WorkKeys job and occupational profiles for thousands of jobs across every employment field and has administered millions of WorkKeys assessments. The system is used today by thousands of schools and companies across the United States and around the world. Oklahoma's In today's global economy, finding and keeping a job requires higher skill levels than ever before. Employers want workers with documented skills based on "real world" experience. WorkKeys assessments for the Career Readiness Certificate (CRC) measure core skills employers deem critical for job success. These skills are valuable for any occupation—skilled and professional—and at any level of education. The ACT WorkKeys database, with over 16,000 job profiles, identifies job skills, and the CRC assessments determine an individual's skill level. If there is a gap between the two, the assessment results will help identify the training needs so skill upgrade training can take place. ASSESS, EVALUATE, AND IMPROVE Your Opportunities "OG&E wants employees who may be able to transition from one job to another, so we invest in our people and our training programs. We believe that WorkKeys assessments will help us find the right type of candidates for open positions." Gilbert Hall Senior Training Coordinator OG&E Muskogee Plant Employer Benefits The Career Readiness Certificate (CRC) bridges the gap between an organization and a qualified workforce. It benefits everyone involved in the hiring process and employee training. Profiling the tasks in a specific job identifies the skills needed on the job. The WorkKeys assessment then measures an individual's skill level. If there are any gaps in the necessary skill level for the job, the WorkKeys assessment helps identify the training needs. Decrease training time Decrease production errors Reduce turnover, overtime and waste while increasing morale Take the guesswork out of your selection decisions Improve efficiency of your training practices "The greatest benefit from the CRC is a more streamlined hiring process dovetailed with the low turnover rate and increased productivity. Employee retention reduces training costs. Because of the WorkKeys indicators, we can cherry pick who we want to hire." Chris Lange, Director of Quality Assurance StoneHouse Marketing Services, Norman


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You're watching...
Romney Building Momentum from Debate?
FBN's Stuart Varney on the Presidential race and the impact of the first debate on the Presidential campaign.
Oct 11, 2012
You're watching...
FBN's Stuart Varney on the Presidential race and the impact of the first debate on the Presidential campaign.
Oct 11, 2012
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But it vice presidential.
-- -- -- -- generally don't mean march.
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- We have -- -- Morningstar and one of the big smack downs on the most famous.
Cardinal biased -- -- all the presidential debate.
-- Lloyd Bentsen and I -- Jack Kennedy -- -- Yet that's what he said and I knew Jack Kennedy interview on know Jack Kennedy.
And from among and dishonor our yeah hundred Canada.
Did -- tonight's the vice presidential debate -- sixteen year old daughter is having friends around the house for the sole purpose of watching.
The vice president.
That's how much interest terrorists in this series of debates -- yeah now that's incredible as sixteen years are well granted we have a plea deal we have a pathetic political household and we do we told politics loss.
But it's sixteen years old to be having friends right just to watch the -- Have you -- Margaret Brennan washed your child and -- right wearing -- you are what I.
Have attempted that to do and so far unsuccessfully.
-- -- -- -- she's taken should not taking any science is gonna watch the debate and then look at the issues very -- Darden restaurant varnish someday Noah aren't Irish -- program.
-- -- hello -- -- -- a morning.
Do you just I had an -- Yes because I'm burdensome amounts.
It is now.
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He's -- of his -- now already but that was of those who likes things what do what -- -- you know the Texas thing now known as a regular Oregonian guerrilla.
But it -- I'll Internet auction dinner had a tie itself against -- -- -- myself it was at a clip on.
Or or are you actually -- -- to reveal lot of information to tie a full wins or half wins the diplomatic I don't know what is big not small which is it.
I don't know are learned outside -- -- -- whatever you whatever I'd I'd Melinda right taught in my Diana Marine -- all right started.
-- -- -- -- To view clueless in the -- cool I I'm astonished.
You happy that you brought up this entire -- let me explain some material while lining -- I was -- -- jungles of Vietnam Telecom.
What are -- we're still trying to of the assembly we're gonna come to America you're zero departing -- I was -- -- in the jungles of all can remember more than a general black -- -- -- -- -- out of it what whatever so easily still life was on the line playing that bugle closet and offs -- -- somebody -- to due -- structural.
You know you're not that much older than unity I wrote I was like look at you know back but I -- thank you -- -- worth -- you'll -- -- you want you to America and personal business.
Battling cancer feel bad okay right or other I think -- back.
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- And I don't like him because -- so -- have I didn't even know how to play the Google.
But they have tryouts for the eleventh marine from the government under record attempt problems -- -- -- to play the -- and about three wage and and -- here in the UK transfer -- important -- thousand.
Sir you lose checked and a rifle limited -- lived a terrible athletes and our -- great news.
-- just a scam on my part.
Anyway what they say these debates to me much but it appears that.
On this last from between present governor Romney -- meant something for.
For -- in terms of the -- but do you think those -- Akron.
Yes I do their accurate I think these debates mean a great deal I think I mean more this -- -- around yeah I think so it seems like you know.
I mean 67 million people watched the first debate you could get at least that number ten like watching the vice president of debate not just entertainment.
I think it's a revelation.
For most Americans because.
You know the president has not being really challenged.
So did not by the media in the last four years and he's up at the question directly at what's with its record fuel and suddenly Mitt Romney doesn't.
And the -- is revealed a somewhat empty.
And lacking in leadership I think the country's fascinated by what has amounted to in my opinion the unraveling.
Of the presidency certainly the presidential image over the last week.
That's why we're -- that's why you get these numbers and that's why the polls really took a ton.
After that last debate one week ago who want a full without of -- -- change in one week.
We will counting on the house now -- criticizing his campaign has -- leadership because what the issues off and suddenly one debate you know.
-- back as the momentum has shifted dramatically.
Big deal.
Well Brian you know on -- matter what the president -- and is -- the next debate is a total character.
So doesn't cycle to have the same dramatic impact.
I suspect has a one on one debate to neutral from as the first -- Wool hold on a second if it's a town hall style debate took a meeting -- should -- That means that ordinary regular people now will be at.
Asking questions directed to the president supposing one of those people in the unlikely event that they have a negative question -- hall stop the -- how to think he's gonna deal with that.
He's thin -- and now he's not used to somebody have a go at him directly that never happens with this -- hopefully they'll blow up.
I don't I don't know -- I would now like to have his talent and ability as they Lida revealed question.
And I think that will happen in a town hall style debate the back could be a big deal to.
Erica but I I just met before and gentle warming and -- management and and consequently -- their children program but but does excellent adventure thriller competitor person to -- Actually holds a presidentially to -- Atlanta to abuse my eldest daughter suffer from cancer is a delight cycle and still trade date Iowa today and what's SM for.
To excellent product on temporary hamper its -- -- and guerrillas.
You do not right now.
I understand that Stewart congenital a lot of times heaven's sake and embraced by just pointed -- -- -- Tyler liked him boxing gloves prominent I don't so I can't believe it's.
-- -- Whatever the president does -- it comes on all jacked up pledges bent.
-- Red Bull dagger and very similar floated her about about it that's the consumers and so yeah is that top spot really -- -- that he really dug himself -- -- thanks coming -- Federal very nice to see you thank you for coming to work for change tough 2020 minutes after -- aren't on a far spouses or external -- here.
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Strips of grilled honey-Dijon chicken, pancetta, fontina cheese, arugula and beefsteak tomato are served in ciabatta bread to make a mouth watering sandwich.
1. Whisk together oil, mustard, thyme, salt, and pepper. Add chicken; marinate 15 min.
2. Remove chicken from marinade and grill over med.-high heat or broil for 5 min. each side. Cool and slice chicken.
3. Cook pancetta or bacon until crisp.
4. Spread mayonnaise on both bread halves. On bottom half, layer chicken, cheese, pancetta, arugula, and tomato. Top with second bread half and cut into two pieces.


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Tennis players in Keller, Southlake, Colleyville, Hurst, Euless, Bedford, Grapevine, Richland Hills, Haltom City, Fort Worth, Arlington and more. Join us!
Location: Fort Worth Dallas
Members: 91
Latest Activity: on Tuesday
Started by Joseph Deak. Last reply by Kyle Cushman Oct 23. 2 Replies 0 Likes
Started by Kiwi. Last reply by Joseph Deak Oct 6. 1 Reply 1 Like
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Started by Chris Goh. Last reply by Chris Goh Dec 22, 2011. 3 Replies 0 Likes
Looking for any male or female willing to go a few
rounds (playing tennis of course) in the Grapevine area!
Message me! <3
Why post a little one-time comment? Start a new discussion with the link right above. Discussions encourage dialogue and make it much easier to connect. Have fun!
looking for a girl to hit with. I live in the fort worth area. let me know if u want to play!! Thanks
hey i just moved in and i live in grapevine. e-mail me at [edit: please share private info via PM or Friend Request] if you want to hit.
Hay guys and girls, I have a court right across from my house.
Im a 4.5 player.
Im looking for some competition but I am willing to hit around if you want.
Im dieing to play so give me a call.
[edit: please share private info via PM or Friend Request]
Arlington has a lot of cool places to hit. Randol Mill park is good of Randol Mill Rd, near I-30. Also, there are schools and apts with courts. Lamar HS has courts of Lamar, My apts has courts - Bella Vista off Green Oaks. And if you want to pay, the Arlington Tennis Center off Matlock closer to south arlington.
I am in Arlington for vacation and am from Seattle. Am a 4. raking player or can I just say, the ball comes back to you.
Where do people play tennis in Arlington or any suggestions where I can hit ?
Hey players,
Use promo code TENNISOPOLIS for $10 off registration for any winter league! So you will pay only $15 for organized competitive league play with a flexible schedule format (you schedule matches on a date/time that is convenient as long as you play each match by the deadline). 6 regular season matches followed by playoffs with prizes for city champs!
Register now at
Singles registration ends 12/27. Doubles & Mixed registration ends 1/17
© 2013 Created by Mark / The Mayor.


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Latest News
Farewell, Internet Apr 12th 2011 12:00PM
Angry Birds Rio for Symbian lands in Nokia's Ovi Store Apr 11th 2011 3:45PM
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Apple News
- The 12 Days of iMas, Day 3: An iPhone case that could get you arrested
- The Monkey Kit adds a tail to your iPad so you can go hands-free
- Tony Fadell, the Podfather himself, appears to have purchased the red Mac Pro and gold EarPods from Jony Ive's auction
- Apple provides detailed listing of Samsung's misconduct during the discovery process


text: Code:You are one of the last of the free. Others have been taken into darkness's clutches, murdered in cold blood and turned into dark puppets by necromancers. Few of the towns have not perished. Those that haven't have been abandoned. There are small groups of rebellion worldwide, but their protesting voices are quickly silenced. The uninhabited regions of Nebo are infested with dark creatures of all sorts: goblins, ogres, wyvryn, and legions of the undead. You have been bouncing from forest to forest for weeks, struggling to stay alive. All you have is a few belongings and the clothes on your back. You cannot ride, as it attracts too much attention, and the demons in the trees seem to have a special fondness for them. Your old life is long dead. Perhaps you were a farmer. Maybe you were an innkeeper. You could have even been a rouge soldier, but that matters not, as there is no one for you to find to protect you anymore. The mages were hunted down. The soldiers were exterminated. Nothing of worth is left in this world. That is, until you find others. There is a stone at the base of a dried up waterfall that is nearby the town of Nooram valley. It has a strange luminescence and seems to be calling to you. It did the same for the others. The others are trying to keep their megre camp from falling into shambles. There are jobs to be assigned, beasts to be wary of. You've been hearing rumors... a whisper about a mage and his recruit of young men and women; a rogue necromancer who is trying to help to create the perfect soldiers to oppose the Dark Clan.


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The on-going disastrous conditions in Syria make us treasure even more our stay in this hotel in January 2009. The rooms were exceptionally beautiful and authentic, the staff very charming and helpful. This hotel has no restaurant, however the breakfast was just amazing. We highly recommend this hotel, if the political conditions permit. I must also say that my wife... More
- Also Known As:
- Beit Al Mamlouka Hotel
- Beit Al Mamlouka Damascus
- Beit Al Mamlouka Hotel Damascus
- Official Description (provided by the hotel):
- The 'boutique hotel' where stands Al Mamlouka used to be a family owned house similar to the other Damascene houses in the Old City it is located in the Christian quarter, Quemarieh street. The hotel built around a central courtyard with an original fountain in the middle and a citrus/ bitter orange (Naranj) trees and an Iwan or Liwan. The hotel has 8 bedrooms five of them surrounded the courtyard and three one situated on the first floor, it has a terraces and private patios. It also it has an Old Bayke (stable), converted into a bar, breakfast room and a gallery.The hotel belongs to the 17th century and boasts original features from the 18th century. One of the suites, Suleiman the Magnificent, contains its own fountain in the shape of a rose and an original 230 year old Christian fresco on the ceiling.. Each room is entitled and decorated in traditional Syrian style using local products. Brocade is used to make the curtains and the beds are fitted with Damascene quilts. Some Bathrooms are fitted with hand made and painted tiles (Ishani) and drawings. ... more less


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A few weeks ago, we reported that the camo trend is making its way up the fashion ladder, integrating itself into men's clothing lines of high fashion designers and luxury products. This week, it's the ladies' turn to learn how to incorporate the ever expanding camouflage obsession into their wardrobes. Below are some great camo items, all of which are aesthetic evidence that this print is not just for men anymore.
Michael Kors is one of the many designers taking advantage of the camo trend. Looking at his collection filled with camel colored cropped jackets and camo tops, you might not expect to see a hint of sequins. Kors' sequined camo pants are fun, flashy, and sophisticated; they definitely take the camo trend to the next level.
If you're a fan of the sequined camouflage look but only want to add a touch of it to your wardrobe, you can check out TOMS sequined camo shoes. The camo TOMS, sold exclusively at Neiman Marcus, come in both the classic green/tan combo and an edgier blue/silver variation. These shoes are perfect for those who want to flirt with the idea of making a loud statement yet want to do it in small doses.
At the other end of the fashion spectrum, there is the casual side of camo. Coming out of the pool or spending a day at the beach is no reason to neglect your style; consider buying this tunic by Lisa Vogel. The soft colors and cinched waist definitely work together to add a sense of femininity to the once masculine camo print.
Working camo prints in different colors and materials into your wardrobe is just another example of men's fashion statements being able to be transformed into fun, feminine, and totally stylish looks.


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Second Morrow County church catches fire
A church caught fire in Morrow County Tuesday morning.
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A church caught fire in Morrow County Tuesday morning.
Democratic gubernatorial candidate Ed FitzGerald is preparing for a running mate change, two peoplewith knowledge of the situation have told The Enquirer, numbering the days of North Avondale's Eric Kearney as the party's candidate for lieutenant governor
As the sun set in the sky, overlooking the intersection of Ohio 203 and Keener Road, friends and families gathered Monday to remember the two men who lost their lives in a Sunday crash.
Through the second half of November, 13 people have been indicted in Marion County Court of Common Pleas.
The next time you spot a white, plastic bag snagged on some corn stubble far out in a farmer's field, look again. It could be a rare visitor from the Arctic.
Marion City Council OK'd several ordinances Monday night, including one that puts restrictions on mineral extraction and one that makes it easier for companies to make energy-efficient improvements on buildings.
The state last week recommended awarding $88.6 million to 24 school projects as part of Gov. John Kasich's Straight A Fund Grant program intended to reward innovation in education.
Profits generated by Ohio charities on bingo games have dropped steadily in recent years, according to state statistics.
Tech. Sgt. Raymond Newell and Staff Sgt. Jorge Bautista send holiday greetings to Marion.
Police Beat items are compiled from reports of Marion area law enforcement agencies. In police, sheriff and highway patrol news, names and addresses appear as they do in the police department and sheriff's office reports. These are arrest reports only. The city or county prosecutor later will decide whether to file formal charges.
Walter A. Baker, 495 Clinton St., pleaded no contest to disorderly conduct, found guilty, $100 fine, plus costs.
Air Force Airman Anthony C. Nye graduated from basic military training at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland. He completed an intensive, eight-week program that included training in military discipline and studies, Air Force core values, physical fitness, and basic warfare principles and skills. He earned four credits toward an associate in applied science degree through the Community College of the Air Force.
The next meeting of Marion County Regional Planning Commission will be at 7 p.m. Wednesday in the Prospect Conference room of the Marion County Building, 222 West Center St.
Due to a staff in-service and holiday party, Marion Public Health will close at 3 p.m. Dec. 13.
In an effort to curb alcohol-related crashes this holiday season, AAA facilities are holding events to encourage Ohioans to celebrate responsibly.
An Ashland woman saved the life of an elderly man early Sunday after his house caught fire on East Walnut Street, in Ashland.
A doctor treating a 10-year-old Lithopolis boy after a vicious dog attack told his family that, if it had gone on any longer, he would have died from blood loss.
Icy conditions caused drivers to slip and slide across the county Monday morning.
Passion drives two fledgling businesses in Marion, one whose owner recently put renewed emphasis on her photography career and another whose proprietor is in his fourth decade as a tattoo artist.
Two firefighters suffered minor burns battling a three-story house fire Saturday afternoon.
A new wing planned for the National Museum of the United States Air Force in southwest Ohio will allow visitors to walk into a full-size replica of a space shuttle.
A lawsuit challenging how Ohio's fourth-largest city hands out citations and fines to drivers caught speeding and running red lights on camera could impact other cities around the state with traffic cameras.
After a Florida doctor saved his knee, Brent Hayes of southwestern Ohio came up with a unique way to thank him.
City Council will have a public hearing Monday for a proposed mineral extraction section in the city code. This will be the ordinance's third reading.
Marion City Firefighters arrived at 305 W. Columbia St. to find the bottom floor of a three-story house totally engulfed in flames.
Although the theme of Marion's annual holiday parade has always been heavy on Christmas decorations and snow-covered floats, event coordinator Karen Herr made sure to put veterans at the front of the line this year.
When a Marion City Council member missed six out of seven recent meetings of the local legislative body, a fellow councilman expressed concern, drawing attention to attendance and the rules that apply to that attendance.
The state says its Medicaid portal is tested and ready to go Monday, when thousands of newly eligible Ohioans will be able to sign up for the health-insurance program.
Taft Elementary School principal Sean Smith has seen his students take several creative paths to get to school.
The owner of a run-down building near Lincoln Park has been ordered to clean the mess within the next two weeks.
Jonathan D. Lower, 295 Rose Ave., pleaded guilty to a charge of failure to confine dogs, $50 fine plus costs.
And those who survive such tragedies struggle after the trauma.
When USA Today started investigating mass killings, it seemed fairly straightforward: How many times have at least four people died at the hands of another in a single incident? Yet marking the death toll of mass killings is anything but simple. It's hampered by the FBI's voluntary reporting system that gets it right a little more than half the time, and by advocacy groups who may count only incidents that support their cause.
Ohio's transportation department is cautioning drivers to look out for increased deer movement along the roadways at this time of year.
Attorney General Mike DeWine says Ohio's crime lab has processed nearly 5,000 previously untested rape kits as it searches for DNA matches that could help solve reported sexual assaults.
Authorities in Brown County are investigating the deaths of a woman and man whose bodies were found in a car along a southwest Ohio road as a possible murder-suicide.
Typewriters and a desk from the home of an author who brought a young sleuth named Nancy Drew to life are going up for auction.
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) Merrill Newman was tired and looking forward to reuniting with his family, but he was all smiles Saturday after arriving at the San Francisco airport after being detained for several weeks in North Korea.
Weather forecasters predicted spring-like weather would come to a quick end Friday with a threat of a wintry mix of woe.
Police have released the names of five suspects arrested in a meth lab shut down.
A New Jersey drug dealer was sentenced to six years in prison after one of the biggest heroin seizures in Marion.
An appeals court on Friday upheld the conviction of an Ohio woman found guilty of burning her baby daughter to death in a microwave oven.
One southwest county is requiring its health commissioner be a non-smoker who isn't overweight.
For four hours Thursday, Christmas in Cardington will transform the village into a wonderland that will include lights, food, open houses, a tour of homes, rides in a horse-drawn wagon and a visit from Santa Claus.
A cow heart, a back hoe and frosted pastry roses were part of the experience as Tri-Rivers Career Center held its Exploring Careers Days.
Police Beat items are compiled from reports of Marion area law enforcement agencies. In police, sheriff and highway patrol news, names and addresses appear as they do in the police department and sheriff's office reports. These are arrest reports only. The city or county prosecutor later will decide whether to file formal charges.
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