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Impoverished Haiti hopes $160 million to develop high-end tourism industry pays off
MONTROUIS, Haiti – The only leisure tourist among the U.N. peacekeepers, aid workers, embassy personnel and missionaries on this beach north of the Haitian capital must have been Anne Fournier.
She didn't live or work in Haiti or pretend to help. Fournier was here for fun, traveling to Haiti for the first time with her Port-au-Prince-born husband of almost two years. The couple visited a few of his relatives but otherwise has spent their 10-day vacation seeing the historic town of Jacmel in the south, wading in a nearby waterfall and relaxing on the beach.
"You can tell that the tourism isn't very developed yet, and that's the big charm of it," Fournier, 26, of Montreal, Canada, as she sipped juice from a cut-open coconut. "Everything is an adventure here."
Haitian President Michel Martelly and his administration are to trying to woo Fournier and others like her as they aim high to revive the country's long stagnant tourism industry with investments totaling more than $160 million.
While many in Haiti welcome anything that can create jobs, some critics are questioning the government's priority of trying to attract high-end tourists at a time when the country faces so many other problems, such as high unemployment, a deadly cholera outbreak and lack of housing for people displaced by the earthquake more than three years ago.
"It's good that the government is thinking about tourism but I think it's thinking about it in a very narrow way," said Robert Maguire, a longtime Haiti scholar at George Washington University. "It's an exclusive, high-end model that benefits a small group of the elite."
Haiti's tourism ministry had about $2 million in its budget under the previous administration, and received another $1 million from a Venezuelan oil fund in the aftermath of a destructive storm season, according to the former tourism minister. Today, the department has a budget that's $4.7 million, plus $27 million from Venezuela's PetroCaribe fund.
"Haiti is ready for tourism. Haiti is a tourism destination," said Tourism Minister Stephanie Villedrouin, a rare constant in the shakeup-prone Martelly administration. "If we want to be a sovereign country, if we don't want to depend on other countries, we need to figure out ourselves how to move forward and how to get revenue, and tourism must be number one on the list."
The government's projects include $13.2 million to build an airport and infrastructure on the southern island of Ile-a-Vache and another $8 million to develop the coastal town of Jacmel. Officials say these efforts will create more than 1,600 direct jobs and 6,500 indirect jobs. Tourism generated $200 million last year, Villedrouin said. This in a country whose annual budget is $1 billion.
Lest tourists fear Haiti unravels with unrest, the government is also building a force of 53 "tourism police officers" who will learn Spanish and English, first aid skills, customer service and work in the outposts where officials want to bring tourists. Funding comes from the Justice Ministry.
Other plans include making use of a little-known "investment code" that gives 15-year tax breaks to the owners of new hotels, many of whom are from the country's powerful and wealthy families. This law also allows hotel owners to ship supplies through customs without paying taxes.
Haiti used to be the stomping grounds for the rich and famous in the 1970s and early 1980s as they came in search of late-night Voodoo ceremonies, rum-fueled revelry and Cold War-era conspiracy theories. Guests included Mick Jagger, Truman Capote and Jackie Onassis.
But an AIDS scare in the early 1980s sent tourists to less exciting destinations. And the ouster of former dictator Jean-Claude "Baby Doc" in 1986 spawned years of political upheaval as governments took turns toppling one another. The lone visitors became diplomats, peacekeepers, aid workers, missionaries and emigrants, all symbols of the country's problems.
They largely remain so today. The bona fide tourists who mostly visit are those who hop off the cruise ships docked in Labadie, a fenced-in beach attraction on the country's north coast; Villedrouin said 600,000 of these people visit each year.
Villedrouin couldn't say how many other real tourists came last year. But so far only 120 have showed up since January as part of holiday package with Air Transat, a leading charter carrier in Canada. Air Transat flies weekly between Montreal and Port-au-Prince, and reserves 30 seats a month for its holiday packages in Haiti, which cost between $1,399 and $1,600.
These tourists, however, are the exception, the country a tough sell not just because of its history of political unrest, dysfunction and disease or because it was designated by the U.S. State Department in 2012 as a "major drug trafficking country." It's also difficult to sell because its Caribbean neighbors are cheaper; hotels are relatively expensive and fees such as generator fuel and potable water are often included in room rates.
"You pay more but get more," Villedrouin said, citing Haiti's "added value" of culture.
The government is holding out that the tourism industry will create jobs as a construction boom for high-end hotels plays out in the capital and countryside. In fact, the government is making use of a little-known "investment code" that was revised in 2002. The law enables tourism investors to receive a 15-year tax break and import supplies without paying taxes. After the grace period ends, 15 percent of the company's income will be taxable at the end of the first year.
"Think about something: They create jobs. They create a lot of jobs," Villedrouin said, noting that each hotel room built creates two jobs and four indirect jobs. She adds that hotels charge a 10 percent tax on all purchases. Haiti's minimum wage has held at 200 Haitian gourdes a day, or about $4.54, since 2009. "These investments will definitely create jobs."
One bright Sunday morning, Fournier and her husband, Sadrack Duclair, relaxed in beach chairs under the straw-hut canopy. He photographed her as she laughed and played the role of Caribbean tourist, sipping juice from a cut-open coconut. Earlier, they had rented a car and found a driver to shuttle them among the tourist attractions.
"I knew coming here that it was going to be a big adventure," said Duclair, who left Haiti as a child and last visited in 1999. "I think it began at the airport, the first day. After that I was like: Haiti."


text:
LEBANON, Maine — The local rescue and fire departments and Maine State Police responded to the scene of two early morning accidents on Saturday in which two occupants were transported and one vehicle was found with no occupants.
Police arrived on the scene of the first accident, which was reported at around 1:45 a.m., on Carl Broggi Highway, about one mile east of Center Road. There they found a car rolled over in a swampy area along the highway.
"When I arrived on scene, I located a 2006 Pontiac G6 Sedan that had been traveling east on Carl Broggi Highway when it left the roadway, rolling over at least twice before coming to rest in a swampy area. Both occupants were able to get out of the vehicle with the help of passing motorists," said Assistant Rescue Chief Jason Cole, who was the first to arrive on the scene.
The driver of the car was an 18-year-old male and his passenger was a 16-year-old female, both from East Lebanon. Officials say both were wearing their seat-belts at the time of the accident.
Both occupants were transported to Frisbie Hospital by Lebanon Ambulance with what officials confirmed as non-life threatening injuries.
The Pontiac had to be towed from the scene. Maine State Police are investigating the accident.
The second accident was reported almost two hours later at 3:25 a.m. when a motorist passing by the scene of the first accident alerted officials, who were cleaning up the scene, to another accident up the street.
The accident occurred on Center Road near Upper Cross Road in Center Lebanon. Again, Cole was the first unit to arrive on the scene, where he found a truck off the road in a ditch.
"When I arrived on scene, I located a Ford F-150 truck that appeared to miss the ending of Upper Cross Road where it intersects with Center Road, went off the road striking the mailbox and coming to rest in the ditch. It appeared the accident had just happened but no occupants were on scene," said Cole.
To locate the occupants and ensure they weren't nearby or injured, emergency crews used a thermal imaging camera. No occupants were found.
The truck was towed from the scene. Rescue crews remained on site until 4:30 a.m.
Maine State Police responded to and took over the scene. They are still investigating the accident.
According to a officials, the site has been the scene of several accidents in the past year, including a double fatality.

subset: commoncrawl


text: Show Hide image Politics 13 September 2012 A generous helping of sport, with some social history on the side Sit Down and Cheer: a History of Sport on TV - review. Sign-up Sit Down and Cheer: a History of Sport on TV Martin KelnerBloomsbury, 288pp, £18.99 A new advert trumpeting the virtues of something called "Blue Membership" to Manchester City supporters has appeared on the electronic pitch-side hoardings at the Etihad Stadium this season. It consists of the surname of one of City's crack Argentinian strikers, with the final vowel multiplied so that it reads: "Agüeroooooo!" That was how the Sky Sports commentator Martin Tyler greeted Sergio Agüero's titlewinning goal in injury time on the final day of the 2011/2012 football season, elongating the last syllable and testing the limits of his vocal range with a steepling glissando that seemed to climb several octaves almost in a single breath. And it's how most of us now remember that improbable denouement – even those of us who were at the game rather than watching from our sofas or at the pub in front of a big screen. The moment, replayed in countless YouTube clips, now seems unimaginable without Tyler's accompanying howl of disbelief. For television, as Martin Kelner observes in his entertaining new book, is the "prism through which all significant sport now passes, and is given meaning". Regular readers of Kelner's "Screen Break" column in the Guardian won't be surprised to learn that the analysis of our postmodern sporting condition in Sit Down and Cheer doesn't get much further than this truism. His preferred mode is blokeish humour and the kind of cosy anecdotage that was the stock in trade of one of his predecessors on the Guardian sports pages, Frank Keating (who also happens to be Kelner's principal source for stories about 1970s TV executives offering star presenters improved contracts over heroically extended and bibulous lunches). The book is sedulously designed so as to appeal to those middle-aged men between 40 and 60 who get a Proustian rush at the sound of David Coleman announcing, with strangled certainty, the opening goal in a Cup Final ("One-nil!") or of Barry Davies's invitation to examine the cherubic countenance of Francis Lee after he scored for Derby County against his previous club, Manchester City: "Oh, look at his face! Just look at his face!" For all that, Kelner does manage some fascinating social history along the way, not least in his treatment of Coleman, Davies and the other voices of televised football in the late 1960s and early 1970s (John Motson, Gerald Sinstadt, Hugh Johns and, indeed, Tyler, who got his break commentating on Southampton v Sheffield Wednesday for Southern Television in 1974). Grammar school products almost to a man, they were the classless tribunes of a postwar revolution in sports broadcasting in this country. (The first sporting event to be televised live by the BBC was Wimbledon in 1937 and, until the early 1950s, tennis and cricket dominated the corporation's output.) Kelner sees Davies as a "key figure in the history of sports commentary on TV, bridging the gap between . . . gentlemen-commentators like Kenneth Wolstenholme and Peter West and the hard-nosed professionals, who look to stamp their personality on a match with opinions, statistics and in some cases care - fully scripted ad-libs". This gets Davies just right, for there was a patrician edge to his commentating style that, along with his fastidious pronunciation of foreign players' names, set him apart from his contemporaries – especially the hyperactive Motson, with whom he conducted a low-level professional feud after the latter was chosen to commentate on the 1977 FA Cup Final. Motson has since adapted to the post-Sky dispensation in sports broadcasting by becoming a parody of himself. By contrast, Tyler's accommodation with the new way of doing things has been almost seamless, though his late style does sometimes exhibit the tension identified in this description of Davies's commentating, quoted by Kelner: "[A] contradictory style that appeared to be caught in a limbo between erudition and populism." Despite its emphasis on football at the expense of other sports, Sit Down and Cheer is an engaging tour of the history of televised sport in this country. One thing, though: if there is to be a second edition of the book, Kelner will surely have to revise his opinion of Clare Balding, who is condescended to here for her habit of talking anthropomorphically about horses. Jonathan Derbyshire is executive opinion editor of the Financial Times. He was formerly managing editor of Prospect and culture editor of the New Statesman. Subscribe £1 per month This article first appeared in the 17 September 2012 issue of the New Statesman, Who comes next? SUBSCRIBE More


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|Country Files
Syria: an uprising so far, so close
Posted August 20th, 2011
Rudi Othman, 23 years old, is a law student at Damascus University. He aims to change the world since he was 17.
The contestation: "At first we were not well organized. In the early gatherings, we used to look at each other without saying a word. On March 15, we found ourselves in front of the Umayyad Mosque. No one dared to speak. I felt desperate and I was about to leave when I heard a girl screaming out loud: "God, Syria, Freedom!" I started screaming too and then we were all screaming together. It was terrifying and exciting at a time. Later on, I was filming with my cell phone when two members of the State Security came forward. I managed to escape and I posted the video on Facebook and it was taken up by several Arab channels. That's when I realized that we could tell the entire world about our revolution."
The future of the country: "After the revolution, Syria should become a State based on participatory democracy, where there is no differentiation between Kurds, Arabs, Assyrians or Turkmen."
Ghalia Seifo, 32 years old, employee at the British Council in Damascus. She wants both Bashar Al-Assad and freedom.
The contestation: "I remember when people had called February 5 on Facebook, the "Day of Anger"."Then nothing happened. So I didn't pay more attention to Internet calls. But when the revolution started seriously, I was amazed. My father and brothers told me about the troubles of 1980s. My father took a bullet in his leg pulled by a member of the Muslim Brotherhood. I believe that what is happening in Syria is unfair especially after many years of stability and security. "
The future of the country: "At the end of the day I am optimistic. The new Syria will be better and stronger than Syria today. The blood of martyrs won't go in vain. We will benefit from Freedom, democracy, and a multiparty system; a new free Syria, under the leadership of President Bashar Al-Assad. At that moment, the youth will be able to play the greatest role. But everything won't be perfect as the wounds of the Syrians will certainly take good time to heal. "
Wafa Al-Assafeen, 42 years old, is a tailor. She is a widow and mother of four children. She puts her trust in God and in the President.
The contestation: "I was shocked when I knew about the demonstrations against the government but I was not afraid because I believe in divine providence. God protects Syria. We Syrians believe in God and we fear God. I feel sad for every Syrian killed during the recent events. It is heartbreaking to see these young people seduced by money and fake freedom in the name of djihad and killing in the name of Allah."
The future of the country: "I am optimistic. I see a bright future for Syria, especially for those categories that were previously unnoticed. The new reforms will help more classes of society. There will be equal and social justice, even if all our dreams do not become reality, although we will take time to recover. Syria is everything to me and my children. I wouldn't at any price change my place on earth. We are all with the president. We do love him; and I see the future of Syria with him."
Mouftah Nour, 34 years old, works as a hotel manager. For him, the revolution is nothing but a foreign plot.
The contestation: "I was not surprised. I expected what is currently happening in Syria. I believe the Arab revolutions are not real popular revolutions. They are directed in order to weaken the Arab regimes. It is certain that Syria is targeted because of its strategic position in the Middle East. Syria is the only independent Arab country, which strongly supports the Palestinian people and makes no concessions to Israel and America."
The future of the country: "In the near future, I can see Syria as a stable and prosperous country. I expect a high level of economic development. Syria is one of the top ten tourist destinations in the world. Unfortunately, because of the current situation, tourism has been stopped. But I think next year will be a great year for tourism in Syria. In conclusion, I analyze the current events optimistically, and Syria will come out stronger."
Hibat Allah Al-Anssari, 26 years old,is an Arts student at Damascus University. She is terrified by the security forces.
The contestation: "When the Egyptian revolution started, my friends and I wanted to participate, but we did not know what to do. That was before the recent events in Syria. We decided to demonstrate outside the headquarters of a mobile operator in Damascus to claim lower prices. We have been controlled by the security forces and I did not have my ID. They arrested me, I was shocked, I cried…. They put me in prison with women arrested for prostitution… I'm really happy that the winds of change are finally blowing in Syria. Under the guise of the state emergency, they arrest whoever they want. Security forces are everywhere: in coffee shops, in the streets, and even in taxis. I feel suffocated in my country."
The future of the country: "My dream is that the new Syria becomes a democratic country that guarantees freedom of opinion and mutual respect."
Ralda Khawam, 31 years old, is a makeup artist. She is angry against the Western media.
The contestation: "It was a huge shock. I was watching the news in my room when I saw the demonstrations in the Umayyad Mosque. I could not believe my eyes. I was convinced that the whole thing will bring to an end very quickly, but when it became a huge event and when I saw the false news disseminated by foreign media, I realized that all this was a vast conspiracy against Syria. The idea of a civil war in Syria terrifies me. I hope this will not happen."
The future of the country: "I trust President Assad. I am pretty sure that he will find a solution to get us out of this crisis. Since the events, I realized how much I love my country. Before, I hated all the traditions and complications of our society, but now I can see that it was absolutely nothing comparing to living safely in Syria."
Rasha Akil, 33 years old, unemployed. She went from a pro-revolutionary to an anti- revolutionary.
The contestation: "At first, I was happy because I was fed up with the corruption, nepotism, and inequality. And I was pleased when President Assad launched his reforms, accepting more freedom of opinion. But when the crisis has gained momentum and reached a tipping point and affected me personally, my feelings have changed. I was working on a project funded by the European Union and because of sanctions against Syria, I lost my job. These sanctions have not affected the government but the people. We were 300 people, all licensees. Officials still have their jobs ..."
The future of the country: "The protests are not peaceful. Maybe there are some exceptions, but most of the protesters have weapons; they are killing police officers, and demonstrators. If the blood continues to flow, the situation will turn into a real disaster. In Syria, we are not accustomed to political pluralism. Each opponent is against the regime for personal reasons, which means that none of them can represent me or the Syrian people. Moreover, I cannot imagine those who have lived all their lives abroad raising Syria at a higher level of democracy given all the hatred that they carry with them."
Wael Al-Samhouri, 53 years old, is an architect and professor at Damascus University. He fears a loss of investors' confidence in the country.
The contestation: "My first reaction? I was shocked. I did not expect that to happen in Syria! Syria, the country of security! We are not used to see people fighting with each other. It is absurd to see the Syrians killing each other. It was not really the right timing. The country was progressing, and experiencing a major growth. I have personally benefited. I have a steady job that keeps me going in life. What a waste! Big infrastructure projects will be stopped and investments will be reduced. It wasn't easy for the country to earn investors' trust and now that trust has vanished.
The future of the country: "I am actually working more than before since the beginning of the crisis. My students and I are redoubling efforts to ensure that, when all this is over, Syria will become a new stable and effective country."
Amer Mattar, 25 years old, is a journalist in Al-Arabiya channel and Al-Hayat newspaper. His passage in the jails of the regime has changed him forever.
The contestation: "I am proud to take part in the revolution as a free Syrian, and a journalist with integrity. I broadcast the truth of the Syrian revolution. I was arrested and imprisoned for sixteen days. I was beaten and tortured for publishing the reality and not the official speech. Only painful words can express my experience in the prisons of the regime; too much darkness, too much fear and humiliation. I will never forget those moments. Friday, July 1, I went to the demonstration and left a letter to my father, saying "Paint our door with my blood and do not clean it up before dawn. Your freedom is my ransom." "
The future of the country: "I see a better Syria, liberated from the Assad regime. A Syria liberated from jails and massacres. It will be a country washed from the dark colors of tyranny."
Mohammed Said Yaghmour, 47 years old, a janitor at Beit Nizam (historic home of Damascus). He is not seeking democracy.
The contestation: "I never thought such a thing could happen in Syria. We are peaceful people. These scenes of killing and brutality are not possible. Even though my salary is only 10 000 Syrian pounds (145 euros), and nothing remains for me at the end of the month, although I should take several jobs to pay my accommodation and my children expenses, I will never destroy my country!"
The future of the country: "President Bashar al-Assad represents the future of Syria: a young moderate and intellectual man. He loves his people and his nation has developed. I hope this crisis will be over soon. We have no need for democracy in Iraq; we do not need freedom in Egypt, Tunisia and Libya. We saw what happened to them. We do not need any foreign interference. We can solve our problems ourselves."
Tasneem Al-Qassem, 66 years old, is a mother and grandmother, and works in landscaping. She also teaches yoga. For her, the revolution has awakened the Syrians.
The contestation: "At the beginning of the events I was shocked, just like many other people. We thought that we were safe and secure until came this event to disturb us. Once awakened from the shock, I began to think that this crisis was the best thing that ever happened in Syria. It aroused our feelings, our thoughts, our interests and visions. This crisis has awakened our conscience to go forward, to take initiatives and move towards what is best for Syria."
The future of the country: "We need time, especially for the youth, to understand the invisible dimensions of these events. Each one of us must be careful in his thoughts and actions in order not to fall into a wrong path. Each one of us must take the path of forgiveness and liberate himself from the shackles of the past and the feelings of anger, tension and rage. Consciousness can be positively developed by joining the universal system of balance and harmony. This would require more initiatives and efforts, by way of patience, perseverance and determination."
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SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) An anonymous alumnus has donated enough money to cut the price of BCS championship game tickets to Notre Dame students for the game between the top-ranked Fighting Irish and No. 2 Alabama in half, dropping the price from $300 to $150.
Senior assistant athletic director Josh Berlo says the school wasn't disclosing the amount of the donation. But at a cost of $150 and with 2,500 tickets available, the donation is believed to be about $375,000. Berlo says more than 4,000 Notre Dame and Saint Mary's College students already have applied for tickets.
Berlo says the school has received more than 100,000 requests from alumni, season-ticket holders and others for the school's allotment of 17,000 tickets. Tickets for both groups are being distributed by lottery.


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I would like to say that I am a "He". That is alright.I understand,sometimes it is hard to non- Malaysian to determine the gender of a person by looking at a name.
I would maybe relegate this to a PS.
Similar to you- Like you
only preliminary discussion- have only had a preliminary
few weeks time- few weeks' time
Student or Learner


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MLA Formatting and Style Guide
MLA (Modern Language Association) style is most commonly used to write papers and cite sources within the liberal arts and humanities. This resource, updated to reflect the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers (7th ed.) and the MLA Style Manual and Guide to Scholarly Publishing (3rd ed.), offers examples for the general format of MLA research papers, in-text citations, endnotes/footnotes, and the Works Cited page.
Contributors:Tony Russell, Allen Brizee, Elizabeth Angeli,
Russell Keck, Joshua M. Paiz, Purdue OWL Staff
Last Edited: 2012-05-09 07:17:57
Please use the example at the bottom of this page to cite the Purdue OWL in MLA.
To see a side-by-side comparison of the three most widely used citation styles, including a chart of all MLA citation guidelines, see the Citation Style Chart.
You can also watch our MLA vidcast series on the Purdue OWL YouTube Channel.
General Format
MLA style specifies guidelines for formatting manuscripts and using the English language in writing. MLA style also provides writers with a system for referencing their sources through parenthetical citation in their essays and Works Cited pages.
Writers who properly use MLA also build their credibility by demonstrating accountability to their source material. Most importantly, the use of MLA style can protect writers from accusations of plagiarism, which is the purposeful or accidental uncredited use of source material by other writers.
If you are asked to use MLA format, be sure to consult the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers (7th edition). Publishing scholars and graduate students should also consult the MLA Style Manual and Guide to Scholarly Publishing (3rd edition). The MLA Handbook is available in most writing centers and reference libraries; it is also widely available in bookstores, libraries, and at the MLA web site. See the Additional Resources section of this handout for a list of helpful books and sites about using MLA style.
Paper Format
The preparation of papers and manuscripts in MLA style is covered in chapter four of the MLA Handbook, and chapter four of the MLA Style Manual. Below are some basic guidelines for formatting a paper in MLA style.
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Here is a sample of the first page of a paper in MLA style:
Section Headings
Writers sometimes use Section Headings to improve a documents readability. These sections may include individual chapters or other named parts of a book or essay.
MLA recommends that when you divide an essay into sections that you number those sections with an arabic number and a period followed by a space and the section name.
MLA does not have a prescribed system of headings for books (for more information on headings, please see page 146 in the MLA Style Manual and Guide to Scholarly Publishing, 3rd edition). If you are only using one level of headings, meaning that all of the sections are distinct and parallel and have no additional sections that fit within them, MLA recommends that these sections resemble one another grammatically. For instance, if your headings are typically short phrases, make all of the headings short phrases (and not, for example, full sentences). Otherwise, the formatting is up to you. It should, however, be consistent throughout the document.
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Formatted, unnumbered:
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How to Cite the Purdue OWL in MLA
Entire Website
The Purdue OWL. Purdue U Writing Lab, 2010. Web. Date of access.
Individual Resources
Contributors' names and the last edited date can be found in the orange boxes at the top of every page on the OWL.
Contributors' names. "Title of Resource." The Purdue OWL. Purdue U Writing Lab, Last edited date. Web. Date of access.
Russell, Tony, Allen Brizee, and Elizabeth Angeli. "MLA Formatting and Style Guide." The Purdue OWL. Purdue U Writing Lab, 4 Apr. 2010. Web. 20 July 2010.


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Christ Is Risen!
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Yeah! Right on! How dare St. Theodore the Studite "speculate" about such things!
Right. It's a good thing God created men with special biological traits in order to allow them to serve as priests.
Concerning the ongoing argument about Pauline theology, I'll quickly say that the analogy is problematic even if only comparing natures. The suggestion that the Comparison beteen the Father and Christ is a comparison between God and Man, likewise is the comparison between Christ and Men, but following your analogy are we to conclude that a) the Men and Women do not share the same Nature, that of all ανθÃÂÂÂÂÂοÀοÂ, as the church traditionally taught and b) that this unique nature of Men is to the unique nature of Women as Divine Nature is to Human...did Christ assume only the Nature of the Man? If so is salvation only for Men? You see, the logic you are using is still quite problematic.
Here's another example of circular reasoning, if I have the concept right.Q. Why must we not ordain women?A. Because we never have in 2000 years.Q. Why is this?A. Because the Holy Spirit has guided us into this decision.Q. What evidence do we have that the Holy Spirit has guided us to not ordain women?A. We've never ordained women before.Can you see how I'm presupposing my conclusion, then using my presupposition to prove my conclusion? That's why I argue that we need a solid Patristic/theological/ecclesiological reason why we've never ordained women before.
We said that about receiving Communion in the hand. In fact, an Oecumenical Council decreed on it.If only it were that "easy".Receiving Communion in the hand was an Oecumenical custom, then it changed. Not ordaining priests under 35 years of age was a universal custom, then it changed. Deacoonesses were a universal custom, then it changed. Male only Priesthood is currently a universal custom.......Crossing oneself with three fingers was not a universal custom. It became the practice in the Byzantine Empire, but not in Russia, where they crossed themselves with two fingers until Patriarch Nikon's reforms in the 17th century.. So is crossing oneself with three fingers therefore not a Tradition of the Orthodox Church by the criteria you suggested since it was not universally observed?
Can you show me where a canon says to receieve it in the hand?
Likewise, who changed the custom of not ordaining priests under 35? I believe this is a canon that is still in force in canonical Orthodox churchs.
Again, deaconesses are still ordained,
I already have....twice.....This thread is so long that information is being lost- which is another reason to retire it. I'm kinda getting tired of having to repeat myself every 8 pages.The Canon is Canon CI of the Council of Trullo (The "Quintisext Council" which is accepted as Ecumenical.)Likewise, see back in the thread for references.Really? Name one Eastern Orthodox Church that has a Deaconess today. This Tradition has been broken.
We already discussed that canon. There is no mention of receiving it in the hands, only with the hands crossed.
Bizzlebin,I am not going to discuss this any further until you write three times in your next post:"ST. JOHN DAMASCENE SAID: 'IN THE HOLLOW OF THE PALM RECEIVE THE BODY OF CHRIST.''"
So, you personally do not receive Communion in a "vessel of gold", (like, say, a gold plated Spoon) in accordance with the Canon?
St John Damascene didn;t write the canon of the Council, did he? Isn't it ironic that you ask for Ecumenical authority, yet when that contradicts you, you resort to a patristic source, and vise versa? Honestly, what is your standard? I must ask, are you reading things exegetically, or are you looking you justify what you "already know to be true?"
Bizzelbin,I can read St. John Damascene's Epitome of the Canon in my copy of the Pedalion which is right in front of me as I type.Why doesn't your Epitome that we shouldn't receive in the hand appear in the Pedalion?I would seem that my "standard" is a Father of the Church...what's yours?
From the Epitome:"Whoever comes to receive the Eucharist holds his hands in the form of a cross, and takes it with his mouth"Does your Epitome not say this?
It does. And it means exactley what it says. The Body of Christ is placed in the crossed palms and the palms are then brought straight to the mouth- which is exactley how High Anglicans still receive Holy Communion today.
it says a person "takes it with his mouth." It is crystal clear.
I'm kinda getting tired of having to repeat myself every 8 pages.
Takes it from WHERE?And speaking of "crystal clear", I would have thought St. John Damascene saying that the Body is received "in the hallow of the palm" is pretty "crystal clear" about what the practice was.....but perhaps not "crystal clear" enough for you?
Your reasoning here is circular only because of the last answer. If we in turn go to scriptures for support, then the reasoning is not circular.
The canon trumps his statement.
Do you have any idea of how little sense that makes? "His statement" is an EPITOME OF THE CANON IN THE PEDALION!And do you think he plucked it out of thin air, or was actually describing the practice in his time?
Is it clear yet?
And what is he talking about as having been "invented" Bizzelbin?
Absolutely. Balsamon says "this was invented..." In other words, "this was an erroneous innovation". And what is he talking about as having been "invented" Bizzelbin?
Let me jog your memory. Here is actually what Balsamon said:"At first, perchance, this was invented from pious feelings, because the hand which came in contact with base and unworthy things was not worthy to receive the Lord's body, but, as time went on, piety was turned to the injury of the soul, so that those who did this when they came to receive with an arrogant and insolent bearing, were preferred to the poor."
Two saints, and the canon itself, against one
I hope you are joking. Your comprehension cannot possibly be that poor.
I must just be daft, you're right, because I keep seeing things like"the hand which came in contact with base and unworthy things was not worthy to receive the Lord's body"and"takes it with his mouth"More than that, I think two distinct people said that! I am really losing it!
So, you take phrases out of sentances and draw conclusions on the meaning of the sentance based on these partial strings of words?
Hardly. If there is some part of those two quotes (in full) that I have not adequately explained, I'd be more than happy to.
Please do.Please quote the Canon and each epitome in full and explain each to me. That's the only way I can get a grasp of your argument.
And while you are at it, could you please explain why the clergy are still given Holy Communion in the hand?Let me give you a hint:http://www.orthodoxengland.btinternet.co.uk/v09i3.htm
I hope you are joking. Your comprehension cannot possibly be that poor.
Hope that helps!
It does help me to see why you misunderstood. Here is what actually happened:1st century- Communion of the Body received in the hand by the faithful. |3rd century- Rise of the heresy of Manichæism teaching (among other things) that human flesh is evil and only the soul is good. |5th century- Some people, out of piety bring a "pyx" ("box") of gold to receive Communion, from which they Commune themselves through the week. |7th Century- The Council of Trullo bans the use of the pyx and anathemises those who "instead of their hands, make vessels of gold or other materials for the reception of the divine gift" because it is a form of Manichæism, since those who use a pyx rather than receive in the hand seem to be "preferring inanimate and inferior matter to the image of God". Read the Canon again and you will see that it condemns those who use a vessel rather than receive in the hand. |8th Century- Out of Economia, because people still felt unworthy to receive in the hand, the Church introduced the Spoon so that people would not stay away from receiving Holy Communion out of piety.And this isn't just my version of history either, see for example: http://www.orthodoxengland.btinternet.co.uk/v09i3.htm
You have not shown that the flesh being evil is the rationale.... Even today, we are to consider ourselves unworthy. Are we all Manicheans?
Calm down. This is irrelevant. You've missed the point. The point is that Council of Trullo in it's 101st Canon explicitly states that Communion must be received in the hand, and condemns those who use a gold vessel to do so. Here it is again, note the section in bold, and in particular the underlined words:"The great and divine Apostle Paul with loud voice calls man created in the image of God, the body and temple of Christ. Excelling, therefore, every sensible creature, he who by the saving Passion has attained to the celestial dignity, eating and drinking Christ, is fitted in all respects for eternal life, sanctifying his soul and body by the participation of divine grace. Wherefore, if any one wishes to be a participator of the immaculate Body in the time of the Synaxis, and to offer himself for the communion, let him draw near, arranging his hands in the form of a cross, and so let him receive the communion of grace. But such as, instead of their hands, make vessels of gold or other materials for the reception of the divine gift, and by these receive the immaculate communion, we by no means allow to come, as preferring inanimate and inferior matter to the image of God. But if any one shall be found imparting the immaculate Communion to those who bring vessels of this kind, let him be cut off as well as the one who brings them."So at the time of the Council of Trullo- Communion was received in the hand. The reason the Canon banned pyxes and ordered everyone to receive in the hand was because it seemed to be Manichaeism. The point is- something you thought was always the Tradition of the Church (receiving Communion directly in the mouth) in fact was not always the Tradition of the Church. It changed. You were wrong about it.
However, this is incorrect, because the only time hands are mentioned is in the context of crossing them.
No. Read the Canon again."But such as, instead of their hands, make vessels of gold or other materials for the reception of the divine gift..."means :"Those who, instead of using their hands for the reception of the divine gift, make vessels of gold or other materials for the reception of the divine gift....."....<SIGH>.....
Those who, instead of crossing their hands, make vessels of gold or other materials for the reception of the divine gift.....This also makes sense if you try to imagine a person doing it, too. One cannot hold and receive in a vessel while keeping their hands crossed.Further, why could a person not receieve it in their hand, and then place it in the vessel; this situation is not covered in the canon! Why not? Because it couldn't have happened if people took the Body drectly in the mouth! Again, there is so much evidence to support this, it is mind boggling!
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Okay, okay I admit it I have been a really bad blogger. Bad! A lot has happened in the past two weeks and boy do we have to fill everyone in!
SO what has been going on?!
We had an appointment with our IVF doctor today to get another ultrasound I was so excited and not one tad nervous. Its amazing my nervousness has calmed down dramatically. We were running late to our appointment and trust me this never happens. I was already excited enough it didn't help! We arrived and our favorite nurse Melinda walked us back to our usual room #3 and we waited for the doctor to come in. Finally before you knew it I was laying down waiting for the wand and we saw the most beautiful thing ever. A beautiful baby peanut. Measuring beautifully at 8 weeks and 1 day! The doctor said this is perfect because each baby has a give or take of 6 days for growth so the fact that our little peanut is growing right on target is awesome! Grow baby, grow!
Then.......we heard the heartbeat! I instantly fell in love and the beautiful sound that we heard was the most amazing thing ever. The doctor said our BPM were around 165-170. Perfect!
We then got up and got two huge hugs from both the doctor and the nurse and he said "congratulations"! We then got released and this is the last time we will see him until we are ready for baby #2 which will be a long, long time from now, LOL!
So now we are off to our OBGYN. We will be working with my OBGYN that I have been seeing for a year already. We love her and feel comfortable with her. Our next appt will be in two weeks which we will be 10 weeks & 1 day!
Saturday, January 26, 2013
8 Weeks & 2 Days!
Okay, okay I admit it I have been a really bad blogger. Bad! A lot has happened in the past two weeks and boy do we have to fill everyone in!
Posted by Lexi + Sarah at 3:28 PM 10 comments
Sunday, January 13, 2013
6 weeks and 2 days ultrasound!
I can't believe it! Were here! 6 weeks and 3 days pregnant! Feels amazing if you ask me! The past week I was getting nervous and excited for our ultrasound on Saturday because I was scared there was going to be an empty sac with no heartbeat. I talked and prayed to our baby(ies) that they would stick and grow. Before we knew it time had come and we were sitting there in the same room we had become familiar with during our follicle scans. My nerves had hit through the roof and before we knew it we saw the beautiful sac with our baby we had longed for a long time. We are pregnant with one baby! The doctor said everything was just perfect and beautiful and then we saw the heart flicker beats of beauty. My heart skipped a beat looking at the baby and the heartbeat flickering. I am so in love. We are so in love. We were able to breathe a sigh of relief and the doctor hugged us both and said congratulations! We were given our EDD of September 5th, 2013! Approx 33 weeks and 4 days to go or 7.5 months!
Our next appointment with our RE is in two weeks when we will be 8 weeks pregnant! I do believe this will be our last appointment with him :( After that we then are discharged to our OBGYN which we already have picked out and the hospital we are going to be delivering at.
It wont let me post the video of our sonogram and we didn't get any pictures because he does everything through a flash drive! Im working on it!
Posted by Lexi + Sarah at 8:20 AM 10 comments
Friday, January 4, 2013
5 Weeks & 1 Day Pregnant!
I know I have been so bad at blogging! Would it be okay to blame it on my constant tiredness?!
Posted by Lexi + Sarah at 9:00 PM 20 comments


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In Reply to: I want to be your boo posted by ESC on June 06, 2008 at 10:05:
: Exchange on CNN:
: Anderson Cooper: Did he (Obama) tell you in that phone conversation, that you had privately with him, about how he plans to do that? How he plans to reach out? How he plans to unify?
: Donna Brazile: Of course he's told everyone that he plans to sit down with Senator Clinton at the right time."
: Cooper: I'm looking for something he hasn't told anyone else.just you.
: [Laughter]
: Brazile: Anderson, you're not my boo.
: [More laughter]
: Cooper: I wanna be your boo. [pause and laughter] I don't really even know what that means.
: [Brazile looks at her watch]
: Brazile: Anderson, are we still on TV?
: Cooper: Yes we are
: Brazile: Well, I think I better watch my words
: Cooper: I'm not sure that means exactly..someone can explain it to me later.
The Urban Dictionary comes to the rescue. It means what you thought it meant.
'1. boo
1. Boyfriend or girlfriend
2. Word used to scare people
1. Can you handle me? If you can't you ain't gonna be my boo.
2. boo
boo is a term that is derived from the French word "beau" meaning beautiful. In 18th century England it meant an admirer, usually male. It made it's way into Afro-Caribean language perhaps through the French colonisation of some Caribean islands.
Now meaning girl or boyfriend
"this is what I'm saying boo, it's all about you"
3. Boo
pet name: your hunny,sweety,baby.
I love you boo.
by holly Mar 19, 2003 email it 0 comments'
I have edited out some additional material above. There are more definitions, which duplicate the ones above. These definitions come from:
[Dead link removed - ed]


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From what I understand, the arbiter is responsible for kicking on spare daemons within the architecture when the master fails. However, what happens when the arbiter dies?
I know you can define spare arbiters, but how does it get started? What process tells the new arbiter to become the master?


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Craft Group
October 9, 2019 @ 10:00 am - 12:00 pm
|Recurring Event (See all)
An event every week that begins at 10:00 am on Wednesday, repeating until December 4, 2019
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The UMW Craft Group meets for fellowship, and to make items to sell at Church boutiques or for their own use.
Proceeds from the boutiques support local, national and international charities.


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It was Friday, May 25, 2012 and my time in Renfrew County was coming to an end. My last stop was Arnprior to visit the Arnprior & McNab/Braeside Archives. There was a lot of construction around Arnprior and they had closed off Division Street and so I came into the downtown area via Daniels Street.
Driving down from Pembroke had not taken that long but I needed some food. I learned that some Dairy Queens are just ice cream only with maybe a hot dog to offer. If they are a restaurant they will say so on their sign. It did take me across the bridge so I could see the Madawaska River a tributary of the Ottawa.
Once my tummy was happy, I headed over to the museum which is a very big brick building with a tower. You cannot miss it. It is situated beside the Arnprior Public Library and shares a parking lot.
It took me a few minutes to figure out where the Arnprior Archives were located. Yes, you guessed it. In the basement of the public library.
Here is their website: http://www.adarchives.org/
The Arnprior Public library is very nice and the lower flower was not what you would normally expect.
The bottom floor was set up like a lounge and there was a Keira Coffee Machine waiting to be used. There were stacks in the back area of books. A librarian sat at a desk apparently there to help.
The archives itself has two small rooms off this lounge area on the lower floor. It was a little cramped. I did manage to find a seat at a table. They had the Index to the Upper Canadian Land Books so I reviewed them. These books are probably everywhere in Canada and consist of many volumes. I was looking at volumes 5 and 6.
The archive has inherited the Renfrew County land records
http://www.adarchives.org/apolrod.htm and I realized I would need a lot number in order to access them.
The Index of Probated Wills in Renfrew County 1878 to 1969 was of interest. Based on what I have learned our ancestors were very much on the move and had interests in one area and lived in another and even died like in Ottawa and Montreal and are buried there, so keep and open mind.
They had cemetery records and I was very interested in the Albert Street Cemetery publication.
I collected as much information as possible on Alexander MacDonnell the lumberman who settled at Sand Point. I am very curious about his family origins and interested in his siblings. I have read there were six brothers and was told by someone else there might be eleven! Several of his brothers received large land grants in the area, as well as on Calumet and Allumette Islands. http://www.bytown.net/sandpoint.htm He first settled in Perth and then moved to Glengarry and then up to Sand Point. He is said to have encouraged family to come and help him in his businesses. Three of the brothers of this Alexander are said to have stayed in Glengarry and have descendants.
I would like to thank the volunteers at this archive. They were helpful, friendly and took good care of me. I left a copy of my booklet based on this McDonald family blog for their library holdings.
Next stop the Albert Street Cemetery and a close encounter with a ground-hog or was it a beaver?


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Kathleen Lomako will be Southeast Michigan Council of Governments's new executive director, and the organization's first female executive director, after she was appointed by SEMCOG's Executive Committee today.
Lomako, 58, will replace current Executive Director Paul Tait at the end of March. Tait announced his retirement in December.
Lomako has worked at SEMCOG since 1978, and has been in the position of deputy executive director since 1998, according to a news release.
She has a bachelor's degree in urban planning from Michigan State University and master's degree in urban planning from Wayne State University.
Prior to this appointment, she held leadership positions at organizations including Leadership Detroit, The Heat and Warmth Fund and Michigan Chapter of the American Planning Association, according to the release.
Besides being the executive director of SEMCOG, an organization of local elected officials, Lomako will also be the president of the Metropolitan Affairs Coalition. MAC, a nonprofit organization made up of business, labor, government and education leaders, contracts with SEMCOG for staffing assistance, so the executive director of SEMCOG ultimately becomes president of MAC, said Sue Stetler, director of communications for SEMCOG.
Stetler said Lomako received a recommendation from a SEMCOG transition committee to be the next executive director, and was voted unanimously into the position by the Executive Committee members.


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The Toronto Maple Leafs lost the services of forward Keith Aucoin on Thursday, when he was picked up by the New York Islanders off of waivers. Jokingly mourned about online, Aucoin's departure comes less than six months after then-GM Brian Burke signed the veteran to bolster the AHL Marlies. His acquisition by the Islanders marks the Leafs first loss to the roster due to waiver eligibility, but it probably won't be the last.
Indeed, both the Leafs and the Marlies seem poised to lose some assets, all because timing is everything. And because the Lockout has far reaching effects that we're still learning about.
The Leafs need to cut down to a 23-man roster by 3:00pm this afternoon. The forwards are mostly set, but the defense remains in need of trimming. The Leafs already have five spots on the back end filled between Dion Phaneuf, Carl Gunnarsson, Cody Franson, John Michael Liles and Mike Komisarek. Jake Gardiner will bring the number to six when he returns from his concussion, meaning that there are four defenders battling for as many for two depth spots; Marlies call-ups Mike Kostka, Mark Fraser and Korbinian and top prospect Morgan Rielly. Of the four, Holzer and Rielly are waiver exempt, while Fraser and Kostka are not. And therein lies the rub.
Much noise has been made about Kostka of late. The late-blooming D-man has flourished in his brief time with Toronto, scoring 34 points in 34 games for the Marlies this season. He's put on one hell of a show at the Ricoh, so much so that he's almost a lock to get a depth NHL job. Elsewhere, if he can't win out in Toronto.
He's sure to be an attractive commodity to a team needing a cheap option on the back end that can work a power play. The irony of it all is that without the Lockout, Kostka wouldn't have had a strong resume to make him so tantalizing a pick up. Were training camps to have been held in September, Kostka probably could have been safely sent back down to the Marlies. But now? Nonis dare not chance it.
The same can be said, to a lesser extent, of Mark Fraser, a veteran of 98 NHL games. Though not as flashy as Kostka, Fraser plays a tough nosed game that might make him attractive to teams in need of grit.
The best obvious "on paper" solution would be to send Rielly back to Moose Jaw, and Holzer to the Marlies, while keeping a hold onto Fraser and Kostka. But what if Rielly stays and sticks with the team past 5 games because he's that good? What if Holzer wins out and can provide better bottom pairing minutes than Kostka or Fraser? It's hard enough to ice a team and prioritize roles without having this additional variable.
Under the current the current waiver rules in the CBA, teams can be caught in a punitive catch-22, hamstrung by and beholden to the contract type of their players. For the Leafs, they have already hemorrhaged assets (without getting a fair chance to use them) in Keith Aucoin. Should they have to lose any more?
Michael Grange just wrote an article extolling the virtues of the new waiver rules in the CBA, which eliminated the vindictive process of re-entry waivers. He's correct in the assertion that it allows teams like the Toronto Maple Leafs to bury a Connolly in the minors, and be able to bring him back if the top six is depleted by either trade or injury with no risks.
But the changes do no good in helping the Leafs sustain what little depth they have to help them compete, nor do they help sustain a winning affiliate. The NHL might have fixed this one aspect of waiver rules, but they remain a contentious and potentially disruptive force in hockey. A force that will probably be felt again soon by Toronto.
Onto the Links
Steve Burtch at PPP took an in-depth look at a new fancy statistic called "passes." Actually looks to be a tenable playmaking measure, another in a long list that proves Mikhail Grabovski is the team's best all-around player.
Gus Katsaros at Leafs Nation had an incredibly in-depth piece on precisely why even Mike Komisarek's good attributes are actually bad ones.
James Mirtle and Jonas Siegel with another Leaf Report podcast. Highlights include: negative season predictions, draft chat, and rosterbation! Also, there's like 15 seconds of dead air when Mirtle has to do some math to quantify just how awful the Buds goaltending has been since the last lockout.
SBNation has a compendium of Thursday's waiver transactions compiled. That Tim Connolly shares space with this murder's row of mediocrity is probably a testament to his attitude in training camp (or his good salary and middling play. Or all three). But then again, I suppose it is hard to burn the boats with the boys when you burn all your bridges first.
Filed under "good news," the Toronto Maple Leafs have unveiled the Lupe's Troops program. Headed by Joffrey Lupul – and continuing the tradition started by former Leaf Luke Schenn – the team will donate tickets, jerseys and concessions to every Leaf home game this season. Side note: it's probably really good that this spirit of charity was never espoused by Hakan Loob.


text: Three million Americans served in Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War. Most veterans are reluctant to speak of war experiences, but Vietnam veterans have been even more reluctant because of the controversy surrounding their war and the often hostile reception on their return. They put away their uniforms and tried to put away their memories, but these are memories that cannot be put away. "Vietnam War Stories" shares these personal memories of service and sacrifice, and gives us insight into the experience of war.


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It didn't take long for the Wii Fit clones to start appearing. Jillian Michaels, best known for her role as one of the trainers on NBC's The Biggest Loser, is working with Majesco Games (largely a budget game publisher) on Jillian Michaels' Fitness Ultimatum 2009 for the Nintendo Wii.
"Wii and the Wii Balance Board have added a credible and effective new option for players looking to get in shape in a fun and entertaining way," said Jesse Sutton, Chief Executive Officer, Majesco. "Jillian Michaels' expertise in the fitness world coupled with the innovative Wii Balance Board lets us deliver a compelling game that will change the way America approaches home fitness."
"As a huge gamer myself with younger siblings and godchildren, I recognize the importance of staying current with how people digest their media and information," said Jillian Michaels. "I truly think this type of product will be instrumental in revolutionizing the fitness industry and will help combat the childhood obesity epidemic in this country today. I couldn't be more excited about partnering with Interactive Game Group and Majesco to bring a family-oriented fitness video game to the market."
Frederic Chesnais, founder of Interactive Game Group (I2G), added, "This project is exactly why I created I2G — to bring talented people together and facilitate the creation and distribution of highly-innovative interactive entertainment."
In Jillian Michaels' Fitness Ultimatum 2009 players become new recruits in Jillian's boot camp where they enroll in a unique training program composed of fitness tests and a changing series of workouts. Players choose their workout from four types — Weight Loss, Strength Training, Intervals and Hill Climb — and set the intensity to light, medium or hard for a duration between 10 and 60 minutes. By completing Wii Remote and Wii Balance Board motion-based challenges that range from crossing monkeybars to climbing ladders and rowing, players can also unlock lifestyle and fitness video tips from Jillian. Players can even track their progress based on calories burned and workout intensity. In addition, a Competitive Party Mode lets two players race against each other through individual challenges or through the entire Physical Training course to earn the winning time.
Developed by 3G Studios, Jillian Michaels' Fitness Ultimatum 2009 for Wii is expected to release this holiday season. I'll greet this product with a healthy dose of skepticism, but it will be interesting to see how it works out.


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About RBC > Media Newsroom > Speeches > Address to Shareholders
Gordon Nixon
President & CEO
RBC Financial Group
136th Annual Meeting of Royal Bank of Canada
February 25, 2005
Halifax, Nova Scotia
Good morning ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to your Annual Meeting. I am delighted to be in Halifax, a city where our roots stretch back more than 136 years. On a personal note, one of my daughters is in her second year of the commerce program at Dalhousie and consequently, I am regularly reminded of the wonderful qualities of Halifax and Nova Scotia - from the downtown nightlife to surfing at Lawrencetown, with hopefully a little work along the way. I do hope that the citizens of this city enjoy the students as much as the students love Halifax.
It was on this city's waterfront - just down the street on Bedford Row - that eight entrepreneurs opened a single bank branch in 1869 with the goal of helping local merchants become more successful with their international trade. At the time, there were bigger and more established banks in the region. But the founders of the "Merchants Bank" believed there was room for another institution - especially one that could anticipate the financial needs of a growing population, and move quickly to meet them.
And they were right. Almost from day one, the bank struck out boldly, often beating the competition in pursuing new business along the arteries of developing trade. Aggressive expansion across the continent to British Columbia as the century closed was an outstanding example of the boldness and vision of this small bank from Halifax.
By 1910 the up and coming "Merchants Bank of Halifax" had grown into a national institution and changed its name to "The Royal Bank of Canada." By 1925, we had established a significant international presence in the Caribbean, South America and Europe, and a national presence across Canada. By the 1960s, we had become the nation's largest bank, with leading market shares in nearly every line of business - a position we are proud to maintain today. And throughout the years, we have remained committed to Nova Scotia and Atlantic Canada, and have maintained a leading presence throughout this region.
We are grateful for our legacy, but we also know it cannot be taken for granted. A key lesson from our long history of success is that it is important to challenge the assumptions that led to success, and to recognize the need to change and adapt. If there is one recurring theme throughout our history, it is that Royal Bankers have always pushed into new frontiers, and moved quickly to develop new and better ways to serve their clients. And when we've had setbacks, we have not hesitated to change our approach.
Today, we find ourselves in a similar situation, with new challenges, but also new opportunities. This is what I would like to discuss today - the challenges and opportunities we are facing as a business, and the steps we are taking to address them for the benefit of our clients, our employees, our shareholders and our communities.
I'd like to start by briefly reviewing our performance in fiscal 2004, which Barbara Stymiest, our Chief Operating Officer, will address in more detail following my remarks. Then I will outline major initiatives that we have taken to enhance our performance, including the realignment of our businesses and the actions we are taking to grow revenue, manage costs and improve the experience of our clients.
For RBC, 2004 was a challenging year that produced mixed results.
On the positive side, we delivered solid earnings growth in four of our five businesses, with only RBC Banking suffering a decline due in large part to lower earnings in the United States. RBC Capital Markets, RBC Global Services, RBC Investments, and RBC Insurance grew earnings by 34 per cent, 26 per cent, 19 per cent, and 19 per cent respectively. In addition, the domestic component of RBC Banking had a reasonable year, with earnings up 5 per cent. We achieved market share gains in each of our business segments and most consumer and business products, and our credit quality remained strong. Notwithstanding our year-end restructuring charges, we still generated close to $3 billion in net income during 2004.
However, we failed to meet our overall corporate targets and missed our 2004 objective for revenue growth and expense control, which resulted in earnings growth and return on equity below expectations. As a result, while our total return to shareholders was up modestly in 2004, we under performed our peer group. We also concluded during the year that, in addition to addressing our underperformance at RBC Centura, we had to make some substantial changes across all businesses if we were going to deliver the returns that our shareholders have come to expect.
To address this challenge, we took strong action in the fourth quarter by realigning our businesses, and by launching a number of initiatives to accelerate revenue growth and improve efficiency. These actions are designed to focus our efforts on delivering better value, more innovative products and improved service to our clients, and we refer to them internally as our "Client First Initiative." The realignment resulted in the consolidation of our five business units into three, built around common customer segments and geographies. The three business segments are:
In addition, we consolidated all of our technology and operations activities across the enterprise into a single Global Technology and Operations division, and placed all of our functional units including finance, treasury, risk and strategic planning under a newly appointed Chief Operating Officer.
As part of the corporate restructuring, we took realignment charges in the fourth quarter, and recognized a goodwill impairment charge at RBC Mortgage, both of which affected our results last year, but positioned us better for the future.
Our top priorities for 2005 are focused on three areas:
The first two priorities, revenue growth and efficiency, involve our Client First Initiative, which is broad-based, is being driven by a number of specific initiatives, and has a clear set of deliverables.
Improving revenue growth
I'd now like to spend a few minutes providing some detail around each area of focus, starting with revenue growth.
Our objective in 2005 is to grow revenues by 6 to 8 per cent, bearing in mind that had it not been for the significant strengthening of the Canadian dollar, revenues would have been up 5 per cent in 2004. This year, we expect to benefit from significantly better results in our U.S. banking operations and from the full year of results from our acquisition of the Canadian operations of Provident Life and Accident Insurance Company. We are anticipating moderately higher economic growth and capital markets activity, and some revenue growth from our Client First Initiatives.
Let me talk briefly about specific revenue generating activities at each of our three segments.
Our Canadian Personal and Business segment brings together our domestic banking, investments and insurance businesses. This provides our Canadian clients with easier access to a full range of services and products in an integrated fashion. We believe these clients have broad financial needs, and that we have an opportunity to earn more of their business by working together across our various units to deliver the right mix of products and services.
Our objective is to grow revenue in this segment by attracting new clients, and by growing our share of business with existing ones.
We are also making it easier for customers to deal with us by streamlining processes and offering a broad range of products through service channels and sales people that best suit their needs and provide the best value. Our extensive Canadian distribution network of physical channels, electronic channels, financial planners, investment advisors, mobile sales forces, and third-party distributors provides plenty of choice for our clients. And by managing this segment as a single market, we have increased our ability to provide more integrated financial solutions across a full range of products.
We also plan to increase our capacity to better manage clients with more complex financial needs that require a higher level of advice and products.
In addition, we are putting a greater emphasis on product innovation so that we are quicker to market with new products and services that meet emerging client needs. Products like our Avion credit card, our no down-payment mortgage, critical illness insurance, our principal protected notes for RSP investors, our cross-border debit cards, and the recently launched Starbucks Duetto Visa Card are some examples of our client focused approach to innovation.
In our U.S. and International Personal and Business segment, our strategic focus is on banking and wealth management. We believe these areas have the most opportunity for growth, and present the best potential for RBC in light of our competitive strengths and capabilities.
This segment includes banking and retail brokerage in the U.S., banking in the Caribbean and Bahamas, and private banking internationally. We've brought these businesses together as one segment recognizing that each of them is quite distinct from our operations in Canada. We believe this structure will not only increase accountability, but also result in greater focus and more dynamic management of these businesses. Furthermore, consolidating the management of our U.S. and International consumer businesses will make it easier to leverage each other's product and distribution strengths, where appropriate.
In banking, we are growing revenue by strategically expanding Centura's branch network in high-growth areas, which is resulting in strong growth of new client households. We are also increasing the number of products per household, growing our core deposits and loans, and benefiting from improved spreads as a result of rising interest rates. We will also continue to invest in the Caribbean, which has a stable and strong network.
In wealth management, we intend to build our U.S. brokerage presence through RBC Dain Rauscher and through the acceleration of a full balance sheet product portfolio for wealth management clients, which will include investments, deposits, credit and insurance. In addition, we continue to grow our global private banking business, which is well established and ranks among the best in the world. To grow this business, we have installed a globally consistent set of client relationship management practices that will improve our ability to cross sell, provide a more consistent level of service, and allow a common supporting technology.
Our Global Capital Markets segment serves institutional, corporate and large commercial clients around the globe, and has substantial operations in the U.S., Europe and Asia. Last year, 41 per cent of this segment's revenues came from Canada, 37 per cent from the United States, and 22 per cent from Europe and Asia.
We intend to grow revenues in this segment by retaining our leadership in all sectors of Canadian investment banking business, expanding our mid-market U.S. business, investing in our U.S. fixed income and structured products businesses, and continuing to expand our global footprint in trading, structured products and other selected niche businesses.
In Canada, our priority is to continue being a leading advisor to corporations and governments, and in 2004, we ranked at the top of the overall debt and equity league tables. In addition, we continue to grow our domestic fixed income, money market and equity businesses.
As part of our business realignment, we moved approximately 300 large commercial banking accounts and their account managers into Global Capital Markets. This is an area where more sophisticated investment advice and treasury services are needed to support the growth of these clients and our ability to serve them. Our investment banking penetration has traditionally been less focused with commercial customers, and we believe this move will enhance our ability to serve these clients as their needs grow.
In the U.S., we are focused on growing our market share with mid-market clients. In 2004, we ranked 12th in the U.S. equity league tables. We also have a significant presence in the U.S. fixed income market and, as an example, in 2004 we raised over US$13 billion for U.S. municipalities and ranked eighth among U.S. dealers in that sector.
In Europe and Asia, we continue to invest in growing specialized businesses, which have become important contributors to what is a North American-based global business. RBC Capital Markets has grown its participation in new debt issues almost threefold, and we have helped clients raise funds in a broad range of currencies, including Canadian dollars, Australian dollars, Sterling and U.S. dollars. Total funds raised for clients increased from $22 billion in 2000 to over $74 billion in 2004. Our global equity derivatives group has established operations in Japan and grown in Europe by adding new trading strategies and activities.
Across all of RBC businesses we continue to see opportunities for growth. As our first quarter results indicate, the various measures we have taken are beginning to have a positive impact on growth, with revenues up by 11 per cent, and net income up by 31 per cent from a year ago.
Enhance our efficiency and effectiveness
In addition to growing our top line, we also plan to better manage our cost structure by enhancing our efficiency and effectiveness. Slowing down our overall rate of expense growth will not only improve margins, it will also allow us to redeploy resources to client-facing activities.
Last year's 8 per cent expense growth contained some unusual items, but the bottom line is that we believe it is imperative to address our costs in order to improve our efficiency ratio and narrow the gap with best in class competitors.
We have set an objective for expense growth in 2005 of below 3 per cent, less than half of revenue growth. As we announced at year-end, we have commenced streamlining resources, begun consolidating our operations and technology platforms and eliminated a number of executive and senior management positions. The goal is to simplify internal structures and streamline our operations so that we make it easier for clients to do business with us.
Our businesses, functions and operations areas have all identified numerous cost initiatives with specific targets for which we are accountable and which have been built into our current business plans. And we have made good progress with our plans to eliminate approximately 1,600 positions in non client-facing roles.
These types of initiatives are taking root throughout the organization, and we have already started to see some positive impact on our costs, and in the first quarter our efficiency ratio improved to 57 per cent from 66 per cent from a year ago.
Generate better returns from the U.S.
Our third area of focus in 2005 is to improve the returns from our U.S. and International Personal and Business segment, particularly in our U.S. banking and mortgage businesses. Our new U.S. banking management is focused on improving profitability through both revenue growth and cost management. It's important to understand that while our U.S. banking operations receive significant attention, we have other U.S. and international consumer businesses including brokerage, global private banking, and our Caribbean operations, as well as U.S. and international wholesale businesses such as capital markets, custody and reinsurance that all performed well in 2004 and have good growth potential.
That said, our U.S. operations have not performed to the standards that we - nor you - would like. In 2004, U.S. earnings dropped, due primarily to weaker performance at RBC Banking. Including both the goodwill write-down and restructuring charges, the swing in U.S. banking earnings between 2003 and 2004 was $324 million.
Much of this decline can be attributed to RBC Mortgage. This business struggled with lower origination volumes and margins, as well as with operational and hedging challenges. In addition we wrote off half the goodwill primarily associated with Prism Mortgage, which we acquired in 2000. We also recorded lower returns from RBC Centura, which was impacted by spread compression, lower returns from its investment portfolio, and business realignment charges.
At RBC Mortgage, we have taken a number of actions to improve performance. We changed management, began consolidating the Chicago headquarters into our Houston office, and have closed 48 of its less profitable branches. These steps have not only generated cost savings, they have also improved operational controls.
RBC Centura has also experienced significant changes, including senior management. We took a $13 million charge in the fourth quarter for planned staff reductions in 2005. In the first quarter we closed 11 low-return branches from the network of 275, and we have slowed the pace of branch openings until we achieve stronger financial performance.
We are also enhancing loan and deposit volumes and mix, and have shifted the mix in Centura's investment portfolio to enhance yield and help mitigate any increase in funding costs. We are confident that these steps will lead to improved financial results in the U.S. in 2005 and beyond. Once again, our first quarter results indicate we are on the right track, with strong performances from all of our U.S. businesses. Earnings were up $27 million in U.S. banking, and up 56 per cent overall in our U.S. and International Personal and Business segment.
Better performance in 2005
The positive impact we expect from initiatives across the organization have caused us to set more aggressive financial objectives for 2005 in the areas of revenue growth, cost control, earnings growth and return on equity. Our short and mid-term financial objectives are outlined in the Annual Report.
I am well aware that the challenges in 2004, particularly as they related to U.S. banking, not only affected our operating performance, but our relative share price performance as well. Relative to the Canadian bank average, we have lost the premium valuation we enjoyed in 2002 and 2003 and, as a result, on a comparative basis our shares have underperformed even relative to our fundamentals. But this is an organization that has consistently generated strong growth. In 1994, RBC crossed the one billion dollar earnings mark; in 2000 we surpassed 2 billion dollars; in 2003 we earned over 3 billion dollars; and we just announced quarterly earnings of more than one billion dollars for the first time. As a matter of interest, our earnings per share of $1.58 in the first quarter compares to $1.59 per share for a full year in 1994.
Living the vision
We have a solid foundation to build upon. Our three business segments produce a strong diversity of earnings across a wide range of corporate, institutional and retail clients in more than 60 countries. The strength of our Canadian franchise, which does business with more than one third of the population, is unrivalled. Our brand was recently rated as the most valuable in the country. And we are the largest bank in Canada and the 7th largest in North America in a strong and growing industry.
We are focused on our core values of service, teamwork, responsibility, diversity and integrity, and we are proud of our reputation for corporate responsibility and good governance. We are by no means perfect, and we've had some difficult issues of our own to deal with and, unfortunately, I'm sure we will again. But I believe RBC has faced our challenges head on, dealt with issues in a responsible manner, and acted in the best interests of all of our stakeholders.
This does not happen by accident. We have dedicated a great deal of management time promoting a culture of integrity. We have made it mandatory for all of our employees to pass a test demonstrating their understanding of our Code of Conduct. We have made major investments in our corporate governance, and our compliance capabilities. And we continue to enhance our policies and processes in response to market and regulatory developments.
A company's reputation is paramount and we are pleased that our programs and initiatives continued to earn recognition during 2004.
Once again, our board was ranked among the five best by Canadian Business and Report on Business magazines.
For the third year in a row, RBC was named Canada's Most Respected Corporation in a survey by Ipsos Reid. The same survey ranked us first in six of nine sub-categories, including best for corporate governance and social responsibility, and we were ranked second highest among all Canadian companies for customer service.
At the recent World Economic Forum in Davos, RBC was named one of the world's top 100 companies and the only Canadian bank for sustainable development. The award is based on criteria such as strategic governance, environmental initiatives, and human capital practices.
We also continue to be part of a select group of companies chosen for the Dow Jones Sustainability Index, the Jantzi Social Index, and the FTSE4Good Index.
All of these achievements are a reflection of an organization made up of outstanding people.
Our people are the driving force behind everything we do at RBC. They were the inspiration for our new corporate vision of "Always earning the right to be our clients' first choice." They are the creative energy behind our "Client First Initiative." They are the source of the positive momentum building throughout RBC and they are our greatest competitive advantage.
On behalf of our Board of Directors and my colleagues on Group Executive, I would like to thank all of our employees worldwide for their hard work in 2004, and for their ongoing passion for client service.
I began this morning by acknowledging the challenges we faced in 2004, and by explaining to you some of the steps we are taking to transform our organization to better serve our clients. I have no doubts that we have the people, the commitment and the culture to succeed.
More than 136 years ago in Halifax, our founders - James Merkel, William Cunard, John Duffus, Edward Kenny Sr., Thomas Kinnear, George Mitchell, Jeremiah Northup, and John Tobin - had a similar challenge. With only a handful of talented employees in a single branch, they set out to create a new bank - one they hoped could flourish by anticipating the needs of an expanding population, by pushing into new frontiers, and by moving quickly to adopt new ideas and methods for the benefit of clients and shareholders.
It was this spirit of cautionary boldness that propelled the "upstart bank" on the Halifax waterfront to Canadian and international success. And it is this same spirit that will take us forward in 2005 and beyond.
Thank you.