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Over the past few years I've to come to the realization that almost any technology can solve most problems given enough time and money. This is not to say that a technology choice is not important, it's just lower in the order of issues facing today's developers. For example, I would not want to use my high-speed computing team writing in Assembler to create a website in PHP: Not because they could not do it, but because it is not what they are good at.
However, I'm beginning to think that the real barrier to getting things done in our profession is the tendency to add three requirements to projects: making them extensible, open, and standard. Let's look at these in greater detail.
Project definitions usually require that the application be extensible to other applications and be able to interact with other applications' data. The problem with using this word in the project is that it is very hard to define. It could mean that I may have to allow for new modules to be added without disrupting the existing application, or it could mean that end users can extend the current delivered content or application in some way. When most teams at ISVs see the word "extensible" in the project plan, they see that their timeline and cost has just grown substantially. There are very few applications that are truly extensible. Sure, a few come to mind — the Eclipse project, Delphi/C++Builder, and Visual Studio — but as you see, most of these are development software. There are others that allow for open APIs to be used to expand the usability of software.
However, in a general business software application, where does extensibility come in? Who tests the extensibility? When is extensibility added? I would submit that adding the concept of "extensibility" to an application should require a new project just for that feature. Sure, you could put in code that could help with extensibility in the future, but good programming practice states we don't put anything into the code that is not going to be used because it adds overhead, maintenance, and complexity to an application that may or may not ever use that feature.[YAGNI —Ed.] So where extensibility is specified, add only the needed functionality and only when it is really needed. This minimal, late approach significantly reduces the amount of work and rework a team needs to do for this nebulous requirement at best.
An example illustrating the real cost of writing extensible code can be found in How (not) to write Factorial in Java: A project requirement that simply states that a feature needs to be extensible, or worse yet, that the application needs to be extensible, fails to specify or anticipate what developers might do to make it happen.
What is an open architecture? Does it help you get the application done quicker, better, and more correctly? If the answer is "no," then who cares if the application is open? For the majority of applications out in the world today, most of the ones that are built on an "open" architecture don't use it enough to deliver that openness. As an industry, we try to adopt these things that claim to be open in the hopes of easier or better integration in the future. However, that point rarely ever arrives; and when it does, the openness is often of little use.
Like the argument for "extensibility," the concept of "open" does not need to be addressed until there is a clear and defined need — for example, if the application must be open to accepting a web service that transmits secure customer information for logging by another system. If, as developers, we worry about a requirement like this when we start development, even though that data is not ready to be emitted by our system, then we end up wasting a lot of time building unneeded infrastructure that most likely will have to be modified when the requirement becomes real and an update to the project is needed. All too often, we see the words "open" in a project and it makes the development and business teams do a lot more busy work trying to define an architecture that may some day in the future need to be open, but at this time, is not needed.
There is enough evidence that states requirements are the key to both project success and failure. Infotech Research stated in 2005: "Flawed requirements trigger 70% of project failures." Just this one non-functional requirement — openness — can significantly reduce the chances of success for the project.
The requirements for standards-compliance is the cause of an incalculable amount of rework. There are people standing around the water cooler, executives setting edicts, and teams figuring out the right features from a smorgasbord of accepted, developing, or proposed standards must be used in the next big project. Why? We all know by now that standards come and go in our industry.
Remember when it was important to support EJB 1.0, 1.1, 1.2; or back in 1998 when it was SOAP 1.0; or was that XML-RPC? The question that must be asked over and over again is, "what did adhering to those specifications do for your business?" I would surmise not much, because if you were using SOAP or XML-RPC as a protocol, you were still doing maintenance projects to get things working with each integration partner. In some cases, your development team worked very hard to be compliant with that 1.1 standard. And if you were 1.1 compliant, and the other integration partner was 1.1 compliant, it may have saved a few minutes of work; but in actuality, the difference between the "bad" 1.0 and "good" 1.1 back then was very minimal. It was mostly marketing hype and FUD (Fear, Uncertainty, Doubt) put out by the submitting vendor.
I knew of many companies that ripped out software that worked just to be on the latest standard. In actuality, these companies did everything needed to integrate a partner or system, but they still needed to go through, at a very minimum, a full regression testing cycle to ensure that things were working correctly. So even though both sides of the equation were compliant with the relevant standard, they still had to do a full project to verify the integration.
So developers spent countless hours making sure to support this "standard" and that "standard," and at the end of the day, the work to integrate partners was still a job that needed a full project and testing cycle to ensure the business activity was working correctly. Chasing after these constantly evolving specifications and standards is causing a lot of churn — much of it wasted if the application does not have the specific need.
This churn costs all of us real money. Estimates using the 1995 Chaos Report indicated that companies would spent about US $81 billion on failed or canceled projects in 1995. Ten years later, the Chaos Report from 2005 showed that we as an industry had become worse, not better; so the number adjusted for inflation and a higher failure rate mean we are losing more investment dollars on almost every single project today.
What Can Be Done?
Beyond keeping an eye out for these three attributes in project definitions and discussions, the key is to bring back "focus" on the important things in a project. One of the questions I ask when training developers is, "what is the most important thing the system you create has to do?" The answers I get back from students is rather telling (shown here with my responses):
- Your software needs to be future proof — really?
- Your software must be easy to read — ok, but is that the most important?
- Your software must be maintainable — ok, again but is that the most important?
- The software must have good documentation — nice to have…
- The software must run fast — nice to have…
- It must be developed using Agile methods — really?
- It needs to run on the latest "x" framework — really?
- It must support both white and black box testing — really, really nice to have!
The list goes on, and on, and on, and on…and few people can just state that the software being developed must work. That is all, technically nothing more and nothing less. If I develop my latest project to be the most extensible, the most open, and the most standard software ever created by man and it can not calculate 2+2 correctly, none of the other answers matter.
Once we have software that works, I'm in favor of the other things. Of course I want to refactor my software for maintainability, of course I want my software optimized, I would love for the software I create to be easily maintained, and I always love working on a agile team — but if the team cannot make the product work, nothing else matters. However, far too many people focus on those other tasks before they have a workable solution.
So in my opinion, words do matter and they matter at all levels. Watch for executive management talking about the dreaded three requirements. Help educate them on how the software you are developing is going to work and save time, money, or personnel for the company. Help the team understand what the main goal of the application is; it needs to work first, then you can do the refactoring and add all the bells and whistles.
And Then…
With all the work we have done as an industry, the latest statistics show that most of the world still runs on COBOL. Studies show that 90% of financial institutions use COBOL for their majority of processing, despite it being a 50-year old language. There are some 200 billion lines of COBOL still running the show, day in and day out. So how important is it that the next big application run the latest language, use the latest standards, and connect to all kinds of endpoints?
If nothing else, it should point out that always moving to the next language or setting this language or that language as a standard really does not hold a lot of water. Think about how many of you reading this now work for a company that has project standards that must be adhered to (Java, .NET, etc.), but the underlying part of your business is still running COBOL and it is getting the job done.
The sad fact is that most companies could likely do "whatever the requirement was" in the initial technology. That may be COBOL for company X, but it might have been C for company Y, and it may have been Delphi for company Z. Keep in mind that languages do become extinct over time. Things like PL/1 and RPG may still be used in some corner in a basement, but for the most part, those languages are dead. Then again, many languages over the past couple of decades have been pronounced dead, but here they are, alive and kicking. Look at Objective-C, created back in 1980. Did you think back in 1998 when you were worried about the latest SOAP standard that, in 2011, you would be looking at writing your next piece of software in Objective-C, I doubt it!
— Mike Rozlog worked for many years at Borland and CodeGear. Today, he is the Director of Delphi Solutions at Embarcadero Technologies.


text: Let the experts introduce you to some interesting and simple techniques for decorating the surface of your fabric. A little stitching goes a long way in adding unique styles. First up, Rebecca Kemp Brent returns for decorative work with your utility stitches. Straight, zig zag, and satin stitches are on virtually every sewing machine. Use them to create pictures, from snowflakes to insects, and discover why full coverage isn't always the right option. As a bonus find out what you can do with the button attaching stitch that doesn't require a button. Then, it's blind hem stitching with Angela Wolf. We finish up with Louis Carney and thread work at its best, plus couching techniques to add decorative pizzazz to any garment.

subset: commoncrawl


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|Version 6 (modified by 8 years ago) (diff),
Outlook task management integration
This program is hosted here. I have uploaded the source code and executable just in case the project page ever disappears.
This project is about tasks management. There are two types of system, which are used often by developers - collective and personal:
- Trac is an enhanced wiki and issue tracking system for software development projects. Trac uses a minimalistic approach to web-based software project management.
- Microsoft Outlook 2007 is powerful tool, that, in addition to mail management, provides ability to organize your time with Tasks and Calendar features.
There are many teams use Trac to track tickets within project and many developers which use Outlook for time management. They would like to have Trac tickets as personal Outlook tasks. Now it is possible with AnjLab SyncIT. It is small program that is working in background and visible at Windows tray. It requests periodically Trac URLs, defined as tasks sources at preferences and creates \ updates tasks at Outlook database. The following information is used for synchronization:
- Title. Trac project (source name) is included as prefix to title in Outlook.
- Priority
- Ticket body
- Some additional attributes like Milestone, Version, Component are saved as part of body
Imported task will be assigned to category defined for task source. In case, when ticket is closed\reassigned at Trac, related Outlook task will also be closed. Now SyncIT support Trac, dotProject & Google code hosting. 1S will be soon.
Bugs/Feature Requests
Any issues should be reported on the Google code issues page.
Download the zipped source from here.
You can check out AnjLabSyncItPlugin from here using Subversion, or browse the source with Trac.
Recent Changes
Maintainer: external


text:
United States military academies have trained America's future presidents, astronauts and generals, one of them for more than 200 years. But the schools' illustrious histories are not enough to spare them from looming budget cuts from sequestration, and they are preparing to furlough civilian employees, reduce training, delay construction and even scale back pomp and ceremony.
The full extent of how, and when, the cuts will affect the nation's five service academies is not yet clear. However, representatives of the U.S. Military Academy, the Naval Academy, the Air Force Academy and the Coast Guard Academy pointed to some potential effects.
They said the more than $1 billion expected to be cut from Defense Department training and recruiting could mean everything from furloughs of thousands of civilian employees to delayed construction to the suspension of programs like band tours and educational trips.
No one at the Merchant Marine Academy could be reached for comment.
"We haven't had anything close to this" level of budgetary restriction in the past, said Air Force spokesman Meade Warthen.
RELATED: 10 High-Tech College Classes: Learn to Fly a Drone!
The Naval Academy's director of media relations, Jennifer Erickson, said about 1,500 non-contract civilian employees at the school could face cuts in their work hours.
"We are deeply concerned about the negative effects of furloughs on the morale and effectiveness of our valued civilian workforce," Erickson said, also noting the potential effects on the home city of the academy, Annapolis, Maryland, and on the region surrounding the academy.
Naval Academy summer training is under budgetary pressure, and Erickson said semester abroad programs could be canceled. Sixteen educational international summer trips - involving 170 students planning to go to Armenia, Chile, China, France, Georgia, Italy, Japan, Oman, Russia and Spain - were axed, and fifteen international spring break programs for 73 students had already been canceled.
Erickson also said faculty travel would be reduced and that the academy has already pared its admissions outreach program, with implications for future classes of midshipmen.
At West Point, the Military Academy will downsize its Summer Leaders Experience program for high school students, which can be the first step for some students on their way to admission to the competitive, tuition-free school.
Other cuts are already being implemented: At least two of the academies have imposed hiring freezes and West Point has postponed the construction of its first new dormitory since 1965, slated to house 650 cadets, according to the Poughkeepsie (New York) Journal.
Francis DeMaro of West Point's public affairs office also pointed to "travel restrictions, a hiring freeze, reduction of family and community programs, and an impending furlough" of more than 2,000 civilian employees.
Travel restrictions related to cadet training have also hit the Coast Guard Academy, said school spokesman David Santos. Other student programs have been hit hard too, with the Air Force Academy's band forced to cancel all of its national public concerts.
Even graduation ceremonies will display a bit less pomp and circumstance. The Thunderbirds Air Force Demonstration Squadron was forced to cancel its 2013 season because of the sequestration and will not perform flyovers at the Air Force Academy graduation parade and ceremony in May, according to a March 8 Academy release.
The Academy also canceled its annual Independence Day fireworks show due to budgetary concerns about sequestration, according to a March 21 statement on the USAFA website.
While the academies wait for further details on exactly how their 14,000 students will be affected, local politicians are lobbying to see if they can soften the blow.
U.S. Representative Sean Patrick Maloney, whose district includes West Point, tweeted on Wednesday that he had sent a letter to President Barack Obama and Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel urging them to find a "commonsense plan" that would reduce the impact of the sequester on the Defense Department's 800,000 employees.
"In these difficult economic times, I know that we must all make sacrifices," wrote Maloney in the letter. "But our middle class has made enough sacrifices; our federal workforce has made enough sacrifices; our military and seniors have made enough sacrifices; the staff and students at West Point have made enough sacrifices."
This article is by Gabriel Debenedetti of Reuters.


text:
The estate inventory of William Edings, taken in May of 1836, lists the names of enslaved ancestors at plantations in Charleston, Colleton and Beaufort Counties, SC.
We invite you to contribute to this page.
To view the document, please click on the images attached to this page.
This document was indexed and made searchable by Alana.


text:
Stuffed Red Bliss Potatoes Recipe
These garlicky potatoes make a tasty side dish that go great with meat.
Stuffed Red Bliss Potatoes
Gina's Weight Watcher Recipes
Servings: 4 servings • Size: 2 potatoes • Points +: 3 pts • Smart Points: 7
Calories: 95.9 • Fat: 2.5 g • Protein: 3.7 g • Carb: 15.5 g • Fiber: 1.1 g • Sugar: 1.3
Sodium: 106.3 mg (without salt)
10 oz (8 small) red bliss potatoes, about 2″ diameter
1 tbsp light Mayonnaise
2 tbsp fat free sour cream
4 tbsp olive oil
6 cloves garlic
2 tbsp fresh thyme (or rosemary)
3 tbsp grated parmesan or asagio cheese
salt and pepper to taste
In a medium pot, cover potatoes in water and add 1 tsp of salt. Bring to a boil and cook until soft (about 12 minutes). Drain and run under cool water. Set aside.
While the potatoes cook, in a small pan, add oil and garlic and cook on very low heat, about 12 minutes, till soft. Remove garlic and discard oil. Mash garlic.
In a medium bowl combine garlic, thyme, cheese, mayonnaise, sour cream, salt and pepper. Mix well.
Preheat oven to 350°. Using a teaspoon, scoop out potato leaving 1/4 inch shell. Mix the potato with the other ingredients and fill potato shells. Sprinkle with paprika. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes.
Keywords: Stuffed Red Bliss Potatoes


text:
Photo: chrisbryski.blogspot.com
The family of a dead college student Christopher Bryski are asking KeyBank to forgive about $30,000 of student loan debt he'd incurred in college. In their latest bid to absolve the loans, the family launched a petition on Change.org which is now up to 75,000 signatures.
Bryski died in July 2006 after falling 45 feet in an accident two years earlier. With the exception of KeyBank, every creditor, even credit card companies, forgave the 25-year-old's debt.
Since then, they've been fighting the bank to forgive the loans, some of which are for classes Bryski never had a chance to attend. His father had cosigned the loans.
This isn't the first time the Bryski family has gone public with their woes against the bank. In August 2010, the Wall Street Journal did a feature on their struggles to pay the debt.
The Christopher Bryski Student Loan Protection Act has been introduced to Congress and would keep families of deceased students from having to pay their debt.
The recent petition was started by Ryan Bryski, Christopher's older brother.
"KeyBank has a choice to make," Ryan said in a Change.org news release. "They can finally do the humane thing and discharge my brother's debt or they can risk ignoring the demands of tens of thousands of customers and potential customers across the country."
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text:
// Paste this code as high in theof the page as possible: // Additionally, paste this code immediately after the opening tag:
Date(s) - Friday, July 17, 2015
8:30 am - 9:30 pm
QE Park Community and Cultural Centre
at QEPCCC, main gallery
Here come the brides! Drawing from the Oakville Museum's extensive costume collection, this exhibition will explore centuries of fashion trends as each gown ultimately reflects the period in which it was worn. With the exception of National and Provincial Holidays


text:
UFC 126's winners spoke to the media after the fights. Dana White
announced the $75,000 bonuses: Jon Jones scored with his second-round, title-shot-clinching Submission of the Night of Ryan Bader; Anderson Silva won Knockout of the Night; and Donald Cerrone and Paul Kelly took home Fight of the Night honors.
Highlights from the following fighters are linked below:
Anderson Silva
Jon Jones and Shogun Rua
Forrest Griffin, Miguel Angel Torres and Jake Ellenberger


text:
Assessment Process
Assessment Process
City College of San Francisco's Downtown Center systematically assesses services and programs using outcomes, program reviews, faculty, staff, student input, and other appropriate measures in order to improve the effectiveness of these services and programs.
In an effort to comply with the WASC standards, the Downtown Center Student Learning Outcomes committee worked collaboratively with other City College of San Francisco Centers to coordinate the development of the SLO's, as well as a central, online repository. Additionally, the Downtown Center Website provides up-to-date and consistent information on Student Learning Outcomes.
Currently, the Downtown Center's process, in the Awareness stage, of Learning Outcomes consists of the following:
- Meet with other Center Deans
- Meet with Center Coordinators;
- Meet with Downtown Center Associated Students
- Review the Downtown Outcomes thus far;
- Identify progress toward Learning Outcomes;
- Development of Learning Outcomes;
- Integrate Learning Outcomes timeline;
- Complete measurement tool in English and Spanish; and
- Assess
Please click this link to retrieve additional information regarding the WASC standards for Student Learning Outcomes.
The Downtown Center coordinators provide assistance in distributing the Downtown Center survey tool to the students. In addition, The Downtown Center Associated Students assist in encouraging all students to participate in the survey. Further, the Center Dean has designated a Center Classified Manager to assist students conduct the survey online in a designated computer lab. The Downtown Center Dean also conducts focus groups with students. Online surveys: http://www.ccsf.edu/ccsf/en/our-campuses/downtown/noncredit/studentsurvey.html


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Stop John Danks before he starts again.
Sounds like a line from a movie trailer. Call it "John of the Dead'' because the horror that was Danks' outing in Toronto --- nine runs in four innings --- was not a one-off, and I'm not talking about
No, I'm talking pitching, and you can't ignore awful, people. Wise up, Danks is getting worse and has to sit down, or at least go to the bullpen.
Forget the "hard-luck'' tag of the 0-8 record. That is so four weeks ago. Danks is flat bad right now and heading toward Linebrink.
I'm not suggesting burying Danks. I'm not saying trade him, either. Every team in the league would take Danks right now, but the team that has him right now must take him out of the rotation right now.
I mean, just look:
In six starts in April, Danks had a solid ERA of 3.92 and a WHIP of 1.33, striking out 36 while walking only 11. So, you had your ERA under 4.00 in the American League and a strikeout-to-walks ratio of better than 3-1.
In six starts in May, Danks has turned into David Wells without looking like he swallowed a sixth-grader. His ERA for the month is a staggering 6.89. His WHIP is about 30 percent higher. And his strikeouts-to-walks ratio is a ridiculous 10-14. That's right: 10 strikeouts to 14 walks, and even if you throw out the four intentional walks, Danks still has as many bases on balls as strikeouts and can't even average two Ks a start.
What more does anybody need to see? John Danks, meet long relief. It would be a relief for everybody, believe me.
The Sox went to a six-man rotation because they believed they had quality starting depth. They might've been right a month ago. Not now. I mean, iut's so obvious that even a Cubs general manager could see it.
Sox manager Ozzie Guillen says
which is insulting and shortsighted. The kid has earned a spot, no matter how tonight or his next start goes. Danks, meanwhile, has no more Get Out Of Jail free cards.
What's more, by failing to remove Danks from the rotation, the Sox are compounding the hurt.
First, the good starters, the guys who actually can pitch at the moment, don't get to pitch as often. And second, the six-man rotation leaves the bullpen shorthanded, a situation made worse with Tony Pena on the 15-day disabled list with elbow tendinitis. So now, Lucas Harrell leaves, while Jeff Marquez and Brian Bruney show up, and the Sox look clueless. Someone has to be a long reliever, which is like being a starter when you're not good enough to actually start.
Does that sound like Danks right now?
Ding! Ding! Ding! We have a winner!
Latest Sports
Sorry, but it's true. I like the kid. I loved his last couple years. I thought he was the Sox's best pitcher. But truth is truth. He's just not good enough right now, and the Sox are hurting themselves by refusing to act on that fact.
I have nothing a against a six-man rotation. I have everything against horrible starting pitching. It's the most important part of the game, and the Sox are forfeiting games that Danks starts right now.
Look, if the Royals can remove All-Star Joakim Soria from the closer's role because he can't do the job right now, then the Sox certainly can handle Danks the same way. It's not meant to be a punishment. Just common sense.
The Sox have bragged about how they're "All in'' this year. I interpreted that to believe the Sox would do anything and everything to win. Right now, I see them doing nothing.


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|Environment Fellowship of Rotarians - Bulletin Board
|Sea Mountain Life
|Page 1 of 1
|kappenberger [ Sat 2. Oct 2010, 07:37 ]
|Post subject:
|Sea Mountain Life
From: Andy Soos, ENN
Published September 20, 2010 01:40 PM
Sea Mountain Life
There are mountains on land and there are mountains under the sea. The vast ocean seems flat but under that water are mountains, valleys and plains. These mountain chains rival the Alps, the Andes and the Himalayas in size and little is known about seamounts, the vast mountains hidden under the world's oceans. Now in a special issue of Marine Ecology scientists uncover the mystery of life on these submerged mountain ranges and reveal why these under studied ecosystems are under threat.
A seamount is a mountain rising from the ocean seafloor that does not reach to the water's surface (sea level), and thus is not an island. These are typically formed from extinct volcanoes. They are defined by oceanographers as independent features that rise to at least 3,281 feet) above the seafloor. The peaks are often found hundreds to thousands of feet below the surface, and are therefore considered to be within the deep sea. There are an estimated 100,000 seamounts across the globe, with only a few having been studied. Most seamounts are volcanic in origin, and thus tend to be found on oceanic crust near mid-ocean ridges, mantle plumes, and island arcs. Nearly half of the world's seamounts are found in the Pacific Ocean, and the rest are distributed mostly across the Atlantic and Indian oceans.
Because of their abundance, seamounts are one of the most common oceanic ecosystems in the world. Interactions between seamounts and underwater currents, as well as their elevated position in the water, attract plankton, corals, fish, and marine mammals alike.
The shape and size of our ocean depths are now resolved at a scale and detail unimaginable by early pioneers. Yet only about 300 have been well studied. This scarcity of knowledge provided the primary motivation for CenSeam, a seamount-focused field within the Census of Marine Life which commenced in 2005.
"The field of seamount ecology is rife with ecological paradigms, many of which have already become cemented in the scientific literature and in the minds of advocates for seamount protection," said Dr Ashley Rowden, one of the principal investigators of CenSeam. "Together, these paradigms have created a widely held view of seamounts as unique environments, hot spots of biodiversity with fragile ecosystems of exceptional ecological worth."
Researchers challenged the theory that seamounts act as hot spots of species richness, the weight of evidence now suggests that seamounts may have comparable levels of diversity to continental margins. However, it appears that their ecological communities are distinct in structure, and of higher biomass than neighboring continental margins.
Seamounts often project upwards into shallower water thus providing habitats for marine species that are not found on or around the surrounding deeper ocean bottom. Because seamounts are isolated from each other they form "undersea islands". As they are formed from volcanic rock, the substrate is much harder than the surrounding sedimentary deep sea floor. This causes a different type of fauna to exist than on the seafloor, and leads to a theoretically higher degree of endemic marine life. However, recent research especially centered at Davidson Seamount suggests that seamounts may not be especially endemic, and discussions are ongoing on the effect of seamounts on endemicity.
Much seamount research has been born out of the need to better manage these potentially vulnerable ecosystems. Globally, seamount ecosystems are under pressure from bottom-contact fishing and other human-related impacts.
Researchers detail the footprint of trawling and conduct a risk assessment that confirms what has long been suspected: seamount communities are highly vulnerable to disturbance by bottom trawling and recovery from fishing impacts is a lengthy process, likely requiring decades at a minimum.
For further information: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/ ... 092010.php
|Page 1 of 1
|All times are UTC
|Powered by phpBB © 2000, 2002, 2005, 2007 phpBB Group


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Frontpage: Oromo Studies Collection @ Gadaa.com
Review of Land Grabbing Policies of Successive Regimes of Ethiopia
Note: Repost due to server data loss.
Title: Review of Land Grabbing Policies of Successive Regimes of Ethiopia
Authors: Malkamuu Jaatee and Zakaariyaas Mulataa
Published: Oromo Studies Association (OSA) – Presentation at Annual Conference 2012
Language: English
Keywords: Land, colonization, livelihood assets
Land is a foundation of natural resource of a country. Management of land affects political stability, socioeconomic prosperity, and cultural identity of a nation. Land grabbing policies of successive regimes of Ethiopia are generally reviewed to understand their impacts on social stability, economic prosperity, cultural identity, human rights, and political power of peoples living under colonialism. The current land grabbing policy of Ethiopia is critically analyzed to understand whether it is progressively architected development plan to improve livelihood assets of all peoples of Ethiopia or it is systematically articulated political strategy of Tigray People Liberation Front (TPLF) regime to destabilize subsistence livelihood assets of rural communities of South Ethiopia in general, and Oromia in particular, to sustain 123 years old colonialism. Land ownership right is not only a customary or a legal right to access a plot of land to produce sufficient amount of crop and animal to secure supply of food for demand of a family, a community, and a nation at all time. It is directly linked to sovereignty and territorial integrity of a country and its citizens. The right to access land in Oromia and Southern Ethiopia before colonization was governed by customary law based on traditional principles. However, traditional land ownership rights of indigenous peoples were dismissed by military power of successive Abyssinian regimes basically rooted in technical, material, and financial aids of foreign organizations since 1880s, the era of scramble for colonization of Africa. Land tenure policy of Ethiopia is politically grouped into two levels, customary and colonial land use policies, respectively in North and South Ethiopia. It is coded as (1) Rist and Gebar, (2) state, and (3) public & investment land tenures during imperial (1889 – 1974), military (1974 – 1991), and the TPLF (1991 – current) regimes, respectively. Very dangerous land grabbing policy is intentionally designed by the TPLF regime to destabilize livelihood assets of peoples of Oromia and southern Ethiopia through aggravation of poverty, expansion of food insecurity borders, intensification of conflict, degradation of ecosystem, and advancement of human rights violation. The regime is systematically maintained insecurity through synergistic interconnection of effects of poverty, food insecurity, conflict, human right violations, and violence in order to sustain its military, economic, and political dominance over its colonial territories. These vicious cycles of violence and insecurity negatively affect legitimate national liberation struggle of oppressed peoples of Ethiopia.


text:
Lace-Up Winter Boot
The Fit Expert
Petrea and Ali from our New York store says:
Great fitting boot for most people. Wider feet sometimes feel snug, but can be stretched.
Featuring a men's swing toe last, eyelets and speedlaces, rubber soles, and 2" leather wrapped heels, The Nuni is both militaristic and feminine, making it a solid winter boot for ladies that will allow you to weather the elements effortlessly while still looking adorable. Combining the design elements of The Adrian Family with full grain Atlas leathers from The Radios that crease and patina, The Nuni boots will look great with age. Drawn as a Radio BBC boot meets a work site boot, The Nuni is named after our favourite deep sea diver with a "take no prisoners" attitude. A thankful person is a happy person.
instagram @fluevog #vog_nuni
Petrea and Ali from our New York store says:
Great fitting boot for most people. Wider feet sometimes feel snug, but can be stretched.
Lovely Boots
I have a long, narrow foot and while these fit me in a 10, they are a snug (in a god way) but I cold see how others might need to go a half size up or find them too tight.
They are basically a perfect boot for me, the only funny thing I noticed was that the laces are a bit too short if you want to lace the boot up to the top. Odd.
Nuni delight
Power & style
Power & style
I love purple!
The colour is fabulous (a dusty purple), and although I'm not super fond of the western heel (despite living in Calgary), I find that I can easily wear them with most outfits. They're very comfortable, and after reading the reviews, I will definitely try them with some satin laces, which I think would take them from lovely into fabulous territory.
Thin on bottom
AT LAST; A boot narrow enough for my slim feet!
Nice Design, Disappointing Construction
One Of My Favorite Fluevog Shoes!
The Quirky Elegance and Grace of Adriana Nuni
Search for Nuni
Simple & Awesome.
love these boots!
Love at first sight
Good little boots
My first NEW Fluevogs!
Anyway, having started a career as opposed to being a poor student, I decided it was time to treat myself to a new pair, and what better time to do it than during the sale? ;)
I bought these in the red, my feet aren't wide or narrow, and I found the width just fine. I love the leg lengthening the pointy toe offers (I'm 5'0, I need all the leg I can get) and how supple the leather is. I typically wear a size 8, and I purchased these in my usual size.
The heel height is perfect, in that you can't actually tell they are heels. And I got them in RED which is super hotza hotza hotza.
They definitely look like they will age beautifully and I can't wait to see the patina they will develop. I love that they are matte but not suede. They look super fantastic with skinny jeans but even better with a dress!
Even basic isn't boring!
Severely Disappointed
Awesome :)
Sadly, it's true that the shoe laces are way too short. But with them came an extra shoe lace, so I tied them together, and now they're more likely too long.. :) The boots are a bit snug for my very normal feet, but break in nicely. And they are soooo comfy! I take long walks in these without a problem. The heel is just the perfect height to give your legs that heel-look, without making you uncomfortable. Thank you for these amazing boots, John!
Fabulous little boot
Thanks to Gabriel in the DC store for handling my order and exchange with TLC!!
Such a great boot!
Sexy Little Boot
To Die For!
Love these boots!
great boots, skimpy laces
Sassy boots!
These are great with long pants, jeans, and short skirts. I think they're particularly cute with a contrasting pair of socks peeking out of the top. (I would.)
One note about size: these do run a bit narrow, as noted, but not as drastically as the rest of the Adrianas. I couldn't wear any of the oxfords, but I went a size up in these (from a 10 to an 11) and they are perfect. (Oh, what I wouldn't give for a paragraph break . . . )
They do fit narrow, and I ended up buying a full size larger than I normally wear in Fluevog to compensate. My normal size might have stretched, but I didn't want to risk it. These fit perfectly with a leather insole or a thick sock.
So comfortable for all day at work on a concrete floor!
Wow, what service!
I wound up ordering from the Website, expecting to have to wait a week or two. Imagine my delight when I got an almost immediate confirmation that they'd shipped from the PDX store (with a "happy birthday!" added) ... and when I came home from work tonight to discover they'd already been delivered.
I couldn't be happier. They're just as purplicious as I'd hoped, and they fit like a dream with my hand-knitted winter socks - I could go dancing in these boots, or hike all day in the woods. And the folks in Portland even tucked some extra birthday swag in the box. Great customer service, and gorgeous, gorgeous boots!
Why buy black when you can buy purple!
Fantastic boots
Love these!
Fluevog Virgin no more
love them....
These boots were made for... everything!
I got the purple & am IN LOVE!! (I know I say that about all my Vogs, but it's true!)
A smidge narrow, I went to a size 8 from my usual 7.5 & they fit perfectly! I've worn them the last 3 days straight & they already feel like they've been mine forever. As usual with my Fluevogs, no break in period needed, and my first wearing was blissfully blister free (despite being a 17 hour day of walking about).
SO comfy, SO pracitcal (being one of my few pairs of Vogs that can go out in the rain :-{ ) and SO fun to wear!! Perfect on rainy summer days, cool evenings or anytime in between!
At the end of the world, THESE are the boots I hope I'm wearing ]:o)!!
On another note, I bought them through the Portland store and everyone was amazing. They went out of their way to ensure my experience was fabulous. Clearly John Fluevog makes awesome shoes and employs awesome staff! ,->
A dream come true.
Spoonfull of sugar.
They fit great. I have a slightly wider foot, and these were perfect!


text:
Family says West Nile virus suddenly killed Metro Detroit grandfather
84-year-old man suddenly fell ill, family says, died weeks later from West Nile virus
DETROIT – Lisa Saavedra held back tears as she talked about her grandfather, Genaro Saavedra.
"He was the one who put together everyone as a family," she said. "Hard to accept that he's gone."
Family members say Genaro was a healthy 84-year-old man who spent a lot of time working outside in his yard. However, just two weeks ago he fell sick.
"We weren't sure what was wrong with him," Lisa said. "He went into the hospital for a fever. We thought in a couple of days he would be out of the hospital."
Watch: CDC: 38 states have human West Nile Virus infections
Doctors didn't know what was wrong. Genaro was out of the hospital for just a few hours before his fever became worse. So, his granddaughters took him back to the hospital. After a few days, doctors at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit found Genaro had the West Nile virus.
West Nile virus: What you should know
"We never thought that it was the West Nile virus," said Alma Plancarte, Genaro's granddaughter. "It never crossed our minds. At first, they said it was pneumonia, then long infection, then meningitis."
Genaro died Aug. 19. It took the Saavedra family by surprise. They say it happened so fast. Just two weeks ago they had a very vibrant, active grandfather. Now, suddenly, his family is having to say goodbye.
"I'm comforted because he always lived the word of God, and I know he's in a better place," said Plancarte.
Genaro's funeral was Wednesday.
More: West Nile outbreak largest ever in U.S.
-- Genaro Saavedra as a young man.
Copyright 2012 by ClickOnDetroit.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


text:
Apple launched Safari 5 for Mac and Windows. In addition to a better support for HTML5 and a much faster JavaScript engine, Safari added an interesting feature for reading news articles and blog posts.
"Safari Reader removes annoying ads and other visual distractions from online articles. So you get the whole story and nothing but the story. It works like this: As you browse the web, Safari detects if you're on a web page with an article. Click the Reader icon in the Smart Address Field, and the article appears instantly in one continuous, clutter-free view. You see every page of the article — whether two or twenty. Onscreen controls let you email, print, and zoom."
The feature works well, but the "Reader" option is not always available. It's quite difficult to detect news articles and to extract their content, so Safari's heuristics are far from perfect. Safari Reader is especially useful for sites that split articles into multiple pages to increase the number of page views. Some of these sites offer a printer-friendly version of the article, but that's usually difficult to read.
If you're using Google Chrome, there's an extension called Readability Redux which offers similar features. Firefox users can install the Readability extension. Both extensions are based on the Readability project, whose goal is to make "reading on the Web more enjoyable by removing the clutter around what you're reading".


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2012 - Eurobarometer Survey - Crisis and economic governance V
This Eurobarometer survey on 'The crisis and the economic governance in Europe is the fifth carried out by the European Parliament. It was conducted by TNS opinion between 10 and 25 March...
PDF PowerPoint PPT ZIP (445 presentación) (287 Descargas)
2011 - Eurobarometer Survey - Europeans and the crisis III
This Eurobarometer survey on "Europeans and the crisis" is the third such survey realised by the European Parliament. The first one was carried out in January-February 2009, six months...
PDF PowerPoint PPT ZIP (477 presentación) (495 Descargas)
2010 - Eurobarometer Survey - Europeans and the crisis II
This survey of Europeans and the crisis is the second one instigated by the European Parliament. The first took place in January/February 2009, preceding the European elections of June...
PDF PowerPoint PPT ZIP (570 presentación) (725 Descargas)
2011 - Survey - Europeans and energy (part II)
This Eurobarometer of the European Parliament dedicated to energy follows a previous survey published in January 2011 in view of the European Council of 4 February (EB Standard 74.3)....
PDF PowerPoint PPT ZIP (594 presentación) (350 Descargas)
2011 - Survey - Parlemeter
At the mid-term 2009-2014, this new Parlemeter reviews the perception of Europeans on the European Parliament, policies and values they wish to see promoted and defended. The fieldwork...
PDF PowerPoint PPT ZIP (571 presentación) (490 Descargas)
2011 - Eurobarometer Survey - Europeans and the crisis IV
This EB/PE survey "Europeans and the crisis" was conducted by TNS Opinion between 3rd and 18th September 2011 on the basis of face to face interviews with 26.856 citizens aged over 15....
PDF PowerPoint PPT ZIP (707 presentación) (740 Descargas)
2011 - Survey - 100th anniversary of the International Women's day: Bridging the gender gap in the EU
This European Parliament survey was carried out from 21 February 2011 to 6 March 2011 by TNS Opinion on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of Women's day. This survey identifies...
PDF ZIP (397 presentación) (137 Descargas)
2012 - Eurobarometer Survey - Two years to go to the 2014 European Elections
Now that the 2014 European elections are within sight, it seemed appropriate to carry out a large-scale survey of Europeans' perceptions of the European Union, their knowledge of the...
PDF PowerPoint PPTX ZIP (311 presentación) (95 Descargas)
2011 - Eurobarometer Survey - European Year of Volunteering
On the initiative of the European Parliament, 2011 has been declared the 'Year of Volunteering', while 2012 will be the 'Year of Intergenerational Solidarity': two good reasons for the...
PDF PowerPoint PPT ZIP (727 presentación) (603 Descargas)
2012 - Survey - The gender inequalities in the European Union
This year, on International Women's Day (8 March), the European Parliament will be focusing on the pay gap between women and men. In this connection, Parliament asked TNS Opinion to...
PDF PowerPoint PPT ZIP (297 presentación) (136 Descargas)
2011 - Survey - The European Ombudsman and Citizens' Rights
Seventy-two percent (72%) of respondents say they do not feel informed about the Charter of Fundamental Rights. The Ombudsman, the other EU institutions, and the European Network of...
PDF ZIP (418 presentación) (353 Descargas)
2010 - Survey - The EP and the expectations of European citizens
This first, post-European elections standard "Parlemetre" functions as a primary post-electoral account of European citizens' perception of the European Parliament, and the image that the...
PDF ZIP (467 presentación) (415 Descargas)
2009 - Eurobarometer Survey - Post-electoral survey
This survey was conducted one week after the European elections held in June 2009. Over the period between 12 June and 6 July a total of 26 830 European citizens were interviewed in an...
PDF ZIP (665 presentación) (927 Descargas)
2009 - Eurobarometer Survey - Europeans at one month from the elections
This pre-electoral survey was carried out by TNS Opinion within the framework of the contract with the European Parliament as part of the invitation to tender for the "Electoral evening"....
PDF ZIP (756 presentación) (215 Descargas)
2015 - Survey - Desk research post-EE2014
A few months after the 2014 European elections, the time has come to examine in depth the reasons for abstention and participation. In this light, the DG Communication of the European...
PDF ZIP (420 presentación) (41 Descargas)
2013 - Survey - Women and Gender Inequalities in the Context of the Crisis
The European Parliament is dedicating International Women's Day on 8 March 2013 to the "women's response to the crisis". In this connection, the European Parliament asked TNS Opinion to...
PDF ZIP (421 presentación) (57 Descargas)
2009 - Eurobarometer Survey - Women and the European elections
To mark Women's Day and in view of the European elections which will take place from 4 - 7 June 2009, two Eurobarometer surveys have been especially dedicated to the attitudes and...
PDF ZIP (349 presentación) (171 Descargas)
2009 - Survey - Climate Change
In spring 2008, the Commission and the European Parliament launched a major survey on the European public's attitude to climate change (see EB 69.2). At the time, the Commission had just...
PDF ZIP (492 presentación) (118 Descargas)


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Saturday, December 22, 2012
Friday, December 21, 2012
"From The G-Man" to End Four-Year Run on 12/31
Inability to Obtain Advertisers, Donations Forces Shut Down
Yes, I'm afraid it's true. My dream of building one of the most popular independent news and information sites in America has come to an end. Due to a lack advertisers and/or donations, I can no longer continue to publish breaking or original news stories, special features and exclusive interviews or maintain the site's base of operations.
This decision was excruciatingly painful because I absolutely loved what I was doing, especially for young people that became fans of the site, but I was left with no choice.
In the nearly four years that From The G-Man has been operating, I have never received compensation or anything in the way of funding for the enormous amount of work generated on a daily basis. My goal has always been to obtain major advertisers, sponsors or substantial donations so I could pay myself a salary and manage the site as a full-time job. I held on to the belief that people of influence would take notice of my effort and help me in my quest to maintain my creation. For whatever reason, this never came to pass.
In 2011, I edited and published nearly 1,699 news stories. With under two weeks to go in 2012, I've already published 3,686 news items, which roughly breaks down to 10 news stories/features or more a day, every day, since the beginning of 2012! Moreover, this was accomplished with no staff!
Yes, I was solely responsible for analyzing and editing all news content provided by numerous sources, configuring HTML codes for all news videos that are posted, writing breaking and original news stories and exclusive features, and conceiving, editing, directing and writing all segments for "The G-Man Interviews" series.
The effort was painstaking, but I continued with the thought that if it happened for Matt Drudge and Arianna Huffington, it could happen for me, too. Again, for whatever reason, it never came to pass. Nonetheless, I thank Drudge and Huffington for serving as sources of inspiration.
On December 31, I will post a special farewell video in honor of all the people who stood by me and offered daily encouragement, moral support and praise. The undertaking has not been easy, but I have no regrets. Creating and managing this site has been one of the true highlights of my life, and maybe, just maybe, something will happen prior to December 31 that will allow From The G-Man to remain operational. After all, the Christmas season is a time of miracles, right? (Smiles) If not, I'll be happy knowing From The G-Man ended its run with the respect of many.....in and outside of the news industry.
Special acknowledgements to Tom Osborne, Les Payne, Mike Hodge, Herb Boyd and Jim Flink, five journalism greats that helped me stand strong during the storm.
This message is from the heart and.....from "The G-Man"
President Obama Responds to We the People Petitions Related to Gun Violence
In the days since the tragedy in Newtown, Americans from all over the country have called for action to deter mass shootings and reduce gun violence, and hundreds of thousands of people have signed petitions on whitehouse.gov's We the People platform. In this video message, President Obama responds, explaining a comprehensive effort to come up with a broader set of serious proposals and encouraging Americans to continue their participation in this important process.
West Wing Week: 12/21/12
This week, the President addressed the national tragedy in Newtown, Connecticut, and promised meaningful action to address gun violence, while the White House invited some of its newest Pinterest followers, and the President spread some holiday cheer.
Bill Moyers Essay: Remember The Victims, Reject The Violence
Moyers & Company
Air date: December 20, 2012
Bill urges us to remember the victims of the Newtown tragedy, to reject doubling down on guns and armor, and to work toward moral solutions.
Gun Violence Task Force
Air date: December 20, 2012
David Ingram talked about President Obama's for tightening gun control laws with or without congressional action, and he responded to telephone calls and electronic communications. He explained the gun violence task force President Obama announced the previous day, and reviewed the Justice Department's prior research into potential gun law changes.
R.I.P. Robert Bork (1927-2012)
Air date: December 19, 2012
Robert Bork gave an opening statement at his Supreme Court nomination hearing.
U.S. Gun Control Contends with State Laws
As more victims of the Newtown school shooting are laid to rest, there's been an increase in gun sales in some parts of the United States. President Barack Obama is promising stricter gun laws by early next year, but any federal effort could be at odds with laws in each state. Al Jazeera's John Hendren reports from Chicago.
South Africans Lose Patience with ANC Promises
Jacob Zuma is under pressure by South Africans to do things differently now after major disappointments in his first term as ANC leader. He has pledged to do more to end poverty in his country, but South African's are losing patience with the party's leaders despite support. Al Jazeera's Haru Mutasa reports from Bloemfontein in South Africa.
Clashes Erupt in Egypt Ahead of Crucial Vote
Clashes have broken out in northern Egypt between Islamist supporters and opponents of the country's highly contentious draft constitution. The two sides hurled rocks and stones at each other on Friday in the Mediterranean port city of Alexandria, prompting police to fire tear gas to separate them.
Iraqi Oil Boom Lures Foreign Investment
Iraq - once written off by foreign businesses - is now attracting them in large numbers. And oil is the main magnet. Al Jazeera's Jane Arraf reports from Baghdad on how the global financial turmoil is also working its way into the equation.
Russia's Putin Backs U.S. Adoption Ban
Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that a draft bill banning US adoptions of Russian children is a legitimate response to a new U.S. law that calls for sanctions on Russians deemed to be human rights violators. But he has not committed to signing it. At his annual marathon news conference on Thursday he said that the measure, which has received preliminary approval in parliament, is also a response to an alleged U.S. failure to protect the rights of adopted Russian children. Many Russians have been angered by cases of adopted children who have died or suffered abuse at the hands of their adopted parents. They also complain that US courts have been lax about punishing abusers. Robin Forestier Walker reports from Moscow.
Myanmar Opens Market to Foreign Investors
India is hosting a summit of South East Asian countries in an attempt to improve trade with the region, and Myanmar seems to be top of their agenda. During the summit, officials are expected to focus on building stronger economic ties with Myanmar. As Myanmar opens up to foreign investors, it is changing the lives of many of its citizens. Al Jazeera's Harry Fawcett reports from Yangon in Myanmar.
Thailand Migrant Workers Face Deportation
In Thailand, two million undocumented migrant workers are facing deportation after a registration deadline passed earlier this month. Many of them could not afford the increased application fees to be documented. Thailand's labor minister is seeking to delay deportations in a country that has a significant reliance on migrant workers. Al Jazeera Scott Heidler reports from the port town of Mahachai.
Thursday, December 20, 2012
Politics in Action: H.R. 6684
H.R. 6684 – Spending Reduction Act of 2012
(Rep. Cantor, R-VA)
The Administration strongly opposes H.R. 6684, the "Spending Reduction Act of 2012." The bill's unbalanced provisions fail the test of fairness and shared responsibility. At the same time that the House is advancing a bill to extend tax cuts for wealthy individuals while raising taxes on 25 million students and working families, H.R. 6684 would impose deep budget cuts that cost jobs and hurt middle class and vulnerable Americans – especially seniors, veterans, and children. The President has made clear that the Congress can and must act to avoid the sweeping impacts of sequestration by passing a balanced deficit reduction package.
The bipartisan Budget Control Act of 2011 (BCA) included a sequestration mechanism with mutually disagreeable cuts to both defense and non-defense funding. This sequestration, scheduled to occur on January 2, 2013, would have destructive effects on national security; on important domestic investments such as education, research and development, and rebuilding the Nation's crumbling infrastructure; and on core government programs from air traffic control to law enforcement. The threat of these destructive cuts under the BCA was intended to force action by the Congress on deficit reduction.
In contrast, the approach put forward in this bill, virtually identical to earlier legislation, eliminates the defense portion of the pending sequester and does so in a way that imposes far greater cuts in the non-defense part of the budget than the existing sequester would entail. H.R. 6684 would do nothing to address the reductions in discretionary spending and the sequestration in mandatory programs after 2013.
Rather than pursuing a comprehensive, balanced deficit reduction package to replace sequestration, H.R. 6684 undermines the intent of the BCA to bring both sides to compromise by proposing a short-term, one-sided solution. This approach sharply undermines critical domestic priorities, such as efforts to prevent hunger and support low-income families and communities; to make health care more affordable through the implementation of the health care law; to protect consumers and implement the Wall Street Reform Act; and to support homeowners struggling to stay in their homes. The Administration strongly opposes both the principles of this approach and specific legislative proposals included in the bill.
If the President were presented with H.R. 6684, he would veto the bill.
Vice President Biden Meets with Law Enforcement Leaders
Continue the Administration's work to develop policy proposals as part of the Administration's response to Newtown and other tragedies, Vice President Joe Biden meets with law enforcement leaders from across the country who are on the front lines every day protecting our communities to discuss an effective path forward, as well as Attorney General Eric Holder, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano, and Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius.
The Power of the Pen: New Bills Signed into Law
Statement by the Press Secretary on H.R. 2467, H.R. 2838, H.R. 3319, H.R. 4014, H.R. 4367, S. 1998, and S. 3542
On Thursday, December 20, 2012, the President signed into law:
H.R. 2467, the "Bridgeport Indian Colony Land Trust, Health, and Economic Development Act of 2012," which transfers approximately 39 acres of Federal land in Mono County, California, currently managed by the Bureau of Land Management, into trust status for the benefit of the Bridgeport Indian Colony;
H.R. 2838, the "Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Act of 2012," which authorizes FY 2013 and FY 2014 appropriations and amends laws related to the Coast Guard; authorizes FY 2013 appropriations and amends laws related to the Maritime Administration; and amends various other maritime-related provisions of law;
H.R. 3319, which amends current law to allow the Pascua Yaqui Tribe to determine the requirements for tribal membership;
H.R. 4014, which provides that legal privileges related to information are not waived: when information is submitted to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) in the course of any supervisory or regulatory process; nor when information is transferred by the CFPB to other Federal agencies;
H.R. 4367, which eliminates the requirement that automated teller machine (ATM) operators post notice of a service fee on or at the ATM equipment, while retaining the requirement that such a notice be posted on the ATM screen or by a paper notice issued from the ATM;
S. 1998, the "DHS Audit Requirement Target Act of 2012" or the "DART Act," which requires the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to: ensure that DHS consolidated financial statements are ready in a timely manner and in preparation for an audit as part of preparing required performance and accountability reports; and submit a report to the DHS Secretary and the Office of Management and Budget on its plans to obtain an unqualified opinion on the full set of financial statements; and
S. 3542, the "No-Hassle Flying Act of 2012," authorizes the Department of Homeland Security's Transportation Security Administration to determine whether checked baggage on flights originating at foreign airports that has been screened in accordance with an aviation security preclearance agreement must be re-screened in the United States by an explosives detection system before continuing on any additional flights.
New York to Conduct 'Moment of Silence' for Newtown Victims
Event Will Take Place the Morning of December 21st
New York State will observe a moment of silence on Friday, December 21, 2012 at 9:30 AM in remembrance of the victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Newtown, CT.
"Last Friday, 26 innocent lives were lost to a senseless and horrific act of violence," said Governor Cuomo.
"One week later, we will honor those victims—many of whom were young children—with a moment of silence. Our thoughts and prayers are with the people of Newtown as we continue to mourn the loss of these precious lives. During this time of tragedy, I, along with all New Yorkers, stand together with Governor Malloy and the people of Connecticut to remember the victims and help bear the pain of their community."
This week, Governor Cuomo received a letter from Governor Malloy asking New York to join Connecticut in honoring the victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting.
In addition, Governor Cuomo has requested that places of worship and government buildings in New York that have the capability, to ring bells twenty-six times in honor of each life that was lost at Sandy Hook Elementary School.
Susan Ferrechio on Fiscal Cliff Negotiations
Air date: December 20, 2012
Susan Ferrechio spoke by phone about negotiations on the "fiscal cliff" impending tax increases and budget cuts at the end of 2012 if Congress failed to reach a budget agreement.*She also previewed the House vote later in the day on Speaker Boehner's "Plan B" proposal to avoid the "fiscal cliff."
Today in History: December 20th
On this day in history: Completion of the Louisiana Purchase; South Carolina becomes first state to secede from the north; Preview of "It's a Wonderful Life."
Life Goes on Despite 'Mayan Apocalypse'
Thousands of tourists are flocking to Mexico's Yucatan peninsula to be part of the so-called "Mayan Apocalypse". Many of them believe the world is coming to an end this Friday, when a major cycle of the Mayan calendar ends. Some say the 5000-year-old Mayan civilization is entering a new era. So what do the Mayan people think themselves? Al Jazeera's David Mercer visited a Guatemalan highland village to find out.
South Africa Struggles to Transform Education
Almost twenty years since the end of apartheid, education in South Africa remains unequal. The ruling party the African National Congress is struggling to provide quality education to all children. Haru Mutasa reports from Johannesburg, South Africa.
Hundreds of Doomsdayers Arrested in China
Nearly a thousand people, including members of a banned Christian group, have been arrested in China for allegedly spreading end of the world rumors a state-owned newspaper is reporting. More than 400 members of the "Almighty God," were detained in the northwest province of Qinghai, the China Daily said on Thursday. Another 350 people were also arrested in the southwestern province of Guizhou. Al Jazeera's Omar Saleh reports.
South Korea's Park Vows More Diplomacy with North
South Korea's first female president-elect is promising a new era for the Korean peninsula. Conservative Park Geun-hye also says that North Korea's recent rocket launch shows the grave security situation in the area. Al Jazeera's Harry Fawcett reports from Seoul.
Australia Gun Laws Set Example to U.S.
A shooter killed 35 people in a single day in a 1996 shooting spree at a popular tourist spot in Tasmania. The Australian government seized this tragedy to bring in tough new gun control laws. The country does not have the world's toughest gun laws, nor the lowest rate of gun-crime. However, the chance of being murdered is one-thirtieth of that of the United States. Al Jazeera's Andrew Thomas reports from Sydney.
More Attacks on Polio Workers in Pakistan
Armed men have killed three more people working on a polio vaccination campaign in Pakistan, officials said, as the nationwide drive against the crippling disease suffered a third day of bloodshed. A female health worker and her driver were shot dead in Charsadda, near Peshawar, the main town of northwest Pakistan, police official Wajid Khan told AFP news agency on Wednesday. A second police officer confirmed the incident. Another worker shot and critically wounded in an earlier attack on the outskirts of Peshawar also died, doctor Ahmad Saqlain of the city's Lady Reading Hospital said. Al Jazeera's Imtiaz Tyab reports from Islamabad.
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
Diplomatic Corps Holiday Reception
President Obama delivers remarks at the Diplomatic Corps Holiday Reception at the State Department.
President Obama Speaks on Preventing Gun Violence
President Obama delivers a statement from the Brady Press Briefing Room about the policy process the Administration will pursue in the wake of the Newtown tragedy to reduce and prevent gun violence. President Obama also answered questions from the press about the fiscal cliff negotiations.
Politics in Action: H.J. Res. 66
House Amendment to the Senate Amendment to
H.J. Res. 66 – Middle Class Tax Cut Act
(Rep. Boehner, R-OH)
The Administration strongly opposes House passage of the Middle Class Tax Cut Act (the Congressional Republican "Plan B" legislation), which would continue large tax cuts for the very wealthiest individuals while raising taxes on 25 million students and working families by an average of $1,000 each. In addition, the House amendment would immediately cut off unemployment assistance to two million Americans struggling to find a job, end critical tax incentives for the Nation's businesses such as the Research and Experimentation tax credit, and cut reimbursements for doctors treating Medicare patients. The deficit reduction is minimal and accomplished solely through tax increases, with no spending cuts. This approach does not meet the test of balance.
The House amendment would extend all of the high-income tax cuts on the first $1 million of annual income. The legislation would continue large tax cuts for the very wealthiest individuals – on average, these individuals would see a tax break of $50,000. Under the Middle Class Tax Cut Act, 25 million working families – including tens of millions of parents of children and millions of college students, all of whom earn less than $250,000 a year – would see their taxes increase next year by an average of $1,000 each. Additionally, two million Americans trying to find jobs would lose their emergency unemployment benefits in January. The House amendment would fail to continue critical tax incentives for business and would heighten uncertainty for families and businesses by leaving in place the threat of default on the national debt. The deep and indiscriminate spending cuts under sequestration would be allowed to take effect in January, undermining national security and devastating key national priorities like research and education. In addition, reimbursements for doctors seeing Medicare patients would be cut by nearly one-third.
The Administration believes this moment presents an opportunity to reach a significant, balanced deal that is good for American families, the economy, and the Nation's future. In contrast to the minimal and unbalanced deficit reduction envisioned by the Middle Class Tax Cut Act, the President has offered a balanced, reasonable proposal that achieves significant deficit reduction and reflects real compromise on revenue increases and spending cuts. The parameters of a deal are clear, and the Administration is willing to continue to work with Republicans to reach a bipartisan solution that averts the fiscal cliff, protects the middle class, helps the economy, and puts the Nation on a fiscally sustainable path.
The Administration will not accept a deal that asks too little of the very wealthiest to increase revenue and instead shifts the burden to the middle class and seniors. Instead of working together to find a balanced approach that can pass both Houses of the Congress, the House amendment will not protect middle class families and does little to address the Nation's fiscal challenges as it includes no spending cuts. The Administration believes that it can work together with the Congress to resolve remaining differences and not miss this opportunity to avert the fiscal cliff.
If the President were presented with the House amendment to the Senate amendment to H.J. Res. 66, he would veto this legislation.
Addabbo on OTB Retirees: 'They Need and Deserve Our Help'
Senator Responds to Governor Cuomo's Veto of OTB Retirees Benefits Bill
New York State Senator Joseph Addabbo, Jr. (D-Queens) today issued the following statement on the Governor's veto.
I strongly disagree with the governor's veto yesterday of the OTB retirees benefits bill. When these retirees took employment with the New York City OTB, they did their jobs, paid their taxes, raised their families, contributed to our economy and had every expectation they would continue to receive the health coverage promised to them. That all ended when the OTB went bankrupt, leaving some 1,000 dedicated former employees with a broken promise and no health care coverage. It was a travesty then, and it's a travesty now.
Some of these retirees are now paying thousands of dollars out of pocket for private health care coverage, often exceeding their pension payments. Others are simply going without health care, which should cause a greater health care concern for the state. I am deeply saddened that this legislation, which would have provided a desperately needed solution for these retirees, has once again failed to clear the governor's desk.
In both the New York City Council and the New York State Senate, I have been in the position to make very hard decisions in the face of serious economic downturns. Right now, in the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy, our economy has clearly taken another beating, which is second only in its seriousness to the utter devastation suffered by the storm victims, many of whom live in my district.
However, even during our worst fiscal times, I--and many of my colleagues in government—had tried our best to spare our most vulnerable residents from further harm when we were charged with making tough choices to address our economic woes. The OTB retirees fall into that category and they need and deserve our help.
While I am greatly disappointed that the OTB retiree legislation has been vetoed, I will continue my efforts to ensure that this issue is dealt with in our state budget, so that our state can honor its promise to these retirees.
Image courtesy of http://vernondownscasino.blogspot.com.
In Memoriam....Sgt. 1st Class Kevin E. Lipari
Died in Logar Province, Afghanistan
Governor Andrew Cuomo has directed that flags on state government buildings be flown at half-staff on Friday, December 21, 2012 in honor of a soldier from Baldwin who died Dec. 14 in Logar Province, Afghanistan.
Sgt. 1st Class Kevin E. Lipari, 39 as assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Company of the 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team, based in Bamberg, Germany.
"On behalf of all New Yorkers, I send my deepest sympathy to the friends, family, and fellow soldiers of Sgt. 1st Class Lipari," Governor Cuomo said.
"We regret his death, but we will remember and honor his service to our nation and his dedication to duty."
From The G-Man would like to take this opportunity to honor Sgt. 1st Class Kevin E. Lipari, his love of country, and his service with the following video tribute. May he forever rest in peace.
Folded flag image courtesy of http://www.ussmtmckinley.com.
Photo courtesy of http://freedomremembered.com.
Video uploaded to YouTube by moderatepopulist
Photo courtesy of http://freedomremembered.com.
Video uploaded to YouTube by moderatepopulist
The Power of the Pen: New Bills Signed into Law
Statement by the Press Secretary on H.R. 3187, H.R. 6582 and S. 3486
On Tuesday, December 18, 2012, the President signed into law:
H.R. 3187, the "March of Dimes Commemorative Coin Act of 2012," which requires the Department of the Treasury to mint and issue coins in recognition of the March of Dimes;
H.R. 6582, the "American Energy Manufacturing Technical Corrections Act," which modifies the Energy Policy and Conservation Act, with regard to energy efficiency standards for appliances and National Energy Conservation Policy Act provisions on advanced electricity metering; and
S. 3486, the "Patent Law Treaties Implementation Act of 2012," which amends Federal patent law to implement two treaties: the Geneva Act of the Hague Agreement Concerning the International Registration of Industrial Designs, which would allow an applicant to obtain an international registration of an industrial design with a single application; and the Patent Law Treaty, which would harmonize and streamline various formal procedures related to patent applications and patents.
NY Offers Tax Relief and Support for Sandy Victims
State Tax Department Adopting Measures to Cover Late Filings and Provide Support to Businesses
On December 18, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced a series of tax relief measures for New Yorkers still recovering from Hurricane Sandy.
Under the new measures outlined by the Governor, New Yorkers affected by the storm will have their tax returns counted as on-time even if they file late, businesses temporarily relocating to New York to help with recovery efforts will not have to pay several state taxes, and employers will be granted a tax exemption for the value of leave they donate to Hurricane Sandy relief efforts.
"We are delivering tax support and relief to the many New Yorkers who are still rebuilding following Hurricane Sandy's unprecedented devastation," Governor Cuomo said.
"These provisions will help affected individuals and business, as well as many of those providing assistance to New Yorkers, during this time of recovery."
The guidelines and details on eligibility for each of these relief provisions can be found on the State Tax Department's Hurricane Sandy Tax Relief web page.
Late Returns
The Tax Department will treat returns and payments that are late due to Hurricane Sandy as filed on time – and they won't be subject to penalty and interest.
The process is very easy for impacted taxpayers. When online filers start to enter their return, they'll be asked whether it is late or incomplete for the following taxes: sales tax, highway use tax, metropolitan commuter transportation mobility tax, and withholding tax (Form NYS-45). Paper filers simply need to write "Hurricane Sandy" at the top of the return in large letters.
Temporary Relocation
Businesses and individuals relocating to the State on a temporary basis as a result of the storm won't be assessed corporate taxes, withholding taxes and personal income taxes.
Typically, the taxes would be triggered based on corporate nexus and/or employees located in New York. The policy covers the period from October 26 through December 31, 2012.
Leave Donation
When employers adopt an approved Leave Donation Program, employees can forgo vacation, sick, or personal leave in exchange for cash payments to qualified tax-exempt organizations engaged in the Sandy relief effort. Employees are not required to include such payments for income tax purposes.
The policy applies to payments made before January 1, 2014 and aligns with federal regulations issued by the IRS (IRS Notice 2012-69).
Toy-Giving Drive to Benefit Families Affected by Hurricane Sandy
Drop-Off Locations Set Up Across the State to Help Bring Holiday Cheer
An on-going statewide holiday giving drive has been enacted to benefit families hit hard by Hurricane Sandy.
The Office of General Services (OGS) has set up drop-off locations across the state for businesses and individuals to bring the toys which will be distributed to children in communities affected by the storm.
Governor Andrew Cuomo will visit affected areas to deliver toys and other donated supplies.
"In times of hardship, New Yorkers have always come together to support their neighbors and lend a hand to those in need," Governor Cuomo said.
"By donating a toy, all New Yorkers have a chance to bring some much-needed holiday cheer to a child in a community that was devastated by Hurricane Sandy."
Several toy producers and companies have agreed to join the Toy Drive. Toys R Us is providing $5,000 worth of gift cards to purchase toys, and Carnegie Hall has agreed to donate 200 musical toys. The Toy Drive began last week.
The drop-off locations are as follows:
Alfred E. Smith Building
80 South Swan Street, Albany NY
New York State Capitol
Washington Avenue, Albany NY
Empire State Plaza Main Concourse
Empire State Plaza, Albany NY
Harriman Campus Building 8
Harriman Campus, 1220 Washington Ave., Albany 12226
Harriman Campus Building 12
Harriman Campus, 1220 Washington Ave., Albany 12226
Senator Hughes State Office Building
333 E. Washington Street, Syracuse NY 13202
Dulles State Office Building
317 Washington Street, Watertown NY 13601
Perry B. Duryea State Office Building
250 Veterans Memorial Highway, Hauppauge, NY 11788
Adam Clayton Powell Jr. State Office Building
163 West 125th Street, New York NY 10027
Shirley A. Chisholm State Office Building
55 Hanson Place, Brooklyn NY 11217
328 State Street
328 State Street, Schenectady NY 12305
NYS Lottery Office
One Broadway Center, Schenectady NY 12305
NYS Dept of Transportation
50 Wolf Road, Albany, NY 12205
NYS Environmental Conservation
625 Broadway, Albany, NY 12233
Eleanor Roosevelt State Office Building
4 Burnett Blvd, Poughkeepsie, NY 12603
Image courtesy of http://www.freeclipartnow.com.
Will the U.S. Ever Change its Gun Laws?
Barack Obama, the U.S. president, has had to make speeches like this three times already during his tenure, consoling communities where mass killings had taken place.
The said mass murders took place in Tucson in Arizona, Fort Hood in Texas and Aurora in Colorado.
But it was only after last week's killing of 20 children aged six and seven in Connecticut that Obama said it was time for action.
Facebook Co-Founder Tackles Print Media
29-year-old Chris Hughes co-founded Facebook, helped coordinate Obama's online campaign for presidency and now he's taking on print media. Hughes speaks to the "CBS This Morning" co-hosts about his risky new venture.
Nelson Mandela's Health Improving After Hospitalization
Doctors say former South African President Nelson Mandela is making sufficient progress as he recovers from treatment for a lung infection and gallstones. Mark Phillips reports.
Senate Majority Leader Reid on Fiscal Cliff Negotiations
Air date: December 18, 2012
Senate Republicans on Fiscal Cliff Negotiations
Air date: December 18, 2012
Today in History: December 19th
President Bill Clinton impeached; General George Washington opens camp at Valley Forge; Charles Dickens' novel "A Christmas Carol" is first published; Apollo 17 splashes down in the Pacific Ocean; 'The Music Man' opens on Broadway.
Obama Backs Assault Weapons Ban
The White House has said that President Barack Obama is "actively supportive" of efforts in the U.S. Congress to reinstate an assault weapons ban. White House spokesman Jay Carney said on Tuesday that Obama would also support legislation to close the gun show "loophole", which allows people to buy guns from private dealers without background checks. The president has pledged to address gun violence in the coming weeks following Friday's deadly shooting at a Connecticut elementary school that killed 26 people, including 20 children and six adults. Al Jazeera's Patty Culhane reports.
Benghazi Attack Report Slams U.S. State Department
A government appointed panel has accused the U.S. State Department of not doing enough to protect its diplomats in Libya. The panel investigated a series of attacks on the US mission in Benghazi in September, including one that killed the US ambassador to Libya and three members of his staff. But firing someone was not on the panel's list of 29 recommendations. Al Jazeera's Rosiland Jordan reports from Washington.
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Big Ten Morning Five: 03.23.12 EditionPosted by Ryan Terpstra on March 23rd, 2012
- Bad news for Big Ten fans last night, as Michigan State fell to Louisville, 57-44. Not only were the Spartans the best chance for the conference to claim a national championship, they also became the first #1 seed to fall. Michigan State looked sloppy and out of sync all game long, thanks to the swarming pressure defense of the Cardinals, and also the shot-blocking presence of Gorgui Dieng, who swatted 7 shots. Many other stats were disappointing for Spartan fans to look at, including the final score, 44, which is the lowest total point output by a 1-seed in the college basketball shot clock era.
- One Spartan who had a game to forget was sophomore point guard Keith Appling. Appling scored just one basket, and had four turnovers, struggling withe the Louisville pressure. Following the game, Appling was dejected in the locker room, with the realization of how quickly fortunes can change in the NCAA tournament washing over him. He'll be expected to lead the transition out of the Draymond Green era next season, so hopefully Appling doesn't keep his head down for long.
- Wisconsin came oh-so-close to upsetting Syracuse, but the Badgers fell just short, as Jordan Taylor and Josh Gasser could not covert last-second attempts. Wisconsin was able to slow the pace down, as evidence by the 64-63 score, but the Badgers also ruled the three-point line, knocking down 14 of 27 for a stunning 52% from beyond the arc. It wasn't enough though, as Dion Waiters scored 13 points, and also had some key baskets down the stretch that helped the Orange hold on.
- The Big Ten only had one successful team on the evening, and that was Ohio State, who's win over Cincinnati put the Big ten at 1-2 on the night (against the Big East no less), but more importantly sent the Buckeyes to the Elite Eight, a place they haven't been since the school went to the Final Four in 2007. Things looked dicey as Ohio State coughed up a 10-point halftime lead five minutes into the second half. But Thad Motta's crew collected themselves, and behind 26 points from Deshaun Thomas, Ohio State guaranteed the conference will have Elite Eight representation.
- As brackets continue to bust this weekend, Nebraska basketball fans are keeping tabs on a quiet coaching search taking place in Lincoln. No big names are linked to the Husker jobs, but that doesn't mean the search lacks for interesting candidates. Colorado State head coach Tim Miles is a name that not many have talked about, but after taking his Rams to the NCAA tournament and helping turn around that program, he seems like a good fit for a struggling Nebraska.