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China's coming grain dependence
Xinjiang street food vendor. Photo: China Daily/Lin Dihuan
How much grain will China import? How will it compare with their soybean imports? No one knows for sure, the Earth Policy Institute's Lester Brown has said. "But if China were to import only 20 percent of its grain, it would need 80 million tons, an amount only slightly less than the 90 million tons of grain the United States exports to all countries each year." This would put heavy additional pressure on scarce exportable supplies of wheat and corn, said Brown.
For China, the handwriting is on the wall, the Earth Policy briefing has stated, in 'Can the United States feed China'. It will almost certainly have to turn to the outside world for grain to avoid politically destabilizing food price rises. To import massive quantities of grain, China will necessarily draw heavily on the United States, far and away the world's largest grain exporter. To be dependent on imported grain, much of it from the United States, will be China's worst nightmare come true.
"For US consumers, China's worst nightmare could become ours. If China enters the US grain market big time, as now seems inevitable, American consumers will find themselves competing with 1.4 billion Chinese consumers with fast-rising incomes for the US grain harvest, driving up food prices."
Tagged with China, corn, Earth Policy Institute, food price, food security, grain, Lester Brown, soybean, USA, wheat
So, why did the powers now attacking Libya easily tolerate Gaddafi for the last 10 years?
A Gadhafi supporter waves a regime flag on Green Square in the Libyan capital of Tripoli. Photo: Spiegel/Reuters
Right from the first, Muammar Gaddafi made no secret of his hatred for the Tunisian and Egyptian rebellions against Ben Ali's and Mubarak's dictatorial rule, this comment in l'Humanité in English has explained. In his own idiosyncratic way he has just hit upon the safest way to put the great post-colonial powers back into the saddle by providing the Tunisian and Egyptian former dictators' accomplices with a pretext for bombing his territory. Paris, London or Washington are thus once more taking over the controls.
Des insurgés fêtent la destruction d'un tank des forces pro-Kadhafi après une attaque des avions français à 25 kmde Benghazi. Photo: Ouest-France/Epa
A smell of oil gives the neo-colonial powers' real objectives away. Protection of the civilians is not among them. And this fuels criticism. Since resolution 1973 was voted by the Security Council last Friday despite the abstention and reservation of several states, French Rafale or British Tornado planes can drop their bombs on the tyrant's hideouts. There are and will be major collateral damages, more civilian victims. As was the case twenty years ago, during the first Gulf war led by an international coalition where the US then played the most prominent part, France being content with playing the part of first-rank participant.
This time the French president Nicolas Sarkozy stands on the Western armada's front line. Last Friday he was saying before the cameras that the aim is "to protect defenceless civilians" and to support the emergence of democracy. UNO's resolution stipulates that the war objective pursued is only to protect "the populations and civilian zones under the threat of attacks in Lybia's Arab Jamhiriya." But these verbal precautions are meant to rally the countries that balk at approving the Security Council's resolution, or at least to persuade them to abstain. They ill conceal the Western powers' war-prone strategies.
Today Libya is the next biggest producer of oil in Africa after Nigeria. And it sits on huge reserves. Enough to stir limitless greed, even as, Japan's nuclear catastrophe aiding, oil seems to be a most highly coveted fuel. The great capitalist powers easily came to terms with the Gaddafi regime during the last decade. Libya's oil thus represents nearly 20% of Italy's supply and at least 10% of France's.
Pro-Gadhafi forces reportedly reached the outskirts of the rebel-held city of Benghazi on Tuesday. This image shows rebels retreating under fire from Gadhafi's troops. Photo: Spiegel/AP
The great Western capitals consider that part of the Libyan elite who have broken off with the guide might grab all or part of the oil and constitute an even more "pliant" partner than the present regime. Especially as they would stand indebted to the West for its military intervention and as the social question, which is incontrovertible in Tunisia or in Egypt, does not figure so prominently in Libya, whose population was somehow driven into exile: its migrants (4,5 million out of 10 million inhabitants) being caught between two fires, had no demands to formulate other than the right to save their skin by fleeing the country.
[Original French article is 'L'aubaine pour reprendre la main sur le monde arabe' by Bruno Odent, 'Libya: A Golden Opportunity for Western Powers to Regain Control over the Arab World']
"A puzzling question preoccupied commentators in the aftermath of the Obama administration's apparent about-face sometime around March 16, the day before passage of UNSC 1973. Prior to that day, conventional wisdom held that the White House opposed military intercession, even in the shape of a no-fly zone, and despite the increasingly impassioned pleas of Britain, France and the Libyan National Council in rebel-controlled Benghazi." This editorial statement, titled 'Of Principle and Peril', has been made by the editors of Middle East Research and Information Project (Merip).
Sur la route entre Benghazi et Ajdabiyah, un char des forces pro-khadafistes a été abandonné, touché par les bombardements de la coalition. Photo: Reuters
The objections to a no-fly zone, given voice before Congress by Defense Secretary Robert Gates, were pragmatic rather than principled. Among their number: Libya is a huge country, much larger in area than the twin swathes of Iraq the US and Britain policed in the 1990s; the necessary military assets, such as aircraft carriers, were not in theater; and Qaddafi's helicopter gunships and tanks would be undeterred by an aerial exclusion zone, just as Saddam's forces were in 1991, when they crushed the uprising in southern Iraq despite US mastery of the skies. Gates underlined for the legislators that imposing this measure would be, in essence, an act of war. "Let's call a spade a spade," he said on March 2. "A no-fly zone begins with an attack on Libya to destroy the air defenses."
So why, in UNSC 1973, did the US push for and attain an authorization of force that not only includes a no-fly zone but also goes beyond it? Mainstream accounts, since they are molded by White House media outreach, have predictably emphasized the administration's mounting worries about massacres as Qaddafi's legions regained ground, as well as President Barack Obama's desire to be on the right side of the struggle between peoples and autocrats in the Arab world. UNSC 1973 is portrayed as a victory for the humanitarian interventionist element of Obama's foreign policy team, among them UN Ambassador Susan Rice and adviser Samantha Power, who are eager to expiate the sins of the Clinton administration in ignoring Rwanda. The resolution is depicted simultaneously as belated, but determined fulfillment of Obama's pledge in his Cairo speech of June 2009 to revise the list of US priorities in the Middle East, bringing US interests into greater harmony with the aspirations of the region's populace.
The more plausible explanation for the confused signals from the White House is that official circles were engaged in debate over whether Qaddafi would win. If, as it appeared in the second week of March, the Libyan strongman would rapidly quell the rebellion and reestablish his dominion across the country, there would be little point to Western intervention.
Tagged with Ben Ali, Defense Secretary, Gaddafi, Libya, Muammar, Mubarak, no fly zone, Obama, Qaddafi, Rafale, Robert Gates, Sarkozy, Security Council, Tornado, UN, UNSC 1973, USA
Is the resolution on Libya legal under international law?
Is the UN Security Council decision concerning the Libya 'no fly zone' in alignment with the Charter it is governed by?
A brief examination of this and related questions concerning the UN Security Council decision:
Under the United Nations Charter, the functions and powers of the Security Council are:
* to maintain international peace and security in accordance with the principles and purposes of the United Nations;
* to investigate any dispute or situation which might lead to international friction;
* to recommend methods of adjusting such disputes or the terms of settlement;
* to formulate plans for the establishment of a system to regulate armaments;
* to determine the existence of a threat to the peace or act of aggression and to recommend what action should be taken;
* to call on Members to apply economic sanctions and other measures not involving the use of force to prevent or stop aggression;
* to take military action against an aggressor;
* to recommend the admission of new Members;
* to exercise the trusteeship functions of the United Nations in "strategic areas";
* to recommend to the General Assembly the appointment of the Secretary-General and, together with the Assembly, to elect the Judges of the International Court of Justice.
When adopting resolution 1973(2011) did the Security Council members exhaust all the steps listed under their functions and powers, before the step "to take military action"?
How does authorizing the enforcement of a 'no fly zone' by military means "maintain international peace and security in accordance with the principles and purposes of the United Nations"? What investigation of a dispute in Libya or the situation in Libya was done by the UN Security Council in the weeks before 2011 March 17? Did the UNSC recommend dispute resolutions or settlement methods prior to 2011 March 17 – if so what were they and who were they reported to? Did the UNSC call on UN Members to apply "measures not involving the use of force" such as economic sanctions? If the UNSC members did none of the above – where are their reports to the UN General Assembly and to their national governments? – why did they move directly to taking military action?
This what was done on 2011 March 17:
Adopting resolution 1973 (2011) by a vote of 10 in favour to none against, with 5 abstentions…
Who are the members of the UN Security Council?
The Council is composed of five permanent members: China, France, Russian Federation, the United Kingdom and the United States. There are ten (10) non-permanent members (with year of term's end): Bosnia and Herzegovina (2011), Germany (2012), Portugal (2012), Brazil (2011), India (2012), South Africa (2012), Colombia (2012), Lebanon (2011), Gabon (2011), Nigeria (2011).
How did they vote on the Libya 'no fly zone' resolution?
The five abstentions were Brazil, China, Germany, India, Russian Federation – that is, two permanent members of the Security Council abstained.
Why did these members abstain?
[This text is from the UN press release] "The representative of the United States said that today, the Council had responded to the Libyan peoples' cry for help. The Council's purpose was clear: to protect Libyan civilians. The Security Council had authorized the use of force, including enforcement of a no-fly zone, to protect civilians and civilian areas targeted by Colonel Muammar Al-Qadhafi, his allied forces and mercenaries."
"The representatives of China and the Russian Federation, explaining their abstentions, prioritized peaceful means of resolving the conflict and said that many questions had not been answered in regard to provisions of the resolution, including, as the Russian representative put it, how and by whom the measures would be enforced and what the limits of the engagement would be. He said the resolution included a sorely needed ceasefire, which he had called for earlier. China had not blocked the action with a negative vote in consideration of the wishes of the Arab League and the African Union, its representative said."
"The delegations of India, Germany and Brazil, having also abstained, equally stressed the need for peaceful resolution of the conflict and warned against unintended consequences of armed intervention."
With reference to the US representative's explanation, what exactly was the "cry for help", who voiced it, how is it representative of the people of Libya, and in what way did this "cry for help" reach the UN General Assembly?
The General Assembly is the main deliberative, policymaking and representative organ of the United Nations. Comprising all 192 Members of the United Nations,
The Libyan Arab Jamahiriya is a member of the UN General Assembly and was admitted on 14-12-1955.
How do Members of the UNSC vote?
This is covered in Chapter VII of the UN Charter
[Rule 40] Voting in the Security Council shall be in accordance with the relevant Articles of the Charter and of the Statute of the International Court of Justice
What does the UN Charter say about the Security Council?
This is covered in Chapter V of the Charter. The composition of the Council is covered by Article 23, which also says: "…due regard being specially paid, in the first instance to the contribution of Members of the United Nations to the maintenance of international peace and security …"
The functions and powers of the Security Council are covered in Article 24 of the Charter which also says: "In order to ensure prompt and effective action by the United Nations, its Members confer on the Security Council primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security…"
What is the significance of the 10 votes for the Libya resolution?
Voting is covered in Article 27 of the UN Charter:
"1. Each member of the Security Council shall have one vote.
2. Decisions of the Security Council on procedural matters shall be made by an affirmative vote of nine members."
This brief background raises questions that must be asked by the representative of the Government of India in the UN. Most important, the UN Charter insists first on the maintenance of international peace and security. This principle has been ignored by the 10 members who voted for the resolution. The functions and powers of the UNSC place military action as following several others – resolution, settlement, economic. The 10 members who voted have violated the procedure. All 15 members have not explained why other measures – including an objective analysis (see India's member's explanation in Annex) – were not followed up by them before agreeing to take up the Libya resolution 1973(2011).
Referencess:
Security Council Approves 'No-Fly Zone' over Libya, Authorizing 'All Necessary Measures' to Protect Civilians, by Vote of 10 in Favour with 5 Abstentions (2011 March 17)
Charter of the United Nations
Annexure:
India's Explanation of Vote after the vote on Libyan Resolution in the UN Security Council delivered by Ambassador Manjeev Singh Puri, Deputy Permanent Representative, on 17 March 2011
1. India has been following with serious concern the developments in Libya, which have led to loss of numerous lives and injuries to many more. We are very concerned with the welfare of the civilian population and foreigners in Libya. We deplore the use of force, which is totally unacceptable, and must not be resorted to.
2. The UN Secretary-General has appointed a Special Envoy, who has just visited Libya. We support his appointment and welcome his mission. We have not had the benefit of his report or even a report from the Secretariat on his assessment as yet. This would have given us an objective analysis of the situation on ground. The African Union is also sending a High Level Panel to Libya to make serious efforts for a peaceful end to the crisis there. We must stress the importance of political efforts, including those of the Secretary-General's Special Envoy, to address the situation.
3. The resolution that the Council has adopted today authorizes far reaching measures under Chapter VII of the UN Charter with relatively little credible information on the situation on the ground in Libya. We also do not have clarity about details of enforcement measures, including who and with what assets will participate and how these measures will be exactly carried out. It is, of course, very important that there is full respect for sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity of Libya.
4. Mr President, the financial measures that are proposed in the resolution could impact, directly or through indirect routes, ongoing trade and investment activities of a number of member-states thereby adversely affecting the economic interests of the Libyan people and others dependent on these trade and economic ties. Moreover, we had to ensure that the measures will mitigate and not exacerbate an already difficult situation for the people of Libya. Clarity in the resolution on any spill-over affects of these measures would have been very important.
5. Mr President, we have abstained on the resolution in view of the above. I would like to re-emphasize that India continues to be gravely concerned about the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Libya and calls on the Libyan authorities to cease fire, protect the civilian population and address the legitimate demands of the Libyan people.
Tagged with China, France, General Assembly, Germany, India, Libya, military, Muammar, no fly zone, Qadhafi, resolution, Russia, Security Council, UK, UN, United Nations, USA
The West's Libya campaign has begun
De la fumée s'élève au-dessus de Benghazi où s'écrase un avion, le 19 mars 2011. Photo: Libération/AFP-Patrick Baz
French military jets have begun enforcing the UN backed no-fly zone over Libya, Russia Today has reported, as international forces prepare to carry out possible air strikes. At an emergency meeting in Paris, attended by French President Nicolas Sarkozy, British Prime Minister David Cameron, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, UN chief Ban Ki-moon and representatives of the Arab League, it was decided to resort to military action to enforce the no-fly zone.
RT quoted news reports as having said that the operation is expected to involve British, Arab, Canadian and Danish jets, as well as French. Italy, France and Spain will provide airbases for support in the region. Arab states – Saudi Arabia, Qatar and United Arab Emirates – said they do back the no-fly zone over Libyan airspace. There is a report in the French news site Libération titled 'Sarkozy annonce le début d'une action militaire en Libye'.
The UN news service has said that the UN Security Council "today effectively authorised the use of force in Libya to protect civilians from attack", specifically in the eastern city of Benghazi, which Colonel Muammar Al-Qadhafi has reportedly said he will storm tonight to end a revolt against his regime.
Acting under Chapter VII of the UN Charter, which provides for the use of force if needed, the Council adopted a resolution by 10 votes to zero, with five abstentions, authorizing Member States "to take all necessary measures… to protect civilians and civilian populated areas under threat of attack in the Libyan Arab Jamhariya, including Benghazi, while excluding an occupation force." The abstentions included China and Russia, which have the power of veto, as well as Brazil, Germany and India.
The full text of the UN Security Council resolution is here.
What is the 'no fly' zone about, and why are the Western powers committing fighter jets to maintaining it? Aijaz Ahmad has been interviewed on MR Zine. He said: "A no-fly zone is not about flying aircrafts. It's about laying the groundwork for occupying at least certain parts of the country and for destroying the garrisons and fighting capacity on the ground. Robert Gates and others in charge of the American defense establishment have said that a no-fly zone really means a ground attack on the country. So that's what a no-fly zone really is about. It's not about some great air force that Gaddafi has because he doesn't. Part of this council that has been set up in Benghazi has called for a no-fly zone." It is about Libyan oil and gas, after all.
Tagged with Arab Jamhariya, Ban Ki-moon. no fly zone, Benghazi, Cameron, Clinton, Gaddafi, gas, Libya, Muammar, occupation, oil, pipeline, Qadhafi, Sarkozy, Security Council, Tripoli, UN, United Nations, war
Fukushima nuclear emergency, Japan
08 February 2017: A month short of six years after the 11 March Fukushima disaster began unfolding, the situation at the nuclear power plant has entered a new phase of danger, one which modern industrial civilisation has no experience with and very little knowledge about.
The highest radiation level at Fukushima is now much higher than the highest ever measured at Chernobyl, which was 300 sieverts per hour, an inconceivably high dose which can kill a person almost instantly. Radiation is usually measured in thousandths of a sievert, called millisieverts. For example, most people receive around 2.4 millisieverts per year from background radiation, or only 0.0002739726 per hour.
But a radiation level of 530 sieverts per hour has just been measured at Fukushima's number 2 reactor. This new record at Fukushima is 70% higher than that of Chernobyl. (The highest level previously measured at Fukushima was 73 sieverts per hour, in March 2012.) The leakage of highly radioactive water has been continuing every day, a daily flow of radioactively contaminated groundwater into the ocean. The estimates are of about 300,000 litres per day of relatively low-level radioactive waste water. But there are storage tanks with 800,000 tons of highly radioactive water, as every day about 100 tons of water are poured on the three melted down cores.
18 December 2011: You will find the Updates archive, info links, video clips and pictures on the Japan emergency page.
Street lights shine in the abandoned town of Iitate, outside the 20 kilometre exclusion zone around the Fukushima No. 1 Nuclear Power Plant, in northeast Japan. Residents were forced to evacuate the town after radiation levels from the leaking plant exceeded those inside the exclusion zone. Nov. 20, 2011. Photo: Mainichi Daily News / AP Photo / Greg Baker
More than nine months have passed since the 11 March earthquake and tsunami that devastated northeastern Japan and triggered a still-unresolved disaster at the Fukushima No. 1 Nuclear Power Plant. This set of news reports, news features and editorial in the Mainichi Daily News reveals the chronic deception and criminal corporate irresponsibility that continue to hinder all meaningful effort to mitigate the meltdown, and to obstruct at all costs the truth.
Mainichi Daily News has said that the government has declared a stable "cold shutdown" at the plant, representing a major milestone in its handling of the disaster. The public has keenly waited for the nuclear reactors to be brought under stable control, but Japan is still standing on thin ice and is miles away from a situation where it can really declare that the crisis is under control.
In the meantime, rebuilding the lives of residents near the crippled plants has been an urgent critical challenge. On the occasion of its latest political declaration, the government needs to renew its resolve to settle the crisis and achieve regional recovery. The disaster-hit reactors are certainly now in a more stable condition. However, the phrase "cold shutdown" usually refers to suspension of a sound reactor. The fact that the government is attempting to apply this term in a severe accident in which three reactors have suffered core meltdowns should be called into question. The government should rather explain in detail the possibility of any additional explosions and whether a recriticality accident has been ruled out.
Police on duty at a roadblock at the edge of the 20 kilometre exclusion zone around the crippled Fukushima No. 1 Nuclear Power Plant, at Namie, in northeast Japan. Nov. 20, 2011. Photo: Mainichi Daily News / AP Photo / Greg Baker
Simulations suggest that nuclear fuel has melted inside the reactor containment vessels, eroding their concrete floors. Although Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO), the operator of the stricken nuclear plant, has indicated that melted fuel has also been cooled down by water, this is nothing but speculation. We urge the utility and the government to find a way to ascertain the precise condition of the fuel.
Mainichi Daily News has reported that conditions at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant are far worse than its operator or the government has admitted, according to freelance journalist Tomohiko Suzuki, who spent more than a month working undercover at the power station. "Absolutely no progress is being made" towards the final resolution of the crisis, Suzuki told reporters at a Foreign Correspondents' Club of Japan news conference on Dec. 15. Suzuki, 55, worked for a Toshiba Corp. subsidiary as a general laborer there from July 13 to Aug. 22, documenting sloppy repair work, companies including plant operator Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO) playing fast and loose with their workers' radiation doses, and a marked concern for appearances over the safety of employees or the public.
An earthquake-damaged grave is seen at a cemetery in the abandoned town of Katsurao, outside the 20 kilometre exclusion zone around the Fukushima No. 1 Nuclear Power Plant, in northeast Japan. The town was abandoned when radiation levels became unsafe for long term exposure. Nov. 20, 2011. Photo: Mainichi Daily News / AP Photo / Greg Baker
For example, the no-entry zones around the plant – the 20-kilometer radius exclusion zone and the extension covering most of the village of Iitate and other municipalities – have more to do with convenience that actual safety, Suzuki says. The situation at the plant itself is no better, where he says much of the work is simply "for show," fraught with corporate jealousies and secretiveness and "completely different" from the "all-Japan" cooperative effort being presented by the government.
"Reactor makers Toshiba and Hitachi (brought in to help resolve the crisis) each have their own technology, and they don't talk to each other. Toshiba doesn't tell Hitachi what it's doing, and Hitachi doesn't tell Toshiba what it's doing." Meanwhile, despite there being no concrete data on the state of the reactor cores, claims by the government and TEPCO that the disaster is under control and that the reactors are on-schedule for a cold shutdown by the year's end have promoted a breakneck work schedule, leading to shoddy repairs and habitual disregard for worker safety, he said. "Working at Fukushima is equivalent to being given an order to die," Suzuki quoted one nuclear-related company source as saying.
At a Tokyo market, a smartphone shows radiation test results by the grower of a package of Maitake mushrooms, showing them as free of radioactive contamination. Many consumers worry about the safety of food from Fukushima and surrounding prefectures, although produce and fish found to be above government-set limits for contamination are barred from the market. Mushrooms, for example, harvested in and around Fukushima are frequently found to be contaminated and barred from the market. Sept. 12, 2011. Photo: Mainichi Daily News / AP Photo / Shizuo Kambayashi
Kenichi Oshima is currently a professor at Ritsumeikan University. After long years of nuclear power research, he had learned that the actual cost of maintaining nuclear power in Japan was twice as high as what government and electric power companies had publicly announced, the Mainichi Daily News has reported. In March 2010, published his findings in a book, but found himself under fire at a time when pro-nuclear energy was becoming even stronger. In September the same year, during a meeting of the Japan Atomic Energy Commission, his comments were rejected and even mocked. "Do you call this research?" he was told and few even cared to look at his findings.
Following the nuclear disaster at the Fukushima No. 1 power plant, triggered by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami, Oshima's situation drastically changed. He was selected as a member of two expert governmental committees to serve as a critical analyst of Japan's current nuclear power stance. The group will openly release all internal debates and documents, Oshima says. He is now more optimistic than ever that the time to destroy the "cheap and safe" nuclear power myth will eventually come.
Workers in protective suits and masks wait to enter the emergency operation center at the crippled Fukushima No. 1 Nuclear Power Plant in Okuma, Japan. Nov. 12, 2011. Photo: Mainichi Daily News / AP Photo / David Guttenfelder, Pool
A sober and critical editorial in the Mainichi Daily News has said that Britain has already abandoned developing fast-breeder nuclear reactors, and is set to give up nuclear fuel reprocessing as well. Moreover, its planned construction of a facility to dispose of radioactive waste including plutonium is likely to materialize even though it is still at a planning phase.
In contrast, there are no prospects that Japan can build a disposal facility. However, for Japan to call for operations at the Monju prototype fast-breeder nuclear reactor in Fukui Prefecture and the nuclear fuel reprocessing plant in the Aomori Prefecture village of Rokkasho to be carried out as planned, would be like putting the cart before the horse as it appears the country is incapable of building a disposal facility.
Plutonium is directly related to security issues. The U.K. possesses nuclear weapons but Japan does not. One may wonder whether Japan's independence will be threatened if it abandons nuclear fuel recycling and loses its ability to produce plutonium. Even though it is an important point of contention the issue should not be used as a reason to underestimate the harm of plutonium.
Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Yukio Edano who is in charge of energy policy, Goshi Hosono, state minister for handling the nuclear crisis, and Yoshito Sengoku, second-in-command in the ruling Democratic Party of Japan's Policy Research Committee, have been hearing the views of experts on the issue. It is not enough for the government to talk only about the dream of "prosperity" built on dependence on nuclear power. Japan's ability to overcome the mess that follows such prosperity is now being tested.
More updates, info links, video clips and pictures on the Japan emergency page.
Tagged with 1986, 1995, Areva, atomic, atomic energy, becquerel, Beijing, Belarus, boric acid, cancer, cesium, Chernobyl, China, Chubu, Citizen's Nuclear Information Center, cobalt, contamination, CTBTO, 特集 東北地方太平洋沖地震, Daiichi, Daini, Dalnoki-Veress, decay, decontamination, Department of Energy, detector, diet, Digital Globe, earthquake, economic impact, electric, Emergency, EnergySolutions Foundation, Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, evacuation, fallout, fast breeder, fuel rod, fuel rods, Fukushima, Fukushima 50, Fukushima I, Fukushima II, Global Hawk, Goshi Hosono, Goto Masashi, groundwater, Gunma, Hamaoka, Hanshin, humanitarian relief, hydrogen, IAEA, Ibaraki, Institut de Radioprotection et de Sûreté Nucléaire, Institute for Energy and Environmental Research, International Atomic Energy Agency, iodine, iodine-131, IRSN, Ishibashi Katsuhiko, isotope, Itabashi, Iwate, Japan, Japan Atomic Energy Commission, Japan Nuclear Energy Safety Organisation, John Beddington, Josef Oehmen, Kamaishi, Kanto, Kashima, Kesennuma, KI pill, Kobe, Koide Hiroaki, Kremlin, Kuroshio current, Mainichi, Masataka Shimizu, meltdown, micro sievert, millirem, Minamisanriku, MIT, Miyagi, Naoto Kan, National Institute of Radiological Sciences, National Police Agency, NEI, neutron, Nevada, NISA, NRC, nuclear, nuclear accident, Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency, Nuclear Energy Institute, nuclear power plant, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Nuclear Regulatory Commission. NRC, Nuclear Science and Engineering, OECD, Onagawa, Ota, Pacific, physicist, Pollution Release and Transfer Register, potassium iodide, power, prefecture, Pripyat, radiation, radiation detector, radiation monitor, radioactive leak, radioactive plume, radionuclide, reactor, reactor vessel, reconnaisance, Rosatom, satellite, SDF, seismology, Sendai, Shizugawa, Shizuoka, silt fence, Son Masayoshi, South Korea, Soviet, spontaneous fission, TEPCO, Three Mile Island, thyroid cancer, Tochigi, Tohuku, Tokyo, Toxic Watch Network, transient criticality, tsunami, UCSUSA, Ukraine, Union of Concerned Scientists, United States, uranium, US Geological Survey, USSR, World Nuclear News, Yukio Edano
Foodgrain outlook, 2011 March – the prices effect now visible
The World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE), the monthly forecast of the United States Department of Agriculture (Farm Service Agency, Economic Research Service, Foreign Agricultural Service) was released on 2011 March 10.
Highlights and main points for the major crop groups are:
Wheat – Global 2010-11 wheat supplies are projected 1.9 million tons higher reflecting higher production. Argentina production is raised 1.0 million tons based on higher reported yields. Australia production is raised 1.0 million tons with higher yields in Western Australia where wheat quality was not hurt by harvest rains as in the east. Other production changes include a 0.5-million-ton reduction for EU-27 with a smaller crop reported for Denmark and a 0.6-million-ton increase for Saudi Arabia on an upward revision to area.
Global wheat trade is projected lower partly reflecting reduced import prospects for a number of smaller markets as high prices trim demand. The largest import reduction, however, is for Russia where imports are lowered 1.5 million tons. Despite last year's drought, Russia appears to be meeting its wheat needs as the government's export ban helps maintain supplies for domestic users. With lower imports by Russia, Ukraine exports are lowered 1.5 million tons. Ukraine's export restrictions have also disrupted trade with non-FSU countries. Exports are lowered 0.5 million tons for EU-27 on tighter supplies and the rising value of the Euro. Although exports are unchanged for the Australia October-September marketing year, exports are raised 1.0 million tons for the 2010-11 July-June international trade year increasing expected competition for U.S. wheat exports over the next few months.
Global 2010-11 wheat consumption is projected lower with the biggest change being a 1.5-million-ton reduction in expected wheat feeding for Russia. With increased global production and reduced usage, world ending stocks for 2010-11 are projected 4.1 million tons higher.
Rice – Global 2010-11 projections of rice production, consumption, and exports are lowered from a month ago, and ending stocks are raised. The decrease in the global production forecast, still a record at 451.5 million tons, is due entirely to a decrease in the rice crop in India, which is partially offset by increases for Argentina and Brazil. India's rice crop is forecast at 94.5 million tons, down 500,000 tons from last month due to an expected decrease in average yield. Drier than normal weather in the eastern and northern rice growing regions is expected to lower Rabi yields. The increases in Argentina and Brazil are due to an expected increase in harvested area.
Global consumption is lowered 5.3 million tons to 447.0 million, still a record, primarily due to reductions in India (-4.0 million) and China (-0.5 million). Conversely, global ending stocks are raised 4.9 million tons to 98.8 million attributed mostly to increases for India, China, Bangladesh, and Burma. India's 2010-11 ending stocks are raised 3.6 million tons to 21.6 million based on recently received information on government-held stocks. China's 2010-11 ending stocks are raised nearly 1.0 million tons based on information from the Agricultural Counselor in Beijing. Global 2010-11 exports are lowered nearly 0.5 million tons, due mostly to reductions in Burma, China, and India.
Coarse Grains – Global coarse grain supplies for 2010-11 are projected 2.5 million tons lower this month with lower corn beginning stocks and reduced corn, barley, sorghum, and oats production. Global corn beginning stocks are lowered 0.6 million tons with upward revisions to Brazil exports and India feeding in 2009-10.
Global 2010-11 corn production is reduced 0.5 million tons as lower production in Mexico and India is partially offset by higher production in Brazil. Brazil corn production for 2010-11 is raised 2.0 million tons reflecting higher reported area and yields in the summer crop and expectations for increased area for the winter crop with government planting dates extended for crop insurance and loan programs. Mexico corn production is reduced 2.0 million tons as the unusual early February freeze destroyed standing corn crops across much of the northwest winter corn region, which normally accounts for about one-fourth of the country's total corn production. Replanting is expected to offset some of the loss, but seasonally high temperatures in the coming months limit the growing season window.
Global 2010-11 sorghum and barley production are each lowered 0.5 million tons and oats production is lowered 0.3 million tons. Lower sorghum output for India more than offsets an increase for Australia. Lower barley and oats output for Australia account for most of the reduction in world production for these coarse grains.
Global 2010-11 coarse grain imports are raised this month as increases for corn and sorghum more than offset a reduction for barley. Corn imports are raised 1.1 million tons for Mexico with the lower production outlook. Corn imports are raised 1.0 million tons for EU-27 on stronger expected feeding. A 0.5-million-ton reduction for Russia corn imports is partly offsetting. Sorghum imports are raised for EU-27 and barley imports are lowered for Russia, Saudi Arabia, and China. Increased corn feeding in EU-27 is more than offset by reductions in feeding in Russia and lower food, seed, and industrial use in India and Mexico. Projected global corn ending stocks are raised slightly.
Tagged with 2011, Argentina, Australia, Bangladesh, Barley, Brazil, Burma, cereal, China, coarse grain, corn, Denmark, EU, EU-27, feed, foodgrain, FSU, India, Maize, March, Mexico, oats, rice, Russia, Saudi Arabia, seed, sorghum, Ukraine, USA, USDA, WASDE, wheat
Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and USA – and Iran
An image grab taken from Bahrain TV shows 'vanguard' of a contingent of Gulf troops arriving in the unrest-wracked Kingdom of Bahrain across a causeway from Saudi Arabia, March 14, 2011: Photo: VOA/AP
[Update: 16:15:00 UTC-GMT] The Voice of America has reported that Bahrain's king has declared a three month state of emergency in response to weeks of anti-government protests by majority Shi'ites against the Gulf state's Sunni rulers.
Thousands of protesters marched to the Saudi embassy on Tuesday, Reuters has reported, protesting against the arrival of Saudi troops to help restore calm in the Sunni-ruled kingdom after weeks of protests by the Shi'ite majority.
Carrying Bahraini flags, some 5,000 people marched from Pearl roundabout, the focal point of protests, to the embassy in an upscale area of the capital where streets were otherwise deserted.
Armed vigilantes roamed Manama's streets and blocked Bahraini villages Tuesday as Iran condemned a military intervention by Gulf troops to help subdue unrest in the Shiite-majority, Sunni-ruled kingdom. According to Zawya, the financial district of Manama was deserted, shops and malls were shuttered and Sunni and Shiite vigilantes armed with metal pipes and clubs were seen in the streets of the capital after hundreds of Saudi-led armoured troops rolled into Bahrain from Saudi Arabia.
Television footage showed Saudi troops entering Bahrain in armoured vehicles. Photo: Al Jazeera/Reuters
Witnesses said vigilante groups also blocked access to a number of villages across the kingdom. Women have been told to leave central Manama and activists were distributing surgical masks and eye protectors to defend against tear gas. There were rumours of a march against the Saudi embassy near the financial district later Tuesday. The troops arrived in Bahrain on Monday to help the Manama government deal with pro-democracy protests which have shaken the strategic Gulf kingdom for the past month. Saudi Arabia's staunchly Sunni government said it had responded to a call for help from its neighbour under a mutual defence pact of the six-country Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).
Hundreds of Saudi troops have entered Bahrain to help protect government facilities there amid escalating protests against the government, Al Jazeera has reported. Bahrain television on Monday broadcast images of troops in armoured cars entering the Gulf state via the 26km causeway that connects the kingdom to Saudi Arabia. The arrival of the troops follows a request to members of the Gulf Co-Operation Council (GCC) from Bahrain, whose Sunni rulers have faced weeks of protests and growing pressure from a majority Shia population to institute political reforms.
The Causeway linking Bahrain with Saudi Arabia
The United Arab Emirates has also sent about 500 police to Bahrain, according to Abdullah bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, the Emirati foreign minister. Iran, meanwhile, has warned against "foreign interferences". "The peaceful demonstrations in Bahrain are among the domestic issues of this country, and creating an atmosphere of fear and using other countries' military forces to oppress these demands is not the solution," Hossein Amir Abdollahian, an official from the Iranian foriegn ministry, was reported by Iran's semi-official Fars news agency as saying.
Debka has reported that the Saudi force that went into Bahrain Monday, March 14, along with UAE and Kuwaiti units, to stabilize the royal regime is larger than reported, consisting of a National Guard brigade, a mechanized brigade of the Saudi army and a tank battalion – altogether 3,500 men. Until recently close American allies, the two Gulf rulers flouted President Obama's policy of supporting popular uprisings, encouraged by Qaddafi gaining the upper hand against Libya's rebels and Washington's constraints against military intervention.
What led the Saudi-led GCC army units to jump unhesitatingly into Bahrain while the US and Europe dithered over Libya? Tehran won't take this lying down, said Debka Weekly, which (to subscribers only) outlines the potential military showdown between Iran and Saudi Arabia, explores US-Israeli intelligence blindness on Egypt, and reveals how the Libyan conflict is enriching both sides – Muammar Qaddafi and his opponents – as well as global arms traffickers.
Tagged with Bahrain, Egypt, Emirates, GCC, Gulf Cooperation Council, Iran, Kuwait, Libya, Manama, Qaddafi, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, shia, sunni, Tehran, UAE, USA
Japan quake tsunami links and notes
New estimates by the US Geological Survey suggest that the earthquake that struck Japan on 2011 March 11 was magnitude 9.0. Grpahic from New Scientist.
The Mainichi Daily News has reported that the strongest recorded earthquake to hit Japan rocked the northeastern coast Friday, triggering a series of tsunami including a 10-meter wall of water that submerged residential areas and farms with muddy streams and washed away scores of people, vehicles, boats and a storage tank on fields and ports in northeastern Japan.
The 10-meter tsunami was observed at Sendai port in Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture at around 3:55 p.m. after the quake with a magnitude of 8.8 rocked the region, local police said. A tsunami expert at the government-affiliated Port and Airport Research Institute described the tsunami following the 2:46 p.m. quake as "one of the highest and widest in terms of areas of devastation in the nation's history." Shigeo Takahashi, senior researcher at the institute, said, "It's a tsunami of a once-in-a-century scale."
The New Scientist noted that the Japanese earthquake has triggered a series of tsunami waves that are now moving east across the Pacific. How will the countries they hit be affected? The shape of each landmass is a major factor determining how the tsunami behaves. Tsunamis are most dangerous when they run over a large area of shallow water. This causes the first wavefront to slow down, so successive waves pile up to form one tremendous wave.
As a result small Pacific islands, especially ones that lie in otherwise deep water, should be largely unaffected. Wave height here might reach 30 centimetres at most. "A little atoll presents a pencil in the water, and the wave just goes right past," says Robert Cessaro, a senior geophysicist at the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC) in Hawaii. Because most of the islands in the tsunami's path are fairly small, they should see waves 10 to 30 centimetres high at most.
Tagged with earthquake, Fukushima, Guam, Hawaii, Iwate, Japan, Marianas, Miyagi, Odaiba, Onahama, Pacific, Sendai, Tokyo, tsunami
Dear scientists and donors, what part of 'agro-ecology' don't you understand?
"Resource-conserving, low-external-input techniques have a proven potential to significantly improve yields," Olivier De Schutter, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food, has told the UN Human Rights Council at its Sixteenth session.
"In what may be the most systematic study of the potential of such techniques to date, Jules Pretty et al. compared the impacts of 286 recent sustainable agriculture projects in 57 poor countries covering 37 million hectares (3 per cent of the cultivated area in developing countries). They found that such interventions increased productivity on 12.6 millions farms, with an average crop increase of 79 per cent, while improving the supply of critical environmental services."
"Disaggregated data from this research showed that average food production per household rose by 1.7 tonnes per year (up by 73 per cent) for 4.42 million small farmers growing cereals and roots on 3.6 million hectares, and that increase in food production was 17 tonnes per year (up 150 per cent) for 146,000 farmers on 542,000 hectares cultivating roots (potato, sweet potato, cassava). After UNCTAD and UNEP reanalyzed the database to produce a summary of the impacts in Africa, it was found that the average crop yield increase was even higher for these projects than the global average of 79 per cent at 116 per cent increase for all African projects and 128 per cent increase for projects in East Africa."
Olivier De Schutter, United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food
The most recent large-scale study points to the same conclusions, De Schutter has said. Research commissioned by the Foresight Global Food and Farming Futures project of the UK Government reviewed 40 projects in 20 African countries where sustainable intensification was developed during the 2000s. The projects included crop improvements (particularly improvements through participatory plant breeding on hitherto neglected orphan crops), integrated pest management, soil conservation and agro-forestry. By early 2010, these projects had documented benefits for 10.39 million farmers and their families and improvements on approximately 12.75 million hectares. Crop yields more than doubled on average (increasing 2.13-fold) over a period of 3-10 years, resulting in an increase in aggregate food production of 5.79 million tonnes per year, equivalent to 557 kg per farming household.
The Special Rapporteur's recommendations:
As part of their obligation to devote the maximum of their available resources to the progressive realization of the right to food, States should implement public policies supporting the adoption of agroecological practices by:
• making reference to agroecology and sustainable agriculture in national strategies for the realisation of the right to food and by including measures adopted in the agricultural sector in national adaptation plans of action (NAPAs) and in the list of nationally appropriate mitigation actions (NAMAs) adopted by countries in their efforts to mitigate climate change;
• reorienting public spending in agriculture by prioritizing the provision of public goods, such as extension services, rural infrastructures and agricultural research, and by building on the complementary strengths of seeds-and-breeds and agroecological methods, allocating resources to both, and exploring the synergies, such as linking fertilizer subsidies directly to agroecological investments on the farm ("subsidy to sustainability");
• supporting decentralized participatory research and the dissemination of knowledge about the best sustainable agricultural practices by relying on existing farmers' organisations and networks, and including schemes designed specifically for women;
• improving the ability of producers practicing sustainable agriculture to access markets, using instruments such as public procurement, credit, farmers' markets, and creating a supportive trade and macroeconomic framework.
The research community, including centres of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research and the Global Forum on Agricultural Research, should:
• increase the budget for agroecological research at the field level (design of sustainable and resilient agroecological systems), farm and community levels (impacts of various practices on incomes and livelihoods), and national and sub-national levels (impact on socio-economic development, participatory scaling-up strategies, and impacts of public policies), and develop research with the intended beneficiaries according to the principles of participation and coconstruction;
• train scientists in the design of agroecological approaches, participatory research methods, and processes of co-inquiry with farmers, and ensure that their organizational culture is supportive of agroecological innovations and participatory research;
• assess projects on the basis of a comprehensive set of performance criteria (impacts on incomes, resource efficiency, impacts on hunger and malnutrition, empowerment of beneficiaries, etc.) with indicators appropriately disaggregated by population to allow monitoring improvements in the status of vulnerable populations, taking into account the requirements of the right to food, in addition to classical agronomical measures.
Tagged with agriculture, agro-ecology, climate change, credit, East Africa, farmer, income, livelihood, mitigation, Olivier de Schutter, public procurement, Right To Food, rural, subsidies, UK, UN Human Rights Council, Unctad, UNEP, United Nations Special Rapporteur
Magnitude 8.9 Quake Shakes Japan, Tsunami Hits Northeast Coast
A message from the Asahi Shimbun: Editor's note: We will update our earthquake news as frequently as possible on AJW's Facebook page. Please check to keep informed on what's happening. / Toshio Jo, managing editor at International Division, The Asahi Shimbun.
Smoke rises from a building near Tokyo Bay in this photo taken from the waterfront district of Tokyo's Chuo Ward on Friday. (Mitsuyoshi Amata)
Nikkei has reported that a powerful earthquake with a magnitude of 8.9 struck Japan Friday afternoon, causing damage in Tokyo, many reported injuries in the north where the quake was centered and sending a tsunami hurtling toward the country's northeastern coast.
The quake, originally reported at a magnitude of 7.9 but later upgraded to 8.9 apparently exceeding the 8.9 quake that struck off Chile in February 2010.
Yomiuri Shimbun has coverage of the quake here.
Local television reported smoke rising from a Tokyo port building, and fire in the capital's waterfront Odaiba district. There were reports of "numerous" injuries in Miyagi Prefecture, in northeastern Japan where the quake was centered, as a tsunami measured at anywhere from one meter to 4.2 meters hit at various places along the coast.
See NHK TV for video and reports here, here and here.
The US Geological Survey page for the quake is here. Key data:
Location 38.322°N, 142.369°E
Depth 24.4 km (15.2 miles) set by location program
Region NEAR THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
Distances 130 km (80 miles) E of Sendai, Honshu, Japan
178 km (110 miles) E of Yamagata, Honshu, Japan
178 km (110 miles) ENE of Fukushima, Honshu, Japan
373 km (231 miles) NE of TOKYO, Japan
A tsunami warning included Japan, Russia, Taiwan, Guam, the Northern Marianas, the Marcus Islands and the Wake Islands, while 15 nations and territories were covered by a tsunami watch.
In Tokyo, hundreds of concerned office workers tried in vain to make calls on jammed cellphone networks, some wearing hard hats and other protective headgear. Many of them streamed out of buildings in the business district, gathering in open areas. The crowd appeared spooked by the sound of glass windows rattling in tall buildings.
Services on the Tohoku Shinkansen Line, as well as on the Tokaido and Sanyo Shinkansen lines, were suspended. All services on the Tokyo Metro subway systems in the Tokyo metropolitan area were stopped.
Aftershocks were continuing, with one hitting magnitude 7.1, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. Tall buildings swayed violently in central Tokyo as the aftershocks hit.
NHK Television reported that water could be seen rising over cars and pouring into warehouses at Onahama port in Fukushima Prefecture; in Iwate Prefecture a building was washed away, with boats and cars swirling around in the rising waters.
38.322°N, 142.369°E
24.4 km (15.2 miles) set by location program
NEAR THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
130 km (80 miles) E of Sendai, Honshu, Japan
Tagged with earthquake, Fukushima, Guam, Iwate, Japan, Marianas, Miyagi, NHK, Nikkei, Odaiba, Onahama, Richter, Tokyo, tsunami


All of us, at the time that we transacted the purchase of our home or lot in Quail Creek, signed a Covenant, which is a Biblical term whereupon it reflects a one-sided promise that is irrespective of what others may do. The promise, or "covenant," we made is a commitment to live by certain standards that are established in the Declaration, commonly referred to as CC&Rs. These standards originated on May 3, 1993 as simple deed restrictions. Then on July 12, 1999 the Development recorded with Rockwall County the first Declaration of Conditions, Covenants and Restrictions [CC&Rs], which have been revised & updated three more times before, on April 7, 2015, homeowners voted on the last, and most current set of CC&Rs and Bylaws.
Adopted on April 7, 2015 and recorded on May 29, 2015 in Rockwall County.
This set of CC&Rs was recorded on December 31, 2009.
Rather than amending the entire document, Quail Creek recorded a document on November 15, 2005 detailing the changes.
Recorded November 15, 2005, these C&Rs brought both Phase I & Phase II under a single governing document, with Phase II adopting added restrictions (article VIII).
Recorded on July 12, 1999, this set of CC&RS applied only to Phase II while Phase I remained governed by the original Deed Restrictions.
Quail Creek was established under Deed Restrictions that was recorded on April 29, 1993.
January 21, 2019 - "Covenants" CC&Rs, Helpful Reminders, News & Notable - Comments Off on Reminder: Each Lot Owner is Responsible for the Drainage on Their Property…Including Easements!


text:
Kansas City police set up donation page for woman who helped officer shot in head
1:42 PM EDT, Tue July 21, 2020
By Russell Colburn
Click here for updates on this story
KANSAS CITY, MO (WDAF) — Kansas City police helped set up a GoFundMe account for a local mother who donated to an officer who was shot in the head earlier this month.
KCPD said the injured officer is recovering well.
Shetera Sims said she's no stranger to hard times. With just $7 in her pocket, she recently tried a scratch off and won $100.
Sims said her daughter, Rakiya, came up with the idea of how to spend it.
"I said, 'We should donate it to the police officer that got shot for his family,'" Rakiya said.
"It was her idea, and I went along with it," Sims said. "She's a special child."
That officer was left in critical condition after the shooting incident that left a suspect dead at East 31st & Van Brunt on July 2.
Sims and her daughter felt for the officer — and police in general — for personal reasons.
Sims' daughter, Karyia, was murdered in 2012. Sims said police solved the case and were supportive the whole way.
"That was the worst day of my life. I can't even talk about it," Sims said.
The donation page organized by police had raised more than $9,500 as of Monday night. Sims said she'll use the money to catch up on bills.
"[I want the officer to know] that we're here for him if he needs us," Sims said. "There's more people in the community here for him than you can imagine."
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$20,000 reward for information about deadly Club Blu shooting in Fort Myers
More Explores: The Golisano Children's Museum of Naples

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Have you ever thought about being a board member or sub committee member of a diverse, dynamic not for profit board where your skills and experience could really make a difference to community?
YMCA Victoria has teamed up with Vic Health to support a new smart phone app that makes physical activity more accessible to everyone.
Are you aged 16 to 25, and have something to say?
Applications for the 2013 YMCA Youth Parliament of Victoria program are now open!
Registrations have now opened for the YMCA Swimathon, which will be held at YMCA-managed pools across Victoria on Sunday 3 March from 10am -11am.
Do you have what it takes to mentor a young person?
The 2's Company Youth Mentoring Program is seeking adults to mentor young people who live on housing estates in Fitzroy, Collingwood and Richmond.
A personal development program for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander youths has been recognised as the program of the year at the annual YMCA Victoria Awards on Friday night.
YMCA Action Sports are very excited to announce that the high-flying 2012 North Western Skate and BMX League Competitions are kicking-off on the 8th September 2012.
Get together and shoot a few hoops in the YMCA World Challenge!
30 YMCA managed stadiums across Victoria are joining the YMCA World Challenge on October 13th in an attempt to mobilise 5 million people on the same day in various basketball related activities.


Cynthia Alaniz, elementary librarian, at Cottonwood Creek Elementary in Coppell ISD, in Texas, is a shining example of what a school librarian can be! She participates in #txlchat Twitter chats, shares books that she reads across several social media platforms, including Facebook, and encourages participation in various conferences and special literacy celebrations. Her presence on social media highlights all the wonderful things librarians are doing in school librarians all across the world! Cynthia reads and shares children's/MG/YA titles. Cynthia writes frequently and enthusiastically on Twitter and also very thoughtfully and inspiringly on her blog. Her lists on Goodreads are extensive and useful.
Cynthia's enthusiasm for reading and connecting readers with the right books is simply contagious. I see her posts about the love of reading on a daily basis and know that her students are so blessed to have such a passionate librarian. Her posts always make me consider what more I can do to support the readers in my school. Cynthia models for all of us the importance of our own reading lives and sharing that with others in the name of benefiting the reading lives of our students. She shows that reading is an important part of being future ready.
Cynthia's love for books and reading is so evident and contagious! She is constantly sharing what she is reading and what she wanted to read. She shares what she reads too her students and what they are up to in the library. She is a true advocate for literacy in the library and beyond! I am so lockout that she is in Texas and shares not only via social media but at conferences as well!
I first saw Michelle Luhtala present at an AASL conference, and I was truly inspired with the library program that she creates for her students. Michelle doesn't just have a "library curriculum". She creates a program where all students have a voice and work together to make the library a place of creation and sharing. She constantly seeks ways to make the library resources more visible to her library members and she openly shares this process with other libraries around the world so that they make their resources visible as well. In addition, she harnesses technology so that she can be in constant communication with her students even if they need help in the middle of the night. When she shares, she inspires us all to take a look at our libraries and how we can increase access for students and create a curriculum that truly connects to the needs of our learners.
When I have read posts by Cynthia Alaniz, invariably, I must add to my list: books to read, strategies to consider. I am reminded of the power and joy of making connections between readers and texts and why we do what we do.
I am fortunate to have Cynthia in my PLN and know everyone else who reads her posts feels the same.
Cynthia has such a genuine love and passion for books. It is very important to her to share that love with students, teachers, colleagues and peers whether it is in person, during lessons, on twitter, facebook or her blog. She always makes me look at a book in a new way. Whether it is presenting at a conference, moderating an author panel, serving on a committee, Cynthia has a drive that keeps her working on multiple projects at once. Her advocacy for reading is truly inspiring.
I took a class with Michelle at Southern CT State University. I am not surprised at all by everything she has accomplished. She was always dynamic in class and continues to be an inspiration to me and others. She is always ahead of the curve and willing to help others. Thank you Michelle for being an inspiration!!
Susie is an amazing communicator. As a member of the Association of Indiana School Media Educators (AISLE) I'm aware of opportunities for professional development on a regular basis. Not only does she tweet and post to the listserv, she keeps principals and other school educators aware of the importance of Media Specialists to our students by running the Middle Level Educators association. In addition to her roles listed above she has also served on the selection committee for the Young Hoosier Book Award books.
Cynthia is my #TLBFF and someone I have relied on for years as a #kidlit expert! We met online and only connected IRL after she became an integral member of my #PLN.She reads more than anyone I know (and, I know A LOT of readers!), but even more than being well read, she is thoughtful and thorough when it comes thinking critically about books and the impact they can have on children. She is the consummate advocate for literacy and getting the right book into the hands of the right reader! Thank for your years of friendship and your consistent presence on social media reminding us what an amazing librarian can do!!!
I first met Michelle Luhtala on an AASL site visit the year the New Canaan (CT) High School Library earned the National School Library Program of the Year. What impressed me most during that visit was that Michelle and her librarian colleague coplanned and cotaught with classroom teacher colleagues curriculum-based units of instruction. Michelle has used her social media presence (and her @edwebchat Webinars) to further promote her commitment to ensuring that the school library program is central to the learning and teaching mission of her school. She provides an exemplary model for other school librarians to follow.
Michelle is a rock-star librarian in so many ways! Her masterful use of social media (facebook, twitter, instagram, multiple blogs, and more) to advocate for library media programs and share the good work of her students and colleagues is just one of her many gifts to library media.
Michelle Luhtula is an innovator, leader, and pioneer in the field of library education. She truly goes above and beyond her role as high school librarian to foster an atmosphere of learning and transformation. Michelle's passion is apparent in all that she does, and I'm honored to call her a colleague and friend.
Susie is dedicated to sharing her knowledge with the librarian community. She is on a statewide Professional Development Committee and is constantly helping us hone our offerings to school librarians to include leadership trainings, basic library training for school library workers with no formal library education as well as trainings on all things technology and cutting edge. Go Susie go! She is a treasure.
I don't know anyone more deserving of this award! In my 9 years as a school librarian, Susie Highley has been my model of what a true 21st century school library media educator / teacher-librarian / librarian should be. I have attended numerous sessions at conferences, unconferences, workshops, etc…where Susie presented about how she uses social media and technology to enhance her library, her school, her curriculum, and her own personal development. Susie uses social media to enhance not only her own curriculum; but goes above and beyond when it comes to sharing what she has learned to enhance others social media awareness as well. There is not a day that goes by that Susie isn't sharing a webinar, a Voxer group, a new Twitter chat, or another great social media tool that will help me as a school librarian and educator to do my job more effectively or to help me provide PD for my students, teachers, and administrators. Susie truly does her best to immerse herself in social media so that she can meet the needs of those she works with. She is a champion educator/librarian in our state and the resources she brings awareness to have helped me professionally and personally. As a member of AISLE, I benefit greatly from the curation of invaluable resources that she collects in her AISLE Diigo account. She maintains a PD calendar so that when I have a moment for some quick PD, I can log on to find out the Twitter chats and more that might be happening that day. The greatest thing about Susie is that she has never been asked to curate, share, or present these excellent social media opportunities; she does it because that is just Susie. She has seen the power of social media in curriculum, in PD, and in life and she just wants to share the great things she has learned.
Thanks for representing Indiana libraries and all that you do!
Susie Highly is wonderful! I have learned much from her bringing PD to my attention. She's a one sto shop!!
Susie Highly is a top-notch educator that keeps me and countless others informed through various social media avenues of all the PD opportunities available. In addition, she is a valuable resource for anything library related. I don't know what I would do without her expertise.
Susie Highly is a fountain of knowledge and is always willing to share her knowledge. She is fantastic at making school media specialist know of upcoming PD opportunities. Thanks for all you do for the school library community!
Michelle's Webinars are awesome! The work she does with her students is amazing and the assistance she provides for New Canaan High teachers helps ease their job and enhances what the students can learn and how they learn. Thank you Michelle for all the work you do.
Michelle truly has a passion for the work she does with students. She has a plethora of ways she makes herself available to her students and the New Canaan High teachers. Her ability to make teachers jobs easier and students feel challenged yet able truly sets her apart as an integral part of the school's library program.
Susie is one of the most dynamic educators I know. She deserves all accolades as a social media champion. Her advocacy work for our profession has been instrumental in our progress made in Indiana. Kudos to Susie!
When I see a message posted by Susie Highley, I always pay attention. She brings new, helpful, and motivating information to me and others around the state on a regular basis. Susie presents as well as attends state conferences. She stays active in various professional groups. As a result, she knows what information will be valuable to the rest of us and she takes the time to share it. Thanks, Susie!
Susie Highley is so deserving of the recognition as a Curriculum Champion! I have corresponded and chatted with Susie regarding many school library topics since I entered the field four years ago. Susie is constantly sharing information via social media to make all of us better librarians. At the core, she is extremely helpful and wants what is best for all students, and she accomplishes this goal by bringing librarians and educators information that enables us to grow professionally in the field.
Susie Highley advocates for ALL learners in Indiana. I appreciate the work she completed with the Hoosier Family of Readers. Whenever I see an email from Susie, I know to pay extra attention. Whatever the subject, it's going to be good stuff!
Michelle is a fierce advocate for her students and incredibly thoughtful about the way she adopts technology to creatively teach research skills in both the library and the classroom. She's an inspiration to her colleagues and students!
Cynthia Alaniz has a passion for books and sharing this love with everyone she meets. She is happiest when she is reading and reviews/shares with anyone who will listen about each new book she reads. The learners at our school LOVE library day and listening to stories with Mrs. Alaniz. She is a master at her craft and is frequently invited to present at state and national library conferences or join in on Twitter chats. Cynthia loves sharing with and learning from her social media PLC's. She is known as "The Librarian in Cute Shoes" on her book blog and shares almost daily via Facebook and Twitter about her latest reading(s). I am honored to work with and learn from such an amazing librarian and friend!
Cynthia is the queen of the library! She offers so many amazing digital and print resources to connect with whatever we are teaching. I know I can count on her to tie in a book! I love how she's always connecting with my team and plans virtually with us, offering her expertise and read aloud's for every subject area! I also wear a 'mom' hat and have a very avid reader who LOVES going to the library to check out multiple books- she puts no limit to his love of reading/checking out as many books as his backpack can hold! Finally, Cynthia implemented a makerspace area in the library each Friday at Genius Hour, and has various stations set up around the library with 'fun' activities for our learners to plug in creatively or sometimes to challenge themselves- this inspired me to start a craft Corner in my classroom and begin implementing choice stations in the morning as opposed to mundane packets or worksheets…. she's truly a gem to our school, and always is on the hunt to connect us globally! To work with Cynthia and know her, is such an asset! She's filled with a wealth of knowledge!!!!!
I hate webinars, but sign up for Michelle Luhtala's because they are informative, energetic, and responsive. I learned so much about modern day research papers by listening to and view her presentations on them than I did in several years as an editor for the MIT Press. I have been very interested in the MAKER movement since MAKE magazine was first published but was quite taken with her report on transforming library space into Maker space. She not only innovates but, more importantly, shares so that others can, too.
Cynthia is a true library leader and curriculum champion. She is a frequent participant in #txlchat and gladly shares her knowledge with others.
Cynthia Alaniz is in her element and truly following her passion as an elementary librarian. Her love for books radiates out to all that she comes in contact with in person or virtually. She inspires all that she meets to fall in love with characters in a book and enjoy the journey of reading. Cynthia's kind spirit is genuine and can be seen in all that she does. She is a true gem!
A couple of years ago Michelle convinced me to join her in presenting a webinar on learning management platforms. It was my first ever and it was great fun. Last year, she convinced me to join her and a student on a podcast to share our school's early triumphs and struggles in getting a the library's maker space up and running. Also a first. Also great fun! Over the dozen years I've worked with Michelle, I've watched her exploit dozens of social media possibilities in dozens of ways to help our students learn and bring our teachers in as partners on the latest tools. She has done it with unmatched enthusiasm and with the keenest eye for what might support our students' learning and growth: their research, their analysis, their organization and their creativity. My social studies department's many performance based projects, from "Are you what you eat" to "Collapse" to the "Global Pitch Project" would not have found their footing without the creative, vital ties to the world Michelle has helped us to build through social media.
Michelle is a leader in K12 library technology innovation, and is a tireless advocate for solutions that benefit her students. Through insight and persistence she compels electronic resource vendors to adjust their products for easier access by her students. Besides all of that, she is a real pleasure to work with on the eResource Advisory Task Force.
Susie has been extremely influential on my work as a librarian. She quickly welcomed me into the community of Indiana school librarians. I see her emails frequently on the AISLE listserv. She shares newsletters, PD information, curricular ideas and other helpful information routinely.
Cynthia's passion for reading, books, and her learners is absolutely infectious. I have never met a librarian or educator so dedicated to their craft. I have counted myself lucky to have been able to befriend this talented lady as well as watch her interact with my students. She creates an environment of acceptance and excitement for books and finds a way to always connect her learners to the world of books and readers around them. She really makes reading a priority for her learners and keeps her content relevant. Her posts keep us excited and informed as educators and I'm so grateful for her!
Cynthia is an amazing librarian who is a "go-to" person for me when searching for just the right book or a great library related idea. Her blog posts are thoughtful and full of book suggestions, celebrations & more. A topic I am enjoying right now that she is posting on social media (blog, Facebook & Twitter) is how what she is doing in the library ties in with Future Ready Libraries. It is also helpful for other librarians when she shares her experience of supporting genius hour projects in the library. I appreciate all that Cynthia does to promote libraries, love of reading, and a student centered library program.
I have had the honor of working with and learning from Cynthia for seven years. In that time I have watched her transform from a connected educator to a future ready librarian. To see someone living their passion is an inspiring thing. Cynthia not only lives her passion, but encourages others to find their own passion through reading and literature. I can't think of anyone else more deserving of this honor.
I love Michelle's webinars. They prove that her librarian position goes way beyond New Cannan High School campus. I have also met her students who speak so highly of her and have truly been inspired by her role at the school. Michelle is multi faceted as an educator and is an exemplary teacher.
Susie Highley has a heart for media education and all they can do for students and is willing to share her expertise. What more can you ask?!
As the principal of Cottonwood Creek Elementary, I have the honor of working with Cynthia Alaniz on a daily basis! She is passionate about literature and shares this passion with the staff, students, and families of our school community. The children at CCE adore her! They look forward to visiting the library where Mrs. Alaniz always has something fun and engaging to share.
Cynthia is a lifelong reader and learner! She is always sharing the "latest and greatest" in the world of children's literature. She is creative and imaginative and uses her talents to make every day a fun day in the CCE library.
As a passionate librarian, she also shares her thoughts and ideas through technology and presentations. She has presented at countless conferences and seminars and has served on numerous panels. We have collaborated several times on school-wide initiatives involving children's literature. Each time, I found her to be hard-working, dedicated, and willing to do whatever was needed to instill the love of reading in each and every child.
Cynthia Alaniz is truly a principal's "dream" librarian! She lives and shares her passion for children and literature every day! What a fabulous example to all school librarians! She is so deserving of this honor!
As a new librarian, I am so thankful for Cynthia Alaniz! I follow her on social media and am so grateful for her posts. I love reading her blog and always come away with wonderful ideas and book recommendations for my own library and students. She is awesome!
Cynthia is always so good to my special needs learners. She takes the time to find out what they like and help them find exactly what they are looking for. We are so lucky to have her on our campus!
It is an honor to partner with Cynthia at our school. She is always looking for ways to assist our 2nd Grade team with planning for our learners and she is always has a fabulous read aloud for them. She is continuously working on ways to encourage books, books, books!!! I feel she is perfect to represent this honor!!!
Cynthia is the most amazing librarian! She is always willing to share and help our educators and learners with any project. She is a valuable resource that I use on a regular basis. Her love of "all things books" is evident in her actions and words, and she is willing to share that with everyone. She is a social media champion! She globally shares all of the wonderful things that are happening in our library. We are so fortunate and blessed that she is on our campus.
Cynthia is just an amazing librarian and very passionate about what she does. Her love for books and her knowledge of what books are about just amazes me. Our learners at CCE become interested in books because of her having read the books and being able to share the unique themes behind each one. We are blessed at Cottonwood Creek to have authors come to visit because of the connections Cynthia has made. We have also been involved in Skypeing, and she is globally connected. What a wonderful representative Cynthia would be!
I have worked with Michelle the last several years as a vendor and she is always at the forefront of innovation in the library space. More importantly she is one of the most kind, enjoyable and intelligent people whom I have had the pleasure of communicating. It's always a very positive conversation each and every time we meet and she cares so very much about how the students are doing with research in library in every step of that process. The library world is lucky to have her as one of its champions.
Cynthia Alaniz is an exemplary school librarian. She loves children's literature and is enthusiastic about sharing it with the students and teachers at our school. During her weekly lessons with my first grade students, she shares great books with them as well as teaching them research skills, information about authors, etc. She is always willing to pull resources for any unit we are teaching. Cynthia is truly dedicated to her profession. She can be found in the library well after most teachers have left the building. She spends her evenings and weekends reading children's literature, blogging about books, and attending numerous meetings and conferences related to being a librarian. I don't think I've ever met anyone as dedicated and passionate about what they do. She truly deserves this honor!
I'm happy to see Cynthia here because her focus on literature is truly inspiring. As school librarians, we are asked to fill many roles, and Cynthia never loses sight that reading is foundational and must be at the forefront. Cynthia's commitment to sharing wonderful books with colleagues so that ultimately children will find these titles is inspiring. Her enthusiasm is contagious. Just writing about her makes me want to check twitter to see what she's recommending now!
While all three of these librarians represent who I want to be as a professional, my colleagues and I are Michelle groupies. I have attended her sessions at conferences and watch her webinars when I can–archive to watch later when I can't. She is an innovator, an educator, a collaborator–and a true library scientist, all of which are obvious in the programs and projects and processes she has shared over the years. I especially appreciate her efficiency–she explains how something works in her library, or the usefulness of tech tools, or how to track student research in a way that allows us to steal, adapt or otherwise implement the idea in our own setting. She is a gift to the school library community!
Cynthia is the epitome of a CURRICULUM CHAMPION! She is a master at creating ways to build literacy, and she LOVES sharing those ideas with others. I am fortunate to call Cynthia a colleague and a friend.
Michelle is a true visionary for our profession. I have shared so many of her ideas with fellow teachers to enrich our media center and the kids we serve. GO MICHELLE!
I was attracted to Ed web by the Librarian group. Excellent work by Michelle. Now I lead a handfull of communities. See the progress. One day I will present online webinars like her.
Michelle Luhtala is a consummate library professional. I have participated in several of the edWeb webinar offerings hosted by Michelle. Her work is remarkable, targeted, and exceptionally relevant, not only to those in the library profession, but also to the larger population of educators (and ultimately students) who learn from her expertise. Her work is referenced repeatedly in my own practice. I genuinely appreciate her willingness to share her knowledge so freely for the good of all.
I have had the opportunity to work with Michelle Luhtalah and know first hand that she is a thoughtful practitioner who is a leader in our field. I am a big fan of her YouTube videos.
Michele Luhtala has been an inspiration and change catalyst for school librarians for years. But recently, her vision and intelligent assessment of the place of social media in libraries and with students in the classroom has been a great asset to our profession. I highly recommend Michele for this honor. She speaks for all of us.
As a fellow High School Librarian, I saw Michele speak at a conference and have been following her ever since. I love her webinars, and if I cannot see them live I always go back, and listen. I have gone back to her webinars to listen for a second or third time! Thank you for all that you do.
There is no question that Cynthia is the definition of a life-long learner as evidenced by her deep desire to improve, not just for herself, but because she understands it is necessary for the learners and educators she touches each and every day. Cynthia's active involvement through social media takes the idea of life-long learning to a different level. It is her active participation in Twitter (and other social media platforms), as well as the contributions she makes through her blog, that demonstrates her eagerness not only to continually learn, but also her willingness to share her learning with others.
Whether it be online or in person, one of her greatest gifts is her ability to make connections with learners and educators on a personal level, with her ultimate goal being to connect each person with a book containing a special story just for them.
I am a relatively new librarian bred in Joyce Valenza's backyard and drinking her same Kool Aid… and Michelle Luhtala has become another of my indispensable PD resources, one I regularly recommend to other librarians. Her webinars are always phenomenal — well organized, engaging, and thought-provoking. They are everything we all strive for with our own classrooms. Twitter chats and blog posts are equally as inspirational. Michele definitely helps me grow as a teacher librarian to best serve my students and teachers.
Although I only know Michelle Luhtala through her professional communities and social media postings, she's certainly has been an invaluable, vibrant resource to so many librarians. Her love, passion and cutting edge content of what a 21st Century library should reflect for our digital learners. We're blessed to have Michelle spear-head our professional development through her informative edWeb.net webinars.
Michelle's outreach to the library community through EdWeb is a godsend to me. Without it, my access to quality professional development would be limited.
Cynthia Alaniz is a wonderful champion for reading and libraries. She is a wonderful advocate for libraries.
Cynthia Alaniz exudes a passion for libraries, literacy, and literature, and of course, cute shoes. But maybe more important is Cynthia's ability to share her enthusiasm for good stories through social media. Her blog is a great source for literature recommendations, and her Bookshelves in Goodreads are high quality lists of the best she has read. She also frequently participates in Twitter chats about literature. We are lucky to have her voice in the profession.
Cynthia Alaniz's passion for children's literature exceeds that of any other person I have met. In addition to her passion for books, she is a master of teaching and informing others about literature through social media. Cynthia has an incredibly strong work ethic which can be seen daily when she works in the library long past her contract hours. She is always ready with a book recommendation and kind word for those around her.
Michelle Luhtala is a fabulous collaborator who adeptly incorporates technology to pursue research and literacy goals in the ever-changing landscape of education media and communication. She is a passionate educator who makes her work accessible and interesting to students by communicating with them in their sphere. She is constantly supportive of teachers in their endeavors to reach students and has a wealth of knowledge that students rely on to complete essential skill-building exercises that develop critical thinking and inquiry skills. Michelle is willing to stretch herself and her comfort zone to support both teachers and students. Her treasure trove of instructional videos and learning resources is invaluable to both teachers and students. Thanks for being awesome, Michelle!
Susie Highley is an outstanding professional who helps connect librarians with resources and each other. When I first became a Media Specialist three years ago, Susie quickly reached out to me to help me get connected with the Indiana Library Foundation and AISLE. That provided me with a strong foundation knowing I had someone in my corner and a plethora of resources available. I am always impressed by and thankful for Susie's posts to the listserv and the sessions she presents at conferences. She creates and maintains a PD calendar, provides information about helpful tools to use in the library and/or classroom, and promotes and participates in PD twitter chats. The sharing of her work and knowledge is valuable to us all.
I first heard of Michele Luhtala when she was slated to be the keynote speaker at my first NCSLMA convention. I looked her up online and of course was led to her EdWeb webinars. I've since watched more of them than I can count. At the conference, her talk was so inspirational for me – she became my librarian role-model that day. While our schools couldn't be more different, she's helped me to see what is possible in our field and gives me something to aspire to bring to our rural students.
These are all top notch curriculum people! I give a special shout out to Cynthia because every day I can find something on her Facebook to do with students. She has a way of getting students to go above what you might expect for each grade. She's the epitome of teacher-librarian.
New Canaan's library program is recognized as one of the strongest and most robust programs in the state of Connecticut. A large part has to due with Michelle's creativity and passion. Working with most media programs gives access to work with these talented professionals, and Michelle leads the way with technology and the drive to help her students achieve. I look forward to working with her for years to come. Congratulations Michelle!
I have been a member of the Michelle Luhtala fan club ever since I discovered her webinars on edweb.net. I know that watching one of her webinars will be time well spent. The curriculum that she develops in collaboration with her teachers is always well thought out, well developed and timely. She uses technology to further the goal of the assignment or project, not just for the sake of using it. I was online today to find one of her archived webinars that I had missed. She does more to integrate information fluency into the curriculum than any other librarian I know. I am always in awe of what she has done. I am fortunate that I have signed up to be in her workshop at ISTE this June.
I love when Cynthia's avatar shows up in my twitter feed. I always know the information will be useful, entertaining, and often both! working in a lower school often has me on the lookout for like-minded professionals, and Cynthia is someone I admire and respect.
I am chiming in to support Michelle Luhtala. Her extraordinary accomplishments in making relevant connections to curriculum have truly transformed teaching and learning not only in New Canaan, but throughout the world as her sphere of influence is that far-reaching. I am in awe of her brilliance and appreciative of her generosity in sharing best practice to advance the profession.
I'm so happy to see Cynthia Alaniz recognized for her work. She is passionate about her work and is always ready to share what she reads or learns with others. She is also a beautiful person with a wonderful heart for kids. Congrats Cynthia!
Michelle Luhtala has been a shining star of School Libraries as they forward the broad curriculum of schools AND as they embed in that process their own curriculum of critical thinking, validating resources, and more that builds them as stronger students and active citizens.
Cynthia Alaniz is a powerhouse in Texas with her many facets of social media use that forward school libraries in many ways. I always read what she has to say!
I attended Cynthia's workshop at Scholastic's Reading Summit in San Antonio last summer. Her presentation was so impressive that I waited to speak with her afterwards. She was friendly and spent time giving more information and her business card to this New England librarian who likes Texas. Cynthia is absolutely a credit to our profession!
I can't imagine anyone as deserving as Cynthia Alaniz for this award. Her social media presence – particularly her consistent #txlchat leadership & participation – combined with her knowledge of and love for books make her THE choice for curriculum champion.


text:
Oscar Pre-Parties
By InStyle.com
Feb 23, 2009 @ 12:32 pm
Chris Weeks/WireImage
Gilbert Flores/Celebrity Photo
Los Angeles took a bite out of the Big Apple for a good cause when Montblanc rolled out the red carpet at Paramount Studios' famous New York backlot to celebrate the "Signature for Good" initiative to benefit UNICEF. Reese Witherspoon (in Dior), Emily Blunt and Sienna Miller were among the leading ladies present for the gala benefit.
Ziri Rideaux/Rex Features
Also in attendance at the Montblanc Signature for Good gala, Eva Longoria Parker celebrated the unveiling of her Gone With the Wind-inspired portrait, part of a series that had famous actresses channeling classic movie stars. "They told me to show up, put the dress on and be Scarlett O'Hara," laughed Longoria Parker, in Reem Acra. "It wasn't that hard!"
Ashton Kutcher and Demi Moore
Hollywood power couple Ashton Kutcher and Demi Moore got their game on when they joined industry insiders and other L.A. notables to compete in The Art of Elysium's annual Hollywood Domino tournament, held on the rooftop of the Andaz Hotel. While her husband played to win-and ultimately took home the top prize-Moore relied on some coaching from her table-mates, frequently asking, "And now I do this, right?"
Andy Fossum/Startraks Photo
Rachel Getting Married star Anne Hathaway (in Helmut Lang) was among the 31 women of the hour at the Women in Film 2nd annual pre-Oscar cocktail party, hosted by Hollywood mega-producer Peter Guber. Nominees Hathaway and Taraji P. Henson and fellow guests like Elizabeth Banks were all winners at the Perrier-Jouet-sponsored event, taking home gift bags containing goodies from skin care guru Kate Somerville and Max Mara.
Freida Pinto and Kate Winslet
Jesse Grant/WireImage
Freida Pinto (in Missoni) and Kate Winslet (in Frank Gehry for Tiffany & Co. earrings) were among the Oscar hopefuls in attendance for the 4th Annual Oscar Wilde: Honoring The Irish In Film Awards, held at The Ebell Club in Los Angeles, California. "I've got a really big speech and it's not about me!" said Winslet, who took the stage to help honor her agent, Hylda Queally.
Charlize Theron and Josh Brolin
Stefanie Keenan/WireImage
Charlize Theron reunited with In The Valley of Elah co-star Josh Brolin (in Dior Homme) at the launch of the BRANDAID Foundation, hosted by Dior and Vanity Fair at Environment Furniture.
Dev Patel and Sienna Miller
Richard Young/Startraks Photo
While his Slumdog Millionaire co-star partied with the Irish, Dev Patel chatted up fellow Brit Sienna Miller during the Grey Goose pre-Academy Awards party at the West Hollywood outpost of famed London eatery Cecconi's.
Ginnifer Goodwin and Elizabeth Banks
Also attending the Grey Goose pre-Academy Awards party at Cecconi's were Ginnifer Goodwin and Elizabeth Banks. Also on the guest list at the new West Hollywood hot spot were Madonna, Eva Longoria Parker and Josh Hartnett.
Samuel L. Jackson and Halle Berry
Frank Micelotta/Getty Images
Halle Berry (in Reem Acra) was among the ladies singled out at the 2nd annual Essence Black Women in Hollywood luncheon, held at the Beverly Hills Hotel. "I'm truly a wimp. I haven't won an award in a while. This is how I do it," said the actress, who sobbed as she gave her speech in acceptance of the Power Award. "I'm feeling a lot of gratitude to Samuel L. Jackson because he was right when he said he was there. He was my first acting teacher. The love that I have for each and every person in this room...I feel so connected to my community."
Taraji P. Henson, Viola Davis, Alfre Woodard
Oscar nominees Taraji P. Henson and Viola Davis were the women of the hour-Henson, co-star of The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, and Doubt's Davis are both up for up for Best Supporting Actress-during a dinner hosted by Alfre Woodard and Grey Goose at a private residence in Beverly Hills.
Kate Walsh and Zooey Deschanel
Kate Walsh and Zooey Deschanel celebrated Oscar week at the annual Oliver Peoples and Van Cleef & Arpels Hollywood luncheon. Deschanel, who is the face of the Oliver Peoples 2009 campaign, has created a pair of signature shades to help raise funds for The Jenesse Center Domestic Violence Intervention Program.
1 of 11 Reese Witherspoon
2 of 11 Eva Longoria Parker
3 of 11 Ashton Kutcher and Demi Moore
4 of 11 Anne Hathaway
5 of 11 Freida Pinto and Kate Winslet
6 of 11 Charlize Theron and Josh Brolin
7 of 11 Dev Patel and Sienna Miller
8 of 11 Ginnifer Goodwin and Elizabeth Banks
9 of 11 Samuel L. Jackson and Halle Berry
10 of 11 Taraji P. Henson, Viola Davis, Alfre Woodard
11 of 11 Kate Walsh and Zooey Deschanel


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