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Many Nations Receive Failing Scores on Climate Change and Health
A new report says the European Union and the United States, among others, need to go much farther in addressing human health impacts in their national climate change commitments.
By Katie Livingstone
A helicopter prepares to make a water drop as smoke billows along the Fraser River Valley near Lytton, British Columbia, on July 2, as a protracted heat wave fueled scores of wildfires in Canada's western provinces. Credit: James MacDonald/Bloomberg via Getty Images
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As record-breaking heat has smothered much of the northern hemisphere, the impact of global warming on human health has been dramatically evident in deaths from high heat.
British Columbia initially reported almost 500 sudden heat deaths, three times higher than normal in early summer, while Multnomath County, Oregon, which includes Portland, first reported 45 heat-related deaths and Seattle reported 16.
The death toll underscored both the impact of climate change on human health and what a new report rates as poor performances by numerous nations in addressing health issues in their emissions and adaptation goals—known as Nationally Determined Contributions, or NDCs—as part of the Paris Agreement.
The report, by the California-based Global Climate and Health Alliance, concluded that of 40 countries whose NDCs were reviewed (one of which covered all 27 European Union nations), few provided more than superficial detail on how they would protect their citizens' health from climate change. Even fewer specified how such health measures would be financed. Wealthier nations scored the worst in the report.
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Jeni Miller, executive director of the alliance, an international consortium of health professionals and organizations, said that recognizing the gaps in current climate change mitigation plans, and adapting them to respond to the real-time health effects of global warming, is essential to do now, so that governments will have time to adapt before this year's rescheduled COP26 summit.
All 190 countries party to the Paris Agreement will gather in Glasgow in November to restate their commitment to limiting any increase in global temperatures to 2 degrees Celsius and update their NDCs.
Lytton, British Columbia, which experienced the highest temperature ever recorded in Canada and was nearly destroyed by wildfire during the heatwave along with the increase of deaths in the region, are just the most recent examples of the threat that extreme weather patterns caused by global warming pose to people's health, Miller said.
While Lytton's population of 300 was successfully evacuated, the wildfire engulfed over 90 percent of the town in just 15 minutes, after the temperature soared to 121 degrees Fahrenheit. The heatwave, Miller said, "produced hundreds of excess deaths from what would have been expected in that time period in the province of British Columbia."
The climate and health alliance advocates for reframing national climate change policies and goals to save thousands more lives and better communicate the urgency of the current climate crisis to the public at large.
"Understanding the benefits to health has the potential to really galvanize people to take the action that we need to take in order to protect our health," Miller said.
The report ranked the inclusion of health within the 40 NDCs based on four factors, beginning with countries' recognition of climate impacts on deaths and illnesses. The scorecard also considered steps taken to adapt to climate threats, such increased storm resiliency, and initiatives that produced so-called "health co-benefits," such as reduced air pollution resulting from renewable energy. Finally, the scorecard considered whether countries' NDCs had factored in both the cost of, and savings from, health initiatives. Countries could receive up to 15 points as an overall grade, in addition to receiving a score for their "climate ambition," as reported by the Climate Action Tracker.
Many of the highest scoring countries were low- to middle-income nations like Argentina, Senegal and Lebanon. Costa Rica scored the highest out of all NDCs surveyed with 13 points, receiving full marks in every category except economics and finance, and a relatively high score for climate ambition, given for the country's progress towards meeting its NDC and reducing the potential for overall global warming to under the 2-degree mark.
According to Andrea Meza, environment and energy minister of Costa Rica, the country's prioritization of people at the center of its climate change policies is the reason it was able to score so well.
"Costa Rica recognizes that climate change will impact people's health and that we need to take urgent action," she said in a press release about the scorecards. "Fortunately, we have the tools to address this issue. The investments needed to tackle climate change will improve air quality, take pressure off our healthcare systems, and improve our well-being."
High-income countries tended to receive worse scores. Australia, Iceland, New Zealand and Norway received zero points each, and the European Union, representing its 27 member states, received just one point. In countries like Australia and New Zealand, health advocates say it's a fair representation of how lightly their national governments are taking the potential health impacts of climate change.
"This scorecard shows that Australia is again at the bottom of the pack when it comes to taking the health effects of climate change seriously," said Fiona Armstrong, the executive director of the Climate and Health Alliance in Australia. "The Prime Minister must both act to reduce emissions, and prioritise health in our international climate commitments before COP26 to protect our health."
The report's conclusions differ from the findings of some other environmental rankings because researchers only examined a country's policies as laid out in their NDCs, without considering any additional health policies that may have been enacted under separate legislation. The United Kingdom only received seven points, for example, but could have fared better if its separate, national strategy for climate adaptation was incorporated into the tally.
Still, the researchers' findings are representative of the relative status of and ambition for climate change adaptation of countries around the world, said Edward Maibach, director of the Center for Climate Change Communication at George Mason University in Virginia.
The United States' score of just six points is disheartening but emblematic of the current American strategy to combat climate change, he said. The United States received full points for incorporating health co-benefits—such as reduced air pollution, increased access to mass transit and incentives for plant-based diets—but low grades in every other category.
Maibach is also a representative for the Medical Society Consortium on Climate and Health, which sent a letter to the Biden administration after the publication of the scorecards, urging the government to better incorporate health elements into American climate policy. The group would like to see more national efforts to directly limit global warming, maximize the human health benefits of initiatives for cleaner air, water and transportation, and protect vulnerable communities across the country by listening to underrepresented voices and taking historical inequalities into consideration in policy making.
"When we learned that the U.S. score was only 40 percent, we felt we had a real opportunity, real obligation as well, to comment," Maibach said. "Because we're actually really excited by what the Biden administration is doing to move forward with ambitious NDCs."
President Biden's administration has taken a strong stance on combating climate change, naming global warming as one of his top four priorities and making real progress towards a slew of federal environmental initiatives that are repositioning the United States. as a leader in the global cause. However, Maibach said, more needs to be done to maximize the positive health impacts of these policies and drive home the point that everyone's health is at risk.
"That is the most compelling reason why most Americans at the very least support strong climate action on the part of government—because they understand that it will be good for health," he said. "So if the governments of the world, including our own, don't put health first and foremost in their explanation for why they are taking strong action, they may fail to build the kind of public will that is necessary to sustain a political will."
The report recommended that most nations improve their economic and financial commitments to the health impacts of climate change by allocating funds for adaptive health care systems, in order to avoid more deaths and related health problems like those seen from the heatwave earlier this month.
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Researchers also noted that wealthier countries should prepare to support lower- and middle-income countries, like Rwanda or Laos, that are more vulnerable to the health impacts of climate change but less able to pay for needed adaptations. All countries need to do more to limit global warming to 2 degrees Celsius or less and more effectively communicate the urgency of the situation.
"It's critically, critically important for countries to take this very seriously, for them to be thinking about the implications for health and to be taking the full measure of actions that are required to protect it," Miller said. "And we as the community, the human family that depends on this coming out well, have to demand that that be done."
She added, "Because we really have no more time to waste on it."
Katie Livingstone
Reporter, Washington, D.C.
Katie Livingstone is an Editorial Fellow at Inside Climate News. A recent graduate of Medill with an MSJ in politics, policy and foreign affairs, her work has appeared in Foreign Policy Magazine, UPI, Military.com, Education Week and more. Along with over a decade of writing experience, she brings a global perspective to her coverage with expert knowledge in gender politics and Mediterranean affairs. After she earned a B.A. in political science from Wellesley College, she taught English for several years in Italy. Then, she earned a Master of Arts in Gender Studies from Central European University in Budapest, Hungary, where she spearheaded public awareness campaigns for gender equality. Later, she became a Fulbright Fellow directing a social theater and public awareness campaign in Albania. Before entering Medill, Katie founded a company, Sassovivente, providing cause marketing and content services while living in Portugal. She speaks five languages and currently lives in Washington, D.C.
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Stanford Police Investigating Discovery Of Noose Hanging From TreePolice at Stanford University on Tuesday night were investigating the discovery of a noose on campus.
38-Year-Old Man Arrested For Alleged Palo Alto Skateboard AttackPolice arrested a 38-year-old man for allegedly assaulting another man and hitting him in the abdomen with a skateboard in Downtown Palo Alto on Wednesday.
Palo Alto Officials Make Moves To Reduce Construction Waste In LandfillsThe Palo Alto City Council on Wednesday enacted sweeping changes to how homes are demolished and built within the city, hoping to reduce the amount construction waste that ends up in landfills.
Invasive Peach Fruit Flies Found In Palo Alto May Pose Threat To WildlifeSan Mateo and Santa Clara County officials are inspecting areas in Palo Alto, East Palo Alto and Menlo Park after two male peach fruit flies native to southern Asia were found locally.
Coroner IDs Victim In Stabbing At Palo Alto Trailer ParkA man stabbed to death at the Buena Vista Mobile Home Park in Palo Alto last week has been identified as 63-year-old Timothy Wood.
Suspect Arrested In Homicide, Battery Of 2 Palo Alto Mobile Home Park ResidentsA 31-year-old man was arrested Thursday on suspicion of fatally stabbing one man and punching another man at a mobile home park in Palo Alto on Monday, police said.
3-Year-Old Dies After Getting Struck By Pick-Up Truck In San Jose Parking LotA toddler died after allegedly jumping out of a car and getting hit by a passing pick-up truck, Saturday morning.
3 Men Arrested In Connection With String Of South Bay Auto BurglariesThree men were arrested Tuesday in connection with a string of auto burglaries in Santa Clara County after a months-long investigation involving multiple agencies.
1 Dead Following Multiple Early-Morning Crashes on Hwy 101 in Palo AltoLanes in both directions of Highway 101 were closed for hours Sunday morning after separate multiple-vehicle and major-injury collisions killed at least one person, resulted in one arrest on suspicion of felony DUI and sent several people to hospitals.
Palo Alto Passes Sweeping Ban On Single-Use PlasticsThe city of Palo Alto has joined San Francisco in passing a sweeping ban on plastics that will eventually eliminate nearly all non-recyclable plastic from the restaurant and service industry.
Stanford Expansion Plans Run Into Opposition Over Lack Of Worker HousingStanford University's ambitious plans for growth over the next two decades are coming up short in one area, according to Santa Clara County officials.
Teen Trio Arrested After Alleged South Bay Crime SpreeA trio of teenage suspects is behind bars after committing an alleged string of brazen burglaries and home invasions in the South Bay.
Kitten Rescued By Palo Alto Police Officer Shows 'Personality' In PhotoA kitten that was pulled from an engine compartment by a Palo Alto police officer was captured in a hilarious photo shared to the department's social media pages Friday morning.
Empty Palo Alto Lot Hits Market For $9 MillionIf you've got $9 million, a parcel of land in Old Palo Alto is all yours, but there's a catch: there's no home, no garage and no driveway. Just an 11,375 square foot lot at 1628 Bryant St.
Palo Alto Considering Residential Parking Program OverhaulPalo Alto is considering a major overhaul of its Residential Preferential Parking Program.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Will I Be Able To Keep My Home And Car If I File Bankruptcy?
Bankruptcy Blog 2010 January Will I Be Able To Keep My Home And Car If I File Bankruptcy?
A lot of our clients have told us that "someone they know" has told them they can't file a bankruptcy if they own a house or car. Also, they have been told that they will lose their house and car if they file for bankruptcy. So, let's set the record straight. In most cases, people are able to keep their home when they file for bankruptcy. In a Chapter 7 Bankruptcy, you must be current on your mortgage payments (real estate taxes and insurance, too) and continue to make your regular mortgage payments as you would normally. You are also allowed to have some equity in your home. In Illinois, each person filing bankruptcy may protect or "exempt" up to $15,000.00 of equity they have in their home (you must be on title to the house in order claim this exemption).
In a Chapter 13 Bankruptcy, a person may be able to keep their home even if they are behind on their mortgage payments. Chapter 13 is available to help those individuals who have a steady income but still are unable to meet their current financial obligations. This form of bankruptcy allows someone to restructure their debt and have it discharged within a set amount of time. The amount that a person is behind on their mortgage, otherwise known as the "arrearage," can be repaid through the Chapter 13 plan. This allows someone to catch up on their mortgage payments without the fear of foreclosure. In addition to making the Chapter 13 plan payments, the homeowners must also continue making their regular monthly mortgage payments after the Chapter 13 Bankruptcy is filed.
As with a house, in most cases, it is generally not a problem to keep a car in a Chapter 7 Bankruptcy. The person must be current with their payments, maintain full coverage insurance on the vehicle, and agree to keep making the monthly payments as they would normally. If the vehicle has any equity, Illinois law provides for a $2,400.00 motor vehicle exemption for each owner of the car. If the vehicle has more equity than can be protected by the motor vehicle exemption, each person filing bankruptcy in Illinois is also given a $4,000.00 "wildcard exemption" which may also be applied towards a motor vehicle.
However, Chapter 13 treats vehicles a little differently. The vehicle must also be fully insured, but the balance that is owed on the vehicle loan is included in the Chapter 13 Bankruptcy Plan. So it is certainly possible to keep a car in a Chapter 13 Bankruptcy even if someone is behind on the monthly payments. Once a bankruptcy is filed, creditors are prohibited from pursing or continuing with any collection activity including repossessions as a result of the bankruptcy "Automatic Stay" that goes into place as soon as a bankruptcy is filed. The Chapter 13 plan will provide that the vehicle lender will be repaid over a period of time. It must be mentioned that the person filing bankruptcy must truly need the vehicle. The Court will not approve someone's Chapter 13 plan unless the vehicle is necessary to complete the Chapter 13 (i.e. getting to and from work).
Charles Glanzer is a Chicago Bankruptcy Attorney who concentrates his practice on representing people in Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 Bankruptcies.


It cuts down on isolation.
Building tolerance and understanding of cultural diversity.
The world of educations is (and needs to be) more open.
As George says "… education is based on relationships" and that social media can help bring our world together.
Director of Technology for Montclair Kimberley Academy (http://www.mka.org), "Blogger in Chief" for edSocialMedia.com, consultant for Educational Collaborators, husband and father of two crazy boys. All that and still trying to find time to write and share as much as I can with you here and at http://www.williamstites.net.


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Rattlers Drop Heartbreaker to Bentley in Five Sets
Home » News » Rattlers Drop Heartbreaker to Bentley in Five Sets
San Antonio – Sarah Moreno and Kirsten Chapman each had career highs in kills, but it wasn't enough as Bentley University rallied to defeat St. Mary's University, 20-25, 25-16, 22-25, 25-21, 15-13, in non-conference volleyball action Monday night at Bill Greehey Arena.
Moreno (Sr., Pearland) easily topped her previous career high of 18 kills with 24 Monday night. She also tied for the team high with five blocks and had a .417 attack percentage. Chapman (Fr., Jourdanton) had only reached double figures in kills once before Monday, but picked up 16 kills and tied Moreno for the team lead in blocks with five. Katelyn Kershner (So., San Antonio) also got in on the action with 12 kills and 13 digs for a double-double.
The Rattlers started the match strong, winning the first set 25-20. Bentley came back to win the second set, leading from start to finish, 25-16. St. Mary's picked up a tough 25-22 win in the third set that featured 12 ties and five lead changes, to take a two sets to one lead. The fourth set was a nip-and-tuck affair as well with the score tied 10 times and five lead changes. But Bentley pulled out the win in the end, taking a 25-21 win that tied the match at two sets each. That set up the decisive final set.
Bentley took the early lead in the set at 7-4 thanks to two kills each by Virginia Wong and Andrea Farah. The Rattlers then tied the set at seven thanks to a pair of blocks and a kill by Kershner. Bentley retook the lead and had an 11-9 advantage late in the set. But Kershner had one kill and Chapman added two more to give the Rattlers a 12-11 lead. After a time out Kristine Mickelson came back with two kills to give Bentley the lead again. An attack error made it 14-12, but a Tori Piskulick service error pulled the Rattlers to within one at 14-13. Wong ended the drama with a kill to wrap up the match.
The statistics were almost identical in the match with the Rattlers picking up 63 kills to Bentley's 61. Bentley had 77 digs, while the Rattlers picked up 76. Bentley had nine blocks, with St. Mary's making seven.
With the loss the Rattlers have now lost four in row and are 6-11 overall this season. Bentley improved to 14-8. St. Mary's will return to action on Friday when they host Oklahoma Panhandle State University at 7 p.m. in Bill Greehey Arena in a Heartland Conference match.
Students and faculty showcase the formation of faith at St. Mary's


Celebrating 10 Years Plus in Business During the month of October 2018 we celebrate 10 years in business. We would love to thank our clients, staff, vendors, venues, planners and partners for all you have done for us. It truly has been amazing. And we promise to keep delivering a top quality experience. Here is to 10 more!
Where in the World Have We Been? The Wilmington Photo Booth Co. has warmly served the entire Greater Philadelphia region. The following are some of the venues we have been fortunate enough to visit with our photo booths. Please keep checking back as our list grows!
Port Penn Volunteer Fire Co.
What adventure is in store for us next? One thing is for sure... smiling, silly faces await us!
*Couple's Choice 2018 Award Winner - 8th Straight Year!* Wilmington, DE � January, 2018 � WeddingWire, the nation's leading wedding Marketplace, is excited to announce The Wilmington Photo Booth Co. has been selected to receive the prestigious WeddingWire Couple�s Choice Awards� 2018 for Unique Services!
The esteemed annual awards program recognizes the top local wedding vendors from the WeddingWire Network who demonstrate excellence in quality, service, responsiveness and professionalism within the wedding industry. While many industry awards are selected by the organization, The Wilmington Photo Booth Co. was selected based on its stellar reviews from past newlywed clients.
The Wilmington Photo Booth Co. is recognized as part of the top five percent of wedding professionals in the WeddingWire local vendor community, comprised of over 200,000 wedding professionals throughout the United States and Canada. The Bride�s Choice Award recognizes the best local wedding vendors across 20 service categories, from wedding venues to wedding photographers, based on their overall professional achievements throughout the past year.
We are happy to announce that The Wilmington Photo Booth Co. is one of the very best Unique Services professionals (Other) within the WeddingWire Network, which includes leading wedding planning sites WeddingWire, Project Wedding, Brides.com, Martha Stewart Weddings, and Weddingbee. We would like to thank our past clients for taking the time to review our business on WeddingWire. Thanks to their positive feedback we were able to receive the WeddingWire Couple�s Choice Awards� for 2018. They also won the 7 previous years.
For more information, please visit our WeddingWire Storefront.
To learn more about the Couple's Choice Awards�, please visit www.WeddingWire.com.
About WeddingWire, Inc. WeddingWire�, the nation's leading marketplace serving the $70 billion wedding industry, is the only online wedding planning resource designed to empower both engaged couples and wedding professionals. For engaged couples, WeddingWire offers the ability to search, compare and book over 200,000 reviewed wedding vendors, from wedding venues to wedding photographers. WeddingWire also offers a comprehensive suite of online planning tools for weddings, including wedding websites and wedding checklists, all at no charge. For wedding professionals, WeddingWire is the only all-in-one marketing platform for businesses online and on-the-go. WeddingWire offers one simple solution to build a professional network, improve search visibility, manage social media and reach mobile consumers. Businesses that advertise with WeddingWire appear on www.WeddingWire.com, ProjectWedding.com and other leading sites, including MarthaStewartWeddings.com (NYSE: MSO), Brides.com, and Weddingbee.com.
Cheaper Is Not Always Better: Make Sure You Are Getting the Best Deal The Wilmington Photo Booth Co. invites you to compare our product and service to other companies in the area. We are consumers too and we always want to make sure we are getting the best deal for a quality product and experience.
Some of the things to consider about our pricing: some companies are cheaper and some are more expensive. We are typically in the middle to above average. But what should you look for when choosing your photo booth company besides price?
1) Whether or not the company is a full time business and all of their effort is put into their photo booths is important. Some vendors combine services which is okay, but check into them and make sure they are actually teamed up with another company (which is what you want). Many times companies that provide both the DJ and photo booth, for instance, struggle with quality. Part time companies often struggle not only with quality, but also customer service. Being fully licensed and insured also helps. Most venues require all vendors to be insured, you should too!
2) Localized friendly service with two attendants. When booking with a company from another area they are more than likely putting up ads to find someone to man their booths. It may only be one person who has never worked the photo booth before. Even local companies try to cut corners and send out one person who may not be getting paid much. Be very wary of Groupon and Living Social deals with this one!
3)Quality of prints! This is a huge often overlooked factor. Your event is special and you should expect the most. These photo strips will stick around for a long time. Quick print time and high quality graphics and text are a must. And don't forget the clarity and quality of the actual photos! Ask to see samples. View the website. See how flexible they are with the customization of your prints. And remember no one wants to take their photo and have to come back minutes later to get the strip. Ask how long it takes. Again, this is where Groupon, Living Social and many DJ/photo booth combos fall behind.
4) The "fun" aspect. Keep in mind your guests and what they are going to like about the photo booth. An external monitor that shows all of the photos taken at the event is a huge plus. They will love the fact that they can get 10 to 15 people in one shot, instead of just 3 or 4 uncomfortably. Ask companies how many they can get in one shot. Also ask if everyone in the shot gets a copy of the strip. Different themed props are popular and guests use the props more often when they haven't been reused from a previous event. They especially like it when they find out they can bring them home with them.
5) What is included in other packages may not be all that its cracked up to be. Make sure you compare the bottom line price of all companies involved and make a check list. Ask about the quality of the memory book; is the cover embossed? Where does it come from? How easy is it to use? Can you add to it? And question the quality of all the other options as well, such as frames and save the date magnets. We include a strip for every guest in the photo booth upon request. Ask how many prints come out of each session. And remember bundling is not always better.
6) How accessible are the photos after the event? Many guests want multiple copies of the photos and the real good ones they want to put on facebook! Ask if there is a charge after the event to view and or save the photos. Or do they even host the photos on the web for viewing? If they do put them up how long do they stay up? One year or forever?
7) Make sure the product is an actual photo booth! Some companies bring their studio with them on-site. One of the big thrills of the photo booth is getting behind the closed curtain, where no one is watching.
8) If all else fails set up an appointment to see the photo booths. Nothing compares to seeing them in action!
Join our Facebook Page to be eligible to Win Cool Prizes! The Wilmington Photo Booth Co is on Facebook! You can be eligible to win prizes simply by joining our page. Every month we will give away a new prize! You can earn extra chances by submitting a photo from our photo booth into our fan gallery or by sending a fan to us.
To view or join our page please Click Here.


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digiphile
Crisis Camp Haiti DC: Week 3
Trends and challenges for social media in 2010
What will the rest of 2010 hold for social media? I'm certain will see collaborative technologies be used to cover events and disasters on the real-time Web.
I'm also certain that three issues will dominate the space over the next year:
Identity, Privacy and Security.
Below is an interview where I talk about precisely these issues from Twtrcon:
As you'd imagine, there is no shortage of other opinion on what else the year will hold in social media. For other takes, try:
David Armano: Six Social Media Trends for 2010
Chris Brogan: 2010 Will See Consolidation and Foldups
Vadim Lavrusik: 10 News Media Content Trends to Watch in 2010
Jennifer Leggio: 2010 Predictions: Will Social Media Reach Ubiquity?
Ravit Lichtenberg: 10 Ways Social Media Will Change In 2010
I left the following comment on Chris' post:
I suspect the Fortune 500 will go looking for talent to bring in-house, if early adopters aren't available internally. There's still a high ceiling — and need — for decent corporate blogs, authentic social media managers and innovative internal implementations of social computing platforms.
Aside from personnel, it's fun to think about the bigger picture, too. Government is increasingly a big player in this space, as is Google. Social is going to be more mainstream and have more money flow into it than ever before, if marketing investment projections line up.
Here's hoping that the snake oil is wrung out in the process. I suspect another casualty may be the word "social" itself, as I commented at length on Andy McAfee's blog. Collaboration and results are in, hype and hysteria are out.
Protecting identity, security and trust will plague adoption of all of these platforms, whether they're in the public or private space. If we're giving away our data, social graphs, interactions and transactions, we'll expect to retain our identities, credentials and privacy. Companies that abuse that relationship will experience viral backlash that beggars the ire we've seen to date.
What do you think? What are the trends in collaboration technology that will matter this year?
Please let me know in the comments or reply to @digiphile on Twitter. I'll be speaking tomorrow at the inaugural Social Media Breakfast in Washington, D.C. on this very topic.
Update: Here's the presentation on Social Media Trends for 2010 from Prezi.com.
Filed under social bookmarking, social media, Twitter, video
Tagged as 2010, social media, social networking, trends, Twitter, Twtrcon, video
Haiti Relief
Unrestricted open Internet access is a top foreign policy for the US
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton speaks on Internet Freedom at the Newseum
"We stand for a single internet where all of humanity has equal access to knowledge and ideas." – Secretary Clinton.
Today, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton delivered a major speech on Internet Freedom to an audience of diplomats, politicians, journalists, tech executives and online activists in Washington, D.C.
The Wall Street Journal headline was clear this morning: "Internet access is the Clinton Doctrine." As reported there, the U.S. has made unrestricted access to the Internet a top foreign-policy priority.
"This issue isn't just about information freedom; it is about what kind of world we want and what kind of world we will inhabit," said Clinton. "It's about whether we live on a planet with one internet, one global community, and a common body of knowledge that benefits and unites us all, or a fragmented planet in which access to information and opportunity is dependent on where you live and the whims of censors."
Secretary Clinton's speech at the Newseum was streamed live at NetFreedom.state.gov. The discussion on Twitter was aggregated at the #netfreedom hashtag. Notably, many of the tweets showing up there are in Chinese.
"The spread of information networks is forming a new nervous system for our planet," said Secretary Clinton. "When something happens in Haiti or Hunan, the rest of us learn about it in real time – from real people. And we can respond in real time as well. "
The full text of Secretary of State Clinton's speech on Internet freedom can be found at State.gov. Excerpts are posted below. Video is available here.
"Now, in many respects, information has never been so free," said Clinton. "There are more ways to spread more ideas to more people than at any moment in history. And even in authoritarian countries, information networks are helping people discover new facts and making governments more accountable."
"On their own, new technologies do not take sides in the struggle for freedom and progress, but the United States does. We stand for a single internet where all of humanity has equal access to knowledge and ideas. And we recognize that the world's information infrastructure will become what we and others make of it. Now, this challenge may be new, but our responsibility to help ensure the free exchange of ideas goes back to the birth of our republic."
Where the Berlin Wall Crumbled, an "information wall" has emerged
"The Berlin Wall symbolized a world divided and it defined an entire era," said Clinton. "Today, remnants of that wall sit inside this museum where they belong, and the new iconic infrastructure of our age is the internet. Instead of division, it stands for connection. But even as networks spread to nations around the globe, virtual walls are cropping up in place of visible walls."
These walls are made of bits, not bricks.
"Some countries have erected electronic barriers that prevent their people from accessing portions of the world's networks," she said. "They've expunged words, names, and phrases from search engine results. They have violated the privacy of citizens who engage in non-violent political speech. These actions contravene the Universal Declaration on Human Rights, which tells us that all people have the right "to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers." With the spread of these restrictive practices, a new information curtain is descending across much of the world. And beyond this partition, viral videos and blog posts are becoming the samizdat of our day."
Engaging in censorship could have new consequences.
"States, terrorists, and those who would act as their proxies must know that the United States will protect our networks," said Secretary Clinton. "Those who disrupt the free flow of information in our society or any other pose a threat to our economy, our government, and our civil society. Countries or individuals that engage in cyber attacks should face consequences and international condemnation. In an internet-connected world, an attack on one nation's networks can be an attack on all."
Secretary Clinton also asserted a new freedom for the Internet, extending the Universal Declaration of Human Rights:
"The final freedom, one that was probably inherent in what both President and Mrs. Roosevelt thought about and wrote about all those years ago, is one that flows from the four I've already mentioned: the freedom to connect – the idea that governments should not prevent people from connecting to the internet, to websites, or to each other. The freedom to connect is like the freedom of assembly, only in cyberspace. It allows individuals to get online, come together, and hopefully cooperate."
Secretary Clinton also made it clear the the U.S. would support the development and distribution of tools to enable Internet freedom. Such moves might be analogous to distributing radio components and communications gear to partisans in World War II.
"We are also supporting the development of new tools that enable citizens to exercise their rights of free expression by circumventing politically motivated censorship," she said. "We are providing funds to groups around the world to make sure that those tools get to the people who need them in local languages, and with the training they need to access the internet safely. The United States has been assisting in these efforts for some time, with a focus on implementing these programs as efficiently and effectively as possible. Both the American people and nations that censor the internet should understand that our government is committed to helping promote internet freedom."
Clinton was clear regarding how access to information can be vital in preventing conflict:
"Information freedom supports the peace and security that provides a foundation for global progress. Historically, asymmetrical access to information is one of the leading causes of interstate conflict. When we face serious disputes or dangerous incidents, it's critical that people on both sides of the problem have access to the same set of facts and opinions."
She also referenced the Global Network Initiative, a distributed group of companies, civil society organizations, investors and academics dedicated to "protecting and advancing freedom of expression and privacy in information and communications technologies (ICT)." GNI has posted a reaction to Clinton's remarks on Internet freedom.
Secretary Clinton took questions from the audience after her speech.
A man from Libya asked wehether help would be available to defend against hackers who silence online media. Secretary Clinton said that tools would be developed collaboratively and deferred specific discussion for the panel.
One attendee wondered how young people, wired in a way they have never been before, can be engaged. Don't panic over the hyperconnection of young people, said Secretary Clinton." Find a way to utilize it."
She closed by focusing again on the response recent disaster in Haiti, where a woman was rescued after the earthquake after sending a text message. "These networks took a voice that was buried & spread it to the world," said Clinton.
Google, China and beyond
The timing of the speech could not be more apt, given the state of affairs that exists after Google's announcement regarding ending censorship of its search engine in China, China.cn.
Today, more than 20 million people remain without Internet access in the Xinjiang region.
Reactions, perspectives and concerns emerge
Today's speech on Internet freedom met with strong support from other federal agencies and electronic freedom advocates.
"Secretary Clinton's inspiring remarks are a compelling argument for the power of Internet freedom to promote economic opportunity and the rights of all people," said FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski.
"The FCC has a rich history of promoting open and competitive telecommunications markets at home and abroad. I look forward to working with our government partners and the private sector to advance free communications markets and networks worldwide."
Chris Messina, open Web advocate (and now Googler) offers his perspective from the stage at the Newseum. Video of the interview is embedded below:
The Center for Democracy & Technology released the following statement in response to Secretary of State Clinton's major policy address on Internet freedom:
"We applaud Secretary Clinton for placing global Internet freedom at the heart of 21st century diplomacy," said CDT President Leslie Harris. "This is a critical moment in the evolution of the Internet. Authoritarian regimes are remaking the Internet into a tool of political control; meanwhile, democratic countries are struggling to manage old social ills in the new digital world," Harris said. "The United States must take bold action to ensure that the global Internet remains a powerful force for democracy and human rights, Secretary Clinton's speech is an historic first step toward that end."
CDT Attorney Cynthia Wong added: "The free and open Internet is inexorably linked to the achievement of other major foreign policy goals, from protecting human rights to promoting democracy and economic empowerment. CDT looks forward to working with the State Department as it incorporates this new global Internet freedom objective into the fabric of American diplomacy worldwide."
"Today's speech exposes Hilary Clinton as a dyed in the wool cyberutopian… which is a good thing," said Ethan Zuckerman, co-founder of Global Voices and research fellow at the Berkman Center, as quoted by the Index on Censorship. "Her description of the internet as a "new nervous system for the planet" reflects aspiration as much as reality and points to a thorough embrace of the potentials for this technology, even in the face of dangerous uses of the tools. I was gratified to see her root the idea of 'freedom to connect,' not just in American history and tradition, but in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and to make clear that she saw the responsibility to protect these rights falling on international institutions, like the UN Human Rights Council."
"I'd been somewhat concerned that her statement might propose a new slate of internet rights, which might have sparked debate about whether the US was trying to impose its norms of speech on a global network – making it clear that internet freedom is rooted in the UDHR as is not a novel set of rights was an excellent move on her part. The policy part of the speech didn't have many surprises. There's been support in different branches of the US government for years for censorship circumvention technologies, and the State Department had already announced their interest in online diplomacy. What was interesting was the idea that taking a stand against censorship should become part of the "American brand". That, combined with the prominent mention of the Global Network Initiative, looked like a hearty endorsement of Google's recent decision to change its China business practices, and a challenge to other US companies to reconsider how they engage with nations that censor the Internet."
David Weinberger, Zuckerman's colleague at the Berkman Center, offered his thoughts and reaction in the video below:
Evgeny Morozov, contributing editor to Foreign Policy, also offered first thoughts on a "cyber Cold War."
I was taken aback by how much Cold War rhetoric she managed to work into it. Multiple references to 1989, fall of the Berlin Wall, the rise of the Information Iron Curtain (as Fridmanesque a metaphor as it gets). It's as if the last twenty years and globalization did not happen. The view of authoritarianism that she articulated in the speech smacked of a memo written by a bunch of confused Kremlinologists. I guess no sane American politician would ever acknowledge that information could be the opium of the masses, but acting as if today's Russians, Iranians or Chinese are totally cut off from information/travel/globalization is kind of silly. The very thought that authoritarianism can survive in the age of information abundance scares the bejesus out of American policy-makers, so they simply prefer to skirt it. I doubt that such self-denial would pay off in the long run.
2. The problem with such an anachronistic view of authoritarianism – which supposedly relies on a very rigorous system of censorship – is that it doesn't explain countries likes Russia or Egypt, where there is technically very little censorship per se (I bet that Russian has less Internet censorship than Australia or the United Kingdom). Unfortunately, I didn't hear anything about the evolving nature of Internet control (e.g. that controlling the Internet now includes many other activities – propaganda, DDoS attacks, physical intimidation of selected critics/activists). If we keep framing this discussion only as a censorship issue, we are unlikely to solve it.
3. Clinton was too soft on China, essentially granting them the right to censor whatever they'd like simply because they have "different views". I doubt that would go well with the Republicans and others who have chided the White House for being too soft on human rights. Her remarks about the need to incorporate Internet freedom into CSR for American companies working in authoritarian countries are valid , but I doubt it would help to solve the problem: local Chinese companies will simply fill in the gaps. Anti-censorship tools are not going to help either, because Chinese Internet companies delete content at its root (a point that Rebecca MacKinnon made during the panel).
4. Clinton's remarks about the need to go after those who initiative cyber-attacks also puzzled me. She is probably unaware of the numerous campaigns launched by American hacktivists on the web-sites of the Iranian government. Will those be persecuted too? The US government really needs to develop and then adopt a more coherent view on the ethics of cyberwarfare; otherwise, the US State Dept will be accused of duplicity. We can't be tolerating cyber-attacks in one context and criticizing them in another context (I wrote more about it here) [Read the rest of "cyber Cold War]
Panel parses the meaning of Internet freedom
Following Secretary Clinton's speech, a panel of long-time analysts, activists and academics convened on stage.
Internet Freedom Panel at the Newseum
"No amount of tools will help people access information when it's been deleted by the private sector," said Rebecca MacKinnon, Open Society Fellow, and future Visiting Fellow at Princeton's Center for Information Technology Policy. "10 years ago, only a small number of countriues censored the Internet. Now it's more than 40."
The panel was moderated by , Anne-Marie Slaughter, Director of Policy Planning at the State Department. Panelists included:
Larry Diamond, Senior fellow, Hoover Institution
David Nassar, Executive Director, Alliance of Youth Movements
Natalia Morari, Founder of ThinkMoldova, and
Clay Shirky, Professor at New York University.
Shirky, speaking to the disruptive impact of online networks on societies, said that "We overestimate the value of access to information. We underestimate the value of access to each other." In describing what happened in Iran and elsehwere, he observed that "it's been dubbed the Twitter revolution, but it's plainly the cellphone revolution." Shirky has written extensively on the potential for online social networks to change authoritarian governments, including a recent essay, "the net advantage."
"Damaging the open Internet is now starting to be seen like polluting rivers," said Mackinnon, describing a shift in expectations for corporate responsibility online.
The panel also brought up FreeGate, free anti-censorship software for Internet access in China or beyond.
Mackinnon emphasized that development of tools needn't be U.S.-centric. "It's not about Westerners giving tools to the oppressed masses," she said. "There are great programmers in Africa. They need support."
There's a crucial current example of precisely that kind of innovation outside of Western computer science labs: the Ushahidi platform was developed in Kenya & adapted for Haiti: Haiti.ushahidi.com
The final question for the panel came from the Internet: What is the U.S. responsibility regarding freedom of expression in Iran?
"Our responsibility is to stand up, engage governments openly in this discussion," said Anne-Marie Slaughter.
[When video of the panel is available, look for a link]
Questions remain, with foreign policy, online freedoms and trillions in investments in the balance
Ultimately, it won't be words alone that changes how Internet freedom is defined, upheld or enforced. It will be governments working in concert with NGOs, private companies and citizens. Doc Searls warned that we must be careful, lest the Internet become a "Cinternet." MacKinnon looked last week at whether China's demands for Internet 'self-discipline' are spreading to the West, in the form of censorship driven by copyright concerns and regulated through intermediary liability.
Clinton's speech will matter most if it is translated into policy, just as Google's bold blog post will be hold water when it stops censoring China.cn.
For now, the U.S. Secretary of State has made a major policy address on Internet freedom that will reverberate throughout the rest of the year. In a world that grows more interconnected by the second, such attention was needed.
Filed under journalism, technology
Washington DC aerial panoramas
Haiti Crisis Camp DC
Covering disaster on the real-time Web: Haiti earthquake
Earlier tonight, there was a major earthquake in Haiti.
Reports of seismic activity trickled online about six hours ago and then grew into a torrent.
Since then, CNN, the New York Times, NPR, WSJ, LA Times and thousands of other outlets have covered the news of the aftermath of a major natural disaster in the poorest nation in Western Hemisphere.
Tragedy unfolding in real-time.
I saw the first report of the earthquake in Haiti on Twitter, through Deb Dobson, when she tweeted a report from @WXII:
"AP: A strong 7.0 earthquake has hit the impoverished country of Haiti where a hospital has collapsed.
When I clicked over, Google real-time search for "Haiti earthquake" had already begin rolling.
No geolocated tweets had begun to show up when I did a geolocated search within 50 miles of Haiti on Twitter
That changed quickly.
Geolocated tweets from within 200 miles of #Haiti began coming in after the #earthquake's main force had hit. And searchers began to pick up local accounts, including overservers like @laurahertzfeld. She picked out @fredodupoux @danloprod and @futurehaiti.
Sharp-eyed picked up on the reports and put it out on the new wire – the real-time Web. After the story broke, the @LATimes reported that there had been multipled aftershock reported for #Haiti, with the initial #earthquake's epicenter 10miles inland. Given that location a tsunami was unlikely.
Using advanced search, I was able to find other people tweeting about the #earthquake near Port Au Prince, like @troylivesay and InternetHaiti.
I found that Andy Carvin was following the same electronic channels in real time. He created a NPR's list of people tweeting from Haiti, adding sources as he discovered them from suggestions from his thousands of followers and his own geolocated searches. A story quickly went up at NPR.org that was updated with details as the story developed.
I heard CNN interview @Wyclef Jean soon afterwards. Wyclef was apparently on the phone with someone in Haiti when quake hit.
Not long after that,@CBSNews tweeted a statement from President Obama: "We are closely monitoring the situation and we stand ready to assist the people of Haiti."
Within the hour, pictures of the earthquake's aftermath began to emerge on Twitter, shared on Twitpic. @cristianrguez shared these shots: http://twitpic.com/xurlj http://twitpic.com/xurol
It's this grainy pic, however, http://twitpic.com/xuthn, that's on the front page of CNN.com, the LA Times and NPR.org. It's on the image above.
It wasn't long before more pictures of the disaster began to stream online. Marshall Kirkpatrick retweeted @RodrigoBNO, who tweeted "the first pictures from Haiti, now via Twitter: http://twitpic.com/photos/marvinady
@TroyLivesay, again geolocated in Haiti, tweeted that "Tipap made it from Carrefour – saw many dead & injured along the way – most buidings w/more than 1 story are down"
By that time, other media organization had made lists sources on Twitter that were near the disaster, including reporters and editors who were curating the stream.
CNN made a list: @CNN/haiti
And so did the @LATimes/haiti-quake
Add that to @NPRNews/haiti-earthquake and there were three columns of real-time news to watch stream in.
And then, hours after raw pictures from the real-time Web had streamed onto Twitter and into Google's index, the New York Times posted an arresting gallery of earthquake pictures from Haiti.
Now, real-time will shift to real work, as disaster relief is surged to Haiti.
The extent of the damage will only become clear as more cameras and connectivity arrive in Haiti.
For now, the world has seen again how information can spread through the virtual reflectors of the online world. In 2010, fiber optic cables link media outlets in much the same way, connecting humans to one another in much the same way as axons connect neurons in a cybernetic brain.
Even in the worst of times, the current ability of humankind to detect harm and direct resources towards healing wounds to populations can be breathtaking. The digital tools available to nimble editors for informing the audience of what's happening in real-time by curating online media are unprecedented. And the ways that individuals can directly reach out to help those afflicted are powerful.
As Britt Bravo at BlogHer shared:
• The American Red Cross is accepting donations for its International Response Fund. You can follow their work on the American Red Cross Disaster Newsroomblog, and on Twitter at @RedCross.
• U.S. Fund for UNICEF also needs donations. According to their press release:
"Funds are urgently needed to provide safe water, temporary shelter systems, essential medical supplies etc. . . . Haiti is the poorest country in the western hemisphere and has a population of 9.6 million inhabitants, of which more than half are under 21 years old."
You can follow UNICEF's work on their Field Notes blog, and on Twitter at @UnicefUSA.
• Mercy Corps is deploying an emergency team, and is asking for donations. You can follow their work on the Mercy Corps blog, and on Twitter at @mercycorps.
• According to their Twitter feed, Oxfam America is already on the ground in Haiti and is asking for donations. You can follow them on the Oxfam America blog and on Twitter at @oxfamamerica
• Musician Wyclef Jean, who established Yéle Haiti, tweeted, "Help Haiti Earthquake Relief Donate $5 by texting YELE to 501 501 right now please RT." You can follow him on his blog, and on Twitter at @wyclef.
The next twenty four hours will be crucial. As Marc Ambinder tweeted, "from what I can gather, Obama is still up and working on response to the Haiti earthquake.the President was still up at 1 AM. Virtually everything I hear from folks in the know begins with "bad, bad, bad." A catastrophe upon a catastrophe."
Here's hoping the digital tools that communicated the news can be used to help those in dire need.
UPDATE: Chris @Sacca has shared 6 ways that you can help in Haiti. His post and further annotations for each link are worth reading.
1) Text "HAITI" to "90999" to donate $10 to the Red Cross
2) Text "Yele" to 501501 to donate $5 to Yele Haiti
3) Donate to Partners in Health (click here) — PIH (@pih_org)
4) Donate to Architecture for Humanity (@archforhumanity) (click here)
5) Donate to @charitywater (click here)
6) Learn more about Haiti
UPDATE II: Brock Meeks posted the following video of the earthquake from YouTube.
UPDATE III Raw footage from after the earthquake ended. Warning: graphic images of death, destruction and grief.
UPDATE IVJournalism professor Dan Kennedy wrote thoughtfully about citizen media and the earthquake in Haiti. As he writes there, Global Voices has a posted "a compilation of tweets and photos and a digest of what bloggers in Haiti and throughout the Caribbean are saying."
CNN's iReport also has put together a page on the Haitian earthquake.
UPDATE V: By the end of Wednesday, the New York Times had also assembled a number of useful list of Twitter accounts related to the earthquake in Haiti:
@nytimes/haiti-earthquake
@nytimes/haiti-people-21
@nytimes/haiti-help
@nytimes/haiti-media
Filed under blogging, journalism, social media, technology, Twitter
FCC launches Reboot.gov, asks for public input on improving citizen interaction
The Federal Communications Commission has announced a new subdomain to FCC.gov today, Reboot.fcc.gov. "Reboot.gov" is being touted by as the first such website to solicit citizen interaction with the FCC, and follows the launch of broadband.gov and openinternet.gov last year. All three websites are notable for their clean design and integration of new media, like blogs, Twitter or videos from YouTube. The chairman's introduction is embedded below:
One of the stated aims of Reboot.gov is to gather feedback on how FCC.gov itself can be redesigned, a project that's long overdue. The announcement of the new site, for instance, showed up in email but was not been posted in plaintext on FCC.gov. Like other releases, it showed up as a Word doc and PDF, although today it showed up more quickly than usual, which is to say on the same day the news was announced.
In fact, the FCC has picked up the pace of its communications of late, as anyone who has followed @FCC on Twitter knows, even if it's not quite up to "Internet speed" just yet.
Design and social media use aside, open government geeks and advocates are likely to be the most excited about the launch of FCC.gov/data, "an online clearinghouse for the Commission's public data."
The FCC has already posted search tools for its documents. Users can sort data by type or by bureau. In a move certain to excite Clay Johnson of the Sunlight Foundation and other data geeks, the FCC is posting XML feeds. And, indeed. Clay tweeted the following earlier today: "Well FCC Data Lovers? Get to it: http://rebootfcc.uservoice.com/pages/37109," linking to a page on Reboot.gov that asks "What data sets would you like to see the FCC publish on FCC.gov/data?"
If the use of open data from the FCC takes off, this could be a significant movement in open government.
Data categories are linked below:
Database Exports
And bureaus here:
Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau
Enforcement Bureau
International Bureau
Media Bureau
Wireless Telecommunications
Public Safety & Homeland Security Bureau
Wireline Competition Bureau
Office of Communications Business Opportunities
Office of Engineering & Technology
Office of Legislative Affairs
Office of the Managing Director
Office of Media Relations
Office of Strategic Planning & Policy Analysis
Office of Work Place Diversity
Under the Media Bureau, for instance, visitors can explore DTV Station Coverage Maps, a key issue to many given the recent transition to digital TV. The data there is already a bit dated (and released in PDFs) but I can see some potential down the line here. For instance, my parents don't get good public DTV reception near Baltimore at the moment. If I can get Dad to report that at Reboot.gov, perhaps that might change.
That kind of interaction is precisely where the potential for these sites can be best realized. So-called "Web 1.0" tools like websites, email and SMS used to share information about the quality of services and then "Web 2.0" services like blog comments and social media deployed to gathering feedback from citizens about the delivery of said services.
The press release follows below:
Today, the Federal Communications Commission launched Reboot.FCC.gov, the first-ever Web site dedicated to soliciting public input on ways to improve citizen interaction with the FCC. The launch also includes the first official FCC blog, which will feature posts from FCC employees and each of the five Commission members.
"Transforming the Commission into a model of excellence in government is one of my top priorities," said Chairman Julius Genachowski. "The success of this transformation depends on strong public participation throughout the process. With the launch of Reboot.FCC.gov, our goal is to get input from all corners of the country on ways to improve usability, accessibility, and transparency across the agency."
To advance the FCC reform agenda, Chairman Julius Genachowski appointed a team of senior leadership within the agency dedicated to identifying the most needed and important areas for improvement. Reboot.FCC.gov highlights five key elements of FCC reform for public discussion and feedback:
Redesign of FCC.gov: As part of a long-overdue redesign of the FCC.gov Web site, the FCC is asking for ideas on how best to streamline and improve the experience for all site visitors.
Data: Because data underlies all agency proceedings, the FCC is launching FCC.gov/data, an online clearinghouse for the Commission's public data, and looking for additional ways increase openness, transparency, efficiency and public oversight.
Engagement: The FCC is reevaluating how citizens engage in government and exploring new ways to increase public participation through the use of new media tools, e-rulemaking, and expanding our audiences.
Systems: The FCC is overhauling and reforming the systems available at FCC.gov — from the Electronic Comment Filing System to creating a Consolidated Licensing System — and wants feedback on ways to make them easier to navigate and more useful.
Rules and Processes: The FCC aims to modernize and grow the efficiency of agency proceedings, and seeks input on ways to improve the quality of agency decision-making, reduce backlogs, and enhance the public's ability to understand and participate in Commission proceedings.
Filed under blogging, technology
Tagged as #gov20, fcc, open government
Homer Simpson's brain runs on Macintosh System 6
On Sunday, I flipped over from Iron Chef America's "Super chef battle" to find that Homer Simpson's brain is a Macintosh. And an old Mac, at that.
If I'm right, my geeky friends will analyze the screenshot and confirm that my guess that Homer is running Macintosh System 6 is correct.
The writers of the Simpsons may have altered some icons to avoid a notice from the litigious legal department at Apple but to this geek's eyes, that looks like a Mac, circa late-80s.
Who else would call it a "Finder?"
Not Apple, in fact.
If you look at the screen shot of System 6 below, via Wikipedia, you'll see that there's no "Finder," just the Apple symbol on the top left.
The OS above, however, is more similar to System 6 than the more rounded icons in the GUI that Apple introduced in System 7, along with a host of other improvements.
Given that the Simpsons debuted in 1989, System 6 would have been the OS in use at the time.
It wouldn't surprise me at all, given the glorious geekiness of those writers, if Homer's brain hadn't been upgraded since.
"Thursdays With Abe" is free to watch online now, for as long as Hulu makes it available.
Skip to the 9 minute mark for the key bit.
Tagged as Apple, geek, Homer Simpson, Iron Chef America, Mac OS, Macintosh, Simpsons, System 6, System 7, Television, trivia
January 2, 2010 · 10:09 pm
Cedarville State Forest, Southern Maryland
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IN A HISTORIC OVERRIDE OF TRUMP VETO, USA BANS ANONYMOUS SHELL COMPANIES
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In 2021, the White House should engage Americans in governance, not censor our data
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In a dual crisis of of pandemic and protest, DC extends "vote-by-email" to people who requested an absentee ballot
Digital democracy reforms tends to advance or retreat in fits and starts, but when exigent circumstances require more from us and our governments, change can happen unexpectedly. On May 26, I requested an absentee ballot, intending to cast my vote … Continue reading →
Trump's executive order on social media is a transparent attempt to stop his viral disinformation from being checked
The United States needs a "whole of society" effort to increase resilience against disinformation and misinformation, particularly in the context of a global pandemic. Unfortunately, the actions of the Trump White House are weakening the health of our body politic, … Continue reading →
The watchdogs protecting American democracy and informing the public
The past decade has shown the world again and again how important anti-corruption watchdogs and nonpartisan advocates for transparency and accountability are for defending civil liberties and public access to information, online and off. The stress test that the Trump … Continue reading →
Using location data to fight COVID19 puts civil liberties under greater threat
When it comes to using location data to surveil the incidence and spread of the novel coronavirus, efficacy is what matters. Presidents, legislatures, and regulators around the world are trying to learn how to leverage existing and emerging technologies to … Continue reading →
What cities can learn from Gainesville's experiment with radical transparency
There's much to be learned from the experience of the city Gainesville, Florida, where a commissioners voted in 2014 to publish the public's email correspondence with them and the mayor online. More than five years on, the city government and … Continue reading →
Remote biosurveillance poses novel existential threats to civil liberties
FierceElectronics reports that Draganfly is claiming that their technologies can, when attached to a drone, detect fever, coughs, respiration, heart rate, & blood pressure for a given human at a distance. Put another way, this drone company is saying that … Continue reading →
If disinformation is a public health risk, put lies into epistemic quarantine
Informing the public during a pandemic has always been a challenge for public health officials, but the information landscape of 2020 has been polluted by the the Trump administration's history of lying in ways that make response to the coronavirus … Continue reading →
280 Character Dispatches
My feet are sore after 8 miles of running & walking, but my heart is lighter after talking with National Guard, Sec… twitter.com/i/web/status/1… 50 minutes ago
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digiphile · We're already living in the future. It's just not evenly distrbuted yet.


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Assess: Looking at how money flows in and out of a business, measuring the value of assets, and analysing how an organisation is performing. Chartered accountants also often help to make big business decisions.
Analyse: Performing analysis and interpretation to calculate the physical goods of a company and even measure the value of a brand.
Audit: Auditors work across every sector to independently confirm the trustworthiness of financial figures.
Advise: Companies often turn to chartered accountants when they want to launch a new product, buy another company, or improve their operations. This explains why many chartered accountants end up moving into CEO roles and other senior leadership positions.
As you can see, chartered accountants do much more than just auditing and looking at figures. Their work also often encompasses other important business functions, such as analysis and advisory roles, which is particularly important when big strategic decisions need to be made.
Where Can Chartered Accountancy Take You?
It is important to note that the letters 'ACA' can only be used by ICAEW Chartered Accountants, those who have completed the ICAEW ACA qualification and have joined as members of ICAEW.
The ICAEW ACA paves the way for a successful career in business, accounting and finance. As a world leader in the accountancy and finance profession, ICAEW has been helping its members pursue successful careers for over 130 years.
The ICAEW ACA qualification can be pursued by school leavers or graduates alike, from any background or discipline. It is a highly recognised and sought after qualification for professionals in the world of accounting, business and finance. ICAEW connects with over 147,000 chartered accountants in 154 countries worldwide, and this means that with the ICAEW ACA qualification you can build a truly international career.
It is also worth noting that students undertaking the ICAEW ACA qualification are highly successful in their examinations. This is mainly attributed to the quality of learning material and support provided by ICAEW throughout their studies.
Having successfully completed the ICAEW ACA qualification, you will have to apply, to become a member in order to use the ICAEW Chartered Accountant (ACA) title.
As a world leading professional membership organisation, ICAEW continuously supports its members throughout their career by sharing knowledge, insight and capabilities. The Institute's high standards and reputation for excellence ensures that you will have the expertise and values to meet the needs of businesses at every stage of your professional career.
Work with over 5,000 Authorised Training Employers (ATEs) internationally to provide students undertaking the ICAEW ACA qualification with the work experience required to qualify as an ICAEW Chartered Accountant.
To summarise, the ICAEW ACA ultimately prepares you for leadership right up to the board level. That's why 78% of FTSE 100 companies have an ICAEW Chartered Accountant on their board. On top of gaining access to great career prospects and opportunities, being an ICAEW Chartered Accountant enables you to unlock your career aspirations with the support of a world-leading professional organisation behind you.
For more information on how to become an ICAEW Chartered Accountant, visit their careers website.
Note: This article was written in partnership with ICAEW, one of the world's leading providers of training and professional development for chartered accountants.
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Lake Charles is a bay located in Louisiana, United States on the continent of North America. Find Country Club, Hotel, Restaurant, Yacht Club and attractions in Lake Charles, Calcasieu Parish below.
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Lake Charles Country Club
Welcome to the Lake Charles Country Club, United States, where the food serving areas consist of the Dining room, the grill, the pool snack bar and the nineteenth hole (a part of the men's locke...
Crossland Lake Charles - Sulphur
Welcome to Crossland Lake Charles - Sulphur, United States. The Hotel is designed especially for longer stays with studios featuring fully-equipped kitchens and plenty of work space... amenities you w...
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Welcome to the Lake Charles Microtel Inn & Suites, a quality, discount Hotel in Lake Charles, Louisiana conveniently located near Harrah's Casino, Isle of Capri Casino, Pinnacle Casino, Delt...
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Piano Duo Music Spanning Two Centuries ~ Upcoming Concert on August 27th –
July 15, 2011 Deborah Grimmett News, Press Release 0
Piano Pinnacle Presents Two Centuries of Piano Duo Music
In an evening of piano duo music (two pianos, four hands) spanning over two centuries, pianists Deborah Grimmett and Iman Habibi bring a unique touch to the gems of the genre, as well as premiering ten new works by Canadian composers.
When: Saturday, August 27, 2011 @ 8pm
Where: Roy Barnett Recital Hall (6361 Memorial Road, UBC, Vancouver BC)
Cost: $20 for adults, $10 for students and seniors
Piano Pinnacle (pianists Deborah Grimmett and Iman Habibi) performs a duo piano recital on Saturday, August 27th, 2011 at 8pm at the Roy Barnett Recital Hall, located at 6361, Memorial Road (UBC). All are invited to attend; admission is $20 for adults, and $10 for students and seniors.
Piano Pinnacle recently competed in the International Northwest Piano Ensemble Competition, where they won the Audience Choice Award and Third Prize. The duo has been selected as the only Canadian team to take part in the 15th Torneo Internazionale di Musica (2012) in Verona, Italy. The program for August 27th aptly encapsulates the duo's dedication to the old and new music of the piano duo genre, and making it available and accessible to the public. The program includes pieces by Mozart, Arensky, Rachmaninoff, Brahms, as well as ten short pieces by Canadian composers, written specifically for this concert. Leading up to this concert, and in support of Canadian new music, Piano Pinnacle issued a call for scores, which inspired dozens of new, original compositions from across Canada. Ten of these new works were selected for performance at the concert on August 27th.
To see the final selection of new Canadian works to be performed at this concert, click here.
Results of Summer 2011 Call for Scores
Piano Pinnacle Performs at the Pulse Festival


text:
<?php

namespace Symfony\Bundle\SwiftmailerBundle\Tests\DependencyInjection;

use Symfony\Bundle\SwiftmailerBundle\Tests\TestCase;
use Symfony\Bundle\SwiftmailerBundle\DependencyInjection\SwiftmailerExtension;
use Symfony\Component\DependencyInjection\ContainerBuilder;

class SwiftmailerExtensionTest extends TestCase
{
    public function testConfigLoad()
    {
        $container = new ContainerBuilder();
        $loader = new SwiftmailerExtension();

        $loader->load(array(array()), $container);
        $this->assertEquals('Swift_Mailer', $container->getParameter('swiftmailer.class'), '->mailerLoad() loads the swiftmailer.xml file if not already loaded');

        $loader->load(array(array('transport' => 'sendmail')), $container);
        $this->assertEquals('sendmail', $container->getParameter('swiftmailer.transport.name'), '->mailerLoad() overrides existing configuration options');
        $this->assertEquals('swiftmailer.transport.sendmail', (string) $container->getAlias('swiftmailer.transport'));

        $loader->load(array(array()), $container);
        $this->assertEquals('smtp', $container->getParameter('swiftmailer.transport.name'), '->mailerLoad() provides default values for configuration options');
        $this->assertEquals('swiftmailer.transport.smtp', (string) $container->getAlias('swiftmailer.transport'));
    }

    public function testSpool()
    {
        $container = new ContainerBuilder();
        $loader = new SwiftmailerExtension();

        $loader->load(array(array('spool' => array())), $container);
        $this->assertEquals('swiftmailer.transport.spool', (string) $container->getAlias('swiftmailer.transport'));
        $this->assertEquals('swiftmailer.transport.smtp', (string) $container->getAlias('swiftmailer.transport.real'));
    }

}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Home Read News and Prophecy Germany—The World's Favorite Country
Germany—The World's Favorite Country
News and Prophecy Staff
"Germany, it appears, is the most respected country in the world. According to the Nation Brands Index, Germany deposed the hitherto reigning champion [for five years], the Unites (sic) States" (Reuters, November 17, 2014). "People around the world now have more positive perceptions of Germany than of 49 other developed and developing countries, according to the annual NBISM study. The study measures global perceptions of each country, based on twenty-three different attributes that make up the six overall dimensions on which national image is based: exports, governance, culture, people, tourism and immigration/investment. For the 2014 study, a total of 20,125 interviews were conducted across 20 countries" (GFK, November 12, 2014). "Germany appears to have benefited… by solidifying its perceived leadership in Europe through a robust economy and steady political stewardship." This has occurred while the perceived role of the U.S. in "global peace and security" has dropped significantly (ibid.).
The findings of this recent poll are interesting in light of Bible prophecies that reveal that at the time of the end, it is Germany, not the U.S., that will lead the world for a short time—as the head of a European Beast power or "king of the North" (see Daniel 11; Isaiah 10; Revelation 13:1-8; 17:12-14). The Bible indicates that Germany's reputation and power will continue to rise at the end of the age.
For more on this, read our article, "Why Is Germany Rising?"
A King of the North? News and Prophecy Staff
Death of an Empire? News and Prophecy Staff
Paris Attacks and Prophecy News and Prophecy Staff
A coming "world political authority"? Wyatt Ciesielka
Fifty Years of European Union: What Next? Rod King (1949-2019)
Nordic Nations Lean to the West News and Prophecy Staff
London's Population to be 50 Percent "Foreign" by 2031 News and Prophecy Staff
Mitteleuropa: A Dream Coming True? Dexter B. Wakefield


Susy, a Registered Nurse suffered a severe disabling stroke and her family embarked on a quest to find an affordable and suitable Assisted Living and Retirement Community. In their search, the family met other caregivers who similarly were unable to find an affordable, luxurious Assisted Living Community for their loved ones. A team of experts in Healthcare and Business, all with personal experience of care giving, was formed to create Angelic Mansions and realize this mission of providing affordable yet luxurious services and care.
The incomparable value Angelic Mansions provide starts at $2,190/Month for a shared/companion suite, $2,690/Month for a private room with a shared bathroom, and $3,190/Month for a private room with a private bathroom. Charges are based on the living quarters and the level of care needed. Level 1 - No Additional Charges. Level 2 - Additional $250.00/Month. Level 3 - Additional $500.00/Month. Level 4 - Additional $750.00/Month. Level 5 - Additional $990.00/Month.
At Angelic Mansions, our mission is to ensure that you not only enjoy life, but flourish because we believe you deserve it ALL - An Affordable Luxury Lifestyle.
Our standard Amenities rival some of the finest resorts. Relax in living quarters that feature porcelain tiled floors with granite inserts, custom closets, memory foam mattress, personal safe, LED touch lamps, Home Theater System with 42" LED TV with wireless headphones and a desktop computer. Revel in the facilities Spa like showers, Theater area, massage chairs, coffee/cappuccino/snack Bar and Computer Nook.
Relish the Filet Mignon, Salmon and a wide, seasonal array of culinary delights. Flourish with activities that invigorates you physically, intellectually, emotionally, and socially, like trips to lakes and mountains, seminars by physicians, monthly massages, transportation in a luxury Porsche Cayenne and concierge services. Feel safe and secure with exceptional caregivers, all physician trained, who are on site 24/7 to attend to your every need.
Angelic Mansions - Assisted Living, a facility that would not only be affordable, but provide a luxurious home like atmosphere with countless standard amenities that rival the finest resorts.
Subscribe to our mailing list for offers, news updates and more! We only send you information about our services and never spam or send third-party emails.


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GoCovington Blogger / Thursday, June 4, 2020
History Tourism: Wild West Heyday of Covington Ga
When you think of the wild west, what images come to mind? Maybe it's the exchange with Indians as settlers move into unknown territory, log cabins in the woods, the men hanging out at the town's saloon, the stagecoach bringing news and supplies to an area sparsely developed, or the sheriff that is stopping lawlessness.
What you might not realize is these are the images of Covington and Newton County in the early 1800s. Photographs and historical buildings can still be seen by visitors as part of our history tourism.
In the earliest history of Newton County, settlers were moving inland in Georgia and displacing the local Indians. Our area had long been occupied by the Creek Indian Nation until they ceded their lands to the government. This led to the 1807 land lottery. Less than 20 years later, on December 24, 1821, Newton County was formed from part of that land and named in honor of John Newton, a Revolutionary War hero. Covington, Georgia was then founded in 1822. Originally named Newtonsboro, the town was changed to Covington in honor of Leonard Covington, a hero of the War of 1812 and U.S. Congressman.
The Stage Route in Newton County
During the first few decades of Newton County's development, stagecoach lines linked to places within the community as well as to other regions throughout Georgia. As an important part of our transportation history, stagecoaches brought settlers, supplies and materials into the area. In 1821, the center of the area's activity was a settlement called Winton and the Brick Store, a general store and stagecoach stop. The Brick Store is one of the earliest buildings in Newton County and one of the oldest buildings in Georgia that has been preserved. The site includes a tablet from 1933 commemorating the Stage Coach Crossroads.
Much of the stage route followed along Highway 278, with portions today covered by I-20. Another little tidbit for those interested in transportation history, it is thought that a house built at 38 S. Broad St. in Porterdale was once a stagecoach inn for Cedar Shoals (later renamed Porterdale).
Establishing the County Seat in Covington
The Brick Store has long been an important structure in Newton County. It served as the first court location and the jail if someone was found guilty and sentenced. Since there were no bars on the doors or windows, a court officer was appointed to guard the prisoner. However, state law required that the county seat be in as central an area of the county as possible. After the first session of Newton County Court in April of 1822, the Georgia General Assembly decided that the county seat would be moved west to Covington.
A temporary courthouse (1822) was constructed in Covington until the first permanent courthouse (1824) was completed at the center of the square. A second courthouse (now known as the old courthouse) was later built in 1885 after the first was burnt down in a fire. The first courthouse location has been transformed into the park-like setting that is now Covington Square.
The first actual jail burned before construction finished. A second jail was a one room caboose built off the square behind the historic courthouse. In 1901, a new jail was built that was state-of-the-art for its time. It was located on the corner of Stallings Street and Court Place, which was later renamed Hunter Street.
If you are wondering how lawless this area was compared to iconic images of the wild west, imagine a saloon built by RW Bagby in 1884 along the square in Covington. The saloon was blown up two years later and was then rebuilt. During the early days of Newton County history, there were a few saloons along the square. Some of them might have burnt down since fires were common. The entire northern side of the square, including the first courthouse, burned down in 1883. From murders to fires, the stories from the 1800's have brought around some of the best ghost stories in Covington, Georgia. You can hear about these stories during a ghost tour.
The Advent of the Railroad
Rail transport was also important to our county's development and history tourism. In 1828, U.S. Senator Wilson Lumpkin and Hamilton Fulton rode through Covington to explore the potential for building a canal westward from Augusta. As they traveled through the area, their concept changed from a canal to a railroad with a stop planned in Covington.
Planters, mill owners, and other businessmen helped organize a line in 1836. The arrival of the Georgia Railroad (1845) and then the Middle Georgia and Atlanta Railroad (1894) were significant in the growth and vitality of Covington and the surrounding area. With the coming of the railroad, cotton-growing began to replace farming as the major source of income. In addition to helping agriculture and mills thrive, the railroad brought development. Mule-drawn streetcar transportation, such as from the Covington Oxford Street Railroad Car, would transport passengers from the train depot to downtown Covington. By the late 1800s, the industrial base was expanding and creating local jobs.
While many of the original railroad route from the 1800s is gone, remnants of tracks remain along some of our trails. If you are interested in railroad tourism, an interesting spot to visit is Porterdale with its historic railroad depot and rail car and the Yellow River Path, which follows the old railroad bed.
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Is it Spring yet? I know, Winter just began, but I'm ready for Spring. Today was so warm here - 70 degrees. So I had to go outside with the kids. Here's Miss B pretending I'm not nearby - refusing to look up. Tyler was so excited to be outside! He's been dying to play outside for the past few days, but rain kept us in.
Being the last day of the year, I had to post some shots even though they don't fit with the season. Happy New Year!!


In the preface, C.S. Lewis writes that he will not explain how he came across the correspondence between two devilsScrewtape and his nephew, Wormwood. He reminds the reader that devils are liars, so Screwtape's reports might not be accurate. In the first letter, Screwtape begins to advise Wormwood about how to tempt his assigned human, "the Patient," into sin and Hell. Wormwood should not try to convince the Patient with arguments. That may have worked in the past, but in the twentieth century, it's necessary to use . He should appeal to the Patient's emotions in order to keep him from using reason. Screwtape recollects how he kept an atheist from reasoning that the Enemy exists by tempting him to go to lunch. Wormwood should always remind the Patient about the ordinariness of things, and he should keep the Patient away from science. It will make the Patient think of things he can't touch or see.
Screwtape reprimands Wormwood for allowing the Patient to become a Christian still on and Wormwood's side. The members of the Patient's church will also help them. The Patient expects an ideal spiritual Church, not oily grocers and parishioners who sing out of tune. Wormwood must not let the Patient realize that the images he has of spirituality are stereotypes. He should try to make the Patient feel disappointed. Disappointment, Screwtape says, usually marks major transitions in life. People feel disappointed when their idle dreams turn into active work. But if they get over this initial period of disappointment, Screwtape warns, people become much harder to tempt. If it turns out that the other members of the Patient's church, in addition to being everyday and ordinary, are really hypocrites, then Wormwood's task is easier. He should try to make the Patient .
Screwtape advises Wormwood to manipulate the Patient's relationship with his mother. According to Screwtape, she is a difficult and nitpicky woman. First, Wormwood should make the Patient think that his conversion to Christianity is internal and grand rather than a part of his day-to-day life. Second, Wormwood should encourage the Patient to offer only prayers for his mother's sins. This will make him think of what she does wrong. Screwtape says he has made his patients so hypocritical in this respect that they stood up from praying for their children's souls only to beat their children's bodies. Third, Wormwood should encourage the Patient focus on his mother's annoying habits. Fourth, he must encourage his patient to read a bitter tone into his mother's voice even when she is not using one. At the same time, the Patient must expect his mother only to take into account his words, not the tone with which he uses them. That way, both mother and son will argue often and both will think they are in the right.
The central literary devices of The Screwtape Letters are irony and satire. Irony is a tool by which an author expresses ideas and conveys meaning through language that does not directly state the author's meaning. For example, Lewis uses Screwtape to say things that are contrary to his Christian message. When Screwtape calls God "the Enemy," for example, the reader is invited to see God as "the Ally." Lewis's irony challenges the reader's expectations of what Christian spiritual advice looks like of the beliefs and actions that will lead a human soul into eternal damnation. Satire is the use of irony, humor, and ridicule to criticize common and, implicitly, mistaken beliefs and unconscious vices that an author perceives in society. Some of the targets of Lewis's satire in The Screwtape Letters are modern corporate language and organization, fashion trends, the Anglican Church, the Catholic Church, and the dubious professional positions of spiritual advisors and newspaper morality columnists. In the light of these last categories, the reader should note that Lewis's irony is often self-directed.
In the first letter, Lewis challenges the common notion that science leads to atheism and a loss of Christian faith. Thinking about particles and forces that cannot actually be seen, warns Screwtape, is not far from thinking about unseen spirits like devils, angels, and the invisible but omnipresent Christian God. During the European Enlightenment in the eighteenth century, the "light" of human reason was presented as a force opposed to the "darkness" of received religion. Lewis flips this notion on its head. He argues that reason, on the contrary, leads humans to ask spiritually challenging questions, questions that, in turn, lead them to God and salvation. It is not reason, Screwtape argues, but a general feeling that something is reasonable, that leads most people into atheism. People accept the true-sounding, but ultimately meaningless, language of scientific jargon as fact. Wormwood should use this kind of vapid languageof Lewis's satireto lead the Patient to blindly accept commonly held beliefs that the Patient himself knows nothing about.