text:
Seeking the ultimate 'redress of grievances'
Aug 5, 2014
By Gene Policinski
Inside the First Amendment
How does the First Amendment get caught up in a controversial death penalty case where the means of execution — not the conviction — was the final issue?
The answer is "the right to petition." The least-known of the five freedoms of the First Amendment, it's most often associated with individuals, groups or lobbyists. Petition provides each of us the power to ask our government "for redress of grievances."
Joseph Wood was executed on July 23 for the 1989 murders of his estranged girlfriend Debra Dietz, and her father Eugene Dietz. Wood's death attracted national attention because he took more than two hours to die after receiving a lethal injection of two chemicals — and it was that process that was the focus of Wood's First Amendment argument.
In the days before his death, Wood cited a series of U.S. Supreme Court decisions that set out the public's right to observe court proceedings and executions, and to have certain kinds of access to public records, seeking details about Arizona's latest plan for lethal injections, the suppliers of the drugs and handling after manufacture, and the qualifications of those participating in the execution.
Death penalty opponents hope to find flaws in the execution process, and in particular the experimental "cocktails" of lethal drugs now being used in the latest executions. They may use such information to raise claims that the method, or the death penalty itself, violates the Eighth Amendment's prohibition of "cruel and unusual punishments."
Wood's legal challenge was rejected by a district court, but the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals issued a stay, saying he at least raised a valid legal question. However, the Supreme Court refused to consider Wood's petition and the execution proceeded.
"Petition" follows last in the public's collective memory behind the other core rights protected by the First Amendment: religion, speech, press and assembly. In the 2014 "State of the First Amendment" survey released last month, just under one-third of Americans could not name a single freedom, and of those who could, just one percent identified "petition."
But the roots of our right to petition are deep, going all the way back to the Magna Carta, which in 1215 established the right of 25 noblemen to seek relief from the King for perceived injustices, without fear of punishment. In 1689, that freedom was formally extended to all, in the English Bill of Rights.
Ironically, it was that "every Englishman's right to petition" that was embodied in 1776 in the U.S. colonies' Declaration of Independence, which took King George III to task in 27 separate indictments according to the Encyclopedia of the First Amendment.
In the U.S., petition was confirmed as a basic right in 1876 in United States v. Cruickshank, when the Supreme Court observed that "the very idea of a government, republican in form, implies a right on the part of its citizens to meet peaceably for consultation in respect to public affairs and to petition for a redress of grievances."
While many Americans may think of "petition" only in terms of a paper with signatures, it's much more — in substance and practice. Among the first uses in the U.S. were signed petitions in the early 1800s against slavery. But the right encompasses demonstrations and protests, lobbying and individual letters to public officials.
Which brings us back to Wood's novel use of the First Amendment in challenging his execution. In effect, his argument was that in order to effectively challenge the government's plans, he needed full and complete disclosure of records and information associated with government's process — an argument, absent the inherent drama built into capital punishment cases, that is a fundamental principle of Freedom of Information laws.
And like its "partner-in-law" the freedom of assembly and other amendments in the U.S. Bill of Rights, petition is non-partisan: We need only look to modern day efforts like the Tea Party protests and Occupy Movement demonstrations to see the scope of fellow citizens intent on telling government officials what changes should be made or decisions reversed.
In the end, the First Amendment won't settle the controversy over the death penalty. But as the nation's founders intended, the core freedoms it protects can provide the means for the self-governed to effectively debate and decide issues facing our nation.
Gene Policinski is chief operating officer of the Newseum Institute and senior vice president of the Institute's First Amendment Center. He can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.com.

subset: commoncrawl


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Sometimes people get in trouble, and the only thing they can do in this case is to borrow some cash. But what should those who have a bad credit history do? In most situations, they cannot get approved in financial organizations when they send their applications there. The best solution for these individuals is to get Indiana Payday loans. This way of getting cash isn't the same as a conventional option, and companies that work in this industry don't require much information about their borrowers. Furthermore, most of these lenders don't pay much attention to their credit history. And to get approved for the application sent to the lender online, users should spend waiting no longer than 10 minutes.
General data about Payday loans in Indiana online
American Payday loans Indiana IN are the quickest solution for those individuals who are suffering from a lack of money and need cash for some urgent reasons. In most cases, this type of borrowing is used before the next payday. This option can be more beneficial than other ways of getting money, especially if the sum is needed for a limited period because most of the alternatives are aimed to help people who want to borrow cash for a longer time (for several months or even years). Furthermore, other options allow getting cash only for some weeks, and they are called payday loans. With this type of loan, borrowers can require the sum that is from $300 to $500, and they have to repay the money from 30 to 45 days. However, in case if you need more cash for a longer time but don't want to be charged with more interests, you should pay attention to another alternative called Indiana Payday loans.
This's a way to secure the repayment of their loans to the lender. Since here's such big collateral, companies can give larger sums of money to their clients because if the borrower doesn't pay off in time, he will have to give away his property.
One more reason why the best Payday loans in Indiana IN are so frequently used is the fact that, in most cases, they don't look at credit history. That's why even those applications are approved that are sent by people having a bad credit history. However, it's recommended to avoid those organizations that mention on their websites that it's guaranteed that there's no credit check. According to the law, it's illegal to write such information to the public. It means that the lender can lie to the borrowers cooperating with it.
Simple instruction for getting online Payday loans in Indiana IN
As it's mentioned above, to fill out the form, the borrower doesn't have to visit the office of the lender and can do the whole process online. That's why getting money will have to spend only several minutes. To make the procedure even faster, recommended to follow this simple instruction:
- Choose a particular company. Since there's a high demand for Indiana Payday loans, there're dozens of organizations in the state that offer such services. That's why the borrower has to be careful when he is looking for the lender. To make sure that the company works legally, he ought to pay attention to these aspects:
- How much money the company can lend to the borrower;
- The time borrowers have to pay off;
- How the website of the lender works (all of the processes, including repayments,is done via the borrower's personal account. That's why if he wants to do everything quickly, he needs to understand if the interface of the service suits him);
- What other borrowers think about the service (read reviews published by those people who have already borrowed money from this lender, and find out if the company keeps the promises it gives on the website).
- After realizing which organization is the best to get American Payday loans Indiana IN, the borrower needs to fill out the application. One of the most reasons to choose this option of getting money is the fact that it takes only several minutes to do this step because one doesn't have to provide much information about himself to get approved for the loan. The list of data required by a particular company can be different, and to look at all of the conditions, it's better to visit a specific section of the service. However, in most cases, the information includes:
- Contacts (email address or telephone number);
- How much money the borrower wants to get;
- State of residence (Indiana).
Contacts are needed to confirm that this is a real person who has filled out the application. It's needed to make sure that this individual will be able to pay off his credit on the due date.
- The borrower has to wait for the approval. In most cases, this step can take from three to five minutes. However, to avoid any hesitation from the lender, it's recommended to send the application from Monday to Friday during working hours.
- The sum of the loan will come to the borrower's active bank account on the next business day if there aren't any problems.
People allowed getting Payday loans Indiana
Although most of the applications are approved by the companies offering affordable Payday loans Indiana IN, there're still some requirements for the borrowers. The list of these conditions can be different for each lender. However, in most cases, organizations want people who fill out the forms:
- To be adults (for borrowers living in Indiana, people have to be at least 18 years old or more to get cash);
- To be residents of the state (Indiana) and have a permanent place to live in this area (some companies require to send them documents that can confirm this information);
- To get a steady income for at least half a year (it's available to be employed for the same organization or to be self-employed for six months or more);
- To have an active bank account (it's not possible to use a new account, and it's allowed to get money on the account that belongs to the person who borrows money);
- To be citizens of the USA or have permission to stay in this country for a long period.
These requirements are used by almost all well-known lenders. However, they can be changed by a particular company. To find out the list of conditions of the lender you have chosen, you ought to visit its website and go to a specific section that includes all of the legal documents provided to the public. Then you have to find out the document called Terms and Conditions, where this information is demonstrated.
People who can be declined for Payday loans in Indiana IN
Even though there's a low risk that the lender will decline the application for Indiana Payday loans, there are still some situations when you can be unapproved to get the sum you require. Different companies can decline forms because of different reasons. The whole list of why it happens is published on the website of the organization you have chosen. Nevertheless, the main reasons why companies decline applications are:
- Incorrect data. It's better to check twice before sending the for to avoid any mistakes.
- A bank account belongs to another person. It's impossible to use an account that was opened by someone else even if this is your close relative's one.
- You have a steady income, but the sum isn't enough. Most of the lenders require to have at least $500 to get Payday loans in Indiana IN.
- You haven't provided any documents that can confirm that the care you use as collateral belongs to you.
Moreover, in some organizations, lenders draw much attention to their borrowers' credit history. In case if you are bankrupt, there's a risk that you will get declined because most of the companies try to avoid cooperating with people who won't be able to return the money in time. To understand if the borrower is bankrupt, some lenders use a score. It consists of different criteria that include Bad Credit and Good Credit. Such information should be published on the website of the lender. If you have some problems with your credit history, it's recommended to avoid sending applications to this type of lender. It will help you avoid some unexpected declines.
The main reasons to choose Payday loans in Indiana IN
Even though Payday loans Indiana isn't a recent invention, and they have been used by people for dozens of years, there're still some individuals who are afraid to get money this way. They believe that this option isn't safe, and it's better to borrow money from other financial organizations. However, in most cases, this option is more profitable than conventional loans. The main essential reasons to get Payday loans instead of other ones is demonstrated in this list.
America Payday loans Indiana IN are safe
Most of the lenders that have been in this industry for years draw much attention to their borrowers' safety. In this case, these companies don't require much information about their clients. To avoid any hackers or third parties who can steal the information, lenders utilize the most profitable systems of encryption. Nevertheless, if you want to avoid any unexpected situations, it's not recommended to use public WiFi when you are filling out the application for Payday loans in Indiana or paying off.
Indiana affordable Payday loans are a fast solution
People who choose to visit the bank to get cash have to wait to fill out the form. Moreover, these companies require much information from their clients. That's why it will be more complicated to get approved for the loan, especially for individuals who have a bad credit history. Furthermore, all of the applications are checked manually. That's why you will have to spend several hours waiting for the decision.
If you choose the second option, you only need to spend time choosing a particular lender. You won't have to ask for some help to understand how the main features work because most of the websites have user-friendly interfaces. So, filling out the form will take you only 3 minutes. One more reason why it's quicker is that you will get your money on the next business day.
No hidden fees
People who get easy Payday loans Indiana IN are always aware of the sum they have to pay off. To understand how much money they are required, they should visit their account. To repay loans, borrowers can use different options that include:
- Full payment (this is a way when you pay off the whole sum on the due date);
- Early payment (you return money earlier than it's required by the documents).
- If you don't want to pay off more interests, it's recommended to use the second option. In this case, you will have to repay only for days when you were using the loan.
Client support
As it's mentioned above, most of the websites of the lenders have an easy to use interface. That's why you can do everything on the service without any help. However, if you have any issues, you should visit the section where the main questions are answered.
If you haven't found how to solve your problems there, you can contact the client support team. This's a group of people who are dedicated to this industry. That's why they can offer you professional support and find out how to solve your problems in several minutes.
It's possible to cancel Indiana Payday loans
If you have found out that you don't need the money anymore only after receiving the loan on your bank account, it's allowed to cancel the loan. You can do it in the next 3 days. In this case, the only thing you ought to do is to contact the representatives of the lender and to send your request. However, you should never forget that you will need to return the sum quickly.


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- Home
- Departments
- Municipal Court
- Court Information
- Court Procedures
Court Procedures
Municipal Court Procedures for Adults
Prepared and distributed by the Texas Municipal Courts Education Center (TMCEC). The TMCEC is funded by a grant from the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals.
This information is designed to provide information about criminal court proceedings. It is not a substitute for legal advice from a licensed attorney.
If you have questions about your best course of action, what plea you should enter, your rights or the consequence of a conviction of the offense for which you are charged, you should contact an attorney. Neither the clerk, judge, nor prosecutor can give you legal advice.
Your Rights
Under our American system of justice, all persons are presumed to be innocent until proven guilty. The state must prove you guilty beyond a reasonable doubt of the offense with which you are charged. Every criminal defendant has the right to remain silent and refuse to testify (without consequences).
You have the right to retain an attorney and have them try your case or answer your questions. Since offenses in this court are punishable only by fine and not by incarceration, you do not have the right to appointed counsel.
You have the right to a jury trial. You may waive a jury trial and have a trial before the judge, commonly called a "bench trial." If you elect to represent yourself, no person other than an attorney can assist you during a trial.
At trial you have many rights including:
- The right to have notice of the complaint not later than the day before any proceedings in the prosecution
- The right to inspect the complaint before trial, and have it read to you at the trial
- The right to hear all testimony introduced against you
- The right to cross-examine witnesses who testify against you
- The right to testify on your own behalf
- The right not to testify (your refusal to do so may not be held against you in determining your innocence or guilt)
- You may call witnesses to testify on your behalf at the trial, and have the court issue a subpoena (a court order) to any witnesses to ensure their appearance at the trial
Juveniles in Municipal Court
The court follows different procedures for juveniles. View the juvenile procedures.


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Written by: Thunder Levin
Directed by: Anthony C. Ferrante
Starring: Ian Ziering, Tara Reid, and Vivica A. Fox
Reviewed by: Brett Gallman
"Even the Sharknadoes are tougher in New York."
You only have to look as far as the title of Sharknado 2 to figure out if the Asylum and Syfy pumped any more effort into this sequel: not only did it turn to its social media audience (for whom this franchise has seemingly been primed because theyre the sort of films no one is meant to watch without ironic commentary) , but it also settled on the most banal subtitle imaginable because, you know, thats the point: this movie is predestined to be terrible, so we might as well announce it by calling it The Second One. It cant sound more obligatory than that.
But rather than harp on how the existence of these artificial monstrosities bugs me, Ill be as positive as I can possibly be, at least up front: yes, Sharknado 2 is an improvement over the original, much in the same way a kick in the gut might be better than a kick to the teeth. At least it doesnt hurt to laugh a little at this one, which actually earns a handful of chuckles and goes a bit more all-in on the ludicrous concept.
But dont get me wrong: it still mostly sucks for many of the same reasonsit just sucks a tiny bit less. This time, the action shifts to New York, as the previous films survivors (Ian Ziering and Tara Reid) head to the Big Apple to visit family. Before they can even arrive, their airplane is caught in another sharknado; after a miraculous landing, they hit the city only to learn that an even bigger storm system is imminent, so the group of friends and extended family are forced to scurry about town in order to survive.
If nothing else, I suppose Sharknado 2 tries the tiniest bit harder, at least in terms of going way over the top early and often enough that it moves along at a reasonable clip. Granted, a lot of it is base and obvious humor in the way of stunt-casting (this is a veritable parade of celebrities ranging from Subway Jared to Al Roker to Kurt Angle) and completely absurd sequences (including one where Ziering plays Frogger with sharks, and, yes, they point out that he jumped the shark, which would be funny if this particular franchise hadnt already skyrocketed over the shark upon arrival). The film shares a lot of DNA with Machete Kills, which isnt a flattering comparison since that film confirmed just how out-of-touch Robert Rodriguez is with this grindhouse throwback monstrosity he co-created; where his Machete struck a nice balance between tongue-in-cheek humor and a real commitment towards making a bloody romp, the sequel feels more like the dumb, outrageously cheap, lazy cash-ins that believe exploitation films are inherently bad yuk-fests.
Forgive the tangent, but Sharknado is exactly like that is what Im saying. By now, Ive ranted against these types of films enough, but it bears repeating: movies like Sharknado 2 suck because its paradoxically trying too hard by not trying hard enough, at least as it pertains to stuff that really matters, like effects work, cinematography, editing, and writing (read: filmmaking). Making a movie like Sharknado is easy if youre going to skimp on the effects and make that the butt of an easy joke. I submit that the real challenge would be making a movie like Sharknado and giving enough of a shit to make it decent without so much as blinking or expecting your audience to mock it for its badness. I almost cant wait to live in a post-ironic world where someone attempts to earnestly reboot Sharknado into a good movie. Or maybe that would actually be the height of irony. This is can be exhausting.
But in the interest in meeting Sharknado halfway (or like nine-tenths of the way), Ill commend it on its flashes mediocrity. A recurring gag involving the Weather Channel and the Today Show providing completely deadpan updates about the situation; in the wake of the first film, this is apparently a world where shark-storms have entered the meteorological lexicon. Some of its more outrageous flourishes are also difficult to deny: the chainsaw stuff from the previous movie is amped up to broader levels, as is the goofy method of dispersing the storm (sometimes, slingshot firebombs are not enough!). And, at one point, fiery sharks rain from the heavens, which maybe sounds even better than the fire tornadoes from Into the Storm until you consider that the latter is the brainchild of folks who actually care enough to make sure the execution matches the concept.
You dont get a lot of that with The Asylum, though (youre almost in awe whenever they throw you a bone with some practical gore). You really want to admire this studios audacity at timeseven the very idea of a Sharknado 2 is something Id like to get behind (if only The Asylum would really get behind it, of course). Its still a long way from even approaching decency, but the sequel is at least a step closer to capturing the right, dopey tone. With one round under their belts, returning stars Ziering and Reid muster the sort of oblivious enthusiasm necessary for a movie like this; theres something especially endearing about Zierings character, who has evolved from ordinary surfer dude to the only guy on Earth capable of doing battle with sharknados. At least the film has the decency to never blink at that (also, it boasts Tiffany Shepis amongst its rankshard to be mad about that).
I dont know if there are many more positives about Sharknado 2, to be honest. In some ways, this is the damnedest, trickiest type of franchise to deal with: insisting it sucks is to state the obvious, and totally panning and dismissing it is to fall prey to The Asylums game. Thats exactly what youre supposed to do. Maybe a more appropriate course of action would be to totally ignore it, thus making it the Freddy Krueger of killer shark movies. Dont let it feed off of your snark and give it power. Thats probably overstating things a bit; after all, Krueger at least had some ambition. Im not sure what The Asylum hastheir reach constantly exceeds their grasp, yet theyre not really reaching with very much effort. How ambitious can someone be if their only goal is to turn exploitation into an even cheaper commodity? Rent it!
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Mariah Carey + John Legend, 'When Christmas Comes' – Song Review
As the creator of 'All I Want for Christmas Is You,' the only song of the past 20 years strong enough to become a holiday classic, Mariah Carey has an obvious talent for writing festive songs for the season. On 'When Christmas Comes,' she joins John Legend for a sultry duet about giving the gift of love.
Mariah's voice is strong as she harmonizes with Legend on the lines, "And me and you gon' have ourselves a holiday / And we don't need nobody else to celebrate / And we're gon' kiss our worries and our cares away / I can't wait / Because this Christmas time, get together / It's gonna be so nice, better than ever / And baby you're the one, special treasure."
'When Christmas Comes' features horns and piano accenting a simple R&B groove. Before the final chorus, as the singers freelance on a few bars of 'Jingle Bells,' listeners are treated to notes from the upper reaches of Mariah's five-octave range, which she rarely shows off anymore.
Some of the cutesy imagery falls flat, like, "I can't wait to unwrap your love." But otherwise, it's hard to find fault with the holiday duet from two of pop music's most powerful vocalists. The song is an improved version of the track that Carey performed solo on 2010′s 'Merry Christmas II You.'
Listen to Mariah Carey + John Legend's 'When Christmas Comes'


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Secrets of Eden
By Chris Bohjalian
By Chris Bohjalian
By Chris Bohjalian
By Chris Bohjalian
By Chris Bohjalian
Read by Mark Bramhall, Susan Denaker, Rebecca Lowman and Kathe Mazur
By Chris Bohjalian
Read by Mark Bramhall, Susan Denaker, Rebecca Lowman and Kathe Mazur
Category: Suspense & Thriller | Crime Fiction | Literary Fiction
Category: Suspense & Thriller | Crime Fiction | Literary Fiction
Category: Suspense & Thriller | Crime Fiction | Literary Fiction | Audiobooks
Paperback $17.00
Feb 01, 2011 | ISBN 9780307394989
Buy the Audiobook Download:
The Good Father
The Bright Forever
Everyone Knows How Much I Love You
How Quickly She Disappears
Tell Me Everything
Turtle Moon
A Good Man
New England White
A "Must-Read Book for Spring," Today Show, Weekend Edition
IndieBound Indie Next pick, February 2010
"Superb. . . .Fans of Bohjalian's 11 other novels (including Midwives) know to expect the unexpected and, thanks to his creativity and cunning, readers usually get walloped by one heck of a plot twist by book's end. In Secrets of Eden, the old saw that none of us knows what really goes on in a house when the shades are drawn rings chillingly true."
—Carol Memmott, USA Today
"Superbly written – vivid and horrifying without being melodramatic….a tribute to Bohjalian's storytelling skill."
—The Boston Globe
"Suspenseful. . .searing. . .Bohjalian has written a literary murder mystery that hooks readers early and keeps its secrets until the end. . .Bohjalian's book is about the power of secrets and sacrifice and a warning against jumping to judgment. Those who doubt their faith, he writes, are sometimes the strongest among us."
—Amy Driscoll, The Miami Herald
"Chris Bohjalian has always known how to keep the pages turning. In his latest novel, a small Vermont hamlet has been racked by a well-established couple's apparent murder-suicide. Bohjalian describes the aftermath of that ruinous night in varied voices, effortlessly slipping into the heads of the shaken local pastor, the no-nonsense deputy state attorney, and the best-selling author whose own past draws her to the scene of the crime. . .[A] study of guilt and grief."
—Entertainment Weekly
"Page-turning. . .Bohjalian has a knack for creating nuanced, detailed first-person female characters. . .SECRETS OF EDEN speeds along pleasingly as both thriller and character study."
—Seattle Times
"To call this fine novel a mystery would be like calling the Hallelujah Chorus a nice song. . .Bohjalian has written a gripping story that keeps the reader turning pages to find out what really happened…But there is so much more in this rich story. Bohjalian delves into the profound mysteries of human existence. What is faith? What is love? And who are really the angels among us?"
—Winston-Salem Journal
"[A] suspenseful page-turner…This book will entertain you with its suspense, but it will also make you think about how hurtful secrets can be."
—Minneapolis Star-Tribune
"Secrets are sprinkled throughout a Chris Bohjalian novel like loose change spilled from the pockets of a master storyteller. . .exquisite. . .magic is rediscovered in 'Secrets of Eden.'"
—Tom Mayer, Lake City Reporter
"Bohjalian has built a reputation on his rich characters and immersing readers in diverse subjects—homeopathy, animal rights activism, midwifery—and his latest surely won't disappoint. The morning after her baptism into the Rev. Stephen Drew's Vermont Baptist church, Alice Hayward and her abusive husband are found dead in their home, an apparent murder-suicide. Stephen, the novel's first narrator, is so racked with guilt over his failure to save Alice that he leaves town. Soon, he meets Heather Laurent, the author of a book about angels whose own parents' marriage also ended in tragedy. Stephen's deeply sympathetic narration is challenged by the next two narrators: deputy state attorney Catherine Benincasa, whose suspicions are aroused initially by Stephen's abrupt departure (and then by questions about his relationship with Alice), and Heather, who distances herself from Stephen for similar reasons and risks the trip into her dark past by seeking out Katie, the Haywards' now-orphaned 15-year-old daughter who puts into play the final pieces of the puzzle, setting things up for a touching twist. Fans of Bohjalian's more exotic works will miss learning something new, but this is a masterfully human and compassionate tale."
—Publishers Weekly, starred and boxed review
Bohjalian "drops bombshell clues…and weaves subtle nuances of doubt and intrigue into a taut, read-in-one-sitting murder mystery."
—Booklist, starred and boxed review
"Bohjalian's most splendid accomplishment to date. . .A fantastic choice for book clubs, this novel deals beautifully with controversial topics of domestic abuse, faith, and adultery without resorting to sensationalism. Breathtaking."
—Library Journal, starred review
"Specificity and complexity and. . .a somber power."
—Kirkus Reviews
Praise for Skeletons at the Feast
"Suspenseful. . .romantic. . .a deeply satisfying novel."
— The Washington Post Book World
"Poignant. . .Harrowing. . . Bohjalian has given us an important addition to the story of World War II."
—The Boston Globe
"Ingenious. . .compelling. . .Judging who's right or wrong is difficult and one senses that's just the way Bohjalian wants it."
— Los Angeles Times
"Mixes the nail-biting brutality of The Kite Runner with the emotional intimacy of Anne Frank's diary."
— Austin American-Statesman
Praise for The Double Bind
"The Double Bind is simply one of the best written, most compelling, artfully woven novels to grace bookshelves in years. Immediately after the spellbinding surprise ending, readers will want to begin again at the first page. It's THAT good."
– Associated Press
"Artfully constructed and fiercely felt. . . Bohjalian. . .has deliberately wandered into thriller territory. . .He's playing with our minds in a way that ultimately evokes not Fitzgerald but that master of deviousness, Alfred Hitchcock."
— The Miami Herald
"Terrifying. . .Laurel is an unforgettable, vulnerable, complicated character."
—The Los Angeles Times
21 Books You've Been Meaning to Read
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Easy Crispy Baked Kale Chips
It's all over the Internet. And foodie sites galore. Bunny food rocks. Tuscan kale is the queenly green It Girl.
I resisted her charms at first, I admit. I tip-toed into kale territory last year, with a hefty head of curly kale. And found it, shall we say, a tad, um, swampy. For my taste, anyway. I'm a woman who loves wedge salad, after all, believing (without irony) that a thick slice of crisp, cold iceberg lettuce is the perfect summer vegetable. And highly underrated.
But Tuscan kale- with its long slim elegance (sometimes known as Lacinato or dinosaur kale) has decidedly won my undying loyalty- especially when roasted in olive oil.
And toasted to a crispy crunchy whisper of a chip.
It's like an ugly potato chip. Sans the guilt of a potato chip. You get the pleasing, delicate crunch. Then a burst of briny green flavor. An aftershock of bitterness. Which perks up your taste buds. And if you haven't Botoxed your forehead, may even raise an eyebrow. Or two.
The odd sensation you will feel next is your body murmuring, Thank you.
Followed quickly by, More please.
The easiest healthy snack you'll ever make.
Next to carrot sticks.
Karina's Easy Crispy Kale Chips
Recipe posted March 2012.These light-as-air crispy kale chips are gluten-free, vegan, dairy-free, soy-free and guilt-free. Season with sea salt after baking, to keep them airy and crisp.
1 good sized head of Lacinato kale, aka Tuscan kale (or curly, if you prefer)
Olive oil
Sea salt
Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
Separate the leaves and wash the kale thoroughly in cold water. Pat dry.
Slice out the tough center stem, then cut the leaf crosswise into 3-inch pieces.
Toss into a large shallow roasting pan (or use a baking sheet).
Drizzle with olive oil and massage the pieces to coat each piece. Spread them evenly in the pan, in a single layer.
Pop into the oven and bake for 15 minutes. Stir gently to loosen the chips and separate them. Bake for an additional 7 to 10 minutes or so, until good and crispy.
Sprinkle with sea salt and serve.
Makes 2-3 servings.
Flavor Options:
Before baking sprinkle (lightly!) a touch of gluten-free tamari sauce* (*contains soy) and massage it with the olive oil. A little goes a long way- so don't overdue it. And skip the sea salt.
Lemon Pepper:
Spike it with lemon pepper after coating with olive oil.
Greek herb blend:
Classic Greek herbs such as mint, lemon peel, garlic and oregano are marvelous with kale.
Recipe Source: glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com
All images & content are copyright protected, all rights reserved. Please do not use our images or content without prior permission. Thank you.


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Madrid (Marks) Notification No. 199
Protocol Relating to the Madrid Agreement Concerning the International Registration of Marks
Accession by the Republic of India
The Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) presents his compliments and has the honor to notify the deposit by the Government of the Republic of India, on April 8, 2013, of its instrument of accession to the Protocol Relating to the Madrid Agreement Concerning the International Registration of Marks, adopted at Madrid on June 27, 1989 ("Madrid Protocol (1989)"), as amended on October 3, 2006, and on November 12, 2007. The said instrument contained the following declarations:
- in accordance with Article 5(2)(d) of the Madrid Protocol (1989), under Article 5(2)(b) of the Protocol, the time limit of one year to exercise the right to notify a refusal of protection referred to in Article 5(2)(a) thereof is replaced by 18 months and under Article 5(2)(c) of the said Protocol, when a refusal of protection may result from an opposition to the granting of protection, such refusal may be notified to the International Bureau after the expiry of the 18-month time limit;
- in accordance with Article 8(7)(a) of the Madrid Protocol (1989), the Republic of India, in connection with each international registration in which it is mentioned under Article 3ter of the said Protocol, and in connection with the renewal of any such international registration, wants to receive, instead of a share in the revenue produced by the supplementary and complementary fees, an individual fee; and
- in accordance with Article 14(5) of the Madrid Protocol (1989), the protection resulting from any international registration effected under this Protocol before the date of entry into force of this Protocol with respect to the Republic of India cannot be extended to it.
The Madrid Protocol (1989) will enter into force, with respect to the Republic of India, on July 8, 2013.
April 8, 2013


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Product Consistency Inspection
Machine vision systems detect damage and ensure consistency in size, shape, color, and texture
Related Products
Easy to use, industrial-grade smart cameras with advanced machine vision technology.
Graphical programming environment for deep learning-based industrial image analysis
Manufacturers must eliminate baking and other cosmetic defects to ensure customer satisfaction. Even a few seconds of defective production can mean dozens of rejected batches, negatively impacting production, throughput, and the bottom line.
Cognex PatMax technology and color tools recognize designs and stamps despite changes in orientation, angle, lighting, and other conditions which affect the appearance of items on the line. PatMax learns an object's geometry using a set of boundary curves, then looks for similar shapes in the image, without relying on specific gray levels. Damaged and broken goods are rejected before they proceed to packaging or distribution, avoiding costly returns and protecting brand reputation.


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Nobel Fundation
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About Nobelprize.org
Nobelprize.org is the official web site of the Nobel Prize. Here you will find information for every Nobel Prize since 1901, including the Nobel Laureates' biographies, Nobel Lectures, interviews, photos, articles, video clips, press releases, educational games and more.
Nobelprize.org (http://www.nobelprize.org) is a registered trademark, and is produced, managed and maintained by Nobel Media. Nobel Media AB is a Swedish corporate entity and subsidiary of the Nobel Foundation Rights Association, a non-profit association managing the rights of the Nobel Foundation.
Information about the organisational structure surrounding the Nobel Prize.
Alongside its own productions, Nobel Media AB processes and publishes information from the Nobel Foundation, the Nobel Prize-Awarding Institutions, the Nobel Laureates and other Nobel Prize-associated entities. Its dedicated staff is assisted by advisers, whose knowledge and expertise about Nobel Prize topics and the Nobel Laureates' achievements ensure the reliability and quality of the information presented at Nobelprize.org.
Nobelprize.org provides comprehensive, first-hand information about the Nobel Prize and Nobel Laureates in Physics, Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine, Literature and Peace starting in 1901, as well as the Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel and the Economics Laureates starting in 1969. Visitors to the site also get to know about Alfred Nobel, the man behind the Nobel Prize.
As the official online information source for the Nobel Prize, visitors learn about the names of the year's Nobel Laureates just seconds after the prize announcements are made by the Nobel Prize-Awarding Institutions each October. Aside from the press releases, information about the Nobel Laureates and their work is made available through interviews, Nobel Lectures, speeches, articles, and more.
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Junk in Space!
News story originally written on June 30, 1997
On Earth, humans make trash. This trash can pollute our environment. Humans are doing the same thing in space. Right now there are millions of man-made objects floating in space called "space junk". Space junk includes things like satellites that aren't being used or paint that has fallen off of the space shuttle.
Man-made debris orbits at a speed of 17,500 miles/hour. That's much faster then any human could drive! Even a small speck of paint could do great damage if it hit a spacecraft at such a high speed!
Spacecraft must be protected by shields that are not hurt when they get hit with space junk. Or the spacecraft must be able to move out of the way so it doesn't get hit by the space junk.


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Unfortunately, the education debate in Olympia these days is more about tubing the WASL (Washington Assessment of Student Learning) than about learning and teaching.
WASL tests are given three times during a student's K-12 education, and they have many opportunities for tutoring and retaking the exams. The 10th-grade WASL graduation requirement for reading, writing and math was supposed to kick in this year, but two years ago the Legislature decided to delay the math requirement until 2013.
The problem is a troubling percentage of students are failing the math test. But rather than further delay or dilute the test, we should find successful math programs and use them. Our students must compete in today's demanding and rapidly changing global economy, and that requires a working knowledge of math.
There are some examples of innovative learning to consider. Among them is Singapore Math which is based on the teaching methods in Singapore, whose pupils consistently rank No. 1 in international math comparisons.
In Hollywood, at Ramona Elementary School, 90 percent of the students are poor, and most are children of immigrants from Central America and Armenia. Nearly six in 10 students speak English as a second language.
At the start of the 2005-06 school year, Ramona began using textbooks developed for use in Singapore. Ramona's math scores soared. Principal Susan Arcaris told the Los Angeles Times. "Seven out of 10 of the students in our school are proficient or better in math, and that's pretty startling when you consider that this is an inner-city, Title 1 school." In 2005, just 45 percent of the fifth-graders at Ramona Elementary scored at grade level on a standardized state test. In 2006, that figure rose to 76 percent.
In Maryland, Montgomery County is part of the District of Columbia metropolitan area. College Gardens Elementary was one of four schools in the Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) district that tried Singapore Math. In the first four years, math scores on the standardized Comprehensive Tests of Basic Skills rose from the 50th and 60th percentiles to the low 90s. Unfortunately, the other three MCPS schools abandoned Singapore Math before giving it a chance to work.
John Hoven, former co-president of the Gifted and Talented Association of Montgomery County, helped persuade MCPS to try Singapore Math. Hoven says the district didn't put enough money into the new program. The initial investment was $50,000 over two years in a $1 billion budget — enough for text books, but not enough to train teachers how to teach the classes.
Singapore Math is so different that lack of teacher preparation caused three of the four schools to abandon the program, Hoven says.
That is a common problem. Whether it is Singapore Math or another math program, teacher training is vital, and too often, lawmakers and school districts don't put enough resources into helping teachers teach.
Then there is the matter of differential pay for math teachers. In our schools, teacher pay is tied to the same salary schedule, whether you teach physical education or geometry. Since we emphasize math, science, reading and writing, why not consider paying those teachers more?
Why not implement a master teacher program to pay teachers, particularly in math, science, reading and writing — the areas we measure on the WASL and deem necessary to succeed in life? Today, many experienced teachers leave the classroom for the front office because that is where the money is.
In other occupations, employers reward more productive workers and tie bonuses and incentives to performance. Over the years, incentive pay for teachers has been squashed, and the focus has been on why it won't work, rather than what it takes to make it successful.
Between now and the time the Legislature convenes in 2009, state lawmakers should focus on effective learning programs and teacher training. They can't abandon student learning measurement, because to do so is a disservice to the next generation. But they can find ways to improve learning and lure the best and brightest teachers into the classroom and reward them for success.
Don C. Brunell is the president of the Association of Washington Business.


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expiration-date 1.1.0
Really simple caching by attaching an expiration date to attributes. The ExpirationDate module adss two methods to a class -- expiring_attr and expiring_class_attr. These two methods are used to declare attributes in the instance and in the class, respectively, that will expire after some period of seconds have elapsed. The attribute is re-initialized from the given block after it has expired. This is a very simple form of caching.


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An appellate court has refused to grant a rehearing to Michael Jackson's doctor on the appeal of his involuntary manslaughter conviction.
A 2nd District Court of Appeal panel issued a brief ruling Thursday correcting clerical and grammatical errors in its opinion last month that denied Conrad Murray's appeal. His lawyer asked for the corrections to prepare for filing a further appeal with the California Supreme Court.
The new document stated simply: "Appellant's petition for rehearing is denied."
The court unanimously upheld Murray's conviction, determining there was substantial evidence of his guilt presented at trial. He served two years in jail for causing Jackson's 2009 death.
Murray was convicted in 2011 of giving Jackson a lethal dose of the anesthetic propofol while the singer prepared for a series of comeback concerts titled "This Is It."
(Photo: AP)


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World Dairy Expo's Board of Directors has begun the search for a new general manager to succeed Mark Clarke. Clarke vacated the post at the end of November. Bob Kaiser is serving in an interim capacity until a new general manager is hired.
Applications are now being accepted for the position. Interested individuals are directed to World Dairy Expo's home page: www.worlddairyexpo.com where they will find a link with all pertinent details. Questions about the job position should be directed to Bob Kaiser at 608-224-6455, ext. 102.
Deadline for position applications will be February 15, 2013.
World Dairy Expo is an annual event, attracting more than 72,000 attendees from 90 countries. It is home to the world's largest dairy-focused trade show with 850 companies exhibiting from more than 28 countries. Over 2,500 head of the finest dairy cattle in the world compete for honors in the seven breed shows. The five-day dairy industry showcase has a statewide economic impact of $50 million dollars annually.
World Dairy Expo is a non-profit, 501(c)3 organization. Its for-profit subsidiary, WDE Management, Inc. provides management services for the Dane County Fair, the Wisconsin Rural Opportunities Foundation, the North American Intercollegiate Dairy Challenge and the Purebred Dairy Cattle Association.
"Center of the Dairy Universe" is the theme for World Dairy Expo 2013 which will take place Tuesday, October 1 – Saturday, October 5 at the Alliant Energy Center in Madison, Wisconsin. For more information, visit www.worlddairyexpo.com


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The lavish interior of Atlanta's Fernbank Museum, site of the APS Centennial Gala Celebration. [Click on image for larger photo.]. |
Tuxedos and gowns, fine dining and dancing were the order of the day for those attending the APS Centennial gala celebration, hosted by Atlanta's Fernbank Museum. While not everyone opted for the formality of black tie fashion, most seemed to relish the opportunity leave their meeting badges and hefty volumes of abstracts behind and don the requisite finery, mixing and mingling with both old and new acquaintances in the distinctly elegant surroundings.
The catered buffet dinner featured three menus from different geographical regions, while a jazz combo provided accompaniment in a side room for anyone desiring to dance. Guests milling about the upper balcony could stay close to the open bar while viewing a special exhibition by award-winning science photographer Felice Frankel, constructed around the theme of "Envisioning Physics." Commissioned by the APS specifically for the Centennial meeting, the exhibit is available for touring at venues around the country. Those desiring additional entertainment had the option of viewing the popular IMAX film, "Cosmic Voyage," at various screening times. Meanwhile, in the auditorium, science magician Bob Friedhoffer delighted audiences with clever asides and magical sleights-of-hand, alternating 20-minute shows with Lynda Williams, "the Physics Chanteuse," who wowed them with her cosmic cabaret, featuring such crowd-pleasing tunes as "Solid State of Mind" and "Carbon is a Girl's Best Friend."
Finally, alert attendees circling the room might have noticed the appearance of a few especially stellar celebrities: Albert Einstein (two versions, in fact, for those who thought they were seeing double), Marie Curie, and a dapper J. Robert Oppenheimer were on hand to greet the guests and pose for photographs, all in the name of celebrating a century of physics.
View photos from the Gala and Physics Festival
APS encourages the redistribution of the materials included in this newspaper provided that attribution to the source is noted and the materials are not truncated or changed.
Editor: Barrett H. Ripin
Associate Editor: Jennifer Ouellette


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Last week, developer Tom Waddington uncovered Facebook code that points to the creation of a "Want" button — a plugin that potentially points to a new kind of commercial innovation being developed by Facebook itself, different from "want" buttons already being developed by third parties (one example here), and partially working but only within Facebook's Graph API tester.
He's continued to dig around and today has presented us with some of his latest finds: looking deeper into Facebook's code, he found more references that point to how Facebook might be thinking about how users can share purchasing information with each other.
The presence of a "Want" button and these related commercial actions point to ways that Facebook can continue developing other streams for revenue-generation to complement what it is doing in advertising and existing commercial services, such as in-app purchases.
Playing around with the Want action, Waddington focused on the object of the Want action, called "ogproduct". "I think they're using ogproduct while testing – it'll move to product when [if] it goes live," he says.
While looking around in the ogproduct code, Waddington found code for a "product.purchased" action, with options underneath for a donation, message, product, and game_item.
While Inside Facebook has pointed out how the Want button would be useful for indicating purchasing intent, versus the more general "Like" button — and subsequently enabling more targeted ads against Wants — these newer details potentially give a clue as to what kinds of purchases Facebook could enable, and allow to share on your timeline.
Donations could be about charitable donations; but they could also be about group donations for purchases or events (similar to what Crowdtilt does today). Product and game_item also seem pretty straightforward. "Message" less so: could that be a way of incorporating an element of the social gifting service Karma, which Facebook bought in May?
Facebook has told us, in response to the emergence of the "Want" button, "We're always testing new Platform features, however we have nothing new to announce." But in addition to the kind of detail mapped out above, there are other signs that a social commerce product might be closer than you think. "It's clear that Facebook is working on a new OpenGraph representation of products. They're even calling the current Product object 'Product Old'," he writes in his blog post.
"Basically, the potential for an official Facebook channel for Wants and Purchases (and game purchases) using similar methods to articles read / music listened to / videos watched stories is pretty huge," Waddington told me later. And the more you look at those other areas, the more you can see how obvious the monetizing potential is behind them. "I'm not sure, but when Facebook Music aggregates the same songs across multiple providers, there might be scope for that in products, too."
And the presence of a tag within the "Want" button code, for "socialcommerce", also shows that this may not just be about purchasing intent, but actual purchases, too.
There is another interesting detail to add to these commercial hints: among the patents that Facebook owns or is applying for are some related to e-commerce ("Systems and methods wherein a buyer purchases products in a plurality of product categories", U.S. Patent Number 7,188,080; and "Method, computer product and apparatus for facilitating the provision of opinions to a shopper from a panel of peers", U.S. Patent Number 7,526,440). You can start to see how all this could be part of a big plan finally coming together.


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Services on Demand
Related links
- Cited by Google
- Similars in Google
Water SA
On-line version ISSN 1816-7950
Print version ISSN 0378-4738
Water SA vol.36 n.5 Pretoria Oct. 2010
Estimating the recreational value of freshwater inflows into the Klein and Kwelera estuaries: an application of the zonal travel cost method
M du Preez*; SG Hosking
Department of Economics, PO Box 77000, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, Port Elizabeth, 6031, South Africa
This study estimates the change in aggregate consumer surplus associated with increased freshwater supply into two South African estuaries, namely, the Klein and the Kwelera. The estimation entailed the application of a contingent behaviour, single-site Clawson-Knetsch travel cost model. The value estimates derived reflect the benefit of improved freshwater supplies into the estuaries in question over the status quo. In a survey, a questionnaire was administered face-to-face to 240 households at the Klein Estuary and 231 households at the Kwelera Estuary during the period between December 2005 and April 2006. It was deduced that in 2006 the marginal recreational value of freshwater inflow into the Klein Estuary was 5.7 cents/m3 (ZAR0.057/m3) and into the Kwelera Estuary 1.1 cents/m3 (ZAR0.011/m3).
Keywords: estuary, water abstraction, revealed preference, single-site, travel cost method, freshwater inflows
Although they form only a small part of the aquatic environment, estuaries play a significant part in the functioning of the aquatic environment through the provision of transitional links between the marine environment and rivers (Wooldridge, 2000; Lamberth and Turpie, 2003). Estuaries also play an important role in the life history and development of various marine organisms. In the absence of estuarine systems, commercial and recreational fishing would be altered significantly. Apart from providing nursery areas for marine fish species, properties of and processes occurring in and around estuaries also generate other goods and services. Plant fibres and bait organisms are goods provided by estuaries. Estuary processes also provide the following services: waste treatment, erosion control, and floodwater control (Wooldridge, 2000).
However, estuarine ecological systems are increasingly affected by human interference. Some systems have been dredged or filled and transformed into seaports, marinas and garbage dumps, with disastrous consequences (Wooldridge, 2000; Cooper et al., 2003; Turpie et al., 2005). In South Africa, the functioning of estuaries is threatened by decreasing freshwater inflows due to alien tree and plant invasions in catchment areas and along river courses, and human abstraction and storage for consumption by industrial, domestic and agricultural users. As a result of reduced freshwater inflows, South African estuaries are yielding fewer services (Whitfield and Wooldridge, 1994; Lamberth and Turpie, 2003), for instance, smaller areas available for recreational boating and losses of habitat for species of fish, birds and vegetation.
The goods and services, including those used for recreational purposes, provided by estuaries are not directly traded in markets (Lamberth and Turpie, 2003; Turpie et al., 2005). In addition, these goods and services exhibit public good characteristics. More specifically, actual payments are not generally needed to enter or use the goods and services provided by estuaries, and thus no demand curve can be created from quantity and price information. Furthermore, there is not rivalry with respect to some of the estuary's goods and services, in the sense that one person's use diminishes that available to another. Despite the absence of a direct market for, and the public good nature of, estuarine goods and services, they do have value, and the appropriate formulation and execution of policy to deal with estuarine water inflow requirements and regulation is advantaged by knowing this value. For this reason it is useful to estimate the economic value of this water. One way of doing this is by estimating the recreational value of estuarine goods and services linked to this water by means of nonmarket valuation techniques.
The objective of this paper is to estimate the economic value of freshwater inflows into two South African estuaries, the Klein and the Kwelera, by means of the single-site Clawson-Knetsch travel cost method applied to a contingent behaviour (hypothetical choice). The purpose of this valuation is to generate information that can contribute (along with other information) to guiding the management of these inflows toward efficient levels.
The remainder of the paper is organised as follows: The following section provides a description of the study areas. This is followed by a discussion of the anthropogenic impacts of increased water abstraction on estuarine services. The methodology section is followed by a description of the sample design process, results and discussion. The paper concludes with a summary and discussion of policy implications.
Study sites
Klein Estuary
The Klein Estuary is situated between Stanford and Hermanus on the south-western coastline of the Western Cape (Fig. 1).
The Klein River system is 65.8 km long with a catchment area of 906 km2 (NRIO, 1987). At its mouth, the river forms a large estuarine lake, which is approximately 2 km in breadth and 10 km in length (De Decker, 1989). The mouth is not permanently open. Historically, it has opened once a year for 3 to 5 months (Day, 1981). The estuary has a mean annual runoff of 40 x 106 m3 (DWAF, 2003). Overall, the condition of the estuary is considered good (Whitfield, 2000). Farming takes place in the catchment area and on the floodplain. About 40% of the area is used for wheat farming and about 30% is used for irrigated crops (De Decker, 1989). Privately owned land, including a yacht club, dominates the northern shoreline of the estuary.
The ecological importance of the Klein Estuary was estimated by Turpie et al. (2004), by means of assigning rank values (out of a 100) to 5 criteria - the results are shown in Table 1.
The average rating of the importance of the Klein Estuary was 92.2, making it the 9th most important estuary in South Africa (Turpie et al., 2004).
Kwelera Estuary
The Kwelera Estuary is situated close to the town of East London in the Eastern Cape (Fig. 2).
The catchment area of the Kwelera River system is approximately 391 km2 in size (Reddering and Esterhuysen, 1987). The mean annual runoff for the estuary is 42 x 106 m3 (DWAF, 2003). The estuary is permanently open and has a tidal inlet, which is 20 m wide and 2 to 3 m deep during high tide conditions. A natural rapid approximately 4.9 km from the tidal inlet forms the tidal head of this estuary. The condition of the estuary is considered fair (Whitfield, 2000). Privately-owned land dominates the shoreline of the estuary and is not easily accessible to the public. There are a number of resorts located along the estuary banks. The estuary is viewed as an important environmental asset and recreational facility (Whitfield, 2000).
As with the Klein Estuary above, an importance rating was also estimated for the Kwelera Estuary. The results are shown in Table 2.
The average rating of the importance of the Kwelera Estuary was 54.12, making it the 86t h most important estuary in South Africa (out of 256, Turpie et al., 2004).
The anthropogenic impacts of increased upstream water abstraction on estuarine services - Klein and Kwelera Estuaries
Estuarine biodiversity changes in response to shifts in freshwater flow patterns. River flow also influences mouth condition (along a continuum of an open to fully closed mouth). The degree of freshwater abstraction, therefore, influences the estuary in various ways that ultimately influence the estuarine biota. The predicted anthropogenic impacts of selected changes in freshwater inflow for the 2 estuaries under consideration (Klein and Kwelera) are summarised in Table 3. These predictions were made by a team of scientific experts from DWAF, and the Department of Zoology at Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, and other independent scientists from South Africa.
It was predicted that for both the Klein and Kwelera Estuaries, time of mouth closure would increase by 50% due to upstream water abstraction. In the case of the Klein Estuary, the water volume needed to breach the sandbar naturally is marginally less than the mean annual runoff. Any reduction in freshwater inflow will lead to a situation where the mouth only opens once every 2 years.
In terms of salinity levels, a 20% reduction was predicted for the Klein Estuary coupled with longer periods of lower salinity levels (15 mg/g). For the Kwelera Estuary a 50% increase in salinity was predicted due to the loss of the salinity gradient. Hypersaline conditions are more than likely to occur in the whole estuary as it is already marine dominated and evaporation will increase the salinity level.
It was predicted that both the boating and swimming areas available at the Klein Estuary would increase by 10%, whereas the area available in the Kwelera Estuary would decrease by 10% due to evaporation. The view of water surface area of the Klein Estuary was predicted to improve by 10 to 20% due to a longer period of mouth closure, whereas that of the Kwelera Estuary was predicted to decrease by 10% due to evaporation. The average depth of the Klein Estuary was predicted to increase by 20 to 30% in comparison to the Kwelera Estuary, where it was predicted that the average depth would decrease by 10% due to evaporation.
Qualitative changes due to freshwater abstraction were defined in terms of smell and human health impacts. For the Klein Estuary, it was predicted that unpleasant smells in its vicinity would increase by 20% due to decaying vegetation as a result of prolonged submersion, especially at the edges. The negative impact on human health was predicted to increase by 10% for the Klein Estuary due to prolonged mouth closure and the potential contamination from septic tanks. For the Kwelera Estuary, a 20% increase in unpleasant smells due to concentration of stormwater runoff in the estuary from upstream settlement was predicted, and a 20% increase in risk to human health.
Biomass impacts due to freshwater abstraction were confined to those affecting angling fish, bait organisms, birds, and vegetation. In the case of the Klein Estuary, it was predicted that angling fish availability would decrease by between 25 and 50% due to the lack of recruitment and low salinities during the year of closure. A loss of between 25 and 50% of bait organisms was predicted due to unsuitably low salinities for reproduction. A 20% loss of waders during periods of mouth closure was also predicted. Finally, a 20% decrease in fringing vegetation due to higher water levels was predicted.
For the Kwelera Estuary, it was predicted that a 25% loss of angling fish, bait organisms, birds and estuarine vegetation would occur due to increased mouth closure and hypersaline conditions.
Non-market valuation methods can be broken up into those that rely on revealed preference and those that rely on stated preference. The revealed preference models are built upon the premise that it is possible to infer people's preferences for ecosystem services and estimate demand curves by observing their actual behaviour (Hanley and Spash, 1993). The stated preference models use surveys to elicit consumer preferences directly. Two stated preference techniques that are often used are the contingent valuation and conjoint analysis methods.
One of the most popular revealed preference techniques, and the one that is applied in this paper, is the travel cost method (TCM). Hotelling (1931) first proposed the use of the travel cost method to impute values for recreational sites in the United States of America. Clawson (1959) and Clawson and Knetsch (1966) further refined the approach in subsequent years. The theory underlying the economic rationale for employing the travel cost method is couched in neoclassical economic theory of demand modelling. A recreation site is valued by determining the travel costs that individuals incur when visiting the site in question. Travel costs (TRC) for a given recreational site, j, are the sum of the following:
DC = distance costs for each individual i
TC = time costs
AF = admissions fee to site j (Perman et al., 1996).
Many travel cost studies have been conducted in the United States and elsewhere to value recreational sites (Caulkins et al., 1986; Kling, 1987; Liston-Heyes and Heyes, 1999; Bowker et al.,1996; Fix and Loomis, 1997; Bin et al., 2005; Martinez-Espineira and Amoako-Tuffour, 2008). The use of the TCM to derive values for coastal resources is, however, uncommon in South Africa. Only 3 previously published studies could be identified that applied the TCM to derive recreational values for South African estuaries. The results of these studies are provided in Table 4. All monetary values reported in this paper are in South African Rands (ZAR), hereafter simply denoted as Rands (R).
The 2 most prominent single-site TCMs employed are the Clawson-Knetsch method (also known as the zonal approach) and the individual method. In both methods a trip generating function (TGF) is estimated, from which a demand curve is calculated. Total economic value attached to a recreation site is obtained by measuring the area under the demand curve.
The Clawson-Knetsch method is relatively easy to carry out because the data requirement is small. The method employs mostly secondary data. Data is collected pertaining to the quantity of visits to the recreation site from diverse distances (Hanley and Spash, 1993). The individual method, on the other hand, requires the execution of an extensive on-site questionnaire survey, as well as the specification and interpretation of a more complex TGF.
Single-site TCM models are not often used to value quality changes at recreational sites because the limited time frames of most studies do not allow for sufficient quality changes over time at the sites in question (Parsons, 2003). However, a number of attempts have been made to value quality changes at recreational sites within a single-site TCM framework - these TCM models are known as contingent behaviour models (Parsons, 2003). These studies introduced a variable for quality change (Englin and Cameron, 1996; Loomis, 1997; Turpie and Joubert, 2001; Hanley et al., 2003). More specifically, these studies used once-off data related to actual and hypothetical trips to a recreation site and actual and hypothetical quality scenarios. A demand function shift is created based on people's stated trips contingent upon a hypothetical change in quality at the recreation site. The consumer surplus due to the quality change was calculated as the area between the 2 demand functions (the demand function associated with the actual quality level and the demand function associated with the hypothetical quality level). In this paper, a contingent behaviour, single-site Clawson-Knetsch (zonal) TCM is applied to determine the consumer surplus associated with an improvement in freshwater inflows (and thus improved recreation services) into 2 South African estuaries, the Klein and the Kwelera.
The application of the Clawson-Knetsch (zonal) method entails 7 distinct steps. The zones of visitor origin surrounding the recreation site are defined. The data are gathered pertaining to the amount of visitors per zone, as well as the number of visits per zone made in the last year (Hanley and Spash, 1993). The visitation rates per 1 000 population per zone are estimated, i.e. total visits per annum per zone divided by the zone's population in thousands. The mean round-trip travel distance per zone to the recreation site is determined. This travel distance estimate is multiplied by the mean cost per kilometer to arrive at a travel cost per trip estimate (Fix and Loomis, 1997). A time cost associated with travel may also be added to the travel cost estimate at this stage. A TGF is estimated which relates visits per person to travel costs. A demand curve is traced out by simulating what would happen to visits from each zone as the admissions fee (the admissions fee is a proxy of actual price) is increased (Hanley and Spash, 1993). These fee/visit combinations represent predictions based on the observed correlation between the visits and travel costs. The typical finding is that as the travel costs rise, the number of visits fall (Fix and Loomis, 1997; Bin et al., 2005). The admissions fee is raised until visits decrease to zero. Finally, the area under the demand curve is measured. This measure yields an estimate of the total per annum value attached to the recreation site by visitors, all other things remaining constant (Perman et al., 1996; Clawson and Knetsch, 1966).
Sample design
The process of identifying the user population for an estuary is laden with difficulty. The population comprises 2 groups of users - visitors (tourists) and residents - but these groups are mixed into larger resident populations in ways that make it virtually impossible to identify all their elements, ex ante. The population of users was identified in terms of the number of households that located themselves within a 200 km radius of the site in question. The number of individuals that make up the user population was identified using GIS data as well as informed sources via consultation with local conservation authorities. The average household size obtained from GIS data extracted from the 2001 Census was 4 persons. The total user populations and estimated number of households for the Klein and Kwelera Estuaries are shown in Table 5.
Sample selection was endogenously stratified in this study, that is, based on who was present at the estuary during the period when the survey was administered and reflective of the dispersion of those members of the population present. Sample sizes selected for the purposes of this study were benchmarked against those obtained by applying Cochrane's (1977) 2-stage sample size determining theory with respect to random sampling with continuous data. Cochrane (1977) distinguishes sample size requirements by the nature of the random variables for which data is being collected, the expected response rate, the t value for the selected alpha level in each tail of the relevant probability distribution, the estimated variance and the acceptable margin of error for the proportion of the variable being estimated. The formulae for sample size are derived from that for the t statistic value for a single sample:
When Eq. (2) is reformulated as a function on the sample size (n) and d is substituted for the difference (sample mean - population mean), it becomes one of Eqs. (3) or (4):
n0 = required sample size adjusted for non-responses.
n1 = required valid returned sample size.
d = the acceptable margin of error for the proportion being estimated (0.05).
s2= variance about the mean.
a = response rate.
The sample size adopted at the Klein Estuary is just less than the minimum sample size desired in terms of the Cochrane (1977) formulae, while at the Kwelera Estuary the sample size was more than double that required (see Table 6).
The questionnaire was administered face-to-face to 240 respondents at the Klein Estuary and 231 at the Kwelera Estuary, during the period between December 2005 and April 2006. This time of year was chosen to obtain a suitable mix of visitors and permanent resident users.
Characteristics of respondents
Table 7 shows the socio-economic profiles of the respondents at the Klein and Kwelera Estuaries.
The mean household size of respondents for the Klein and Kwelera Estuaries, respectively, was 3.7 and 3.4. The average income level of respondents for the Klein and Kwelera Estuaries respectively, was R254 000 and R211 984. The average cost of equipment used by the respondent's household while spending time at the estuaries for the Klein and Kwelera Estuaries respectively, was R545 and R2 166.
The majority (81º%) of respondents interviewed at the Klein Estuary were White. Just over half (53%) of the respondents interviewed were male and almost two-thirds (57%) of the respondents were permanent residents. On average, this estuary was used for 1 week per year. This category of user comprised approximately 23% of the total. Individuals who use the estuary for 2 weeks per year accounted for 18% of the total. Almost 16% of the respondents use the estuary throughout the year (permanent residents).
The vast majority (97%) of respondents interviewed at the Kwelera Estuary were White. Almost two-thirds (57%) of the respondents interviewed were male and approximately half (51%) of the respondents were visitors. Almost 34% of the respondents used the estuary throughout the year (permanent residents). Individuals who used the estuary for 1 week per year accounted for 32% of the total. Approximately 5% of the respondents used the estuary for 2 weeks per year.
Estimation of contingent behaviour, single-site Clawson-Knetsch TCMs
As mentioned above, the Clawson-Knetsch (zonal) TCM was applied in order to estimate the change in total consumer surplus associated with an increase in freshwater supply into the Klein and Kwelera estuaries. In order to determine the change in aggregate consumer surplus, 2 demand curves were derived for each estuary -one without the improvement (increase) in freshwater supply (the base case) and one with the improvement (increase) in freshwater supply. The consumer surplus under each of the abovementioned demand curves was then calculated. The difference between the 2 consumer surpluses was deemed the change in consumer surplus due to increased freshwater inflow. A detailed description of the steps applied in this study is outlined below.
The set of zones around the estuaries were defined. In both estuary cases, 3 zones were identified (A, B and C). The roundtrip distance for Zone A was identified as being 1 to 10 km, Zone B 11 to 60 km, and Zone C 61 km and further. Information was collected on the population size of each zone and the number of visits conducted (without improvement) from each zone in the year leading up to the survey. Respondents were also asked how many times per year they would visit the estuaries if a positive (increase) change in freshwater inflow into the estuaries was secured. The increased freshwater supply for the Klein and Kwelera Estuaries, respectively, amounted to 4 million m3 and 13.5 million m3. The fact that the scenario was linked to a specific volume change in freshwater inflow made it possible for the 'per m3' value of this water to be estimated. In the case of the Klein Estuary, it was estimated that, on average, respondents would visit the estuary 2.31 times more often, and in the case of the Kwelera Estuary, they would visit the estuary 2.37 times more often. The visitation rate (with and without the freshwater inflow improvement) per 1 000 of the population of each zone was determined by dividing the total number of visits from each zone by its population in thousands. The results of applying the first 3 steps are shown in Table 8.
The roundtrip travel costs per zone were calculated for each estuary. The travel costs were determined by zone using the Automobile Association (AA) of South Africa's rates for motor vehicles. The majority of vehicles used by survey respondents had petrol engines with a capacity of between 2 500 and 3 000 cm3. The average survey respondent travelled approximately 20 000 km/year. The average petrol price in 2006 was used in this study and amounted to R6.06/. The estimated roundtrip travel costs per zone for the Klein and Kwelera Estuaries are shown in Table 9.
Two equations - one without improvement and one with improvement - were estimated for each estuary, which relates visits per 1 000 population to travel costs using regression analysis. The equations are displayed in Table 10.
Demand functions (without and with improvement) were determined for visits to the estuaries using the regression equations estimated in the step above. Points on the demand curves were obtained by calculating the number of visitors with varying entrance fees. The entrance fee is viewed here as a proxy for travel cost. For both estuaries an initial entrance fee of R50 was substituted into the 'without and with' equations shown in Table 10. This procedure produced the results shown in Table 11 for the estuaries without improvement.
Two more points on the 'without and with' demand curves for both estuaries were calculated in the same way, by increasing the entrance fee to R100 and R150, respectively see Table 12.
By using these estimated demand curve points, demand curve equations, both without and with improvement, were estimated for each estuary. The 'without and with' demand curve equations for the estuaries are shown in Table 13.
The total consumer surplus of the estuaries to visitors, without and with improvement, was calculated by determining the area under the demand curves traced out in the step above (see Table 13). The results for the Klein and Kwelera Estuaries are provided in Table 14.
Multipurpose trips
The travel cost method follows a custom whereby meanderers are distinguished from purposeful visitors (Hanley and Spash, 1993). The former refers to individuals for whom the site visit is only part of the reason for their trip, whereas the latter refers to those individuals for whom a site visit is the only reason for their trip. The existence of meanderers give rise to the question: what percentage of their travel costs may be apportioned to their visit to the site in question? In many cases the meanderer problem is simply ignored by either omitting multi-destination or multi-purpose trips from the analysis or employing aggregate travel cost without adjustment to cater for the existence of meanderers.
Studies by Loomis et al. (2000) and Mendelsohn et al. (1992) show that the omission of meanderers from the travel cost model may lead to an underestimation of recreational value by 50% or more (the omission influences the shape of the demand curve and, thus, the estimate of consumer surplus). The omission may also lead to a decreased sample size -which is a problem in the case of the zonal method as it may be onerous to locate enough purposeful (single destination) visitors from far-off zones, but not so much in the case of the individual method (where much more information is usually gathered).
A solution to the meanderer or multi-destination problem is to ask respondents to rate the importance they attach to a site visit, relative to their satisfaction with the entire trip or other destinations visited, and this rating, expressed as a number between one and zero, can be used to weight their total travel cost (Hanley and Spash, 1993). This approach was also adopted in this study. Only 15% of the respondents were single-site visitors. It was found that, on average, the Klein and Kwelera Estuaries constituted just over 40% of the reason for the trip made to the location of the estuary. The conversion of travel cost and consumer surplus estimates is done in Table 15.
The marginal value of increased freshwater inflows into the Klein and Kwelera Estuaries, respectively, were estimated in 2006 to be 5.7 and 1.1 cents per m3 (see Table 15; 100 cents = R1). The results obtained were consistent with a priori expectation. It was expected that an estuary that was permanently open and receiving 3 times the change in volume of water (the Kwelera) would have a lower value per m3 than an estuary (the Klein) that was temporarily open, due to it being less prone to negative impacts from changes in freshwater inflow.
To the authors' knowledge, this study is the first in South Africa which applied the contingent behaviour, single-site Clawson-Knetsch TCM to value freshwater inflows into estuaries at the margin. The findings of this paper can, however, be compared with those in Hosking's (2010) study. Hosking et al. (2008) undertook a valuation of the freshwater inflows into the Klein and Kwelera Estuaries by applying the contingent valuation method. According to this study, the estimated median willingness to pay, per m3 of freshwater inflow, for the Klein and Kwelera Estuaries, respectively, was 5.46 and 0.48 cents. The differences between the results of applying the Clawson-Knetsch TCM and the contingent valuation model at the 2 estuaries are not substantial. The 2 methods yielded results which could be said to converge, in the sense that the difference in estimates is less than 0.7 cents or the ratio of the willingness to pay value/travel cost value is between 40 and 95%.
If it is efficiency one is pursuing, it is both theoretically and practically sensible to allocate South Africa's river water with reference to its value at different points along the river. Two estimates of the marginal value of river flows into the Klein and Kwelera Estuaries were derived in this study on the basis of estuary trips and associated travel costs. The average value per m3 of river flow into the Klein and Kwelera Estuaries, respectively, was 5.7 and 1.1 cents per m3. The marginal values estimated in this paper were compared to those derived in a contingent valuation study by Hosking et al. (2008). The differences between the results of applying the Clawson-Knetsch TCM and the contingent valuation model at the 2 estuaries are not substantial. The 2 methods yielded results which could be said to converge, in the sense that the difference in estimates is less than 0.7 cents or the ratio of the WTP value/travel cost value is between 40 and 95%.
The values found for river water inflows into the Klein and Kwelera are low when compared to the tariffs paid by urban users of water services. These tariffs (for potable water delivered and wastewater received) frequently are in excess of R10/m3. However, this is not a sensible comparison to make. The values of water reported in this paper relate to water in situ, as it lies in the river, with no production effort incorporated. A more sensible value to compare these values to is the tariff paid by farmers for the rights to abstract water from rivers, and these values are frequently a couple of cents per cubic metre.
Alternative (opportunity cost) values were not estimated as part of this study for the river water flowing into the Klein and Kwelera estuaries. For this reason, no conclusion could be drawn in this paper on the specific issue of whether more or less water should be allocated to the Klein and Kwelera estuaries. To provide guidance on this issue, the values found in this paper would have to be compared to the per annum user opportunity costs of inflows into estuaries. Clearly, a fruitful avenue for further research is to ascertain the annual user opportunity costs of river inflows into these 2 estuaries, so that this comparison can be made.
The guidance of the reference group for WRC Project K5/1413, managed by Dr Steve Mitchell and Dr Gerhard Backeberg, and funding from the Water Research Commission are gratefully acknowledged, as are the contributions of many NMMU students, particularly Johanne Dikgang (now at UCT).
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Received 14 December 2009; accepted in revised form 5 October 2010.
* To whom all correspondence should be addressed. +2741 504 2795; fax: +2741 583 2644; e-mail: email@example.com


text:
Advocate says such drunken drivers should be charged with child abuse.
Parents who drive drunk with children in the car should be reported for child abuse, says a child advocate.
Child Matters national manager Amanda Meynell spoke out after six cases in the past two months of parents in court for driving under the influence with kids in the car.
In the latest case, Northland mother Georgina Sheila Walters, 30, was found with an open can of bourbon and cola beside the driver's seat while driving with her 9- and 10-year-old daughters in the car.
The Whangarei District Court heard Walters was pulled over by police after she was seen swerving all over the road.
She blew 981mcg of alcohol per litre of breath, more than twice the legal limit, and told police she had drunk a bottle of wine and two beers before driving home. Walters avoided jail for her latest drink-drive offence - her third since February 2011. She was sentenced to 100 hours' community work and disqualified from driving indefinitely.
And the two young daughters remained in her care, the children's paternal grandfather Dennis Rouse said.
"They're okay as far as I know," he said.
But another family member said Walters had severe ongoing alcohol issues.
Meynell said adults who drink-drive put their children at significant risk of harm and people should speak out if they believe children are at risk or not being looked after.
"Child, Youth and Family should be informed and work with the family to ensure the children's safety," she said.
A CYF spokeswoman said the department would make some inquiries with the police next week.
December 31, 2012: A Northland man was convicted of drink-driving and dangerous driving for grabbing the steering wheel from his partner and pulling the handbrake while she was driving with their two young children in the car. William Penwarden was sentenced in the Whangarei District Court on charges of dangerous driving, driving with excess blood-alcohol, and threatening behaviour.
December 8, 2012: A 22-year-old disqualified driver in a car with no registration or warrant of fitness was pulled over in Oakura about 2am, with her 2-year-old daughter unrestrained in the front seat and a 5-month-old baby in the back. She had a breath-alcohol level of 528mcg.
December 18, 2012: Crystal Dawn Bond, 28, was sentenced in the Tauranga District Court to nine months' home detention for failing to stop for police, dangerous driving and driving with excess breath-alcohol. It was her third drink-driving offence and her four children, aged between 8 and 11 years, were with her .
November 30, 2012: Toni Ericksen, 33, was sentenced to 12 months' home detention after pleading guilty to driving under the influence of methamphetamine, causing the death of her daughter Bryer Rose Greenwood, 12. Ericksen lost control of her car on the Kaipara Coast Highway and hit an oncoming vehicle in July 2011. Bryer's younger sister Gemma, then 8, and a pregnant passenger in the other vehicle were also injured.
November 27, 2012: Amy Kathleen Reilly, 28, was sentenced to six months of home detention after crashing into a power pole in Christchurch. She had three children in the car and recorded 1409mcg of alcohol per litre of breath.
Police say boy, 7, behind wheel
A man has been charged with being drunk while allowing a 7-year-old to drive.
Tehere Maihi Maaka was the passenger in a car pulled over by police on Quona Ave in the Auckland suburb of Mt Roskill at lunchtime last Friday.
A 7-year-old was at the wheel, according to court charge sheets.
Maaka was breath-tested and, police allege, had 1059 micrograms of alcohol per litre of breath. The legal limit is 400mcg. The 49-year-old Mt Roskill storeman appeared in the Auckland District Court on Thursday.
He faces charges of drink-driving, dangerous driving and neglect of a child because it is alleged he allowed the 7-year-old to drive a car.
According to the charge sheets, Maaka has been convicted of drink-driving on two previous occasions.
The matter has been referred to Child Youth and Family.
Maaka has been remanded on bail and is due back in court next month.